News
La Mirada Streetlight Poles Replacement in Progress
La Mirada~Southern California Edison (SCE) is currently installing over 1,800 concrete streetlight poles throughout La Mirada. This is in an effort to upgrade the aging steel poles in the community which, on average, are over 50 years old.
The project is a result of a mandate from the State Public Utilities Commission. SCE is investing over $7 million in the project.
“It was a high priority to make sure the new streetlight poles could withstand different weather conditions such as the high winds, heat and rain,” says SCE Rep Eddie Marquez. “They are also more aesthetically pleasing and have a more modern look to them.”
Contractors are currently removing the existing steel poles and installing the new concrete poles. In some cases, the poles must be replaced in the exact same location, resulting in an interruption of service. SCE has attempted to keep interruptions to a minimum.
SCE is approximately 50 percent complete with most of the neighborhoods north of Rosecrans finished. The entire project is expected to be completed by May.
For more information on the street light replacement project, please contact the City’s Public Works Department at (562) 902-2385 or Southern California Edison at (800) 655-4555.
La Mirada One Step Closer to Its First McDonald’s
La Mirada~The Planning Commission voted 5-0 on March 19th to approve a conditional use permit to allow a drive-thru to be part of a proposed McDonald's to be built at Imperial Boulevard and Telegraph Road, paving the way for the demolition of the 50-year-old Carriage Coffee Shop.
The City Council will still have to vote on the commissions recommendation.
The Carriage kitchen was destroyed in a strange early-morning fire on December 2nd of last year.
The recently completed traffic study by L.A. County indicates there would be no adverse affect on the roadways by replacing one restaurant with another.
However, at the same time the County has a warrant for a traffic signal to be installed at Telegraph and Wicker Road.
The cost of the traffic signal would be a little over $200,000 and the County is saying McDonald's must pay for approximately $172,000 of that cost, with the city and county picking up the rest of the tab.
McDonald's is currently deciding if they want to pay for their share of the signal and it appears to be the only obstacle holding back the construction of the new restaurant.
Sources have told the La Mirada Blog this should not be a sticking point and McDonald's is committed to moving forward with the project.
New City Council Elected; Deal Selected as Mayor
La Mirada~The La Mirada City Council selected Pauline Deal to serve as Mayor at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Councilmember Steve De Ruse was selected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem each serve one-year terms and are elected by the City Council..
Mayor Deal has served on the City Council since 2011. She has been a resident of La Mirada for over 30 years and currently serves as the Assistant Controller for an area business. This will be her first term as Mayor.
Prior to serving on the City Council, Mayor Deal was active in local youth sports leagues and served as the Treasurer/Board Member and Coach for the La Mirada Girls Softball Association for seven years. Mayor Deal has also been active with the Parent Teachers Association.
La Mirada City Council Election Results
LA MIRADA CITY COUNCIL RESULTS 2015
| Votes | Pct. | |
| Tony Aiello | 833 | 10% |
| Steve DeRuse | 1,636 | 19% |
| Ed Eng | 1,841 | 22% |
| Larry Mowles | 1,521 | 18% |
| Dale Nowicki | 1,272 | 15% |
| Mik Saenz | 404 | 4% |
| John Sarega | 1,160 | 13% |
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La Mirada Voters to Cast Their Ballots for City Council
La Mirada~In one of the most interesting La Mirada City Council election in recent times, La Mirada voters will hit the polls with seven candidates vying for three seats.
Two incumbents, Steve De Ruse and Larry Mowles are up for re-election and Steve Jones decided to not seek a fifth term.
The other candidates include Tony Aiello, Founder & Editor of this website: Ed End Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiencies Commission; Dale Nowicki, an attorney; Michael Saenz, a business consultant; and John Sarega, a commercial property owner and father of current Councilman Andrew Sarega.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. To find the polling location in your precinct visit: http://www.cityoflamirada.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=5742
Part 1 Crime Rate in La Mirada Hits 30-Year Low
La Mirada~In 2014, the City of La Mirada achieved its lowest Part 1 crime rate in nearly 30 years and city administrators are attributing the historically low crime rate to a strong partnership between residents, businesses and the La Mirada Public Safety Team.
According to a recent crime analysis of surrounding communities in southeast Los Angeles and northern Orange County, La Mirada experienced the lowest number of major crimes last year. This is consistent with recent years, as major crimes have decreased by 49 percent in La Mirada since 2005.
