Book money
Dear ER:
Manhattan Beach is one of few cities that doesn’t have its own city library. We have an LA County Library (“County”), owned and operated by the County. The City has an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the County for the operation, maintenance and payment of the debt service for the building of the County Library in Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach property owners pay taxes that the County assesses for the library. Pursuant to that MOU, the County can also charge us a small amount for additional “set aside funds” for unforeseen costs. Here’s the problem.
For years, the County has “over assessed” Manhattan Beach property owners a whopping $1.4 million or more annually. The result is the “set aside funds” now exceed $11 million with that amount continuing to grow annually. Here are some fiscally prudent actions our City Council can, and should, take.
The City can request a reassessment of actual operating costs and debt service. The County’s annual charges would be reduced by over $1.5 to Manhattan Beach residents. The City can also apply that $11 million excess in “set aside funds” to debt service payments for the building of the library, resulting in payoff in 2030 rather than 2044, and resulting in a further reduction of taxes owed to the County. Finally, the City needs to stop trying to build a second library in East Manhattan Beach, one that is not needed or wanted.
Mark Burton
Manhattan Beach
Looks good
Dear ER:
I watched the Feb 15, 2024 Hermosa Beach sales tax increase City Council public hearing again. What was troubling is that two councilmembers said if residents want effective traffic enforcement or better e-bike safety we need to pass the .75 cent sales tax in November.
But just a couple of months ago the city celebrated the fact that for the first time in years the police department, including traffic enforcement, is fully staffed.
Don’t you see the disconnect here?
The city celebrates fully staffing the police department for the first time in years and then claims we now need the sales tax increase if we are going to have effective traffic enforcement or adequate ebike safety. I thought the police department was fully staffed.
It’s these kinds of non-sequitur arguments that drive constituents nuts and destroy the council’s credibility.
Tony Higgins
Hermosa Beach
Strange bedfellows
Dear ER:
Beach Cities Health District spent years working with both the City Council and residents to build the Healthy Living Campus. If Matt Kilroy is correct and the FAR of .75 “magically appeared” clearly BCHD is being unfairly targeted (“BCHD Campus plan at risk,” ER March 28, 2024). When Leo Pustilnikov’s builder’s remedy project was denied on the AES property, he said, “I feel better than ever that I will prevail. It just takes time.” Wouldn’t it be ironic if BCHD rightfully defends itself and puts Redondo at risk for builder’s remedy again? The City Council can’t cry big bad mall builder with BCHD. Pustilnikov must be thrilled.
Marie Puterbaugh
Redondo Beach
Read the reports
Dear ER:
The Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has created an unnecessary controversy over previously disclosed, state-mandated changes to the General Plan Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in Redondo Beach (“BCHD Campus plan at risk,” ER March 28, 2024). These were presented to the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) in at least three meetings in 2022.
For the Chair and some members of the GPAC claiming two years later they didn’t know this until last week is ridiculous. At best, it shows some GPAC members didn’t bother to read the agenda materials or attend meetings. The failure to be aware is on them, not on anything nefarious by the City of Redondo Beach. GPAC chair Nick Biro has been and still is a consultant for the BCHD. Does anyone truly believe Biro didn’t inform BCHD what was happening two years ago.
The bitter truth is post-COVID BCHD realized they cannot secure funding for their project. It’s just too expensive and risky to lenders, even after BCHD gave away most of the ownership to outside entities.
This latest PR effort appears to be a distraction to cover up for gross mismanagement. To date BCHD has spent over $12 million of taxpayer’s money developing this project and no lender appears to want any part of it. BCHD management and the District’s elected Board are frantically scrambling to find a scapegoat to keep their jobs. Time to blame the City of Redondo Beach.
Jessica Gonzales
Redondo Beach
District transfers
Dear ER:
BCHD’s allcove service area is only 8.5% the district’s residents and taxpayers. The other 91.5% are the non-resident/non-taxpayers of the LA County Health Departments SPA8 area.
BCHD is not planning to charge rent to the 91.5% non-resident allcove for the 30 years of the building’s life. The lot at Beryl and Flagler avenues has a fair market value of over $4 million and a fair market land rent of at least $250,000 per year. Residents of the Beach Cities Health District will be shortchanged $250,000 annually for 30 years.
Mark Nelson
Redondo Beach
