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Mountain Views News Saturday, June 11, 2011
Mountain Views News Saturday, June 11, 2011
DUARTE DUWOP
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA DOMINATED BY GOLD LINE PROJECT
The Doo Wop sounds of
summer will be flowing from
Duarte Park on Wednesday,
June 29, from 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. with the kickoff of
the popular Duarte Summer
Concerts in the Park series.
California America Water
will sponsor the evening’s
entertainment by The Story
Tellers and the In Crowd Band
featuring classic ‘50s and ’60s
tunes for listening and dancing.
Duarte’s summer concert
series offers a fun and stress-
free way to enjoy a warm summer evening in the
company of family and friends. Concert-goers
are invited to bring along a lawn chair or blanket
and pack a picnic dinner, or enjoy something
good to eat from one of several food booths that
will be open for business beginning at 6 p.m.
There will be more than music to enjoy. Each of
the four scheduled concerts will also feature an
entertainment and play area for children, and a
raffle hosted by the Route 66 Parade Committee.
Duarte Park is located at 1344 Bloomdale Ave.,
just east of Buena Vista St., and adjacent to the
Duarte Teen Center. Free bus transportation to
and from the park is available by Duarte Transit.
Other concert dates in the series are The Blue
Breeze Band playing Motown, R&B and Soul on
July 13; Sean Wiggins country-rock band on July
27; and Los Retoños del Norte & Mariachi Latino
on Aug. 10. In addition to California American
Water, sponsors of the series are Rutan & Tucker,
LLP; Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D.
Antonovich; Burrtec Waste; Foothill Transit; and
Performance Nissan. For more information, call
Duarte Parks and Recreation at (626) 357-7931.
DUARTE HISTORICAL MUSEUM VISIT
The June 7 City Council/Redevelopment Agency
Board agenda featured only two significant items
of business - the proposed sale of real property to
the Gold Line Construction Authority (GLCA)
and consideration of an amended and restated
service agreement with Athens Services for street
sweeping through 2016.
MRA PH-1 was a joint public hearing of the
City Council and Agency Board and concerns the
proposed sale of 13.87 acres of property owned
by the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency (the
former Sweda, Foodmakers and railroad spur
properties) and the City of Monrovia (a portion
of “little” Duarte Road located north of the
existing METRO right-of-way). The negotiated
purchase price is approximately $39.6 million,
plus the construction of $16.5 million in public
improvements and infrastructure, as well as the
construction of a public parking structure near
the proposed Gold Line station for use by transit
patrons. The proposed purchase price is based
on the City/Agency’s total cost to date for the
property, as well as consideration for potential lost
sales and property tax revenue, and City fees.
Monrovia staff have evaluated the GLCA’s
supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR)
for the proposed Maintenance & Operations
Facility and determined that the GLCA has
appropriately addressed concerns directly related
to this proposed project. The property is currently
zoned “planned development” and features a mix
of manufacturing, retail, storage and construction
materials uses. The proposed use of the site, a
maintenance and operations facility for electric
light rail passenger cars (as opposed to a yard for
heavy rail, diesel cars), is not an inappropriate use
for the site.
An impacted property owner has filed a lawsuit
against the GLCA and Monrovia. The two causes of
action pertaining to Monrovia allege that Monrovia
is, in considering and/or approving this land sale,
breaching an existing settlement agreement with
the private property owner (Excalibur Holdings)
in which the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency
covenants to not condemn or cause to condemn
Excalibur’s property. Obviously, Monrovia -
neither the Agency nor the City nor the Housing
Authority - is not acquiring or condemning
Excalibur’s property. Claims that Monrovia is
causing the condemnation of Excalibur’s property
are equally specious - Monrovia does not control
either GLCA or METRO, does not vote on their
respective boards, does not have land use control
over them, cannot compel them to condemn a
third party or preclude them from condemning
a third party. Ultimately, Monrovia is considering
selling its own land to GLCA; nothing more and
nothing less.
Staff recommends that the City Council and
Agency Board approve the proposed purchase
and sale agreement and necessary resolutions.
AR-1 is the proposed amended and restated
agreement with Athens Services for the
continuation of street sweeping services in the
amount of $176,573 for FY 2011-12. Currently,
the City has an interim agreement with Athens
for this service. Athens began providing street
sweeping, separate and apart from trash collection
services, in July 2010. At that time, staff reviewed
street sweeping prices around our region and
negotiated a very attractive price of $15.95/curb
mile. In considering this proposed amended and
restated agreement (which would replace the
existing interim agreement), Athens has agreed
to hold their existing price for the 2011-12 fiscal
year. Subsequently, pricing would be adjusted by
CPI, pursuant to positive annual performance
reviews. Over the last year, Athens performance
has been exceptionally strong. The proposed
agreement term is five years; research indicates
that similar agreements range from three to seven
years. Staff recommends approval of the amended
and restated agreement with Athens Services for
street sweeping services.
Members of the Duarte Kiwanis Club were
in for a treat this week. They had their meeting
at the Duarte Historical Museum and
were hosted by Irwin Margiloff, curator of
the museum and local history buff extraordinaire!
