Five Factors That Can Lead To A Collision & (tips to prevent them)

Learn the 5 factors that lead to collisions and how to be safe on the road More often than not, you probably don’t give a second’s thought to getting behind the wheel, starting up the ignition, and heading out on the road. It’s only when you’re confronted with the scene of an crash — lights flashing, crumpled steel, distraught bystanders — that you’re reminded that the vehicle you’re steering is a remarkably powerful invention — one that has potential to do serious harm. Just how serious is it? Serious enough to be considered a public health problem by experts. For example, The National Safety Council has found that someone is injured in a crash every seven seconds, and that that there were 40,000 roadway deaths in 2018 — a 14 percent increase since its measurement four years ago. The statistics are even more sobering when it comes to children. The Center for Disease Control found that traffic-related crashes are the overall leading cause of death for people under 20 years of age. Now here’s the thing to keep in mind: these crashes aren’t just caused by “bad drivers.” The truth is, we all give ourselves a little leeway when it comes to following the rules of the road — but we can do better. Want to be a part of the solution to this public health problem? Read on for the top factors that contribute to serious crashes, so you can take steps to avoid them. Speeding In the most recent year analyzed by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, speeding was responsible for the deaths of 9,717 people, and represented 26 percent of all traffic fatalities. This statistic gets even more serious in areas where there’s high foot traffic. The human body hardly stands a chance when it’s struck by 2,400 pounds of steel, and only half of people survive when hit at 30 miles per hour. So when you’re feeling stressed about getting to an appointment on time, remember — posted speed limits are not intended to hinder you or make you late. They’re designed to preserve your life and the lives of others. Failure to Yield the Right of Way According the Federal Highway Administration, more than 50 percent of the combined total of all fatal and injury crashes take place at intersections. Whether it’s inattention, rushing, or ignorance, it’s just not uncommon for people to fail to yield when someone else has the right of way. This, in turn, paves the way for a serious collision. Of course, those collisions aren’t just with other cars; they can happen with people who are walking, biking, or scooting as well. Here are a few tips for safe travel in busy areas: Slow your speed when approaching a crosswalk or intersection. Never pass a car that’s stopped at a crosswalk — there may be a pedestrian you can’t see. If you’re biking, scooting, or walking, make eye contact with the person in a car before crossing to ensure that they see you. Need a refresher on who has the right of way in any given scenario? Take 10 minutes to read the DMV’s guide to right of way rules. And above all — if it becomes clear that someone else isn’t giving you the right of way even when you do have it — yield. You just might save a life. Driving Under the Influence Here’s some good news: deaths caused by drunk driving have fallen by one-third in the past 30 years. That progress is encouraging, but we’re not out of the woods yet, as driving under the influence still bears responsibility for 29 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States. As you might know, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level for driving is 0.08 percent — about four drinks for the average 160-pound male. (Keep in mind — women and those who weigh less will reach that blood alcohol content level with fewer drinks.) At 0.08 percent BAC, your balance, vision, reaction time, and reasoning are impaired to a dangerous degree. But you don’t have to be at 0.08 percent for there to be significant risk involved with driving. At just .05 percent BAC, you will experience lowered alertness, decreased coordination, reduced ability to focus vision, and blunted response time. It’s important to keep in mind that driving under the influence of marijuana is also illegal and can interfere with you alertness and decision-making. So when we talk about “driving under the influence,” we’re talking about marijuana as well. So if you’re going to indulge, plan a safe route home — hop on a bus, train, designate a driver, or use a rideshare service. Distraction Smartphones, checking out the beautiful views from PCH, changing the playlist, looking for parking, reaching for something that fell to the floor — they all add up to a major distraction. Of course, none of these distractions feels like a big deal at the time since you’re simply taking your eyes of the road for a brief moment. But you can miss a lot in that moment: an unexpected stop sign or lane change from another car can instantly turn that brief distraction into a disaster. According to recent NHTSA studies, distracted driving has claimed the lives of 3,450 people and injured 391,000. So if you’re tempted to look away, if only for a split second —  don’t. Keeping your eyes on the road may save lives. One easy way to cut down on distractions from smartphones is to enable the Do Not Disturb While Driving feature available from most manufacturers, including iPhones and Androids. It will save calls and texts until you’ve reached your destination safely. Fatigue Drowsy driving is harder to measure than other collision factors, but the NHTSA estimated that 795 deaths were caused by fatigued driving in 2017. Most of these crashes occur at certain times of day: between midnight and 6 a.m. and in the late afternoon, when many people experience a slowing in their circadian rhythm. So if you’re driving at these times, be extra aware of your own fatigue as well as the fact that other drivers may be fatigued. Having a hard time staying awake? Pull over for a short nap or a cup of joe before continuing on the road. The Bottom Line Being out on the road is a big responsibility, one that requires attention and respect for the rules of the road. So when you’re driving, be sure to keep in mind these top factors that contribute to serious crashes and fatalities. They just might help you make better decisions… and save lives as a result. Together, let’s Take the Friendly Road and create a safe and friendly Santa Monica for everyone.  For more information, visit santamonica.gov/friendlyroad.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/five-collision-factors

