HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPRIL 16,1996
I
I
I
01/(.). ~O
o <//(;) '16
38:0112 (L
CITY COUNCn. PROCEEDINGS ARE TAPE RECORDED AND ON FILE IN TIlE OFFICE OF TIlE
CITY CLERK
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE
ROLL ,CALL
1.
ORD. & RES.
READ BY
TITLE ONLY
2.
MINUTES
CITY COUNCn. OF TIlE CITY OF ARCADIA
8Dd tbe
ARCADIA REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
REGULAR MEETING
APRll. 16, 1996
The City Council 8Dd tbe An:adia RedcYdopmem AtpJCy JDd in a regular meeting at
7:00 p. m., Tuesday, April 16, 1996 in tbe Arcadia City Council Chambers.
Rev, Dr. James Dallas, Chun:h oftbe Good Shepherd
The Honorable Patrick Hegarty, Judge oftbe Santa Anita Municipal Court
PRESENT:
ABSENT:
CouDcilmembers Chang. Kuhn. Ulrich, YOUDg 8Dd Lojesld
None
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS -
REPORTSlANNOUNCEMENTSlSTATEMENTS
None
It was MOVED by Councilmember Young. secoodcd by Councilmember Ulrich 8Dd
CARRIED on roU call VOle as foUows that Ord;IllIn<es 8Dd resolutions be read by title
only 8Dd that tbe reading in full be WAIVED.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
CouncilJllelllbers Chang. Kuhn. Ulrich. YOUDg 8Dd Lojesld
NODe
NODe
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Gino RonQCUl 12~ Ramona Road, stated, in part. that be congratulates aU the
candidates who ran for City Council 8Dd tbe two winners, He thinks what is clear is
that aU candidates had important issues that voters camI about. There was no candidate
who receMd more than one of four votes, 8Dd tbe second place was won by only ODe in
six votes. l~llg at how voters voted on PropositiODS C 8Dd 0, tbe Library issue 8Dd
the City CIm issue, it is a clear m'""""~ that people in our City do not want City Hall
to take away their rights. They want the opportunity to be bean!. There is an immM;.te
dilemma, he believes. The Neighbors for Arcadia bave now coUected just short of
enough signatureS to take their initiative to the voters. This will aUow the voters of
Arcadia to approve or disapprove the zoning that Santa Anita will soon be applying for.
But, at the same time, the City is spending literally hundreds of thousands of doUars and
holding planning meetings on issues regarding Santa Anita properties. That may not be
1
4/16/96
38:0113
in the best interests of the citizens. There an: tbrcc major issues going on right now in I
our City. The General Plan update. the Santa Anita specific plan that is coming in a
couple of months, and the Neighbors for Arcadia initiative. In what order sbould they
be faced is part of that dilemma. He suggested. as a citizen, that the City should go
slowly and allow the citizens their voice. After all, it is their City.
Collene Dean. 422 N. Gerona Avawc. San Gabriel, representing the Neighbors for
Arcadia as a Planning Consultant throughout the process of the GencraI Plan update
and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) teVicw. Sbe hopes the Council bas 1CCCivc:d
the letter with attacbcd information regarding additional monies for the GencraI Plan
update, as discussed at the previous Council meeting. Sbe rcqucstcd that this issue be
made a public hearing item for the May 7, 1996 Council agenda. Sbe will be glad to
respond to any questions from Council at that time. so that her group can clari1Y and
justify Santa Anita's sharing in the high cxpcnsc. With regard to scbcduling the special
Planning Commission meetings for review of the Gcncra1 Plan update and the EIR. she
was swprised to learn that there an: to be two consecutive meetings on the 29th and
30th of this month, without contact with the citizens she represents. On bcha1f of those
4,000 concerned citizens. she requests (I) DO more than 01lC consecutive night be
planned in a row in an cIfort to n:ducc the hardship on the public wishing to attend all
the meetings, and to allow the proper and maximum notification time and preparation
time for those meetings; and (2) those who decide those dates consider and inform the
representatives from these Org1'ni7ed groups, and include their concerns for setting
spccia1 meeting dates; and (3) inform them prior to setting the dates as to wbcn they
might be. Sbe will forward a letter to the Council ontlln;"g these conccms.
Ed Bacon. 1807 South Baldwin Avawc. stated. in part, that be is present to
congratulate Mayor Lojcski on his recent rccIclction to the City Co.,...,;I. He knows that
Mayor Lojcski will continue to serve the City and the citizens of Arcadia as be bas in the
past with honor, dignity and integrity. He also thanlt"'" the past and present ttlCmbcrs
of the City CoIwcil who voted for and were in favor of the Downtown 2000 project.
They have given the City something they can be prowl of.
I
Gail Marshall. 2300 block of Lee A vawc. stated. in part, that she congratUlatcs Dennis
Lojcski and Robert Halbicht on their election to Council scats. She admires each and of
every one of the counci1mcmbcrs who serve. It is an undcr-paid, timc-i:onsuming. and
often thanlt1o:ss taSk. It is impossible to plcasc C\'efYOIIC. If they make sure people an:
informed, they an: blamed for "P""d;ng too much. If they don't spend to inform, they
a.e accused of hiding fac:ts from the community. Vmcc Foley stated this and she agrc:cs
that it is true. God bless you all, and may He aid you in decisions during your terms.
She tries to stay current on City a1I'airs. Sbe enjoys giving credit where credit is due.
However, she also exposes areas which she sees as unfit. It was brought to her attention
last w=k that the City bas an omin.nC" hanni"g businesses from barllecuing outdoors
and offering cooked food. Sbe cannot figure out why this sbould be banned. Sbe bas
seen this in other cities. and the shoppers lave it. A store gets more business, and
conscqucntly the City gets more taxes. If air pollution is a question. that reason docsn't
make sense. If each person purchasing food was baJbeQling at home, it would generate
much more pollution. Arcadia needs to relax some of these rigid ordinances. and
become more business friendly if they want to attrad business. Arcadia docs not need
more businesses like Foulgcr Ford leaving. It is a pleasure to do the w=k's grocery
shopping, and upon leaving the store. pickup a baJbecucd dinner to take home Thank
you or allowing tables and chairs for outdoor dining. This is ! small step in the right
direction.
I
2
4/16196
38:0114
I
Tbc April 2 CouDcil IJ1ef'hng left Sl)IN'thing to be desired. It lIppClIRd to be an evening
of pressured voting on issues which wm: not clearly understood. There was an
IIn~ni""'llS opinion that our City Clerk does a fine job. Sbe ptllbably deserved a raise.
However, it SCCID5 this issue should have been addressed when the budget was prepared.
and if approved, become active at the proper time. I couldn't believe that a cost of 1iving
incn:ase is not a raise. That is usua1ly what most people receive as a raise. No one
mentioned that Iune holds an elective position. Elective positions never pay as high a
sa1ary as a hired employee. For example, the CouDcil is elected. and is only paid
S4OO/month. Her sa1ary should have been compared to other elected city clerks with
simi1ar responsibilities, instead of hired department beads. Tbc CouDcil did not have
time to properly compare. Sbe admired Dennis Lojes\ri's vote . 110 - due to time
constraints". With all due respect to the City Manager, she was dismayed that be did
not have the information available for Counci1 discussion. He bad the agenda the
previous week 1isting Mrs. Alford's CDmpen<llrion request, and the flIcts wm: at his
disposal. This action was unfair to the Counci1 considering the pressured time frame
involved.
