2024 State of the City: Speech by City Manager David White

March 1, 2024 3:12 PM
by David White

The City of Santa Monica broadcast its annual State of the City address on Feb. 29, 2024, where city leadership highlighted progress made in key strategic areas: Addressing Homelessness; Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality; Clean & Safe; Sustainable & Connected; and Justice, Equity & Diversity.

Watch the recording of the event on YouTube. In this blog post, we share the text of City Manager David White's address. See Mayor Phil Brock's address here.

Good evening.

Tonight is extremely meaningful to me because I get to report that after a really tough few years, our city is turning a corner. We have accomplished some truly wonderful and impactful things this past year, and there is so much more coming.

Major investment is happening in Santa Monica, both in residential and commercial projects, which is a sign of confidence in our city. However, it will take some time for these investments to impact city revenues and, thus, allow us to continue to restore services.

As a result, we continue to work within a very constrained environment, and we simply are not at the point where we can do all that we want to -- as quickly as we want to. Nothing frustrates me more.

But it’s important to remember how far we have come.

When I joined the city in 2021, the organization was in a fragile state. Staffing and services had been severely cut, as the city’s revenues took a big hit during the pandemic.

Amid the challenges of COVID, the city also settled numerous claims with victims of a former city employee, directing funds to survivors rather than to legal expenses. It was the right thing to do in the face of a terrible circumstance, but it had a big financial impact.

Just last year, the city settled claims of approximately $122.5 million with 124 claimants, bringing the total to more than $200 million over two years.

Fortunately, revenues are recovering. New tax measures approved by the voters have allowed us to dedicate more resources to addressing public safety, maintenance and homelessness. We’ve found ways to generate new revenue, such as an agreement with Big Outdoor to install and manage ad sales for digital wayfinding kiosks in commercial areas.

As a result, the 2023-2025 budget included the greatest level of restoration of city services since the pandemic.

By making tradeoffs and reallocating resources, we were able to restore library hours and more after-school programs, which I know are high priorities for our residents.

Also, thank you to our Finance Department for continuing to do a stellar job throughout our financial challenges. Last year the city was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 39th year in a row! 

Through the budget adoption, Council established strategic priorities that guide everything we do.

Our five priorities:

... reflect Santa Monica's long-held values as well as our Council's conviction to address critical but sometimes tough issues facing our community.

Addressing Homelessness

I am going to start with Addressing Homelessness because I know it’s top of mind for many.

The City has a long history of enacting policies, programs and services rooted in best practices to prevent and respond to homelessness.

We have heard from many residents, businesses and workers who express quality of life concerns.

There is no doubt that this is a crisis impacting the state, our region and community that warrants significant attention.

And we’ve been giving it just that.

The adopted budget dedicates significant resources to programs, initiatives and partnerships to address homelessness.

Measure CS has brought in about $5 million in Transient Occupancy Tax funds and soon Measure GS will direct new revenue to schools, increasing the supply of affordable housing, and measures to prevent homelessness.

With these new resources, we have been running at full speed and the City Council has supported the following:

Also, last year, the City Council declared a Local Emergency on Homelessness, which has proven critical in streamlining hiring for key staff positions, removing barriers to building affordable housing and advocating for regional resources.

We have already seen three big initiatives launch this year.

First, in January, the city launched a therapeutic transport pilot program, in partnership with L.A. County Department of Mental Health, that allows for more targeted and tailored responses to 911 and non-emergency calls focused on behavioral health, while also expanding first responders’ capacity to address other emergency calls.

Second, we launched the Shelter, Treatment, and Empowerment Program, known as STEP Court. STEP Court is a community-based, prosecutor-led collaborative diversion court that focuses on resources rather than criminalization. Thank you to Chief Deputy City Attorney Jenna Grigsby for making STEP Court a reality.

Third, just this month we participated in a partnership with the L.A. County Homeless Initiative’s Pathway Home program. As a result of this operation, 25 people experiencing homelessness in our community have moved into interim housing, where they’re receiving an array of services to be connected to permanent housing.

Much of the work to address homelessness lives with the housing and human services team. Under the instrumental leadership of Setareh Yavari, this small but mighty team has helped move many of these initiatives forward.

But success in addressing homelessness involves every single city department.

For example, the Police Department runs the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team, under the incredible leadership of Sergeant Carlos Jaen.

In 2023, the hardworking members of the HLP Team responded to nearly 3,500 requests for service and addressed nearly 400 encampments.

The Fire Department established a new Emergency Medical Services Division, which includes oversight of homelessness-related matters and responded to approximately 3,000 calls last year.

The Department also entered into a partnership with Wise & Healthy Aging for a pilot program to assist heavy users of emergency services.

A care coordinator has worked with eight clients to provide them services and equipment, such as devices to prevent falls at home and arranged relocation to assisted living facilities.

