CITY HALL ROUNDUP : In Torrance, they’re sick of all the name-dropping.

ALL IN A NAME: Now this from the not-to-be-forgotten department. Torrance officials have twice passed resolutions to honor World War II hero Louis Zamperini--in 1946 and in 1973--by attaching his name to Torrance Municipal Airport.

But the name didn’t stick. The Federal Aviation Administration has never officially adopted the name “Zamperini Field” on its many documents and charts, much to the chagrin of family and friends of the former bombardier. Zamperini, a Torrance native who now serves as a youth minister in Hollywood, was also a track-and-field competitor in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

So, in hopes of cementing the name change, the City Council last week agreed to petition the FAA to refer to the landing strip as “Zamperini Field--Torrance Municipal Airport.”

“We believe that the time has come to give Mr. Zamperini the recognition nationally that we have long accorded him,” said Mayor Katy Geissert in a letter to FAA officials.

And to drive the point home, Torrance officials plan to change the sign outside the city airport.

The current sign states: “Torrance Municipal Airport--Zamperini Field.”

The new sign is expected to read, “Zamperini Field--Torrance Municipal Airport.”

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MOVING TO MONTANA: Now that El Segundo is losing Frank Meehan as city manager, city officials are busy spending money to find a replacement. Meehan, the former police chief, has served as acting city manager since April, when the City Council fired manager Ronald Cano. Now, Meehan says, he can’t wait to leave.

“I’ll be 65 in February,” he said. “My wife and I have plans.”

They have a truck and trailer and plan to head for the open spaces and the Big Sky Country of Montana, where Meehan’s family once lived.

Meehan had planned to retire as police chief last spring, but the council roped him into riding herd on City Hall until a new manager could be found.

Officials hope to speed up that process. They’re paying Sacramento head-hunting firm Shannon Associates Inc. $14,000 to rustle up a new city manager. Officials hope the new executive will be in the saddle in time for Meehan’s 65th birthday.

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NOTHING PERSONAL: Retiring Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn has not endeared himself to Inglewood city leaders in recent weeks with his opposition to Proposition E, the card club measure on next month’s ballot.

Inglewood’s mayor, the City Council and the city’s top administrative staff are all campaigning furiously for the measure, calling it a much-needed way to boost city revenues.

But Hahn says he dislikes the measure because of his longtime opposition to gaming.

“The dependence on casino gambling revenues is not good government,” Hahn wrote in a recent letter.

Despite the split, city officials are not holding a grudge. They will still honor the retiring Hahn at a luncheon Monday.

The event is being held at the turf club at Hollywood Park Race Track--the same place where the new card club would be located.

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BAY BOOMLETS: This is accident-prone California, after all, so these mysterious morning tremors could herald earthquakes, fires or even refinery explosions.

Instead the tremors fade as quickly as they come, leaving only the sound of telephones ringing at area police departments as worried residents ask if something is wrong.

Police say they have no answers as to what is causing the occasional rumblings, reportedly felt again Thursday morning in the South Bay. The tremors have been noticed for months in the Southland, prompting speculation that the culprit is a super-secret spy plane soaring high overhead.

When residents called about tremors several weeks ago, “we just told them it was probably a sonic boom, but we weren’t sure what it was,” said Doug Hall, a Manhattan Beach police officer.

“We had a lot of them, and we didn’t know what to tell the people,” said a dispatcher at the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department.

Police point out that things could be worse.

“We just look out the window,” said Torrance Police Sgt. Greg Fahnestock , “and if Mobil Oil didn’t blow up, things are just fine.”

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Hawthorne: The City Council voted 3 to 2 Monday that if a card club is established in the city $300,000 per month of any revenue would go to police services. The city does not have a gaming club, but an initiative to build one, Proposition P, will go before Hawthorne voters on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Hermosa Beach: The City Council has decided to impose stricter review of adult-oriented businesses. Bathhouses, massage parlors and other adult-themed businesses will be required to apply for conditional use permits under the new ordinance adopted Tuesday. The permit process could result in restrictions on the use of alcohol, operating hours and interior lighting.

Palos Verdes Estates: The City Council on Tuesday gave conceptual approval to a tree management policy to govern the trimming or removal of view-obscuring trees and vegetation on private and public property. If a resident wants to restore a view by trimming a tree on an unwilling neighbor’s property, the city would serve as a mediator and decide if that tree can be trimmed.

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Lomita: The Harbor Hills housing project will ask the Lomita City Council on Monday to again spend $6,000 this year on recreational programs for teen-agers. The city staff, however, is recommending that the council delay its decision until after a meeting to assess how severely state cutbacks have hurt Lomita’s budget.

Torrance: Officials on Tuesday will consider proposals to trim 2% off the city’s 1992-94 spending plan because of state budget cuts. Departments are looking at eliminating programs, modifying programs and slashing vacant positions. The City Council will consider the recommendations at a budget workshop at 5:30 p.m., before its regularly scheduled meeting.

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

Avalon: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 209 Metropole. (310) 510-0220. Televised live on Channel 3 (Catalina Cable) and repeated Saturday morning.

Carson: 6 p.m. Tuesday, 701 E. Carson St. (310) 830-7600. Televised at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on Channel 26 (Continental Cablevision) and repeated the following Wednesday.

El Segundo: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 350 Main St. (310) 322-4670. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon) and repeated at noon Wednesday.

Inglewood: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 1 Manchester Blvd. (310) 412-5280. No cable telecast.

Lawndale: 7 p.m. Thursday, 14717 Burin Ave. (310) 973-4321. Televised live on Channel 60 and repeated several times during the week.

Lomita: 7 p.m. Monday, 24300 Narbonne Ave. (310) 325-7110. No cable telecasts.

Los Angeles: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. In San Pedro, (310) 548-7637; in Wilmington, (310) 548-7586; in Harbor City/Harbor Gateway, (310) 548-7664; in Westchester, (310) 641-4717. Televised live on Channel 35; meetings repeated individually at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and collectively on Sunday starting at 10 a.m.

Manhattan Beach: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1400 Highland Ave. (310) 545-5621. Televised on Channel 3 (MultiVision) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Rancho Palos Verdes: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Hesse Park, 29201 Hawthorne Blvd. (310) 377-0360. Televised live on Channel 3; repeated at 7:30 p.m. the following Thursday.

Redondo Beach: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 415 Diamond St. (310) 372-1171. Televised live on Channel 8 (Century); repeated at 3 p.m. Wednesday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Torrance: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 3031 Torrance Blvd. (310) 618-5880. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon), and replayed at 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.