Open Government

LAAG is pretty much fed up with Lakewood City Hall refusing to provide timely agendas at least 72 hours before the city council meetings. The law only requires that they post the agendas at city hall not on the website. How convenient for busy voters who work for a living. Just go down to city hall after work and look at the agenda. Same with city council meetings. Make sure they are not archived on the city's website so you cant just go see them when you want or skip ahead to the parts you are interested in. The best way to "slip" things past sleeping voters is to just not alert them to issues and do only the bare minimum as required by law (ie don't post stuff on the website or send out an email or you could end up with some angry voters at your meeting and they don't want that!)

As for the agendas this was brought to the city's attention as noted below but still the problem has not been fixed. For example as of 1/15/07 the current agenda posted on the website was 12/12/06. As of 3/17/07 the "most current" agenda posted on the site is dated 2/27/07. This is a big deal as the agenda is the only way busy residents can see what is going on and if they need to go to a meeting. That is the purpose of agendas.

LAAG has asked the Sheriff's department on 4 separate occasions for the last two months for crime statistics. No response at all. Neither the City nor the Sheriff's department want to back up their vague and grandiose statements about crime "reduction"

LAAG is working to resolve these and many other lack of transparency issues.

Parking: can we use citations to "re-educate"?

I almost fell out of my chair when I read the budget for the motorhome "re-education" campaign. Oh my GOD! $140,545 to put fliers on all the motor homes in Lakewood? Cant we use the same people that Dominoes Pizza and the real estate agents use to litter our doorstep with ads? Are they cheaper? Hey voters if you missed the election and the 35 newspaper stories on the motorhome parking issue in Lakewood were sorry but you're going to get a ticket. You deserve to get one for pure stupidity or living under a rock. Has the City Council lost all touch with reality?

The better part of the story (if believable) is that the city is currently spending $337,949 on parking enforcement? (And this does not include the do nothings at the Sheriff's dept. as they are too busy crime fighting to do parking). The only parking enforcement I have seen is on the few streets posted for no parking on sweeping days (like mine) I see the new white Honda Civic$ drive down the street and waive at the good people who slept in and did not get up time to move the car as the sweeper rolls by. No ticket! How nice! Great enforcement! On top of all that we are paying $337,949 for that service!! Here is a stupid question I am sure the city will not want to answer: Just what did the city collect in paid parking citations for the last 5 years? Something tells me its way south of $337,949. Also Lakewood somehow prides itself on the fact that it is a "complaint driven" parking citation system, meaning someone has to call the city to get a cite issued. That being the case $337,949 is even more outrageous. Good thing y'all just re-elected the two councilmen likely responsible for this long standing parking mess, now made even uglier by the waste of funds. We may need the fireworks companies to chip in here. LOL

Education effort will drive home new rules for RVs
By Karen Robes, Staff writer
Article Launched: 03/14/2007 10:26:27 PM PDT

The Lakewood City Council has approved a plan to educate residents about the new laws, set to take effect July 1, restricting street parking for RVs and trailers in the city. (Scott Smeltzer / Press-Telegram)

LAKEWOOD - There's something city officials want recreational vehicle and trailer owners to know, and they're planning to convey it in letters and on notices hung on RVs.

After July 1, Lakewood RV and trailer owners will face daily fines for parking on city streets without a permit.

The City Council earlier this week approved plans to educate residents, handle complaints and provide the staff and resources to enforce the new RV and trailer laws voters approved last November.

The city's annual operating budget for parking enforcement will be $478,494 - a $140,545 increase over last year.

The extra $140,545 includes the wages of the additional parking control officers, their uniforms and vehicle maintenance costs, said city spokesman Don Waldie.

There also are "one-time-only costs" of about $147,940, which includes public information costs ($20,056), the purchase of four new vehicles ($112,000), and additional equipment ($15,884).

Officials hope to get the more than 6,000 RV and trailers to voluntarily comply with the new rules and help lessen residents' requests for service.

