The City of Signal Hill has earned a “platinum”-level 2020 Beacon Spotlight Award for sustainable best-practices from the Institute for Local Government (ILG), a California organization that promotes “good government at the local level.”
In 2018, Signal Hill received two lesser Beacon Spotlight Awards – a “gold” award for sustainability best-practices and “silver” for energy savings and conservation.
The ILG sponsors the Beacon Program with the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC), an alliance that helps cities and counties save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
The Cities of Artesia and Paramount are among the six other statewide platinum-level award winners for best practices.
Signal Hill’s Sustainable Cities Committee (SCC)– consisting of representatives from the City’s council, commissions and staff, plus four community members– presented on the award at the Nov. 10 City Council meeting.
Senior Planner Colleen Doan said that Signal Hill met the Beacon Program’s requirement of achieving at least six accomplishments in 10 sustainability-related categories.
Those categories include transportation efficiencies; energy conservation, efficiency and renewability; sustainable water and wastewater practices; promoting green buildings; recycling and reducing waste; designing sustainable land-uses; offsetting carbon emissions; and promoting community action.
SCC community representative Bozena Jaworski said among its sustainable accomplishments, the City retrofitted 1,151 streetlights with energy-efficient illumination as part of a Southern California Edison program.
Signal Hill also completed a rainwater-capture system at the Long Beach Airport and installed catch basins to reduce trash in water runoff, Jaworski said.
The City also constructed the new Signal Hill Public Library to include solar panels, drought-tolerant landscaping and electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations, she said.
David Perzynski, another SCC community member, added that the City also installed solar carports at its police station and the Signal Hill Police Department is piloting a bike-patrol program, reducing its patrol-car usage.
The City also installed EV charging stations at the Civic Center and expanded its trails system and park space, he said.
Mayor’s Cleanup
Perzynski said the City is also continuing one of its other sustainability practices– an annual Mayor’s Cleanup event– on Saturday, Nov. 21, despite COVID-19 health concerns. The volunteer cleanup event this year will be a citywide, socially-distant effort, he said.
“This year, instead of meeting together at one specified spot, we do encourage everyone to walk their neighborhood or any location of your choice,” Perzyinski said.
Volunteers should pick up trash and document their event participation by sharing a photo on social media and sending it to the City at comdev@cityofsignalhill.org .
Mayor Robert Copeland said those who submit a photo will be featured in a “thank you” at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Copeland also said participants should wear a mask and maintain social-distancing protocols as they work.
“Enjoy the time outdoors while we make our city a great place to live,” he said. For more information, he said to call (562) 989-7340.
The council discussed whether the City would be able to share equipment with volunteers as it has done in the past, such as trash-grabber sticks, gloves and vests.
City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn said the City will look into purchasing inexpensive trash-grabber sticks so volunteers can pick them up and not have to bring them back.
If that happens, the City will post information on its website and social media, she said, adding that volunteers would have to pick up equipment on Thursday, Nov. 19 since City Hall is closed on Fridays, and distribution would be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
