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Executive
Director, Sam Olivito • sam@contractcities.org
11027
Downey Ave
• Downey, CA 90241 • 562.622.5533
• Fax 562.622.9555
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| The Connection |
August 2010
| Inside
This Issue President's Message Executive Director's Report June Board of Directors Meeting SCE Preparing SoCal For Electric Vehicles Duarte Library Teen Section June Executive Board Planning Session EDGE Development And Project Delivery City Of West Hollywood's "Pathways To Positive Aging" City of Hercules New Town Center In the Works Legislative Update Calendar of Events June/July Anniversaries of Incorporations Special Thanks To Our Platinum and Gold Associate Members! PLATINUM ASSOCIATE MEMBERS    GOLD ASSOCIATE MEMBERS     |
President's
Message
by Laura Olhasso  I am excited to be working
with our new Executive Board. In June we held the
Board’s Strategic Planning session. As I looked
around the table, I was so pleased to see new and capable faces
beginning their journey with the organization as well as veteran
members who will assist us in keeping the long-standing tradition of
excellence that is the California Contract Cities
Association. One of our goals for the year is to meet individually with each of the Los Angeles County Supervisors. We began in July with a cordial meeting with Supervisor Mike Antonovich and Sheriff Lee Baca. We thanked him for his support for last year’s changes to the Liability Trust Fund and he pledged to continue keeping the doors of communication open. We will schedule meetings with the other four Supervisors throughout the year. Also in July Executive Director Sam Olivito and I attended the Annual Seminar of the Independent Cities Association. We were pleased to be invited to their Executive Board meeting where we all agreed to work toward more joint meetings (also with the LA County division of the League of California Cities) this year. The first of those joint meetings will focus on Proposition 22 -- the November ballot measure designed to protect local government revenues from raids from the state legislature. Watch your inbox for further details on this important meeting. As always, we continue to work to attract new member cities and stay focused on member retention. In these tough economic times, cities may be looking for new ways to provide public safety services and we will do all we can to help educate interested cities in the successes our cities have found with the contracting model. For answers to questions about membership please call our offices at (562) 622-5533. Be sure to mark your calendars for two upcoming events. Our August Board meeting is August 18 and hosted for the 36th time by the L. A. County Sheriff’s Department at the L.A. County Arboretum. Take advantage of the carpool lanes by bringing a friend from your city or a neighboring city to this great meeting. And, join us for our ‘spooktacular’ Fall Seminar in Santa Barbara October 29 through 31. “No Tricks on Tough Issues” will feature a super line-up of speakers and plenty of opportunity for networking. Register for this conference by contacting CCCA staff member Maria Montes at (562) 622-5533, ex. 3. Enjoy your summer! See you August 18!  Executive Director's Report In this issue of the “Connection” we have presented a number of positive projects that highlight what cities are doing even in these tough economic times. All too often the focus or spotlight at the moment is on the city council and administration officials of Bell that have broken the trust of the residents they represent. Elected and appointed public officials in California are shocked, angered and embarrassed by the unethical and immoral actions of that council and administrators. However even one city council, city administrator or police chief is one too many. There are 490 cities in California who represent their constituents in a transparent and open process that allows for the involvement of all stakeholders when decisions are being made. Your California Contract Cities Association will continue to provide the educational programs and ethical training that we have always had and applaud all who have pledged to represent their communities with passion, legal and ethical actions that protect the health and welfare of those you serve. June Board of Directors Meeting Our June Board of Directors Meeting was held in the City of Lakewood. Laura Olhasso called the meeting to order and in CCCA fashion Diane Martinez, Secretuary/Treasurer quickly moved through the business of the evening by calling for approval of the meeting minutes and treasurer's report for the month of May. City of Lakewood Mayor Joe Esquivel welcomed members and introduced his City Council, City Staff and other attendees from Lakewood. Over one year ago the City of Lakewood in partnership with CCCA moved to purchase, manufacture and place a freeway sign on a portion of the 605 freeway in memory of John Sanford Todd. Todd was Lakewood's first City Attorney and held that title for 50 years, he is credited with authoring the "Lakewood Plan" which has been the model all cities follow when incorporating under the "Contract Plan". Assembly Member Warren Furutani introduced the legislation and the resolution quickly moved through the State Legislature to become a reality. Click below to view the video documenting the process from beginning to end. You can see the sign when traveling along the 605 freeway between Del Amo Blvd and Carson St. Electric
Vehicles Are
Coming To California - Southern California Edison Is Helping Customers
Get Plug-In Ready
