Tag Archives: Eastvale City Council

Eastvale: An Interview with Council Member DeGrandpre

BY K.P. SANDER

Eastvale Council Member DeGrandpre

Eastvale Council Member DeGrandpre

Eastvale – Jeff DeGrandpre has been a member of Eastvale’s City Council since 2010.  He was also an integral part of seeing Eastvale through Cityhood as President of the Eastvale Incorporation Committee.  He has been well-invested in our City, and takes pride in its leadership, and as a resident.

Q:  You were Eastvale’s first Mayor Pro-Tem, as well as Mayor in 2011-2012.  What do you love about this City?

A:  I love the interest that residents have for their city. There is a very strong sense of community here. People know their neighbors and watch out for each other. There is also a sense of volunteerism that runs through the city, schools and recreational activities.

Q:  What is your number one goal for the City this year (2014)?

A:  I would like to complete the Leal plan for the property on the northwest corner of Hamner and Limonite.  It affords us a unique opportunity to create something special. This development will outlive me and I want to make sure that it is something special that this Council can leave behind, and I appreciate the input from the community.

Q:  What do you feel are Eastvale’s Biggest Challenges going forward in the next several years?

A:  We have to continue to pass balanced budgets, spend wisely, build up our financial reserves and continue smart growth.

Q:  What brought you and your wife, Deanne, to Eastvale?

A:  We loved the fact that it was a new community.  I had lived in Chino Hills for over 20 years and saw an opportunity to own a larger home on a larger lot.  It was such a successful move that I became involved in the Cityhood effort as President. It was so much fun to help create a city and then to serve its residents as a Council Member.

Q:  You are not only committed to Eastvale, but serve in a number of capacities on other committees.  Care to share a little more of what you’re working on?

A:  I also serve as a member of the Governing Board of the Corona Regional Medical Center; Secretary and Board Member of the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District; Regional Council Member to the Southern California Association of Governments; Executive Committee Member for the Western Riverside Council of Governments; and member of the Legislative Committee and Transportation Committee for the League of California Cities.

Thank you, Council Member DeGrandpre, for sharing a little bit of your story with our local citizens.  We wish you success in all of your endeavors, and appreciate all you do for Eastvale.

Eastvale: City Council Recap 01.22.14

By Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale – This month, there were two city council meetings. Here is a recap of what happened at both meetings:

The Jan. 8 meeting was attended by Council Members Ric Welch, Jeff DeGrandpre and Bill Link, along with Mayor Pro-Tem Adam Rush and Mayor Ike Bootsma. The invocation was led by Pastor Mark Lee of Vantage Point Church. There was a presentation by Darin Acevedo with Eastvale Pop Warner of a framed jersey to the City of Eastvale in appreciation for all their help. Michael Armijo of Eastvale Community News gave an update on the newspaper and on the Eastvale Chamber of Commerce.

Consent Calendar was passed 4-0-1 with Link abstaining. Item 5.2 which amends the zoning code to allow the placement of temporary signs in the public right of way, subject to Limits on Time, Place and Manner, was pulled for discussion. Motion was carried 4-1 with Welch voting No.

There were no Public Hearing items, or Old Business items. The New Business Items section was as follows:

8.1: Reaffirm or Select New Appointments to the Eastvale Community Foundation: 5-0 to re-affirm current appointments.

8.2: Reaffirm or Select New Appointments to the Planning Commission: 5-0 to reaffirm current appointments. They opened up an application for the vacant position and voted to decide on a replacement at the Jan. 22 city council mtg.

8.3: Reaffirm or Select New Appointments to the Public Safety Commission: DeGrandpre expressed concern about current functioning of the commission and would like another look at its operation and an outline of expectations. Bootsma also asked the commission to set meeting dates permanently for the commission. Motion was carried 5-0 to move this item to the Feb. 12 City Council Meeting.
8.4: Mayor Appointments to Outside Boards/Commissions: This list of appointments can be found on the City of Eastvale website.

