City Manager`s Bi-Weekly Update to the City Council

John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
City Manager's Bi-Weekly Update to the City Council
City Manager’s Office

4th of July Fireworks Show! - The Culver City Exchange Club’s 50th Annual 4th of
July Fireworks Show will be held at
West Los Angeles College on the
evening of Monday, July 4th. Gates
open at 4:00 pm, and fireworks begin
at dusk. West Los Angeles College is
located at 9000 Overland Avenue,
Culver City, 90230 - located just north
of Westfield Culver City on Overland
Avenue near Jefferson Boulevard.
Featuring:
o Garden State Fireworks - With more than 125 years of experience
entertaining crowds from the White House and Washington D.C.’s Capitol
Mall to the Super Bowl and New York Harbor
o The New Directions for Vets Choir - A finalist on TV’s “America’s Got Talent”
o Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps - Original music
o Food Trucks, Live Music, a Kids Zone, Carnival Games & Prizes, and a Raffle
This event is co-sponsored by the City of Culver City. Please click here for more
information.

Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival Begins on Thursday, July 7! Summer breezes…an intimate
courtyard…free parking…and great
music. Enjoy an evening in Culver
City for the 2016 Culver City
Boulevard Music Summer Festival.
Boulevard Music presents six free
concerts on Thursday evenings at 7
pm from July 7 through August 11 in
the palm-lined courtyard of Culver
City's City Hall. Become an entry
level sponsor by purchasing one of
the 100 premium reserved seats for
sale at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music!
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
Produced by Gary Mandell of Culver City’s Boulevard Music, Culver City’s
Boulevard Music Summer Festival offers something for everyone:
Country/Bluegrass music from 2015's Grammy-nominated Rob Ickes and Trey
Hensley (pictured below) (July 7); The sounds of World Music from Africa by
Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement (July 14); High energy Latin/Salsa
rhythms - great for dancing - from Orquesta Tabaco y Ron (July 21); Pop and
Rock Classics done in the sounds of golden age 50’s songs by Big Daddy (July
28); Internationally renowned Irish vocalist and flutist Nuala Kennedy and her
ensemble (Aug 4); and Soul/R&B - with spirit going straight to the heart - from
Missy Andersen and her band (Aug 11).
Avoid the crowds and parking hassles of other areas on the Westside. You can
catch a Culver CityBus to the venue, and bike racks are available. If you drive,
parking is free for two hours in designated parking structures in downtown Culver
City. Dozens of dining options are available within walking distance. Culver
City’s downtown area is Southern California’s best-kept secret, featuring a
wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries, and unique
restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets.
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Festival is sponsored by the City of Culver City,
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Culver Studios, Boulevard Music, John Riordan
Plumbing, Culver City Volvo & Mazda, Palm Court, Hooman Chevrolet, D & E
Associates, Swiss Motors, Combined Properties, Hillside Memorial Park, Gates
Kingsley Gates, Crave Desserts, Bella Vista Pizza, Cavanaugh Realty, Public
School 310, Culver Hotel, Courtyard Marriott, Michael Kayem Remax Estate
Properties, Tower Insurance, Dolce Realtors, Sorrento Market, Southern
California Hospital, Maxam Properties, Music Munchers, Dynagraphics, Culver
City News, Culver City Observer, Steeldeck Inc, Eastman Strings, Kremona,
Ohana, Ernie Ball, and more to be confirmed soon as sponsorships are still
available. For more information, please view the flyer, call Boulevard Music at
310-398-2583, or go to Boulevard Music’s website.
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
Cultural Affairs

New Permanent Public Art for Greystar’s Access Culver City – In September
2014, the Cultural Affairs Commission approved an art concep by merge
conceptual design that was installed last week in the open space area of the
Access Culver City project at the southeast corner of the intersection of
Washington and National Boulevards. The art features a stainless steel infinity
loop that changes shape when viewed from various vantage points available at
the site and is enveloped in a cloud of fog at intermittent intervals throughout the
day.
Fire Department

