Citizen About Town

By Nancy C. Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

E-mail: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Fax: 626-307-9081

During the October 21th Monterey Park City Council meeting the Council approved

spending 50% of our $1,833,519 in economic development funds on the South Garfield Village Specific Plan to help improve the neighborhood.

By spending these funds on streetscapes and other city improvements I believe the property and business owners will notice that Monterey Park is dedicated to helping them improve their shopping district.

They will be more willing to improve their properties and share their parking lots.

Maybe they will be ready to establish their own Business Improvement District.

I asked the Council to please explain to us the taxpaying voters why we should use the remaining funds for economic development activities in the Downtown Business Improvement District since they already have their own Business Improvement District funds?

I realize that Parking District One was located in the Downtown Business Improvement District at Garfield south of Garvey. The staff report stated that the property was owned by our city.

So why is it necessary to spend the other 50% of these funds in that neighborhood?

If the city provides additional off-street parking in that neighborhood what properties are you going to purchase for a parking area?

I recall that Councilmembers Peter Chan, Hans Liang and Anthony Wong could not wait to sell our city owned parking lot across from City Hall to LINC to build more low-income housing.

Will another Council choose to sell your new parking lot in the downtown neighbor to another developer?

History does repeat itself in Monterey Park.

It seems that some elected officials and staff members never learn from history.

The Council failed to respond to my questions.

Councilmember Hans Liang requested staff place a Resolution to amend the fiscal year 2015-16 budget to allocate 50% of the $1,833,519 to set aside for economic development activities in the downtown Monterey Park on the November 4th agenda.

I reminded the Council residents and business owners on South Garfield helped the city staff to develop an economic plan to encourage property and business owners to improve their shopping area on that side of town.

That side of town has been long overlooked by the city staff. It has been developed by the business owners to improve the their customer relationships and their bottom lines.

They are finally getting some financial help for us, the tax paying voters.

Now the Downtown Business Improvement District wants 50% of our funds for their economic development activities. The BID already has their own funds to help develop their shopping neighborhood.

The city has already paid for various awnings and streetscapes in the BID district.

Now they want to use our dated 2001 Land Use and 2004 Pedestrian Linkage Study to plead their case to spend the approximately $916,760 in our tax dollars.

Two BID representatives wanted the money to be spend on a three story parking structure at the corner of Lincoln and Garvey as recommended by these studies. The city already owes this property that was once the location of a funeral home.

They claimed that their customers have no place to park on the street.

I told the Council that will be like putting a little bandage on all of the problems in our downtown area that includes small substandard commercial lots, heavy traffic and lack of street parking.

Ask yourself where does the longtime Monterey Park resident (I have lived in the city since 1971) spend their money in our downtown?

I buy gas at New and Garvey, lotto tickets at the 7-11 on Alhambra and Garvey, stamps at the Post Office on Garvey, sometime donuts at Pronto Donuts on Garvey.

My shopping choices are extremely limited in the downtown district of my hometown.

Mitch Ing suggested these funds be used at Barnes Park to purchase an awing to cover the seats at the amphitheater and improve the restrooms in the park.

I agreed with him. Spending our funds on Barnes Park will be a great way a to celebrate our 100th birthday.

During the Geranium celebration the Ladies room was flooded by the overflowing sinks and the floor was wet as far back as the handicap stall at the end of the building.

I asked Council to please vote to spend our funds on improving Barnes Park.

The Council majority, since Stephen Lam had to recuse himself since he own a business in the BID district, had a lengthy discussion on the money.

Mitch Ing said he did not have enough information the how these fund would be spend in the downtown area. He could not support this issue.

Teresa Real Sebastian asked the staff many questions regarding the downtown area. One report has the BID district as the core of downtown and another report has a map that shows the downtown area is Garvey Avenue from New Avenue to Atlantic Blvd. She suggested a specific plan be developed for the downtown area like they did for the South Garfield project.

Hans Liang and Peter Chan said it would cost too much money and suggested staff review both of these old documents and develop a plan to enhance the downtown area to determine how the money would be spent.

Teresa Real Sebastian suggested staff present Council a parking management plan as part of their report back to them. Since many people park in our public and private lots as they take turn around tours to the various casinos. Tour buses also load and unload in the private parking lots.

If the residents voted to have a card club established in our city think of the millions of dollars we would have collected to be spent in our hometown.

Another golden opportunity lost by Monterey Park residents.

Mitch Ing did disclose that the new owner of the Garvey and Garfield project is discussing building a hotel at the location.  It would be the fifth hotel for our city.

I hope the 12% bed tax the city should be collecting makes up for our lost sales tax revenue in the downtown neighborhood.

The Council majority (Peter Chan, Hans Liang and Teresa Real Sebastian) voted to give the additional 50% of these funds to the downtown neighborhood.

City Manager Paul Talbot reminded the Council and residents that before any of these $1,833, 519 economic development set aside funds are spent on either project the Council must approve it.

So residents now is your chance to speak up on the improvements you wish to see in our downtown area before your money is spent on our downtown tourist city.

I hope the overseas tourists spend their money at our restaurants and hotels on their way to Las Vegas, Disneyland, Lego Land and the other tourist’s hotspots in Southern California.

The new LINC project under construction across from City Hall on Newmark looks like it almost sits on the sidewalk. I asked Mike Huntley from our Economic Development Department about it.  He said that is the set back approved by the Council majority (Peter Chan, Hans Liang and Anthony Wong) and the Planning Commission.

I hope this sidewalk is still within the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Mayor Peter Chan held a Town Hall Meeting on October 27th at George Elder Park.  It was well attended by Mayor Pro Tem Hans Liang, Councilmember Teresa Real Sebastian and interested residents.

Mayor Chan gave an update on the various economic development projects and city improvements.

The highlight was when he said the escrow for the Market Place was scheduled to close by the end of October.

Maybe we can do our Christmas shopping at the Market Place in 2016.

One downside is Target, one of our major stores, has announced in the news on November 4th that they are downsizing and closing 13 stores. They also announced that they would be making their stores smaller.  No more big-box stores for them.

The economy is still very slow to pick up with so many people out of work or working less than 30 hours a week.

Our America has many so important issues to face that include our national debt, employment and security.

The 2016 Presidential Election will set the tone for the future of our country.

Please study all of the candidates and issues that will be on our 2016 ballot.

The future of your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will be in your hands. Please consider them when you vote in any election.

Please remember our veterans on November 11th. They laid their lives on the line for our freedoms.  Thank the veterans for their service to our country.