City of Monrovia

PROCLAIMING APRIL 29- MAY 5, 2012 AS MUNICIPAL CLERK WEEK

MONROVIA, CA- The International Institute of Municipal Clerks has proclaimed the week of April 19- May 5, 2012 to be 43rd annual Municipal Clerk's Week. This week features a weeklong series of nationwide activities aimed at increasing the public's awareness of Municipal Clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community. In honor of Municipal Clerk's Week, Monrovia City Clerk Alice Atkins will be recognized at the Monrovia City Council meeting on May 1, 2012.

Monrovia's City Clerk is just one of seven elected officials who serve the community every day. Her role is to encourage the public to participate in the democratic process and help ensure that government remains transparent and accessible.
Alice Atkins has worked in the City Clerk's Office since 2001, and has served as City Clerk since October 2009. "It started as a job, and very quickly became a career I love. When all else fails and people don't know where to go for help, they seem to call the City Clerk. It's a perfect fit for someone who loves helping people - and if I don't know the answer, I love the challenge of finding it for them," said City Clerk Akins.

One of local government's oldest positions is the Municipal Clerk. Their duties have expanded over the years and, today, modern technology assists them with their increasing responsibilities. Last week, Sacramento City Manager addressed a meeting of the City Clerks Association of California (CCAC) saying "You are in the information business," he said, "and need to maximize the use of technology." Clerk Atkins has done just that by placing an interactive presentation tool on the City's website to help provide information on just what the Monrovia Office of the City Clerk does.

Municipal and Deputy Clerks' main function is to serve as the council's foundation. Other duties include, but are not limited to, preparing agendas, taking minutes, maintaining ordinance and resolutions files, keeping the municipality's historical records, processing permits and serving as the clearinghouse for information about the local government. They also record the actions of the various commissions and committees appointed by the council. Another important responsibility is administering part or all of the local election functions.

During this week, Municipal Clerks throughout the world will host open houses and tours of the Municipal Clerk's office, visit local schools and participate in other various events. We encourage residents to stop by City Hall or visit our website to see all of the services the Office of the City Clerk has to offer, www.cityofmonrovia.org.

CITY OF MONROVIA APPOINTS A NEW CITY MANAGER

MONROVIA- The City of Monrovia is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurie K. Lile as their new City Manager. Ms. Lile was selected after an exhaustive and highly competitive selection process.

Laurie comes to Monrovia from the City of Palmdale where she was employed for the past 24 years. She was first hired in Palmdale in 1988 as a Principal Planner. Over the next ten years she progressed through the ranks and was appointed to Assistant Planner, and later to an Associate Planner. In 1998 she was appointed Director of Planning. She served in this role until she was appointed Assistant City Manager in 2006, the position she currently occupies in Palmdale.

Mayor Mary Ann Lutz said, "We interviewed some very qualified individuals during this process, and I feel extremely confident that we have chosen the best candidate." Lutz also said, "I look forward to working closely with Laurie on realizing all of Monrovia's goals and objectives as we move forward." Mayor Pro Tem Joe Garcia expressed, "Laurie has moved through the ranks in Palmdale, and we feel she possesses the right skills to lead our City for a long time."

Lile obtained her Bachelor's of Science degree from UC Davis and an MBA from Pepperdine University in 2010.

Councilman Tom Adams said, "We're excited to have Laurie leading our City and our staff into the future." Councilmember Becky Shevlin said, "Laurie was the unanimous choice for our Council and we are pleased to have her join our team."  Councilman Larry Spicer said, "Laurie will bring a nice balance and good leadership to our City."

Ms. Lile will be replacing former City Manager Scott Ochoa who resigned in December to become the City Manager in Glendale. Administrative Services Director Mark Alvarado has been serving as the Interim City Manager.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 OLDER AMERICAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

MONROVIA- The City of Monrovia Department of Community Services is accepting nominations for the 2012 Older American of the Year Award. This award is presented to a Monrovian 60 years of age or older, working or retired, who is still actively involved in volunteer service in Monrovia.

The purpose of this award is to seek out, honor and encourage older persons to remain active volunteers in the community. Click here to download a nomination form of pick on up at the Monrovia Community Center or by email request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  The award winner will be recognized at the Thursday, April 19 Senior Spring Recognition Luncheon and at the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging Celebration in May.

For additional information, please contact the Department of Community Services at (626) 256-8246.

SHOOTING AT CYPRESS AND CALIFORNIA AVENUES, NO INJURIES REPORTED

MONROVIA- On Sunday, March 4, 2012, at approximately 9:00 pm, Monrovia Police Officers responded to the area of California and Cypress regarding a shooting investigation.

The investigation revealed a male adult victim was backing his vehicle from a residential driveway with his three year old son in the back seat. A gray sedan occupied by at least three male Hispanics suddenly pulled up and stopped in the roadway. The right front passenger of the gray sedan exited the vehicle and fired approximately six shots striking the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle.  The “shooter” returned to the gray sedan and the vehicle fled from the area at a high rate of speed. The “shooter” is described as a male Hispanic wearing a blue baseball cap. No one was injured during this incident.

The investigation is continuing.

MONROVIA FOUNTAIN TO THE FALLS 7MILE RUN/WALK IS SET, REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 1

MONROVIA- The City of Monrovia Fountain to the Falls 7mile Run/Walk is set for May 19, 2012.  This is a seven mile run/walk event on a round-trip course beginning in Monrovia's Old Town at the fountain in Library Park up to the waterfall in Canyon Park and back down.  This is the second annual Fountain to the Falls race and is held in conjunction with Monrovia Day.

The Fountain to the Falls trail began as an Eagle Scout project by Monrovia resident Jeffrey Ramos, who met with City staff back in 2010 to talk about ways to stay active and healthy.  The product became the Fountain to the Falls 7mile run/walk which last year brought out 350 people.

