Monrovia City Council Rejects NRA

Photo by Terry Miller

Lois M. Shade

Lead by Ret. Senator Dick Mountjoy who resides in Monrovia, the community came out to the May 6 Monrovia City Council meeting to voice concerns about Congresswoman Judy Chu’s National Recreation Area legislation. Mountjoy warned the Council , ‘This a bad idea. You don’t know what is in it and you don’t even have a set map yet. People don’t know the boundaries.’
Mountjoy echoed resident, Fred Bowden’s concern about the bond Monrovia residents passed 14 years ago to buy wilderness areas above the city. This is a 30-year bond for $10 million the residents are obligated to pay off. He said the council is giving away property to the federal government and he and the citizens of Monrovia are going to have to continue to pay on that bond for another 15 or 16 years. Bowden said he also donated property to the Monrovia wilderness area, not to the federal government.
Tom Adams, Monrovia Council Member joined in pointing out Monrovia asked the federal government at that time to partner up and join in their efforts to preserve the Monrovia hillside and wilderness areas. The feds declined, so Monrovia residents did it themselves with the $10 million bond. Now that the land has been purchased we have someone who is a willing partner … why wouldn’t they be, it doesn’t cost them anything, said Adams.
Adams said he had been to a meeting with Chu and was surprised when she said part of the reason her legislation is needed is because we have no maps of the trails in the San Gabriel Mountains. He asked her about the maps and books the Santa Anita Historical Society has and she told him she had never heard of the organization. Adams said he was shocked that Chu professed to be so knowledgeable about the San Gabriels and wants to save them but knows so little about them.
Despite Mayor Lutz’s push to move forward with support for the NRA legislation, the Council voted 5-0 to send a letter to Congresswoman Chu opposing Monrovia being in the National Recreation Area. Council voted 5-0 to support that motion with Mayor Lutz qualifying her vote noting there are questions she would still like answers to regarding the NRA and the impact on Monrovia.
Based on the long-standing unwritten rule in Monrovia that council members don’t put Monrovia’s name on anything that is controversial without coming back to the body for support, Adams asked the Council’s representative to the COG, Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, write a letter rescinding her vote supporting the NRA. Alternate motion was carried to copy the SGV COG on the letter to Congresswoman Chu opposing Monrovia’s inclusion in the National Recreation Area. Motion passed 5-0.

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