Photo By: Raymond Mendoza
City Council members proclaim May 2015 to be Water Awareness Month to encourage limited water use during the drought – shown with (L-R) Walnut Valley Water District President Ted Ebenkamp, Scarlett Kwong, Barbara Carrera, Edward Hilden and Allen Wu.

By Raymond Mendoza

Diamond Bar – Diamond Bar’s City Council met for the final time during the month of May for a regular meeting on the eve of the commencement of the Grand Avenue Beautification project construction.

Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Lyons was absent from the meeting.

To begin, the Council proclaimed May 2015 as “Water Awareness Month,” to better encourage residents to conserve water as California continues to limp through its worst drought in many years.

Walnut Valley Water District President, Ted Ebankamp, and several other WVWD members joined the Council to accept the proclamation, while Ebankamp warned that the whole state must cut 25 percent of its water usage to help in such a dire times. He also mentioned that heavy fines will be enforced for residents and businesses breaking recently enacted and ongoing water conservation statutes.

Mayor Steve Tye handed out the award and noted that having several WVWD members in attendance willing to be vocal about the drought was of great “importance,” and that we must all continue to conserve in all the ways that we can. Ebankamp said as of right now each resident uses an average of 148 gallons of water each day and must be willing to cut that number by 25 percent.

The calendar of future events was then read to include the closure of City offices on Mon., May 25 in observance of Memorial Day; the next Planning Commission meeting on May, 26 at 7 p.m.; the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on May 28 at 7 p.m.; and the next City Council meeting on June 2 at 6:30 p.m.

The Council then approved all items on its Consent Calendar, including the City Council minutes for the May 5 study session and regular meeting; the ratification of check register dated Apr. 30 through May 13 totaling $709,488.87; the appropriation of $199,503 for gas tax funds to the fiscal year 2014-15; and adopt a resolution approving plans and specifications and establishing a project payment account and construction contract award for the Area 3 Residential and Collector Road Maintenance Project to All-American Asphalt, Inc. in the amount of $1,488,000, with authorization of a contingency amount of $111,600 for contract change orders to be approved by the City Manager; authorization for the City Manager to execute a contract with Go-Live Technology, Inc. for professional services in an amount not to exceed $75,000 for the period of July 1 through June 30, 2016; award of a design and construction management services contract to Iteris, Inc. for traffic signal infrastructure upgrades in the amount of $88,790, plus a contingency amount of $9,000 for change orders to be approved by the City Manager; the appropriation of $39,000 from the vehicle maintenance and replacement fund, and award of bid to Fritt’s Ford of Riverside for the purchase of two 2015 F-150XL and one Ford F-250 XL from the fiscal year 2014-15 auto equipment replacement fund in the amount of $78,682.55; the approval of an additional amount of $40,000 for professional services with Simpson Advertising, Inc for specialty graphic design services for the fiscal year 2014-15 in an amount not to exceed $120,400; the adoption of a resolution approving the application for grant funds from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for the 2015 Countywide Competitive Grant Program for the Sycamore Canyon Park Stream Realignment Project; and approval of the Youth Employment Plan required by a grant to adopt a resolution setting a Proposition 4 appropriations limit for fiscal year 2015-16 in accordance with the provisions of Division 9 of Title 1 of the Government Code.

The Council then moved on to the only item for the Public Hearing section of the meeting, concerning increasing fees for lighting and landscape districts 38, 39 and 41. Council Member Jimmy Lin excused himself from a portion of the public hearing since he is a resident of one of the areas in question.

According to a report for the Council and residents, the City needs to increase additional levy rates to districts 38, 39 and 41 because of heavy maintenance and landscaping in the areas. For ten years, the City has absorbed fee increases at the expense of the general fund budget, and they are now asking residents in these areas to accept the new increases. Several members came out to speak against the increase of these fees, calling the fee spike “unfair” to residents who are facing financial hardships.

However, Council assured the residents that they have enjoyed a decade of lowered fees, and the City has spent $760,000 in general funds; further spending could lead to a deficit.

The Council then approved the levying assessment and rate increases as follows:  District 38 will get a $15 fee increase per parcel: District 39 will get a $236 fee increase per parcel; and District 41 will get a $220 fee increase per parcel – which will put all rates on the same level as they were when Diamond Bar was first incorporated in 1989.

After the Public Hearing section was over, the Council then adjourned with plans to meet at 6:30 p.m. on June 2 at the AQMD/Government Center Auditorium at 21865 Copley Drive.