EL SEGUNDO HERALD December 29, 2016 Page 13 Year in Review from front page EDAC Chair Drew Boyles and Ed! Foundation Chair Carol Pirsztuk as well former Councilmember Don Brann who returned to the fold after choosing not to run again in 2012. Long-time Councilmember and former Mayor Carl Jacobson retired after two separate 12-year stints. El Segundo voters also overwhelmingly passed Measure B to raise the transient occupancy tax (TOT) levied on hotel guests from eight to 12 percent. The increase still kept El Segundo’s TOT in line with other competing cities, while realizing an estimated $3.2 million in additional annual general fund revenues. After the election, the Council chose Suzanne Fuentes to serve another two years as Mayor. Boyles, the top vote-getter in the election, got the nod as Mayor Pro-Tem. City Clerk Tracy Weaver and City Treasurer Crista Binder ran unopposed and secured their second terms. City Hall: Comings and Goings City Hall saw several department leadership changes this year. Long-time Public Works Director Stephanie Katsouleas left her position in the fall to take on a similar role in Manhattan Beach, with Ken Berkman taking over on interim basis. Joseph Lillio came aboard as the Finance Director in the spring. Police Chief Mitch Tavera announced his retirement, though he will continue to serve in his role on an interim capacity going into the first few months of 2017. Human Resources Director Martha Dijkstra also retired at the end of 2016. The Council voted to establish a new El Segundo Technology Committee to advise the City on technology system, as well as an Arts and Culture Advisory Committee to weigh in on matters of art and culture. Public Safety: Police Department Looks to Grow Identified as perhaps the top local issue of concern to residents and businesses, crime was again a major topic in town as the El Segundo Police Department continued to deal with swelling rates stemming from state legislation (AB109 and Prop 47) that led to more criminals released onto the streets. In May, Chief Tavera provided a rundown of a new staffing model to address the departure of several personnel. A reorganization pulled officers out of various external assignments to deploy them around town and increase uniformed presence. The department also added a fourth beat to focus on recently developed areas such as The Point, elevon and Rosecrans Corridor where crime was on the rise. In the meantime, a wide-spanning recruitment campaign remains in place in order to increase the number of sworn personnel. The Police Department also recently hosted an event addressing the growing problem of coyotes in town—with multiple sightings and various incidents reported such as a dog killed on Loma Vista Street. The City stepped up its disaster preparedness efforts during 2016, with the Council’s decision to allocate funding for a full-time Emergency Services Manager, online publication of a Disaster Preparedness Guide, and reinvigoration of the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program to also include schools and businesses. Quality of Life Issues: RVs, R1, RSI and Marijuana In October, the Council considered a new ordinance to regulate parking of recreational and oversized vehicles on neighborhood streets but ultimately delayed a final vote to January 2017 in order to allow for additional community input. As originally proposed in October, the ordinance would prohibit RV, oversized vehicle and detached trailer parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.; not allow parking of those vehicles within 25 feet of an intersection; and prevent owners from running electrical cords, cables and hoses across or above sidewalks and streets from their vehicle to a nearby property. El Segundo residents would still be able to park these vehicles by going through a registration and permit process, with each permit lasting 24 hours and a max of three consecutive permits at a time to park for up to 72 hours. Residents expressed disapproval with other elements of the suggested ordinance, including stipulations for owners to keep their vehicles within 400 feet of their residences; banning trailer parking altogether; and permit fees viewed as potentially cost-prohibitive. Also this year, the City reviewed standards for two-story homes and second story additions in the R1 (single-family residential) zone. A new R1 Modulation Subcommittee formed made up of members of the City Council and Planning Commission, along with local residents and architects with the task of exploring alternatives to current code regulations. A public forum took place in November, with the Planning Commission weighing in on the matter next. The item will go before the Council in 2017. In the wake of new Federal Aviation Administration rules and revised interpretations of existing regulations, El Segundo’s Residential Sound Insulation (RSI) program stalled out during the year and prompted the City to suspend the program altogether until it can resolve reimbursement issues. Shutting down RSI resulted in layoffs of seven employees. In response to the passage of Proposition 64 on November 8, the