EL SEGUNDO HERALD February 18, 2016 Page 11 rebates and other incentives to support energy efficiency. Visit energy.gov/savings to find programs that may be available to your business. 3. Pay attention. Take note of the natural energy sources specific to your geographic location. Sun or wind energy technologies may be great money-saving solutions. If the sun sufficiently lights your office or meeting room, make a point of keeping the blinds open and the electric lights off. 4. Look at lighting. Lighting retrofits are a simple and effective solution that do not interrupt regular operations and often offer a short return on investment. 5. Encourage employees. Turning off computers and other office equipment when not in use is an easy way employees can make an impact. These tips can start your business on a journey toward becoming a more efficient and eco-friendly organization. The benefits start at protecting the earth and extend to enhancing the bottom line. • City Council from front page Council Candidates from front page by means of open and clear communication. She also noted that 12 percent of already approved positions remain vacant and felt those should be filled to bolster staffing. Boyles said the City ought to be treated more like a business. He pointed out that of the annual $60 million in general fund revenues, 98.4 percent derives from businesses. He thought the City should be less reactive and more proactive in partnering with the business community to ensure the latter thrives since the resulting revenues drive all the local services. Brann emphasized that public safety tops the list of issues today and more officers ought to be out on the streets to address the increase in crime stemming from recent legislative changes. He called for more police department staffing as well as additional cameras at community entry points and technology such as license plate readers. Fellhauer said the Council could have done a better job last year of educating the public on the impacts of AB 109 that put more criminals on the streets due to prison realignment and Prop 47 that re-categorized some former felonies as misdemeanors. She emphasized that staffing should not only increase in the Police Department, but also the Fire Department--which she indicated does a great deal of work (e.g. inspections and training) with businesses. While granting that “we do need more police” and that the current Council did actually authorize more positions, Atkinson explained that it takes longer (about two years) to bring a new officer into the department since El Segundo has tougher qualification parameters than other cities. At the same time, he warned that with each new hire comes not just salary that the City must pay for, but also additional retirement expenses. He stressed the importance of trying to “slow down the retirement train” and pay police and fire what the City reasonably can. Asked if the City should give additional dollars to El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD), Boyles reported that past annual cash contributions ranged between $250,000 and $750,000 but is currently at zero—though the City subsidizes crossing guards and library staffing. While he said he doesn’t know if any funds are currently available for the City to help, Boyles lamented that El Segundo has fallen behind other communities and should be teaching more technology and foreign languages to stay at the educational forefront and maintain academic leadership. He added that having great schools is what brought him to El Segundo in the first place. Pirsztuk said that realtors confirm the school system is one of the main reasons families move here. She confirmed that local schools need additional money, especially with the Governor’s funding formula reducing the per-child allocation to $8,000 here versus $10,000 elsewhere and that the District had to make up the loss of the City’s $250,000. She also reported that the City and District have lately maintained a collaborative partnership and dialogue that needs to continue. Fellhauer explained that she voted against giving ESUSD money because the City is in a “critical financial bind,” though she would support funding if the City were flush. She reiterated the desire to have more police visible in the streets to allow schools to flourish since kids will feel safe walking to school or to friends’ houses afterwards. Atkinson reported that he recently met with Wiseburn Superintendent Tom Johnstone about a program allowing students from that district and Culver City to go between campuses in order to take courses not available at their own facilities. Atkinson saw this as a great opportunity to enhance educational options for El Segundo Unified. He also mentioned that ESUSD recently sold land for $23 million--and that he would “choose the City over the School District” since there are no schools without the City. Brann confirmed that school support has varied over the years and ranged between $250,000 and $400,000 during his Council tenure (2008-2012). He indicated that schools are doing better now compared to that time and added that he would put City business first and then help schools if there is leftover money to do so depending on the City’s future good fortune. On a related note, a local teacher complained about reduced revenues from filming due to a past Council vote to cut filming days. Fellhauer emphasized that she was not on the Council when that decision was made and is all for bringing back as much filming as possible. “Let’s go back to allowing it,” she said, adding that El Segundo should take the lead in showing it is business-friendly in contrast to the State of California itself. Atkinson issued a reminder that the decision (also before he joined the Council) came as a result of concerns from local property owners and the Council of the time prioritized the rights of citizens above the movie industry. He reported that filming has nonetheless been on the rise as of late and that a recent production at City Hall helped refurbish the Council Chambers. One attendee directed a question on the status of the planned multi-million-dollar pool at the future Wiseburn High School site to Brann since the latter was the long-time superintendent of that district. Brann noted that he has not worked with Wiseburn since 2008, but provided an update that the new high school is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017 with the pool and gym the next phase. He also said he was proud of