Welcome to Wilmont. The Wilshire-Montana Neighborhood Coalition.
The Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (WILMONT) is a city-recognized neighborhood organization working for a better community in our neighborhood and in Santa Monica. We work to accomplish this through education, outreach and advocacy. Please scroll our website to learn about us, find out how to become a member, learn about local issues, programs and news. We hope you get involved! We are always looking for active members who will attend meetings, work on neighborhood issues and communicate with our members and residents.
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Monthly Wilmont Meetings
Next Meeting: Our next Wilmont Meeting will be this coming Tuesday, April the 7th, 2020, REMOTE VIA ZOOM ONLINE! Wilmont residents and members, Please join us via Zoom.us to hear Mayor Kevin McKeown provide City updates at our April Wilmont meeting, Tuesday April 7, 7 - 8:30 PM. You do not need to download any software to use Zoom.us. Join Wilmont online to hear (see, if you want) Mayor McKeown provide City updates with Q&A as time allows, Tues., 4/7- 7 PM - JOIN US! The Wilmont Board will have our April meeting via an online tool called Zoom. This tool has had some security issues but we have taken proactive steps to address the issues we now know about. Join us on Tuesday 4/7 7 PM - 8:30 PM Mayor Kevin McKeown will provide updates on the census, COVID-19, districting lawsuit and SCAG 10,000 unit allocation as well as take questions as time permits. Three ways to access online meeting 1. Click on link https://us04web.zoom.us/j/713921349 Video Rule: When you enter meeting you will not be on video but can use video icon on bottom of screen to turn video on of you if you want 2. Go to Zoom.us and click on "Join a Meeting" tab in upper right hand corner. When prompted enter the Meeting ID: 713 921 349. See Video Rule outlined above 3. Dial 1 (669) 9006-833 on your cell phone and type in Meeting ID: 713 921 349. Long distance charges may apply if you use your landline. Wilmont Board of Directors Elizabeth Van Denburgh, Chair and Moderator of Meeting Mayor McKeown will provide City updates on the COVID-19 virus, districting lawsuit and SCAG 9,000 housing unit allocation to City. We will take Q&A as time allows. All participants will be on mute during the mayor's topic briefing and can use the "raise your hand" capability to ask questions during Q&A. We hope you will attend. Please see Mayor McKeown's most recent update on status and information on the coronavirus. Stay well and safe, Wilmont Board Liaison Information from Mayor Kevin McKeown - Wednesday, 4/1 Every evening about this time I watch L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s daily briefing, gather information about Santa Monica specifically, and send you a liaison report. By the way, I think Eric is doing a great job, but the L.A. TV stations won’t cover my briefings, so I have to settle for email. MASKS -- they’re not just for bank robbers any more. Today Mayor Garcetti announced an #LAProtects initiative, wherein everyone going out in public is urged to wear a fabric mask, NOT the medical-grade N95 masks we’re still reserving for doctors, nurses, and other first-responders. People who suspect they’re symptomatic continue to be referred to their primary care provider to get authorization to be tested. There is a center at UCLA doing coronavirus testing, but they require a doctor’s referral. The County continues to set up more testing centers, and here’s the latest on that from yesterday’s County EOC Incident Report: > https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/CALACOUNTY/2020/03/31/file_attachments/1416028/COVID-19%20Update_03.31.20.pdf > Testing Sites are being made available as soon as they are staffed and properly equipped to test patients. The following sites have been announced today as possible testing locations. > •High Desert Medical Group (Lancaster) – Mobile Testing (4/1) > • Glendale Memorial Hospital > • South Bay Galleria > • Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale > • Pomona Fairplex > • Rose Bowl Our downtown Santa Monica Wednesday Farmers’ Market this morning was held with a channeled entrance and exit, and with a limit on how many people could be in the market at a time. We had already instituted coronavirus precautions weeks ago, unlike LA farmers’ markets, which were temporarily closed down. Despite all our work, and good reviews from experts, tabloid website TMZ posted an exposé that clueless Westsiders were shopping on top on one another. An accompanying photo appeared to have been taken with a telephoto lens, distorting depth perspective. The story said, "The person who took the photos tells TMZ ... he was not allowed in because it's members-only,” which, of course our Farmers’ Market is not and never has been, so the whole TMZ coverage is questionable. Bet it got them some clicks, though. Construction continues to be a point of contention. We hear from many residents who feel all construction should be halted, and it’s one of the top three concerns we’re hearing (the others are rent and toilet paper). When Governor Newsom issued his statewide order about ten days ago, that document defined construction as one of the essential services that workers were to be allowed to continue. While the language was less than perfectly clear, he specified the need for, in particular, residential construction. That DOES NOT mean that Wild West chaos on construction sites is mandated by the Governor’s order. All