The Claremont City Council eases back into action tonight with a somewhat modest schedule following its August recess. At 5:15pm, the council will meet in closed session for a conference with labor negotiators regarding the Claremont Professional Employees Association. The council will also be discussing price and terms of a prospective agreement with Arteco Partners over the Padua Theatre.
The regular council meeting begins at 6:30pm with a number of routine administrative items, including the introduction of three new commissioners:
- Angela Bekzadian-Avila, Human Services
- Rosemary Fisher-Anaya, Police Commission
- Sayeed Shaikh, Police Commission
The council will also accept the resignation of Human Services Commission Chair Gwen Carr. No word on why Carr stepped down, but you can bet that fellow Human Services Commissioner Valerie Martinez had more than a little to do with the resignation. The word on the street is that Martinez, who was the spokeswoman and brains behind the Claremonsters' Preserve Claremont campaign, maneuvered against Carr's appointment to commission chair and seems to have continued to work against Carr by manipulating her fellow, less-aware commissioners.
In addition, the council will also vote on a resolution against the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Measure R sales tax increase. The resolution also expresses support for the Gold Line.
Other items on tonight's council agenda include a discussion of the elements of a proposed mansionization ordinance that would try to implement tighter controls over the sorts of homes that can be built in town, as well as the adoption of a residential parking permit policy.
The parking issue came up previously with the residents on Via Santa Caterina in the Claraboya neighborhood. That neighborhood sits at the trailhead for Johnson's Pasture, and the residents there have complained of parking and crime problems since the city purchased Johnson's Pasture. Via Santa Caterina residents might want to take a closer look at our Forked Tongues post from yesterday. From what we're hearing, the city's trail of broken promises is growing, so don't get too comfortable with the parking situation on Via Santa Caterina.
Reporter Wes Woods II had an article on the parking permit issue:
City staff has recommended the City Council establish such a program and, if approved at tonight's council meeting, the ordinance could be adopted by the end of October.
Councilwoman Linda Elderkin said the ordinance "authorizes ground rules for setting up possible parking areas by permit and the rules for doing that."Elderkin added: "The first important thing is this policy does not authorize any particular area yet."
The neighborhoods identified in the agenda report as being interested in the ordinance include College Avenue between Foothill Boulevard and Seventh Street; Baughman Avenue between Berkeley Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard, and the residential area to the west of the Village Expansion. A residential permit for Via Santa Catarina has been established through a separate ordinance.
Officials noted Monday that the ordinance states "a finding would have to be made that no alternative to the proposed zone exists that is feasible or practical."
Permits would cost between $12 and $14 each and would be established with each resolution that creates the separate permit zones in the city, said city engineer Craig Bradshaw.
The police chief, or designee, would be responsible for issuing permits and no more than four permits per address would be issued, Bradshaw said.
A word to the wise, don't put too much stock in anything the city engineer, Police Chief Paul Cooper, or the city's chief planner Lisa Prasse have to say. Those holdovers from the Glenn Southard-era are among the worst of Claremont's Promise Breakers, and we'll try to fill in the blanks as soon as we get more details.
City Council Meeting
- Closed Session, 5:15pm
- Regular Session, 6:30pm
Council Chambers
225 W. 2nd St.
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 399-5460
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