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Hermosa Beach
News for 2007
Top Stories on This Webpage: Starting March 29,
2007
Read the entire news stories, just below:
Wind downs power
lines, sparks home fire -
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. The Hermosa Beach Fire
Department was at one traffic accident when the collapse of power lines and a
house fire erupted near the scene.
At approximately noon on March 27, the Fire Department responded to a three-car
traffic collision on Pacific Coast Highway and about Eighth Street. At
approximately 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. as firefighters were clearing the scene of the
accident, whose victims suffered only minor injuries, firefighters noticed power
lines had arced causing a blue light with white smoke. “We isolated the
area, made sure nobody walked through the area and the residents in the area
were safe as Edison de-energized the wires and clipped the wires from the poles.
AVP tourney moves to
May -
The
Association of Volleyball Professionals recently announced that the popular
beach volleyball tournament will come to Hermosa Beach a little bit earlier this
year, leaving local officials with less time than initially expected to prepare
for the popular event.
In a statement issued on
March 5, AVP's chief executive officer Leonard Armato indicated he was “pleased”
following the release of the association's 2007 schedule. The announcement
pushes up the date of the tour's Hermosa Beach event to the third weekend of
May, a full two months earlier then was previously indicated in documents
submitted to the California Coastal Commission. The documents were part of
a request to the commission seeking permission to increase the amount of paid
seating at its Hermosa Beach event from 24 percent to 100 percent.
AVP seeking paid
admission from commission -
The Association of Volleyball
Professionals is requesting approval from the Coastal Commission to increase the
number of people it may charge admission to at its Hermosa Beach event from 24
percent to 100 percent on three out of the four days it holds its tournament in
the beach city. Tournament officials are also seeking a five-year conditional
permit instead of a one-time event permit, according to a commission staff
report. Tickets would range from $10 for students to $40 for reserved seats. In
addition, the report stated that the amount of correspondence the commission
received expressing support of the association's proposal outnumbered the amount
opposing it by roughly 50-to-1.
One of the fundamental responsibilities of the California Coastal Commission is
to safeguard access to the state's coastline.
Not enough parking -
Hermosa's City Council is
aiding downtown commercial owners and outside developers in maxing-out
restaurant/bar structure additions and new condo-office/restaurant structures
without requiring sufficient on-site parking, ensuring more negative impacts and
costs for the residents. Absent a hotel and surf shop businesses downtown,
the additional Hermosa public safety costs, related to the downtown's late-night
bar and cab zone activity, significantly exceed any day-to-day city revenue
generated there. Hermosa's council understands this but refuses to show its
residents an audit. A cost/benefit analysis of ongoing negative costs of
Hermosa's downtown is always avoided, especially by council members who accept
campaign contributions and probable endless stroking of their egos from vested
downtown interests while ignoring the city as a whole.
HB City gives its
manager a three-year extension -
The Hermosa Beach City Council
recently approved an amendment to the city manager's employment agreement that
calls for a 5.5-percent pay hike to his annual salary. The amendment is part of
a three-year agreement spanning Jan. 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2008, that provides
for an annual adjustment of $10,000 to Burrell's salary, which stood at $170,000
in 2005. Should Burrell successfully complete his 14th year, he will be rewarded
next year with an annual salary of $200,000.
The raise places Burrell among the most well-paid city managers from
municipalities with comparable populations, according to statistics issued by
the International City/County Management Association. In cities with populations
between 10,000 and 25,000 residents, the average salary for city managers in
2006 was $104,339. Burrell's salary also leaves him with the distinction of
being the city's highest paid employee. The next highest paid official within
the city bureaucracy is the police chief, whose salary ranges from $115,440 to
$133,644. In addition to his salary, Burrell is allowed the use of a city-owned
vehicle.
Hiring of fire
consultant draws complaints -
Local officials encountered
some resistance from the city's firefighter union Tuesday night when the City
Council considered a proposal to hire an outside consultant to study operations
at the Fire Department.
Fire Chief Russell Tingley
attended the meeting and urged the council to undertake the project, dubbed a
“staffing and deployment study.” During his comments, Tingley described the
proposal as a “much-needed evaluation to determine whether our staffing levels
are safe.” The company considered to conduct the study is a Palo
Alto-based firm known as Matrix Consulting Group. Travis Miller, a vice
president with the company, attended Tuesday night's meeting to answer questions
about the proposal.
Three council candidates boycott forum -
Three of the four candidates
who battled for the City Council seat filled after Tuesday's voting touched off
a pre-election day dustup when all but one skipped a televised political forum
hours before it began.
The surprising move
by a trio of political challengers - rejecting an election-eve appearance before
voters - turned what was slated as a candidates' forum into a discussion between
an office-seeker and the audience.
The Hermosa Beach
Neighborhood Association organized the event, which was planned as the watchdog
group's first political forum. Candidates Patrick Kit Bobko, who was declared
the winner of Tuesday's election, Jeff Maxwell and Jeff Duclos told the
association they would not attend via e-mails sent some six hours before the
broadcast.
Janice Brittain, an education administrator, was the sole attendee.
West L.A. man
attacked over the weekend -
According to
his account reported to police, a West Los Angeles man was
stabbed several times by another man in Hermosa Beach while
walking to his girlfriend's house in south Redondo Beach early
Saturday morning.
The victim, Jon Crush, said he
was walking to the residence from the pier plaza around 2:30
a.m. when a man walked up from behind him and demanded his
wallet.
Crush said the man pulled his
jacket over his head and stabbed him on the side near the rib
cage. He said he fought with the man until he fled the scene
without any of Crush's property.
HBPD receives a
call
of a man with a gun, wearing a T-Shirt with a
Skull-and-Crossbones design, in the area of Park Avenue and
Monterey Boulevard.
What Is Your Opinion? Is Crime In Hermosa Beach Becoming
More Dangerous?
Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
2:06 a.m. April 9, 00 block of Pier
Avenue. Police arrested one man on suspicion of assault with a deadly
weapon for allegedly hitting and kicking the victim, who was taken to a hospital
for treatment. A second man, who may also have hit the victim, left with a
third man.
Hermosa
Beach and Manhattan Beach Crime Close-Up. Years 1998 to 2004
Crime Stat Comparison http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HB%20CrimeNews%202006%201.htm
Seven Robberies in ten days in the
Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo - 3 Robberies in Hermosa Beach in
4 days -
ROBBERY:
12:30 a.m. March 26, 28th Court and Morningside
Drive. Two men robbed the victims at knifepoint of a wallet and
two cell phones. One was described as Latino, in his late
teens, 5-foot-9, 150 pounds with a thin build, shaved head and
goatee and wearing gray sweat shirt and blue jeans. The other
was described as white, in his late teens, 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
with a thin build, short dirty blonde hair and wearing a sweater
and jeans.
The Beach Reporter – March 29, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
Wind downs
power lines, sparks home fire
By Jennifer Evans
Talk about being in the
right place at the right time. The Hermosa Beach Fire Department was at one
traffic accident when the collapse of power lines and a house fire erupted
near the scene.
At approximately noon on March 27, the Fire
Department responded to a three-car traffic collision on Pacific Coast
Highway and about Eighth Street. At approximately 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. as
firefighters were clearing the scene of the accident, whose victims suffered
only minor injuries, firefighters noticed power lines had arced causing a
blue light with white smoke.
Hermosa Beach Fire Department Capt. Aaron
Bush immediately alerted the Fire Department and called Edison. “We isolated
the area, made sure nobody walked through the area and the residents in the
area were safe as Edison de-energized the wires and clipped the wires from
the poles. It was quite a bit of work for Edison,” he said, adding that the
fallen wires caused no injuries. Wires were clipped in the 800 through 900
blocks of PCH causing a power outage in that area for about an hour. Traffic
signals were out along Hermosa Avenue from about 1 to 2 p.m.
According to Hermosa Beach Firefighter
Carlos Lopez and Bush, a transformer blew due to a back surge of
electricity. A representative from Edison was unavailable to comment at
press time.
|
Firefighters responding to an accident on Pacific Coast
Highway were on site when the wind downed some power lines and
sparked a house fire Tuesday. (photo by Chris Miller) |
|
|
However, the day doesn't
end there. As Bush was walking down the street in the area of Eighth Place,
he smelled the “faint smell of smoke” coming from a home located on that
street. “At first I didn't see any smoke or hear a smoke detector, but I did
smell a mild smell of smoke and decided to check it out,” Bush said.
Bush's keen sense of smell paid off.
“As I went around to the back of the house,
I heard a smoke detector and we made entry,” said Bush, who added that the
homeowners were not inside.
After entering the house, firefighters went
down to the basement and found a small fire located in a closet that housed
the water heater.
Thankfully, the fire was
extinguished before it spread. “Nobody was home so there were no injuries
and the fire concentrated to the one room so there was only minor damage,”
Bush said.
Bush thinks the power surge resulted in a
pierced gas line causing the actual fire. The owners of the home arrived as
the firefighters were clearing the scene. “They were very thankful that we
had caught it before it spread,” Bush said.
Bush believed the weather was a contributor
to the day's events. “The wind makes for an interesting day,” he said.
|
|
The Beach Reporter – March 29, 2007
Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch
VANDALISM.
Someone allegedly keyed two vehicles that were parked in the 400 block of
Pier Avenue. The incident occurred between 2 and 8:30 p.m. March 20. The
owners of the vehicles both work at a Pier Avenue business, and believe the
culprit may also work at the same business.
GRAND
THEFT.
