Continuing a focus on water as at its last meeting, the Signal Hill City Council on July 25 approved entering into a resource-sharing agreement to ensure continued water supply during an emergency. It also approved the purchase of 36 catch-basin screens to capture trash and debris from wastewater.
In other business, the council approved the purchase of property that had encroached on Signal Hill land, as well as adjustments to the City’s investments. Mayor Edward Wilson commemorated two recent centenarians, and a local resident made an impassioned plea to the council for safety measures following recent violence at Fantasy Castle.
Emergency water
The council authorized Signal Hill’s entrance into the 2007 Omnibus Mutual Assistance Agreement with the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN) to ensure a supply of water to the city during an emergency.
Deputy Director of Public Works Grissel Chavez-Arredondo explained that CalWARN is a statewide coordinated emergency-response network that facilitates the sharing of resources among both public and private water and wastewater utilities in times of local emergency. Signal Hill falls within a region that includes Long Beach Water and the Metropolitan Water District.
“Enrolling in this mutual-aid agreement will allow the City to obtain needed water supply in case of emergencies, or during other long-term planned maintenance or infrastructure projects,” she said.
Chavez-Arredondo cited an upcoming such project that had precipitated the City’s consideration of the agreement.
“Coming up, we have the Metropolitan Water District capital improvement project, which is supposed to be in October or November of this year, and it’s expected to last seven to eight months,” she said. “The City’s interconnection will be shut off, so we won’t be able to obtain needed water supply from Metropolitan Water District. Through this CalWARN agreement, the City would be able to then receive the water that we need during the times of higher demand from Long Beach Water as an alternate supply.”
Chavez-Arredondo assured the council that there is no cost to the City to enroll in CalWARN, but the City would reimburse a lending agency for costs related to equipment, supplies or personnel provided during an emergency. Conversely, responding to a request for assistance would be voluntary and at the discretion of the city manager.
Wilson asked staff how the definition of an emergency related to drought conditions. City Manager Charlie Honeycutt offered an explanatory scenario.
“In drought conditions, we’ve seen the Central Basin aquifer levels drop,” Honeycutt said. “And there were some cities where their pumps were not deep enough to pump water, so they would need an emergency provision, potentially, to get water from another agency.”
Water debris
The council also approved the purchase and installation of 36 catch-basin connector-pipe screens from G2 Construction. The screens will capture trash and debris in wastewater before it drains into the Los Cerritos Channel.
Chavez-Arredondo explained that installation will take three months at a cost not to exceed $31,050, budgeted under capital improvements, and the screens are under warranty for 10 years. The contract is based on an existing County of Orange agreement with G2 Construction and allowed as such by the City’s municipal code.
Mildred Wallerstein (center right) accepts a proclamation recognizing her 100th birthday from the Signal Hill City Council on July 25. Also pictured, from left, are Councilmember Robert Copeland, Mayor Edward Wilson and Councilmember Lori Woods.
Honeycutt explained that the City already captures trash going into the L.A. River at the Hamilton Bowl storm-water basin and so was now focusing efforts at the Los Cerritos Channel. Chavez-Arredondo said that the City has 56 additional catch basins that drain into the Los Cerritos Channel, which will have to be similarly retrofitted within 10 years.
Honeycutt added that other such water-cleaning efforts would be implemented in the future to comply with state regulations.
“Staff’s currently working on what’s called a vacant parcel ordinance,” he said. “That will be coming forward in the next couple of months, and that’s really to address sediment runoff from undeveloped properties of a certain size.”
Property purchase
Economic Development Manager Elise McCaleb explained to the council that most of a 3,000-square-foot metal warehouse, built by the Maness Family, trespasses on City-owned property at 3100 California Ave.
The City has been in negotiations with the building owners since 2014, after a boundary survey was done.
“The owner of the building, Maness, agreed to quitclaim the structure to the City for a payment of $10,000,” McCaleb said. “The settlement agreement avoids costly litigation and is in the best interest of the City.”
The council authorized the settlement.
McCaleb stated that the structure would be useful to the City.
“The City inspected the building, determining that it could be used for storage of public-works emergency equipment and supplies,” she said.
Investment policy
The council approved two resolutions amending and adopting the City’s investment policy for public funds, one in its capacity as successor agency to the Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency and one as city council.
Acting Finance Director Scott Williams first presented the council with an annual review of the City’s investment policy and changes.