The City Manager did not give a report and the meeting adjourned at 7:02 with closing comments from the Council. The information above was taken from the City of Eastvale Council minutes.

The Jan. 22 City Council meeting was attended by Council members Welch and Link, along with Mayor Pro-Tem Rush and Mayor Bootsma. Council Member De Grandpre was absent. The invocation was led by Pastor Ed Moreno with New Day Christian Church.
During the Presentation section of the meeting, the City of Eastvale recognized City of Eastvale volunteers for their service and dedication to helping the city.
The consent calendar with items 5.1 – 5.10 was approved 4-0-1.

The Public Hearing Section of the meeting began with Item 6.1 General Plan amendment, change of Zone, Major Development Review and Conditional Use Permit for the development of an Arco Gas Station facility, A convenience store, restaurant, and drive-through automatic car wash facility in one building, a second building for a sit-down restaurant, and a third building for a drive-through restaurant on an approximately 1.7 acre site. A second Conditional Use Permit is also being requested for the operation of a gasoline service station with concurrent sale of beer and wine in the Arco AM/PM convenience store. The City Council approved the project by approving resolutions 14-05-14-08 with a vote of 4-0-1. This property is located on the corner of Hamner and Riverside Drive.

Council Members asked about the high traffic of the industrial area on that street and whether that had been considered in the plans. In response, they were advised that it is probable that Riverside Drive will be widened in that area to four lanes or about 60-70 feet curb to curb. Council Member Welch also shared that there will be a trail consistent with Jurupa valley Equestrian trails in that area and that Jurupa Valley (not JCSD) will be in charge of landscaping and maintaining it.
During the Public Hearing Section of the meeting, a representative for the above project spoke about his general happiness and excitement for this project to proceed. He also shared that for building two of this project, they had tenants like Subway and Starbucks in preliminary discussions.

Eastvale Planning Commissioner Larry Oblea

Larry Oblea was appointed as the new Planning Commissioner at the Jan. 22 council meeting. (Photo Courtesy: City of Eastvale)

The Old Business Items section of the meeting began with Item 7.1: Appointment of Planning commissioner to replace William Link. The council approved Jeff DeGrandpre’s candidate, Larry Oblea as a new City Planning commissioner. Mr. Oblea came highly recommended with great references from his time as a planning commissioner for the City of Santa Fe Springs.

New Business item 8.1 Selection and award for consultant for Traffic Engineering On-Call Support- Iteris, Inc. was passed 4-0-1. Iteris, Inc. will now handle traffic signal design and operation on the 56 traffic signals throughout Eastvale. The cost is tied to specific projects as they occur. Item 8.2 Ordinance relating to establishing speed limits on city streets was also approved 4-0-1. This item calls for the amending of speed limits on three more sections of Eastvale. These speed limits were determined after a traffic study was conducted. Council Member Link questioned how these speed limits are determined. City Manager Jacobs explained that the speed limit is based on the speed that 85% of the vehicles travel on that stretch of road. Thus the speed limit will be adjusted on the following sections of road: 65th to Hamner to 35 mph, Hamner Citrus/Schleisman to 50 mph and Schleisman to Archibald to 50 mph.

The City Manager’s Report was given by Carol Jacobs. She announced that the 3rd Annual State of the City Address will be held at Roosevelt High School on March 27. She also announced that the City will be starting a pilot program with code enforcement on the weekends. They will be keeping track of code violations and having code enforcement at different periods throughout the weekend in order to see what time period is most effective. According to Jacobs, “This new weekend program is expected to be painful to start as most new enforcement usually is.”