"We're going to make every effort we can to make sure people are aware," Mayor Larry Van Nostran said. "We want to make it easier for people to abide by what the laws are going to be."

The new bans are among several efforts to quell concerns about the increasing number of RVs and trailers parked for long periods on city streets. For more than 30 years, the council has tried to balance the needs of RV and trailer owners and those who view the rigs and motorhomes as eyesores and traffic hazards.

The new laws require owners to obtain a maximum three-day permit to park on the street. Residents can get up to 16 permits annually but there must be at least a three-day gap between permits. The permits, which are free, can be downloaded online at www.lakewoodcity.org/

parking.

Beginning in April, the city will distribute hangers and mail letters to all RV and trailer owners registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The city will add 140 hours of enforcement time per week with two full-time and two part-time parking control officers.

The city will also have customer service liaisons and a part-time relief worker to handle resident service requests.

From July 1 through July 15, there will be a two-week warning period for offenders. After that, violators are subject to a daily $40 fine. A vehicle can be towed if five citations have been left unpaid, the grace period of 21 days has elapsed and notice to the DMV has been sent.

Karen Robes can be reached at karen.robes@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1303.

Stockton CA Backyard fireworks ban likely

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070315/A_NEWS/703150340

By David Siders
Record Staff Writer
March 15, 2007 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - The city is likely to outlaw spinners, cone fountains and other backyard, or "safe and sane," fireworks this year.

A City Council panel on Wednesday recommended the full council adopt a formal ban, one firefighters believed existed and was enforced for years until finding last year the rule did not exist.

"It's a public safety issue," Police Chief Wayne Hose told the panel.

The full council rarely, if ever, overturns a recommendation of the council's legislative panel, the committee that considered the ban. Fireworks designated by the state to be safe and sane are legal unless a county or city adopts an ordinance outlawing them.

The panel rejected an appeal by a fireworks company and by local Christian school that sells safe and sane fireworks to raise money but has previously had to travel outside Stockton to sell them.

Safe and sane fireworks - typically those that do not fly or explode - are legal in Manteca, Ripon and Escalon but not in Tracy, Lodi and unincorporated San Joaquin County, according to a list compiled by fire officials last year.

Were the Stockton City Council to allow safe and sane fireworks, Deputy Fire Chief Dave Hafey warned that peddlers of fireworks that are not so designated - including illegal firecrackers and rockets - would sell them illegally near legitimate stands.

Other cities that have allowed safe and sane fireworks have been so troubled, officials said.

The Rev. Steve Kihlthau of Stockton Baptist Church said Stockton Baptist School has raised as much as $12,000 to $15,000 some summers selling safe and sane fireworks, most recently in the Stanislaus County town of Westley, where they are legal. That the fireworks are called "safe and sane," he said, suggests the state does not find them hazardous.

TNT Fireworks Inc.'s Louis Linney told the panel illegal fireworks sales hurt legitimate business and that TNT could work with cities to discourage misuse.

Councilman Clem Lee, a panel member, said that to allow fireworks would force police, who have more serious matters to deal with, to monitor the use of fireworks. "This is not what we need to saddle our guys with," he said.

He said to prohibit safe and sane fireworks would do no more than codify long-standing city policy.

The full council is likely to consider the matter this month or next.

The city's consideration of a fireworks ban follows by one month the city's announcement that its public fireworks show at Weber Point was too dangerous to go on. Fire officials have said they are looking for a different site.

Contact reporter David Siders at (209) 943-8580 or dsiders @recordnet.com. Visit his blog.

Ripon CA may outlaw all fireworks

3/12/07
Manteca Bulletin - Manteca,CA
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/03/07/news/news3.txt

RIPON — Fireworks of any kind could be outlawed in Ripon by the time Fourth of July in 2008 rolls around.

Tuesday, the Ripon City Council voted to approve a one year contract with Fireworks and Stage FX America that will continue the tradition of hosting a Fourth of July Celebration — carrying with it a price tag of $35,000 for the show alone.

