The City of Arcadia is using $646,000 in federal stimulus funds for repairs, repaving, re-striping and adding bicycle lanes on Santa Anita Avenue, north of Foothill Boulevard. The city has received $534,000 in stimulus money to retrofit City Hall with an energy-efficient heating and cooling system and $80,000 for equipment and training for its police department. Sometime in late spring, officials plan to widen intersections along Santa Anita Avenue, adding turn lanes or through lanes at Foothill Boulevard, Live Oak Avenue and Duarte Road.
Two local fire safe councils, the Sierra Madre and Big Santa Anita councils, each received $1000 of a grant from Farmers Insurance Group. The grant will help residents protect their homes.
Many San Gabriel Valley cities are seeing an increase in property tax revenues in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, namely San Marino, Arcadia, Bradbury, Alhambra and South Pasadena. Arcadia's property tax revenue is expected to be $3,359,282.80 compared to $3,294,314.77 in 2008-2009. Other cities' figures are given. In the average city, property taxes make up 11% of the city budget.
Sex therapist Dr. Susan Block is in a zoning fight with Arcadia City. Her building is zoned for office use, not residential, although building license inspectors found 10 bedrooms inside. The brick building is on Las Tunas Drive and is the business location of Saybrook Media, where The Dr. Susan Block Show is produced. Susan Block, aka Dr. Suzy, had an HBO Special "Radio Sex TV with Dr. Susan Block" in the 1990s.
Feds move to seize homes in San Gabriel Valley, Rancho Cucamonga. The properties were allegedly purchased with millions in proceeds from what FBi investigators said was a fraudulent visa program. Victoria Chan and her father Tat Chan exploited the EB-5 visa program which offers legal permanent residence in the U.S. for foreign nationals who make job-creating investments of $500,000 or more in U.S. companies.
The City of Arcadia budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year projects a positive balance of $236,892 but includes several spending cuts and revenue enhancements. The list of spending cuts includes freezing 6 police officer positions, shifting some signal maintenance, delaying city communications upgrades and eliminating a coyote management program. The list of revenue enhancements includes a $2 Internet use fee for library guests, among other things.
Arcadia housing standards campaign to launch. City officials will engage in a "public education campaign" to inform residents about the city's current residential development standards and to look at what other communities are doing.
The Arcadia City Council has approved a $46 million budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. The city made deep budget cuts across the board, including freezing positions and cutting employee travel. The budget includes roughly $2 million in cuts and concessions from all four city employees' unions, and projects about $45.1 million in estimated total revenues, $45.7 million in proposed expenditures, and $270,000 in employee compensation and benefit deferrals.
The City Council decided to ask voters to approve $8 million in bond funding for a bridge at Santa Anita Avenue. If 2/3 of voters support this bond, Arcadia would be the only city on the Gold Line extension route to finance its own grade separation.
New state-of-the-art library coming to Arcadia. The Los Angeles County Public Library will replace the current branch in unincorporated Arcadia (4153 East Live Oak Avenue) sometime in 2017 at a new site at 22 West Live Oak Boulevard. It will cost about $9 million from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors capital projects funding.
The state's budget crisis could mean that Arcadia Unified School District will suffer a shortfall of an estimated $2.3 million in the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Figures for other local school districts are included.
License revocation upheld for internet studios run by couple Dr. Susan Block and Maximillian Lobkowicz. City says sex therapist Dr. Susan Block and husband allow people to sleep there overnight in the business building on Las Tunas Drive that is zoned for office use. City revoked their license on July 28. The couple appealed but the city's Planning Commission upheld the decision. The couple will appeal again.
A package of new and increased city service fees designed to eliminate a potential budget shortfall will take effect on September 1, 2008. The higher fees are expected to bring Arcadia nearly $512,000 in the new fiscal year, by increases in fire services, swim classes, business licenses, plan checks and library services.
Arcadia City Council has approved a major expansion of Methodist Hospital of Southern California. The project will cost $130 million and is slated to finish by early 2009.
Landlords urged to help area's homeless. New program provides financial benefits and support to landlords willing to lease to those receiving financial assistance. Landlords with units in Arcadia, among several other cities, are eligible for the program.
A story about Huntington Hospital's nurse recruitment program, the general status of nursing in California, and the nursing personnel shortage, mentions that Arcadia Methodist Hospital gives $5000 bonuses to employees that refer a new hire.