Reverse 911 being retired
I’ve been a 27 year resident of Seal Beach living 21+ of those years on Ocean south of the pier. Over the years I have appreciated the call from the “Reverse 911” service.
We had several calls about possible flooding, even a tornado watch or two but the Tsunami watch was the latest and biggest concern.
The system called me on my home phone and left messages when I wasn’t there to answer and called me back several times until I answered it.
Now watching the “local” Seal Beach TV station I find that the system is being retired.
We are told to go to the police station and pick up a form to fill out for the new “Alert OC” system.
The connection with the system can be accomplished by picking up the form at the Seal Beach Police office or also by going on line to www.AlertOC.org and filling out the data there. Thanks for your consideration.
Don Marr
Seal Beach
Huntington Beach deception
The latest offer to settle Sunset Beach’s lawsuit against Huntington Beach regarding its plan to forcibly annex Sunset and to impose additional taxes without a vote of the residents, demonstrates the city’s deception of LAFCO and the citizens of both Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach.
Months ago, in support of the city’s application to annex Sunset Beach, the city submitted a “financial feasibility study” to the LAFCO, making the case that no utility or other property tax overrides would be imposed on Sunset Beach; that the annexation would result in a net financial gain for the city, in the neighborhood of $625,000.
The study purported to prove that Huntington Beach, even without the additional taxes, could deliver adequate services to Sunset Beach and to its present residents.
The feasibility study must have been a tremendous, clever hoax. First, the city’s 2011 budget, crafted after the LAFCO study, recognizing the city’s financial problems, reduced police and other services to the entire city and made no provision for the additional workload that Sunset Beach policing would require.
Then, in a last minute move, Huntington Beach announced that it would, after all, impose all utility and other taxes on newly annexed Sunset Beach residents, including a property tax override.
The LAFCO totally ignored these indications of financial problems, and blessed the annexation proposal. Our lawsuit challenges the right of HB to impose these new taxes without a vote of Sunset Beach residents.
The new settlement offer in the lawsuit provides a period of two years without the tax levy, but indicates that during those two years without the additional tax income to the city, Huntington Beach would have to reduce all non-essential services (street sweeping, for example) to Sunset Beach, should annexation occur.
Has the city just discovered that their finances are inadequate to support annexation? If so, then the LAFCO should require the city to re-submit new, reliable proof that it has financial capability to even consider annexation of Sunset Beach. Until they do so, the LAFCO is participating in the deception that has pervaded the whole reorganization attempt.
Gretchen Hoad
Sunset Beach
Rossmoor survey
Charles M. Kelly’s article in the Sun Newspapers reported that OC Supervisor John Moorlach (of all people) called the recent Rossmoor survey “flawed.”
What sinister beliefs lurk behind Moorlach’s statement that the results of the poll could have been predicted based on “the demographics of the residents of Rossmoor, age and political views”? What is he going to promote next, the “final solution” for Rossmoor?
Moorlach’s idea of Rossmoor residents assuming an 11 percent utility users tax as a “compromise” is ridiculous.
We must not assume “latent powers” (depicted as the lesser of two evils) is the goal. Let’s not be coerced into cityhood by another name.
Moorlach, Los Alamitos Mayor Pro Tem Troy Edgar and even RCSD’s Henry Taboada are all politicians. Rossmoorians have yet to hear financial projections or every option for future governance.
Moorlach’s employment of argumentum ad nauseum, bifurcation and ad baculum fallacies combined with lies designed to divide and conquer Orange County have gone far enough!
As a resident of this beautiful community with law-abiding, hard working neighbors, I am deeply insulted by the false accusation that taxpayers in other parts of Orange County are “subsidizing this enclave.” John Moorlach, the gloves are off!
Diane Rush
Rossmoor
The 7th Street closing
As anyone from Seal Beach and surrounding areas knows, there will be a lot of congestion in the near future as though we haven’t been through enough. Starting on April 18 and continuing for the next 12 months, the 7th Street bridge will no longer be open for traffic.
The project contractor, Atkinson Construction is committed to reconstructing the bridge as quickly as possible and reopening it to the 30,000+ motorist that use the connector daily.
The actual demolition is tentatively scheduled for April 27-30.
The OCTA and Caltrans have worked extensively with the cities in West Orange county as well as the city of Long Beach to inform residents and commuters about the upcoming closures. My suggestion for easy access to College Park West coming from the east would be to exit north on Valley View or Seal Beach Boulevard and head north to either Katella or Spring than go west to Palo Verde.
Take Palo Verde south to Anaheim Street east.
This way we can avoid the congestion and back up of cars that will be using Studebaker road.
The second alternative is to exit Valley View south to Westminster road west and than go north on Studebaker road.
I only hope we can adjust to this transition with as little difficulty and stress as possible. I will keep our residents informed if I hear anything that will make our lives easier during the next 12 months. PLEASE drive carefully and pay attention to all the signs and Caltrans workers.
Charles Cohen
Seal Beach
College Park West
