Election 2016: HB Candidate Forum
On Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m., candidates for Huntington Beach City Council will speak and answer questions. Come listen and join the conversation about the future of our city.
When: Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Goldenwest College, 15744 Goldenwest St., Building 12, Forum #1
Free parking will be available in Lots E & F.
Access the parking lots via Edinger Ave.
Hope to see you there!
HB Tomorrow’s 2016 Annual Meeting, March 24
WELCOME TO 2016 HUNTINGTON BEACH TOMORROW’S ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD AT THE HUNTINGTON BEACH LIBRARY
Where/When: 7111 Talbert Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 in the Talbert Room on the library main floor
Thursday night, March 24, 2016 beginning at 7 pm.
Speakers and presentations by: Jim Katapodis – our HB Mayor and Fred Wilson – HB City Manager
Discussions and information on the overall current financial health of the city and what to expect for this next year. This is your chance to ask questions.
Huntington Beach Tomorrow will have the annual election of officers and directors at the beginning of the meeting.
Meet up with old friends and citizens who care about the future direction of Huntington Beach.
You will have the opportunity to ask questions.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Bag Ban up for discussion (sort of) on April 20
According to the notice below, the City Council will listen to comments on the proposed repeal of the Reusable Bag Ordinance at the meeting on April 20 at 6:00 p.m. Curiously, the council will not hear public hearing on the item specifically. Instead, anyone interested is invited to make comments during the general public comment period.
See you there.
City Update
HB Tomorrow is pleased to be able to provide a copy of Mayor Jill Hardy and City Manager Fred Wilson’s PowerPoint presented at our annual meeting, giving an update on Huntington Beach’s plans for 2015-16. Here are some highlights:
Annual Meeting March 31
Please mark your calendars for the Huntington Beach Tomorrow annual meeting next Tuesday, March 31.
Location: Central Library in the Talbert Room.
Date: Tuesday, March 31.
Time: 7:00PM-8:30PM
Cost: Free. This is a good time to renew your membership.
Speakers: Mayor Jill Hardy and City Manager Fred Wilson will be discussing the state of the city and answering your questions.
Hope to see you there!
General Plan: How does it affect our future?
by Karen Jackle
Over 10 years ago, prior to the ramp up of technology, a big map was placed on the floor and residents who came to review the general plan looked at this map with all the parcels in the city and made notes on it. That has changed and so has our city. Over that same 10 years, HB Tomorrow members worked on the Infrastructure Committee, on the Charter Amendments Committee and other committees and also commented at town hall meetings regarding the Beach-Edinger Corridor, as well as other issues.
Do you like the intensity of the development along the Beach-Edinger Corridor or did that just slip through? HB Tomorrow members were at city meetings and on committees for years trying to prevent approval of exceptions requested by developers, like was done at Bella Terra as an example, for tandem parking and more narrow drives, to eliminate pockets for bus stops, for less low and very low income-affordable housing.
Only 800 residents participated in general plan workshops for this current general plan that will direct the next ten years of our future. We hope you will enjoy the direction the city takes with its revised general plan based on feedback received.
SUNSET BEACH WORKS AND PLAYS By Greg Griffin
Sewer Enhancements
Readers may not be aware of the existence of the Sunset Beach Sanitary District (SBSD). Founded in 1934, it is a California Special District chartered to provide sewer and trash service for the people of Sunset Beach, Surfside and 17 homes on Sunset Island in Huntington Beach. Property tax-paying citizens within the District enjoy significantly lower sewer and trash fees than those in the surrounding districts of Seal Beach and Huntington Beach.
This past December 19th, the Sunset Beach Sanitary District tied its main sewer line into the recently completed Huntington Beach gravity line that comes down the center of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), at the junction with Warner Avenue. SBSD paid Huntington Beach over $800,000 for the tie-in privilege plus construction costs for the gravity spur. Downstream savings will soon start to accumulate because the SBSD sewer pump station that was located on Warner in front of the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant has been eliminated. The saving in expenses for electricity that was once used to run the sewer pumps should amount to approximately $100,000 per year.
Other Sunset Beach Sanitary District projects include the recently completed re-routing of sewer laterals to homes at the north end of Surfside and the planned permanent installation of a once portable generator set at the Broadway Avenue pump station. The latter element is undergoing Coastal Commission review.
Electrical, FIOS Utilities
In other news, Southern California Edison this last summer completed the undergrounding of electrical utilities along Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach. Because of PCH’s status as a Scenic California Highway, the work was performed without direct charge to PCH businesses or residents.
There remains an unfortunate snag in the project completion because Verizon, which has its FIOS fibers strung from some of the utility poles, and originally agreed to underground them, has now reneged. Edison and Verizon have a court date over the matter. Meanwhile, it may be noticed that the remaining utility poles have their tops chopped off at the level where the FIOS cables attach.
Seasonal Fun
The month of December also saw yearly revival of the Sunset Beach Yot Parade. This for-fun event, which could be considered somewhat of a spoof of the Huntington Harbour Yacht Parade, involves citizens decorating their cars and bikes for the holiday season; and, with Huntington Beach fire engine #47 leading the way, parading through the local neighborhood in the early evening.
Looking forward to Spring, the Sunset Beach Art Festival, sponsored by the Las Damas women’s club, is again targeted for Mother’s Day weekend. Funds raised go to philanthropic causes such as shelters and school art programs, as well as support of the Nobel’s Family Community Center. A new kitchen at the Community Center is in the works for this year’s event.
