Monrovia City Manager's Update - December 11, 2020

Monrovia CA

12 December, 2020

9:32 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Monrovia: December 11, 2020 Hello Monrovians, This update has been prepared to share with you everything that is taking place in Monrovia. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. Have a safe and wonderful weekend! Sincerely, Dylan Email: [email protected] Phone: (626) 932-5585 Highlights in this Issue Limited Services for the Holidays Athens Services Holiday Scheduling & Decorations Recycling Be Aware: Curbside E- Waste Recycling Flyer 2021 State of the City Outdoor Playgrounds Reopen Monrovia Historical Society Presents Monrovia Stories Chimney Fire Precautions Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Program Limited Services for the Holidays This year has been an unimaginable year that brought on many unexpected challenges. During this time, your City staff have continued to serve you as swiftly and safely as possible using innovative and creative ways to ensure services were minimally interrupted. To allow for time to celebrate the holiday season, the Monrovia City Council has approved limiting non-essential services from December 28, 2020, through January 1, 2021. All City facilities will resume normal hours of operation on Monday, January 4, 2021. The City would still continue to provide emergency response and essential services. Additionally, staff will still be available to assist you in a limited manner. View the list of services available. Athens Services Holiday Scheduling & Decorations Recycling Athens Services will observe the holidays on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1, 2021. If your regularly rescheduled trash day is Friday, please be advised that it will be scheduled for pickup on Saturday for these two weeks. In addition, as we look to prepare for the holidays, we wanted to inform residents that curbside Christmas Tree recycling will be available from December 26, 2020, through January 16, 2021. To recycle your Christmas Tree, be sure to: Place your tree curbside on your regularly scheduled trash collection day. Remove all ornaments, tinsel, plastic bags, nails, lights and plastic or metal stands need to be removed. To properly dispose of your Christmas lights, you may place them in your trash bin. We ask for the light strings to be cut in half to prevent tangling. As a reminder, fluorescent lightbulbs are prohibited from trash disposal. Be Aware: Curbside E- Waste Recycling Flyer The City has recently been made aware that a Curbside Electronic Waste Recycling flyer has been distributed around town for a community clean up on December 15, 2020, by Cal EWaste. Please be aware that the City is not affiliated with this company, as we have not been able to verify a business license. We are requesting that residents remain vigilant to protect sensitive materials that may be stored on your electronics. Should you have e-waste items to dispose of, the City has a designated drop- off area at the Public Works Yard (600 S. Mountain Avenue). Please call (626) 932-5575, should you have any questions. 2021 State of the City Every year, the Monrovia City Council provides an annual State of the City Address to report to the community on the most relevant issues and accomplishments the City has faced over the past year. For the upcoming 2021 State of the City Address, the Monrovia City Council wants to hear from you! What would you like for the Monrovia City Council to discuss in the 2021 State of the City Address? Let us know what you would like to hear about Monrovia's future. Outdoor Playgrounds Reopen On Wednesday, the State of California reopened outdoor playgrounds. When using the playgrounds, we encourage you to follow all COVID-19 protocols to remain safe and healthy. As a reminder, please continue to protect yourself from the virus by: Wearing a face covering Keeping six-feet physical distance Washing your hands Monrovia Historical Society Presents Monrovia Stories The Monrovia Historical Society is excited to share a project they've been quietly working on for months. Called "Monrovia Stories," it's a series of 83 videos on Monrovia history featuring Historical Society President and City Historian, Steve Baker. There are videos about the great bank robbery of 1908, a murder, an explosion, the fire that destroyed our grand old hotel, early architecture, churches, schools, movie theaters, film studios, and dozens more topics. You can see some of them at the Monrovia Stories page on the Monrovia Historical Society's website. The full set is on the Monrovia Historical Society's YouTube channel. The videos were unveiled at their virtual annual meeting on December 6 and introduced new board members Robert DiDio, Brad Haugaard, Jan Pack, and Katie Watson. Plus, a few members shared their ideas on the direction the Historical Society should take in the months and years ahead. In recapping the past year, the Historical