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HomeMy Public PortalAbout11-26-96 BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINSr CITY OF LYNWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK WATCH CAPTAIN'S REGULAR MEETING BATEMAN HALL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1996 I. CALL TO ORDER II. INVOCATION III PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR OCTOBER, 1996 MEETING V. REPORT BY STAFF A. REPORT ON CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES B. SHERIFF DEPARTMENT VI. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE A. UPDATE ON ELECTION RESULTS - PROPOSITION A VII. CITY COUNCIL REVIEW VIII. OLD BUSINESS A CONFIDENTIAL NUMBERING B. LYNWOOD PARTNERSHIP SURVEY IX. NEW BUSINESS A. PROCEDURE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW BLOCK WATCH PROGRAMS AND CAPTAINS B. REPORT ON UPCOMING BLOCK PARTIES X. PUBLIC ORAL COMMUNICATION XI. BLOCK CAPTAIN'S ORAL COMMUNICATION XII. ADJOURNMENT JG jg jimg \lac \blockll 26 I I i I CITY OF LYNWOOD BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS REGULAR MEETING BATEMAN HALL L I CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:40 p m. by President, Adolph Lopez. IL INVOCATION The invocation was led by R. White. III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Recreation and Parks Commissioner Bette Espeseth. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr Art Raddle motioned to approve the minutes for the month of September 1996. The motion was seconded by R. White. V. REPORTS BY STAFF A. City Presentation - City employee, Mr Paul Nguyen spoke on the City's various Capital Improvement Projects: Water Improvement Project - 2.5 Million Dollars in funds have been allotted for the replacement of old, leaky water lines. This upgrade will result in improved water pressure and distribution throughout the City Fire hydrants are also being replaced to provide better fire fighting capabilities. Mr Nguyen stated that student workers are being utilized to complete the water improvement project on Atlantic Boulevard, and will be instrumental on other projects as well. Street Improvement Project - $250,000 will be spent on street improvements throughout the City. Plans and specifications for Atlantic Boulevard have been completed and are slated to begin after water improvements are finished. Approval from Cal Trans is needed before proceeding with improvements to Bullis Road Improvements to Long Beach Boulevard are scheduled for July 1997. Page 2 0 9 Street Improvement Project - Continued Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG) are being used to improve 19 streets throughout the City of Lynwood. Mr. Claude Law comments on the quality of the water from area wells and whether or not wells will have to be moved due to freeway construction. Mr. Nguyen responds by stating that monies have been allocated for the relocation of wells. well #20 was moved due to high levels of magnesium and iron. Wells are moved only after study and recommendations on relocation have been made. Water samples are collected and sent to an independent lab on a weekly basis. Mr. Nguyen also stated he has no knowledge of the 5 -year plan that Mr. Law also questioned. B. Sheriff's Department Deputy Haney states that confidential numbering cards should be back to citizens by now. Advises cards should be returned to him if there are any errors. Sheriff's Department is formulating an action plan to combat gang related activities near Olanda Avenue. Deputy Haney passes out Halloween Safety Tip fliers and reiterates safety rules such as checking candy before eating, having parents organize parties, staying in groups, wearing reflective clothing, etc. Mr. Jim Given, Project Manager for the Recreation and Community Services Department announced that there will be a Safe Kids Information Project (S.K I.P ) Halloween Safety Program on Tuesday, October 29, 1996 at Bateman Hall starting at 1:00 p.m. This program is geared to elementary school aged children and features costumed characters, informative skits, safety tips and a costume contest. There will also be a Halloween Museum and Carnival Games on Thursday, October 31, 1996 at the Community Transit Center located at -3798 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard starting at 6:00 p.m. Deputy Haney also mentioned that recently rear license plates are being stolen and put on a similar car. A deterrent is the use of one -way screws to attach the license plate to the car. Also all old stickers should be removed before adhering the new Page 3 B. Sheriff's Department - Continued one, which should then be cut through with a sharp knife. If a license plate or sticker is stolen contact the Sheriff's Department immediately to report this crime. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for replacements. Do not neglect to check the back seat for someone hiding there and under tires for sharp objects before driving away. C. Fire Department Joining with L.A. County for Fire Protection Services Fire Department personnel are in the process of gathering signatures to put a measure on ballot allowing them to join forces with L.A. County to provide fire protection services to the citizens of Lynwood. Fire fighters will man every polling place on election day in order to obtain signatures to put this measure on the ballot. Doing so would provide a higher level of service; including a faster response time, less cost, offer more police services, and a better overall operation from the 300 - member Fire Department. Benefits would include the replacement of older equipment, a full staff, and the fact that all Fire Stations in Lynwood would remain open. There is an expected savings of $650,000 annually Mr. Ralph W. Davis, III, Assistant City Manager and Director of the Recreation and Community Services Department advised that it is imperative that citizens study facts before signing anything that originates from a union. This item was not on the agenda, although it is being reviewed by the City of Lynwood VI. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE A Proposition A Ballot Measure - Dr. Sergio Jaquez, co -chair of Community Partnership Coalition is introduced and asked to speak on Prop A. Prop A is a good measure that must be supported - our parks must be preserved. Parks provide safe, passive programs and activities for our youth and community Play is extremely important to psychological development. Prop A monies will go to physical assets Page 4 Mr. Davis adds that citizens can create a bond and assess fees to residents. Monies would come from General Fund and be allocated to parks, this includes graffiti removal. This is considered a Safe Neighborhood Act The second level of funding is for specific grants. $1 million is guaranteed for the refurbishing of Dymally Park. Mr Given has acquired a little under $4 million in grants. $319 million to be awarded to L A. County including parks that the citizens of Lynwood frequent. Every home owner is required to pay $.56 per month or $6 00 per year This assessment can only be set up by voter approval. Captain Law expresses his concerns over the language used in Prop A literature. Reverend Matt Harris gives the audience his phone number, which is: (310) 631 -9763 He has additional information on Prop A. B. Council Review - Council endeavoring to keep citizens informed of activities. VII. OLD BUSINESS A. Lynwood Partnership Survey - Reverend Harris thanks all Block Watch Captains for their participation in the Lynwood Partnership Survey. He invites everyone to contact him with comments, opinions, suggestions and to share resources. He states that Federal and State monies are available to our community but first our needs must be assessed. Monies that could be used by the City of Lynwood are going to other communities. B. Confidential Numbering - See: "V. Reports by Staff, B Sheriff's Department" C. Earthquake Preparedness Commendation - Table to next meeting. VIII. NEW B USINESS A Noise Ordinance - Mr. Adolph Lopez states that clear and enforceable suggestions on how to implement and enforce Noise Ordinance should be presented to Council r Page 5 VIII. NEW BUSINESS - continued Residents not happy with automotive shop on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and State Street. Captain Lopez has received numerous complaints regarding noise and litter related to this business. An aluminum company on Fernwood and Santa Fe is also causing noise pollution. This item was brought up at the last Council Meeting. Sgt. Walters attended a meeting on October 23, 1996 on the issues of loud noises /loud parties. If loud noise can be heard beyond 35 feet of its origin it is citable. IX. PUBLIC ORAL COMMUNICATION In relation to Prop A, Adrienne Quinn stated that when asked, 27 out of 30 youth said they would like City of Lynwood Parks improved. New Block Watch Captains from Olanda Street noticed that houses built long ago often share water meters with another house and are usually located at the rear of the property. They inquired as to whether or not the City would ever update these meters with more modern ones. Mr. Davis responded that it would depend on whether or not this was park water. If so, the City of Lynwood could not make improvements. Mr. Davis will supply a number of a contact person for further inquiries. Mr. Davis also stated that no monies from the General Fund are used in Captial Improvement Projects. If citizens want other improvements made, other funding sources must be found Mr Davis stated he will report on the gas tax at a future meeting. He will provide staff that can answer these questions. Citizens should be aware of how their tax dollars are spent. Captains should share their information with each other! The Annual Fall Clean Up is slated for Saturday, November 9, 1996 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p m. on Bellinger and Butler in Lynwood Take this opportunity to dispose of your old mattresses, sofas, etc. No hazardous wastes will be accepted. There will be another clean up in the Spring. Page 6 X. BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS ORAL COMMUNICATION - cont. Captain Lopez stated that Federal Judge Terry Hatters who was in charge of L.A. County's largest drug heist has lots of common sense ideas and would like to bring him in as a guest speaker Captain Lopez also stated that Gil Garcetti arranged for 200 District Attorneys to serve as role models to youth in Torrance. He would like to know why they are not available to the City of Lynwood. Captain Lopez announced there is a Boy Scouts Meeting going on today (10/22). Boy Scout Troops help serve the purpose of crossing cultural lines. Scout groups at every school are asking for donations from businesses in order to keep costs down. Three Girl Scout Troops are already functioning throughout the City of Lynwood. Area churches are also expressing an interest in Scout Troops" XI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:45 p.m. /al C0UWbwcmms