January 8, 2011 Meeting Summary

Agenda Items:
Preparation
Acknowledgments
Attendees
Meeting

Preparation

E-mail and some phone reminders

Acknowledgments

Susan brought coffee cake

Attendees

9 members

Meeting

Agenda Items:

The meeting began about 11:20 am

  • City Council Candidates Forum on January 19
    • Specifically for Council Candidates running in our District 4 election.
      • Wednesday January 19, 2011, 7 – 8:30 pm
      • La Salle High School Dining Hall
      • 3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.  (south side of campus, enter from Michillinda)
    • E-mail questions for candidates to Rhonda Stone at [email protected]
    • Will be videotaped for future broadcast on cable’s Arroyo Channel (Charter Channel 32 for those with cable boxes). Replay schedule to be announced.
  • Pasadena Fire Department Strategic Plan Survey
    • A Strategic Plan Committee of the Pasadena Fire Department is requesting input regarding the department’s future. They are to “assess expectations, needs and improvements in our various services to the community”
    • The following list of questions has been sent to us:
      1. What do you expect from the Pasadena Fire Department?
      2. What is your impression of us and how are we doing in service? Define current relationship?
      3. Define our current status and service?
      4. What can we do for you?
      5. Are we meeting those expectations?
      6. What don’t we do that you wish we did do, and what do we do that you think we should not do?
      7. What can we do to improve ourselves and why?
      8. What service is fundamental or core service you cannot do without?
      9. Have you ever used our service or programs and under what capacity?
  • Meeting attendees who have had interaction with the fire department:
    • Felt that they were very helpful, courteous, and exhibited a lot of patience.
    • Direct interaction for our attendees was for medical response.
    • Also we’ve see them shopping at the supermarket or getting meals at the new chicken grilling place.  And bringing an engine to some events where the children are especially impressed. Residents also appreciate their watchfulness for, and friendly waves to children, as they drive by on our streets.
    • Fundamental core services are timely response to fires and emergency medical needs.  Some of us are somewhat aware of a fire marshalservice, but do not have direct experience with that and are not fully aware of what it entails.
    • Question was raised as to why an engine always seems to come along with the paramedics, and isn’t that wasteful of resources.  Think we answered among ourselves a number of reasons why that practice is often beneficial.
  • If you would like to respond to some or all of these questions, send an e-mail to [email protected] in the next week to be compiled and returned with those from our meeting attendees.  Or if you prefer, you can provide input directly to the Fire Department’s Anthony James at: [email protected] before January 25
  • Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line station southern access project update
    • As noted at last month’s meeting, the plan to build a pedestrian bridge across the southern lanes of the freeway turned out to be untenable.  Now city staff has recommended spending a fraction of that money to “improve the sidewalk experience” between Colorado Blvd. and the Gold Line Station.  Described as a “pedestrian access corridor”, this would include widening the sidewalks, pedestrian street lighting, and improved landscaping.
    • The City Council took up this recommendation briefly at its meeting on December 13.
    • The Council approved the recommendation, also requesting that inclusion of “wayfarer” signs be considered. That is signs that give directions to people arriving at the station who didn’t originate here.  Currently there is a small map somewhere near the bridge, but by the time people are getting off the elevators they are baffled which way to go.
    • City staff is now authorized to go forward with developing detailed plans.
    • Councilman Haderlein forwarded our suggestions from the last meeting on to the staff.  In the Council meeting he also talked about having a public meeting for neighborhood discussion and input, but no one said there would be such a meeting.
  • Coyotes killing in afternoon / early evening
    • On Wednesday December 29 between noon and 6:30 pm a cat was eaten on it’s front lawn on the corner of Alameda Street and Vineyard Lane.  From the few remnants left, it would appear to have been done by a coyote.
    • This is a very unusual time for coyotes to be roaming our streets.  Usually they limit their activity to times of night with little human activity.
    • Therefore this is a warning that there is at least one unusually aggressive coyote around and we all need to become more aware and more cautious with regard to pets and children.
    • Also consider they can squeeze through under or between fences most people would never believe. And they can also easily climb fences.  They just won’t usually bother to take the time or risk.  Their normal modus operandi is to move quickly down the street, checking everything easily accessible, to take prey by surprise.  Except for adult males, family groups frequently hunt together.
    • This is also a reminder to not allow coyotes to roam unchallenged.  Yell, stomp, throw rocks, chase, anything to make them uncomfortable with being in our area.   Don’t leave food outside unattended and pick up fallen fruit.  (Making noise also has the advantage of alerting other animals in the vicinity.)
  • Presentation on 1/13 about laws and regulation of group homes
    • (Did not actually get to this item at the meeting)
    • Special meeting of the Code Enforcement Commission has as its primary item: “Assistant City Attorney Frank Rhemrev will be presenting information on “Group Homes” and discussing how federal, state, and local laws apply to their location and regulation.”
