City Manager's Update

By John Nachbar

City Manager

City Manager’s Office

• Culver City Welcomes Iksan City Mayor – A delegation from Culver City's Sister City of Iksan City, Republic of Korea, including Mayor Park Kyung-chul, recently visited Culver City. On June 5 Mayor Micheál O’Leary greeted the Mayor and gave him a tour of City Hall. The City Council also honored Mayor Kyung-chul at the June 8 City Council Meeting. To learn more about the Culver City Sister City Committee, please go to: http://www.culvercitysistercitycommittee.org/

• Linwood Howe Elementary School Class Visit – On June 5 Linwood Howe Elementary School’s two- 3rd grade classes visited City Hall. The group happened to encounter Mayor O’Leary while he was meeting with the Iksan City Sister City delegation. The Mayor then joined Mate Gaspar, Engineering Services Manager, to conduct a tour of the outside and inside of the Mike Balkman Council Chambers. The tour included a presentation of how and why City Council meetings are conducted and a description of the specific functions of each City Department. The students asked many good questions. Hopefully some of the students were inspired to run for political office, after hearing the Mayor share his childhood dream of being the President of the United States one day. He told the students that he technically can’t be President as he was born in Ireland, but being a City Councilmember is the next best thing!

• Cultural Affairs Foundation - The Cultural Affairs Foundation Board has raised nearly $29,000 in Fiscal Year 2014-15 to support the technical enhancement of the Veterans Memorial Auditorium stage. The funding includes proceeds from the three architectureTALKS and a private foundation grant. For more information about the Cultural Affairs Foundation or to make a donation, please go to http://www.culvercity.org/en/Culture/CulturalAffairsFoundation.aspx

• 4th of July Fireworks Show – The City is a co-sponsor of this year’s 4th of July Fireworks Show, which is presented by the Culver City Exchange Club and will be held at West Los Angeles College. Gates will open at 4 pm. Please visit http://culvercityfireworksshow.com/ for more information about this fun event!

• Culver City's Free Boulevard Music Summer Festival starts July 9. Boulevard Music presents six free concerts on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. from July 9 through August 13 in the palm-lined courtyard of City Hall. Produced by Gary Mandell of Culver City’s Boulevard Music, Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival offers something for everyone.

2015 Lineup

July 9: Latin and Flamenco rhythms with pop/rock/funk and electronic elements from Calé, plus salsa, cumbia, and Latin jazz from Conganas.

July 16: Classic Jazz/Blues with a superb trio of vocalists fronting the George Kahn Jazz & Blues Revue, plus the look and feel of classic 60’s Motown/Soul from Stone Soul.

July 23: Elements of Celtic music, country (western and swing, too), blues, Cajun, Baroque, rock and roll, and more from Hot Lips & Fingertips.

July 30: Hot Jazz and Western Swing from the Hot Club of Cowtown.

Aug 6: Classic Rock with incredible vocals from Venice.

Aug 13: Zydeco music featuring the sounds of Creole from Louisiana and Texas from Bonne Musique Zydeco.

Become an entry level sponsor by purchasing one of the 100 premium reserved seats at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music. For more sponsorship opportunities, please contact Gary Mandell at 310-398-2583 or visit http://www.culvercity.org/Culture/CulturalAffairsFoundation.aspx.

Community Development

• Cedars Sinai Urgent Care - A Final Inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on June 4 for an 8,390 square foot Tenant Improvement for a new Medical office located at 10100 Culver Boulevard.

• Yalla Restaurant - Tenant Improvement plans were approved on June 10 for a new 1,678 square foot Mediterranean restaurant at 9516 Culver Boulevard.

• J.C. Penney - A Final Inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on June 10 for new escalators installed at 6000 Hannum Avenue/Westfield Culver City.

• Lane Bryant - A Final Inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on June 2 for a 4,417 square foot Tenant Improvement to an existing retail space located at Westfield Culver City.

• Splash Fruit - The Building Safety Division issued a permit on June 15 for a new mall kiosk located at Westfield Culver City.

• Culver City Volvo - Building plans were approved on June 11 for a Tenant Improvement including an additional 346 square feet to the floor area of an existing Volvo auto dealership at 11201 Washington Boulevard.

• On Holiday - The Building Safety Division issued a building permit on June 1 for a new retail space at The Platform, at 8840 Washington Boulevard.

• Dunkin’ Donuts - The Building Safety Division issued a building permit on June 1 for a 1,380 square foot Tenant Improvement converting the existing Foster’s Freeze restaurant to a new Dunkin' Donuts, including a new accessible unisex restroom, at 13300 Washington Boulevard.

