MAY 2016 PAYMEN SY TS A O E F 3 $18 SEASON P Offe AS r end S SALE s May 31 SAVE THE DATE October 14th The La Mirada Community Foundation is excited to announce its first annual: Gala for a Cause Friday, October 14, 2016, 7 pm at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Enjoy an evening of family-friendly comedy, magic, and music to benefit the La Mirada Community Foundation and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles assisting La Mirada seniors, veter- ans, and families in need of home repair. The Gala is black-tie optional and will feature a silent auction, prizes from local businesses, and nationally known entertainers: • Adam Christing (Founder of CleanComedians.com) • Michael Grandinetti (As seen on TV’s “Masters of Illusion”) • Carlos Oscar (As seen on “The Tonight Show”) • Michael & Amy (Award-winning dueling piano show) Plus: a special performance starring Biola Youth Theatre players. Visit www.LMCommunityFoundation.com/Gala for more details. “Love a Tree” A Poster Contest Winners E T Winners of the annual “Love a Tree” Poster Contest have been announced. Posters V RE were judged for creativity and originality by the La Mirada Senior and Youth Councils O E and the Community Services Commission. Winners and their schools include: L Levi Carrigan Heights Christian Elementary TK Destiny Caballero Escalona Elementary Kindergarten Monal Walvekar Eastwood Elementary 1st Grade Sophia Sycharean Escalona Elementary 2nd Grade Brielle Han Eastwood Elementary 3rd Grade Gabriela Baides Beatitudes of Our Lord 4th Grade Isaiah Montoya Escalona Elementary 5th Grade Eryn Cyia Tandoc Benton Middle School 6th Grade Madeline Hernandez St. Paul of the Cross 7th Grade Albert Vega Benton Middle School 8th Grade POSTER CONTEST More than 800 children from La Mirada pre-school, elementary, and middle schools entered the poster contest. Winning posters will be displayed at the La Mirada Resource Center, located at 13710 La Mirada Boulevard and winners will be recog- nized at a City Council meeting. 2 City’s Finances Get High Marks Mid-year Budget Review Shows Stable Finances The City recently reviewed its annual mid-year budget report. The report showed an improving economy as key revenue sources remained stable and are expected to exceed conservative budget es- timates. Overall, General Fund operating revenues for Fiscal Year 2015-2016 are expected to reach $41.1 million, which is $1.1 million over the budget. General Fund operating expenditures are projected at $30.2 million, which is slightly below the budget. These figures do not include fund transfers. The mid-year report also emphasized the City’s continued com- mitment to maintaining public safety as a top priority and ongoing investment in local infrastructure. At mid-year, Measure I revenues were $1.9 million. Revenues are projected to be $5.6 million at year La Mirada Achieves Savings from Bond Refunding end, an increase of $850,000 or 17.7 percent above the conservative budget estimate. This funding source is planned for neighborhood On April 26, 2016, the La Mirada Public Financing Authority issued its infrastructure repairs such as Neighborhood Street Improvement lease revenue refunding bonds, series 2016, to assist the City in achieving Phases III and IV. Phase II near Escalona Elementary School was savings. The 2016 bond series refinanced the 2006 Lease Revenue Bonds recently completed. that were used for the construction of Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquat- “The City continues to budget conservatively, so revenues meet or ics Center. The City was able to benefit from a lower interest rate while exceed the forecast,” says City Manager Jeff Boynton. “Costs are kept not extending the term of the bonds. The City’s annual payments will be low while ensuring services provided meet the community’s needs.” reduced by an estimated $135,000 for the remaining 14 fiscal years, for a total gross savings of $1,890,000. City Recognized for Fiscal Health The City’s efforts in the areas of fiscal responsibility and financial transparency have earned recognition from other organizations. The City was recently ranked in the top 96th percentile for overall fiscal health from United States Common Sense. The United States Common Sense orga- nization collects Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) state- ments annually from governments across the United States and uses the data to create a free, comprehensive public finance database to educate citizens. The City has also been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Offi- cers Association for its CAFR for 26 consecutive years. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmen- tal accounting and financial reporting. “The City is honored by these recent achievements that recognize on- going efforts to be good financial stewards,” adds Boynton. Information about the City’s programs and services is available on the City’s website at www.cityoflamirada.org. The City also displays its an- nual budget and other financial information on its website, and through a partnership with OpenGov, Inc., includes charts, graphs, and other fea- tures that make this information even more understandable. For more information, call La Mirada City Hall at (562) 943-0131. 3 Free Bulky Item Trash Pickup Council Meeting Recordings While doing spring cleaning, take advantage of the City’s free curbside bulky item pickup service. to be on City Website Bulky items can include furniture such as couches and mattresses The City is moving forward with plans to record regular Council and other goods such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers. Construc- meetings. A contract was recently approved with Granicus for video tion material is not accepted. To schedule a bulky item pick up, call recording and hosting services. Granicus provides similar services for EDCO Disposal at (562) 597-0608 at least 24-hours prior to your many cities and provided a proposal that best met the City’s needs. regularly scheduled refuse collection day and provide a list of items An item about video recording of City Council meetings was in- to be collected. Items may be placed curbside before 6 a.m. cluded in the community satisfaction survey conducted last Septem- For more information, contact the Public Works Department at ber. The majority of respondents were supportive of the meetings be- (562) 902-2385. ing recorded and made available for viewing online. Meetings will be recorded and made available to view the follow- ing day on the City’s website beginning in late May. The meeting agenda will also link to the recorded video segment of each specific Household Hazardous item. Regular City Council meetings are open to the public and held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Waste Roundup La Mirada City Hall. To view City Council meeting agendas and videos, visit La Mirada residents may safely dispose of household hazardous www.cityoflamirada.org/agendas. waste items free of charge on Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at La Mirada Regional Park in the tennis court parking lot, with ac- cess from Adelfa Drive. Materials such as motor oil, paint, turpentine, cleaners containing ac- ids or lye, household and car batteries, pesticides, and garden herbicides can be brought to the free Countywide Hazardous Waste Roundup. For more information, call the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County at (800) 238-0173 or the City’s Public Works Department at (562) 902-2385. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Southern California Air Quality Management District is offering a new incentive program to help residents purchase in-home electric vehicle charging stations at a reduced cost. Eligible residents may purchase a Level 2 (240V) charging station for their battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles at a dis- counted rate. This program will coordinate with other utility rebate programs for electric vehicle charging units. For more information, call (909) 396-2113. Garage Conversions 2016 It is illegal to convert a garage to any other use unless additional on-site covered parking is provided, and project approvals and per- mits are required from the City’s Planning and Building Divisions. Spring Beautification A garage conversion consists of any alteration or modification of a garage for purposes other than for storing vehicles. Awards Reception When a garage is illegally converted for living purposes, it can cause serious health and safety issues. Such uses create dangerous con- June 13 ditions including increased risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, it can affect the quality of life in the entire neighbor- All community members are invited to attend an awards recep- hood. Garage conversions decrease the availability of parking space tion honoring home owners whose efforts enhance and maintain the and increase cars parking on streets and illegal parking. beauty of the community. Homes, schools, businesses, and houses For additional information about garage conversions or to report of worship were selected for their exceptional landscape and exterior a potential code violation, contact the Code Enforcement Division at upkeep. The event will be held at the La Mirada Theatre for the Per- (562) 943-0131. forming Arts on Monday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. 4 Make a Splash! All Summer Long Buccaneer Bay season passes are the best way to enjoy La Mirada’s pirate-themed waterpark for a great value. Season pass holders receive exclusive deals and discounts, and can visit throughout the summer. Soak up the sun and spend the summer months floating in the lazy river, splashing in the spray pad areas, and sliding down the Join Splash! lifeguards and swimmers from all around the world for the water slides.