We’re completely volunteer run, and don’t have someone to manage our website content right now. To find our most updated info, please see our FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/altadenaNBBA. Thank you!
Author: gnicomo
Library Board Candidate Forum – Your Opportunity to Meet the Candidates : Wednesday, October 3, 2018
The Altadena Library is the only organization we have that is funded only by us in Altadena. Our library has proven itself to be a center of Altadena culture, community, and connection, in addition to be a great place to get books. This upcoming election will be the opportunity for us to strengthen our Library Board of Trustees with many talented people competing for four seats.
While it is a smaller race, towards the end of the ballot, your vote will make a big difference in our community. And Altadenans have a great opportunity to get a real feel for the candidates at NBBA’s Candidate Forum.
Co-hosted by NBBA, league of Women Voters Pasadena Area, and AltadenaElection.org, the event will be an opportunity to hear from the candidates, ask direct questions of the candidates, and come out with a strong idea of the four people you think will best strengthen our Library Board of Trustees.
For updates, please check our FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/altadenaNBBA/
Or say yes to our FaceBook Event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/301135944001364/
Altadena Town Council Election Update – New Council Member Forum on 5/30
5-30-2018 : ATC Election Forum Flyer
Run, Altadena, … run…..? Well, thankfully, three folks stepped up to fill the seats for Council members whose term is up and are not running for reelection. Those not running are Judy Matthews, Nestor de la Torre, and John White. Those stepping up to fill their slots are Jeff Simmonds in 4601, Arron Tschida in 460301, and Antonio Becerra in 4610.
But the ATC found themselves in a conundrum : no actual contested races… does it make sense to hold an election? They weighed the options at the recent Town Council meeting which you can see here [video clip on AltadenaElection.org] – thanks for posting, Eric Pierce.
So there will be no ATC Election this year. Candidates will be installed without election.
NBBA will be hosting our candidate forum at 7pm on Wednesday, May 30th, at the Altadena Community Center. This will still be a great opportunity for people to meet the new Council people and others running for reelection. As always, NBBA’s ATC Election Forum also gives time for all candidates to meet directly with the people from their census tract for discussions on issues and vision, after the more formal “forum” agenda. Please come out this year – with no election we believe this forum is even more important to ensure candidates hear from their constituency. 5-30-2018 : ATC Election Forum Flyer
While many feel the Council has been more responsive to community concerns in the last year, fewer than usual are running this year. Why is that? Does it matter? Is more engagement by Altadenans in our Council Election better for our community? Why? Or Why not?
Very interested in hearing Altadenans’ thoughts.
Run Altadena Run!
Are you interested in getting involved to help your neighbors get to know each other, become more involved, and better informed? Do you want to help figure out solutions to issues in our community? Have you thought about running for Town Council?
This is the year to get involved! At NBBA we are working to ensure broader participation in the Town Council to improve Altadenans’ voices in issues that impact us. Go check out our Altadena Politics page for the latest.
Get to know your ATC Candidates: Thursday, June 1, NBBA Hosting Candidate Forum!
Join your neighbors and meet the candidates for our Town Council! Thursday, June 1, from 7-8:30 at our Altadena Community Center (730 E. Altadena Drive) candidates will answer questions on a panel, and then join residents of their district for conversation.
To get to know your candidate, please see the written answers to the Candidate Survey we asked all candidates to submit by clicking the blue link below. We have provided all the answers we received – enjoy!
ATC Candidate Survey 2017 final
Don’t forget to vote – June 6th or 10th. Details in the previous post: (Upcoming Altadena Election)
Upcoming Altadena Election: Get to know the candidate for your area! (Updated 6/5 – who withdrew, & vote times/locations!)
Altadena Town Council election is around the corner – and some of our neighbors are running for seats to represent us. Voting in this election makes our voice stronger over local issues – and in our contested elections, picking the candidate that you believe will best represent your neighborhood, makes a big difference.
What is my Census Tract?
Our representation areas correspond to our town Census Tracts. To find out your CT, this map is very helpful: http://tinyurl.com/altadena-census-tracts
Who is running?
