Santa Monica City Council, through it’s short-sighted view on airports is missing out on Federal Grants available for all US airports. This costs Santa Monica tax-payers millions of dollars each year, through loss of Federal Airports grants. Meanwhile, Santa Monica Council happily accepts all kinds of other Federal Grants, for example, Big Blue Bus and road grants. Homeowners surrounding the airport, which maybe affected by airplane noise are denied Federal Grants to improve noise insulation and as a by-product, temperature insulation, as a result of City Council actions on SMO. All these shenanigans cost Santa Monica tax payers in waste, inefficiency and poor local government.

The current FAA Administrator said it best when announcing FAA Airport grants:

“US airports are huge economic drivers,”
FAA administrator Michael Huerta.

See details at: http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/faa-awards-335-million-us-airport-infrastructure-grants

Santa Monica City council elections will take place in November 2018. This will be a good time for City Citizens to express their satisfaction, or otherwise, with the current slate of City councillors, on their stance to try and restrict and ultimately try and close SMO. SMAA is a party to a lawsuit current pending in Federal Appeals Court in Washington DC, to reject the so-called “consent decree” between the FAA and City of Santa Monica to shorten the runway and close SMO. Another lawsuit pending in California State Court seeks to undo the council resolution of January 2017 to enter the consent decree as a violation of the Brown Act, open government law of California. Results of both lawsuits are anticipated in late 2017 or early 2018.

Dave Hopkins
VP SMAA