Santa Monica’s Homelessness Strategy is Showing Results

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti called the news “heartbreaking.” LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas admitted he was “stunned.”  The Los Angeles Times distilled the grim results of the 2019 Homeless Counts for the City and the County of Los Angeles: “In a hard reality check for Los Angeles County’s multi-billion-dollar hope of ending homelessness, officials reported Tuesday that the number of people living on the streets, in vehicles, and in shelters increased by about 12% over last year.  The annual point-in-time count, delivered to the Board of Supervisors, put the number of homeless people just shy of 59,000 countywide. Within the city of Los Angeles, the number soared to more than 36,000, a 16% increase.” The numbers sparked an immediate and intense round of finger-pointing.  In a column splashed across the front page, Times writer Steve Lopez blamed “city and county officials.” According to Lopez, they “move too slowly and preside over an evolving catastrophe that may get worse before it gets better, even with thousands more housing units in the pipeline.”  The fast-flying accusations followed predictable patterns, focused on blame and point-scoring rather than fresh insights. Across California, the homeless count numbers are even more dire than LA County.  Orange County recorded a 43% increase from its last count in 2017 and Ventura, San Bernardino and Kern counties all reported increases of more than 20%. Up north, Alameda County saw a 43% increase and Santa Clara County was up 31% since their last counts in 2017. San Francisco recorded a 17% jump.  It’s a different story in Santa Monica.  We announced the results of our 2019 Homeless Count back in March.  Even taking into account the limitations of the methodology for counting people experiencing homelessness, our local results were encouraging. The 3% increase was well within the range of statistical variance – which means our numbers were essentially flat.  Most striking, the number counted in our Downtown showed a 19% decrease.  Why is that significant?  Because that’s where we’d focused our intense outreach and engagement strategies.  The results seem to vindicate that we are on the right track. So what’s working in Santa Monica?  During the past three decades, we’ve built a solid foundation.  Homelessness is not a new problem for us.  As Alisa Orduna, our Senior Advisor on Homelessness notes:  “Our first spike in homelessness was in the late 1980s into the 1990s. We had another surge following the economic recession of 2008, and we are now in the midst of one that began in 2016. We do see people living with mental illnesses, but beyond that, we’re seeing the impact of the housing crisis.”  Orduna, who coordinates Santa Monica’s efforts to combat homelessness, explains that we previously focused on those “who grew up here, went to school here, had their last permanent address here, and so on.”   When the regional surge in homelessness since 2016 overwhelmed that approach, Santa Monica pivoted to a relentless focus on outreach and engagement.  That approach is getting traction – and showing results. Our Police Department has long had a model Homeless Liaison Program (HLP Team). Former Interim Chief Ken Semko and new Chief Cynthia Reynaud not only expanded the team’s size, but they also deployed our Patrol and our Public Safety Officers to focus on our public spaces.  After City Council adopted “a regional approach to homelessness” as one of their Strategic Priorities, we created a pilot Homeless Multi-Disciplinary Street Team (HMST).  It’s a new model for successful street medicine aimed at our most chronic users of emergency services.  A new Rand Report credits the team with measurable success in changing lives. 

Senior Advisor on Homelessness Alisa Orduña Orduna describes the safety net that Santa Monica has created: “We have about 400 emergency shelter beds, which serve the entire region. We were one of the first cities to embrace the Housing First model and build permanent supportive housing (PSH); we now have about 330 PSH units. We also have an access center where people can shower, pick up their mail, and see a medical doctor or nurse practitioner, as well as link to case management services.” We adopted and funded a C3 Team to fan out across Downtown to connect people with services.  Our Library launched a wide range of effective measures, with new staffing, including two part-time social workers.  Fire launched a Community Response Team pilot. A Community Steering Committee enlisted additional civic, social, business and religious resources to work collaboratively.  Engagement only goes so far.  The housing affordability crisis continues to worsen regionally and the region is far behind in building enough permanent supportive housing to address the magnitude of the problem. But Santa Monica’s success with outreach and engagement is a necessary link to longer-term solutions — and it’s working. We’re determined to do more.  We’ve developed a revised Action Plan to Reduce Homelessness.  It’s a blueprint for continuing and expanding our efforts.  We are quickening the pace of experimenting with new tactics to pursue four key goals: Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase affordable housing opportunities Address the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents Maintain equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces Strengthen regional capacity to address homelessness To learn more about this critical challenge, follow the links I’ve included here and to find ways you can help, check out We are Santa Monica.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/Santa-Monicas-Homelessness-Strategy-is-Showing-Results

🌈 SaMo PRIDE: Get to Know Kathleen Rawson, Leo Garcia and Brandy/Emily

In honor of Pride Month, we are celebrating the diversity of our community by asking different members of the LGBTQA community to share their story, ideas and perspective on Santa Monica.  These bios originally appeared in the June edition of Seascape. 

Kathleen Rawson CEO, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.  1) How do you identify?

I came out as a lesbian in my early 20s, during my last years of college. I grew up in a small, central Minnesota town and the LGBTQ+ community was very invisible. I didn’t even tell my family until I moved to California.

2)What else can we do to make our City welcoming for LGBTQ people? 

As you can imagine, it was a significant change from Minnesota. Not only was I in a new town, just out of college and trying to find my way, I was also involved in my first real romantic relationship where I was living with someone, sharing our lives together as a couple. I remember those early days walking down the boardwalk, holding hands and there were plenty of times where that felt unsafe. So you stop holding hands. It was 1988, and I wouldn’t say I was overly comfortable, but certainly more so than in Minnesota. There were plenty of times when we had a conversation at work and the gender of the person I was living with was omitted. I was concerned about how my co-workers would react. People could be hostile. It wasn’t safe. Now, it’s completely different. When my partner and I decided to have our first child, we had no choice but to be true to ourselves and who we are as a couple. It was a conscious decision and the right one. For every job, every scenario, I was definitely out. And, generally speaking, people have always been very open and accepting. It has changed dramatically, as the world has changed. But Santa Monica has always been more accepting than other places I have lived.

