REALTORS Join South Bay Community to Honor LA County Supervisor Don Knabe

Top Photo, from left:  Matt Garth, Cheryle Ushkow, SBAOR President-Elect Michele Brown, SBAOR Past President Paul Clark, Government Affairs Committee Chair and Gardena City Clerk Mina Semenza, SBAOR Past President Carol Olney, LCRC Chair Jessika Werchick, SBAOR President Tamara Suminski, David Kissinger, SBAOR Past President Sandi Pfister

SBAOR was proud to be a part of the Torrance Chamber's "Lunch with Our Leader" featuring County Supervisor Don Knabe. During his remarks he reflected on the future of our region and he emphasized several times the importance of working together across party lines.

There is not a Democratic way or a Republican way, he said, to improve streets, schools and jobs. He also noted that, by the time he leaves office in 2016 the Board will have a brand new cast of Supervisors with control and influence over the vast array of services offered by Los Angeles County.

REALTORS® had a strong presence at this important annual event alongside leaders in the South Bay, including newly elected Torrance Mayor Pat Furey, Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles, Gardena City Clerk Mina Semenza and other public officials plus volunteers, residents and business leaders.

Renting out your Hermosa Beach property to tenants this summer? What you need to know

With June’s arrival, we are now entering the busy summer rental season.  It’s also a great time to remember your rights and responsibilities as a property owner and how the behaviors of your tenants can affect you.
As we advised you last year, the City of Hermosa Beach will be increasing public safety efforts and will triple its law enforcement staff – as well as fines - during holidays such as the Fourth of July.

City of Hermosa Beach, http://www.hermosabch.org.  Photo credit: Hermosawave Photography

SBAOR is working with our friends and partners at the City of Hermosa Beach in order to ensure a fun and safe summer holiday, especially during celebratory weekends such as July 4. If you or your client is a property owner or property manager for a site in Hermosa Beach, please remember your rights and responsibilities regarding your property and your tenants.

As a courtesy to city officials, SBAOR has released the following letter to our REALTOR members as we approach the summer vacation season. As always, advise your tenants of their own rights and responsibilities while they are in your units.
If you or your tenants observe any activity that may risk public safety or personal security, you are urged to call 9-1-1 or, for non-emergencies only, the main police department contact number (310) 318-0360.

SBAOR's letter to our members is as follows:

Dear REALTOR®:

As you may know, the Fourth of July draws large crowds to Hermosa Beach each year, and it has become a favorite destination for parties that can cause disturbances and impact public safety.  Last year, the City of Hermosa Beach increased law enforcement efforts to ensure a safe holiday season, and will continue to do so again in 2014. The City is enlisting more than 100 police and security patrols to blanket the beachside city starting at 10 a.m. on July 4th.

The City is asking for your help in urging everyone to celebrate the Fourth of July responsibly to ensure the public’s safety and the protection of all property owners’ rights. All property owners who lease their property to others should urge their renters to take precautions to ensure their celebrations don’t disturb their neighbors or spill onto public property. This means that no household parties can be extended onto the Strand.

The City also would like to inform property owners that they may be held responsible for their renter’s actions. The Hermosa Beach Police Department will be invoking a city code that could trigger a sizable financial assessment against property owners – whether or not they are present at the time the police arrive. If the police receive complaints about noise or other problems at the property that results in more than one response to the property on July 4, they will charge the property owner for the cost of that or successive police responses.

Please help us in supporting the City’s efforts and protecting your rights as a property owner to advise residents of the strict enforcement of laws banning driving under the influence, public intoxication, underage drinking, drinking on the beach, public urination and excessive noise on private properties.

It is clearly in all our interests to help ensure responsible celebrations so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy a happy and peaceful Fourth of July. Please join us by sending this message along to your clients and to renters in the properties you manage.  Together, we can make this a great holiday for everyone in Hermosa Beach.

