Landing fees on new agenda.
City's first rail plan.
Recall update.
Mattucci attempt fails.
Homeless on private property.
"Stage Seven" talk.
Airport update:
Residents interested in establishing landing fees at Torrance Airport will have to wait two more weeks. The item was on the Nov. 14 agenda, but it was deferred to the Nov. 28 meeting.
Evidently, someone dropped the ball. The issue required the City to give the public 72 hours’ notice before a meeting that it would be on the agenda. When the City realized that it had given less than 72 hours, it pulled the item.
Prescient Jared Sidney Torrance:
More than 100 years ago, the City’s founder understood the importance of public transportation. In 1911, Torrance the city was considered too remote. So, Torrance the founder signed a contract to bring the Red Car system here.
For a fascinating look at the history, check out Sam Gnerre’s account in his South Bay History feature: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/10/09/south-bay-history-torrances-efforts-to-connect-with-the-greater-la-area-have-been-long/. Gnerre points out that bringing in workers was one of the founder’s prime motivations for wanting the rail line.
Fast-forward decades later, and the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce is making the same pitch in its support for the extension. Gnerre ends the article with a look at the plans for Metro’s C-Line.
Recall update:
Both District 1’s Jon Kaji and District 5’s Aurelio Mattucci lack Jared Sidney Torrance’s vision and are trying to derail the Metro project. Both recall committees have a list of grievances, but Kaji and Mattucci’s determination to end the plans are a major reason behind the campaigns to oust them.
Anyone who lives in one of the districts and would like to sign a recall petition should email me at jeanadelsman@yahoo.com. I have been passing along volunteers’ information to both campaigns.
A Mattucci failure:
For the second time, Mattucci attempted to remove me from the Civil Service Commission, and for the second time he failed.
At the Nov. 14 Council meeting, he asked fellow Council members to support a removal move. Mayor George Chen and Kaji gave him a thumbs-up. But he needed a fourth vote, and no one else joined him.
His first attempt occurred last April when he violated the Brown Act by emailing the entire Council with a bogus claim that I had slandered him. If you missed that story, check out Newsletter No. 30 at www.TakeBackTorrance.com. He had hoped to get four votes to deny me an appointment to a second term. He was unsuccessful.
Homeless on private property:
My thanks to Dayna Berman for bringing this to my attention. She forwarded these two links and asked my opinion: https://www.torranceca.gov/government/police/resources/trespassing-enforcement-authorization-form.
The first gives Torrance Police permission to deal with trespassers if the property owners aren’t present. It’s probably more useful for businesses, but also worthwhile for homeowners.
The second one is trickier. The Daily Breeze was writing about a situation where a rental house was occupied by people the owner hadn’t rented to. When I asked Torrance Police Detective Jeffrey Clark, he called it a complicated situation. The occupants claimed to have paid rent to someone they thought represented the owner. Consequently, they are protected by California law. However, he said that it would be a criminal issue if they had broken in.
“There needs to be obvious signs of a break-in,” he said.
How late was it?:
The Nov. 14 meeting started 18 minutes late but still ended at 9:41. A shortened agenda helped. Something I hope the City continues to do – even if it means scheduling an additional meeting each month.
Mark your calendar:
Ruth F. Stevens is one of those authors who talks as well as she writes. She will be talking about her novel, “Stage Seven,” which has been so well-received that it earned her a contract for two more books. Come for the talk, stay for the homemade desserts.
Please register at https://templemenorahredondobeach.shulcloud.com/form/ruth-stevens-event.html.
7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30. Temple Menorah, 1101 Camino Real, Redondo Beach.
Before I go:
v Happy Thanksgiving . . . may your turkey be moist.
v Want to tell the City Council your opinion on an agenda item or address any concerns? Send it to CityCouncil@torranceca.gov; in the subject line put the agenda item or the topic.
If you also want your comments to appear in an agenda item's Staff Report, send it as well to CouncilMeetingPublicComment@torranceca.gov. Make sure that you have sent it by 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting – earlier if you want it included in the agenda’s first posting, which can be a week ahead.
Jean Adelsman
Feel free to share this email -- or tell friends about www.TakeBackTorrance.com. And if you email a response to jeanadelsman@yahoo.com, please indicate whether you are expressing a thought for my eyes only or whether I may share your comments with the whole audience.
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