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Cerritos council keeps resident‑priority park reservations, forgoing Measure A eligibility
Summary
By a 3-2 vote the council chose to retain resident priority for reservations and reduced class fees at two grant‑funded facilities, a move staff warned would make the city not in good standing for Measure A and put roughly $1.9 million in county grant funds at risk.
The Cerritos City Council voted 3-2 on Sept. 8 to keep the city's current reservation and class‑fee policies at Cerritos Park East and Liberty Park 2, preserving priority registration and lower fees for Cerritos residents even though Los Angeles County told the city those policies conflict with Measure A grant requirements.
Annie Hilton, director of Community and Cultural Services, told the council the county identified a potential compliance issue in the city's facility reservation policy and is requiring nondiscriminatory access at Measure A‑funded sites. "The county has indicated that the city's facility reservation policies provide preferential treatment for residents and thus discriminate against nonresidents," Hilton said. If the city is not compliant by Oct. 15, 2025, the county told staff it will designate the city "not in good standing," which would block the city from applying for Measure A funds and could forfeit nearly $1.5 million in accumulated Measure A allocation for projects as well as roughly $355,000 in Measure A maintenance funding and smaller Prop A funds.
Staff outlined the substantive changes required to comply: nonresidents could no longer be charged 50% more than residents for activities at the two facilities; residents would lose priority registration and priority meeting‑room reservations; and shelter and field reservation rules would be adjusted so residents would not have exclusive reservation rights. Hilton warned these changes would likely reduce the number of Cerritos residents able to participate in high‑demand programs at the affected sites.
Public commenters and several councilmembers said resident priority and discounted rates are important local benefits. Joan Pauman, a long‑time resident active with local organizations, urged the council to preserve the resident privileges even if it meant losing grant eligibility: "Even though it means maybe the loss of funds, I think you should consider the citizens of this community," she said.
After debate the council approved staff recommendation 2a to retain the existing policies, resulting in the city being designated not in good standing for Measure A; staff said that outcome would postpone or preclude the use of Measure A funding for planned projects such as the $1,000,000 Heritage Park Play Island renovation until alternative funding can be obtained.
