City Manager's Update

City Manager's Update

June 7, 2013

City Manager’s Office

· Cultural Affairs Commission Special Meeting: The City Manager and Assistant City Manager met with the Cultural Affairs Commission on June 5 as part of a Special Meeting of the Commission. The City Manager provided a presentation to the Commission on the state of the City’s finances. He also announced his assignment of the Assistant City Manager to coordinate Cultural Affairs Staffing/Programming from the City Manager’s Office as part of the City Manager’s creation of the Long-Term Plan as directed by the City Council.

Community Development Department

· Zoning Code Text Amendments (ZCA) – ZCA regarding Retail Food Uses, Nonconforming Structures, and Residential Accessory Structures were adopted by the City Council. The Retail Food Use ZCA establishes uses such as a coffee and tea store, bakery, ice cream and yogurt store, donut shop, juice stores, and similar uses a distinct land use separate from a restaurant use. The Residential Accessory Structures ZCA reduces the overall size of allowable residential accessory structures to reduce the possibility that they can be used a separate residential units and to ensure that they are incidental and subordinate to the primary dwelling unit. The Nonconforming Structures ZCA will enable property owners to maintain existing nonconforming conditions, but requires any additions to a nonconforming structure to meet the current requirements relating to building setbacks and height.

Fire Department

· Strike Team Deployment – On June 1 at approximately 11 pm Strike Team XLA1075-A was deployed to the Powerhouse Incident, northeast of Santa Clarita. Culver City sent two engines along with two from Beverly Hills and one from Santa Monica. Additionally, Captain Brian Savage was deployed to this same incident as part of an Incident Management Team. Upon arrival personnel went straight to work as they were assigned to protect structures threatened by the fast moving fire. Fire personnel reported back that none of the structures they were assigned to protect were damaged or destroyed and there were no injuries to personnel. Culver City Fire Department conducted an emergency recall of personnel on Saturday night and backfilled for both of the engines deployed. Personnel were released from the fire and returned to the City on Monday the 3^rd.

· Sidewalk CPR – The week of June 3, 2013 is National CPR Week. Members of the Culver City Fire Department participated in the Los Angeles County EMS Agency’s “Sidewalk CPR.” On June 4 from 10 am to 12 pm personnel set up training sites in front of Fire Station 1 and in the Westfield Mall outside of Target. The public was offered the opportunity to learn hands only CPR. Fire Department personnel were joined by employees from Brotman Medical Center and local volunteers. The event was a huge success with 147 adults and seven kids taking advantage of the training.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

· Senior and Social Services – The Senior Center will offer a Medicare 101 Seminar on Monday, June 24 at 1 pm. New and current Medicare members of any plans are invited to ask questions and get answers about various Medicare issues. All education events at the Center are open to members of the public age 50+.

Are you 50+ and need help with a gadget such as an iPad, Kindle, iPhone, etc.? Feel free to stop by the semiannual iNeed Help With My Gadget workshop on Saturday, June 22 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 at the Culver City Senior Center. Tech-savvy volunteers will be on hand to help you one-on-one with any questions or issues you may be having with an electronic device.

The Wellness Program at the Culver City Senior Center will offer a cooking demonstration with certified dietician Joya Melissa on Friday, June 21 at 1:30 pm in the dining room at the Center. All educational events at the Center are open to members of the public age 50+.

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity this summer? Culver City’s Party in the Park, Fiesta La Ballona, is looking for volunteers to help at this fun, outdoor event taking place August 23, 24 & 25. Service credit for school is given and there are a variety of duties and time frames available. If interested, please visit www.fiestalaballona.org/volunteer to fill out an information form.

The Summer Patio Concert Series began at the Senior Center on Friday, June 14.

· Parks – At Syd Kronenthal Park the new PAR exercise equipment course was installed and is now open to the public. New dynamic equipment replaces the old wooden structures and offers physically challenging exercise options for a full body workout; two new fiberglass basketball backboards and hoops were also installed on the basketball court as part of the citywide upgrades to all the parks basketball courts.

At Fox Hills Park the new playground is 50% complete. The old equipment is gone, the new equipment has been installed, and the ramps and sumps are under construction. The surfacing is scheduled to go in next week. A new adjustable fiberglass basketball backboard and hoop were installed as part of the pilot program to provide youth with basketball courts in the park.

At Culver West Alexander Park, two new fiberglass basketball backboards and hoops were also installed on the courts.

Police Department

· Training Exercise at the Westfield Mall: On May 28 members of the Police Department conducted a joint training exercise dealing with emergency preparedness. The exercise was informative and helps establish a positive working relationship between the police department and the mall’s management team.

· LA County Peace Officers’ Memorial: Members of the Department attended the 44th Annual Los Angeles County Peace Officers’ Memorial held at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Star Center. This event pays tribute to the law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

· Safe Driver Presentation: On May 28 Sergeants Aubrey Kellum, Leon Lopez and SRO Al Casillas attended a presentation at Culver City High. The presentation involved the educating teens about drinking and driving, cell phone laws, reckless driving and the importance of making good decisions while driving.

· Special Olympic Torch Run: On June 3 Officers Garcia, Silva, Hernandez, Baskaron and Salazar all participated in the Special Olympic Torch Run to help support this very important event.

Public Works Department

· Sewer Lining Project Update–As part of the $4 million citywide sewer rehabilitation project, the City’s contractor is scheduled to start relining the sewer line on Braddock Drive from Sawtelle Boulevard to Overland Avenue during the week of June 24. The work on this portion of the project is expected to be completed by the end of August.

· Expo Light Rail Construction Update - Balfour Beatty Joint Ventures (BBJV) will be installing false work for the Venice Boulevard Bridge over Robertson and Venice Boulevards in the City of Los Angeles. Construction crews will erect false work using timber and steel forms as a mold for the cast-in-place concrete bridge that will span Robertson Boulevard and Venice Boulevard.