Happy Thanksgiving

 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023 

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Interest Rates DroppedJan Greteman 626.975.4033lic #01943630Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273lic #00541631Katie Orth 626.688.0418lic #00942500THANKSGIVING-HAPPY-
SIERRA MADRE WOMAN’S CLUB HOLDS 
47TH COMMUNITY INTERFAITH PRAYER 
BREAKFAST

Above (l to r): Steven Licata, Cantor Ruth Berman-Harris, Mr. Raiz Khan 
and wife. Photo by L. Aguilar

 Sierra Madre Woman’s Club’s 47th Annual CommUNITY Interfaith Prayer 
Breakfast the morning of November 16th’ was an amazing, delicious and powerfully 
inspiring Breakfast. Due to the SMWC's 1914 Essick House facility challenges, 
the event was held at The Lodge on E. Sierra Madre Blvd The response from 
the community was overwhelming with this year's event rumored to be the largest 
ever. 

 Representatives from U.S. House Representative Judy Chu’s office, Assemblymember 
for District 41 Chris Holden’s office, and LA County Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger’s were present. Sierra Madre Mayor Edward Garcia, and council 
members Kelly Kriebs and Gene Goss were joined by City Manager Jose Reynoso, 
Retiring Public Works Director Chris Cimino, Retiring Planning Director Vincent 
Gonzales, SMPD Police Chief Gus Barrientos, Fire Chief Brent Bartlett and SMPD 
Captain Henry Amos. Former Mayors John Harabedian, (currently running for CA 
State Assembly District 41), and Clem Bartolai were also in attendance. The new 
BMO Bank Manager, Asme Chaudry and her assistant, Mark Karghaian, as well as 
the new Cancer Support Community’s CEO, Patricia Ostillier, were introduced to 
the community.

 SMWC Past President Mary Carney moderated the event. Following the 
Pledge of Allegiance and “God Bless America”, the Invocation was provided by the 
Religious Services Director, Mr. Raiz Khan, of the Masjid Gibrael of San Gabriel. He 
was followed by Pastor Darin Kennedy, of the Church of Christ on North Lima, Mr. 
Steven Licata from the Baha'i Faith, Cantor Ruth Berman of the Pasadena Jewish 
Temple and Center, who engaged the audience in a song that reminded everyone of 
our need to "build this world from love". Pastor Jae Duk Lew of Sierra Madre United 
Methodist Church reminisced about his family sustaining their health through 
the long and bitter Korean winters during his youth. He likened it to each of us 
storing up our own resources of faith to sustain us through our own personal and 
society’s challenges and tribulations. 

 The Sierra Madre Woman's Club thanks everyone who supported this event. 
It was a wonderful display of CommUNITY working together.

Mark your 2024 November calendar’s 3rd Wednesday so you can join us next year.

CITY COUNCIL PAVES 
WAY FOR POLICE 
RAISES By Kevin McGuire

After negotiations and several budget meetings, the City 
has approved the consideration of a seven percent cost-of-
living adjustment to Police Association Members, effective 
retroactively to July 2, 2023, and a five percent cost-of-
living adjustment for the fiscal year 2024-25. 

In addition, an update was made to incentive pay language, 
allowing employees to cash out their Public Safety 
Holiday Leave at the time of service retirement with the 
city. Before this change, an employee could only cash 
out at the end of the fiscal year. Assistant City Manager 
Miguel Hernandez anticipates three retirements over the 
next three or four years. 

During the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 
14, 2023, Resolution 23-70 passed, adopting the 
Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between the 
City of Sierra Madre and the Police Association, and Resolution 
23-71 passed, amending the Classification Plan and 
Salary Matrix and adopted amendments to the Terms and 
Conditions of Employment (TCE) for executive management 
and confidential-exempt employees. 

The city also agreed to amend the current Education Incentive 
from a percentage of 5% to a flat rate of $250 per 
28-day Fair Labor Standards Act period when an employee 
obtains their POST certificate. Furthermore, according 
to the staff report, both parties agreed to revise the 
language, allowing for the education stipend and POST 
incentive to be combined. 

The amendment to the Classification Plan and Salary Matrix 
opens up the creation of a new part-time Police Sergeant 
position. Currently, the Department has part-time 
police officers and a part-time Lieutenant position, which 
is presently vacant. 

The new Sergeant will assist with day-to-day operations. 
This new position would offer an opportunity to have tenured 
and experienced sergeants with vast experience in 
patrol, planning, administration, management, supervisor 
oversight, risk management, and community policing, 
according to a presentation by Hernandez. 

The new Sergeant's duties include managerial oversight, 
operational efficiency implementation, community and 
officer relations improvement, training, planning, scheduling, 
mentoring, and guidance. Lastly, the position will 
also be a backfill for watch commander duties. 

City Council also approved the following amendments to 
the TCE. 

• CalPERS Public Employees’ Medical and Hospital 
Care Act (PEMHCA), which the City has been
participating in since 1995. Under Government Code
Section 22892 of the California Public Employees
Retirement Law, for the calendar year 2023, the City
contributes $151.00 for each employee towards a PERS
Health Care Plan, which is adjusted annually.

 

• In 2016, the City Council adopted the Classified
Employees Association MOU, which had negotiated
for a longevity pay incentive. At that time, the incentive 
was extended to both Executive Management and
Confidential-Exempt employees. This practice has
been in place and budgeted annually. Adding the longevity 
pay to the TCE memorializes the process for
executive management and Confidentiality-exempt
employees.

• Other items being proposed for change in the
Executive Management TCE are adding the Deputy
City Manager position, removing the Police Captain
position, and adding language in the Executive Management 
TCE that provides a correct calculation of
Public Safety Holiday Leave for the Police and Fire
Chief who work a 4/10 work schedule.

An additional item concerning the retiree medical insurance 
is that the amendment updates the eligibility hire 
dates and reduces the years of service from 30 to 20 years, 
which will be presented to the City Council for adoption 
at a later date. Both resolutions passed unanimously. 


Eileen Benson626.278.0187CalRE# 01880650Barbara Rogers626.484.8135CalRE# 01169115Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. Affi liated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All 
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InSIDE THIS WEEK

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: 

FROM OUR KITCHENS Page 9

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

ARCADIA MAN CONVICTED OF CONSUMER 

FRAUDPage 8

SIERRA MADRE NEWS .Pgs 3- 4

PASADENA NEWSPage 5

 NEIGHBORING CITIES Page 6/7

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Page 8 

EDUCATION & YOUTHPage 10

PUSD and UTP Reach Tentative Agreement

BEST FRIENDSPage 11

THE GOOD LIFEPage 12

OPINION . Page 13

SPORTS..Page 17

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