DPOA Update

DPOA

UPDATE: The City Council voted unanimously (Paula Lantz attended via teleconference) to submit petitions for all of the city's properties in favor of recertifying the DPOA. That gave the DPOA 54.xx% of the property owners submitting petitions. The process will move to a public hearing and vote on July 20.

Downtown councilmember Freddie Rodriguez was unable to make the meeting. He is an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) working in an ambulance and had been called to an emergency. According to Mayor Rothman, the councilman had requested that the item be rescheduled to a special meeting when he could atttend, on Thursday at 6:00 pm. Councilmember Paula Lantz noted that she was scheduled to be out of town at another meeting on that date and could not make it. While I've (echoing the Mayor) called councilmember Rodriguez the downtown councilmember, actually downtown is shared by three councilmembers, Rodriguez (the bulk of downtown south of 2nd street except between White and Palomares where it's south of 3rd Street), Lantz (most of the Antique Row area and north of 2nd Street east of Garey), and Soto (north of 2nd and west of Garey as well as north of 3rd between White and Garey). A district map can be seen on the city's web site at: http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/city_departments/city_council/district_map.pdf.

Interestingly, there was a dueling message from councilmember Rodriquez. Mayor Rothman stated that the councilman had asked for the delay. Councilmember Lantz answered that she had spoken to the councilman and that he was OK with it moving forward since there would not be a final vote, but only the acceptance of the petition for recertification. The mayor then countered that he had spoken to Rodriguez AFTER Lantz had and that he had reversed his opinion and DID request the delay.

To some observers, it appeared that the "fix" was in and that this issue had been maneuvered to marginalize Lantz, a supporter of the DPOA. I have no evidence of such, but it was certainly interesting that one councilmember's wishes to be part of the process (a duly noticed meeting, by the way) was deemed more important than another councilperson's and that there appeared to be no consideration of the time and inconvenience that this action caused for those citizens who felt strongly enough to come out for this issue. This kind of action doesn't appear to pass the "smell" test. Council members miss meetings all the time. Do we stop the actions of the city? While I appreciate the nature of the councilman's job, this is something that he knew when he ran for the council. He was surely aware that his job might have to force him to make some important decisions on which service to the community was more important to to have to live with the consequences of those decisions.

The actions of the council will be really stretching the timeline for recertification of the DPOA. In order for the assessment to be collected by the county, all the information MUST be turned in by July 10. This delay will significantly reduce the time for the process.

So, once again, we call on anyone who wishes to speak on this important issue to show up at the council chambers on Thursday, June 4 at 6:00 pm.

REMINDER: The council has, over the past month of so, instituted a new policy on speakers. Speaker cards must be turned in prior to the beginning of discussion at the beginning of the meeting. No late speaker cards are accepted. So it is imperative that if you wish to speak that you be at the meeting ON TIME and that you turn in your speaker card as soon as possible after arriving.

Pomona's Own First Responder

On Thursdays I take the metrolink to and from my teaching assignment in downtown LA. Today I was heading back to Pomona's North Metrolink station on the 12:20 pm train. When we got to Cal State LA (the first stop after leaving Union Station), we were delayed. An announcement came on that there was a bus accident on the freeway ahead and they'd have another announcement in about 20 minutes. 20 MINUTES? Then the rumors started down the train that there would be a 4 HOUR delay.

As it turned out, the delay getting out of Cal State was about 45 minutes, but then we got about a mile down the line and were stopped again. Metrolink decided that they needed to inspect the tracks at the site of the accident. About 15 minutes later we were finally on our way. But not very fast.

As we got to where the train (and the busway out of El Monte's bus station) separate from the Freeway, we came upon the accident. An LA County Sheriff's prisoner transport bus had had an accident. There were sheriff's cars and ambulances as far as the eye could see (at least 1-1/2 miles and way too many to count). As we came upon the site, moving very slowly, I was able to see the debris and what was going on.

And then, looking out the train window, i spied, walking from one of the many ambulances parked along the busway, our own Pomona City Councilman Freddie Rodriguez. The councilman is a 23 year EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)/Paramedic. I must say that my chest swelled with pride knowing that it was a dedicated Pomonan who was early on the scene of a major incident.

Just couldn't let this go by without acknowledging him. Nice to have some good news for a change.