🌟 Santa Monica Weekly with Mayor Lana Negrete

📅 Sep 22-29, 2025

Dear Neighbors,

This past week reminded me why I love this city sooo much: from standing shoulder-to-shoulder with partners in Venice, to celebrating our Jewish community during Rosh Hashanah, to joining you at cultural events and clean-ups across town. Santa Monica is at its best when we show up for one another — with honesty, collaboration, and heart. We’re at our best when we do the work, but have fun along the way too.

We may not agree on everything all the time (and hey, that’s democracy), but one thing I think we all share is a desire to see Santa Monica safe, thriving, and true to its character. That’s what this work is about, and it’s why I’ll always tell it to you like it is.

Here’s the latest.

🛡️ Public Safety & Regional Partnerships

🔹 At last week’s council update, I highlighted the importance of coordination across city lines. My partnership with Councilmember Traci Park in Venice continues to prove that collaboration beats competition. Together, we’re making sure unhoused neighbors aren’t just pushed back and forth across an “invisible border,” but instead connected with real solutions. This teamwork will matter even more as we prepare for the World Cup, Super Bowl, and LA28 Olympics.
👉 More on Regional Collaboration 

🔹 SMPD, under Acting Chief Jacob, continues to step up: recent proactive arrests tied to robberies and narcotics didn’t just take criminals off the street — they also connected individuals with rehab and family reunification. That balance of accountability and compassion is how we keep Santa Monica safe.
👉 Public Safety Updates

🏘️ Housing & Homelessness

🔹 County–City–Metro: Met with our County Supervisor and eventually her Transportation lead; got him on the phone with our City Manager to line up collaborative efforts to be a force multiplier for metro on the train potentially providing street medicine and clearer SMPD enforcement on platforms (where allowed) so we connect folks to care faster and reduce nightly spillover onto our streets. The Goal- get folks who evade fares cited and removed from the train before the last stop in Santa Monice, assist folks and get them connected on the train instead of waiting until the crisis hits our downtown and help, if possible, enforce code of conduct on the platform.

🔹Clearing Up the Record: Recent NYT Article

The New York Times recently published an article about a private ticket-home program in Santa Monica. While it drew headlines, it unfortunately left out critical context and repeated misinformation. Let’s set the record straight:

Myth: Santa Monica has never supported programs that help unhoused residents return home.

Fact: For years, Santa Monica has helped fund West Coast Cares and Homeward Bound—programs that don’t just buy a bus ticket, but connect people with family, services, and support on the other end to ensure real stability.

Myth: You must be sober to qualify for help getting home.

Fact: That is not true. The programs are built on compassion and connection, not on unrealistic barriers that would exclude those most in need. The whole point is their sobriety is more successful when connected to family and a support system.

Myth: These efforts are a brand-new solution.

Fact: Santa Monica has been committed to this work for years. What’s new is the publicity—not the practice.

As Mayor, I’ll continue to call out misinformation and fight for real solutions. Our community deserves accurate reporting and clear recognition of the work we are already doing together.

🔹🚑 Fire Department Launches New Ambulance Operator Program

This past week, the Santa Monica Fire Department officially rolled out two new Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances as part of our Ambulance Operator Program (AOP).

In just the first week, these new units have already responded to more than 50 calls for service. This helps us deliver essential care and transport quickly, while also freeing up our firefighter-paramedic teams to stay available for the most critical emergencies.

The program is already proving to:

• Strengthen our local emergency medical system

• Improve response times and overall efficiency

• Enhance service to residents and visitors in Santa Monica

• Generate new revenue for the City, helping us reinvest in public safety and community prioritiesLooking ahead, we’ll be discussing a full expansion of the program in early 2026. A big thank you to our Fire Department team for getting this important program off the ground and serving our community from day one!

🔹🚑“Advanced Provider Unit” will be rolling out mid October as well, serving the homeless and most vulnerable populations.

The APU is a pre-hospital care model that pairs licensed Nurse Practitioners (NPs) with Fire Department personnel to respond to low-acuity 9-1-1 calls (i.e., less-critical emergencies) in the field.

The goal is to provide high-quality, on-scene care, reduce unnecessary emergency department (ER) transports, and improve community health outcomes.

🔹Supportive Housing Opening on Ocean Avenue

Before the end of this month, 47 new supportive housing units will open on Ocean Avenue (at 413 and 425), operated by St. Joseph’s Center and funded by LA County. These homes are designed for people living with serious mental illness, and a portion of the units will be reserved for Santa Monica residents. Each site will have 24/7 on-site staffing to provide care and oversight.

I want to be transparent — I know there are concerns about this location, and I share many of them. Just as with The Manor on Pico (which is closing before the end of the year) which is also operated by St. Joseph’s, there is always the question of how new facilities impact the surrounding community. I hear those concerns, and I understand the worry that residents could “spill out” into the neighborhood.

That’s why the round-the-clock staffing is so important. It’s meant to keep the buildings safe, ensure residents are supported, and prevent disruption to the neighborhood. I’ll be watching closely to make sure that commitment is followed through and that both the people being housed and our surrounding community are well served.

