City Manager’s Office
Beacon Award – Culver City has been recognized with a Beacon Spotlight Award for Agency Energy Savings from the Institute for Local Government. The Beacon recognizes an agency’s holistic approach to addressing climate change. Participating agencies are required to complete five elements to win a Beacon Award:
- Agency Greenhouse Gas Reductions
- Agency Electricity Savings
- Agency Natural Gas Savings
- Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction
- Activities in each of the Institute’s 10 Sustainability Best Practice Areas
Culver City was recognized with a Beacon Spotlight Award for reducing its energy use by 17%. Mayor Jim B. Clarke and Councilmembers Meghan Sahli-Wells and Thomas Small received the award on behalf of the City at the recent annual League of California Cities Conference.
City Clerk’s Office
Election Day, Nov. 8 — Culver City’s municipal election is consolidated with the County of Los Angeles, and voters receive one ballot to vote on city, county and state measures, in addition to determining the next President.
Remember to vote for the city’s following four ballot measures at the end of the ballot.
- Measure CW would establish a parcel tax to protect groundwater supplies, fund infrastructure improvements related to drainage and preserve open space. (Requires two-thirds vote for approval) www.cleanculvercity.com
- Measure CA would amend the City Charter to change authority over the fire chief and police chief from the City Council to the city manager.
- Measure CB would prohibit anyone who has resigned from the City Council from running for the City Council for two years following his/her resignation.
- Measure CD would give the City Council the authority to determine the dates of regular City Council meetings.
For more information, see website.
Fire Dept.
Paramedic Graduation – Congratulations to firefighters Stephen Lovas and Grant Harris on completion of Paramedic School. They participated in the Paramedic Training Institute’s six-month program. The program includes 1,100 hours of work — lectures, labs, hospital based clinical studies, and a field internship.
Wearing Pink – Firefighters continue to wear pink to support those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. Residents may show support by purchasing a Fire Dept. breast cancer awareness T-shirt. Through Mondat, pink tee-shirts in men’s and women’s sizes are available at Fire Station 1, 9600 Culver Blvd. for $15 each. All proceeds will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Halloween Tips – The department offers Halloween safety tips:
- Purchase costumes made of flame resistant or flame retardant material.
- Provide children with glow sticks or flashlights to help them to see and to be seen by drivers. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers.
- Remind children to cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right, and left again before crossing. Walk, do not run across the street.
- Keep decorations well away from all open flames and heat sources.
- It is safest to use a battery-operated candle or glow stick in jack-o’-lanterns.
- When driving, slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween. They may move in unpredictable ways.
More tips at www.culvercity.org/fire.
Great Shake Out – City staff and Culver City schools last week participated with 10.5 million Californians in the Great ShakeOut. At 10:20 a.m., city staff practiced how to drop, cover, and hold on. Staff then evacuated their buildings, taking with them their assigned emergency backpacks. They met in pre-designated places.
CERT Training – Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will offer Refresher Skills Training for Current CERT Members in March at the Fire Dept. training facility. You may sign up for one of the following classes by visiting www.culvercitycert.org/train/refresher-skills-training:
- Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m. to 4 (District 1)
- Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m. to 4. (District 2)
- Saturday, March 25, 9 a.m. to 4 – (District 3)
Training will cover the skills taught in the Basic CERT Training, without lectures. Two Basic CERT Training courses will be offered in 2017— in June and October.
Changing Clocks – Daylight savings time ends Sunday, Nov. 6. The Fire Dept. reminds residents to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the manufacturer’s date of on the back of the alarm. Know how old all of the smoke alarms are in your home.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.
Volunteer Opportunities – There are many upcoming volunteer opportunities. Contact Jill Thomsen in the volunteer office at 310.253.6722 or at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org. Habitat for Humanity has a project build in Culver City scheduled for February. For those interested in volunteering, Habitat has an online sign-up process. Minimum age is 16. The online process takes15 minutes. Habitat for Humanity will host an outreach meeting on Thursday from 1 to 2:30 at the Culver City Presbyterian Church, 11269 W. Washington Blvd., at the intersection of Globe Avenue.
Vets Auditorium Rental – The School District will present its annual performances and events in the Vets Auditorium while the Robert Frost Auditorium is renovated. First will be Thursday evening’s Fall Music Concert presented by Culver City High School’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) at 7 o’clock. http://www.avpa.org.
