OPA Update 9/14/26: OPA Meeting Tonight, Ocean Way Festival Canceled, City Approved Red Light Cameras, & Things To Do This Week

September OPA Monthly Meeting TONIGHT (Monday Sept 14): The meeting is at the Ocean Park Library @ 2601 Main St. starting with food and mingling at 6:00pm. We will also be hybrid on Zoom. Click here to add the OPA monthly meeting and Zoom link to your calendar. Here’s the zoom link, and here’s the schedule:
6:00 – 6:30: Food, refreshments and mingling6:30 – 7:30: Guest Speakers:SaMo Police DepartmentSaMo Fire DepartmentWestside Food BankJacob Wasserman from the Planning CommissionAshley Oelson discussing landmarking the WHALE MURAL on Ocean Park Blvd.7:30 – 8:30: Board business, including the upcoming calendar of events.
Ocean Way Festival CANCELED: The beach concert scheduled for Sept 26 & 27 has been canceled “due to severe beach erosion and storm surf caused by Hurricane Marie.” More details here.
Santa Monica approves red-light cameras, new road-safety framework: The vote directed staff to establish an Automated Traffic Enforcement System, or ATES, under a 2025 state law and endorsed a shift from the city’s longstanding “five-E” safety model to a seven-element “Safe System” approach. It also advanced a neighborhood traffic-calming toolkit, a curb-management pilot and a modernized delivery-robot program. More details here.
The Blue Notebook – August 23-29: Here is last week’s recap of police activity.
Critical Incident Video Released Following August 22 Officer-Involved Shooting: The city released this report along with the video of the shooting from multiple angles. WARNING: The video shows someone being shot.
Santa Monica commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month 2026: Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Latino/Latinx and Hispanic communities. More details here along with a list of events.
Fall into Transit: The City published this article detailing Fall events and initiatives. “Fall is filled with reasons to ride public transit! From advocacy and sustainability initiatives to free Big Blue Bus rides and fun community events, there are so many reasons this season to hop on board and give transit a try.”
SMMUSD Meeting Summary (Sept 9): “The board accepted the district’s 2025-26 unaudited actual financial report, closing the year with a $6 million surplus against a projected $3.7 million deficit — a roughly $9 million swing driven largely by one-time wildfire-related state reimbursements and lower-than-projected expenditures.” More details here.
The Street Seen: The Georgian Hotel @ 1415 Ocean Ave (between Santa Monica Blvd & Broadway): Mark Gorman ventures a bit north of OP to profile The Georgian Hotel that was constructed in 1931. More details here.
Fall Specials at JINYA Ramen Bar: The Main St. staple is launching two limited-time seasonal menu items for autumn. Spice lovers can try the “Aka Oni” (Red Demon), a spicy garlic ramen with clear chicken broth, pork and chicken chashu, fried garlic, and chili oil. They are also offering a classic crispy Tonkatsu pork cutlet served with signature sauce and steamed rice. 2457 Main St. jinyaramenbar.com 
Councilmember Dan Hall Newsletter: Here is his weekly newsletter, with his thoughts on news in and around the city over the past week, upcoming calendar of events, and much more.

Things to Do This Week

  • Tipsy Scholar: How to Blind Taste Wines (Wednesday 6:30 pm): Ever wanted to guess a wine’s origin and varietal with just a sip? Tipsy Scholar is holding an interactive, low-stakes blind tasting class in Santa Monica. Learn how to break down flavor profiles, identify key tasting notes, and uncover what’s in your glass like a pro while enjoying a guided flight of distinct wines. @ AJA Vineyards, 1417 2nd St. eventbrite.com/e/tipsy-scholar-how-to-blind-taste-wines-tickets-1997796132010
  • September Locals’ Night at the Santa Monica Pier (Thursday 3:30 – 10pm): Locals’ Night is back! They’re kicking off the season with punk music, community fun, and Pier traditions—all free and open to everyone. Gather with neighbors for an open-air evening featuring live music from local bands, youth performances, DJ sets, local art installations, oceanfront outdoor games, and special dining offers from Pier restaurants and shops. @ 200 Santa Monica Pier santamonicapier.org/localsnight-918 
  • National Geographic Live Diving the Great Barrier Reef at BroadStage (Thursday 7:30 pm): Enjoy an immersive presentation on diving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef, featuring stunning photography and first-person stories from marine explorers. 1310 11th St. broadstage.org 
  • Compost Giveaway (Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.): The city’s Resource Recovery and Recycling division will host their quarterly compost giveaway. Bring your own container. Proof of Santa Monica residency required. @ City Yards (2500 Michigan Ave.) More details here.
  • Coastal Cleanup Day at Santa Monica Beach (Saturday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.): Head to Santa Monica Beach or one of 60-plus sites countywide to join the clean-up effort. Heal the Bay runs L.A. County’s share of the world’s largest volunteer environmental event, now in its 37th year. Last year more than 6,700 volunteers pulled roughly 19,000 pounds of trash in a single morning. healthebay.org/coastalcleanupday

OPA and City Meetings

  • OPA Connects Meeting (Wednesday 12pm): Here is the Zoom link.
  • Planning Commission Meeting (Wednesday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
  • Recreation & Parks Commission Meeting (Thursday 6pm): Click Here for agenda.

Upcoming Calendar of Events

  • OPA Book Club: Next planned dates are 10/7 (The Big Sleep), 11/4 (James), and 12/2 (The Year of Living Danishly). Email alexabarrett@gmail.com for more info. All meets are at 6pm at the Ocean Park Library (2601 Main St.).
  • OPA Monthly Meeting: Monday, Sept. 14, 6pm @ Ocean Park Library

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