Brea Ca Finances

Reacting to an increasing gang problem, the City Council has allocated $80,000 to continue financing a special police gang-suppression unit. The part-time task force, started last year as a pilot program, consists of patrols of five officers and one sergeant. Both Brea and the city of Yorba Linda, which contracts with Brea for police service, will be covered by the unit. The program was initiated after both cities experienced a rapid climb in gang activity.

Brea's massive debt, incurred after years of redesigning and rebuilding parts of the city, may be starting to take a dive. Larry Hurst, the city's financial officer, is expected to announce to the council Tuesday that the debt has plummeted by tens of millions of dollars. Brea's redevelopment debt once ranked ninth in the state in the mid-1990s among cities with redevelopment agencies. Hurst told the City Council during a Feb.

The city may save $40,000 a year in electric and gas bills by deregulating its utilities if a proposal submitted by City Manager Frank Benest wins approval at tonight's City Council meeting. The proposal recommends that the city hire a consulting firm, Independent Energy Consulting Inc., to oversee the bidding process of electric and gas suppliers interested in serving the city and determine which ones will save the city money.

The Police Department will soon be buying new handguns for many of its officers. The City Council on Tuesday approved a $44,600 agreement that will allow officers to finance the purchase of their own gun through the city. The department will buy 84 Heckler & Koch and Sig-Sauer handguns to replace older firearms. The new guns are the same models used by the department's 106 sworn officers. The city will subsidize the purchase with $11,650 in general fund surplus money.

The Police Department will soon be buying new handguns for many of its officers. The City Council on Tuesday approved a $44,600 agreement that will allow officers to finance the purchase of their own gun through the city. The department will buy 84 Heckler & Koch and Sig-Sauer handguns to replace older firearms. The new guns are the same models used by the department's 106 sworn officers. The city will subsidize the purchase with $11,650 in general fund surplus money.

After a futile search for grants and outside funding, city leaders may abandon efforts to save the historic Brea Hotel. "The search for grants and foundation funding did not turn up anything," Mayor Lynn Daucher said, "so there will probably be [another] use of that block." City staff members will report to the City Council in 30 days, Daucher said, with alternate recommendations for the 1.2-acre parcel at Brea Boulevard and Ash Street.

Deviating from its usual practice of approving fiscal plans 12 months at a time, the City Council this week adopted a two-year budget to take Brea through June 30, 1998. "This is a new procedure for Brea, but a number of cities in California are implementing two-year budgets," said Larry Hurst, the city's finance director. "There is a significant saving in staff time, and it's also helpful for long-term planning."

The City Council this week approved a plan to finance Brea's share of a new $80-million radio system that will link police, fire and emergency departments across the county. The new 800-megahertz system will replace Orange County's deteriorating 18-channel network with 61 channels. Brea's share of the total is $2.5 million. The city already has about $1 million, mostly from narcotics asset forfeiture funds, deposited with the county.

After a delay of more than two months, the City Council has allowed construction of the Brea Community Center to proceed. Groundbreaking on the $7-million project had been put on hold by the council in December, shortly after the collapse of the county's investment pool. Brea had $9 million invested in the pool when the county declared bankruptcy Dec. 6. The 4-1 vote to go ahead with the center came Wednesday at a special council session.

A final decision on the fate of the Brea Community Center has been put off for two weeks while city officials collect more data on how to finance the $7-million project. The City Council will hold a special meeting on the matter at 4 p.m. Feb. 16. Officials are examining the economic feasibility of the city issuing a bond to pay for the center. Groundbreaking was scheduled for Dec. 12, but construction was put on hold in response to the county financial crisis.

After a futile search for grants and outside funding, city leaders may abandon efforts to save the historic Brea Hotel. "The search for grants and foundation funding did not turn up anything," Mayor Lynn Daucher said, "so there will probably be [another] use of that block." City staff members will report to the City Council in 30 days, Daucher said, with alternate recommendations for the 1.2-acre parcel at Brea Boulevard and Ash Street.

Residents and city officials, who have spent the last several years making major changes downtown, will continue to see those plans come to fruition in 1998. Much of the construction projects in the city's $125-million downtown remake began in 1997, and the new year will see the completion of those and the start of others. "Probably the main change people will notice in Brea is in the downtown area," Mayor Lynn Daucher said.

A community festival to raise money for city arts programs drew more than 4,000 people and brought in about $14,500, organizers said last week. The annual event, called Brea Fest: A Taste of the Arts, supports the city's cultural arts programs, including Brea Gallery exhibits, Curtis Theater performances, Concerts in the Park and Family Movie Fridays.

A new program designed to prevent deterioration and overcrowding in low-income rental housing has been approved by the City Council. The Rental Rehabilitation and Assistance Program will provide loans, mostly in the form of second mortgages, to owners who wish to maintain their housing without raising rents, officials said.

The City Council today will consider issuing $6 million in bonds to pay for the Brea Community Center, under construction next to City Hall. Groundbreaking for the nearly $7-million center was put on hold by the council in December in response to the collapse of the county-run investment pool. Work on the 54,000-square-foot center began in February, when city officials decided the project still was economically feasible.