Bring it back
Dear ER:
I’ve lived in Redondo for many years and what drew me to this city was how alive the waterfront was. Unfortunately, I don’t spend my weekends down there anymore (“On the boardwalk, ER May 7, 2015). Anyone who has lived in Redondo for a long time has seen the deterioration of the waterfront area and understands why residents no longer want to visit.
While it’s important that we keep Redondo’s essence because that’s what makes this city so special, I also believe it’s time that we embrace change, which starts with The Waterfront.
This project is what our community needs to make economic progress. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up what we all love about our community. The Waterfront will let us have it all – our cherished local establishments integrated with new restaurants and businesses, improved pedestrian and bike paths, increased coastal access and so much more.
It will increase our tax revenue while giving our community a place we want to visit. Let’s honor our history and move forward toward a bright future with The Waterfront.
Steve Goldstein
Redondo Beach
Move it forward
Dear ER:
I’ve noticed that new restaurants have been opening on the pier, and I could not be more excited (“On the boardwalk, ER May 7, 2015). The restaurants could not be more excited either. In the article, CenterCal CEO Fred Bruning is quoted as saying that “people have heard the message of what we’re trying to create and, if we are successful, we are going to have one of the more pleasant and and vital waterfronts in the United States.” Businesses down there have told him that the project is a great idea and even have been quoted as asking, “Why should we get in the way of economic progress?”
We are all well aware that the parking structure is falling apart, businesses are not getting enough customers to support themselves and the city is in desperate need of additional tax revenue.
Yes, revitalization is beginning at the pier and waterfront area, but a few new restaurants aren’t going to fix everything. It is these openings along with improved infrastructure, a public market, increased walking and bike paths and improved coastal access that will fully revitalize the area and bring back Redondo to its glory days.
Joanne Galin
Redondo Beach
Sewer fee smells
Dear ER:
By now all Hermosa Beach property owners have received their Notice(s) of Proposed Sewer Service Charge. Included with the notice is the Sewer Service Charge Protest Form. It is critically important that all property owners sign the Sewer Service Charge Protest Form they received and get them to the City no later than June 23.
I say this fully recognizing that Hermosa’s sewers are in deplorable condition and need repairs as
soon as possible. Nevertheless, protesting this charge is the best way to force our City Council to admit Sewer Fees are only the first of many tax increases needed to pay for all the infrastructure problems we have.
The bill for the sewers will be $10 million to $15 million. By the city’s own reckoning that leaves us short $150 million for all the other necessary work. Increasing taxes and fees is the only way to generate this kind of money. I don’t arbitrarily object to paying a sewer fee. Most cities have one. However, I strongly
object to the Council’s effort to “hide the ball” by putting only the Sewer Fee on the table at this time.
Before I agree to a sewer fee I want to know about all the tax increases the city will have to impose. Politicians hate talking about taxes. However, a simple majority protesting the fee is all that’s needed to force the Council’s hand.
Please sign each and every protest form you receive and get them to City Hall no later than June 23.
Jim Sullivan
Hermosa Beach
Sewer fee siphoned off
Dear E.R.
The Hermosa Council is now responsible for the largest property tax scam in 35 years ($11 million initially) with their so-called “sewer charge fee.”
It will cost every residential property owner $1,889, without any consideration for sewer-impact or conservation, whatsoever. Businesses are to be charged by a different, fuzzy, water-use calculation.
Culpability for this new tax, on top of an existing tax, belongs squarely with three-term councilman and ceremonial mayor Pete Tucker, two-term councilman Michael DiVirgilio and their “Councilman Kit Bobko” replacement, crony councilwoman Carolyn Petty.
This new sewer fee (really a tax) is little more than a slick revenue scheme, robbing from residents and businesses, to free up other revenue for the council’s pet projects and to cover the ever growing policing costs of Hermosa’s insidious, late-night downtown bars district. It has nothing at all to do with sewers, the “red-herring” in this revenue generating scam.
More than sufficient revenues have existed for the sewers for over 30 years, as provided by the city’s 6 percent utility users’ tax (UUT) on all residential and business utilities, a tax of $2.5 million per year now.
The UUT was sold to Hermosans 30 years ago as needed for “mostly sewer maintenance, bootleg-apartment abatement, school crossing guards, and a small downtown police foot patrol.” Residents and businesses have paid over $55 million in UUT tax, of which only a small percentage has been properly utilized for sewers.
The UUT was implemented without a vote of the people. It’s no longer legal for city councils to tax without a vote of the people due to California’s Proposition 218. That’s why Manhattan Beach residents and businesses have avoided a utility tax. They have no UUT.
Hermosa councils have been quietly applying UUT funds to cover the costs of sworn police officers needed downtown to prevent riots, death, and injury from irresponsible, inebriated drinkers while at the same time ballyhooing but doing the bare minimum with regard to sewers.
The council knows well that they can’t fool the people by placing this tax on the ballot, so they hired a special consultant (costing more than a legitimate ballot measure) to legitimize their scam sewer fee, using a Prop-218 loophole, “protest” vote.
The council has insulted every Hermosan with their contemptuous, all-but-impossible to accomplish, reverse “Protest” vote. A majority of property owners must explicitly say “No” to stop the scam.
The so called “Protest Public Hearing” for June 23 is all but meaningless, unless 50 percent of all property owners, fill out and deliver to the city clerk by the hearing time, a very confusing, ambiguous “Protest” vote.
Residents would best download, print and send in a protest form using the city link below.
” http://www.hermosabch.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=5801 “.
Call the city clerk at (310) 318-0203 Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. if questions.
You must place a correct tax assessor’s parcel number on the form, sign your name (you can be a tenant or owner). However, you must also print the correct property owner’s name as listed on the tax bill, if you can even obtain that.
Don’t let Tucker, DiVirgilio, and Petty consummate their $11-Million, rip-off scam “fee.”
Howard Longacre
Hermosa Beach
Airing of B and Bs
Dear ER
Vacation rentals in Manhattan Beach should be required to pay the city’s transient occupancy tax (bed tax). But property owners should not be prevented from offering short term rentals, as proposed by the Manhattan Beach planning commission at its May 13 meeting.
If you own rental property and are thinking of ever having vacation rentals, you should be sure to go to the city council meeting on June 2, when the issue of short term vacation rentals will be on the agenda. I have never had vacation rentals but I believe I should be able to if I chose to.
Bill Victor
Manhattan Beach
