March 2009 Archives

As requested, here is a .pdf that includes the list of 24 cities in the San Gabriel Valley that details pension and retiree medical costs.

Retiree costs city by city[1].pdf

Top five highest pension costs in 2007-08

1. El Monte: $12.1 million    Total employees: 327

2. West Covina: $9.2 million   Total employees: 429

3. Montebello: $7.8 million    Total employees: 428

4. Arcadia: $6.7 million   Total employees: 286

5. Sante Fe Springs: $6.5 million   Total employees: N/A

Montebello Councilman Robert Urteaga is being sued for fraud, Amanda Baumfeld reports. The lawsuit comes several years after Urteaga was charged with grand theft, a felony.

Cities across the San Gabriel Valley -- except for Rosemead -- are pulling the plug on community events like July 4 parades and Easter Egg hunts, Alfred Lee reports.

Gregg Industries is getting ready to close in a month, but employees are working just as hard as they normally do. And when they are out of a job, many are wondering where they will go, Rebecca Kimitch reports.

If there's no sign telling you that you're entering the San Gabriel Valley, how will you know? Well, one group of people is proposing that a bridge become the area's welcoming sign, Nathan McIntyre reports.

It looks like Covina is probably going to hire a new city manager today:

The closed session is at 2 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION
A. Government code §54957--PERSONNEL MATTERS
Public Employee Appointment--Title: City Manager

Medical costs for retirees is increasing, the LA Times reports.

Meantime, 24 local San Gabriel Valley cities are facing a $11 million tab this year to pay for their retiree medical benefits, and that bill is expected to climb as the number of retirees increases, life extectancy rates grow and health-premiums rise. Half of those cities face a total bill of $204 million for future medical benefit costs. Here is the story.

First came former Assembylman Ed Chavez's announcement. Now, it's Baldwin Park School Board Member Blanca Rubio, who announced she's dropping out. But instead of endorsing Sen. Gil Cedillo, like Chavez did, Rubio is endorsing Board of Equalization Chairwoman Judy Chu.

Here's the press release Chu's office sent over:

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Blanca Rubio Decides Against Running for Congress, Will Endorse Chu

Baldwin Park Unified School District Board President Blanca Rubio announced Thursday that she will not be running for the 32nd Congressional District seat vacated by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and is instead endorsing Board of Equalization Vice Chair Judy Chu for the position.

"I want to thank all of my friends and fellow citizens who have encouraged and supported me so far in my efforts to represent the San Gabriel Valley in Congress," said Rubio. "I urge them all to join me in helping to send Dr. Judy Chu to Washington.

"Dr. Chu is without a doubt the most qualified person to fight for the needs of San Gabriel Valley residents in our nation's capital," Rubio added. "She has represented the people of our district for more than two decades at the local and state level. She knows our communities like no one else in this race, and is a proven legislator, negotiator and coalition builder who will bring the kind of fiscal experience needed in Washington to get us out of our economic crisis."

Rubio's endorsement caps a marathon week for Dr. Chu, during which she also secured the support of the League of Conservation Voters for her 100 percent environmental voting record, which is extremely important to residents of the 32nd District. She also received the endorsement of the California Teachers Association, which has more than 6,000 members in the 32nd District.

Rubio joins a diverse coalition of more than 75 elected state, city and school officials representing the vast majority of the 32nd District who have already endorsed Dr. Chu's campaign for Congress. Among her supporters are the entire city councils of El Monte and West Covina, the district's two largest cities; the mayors of Duarte, Azusa and South El Monte; and all three Assembly members who represent the district in the state Legislature: Dr. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, Mike Eng, D-El Monte and Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles.

Dr. Chu has been elected nine times over the past 23 years by residents of the 32nd District, starting as a school board member, then as council member and mayor of Monterey Park for 13 years and later as Assembly member representing the 49th Assembly District from 2001 to 2006. She is currently the elected representative for Los Angeles County on the state Board of Equalization, which collects $53 billion a year in sales, use and property taxes for the state of California.

The special election for the 32nd Congressional District seat, which includes the cities of Monterey Park, Rosemead, El Monte, South El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina, Covina, Irwindale, Azusa and Duarte, as well as the Los Angeles communities of El Sereno and unincorporated portions of East Los Angeles, will be held on May 19.

Due to the tough economic times, the West Covina Chamber announced that it had to cut its work force. So I guess all that's left is four part time employees. And that also means that Gary Lawson and Monica Cabrerra are permanently out of jobs.

Here's the letter that they sent out:

Notification_letter_to_Chamber_Members_3-27-09.doc.pdf

This quote from the Governator this morning at a press conference on gang violence and the "Gifts for Guns" program. The video can be seen here.

"Every time a weapon is surrendered, every time a gun is taken off the street, neighborhoods are safer," said Schwarzenegger. "The guns will be melted and used for something more positive. I think that was also the theme for Terminator Two. The Terminator let himself down into the molt and he gets melted and he kind of wants to terminate himself in order to stop the violence."

Still thinking about whether you want to run for the 32nd Congressional District seat?

Well, you still have time. The deadline is April 6. All you need to do to qualify is be at least 25 years old, have about $1,700, need between 40 to 60 nomination signatures and have lived in the state for the past 7 years - you don't have to live in the district.

Here's the county's press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2009
CONTACT: Marcia Ventura (562) 462-2726 or Eileen Shea (562) 462-2648

NOMINATION PERIOD OPEN FOR 32ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION ON MAY 19, 2009

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan announced today that persons intending to run for office in the 32nd Congressional District Special Primary Election on May 19, 2009, may file nomination documents now through Monday, April 6, 2009 with the RR/CC at 12400 E. Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650, 2nd Floor, Room 2013, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Special Primary Election on May 19 is being held for the purpose of electing party candidates for the Special General Election on July 14, 2009, which will be held to fill a vacancy for the unexpired term ending January 3, 2010, in the 32nd Congressional District resulting from the resignation of office by Hilda L. Solis. (If any candidate receives a majority of all votes cast at the Special Primary Election, he or she shall be declared elected and the Special General Election shall not be held.) The Special Primary will be held in consolidation with the Statewide Special and Consolidated Elections, including (if required) the 26th State Senate District Special General Election.