Irwin treated the Club to descriptions
of the origins of the Duarte Rancho in the
mid-1800’s to the current boundaries of the
original property lines – in Arcadia on 10th
Avenue. Mr. Margiloff was able to confirm
that, indeed, Glenn Miller lived in a home on
Bettyhill in Duarte and shared various surveyor’s
maps with the club. All in all, a delightful,
insightful and interesting adventure.
Mr. Margiloff has also created a brochure
which lists all 29 of the historical museums
in the San Gabriel Valley.
The brochure can be found on the site: http://
www.duartehistory.org/index.html
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL INVESTIGATORS
POST SUSPENSION NOTICE AT THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS,
501 WEST DUARTE ROAD
In February 2011, the Detective Bureau’s
Special Enforcement Team assisted Alcoholic
Beverage Control investigators in their
undercover operation at the House of Spirits
Liquor Store located at 501 West Duarte. The
Alcoholic Beverage Investigators arrested
one of the store clerks for selling marijuana
and receiving stolen property. This week, on
Thursday, June 2, the Alcoholic Beverage
Control investigators will post a suspension
notice at the House of Spirits. The House
of Spirits will not be allowed to sell alcohol
for 25 days and the liquor license will have
to be transferred to a new owner within
180 days. The Alcoholic Beverage Control
investigators requested the presence of the
Special Enforcement Team at the suspension
posting. The Alcoholic Beverage Control
investigators stated “the assistance provided
by the Monrovia Police Department was
invaluable in making the arrest.”
Monrovia Police Blotter
During the last seven day period, the Police
Department handled 566 service events, resulting in
77 investigations.
Following are the last week’s highlighted issues
and events:
Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested
On May 28 at 2:09 a.m., an officer on patrol
observed a vehicle traveling south on Myrtle
at Central and noticed it was weaving on the
roadway. The driver failed to use a turn signal and
was stopped. During the investigation, the driver
was determined to be under the influence and was
arrested.
Vandalism In-Progress / Minor Consuming
Alcohol / Possession of Controlled Substance /
Three Suspects Arrested
On May 28 at 7:12 p.m., a business owner was
driving in the area of Ivy and Walnut when he
saw two male subjects tagging city property with
spray paint. The suspects fled in a vehicle and
the witness called police. Officers saturated the
area and located the suspects in the 100 block of
East Colorado, still in the vehicle in a parking lot
behind a bar. As officers detained the suspects,
a female subject exited the bar to inquire what
was going on, as she owned the vehicle. Through
investigation, it was learned the female was under
age and had used false identification in the bar and
had consumed alcohol. During a search, she was
also found to be in possession of cocaine. She was
arrested and taken into custody. The male subjects
were positively identified as the suspects who spray
painted City property and were also arrested. The
witness will be contacted to receive the $100 Stop
Graffiti Bounty for reporting a graffiti vandalism
which led to an arrest.
Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested
On May 29 at 3:34 p.m., an officer noticed
a vehicle exit the 210 Freeway and drive north
on Myrtle. The driver was weaving on the
roadway and was stopped by the officer. Through
investigation, the driver was determined to be
under the influence and was arrested. The driver
was booked and later released on a citation.
Commercial Burglary
On May 29 at 10:30 a.m., an officer was
dispatched to a business in the 400 block of South
Myrtle regarding a burglary. The suspect(s) pried
open a window, made entry into a business, and
then pried open the door to the office of another
business. Once inside the second business, the
suspect(s) ransacked the office and took cash from
a filing cabinet. They also took electronic items
from both businesses, which included a flat screen
television, three computer monitors and four
computer laptops.
Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested
On May 31 at 1:44 p.m., an officer was flagged
down and told there was a possible drunk driver
at a business in the 100 block of East Duarte Road.
The officer stopped the vehicle in the parking lot.
The female driver was determined to be under the
influence and was arrested. She was in the area
to pick up her children from school. The school
office and principal were notified. She was booked
and held for detoxification.
Vehicle Burglary
On June 1 at 3:49 p.m., an officer responded to a
residence in the 1200 block of Encino. The victim
reported that someone had broken into her vehicle
and had stolen property, and that her credit card
information had been used.
Battery
On June 1 at 5:10 p.m., a 16-year-old male
victim of battery was brought to the police station
lobby by his father. The victim reported that he
had walked a girl home on Monterey after school
when a male suspect struck him in the head with
a skateboard and grabbed him in a choke hold.
The suspect then let go of him and left the area.
The victim went home and his father brought
him to the station when he got home from work.
Investigation continuing.
MONROVIA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO RECEIVE
$20,000 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL GRANT
The Special Enforcement Team applied
for an Alcoholic Beverage Control Grant for
Fiscal Year 2011-2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30,
2012). The Special Enforcement Team’s grant
proposal was selected to receive $20,000 for
Alcoholic Beverage Control activities. The
Monrovia Police Department will implement
the strategies of education and enforcement
to address alcohol related problems within
the City. The enforcement portion will focus
resources on licensed establishments that
have a disproportionate amount of calls for
service. The goal will be to reduce the overall
number of alcohol related offenses and calls
for service at these locations. The Monrovia
Police Department will implement the
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s
best enforcement practices in combating
these issues. The grant money will pay for the
overtime expenses and necessary equipment
to conduct several enforcement activities.
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