An individual took a Trio cell phone/ PDA from someone he was sharing a cab
with that he did not know. The suspect grabbed the cell phone out of the
victim's hands and exited the vehicle. The incident occurred at 8 p.m. March
19 in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue.
BURGLARY.
After locking the door to her house, a resident returned the next morning to
find the door damaged from being forced open. The incident allegedly
occurred in the 400 block of The Strand, between 9 p.m. March 20 and 7 a.m.
March 21. Nothing was taken.
BURGLARY.
After leaving a west-facing glass door unlocked, a resident returned to find
someone had entered the property and taken several items. The incident
allegedly occurred in the 600 block of Eighth Street between 7 a.m. and 5
p.m. March 22. Several items were taken, including $1,000 worth of jewelry,
$1,000 worth of silver and a $2,200 Dell laptop.
GRAND
THEFT.
Someone fled after leaving
a supermarket without paying for a full cart of groceries. The incident
occurred in the 700 block of Pier Avenue at 7:35 p.m. March 24. Supermarket
employees observed an individual leaving the store with a cart full of
groceries. After he noticed he was being followed, the suspect fled east on
16th Street, toward Pacific Coast Highway. Among the items recovered were
sirloin steak, Ensure supplement drinks, diapers, toilet paper and rib-eye
beef. |
|
The Beach Reporter – March 22, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
HB School
Board wrap
By Jennifer Evans
Budget guidelines -
The Hermosa Beach School Board approved its budget
guidelines, roles and responsibilities for the 2007-08 school year at its
March 14 meeting. Under the guidelines, the budget will include a general
fund reserve for economic uncertainty. The amount will be no less than the
amount required by state law, according to the staff report. When the board
approves its new goal and project programs, it will identify funding demands
and specify the allocation of resources. Also included in the approval are
the responsibilities and roles of the board, superintendent, business
manager, superintendent of personnel, program managers and principal.
Budget calendar -
The board also approved the
budget calendar for the 2007-08 school year. The calendar maps out the dates
of each step toward approving the adopted budget. On May 3, the staff will
meet regarding the preliminary budget; on June 25, the budget will be on
file for public inspection; on June 27, a public hearing on the proposed
budget will be held and upon approval, the board will adopt the budget by
July 1 and forward it to the county. On Aug. 15, the County Superintendent
reviews and approves the budget.
Poetry in Action -
For
the eighth year in a row, the board approved Shelly Berger's “Poetry in
Action” enrichment class. The program is for the district's fourth-grade
students. According to the School Board agenda, the program consists of six
class sessions where students learn about various poets, write and edit
their own poetry, and recite their poems. Berger will receive $90 per class
and the amount is not to exceed $5,000, according to the staff report.
Financial report -
The board approved a 2006-07 second interim report that certifies that the
district will be able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of
this fiscal year. In order to compile the report, district staff had to
include financial information about such things as reserve funds for
economic uncertainties, routine restricted maintenance costs, deferred
maintenance costs, cash flow, mandated cost reimbursements, and lottery and
categorical program funding.
Calendar -
On March 27,
there is a minimum day for students at both Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View
schools due to staff development and training. On March 29, there is a
talent show from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hermosa Valley School in the multipurpose
room. From March 30 through April 9, Hermosa Beach schools will be closed
for spring break. |
|
The Beach Reporter – March 8, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
AVP tourney
moves to May
By Chris Yang
The Association of
Volleyball Professionals recently announced that the popular beach
volleyball tournament will come to Hermosa Beach a little bit earlier this
year, leaving local officials with less time than initially expected to
prepare for the popular event.
In a statement issued on March 5, AVP's
chief executive officer Leonard Armato indicated he was “pleased” following
the release of the association's 2007 schedule. The announcement pushes up
the date of the tour's Hermosa Beach event to the third weekend of May, a
full two months earlier then was previously indicated in documents submitted
to the California Coastal Commission.
The documents were part of a request to the
commission seeking permission to increase the amount of paid seating at its
Hermosa Beach event from 24 percent to 100 percent. Though the commission's
staff recommended the powerful land use agency should keep the event's paid
seating at 24 percent, the commission declined to do so at its Feb. 14
meeting. By a 6-5 vote, the commission decided to allow the association to
charge admission to 90 percent of the attendees this year.
Shortly after the decision, AVP officials
announced on March 1 that the tournament would take place in Long Beach from
July 19 through 22, the date originally scheduled for the Hermosa Open. As
of Monday, the association's Hermosa Beach event will officially take place
on May 17 through 20. The association's Web site, which did not list the
Hermosa Open as a stop last week, was recently updated to include the new
May date.
Faced with new schedule,
local officials welcomed the move, offering few concerns about the new date.
“The AVP has chosen to move up the date to
May,” said Councilman Peter Tucker. “I feel that this will help the city of
Hermosa, for with this early date the merchants will get an early boost for
summer sales and it will ease the crowds later in the summer.”
The executive director of the Hermosa Beach
Chamber of Commerce also praised AVP's recent announcement.
“The downtown businesses, restaurants and
hotels are very pleased that the event has been scheduled earlier, because
it will bring needed customers to the town before the summer tourism season
begins,” said Carla Merriman.
At least one official,
though, continued to raise questions about how the commission's recent
decision would be implemented by tournament officials. City Attorney Mike
Jenkins stressed that admission would only be charged at specific locations
within the tournament's footprint.
“So, the only issue is a logistical one,
from our viewpoint, which is - where are they going to charge admission?”
said Jenkins. “I believe that (what) we have concluded is that they are only
going to charge for the main court and the two feature courts.”
But they would not be charging to any of
the other portions of the venue, said Jenkins, leaving at least some of the
three to six acres of beachfront used by the tournament open to the public.
“For example, on Thursday there'll be a lot
of games played in that general vicinity that don't have bleachers and those
will be free.”
Jenkins denied that the city's position
differs from the Coastal Commission and reiterated that the matter is only
one of logistics.
“It's only a logistical decision of what
venues they're going to charge,” said Jenkins. “The issue is where?”
|
|
The Beach Reporter – February 8, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
AVP seeking
paid admission from commission
By Chris Yang
The Association of
Volleyball Professionals is requesting approval from the Coastal Commission
to increase the number of people it may charge admission to at its Hermosa
Beach event from 24 percent to 100 percent on three out of the four days it
holds its tournament in the beach city. Tournament officials are also
seeking a five-year conditional permit instead of a one-time event permit,
according to a commission staff report. Tickets would range from $10 for
students to $40 for reserved seats. In addition, the report stated that the
amount of correspondence the commission received expressing support of the
association's proposal outnumbered the amount opposing it by roughly
50-to-1.
One of the fundamental responsibilities of
the California Coastal Commission is to safeguard access to the state's
coastline. At times, this mandate has been the cause of heated disputes
between public access advocates and local homeowners claiming infringements
of private property rights. In Hermosa Beach, the issue of public access has
arisen in conjunction with a longstanding request by the association to
increase the number of people it may charge admission to at its South Bay
tournaments.
Since 1993, the event received approval
from the Coastal Commission to charge admission for 24 percent of its
attendees at both events in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. But financial
difficulties have forced the organization to pursue charging every attendee,
a move that has been criticized by some environmentalists and beach
volleyball aficionados as being in direct conflict with the agency's
mandate.
The outcome of next Wednesday's meeting is
expected to have consequences outside of Hermosa Beach, too. Just last
month, the Manhattan Beach City Council agreed to consider amending its
Local Coastal Program by having that city's Planning Commission hold a
public hearing on the matter. But following a Jan. 27 meeting by the
Manhattan Beach Planning Commission, one commissioner told the Daily Breeze
that he “wasn't clear why we needed to do this now.” Representatives with
AVP vowed to continue pushing for all-paid seating by taking the matter to
the City Council. Manhattan Beach officials, including one former Coastal
Commissioner, will not consider the matter again until after the Coastal
Commission issues a decision on the tournament's Hermosa Beach event.
Officials with Hermosa
Beach do not, upon first glance, appear to be as opposed to granting the
association's request as do its neighbors to the north. At the Chamber of
Commerce's annual installation luncheon last year, AVP executive Dave
Williams was thanked by the chamber's executive director for being one of
the city's largest boosters. Regardless of the differences in attitudes,
next week's hearing is sure to receive close scrutiny by officials with both
municipalities.
The actual tournament itself is scheduled
to take place between July 19 and July 22, and is expected to draw
approximately 7,000 people per day. The event takes up between 3 and 6.3
acres of land along the beach located directly to the north of the Hermosa
Beach pier.
Interested parties may view next week's
hearing online by visiting the Web site
www.cal-span.org/ and clicking on the link titled “Coastal
Commission.” |
|
The Beach Reporter – February 8, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
Not enough parking
Hermosa's City Council is aiding downtown
commercial owners and outside developers in maxing-out restaurant/bar
structure additions and new condo-office/restaurant structures without
requiring sufficient on-site parking, ensuring more negative impacts and
costs for the residents.
Absent a hotel and surf shop businesses
downtown, the additional Hermosa public safety costs, related to the
downtown's late-night bar and cab zone activity, significantly exceed any
day-to-day city revenue generated there. Hermosa's council understands this
but refuses to show its residents an audit. A cost/benefit analysis of
ongoing negative costs of Hermosa's downtown is always avoided, especially
by council members who accept campaign contributions and probable endless
stroking of their egos from vested downtown interests while ignoring the
city as a whole.
Except for Peter Tucker, the council is
ignorantly causing significant new downtown density by permitting abuse of
the downtown in-lieu parking space ordinance for new downtown commercial
construction whether for expansion of existing defined structures or new
condo office/ restaurant projects.
