City of Sierra Madre Memorandum To: From: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Elaine I. Aguilar, City Manager EA Date: Subject: City Manager s Report CITY MANAGER NEXT UPCOMING MEETINGS All meetings will be held in City Council Chambers at City Hall unless otherwise noted. The agenda for each meeting will be posted 72 hours prior to the meeting at City Hall and on the City s website at www.cityofsierramadre.com Wednesday, March 16 th Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Commission 7:00 pm Thursday, March 17 th Planning Commission 7:00 pm COMMUNITY EVENTS TO NOTE Saturday, March 12 th - EENR Film Festival at City Hall Sunday, March 13 th Wistaria Festival in Downtown Sierra Madre Saturday, March 26 th SMVFA Easter Egg Hunt in Memorial Park at 10 am April 8 th, 9 th, 10 th Huck Finn Fishing and Campout at Sierra Madre Spreading Basin May 7 th SMVFA Pancake Breakfast at 7:00 am at the Fire Station Saturday, May 29 th Mount Wilson Trail Race in Downtown Sierra Madre PUBLICITY The City released two press releases this week: (1) Rare Book at the Sierra Madre Public Library. (2.) Correction to Sample Ballot. Next week, postcards will also be mailed to addresses with registered voters. The second UUT Factoid was also posted to Facebook this week. PUBLIC OUTREACH AT WISTARIA FESTIVAL City staff will be at a table in Kersting Court at Sunday s Wistaria Festival. We will have water conservation information, along with city budget and Measure UUT information. Staff will also be available to answer any general city related questions.
City Managers Report Page 2 of 8 UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING ITEMS Please note, this is staff s best estimate of the scheduling of future agenda items. This schedule is subject to revision as agenda items may be rescheduled to a future meeting, and are occasionally moved forward. Items may be rescheduled due to staff needing additional time to complete an item, too many items on a single agenda, or other issues impacting scheduling. Items are not listed in the order that they will appear on the Council s agenda. Additionally, agenda items are occasionally dropped from the list. (Agenda items are only deleted when it is a staff generated item that is no longer necessary, or if a Council Member withdraws a requested item.) Lastly, the Mayor determines the scheduling and order of agenda items. 22-Mar Presentation Recognition of Kris Lowe, Assembly District 41 Woman of Distinction 22-Mar Presentation Introduction of new City employees 22-Mar Presentation Water Conservation Update & Monthly Water Quality Report 22-Mar Consent Authorization to Bid for New Phone System 22-Mar Consent Consideration of Additional Expenditure in Support of Five-Cities Alliance 22-Mar Consent Notice of Completion: Phase I (Strategic Plan) 22-Mar Consent Warrants 22-Mar Discussion NPDES Update 22-Mar Discussion Flow Restrictors and High Water Users' Conservation Targets 22-Mar Discussion Monthly Billing and AMI (Dir. Inman & Dir. Medina) 12-Apr Special Municipal Election 26-Apr Presentation Water Conservation Update & Monthly Water Quality Report 26-Apr Consent Warrants 26-Apr Consent Resolution Declaring Election Results 26-Apr Consent Oath of Office for Newly Elected Officials 10-May Consent Warrants 10-May Public Hearing Institutional Zone Ordinance Amendment 10-May Discussion City Clerk Compensation 10-May Discussion Revenue Committee Report 10-May Discussion Improving Community Communication (Strategic Plan) 10-May Discussion Electronic Message Boards (Strategic Plan) 10-May Discussion List of Water System Projects (Strategic Plan) 24-May Presentation Water Conservation Update & Monthly Water Quality Report 24-May Consent Warrants 24-May Discussion Water Infrastructure Funding Options 24-May Discussion Mid-Year Budget 24-May Discussion IT Master Plan 24-May Discussion Improving Community Communication (Strategic Plan) 24-May Discussion Consideration of Solicitation Regulation
City Managers Report Page 3 of 8 COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHAT S HAPPENING AT THE SENIOR CENTER Construction on the storage room has had very little impact on the participants of the Senior Center. The seniors have appreciated the ability to participate in existing programs without distraction. SENIOR CENTER ACTIVITIES Registration is still open for the March 18, 2016 excursion to the Gibbon Center. The Gibbon Center houses the rarest group of apes in the Western Hemisphere. Registration is still open for the April 22, 2016 excursion to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Participants will take a self-guided tour of the Vatican Collection and then enjoy a two hour guided tour of the rest of the museum. MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE Between the resident registration and day one of open registration, the Mount Wilson Trail Race is soldout. A waitlist has been started and staff will continue to add anyone interested in participating to the waitlist. FIRE DEPARTMENT EASTER EGG HUNT The annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Sierra Madre Volunteer Firefighters Association will be held on Saturday, March 26 th. The Easter Egg Hunt begins at 10:00 am sharp in Memorial Park. All participants are encouraged to arrive early. Due to the number of anticipated participants, those who are driving to the event should plan to walk roughly a block or more from their car. PANCAKE BREAKFAST The Sierra Madre Volunteer Firefighter s Association will be hosting their annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, May 7th, at the Sierra Madre Fire Department. The pancake and sausage breakfast will begin at 7:00 am. A recommended donation of $5.00 is due at entry LIBRARY SERVICES OVERDUE NOTICES Library staff is researching the use of Gabbie a new feature in Apollo that gives customers the option of using text messaging to renew books and receive overdue notices.
