June 13, 2009
Meeting Summary
East Eaton Wash Neighborhood Association
Preparation
E-mail reminder was sent and some phone
calls were made
Acknowledgments
Susan brought delicious chocolate chip
cookies.
Attendees
9 members
Meeting
Agenda
Items:
The meeting began about 11:22 am
- Ice Rink funding on June 22
City Council Finance Committee
agenda
- Councilman
Haderlein says that funding the Ice Rink is to be considered by the
Finance Committee of the Council on Monday June 22 at 4 pm in the City
Hall Basement Conference Room.
Councilman Haderlein says it is not expected to then be heard by the
Council, which is normal practice for any actual decisions. So it
would seem to be a case of staff trying to figure out what to do,
getting a measure of how the Council wants to proceed without going to
the whole Council.
- Mayor
Bogaard reportedly said in a talk on Wednesday the 10th that a decision
on the ice rink will be made by the end of this month.
- There
has been a flyer distributed by an ice-rink support "committee" of
unknown size and origin through anonymous e-mail. The flyer is
urging supporters to write their Council person and the Mayor to "spend
the planned budget" (as if the funds were already sitting somewhere
waiting to be spent).
- The
flyer is also claiming that the existing rink may be shut down when the
lease expires, although there were statements at the Council last year
that it would not be shut down until there was another place to go.
- The
committee agenda (to verify the item) will not be published until late
Thursday June 18 or on Friday June 19. Then it should be posted
here:
http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/finance/Agendas/Finance/currentAgenda.pdf
- The
staff report providing the background information and what the staff
wants the committee to consider is never made readily available to the
public until the meeting itself, except by request to the staff person
(Lori
Eubanks, Recording Secretary, 626-744-4350). Even then, it may
not be available until shortly before the
meeting.
- Water rate increase
deliberations
- At the advertised June 8 public hearing, the City Council
continued the hearing to June 22 to have time for more consideration
and receive additional information.
- The prime motivator seems to be that the Chamber of Commerce,
led by former Councilman Little, raised howls about the proposed
increases. Bad timing with the recession. No
correspondence between whether the large users are being efficient or
not being efficient since the rates are just based on the somewhat
arbitrary meter size and have nothing to do with the business involved.
- Numerous other people testified at the hearing.
- Altadena residents complained they have no representation,
should not be charged 25% extra for supposed extra cost of being at a
higher elevation when they are no higher then significant numbers of
Pasadenans, and why should they pay commercial rates for water just
because they are larger properties with bigger meters.
- Apartment owners and a 3 on a lot owner complained of being
lumped in and charged higher rates just because they have one meter for
all their users.
- Several complained that their cost will rise no matter how
much they conserve (due to the nearly doubling of the fixed cost
charges).
- A number of complaints about approving all the development in
recent years which has increased water needs and put additional burden
of reducing on everyone.
- Currently only 3% overall water use decrease from benchmark
year of 2006. Need 10% reduction by September 1 to avoid big
penalty prices for any water from MWD.
- PWP in recent years has increasingly been using capital
improvement funds to pay for ongoing operations. That is why they
say they need the big fixed fee increase. Also need to restore
operating reserves to 30 days so have money in case of emergency.
- Ongoing operations includes fixing leaks, call center, billing,
water quality, maintaining proper pressure.
- Propose to reduce their water fund budget by a million for
coming year after reducing 1/2 million this year. Shifting a
bunch of positions to power fund because analysis of how much of staff
that works on both spends on power. Plan to shift much of
remaining capital spending to reclaimed water project and stopping
replacement of water mains, reservoir improvements, spreading basin
improvements.
- City staff put forward an alternative proposal of taking 3
years to phase in the fixed cost increase instead of 2, putting off all
capital improvements and maybe laying off staff to pay for the slower
increase. At one point, the current system was described as
"bankrupt".
- HHW & E-Waste
collection Sat June 20, 9 - 3, Rose Bowl Lot
K
- Updates
- 3125 Estado weeds
- Code compliance was contacted by our City Councilman's field
rep.
- The weeds were cut soon after.
- As of 5/19 it was stated that the owner was going to start on
"remodeling the entire property" in two weeks.
- Nothing has happened yet, but a neighbor talked to the owner
recently and he said they would be starting soon.
- Alameda Street work
- The project is said by PWP to be complete now.
- Construction work was authorized from 7 am to 7 pm Monday
through Friday. For this project the contractor was instructed
that no heavy machine be operated before 7:30 a.m.
- Service laterals were installed for future connection and
upgrade.
