CITY NEWS

Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 2013

Stormwater treatment proves to be costly endeavor

he proper treatment of stormwater, according to new regional requirements, is coming at a high cost to the city of Claremont and other local cities. Claremont officials estimate more than $400,000 will be needed to comply with a new set of stringent guidelines put into place by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality board. And thats only for starters.
The Claremont City Council Tuesday unanimously approved moving forward with plans to adhere to the water quality boards new rulesnot because of agreement with the stricter standards, but because they believed there was no other choice. We either pay the fines and fees [imposed by the water quality board] or we pay the consultants, said Councilmember Sam Pedroza. The newly adopted Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4) further regulates the treatment of stormwater runoff that recedes into the waters of the San Gabriel Valley Watershed, providing for water conservation among many other benefits. In order to comply with the new unfunded mandates, cities must compile a report detailing their plans to comply with these stricter rules. Among many concerns, local officials have voiced frustration that all cities are being held to the same strict standards, regardless of their position along the watershed. Claremontmuch more upstream, resulting in fewer pollutantsmust comply in the same way as the beach cities, where most of the pollutants are found. Acting City Engineer Loretta Mustafa emphasized the financial burden that results. She also noted the financial demands of the preliminary consultant work to put the water quality boards guidelines into place. A consultant was needed to advise as to which water management plan the city should adopt, yet more consultants are needed to draft the dif-

ferent water management plansboth for the San Gabriel Valley Watershed as well as the Santa Ana River Watershedand a part-time consultant will be needed to manage all the plans. These consultant fees plus preliminary tasks associated with water management for 2013-2014 is estimated at almost $500,000. To combat the financial impact, the Claremont City Council CITY has directed staff to join COUNCIL forces with the cities of La Verne, Pomona and San Dimas to prepare a group water management plan. It is hoped this joint venture will help save money for all cities involved. While council members recognized that seeking out grants and other financial help might be worth exploring in the future, they momentarily conceded to the water boards feesdirecting staff to draft a notice of the citys intent to complyin order to avoid yet more costs. Despite the financial burdens, closer examination of the citys runoff could provide the opportunity for potential environmental gains, noted Councilmember Joe Lyons. We should turn this challenging opportunity into creative solutions, Mr. Lyons said. Especially with regards to water and our location, it does offer us opportunities to come up with some out-of-the-box thinking that might serve our long term sustainability needs. Discussion on litigation continues The Claremont City Council discussed ongoing litigation between the city and longtime Village eatery Pizza N Such in closed session prior to the councils regularly-scheduled meeting. Mike and Sue Verbal, owners of Pizza N Such, recently filed a complaint against the city of Claremont alleging city officials violated an agreement made in regard to more than $150,000 of in-lieu parking fees paid by the Verbals to the city. The Verbals believe the city misused the money, which they believed was intended to pay for development of parking for use by customers dining at their restaurant in the Village. Mr. Verbal says he later learned his money was used for the 4-story parking structure

just west of the Packing House on First Street in Village West. City officials, denying any wrongdoing in the case, remain tight-lipped over the lawsuit: We have given our lawyer direction, Mayor Opanyi Nasiali stated on behalf of the council after returning from closed session. No other comments were presented from the council, the citys attorney or members of the audience. Club islands still under review City officials postponed further review of the Claremont Club neighborhood hardscape, despite an expected city council discussion on Tuesday night.

The city council is being tasked with the final decision on whether or not to leave several Club islands on Davenport, Elmhurst and Stanislaus Circle intact. City Manager Tony Ramos announced the postponement, stating information received from a law firm prior to the council meeting required further review. It is unknown when the item will be back on the councils agenda. Im not sure how long its going to take to get the information that I need in order to validate what [the lawyers] are suggesting, Mr. Ramos said.
Beth Hartnett news@claremont-courier.com

Sideshow ignites in the battle with Golden State

he battle between Claremont and Golden State Water has trickled into unchartered territory as Claremont City Manager Tony Ramos and Rodney Smith, president of Stratecon Inc., campaign to discredit one another through ongoing correspondence.
It started on May 20 in a letter to Mr. Ramos where Mr. Smith, the author of an economic study that WATER sought to outline costs ISSUES associated with the citys proposed purchase of the water company, requested that Mr. Ramos retract statements made in his April 25 mailer to residents. In the April 25 mailer, Mr. Ramos challenged the objectivity of Mr. Smiths study, noting that the economic study was commissioned and paid for by Golden State, and thus it says exactly what the forprofit company wants it to say. Mr. Smith took offense to the suggestion and in a letter to Mr. Ramos asserted there was no basis for your statement attacking the credibility of my work. Mr. Smith went on to write, Your statement claiming the study was controlled by Golden State provides a troubling insight into your own value system. The city, undoubtedly, has invested taxpayer dollars for consultants to provide reports on many different issues. Does the city really tell its consultants that their reports must say exactly what the city wants it to say? If so, that would be unethical. He gave a May 24 deadline for the city to respond to his request for retraction of what Mr. Smith deemed as an irresponsible and inflammatory statement. On behalf of the city of Claremont, Kendall H. MacVey of Best, Best & Krieger, the citys law firm, responded in writing to Mr. Smith on May 24. The April 25 letter simply notes what you have acknowledged, Mr. MacVey wrote, that the report provided to the public by Golden State Water Company was a report paid for by Golden State Water Company. The letter does not accuse you of unethical behavior. Mr. MacVey references an op-ed pieceauthored by Mr. Smith and published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletinwhere Mr. Smith emphasizes what he sought to prove in his economic study: A city takeover of the water company will have negative consequences for residents for generations to come. The city stands by Mr. Ramos assessment, Mr. MacVey said, and does not feel that his remarks warrant a retraction. Mr. MacVey also notes that Mr. Smith seems to be acting as an advocate for one side of the public discussion. The volley continued on June 10 with the submittal of another letter from Mr. Smith, which proclaims that Mr. MacVeys meager attempts to change the subject are not at all satisfactory. His response is nonsense. The letter includes a public records request asking for all written work product of any and all city consultants you reviewed in reaching your conclusion that Stratecons study says exactly what the for-profit company wants it to say. A total of 6 requests for documents are listed, each relating to meetings, correspondence, emails and letters, which might support Mr. Ramos suggestion that the study says exactly what the forprofit company wants it to say. Mr. Smith says he intends to take all necessary steps to protect his reputation. Stratecon will pursue a resolution to its satisfaction, either by a written formal retraction by the city or by the legal mechanisms available to hold officials accountable for their actions, Mr. Smith said. As far as the public records request, Mr. Ramos says the city will respond appropriately and under the guidelines of the law. Kathryn Dunn
editor@claremont-courier.com

Final plans being made for citys Fourth of July celebration

The 2013 Independence Day Committee invites all Claremont residents to enter the annual House Decorating Contest. Decorations must be outdoors and visible from the street. Judging will take place on June 23 and will be based on spirit, appearance, and creativity. The Grand Prize Winner will receive recognition at the pre-parade reception, a special place in the parade, fireworks tickets and an American Flag that flew over the Capitol. Entry forms are available at www.Claremont4th.org. The Fourth of July Celebration is a time-honored tradition in the city of Claremont. The celebration consists of a 5K run, pancake breakfast, flag raising, festival area with games, a parade and a Fireworks Sky Show. Four time slots remain open between 1:20 and 2:20 p.m. for the T. Willard Hunter Speakers Corner. Speakers are limited to 8 minutes of oration on any topic of interest. No foul language, no nudity and no promotion of commercial goods or services is allowed. To sign up, email Karen Rosenthal at karen.kmr@verizon.net.