Try as it might, Calabasas not quite an All-America City




ACORN file photo WHERE THE LIVIN' IS EASY- Calabasas has a broad range of community activities, such as the annual Pumpkin Festival at Juan de Anza Park, that contribute to the city's desirability.

ACORN file photo WHERE THE LIVIN’ IS EASY- Calabasas has a broad range of community activities, such as the annual Pumpkin Festival at Juan de Anza Park, that contribute to the city’s desirability.


Many consider Calabasas one of the country’s most desirable cities in which to live, but according to the National Civic League, it’s not quite top-10 caliber.

Now in its 58th year, the NCL has honored more than 500 neighborhoods, communities, towns and cities with the All-America City Award. Calabasas was named a top-20 finalist in May, but was not one of the 10 that received the award.

The city doled out $30,000 and sent an entourage to Anaheim last month for the organization’s annual convention. The 24-person contingent included Red Godfrey of the Spirit of Calabasas, Tiffany Harris of Shane’s Inspiration, Steve Harris of Mountains Restoration trust, three City Council members and the city manager.

Along with the group, the city bused down the Calabasas High School Jazz Band and Mollie Hogan from the Nature of Wildworks animal rescue group. Hogan brought a red-tailed hawk.

Members of the group gave a 10-minute presentation- no video, PowerPoint or other electronics allowed- highlighting three characteristics that were important to the city. Calabasas’ presentation focused on the city’s dedication to the environment, its commitment to special-needs children and the success of its secondhand smoke ordinance.

“We actually had a relatively small delegation,” said John Bingham, a senior management analyst at the city. “Some Florida cities spent more than $100,000. The people from Laredo, Texas flew in a 25-piece mariachi band. We weren’t prepared to know exactly what we needed to do.”

A jury of national business, government, philanthropic and nonprofit agency leaders selected the top 10 cities based on their presentations and application. The main points of recognition were “exemplary community vision, collaborative problem solving and inclusiveness to meet local challenges.”

“We are still waiting to get the critique regarding the presentation,” Bingham said. “But it was really a good experience for people who participated. What they tell you is that normally you don’t win it the first year.”

But that doesn’t mean the city will be applying again next year. In fact, Bingham said he doubts Calabasas will enter the race a second time.

“It’s an expensive endeavor, so I’m not sure if we are going to participate,” Bingham said. “I doubt if we’ll be participating again.

The cities that fit the profile, he said, are ones that had “hard economic times, or real specific problems such as poverty or gangs. Fortunately, we don’t have those problems.

“With the affluence we have here, the lack of crime, the positive things about the city- they kind of work against us in this situation. I’m not sure we really understood that.”

The application the city filed showed a median family income of $107,330 with only 2.1 percent below the poverty level and a 2.5 percent unemployment rate. Eighty percent of Calabasas residents own their homes.

In the community background and challenge section of the Calabasas application, comments describe a city that grew to fame by attracting celebrities and luring movie productions to town.

Calabasas’ challenge paragraph focused on secondhand smoke. Other finalists talked of poverty, gangs and drug problems.

Mike McGrath, a spokesperson for the NCL, said he couldn’t comment on specific reasons Calabasas wasn’t chosen, but refuted suggestions that affluent cities could not win the award.

“There’s not a disadvantage for (affluent) cities,” McGrath said. “There are cities that are in good shape, but are innovative and coming up with new ideas in the future. Problem solving is a big part of it, but it’s also about civic engagement.”

But McGrath did admit that “comeback” stories can impress judges.

“I wouldn’t say it makes it tougher to be an affluent city,” he said. “Sometimes dramatic stories, comeback stories make an impact. But there are plenty of cases of affluent cities who’ve won the award.”

The City Council officially approved the $30,000 budget adjustment at its July 11 meeting. According to a report compiled by assistant city manager Robin Parker, the main expenditure was for hotel accommodations at the Anaheim Marriott, where the AllAmerica City Award events took place.

“The Marriott was the only place you could stay,” Bingham said. “There were also registration fees, application fees and the costs related to putting together the presentation.”

This year’s All-America cities are: Flowing Wells, Ariz.; Santa Rosa and Sierra Madre, Calif.; Hollywood and Polk County, Fla.; Dubuque, Iowa; Lewiston, Maine; Barnstable, Mass., and Clinton and Hickory, N.C.

In addition to Calabasas, the finalists were Covington, Ga.; Fort Wayne and La Porte, Ind.; Independence, Ore.; Kissimmee/ Osceola County, Fla; Laredo, Texas; Lawrence and Shawnee, Kan.; and Radford, Va.

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