Strike Team Deployment – From
June 20 to June 23, strike teams
were deployed to assist with the
Fish and San Gabriel Complex
fires. The strike teams were
comprised of firefighters from
Culver City, Santa Monica, and
Beverly Hills Fire Departments.
During deployments, the Culver
City Fire Department immediately
recalls off-duty firefighters to ensure continuous coverage for Culver City.
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager

July 1, 2016
CCARES Participates in ARRL Field Day – June 25-26, Culver City Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (CCARES) participated in the
National Association for Amateur Radio American Radio
Relay League (ARRL) Field Day. The Culver City Fire
Department supported CCARES by setting up two 24hour open radio access posts, one at Fire Station 1 and
another at City Hall. ARRL Field Day is the most popular
on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On
the fourth weekend of June, more than 35,000 radio
amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with
friends to operate from remote locations. The objective is
to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands and to learn
to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Click here for
more information about CCARES.
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

Culver City Camp Programs – Just 4 Kids & Teen Summer Camps are entering
Week #3. Registration will remain open for enrollment until all camp spots are
filled for all weeks. The upcoming weeks of camp will feature trips to a Los
Angeles Angels Major League Baseball game against the Houston Astros, a
roller-coaster fun-filled trip to Magic Mountain and much more. For more
information, please contact the Culver City Recreation and Registration Office at
(310) 253-6650.

Olympic Day at Culver City Camp – It was another great Olympic Day for Culver
City campers, which took place on June 23rd. Campers participated in multiple
events such as soccer, basketball, freeze dance and inflatable jumpers. Over
180 campers participated. Campers were particularly high-spirited because this
is a Summer Olympic year! Campers eagerly shared their thoughts on their
favorite Olympians and which events they were most looking forward to
experiencing. It was a truly fun and rewarding Olympic Day for both campers
and staff!

CarFit at the Culver City Senior Center – the Culver City Senior Center and
Social Services Division will host a CarFit event on Saturday, July 23 rd from 8:30
am – 12:00 pm at the Culver City Senior Center. CarFit is an educational
program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal
vehicles “fit” them. At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health
professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly
for maximum comfort and safety. A CarFit check takes approximately 20
minutes to complete. The event is open to all drivers age 55+ but appointments
must be made for the event. Please call (310) 253-6700 to make a reservation.
The event is co-sponsored by the Association of American Retired Persons
(AARP), American Automobile Association (AAA), American Occupational
Therapy Associations (AOTO) and the Culver City Senior Citizens Association
(CCSCA).

Culver City Volunteer Opportunities – There are many upcoming volunteer
opportunities in the Culver City community. Please contact Jill Thomsen in the
volunteer office at (310) 253-6722 or via email for more information. Two noteworthy volunteer opportunities include the following: 1) The Red Cross in Culver
City is looking for biomedical transportation specialist volunteers to transport
blood and blood products to hospitals in a safe and timely manner; time
commitment is once a month for 6 months; must have a valid driver’s license with
three years of driving experience, provide proof of a safe driving record, and be
able to lift up to 45 pounds; the Culver City vehicle pickup and drop-off location is
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
in West Culver City near the Arts District and volunteers utilize a Red Cross
vehicle for this unique volunteer opportunity. 2) Culver City Public Theatre’s 18th
season will open July 16th. The troupe performs two shows on Saturdays and
Sundays at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm and always need volunteers to help with set
up and striking; handing out programs, taking zip code surveys, and staffing the
concession stand.

Culver City Volunteer Program – Thank you to the team from the Culver City
Best Buy at the Culver Center on Washington Boulevard for volunteering at the
thank-you breakfast for our Culver City Volunteer Program volunteers. Thanks to
the Best Buy team and Senior & Social Services Division staff, more than 200
volunteers were able to relax and enjoy a delicious breakfast and entertainment
donated by the talented Rebecca Rice

Veterans Memorial Complex Rental Operation – Upgrades continue for Veterans
Memorial Auditorium. 225 new Mity-Lite chairs are now part of the equipment
inventory for the venue; the 2017 Reservation Calendar opens on July 1 st.
Please contact the VMC Rental Office at (310) 253-6625 or via email. Revised
policies regarding Culver City Police Department procedures at VMC rentals that
serve alcohol are effective beginning July 1st. More information is available by
contacting the VMC Rental Office.