City Managers Report Page 4 of 8 HUMAN RESOURCES RECRUITMENT Open Recruitments Library Services Director Police Officer part-time Police Sergeant Closed Recruitments Administrative Clerk, part-time Assistant Planner Community Services Officer, part-time Fire Engineer, part-time Library Page, part-time Library Technician, part-time Paramedic, part-time Police Officer Police Recruit Water Pump Operator PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UPCOMING PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING At the March 17, 2016 meeting, the Planning Commission will continue a discussion regarding potential Municipal Code Text Amendments to Chapter 17.20 R-1 One-Family Residential Zone, specific to lot splits and subdivisions employing shared driveway access. Two members of the Planning Commission were charged with investigating and recommending a revised ordinance to the Commission. The Subdivision Subcommittee will present their report to the Commission. The Commission will also receive an update regarding General Plan Implementation. Staff will receive Planning Commission direction to prioritize General Plan Implementation Measures for calendar year 2016. STONEGATE The Planning and Community Preservation Department is continuing to review the resubmitted applications for Hillside Development Permits and Conditional Use Permits for properties within the Stonegate development. The Department did not receive any new applications or resubmittals the week of March 7, 2016. PLANNING & BUILDING AND SAFETY ACTIVITY The Planning and Community Preservation Department is currently processing 37 development applications
City Managers Report Page 5 of 8 PUBLIC WORKS SENIOR CENTER PROJECT DELAYED The Contractor on the Senior Center Storage Project was away from the project for several days due to the work area being too wet for them to work. First, they nicked a live irrigation line and flooded the excavated area. By the time that dried out we had a rain storm which again flooded the hole. Today, Thursday, the Contractor is rushing to get the concrete foundations poured (Concrete is being pumped as this is being written) before tomorrow s expected rain and yet another mud hole is created. Of course we all want the rain to continue, because it is so badly needed. Unfortunately that rain has some unavoidable consequences! Attachments (2) Press Releases
City Managers Report Page 6 of 8 ATTACHMENT # 1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MEDIA CONTACT: ELISA COX, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AGENCY NAME: CITY OF SIERRA MADRE EMAIL: CITY@CITYOFSIERRAMADRE.COM TELEPHONE NUMBER: 626.355.7135 WEBSITE: WWW.CITYOFSIERRAMADRE.COM RARE BOOK AT SIERRA MADRE PUBLIC LIBRARY Sierra Madre, CA. March 8, 2016 Exquisite wood blocks, the work of Sierra Madre resident and artist Marvin (Elmer) Weese, are a special part of the rare book collection and the Sierra Madre Historical Archives, housed at the Sierra Madre Public Library. Weese s stunning work is featured in Early California with block prints in color, 1952, hand printed in Sierra Madre and signed by the author For the Sierra Madre Library, Sincerely, Marvin Weese. He made watercolor sketches, cut out the blocks, and printed the block print illustrations in his book which took him 15 years to complete. According to an LA Times March 6, 1955 article Weese s book, Presents the story of California from Cortez to The Iron Horse in capsule form represents a dramatic episode or period of the State s colorful history. Weese was a master of wood print art, and beginning in the late 1930 s, he worked on a project that combined his passions: early California history; Southwestern Indian culture; wood block printing; and photography. The detail, beauty, and expertise are seen in each of the 38 wood block prints that completed his handmade masterpiece chronicling the early years of California. For the block prints that illustrate early Sierra Madre and California history, Weese cut out 160 blocks in linoleum on wood and used 200 colors, mixing them fresh for every block. Each illustration required the creation of five wood blocks. An exhibit of 40 etchings, lithography and block prints was on display at Sierra Madre s new Public Library in 1955. Weese lived in Sierra Madre for 38 years, was active in the community, ran the Sierra Madre City Hall art gallery, and had artistic ties to noted local artist Alfred Dewey. Local History and Rare Book Collections Weese s book is a part of Sierra Madre Library s rare book collection that includes rare editions and signed copies of books with special Sierra Madre, San Gabriel Valley, and California interest. The Sierra Madre Historical Archives include a portfolio of prints from Weese s book. The Library is a partner with the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, and the archive collection is jointly owned by both institutions. The archive includes Sierra Madre and the nearby San Gabriel Valley area historic documents, photographs (prints and negatives), slides, maps, sound recordings, oral histories, moving images, scrapbooks, ledgers, news clippings, books, works of art, and ephemera.
City Managers Report Page 7 of 8 The public is welcome to make appointments to view Weese s work as well as other rare books and to use the local history archives. Please contact Michelle An at the Library, 355-7186 man@cityofsierramadre.com Weese s beautiful work will be displayed in the Library in August. Read, Discover, Connect @ Sierra Madre Public Library, 440 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024, (626) 355-7186, http://cityofsierramadre.com/services/library ###
City Managers Report Page 8 of 8 ATTACHMENT # 2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MEDIA CONTACT: ELISA COX, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AGENCY NAME: CITY OF SIERRA MADRE EMAIL: CITY@CITYOFSIERRAMADRE.COM TELEPHONE NUMBER: 626.355.7135 WEBSITE: WWW.CITYOFSIERRAMADRE.COM CORRECTION TO SAMPLE BALLOT Sierra Madre, CA. The City of Sierra Madre is hereby providing notice to all voters of a correction to the Impartial Analysis of Measure UUT on page 6 of the Sample Ballot for the election on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. The first bullet, under Measure UUT WILL should read: Increase the existing 8% UUT tax to a maximum of 10% on July 1, 2016. The bullet in the Impartial Analysis of Measure UUT in the sample ballots mailed to all voters mistakenly reads 2015; this date is a typo. The actual ordinance, which can be found on pages 9-10 of the sample ballot states that, if approved, Effective July 1, 2016, the taxes imposed by this Chapter shall be at the rate of ten (10) percent, unless a lesser rate is established by the city council on or before August 1 st of any year. ###