City Of Monrovia: City Manager's Update | October 29, 2021

Press release from the City of Monrovia:

10/29/2021 9:38 AM

Hello Monrovians, 

Hello Monrovians, 

This week, I am excited to share that after an 18-month closure, the Monrovia Historical Museum will reopen on November 7! 

During the hiatus, the museum used it as an opportunity to expand and enhanced their exhibitions. New features include an updated Monrovia High School exhibit with yearbooks; a Monrovia Fire Department exhibit; and an upcoming display on the city's diversity created in conjunction with Monrovia ChangeMakers; and so much more.

Plan your visit now to see all the new changes. Beginning November 7, the regular operating hours are Sundays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Dylan

Email: dfeik@ci.monrovia.ca.us 
Phone: (626) 932-5585

Highlights in this Update  

• Old Town Trick or Treat & Halloween Bash
• Too Toxic To Trash Collection Event
• San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network 
• Kiwanis Club of Monrovia Cornhole Competition
• Apply to be a Civil Grand Jury Volunteer
• Save the Date: Virtual MAP-edu Community Meeting

Trick or Treat & Halloween Bash

The City of Monrovia and the Monrovia Old Town Merchants are excited to present the Annual Trick or Treat and Halloween Bash! On Sunday, October 31, the afternoon will be filled with ghoulish fun for the entire family!

• Trick or Treating in Old Town Monrovia
• Costume Contest for Youth, Adult, Group, Family and Dogs!
• Library Activities
• Activity Booths and a Photo Booth
• And much, much more!

At 3 p.m., attendees can begin to register for the free costume contest. Furry friends are invited to register for the costume contest for dogs. This is a rain or shine event! In the event of rain, the costume contest will be held in the Monrovia Community Center.

This event is free and is sponsored by Foothill Park Plaza, PrimeLending, Sierra Family of Dealerships, and Wendy's Hamburgers.

Too Toxic To Trash Collection Event

The FREE Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Drive-Thru event will be held on Saturday, October 30, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Public Works Yard located at 600 S. Mountain Avenue.

San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network

The San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network Strategic Implementation Plan is looking to transform storm channels, washes and creeks that feed into the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo Rivers into 130 miles of bike paths, trails, and greenspaces for everyone in the San Gabriel Valley! 

The San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network will be hosting community engagement workshops to hear from residents in the SGV about any thoughts or ideas they may have in regards to this project. If you’re interested in learning more or please join their first workshop on November 3, at 6 p.m.

Kiwanis Club of Monrovia Cornhole Competition

The Kiwanis Club of Monrovia invites you to the Kiwanis Cornhole Competition on November 6, 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. Enter as teams of 2 to win cash prizes, or come and just have some fun! The first, second, and third place teams will have a chance to win $250, $150, or $100!!

Event is 21+ only. All proceeds from the event will go towards scholarships for our local youth.

Apply to be a 2022-2023 Civil Grand Jury Volunteer

The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is currently seeking qualified citizens who are interested in applying for the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury. The volunteers' primary functions are to investigate county, city and join-power agencies and act as "watch dog" by thoroughly examining the operations of various government agencies within LA County. 

Volunteers can earn $60 for each full day of service, and must be willing to serve for 12 months, Monday - Friday, generally 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Recruitment for 2022-2023 Civil Grand Jury is now open. Deadline to submit an application is November 12, 2021.

Monrovia ChangeMakers Community Meeting

Monrovia ChangeMakers invites the public to its all members meeting and special session with Monrovia Latino Heritage Society on Wednesday, November 17, at 6 p.m. Join this important discussion to link past history to the future. For more information, please contact Lois Gaston (626) 827-6732 or Henry Olivas (626) 524-9295. 

Save the Date: Virtual MAP-edu Community Meeting 

The MAP team is hosting their quarterly MAP-edu meeting virtually on Saturday, November 20, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. There will be amazing speakers coming to address community and housing resources for the homeless population. This has been an important topic that has been brought up in our academies this year, so we wanted to make sure that our residents know of the resources Monrovia has in regards to our homeless population. Please register on Eventbrite. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the MAP team at map@ci.monrovia.ca.us. 

Updates to the Enhanced Outdoor Dining in Old Town Monrovia

Based on feedback and comments from the merchants in the 400 block of Myrtle Avenue,  the Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board recommended ending Saturday night street closures on November 6. This only affects the 400 block of Myrtle and the last night for the program will be Saturday, October 30. 

The Outdoor Dining Program will continue on Friday nights at part of the weekly Street Fair event.

Measure K, the Keep Monrovia Revenues Local Sales Tax Measure 

During the months of October and November, city staff will visit different community groups to share an update on Measure K, the Keep Monrovia Revenues Local Sales Tax Measure. As you may recall, Measure K ensures that new sales tax revenues stay in Monrovia and are reinvested into our community. On April 1, 2021, the new sales tax measure went into effect, and based on projections, the estimated revenue generated by Measure K is $10.8 million for Fiscal Years 2021-23. Measure K funds are put towards projects that align with the Monrovia City Council’s goals of Financial Management, Infrastructure, Customer Service and Relationships. So far, the Monrovia City Council has only approved $3,574,916 towards: one-time infrastructure improvement projects, increasing financial reserves, battling cages at Barney Glenn Baseball Field, and the American Disability Act Transition Plan. 

Residents, along with in-town business owners, are encouraged to fill out a form on the City's website with spending suggestions for the new sales tax revenue received from Measure K.

California Native Plant Sale 

The California Native Plan Society, San Gabriel Mountain Chapter, will host a Native Plant Sale on Saturday, November 6, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., at the Monrovia Historical Museum. 