I
She has not yet formed an opiniol! about the Santa Anita project since she does not have
enough information to do so, Othen should feel likewise and be open minded to all
information. Sometimes this does not appear to be the case. Ms. Doan is a professional
who SCCID5 to be very Imowledgeable. CounciImember Chang bad to twist anus to allow
her to speak again. CouDcil should be anxious to 1isten to Imowledge from a
professional planner. Another time pressured vote was the $83,000+- vote for the Santa
Anita Genera1 Plan update. Tbc City Manager said the IIIOney needs to be available to
avoid de\ayB. Maybe de1ays an: needed to make conscientious decisions. What's the
hurry? Mistakes an: usua1ly made when ooe is hurried. Maybe Arcadia needs to slow
down a bit Tbc DowntoWn project is definitely an improvement, but she does not think
it is worth eight million dollars. Tbc City hopes to retrieve some of the money from the
first contractor. This should not be taken for granted. What if the contractor declares
bankruptcy?
I
Speaking of improving areas, she wondered if any ~nrilrrH!ll1bers have taken a look at
Live Oak Avenue between Second and EI Monte Avenues? Sbe has 1ived in the area for
thirty-ooe years. As she crossed the boulevard last week, sbe connt'" sixteen vacant
bn.;-. a MeCI grown closed gas station, a rundown Thrifty shopping mall, and a
deteriorating alley and parIdng area behind stores from Santa Anita Avenue to Second
Avenue. South Artadia is often rd'ened to as Baja, slum or the ghetto by residents of
other Arcadia areas, It is ~ginning to live up to these referrab. Thank gnnthIPCll for
the new Ralphs and A\bertsons. It is South ~ but those residents pay taxes, too.
ft seems this area is often neglected and overlooked. Sbe agrees with Iohanna Hofer's
suggested for the City to be divided into five sections, and a representative from each
district be on the CouDcil. That way every section would get a fair representation. In
conclusion, she asked the CouDcil (I) to slow down when l'I"""'ing the taxpayers'
money. If 5(lmMhing is not presented in a timely manner, then it should have to wait
until the next appropriate time. Sbe felt the CouDcil was unflIirIy put against the wall
April 2, and they crumbled under pressure. (2) Be open minded concerning the Santa
Anita project. Encourage any and all information, pro or COD, before you consider a
decision. Please let the people vote on this importaDl issue. (3) She thinks
CouncillJl""bn- Ulrich's advice to set up a City finance advisory committee to help with
upcoming budget deliberations was a fine suggestion. (4) Would it be possible to air
update information on the City cable channel the evening of the vote? There was no
Wormation on the news concerning An:adia' s election that evening. She has beard a
lot of citizens and business owners speak of disappointment in the cobra lights
3
4/16196
3.
MINUTES
(Apr.2,1996)
(CONT'D TO
MAY 7,1996)
4.
ULRICH
(Thoughts
About His
Tenure on
City Council)
0/10 '
NS?
~
LOJESKI
(Pub. Hearings
Draft Gen.
Plan & Draft
EIR)
38:0115
rem~1n111g. She agreed with them. Those old lights are ugly; they ruin the effect; and
should be removed from the redevdoplllClll.
I
Consideration of the minutes of the meeting of April 2, 1996 for approval was
CONTINUED to May 7, 1996.
MATTERS FROM ELECI'ED OFFICIALS
Councilmember Ulrich stated, in part. that his nine months on the City Council bas
been an interesting c""l1....ge, It took at lot mo~ time and work than be bad
anticipated, but he is vety glad that he did it He hopes he bas made some minor
contribution to the City. He admires the CounciImembers, especially the Mayor, who
carry on a full work load in their professions in addition to being on the Council. He
further stated that it bas been a,joy to work with the present Councilmembers. Arcadia
is vel)' fortunate to have such dedicated Councilmembers. They did not always agree on
everything, but that is as it should be. All the Cnn..,.;lmMn'-1 are sincere in having
Arcadia's best interest at heart. He COngPhd"M his colleagues on a job well doDe. He
is also impressed with the caliber of City management and City staft: Dedicated is the
best description for them. Cnn..,.;1111I!rJIber Ulrich felt that City Manager, Bill Kelly is
the best executive he bas ever worked with. Mr. Kelly's two .m....n" Linda GaIda
and Cindy Rowe do a gRat job. The City bas a cautious and able City Attorney in
Mike Miller. He is always 00 lop of all the 1egal issues. Perhaps it is not know in the
community how much the Council and Mayor are inwIvlld in legislation. At present
then: are two vety imponant bi1Is p"""ing in Sacramento. The passage of either ODe
would make the City whole financially. One would provide for an additional 1% sales
tax reveoue to the cities; the other would repay some of the mooey which the State took
in the last few years. The quality of Arcadia's Fire Department and Paramedics is well
known to all. Arcadia is one of only sixteen cities in the country with a Class 1 Fire
Department rating. That helps keep fire insurance cost down. Cou'lCillt1f!1l1ber Ulrich is
impressed with Arcadia's new Police Chief; Ronnie Gamer. He is innovative, and Pace
2000 and D.A.R.E. are two examples of this. He could go 00 for another half hour
mentioning dedicated City departmeat beads and ~ such as Pat Malloy, Gary Rogers,
Jim Dale, Donna Butler, Peter "inn.""n just to name a few. Councilmember Ulrich
said he is proud to have worked with all of these people this last nine months. Some
unsung heroes who are also part of our City government are our commissioners. They
do not receive any paymcot, other than their "";-00. He bas ~ttendell several
commission u-<illp. and is impressed with their MtIication. The City is fortunate to
have so many dedicated citizens willing to serve in those capacities. Councilmember
Ulrich further said that the is pleased and bonoRd to have bad a smaIl part in runniog
the City during the last few months.
I
Mayor LojesJd anJIOUJIl:Cd that the Arcadia PI.nning Commission public bearings 00 the
General Plan update and related Environ""""'.. Impact Report have been rescheduled
to Monday, April 29 at 7:00 p.1O. and Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p. 10. Tuesday at the
Arcadia Community Center. This will be the first of several ~"gs.
I
4
4/16196
I
I
I
LOJESKI
(Earth Day
Celebration)
(Arcadia
Lumber Co.)
(Ordinance
Re. Graffiti
Abatement -
Political
Signs &
Advertise-
ments)
5.
Sa.
GENERAL
MUNICIPAL
ELECTION
RESULTS
10::lo.,'d'
RESOLUTION
NO. 5915
(ADOPTED)
(0 3~1 - ;,.;,(?
38:0116
Mayor Lojeski lIIUIOUIICCd the Eanh Day celebraDOD, April 20, 1996 from 11:00 a. 10. to
1:00 p.m.. on the froDllawn of City Hall There will be a cultural ell('ha"P' between
the cities ofNewc:astle and Arcadia in Rlationship to this particular program.
Mayor Lojeski stated that after forty-five plus years. Arcadia Lumber Company is going
to be officially closing their doors. Some residents might want to stop in and thank
Arcadia lumber for all those years.