• Soul Cycle - The Building Safety Division issued a building permit on June 3 for a 7,422 square foot indoor cycling gym, located at The Platform, at 8810 Washington Boulevard.

• Sony Pictures Entertainment - The Building Safety Division issued a permit on June 15 for an 8,274 square foot tenant improvement for offices. Building plans were approved on June 10 for an 880 square foot tenant improvement renovation and reconfiguration of interior partitions of the collaborative release board on the second floor. Building plans were also approved on June 15 to transform open office space on the first floor of the Thalberg building. Building plans were submitted on June 1 for an interior tenant improvement of the 1st Floor of the Jimmy Stewart building. All of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s permits were issued for work at its property at 10202 Washington Boulevard.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

• Senior Scam Stopper! – Assembly Member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas and the Contractors State License Board provided a free Senior Scam Stopper seminar on Tuesday, June 16 at the Culver City Senior Center. Seniors, families and caregivers joined us to learn how to protect themselves from being a victim of fraud. Thank you to Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas’ office for providing this interactive event.

• The Culver City Volunteer Program – The Culver City Volunteer Program is recruiting volunteers for two upcoming events. The Vox Femina Song Cycle Festival will take place on Saturday, June 27 in Culver City Park. Volunteers are needed for various shifts between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Culver City Exchange Club is hosting its annual fireworks show at West LA College on Saturday, July 4. Volunteers will help with traffic control, guiding people into parking lots and leading pedestrians to their appropriate entrance. Shifts are only two hours long and help is needed from 4 p.m. until the end of the show, which is approximately 10 p.m. If you would like to volunteer for either event, please contact Jill Thomsen at 310-253-6722 or by email at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org.

• Culver City Senior Center Annual Prom Night – It’s Senior Prom Night! The 2nd Annual Senior Prom night will be held on Saturday, June 27. The theme this year is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Tickets are $5 for CCSCA members and $8 for guests. The Prom will feature a photo booth, live music and light refreshments. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and the dance is from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Senior Center Independence Day Party – The Independence Day party at the Culver City Senior Center will be held on Thursday, July 2 at 11:30 a.m. Come and celebrate our nation’s birthday with live entertainment and lunch.

Tickets are now on sale to Senior Center Association members and are $3.50 each.

• Culver City Volunteer Specialist – Volunteer Specialist Jill S. Thomsen (pictured below) has been awarded the credential - Certified in Volunteer Administration -and is now entitled to use the designation “CVA.” To earn this designation, Jill completed a rigorous year and a half course that included the preparation of a performance-based portfolio. A panel of professionals, who are certified in volunteer administration, judges the portfolio. In addition to the preparation of the portfolio, candidates sit for a two-hour examination, which tests their knowledge, application and analysis of skills related to professional volunteer management. Successful candidates demonstrate a clear philosophy of volunteer administration, pledge to work within the professional code of ethics and demonstrate accountability, leadership and advocacy. Jill joins a select group of over 1,370 professionals in the United States, Canada and other nations who have attained this sought-after credential. This certification is the only internationally recognized credential in the field.

• Culver City Senior Center CarFit Event – The Culver City Senior and Social Services Division will host a CarFit event on Saturday, July 25 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Culver City Senior Center. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them.

At each CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The event is open to all drivers ages 55 and older, but appointments must be made for this event. Please call 310-253-6700 to make a reservation. The event is co-sponsored by the Association of American Retired Persons (AARP), the American Automobile Association (AAA), the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the Culver City Senior Citizens Association.

• Culver City Summer Camp – Camp is in full swing and Day & Teen Campers are having a blast. Registration will run open for Camp enrollment until all spots are filled. Camp began on June 15 and will run until Friday, August 21. Some of the upcoming activities include trips to Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the Discover Cube of Orange County, in addition to a Super Heroes Day. The second week of Summer Camp will feature our Olympic Day event that celebrates the Olympic spirit. Olympic Day will feature Olympic superstar and four-time Olympic champion Greg Louganis, Track & Field Heptathlon champion Marlene Harmon Wilcox, and Gold Medal Gymnast Peter Vidmar. The athletes will meet and speak to the campers about the Olympic Games experiences and memories.

