January 25, 2005
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, are encouraged to sign up at Murdy Community Center as soon as possible. Signups continue until January 29 when evaluation will take place. Every boy and girl participating will receive a team shirt. All of the games will be played on Saturday afternoons at Murdy Community Center located at 7000 Norma Drive.
Huntington Beach Art Center - It was an exciting evening at the Huntington Beach Art Center as over 1,000 guests attended the opening reception for the annual community exhibition, Centered on the Center. An open call non-juried show, Centered on the Center displays the talents of local and regional artists producing in all media. The exhibition is designed salon style with the gallery walls covered from floor to ceiling with 280 works of art, creating a dazzling display of color and imagery. The exhibition will continue through February 20. Please call the Art Center for information at (714) 374-1650.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Waterfront Residential Participation Update - The 78-unit SeaColony portion of the Waterfront project had just one unit remaining unsold as of January 18. The final unit remaining for sale is one of the models. Christopher Homes estimates that the escrows on the remaining units should close before the end of February. Assuming all of the units sell for their contracted sales prices, the Redevelopment Agency's total participation payments from the SeaColony portion of the Waterfront residential should be $10,197,105. The Redevelopment Agency will also be receiving participation payments from the 106-unit SeaCove community being developed by William Lyon Homes as part of the Waterfront residential; however, the participation threshold has not yet been reached.
WOCCA Broker Event - On Thursday, January 27, the West Orange County Cities Association (WOCCA) will host a broker event in Cypress. WOCCA is an organization for Economic Development professionals that promotes the West Orange County sub-region, which includes the cities of Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton, and Westminster. The broker event is an opportunity for cities to showcase industrial projects and develop closer links with the brokerage community. Huntington Beach Business Development staff is very active in WOCCA and has played an integral part in planning the event. We will be displaying pictures of existing industrial businesses in the incredibly successful McDonnell Centre Business Park and keeping brokers abreast of upcoming industrial projects and openings as well as the advantages of locating an industrial business in the city of Huntington Beach.
Public Hearing on Community Needs - The second Public Hearing on Community Needs will be on Thursday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m. at the Oak View Community Center located at 17261 Oak Lane in the gymnasium. The Citizens Participation Advisory Board and members of city staff will be on hand to hear comments from any interested individuals or agencies regarding use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds within the city of Huntington Beach. All are welcome. Please call the Economic Development Department at (714) 536-5542 for additional information.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Certificate of Achievement - Finance has received a congratulatory letter from the GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) submitted for fiscal year ending September 30, 2003. This qualifies the city of Huntington Beach for a "Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting." The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Car Fire Ignites Apartment - On January 20, firefighters responded to a reported car fire on Keelson Lane. While the units were en route, it was upgraded to a full structure fire assignment because a portion of an adjacent apartment building caught fire. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes. Mutual aid was provided by the Fountain Valley Fire Department, which was used to check for fire extension and ventilation. A Building Department inspector was called out to confirm that a heavily charred structural member of the building was safe and intact. The Red Cross also responded to care for a family that was displaced because of heavy smoke damage to their apartment. Although the vehicle and the building sustained $40,000 in damages, the aggressive fire attack by firefighters saved well over $1 million worth of property. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Recently Hired Officers - The Police Department has recently hired three lateral entry (experienced) officers. Jeff Baker comes to us with five years experience from Springfield, Oregon Police Department. Jeff Gasteiger comes to us from the Orange Police Department and has six years experience. Michael Szyperski comes to us from the Newport Beach Police Department and has 14 years experience. We want to welcome them all to HBPD.
Outstanding Investigation - The department's Investigation Unit and Special Investigation Unit have been involved in a major investigation that has lasted several years. The investigation involved identity theft and the compromising of identities of some of our employees, court commissioners, and members of other law enforcement agencies. The ringleader was just recently sentenced to state prison for a very, very long stay. An excellent job was accomplished by members of our department.
PUBLIC WORKS
Street Crews Respond to Storms - As a result of the recent storms, Public Works street crews have been busy repairing a vast number of new potholes throughout the city. Potholes are created when water seeps though the asphalt layer and erodes the base material that supports the street. Between January 4 and 19, crews repaired almost 600 potholes. Over 14 tons of permanent cold patch was applied. On average, one 50-pound bag fills one pothole; however, a large hole at Edinger and Bolsa Chica required 10 bags of material. Permanent cold patch costs $270 a ton and is only used in wet conditions. Once the temporary pothole patches are placed, crews do not immediately return to perform permanent repairs. Permanent repairs are done on an as-needed basis. All of the arterial streets have been reviewed at this time, and any new forming potholes are addressed as necessary. Normally three to four people are assigned to patching potholes, sidewalks, emergency repairs, and hazardous material spills. During adverse weather conditions, all 14 members of the Street Program respond to storm duty to focus on cleaning storm drain grates. They remove obstructions from the street, fill potholes, and handle road closures. The street crew worked 116 hours of storm-related overtime between January 1 and January 14. The city appreciates their dedication and hard work under very adverse conditions.
Weekly Report Archive
Jan 18, 2005
Jan 11, 2005
Jan 05, 2005
Dec 28, 2004
Dec 21, 2004
Dec 14, 2004
Dec 07, 2004
Nov 30, 2004
Nov 23, 2004
Nov 09, 2004
Nov 02, 2004
Oct 26, 2004
Oct 12, 2004
Oct 05, 2004
Sep 28, 2004
Sep 21, 2004
Sep 14, 2004
Sep 07, 2004
Aug 31, 2004
Aug 24, 2004
Aug 17, 2004
Aug 10, 2004
Aug 03, 2004
July 27, 2004
July 20, 2004
July 13, 2004
July 06, 2004
June 29, 2004
June 22, 2004
June 15, 2004
June 08, 2004
May 25, 2004
May 18, 2004
May 11, 2004
May 04, 2004
Apr 27, 2004
Apr 20, 2004
Apr 13, 2004
Apr 06, 2004
Mar 30, 2004
Mar 23, 2004
Mar 16, 2004
Mar 09, 2004
Mar 02, 2004
Feb 24, 2004
Feb 17, 2004
Feb 10, 2004
Feb 03, 2004
Jan 27, 2004
Jan 20, 2004
Jan 13, 2004
Jan 06, 2004
Dec 30, 2003
Dec 23, 2003
Dec 16, 2003
Dec 09, 2003
Dec 02, 2003
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