Mayor Lojeski DIRECTED the City Attorney and the Community Development
Atlmini<lT8lor to look into and to CRate an end;""...... that be thinks sbou1d have moR
teeth placed in it than the present ord;""...... He will call this graffiti .m._t Tbe
graffiti be is taIking about is a n:suIt of the recent elec:tion. Tbe proliferation of elec:tion
signs on locations where signs sbou1d DOl. have been is absolutely incredible. Tbe
ordi""n~ the City bas in place today docs DOt allow those signs to be tetDOYCd from
public right~-ways. c;entcr dividers. etl:. in a sbort period of time. They become an
eyCSOR. Also, he thinks the ordi""lq could be much DIOR tCStrictive. However, DOt to
disallow political signs on private p~ties, residential units or commercial
properties. He wouId Iikc to see a limit on the number of signs. Mayor Lojesld bas
seen an individual lot that had upwards of close to fifty signs of one candidate. That is
just too much. Tbe 1atest thing - the in/iunnus Orgllni,."rion callcd COGS in EI Monte
- now bas signs up for a pet expo. He saw signs OYer the weekend - DOt political signs,
but advertisements - all ready with strapping tape on our bnmd new light standards in
downtown Arcadia. This is a form of graffiti. Those things could be abated in a much
better manner than they have been. Tbe ordin....... should have DIOR teeth. Members of
the Arcadia Beautitbl Commission have approached the Mayor to inquire if tbere is DOt
something we can do to impnwe the imagl: of Arcadia. Tbe rnnnril........,-, agreed.
CITY CLERK
Tbe City Clerk recited the n:suIts of the GenetaI Municipal Elec:tion held in the City on
the 9th day of April, 1996, and declared the n:suIts thereof indicating the elec:tion of
Robert C. HaJbicht and Dennis A. LojesId to the City Council for full four (4) year
terms; and the election of Jone D. Alford to the office of City CIerk for a full four (4)
yeat term. A majority of the qualified voters voting on Propositions A and B, voted in
favor thereof of these revisions to the Arcadia City Charter; and said propositions were
carried and shall be deemed adopted and ratified. A majority of qualified voters voting
on Propositions C and D, did DOt vote in favor of these revisions to the Arcadia City
Charter, and said propositions did not carry.
Tbe City Clerk presented and read Resolution No. 3913: ~A RESOLtmON OF TIre
CITY COUNCIL OF TIlE CITY OF ARCADIA. CALIFORNIA RECITING TIlE
FACT OF TIlE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD IN SAID CITY ON TIlE
9TH DAY OF APRIL. 1996, DECLARING TIlE RESULT TIIEREOF PURSUANT TO
TIlE PROVISIONS OF TIlE CITY CHARTER".
It was MOVED by C^n",.;lmember Ulrich. sec:onded by Conncil........her Young and
CARRIED on IOU call vote as foUaws that Resolution No. 3913 be and it is berdJy
ADOPI'ED.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Coundlmembers Chang. Kuhn. Ulrich, Young and Lojeski
None
None
3
4/16196
38:0117
6. ADMINISTRATION OF OATIl TO TIIE CITY CLERK I
O/JO.':W The Honorable Judge Patrick Hegarty, Santa Anita Municipal Court adminictPTed the
/lis 1-' Oath of OfIioe to City Clerk, June D. Alford.
7. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION TO CITY CLERK
The Honorable Judge Patrick Hegarty, Santa Anita Municipal Court presented the
Certificalc of Election to City Clerk, June D. Alford.
8. ADMINISTRATION OF OATIl OF OFFICE TO NEW COUNCil. MEMBERS
City Clerk, June D. Alford admini<t"lCd the oath of offioe to CouuciImembm Elect
Robert C. Harbicht and Dennis A. Lojeski.
9 PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES OF ELECTION TO NEW
COUNCILMEMBERS
City Clerk, June D. Alford presented CertificateS of Election to CounciImembers
Robert C. Harbicht and Dennis A. Lojeski with congratUlatiODS. I
10. PRESENTATIONS TO OUTGOING MAYOR DENNIS LOJESKI
The following made presentations to Mayor Lojeski:
Presentation by Mark Harmsen for Congressman David Dreier
Presentation by Pat Myers for Senator Richard Mountjoy
Ptesentation from SIeve Johnson for Assemblyman Bob Margen
Presentation by Sarah Flores for Supervisor Michael Antonovich
Presentation by MaDly Lindsey for the Chamber of Collllllal:e
Mayor Pro !em Kuhn presented the City plaque to Dennis A. Lojeski in gratitude and
appreciation of four years of dedicated servioe to the citizens of An:adia as Mayor and
Councilmember, signed by Memben of the City (,,,,,"";1 and the City Manager.
II.
REMARKS BY OUTGOING MAYOR DENNIS LOJESKI
"It is an honor, first of all to serve the City as a Council Person and it is a special honor
to be the representative of the Council and, most of the time. the spokesman of the
Council, as your Mayor. You can't really descnbe the terms and your thoughts many
times. I appreciate my Council, I appreciate Sheng. BaroaIa, Mary, Peter, Bob Margett,
I know Bob Margen is up in Sacramento, for the faith and the feeling that I had the I
knowledge l!!Id the abilities of being able to serve as your Mayor. I do appreciate that
As I have said so often, nothing happens in a City, particularly a City like An:adia by
one person. It happens because of a philosophy; it happens because of a feeling of
6
4/16196
38: 0118
I
majority feel amongst the en"",.;1 And it is the direction that the Counci1 feels the
community is desirous of going in. I am saying this Iiom twe1ve yean of experience in
eve!)' Council that I have served on of that particular mind. It is a philosophy that
happens. And so, my thanks also go out to !he citizens of this community. Without the
citizenry, we, as Counci1 people, could not acc:ompUsh; mysdC as a Mayor could not
accomplish running !he "'-;,,80" and informing !he people. The City of An:adia. we
don'l manufal:ture a produl:t around bere. We perform a duty; we supply 01lC thing to
you, the citizens, and that is scrviQ:. And, you know, it was my desire wben I was on
the Council for the past twe1ve years, and it is my desire for the next four yean to
continue giving you, as citizens, the best service posSlble, wbcthcr that means I am
sitting in this chair and guiding and diJecting the mcctin8S0 simply as a figurcbcad, or
whether it means sitting at the Counci1l8ble worldng real bani, you'll find me rol1ing
my sleeves up and ttying to acc:omplish that.
"Mark Harmsen, thank you for coming in and bringing greetings Iiom whom, I want to
believe, is !he future of our countty in Republic:all politics. I respect David Drier.
David is not above picking up !he tc1cpbonc and. all of a sudden. calling you and
saying. 'Hey let's talk a little bit about wbat is going on in Arcadia'. That is special -
that is really special. David bas SlIDD8 ""'lin8o" He 1~1"_ our City; he W8D1S to
know what is happening in our City and the feeIings and problems that may be ",,;~"g
Iiom the fedenlllcvcl. Please, Mark, tdl David, "thank you very much". Tonight's
remarks by Pat Myers .. . I bave known Pat for 1II8lIY, III8lIY yean ... in fiIct, we won't
even talk about how III8lIY years, Here is an opportunity of a lady who represcuts a
man, Dick Mountjoy, who bas been at this IcvcI of glMrIIIIICDt. I think this is so
important wben you get into state govcmmcnt or fedenll goyernmcm, to bave people
who understand the problems and !he prcdi""""""" that local govcmmcnt goes thrnugb.
and can =ry that - = ll" to their col1cagucs in Saaamcnto. That is so important. So,
Pat, please shale with Dick my appreciation for supporting and coming bere. I know
that if the SeDate was not in session, Dick MlUId be bere tonight That is the type of
person he is, and I appreciate it SlCYC Johnson ... same thing with Assemblyman
Margctt. Bob bas his IDOlS bere in AR:adia. Here we an: ... and we bave both our Slate
Assemblyman and our Slate Senator with offices in An:adia. That is really unique; that
is a special thing to bave. We can pick up !he pbonc; we am talk; we am disl:nss; we
am inIcI1igcntly pick each other's brains. We an: hoping with Bob being on things 1ikc
the lIaDSpoItation committee and some of those typeS of committees. that we will see
some strong action taken so that !he concerns, not only of An:adia, but !he com
corridor of folks along the mcway or the rail mute or whatm:r, bave a voice hcald.
