Page 14 April 2, 2015 EL SEGUNDO HERALD State of the City from page 2 concessions and performing their duties with fewer coworkers. With the second big idea, Fuentes emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility and the need to control costs, track revenues and develop reserves. “We have a sacred trust to be careful stewards of our taxes and revenues,” she said. Looking at the City’s current financial state, which she warned is only a “point-in-time snapshot,” the Mayor said she is “cautiously optimistic” about the City’s future prospects. She reported that this year’s budget projects “conservative revenue growth over last year for a total of $60.6 million” and that the City was able to proceed with minimal increases in expenses despite expiring employee concession and pension rate hikes. Among the highlights noted, the City Council increased reserves by $1.3 million and expects a total general fund expense budget of $64 million that includes $3 million in capital improvements. The third big idea emphasized the City’s commitment to invest in its infrastructure and brought in examples of long-overdue repair and replacement projects undertaken. The list included replacing 2,000 feet of sewer line, 1,500 feet of water line, and the roofs at City Hall and Park Vista. Other key projects to build a new corporate headquarters and training facility next to Fire Station #2 (Laker President and Governor Jeanie Buss was in attendance at the State of the City). To wrap up the economic development overview, Fuentes announced that Federal Realty is within months of opening The Point—the 115,000 square foot complex south of Plaza El Segundo that will feature a variety of upscale shops and restaurants. Tenants will include Superba, No Rest for Bridget, Athleta, Soul Cycle, Mendocino Farms, North, True Food Kitchen, Lucky and Shophouse. “This project transformed the blighted entry to our city into a world-class shopping destination,” Fuentes said. “The Point reflects the future of this city, creates jobs and provides great places to eat and shop. It is the shopping jewel of the South Bay. Nothing will come close. Nothing.” With the final big idea, Fuentes issued a reminder that “we are good, but we must be better.” To do so, she emphasized the importance of remaining on the cutting edge of technology and services. In that regard, a City Information Systems master planning effort will soon be underway to evaluate hardware, software and staffing in that area. The Mayor also stated the City Council’s commitment to fund repair and replacement of pipes, streets and buildings, and talked of the quest to improve street networks including the extension of Park Place from Plaza El Segundo to Continental Park. She also reported that “the transformation has begun” in Smoky Hollow with plans to look at code simplification, parking 24 Hour Service Since 1990 • Lic # 770059 • C-42 C-36 C-34 C20 A new restaurant (Sausal) across from Rock and Brews in Downtown that will soon be under construction, and various creative office projects underway in Smoky Hollow. She thanked Mar Ventures for completing an office condominium project at the corner of Grand and Kansas and for transforming 1222 Grand, what was “previously considered the worst-looking building on Grand Avenue, into a building so beautiful we can barely remember what it used to look like.” On the hotel side, Fuentes reported the renovation of the Hacienda into two lodging facilities—Aloft and Fairfield Inn & Suites. Two other hotels, Hampton Inn and Cambria Suites are also planned for 888 Sepulveda and Continental Boulevard respectively. East of Sepulveda, the Mayor described a “race to market” on formerly vacant buildings to attract creative office users. Highlights included NSB’s renovation of the building at Utah and Aviation where Kite Pharma will move, as well as the former company’s plan to construct a new office building at Douglas and Utah. Fuentes also touched upon SSV and Invesco’s completed renovation and leasing of four buildings of over a half-million square feet of office space along Park Place and Apollo Street; Marshall Properties’ renovation of the former CSC and Rhythm and Hues campus; and Bixby Land Company’s renovation of the office building at the corner of El Segundo and Continental boulevards. “In addition to being the home of Paolucci, Salling and painting Martin [the City’s public relations firm], this beautiful building is dog-friendly,” Fuentes said. “Well at least it is until Hello Kitty [which recently announced its relocation to El Segundo] moves in… Then we’ll have to ask Sanrio.” The Mayor also noted Montana Avenue Capital’s The Station creative office project at 2201 El Segundo Boulevard; Westport Capital’s PAINTERS PLUS five-building creative office project at the INTERIOR • EXTERIOR PLUS former Trisonic wind tunnel site at Mariposa and Selvy; Mar Ventures’ and Continental Development group’s new elevon 17-building, the burgeoning district. To conclude the program, Fuentes asked attendees to pull out their cell phones and participate in a multiple choice, 10-question quiz covering items from her address to make sure everyone was paying attention. “Just like our fun quiz, El Segundo abounds in positives and we each have our own list of favorites,” she said. “We are privileged to work here, but we mustn’t be satisfied with that. We must continue to pursue the big ideas…” • IMPROVEMENTS • REPAIRS FREE ESTIMATES solutions and marketing opportunities for LOWEST PRICES • GUARANTEED QUALITY mixed-use campus; EVA Airlines’ move 5 YEAR FREE MAINTENANCE SERVING THE BEACH CITIES to Campus El Segundo; and the Lakers’ plan FOR OVER 20 YEARS Crews will also replace 1,500 feet of water line, 4,000 feet of sewer line and water meters. Other projects include upgrading sewer pump stations, connecting the El Segundo Beach restroom/lifeguard facility to a permanent sewer, and improving earthquake resistance at the Downtown fire station. The Mayor pointed to the “human infrastructure” as the most critical element of the City, pointing out that the workforce has decreased from 320 full-time employees pre-recession to today’s 242. Noting the demand growing for services in key departments, she added, “Understanding improved technology allows most businesses to do more with fewer employees, we also recognize the City must increase staffing to meet these demands.” The fourth big idea, that the City is in the business of economic development, emphasized the need to recruit and retain businesses to create jobs. As part of the kick-off for the new branding campaign, the City awarded its inaugural 2014 Champion of Business award to the “El Segundo” Kings hockey team that won a second Stanley Cup last year. Fuentes went on to show a new video representing the City’s economic development efforts and then provided an update on the “100 in 100” campaign to attract at least 100 new businesses to town by the time of the January 2017 Centennial Celebration. “Our current count is 13 [new businesses] and we are confident with our outreach efforts and current construction activity, we will reach this goal,” she said. Other economic development highlights included the revamped ElSegundoBusiness. com website and a series of notable new business openings: Beyond Meat, Infineon, FUHU, Quest Nutrition, 3 Phases Renewables, MAC Cosmetics, Millennium Space Systems, Griffin Capital, and New Improved Media. Of the list, Fuentes noted that Quest Nutrition and FUHU were named the number one and two fastest-growing private companies in 2014 by Inc. Magazine. Fuentes also reported “unprecedented creative handyman BILL’S HOME & APARTMENT MAINTENANCE CONTRACTOR QUALITY at Handyman Prices. 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