City officials discussed infrastructure, public safety, business and more.
The City of Signal Hill held its annual State of the City event on the rooftop deck of the Signal Hill Public Library on Wednesday, going over the progress made in the last year as well as the City’s plans in areas such as business, public infrastructure, policing, homelessness and more.
Looking Five Years into the Future
While Signal Hill holds a State of the City event each year, and creates a new budget every two years, the City also passed an overarching document earlier this year to guide its long-term plans.
The City’s goals for the future were laid out in its Five Year Strategic Plan, a document Hansen said reflects Signal Hill’s goals and objectives as it moves forward. The plan covers a five-year period to allow for flexibility.
Each year, the Strategic Plan will be evaluated by an executive team made up of City staff from each department, and will be adjusted as needed. The five goals laid out in the strategic plan are as follows:
- Goal 1: Ensure the City’s long-term financial stability and resilience.
- Goal 2: Maintain community safety by supporting public safety services and increasing emergency preparedness.
- Goal 3: Improve the local economy, support local businesses and create a vibrant downtown core.
- Goal 4: Maintain and improve the City’s physical infrastructure, water system and recreational spaces.
- Goal 5: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
Increasing public safety, police recruitment and addressing homelessness
Signal Hill’s new Police Chief, Wayne Byerley, is focusing on attracting officers from other departments and new recruits to the Signal Hill Police Department. Since taking office, SHPD has partnered with Premier First Responder Psychological Services to provide mental health counseling to officers, has initiated a new healthy meal delivery service and started recruitment efforts at college sporting events, tournaments and CrossFit gyms.
Hansen said a well-staffed police department will help the City maintain a high level of service for residents who call for first responders.
The City has also launched a Neighborhood Enhancement Team, made up of staff from every department, to deal with the issue of homelessness in Signal Hill. The team focuses on building trust with people experiencing homelessness in Signal Hill, and partners with the City of Long Beach and nonprofits to offer services and basic needs such as transportation, nutrition and short-term temporary housing. Since the year began, Hansen said the team aided six people, but did not specify how.
Helping local businesses thrive
During the State of the City, the importance of diversifying the types of businesses in Signal Hill was repeatedly mentioned by public officials.
Mayor Tina Hansen said the City will be reviewing the business permitting process to ensure those who want to open a business in the city don’t get stuck in the process. The City is also working to compile a guidebook for current and aspiring business owners, so they can learn what resources are available to help them grow or start their businesses.
New building developments in Signal Hill
The cityscape will soon be changing, with multiple new developments planned for the near future. The former site of Majestic Golf Land (2550 Orange Ave.), has received an application for a new 100,000 square foot distribution warehouse. Hansen said residents will have multiple opportunities to give feedback on the project as it moves forward. The request for the warehouse is still under review, and the City has not committed the land to the project yet.
There are four housing developments in the works in Signal Hill. Two of them will be workforce housing, for individuals and households that earn between 60% and 120% of the Area Median Income. The Orange Bluff workforce housing development will have 290 units across 8.6 acres, while the Walnut Bluff project will have 90 units across 2 acres.
The other two housing developments will be market rate, meaning the developments will be made without any government subsidies and their prices will be decided by the current real estate market. The Town Center Northwest and Heritage Square developments will be in mixed-use areas alongside commercial spaces, containing 267 and 60 housing units, respectively.
The City is also working to create a Civic Center Master Plan, so it can apply for funding to redo its entire Civic Center Campus including City Hall, Signal Hill Park and more. The project has already received $5 million from Senator Lena Gonzalez to create a new amphitheater.
The City plans to hold workshops from Oct. 5 to Oct. 7 in the City Council Chambers (2175 Cherry Ave.), where residents can learn about the project and express their thoughts.
The workshops will be held at the following times:
- Thursday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to noon and from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
