COMMUNITY SERVICES
Surf City Senior Providers Network - On Thursday, October 19, Huntington Beach Senior Services will host the Surf City Senior Providers Network luncheon at Rodgers Seniors' Center from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Kathryn Humphres, President of Medical Regulations Specialists (M.R.S.), will present Important New Medi-Cal Rules. Dilday Brothers Funeral Directors will provide the lunch. The Surf City Senior Providers Network is a forum founded by Huntington Beach Senior Services to address senior issues and concerns, facilitate access to needed services, provide advocacy on behalf of older adults, and improve communication between interested professional and community organizations. Any professional provider of services for seniors is invited to attend. Contact Teri Simonis at 374-1517 for more information or to RSVP.
The Huntington Beach Art Center - Congratulations to the Huntington Beach Art Center for being chosen as the Family Favorite in the category of Art Classes for the Parenting Orange County Best of 2006 Awards. The editors chose the classes at the Huntington Beach Art Center for their focus on fine art, including painting, drawing, installation, new media, and other traditional and nontraditional art forms. The classes are taught by professional exhibiting artists and bring the parents and children of Orange County and our own community something very special. The Art Center is also proud to announce the award of a generous grant from Target in support of two key family programs. A long-time supporter of the Art Center, Target has provided funding for the annual Family Arts Day, scheduled for Sunday, October 22, from 12 - 4 p.m. The event includes visual and performing arts, with under-the-tent workshops and activities taught by professional artists for entire families. Admission is free for children of all ages. Thank you, Target!
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Free Flu Shots as Part of a Pandemic Drill at Golden West College - Due to the increased world-wide threat of an avian influenza pandemic, the city's Emergency Management & Homeland Security Office and the county's Health Care Agency held a joint Point of Dispensing (POD) tabletop exercise on October 3 in preparation for a large-scale medical emergency. A POD is a local community site that is pre-selected and set up temporarily to distribute preventative medications or vaccines to an impacted population during a biological terrorism or pandemic incident. Ninety-five participants from the county, Orange County cities, and other agencies including 20 Huntington Beach employees and volunteers, attended the exercise hosted at Huntington Beach Civic Center. The October 3 exercise is being followed by a field exercise on November 3 at Golden West College. To add realism to the field exercise, the HCA has provided the city with 2,500 flu shots. Huntington Beach residents are invited to participate in the exercise and receive the free flu shots, which, in turn, will help test the medical emergency response plan.
LIBRARY
Starbuck's Corporate Event - The HB Central Library & Cultural Center's Theater & meeting rooms were dressed and ready for the holidays this week when Starbucks brought their Vente Van & merchandise for four days of preparation & events. Dressed as elves & reindeer, the event planners and their staff planned and prepared for two days and conducted two actual days of seminars & team building sessions for the participants. The purpose of the event was similar to our Surf City Adventure this week; to encourage attitudes of excellence and enthusiasm. New merchandise, desserts & confections, holiday sandwiches, in addition to the holiday coffee flavors, were displayed beautifully with the colors of the holiday season and also offered for tasting to the guests. A white skyline complete with snowmen brought the holiday theme to the stage in the Library Theater, where the major portion of the program took place. The area outside the Theater was set with stand-up cocktail tables and holiday red linen, giving the participants an outdoor opportunity prior to the beginning of the program and during breaks. Rooms C & D were also bright with reds, greens, trees with sparkling white lights, candy canes, and holiday CDs playing throughout the luncheon time. A traditional holiday menu was prepared by a caterer in the fully equipped catering kitchen and served buffet style for 220 people each day. It was the perfect event for the Library venue. Remarks heard from the group included "Awesome meeting in an awesome facility." Starbucks has a new corporate office in our city at Beach & Warner. We welcome their commitment to supporting our city by scheduling important events at the Library & Cultural Center.
PLANNING
Parkside Residential (Shea Homes) Update - Last week, Coastal Commission staff indicated that the Parkside Estates residential project (Graham Street) is now tentatively scheduled for January 2007 before the California Coastal Commission. For updated Coastal Commission agenda information, please check their website at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/index.html.
Local Coastal Program Amendment for Waterfront and Pacific City Sites Approved - The California Coastal Commission has approved the city's application to allow a condominium hotel on the third hotel site of the Waterfront property and fractional interest units (longer-term timeshares) on a portion of the Pacific City hotel site. The unanimous approval was granted on October 12.
Flood Information from the Planning Department - As a public service, the city of Huntington Beach continues to provide the following information upon request:
Determine if a property is located within a flood zone (Special Flood Hazard Area) as shown on the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of the city.
Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone, base flood elevation or depth if shown on the FIRM, and exemption from flood insurance requirement based on a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Letter identifying the flood zone based on the FIRM or a LOMR issued by FEMA upon receipt of a processing fee.
A handout on the flood insurance purchase requirement applicable to a mortgage or loan for a property in the Special Flood Hazard Area.
Blank Elevation Certificates to be completed by a licensed architect or engineer who is certified to determine elevations (also available at www.fema.gov).
Completed Elevation Certificates for new buildings constructed since 1995.
Interested parties may call 536-5271 or come to the Planning Department, 3rd floor at City Hall, 2000 Main Street, for assistance. Additional related information is also available at www.fema.gov.
Code Enforcement Technician Schooley Earns Her Badge - On Sunday, October 1, Code Enforcement Technician Kathy Schooley completed her Penal Code Section 832 training and passed her examination. The training encompassed lectures and hands-on activities regarding the legal aspects of law enforcement search and seizure of property, as well as methods of arrest. This training now allows her to issue misdemeanor/criminal citations during the performance of her duties. Kathy was presented her Code Enforcement Officer badge Tuesday, October 3, by Neighborhood Preservation Manager Bill Zylla. Congratulations to Kathy on her accomplishment!
PUBLIC WORKS
Water Transmission Line Project Begins - Work will begin this week on slip lining the 42-inch water transmission main. This project will rehabilitate approximately 3,600 feet of steel pipe built in 1972. This section of pipeline has become an on-going maintenance expense due to recurring leakage. The line is located in a residential area between Springdale Street and Edwards Street, along Hampshire Drive, Hallcroft Lane, and Varsity Drive. To minimize impacts to the residents and to reduce construction time and costs, the 42-inch pipe will be rehabilitated by inserting a smaller 30-inch pipe inside the existing pipe. Hydraulic modeling has determined that the new line will have adequate flow capacity to continue to meet all demands. Slip lining will require much less excavation and time than traditional open-trench methods. The pipeline will only be excavated at the ends to construct push/receive pits. The new pipeline will be pulled into the old pipeline from the pits, and the excavations will be plated in the off hours. Construction time is estimated at 40 working days. Varsity Lane will be closed from Hallcroft Lane to Talbert Avenue for the duration of this project. There are no residences that have access to this closed section of Varsity Lane.
Pavement Project on Yorktown Avenue - Preliminary work for the pavement rehabilitation project will begin October 18. As the project progresses, lane closures will be required between Beach Boulevard and Bushard Street. To avoid delays, alternate routes are suggested during the construction.
Weekly Report Archive 2006 2005 2004
