What do YOU think?
A couple of week's ago I blogged about La Puente officials' consideration of re-opening City Hall every Friday.
Looks like they want to know what the community thinks about that.
Go ahead, take this survey. You know you want to.
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commented on Politician calls for contribution limits?!
A couple of week's ago I blogged about La Puente officials' consideration of re-opening City Hall every Friday.
Looks like they want to know what the community thinks about that.
Go ahead, take this survey. You know you want to.
If you're expecting the La Puente City Council to discuss extending an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Charles Co. tonight, don't hold your breath.
Here are some excerpts from a story I wrote for tomorrow's paper:
A recent land deal, the economy and a proposed big-box retail project at a main thoroughfare have officials rethinking negotiations with a prominent developer.
In a special meeting Monday, the Community Development Commission voted 3-2 to solicit interest from developers who previously submitted proposals for the Hacienda Boulevard project, essentially stalling talks with the Charles Co. for the same development.
La Puente officials have been in negotiations with the Los Angeles-based company for about a year for what has been preliminarily projected as an 11.5-acre retail commercial center in the 1300 block of Hacienda Boulevard at Fairgrove Avenue.
Mayor Louie Lujan and Councilwoman Nadia Mendoza say they want to "take a step back" and weigh all options before moving forward with a developer for the project, pegged as a retail center.
Councilman Dan Holloway said he has concerns about lingering effects of the city's budget.
And council members John Solis and Lola Storing disagree with their colleagues all together, citing loss to the city and wasted time.
City staff members have 45 days to solicit interest from developers who formerly submitted plans to the city for the project.
Some of those previous developers include Newmark Merrill, Lowe Enterprises and Ed Roski's Majestic Realty.
Maybe Roski will build his football stadium in La Puente instead?
I hear there was a nice turnout today for the viewing and funeral services for Tom Grueter, a former La Puente planning commissioner.
Grueter died last week at his La Puente home from what family members believe may have been a heart aneurysm. He was 70.
Grueter and his family were known for their long-standing contribution to the dairy industry in the San Gabriel Valley -- Grueter's parents started up Grueter's Swiss Dairy in the 1920s.
The dairy farm was one of the largest in the area at that time -- located on what is now the Pacific Palms Resort -- and provided local businesses, residents and schools with milk.
Tom Grueter worked there until the business shut down in 1975.
He served on the La Puente Planning Commission from 2003 to 2007.
A viewing and funeral services for Grueter were held today at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights.
I hear several city officials attended.
I just got word La Puente officials have settled with property owner Victor Gudzunas, who owns a prime piece of Hacienda Boulevard the city's been eyeing for over a year.
The city has been in eminent domain proceedings for the land since last summer, and it seemed all was lost a few weeks ago when the city refused to budge from its $6 million offer, and Gudzunas from his $6.5 million demand.
A trial seemed eminent.
But it looks like all that changed this morning. I don't have all the details yet, but I'll post them as soon as I know.
**********Looks like the settlement price was $6 million - an offer Gudzunas initially refused about two weeks ago.
It's City Clerk Week in Baldwin Park, or at least it will be after the City Council officially proclaims it so at tonight's meeting.
Speaking of which, La Puente has finally filled its City Clerk position. Amy Turner started about the beginning of April, and word on the street is she's doing pretty good so far.
Hopefully, she'll stick around longer than the former city clerk, who lasted about three months.
Interesting use of CDBG funds....
Hello All,
Does your City currently use CDBG funds to pay for parking enforcement
services that enforce streetsweeping parking restrictions in low/moderate
income census blocks? Any information on this is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Lillian Ayala
City of La Puente
Then again, this could be leftover money.
It seems a 4-1 divide within the La Puente City Council is getting deeper.
Councilwoman Lola Storing is accusing her colleagues of putting the city in jeopardy over a closed session meeting held last month.
Storing said she walked out of the April 22 meeting after City Attorney James Casso, City Manager Carol Cowley and Assistant City Manager Gregg Yamachika were asked to leave first.
She claims Mayor Louie Lujan asked the top execs and legal counsel "point blank" to leave the room. Councilman Dan Holloway said Lujan did want to discuss the items "as a council" only.
But Lujan said he never asked anyone to leave. "I asked the City Council if they were willing to discuss the item in closed session as a council only," he said.
Looks like everyone agreed except for Storing who didn't want to be back there without an attorney.
Smart move, according to Douglas Johnson, a fellow with the Rose Institute of State and Local Government who said he was "flabbergasted" (I know I must have butchered that word) after I explained the scenario. "It's not illegal, but it's risky," he said.
Look for the story in Wednesday's paper.
I grew up in Fremont, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area that falls between Oakland and San Jose. So did my dad, who grew up in a section of Fremont called Niles, which backs up to a canyon. I've heard plenty of stories from my dad of how the Bay Area changed since he was born, in 1955. An area that was once filled with orchards and undeveloped land is now lined with homes, traffic and industry.
Growing up in the Bay Area and being a reporter for the Bay Area newspapers, I was fascinated with its history, whether it was the ghost story of the White Witch in Niles Canyon, the once thriving and colorful community that lived in the salt marshes in Fremont, or the cult-like history out of Holy City in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
But yesterday, as I was reading "Thirst for Growth," a book that looks at the hisotry of water agencies in Southern California, it hit me: I know nothing about the San Gabriel Valley's past.
I report on the daily murders, crimes and local political upheavels, but I don't know what makes the San Gabriel Valley the way it is today. What are its legends? Are there ghost stories? How has the SGV changed over the years? What did your parents used to tell you about the area? What are the historical landmarks in the area that anyone who has lived here for more than 50 years should know about?
Its been almost two years since I moved here. I guess it's about time that I call it home.
(The photo is a picture of the SGV in 1900, taken from this Web site.)
Looks like La Puente Councilman Dan Holloway is taking over Mayor Louie Lujan’s seat on the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District Board of Trustees.
Lujan appointed Holloway in January, after Lujan resigned citing time constraints.
Board meetings are a once a month, at 7 a.m.
Holloway will get a $100 stipend per month if he attends that meeting. That stipend also covers any other meetings he may have to attend for other committees, according to vector control officials.
It’s a far cry from other appointed boards or districts, which can pay upwards of $150 per meeting. Must I remind everyone of Jennifer McLain’s water district story?
You read it right, La Puente Councilwoman Lola Storing is proposing the city prohibit council members from accepting any and all contributions from contracted or prospective consultants or developers in the city --- that includes campaign contributions.
Storing said contributions "buy votes" (I can hear the gadflies and advocates for open government saying "duh" in my head).
But contributions from developers are very common - rampant actually - across the nation. Lola acknowledged that, and the hard fight it would be to actually get a measure like this passed in La Puente. She mentioned it would probably be a 4-1 vote against her proposal.
Storing might be right. A few of the council members I talked to Monday seemed hesitant. Councilman John Solis argued if they took out developer contributions from the mix, it would become so cheap to run for office that then "everyone would be doing it." Now why would we want that?
Storing's proposal goes before the council tonight. See the story in today's paper.
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