City Council passed a 45-day urgency ordinance to ban commercial marijuana activity in town and prohibit business license issuing for cannabis-related endeavors in the community. The Council extended the moratorium another 10 months and 15 days at its December 20 meeting. The Council will seek input from other cities and states as well as community members in the coming months while also waiting to see if the new administration in Washington imposes stricter guidelines. Economic Development: El Segundo Remains Business Hot Spot Companies continued to flock to El Segundo in 2016 and the City was able to realize its goal of attracting 100 businesses to town before the 100th anniversary celebration in January. The Economic Development Advisory Council (EDAC) announced the good news at the September 29 Champions of Business banquet at Vistamar School. The event, featuring LA Rams COO Devin Demoff as keynote speaker, attracted a large number of business leaders and bestowed awards upon Continental Development Corporation President Richard Lundquist (2016 Champion of Business), LA County Supervisor Don Knabve (Lifetime Achievement), Chevron (Philanthropy), and Kite Pharma (Big Idea). In May, Bisnow hosted “The Future of El Segundo 2016” event at the Utah Campus. The event drew hundreds of the region’s top commercial real estate notables. The aforementioned Chevron presented the City with a $185,000 grant in December to bolster the economic development effort. On the new project side, the City Council in August got the rundown on a proposed 1.5-acre, three-building development at the Cozymel’s Mexical Grill location at Continental Park. The plan calls for three restaurants, including outdoor dining, and a bank. Still in the works is Raytheon’s three-phase development on its South Campus to provide commercial and office space as well as warehouse, industrial and retail components. The Hampton Inn & Suites just opened at 888 N. Sepulveda, on the heels of prior debuts of the Aloft El Segundo and Fairfield Inn & Suites at the former Hacienda Hotel site. Coming in early 2017: The Cambria Hotel & Suites. El Segundo continues to be a hub for creative office campuses. Key projects include Gateway El Segundo (300, 360, 390, 400 and 460 N. Sepulveda); 1770 E. Walnut: Insite (2030 E. Maple); Apollo at Rosecrans; The Landing (2040 E. Mariposa); 555 Aviation; 777 Aviation; Utah Avenue Campus (2383 and 2355 Utah); and Trisonic El Segundo (400 Duley Road). Notable new business arrivals included clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Kite Pharma opening a new industrial manufacturing plant in El Segundo, and animation studio House of Moves’ relocating here from Playa Vista. In July, KBR, Inc. acquired Wyle, Inc. for $570 million, with the new entity known as KBRwyle. Bizhaus opened its second location in El Segundo after a lengthy search. Additional newcomers to town included NYX, Guthy-Renker, Aeroject Rocketdyne, eSalon, and Big Block Media. Aquatics Center: Project Gets Funding Boost In early September, the City Council experienced some sticker shock after learning that the estimated costs for the new El Segundo Aquatics Center at the future Wiseburn High School site jumped to $14.5 million-- 40 percent higher compared to just a year before. Updates on design, increased contractor and landscaping costs, inflation and added features were the main reasons for the project price tag rise. The Council authorized a budget of $13.8 million and committed a maximum of $1.8 million in City monies (all from the aquatics fund) towards the total. Wiseburn Unified School District will cover $6 million, with the remaining $6 million pledged by the non-profit entity South Bay Sports, Health & Recreation (led by philanthropist Richard Lundquist, who launched a fundraising campaign targeting major corporation donations). At the last meeting in December, the Council learned that the project cost would likely drop to around $12.5 million—after construction bids came in lower than expected--and through removing certain non-essential components (e.g. diving boards, UV cleaning system) from the project, opting to direct-purchase some items to save contractor mark-up, eliminating a cogeneration unit, and reducing contingency percentages, TopGolf: Due Diligence Continues In November, the City Council agreed to extend the timeline to satisfy the many conditions of the proposed TopGolf development. The due diligence period with project developer CenterCal Properties began February 2, 2016 with an initial expectation to take one year. But it also came with an option to tack on an extra 150 days—deemed necessary in this case to buy more time to fine-tune the design. In May, the Council gave its blessing to the conceptual nine-hole course design recommended by the Golf Course Design Task Force as the most feasible option. The plan modified the original par-4 ninth hole to a lengthy par-3, while also reconfiguring holes three and four, and expanding the short game and putting green practice areas. The Council must still approve the final design in order for the project to proceed. If everything proceeds