But concerns raised by two City Councilmen and members of the audience could not only lead to the decision to eliminate the community-wide event next year, but squash future sales of safe-and-sane fireworks as well — something that the Manteca City Council approved for the first time two years ago.

Citing massive crowds, parking problems, public safety concerns, liability issues, and fiscal responsibility as key reasons behind the need to examine the annual community investment, council members Red Nutt and Mike Restuccia bonded together and represented the two lone-dissenting votes on the item.

“I think that many of the people that come are from out of town and it seems when Ripon does something that it was to be best and the biggest of anybody,” Nutt said. “But it costs $35,000 and I’ll bet that it will cost twice that much when it’s all said and done when you factor in overtime from our police, fire, and city personnel.

“I don’t think it’s a smart expenditure of taxpayers money.”

The agendized item was initially listed on the consent calendar for the second City Council meeting in February before it was brought back as a discussion item Tuesday night.

Ripon Consolidated Fire District Chief Dennis Bitters pointed out to the council that the 8-inch shells included in the program would pose significant dangers to surrounding areas because of the massive fallout area required.

In the past, he said, houses have caught fire because there wasn’t enough space for the byproduct of the massive mortars to land clearly — noting that as a department he advocated the large community gathering focusing on a central show over the independent safe-and-sane fireworks because of the additional dangers associated with them.

And community input was mixed.

Stu Long spoke openly about instances he experienced while living in Contra Costa County where neighbors would actually bet on how long it would take for a house to catch fire — most often due to illegal fireworks that accidentally got away from their handlers.

Stephanie Hobbs let her heartfelt concerns be known by pointing out the festivities every year provided an outlet and an opportunity to enjoy a community event with her children.

Even though the motion for a one-contract passed, both Vice Mayor Chuck Winn and Councilman Dean Uecker recommended that there be ample time provided before the next budget cycle to determine whether the event is feasible to continue — adding that further examination into the safe-and-sane fireworks needs to be continued as well.

Ripon was the first city in San Joaquin County to approve the use of safe-and-sane fireworks, and despite the fact that major problems have been contained since they became legal some fire officials believe that they provide an avenue for illegal fireworks to thrive.

“When you allow the sale of safe-and-sane fireworks those illegals start rolling in and we have a hard time catching them,” said Fire Marshal Joel Castro — noting that children quickly learn how to construct dangerous devices by altering the components of the safe products. “They are the ones that are going to kill somebody.”

By JASON CAMPBELL

Staff reporter of the

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

The tide is slowly turning on fireworks

50% cut for TNT Fireworks. How nice for them...Next they will be telling us that the funds support our Troops in Iraq! In reality some of the funds support Chinese laborers that make the fireworks.


Newark CA puts freeze on fireworks permits
No new applicants will be allowed to sell pyrotechnics
By Angela Woodall, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 03/10/2007 02:37:26 AM PST
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_5406408

NEWARK — Newark groups that depend on annual Fourth of July fireworks sales to raise money should hold on to their permits.

This year, the city will be turning away new applicants in an effort to stem the flow of prohibited pyrotechnics that pop up during Independence Day festivities.

Every year there is a sigh of relief after July 4, Mayor Dave Smith said.

"Whew, we made it again," he said, referring to the danger posed by illicit fireworks.

Only the already participating groups will be allowed to set up shop in the future.

Newark, Union City and Dublin are the only cities in Alameda County that permit vendors to sell pyrotechnics.

The city began cracking down on contraband pyrotechnics six years ago with a zero-tolerance policy that includes tougher penalties, closing parks early and boosting police presence on July 4.

The policy also limited the number of Safe and Sane fireworks stands to 13.

Groups that were selling fireworks already and applied were given booth permits.

There now are 12 permitted vendors, a number that would continue to shrink over time due to attrition if the permit ban works as anticipated.

However, the fire department could permit a new applicant if the number of vendors shrinks too drastically.

