By RAYMOND MENDOZA
Walnut City Council (Photo Courtesy: Raymond Mendoza)
Walnut – After months of talk and public outrage, the Walnut City Council met on Aug. 27 to approve a letter urging Mt. San Antonio College to build its forthcoming parking structure at a location that would not burden the adjacent housing tracts.
After approving the minutes for the Aug. 13 meeting, council members opened a public hearing for Resolution No. 14-43, which outlined the City’s overruling objections to the abandonment of property for a park, and to order the park abandoned and the property sold.
The property, located near the Three Oaks neighborhood, was also the subject of some debate with some residents stating that the loss of the property would be a mistake on the City’s behalf. Claudia Stein, Three Oaks resident, said she was disappointed that the property has gone unused for ten years and that she and other residents do not want a community center or aquatic center to be constructed on the property.
Mayor Nancy Tragarz cleared up the public’s misconceptions by stating that the property near the Three Oaks area would not be used for an aquatic center, but that the funds gained from selling the property would go toward paying for the City’s proposed aquatic center.
The Council then approved the resolution, ordering that the park be abandoned and sold.
For the Council consent calendar, Tragarz pulled the resolution for claims and demands in the amount of $680,150.34, citing waiver #146594 for the payment of the City Attorney, Michael Montgomery.
The motion failed on a 2-3 vote, with council members Pacheco, Su and Cartagena giving dissenting votes. The Council came back to the item and voted to approve the resolution.
The Council then opened the discussion for the Mt. SAC parking structure, with council members stating their opposition for the structure’s placement by sending a declaration to various members of state government.
Councilmember, Eric Ching, urged the residents and other council members to create a dialogue to discuss the future of Mt. SAC, since the campus’ growth will eventually affect the City at large.
Residents echoed Ching’s concerns, stating that independent environmental impact reports need to be completed to measure how much of an impact the traffic has on the quality of air in the area. After the discussions, the Council approved the motion and the decision was met with applause from the attendees.
The Council then approved the appointment of eight high school students for the youth advisory commission and the approval of specification and authorization to advertise and receive formal bids for installation of CalSense controllers and related equipment.
For the Council discussion item, the council members discussed the consideration of City Attorney Montgomery’s contract with multiple interruptions starting with Pacheco claiming that Tragarz was out of order over her questions concerning the attorney’s contract being specified under a corporation.
However, Tragarz stated that the Michael B. Montgomery Law Corporation was dissolved eight years previous, and therefore could not operate and do business.
City Manager, Robert M. Wishner, recommended that the City seek a third party attorney to consider the validity of Montgomery’s contract. However, the vote to find a third party attorney did not pass, leaving the Council unsure on how to proceed with the contract.
The City Council then adjourned with plans to meet Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., in the council chambers at 21201 La Puente Road.
