🌟 Santa Monica Weekly with Mayor Lana Negrete

 📅 September 29 – October 6, 2025

Dear Neighbors,

It’s been one of those “a lot all at once” weeks, the kind where my coffee goes cold before I ever sit down. You know the kind.

Between back-to-back meetings on transit safety, the Ocean Avenue housing project, and the ever-glamorous topic of…parking structures (try not to faint from the excitement!), it’s been nonstop.

But honestly, after the year I’ve had — facing down breast cancer and everything that came with it — I’ve learned that “a lot all at once” is sometimes the best reminder that we’re still here, still moving, still showing up. And that’s exactly what I plan to keep doing for this magical city we call home.

As always, I’m sharing the facts, where I stand, and what’s next — with clear ways for you to plug in. Here we go.

🛡️ Public Safety & Civic Life

🔹 Street-level care + accountability
 Our Advanced Provider Unit (APU) — a firefighter/paramedic paired with a nurse practitioner — is now live and expanding. It’s simple: treat people on scene, keep ERs for emergencies, and connect folks to services faster. This is care with outcomes, not slogans.
👉 Learn more about the APU

🔹 Transit coordination (County – City – Metro)
 Following my meeting with our County Supervisor’s transportation lead and our City Manager, we’re along to  align street medicine on trains with SMPD enforcement where allowed — practical steps to reduce nightly spillover into neighborhoods. I’ll keep pushing for metrics you can see, not just plans you can’t.
👉 Watch the Sept 30 Council Meeting

🏘️ Housing, Homelessness & Transparency

🔹 Ocean Avenue supportive housing — what’s actually happening

Many have asked about the two former senior-living buildings on Ocean Avenue being converted into approximately 49 supportive units for individuals living with serious mental illness. I want to be clear — this is not a City program, and the site was not selected by the City. A private owner offered the property, and the nonprofit St. Joseph Center, which I respect deeply, secured County and State funding for operations.

I fully support St. Joseph’s mission and believe they do critical, compassionate work. My concern is not with the provider — it’s with the state and county process that funds and approves these projects without local input. Cities like Santa Monica, which already provide robust services, transitional housing, and nonprofit support, should have a voice in where new facilities are located. To be clear I don’t think this site makes sense for this project. I also hold the owners of the property accountable who reaches out to the provider to place the housing there.

We need appropriate treatment environments — hospital-supported settings for people with acute mental-health or substance-use challenges — not unlocked residential sites placed in high-traffic areas near hotels and homes. I’m continuing to advocate for local collaboration, transparency, and accountability, and have asked the County and St. Joseph Center to host a public meeting and share a detailed FAQ for residents.

🔷 Please note that I have a 16 item on next Tuesday's 10/14 agenda that will be requesting that City staff do all they can to address the feasibility of this project and push back on county and state leaders on their process that excludes us and has limited communication.
  👉 Read local coverage | 👉 More on the project

🔹 Off-Site Affordable Housing Pilot — why I opposed it
 Inclusionary housing should mean neighbors of different incomes living together, not tucked elsewhere. I’ll keep fighting policies that deepen division under the banner of “production.” We can build smarter and fairer — and we will.

🏗️ Downtown Operations & Economic Vitality

🔹 Parking Structure 5 — temporary closure for repairs
 Out of caution, Structure 5 (1440 4th St.) is closed for 3–4 weeks for urgent shoring. Please use Structures 4 & 6 in the meantime. I’m in touch with staff on signage, access, and making sure downtown stays welcoming during repairs.
👉 Closure details

🔹 Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) — update for restaurants
 I know many of you asked whether the proposed LPA direction is coming back soon. It is not returning at this time. I’ve communicated that now is not the moment to add pressure to local businesses; if anything changes, I’ll let you know immediately.

🎥 Community Pride & Civic Wins

🔹 SMPD on the big screen (yes, really)
 A fun one: Disney’s Zootopia 2 credits Captain Rudy Flores and SMPD for technical advice — a small spotlight on the professionalism of our team. (My kids think this finally makes mom’s job cool.)

🔹 SaMo150 Micro-Grants — Round 3 projects announced
 More community-led projects are getting green-lit as part of our 150th celebration. If you’ve got a great idea for the remainder of 2025, you can still apply — funds support free, public events that reflect our city’s diversity and history.
👉 Apply or learn more about SaMo150 Grants

💗 Health & Community

🔹 Breast Cancer Awareness Month — walk with us
 This one’s personal. Join me on October 25 at the Pier for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Every dollar helps patients, families, and the research that saved me months of worry. Team “Tough Titty Committee” will be out in pink and loud as ever — come be loud with us!
👉 Join or Donate

📅 What’s Next (Next 1–2 Weeks)

🔹 Regular City Council meeting is next Tuesday, October 14 at 5:30 PM

🔹 Ocean Ave FAQ + public meeting — I’ve requested both from DMH/St. Joseph’s. As soon as I receive details, I’ll post them for maximum participation.

🔹 APU ramp-up — expanding nurse-practitioner capacity and reporting early outcomes to the community. (I’ll push for simple dashboards you can read at a glance.)

📱 Stay Connected

Got an issue to report? Want to make sure the city hears you?
👉 Report an Issue (Santa Monica 311)

And if you haven’t already, follow me on Instagram for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes context, and the occasional mom-joke:
👉 Follow @MayorLanaNegrete

🌟 Closing Thought

Government works best when we tell the truth, even when it’s messy.

I’ll keep showing up with the facts, a plan, and my whole heart — and yes, a body that’s still healing but stronger than ever — and I’ll keep asking the County and State to do the same.

Santa Monica deserves leaders who don’t hide the ball and residents who keep holding all of us accountable. Let’s stay focused on solutions, gratitude, and maybe even a little humor along the way. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that laughter really is part of the recovery.

Thank you for inspiring me with your truth, tenacity, and your capacity to continue seeing things glass-half-full and always filling up with Santa Monica sunshine.