Letters to the Editor 3-28-24
Alta Vista tennis in a pickle
Dear ER:
As a 40-year resident and homeowner in Redondo Beach, and an active member of Alta Vista Tennis Community I support the expansion of pickleball courts, but not at the expense of tennis courts at Alta Vista. We need additional tennis courts at Alta Vista, not fewer. The true impact of the loss of tennis court time, the impact on the neighborhood and the overall use of park facilities and parking have not been studied. Supporters of converting two tennis courts to dual use provided irrelevant data from El Segundo suggesting 2.5% to 5% impact. We cannot validate that claim. Dual use of two courts is also problematic because USTA and Marine League prohibits match play on dual use courts. Coaching pros who serve our community also would refuse to use these courts, which will dramatically reduce revenue. For the neighborhoods, adding pickleball courts could open the city to litigation due to violation of noise ordinances and could reduce property values for residents within 130 feet of the courts and litigation due ADA noncompliance. Additionally, there is not enough parking to accommodate tennis, baseball, soccer leagues, children’s playground, picnic areas and community rooms with the addition of pickleball courts. Hopefully, the city will thoughtfully and methodically review all options and develop a plan that is beneficial to both pickleball and Alta Vista tennis players, as well as other park goers and the neighborhood. A win-win for all. To my fellow Redondo Beach residents, I ask please show your support for Alta Vista neighbors and park users, especially the tennis players by attending in person when the city council places this issue on the agenda, which should be in April.
Ken Bernstein
Redondo Beach
Sins of our fathers
Dear ER:
I read with interest about Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo introducing a bill seeking reparations to families who lost their homes through eminent domain in Chavez Ravine, where Dodger Stadium is located. In Manhattan Beach a similar situation occurred with Bruce’s Beach, where some families, both Black and White, in the 1920s lost their property through eminent domain. It was probably due to racism, but people were paid fair market value or more and a public park was built. Supervisor Janice Hahn was a big proponent of giving the property back to the Bruce family, who then sold it back to LA County for $20 million. It will be interesting to see her position on Chavez Ravine because her father, Supervisor Kenneth Hahn was a big proponent of seizing this property. Wendy Carrillo wants the families to be paid today’s fair market value, which must be in the billions. As the Bruce’s Beach and Chavez Ravine’s situations are similar, if Supervisor Hahn really has principles then shouldn’t she be in favor of paying reparations in this case also? Actually the two are not similar, the Chavez Ravine case is worse, because in the Bruce’s Beach case the land was used to build a public park, in the Chavez Ravine case it was taken to benefit a private company.
Russ Lesser
Manhattan Beach
Flying blind
Dear ER:
The Hermosa Beach City Council has voted to put a local sales tax increase on the November 2024 ballot, ignoring the defeat of a similar tax just two years ago.
Mayor Justin Massey, City Manager Suja Lowenthal and the Hermosa Beach City Council know their constituents voted for a more frugal and fiscally conservative city budget as the best way forward.
During the public hearing Councilman Rob Saemann even said the sales tax increase might have passed if the wind had blown in a slightly different direction.
The 2022 local sales tax measure was defeated by 10.4% margin.
In response, City Manager Lowenthal issued an ultimatum to Hermosa Beach residents, saying if they want to continue to receive excellent high quality services they must approve a sales tax increase.
Our councilmen failed to ask exactly what high quality city services were on the chopping block and why?
Worse yet, the council failed to ask tough, and informed questions about the need for a sales tax increase given current city budget projections.
The existing year, 23-24 local sales tax revenue is estimated to generate $3.9 million.
Moreover, after a 13% COVID related drop in FY 2019–20 sales tax revenue, it increased by 17 percent in FY 2020–21 and 21% in FY 2021–22.
This means that sales tax revenue is up 25% over 2019-20 levels if the Open Government figures are correct.
No figures were available for FY 2023-24 but that would be a pertinent fact. To my best recollection the council didn’t think this was important.
The new 3/4 cent sales tax would add $3 million to $4 million per year to the city coffers. That’s a total local sales tax burden of $7 million to $8 million per year on our local economy.
Moreover, all of the City’s largest revenue sources, property tax, transient occupancy tax, sales tax and utility users tax are faring well as the pandemic fiscal impacts come to a close.
Unspent funds of $3.8 million remain from the previous year.
HB revenue for FY 2023–24 is up 7% over FY 2022–23.
The budget for General Fund revenue in 2022–2023 is expected to be 16 percent higher than the pre-pandemic level in FY 2018–19.
All this calls into question whether the city truly has a revenue crisis.
Our City Manager’s has repeatedly said we need the sales tax to continue to offer residents the high quality services they have come to expect.
With the possible exception of the HBPD, I see little reason to celebrate high quality city service.
Are the City Yard project management, the Clark building, or the Park restrooms examples of excellent service?
Our Housing Element is 3 years late, putting us at risk of “builders’ remedy.” projects. This is a core competency. Is the failure to produce a Housing Element another example of excellent service?
It’s much the same for the Coastal Plan. Excuse after excuse after excuse but no approved plan.
Even small projects like getting new police vehicles suffer multi-year delays and are substantially over budget.
What about accountability?
The Departmental Activity Reports have been left to wither and die on the vine without adequate trends or meaningful service level commitments?
What about transparency and honesty in our public records request process?
The city manager has for years resisted and stonewalled an independent audit of the public records request process to determine if the city is properly providing public records and/or improperly withholding them.
We have no idea what’s going on. The city’s position is we will not do an independent audit and if you don’t like the records you get, sue us.
Bottom line, the City Council did not make a good case for putting the local sales tax increase on the 2024 ballot.
Anthony Higgins
Hermosa Beach