City Manager’s Office
Help Group Students – Students from grades 3-6 from the Help Group campus visited City Hall on Sept. 3 for a tour and overview of City Council duties provided by Mayor O’Leary.
Community Development Dept.
J & C Associates – The Building Safety Division has completed a final inspection for a facade remodel, minor interior improvements at common areas, and restroom improvements, including ADA upgrades, at 5839 Green Valley Circle.
Apple/Beats by Dre – The Building Safety Division has issued a permit for an interior office reconfiguration at 8550 Higuera St.
Sprouts Farmers Market – Building plans have been approved for the relocation of equipment and the renovation of the salad bar at 5660 Sepulveda Blvd.
Cannibal – The Building Safety Division has issued a permit for a new restaurant, The Platform, at 8850 Washington Blvd.
Sony Pictures Entertainment – Building plans have been approved for a 7,422-square foot tenant improvement in the mechanical equipment room of the Central Cooling Plant. Building plans were submitted on for a tenant improvement for the eight-story office building. Both projects are at 10202 Washington Blvd.
Juice Served Here – Building plans were approved for a 260-square foot tenant improvement for a new pre-packaged juice store at 8820 Washington Blvd.
18/8 – Building plans were approved for a 1,333-square foot tenant improvement for a new hair salon at 11955 Washington Blvd.
Prinkipia Tea House – Building plans were submitted for a new kiosk at Westfield Culver City.
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream – Building plans were submitted for a new ice cream and coffee shop at 8810 Washington Blvd.
Fire Dept.
Badge Ceremony – The department held a badge pinning ceremony for Derek Still (firefighter/paramedic to Engineer) and Rob Kohlhepp (EMS coordinator/captain to battalion chief). Their families, friends, and colleagues attended to congratulate them on their promotions and participate in the pinning of their new badges.
National Preparedness Month – September is National Preparedness Month. The theme: “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” For more information on National Preparedness Month, visit www.facebook.com/CulverCityFD or www.ready.gov/prepare. Remember to sign up for Nixle, the city’s emergency notification system. To sign up for phone, email, and text alerts, visit www.nixle.com. Or, simply text your zip code to 888777 from your cell phone to receive local alerts through Short Message Service (SMS).
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Rental Operation – The Golden Future Expo returns to Vets Auditorium on Saturday. http://goldenfutureexpos.com/SeniorExpoHomepageLosAngeles.html The Culver City Historical Society invites its members and the community to its first annual Founder’s Day Picnic, celebrating the 98th anniversary of the incorporation of Culver City, on Sunday from 12 noon to 3 at the picnic area in Vets Park. The Archives and Resource Center will be open after lunch, and visitors will be able to view displays and exhibits on local history. See www.CulverCityHistoricalSociety.org/2015picnic. The California Gold Vintage Surf Auction will be at Vets Auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 26. http://www.thevintagesurfauction.com/.
Performing Arts Grant – The Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound presents sound. at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook on Sunday, Sept. 27. This free public concert features new work by acclaimed composer and Fluxus artist Yoshi Wada and his son, composer Tashi Wada. Commissioned by SASSAS and performed with the entire Los Angeles Basin as a backdrop, the concert offers an aural re-imagining of the historically complex hilltop, featuring music for bagpipes, percussion and electronics. http://sassas.org/.
The Crowds – Fiesta La Ballona attracted 30,000 people last month to Vets Park.
Police Dept.
My Brother’s Keeper – City Councilmembers Meghan Sahli-Wells and Jim Clarke, Chief Scott Bixby, Human Resources Director Serena Wright, and the Command Staff attended Los Angeles County’s My Brother’s Keeper reception last week at the California Endowment Center. The event kicked off a one-day conference for President Obama’s initiative to help mentor disadvantaged youth.
Westside Regional Center Training – Lt. Bill Browne provided training for adults with special needs last Thursday. The training was to provide the adults with safety tips and how to interact with police officers.
Public Works Dept.
Water Usage Reduction – The city reduced water usage in July and August by 19 percent in July and August compared to 2013.
For additional information about the city’s water conservation efforts, resources and Level 2 water restrictions, see www.culvercity.org/waterconservation
Culver City Recommended – Last spring, the County Regional Park and Open Space District announced availability of $5 million in grant funds for water quality projects in the Santa Monica Bay watershed as part of the Countywide Competitive Grant Program. Applications for multi-benefit projects that restore and improve Santa Monica Bay by measurably reducing the toxicity of and/or pollutant load in urban runoff to the Bay were given priority.