This information is from the Altadena Town Council website:
|
Census Tract |
Candidates |
| 4601 | No Candidate |
| 4602 | Billy Malone |
| 4603.01 | |
| 4603.02 | Dr. Sandra Thomas |
| 4610 | Veronica Jones, |
| 4611 | Justin Robertson |
| 4612 | No Candidate |
| 4613 | Sylvia Vega |
* Mr. Hobdy and Mr. Musson have withdrawn from the race.
How do I get to know the candidate in my area?
On Thursday, June 1, we held the NBBA’s Candidate Forum at the Altadena Community Center (730 E. Altadena Drive.) Attended by candidates and several current ATC members, as well as a full house of Altadenans, we all got to know our candidates a little better. Most candidates filled out a questionnaire for NBBA that we reprinted here: ATC Candidate Survey 2017 final Read for more information on each candidate. OR watch the video (Thanks Eric Pierce) from the NBBA Candidate Forum – each candidate’s speech is linked to their CT page. http://altadenaelection.org/
When is the election – and where do I vote?
Every Altadena resident 18 or over can vote – all that is needed is something that shows you are a resident here – a bill, or something similar that shows your name and address.
You can vote on June 6th and June 10th. Here are the locations and times:
- Tuesday, June 6th, 10 AM – 7 PM
- Altadena Main Library, Mariposa and Santa Rosa, in the parking lot.
- Saturday, June 10th, 9 AM – 4 PM – Multiple Locations:
- Altadena Main Library, Mariposa and Santa Rosa, in the parking lot.
- Tekeyan Cultural Center, New York Drive and Allen
- Aveson School, Altadena Drive and Lincoln Avenue
- Hoopla, 2591 Fair Oaks
- Gordy’s Garage, Corner of Woodbury and Windsor
How can I get involved?
- Volunteers are needed to help at all of the polling locations on June 6 (Early Voting) and June 10 (Election Day).
- Polls are open on June 6 from 10 am to 7 pm. To sign up to serve, please to to: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e45aea622a3fc1-atcelections
- Polls are open on June 10 from 9 am to 4 pm. To sign up to serve, please go to: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e45aea622a3fc1-altadena
- If you can’t make signupgenius work, call Alison Amegatcher – a member of the ATC Election Committee – at (310) 307-6055.
- Encourage your neighbors to get out to vote. If you are voting, make a plan to take a few neighbors or family members with you.
- If you live in an area where no one is running, consider being the councilperson for your area. The ATC will need to appoint people to the empty posts, so talk to the council about your willingness to represent your community.
Run, Altadena, Run!
Civic engagement makes our community stronger – and our Altadena Town Council (ATC) is critical to our community health! Our ATC has eight census tract districts, and every year one of the two representative seats is up for election.
Last year, only one person ran in each CT area. Without competition, several members were elected with fewer than 5 votes. We believe this hurts our community – if fewer people know what’s happening, then less gets done that’s good for all of us.
Do you have ideas to make Altadena a better place? Do you want to keep your neighbors informed about what’s happening in our town? Have you considered running for Town Council?
You have until May 12th to get your application in. The election is June 6th and June 10th.
If you can’t run, is someone in your census tract running?
Here’s our 8 CT areas: http://tinyurl.com/altadena-census-tracts
Here’s who is currently on the ATC – and who’s seat is up for election this cycle – and who we know is or isn’t running:
|
Census Tract |
Current ATC Reps (* means seat open this year) |
Who is Running in the 2017 Election |
| 4601 | John White | Anne not running again. |
| Anne Chomyn* | ||
| 4602 | Okorie Ezieme | ? |
| Billy Malone* | ||
| 4603.01 | Judy Matthews | ? |
| Damon Hobdy* | ||
| 4603.02 | Gloria Sanmyika | ? |
| Dean Cooper* | ||
| 4610 | Nestor De La Torre | Brent confirmed he will be running. |
| Brent Musson* | ||
| 4611 | Pat Sutherlen | Justin confirmed he will be running. |
| Justin Robertson* | ||
| 4612 | Jennifer Lee | Anne not running. |
| Anne Lansing* | ||
| 4613 | Diane Marcussen | ? |
| Sylvia Vega* |
Here’s where to get the information on the candidate application:
http://altadenatowncouncil.org/2017-atc-elections-all-you-need-to-know/
And for more information on dates, deadlines, the independent Altadena Elections website is very helpful:
http://altadenaelection.org/
And if you are going to run, let us know so we can put your information up on this chart – and we’ll even provide a link to any online information you wish to provide.
