City Manager`s Weekly Report 12-11-2008

CITY OF MONTCLAIR
Montclair Civic Center
5111 Benito Street
Montclair, CA 91763
December 11, 2008
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Edward C. Starr, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT:
WEEKLY REPORT: December 5-11, 2008
CITY MANAGER’S DEPARTMENT
•
No items to report.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
•
I am pleased to note the City Council, for the second consecutive year,
has agreed to close the City's administrative offices on both Christmas
Eve (Wednesday, December 24, 2008) and New Year's Eve (Wednesday,
December 31, 2008), subject to the following stipulations:
1.
Ten of the 14 holiday hours authorized for each employee
affected by these holiday closures would be used to cover
time off for Christmas Eve
2.
The remaining 4 holiday hours, supplemented by 6 hours of
vacation leave from the vacation leave account of each
employee affected by these holiday closures would be used
to cover time off for New Year's Eve
The shutdown of administrative offices, including Public Works and
Human Services programs, on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve would
not apply to the following categories of employees—for these
employees, regular work schedules would be adhered to, subject to
City/departmental requirements:
1.
Police Dispatchers and Police Services Specialists scheduled
or required to work Christmas Eve and/or New Year's Eve
2.
Safety employees assigned to shift work
3.
Any employee required to work Christmas Eve or New Year's
Eve due to necessity, emergency, or otherwise mandated to
work by his/her department head with approval of the City
Manager or designee
As a general rule, all administrative office, Public Works/City Yard, and
Human Services personnel are required to participate in the closure of
offices for the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve holidays. Part-time
employees are also required to participate.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
•
Approximately one year ago, staff commenced a series of meetings and
communications with representatives from the Santa Ana regional office
of the United States Postal Service (USPS) regarding the assignment of a
Montclair mailing address and ZIP Code to properties that have been
annexed into the City over the past two years. Currently properties
located within the Montclair corporate boundary and the
unincorporated Sphere of Influence are served by five different ZIP
Codes, only one of which (91763) is assigned to the Montclair Post
Office. Many properties that have been annexed into Montclair recently
carry an "Ontario 91762" or "Chino 91710" mailing designation.
City staff has made similar requests to USPS over the past 30 years,
with mixed results; so it was no surprise when staff received
correspondence recently from USPS denying the City's request. The
denial was officially based on USPS regulations related to "efficient mail
processing" and "current ZIP Code assignments meet current mail
processing needs." However, USPS has offered to make a change in its
database so affected residents may use a "Montclair 91762" or
"Montclair 91710" designation in their mailing address. Staff has
communicated to USPS its appreciation of this compromise and feels it
is a positive step toward improving community identity for residents in
the annexed areas.
•
Several hundred people attended last Thursday's annual Tree Lighting
Ceremony and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, including Mayor Pro Tem
John Dutrey and Council Member Bill Ruh.
Special thanks go to Public Works Department employees for setting up,
staffing, and tearing down the entire winter wonderland
and Santa sleigh/photo area; and IT Division staff for setting up and
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printing our digital photos. Recognition also goes to the following for
their assistance with this event:
Montclair Community Action
Committee, Montclair Fire Department, Montclair Police Department,
Montclair-Ontario Junior Women's Club, Human Services Division staff,
and volunteers.
Photos are featured on pages 7-8.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
•
This past Tuesday afternoon, Station No. 1 Fire units responded to a
report of an unusual odor in the area of 5000 Montclair Plaza Lane. Fire
Chief Troy Ament, Division Chiefs Layne Shiba and Steve Jackson,
Administrative Officer Mike Donley, and Medic Engine 152 also
responded to the incident. Upon arrival, Fire personnel found Macy's
employees and shoppers in the process of evacuating. While Fire
personnel assisted with the evacuation, they determined an unusual
odor was coming from the lower level of the store, causing eye and
throat irritation and difficulty breathing to those near the release of an
unknown airborne chemical. Six ambulances were requested, and a
multi-casualty incident was declared. Of the 20 patients treated at the
scene, only two were taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Once the department store was completely evacuated and secured, the
HVAC system was set to exhaust to the exterior. Haz Mat Specialists
entered the store to sample the air, utilizing a CGI air-sampling monitor
and a radiation detector. After checking the entire store, it was
determined that the irritant had dissipated and the store reopened. The
cause of the odor and exact location of the release are undetermined.
•
In June 2008, the City Council approved a Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) grant for the purchase of AirMATION
vehicle exhaust removal systems for the truck decks at both Fire
Stations. The systems were installed during the week of November 10
by Air Technology Solutions, Inc.
