Arcadia City Council has approved a contract with Bucknam and Associates to continue consulting on a joint effort with the city of Sierra Madre. The company will ensure local water supply is protected from interruption by earthquakes.
Arcadia and Sierra Madre city councils met to discuss their joint water system seismic reliability project which includes what the cities can do to ensure water in the event of a major earthquake.
Neighboring residents in Sierra Madre and Arcadia strive to solve traffic issues and pedestrian safety concerns near Sierra Vista Park at the intersection of Sierra Madre Boulevard and Monterey Lane in Sierra Madre.
Arcadia City Council has approved a list of a dozen projects to lobby for with the federal government. The projects will be pursued by city lobbyist, the Ferguson Group, by Mayor Mickey Segal, and a representative from Sierra Madre, as they try to coordinate lobbying efforts in Washington DC. On the list is a $20 million request jointly with Sierra Madre, for continuing programs to ensure safety of the water supply in case of seismic problems.
City Manager Bill Kelly presented a "flat line budget" to the city council. Kelly said current uncertainties in state funding will not be resolved until after the election. The city will revisit the budget at midyear.
The Arcadia City Council is considering changes to fees charged by the city through the Development Services Department. One change might be a $25 fee for new business license applications. The fees may increase for design review of new commercial projects and appeals from an architectural review board to the Planning Commission. The General plan amendment fee may drop and tentative tract maps for condos may drop. The city plans to increase fines for code violations.
Arcadia City Council has accepted a grant for $42,026 from the MTA in Proposition C funds to help operate Arcadia Transit. Other City Council items were discussed.
The City Council has approved a contract with Keyser Marston Associates to analyze city housing projects, including senior housing on the Marketowne site on Las Tunas and another senior project at the Elite Westerner site on Colorado Street.
Trainspotting in Arcadia. First tests of Gold Line light rail between Pasadena and Azusa start. Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension conducted the first of many clearance tests involving actual Metro Gold Line train from Sierra Madre Villa Station (in Pasadena) to Azusa. The train was a $4 million Ansaldo Breda P2250 with specialized gear to test clearances, wheel/rail interface, rail switches, and Overhead Catenary System.
The Arcadia City Council will decide on an ordinance to regulate massage therapy. Provisions will regulate massage therapists, practitioners or technicians, and require them to have identification cards from the police and a business license. The ordinance contains other restrictions.
Arcadia City Council has approved a new contract with the Pasadena Humane Society (PHS) to provide animal services to Arcadia. The contract is for $69,838, a 3% increase over the current year's agreement. The city has contracted with PHS since 1994. PHS handles dog licensing, answers calls for service and offers low-cost spay and neuter clinics. Other items were approved, including a contract with Engineered Plumbing Inc. for water mains and valves, the purchase of Mobile Data Terminals for the Arcadia Fire Department from Nida Companies, and massage therapist permits.
Arcadia Public Library will have a new conference room constructed and will remodel the existing room into offices and a work area. An office will be created for the Friends of the Library. This is the first phase and the contract was awarded to K & S Design for $106,500. Phase 2 of the project, to be completed at a later date, will include a teen center and an enlarged international language area.
Issues discussed at City Council meeting included redevelopment of South Arcadia along Live Oak Avenue and Las Tunas Drive, between just east of 6th Avenue and west of the Arcadia wash. The meeting lasted 18 minutes.
Gold Line construction moving forward on schedule. First Avenue in Arcadia to open by the end of March. See hard copy VF "Railroads-Light Rail-Metro Gold Line."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich met with Arcadia City Council and the Redevelopment Agency to discuss the Gold Line issues and state funding.