The next major step in the renovation of the Uptown area is expected to occur Tuesday. That’s when the City Council is expected to authorize the hiring of PBS and J Consulting of Orange to prepare a parking plan.

The idea is to identify where parking structure could be built, how to pay for them and also prepare a plan for meters. The latter could be the most controversial. While metered parking is seen as a way of opening up more street parking, some fear that merchants, who now support it, will back track after getting a potential back lash from customers.

There’s one other key item on Tuesday’s City Council agenda. It’s the report on the Planning Commission’s approval of a new Sprouts Farmers Market on the former Stats site. The question is will any council member call it up for review. That means another public hearing. For residents, who want changes in the plan, this is a free way to get the commission’s decision appealed. Otherwise, they have to pay a fee.

To the state Department of General Services, the name of the development team selected for the now-closed Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility is a closely held secret. At least that’s the way they’re treating it.

But not to the city of Whittier. Officials there know and have not only told this newspaper (see this link: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/rds_search/ci_14406333?IADID=Search-www.whittierdailynews.com-www.whittierdailynews.com the names of the development team — Lewis Operating Group of Upland and Shapell Homes of Beverly Hills — but also are talking about it all around town.

City officials already have met with staff from the two developers and even toured the Nelles property, Jeff Collier, director of community development, told the Planning Commission Tuesday. Future meetings also are planned, Collier said in an interview later this week.
But no one knows when when the state will release the information about its choice.

The city of La Habra Heights has earned honors for “Staff Report Of The Week” from the Publicceo.com Web site that focuses on city government. James Spencer, who runs the Web site, gave the award for a report on the city’s volunteer fire department.

The report came out of an issue whether to have different and lower standards for resident fire fighters. Some in the community want a “resident firefighter” component but city officials have said the state has higher standards that all must meet.

Here’s a link to Spencer’s report:
http://www.publicceo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1180:staff-report-of-the-week-white-paper-on-volunteer-fire-departments&catid=151:local-governments-publicceo-exclusive&Itemid=20.

Here’s the link to the staff report:
http://la-habra-heights.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=88&meta_id=9353.

You also can watch the discussion at the council meeting at the city’s Web site:
http://la-habra-heights.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2

Whittier Councilman Owen Newcomer will be on the spot at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
He will have the key vote on how soon a plan to help properties can go into effect.

City staff has proposed allowing property owners on Whittier Boulevard to lease their empty buildings for uses that were previously allowed until the Whittier Boulevard Specific Plan was approved in June 2005.But in order for this to go into effect immediately, four votes are needed. Waiting to hear what happened are those like the owners of the Five Points Car Wash, 12604 Whittier Boulevard,  say the change is needed to lease empty buildings they have at their property. Right now, the city no longer allows those types of uses, such as an auto body or car repair shop.

Mayor Bob Henderson and Councilmen Greg Nordbak and Joe Vinatieri have said they will support the change. Newcomer said during the meeting two weeks ago he is opposed. Councilwoman Cathy Warner was absent because of surgery and won’t be there again Tuesday.

Thus, Newcomer’s vote is needed for the proposal to take effect immediately. Otherwise, the council can approve an ordinance. But it must go through a second reading and won’t become effective for 30 days. However, Newcomer said he would contact Warner and vote as she did, thus potentially providing a “courtesy” vote.

For those interested in this item, be warned: you might have to wait a while. You see the council had three public hearings — the most controversial being the proposal to allow cell towers to be installed in the habitat areas. The council also is scheduled to take up the issue of the bus stop on Philadelphia Street in front of the Uptown Gym. And it will be asked how to handle the proposal from Earlham Drive residents for formation of a historic district. This item was postponed a month ago and that could happen again.

After all that, the Whittier Boulevard proposal is scheduled. Look for a long meeting Tuesday.