Re-Elect Mayor Chagnon for Mayor of Azusa!

[Bill]

(re-posting due to the onslaught of posts regarding the "dog fight" incident...)

Dear Fellow Mountain Cove & Azusa Residents,

I am writing you today to both voice my support for Mayor Diane Chagnon as well as my concern over the potential lack of experience facing the Azusa City Council pending the outcome of the March 6th elections. If Mayor Diane Chagnon is not re-elected then we will be left with a City Council in which 80% of the council members will have 2 years of experience or less. Returning Mayor Chagnon to her seat, ensures that the key pair of Chagnon and Rocha, who have worked together for 10+ years on the Azusa City Council, stay together. If Mayor Chagnon is re-elected, Councilman Rocha will still have two years left in his tenure on the council.

Mayor Diane Chagnon has that key experience and strong voice that represents citizens' concerns when dealing with hard-hitting developers who now see the potential we've seen all along in our city. Mayor Chagnon has delivered in her first term as Mayor in many ways including raising money for youth programs, working to enhance our parks, establishing the $2.5M Canyon City Foundation, signing a 25 year lease with El Proyecto del Barrio health center, pushing for approval of a new Fire Station, Elementary School and nine new parks in the Rosedale development, and leading responsible economic re-development that culminated in over a dozen ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses in downtown Azusa (www.diane4mayor.com).

Although Eminent Domain is a tool this council has available, during Mayor Chagnon's term, the City of Azusa has never acquired a property through the use of Eminent Domain. For example, the City of Azusa's purchase of Ranch Market and the five nearby properties, and Wimpey's Pawn Shop purchase and relocation were both successfully negotiated without the use of Eminent Domain.

Mayor Chagnon, along with Councilman Hanks have done excellent work representing Azusa as a Member of the Joint Powers Authority for the Gold Line Construction Authority. She has earned respect from citizens and endorsements for her re-election from the Mayors of Monrovia (Rob Hammond) and La Verne (John Blickenstaff) who are both part of the Gold Line project as well.

Having either lived, worked or pursued my higher education in Azusa since 1988 I've seen a lot of positive changes and we're not even close to being done. The work Mayor Diane Chagnon, along with Joe Rocha and other key council members have done over the past 10+ years has set the foundation for the downtown renaissance we see today and what we'll see in the future, including hillside preservation and bringing a grocery store to the City of Azusa. Let's keep this momentum going by not breaking up our council's experience base. Please vote March 6th, 2007.

Bill Coats
Boulder Ridge Ct.

[Bill]

(re-posting to your re-posting of my post)

RreyesSGV, responding to your main points here....

"I do believe Chagnon typically takes any development that plops itself down and says yes to it. Take the current Downtown North. Chagnon and her colleagues, with the exception of Rocha, had voted to approve something like 500 condos with several of those being built ON the City Park LAWN behind City Hall! Because that's what the DEVELOPER wanted."

You are referring to the Watt Genton development in the "Downtown North" project area and guess what, Mr. Rocha, along with the other City Council members APPROVED to deal with the developer, Watt Genton - NO ONE HAS VOTED on this part of the plan you are referring to AND, before it is voted on by the council they WILL seek public input, there will be conceptual drawings, etc. Your statement is just a flat out lie.

"And by the way, the mayor owns a good chunk of the property the developer wants to build on...."

Her parents own two properties that are within the area of Downtown North - they are the same two properties that Mr. Rocha voted to include on the eminent domain list as well. YES, JOE ROCHA HAS VOTED TO USE EMINENT DOMAIN. As I said before Eminent Domain is a tool that many Cities use - Azusa has not in the last several years ever used eminent domain (I'm not aware when, if ever they have actually used it). Mayor Chagnon obviously recuses herself from any and all Council discussions related to this property due to the conflict of interest.

"Then there's Vulcan and the mining. I think we should all step back, drive somewhere to take a clear look at what's happening to the mountain.... because you can't always see it that well from inside the Cove. It's disturbing."

I don't know of ANYONE who actually likes what the mining looks like.

"At the Candidate's forum here, Chagnon dodged the question about whether she supported or opposed the mining's expansion. She said we should be concerned about the appearance. We wouldn't need to be concerned if the mining wasn't happening! She made the same comment last election, so why hasn't she voted to do anything about it and why did she accept campaign money from Vulcan? She was asked about that too, and carefully constructed her answer. She said that THIS election she HAS not accepted money from Vulcan (she did not say that she WOULD not, and did not mention that she has accepted THOUSANDS of dollars from them on several previous occasions). Joe Rocha said clearly that he had not accepted money from Vulcan, would not, and that he clearly OPPOSES the mining expansion, period."

Again, no one including Chagnon wants to see additional mining. You realize this issue is headed straight for court right? Vulcan is going to fight for this extra land tooth and nail. It's not about Joe vs. Diane. The City Council approved Vulcan essentially permanent mining rights to mine 200+ acres of land in those mountains, many, many years ago. It's going to take a whole lot to get them out.

"We as residents shouldn't be just handing over all control to developers,"

This is probably the only thing I agree with you on - and to that I ask to you back, when was the last you appeared at a City Council meeting and provided public input?