Photo Courtesy: Natalie Kim
Joelle Julve (shown with fiance, Danny), Assistant Planner, is recognized by the Walnut City Council.

By Natalie Kim

Walnut – The Aug. 26 Walnut City Council meeting began with two presentations. The first was for Joelle Julve, in recognition of her outstanding work as Assistant Planner. The second was for the Chinese American Association of Walnut, in recognition of 26 years of sharing and celebrating Chinese traditions and culture with the residents of Walnut.

Following the Communications, the Council approved the minutes of the July 22 meeting, and performed the first reading of an ordinance to amend the City’s current regulation on antennas and communication facilities, requiring a greater distance from schools and residential areas. The ordinance is set for a second reading and public hearing on Sept. 9.

The Council then approved all items on the Consent Calendar, including an allowance of $884,330.06 in claims and demands; authorization to destroy certain records pursuant to Resolution No. 01-18; the award of a bid to All City Management for school crossing guard services; and appointed Jackie Chan, Codie Chang, Renee Hua, Sarah Kim, Robert Lee, Candice Ma, and Paula Yang to the Youth Advisory Commision. The Council also waived parking restrictions on La Puente Road for the evening of Sept. 5 in light of Mt. Sac’s football game hosted at the Walnut High School football field, to prevent overflow parking from clogging residential streets. The Council will discuss waiving parking restrictions on same such evenings for the rest of the season on Sept. 9, after observing traffic and overflow parking on Sept. 5.

Next, the Council moved to discussion and transaction items. Term limits, which Walnut residents have been claiming are long overdue for the City, was the first item discussed. Although all members of the Council agreed that new blood and new ideas led to a better City and a better City government, some also expressed concern over possible drawbacks of term limits, such as a City Council that was unable to effectively run due to lack of expertise. The Council will vote to put term limits on the April 2016 ballot during its next meeting on Sept. 9. The Council also approved a utilization of $6,000 from the General Fund reserve to print and distribute a City-wide mailer notifying Walnut residents of the current state of the Mt. Sac parking structure, and Mt. Sac’s future plans concerning the structure. The Council also allowed the Planning Commission additional time to approve a tentative tract map for the development of a two lot subdivision of undeveloped land.

After reports and comments, the Council adjourned.  The next meeting will be held on Sept. 9, at 7 p.m., in the Council Chambers located at 21202 La Puente Road.

Photo Courtesy: City of Walnut

Staff Reports

Walnut – At the City Council meeting for the City of Walnut held on Wed., July 8, rather than swear in Mayor Pro Tem, Eric Ching, as the new mayor, the Council decided to reorganize and place Bob Pacheco in the position.  In addition, Councilwoman Mary Su will now serve as Mayor Pro Tem, and Antonio Cartagena, former Mayor Nancy Tragarz and Ching will now serve as council members.

“I’m very pleased to have been selected to be mayor; I look forward to it,” said Pacheco. “This year is going to be challenging.  I’m looking forward to uniting Walnut, instead of dividing it.”

Robert Pacheco has served the City of Walnut since 1994. He was first appointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee and then to the Walnut Planning Commission, according to the City’s website.

In 1996, Pacheco was elected to the Walnut City Council where he served for two years. In 1998, he was elected to the California State Assembly; making him the only City of Walnut resident to serve in the California Legislature. Pacheco was elected to three terms in the State Assembly until he termed-out in 2004. In July 2013, he was again appointed to the Walnut City Council.

Pacheco’s professional career spans 60 years in business and the legal profession. For over 40 years, he was the Senior Partner of the law firm, Pacheco & Pacheco, located in the City of Walnut. He received a Presidential appointment to the United States Naval Academy Board of Visitors, and was also appointed as California Senior Advisor for Jobs and Workforce Development under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tenure – as well as an Appellate Member of the Cal-OSHA Board of Appeals.

Pacheco, and his wife, Gayle, currently own and operate a multi-million dollar manufacturing company located in Walnut.
Pacheco is involved in numerous community organizations. He is the founder of the Walnut Valley Educational Foundation, co-founder of the Walnut Humanitarian Medical Mission, and The Gabriel Foundation, which sponsors the annual Industry Hills Charity Pro Rodeo. Most recently, he co-founded the newly formed Walnut Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale. He is also a member of the Industry Manufacturer’s Council and also represents the City of Walnut with the Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Congratulations to Bob Pacheco on his new appointment as Mayor for the City of Walnut!

Photo By: Raymond Mendoza
The Walnut City Council stands with members of Filipino American Cultural and Educational Affairs as they proclaim this week to be Filipino American Heritage Week.

By Raymond Mendoza

Walnut – The Walnut City Council chambers was packed on Wednesday for its June 6 meeting, notably with a large Filipino crowd due to the City proclamation of Filipino American Heritage Week.

