Huntington Beach Updates
Shipley Nature Center Launches New Retail Options for HB Jubilee Celebration
In conjunction with the HB Jubilee Celebration, which is recognizing Central Park’s 50th anniversary, Shipley Nature Center has expanded their gift shop and will launch a new online retail shopping experience. Guests visiting the nature center can stroll through the gift shop and browse the many nature books, toys, jewelry, clothes, and more. All purchases help to preserve natural spaces, which provide people of all ages with inspirational experiences for learning and fun.
The Gift Shop Grand Re-Opening is scheduled for Friday, April 5. The shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Plus, the first Friday of each month from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (or until dusk if the sunset is earlier).
To read more visit
Banning Avenue Beautification Project Completed - Huntington Beach Update
The City’s Public Works Department has completed a beautification and rehabilitation project of Banning Avenue, stretching from Magnolia Street to Brookhurst Street.
The $4.1 million project aimed to improve street safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles. Several upgrades included enhancing the hardscape, street surface, and traffic striping, and four new medians were constructed to help with traffic calming. Striping improvements included new painted bike lane buffers and green paint to improve safety for cyclists. An extra crosswalk was added to the street segment adjacent to Eader Elementary School at Malibu Lane for pedestrian safety. The new crosswalk and an existing walk at Starfire Lane were enhanced by installing a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB). The RRFB includes solar pedestrian-activated flashing solar beacon warning oncoming traffic of crosswalk use.
Women's History: Women in Service
American women have proudly served since the Revolutionary War. At first, traveling with soldiers and tending to their needs, over the following century, they became valued supporters, fundraisers, and even spies – some, even thousands, became combatants by disguising themselves as men.
During the Civil War, Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, led nurses onto the battlefields to help treat the wounded. The U.S. Army Nurses Corps (ANC) was formally created with Dorothea Dix as its first Superintendent. Later, during WWI, the ranks of military nurses grew from 403 to more than 3,000 in a single year, many of whom were deployed to dangerous locations in Europe.
As one author has observed, “WWI is also notable because it was the first time women – who did not yet have the right to vote – were allowed to serve in the U.S. military openly.”
Postponed to April 27 - Easter Hunt & Family Fun Day
Due to pending weather, the annual Easter Hunt & Family Fun Day has been rescheduled to April 27.
Come down to the Huntington Sports Complex to hunt for candy, take a picture with the Easter Bunny, dunk a public official, learn about summer camps & classes, & enjoy live music! Don't forget to stop by one of our food vendors to enjoy a treat.
Thank you to the Huntington Beach Kiwanis for partnering with the City for this great event.
Marissa Sur Appointed as Director of Human Resources
Marissa Sur has been selected as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Huntington Beach. In her role, she will be responsible for directing, planning, organizing, and managing the personnel functions and programs of the City. While in her new role, she will be overseeing a large number of programs and services, including Employee Relations, Labor Negotiations, Recruitment and Selection, Classification and Compensation, Training, Benefits, Risk Management, Self-insured programs in Liability and Workers Compensation, as well as the Loss Prevention Program.
Oil Well Abandonment Project at City Hall - Huntington Beach Update
Work will soon begin in the City Hall parking lot to abandon three oil wells. If you are not aware, there are three oil wells in the parking lot – one has been here since 1924 and two since 1954. The City has operated these wells since acquiring the City Hall property in 1971, but due to increased costs and decreased production, they are no longer economically viable and will therefore be plugged and abandoned. The project will be in done in phases with work beginning the week of April 8. Parking and traffic flow will be impacted in these areas over the next several months as the contractor needs room to mobilize operations.
California Water Environment Associations’ Santa Ana River Basin Section Awards
The California Water Environment Associations’ Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) Annual Awards Banquet was held at the Richard Nixon Library & Museum on Saturday, March 23. The SARBS Annual Awards Banquet is a celebration highlighting achievements and recognizing exceptional service and dedication. The City of Huntington Beach Public Works Department’s Utilities Division received the Silver Award for Collections System Medium. The award is given in recognition of outstanding maintenance programs, regulatory compliance, and safety and training procedures.
Spring is in the Air at the Senior Center in Central Park
The Senior Center in Central Park, along with the Huntington Beach Council on Aging, hosted a Spring Picnic Luncheon at the Senior Center on Friday, March 22. Approximately 160 senior center members enjoyed the music of Second Wind, a delicious lunch and dessert, dancing, fun, and friendship. The luncheon would not have been possible without the efforts of the Senior Center volunteers and staff, the sponsorship and support from the Huntington Beach Council on Aging and Beach Terrace Memory Care, as well as the efforts of the Edison S.A.C. Program for bringing coffee.
Prop 218 - Potential Water & Wastewater (Sewer) Rate Increase Notification
The City of Huntington Beach is committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water to nearly 200,000 residents and the businesses we serve. The proposed rate increase for water and sewer is approximately 8.5 cents per day for the first year. This will help maintain the City’s nine wells, four reservoirs, three booster stations, more than 600 miles of distribution mains, and approximately 55,000 service connections.
The City’s rates were last adjusted in 2019, and the City Council is considering new rates to start Monday, July 1. As a public water provider, the City can only charge its customers for the costs associated with providing water and sewer service; the City cannot earn a profit. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 16, at 6:00 p.m. during the City Council meeting.
