San Gabriel Valley COG president highlights regional projects, Measure M funding and local partnership with Baldwin Park
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Summary
Ed Reese, president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, briefed the Baldwin Park City Council on regional initiatives including SB 1383 compliance help, Measure M project funding and wildfire planning, and invited greater city participation in COG programs.
Ed Reese, president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, told the Baldwin Park City Council on April 1 that the COG brings cities together to deliver regional transportation, housing and sustainability projects and to increase regional grant competitiveness.
"I'm Ed Reese, and I'm proud to represent the city of Claremont and honored to serve as the new president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments," Reese said, outlining the COG's work on transportation grade separations, food-waste compliance and wildfire planning. He said the COG has directed $36,500,000 to 17 San Gabriel Valley agencies through Measure M and is overseeing 19 major grade-separation projects.
Reese described the COG's role helping cities comply with SB 1383 (state law requiring reduction of food waste to landfills) and said the COG assisted 15 local businesses in Baldwin Park to recover more than 233,000 pounds of food in the past year. He said the work is funded through a state local assistance grant that delivered approximately $135,000 in benefits to Baldwin Park through the joint effort.
Council members thanked Reese for the presentation and noted specific opportunities to work together. Council Member Alejandra Avila said the COG's assistance has helped the city with homelessness efforts and with projects such as tiny homes. "You have been impactful," Avila said, thanking Reese for the partnership.
Council discussion also touched on infrastructure priorities. A council member noted interest in a grade-separation project on Ramona Boulevard and invited further collaboration. Reese invited council participation in COG policy committees and promoted the iHeartSGV community program as an outreach tool.
The presentation concluded with Reese distributing iHeartSGV lapel pins and offering to answer questions or provide staff follow-up. The council did not take any formal action specific to funding at the meeting; the remarks served as a regional briefing and invitation to engage with COG programs.