Persons wishing to run for office must be 25 years of age or older and a United States citizen for at least 7 years and an inhabitant of the state at the time of the general election. Candidates do not have to live in the district. Candidates must have been affiliated with a party, as shown by his or her affidavit of registration, at least 3 months prior to filing nomination documents, or for as long as he or she has been eligible to register to vote in the State. The candidates must not have been affiliated with any other qualified party for 3 months immediately prior to filing.

The deadline for filing nomination papers is Monday, April 6, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

The filing fee is $1,740.00 and 40-60 nominating signatures are required. Petition forms are now available for persons wishing to secure signatures in lieu of all or a portion of the filing fee. Signatures submitted on the in lieu petitions may also be applied to the signature requirements for offices on the nominating petition provided they are registrants of the same party as the candidate. All candidates must pay the nonrefundable filing fee or present in lieu signatures at the time they receive their nomination papers. The total number of in lieu signatures needed is 3,000 for Democratic and Republican party candidates, 90 for Green, 87 for Libertarian and 150 for American Independent and Peace and Freedom party candidates. Persons filing in lieu signatures will be notified within ten calendar days of filing the petition of any deficiency. The deadline to file signatures in lieu petitions is Monday, March 23. In the event of a deficiency, candidates may submit, prior to the close of the nomination period, a supplemental petition or pay the pro rata portion of the filing fee to make up the deficiency. The deadline to file a supplemental petition is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2009.

Further information can be obtained by calling the RR/CC, Election Planning Section at (562) 462-2317 or by going online to the RR/CC website www.lavote.net and clicking on Voter & Election Information.

Persons requiring multilingual assistance in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino or Vietnamese regarding information in this press release, can call (800) 481-8683

Walnut filed NFL stadium.

Hacienda Heights to go out to bid for trash contract. Sorry Athens.

State of City addresses in both Baldwin Park and Montebello.

Covina's Walt Allen is now Mayor.

Glendora Mayor Karen Davis set to lead council again.

Skateboarding parrot has been stolen.

Nice one, Save Our Community.

As the blog pointed out, former Mayor John Tran makes a cameo as a cop in Taboo's music video, titled, "March 27" DUI:

This just in from reproter Bethania Palma Markus:

Walnut City Councilman Joaquin Lim came to a press conference regarding the city filing a lawsuit against Industry over a proposed stadium hung over.

The former mayor told a handful of reporters at the 11 a.m. press conference that he got tanked the night before at a local bar that was closing down.

"You'll have to excuse me," he said. "I am so hung over."

UPDATED INFORMATION:

Here's a spreadsheet I developed by requesting retiree medical costs, annual pension costs, unfunded pension liabilities and unfunded medical liabilities from 24 public agencies in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier areas:    

  Retiree costs city by city.sxc  

Depending on space issues, we will print my story this weekend that details how much 24 area cities spent on retiree medical costs, and of those cities, how many have started planning for the future retiree medical costs -- which will only increase due to rising health care premiums, increasing life expectancy rates and a growing retiree base.

Santa Fe Springs shows us a slide, Santa Fe Springs.ppt,  of what will happen if it starts paying for these long term costs, estimated at nearly $55 million, today versus what will happen if it continues on a pay-as-you go approach. That is, pay for the expenses as they come year-by-year. Problem with the pay as you go approach is that eventually these costs could overwhelm some city budgets.

These costs will vary from city to city for several reasons: number of retirees, number of employees, services offered by the city, such as having its own police or fire departments, and types of benefit plans offered.

The spread sheet is still a work in process...I'm now collecting the number of current employees to get a better understanding of why some cities have the pension costs they do. The pension story will come later.

(City administrators: If you see any figures that are incorrect, please shoot me an email so we can correct them. Thanks!)

We got another one running for the 32nd Congressional District. Democrat Rafel Nadal (not to be confused with tennis champion from Spain) of Rosemead pulled papers for the seat. Here's a list of other candidates, according to Los Angeles Wave.

Here's Nadal's press release:

NADAL FOR CONGRESS

NADAL FIRST TO FILE

PRESS RELEASE
Contact Lynette Bigelow - 323-230-5467 Ext 600

Los Angeles - Democratic congressional candidate Rafel Nadal is

the first candidate to return his filing papers to run for the seat

vacated by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

Nadal indicated that his main concern is Protecting

Social Security and the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Nadal Stated:

"It is a National Insult to the Taxpayers the poor care
we are providing our seniors and veterans. If elected
I will resolve that problem."

Mr. Nadal is available for Press Interviews

Bigelow Associates
5786 Rodeo Road Suite PMB 150
Los Angeles. CA 90016

MONTEBELLO - Three council members attempted to attend a Montebello Police Officers Association meeting where officers rescinded an endorsement of Councilman Robert Urteaga, officials said.

On a 18-14 vote the MPOA voted Feb. 3 to revoke its political support of Urteaga as a result of a prior felony conviction.

Councilmembers Mary Anne Saucedo-Rodriguez, Kathy Salazar and Mayor Rosie Vasquez tried to influence the decision, according to three MPOA members. The MPOA members asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

Salazar and Saucedo-Rodriguez waited inside the Park and Recreation Center, where the meeting was held, but were asked to leave before the meeting started, the members said. Urteaga was also inside the meeting quarters though he was not near the two councilwoman.

Vasquez could be seen in her car circling the street several times, according to MPOA members.