Leo Garcia Executive Director, Highway Performance Space and resident 1) How do you identify?  As a gay Latino man.

2) What brought you to Santa Monica? I feel that in 1991 Santa Monica was a forgotten beach community and so it was perfect. The promenade was manageable in terms of traffic and shopping and community. Now, I’m concerned about its growth and how that growth is changing Santa Monica. I prefer to be positive about Santa Monica and there many conversations that can take place about growth, diversity, affordability and all that is important to me.

3) What’s your experience in Santa Monica, and how has it changed since you arrived?  I was a multi-hyphened artist who settled here. I was bi-coastal between NYC and Santa Monica for about four or five years, until I stayed here longer than I stayed in NYC. Travel became very complicated and so did the bicoastal life. I chose to stay in one place for a while and Santa Monica was that place. There’s no place I’d rather be.

4)What else can we do to make our City welcoming for LGBTQ people?  Though Santa Monica is generally gay-friendly, I don’t think anyone thinks of Santa Monica as a place for LGBTQ people to connect. It’s a seemingly liberal California beach community and I believe LGBTQ people, like all people, enjoy the beach and the climate, so like all others, they find there way here to enjoy the city. I’ve no doubt that there are families with gay children here. I know there are LGBTQ home and business owners and renter, but I don’t think of Santa Monica as a gay enclave. I’ve heard a little about the gay community Santa Monica in the past and would love to learn more.

Brandy & Emily  Resident 1) How do you identify? She / Her / Hers

2)What else can we do to make our City welcoming for LGBTQ people?  Coming from San Francisco, the lack of Santa Monica queer-friendly venues, bars and events was surprising. We hope the addition of this Pride event, and the Birdcage will help encourage more of an LGBTQ community

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/samo-pride-get-to-know-kathleen-rawson-leo-garcia-and-brandy-emily

Every Month Must Be Fair Housing Month

The article below originally appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press on June 12, 2019.

Two months ago, as part of its ongoing efforts against housing discrimination, the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office (CAO) celebrated April as National Fair Housing Month.  Approximately 100 tenants, landlords, and community members gathered to hear from local and regional fair housing experts at the Santa Monica Library at a forum we co-hosted with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, Santa Monica Renter’s Rights, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, and the Action Apartment Association. More than 350 students participated in our “Fair Housing Opens Doors” poster contest, including Eden Craig, a fifth-grader at Grant Elementary School, whose vibrant work accompanies this column. Two of the students’ posters became part of a month-long public service advertising campaign in the Daily Press and on social media. Finally in April — and perhaps in response to the ads and forum — tenants were bringing forth new complaints for review by our investigators. Two months later, the work goes on full speed here and everywhere else. Our office continues to investigate and litigate housing discrimination cases while new and old fair housing issues also rear up their ugly heads across the country. Many of these cases involve new strains of discrimination. For over fifty years, fair housing laws have prohibited discrimination by landlords, realtors, banks, cities, and insurance companies. Classic cases of discrimination include refusing to rent to people who are a different race or religion. Or denying a tenant with a disability her request for a reasonable accommodation (nearby parking space) or modification (wheelchair ramp). Or turning away a family with two children from a vacant two-bedroom apartment. But for a good look at discrimination’s relentless variety, here are the allegations in four fair housing cases that our office is litigating in court this month: A Santa Monica landlord rented exclusively to young female students, then regularly used his key to walk into their home without notice. A property manager engaged in a campaign of unfair demands and rules to make life exceedingly difficult for a single mother and her severely disabled daughter. A Santa Monica landlord threatened to report her tenants to the police based on their immigration status if they did not pay a higher rent or leave. A local landlord has refused to allow her disabled, senior, and severely rent-burdened tenant to use a Section 8 voucher to help pay the rent. The CAO obtained preliminary injunctions in the first two cases, stopping the alleged conduct pending trial, while the landlords in the second two have voluntarily resolved the alleged conduct pending trial. We are also litigating our third affordable housing enforcement case, where owners are allegedly violating obligations under affordable housing deed restrictions, and will soon be filing our fourth. Affordable housing for people of all walks of life is a crucial piece of a community’s fair housing puzzle. The variety of housing discrimination continues at the state and national levels: The U.S. Department of Justice has just charged Facebook with creating advertising tools that blatantly allow housing providers to either target or exclude consumers for or from housing opportunities based on their race, religion, gender and other protected classes. Since 2016, hate crimes against all protected classes have been surging in Los Angeles, in California, and across the country. According to a January 2019 Los Angeles Times article, hate crimes shot up again in 2018, up 13 percent in Los Angeles and 17 percent in California. In the past twelve months, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has reported several cases against housing providers who were allegedly denying tenants with disabilities reasonable accommodations that would allow them equal and fair housing. A large real investment firm paid $2.5 million this year to settle a federal fair housing lawsuit alleging that it pressured Latino and mentally disabled tenants to leave its rent-controlled buildings in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. Last week, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released the results of the 2019 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The number of homeless people in the county increased from 52,765 to 58,936, a 12% rise. Distressingly high numbers. But the major fair housing red flags continue to be statistics for the African-American homeless population, which constitutes 33% of the homeless population even though African-Americans constitute only 8.3% of the overall county population. So let’s face it, every month must be Fair Housing Month. Housing discrimination has not been eradicated, not even close. The federal, state and local fair housing laws must keep up with the new tactics, but it’s also up to us—no matter what month it is—to know our rights and responsibilities under the law so that we can recognize and stop discrimination in any form and in its tracks. Gary Rhoades is a Deputy City Attorney in the Consumer Protection Division of the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office. Potential violations of the fair housing laws may be reported to the Consumer Protection Division by calling 310-458-8336 or by going to smconsumer.org.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/every-month-must-be-fair-housing-month

