Lakewood Online: www.lakewoodcity.org
The allure of oil attracted local businessman and decorated Civil War general Edward Bouton to Lakewood in 1894 at a time when the area was still undeveloped.
But he struck water instead of oil, sold the water to neighboring cities, and the site later became a water hazard for the Lakewood Golf Course and Clubhouse, the city's oldest building.
The city incorporated in 1954 with 71,000 residents - at the time, the largest U.S. community to do so.
Today, the city - celebrating 50 years of cityhood in 2004 - offers booming businesses; an active community volunteer base, and some 150 acres devoted to parks and open space.
The economic base is mostly retail, which brings the city about $10 million a year in revenue. And, according to local residents, the city is headed in the right direction.
Preliminary results of a 2003 community survey suggest that Lakewood residents continue to regard their city and its basic services in a favorite light.
By an overwhelming 70 percent to 80 percent respondents say that "city government is going in the right direction" in Lakewood. The city received strong support for the job of attracting new retail stores, preventing rundown neighborhoods, offering recreational opportunities, maintaining city streets, and providing Internet access to city services.
Lakewood is a "general law" city operating under California laws. The five council members who govern the city are elected for overlapping four-year terms.
The mayor is selected by the council from among its members and serves in that special capacity for a one-year term. The city council appoints a city manager and a city attorney.
In addition, the council appoints the members of the Community Safety Commission, the Planning and Environmental Commission, and the Recreation and Community Services Commission. The commissioners are Lakewood residents who serve in an advisory capacity to the city council.
The city council also sits as the board of directors of the Lakewood Redevelopment Agency and the Lakewood Housing Authority.
Mayor Joe Esquivel
Vice Mayor Larry Van Nostran
Council Member Diane DuBois
Council Member Steve Croft
Council Member Todd Rogers
City Hall located at:
5050 Clark Avenue
Lakewood, CA 90712
Phone (562) 866-9771
Hours of Service: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and alternating Fridays.
Lakewood City Hall is always open, thanks to new technologies. Lakewood's commitment to legendary customer service is now 24/7.
Here's how to access your "around the clock" city hall:
CityLine: (562) 925-4357
Lakewood residents and businesses can obtain information and request services and city forms by telephone from city hall 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thanks to the CityLine automated phone and fax system. Using any touch-tone telephone, you can access over 200 prerecorded informational messages about everything from dog licenses to library hours.
Lakewood Online: www.lakewoodcity.org
Lakewood Online is the home page on the World Wide Web that has become a "must see" website for Lakewood residents. Lakewood Online allows anyone with access to the Internet to email a service request to city staff, search the online City Service Guide, keep up with the news, or get the latest information about Lakewood's hundreds of recreation programs whenever they want.
Youth sports coverage, special events, and community news make Lakewood's CityTV something special. And now, CityTV is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. City Hall: (562) 866-9771
http://www.lakewoodcity.org/more/streaming/default.asp
"Real people" will respond all day, every day, to a city service emergency like a water leak or a downed stop sign. After business hours, callers with a touch-tone telephone can call the main city hall number and activate an emergency response.
The doors to city hall open early at 7:00 a.m. The Finance and the Building and Safety counters are staffed early for handling water bills, business licenses, and plan checking. The regular business day begins at 7:30 a.m. You can always phone during regular business hours-7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. City Hall is closed alternating Fridays.
KLWD/1620 AM is a community information resource. In a disaster, it will become Lakewood's lifeline. Learn more about Lakewood by tuning to the city's radio station KLWD 1620 AM. The new service offers information on city programs, disaster preparedness, and destinations in Lakewood such as The Centre at Sycamore Plaza.
(As of 2003)
Population 79,345
Size 9.5 square miles
Housing Units 27,310
Estimated Household Income
9% under $15,000
9% $15k - $24,999
9% $25k - $34,999
15% $35k - $49,999
24% $50k - $74,999
17% $75k - $99,999
17% $100k and over
Average Home Value $302,000 |