Overall, there were 707 Part 1 crimes reported in La Mirada in 2014. Part 1 crimes include homicide, theft, burglary, automobile theft, robbery, assault, and arson. This was a significant drop compared to 2013 when there were 905 reported. The large decrease in Part 1 crime was due primarily to the drop in property crimes including burglaries, petty thefts and vehicle thefts.
"The City continues to have one of the lowest crime rates in the region with fewer calls for service and less criminal activity," says City Manager Jeff Boynton. "The La Mirada Public Safety Team continued to work cooperatively with residents other agencies to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life in La Mirada."
Throughout the year, the Special Assignment Officers worked with the Los Angeles County Probation Department to monitor probationers. Deputies worked with the District Attorney to ensure criminals were prosecuted and remained out of La Mirada for the longest extent possible.
City Council Candidates Forum This Thursday Night
La Mirada~The 2015 La Mirada City Council race has proven to be one of the most interesting in recent memory as seven candidates are battling for three seats.
Residents will have a chance to get to know the candidates a little better as the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce in association with IQ Air will host a Candidates Forum Thursday, February 12th from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The seven candidates include Tony Aiello, Founder & Editor of this website: Ed End Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiencies Commission; Incumbents Steve De Ruse and Larry Mowles; Dale Nowicki, an attorney; Michael Saenz, a business consultant; and John Sarega, a commercial property owner and father of current Councilman Andrew Sarega.
As of the writing of this article, all candidates are expected to attend.
Rick Bee, Senior Director of Alumni & Friends Development at Biola University will be the moderator and local attorney Gene Gleason will lead the Invocation Prayer.
The event will be held at the IQ Air facility located at 14351 Firestone Boulevard in La Mirada and there is no cost for residents to attend.
Carriage Update: “Ball in McDonald’s Court”
La Mirada~The fate of the fabled Carriage Restaurant in La Mirada is still up in the air as McDonald’s now has to decide if they still want to build after the completion of a recent traffic study has called for a new traffic signal.
Owner of the property Rich Development Co. of Santa Ana wants to replace the coffee shop with a McDonald’s restaurant.
After waiting months for the completion of the study from the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Traffic Division, La Mirada City Planner Gabriel Bautista told the La Mirada Blog it indicates a traffic signal would have to be installed at Wicker Drive and Telegraph Road; which is just north of the site.
Bautista said the cost of the new signal is estimated to be $250,000-$300,000 and McDonald’s would be responsible for a significant part of that cost.
The city as well as other tenants of the Crossroads Center would chip in for the new signal as well.
However, McDonald’s is now deciding if they still want to go through with the project and the “ball is in their court,” said Bautista.
If they do decide to move forward, the next step would be an approval from the La Mirada Planning Commission. The commission would only be approving the proposed drive-thru by McDonalds; the Carriage site is already zoned for restaurant use.
Bautista said he does not expect to hear from McDonalds until perhaps March, but that could change.
The Carriage has been closed since December 2nd when an early morning fire ripped through the eatery’s kitchen, destroying it.
It is still unclear if owner Louis Liu will be able to fund a rebuild if the McDonald’s deal falls through.
Chamber of Commerce to Host “Meet the Candidates”
La Mirada~The Chamber of Commerce will host a “Meet the Candidates” forum at their monthly Tuesday breakfast at the Holiday Inn January 6th from 8:00-9:30 a.m.
The candidates will be given a few minutes to speak and will handle a few questions from the audience. Cost is $15.
At the time this article was written, all candidates are expected to attend including Ed Eng, Dale Nowicki, John Sarega, Tony Aiello, Steve DeRuse, Larry Mowles, and Mik Saenz.
The Holiday Inn Select is located at 14299 Firestone Boulevard adjacent to the 5 freeway in La Mirada.
Seven File for Three Seats for La Mirada City Council
La Mirada~Three seats are for grabs in the 2015 La Mirada City Council election and seven individuals have filed for a chance at a seat.
Councilman Steve Jones, first elected in 1998, has decided to retire and not seek a fifth term in a city with no term limits.
The two other seats available are Steve DeRuse and current Mayor Larry Mowles, both are seeking a second term after winning the seats of longtime Councilmen Hal Malkin and Pete Dames four years ago, after they retired.
DeRuse and Mowles will go up against challengers Ed Eng, executive director of the Los Angeles County Economy and Efficiencies Commission; Michael Saenz, a business consultant; Dale Nowicki, an attorney; current Councilman Andrew Sarega’s father, John, a commercial property owner, and the founder and editor of this website, Tony Aiello, a La Mirada native.
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