Fiesta La Ballona 2016 – Fiesta returns the weekend of August 26th – 28th and
sponsorship opportunities are still available. More information on the Fiesta and
Sponsorship Opportunities is available by calling (310) 253-6667, going to the
Fiesta La Ballona website or by sending an email.

Culver City Municipal Plunge – In celebration of “Water Safety Month,” the
aquatics staff from The Plunge conducted over a dozen water safety
presentations to schools, libraries and community groups within Culver City.
Over 200 youth and over 20 caretakers took part in the water safety
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
presentations. To view the presentations and learn how you can stay safe in and
around water, please visit our website.

The Plunge Among Best L.A. Pools – From the hundreds of public pools in the
Greater Los Angeles area, the Culver City Plunge was named one of the “Six
Best Public Pools” in an article by Julia Wick in Arts & Entertainment on June 9th.
To read the article, please click here.

Summer Hours at The Plunge – The staff of the Culver City Plunge invite you
and your family to join us for some fun and excitement during Recreation Swim,
which takes place Monday – Sunday from 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm through Labor
Day. Come beat the heat at The Plunge this summer!

Fox Hills Park Pride Day – The Annual Fox Hills Park Pride Day takes place on
Saturday, July 30th from 9:30 am – Noon at – you guessed it! – Fox Hills Park.
This annual events is hosted by the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association.
Participants will be planting Junipers and generally cleaning the park; gloves,
tools and lunch will be provided. For more information, please click here.
Police Department

Procedural Justice Training - On Wednesday, June 29th, Chief Bixby and the
Command Staff met with Chief Ed Medrano from the Gardena Police Department
to discuss the upcoming training session for all Department supervisors. Chief
Medrano is the lead instructor and will be presenting the training. The training
session is sponsored by the United States Department of Justice and is part of
President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Policies. The theme of the training is
Organizational Change through Decision Making Policy.

Rotary Club Demotion Dinner - On Sunday, June 25th, Lieutenant Bill Browne
attended the Rotary Demotion Dinner held at a local restaurant. The dinner was
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
held to thank Carmela Raack for her reign as President. The members of the
Police Department want to thank the Rotary Club for its leadership.
Public Works Department

Utility Work in Public Right-of-Way - Golden State Water
Company is currently installing a replacement water
main on Helms Avenue between National Boulevard
and Higuera Street. The work is expected to be
completed by the end of July.

Baldwin Hills Conservancy Grant - In July 2015, the
Baldwin Hills Conservancy (BHC) received an
appropriation of $2,000,000 of Proposition 1 grant funds for fiscal year 20152016 for use toward, “protecting rivers, lakes, streams, coastal waters and
watersheds”.
Department staff applied for the grant under the category to “protect and restore
rural and urban watershed health to improve watershed storage capacity, forest
health, protection of life and property, storm water resource management, and
greenhouse gas reduction”. The City submitted the Refuse Transfer Station –
Storm Water Diversion System and Rain Garden Project.
The project would capture, pre-treat/filter, and divert stormwater from the 85th
percentile storm (1.1” of rain) to Hyperion Treatment Plant. The roof runoff would
be directed to rain gardens along Jefferson for bio filtration. A project of this
scale would achieve compliance with the Industrial General Permit and the
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.
Staff attended a BHC Board Meeting on June 17, 2016, and the grant proposal
was unanimously approved for funding in the amount of $606,000. Staff will
meet with BHC staff to prepare grant agreement mid-July. Staff anticipates
design completion by November 2016 and anticipate that construction will begin
by June 2017.
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager

July 1, 2016
Smart Gardening Workshops – The Department is partnering with Los Angeles
County to offer Smart Gardening Workshops on home composting. The
workshops will be offered every quarter
throughout the year, alternating each quarter
between “Beginner” and “Advanced” levels.
Beginner workshops will provide hands-on
instruction on the basic techniques of
composting, worm composting, water-wise
gardening, and grasscycling. Advanced
workshops will teach organic gardening,
landscaping with native drought-tolerant
plants, and integrated pest management (environmentally-sound ways to control
pests).
The next workshop will be “Beginner” level and is scheduled for July 16th at 9:30
am in the Veterans Memorial Building Garden Room. Doors open at 9:00 am for
check-in. Participants will be able to purchase bins for hot composting and/or
vermi-composting (worm composting) at a discount after each workshop. A bag
of worms and a block of coconut starter is included with the vermi-bins.
Visit the County’s website to get additional information on the workshops and
other related topics in home gardening and lawn care.

