City starts search for manager

The city hired the executive search firm Maximus to help find a

successor for City Administrator Ray Silver, who will retire in July

after a 13-year tenure.

The City Council interviewed five firms on Monday before settling

on the L.A.-based company.

Silver took over as city administrator in 1997 after serving for

seven years as assistant to former City Administrator Michael

Uberuaga. Before coming to Huntington, Silver served as city manager

in the cities of Coronado and Upland and as director of planning and

land use for San Diego County.

At a meeting in the library Monday afternoon, the City Council

posed a series of questions to representatives from five firms:

Shannon Executive Search, Bob Murray and Associates, L.B. Hayhurst

and Associates, Ralph Anderson and Associates, and Maximus.

“They all really seemed pretty good, but we just felt like this

one was superior,” City Councilman Dave Sullivan said.

Maximus was the firm that recruited Huntington Beach Police Chief

Kenneth Small.

The council will vote to finalize the decision at an upcoming City

Council meeting. It’s next step will be to develop a profile for a

new city administrator.

Oak View library gets money and books

A local women’s organization is providing books to the Oak View

Family Literacy Program.

The Huntington Harbour Republican Women Federated gave $500 worth

of books and a $500 check to the Oak View Library and its Family

Literacy Program at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

At the Oak View Family and Community Center’s literacy program,

Spanish-speaking children and adults learn how to read, write and

speak English.

The literacy program primarily targets children at Oak View

Elementary School and the books are geared toward that age group,

said Barbara Bell, board member of the women’s group.

“There are really motivated individuals in the program,” Bell

said. “We tried to help the library be able to buy books that would

be reading-level specific to that group and yet at a higher interest

level.”

The books, which all have an American theme, include “A is for

America,” “Becoming a Citizen,” “Patriotic Primer” and “The

Children’s Encyclopedia of American History.” They are also donating

books on geography, a book about the Statue of Liberty and a book

about the White House.

“Because these are primarily immigrant children, we really wanted

to expose them to all of the processes here -- how you vote, how you

become a citizen,” Bell said. “The library also has budgetary

restraints when it comes to purchasing the books.”

The women’s group has about 500 members. Bell called the donation

the group’s way of reaching out to the community.

Next year, the group’s goal is to provide each child in the

program with several books.”We set up the books, and it was all we

could do to keep [the children] from walking away from them,” Bell

said.

For more information about the literacy program, call (714)

375-5104.

Last chance to sign up for economic conference

The Chamber of Commerce is collecting last-minute applications for

the city’s 17th annual economic conference.

The conference, which will be on Tuesday at the Waterfront Hilton,

will feature a panel of speakers including Jack Kyser, chief

economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., and

Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters.

Local business leaders such as Bob McKnight, president of

Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., and Steve Bone, owner of the

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa and chair-elect of the

Orange County Business Council, will also speak.

The $60 fee covers breakfast and lunch.

The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more

information, call (714) 536-8888.

Merchants discuss forming coalition

Downtown merchants will meet today to consider forming a business

improvement district.

A business improvement district is a coalition of businesses that

take responsibility for raising funds for advertising, promotions,

special events and other activities within a specific area.

About 15 merchants attended the first meeting in October. They

talked about the benefits and mechanics of forming a district.

“Some of the things they would do if they pooled their money would

be creating a Downtown map that could be handed out at special events

so people could know which merchants are there,” said Christy Teague,

an assistant project manager in economic development. “They’re also

talking about doing collective advertising.”

A board of directors would be created, and each business would pay

a fee. Money could go toward special events, improvements or

advertising, Teague said.

“They might decide to put banners up, or they might decide to do

special kinds of promotions,” Teague said. “They might decide to do

brochures that go into certified racks in Orange County.”

The idea is hardly a new one. Downtown business owners first

considered forming a district about 12 years ago, Teague said.

Merchants also met in January 2002 to discuss the idea.

The city already has two business improvement districts; The

Huntington Beach Auto Dealers Business Improvement District was

formed in 1992. The Huntington Beach Hotel/Motel Business Improvement

District was formed last year at the request of the Huntington Beach

Conference and Visitors Bureau. Its purpose is to fund activities

that promote Huntington Beach as an overnight destination.

The next step, if merchants decide to create the district, is to

bring it to the City Council for a vote.

“At their first meeting, there was a lot of interest,” Teague

said. “It was generally very positive. It sounds like they may go

forward with it.”

City collects gifts for disabled community

The city is playing Santa to seniors and disabled adults who would

otherwise be forgotten during the holiday season. The Senior Santa

and Friends Program provides gifts for elderly and disabled clients

of the Orange County Social Services and Health Care agencies.

Unused and unwrapped gifts can be donated to the Community

Services Department on the fifth floor of City Hall, at the Rodgers

Seniors’ Center lobby, and at the Seniors’ Outreach Center, through

Jan. 2.

For more information, call (714) 536-5486.