Pelican attack
I sure hope everyone's weeked was better than that of this woman, who was attacked in the face by a pelican.
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Divorced Wife and Mother of Four commented on 'I f***ing control the city'
Anonymouse commented on Get with the times
Big D commented on Alva out as chief
Mr Hardware commented on Hadsell IS police chief
The Truth commented on Term limits on the way
commented on Monrovia PD steps up negotiation tactics
Steve Ramirez commented on Ridin' rims
commented on Vietnamese flags in Rosemead
commented on City declares bankruptcy
I sure hope everyone's weeked was better than that of this woman, who was attacked in the face by a pelican.
This from reporter Amanda Baumfeld:
Montebello appears to have a pretty full agenda for Wednesday. Here is some of what the City Council will discuss:
-An ordinance to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.
-Possibly adopt Robert's Rules of Orders. The council had a special study session on this item in March. The only member who verbally disapproved of adopting the rules was Mayor Bill Molinari who does not see the need for "another layer of bureaucracy."
-They may decide to construct a Fire Department Training Center in the city.
Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1600 Beverly Blvd.
Here are the agenda highlights for Rosemead's City Council meeting on Tuesday.
---The city is purchasing four hybrid cars at $150,000 with AB 2766 funds - implemented to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles.
----Go out to bid for companies that can get documents online. The council earlier this year approved $58,000 to purchase an electronic document management system.
----Change how the city prepares its minutes, and consider providing DVDs to the public. The city currently sells audio tapes at $5 each.
----The city will vote on appproving a $10,000 reward to people who have information on a murders that have occurred in the city.
----In closed session, there is a conference with labor negoitations with the Rosemead Employee Association.
Talk about a bad week for local politicians.
Between Dolores Holguin, Steven Johnson and now Gary Clifford from Glendora, SGV officials are getting slammed.
GLENDORA - Two young Glendora women arrested last year for putting stickers on the political signs of Glendora elected leaders can take their lawsuit against Councilman Gary Clifford to trial, a judge ruled today.
However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Green said that, from his perspective, the lawsuit involves "small town politics" and "a campaign prank" and should never go before a jury.
(...)
Keleigh Marshall and Christina Giammalva, both 19, filed the suit against Clifford in May 2007, alleging false arrest and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The stickers the women placed on the signs on Feb. 19, 2007, read, "This sign violates Glendora city ordinance," a reference to Glendora's law prohibiting campaign signs on public property.
They were confronted by Clifford, who was among those running for re-election and was eventually successful in holding his seat, according to the women.
(...)
The women maintain they were handcuffed by the side of the road and taken to the station in separate patrol cars. They said they were booked, searched and kept in jail for four hours, interrogated separately and not allowed to talk to their parents and lawyers.
What I don't: the judge apparently said he did not think the case should ever go before a jury. But he ruled to let it go to trial anyway.
Go figure.
I want to scream. It's Friday, Rosemead City Hall is closed, and it is impossible for me to get the supplemental information for the agenda. I have to wait until Monday, which means that the stories have to wait until Tuesday.
Almost every other city in the SGV post the staff reports online, although there are other only cities that don't it, like Industry and Montebello (both of which aren't exactly pillars of open government ). La Verne also doesn't post it. I wonder what their excuse is. After all, Rich McKee, champion for open government, is a planning commissioner for the city.
But alas! I can see the light. On Tuesday, Rosemead is starting the steps to getting documents online. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't get access to the staff report!!
Don't mess with politicians and their golf courses.
Star-News reporter Kevin Felt wrote a story in today's paper about the future of the Arcadia Par-3 Golf Course.
Apparently, Kare Youth League wants to buy a sliver of the 18-hole, 1,947-yard-long course - 9/10ths of an acre at the edge of the property. Problem is, it would involve moving one hole.
Here's what the council had to say about that:
"I would never be interested in selling any portion at a fair price," said Councilman Roger Chandler, who described himself as an avid user of the course. "I would only be interested if we sold it for an extraordinary price. You can only sell this land once, then it's gone forever."
In January, Councilman Peter Amundson noted a city formula that estimated the value of Arcadia's park at about $500,000 an acre. But Chandler said Tuesday that he didn't think $1 million for the land would be enough.
More than $1 million for 9/10ths of an acre? Sounds like John Martin, Kare executive director, could be willing to pay it.
"We are very interested, no matter how many candy-bar sales it takes," said Martin, noting that Kare provides recreational opportunities for 600 children at its facility. "I have to believe there is a way to bring this all together to help all parties involved."
Are you serious? The man who Mayor Antiono Villaraigosa wants to nominate as the finance director is requesting a $290,000 salary, which is $70,000 more than the outgoing CAO is getting. The increase comes at a time when the city is dealing with a $406 million budget shortfall, the Daily News reports.
It's amazing to me that as we all deal with a crappy enonomy and many of us can barely finagle a minimal cost of living adjustment that our governmental officials are generously giving themselves raises on our dime.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's nominee to oversee Los Angeles' finances is facing growing opposition from the City Council over his lobbyist connections and his request for a $290,000 salary - far higher than the pay of the current city administrative officer.
