Community Corner

Monrovia City Manager's Update - December 18, 2020

Traffic Signal Improvements Continuing at Intersections Along Duarte Road, Adjacent to METRO L Line (formerly Gold Line)

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Press release from the City of Monrovia:

December 18, 2020

Hello Monrovians,

Find out what's happening in Monroviafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

This update has been prepared to share with you everything that is taking place in Monrovia. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Find out what's happening in Monroviafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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

Highlights in this Issue

  • Traffic Signal Improvements Continuing at Intersections Along Duarte Road, Adjacent to METRO L Line (formerly Gold Line)
  • SCE to Conduct Power Pole Replacements Using a Helicopter
  • Phone System Maintenance for City Hall
  • 2020 Holiday Decorating Contest
  • KGEM-TV Holiday Special
  • Monrovia Police Officers' Association Hosts Toy & Canned Food Drop-Off
  • Monrovia Parks, Wilderness, and Recreation Foundation's Holiday Keepsake Ornament
  • Monrovia Street Fair & Market Close on December 25 and January 1
  • Holiday Street Sweeping
  • City Tree Planting Program

Traffic Signal Improvements Continuing at Intersections Along Duarte Road, Adjacent to METRO L Line (formerly Gold Line)

Residents of Monrovia, Arcadia, Duarte, and the surrounding Unincorporated County Area have all experience traffic jams along the Gold Line Corridor, specifically at the traffic signals along Duarte Road. Over the past several months, representatives from the Cities of Monrovia, Arcadia and Duarte as well as LA County Public Works and METRO have been working on improvements to the traffic signals to improve traffic flows, reduce wait times, and better manage vehicle traffic along the train corridor. In late November, LA County Public Works implemented the first cycle of improvements to the traffic signal at Duarte Road and Myrtle Avenue. These improvements include updated software for the traffic signal controller and an improved timing program to better manage the traffic flows. The primary improvements that will be achieved include:

  1. Reduced down time for the railroad gates.
  2. Signal priority to the traffic lanes that have been waiting the longest once the train arms go up.

City Staff and LA County Staff have monitored, and refined, the improvements at Myrtle and Duarte and have observed reduced gate down times, reduced wait times and an overall better flow of traffic.

These improvements will continue next week with the County schedule to implement the new software and timing at Mountain Avenue and Duarte Road on the evening of Wednesday, December 23rd. The improvements will be similar to those that were done at Myrtle Avenue and it is anticipated that residents will experience reduces wait times as well.

Going forward, the County will also implement these improvements at the intersections of Duarte Road and California and Duarte Road and Buena Vista (in the City of Duarte). The team will continue to provide regular updates on the schedule of the improvements and the observations from the field.

The public is encouraged to contact us with any feedback or questions about the work that is taking place. Please contact the Public Works Department at (626) 932-5575 or pwcomments@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

SCE to Conduct Power Pole Replacements Using a Helicopter

Residents may notice helicopter activity in the area above the Hillside Wilderness Preserve on Tuesday, December 22 and Monday, December 28 as SCE conducts infrastructure work. The team from SCE identified two power poles within the hillside area that are in need of a priority replacement. The catch with these replacements is that they are accessible only by helicopter. The work will take place during normal business hours on December 22 and 28.

Other than the visual and audible impacts form the helicopters, most residents will not be impacted by these activities. There are a couple of residents in and around the Hillside Wilderness Preserve that may have power interruptions and accessibility impacts; however, they will be contacted directly by SCE and City Staff.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or pwcomments@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

Phone System Maintenance for City Hall

Phone system maintenance is scheduled on Friday, December 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Monrovia City Hall. Phones at City Hall will be down during this time, however, no other locations will be impacted.

To reach a staff member during this time, please visit the staff directory and contact us through email. If you have an emergency, dial 911.

2020 Holiday Decorating Contest

The City of Monrovia is excited to announce the winners of the 2020 Holiday Home Decorating Contest and Old Town Monrovia Window Decorating Contest.

