Creativity the answer, not budget cuts The...

Creativity the answer, not budget cuts

The answer to our city budget woes is not cuts, but instead how

the city creatively increases its revenues.

As a resident serving on the city’s finance board, spending

multiple meetings until 2 a.m. reviewing this matter, I can honestly

say to my fellow residents that the fat has been cut. Any more cuts

would cause city services to implode and we will see the city we love

become more dirty and broken down.

The finance board recently made 20 recommendations to help our

city. Some are: Have the city implement a voluntary neighborhood

improvement district program to pay for programs, projects and

services not normally provided by the city (i.e. public alley

resurfacing, perimeter tract wall repairs, painting and landscaping.)

Have the City Council establish an economic development citizen’s

task force to identify revenue-generating business desired by the

community (Think outside the box. How about an indoor warm surf

“Typhoon Lagoon” where waves are controlled for different ages at the

closed Montgomery Ward site?)

Let’s be positive and support the city we love to live in. You

would surprised how far a few neighborhood dollars and projects go to

improving your neighborhood. Our Downtown neighborhood voluntarily

contributes $33 per year to have our alley and driveways swept

regularly.

The Independent could help our community by writing articles and

asking questions such as: “What is your neighborhood doing to keep in

shape?” and “What sales tax-generating businesses would you like to

see in the new Huntington Center and Pacific City?”

JOHN DE WITT

Huntington Beach

Good pet owners help the city’s budget

Danette Goulet’s “Pets are responsibilities, not accessories”

column is right on. Too many people treat pets as possessions instead

of thinking, feeling beings. Our pets provide much more in return

than what they require. It should be noted that the residents of

Huntington Beach and the city’s general fund pay almost $1 million

per year to the county for animal control and shelter services.

Each time a stray pet is impounded, a dead animal is picked up off

the road or a dog barking complaint is called in to the county, the

city gets billed. In these times of fiscal shortfalls, this city can

ill afford the costs of irresponsible pet ownership. If every person

who has a four-legged family member would spay or neuter, keep

collars and ID tags on their pets and provide training to curb

undesirable behavior, not only would our pets be happier but it would

have a positive impact on our city budget.

KAREN CHEPEKA

Huntington Beach

City should not approve Poseidon

More residents of Huntington Beach need to know how the City

Council is selling the city down the river to the highest bidder. It

is beyond belief that the Planning Commission could approve the

environmental impact report for the Poseidon desalination water

plant.

In the same area is the toxic waste Ascon dump that is an

environmental nightmare both to our air quality and to our natural

groundwater. Also in the same area is the AES plant. The smoke plume

from the AES plant speaks for itself. Across the street at Edison

Park, explosive methane gas is building up pressure under the park

where our children play.

We, the residents of Huntington Beach, should hold our

representatives on the City Council responsible for cleaning up the

existing problems in that area rather than creating new ones or elect

representatives that will. Can you imagine what the salt and deposits

from 50 million gallons of desalinated water a day will do to our

beaches when it is dumped offshore?

Our coastline is a treasure, not a dump.

RIC BUTTON

Huntington Beach