Fireworks sales are a major source of income to organizations such as the League of Volunteers and the Farmers and Farmerettes, a Newark square dance group that grossed about $70,000 from pyrotechnic sales last year.

That figure is about average for the other groups, said Donald Baker, fireworks chairman for the Farmers and Farmerettes.

Most of the revenue goes to fees, charity donations and a 50 percent cut for the distributor, TNT Fireworks, he added.

The money-making potential made the permit freeze one of the most contentious issues to come before the normally harmonious City Council.

Council members Luis Freitas and Sue Johnson contested the move, but ultimately voted in favor of it at the Thursday council meeting.

Johnson suggested a lottery system because the freeze would prevent nonprofits that do not already have permits from ever getting a shot at selling the lucrative fireworks, which doesn't seem fair, she said.

Smith and council members Al Nagy and Ana Apodaca cited safety as the reason for their support of the freeze.

Fewer booths would not eliminate the risk, but would reduce it, Nagy said. In addition, it would prevent nonprofits from being overly dependent on one source of income, Apodaca said.

"We want (July 4) to be safe and sane. But it's not safe and sane out there," she added.

3 billion a year!!

Commission launches effort to improve pension system
By Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau
dailynews.com
3/10/07

Warning that runaway pension benefits could steal money earmarked for schools, police and roads, a California commission on Friday launched the first statewide effort to overhaul the employee pension system.

California's retirement systems for state employees and teachers have a combined unfunded pension liability of about $49 billion for pensions and $70 billion for health benefits.

Combined, the liabilities already are costing taxpayers more than $3 billion a year - money that could instead be paying for programs like schools and public safety if the benefits were properly self-funded.

"I think the leaders have recognized that rising obligations of this type remain one of the biggest problems facing governments everywhere, particularly in California," said commission Chairman Gerald Parsky.

"As these costs rise and need to be met, it means that less money may be available for other programs that have very high priorities - such as education, public safety and environmental protection."

The panel, appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators, will spend the next nine months studying the scope of the pension and health benefit issue and proposing possible solutions to state policymakers.

Parsky, a Los Angeles-based investor and Republican fundraiser, said the group will protect benefits promised to state employees, but will need to find ways to reduce future costs so the government can continue to adequately fund other programs.

Local governments and school districts are facing similar multibillion-dollar deficits. Los Angeles Unified School District is facing a long-term liability of at least $10 billion for retiree health benefits alone.

Schwarzenegger's previous effort to reform the state pension system in 2005 fell flat when his proposal to shift to a 401(k)-style plan ran into heavy opposition from public employee unions.

Firefighters and police officers, in particular, were incensed that the proposal appeared to cut benefits for widows - an element that Schwarzenegger said was unintended, but which led him to drop the plan rather than risk placing it on a ballot.

Public unions are expected once again to be a major force in the debate, but this time Schwarzenegger has included them in the decision-making process.

The state commission has at least five representatives of public employee unions, including one appointed by Schwarzenegger and four appointed by the Legislature.

"Clearly two years ago we were at war and there was no input from public employees," said Lou Paulson, president of California Professional Firefighters. "Having this commission \ there's going to be folks out talking about it and there will be hearings and everybody will at least get some input.

"Last time it was, `This is the system and this is the way it's going to be."'

The commission is expected to consider a variety of proposals - including a controversial plan suggested Friday by a nonprofit foundation established by former San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Keith Richman.

Marcia Fritz, an accountant and vice president of Richman's California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility, said the group believes raising the state employee retirement age could create substantial savings.

Currently, state employees are eligible to retire by age 55, and public safety employees can retire at 50. Richman's group is proposing to raise the ages to 65 for regular employees and 55 for public safety employees.

The move would save millions of dollars by delaying thousands of people from entering the pension system.

"We hope the commission clearly hears the tick of this fiscal time bomb and finds a responsible way to limit its damage to future budgets and programs," Fritz said.

Public employee unions are likely to oppose that plan, however. On Friday, union members in the audience laughed and jeered when Richman's name was mentioned during the hearing.

