By Jessie Rosenfeld
News Editor
Lizzy Tsuang
Staff Writer
On voting day, registered Hermosa Beach voters can vote on the measure at one of the five polling places in Hermosa Beach depending on the area of the city in which they live. These polling places are located at the Kiwanis Youth Center, Hope Chapel, Hermosa Beach Community Center, Hermosa Beach Clark Building and Hermosa Beach City Hall.
“We have mobilized a lot of people to go out and talk to the community to find out where we were in the polls,” Stop Hermosa Beach Oil committee member Kevin Sousa said. “I think that if we can get the residents to the polls on Tuesday, our cause is going to be successful.”
Polling places will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Once all votes are in on March 27, the City Clerk’s Office will conduct a manual tally.
“If we won, it would be an ending to a really long chapter,” Sousa said. “Oil drilling has been disputed in Hermosa for decades, and we could end these disputes once and for all. Hermosa can move forward as a community, financially and environmentally.”
SBHO will not release the data it has gathered on public opinion because it believes it is critical information that must remain confidential. According to Sousa, SBHO has high hopes that the measure will not pass. E&B has also gathered confidential data regarding the predicted results.
The City of Hermosa Beach hosted two Community Presentations on Jan. 31 and Feb. 11 where representatives from each side presented impartial information on the different documents of the proposed project, including the Environmental Impact Report and Cost Benefit Analysis. Also, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay and Hermosa Beach Mayor Pro Tem Nanette Barragan hosted an environmental forum on Feb 12.
“We want to let people know that oil drilling is not just a Hermosa beach issue, it will impact the entire South Bay,” Barragan said.
Along with the other informational forums, E&B created a community team of representatives to meet with residents and educate the community on the project. They held weekly community discussions on Tuesday nights at the E&B office on Pier Avenue where they answered residents’ questions and explained the project.
“This project has the potential to financially secure our city for generations, and the E&B team and I look forward to continuing our efforts in this campaign,” Roth said.
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