Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 1, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 1, 2020 


SAN GABRIEL VALLEY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS LAUNCHES 
NEIGHBORHOOD COYOTE PROGRAM

January 27, 2020 – The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG), in partnership with the City of Arcadia, has 
officially launched its new regional public safety education and outreach effort to address coyote concerns in local communities. 
This comprehensive and integrated regional approach to coyote management will provide guidance for dealing with coyotes in 
the region and allow the SGVCOG to provide coyote management services to the City of Arcadia. As a member city, the program 
provides Arcadia residents with a toll-free number to report coyote encounters and incidents, along with access to educational 
resources and referrals to programs and services to foster human and pet safety, including: 

• Coyote Safety Community Meetings and Training
• Informational Website
• Coyote Education and Materials 
• Online Coyote Reporting Tool
• Crisis Intervention
• Pet Safety Planning


Arcadia residents are encouraged to call the Neighborhood Coyote 
Hotline at (626) 278-8039 to report coyote encounters and incidents. 
The reporting hotline is available 24/7 and is staffed Monday - Thursday 
from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Residents may also email coyotes@
sgvcog.org for reporting, questions, and upcoming events in their 
neighborhood. 

This program stems from the collaborative work of the SGVCOG Coyote Management Task Force, the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife, the County of Los Angeles, the University of California, the City of Arcadia, and other cities and external 
stakeholders. The City of Arcadia continues to work diligently with the SGVCOG to monitor, track, and respond to coyote 
inquiries and concerns. By approaching coyote management regionally, this program enhances the City’s proactive approach to 
tracking and monitoring coyote activity throughout the City, while also participating in a larger regional effort to educate residents 
on best practices to discourage the habituation of coyotes in San Gabriel Valley communities including Arcadia. 

For additional information, please contact Natalya Romo at nromo@sgvcog.org or visit the SGVCOG’s website at sgvcog.org/
coyotes. 


FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


HOW TO PROTECT AN INHERITANCE FOR 
YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD

If your child requires or is likely to require governmental assistance to meet their basic 
needs, do not leave money directly to your child. Instead, establish a Special Needs 
Trust. 

A trust that is not designed with your child’s special needs in mind will probably render 
your child ineligible for essential benefits. A Special Needs Trust is designed to manage 
resources while maintaining the individual’s eligibility for government benefits. 
Planning is important because many beneficiaries as adults will rely on government 
benefits for support. If the disabled person has assets in their own name, they might lose eligibility. 

Medicaid, and other public benefits programs, will not pay for everything your child might need. A Special Needs 
Trust can pay for medical and dental expenses, annual independent check-ups, necessary or desirable equipment 
(such as a specially equipped van), training and education, insurance, transportation, and special foods. 

Unfortunately, some Special Needs Trusts are unnecessarily restrictive and generic. Many trusts are not customized 
to the particular child’s needs. Thus, the child fails to receive the support and benefits that the parent provided when 
they were alive. For example, children who are high functioning and active in their communities can benefit from a 
Special Needs Trust that is carefully tailored to provide adequate resources to support their social lives. 

Does your child have significant medical concerns? Should the trust allow for birthday gifts for other family members? 
What about travel expenses to visit loved ones? Do you have a preferred living arrangement for your child? Your 
child’s special needs trust should address all these issues and more. 

Another mistake attorneys with special knowledge in this area often see is a “pay-back” provision in the trust rather 
than allowing the remainder of the trust to go to others upon the death of the child with special needs. If a “pay-back” 
provision is included unnecessarily, Medicaid will receive the remainder (up to the amount of benefits provided) in 
the trust upon the death of the beneficiary. These “pay-back” provisions, however, are necessary in certain types of 
special needs trusts. An attorney who knows the difference can save your family a small fortune. 

A Special Needs Trust will help you avoid one of the most common mistakes parents make. Although many people 
with disabilities rely on SSI, Medicaid, or other needs-based government benefits, you may have been advised to 
disinherit your child with disabilities—the child who needs your help the most—to protect that child’s public benefits. 
These benefits, however, rarely provide more than subsistence, and this “solution” does not allow you to help your 
child after you are incapacitated or gone. 

Disinheriting your child with special needs might be a temporary solution if your other children are financially secure 
and have money to spare. But permanently disinheriting your child with special needs could be a huge mistake! It 
is not a solution that will protect your child after you and your spouse are gone. The money can be lost in a lawsuit, 
divorce, liability claim, or adverse judgment against your other children. For example, what if your child with the 
money divorces? His or her spouse may be entitled to half of it and will likely not care for your child with special 
needs. What if your child with the money dies or becomes incapacitated while your child with special needs is still 
living? 

These are just some of the concerns parents of special needs children need to navigate. The bottom line is to get a 
special needs trust in place with the help of an advisor who understands the unique issues inherent with special needs 
situations. Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect what they love

most. His office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an

appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for your

family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.CaliLaw.com for more information.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com