So, Steve, please shale with Bob my thanks, and thank you for being a gR8l
Administrative ......-i_n. Sarah FIORI and I do go back a long ways. Sarah, I
rell1elJ1"""III8lIY, III8lIY evenings in Rancho BcmanIo prior to !he Olympics in 1984. I
think 1982 was the first time I C\'CJ' had an occasion to meet Sarah, and CVCI)' time she is
there; CVCI)' time she appears. She will appear at anything and everything; all you bave
to do is ask ber. She always bas that little spcciaI thing to say. Sarah, you 8IU special
person. and without your boss, my fellow c,........... Iiom Cal Stale Los Angcles days,
we saw accomp1isbcd a project that took two cities, but it took !he County of l,os
Angeles and our Supervisor to jump in and bcIp that process out. If some of you bave
not driven on Orange Grove lately, please do it And if it wasn't for Mike Antonovicb
getting involved in that, we would stiI1 be just 'hinlcing about it AIso,!he help he and
the County bave given us in assisting with !he Huntington Drive flood control process
and that whole situation with !he roadway. Those things don't go unnoticed. That is
the future of govcmmcnt - the future of govcmmcnt is partoersbips - forming
partnerships for everybody's benefit Sarah, thank you for coming. and please, my
congratulations and thank-you to Mike Antonovicb. He is a great Supervisor. Monty
Lindsay, Chamber of CoIllDlCrtC, I want to thank the unsung bcrncs who promote the
I
I
7
4/16196
38:01l9
City of Arcadia. Monty, you bad a great year as ~ you bad a great Board. It I
was my pleasure to be the representative from the CouDcil I bopc I was able to
enlighten that Board for that year. Some great conversations came out of it You have a
great Committee in the LcgisIativc Committee that many times struggles back and forth
with issues. The staff of lana and loyte and the departed Marilyn. and now we have a
new person there - I belim: her name is Valerie. Thank you ladies. you arc the glue
that keeps everything together down there. It is a great staff, they arc great ladies and
they do a tremendous job, absolutdy tremendous job of promoting the !Jo.ci- in the
City of Arcadia. Without them, we would be a 1061 City, as IiIr as our business
revenues. Thank you very, very much. to all of you.
"And to my Col,ncil. as I said at the start of my little discussiou, 'thank you' to e:acl1 of
you for allowing me the opportunity of sitting in this chair. Thank you for the
opportunity of working together, and working together for one simple, sole purpose, and
that is for the betterment of the City of An:adia, and bow we can survive and bcalme a
better City. Last. but DOl least. I would like to thank the staff bcre at City Hall. Between
Linda Gan:ia and Cindy Rowe - it is imposslble to do a job without their a..;..a...., No
one will ever know how much bcIp, bow much a..;..a...., they giw. day in and day out.
And when they ask me a QUCSliou, it is Iikc, , Gosh, we bopc we arc not boIhering you',
that sort of thing. And that is so, so important. Bill Kelly, wbat can I say ... you have
been a shining knight over bcre in City Hall. He is a great leader, be is a great
messenger - takes the messages back from the City {'()I.ncit and wbat the City Cou1licil
is desirous at: direction and wbcre they want to go. Bill takes that to the department
beads. Eacb and cwry one of the department beads - I am not going to name e:acl1 of
you individually, '-"n,.., I am going to miss somebody - I always have a bad habit of
doing that - I miss somebody's name and then I get criticiml afterward - 'thank you' I
to eacb of those staff m"",""'" They make my job and our job so mucb easier. To the
individual employees. cwry single employee, top to bottom - this is a great City because
of you. And again when we arc sclling one produa. and that produce is servic:e, that is
what we arc proud of doing and having. It bas not only been my pleasure to SCM with
Barllara and Sbeng and Mmy for the IastlWO years, but Peter UIricl1 bas been absolutdy
an outsIanding CounciImember the last six plus months. 'Ibis gentleman stepped in,
the learning curve was cxtremdy short. He is bright; be is intdIigcnt; be is witty. I tell
you, Peter, you have been a great asset to the City, and you will be missed. not only from
our IcvcI, but from staff' 5 1m:1, too. I just want to say "tbank you".
"I would also like to thank my family, last but not least. They arc always there. Mother
lanet at bomc, cooks the food and says, "wc\I, get on your way, get moving, you'vc got a
{'n"",.;1 mccting". I will introcIul:c the rest of my family a Iitllc bit later, whicb is the
mo~ appropriate time. But I want to say, "tbank you" to eacb of them for putting up
with all of the very late nights, all of the _ng.<;. and that sort of thing. They we~
all bcrc because we love one thing. and that is the City of Arcadia. Thank you very,
very mucb for having this opportunity. I apprccialc it"
12.
PRESENTATIONS TO OUTGOING COUNCILMEMBER PETER ULRICH
The following made pn:sentations to CounciImember Ulric:b:
Presentation by Steve lohnson for Assemblyman Bob MargcU
Presentation by Monty Lindsey for the Chamber of CoIl1lllCrl:C
Presentation of portrait by I. Carlton RDberts
Mayor Lojcski presented a plaque to CounciImcmber Ulrich. on bebalf of the City
Council, "Presented to Peter H. U1ricb in n:c:ognition of l/:Il months of dedicated service
I
8
4/16196
I
I
I
13.
14.
15.
ROLL CALL
16.
16a.
0111) _ 3t.)
, ::1';'
i'-.
.~;,t. .'li 1 ';--. :' ;<',,\
~f I , 1
,
38:0120
as City CounciImember to the cttizens of Arcadia", engrawd with the names of the City
Councilmembcrs and the City Manager.
REMARKS BY OUTGOING COUNCILMEMBER PETER ULRICH
"I want to thank all of you who are in li!c audiCIICC for being here for my swearing out
party. It's better than a banging party. I have a lot of 'thank you's'. First. I want to
congratulate Bob and Dennis on their elections. We are looking forward to gmd things
from both of you. I also want to thank Assemblyman Bob MargdL If be bad not
resigned, I wouIdn't be here. So, Steve. will you express my spcciaI thanks to the
Assemblyman for getting out of the way so I could _ for nine or ten months in his
spot. Secondly, I need to thank my fellow C(l1\D(;i'''''''''!l.ots. because they are the ones
who appointed me; the ones who bad enough confidence in me to appoint me. I
apprcc;iatc it very much. I will always remember this nine or ten months as a member of
the Arcadia City Council. It will always be one of the higblights of my life. June. I
congratulate you. Even though you ran unopposed, you made a very good showing in
the election. I need to, again. mention the City staff for their gmd support. cspccia1Iy
Bill Kelly, Linda Garcia. and Cindy (Rowe). As Mayor Lojcski said. the City wouJd not
run nearly as well without them as it docs with them. I bad a lot of support from the
City Clerk, June Alford. the City Attorney, Mike Miller, and from a lot of friends and
strangers. It is AI1\lI,.;ng bow many people in the community do watclI television. I was
at a cona:rt Sunday in }'A""""". A lady c:atIIC up to me and said. " I've SCCII you on
television. I am sorry you are leaving the Council. You have done a good job." That's
what makes it all worth wbilc. Finally, J want to intJOduc:c my wife, Carol, who is
sitting in the audience. In a sense, she made it all possible. Sbe bas always supported
me one hundred per cent. And, honey, ~ can now get our den back. We can IIIOYC oUl
all of the material that I have aa:umulated. lbank you all for being here, and thank you
for this opportunity to _ An:adia. .