existing rules on permits and allowable hours continue to be enforceable, AND proper health protection and social distancing are required as for any other activity. Getting teams of compliance officers out in the field has been a priority, and we now have organized the ability to visit sites and force compliance as we discover the problem spots. Here is a webpage referencing construction rules for Santa Monica: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2020/04/01/local-construction-sites-must-observe-safer-at-home-orders Seven counties in Northern California have put restrictions on construction beyond what the Governor’s order appears to allow. We’re waiting for clarification from Sacramento. With all that, SOMETHING we’re doing seems to be working. Only four new cases reported in Santa Monica. That’s four too many, but far fewer than we might have feared. · · · · MEETING REPORT - FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Welcome & Wilmont Chair, Elizabeth Van Denburgh updates: (with Manju Raman, Vice-Chair and Stephen Martin, Secretary)
1) PaliHouse Hotel at Washington/3rd -- Alcohol application was deemed incomplete and City feedback is they cannot apply for one as there is no restaurant on location. 2) Districting Update – City will file a response to plaintiff’s brief in City’s appeal with 30 minutes to do oral argument. Ruling assured 7/10/20 to prepare 11/20 Council election. 3) Wilshire Safety Corridor study - Will be presented at City Council on 2/11 and will lay out recommendation; again concern is traffic will be rerouted into Wilmont causing more pedestrian/bike accidents in neighborhood. Please attend and speak if you can. 4.) Southern California Association of Government (SCAG) must zone for 9,118 dditional housing units by 2029 with 69% being affordable -- Need to focus on limiting units due to short spin of time, cost of additional infrastructure, additional police, fire, schoo and water needs, traffic/parking issues and lack of financing for the affordable housing. 5) Harriet Epstein and E. Van Denburgh – working on a letter on eScooters for Board approval and if approved, to be sent to City Council, City Executives and local press Treasurer, Betzi Richardson, report and approval of financials
Secretary, Stephen Martin, ask for approval of Dec., Jan. and Feb. minutes Wilmont Board – Vote to support SMCLC letter on 4th & 5th and Arizona (aka Santa Monica Plaza) and add Elizabeth Brooks to Board. 
Betzi Richardson, Treasurer – discussed her participation in the 2020 homeless count, showing the gathering for the count at St. Monica’s and the 2019 results. Betzi’s team surveyed area 51 – Her team traveled from Lincoln to Pearl, to Euclid, to Pico, and back to Lincoln and combed the alleyways in between. 5 homeless people were found in this section of the city. Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Santa Monica Planning Commissioner and Architect – gave us a cogent and informative talk about Santa Monica Housing: which he considers to be a manufactured crisis. “It’s not a crisis of quantity; it’s a crisis of affordability.”
Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Santa Monica Planning Commissioner and Architect – gave us a cogent and informative talk about Santa Monica Housing: which he considers to be a manufactured crisis. “It’s not a crisis of quantity; it’s a crisis of affordability.” He reminded us of Henry ford’s pragmatism. Ford was able to say to his workers, if you work in my plant, you’ll be able to buy one of the automobiles you produce. Fortunately or unfortunately, as we all know, housing in Santa Monica has become, for many reasons, too desirable for the average worker to live and work here.The completely unrealistic and unfunded SCAG goals: over 9000 new units of housing to be built in Santa Monica, 69% affordable push the City council to approve “upzoning.” This would allow for taller buildings, but Fonda-Bonardi called greater height a ‘devil’s game,” because it is not possible to build over three stories and remain net-zero on energy, i.e. the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.Fonda-Bonardi also discussed the fact that the so called zombie bill, SB 50, promoted by State Senator Scott Weiner, although voted down again, will be back soon. We learned why construction costs are rising, basically the greater scarcity of construction materials, copper, wood, and concrete, and the fact that 22% of our energy costs involve the moving of water to southern CA. Fonda-Bonardi will return for our Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Anastasia Foster, Elected Member of the Rent Control Board, discussed the water rate increase (109% over 5 years) and waste-water increase (51% over 5 years) and the impact on rent-control renters vs. others.
If you live in a rent-controlled apartment, you most likely pay your own electric and gas bills, but not a water bill. That’s what we call a “master meter” for water. Water is included in the price of your rent. If a Landlord wants to, he or she can install new sub-meters for water, but that is fairly rare. Because the Rent Control Charter law does not allow for additional charges for utilities, including water, to your rent, tenants cannot and will not be billed for water. So essentially, the water rate increases will not be passed on to renters.
MEETING REPORT: Wilmont meeting on January 7, 2020, 6:45 pm – 8:45 pm, in the Montana Branch Library, of SMPL, Community Room:
We had an informative meeting with excellent and spirited discussions: 
Miramar model close up.
