South Bay Watch

SOUTH BAY Spring 2022

SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS

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THANK YOU SPONSORS FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT 22nd Annual SBCCOG General Assembly PATRONS $7,500: Southern California Edison

“Community of Innovation” panel, (from left): Skyler Logsdon, co-founder, CEO, Boomerang, Elizabeth Reynolds, program director, Starburst Accelerator, Ryan Levy, co-founder, chargeFUZE, Kevin Morris, CFO, Wavemaker Labs & Miso Robotics, and event moderator Drew Boyles, mayor of El Segundo and SBCCOG chair, discuss their companies’ latest innovations at the 22nd Annual General Assembly.

SBCCOG General Assembly Speakers Call “Intentionality” Key to “Community of Innovation”

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very city needs a vice president of innovation who shepherds partnerships with other businesses and public sector agencies, according to Skyler Logsdon. Logsdon is co-founder and CEO of Boomerang, a technology platform that connects people with their lost items.

He says such a liaison could help him cultivate partnerships with Metro and Los Angeles International Airport to create new jobs to benefit the local economy.

He envisions this individual advising business leaders, “You tell me what you’re

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 2 SBCCOG Selects Winner of “Why I Love the South Bay” Photo Contest

working on and if it makes sense, I’ll take your hand and make sure you don’t get stuck,” said Logsdon. Logsdon spoke during the morning kick-off panel “Community of Innovation” at the South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ (SBCCOG) 22nd General Assembly March 24. A theme of “intentionality” in attracting and retaining businesses and talent to the region, emerged across the event’s discussions.

Event moderator Drew Boyles, mayor of El Segundo and board chair of the SBCCOG, assembled leaders from the region’s 

PAGE 3 Alert South Bay Text Notifications Keep Community Safe

PAGE 4 View Photos from the 22nd General Assembly

BENEFACTORS $5,000: Continental Development Corporation | Mar Ventures, Inc • Daily Breeze | Beach Reporter | Palos Verdes Peninsula News • LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell • Chevron Products Company • SoCalGas • South Bay Association of REALTORS® (SBAOR) SPONSORS $2,500: American Dark Fiber • Cox Communication • Kosmont Companies • LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn • Metropolitan Water District of Southern California • Northrop Grumman • Southern California Association of Governments • The Energy Coalition • Water Replenishment District of Southern California • Watson Land Company • West Basin Municipal Water District • Ygrene • 1-800-GOT-JUNK? | HazAwayToday.com FRIENDS OF THE SBCCOG: Bernadette Suarez • Los Angeles County Public Works • South Bay Workforce Investment Board • Southbay Magazine • Terranea Resort SPECIAL THANKS: El Segundo Cable for its special event coverage and the City of Carson for hosting the event.

See page 4 for General Assembly photos

PAGE 5 “Boring” Project Will Move Treated Wastewater to Protect Local Waterways

PAGE 6 How Drones Have Evolved from Sci-fi to Essential Government Service

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COVER STORY private sector to inform cities how to “reimagine the South Bay’s future.”

Logsdon and other speakers responded to Boyle’s question, “How can we help? How can we in government foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and ultimately economic development to benefit our cities?”

During the second morning panel, “A Glimpse into the Future – Aerospace and Defense – Federal/Local Intersection,” speakers continued to examine how cities can leverage a new multi-dimensional world, which includes soon to be launched innovations such as 3D rocket printing and manufacturing in space. They addressed how communities can create a business-friendly environment, well-trained workforce, and a sustainable, livable community.

Ben Marcus, co-founder and manager of Santa Monica-based UP.Partners shared the example of Bentonville, Arkansas, as a model of the “intentionality” cities should strive toward. As a transportation innovator, Marcus takes frequent trips to Bentonville. The city is home to three of the largest companies in the world—Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt, the leading trucking and logistics company in North America.

Marcus observed that the Walton family, founders of Walmart, has made substantial investments in the community and has worked to diversify the local economy.

Projects include hundreds of miles of hiking trails, enhancement of schools, and the founding and development of the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art—home to a world-class collection of American Art. The intention, Marcus said, is “to attract the most wonderful people to Bentonville, Arkansas not just to go to work for Walmart, but to build new businesses. It makes it an exciting place to be.”

“It’s about not only having an open door, but asking people to come in. When there’s an entrepreneur...who wants to do business in your community, you should be all over that person, [saying] ‘what can I do to get you here? What can I do to help you?’” he said.

