Community Development Dept.
• 4043 Irving Pl. – This project remains 94 percent complete and within budget. Scheduled for completion next Tuesday.
• 7-Eleven store – The 2,500-square foot store, 4436 Sepulveda Blvd., is open.
• Tilden Terrace – A rooftop screening has been added to both ends of the building.
• Platform Project – Building plans for 8810 Washington Blvd., have been approved for a partial demolition of an existing single story building (Building F), the remodel of an existing parking structure (Building D), and the construction of a new three-story building (Building E). Plans also approved for a 6,040-square foot partial demolition and the remodel of an existing 5,090-square foot, two-story auto repair facility, a single story retail building (Building C) and construction of a new 36,940 square feet, four-story mixed use structure (Building A) to include retail and restaurant on the ground floor, offices on the second, third and fourth floors, while demolishing the existing auto dealership to construct a new mixed-use five-story parking structure (Building B) with retail on the first floor and artist lofts on the third and fourth floors.
• Sony Pictures Entertainment – Building plans have been submitted for the construction of a new 24,163-square foot four-story office building to replace a construction trailer.
Fire Dept.
• Company Evaluations – The department recently completed the annual company evaluations. Every company on every shift was brought down to the Drill Yard and had to perform a variety of tasks to demonstrate their competency and the company’s. Tasks included the donning of personal protective gear, the self-contained breathing apparatus, the personal rope bag, and demonstration of a variety of radio communication features. Lastly, this year’s evaluations focused on the deployment and operation of high-rise firefighting strategy and tactics. All were timed to ensure everyone was meeting department standards and to provide the organization realistic timelines to assist them in actual emergencies. Based on the performances, it was apparent members had been well prepared.
• Party Time – Department members participated in Sony Pictures Entertainment LINKS Children’s Party. The firefighters helped the children make snow globes, talked about fire safety, and handed out firefighter sticker badges.
• Holiday Party – At Sony’s Holiday Party, Sony presented the department with a large number of toys for kids of all ages for the department’s toy drive. Firefighter/paramedic Mauricio Blanco coordinated the collection and distribution of all the toys donated.
• Chili, Isn’t It? – The department hosted a free chili luncheon at Station No. 1 for those attendees who donated a toy. Varied chili recipes from mild to hot, from vegetarian to meaty, were served.
• Our Turn – For more than 10 years, the department has been hosting the Westside Children’s Center Holiday Party for the foster children and their foster families, for more than 40 kids and their families. They enjoyed face painting, coloring, playing in the portable jump-up, meals, a variety of desserts and presents.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.
• Vets Auditorium – The Rental Office will be closed tomorrow, open from 11 to 4 on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Day. See vmc.booking@culvercity.org.
• Pretty Music – The Culver City Chamber Orchestra will present A Night in Vienna, featuring the music of Johann Strauss and Franz Von Suppé, in the Vets Auditorium, 8 o’clock, Saturday, Jan. 4. www.ccchamberorchestra.com.
• You Will See Clearly Now –The Senior Center will offer a new Low Vision Support Group, starting Friday, Jan. 24. Open to anyone with low vision, including macular degeneration, who is seeking support, information and resources, meetings will be on Fridays, 1 to 3, in Room C-71.
• Volunteers – The Senior Center volunteers in the Wednesday Work Project have processed more than a million pieces this year. They meet Wednesday mornings to process mailings for local non-profits. Volunteers also wrap presents, assemble goodie bags, make safety kits and fulfill other needs.
•Record-Setting – The Holiday Certificate Program served its largest amount of clients ever this month. This city partnership with the Senior Citizens Assn., Inc. offers supermarket scrip to eligible low-income families and individuals. This year, 171 households, with 421 members, were served.
• Soup’s On – Through November, the Congregate Meals hot lunch site at the Senior Center served 25,500 meals and delivered 6,600 meals to homes of seniors.
• King Day – “What Did Dr. King Say and What Will We Do?” is the theme of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Senior Center. Keynote speaker is Rev. Michael Beckwith from Agape International. There will be a panel discussion featuring Dr. Scot Brown, Candace Carnicelli, Dr. Kimberly King, and Nana Gyamfi, JD. Doors open at 10:30.
• Worthy Pastime – In partnership with the Common Peace Center for the Advancement of Non-Violence, Teen Center members recently finished a project about non-violence education. Participants will give a presentation at King Day.
• Taking a Plunge – December is among the busiest months at The Plunge for rentals and drop-in admissions because of several pool closures on the Westside. Groups such as Southern California Aquatics, West Hollywood Aquatics, and Team Santa Monica are among the users with the largest rental increases. Surrounding communities have come to rely on the service and dependability of The Plunge during the winter.
