DON'T FORGET - SPRING FORWARD!

 
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024 

VOLUME 18 NO. 10VOLUME 18 NO. 10

webbmartingroup.comJan Greteman 
626.975.4033 | lic #01943630Judy Webb-Martin 
626.688.2273 | lic #00541631Katie Orth 
626.688.0418 | lic #00942500WISTARIA 
FESTIVAL2024Come Spend a Day in the Charming 
Village of Sierra Madre, California 
Sunday, March 17, 10AM–6PMCompass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing 
Opportunity laws. Lic. #01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational 
purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes 
in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as 
to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. If your 
property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.
Embrace Sierra Madre’s 
Charm with Local ExpertsAs residents deeply rooted in this community, our 
commitment goes beyond just transactions; it’s 
about fostering relationships and nurturing the 
vibrant spirit of Sierra Madre. At the forefront 
of this legacy stands Judy Webb-Martin, the 
visionary leader who became the first woman to 
run a real estate office in Sierra Madre. Join us in 
celebrating our past, present, and the promising 
future ahead as we continue to serve Sierra Madre 
with dedication.
95 Combined Years in 
the Real Estate Business
RESIDENTS BEGIN 
SIGNATURE DRIVE 
TO PROTECT PUBLIC 
SAFETY IN SIERRA 
MADRE

THUNDER, LIGHTNING & 
MOUNTAIN LIONS.....

SIERRA MADRE LAST WEEK!

Photos by Dirk Bolle


The peace and tranquility of Sierra Madre (save a 
Mountain Lion, Bear or nosey Racoon or two, is 
the essence of what makes the town one of the most 
desireable places in the world to live. 

The ability to live in a community knowing that in the 
event of an emergency, Police, Fire and Paramedics 
are available at a moments notice is cherished and has 
motivated a number of residents to take the proactive 
step of making certain that these services continue.

Residents James Walsworth and Ted Saraf recently filed 
a Notice of Intent to "petition within the City of Sierra Madre 
for the purpose of adding sections 3.38.010 through 3.38.150 
to Title 3, Chapter 3.38 of the Sierra Madre Municipal Code, 
to implement a parcel tax to increase funding for personnel 
costs associated with police, fire and paramedic services 
within the City." , 

 

Sierra Madre has its own police department to serve the 
community and several years ago, the city transitioned 
from an All Volunteer Fire Department to a fully paid fire 
department. Before doing so, extensive research was done 
as to possible alternatives such as contracting with the County 
Sheriff Department and/or neighboring cities. In the end, it 
was revealed that such a move would not be cost effective and 
service to the community would most likely diminish. At that 
time, citizens passed a User Utility Tax to cover the expense of 
the two departments.

Since then, however, times have changed. Although Public 
Safety is the largest porton of the General Fund, additional 
resources are needed to sustain SMPD and SMFD. One major 
issue is the need to keep wages for Sierra Madre's Public 
Safety professionals comparable to other agencies serving 
cities of this size in order to avoid turnover.

Proponents of the tax state, 

"Protecting the citizens of Sierra Madre is the highest purpose 
of the City’s government. Fast emergency response times and 
crime prevention are necessary to maintain the high standard 
of living that Sierra Madre residents have historically enjoyed. 
Without an adequately funded Police and Fire Department, 
the City and its citizens are unnecessarily placed at risk from 
crime, property damage, slow 9-1-1 response times, and 
myriad public safety issues. 

The City’s general fund has historically been insufficient to 
fund a properly staffed Police and Fire Department, leading 
to myriad public safety ills. In order to avoid any public safety 
issues in the future, this measure would create a separate, 
special fund which will allow the City to properly fund its 
Police and Fire Departments, allowing the departments 
to offer competitive pay packages to officers as compared 
to other municipalities, improve recruitment efforts, and 
maintain fully staffed and functioning departments. 

Setting up and funding this special set aside fund will allow the 
City to protect its citizens and maintain the high standard of 
living enjoyed by Sierra Madre residents." 

You can read the complete notice, including the anticipated 
increase in parcel taxes on page 14 of this edition.

S, Henderson/MVNews

As if more rain combined with Flash Flood Warnings and Thunder and 
Lightening weren't enough, our wildlife neighbor pictured above, decided to 
take a stroll down Grand View on Wednesday for the second time in less than 
30 days.

It was reported by witnesses and Channel 5 News, that "Video footage captured 
the big cat as it moved through the shrubbery of a Sierra Madre resident’s home 
near East Grandview and Foothill avenues at around 1 a.m. The animal moved 
up toward the fence before it hopped over a retaining wall into a neighboring 
driveway. 

After a moment, the mountain lion returned the way it had come and was last 
seen walking up the street and into the darkness of another resident’s property. 

On Thursday, rain poured on the city and caused rushes of water down Sierra 
Madre Blvd, the amount of which appeared to overwhelm the newly updated 
storm sewers. At press time, however, there were no reports of flood damage 
or accidents as a result.

Yes, just another week in the perfect little town of Sierra Madre.


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 
Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offi ces which are 
owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offi ces which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing 
Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
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GREAT time 
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LOW
INSIDE THIS WEEK

YOUR VOICE....YOUR VOTE

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