Home Contest Winners

  • Best Still Display: 2102 S. Myrtle Avenue
  • Best Outdoor Display: 633 King Street
  • Most Effective use of Lighting: 276 N. Primrose Avenue
  • Best Neighborhood Effort: 517 Valmont Place & Valmont Drive
  • Santa's Workshop Award: 333 Norumbega Drive
  • Holiday Spirit Award: 1510 Pilgrim Way
  • Judge's Award: 209 S. Sunset Place
  • Children's Choice Award: 826 Ocean View Avenue

Business Contest Winners

  • Best Overall Display: House of Windsor, 526 S. Myrtle Avenue
  • Most Creative Display: Saint Clark Bridal, 519 S. Myrtle Avenue
  • Best Holiday Display: Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 517 S. Myrtle Avenue
  • Judge's Award: Monrovia Floral, 119 E. Olive Avenue
  • Most Spectacular Display: Civiltec Engineering, 118 W. Lime Avenue

KGEM-TV Holiday Special

Community Media of the Foothills is proud to present the third Annual Holiday Special! Take a look at the fun video, which features holiday music, community members sharing their favorite memories, holiday recipes, and much more.

Monrovia Police Officers' Association Host Toy & Canned Food Drop-Off

On December 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the men and women of the Monrovia Police Officers' Association will partner with Detail Union for a drive-thru toy and canned food drop-off. If you would like to contribute, please bring unwrapped toys or canned food to Detail Union located at 1311 S. Shamrock Ave., Monrovia, 91016.

Monrovia Parks, Wilderness, and Recreation Foundation – Holiday Keepsake Ornament

Give the gift that supports the Monrovia Community! This ornament was handcrafted in Monrovia with wood from Canyon Park that burned during the 2020 Bobcat Fire. It reminds us of beauty and resiliency in times of adversity. Proceeds from this Inaugural Annual Ornament support the Monrovia Parks, Wilderness, and Recreation Foundation, Inc. You can purchase an Ornament for $30 or two for $50.

If purchased before December 22, the holiday ornament/keepsake will be dropped off at the address provided, if in Monrovia or an adjoining city, between December 13 and December 24. If the address is outside of Monrovia or adjoining city, additional time or postage costs may be required.

Thank you for your understanding and your support!

Monrovia Street Fair & Market Close on December 25 and January 1

Due to the upcoming holidays, the weekly Monrovia Street Fair & Market in Old Town will be closed on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1. The Monrovia Street Fair & Market will return on Friday, January 8.

Holiday Street Sweeping

Due to the return to a modified Safer at Home Order, parking enforcement has been suspending only for street sweeping through the calendar year. With that order being in effect, vehicles may park on the street, which may cause a buildup of debris. Our street sweeper is aware of the Order and will do its best tending to all debris on the street. Should you notice that there is extra debris on the street and would like to request another pass of the street sweeper; you may send a request to pwcomments@ci.monrovia.ca.us. We cannot guarantee that this will happen or improve conditions but we will certainly try.

City Tree Planting Program

The City of Monrovia maintains more than 8,500 city-owned trees and in 1987 was recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA in recognition of our commitment to tree stewardship. In recent years, the City has had to remove several tree due, primarily, to trees lost due to the drought and trees that were removed due to construction activity. In the spirit of our commitment to tree stewardship, staff committed to replacing the removed trees on a 2 for 1 basis in order to maintain and expand our urban forest.

Beginning early January, we will be honoring our commitment and plant trees throughout the community. The plantings will take place in parkways and public spaces with a focus on replacing trees that were previously removed. While we are working off of our existing inventory and records, we are also using this as an opportunity to hear out our residents by planting in their requested locations. The trees that will be planted are small and medium-sized native trees such as Red Bud, Blue Palo Verde, Crape Myrtles (pink, light pink, and white), and Strawberry Marina. These trees will be planted according to our City Standard Plan.

Please see below for our Tree Planting timeline which is broken down into two sections, similar to our Monrovia Renewal method.

  • Phase 1: South/Southeast/Southwest/Northwest
    • January 4 - 8, 2021:
      • Staff will be going to each property that requested a tree to mark and confirm the exact location.
    • January 11-15, 2021:
      • Staff will plant 39 trees at various locations.
  • Phase 2: Northeast/North
    • January 11-15, 2021:
      • Staff will be going to each property that requested a tree to mark and confirm the exact location.
    • January 18 - 21, 2021:
      • Staff will plant 35 trees at various locations.

