Tag Archives: Walnut City Council

Walnut: Tang A No Show At Candidates’ Forum for City Council

Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum

Walnut City Council candidates Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum this week, but third candidate, Betty Tang, did not show up.

Caption:
BY RAYMOND MENDOZA

Walnut – In preparation for Walnut’s general municipal election on April 8, City Council members Bob Pacheco and Mary Su participated in a candidates’ forum on Feb. 24 at the Walnut Senior Center that was organized by the League of Women Voters of East San Gabriel Valley for the purpose of helping Walnut voters ask questions of their City Council candidates.

Betty Tang, the third Council candidate invited by the League to participate in the candidates’ forum, did not show up for the candidates forum, did not send a representative in her place, and did not present written comments for the audience. When the Weekly News Editor in Chief, Michael Armijo, left a message for Tang at her campaign office requesting an explanation for her failure to attend the candidate’s forum, Tang failed to return the call. He then left a public message on her website, but there was no response as of press time. Tang’s campaign manager, Samuel Lee, claimed that Tang “had another appointment that evening”, but refused to say what that appointment was.

During the candidates’ forum, Pacheco said in his opening statement that his main focus for his next possible term would be to increase tax revenue to the city, bring in more businesses, and adding an additional volunteer sheriff to the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff Station.

During the event, Pacheco said he plans on creating a city swimming pool and an amphitheater for outdoor arts performances that would make Walnut a destination for performing arts.
Su, who served as Walnut’s Mayor in 2009 and 2012-2013, said her priorities were preserving Walnut’s rural atmosphere, maintaining the city’s low crime rate, and retaining and attracting high-quality businesses.

One of the first questions of the evening concerned filling vacant storefronts in the City, notably the former Albertsons building at the corner of Nogales Street and Amar Road. Both candidates said they were already taking steps to fill the vacancy.

Su said she had tried to bring a Trader Joe’s Market to Walnut while she was Mayor because she enjoys its products. However, Trader Joe’s informed her at that time that the population of Walnut was not considered to be large enough to fulfill the requirements of the supermarket chain.
Su said she has been actively working with the property manager of the former Albertsons store to attract a suitable business to fill the vacancy.

Pacheco mentioned his recommendations to bring a 99 Ranch Market, Walmart or Northgate Market to the former Albertsons lot. “(City Council members) have to be proactive in how we go out to look for these markets,” Pacheco said. “So I’ve actually taken it upon myself to make special calls (to businesses) to welcome them to the city. I spoke to the owners and representatives of 99 Ranch Market … and they’re a good market.”

When asked about their views on the city’s budget, Pacheco said that Walnut has maintained a balanced City budget by adopting a cautious spending plan that stayed away from high cost and high risk projects. He also said that he would push for more property development since property taxes were essential to maintaining the city’s revenue growth and ability to pay for the City’s outstanding public services.
Su said that eliminating some city jobs, such as Assistant City Manager, had allowed the City to have a financial surplus for the past two years, and she estimated that Walnut might have as much as a $600,000 surplus at the end of the current fiscal year.

While most attendees of the forum appeared to be satisfied with Su’s and Pacheco’s answers, several Walnut residents were left questioning Tang’s chances of being elected to the Council when she ignored such an important chance to talk to Walnut citizens about her plans for the City.
“To be honest, I was very disappointed that Betty Tang did not come,” Walnut resident Karen Breitkreutz said. “Because she’s the one candidate that we’re not familiar with and because she’s never been on the City Council.”

Breitkreutz also said that she had thought she might vote for Tang, but after Tang’s failure to appear at the candidate’s forum, she was more likely to re-elect Su and Pacheco.
Joe Hahn, Walnut resident and former City Mayor, also said that he had been looking forward to learning more about Tang at the forum, since he was uncertain about her views on the issues Walnut is facing, but he was also disappointed that Tang did not choose to show up.

Walnut residents will have the opportunity to vote for the two available City Council positions on Tuesday, April 8.

Walnut City: Fundraiser for Candidate Bob Pacheco

Bob Pacheco Candidate for Walnut City Council

Bob Pacheco Candidate for Walnut City Council

STAFF REPORTA fundraiser dinner in support of Walnut City Council candidate Bob Pacheco is set for Thursday, March 6, 2014. The event will be held at Seafood Village Restaurant, located at 1463 S. Nogales Street in Rowland Heights and will include a social hour at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner and program at 7:00 p.m.