Developers are permitted to pay a one-time
fee of $28,900 for each required parking space not provided on a project
site, to receive city approval. It's become a total scam and further it is
based on insanely low parking-use counts to compute the number of required
parking spaces a project even needs. The original intent of in-lieu was to
aid existing businesses in historic structures having a parking shortfall,
not to aid maxing-out new commercial structures and additions.
Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach
Say no to mansionization
The Manhattan Beach Planning Commission
will soon have an opportunity to define if this beautiful city is going to
fall prey to the desires of a few developers who desire to “mansionizate”
The Strand. Before the commission is a request to allow 2.66 parcels (a huge
piece of land) at 3608 The Strand to be turned into one lot.
My neighbors are all against the
opportunity for the investor/developer to be allowed to amass one structure
that would exceed more than 2-1/2 lots along the Strand.
The investor/developer supposedly has no
plans, yet all tenants on the properties are on a month-to-month lease. The
resident neighbors are not against development but we are strongly opposed
to allowing this property to be turned into one single lot and seeing a
massive building arise when this beautiful property could be developed with
consideration to space and to the surrounding adjacent properties.
Please, let us see the Manhattan Beach
Planning Commission just say no to the “mansionization” of our beautiful
town and beach community.
David Hennessy, Manhattan Beach
|
|
The Beach Reporter – February 22, 2007
Manhattan Beach News
City seeks
local control over AVP
By Jennifer Evans
In an effort to gain “local
control,” the Manhattan Beach City Council unanimously approved an amendment
to the Local Coastal Program that would allow for the potential of up to 90
percent paid admission in stadium seating for the Manhattan Beach Open
volleyball tournament.
Although the Manhattan Beach Planning
Commission unanimously denied the request for the amendment last week, the
City Council didn't hesitate to approve the amendment at the Feb. 20 City
Council meeting stating that the approval had nothing to do with protecting
or not protecting the beaches and that it simply had to do with gaining
local control. “I think this request has been blown out of proportion. It's
not about protecting the beach, there is no damage to the beach if you
charge $20 for a seat,” Councilwoman Joyce Fahey said, adding that this is
about developing a partnership with the AVP. “It's how a business should
work, they provide a service and get compensated for that.”
For the last eight years the Association of
Volleyball Professionals has been permitted to charge for 24 percent of the
seating. However, according to the association, it is losing money by not
charging for a larger percentage of the spectators.
“We don't make a profit at this event by
any means. We are actually just looking to lose less money,” Dave Williams,
director of market development for the AVP, said. “We are not looking for
the city to subsidize this event.”
Several professional
volleyball players and Manhattan Beach residents spoke in favor of charging
a higher percentage of spectators, responding to the looming threat that if
the AVP isn't allowed to charge, for financial reasons it will no longer be
able to play its tournament in Manhattan Beach.
“It's vital that this passes and we don't
lose this event in Manhattan Beach,” AVP player and Olympic bronze medalist
Elaine Youngs said. “I just hope we can come to some sort of agreement.”
Several volleyball players including
nine-year AVP veteran Jennifer Paveley echoed Youngs' sentiment. “This is
where our sport belongs. As volleyball players, the Manhattan Beach Open and
the Olympics are what we work for, they are the highlights of our career. I
can't imagine playing on the tour and not playing in Manhattan Beach.”
Councilman Mitch Ward asked how much money
an average AVP player earned, to which Paveley responded that last year in
her most lucrative year she made $20,000. “We don't do this for the money
and we don't make a lot of money. Most of us have other jobs,” she said,
adding that besides being a volleyball player she is also a firefighter.
However, some residents
feel that by allowing the AVP to charge more spectators, it violates the
rights of citizens to use public land. “Cash registers and beaches don't go
well together,” Manhattan Beach resident Bill Victor said. “People who bring
businesses to the city should have to pay rent.”
Victor, who was among the minority of
speakers opposing the amendment stated that the whole idea of the Coastal
Commission is to protect the beach and to dwindle that protection down is
not right. “This is a political decision, there is no reason for the City
Council to have more control over a state beach,” Victor said. “I think it
is very greedy to do what they (AVP) are planning to do on a state beach.
The shame is that the volleyball players are being used; it's embarrassing
to find out how much the players make in comparison to what the CEO's salary
is.”
According to Yahoo Finance, Leonard Armato,
CEO of the AVP, makes an annual salary of $350,000; Andrew Reif, CFO, makes
an annual salary of $240,000; Thomas Torii, CAO, earns $155,000; and Bruce
Binko, chief marketing officer, earns an annual salary of $250,000.
Approval of the amendment is the first step
toward opening up discussions with the Association of Volleyball
Professionals regarding what amount would be fair to charge spectators.
However, because the amendment has to be approved by the Coastal Commission,
which is a six-month process, charging more than 24 percent will not take
place until 2008.
“I would never support 90 percent paid
seating,” Ward said. “What I would consider is to look for a model that will
work for the athletes.” |
|
The Beach Reporter – February 1, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
City gives its
manager a three-year extension
By Chris Yang
The Hermosa Beach City
Council recently approved an amendment to the city manager's employment
agreement that calls for a 5.5-percent pay hike to his annual salary. The
amendment is part of a three-year agreement spanning Jan. 1, 2006, to Dec.
31, 2008, that provides for an annual adjustment of $10,000 to Burrell's
salary, which stood at $170,000 in 2005. Should Burrell successfully
complete his 14th year, he will be rewarded next year with an annual salary
of $200,000.
The raise places Burrell among the most
well-paid city managers from municipalities with comparable populations,
according to statistics issued by the International City/County Management
Association. In cities with populations between 10,000 and 25,000 residents,
the average salary for city managers in 2006 was $104,339. Burrell's salary
also leaves him with the distinction of being the city's highest paid
employee. The next highest paid official within the city bureaucracy is the
police chief, whose salary ranges from $115,440 to $133,644. In addition to
his salary, Burrell is allowed the use of a city-owned vehicle.
To contrast, Manhattan Beach pays its city
manager $183,281 per year. But in comparing the relative compensation
packages between the two cities, one should also take note of distinct
differences between the two municipalities. First, Manhattan Beach requires
its employees to maintain a five-day workweek instead of four 10-hour shifts
as Hermosa Beach's employees do. Second, Hermosa's neighbor to the north is
more than twice its size in land (3.88 square miles vs. 1.3 square miles).
Finally, Manhattan's population outdoes Hermosa's by roughly 15,000 people,
according to 2000 census figures.
Burrell has weathered his share of
controversy since taking the reins of the city in 1994. In 1995, Burrell's
name was prominently mentioned in a Santa Cruz newspaper involving the
misuse of funds from a $10.2 million bond issued to pay for projects in the
city of Capitola. In 2002, Burrell was stopped by Hermosa Beach police
officers for running a red light and driving erratically. The officers, who
believed Burrell to be intoxicated, declined to arrest the city manager and
instead drove him home. The matter eventually made it into local newspapers
after one of the two officers involved with the incident complained publicly
about the department's handling of the matter.
The council's decision to
approve an amendment to Burrell's employment agreement passed as an item on
the consent calendar and was treated as a routine matter that received no
public discussion at its meeting Jan. 23. Officials told a local publication
that the new policy of approving amendments spanning three years was
undertaken to “make the process less time-consuming.” This is in stark
contrast to previous councils, which approved raises for the city manager on
an annual basis. In 1999, the City Council, minus two members, voted to
increase Burrell's salary by $6,700 from $111,300 to $118,000.
Burrell is a native of the South Bay,
attending high school in Torrance. He later graduated from Cal State Long
Beach. Burrell served in various positions in Rolling Hills Estates and San
Clemente. His arrival in Hermosa Beach in 1994 marked a return home from
Northern California, where he spent 14 years as the city manager of
Capitola. |
|
The Beach Reporter – January 25, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
H.B. Council
wrap
By Chris Yang
HUD
grants -
The council unanimously approved the city's continued participation in a
program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Local officials estimated this year's allocation from the
Community Development Block Grant program to be $96,937. The funds will be
used to upgrade the Community Center so it will comply with the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
According to a staff report prepared by
local officials, the city has participated in the program for the past 10
years. The city has received between $96,000 and $112,000 per year through
the program to pay for various projects throughout the city, with
retrofitting the Community Center being one of them.
City manager
-
The council approved an amendment to the
city manager's employment agreement through its consent calendar. Under the
agreement, Steve Burrell's salary will increase by $10,000 to $190,000. The
salary hike is effective through Dec. 31 and will increase to $200,000 in
2008.
Matrix Consulting Group
- The
council approved the hiring of a consultant to conduct a “staffing and
deployment study” for the Hermosa Beach Fire Department. The contract is
expected to cost the city $27,000 and was awarded to a Palo Alto-based firm
known as the Matrix Consulting Group.
Fire Chief Russell Tingley attended the
meeting to answer any lingering questions about the study, which was
unanimously approved by the council. The president of the Hermosa Beach
Firefighters Association, Paul Hawkins, was also present Tuesday night to
thank the council for allowing it to provide input to the study.
PCH relinquishment
The council declined to pursue a process
known as “relinquishment” for the section of Pacific Coast Highway located
within city limits. It instead voted unanimously to pursue entering into an
“Encroachment Agreement” with Caltrans to allow the city to continue placing
a banner above a portion of Pacific Coast Highway.
Had it proceeded with the proposal, the
city would have been responsible for all maintenance and upkeep for its
portion of the busy thoroughfare. Local officials estimated that the state
agency would have made a one-time payment to the city of between $4 million
and $5 million to bring its section of PCH into a “state of good repair.”
