CRESCENTA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL

General Meeting

July 20, 2006—7:00 p.m.—Sheriff’s Station

MINUTES

1.  Call to Order - President Hales

• Pledge of Allegiance - Councilmember Rawlins 
• Invocation - Councilmember Ostler
• Roll Call - Councilmember Ostler

Present                                                               Absent

Councilmember Beatty                             Councilmember Andrus

Councilmember Bodell

Councilmember Erickson                         Councilmember Lunt                                                            

Councilmember Ostler

Councilmember Pierce                                                    

Councilmember Raghavachary

Councilmember Rawlins                                 

Councilmember Smiley

Councilmember Thomas

President Hales

2.  Approval of Minutes of CVTC General Meetings, May 18, 2006 [approved unanimously]

3.  Guest Speaker

   Danny Ubario from LA County Animal Control (Baldwin Park Shelter)  All dogs must be micro-chipped and spayed and neutered.  Shelter offers free microchips for dogs in unincorporated L.A. County residents.  Exceptions: older dogs, law enforcement, service dogs, competition dogs. 

4. Comments from Officials

• Supervisor Antonovich’s Office - [None]

• Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Department - Captain Tim Peters

Presented La Crescenta Crime Statistics for June, 2006, and Reported Crime, Calls for Service and Response Times, Jan. – June 2006.  (see attachments) Made a pitch to support ¼ percent increase in sales tax to fight gang violence.  

• California Highway Patrol - Officer Saul Velasquez

Presented accident statistics for June 2006.  7 accidents in June (1 injury, 7 non-injury).  Stop sign seems to be working on Briggs, however CHP has noticed increased speed at the tip of Briggs going up the hill. 

• Crescenta Valley Water District - Vasken Yardemian

Budget for  ‘07 was approved at last month’s meeting.  Discussion about how CVWD is going to finance long term capital improvements.  Water rates will likely rise early next year.  Large pine trees at water tower have been removed and replaced with 9 California Redwood at Willowhaven and Pine Cone Avenues.  No settlement yet with employees. 

• Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce - Paul Dutton

Dual Mixer at Zekes Restaurant, July 26, 2006.  Hometown Country Fair, Sept. 2, 2006. CERT Training coming up starting September 23, 2006, for community emergency response team. 

• Montrose Chamber of Commerce - Mike Sharr

Dual Mixer at Zekes (see above) and on Aug. 2, 2006 at Verdugo Vista Health Care; On August 17, 2006 there will be a wine and cheese tasting at Goudas and Vines.    

• La Crescenta Library - Vickie Guagliardo

Presented upcoming programs.                            

• Los Angeles County Parks - Councilmember Pierce

Music on the Lawn, September 29, 2006, 1- 4:00 p.m. Honolulu and Dunsmore.  Free bus service from Glendale.   

• BFI/Allied Waste - [None]
• Graffiti Removal - Peter Rosenthal

Two types: taggers (want to be noticed) and gang graffiti (marking territory).  If anyone wants to help give him a call.     

5.  Public Comments

    Frank Beyt – 2207 Del Mar Avenue, Montrose.  Seeking support for maintaining R3 zoning status for his property and similarly situated properties.   He and others would like to be placed on August agenda.  He will formally make request to the County and will send petition to County.

    Bill Case – Lives in Glendale portion of La Crescenta.  Owns two commercial properties in Montrose.  Reasonable development is good.  Should require picture of development to show what it is going to look at.  If you don’t allow reasonable development you are fooling around with the free market.  35 Foot high height restrictions for R1, R2 and R3 is probably too high.  Hopes for reasonable attitude on behalf of re-zoning.

    Chris Raitano -  Resident from Waltonia Avenue, 1900 block.  She currently has 3 houses on property now.  County needs to be specific as to which pockets are going to be re-zoned.  Opposed to re-zoning her property.

6.  Presentation of plans for Aposhian property - Raffi Gagossian

2773 Foothill Blvd. (red house has been demolished)   Have incorporated CVTC ideas into plan and met with County.  Retail/Residential mix.  Drawings presented and viewed by CVTC.

7.  CVTC Committee Reports

• Election Committee - Councilmember Andrus

[Will report next month, on vacation]

• Finance/Fundraising - Councilmember Thomas

(see attached Treasurer’s Report – will file for audit)

Worked hard to balance budget and came up with Proposed Balance Budget (see attached).  Any future expenditures will require CVTC approval.

--Motion by Councilmember Thomas to approve balanced budget and to approve all future expenditures.  Seconded by Beatty.  Discussion.  Passed unanimously.