without a hitch, construction on the course would begin in September 2017 and take six to eight months with a reopening in the spring of 2018. The separate TopGolf facility at the driving range location would take about a year to build. Richmond Street/Downtown: Rehab Wrapped Up Crews completed the long-awaited rehabilitation of the 100-300 blocks of Richmond Street in the early fall. The project included construction of new streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters; installation of pedestrian street lamps; and planting of new strawberry and king palms replacing the removed ficus trees. The three blocks now combine angled and parallel parking. The project ran about a month behind schedule mainly due to delays from replacing an electrical subcontractor. Also in Downtown, the weekly farmer’s market moved from the 400 to 300 block of Main Street and now includes City Hall Plaza in the proceedings. The second El Segundo Art Walk drew crowds to the area on the third Thursdays of June, July and August. The El Segundo Chamber, along with the Automobile Driving Museum, kept the annual car show alive on Main Street after initial announcements that the event would not take place. Imperial Avenue School Site: Housing Community on the Way In October, the City Council gave a thumbs up for a new housing development at the former Imperial Avenue school site—just after escrow closed on a $22.6 million deal (executed in the spring) for El Segundo Unified School District to finally sell the decades-empty land to D.R. Horton, the country’s largest homebuilder. The development will include 34 multi-family units and 24 single-family homes and feature both contemporary and arts and crafts design styles—along with several different color schemes and units such as three-story townhomes as well as a “sevenplex” building. Of the $1 million committed by the developer in direct and community contributions, $500,000 will go to the City’s general fund for any use the Council sees fit. Another $300,000 will cover monitoring costs for the affordable housing component over the next 20 years. D.R. Horton also pledged $100,000 towards the City’s aquatics fund and another $100,000 to the El Segundo Little League to help pay for a new field for the Challenger, Rookie and Single A divisions. El Segundo Unified: Another Successful Year El Segundo Unified School District again posted high academic scores and celebrated the sale of the Imperial school site. Additionally, Segundo High students launched computer science/Internet safety workshops to mentor fourth and fifth graders; graduated its first group of students to complete four years of the Biomedical Science pathway curriculum; participated in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition at Texas A & M University; and also took part in the national “Be Strong” anti-bullying campaign. The High School Zero Robotics Team won MIT’s Zero Robotics ISS Virtual Challenge in January, besting competition from 19 countries. El Segundo Unified published its Long Range Facility Master Plan as a guide for the School Board to use over the next decade, and also joined the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools—one of only 19 districts across the country selected. The District once again participated in Chevron’s Fuel Your School program in the fall. Meanwhile, the Center and Richmond Street campuses garnered 2016 Gold Ribbon School recognition from the State Board of Education. El Segundo Middle School Principal Jack Plotkin became the first El Segundo Unified administrator to receive Middle Grades Principal of the Year (Region 14) honors from the Association of California School Administrators. The Middle School Bulldogs ranked in the top eight percent among 460 competing teams in the CyberPatriot VIII competition. In December, the School Board reconfigured its leadership by selecting Bill Watkins as President, Emilee Layne as Vice President, and Nancy Cobb as Clerk. And in August, the El Segundo Education Foundation (Ed!) announced a $1.3 million grant request to help fund two dozen programs at the four schools. Ed! reported in October that its fall pledge drive exceeded the goal. Aerospace and Chevron: Contracts and Awards In the spring, the U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $1 billion contract for engineering and manufacturing development for Next Generation Janner advanced electronic attack technology. Both development models and test pods will be built in El Segundo. Meanwhile, Boeing announced it will move 1,600 Huntington Beach jobs to LA County over the next four years—with the El Segundo satellite design and manufacturing facility a prime candidate for the positions. Millennium Space Systems received $1.8 million in state tax credits to support expansion, create 200 jobs and increase research and development as well as manufacturing in El Segundo. Also in 2016, Chevron El Segundo won the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association’s 2015 Distinguished Safety Award-Platinum—deeming it the safest refinery in the country. •
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