Local businessman Roger Bacon was the lone
resident to speak in favor of the proposal, which came about in part due to
his support of the city's banner program. Currently, Caltrans does not allow
commercial banners to be placed over state highways. Relinquishment
presented the city a means by which the city could continue the banner
program, which raises money for local organizations like the Hermosa Beach
Education Foundation.
“I've supported the banner program all
along,” said Bacon. “I'm more interested in preserving Hermosa Beach.”
Despite Bacon's support for the idea, the
council decided to request permission from the state agency to continue the
program. The city will proceed with requesting a permit from the agency. If
that is unsuccessful, local officials will then attempt to initiate
legislation through its state representatives that would grant the city
permission to continue hanging banners above PCH.
Skechers traffic -
At the request of Councilman Peter Tucker, the council discussed the issue
of traffic in the vicinity of the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and
Longfellow Drive. The area is currently impacted by the construction of the
Skechers building, which is located on the northeast edge of the
intersection in Manhattan Beach.
Local resident Butch Kuflak addressed the
council on the topic. Kuflak urged the council to make three changes to the
intersection to alleviate the flow of thru-traffic on his street. In
particular, Kuflak suggested rerouting traffic back to PCH by making
westbound traffic turn either right or left once reaching the intersection.
He also urged the council to eliminate the left-turn lane for cars traveling
northbound on PCH. Lastly, he suggested routing cars back onto PCH by making
it a right-turn only intersection for cars traveling eastbound on
Longfellow.
“This was brought to you in 2002,” said
Kuflak. “Since then, nothing has happened. You've dropped the ball.”
Councilman Michael Keegan reminded the
resident that because the eastern edge of the intersection did not fall
within city limits, any changes to the intersection required the assistance
of the Manhattan Beach City Council. Local officials also expressed an
intention to wait until the new building is completed before requesting any
changes be made to the intersection. The council agreed to form a
subcommittee composed of Councilmen Tucker and Keegan to follow the issue
over the next few months. |
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The Beach Reporter – January 18, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
Laker accused
of trashing birthday cake
By Chris Yang
Did a member of the Los
Angeles Lakers knock a $190 birthday cake out of someone's hands and violate
section 487(b) of the Penal Code, thus committing grand theft? According to
one Hermosa Beach resident, the answer to that question is “yes.”
That resident, Alexander Martinez,
subsequently filed a report with the Hermosa Beach Police Department
Saturday detailing the incident, which he claimed occurred several hours
earlier.
According to the report, Martinez was
celebrating his 30th birthday party at The Shore Restaurant and Lounge last
Friday. At about 1:45 a.m., Martinez apparently called it a night and left
the Shore, taking his birthday cake with him.
As he walked north along Hermosa Avenue,
the report indicates he crossed paths with Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf.
Turiaf was one of several players who decided to visit Blue 32 earlier that
night on a post-game outing. After posing for a picture with Turiaf,
Martinez alleges that another Laker identified as Kwame Brown grabbed his
cake and threw it at him, hitting him in the “upper back area.” Before
Martinez could confront Brown about the spilled dessert, the culprit hopped
into a nearby limousine and was quickly driven away.
Martinez then complained to Lamar Odom
about the incident. Odom was allegedly walking out of Pedone's Pizzeria with
several acquaintances. It was unclear from the report whether Odom was
attending the same event as the other players who had just patronized Blue
32. Regardless, someone with Odom did not appreciate Martinez's complaint
and allegedly pushed him into the street. According to the report, Odom then
urged his friend to back off, stating “Calm down, he didn't do anything.”
On Tuesday, Lakers' team
spokesman John Black declined to comment on the matter, citing a pending
investigation and open legal matter.
The following day, a report appearing in
the Daily Breeze detailing the incident indicated that detectives with the
Hermosa Beach Police Department presented the case to the city prosecutor's
office. Upon further review, the city prosecutor declined to file either the
grand theft or assault charge. |
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The Beach Reporter – January 18, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
New
‘office-condos' planned
By Chris Yang
Plans were recently
submitted to the city proposing a new four-level building in the heart of
downtown Hermosa Beach. Local officials met last week as part of the city's
Staff Environmental Review Committee to conduct an initial study of the
project, a requirement under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The proposal calls for constructing 21 new
“office-condos” in the 900 block of Hermosa Avenue. The proposed structure
will take the place of a building currently occupied by Ocean View Cleaners,
a dry-cleaning business. A garage that sits vacant on another lot will also
be transformed to make room for the new building. According to Louie Tomaro,
the founder of an architecture firm leading the design of the project, the
garage once served as a mechanic's shop, but now sits vacant.
At the meeting, local officials saw little
wrong with the proposal and raised concerns with only two particular issues
- the structure's parking plan and its future use. “We will not allow
assigned parking,” said Senior Planner Ken Robertson. Robertson also advised
the applicant that the city frowned upon any retail space being used to
serve food. “As long as it's not food,” he said. Aside from those two
issues, the proposal to place a new building along Hermosa Avenue was met
with little resistance.
“A project of this scale will have
negligible impacts on traffic,” said Robertson. With respect to the
building's impacts on neighboring views, Robertson added, “We don't see that
as a significant impact.”
In addition to an architect
representing the applicant and two city planners, a representative from the
Police Department also attended the meeting. Lt. Lance Jaakola stated that
the new building “may cause me to redirect some of my resources,” but
several minutes later apparently decided that the project met with his
approval and excused himself from the meeting.
As with much of the new development
surfacing in Hermosa Beach, parking remains the major factor in determining
a project's acceptability with local officials. According to Robertson, the
building's parking area will include 19 spaces in an underground level,
leaving the building with a “deficiency” of eight parking spaces. The new
development will therefore participate in the city's in-lieu parking plan,
which allows property owners to submit funds “in-lieu” of providing parking.
The cost of a parking space was recently increased from $12,500 to $28,900
per space.
An architect with Tomaro's firm indicated
during the hearing that the real estate developer is Seaside Development.
“It's an ‘LLC',” said Geoff Captain. He also stated that the new building is
expected to become available in late 2008, barring any unforeseen
difficulties.
The city's Planning Commission is expected
to consider the matter at its next meeting Feb. 20.
|
|
The Beach Reporter – January 11, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
HB City
Council wrap
By Chris Yang
Sister city cocktail party -
A cocktail party is tentatively planned at Sangria to
welcome officials from Hermosa Beach's sister city of Loreto, Mexico, who
have made the trip north to celebrate the city's centennial. The informal
gathering is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13.
Beach Cities Health
District -
Several officials with the Beach Cities Health District appeared Tuesday
night to present a proclamation to the council in honor of the city's
Centennial Celebration. “On
behalf of the BCHD, the board, and the staff, I am very proud to present
this to the city of Hermosa Beach,” said trustee Joanne Edgerton. “...I can
say that Hermosa has really transformed itself from a very kind of rough,
sleepy, little town to a much more cosmopolitan city.” Edgerton, who is
married to Mayor Sam Edgerton, was joined by trustees Walt Dougher and
Muriel Savikas, CEO Susan Burden and communications director Pamela Corante.
Upper Pier Avenue
Committee -
The first meeting of the Upper Pier Avenue Committee is scheduled to take
place in Room 12 of the Community Center Thursday, Jan. 18. The public is
invited to attend the meeting, which will be largely organizational in
nature. The committee was formed by the council last October to help steer
the development of upper Pier Avenue (see “Council to consider appointments
for Pier project” Nov. 9, 2006). The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
CodeRED -
The council unanimously approved a yearlong contract with a Florida company
known as the Emergency Communications Network to implement an emergency
notification system known as CodeRED.
According to CodeRED's Web site, the service employs a
“one-of-a-kind Internet mapping capability” to allow officials to
geographically target phone calls. According to an official with the
company, messages can be tailored to specific events or emergencies prior to
notifying residents. One city used the system to notify residents living
along the route of a 5K run that the street would be closed.
“We could get somebody's voice right? We could hire
someone that does the voice,” said Councilman J.R. Reviczky. “We could do it
in Bart Simpson or something.” “Heck we could get Fred Huebscher, he's good
at it,” said Edgerton. “Every campaign.” The service agreement, which
includes 25,000 minutes, will cost the city $10,000.
Police motorcycles -The council approved the purchase of two BMW motorcycles
for the Police Department. According to the city's staff report, the
department originally purchased two BMW motorcycles three years ago “on a
three-year buyback contract.” After the contract expired last fall, the
department opted to turn in its motorcycles in exchange for credit toward
two new motorcycles.
In-lieu parking - Following the approval of an increase in the cost of
in-lieu parking spaces from $12,500 to $28,900 per space on Aug. 8, 2006,
the council agreed to consider other means of allowing developers and
property owners to partake in the program.
A staff report signed by City Manager Steve Burrell
called for the council to consider an “alternative payment program” that
would allow an initial payment of 25 percent of the amount due, followed by
the remaining 75 percent being spread over a three-year period. In addition,
interest “at the rate the city earns” would be included in the payment.
After further discussion, the council declined to pursue the program, and
instead received and filed Burrell's report.
Noah's wish - The council approved a memorandum of understanding between
the city of Hermosa Beach and an organization known as Noah's Wish. The
organization specializes in animal disaster relief, and will provide
evacuation and rescue services for pets in the event of an emergency. There
is no cost to the city for the agreement, which will be reviewed annually.
