West Covina City Council is meeting tonight. Among the items of interest are:

— The staff finished its report about the ballot measure to divide the city into voting districts. The council will discuss the findings and file the report tonight. Among the many items addressed in the report are the fiscal impacts, effect on the city’s general and specific plans and effect on land use.

— The Community Development Commission, which is really just the City Counicl members, will vote tonight on partnering with TELACU on an affordbale senior housing project. TELACU is purchasing a 24-unit condo complex that has since been abandoned because the former company couldn’t afford to finish it. West Covina will provide an $8.6 million loan to TELACU.

Click here for complete agenda.

Food pantry at the San Gabriel Unified School District will be evicted to make way for a fitness center, Amanda Baumfeld reports.

Of the 10 local San Gabriel Valley cities that are members of the National League of Cities, only Claremont, Duarte and Baldwin Park participate in the organization’s free prescription drug discount plan. Read more.

No West Covina employee, including those in public safety, will be immune from job losses. Read more.

Local travel agencies are reporting a slowdown in trips to Mexico because of fears from the swine flu. Read more.

Azusa library staff tosses out 600 books. Read more.

Candidates for the 32nd Congressional seat keep trucking along, even though Judy Chu and Gil Cedillo appear to have gotten a lot of media attention over the past few weeks.

Covina resident and former Covina Councilman Dave Truax, who is running for the 32nd Congressional seat, is hosting a meet and greet “dessert reception” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the home of Steve and Donna Cayson, 1524 E. Algrove Street in Covina.

Tonight, candidate Teresa Hernandez, a West Covina native, will have an event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South El Monte restaurant, Cielito Lindo, 1612 N. Santa Anita Ave. Among those in attendance will be Sen. Bob Huff, Covina Mayor Walt Allen and Rosemead Mayor Margaret Clark.

Here’s this week’s installment of Leftovers from City Hall column:

Leftovers from City Hall: Local politicians show interest in 2010 Assembly race

The June 2010 primaries are still far out, but a few local pols have already thrown their names in as potential candidates for the 57th Assembly District race.

La Puente Mayor Louie Lujan, West Covina Mayor Roger Hernandez and West Covina Councilman Steve Herfert have all filed statements of an intent to run for the seat, according to documents filed with the California Secretary of State.

Assemblyman Ed Hernandez – who lives in West Covina and has an optometry office in La Puente – currently holds the seat.

Herfert and Roger Hernandez could not be reached for comment Friday.

Lujan said he decided to file the intent after supporters and colleagues around him encouraged him to run.

“I’m interested but I haven’t made my mind up yet,” Lujan said, adding that if Ed Hernandez were to run again, Lujan would drop his bid.

“I thoroughly enjoy public service,” he said. “If I have the opportunity to serve the public on a different level, I’d be honored to do so.”

Baldwin Park mayor’s name cleared

Mayor Manuel Lozano is off the hook on a 2007 all expense-paid trip he took to China – at least for now.

The District Attorney’s office has concluded its probe and found that Lozano did not have to report his trip on his statement of economic interests because the Chinese government paid for it – not a local businessman like Council critic Greg Tuttle alleged.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is still doing its own investigation.
Tuttle isn’t too happy about the DA’s decision, and criticized them for relying only on witness statements for proof.

“The DA dropped the ball … Unless I do everything except file the charges and put them in the courtroom, then they don’t want to mess with it,” he said.

Lozano called Tuttle a “congenital liar” and said he’s consulting with attorneys about suing Tuttle for defamation of character.

“He has a major axe to grind,” Lozano said. “Tuttle will go on any little thing and he runs with it … He needs to know he will be held accountable.”

Lozano also said he knew all along the Chinese government foot the bill – even though Lozano said in previous interviews that a Rowland Heights bank paid for the trip.

“I guess I just didn’t explain myself,” he said.

Tuttle said he has no hidden agenda, his complaint was all about Lozano’s travel to China and nothing more.

Pleitez staffer offends West Covina council

A campaign staffer for Emanuel Pleitez got a bit of a tongue lashing from West Covina council members last week after he used an emotional discussion about potential employee layoffs as a campaign pitch for Pleitez, who is running for the 32nd Congressional seat.

JC Stiassni spoke on behalf of Pleitez during the public comment portion of a meeting, following the testimony of employees who were upset over a proposal by Mayor Roger Hernandez to protect only public safety employees from layoffs.

That’s where Stiassni came in with a story about Emanuel’s own plights growing up. Councilman Mike Touhey wasn’t amused. He lambasted the staffer for wasting public comment time, and said it was insensitive for Stiassni to use that time to campaign.

Pleitez’s Press Secretary Emily Dulcan said speaking at public meetings is a campaign strategy. But in hindsight, she said, it probably wasn’t the best timing.

“I want to express my apologies for the insensitivity that may have been portrayed,” Duncan said. “In no way did we mean to offend the participants.”

At last week’s city council meeting, about 10 West Covina city employees expressed their angst after seeing an item placed on the agenda to protect the jobs and contracts of public safety employees.

Problem is that the item, put on the agenda by Mayor Roger Hernandez, didn’t make any mention of the non-sworn employees — and it is their contracts who are up in June. Public safety employees’ contracts aren’t up until 2010.

Hernandez said that he only put the item on there because “95 percent” of the comments he heard from employees fearing their jobs came from public safety, and he later said that he would have no problem adding non-public safety employees to his resolution.