A BRIEF RECESS WAS ANNOUNCED
MAYOR LOJESKJ RECONVENED TIlE COUNCn.
The newly elcdCd Coo~'mo:nlbcn 'IS"''''lM their scats at the Council table.
PRESENT:
ABSENT:
CounciIIllf'mheT1 Chang, Hmbicht, Kuhn. Lojcsld. and Young
None
REORGANIZATION OF THE CITY COUNCn. FOR 1996-97
City Clerk June D. Alford declared the OIJice of the Mayor of the City of Arcadia to be
open. and called for nominations for that office for 1996-97. Councilmcmbcr HaJbicbt
nominated Mayor Pro tcm Kuhn as Mayor of the City of Arcadia for the ensuing year.
Hearing no further nominations, the City ClcrIt Annllllnccd that nominations for the
OIJice of the Mayor are CLOSED.
9
4116196
16b.
()IIO-00
17.
38:0121
Roll ('All Vote:
I
Mavor Pro tem Kuhn as Mavor
AYES: Councilmembers Cbang, Kuhn, Harbichl, Lojeski and Young
As her first official act, Mayor Kuhn called for nominations for the Office of Mayor Pro
!em for the en"n;"g year. ConncilmMnher Young nomi""'M Robert C. Harbicbt as
Mayor Pro !em for 1996-97. Hearing DO further DOminations, Mayor Kuhn ~Mnn"CCCl
that the nominations for Mayor Pro !em are a.oSED.
Roll ('All Vote:
Councilmember Harbicht as Mavor Pro !em
AYES: Councilmembers Cbang, Harbichl, Lojeski, Young and Kuhn
REMARKS AND INTRODUCTIONS BY MAYOR KUHN
"I would like to begin by introducing my fiImiIy. F1r5l of all, my husband, filii; my
daughter. Casey and her husband, Scou Welte. I would like to formally tbank my fiImiIy
very much. Without their support, my service just would DOt be poslIIble. Serving as an
elected official is perbaps more of a 5I1'ain on !be fiImiIy than it ia on !be elected official.
After all, I serve by choice, and !bey serve by dcfiwlt Thanb very much. Thanb to all
my friends and my Soroptmist sisters who are bere joining with me tonight. Without
their support I wouldn't eYCIl haYl: the opportunity to be bere at all Congratulations to
June, to Dennis and to Bob on your elections. And good luck to Peter. I shall miss him
a lot. Thanks to each of you for your support tonight. Divided you gel elected; united
you govern. Now that the campaigning is over, it is time to unite and re-focus on the
business at hand. Our cup runneth over with opportunities. Tbere are major issues to be
dealt with; needs to be addressed; complex problems to be solved; and visions to be
explored. The City of An:adia remains a wonderful place to live and to work, eYCIl
though it has cbanged dramatically from the City I moved to over thirty years ago. That
doea DOt happen by cbanc:e. Y can of dedication and Slrong leadenbip created an
environment wbere all citizens and employees can thrive eYCIl through change thanks to
those who haYl: served before, and who haYl: left us !be legacy as we know it today.
With the wealth of experiCIICC on thia Col.ncil. we shall won: very hard to keep it that
way. In government, as with anything in life, timing is DOt only critical, it is everything.
Tbere is a time wbcn it is appropriate to be conservative; there is a time wbcn it is
appropriate to be liberal; time is always appropriate to be compassionate and considerate
of other people's feelings. To be supportive of the CODSenSIJS of !be majority. eYCIl
though your personal feelings may differ is perhaps the most difficult thing to do. But
that is the way democracy works. It is time to be visionary and progressiw, yet SCDSlble
in planning and implementation. A ba1ance of fiscal respDDSlbility with forward
thinking ideas and actions. Unity and purpose and harmony in voice are the key to
effective leadership. This CounciI will be effective leaders. A great City is much more
than bricks and mortar. It is the sum total of its people, and we haYl: wonderful people.
The following thanks are given in 00 priority, for each segment plays an essentiaI role in
the City. Tbanks to our superb City staft; every dep!rtment is filled with professional
men and women who love their jobs and it shows. I think our staff is second to none.
We may not get a cbance to tell each of you personally what a great job you are doing,
but your efforts are sincerely appreciated. and every task is important. Tbanks to those
I
I
10
4/16196
I
I
I
,.\
1',
j~;1 " \ I} . ' ..
38:0122
serving on c:ommissions and boards. You do a ~ job, and we are most
gratefu1 for your commitment. Thanks to !be volunteers. You perform O''''''o''''i"g
service throughout !be City in so many diffemtt ways. Your contributions make a
difference. Most of all, thanks to you, !be citizens of An:adia. Thanks to you -...
you care about your City. Whenever a need arises, you are always there. Thanks to you,
!be citizens who are mMn'-l of !be churcbea, semce ciulla, Chamber of Commerce,
parents, teachers, seniors, whatever the group or afliIiation, you are always there. No
matter what cbanges the future may hol4 for lIS, and cbange is inevitable, because you
are there, this City will always be a wonderful place in which to live. You will settle for
no less, and neither will we. We haYl: many exciting things to look forward to thia
coming year. The completion of !be Library of which we are all going to be very proud.
And the contin..otinq of a working relationship with !be School Board on mutual
community projects for efficiency of governmental effort. Our plate is full with fiscal
responsibilities, !be ''P''oti..g of !be General PJan. and !be proposed Santa Anita
E_in""",t Project. But there are other issuca that need our attention as well. SoIllC
of them are: No. I) Personnel relations. We haYl: qua1ity employees. Let's build
quality relations. No. 2) youth and young liunilies. A stronger focus on fiImiIy values
and needs should be high on the agenda, for they are the future. No.3)
Communications. Trust in government has su1fered greatly in !be past decade or two.
Good communication is vital to bridge that gap. Not politic:a1 rbdoric - I beIiew1: that
has contributed to !be tlo"",V - but solid, educational informalion that aIIows !be
people to be informed participants in !be governing procesa. We need to establish better
1ines of communjcsltinQ between Council and community, comm.mity and en....,.;1 I
beliC'le the people """"''''' it No.4) Community afIirmation. We need to <:antinuc to
support projects that promote a sense of community, a sense of involvement, so that all
citizens will share our spirit and pride. No.') Lqislation. Local government has been
wounded in !be past with bad legislation. We can DOt afrord to let that continue. In
order to control our own destiny, we must actively stay on top of county, regional, state
and federal issues. Eft'ective grass roollI lobbying is !be key to winning battlea in
Sacramento and W..hingt..n. A plO-llCliw stand on legislation will help to protect our
rights for local government. In conclusion. I look forward to serving you for another
two years, and very humbly aa:epl the dutiea and commillDCllt that go with the office of
Mayor of the City of An:adia - the greatea:l City in !be Slate of California. Thank you
for the opportunity."
