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Residents press council on airport noise, Ocean Avenue project outreach and conflict allegations

Santa Monica City Council · March 11, 2026

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Summary

Public commenters at the March meeting urged the council to address increased flight activity over Venice, sought community inclusion on an Ocean Avenue project for people with severe mental illness, and alleged a conflict of interest involving Mayor Pro Tem Zwick that a caller said was the subject of an FPPC ruling.

Several residents used the public comment period to raise neighborhood and process concerns.

A commenter described repeated overflights from Van Nuys Airport over Venice, saying the Fly Neighborly program is being widely disregarded and asking the council to agendize the issue and for staff to follow up. Another speaker promoted an upcoming "denim run" survivor advocacy event and encouraged the city to support the event.

Caller Mike Montgomery urged the council to address perceived shortcomings in outreach for an Ocean Avenue project intended to serve people with severe mental illness, saying emails indicate the mayor had been included in project communications as far back as December 2024 and that neighborhood and nearby schools were not notified.

Another caller, Anthony Jernigan, alleged that Mayor Pro Tem Zwick took a paid position with the Housing Action Coalition after voting for a developer-friendly affordable housing ordinance and said the California Fair Political Practices Commission in December issued a formal ruling that Zwick has a disqualifying conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act. Jernigan said the city had to initiate ratification proceedings on multiple housing-related actions taken while Zwick negotiated or held his HACC position. Those statements were made as public comment; the council did not make any findings on those allegations during the meeting.

The speakers' claims and requests were recorded as part of the public comment record; the council did not take immediate action on the specific allegations during the open meeting. Items raised by callers may be followed up by staff or agendized for future discussion at the request of council members or staff.