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Politics & Government

Cerritos Council Approves City Budget and FEMA in Cerritos

The city's budget along with other topics such as secondhand smoke and CALEMA/FEMA in Cerritos were on the agenda.

June 28th marked the last Cerritos City Council meeting of June. Highlights of the meeting include the issue of secondhand smoke, brought up during public comments, the city's budget and a resolution regarding hazard and disaster in Cerritos.

Public Comments – Secondhand Smoke

Wendy Natividad, a health policy liaison, from Healthy Lungs at Home: Cerritos-Artesia explained her organization's efforts to raise awareness, locally, on the effects of unwanted secondhand smoke and its impact on multi-unit housing. Natividad brought some members of Healthy Lungs at Home to share their experiences with secondhand smoke.

John Harrison, an active member of Healthy Lungs at Home, said when he was 10 years old, he lost his grandfather after an active battle with cancer.

“I know this story is rather tragic,” Harrison said. “It is easy to overlook, because it is so common.”

According to Harrison, annually, over 49,000 non-smokers die from lung cancer and heart disease caused by secondhand smoke. Children in multi-unit housing are especially susceptable as secondhand smoke has been show to increased incidents of asthma by at least 20 percent. Harrison added that, in a survey, 95.2 percent of Cerritos respondents said they believed secondhand smoke is harmful to people's health.

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Consideration of the Combined Financial Program for the City of Cerritos and the City of Cerritos, as Successor Agency to the Cerritos Redevelopment Agency, for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 – Approved 5-0

Geri DeMasi Budget Administrator 2012 -2013 combined financial program delivered the numbers for the upcoming city budget during the June 4 Budget Meeting:

Operating Budget: $85,704,140

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City Capital Improvements: $2,609,5000

Total City Budget: $88,313,640

Successor Agency For the Redevelopment Agency of Cerritos

Admin and Operating Budget: $31,379,125

Combined Total: $119,692,765

A resolution designating CALEMA/FEMA applicant's agents for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program – Approved 5-0

Doug Kellam, the city's Management Analyst, said Cerritos recently received approval from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a competitive grant to fund an update of the city's natural hazard mitigation plan. City staff recommended the the council to appoint three authorized agents which can execute California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA)/FEMA applications for any funding reimbursements: city manager, director of public works and director community and safety services. This will authorize each of these positions to provide FEMA and CALEMA within necessary assurances on behalf of the city of Cerritos.

Other Items Approved

Consideration and review of the Southern California Gas Company Advanced Meter Project.

The next city council meeting will be held on MONDAY July 9.

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