The following is a wrap-up of the February 19 City Council meeting. You may listen to a recording from the meeting here, or view the agenda here.

City Council approves intersection safety improvement engineering study at Las Tunas Drive/Mission, Las Tunas Drive/Del Mar Avenue, Las Tunas Drive/Country Club and San Gabriel Boulevard/Live Oak

To improve pedestrian and traffic safety along Las Tunas Drive and San Gabriel Boulevard at four intersections, the City Council approved a $43,100 agreement with JMDiaz Inc. for design and engineering services to improve four intersections in the City.

The scope of the project will include:

• The installation of protected left turn lanes for the eastbound/westbound phases at the intersection of Las Tunas Drive and Mission Drive
• The installation of protected left turn phases for the northbound/southbound at the intersection of Las Tunas Drive and Del Mar Avenue
• The installation of crosswalk visibility enhancement
• Rectangular rapid flashing beacons for the uncontrolled crosswalks at the intersection of Las Tunas Drive and Country Club Drive and the intersection of San Gabriel Boulevard and Live Oak Street

The total agreement will not exceed $47,410, which includes a 10% contingency.

City Council approves 2017 State Homeland Security Grant for new fire equipment and training

By a unanimous vote, the City Council approved a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the San Gabriel Fire Department for new equipment and training exercises.  

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security regularly provides funding to state and local governments to help fund equipment and training for police, fire and emergency managers. Since 2005, the State Homeland Security Grant Program has provided funding for equipment in support of the National Preparedness System.

The San Gabriel Fire Department is allocated $17,000, in which $15,000 is dedicated to equipment and $2,000 dedicated to mobilization exercises. The agreement will authorize the Fire Chief to accept the grant and to purchase items under the City’s purchasing policy.

City Council approves amended tolling agreement with the San Gabriel Firefighters’ Association 

By a unanimous vote, the City Council approved an extension of the tolling agreement between the City and the San Gabriel Firefighters’ Association. Back in January of this year, the City approved an extension that allows them to preserve the wage-and-hour claims of the affected firefighters while both parties negotiate an agreement as a result of the Flores vs. City of San Gabriel decision.

Previously, the City extended a tolling agreement that was set to expire on January 15, 2019 by one year to 2020. Since then, the Firefighters’ Association requested several changes, including the clarification of the effective date of the agreement and to acknowledge two prior tolling agreements. Finally, the group added language allowing either party to unilaterally terminate the tolling agreement upon 30 days’ notice.

City staff believe that these changes do not adversely affect the City.