MOUNTAIN VIEWS NEWS TO HONOR 2025 GRADUATES

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The Class of 2025 - tomorrow's leaders - deserve to be honored! Send to: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Subject: Class of 2025

 
SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025

VOLUME 19 NO. 20VOLUME 19 NO. 20

345 Foothill Avenue, Sierra MadreCompass 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 ap-
proximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.EJan Greteman 626.975.4033lic #01943630Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273lic #00541631webbmartingroup.com3 BD | 3 BA | 2234 SF | 8366 SF LOT
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CITY FALLS BEHIND IN ZERO-EMISSION REQUIREMENTS By Kevin McGuire

For Sierra Madre to set an example as a leader 
in sustainability and innovation, it must first 
implement a fleet of zero-emission Municipal 
vehicles to meet California’s aggressive goal 
of improving air quality and reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions. And so far, the city is lagging 
a bit behind. 

In 2023, California enacted several mandates 
promoting zero-emission technology for vehicle 
fleets, including the Advanced Clean 
Fleets (ACF) regulation, which targets municipal 
fleets to meet key requirements and 
milestones, including 50% zero-emission vehicles 
(ZEV) starting in 2024 and 100% ZEV 
by 2027. 

Such a Municipal Fleet Electrification Plan 
would require changes to the city’s infrastructure 
as well, as electric charging stations 
would be needed at all city facilities. This raises 
the same question as always—what about 
the cost?

Eric Lozick, Management Analyst, presented 
to the City Council on May 13, 2025, highlighting 
the importance of meeting compliance 
and discussing options to cover the 
plan's costs, including seeking grants, rebates, 
and partnerships to help offset some of the expenditures. 
Council Member Gene Goss was 
not in attendance. 

In addition to not meeting the 50% EV goals 
as part of meeting ACF annual requirements, 
Sierra Madre was also required to send a 
record-keeping report to the California Air 
Resources Board (CARB) starting on April 1, 
2024, to demonstrate compliance. As of this 
May 13 City Council meeting, no report had 
been filed. 

What is the penalty for not being compliant? 
According to Lozick, administrative penalties 
under the California Health and Safety Code 
could be as high as $10,000 per day, though 
no penalties have been issued to Sierra Madre 
just yet. Lozick stressed to the City Council 
the importance of filing this report to meet 
the ACF’s request and working on becoming 
compliant with the 50% EV fleet requirements. 

Lozick even pointed out that the last vehicles 
purchased by the city included no EVs. “The 
city recently purchased four new vehicles. 
Two of those were Ford Rangers, there was 
a Boom truck related to public service work, 
and a Ford F-250. Those vehicles—could have 
been EVs, and they should have been EVs 
meeting the 50% compliance from CARB and 
ACF,” Lozick stated. 

Director of Public Works Arnulfo Yanez defended 
the purchase of the four non-EVs as 
needed vehicles bought with American Rescue 
Plan Act (ARPA) funds for use during 
fires and mudslides. However, Yanez stated 
that he hopes to implement a five- and 10-year 
plan to address infrastructure needs and the 
purchase of required electric vehicles (EVs). 

The Future is Now

By achieving these goals sooner rather than 
later, Sierra Madre can take advantage of new 
vehicle offerings, accumulate “early action” 
credits, and realize long-term savings, as well 
as lower fuel and maintenance costs, according 
to a report by Lozick. This also puts the 
city in a position to lead by example in the 
quest for sustainability, innovation, and piloting 
new technologies. 

The ACF regulations would apply to vehicles 
with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over 8,500 
pounds. Emergency vehicles (Fire Engines, 
Police vehicles, ambulances) are exempt from 
these requirements, as are school buses, transit 
buses, and military tactical vehicles. Although 
not yet available, quality ZEV options 
for these types of vehicles are likely to be introduced 
in the future. 

These ACF regulations only apply to newly 
purchased vehicles. Sierra Madre will still 
be able to operate gas-powered vehicles, but 
when those vehicles are no longer operational, 
replacement vehicles should be ZEVs. 

In addition, California has mandated that all 
new passenger cars, SUVs, and light pick-up 
trucks in the state be zero-emission by 2035. 

Going Electric

Moving forward with electric vehicles means 
adding facilities to charge up. The city is looking 
at options for several charging locations, 
including the City Yard (Public Works), the 
Police Department parking area, and possibly 
City Hall or other sites where municipal vehicles 
are housed. The city currently has two 
Level 2 charging stations at the Police Station. 
City Staff will work with Southern California 
Edison and other technical consultants to review 
the necessary components, including 
new electrical panels, transformers, and dedicated 
circuits, needed to handle the increased 
demand. 