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Launches Complete Guide to Street Art Murals

This article was written in partnership with Santa Monica Travel and Tourism and originally appeared in the June edition of Seascape.  As you may have noticed, our beach city is now home to more than 120 street art murals all within 8.3 square miles. These murals are brought to life by a combination of different entities from the City of Santa Monica, local business improvement districts, individuals and Beautify Earth, a non-profit whose mission is to transform every wall into a beautiful piece of art. Each mural has its own story to tell, and many stand out for capturing the unique history and vision of Santa Monica. For example, the “Jay Adams Tribute” by artist Dvate pays tribute to the accomplishments of one of skateboarding’s biggest icons on Main Street while “Beach Day” by Bumblebee, located on Wilshire Boulevard, shares the excitement of a day at the beach from the perspective of a child, albeit a larger-than-life child at 50-feet tall. To help both visitors and residents better discover our local art scene, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism has created a comprehensive guide that lists every street art mural in the city. The guide provides a photo, address and – when possible – mural and artist name to provide for the easiest and most efficient way to explore Santa Monica’s street art scene. The guide can be accessed at santamonica.com/complete-guideto-street-art-murals-in-santa-monica. Is there a street mural we missed or a new one you’ve spotted? Email [email protected] so we can add it to the guide!

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-travel-tourism-launches-complete-guide-to-street-art-murals

Santa Monica ❤️ ‘s Parklets!

Have you noticed the large wooden seating areas on Main Street packed with people enjoying coffee, food, or conversation? These spots are part of a public space experiment called “parklets” that have popped up in many cities across America and have demonstrated that streets can be used for more than just moving people from point A to point B. In 2015, City Council approved a parklet pilot program along Main Street to join the growing trend to reclaim city streets for public use. To accomplish this, the City started by converting two metered parking spaces into “parklets” at three different locations on Main Street: Holy Guacamole, Jameson’s (formerly Finn McCool’s), and Ashland Hill. These restaurants agreed to maintain and furnish the parklets during the pilot. In a partnership, the three parklets were designed, built, and paid for by the City of Santa Monica and the parklet operators did their part by providing the furniture and landscaping, and by keeping them clean. 

Did the experiment work? Do people like parklets? To measure their impact on the community, staff partnered with the Lewis Center at UCLA who deployed an army of researchers to gather feedback from people walking on Main Street and parklet visitors to assess what factors contribute to a good parklet experience. On June 11, 2019, two years later after the pilot launch, staff reported back to City Council with an update on the parklets pilot, informed by UCLA’s study and by continuous interaction between City staff and the parklet operators. Here’s what we learned about parklets:

Everybody LOVES Parklets! The parklets were well-maintained and kept clean. People feel safe in them. People that visit the parklets often come back to the parklets.

Additionally, the program team learned that parklets create a rare opportunity to create public space on streets with narrow sidewalks where there isn’t currently a place to rest or sit in public. So what’s next for Santa Monica’s new parklets program? At the Council meeting, the program team was directed to expand the pilot to other parts of Santa Monica, such as Downtown, Montana Avenue, and other spots on Main Street. The team was directed to transfer the cost of building new parklets onto applicants and operators, and to develop a more robust criteria and process to guide the selection of parklet operators. Overall, the parklets pilot has been a great success in Santa Monica and the City is eager to expand the parklets pilot throughout the City. The City team estimates their research for exploring an expanded pilot would take approximately 6-8 months when they will report back to City Council with their findings.  If you have any questions or inquiries about the parklet pilot, please reach out Russell Bunim with the City Planning Division at [email protected] or 310-458-8341.  

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-loves-parklets

🌈 SaMo PRIDE: Get to Know Supervisor Sheila Kuehl & Reverend James E. Boline

In honor of Pride Month, we are celebrating the diversity of our community by asking different members of the LGBTQA community to share their story, ideas and perspective on Santa Monica.  These bios originally appeared in the June edition of Seascape. 

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl Third District LA County Supervisor and Santa Monica resident 1) How do you identify? Lesbian

2) What are some of the ways LGBTQ people connect or feel a sense of community in Santa Monica?

 Santa Monica is a welcoming city and the LGBTQ community has always felt comfortable at the beach, in schools, and in our religious institutions. I went to lots of events at the Church In Ocean Park which has always been very diverse and gay-inclusive.

3)What else can we do to make our City welcoming for LGBTQ people?  While we’ve made tremendous progress on so many fronts with gay marriage and supporting queer young people, there is still work to do. We need more places to gather and socialize. We especially need to provide support to trans youth, who continue to face tremendous discrimination.

Reverend James E. Boline Pastor of Lutheran Congregation, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church  1) How do you identify?   I identify as gay and married 11 years, together 22, with my husband Christopher.

