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. 35 - August 30, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Weekend
Forecast
ESPD at Spirit Ride Ceremony
El Segundo Police Department Officer Casey Perkinson and Cadet Michael Drohan attended the Spirit Ride ceremony at Wilson Park in Torrance last Friday to raise awareness for first responders and
roadside assistance personnel who have died trying to make the roads safer. Photo: ESPD
El Segundo School Board Meets Prior
to First Day on District Campuses
By Duane Plank
Tuesday evening’s meeting of the El
Segundo School Board, the first regularly
scheduled meeting since July 10, featured
a 15-minute presentation by Alex Parslow,
principal at the firm AB Architects. Parslow
gave the Board an overview of the state
school facility program (SFP), a program
that El Segundo Unified School Disttrict may
be able to leverage to help defray costs as it
seeks to implement components of the Long-
Range Facilities Master Plan. (LRFMP).
On Jan. 23, the Board authorized the District
to enter into an agreement to evaluate
potential eligibility to receive state funds for
modernizing school facilities and perform an
initial assessment of the possibility of receiving
additional funds to be applied towards
modernization. Parslow shared her findings
and advised the members of perceived next
steps in the planning process as the Board
ponders funding options, including this
November’s $92-million bond ask. Parslow,
and PB Architects, will continue to act as
the District’s agent as the SFP application
process moves forward. Parslow said the
District should get its application paperwork
in as soon as possible, mentioning a late
spring 2019 timeframe to get the District
in “queue” for available funding.
For more than 20 years, Parslow has
advocated for school districts in helping
them secure a gamut of services -- including
master planning, asset management,
funding programs and construction. She
Calendar of Events.............2
Community Briefs...............2
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................9
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................5
Legals............................ 10,11
Letters...................................2
Real Estate..................7-9,12
Sports....................................3
Council Gets More Department
Head Requests for Next Budget
By Brian Simon
The El Segundo City Council’s second budget
study session featured funding requests from
the remaining eight department heads, as the
five elected officials consider how to allocate a
$6.84 million surplus for the upcoming fiscal
year. The Council members will go over each line
item and make final decisions on what to allocate
at next week’s meeting. The group will
normally adopt the 2018/19 budget on Sept. 18.
Capital improvements, an employee engagement
program, payment to the Section 115 pension trust
fund, and pay-down of CalPERS unfunded liability
are other options for spending the surplus.
Personnel vacancies – up to 39 full-time
positions from 34 just a month ago – are
one of the key reasons for the hefty sum of
additional dollars in the City of El Segundo’s
coffers. Though Finance Director Joe Lillio
reported that there are “a lot of recruitments
in the pipeline” to fill some of those openings,
offsets will occur due to expected “fresh
retirements” by the end of the calendar year.
Continuing from his presentation to the
Council last month, Information Systems
Department Director Charles Mallory asked
for $241,850 to bring in consultants needed to
complete 21 projects in the pipeline. Without
this help, he explained, projects will have to
be put on hold. Mallory also hopes to get
funding to convert a current intern position to
Administrative Specialist (costing an additional
$66,290). Mayor Drew Boyles and Mayor Pro
Tem Carol Pirsztuk were hesitant to approve
the admin hire, as they thought it may be wise
to wait for the project completions to see if
eventual efficiencies achieved may end up
shifting other people’s roles.
Economic Development Manager Barbara
Voss discussed a new citywide communications
plan (price tag of $75,000 to be covered through
salary savings) designed to “increase efficiency,
enhance employee engagement and improve
city experiences for residents, businesses and
visitors.” She also hopes to upgrade her position
to Deputy City Manager (compensation
uptick of about $20,000 annually). Boyles
described the proposed role as a “gatekeeper
for in-bound and out-bound communication.”
Voss’ wish list includes two new positions:
Communications Management Analyst
($120,000 to $140,000 per year in total
compensation) and Economic Development
Coordinator ($90,000 to $120,000). Considering
the large-dollar ask, Councilmember Scot
Nicol wondered if goals could be accomplished
with just “one of these two humans” and worried
that they would be “the first to go” if the
City has to cut salaries in the next recession.
Others on the Council spoke of the need to
have efficiencies in place before bringing
on such hires. Voss contended that with just
herself and a swamped intern in the office as
of today, she could easily put two full-time
personnel to work tomorrow and keep them
very busy. Boyles suggested using one in a
consultant capacity first before committing to
a full employee scenario.
Fire Chief Chris Donovan would like $106,220
for a fire department accreditation program,
$25,000 to digitalize fire prevention files,
$55,000 for an enhanced wellness program, and
$19,000 for a contract plan checker. However, his
biggest asks won’t require general fund monies:
Replacement of a 25-year-old fire engine
($800,000 coming out of equipment replacement
funds, developers’ fees and state strike
team reimbursements) and a new REMS vehicle
($140,000 out of brush fire responses with state
reimbursement, equipment replacement funds,
See City Council, page 5
See School Board, page 9
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
79˚/68˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
81˚/69˚
Sunday
Partly
Cloudy
79˚/68˚