St3519 october 11 layout 1 by Signal Tribune

12 SIGNAL TRIBUNE

HoW To AVoID PRoBATE

Probate is a very costly and long process that can last from 9 to 18 months in most cases. Fortunately, there are several alternatives available that remove the asset from one’s probatable estate while that person is still alive. Naming a beneficiary on life insurance policies, IRA’s, 401(k)’s, and annuities before your death assures the asset is transferred straight to the chosen beneficiary. Joint Tenancy is where the owner of the asset names a co-owner of an account or real property. Caution: Joint tenancies have risks as the co-owner has the same rights to the asset as the original owner and a loss of Stepped-up valuation. Pay-on-death Accounts are similar to naming a beneficiary in that the bank account owner completes banking paperwork which names the person(s) who will receive the bank account upon the bank owner’s death. Lifetime Gifts given during your life avoids probate because probate only applies to those assets owned at time of death. A Living Trust is very beneficial when dealing with titled real property and other assets. A complete estate plan included in the Living Trust includes many ancillary documents that protect you financially, physically and allows for peace of mind.

ELIZABETH ARNETT VOZZELLA 426-9876 www.Vozzella4Law.com

Attorney at Law • (562)

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL

TST4474 NoTICE INVITING BIDS A-1 Sealed bids will be received at the office of the City Clerk, City of Signal Hill, California, until 10:30 a.m. on october 22, 2013, and on the same day shortly thereafter, they will be publicly opened and read for the “Street and Sidewalk Improvements at 23rd Street, Project No. 686, CDBG Project No. 60157913” project, in accordance with the Specifications therefore. Bids must be made on the forms provided for this purpose, addressed to the City Clerk, City of Signal Hill, marked "Bid for “, followed by the title of the project and the date and hour for submitting bids. Bids are required for the entire work as described in the Bid Schedule and the Specifications. The work to be accomplished under this contract includes the rehabilitation and construction of sidewalk, curb & gutter, driveway, concrete block slough wall and parkway drainage along the north side of 23rd Street between orange Avenue and Walnut Avenue. A-2 All work must be completed within twenty (20) working days after receipt by the Contractor of the notice to proceed from the City. The contract documents, which include the Specifications, may be obtained at the City of Signal Hill Department of Finance, for $20 or $25 if requested by mail. The documents are entitled “Street and Sidewalk Improvements at 23rd Street, Project No. 686, CDBG Project No. 601579-13.” A-3 Bids will not be received unless they are made on a proposal form furnished in the Contract Documents by the City of Signal Hill. each bid must be accompanied by cash, certified check, cashier's check or bidder's bond, made payable to the City of Signal Hill for an amount equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the amount bid, such guarantee to be forfeited should the bidder to whom the contract is awarded fail to enter into the Contract. A-4 All bids are to be compared on the basis of the lump sum or itemized bid items shown in the Bid Schedule(s). Bids will not be accepted from the Contractors who are not licensed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Division III of the Business and Professions Code of the State of California. The Contractor shall be required to possess a Class A or Class C-8 license at the time the contract is awarded. A-5 Attention is directed to the provision in Section 1777.5, 1777.6 and 1777.7 of the California Labor Code and Title 8, California Administrative Code, Section 200 et 4 seq. concerning the employment of apprentices by the Contractor of any subcontractor under the Contractor. A-6 Before a Contract is entered into with the successful bidder, the bidder shall present evidence in writing to the City Clerk, City of Signal Hill, that he has a current combined single limit liability policy with aggregate limits for Bodily Injury and Property Damage in the amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000). A-7 Prevailing Wage Statement: This is a federally-assisted construction project. Federal Labor Standards Provisions outlined in the HUD-4010 form, including the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) will be enforced. The “current Federal Wage Decision” is the one in effect 10-days prior to the bid opening date and can be found on-line at http://www.wdol.gov. In the event of a conflict between Federal and State wages rates, the higher of the two will prevail. The Contractor’s duty to pay State prevailing wages can be found under Labor Code Section 1770 et seq. and Labor Code Sections 1775 and 1777.7 outline the penalties for failure to pay prevailing wages and employ apprentices including forfeitures and debarment. A-8 Attention is directed to Government Code Sections 4590 and 14402.5 permitting the substitution of specified and approved securities for contract retention of funds. All such securities shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Attorney of the City of Signal Hill. A-9 The successful bidder will be required to furnish a payment bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price and a faithful performance bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price, and said bonds shall be secured from a surety company satisfactory to the City Attorney of the City of Signal Hill. A-10 The City of Signal Hill reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or delete portions of any and all bids or waive any informality or irregularity in the bid or the bid procedures and shall be the sole judge of the bids received. A-11 Conflict of Interest: In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by sub-recipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 24 CFR 85.36, oMB Circular A-110, and 24 CFR 570.611, respectively, shall apply. No employee, officer or agent of the sub-recipient shall participate in selection, or in the award or administration of a contract supported by Federal funds if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, would be involved. A-12 Federal Contract Clause and Provisions: This is a federally-assisted construction project. Attention is directed to requirements and documents listed in this Notice Inviting Bids, and Appendices A and B of the bid documents including but not limited to the sections regarding the eeo Clause, Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action, Federal eeo Specifications, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Contracting with Small & Minority Firms, Women’s Business enterprise, Compliance with Clean Air and Water Act, and Conflict of Interest. By order of the City of Signal Hill. Posted at Signal Hill City Hall on: Published in the Signal-Tribune on: oct. 4 and oct. 11, 2013.

