Claremont mayor chosen tonight

Photo Courtesy//Steven Felschundneff

The Claremont City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 19 to elect one of its own as the new town mayor and mayor pro tem.

In contract to other cities, the city of Claremont has long held a tradition of electing the mayor from among the city council membership. This year the tradition continues.  Larry Schroeder will pass the torch after a year as Claremont’s mayor. The appointments take place at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 225. W. Second St. 

Have an opinion on Claremont's public art? Share it.

For years, Claremont has found pride in its works of public art, from the John Fisher sculpture at Shelton Park to the red-and-white steel display by Christina Cassaro on the southeast corner of Indian Hill and Harrison. 

The city is looking to add to its colorful works of art, and is seeking input from the public. 

Local officials and a hired consultant are in the process of creating a Public Art Master Plan for the city of Claremont. Through the plan, the city seeks to create a "unified community vision"in regards to public art, and create a framework for the selection and placement of future art displays throughout the community. 

The consultant is looking for advice from the public as she embarks on creating the master plan. She will hold a public meeting this Wednesday, March 20, at 6:30 p.m. and welcomes input from the community. The meeting will take place in the Padua Room of the Alexander Hughes Community Center. Comments and questions may also be submitted by e-mail to Melissa Vollaro, community and human services manager, at mvollaro@ci.claremont.ca.us or by phone at 399-5490.

City seeks to add to its staff

The city of Claremont is looking for new recruits. Here’s a list of a few of the open positions:

“Fleet Maintenance Supervisor (full-time): Provides routine maintenance and repair of city vehicles, oversees the purchase of fuel, including CNG, and maintains an inventory of parts and supplies. The division maintains approximately 175 vehicles and equipment operated by the Police Department, Inland Valley Humane Society, Maintenance Division and Solid Waste Division. Responsibilities include, but not limited to, participating in the selection and training of personnel; establishing daily work priorities and assigning service orders to fleet maintenance personnel. He/she will also participate in the evaluation of assigned personnel; establish performance requirements and personal development targets; write specifications and participate in the bid process to purchase new vehicles and equipment; manage the city’s California Highway Patrol terminal inspection program to ensure compliance, along with other inspections/compliance required by outside agencies; and assist in budget preparation and monitoring. Salary: $5,517 - $6,665 per month. Recruitment Closing: April 2, 2013 at 1 p.m.

Assistant Engineer (full-time): Perform professional engineering work in the design, construction and maintenance of public works projects. The assistant engineer will assist in implementing development review, engineering plan check, infrastructure design and field support. Some of the higher profile and exciting engineering projects underway include the Sewer Master Plan study, the Foothill Boulevard Master plan and related improvement projects, various traffic signal upgrades, bicycle and pedestrian related projects and street resurfacing work. He/she will assist with overseeing new development in Claremont, perform complex professional engineering work, perform field inspections when necessary and provide customer service. This position requires considerable knowledge of all aspects of civil engineering, including land development, traffic engineering and planning, design, construction, and maintenance of a wide variety of civil engineering projects. Salary: $5,685 - $6,868 per month. Recruitment Closing: April 3, 2013 at 1 p.m.

Reserve Police Officer: Volunteer positions in the Police Department. The Claremont Police Department consists of 36 sworn police officers and 24 non-sworn positions, with a variety of volunteer programs, such as reserve police officers, retired senior volunteer patrol, explorer scouts, and the Traumatic Intervention Program. Reserve police officers supplement regular officers and non-sworn personnel in a variety of functions. Duties of a reserve police officer include, but are not limited to: patrol, traffic, and crowd control; investigation of crimes; apprehending criminals; writing reports; jail assignments; communication center duties; giving testimony; and assisting the public. Reserve officers are asked to work a minimum of 16 hours each month. Salary: Volunteer position.”

View these positions on the city’s website at www.ci.claremont.ca.us/jobs.cfm.

Noted Congressional Scholar to give weekend talk

Norman Ornstein, co-author of the New York Time’s bestseller It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism, will speak this Sunday, March 17, at the Claremont United Church of Christ, 233 W. Harrison Ave. The event begins at 7 p.m.

In his best seller, Mr. Ornstein and congressional scholar Thomas Mann argue that 2 overriding problems have led Congress and the United States to the brink of institutional collapse. Mr. Ornstein offers solutions to the problem.

Mr. Ornstein’s lecture is the fourth in the “Agenda for a Prophetic Faith” lecture series, a program of Progressive Christians Uniting (PCU) centered on social action. 

Tickets for the lecture are $10. Low income and scholarship tickets are available. For more information, contact John Forney at JForney170@aol.com or Vern Visick at vmvisick@gmail.com. For more on the series, visit www.agendaforapropheticfaith.com.

Opening date of Claremont Wilderness Park lot is set

Photo Courtesy//Steven Felschundneff

City officials have finally released a date for the opening of the newly expanded parking lot at the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park. City Manager Tony Ramos announced that the north lot will officially open Friday, March 22.

However, in order to prepare for the opening, the Wilderness Park will have to close first. The city will shut off access to the park entirely on Wednesday and Thursday, March 20 and 21 as construction is finalized. In addition to park closure, Mills Road north of Mt. Baldy and the Wilderness Park’s south lot at Mills and Mt. Baldy will also be closed to traffic. 

Parking restrictions on Mills and Mt. Baldy along with enforcement of the new parking lot permits and metered parking will begin on April 1, according to the city. Annual permits are now available at Claremont City Hall and the Alexander Hughes Community Center for $75 each. Claremont residents may obtain a maximum of 2 free passes by presenting an id or utility bill. City Hall is located at 207 Harvard Ave. The Hughes Center is at 1700 Danbury Rd. For more information, call the city at 399-5460.