As your Councilmember, what did I do?
As your Councilmember, what did I do?
Extended many crucial rent control and housing stability protections to all Santa Monica renters
Enacted and successfully defended the most effective and community-protective vacation rental law in the country
Voted against more commercial Development Agreements than any other Councilmember in Santa Monica history
As Mayor, met with the Federal Aviation Administration to argue for immediate closure of Santa Monica Airport
Overcame corporate opposition to pass our nation’s highest living wage
Advocated for local campaign finance reform that would have rejected corporate money in favor of voter-controlled elections
Created the Clean Power Alliance, bringing 100% renewable electricity to Santa Monica, and chaired the CPA Energy and Resources Committee
Championed and passed Santa Monica’s pioneering “Climate Action and Adaptation Plan”
Led creation of the 2010 Land Use Element limiting heights, favoring residential opportunities, and ending the reliance on individually negotiated Development Agreements
Protected the historic railroad right-of-way to enable light rail serving Downtown, while opposing the maintenance yard adjacent to a residential neighborhood
Crafted citywide zoning laws to constrain commercial, build new housing over retail on transit corridors, protect existing housing, preserve neighborhoods, and avoid displacement
Put meaningful controls on neighborhood nuisance businesses, like “The Parlor” on Wilshire Boulevard in Wilmont
Created the “right to return” for Black and other families displaced by the City for Civic Center and Freeway construction in the mid-20th century
Increased and augmented streamlining for affordable housing, and funding for Community Corporation of Santa Monica to build, renovate, and manage it
Made Santa Monica an environmental and sustainability leader in water, waste, mobility, climate resiliency, and community engagement
As Mayor, presented Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus electrification plan at COP-21 in Paris at the invitation of the United Nations
Limited construction impacts in multi-family neighborhoods to one site per block at a time
Passed and successfully defended in court effective protections for hotel workers against sexual and other job harassment
Created and chaired the Westside Cities Council of Governments, uniting regional efforts on homelessness, transportation, and climate change
Enabled Santa Monica’s 100-Gigabit community broadband “CityNet” by prospectively dropping optical fiber into existing trenches during necessary street work
Opened the first municipal bike share program in the region, the “Breeze,” paid for by sponsorship from Hulu
Built safer bicycle and other alternative mobility infrastructure throughout Santa Monica
Required community review of commercial projects over 7500 sq, ft., not 30,000, which had allowed a Whole Foods loading dock next to residential use
Opened five entirely new parks (Tongva, Euclid, the Annenberg Beach House, Ishihara, BelMar) and expanded or renovated a dozen others (Virginia, Palisades, Airport, Beach Parks, Reed, Clover, Douglas, Joslyn, Memorial, Gandara, Los Amigos, Marine)
Saved community-favorite institutions like the Santa Monica Playhouse and the Aero Theater
Successfully defended the Ballona Wetlands against Playa Vista encroachment
Expanded Santa Monica’s Public Library system to the new Pico Neighborhood Branch Library at Virginia Avenue Park
Named the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium at downtown’s Main Library
Ended the cruelty of cat de-clawing in Santa Monica
Prohibited “monster mansion” overbuilding in residential neighborhoods
Brought the Contemporary Irish-American Center for the Arts to Santa Monica at the Bergamot Arts Center
Created financial preference on City contract bids for Santa Monica local businesses
Eliminated City business license tax for home-based businesses grossing under $40,000