Torrance City Council – A Town Hall Style Conversation About Local Politics

The Executive Editor and Vice President of Los Angeles News Group, Michael A. Anastasi, has confirmed in an e-mail to me that Mayor Furey met several months ago with Toni Sciacqua, Managing Editor of the Daily Breeze, and requested that local reporter Nick Green be removed from his current position.  According to Anastasi, Mayor Furey then related that if Nick Green was not removed that he would no longer talk to the Daily Breeze.

The Daily Breeze did not remove Nick Green from his post per Furey’s request and it would appear that consistent with his remark the Mayor has not communicated with the local paper.  Apparently, Mayor Furey’s boycott of the Breeze extends back to his election in May as there has been a noticeable absence of any quotes from him in the paper since that time.

The editorial board of the Breeze endorsed Mayor Furey’s rival Tom Brewer in the past election and it is no secret that Furey was not pleased with Nick Green and some of the reporting that occurred during the election.  In one council meeting shortly after the election, speaking in reference to the Daily Breeze, Furey cautioned residents to “consider the source” claiming that the source in question was “generally incorrect.”  He then concluded by stating, “so don’t always believe everything you read.”

This revelation by Anastasi comes just two weeks after Carson City officials also slammed the Daily Breeze stopping just short of passing a proposed resolution calling for a City-wide boycott of the local newspaper.  In response to that action, Anastasi penned an open letter to the Carson City Council in which he stated:

“Accountability reporting and a free press are what distinguish the United States of America from totalitarian regimes around the world, such as China, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Russia. It was so important that the Founding Fathers included it in the United States Constitution. Then, as today, there have been people who have shied away from truth and freedom of information, preferring to operate secretly… While it is unfortunate that Carson may cease being a business client of the Daily Breeze, we will not bow to financial pressure. And, I must admit, I am unsure how a potentially diminished Breeze would benefit Carson residents — although I can certainly see how less scrutiny would benefit politicians who do not want to be transparent in their actions.”

Torrance will receive nearly $10 Million after recently approving a boundary modification with Rolling Hills Estates.   The boundary modification allows for a portion of the golf course at Rolling Hills Country Club to be reconfigured and located in the City of Torrance while Rolling Hills Estates will receive a portion of land from Torrance upon which they plan to develop 114 single-family residences.  The $10 Million is to compensate Torrance for the loss of future tax revenues due to the boundary change.

The City is currently expected to receive the funds in the second quarter of this year.  Once received, the funds will be considered general government money and can be used for any governmental purpose.  As part of the 5-year budget discussions, City staff has prepared the following list of possible projects for the Council to consider funding with the $10 Million.  Prior to leaving office, Mayor Scotto recommended to a group of HOA leaders that a substantial portion of the $10 Million go to paying down pension debt.  Based on the list of options generated by staff that no longer seems to be something the City is considering.

The recommended project list (with budgetary estimates) is as follows.  City staff is asking for pre-funding approval to begin now those projects marked in bold.  This listing is not in order of priority as no priority listing was provided.

• International Economic Development Board Pilot Program ($40K)
• Radio System Replacement ($5M to 7.5M)
• Greenwood Park Parking Lot Rehabilitation ($150K)
• Farmers Market Bollard Installation ($178K)
• Armstrong Theatre: upgrade sound and lighting, replace wooden stage, replacement of wall baffling, green room and cast restroom remodel ($637K)
• Cultural Arts Center: carpet replacement, security system modernization, seal external walls ($500K)
• Shade canopy for Torino Plaza ($500K)
• Automatic Hand Dryers in Major Buildings ($250K)
• Nakano Theatre Restrooms ($150K)
• Repair/Replace Trusses at Wilson Park($791K)
• General Updates to City Hall Offices ($201K)
• Retile Fountain at City Hall Plaza ($200K)
• Police Mobile Command Vehicle ($825K)
• Police In Car HD Video System ($450K)
• Body Camera Pilot Project ($50K)
• 186^th Street Improvement at Columbia Park ($500K)

The City is also considering the following list of projects that do not have budgetary estimates developed yet:

• Purchase of Property at 1716 Date Street (opportunity to expand parking for Fire Station 1
• McMaster Park public restroom refurbishment
• Wilson Park: Refurbish public restrooms, restore Red Car, construct skateboard park, Crenshaw Blvd electric sign
• Columbia Park: Refurbish public restrooms, install new restrooms on 190^th side of park, develop adult fitness area to include Bocce Courts
• Torrance Park Band Shell
• Walteria Park: Community room update, replace picnic shelter near PCH
• Plunge building upgrade
• Bartlett Center: Carpet replacement, paint exterior and interior, redesign shuffleboard area to create exercise room
• Reconfigure and landscape Civic Center parking lot
• Purchase Cabrillo Building
• Five Year pilot shuttle for Del Amo business district to Downtown-Red Car Trolley
• 2 Electric cars for City Hall departmental use

Is there a project not listed here that you would like the City to consider? If so, please provide it in the comments section.  I will be sure to consolidate any responses and include them in an e-mail to the City Council.

Last Wednesday Torrance Transit celebrated after marking its 75^th Anniversary.  The festive mood likely didn’t last long, however, as the City was hit Monday with a class action lawsuit filed by the Tidrick Law Firm on behalf of past and current bus operators.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the California Labor Code and claims that the City of Torrance engaged in an unlawful practice of failing to pay its bus operators for all compensable work at the proper rate of pay.

More specifically, the lawsuit alleges that the City of Torrance would require its bus operators to attend mandatory training, safety, and staff meetings, but did not pay the employees for their time to attend these meetings. The complaint also alleges the City would routinely schedule routes that would end after their scheduled arrival time. The bus operators were then compensated only according to the scheduled run time and not how long it actually took to complete the route.

The suit further alleges that employees were not compensated for their time completing and reviewing required documentation after their shifts and that they were not paid overtime when any time associated with completing any of the tasks listed in the complaint caused them to work beyond 40 hours in a week.

As relief, the plaintiffs seek recovery of all unpaid wages with interest, exemplary and punitive damages, and all costs of suit inclusive of attorney fees.

No matter the ultimate outcome of the case, the suit is surely to put a further dent into an already depleted City legal defense fund.