Aerospace panel speaker Laura Crabtree agreed with Logsdon’s earlier suggestion that a dedicated point-of-contact would have been useful as she founded her company Redondo Beach-based Epsilon3. The firm is working to modernize space missions and complex engineering. Crabtree is one of a growing number of entrepreneurs leaving larger South

South Bay Cities Council of Governments Selects Winner Of Inaugural Photo Contest

Raymond Fujii of Torrance took home first place honors with this silhouette shot of the Redondo Beach Pier, titled “Beautiful Sunset and Birds.”

Bay companies, such as Northrop Grumman and SpaceX, to start smaller companies where innovation can more nimbly develop. In just three years Epsilon3 has grown from 30 to 700 employees.

Crabtree emphasized that retaining highlyskilled workforces will require addressing the “elephant in the room”—protecting single family housing. Help is needed to give families a path to home ownership—a challenge as prices and property taxes skyrocket.

Despite challenges, the consensus is that there’s never been a more exciting time to be a part of the South Bay workforce, especially in the transportation and aerospace sectors.

“I’ve never seen space exploding and evolving as fast as I have in the last three years,” Colonel Jennifer Krolikowski, chief information officer, Space Systems Command, told the audience. “I’m really excited to be able to see where it goes, where it takes us, and how we can keep our competitive edge in the world, and being able to use space as an asset to us.” • To hear the General Assembly panel discussions in full, visit the SBCCOG YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3vVIFP2.

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aymond Fujii of Torrance is the winner of the SBCCOG’s inaugural “Why I Love the South Bay” Photo Contest.

The contest invited the community to submit images that showcase what is unique and beautiful about the South Bay. The first-place photo, titled “Beautiful Sunset and Birds” depicting the Redondo Beach Pier, was announced at the SBCCOG’s March 24, 22nd annual General Assembly after the attendees voted on their favorite photo.

The contest launched January 1, 2022, on southbaycities.org and generated more than 150 entries. The SBCCOG collaborated with Daily Breeze photo editor Dean Musgrove to select the top-10 finalists. It invited General Assembly attendees to select a winner live during the event via a QR code.

Fujii is a South Bay native and real estate lawyer who recently took up photography as a hobby. Images were judged on criteria that included, but were not limited to, scenic beauty, originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.

The SBCCOG will announce plans for future photo contests on southbaycities.org. View the other nine finalists at https://southbaycities.org/photo-contest/.

Raymond Fujii accepts his award at the SBCCOG’s February 24 General Assembly.

CITY SHOWCASE

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The Alert SouthBay Task Force is the governing body that determines how, when and why alerts are sent. It is composed of emergency managers, fire chiefs, police department personnel and city management staff.

A Safer South Bay Alert SouthBay Messaging System Streamlines Emergency Notifications for Subregion

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n February 18, 2015, two workers suffered minor injuries and debris was dispersed into the surrounding community following an explosion in the gasoline processing unit at the ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance. The incident brought to light the need to change the way communication is coordinated during community disasters.

“There were gaps identified in coordination, communication and interoperability that prevented emergency alerts from going beyond city boundaries,” said Soraya Sutherlin, alert and warning manager for

Alert SouthBay Emergency Operations. “Disasters don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries; neither does air for that matter. The need to integrate alert and warning systems into one platform was critical.” In addition, Assembly Bill 1646, passed in 2017, mandated that local implementing agencies (LIA) develop an intergrated system for cross jurisdictional messaging in the event of an offsite release at a petroleum refinery.

To address these concerns, the Alert SouthBay system was established in March 2020. To

help with message delivery, it utilized and enhanced existing notifications provided by Everbridge and NIXLE (existing software platforms for local, public safety and service communications that deliver real-time relevant information from official agencies to the communities they serve).

The new service integrated 14 South Bay cities to provide emergency alerts and warnings to their residents. Through the system, each city can send public messages and alerts via SMS (Text), email, phone, landline, as well as other means

To learn more about Alert SouthBay and sign up to receive notifications, visit alertsouthbay.com.

of communication to residents.

Messages can also reach other impacted jurisdictions, should the incident warrant that level of warning.

Establishment of the system was well timed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Alert SouthBay activated a Joint Information Center to address communication needs.

“We worked tirelessly for 18 months addressing misinformation, information about testing, breaking down the health officer orders into digestible parts, providing resources to residents, and providing weekly Covid-19 updates,” Sutherlin said.

Alert SouthBay issued 56 regional updates during the pandemic and conducted three community-wide surveys directed at addressing the needs of communities.

