Mayor James Bozajian's March 19 Letter To The Community

Press release from Mayor Bozajian:

March 22, 2021

Good morning,

Kindon Meik began his tenure as our new City Manager this week. Choosing the right City Manager is one of the most important decisions a City Council makes. Calabasas had four City Managers in its 30-year history prior to Kindon joining us. This turnover rate is about average. According to statistics compiled a while back by the League of California Cities, City Managers tend to serve 5-10 years in any one position.

The news on COVID is moving in the right direction. As expected, Los Angeles County now sits in the “Red Tier” within California’s color-coded system. We are still far from out of the woods but being in the Red Tier means a restaurant is allowed to have indoor dining and movie theaters are open. The rate of COVID infection, hospitalizations, and deaths are way down from levels in late December and January. In fact, levels are so much lower, the County is actually not far away from moving up again into the less-restrictive “Orange Tier.” The County, working with the State, makes that call, and not an individual city such as Calabasas.

For Calabasas residents, this is certainly good news as more people are getting vaccinated against COVID. But remember that even though you may have received one or both doses of vaccine and are considered fully vaccinated, you should continue to wear face coverings and observe social distancing protocols.

A few businesses are starting to re-open, but municipal buildings are closed for now. City Hall, the Senior Center, and the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center are still closed. The Municipal Library is closed but may re-open sometime in April. Our other parks and recreational facilities, including the Tennis & Swim Center, have been open for a while. For the latest information on restrictions at these and other municipal facilities, go to our web site at www.cityofcalabasas.com.

We have a busy agenda at next week’s City Council meeting. Among many other items, the Council will consider taking formal positions on several bills pending in the State Legislature affecting housing; address what kinds of City-sponsored events and activities Calabasas can offer to the community for the balance of this year; weigh proposed revisions to the Calabasas Municipal Code pertaining to wireless telecommunications facilities; and receive a presentation from a representative of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Lastly, I want to let everyone know that Metro --- the government agency that oversees the operation of public transportation (e.g., trains and buses) in Los Angeles County --- is studying a “Fareless System Initiative.” Metro has tentatively decided to roll out a fareless pilot program to provide free rides on buses and rail service for low-income riders starting in January 2022, which would be expanded to all K-12 students in August 2022. At the conclusion of the pilot in June 2023, Metro will evaluate the possibility of a fully fareless system for all. A Telephone Town Hall meeting is set for 6:30pm on March 31st to discuss the initiative and receive public input. There are three ways to participate in the March 31st meeting:

1. To pre-register and receive a phone call when the Town Hall begins, register at: https://tthm.wufoo.com/forms/metro-telephone-town-hall-signup/
2. To listen in live the day of, call 888.400.1932 (English) or 888.400.9342 (Spanish) at 6:30pm
3. Join via your web browser: http://bit.ly/fareless

Until next week,

James R. Bozajian
Mayor
City of Calabasas

This press release was produced by Mayor Bozajian. The views expressed here are the author's own.