COMMUNITY SERVICES
Shooting Stars Basketball - All boys and girls with special needs between the ages of 11 and 21 who are interested in playing non-competitive basketball may sign up at Murdy Community Center beginning last Saturday, January 14. Sign-ups continue on a daily basis until the first game day, which is February 4. Every participant will receive a team shirt. All games are played on Saturday afternoons at Murdy. This program is limited to 40 players. The fee is $40 per person.
Senior Services Volunteers - In 2005, 97 Senior Services volunteers delivered 99,179 meals to the homes of 136 (monthly average) qualified Huntington Beach elderly. Meals are delivered each weekday morning and include a breakfast of cereal and milk, a fresh sandwich platter with a side salad, juice and dessert for lunch, and a microwaveable dinner. The meals are provided by the Feedback Foundation; have approximately 1,400 calories; and constitute a low-cholesterol, low-sodium, low-fat diet. A diabetic meal plan is offered upon request. In order to qualify for the Meals to the Home program, a senior must be a resident of Huntington Beach, 60+ years of age, and unable to shop or cook for themselves. As an alternative to receiving home-delivered meals, Senior Services encourages seniors to attend the Rodgers Seniors' Center TLC/Feedback Congregate Lunch Program. A hot lunch is served Monday - Friday at 11:30 a.m. Wheelchair accessible transportation can be provided.
Marine Safety - On January 11 and 12, Marine Safety Officers utilized the Lifeguard Rescue Vessel to assist local and federal authorities in locating blasting caps that were found in Huntington Harbour. Lifeguard Tryouts will be held on Sunday, March 19, at 8 a.m., at Lifeguard Headquarters. Marine Safety statistics for 2005 were as follows: Attendance - 9,069,730; Public Contacts - 317,908; Rescues - 1,262; Preventative Actions - 59,860; Boat Rescues/Passengers on Board/Vessel Value - 13/22/$140,500; Law Enforcement Contacts - 36,640; Medical Aids - 7,365; Lost & Found Persons - 259; Wildlife Calls - 73; Public Education Lectures/# of students - 69/3,046; Drownings - 0. Note, the medical aid total set a new record.
Awards for Community Services - The city of Huntington Beach Community Services Department was recently notified that they will be receiving not one, but two Achievement Awards at the upcoming California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) Conference. The Community Services Department won an Achievement Award in the category of Recreation and Community Services/Youth Development for the Shooting Stars Program, and an Achievement Award in the category of Agency Showcase/Logo for the "Surf City Seniors on the Go" Senior Transportation Program. Representatives from the department will receive the awards at the CPRS banquet on March 19 at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Applications - Completed CDBG applications are due by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7. Applications have been sent to all interested parties and are available online at www.hbbiz.com or by calling 536-5542. Agencies interested in applying for these federal funds to aid low and moderate-income residents may visit the website or call 536-5529 for more information.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Blasting Caps Found in Harbor - On January 11, a Fire Department engine company and a Battalion Chief responded to a call by the Huntington Beach Police Department to the area of Edinger Avenue and Bonaire Circle. A group of divers, hired as part of a state agency grant, discovered six blasting caps in the Long Channel and Midway Channel in Huntington Harbour while doing a survey of algae. Divers from the Orange County Bomb Squad and the Orange County Harbor Patrol also responded and recovered the caps, which were a commercial type as opposed to a military type. The explosive quality of each cap would be similar to that of an M80. There was no immediate threat to any resident or emergency responders. The caps were placed into a protective case and taken to a lab for further investigation. The agencies that formed the unified command, along with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, were the Orange County Harbor Patrol; Huntington Beach Fire Department; Huntington Beach Police Department; Huntington Beach Marine Safety; FBI; Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the U. S. Coast Guard; and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. A press conference was held by the Orange County Sheriff's Department due to the large media presence. The Orange County Sheriff's Department concluded its search, rescue, and recovery operation; however, the Orange County Harbor Patrol continued to patrol the area for several days as a safety and precautionary measure.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Planning Commission Elects New Officers - At the January 10 regular Planning Commission meeting, the Commission held its annual reorganization. Former Vice-Chairman Robert Dingwall was elected as the new Chairman, replacing Steve Ray. John Scandura was elected as the new Vice-Chairman. Congratulations to both of them.
New Administrative Assistant in Planning - The Planning Department is proud to announce the hiring of Cathy Salcedo as the department's new Administrative Assistant. In this position, she will be responsible for preparing Planning Commission agendas, packets, and taking minutes, in addition to serving as the department secretary. Prior to moving to Planning, Cathy worked for the Community Services Department. Welcome Cathy!
The Strand Construction Permits Issued - A long-anticipated new retail, restaurant, and hotel development located downtown has successfully obtained building permits to begin construction. The project, featuring outdoor dining opportunities, public art amenities, underground parking, and a coastal-Mediterranean architecture in several separate buildings, spans both sides of Fifth Street between Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue. All existing underground utilities were previously relocated to the surrounding street system during 2005. CIM Group, the developer, and Bovis Lend Lease, the contractor, intend to begin some demolition, site surveying, and equipment mobilization on January 17. Grading and excavation of the subterranean parking structure is expected to begin in three to four weeks.
Planning Staff to Meet with Wesley Park Residents - Planning staff will meet with interested residents in the Wesley Park area near downtown to discuss development standards and density issues on Tuesday, February 7. All residents in the area will be notified of the meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m., at City Hall in Room B-8.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
New Lateral Officers - On Tuesday, January 17, Chief Small swore in four lateral police officers. The officers all worked for other law enforcement agencies, and we welcome them to our team. The new officers are: Bijan Darvish (Inglewood Police Department), Peter Taichmann (Newport Beach Police Department), Victor Ojeda (Long Beach Police Department), and Shawn Randell (Newport Beach Police Department). Once they complete their training program, all four will be assigned to the Patrol Bureau and will assist in providing quality service to the community.
PUBLIC WORKS
Surface Water Quality Improvements - The city recently completed the installation of 119 trash and debris collection gates inside 87 catch basins in the Huntington Harbour watershed. These gates will prevent trash and debris from entering into the Harbour. Instead of being cleaned by hand, the gates allow the street sweepers to collect the trash through the regular sweeping route. This was the final project funded by a $4 million state Clean Water Act grant. Additional funding was received from the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Over the past two years, the city has installed pollutant separator devices at the 12 storm drain outlets that discharge onto the city's beaches and one outlet that discharges into the Bolsa Chica wetlands. Devices were also installed during the South Beach reconstruction. Other units were placed at discharges outlets to Central Park and the Wintersburg Channel. The combined impact of these upgrades will improve the surface water quality discharged into the ocean, harbor, and channels of Huntington Beach.
Weekly Report Archive 2006 2005 2004
