The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 107, No. 29 - July 19, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Film Review..........................6
Legals............................ 12,13
Letters...................................3
Pets......................................15
Police Reports.....................3
Real Estate.....................7-11
Sports.............................. 5,11
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
77˚/69˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
76˚/68˚
Sunday
Sunny
79˚/69˚
Park Picnic Area Ready to Roll
The new picnic shelter near Brett Field at Recreation Park is now finished. With the way the weather has been lately, that shade will be a welcome respite from the heat. Photo: El Segundo Recreation and Parks.
Council Wants Resident Help With
Trash Fees, Looks at Bird Scooters
By Brian Simon
implement the fee. Under the arrangement,
Nicol suggested to “meet in the middle” at
During Tuesday night’s El Segundo City
$20 a month will be the maximum base
$10, stating that if residents still say no, then
Council meeting, the group mostly talked
amount but will allow for annual consumer
“we’ll know where our citizen base stands.”
trash and also wondered if they were for the
price index increases over a five-year period.
But Mayor Drew Boyles pointed out
Birds. In the first case, the City’s contract
Councilmember Don Brann voted against
that the latest financial projections indicate
with long-time hauler Republic Services
the Prop 218 process, feeling that past history
the City will face a structural deficit of $2
expires on Halloween and so the Council
in town makes any such effort a lost cause
million in just four years. “We will have to
agreed to go to a request for proposal (RFP)
from the start. “El Segundo voters will approve
raise taxes or reduce expenses, or both,” he
process to consider bids from all interested
taxes that they don’t have to pay,” he said, but
warned… “The picture looks bleak. We need
companies for residential solid waste/green
added that they won’t be receptive to those
to ask our residents to help us along in the
waste collection and recycling. The last trash
that will “hit them personally.” He pointed
process.” In making the motion for the $20/
RFP went out in 2011. The new RFP will
to a prior trial in 2011 with a $10/month ask
month, Boyles reasoned that $5 a week for
include provisions for both automated and
that generated 3,000 dissents. “I’ve seen the
solid waste, recycling and organics is a good
manual weekly collection options for trash,
movie,” Brann added.
deal -- and that if the Prop 218 process fails,
recycling and green waste. It will also cover
Others on the Council briefly considered a
it will do so whether the amount is $20 or
bulky item pick-ups (four per year), holiday
smaller monthly amount. “Seems if we ask
$10. Nicol spoke of the Council making a
tree collection, abandoned items in public
for the whole enchilada, we’re going to be
plea to the public and to “send a message in
right-of-way areas, five City-sponsored events/
back here with nothing,” Councilmember Chris
the Herald article that we need your help to
year, plus outreach and education. Separate
Pimentel said. Then Councilmember Scot
See City Council, page 13
bids will address the two annual bulky item
cleanup weeks and document shredding events.
With new regulations and complexities in
New Director Hopes to Lead
the waste industry, the City’s costs to subsidize
the residential program will rise dramatically.
El Segundo Library Into a New Era
With that in mind, the Council also directed
staff to launch the Proposition 218 protest
By Brian Simon
Melissa McCollum, who joined the City
ballot procedure in hopes residents will agree
The first task at hand when this reporter
of El Segundo last month. She is the
to kick in up to $20 a month to pay for trash
moved to El Segundo back in the mid-1990s
permanent replacement for long-time
pick-up. El Segundo is one of only three cities
was to pick up a library card. And just like
department head Debra Brighton, who
in California (the others are San Diego and
that, El Segundo Public Library quickly
retired in 2017. Senior Librarian Mark
Commerce) that covers the costs of residents’
became the new favorite place to be. Of
Herbert served in the leadership role
solid waste collection and residents here have
course, this was well before the advent of
in an interim capacity while the City
never paid for the service in the past. With
social media, Google and e-books. The past
conducted a search for a new director.
3,981 qualifying dwellings that receive solid
quarter-century has seen major changes
McCollum, whose resume and track record
waste collection, the $20 monthly fee would
in how patrons use libraries. However,
were well-known to City staff due
save the City about $955,000 annually in
they are still vital community hubs. El
to lengthy stints at neighboring libraries,
general fund expenditures.
Segundo Public Library is no exception, as
became the clear-cut choice. And like so
Under Prop 218, the City will send out
it continues to adapt to trends in a rapidly
many before her, the library immediately
ballots to residential property owners who
evolving literary and social landscape to
became one of her favorite places to be as
will have the opportunity to officially file a
provide services to the community.
well. “The building, collection, programs,
“no” response to the proposed increase. If
One of the more notable recent changes
school libraries, customers and staff are
a majority of the parcels do not protest it,
at the library is the arrival of Director
See Melissa McCollum, page 3
then the Council will have the authority to