• Veterans Memorial Building and Rental Operation – A new upright Kawai K-200 piano is now available during rentals at the Veterans Memorial Building. The piano, ideal for rehearsals, performances and parties, may be rented for the Garden Room and smaller rooms off of the building’s main hallway. More information is available by contacting the Veterans Memorial Complex Rental Office at vmc.booking@culvercity.org or by calling 310-253-6625; during the month of June, free and open to the public events include: Culver Expo 2015 on June 24 presented by Culver City Chamber of Commerce. More information is available at http://business.culvercitychamber.com/events.details/culver-expo-2015-821; the Culver City Rock and Mineral Club presents its 54th Annual Fiesta of Gems on June 27 and 28. More information is available at http://culvercityrocks.org/fiesta.htm. The 62nd Annual Culver City Garden Club Show and Sale occurs on June 27 and 28. More information is available at http://www.culvercitygardenclub.org/events/garden-show/2015/62nd-annual-culver-city-garden-club-show-and-sale-html.

• Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program – Performing arts companies will present music, dance and theatre in Culver City from June to August.

• Fiesta La Ballona – Fiesta La Ballona takes place from August 28 to 30. The Fiesta website at http://www.fiestalaballona.org/ has all of the most current information on music, carnival rides, vendors, dining, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

The Fiesta’s three-day party in the Entertainment Tent features the authentic American sounds of classic Rock ‘n Roll, County, Soul, Big Band, Hawaiian, and the most popular music playing today including World Music such as Mariachi and Conjunto music, Russian Rock, and Latin Jazz. Visit the Fiesta La Ballona website to view information on the musical groups performing this summer.

• Summer at The Plunge – The Plunge Summer 2015 schedule started on June 15. Community recreation swimming hours have been expanded to include the following schedule:

Monday – Friday, 12:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Friday 7:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Saturday 12:15 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday 1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

The Aquatics staff will be teaching swimming lessons to over 300 adults, infants, and children each day for the next eight weeks. Classes meet for 2-week sessions Monday – Friday. The cost per session is $50 for Culver City residents and $60 for non-residents. Session I runs from June 15 – 26; Session II runs from June 29 – July 10; Session III runs from July 13 – July 24; Session IV runs from July 27 – August 7. For more information, please contact The Plunge office at 310-253-6680.

Police Department

• Westside Regional Center host Westside Jam - On June 5th, Police Officers participated in this event held at Veterans Memorial Building. The event is designed to help support the mission of the Westside Regional Center to help individuals with developmental disabilities.

• Special Olympics Torch Run - On June 6 Culver City Police Officers participated with the torch run to help raise awareness for Special Olympics. The Culver City Police Department is proud to participate and support this event.

• The Anti-Defamation League Annual Dinner Meeting - On June 9 Captain Allen Azran attended the annual dinner in which he, along with LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Sheriff Jim McDonnell, led a discussion of the current state of the country in regards to law enforcement.

• 20th Anniversary of the Death of Glendora Police Officer Louie Pompei - On June 9 Chief Scott Bixby and Captain Ron Iizuka attended the 20th Anniversary of the death of Officer Louie Pompei of the Glendora Police Department. Officer Pompei was killed while off-duty attempting to intervene in an armed take over robbery in the San Dimas. Officer Pompei confronted the two armed suspects only after one of the suspects assaulted an employee.

• Culver City Exchange Club - On June 9 the Culver City Exchange Club presented the Police Department with a donation of “We Care Bears” which can be given to any child who maybe a victim of a crime, traffic collision, or any event that may be traumatic for that child.

• Chief Bixby Addresses the Culver City Democratic Club - On June 10 Chief Bixby attended the Democratic Club’s meeting at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Chief Bixby gave an overview of the Department and his expectations and goals of the Police Department. He also answered questions asked by the members of the Club.

Public Works Department

• Energy Savings in Culver City – Compared to April of last year City Hall has decreased energy use by 11%, and usage is 25% lower than May 2014.

• Construction Updates - Golden State Water Company installed a new water main and fire service on eastbound Washington Boulevard beginning on Monday, June 22.

• Launch of Utility Service Line Insurance Program – Service Line Warranties of America launched the utility service line insurance program in May by mailing offer letters to residential property owners. The insurance covers the cost to repair or replace failed utility service lines and thus far, 230 property owners have enrolled in the program.

Transportation Department

• Government Fleet Award – Government Fleet staff honored Culver City as one of the 2015 Elite Fleets at this month’s Government Fleet Expo & Conference, held in Denver.. Culver City shares this honor with only three other North American Elite Fleets, which are based in Mesa, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Troy, Michigan. Elite Fleets are former #1 fleets that continue to perform at a high level and have the same leadership. Culver City was previously named the #1 Best Municipal Fleet in North America by the 100 Best Fleets National Fleet Certification/Recognition program in 2013.

Left to Right - Supervisor Scott Newton; Supervisor Dean Familton; Management Analyst Allison Cohen; Fleet Services Manager Paul Condran; Supervisor Brian Haskins; and Supervisor Andy Eckert.