The Signal Hill City Council voted 4 to 1 to adopt an 8-percent increase to the water bill during its May 24 meeting. Councilmember Edward Wilson was the only member who voted against it.
The rate was first introduced during the May 10 city council meeting. At that meeting, the council listened to the concerns of individuals who opposed the water rate increase. According to the Signal Hill Department of Public Works, a rate increase is necessary in order for the City to keep control over its water system and not have a third party control the water.
During the May 24 council meeting, Wilson voted not to adopt the rate because he believes it is not the most efficient choice for residents.
“I find it very difficult to vote to increase a rate that would be more [money taken] from someone’s pocketbook,” he said.
Wilson said the 8-percent rate increase compounds up to a 48-percent increase in a span of five years.
Language policy
The city attorney and staff proposed that the city council have a language policy for the Memorial Brick program at Hilltop Park. The program recently received a request to have an offensive message engraved on a brick, and since then the program has been put on hold. The incident drove the City to create a policy.
The proposed policy offers 20 commemorative phrases that limit what can be written on the bricks. Vice Mayor Tina Hansen did not agree with the policy.
“I think it defeats the purpose of the program,” she said.
The city council was divided on what to do with the program moving forward. Two motions were voted down. The first motion was to come back in six months with input from the public and to keep records of the messages written on any rejected bricks. The second motion was to bring the agenda item to the next meeting and to allow more phrases to be added to the proposed 20.
Mayor Lori Woods motioned to bring the agenda item back to the city council in 30 days and to have ideas for commemorative phrases submitted by June 17. A unanimous vote passed Woods’s motion.
Widening project
The city council voted to adopt a resolution that declares the widening project on Cherry Avenue completed. The project was completed by Griffith Company.
Presentations
Woods presented a proclamation to Signal Hill’s contract building inspector, John Hartley, and Community Development Administrative Assistant Sarah Tsao recognizing May as Building Safety Month.
Executive Producer of Surfside Productions Company John Tulp presented a promotional video about the 2016 Spring Fest event hosted in Signal Hill. Tulp is a recent graduate of California State University of Long Beach.
The next Signal Hill City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, June 14 at 7pm in council chambers, 2175 Cherry Ave.
