DOWNEY - Cars that speed through the Discovery Sports Complex parking lot will soon have to slow down or risk potential damage to their vehicle.The city will install asphalt speed bumps designed to slow vehicles to the posted speed limit of 15 MPH. The new speed bumps received the blessing of the City Council on Tuesday. The council rejected a similar proposal in May because those speed bumps were more than 12 feet long and vehicles could still drive over them at speeds up to 30 MPH. The new speed bumps are three feet long and are modeled from similar traffic-calming devices at the University of San Francisco and in a city of Ontario sports park. The speed bumps will be supplemented by high-visibility pavement markings and signage to warn motorists of their presence, said Brian Ragland, director of public works for Downey. After a 6-12 month trial run, the speed bumps will be used as a standard throughout the city. Fire Chief Jeff Turner also said local ambulance companies were sent letters directing them not to use the park's driveway as a shortcut to the new Kaiser Permanente hospital. In other action, the City Council on Tuesday: •Accepted a $100,000 donation from both local Kiwanis clubs in support of the Columbia Memorial Space Center; •Recognized winners of Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard's 34th Congressional District Student Art Competition; •Recognized city employee Juddy Ceniceros for receiving the Centurion Achievement for Excellence in Community Policing Award from the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County. Ceniceros is coordinator of Downey's 62 neighborhood watch groups; •After a public hearing, adopted the Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District 121 for fiscal year 2010-11; •Directed the city clerk to conduct the biennial review of the city's current conflict of interest code; •Renewed a service agreement with Santa Fe Springs for automated library management. Downey and Santa Fe Springs have shared collections and library automation operations since 1971. The new agreement has been reduced from three years to one year as Santa Fe Springs "investigates options to implement new technologies"; •Approved program supplement agreements with Caltrans regarding work on Lakewood Boulevard and Imperial Highway. Public agencies utilizing federal funds for highway-related projects are required to execute program supplement agreements prior to invoicing Caltrans for federal funds expended on the project; •Granted administrative authority to the director of public works to establish parking restrictions and to install all necessary signs effecting said restrictions. The municipal code previously required that parking restrictions and prohibitions be formally adopted by the City Council; •Formally gave notice of a municipal election on Nov. 2, and established corresponding regulations; •Appointed four residents to the city's Public Works Committee. New committee members include Kent Halbmaier (appointed by Mario Guerra), Maria Larkin (Anne Bayer), Richard Sharpe (Bayer) and Ernie Garcia (Luis Marquez); •Authorized participation in the Los Angeles County Energy Program, which allows the county to provide loans for energy and water efficiency improvements on properties in unincorporated county areas. All votes were 4-0 with Mayor Pro Tem Luis Marquez absent.

********** Published: June 11, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 8