Tuesday, November 10: Show Up for the Plan
Updated October 28, 2026. Every phone number was checked against an official page.
Tuesday, November 10, 5:30 pm. Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Room 250. It is the first City Council meeting after the election, and the night residents ask Council to take up the plan. Two minutes at the mic, or one email from your phone. Either one counts.
| If you can | Do this | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Come in person | Sign up at the Speaker Kiosk in the Council Chamber | Before General Public Input opens (it is near the start) |
| Speak from home | Register at santamonica.gov/public-comment | Opens Fri, Nov 6 at 5:30 pm. Closes Mon, Nov 9 at 5:00 pm |
| Write in (2 minutes) | Open a ready-to-send email to Council | Any time before the meeting |
| Tell us you are coming | Tap "going" on the Nov 10 card | So we know how many seats to fill |
Why November 10?
It is the first Council meeting after the November 3 election, before new councilmembers are expected to be sworn in in December. Nothing from Empower Santa Monica is on the agenda: only a councilmember can put an item there. General Public Input is where residents raise issues that are not on the agenda, and it is how a resident idea gets in front of all seven members at once. A room full of neighbors asking for the same six things is how an item gets a sponsor.
How long do I get?
Up to 2 minutes. If more than 25 people sign up for the same comment period, the chair can cut it to 1 minute each, so the scripts below are written to work in 60 seconds. You can speak once per comment section and no more than 6 minutes in a whole meeting.
What do I say? Six 60-second scripts
Pick one. Read it word for word or make it yours. Say your first name and your neighborhood, one thing you have seen, and one ask. Never name or describe a specific unhoused person.
1. Treatment, not tents
Good evening. I am [first name] and I live in [neighborhood]. California law already lets a clinician, a family member or a judge act when someone is too sick to choose help. I am asking Council to put a clinician who can write a hold on every outreach team, and to guarantee a bed at the end of every hold. Publish how many holds end in a bed, every month. Thank you.
2. Offer first, then enforce
Good evening. I am [first name] from [neighborhood]. I want every street contact to start with a real bed offered the same day. If someone is too sick to choose, use the hold, the petition or the court. If they can choose and say no, the rules already on the books apply. And I want the number of offers, and how many said yes, published every month. Thank you.
3. A 24/7 crisis drop-off on the Westside
Good evening. I am [first name], a [neighborhood] resident. In 2023 the City secured three million dollars toward a 24/7 behavioral health center for first responders. I am asking staff to report back on the site, the operator and the opening date, and to commit to a no-refusal standard so officers are back on patrol in minutes. Thank you.
4. Open books
Good evening. I am [first name] from [neighborhood]. I want to see every homelessness dollar, every contract and every result on one page, every month. Totals, never names. If the City pays for hotel and motel rooms, tell us what each room costs and where people went next. Thank you.
5. Safe blocks for kids and families
Good evening. I am [first name], a parent in [neighborhood]. I am asking for priority response on the blocks around every school and park, and parks full of life after dark. Conduct, not condition: the same rules for everyone, enforced the same way. Thank you.
6. Bring them home
Good evening. I am [first name] from [neighborhood]. Families trying to reach someone they love on the street have nowhere to start. I am asking for one City desk for families, a lawful way to learn a loved one is safe, and tickets home only when family is waiting at the other end. Thank you.
Can I write in instead of speaking?
Yes. Email council@santamonica.gov, which reaches all seven members. The ready-to-send email fills in a short note you can edit. Add your neighborhood and one sentence about your block. Short, local and specific is what gets read.
What should I bring?
Your phone with the script open, or a printed copy. Arrive by 5:15 pm so you can sign up at the kiosk before General Public Input starts. If you want a one-page summary to hand to staff or reporters, print the press brief. To put one up at a café, library or school board, print the Nov 10 flyer and handout cards. Meetings run late; General Public Input is near the start, so you can speak and go home.
What happens after November 10?
We post what was said and who on Council responded. The next step is a councilmember filing a discussion item, which is due by noon on the Monday eight days before a meeting. Our targets are November 17 and December 15. Nothing has been filed yet; we post every step on Council Watch.