2) What’s your experience in Santa Monica, and how has it changed since you arrived?  When I first arrived on the scene back in 2000, another local pastor left the Ministerial Association because of an openly gay minister (me) who began attending the meetings! Other than that, my experience as a gay man working in Santa Monica has been one of gracious hospitality and receptivity; since arriving in 2000, the welcome has only widened.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/samo-pride-get-to-know-supervisor-sheila-kuehl-reverend-james-e-boline

History Spotlight: The Historic Horatio West Court

The History Spotlight focuses on the landmarks, residents and stories that have shaped Santa Monica into what it is today. Content is being produced in partnership with the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Landmarks Commission, Santa Monica History Museum and the Santa Monica Daily Press. The article below originally appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press on June 10, 2019.

Horatio West Court 140 Hollister Avenue Built 1919, designated 1979 This is one of the finest remaining examples of architect Irving Gill’s work in the field of social housing, as it shows Gill’s interest in designing affordable alternatives to the single-family home. Gill used the courtyard as a transitional space between the street and the building interiors, and the configuration exemplifies the bungalow court typology. Gill’s work was influenced by the region’s Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival styles.  Abstracting elements of these styles, his designs were modern interpretations of these more traditional forms. In doing so, Gill became a pivotal figure in California Modernism. The court was restored in the 1970s. Horatio West Court has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/the-historic-horatio-west-court

Sidewalk Vending: How to be a Smart Consumer

Recently, the Santa Monica City Council approved new laws for a comprehensive sidewalk vending program to create a pathway for vending in spaces that were formerly restricted. The Council acted in response to the state’s passage of the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, which decriminalized sidewalk vending in public areas. The new program puts public health and safety at the forefront and expands economic opportunities for those who choose to vend lawfully under the program.

With these new laws, it is important for residents and consumers to know how to make smart choices when purchasing goods from sidewalk vendors. When buying from a sidewalk vendor, it is important to only make purchases from those vendors who have a Vending Permit issued by the City of Santa Monica. This permit—which vendors are required to display via a decal fixed to their cart or worn on a badge—indicates that the vendor is lawfully operating in the City and has taken the proper steps to sell their goods. If the vendor you are buying from is selling food, it is also important to make sure that the vendor has a valid Los Angeles County issued Public Health Permit. This permit displayed below, has a colored sticker containing the county seal, shows that the vendor is in compliance with all county and state food safety regulations and is safely selling their food items in the area.  Don’t forget that Santa Monica’s new program restricts sidewalk vending in certain locations in Downtown as well as at the Pier and beach. These congested, high-traffic areas are restricted or limited due to the public safety risks that sidewalk vending activities can create. Such conditions all pose a danger to public health and can result in you becoming ill. Limiting food purchases to vendors who have properly obtained a Public Health Permit will minimize the risks to your health. Not having an LA County issued Public Health Permit could mean:

The vendor doesn’t have clean water on site to wash their hands or utensils; There are unsanitary conditions, which could include unclean food equipment; Food was obtained from an unapproved source; Food is being stored at unsafe temperatures, which can promote the growth of harmful and dangerous bacteria; Food is not being protected from contamination

For more information about how to become a licensed vendor in Santa Monica, click here. We hope this information has been helpful. If you have questions or need more assistance, please email [email protected].

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/sidewalk-vending-how-to-be-a-smart-consumer

Meet Mitch Krupa, A Landlord Driven By Compassion

Landlords often get a bad rap. No matter how great your apartment is — it’s just plain hard to hand over your hard-earned money on the first of the month. In a city with high housing costs, like Santa Monica, handing over that money is a sharp reminder that affordable housing is hard to come by — a problem Santa Monica is working hard to resolve. But spending time with Mitch, a managing partner at Oceana Properties Limited, is a heartening reminder that there are landlords who really are on the side of the tenants, have your best interests at heart, and who are thoughtful, compassionate, and intentional about the way they do business. That’s why it’s important to shine a light on someone like Mitch. Letting Empathy Lead Mitch was born in Poland, but made his way to Chicago at the age of 9 with his family. After graduating from college, he came to southern California in 1978, looking for opportunity. He found it pretty quickly, in the form of a 4-plex rental property that was for sale in Huntington Beach. He partnered with his mom and aunt to buy it, and his career in property management began. It wasn’t long until he expanded his horizons, moving north to Santa Monica where he invested in a 30-unit building near Santa Monica College, and after that — a 24-unit building, also in Santa Monica, making for a grand total of 52 local units. But Mitch found that simply renting apartments to tenants wasn’t enough. He was struck with empathy for people struggling to meet rent. He recognized the psychological and physical challenges that many of them had, and how they could lead to homelessness. He also realized that given just a slightly different set of circumstances, he too, could be vulnerable to the risk of homelessness. This recognition of how vulnerable all of us can be to circumstances that may lead to homelessness is a reality that many of us don’t take the time to contend with. But it’s a good thing Mitch decided to contend with that fact, because 28 years ago — he made the decision to begin working with the Santa Monica Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program — also known as Section 8.   Section 8 These days, over half of Mitch’s units are allocated to Section 8 rentals. He says that he knows many property managers are wary of renting out to Section 8 tenants, but he’s found it’s really no different than renting to regular tenants. And there’s a wonderful benefit to it — the knowledge of knowing you’re helping people. By helping to lift the burden of high housing costs, you’re affording people the opportunity to live with the security of knowing they have a place to lay their heads at night — and they’ll still have money leftover to meet other living costs, like groceries and medical expenses.   Partnering With The City If you’re a property owner interested in partnering with the city to rent units at affordable prices, you can find more information by clicking here. The City of Santa Monica is very supportive of property owners who are willing to take this step and provides incentives that benefit everyone.  If you’re a tenant interested in learning more about the Housing Voucher Program and its eligibility requirements, click here. And be sure to visit us at weare.santamonica.gov for updates on what the city is doing to increase affordable housing in the community.   Pull Quotes “There’s satisfaction knowing you’re doing something for people that you share a bond with… and the gratitude and satisfaction and appreciation they feel when you’ve given them an opportunity to better their situation.” “There’s a lot of support out there with the Housing Authority and the City itself is very supportive.” “We went from zero Section 8 housing to 75% in a 30-unit building.” “We’ve been involved with low-income tenants for 28 years. It was a good move for us. There’s been a lot of support from the City and local organizations.”