A good variety of reasonably priced California native plants and wildflower seeds appropriate for gardens in the Los Angeles basin will be available, including plants for attracting birds and butterflies to your home garden. Knowledgeable chapter members will also be on hand to answer questions.

Save the Date: Monrovia Unified School District presents State of the Schools

The Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education cordially invites you to attend the 2021-22 State of the Schools Address! Join the Board of Education in celebrating Monrovia Unified's scholars, teachers, and community on Wednesday, November 17, at 6 p.m. This event will be held at the Louise K. Taylor Performing Arts Center.

Scheduled Power Outages in the Northeastern Section of Monrovia   

Southern California Edison (SCE) has planned power outages to take place in  certain sections of Monrovia. SCE will continue to upgrade aging infrastructure, make needed improvements, and complete other repairs. SCE and their contractors will perform work in the following locations:

• Sunday, October 30 (9 p.m. – 5 a.m.)
  • 100 block of West Cherry Avenue 

Customers that will be impacted by this outage have received notifications from SCE. During a power outage, SCE customers can view current information regarding the outage and the estimated restoration time by visiting SCE Online. 

Should you have any questions, please call SCE outage phone number at 888-759-6056.

GoMonrovia Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The first EV charging stations in Old Town Monrovia are now open at 124 E Lemon Avenue. To celebrate the inauguration of these new services, the City will offer free charging through November 5, 2021!

Charging your car battery is easy with the Powerflex charging app. Here’s how it works: 

1. Download the Powerflex app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
2. Follow these steps to set up your account
3. When you arrive at our charging station, launch the Powerflex app and scan the QR code on the station.

Once drivers have completed charging, please move it to a non-charging space so others may utilize the charging stations. Happy Charging!

For more information about the EV Charging Pilot project, please contact Chris Castruita at (626) 256-8224 or email ccastruita@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

Water Conservation Kits Now Available

On October 19, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide drought emergency and asked all Californians to do more to conserve water.  He added eight counties, including Los Angeles, to a list of counties in serious drought conditions and is asking everyone for a voluntary 15% reduction of water usage. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has responded by asking all communities, including Monrovia, to help conserve limited water resources.

To help us reach that goal, the City of Monrovia is doing its part by offering residents FREE water conservation kits! Together we can help the effort to conserve more water.

Please submit the following form to request a kit for pick up at the Public Works Yard located at 600 S. Mountain Avenue. Please note, limit one kit per household.

Water Conservation is a Way of Life 

Are you interested in having a great looking yard while also using less resources? The Los Angeles County Public Works Department is hosting a series of webinars to help our residents learn more about Smart Gardening. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to expand your knowledge, the LA County Public Works has a series of webinars for all areas. They are currently offering four subjects this fall: Intro to composting, Water-Wise Gardening, Organic Gardening, and Small Space Gardening. 

Report Bulky Items around Town and Be Entered to Win a Gift Card

Have you seen bulky items around town? If you report them into Public Works, you will be entered into a raffle and could win a $50 gift card to a Monrovia Business! If you are out and about around town and see furniture, boxes, or other items in the Right of Way (not on Private Property), please report them to Public Works. In turn, Athens Services will pick these items up within about 48 hours.

Since June 2020, we have received 5,833 reports for abandoned bulky items!

How to Report Bulky Items:

• Call Public Works at (626) 932-5575; or
• Email bulkyitem@ci.monrovia.ca.us
• Be sure to provide our name and address to be entered into the raffle.

This weeks winner is…Bobby Gray! Since June 2020, we have received 5,978 reports for abandoned bulky items! 

COVID-19 At a Glance 

Latest Facts & Figures 

Residential / Non-Residential Settings in Monrovia 

Residential / Non-Residential Settings in Monrovia 

Facilities that have no reported positive COVID-19 cases for 14 days are considered to no longer have an outbreak and removed from the list. Confirmed cases of employees from residential/non-residential settings get counted under their home city.

Additional details on cases and deaths were not provided by the County of Los Angeles. View the Public Health Statement Regarding COVID-19 and Patient Privacy.

Stay Informed  Resources

Development Spotlight

Several significant projects are working their way through the review process and stages of construction here at the City. Among these are the Adaptive Reuse of the Monrovia Market Building (approved on Oct. 1), the Overton Moore Pacific Self Storage Project in the former Verizon Building in Old Town (approved on Nov. 19), 127 Pomona Multi-Family Development with 310 units at Station Square (approved on Jan. 21), the Alexan Multi-Family Development with 436 units at Station Square (approved on Feb. 4), and the Arroyo at Monrovia Station Multi-Family Development with 302 units (Planning Commission approved on Feb. 12). For more details, visit the Development Spotlight webpage.

Key Dates, Programs & Virtual Events

• Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Drive-Thru | October 30 | 9 a.m.  
• Trick-or-Treat & Halloween Bash | October 31 | 3 p.m.  
• City Council Meeting | November 2 | 7:30 p.m.  
• In-N-Out Reading Program | now through November 13
• Make an Appointment for Passport Services at Monrovia Community Center 
• Monrovia Street Fair & Market | Fridays | 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
• E-Waste Drop Off at Monrovia Public Works Yard | Daily
• Subscribe to e-Notifications for Meeting Agendas
• Request a Bulky Item Pick-Up
• Request your Water Conservation Kit

Job Opportunities with the City of Monrovia 

• Firefighter 
• Principal Accountant 

The City of Monrovia offers interested individuals a chance to keep themselves notified on our job openings through the job interest card. This card will help interested individuals receive notifications about positions that open within the city without having to continuously log on to view our employment opportunities page.

Neighborhood Watch Report 

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 396 service events, resulting in 75 investigations. View the Neighborhood Watch Report. 

This press release was produced by the City of Monrovia. The views expressed here are the author’s own.