The City Council last night approved urgency ordinances establishing separation requirements on massage establishments and making several revisions to the city's codes governing massage services.

The four-ordinance package includes two ordinances that will take effect immediately, increasing the separation standards for massage establishments subject to the City's conditional use permit procedure and making other procedural changes. Two other ordinances in the package are identical in scope but will, if approved on second reading at the next City Council meeting, take effect 30 days after approval.

Council members heard more than an hour of testimony concerning the ordinance from massage therapists and business owners. While thanking the business owners and therapists who came out to testify, the Council ultimately concluded that additional standards were required to protect the public health and safety in a city that has an unusually high concentration of massage establishments. To see a copy of the ordinances, click on the links below:

• Urgency Ordinance No. 631
• Urgency Ordinance No. 633

In other business, the Council:

• Approved construction contracts for the next phase of Del Mar Avenue rehabilitation.
• Approved the award of construction for streets in the 2016 CDBG street construction project.
• Accepted a grant for Vincent Lugo Park improvements.
• Approved a new joint use agreement program with the San Gabriel Unified School District for shared use of certain school and park facilities.
• Approved a historic designation and Mills Act (historic preservation) contract for property at 400 E. Hermosa Drive.

On Saturday, Apr. 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the San Gabriel Police Department will again collaborate with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and give the public an opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your pills for disposal to the San Gabriel Police Department at 625 South Del Mar Avenue. 

The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

The Community Development Division of the Community Development Commission (CDC) will hold six (6) Community Meetings throughout the Urban County in April 2017 to solicit input from the public by completing a Resident Survey, the results of which will be included in the 2017 Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), the 2018-2023 Consolidated Plan, and the 2018 Public Housing Agency Plan, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The survey will also serve to assess community and economic needs, as well as obstacles to fair housing, of County residents. Once collected and anlyzed, CDC staff will share the identified needs with the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

The CDC invites all residents from communities located in the unincorporated County, as well as those from the participating cities, to attend the meeting and complete the survey. Please review the attached schedule to identify the location nearest you. If you cannot attend a meeting, but would still like to participate, the survey can be accessed via the CDC website, www.lacdc.org/annualactionplan.

Click here to view the meeting flyer.

Mark your calendar! Cougar Adventure Camp is back and registration begins Monday, May 8 at the Community Recreation Center. Day camp will be held at Coolidge Elementary School this summer. Camp will be open June 5 thru August 18, with the standard day being 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are extended hours and half day options available. 

Summer day camp features a variety of fun summer activities for youth entering 1st grade thru 8th grade. Don't miss the weekly excursion to a location that matches the theme of the week.

Session fee includes arts & crafts, games, educational activities, tournaments, snacks, weekly excursions and a camp t-shirt.

Registration is available at the Community Recreation Center, 250 S. Mission Drive, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours on Tuesday until 6:00 p.m.

For more information on Summer Day Camp, please contact Recreation Supervisor, James Lara at 308.2875 or email [email protected].

Infestation of an exotic insect known as Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and a bacterial disease called huanglongbing (HLB) have been detected in host plants in the city of San Gabriel. Direct injury caused by ACP results from the withdrawal of large amounts of sap from the plant as they feed and produce copious amounts of honeydew. The honeydew coats the leaves of the tree, encouraging sooty mold to grow. However, the most serious damage caused by the ACP is its ability to transmit the huanglongbing disease to citrus trees. The HLB disease is fatal to citrus trees. Establishment of ACP and HLB in California will negatively impact all of California's citrus industry and all backyard citrus trees through death of the diseased trees.

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Apr. 19 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the San Gabriel Library, Multi-Purpose Room, 500 S Del Mar Avenue. The CDFA and cooperating agencies will be present to answer any questions regarding the program for interested citizens in the treatment area.

For more information, click on the link below.

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Denim Day is a worldwide educational campaign to bring awareness to sexual violence. The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.

Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.

In honor of Denim Day, join us in our continued support of this campaign. Employees are welcome to wear denim outfits and Denim Day buttons to stand together against sexual violence.

For more information, visit http://denimdayusa.org.

Before summer arrives, community leaders and elected officials will gain an upper hand against the Zika threat and the mosquitoes that can transmit the virus.

Vector control districts and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) will host a Keep Zika Out! workshop for community leaders on April 20, 2017 in the city of South El Monte.

While cities and organizations prepare for a public health emergency, public health officials urge residents to take preventative action now. The following safety precautions are recommended to all residents to reduce disease risk and prevent mosquitoes from ruining outdoor activities.

• Take 10 minutes, once a week, to Tip and Toss standing water out of all containers around the property.
• If spending time outdoors, residents should use insect repellent containing the following EPA-registered active ingredients: DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD), Picaridin, or IR3535. Always apply according to label instructions.
• Traveling soon? Avoid mosquito bites and be vigilant about mosquito bites for several weeks after returning home. Travelers should bring home souvenirs and photos, not Zika virus. Travelers can learn more by visiting CDC's website: https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/plan-for-travel.html.
• Make sure windows, doors and rain barrels have tight-fitting screens to keep mosquitos out. Replace or repair screens that have tears or holes.
• Contact your local vector control district if there is a signficant mosquito problem or potential mosquito breeding source where you live or work.

