At a preview to her State of the City speech tonight Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz provided copies of her speech and, with City Manager Laurie Lile, answered questions. Here are some highlights in the speech:
- The city is facing the additional expense of a federal mandate to treat water from the city's stormdrains before it goes into the ocean. Lutz says the city will "play a part in keeping our beaches clean, our sushi fresh and California's tourism booming." She added (not in the speech) that this will cost the city an additional $1-2 million a year to comply.
- Since the state handed off many of its prisoners to the counties and local governments - resulting in "many misdemeanor offenders not having to serve their full sentences" - Lutz says, "I am sad to say that ... we have seen an increase in crime in the San Gabriel Valley." However, she said, gang violence is down 64 percent since 2008.
- Lutz says she is "as eager as all of you to announce an opening day to our Wilderness Preserve, but there are still many steps we need to take before that day comes." City Manager Laurie Lile added that two trailheads simply need gates, signs and "mutt mitts," and should be open within two months, one trailhead has an easement issue, which means it may be six months before it is open, and one trailhead has a more complex easement issue that could take about a year to resolve.
- The city has a balanced budget, but for the third year in a row it has been unable to add to its reserve, and that is "not acceptable." Lutz said PlanMonrovia, the city's strategic plan, will get people involved and emphasize those programs that have the biggest impact on the city.
- In 2013 the city will have a remodeled automall along the freeway, making Monrovia "the best place to buy a car in the region."
- The Monrovia station on the Gold Line is less than two years away. The Station Square project will attract people to town. "We will be a destination," Lutz will say.
- The city will unveil a new website this year, and has already added free wifi at all city facilities.
- Brad Haugaard
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