"They (the council members) said they were there to show support for Robert," an MPOA member said. "They wanted to intimidate all of us. I have never seen anything like this."

Terry Francke, president of a government watchdog group Californians Aware, said the council members did not violate the Brown Act because they did not stay for the meeting.

"The problem would start when the actual presentation or discussion starts," Francke said.

The MPOA's decision to rescind its endorsement comes after Urteaga's felony conviction became public in October. In 1998, Urteaga pleaded no contest to grand theft of personal property totaling $30,000, according to court documents.

The criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney's Office in February 1999 accused Urteaga of five counts of check forgery and one count grand theft. In a July 1999 plea agreement between Urteaga and prosecutors, the forgery counts were dropped by the district attorney.

The city attorney known for his late - and high - billing habits resigned from his post as Rosemead's legal defender on March 19, reporter Rebecca Kimitch confirmed today.

Bonifacio Garcia was hired on April 3, 2007, the same day that the city was slapped with a lawsuit by a former city employee alleging that former Councilman John Nunez subjected her to sexual harassment. The lawsuit was later dropped and there was a settlement, and officials have said that Garcia's hiring date was just a coincidence that it fell on the same day the lawsuit was filed.

During the time that Garcia was employed, he charged the city more than double the amount it budgeted for legal fees. Garcia and Nunez worked together at the Garvey School District.

The City Council will consider hiring Joe Montes of Burke, Williams and Sorensen as the interim city attorney.

This just popped into my inbox:

Assemblymember Ed Chavez (ret.) announces he will not run for Congress and Endorses Gil Cedillo

El Monte, CA - Former Asseblymember Ed Chavez, who has represented parts of the San Gabriel Valley for over two decades in public office, has announced he will drop his bid for Congress and support Senator Gil Cedillo. In various offices over the years, Chavez has represented about 70% of the 32nd Congressional District. Most notably, Chavez served for six years in the California State Assembly and ten years on the La Puente City Council.

Chavez's announcement makes him the third prominent elected official to announce they will not run for the 32nd Congressional District and instead back Gil Cedillo. Senator Gloria Romero and Senator Ron Calderon surprised many pundits in January when they both elected not to run for the vacated Congressional seat and threw their support behind Cedillo.

"After much consideration, I have decided not to run for Congress," said Chavez. "Gil Cedillo understands the needs and priorities of this district and I think he is the clear frontrunner in the race for the 32nd District. We need Gil in Congress fighting for the San Gabriel Valley's fair share and I am proud to be supporting him."

Ed Chavez was born and raised in La Puente and still lives in the same home he grew up in. Chavez has spent most of his career as a teacher in the San Gabriel Valley. He was first elected to public office in 1987, earning a seat on the Board of Education for the Bassett Unified School District. In 1990, he ran for and won a seat on the La Puente City Council and he was subsequently re-elected to the Council in 1994 and 1999. From 2001 - 2007, Chavez represented the 57th district in the California State Assembly. Chavez currently serves as a member of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Board.

California's 32nd congressional seat was vacated after Congresswoman Hilda Solis was confirmed as the new Secretary of Labor. The Los Angeles County district encompasses a swath of the San Gabriel Valley from East Los Angeles to Covina. An election date for the special primary election to replace Congresswoman Solis has been set for May 19, 2009.

Leftovers from City Hall:
Tough times ahead in El Monte

Wow. Things keep getting worse when it comes to the budget situation in El Monte.

Rebecca Kimitch reported that El Monte laid off 17 police officers, and it is still projecting a $2.5 million shortfall.

Now city officials are considering placing an initiative to increase property taxes to support fire and paramedic services. Yes, this comes right after voters approved a half-cent sales tax, which goes into effect on April 1.

So where is all the money going in El Monte? One place is retirement.

In a survey of 25 cities in the San Gabriel Valley, El Monte's annual pension costs in 2007-08 was $12 million, which is the highest out of all cities surveyed, according to city finance records. The next highest annual pension cost was in West Covina, which spent $9 million. And because the statewide CalPERS pension fund lost a quarter of its value this fiscal year due to the stock market crash, pension costs for cities could soon skyrocket.

We hope to flesh out the impacts of these costs within the next few weeks.

In Irwindale, city council members cut travel from their budget effective March 1.

In Monrovia, a city of nearly 36,929, the council lowered travel budgets by $1,100. Now, council members have $13,166 each per year to spend on travel and other community-promotion efforts.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, Monrovia council members spent a total of $33,649 out of this budget, nearly $19,000 of which was on travel.

In West Covina, a city of nearly 105,000, council members spent nearly $20,000 in travel to cities across the country to attend conferences during the 2007-08 fiscal year.
Here's how it broke down per council member: Councilman Michael Touhey spent $6,694; Mayor Roger Hernandez spent $5,255; Councilwoman Sherri Lane spent $3,655; Councilman Steve Herfert spent $3,058; and Councilwoman Shelley Sanderson spent $1,618.

But even if council members went to one less conference, the overall impact on the budget is barely noticeable - although the symbolic gesture is what matters to the voters, Public Policy Institute Director Max Neiman said.

Covina council members are still on the hunt for a permanent city manager. On Friday morning, the council held a special meeting to interview candidates for the position.

Since the termination of former city manager Paul Philips on Aug. 11, former Pasadena City Manager Cynthia Kurtz has filled the role as interim.

Kurtz's first day was Oct. 1, and city officials said they expected the search to take up to six months, whoch comes April 1 - the same day Kurtz takes over as President and CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership.

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com

tania.chatila@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811 Ext 2477, 2109

http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov

Former Rosemead Mayor John Tran was voted out by five votes, Bethania Palma Markus reports. So what happens next? I guess we'll see at the swearing in ceremony whether Tran is going to try to get a judge to intervene.

The ousted first-time councilman is considering a legal challenge, saying some ballots were not counted because they were disqualified by the county.