At the beginning of the meeting, Chair Elizabeth Van Denburgh gave updates on:
Betzi Richardson, financial report for December (no photo). 
The proposed Miramar Hotel Development is an extensive expansion and refurbishing of the hotel with the added construction of 60 ocean-front condos on the top floors. Two representatives promoting the development, Dustin G. Peterson of The Athens Group and Ellis O’Connor of MSD Real Estate Partners, brought a model of the proposed development.
Armen Melkonians, of Residocracy, led a discussion that brought forth ideas for community benefits that could be incorporated into the development.
Happy New Year to Wilmont in 2020!New Food + Green Composting Program
Santa Monica is now taking recycling to the next level by testing composting collection through a new program. Organic material like food and yard debris are a huge portion of the material we throw away, and it is 100% compostable. The program accepts all food and yard debris in your green cart but strictly prohibits any type of plastic materials, glass or metal. WILMONT will now become part of the City’s composting program. We will be working with Chris Celsi, City’s Resource Recovery & Recycling Manager, to understand and communicate the program's rollout, as well as having him speak at future meetings about composting. Download a printable poster here > 
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City of Santa Monica Meetings
City Council meetings are generally held the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Meetings are broadcast live on CityTV cable channel 16, and streamed at Youtube.com/CityTV16SantaMonica. Meetings air on 89.9 KCRW, 8 pm to midnight. Planning Commission meetings are generally held the first and third Wednesday of the month. 
February 4, 2020 Meeting Report, continued
Elizabeth Brooks elected as a new Wilmont Board member.
For background on SCAG: From the Wikipedia: The Southern California Association of Governments is the Metropolitan Planning Organization of six of the ten counties in Southern California, serving Imperial County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County. SCAG is the largest MPO in the United States, representing over 18.5 million people in an area covering over 38,000 square miles (98,000 km2). As the designated MPO, SCAG is mandated by the federal government to research and draw up plans for transportation, growth management, hazardous waste management, and air quality. Additional mandates exist at the state level.Governance
SCAG's policy direction is guided by the 86-member official governing board known as the Regional Council. The Regional Council is composed of 67 Districts that include an elected representative of one or more cities of approximately equal population levels that have a geographic community of interest (except the City of Long Beach, which has two representatives). Additionally, membership in SCAG's Regional Council includes one representative from each county Board of Supervisors (except the County of Los Angeles, which has two representatives). SCAG's Regional Council also includes one representative of the Southern California Native American Tribal Governments. Finally, all members of the Los Angeles City Council are each considered members of the SCAG Regional Council, and the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, serves as the Los Angeles City At-Large Representative.[ Greg Moreno, Santa Monica City Council member, is a member of this Regional Council. In recent years, SCAG has taken a leadership role in goods movement activities and its impact on the Southern California region. In 2008, the California State Legislature passed SB 375, which sets a framework and target dates to achieve Green House Gas reductions. This legislation impacts transportation planning, growth and development, housing, and land use decisions. It also expands the role of SCAG in setting regional targets… SCAG's main function is to coordinate growth and development on a regional level, with responsibility for the development of infrastructure and housing planning in a way that furthers the state's environmental mandates around greenhouse gases and sustainability, as well as broad state-wide goals for increased housing affordability. The state- mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment is calculated by the state government on a regional basis and in turn the SCAG distributes growth targets (including both the total number of units and the distribution of units affordable for different income categories) for each county (for unincorporated areas), city and town. See the full Wikipedia article and the Santa Monica Daily Press article by Madeleine Paulker on Dec 9, 2019. 
January 7 MEETING REPORT continued: 
Eduardo Lizarraga, Housing Specialist, City of Santa Monica, explained the new City program: Preserving Our Dignity, (POD), which is designed to help low income, long-term senior residents retain their rent-controlled housing.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of the 2019 Wilmont Resolutions and brainstorming session for issues and advocacy in 2020, led by Elizabeth Van Denburgh and Alissa Finerman. (no photo)
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New Lawn Signs Encourage Safe Driving in Santa Monica's Neighborhoods and School Areas
The City of Santa Monica has distributed 2,000 lawn signs to households citywide as part of a broader initiative called “Take the Friendly Road.” In partnership with local schools and the City’s Safe Routes to Schools program, the lawn signs are a practical tool to encourage all road users to model safe travel behaviors including looking out for one another and driving at neighborhood-appropriate speeds. Read More >
The City of Santa Monica has distributed 2,000 lawn signs to households citywide as part of a broader initiative called “Take the Friendly Road.” In partnership with local schools and the City’s Safe Routes to Schools program, the lawn signs are a practical tool to encourage all road users to model safe travel behaviors including looking out for one another and driving at neighborhood-appropriate speeds. Read More >
CLEAN
Learn More About Santa Monica's Clean Power Future
This article originally appeared in the January edition of Seascape.