--Motion by Councilmember Erickson to continue phone for the remainder of year.  Seconded by Councilmember Beatty.  Discussion.  Passed unanimously.

--Motion by Councilmember Raghavachary to continue televising through the end of year.  Seconded by Councilmember Beatty.  Discussion.  Passed 8-0 with Councilmember Smiley abstaining.

Fundraising committee came up with idea to participate in silent auction in September and County Fair.

--Motion to do the silent auction fundraiser and have each councilmember distribute 5 flyers and obtain 5 gifts.  Seconded by Councilmember Erickson.   Discussion.  Passes 7-2:

Councilmember Beatty - yes

Councilmember Erickson - yes                                                         

Councilmember Ostler - yes

Councilmember Pierce - yes [voted in place of Councilmember Andrus]                

Councilmember Raghavachary - yes

Councilmember Rawlins - no          

Councilmember Smiley - yes

Councilmember Thomas - yes

President Hales - no

Oktoberfest: What is available to us are pretzel booths, ticket or ID booth, or one huge food booth.  Banners can be put on booths.  Committee to make decision on appropriate selection.  

• Foothill Design Committee - Councilmember Raghavachary

Had meeting with CVTC to explain CSD last week.  Meeting to present CSD to community will be postponed.  Land Use meeting next week (see  announcement)

• Library Committee - President Hales

Next meeting will be on Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m.

County Board of Supervisors approved $990,000 appropriated money for library, and authorized expenditure of $20,000 to study the cost of removal of billboard.  Also approved by Supervisors was costs of relocation of Newtiques, not to exceed $100,000.

• Public Relations/Internet - Councilmember Erickson

Grateful to newspaper coverage.

• Streets, Roadways, Parks and Public Safety - Councilmembers Ostler/Pierce

August 10, 2006 County will plant donated palm tree at 2 Strike Park.  Councilmember Beatty reported that Sheriff will ticket curb parking cars in complained of areas.  There is still an outstanding issue with Pennsylvania and Foothill with left-hand turn lane.

• Youths and Seniors - Councilmember Erickson

Announced Senior Events for CCY.

8.  Treasurer’s Report - Councilmember Thomas

(See above)

9.  Correspondence - Councilmember Erickson

Thank you letter from Clark High for attending memorial service.

Many thank you notes received from scholarship recipients.

10. Items from Council

--Motion by Councilmember Beatty to support ¼ percent tax increase for fighting gang crimes throughout Los Angeles County.  Seconded by Councilmember Smiley.  Discussion. 

Motion fails 3 to 6.   Yes – Smiley, Raghavachary, Beatty.  (Pierce voted in place of Andrus)

Councilmember Beatty - yes

Councilmember Erickson - no                                                          

Councilmember Ostler - no

Councilmember Pierce - no [voted in place of Councilmember Andrus]                

Councilmember Raghavachary - yes

Councilmember Rawlins - no          

Councilmember Smiley - yes

Councilmember Thomas - no

President Hales - no

• Items for Press Release
• Report of Urban Watershed Summit - President Hales/Councilmember Erickson.

Pres. Hales and Councilmember Erickson attended and brought back three requests: shared vision of self sufficiency, i.e. stop relying on imported water; we have to pay for the clean water, i.e. bonds; and  volunteerism to increase water preservation

• Spot Park – Statement from Richard Toyon read by President Hales.  Had meeting with L.A. County and County is behind plan, but a little concerned about lack of funds.  Work is going forward.  President Hales has asked County for timeline: construction estimate finished by July 2006,  design completed by Sept. 2006, Contract awarded in Dec. 2006, and April 2007 park finished.

• Report of Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council meeting - Councilmember Erickson

Verdugo Hills golf course plans shown and discussed.  It was felt some buildings were too big.  Developer was going to continue to work on plans.

 --Straw Poll was taken whether or not to accept notice of by-law changes proposed by Councilmember Thomas via e-mail delivery.  Discussion.  By a vote of  7 to 2 (President Hales and Councilmember Rawlins vote no) CVTC accepted e-mail delivery in this instance.   

--Councilmember Thomas read proposed by-law change.  (see attached)

11. Announcements

• July 24, 2006, 7:00 pm – CVTC Land Use Meeting at Sheriff’s Station 2222 Montrose Ave.

• July 29, 2006, 1-4 pm – Musical Afternoon on the Lawn at Crescenta Valley Park

• August 3, 2006, 7:00 pm – CVTC Executive Meeting
• August 17, 2006, 7:00 pm – CVTC General Meeting
• July 27, 2006, 2-closing – Dominick’s Fundraiser

12.  Adjournment  10:19 p.m.