"I'm weighing my options right now," he said. "There were 112 ballots that were never opened and per the election code that can be challenged."

The parcel tax is off the table in El Monte, although not beause the council members had a change in heart: It's because the Los Angeles County Registrar's Office said that cities would no longer be allowed to submit consolidation requests for the May 19, 2009 ballot.

To read more, scroll down to page 90 of the staff report for tonight's meeting.

The proposed parcel tax would have generated $2 million to pay for fire and paramedic services, according to the staff report:

Wow. Things keep getting worse when it comes to the budget situation in El Monte.

Rebecca Kimitch reports that El Monte laid off 17 police officers, and it is still projecting a $2.5 million shortfall. Meantime, now city officials are considering placing an initiative to increase property taxes to support fire and paramedic services. Yes, this comes right after voters approve a half-cent sales tax.

As a side note, in a survey of 25 cities in the San Gabriel Valley, El Monte's annual pension costs in 2007-08 was $12 million, which is the higest out of all cities surveyed. The next highest pension cost was in West Covina, which spent $9 million.

Assemblyman Anthony Adams, in dire need of some positive press after he has taken a beating on the state budget from fellow Republicans, has named Glendora Mayor Karen Davis the Woman of the Year for the 59th Assembly District.

Davis just won reelection in Glendora as the highest total vote getter in that election. It was her first bid for reelection since being first elected in 2005.

Davis is also a Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Glendora.

Release to follow:

ASSEMBLYMAN ADAMS HONORS MAYOR KAREN DAVIS

Held annually, the Woman of the Year ceremony celebrates California's extraordinary women. Started in 1987 to help commemorate Women's History Month, the event has become one of the Capitol's most anticipated celebrations of community service each year. Honorees are presented with a certificate from the State Assembly recognizing their outstanding contributions to their community during a special ceremony in the Assembly chambers.

West Covina's council meeting is tomorrow. There are a few things of interest:

1. Updates on "existing litigation" and "anticipated litigation."

CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION Pursuant to Government Code § 54956.9(a) Chung v. City of West Covina, Roger Hernandez, et al.

CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
Pursuant to Government Code § 54956.9(b)
Claim of S. Williams

2. Adoption of the parking fees at City Hall.

3. Councilman Mike Touhey wants the council to adopt Glenn Kennedy's idea that would develop a volunteer tagging clean-up crew for the eyesores along the 10 Freeway.

Cook Hill Properties LLC wants to hear what individuals are looking for in proposed homes in the Montebello homes, according to a recent news letter.

Cook Hill Properties LLC submitted the Montebello Hills Specific Plan December 2007 to build 1,200 residential homes, a series of trials and a public park on nearly 480 acres of open space.

Cook Hill is a development consultant for Plains Exploration & Production Co., which owns the property.

Cook Hill is seeking the opinion of residents and is asking them to fill out a 16-question survey.

To fill out the survey click here.

Another candidate for Solis' former seat:

David Truax for Congress Post Office Box 5082
Covina, CA 91723
Contact: David Truax, Candidate

PRESS RELEASE

David Truax to run for 32nd District congressional seat.

David Truax, community volunteer and former Mayor of Covina, has announced that he will be running in the special election for the U. S. House of Representatives, 32nd District of California.

David moved to the San Gabriel Valley with his family in 1962. He grew up in Covina, attended schools in the Charter Oak and Covina Valley Unified School Districts, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management from Cal Poly Pomona, served six years of active duty in the United States Navy, and founded a small electrical design business that he has owned and operated for the last twenty-six years.

David is a Republican and has been a community activist and volunteer for the past thirty-eight years. In 1999, David was elected to the Covina City Council, serving his last two years as the Mayor of Covina. He continues to serve as a volunteer police chaplain for the Covina Police Department.

"The best way to stimulate the economy is to return tax dollars to the people who pay taxes", says Truax. He strongly advocates returning congress to the six basic responsibilities of the United States Constitution as outlined in the preamble. Truax says, "Congress has particularly fallen short of their assigned goals of forming a more perfect union and of securing the blessings of liberty."

Married for almost twenty-nine years, David has three children. He attends Faith Community Church in West Covina where he is a founding member.

"The most important need of the 32nd District today", according to David, "is the need to send a trusted, discerning, hard working representative to Washington, one who is connected to the community and who will fight for the needs of all of the people in the district."

Peter Bennett, a member of the La Verne Chamber of Commerce, has started a new Web site, LaVerneOnline.com. The Web site offers community news, event listintgs profiles.... everything La Verne.

If you live, work or play in La Verne, it's worth a look.

For those of you wondering, here are the final numbers in the Rosemead election:

Margaret Clark: 2,231 votes
Steven Ly: 2,100 votes
Sandra Armenta: 2,084 votes
John Tran: 2,057 votes
Henry Lo: 1,849 votes
John Nuñez:1,556 votes.

Close call.

****Thanks to the commenter who noticed my complete brain fart. Henry Lo got 1,849 votes, NOT Polly Low. She's in the middle of a term. 

Round one was tons of backlash from Walnut officials to the proposed NFL stadium project in Industry.

Round two is this:

WALNUT - The City Council on Wednesday night directed its special attorney to move forward with a lawsuit against neighboring Industry over an environmental report for a proposed NFL stadium.

In a closed session, city officials directed attorney Jan Chatten-Brown to move forward with litigation, officials said. The city has taken a formal stance against the project and demanded Industry prepare a new environmental report for the project.

Developers want to build a 75,000-seat National Football League stadium on 600 acres northwest of the 57/60 freeway intersection. The project also includes a huge retail component similar to the Universal CityWalk.

A few months after the stadium was proposed, some in Walnut publicly expressed concern about the project's impact on the quiet, affluent community.

Reporter Bethania Palma is working on a story for tomorrow's paper.