Sincerely,
Tamara Suminski
President

Elections Wrap-Up: June 2014 California State Primary

The night of June 3 was the culmination of a very busy primary election season that is also a sign of an equally busy General Election in November. The Los Angeles County Registrar reports an overall statewide voter turnout of 13.19% votes cast. Not very high. Below are the results for a number of local elections of interest to us here in the South Bay:

Torrance

Pat Furey won the race for Mayor of Torrance with a 41% of votes, a comfortable 5% ahead of the second-place finisher, Tom Brewer. Candidate Bill Sutherland, supported by SBAOR, came in third at 23.6%. The Daily Breeze reports that it is expected the new City Council will appoint a new member to complete Furey’s two remaining years in his council term. Click here for local coverage of the Mayor’s race.

Of the sixteen candidates running for City Council, the four winners are:
•    Heidi Ann Ashcraft (appointed incumbent): 13.4%
•    Tim Goodrich: 12.0%
•    Kurt Weideman (appointed incumbent): 11.25%
•    Geoff Rizzo: 9.9%

Senate District 26

This nail-biting and widely watched Senate race ended with a Cinderella story out of nowhere as Santa Monica School Board Member Ben Allen (D) and attorney Sandra Fluke (D) sailed past favorite candidates to qualify for the November runoff. Allen received 21.8% while Fluke received 19.7%.

Former Assemblymember Betsy Butler (supported by CREPAC) came in fourth with 16.7% while Manhattan Beach Mayor Amy Howorth picked up 15.5%. News on this race here.

Congressional District 33

The race to fill the shoes of Rep. Henry Waxman turned into a traditional partisan battle, with Republican Elan Carr as the top vote-getter at 21.5% and Democrat Ted Lieu at 19.0%. Former Los Angeles Councilmember and Controller Wendy Greuel came in third with 16.8%, followed by published author Marianne Williamson (12.9%) and KCRW host Matt Miller (12.0%). The Los Angeles Times weighs in here.

Congressional District 43

Incumbent Democrat Maxine Waters (67.2%) will face Republican John Wood (32.8%) in November.

Los Angeles County Assessor

West Hollywood Councilmember/Mayor Jeff Prang will face Deputy District Attorney John Morris in the November runoff, as both candidates attempt to expiate the Assessor’s Office of its troubles from the previous Assessor. Prang has been supported by a number of REALTOR® association in Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County Sheriff

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell came within a handful of votes to win Sheriff outright. However, he ended the night with a remarkable 49.2% of the votes and will face Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka, who came in a distant second place with 14.7%. Click here for media coverage of this race.

Assembly District 62

Autumn Burke, daughter of retired County Supervisor Yvonne Burke, was heavily favored by the Democratic Party and supported by CREPAC. She was the top vote-getter at 41.2% and will face Republican Ted Grose who got 20.0%.

Assembly District 64

Carson Councilmember Mike Gipson, supported by CREPAC, won 51.1% of the vote and will face second-place finisher Prophet Walker, who got 21.4%. Long Beach Councilmember Steve Neal came in third at 15.0%.

Assembly District 66

While not exactly a breathtaking result – this race had just two candidates who will by default advance to the runoff – it was nonetheless a surprising photo finish between incumbent Al Muratsuchi (D) with 50.08% and challenger David Hadley (R) who garnered 49.92%. The razor-thin margin of just 73 votes draws the battle lines for November in what could be a tough race for both candidates.

Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District

Two Democratic heavyweights, Bobby Shriver and Shelia Kuehl, will face each other in November in what is likely to be a messy and expensive runoff as the largely Democratic residents and donors of the Westside square off over the future of the County and the County’s influence in West L.A. News coverage here.

Long Beach Mayor

Long Beach Councilmember Robert Garcia won with 52.1% in a close race with businessman Damon Dunn, who got 47.9%. Long Beach media coverage here.

Proposition 41: Veterans Housing

The “Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014” won soundly with 65.4% voting yes and 34.6% voting no. Under the successful proposition, the State of California will sell $600 million in general obligation bonds to fund affordable multifamily housing for low-income and homeless veterans.

Proposition 42: Public Records and Open Meetings

This proposition passed easily with 61.5% yes and 38.5% no. As a result of this vote, the state will not be required to pay local governments for costs to follow state laws that give the public access to local government information.