The Alert SouthBay Task Force is the governing body that determines how, when and why alerts are sent. It is composed of emergency managers, fire chiefs, police department personnel and city management staff. Additionally, it has members from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and LA County Sheriff’s Department who serve as integral members of the team. Sutherlin said the goal of the Task Force is to develop and discuss processes, procedures, best practices and coordinate emergency alerts and warnings to create a comprehensive program “to address our communities when minutes matter the most.”

Beginning in June, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) will serve as a partner in Alert SouthBay endeavors to help keep communities informed. •

SBCCOG NEWS

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Community Leaders “Reimagine” the South Bay’s Future at the 22nd General Assembly

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SBCCOG staff and volunteers check in guests.

General Assembly sponsors and speakers meet in the exhibit hall.

Will Bruey, CEO, Varda Space Industries presents “Building Factories in Space!”

Catherine Chen, reporter for El Segundo Media interviews Drew Boyles, mayor, City of El Segundo and chair of the SBCCOG board of directors.

“A Glimpse into the Future” panel contributors, (from left): Laura Crabtree, CEO, Epsilon3, Roxanne Fung, corporate

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controller, Relativity Space, Col. Jennifer Krolikowski, chief information officer, Space Systems Command, Ben Marcus, co-founder/managing partner, UP. Partners, Drew Boyles, Elizabeth Reynolds, program director, Starburst Aerospace Accelerator.

(From left) Jay Hart, Torrance Police Chief, and Patrick Furey, mayor, City of Torrance.

(From left): Scot Nicol, council member, City of El Segundo, Britt Huff, mayor pro tem, City of Rolling Hills

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Estates, and Chris Pimentel, mayor pro tem, City of El Segundo.

(From left): John Cruikshank, council member, City of Rancho Palos Verdes, and first vice chair, SBCCOG, Harold C. Williams, member, West Basin Municipal Water District board of directors, and Elias Sassoon, public works director, City of El Segundo.

John Cruikshank (right) interviews Dariush Ajami, chief innovation officer, Beyond Meat (left) about his company’s unique product and the future of food.

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Tunnel Vision Rachel “Bores” the Clearwater Project to Preserve Local Waterways

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modern tunnel boring machine (TBM) named Rachel has been quietly building an 18-foot diameter, 7-milelong tunnel from Carson to San Pedro. This tunnel will convey cleaned water from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ largest wastewater treatment plant (the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant) to existing ocean outfalls at Royal Palms Beach.

This new tunnel is part of the Clearwater Project, which will protect local waterways by addressing critical aging infrastructure.

put up prefabricated tunnel wall segments so that the tunnel wall is built as digging progresses. Overall, about 40 to 50 feet of tunnel per day will be constructed.

A worker walks through a completed portion of tunnel.

Workers assemble the tunnel boring machine at the bottom of the access shaft.

THE CLEARWATER PROJECT In 2012, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved the Clearwater Project.

The project is the result of a multiyear planning and environmental review effort to assess the reliability and future capacity needs of the main sewer system serving five million people residing in the Los Angeles Basin.

The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP), the hub of this sewer system, relies on two tunnels to carry clean water to ocean outfalls. The tunnels are 12-foot and 8-foot in diameter and 60- and 80-yearsold, respectively. The new 18-foot diameter replacement tunnel addresses this aging infrastructure and will provide structural reliability, sufficient future capacity, and meet current seismic standards.

RACHEL BUILDS Rachel is 21 ½ feet tall and more than 2 ½ football fields long. She stops every 5 feet to

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSES In 2020, a 60-foot diameter, 135-footdeep access shaft was built at JWPCP so Rachel could be lowered below ground to her starting depth. This shaft is also used to remove excavated soil and to move personnel and materials in and out of the tunnel.

In April 2021, a launch event unveiled Rachel to the public. At this event, the winners of TBM naming and art contests for Los Angeles County students were recognized. The name Rachel was submitted in honor of Rachel Carson, the environmental pioneer and author of Silent Spring. Winning artwork was also displayed on Rachel’s side.

Last summer, Rachel was lowered down the access shaft, assembled and tested. Later that fall, she began her four-year journey to Royal Palms Beach. As of the time of this writing, more than 1,500 feet of tunnel had been completed. Along the tunnel alignment, a variety of sensors have been installed to ensure that tunneling does not impact the surface. These sensors provide real-time data that can be used to adjust tunneling. • The Clearwater Project is expected to be completed in 2027. For more information on the Clearwater Project and to keep up with Rachel, please visit www.clearwater.lacsd.org.

SBCCOG Partners With SoCalREN To Reward Students For Energy Efficiency

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hird and fourth-grade classrooms from Towne Avenue Elementary School in Carson received two separate grants, totaling $2,000 for their participation in a program to help their families become more energy-efficient at home.