Just saw this in my inbox:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - EMILY's List, the nation's largest financial resource for women candidates, today announced its endorsement of Dr. Judy Chu for the special election in California's 32nd congressional district.

"With more than 20 years of public service and a strong record of working to improve women's lives, Dr. Judy Chu of California's Board of Equalization, is an impressive candidate for California's 32nd congressional district," said Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List. "While serving in the state Assembly, Chu authored a landmark tax amnesty bill that brought $4.8 billion in revenue to the state budget without raising taxes and passed vital legislation to protect victims of sexual assault and hate crimes. She will bring this record of service and problem-solving experience to Congress. EMILY's List is proud to support Dr. Judy Chu in the special election to fill Secretary Hilda Solis' seat in Congress."

Here's the group's Web site....

The New York Times did it's own story today.

Here's a parting thought: If the cities that received the money didn't have shovel-ready projects to allocate towards, why not just GIVE THE MONEY BACK?

Seeing this front page article and picture on our Web site's homepage just reminded me of my first, real-life encounter with notorious attorney Gloria Allred.

It happened earlier this week. I was serving jury duty at the Los Angeles County civil courthouse in downtown ----- sitting down outside the court room waiting for the jurors to be called in when whizzing by went Allred herself, wearing a forest green pant suit, heels and tugging some sort of file holder/briefcase on wheels.

At first, I did a double take and thought to myself -- "Was that Gloria Allred?"

Then, one word popped into my mind: "OCTOMOM!"

Then, the juror next to me asked my first question (above) out loud. We realized it was Allred.

She was much shorter in person than I thought she would be --- of course that says nothing about her power and scope. 

I know, it has nothing to do with local news except her connection to Nadya Suleman and Angels in Waiting .... but I thought I'd share anyway.

Two weeks ago it was El Monte, this week it's Baldwin Park.

Judy Chu - head of the State Board of Equalization and a candidate for the 32nd Congressional seat - is opening up a campaign headquarters in Baldwin Park on Saturday.

She's having a big shindig at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate the office's opening, at 4153 N. Maine Avenue - yes, Bisno Development Co.'s old office.

Expected to be there are: "members of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis' family, California State Controller John Chiang, Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-El Monte, and scores of local mayors and council members from the 32nd District," according to a press release sent out today.

La Puente is getting $327,889 in federal money, and they're using it for improvements along Main Street.

The Main Street Reconstruction Project extends about a mile, between Bamboo Street and Laura Avenue. It will include new pavement and improvements to the sidewalks, curb ramps, striping and utility covers.

"This is a very important project simply because of the amount of traffic we have going down Main Street -- not only pedestrian traffic, but vehicular traffic," Mayor Louie Lujan said.

That area of town -- mostly residential -- is a major exit and entry point between La Puente and Azusa, Lujan said.

"It's a very nice bedroom-type of community right next to Azusa," he said. "It's nice access to shopping and the 60 Freeway, right up against the golf course."

The state will administer the funds, according to a one-page staff report.

View Larger Map

Now that the election is over, it's time for the results to really sink in.

It was the last Rosemead City Council meeting for John Nunez and John Tran last night. Newcomers Steven Ly and Sandra Armenta will be taking over for them, alongside Margaret Clark -- who was re-elected -- and the rest of the council.

I just sifted through the beginning, end and public communications portions of the meeting, but it didn't sound like Nunez or Tran commented about their departures.

In fact, it was the residents who spoke out -- mostly saying that they were happy with the work the two did, and sad to see them go.

Even kids who helped out in the Johns' campaign came out in support of the outgoing councilmen:

Here's some general quotes:

"Mayor Tran, I have seen you conduct the City Council meetings with order. You are well-mannered, polite man and respectful of others ... Be careful not to give place to the deceit and viciousness allowed to be spit out by a very few of your supporters. For without it, you may have won this election."

"I've never spoken at a council meeting until tonight. John and John, I'm proud of your accomplishments over the last four years. You did a great job of bringing Rosemead into the 21st century."

"I hate to think it's going to go back to the way it was (tight wallet). "I hope things that were established will stay in place."

I know this happened last weekend, but reporter Brian Day got some good pictures when he went out to cover Tax Revolt 2009 last weekend. The event protesting the new state budget and increased taxes was hosted by KFI-AM talk-show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou at a parking lot in Fullerton.

The event also rallied recall efforts against Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Claremont; state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria; Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

West Covina Council Members decided to go ahead and implement a plan to charge for parking at City Hall and the courthouse.

On the bright side, I've heard from West Covina council members, they don't have any plans to implement new taxes.

This is among the several ways that city officials in our area are trying to make up for a loss in revenue.

OPEN FORUM: Have you noticed any new fees or cut in services in your cities the past few months?

More on Cedillo:

So, Sen. Gil Cedillo kicked off his campaign in El Monte on Saturday, Rebecca Kimitch reports. His surprise endorsement was Congressman Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Gloria Molina and retired congressman Esteban Torres.

Here's a snipet from the story:

Though the crowd responded enthusiastically to most of Becerra's words, they were not as responsive when asked who in the room had been directly helped by Cedillo's efforts.

One of the biggest criticisms facing Cedillo is his relative inexperience representing the area of the San Gabriel Valley that makes up the 32nd Congressional district - which stretches from east Los Angeles, through Monterey Park, Rosemead, South El Monte, El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina and Irwindale to Covina, Azusa and Duarte.

By contrast, his leading opponent, Chu, has represented the western part of the district in the state Assembly. But Cedillo, who grew up in Boyle Heights, says his roots are in the area - his parents have worked in the Valley and his family goes back three generations in valley cities including Alhambra and Monterey Park.

Cedillo also said he worked for the entire county when he was general manager of the Los Angeles County employees' union.

