Minutes of the February 23, 2004 Board meeting

Program: L.A. County Parks and Recreation
Jim Smith, Chief of Project Management Division, presented the program on the expansion of the Steinmetz Park Senior Center, which will be managed by Public Works. The expansion will be to the west of the present building so as not to take away any area from the park at large. The original building will have the entrance doors replaced with automatic doors for easy access. The computer room will be enlarged and will have built-in workstations and internet access. Overall, this will be an additional 2500 square foot multi-purpose wing, dividable into several areas: galley, restrooms, storage, and a covered patio which will have its own entrance but be connected to the main facility. Yvete Mack, Manager, stated that the building is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

The county has just finished refurbishing Manzanita Park and has another plan for Los Robles Park, which will include a walking path around the perimeter. The county is also upgrading all the park playground equipment.

Ken Hopper, of the Parks and Recreation Department, distributed a flyer advertising a function titled "Taste of the Heights" to be held May 26, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM at Pathfinder Community Regional Park. Everyone is invited.

Law Enforcement Updates
Joe Zizi, California Highway Patrol, reported on activities out of the Santa Fe Springs office. Collisions have decreased by 10% over last year, but are still higher than nearby communities, making 10,000 crashes in their area.
There are two and one-half CHP officers serving Hacienda Heights during the daytime, and one at night. Most crashes are rear end collisions, and most DUI crashes occur between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM.

Mike Sofferli, Sheriff's Department, reported that all went well traffic-wise with the Chinese New Year celebration. The next big event for the Sheriff will be the Fourth of July parade (July 5 this year). The Industry Hills Equestrian Center Pavilion will be the site of an Emergency Preparedness Network event "Firestorm 2003" in the evening on February 26. He also cautioned that theft of mail from residences is on the increase and suggested that mail be taken directly to the post office or post office mailboxes - especially if checks are involved.

Public Input
Dickie Simmons, Supervisor Knabe's deputy, introduced Dushyant Bala, from the Registrar-Recorder, Election Services Bureau. He asked for pollworkers for the March 2 election and the November Presidential election. Application forms were distributed, and the new ink ballot was passed around for the attendees to try.

John Gutwein, County Regional Planning, announced that Supervisor Knabe's ofice has added a planner, Carmen Simes, to the La Puente office, full day, at 16005 Central Avenue in the La Puente civic center.

Dickie Simmons reported there will be a hearing on the County General Plan on March 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Steinmetz Park.

Bud Welch, Ombudsman for the Puente Hills Landfill, reported on moving the trail by the Nike Base and the construction of a sound wall next to the Police Academy's firing range. He met with residents near the landfill to discuss the possibility of replacing the chain link gates at the Los Robles and Orange Grove entrances with decorative gates.

Mae Chu, Shi Lai Temple, announced that there would be a concert of Chinese Bhuddist music, Sunday, March 21.

Mike Hughes reported that Wicki and the Sierra Club have received a $20,000 grant from the Mountain Conservancy to conduct an analysis on the effects of the proposed Area Development on the surrounding area.

President's Report
Mike Williams announced that the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments will host an all-day "Summit on Growth" on March 20, at the South Coast Air Quality Management District offices in Diamond Bar. Attendance is limited to 200 participants. HHIA Board Members are invited.