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Longtime San Gabriel City Attorney Robert L. Kress announced his retirement yesterday afternoon after serving nearly 28 years as the City's chief legal counsel. He will conclude his service on September 1.

The City's monthly financial report, which includes a revenue and expenditure summary as well as a trial balance for the month ending February 28, 2017 are now available online.

Capital and Special Projects: All one time and multi-year expenditures are budgeted in the Capital and Special Projects Fund. The February Expenditure Summary includes items approved with the 2016-17 Annual Budget and also includes budget adjustments that result due to prior fiscal year unexpended Capital and Special Project budgets.

Budgeted transfers for Retirement Fund, State Gas Tax Fund, and Mission Playhouse Facility Fund: An annual transfer is made at the end of each fiscal year from the Retirement Fund to both the General Fund and the Mission Playhouse Fund to reimburse these funds for active employee costs and to the Self-Insurance Fund to reimburse that fund to cover retired employee costs. As a result, there are no actual expenditures in the Retirement Fund. In addition to these transfers there is also a transfer from the General Fund to the Mission Playhouse Facility Fund to provide for an anticipated operating subsidy of $599,584. Historically, there has also been an annual transfer made at the end of the fiscal year totaling $600,000 from the State Gas Tax Fund to the General Fund to support street maintenance related expenditures, however this year that will not be the case as the $600,000 will be spent on the Great Streets program.

For more information, contact Finance Director Tom Marston at 308.2812, Ext. 4610 or [email protected].

  View the Report

On Saturday, Apr. 22 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., the American Chinese Dance Association (pictured above left) presents the American Chinese Dance Festival. Experience the beauty of Chinese classical and folk dance at this annual performance. 

The following day, Sunday, Apr. 23 at 2:00 p.m., Esperanza Flores Ballet Folklorico (pictured above right) presents Fiesta Internacional 2017. Featuring dances from Spain, India, Afro-Caribbean, and Columbian cultures, the troupe dedicates the second half of their performance to Mexico with live Mariachi!

Click below for more information about both events.

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STUDY SESSIONS

• Tues., May 2 - 5:30-7:15 p.m., First Budget Study Session - Draft Operating & CIP Feedback Forum, City Hall, Conference Room A.

REGULAR MEETINGS

• Tues., May 2 - 7:30 p.m., City Council Meeting, City Hall, Council Chambers
• Tues., May 16 - 7:30 p.m., City Council Meeting, City Hall, Council Chambers

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All meetings are held at City Hall in the Council Chambers.

• Thurs., Apr. 20 - 6:30 p.m., Design Review Commission
• Mon., May 1 - 7:00 p.m., Community Services Commission
• Mon., May 8 - 6:30 p.m., Planning Commission

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Here is a list of events coming up in the San Gabriel community:

• Thursday, Apr. 20, 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: San Gabriel Library, "Computer Basics," San Gabriel Library, 500 S Del Mar Avenue.
• Friday, Apr. 21, 3:30-4:30 p.m.: San Gabriel Library, "Teen Advisory Board," San Gabriel Library, 500 S Del Mar Avenue.
• Tues., Apr. 25, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: San Gabriel Library, "Parent-Child Workshop," San Gabriel Library, 500 S Del Mar Avenue.
•  Saturday, Apr. 29, 6:00 p.m.: San Gabriel Education Foundation, "Sefapalooza!," San Gabriel Hilton, 225 W Valley Blvd. 
• Thursday, May 25, 5:00-8:30 p.m.: Build the Dreams Scholarship, "Build the Dreams Scholarship Fundraiser," San Gabriel Mission, Historical Garden, 428 S Mission Drive.

More Events

The city is recruiting for the following positions:

• Assistant City Clerk - Closes on Friday, April 21
• Building Inspector - Open Until Filled
• Plan Check Engineer - Open Until Filled
• Auto Mechanic Intern - Continuous
• Administrative Assistant I - Continuous
• Firefighter/Paramedic - Continuous
• Mission Playhouse Stage Crew - Continuous
• Mission Playhouse Usher - Continuous
• Lifeguard/Swim Instructor - Continuous
• Police Assistant - Continuous
• Police Cadet - Continuous
• Police Dispatcher Clerk - Continuous
• Police Officer (Entry Level Recruit) - Continuous
• Police Officer (Lateral/Academy Graduate) - Continuous
• Recreation Leader - Continuous

Apply Now

City Beat is a weekly digital publication of the City of San Gabriel, published by the Administration Department. For questions or concerns, email Steve preston, city manager, at [email protected]; or Melanie Benson, executive assistant to the city manager, at [email protected]. You can call us at 626.308.2803.