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SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 VOLUME 10 NO. 5 CLEM AND NINA BARTOLAI CHOSEN AS SIERRA MADRE’S 2015 CITIZENS OF THE YEAR Saturday, January 30, 2016 The Sierra Madre Room 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 6:00 p.m. Happy Hour 7:00 p.m. Dinner and Awards Ceremony Tickets: $30 per person/$275 per table of 10 No Host Bar Tickets Available at The Bottle Shop/Bean Town and Savor The Flavor or Call the Chamber at 626-355-5111 Photo courtesy Bill Coburn/Sierramadrenews.net “JUST TELL US THE TRUTH, WE’LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED” By Susan Henderson As word spread quickly regarding the city’s police shortage Sierra Madre residents began speaking up. Telephone calls, emails and Facebook posts seemed to carry a common thread. Having the story of the city’s police shortage discussed over the LA County airwaves was not a good idea. It was reported in last week’s Mountain Views News and other local papers and run on network television stations that there were not enough police officers employed by the city to patrol Sierra Madre 24/7. “I was listening to one of the local TV stations and I heard that the city didn’t have police after 6 pm and I was angry. I was angry because the news was now out there and every thief in the county will know that we are a sitting target.”, said one resident who asked us to withhold publishing her name. Another resident named Gary expressed his frustration because he feels as though city staff has not been honest in their dealings with the public. “Why wasn’t the seriousness brought to our attention before the whole world found out? We don’t want the Sheriff here, so we’ll give the city what they need but they have to start being more transparent. Just tell us the truth and we’ll give you what you need”, he said in a statement directed at city government. His comment struck a nerve with other residents who overheard him in Poppy Cake Bakery Wednesday morning and several joined in the conversation which quickly turned to Measure UUT that will be on the April Municipal Election ballot. The measure asks voters to increase the current Utility Users tax to 10%. It is currently at 8% and scheduled to reduce to 6% on July 1st. If the measure fails, the city will not have sufficient funds to support its Police and Fire Services, leaving Sierra Madre no alternative other than to contract out to the Sheriff’s Department on a permanent basis. (No other agency has expressed an interest in entering into a contract with Sierra Madre.) City Manager Elaine Aguilar acknowledged that the retirement of 3 officers at the end of 2015 and losing several other officers to better paying and/or more secure jobs has become a problem. “Chief Gianonne has been trying to recruit new officers from the academy but we are just not attracting new officers.” Although Sierra Madre is currently one of the safest cities in California and officers who patrol the city are not faced with the same level of violence and dangerous situations as in larger, better paying cities, a big contributor to the reluctance of potential new hires is the uncertainty of whether or not the Sierra Madre Police Department will be dismantled and contracted out. News of the city’s possible new relationship with the Arcadia PD did not allay any of those fears noted another resident. At Tuesday’s council meeting, the subject of temporarily contracting out to the Arcadia PD for additional coverage was taken off the consent agenda because the City of Arcadia had not yet responded to Sierra Madre’s offer. The offer is to have Arcadia PD cover Sierra Madre during shifts when no SMPD are available. Whether or not the city will be able to maintain its independent police department will be dependent on what happens with Measure UUT in April. With every candidate unopposed, voter turnout, or the lack thereof will be critical. During the discussion in the local bakery, lifelong resident and businessman Joe Feeney is not a fan of increased taxes bu is absolutely against contracting out Police and Fire Services. “We can cut other things but not our Police and Fire Departments!” RESCUE LOG SIERRA MADRE SEARCH AND RESCUE City of Sierra Madre PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE From: The City of Sierra Madre Subject: SUMMARY ORDINANCE NO. 1375: MUNICIPAL CODE TEXT AMENDMENT 15-05 (MCTA 15-05) Applicant: City of Sierra Madre Project Location: Properties in the City of Sierra Madre, County of Los Angeles, State of California On January 26, 2016 the City Council of the City of Sierra Madre introduced for first reading Ordinance No. 1375 amending Chapters 17.20 (“R-1 One Family Residential”) Section 17.20.053 (“Angle Plane”), Subsection 17.20.050.A.2 (“Front Yard Setbacks Greater Than 25 Feet”), and adding Section 17.20.115 (“Flag Lots and Exclusive Access Easements Prohibited”); amending Chapter 17.48 (“Development Standards”) Section 17.48.020 (“Height of Penthouses and Roof Structures”) and repealing Section 17.48.080 (“Modified Front Yard Cul-de-Sac”); amending Chapter 17.60 (“Variances and Conditional Use Permits”) Section 17.60.040 (“Conditional Use Permits—Burden of Proof”), Section 17.60.041 (“Additional Burden of Proof for Permits for Certain Noted Projects”) and Subsection 17.60.055.B (“Public Notice”). The changes include revisions to the conditional use permit findings, minor conditional use permit noticing requirements, clarification of prevailing front yard setback requirements, specifying chimneys as a permitted encroachment into the angle plane setback requirement, establishment of a maximum allowable height for chimneys, elimination of flag lots and exclusive access easements on newly created or reconfigured lots, and elimination of the modified front yard setback for cul-de-sacs. The City Council will conduct a second reading of Ordinance 1375 at the February 9, 2016 City Council Meeting at 6:30 PM, in the City Council Chambers at 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard. This summary is published pursuant to Government Code Section 36933(c)(1) and a full and complete certified copy of the text of Ordinance 1371 is available at the Sierra Madre City Manager’s Office located at City of Sierra Madre City Hall, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA. For further information on this subject, please contact the Planning and Community Preservation Department at (626) 355-7138. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The project qualifies for an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act review pursuant to Title 14, Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Code of Regulations as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the adoption of this Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment, because it will impose greater limitations on development in the City and protect the aesthetic character of Sierra Madre, thereby serving to reduce potential significant adverse environmental impacts. APPEAL: If in the future anyone wishes to challenge the decision of the City Council in court, one may be limited to raising the issues that were raised or presented in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or before, the scheduled public hearing. For further information on this subject, please contact the Planning and Community Preservation Department at (626) 355-7138. 2015 was a busy year for the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue (SMSR) Team. While December was a slow month with the Team responding to only three calls for assistance, the total count of operations for the year was 114. These calls allowed the Team to provide assistance to 164 individuals and 3 dogs lost or injured in the mountains. Over 3,890 hours of time were logged by Team members while on these calls. In addition to actual search and rescue calls, Team members contributed over 6,800 hours in support of the Team’s mission. This included 19 public preventative search and rescue (PSAR) events where Team members discuss wilderness safety and preparedness with scout groups, schools, and other community groups. Members participated in just under 4,500 hours of training covering a broad array of SAR disciplines necessary to maintain the high level of proficiency required to safely perform the Team’s mission. In total, Team members contributed over 10,700 hours of official time in support of the Team not counting unofficial time spent by individual Team members maintaining their readiness. The pace of operations has picked up in the first part of January with the Team responding to 4 calls for assistance over the January 9-10 weekend alone. The recent change in our weather has brought us the more typical winter conditions we haven’t seen for the past several years. Southern California has a very wide range of climate zones and it is not unusual for our local mountains to experience significant snow and rain as well as very low temperatures. There is no way you can pack for every contingency, but you should ensure that you are prepared for the conditions and are carrying and know how to use, key basic survival items including; a map, insulated/waterproof clothing, a headlamp or flashlight, communication or signaling device, sun/eye protection, first aid supplies, fire starter, food/water, emergency shelter, and a knife or multi-tool. Don’t forget to always let someone know where you are going and when you will be home. Do not push too hard and exceed your physical abilities or experience. The mountains will wait for you! The Team extends our thanks to our partner emergency services agencies including; Sierra Madre Fire Department, Sierra Madre Police Department, LA County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the US Forest Service, and our fellow SAR teams. Most importantly, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the residents of Sierra Madre and those that support the Team and enable us to help those in need. For over 60 years the all- volunteer Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team has been responding to calls for help in the local mountains and beyond. Funded entirely by private donations, SMSR provides a range of public programs on wilderness safety in addition to its search and rescue activities. The Team never charges for any of its services. For more information, including how to arrange a wilderness safety demonstration for your school or group, visit www.smsr.org. CALENDAR Pg. 2 SIERRA MADRE NEWS Pg. 3 AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Pg. 5 PASADENA/ALTADENA Pg. 6 ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 7 MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 7 EDUCATION & YOUTH Pg. 8 BEST FRIENDS Pg. 9 HEALTHY & FOOD Pg. 10 THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 11 City of Sierra Madre PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE From: The City of Sierra Madre Subject: Summary Ordinance No. 1371: THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED MUNICIPAL CODE TEXT AMENDMENT 15-04, ESTABLISHING ORDINANCE 1371, AMENDING TITLE 17, CHAPTER 17.10 (MARIJUANA CULTIVATION AND MARIJUANA DISPENSARY) OF THE SIERRA MADRE MUNICIPAL CODE Applicant: City of Sierra Madre Project Location: Properties in the City of Sierra Madre, County of Los Angeles, State of California On January 26, 2016, the City Council of the City of Sierra Madre introduced for second reading Ordinance 1371 amending Chapter 17.10 of the Municipal Code, establish local control measures prohibiting the growing of live plants, cultivation, processing, testing, transporting, and distribution of marijuana as a business in all zones. The purpose of Municipal Code Text Amendment 15-04 is to further an objective of the City of Sierra Madre’s 2007 Ordinance No. 1266, prohibiting in all zones marijuana dispensaries which involves the distribution of drugs or other substances which is illegal to distribute or possess under federal law. The proposed Ordinance complies with the requirements of Assembly Bills 243 and 266, and Senate Bill 643, each containing key provisions of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. The Ordinance was approved upon specified Health and Safety Code finding 11362.777(b)(3) and pursuant to Government Code Section 36937, and becomes effective on February 22, 2016. This summary is published pursuant to Government Code Section 36933(c)(1) and a full and complete certified copy of the text of Ordinance 1371 is available at the Sierra Madre City Manager’s Office located at City of Sierra Madre City Hall, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA. For further information on this subject, please contact the Planning and Community Preservation Department at (626) 355-7138. THE ARTS Pg. 12 BUSINES NEWS & TRENDS Pg. 13 THE WORLD AROUND US Pg. 14 OPINION Pg. 15 LEGAL NOTICES Pg. 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com |