Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete Slams City Council's "Dangerous" Move to Oust Downtown Santa Monica Board

7/31/25, SANTA MONICA, CA - In a heated special meeting of the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday night, Mayor Lana Negrete stood alone in opposition to a 6-1 vote to remove all six city-appointed members of the Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Board. The decision, which critics have labeled politically motivated, has sparked controversy over the council's motives and raised questions about whether the board's push to address crime and homelessness downtown played a role in their ouster.

Mayor Negrete, a lifelong Santa Monica resident and vocal advocate for public safety, sharply criticized the council's action, calling it "dangerous" and warning that it could erode public trust in local government. "This doesn't seem like an emergency issue to me. It feels unfair and undermines community trust," Negrete said during the meeting. She compared the abrupt removals to "emergency politics that's currently eroding democracy nationwide," questioning the urgency of the decision and the lack of specific evidence of wrongdoing by the board.

The council's move, spearheaded by Councilmembers Barry Snell, Caroline Torosis, and Dan Hall, replaced the six DTSM board members-Luke M. Cain, Lucian Tudor, Leonid "Leo" Pustilnikov, Michelle Cardiel, Berta Negari, and Jon Farzam-with interim appointees, including former Santa Monica Mayors Gleam Davis and Richard Bloom, as well as Elaine Polachek, Hodge Patterson, Sean Besser, and Jonathan Gregory. Permanent replacements are slated to be finalized on September 9 after a public application process.

DTSM, a nonprofit organization managing the downtown business improvement district, oversees critical services like maintenance, hospitality ambassadors, marketing, and economic development programs, including the Third Street Promenade. With an annual budget of approximately $10 million, largely funded by property and business assessments, the organization plays a pivotal role in shaping the vitality and safety of downtown Santa Monica.

Speculation has swirled about the reasons behind the mass firing, with some suggesting the board's aggressive stance on addressing downtown crime and homelessness may have clashed with city priorities. DTSM has been vocal about safety concerns, previously supporting a 2023 pilot program with private security firm Covered 6 to complement police patrols and address "perception of safety" issues linked to behavioral challenges, primarily among unhoused individuals. The board also opposed a city proposal to raise parking fees, arguing that extending free parking to three hours would better support small businesses and boost foot traffic, a stance that reportedly created tension with city leadership.

However, Councilmember Snell, a former DTSM board member, cited "transparency and accountability" issues as the primary justification for the removals, though he declined to provide specific instances of wrongdoing. Snell emphasized the timing of the decision, noting that the recent resignation of DTSM CEO Andrew Thomas presented a "small window of opportunity" to reform the board before a new CEO is hired. Councilmember Jesse Zwick echoed Snell's concerns, alleging "dysfunction" and "hostility" within the board, though he, too, stopped short of detailing formal complaints or investigations.

Critics, including former Mayor Phil Brock, called the action a "purge" and an unprecedented overreach. "We never said, 'It's an emergency, so we have to dump everyone,'" Brock told the Westside Current, warning that the shakeup could accelerate redevelopment pressures on the Promenade, such as converting commercial areas into high-density housing. DTSM itself issued a statement labeling the removals "alarming and politically motivated," arguing they were executed "without cause, without transparency, and without regard for the residents and businesses we serve."

While the board's efforts to address crime and homelessness have been well-documented, it remains unclear whether these priorities directly precipitated their removal. Santa Monica has faced rising concerns over public safety and a growing homeless population, with recent reports indicating the city is bucking regional trends of declining homelessness due to an increase in car campers. Mayor Negrete, who has long championed solutions to these issues, including establishing the Pier Task Force and advocating for increased access to substance abuse treatment, did not explicitly tie the board's ouster to their safety initiatives in her remarks. Instead, she focused on the procedural and democratic implications of the council's decision.[](https://smdp.com/)[](https://www.santamonica.gov/elections/2022-11-08/candidates/lana-negrete)

The controversy has left downtown stakeholders divided. Lucian Tudor, a DTSM board member and local business owner, expressed frustration over the council's dismissal of an emergency board meeting held earlier Tuesday to amend bylaws and protect board independence. "They're saying our meeting wasn't legitimate, but theirs was," Tudor told the Westside Current. Meanwhile, some residents and business owners on social media platforms like X have speculated that the council's move may reflect broader political disagreements, though these claims remain inconclusive.

As Santa Monica grapples with its downtown challenges, Mayor Negrete's dissent underscores a deeper rift within the city's leadership. Her call for fairness and transparency has resonated with those who view the council's action as heavy-handed, while others see the shakeup as a necessary step to align DTSM with the city's vision. With a new CEO search looming and ongoing debates over downtown's future, the fallout from this decision is likely to reverberate for months to come.