Trim budget keeps La Cañada healthy

In a relatively painless budget session the morning of June 19, the La Cañada Flintridge City Council moved forward an about $11 million 2008-09 budget that leaves the city with, what Mayor Steve Del Guercio called, “a healthy reserve of north of $14 million.”

Thursday’s early morning meeting was the third budget hearing before the council last week. The next meeting is planned for 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, at which time the council can approve the budget or move on to a fifth meeting on the following day. The proposed budget incorporated previously discussed items and numbers, as well as presentations from 10 community groups requesting council consideration for funds.

After discussion by the council, all 10 of the requests were approved and factored into the proposed budget.

“They’re all great — every one of these groups. We could triple, quadruple or even go 10 times what they are asking and it would all be well spent,” Councilman Greg Brown said of the requests.

The groups requesting funds are: La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Organization, Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, One City, One Book Committee, La Cañada Valley Beautiful, Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA, Leisure Club of La Cañada, La Cañada High School Music Parents Association, La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation and the La Cañada Flintridge Outreach Committee.

Most of the groups had requested less or the same amount of funds from the city as was allotted in last year’s budget.

One of the three exceptions was a request from the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation, the facility of which is owned and maintained by the city of La Cañada Flintridge.

Some council members suggested Lanterman might need to be conducting more fund-raising efforts; however, since the facility is in a residential neighborhood, a conditional use permit would need to be given by the city in order to accommodate that suggestion.

Also, since the facility is primarily volunteer-operated, a staff member isn’t devoted to facilitate fund-raising.

“I’m not a development director, I’m an art historian by training,” Lanterman House executive director Melissa Patton said, after she explained the fund-raising efforts the museum conducts in addition to its regular school tours, community programs and activities.