Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of September 26, 2017
Title
COUNCIL DIRECTION ON APPOINTMENT OF
TWO NEW COMMISSIONS AND/OR TASK FORCES
TO ADDRESS ARTS & CULTURE AND SENIOR
LIVING & ACCESSIBILITY IN HERMOSA BEACH
(City Manager Sergio Gonzalez)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
It is recommended that City Council provide direction in regards to the following options identified by city staff:
1) Utilize existing community groups such as the Hermosa Arts Foundation (HAF) and Hermosa Five-O or current Commissions to form Adhoc subcommittees as needed to address Arts & Culture and Senior Living & Accessibility.
OR
2) Direct the City Manager to explore the possibility of forming an Arts & Culture Task Force and/or Senior Living & Accessibility Task Force.
OR
3) Direct the City Clerk to prepare an ordinance for introduction at a public hearing to form an Arts & Culture Commission and/or Senior Living & Accessibility Commission.
Body
Background:
At the June 15, 2017 Adjourned Regular City Council meeting during “Other Matters” (Item 8a), Councilmember Fangary requested that staff return at a future Council meeting with a report regarding appointment of two new commissions and/or task forces to address “Arts & Culture” and “Senior Living & Accessibility” in Hermosa Beach. The request was supported by Mayor Pro Tem Duclos and Councilmember Armato.
Analysis:
A City Council appointed board or commission is an official body empowered to perform certain acts or assume certain jurisdictions of a public nature. Officially appointed boards and commissions have a permanent nature as opposed to an informal board, committee, working group or task force, which may be established by the City Manager for some specific and perhaps temporary purpose. Hermosa Beach currently has 6 Council appointed boards and commissions and 4 active informal working groups (listed below). In comparison, Manhattan Beach has 7 Council appointed boards and commissions and Redondo Beach has 20 appointed boards and commissions (see attached).
Appointed Boards/Commissions:
• Board of Building Appeals
• Civil Service Board
• Public Works Commission
• Planning Commission
• Parks, Recreation & Community Resources Advisory Commission
• Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission
Informal Working Groups:
• PCH/Aviation Improvement Working Group
• Community Police Advisory Board
• Library Working Group
• Access Hermosa Working Group
• General Plan Working Group (no longer active)
• Fire Services and Firefighter Appreciation Outreach Working Group (no longer active)
• Green Task Force (no longer active)
Arts & Culture Commission/Task Force
Manhattan Beach has a Cultural Arts Commission which is responsible for developing a master plan for cultural arts in the City, encouraging and supporting art education programs in the community and schools, participating in the Arts in Public Places selection process, and assisting in the Art in Civic Spaces Program.
Redondo Beach has a Public Art Commission that acts as adviser to the City Council in all matters pertaining to public art in Redondo Beach. Public art in Redondo Beach shall be defined as artworks that are identified through a gift, City purchase, or artist commission, that are displayed in any publicly owned property or right of way area including parks, City buildings and facilities, streets, medians, sidewalks, plazas and in any other public location determined by the City Council. The Public Art Commission makes recommendations to the City Council for public art program guidelines, the artistic criteria for public art, the acquisition of public art, artwork commissioning and deaccession, the creation of public art infrastructure, and the preservation and maintenance of public art in the City. It also makes recommendations for a prioritized list of public art projects to be considered as part of the City’s strategic planning and annual capital project and budgeting processes; stimulate public interest in such public art programs and projects; and perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to it by the City Council.
The Hermosa Arts Foundation (HAF) is a non-profit organization in Hermosa Beach that supports local cultural organizations & continual development of the Hermosa Beach Community Center. HAF has also been involved with the South Bay Film and Music Festival.
At the July 20, 2017 Joint Meeting of the City Council with all Boards/Commissions, the Public Works Commission and Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission advised Council that they were underutilized and suggestions were made to form joint subcommittees. The Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the desire to form a Public Arts subcommittee.
Senior Living & Accessibility Commission/Task Force
Although Redondo Beach has a Housing Authority that reviews Section 8 Housing matters and a Handicapped Access Appeals Board, they do not have a commission specific to Senior Living & Accessibility. Manhattan Beach also does not have a commission that addresses Senior Living & Accessibility.
The Hermosa Five-O Senior Activity Center opened in May of 2010 and is open to all South Bay Residents who are over the age of 50. Hermosa Five-O mainly focuses on activities that help seniors maintain a physically, emotionally and mentally balanced life. They have a few hundred registered members, though not all are active, and hold daily classes and activities. An advisory meeting is held the first Tuesday of each month, with a representative from each activity group, to provide an opportunity to share ideas or concerns regarding anything Hermosa Five-O related. The advisory meeting is the planning session behind each monthly calendar or special event scheduled. Meeting agendas are posted on the city website the Thursday prior to each meeting (page link attached).
The Access Hermosa Working Group was formed in September 2016 by then City Manager Tom Bakaly to address concerns raised by residents regarding accessibility issues in the city. The group’s mission statement is to increase accessibility in all city venues: buildings, recreational areas, public right-of-way; all public places for all persons, regardless of their physical challenges or disability; to engage with local government to ensure that the municipal code has the necessary provisions for compliance to accessibility as it pertains to new construction; to perform community outreach in order to increase awareness of accessibility; and to engage those in the private sector to increase accessibility through outreach and education. Members of the group include residents, city commissioners, representatives from Beach Cities Health District, Chamber of Commerce and city staff. This group has been meeting monthly but city staff will be reducing their attendance to a quarterly basis, with the rest of the group meeting as much or as little as needed. The Access Hermosa Working Group Work Plan is attached.
Fiscal Implications:
Commission/Task Force costs can include staff time, business cards/office supplies and camera operators. Additional funds could be requested during midyear budget.
Attachments:
1. Manhattan Beach Boards & Commissions page link
2. Redondo Beach Boards & Commissions page link
3. Hermosa Five-O Agendas page link
4. Access Hermosa Working Group Work Plan
Respectfully Submitted by: Sergio Gonzalez, City Manager
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director