Richman also was one of the driving forces behind the failed effort to move to a 401(k) system two years ago.

Officially, however, union leaders were more diplomatic at this early stage, saying they would like to hear more details of the plan before critiquing it.

The commission plans to hold up to five public hearings statewide by May 31. It will then work on a report and analysis of the scope of the pension and health benefits problem and recommend solutions by Jan. 1.

harrison.sheppard@dailynews.com

(916) 446-6723

Govt Pensions: Legalized Fraud

Is anyone surprised by this article at all. No. Politicians are only beholden to public employee unions. And all "public safety" employees are "heroes" as soon as they walk in the door, so they cannot ever be told no. Even if Grandma has to go to the poor house due to her county tax bill the "darlings" of the pensions system cannot be denied. LAAG needs to hand out some bright green ribbon magnets (like those yellow ones for the troops and the pink ones for breast cancer; I dont think green is taken) that say "I DONT support pension scammers"

County pension artists
L.A. safety employees drawing new attention

BY TROY ANDERSON, Staff Writer
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated: 03/05/2007
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_5363901

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and firefighters retire on disability pensions at a nearly 50 percent higher rate than their counterparts in 19 other California counties, according to a report released Monday.

The 73-page report by Buck Consultants comes more than two years after the Board of Supervisors ordered an investigation into whether employees were fraudulently obtaining lucrative disability pensions.

The supervisors ordered the investigation after the Daily News revealed that an average of 79 percent of firefighters and 56 percent of sheriff's deputies received job-related disability retirements in the decade prior to 2005.

"There really is a culture of maximizing benefits," county Risk Manager Rocky Armfield said. "And the employees are very good at it."

As part of the investigation, the supervisors asked the firm to analyze 35 cases to determine whether any were fraudulent. The firm found no cases of outright fraud - defined as deliberate attempts to qualify for benefits that cannot be supported by doctors.

But investigators found four disability pensions whose justifications, they said, "contradicted" the original intent of a law granting disability pensions.

Buck Consultants said case law concerning disability pensions has gradually allowed more employees to qualify than was originally intended by a 1937 law that still governs pensions. The law was designed to allow incapacitated public employees to be replaced by capable employees.

In two of the cases reviewed by Buck, the connection between the injury and the job was minimal, analysts said.

Another case involved an employee who not only received a disability retirement at an advanced age, but whose main reason for the disability was the "aging process," investigators said. Very little of the disability was work-related.

In the fourth case, a firefighter who retired on a disability pension started a new job within days of leaving the department.

"It seems to us that the level of sophistication is higher in Los Angeles County regarding how to scam the system," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "I think it's probably not surprising when you have an entrenched bureaucracy like this with union leadership who encourage this kind of activity."

Employees savvy

Armfield said safety employees are well aware of the advantages of obtaining job-related disability pensions, half of which are tax-free. The job-related disability pays a minimum of 50 percent of an employee's compensation, while a non-job-related disability pays about 33 percent.

And when the employee dies, the spouse receives 100 percent of the final pay, instead of 65 percent.

"So you can easily see why it would be economically wise for safety members to at least apply," Armfield said. "There is no illegal activity in applying. They are simply seeing if they will be granted the disability, and if they are, there is a tremendous upside economically."

Also, Armfield said an "informal infrastructure" has developed over the years involving law firms, doctors and employee unions that assist safety employees late in their careers in applying for disability pensions.

The report found that as of June 2004, 61 percent of county safety employees retired on job-related disability pensions. In the 19 other counties, the percentage was 33 percent.

Standard liberal

The report also found that the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association applied a more liberal standard in deciding when to grant disability pensions, approving job-related disability pensions for 53 percent of applicants in 2003-04, compared with 18 percent in 15 other counties.

Among the 35 disability pension cases reviewed, the investigators found four filed after the applicant turned 60, and 11 filed within 90 days of retirement, suggesting that the employees were timing their applications to coincide with their normal retirement dates.

