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Free Webinars Scheduled to Outline Prop 1A Securitization

The Proposition 1A Securitization Program is being offered by California Communities in cooperation with the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities and the California Special Districts Association.

Webinars have been scheduled regarding the California Communities Proposition 1A Securitization Program.  Register for a Webinar session now by clicking a date below:

Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:00 - 11:00 AM Prop 1A Webinar Registration Form

Friday, September 11, 2009 10:00 - 11:00 AM Prop 1A Webinar Registration Form

Registration is required.  There is no cost to register and participate in a Proposition 1A informational Webinar.  Once you have registered you will receive an email confirmation with login instructions for the Webinar.

Mayor Resigns, Takes Half Million Pension in Lump Sum, Files to Run for Congress

This one's tough to get straight, but here we go...

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton resigned his position last month.  Then, the city called a special election to fill the vacancy, and Herenton pulled papers to run.  Now he's saying he won't run after all -- for mayor, that is.  He's "focusing his efforts" on an opening in the state's 9th congressional district.

Oh yeah, and when he left the mayor's office, he became just the third Memphis employee in 10 years to take his pension out in lump sum -- and it was worth over $500 grand.

Intriguing, to say the least.  Read more from the Memphis Commercial Appeal (is that their main paper??)

City Provides Teen Graffiti Artists with Paint, with Predictable Results

We've taken a real shine to the international papers these last few weeks.  The writing is pithy, hilarious and brazenly opinionated.  These stories are here to stay, and here's another gem..."Graffiti disgrace" in Calgary...

There's no sign of the word "fiasco" among the gallons of garish paint, though every other conceivable F-Word from the young-adult vocabulary can clearly be seen.

It's too bad. More than any other, the word fiasco sums up the sheer, mind-boggling, Godzilla-scale vomit of graffiti that now covers the concrete walls of Shaw Millennium Park, along with every pole, pipe and surface within reach.

If it was just vandalism, it'd be despicable. But the vandalism at Calgary's skateboard park was all but endorsed by the city, which supplied the paint, but not the supervision.

That's right, the city put out a press release calling the decision to give spray paint to teen graffiti artists "as a creative release for graffiti artists: "Young urban artists will have a chance to show off their work to their peers and influence the recreational space they use."  Doh.  You gotta read more, its complete with an Alderman (that's Canadian for city boss man) stating "They destroyed the fricking park -- they graffitied the hell out of it. They tagged the entire fricking park."

Read on...

Redwood City Bans Scavenging from Recycle Bins

As long as the 5 cent recycling bounty has been out on aluminum cans, there's been those willing to dumpster dive or otherwise scavenge to make little cash.  You'll have to leave your neighbors trash cans alone from now on though, at least in Redwood City.  The Council passed an ordinance that will slap trash can rummagers with a $100 fine... that's the value of about 2,000 bottles or cans, for those of you weighing the risk. 

Read more from the Merc. 

Chula Vista Takes Little League Crown

The United States took home the Little League World Series crown Sunday, after its Chula Vista-based rep in the tourney rallied from three-run deficit to defeat Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei, 6-3.  As inveterate baseball fans, CityNews gives a big congratulations to the little guys for a big win.

Prison Reform Effort Overhauled in Assembly

The State Assembly is taking a big knife to the prison reform plan passed by the Senate last week.  The controversial "sentencing commission" is being dropped by the lower house, though Senate leader Steinberg has called the panel a top priority.  The Assembly is now set to vote on a revised package sometime this week. 

There are also some complicated politics at play in this effort, with a large number of legislators running for higher office -- be it the free-for-all open congressional seat in the East Bay or the upcoming vacancies in statewide positions.

The Capitol Weekly has a good overview of the whole thing here.  And if you're interested to see what was in the Senate package, the League of Cities has got that here.

Malibu Movin' On Up: City to Get its 1st City Hall

Believe it or not, the posh city of Malibu has never had a permanent home for its city government.  Well, no more.  In a case of seizing opportunity in a crisis, the city has purchased a Performing Arts Center on a prime lot that in other times would've been a hot investment commodity.  From the Wall St Journal:

"At the auction last month, the city agreed to pay $15 million for the 35,000-square-foot Malibu Performing Arts Center, which had been owned by a church, the Vineyard Christian Fellowship. The center is a performance venue and recording studio used by such luminaries as Barbra Streisand and Sting."

Read more from WSJ

Lancaster Launches "Parole Fugitive Apprehension Team"

The City of Lancaster is wasting no time getting ready for a proposed large scale release of inmates from the state's prisons.  They put out this release Wednesday:

In response to the State of California’s pending decision to release up to 40,000 inmates statewide before the completion of their sentences, the City of Lancaster and the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station have launched the Target-Oriented Policing/Parole Fugitive Apprehension Detail (TOP/PFAD). The team, formed from the existing TOP Team, will focus on contacting, monitoring and conducting compliance checks on parolees and their residences.

“Nearly two-thirds of parolees return to prison within three years of their release,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris. “There is a reason these individuals have been placed behind bars: many posed a threat to public safety. Now, they will be released into our community before they have completed their sentences. We are taking aggressive, immediate, and proactive action in order to prevent crime committed against our residents.”

If and when the legislature gets its act together on prison reform, expect a lot of this sort of thing across the state -- particularly in areas that, like Lancaster, have existing gang problems. 

LA Reacts to Spike in Gang Related Murders

Mayor Villaraigosa joined LAPD Chief Bill Bratton Tuesday in announcing aggressive measures to combat gang violence in the city, which has spiked in recent months.  At lest 30 gang related murders were logged in just the last two months in the area South of downtown.  The LA Times reports this is nearly double the number of killings in the same area last year.

Bratton, who announced his impending retirement from the force last month, said in a recent interview that "a couple thousand" more officers were needed to adequately combat gang violence in LA, which already has about 10,000 sworn officers. 

Read more on the plan in the LA Times, Daily Breeze and LAist.

State Property Values Fall for First Time Since 1933

As if you needed any more data to confirm the dire straights of the state economy, the Board of Equalization reported this week that total state and county property assessments dropped 2.4 percent from last year.  We've all been hearing about property values in a tailspin for months, but this number is actually pretty significant -- it's the first time values have declined since the Great Depression.

Of course this means big trouble for state and local revenues, but that's no surprise.  Here's the lowlights:

• Assessed values dropped 9.9 percent in the northern San Joaquin Valley,
• 4.8 percent in the greater Sacramento area
• 4.2 percent in the southern San Joaquin Valley.  
• San Francisco and Trinity Counties both saw values increase by 5% or more.

Read more in the SacBee and LA Times.  And a glimmer of hope: Realtors said home sales were up 12 percent last month.