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SIERRA MADRE EDITION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 VOLUME 11 NO. 38 SIERRA MADRE TO CONSIDER COPS GRANT Council will discuss accepting $100,000 to assist with SMPD Policing At next week’s City Council meeting, the council will discuss whether or not to accept the “Citizens Option for Public Safety, Supplemental Law Enforcement Service Funds” (COPS/SLESF) that have been approved by the State of California for Sierra Madre. If accepted, it will not be the first time the city has received such funds, but the need for this additional support may very well be more critical than ever before given the increase in residential burglaries in not only Sierra Madre, but surrounding cities. Sierra Madre has received the grants every year since 1996. According to the staff report to be presented Tuesday evening, the funds, “ have certain restrictions on their use, which include the fact that they must be used to support “frontline” police operations, require a public hearing as to proposed use, and that they must not supplant funds that would normally be used for police operations. These funds do not require any matching contribution from the City.” In the past, according to the city, nearly seventy-five percent of the funds received from this grant, will fund the city’s current Community Service Officer (CSO) program. CSO’s perform a variety of non-hazardous duties in support of sworn personnel, including report preparation, investigation and public education. Sierra Madre now has two CSO’s working in the unit. One officer is dedicated to community outreach and social media and the other officer is assigned to uniformed position(s) in Patrol, Crime Prevention, Evidence, Administration, Investigation, Parking Enforcement or other duties within the Police Department. Additionally, the CSO Program will continue to provide focus on crime prevention and parking enforcement as well as taking some of the non-law enforcement duties away from the police officers, allowing them more time to focus on high visibility patrols and enforcement. Community Service Officer. If approved, the funds received this year will go towards: Community Service Officer Program Cost: $75,000 Helicopter Services - payment to Foothill Air Support for annual Police Helicopter Services in the community. Cost: $12,000 ICI Radio System - Annual ICIS subscriber cost for radio system. Cost: $13,000 CITY LIKELY TO AMEND CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN Earlier this month, the Sierra Madre City Council, after hearing from residents, decided to consider making changes in the Mandatory Water Conservation plan and amendments that have been enacted beginning in 2013. At that time, the city imposed water conservation goals for each household, changed the method for calculating water use and adjusted the billing cycles. Later they also implemented penalties for those households that did not comply. The conservation targets became a bone of contention among many residents due to what some have described as unrealistic targets based upon the size of the home and/ or household. The imposition of a tiered billing system was also cited as being unfair by many residents and, the penalties were deemed excessive for many households. At recent public meetings, residents have shared horror stories about exorbitant bills. In 2016, the council revised the penalty for water consumed in excess of customers’ water conservation targets. The penalty was raised from two-times the tier 1 rate to two- times the tier 4 rate. Another issue raised by residents is the fact that the entire city is not all on the same ‘seasonal’ schedule. (Half the town had their rates calculated on ‘winter rates’ while the other half was calculated on ‘summer rates’.) A recent analysis of the effectiveness of the city’s conservation efforts by city staff, it was noted that between July 2016 and July 2017 the number of households that exceeded their conservation goals had increased significantly despite the penalties. (It should be noted that California Governor Jerry Brown did not announce that the drought was ‘over’ until April,2017). Water conservation is still a priority in Sierra Madre in order to restore our wells to satisfactory levels, but the council is considering the following: Discontinuance of Seasonal Conservation Targets: On July 9, 2013 City Council established seasonal water conservation goals. The idea was to identify seasonal water conservation goals replacing the previous “base year average bi-monthly consumption” calculation. Using a summer and winter conservation target would result in a shorter base period; instead of using an average of a full year’s consumption, only six months (three billing cycles) of consumption would be averaged. This would result in less variation between the consumption target and the customers’ actual usage. The majority of water use is consumed by landscape irrigation with up to 75% of water used for outdoor irrigation. For this reason excessive water use typically occurs during summer months when landscape irrigation demands are greater. Winter conservation is driven by the shorter and cooler seasonal days resulting in lower outdoor watering requirements. Peak demand occurs in the months of June through September with up to 50% of the City’s water use occurring