The candidate added legislation he has pushed in Sacramento, as both a state senator and state assemblyman, has served all residents of the San Gabriel Valley, not just his district.

Some of the legislation for which he has fought most fervently is aimed at allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. After introducing the proposal in consecutive sessions of the legislature, his colleagues began referring to him as "One-bill Gil."

Tired of hearing about Chu and Cedillo yet? Well, they probably be in the news for awhile.

Here's the latest Leftovers from City Hall column:

One week after Board of Equalization Chairwoman Judy Chu officially kicked off her Congressional campaign in El Monte, Sen. Gil Cedillo traveled out of his Los Angeles Senate district to announce his own campaign.

Where? In El Monte.

Cedillo may not have as strong a backing in the San Gabriel Valley as Chu, but coming to the heart of the district can't hurt.

Especially when candidates are still throwing their names in the hat for this heated race. Last week, Republican Jim Hertzel, a Certified Public Accountant from West Covina, announced he, too, would be running.

According to a press release he sent out, Hertzel's motivation is "fueled by years of feeling that politicians must be held accountable to the views of the community and provide viable solutions."

Hertzel - who has never held an elected seat - also noted in his press release that he is married to a Philippine immigrant with two adult children.

He'll face off with Cedillo, Chu, Republican Theresa Hernandez, Emanuel Pleitez and Baldwin Park Unified School Board Member Blanca Rubio. Former assemblyman and newly elected Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water Board Member Ed Chavez apparently hasn't made up his mind yet.

****

Officials are estimating voter turnout in local elections last week averaged around 18 percent.

That's not even close to the nearly 55 voter percent turnout during the presidential election, but it was enough to shake things up and force a few incumbents out of office.
In Rosemead, incumbents John Tran and John Nu ez were ousted. Returning to office is Maggie Clark. She'll be joined by Steven Ly, 24, and Sandra Armenta, 36.

Tran and Nu ez each served only one term, and spent the past four years on a majority that encouraged mixed-use development, brought in a new City Hall administration and allocated money for public information, a city Web site and improving parks.

With potentially a new voting block running the show, it is unclear whether the new regime will choose to preserve some - if any - of the previous council's programs, projects and even employees.

Also seeing a shift in the council majority is Monterey Park. There, David Lau returns to office without his colleague, two-term councilwoman Sharon Martinez. Martinez's seat will now be filled by former councilwoman Betty Tom Chu.

With the new council line-up, it appears Tom Chu, Councilman Mitchell Ing and Mayor Frank Venti will lead, while Lau and councilman Anthony Wong will be the odd men out.

Finally, in Covina - where voters chose to keep Kevin Stapleton and John King on the dais - a shift in the council isn't likely. But the return of former Mayor Bob Low has some people wondering how the dynamic at meetings will change.

Low was elected to serve a seat vacated by former Councilwoman Meline Juarez, who chose not to run again and left her term early because she moved out of state.

Low served on the council from 1978 to 1990, and since then has been a regular critic at council meetings.

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com

tania.chatila@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811 ext. 2477, 2109

insidesocal.com/sgvgov

Luis Chacon, the board member on the West Covina Chamber of Commerce, had a court hearing today regarding the restraining order that three staff members filed on Chacon. Here is what happened in court today, according to Chacon:

Here is the just of today's hearing:

1. I was never served in the action, but out of a sense of personal and community responsibility I sought the information on, and appeared at the hearing. The restraining order was not granted, dissolved, as there was no legitimate and/or reasonable basis for it.

2. All three individuals (Gary Lawson, Monica Cabrerra, & William Medina) acknowledged to the judge I made no threats or insinuations to them in any way ever. It was acknowledged by all three that the only one I was speaking to during the "incident" was my wife. Gary was not even there when the "incident" took place and his position and actions were based solely on hearsay.

3. The judge acknowledged that if Gary wanted me removed from the Chamber's Board of Directors, the Chamber's governing body, The Board of Directors, have emplaced policy and procedures where they are the only ones who could properly address and remove me from participation in my duly elected responsibilities and that has not happen.

4. All three acknowledged that I did not pose a threat to them based on direct assault, or threat and all this is based on a sole incident that clearly does not establish a pattern.

5. The judge believed that the only one who had any basis to a restraining order and should have felt threatened was my wife and she was neither present nor has filed anything.

More to come on Monday.

*****I find it very interesting the comments made on this post. So I will just say this: When we decided to put this up, in no way was it to make any other statement then, 'Hey, that's funny - on our way to lunch, we saw two different police agencies in the drive-thru across the street in a matter of days. Wow, I guess they love In-N-Out as much as we do.' Nothing more. And yes, this is located in borderline Baldwin Park, West Covina and even close to Irwindale. The end.

Our office is located right across the street from a very popular In-N-Out Burger in West Covina.

So popular, we spotted two different police agencies grabbing lunch in the drive-thru in the last five days: Irwindale and Baldwin Park police. Hey, we love In-N-Out too....

***Just to make it clear, this is the address for the In-N-Out straight from the Web site:

West Covina, California 91790

Celeste Manderville seems so busy with her modeling career, it's a wonder how she ever found the time to run an unsuccessful City Council campaign in La Puente last year.

At the time, Manderville was running against incumbents, Renee Chavez, John Solis and Lou Perez, as well as newcomers David Argudo, Dan Holloway, Nadia Mendoza and Martin Paz for two open seats.

Holloway and Mendoza won.

Now, Manderville is asking for votes for another kind of election. I got an e-mail from the former La Puente candidate a few days ago with the subject "VOTE FOR ME! MAKE AND ACCOUNT AND VOTE!!!" Click here to see what she wants you to vote for...

Hi celestemanderville! celeste manderville wants you to check out something out on TriFame.com... Click here to check it out! Additional Comments:

Copyright 2008 TriFame, All Rights Reserved.

