The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 31 - August 1, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................10
Classifieds............................4
Community Briefs...............3
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................6
Legals............................ 10,11
Obituaries.............................2
Police Reports...................11
Real Estate..................7-9,12
Sports....................................5
Weekend
Forecast
Local Soccer More Popular than
Ever After Women’s World Cup
Last week’s AYSO Soccer Camp at Campus El Segundo drew more than a hundred future stars who honed their skills under the tutelage of coaches from the UK, Ireland and Brazil. Photo Provided
by AYSO Region 92.
Council Ponders Reserves Plus
Acacia Pool, Teen Center Projects
By Brian Simon
future and possibly even 20. His presentation
The current state of the City of El Segundo’s
included a list of possible occurrences that
fiscal health at first glance seems positive, with
could help (higher employee vacancies, delayed
a projected $3.6 million general fund budget
recession, PERS investment gains, local
surplus (based on maintaining a 19 percent
tax increases, bolstered economic development)
reserves level) for fiscal year 2019/20. Those
or worsen (PERS investment declines,
monies could go towards much-needed capital
weaker revenue growth, higher annual cost of
improvement projects and various department
living adjustments, staffing increases, pricier
head requests. But the continuing specter of
capital costs, extreme natural event/disaster)
pension obligation, a probable recession and
future forecasting.
predicted structural deficits in coming years
Lillio also summarized upcoming financial
has the El Segundo City Council facing some
decisions for 2019/20, including pension
difficult decisions as it deliberates on how
liability and trust allocations; review of the
to allocate dollars for the short and long
water and sewer business model; cost recovery
term. The group recently convened for its
policy and master fee study reviews; TopGolf
second budget study session of the summer
negotiations; new technology implementation;
and discussed priority capital improvement
land use discussions; continued support of the
projects as well as potentially revamping the
employee engagement program; a possible
City’s general fund reserves policy.
business license tax ballot measure; labor
Finance Director Joseph Lillio reported
negotiations with two remaining bargaining
that leading experts feel a national economic
units; and adoption of a three-year capital
downturn is imminent in the next year or
improvement program (CIP) and infrastructure
two – and he added that such a scenario is
financing.
overdue. However, general consensus is that
Public Works Director Ken Berkman
it will be of a comparatively milder form
presented an overview of the City’s firstever
and not at all like the Great Recession of
three-year CIP, with a list of projects
over a decade ago. And while our state is
totaling $32 million over that period. The
positioned better than in the past due to a
breakdown included items to be paid for
rainy day fund now in place, Lillio warned
outside of the general fund (e.g. water, sewer,
that “California is a lot more volatile” as
sidewalk and street work), others the Council
far as recessionary impacts than much of
previously approved or prioritized during
the country due to reliance on income tax
the strategic planning session, and various
among other factors.
unfunded projects.
Lillio also discussed his plan for longer-term
The biggest topic of discussion centered on
financial planning, with a forecast model he
the Acacia Park rehabilitation that comes with
hopes will cover at least 10 years into the
an already allocated $1.25 million price tag.
While the Council members favor creating a
“new” park at the Acacia site, the question is
whether to still include an additional $300,000
towards revamping the pool. Mayor Drew
Boyles was skeptical, noting that the pool is
underutilized with only summer operations.
More than once, he reminded his colleagues
that allocating funds to the Acacia pool will
mean deferring monies to projects such as
the renovation of the Teen Center (which
has a much larger base of users).
Recreation and Parks Director Meredith
Petit confirmed that during peak usage,
average attendance at Acacia is only three
to four swimmers an hour. In explaining
why the numbers are this low, she noted
that the weather is different at Acacia than
other locations in town because of cooler
marine layer weather that lasts later into
the day. The pool itself is also smaller and
shallower than the one at Hilltop Park and
offers limited parking.
Petit estimated that lifeguard and maintenance
staffing for the pool could run from
$40,000 to $50,000 per summer. If the
Council opts for a revamped pool, the approved
conceptual design will also expand
the deck area, replace the current block wall
with iron fencing for better sight lines from
the outside, and add shade – with each of
these tacking on additional project costs.
Renovation of the pool will also trigger the
need for a new restroom building since the
current facility is not large enough to meet
code. Petit added that even if the pool stays
See City Council, page 9
Friday
Sunny
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Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
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Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
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