Eastvale City Hall Volunteers 2014

City Council recognizes City of Eastvale Volunteers at the Jan. 22 council meeting.
(Photo Courtesy: City of Eastvale(

During the Council Communications portion of the meeting, the Vehicle License Fee issue was discussed. Council Member De Grandpre and Mayor Pro-Tem Rush were able to get a support letter from the California Association of Governments to Senator Roth and they are hopeful it will help improve the chance of the bill passing. Welch and Bootsma again thanked the volunteers to the City of Eastvale for all their help and Bootsma expressed his desire for some type of annual event to recognize these volunteers. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 pm.

Eastvale: An Interview with Council Member, Bill Link

Eastvale Council Member Bill Link

Eastvale Council Member Bill Link

BY JENNIFER MADRIGAL

Q: What do you feel is the biggest challenge for 2014?

A. “I feel the biggest challenge in 2014 is to review the use of our vacant land and determine the best use of this land as defined by what our citizens need, as well as a long-term revenue stream for the city.”

Q: What is your number one goal for the City of Eastvale this year?

A. “My focus this year would be an economic development plan aimed at the financial sustainability of Eastvale for years to come. Everyone wants better law enforcement, fire protection, safety, and a great quality of life; these can only be achieved when the city has long-term financial stability. In years to come, with population increases and inflation, these services will cost more. I read a quote years ago, ‘What works today may not work tomorrow; evolution is mandatory’. I believe this applies to how we must handle the future needs of our residents.”

Q: What feels great about Eastvale to you?

A. “The great feeling I get about Eastvale revolves around our fantastic residents. They are more in tune with this community than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. They participate in community activities as volunteers with no anticipation of any reward other than the betterment of Eastvale. As an example, a few years ago I read on Yahoo Residents website that a mother of three wanted to take her children to the snow and she asked if anyone had snow clothes she could borrow. Within 20 minutes she had three different strangers offering to help. You will not find that anywhere else. Anyone who thinks about this a bit has to feel a little warm inside.”

Q: How long have you been here in Eastvale? What’s your history with the city?

A. “My lovely wife, Sharyn, and I moved to Eastvale in 2008 purely by accident. Our kids, who live in Chino Hills, had just given us a new granddaughter and like any grandparents we wanted to be closer to her. So one Saturday morning we left on an excursion in search of a home closer to our granddaughter and in our travels into different areas we stumbled upon Eastvale. My wife was driving, so it is obvious that at some point a wrong turn was to be made and we would be lost. We just turned into a track for the purpose of turning around when we saw an Open House sign and decided to take a look. Sharyn immediately fell in with the house and we put an offer in the next day. It was accepted and here we are.

Since moving to Eastvale, we have participated in many civic activities. The first thing we became involved in was the Cityhood Celebration, for which I was in charge of logistics, working with Al and Gina Nassar (the greatest event coordinators anywhere). Then I was appointed to the first Planning Commission right after cityhood, where I served for three years, two of which were as Planning Commission Chairman. On January 8th of this year I was appointed to the City Council to fill the remaining term of Kelly Howell, who had resigned. Kelly did a magnificent job. I can’t give her enough praise for her hard work and dedication. To be honest, she is the one that influenced me to apply for the City Council.

Sharyn has been active in many volunteer positions and is currently the Executive Director of the Eastvale Community Foundation. I’m so proud of her for all the unselfish giving of her time and efforts to make the foundation great.”

Eastvale: City Council Recap

By Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale – The Eastvale City Council held one meeting in the month of December. At the Dec. 11, 2013 meeting, Council Members Ric Welch, Jeff DeGrandpre and Adam Rush were all present, with Mayor Ike Bootsma running the meeting.

Taylor York, on behalf of Western Council of Governments, presented the City of Eastvale with an appreciation acrylic from the Clean Cities Coalition for recently becoming a part of their organization.

During the Public Comment Section of the meeting, Girl Scout Troop 714 announced that they are trying to earn their bronze award by volunteering/sponsoring an event at Riverwalk Park with the 100 Mile Club. They hope to promote exercise and the appreciation of nature and family. They invited the City to join them for the event (which happened on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013).  Mike Armijo from ABC Public Relations let the Council and community know that the paper was delivered, and reminded everyone of upcoming Chamber events and to Shop Eastvale. Dickie Simmons gave everyone a reminder of the next Town Hall Meeting which will be January 28, 2014.