You’ve probably heard by now that there’s a new type of car hitting showroom floors this fall: plug-in electric vehicles. These cars will arrive in greater quantities by the end of this year. Early adopters have high expectations and will be looking for guidance and support from their communities and electric utilities. As part of an extensive plug-in electric vehicle readiness initiative, Southern California Edison has launched an education and outreach campaign that is focused on informing its customers interested in purchasing electric vehicles on their rate and charging options, as well as what they need to do to get their homes plug-in ready. There are a number of decisions and actions buyers of these cars will need to take before they drive one home. Some questions they’ll need to consider:
SCE is also working on other aspects of plug-in electric vehicle readiness, including working with cities to facilitate the permitting process for electrical upgrades, assessing the impact on the electric infrastructure and making any necessary upgrades, and streamlining the customer process for electric vehicle owners. For more information or for instructions on linking to sce.com/pev, please contact SCE’s electric vehicle communications project manager Shaun MacCoun.   Duarte Library Teen Book Center CCCA's most recent past president Lois Gaston from the City of Duarte has a passion for serving her community and you can see that from her desire to fill the Teen Center at the Duarte Library with books donated in her name at the end of her 2009-2010 presidency. Lois asked that in lieu of plaques and resolutions, books be donated to the Teen Center and many responded. 99 books in total have been added to the library's teen section. Lois would like to thank those who invested in this endeavor and greatly appreciates the amazing support of her community and the youth of Southern California through their donations. June
Executive Board Planning Session
Each year our newly appointed Executive Board assembles to prepare the road for the year to come. On June 26th the Executive Board including Officers, Committee Chairs, Vice Chairs and CCCA staff gathered in San Pedro for the 2010-2011 Planning Sesssion. President Laura Olhasso led the meeting and the entire day with posied leadership and our day was very productive. After it was said and done the following items came out as top priorities for the CCCA and this administrative year. Membership Retention and Expansion Associate Members Program Relationship Enrichment Sister Associations Board of Supervisors State Legislators and their staff The Governor While these items will be on the top of the priority list the CCCA Executive Board, Committees and the Board of Directors are constantly sitting atop the watchtower for local government and researching ways to better serve, educate, advocate and network for it's member cities and their communities. If you want to serve on one of CCCA's 11 standing committees please contact President Olhasso or CCCA Executive Director Sam Olivito.  Get
The EDGE In Project Delivery
EDGE Development, Inc is a licensed general contractor that provides multiple integrated project deliveries. Incorporated in 1989 and headquartered in Southern California, EDGE has a strong focus in assisting municipalities with their infrastructure needs. Within their “menu of services” EDGE provides programming, planning, design, engineering, construction, post occupancy services and project financing as needed. When it comes to the development of capital projects such as civic centers, libraries, police stations, community centers and parks, EDGE realizes that the hard-bid process of obtaining a general contractor to manage these types of projects can be a potentially risky venture for the owner. The low bidder isn’t always the most qualified. By providing turn-key program and construction management services, EDGE provides Owners with a comprehensive solution to managing their project. They understand the importance of managing the people, materials, and the processes of constructing a well built project. EDGE places a heavy emphasis on pre-construction design services, value engineering, coordination of contract documents and consistently managing costs from initial design through project occupancy. EDGE prides itself in developing long-term partnerships by guaranteeing overall customer satisfaction, timely completion and best value. Through their approach of “service first and build second” EDGE has developed a solid reputation with local governments throughout the state of California. EDGE looks forward to assisting your city with the development and management of your infrastructure needs. It should also be noted that EDGE has an affiliate partner, P3 Solutions Group, LLC that focuses on public-private partnerships as a viable alternative to delivering municipal projects. Benefits to Integrated Project Delivery
