| Realignment plan has dropped serious crime by 12.5% as focus evolves to economics: This official city post summarizes a variety of data, including: |
| Part I crime — which tracks violent offenses and burglary — declined 12.5%, falling from 4,793 incidents in 2024 to 4,194 in 2025.The Santa Monica Police Department has reached full sworn staffing for the first time in over 20 years.The City Attorney’s Criminal Unit is now filing on approximately 88% of all legally fileable cases, up from a previous rate of 65-70%.Building plan check performance improved to 92.5% on-time for first-round reviews, an increase of more than 40 percentage points in four months.All library branches are now open for the first time since 2020. |
| Council Clarifies Its Direction for the Neighborhood Association Grant Program: The city council moved Tuesday night to ensure its direction to staff is better reflected in the workings of the Neighborhood Grant Program, specifically, requirements in the grant application that had befuddled potential applicants. More details here. |
| City Approves Entertainment Zone for Main St. Events Among Other “Business-Friendly Initiatives”: The city has seen a major decrease in crime with a fully staffed police department, and a downtown “glow-up” has made streets cleaner and more beautiful. Building on this foundation, the city is pushing full speed ahead toward a new economic renaissance. Fee waivers for restaurants, film production and sidewalk dining, coupled with investments in major events are just a few of the business-friendly programs approved on Tuesday by the Santa Monica City Council. Just in time for summer, you can now have a sip of rosé while strolling, shopping or enjoying outdoor music on Main Street and Montana Avenue with the newly expanded Entertainment Zone. More details here. |
| SaMo Library Finds Demand for Longer Hours, Safer Spaces and More Youth Services as Officials Plan Future Changes: The Santa Monica Public Library has released a comprehensive community report identifying key priorities — including expanded access, improved safety and stronger youth programming — that will guide the system’s next strategic plan. This SaMoMirror report summarizes the findings, including that “Only about 34% of survey respondents said they were satisfied with current hours.” |
| JSX Launches Seasonal Napa Flights from Santa Monica Airport: “Flights will operate four days per week…with select weeks offering daily service. Fares start at $219 one-way based on round-trip purchase. The Santa Monica route will utilize JSX’s new low-emission ATR 42-600 aircraft” More details here. |
| Westside Cities Advance Bus Lane Plan Ahead of 2028 Olympics: The Westside Cities Council of Governments is developing the Westside Bus Connection Project, a package of relatively low-cost upgrades along key routes including Santa Monica Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, and the La Cienega Boulevard/Jefferson Boulevard corridor. The goal is to make buses faster and more reliable using tools like dedicated lanes, transit signal priority, and updated striping and signage. More details here. |
| Special Edition of Councilmember Dan Hall’s Newsletter: Santa Monica’s Financial Report Card: He published this “Plain English” Guide to the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report that included this BLUF (Bottom Line, Up Front): |
| The City received a perfectly clean audit with zero compliance findings, zero misstatements, and zero disagreements with staff for the 41st consecutive yearThe City’s total net position grew by $30.2 million to $1.5 billion, long-term debt fell by $9.7 million, and the pension liability declined by $19.0 millionThe General Fund balance declined $6.5 million to $168.1 million, driven primarily by tourism revenue losses from the Palisades fire and national policy impacts on international tourismEven as revenues softened, actual operating expenditures came in $11.5 million under budget, reflecting disciplined financial managementSanta Monica maintained its AAA/Aaa credit ratings from Fitch and Moody’s, though both agencies issued negative outlooks citing litigation exposure and projected near-term deficits (pre-Realignment Plan) |
| Urban coyotes bolder than rural counterparts, study finds, as Santa Monica grapples with post-fire sightings: Alarge-scale national study of coyote behavior has found that urban coyotes are more willing to take risks around novel stimuli than their rural counterparts — a finding that arrives as Santa Monica confronts a surge in coyote encounters driven by displacement from the Palisades Fire and faces scrutiny over its lack of a formal wildlife management plan. More details here. |
| Openings: ¡Salud! Venice: Bringing the vibrant spirit of Mexico City’s café culture to the Westside, husband-and-wife duo Richard and Celia Sanchez Lara opened this dual-concept space. By day, it’s a bright specialty coffee shop serving signature Nutty Mazapan Lattes and elevated Latin breakfasts like the Barbacoa Hash; by night, the lights dim for a high-energy transition into an intimate cocktail bar featuring tequila-forward drinks and a curated tapas menu. 417 Washington Blvd. saludvenice.com |
| LA Times Covers Duke’s Malibu Reopening: “The popular coastal restaurant that’s celebrating 30 years in operation this year withstood the Palisades fire that tore through Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Topanga Canyon over a year ago, suffering only smoke damage. Plans to reopen were underway last February when mudslides from heavy rain sent four feet of mud into the restaurant, requiring extensive repairs, cleanup and a full renovation.” More details here. |