The whole thing was sparked after City Manager Andrew Pasmant held informal discussions with city employees to discuss ways employes and departments could account for savings as the city expects to face a $9 million deficit. 

In the end, the council voted down Hernandez’s resolution, and also accused him of being devisive and politicizing the issue.

A staffer working on the campaign for a “26-year-old idealist from East LA” got a bit of a tongue lashing by West Covina council members on Tuesday after he used an emotional discussion about potential employee layoffs as a campaign pitch for Emanuel Pleitez, who is running for the 32nd Congressional seat.

JC Stiassni spoke on behalf of Pleitez during the public comment portion of a meeting. His comments were sandwiched in with comments by employees who were upset with a resolution that was proposed by Mayor Roger Hernandez to protect public safety employees from layoffs. His resolution did not offer the protection to non-public safety employees, and it was the non-sworn officers who spoke in fear of losing their jobs.

Then comes Stiassni, wanting to tell a story about Emanuel. Wasting the public comment time to campaign didn’t sit well with Councilman Mike Touhey, who was especailly vocal about how insensitive it was for Stiassni to use this time to campaign.

Press Secretary Emily Dulcan said that speaking at public meetings is one of the several political strategies that they have taken on in getting the word out about Pleitez. But in hindisght, she said, it probably wasn’t the best time to bring it up.

“On behalf of the campaign I want to express my apologies for the insensitivity that may have been portrayed,” Duncan said. “In no way did we mean to offend the participants.”

West Covina City Council met last night, and among the items on the agenda was a request by Councilman Steve Herfert to discuss Mayor Roger Hernandez’s recent inquiry about being quoted in city press releases.

As Councilwoman Shelley Sanderson explained it, this was not intended to be an attack or “gotcha Roger” moment. It was just an attempt to clarify the city’s policy, she said. She added that the reason Hernandez had not been included in any of the recent press releases was because there have not been any grand openings of businesses since he’s been mayor, and all of the times former Mayor Sherri Lane had been quoted was on grand opening stories.

Here’s the email exchange between Hernandez and Freeland about the issue:

From: Mayor Roger Hernndez
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 5:41 PM
To: Chris Freeland
Cc: Mike Touhey; Shelley Sanderson; Sherri Lane; Andrew Pasmant; Sandy Galvez; Thomas Bachman
Subject: Re: Press Releases

Chris,

Thank you for your quick response and research. I may not have been clear when conversing with you and inquiring about the inclusion of a Mayor’s quotes in press releases. My request was not that the Mayor be quoted in every press release. Rather, my request was to be informed as to whether it is practice to refrain from including a quote from the Mayor in ANY press release issued by the City. It seemed odd that after several months as Mayor, I had not been asked to contribute quotes and have, indeed, not been quoted in a single press release since the commencement of my term. I do recall that previous Mayors had been quoted. As I shared with you, I am not seeking to be treated better or be given any privileges not afforded to others. I sincerely hope you did not leave with that impression. I only want to be treated equally, and certainly no worse. However, thank you for answering my question and confirming that the Mayor is quoted in, at least, some press releases. I think it is best to continue that practice, and for staff to continue to use their judgment in determining when quotes are appropriate. As spokesman for the City, you can understand that I am eager to participate in the same way that other Mayors have done in the past. I do look forward to assisting the City in the preparation of future press releases. Please let me know how and when I can assist.

Sincerely,

RH

Roger Hernndez
Mayor
City of West Covina

________________________________
From: Chris Freeland
To: Mayor Roger Hernndez
Cc: Mike Touhey; Shelley Sanderson; Sherri Lane; Andrew Pasmant; Sandy Galvez; Thomas Bachman
Sent: Wed Apr 15 18:13:09 2009
Subject: Press Releases

Dear Mayor Hernandez,

The other day you requested that City staff include quotes from you in each of the press releases that are generated by the City. As I mentioned to you, past practice has been to include quotes from the Mayor in some, but not all the press releases. For example press releases that promoted a grand opening included a quote and other significant programs and projects had a quote from the Mayor. We have not historically included a quote from the Mayor in every press release that is generated, for example the canceling of an event, invite to attend certain City activities, etc. After further discussions, to include a quote from the Mayor in every press release would be a change in the past practice that would be something for the City Council to review for the possible development of a clear policy for City staff to follow.

Chris Freeland

Deputy City Manager
City of West Covina

1444 W Garvey Ave South, West Covina, CA 91790
(626) 939-8402 direct | (626) 939-8406 fax

www.westcovina.org

West Covina City Council is meeting tomorrow. Among the topics on the agenda:

1. The city is considering raising sewer fees 63 cents a month per household, which could generate $200,000. The money could only be used for sewer maintenance and operation.
As public works director Shannon Yauchzee said, 63 cents “isn’t bad.”

2. The council will give direction on Tuesday regarding the Fred Sykes and Co. proposal to divide the city into voting districts. The county recently OK’d the signatures signed on a petition. There are enough signatures to qualify for a general election, but they failed to meet their goal to get enough signatures for a special election.

3. Good news for street paving: The council will vote on $1.3 million worth of street improvement projects.

4. Councilman Steve Herfert has requested that the council discuss Mayor Roger Hernandez’s request to be quoted in all city issued publications.

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.