The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 40 - October 3, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................11
Classifieds..........................10
Community Briefs...............3
Crossword/Sudoku...........10
Entertainment....................11
Fire Safety Corner..............3
Legals.................................8,9
Obituaries.............................2
Real Estate.......................5-7
Sports.................................4,9
Weekend
Forecast
Cross Country Teams Excelling
El Segundo’s winning cross country teams at the Nike XC Invitational. For story see page 4. Photo by Gregg McMullin.
Friday
Sunny
73˚/60˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
77˚/62˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
79˚/63˚
City Council Sets Permit Fees for
Commercial and Self-Haulers
By Brian Simon
The El Segundo City Council on Tuesday
night approved recommended annual permit
fees for commercial/multi-family solid waste
collection and transportation firms to do business
in town. The group also set a yearly fee
for residents who may choose to “self-haul.”
The move stemmed from a June 18 Council
vote to establish a permit process in order
to comply with state mandates. In the past,
the City of El Segundo employed an open
system in which haulers needed only a business
license to operate here. But changes in
state regulations prompted the City to create
a permit program and fill in perceived missing
gaps identified by CalRecycle. Under the new
guidelines, set to go into effect this February,
prospective commercial haulers (serving three
or more units) must apply for a permit costing
$1,866 per year.
In setting the fee, staff looked solely at
recovering the City’s costs for validating application
information, conducting inspections
of the premises and destination facilities,
reviewing services rendered, quarterly and
annual reporting, and periodic monitoring and
reviews. Haulers must reapply for the permit
every 12 months. If denied, they receive a
refund minus a “review application” charge
(of about $306).
While collection at single-family and duplex
dwellings fall under the City’s contract with
EDCO with a $15 per month per unit ($45
quarterly) fee, owners of those properties will
have the option to obtain a self-hauling permit to
do the job themselves. The Council set that fee
at $338 annually, which runs more than paying
EDCO to handle the task. Councilmember Chris
Pimentel found it “illogical” that it is more
expensive to do it yourself than pay an outside
company. However, Public Works Director Ken
Berkman pointed out that the City still needs
to recover costs for validating applications, as
well as inspecting premises and disposal sites,
among other items. “The individual is operating
as a commercial hauler,” he explained, adding
that he has received “zero inquiries” thus far
from anyone clamoring to self-haul.
Councilmember Scot Nicol wondered how
many residents in one- or two-unit properties
have not signed up with EDCO or refused to
pay. Berkman noted that those dwellings are
automatically enrolled and that he hasn’t heard
of anyone trying to skirt the program. Nicol
brought up the case of four vacant properties
that do not produce any solid waste and asked
what would happen if the owners announce
that they do not wish to pay EDCO. Berkman
responded that the ordinance includes a
provision for those with vacant properties to
file a notarized application of exemption that
would preclude them from paying but require
them to alert the City if and when the property
becomes occupied.
Currently, 26 haulers have business licenses
in El Segundo. To get them on board with the
new process, the City’s outreach plan includes
sending a letter/notice to them the first week of
October, November and January; emailing them
the first week of October, November, January and
February; and placing a phone call to them the
first week of November, January and February.
The 2,622 commercial and 1,200 multi-family
property owners in town (who must obtain
their own solid waste services outside of the
City’s contract) will receive letters and emails
in November and January. The City will also
provide related information on its newsletter. It
will additionally contact non-responsive haulers
in December and acquire their customers
list. The following month, the City will get in
touch with customers whose current haulers
decide not to apply for the permit.
Also on Tuesday, City Attorney Mark Hensley
alerted the Council to changes in how street
vendors (specifically food-related) may be
regulated going forward. State legislation that
went into effect earlier this year reduces the
restrictions cities can put on food vendors. In
El Segundo, the City can (if it so chooses)
prohibit stationary food vendors in residential
areas; and prevent stationary and mobile food
vendors from blocking sidewalks as well as
from competing with special events or nonprofit
activities (e.g. Little League, farmers
market, City-sponsored festivities).
As part of the above restrictions, the vendors
in question must leave 48 inches of sidewalk
access per ADA regulations, cannot take up
parking spaces when streets are not closed,
and cannot offer junk food within 300 feet of
a school or sell within 300 feet of a farmers
market or designated event. They also can’t operate
in local parks. Regardless of the revisions,
food vendors still must obtain a City permit
and be licensed to do business in town. They
must also have an LA County health permit.
Realizing the possibility of new kinds of
infractions should the vendors violate local
restrictions, Pimentel asked if the City might
need an additional code enforcement officer
to handle the extra work. City Manager Scott
Mitnick promised to look into the matter.
Meanwhile, the ordinance change will come
back to the Council on Oct. 15 for second
reading and final adoption.
The consent agenda included an agreement
with the City of Hawthorne to use the latter’s
jail facility for the next six months to a year.
Though in favor, Councilmember on Brann
asked to pull the item in hopes of launching
future discussion and a recommendation from
Police Chief Bill Whalen on the future course
of the jail. Nicol wanted further clarification,
fearing that Herald readers might “freak out”
and think that the local jail is moving to Hawthorne.
That is not the case, Whalen assured
those watching. The action is a “stopgap”
move due to a temporary staffing shortage in
El Segundo of Police Service Officers (PSOs)
trained to work in jail facilities. In order to
See City Council, page 9