in those 4 months. All residents will have their targets now based on what was previously calculated as their “summer” target throughout the year. The summer target will maintain mandatory 30% conservation over the base year calculation. Return to Pre-May 2016 Penalties: In an effort to further water conservation and to help the City meet State imposed conservation goals, in 2016 the City Council set a penalty for water consumed in excess of a customer’s assigned water conservation goal at 2 times Tier 4 rate per billing unit used in excess of the conservation target. The two-times tier 4 penalty went into effect July 1, 2016 and is applicable to water consumed after that date, and only applicable to the amount of water used in excess of the customer’s assigned conservation goal. The intent of the resolution was to target “Super Users” in an effort to curtail water use of the highest users in the City, Rescinding the current penalty will reestablish a penalty two times the Tier 1 volumetric rate, currently $5.38 per billing unit. The penalty would be applied to water used in excess of the established conservation goal. Both changes will be discussed at the next council meeting, Tuesday, September 23, 2017, 6:00 pm in City Council Chamber Source: City of Sierra Madre. For additional information go to: www.cityofsierramadre. com SIERRA MADRE ROSE FLOAT ASSOCIATION SEEKS APPLICATIONS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR PRINCESSES/ AMBASSADORS CITY LOOKING FOR HOMES TO TEST FOR LEAD AND COPPER LEVELS IN WATER SUPPLY Beware Sierra Madre!! - A Murder of Crows! Gentle citizens of Sierra Madre arm yourself, not with shotguns – with scarecrows! A convention of crows (a murder of crows) are arriving for their annual rally in our quiet village. Ignite imagination, not torches, as we band together to defend our streets, parks and public arenas, and quell these raucous intruders cloaked in black. Thus marks the beginning of fall. Sierra Madre’s 6th Annual Scarecrow Festival kicks off in October with scarecrows appearing throughout town through the end of the month. Individuals, families, businesses, civic and religious organizations located in Sierra Madre are invited to participate. This year’s calendar includes the following dates: Monday, Oct. 2nd Voting begins. Maps available online and at Creative Arts Group Saturday, Oct. 7 Free shuttle tour of scarecrows Thursday, Oct. 19 Voting ends at noon Friday, Oct. 20, Awards ceremony at Creative Arts Group 7pm Registration for the workshop, contest and bus tour can be complete online at www. creativeartsgroup.org/ scarecrow-festival as well as in person at Creative Arts Group, 108 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre, CA, 91024 or by phone: 626.355.8350. The Sierra Madre Rose Float Association is once again seeking applications for the position of Princess/Ambassador (in any combination of female/male) to represent the City at local functions and activities and to ride on our float on New Year’s Day in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade! This year we are searching for three (3) Princesses/Ambassadors who will not only have the honor of riding on the Sierra Madre float, but will have the pleasure of speaking to the Sierra Madre City Council and local service organizations and clubs. In addition, they will assist with float decorating and contribute to publicity opportunities. Princesses/Ambassadors will have a very exciting and educational year! Application Guidelines and Process: 1)Applicants must be 15 to 18 years old, have a 3.0 grade average and be a resident of Sierra Madre. 2)Applications may be picked up at City Hall, your High School or downloaded from the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association website: www.smrosefloat.org 3) Applications must be received at the SMRFA post office box by Friday, September 22th, 2017. Applications submitted later than September 22 will not be considered. 4)Applicants must be able to attend judging interviews on Sunday, September 24th at 3:00pm at the Sierra Madre Lodge. (No parents please.) 5)Princess Coronation Ceremony will be held Sunday, October 1, 3:15 PM at the Sierra Madre Lodge. Tickets are $5.00 for friends and family (candidates are free). Tickets will be available at the door. Refreshments will be served. For more information or questions, please contact Donna Sutcliffe at 626-355-8579. Sierra Madre must conduct lead and copper sampling as required by the State Water Resources Control Board. The City is currently looking for a few homes that meet certain criteria to complete its lead and copper sample requirements. If you have a home that contains copper pipes with lead solder installed before 1983 and you wish to participate in the lead and copper sample program please contact City staff Clare Lin or Jose Reynoso If your home does not meet this criteria and you wish to participate in the lead and copper sample program, a representative sample can be taken from most homes excluding homes plumbed with PEP pipe. The City is currently in need of 4 sample locations. For more information please contact Clare Lin or Jose Reynoso Clare Lin 626-355-7135 CLin@cityofsierramadre.com JReynoso@cityofsierramadre.com Jose Reynoso 626-264-8489 Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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 |