I got this update from a Diamond Bar resident about the city's meeting last night. The hot topic: the NFL stadium.

Here's the letter:

"I attended my city council meeting in Diamond Bar.

The attendance was overwhelming and surprisingly filled with those IN SUPPORT of the Stadium project slated to be constructed in the City of Industry.

The council took two hours of comments under "public comments" portion of the meeting. All councilmembers took attentive notes with seriousness and appreciated the imput from the public. Then, several councilmembers reminded the public that they, city staff and others are acutely aware of the project's impact towards Diamond Bar.

The Fire Department and Sheriffs Department was present to maintain order. It was possible that the Fire Department was present due to the large flow of audience, which caused an overflow for concern of the capacity of those in the room.

Nevertheless, it was one of the most important meetings that the council had in years regarding the Stadium controversy. For those have been regulars at Diamond Bar City Council meetings concurred that they have never seen such meeting crowded, besides swearing-in new councilmembers or Mayor rotation. You were lucky to find a seat, if you arrived late, but several Sheriff Deputies were very helpful to coordinate by finding mpty seats for late arrivals.

Furthermore, it appeared that there were few official's from Majestic watching the meeting proceedings and thanked those for attending as the evening progressed."

Whoa. There are a few upsets in this round of elections.

• In Rosemead, incumbents John Tran and John Nunez were ousted. Returning to office is Maggie Clark, and now she will be joined by Steven Ly and Sandra Armenta, according to this article.
• In Covina, Kevin Stapleton and John King are returning to the council, and filling the open seat will be former Councilman Bob Low. City Clerk Rosie Fabian received the second lowest number of votes, according tot the city's Web site.
• In Monterey Park, David Lau returns to office, but Sharon Martinez was ousted. Martinez's seat will now be filled by Betty Tom Chu.Here's the unofficial results.
• In Azusa, it's much of the same. Voters returned the city's incumbents to to two council seats Tuesday night. Incumbents Keith Hanks and Robert Gonzales held the lead with only provisional ballots left to count Tuesday night. Gonzales had 1,338 votes, while Hanks had 1,141.
  

Yup, the candidate list for the 32nd Congressional District seat keeps getting longer and longer.

The newest politician to thrown their name in the hat?

Republican Jim Hetzel, a Certified Public Accountant from West Covina. Here's the text of a press release Hetzel sent out about his candidacy:

Long time West Covina resident and homeowner, Jim Hetzel, CPA, has entered the race as a Republican Candidate for the 32nd Congressional District House seat vacated by Hilda Solis. Fueled by years of feeling that politicians must be held accountable to
the views of the community and provide viable solutions, Jim Hetzel made his decision
to enter this election. Politics as usual is not working.

Jim's multi-faceted platform is one that supports realistic financial solutions supported
by accountability. Jim's position of no tolerance to crime, drugs and gangs is required to restore safe neighborhoods. Jobs and education are factors instrumental in solving that problem. His views of energy independence to reduce the flow of US dollars leaving the Country will enable the economy to turn around.

Jim has a strong background in personal and business taxes, financial management, as well as governmental auditing and tax auditing with the California State Board of Equalization. Professional politicians and partisan politics have put the State and the Country into financial turmoil, with rising taxes to cover uncontrolled spending. We
need financial professionals to help resolve these problems.

Married to a Philippine immigrant with two adult children, Jim is sensitive to the hardships and opportunities immigrants encounter. Jim's wife has lived in the United States for over 20 years, and is a Licensed Vocational Nurse.

Employed for over 21 years as the controller of a family owned general building contractor, Jim is greatly aware of the daily challenges facing small business owners.
Small business is the lifeblood of the economy.

Jim is a graduate of South Hills High School, Mt. San Antonio College and California State University Fullerton. He has been a Certified Public Accountant for over 25 years. Jim has lived in West Covina since his family moved there in 1960.

Here's his Web site...

State Sen. Gil Cedillo is going to take a trip out of his Senate district in Los Angeles to kick off his campaign in El Monte on Saturday.

Cedillo is running against Board of Equalization Chairwoman Judy Chu, who just last week kicked off her campaign for Rep. Hilda Solis' seat in El Monte.

Here's the press release:

Cedillo for Congress
For Immediate Release

March 3rd, 2009

Cedillo to Kick-Off Campaign and Unveil High Profile Endorsement on Saturday

El Monte, CA - State Senator Gil Cedillo will host a campaign kick-off and office opening party in El Monte this Saturday, March 7th. Lunch will be served at 11:00 AM and a short program will begin at noon. The Senator will be available to press to discuss the race for California's 32nd Congressional District following the program.

Cedillo for Congress Campaign Kick-Off
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cedillo for Congress Headquarters
10808 Valley Mall, El Monte, CA 91731

This Saturday will mark the launch of Senator Cedillo's aggressive grassroots-driven field program, and the campaign will be unveiling a very high profile endorsement. Campaign Manager Derek Humphrey calls the soon to be announced endorsement "one of the most meaningful and impactful endorsements in the San Gabriel Valley.*" Humphrey added that the endorsement, "will arguably give Senator Cedillo the three most important individual endorsements in the race for California's 32nd Congressional District."

Guests can call (626) 421-1522 to RSVP and press can call Derek Humphrey at (951) 805-4167 to set up an interview time.

The 32nd Congressional District was vacated last week after Congresswoman Hilda Solis was confirmed as the new Secretary of Labor. The Los Angeles County district encompasses a swath of the San Gabriel Valley from East Los Angeles to Covina. An election date for the Special Election to replace Congresswoman Solis has not yet been set, but it is expected to occur in mid-May.

For more information, please visit www.gilcedillo.com or call Leo Briones at (213) 628-9300.

*Any guesses who this powerful endorsement is?

It's hard to tell what the update is with the claim filed by public information officer Sue Williams against the city of West Covina since city officials are hiding behind the closed session meeting laws, but tonight there is another "conference with legal counsel" regarding the Williams case.