New
commission -
The council unanimously agreed to form a new commission
known as the Emergency Preparedness Commission. The primary goal of the
commission will be to help gather information and educate residents and
local officials about how to respond in the instance a major disaster
occurred. |
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The Beach Reporter – January 11, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
Hiring of fire
consultant draws complaints
By Chris Yang
Local officials encountered
some resistance from the city's firefighter union Tuesday night when the
City Council considered a proposal to hire an outside consultant to study
operations at the Fire Department.
Fire Chief Russell Tingley attended the
meeting and urged the council to undertake the project, dubbed a “staffing
and deployment study.” During his comments, Tingley described the proposal
as a “much-needed evaluation to determine whether our staffing levels are
safe.”
The company considered to conduct the study
is a Palo Alto-based firm known as Matrix Consulting Group. Travis Miller, a
vice president with the company, attended Tuesday night's meeting to answer
questions about the proposal, which would cost the city $27,000. According
to the staff report presented to the council, Matrix Consulting would be
hired to accomplish six tasks - conduct interviews, develop a descriptive
profile, conduct a comparative study with other South Bay departments,
develop an analysis of staffing and deployment, analyze the department's
training programs and issue a final report to the city.
Last fall, the department's assistant fire
chief called for staffing changes in a memo submitted to Tingley prior to
his resignation on Dec. 29. In particular, Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Gomez
urged Tingley to eliminate his position going forward, and instead create a
new position for a fourth full-time captain. Tuesday's proposal made clear
that city leaders declined to pursue Gomez's recommendation, opting instead
to consider hiring a professional consultant to come up with a solution.
“The biggest problem we
have with this proposal is that there is no mention of increasing the
full-time staffing in the task plan,” said Paul Hawkins, president of the
Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association. Hawkins also took issue with
language in the proposal to consider augmenting the role of the city's
reserve firefighters.
According to the city's Web site, reserve
firefighters are part-time employees who work one 24-hour shift per week.
The primary duty of a reserve firefighter is “to staff the BLS Rescue,” a
basic life-support ambulance. Other lesser duties include “assisting with
fire-ground operations,” cleaning, cooking and working alongside “full-time
personnel with fire inspections.”
“I know your first response is that I'm
trying to protect our overtime,” said Hawkins. “In reality, our reserve
firefighters have, the only function (they have), is a minimal role right
now as basic life-support ambulance operators.”
Hawkins added that any move to expand their
role into other areas would be “dangerous” and would “jeopardize our
reciprocal agreements” with neighboring cities. He urged the council to “at
least amend the questions that are being asked” to consider an increase in
paid staff.
Local resident Donn Paben
echoed Hawkins' comments by raising concerns about the role of the city's
reserve firefighters. Paben, a retired fire captain with the Los Angeles
County Fire Department, consistently referred to the city's reserve
firefighters as “ambulance drivers.”
“I have some real problems when I read this,” said
Paben. “I understand that these guys did not go through a fire-testing
procedure ... Now you're looking at possibly utilizing them in a way to
fight fires and better augment the system?” He added that any such move
would put “lives in danger” by “using guys that are not truly firefighters.”
After Councilman Kit Bobko questioned the need to
conduct the study, City Manager Steve Burrell offered some background about
why the city should conduct the study. “For 13 or 14 years, we have had, and
the council has discussed, grappled with, both the fire association, the
chiefs, myself, as to what the right level of staffing ought to be for the
fire service,” said Burrell. “I think it's a really good program for us to
do. I think it would give both the management, the City Council and the
association a point of departure for further discussions about it.”
It was Councilman Michael Keegan's idea, though,
that won the day. He urged his colleagues to continue the matter until
Tingley and Burrell considered the input of one member of the firefighter's
association. His colleagues eventually agreed and continued the matter
pending further discussion between the parties involved. The matter is
scheduled to return at the council's next meeting Jan. 23.
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The Beach Reporter – January 4, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
New
development to face one final approval hurdle
By Chris Yang
A sign touting the future
emergence of “Playa Hermosa Plaza” currently sits in front of the old White
and Day Mortuary building located along upper Pier Avenue. The project has
sat idle for many months, pending approvals from various government bodies.
But should the Coastal Commission bless the project at its next meeting on
Jan. 10, demolition of the building might take place within the month,
making downtown Hermosa Beach the home of yet another mixed-use commercial
property.
The current property owner is LM Pacific
Ventures, a real estate development company with offices in Manhattan Beach
and El Segundo. LM Pacific Ventures, which also owns three other parcels
along Pier Avenue, is planning on demolishing the current structure found at
338 and 400 Pier Ave. and replacing it with roughly 14,580 square feet of
office and retail space.
Prior to its approval, Community
Development Director Sol Blumenfeld was quoted in June in a local
publication describing the proposal as “a very attractive project” that
would “substantially affect the look of upper Pier.” The Planning Commission
subsequently agreed and recommended approving the project on Aug. 15, but
not before the developer whittled it down from 14,688 to 14,580 square feet
and added several more parking spaces.
According to the city's
staff report, the initial project required 70 spaces, but after the
developer removed a proposed restaurant from the project and increased the
amount of square footage designated for storage, the project's parking
requirement dropped to 41 spots. These changes were enough for the
commission to vote unanimously in favor of the project. The City Council
subsequently agreed with the Planning Commission and declined to review its
decision at its next meeting in September.
The developer is now seeking approval from
the Coastal Commission, which has jurisdiction over development within the
Coastal Zone. While some cities offer property owners the ability to forgo
that particular step when developing property, Hermosa Beach does not. It
briefly flirted with the idea of implementing its own Local Coastal Program
in 2001, which would grant local officials the power to issue Coastal
Development Permits on their own, but withdrew its application before the
Coastal Commission considered its application.
A broker with the firm CB
Richard Ellis confirmed that the property is “still available” and that
lease negotiations on the new project were “just opened.”
“We're working with a number of retailers
for the retail portion,” said Morgan McEvoy. “We've got 5,000 square feet on
one side and 1,800 square feet of retail on the other.” In addition, the new
building will have “executive offices” on the second floor.
McEvoy also stated that demolition of the
old White and Day building is already scheduled for later this month, and
that construction will occur immediately thereafter. The broker added that
Playa Hermosa Plaza is expected to be available sometime in the first
quarter of 2008. The building will no longer house a commercial bank as
stated on LM Pacific Venture's Web site, but will instead be the home of
various retail outlets.
Last fall, Cardinal Real Estate Investments
was given permission by the City Council to build a 33-unit
office-condominium complex along Hermosa Avenue. Some residents in the
vicinity objected to a portion of the new complex being used as a
restaurant, but members of the council assured residents in October that a
restaurateur would need to receive the city's permission by submitting an
application before doing so. |
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The Beach Reporter – January 4, 2007
Hermosa Beach News
The State of
the City
By Mayor Sam Y. Edgerton,
III
As your mayor and senior
councilman, I would like to wish everyone a safe and prosperous new year.
This is an historic time for our city. One hundred years ago this past
Christmas Eve, Hermosa Beach held its first incorporation election and chose
its first city officers. The final tally was 24 votes in favor of
incorporating Hermosa Beach as a city and 23 votes against. It was the first
of many close votes in our city's history and probably spawned the city's
first recount. But happily, if a recount did occur, it probably took less
than five minutes to complete. What we do know is that with the election
certified, Hermosa Beach became a new California city. It received its
charter from the state on Jan. 14, 1907.
Hence, Jan. 14, 2007, marks the 100th
birthday of Hermosa Beach. As we celebrate the occasion (and as Hermosans,
we will), I ask that we reflect not only upon the past year but the last 100
years. I am sure that John Q. Tufts, the city's first mayor, would marvel to
see how the city has matured and become known around the world as the
quintessential beach town in Southern California.
With all the hoopla about our city and its
beautiful beach, people often forget that Hermosa Beach is less than 2
square miles and operates on a relatively small operating budget. The simple
fact is that we accomplish a lot with the little we have. We continue to
focus the city's spending on badly needed public improvement projects such
as the repair of our streets. Fifteen years ago, we made street and Strand
repaving a top priority. People may remember the old days when you knew you
had crossed over into Hermosa Beach from Manhattan or Redondo Beach because
virtually all of the Hermosa Beach thoroughfares, including the Strand, were
cracked and broken. Indeed, back in the day it was rumored to be a municipal
plan to slow down “speeders.”
Since that time, the city has undergone an
aggressive program and has repaved the Strand, the city's arterial avenues
and many neighborhood streets. In 2006, we repaved 14 thoroughfares,
including Manhattan Avenue. I am sure that Mr. Hermosa, Ralph Matteson,
whose 1924 mini-mansion still graces the corner of 19th and Manhattan
Avenue, would be proud of his street today. It is the first time that
Manhattan Avenue has been repaved in more than 50 years.
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Mayor Sam Edgerton (photo by Chris Miller) |
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Hermosa Beach has always been at its best because its citizens come
together to work for a common purpose. The recent completion of the 10-year
pier project is a testament to that fact. Indeed, beyond public improvement
projects, we are now embarking on new long-term programs to reduce the
amount of greenhouse gases that we produce. Last month, I signed the Mayor's
Climate Protection Agreement making Hermosa Beach the first and only city in
the South Bay to become a “Cool City” under the Sierra Club program.
Our future is bright as we improve our
city. The flip side of this prosperity is that real estate has become so
expensive that it actually challenges our existence as a laid-back beach
town. It is incumbent that we do everything to protect our single-family
neighborhoods from further subdivision and protect our commercial zones from
further mixed-use condominium development. We should do everything we can to
preserve the quality of our residential and business areas for our children.
