Hawaiian Gardens approves contract for city’s 47th anniversary carnival

By Jerry Bernstein

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council awarded a contract to Kastl Amusement for the 2011 city anniversary carnival. Director of Human Services Steve Gomez said the annual City Birthday Celebration would be held on April 2 at Furgeson Elementary School. The event will consist of live entertainment, food booths, games, vendors, carnival rides and information booths. Revenue from ticket sales is estimated at $10,000.
In other business the council approved an exchange of Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] Funds with the cities of La Verne, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and Rolling Hills Estates in the amount of $356,571 for $248,778.45 of City General Funds. This results a savings of $107,792.55 to Hawaiian Gardens.
Hawaiian Gardens Finance Director David Sung said the city was notified about the possibility of purchasing CDBG funds with general fund monies. By bidding the purchase of the CDBG funds for a price less than one dollar, the city will be able to save money. He said Hawaiian Gardens was able to purchase the funds at 70 cents on the dollar from three cities and 67 cents on the dollars for Rolling Hills Estates.
Sung said the purchases will allow for funding of neighborhood improvement project. He also explained this is funding the other cities received but cannot use. By agreeing to sell it to Hawaiian Gardens, the money they receive will go into their general fund.
The council also approved an amendment to ordinance, No. 532. granting Cardinal Pipeline of Denver, Colorado to install and operate an oil pipeline within the city with a requirement of insurance in the amount of $10 million. The amendment originally required the company to have insurance of $20 million. However, the city had agreed through the former City Attorney to require insurance in the amount of $10 million. City Attorney Omar Sandoval said for some undetermined reason, the previous ordinance did not reflect the insurance requirement.
In 1967 the city granted to Shell Oil Co. a 40-year franchise to construct, operate and maintain a pipeline for the transportation hydroplane substances, commonly known as the Brea Crude Pipeline that the city approved on Oct. 25, 2005. Shell Oil Company transferred the franchise to Cardinal Pipeline. On Feb. 9, 2007 the franchise expired.
The Council also approved a request by the Community Development Department authorizing the removal of “in lighting and installation of L.E.D active pedestrian Crossing signs on Norwalk Boulevard at 216 St. The work comes under the Safe Route to School (SRS) grant.
The Council authorized the donation of surplus vehicles and equipment to the city’s sister city of Venustiano, Carranza and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Youth Activities League (YAL).
City Administrator Ernesto Marquez said delivery of the vehicles to the sister cities has not been made and YAL has been utilizing one of the vehicles to transport participants to sponsored activities. YAL has requested the donation of the vehicles and will assume liability and maintenance to the vehicle.