• Enhancement Project – December is the kickoff to the Plunge Enhancement Project, a collaborative fundraising effort among the Senior Center Assn., the School District and the Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. The goal: To raise much needed funds to for enriching programs and pool enhancements at The Plunge to improve safety and accessibility. This year, funds were used to recondition the diving blocks and purchase new kickboards, pull-buoys, and several replacement lane lines.
•Training Time – The Aquatics Division will be conducting Adult and Child CPR with first aid to the Recreation staff as part of the department’s yearly training initiative. This will ensure that frontline staff members are able to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a medical emergency.
Police Dept.
• Here Comes Santa – Two weeks ago, members paid visits to less fortunate children to help Santa spread the word to all of the residents to have a Merry Christmas.
• Coffee with a Cop – The department’s first Coffee with a Cop at the new Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf , at Overland Avenue and Washington Boulevard, gave the community a forum to discuss concerns.
Public Works
• Lighting Upgrade Project – The existing high pressure sodium lights at the Watseka Parking Structure has been replaced with more energy efficient induction fixtures resulting in energy savings of 56 percent. The project is similar to the one completed at the City Hall and Cardiff parking structures last year, and it will utilize the same type of induction fixtures. The project is being funded with remaining Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
• Trash Collection – Trash collection will be temporarily suspended tomorrow and on New Year’s Day. Collection will resume the following day with the schedule adjusted by one day.
• Sewer Main Update – The contractor Insituform has completed the rehabilitation of the abandoned 10-inch sewer force main on Braddock Drive, from Sawtelle to Overland Avenue. The reactivated 10-inch main will provide a redundant sewer force main from the city’s Braddock pump station, which serves a large area of Culver City, to the City of Los Angeles’s sewer truck line. In addition, the contractor has installed six miles of Cured in Place Pipe) liner out of the 19 miles of sewer to be lined in this phase of the sewer main rehabilitation project. It is scheduled to be completed by mid-2014.
The citywide sewer main Closed Circuit Television inspection project is ongoing. So far, eight miles of sewer line have been cleaned and inspected. Staff will review each sewer report and use them to prioritize and select sewer lines to be included in next year’s Capital Improvement Program.
• Expo Update – As part of the construction of Phase 2 of the Expo Light Rail Line, work crews from the general contractor, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. and its subcontractor has begun relocation of an existing waterline along Venice Boulevard. The work will continue through Friday, Feb. 10.
Work times:
9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays.
Midnight to 8 a.m., Saturdays.
Work activities will include saw-cutting, asphalt and concrete removal, trench excavation, installation of a new utility line, backfilling and asphalt restoration. Heavy machinery will be used, including excavators/backhoes, front-end loaders and trucks.
Traffic Impacts
1. Eastbound Venice Boulevard will be reduced to one lane between Culver Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard.
2. Left turns onto northbound Robertson Boulevard from eastbound Venice Boulevard will be prohibited. Traffic will be detoured to National Boulevard.
3. Traffic from the eastbound Santa Monica Freeway Robertson Boulevard off-ramp will be detoured onto northbound Robertson. Through traffic across the intersection will not be allowed. Left and right turns onto Venice Boulevard will be prohibited.
4. Northbound Robertson Boulevard traffic, coming from Washington Boulevard, will be detoured onto eastbound Venice Boulevard to National Boulevard. Through traffic to northbound Robertson Boulevard and left turns onto westbound Venice Boulevard will be prohibited.
5. Traffic lanes on westbound Venice Boulevard may be intermittently impacted from Ellis Avenue to just west of Robertson Boulevard.
Transportation
Updated Culver CityBus Schedules –Starting on Monday, Jan. 6, Culver CityBus will:
1. Undergo minor schedule changes on Lines 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7; and,
2. Resume service into West Los Angeles College during the winter session, early January to early February. It will expand the existing summer session schedule (which will also be used for the winter session) to include a few bus trips from Monday through Thursday that presently go into the College during regular fall and spring semesters, to coincide with what will be the College's expanded summer hour schedule. These changes are due to West L.A. College’s re-institution of its winter and summer sessions. The additional bus trips for the summer/winter sessions are within the existing fall and spring schedule parameters. There will be no route changes associated with these changes to the summer/winter schedule.
For more information, http://www.culvercity.org/Government/Transportation/Bus/ServiceAlerts.aspx.
For finalized schedules, see http://www.culvercity.org/Government/Transportation/Bus/BusSchedule.aspx.
Mr. Nachbar, the City Manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org
