This year, San Gabriel officials are making a concerted effort to implement programs and strategies to ensure the safety and comfort of residents and visitors. These programs fall under the umbrella of "risk management," a field that has become increasingly important to the city staff and City Council.

Under this program the city has launched several initiatives to create a safe and healthy community for the public, including sidewalk repair and maintenance. There are also several future improvement projects planned at the Mission Playhouse, such as installing new, state-of-the-art, flame-resistant stage curtains and a wheelchair stage lift.

In addition, the city has implemented several employee initiatives including educating employees about claims, training safety personnel to prevent lower back injuries and ensuring employees understand how to properly execute contracts with vendors used in the city.

These programs not only help create a safer San Gabriel, but also ultimately save taxpayer dollars by reducing the city's financial risk. Under the direction of newly promoted Risk Manager Rayna Ospina, the city will continue to work on these programs and start new ones to ensure that the community is a happy and healthy place to live for everyone.

For more information, contact Risk Manager Rayna Ospina at 626.308.2800, ext. 4611 or rospina@sgch.org.