Cerritos Joins Group in Lawsuit Against State

Part of League of California
Cities challenge to state’s seizure of local funds.

By Jerry Bernstein

The Cerritos City Council approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Art Gallucci to join the League of California Cities, the California Redevelopment Association, and other cities and associations in litigation challenging the constitutionality of any seizure by the State of local funds.
In her report to the Council, Assistant City Manager Kathleen Jung Matsumoto said recent action by the Governor and State Legislature to balance the state budget by seizing local government funds is unconstitutional. She said it is estimated this fiscal year.
2009-10, Cerritos will lose $8.9 million in redevelopment funds and $1.1 million in property taxes through a loan allowed by voter approved Proposition 1A.
In addition, another $2.3 million in redevelopment monies will be seized in the next fiscal year 2010-11. She said the redevelopment funds will be a total loss to the agency and the property tax loan should be paid with interest within three years under Proposition 1A. “The seizures of these funds will reduce available resources to the City and Redevelopment Agency and alter the course of our operations for the next several years,” she concluded.
In other business the council authorized the construction of a mid-block pedestrian crossing on Moore Street between Studebaker Road and Manning Way.
In his report to the council Assistant City Engineer Kanna Vancheswaran said in 2006 United Parcel Service [UPS] completed a 425 space parking structure for its employees on the north side of Moore Street. The nearest legal pedestrian crossing is more than 1,000 ft. to the west at the intersection of Moore Street and Shoemaker Avenue.
Vancheswaran said UPS has agreed to test for the installation of light standards and to install flashing LED pavement markers and safety signage similar in scope to what the City has done at other unprotected mid-block crossing along arterial streets.
The Council also approved a Voluntary Green Development Program recommended by the Planning Commission. In her report to the council, Planning Assistant Kristin Huy said the goal of the program is to address and promote green development site design and construction resources for residents or businesses interested in healthy, energy-and resources-efficient green development practices.
Huy also said it will encourage the development of environmentally friendly buildings by providing information on the City’s website on what green development is, why green development is important and beneficial to the community, methods and techniques for green development, and information on resources, rebate programs and incentives.
In a 3-2 vote, the Council voted to end its membership in the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System [MCLS], which is an association of 33 independent cities, county, and special district public libraries located throughout Los Angeles County. MCLS members extend on an equal basis, loan privileges to residents of other member libraries and provides a link for reference referral to members, enabling them to provide answers to difficult questions without purchasing the range of expensive resources required for an in-depth research.
The council’s action follows MCLS joining with two other systems. Members of the Council however, felt the Cerritos library is available for students and employees of the ABC School District and employees who work in the city as well as its residents. Councilmembers Carol Chen, Mayor Bruce Barrows and Jim Edwards felt, with the economy being in recession they did not believe the library should be further open to the public. “We’re not a regional library, but a city library,” they said. Councilmember Laura Lee and Mayor Pro Tem Joseph Cho, said the benefits of the library should be available to all who want to use it. They did not believe the expansion of MCLS would influence how the library was run and the number of books that would be available to Cerritos residents.