Fact v Fiction in the public hearing
On 8/11 a resident at the public hearing noted that the top 2 city employees were paid $1.2Million dollars a year in salary and compensation. This wasn’t directly regarding the water and sewer issue but just about budgets and employee costs. Our esteemed Councilman Nathan Steele loudly proclaimed him way off base and dead wrong more than once. Although, according to the public website Mr. Steele mentioned,
in 2023 Chief Henderson and his top man in the department totaled $1.16M dollars in salary and other compensation and that was 2 years ago. I think rounding that up to $1.2 million two years later would be very close to spot on and certainly close enough to have made the point.
Mr. Steele never misses an opportunity to insult what he calls “angry voters” in his advocacy for city employees … and particularly when it comes to his beloved police department. BTW the top 4 employees of the Police Department earned over $2 million dollars in 2023 in pay and benefits. Seems like they are not suffering from lack of representation like citizens are.
James Jensen
Seal Beach
Empower police to maintain charming environment
We need new proactive guidelines/ordinances to empower the SBPD to ensure the safety and maintain the charming environment on Main Street, and in Seal Beach, in general.
During my walk from the Pavilion parking lot to the pier between 7 and 8 a.m. Saturday, I came across eight homeless looking individuals, seven of whom were either resting on the grass to the right of the pier, in-front of a tree, sitting on benches, or were wandering harmlessly.
However, a man in front of Humblemaker (initially sitting on a bench with another person lying on the same bench) kept jumping up, yelling, then stripped off his top while scaring people away (the passersby elected to step off the sidewalk or crossed the street).
I contacted—on the non-emergency number—the SBPD and continued my walk. Officers of the SBPD did come out ( I saw the flashing lights from a distance) but on my return, I noted that the man and his companion were still there, although he seemed to have calmed down.
Subjectively, it seems to me that the homeless population has grown (I wonder if there is a movement in the surrounding towns including Long Beach to direct them to SB).
I realize that everyone has the right to be in SB and compassion is important.
However, sleeping on a bench at day time, and/or acting in a potentially threatening matter may present real or perceived danger, and has adverse implications on foot traffic on Main street. The overall “image” is not helping the already struggling (and frequently closing) businesses, or the financial situation (taxes) for SB.
There are many other areas of presumed homeless individuals gathering and interfering with the quality of life in our town: the main postal office, the sidewalk around the Pavilion/CVS parking lot, the area of/inside Wilson library, the 7-eleven/donut shop at the corner of 12th and PCH parking lot, and the green belt, among others.
It is time for our SB leadership (the mayor and city council, chamber of commerce, possibly a county representative) to advise and collaborate with SBPD leadership and the great staff, to work towards solutions. Unless we reverse this unfortunately rising trend of homeless individuals in SB now, and, preempt the likely adverse effects of upcoming Olympic-related moves by Long Beach and LA, our quality of life in SB could irreversibly deteriorate, regardless of which district we reside in.
Perhaps, reaching out to other OC city leaderships ( for example, Huntington Beach, Newport, Laguna Beach, etc) to learn/adopt their policies in case they have workable solutions, may also be helpful.
George Somlo
Seal Beach