This program is just one part of our work to prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless, while also increasing the supply of affordable housing, addressing behavioral health needs of vulnerable individuals and advocating for regional resources.

In 2023 alone:

A huge thank you to the Santa Monica Housing Authority staff, who provided rental housing assistance to 1,677 households through federally funded voucher programs in 2023.

Last year the city distributed more than $10 million in grant funding to 18 local social services agencies.

And we continued to provide basic income assistance to 206 senior households through the Preserving our Diversity, or POD, program.

Creating and sustaining affordable housing is the most critical means for addressing homelessness, and I’m proud to share that several city-funded affordable housing buildings have opened recently, contributing more than 150 apartments to the city’s affordable housing supply.

And 221 affordable units are currently under construction, including 57 city-funded permanent supportive housing units at The Laurel.

The Community Development Department has initiated negotiations with the developer AMCAL for an affordable housing project adjacent to the 4th Street Expo Station. It is one of many city properties we’ve earmarked for affordable housing.

In addition, we’ve updated zoning to remove barriers to housing production, including updating affordable housing requirements, allowing new housing in previously non-residential zones, encouraging the development of moderate-income housing, and incentivizing Accessory Dwelling Units.

Not only are our efforts paying off, but they’re also being recognized.

Just this month Santa Monica received the Prohousing Designation from Gov. Newsom, recognizing our work reducing barriers to construction, lowering costs, and creating housing policies aligned with state goals, and I will add that Santa Monica has received the most points of any jurisdiction that has received this distinction.

This is a huge honor and achievement, and Jing Yeo, Roxanne Tanemori, Ross Fehrman, David Martin, and everyone in Planning deserve a big congratulations.

As we move forward in addressing the homelessness and housing crises, the city is in the process of putting together a strategic plan to guide our work on this key priority over the next five years.

I want to thank Aliya Buttar and Achee Stevenson for their leadership in bringing this plan forward.

Clean & Safe

Our next priority is Clean & Safe.

We strive to maintain an atmosphere in Santa Monica marked by clean and safe public spaces and neighborhoods, including parks for recreation and leisure activities.

Again, it’s an interdepartmental effort.

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to 103,462 calls for service last year, including 820 “Priority Zero” calls, which are for life-threatening emergencies, with an average response time of less than five minutes.

And despite an extremely challenging labor market, we hired 22 new officers last year and staffing levels in the Police Department are now at the highest level since I joined the city.

I want to thank Police Chief Ramon Batista, his leadership team and the entire department for their work to address crime before it occurs.

In 2023, the department’s proactive work resulted in a 12 percent increase in arrests. Overall calls for service decreased and officer-initiated responses have increased.

Police and Code Enforcement continue to partner through the Directed Action Response Team, or DART, and have significantly improved the experience and safety for all downtown, on the pier, and on the beach.

In 2023, the team addressed more than 400 encampments, made over 200 arrests, and advised or cited another 729 individuals.

And a big thank you to Neighborhood Resource Officer Steven Hollowell, who has been a go-to for every single issue in downtown and Lt. Gerry Leyva who oversees our Downtown Services Unit. I appreciate your commitment, care, and focus very much.

Heading into the next few years, safety in our city continues to progress, with a focus on strengthening our efforts through technology. 

Our Police Department received a $6.2 million state grant last year to develop the Santa Monica Analytical Real-Time, or SMART, Center. This Real Time Crime Center will bring together technology and support staff to strategically allocate police resources to better address crime.

The Fire Department has also had a very busy year.

In addition to responding to 19,000 calls for service, and successfully adding 13 recruits to the Fire Academy last month, the department has shown an incredible willingness and ability to evaluate, pivot and deliver value-added services. I could not be more grateful.

The Fire Department also opened a new state-of-the-art training center and completed a five-year strategic plan that creates a roadmap for the future.

Public Works also plays an integral role in keeping Santa Monica Clean & Safe. Department teams responded to 5,070 graffiti removal requests last year and picked up 180 million pounds of waste. There are new teams dedicated to addressing bulky items and illegal dumping throughout the city, and we are launching a new neighborhood cleanup program.

Kudos to Equipment Operator John Ramirez and Resource Recovery and Recycling Manager Yvonne Yeung for their work on these efforts.

And a new Public Works team dedicated to cleaning up encampments has hit the ground running. In just the first three months of its pilot, the Homeless Support Team, or HoST, cleaned up more than 400 locations and disposed of 55 tons of trash and debris.

The Community Development Department has begun enforcing new ordinances on property maintenance and vacant property standards to improve the safety and aesthetics of these properties and discourage landlords from leaving their properties vacant for extended periods of time.

Under the leadership of Building and Safety Division Manager Ariel Socarras and his team, the department also continued to implement our seismic retrofit program to ensure the buildings and homes in our city are structurally sound.