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/Mitch

Building a Safe, Sustainable City Yards for Our Community

Caption: Aerial image of the proposed City Yards site For over two decades, the City has been planning a major overhaul of the City Yards to provide a safer, more efficient place of business for community members and our operations staff. City Council’s unanimous vote on June 11 to move forward with construction for phase 1 (Package A) of the City Yards Modernization Project has paved the way for us to finally be able to realize our dream of breaking ground on this long overdue project on July 1, 2019. For our community members who do business at the City Yards, this project means they will soon be able to enjoy an enhanced customer experience. Long gone will be the days that community members have to walk from building to building to figure out where they need to go to take care of business. The new City Yards will feature a public counter that will serve as a one-stop shop where community members can do business such as buying compost bins and submitting their construction waste management plans for review.

Caption: Plaza at City Yards entrance on Michigan Avenue For our dedicated Public Works employees who are on the frontlines every day to build and maintain our infrastructure and provide vital services to our community, this project means that they will be able to work in safe, new facilities equipped with the latest technology that will meet our operational needs well into the future. Thirteen outdated facilities will be demolished as part of phase 1 (Package A) and will be replaced by six new buildings. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Caption: Proposed exterior for the new Fleet Building For our community as a whole, the project means that community members and employees will be able to have more communal interactions and an aesthetically pleasing experience when they visit the City Yards. There will be access to the outdoor courtyard with seating, a meeting room, kitchen, wider sidewalks, shrubbery and trees and public art along Michigan Avenue.

Caption: Outdoor courtyard serving as a crew lunch area and community space Santa Monica is a city committed to sustainability and mobility and those are goals were kept in mind when designing this project. We’re combining efficient building design with solar components and stormwater capture techniques to transition the City Yards into an environmentally friendly place the community can truly be proud of. We’re also realigning the City Yards layout to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic and install crosswalks throughout the site to enhance the safety of people traveling by all transit modes, particularly pedestrians. Visit our City Yards Modernization Project page to read more about this exciting project, including the June 11, 2019 staff report approved by the city council. For questions about the project, contact Joel Cesare, project manager, at [email protected] or (310) 458-2205.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/building-a-safe-sustainable-city-yards-for-our-community

5 Things You Don’t Want to Miss in Santa Monica This Summer

School is out for the summer in Santa Monica! Be sure you and your little ones thrive this summer with the countless events, programs, and activities our beautiful beachside city offers. Read on to learn about a few not-to-miss opportunities from Santa Monica Community Recreation! 

1. Fitness Classes for Adults.  Focus on YOU this summer!  Enjoy a cardio fitness class with top-notch equipment at Memorial Park, relax and unwind with Meditation, Qigong, and Yoga, or dance your heart out in Zumba class.  

2. Inspire Creativity Outside of the Classroom with an Engineering & Science Summer Break Youth Camps.   Summer Break Camps can be FUN and EDUCATIONAL! Kids will have the opportunity to design, build, and test their own creations and experiments. 

3. Get BOGAFit! Take a Floating Fitness Workout. Get out of the gym and try something different at Annenberg Community Beach House. Floating Fitness Workouts with BOGAFiT is an innovative fitness program that builds strength, deepens flexibility, and improves balance and coordination.

4. Send Your Kids to Cooking Youth Camp this Summer Break.  Children will have fun learning to make easy, simple, and delicious food in an interactive and supportive environment! 

5. Join an Adult Coed Volleyball League.  Santa Monica’s coed volleyball league is a great way to socialize and exercise. Each season offers approximately 10 games on top of playoffs. 

Want to learn more about opportunities like this year round? Click here to subscribe to Community Recreation’s newsletter.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/5-things-you-don-t-want-to-miss-in-santa-monica-this-summer

Santa Monica’s Community Recycling Center Closes on June 15

The Santa Monica Community Recycling Center, commonly known as the Buyback Center, will close effective June 15, 2019, until further notice. Curbside Recycling will continue as scheduled. There will be no impact to curbside recycling collection for residential and commercial customers. The City will continue to collect and process all recyclables as usual. Santa Monica residents who wish to recycle empty California Refund Value (CRV) bottles and cans may continue to place their recyclables in their recycling containers. Below are frequently asked questions about the closure of the Recycling Center. For more information about this closure, please visit www.smgov.net/R3 or call 310-458-2223. 

Q: What is happening to the Buyback Center?