“The investment policy establishes the cash management and investment guidelines,” Williams said. “The policy ensures that the City is in conformance with all state-required code sections [!] as well as local governing guidelines for investment of funds.”
Williams stressed that the overall goal of the investment policy is to ensure fund safety, liquidity and yield, in that order.
“We always want safeguarding City assets to be first and foremost,” he said. “They need to be liquid [!], and whatever is reasonably available in terms of investment yield.”
Williams noted that there have been two minor updates to the City’s investments this past year.
One change was in the allocation of the City’s investment portfolio, reducing the amount of funds in fixed-income mutual funds to 20 percent of the total, down from approximately 30 percent, to maintain compliance with guidelines.
The other change was renaming a type of certificate of deposit (CD) purchased directly from regional banks to “time certificate of deposit.”
“It’s kind of an old term, but it’s a more accurate term,” he said of the label. “The other is a ‘brokered’ CD, and this would be a CD that you purchase just like a bond, through a broker.”
Williams showed tables illustrating California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission (CDIAC) guidelines for governmental investments, including that investment terms should not exceed five years.
About 75 percent of the City’s approximately $55 million in reserve funds is invested in the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF), supported by the state treasurer.
Williams noted that LAIF investments are very conservative and low-yield, and therefore the City will begin rebalancing its portfolio to include more CDs and treasuries in order to increase return on investment and ensure cash flow.
Safety plea
During public business, Signal Hill resident Maria Harris pleaded with the council to use their authority to increase safety at a local business that was recently the site of a murder.
“It’s with a great deal of sadness, actually, that I’m here this evening because it’s in response to Fantasy Castle and the problem of violence there,” she said.
Citing a July 18 incident in the parking lot of the adult entertainment establishment at 2800 Walnut Ave., in which gunshots resulted in one person’s death and two others injured, Harris implored the council to take action.
“I and my neighbors stand [!] in support of a very clear and strong action to eliminate, curb, abate, stop this violence that’s happening around Fantasy Castle,” she said. “It’s just gone too far. It went too far the last time it happened in October, and it’s been going on for quite some time.”
In Oct. 2016, gunshots and a vehicle had injured three persons at the site, and on Feb. 15, 2014, a gun had been discharged several times, though no one was hurt.
Harris asked the council to close the establishment, which operates under a conditional use permit (CUP), until the City can work with the business on a plan to mitigate such violence.
“In this development of a plan of action, the City [should] consider not only police action, because we can’t just solely rely on police response to curb this problem,” she said.
Harris noted that violence surrounding Fantasy Castle impacts the whole city.
“This gives Signal Hill a very negative and dark reputation,” she said.
The council thanked Harris for her comments.
Summer programs
Community Development Director Aly Mancini presented the council with a summary of summer youth and family programs offered throughout the City.
These activities include: summer day camp for kindergarten through eighth-grade children; Itty Bitty Day Camp for pre-K children; a program for teens at Calbrisas park involving sports activities; a summer lunch program in conjunction with the City of Long Beach, providing daily free hot lunches to children at Signal Hill Park and Discover Well Park; a tee-ball program with 65 youths participating; a stuffed-animal sleepover at the Signal Hill library; and free concerts and movies in parks for youth and families, which this year features The Voice of Signal Hill contest for middle- and high-school students.
Mancini credited the efforts of recreation coordinator Ashleigh Williams-Pearce and recreation specialist Lilia Romero for implementing the youth activities.
“This is all free,” Mancini said. “Free, fun, safe activities that kids can come out and do with their families in Signal Hill in the summer.”
Presentation
After inviting local volunteer Mildred Wallerstein to lead the pledge of allegiance at the meeting, Wilson formally congratulated her and Betty Alexis, who could not attend, for reaching their 100th birthdays.
“Tonight, we have the honor of recognizing two centenarians,” Wilson said.
Reading from a proclamation, Wilson described Wallerstein as a Boston native, avid reader and, until a few years ago, avid golfer and traveler.
The council had recently recognized Wallerstein as Signal Hill’s 2017 Distinguished Older American and Community Volunteer of the Year in 2016.
Wilson added that Wallerstein still drives and is an amazing dancer.
“Life is very interesting,” Wallerstein said, amid some personal anecdotes. “I’ve enjoyed it.”
The next Signal Hill City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, August 8, at 7pm in the council chamber at 2175 Cherry Ave.
