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. 31 - August 2, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Film Review..........................6
Legals............................ 12,13
Obituaries.............................2
Pets......................................15
Police Briefs........................3
Real Estate.....................7-11
Sports....................................5
Weekend
Forecast
Aquatics Center Is Progressing
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the El Segundo Aquatics Center is slated for Saturday, Sept. 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. Here is a recent photo from the Fill the Pool fundraising event last month, showing steady
progress. Photo: Annika Curren with Paolucci Salling & Martin.
City Council Members Take on
Multiple Outside Assignments
By Brian Simon
Though technically considered a “part-time”
position with monthly pay of under $1,000, the
job of El Segundo City Council member entails
many hours outside of just those Tuesday night
public meetings twice a month. The group also
convenes for closed sessions that often run for
hours as well as special meetings (e.g. strategic
planning or budget workshops, joint assemblies
with the Economic Development Advisory
Council). As an example of a particularly
marathon day, on July 17 the Council got together
for a budget study workshop at 2 p.m. It adjourned
Projects Rolling Along to Rebuild
Water System, Improve Boulevard
By Rob McCarthy
Residents have been excusing the dust
and noise from two public works projects
that will improve the water delivery system
and make travel along nearby Hawthorne
Boulevard a smoother ride. The Golden
State Water Project is entering its seventh
week, and the water company has alerted
residents along the 3.3-mile stretch of
pipeline being replaced to expect noise
and traffic obstructions while crews lay
new water pipes through Hawthorne and
Inglewood. The price tag of the project
is estimated at $4.7 million and work is
expected to wrap up by Dec. 1.
Crews are installing PVC pipe, fire hydrants
and other essential water equipment
this summer and fall to upgrade water
delivery to the two communities,
according to a Golden State Water announcement.
The project managers
encourage any residents with concerns or
questions about the construction schedule
or the inconvenience to neighbors to call
Golden State Water.
“Golden State Water appreciates the
community’s patience as it completes
this important project,” it said in a public
announcement before the June 19 start
date. “Any questions or concerns should
be directed to our friendly and knowledgeable
24-hour Customer Service Center at
(800) 999-4033.”
at 4:53, allowing the members all of a
7-minute break until the beginning of their
closed session at 5 p.m. They managed to cram
in a very quick meal before kicking off the
regular 7 p.m. general meeting that ran past 10.
We might not want to know if they then had to
return to a closed session. But who needs sleep?
Meanwhile, citizens regularly see the elected
officials at various community events, Chamber
mixers and ribbon cuttings. The Council
members additionally spend time answering
emails, monitoring social media posts, checking
up on local and regional news, reaching
out to other elected officials in the South Bay
and beyond, taking calls from their constituents
and visiting with residents and business
people in town. Pop into City Hall at any
given time and you will frequently find one
or more Council members mulling about in
the building conversing with a staffer or a
department head. And while no one will ask
them for an autograph (a photo op is more
likely), those on the Council play the part of
“local celebrities” who often get approached
while enjoying a quiet dinner with the family
at a local restaurant. El Segundo is known as
a town where everybody knows everybody.
Doubly so if you’re on the Council.
Add up all those hours and the time commitment
starts to look rather formidable.
However, there is another component of Council
member service rarely recognized. Each of
the five individuals takes on various assignments
as El Segundo’s representative with key
regional agencies and committees. With two
new members elected this past April – Scot
Nicol and Chris Pimentel – the revamped
Council reconfigured those assignments to
absorb the duties that became vacant with the
departures of former Mayor Suzanne Fuentes
and Councilmember Mike Dugan.
Mayor Drew Boyles serves as the Council
delegate for nine different agencies/committees.
A number of these meet on a regular basis
and make decisions that impact El Segundo.
The list includes the City Selection Committee,
Independent Cities Risk Management
Authority, Los Angeles County Sanitation
District 5 & SBC, South Bay Cities Council of
Governments (Board of Directors and Steering
Committee), City/School Affairs Subcommittee,
Disaster Council, Environmental Committee,
Los Angeles County West Vector Control
District and LAX Advocacy Committee.
For the LAX group, Boyles works with the
City’s lobbyist and environmental attorneys,
as well as airport officials and consultants.
In addition to the delegate assignments, he
See City Council, page 13 Friday
Sunny
79˚/67˚
Saturday
Sunny
80˚/67˚
Sunday
Sunny
81˚/69˚
See Projects, page 12