As we usher in the new year, let us be
grateful that we live in a beach city with such a great spirit and sense of
community. With that said, I wish you all the best and hope to see you on
the plaza Jan. 14 for our Centennial Celebration.
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The Beach Reporter – December 21, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
High Court
declines to review ruling in favor of School District
By Chris Yang
A longstanding dispute
between the local School Board and a group of citizens opposed to its use of
funds was put to rest last Wednesday after the California Supreme Court
declined to review a trial court's ruling in favor of the Hermosa Beach
School District.
“Obviously, we are very pleased with the
outcome, but disheartened by the delays and costs associated with this
lawsuit,” said board President Cathy McCurdy. “We look forward to completing
construction in late May (or) early June.”
McCurdy added that the district incurred a
substantial amount of costs as a result of the lawsuit. “We could not award
the bids because the lawsuit was pending,” she said. “We couldn't sign a
contract when you have a legal action pending.”
The dispute arose following the approval of
a $13.6 million bond measure in 2002 known as Measure “J.” At issue was the
language of the bond measure appearing on the ballot versus the formal
resolution adopted by the School Board. According to the Metropolitan
News-Enterprise, the formal resolution had “two exhibits attached,” one
which “made no mention of the gymnasium” and one that did.
Following the certification
of an environmental impact report for the construction of a gym at Valley
Elementary School, a group of citizens known as the Committee for
Responsible School Expansion filed suit in April 2005. The committee claimed
that the district should be prohibited from spending funds raised by Measure
“J” on a gym because the ballot only included language from the first
exhibit, which made no mention of a gym. Eight months later, the trial court
hearing the case denied to issue a preliminary injunction halting
construction of the gym and ruled in favor of the School District. The
committee filed an appeal on that decision, which was later upheld by the
Second District Court of Appeal. Wednesday's decision by the California
Supreme Court to not review the case sounded the final death knell on the
committee's cause of action.
An attorney representing the committee
offered only a few comments about the recent development. “I think it's bad
for the taxpayers to rob the state, but it's good for the Hermosa Beach
School District,” said Joseph diMonda. “What you're going to see, from here
on out, is less and less disclosure of how public money is going to be
spent.”
Construction on the gym itself began in
January and is expected to be completed in May or June 2007. District
officials held a tour of the partially constructed building in late November
to provide members of a citizen's bond oversight committee the opportunity
to view the progress made on the site.
According to a newsletter issued in April
by the bond oversight committee, the estimated cost of projects associated
with Measure “J” is $19.8 million. Faced with this situation, the School
Board requested approval from the voters of Hermosa Beach to issue another
bond in June. Measure “A,” a proposal to raise an additional $13.1 million
of long-term debt, received less than the 55-percent affirmative vote
required to pass. Following its defeat, district officials briefly
considered placing another bond measure on the ballot in November, but
declined to proceed citing a need for more time to pass.
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The Beach Reporter – December 14, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
HB Council
clashes over Widman contract
By Chris Yang
Following the turmoil
surrounding a sign-swiping incident from a political campaign earlier this
year, a member of the local school board who once served as a member of the
City Council appears to have not yet been forgiven by local residents for
his questionable campaign tactics. The Hermosa Beach City Council agreed
Tuesday night to delay awarding a contract to Lance Widman and the South Bay
Center for Dispute Resolution to perform mediation services for the city.
The decision instead called for City
Manager Steve Burrell to return to the council in January with more
information about the other parties that submitted bids.
Widman had held the contract for many
years, acting as the city's primary mediator, resolving various disputes
between landlords and tenants, neighbors and other minor issues.
But following an incident in June in which
Widman was videotaped removing a campaign sign from a fence on public
property, the council voted unanimously to reconsider its business
relationship with the longtime resident by putting its mediation contract
out to bid.
After reviewing proposals
from four other applicants, City Manager Steve Burrell returned on Tuesday
night recommending that the council should renew Widman's contract.
According to Burrell, the city spends approximately $8,000 per year on the
contract, which involves a quarterly operations fee of $800 and a filing fee
of $150 per case. Burrell's report stated that though the city's “actual
caseload” could be handled by any of the other four firms submitting
proposals, choosing another mediator “probably would cost more than what the
city currently spends on the program.”
Widman's application was bolstered by an
impressive number of supporters who each urged the council to continue its
relationship with Widman's company. A former councilman, a planning
commissioner, several city attorneys from neighboring municipalities, an
animal control officer from Torrance, several private attorneys and a
Torrance police officer were among the 24 individuals who submitted letters
to the city on Widman's behalf.
Despite Burrell's recommendation,
Councilman Michael Keegan wasn't buying it. He inquired why information like
cost estimates from the other four applicants weren't included in the city
manager's staff report.
Burrell countered that the information was
not included “as a courtesy” to the other parties submitting bids and that
projections on how much contracts with the other companies might cost were
difficult to obtain because those firms billed on an hourly basis.
When it came time for
public comments, Widman, who sat quietly in the audience reading a copy of
U.S. News and World Report, was on the receiving end of several residents
who questioned his suitability to serve as an impartial mediator.
“I urge the council to bring in a new
mediator,” said local resident Barbara Dellerson. “You get what you pay
for.”
Keegan ultimately agreed and proceeded with
a motion to request more information from the city manager before choosing
the recipient of the contract. The vote was 4-1, with Mayor Sam Edgerton as
the lone “nay” vote. |
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The Beach Reporter August 17, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Fire
Department frustrated by delays in Sharkeez investigation
By Chris Yang
In recent weeks, officials
with the Hermosa Beach Fire Department have become increasingly frustrated
at the lack of progress with the investigation into a fire that burned down
one of the city's most popular bars, Aloha Sharkeez.
In a conversation earlier this week, the
department's lead investigator, Capt. James Crawford, blamed bureaucratic
delays within the city's Building Department for leaving arson investigators
with little to show for their efforts.
Well, the fire investigation has not been
completed because of the holdup in the Building Department, said Crawford.
It's all been held up.
Shortly after the May 9 fire, investigators
with the South Bay Arson Team entered the burned wreckage to begin an
investigation, but officials soon halted their work due to the existence of
asbestos-laden debris and the questionable nature of the structure's
stability. One official with the Fire Department was quoted in the Daily
Breeze as blaming the delay on asbestos in a 400-square-foot acoustical
ceiling in the area where the fire possibly originated. In July, another
spokesperson with the Fire Department told The Beach Reporter that
investigators were waiting for an asbestos report from the Building
Department.
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The Fire Department has expressed frustration with
bureaucratic delays at the Sharkeez site that have prevented it
from finishing its investigation. |
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But as of Monday, asbestos
no longer appears to be an issue with the Fire Department. Asbestos was not
a major issue, said Crawford. Our concerns are mostly with the structure's
stability. The investigation was not able to go any further until removal of
(the) heavy equipment, and that has been put on hold.
Regardless of the actual contents of the
building hindering the investigation, the Fire Department has been waiting
for weeks to have the debris removed and the site deemed suitable for the
return of its arson investigators. But because the city has yet to inform
the bar's owners, Greg and Ron Newman, how much of the site is salvageable,
the owners have been reluctant to proceed with the demolition process,
hoping to coordinate the department's investigation, the asbestos abatement
and debris removal all at one time.
In a July 21 report, a senior building
inspector with Hermosa Beach told the Daily Breeze that city officials were
calculating how much of the structure is intact, so the Newmans would have
a better idea of what could be rebuilt. The inspector also stated that if
the city finds half the original structure is intact, the owners can
rebuild the property as it was before May 9. The review process is based
on photographs and building plans, which were submitted to the city in July.
But three weeks into the process, the
matter has languished in the Building Department, leaving both the owners of
the property and the Fire Department's investigators in the dark.
I'm kind of in the dark
about how this whole process works, said Newman. I don't know why everyone
thought we were supposed to do the demolition. Newman also conceded that an
architect is currently working on plans for what will replace the charred
wreckage. He added that no officials with the Fire Department had contacted
him in recent weeks regarding the incident.
When reached by phone, officials with the
Building Department referred all questions to the director of Community
Development, Sol Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld did not respond by press time after
several attempts were made to reach him by phone.
Crawford suspects financial concerns
surrounding the demolition process have become an issue. Who's going to
foot the bill? said Crawford. I think Mr. Newman is waiting to hear from
the city. He added, There's never been a case like this. I've been here 20
years. It's a little frustrating.
In certain circumstances, investigators
with the Fire Department are able to pursue obtaining a search warrant to
continue their work. The request must be routed through a court and
typically occurs when an owner has denied the Fire Department entrance to
his or her property. Crawford stated this particular investigation has not
yet taken that turn. We're trying to move forward in a cooperative manner,
he said.
At least one owner of a neighboring
establishment was not overly concerned with the property's slow
reconstruction. As far as we know, we're in limbo looking at it, said
Patrick Malloy's owner Fred Hahn. We take things day to day here.
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The Beach Reporter August 3, 2006
Hermosa Beach Crime Watch
DEADLY WEAPON ASSAULT.
Someone riding a bike on The Strand was allegedly shot with a pellet from an
Airsoft pellet gun July 12 at 5:08 p.m. The victim was riding with his
friend northbound in the 200 block of The Strand when his friend realized
someone standing in the vicinity had shot something at the victim. The
suspect did not know the victim, who was not injured by the incident.
VEHICLE BURGLARY.
A vehicle parked in the garage of an apartment complex in the 400 block of
Herondo Street was allegedly burglarized on July 12, at an unspecified time.
A cell phone, sunglasses, and yoga bag worth approximately $100 were
reportedly stolen from the vehicle.
