LongBeachReport.com | LBReport.com | Terry Jensen's Common Sense / Perspective</center></font><font face="times new roman, times, serif" size="5"><p>Santa, Call LB City Hall: Taxpayer Leased Vacant Bldg. (New Home To Daisy Lane Xmas Displays) Invites Annual Public Review of All City Owned/Leased Properties And Zero-Based Budget

(July 22, 2010) -- Just read the good news (click here) that our new Councilmember James Johnson has found a new location for the Daisy Christmas Tree Lane decorations. It seems the property the City leased for the Police Athletic League (PAL) facility on South Street has available space for the decorations and they will be relocated.

As the Council cancelled the PAL program in 2008 and presumably has been paying rent for a vacant and/or underutilized building for the last two years, I was just wondering why the City hasn't subleased the building until its primary lease obligation expired.

Is this another reason why the City should have an annual public review of ALL of its owned or leased properties in order to maximize utility and minimize general fund expenditures?

Is this another reason why the City should immediately begin evaluating its budget using a zero based budget model?

I think so.