Earthquakes aren’t the only natural disasters that could threaten our community’s safety.

I’m proud of the collaborative and coordinated work of city teams in the face of every emergency, led by the strong leadership of our Office of Emergency Management.

Our dispatchers and first responders are on call 24/7 and they answered more than 200,000 911 and non-emergency calls and texts in 2023.

Safety isn’t just about responses to incidents. It’s also prevention.

Last year, the Department of Transportation and Public Works completed phase one of safety enhancements on Wilshire Boulevard, pedestrian enhancements on Pico Boulevard, and streetscape improvements on 4th Street.

They also upgraded 10 intersections in the city to all-way stops, with more to come in 2024 as we work toward Vision Zero.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that our community is extremely active in bringing issues to our attention, often through the 311 system. Our 311 team works hard to route and follow up on these requests as well as answer questions from the community.

Sustainable & Connected

Climate Change is one of the most severe threats facing our planet and our community.

Our next priority, Sustainable & Connected ensures that city policies and programs enhance our natural resources, prevent harm to the environment and human health, and benefit the social and economic wellbeing of the community for the sake of current and future generations.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Plan, an ahead-of-its-time guide that maps out our vision to achieve water self-sufficiency, zero waste and carbon neutrality.

We take very seriously our responsibility to protect our environment for generations to come.

But it’s much more than that.

Businesses, residents and visitors intentionally choose to come here because of our commitment to these values.

We lead the way with our multi-modal roadways, robust and accessible transit system, bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure and EV facilities, all of which make it easy to get around town without a vehicle, particularly one that is gas powered.

Our city now has 120 lane miles of bikeways that encourage green commuters.

As an avid biker myself, I’m all in and I appreciate it!

The city’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) system provided 8.1 million rides in 2023, a 14 percent increase over 2022. BBB's 19 battery electric buses traveled a total of 284,704 miles last year. We’re looking to add 65 more of these cleaner, greener buses in the next few years.

A big shoutout to BBB staff for the impressive “Brighter Blue” study they are conducting to enhance the city’s transit network. I encourage everyone to take the online community survey and attend upcoming workshops on March 6 and 7.

MODE, our demand response transportation service for seniors and people with disabilities, provided nearly 40,000 rides in 2023, up 25 percent.

We look forward to launching a new e-bike voucher program for low-income families and continuing to make transit and mobility programs accessible to all.

Because of our longstanding commitment to climate resiliency, we’ve achieved a 48 percent reduction in carbon emissions since 1990. We are well on our way to our goal of an 80 percent reduction by 2030.

We did that with action, and we’re committed to furthering the work.

Last year we brought forward a Zero Emission Building Code, requiring all new buildings to be fully electric, along with an electrification roadmap for existing buildings and we’re looking at a low-carbon concrete policy to take to City Council for approval next month.

The Resource Recovery and Recycling team continues to roll out the state-mandated organics recycling program. In 2023, we collected 28 million pounds of organics, diverting these materials from landfills to be used for compost and renewable energy. That’s a 14 percent increase from the previous year!

In 2022 we cut the ribbon on the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project, or SWIP. The innovative stormwater capture system came online last year and has gained national and statewide recognition. I’m thrilled that Water Resources Manager Sunny Wang and his team are getting this much-deserved recognition for their groundbreaking work. SWIP captured 20 million gallons of storm water in 2023 and amid a wet February, we’ve already captured more than 5 million gallons this year, helping replenish our groundwater supplies for dryer times.

After a successful first pilot, the Office of Sustainability and the Environment started work with the Santa Monica Bay Foundation on Phase 2 of the Beach Dune Restoration Project.

And our Farmers Markets continue to be among the best in the region, encouraging local produce sales, supporting sustainable food systems and providing access to healthy food.

We are making big strides toward being a more resilient city, well positioning us to face current and future climate challenges.

Justice, Equity & Diversity

Our next priority is Justice, Equity & Diversity.

Council took a big step this past year in adding this priority, acknowledging the racial injustice and discrimination that has occurred in our city throughout its history.

We are dedicating resources and a city team to shine a light on these difficult issues and pursue initiatives to rectify the lingering consequences of discriminatory policies.

Equity for us means that as a city we give everyone what they need to thrive, based on an understanding that different people start in different places due to historical and current injustices. Equity is about equal outcomes. We infuse equity into all that we do, and there are examples of this equity-focused work across all city departments.

Our small but mighty DEI team, led by Lisa Parson, has added internal programs and community initiatives that advance racial equity and social diversity to improve the wellbeing of people who live, work, play and do business in our city.

This includes:

This past year we launched a collaborative process to create a citywide equity plan, seeking input from staff, local leaders and underrepresented communities. Once adopted by the City Council, this plan will provide us with a roadmap to guide policies and conversations around racial equity and includes the creation of a community advisory body. The team will return to the community to co-generate solutions to key issues at a workshop coming up on March 2, and I hope you will all join them there to contribute your ideas. I also encourage you to apply for a grant to host your own feedback sessions on this important plan.