NEWS

RDA

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tral Long Beach will have to wait a little longer. The oversight board to Long Beach’s Successor Agency approved the long-range-propertymanagement plan on Oct. 7. It was a crucial step for the City to take before the plan is ultimately turned over to the State’s Department of Finance for approval. The new plan still acknowledges and refers back to the strategic plans that were crafted by the people behind the former redevelopment agency. It offers four possible futures for the 259 properties. The properties could be slated for government use, sold, kept for future development or retained to honor an enforceable obligation that existed before the redevelopment agency was dissolved. The vision that the redevelopment agency had created for the City is not completely lost. If the City wants to promote a particular kind of land use for specific property, the City would seek to competitively bid the properties through an RFP [request for proposal] process, according to Michael Conway, the director of the City of Long Beach’s Business and Property Development Department. Conway had presented an overview of the property-management plan to members

of the Long Beach Central Project Area Council (CPAC) last month. He later explained to the oversight board on Monday that the intent is to promote land uses and community amenities that were supported by the redevelopment plan. The properties are currently valued at approximately $65 million, according to Conway. In the meantime, the former site of a disreputable liquor store in central Long Beach still waits for something to happen. It would mean a great deal to residents who do want to see the community continue to develop. Wade, the 82-year-old neighborhood advocate and member of the Long Beach CPAC, says that she has seen her town change in many ways since she first came to the area in the 1950s. She says that over the years, she watched her neighborhood decline.

OCTOBER 11, 2013

“And then with redevelopment, it was slowly coming back,” Wade said. “With the money from redevelopment, we were able to start bringing it back.” Wade remembers how Long Beach used to be– with hamburger stands and little shops where she could take her children. She describes how she used to feel safe walking anywhere. Wade says that she wants to see her neighborhood look better and have residents take pride in their town again. If the matter is up to Councilmember Andrews, he would like to see redevelopment properties in his district developed quickly. Many of the properties have a white fence surrounding an empty lot. “Every white picket fence I see in my district…I want you to put something in that hole,” Andrews said. “Fill it up, quick.” ß

FOLBA

Pet of the Week:

Piper

Piper is a gorgeous (and aren’t they all?) 4month-old kitten who can’t seem to decide which look she wants to sport—she’s an orange tabby on one side of her face and a brown tabby on the other side. Whichever side she shows you, she’ll be a sweet, playful housemate for a loving person. Meet Piper at the Companion Animal Village at 7700 East Spring St., (562) 570-PETS. Ask for ID#A507391.