New Parcel Tax, Utility Tax and More on Agenda

The Sierra Madre City Council will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. in , 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Public attendees and comments are welcome. The meeting will be broadcast live on channel 3 and here on the internet.

The agenda can be downloaded here, and items of note are below.

1) Proposed Parcel Tax for Stonegate Neighborhood (intersection of Carter and Baldwin Aves.)

The City Council will discuss a resolution that would create a Community Facilities District out of lots in the Stonegate neighborhood. Landowners in the CFD could be asked to vote on and pay a parcel tax that would fund maintenance of their newly built and modified storm drains.

More info here:

2) The Utility Users Tax Increase Extension

The Council will review materials that would allow them to place the UUT increase extension and an attached advisory measure before voters in April. The UUT is currently 10% with a baseline of 6%. Under current law the Council has the authority to raise the UUT as high as 12% until June 2014, when it would then automatically fall 2% every two years until it reaches its base of 6%. The Council would like to extend the UUT to secure funding for public safety programs, but needs public approval first.

More info here:

3) Filling a Vacant City Council Seat

Former City Councilmember Joe Mosca resigned last month; his last council meeting was November 8. The City Council is now tasked with finding a replacement. They can either appoint a new person themselves, or open the decision up to the public during April 2012 elections. At the last City Council meeting, members of the public urged the Council to leave the decision up to voters.

More info here:

4) Amending the City's Contract With the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees' Retirement System

The Council will hear a reading of an ordinance that would amend the city's agreement regarding their public employee retirement system. The Council has already agreed to increase the Survivor Benefit from Level II to Level IV. This benefit provides coverage for eligible survivors of public employees who die before retirement. City Staff recommends that the benefit be extended to unrepresented employees, too: management, confidential-exempt and part-time.

Under Level II, one survivor would receive $225 per month. Under Level IV, one survivor would receive $950 per month.

The Level II plan does not cost the city anything, while the employee pays into the plan bi-weekly at a rate of $.93 or $1.80 per month. The Level IV plan would cost the city $5.40 per month per employee, but varies by year.

Records say the City would not have any costs for the first year of the newly-amended program because it has already been participating in the program.