P A R A M O U N T
PULSE BEAT March 2013
www.paramountchamber.com
Serving the Community Since 1990
It Was a Tough Year - But Paramount Passed the Test
Paramount Chamber President Leonard Crespo
T
LA County Supervisor Don Kabe
he Paramount Chamber of Commerce recently hosted Paramount’s annual State of the City Address, sponsored by Paramount Petroleum. Event speakers included City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal, who used clever quotes from her parents’ favorite motivational anecdotes to explain how the City of Paramount made it through one of the toughest years in recent history. “If ever there was a year that tested us as an organization, last year was it. The State struggled to get its chaotic finances under control and local government paid the price. It was a tough year but we toughed it out. With only very minor exceptions, we have kept all our programs, services, and events intact and we retained our fiscal health. So, I’m happy and proud to be able to present to you some of the accomplishments of 2012. “But first I’d like to mention my parents, Sergio and Nellie Benedetti. Like many of yours, my parents are members of the Greatest Generation. They made it through very hard times like the Depression, the Great War, and periods of significant social upheaval. Reflecting on their wisdom and experience was a helpful guide over the past year. “When things were not going well, my mom always insisted that primping was the antidote. Wash your hair, slap on some makeup ... and you’d feel better. She also believed that you had to eat right, get some fresh air, and everything would be fine. We took Nellie’s advice. We continued our focused effort on spiffing things up which has transformed the look of the city over the years. And we added more opportunities for our residents to engage in outdoor activities and exercise.
“At Progress Park Plaza, a multi-year renovation continued with upgrades to the hall and restrooms. We repainted the Community Center at Paramount Park. And we resurfaced chunks of Paramount Blvd. (from Alondra to Somerset) and Downey Ave. (from Somerset to Rosecrans), along with our normal residential street projects. “Our outdoor art museum gained a fun mosaic at the Paramount Pond that highlights the early days of the Iceland skating rink and invention of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine. “A number of years ago, we built a small outdoor gym at Dills Park, which proved to be so popular we increased its size. We’ve now added one at Progress Park and another will be installed at Paramount Park this year. Also at Paramount Park, we put in new play equipment that promotes strength and balance such as rock climbing and rope walking. “The City’s STAR after-school program at Jefferson School was designated a Healthy Behaviors site by L.A. County. “Construction began on a bike path along the MTA right-of-way between Lakewood Blvd. and Somerset, which will hook up with the trail that runs through Bellflower for a total of 2-1/2 miles. “Our signature project of the year is the 1⁄4-mile running track, artificial turf field and outdoor gym called Salud Park. Along with Southern California Edison, we turned an empty electricity corridor into something attractive and useful. “Now, my dad, Sergio, spent many years as a little league coach. He was tough, but he was successful and his team was always in the championship hunt. When things weren’t
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
PULSE BEAT
15357 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount, CA 90723
Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons
Paramount City Manger Linda Benedetti-Leal
Paramount Unified Superintendent Dr. David Verdugo
gelling, there were no excuses with my dad but to try harder and keep going. So, we did that too last year. We sucked it up and we stepped it up. And we had amazing support and cooperation from many sectors of the community to help us along “The loss of redevelopment created a $4.5 million gap in our budget, or about 15%, the bulk of which paid for capital improvement projects. It was not an option to stop investing in nice streets and sidewalks, attractive parks and open spaces, art, and facilities like the Sheriff’s Station or the Clearwater Building. “We set up a system that will ensure funds for continued capital improvements. This, however, did impact operations. We have always had a lean staff and now we are at our leanest. Over the past several years, through retirement incentives and lay-offs, our workforce has been reduced by 21%. “But to the public, most of the adjustments have been invisible. From top to bottom, our employees have stepped up, taken on additional duties, found efficiencies, and are making it work. “We were assisted fiscally by a trend of increased sales tax revenues, up 14.9% over the previous year, that came from new retail in town and higher gas prices. We ended 2012 with the healthy beginnings of a capital reserve fund that will pay for future projects, a $300,000 surplus, and a robust reserve that equals about 50% of our annual operating costs (very high for a municipality). “The community stepped up in a big way. We’ve come to rely on a consistent supply of volunteers to help with clean ups, assisting needy homeowners, and many other things.
Last year we held five volunteer clean up days with a whopping 609 people participating, up 300% over 2011. Credit goes to our local churches, and Emmanuel Reformed Church, specifically, has provided so much help. “Also, Paramount Unified instituted a graduation requirement of community service hours, and many high school kids show up for our Pitch In, Paramount days. “For the new bike path, we were so confident we could get volunteers to do the landscaping that we took it out of the bid, saving the city $100,000. The community’s assistance has helped keep Paramount looking good. “We saw another great turnout for the Paramount Education Partnership fundraiser, which raised $83,600 for scholarships. Over the past nine years, PEP has funded 157 scholarships to the tune of $425,000. The support from Supervisor Don Knabe and the business community has been consistent despite the difficult times. “Our public safety team kept up their incredible work, and crime was down by 5.4% over the prior year. We invest a lot in public safety and it pays off. We have a multi-agency public safety team that approaches crime comprehensively. The result has been a consistent trend of falling crime over the years. “One unexpected cost-saving last year involved our municipal election. For the second time in a row, no candidates filed to run against the incumbents. We were able to cancel the election and save $74,000. “We’ve maintained services and programs, added parks and amenities, kept crime down, and posted a surplus. Volunteerism is at an
Help wanted............................. 9 Mayors Corner.......................... 3 Members Only...........................14 New Members...........................11
On Patrol...................................... 4 PEP.................................................7 Service Clubs.................................13
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What’s inside Ask The Expert..........................10 Business Card Directory.............12-13 Business Corner.........................11 Cityscape..................................15