The following items from the Consent Calendar were all approved:  5.1 – November 13 regular meeting minutes; 5.2 – Ordinance to Adopt the 2014 California Fire Code; 5.3 – Acceptance of Subdivision Improvements for Tract Number 31496, KB Homes-Project 13-0132; 5.4 – Approval of Parcel Map No. 32313 (Fleming Living Trust), southeast quadrant of Hamner Avenue and Riverside Drive; 5.5 – Storm Drain Cooperative Agreement with Riverside County Flood Control District and Lennar Homes, Tract 36382, Citrus Street; 5.6  – Storm Drain Cooperative Agreement with Riverside County Flood Control District and DR Horton, Tract 34014, Schleisman Road; 5.7 – Update on City’s Strategic Plan; 5.8 –  Designating a Staff-Level Point of Contact for the Update of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy; 5.9 Statement of Revenue and Expense (unaudited), October 2013;  5.10 – Comprehensive Annual Financial Statement for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2013; 5.11 – Warrant Register; and 5.12 – Warrant Register for Council Related Items.

The Public Hearings section of the meeting began with a discussion on item 6.1 – Amending the Zoning Code to Allow the Placement of Temporary Signs in the Public Right of Way, Subject to Limits on Time, Place and Manner.  Currently, the City has allowed signs on the weekend, but would like to propose changing those regulations to 4 p.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Sunday, with signs permitted on roadway medians subject to standards for size and height for safety and visibility. City Manager Jacobs stated that there has been a long and unclear enforcement of the regulations and that clarity and enforcement is needed going forward. Council members discussed various options and concerns.  Currently, Code Enforcement is acting as trash control and spending a lot of time picking up signs after the weekend. Contact information will be required on any signs allowing the City the ability to fine those that do not remove signs. Failure to post contact information on signs would result in their immediate removal. The exact regulations are going to be clarified, but the Ordinance passed 3-1.

There were not any Old Business Items.

In the New Business category, Item 8.1 – Approval of City’s Injury/Illness Prevention Program was passed; 8.2 – Resolution of the City Council of the City of Eastvale, California Approving a Schedule of Parking Fines and Penalties was also passed 4-0. Three vehicle violations will be added to penalties for street sweeping, parking on a red curb and failure to display license plates, and will now be written on administrative tickets which will hopefully allow a cleaner, faster process; 8.3 – Approval of Project Applications for Fiscal Year 14/15 Community Development Block Grant Funding passed 4-0, with three projects being proposed; 8.4 and 8.5 – Joint Community Facilities Agreements between Jurupa Community Services District and the City of Eastvale (Community Facilities District No. 37 and No. 47), and Joint Communities Facilities District Implementing Agreements, passed 3-0-1, with Welch recusing himself on both votes; Item 8.6 concerning City employees’ attendance at the International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC) was taken off the agenda to be discussed at a later time.  Since there doesn’t seem to be much land available in Eastvale, Welch wanted more consideration before Council votes on whether to send employees or not.

For Item 8.7 – Options for Filing the Council Vacancy for the Unexpired Term, the Council decided to hold an open application period ending Dec. 26, 2013, with interviews occurring in January so that the position can be filled before the Jan. 30, 2014 deadline. DeGrandpre was adamant that this “position be open to everyone and that the process should be transparent.” Welch stressed the “need to make an ordinance to ensure this does not happen again and nail it down.”

For Item 8.8 – City Council Re-Organization, calling for a new Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem to be selected by the City Council, Ike Bootsma was asked if he would like to be the Mayor again, in which he adamantly replied he would.  Both Bootsma and Rush will retain their current positions as Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem of the City of Eastvale. The meeting ended with council members wishing each other well and a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and thanking everyone for all their help and participation this year. The next regular meeting of the Eastvale City Council will be held Jan. 8, 2014, 6:30 p.m., at Rosa Parks Elementary School.

