The City of Coronado General Fund Budget for the fiscal year 2007-08 – $37.5 Million.

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Discover Coronado This Fall

City Encourages Residents to Access Public Information

Coronado residents discuss plans for new project at a public information hearing in August. When making decisions, City officials can benefit from public input to help understand how residents feel about particular issues. Since the new City Hall was constructed, the City Council Chambers has been full of activity with public meetings. To better understand the nature of some of the activities at City Hall and help residents stay informed, a few commonly asked questions and answers are below. Q. What is a public hearing? What issues require public hearings? A. A public hearing is an opportunity for the City to obtain public testimony or comment on issues being discussed by the City Council. Any proposed changes to Coronado’s Municipal Code – the rules residents live by – require a public hearing. Public meetings are guided by the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. The City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers. Council meetings are also televised live on Channel 19 during the meeting and replayed on the Wednesday after the meeting at 5 p.m. All Council meetings are open to the general public. Q. How can residents find out about public meetings? A. The City posts notices to inform residents about the details of public meetings. Public meeting notices are always posted at City Hall, the Library and on the City’s web site. Regular meetings are posted a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting, while special meetings are posted a minimum of 24 hours in advance. A specific legal notice is required by law on some issues, such as parcel map changes or the introduction or adoption of any ordinance. In addition to individual posting or mailing requirements, these legal notices are published in the local community newspaper. The City also posts and mails a number of courtesy notices to residents on issues that could engender a significant amount of community interest. Generally, if more than 1,000 residents could be affected, the City publishes the public meeting details in a newspaper display advertisement. Q. What is a closed session? Who authorizes closed sessions? A. A closed session is a City Council meeting that is not open to the public. The reason for closed sessions is to provide an opportunity for the City Council to discuss confidential matters, such as City real estate acquisitions, lawsuits (either for or against the City), labor negotiations, or other items authorized by the California Government Code. Closed sessions are used to protect taxpayer resources by ensuring that the City’s legal or negotiating position is not compromised by revealing confidential information in a public forum. Q. What is an ordinance? A. An ordinance is a municipal regulation, or law, that cities use to create or maintain a quality of life that is beneficial to the majority of residents. The City of Coronado introduces proposed ordinances at public meetings and, barring any major objections, adopts them at the following City Council meeting. After adoption of an ordinance, residents have a specified period of time to file an appeal. If no appeal is filed during that time period, the ordinance becomes law. Q. How can residents stay informed about City issues? A. City officials encourage residents to take an active interest in their government. The City’s web site is regularly updated to provide the community with an up-to-date schedule of commission and committee meetings, in addition to City Council and other public meetings. Using the City’s web site, residents can sign up for recurring e-mail updates on City meetings in addition to updates on City projects or other topics of interest. As always, the City is available by phone to answer any resident’s questions regarding public meetings by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at 619.522.7320.

Coronado Golf Course’s Anniversary: A Celebration 50 Years in the Making

Golf has long been a part of what makes Coronado a special place to live, work and play. Over the past 50 years, the Coronado Golf Course has played host to celebrities, professional athletes and dignitaries, including a few United States Presidents. To celebrate this history, and the contributions the course makes to Coronado’s quality of life, the City invites all residents to the official, day-long event, “Celebrating 50 Years of Coronado Golf,” on October 13 at the Coronado Golf Course. (See box for complete list of scheduled activities). “This event was designed with something for everyone to enjoy, from golf enthusiasts to those who have yet to pick up a club,” said Director of Golf Services Dave Jones. “It is our hope that residents will continue to take advantage of this jewel for decades to come.” The Coronado Golf Course consistently benefits the local community. For example, the course’s affordable rates provide an unparalleled recreational opportunity for golfers of all levels of skill. The course is also an important part of the City’s tourism industry, helping to bring travelers from around the country to stay in Coronado. Celebrating 50 Years of Coronado Golf Residents enjoy the recreational opportunities offered at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course. City officials encourage residents to come and show their support for this long-standing institution of Coronado. There is something for everyone, regardless of golfing abilities! Scheduled Events on October 13 Six 9-hole shotgun golf tournaments to accommodate 432 players ($20/player, includes green fee and golf cart)* Putting competition ($1 per round, clubs available) Driving range events with demonstrations and clinics from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Vintage golf equipment display all day Pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. ($4/person) All day 1950s style barbeque with $1 hot dogs and $.25 sodas Free balloons for kids Raffle drawing for a driver ($1/ticket) Special dedications throughout the day Golden Anniversary Flag Awards Special Golden Gala Awards Dinner with special guests including PGA Pros Gene Littler and Don Collett – part of the original foursome that played the course. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. ($40/person) If you have questions about the events or are interested in sponsorship opportunities, contact the Pro Shop at 619.435.3121, extension 101. *Entry forms for the shotgun tournament and information flyers will be available at the Pro Shop beginning September 7, 2007. The deadline to sign up for the shotgun tournament is September 29, 2007. Play is limited to the first 432 players to sign up. A waiting list will be established.

