The Orange County Transportation Authority board has postponed a decision about the agency’s preferred alternative for the I-405 Freeway expansion project, according to Seal Beach City Councilman Gary Miller.
Councilman Miller, speaking at the Monday, Sept. 24 City Council meeting, said the OCTA board would look at the issue again on Oct. 22.
There are three alternatives for expanding the 405 freeway.
Alternative One would build one general purpose lane in each direction between Euclid Street and I-605.
Alternative Two would build two general purpose lanes in each direction between Brookhurst/Euclid Street and I-605.
Alternative Three would build one general purpose lane between Euclid Street and I-605 and one toll lane in each direction between State Route 73 and State Route 22 east of I-405.
Officials from the city of Seal Beach and other Orange County cities have expressed support for Alternative 2.
In late August, OCTA Board Chairman Paul Glaab sent a letter to six Orange County cities that argued in favor of Alternative 3, the toll road option. The Glaab letter specifically said that the soundwall separating Seal Beach’s College Park East neighborhood from the I-405 Freeway might not be moved if the toll road option were adopted. College Park East resident have strongly objected the the freeway project because moving the soundwall would permanently narrow Almond Avenue.
Mayor Michael Levitt asked city staff to place the I-405 project on the City Council’s Oct. 8 agenda.
Consent Calendar
Ethical issues dominated the council’s Consent Calendar. Three items on the Consent Calendar dealt with regulations imposed by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
The Seal Beach council adopted a policy that allows city officials to accept free tickets to events provided they are given to an agency but not to a specific official. The new policy will have City Manager Jill Ingram decide who receives the tickets and fills out the required Fair Political Practices Commission form.
The council also adopted rules allowing council members to serve on boards of other agencies with pay of $250 or more a year, subject to some conditions. One of the conditions is that the council has already posted a Fair Political Practices Commission form on the city website that shows how much each council member is paid.
For example, Mayor Michael Levitt is paid $100 a meeting to serve on the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority board, $212.50 a month to serve on the Orange County Sanitation District board and $100 a month to serve on the Orange County Vector Control Board. Councilman Gary Miller, who serves on the West Orange County Water board, is paid $400 a year by that agency. (Levitt serves as his alternate on the water board.)
Also, Seal Beach staff will return to the council in 90 days with proposed amendments to the city’s conflict of interest code. The California Political Reform Act gave the city until Oct. 1 to to give notice if amendments to the conflict code were required.
Safety issues
In response to public comments, the council directed staff to look at putting power lines under ground and to consider emergency exits from Seal Beach in the event of a disaster.
Councilwoman Ellery Deaton said she wanted to be sure that neither residents of College Park East, nor College Park West nor Leisure World were without medical care.
Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Sean Crumby said a comprehensive look at Seal Beach’s disaster preparedness would be a big undertaking. In response to public and council concerns about bridges going out, Crumby said: “There is no way to get out of Seal Beach without going under or over a bridge.”
Councilman David Sloan, a former firefighter, said finding an emergency exit from Seal Beach was possible.
Levitt asked staff to bring the issue back to a future council meeting.
Deaton said the city needs a disaster preparedness plan.
