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City Council discusses parking and traffic issues
by Dan Bialek
Parking meters, sound walls and speed limits were the hot topics at an otherwise lukewarm City Council meeting last Tuesday night.
City Finance Director Bruce Moe discussed the possibility of increased funding for the city’s capital projects from the current level of $587,500 annually. Projected capital projects for the next five years are expected to cost $37 million, he said.
Moe recommended that the city generate some of this additional funding by raising parking meter fees and fines for parking citations, and the council scheduled a Jan. 16 public hearing on those matters.
The council also moved to have two alternate plans for a sound wall sent out for bidding by contractors. Six residents spoke in favor of the wall that will eventually be built on the west side of Aviation Boulevard between Marine Avenue and 12th Street. Estimated costs for the wall are expected to be between $490,000 and $615,000. The wall will be paid for by funds from the gas tax, which is also used to pay for resurfacing city streets.
The staff voted three-to-two in favor of reducing the speed limit from 40 to 35 mph on Marine Avenue between Magnolia Avenue and Aviation Boulevard. Residents Jerry O’Connor and Jerry Schwartz both spoke against the speed limit reduction during public participation before the vote. Mayor Tim Lilligren, council member Linda Wilson and council member Joyce Karlin Fahey voted in favor of the reduction. Mayor Pro Tem Walt Dougher and council member Steve Napolitano cast the dissenting votes.
The council next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19. ER