Local Tide Pools Bustle with Activity

Volunteers from the Coronado Tide Pools Interpretative Program teach visitors to observe the tide pools respectfully. Low tide is a busy time of day at the beach in Coronado. On the beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado, tide pools bustle with activity. Found in the rocky shores where the ocean meets the beach, tide pools contain a number of sea creatures, including starfish, mussels, anemones, limpets and moon snails. As interesting and inviting as tide pools can be for residents and visitors, it is important to treat them with care so future generations can enjoy them too. A few tips to consider when admiring tide pools include: 1) walking on the sandy parts, rather than the clustered rocks where anemones and barnacles tend to live; 2) only using one finger to gently touch the creatures; and 3) never taking the animals or any part of their natural environment home as a souvenir. In order to educate the public about valuable ocean wildlife, the City has helped to form a Coronado Tide Pools Interpretive Program. The group raises awareness about this special ecosystem and teaches people about conservation through education. “We want to share in the joy of discovery with beach visitors but at the same time teach them about the fragility of the tide pools,” said Coronado Lifeguard Captain Sean Carey. The City has also formed a Tide Pool Volunteers team, with the help of City Lifeguard Services. The mission of the team is to interact with tide pool visitors to answer questions, provide names for marine life they encounter and enhance the overall experience and appreciation of the tide pool experience. The program was started in spring 2007 after a group of residents wrote to the City Council suggesting that a program would be beneficial to the local community, visitors and tide pools. The Council offered to house the program within the lifeguard services. Funding is provided by various City departments. For more information about how to volunteer, contact the Coronado Fire Department at 619.522.7374. Follow “Protect the Tide Pool” Rules! 1. Leave all animals, shells and rocks in the tide pools, undisturbed. 3. Walk gently, taking care not to step on plants or animals. 2. Observe all animals where they are . . . in their natural homes. 4. Leave all rocks where you find them, unturned.

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A Message from the Coronado Community Emergency Response Team

Countywide CERT Drill with San Diego Fire Rescue’s COPTER 1. The Coronado Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a program that trains citizens to prepare for – and respond safely to – disasters. The goal is to better prepare the community for disasters and to help serve neighborhoods when emergency services are overwhelmed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, using the model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985, began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994. Since then CERTs have been established in hundreds of communities nationwide. Coronado CERT was established in 1997, and more than 300 citizens have been trained. CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies. JOIN THE CORONADO COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM TODAY AND BE PREPARED!! To register for these free classes, or for more information, please contact the Coronado Fire Department at 619-522-7374. All modules start at 9 a.m. and last about 4 hours. Module Class Title Description 1. October 18 Disaster Preparedness An introduction to the CERT program 2. October 25 Disaster Fire Suppression Fire safety and extinguisher use 3. November 1 Disaster Medical Operations First aid, establishing treatment areas, treating airway obstruction, bleeding and shock 4. November 8 Light Search & Rescue Planning, techniques and rescuer safety 5. November 15 Disaster Psychology, Terrorism & Team Organization Symptoms experienced by victims & rescuers. CERT members participate in two countywide drills and two local drills yearly in the spring and fall to stay current.

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Parking Meters Go Digital
Parking meters in Coronado have looked the same for almost 50 years. And while they have served the community well, it’s time for new and improved time keepers. Reliability and maintenance issues have finally caught up with the old meters.

New meters have been installed around the City, replacing all of the original 542 meters with POM Advanced Parking Meters. POM is the leader in parking meter innovation and was the first company to install parking meters in the U.S. in 1935 in Oklahoma City.

“The new parking meters will utilize technology to help the City to keep more accurate records,” said Chief of Police Louis Scanlon.

The new meters are digital and battery operated. To ensure a long life of the new meters in Coronado, components are made of zinc to resist rusting. The new meters have the same look and familiarity of the old meters and are just as easy to use. However, unlike the old meters, there are no longer any external knobs to turn in order to input money. And just like the old meters – the rate will remain at 25 cents per hour.

Parking meters benefit the Coronado community by providing a source of revenue to the City. In addition, the time limits on the meters encourage parking space turnover, as opposed to long-term parking, which benefits the local business community by providing opportunities for new customers to patronize stores and restaurants throughout the day.

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