While the nation was fixated on the results of the presidential election, the Signal Hill City Council hosted its regularly scheduled meeting this past Tuesday. The council adopted an ordinance that would set in place a procedure that would ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to housing. The City had reviewed and discussed the ordinance during the Oct. 25 meeting.
During the public-comment period, Carol Churchill, a Signal Hill resident and former councilmember, asked the council to keep disabled persons in mind when planning new housing projects. She referenced an example in which landlords of a particular living complex denied a disabled person a window-installed air conditioner and instead wanted to charge the person $5,000 for a roof-installed AC unit. The council listened to the speaker but did not comment in response.
Compensation
The city council approved an ordinance that would amend municipal code sections that pertain to compensation for members of a commission.
Councilmembers had discussed compensation for commissioners on June 28. During that meeting, the council came to a consensus to raise the compensation by 35 percent.
City commissions that would be affected by the ordinance include the parks and recreation, planning, and civil service. The ordinance also states that any commissioner who misses any regular commission meeting due to an unexcused absence would not be entitled to receive compensation for such meeting. Also, if a commissioner attends an ad hoc committee meeting on behalf of the City is doing so on a volunteer basis and, therefore, shall not receive any compensation for attending such meetings.
Hazard plan
The State mandates that all city governments have a general plan in place. This plan is to be used by officials during emergency situations to remain organized in such events. The city council adopted a safety element plan as it is required to be a component of its general plan. This safety element focuses on natural and human-made hazards in the city and specifies policies to mitigate hazards to the public.
As part of the safety element, officials also included a local hazard-mitigation plan to qualify the City for federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation and post-disaster relief. The council also focused heavily on oil operations in the city as it may be a cause for fire-related hazards.
Police chief
The city council appointed current Signal Hill Police Captain Chris Nunley to be the new police chief for the City’s police department. The captain said he felt proud to be part of a “great organization.”
“I have hard-working people, and it’s a great city,” Nunley said. “We have support from our community, and we have a great council.”
He added that being police chief has always been a dream for him and described the road to get there.
“For me, it’s been a lifelong goal,” the captain said. “You come here as a police explorer, as a kid, and work through the ranks to make it up to chief. That’s a proud moment for me.”
Nunley will assume the position of police chief on Dec. 31. Outgoing chief, Michael Langston, has served in the position for more than five years.
Manual
Acting as the successor agency to the City’s former redevelopment agency, the council discussed an agenda item regarding a manual of procedural guidelines for the conduct of city council and commission meetings. The manual outlines the rules for which a council member can censure another member and examples as to what makes public comments disruptive. For example, the guidelines state that a member of the audience who raises his or her voice and makes gestures that would interrupt the flow of a meeting runs the risk of being removed from the meeting room.
Residents Maria Harris, Gloria Nava and Churchill all made public comments stating their dissatisfaction with the manual because it suppresses public input during meetings. Churchill said that there are already federal and State laws that protect both officials and public members during meetings and that public comments should not be legislated.
The City attorney said that the examples in the manual of what can and cannot be considered disruptive in meetings were written to give a better understanding to the public audience that may not be accustomed to municipal procedures.
Successor agency member Larry Forester stated that the idea of a manual of procedural guidelines had been around for almost a year and no one opposed it. He made a motion to pass the manual as written, however, he did not receive a second from other members and his motion ended.
In response, the successor agency decided to wait until Dec. 13 to look over the manual in greater depth before making a decision on it. That motion passed with a 4-to-1 vote.
Dealership
The successor agency voted 5-0 to approve a disposition and development agreement amendment with HNL Properties, LLC— doing business as Hooman Nissani, which is in the process of selling its dealership. The DDA requires that the successor agency approve the transfer of the dealership. The amendment revises the schedule of performance for making certain improvements to the dealership and approves the transfer of the dealership to Roundtree Automotive, LLC of Texas.
Presentations
Girl Scouts of the Greater Los Angeles Troop No. 3183 led the city council during the pledge of allegiance. Vice Mayor Tina Hansen said that the girls attend Newcomb Academy and were present during the meeting to learn more about city government.
