SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2015

VOLUME 9 NO. 43

Doc Brown Comes To Town!

COUNCIL HOLDS 
SPECIAL MEETING ON 
WATER CONSERVATION, 
ITS’ TOP PRIORITY

LOS ANGELES 
COUNTY SHERIFF 
DEPARTMENT 
TO DISCUSS 
SIERRA MADRE 
CONTRACT 
PROPOSAL ON 
OCTOBER 26TH

 The City of Sierra Madre invites members 
of the community to participate in an 
upcoming meeting for the Sheriff’s 
Contract Proposal Review Committee. 

The Committee will be interviewing the 
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department as a 
potential contractor at that time and, 
based on their findings, will formulate 
a recommendation to the City Council. 
The Sheriff’s Contract Proposal Review 
Committee will meet in City Hall 
Council Chambers on Monday, October 
26, 2015 at 6:00PM. This committee 
meeting is NOT televised. We invite 
those unable to attend to submit their 
questions and concerns via email at: 
psc@cityofsierramadre.com. 

 The recommendation is set to be 
presented at the next City Council 
meeting being held the next day, October 
27th.

 The committee was created in an effort 
to manage City resources in the wake of 
a diminishing UUT (Utility User Tax). 
The tax is set to decrease to 6% from the 
previous 8% on July 1, 2016; the equivalent 
of a $400,000 reduction in general fund 
revenue. The UUT makes up the second 
largest source of the City’s general fund 
revenue and has already seen a $500,000 
reduction from the previous fiscal year. 

 Lacking additional sources of revenue 
to replace the lost UUT, coupled with 
an inflationary growth in expenditures, 
the City could reach a million dollar 
deficit in 2016. While Sierra Madre seeks 
to continue operating efficiently and 
maintain the quality services its residents 
have come to enjoy, the budgetary 
impact could lead to severe cuts in local 
amenities including public safety. 

 For the latest information on these 
committees and more, visit the City’s 
website at: www.cityofsierramadre.com. 

 
In an effort to address the community’s concerns about the city’s 
water supply including its’ cost, the penalties and conservation issues, 
the City Council held a special session earlier this week. A synopsis of 
the meeting was made public:

“The City of Sierra Madre would like thank all the residents who have 
done their part to meet water conservation targets. Many residents 
have stepped up to the challenge by transforming their lawns with 
drought-resistant plants, reducing the water usage in their homes 
and diligently reporting water leaks. 

To step up the City’s efforts in turn, the Sierra Madre City Council 
held a Special Meeting on Monday, October 19th to discuss the City’s 
most pressing water issues. Based on input from the public and staff 
recommendations, the Council reached consensus on the following 
key issues:

• City staff has identified the 20 worst water mains 
throughout the water system in need of repairs. To begin 
to address the highest problem areas, the Council reached 
consensus to implement Phase 1 and 2 of the proposed 
emergency water main replacement program. 
• The City Council will consider a municipal code 
amendment to facilitate the collection of water citation fines 
on water bills. Water fines differ from penalties in that they do 
not appear on a customer’s utility bill as a result of excess water 
use, but rather as direct consequence for specific conservation 
violations such as irrigating one’s lawn outside of the prescribed 
watering days. 
• Staff will be contacting water customers who have 
exceeded their water conservation target by 30 or more units 
of water to offer assistance, such as providing a free water audit. 
Additionally, the Council has authorized the assessment of 
higher penalties for repeat high water consumers. 
• One-time leak forgiveness. The City Council will be 
considering a new policy to make a one-time only adjustment 
to a water bill after a major water leak on private property. 
• Consideration of individual water meters for new multi-
unit properties. 
• Additional water conservation measures including: 
prohibiting use of potable water for dust control for private 
construction projects and adopting state restrictions on 
watering within 48 hours of measurable rainfall.


The City Council did not vote on or enact any measures at Monday’s 
meeting, but provided staff with specific recommendations and 
directions. Projects, code amendments and resolutions to change 
policy will come back to the Council at a later time for further review. 

To view the full report, please visit the City website at: www.
cityofsierramadre.com. 

If you were in Kersting Court on October 21, 2015 and noticed Doc Brown 
and his DeLorean, you weren’t having flashbacks from the movie Back To 
The Future which celebrated its release 30 years ago that day. 

 You did however, see Doc, ok, Eric Almetz, and his authentic DeLorean. 
Almetz thought it was appropriate to commemorate the occaision by taking 
a ride into town! Photo courtesy J. Webb-Martin

NEXT REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015, 6:30PM

The final agenda and staff reports are available now online.

 The upcoming City Council Meeting will be discussing the consolidation of the City’s 
municipal election with the County, concurrently with a state or federal election. 
Additionally, Assembly Member Chris Holden will be making his Annual Address 
to the City Council. The City Council will also be discussing the consideration of 
Ordinance 1369 to increase and extend the rate structure of the Utility Users Tax to 
preserve and fund important city services and repealing section 3.36.230. 

Things To Do In Sierra 
Madre on October 
30th and 31st and....
People you thought 
were long gone..Pg. 18

LATEST DEVELOPMENT 
PROPOSAL FOR MATER 
DOLOROSA PROPERTY 
TO BE PRESENTED ON 
TUESDAY AT SIERRA 
MADRE KIWANIS CLUB

 The public is invited to attend the 
luncheon meeting of the SM Kiwanis 
Club on Tuesday, October 27th at noon 
to hear representatives of the proposed 
Mater Dolorosa present their latest 
development proposal. 

 Reservations for lunch are appreciated. 
Lunch is $10. The program will begin at 
12:30 and is free. Call 626-355-0728 for 
your lunch reservation.

 

CALENDAR Pg. 2

SIERRA MADRE NEWS

 Pg. 3

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Pg. 6


SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

 Pg. 7

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 7 
MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 9

BEST FRIENDS

 Pg. 10

FOOD & DRINK

 Pg. 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Pg. 12

THE GOOD LIFE

 Pg. 13

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 Pg. 14

THE WORLD

 Pg. 15

OPINION Pg. 16

 
LEGALS Pg. 17