Editor’s note: If you have a question about a city issue—or a suggestion for filing a Public Records Act request—email Associate Editor Charles M. Kelly at editor2@sunnews.org.
Park and recreation questions answered
On Tuesday, July 13, the Sun asked Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey about team sports on the beach, and the status of Gum Grove Park.
On Thursday, July 22, Kelsey replied:
Beach sports
“The City currently has 9 beach volleyball courts on the sand that are open for public use. The courts are very popular and used regularly by residents and for recreation programming. Staff has found that the courts are heavily used year round by both visitors and residents for games,” Kelsey wrote.
Second dog park
Kelsey didn’t have an update on the dog park when he emailed the Sun, but District Once Councilman/Mayor Joe Kalmick called on Tuesday, July 27, to report that a temporary dog park is going up in Zoeter Park. Kalmick described the termporary dog park as a test to see how it works. “If it does, it will come to council” for approval, Kalmick said.
Gum Grove update
“The City has obtained the required Coastal Development Permit to move the tree planting project forward. The Public Works Department is the lead department and have been working with the local tribe and the required monitors to schedule a time to perform the planting. I do not [know] what the schedule is for this work however I do know scheduling has been challenging. At this time there have not been any new reports of digging in the park however we have recommended that all reports be made with the police department and I cannot speak for any contacts they have had regarding the park,” Kelsey wrote.
Ad Hoc Pool Committee meeting follow up:
The city’s ad hoc pool committee met in a special session on Tuesday, July 20.
“We just had a kick off meeting,” wrote District Three Councilman Michael Varipapa in a July 21 email to the Sun. (The paper received the email after our print deadline, which is why you are reading this article this week.)
“Went over some of the past history of the pool. No decisions were made. Plan on meeting again,” Varipapa wrote.
District One Councilman/Mayor Joe Kalmick said essentially the same thing in a recent phone interview. Varipapa and Kalmick are the only members of the pool committee.
On Monday, July 19, the city of Seal Beach issued a public notice about a special meeting of the Seal Beach Community Pool Ad Hoc Committee.
The meeting was scheduled to be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 20, by phone on Zoom.
The city posted an agenda and an announcement of the meeting.
There was no link to the meeting on the city website.
In a July 20 email, City Clerk Gloria Harper, responding to a request for information, told the Sun that the meeting was not live and that a video would be uploaded to the city website after the meeting.
In a phone conversation, Harper could not say when that would happen. “As soon as possible,” she said.
As of July 23, the 24-minute video of the meeting is available on YouTube. You can find it by going to the city website, and selecting, in order “government,” “agenda, notices & meeting videos,” then under “current archived meeting agendas, notices & videos,” selecting “city council,” and then clicking on the video icon for “Community Pool Project Ad Hoc Committee” dated 7/20/2021.
