Story Published:
Aug 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Aug 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM PDT
HUNTINGTON PARK — Although hit hard by budget constraints, the City Council has agreed to contribute $4,000 toward Christmas decorations on Pacific Boulevard during the holiday season.
Dante D’Eramo, executive director of the Greater Huntington Park Area Chamber of Commerce, said the city-appointed Business Improvement District will provide $7,500 to the cost and the chamber would pay the remaining $11,500.
The BID is a semi-autonomous group of business owners who are charged with promoting downtown Huntington Park, generally along Pacific Boulevard between Florence and Slauson avenues.
The chamber also conducts a Christmas parade there in November.
In other action Aug. 3, the council:
• Accepted the resignation of long-time resident Marial Sanders, who is moving out of the city, from the Huntington Park Planning Commission and directed city staff to seek volunteers from the community.
• Directed city staff to study the recently completed Brandstrata report on how the city might promote itself and create a positive image and report back. The report was commissioned to determine if the city was getting its money’s worth in sponsoring or participating in various community events.
It said the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade brought the city good relations and helped attract shoppers to the downtown area. But it said the El Grito program for Mexican Independence Day, held at Salt Lake Park in recent years, was too far away to attract customers to Pacific Boulevard merchants.
This year the private El Grito sponsors have moved the event Sept. 12-16 to La Alameda Plaza, just outside the city limits at Florence Avenue and Alameda Street.
• Approved a request from the BID to include live entertainment with all future sidewalk sales along Pacific Boulevard.
• Approved the re-appointment of Ralph Cervantes to the Planning Commission.