VEHICLE BURGLARY.
Several items were reportedly stolen from a vehicle parked in the 1700 block
of Monterey Boulevard between 7 p.m. July 14 and 10 a.m. July 15. The
victim's California Drivers' License, a handicap placard and the vehicle's
stereo were reportedly stolen.
VANDALISM.
Someone reportedly smashed a victim's car windshield between 9:50 and 11:15
p.m. on Saturday, July 15. The vehicle was parked in the lower parking lot
located at 702 Pier Ave.
BATTERY.
On Sunday, July 16, at 12:46 a.m., several individuals were involved in an
incident at a Pier Plaza establishment that led the citation of two people
for misdemeanor battery. As a woman danced with two of her friends in the
establishment, a man approached them on the dance floor and asked the woman
to dance. After she refused, words were exchanged between the two parties.
Each party claims to be the victim of an assault. |
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The Beach Reporter June 8, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
Three council
candidates boycott forum
By Dave Eisenstadt
Three of the four
candidates who battled for the City Council seat filled after Tuesday's
voting touched off a pre-election day dustup when all but one skipped a
televised political forum hours before it began.
The surprising move by a trio of political
challengers - rejecting an election-eve appearance before voters - turned
what was slated as a candidates' forum into a discussion between an
office-seeker and the audience.
The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association
organized the event, which was planned as the watchdog group's first
political forum. Candidates Patrick Kit Bobko, who was declared the winner
of Tuesday's election, Jeff Maxwell and Jeff Duclos told the association
they would not attend via e-mails sent some six hours before the broadcast.
Janice Brittain, an education administrator, was the sole attendee.
Al Benson, head of the neighborhood association,
said he was puzzled by the timing of the withdrawal - and that it wasn't one
or two candidates skipping the event but three of four. Benson ran and lost
for a council seat last November.
They gave me six hours notice, Benson said. They
have the right not to show up at the forum but if they really have problems,
they could have given me a call.
The neighborhood association is best known for its
efforts to highlight what they see as problems resulting from a too-raucous
lower Pier Avenue scene. The group contends crime, especially violent
incidents, has shot up with the increasing popularity of the bar-laden
strip.
The candidates, however, complained the event was
less a political forum for those vying for office than a platform for the
group.
Bobko said his schedule was just too packed on that
day to attend the forum and downplayed the notion that the three candidates
acted together to undercut the event.
To be perfectly frank, that was not the case, said
Bobko. As much fun as these forums are, I have other things to do and
simply can't get to everything all the time.
Bobko noted that he and the other candidates already
participated in three similar forums. They were sponsored by the League of
Women Voters, Leadership Hermosa and the Chamber of Commerce.
Still, Bobko, the two others who cancelled and
Brittain briefly met the night before and discussed withdrawing from the
forum. Bobko said the group discussed the matter but stressed that it was
chitchat rather than guerilla political tactics.
While it's clear we didn't show up, it wasn't a
concerted effort, Bobko said. What we're talking about is someone taking
personal offense.
While Duclos declined to return telephone messages
seeking comment, Brittain said weightier issues were at play.
Bottom line, I gave my word and I live up to my
word, she said. It's the integrity of it - as a council person you have to
deal with all audiences.
Brittain and others, however, said the group's
material was freighted with its point of view and too detailed for the
occasion.
It was like a term paper, she said.
Benson said the group misread his intent and short-shrifted
pressing issues.
I'm disappointed that they had this little powwow
on this issue and made a collective decision behind my back, he said. I'm
worried about crime - and they don't want to answer those questions.
Of the candidates involved, Brittain was the only
one on Tuesday's ballot who did not run last November.
The seat opened when the election's winner, Howard
Fishman, declined the post when his wife became ill.
In that contest, Councilman J.R. Reviczky triumphed
with Duclos finishing fourth, Bobko fifth and Maxwell seventh among a field
of 10 candidates vying for three council seats. |
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The Beach Reporter April 20, 2006
Hermosa Beach -
Crime Watch
NARCOTICS TO A MINOR.
A man was reportedly
arrested in the 2500 block of Pacific Coast Highway after police discovered
opened bottles of alcohol and what appeared to be cocaine in his possession
which was allegedly given to a 17-year-old girl the evening of April 13.
Police responded to a medical emergency and entered what is assumed to be a
hotel room. The girl was standing at the foot of the bed and the suspect was
standing next to her to try and keep her from falling over. Officers noticed
that her pupils were dilated and a small amount of blood appeared around her
lips. She appeared to be in a daze. The suspect told police that she had
been drinking vodka and said she was a friend of his daughter's whom he was
going to be taking home soon. He told police she was 17. He said he booked
the room and allowed the girl to use it when he was away. The man also
admitted to leaving open bottles of vodka and Southern Comfort in the room
with her, and said she had lied to her parents about her whereabouts.
Officers noticed that the man was sweating profusely and asked him if he was
in possession of any narcotics to which he said that he had cocaine in his
pocket. Police retrieved a small vial that contained white powder.
Paramedics treated the girl who appeared to be suffering from a cocaine
overdose.
|
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What Is
Your Opinion? Is Crime In Hermosa Beach Becoming More Dangerous?
The Beach Reporter April 13, 2006
Hermosa Beach News
West L.A. man
attacked over the weekend (4/13)
By Whitney Youngs
According to his account
reported to police, a West Los Angeles man was stabbed several times by
another man in Hermosa Beach while walking to his girlfriend's house in
south Redondo Beach early Saturday morning.
The victim, Jon Crush, said he was walking
to the residence from the pier plaza around 2:30 a.m. when a man walked up
from behind him and demanded his wallet.
Crush said he was walking south on Ardmore
when the man approached him between Second Street and where Fourth Street
would cross Ardmore. Crush said he heard the man and moved over to one side
of the sidewalk to let him pass. Crush said the man pulled his jacket over
his head and stabbed him on the side near the rib cage. He said he fought
with the man until he fled the scene without any of Crush's property.
After the incident, Crush
said he then called his girlfriend who picked him up on Pacific Coast
Highway to take him to the hospital. She in the meantime had called 9-1-1
and police responded.
She pulled over to wave to police to tell
them that I was stabbed and she was taking me to the hospital, and the
police would not let us proceed, Crush said. They tried to get me to sit
down in an uncomfortable position when I had a gash in my side.
According to Press Information Officer Paul
Wolcott, police were called to the scene and officers detained Crush there
to determine the situation.
Paramedics responded and attempted to
treat the victim, stated Wolcott. The officer has an obligation to
determine if a crime occurred, if the person he is contacting is a victim or
a suspect. If he is a victim, where is the suspect? If he is a suspect,
where is his victim? The officers have to make these determinations. The
paramedics are obligated to treat once they are on scene. Apparently, the
victim was very uncooperative.
Crush said he sustained a cut on the left
side of his body near his rib cage that required 11 stitches, a wound on his
left hand that required seven stitches and a wound on his right elbow that
also required seven stitches.
Crush, 33, said the police handled the
situation in his opinion very poorly and is now in the process of filing a
formal complaint.
The officer actually threatened to arrest
me if I did not get back into the ambulance because I wanted to go to the
hospital right away, said Crush. Once I was in the back of the ambulance,
my girlfriend didn't even have a chance to speak with me about the extent of
my injuries because when she picked me up she was on the phone with 9-1-1.
They wouldn't let her come and check on me, say anything to me and actually
threatened to take her to jail if she persisted to make eye contact with me.
I felt like no one was really interested in my wishes to obtain professional
medical care at a hospital.
According to Wolcott, Crush was intoxicated
and did not cooperate with officers in their investigation.
When the paramedics are trying to treat a
patient, they need to concentrate on their work and should not have to deal
with the distraction of someone attempting to interfere with the treatment
of the victim, added Wolcott. He was transported to the hospital by the
paramedics. Sometimes, due to the level of intoxication, people aren't able
to make rational decisions.
Crush has walked the route several times
and knows others who walk the area at night.
There are definitely people targeting such
areas where it is dark and near the jogging path, not a real high-traffic
area, said Crush. I will not walk again by myself. I hate to think that
people aren't safe walking around Hermosa Beach at night.
Wolcott said the police have seen no rise
in stabbings or muggings; and also stated that officers do patrol such areas
like Valley Drive, Ardmore Avenue and dark alleyways outside the downtown
during the hours of 2 and 3 a.m. |
|
HBPD receives a
call
of a man with a gun in the area of Park Avenue and Monterey
Boulevard.
The Daily Breeze April 14, 2006
Lights & Sirens
Q: HB Police Activity
At 4 p.m. April 6, I was passing the
intersection of Manhattan and 27th Street in Hermosa Beach. Five or
six Hermosa Beach police cars were blocking a car with two men in it. They had
their hands behind their heads and the officers had their guns drawn and were
shouting orders to the men in the car.
Bette Golik
Hermosa Beach
A:
Hermosa Beach Police officers received a call of a man with a gun in the area of
Park Avenue and Monterey Boulevard, Hermosa Beach Sgt. Paul Wolcutt said. The
man was described as white and wearing a T-Shirt with a skull-and-crossbones
design, he said.
An officer was near 27th Street and Manhattan Avenue around the time
of the call and saw a male appearing to match the description, Wolcutt said.
Officers performed a felony traffic stop, determined he was not the man with the
gun and sent him on his way, Wolcutt said. The man with the gun was never
found, he said.
