Santa Monica City Council Appoints New Member To Vacant Seat

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica city council dais is once again full after Lana Negrete was appointed to fill a vacant seat in a Tuesday afternoon meeting.

The seat formerly held by Kevin Mckeown — who was first elected to the council in 1998 — was vacated in May when the councilor retired.

Now, it's filled by a Santa Monica native and local business owner. In a news release, the City of Santa Monica said Negrete was chosen from a pool of 34 eligible candidates who applied to be appointed to a term that continues through November 2022.

“It’s a special privilege to serve the community I love as a member of the City Council," Negrete said in a statement. “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 community wide recovery and a strong future for Santa Monica.”

According to the release, Negrete owns Santa Monica Music Center, is a parent and is an active member of a local PTA chapter.

In her application, Negrete said she hopes 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.”

In her appointment to the council, Negrete resigned from her seat on the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission.

In a statement, Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich welcomed Negrete.

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