Parks-Rec Commission Highlights from Oct. 12 – The Commission:
- Received updates from the Ad Hoc Subcommittees and representative appointees to various outside Associations and City Committees;
- Conducted another in a series of planning discussions regarding Community Conversations – Topic No. 7, which has a new working title, “Growing Up in, or Attending School in Culver City: A Continuing Conversation on Culture and Race,” is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 7.
- Reviewed and made recommendations regarding upcoming agenda items to be considered by the Commission and its Ad Hoc Subcommittees; and 4) Adj
Police Dept.
Coffee with a Cop – The department hosted a “Coffee with a Cop” community event at the new Starbucks, 6150 Slauson Ave. The event was a success, attended by community members as well as by Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells. Plenty of officers were present. They exchanged ideas about law enforcement with attendees.
Neighborhood Watch – Lt. Sam Agaiby attended this month’s Fox Hills Neighborhood Watch meeting at the New Song Church L.A., 5875 Green Valley Circle. Lt. Agaiby spoke about current crime trends, safety tips, as well as the ways the department reaches out to the community for the sake of building trust and friendly partnerships.
Safe Routes to School – Officers are participating in the annual “Safe Routes to School Program” last week and thus week. The program helps educate students on the enforcement of the rules of the road for pedestrians and bicyclists around all schools within the School District. The goal is to promote traffic safety for students that walk, bicycle and roll to and from school.
Public Works Dept.
Future Grant Funding — Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells (representing the Westside Cities Council of Governments as alternate board member) and staff attended last week’s Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission Governing Board meeting. Bay Restoration staff presented its recommendations for project award for this current (and last) round of Prop. 84 projects.
The latest round was for half of the above amount allocated to the Commission, $9 million. Ten qualifying projects totaling requests for over $17 million were submitted. Of these 10, five were recommended for funding including Culver City’s Culver Boulevard Infiltration/Retention Regional Project at a funding level of $3.3 million. After hearing the Bay Restoration staff report, the Board unanimously approved staff’s recommendations — meaning that Culver City’s project is now recommended to the State Board for funding. The final decision will be up to the State Board, but the city is optimistic. The city should have final word in a month. (Prop. 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 was approved by California voters on Nov. 7, 2006. It allocates $90 million to the state Water Resources Control Board for coastal water quality improvement projects. Of the $90 million, $18 million was made available to the Bay Restoration Commission for projects that protect the Santa Monica Bay and coastal waters.)
Urban Forest Master Plan Award – Culver City’s Urban Forest Master Plan won a merit award recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects – Southern California Chapter. The Master Plan was submitted by the city’s consultant on the project, Artecho, on behalf of the city. Since being adopted by the City Council on March 28, this is the second Master Plan award. On Aug. 10, the city received recognition from the California Urban Forests Council under the category “Astounding Urban Forestry Project Award”.
Transportation Dept.
Sustainability Week — Santa Monica College celebrated Sustainability Week last week. Last Tuesday, the Transportation Dept. participated in a Sustainability Resource Fair. Two-thirds of SMC students get to campus by alternative modes. They know that a bus, train, carpool, bike or walk saves money and reduces the stress of driving and parking. The Transportation Dept. encouraged students to take transit as a truly sustainable way to get around. Staff was on hand to answer questions and pass out information to attendees curious about Culver CityBus routes and services.
Job Fair – Last Friday, the department joined Human Resources to participate in the fourth annual Fall Classic Hiring Spree. Los Angeles City College hosted 5,000 job seekers and employers. Staff was on hand to answer questions and pass out information.
California Highway Patrol Inspection – The department passed the rigorous, important CHP inspections for the 26th consecutive year. The CHP annually inspects the transit bus and paratransit bus fleet for technical deficiencies, operational safety, maintenance records, operator time cards, DMV Pull notices and the drug & alcohol programs for compliance over a three-day period. A Bi-Annual Inspection of Terminal is also performed for the refuse vehicle fleet inspecting the same criteria as the transit bus fleet. However, due to the long record of compliance, CHP performed an inspection of records.
Special acknowledgement goes to Fleet Services Supervisor, Dean Familton, Fleet Services Supervisor, Andy Eckert, Transit Operations Manager, Samantha Blackshire, Human Resources analyst, Amy Webber and Administrative Secretary Teri Calandrino.
Centennial TAP Cards — Centennial TAP cards (Transit Access Pass) cards are available for $2 at two physical sales locations, City Hall or Transportation offices.
Mr. Nachbar, the city manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org