Society is thrilled to have completely re-roofed the Anderson House. It's beautiful! If you haven't seen it, drive by and take a look. It's at 215 E. Lime Ave. All in all, despite COVID-19 the Monrovia Historical Society has had a busy and productive year. They're continuing to work hard to put the Anderson House in proper condition, and, of course, they are always adding historic photos to their online Legacy Project. So if you are concerned about our town and its heritage, please consider becoming a member so we can move forward together even more strongly to preserve Monrovia's history! Chimney Fire Precautions As temperatures fall and you spend more time indoors in front of the fireplace, the last thing you want to think about is the condition of your chimney. Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, which damage or destroy homes and injure people. Clean chimneys don't catch fire. Make sure a professional chimney sweep inspects your solid fuel venting system annually, and sweeps and repairs it whenever needed. Your sweep may have specific maintenance recommendations depending on how you use your fireplace or stove. Before lighting a fire, make sure it is safe to do so. Be fire smart. Home fires occur more often in winter than in any other season. The chimney and the flue that lines it are there to carry dangerous gases from the fireplace or wood stove safely out of the home. The next time that you start your fire place, Monrovia Fire & Rescue wants to remind you of a few things: Keep a glass or metal screen in front of fireplace to prevent embers or sparks jumping out. Do not burn paper in your fireplace. Put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave your home. Put ashes in a metal container with a lid, outside, at least 3 feet from your home. Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Program The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has programs that help clean the air through the replacement of commercial lawn and garden equipment. The Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Equipment Incentive & Exchange Program is available for commercial landscapers and gardeners operating within the South Coast AQMD's region, providing up to 75% off commercial lawn and garden equipment. Through this program, commercial lawn and garden equipment will be made available at a discounted price through pre-authorized dealerships. Equipment available through this program includes handheld trimmers, chainsaws, pruners, backpack and handheld blowers and ride-on, stand-on, walk-behind and robotic lawn mowers. An equivalent operable gasoline or diesel powered piece of lawn or garden equipment must be scrapped when the new battery-electric equipment is purchased. Post-Bobcat Fire Mitigation Efforts in Hillside Neighborhood and Canyon Park City Staff has been working with Los Angeles County Flood Control and that Natural Resources Conservation Service on plans related to mitigation efforts for possible mud and debris flows that may result in the aftermath of the Bobcat Fire. The Bobcat Fire burned approximately 115,000 acres in September 2020, including much of the foothills above Monrovia and assessments of the burn areas have indicated there is the possibility of mud and debris flows in two areas as a result of the burning. The locations of concern are: The Neighborhood of Ridgeside Drive and Oakglade Drive Within Canyon Park Residents in the impacted neighborhood were notified with notices, both left at the residences and sent out by mail, that have laid out the preliminary plans for these efforts. Additionally, an informational meeting was held for residents in the impacted area (Ridgeside Drive and Oakglade Drive). For more specific information and/or to be included on notification mailing list, please email [email protected]. Crosswalk at Intersection of Olive and Mayflower Avenues to be Removed On December 9, Public Works made changes to the intersection of Olive Avenue and Mayflower Avenue that resulted in the elimination of one crosswalk. In May of 2020, stop controls for traffic moving northbound and southbound along Mayflower Avenue were installed in response to concerns from residents in the area and the Monroe Elementary School community. The concerns were aimed at making it safer for pedestrians in the area accessing both the school and Lucinda Garcia Park to cross Mayflower Avenue. Although there was a crosswalk, there were no stop controls which created safety concerns. While these changes have improved the overall pedestrian safety in the area, there was one unintended consequence created for the residents who live on the southern cul-de-sac of Olive Avenue. The installation of the stop controls and crosswalks did not leave sufficient room for motorists to make a left hand turn from Olive Avenue onto Mayflower Avenues. Under these conditions, these motorists were struggling to make the stop appropriately and would often find themselves obstructing