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4 cities of the Palos Verdes Peninsula - Mayors' Reports

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Real Estate Agent with Call Realty Company

State of Our Cities: 4 cities, 4 sets of issues discussed at annual event
 
Mostly, things on the Peninsula seem well; each city is reporting fiscal stability, and road and infrastructure projects are moving forward, according to the Peninsula’s four mayors.

Palos Verdes Peninsula Coordinating Council was host to the mayors of Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates, as well as a number of elected city officials and staff, during its annual “State of Our Cities” address on Sept. 22 at the Peninsula Center Library.

While most mayors highlighted the positives in their respective cities, RPV Mayor Tom Long did question his city’s ability to reach its potential.
 
Rancho Palos Verdes [find homes for sale in Rancho Palos Verdes]

Currently embroiled in pension reform, union talk and a heated City Council election, the celebration of any good news seems short-lived in RPV. The city is in line for a $9.4-million state grant for the San Ramon stormwater repair project, and it has a good chance of receiving a matching federal grant. The total would be enough to repair the erosion problem that forces mud and water down the San Ramon Canyon to Palos Verdes Drive South at 25th Street, along the RPV and San Pedro border, each time a heavy rain sets in.

The city also just received a $100,000 grant from the Southern California Association of Governments to work with a planning consultant to develop a Western Avenue Corridor Strategy, a corridor and streetscape revitalization strategy for a two-mile stretch of Western Avenue.

RPV has a balanced budget, a $9-million reserve and a $7.5-million capital improvement reserve, according to Long. The city is receiving significant revenue from Terranea Resort’s transient occupancy tax and its storm-drain user fee.image

Despite all of this, Long said "RPV has fallen short of its potential."

Its facilities and infrastructure are dilapidated and in disrepair, because the city chooses not to spend the money to maintain them.

Many of the city's parks are underutilized and remain "fields of weeds." Any effort to develop parks for skateboarders and dog owners are met with "uncompromising resistance."

Developments, such as the Annenberg Foundation's 51,000-square-foot project in Lower Hesse Park, also are met with resistance.

"The Annenberg Project, supported by most of the residents, was cast aside without a fair hearing of its merits," Long said. Statements made by the "few" vocal opponents to the project were incorrect and misinformed.

The stadium lights project at Peninsula High School was another example of a vocal minority overcoming "weak-willed" politicians to cast aside something beneficial for the community.

These projects failed because residents are fearful of change, Long said, and the community will have to look to the younger generation for the change needed to realized the city’s full potential.

"Positive change is and will always be contentious," he said.

Rolling Hills Estates [find homes for sale in Rolling Hills Estates]

Although RHE has had its share of controversy over development, the City Council moved forward on two projects that have gone through years of review and revision — most notably, the Rolling Hills Covenant Church and the Chandler Ranch/Rolling Hills Country Club expansions.

The city, Mayor Steve Zuckerman said, is especially proud about the Chandler/RHCC project because of its green aspects. It will take the gravel trucks off the roads and close down a toxic facility.

The city is updating ordinances for the horse district and for the parking of over-sized vehicles.image

RHE has received a number of sizeable grants to fund its underground utilities projects, expand its Hawthorne Boulevard resurfacing, update and modernize Ernie Howlett Park’s facilities and to replace its deteriorating iconic three-rail fencing with a durable vinyl fencing product.

It, too, focusing on the budget, reformed its employees’ pension benefits offering the lowest level of benefits to new employees. Council decided to hire a private concessionaire — residents Gil and Doreen Houle — to run the Peter Weber Equestrian Center in hopes of making it profitable.

"We selected a concessionaire with strong community roots," Zuckerman said.

As for council salaries, Zuckerman said they remain the same — zero.

Jokingly he added, "Which is what some residents may think that’s what we’re worth."

Rolling Hills [find homes for sale in Rolling Hills]

With an annual budget of $1.5 million and no sales revenue, Mayor Allen Lay said the economic downturn has had no effect on the gated community of Rolling Hills.

The city's roadways, gates and recreation facilities are maintained by the Rolling Hills Community Association, the city's long-standing homeowners association, relieving the city of the costs. The association, Lay said, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. More than 1,000 people were in attendance for the event.image

Because of its low crime rate, local law enforcement has focused its attention on traffic concerns in the city.

"So don't speed or roll through stop signs," Lay warned.

Prone to fires, city officials have turned their attention toward fire prevention.

"We've focused on moving brush to reduce the fire risk," Lay said, adding that they have strengthened its block captain program to help with prevention efforts.

Overall life behind the gates is peaceful and quiet.

"The fences are still three-rail, all painted white; so that means all is well," Lay said.

Palos Verdes Estates [find homes for sale in Palos Verdes Estates]

Perhaps the biggest change for the city of Palos Verdes Estates this year was the firing of its city manager, Joseph Hoefgen. The decision in June came as a shock to some. No reason was given for his departure other than the City Council did not renew his contract.

Put in his place was Judy Smith, assistant city manager under Hoefgen.

Smith has been with the city for 16 years; prior to that she worked for RHE "before we stole her away," Mayor John Rea said.

The new city manager, he said, is reorganizing staff, shifting duties that were formerly hers. The city will not hire a new assistant city manager in an effort for continued savings.image

The city is on solid financial ground despite economic hard times. It has a $7.2-million surplus. Delaying some of the city's projects, Rea said, allowed officials to take advantage of much-lower construction costs.

Completed projects include a $20-million storm drain update and Bluff Cove stabilization; the landslide underneath Palos Verdes Drive South was pulling away.

"So we got to that at the right time," Rea said.

Staff is now keeping an eye on the Douglas Cut, near Bluff Cove. It's not a landslide but it is eroding.

"There's no easy engineering solution to this one," Rea said.

Currently the City Council is rewriting its Municipal Code, which hasn't been done in 25 years, and looking to upgrade its waste and recycling collection.

PVE has also focused on emergency preparedness, establishing six districts within the city, each with an emergency preparedness locker. The initial cost of the lockers and supplies was $85,000, provided mostly by private donations.

Story By: Mary Scott Peninsula News
Thursday, October 13, 2011 4:24 PM PDT


 
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George Fotion
Call Realty Company
(310) 346-6467
gfotion@emailtreo.com
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