On December 5, AirMATION became fully operational when diesel
exhaust removal system transmitters were installed on the Fire Engines
and Medic Squad. The system is operated by the ignition switch on all
diesel engine-powered equipment, or by manual operation. When units
leave the stations or return from a call, AirMATION automatically turns
on and begins treating and cleaning the fumes and contamination in
the truck-deck area.
AirMATION pulls and directs diesel soot, fumes, and gases through a
highly effective filtration system. The clean, purified air is then
circulated from the unit back into the station. The system removes and
controls lung-damaging contaminants found in hazardous-vehicle
emissions.
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This type of exhaust-removal system was chosen not only for its health
benefits,
but
also
because
there
are
no
tailpipe
connections/disconnections or unsightly hanging hoses, and no
building or vehicle modifications were required.
•
POLICE DEPARTMENT
•
Fire Chief Troy Ament and Division Chief Steve Jackson attended the
League of California Cities 2008 Fire Chiefs Leadership Seminar from
December 3-5 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The seminar
focused on the following subjects: command presence; legal update,
including critical aspects of the Firefighters Bill of Rights; building and
maintaining key relationships with local leadership; rescuing local
budgets; and workers' compensation. News from the state was also
presented that included lessons learned from the 2008 fire season and
what to expect for fire response and disaster recovery in 2009.
No items to report.
PUBLIC WORKS/REDEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
•
Rockin' Baja Coastal Cantina held a private grand opening VIP
celebration yesterday prior to its official grand opening on Saturday,
December 13. The colorful restaurant is designed with a surf-shack
theme and beach-inspired décor where guests can enjoy Mexican-style
seafood and a cantina atmosphere. Franchise owner Rose Cootauco
completely gutted and remodeled the interior with new décor and a
large, commercial kitchen. A popular mural artist from the San Diego
area created scenic beach-inspired murals inside. Approximately 90
employees were hired and trained to work the restaurant.
Despite opening the new restaurant in a slowing economy, General
Manager Cindy Peele is optimistic the new restaurant will become a
popular destination among locals. Ms. Peele said Montclair was chosen
as a restaurant site because of its prime location near Montclair Plaza
and other popular restaurants, and its close proximity to the heavily
traveled Interstate 10.
The Montclair location is the first in San Bernardino County—there are
five Rockin' Baja restaurants in Southern California, primarily in the
San Diego area and Newport Beach, with additional franchises in the
works.
Rockin' Baja is located at 9335 Monte Vista Avenue, near Chili's Grill
and Bar, Red Lobster, and Black Angus.
•
Canning Hunger, the nonprofit, charitable organization that provides
free meals to the needy, will return next week to paint addresses on
residential street curbs throughout the City. It should take six to eight
weeks to cover the entire City.
4
Although this service is provided at no cost to residents, a taxdeductible donation is requested to support the program. Residents
are under no obligation to contribute, however.
Since its inception 15 years ago, Canning Hunger has provided over
100 million meals to needy families, largely funded through the curbpainting program.
•
The City of Montclair has once again been named a
"Tree City USA" for its commitment to an effective, ongoing community
forestry program marked by renewal and improvement. Tree City USA
is sponsored in cooperation with the National Association of State
Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. The City has received this award
for the past 11 years.
Montclair is proud to receive this recognition. Trees are a vital
component of the infrastructure, providing environmental and
economical benefits. Trees in urban areas reduce the heat effect
caused by pavement and buildings. Properly placed trees can increase
property values, and tree leaves filter the air we breathe by removing
dust and other particles.
LCM:SPA
"The best of all gifts around any
Christmas tree: the presence of a
happy family all wrapped up in each
other."
~ Burton Hillis
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December
15
Code Enforcement Committee Meeting - Canceled
15
City Council Meeting
Council Chambers
7:00 p.m.
16
City Manager's Staff Meeting
City Hall Conference Room
9:00 a.m.
18
Public Works Committee Meeting - Canceled
City Hall Conference Room
2:00 p.m.
24
Christmas Eve ~ City Hall Closed
25
Christmas Day ~ City Hall Closed
6
Human Services Division and Fire Department employees, with a barely visible Santa and Mrs. Claus
CAC Member Pat Wooton and Council Member Bill Ruh
7
Maintenance Worker Tommy Sierra, Mrs. Claus (Benefits Coordinator Leslie Phillips), Santa Claus, and
Maintenance Worker Ruben Gutierrez
8
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