The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 105, No. 37 - September 1, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................16 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................6 Legals............................ 14,15 Obituaries.............................2 Pets......................................18 Police Reports.....................2 Real Estate........ 10-13,19-20 Sports.................................5,9 Weekend Forecast El Segundo Boyce Twins Begin College Baseball Careers Together Fraternal twins Garrett and Wyatt Boyce have shared playing time on the baseball field since they were five years old. This month, the pitching duo simultaneously achieved another significant milestone as they become members of the baseball team at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Garrett (left-handed pitcher) and Wyatt (right-handed pitcher) signed their letters of intent to play at Cal State Dominguez Hills in April during their senior year at El Segundo High School after expressing a desire to attend their father Randy’s alma mater. Two Generations of Toro Pitchers, from left to right: Garrett, their father Randy and Wyatt Boyce. Photo provided by Randy Boyce. See story in community briefs on page 2. • City Council to Decide How to Spend an Extra $3.2 Million By Brian Simon During a special budget workshop on Monday City of El Segundo Suspends Its Residential Sound Insulation Program The City of El Segundo today announced that it was suspending its program, which uses grant funding to sound insulate residential homes in the city. The suspension will involve laying off seven city employees. The city will focus its efforts on obtaining reimbursement from the federal government for funds already spent. “Suspending our residential sound insulation program is a step we do not take lightly, but it is a necessary and fiscally prudent move at this time,” said Suzanne Fuentes, mayor of the city. “We fully recognize the noise impacts of LAX are continuing and significant, and once we have worked through the reimbursement issues, we will consider the right path to sound insulate the remaining eligible homes in the city.” The Residential Sound Insulation Program (RSI) uses funds from Los Angeles World Airports (which operates LAX) and from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to insulate homes from the effects of noise from LAX, which is immediately adjacent to the City. Under RSI rules, the city contracts to have the homes insulated, pays the contractors and then seeks reimbursement with secured grants from the FAA. Since the beginning of the RSI Program in the mid-1990’s, the City has soundinsulated over 1,900 residences. Newly applicable rules require any other homes night, the El Segundo City Council began to consider various options on how to spend surplus monies that will be available for the 2016/17 fiscal year. Though the group did not yet approve any specific line items (those will be addressed individually on September 6), the members did agree to set reserve levels at 18% of the next fiscal year’s general fund expenditures. The move will free up an estimated $3.26 million for an array of possible items. Under prior policy terms, reserves were to increase to 20% (from 19% in 2015/16) of whichever is the greater number between revenues or expenditures. City Manager Greg Carpenter presented the above two reserve policy options as well as two choices that stayed put at the current 19%. But he said he felt comfortable going with 18% of expenditures because the City will still end up with the same $13.5 million in reserves that it would have under the 20% level. Notably, the City will also have $1.5 million in its economic uncertainty fund (an extra safety cushion) that technically puts total reserves at just over 20% anyway. With best practices guidelines for municipalities recommending reserve levels set between 10 and 20%, the Council unanimously approved the move to 18%. The projected $3.26 million is a marked increase over the $1.7 million that would have been available with reserves at 20%. Noting that it was a difficult balancing act, Carpenter considered the City’s primary long-term objectives outlined in the recent strategic planning sessions and created a list of 20 priority items for potential funding allocation. Highlights included artificial turf replacement at Campus El Segundo ($580,000); a new Police Station roof ($400,000); annual sidewalk, curb and gutter repair ($250,000); fiber infrastructure ($350,000); arterial and local street rehab ($400,000); community cameras and fixed license plate readers ($221,000); Main Street crosswalk lighting ($80,000) and marketing related to Measure B/transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues ($200,000). The list also identified several staffing needs such as rolling three part-time library positions into one full-time employee ($13,000) and restoring the Certified Union Program Agency (CUPA) position ($124,000)—with some reclassifications and new positions suggested for several other departments. See City Council, page 16 See Sound Insulation, page 17 Friday Sunny 74˚/65˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 74˚/63˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 72˚/62˚
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