Power-Saving City Hall Closure Surprises Public

Huntington Beach officials closed City Hall before noon Friday to save electricity, inconveniencing dozens of residents who showed up to pay water and trash bills, pull permits or apply for passports.

“What? I can’t believe it,” said Youssef Ibrahim, who had hoped to get a building permit for weekend renovations to an office he owns. Instead, he found a sign posted at the front entrance: “Due to an emergency power interruption, City Hall is closed.”

“Now I’ve lost two days,” Ibrahim said.

Just hours later, the California Public Utilities Commission canceled voluntary power interruption agreements such as the one Huntington Beach has with Southern California Edison. But the city’s building at 2000 Main St. was already closed after a Stage 3 power alert. Under its Edison agreement, Huntington Beach got lower rates in return for agreeing to reduce its electricity consumption at City Hall and the Central Library during Stage 2 and Stage 3 alerts.

By 11:30 a.m., most of the 400-plus City Hall employees had been sent home or to other municipal sites to finish their workweek. Police and fire services were not affected.

Friday was the first time during the state’s power crisis that City Hall has been closed, but it has received 12 notifications to reduce electricity consumption. Because its power use has still been above the acceptable level, city has been hit with more than $300,000 in penalties since Jan. 1, spokesman Jim Hanggi said.

On Friday, officials began turning off the lights and locking the doors shortly after 11 a.m.

The move did not sit well with resident Howard Frankel. He grumbled as he stepped over puddles from a heavy rain, then grumbled even louder when he realized he could not budge the revolving door at the front of City Hall.

“This is terrible,” said Frankel, who wanted to pay his trash and water bill in person--and complain about the rates. “My water and trash bill has gone up to $104.88 for two months, and now they’ve closed City Hall. Actually, maybe they should close it--cut the power and cut the staff and lower the rates.”

The city will keep cutting unnecessary electricity use, Mayor Pam Julien Houchen said.