southbound traffic, creating unsafe conditions. In reviewing the intersection, the engineering team recommended the removal of the southern crosswalk as it is used considerably less than the one on the northern end of the intersection. In addition, when school is in session, there is not a crossing guard provided for the southern intersection. Last week, staff eliminated the southern crosswalk. Staff will perform additional work the week of December 14, including the relocation of the southern stop sign to allow for full turn movements and improved visibility. Signage has been placed at the intersection directing pedestrians to the other crosswalks to ensure safe pedestrian crossings of Mayflower Avenue. Please contact Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns about these improvements. Annual Tree Trimming to Continue West Coast Arborists (WCA) has been in town, conducting annual tree trimming activities. During this period, the activities have been focused in the area of the City between Mayflower Avenue and Myrtle Avenue from Foothill Boulevard to the South City Limit. This work is expected to wind down within the next few weeks. Please be mindful of all parking restrictions, traffic control and construction signage in the work area as work is taking place. Staff Working with Southern California Edison to Launch LED Retrofitting of Street Lights Over the past several months, staff has been in discussion and coordination with Southern California Edison (SCE) related to a proposed LED Retrofit Project for Streetlights. SCE owns and maintains approximately 1,700 street lights throughout the City and is proposing to upgrade all of their existing high-pressure sodium lights to LED. LED bulbs use less energy and last significantly longer than the existing high pressure sodium bulbs. In addition, the LED light is a cleaner light that shines clearer with less glare, reducing light pollution along local streets. Under the SCE Program, known as Option E, the City would enter into an agreement with SCE that funds the retrofit of the lights with an Energy Efficiency Premium Charge (EEPC) that would be added to the existing City street lighting bill. Being that the LEDs will utilize less energy, the reduced electricity costs would fund the EEPC and provide an estimated additional $14,000 per year in street lighting electrical cost savings. The light generated by LED lamps look different, and we believe the best way to understand the difference in lighting is to see it. Staff has installed a sample of LED light fixtures along the 400 block of South Ivy Avenue, directly across from Monrovia City Hall. In addition, the City of Arcadia staff has provided us with some locations of street lights that were retrofit through the Option E Program with SCE for interested folks to visit and observe the appearance of the LED lighting. The locations are outlined below: 1000 block of Bungalow Place - Arcadia 1000/1100 block of Loganrita Ave - Arcadia 1100 block of Magnolia Lane – Arcadia Staff presented the program to the City Council for discussion and feedback at the City Council Meeting on November 17. Based upon the discussion, staff will return to the Council for further discussion on this item at the City Council Meeting on December 15. While staff is continuing their review in preparation of further discussion with the City Council, we welcome any and all comment and feedback on the proposed project. If you have any questions or concerns about this proposed project, please contact Chris Castruita at (626) 256-8224 or [email protected]. Report Bulky Items around Town and Be Entered to Win a Gift Card Have you seen bulky items around town? If you report them into Public Works, you will be entered into a raffle and could win a $50 gift card to a Monrovia Business! If you are out and about around town and see furniture, boxes, or other items in the Right of Way (not on Private Property), please report them to Public Works. In turn, Athens Services will pick these items up within about 48 hours. How to Report Bulky Items: Call Public Works at (626) 932-5575; or Email [email protected] Be sure to provide our name and address to be entered into the raffle. Raffle tickets will be pulled each Thursday and the winners will be notified by Public Works Staff. The winner for this week's drawing is… Pam Soto! Since June 4, we have received 2,540 reports for abandoned bulky items! Thank you for reporting these items! COVID-19 At a Glance Latest Facts & Figures Monrovia - 1,281 confirmed cases | 41 deaths L.A. County – 475,271 cases | 7,782 deaths California – 1,450,235 confirmed cases | 19,437 deaths Residential / Non-Residential Settings in Monrovia Redell Pine - 2 staff cases Miracle Works - 5 staff cases Facilities that have no reported positive COVID-19 cases for 14 days are considered to no longer have an outbreak and removed from the list. Confirmed cases of employees from residential/non-residential settings get