News from Santa Monica.
Every week, Next reprints (at least) one article from the City Manager’s Weekly Update. HHS, RAD, and our the Juneteenth committee members (pictured below) would love to see everyone at Santa Monica’s Juneteenth weekend celebration, a vibrant series of community-…
A proposed ballot initiative that would have allowed housing on part of the future Santa Monica Airport site will not appear on the November 2026 ballot after organizers failed to gather enough signatures before the deadline. Supporters of the measure…
This week, the Santa Monica Democratic Club published the responses to their questionnaires for all four city elections: City Council. School Board, College Board, and Rent Control Board. In a random order determined by ChatGPT, here are the answers from…
Santa Monica is now accepting applications for the city’s new Restorative Justice Commission. Commission members will be appointed by the City Council and must be a Santa Monica resident. Each appointee should have subject matter expertise relevant to restorative justice…
The Santa Monica City Council voted this week to move forward with plans for a city-sponsored float in the 2027 Tournament of Roses Parade, approving a budget of up to $650,000 and launching a fundraising campaign intended to offset much…
It’s no secret that City Council meetings are long. Sometimes a packed agenda pushes discussion of major issues into the following morning. Sometimes “closed session” discussions of legal or personnel issues take much longer than expected. However, while proposals to change several…
Image: The “new map” on the city’s website showing the four neighborhood organizations taking part in the city’s grant program. Last month, the City of Santa Monica changed its website for community involvement by reducing the number of recognized neighborhood…
Image: Soccer fans check out the still-being-built WC headquarters on the pier on a sunny Saturday afternoon. From the first match to the final whistle, Santa Monica will offer a host of opportunities to gather, watch matches and celebrate the…
(Update, 6/15/26: The signature gathering campaign mentioned below is for the 2028 ballot.) Earlier this week, Santa Monica Next reported that the measure that would allow housing to be built on the land that is currently the Santa Monica Airport.…
The following is a press release from the City of Santa Monica. The Santa Monica City Council voted last Tuesday to authorize the city manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Coastal Commission to complete the city’s…
Every week we republish an article from the City Manager’s Newsletter. Here’s this weeks. June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, and across Santa Monica, it’s taking shape as a full month of celebration, connection, and community. From storytelling and live theater…
The following is a submission from the Police Activities League. Greetings Golfers!! Get ready to tee off for a great cause in just two weeks! Registration is still open for the Santa Monica PAL Charity Golf Classic, taking place on Monday,…
The first half of the story was written with an AI Assist. This week, the city council approved a memorandum of understanding with the California Coastal Commission (Agenda, Item 4I) establishing a framework to pursue a fully certified Local Coastal…
via the Pier Corporation. Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is extending its 30th Anniversary celebration with special pricing and ride offers for guests now through Thursday, June 11, including discounted rides on the world-famous Pacific Wheel. As part…
Santa Monica residents interested in shaping city policy and governance will soon have a chance to apply for dozens of openings on city boards and commissions. Applications due by noon, June 16, 2026 and can be found here. According to…
