Huntington Beach City Council

Eron Ben-Yehuda

ISSUE: WAL-MART

Vote: 5-1, with Councilman Tom Harman objecting and Councilman Dave

Sullivan absent.

Summary: The council agreed to allow council members Ralph Bauer, Shirley

Dettloff, Dave Garofalo and Pam Julien to file a written argument against

a proposed ordinance that would rezone the property on Talbert Avenue by

Beach Boulevard, where Wal-Mart plans to build. The property would be

rezoned from commercial back to residential. The text of the ordinance

will come before the voters in the March 7 election and will include

arguments both for and against.

ISSUE: PAINTING CITY HALL

Vote: 6-0, with Sullivan absent.

Summary: The council agreed to authorize the city’s director of public

works to hire a company to repaint City Hall for no more than $465,000.

The city had hired a company in June to do the job, which includes

waterproofing and repair work, for about $170,000. But that company’s

poor performance led the city to tear up its contract in August. No

further work has been done since then.

ISSUE: STREET REHABILITATION

Vote: 6-0, with Sullivan absent.

Summary: The council agreed to spend $1.3 million for a “major rework” of

city streets, city administrator Ray Silver said. The project includes

Warner Avenue from Beach Boulevard to Newland Street; Heil Avenue from

Saybrook Lane to Bolsa Chica Street; Heil Avenue from Beach Boulevard to

Newland Street; and Edinger Avenue from Goldenwest Street to Gothard

Street. Pavement rehabilitation work will increase the life of the

arterial streets 10 to 20 years.

ISSUE: BEACH BOULEVARD REVITALIZATION

Vote: 6-0, with Sullivan absent.

Summary: The council approved a strategy for the revitalization of Beach

Boulevard. The focus will be on areas around Warner Avenue and Main

Street. Workshops in November will identify what development would and

would not work there. The goal is to transform the “strip” image of Beach

into a “destination street,” a memo dated Monday states.

ISSUE: STATE & FEDERAL FUNDING PRIORITIES

Vote: 5-0-1, with Councilman Dave Garofalo abstaining and Sullivan

absent.

Summary: The council agreed to add new projects to its list of priorities

for state and federal funding that was compiled at the end of last year.

The additions include a $10 million comprehensive analysis of urban

runoff from regional storm channels and its impact on ocean water. Also,

$2.5 million in funds will be sought for a new building for the police to

house property, evidence and communications equipment.

The highest funding priorities remain rehabilitating the library

facilities, stopping beach erosion, cleaning up the contaminated soil at

Central Park, and downtown sewer repair, among others, a memo dated

Monday shows.