Monrovia School Board Agenda

On the agenda for the next school board meeting ( http://goo.gl/sUfPqB ):

- Review of supplemental algebra and geometry curriculum materials.

- Enrollment and staffing projections.

- Interim financial report.

Boys Soccer Wins COF | Historic Walking Tour of Old Monrovia Planned

~ Monrovia boys soccer wins CIF title with 1-0 win over South Pas. http://goo.gl/J9mgiC

~ The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will lead its first walking tour of downtown Monrovia on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m., as part of the Monrovia Days celebration. The tour will begin at the corner of Palm and Myrtle, go down to Olive Avenue (4 blocks) and back. The tour is expected to last 1 1/2 hours. The tour includes a history of the downtown area as well as the history behind the development of Monrovia itself. Tickets are $5 per person (12 and under free). Reservations required. Go here ( http://goo.gl/n80u3u ) to reserve a space.

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's Best | Monrovia Boy's Soccer in Championship Battle

~ Monrovia's Trader Joe's named best grocer in the country. http://goo.gl/BsQrUQ

~ Monrovia boys soccer faces off against South Pasadena in CIF championship game. http://goo.gl/4XXiTR

- Brad Haugaard

BearVid | Monrovia Y Fundraiser | City Income from Canyon Park

~ Another Monrovia bear video. http://goo.gl/GkOj1r

~ A fundraiser for the Santa Anita Family YMCA will be held Wednesday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Pacific Plate Brewery, 1999 S. Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia. 239-8456

~ Parking fees for Monrovia Canyon Park brought in $125,106 in the 2013-14 fiscal year. http://goo.gl/d5TSHf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Forum Video | Barks and Books

~If you missed it, here is a video of the Monrovia City Council Candidates Forum. http://goo.gl/VmBllo

~ Barks & Books, Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA's reading enrichment program, branches out to the Monrovia Public Library starting Monday, March 16. Barks & Books makes reading fun, boosts confidence and encourages respectful, humane treatment for all animals for children ages 5 to 12. PHS Volunteer Judy and her canine companion Daisy will meet at the library on the third Monday of every month at 4 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Domenico's

Dinner at Domenico's, on the south side of Huntington just east of Magnolia. Got the spaghetti with meatballs for $14.95 and a beer for $7.50. Domenico's is an old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Nothing trendy about it, but I liked it.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi On Lost Grants

Here is the presentation City Manager Oliver Chi gave regarding the various grants the city has had then lost. http://goo.gl/V5r6t2

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Boys Soccer to Championship | Kittleson Announces Endorsements

~ Monrovia Boys Soccer wins a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship match. http://goo.gl/TGOhAl

~ Monrovia City Council candidate Jordan Kittleson writes that he has rounded up endorsements from: Los Angeles County Business Federation; Jack Orswell, 2014 Republican Congressional Nominee (CA-27); Dr. Paul Chabot, 2014 Republican Congressional Nominee (CA-31); Mountain View GOP; State Senator Bob Huff; Retired State Senator Bob Dutton; Upland Councilwoman Carol Timm; San Bernardino Councilman John Valdivia.

Note: If any other candidate wants to send me a list of endorsements (please, no more than 10) send them to me.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Council Candidate Forum Tonight

I just wanted to remind everybody that there will be a Monrovia City Council Candidate Forum tonight, March, 4 at 6 p.m. in the Monrovia City Council Chambers, 415 South Ivy. It will be hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters. I'd like to attend, but unfortunately, I will not be able to. This does not involve the race for mayor. The candidate forum for the mayoral race will be Tuesday, March, 10 at 6 p.m. also in the Monrovia City Council Chambers.

- Brad Haugaard

Report on Grants Monrovia Has Lost; Criminal Charges in One Case

City Manager Oliver Chi reported on three different grants that the city received but did not use until the grants expired, meaning the money was lost. In one case - a downtown streetscape grant - criminal charges were filed against a former city employee for filing false progress reports on the project. Chi did say that the city may be able to get a re-grant on one of the grants. Chu's full report should be posted on the city website soon.