Please join the host committee made up of Congressman Ed Royce, Michelle Steel of Board of Equalization, Assemblymember Curt Hagman, Walnut Mayor Tony Cartagena, David Hall of Mt. SAC Board of Trustees, and Phillip Chen of WVUSD Board of Trustees.

Sponsor levels are as follows:

$99 – Individual

$250 – Friend

$500 – Gold Sponsor

$1,000 – Platinum Sponsor (Includes 10 tickets to event)

For more information or to RSVP, please call Gayle Pacheco at 909-274-9222 or electbobpacheco@gmail.com. See Bob Pacheco Flyer for more details.

Walnut: Council Corner-Conserve Water

Walnut City Council Feb12, 2014

The Walnut City Council discussed a variety of items at their recent meeting, including the possibility of adopting a program to reward citizens for providing information leading to arrests. (Photo Courtesy: Raymond Mendoza)

BY RAYMOND MENDOZA

Walnut – The Walnut City Council met for its regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, with major concerns from the Walnut Valley Water District for water conservation in the City.

Walnut Valley Water District Manager of Administration, Jose Martinez, gave a presentation urging residents to reduce water usage after a state of water emergency was declared this month.

“We encourage all citizens to reduce water use and to save every drop that they can,” Allen Wu, director of the Walnut Valley Water District director, said.

Martinez and Wu were also joined by Walnut Valley Water District Director of Administrative Services, Sandra Olson, and Director for the Board of Directors, Scarlett Kwong, who each took turns answering questions from City Council members.  Martinez mentioned that the Walnut Valley Water District offers rebates for water efficient toilets, washing machines, and rain barrels for collecting rain water. He asked interested residents to visit the water district’s website at wvwd.com for more information.

After the presentation, City Council members approved the minutes for the Jan. 22 City Council meeting and adopted Resolution No. 14-04 for amending the housing element of the City of Walnut General Plan.

City Council members then approved all items on the consent calendar, which included: resolution for claims and demands in the amount of $783,377.47; Resolution No. 14-06 for changes in position classifications; authorization for the City Manager to enter into contract with the Planning Center Consultants to prepare environmental and technical analyses for the She Homes Mixed-Use Project on Valley Boulevard; mid-year request for additional appropriation of funds; and plans and authorization to receive formal bids for the Amar Road Street Rehabilitation Project.

City Council members then discussed the possibility of adopting a crime tip reward program to reward citizens for providing information leading to arrests.  Council Member Nancy Tragarz argued that citizens should be willing to provide information to police without the possibility of money.  The Council then agreed to look into the program further at a later meeting and would not vote on approval of the item.

The City Council then approved both items on the successor agency consent calendar, for Resolution No.14-07 for approving the administration budget for July through December 2014, and Resolution No. 14-08 for approving ROPS for July through December 2014.

After council member announcements, the Walnut City Council returned to closed session and scheduled its next regular meeting for Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Walnut: Red Light Camera Ticket Controversy

BY K.P. SANDER

Walnut – It was close, but you ran a red light; or maybe you turned right on a red because you didn’t see the posted sign not to.  The camera above the traffic signal took a glamour photo of your car, your license plate, and possibly you (with that charming look of, “OMG, I hope no one saw that!” captured for all eternity).  Soon after, you receive a ticket in the mail stating, Congratulations!  You owe us $470!  Yay!  But do you really have to pay the fine?  The controversy surrounding this topic is quite prevalent.

Called “Scam Cams”, some say the red light cameras are just a ploy by the government to get your money, and that they have nothing to do with safety.  Some say they are unconstitutional and a violation of our privacy.  There are articles that say you don’t have to pay the “Snitch Ticket” fine, because there is no officer to appear in court to defend the ticket.  Also, photos may be inadmissible in court because the technical calibration of the cameras can be called into question.  Still others report there will be no warrant issued and it won’t go on your DMV record.  Who do you believe?

Privacy violation has been addressed in the U.S. courts, but according to a 2009 ruling, (7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals), “No one has a fundamental right to run a red light or avoid being seen by a camera on a public street.”  The cameras are triggered by sensors only when a vehicle has run a red light, in most cases six seconds before the approach of the intersection, and six seconds after.

If you receive a red light camera citation, a copy is sent to the Superior Court where it remains in their traffic record system.  If you don’t pay the citation by the due date, you’ll receive a letter imposing a civil fine of approximately $300 on top of the original amount, and possible penalties and other legal consequences according to the law.  A collection company will take over an ignored citation, which can appear on a background check.  An additional violation can alert the court’s record system, which could create even more problems.