ReFuel Your Fun Campaign - It’s that time of year again for BBQ, camping,
tailgating and Disposable Propane Cylinders! With camping/tailgating season
in full swing, U-Haul is now selling and refilling at 126 participating locations in
California. It is easier than ever to refuel your propane fun.
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
Did you know that…

When “empty,” disposable cylinders often contain a small amount of gas,
posing a danger to sanitation workers due to the risk of explosions and
resulting fires.

Disposables are expensive when you realize that 80% of the price you pay
is for the packaging.

Millions of disposable cylinders end up in landfills or are left behind each
year.

Refillables save money. A simple refill costs approximately $2.25 because
you only pay for the gas and filling service, not the container!

Refillables can last up to 12 years and can be refilled hundreds of times.

Refillables reduce the impact on landfills and the environment.
For more information, please click here.
Transportation Department

Bike to Work Week Winners! - 18 City employees
pledged and rode their bikes to work during the week
of May 9 - 13. Those employees had an opportunity to
stop by the Rideshare booth at the Employee
Appreciation BBQ and receive a gift just for
pledging! A big THANK YOU to all of our participants!
Congratulations to our winners Xochitl Cruz (Parks, Recreation, and Community
Services) - the winner of the $20 Gift Card to Regal Cinemas, and Beatriz Spies
(Public Works) - the grand prize winner of the Fitbit.

Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) Summer Lunch Program – On
Wednesday, June 22nd, Culver CityBus partnered with CCUSD to host the
activities for the Summer Lunch program. Culver CityBus staff brought a bus to
the event allowing participants to get on board! The 62 participants were allowed
to “picture themselves on a Culver CityBus” with commemorative Polaroids, learn
how to ride the bus safely, and participate in arts and craft projects. Culver
CityBus Staff was on hand to answer questions and pass out information to those
curious about Culver CityBus routes and services. The program, held at La
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
Ballona Elementary School was created to keep kids healthy, safe, and “whole”
during the summer months with a free lunch program and daily activities.

Bus Stop Relocations Community Meetings - Three Community meetings were
held on Saturday, June 25th, 2016. The meetings provided information on the
relocations, answered questions, and received input from the public.
The deadline to receive public comments on this project is July 25, 2016.
Interested parties can find out more about the project here. You can also have
questions or comments addressed via telephone at (310) 253-5634 or via email.
A summary of all input received will be communicated at the City Council
meeting on August 8, 2016.
The City Council has approved the implementation of a Bus Signal Priority
System (BSP) that will improve the efficiency of bus service by providing traffic
signal priority to buses at signalized intersections along their routes in Culver
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John M. Nachbar, City Manager
July 1, 2016
City; by extending the green time a few seconds, a Culver City bus running late
may catch up to the schedule. As part of the BSP Project, 35 existing nearside
bus stops are recommended to be relocated to the farside of the
intersection. This relocation is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the
BSP System. The relocation away from nearside will provide the opportunity to
regain some parking spaces, in most instances, in the nearside, and will also
cause the loss of some parking spaces in the new farside.

Culver EXPO 2016 – On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Culver CityBus staff joined
almost 90 Culver City Chamber member businesses at the 2016 Expo. The
attendees were allowed to “picture themselves on a Culver CityBus,” and Staff
was on hand to answer questions and pass out information to those curious
about Culver CityBus routes and services.

4th of July Special Service – Culver CityBus Line 3 will run a special detour to
provide service for the Fireworks
Show at West LA College. Line 3
will run regular Sunday/Holiday
service and take the detour on July
4th from 7:15 pm – 10:14 pm. Both
the northbound & southbound Line
3 will be on detour in order to
service the stops (Overland/Freshman northbound and Overland/Jefferson
southbound) closest to West LA College.
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