June 22, 2012
City Manager’s Office
• Metro Expo Line-Culver City Station Opening - Metro officially opened to the public the Culver City Station on Wednesday, June 20th at 12 noon, following a Press Conference at 9 am. City Staff and Volunteers in Patrol acted as Ambassadors at the station to distribute information and assist with way finding. The opening of the station coincided with the Culver City Downtown Business Association’s Third Wednesday "Summer Solstice" evening Happy Hour which featured special offers from participating businesses throughout the downtown area, as well as outdoor entertainment. The events throughout the day and evening were well attended, and the publicity was positive.
• West Coast Documentary and Reality Conference (WESTDOC) - Staff met with event planners for WESTDOC, regarding their event, scheduled to take place September 9-12, 2012 at Pacific Theatres, The Culver Hotel, Town Plaza and possible additional locations in downtown Culver City. Discussion included logistics of use of venues, the special event permit, and promotion of Culver City through its promotional activities and documents. WESTDOC is an industry event focused on providing access, education, and networking opportunities to those in the Documentary and Reality communities and was designated a city-sponsored event by City Council on January 23, 2012.
Community Development Department
• L.A. Spice – A permit has been issued for a new restaurant located at 4357 Sepulveda Boulevard.
• Sovereign Health – A permit has been issued for a tenant improvement at 6167 Bristol Parkway.
• National & Hayden LLP – Plans have been submitted for construction of a new 11,272 square foot office addition to an existing 4 level parking structure at 3540 Hayden Avenue.
• Hayden–Higuera Properties, LLC – Plans have been submitted for a 31,651 square foot tenant improvement at 8600 Hayden Place.
• Building Safety Division - Revenues generated for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 to date, have exceeded $2.5 Million with technology surcharge fees collecting over $120,000.
• Trader Joe’s Lease - On June 11, 2012 the City Council approved a lease with Trader Joe’s that provides the store an expanded storage room in the Ince Parking Structure to accommodate their pallet and stock storage and eliminate the unsightly storage on the right of way.
• The Corner Door - Culver City's latest West Washington AIP restaurant, located next to A-Frame and Waterloo & City on Washington Boulevard is open and features exposed brick, wall-sized windows and expansive bar.
Fire Department
• Sidewalk CPR – On June 7th, members of the Culver City Fire Department and Brotman Hospital participated in the Countywide Sidewalk CPR. The event was held in the patio area adjacent to the Starbucks Coffee at the corner of Washington and Culver Blvd. This free three-hour event was an opportunity to teach members of the public Hands-Only CPR using mannequins provided by the department. Each training session lasted approximately 10 minutes and is not a certification program; it is all about public education. Recent studies show that early recognition and intervention, via compressions, increases the chance of surviving cardiac arrest. Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. During the three hour event, 38 people volunteered to receive instructions.
• Youth Safety and Resource Fair - Members of the Culver City Fire Department participated in the Youth Safety and Resource Fair held at Bunnin Chevrolet on June 10, 2012. The department was invited to participate in this four-hour event by members of State Senator Price’s office. While other event participants were busy providing finger printing for youth ages 3-10 years old, bike and skateboard safety, youth employment and internship opportunities, the Fire Department distributed age appropriate information on fire safety. It was also an opportunity to interact with members of the public, answer questions about the fire service, and talk about the importance of fire safety.
• Recruit Firefighter Training Tower – On Monday June 18th, seven new recruit firefighters began their eight-week training at the Culver City Drill Tower located on Jefferson Blvd. Under the direction of Training Officer Crone and the assistance of all the members of the fire department, the new recruits will be provided a variety of training in areas such as use of self-contained breathing apparatus, hose evolutions, ladders, fire suppression, emergency medical services, vehicle extrication, etc. Once the new recruits complete the eight weeks of training, they will be assigned to a fire station where they will respond to emergency calls for service, participate in daily fire department activities, and continue to train on engine or truck company operations. The seven new recruits were selected amongst a large group of applicants who participated in the testing process.
• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) - The State officially notified Culver City last month that certain properties located in the Culver Crest area are designated as being in a VHFHSZ. This designation is based on fuel loads, topography, and local weather patterns. According to Government Code Sections 51178.5 and 51179 (a through g) the City is required to notify the public of this designation within 30 days of receiving notice and formally adopt a local ordinance designating this area as a VHFHSZ within 120 days. Letters were sent to the affected homeowners on June 15th, and the VHFHSZ map and information were posted on the City’s website. A local ordinance adopting the VHFHSZ will be introduced at a City Council meeting next month. Contact Fire Prevention at 310-253-5925 if you have any questions.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
• Recreation – On June 13th, the Rotary Club of Culver City held its monthly luncheon at the Veterans Memorial Complex and installed the Donor Wall inside the Teen Center, which has gold-colored bricks with donor information on each brick. There are currently over 22 donors on the Donor Wall, with the theme being “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” The Culver City Rotary Club raised $5,425 for the Culver City Teen Center Computer Lab. The Rotary Club has committed to assisting with the upkeep of the computer lab over the next five years by donating supplies and assisting with tech and maintenance on the computers.
