BY RAYMOND MENDOZA
City Council naming the Walnut Valley Women’s Club and Cheryl Linnborn as Grand Marshals for the Walnut Family Festival.
Walnut – Walnut’s City council started slightly behind schedule on Oct. 8 following a study session concerning the City’s proposed Aquatic Center, but quickly convened into regular business with proclamations for the Walnut Family Festival’s Grand Marshals, National Fire Prevention Week and various resolutions.
Mayor Nancy Tragarz started the meeting with recognition for the Walnut Valley Women’s Club and member Cheryl Linnborn for their years of effort and excellence. Tragarz and the other council members thanked the members of the Women’s Club as one of the longest standing clubs in the City and Linnborn’s tireless efforts for helping the Walnut Family Festival and Christmas Tree Lighting through the years.
“Your smiling face will always be appreciated in Walnut,” Tragarz said.
Tragarz then proclaimed October as Fire Prevention Month, putting an emphasis on keeping working fire alarms in all homes.
“Change batteries in your smoke alarm,” LA County Fire Chief Mario De Fino said. “They do save lives.”
Public comments largely focused on the changes to the Brookside neighborhood, with several residents asking the Council to stop housing developments that would further diminish the City’s equestrian trails.
The council then went on to approve the minutes for the Aug. 13 study session meeting and Sept. 10 City Council and Walnut Housing Authority minutes, along with the second reading of Ordinance No. 14-04 for establishing provisions for employee housing.
The Council then moved on to its consent calendar for the approval of claims and demands in the amount of $727,862.35, the authorization of certain records pursuant to Resolution No. 01-18, an award for a CalSense irrigation controller equipment and installation bid to ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, Inc., and an award for street light improvements on Grand Avenue and Arcadia Way bid to MSL Electric, Inc.
Tragarz pulled Item 6 on the calendar, pertaining to a contract with Morse Planning Group for an environmental impact report for the proposed Brookside Specific Plan. Community Development Director, Tom Weiner, mentioned that the item only pertains to an environmental impact report and has nothing to do with the number of houses being developed.
Council Member, Mary Su, questioned Morse Planning Group as the agency to provide the environmental impact report and asked whether or not the land developers could choose two or three other agencies to do the report.
Collette Morse, AICP from Morse Planning Group, spoke to the council members, listing her years of professionalism with handling environmental impact reports and the services she could provide to the City.
After hearing from Morse, the Council agreed to table the item for a future meeting after seeing a resume and list of qualifications from Morse before they are officially hired to provide the environmental impact report.
Following the Council’s announcements, they adjourned into closed session with plans to meet again on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers at 21201 La Puente Road.