      • Thursday January 13, 2011, 6 pm
      • Victory Park Center Multi-purpose Room #3
      • 2575 Paloma Street
  • Last x-mas tree pickup curbside on Monday the 10th
  • Pasadena Marathon date moved again, now May 15
    • (Did not actually get to this item at the meeting)
    • Originally scheduled for February 20, now moved to Sunday May 15.
    • Presumably this move is a result of the L.A. Marathon moving its date back so that they were too close together.
  • A Noise Within Hard Hat Sundays
    • “A Noise Within” is the name of the live theater company which is building a theater using part of the historic Stuart Pharmaceutical Building east of the south-east corner of Foothill at Sierra Madre Villa.  The theater and its support facilities is now under construction.
    • They are still inviting the public to come and see “firsthand the construction progress and hearing directly from the Artistic Directors and members of the Board about the theatre.”
    • “This is a casual ‘open house’ style event with refreshments and a brief opportunity to hear about the construction progress and future theatre layout as well as ask any questions about A Noise Within. We encourage everyone to RSVP. Event recurs monthly on the second Sunday of the month.”
    • One of our members at the meeting tried to RSVP last month but did not receive a response.  Another e-mailed just recently for this Sunday and got a quick response.  So if you tried and failed to get a response last month, try again for next month.
    • The upcoming open houses are
      • Sunday January 9, 4 – 5 pm
      • Sunday February 13, 4 – 5 pm
      • Sunday March 13, 4 – 5 pm
    • Walk, or park in the Gold Line station parking garage.
    • RSVP via e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-265-7959
    • Obviously they are hoping you’ll become a patron and donor, but you can go see what’s happening regardless.
  • Fit For Life Senior Challenge
    • (Did not actually get to this item at the meeting)
    • Friday January 14 and/or Friday January 21 from 9 am to 1 pm
    • Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, 360 N. Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena 91103
    • A Free Event presented by the Pasadena Senior Center and Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
    • Continental breakfast, balance training, recreational walks, tai chi, warm water exercise, water aerobics, yoga, arthritis foundation exercise, lunch, prize drawing.
    • Reservations by mail required.  Phone 626 685-6754 with questions.
    • For more info and registration form, go to: www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org
  • anything else attendees wish to discuss
    • Annual Newsletter and Election Planning
      • February is time to put together and deliver the annual newsletter again. Topics this year?
        • Association introduction.
        • Association Election notice.
        • City Council and school board election and its importance.
        • Suggestions from attendees: coyotees, don’t leave trash cans out for days.
      • Need to plan again for association officer election in March.  Our small unrelated election could get drowned out by the noise from the so close in timing City Council election.
    • Problems with new Urgent Care Center
      • One of our members went to the new Urgent Care Center on Del Mar. Took a long time and in the end was not given useful treatment. When spoke by phone with doctor covering for his own doctor, was told to go to Fair Oaks urgent care because Del Mar urgent care not yet fully “equipped”. Believed this comment regarded a lack of the full range of necessary personnel rather then a reference to equipment.
      • (Went to Fair Oaks Urgent Care and sounds like was sent in circles quite a bit but did receive more useful treatment.)
    • Parking Enforcement
      • Request for overnight parking permit machine on this side of town. Nearest one is too far away at Fire Station #32, 2424 E. Villa St.
      • Noted that you can purchase overnight parking permits from the city’s web site, printing it on your own printer. It does cost an extra dollar per transaction. http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/trans/parking/topeo_instructions.asp
      • It was also noted that parking enforcement for time limited areas uses cameras to take pictures of license plates rather then marking tires like they used to do. And they will give you a ticket if your vehicle is in the same block, even if it has been moved. If you left and came back, you can challenge the ticket if you have proof that your car was elsewhere between the times when parking enforcement checked.
      • We discussed how annoying it is that PCC students are violating parking laws all the time on the streets near the campus at Foothill and Santa Paula but parking enforcement against them is rare.  Conjecture is that parking enforcement does not find it worth their monetary while to regularly come so far from larger areas of restrictions, so they only show up when somebody calls and complains.   Meanwhile residents feel like when they occasionally violate the parking rules in front of their house they get a ticket.
      • Question raised about possibility of resident preferential parking, what is required to get that program, and whether it works if parking enforcement is really sporadic, as it is now.
    • Hermanos setting up a Neighborhood Watch
      • Hermanos Street is setting up a Neighborhood Watch. They are having their initial meeting very soon.
      • If you want to organize a Neighborhood Watch for your block, talk to your neighbors to see if they interested and then contact Police Specialist Laura Morris at 626 744-7657.

    • Next meeting is February 12, 2011, 11:15 am, at Hastings Branch Library

    Adjourned about 12:30 pm