Lawndale Tribune AND lAwNDAle News The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - July 10, 2014 By Nancy Peters In Lawndale on Monday evening, the City Council met for the first time in the new fiscal year with a balanced budget. For the last seven months, the city has been adjusting to the death of its longtime mayor; governing with a Council that was one member down; and now with a new mayor and one new appointed City Council member, Lawndale appointed a new Planning Commission and new members to most commissions and committees. On Monday, the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee membership was increased to 12 members since there had been 12 people who applied for the 10 positions that had previously been the approved number for this committee. Although the two extra positions are actually filled by virtue of the new resolution, bringing the number of members to 12, there is an opportunity for residents to apply for the two additional positions on the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee. In addition, the Personnel Board was appointed with five members ratified as follows: John Clark and Mercedes Santacruz, both incumbents; and Ryan Hafner, George Pelzl, and Golden Thrower. Other business discussed included the approvals to set the date, hour and place for a public hearing to consider whether to vacate a portion of Osage Avenue between 167th and 168th Streets immediately adjacent to the location of Hogan Park and the 405 Freeway. With the City Council approval now in place, a public hearing will be scheduled and announced through the normal channels. The street would be vacated to accommodate the expansion of Hogan Park, if that expansion is approved. The city of Lawndale has been subsidizing the full payment due when vehicles are legally towed from the streets of the city, which costs $128, by only citing the offending vehicle owner for a $78 citation. The City Council approved an increase to $93 effective immediately and increasing the fine to $128 effective January 1, 2015. The vehicles towed, stored and/or impounded are assessed a fine to compensate for the charges that are incurred by the city for the tow, any storage, and then the impounding of vehicles at a towing company yard. The annual Investment policy was reviewed and approved by the Council, along with the adoption of the government spending limitation and appropriations for the fiscal year 2014- 2015. The Senior Nutrition Program and Case Management Services were approved with the contract services agreements in conjunction with the city of Gardena and the senior case management services provided for that city’s citizens. The William Green Park will have new playground equipment installed as a result of the approval of the construction contract awarded to Malibu Pacific Tennis Courts. Planning Commission staff presented a proposal to allow the minimum dimension of property-front setback parking pads to be 17 feet rather than the 20 feet that currently exists in the Municipal Code; however, the City Council rejected the proposed change by a vote of 4-1, with Council member Daniel Reid casting the dissenting vote. Lieutenant (Lt.) John Hocking from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department presented a report on the illegal fireworks enforcement in the city on Independence Day, July 4. The Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in cooperation with the city of Lawndale, provided flyers at recent community events, at the fireworks booths, on Nixle and social media, on the 405 Freeway electronic billboard, and in the newspaper and The Lawndalian, all warning about the use or possession of illegal fireworks and the consequences of large fines and arrest and jail time. One of the most effective means of communication, which resulted in no illegal activity at these locations, was for Lt. Hocking to personally visit the previous year’s violators at those residences and warn them with the flyers handed to the residents. The holiday patrols included 16 extra deputies on duty in Lawndale, with eight additional cars. These patrols responded to any smoke in backyards or any 911 calls to report illegal fireworks discharge. These responses resulted in 27 citations written at 25 different locations, two felony arrests, and the seizure of 120 lbs. of illegal fireworks, which were handed off to the L.A. County Fire Department. Illegal fireworks were found on every street, in every alley, in open car trunks, and within packages of the Safe and Sane fireworks. Several residents were uncooperative with the deputies and were verbally abusive to them. In these cases, the deputies left the scene after confiscating the visible illegal fireworks, which were purchased outside of Lawndale. Suggestions were made to send a flyer to every resident next year as the July 4th holiday is approaching and to display warning flyers in storefront windows. A few citizens thanked the Sheriff’s Department for their perseverance and diligence in the fireworks matter. The South Los Angeles Station Sheriff’s Department captain who leads the deputies that are law enforcement for Lawndale has been reassigned. Captain Eli Vera was presented a plaque by the City Council in appreciation for his service to the city. His replacement, Captain Ron Williams, was introduced by Lt. Hocking. Captain Williams is a 32-year veteran of the department and a native Angeleno. The next meeting of the Lawndale City Council will be held on Monday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. • “The South Los Angeles Station Sheriff’s Department captain who leads the deputies that are law enforcement for Lawndale has been reassigned.” Inside This Issue Calendar...............................3 Classifieds............................3 Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................4 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Food.......................................5 Legals............................2, 6-7 Police Reports.....................4 Sports....................................8 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 77˚/65˚ Saturday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 79˚/67˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 83˚/69˚ District 37 Senior Little League All-Stars Take Championship Lennox came from behind to top Tri Park 11-9 for the District 37 Senior Little League All-Star championship last Saturday at Jim Thorpe Park in Hawthorne. Lennox is playing in the Section 4 Tournament at Marine Park in Manhattan Beach this week. Photo by Joe Snyder. The City of Lawndale Taking Care of Business in New Fiscal Year
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