Citizen About Town

By Nancy C. Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

E-mail: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Fax: 626-307-9081

Water Supply and Drought Solutions were the topic of a presentation made to the Monterey Park City Council, staff and residents at the May 20th Council Meeting by Thomas Wong and John Leung, Boardmembers of the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District.

They provided a printout for the audience to follow that listed the current precipitation of 7.79”, which is 53% of the normal rainfall per year. Our reservoirs are currently at 45% of capacity, which has a normal average of 61%. That is currently a one-year supply. Our snow level is at 1% of normal.

The San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District was form in 1959 by the voters in Alhambra, Azusa, Monterey Park and Sierra Madre. They also provided additional information on their activities that built pipelines and a hydroelectric plant to provide better water service.

They are in charge of the basic water supply, the supplemental water delivery system, water quality and green energy.

The Board also provides grants and loans to their membership cities as well as public education and water conservation.

Their research states that 80% of the state’s water is used for agriculture while 20% of our water is used by cities and suburbs.

The current drought is on record as the worst drought is 1,600 years according to “Tree Ring” analysis.

The Boardmembers also spoke about the new state regulations that are still being changed by Gov. Brown.

Water conservation is required by everyone is their message to the public.

Joe Reichenberger, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at Loyola Marymount University and 20-year veteran of the same Water Board spoke after their presentation.  He said that water conservation is necessary but we can only conserve so much water.  He challenged them that they have not addressed the issue of providing difference sources of water for our future.

He mentioned recycling wastewater and desalination water plants should be in our future in California.

Please see the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District’s website and Joe Reichenberger’s website for more information.

Everyone agrees that we should pray for rain and snow to keep our home state lush and green. Water is the main source of life on plant Earth.

The Monterey Park City Council held their budget hearings on May 26th and 27th.

The hearings are being replayed on MPK TV and on the City’s Internet.

All five members were mostly cordial until Stephen Lam stated Mitch Ing sent a letter to a developer about the hotel at Corporate Center.

Councilmember Ing replied that he never sent a letter on city letterhead to this developer.

Mr. Lam did not provide proof to support his statement.

While the location at Corporate Center has wonderful views it is in a remote location from our shopping centers and restaurants. This is the main reason that a hotel has not yet been built on that location.

Councilmembers Lam and Ing proceeded to have a war of words at the May 26th meeting.  Councilmember Teresa Real Sebastian moved her chair back out of the line of fire.  After a while everyone calmed down and the meeting continued.

Longtime residents remember the various cut and paste letters sent by some former Councilmembers implicating other Councilmembers in lies.

Councilmember Lam is still battling the rumor about his primary resident being in Monterey Park when he served on the Planning Commission and ran for his Council seat.

So Stephen Lam should be careful before he spreads rumors about other elected officials.

During the May 27th hearing Councilmember Lam referred to the California classic two bedrooms, one bath home that the City purchased on Isabella behind Station Two as a garage.

The city paid $500,000 for this property that was appraised for $450,000 so the garage located off the alley could be converted into parking for the firefighter.

The future of the house is still unknown at this date.

Residents who heard Stephen Lam’s statement are offended since most of us live in homes about the same size or a little larger.

Councilmember Lam lives in a mini-mansion on Graves Avenue near the intersection of Graves and Alhambra, which is probably in the $800,000 and up price range.

He should remember that he serves all of the residents of Monterey Park.

I realize that Councilmember Lam is the newest member of the Council and he does not know the history of our hometown.  He needs to understand that each and every word that he states at the meetings is recorded and the videotape of each meeting is replayed several times.  The residents can also purchase DVDs of each meeting for their records.

I guess he will learn the painful lesson that some of the nasty or mean statements or boldface lies can haunt your political career.

Our June 3rd meeting was cancelled since Mayor Hans Liang was visiting our sister cities in Asia, Mayor Pro Tem Peter Chan was visiting the Hong Kong Fire Department to discuss training issues and Councilmember Stephen Lam said he was going to miss the meeting since he was going to Arizona.

Councilmembers were elected to serve the residents of Monterey Park.

When the Council Meetings are cancelled for lack of a quorum does the City’s business suffer?

Residents want to know if they are still paid for missed meetings?

Councilmember Teresa Real Sebastian serves on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Transportation Committee since she took her first oath of office.

Mayor Hans Liang pulled a power play and removed her from her seat on the Southern California Association of Governments so he could fill her seat.

My sources tell me that he attended one meeting and had nothing to offer the group.

In fact Mayor Liang’s major political supporter had Supervisor Hilda Solis sent SCAG a letter asking Councilmember Real Sebastian to be removed from that office too.

The ugly side of politics has once again invaded the City Hall of Monterey Park.

I want to thank Councilmembers Mitch Ing and Teresa Real Sebastian for their service to all of the residents of Monterey Park (the good, the bad and the ugly).

They do their homework before each meeting and they vote in the best interest of our hometown.

Please remember all of our military members who have sacrificed for our families, ourselves and our USA.

Celebrate our freedoms on the 4th of July!