 

Eastvale: Bill Link is New City Council Member

eastvale, city council, bill link

Asst. City Clerk Ariel Hall swears in new Council Member Bill Link. (Jennifer Madrigal)

By Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale: At tonight’s Special Session Eastvale Council meeting at Rosa Parks elementary, a crowd gathered for the public interview process of potential council members filling an open spot. Kelli Howell resigned after serving 3 years on the council to attend to her growing family. While 12 applicants originally filed before the December 26 deadline, only 10 were in attendance tonight. The applicants were: Raul Gutierrez, Anwer Khan, Susan Luan, David Magsam, Cesar Morales, Joe Tessari, Albert Randall, Warren Pulley, Robert Chang, and Bill Link.

Each of the candidates was given 2 minutes to make an opening statement and then asked a few questions by council members Rush, Degrandpre, Welch and Mayor Bootsma. Some of the questions asked were: What do you think is good and bad about Eastvale? What can your experience bring to the City?

The council members also wanted to know if each candidate understood the commitment and time requirements required of the position. Each candidate was given time to answer and then council members were able to ask further questions or to ask for more detail about a specific reply.

After some deliberation and a short break, Council came back and Bill Link was selected to be the next City Council Member. (Bootsma, Welch and Rush all voted yes and Degrandpre did not vote. ). Bill Link is retired and currently part of the Building Commission. He has been active in the community and involved in various foundations. His first meeting as a new council member will be at this month’s First City Council meeting, on January 8,2014 at Rosa Parks 6:30pm.

Eastvale: Twelve Apply For Open City Council Seat

Eastvale: Twelve Apply For Open City Council Seat
By Michael Armijo
Eastvale – Twelve people applied for the Eastvale City Council open seat by the Dec. 26 noon deadline. The opening was due to the resignation of Kelli Howell, whose last day was Nov. 30.
Ashley Quezada, Raul Gutierrez, Anwer Khan, Susan Luan, David Magsam, Cesar Morales, Jacob Tiab. Joe Tessari, Albert Randall, Warren Pulley, Robert Chang, and Bill Link have officially turned in their applications according to city staff.
The council will interview candidates at a special meeting on Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Rosa Parks Elementary School, 13830 Whispering Hills Drive., and then plans to appoint her replacement at the Jan. 8 city council meeting. The appointment will be on the council until the Nov. 2014 election. The alternative to an appointment is to hold an election, which would cost the city over $60,000.
Ashley Quezada is a registered nurse and has lived in Eastvale for 2 1/2 years. Raul Gutierrez is a counselor at the Corona-Norco Unified School District has lived in Eastvale for over 10 years. Anwer Khan is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Susan Luan is an accountant. David Magsam is an investigator for the Orange County district attorney’s office and has lived in Eastvale for two years. Cesar Morales, a former city council candidate who lost his bid to Ike Bootsma and Jeff DeGrandpre, has lived in Eastvale for more than 10 years. Raul Gutierrez is also a former candidate who also lost to Bootsma and DeGrandpre. Jacob Tiab teaches business at a private junior college and has lived in Eastvale for three years. Tessari is a current planning commissioner appointed in 2010 and has been a resident since 2006. Randall is a physician and has lived in the city since 2008. Pulley owns a security consulting business and has been a resident since 2011. Chang’s background is in computer science and applied chemistry. Link is retired and is a current planning commissioner since 2010.
According to the city website: The City of Eastvale operates under the Council-Manager form of government. The Eastvale City Council has five members, who are elected on a nonpartisan basis and represent the city as a whole. The five Council members are elected at-large to serve four-year staggered terms, and the Mayor is selected by the Council to serve a one-year term. The Mayor and Council serve as the legislative and policy making body of the City. All Council Members are non-salaried but receive a stipend.
For more information please sign onto the city’s website at http://www.eastvalecity.org or call 951-361-0900.