As we continue to expand our urban forest in Monrovia, please fill out the interest form if you would like a tree to be planted in the parkway in front of your residence or business so that we can begin preparing for Phase 3 and future plantings. The ability to plant a tree will be determined by the available space in the parkway, the presence of overhead or underground utilities, and a site review conducted by the City Arborist. The tree will be planted and maintained by the City at our expense, however, we do ask for the resident or business owner to provide for watering of the tree. We will review interest on a first come first served basis and the number of trees planted this year will be determined by the level of interest and available resources. The City will be planting trees on an annual basis and this list will serve as a basis for a planting plan. Trees will be planted as the budget and conditions allow so the list will be a continually managed list with the hopes of satisfying all requests as quickly as we can.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Jaden Louie at (626) 932-5584 or jlouie@ci.monrovia.ca.us or Daniel Lee at (626) 932-8216 or dlee@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

Monrovia Historical Society Unveils 83 Monrovia History Videos

The Monrovia Historical Society has unveiled a set of 83 videos on Monrovia history featuring Monrovia Historical Society President - and City Historian - Steve Baker.

During this month-long "Monrovia Stories" project, Historical Society Vice President Sandy Burud interviewed Baker - a fifth-generation Monrovian with a gift for storytelling - about the great bank robbery of 1908, a murder, an explosion, the fire that destroyed our grand old hotel, early architecture, churches, schools, movie theaters, film studios, and dozens of more topics.

A selection of videos is on the Monrovia Historical Society web page, but many more are on its YouTube Channel. Or, just search YouTube for "Monrovia Historical Society."

The Monrovia Historical Society's goal is to “preserve and share Monrovia’s historical legacy” through the George H. Anderson House at 215 E Lime and the Legacy Project, an online collection of 6,000 historic photos and papers.

Crosswalk at Intersection of Olive and Mayflower Avenues

On December 9, Public Works made changes to the intersection of Olive Avenue and Mayflower Avenue that resulted in the elimination of one crosswalk. In May of 2020, stop controls for traffic moving northbound and southbound along Mayflower Avenue were installed in response to concerns from residents in the area and the Monroe Elementary School community. The concerns were aimed at making it safer for pedestrians in the area accessing both the school and Lucinda Garcia Park to cross Mayflower Avenue. Although there was a crosswalk, there were no stop controls which created safety concerns.

While these changes have improved the overall pedestrian safety in the area, there was one unintended consequence created for the residents who live on the southern cul-de-sac of Olive Avenue. The installation of the stop controls and crosswalks did not leave sufficient room for motorists to make a left hand turn from Olive Avenue onto Mayflower Avenues. Under these conditions, these motorists were struggling to make the stop appropriately and would often find themselves obstructing southbound traffic, creating unsafe conditions.

In reviewing the intersection, the engineering team recommended the removal of the southern crosswalk as it is used considerably less than the one on the northern end of the intersection. In addition, when school is in session, there is not a crossing guard provided for the southern intersection.

Last week, staff eliminated the southern crosswalk. Staff will perform additional work the week of December 21, including improvements to the southern stop sign to allow for full turn movements and improved visibility. Signage has been placed at the intersection directing pedestrians to the other crosswalks to ensure safe pedestrian crossings of Mayflower Avenue.

Annual Tree Trimming to Continue

West Coast Arborists (WCA) has been in town, conducting annual tree trimming activities. During this period, the activities have been focused in the area of the City between Mayflower Avenue and Myrtle Avenue from Foothill Boulevard to the South City Limit. Please be mindful of all parking restrictions, traffic control and construction signage in the work area as work is taking place.

City Council tentatively approves Agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to Retrofit Street Lights to LED

At their December 15 meeting, the City Council tentatively approved an agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to retrofit Edison-owned Streetlights to LED. SCE owns and maintains approximately 1,700 street lights throughout the City and has proposed to upgrade all of their existing high-pressure sodium lights to LED. LED bulbs use less energy and last significantly longer than the existing high pressure sodium bulbs. In addition, the LED light is a cleaner light that shines clearer with less glare, reducing light pollution along local streets.

