CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

CITY MANAGEMENT LABOR DEAL

The city approved a new contract with the city’s Management

Employees Organization, a 108-member labor union representing the

city’s management and administrative employees. The labor deal is the

latest in a string of contracts approved by the council.

WHAT IT MEANS

Management Employees have been operating without a contract since

December 2003. The new contract includes a 4% retroactive raise

effective to September 2004, and an additional 4% raise later this

year. Under the new deal, management employees will also see their

auto allowance increase from $350 a month to $450, as well as a

slight increase in their dental and life insurance benefits.

CITY VOTES ON RV ORDINANCE

The city passed an ordinance restricting the amount of time

residents can park their RVs on city streets. Under the new law,

residents will be required to obtain a permit to park their RV

temporarily in front of their homes and can’t park their vehicles on

city streets for more than 16 days a calendar month, and not for more

than eight days in a row.

Councilman Dave Sullivan opposed the ordinance, arguing that he

would like to restrict RV owners from parking their vehicles in front

of their homes for more three or four days in a row, while Councilman

Don Hansen argued that RV owners should be able to park an RV in

front of their home for 16 consecutive days. Councilman Gil Coerper

also voted against the ordinance.

WHAT IT MEANS

The ordinance requires a second formal approval, likely at the

council’s March 21 meeting. The law will go into effect 30 days

later, and Police Chief Ken Small said the police will wait another

30 days to enforce the law to educate people about the new rules. The

council will review the ordinance in about a year.

BINGO RULES TO BE REVIEWED

City Councilwoman Debbie Cook asked the council to update the

city’s laws regarding the game of Bingo. The Huntington Beach Elk’s

Lodge prompted the change in the code, which is not in alignment with

state law. The city law hasn’t been updated since 1993. Sullivan

voted against the proposal.

WHAT IT MEANS

Under the law, charity groups can spend $1,000 of the game’s

proceeds to cover administrative costs such as rental of property,

purchase of equipment and personnel. The new law allows bingo games

to allocate $2,000. Sullivan wanted charity groups to justify cost

increase by providing financial statements, but Cook didn’t go for

it.