The city is asking residents to vote by mail by July 15 on a plan that would change the way the city splits the cost of street lighting. The city expects street lighting to cost about $1.15 million next year. Single-family homes on lighted streets would pay the most, $25.70 a year. Under the proposal, the assessments would no longer be tied to the value of a home but rather to the benefits that residents receive from street lights. If voters reject the plan, the current lighting assessment districts will expire in 2010. If that happens, the city will be responsible for paying the entire costs of street lighting.
City officials have authorized for the first week of October a previously postponed mail-in vote on whether to reallocate street lighting assessment fees. Residents will vote on a reorganization that would make the payments correspond fairly to the benefits received.
The City Council has created three new lighting assessment zones to replace lighting districts established in the 1970s. Residents will be sent mail-in ballots later this year to decide whether or not to approve changes to fees for street lighting. Lighting costs about $1.15 million a year.
Arcadia mail-in voters reject proposal for new lighting assessment districts. Under the proposal, the single-family homes on well-lit streets would pay up for $24 a year. Those with "sporadic" lighting would pay up to $10.12 a year, while homes on streets without lights would pay nothing. The current lighting assessment districts expire in 2010. Out of 14,600 ballots sent out, about 1/3 were returned. The proposal failed by 70 votes. 2,457 ballots voted yes and 2,530 voted no.
Several blocks of Live Oak Avenue will be closed through Thursday while Edison crews remove street lights, traffic signals and wooden power poles that snapped under powerful overnight wind gusts Monday from the Santa Ana winds.
Strong winds at 70+ mph caused 29 light poles to topple over on Live Oak Avenue. There was damage to six other poles between Santa Anita Avenue and Sixth Avenue.
Ridership on the Gold Line has fallen below expectations. The MTA is now considering a new express service to encourage residents in East Pasadena and Arcadia to take the light rail train.
Longden Avenue in Arcadia has had a lot of street construction over the last three years, including construction of wheelchair ramps, missing sidewalks, palm trees removed, and new 30 inch water main.
If a 1948 plan by the Rapid Transit Action Group to salvage a portion of the Pacific Electric Red Car system had become a reality, Arcadia and Monrovia would have been enjoying the benefits of light rail transit for the last 54 years. Arcadia Weekly writer Charles Cooper provides historical information and rider statistics of the old rail lines.
Arcadia and Monrovia will be split into two assembly districts in the redistricting plan signed by Governor Gray Davis last week. Under the new plan, the 59th District, currently represented by Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, will move 84% of Arcadia and 40% of Monrovia to Assemblywoman Carol Liu's 44th District. The new plan is still being challenged in court. Senate district boundaries were also modified but did not affect Arcadia.
The Arcadia city council endorsed the construction of the second phase of the Gold Line as a light rail transit system. Grade level of the major street crossings was discussed.
Gold Line measure proposed. Supporters of the Metro Gold Line Extension through San Gabriel Valley are campaigning in Sacramento this week for legislation that would help create a new Gold Line authority. The new authority would provide for a 15-member board of representatives from the so-called Phase II cities, including Arcadia and Monrovia.
A $218 million school bond measure will go to voters in November, 2006. The Arcadia Board of Education voted to approve it for the ballot. The money will go to improvements and new facilities at all Arcadia schools.
The city council has decided to appropriate $35,000 toward the design of a light rail bridge over Santa Anita Avenue. This is to pay for early design work needed for an environmental impact report. The bridge project is expected to cost the city $10.7 million which may come from a bond. The Construction Authority would pay $18.4 million bringing total bridge cost to $29.1 million.