Under the SCE Program, known as Option E, the City will enter into an agreement with SCE that funds the retrofit of the lights with an Energy Efficiency Premium Charge (EEPC) that would be added to the existing City street lighting bill. Being that the LEDs will utilize less energy, the reduced electricity costs would fund the EEPC and provide an estimated additional $14,000 per year in street lighting electrical cost savings.

At the December 15 meeting, the Council approved the agreement pending review of a sample of LED light fixtures to be installed along the 400 block of South Ivy Avenue, directly across from Monrovia City Hall. The streetlights along this block were retrofitted to LED in October using fixtures with a higher brightness than is the standard for streetlights in residential neighborhoods. Replacements fixture with the correct brightness will be installed during the first week of January. If you have any questions or concerns about this proposed project, please contact Chris Castruita at (626) 256-8224 or ccastruita@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

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.

How to Report Bulky Items:

Raffle tickets will be pulled each Thursday and the winners will be notified by Public Works Staff. The winner for this week’s drawing is… John King! Since June 4, we have received 2,625 reports for abandoned bulky items! Thank you for reporting these items!

Athens Services Holiday Scheduling & Decorations Recycling

Athens Services will observe the holidays on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1, 2021. If your regularly rescheduled trash day is Friday, please be advised that it will be scheduled for pickup on Saturday for these two weeks.

Christmas Tree recycling will be available from December 26, 2020, through January 16, 2021.

To recycle your Christmas Tree, be sure to:

  • Place your tree curbside on your regularly scheduled trash collection day.
  • Remove all ornaments, tinsel, plastic bags, nails, lights and plastic or metal stands need to be removed.

To properly dispose of your Christmas lights, you may place them in your trash bin. We ask for the light strings to be cut in half to prevent tangling. As a reminder, fluorescent light bulbs are prohibited from trash disposal.

COVID-19 At a Glance

Latest Facts & Figures

Residential / Non-Residential Settings in Monrovia

  • Caltrans Monrovia - 4 staff cases
  • Redell Pine - 2 staff cases
  • Miracle Works - 5 staff cases

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

Monrovia Renewal Construction Updates

Work is underway in the Northeast Section of the Monrovia Renewal project. This represents the final section of work for Monrovia Renewal, which is the largest public works project in City history! The Northeast project section includes the area of the City that is bound by the City limit to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the west, Greystone Avenue and Hillcrest Boulevard to the north, Colorado Boulevard and Royal Oaks to the south.

We appreciate your patience and support while we work to execute these improvements throughout our community! Should you have any questions, please call the Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or email monroviarenewal@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

For the week of December 21, work will include:

  • Concrete pouring and restoration on the following streets:
    • Streets North of Foothill: Encinitas Avenue, Ivy Avenue, and Canyon Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and Greystone Avenue

Please note that no work will take place on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 for the Christmas Holiday. During this period, no construction related parking restrictions will be enforced.

For the week of December 28, work will include:

  • Concrete pouring and restoration on the following streets:
    • Streets North of Foothill: Encinitas Avenue, Ivy Avenue, and Canyon Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and Greystone Avenue

Please note that City of Monrovia staff will be off for this week, however, construction will be taking place this week with the exception of Thursday, December 30 and Friday, December 31, where no work will take place to observe the New Year’s Holiday. During this period, no construction related parking restrictions will be enforced.

We appreciate your patience and support while we work to execute these improvements throughout the community! If you have any questions regarding Monrovia Renewal, please feel free to contact Public Works at (626) 932-5575 or monroviarenewal@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

Monrovia Strong

The Monrovia Strong webpage was created to share with the community different resources to help you and your family get through these challenging times.

Visit Monrovia Strongto explore the many activities and resources. We're in this together, Monrovia!

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 or Building Monrovia webpages.

Key Dates, Programs & Virtual Events

Job Opportunities with the City of Monrovia

  • Police Officer (Lateral)

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 318 service events, resulting in 68 investigations. View the Neighborhood Watch Report.

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

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