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December 27, 2024 - January 2, 2025 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
Santa Monica to Renegotiate Agreement to Host Olympic Beach Volleyball After Reviewing the Agreement and a Fiscal Impact Study, Council Members Remained Confused Over the Potential Economic Benefits and How the City Would Be Reimbursed By Zach Armstrong Confronted with unanswered questions and a shroud of fiscal uncertainty, the Santa Monica City Council has directed staff to renegotiate its agreement with LA28 organizers for hosting beach volleyball. During its Oct. 8 meeting, the council convened on a study session before deciding whether to sign a games agreement that outlines Santa Monica’s responsibilities for municipal services and venue logistics, among other duties, if a
temporary 12,000-seat beach volleyball stadium next to the iconic Pier were to be built. Under current plans, the venue would be constructed in April of 2028 and torn down in August, with the games occurring in late July. After reviewing the agreement and a fiscal impact study, council members remained confused over the potential economic benefits and how the city would be reimbursed for costs associated with hosting the event. The agreement raised several concerns: no community benefits were detailed; businesses on the Pier could be closed for weeks depending on security needs; and although the state of California and the City of Los Angeles pledged $270 million for reimbursements should LA28 exhaust its funds, Santa Monica will compete with several host cities (Pasadena, Long Beach, and others) for that cash; while there’s no assurance that enough money will cover all shortfalls. The case for Olympic volleyball to come to Santa Monica became even harder after hearing the fiscal impact study, which contended the City would actually save millions if it opted out completely. The study, which assessed both scenarios in which Santa Monica does or doesn’t host Olympic volleyball,
indicated the city would accrue economic benefits either way. Its hotels would still be booked. Its restaurants would still be filled. And it would still get hundreds of thousands of more visitors than usual during the Olympic period (although by hosting the sport, it could get 400,000 more, than not). Whereas the City could lose approximately $1.5 million for building the stadium and hosting the sport, according to the impact study, it would gain around $10.6 million for simply being a hot tourist destination within the hosting city. Now, compared with what was offered on Tuesday evening, the City is seeking a new agreement that includes “tangible community benefits, added community outreach from LA28, and provides greater clarity and assurances about financial and
other impacts to residents and businesses, particularly on and around the Santa Monica Pier.” said a City spokesperson in an email. “If you take out the fact that this is the Olympics … the sheer agreement, the financial impact, the negligence in being able to answer any questions that impact the entire city, impact our public safety, or our clean beaches. These are all things not only impact from a financial standpoint, but from a community standpoint.” said Santa Monica Vice Mayor Lana Negrete. “It seems like any other deal like this would be considered atypical.” Mayor Phil Brock, like most of the council, echoed a similar sentiment to Negrete’s. Continue on page 2
This Homeless Santa Monica Resident Saved a Teenage Girl From a Vicious Attack City Council’s Commendation for Wilker Was Made at Its Most Recent Meeting on July 9 By Zach Armstrong Santa Monica City Council commended a local unhoused resident for her heroic efforts in fighting off Jawann Garnett, who now faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison for his actions, from assaulting and possibly attempting to murder a teenage girl on Santa Monica Beach in late June. On June 24 just before 10 a.m., Jenna Wilker was on Santa Monica beach when
she witnessed Garnett attempting to strangle and rape a 17-year-old girl. She acted promptly to pull the perpetrator away from his victim, but was punched and bitten by the man before he continued attacking the teenage victim. Soon after, Garnett then began assaulting a woman in her 70s, pulling her into the ocean and holding her underwater. Authorities arrived within minutes, halting Garnett’s rampage and taking him into custody. The juvenile victim was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries and later released. The other two victims, including Wilker, were treated on scene by lifeguards and fire department personnel. Following the incident, the District Attorney charged Garnett with attempted murder and felony child abuse for the attack on the juvenile, assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great
bodily injury and assault with intent to commit rape for the attack on Wilker, and attempted murder and kidnapping for the assault on the elderly woman. Garnett, who is currently homeless, has a criminal history in Los Angeles County that includes prior arrests for assault with intent to commit rape, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, and domestic violence. City Council’s commendation for Wilker was made at its most recent meeting on July 9. “Jenna’s actions demonstrated selflessness and courage under extreme circumstances, and prevented further harm to the victim and helped the SMPD apprehend the suspect. Jenna’s actions highlight the important role a bystander can play when they see someone in need of help.” Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock stated on LinkedIn.
A GoFundMe page titled “Let’s House Our Hero, Jenna Wilker” aims to raise $15,000 in order for Wilker to find a residence and help pay for food and other bills. At the time of this writing, the campaign has raised over $4,600 across 123 donations.