Williams alleged that Mayor Roger Hernandez subjected her to a hostile work environment.

What makes tonight's meeting difference than previous meetings, as far as I can tell, is that normally in the meetings, the Chris Chung, pictured below, "anticipated litigation" is grouped with the Williams claim. This time around, it is only Williams. Williams and Chung, who asked for $3 million and job security at West Covina, have the same attorney.

Chung also alleges that Hernandez subjected Chung to a hostile work environment.

I asked the city manager whether Williams has made a demand, and he said he can't say. Williams' attorney, Victor Jacobovitz, won't return calls, and city council members say they can't reveal anything because it is a closed session item.

Also on the closed session meeting tonight is the public employee performance evaluation of City Manager, Andrew Pasmant.

It's Square Root Day. Yay!

The last time we had this was a year ago, on 2/2/04*, according to this news report.

Amazing, huh.

*Previously, I erroneously put 2/2/08. Thanks to the reader who pointed it out. Oops.

It's election day in several of our cities, including Monrovia, Covina, Azusa, Monterey Park and Temple City.

Any voting issues today?

We got one call this morning about a Covina resident who said the polling place at the Covina United Methodist Church didn't have the information for voters with last names M - Z. It took the guy, whose last name was in the M - Z category, 25 minutes to vote. There were only three people in line, but he had to use a provisional ballot because of the name mix up.

So, where do cities go when they need revenue? Some ask for taxes, others raise fees. In West Covina, the City Council on Tuesday will vote on adding parking fees to park at City Hall and at the courthouse. The good news is that the evenings are free.

The move is expected to generate nearly $110,000 annually, according to the staff report.

Here's what the city proposed:

Staff would propose a pay-per-space plan for the Civic Center. In order to implement this, approximately four (4) or five (5) pay machines would be purchased and installed in convenient, key locations and each parking space would need to be numbered.

A visitor would park, note their space number, go to a pay station, select the number of hours to park, and pay the fee by cash, debit card, or credit card. Fees would be collected five (5) days a week, Monday through Friday.

The fee would be between twenty-five cents ($0.25) and one dollar ($1.00) per hour with evenings (6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.) being free for City Council and other public meetings. Weekends will also be free for other Civic Center events. City and County employees will be exempt by permit.

Jurors will be exempt for County leased spaces by a County permit. Parking is currently and will be prohibited overnight. A flat rate between one dollar ($1.00) to three dollars ($3.00) per day could be charged for Park and Ride Spaces. Staff will return with the annual fee resolution in June 2009 to set the actual fees.

Chamber execs reinstated, then suspended without pay

By Jennifer McLain
Staff Writer

WEST COVINA -- Two Chamber of Commerce previously fired employees who filed a restraining order against a board member were reinstated on Friday.

Executive Director Gary Lawson and Marketing Director Monica Cabrera -- the chamber's only full-time employees -- each received a letter Friday morning signed by Board President Yolanda Davis-Quarrie informing them of their reinstatement.

But also in the letter, which followed Thursday's five-hour closed door board meeting, they were told that they would be suspended without pay indefinitely pending legal advice. Davis-Quarrie did not return calls seeking comment.

Lawson said the move was, "a step in the right direction," and that he anticipated that they would be reinstated because he alleged the board did not file proper protocol when Lawson and Cabrera were fired. But he is also concerned of his permanent employment and the effects this may have on the future of the chamber.

Board member Mike Miller, a former West Covina councilman, told Lawson and Cabrera last week they were fired. Miller did not return calls seeking comment.

"I understand what is going on. It's about retaliation, conflict and (board member) Mike Miller attempting to take over the chamber," Lawson said. "If they could get this resolved, we could repair those damages. If it goes any longer than than that, I don't know what will happen with."

Lawson, Cabrera and part-time employee William Medina filed a temporary restraining order on Feb. 10 against board member Luis Chacon after he allegedly interrupted a Jan. 7 meeting at the West Covina Chamber of Commerce and became hostile because his estranged wife was present, court records show.

Chacon's ex-wife Carolina Chacon is a former president of the chamber. Chacon is among the 15 board members on the West Covina Chamber of Commerce, which provides networking and marketing opportunities for local businesses.

Business owners said the board's actions are upsetting, and will consider revoking their membership if Lawson and Cabrera are not rehired.

"The board is being very, very political, and there is no room for politics and personal grudges in the chamber," said Paul Cosato, owner of Michael Pauls Salon and Spa in West Covina. "They need to work this out. It's a crying shame."

The board's recent actions could also impact current employees. Medina, one of four part-time employees at the chamber, said he is considering quitting because of the instability.

"Without Gary and Monica there, it makes it very difficult to do what we normally do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis," Medina said.

The chamber organizes networking events, such as a golf tournament on March 27, for local businesses.

Medina wonders who will perform the work if the work force of the chamber is cut by more than half.

"The things that need to be done can't be done without us being there," Medina said.
The chamber is a private agency but relies on some public funding for its nearly $500,000 annual budget. This year, West Covina contributed $75,000 to the chamber.

Lawson makes $65,000 annually and Cabrera makes $43,000 at the chamber.

jennifer.mclain@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2477
www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov

Fred Sykes, a West Covina resident, submitted the councilmanic/district petition today at West Covina City Clerk's office. Sykes said he and a crew of people that support dividing the city into five districts collected nearly 7,386 signatures over the past few months. 

In order to get a special election, 7,188 -- or 15 percent of the city's registered voters -- were required. They are hoping to save money by piggypacking the ballot measure on one of two elections: 1. The Governor's tax intiative, or 2. The race to replace former Rep. Hilda Solis. Of course, the feasibility of doing so is still in question.

Now, the city clerk has to sign off on it before the signatures are verified at the county.