There are only a few spots left open in the Teen and Day Camp programs, taking place from June 25th through August 31st. Each week, the campers will go on field trips to enhance their awareness of their community and the surrounding areas. Recreational trips include Magic Mountain, Raging Waters and Knotts Berry Farm. Camp also includes challenging events such as Olympic Day and NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competitions.
The Youth Mentoring Program for at-risk youth received an excellent application response. Youth will be assigned to various City departments to learn about the workforce in a public-service setting, as well as learning the value of dedicated work and earning money. Students will work part-time beginning in July for this 8-week program.
Extra staff will be on hand at Veterans Park and Lindberg Park for the July 4th fireworks show to ensure that the parks stay safe and clean during the holiday extravaganza.
Registration for summer 2012 continues through the month of June, with summer recreation classes starting the week of July 2nd for most classes. New classes and activities being introduced for the summer session include: Pintsize Karate Camp, Monteverde Spanish Immersion Summer Camp, Art for the Very Young, Cooking with Kids, A Little Bit of Everything, Pretty Pretty Princess, Dance to the Beat, Young Rembrandts Art Workshops, Customized Senior Fitness, Yoga for the Teenage Soul, Therapeutic Yoga, and Shotokan Karate for Pre-K.
The PRCS Department, in coordination with the Finance Department, is finalizing its preparations to go live on July 1st with ActiveNet registration, phasing in the new program starting with monthly classes and daily admissions to the Culver City Plunge, followed by ActiveNet registration for afterschool and Teen Center programs in August, with full ActiveNet registration in September for the Fall 2012 Recreation Classes program. Beginning in October, ActiveNet will be phased in for facility reservations for bookings that occur from January 1, 2013 on.
In June, the Culver City Municipal Plunge was the site of six end-of-year pool parties hosted by the CCUSD’s elementary and middle schools. The certified staff at the Plunge provided a safe, welcoming and fun environment to over 650 students of the Culver City United School District.
The Aquatics staff is gearing up for the busy summer season, which officially begins on June 25th. The management team at the Plunge project a 10% increases in programming this summer due to the Olympics.
The Culver City Plunge will be the site of the annual Southern California Public Pool Operators Association lifeguard competition on Sunday, July 29th. The Culver City lifeguards will compete against 250 of the best trained lifesaving professionals in Southern California. Last year, the Culver City Lifeguards brought home the 3rd place trophy.
• Parks – The Parks Division continues to maintain the sports fields at Culver City Park, an area which experiences land subsiding due to its origin as a landfill site, resulting in the shifting of irrigation lines. Two mainline breaks were repaired and 4 remote control valves were replaced due to settling soil. The system is up and running as a result of dedicating additional grounds maintenance staff to the project to assist the irrigation crew with repairs.
During the last two weeks, staff has also conducted irrigation mainline repairs at Blanco Park in preparation for the increased activity that occurs during the summer months.
Police Department
• Albright Avenue New Neighborhood Watch - On June 19th, members of the Department met with community members from Albright Avenue regarding the formation of a new neighborhood watch group. The meeting was held at the Police station and well attended by the area residents.
• Elenda Street New Neighborhood Watch - On June 20th members of the Department met at a residence on Elenda Street to help them start a Neighborhood Watch Program and to discuss current issues related to their neighborhood.
• Light Rail Opening - On June 21, 2012 members of the Police Department and command staff attended the dedication and opening of the new metro light rail line. The event was well attended. Members of the Volunteers in Patrol served as Ambassadors in the evening.
Public Works Department
• Veterans Memorial Building Restrooms - The renovation of the two restrooms adjacent to the stage at the Veterans Memorial Building are on schedule for completion this Thursday, June 21st. The project included replacement of all fixtures, patching /painting of walls and floor tiles, and repairs to the partitions.
• Town Plaza Lion Fountain - Repairs are under way at the Lion Fountain in Town Plaza. The repairs include the replacement of the electrical system that controls the water spray and circulation. Also, the water spray system will be replaced with more reliable components to minimize closures of the fountain.
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