City Manager’s Bi-Weekly Update to the Community

Fire Dept.

• Holiday Party – The department hosted foster children and their families from the Westside Children’s Center on Dec 12 for a holiday celebration. For a decade, the department has opened the doors of Fire Station 1 to the Westside Children’s Center, which provides thousands of at-risk children and their families with critical, high-quality early education programs, family strengthening interventions, foster care, adoption services, and a range of vital, integrated services intended to help at-risk youth.

• Holiday Safety – Christmas tree safety tips:

1. Clean the tree stand with a cap full of bleach mixed with water. This reduces the growth of organisms that can block the tree’s intake of water.
2. Consider having your tree sprayed with a state fire marshal-approved flame retardant chemical.
3. Check the water level in the stand daily. Refill with lukewarm water. Commercial floral preservatives can be added.
4. Locate the tree away from heat sources (including television sets), being careful not to block exit ways with the tree or rearranged furniture.
5. Use only Underwriters Laboratories-approved miniature- type tree lights to reduce the drying effect. Do not connect more than 200 midget lights together through one string or cord.
6. Check lights before putting them on the tree. Replace sets if bare wires or bulb filaments are exposed, sockets are cracked or broken, or plugs and connectors have loose or missing inserts.
7. After inspecting the lights, place them on a fireproof surface and let them run for 15 minutes. Replace lights that show signs of overheating, such as smoking or melting.
8. Never leave a lighted tree unattended or leave lights on for prolonged periods of time. Turn the lights off and the room heat down when leaving the house or retiring for the night.
9. Remove the tree from the house as soon as possible after Christmas. Never burn a Christmas tree or package wrappings in a fireplace or wood stove.

For more fire safety information, see www.culvercity.org/fire.

Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Dept.

• Holiday Certificate Program – The department partners annually with the Senior Citizens Assn. Holiday Certificate Program that relies solely on community donations for funding, with certificates going to low-income Culver City seniors and families. The holiday season will be brighter for 141 families who received o $7,000 in supermarket food certificates.

• “Scene-iors with Matthew” –This is a creative and fun class at the Senior Center, coordinated by volunteer dynamo Matthew Hoffman. Seniors reenact famous movie scenes “to prove that old is the new young and sometimes the last act is the best,” says Mr. Hoffman. “Scene-iors with Matthew” was recently featured on the com If you want a day brightener, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARPKdehCYUs or visit MatthewHoffman.tv on YouTube.

• Zumba Returns – The Senior Center’s Zumba instructor, Yvonne Griffin Beraldi, used the proceeds from her November and December Senior Center classes to buy toys for the Fire Dept.’s “Spark of Love” Toy Drive. She delivered 23 new toys to the firefighters.

• New Year’s Eve Party – The Senior Center’s New Year’s Eve Party starts at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. Senior Citizens Assn. members may purchase tickets at the Senior Center during business hours.

• Vets Auditorium Rentals – The Vets will be the site of New Year’s Eve events and private parties. Contact the Rental Office at 310.253.6625 or booking@culvercity.org for room reservations.

Public Works Dept.

• Consumption Reduction – In November, City Hall consumed 27 percent less energy compared to October and 15 percent less energy compared to November 2014. The city has been committed to reducing energy use through upgrade projects and participation in savings programs over the past year.

• Recycle Christmas Trees – Every year, 1 million used Christmas trees end up in California landfills. Nationwide, an estimated 15 million used Christmas trees end up in landfills. Recycle trees locally or turn them into mulch for water conservation and weed control in the garden. Reuse branches to make colorful holiday wreaths and separate the pine needles from tree branches to create tree-scented sachet bags. Or, consider an artificial tree or a living tree that can be replanted in the yard.

Multi-family residents should contact the property manager for more information on how best to dispose of trees after the holiday season at your multifamily complex. The city will provide drop-off services at specific locations: Fox Hills Area. Call for exact location.

It is unlawful and a fire hazard to leave unwanted trees at the curb or in the alleys for an extended period of time. Recycle Christmas trees in the green waste bins.