- Flush type vents for the vaults are used instead of
standpipes in residential areas. "Rain or irrigation water may
get in but if it becomes a problem a sump pump is installed. Alameda
Street area has a very low water table and a very permeable
sandy/gravelly soil structure which the sump opening provided in the
vaults can be used to drain any water that gets in."
- A neighbor said the contractor said he would be restoring the
destroyed landscaping. She was also told that the city would be
doing something more to finish the street's asphalt surface.
- Grapevine Directory of
tradespersons
- Park - new
pedestrian walkway planning
- No new news. Last heard were waiting for Edison
response and there were cost issues.
- Most
recent drawing
- Variance
hearing for 475 Mercury Lane
- The city zoning staff recommendation to the Hearing Officer
was to approve the variance because it said there is no room to put a
two car garage.
- Have to wonder if the owner had applied for required permits
before doing the addition on the back whether permit staff would
have tried to require putting a two car garage behind with access by
demolishing the existing 1 car garage to make space for a driveway to
it.
- 2nd site CHAP clinic to
open at 2750 E Washington Blvd by July
1
- This information was presented during Public Comment at the
City
Council meeting on June 8.
- CHAP
- Community Health Alliance of Pasadena. Basically
run by city's health dept.
- Federal
stimulus funds require use for 2nd site by July 1 but
intended Del Mar location will not be ready yet. So doing this in
a hurry. Also expecting some county funds.
- CHAP in negotiations but expects to lease and open this site
in St Luke medical building.
- Primary care, mostly by appointment but will take walk-ins
- "Not a free clinic" - need paying/insured customers to make it
success
- Expect to be staffed with one physician initially about 20 hrs
per week.
Increase in staffing later, depending on usage.
- Still going forward with larger plans to co-locate at 3160 Del
Mar with urgent care facility when building is ready; hoping for that
by end of year. Between the two sites CHAP is expecting to ramp
up to 5 physicians.
- Redevelopments at corner of
Colorado & Sierra Madre Blvd
- Vons + Rite Aide
on NW corner to be replaced
- A Predevelopment Plan Review for this location was presented
to the City Council on June 1.
- http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/councilagendas/2009%20agendas/Jun_01_09/9B.pdf
- The existing Vons (40,145 sq ft) and RiteAid (13,018) would
be demolished.
- A new 61,106 sq ft Vons would be built. It would be
located on the northern end of the property (next to Walnut), with all
of its parking to the south and on its roof.
- A second 11,380 sq ft building for multiple tenant shops
would be located on Colorado at the west side of the property.
- A third 1,500 sq ft building for a single tenant would be
located along Colorado (right where the only shady parking is now).
- The current southern parking entrance on Sierra Madre Blvd
would remain. The parking entrance on Colorado would be moved
eastward, causing the removal of one of the big Ficus trees. On
Walnut the westernmost parking entrance would remain but it would lead
to/from the ramp to the new Vons roof parking.
- The property includes a corridor to Roosevelt Avenue, the
multi-family residential shady speed humped street to the west.
This would be opened up and used to provide an entrance/exit to that
street as well as one row of parking.
- The project requires several Conditional Use Permits
including for extended operating hours of 6 am to midnight, a variance
for extended loading hours (6 am - 10 pm), a variance to reduce the
rear setback from 15 to 10 ft., design review, and urban forestry
committee permission to remove the public tree. It also must
comply with the city's green building ordinance.
- Gym
(Evolution Fitness) on SE corner to be replaced
- On June 17 is a hearing for a requested 5 foot lot line
adjustment between
the parcel on the SE corner and the adjacent parcel containing a car
wash. Both parcels are owned by the same entity. Approval
is recommended by staff.
- The staff report says the owner plans to demolish the
building
on the corner lot, currently an Evolution Fitness gym, and build a
drugstore.
- The staff report says the "design of the proposed drugstore
has
been reviewed and approved under a separate application; the applicant
has not yet submitted for building permits."
- The car wash is not to be changed, other then losing 5' of
lot.
- anything else attendees wish to
discuss
- Could not help but notice the ugly scene at the SE corner of
Sierra Madre Villa and Rosemead where they are tearing/have torn out
the nice big trees and landscaping around
the buildings.
- DTV transition. If you are missing Channel 7 or 2 or
others, you need to rescan for channels because some changed the
frequency of their digital broadcasting.
- air conditioning vs box fans vs ceiling fans
- weeds under Edison lines cut down but not removed; potential
fire hazard
- getting tasks done by doing it oneself
Next meeting is July 11, 2009.
Adjourned about 12:30 pm