LEMON GROVE: The Lemon Grove community development agency agreed this week to lend $5.3 million to assist in a downtown redevelopment project along Main Street just west of the Lemon Grove Trolley depot.
The agency board, composed of members of the Lemon Grove City Council, voted to enter an agreement with the Hitzke Development Corp. to begin to lend the money for the phased housing and commercial development.
Construction is expected to begin on the first phase, dubbed Citronica One, as early as 2009. That phase calls for 54 units of mixed-use affordable housing and about 3,500 square feet of commercial space at Main and North Avenue.
Deadline is Friday for spots on panel
LA MESA: The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District is looking for candidates to fill two vacancies on the seven-member Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, which monitors bond construction spending. The deadline to apply is Friday.
One open position represents parents or guardians of district students. The other represents a taxpayers association. Each term is for two years.
For more information contact Ken Clark, assistant superintendent for business services at (619) 668-5700 x6392.
Tentative budget for fire district OK'd
LAKESIDE: The Lakeside Fire Department has approved a tentative $13.6 million budget that eliminates $350,000 in overtime pay for firefighters.
Fire Chief Mark Baker said the district faced possible layoffs two years ago after the Viejas tribe ended its contract with Lakeside and set up its own fire department. To avoid layoffs, the district used overtime reserves to help pay its firefighters.
Baker said that after retirements and resignations, the district has now reached its desired staffing level of 56 firefighters and that the overtime fund was eliminated.
The district said it had been employing five chief officers, who were required to respond from home to emergency calls on nights and weekends. Two were reclassified down to battalion chief, and a third position was added, so a battalion chief is always on duty for emergencies.
The district's budget is scheduled to be approved in September after it receives final figures on available money from the county and state. Lakeside serves about 65,000 residents in a 55-square-mile area.
