Council Reviewed Feb 10th Meeting

City of Grand Terrace:

Effective City Management: City Manager and Staff have not provided up to this date the promised cages to catch feral cats. This week Mr. Schwab once again “promised” and “Directed” that Steve Berry will see to the purchase and lending out of two traps. Mr. Schwab was also queried about his inferring a particular individual or group which have been making independent investigations into the operations of the City were the suspects in the missing city documents caper at the library. Mr. Schwab assured the City Council that the Library was not the repository for records, just a place where copies of documents could be found. Grand Terrace’s Records were in tact. He made no effort to defend or deny or apologize for making the inference that the citizens mentioned in the news paper article mentioned were or were not intentionally identified as suspects of the theft of documents from the library.

Mr. Schwab was brought into awareness that the reflectors on the “Safety Island” on Mt. Vernon were inadequate. Prior discussion of the Council directed the City Manager to place a more ostentatious reflector on the northern point of the island. There was an island related accident just the prior night. The failure to reduce the speed limit to 25mph city wide, extend the double yellow lines or the island far enough south permitted a truck proceeding south bound to turn onto Brentwood much to early, and the north bound traffic, was struck with an injury and property damage being the result.

The striping on the road was again brought up to Mr. Schwab and he acted as if this was new information. The Council members and members of the public had discussed and it was included in the resolution to form a review of the intersection. The current striping of the north bound Mt. Vernon Lanes are so striped as they direct the traffic flow to what was formerly a one lane taper to head on down the hill. These lines have been so designed since the 1970’s at least, perhaps longer. The City Council seems to think that they can pretend that there isn’t a need to have the traffic prepare to condense into a single lane to proceed down the hill. This fiction will continue to promote excessive speed on Mt. Vernon and a lack of appropriate caution in the approach to the intersections of both Mt. Vernon and Brentwood, and Mt. Vernon and Grand Terrace Rd.

The real and safe solutions are:

1: Put Solar Powered Lighting on the island. Glue the solar lights down with Bluie Glue that the Woman’s Club purchased.

2: Remove the Island and or Reduce the in city speed limit to 25mph. Curb, Trees, Boulders, oh are all safety items where the speed limit is posted at 40mph.

3: Return to a single lane of traffic on Mt. Vernon north of Brentwood, with a left and right turn lane option closer to the intersection at Grand Terrace Rd. Leaving a MARKED Parking Lane with DOUBLE STRIPPED LINES for the residents on Mt. Vernon to use for parking and as a safe in and out buffer for their driveways. Each Council Member and Staff Member should have to park their car in the affected driveways and try to pull out into traffic, and return during the high traffic hours. This “Improvement” even with a wider drive way is not sufficient, or safe. Return, and retain a real parking and maneuvering lane for these homeowners. This is for their safety and the safety of the Mt. Vernon Drivers.

Other City Observations:

The city continues to under report crimes. I wonder if the Sheriff or the probation department has been alerted to Mr. Hilkey’s observation that 2 of the 9 sex offenders are not registered properly. Why is it that the crime and arrest of individuals for other cities is available and it is not for Grand Terrace. Post all Calls, the Block, all arrests, and let the criminal activity be known. Perhaps shame may improve the situation.

The City’s insistence that a property owner provide curb, street lighting improvements in order to sub divide before the development of the property is a further example of how a city controls the freedom of it’s citizens property rights.

The Foundation of Grand Terrace should purchase this property, place orange trees goats and a barn for 4H and perhaps their dog park at this wonderful last historical piece of property. The Grand Terrace Historical Society needs to rename it’s self as there is almost no History in Grand Terrace that has been retained. The Grand Terrace Foundation group, well the foundation has been broken and hauled away. Where is there a farm, orange, or walnut, where are the animals, pigs, goats, chickens sheep?

Empty fields, and Blue Mt, are disked and made into dust pits where sheep could graze.

The Re Development Agency…. A government agency met in private once again… this is in violation of the sunshine laws. It is time for this Agency to disband.

The Spring Motor Cycle at Rollings Park is in need of attention. There is too much play at the base anchor and spring connections. This will lead to a break and possible injury to a child.