The City of Walnut has one red light camera installed at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Amar Road.  It is clearly marked with signs, and is in the jurisdiction of the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station.  It is a fact that police officers cannot be everywhere at any given moment.  So the cameras are another way to enforce safety in intersections.  But is the cost prohibitive?

The City Council in Walnut voted to extend the use of their camera for further testing until Feb. 27, 2014.   It costs the City approximately $141,000 to operate and brings in revenue of about $130,000 stemming from citations issued (5,053 in 2013).  Still, it is less than the cost of an additional patrol, which could exceed $260,000 annually.

Red lights actually mean stop, not try and make the yellow light; and of course, the yellow is a warning to stop, not gun it through the intersection.  Drivers admit to cutting it close all the time, but the accident statistics for signal violation are staggering, and among the most deadly.  The Los Angeles Police Department states that 1,000 people die each year, and another 200,000 are injured nationally as a result of running red lights.  The annual overall costs associated with this violation are $14 billion in the U.S.

Do the cameras help to prevent accidents?  Some claim they cause accidents by scaring drivers into more sudden stops, causing rear-end collisions.  The City of Walnut states that there is another important consideration, that of the potential danger associated with police officers following red light runners through heavily congested intersections; the pursuit of which can pose of serious risk to motorists, pedestrians and police officers.  The camera simply captures the crime.

Whatever controversy surrounds red light cameras, and whatever you believe – scam or safety – the DMV states that if you receive a violation, you shall be permitted to review the photographic evidence of the alleged violation.  Regardless of the controversy, if you ran a red light – or even came close to it – you are guilty of jeopardizing the safety of those in your vicinity; pay the piper.  If not, contest it.

If you receive a ticket, you have the option to pay the citation or appear before a judge and take your chances.  The City of Walnut’s website has some excellent information on red light cameras.  Visit http://www.ci.walnut.ca.us/general.asp?id=355 to view your violation video, request a copy of your ticket, or just become more informed.

The bottom line is that traffic laws require obedience to traffic control signals and devices.  If you slow down a bit, stop at red lights, and eliminate the “rolling stop”, chances are you won’t ever have to figure out your personal place in the red

Walnut: Council Corner- Conserve Water

Walnut City Council

The Walnut City Council warned residents to conserve water due to California’s drought. (Photo courtesy: Raymond Mendoza)

By Raymond Mendoza

Walnut – There was a short supply of agenda items at the Walnut City Council and Housing Authority meeting on Wednesday, but a major warning was given from Council Members about California’s drought problems.

After the approval of the Dec. 11, 2013 Study Session and City Council Meeting Minutes, and the Jan. 8 City Council Meeting Minutes, the City Council unanimously approved all items on the consent calendar.

The consent calendar included Resolution No. 14-03, for a resolution of the City of Walnut to allow certain claims and demands in the amount of $548,442.32; Walnut’s participation in the Cal Recycle Used Oil Competitive Grant for the 2013/2014 fiscal year; and youth sports groups requests for bi-annual facility use for FC Man United Soccer, Walnut Valley Pony Baseball, Walnut Youth Softball and the American Youth Soccer Association.

During the comment and updates section, Council Member, Mary Su, urged Walnut residents to be mindful of wasting water for the foreseeable future due to the latest statewide drought.

Council Member, Bob Pacheco, agreed with Su, saying that citizens should be careful not to waste water in an “unnecessary” manner.

The Housing Authority Meeting then started, which unanimously approved the only item on the consent calendar: Resolution No. 14-01 for the Walnut Housing Authority, allowing certain claims and demands to be paid in the amount of $52,820.25.

Mayor Antonio Cartagena then asked for all attendees of the City Council Meeting to join him in a moment of silence for the passing of Walnut Parks and Recreation’s Commissioner Ernie Quejado’s mother, Theresa.

Cartagena officially adjourned the City Council Meeting at 7:17 p.m., with the next scheduled meeting planned for Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.

Walnut: Election Season Kicks Off For Walnut

Walnut City Council Members Mary Su and Bob Pacheco

Council members Mary Su and Bob Pacheco held their campaign kick-off last week. (Photo By: Ariel Carmona Jr.)

BY ARIEL CARMONA JR.

Walnut – Three candidates filed their nomination papers for the Walnut City Council election, set for April 8. The three candidates include current Council Members Mary Su and Bob Pacheco, along with a new candidate, Betty Tang. The election season kicked off on Saturday, Jan. 11, when incumbents Mary Su and former assemblyman, Bob Pacheco, held their re-election campaign at their Lemon Creek Village shopping campaign headquarters.

