The Signal Hill City Council and department directors gathered Wednesday in the city chamber to review the City’s second-year term of the 2017-2018 fiscal year budget plan. The first term of the budget was discussed last year. The event allowed the public to get involved in the City’s budget by asking questions and making suggestions.
According to Signal Hill City Manager Charlie Honeycutt, the budget is well balanced— something he considers to be rare amongst most city governments. Slowly creeping along the horizon is a major spending increase concerning retirement coverage from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), Honeycutt said.
During the workshop, the idea of a spending increase concerned members of the city council. However, Honeycutt told the Signal Tribune, shortly after the meeting, that this inflation in expenses was foreseen and dealt with in time.
“[The council] anticipated that this was coming,” Honeycutt said. “They started setting money aside years ago, which helps us address that issue.”
Honeycutt stated that the City is doing well in terms of budgeting, despite the increase in CalPERS’ cost. In June of last year, the amount of money put on reserve in the General Fund account for CalPERS coverage was $1,487,225. For this year’s reserve, that number has increased to $1,987,225.
According to the report, the usual amount of revenue collected covers the normal amount of expenditures the City has. Honeycutt mentioned that global trends in the economy may influence how much money the City can collect. Acting Signal Hill Finance Director Scott Williams, who led the presentation of the budget plan, said that hotel developments, Heritage Square construction plans and a new Mazda dealership are potential methods the City can collect more revenue.
Diverging from CalPERS and the General Fund account, the second half of the meeting allowed directors from various city departments to share their divisions’ goals and achievements and how they used the budget to meet them.
Administration and Economic Development
Signal Hill Deputy City Manager Director Hannah Shin-Heydorn and Signal Hill Economic Development Director Elise McCaleb spoke about the City’s Administration and Economic Development departments.
Some of the administration’s accomplishments include the creation of a homeless task force, as well as the management of Well No. 9 and the Los Cerritos Channel Stormwater Diversion project. The Administration Department helped develop the People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) organization, which helps homeless individuals throughout the city. Well No. 9 is a water-treatment facility that will be operational on June 20, 2017.
The Economic Development Department accomplished the expansion of the Mercedes-Benz dealership, began the construction of the Zinnia Workforce Housing Development project— slated to open in August 2017— and successfully leased the auto center freeway sign.
The administration’s goal is to oversee construction projects of a dog park, a new library and the new View Park. The Economic Development Department will focus on increasing negotiation strategies to collect more sales tax revenue for the City.
Finance Department
Williams said the Finance Department was aiming to provide financial transparency, customer service and improved technology for the City. The finance director told the Signal Tribune that he was pleased with his department’s innovation of technology. Williams said the department implemented an electronic funds-transfer method to increase the timeliness and accuracy of payroll-related disbursements.
Community Services
Director of Community Services Aly Mancini said her department hosted special events for more than 5,000 citizens. These events include Concerts in the Park, a Halloween carnival, Spring Fest, a community yard sale and the pet-friendly event Hounds on the Hill. Her department also hosted storytime programs for over 500 participants in the library.
Mancini said she hopes to oversee the transition to the newly constructed library. She also plans to continue supporting after-school programs for children.
Police department
Signal Hill Police Chief Christopher Nunley led a presentation concerning goals and achievements for the Signal Hill Police Department. He said that two main objectives the police department tries to complete are to strengthen internal relations and to expand community partnerships.
“The amount of community outreach that we have been doing in recent years is much more than we have done in the past,” Nunley said. “Anything that we can do to create a tighter bond with the community that we serve is always going to be at the top of my list.”
Currently, the SHPD receives $175,000 in grant money from the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund. For the future, the department is waiting on an approval for a $125,000 grant from the Office of Traffic Safety.
Community Development
Scott Charney, director of the Signal Hill Community Development Department, spoke about his division’s accomplishments. He stated that many commercial, industrial and residential construction projects are just a few of his department’s satisfied goals. One of the aforementioned residential projects includes the rehabilitation of a historic, 109-year old house located on 2477 Gaviota Ave.
The department was in charge of testing 19 abandoned oil wells for possible leakage and completed the processing for two methane assessments for oil wells.
Public Works
The Signal Hill Public Works Department was responsible for the completion of playground replacement operations at Signal Hill Park and Discovery Well Park, exterior painting of City Hall and the demolition of the library, which allowed for the new one to be built.
Deputy Public Works Director Grissel Chavez-Arredondo said the department will continue to maintain existing infrastructures in safe conditions as part of the department’s goals.
Other goals the department aims to accomplish concern water-management programs. Councilmember Larry Forester told the public that spending on third-party water providers is something the City should try to avoid. Chavez-Arredondo said that the City spent very little on water-management purchases, despite the heavy drought last year.
