Canyon fix funded

Cindy Frazier

Declaring that Bluebird Canyon is still unstable and must be repaired

as quickly as possible before winter rains arrive, the City Council

granted emergency authority Tuesday, allowing City Manager Ken Frank

to hire contractors without council approval or competitive bidding,

so stabilization work can begin this month.

The council capped the authorization at $7.5 million, while also

approving taking $500,000 from the city’s Open Space Fund and

millions more from other city programs for Bluebird projects.

Those funds will help pay an estimated $7-million bill to remove

damaged homes, unearth water mains, improve drainage and shore up the

landslide zone near Flamingo Road before Nov. 1.

Frank cautioned that $5 million to $7 million more will be

required in the future for Bluebird work and that none of the funds

taken from various city sources could be repaid.

“The pain is spread around, and the world won’t come to an end,”

Frank said.

The other funding sources include $500,000 from five homeowners on

Madison Place and Flamingo Road; $1.5 million from the South Coast

Water District, whose reservoir and water mains were affected by the

landslide; $200,000 from the city’s sewer fund; $1.3 million in

savings from the last year’s budget; deferred replacement of police

and fire vehicles and another sources.

Several City Council meeting speakers complained about taking

funds from city programs instead of raising taxes.

One bright note came when Frank told the Council that the state

Office of Emergency Services has deemed the June 1 landslide eligible

for funding of 75% of public improvements -- expected to bring in

$1.2 million.

“We still don’t know if we’ll get FEMA [Federal Emergency

Management Agency] funds, or why they are delaying an announcement,”

Frank said.

Bob Burnham, the city’s community recovery coordinator, said he

hopes the work can be completed by October 15, or November 1 at the

latest.

“We want to beat the rainy season,” Burnham said.

Because the council will not hold a regular meeting until

September, Frank wanted the authority to approve contracts with no

limit on the amount.

At the request of Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman, the council voted

to require Frank to issue updated reports on landslide expenditures,

with check dates, numbers and amounts.