Electricity is essential in our lives and economy. Yet according to the American Lung Association, the production of electricity generates a significant share of our air pollution, threatening the health and lives of millions of people, including those who are most vulnerable.
Making sure our electricity comes from clean and renewable sources is critical to improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. In 2019, 100% Green Power will be delivered to all Santa Monica customers, making going green as easy as turning on the lights! This is possible through the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, a partnership of 32 local communities including Santa Monica, to directly source renewable energy for our electricity needs.
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) will offer three rate options:
• 100% Green Power, sourced from 100% renewable energy sources
• Clean Power, sourced from 50% renewable energy sources
• Lean Power, sourced from 36% renewable energy sources
All customers will automatically be enrolled in the default option of 100% Green Power chosen by the City, which comes at a slight cost premium. Residential customers will be first served by Clean Power Alliance starting in February 2019. Commercial customers will be served starting May 2019. At any time, customers may opt down to a lower renewable energy rate that is more costcompetitive with Southern California Edison, or opt out of Clean Power Alliance service altogether and stay with Southern California Edison. To opt out or down, contact Clean Power Edison customer service at any time to indicate your preference.
To learn more, visit smgov.net/cleanpower or cleanpoweralliance.org.
This article originally appeared in the January edition of Seascape.
Electricity is essential in our lives and economy. Yet according to the American Lung Association, the production of electricity generates a significant share of our air pollution, threatening the health and lives of millions of people, including those who are most vulnerable.
Making sure our electricity comes from clean and renewable sources is critical to improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. In 2019, 100% Green Power will be delivered to all Santa Monica customers, making going green as easy as turning on the lights! This is possible through the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, a partnership of 32 local communities including Santa Monica, to directly source renewable energy for our electricity needs.
Clean Power Alliance (CPA) will offer three rate options:
• 100% Green Power, sourced from 100% renewable energy sources
• Clean Power, sourced from 50% renewable energy sources
• Lean Power, sourced from 36% renewable energy sources
All customers will automatically be enrolled in the default option of 100% Green Power chosen by the City, which comes at a slight cost premium. Residential customers will be first served by Clean Power Alliance starting in February 2019. Commercial customers will be served starting May 2019. At any time, customers may opt down to a lower renewable energy rate that is more costcompetitive with Southern California Edison, or opt out of Clean Power Alliance service altogether and stay with Southern California Edison. To opt out or down, contact Clean Power Edison customer service at any time to indicate your preference.
To learn more, visit smgov.net/cleanpower or cleanpoweralliance.org.
MODE Dial-A Ride Service for Older Adults
Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide on-demand services to replace the Dial-A-Ride program for older adults and people with disabilities living in Santa Monica. The new service is called MODE (Mobility On-Demand Every Day), and will improve curb-to-curb and door-through-door transportation. Lyft’s flexible transportation service network will allow MODE to meet the high demand for service during peak times when members are most interested in traveling while increasing efficiency when the demand for transportation decreases. To learn more about the program, visit bigbluebus.com/mode.
Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide on-demand services to replace the Dial-A-Ride program for older adults and people with disabilities living in Santa Monica. The new service is called MODE (Mobility On-Demand Every Day), and will improve curb-to-curb and door-through-door transportation. Lyft’s flexible transportation service network will allow MODE to meet the high demand for service during peak times when members are most interested in traveling while increasing efficiency when the demand for transportation decreases. To learn more about the program, visit bigbluebus.com/mode.
"Blue at Night" Late Night Connection to Expo
Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide "Blue at Night", an on-demand shared ride service to and from Expo stations in Santa Monics for just $3 every Friday and Saturday from 8pm - 3am. Lyft shared helps group riders traveling in the same direction in a single Lyft car, when sears are available. For more details, visit: bigbluebus.com/blueatnight
Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide "Blue at Night", an on-demand shared ride service to and from Expo stations in Santa Monics for just $3 every Friday and Saturday from 8pm - 3am. Lyft shared helps group riders traveling in the same direction in a single Lyft car, when sears are available. For more details, visit: bigbluebus.com/blueatnight
Having your car fingerprinted
Police Officer Marilyn Amiache from SMPD
In Santa Monica, if your car was broken into and/or stolen and recovered you have a choice to bring your car in and have it finger printed. In fact, we encourage you to do so. One fingerprint located inside your vehicle could lead us to a suspect and be enough to have him or her arrested and prosecuted.
Police Officer Marilyn Amiache from SMPD
In Santa Monica, if your car was broken into and/or stolen and recovered you have a choice to bring your car in and have it finger printed. In fact, we encourage you to do so. One fingerprint located inside your vehicle could lead us to a suspect and be enough to have him or her arrested and prosecuted.