On the bright side, the report found a large number of employees who had filed workers' compensation claims were persuaded to come back to work on light duty. As a result, the costs associated with employees who file claims shortly before retirement have dropped from $49 million in 2003 to $37 million in 2005.

Still, investigators found a common practice among county employees approaching retirement of "spiking" their final pay with unused vacation, sick leave and other one-time payments.

Investigators said it is not difficult to get injury claims approved, citing examples of workers injured by tripping over a file cabinet, bending under a desk, lifting a ladder and falling off a bicycle while off-duty.

"The disability threshold is very, very low," Armfield said. "It's diminutive to the point if you apply with any good justifiable medical reason allowed under the act, there is a good chance you'll get it."

To help reduce soaring pension costs, Buck Consulting recommended legislative changes to reform the 1937 law back to its original intent and encouraged the sheriff and county Fire Department officials to return more injured employees to work in light-duty jobs.

But investigators wrote in the report that reducing the number of disability pensions will be challenging when many safety employees possess "extensive knowledge and understanding" and a "well-established external support network" to help them file for disability pensions.

It will be difficult to reform the 1937 law, wrote county Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen, noting that legislation passed last year will further increase the number of disability pension applications. That law enables safety employees to receive a 100 percent disability pension even though factors unrelated to work caused a significant portion of their permanent injuries, Janssen wrote.

troy.anderson@dailynews.com

(213) 974-8985

March 6, 2007 city council election: 4 more years of "stay the course"

Incumbents Mayor Larry Van Nostran, Councilman Joseph Esquivel beat challengers Marty Schuster and John R. Nelson Jr. Schuster is a real estate agent in Lakewood who ran unsuccessfully in 2004. Nelson is a Long Beach Unified School District electrician.

A number of articles appeared in the local news papers about the incumbents. Quite frankly all 4 were really not that much different on paper. None have any vision and its just more of the same drivel: We love the Sheriffs, we like sports teams and their fireworks money. God forbid someone says anything bad about fireworks (you could be branded a heretic). Don't look for any fresh ideas with these candidates. The Press Telegram endorsed the incumbents. Quite frankly after three terms on the council its really time for a change. Just like in Washington. The problem is why vote in "fresh faces" when they don't have any fresh ideas? LAAG did not endorse any of the candidates.

Why the lack of good candidates? Well many reasons but surely the most likely reason (and as is typical of the city) is that there was no announcement about the deadline to apply as a candidate on the city website or in their email newsletter (I assume to discourage people from running). This is typical of the city failing to implement its own "e government" initiative. We announced it here on the LAAG website at least a month before the filing deadline.

The Press Telegram article appearing on 3/6/07 entitled "Few surprises, 1 upset in elections" noted as follows:

"In Lakewood, Mayor Larry Van Nostran and Councilman Joe Esquivel breezed past real estate business owner Marty Schuster and electrical manager John R. Nelson Jr. for another four years in office.

Van Nostran, who will commence his ninth term, [that is 36 years by LAAG's count] garnered the most votes with 3,169 while Esquivel earned the second spot with 3,102 votes. Schuster received 1,890 votes and Nelson lagged with 912.

"I didn't care as long as I got one vote more than the third place person," said Van Nostran. "I think it's a real stamp of approval ... (Residents) know we're really working for the good of this city."

What really scares LAAG is that Van Nostran has been in so long he thinks that 3,000 votes out of 42,000 registered voters in the city (and 80,000 residents) is a "mandate". He is as delusional as some other politicians we know in Washington. I would not call it a mandate but rather utter disgust and a failure by most residents to even care. I suspect that 70% of the people that voted for this dynamic duo were the same ones that have been voting the pair in for the last 20 years.

