Santa Monica Business Center Owner Lana Negrete appointed to City Council.

In a 4 to 2 vote, the Santa Monica City Council appointed Lana Negrete to take Kevin McKeown's seat on the 7 member Santa Monica City Council.

The Council selected Negrete from 34 eligible candidates who submitted their interest for the appointment to the seat vacated by Kevin McKeown in June. Her term lasts until November 2022.

“Lana Negrete was born and raised in Santa Monica and is the owner of the Santa Monica Music Center. As a mother, she has long been active in the local PTA and cares deeply about education and youth empowerment, particularly through the arts. Negrete is among the 70% of Santa Monicans who are renters,” continued the press release.

It is the first time in 42 years that Santa Monica’s for Renters Rights did not enjoy a majority on the 7 member City Council.

Phil Brock says that he recruited Negrete “because she is associated neither with Santa Monica Forward, nor with SMRR. “We need to break SMRR and Forward from controlling our City Hall, and assert our independence,” Brock said.

He described Negrete as “Courageous and outspoken, independent and strong. She was very concerned about public safety, homelessness, and local schools. Personally I wanted to appoint someone who was homegrown, had a small business here, and shared local concerns,” he added. City of SM press release follows.

At its meeting tonight, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, the Santa Monica City Council appointed Lana Negrete to the Council to fill the seat vacated by Kevin McKeown earlier this month. Negrete, a native Santa Monican and local business owner, was sworn in to her seat by City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren following the appointment. She was selected from 34 eligible candidates who submitted their interest for the appointment with a term through November 2022.

"It's a special privilege to serve the community I love as a member of the City Council," said Councilmember Lana Negrete. "I am ready and excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work with my Council colleagues and City staff as we lift up communitywide recovery and a strong future for Santa Monica."

Lana Negrete was born and raised in Santa Monica and is the owner of the Santa Monica Music Center. As a mother, she has long been active in the local PTA and cares deeply about education and youth empowerment, particularly through the arts. Negrete is among the 70% of Santa Monicans who are renters.

As part of her application for the City Council seat, Negrete expressed a desire to work towards solutions to address homelessness and to work with the full Council to "work together as a collective to create sustainable solutions to the city's issues, expand programs that need further expanding and to thoughtfully address the concerns of all residents from all corners of the city. A council that works together to serve the people of the city who depend on them."

"Councilmember Negrete is a lifelong resident who brings a wealth of knowledge about the issues impacting youth and families, renters, and small business owners," said Mayor Sue Himmelrich. "We warmly welcome Councilmember Negrete and look forward to our work together to bring about Santa Monica's bright future."

Councilmember Negrete resigned her seat on the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission.