SIERRA MADRE EDITION

 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 

VOLUME 12 NO. 36

CITY TO CONSIDER PERMANENT WATER 
CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS

SMPD OFFICER TOM ONDERDONK HONORED


On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at the Sierra Madre 
City Council meeting, the Proposed Ordinance No. 
1403 relating to prohibited water uses, expanding 
permanent restrictions on wasteful water practices 
(including prohibiting watering of turf on medians 
and watering within 48 hours after precipitation or 
to cause runoff); expanding the prohibition on the 
period of time turf or landscaping may be irrigated to 
the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The proposed Ordinance 
also amends Section 13.24.230 of the Sierra Madre 
Municipal Code to expand the number of days each 
week that irrigation is permitted, from two days to 
three days of irrigation per week as a permanent 
conservation practice.

 

According to the staff report prepared for the council, 

Mandatory Water Conservation Regulations became 
effective on July 29, 2014 establishing prohibited water 
uses. On April 7, 2017 Governor Brown declared that 
the statewide drought emergency had ended (although 
drought conditions persist in many parts of California) 
and ordered permanent restrictions on wasteful 
practices of water usage. The permanent prohibitions 
on wasteful use of water maintain conservation as a 
way of life.

The lifting of the drought emergency allows the City to 
implement its own water conservation strategy. Over 
the past 4 years Sierra Madre residents struggled to 
keep turf areas healthy while they complied with the 
challenges of two days per week watering. The most 
notable challenge is meeting the weekly watering 
requirement without allowing wasteful runoff. In 
many cases two days per week watering requires 
irrigation systems to cycle irrigation multiple times per 
day to prevent runoff and meet turf weekly watering 
requirement. For irrigation systems with multiple 
controllers and settings this could be a complicated 
process. As a result some irrigation systems are applying 
water with the intent of maintaining landscape with 
little beneficial use. 

Staff is recommending amending SMMC 13.24.230 
making three days a week outdoor watering a 
permanent conservation practice. By allowing an 
additional day of watering, residents will be able 
to more efficiently and effectively apply water to 
landscape by spreading the weekly requirement over 
a three day period. This would also permit shorter 
watering periods (and less run-off potential) for each 
of the three days.

In addition, Staff is recommending that the ordinance 
include all permanent prohibitions on wasteful water 
use. Permanent restrictions shall prohibit wasteful 
practices such as:

•Hosing of sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes;

•Washing automobiles with hoses not equipped with
a shut-off nozzle;

•Using non-recirculated watering a fountain or other
decorative water feature;

•Watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff, or
within 48 hours after measurable precipitation; and

•Irrigating ornamental turf on public streets medians.

It is also being proposed that the city expand 
prohibited use of irrigation to 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

To view the full report, go to: http://www.
cityofsierramadre.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.
aspx?itemId=13953906


Sierra Madre Police Chief Joe Ortiz 
recently presented Officer Tom Onderdonk 
with a Letter of Achievement for 
his outstanding performance as a Drug 
Recognition Expert. 

A member of SMPD since 2016, Onderdonk 
along with SMPD Officer Mark 
Deem received training in the national 
Drug Recognition and Classification 
Program. Their training is designed for 
the identification of abusers of prescription 
drugs, including narcotic analgesics
such as those prescribed as anti-depressants 
and anti-anxiety medications. Operating motor vehicles under the influence of such drugs 
has increasingly become a problem as citations for Driving Under The Influence (DUI) is more 
than being impaired by either alcohol and marijuana.

Onderdonk, as an expert, recently conducted training for CalTech's security team for which 
he was widely praised by the Cal Tech officials. 

 A married father of two, Onderdonk managed to complete his Drug Evaluation training at 
the head of his class, No. 1 out of 98 participants. He and Deem are the first two SMPD officers 
to go through the DRE program courtesy of a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety 
and was administered by the California Highway Patrol. The program is one of several sponsored 
nationwide by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The training includes a 72 
hour classroom course and a separate 32 hour field certification course. S. Henderson/MVNews

Tom Onderdonk

SIERRA MADRE MANAGEMENT ANALYST JAMES CARLSON 
AMONG SPEAKERS ON DISASTER PREPARATION

Designing for Disaster

Saturday, September 8 at 10:30 AM - 2:30 
PM

 Descanso Gardens

1418 Descanso Dr, 

La Canada Flintridge, California 91011



Explore the ways home gardens and public 
spaces can help reduce the risk of fires, floods 
and other natural disasters. The seminar will 
be comprised of two sessions, which can be 
taken together or as individual classes.




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