By Loreen Berlin
Mayor Elizabeth Swift and City Manager Jim Vanderpool presented at the Annual State of the City Luncheon at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. Cosette Fife Smith sang the national anthem and the Buena Park Police Department performed as well.
By Loreen Berlin
Mayor Elizabeth Swift and City Manager Jim Vanderpool presented at the Annual State of the City Luncheon at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. Cosette Fife Smith sang the national anthem and the Buena Park Police Department performed as well.
Vanderpool gave a brief budget review going over where the money comes from in the city and where it goes. “The city is in a strong and financially-healthy position done by a very responsible city council that is committed to keeping within the budget and through a strong reserve.”
He noted that council adopted a balanced budget for the fiscal year while responsibly providing service enhancements and new projects.
Vanderpool reported that the adopted 2016-2017 budget has a revised surplus of $730,730 dollars noting that each year the city develops a plan of proposed capital improvement projects for that time period and that for the 2016-2017 budget; 28 projects have been identified with a collective budget of $20.3 million dollars.
“These projects are funded through a combination of monies from the General Fund, Water Enterprise Fund, Gas Tax Fund and Measure M2 Fund,” said Vanderpool. “Some of the notable projects include: Replacement of City monument signs at the City’s entry points, Southern California Edison Easement parking lot, Ehlers Community Center exterior upgrade, advanced metering infrastructure project, pump project – upper zone project and Orangethorpe Avenue widening.”
The City of Buena Park owns the fire station that burnt down recently at La Palma and Western avenues. Swift mentioned that a year ago the council had begun working toward a new fire station, since the one that burnt, Station No. 61 was built in 1967. That fire station burnt in the early hours of January 12. Fortunately, no fire personnel were injured but the equipment was a great loss.
The new facility that is in design phase will be constructed on 1.25 acres of land along La Palma Avenue and will be 17,938 sq. ft. and house 36 firefighters. The estimated cost is $13 million dollars and will now be expedited because of the fire.
“We have a wonderful fire department,” said Swift, as she praised Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief David Steffen said, “It’s a shame to lose the fire station, but an immediate plan was put into action, moving equipment to an adjoining facility,” he continued. In a video presentation, Steffen said he was impressed with the outpouring of citizens and the community.
Last October, the city and the Orange County Health Agency conducted a mock event designed to practice the dispensing of medical necessities in the event of a regional emergency. “We have an emergency operations plan in place and will have it online shortly, to keep our city safe,” said Vanderpool.
Homelessness is an ongoing and ever-growing concern for most cities. In the 2015 council with Bright Paths, a strategic plan was initiated to address homelessness. This partnership is between the city and the community where two police officers are dedicated to focusing on positive reinforcement. This is to help graduate people from living on the streets and to help them return to their homes.
There is aging infrastructure around water. A water meter replacement will provide safe, reliable water with remote detection in real-time reading. Buena Park uses imported water and water that is pumped from the ground. “We are working toward 100-percent ground water,” said Vanderpool.
Buena Park has an online website for transparency where there is online business renewal and the government shares employee salaries openly.
Swift said Buena Park has a sense of civic patriotism and that the city will be refurbishing the Historic Stage Stop Hotel that houses the California Welcome Center and the Woman’s Club building, built in 1931, that was gifted to the city by the club. They are also hoping to save the Hurlbut Barn, built in 1959. Formerly owned by Bud Hurlbut who collaborated with Walter Knott on several of the Knott’s rides such as the log ride.
Vanderpool mentioned the upcoming annual Cypress College’s Americana Awards and Rick McAuley, owner of Los Coyotes Country Club, has been chosen as Buena Park’s Citizen of the Year. The Memorial Highway is in front of City Hall between Beach Boulevard and Crescent Avenue. It is named to honor those who have served the city and lost their lives in that service.
During the city’s, Love Buena Park day of service, 500 people showed up to participate in 30 projects around the city. In 2016, April 29 has been set for the day of service and Dec. 5 will be the annual tree lighting at City Hall.
The city is also proud of Giving Children Hope (GCH) that supports, We’ve Got Your Back, a program where 609 students received backpacks full of food every Friday throughout the school year to help feed themselves and their families when free and reduced lunches are not available on weekends. GCH also supports global needs of medical supplies, food and clothes to relief projects.
There’s a lot of building happening around town. One of the projects is a five-story,mixed-use development of 60 apartments and 45,000 sq. ft. of medical, retail and restaurant space south of Beach Boulevard and Franklin Street. The expected completion is the end of 2017.The former Dickerson Elementary School site will have homes on Elizabeth Lane, named after Elizabeth Dickerson. The in-fill project will have 67 detached two-story homes of four bedrooms and three bathrooms that will be completed by fall of 2018. Councilman Art Brown mentioned that the homes are close to schools and buses. “These are some really great homes that are energy efficient and many items can be customized by the buyer,” he said. “And, it’s very quiet even though it’s on a main street because of energy efficient windows.”
Buena Park received the Business Retention and Expansion category for its work on the Beach Boulevard Corridor. The city is revamping the Entertainment Corridor on Beach Boulevard; they added Halloween decor during Knott’s Halloween Haunt and other new signs. Coming up is a Butterfly Wonderland to be built on the former Movieland Wax Museum site. Porto’s Bakery and Cafe will hold a grand opening the end of February that will provide 200 permanent jobs. Knott’s Soak City is expanding and the Boysenberry Festival will showcase man one-of-a-king boysenberry foods and drinks April 1 to 23. Also slated is a new Hilton Hotel with 172 rooms, a 4-D movie theater just opened, to name only a few of the newest happenings in Buena Park for 2016-2017.
Vanderpool also acknowledged the oldest business in town, Mitchell Brothers, established in 1917. Started by William Mitchell and brothers Dave and Ira, they are a welding and machine shop that specializes in classic cars and buggies as well as off-roading vehicles. Now, the third-generation of Mitchell’s operate the business on Orangethorpe Avenue.
For more information, visit www.buenapark.com or call 714-562-3500.
