In hot water?
As reported in two local newspapers, the Nov. 17 public arrest and subsequent jail time for Signal Hill’s mayor, Edward Wilson, and his girlfriend, a Long Beach Unified school teacher, is abhorrent. They are accused of “domestic violence” at the Hotel Maya’s jacuzzi.
In my 20 years on the city council, I have never heard of such egregious behavior.
I have requested “council reorganization” (choose a new mayor) be placed on the council agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 12. I ask all interested Signal Hill residents to attend and express their views.
Larry Forester
Council Member City of Signal Hill
Best-laid plans?
This letter is directed to all concerned residents of our city. The revised LUE maps are out, and if you place any value on privacy, livability, air quality, traffic, parking, impact on public services including public safety, and government responsiveness and transparency, I urge you to write your councilmembers in protest. I also encourage you to attend the special Planning Commission session scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11 at City Hall. The timing and location of this hearing speak volumes about the lack of regard for resident participation. Planning Commission meets on the first and third Thursday of the month, so why is this hearing scheduled for a non-commission week on a non-commission day during the height of the holiday rush?
The venue is also questionable as council chambers lack capacity for the expected crowd, and the overflow areas in the lobby and library leave much to be desired as far as allowing people to follow along and respond to the presentation. At some of the community-outreach sessions, staff members made reference to using facilities at the convention center for this meeting in the interests of maximizing community access. Now we hear from the city manager’s office that the date and location are set in stone, perhaps the same stone that will underpin the oversized developments that this LUE will allow.
It appears the plan was for the original LUE proposal to be quietly passed through Planning Commission and then city council in early 2017. However, a few Wrigley residents got wind of the contents of the new LUE and protested, which in turn led to residents of other areas becoming concerned and involved. We keep hearing that this has been in the works for many years, so why the sudden urgency? Make no mistake, this plan will be going to city council in a very short time, especially now that Director Amy Bodek’s last scheduled day in the office is Dec. 26 and she has already made one attempt to overrule Planning Commission and send the plan on to council.
The powers that be first tried to slip the new LUE through quietly, and when that didn’t work they moved on to a strategy of divide and conquer, which also seems to have failed. So, now they seem to be counting on us being distracted by the demands of the season. This plan will help shape our city for decades to come, and it needs to be done right. So, I once again urge you to write the Planning Commission, city council and the mayor, and if at all possible attend Monday’s Planning Commission hearing set for 5pm at City Hall. Our strength lies in the number of concerned residents who have raised their voices in righteous protest. Let’s continue to send a strong reminder that this is our city, and our local government is supposed to represent us as their true constituents, and not just developers and other moneyed interests.
Mike Laquatra
Long Beach
