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All council members were present for the Tuesday, Sep. 6 City Council meeting. Open session started at 6:00 p.m. and ended at 9:10 p.m. Here's what you missed:
West Basin Municipal Water District Urges all customers to suspend all outdoor watering until September 20. West Basin Municipal Water District and other local water agencies are now calling on a complete suspension on all outdoor watering until September 20 after a leak was found in a pipeline which brings in water from the Colorado River. Gregory Reed, General Manager of West Basin, ensures that water agencies will not be restricting water to customers and the call to action is strictly voluntary, however he calls this outage a “preview” of what is to come in the next few months due to severe water shortages.
Metropolitan Water District released a public factsheet with recommendations for conserving indoor water-use as well as outdoor. Some tips include taking short 5 minute showers, placing a bucket on the shower floor to collect cold water as the shower warms up, and later using that water for household plants. The entire public statement can be viewed below or by visiting bewaterwise.com.
Parter Medical Products Inc. Voluntarily Shuts Down after violating air pollution codes. A facility using ethylene oxide as a sterilization agent has been shut down thanks to air pollution detected by nearby air monitors which were installed upon Council approval earlier this year according to a press release issued by the City. Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes received and filed the release to inform the public of the importance to "ensure the safety of our residents and continue to work with South Coast AQMD to not only identify the sources of potential air pollutants in our community, but also to take preventative measures to reduce/monitor emissions,” As per the press release, "On August 21, 2022, Parter Medical Products, Inc. (Parter) voluntarily shut down its ethylene oxide operations until the facility can upgrade its air pollution controls," also adding that during AQMD's investigation lead to some "fugitive emission from sources that were not previously known" and that existing pollution controls should be upgraded and additional anti-pollution measures will need to be implemented.
Dedicated Pickleball Courts Coming to Hemingway Park. The city council adopted the Carson Parks, Recreation & Community Services Master Plan with a friendly amendment from Mayor Pro Tem. Jawane Hilton to include 'dedicated' pickleball courts at Hemingway Park. The plan indicates a high interest with Carson residents for pickleball play, classes, and tournaments at multiple community workshops, and suggests that the City invest in the development of 8-12 pickleball courts. According to the plan, "Pickleball has had a 650 percent increase in numbers over the last six years according to USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). A youth movement is underway, as more schools add pickleball to physical education classes. Most core players are still 65+; however most casual players are now in the 8–34 age range."
Despite its passage, the Carson Parks, Recreation & Community Services Master Plan will be returning at a future council meeting to be reconsidered with a plan of action on how to tackle the growing list of differed maintenance issues at multiple parks. "I have never seen out parks look like this," said a very frustrated Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes disappointed about park uncleanliness, "What are we going to do right now? I know we can’t get equipment tomorrow but we can clean our parks. We can make sure that our trash cans are empty[...] We can make sure our picnic tables are clean. We can make sure our sidewalks are clean[...] Do what it takes." Councilmember Cedric Hicks recommended that staff return with an updated plan which includes a maintenance timeline of playground equipment and identifying various funding sources to help clean parks. Mayor Pro Tem Hilton proposed that additional staff be hired to help maintain the park cleanliness.
City’s Annual Assessment Roll for 2022 reflects 16.8% increase. A letter received from LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang reveals the City’s 2022 Assessment roll, or the total net value of assessable property, is $19.65 billion. This year's assessment roll is $2.83 billion, or 16.8% more than the previous year. The letter summarizes the amount of local property in the City, "Carson includes 21,012 single-family homes, 632 apartment complexes, and 3,060 commercial industrial parcels for a grand total of 24,704 taxable properties." Property taxes are the second largest source of revenue for the City as according to the staff report, "the projected property tax revenues to the City are $17,732,016 for FY 2022-2023; $18,332,470 for FY 2023-2024; and $18,953,229 for FY 2024-2025."
The letter also indicated the 2022 LA County assessment reached a milestone of the 12th consecutive year of growth. At $1.89 trillion for this year, the County's assessment roll saw a 6.9% or $122.38 billion increase from 2021.
The press release can be read by clicking the link here.
City of Carson Named Finalist as LAEDC’s Most Business-Friendly City. The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) announced that the City of Carson is one of the finalists for its Most Business-Friendly City Award and honorees for its Individual, Educational and Corporate recognitions. Since 1996, the LAEDC Eddy Awards celebrates individuals, organizations, and educational institutions that demonstrate exceptional contributions to inclusive economic development in the region. LAEDC also recognizes local cities in categories based on their population size for creating environments that foster the creation and growth of enterprises that provide good jobs and build wealth for our communities. The winning cities of the Most Business-Friendly City competition will be announced live at the Eddy Awards on November 9, 2022, at Sofi Stadium.
The council made the following Proclamations:
Recognizing the 21st Anniversary of September 11.
Recognizing Sep. 15 - Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month.
Recognizing the month of September as Sickle Cell Awareness Month.
Recognizing the month of September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Events:
Galaxy Day at Veterans Park: Saturday, September 10, 3 - 5 p.m.
White Linen Affair: Saturday, September 10, 7 p.m. - midnight, at the Carson Event Center
Mariachi Fiesta!: Friday, September 23, begins at 6:30 p.m., located at the Carson Events Center