- Brad Haugaard

Bakery Coming to Old Town Monrovia

According to a speaker at tonight's City Council meeting, the former Monrovia Bakery will again become a bakery, to be called Frost My Cake.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian on Let's Make a Deal

CBS reports that Monrovian Alzaharaa Mouzon will be on CBS' Let's Make a Deal on Wednesday, March 11.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Reports Lower Q3 Earnings

Monrovia's AeroVironment today reported third quarter earnings of $2.3 million compared with $11.2 million last year. http://goo.gl/CNnSBa

- Brad Haugaard

STAAR Gets New CEO | Monrovia's First Lutheran Hosting Craft Fair

~ Monrovia's STAAR Surgical Company, which makes implantable lenses for the eye, has named Caren Mason President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Ms. Mason, who was elected to STAAR's Board of Directors in June 2014, and was appointed by the Board to chair the Quality and Regulatory Committee in September 2014, replaces Barry G. Caldwell who retired as of March 1, 2015. http://goo.gl/x56MYs

~ First Lutheran Church at 1323 S Magnolia is having a multi-church craft fair on Saturday, April 25, from 2-5 p.m. There will be easy family-friendly crafts to make, items to purchase, and food to buy.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Has Been Draining Unclean Water into Soil Above Drinking Water Pump

Map key: The green line encloses the French drain; the red area is for trash containers with a pipe leading to the French drain, and the blue area is where vehicles are washed.

Note: I sent the following article to Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi and Public Works Director Tina Cherry for comment, and received the response directly below my article.

My Article ...

Is Monrovia draining dirty water from trash and sewer-truck clean-outs directly into the ground above its water well at the corner of Peck Road and Jeffries Avenue?

According to a source, a city supervisor was placed on administrative leave last Thursday as a result of what is apparently a continuing investigation.

I am told that apparently all the drinking water coming from the well is still clean, but will it remain so as wash-water slowly percolates down to the point where it would be pumped out?

According to my source, water from leaky trash containers goes down a pipe which leads to a "French drain," a perforated underground pipe surrounded by gravel. The water goes out through the holes in the pipe, through the gravel, and sinks into the soil.

I'm told that the sewage truck - which I occasionally see pumping out the septic tanks at the rest rooms in Monrovia Canyon Park because the sewer line from the park does not work - is emptied into a main line of the sewer system, then is rinsed and again drained into the sewer system. But then it is rinsed a second time, and the water from this second rinsing is dumped on the ground near the French drain. Definitely better than dumping raw sewage there, but still not clean water.

My source said this water is supposed to be drained into the sewer system (a sewer line runs along the north side of the property) and not leached into the ground, and that elected officials have not been aware of this issue.


The City's Response ...

On Thursday, February 26, 2015, Monrovia City officials were made aware of alleged unlawful disposal of wastewater at the City’s main water well field located at 2265 South Myrtle Avenue. Upon discovery of this information, the City immediately initiated a comprehensive review of the overall situation to ensure that stringent water quality and safety standards are maintained. This review included the retention of a third-party contractor to perform additional testing of the City’s water and the hiring of a third party investigator to perform a comprehensive investigation into the allegation. That same day, one supervisor was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the completion of the review.

It is important to emphasize that ongoing monthly testing shows that Monrovia’s water supply consistently meets or exceeds State and Federal drinking water standards. Our most recent monthly report attests to the fact that the City’s water is safe for consumption, and the alleged unlawful disposal of wastewater has not impacted the safety of Monrovia’s water.

Furthermore, the City employs multiple additional layers of water testing to ensure that Monrovia’s water is safe for human consumption. In addition to monthly testing, the City performs Annual Water Reports, tests water nitrogen levels monthly, and conducts additional daily monitoring of our water production operation. These ongoing efforts help to ensure that the water provided to Monrovia customers is not only safe, but meets or exceeds every State and Federal drinking water standard. Moving forward, to ensure that the City is taking proactive measures regarding the safety of our water, the City will be implementing bi-weekly testing to ensure that our water continues to meet or exceed every State and Federal drinking water standard. Internally, the Water Utilities Operation in the City will be preparing an overall water report on a quarterly basis, rather than on an annual basis, as an added layer of public communication.

Furthermore, the City has made plans to hire a third party contractor to perform immediate environmental testing of our water facility site where the alleged disposal occurred. The tests will include taking samples from the City’s water and the soils surrounding the water facility site. Also, the City will be contacting the Regional Water Quality Control Board to make them aware of the situation and the details of all actions being taken to address the issue. Additionally, the investigator will also look deeper into the situation and ensure that all proper mitigation measures are being taken.

In an effort to distribute information to the public, the City will also continue to make all reports available to the public. Current water testing information, including our Annual Water Reports, can be found on our city website at www.cityofmonrovia.org. Finally, in an effort to enhance all services provided to the community, the City has been working on a proposed reorganization. This proposed plan includes the addition of a Utility General Manager to ensure additional attention and oversight of all utility functions.

The City of Monrovia is taking this matter very seriously and we are implementing robust response measures to ensure the safety and quality of our community’s water source. We will continue to have updates on the city website (www.cityofmonrovia.org) to keep the public apprised of the situation.