By Raymond Mendoza

Diamond Bar – Diamond Bar’s City Council met for the last time in 2014 and members also had a chance to bid former councilmember Ling Ling Chang farewell, as she leaves the City to take a seat in the California State Assembly.

After an invocation by Pastor Mark Hopper, the City Council members thanked Chang for her service to the City, wished her luck in her new position and presented her with the Diamond Bar City plaque to recognize her departure.

“You served the City faithfully, you participated in a lot of regional organizations on behalf of the City of Diamond Bar, and you made us proud,” Councilmember Carol Herrera said. “As you move on to other bigger and better things, we hope you will remember us.”

After the presentation to Chang, the schedule of future events was listed including the free shuttle service to and from the Diamond Bar Shopping Centers from now until Jan. 1, the cancellation of the Dec. 23 Planning Commission Meeting and Dec. 25 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the holiday closures for the City offices on Dec. 24 and 25, the holiday tree curbside collection program from Dec. 26 through Jan. 8, the late night transit pass sale on Dec. 30, the New Year’s holiday City office closure, the Jan. 6 City Council meeting, the Jan. 8 Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting, the Jan. 13 Planning Commission meeting and the Winter Show Fest on Jan. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pantera Park.

The Council then moved on to approve its entire consent calendar including the minutes for the Dec. 2 City Council and Oct. 28 Planning Commission meetings, the ratification of check register in the amount of $539,573.75 dated Nov. 27 through Dec. 10, the approved reduction of 98.28 percent of the Surety Bond to complete grading and erosion control improvements and full exoneration of a surety bond to complete in a tract private storm drain improvement, to accept work performed by Green Building Corporation for construction of the Grand View Trail and the Grand View Trail Link, and approving cooperative agreement for Bridge Preventative maintenance work on Chino Hills Parkway.

The first item on the Council’s public hearing listing was an ordinance relating to parking of motor vehicles in City parks, with a City report claiming that some people are using park parking to leave their vehicles for extended amounts of time.

After hearing the problems arising from local parks, the City approved the first reading of the ordinance, restricting the usage of park parking lots to residents who are using the park.

The second and final public hearing was the approval of the Community Development Block Grant Program allocation, including $23,875 in the fiscal year 2015-16 and $87,020 from the unallocated balance of funds for the total amount of $290,895.

The final item of the meeting was for Mayor Steve Tye to ratify the appointments of specific representatives to the San Gabriel Council of Governments, including the California Contract City’s Association, Foothill Transit Board, Corners Transportation Policy Group, Greater Los Angeles Vector Control, Joint Powers Insurance Authority, LA County Sanitation District and others.

The Council approved the appointments and officially adjourned at 8:12 p.m. with its next meeting scheduled to take place on Jan. 5 in the Windmill Room of City Hall at 7 p.m.