Arcadia City Council Looks Forward to Unity

Arcadia city hall. – Courtesy photo

By Terry Miller

While the recent contentious election and disturbing council meeting were fresh on the minds of many Arcadia residents and councilmembers, it appears that the issues that have divided the community may soon be ancient history.

During a very relaxed and sparsely attended meeting Tuesday, a few members of the public spoke on behalf of Mayor Pro Tem Sho Tay’s rotation and a handful of people addressed the council on Mr. Tay’s behalf. The next council meeting on June 5 will, perhaps, decide the direction of council reorganization.

However, councilmember April Verlato said she didn’t vote for Sho Tay at the last council meeting due in part to a misleading mailer he sent during the election, claiming the contents were false and deceptive. In an impassioned speech Verlato said, “I cannot reward that kind of conduct… falsehoods, and a lie to cover up another lie is unforgivable.”  However, Verlato did concede that the election and subsequent publicity were not motivated by race, acknowledging that “after June 5, we can move forward.”

The Mayor Pro Tem encouraged the public to utilize Foothill Workforce Development to encourage young people to look for summer employment.

Councilman Tom Beck, fresh from his South Africa trip, described in humorous detail how he participated in the last council meeting by phone, surrounded by monkeys with a propensity for steeling nuts. Noting that the Brown Act requires the door to be open when a councilperson is out of town but participating in the meeting via telephone, councilman Beck said his wife was positioned near the open door to dissuade curious monkeys from entering the room.  “The monkeys are very smart and everywhere,” Beck exclaimed.

Mayor Amundson pleaded with the community to continue letting the city know about coyotes so they can continue with the master plan to educate the public on how to deal with the issue.

Amundson also addressed CalPERS’ retirement plans which are “getting more expensive every year.”

A proposed refuse and recyclable rate increase from Waste Management was unanimously approved.

The next council meeting is June 5.