the current Council for choosing an upgraded pool option with “world-class extras.” Atkinson talked of some structural delays (e.g. moving plumbing underneath) in the process, but said the tentative opening date for the aquatics facility is late 2017/early 2018. Though Wiseburn is kicking in $6 million towards construction, Atkinson said “we need more money.” However, he was hopeful that several large investors will be coming in to contribute to the cause. The facility will include a 54-meter by 50-meter competition pool and 40-meter by 20-meter warm-up pool. Atkinson added that once the new center opens, the goal is then to renovate the existing Plunge. Other attendees wondered if there are talks of another new food market coming to town (nothing in the works, according to Boyle) and if El Segundo has been asked or told to accept refugees for resettlement (a resounding no). Fellhauer and Atkinson confirmed that the City’s arborist makes decisions on what trees get cut down (examples of factors include if the tree has grown too large for its space or if it is damaging sidewalks and sewers), but that residents do have the ability to make an appeal and speak to the Council. • Finance 5 Tips For Businesses To Cut Energy, Save Money (BPT) - Companies across the nation are looking for ways to become more energy efficient, and small and mediumsized businesses (SMBs) are no exception. Reducing energy consumption is one of the top areas where SMB leaders need more guidance - up 14 percent from the previous year, according to the 2015 Cox Conserves Sustainability Survey. Energy costs are among the largest business expenses for any company. Simple conservation efforts will go a long way to lower the power costs of your current operations. “More companies than ever have said they want information on sustainability,” says Cox Enterprises Executive Vice President Alex Taylor. “Our survey showed that some SMBs often find it difficult to make or justify the investment in sustainability programs or prioritize them over other demands and initiatives. From our own experience with the Cox Conserves program, I can confirm that sustainability is as good for our business as it is for the environment.” emphasized that the issue is not about being against medical marijuana—but rather to avoid the ancillary crime that inevitably occurs in and around facilities that sell it. Tavera pointed out that marijuana usage and related offenses take place at or close to these locations in other communities—and didn’t think this potential problem is something El Segundo wants. Looking at background context, Lee explained that California voters approved Prop 215 (known as the Compassionate Use Act) in 1996 that exempted certain patients--such as individuals with cancer or AIDS--from criminal liability if they use marijuana. Additional legislation in 2003 further clarified components of Prop 215. At the same time, neither of the laws actually legalized marijuana in California and it is still otherwise unlawful to cultivate, distribute or possess cannabis. While El Segundo already prohibits all medical marijuana-related activities, the new ordinance adds teeth to the City’s stance. The Planning Commission previously gave its blessing for the ban and the Council will formally adopt the ordinance at its next meeting on March 1. Also on Tuesday, the Council allocated additional grant funds (from Measure R monies) to look at two more crossing options to connect Park Place from Plaza El Segundo to Continental Park. City Manager Greg Carpenter noted that the Park Place Grade Separation and Gap Closure project will help relieve traffic in the Rosecrans and Sepulveda area while also opening up a property between the railroad tracks that is currently landlocked. The Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF tracks stand in the way of the Park Place connection—prompting the City to previously analyze five design alternatives to remedy the issue. Each of these involved moving the tracks in some fashion, but also entailed going over property with contaminated soil—an unwanted impact. The two new options will be added to the environmental impact report (EIR), with staff’s preferred solution to relocate and consolidate the tracks so that only one underpass will need to be built. But to do so will require use of a piece of land not owned by the City and referred to as the Kramer Property. The catch is that the City can’t actually acquire that property until after the EIR is complete—although a third party could potentially step in and facilitate a transfer. A second alternative involves creating a bridge for the Union Pacific tracks and an at-grade (same level) crossing for BNSF. Doing this takes the Kramer Property out of the equation, but may be more expensive. Another complication in the entire process is that the City will also need the blessings of both BNSF and Chevron for any new track alignment. Mayor Pro Tem Carl Jacobson and Councilmember Marie Fellhauer said that the Public Utilities Commission doesn’t typically allocate grant monies to at-grade projects. Carpenter reported that the agency indicated it might to do under certain circumstances, but must assess the environmental data first. Though too early to make any determinations, the City Manager suggested the best current course of action is to move forward with the EIR to see if the new options are feasible. If not, those will be removed from the study. Once the analysis is complete, the Council will select an alternative, certify the EIR and authorize construction and engineering drawings. The item will come back to Council next spring. The Council officially accepted Chevron’s $200,000 donation to bolster the local economic development campaign. Carpenter indicated that the cash will go towards marketing and branding, particularly as it relates to the upcoming City Centennial. Chevron spokesperson Rod Spackman said the company was happy to support the effort and thought that it is “bearing a lot of fruit”—with El Segundo’s recent Most Business-Friendly City award proof in the pudding. The City received similar grants from Chevron for the same amount in 2013 and for $175,000 in 2014. At the beginning of the meeting, the Council welcomed new Police Officer Brian Slover to the force. The 27-year-old, the nephew of Acting Fire Chief Breck Slover, graduated from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Basic Academy on January 15. •
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