The Council thanked members of Filipino American Cultural and Educational Affairs, drawing on the unique history of Filipino Americans starting in WWII and ending with their influence on the City of Walnut – which has a large Filipino community.

The Council also recognized the winners of the Walnut PONY League (7 and under) all-star championship team; and Panera Bread as the Spring 2015 Business of the Quarter.

After the recognitions, there was a presentation by independent auditors from Lance, Soll and Lunghard, reviewing the 2014 financial audit for the benefit of the residents in concern to infrastructure.

Rich Kikuchi, partner for Lance, Soll and Lunghard, stated that Walnut’s audit took several hundred hours, coming to the conclusion that the City’s finances were correct, had no financial weaknesses and were deemed “materially correct.” Kikuchi said they are currently in preparation for their next audit of the City in August. He also mentioned that the 2015 audit will be ready sometime in November.

Mayor Nancy Tragarz then launched into several questions, bringing up her long standing questions regarding suspicious expenses and a lack of malpractice insurance for City Attorney, Michael Montgomery.  Tragarz stated that she was questioning certain contracts under the need for transparency, while City Manager, Robert Wishner, stated that Walnut has always managed its finances correctly and that Lance, Soll and Lunghard have done an exemplary job auditing the City for years.

After the presentation was over, Tragarz was still blocked from setting a meeting with Kikuchi and his firm, but planned on creating a future meeting to look deeper into the policies and finances that she believes are worth taking a second look at.

The Council then moved on to its public hearing items, starting with an ordinance to modify the definition for boardinghouses or rooming houses, which are currently illegal in the City. The Council approved the ordinance after no one stepped forward to speak during public comment.

The Council also read an ordinance prohibiting parking on various City streets in the vicinity of Mount San Antonio College. Traffic Engineer, Tom Gilberton, said the new ordinance would affect Varsity Drive near Mt. SAC. He mentioned that the ordinance had been brought to the Council since residents have claimed that Mt. SAC students constantly litter in the area.

The Council approved the ordinance, banning parking on Varsity Drive.

The Council also approved an ordinance regarding permit processes for small residential rooftop solar energy systems and inspections, as well as setting a public hearing for the matter on June 24.

The Council then approved all items on its Consent Calendar, including a resolution for claims and demands in the amount of $454,469.11; a resolution to establish the 2015-16 appropriation limit; a resolution for management, general, and part-time salary schedule changes; a resolution for sewer system management plan recertification; the approval of a two-year contract with Nieves Landscape, Inc., as the City contractor for landscape maintenance in lighting and open space maintenance Zone 9 with no increase; an award of bid to Triton Communications Inc., for City-wide telephone systems; sports group requests for biannual field use for fall 2015; a bingo permit application submitted by the Walnut Senior Club and request for waiver; a request to proceed with formal bids for school crossing guard services; an approval of a one-year contract with Athletic Field Specialists for sports field maintenance at Creekside, Snow Creek and Suanne Parks; the final acceptance of the Valley Crest Landscape Maintenance, Inc. notice of completion for the CalSense Irrigation Controller Installation Project; and an award of bid to Sports Field Services for trail improvements.

The final item of the night was a Council discussion item concerning the continuance of a nuisance abatement hearing, appealing the City Manager regarding the abatement and removal of a wall located at 20638 Loyalton Drive. However, the Council moved to bring the item back at a later time to discuss the item in detail.

After announcements, the Council adjourned with plans to meet on June 24 at 7 p.m. in chambers located at 21201 La Puente Road.

Photo By: Raymond Mendoza
Members of Walnut City Council present local historian, June Wentworth, with a proclamation declaring the month of May as National Historic Preservation Month.

By Raymond Mendoza

Walnut – Walnut’s City Council gathered on May 27 with a full agenda, starting out with a proclamation and ending with a spirited discussion about the amount of cell phone towers present in the City.

The Council met with Walnut Historian, June Wentworth, to proclaim the month of May as National Historic Preservation Month. Mayor Nancy Tragarz thanked Wentworth for her years of service to the City, and voiced the importance of keeping one’s history- as it delivers richness to future generations.

Wentworth – in a true historian’s fashion – gave the City back its proclamation document, claiming that she believed the document to be important historical evidence which should be preserved.

The Council then moved on to approve its May 13 meeting minutes before beginning the public hearing concerning new standards for undeveloped land along Valley Boulevard between Pierre and Suzanne roads.

The specific plan was created to establish an overlay with development standards, design guidelines, the subdivision of the undeveloped land and the adoption of a mitigated negative declaration in order to develop ten acres of land. The land is currently planned to be developed with 37single-family, detached homes, 61 single-family townhomes, the designation of 30,492 square feet of commercial land and related site improvements for three undeveloped parcels.

After input from several nearby residents thanking Shea Homes for their consideration, the Council then approved the item.

