News from Santa Monica.
The following is a submission from the City of Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Fire Department has launched Community Connect, a forward-thinking preparedness tool that makes available critical and detailed information, such as floor plans, whether pets are in the…
30-year Santa Monica resident Mark Rosman is seeking funding for his newest film, Keep Coming Back, a story loosely based on Mark and his family’s experience during his daughter’s struggle with substance use disorder. Rosman is not new to filmmaking…
The following is a submission from the Pier Corporation. Residents and guests are invited to a special “Locals’ Night for Fire Relief” on Thursday, January 23 from 3:30-10 p.m. In addition to much needed fundraising, it’s also a night of music, connection,…
The following open letter from Newton appeared yesterday at Streetsblog California. Friends, You have doubtless heard by now that Melanie Curry has retired as the editor of Streetsblog California. She has been the only editor that the site has ever had…
City Suspends Rental Enforcement Laws for Fire Victims: This SaMo Lookout article details how “Santa Monica property owners can offer short-term rentals to those displaced by the wildfires burning across the region, under an Emergency Order adopted Tuesday. The Order issued by…
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has had a rough couple of months. Before the recent round of wildfires had caused massive upheaval throughout the Westside, the “Franklin Fire” had caused schools in Malibu to close last month. Damage to…
Last evening, the City of Santa Monica posted a video to its Twitter/X account with Mayor Lana Negrete addressing the state of the city. Next provides this transcript of the video for those preferring to read rather than watch or…
On Friday, the Santa Monica City Council met quickly to ratify a group of emergency rules put in place by City Manager David White in response to the wildfires that have ravaged the meeting. Before the meeting, Councilmember Dan Hall…
The Palisades Fire, a devastating wildfire that has ravaged the Westside of Los Angeles, has caused immense destruction and loss. My heart goes out to all those impacted by this tragedy. However, as a trained urban planner who often thinks…
This is a crowd sourced list of businesses, people and agencies that are doing something extra to help during the ongoing crisis. If you know of more, please email damien@santamonicanext.org. We’ll be updating this list regularly over the next couple…
This morning, SMMUSD parents and woke up to a message warning families that high winds and low humidity and moisture levels could lead to a repeat of the fires that closed schools at the end of 2024. Unfortunately, a large…
(Already know what a Starter Pack is? Check out our Starter Pack here.) Following the 2024 election, social media users across the country migrated from the heavy handed algorithm of Twitter/X towards Bluesky. While Bluesky is still much smaller than…
With a new year comes new chances to take leadership roles with the City of Santa Monica. Following the passage of Measure GS in November, a new oversight board will be created in 2025 to oversee spending of funds from…
Mayor Lana Negrete announced with a video on Instagram her first “Mocha with the Mayor” event on Monday, December 23, at the Starbucks at Olympic and Maine at 1 p.m. The full text of her invitation can be read at…
At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council quickly and unanimously moved a motion that will cap gifts that City Councilmembers can accept at $100 per gift and $590 over the course of a year. City staff will need to officially draft…