Then there are other factors to consider, such 
as making sure our vehicles are ready during 
a power outage and having backup power options 
at hand. Then, of course, zoning codes, 
building codes, Americans with Disabilities 
Act requirements, and meeting California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA) standards. 
What was it that a wise man once said? “With 
great power comes great responsibility.” 

The Savings Might Shock You

As the City reviews monetary options to set 
the initial spark for an eco-friendly Sierra 
Madre, the long-term cost savings could prove 
significant. Electricity is cheaper by the mile 
than gas or diesel, and its price is more stable. 
This could be a factor in more reliable budget 
planning. According to the report, some 
municipalities have seen a 60-70% reduction 
in fuel expenditures after introducing electric 
vehicles (EVs) into their mix.

Additionally, the maintenance requirements 
for electric vehicles (EVs) are lower than those 
of gas-powered vehicles. Other cities have reported 
a decrease of up to 80% in maintenance 
and repair costs following the introduction of 
EVs. Some of the towns already implementing 
EV programs include South Pasadena, Pasadena, 
Santa Monica, and Culver City. Notably, 
South Pasadena made National News headlines 
after switching its entire police force to 
electric vehicles by leasing Teslas. 

City staff have identified several funding 
sources and financial assistance programs to 
help initiate the Municipal Fleet Electrification 
Plan. 

• The Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck
and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) is
a key program for public agencies looking to
buy medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. HVIP
provides point-of-sale vouchers that directly
reduce the purchase price of eligible zero-
emission trucks and buses, with incentives
typically ranging from around $7,500 up to
$120,000+ per vehicle, depending on the vehicle 
class.

• The Carl Moyer Program could help
fund the replacement of any older, high-polluting 
trucks in our fleet. For instance, if we
have a pre-2010 diesel vehicle, we might receive 
a grant to retire it and replace it with an
electric vehicle (EV).

• The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction 
Review Committee (MSRC) runs a
Local Government Partnership Program that
offers grants to cities for zero-emission vehicles 
and infrastructure. In recent years, the
MSRC program has (Continued on Page 3)


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. ©2025 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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LET'S FIGHT SCAMS 
TOGETHER By Kellie Strubinski

Scams are everywhere. Avoiding scams is 
easier than you think.

 Your first line of defense is to say "No" to all requests 
that you receive asking for money, information 
or offering you some type of assistance. Usually, these 
requests are accompanied with a sense of urgency. 
Beware.

 If you get a text, email, letter or phone call requesting 
money/payment or information that you didn't 
initiate, delete the text, email or hang up. If you get a 
solicitor at your door, either don't answer it if you don't 
know them or close your door if they want money or 
information that seems suspicious. If this makes you 
feel rude or disrespectful, that's OK. Now is the time to 
be "rude".

 Letters can be intercepted in the mail and deposit 
account numbers can be swapped out for fraudulent 
account numbers. Before sending money to an account 
in a letter, confirm the account number with the vendor. 

 If you are unsure of the request, call the establishment 
directly to verify the request. Don't let Logos 
fool you into thinking the request is real.

 It is good to have a scam protector. Pick someone 
in your family or friend circle that you agree to contact 
when you are unsure of a request. Often a second 
opinion will help reveal to you that someone is trying to 
scam you.

 Get good at inspecting URLs and email addresses. 
Often the first characters look legitimate but the last 
characters do not. That can be the first red flag. Even if 
the URL and email address pass your tests, it is still wise 
to contact the vendor/establishment directly if something 
seems suspicious.

 If you get a ransom request or repair request 
(computer popup window) on your computer, turn your 
computer off and take a break before turning it back on. 
Be careful not to click on links that are questionable. 

 QR Codes: If you can run your fingers over the 
code and it feels like a sticker, avoid it. Scammers put 
their own QR Codes over legitimate codes.

 Look into getting a RFID wallet to avoid people 
walking close to your wallet and electronically scanning 
payment from one of your credit cards. 

 At ATMs, cover your hand when you enter your 
access code so that miniature cameras that scammers 
can place on ATM Kiosks can't record your fingers.

 Freeze your credit with the Credit Bureaus. It is 
easy to unfreeze when needed.

(Continued on page 3)

INSIDE THIS WEEK

AROUND TOWNPage 2

SIERRA MADRE NEWS Page 3

PASADENA NEWSPage 4

 

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Page 5

 

FIRE RECOVERY INFORMATION Page 6 

EDUCATION & YOUTHPage 7

PUZZLES FOR YOUPage 7

FOOD-DRINK-FUNPage 8

 Dining With Peter Dills

 The Tasting Room - Gustavo Lira

BEST FRIENDS Page 9

 THE GOOD LIFE Page 10

OPINION. Page 
11

LEGAL NOTICESPage 12

SPORTS & FITNESS & MORE Page 14

 Fitness For Life...............Michele Kidd

 Unlock Your Life............Lori Harris

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSSES Page 15