counted under their home city. Additional details on cases and deaths were not provided by the County of Los Angeles. View the Public Health Statement Regarding COVID-19 and Patient Privacy. Stay Informed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention California Department of Public Health To keep the community informed, the Los Angeles County provides updates, which can be viewed on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. City of Monrovia Monrovia Strong Monrovia Renewal Construction Updates Work is underway in the Northeast Section of the Monrovia Renewal project. This represents the final section of work for Monrovia Renewal, which is the largest public works project in City history! The Northeast project section includes the area of the City that is bound by the City limit to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the west, Greystone Avenue and Hillcrest Boulevard to the north, Colorado Boulevard and Royal Oaks to the south. We appreciate your patience and support while we work to execute these improvements throughout our community! Should you have any questions, please call the Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or email [email protected]. For the week of December 14, work will include: Restoration, slot patching, and root pruning on the following streets: Streets North of Foothill: Encinitas Avenue, Ivy Avenue, and Canyon Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and Greystone Avenue For the week of December 21, work will include: Concrete pouring and restoration on the following streets: Streets North of Foothill: Encinitas Avenue, Ivy Avenue, and Canyon Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and Greystone Avenue Please note that no work will take place on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 for the Christmas Holiday. During this period, no construction related parking restrictions will be enforced. For the week of December 28, work will include: Concrete pouring and restoration on the following streets: Streets North of Foothill: Encinitas Avenue, Ivy Avenue, and Canyon Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and Greystone Avenue Please note that City of Monrovia staff will be off for this week, however, construction will be taking place this week with the exception of Thursday, December 30 and Friday, December 31, where no work will take place to observe the New Year's Holiday. During this period, no construction related parking restrictions will be enforced. We appreciate your patience and support while we work to execute these improvements throughout the community! If you have any questions regarding Monrovia Renewal, please feel free to contact Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or [email protected]. Monrovia Strong The Monrovia Strong webpage was created to share with the community different resources to help you and your family get through these challenging times. Visit Monrovia Strongto explore the many activities and resources. We're in this together, Monrovia! Development Spotlight Several significant projects are working their way through the review process and stages of construction here at the City. Among these are the Adaptive Reuse of the Monrovia Market Building (approved on Oct. 1), the Overton Moore Pacific Self Storage Project in the former Verizon Building in Old Town (approved on Nov. 19), 127 Pomona Multi-Family Development with 310 units at Station Square (approved on Jan. 21), the Alexan Multi-Family Development with 436 units at Station Square (approved on Feb. 4), and the Arroyo at Monrovia Station Multi-Family Development with 302 units (Planning Commission approved on Feb. 12). For more details, visit the Development Spotlight or Building Monrovia webpages. Key Dates, Programs & Virtual Events Monrovia City Council Meeting | December 15 | 7:30 p.m. Ad Hoc Committee on Equity and Inclusion Meeting | December 17 | 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monrovia Street Fair & Market | Fridays | 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. E-Waste Drop-off | Daily | Monrovia Public Works Yard Gravel (Sand) Bags Available for Residents | Self-Serve Submit a Tree Planting Interest Form Reserve Library Items for Curbside Pick-up | Monday - Saturday Job Opportunities with the City of Monrovia Budget / Finance Administrator Police Officer (Lateral) The City of Monrovia offers interested individuals a chance to keep themselves notified on our job openings through the job interest card. This card will help interested individuals receive notifications about positions that open within the city without having to continuously log on to view our employment opportunities page. Neighborhood Watch Report During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 307 service events, resulting in 73 investigations. View the Neighborhood Watch Report. This press release was produced by the City of Monrovia. The views expressed are the author's own.