The City Council plans to finally consider a budget proposal for the forthcoming fiscal year at its Friday morning meeting, where it also is expected to establish the public safety parcel tax levy for the year.
If approved, the budget would take effect on July 1, as scheduled; substantive changes to the budget would require a new public hearing, although there remain two regularly scheduled meetings in June that would allow a July 1 adoption. Continue reading “City Council Readies for Final Budget Proposal”
Traffic-Relief Ideas Range From ‘Fix It’ to ‘Forget It’
Parks and Public Works Director Michael Throne speaks with a local couple, Kim and Kien Chua, about a traffic-related concern in San Marino. Throne and other city officials have been soliciting ideas to improve traffic flow in town, though many residents say the answer is simply to do nothing.
The City Council plans to take a first look at specific proposals to alleviate traffic congestion on portions of San Marino roadways sometime in June, finally starting a council-level discussion on whether the city should even move forward with the projects that would be funded by Metro. Continue reading “Traffic-Relief Ideas Range From ‘Fix It’ to ‘Forget It’”
Council Approves Three More Years for Motor Classic at Lacy Park
The City Council approved a three-year agreement for organizers to continue using Lacy Park to host the famed San Marino Motor Classic at its meeting last week.
The agreement, which continues an arrangement first struck in 2011 for the inaugural Motor Classic, stipulates that organizers rent out Lacy Park for $3,545 for the annual event, a sum equivalent to all of the park’s rental area fees. The agreement will cover the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Motor Classics, as the outgoing agreement covers the one happening next month. Continue reading “Council Approves Three More Years for Motor Classic at Lacy Park”
Proposals for Capital Spending Draw City Council’s Scrutiny
The San Marino City Council has weighed in on proposals for the capital spending budget for the next fiscal year and expects to review the full budget proposal in earnest later this month.
Departments are now preparing their proposals with consideration of guidance and directives by the council, which has for the past month reviewed broad presentations on possible proposals by each department. The council has until June 30 to adopt the 2019-20 fiscal year document. Continue reading “Proposals for Capital Spending Draw City Council’s Scrutiny”
City Restores a 9-to-5 Delivery Period for Starbucks
Thanks to a 4-1 vote of the San Marino City Council, Starbucks will be permitted to take product deliveries between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will even be allowed to add an additional outside table for its customers. The decision ends an appeal filed by nearby residents wishing to bar the store from taking late-night shipments. Continue reading “City Restores a 9-to-5 Delivery Period for Starbucks”
City Council, Public Safety Commission Work on Communication
The San Marino Public Safety Commission will rearrange the timing of its regular monthly meetings to more expeditiously respond to tasks delegated by the City Council.
In an effort to improve communicating to the council the conclusions and opinions it has reached, the commission also will explore filing page-long reports on topics — traffic flow improvement, for example — to be reviewed by the council in regular reports. The decisions were reached at a meeting between the two bodies last week. Continue reading “City Council, Public Safety Commission Work on Communication”
Rules on Placement of Cell Firms’ Equipment Are Easy Sell
In response to a federal order, the San Marino City Council endorsed a resolution prepared by municipal department heads that defines where, in public rights of way, wireless companies may place equipment to convey their signal, requiring a high standard of evidence to allow such firms to gain exceptions to the guidelines. Continue reading “Rules on Placement of Cell Firms’ Equipment Are Easy Sell”
City OKs Setup of Fund to Hold Donations for Rose Arbor
The San Marino City Council has approved the creation of a dedicated fund to hold private donations for the revival and maintenance of the Lacy Park rose arbor, an act intended to provide assurance that the money is spent as intended. Continue reading “City OKs Setup of Fund to Hold Donations for Rose Arbor”
City Departments Highlight Proposed Changes in Spending
The San Marino City Council will hear a presentation on the proposed 2019-20 Capital Improvement Plan budget’s major changes on April 26, after which it plans to consider the full municipal budget presentation on May 31.
That full presentation will include more fleshed-out figures from the three preliminary presentations the council recently saw for each of the city’s departments, which highlighted major expenditure changes they were eyeing for next year. Continue reading “City Departments Highlight Proposed Changes in Spending”
Rose Arbor’s Progress, Tree Removal on Meeting’s Agenda
The Rose Arbor will be front and center at the Friday morning City Council meeting, including an update on the project to return it to Lacy Park and a comprehensive history of the former landmark, courtesy of several residents who researched it. Continue reading “Rose Arbor’s Progress, Tree Removal on Meeting’s Agenda”