18.
REMARKS AND INTRODUCTIONS BY MAYOR PRO TEM HARBICIIT
"Tbank you very much, BaIbara. I am very happy to be bere, and I appreciate the
expression of confi"--' that my colleagues haYl: placed in me by electing IIlC Mayor
Pro tem, and I also appreciate the confidCDCC which !be voters haYl: placed in IIlC by
selecting me as one of your representatives for the next four years. I promise I am
going to won: just as hard for you the next four years and as I did the last three months
during thia campaign. I'm glad to haYl: it behind me, and I am looking forward to now
getting into harness soon and carry the City forward. I would like to make a few
introductions. I would like first to introduce my wife, Patsy. As all of you know, a
supportive spouse is so important in thia job, and Patsy has always been very supportive.
I also haYl: here thia emring my father, who is also Bob Harbicld; my "".,gh...., Jill,
who made it through the rain from Agoura to be bere; and my brother, John, who lives
over here in Monrovia. He is DOt only my brother, but also my h1l9""" partner. And
one other person, I would like to introduce is my campaign chairman. Roger Chandler.
Many of you know Roger. He is the former Mayor of the City. He served on the
Council for four years. I had the pleasure to serve with him for those four years. I
II
4/16196
38:0123
thought he was an out..~ntI;ng Councilman, and I can tcU you, he is an ollt..~ntIing
campaign chairman. Congratulations, BaIbara, on your election as Mayor. Dennis,
congratulations to you on your year as Mayor. The Prayer BreaIdiIsl was a <m..hing
;uccess, and a nice WJ'3IHlP for the year, and very inspiring. I am looking forward to
worll:ing with you, and Mary and Sheng, I am looking forward to worldng with you, too.
I know we haYl: a minimlllll of l,"";"",,, tonight. but I wouId Iike to give you just a
preview of some of the items that I feel are high priority items which I would like to see
the Council address in !be near future. I am DOt asking for specific action tonight. but
just as kind of a preview to the Collllcil and !be staff of things that I would like you to
be thinking about, and that I haYl: been thinking about. One of !be things is that I think
we need to address our traffic control syslCttIS in An:adia. I don't know wbetber our
syslCttIS are just antiquated or we just don't haYl: them set up p.upeiIy. If you spend
much time driving around this City, I know traffic has increased, but I think that with
better traffic control systems, we can go a long way toward alleviating some of the
traffic problems that we haYl:. A second thing which I wouId like to see - - on !be
CounciI agenda. the consent calendar is SOmMhing that we haYl: which is essentiaIIy a
way to take care of a number of minor items with one motion and DOt hog down the
meeting with discussion or an individual motion on each of those items. It seems to me
that in the agendas that I haYl: seen recently, we tend to haYl: agendas which are public
hearings and consent calendar, and I think eYCIl though something may be expected to
go through by a ,~ vote, if it is an important item, it should be a separate item. We
shouldn't haYl: to wait for someone to pull it off the consent calendar for d;"C'lSSion.
I've seen items on the consent calendar lately such as !be last ..-ring, some $83,000 in
additional consultant costs for the General Plan which I don't think belonged on !be
consent calendar. Somebody did pull it oft; and it was discassed individually. I think in
making up the agendas, we should give more thought to what items really belong on a
consent calendar, and what items should be acted upon individually.
"The third thing is Santa Anita, thia is, of course, a very contnJYersial thing. There is
a great deal of interest in thia in !be community. I wouId like to see us move thia along
as quickly as possible, and that is DOt a partisan ...t.........t I think that the applicant
desetves to find out whetbcr or DOt !bey are going to be able to go ahead with their
project. But I think the people in the community - I know there are a large number of
people who are opposed to thia - and I think they desem: to get an answer, too, so that
we can settle this one way or another and all of these people can gel back to their normal
lives. Frankly, I am a little disappointed that the General Plan is being scheduled for
later this month. 1 know that there is a difference between !be General Plan and !be
specific application for Santa Anita, but the fiIct is that we had a sell-out crowd here !be
other night, in fact, it was so large, !bey had to cancel the meeting because of the fire
regulations. So, for the General Plan, we are going to haYl: all of those people here for
!be pl~nn;ng Commission - looks like multiple nights. No maltcr what the Planning
Commission doea, they are all going to be here for the CounciI ..-ring when !be
CounciI bean it And 00 matter what happens then, wbcn Santa Anita submits their
specific proposal. it's going to go through the whole thing again. The same people are
going to be down bere going through the same things. I don't think that the people
desem: that - to haYl: to go through that twice. It seems to me there ought to be some
way that we can pull that element out of the General Plan and hold those public hearings
at the same time as we hold the public hearings on the specific proposal. So. I've
expressed thia feeling to some on City staff and I think if there is any way that we could
do that, I think that would be far preferable, net only from the standpoint of staff and
the public officials, but from the standpoint of the citizens that go through it once and
get it over with.
12
4116196
I
I
I
I
I
I
. ", r~
b;;" _::',1'"'j,'.
38:0124
"The final thing that I would like to briefJy address is !be traah contract. I noticed in our
newsletter thia week there were a number of letters from people about !be traah contract,
and virtuaIIy every one of them was saying that !bey were happy with the traah
company that we bad, and. after a couple of telephone calla to City HaI1, I learned that
there are 300 letters of support on this. I think the ground rules haYl: cbanged here.
Monrovia lost their law suit They are now out of !be four city consortium that was
going out for bids. I think maybe it is time that the CounciI considered thia issue again.
I would like to see us put it on !be agenda. 1 would like to haYl: it kept on !be CounciI
table in front of the TV cameras for an update of where we are today, and a discussion of
where we think we should go from bere. And I would like to haYl: that on the next
agenda if the rest of the Council will agree with that. CounciImembers agreed. With
that, I must say I am excited about being on the Cnu'lCi1 I am raring to go and am
looking forward to worll:ing with all of you. Tbank you very much for your attention. ft
19.
REMARKS AND INTRODUCTIONS BY COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBER MARY YOUNG
"Good evening, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming, and I want to tbank all of
those who are watching on television. 1 think television has been a great asset to our
Council meetings because so many more people in the City are lIWlIIe of what is going
on. In thia position, one can DOt do a good job unIesa you haYl: a very supportive
spouse. I would like to introduce mine, and be is very ...pp.ntive, Dick Young. I would
also like to tbank !be Soroptmists '-'"nS" !bey are bere. and !bey haYl: been a great
help to me, also. For a few comments, I would IiIa: to start by saying that, in spite of
what has been said in !be recent campaign, thia past year has been a very productive
year. Granted. some of!be accompli"h.-nts were started long ago, but thia was !be year
of completion. And it taIa:s whatever Council is around to reaIIy reach a completion.