A number of elected federal, state and local officials and other dignitaries were in attendance to support the pair of candidates seeking to retain their seats on the Council. Among those were U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park; U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerto; State Assemblyman Curt Hagman; and former U.S Treasurer, Rosario Marin. Also in attendance were Walnut Mayor, Tony Cartagena; Diamond Bar Mayor, Carol Herrera; Diamond Bar Mayor Pro-Tem, Steve Tye; and a majority of the members of the Walnut Valley School Board, the Walnut Valley Water Board and the Mt. SAC Board of Trustees.

“Mary is really a great person for this community,” said Congresswoman Chu. She added that Su’s dedication to the City goes back to when she founded the Chinese-American Parents Association for the Walnut Unified School District and continued through her days as President of the city’s Chinese-American Association. “This is a person who more than deserves being re-elected to the Walnut City Council. I think we are really lucky to have her.”

Marin said she has known Pacheco almost 20 years, and she has supported him at various positions throughout his political career.

Walnut Council Member Bob Pacheco

U.S. Representative, Ed Royce, talked about how much he supported Bob Pacheco (shown above) and Mary Su. (Photo By: Ariel Carmona Jr.)

“I am here because we want government that works. We yearn for government that really fulfills our needs. We are here for that government that supports our families and keeps them safe, and I am here to support Bob because I know he is an honest man, he’s trustworthy, and he takes his job very seriously. Everywhere he’s been he has done an excellent job,” said the former U.S. Treasurer.
“I know the citizens of Walnut have benefited from his experience, from his knowledge and his commitment. And I am here to support Mary Su because Mary has also been a magnificent public servant, and that’s all we want, we want public servants to do their best for our families,” said Marin.
Congressman Royce said he was very impressed with the work of the Walnut City Council. “There’s a lot of talent in this room, people who’ve served on the City Council for years, but think about some of the things that they did, particularly with Mary Su.”
“Mary Su used to be the Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission and in that capacity she had a certain vision, as did Bob Pacheco who was on the council at that time. They had a vision of having a rural environment here in the middle of Southern California where they would preserve those walking trails, preserve those riding trails and keep that atmosphere alive, and when things came up like those radio towers, they made sure they didn’t go up.”
Royce praised Su for her involvement with the Chinese-American Parents Association and for her efforts to strengthen the council’s relationship with Mt. SAC and the local school district. Royce also pointed out that Walnut has won award after award, including best schools, most livable city, and one of the safest cities to live in California, which Royce said was because of the City’s work with local law enforcement.

Su thanked all of the elected officials and other dignitaries in attendance for their support and friendship. “For many years we have had over 100 percent reserves in our budget. We didn’t cut a single service, we didn’t increase any taxes, and there are so many other things we accomplished, I just can’t name them all,” said an emotional Su, “Overall my heart is with the city of Walnut, I belong to Walnut, Walnut is my child, Walnut is everything to me, that’s why I am devoted to Walnut.”

Su enumerated a number of benefits that the city has seen since she assumed a seat in the Council including expansion of Grand and Temple Avenues, the restoration of City fireworks, collaborations with the local school districts, free services for seniors and many other projects.
“I will keep my promise again. No tax increases, continue to maintain high the quality life in Walnut, maintain high education in the City of Walnut, work together with Congress, the State Assembly and Los Angeles County to bring more resources to Walnut, to work together with each one of you, to listen to your opinion, your suggestions, your ideas to improve Walnut,” said Su.
“Bob’s been serving this community for 40 years. You have a man with experience, from state level, from his contacts, from the national level. You’re a very lucky city,” said Assemblyman Hagman.

Pacheco told the assembled crowd of supporters and residents, “My family grew up here, my daughter was born when we first moved into Walnut, and since that time I’ve been involved. I need your help again to make sure I get reelected and make sure I can continue the work I have started. The most important thing I see for this city is making sure that we get along and that we unite our resources so that we work together toward the proper ends.”

Sarah Armijo contributed to this story.

Walnut: Red Light Cameras Stay For Three Months

BY ARIEL CARMONA, JR.

Walnut – Faced with the impending expiration of a contract with a company that maintains and operates the red light camera at the intersection at Temple, Grand and Amar, and with a growing trend of other cities taking down their cameras, the City Council voted to extend the City’s contract for another three months to further study the implications of retaining or dismantling the camera.

“I know making a decision about whether to terminate or to continue should be based on safety, whether its cost effective and what is the best for the community,” said Mayor Antonio (Tony) Cartagena as the Council voted 4-0 (Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Tragarz abstained) to extend the contract with RedFlex, set to expire on Feb. 27, 2014.

