By Susan Motander
The Monrovia City Council held two joint meeting this week, one with the School Board and one with the Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte Town Council. While the City Council has long worked cooperatively with the School Board, the two had not held a joint meeting in several years and the council had never held a joint meeting with its counterpart in the unincorporated area. At each meeting, the groups discussed issues of mutual concern.
With the School Board, the discussions focused on the traffic and safety issues relevant to traffic and the coming of the Gold Line, and the “bioswales” that had turned into koi ponds/moats/tide pools (depending upon who was speaking). The two also discussed plans for the upcoming Monrovia Day celebration, even establishing a joint subcommittee to develop plans for the event. The subcommittee has already set a date for its first meeting.
The meeting with the MAD Council had several issues to review including the city’s planning for reaction to El Niño, the impact of the coming of the Gold Line, and the 626 Golden Streets event, a cycle/walking event planned for June 26 (get it? 626 for the date 6/26 and for our phone area code). City staff detailed the plans for all of these to the members of the Town Council. Mayor Tom Adams also invited the member of the Town Council to attend to upcoming MAP (Monrovia Area Partnership) Conference on April 23 and to the State of the City Address on Feb. 8.
One item that came up at the meeting with the MAD group that may be of some interest to residents in the unincorporated areas with Monrovia addresses is that the city will extend the sharing of sand bags and gravel to them as well as to Monrovia residents. Those with Arcadia and Duarte addresses will need to turn to those cities for assistance.
