Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill with 30,000 issues every Friday
VOL. XLII NO. 3
Your Weekly Community Newspaper
www.signaltribune.com
January 10, 2020
LB City Council approves funds to improve bike lane and parking lots
In this issue NEWS
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City may also evaluate erasing red curbs to allow more street parking in the future. LB City Council rejects $298-million housing-bond ballot measure Page 2
Anita W. Harris Staff Writer Daniel Green | Signal Tribune
The Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association is here to stay, despite a reduction in its funding. Community events and outreach will be scaled back as a result.
The BKBIA is here to stay despite sunsetting funds in 2021
The reduction in funding may impact community events and outreach Sebastian Echeverry Managing Editor
Residents rally in support of housing-bond initiative
Page 2
No, the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA) is not going to disappear, BKBIA Executive Director Blair Cohn told the Signal Tribune Monday, Jan. 6, but it may look a bit different come 2021. As previously reported in the
Signal Tribune, the Long Beach City Council renewed the contract it had with the association for one year and continued a tax assessment on Bixby Knolls businesses to help fund the organization in November. Cohn said that the news about the fleeting funds is nothing new, but that didn’t stop people from asking him on social media if this
meant the end for the BKBIA. “So, let’s clarify, there will be a BKBIA because the businesses pay their assessment and that creates a budget–– that’s what we call the operating budget,” Cohn said. “But it would cut funding in half–– if not a little more than half.” see BKBIA page 11
Bike lanes, parking lots and increasing street parking are all on the Long Beach City Council’s radar. At its Jan. 7 meeting, the council agreed to allocate funds toward a “backbone” bikeway along Orange Avenue. It also approved additional funds to upgrade city parking lots. At a future date, the council may consider hiring a consultant to evaluate if any red-painted curbs designated for emergency vehicles can instead be used for street parking. see BIKE LANES page 10
Superior court finds Long Beach transfer of water and sewer funds unconstitutional, violates Prop 218
COMMUNITY Sports
The City of Long Beach will seek to appeal the court’s ruling, sources say.
Sebastian Echeverry Managing Editor
Swinging the legacy forward: Wilson High junior embraces golfing roots, leads boys varsity average score Page 7
The Los Angeles Superior Court tentatively ruled in favor of local residents Diana Lejins’ and Angela Kimball’s petition on Thursday, Jan. 2, which argued that the transfer of Long Beach water and sewer funds carried out through Measure M–– a voter approved transfer of surplus water department funds to the General Fund–– was unconstitutional be-
cause it violated Proposition 218. The court ruled that the City of Long Beach must stop the transfer of water and sewer funds to its General Fund and return all Measure M transfers from its General Fund to the Long Beach Water Department’s Water and Sewer Revenue Funds. “This city’s mayor and council are constantly asking for more money; and their spending is ofsee RULING page 11
Courtesy City of Pexels.com
The Los Angeles Superior Court tentatively ruled the transfer of water and sewer funds from the Long Beach Water Department to the City’s general fund was unconstitutional.
“I Endorse Juan Ovalle for City Council!” - Councilwoman Rae Gabelich (Retired) I know what the job takes, and there’s no one I would trust more to represent us — our uptown, 8th District community — than Juan Ovalle. He has the honesty, leadership skills, and independence to restore residents as the top priority in City Hall. - Rae
Juan
valle
for City Council
FUNDRAISER: Wed, Jan. 22nd, 6-8 pm Host: Rae Gabelich Where: Phil Trani’s 3490 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA www.JuanOvalleForCouncil.com Paid for by Juan Ovalle for City Council 2020 (ID# 1419219)