Santa Monica Public Library has long understood that different groups in our community have different needs, and that equity means providing support to those who need a little more. The Literacy Education for Adults and Families, or LEAF, program, serves many of our vulnerable patrons, helping them with reading, writing and literacy skills.

Highlights from this year include reestablishing drop-in computer and tech skills programs, expanding literacy volunteer hours of service, and winning a grant to implement English as a Second Language services. A big thank you to the LEAF Team: Nancy Bender, Barbara Fleeman, Tara Crow and Andrea Leiva.

There are many other important equity initiatives we implemented last year.

I want to recognize Deputy City Manager Christopher Smith for serving as our LGBTQ Liaison and advancing this important work.

In addition to SaMoPride, we saw a host of celebrations, book clubs, educational experiences, and family activities honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, and Black History Month.

Thank you to the city staff, community volunteers, and city affinity groups who volunteer their time to make these events happen.

Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality

I’ll conclude tonight with the strategic priority that, to me, is enhanced by all our other city priorities:

Economic Growth & Cultural Vitality.

Mayor Brock detailed Santa Monica’s cultural vitality so well, I’m not going to even try to add anything there, but I do want to talk for a moment about the city’s economic growth.

Santa Monica has made great progress in cultivating economic opportunity and recovery, as well as investing in amenities and programs for all community members.

In the Community Development Department, we saw tremendous work, supported and led by the Council, to make it easier for businesses to open and thrive in our city. New ordinances and policies encourage a more active nightlife and entertainment presence downtown, and expedited staff approvals for new types of businesses allow for a greater diversity of businesses on the Promenade and less red tape to further economic recovery.

Nearly 50 restaurants, bars and food services businesses have opened citywide.

Here’s a taste of what has opened:

And coming soon:

And on top of shopping and dining, we continue to be the sought-after home for the tech, health and entertainment industries. Thank you to Economic Development Manager Jennifer Taylor for her tireless work in this arena.

The first six months of 2023 were an exciting time for hotels in Santa Monica. I want to call out a number the mayor mentioned because it really is ASTOUNDING. We are seeing A BILLION DOLLARS in investment in existing properties and new projects.

Early last year, the Pierside Hotel (formerly Wyndham Hotel) and the Sandbourne (formerly Le Merigot) underwent extensive renovations and are more stunning than ever.

The famous Georgian Hotel — aka “the first lady of Santa Monica,” known for its 1940s Old Hollywood glamour — completed an AMAZING refurbishment. The Power of Preservation. Its reopening prompted an article in Vogue titled, “With the Return of The Georgian Hotel, Santa Monica is Getting Its Groove Back.”

We also eagerly anticipate Regent Hotels & Resorts, on the site of the former Loew’s Hotel, making its American premiere with a beachside hotel near the Pier.

And we’re not the only ones looking forward to this. The Forbes Travel Guide named this one of the most anticipated hotel openings in the world!

The exciting Frank Gehry-designed hotel project on Ocean Avenue and the reimagining of the Fairmont Miramar are moving forward and I hope to see them breaking ground in the near future.

Not only do these projects provide much-needed revenue to support city operations and community programs, we have also leveraged them with development agreements that bring affordable housing, public amenities and other enrichment to Santa Monica residents and business owners.

And we continue to see residential development coming to Santa Monica.

Several mixed-use housing projects are under construction or in planning throughout our commercial areas, including a project at Lincoln and Broadway that will include a new Vons grocery store and 260 apartments.

The amount of private investment we’re seeing reinforces our city efforts and shows public-private partnerships continue to bolster our economic recovery.

Conclusion

So, if you’ve been paying attention for the past 30 minutes, thank you. 

I would like to end this evening with a quote that provides additional meaning to this evening and some gratitude.

Helen Keller once said, “Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.”

Santa Monica thrives because of your input and engagement and the collective efforts of so many individuals who tirelessly work for the city of Santa Monica. I am grateful and extremely optimistic about the future of our city. We have shown that we can weather the most difficult storms, and still remain true to our city’s values and ethos. 

Santa Monica continues to be a place that people feel lucky to be a part of. 

So let me give some thanks.

Thank you for being here tonight! Thank you to our amazing city team.

Thank you to the City Council: Mayor Phil Brock, Vice Mayor Lana Negrete, Councilmember Gleam Davis, Councilmember Oscar de la Torre, Councilmember Christine Parra, Councilmember Caroline Torosis, and Councilmember Jesse Zwick. You keep me grounded and focused.

I look forward to standing here a year from now and talking about all the wonderful things we accomplished together in 2024. Thank you so much for being here this evening and goodnight.


Authored By

David White
City Manager