Let’s make Altadena better – and get more of us involved!
Time to Get Involved in Local Politics? Consider Running for the Altadena Town Council – and Help Make our Community Better.
On June 10th, 2017, Altadenans will have the opportunity to vote to elect our own community representatives to serve on the Altadena Town Council (ATC). Our all-volunteer Council deals with diverse issues including public safety and development. The people who serve are volunteers – and their work shapes a lot of the big policy issues impacting our community.
Every year, candidates from each of our eight census tract areas can put their hat in the ring, get out and talk to their neighbors, and hope to get the votes to win the two year term to represent their neighborhood.
Are you interested in running? Great! Here are some hints to get started:
- Go to the next ATC meeting, held every third Tuesday of the month, at 7 PM, at the Altadena Community Center, to familiarize yourself with the players and issues. Take some time at the end of the meeting to meet your representatives, and talk to them about what it has been like as a representative, and issues in our town.
- Familiarize yourself with the rules of the ATC, and some of the issues they’ve handled. Our “Altadena Politics” tab has a lot of information and links for you to read up on the Council and its history, including links to maps showing the eight districts within our community.
- Soon, the current ATC will appoint an election committee who will develop a calendar for the June 10th election, including filing deadlines, early voting dates and locations, etc. We will post the information here – but both the ATC website and the independent Altadena Election website will also post information. Stay up on the information so you don’t miss your deadline to file for your candidacy.
- Get to know your neighbors. Do some door-knocking. Start to understand what your neighbors are concerned about, what they care about. Let them know about your intention to run.
On June 1st, NBBA will be hosting a candidate forum, where all candidates will be able to talk with the community about why they are running, what will make them a good council person, as well as hear from the community about what they care about.
Whether you decide to run or not, there are a lot of ways to get involved to help in the election process, and give the feedback our elected council members need to do the best job for our community.
Stay tuned!
Stop Future Monstrosities – Comments from the White Paper Coalition on the new CSD
This Thursday evening, Altadena residents will have their second of three opportunities to air feedback and recommendations on the new Community Standards District – or CSD document – that governs commercial and residential building in Altadena. After more than three years of tireless work, a group of Altadena volunteers – the CSD committee – along with the County Regional Planning Department – anxiously await community comments on the new draft.
The tragic monstrosity currently under construction at Lake and Calaveras certainly helps highlight the importance of the CSD that governs and regulates both commercial and residential buildings in our town. There is no doubt that a stronger version of our current CSD could have prevented some of the unfortunate design flaws of the Lake/Calaveras building, currently under construction.
Our “White Paper” Coalition – a coalition of Altadena organizations with concerns about the Lake/Calaveras development – has put together comments and recommendations regarding the new CSD as well. The coalition includes the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, the Altadena Historical Society, Altadena Heritage, The Altadena Children’s Center director, the Principal, School Site Council, and PTA of Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, as well as NBBA. Our coalition will be presenting the paper publicly at the meeting on Thursday. You can also read our comments here:
Altadena CSD – White Paper Coalition Comments – final
Please join NBBA and other neighbors this Thursday, July 28th, at Eliot Arts Academy on Lake, to give comments and feedback to our local committee and the County Regional Planning Department.
To read the new CSD as well as other official documents related to the process, go to the County website: http://planning.lacounty.gov/altadena
For a comprehensive review of the history and importance of the CSD, Altadena Heritage’s website is supreme: http://altadenaheritage.org/csd-residential-presentation-draft/
Hope to see you there!
Q: How do we stop ugly buildings from being built in our town? A: Our Community Standards District regulations
With the unfortunate design of the Lake/Calaveras development, reviewing the first draft of the new Community Standards District regulations (CSD) could not come at a better time. A community forum where the County shares the revised version will be held at Altadena Elementary School this Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m.
The draft – and the current version of the CSD – is available on the County website, here:
http://planning.lacounty.gov/altadena/documents
Hope to see you on Saturday!
Neighbors Building a Better Altadena 