For the Culver City Refuse and Recycling Customer Service Office, call 310.253.6400.

For city of Los Angeles Christmas Tree Recycling see http://www.lacitysan.org/tree-recycle.htm. Residents in unincorporated communities may call 1.888. CLEAN LA between 7 a.m. and 5, Monday through Thursday.

• Alley Grading Project – The alley grading project was completed just in time, before the predicted El Nino storms. The contractor, Terra Pave, removed 18 truckloads of soil/gravel/asphalt shavings in order to regrade the alleys to the final design elevations for drainage. PX300 was mixed with scarified six inches of soil and compacted 95 percent as directed by the manufacturer in the field.

Locations:

1. The north/south and east/west alleys east of Sawtelle Boulevard, west of Globe Avenue, south of 405 Freeway ramps, and north of Washington Place. It is 1,000 feet in length.

2. The north/south alley east of Bentley Avenue, west of Tilden Avenue, south of Venice Boulevard, and 250 north of Matteson Avenue. 250 feet in length.

3. The north/south alley west of Sepulveda Boulevard, north of Washington Place, and south of Matteson Avenue. 350 feet in length.

• Rain Barrel Giveaway Event – This event was a collaboration with the Public Works Environmental Program and Operations, the Rotary Club, The Culver Studios, and the Police Dept. It was a success as a drive-through event, with 370 cars. Participants drove up by car, truck, and bicycle to haul away 55 gallon barrels to collect rainwater.

For information and or register to receive a free rain barrel at West Basin’s upcoming January event in Inglewood, see www.sbesc.com or call the South Bay Environmental Services Center at 310.371.4633. Ask about West Basin’s Rain Barrel Program.

For information about rain barrel rebates offered by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, see http://socalwatersmart.com.

• Water Conservation – Golden State Water Co. personnel are monitoring water usage. They noticed water usage has increased over the past month. Golden State has asked the city to assist in reminding customers we still are in a drought emergency and under state-mandated water use restrictions. Entering winter, reducing water use compared to the same period in 2013 may be more challenging as the percentage of water used for outside irrigation is reduced so more conservation efforts in other areas are required to meet water reduction targets. The city is hoping to improve water conservation to ensure that the community can meet its 16 percent reduction mandated by the state.

• Construction Update:

Transportation Dept.

• Line 4 Extension Opens — Culver CityBus Line 4 has begun Saturday service and extended the route into Playa Vista. The extension was celebrated with a ceremony in Playa Vista. Attendees were given an opportunity to board the bus and staff was available to answer questions about.

Mayor Mehaul O’Leary, joined by Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells, kicked off the celebration by welcoming the guests. “With the Line 4 extension,” he said, “we will provide transportation for the Playa Vista community and connect them to major destinations like Westfield Culver City, the Expo La Cienega station and West Los Angeles College.”

Marc Huffman, vice president of Brookfield Residential, said: “This new service makes it easy to travel. It improves the connection between Playa Vista and the new Expo Line. The more of these transportation options we can offer, the more we can change the way we get around the community, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality.”

Fred Sutton, field deputy, Westchester, Playa Del Rey & Playa Vista, represented Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin. and shared the Council Member’s message: “The more transit options that are available in our neighborhoods, the less traffic-causing single passenger cars there will be clogging our streets.”

The speakers were joined by community stakeholders Steven Rose, President/CEO of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce; Iris Ingram, Vice President of Administrative Services at West Los Angeles College; Don Ziss, General Manager, Westfield Culver City; and Art Ida, Director of Transportation for the city. For additional information, see www.culvercitybus.com.

Access Services –– Access Services, on behalf of the County’s 44 public fixed route operators, will hold two community meetings on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the Vets Auditorium to discuss its new services. From 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Access will explain in English, and from 1:30 to 3 in Spanish. Free rides will be provided. To request special accommodations including braille or sign language, call Access Services’ Customer Service department at least three business days in advance of your meeting at 800.827.0829 or TDD 800.827.1359 or http://accessla.org/home/.

Mr. Nachbar, the city manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org