Citizen About Town

By Nancy C. Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

Email: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Fax: 626-307-9081

Our neighborhoods have not received any measurable rainfall in this drought.

Some of our neighbors in the north and the south of us have received more rain but it still is not enough to quench our dry yards and water supplies.

Monterey Park has reached 19.5% for the month of July with accumulative total of 18.5% based on a staff report by Ron Bow, Assistant City Manager and Director of Public Works.  Monterey Park’s required water usage reduction is 20% per the state.

So we are reminded to reduce our water usage as much as possible.

Brown grass is the new green grass in our neighborhoods.

Many yards and public right of ways boast signs that the property owners have taken the pledge to reduce their water usage.

The dry brown grass is a testimony to their efforts to reduce their water consumption on their landscaping.

The weather forecasters are promising us a very wet winter season.

Mother Nature will be very happy to change her colors from dry brown to a nice fresh green.

Hopefully, our water supplies will overflow with rainwater to help reduce our drought.

We will still have to conserve our water usage in the future to prevent another drought.

It reminds me of that old poem “Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink”.

We will have to construct more water desalinating plants to keep our water flowing for the many generations to come.

I attended the AB1234 Ethics Training Meeting on July 27th with the City Councilmembers, City Clerk, City Treasurer and members of the Planning Commission.

It was more intensive than the Ethics Training sessions held by Corporate America.

They were instructed on the pitfalls of accepting donations and gifts that may be considered a bribe. They were advised to check with the city attorney’s office for a legal review before accepting questionable donations and gifts.

They all understood the legal ramifications of violating any of FPPC’s new laws.

History was made at the August 5th City Council Meeting. No one spoke at Oral Communications or on any other agenda items.

There was an email that was read into the record.

The audience was full of students attending this meeting for class credits.

Remember that old saying that “history repeats itself”?

Well the famous “Billboards” history is due to repeat itself since the Council approved the installation of Metro Rapid Bus Shelters and authorized the staff to advertise for a company to install new bus shelters.

The discussion brought up a fact that many companies would pay for new bus shelters and install them for free which would save the taxpayers money.

The catch is the companies would required the City allow them to advertise movies and televisions shows on the side of each shelter.

In our sister city of Alhambra many of the bus shelters do advertise movies and television shows.

The Council requested the city attorney and staff bring back the language on our No Billboards law for legal review as these small ads maybe considered billboards by our current law.

If the voters had approved billboards along the City’s property on the 60 and 710 Freeways we would not endured such a financial hit that reduced our workforce and our reserves several years ago.

As I have always said “be careful what you vote for as it may come back and bite you”.

I just watched the Council. They seem to enjoy the evening even when they did not agree on every agenda item.

Monterey Park Councilmembers voted to approve a resolution to declare August 21st as National Senior Citizens Day.

We are the backbone of our families and our country.

To my fellow seniors enjoy the day!

Citizen About Town