AU one has to do is look around !be City. We are very good looking. We are well
m~;nt~i~ And we are a very functional City. The Council has worll:ed well togelher
thia past year, eYCIl though we haYl: had differences of opinion. However, that is good
and it leads to the best. We haYl: an excellent staJ[ I guess we are all going to repeat
that '-'"m'" !bey help us; !bey back us up; and !bey are friends. I tbank you all. And
a big "tbank you" to Peter. Peter was a great addition to step in and do a good job and,
most important, be was quick learner, and so he fell into his spot in short time. Rather
than looking back, I prefer to look ahead, and will always try to do what is best for !be
citizens and the City. Our City is a Community of Home&. How often haYl: you beard
that? And I am certain that it will stay that way. It is, bowcYer, a changing world, and
we must won: with that change. Tbere are rules, regulations and ordi-~ to effect
control but, most important, is to IIIOYe ahead with a viable fol'lll3t. I can't tcU you right
now what will be CDCO"'Pl's<M in that format, but 1 can assure you that I will continue to
won: hard for the best that there is for our City. I want to thank all who had the interest
to run in the last election, and tonight I welcome our two new CounciImembers, eYCIl
though Dennis was a pleasure to won: with for the last two years, and the City Clerk. I
congratulate you all and I tbank you again for allowing me thia privilege."
COUNCILMEMBER SHENG CHANG
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and !be citizens in front of !be TV. First of all I
want to introduce my wife, Min Mer Chang, who could DOt come here tonight due to
some speciaI reasons. But I still want to tbank ber for all her support during the last
year. This is another day in An:adia history. The City CounciI reorvn;7~ We haYl:
a new Mayor, BaJbara Kuhn. BaJbara, I want to congratulate you. The City Council
13
4/16196
38:0125
will be under your leadership and guidaJK:e for the coming year. I believe that the entire I
City CounciI will be worll:ing with you for !be best of our community. Bob, I want to
congratulate you. both for your being elected to !be CounciI, and also for your being
selected for Mayor Pro tem. I haYl: known you for some time. and in many respects, we
share the same opinions, thinking and ideas. I am glad that we can won: togelher on
the Council. Dennis, I want to congratulate you for your being re-elected to the Council.
I am looking forward to worll:ing with you in !be coming year. Mary, I don't know what
to congratulate you, but I also look forward to worll:ing with you in the coming year
ahead. Peter, I remember wilen you got on !be Council ten months ago. Time went so
fast, and now you haYl: stepped down. During !be past one year, you haYl: contributed
some variable ideas to !be Council. I was impressed by how you spent a lot of time
checking the street lights out, and informing !be City what light pole on what street
went wrong. 1 believe !be City gelS brighter due to your efforts. We will miss you,
Peter. I want to use this occasion to tbank all !be staff for their hard won: during the
past year, particularly Linda Garcia who has helped me a great deal in my serving for
the citizens. A few words for the candidates who lost the April 9 election. Mr. Gino
Roncelli, Mr. VlDCCDt Foley, Mr. George Fasching, Mrs. Ruth GiIb and Mr. Chuck
Chivetta - please don't take these race results too hard. Please contribute your talents
and abilities to the community in other ways and capacities.
"The City is in a cross roads oow in certain respecl8. Are we going to keep An:adia as a
quiet community of homes or we are going to change it to a progressive City with a
large entertainment center of between I million to 1.5 million square feet? Are we
going to keep ~ing as usual and eventuaIIy run into debt before too long? Or are we
going to prepare OOW, plan oow and expect some cutting of ~... or possibly of
services, SO that we can keep a holon<:ed budget. Are we going to clecide !be Santa Anita I
Entertainment project in !be ('~'ncil or by !be citizenry? Do we need to update our
General Plan oow - how much and in what degree? I believe !be City CounciI has both
hands fu11. This is a challenge to all of us. and also to the citizens of !be entire City. I
believe !be City government and !be City Council should C01IIDI1IDicate well with the
citizens of the City. There shouId be constant and continuous communication and
interaction between the citizens and !be Council and !be City. This is !be only way to
make a better and best government. That is why I like to haYl: all of !be City CounciI
meetings televised. That is why I haYl: a monthly citizens' meeting. This month's
meeting will be at Shanghai Mandarin Restaurant No.2 on Sunday, ApriI 21 at 2:00 in
the afternoon. The restaurant is located at 558 West Las Tunas Drive, Arcadia The
cross street is Baldwin Avenue, just next door to the Pic-and-5ave Store. Tea will be
served. Last, but DOt least, I wish my colleagues. and CYerybody in front of the TV,
healthy, wealthy and happy days. Tbank you va)' much. "
COUNCILMEMBER DENNIS A WJESKI
"First of all, I would like to congratulate June on her re-election; Bob, your re-election
and also congratulations on being elected Mayor Pro tem; and Mayor Barbara,
c:ongtalUlationa. I haYl: been """'sed in the last week of having a new nidma...... That
niclnuome is "landslide". Thirty-5CYel1 slight votes. I wish to personaIIy thank them. if
I knew who the thirty-seven folks were. In all seriousness. thank you very much for the
re-aflinnalion and re-<:onfumation of selecting me as a CounciImember for the next four
years. I will promise you exactly what I haYl: given you for the last twelve, which is a
real dedicated effort in simply llying to make thia the best City possible; providing the
best services to you, the citizens of Arcadia This is something that each and every one
of us can be proud of. Also, thank you for giving me the opportunity of being a part of
the solution of the future of thia town, and not a part of the problem. Whether I was reo
elected or not to the Council, I promised that I would remain a part of the community.
I
14
4/16/96
'1,"~ '>J''-.' :;~ ..
38:0126
I
Now, I am rea1Iy ,..,..,~ining a part of the community. So, I accept !be cMII....8I'" that
are before us. The chalIenses are varied. They are just as varied 81 !bey were twehc
yean ago wbcn I first sat on !be CounciI. We are going to haYl: issues that alIDC to us
that are the most important issues that we could possibly think of. At !be following
meeting, there will be another set of cin:nm"'.~ and llIIOlbcr set of issues that are
equaIIy as important. 1 haYl: served with members bere at thia dais in the past. Bob and
I have served six yean logelher. We haYl: !be abilities, !be knowledge and !be
historical knowledge of what !be City has been through - wbere we haYl: been, wbere
we are, and hopefully, where we are going in !be future. So, thank you, each and every
one of you for again c:onfinning my return to the City Council. I would like to
introduce the people who are respoDSlble for me being bere. First of all, the best parents
in the world, Mr. and Mrs. Edward LojesId. Thank you for making that ckdsion forty
plus yean ago to move to !be City of An:adia. I've got !be best in-laws in !be wor1d. If
nobody believes me, toUgh luck, because I'd like to introcIuce them - Mac and Ada
Neilson. I also happen to haYl: !be best wife in the world. And if nobody believes that,
tough luck. too - my wife, Janet. And I've got !be best daughter in the world. Sbe is
having a birthday Friday, and many times her birthday has adUaIIy coincided with !be
Council ind~lI.tion. We've celebrated wbetber sbe was here or DOl Michele, you're in
Dallas, and so I'll just say, 'thanks for being my daughter', and 'happy birthday to you,
sweetheart'. I've got the best son in !be world. And if nobody believes that, be's my
clone. I haYl: to tcU you that Brian adUaIIy held !be title - it wasn't written any place -
but, be was my campaign manager. And that is a real proud thing for me to say and to
share. The treasurer of my campaign is bere - a long-time friend, a long-timc
contnbutor to thia City of An:adia, and what it is all about - a gentleman who sat on !be
Recreation Commission for eight long years, and designed !be direction that many of !be
recreation programs go in, and designed many of!be play areas for the youngsters in
!be community - Dave PoweII, you're a great friend. Thank you. Tbere are many
people in !be audiCIICC that I could sit bere and thank. I've ,-...otM a1ready to !be staft;
It's a OlJt"'.ntIing staffbere at City HaIL You can't do !be jIlb without them. The best
City Manager I've ever worll:ed with - Bill Kelly; !be best City Attorney that I've ever
won:ed with - Mike Miller. I only say that """"',... I was on !be City Council wilen
they hired Mike. So Mike and Bill, tbank you for all the support and encouragement
You've got an out"'~ntIing City Council here. Sheng, thank you; Blubara, thank you;
Bob, tbank you; Mary, tbank you, Thanb Peter - I've 'MnIrM you in the past.
