La Cañada Flintridge Releases 2020 Annual City Manager’s Report

Press release from the City of La Cañada Flintridge:

February 20, 2021

La Cañada Flintridge, CA – At its February 16 meeting, the La Cañada Flintridge City Council reviewed the City Manager’s Annual Report which highlights the efforts, activities and achievements of City staff during 2020. While 2020 was in many ways a year defined by challenges, all City departments adapted to make each day productive and continue the important work of serving the La Cañada Flintridge community.

Highlights from the 2020 report include:

The City was well-positioned to continue service delivery during COVID-19, with technology infrastructure in place to allow for the provision of online City Hall services and virtual public meetings. Information Technology staff implemented several new systems to further modernize City Hall, including upgrades to the ConnectLCF platform and the introduction of the new Citizen Reporter App to facilitate easier communication between the community and City staff.

Outside of City Hall, staff acted quickly to support local businesses on the front lines of the pandemic’s economic impacts through the distribution of one-time grants funded by CARES act dollars and the launch of an ongoing “Shop Local” gift card stimulus program. Community members are still able to purchase $40 gift cards redeemable at participating local businesses to receive an additional $15 bonus card from the City.

Public Works staff made significant progress on Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, including restriping Foothill Boulevard and completing a $1.4 million citywide street resurfacing program. Several additional CIP projects were advanced to the design phase, including street and sidewalk improvements, bike paths and upgrades to local parks and trails.

During the 2020 General Election, the City Clerk’s Office worked closely with County officials to ensure that every La Cañada Flintridge voter had a safe and

accessible means of casting their ballot. The City hosted a County Flex Vote Center along with traditional voting center and secure ballot dropboxes.

Staff worked to increase communications between City Hall and the community in order to advance transparency, information and engagement. Staff continued to upgrade and improve the City’s new website, implementing new features such as the “flash page,” which is frequently updated to prominently display critical emergency communications messages to all site visitors. The City also produced quarterly print newsletters, distributed press releases to local media, grew its social media presence to share notices about public meetings, job openings, emergency preparedness, public health education and other City news.

Throughout the year, the City continued its partnerships with community groups including the Sister Cities Association and the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce. The Council recently issued a proclamation celebrating the work of Sister Cities in promoting intercultural understanding and peace as well as expanding opportunities for youth in La Cañada Flintridge.

2020 By the Numbers

Distributed $15,942 in COVID relief grants to local businesses

Installed 39 Flock Safety Cameras

Resurfaced 2.5 miles of streets

Processed 441 road maintenance requests

Sent 4 “AlertLCF” messages to the community

Issued 1,185 business permits

To view the report in its entirety, visit the City’s website.

This press release was produced by the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The views expressed are the author's own.