The process of redrawing Seal Beach council districts began Monday night, Oct. 10.
The City Council introduced an amended ordinance that moved some residents from District 3 into District 1.
Council District 3 is represented by Councilman Gordon Shanks. District 1 is represented by Councilwoman Ellery Deaton.
Last month, according to a staff report by Director of Development Services Mark Persico, the council directed city staff to look at ways to include the property on the north side of Central Avenue into District 1.
“The council also directed staff to consider including the property on the west side of 4th Street between Central and Marina into District 1,” the report said.
The Persico report went on to say that including property on the west side of 4th Street would be difficult because the area includes 123 residents and moving them all into District 1 would make the district too large.
As previously reported, state law requires council districts to be approximately the same size.
However, on Monday night, Persico told the council staff had found a way to move people into District 3 and leave all the council districts roughly equal.
Mayor Michael Levitt opened the second public hearing on the matter.
No members of the public spoke, so Levitt closed the hearing. Then Shanks moved approval of the resolution.
City Attorney Quinn Barrow said the resolution would introduce the ordinance as amended. He said the ordinance would come back to the next council meeting for final approval. The next council meeting is scheduled for noon, Monday, Oct. 24, in the fire station on North Gate Road.
In other news, the council:
• Approved the 2011 facility condition assessment.
• Hired PSOMAS (sic) to prepare designs for the Marina Avenue storm drain project. PSOMAS will be paid $153,065.
•Hired KOA Corporation at $46,900 to prepare plans for the Seal Beach Boulevard and Golden Rain Road intersection improvement project. The intersection won’t be completely redesigned, according to a staff report by Public Works Director Sean Crumby. “The modifications recommended include: new traffic signal poles with mast arms that meet current standards, with multiple new 12 inch signal heads in locations that are optimal for visibility by drivers,” including possible new pole locations,” Crumby wrote.
• The city has budgeted $500,00 for improving the Seal Beach Boulevard and Golden Rain Road intersection.
• Approved adjusting the city boundary line. Seal Beach officially gave up 71.24 uninhabited acres of land.
Seal Beach will eventually annex the territory. “There is no loss of tax revenue because the land is publicly owned or within the San Gabriel River bottom,” according to the staff report by Persico.