Through the Public Works Environmental Programs and Operations Division, the city applied for the grant to help fund a regional project proposed to be partially on Costco’s property that would capture, treat/filter, and infiltrate urban runoff and stormwater. A regional project of this scale would result in complete compliance with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit for the section of Culver City in the Marina del Rey watershed.
Public Works has received a letter from the District that the grant application has been recommended for funding in the amount of $767,136.35. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board must approve the project before the funding recommendation is presented to the Board of Directors of the District for final approval.
Zero Waste Effort – The city is committed to a zero waste effort at special events and made a diligent effort to achieve this goal at Fiesta La Ballona. It was a tremendous undertaking that could not have been accomplished without the support of the sponsor, Haynes Building Services, LLC, Environmental Programs and Operations Division staff, and volunteers who assisted in reaching the goal of diverting everything possible.
The final weights in tons for waste at the Fiesta:
- Recycled materials: .98 tons
- Food waste: 1.86 tons
- Trash: 1.54 tons
Ballona Creek Bike Path – For three days last week, the Public Works Maintenance Division coordinated the paintover of graffiti along the trailside embankments and access ramps of the Ballona Creek Bike Path. The graffiti abatement occurred between Duquesne Avenue and National Boulevard. Work was completed by Urban Graffiti Enterprises, which is the same contractor utilized by the County Dept. of Public Works for graffiti abatement within its jurisdiction of Ballona Creek. The contractor will a be performing quarterly abatements after this initial cleanup.
Annual Coastal Cleanup Day – Time to plan for this day of community service on Saturday. Bring family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to participate with the thousands of volunteers around the world in taking a stand against ocean pollution at the Ballona Creek portion in Culver City.
Check in begins at 9 a.m. with a safety talk on what to pick up and how, to get supplies, sunscreen and meet with other volunteers.
Bring the signed waiver. If not, copies will be available for signature. Under age 18 requires parental signature.
http://www.culvercity.org/~/media/Files/Environment/BallonaCreek/2015/2015_Waiver_English_Spanish
Wear comfortable clothes. Closed toe shoes are recommended along with hats or sunglasses to beat the heat and a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Bring your own reusable buckets and gloves to collect trash.
Culver City-hosted registration areas:
- Syd Kronenthal Park (at the bike path entrance)
Host: Echo Horizon School, www.echohorizon.org - Duquesne Avenue (north of Culver City Transportation building)
Host: Culver City Bike Coalition, www.ccbike.org - Overland Avenue (behind the Julian Dixon Library)
Host: Ballona Creek Renaissance, www.BallonaCreek.org - Sepulveda Boulevard (on Bike/Creek path entrance)
Host: Kiwanis Los Angeles - Hetzler Road and Jefferson Boulevard (below Baldwin Hills Overlook)
Host: Culver City EPO and Heal the Bay
Workshop: California Natives – If you are wondering about the right landscape replacement to plant in your lawn area, be at the Dan Patacchia Room, City Hall, at 9:30 Saturday morning. Gardening with California Native plants has many benefits. Your native plant garden can be a seasonal showcase of flowers, seed, fruit and foliage. This class illustrates a wealth of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials and grasses that can ensure color all year long.
About the Teacher: Instructor Lili Singer wears many garden hats, including horticulturist, educator and garden writer. Since 2007, she has been Director of Special Projects and Adult Education at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants, where she has expanded the adult curriculum and coordinated such events as the annual garden tour. She teaches a range of classes, fields horticultural and media queries, and edits and produces promotional materials and written communications. http://theodorepayne.org/
Construction Updates
Clark Builders is widening Wesley Street and reconstructing the curb/gutter and sidewalk on south side of Washington Boulevard between National Boulevard and Wesley Street. The No. 2 eastbound traffic lanes of Washington Boulevard is closed intermittently during construction.
Transportation Dept.
Highway Patrol Inspections – For the 25th consecutive year, the team has once again successfully passed rigorous California Highway Patrol inspections. The CHP annually inspects the transit bus and paratransit bus fleet for technical deficiencies, operational safety, maintenance records, operator time cards, Dept. of Motor Vehicle pull notices and the drug and alcohol programs for compliance. The Employer Pull Notice Program was established to provide employers and regulatory agencies with a means of promoting driver safety through the ongoing review of driver records. A Bi-Annual Inspection of Terminal also was performed for the refuse vehicle fleet, using the same inspection criteria as utilized with the transit bus fleet.
Mr. Nachbar, the city manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org
