City of Santa Monica
Rick Cole is City Manager of Santa Monica, California. He is a former City Manager of Azusa.
PROFILE
Rick Cole
Guest
FROM Rick Cole
Design and Architecture
The Future of Santa Monica Airport When a charter company named JetSuiteX cooked up plans to "Uber-ize" aeronautics, offering low-cost seats on private jets flying out of Santa Monica Airport starting next week, little did they expect to cause the airport to close. But after hearing of JetSuiteX's plan, the City went back to the Federal Aviation Administration and, after decades of struggle, reached an agreement to shut down the almost century old airport in 2028, and to shorten the runway that enables jet flights, right now. DnA spoke to elected officials, city staff and local activists who've fought for years to replace the drone of overhead airplanes with birdsong. We asked how the deal was made, and what comes next for the 227 acres of land. Douglas R4D-3 ‘N242SM' 'Spirit of Santa Monica' at the Santa Monica Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport Photo by Alan Wilson
Design and Architecture
The southland's growing pains Angelenos are in the midst of an epic battle over what kind of city they want to live in, suburban or urban. They are also battling over which of these two cities can keep the region's housing affordable as the middle class is hollowed out. In Santa Monica, Measure LV , also known as LUVE, is being watched with great interest all around the region by those who think development has gotten out of control.
Design and Architecture
Does LUVE hurt or help Santa Monica? Downtown Santa Monica is being transformed from a Central Business District into a dense, walkable community of three- to seven-story mixed-use buildings attractive to young and old urban dwellers. But many Santa Monica residents are angered by what they see as over-development and traffic congestion. They are supporting Measure LV , or LUVE (Land-Use Voter Empowerment), a November ballot initiative that is being watched around the Southland. (We hear from Santa Monica residents Elena Christopoulos, Jeremy Stutes, Brian Derro, Shari Mattingly, Gary Llewellyn, Amy Utani and Ida Riley.)
Which Way, L.A.?
The City of Bell and the California Pension Crisis Outrageous salaries paid to former officials have brought attention not just to the City of Bell , but to neighboring cities and to the way public pensions are structured in California. Former city manager Robert Rizzo's salary was $800,000 and he might be eligible for a $600,000 pension. Former police chief Randy Adams was paid $457,000 by Bell, and his pension could amount to $411,000 a year.
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