Freeze ‘em before the next meltdown
Dear ER:
I spent several hours watching the Manhattan Beach City Council debate the budget for the next fiscal year. Manhattan Beach residents deserve excellent services from the city staff, but at what cost? Just look at the compensation for the city manager and three of his key staff members. The total compensation for four positions is up 66 percent since 2013, from $670,226 to $1,113,944. Why is such an increase necessary and how can this be sustained? While I heard all of the city council members claiming that they are taking their fiduciary responsibility seriously, I also heard at least two council members say that it is not necessary at this time to reduce spending. This was said in the face of an unfunded pension liability of $44 million that is projected to be over $100,000 million in a few years and a structural deficit in our stormwater and street lighting funds. All I can say is thank goodness that Mayor Tony D’Errico and Councilman Mark Burton, along with several concerned citizens, pointed out these issues. Whether or not there is an impending economic downturn is irrelevant. As public servants, the council must spend public funds prudently. Instead of cost of living increases to the city’s management staff, a salary freeze seems more in order, especially as the city manager and key staff approach annual compensation of $300,000 each. I urge the council to use fiscal restraint.
Paul Wafer
Manhattan Beach
What would Barney Fife do?
Dear ER:
Manhattan Beach is a curious city. We have a top-notch police force, a magnificent, renovated library, a well regulated downtown, the marvelous Roundhouse Aquarium, Pollywog Park and a number of other proud assets. But the school system baffles. It wasn’t enough that Mira Costa admin built a Xanadu for itself, then invoked a plethora of other unneeded overly elaborate furnishings, after which came that wasteful carport roofing. God only knows what’s lined up for the near future in an environment that could instead use more teachers and educational equipment. It kinda makes sense, though, this weird correlate to residents leveraging homes as stock market futures and soulless investments.
The move school board member Christine Cronin-Hurst is fighting appears to be a form of experimental, leading edge commodifying of the district and its properties into a schizoid form of incipient charter-school chain. Rotating principals? Who on Earth came up with that perplexing brainbuster? Has no one looked into the innumerable fallacies of the charter system, turning such institutions into scams a la Trump University and a spate of fly-by-night organizations. Having myself put a Torrance “educational” farrago out of business in the early 2000s, through an action taken via Sacramento and the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE), a prosecution that saw the director jailed and three new laws put into action to protect students, I know only too well the stench of such ominous activities.
The prevalent business move anymore is to rush things through, frequently via back-room dealings and let citizens vainly try to undo them. We should take to heart the estimable philosopher Barney Fife’s admonition: Nip…it…in…the…bud.
Mark S. Tucker,
Manhattan Beach
Bring back granny units
Dear ER:
As a resident of the beach cities for over 10 years, I have seen the per-night cost of hotels and motels escalate, especially in the last few years (“Book ’em: Hermosa Beach prepares to crack down on short-term rentals,” ER June 23, 2016). My parents, senior citizens who want to come and visit for a week in July, are unable to find accommodations that are within safe walking distance to any amenities for less than $250 per night. Previously, they were able to find rooms on home-sharing sites. When Hermosa and Manhattan voted to basically eliminate short-term rentals, they once again accommodated the physically agile and the wealthy. A preferable solution could have been to limit the number of days per year that a property could be rented for short term. Tax revenues similar to the existing hotel tax would have been quite welcome in our cash-strapped community of Hermosa. I am not a fan of excessive litigation, however, this recent restriction is ripe for a lawsuit on behalf of property owners and consumers.
Julia Kovisars
Hermosa Beach
Pier profiling
Dear ER:
The administrative report for the June 27 Harbor Commission hearing shines a light on the intended patronage of many of the project’s buildings. The movie theater is now being called a “specialty cinema”…intended to serve a more mature movie-going demographic, as compared to the typical theater core customers who are 16-23 years old.” So, folks that means mom, dad, and the kiddos are not going to be welcome. I am sure they are not going to be showing the “Friendly Dinosaur,” or similar family friendly movies. Besides, the ticket price of around $29 before you order food and drinks (alcohol included) at your reclined chair, will keep most young people, families and the elderly away.
The shops which we all hoped would be local owners are now referred to as “in-demand retailers.” The boutique hotel will have “a transport service… to Los Angeles International Airport and the Metro Green Line Station.” Do residents need a transport service? The report refers to “Lower cost visitors,” which the developer has to provide accommodations for to be in compliance with the Coastal Land Use Plan policy. If 25 percent of the hotel rooms are not off
ered at a lower price, the developer is fined $30,000 per room. So, they can pay to have “low-cost” folks stay away.
Laura D. Zahn
Redondo Beach
White scarecrows
CenCal’s Redondo Waterfront development is totally detached from reality (“CenterCal’s latest vision for Redondo,” ER June 23, 2016). I guess that since the city was successful in clearing the pier of vermin like rats, pigeons, and gulls with birds of prey, it figures that placing lots of caucasian people on the beach will shoo away the rest of the undesirable elements. Maybe we can just funnel them to another beach, like one under the airport where they can listen to jets take off and breathe toxic fumes. Oh, wait. We already do that.
Brian Hittelman
Redondo Beach
Play on parking
Dear ER:
The recent increase in parking rates in the Redondo Riviera Village and Redondo Pier parking is just a small step toward meeting the cost of police and fire groups in the city. According to Mayor Steve Aspel, “We have to raise that money somehow.” The city projects that parking rate increases will bring $250,000 to the city. However, this will be about $100,000 short of the funds needed to fund one city employee. One solution is for residents to support the plan to build the mall and movie theater at the pier. According to the mayor there will be plenty of people visiting these new venues who will be happy to pay the parking fees. I think residents would rather pay to park and shop and watch a movie knowing that their city is safe rather than have police and fire underfunded.
Roy Masters, Redondo Beach
Hermosa’s elite
Dear ER:
In Hermosa, if you’re white and you rent to quiet white folks, you’re all right because the code is unenforceable without neighbors ratting you out. In a town that is generally unaffordable for any but the top one percent, the ban on short term rentals and the selective enforcement reeks of elitism.
Robert Benz
Hermosa Beach