The race course is moderately challenging and features over 1,000ft elevation climb on the way up to the waterfall. The race course starts at the Library and heads north on Myrtle Avenue to Hillcrest, east to Canyon Boulevard, north to the entrance of Canyon Park and from there, racers will access the trail that leads to the falls.  Racers should be aware that once inside Canyon Park they will be running on dirt trails up to the falls.

Registration is available at Active.com (www.active.com) from March 1 - May 17, 2012.  The fee to enter the race is $30 per person and includes a t-shirt.  Awards will be given for top three finishers in each age category.  Maximum race participation is 400, so racers should sign up early.  Registration is accepted online only and no event day registration will be accepted.

Contact Lisa Hansberger at (626) 256-8230 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

MONROVIA FIRE DEPARTMENT PROMOTES FOUR FROM WITHIN

MONROVIA-  The Monrovia Fire Department is pleased to announce the promotions of four members of its current personnel. The recent promotions were awarded to Ryan Phillips, Jeremy Sanchez, Dave Phillips and Harvey Hewitt, who combined have over 40 years of fire fighting experience.

Division Chief Ryan Phillips - With over 18 years of service, Ryan Phillips, a Monrovian resident, assumed the duties as the "A shift" commander on the morning of February 16.  "Chief Phillips' ability to effectively manage emergency operations is exceptional," said Fire Chief Chris Donovan, who went on to highlight Phillips' long tradition of professionalism and dedication to Monrovia.  The Chief's faith in Phillips was quickly confirmed; by 2 p.m. of his first shift as Division Chief, Phillips' crew had already responded to four emergency incidents, and established incident command at both a vegetation and a structure fire. Under his new title, Chief Phillips will oversee the department's Administration and Disaster Preparedness operations.

Fire Captain Jeremy Sanchez - Chief Phillips promotion created a vacancy at the Fire Captain position. Monrovia Fire Department filled this by promoting Jeremy Sanchez. Captain Sanchez has over eight years experience in fire service. He has served as a Paramedic with the last three years as a Fire Engineer at Monrovia Fire. "Captain Sanchez has natural leadership abilities in addition to exceptional emergency operations and administrative skills," said Fire Chief Chris Donovan. "This is a critically important position within our department, and Jeremy is certainly capable of performing his responsibilities."  Captain Sanchez has recently been placed in charge of the department's apparatus. This includes being responsible for studying future needs for repair and replacement of the department's fleet and maintaining the department's overall operational readiness.

Fire Engineer Harvey Hewitt - Jeremy Sanchez' promotion to Fire Captain created a vacancy in the Fire Engineer rank, which is being filled with the promotion of Harvey Hewitt. Fire Engineer Hewitt has four years of experience with Monrovia as a Firefighter/Paramedic in addition to five years experience with the Monterey Park Fire Department. In addition to his new duties as an engineer, Fire Engineer Hewitt will continue to evaluate requirements and training mandates for the department's cadet program.

Fire Engineer Dave Phillips - Dave Phillips was promoted to Fire Engineer in September 2011 to fill the vacancy left by Fire Engineer Rob Vita's retirement.  Prior to this position Dave had served as a Firefighter/Paramedic for five years. During his service with Monrovia Fire, he has been instrumental in the brush abatement program, as well as many other programs involving training and development, including the successful Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program.

Monrovia Police Department's Community Policing Program Recognized As Finalist for 2012 James Q. Wilson Award

MONROVIA-  The James Q. Wilson Award for Excellence in Community Policing is presented by the Regional Community Policing Institute - California, and sponsored by the American Military University and the Office of the Attorney General - State of California. The purpose of this award is to recognize California law enforcement agencies that have successfully institutionalized the Community Policing philosophy. One agency each year is chosen as the recipient of the award and two others receive recognition as finalists.  Judging is based on the topics of problem solving, partnership with the community, partnership with public and private organizations/agencies, institutionalization of the community policing philosophy, and results.

The Monrovia Police Department is proud to have been chosen as a 2012 James Q. Wilson Award finalist in recognition of our Community Policing Program.  In 1991, the Monrovia Police Department embraced a new concept for providing police service to our community. The implementation of Community Activist Policing (CAP) became not only a strategy for providing police service, but a philosophical shift in the police department's approach to defining service. Police officers became community "activists" to affect change and solve long-term problems, utilizing any resource available in the community.

Over the past 20 years, the Monrovia Police Department has continued to improve Community Activist Policing in the community by introducing innovative programs such as Chaplains for At-Risk Youth (CARY), Monrovia Anti-Gang Intervention Committee (MAGIC), Duarte and Monrovia Anti-Gang Enforcement (DAMAGE), and the Formative Years Program.  These innovative and collaborative programs and our involvement with the Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) have been extremely effective in changing the lives of many Monrovian's, and are a true example of the Monrovia Police Department's dedication to Community Activist Policing.

MONROVIA - Due to the large volume of requests for free mulch and the number of residents who attended the recent mulch distribution events in Monrovia, the City has decided to continue to offer windstorm generated mulch through February. "We had such a great turn out at the free mulch events that we have decided to continue, in order to keep this natural resource out of local area landfills" said Ron Bow, Director of Public Works.

Residents are encouraged to bring a shovel, containers for transport, gloves and safety glasses or goggles in order to pick-up mulch. Mulch will be delivered weekly and will be available on a first come, first serve basis at Recreation Park located at 600 S. Shamrock Avenue on Saturdays, February 11, 18 and 25, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents can scoop up and haul away as much mulch as they need while supplies last.  For more information about FREE mulch available, please contact the City of Monrovia's Public Works Department at (626) 932-5575.