The Seal Beach City Council voted 3-2 to go ahead with the Lampson Avenue Median Improvement Project. Council members Gordon Shanks and Ellery Deaton cast the dissenting votes.
Councilman Gary Miller asked for the item to be placed on the agenda for discussion.
According to the report by Assistant City Manager Sean Crumby, in 2009 city staff obtained federal stimulus grant money for the project. The Crumby report said Seal Beach secured $500,000 for improvements to Lampson Avenue.
“The Lampson Avenue medians had a deadline to award construction on September 30, 2011,” the report said.
“The area has been experiencing traffic fluctuations due to the West County Connectors project that has been in construction for the past two years,” the report said.
The project could not start until the Seal Beach Boulevard realignment was finished, according to the Crumby report.
In September 2011, the City Council had staff return the $500,000 to CalTrans. Councilman Gary Miller asked staff to return the money because the College Park East community was tired of construction projects in the area.
According to the Crumby report, Miller wanted bare areas planted, replant the tract entries and resurface a 50-foot section of Lampson Avenue.
The report said the total cost would be $200,000.
Monday night, Miller told the council he wanted to get the median project done before the Seal Beach Boulevard bridge reconstruction begins.
However, Councilman Shanks said he would like to see the project come back with the Capital Improvement Project budget.
“I just want to get it done,” Miller said. He said that either the city does it now or the project waits for two years.
Shanks said the council needed to plan better.
Councilwoman Deaton asked what the life of the project would be?
Crumby said the project could be redesigned in 30 to 60 days, be put out for bid and start 60 to 90 days after that. Crumby said would would begin in July or August at the earliest.
Deaton said she preferred to wrap the Lampson Avenue project into the budget process. She said she didn’t see that there was enough time to get started.
Miller, however, moved to direct staff to pursue his plan. The motion passed 3-2.
Although she cast a no vote, Deaton told Miller: “I hope you get it done before the bridge.”
Following a public hearing, the council also passed a resolution that would allow staff to automatically increase fees each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
According to the staff report by Interim Finance Director Shally Lin, the increase would be based on the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Consumer Price Index from December to December. The council unanimously approved the annual increase.
The council also approved the Consent Calendar, which included:
Extending the employment of Lin as interim finance director.
A contract with Orange County for a Community Development Block Grant to improve bathrooms in Leisure World homes. Seal Beach received $180,000 for this year’s grant, according to the staff report by Interim Director of Development Services Greg Hastings. Seventy-one Leisure World units were improved this fiscal year.
The council approved on second reading a Zoning Text Amendment to allow small residential care facilities by right in the limited commercial/residential medium density district of the city.
