Two seats, nine potential HB Council candidates
by Kevin Cody Eight Hermosa Beach residents have requested city council nomination papers from Hermosa Beach City Clerk Myra Maravilla, indicating they are contemplating seeking election to the Council in the November 5 general election. The deadline for filing nomination papers to the city clerk, accompanied by 20 signatures from registered Hermosa Beach voters is […]
Santa Monica City Council Approves Nation’s First Municipal Bitcoin Office
On July 9th, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved a pilot program to create a Bitcoin Office in partnership with the nonprofit organization Proof of Workforce Foundation. This city-level initiative was spearheaded by Vice Mayor Lana Negrete and was inspired by El Salvador’s similar move to establish a Bitcoin Office. The decision to […]
About Town: Mirzakhanian will serve as Acting City Manager
The Manhattan Beach City Council announced the appointment of Talyn Mirzakhanian as the Acting City Manager, effective August 19. She will take over from Bruce Moe, who will be retiring after 35 years with the City on August 18. Mirzakhanian has served in the Community Development Department for the past three years, leading the department […]
INFRASTRUCTURE: City Council will seek sales tax increase
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved going forward with a ballot measure in the November election that would increase the local sales tax by a half cent. If approved by voters, the increase would generate $5 million in annual revenues for the City. Councilperson Steve Napolitano, who brought the […]
On Local Government: Fear of media
by Bob Pinzler On June 1, the Hermosa Beach City Council held a retreat. One of their discussions was titled “City Communications Plan and Protocols.” Part of its goal was to determine policies regarding how Council members should speak with the press about issues being dealt with by the Council before and after their public […]
City moves toward fire stations, public safety bond
by Garth Meyer Replacing two fire stations, and perhaps more city buildings, took a step further Tuesday night, June 11, as the Redondo Beach city council voted 4-1 to move toward running a bond measure as soon as November. Councilmembers spoke of limiting the scope to the two fire stations – and potentially a new, […]
Redondo council decides against county, keeps city fire department
by Garth Meyer The Redondo Beach city council voted 5-0 Tuesday night to keep its city fire department, concluding a six-year process, putting to rest the question of whether contracting with the L.A. County Fire Department would be better financially for the city, if not other reasons too. The vote also tasks city committees with […]
Letters to the Editor 5-16-24
Pool play Dear ER: In Re “Manhattan Council considers two plans for Begg Pool upgrades”, ER 5/11/24: The best news coming from last week’s Manhattan City Council meeting is the Bay Club’s interest in building a pool facility on the City’s parking lot that is adjacent to the Bay Club “Manhattan Council considers two plans […]
Redondo to start new 911 mental health pilot
by Garth Meyer Redondo Beach efforts to fight homelessness added another facet April 9 as the city council voted 4-0 to accept a $1.3 million grant from Healthnet for an “Outreach & Alternative Crisis Response” pilot program. The sum also includes $768,000 previously designated for the expansion of the Redondo Beach homeless pallet shelter from […]
Redondo continues pursuit of new police shooting range; Air Force partnership
by Garth Meyer A 3-2 vote by the city council April 2 keeps Redondo Beach city staff on the trail of funding a $17 million covered police shooting range, to replace the 1950s original, in a potential partnership with the Los Angeles Air Force Base. The vote directs city staff to use $545,000 in capital […]
MUNICIPAL FINANCE: City has an $11 million library surplus
by Mark McDermott The City Council last week grappled with an unusual problem. Its library fund has an $11 million surplus. The City of Manhattan Beach operates its own library, but the facility is a branch of the Los Angeles County Library System. Property taxes paid into the system by local residents far outpace the […]
About Town Redondo: City youth commission, new RBUSD classes, Rotary saloon
City youth commission to resume The Redondo Beach youth commission is on its way back, at the behest of city councilmember Paige Kaluderovic. The commission has been vacant, for lack of quorum, since December 2021. It has 13 seats, for youth ages 13-19, to meet once per month at city council chambers, sitting at council […]
Pickleball named top priority over pool at Aviation Park
By Garth Meyer In a pool vs. pickleball debate March 5, the Redondo Beach city council voted 3-2 to designate a pickleball complex as first priority for an open field at Aviation Park – long considered as a site for a public pool. The decision also banned pickleball in parkettes, and calls for four, dual-use […]
City considers new police drone system
by Garth Meyer An advanced police drone system is under consideration in Redondo Beach. The city council directed the police department Tuesday to solicit more quotes for drones that switch out their own batteries by robotic arm, track other drones in the air to show police where they took off from, and replace the need […]
Downtown dining decks get permanent seat in the streets
by Kevin Cody In-street dining decks in downtown Hermosa Beach were enshrined into the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code by a unanimous vote of the City Council at the Tuesday, February 27 meeting. Hermosa Environmental Programs Manager Doug Krauss told the council the new dining deck regulations are a “balance of safety, aesthetics, cost and practicality.” […]
Manhattan Beach outdoor dining proposal would extend sidewalks
by Mark McDermott A permanent plan for outdoor dining was presented to the City Council last week that would extend sidewalks in the downtown and North Manhattan Beach business districts. But the plan arrived without a price tag, and the Council deferred making a decision until City staff can provide a cost estimate. “I want […]