The mayor nominated his former chief deputy, Marcus Allen, in March and since then Allen has been meeting with council members to lay out his plans for the post and discuss his salary request, which is $70,000 more than the salary of outgoing CAO Karen Sisson.
The pay request comes even as the city faces a $406 million budget shortfall and would make Allen the fourth-highest-paid official in the city - making even more than the mayor.
The mayor also has the option to give general managers a 5 percent merit bonus that could boost Allen's pay to $305,000 a year.
Melissa Pamer reports that Monterey Park developer Jason Chung has a laundry list of things to do to get his condo project up and running.
MONTEREY PARK - A developer who wants to build luxury condominiums along a busy, commercial stretch of Atlantic Boulevard plans to go into overdrive marketing his project to investors in time to meet a new, city-imposed January construction deadline.Jason Chung has a lot to accomplish before then - including raising the necessary cash, getting approval for his building plan, demolishing the property's existing structure and grading the lot.
"You think he's going to be able to get all that done in seven months? I don't think so," city Director of Development Services Adolfo Reta said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Monterey Park City Council members approved a permit extension for Chung on a 3-2 vote that followed two hours of heated debate and public comment.
I had a chance to talk to Baldwin Park Chief Executive Officer Vijay Singhal earlier, and he informed me Lili Hadsell was appointed police chief last night.
Because she is already with the department, it works like a promotion so no contracts needed for approval. A new agreement will be drafted, but that's it, she's the big cheese now.
Officials say she'll be making $155,00 a year - $15,000 more than former Police Chief Edward Lopez did.
Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz - who worked with Hadsell when they were both at the Pasadena Police Dept - told me Hadsell is the second female chief of police in the SGV, and the third in LA County.
Diaz was first in the SGV and county, and Inglewood Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks was the second in the county.
Talk about girl power.
Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, has a new $200,000 gig lined up once he terms out of office by the end of the year, the Associated Press reports.
SACRAMENTO -- State Sen. Jack Scott of Pasadena has been named the next chancellor of California's community colleges.
The Board of Governors for the 109-campus system voted unanimously for Scott on Thursday.
Scott, a Democrat and former teacher, is chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Before he was elected, he served as president of Pasadena City College for nearly a decade. The 74-year-old will be termed out of office at the end of the year. He says he is thrilled to take on the new role, where he will continue to push for more funding for education.
The chancellor's position pays nearly $200,000 a year and includes a state-paid car. Scott replaces interim Chancellor Diane Woodruff.
On the way back from Taco Nazo in Baldwin Park, Tania Chatila and I spotted these rims for sale. For whatever reason, when we saw it we both cracked up.
Who locks their rims around a tree and puts them up for sale? And where is the fourth rim?? What am I going to do with three rims?
But I can understand why this would be a better alternative than Craigslist.
In case your curious, the rims are $500 bucks.
It's never a dull moment in Baldwin Park.
Looks like contract negotiations with El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva for Baldwin Park's police chief position have fallen through. Sources tell me he was just asking for too much (apparently a lieutenant in El Monte can make more and get better benefits than a chief in Baldwin Park).
So whose next in line? BP's interim Police Chief Michael Taylor? Think again. It's BP's interim Capt. Lili Hadsell, who was a lieutenant before former Police Chief Edward Lopez left.
Hadsell did not turn in an application for the job when the city was soliciting candidates. Mayor Manuel Lozano told me she wanted to, but thought she didn't think she met the criteria.
Her contract is still pending approval, but Lozano said he's confident it'll go through this time.
If it's affirmed, Hadsell would be the first female chief in BPPD's history.
![mgutierrez[1].jpg](http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov/mgutierrez%5B1%5D.jpg)
El Monte resident Henry August called El Monte Mayor Ernest Gutierrez an "embarassment" for the mayor's actions at a recent sister city event. August, who spoke at the El Monte City Council meeting this week, lambasted the Mayor for showing up at the event drunk, groping his girlfriend on the dance floor, and using "very bad language."
Apparently, the mayor asked a group of women from the sister city what he could do for them. The ladies said they wanted a graffiti cleaning machine. The mayor's response, according to August: "I f***ing control the city. I can do whatever I fell like doing."
After August spoke, no council members or staff followed up on his comments. And from what reporter Claudia Palma tells me, there aren't any plans to talk about it either.
To watch the video, go to http://webmail.medianewsgroup.com/express/express.asp and click on the 5/6/08 meeting's video. It's about 43 minutes into the meeting.
I finally checked out Big League Dreams last night with my softball team. It is awesome! Batting cages were cheap ($1 for 18 balls), it's really clean, it's safe and the fields are beautiful. Plus, it was totally packed. All the fields had teams playing on it, there were indoor soccer teams playing, kids running around the playgrounds, and people boozing it up in the snack shacks. Who would've thought this is a former landfill?!
It costs $3 to get in, but you get a $2 token that you could use in the snack shacks - which aren't shacks at all.
