January 10, 2015 Meeting Summary
East Eaton Wash Neighborhood Association
Preparation
E-mail and phone reminders
Attendees
4 members
Meeting
Agenda Items:
The meeting began about 11:28 am
- City tree opinion survey
- Pasadena Public Works has an online survey to get public opinion
about street and parkway trees in the city, including questions about
how well the city cares for them, the rules for removal, the street by
street species plan, and what you would be willing to support to improve
the situation.
- Here is the link: www.cityofpasadena.net/publicworks/urbanforestsurvey
- This survey is an initial step in development of the city's Urban Forest Management Plan.
- The results of the survey are supposed to "help guide and shape public tree policies".
- The survey is supposed to be available until February 1.
- The announcement says the survey was developed in conjunction with an environmental firm hired as a consultant.
- The survey is very poorly written. It is not clear what the
all the question set ups are saying, or in every case what exactly the
question is. It is bad enough that city employees would present
such shoddy work to the public and claim the results are meaningful, but
paying a consultant for it is even worse.
- Please fill out the survey anyway. There are several fill-in response areas to say what you think.
Clearly it is an informal survey since it is anonymous and there are no
controls over who is filling it out or how many times they do so.
- Proposed regulations for CRV recycling facilities
- On the City Council's meeting agenda for Monday January 12, item
21 proposes new regulations of recycling facilities for CRV (California
Redemption Value) containers.
- There are just four such facilities currently in Pasadena, the
only one in our part of town is in the northern Ralphs parking lot.
- Existing facilities would have to be re-sited, designed, get a
Conditional Use Permit and building permits, and be constructed to meet
the new regulations within 6 months or be "subject to abatement".
(Anyone familiar with the city's permit process knows this deadline is
likely very difficult to meet).
- Proposed new regulations:
- Require the entire facility to be enclosed.
- Aside from moving into an empty store front, this would
require finding a location with sufficient space that meets all the new
expanded setback requirements and doesn't take away too many parking
spaces.
- Obviously this would vastly increase the costs associated with a facility.
- Being in a totally enclosed space would also concentrate all
the current negatives and make using the facility even less desirable
for ordinary folks who just want to recycle their own CRV
items.
- Further limit hours of operation to
exclude Sunday and only 8 am to 5 pm on the other days. ( Thus it would
become even more difficult for people with regular work hours to recycle their
CRV containers.)
- Require the facility to be at least 30 feet from Public
Right-of-Ways (streets). Under exceptional circumstances permits
could be granted reducing the distance to 20 ft.
- Require at least 200 feet from the nearest residential
zone. This is supposed to protect residences from noise impacts.
It could be reduced to 150 feet as part of the permit process.
- Prohibit obstructing pedestrian or vehicle circulation. (A problem at the current Ralphs facility).
- Signage to identify the owner/operation and contact information even when closed.
- Use durable waterproof and rust proof collection bins that are secured inside when not attended.
- Have at least one dedicated trash container for non-recyclable materials.
- Require patrons to pre-sort all materials prior to coming to the facility.
- Provide containers or facilities for collection of liquid
contents to prevent dumping of "waste fluids" into storm drains and
gutters.
- Have an approved waste management plan for collecting and disposing of liquid wastes.
- Have a litter/debris removal plan as part of the conditions of approval.
- These proposed regulations are sufficiently difficult to meet that
it is quite possible some or all of the recycling facilities will be
closed and not replaced. This would seem to be the goal of many of
the proponents of the regulations. The movement against the
recycling facilities mostly got started by irate neighbors of the
facility that used to be at the Food 4 Less on North Lake Ave.
- State law requires that stores that sell products in CRV containers
and do more then $2 million in gross annual sales must be within a half
mile of a recycling facility. If they are not, they must directly
collect and pay for CRV containers inside their store, or pay a penalty
of $100 a day. The issues of cleanliness and health that would
result from collecting the used containers in the store make it
likely they would choose to pay the $36,500 a year penalty.
- For all the details being presented to the City Council, see Item 21 on the City Council Agenda.
- If you have strong opinions about these proposed regulations, go to the meeting, or write a note to the Mayor at [email protected], Council Member Masuda at [email protected], or the the entire Council via the City Clerk www.cityofpasadena.net/CityClerk/Contact_Director/. Be sure to start by indicating you are commenting about item 21 on the January 12 agenda.
- Topics for annual newsletter
- February is the month for creating and distributing our annual printed newsletter to every residence.
- Each year so far, it's been one standard size sheet of colored paper printed on both sides.
- For the last several years, we've had to provide the paper and Neighborhood Connections has done the copying for us.
- We'll need volunteers to once again put on their walking shoes and
distribute door to door. Typically volunteers sign up for a block
or a group of blocks. It is especially great if volunteers can
take some extra time to talk to neighbors, especially new neighbors.
- Also need volunteer proof readers / editors.
- Aside from the general introduction to the neighborhood
association that appears every year, we need to pick some topics to
include this year. Potential topics include:
- NextDoor Neighborhood website
- blurb urging participation in City Mayor and Pasadena public school board election in March
- note that soccer field still brewing - reference online info rather then explaining it all again
- Pasadena Citizen Service Center via web, app, or phone
- Safety tips, police general phone line, urge all theft and vandalism incidents be reported, online reporting
- Local Crime Summary
- For the last month, from crimemapping.com:
- Fri December 26, 12:06 pm, 3200 block E Foothill Blvd, Commercial Burglary
- No residential reports in our area, in Daisy Villa (across the wash), or in Lower Hastings area
- anything else attendees wish to discuss
Next meeting is February 14, 11:15 am, at Hastings Branch Library meeting room
Adjourned about 12:50 pm