March 14, 2015 Meeting Summary

Agenda Items:
Preparation
Attendees
Meeting

Preparation

E-mail and phone reminders

Attendees

9 members

Meeting

Agenda Items:

The meeting began about 11:25 am

  • Association Officers Election
    • This meeting included the annual election of officers.
    • No new names were submitted as candidates, so the previous officers were up for re-election without opposition, and the Secretary position had no candidate.
    • To be official there needed to be at least five votes.
    • 9 people attended the meeting and there were 9 votes for each candidate.  Someone wrote in a name for Secretary, but the named person declined being appointed.
  • Newsletter Distributed
    • The Association’s annual newsletter was finally written and reproduced on Thursday February 26, and distribution by volunteers began.
    • Thanks to Laura, Sharon, Susan, and Kathy for editing, and for Sharon’s help with formatting.
    • Thanks to Susan, Desi, Laura, Linda, and Bev for distribution.
    • Thanks to Neighborhood Connections for xerographic duplication.  Thanks for Staples for full rebates on colored paper several years ago.
  • City Mayor General Election on April 21
    • The primary election was held on March 10.
    • Council member Gene Masuda ran without opposition and therefore was re-elected for another four year term.
    • No candidate received over 50% of the vote for Mayor, so the top two will be in a run-off election on April 21.
    • The remaining candidates for Mayor are both current Council Members: Terry Tornek and Jacque Robinson.
  • 2015 Pasadena Conference on Aging April 11
    • The 2015 Pasadena Conference on Aging is being held
      • Saturday April 11, 2015
      • 8 am – 1:30 pm
      • at First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.
    • It is free and includes a free lunch.
    • They are now also referring to it as a “Lifestyle Fair for the 50+”
    • It is being organized by the Pasadena Senior Center.  Sponsors include the City of Pasadena.
    • The publicity claims attendees will “Receive practical information and resources that will help you plan ahead and get the most our of life”.
    • RSVP to 866-402-6797
    • Additional information is also available on that website.
  • 3175 Alameda foreclosure notice
    • 3175 Alameda is the boarded up house on the north side of the street where Santa Paula intersects from the south.
    • After several years of active neglect, infestation, and sometimes occupation without any utility service, in October 2009 the City “took possession”, boarded it up, and fenced it off.  In the years since it has continued to be a big headache for the neighbors and an eyesore for the neighborhood.  The City Attorney was supposed to be pursuing a remedy, but there was no indication much of anything was done.
    • Finally, a couple weeks ago a sheaf of paperwork was attached to the fence. They tell the owner (who is not around) he is in default of a deed of trust dated 6/7/2006 and the property is scheduled to be sold at a public sale on April 2, 2015.  The total amount due is $684,034.49.  (That is two to three times what the property ever could have sold for.  The owner must have gotten a no documentation loan which has accumulated interest and penalties all these years).
    • A neighbor retrieved the listing on auction.com.  It says the opening bid is $285,000.  Home is in default with $362,570 past due on a loan issued by Citibank on 6/16/2006.
  • Local Crime Summary
    • For the last month, from crimemapping.com:
      • Fri Feb 27, 1:37 pm, 3200 block Hermanos St, Vehicle Burglary
      • Tues March 3, 7:42 pm, 3200 block Foothill Blvd, Vehicle Burglary
      • Wed March 4, 5:29 am, 3200 block Hermanos St, Grand Theft Auto
      • Wed March 4, 11:28 am, 3200 block La Tierra St, Vehicle Burglary
      • Sun March 8, 3:59 pm, 3100 block Estado St, Petty Theft
      • Mon March 9, 1:45 pm, 3000 block Foothill Blvd, Grand Theft
      • Tues March 10, 11:12 am, 3100 block Del Vina St, Petty Theft
      • Tues March 10, 1:16 pm, 400 block Santa Paula Ave, Rape
    • The past month has more listings then can ever remember for our neighborhood.  Daisy Villa, across the wash to the west, also had a rash of vehicle and theft reports, some on the same days as our neighborhood.  Lower Hastings was also active.  Upper Hastings had little activity.
  • anything else attendees wish to discuss
    • Homeless increase in area
      • Seems like there is a large increase in vagrants and homeless encampments in recent months
      • Many encampments next to freeway, often can’t easily be seen driving but can if walking.  Generating lots of trash.
      • Recommended to not give them money directly because it encourages them to stay on the streets.  Some of them make a large amount from begging.
      • Some choose to give some of them money because they feel that could be a loved one in that situation who could just need a little bit of help to get out of it.
      • Was a guy laying on walkway in front of ATMs at B of A.  Then seen aggressively pursuing a customer who’d left the bank.
      • Due to court rulings and state regulations there is very little authorities can do anymore to make them move on or even clean up after them.
    • Next E-Waste and Document Shredding date
      • The next city run E-Waste collection and free Document Shredding Event will be on
        • Saturday May 23
        • 9 am to 3 pm
        • Parking Lot I south of the Rose Bowl
    • Planning & Community Development meetings
      • An attendee at the meeting asked about a card they’d received from the city, but didn’t have it with her.  The rest of us didn’t know what she was referring to.  Turns out we just hadn’t received it yet.  It came in the mail later in the afternoon.
      • The address side of the card says in bold type: “You are receiving this notice because your property is within a study area identified for potential code revisions affecting regulations for single-family home development”.  The other side of the card has information about four meetings being held between March 26 and April 30.
      • City planning staff will be holding four Community Meetings around the city to get input from residents about possible regulations to reduce the potential for over-building (a.k.a. mansionization) on residential lots not already protected by historic or hillside zoning.
      • The beginning of this process was discussed at our September meeting: eewna.org/meetings/140913-meeting-summary.html#mansionization.
      • The four meetings scheduled are:
        • Thursday March 26
          • 6 – 8 pm
          • Pasadena Christian Church
          • 789 N. Altadena Dr.
        • Thursday April 9
          • 4 – 6 pm
          • La Pintoresca Library
          • 1355 N. Raymond Ave.
        • Thursday April 16
          • 6 – 8 pm
          • Lamanda Park Library
          • 140 S. Altadena Dr.
        • Thursday April 30
          • 6 – 8 pm
          • Allendale Library
          • 1130 S. Marengo Ave
      • (Have to wonder at them all being on a Thursday evening)
      • If you have think houses are being built too tall, or too close to property lines, or just too massively within our existing neighborhoods or, conversely, if you think the current regulations are enough already, you really should attend one of these meetings and let your voice be heard.
      • If you just cannot attend, you could write a note to one of the city planners:  Ha Ly at [email protected] or Martin Potter at [email protected]
      • If you are in favor of more regulation, think about how regulations could be formulated to reasonably be applied to many different sizes and shapes of lots and all the different types of both tear-downs and modifications of existing houses.  (It’s not easy!)
      • The outcome of this process for the vast majority of city neighborhoods is very open and undecided at this time.  The feedback received at these meetings will make a big difference in whether any changes are made and, if so, the details of those changes.

Next meeting is April 11, 11:15 am, at Hastings Branch Library meeting room

Adjourned about 12:20 pm