Through the program called Kits for Kids, The Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) partnered with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) to introduce students to new energy efficiency tools.

Students were asked to perform an interactive scavenger hunt to receive the items at no cost to help their families cut energy and water use, while saving money and improving their comfort and safety.

The kits included LED light bulbs, efficient-flow shower heads and faucet aerators to install at home.

Because more than 65% of the students participated, their classrooms were each eligible to receive a $1,000 grant, which will be used to purchase new books. •

Students and teachers from Towne Avenue Elementary in Carson celebrate their earnings through SoCalREN’s Kits for Kids energy-saving program.

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PERSPECTIVE DRONING ON:

Drones Positively Impact Lives

By D. Damon Willens

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en years ago, if someone had mentioned the word “drones,” one would have thought about far-away wars and unmanned aircraft firing missiles at sites and collecting geographical information unsuspecting targets. Yet only a few years later, system (GIS) data for mapping. The City of drones have become a part of everyday life Torrance has used drones to monitor its coyote for millions of people. Hobbyists, commercial population. These uses save manpower and users and government agencies have expanded reduce risk of injury to workers arising from the use of drones exponentially as technology climbing poles, ladders and roofs. Drones are has made them affordable for the average increasingly being used to augment or replace person and governmental budget. helicopters, at a savings of thousands of Back in the “Wild West” days of 2015, when dollars per hour. Even the most basic consumer drone laws were still in their infancy and people drones can now provide stunning highwere not used to seeing drones flying over their definition imagery. neighborhoods, there was a strong push by While many people are concerned about state and local governments to pass their own privacy issues, such concerns can be greatly drone laws to combat what was perceived as a mitigated by carefully tailored regulations privacy and safety threat. Some of these laws and policies regarding the use and retention were well-intentioned but overly restrictive, of drone photos and video. “Paparazzi” and and many arguably violated the FAA’s authority “invasion of privacy” laws in many states, over airspace (a debate that has not yet been including California, limit these intrusions on resolved). However, as the drone industry private individuals and provide private rights of has matured and we have seen that drones action. The Fourth Amendment and state and can be used safely and responsibly, some of local restrictions on law enforcement use of the negative publicity surrounding drones drones greatly minimize the risk of improper has waned. The concerns of drone mid-air surveillance and “weaponization.” collisions and “Big Brother” spying on citizens What about drone package deliveries? have been shown to be more hype than reality.

The technology is improving and several What uses of drones should we anticipate companies, including Amazon and Wing, are in the next decade? Certainly, first responders testing drone deliveries in coordination with have been on the cutting edge of governmental the FAA. However, until there is more societal drone use. Law enforcement agencies, with and governmental support, it is unlikely we will community input for their policies, use see Amazon drones crisscrossing the skies drones to catch fleeing felons, take crimeabove our homes. scene photos, and conduct traffic accident As our regulatory structure catches up investigations, while keeping officers out of to technological advances, we can expect harm’s way. Fire departments use infrareddrones to become more ubiquitous, but in a equipped drones to monitor brush fires and way that balances the benefits with privacy search for lost hikers. Lifeguards watch and safety concerns. • for sharks near surfers and drop buoys to swimmers in distress. First responders often D. Damon Willens is the owner of Blue Line use drones after natural disasters to drop Drones, a consulting firm which assists first medical supplies and food to isolated victims, responders and other government agencies in and quickly locate otherwise inaccessible areas. creating and operating drone programs. Willens Other governmental uses of drones include is an attorney who specializes in drone law and construction and traffic management, building an LAPD reserve police officer with experience and utility inspections, surveying engineering in law enforcement drone operations.

Published May 23, 2022 by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments A quarterly bulletin to inform local leaders of subregional progress and alert them to emerging issues Governing Board: Chair Drew Boyles, El Segundo 1st Vice Chair John Cruikshank, Rancho Palos Verdes 2nd Vice Chair Cedric Hicks, Carson Immediate Past Chair Olivia Valentine, Hawthorne Members: Carson , County of LA, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance SBCCOG Executive Director Jacki Bacharach Legal Counsel Michael Jenkins, Best Best & Krieger LLP Treasurer Joseph Lillio Director of Finance, City of El Segundo

To subscribe to SBCCOG newsletters or view past editions, visit southbaycities.org/newsletter.

To view a schedule of SBCCOG meetings, visit southbaycities.org/calendar.

Website: southbaycities.org Like us: facebook.com/SBCCOG facebook.com/SBESC Follow us: @SouthBayCCOG @SBESC This publication printed on an FSC paper and contains 30% post consumer waste.