According to a report made public by the city staff, the City’s photo enforcement program was approved in 2006 and extended for five years in February 2009. The contract does not have a rollover provision, which means if the contract expires, RedFlex would remove the equipment, and the program would terminate.
The annual cost to operate the program is $141,116, with $140,016 going to RedFlex and $1,100 provided for training a Law Enforcement Technician (LET). The LET position is charged to a grant and does not come from the City’s general fund sources, according to a report by Senior Management Analyst, Rosalea Layman.

“It is difficult to determine the exact amount of revenue generated by the program because the City receives a lump sum from the county that includes all traffic violations, fines and fees received,” wrote Layman in the report. She said the City estimates it receives approximately $130,000 with $63,700 of the revenue restricted for public safety purposes.

City staff warned that if the program is eliminated, the City would realize a loss of associated revenue, in addition to a potential increase cost for additional patrol deployment of more than $260,000 per year. Walnut issued 5,053 citations to alleged violators in 2013.

Captain Jeff Scroggin said that he was concerned if the cameras were removed, that there would be an increase of people pushing across that intersection to try to get into Mt. San Antonio College. “The ability to police that area with the normal deployment would be difficult because of all the other calls we are responding to and the patrols we’re doing.”

The council also heard testimonies from residents and the public, some who favored the red light program and others who expressed concerns over possible 6th Amendment violations to pedestrian safety and the safety of Mt. SAC students crossing to reach the bus stop on the south side of the intersection. Others suggested the City install a countdown on the intersection instead of hand symbol.

Council Member Bob Pacheco questioned the efficacy of the camera, quoting the report which showed that accidents increased from 12 to 19 at the intersection between 2005 and 2013, when they were last reported. “I don’t understand, if the traffic light is to prevent injuries, and the cameras are basically to try to deter that from happening, I don’t see a reason why there was an increase,” said Pacheco. “We are always very concerned with the status of the economy and the impact on our revenue, this is a source of revenue for the City, but it should not be just a means for deciding of what we do with it, whether we make or don’t make money is not a question in my mind, it’s a question of is it providing the benefit that we’re supposed to be getting,” he added.

Jay Beeber, Executive Director of Safer Streets L.A., addressed the Council and disputed the City staff’s assertion that the intersection was less safe because there is more traffic flow. That‘s actually contrary to what you would expect with increased traffic flow. “In the five years before the program was started, there was one red light running collision. Since implementation, there have been five, a 400 percent increase. There were 24 rear-end collisions prior, 43 in the five years after, an 80 percent increase”, said Beeber.

In other actions, the Council heard a presentation on fraud and cybercrime prevention from Lt. Mark Stevens from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, and also approved the adoption of 2014-2015 Community Development Block Grant Program funds for housing rehabilitation and senior citizen activities.
The next regular meeting of the City Council is scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 21201 La Puente Road.

Walnut Council Nomination Period Open

Staff Reports
Walnut – The nomination period is now open for two seats for the Walnut City Council General Municipal Election set for Tuesday, April 8, 2014.
Two seats are up for reelection for a full term of four years. These two seats are currently held by Councilwoman Mary Su and Councilman Bob Pacheco. Pacheco was appointed this past July to fill former Mayor Tom King’s seat after he announced his retirement.
The City Clerk will issue nomination papers and candidate handbooks during this nomination period to potential candidates and will be available to guide candidates through the election process, according to City of Walnut officials. The nomination period closes on Monday, Jan. 14, 2014.
If no one or only one person is nominated for an elective office, appointment to the elective office may be made as prescribed by § 10229, Elections Code of the State of California, according to the City of Walnut.
The election process can be explained in a few simple steps. A City of Walnut news release states that the first step is forming a volunteer based Voting Rights Act Group. The Group will advise the City on effectively providing election material, information, and assistance to limited English proficient voters. In addition, Group members and their organizations will help disseminate election information and encourage resident participation in City elections. The news release also states that the City of Walnut is required to provide election material and outreach in the following languages: Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog. Residents with an interest in serving on this group should call the City Clerk’s office at (909) 595-7543, ext. 311.
The City Clerk’s office will then mail sample ballot pamphlets containing a facsimile ballot and polling place information to all registered City voters, and will also issue ballots to vote-by-mail ballot registered voters.
After election results are final, the City Clerk then administers the oath of office to each Council Member at the second Council meeting in April.
Voter registration is available from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk at http://www.lavote.net or by calling 1-800-815-2666. Voter registration forms can also be picked up at City Hall, the Walnut Library, and local post office.