And in case you forgot which council members were responsible for bringing the Big League Dreams to the community, there is a plaque proudly displaying the names of the councilmembers and the city manager. I can't blame them. This is probably the best thing West Covina's got going for it. That, and this is the city where the Tribune is headquartered.
Melissa Pamer reports on the ongoing negotiations between Monrovia and its police department, which has recently stepped up its tactics by threatening a recall election and by putting up billboards.
On Monday, police launched a telephone poll to gauge voter enthusiasm for recalling three City Council members. On Wednesday, the union began two police-supported ballot initiative petition drives. And on Friday, two billboards critical of the City Council and city manager - and paid for by the police union - went up just outside Monrovia.
Also, the union Thursday appealed an April 23 decision by a Pasadena Superior Court judge denying its request for a neutral arbitrator to help forge a new contract.
City Manager Scott Ochoa, whose own compensation package has come under fire from the MPOA, called the recent actions "publicity stunts" that would not influence city officials. However, he said the tactics had made negotiations "distasteful."
The District Attorney's office has filed a criminal charge against City Coucilman Steven Johnson, accusing him of a conflict of interest on a vote he cast in January.
The misdemeanor count was filed in Pomona Superior Court late Tuesday and it stems from a January 16 council meeting in which Johnson voted to approve a University of La Verne expansion despite being advised by the city attorney to recuse himself based on a potential financial conflict.
Johnson co-owns a 3,500-square-foot property along Arrow Highway, on which he operates an insurance business.
Because the business is located within 500 feet from the campus, state law presumes voting is a conflict
Johnson didn't return my calls Wednesday, but he's said before he doesn't think the project will affect his property value.
Johnson's arraignment is scheduled for May 29, and he faces up to six months in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Ouch...
The arraignment was postponed today for the charge against former Valley County Water Director Dolores Holguin, who is being charged with one count of misusing public funds.
If convincted, she faces a maximum of four years in prison and will be prevented from ever serving public office again.
Her arraignment date is rescheduled for May 23 at Citrus Court in West Covina.
The city of Vallejo is going to declare bankruptcy, the Associated Press reports. The city's horrible financial woes are due to generous pensions and salaries given to the firefighters and police officers. Those funds make up between 75 and 80 percent of the city's general fund.
It's a little scary knowing that cities could actually declare bankruptcy. The story states that immediate impacts that residents will see are that potholes won't be filled or that more detectives won't be added to the force. Yeah, like that's the worst it. I wonder what the long term effects will be on the city and its residents.
Here's part of the story:
Vallejo is set to become the largest California city to declare bankruptcy after leaders voted in favor of the solution to its spiraling budget crisis.The city council voted unanimously Tuesday night following hours of public comment and months of failed negotiations with police, fire and other unions.
City Manager Joseph Tanner and the city's finance director had advised filing for bankruptcy before its fiscal year ends on June 30 because Vallejo faces a projected budget deficit of $16 million and has no money in its reserves.
The San Francisco suburb of 117,000 people also is expected to generate $5 million less in revenue than projected because retail sales and property values are down amid an economic slowdown and slumping real estate market, according to a report issued by Tanner.
Many officials and residents attribute Vallejo's fiscal troubles to overly generous pay and benefits to the city's police and firefighters. The salaries for police and firefighters currently take up 75 to 80 percent of the city's general fund.
What every city council should be focusing its time on: Roosters. The Los Angeles City Council is taking on the issue of limiting one rooster per property because the birds are noisy, dirty and used in animal fights, City News Service reports.
Los Angeles Seeks Limits on Roosters
By ALICE WALTON
City News Service
LOS ANGELES - Concerned that roosters are noisy, dirty and often used in animal fights, the Los Angeles City Council today discussed a plan to restrict ownership of the birds to one per property.
The city's Animal Cruelty Task Force was instructed to report back in 30 days on the
ramifications of limiting possession of roosters, but not chickens.Neighbors complain that roosters can be noisy and create sanitation issues, and Animal
Services officials warn that in many cases, roosters are used for cock-fighting."Animal Services has told me they receive 50 complaints a day about roosters," said City
Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
I wonder how the number of complaint calls compare to, say, graffiti.
Baldwin Park officials have been taking a lot of measures lately to get rid of blight and clean up the city's image.
You may remember an ordinance passed earlier this year requiring all business that offer shopping carts to customers to install a cart containment system to keep abandoned carts off city streets.
Then there was the ban on all new check-cashing businesses and payday loan centers. The city is hoping to eventually phase them all out over time.
Now, the city is cracking down on garage sales. Here's a list of strict guidelines the City Council will consider imposing tonight:
1. Garage sales shall be limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2. No garage sale shall be conducted, and no goods or merchandise sold or offered at any garage sale shall be displayed on any public sidewalk, parkway, alley or street
3. Goods and merchandise sold or offered at any garage sale shall not be displayed before 7 a.m. and shall be completely removed from the premises by 4 p.m.
BP laying down the law....
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