A: The Santa Monica Community Recycling Center, commonly known as the Buyback Center, located at 2411 Delaware Avenue will close effective June 15, 2019, until further notice. The drop-off recycling area outside of the Buyback Center will also close effective June 15, 2019.  

Q: Will the Buyback Center re-open?

A: There is no immediate plan to re-open the BuyBack Center at the Delaware Avenue location or another location in Santa Monica at this time. The City is actively considering alternative options.

Q: Why is the Buyback Center closing?

A: The City of Santa Monica’s contract with Allan Company, the operator of the Buyback Center, was not renewed by City Council. This means in the foreseeable future separation of Santa Monica’s recyclable materials will occur off-site. Staff will return to City Council this Fall with a recommendation about how to move forward with a long-term approach to provide recycling services, including potential Buyback Center options. All curbside recycling collections will continue without interruption to our customers and the City remains fully committed to our Zero Waste goals.

Q:  Should I continue to recycle? A: Yes. The City continues to be committed to recycling and you should, too. There is no change to the City of Santa Monica’s curbside recycling collection. Santa Monica residents are strongly encouraged to continue to place clean recyclables, including empty California Refund Value (CRV) bottles and cans, into their recycling containers. Items that do not belong in the recycling containers, such as pizza boxes that still have food inside or half-full yogurt cups, may contaminate the rest of the recyclables and contaminated recyclables are sent to landfills. So please do your part and recycle the right way. Visit www.smgov.net/r3 to learn more.

Q:  Will everything being placed in the recycling containers, which are typically blue, continue to be recycled? A: Yes. There is no impact to the City’s curbside recycling collection for residential and commercial customers. The City continues to collect and process all recyclables from the recycling containers as usual.  

Q: Where do the recyclables go after I place them in my recycling containers? A: Items placed in the recycling containers are collected by the City and delivered to a recyclable materials company for sorting and processing before the valuables are sold and repurposed for further manufacturing uses.

Q: Where do I go to redeem items that have California Refund Value (CRV), such as cans and bottles, for cash?

A: Customers who want to redeem their CRV bottles and cans for cash can bring their items to the nearest redemption centers at the following locations: Cheviot Hills – rePlanet Recycling Center at Von’s, 9860 National Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034 Culver City – rePlanet Recycling Center at Ralphs, 10772 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230 

Q: What should I do with electronic waste (e-waste) and household hazardous waste?

A: Three easy solutions: All Los Angeles County residents can bring their e-waste and other hazardous household materials to a S.A.F.E. collection center. The closest S.A.F.E. collection center is located in West Los Angeles near UCLA. Visit dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/hhw for details. Addresses and opening hours are listed under “Permanent Centers.” If you are a Santa Monica resident, attend an e-waste collection and paper shredding event, which is hosted by the City four times a year. The next event is scheduled for July 27, 2019. Call (310) 458-2223 for details. If you are a Santa Monica resident, call (800) 714-1195 or complete an online request form at stericycleenvironmental.com/santa-monica to schedule a free pickup from your home.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-community-recycling-center-closure-effective-june-15-2019

Concerned About Road Safety Along Wilshire Boulevard Or Other Locations In Santa Monica? Our New Easy-to-use Interactive Map Helps You Report Concerns

Our city is on a mission to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2026. It’s a big goal, which is why we have launched the Take the Friendly Road campaign, but we can’t do it alone. We need all hands on deck — that’s why we’re asking for your input. Earlier this year, we launched the Wilshire Safety Study — a data-driven assessment of traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths. With the results of this study, we’ll identify locations on Wilshire Blvd. that are most in need of infrastructure adjustments. Making these adjustments will help us continue to keep Santa Monica’s roads safe for years to come — regardless of whether we walk, take public transportation, drive, bike, or scoot. A major part of this study is gathering input from the very people who travel along Wilshire Blvd. every day — you. So how can you provide your input? Attend the community workshop on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at Reed Park Auditorium (1133 7th Street). The format is open house, so drop in anytime between 10 am and noon to learn about the project and provide feedback. Another way is by using our new, interactive map tool. The tool allows you to report any road safety concerns you have while traveling on Wilshire Blvd. or any of Santa Monica’s streets. For example, is there a particular intersection where you frequently witness speeding or failure to yield? How about a crosswalk you find difficult to cross? Maybe a stretch of road in need of maintenance? You can report all these concerns and more. Here’s how it works: Open the interactive map tool and click ‘Add Comment.’ Drop a marker on the map to identify the geographic location of concern. Select one of 10 icons to represent the problem — examples include poor visibility, difficult crossing conditions, and road surface maintenance issues. Provide a note to communicate your concern in more detail. Keep in mind — specifics will help us address any concerns more efficiently, so details are always encouraged. This crowdsourced map is being used by the City of Santa Monica for planning purposes only. For emergencies, please contact 911.   We appreciate you taking the time to report your concerns — it will do a lot to help us reach our goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. Together, we can create a safe and friendly Santa Monica for everyone. For more info, visit santamonica.gov/friendlyroad.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/interactive-map

Santa Monica’s Annual Sidewalk CPA Event Reaches 288 People

The Santa Monica Fire Department, Santa Monica Police Harbor Guards, and Nurses from the AACN Chapter at UCLA, teamed up this year for the annual Sidewalk CPR event to support National CPR and AED Awareness Week. The event held at the Santa Monica Pier, June 5, 2019, educated 288 people in Hands-only CPR.

