Politics & Government

$20K in Code Compliance Fees, Sand Project Flooding Update at City Council Meeting

Sewage fee increases over the course of the coming years will also be on the agenda at the Feb. 20 City Council meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.

For the first time at a public meeting, on Jan. 23 Imperial Beachians aired their grievances about the impact of recent sand replenishment.

SANDAG will update Imperial Beach officials and residents on efforts to reduce the impact of the project at a City Council meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Since the project was completed last October, residents have complained that water trapped by the new sand has dripped into parking garages and elsewhere in ways they have never seen before.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Last month SANDAG and the city made an agreement that mobilizes heavy equipment after a high tide event to release water trapped in the sand back into the ocean.

Conservationists like WiLDCOAST and state and federal environmental employees warn that the sand could potentially block the mouth of the Tijuana River.

If sand blocks the river mouth and prevents water movement in the estuary, the impact could be devestating to the vital ecosystem and threaten birds and endangered species whose breeding season started last week.

The City Council meeting will be preceded with a closed session meeting to discuss existing and anticipated litigation as well as continuing talks to discuss price and terms of payment for turning over the Sports Park and Recreation Center to the YMCA.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Among items on the consent calendar, city staff have requested that council adopt a resolution to reduce $28,588 in code compliance penalties accrued by a property owner at 1257 East Ln. to $20,000.

The lower fees will allow the city and owner to enter into an agreement which would permit the owner to sell the property, pay the $20,000 and take care of code compliance violations.

This is agenda item 2.5.

Also on the consent calendar, council will be asked to ratify the warrant register, or city expenses.

Not including payroll, the city spent $1.87 million from Jan. 22 to Feb. 7.

Major expenses during that time period include near $900,000 for two months of sheriff law enforcement services, roughly $400,000 for street improvements and roughly $10,500 in California League of Cities dues.

This is agenda item 2.2.

An increase of sewage fees paid by Imperial Beachians could take place for years to come if the city follows advice given by consultant Karyn Keese from Atkins North American, Inc.

Atkins recommends that the city increase fees an average 3 percent in 2014 for home owners, 3.7 percent for multi-family homes and 1.6 percent the following four years.

Increases for businesses may range from a 5.1 percent increase for restaurants to a 7.1 decrease for car washes in 2014.

Agenda item 6.2 asks the city to approve a resolution to set a time and place for public hearings to discuss sewage fee increases.

The city will accept a report on how to improve walkability in Imperial Beach. The report was compiled following meetings at local elementary schools and was put together with the help of WalkSanDiego.

WalkSanDiego placed Imperial Beach fourth among San Diego County cities in its Regional Walk Scorecard last year.

This is agenda item 6.3.

City Council will amend municipal code related to what kind of signs can be on-display in IB.

This is agenda item 6.4.

If agenda item 5.1 is approved, the city will add a portion of Granger Street to a list of streets to be repaired in the future with TransNet funds.


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