SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 
VOLUME 15 NO. 25VOLUME 15 NO. 25 
broker lic. #01514230 | source: CoreLogic, Freddie Mac, Bankrate 
Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 
jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630 
Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 
jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
Katie Orth 626.688.0418 
korth@dppre.com #00942500 
We are active and doing business 
safely and successfully. Call us today 
if you are looking to buy or sell! 
Your Story. Your Home. Your Team. 
Together Stronger. 
We're still here for you! We can 
show you homes and meet with you 
over video. 
THE 
WEBB-MARTIN GROUP 
SOLD $187,000 OVER LIST PRICE 
AT $1,337,500 IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS 
IN ESCROW WITH MULTIPLE OFFERS 
446 Theresa Lane 
Sierra Madre, 91024 
2250 Brigden Road 
Pasadena, 91104 
446TheresaLane.com2250Brigden.com3 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,700 sf 
2 Beds + Office/Den | 2 Baths | 1,800 sf 
A canopy of mature oak trees frames this lovely, 
two owner traditional that has not been on the 
market since 1984. Built by prominent Pasadena 
builder, O.K. Earl. It offers 2 bedrooms, 1.75 baths, 
den/office (could be 3rd bedroom), formal dining 
room and living room with fireplace in 1800 square 
feet. Beautiful hardwood floors! Detached double 
garage and lushly landscaped front and rear yards. 
Congratulations 
Class of 2021! 
'GABE' ENGELAND CALLS IT QUITS 
As word spread throughout the community 
that Sierra Madre City Manager Gabriel 
"Gabe" Engeland had resigned, reactions 
were to be expected. "Oh No!" "Why". 
"What Are We Going To Do Now", "He Was 
So Good For Our Community", and on and 
on. Even the few that were not particularlyfond of some of his decisions during his 4 
plus years leading the city, acknowleged that 
he did an outstanding job overall.

 Engeland, City Manager since March, 2017informed the council of his decision on 
Tuesday to accept the City Manager's job in 
the larger Northern California city of Los 
Altos.

 Sierra Madre Mayor Arizmendi said, " 
“The City of Sierra Madre is in a better place 
because of City Manager Gabe Engeland's 
contributions. I am extremely thankful for 
his leadership and ability to create a culture 
of accountability, collaboration, and transparency. 
Albeit I wish he'd stay, I am grateful 
for the imprint Mr. Engeland will leave in our 
community.”

 Mayor Pro Tem Gene Goss added, “I am 
deeply appreciative of the years of exemplary 
service provided by City Manager Engeland. 

RESIDENTS ASK COUNCIL TO 
CONSIDER CURRENT DROUGHT 
CONDITIONS BEFORE MOVING 
FORWARD WITH 
PROPOSED DEVELOPEMENT 

Citing an national news story on the current drought, (https://
www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/drought-here-stay-westernu-
s-how-will-states-adapt-n1270248) Sierra Madre residents 
Matt Bryant, Alex Arrieta, Barbara Vellturo of the Protect Sierra 
Madre - Stop the Housing Project have asked the council 
to consider the impact of the the Meadows at Bailey Canyon 
project on the city's water supply. In a letter submitted to the 
council earlier this week the group writes: "Every article paints 
a more dire picture!! This is expected to be a long term serious 
drought - the City Council MUST plan past this year and next 
year and consider how the City will manage in the future, for it's 
citizens. if these prognostications become reality. It seems inevitable 
that increases in the price of the water we pay for, and/or 
restrictions on the purchase of that water WILL happen if the 
drought lasts for years, as is expected. 

When a serious threat is likely, or even possible, it is incumbent 
upon our leaders to consider all possible ramifications and plan 
for them. As soon as they know that the threat exists! There is 
NO threat to our way of life more dangerous than the possibility 
that our residents will not have enough quality, reasonably priced 
water in the future. And NO threat is more likely. 

In early June, 2014, Sierra Madre still had almost a year's water 
in reserve and the MWD, which supplies water to us through the 
SGVWMD, had 2 years water in reserve, yet those City leaders, 
which included two of our present City Council members, recognized 
that a Moratorium on anything that took more of the areas 
depleted water supplies than needed for our citizens would be the 
only reasonable solution. 

At that June 2014 City Council meeting, then Councilwoman 
Denise Delmar supported a building moratorium saying “We are 
irresponsible as citizens, as a City Council, as the human race, if 
we don’t take everything we could do right now to put in place 
holding off on any new water hookups to our water system” 

At its next 2014 meeting the Sierra Madre City Council enacted 
the Water Moratorium that was just lifted in early 2020. The 
drought situation is already, in June 2021, worse than it was when 
the 2014 moratorium was enacted. 

We do not know what other construction projects are already 
pending that will add to Sierra Ma-dre’s Water usage in the next 
few years, but we DO know that the New Urban West project, 
which would add 42 very large homes and an unknown number 
of ADUs, is scheduled to be considered by the Planning Commission 
and the City Council sometime in the fall. 