This is part of a larger effort to provide stability and care for our most vulnerable neighbors, while still protecting the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Please note that the city has no regulatory authority to deny or approve the project and because of that we’ve worked to ensure proper management plan in place.
👉 Learn More About Housing Programs

📈 Economic Recovery & Local Business

🔹 Exciting openings downtown: Raising Cane’s, Velvet Rose rooftop lounge, and the new Vons at 7th & Broadway. Each one brings new jobs, fresh energy, and a reason for residents to shop local. Supporting these businesses is how we keep our economy strong and our streets vibrant.
👉 Business Resources

🔹The GAP and their subsidiaries have reached out and I’ll be meeting with them alongside our City Manger to discuss options and hopefully stores coming back to our downtown / promenade retail area. They are interested in coming back!

🔹Starbucks is closing 5 locations in Santa Monica, at the following locations:

• Ocean Park & 29th

• 26th & San Vicente

• Olympic & Main

• Colorado & Cloverfield

• Wilshire and 11th

This is part of a national strategic move for financial reasons. They are also laying off 900 corporate employees.

The Homelessness Liaison Program (HLP) focused on combining outreach and enforcement to address chronic issues on the beach and in the parks.  A coordinated “mini-operation” brought together HLP, DART, and Neighborhood Resource Officers for a balanced approach that resulted in one felony arrest, five citations, two field interviews, two Project Homecomings, one Bridge referral, and several other contacts connecting unhoused individuals to services.

Daily directed efforts continued in the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard, where officers issued citations and coordinated with HOST to remove shopping carts, a mattress, and large amounts of debris before city crews power-washed the sidewalk and street.

Homelessness Program Data

• Referrals to Services | 6

• Citations | 19

• Misdemeanor Arrests | 3

• Felony Arrests | 3

• Mental Health Evaluations | 3

• SAMOSHEL Referrals | 3

Engagement

Business engagement remained a priority.  Personnel met with Target security teams on Wilshire and Broadway to address theft concerns, resulting in planned biweekly check-ins.

🌊 Community, Culture & Connection

🔹 I celebrated Rosh Hashanah with our Jewish community — wishing a sweet New Year and ensuring SMPD provided extra patrols around synagogues and gathering places. Safety is not seasonal; it’s essential.

🔹 From Thai Fest on the Pier to Douglas Day at the Airport, our city showed off its diversity, history, and resilience. These moments remind us that Santa Monica is more than a place — it’s a community of people who show up for one another.

🔹 Huge, happy turnout this weekend for the Montana Ave Art Walk, LA Opera at the Beach (“West Side Story” under the stars!), and Oktoberfest downtown. Culture, music, and community are alive and well in Santa Monica. Thanks to everyone who showed up, created art, bought art, sang by the beach, enjoyed the performances, or gathered with friends, family, beer, and music on the Promenade. We had an absolute blast!
👉 See Upcoming Events

📅 What’s Next

🔹 City Council Meeting — Tuesday, October 8: Agenda will include updates on housing transparency tools, public safety coordination, and event planning for LA28. 👉 See Agenda

🔹 I have proposed a few items

16C - I’m proposing. We have better on-site public notice requirements signage for developments. Often times you walk by a property and you see the sign but you have no idea what’s gonna be built there. I’m proposing a QR code that takes you directly to the project for more information.

16D - Santa Monica Citizens Academy- this would be a one-day event that gives everyone a brief overview on how a city charter works, who are City Council is how we operate how our city departments operate under the city manager for a better clear understanding of our local government.

16E- This is a request to create a community trash, cleanup program, including the Caltrans right away within Santa Monica and provide a framework so that nonprofits in our community can participate in cleanups alongside our freeways and other areas that have been neglected.

🔹 Fall Events Ahead:

* Latin Nights with Lana*

More details coming

Oct. 10th Salsa night at the Miles in Reed Park

Oct. 12th Loteria with Lana @Palosades Park (camera obscura)

• 🎃 Halloween celebrations (late Oct, downtown & parks)

• 🌎 Coastal clean-ups (early Oct, community-led)

• 🏆 Regional planning sessions for upcoming major sports events

📱 Stay Connected

Got an issue to report? Want to make sure the city hears you?
👉 Report an Issue

If you haven’t already, be sure to follow me on Instagram too for behind-the-scenes updates, event highlights, and my thoughts along the way as I continue to go on this journey with you.

🌟Closing Thought

Here’s the thing, Santa Monica: the challenges we face are real, but so is our grit. We’re too legit to quit.

Whether it’s cracking down on crime, keeping our festivals lively, or getting serious about housing, I believe we can handle it — because we’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.

I won’t sugarcoat, but I will show up. And if you’ve ever met me, you know I’ll bring a sense of humor along with the hard truths (because let’s be honest, in local government, you need both).

So here’s what I ask of you: keep showing up with me. Celebrate, critique, hold me accountable, and yes, roll up your own sleeves — because Santa Monica doesn’t move forward on autopilot. We move forward when we move together.