Arcadia and Sierra Madre's water supply to benefit from $1.8 million federal grant. Arcadia will get $900,000 of the grant. This will fund the next phase of an on-going, 5-year program to ensure emergency water for its citizens, following any potential seismic activity.
Arcadia Citizen’s Financial Advisory Committee releases last report. The committee, an independent, ad-hoc advisory body of civic volunteers empaneled by the City Council to review the City’s General Fund long-range financial forecast and provide recommendations to the City Council for cost containment and/or revenue enhancements, recently released its final report. The 40-page report includes 15 recommendations to Arcadia City Council to address the $8,000,000 structural budget deficit. A key recommendation is for the city to consider increasing the city’s local sales tax rate by ¾ of one cent in order to maintain current levels of services.
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.
The City of Arcadia expects to receive about $396,000 in federal funding for low and moderate income families in 2009. The Community Development Block Grant is not expected to change from what Arcadia received for the current fiscal year. The money might be used on a new bicycle facility installation project or the city's Housing Rehabilitation Program.
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.
The City of Arcadia will request millions in federal dollars for Arcadia's transportation and water needs. The city plans to act through Washington DC based lobbying firm The Ferguson Group. Other wish list areas in need of federal money are identified.
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.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich met with Arcadia City Council and the Redevelopment Agency to discuss the Gold Line issues and state funding.
A memorial fund was set up to help the family of 3-year-old Talmin Moye II (Jr.) who was killed in a car crash when Sara Bravo was driving a stolen Acura when being pursued by Arcadia Police.