Contact: Scott Hammond Director of Public Relations / Governmental Affairs Phone: (951)252-4636 shammond@edge-dev.com www.edge-dev.com City Of Hercules New Town Center In The Works  The City of Hercules' plans to create a distinct town center have been in the works since a community charette in 2001. A private developer was quickly established for this 25 acre $500 million undertaking, however, several intermediate steps were required to see the project to construction. The project progressed slowly and with other development projects in the queue, the housing boom came and went still with no town center. In 2006, a key component was complete, the Hercules Redevelopment Agency had negotiated to purchase several of the required properties and relocate a BART owned park and ride. Construction on the new park and ride commenced and the Hercules Transit Center was relocated in August 2009. Now a new challenge: an empty lot in the center of town, with construction drawings still 18 months away from completion. City leaders did not want to leave the lot empty, but what could be done with a bare-boned parking lot for such a relatively short period of time? Site developer, The Red Barn Co, exceeded expectations with the answer. The solution: Market Hall: an interim project that converges recreation, retail, food and community gathering space. The idea took some time to gain traction, but since its opening in May 2010, it continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Market Hall is a collection of a few simple buildings. Water, electricity, and even sanitation are all temporary. At the center of Market Hall is a large open hall housing mobile food vendors, taking advantage of the growing gourmet food cart trend in the Bay Area. Food selections include Mexican, BBQ, desserts, Korean BBQ and even a coffee house with a drive through option for commuters. Surrounding the main hall are small retail shops built from freight containers, offering flowers, clothes, trinkets, children’s toys, succulent plants, and other small to medium impulse items. Local entrepreneurs who are using Market Hall as a place to incubate a new business in this difficult economy, own all of the retail shops. A stage with a lawn area, tot lot, bocce courts (the first in Hercules) free Wi-Fi, and a fire pit draw people to the site. In addition, Red Barn worked to make Market Hall a venue, ensuring the long term retention of its customers. Market Hall hosts weekly story times, movie nights, the local farmers market and most recently, the 4th of July Festival, which drew over 1,000 people. “Red Barn has found a tremendously creative use for the site to benefit Hercules residents, employees, and visitors from outside our usual market area,” says Economic Development Director Steve Lawton. “Market Hall has proven the need for a safe community gathering place that is neither a park nor shopping center. Our residents have demonstrated, by their participation and enthusiasm, that gathering places need not be elaborate or overly planned to be successful.” West Hollywood's "Pathway's To Positive Aging" Over 200 people attended the City of West Hollywood’s Pathways to Positive Aging, a half-day symposium that looked at how communities can become good places in which to age. This special public event was sponsored by West Hollywood Councilmember Lindsey Horvath and Chaired by public relations specialist Barbara Meltzer, member of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults. Held on June 23rd, the event featured a keynote address by Professor Victor Regnier, a renowned expert in the fields of Aging and Gerontology and featured discussion panels on housing, civic engagement, lifelong learning and community collaboration. The rapidly increasing aging population in West Hollywood and throughout the country will have a unique set of needs--very different than aging populations in the past—and information provided at this very event will be incorporated into the City of West Hollywood’s General Plan, set for release this fall. Among those in attendance were representatives from numerous local cities and social service agencies, educators and other experts in the field of aging, in addition to residents wanting to learn more for themselves and family members. There was an abundance of useful and thought-provoking information shared at the event. Over 200 people were in attendance, a testament to the need for these types of conversations to continue. 
(top) Legislative Update Bills We Have Been Watching AB 155 (Mendoza)- Local Government: Bankrupcy Proceedings - oppose. This bill has been placed on the inactive file, a sign it did not carry enough support. We have opposed this bill from the beginning and will keep our eyes on it in case it resurfaces sometime in the future. Proposition 22 Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act - support. This is a proposed constitutional amendment on California’s November 2010 statewide ballot. The initiative would stop the State from raiding or borrowing funding used for local public safety, transportation, transit and other essential local government services. CCCA is working with The League of California Cities and other associations to insure the success of this measure on the ballot. Click here to be taken to Save Local Services.com where you can learn more about YES on Prop 22!  August 18, 2010 - Board of Directors Meeting - Host, LA County Sheriff's Department Contract Law Bureau - Location, L.A. County Arboratem and Botanic Garden September 1, 2010 - Executive Board Meeting September 15, 2010 - Board of Directors Meeting - Host, LA County Fire Department - Location, TBA September 23, 2010 - City Managers/Administrators Committee Meeting October 6, 2010 - Executive Board Meeting October 21, 2010 - City Managers/Administrators Committee Meeting October 29-31, 2010 - Annual Fall Seminar - Fess Parkers Doubletree, Santa Barbara, CA November 03, 2010 - Executive Board Meeting November 17, 2010 - Board of Directors Meeting - Host Cities, La Puente and Industry Hills - Location, TBA November 18, 2010 - City Managers/Administrators Committee Meeting December 1, 2010 - Executive Board Meeting December 15, 2010 - Board of Directors Meeting - Hosted by ALADS December 16, 2010 - City Managers/Administrators Committee Meeting June/July BirthdaysThe
following CCCA
member cities celebrated their anniversaries of incorporation in the
months of June and July.
We
extend to them a very Happy Birthday!
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