The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 7, No. 51 - December 21, 2017 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................9 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................2 Legals....................................8 Pets......................................12 Real Estate...................10-11 Sports....................................5 TerriAnn in Torrance..........6 Weekend Forecast TMMC Annual Holiday Festival Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s 34th Annual Holiday Festival raised more than $2.1 million over its six days, with the additional announcement during the Friday gala of a $22 million gift from Donald and Priscilla Hunt to help fund renovation of the North Patient Tower. The above photo, from the Holiday Festival Fashion Show, features from left to right: Celeste Crandell, Holiday Festival co-chairs Carolyn Snyder and Bev George, and Las Amigas Vice President Michelle Rand. (Photo by Deidre Davidson). Torrance Transit Department to Apply for Capital Repair Funds By Cristian Vasquez Authorized during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting was a recommendation by the Torrance Transit Director Kim Turner to apply for, receive and use State of Good Repair Program Funds being made available by the State. Torrance Transit will use the estimated $188,209 towards the purchase of capital equipment used to support ongoing operations within the department’s duties. In April Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1 into law, which modified the State Transit Assistance Program (STA) in order to provide a new source of monies to transit departments in California. However, to receive the funds each agency had to use the monies for eligible State of Good Repair capital projects. “The State Controller’s Office has notified Torrance Transit that we are eligible to apply for $188,209 for capital-related projects and costs,” said James Lee from the Transit Department. New Laws Passed to End Pay Gap and Harassment in the Workplace By Rob McCarthy South Bay employers next year will be paying more and asking less when the state’s minimum wage rises again and a new law ends the practice of asking prospective employees how much they’ve earned at past jobs. The hike in the minimum hourly wage to $11 is just one of the changes that companies must incorporate into their employment practices in the new year. The state minimum wage is scheduled to increase every year on January 1 until it reaches $15 in 2022. Companies with 26 or more employees must pay $11 per hour, while smaller employers are required to pay $10.50 per hour next year. Employers, particularly food service and retailers, could choose to reduce employees’ hours to lessen the impact of the wage hike on payroll and operating expenses. Economists predicted when passed in 2015, the $15 minimum wage law would hurt employment by forcing business owners to cut staff and hours. The other pay-related change ahead for South Bay companies is AB 168, which the Legislature approved in hopes of narrowing the gender pay gap for women. Employers no longer can ask a job candidate about his or her salary history, and instead must provide a salary range for the position if asked what a position pays. See New Laws, page 3 “Staff wishes to utilize these funds towards our preventative maintenance program, which is an eligible activity under this grant.” The State Transit Assistance State of Good Repair (STASGR) Program is financed through part of the new Transportation Improvement Fee imposed on car registrations. According to the staff report, with just six months worth of revenue in the 2018 Fiscal Year, the State Controller’s Office (SCO) is projecting that STASGR will make $105 million available throughout California, with an estimated $31.6 million going to Los Angeles County. “The funds will be distributed using the STA formula, so municipal transit operators such as Torrance Transit will also receive funding from this program based on annual performance,” states the staff report signed by Turner. “While the funding is formula-driven, all eligible recipients are required to submit to Caltrans a list of capital projects on which they plan to use the funds.” Caltrans issued the official draft for the State of Good Repair Program Guidelines in October. The Council’s approval and signature is required by Caltrans in order to have funds allocated to the Transit Department. Once the list is submitted each project must be approved by Caltrans prior to the SCO releasing the funds. Also approved during Tuesday night’s meeting was a consulting services agreement with BOA Government Services. The agreement worth $46,175 includes a five percent contingency fee ($2,309), and will provide architectural design services for the repair and reconstruction of the hangars at Torrance Airport during a one-year period, from December 19, 2017 to December 18, 2018. Friday See City Council, page 8 Mostly Sunny 63˚/48˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 64˚/50˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 66˚/52˚
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