I
I
"We've got some big ckdsions to make in our community, about wbere the community
is going. We've got ~ining piecea of the infrasIructure in our community that are
stiU deteriorating; !bey are stiU gelting old. They are going to be addressed. Peter
brought forth an e~Uent idea at !be last Cool"Ci1 _ng. and I am looking forward to
seeing that come to fruition. That is the formation of a kind of adYisoIy group. We
haYl: so many Ollt....ntIing people in our community - some of them are former CEO's
or current CEO's of large, large corporations and CQA.j)llnies in !be community. I think
!bey can be a real .nnntling board and a real generating fo= to belp in what I want to
call !be educational process and the CQmmllni\:lltion procesa to you, !be citizens. We
can do so much on television, but DOt everybocIy watches television. We can do so much
from Our newspaper covernge. Not everybocIy reads !be ne\+spapm that you and I may
read. And so we need an additional fo= out there communicating some of the ideaa
and some of!be thoughts and some of the things that you are going to see happening in
the next four years. If you haven't been over to !be Police Station - look at it We are
dealing with a building that is almost fifty years old. It's old; it's deteriorating, yet
we're giving you the finest product in !be world. Yes, we pic:ll: up the telephone, and
within a few short minutes, you've got a response. But, wouldn't it be nice to haYl: an
absolutely first rate facility, as we haYl: a first rate fire station. We've got a Llbrary that
is going to be the best in the entire Southern California, and particu1arly !be San Gabriel
15
4/16196
38:0127
Valley, area. We've got a Community Center that is par excellence. WIlen we've done I
things in Arcadia, we've done them right. We've done them with class; we've done
them with pizzazz; we've DOt been ostentatious in doing it We need to address that.
That is going to be a thing that you are going to see happening and thia Council is going
to haYl: 10 address. We've got some other additional infrastructure situations - two
other fire stations that are old and deteriorating. We're replaced one; we haYl: to at least
rehabilitate the other two. We've got a City Hall that is fifty yean old. Today, the way
government functions goes and to give !be citizens !be best service posstble, that is
going 10 haYl: to be addressed. Tbese are big high ticket, high volume items, and it is
time for !be CounciI to sit down and look and create a continuing game plan.
"I am proud of the fact that in !be past few yean, we haYl: been able to televise our
Council meetings. We've had better relationshipa with our newspaper coverage.
'Thank you' to !be Harold Tribune and !be Sierra Madre ne"dp3pCo and the Star News
for the good, honest coverage that you give !be CounciI meelin8" We need to haYl:
further study sessions, as a Council; we need to sit down and address !be priorities DOl
only for thia coming year, but let's do some long range plAnning. too. That's all part of
the process and that's part of what we are going to be seeing bere' So, again, I want to
tbank each and every one of you. 1 want to tbank !be citizens of Arcadia. I want to
tbank those that voted for me, and again, the thirty-seven spec:iaI folks. I would also like
10 tbank each and every one of !be staff _hers for all !be .Kia.""" !bey haYl:
continually given me, and will c:ontinue to give !be ('~I'lcil. in the future. My
congratulations to everyone who ran in the election. I've been there; I've won and I've
lost. It's an experience. It is a VCJy humbling experience. EvezyoDIl had a ~8" to
spread and it is !be same. basic bottom line - ~se I'd like to see my opportunity to
do the best job I can 10 make Arcadia the finest City around, and I promise you that. So, I
tbank you very, very much. I'm looking forward to !be next four years worll:ing with
everyone. "
20.
REMARKS AND INTRODUCTIONS BY CITY CLERK
"It is with a sense of almost euphoria or perbaps relief that I address this audiCIICC this
evening. The election process is a very long and exacting process for the City Clerk, as
the elections official for the City, and for !be staff of the City Clerll:'s office. It is also a
time that we believe is most interesting and exciting, and tonight is !be culmination of
all our efforts. I am very grateful to !be voters of !be community who turned out ,to
vote in the April election. Thank you for CAp.oSSing your inIeresl in our City and its
future, and for voting for !be ""ndid._ of your choice. And, to all the candidates, I
want to say how much I appreciate you - all of you. To all !be election officers who
worll:ed at the polling places from 6:30 am. to 9:00 p. m. or later, my sincerest 'thank
you' for a job well done. What would we do without you? Elections are always a time
of intense preparation; ~"g conformance to!be California Elections Code;
d"""li..... that must be met; candidates that need encouragement and help; which is
given impartiaIIy to each one; so""";""'" correction is needed; thia is also given without
partiality; and for !be good of that particular ""ndid.tl!. I try to keep all the candidates
on track. There are a multitude of details which must be discerned every day during the
election process, strict documentation of each variation in procedure, and always,
conformance to the Elections Code. Now we know that, although !be responsibility rests
on the Chief Elections Official for the City, I haYl: a support staff worll:ing with me
throughout the five to six months of prepuation, and election night, and the canvass of
election results following the excitement of election day. I would like to say 'thank
you' 10 my staff. Although we are a small office, we manage a very big job. As I
introduce members of my office, please stand up as 1 call your name. And I am not sure
I
16
4/16196
I'
I
I
.............-........''''''1:
~.~ i'..~-~~"'"'_-"'"
38:0128
Bette Storm is here, but I would like to haYl: Ma1y Neill and Marina Siroonian stand up,
and I would like to say a sincere 'thank you' to them. My sincere 'tbank you' for doing
a great job and worll:ing banI. And my thanks also for other staff who worll:ed with us:
Finance personnel, RectealiOD, Explorer Saluts, Planning staff and T.C. Zamora, our
Cu..tvIi~n We thank you, T. C. He is in !be hospital as we speak - maybe be is
listening to us.
"I also haYl: some other very important persons in the audiCIICC that I would like to
introduce. Without the support and understanding of my husband, Earle, and my soD,
Josh, these are !be fiImiIy stiU at home, it would be very difficult to fuIfiU the
respoDSlbilities of !be City Clerk, and maintain a life apart from City Hall. I would like
to introduce my fi1miIy: My husband, Earle; my SOD, Josh; and his special friend,
Rachel; my daughter Diane, I don't believe is bere tonight; my daughter Lisa and her
husband, Fred; and her children, Stephanie and Heatber; these are specia1 kids to me.
and I also haYl: aDOtber MUV''''' here, with her h...:hotvl. John, that is Marta and John;
my grandchild Leah is also here, our first grandchild Tbank you, Leah, for being here.
To the City Council and to all the people of Arl:adia, tbank you for aIIowing me to
represent you as City Clerk."
ADJOURNMENT
(May 7, 1996
7:00 p.m.)
At 9: 10 p. m. the meeting ADJOURNED to May 7, 1996 at 7:00 p. m. in !be City Hall
CounciI Chambers for a Regular Meeting to conduct !be hn<i"""" of the City C"nncil
and any Closed Session -'Y to discuss personne1, litigation mattcnl and evaluatioD
of properties.
R
.lrbara D. Kuhn,
ATTEST:
Ju
17 '
4116196