Hermosa Beach explores merging services with neighboring cities
Former Hermosa Beach Councilman George Barks is inviting South Bay officials and the public to explore ways that neighboring cities can merge some of their services, 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 5 at City Hall, 1315 Valley Drive, in the Hermosa Beach City Council chambers.
Making a presentation to the Shared Services Summit will be Burlingame City Manager Jim Nantell, a veteran of fire department merger and providing shared services with neighboring communities, and Stewart W. Gary of Citygate Associates.
Gary has 39 years of experience in fire service. In 1996, he designed and led the implementation of the Livermore-Pleasanton fire department consolidation, which won a California League of Cities Helen Putnam award. He is currently conducting a fire consolidation study with the cities of Anaheim, Orange, and Fullerton.
Barks is reaching out to public officials in the beach cities and El Segundo, and so far expects attendance by members of the Hermosa Beach City Council and local school boards.
Barks noted that previous overtures to merge the Hermosa and Redondo Beach fire departments have fallen flat, but he said local officials should continue exploring varieties of shared-service possibilities.
“It’s a way to save money and preserve services” in an era of tight budgets, he said.
On Tuesday the City Council agreed to sponsor the summit, in a move that Councilman Howard Fishman said would encourage participation from officials in other cities. ER