Hands-only CPR focuses on chest compressions and is a temporary measure that can keep the heart and brain alive until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrive to provide other treatments. Hands-only CPR, is used on adults and teens only, mouth to mouth breathing should still be used on children and infants.

You can learn more about Hands-only CPR, and find Information about CPR certification training by visiting the American Heart Association website, https://bit.ly/2MtHbXs, or The Red Cross, http://www.redcross.org/ux/take-a-class.   

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-s-annual-sidewalk-cpa-event-reaches-288-people

Santa Monica’s data-driven approach to homelessness strengthens coordination and drives results

California’s affordability and housing crisis continues to dramatically impact the number of people living on the street throughout Los Angeles County. This week, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) announced a 12% increase with nearly 60,000 people now experiencing homelessness across the county. While this increase is jolting, including a 19% uptick on the Westside, it is consistent with what’s happening across the Southland.   We feel the impact in Santa Monica, but we are also seeing a turn. Santa Monica’s count numbers released in March largely held steady with a modest 3% difference and a substantial 19% reduction in the Downtown area.   Santa Monica has long had a plan in action to address its share of the region’s homeless population. When regional and local homeless counts increased by over 20% in 2017, the City doubled down on its efforts through the integration of a data-driven approach that is beginning to show results.   Through the influx of funding, the City piloted several key initiatives to address homelessness in open spaces through regular engagement, getting to know people by name, assessing their needs, providing field-based treatment, and helping navigate a pathway toward re-housing and services.   On June 5, 2018, RAND Corporation released the results of a study evaluating the social and economic effectiveness of the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Outreach Team (HMST). The evaluation found that not only did participants receive a better quality of care through intensive case management services, but their contacts with police and fire were significantly reduced, offsetting City spending on the program by 17% to 43%.  Since the time the report data collection ended, the program has continued to evolve to improve participants’ health outcomes.  Enhanced coordination between the City, county, and service provider The People Concern has resulted in even more participants successfully graduating from HMST to other forms of care.   The HMST outreach team is one spoke in Santa Monica’s wheel or coordinated services. Here’s a look at other approaches that are paying off.   Santa Monica C3 Multidisciplinary Team– A geographic-based interdisciplinary team deployed to the Downtown area proactively providing field-based medical and behavioral health treatment to people experiencing homelessness in Tongva, Palisades, and Reed Parks, the 3rd Street Promenade, and along key transit zones like Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. This team is the top reason homelessness decreased in the Downtown core.   Expansion of the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team– A dedicated unit of Santa Monica Police officers and a sergeant with an embedded social worker expanded to 10 officers and t day-a-week operation. This team works closely with Human Services to coordinate care for vulnerable residents while ensuring the safety of all in the community.  Enrichment of Homeless Outreach in the Library– A full-time outreach worker, two social workers, and Library Services Officers are part of the SMPL team to serve as a resource for homeless patrons and to ensure the library can be enjoyed by all.    Santa Monica Fire Department’s Community Response Unit– SMFD continues to develop innovative strategies within the confines of State law to address the needs of high utilizers of the emergency medical system. The Department continues to share data on people who are generated multiple calls in a short period of time to intervene with the most appropriate level of services.     Santa Monica’s strategy is working and our success rests on it’s a four pillar approach of   keeping Santa Monica residents housed;   increasing access to behavioral healthcare;   promoting safe and healthy public spaces; and   strengthening the regional capacity to assist our neighbors in need.   Santa Monica makes up 8.3 square miles of the county’s 4,700. As the homelessness crisis continues to threaten individuals, families and communities across the county, every one of its  88 cities need to continue to do everything we can to turn a new chapter in the lives of our homeless neighbors and for the health of the county overall. Santa Monica is all in on this effort and further motivated by Governor Newsom’s commitment of unprecedented state resources with $650 million in one-time funding identified in his May budget.   There are things you can do to help address homelessness. Check out the City’s homeless toolkit and the countywide Everyone In campaign.  

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-s-data-driven-approach-to-homelessness-strengthens-coordination-and-drives-results

The Power of the Arts

A version of this article originally appeared in the June edition of Seascape.  In ways both big and small, the arts have a positive impact on the lives of Santa Monicans. Whether attending an opening at a gallery or singing in a local choir, the arts help us express ourselves, connect with our community, and see our environment in new ways. April was Arts Month, and provided a time to spotlight and celebrate the positive contributions that the arts make to our communities. One way the City celebrated Arts Month was to recognize six Arts Leaders who are having an impact throughout the City. The City continues to promote, showcase and support the arts on a daily basis to ensure that the city continues to be fertile ground for creativity. As part of its commitment to supporting artists, we provide both individual and project fellowships that recognize and fund local artists. Art in the Parks features outdoor performances throughout the City through September, including the Meet Me at Reed and Jazz on the Lawn summer concert series. And be sure to start thinking about participating in this year’s COAST, the City ’s annual Open Streets event. This year, for its fourth iteration, COAST will celebrate all the ways people get around without cars and will showcase the self-expression and creativity of participants. Artist-led workshops leading up to the event will provide the community with opportunities to participate in creating artworks that will be featured at the event, as well as opportunities to create unique embellishments for your own ride. More than two miles of Santa Monica streets will become a communal gathering space for strollers, bikers, and rollers alike to come together and build a more people-powered and sustainable Santa Monica on Sunday, September 15, 2019. For more info, visit santamonica.gov/coast.

from The Insider's Guide to the Beautiful City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/the-power-of-the-arts