Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday
VOL. XLI NO. 8
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
February 15, 2019
In this issue NEWS
Tina Hansen “Since I have been on the city council, there has been significant residential development, which started with the hilltop development, and which has now spread all over the city. We have $1-million homes, and we also have beautiful workforce housing, such as Las Brisas and Zinnia.”
Councilmember’s 2012 DUI spotlighted in heat of state Senate race
According to reports, the incident took place during Gonzalez’s time as field deputy for Garcia. Page 3 Cory Bilicko | Signal Tribune
From left: Keir Jones, Christopher Wilson and Tina Hansen prepare to take part in the Feb. 13 Signal Hill City Council candidate forum at the Signal Hill City Council Chamber, 2175 Cherry Ave.
March 5 Signal Hill election
Three Signal Hill Council candidates present goals, platforms at forum SH City Council approves using grant for food delivery and ADA compliance
Council also reviewed measures M and N on March 5 ballot that may change election date. Page 7
COMMUNITY
The Hangar food hall hosts charity gala event Organizers welcomed local residents Wednesday evening to food tastings, auction prizes. Page 2
The three current city officials discussed public safety and how to support local business.
Cory Bilicko Staff Writer
T
hree weeks ahead of the March 5 general municipal election, the three individuals seeking to fill two available seats on the Signal Hill City Council participated in a candidate forum co-sponsored by the City and the Signal Tribune Wednesday night in the council chamber in City Hall. Tina Hansen, Keir Jones and Christopher Wilson introduced themselves, presented their goals and answered questions posed by Neena Strichart, publisher of the Signal Tribune, about how to best support local businesses, provide more recreational activities and enhance health and public safety for residents. During her introduction, Hansen, the current mayor who has served on the council since 1994, said she has lived in the city since 1991. She has worked as a prosecutor for 33 years with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, where she currently serves in the Environmental Crimes Division.
“I can tell you the Signal Hill of 1994 is completely different from the Signal Hill of 2019,” Hansen said. “Since I have been on the city council, there has been significant residential development, which started with the hilltop development, and which has now spread all over the city. We have $1-million homes, and we also have beautiful workforce housing, such as Las Brisas and Zinnia. There has been significant commercial development during my years on council, as well.” Hansen added that commercial development is essential because it generates tax revenue, which funds the City’s services. “During the years I have been on the council, much has been added to our park-and-recreation program,” she said, “such as the addition of active parks, destination parks and art pieces, the dog park on the north side of town, the trail system, Panorama Promenade with exercise stations and a project that has become personally important to me over the years– the construction of a new 12,000-square-foot library, which
will have the most up-to-date technology available, as well as provide a showcase of the history that makes our city so unique and special.” She added that her interest and belief in the importance of community service was a driving force behind many of those projects. In his introduction, Jones, who currently serves as city clerk, said he is running for city council because, in the 10 years he has lived in Signal Hill, he has learned to listen to his neighbors and become more engaged in various activities. “I’m also a small-business owner,” Jones said. “I’ve been involved with the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce for 10 years, and I have used that experience to learn more and more about our city and become more engaged with the residents and the businesses that operate here. And then I became more of a volunteer, and, most recently, I’m the president of the Signal Hill Community Foundation, so we work on the concerts in the park, as well as the million-dollar endowment [...] see FORUM page 15
Keir Jones “As a member of Signal Hill City Council, my goal is to continue to work on an economic-development plan for everyone [and] a master plan for future growth incorporating the needs of the city, along with the needs of the residents.”
Christopher Wilson “I’m running because I want to build on the economic progress in Signal Hill by bringing my 10 years of government experience and futurist thinking to city council. I’m running to make sure our businesses have the economic support they need.“ * Candidates are arranged alphabetically by last name