Sierra Madre council approves consent calendar including water main replacement, pool repairs and grants; Civic Club awards $21,700

The Sierra Madre City Council, at its May 26 meeting, approved a broad consent calendar covering meeting minutes, budget appropriations, service contracts, and two ordinance second readings.

Key consent items included: - Resolution 26-38: a $400,000 supplemental appropriation from the Water Fund Reserve and authorization of a water-main replacement agreement with Toll West Coast LLC. - Resolution 26-45: an $80,000 supplemental appropriation from the library gift and memorial fund for fiscal year 2025–26. - Resolution 26-46: authorization of $174,050 from general fund reserves and award of a construction contract to Ultimate Pool Remodeling Inc. for Sierra Vista Park aquatic-center pool deck repair and replaster (total contract amount cited as $324,050). - A five-year professional services agreement with the Pasadena Humane Society for animal-shelter and animal-control services ($364,488). - A proposed two-year professional-services agreement with California Consultant Inc. for grant-identification, grant-writing and grant administration services (presented as $111,400 over two years with an option for a third year); staff said the city has worked with the firm for roughly 10 months and that the city has thus far been awarded one grant for $30,000 for public safety while five pending applications total roughly $390,000 in potential grant awards. - Additional consent items included a declaration of city-owned vehicles as surplus, a Fourth Amendment to the professional services agreement with Willdan Engineering, initiation of downtown landscaping and lighting maintenance district proceedings (Resolution 26-41), and second readings of ordinances amending municipal code chapters for house numbering (Ordinance 14-93) and accessory dwelling unit definitions (Ordinance 14-94).

During discussion, staff said the California Consulting contract is being proposed as a longer-term relationship because staff were satisfied with its results. Grant-program staff reported: "So far we've been awarded 1 grant for the ABC... for our public safety or police of $30,000." (Staff member — grants)

Council questioned expenditures to date versus projected returns. Staff provided the two-year contract cost ($55,200 per year; $111,400 total) and listed five pending grants with amounts of $42,000; $262,000; $35,000; $22,000; and $26,000. Staff told the council the five pending applications could total roughly $390,000 if all are awarded.

A motion to approve the consent calendar was made and seconded; the council approved the consent items by voice vote.

Separately, the Sierra Madre Civic Club presented $21,700 in grant awards to 16 local organizations and $7,500 in educational awards to five graduating seniors. The Civic Club representative outlined uses ranging from kitchen display cases at the Richardson House Museum, sound equipment for Sierra Madre Playhouse, materials for the Bailey Canyon trail work, to partial support for library grand-reopening activities and a week of supplemented food distribution at the Helping Hands Community Food Bank.

Public comment included a request from a local designer for city assistance restoring decorative lampposts at Happy's parking lot to allow a privately funded mural to be safely illuminated at night; the council acknowledged the request and directed staff to follow up as appropriate.

What’s next: staff will process the approved contracts and appropriations; the public is invited to the library grand reopening on June 6 and the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the draft open-space and conservation elements on June 18.