The Council next approved items concerning Ordinance No. 15-04, making a definition for boardinghouses or rooming houses within the City; and Ordinance No. 15-05, prohibiting parking on various City streets in the vicinity of Mount San Antonio College; and approval of $1,500 from the general fund reserves for special maintenance.

For the Consent Calendar, the Council approved items 5 through 15 concerning certain claims and demands in the amount of $1,301,920.29; a resolution approving the application for grant funds from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for 2015, and countywide competitive grant program for the Snow Creek Park Restoration Project; approval of the adoption of a Youth Employment Plan; a resolution adopting the annual budget in the amount of $17,191,260 and capital projects budget of $1,760,000 for the fiscal year 2015-16; authorization for the City Manager to enter into an agreement with VCS Environmental to prepare an addendum to the original EIR for Three Oaks; a request for installation of speed humps on Yale Avenue; the approval of a three year contract with West Coast Arborist for Citywide tree trimming and related services with no rate increases for fiscal year 2015-16; appointments to the Historical Preservation Advisory Committee; and filing and receiving alcoholic beverage license applications for Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 12 Zodiacs, Inc., Starbucks #6803, and Yosemite Wine & Spirit International Trade Group.

Item 16 on the Consent Calendar was pulled with much discussion and opposition from council members Bob Pacheco, Mary Su, and Tony Cartagena, citing issue with Mayor Pro Tem Eric Ching resigning from the Audit Committee and Tragarz appointing herself to the committee.

Pacheco claimed that it would be a conflict of interest for Tragarz to “audit herself” and that she has “failed” to do her job by not signing warrants and claims in the past.

Tragarz answered back that looking into City finances is part of her job as Mayor, and that questioning financial decisions is paramount to keep the City free from making redundant or suspicious payments. Furthermore, she noted that there is no rule or precedent prohibiting a mayor from serving on a city audit committee.

Tragarz even began raising her voice to her other Council members, stating that they are conspiring to keep her from speaking to an auditor and looking deeper into concerns about the City Attorney’s contracts.

Ching asked the Council what the harm would be in having Tragarz serve on the Auditing Committee, asking if the City had “something to hide.”

With opposition from Pacheco, Su and Cartagena, the item was denied with a 2:3 vote.

The Council then moved onto its discussion/transaction items, where Community Development Director, Tom Weiner, recommended that Item 17 – an appeal of Planning Commission conditions approval for Tentative Tract Map 49059 – go back to the Planning Commission for further analysis on July 15.

The second item was concerning initiation of a zoning code amendment to Article XXV for antennas and communication facilities.  The Council approved both items.

After the announcements, the Council adjourned with plans to meet on June 10 at 7 p.m.in the Council Chambers at 21201 La Puente Road.

Photo By: Raymond Mendoza
Walnut City Council members, along with Walnut High Principal Jeff Jordan and So Cal Edison Representative Ben Wong, present Ted Zhu with a $40,000 scholarship from Edison’s program. Zhu’s mother is also in the photo, next to her son.

By Raymond Mendoza

Walnut – Walnut’s May 13 City Council session was standing room only, as residents and proud parents packed the room to watch Council members hand out recognitions to dozens of Walnut High School students for various activities.

The meeting started out with Walnut High School student, Ted Zhu, receiving not only a recognition from the City, but a $40,000 check from the Southern California Edison Scholarship program. According to Edison Representative, Ben Wong, the company received 2,800 applications for the scholarship, but only selected 30 based on each student’s strong promise in the STEM careers path.

Mayor Nancy Tragarz thanked Zhu for his hard work ethic and wished him luck when using his scholarship money to attend Harvard in the fall.

The Council also recognized the Walnut High Olympiads for finishing fourth in the State Science Olympiad Competition, the Walnut High wrestling team for being undefeated in the Hacienda League Championship, and the outgoing Youth Advisory Commissioners.

A small group of residents were also in attendance purely to speak during the public comment section of the meeting to urge City officials to remove several cell phone towers that are in close proximity to the City’s public schools. While no actions could be taken by the City Council at the time, Tragarz assured the citizens that the City’s Planning Commission would look into the matter.

The Council then approved the minutes for the Apr. 22 special meeting, and the Apr. 22 City Council/Walnut Housing Authority meeting before approving the only item on its public hearing section: a resolution regarding 2015-2016 lighting and open space maintenance assessments.

Following that, the Council then approved all items on its consent calendar including a resolution allowing certain claims and demands in the amount of $910,205.66; the authorization to request proposals for the General Plan update; the approval of the Trail Improvement Project in the amount of $24,300; a bid award to National Auto Fleet Group for a City Fleet Vehicle in the amount of $36,770.17;  the appointments of 15 residents to the City’s Mt. San Antonio College development task force; and the United Walnut Taxpayer Facility Fee waiver request.

After the final item was approved, the Council adjourned with plans to meet on May 27, at 7 p.m., in the Council chambers at 21201 La Puente Road.