Eastvale: Council Recap November 13, 2013

By: Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale – The Eastvale City Council Meeting took place at Rosa Parks on Wednesday, November 13, with Council members Welch, Howell, DeGrandpre, Rush and Mayor Bootsma present. The invocation was led by Pastor Rick Morris from The Crossings Church. Staff members present from the City of Eastvale were: City Manager Jacobs, City Attorney Cavanaugh, Public Information Officer Nissen, Planning Director Norris, City Engineer Alvarez, Police Captain Feltenberger, Lieutenant Yates, Management Analyst Rowe, Deputy Finance Director Gitmed, and Assistant City Clerk Hall.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance the following presentations were given:

3.1    Presentation of Proclamation by John Fields, with Supervisor John Tavaglione’s Office, to Council Member Howell.

3.2    Presentation of Proclamation Designating Eastvale as a Purple Heart City.

3.3    Presentation by City Engineer Alvarez regarding the Cucamonga Creek Bridge Widening Project.

The Public Comment/Citizen Participation section of the meeting then began.  Mike Armijo, with the Eastvale Chamber, provided an update on the Chamber and upcoming events; followed by Christopher Nissen, a seventh-grade resident, who introduced himself, and thanked Council Member Howell for her service to the City of Eastvale.

The Consent Calendar section of the meeting began and all items 5.1 – 5.7 were approved by all members, 5-0.

The Public Hearings section of the meeting then began. Item 6.1 on the agenda was the Ordinance to Adopt the 2013 California Fire Code. There was no public comment on this item and the motion was carried 5-0. Item 6.2, was the Resolution to Vacate a Portion of Schleisman Road. City Manager Jacobs provided the staff report for this item. Motion was carried 5-0.

There were no Old Business Items and the meeting then moved on to New Business Items. Item 8.1, Initiating a Planning Process for The Leal Property: Motion was passed 5-0.  Item 8.2, Amend the Fiscal Year 2013/14 Operating and Capital Improvement Program by Adding Schleisman Road Project No. 93015. Motion was passed 5-0. Mayor Bootsma asked to remove items 9 and 10 out of the order. A Few council members expressed their gratitude to Kelli Howell and wished her luck and she was presented with a plaque in appreciation for all her hard work. After a closed session, the City Council adjourned the meeting around 8:15pm.

These minutes were provided by Asst. City Clerk, Ariel Hall.

Howell Resigns: Who Will Fill Her Seat?

By: Jennifer Madrigal

Eastvale City Council Member Kelly Howell

Kelly Howell Resigns

Eastvale – With the November 30 resignation of Eastvale City Council Member, Kelly Howell, the City must now make the difficult decision of how to fill her seat. According to the City’s existing ordinance, “If a vacancy occurs in a City Council seat, the City Council may, within thirty days from the commencement of the vacancy, fill the vacancy by appointment or call for a special election.”   The cost of a special election could be up to $70,000, and with the next election season less than a year away it would seem that the best solution is for the council members to appoint someone to fill her spot until then.

The process of deciding who will fill her seat is one that requires thorough discussion and will ultimately be a tough decision. However, Mayor Bootsma feels that the logical decision will be to appoint someone to fill her spot. “Most likely we will have candidates send in resumes and hold interviews in January, with a decision being made by mid-January,” said Bootsma. The council member position and what action will be taken to fill her seat will be discussed in more detail at the December 11 City Council Meeting, held at Rosa Parks Elementary at 6:30 p.m.

Kelly Howell has served the City of Eastvale since 2010, and was part of the City’s first Council as well as the Incorporation Committee. She made the difficult decision to resign in order to spend more time with her two children. She is currently a Special Education teacher and in a Master’s Program, as well as serving as Assistant Director of the Eastvale Community Foundation.  Howell has been an integral part of the thriving growth of Eastvale; she will be missed.