City looks to state for $22 million

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- A host of popular but long delayed projects finally

may see the light of day because the city is eligible to receive about

$22 million in state funds within the next three years.

The windfall, which could pay for things such as a new senior center and

a third skateboard park, comes from the March passage of Proposition 12,

which authorized the state to borrow $2.1 billion via bonds for the

recreational needs of its urban communities.

The City Council unanimously approved a list of projects to submit to the

state at its May 1 meeting.

Most of the millions the city hopes to capture are not guaranteed. There

will be stiff competition among cities. But Councilman Tom Harman said he

expects Huntington Beach’s lobbying arm in Sacramento to fight for every

dime.

“I don’t want to wake up and read in the paper that San Bernardino got a

swimming pool and we didn’t,” Harman said.

With the proposition creating millions of dollars for the taking, the

city can afford to chase after a variety of projects without having to

choose one over another, Councilwoman Shirley Dettloff said.

“That’s the beauty of Proposition 12,” she said. “It has freed up so much

money.”

Because seniors are making up one of the fastest growing segments in the

city, there’s a pressing need to either expand the senior center or find

a new one, said Ron Hagan, the city’s director of community services.

The city will request $1.1 million from the state to meet that goal,

Hagan said.

Another $150,000 will be sought for a third skateboard facility. The city

already has two other city-designated spots for skaters to roll around in

-- one by Huntington Beach High School and the other at Murdy Park.

But a third one at Edison Park would serve enthusiasts who live on the

south side of town, many of whom are too young to drive to the other

sites, Councilman Dave Sullivan said.

Other projects possibly funded by the state proposition include $7

million for improving restrooms, bicycle and jogging trails, parking lots

and landscaping at South Beach between Huntington and First streets.

Similar work is expected to start farther south along the beach in

September.

To build a 50-meter pool at Ocean View High School, the city will request

$4.5 million. It also plans to ask for $2 million to help fix the

railings and stabilize the ground beneath Bluff Top Park.

Residents should not get their hopes up that any of the projects will

begin immediately, Hagan said. If the state approves the requests, the

money will not begin trickling down until July 2001, he said.