We also know (according to the City Manager) that the project 
is suggesting it will meet its require-ment of “Net Zero Water” by 
pre-buying all the water that those 42 homes will use in 50 years 
and using it to recharge our reservoirs. We do not know whether 
there is any agreement in place to buy that amount of water from 
the MWD which has already had it’s annual allotment cut to 5% 
and is now buying water to add to its reserve at 3 times the going 
rate. But even IF it were possible to buy hundreds of thousands of 
dollars’ worth of water, it would be morally bankrupt for our City 
to deliberately take more than our fair share, necessary for our 
citizens, from the region and the State, when the future supply of 
that precious commodity is imperiled. 

The 42 large homes project proposed by New Urban West is scheduled 
to be fully built and occu-pied in 2025. Is the City Council 
willing to gamble on what the Drought will be 4 years from now 
-and what the cost of water will be by then, if available?? If all 
the predictions are wrong and our City and the State have plentyof water, at any time in the future, the moratorium can alwaysbe lifted." MVNews 

His positive influence 
shaping the trajectory 
of our City government 
will be felt bySierra Madreans for 
many years to come. I 
wish Gabe and his family 
the very best in this 
new chapter in their 
lives.”

 The City Council directed 
staff to identifyinterim city manager 
candidates and to solicit 
bids from recruiters 
to help select a permanent 
replacement.

 When he was hired 
Engeland pledged to, " 
Gabe intends to fully engage 
with the community..." 
and he has done just that. Shown above (far 
right) at the Women's Club Thanksgiving Breakfast 
with Assemblyman Chris Holden, left, andformer Mayor John Capoccia in 2018, he waswell known not only for his extraordinary financial 
management prowess (the city just reported 

From Gabe Engeland To the residents of Sierra Madre:

It has been a great pleasure to serve this exceptional community as your CityManager. Over the past four years I have gotten to meet, work, collaborate, and 
laugh with so many of you. When I moved here from Colorado with my wife, 
our daughter was only six weeks old. We were coming to a new city, in a new 
state, for a new job, and we didn’t know anyone. As a first time father, and still 
trying to figure out exactly what that meant, the transition could have been 
overwhelming. But that’s not really how it goes 
in Sierra Madre. This village immediately embraced me and my family and 
made us feel at home. 

Everywhere we went, people would greet us with smiles and they made sure to 
welcome us to town. The comfort of knowing we lived in a friendly and caring 
community meant the world to me, and helped ease the stress of everything 
that was happening. 

My first weekend in Sierra Madre was the Wistaria Festival, and by attending, I 
was able to immediately learn many of the things that make our town wonderful. 
Perhaps it is fitting, that the last event I will attend as City Manager will be 
our 4th of July parade. Of all the things my daughter has done here, from attending 
school at Bethany, to the many programs and books at the Library, running 
rampant through Memorial Park, horse rides and sledding at the Winter 
Festival, and walks to see Blaze the pig, her favorite is the 4th of July parade. It 
is part of our annual tradition to go down Sunnyside and say “hi” to everyone 
before the parade starts. We then walk down the Boulevard to wave to the cars 
and celebrate with our friends. I am happy that this tradition can be extended 
one last time. 

As I leave to accept a similar position in Los Altos, I am proud of all that we 
have accomplished during my time here. Sierra Madre is the premiere community 
in the San Gabriel Valley and the best place to live in Southern California. 
The community endures and remains special—and will continue to do so, because 
of the way all of us love this little village. I am happy to have been a small 
part of a great town and I look forward to watching Sierra Madre as it continues 
to thrive. 

I will forever be thankful to the City Council for trusting me to lead the government 
as City Manager and I am grateful for all of the residents that allowed 
me to serve them. The employees in Sierra Madre are the most committed and 
hardest working in the State. I feel very fortunate that I can count so many as 
friends. It is with sincere and deep gratitude that I say goodbye to Sierra Madre,
but I also understand, as many people have learned before me, Sierra Madre 
remains in the heart of the people who have been fortunate enough to call this 
place home. Even if it was only home for a short time. 

My last day of regular office hours will be Friday, July 9th. I will remain in town 
the following week and will continue to wind down projects, work with the 
interim City Manager, and be available to the City Council and City Attorney, 
until Friday, July 16th, which will be my last day of employment. After this date 
I will, of course, remain available for anything that is needed and I will continue 
to support theminterim City Manager, and do all that I can to ensure a smooth 
transition. 

Respectfully, Gabriel L. Engeland 

a $2 million dollar surplus, (http://mtnviewsnews.
com/), his management style is showcased 
best by city staff under his direction. Without 
question the City of Sierra Madre will miss him.
Below is the letter that he has written to the citizeins 
of Sierra Madre regarding his tenure hereand his departure. S. Henderson/MVNews