In this month’s Santa Monica Pulse poll, we asked residents to weigh in on an ordinance the Santa Monica City Council asked city staff to draft that would impose new mandates on Pier restaurants. Specifically, the ordinance would require these businesses to not oppose union organizing drives, and require them to offer jobs to previously laid-off workers before hiring new ones. Mayor Lana Negrete opposed the ordinance, called it a “huge overreach.”

A similar proposal was rejected by the Council in 2018, with then-Mayor Ted Winterer saying “we have already imposed a lot of requirements on our small businesses.” When asked if they supported or opposed this ordinance, an overwhelming 75 percent said they strongly opposed it, with another five percent saying they somewhat opposed it. Only five percent of respondents strongly supported the measure.

In an unprecedented move, the City Council recently removed six Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) board members and replaced them with temporary members, including former city officials. Councilmembers in favor of this shake up argued that the DTSM Board was dysfunctional and “skewed” toward property owners. Critics of the move said it felt unfair and seemed like an attempt to replace the board with people that serve the Councilmembers’ interests.

When asked whether they supported the Council’s decision, about 60 percent said they opposed it. Only 16 percent said they supported it, and another 24 percent were unsure.

We also asked if the city should prioritize stricter enforcement of parking and housing laws to deter vehicle dwelling. This question came after local law enforcement and outreach teams reported a rise in residents living in cars, vans, and RVs—up from 63 individuals in last year’s count to 84 this year. While outreach efforts have been made, some individuals declined shelter offers.

The vast majority of respondents (87 percent) said yes. Only seven percent said no, and another five percent were unsure.