The Daily Breeze April 12, 2006
Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
2:06 a.m. April 9, 00 block of Pier
Avenue. Police arrested one man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon
for allegedly hitting and kicking the victim, who was taken to a hospital for
treatment. A second man, who may also have hit the victim, left with a third
man. A second victim told police that she was punched while trying to stop the
incident. The second victim said the incident began when she and another woman
were waiting for a taxi, three men were flirting with them and the male victim
asked the men to leave.
Stabbing / Assault With a Deadly Weapon:
2:45 a.m. April 8, Ardmore Avenue and
Fifth Street. A man who police said had an approximate 10-inch cut on his
stomach said he was walking south on Fifth Street when a man walked up behind
him, asked how he was and what was up, then stabbed him and fled. The man said
he then walked to a hotel and called his girlfriend. The report noted that the
victim was uncooperative and initially refused medical treatment.
The Beach
Reporter April 6, 2006
Hermosa Beach Crime watch
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ASSAULT / ATTACK. A man was reportedly assaulted by two men in the 1300
block of Manhattan Avenue April 1 around 2:06 a.m. The man told police
he was with friends at a nearby restaurant and left around 2 a.m. to eat
some food. The victim stayed behind outside the restaurant for unknown
reasons and began to walk north on Manhattan Avenue. The next thing he
remembers is waking up in the hospital. A witness was standing near
Manhattan Avenue and 14th Street looking toward the restaurant located
near the corner of Pier and Manhattan avenues. The witness noticed a
black pickup pull out of the underground parking lot near the
restaurant. Two men got out of the truck, grabbed the victim and threw
him on the ground in the middle of the street. One of the suspects
kicked the man in the face as he fell to the ground and continued to
kick him in the head while he was motionless on the ground. The other
suspect punched him in the face. The witness ran toward the scene and
discovered that the victim was his friend. The suspect ran back to the
truck and began to get inside as the witness followed after them. He
began to write down the license plate number when the suspects got back
out of the truck and looked at him. The suspects got back inside and
drove away, and the victim was transported to a nearby hospital. Doctors
said he suffered small fractures to his sinus area and also sustained a
bump on the back of the head, some bruises and two black eyes.
COLLISION. A woman was reportedly hit by a man riding a bike in the
3500 block of The Strand March 31 at 8:49 a.m. The woman was walking
toward the stairs at 35th Street when she was hit by the bike and fell
to the ground. Police noticed that her face and lip were swollen and she
had a tooth knocked out. The woman also complained of pain in her elbow,
hands and wrists that were used to break her fall. The man said he was
riding north when the woman walked out in front of him. He yelled at her
to move but could not avoid the collision. He hit the woman and landed
in the sand but did not sustain any injuries. He estimated he was going
about 15 mph.
STOLEN CAMERA. A camera valued at $440 was reportedly stolen from
either a car or garage in the 1000 block of Eighth Street March 24 at 10
a.m.
STOLEN MUSIC. An Apple iPod valued at $300 was reportedly stolen from
the center console of a car parked in a driveway in the 800 block of
Seventh Street between March 31 at 11:15 p.m. and April 1 at 11:30 a.m.
The victim believes she left the car unlocked.
CAR VANDAL. A nail was reportedly placed under a tire of a car
belonging to a man living in the 500 block of Prospect Avenue either
April 1 or 2. The victim said he has had nine nails removed from his
tires in the past year, and that his car has also been egged and the
front damaged. He suspects his neighbor who has been accused of
vandalizing another neighbor's car in the past.
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Manhattan Beach crime
watch |
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ARMED ROBBERY. On March 31 at about 12:30 a.m., a man was robbed at
gunpoint near 35th Street and Blanche after parking his car. The victim
parked his car on 35th Street and unloaded several items from the trunk
of his car, including a duffle bag. The victim then started walking
eastbound on 35th Street toward Blanche. He saw a light-colored sedan
drive westbound on 35th Street when he neared the corner of Blanche. He
was approached from behind by the suspect, who pointed a gun at his head
and told him to drop his property on the ground. The victim dropped his
wallet, keys, gym bag and sweatshirt to the ground. The suspect told the
victim to run southbound on Blanche, which the victim did. The suspect
took several of the items. The victim saw the suspect leave in the car,
but did not know if he was also the driver. The victim told police that
he feared for his life.
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Redondo
Beach crime watch |
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ROBBERY. Police reportedly arrested a man April 1 at about 6:30
p.m. who had robbed a car earlier that morning. Undercover officers were
near Artesia Boulevard and Mackay Lane when they saw a subject with
outstanding arrest warrants walking in the area with a companion. As
uniformed officers approached them, the two subjects ran in opposite
directions. The suspect with the warrants was found hiding nearby in a
driveway on Mathews Lane and was taken into custody without incident.
The undercover officers followed the second suspect into a nearby
business and detained him. Officers responding to this call recognized
his description from an auto burglary that had occurred earlier that day
at about 2:30 a.m. on Haynes Lane in central Redondo Beach. The suspect
in that crime was wearing a distinctive sports jersey similar to the one
worn by this suspect, and he matched the other descriptors. Officers
arrested him for suspicion of burglary. Subsequent investigation
resulted in the recovery of property from the early morning burglary. |
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Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach Crime Close-Up. Years 1998 to 2004
Crime Stat Comparison http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HB%20CrimeNews%202006%201.htm
The Beach Reporter - February 3, 2005
Hermosa
Beach
News
Annual police report cites
2004 crime stats (2/3)
By Whitney
Youngs
According to Hermosa Beach's
annual statistical report for 2004, major crime in most categories exhibited a
downward direction compared to 2003, but just like in 2003, there was a
continued upward trend in the category of the number of adults arrested.
According to the report, of the
major crimes reported - murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and auto
theft - the police documented 714 crimes in 2004 compared to 752 crimes reported
in 2003.
"It's always been described to
me over the years that our crime rate is somewhat flat and I think this year's
report is still somewhat characteristic of that," said Hermosa Beach Police
Chief Mike Lavin. "We are up in a few categories, we are down in a few others.
There are no real significant changes."
Police reported no murders this
year compared to one last year while sex crimes declined from 11 cases in 2003
to seven cases in 2004.
The murder reported in 2003 was
that of Hermosa Beach resident Joel Bues, 25, who was killed in his car at the
intersection of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway in March 2003 at
approximately 12:45 a.m.
Bues was shot to death while
driving his BMW, which he pulled up to a red light at the intersection in the
outside left-hand turning lane. Police were never sure if the shooting was a
random act of violence or if Bues knew the suspect.
According to the report,
robbery rose slightly with 20 cases reported in 2004 compared to 13 in 2003.
Assaults increased by only
three cases from 140 in 2003 to 143 in 2004. On the other hand, burglary reports
declined by three cases from 143 in 2003 to 140 in 2004.
Theft, which includes grand and
petty thefts, and auto theft also declined in 2004. In the area of theft, police
reported 388 cases in 2003 compared to 359 in 2004; and in auto thefts, police
had reported 80 in 2002 and 56 in 2003, which are both up from 2004's 45
reported cases. DUI reports also decreased from 285 in 2003 to 164 in 2004.
"I not sure exactly why we have
seen a drop in DUIs," said Lavin. "We still participate with the South Bay DUI
Task Force which deploys every month. In addition to that, we are still out
there doing our own thing."
Police continued arresting more
people this year with 1,388 adults arrested. The figure continues to grow each
year, setting new records in more than a decade. Police arrested 1,315 adults in
2003, which had already constituted the highest number of arrests since 1991.
"I think the large number of
arrests is a result of the activity downtown," added Lavin. "It brings us an
awful lot of business.
I'm not sure if we are
necessarily seeing larger crowds. My impression is that the size is very much
the same over the years. What we are seeing is a very transient crowd - a lot of
different people who are circulating through just in the different people we
arrest. People who are in the area have heard about Hermosa Beach and want to
come check it out."
Juvenile arrests in 2004 were
reported at 20 compared to 28 in 2003.
Police once again reported no
fatal traffic accidents in 2004, 2003 or 2002; and reported 60 injury traffic
accidents in 2004 compared to 88 in 2003. In the downtown area, the Police
Department has had to staff foot patrols in the downtown area virtually every
night of the week, which is an indication that the area has become more active
during the week as well as the weekends.
"It remains busy on the
weekends, in particular, but even now during the week it's busy, busy enough
where we would never staff foot patrols down there at night we are now staffing
them about six nights of the week," explained Lavin.
"We almost have to maintain a
presence down there to kind of keep things under rein. People get intoxicated
and start fighting, and if we weren't down there to stop it, we would see our
misdemeanor batteries escalating into felony assaults with deadly weapons.
Someone could even go to the
point of killing someone else just because they are in a drunken stupor and
they're doing something really stupid. So really one of the real basic missions
of the officers down there is to try and stop those disturbances from getting
out of hand."
The number of police calls for
service decreased this year from 32,241 to 30,215 while the number of
disturbance calls rose from 3,025 to 4,201. The number of parking citations also
increased from 46,800 to 51,137.
Hermosa Beach
Crime Statistics - 1998 to 2004
Criminal Adult Total Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults DUI Citations Arrests For Service Calls
1998 -- 113 17 77
150 562 608 19,951
3,199
2004 -- 140 20 143
164 1,419 1,388 30,215
4,201
Crime Categories That Have
Shown an Increase from 1998 thru 2004
Criminal Adult Total Calls Disturbance
Burglary Robbery Assaults DUI Citations Arrests For Service Calls
Up
Up Up Up Up
Up Up Up
23.9 % 17.6 %
85.7 % 9.3 % 152 %
128 % 51.4 %
31.3 %
Source: The Hermosa Beach Police Department
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