The only good thing about this election is that Esquivel said he would step down after this 4 year term. He was mayor when the Dunrobin explosion occurred. That is sort of like having the distinction of being the Captain of the Titanic. Lets just hope he is not grooming a successor. As for Van Nostran who knows. He is already the longest reining city councilman in the state and quite franking that is the only distinguishing factor of his reign. It only took him 20 years to fix the motorhome parking mess and that was only after two councilmen forced it onto the backs of the voters. Now lets see if he can handle the results of the election. Had the problem been fixed earlier by real leadership we would not have “grandfathered” in all these eyesores now looking for a parking spot from Southern CA Edison.

Rialto officials report progress on perchlorate

10:00 PM PST on Monday, February 26, 2007
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_B_bperch27.1b2d449.html

By MASSIEL LADRÓN DE GUEVARA
The Press-Enterprise

About 30 residents of Rialto and the surrounding area were told Monday of two developments in the flight to clean up perchlorate contamination in water wells.

The long-awaited hearing to determine blame for the Inland region's most significant water-pollution case will be held in Rialto starting March 28, city attorney Bob Owen announced to the audience at a town hall meeting in Rialto.

The hearing could lead to the cleanup of an underground plume of perchlorate several miles long.

Owen also announced that a plan outlining options on cleaning the plume of contamination and the source area has been completed.

Now, the city wants to involve the community in the decision-making process of what remediation efforts will be chosen, who will pay for them and how much it's going to cost, Owen said.

"This is what we will be taking to court, to the upcoming hearing, to the Regional Water Quality Control Board and to state and federal officials that represent us," Owen said.

A link to the city's Web site will be added in coming weeks soliciting community views on the issue, he said.

Perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel and fireworks, has contaminated six Rialto water wells. It is believed that the chemical interferes with thyroid function and brain development. Human fetuses and newborns are considered most at risk.

Residents were reassured after expressing concern that the city's water is safe to drink.

"You're pretty much safer than the average consumer in California when it comes to water because of the council's zero-tolerance policy," Owen said.

Under the city's policy, if a well tests positive for detectible levels of perchlorate, it is taken out of service. The well's water won't be placed back into the city's water system unless it is outfitted with treatment equipment and the water tests -- using state-approved methods -- do not detect perchlorate.

Councilman Ed Scott said he wants to hire a medical expert on perchlorate to learn about all possible medical side effects of the chemical and to see if anyone in the area is affected.

Philip McCririe, a Rialto resident, said he is glad to see that city officials are concerned about the water contamination and are making progress.

"It's very bureaucratic, but I'm happy it's moving forward," he said.

Reach Massiel Ladrón De Guevara at 909-806-3054 or mdeguevara@PE.com

One Year anniversary of the Dunrobin explosion

Well hard to believe but March 5, 2007 will be the one year anniversary of the Miller house explosion on Dunrobin Ave in Lakewood CA. What has changed? Nothing really. We had a "fireworks" referendum with one fireworks company spending $40,000 to combat the anti-fireworks money people (which were almost 40% of the vote). We have the same city council today as we did March 5, 2006, which ironically will likely stay the same on the Mach 6, 2007 election the day after the one year anniversary.

The only fallout for the utter lack of response to the pre-explosion problems from Miller by the Sheriff's department was for them to be rewarded with a new $20 million dollar station "makeover" (more perks for Deputies) and more overtime pay (likely $100,000) every July 4th to subsidize the cost of increased police presence. Just like at the Federal and State level, everyone shirks responsibility, no one is blamed or held accountable (other than lip service) and things go on as usual. Well LAAG is still working on the fireworks issue along with other cities fighting them. We sort of feel like the anti-smoking people 30 years ago. Few people listened back then but look where they are today.

Also, rather ironically, the Miller house on Dunrobin which was virtually destroyed in the March 5, 2006 blast just went up for sale today (March 4, 2007) by the new owner who rebuilt and remodeled the house. It looks great after spending about 300,000 on it. All we can hope is the house is sold to someone who does not use fireworks. Surely the nearby neighbors who lived through that hell on March 5, 2006 hope so as well.

As for Brian Miller he is looking forward to getting out of State prison on or before October 2008, just in time to celebrate the 4th of July in 2009.