Council considers governor’s plan

A budget deal proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could result in

an immediate $5 million financial blow for Huntington Beach, but

would bar the state from raiding municipal funds in the future.

The City Council met Wednesday night to discuss its position on

the initiative, which is a compromise between the governor and the

League of California Cities.

“The compromise would mean that cities would go on being penalized

from the state for two more years,” Mayor Cathy Green said. “After

that, there would be no more takeaways.”

Huntington Beach would lose $2.5 million in the next fiscal year

and another $2.5 million later. But after that, the state would be

barred from dipping into city coffers.

“I’m not so sure that when the people signed that ballot measure,

they meant for the state to stop taking away city money now,” Green

said. “The compromise to me almost seems to be a slap in the face.”

The City Council voted in November 2003 to back the League of

California Cities original ballot measure, which would prevent the

state from taking funds without the initial financial hit.

“The objective is for the cities to have a guaranteed source of

income that the state won’t touch,” City Councilman Dave Sullivan

said.

The city’s concerns began in 1992 when the state chose to transfer

25% of its property tax revenue from cities to schools and then

reduced state aid to schools by the same amount. In 2003, the city

lost $2.2 million when it had to absorb a three-month lag in

reinstating the vehicle license fee.

“The City Council had voted in favor, in support of the League of

[California] Cities ballot measure,” Green said. “Now with the

compromise, this is really going to change it a lot. We need to find

out from the council if they want to support this same measure.”

Commissioners support time donation policy

A Planning Commission known for its lengthy meetings discussed an

amendment that could make its meetings even longer.

An option to allow speakers to donate any unused portion of their

allotted four minutes of speaking time to other residents could also

add cohesiveness to some public comments and give organizations time

to flesh out their statements, commissioners said.

The idea, proposed by Planning Commissioner Robert Dingwall, would

prevent people from being cut off while speaking, he said.

“It’s the opinion of a large portion of the general public, that

over a period of time, they’ve been cut out of the public process,”

Dingwall said.

Most commissioners supported the idea, but questioned its

mechanics.

“The thing I like about it is that it gives a cohesiveness of

thought and sometimes this is a problem,” said former Planning

Commissioner Jan Shomaker, who resigned later that night.

No more than three speakers would be allowed to donate their time

and speakers gathering leftovers would be limited to 12 minutes.

Members of the public who donate time would have to be present while

the recipient of their minutes speaks.

The Planning Commission will likely vote to approve the item on a

trial basis at its May 25 meeting. It will also need City Council

approval.

“It’s been done in the past, it worked in the past,” Commissioner

Tom Livengood said. “This is a chance to see if it works or not.

We’ll have less speakers, it will be more organized. They can give a

clearer presentation. What I’ve found is doesn’t build more time,

it’s about the same or less.”

Special July 4 fireworks seating available

Tickets for exclusive pier seating for the city’s controversial

Independence Day fireworks show are on sale.

In February, the council approved the first beach fireworks

display in three decades.

The fireworks show -- which will celebrate Surf City’s centennial

Fourth of July parade -- will be shot from a barge off the beach. It

will be the second largest fireworks show in the country.

At 5 p.m. on July 4, the pier will close to the public. At 6 p.m.,

it will re-open, but only to those with VIP passes. Those who opt to

purchase the $50 pier seating tickets will be treated to a picnic

dinner and choreographed music.

The VIP admission will help the Fourth of July Executive Board to

generate revenue for the $61,912 fireworks show.

The cost includes $39,500 for the actual fireworks, $12,512 for

the barge and $3,900 for production equipment. A pre-fireworks show

at the Pier Plaza, with a patriotic concert and a small aerial

pyrotechnics show, will cost an additional $6,000.

Information on purchasing tickets for July 4 pier seating can be

found at the city’s website at https://www.surfcity-hb.org/

4thofjuly. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children under

10.

For more information, call the 4th of July Hotline at (714)

374-1535.

Bolsa Chica Stewards get $9,000

The Orange County Community Foundation has awarded a $9,000 grant

to the Bolsa Chica Land Trust for the Bolsa Chica Stewards, a group

that has devoted time and manpower to plant native coastal sage scrub

habitat on the mesa.

“It will be used for buying native plants, buying tools,

propagation supplies and that sort of thing,” Bolsa Chica Steward

Marinka Horak said.

Headed by Guy Stivers, the group has spent more than 18,000 hours

at the mesa and planted more than 5,000 plants since the group was

founded seven years ago.

The stewards meet from 9 a.m. to noon the third Saturday of every

month. To volunteer, call Marinka at (714) 964-8170 or volunteer via

voice mail at (562) 920-4215.