What makes special, special? or Don't come to City Hall tonight!

Hello Dear Readers!

Do you know what today is?  Yes, March 31 is the anniversary of the Eiffel Tower as well as Cesar Chavez Day and also National Tater Day (baked, fried, mashed and of course, tots!)

Well those are all special in their own way, but its also very special here in Monrovia because there is a Special Meeting of the Monrovia City Council tonight!  So what makes it "special"?  Truly, any time our elected leaders come together to make decisions regarding the future of our town is special and important!  

Not to get too deep into the weeds (as our long time readers know all too well we could), but most public agencies in California are governed by the Brown Act.  Essentially, the main point of the Brown Act is that public agencies exist to conduct public business and that the public has the right to know when and how these decisions are being made...where were we going with this?...oh yes...

So the Brown Act requires that City Councils across California hold "regular meetings" at a regularly established time.  The Monrovia City Council holds its regular meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month.  But sometimes there is a need to hold a meeting in the interim...hence the term, "special meeting".  The meetings still have to be open to the public.  And so finally we come to the point of this whole blog post.

Tonight, the Monrovia City Council will be holding a Special Meeting (same link as above) to receive an update and to discuss potential future response to the COVID-19 crisis.  The Governor's Executive Order has made some emergency modifications to the Brown Act and how public meetings are conducted.

What makes this meeting even more special and certainly unique is that all public participation will be electronic.  The City Council be participating remotely and City Hall will be closed.  We don't recall this ever happening, but drastic times call for drastic measures.  

But this doesn't mean that you can't watch or participate.  There are several ways to participate:

• If you have cable, watch on KGEM (Spectrum Channel 99 or Giggle Fiber Channel 87-2)  
• Live stream online at the Foothill Media website.
• Participate by sending an email to the City Clerk at cityclerk@ci.monrovia.ca.us before 7 PM tonight.  (Sorry, the blog wouldn't allow a direct link).

So, all of that to let you know, don't come to City Hall tonight!  But please, watch your City government in action tonight at 7:30.

And the title?  Some of you old school cartoon fans may get the gentle nod to The Bullwinkle Show...until next time.

A Song and More Covid-19 Tips - Ah-ah, _Oh - oh.

Have you seen Disney’s Frozen 2?

***Advertisement: The movie is now available on Disney Plus and Prime!!***

You know the song Into the Unknown, Ah-ah, _oh – oh…?

I bet your kids do?!

Well, Your Monrovia Planners have a New Rendition!  

We beat you to it, Weird Al Yankovic!

Ah – ah, _ oh – oh.   Safer at Home.  __ Ah – ah,_ oh-oh.

Safer at HOmE. Safer at Home.  Safer at HoOOome

Ah-ah, _ oh-oh.

Happy Monday, Community of Monrovia! You may be thinking, what on earth has gotten into those Monrovia Planners…?  Well, it has been quite a week for us and undoubtedly for you too! 

Although this time of COVID-19 feels like we are all going Into the Unknown, we must persevere and remember, we are in this together!

Your Monrovia Planning team has been working remotely (also known as at home) for one entire week now...And, we are forging ahead into another work week. 

The initial thought of working from home sounded horribly lonely to us. But now that we have an entire week under our belt, we are feeling UNSTOPPABLE!! 

Although we are not physically at City Hall, we are still connected and available to you! We continue to exist to serve you, the people of Monrovia, to create a community that offers a premiere quality of life!   

So, you may be thinking…how are you doing this?

Well, since a many of us never learned how to whistle, we instead find joy in SINGING while we work!

Try singing with us!  

Safer at HOmE, Safer at Home, Safer at HoOome…. 

Ah-ah,_oh-oh.

We have also been singing:

Working from HOmE, Working from Home, Working from HoOOME… Ah-ah, _oh-oh.. Ah-ah,_oh-oh.

In all seriousness, we know that Covid-19 is a serious public health emergency. This time of unknown and uncertainty has created much anxiety – for all of us. 

Part of doing our best to create a community that offers a premiere quality of life is doing our best to lift you up!  This week, your planners want to share what we learned while working and just being at home…All… Day…Long! 

Here is this week’s top five list of creative things to do at home!

Stay Connected!  The planning team is using Zoom, Facetime, e-mail, text, and phone to stay connected. The technology we have at our fingertips is great! If there is a young-in in your household or a millennial in your office, they can help get you set-up. My tween has been invaluable during this time! 

Learn a new skill, like sewing! My daughter and I pulled out grandma’s sewing machine on Saturday and tried it out! Grandma showed us how to thread a bobbin! And after all that bobbin thread-in we managed to sew a few face masks under her supervision.  These masks are great to use when you go out to the grocery store. If you know how to sew, make a few masks for your neighbors. Leave them on their doorstep with a little note! 

Make Waffles!  This past Christmas my parents gave me a waffle maker. I will be honest…the first thought I had on December 25^th was…What on earth will I ever do with a waffle maker? My family always buys frozen waffles from Ralphs.  Well, now that grocery stores are out of frozen waffles, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am using that waffle maker!!  Did a loved one give you waffle maker for Christmas? Maybe it is time to send them a Thank You Card?

Pulling Weeds can be FUN! After this last week of rain, you may now have more weeds in your garden. With our gyms closed, pulling weeds is a creative way to build upper body strength. It will allow you to also work in some squats. If you have a lot of weeds, pulling them will help pass time…and once you get started, it may just become your new pastime!

Pulling weeds like the one on the far left are the type that build upper body strength.

Set-up Your Home Office! Home offices come in all different shapes and sizes. Find a place in your house that brings on creative energy! Here are some pics of your planners’ home offices! This is where we are working to continue to serve you with your planning needs.

We miss seeing you in person.

Be well, Stay Safe, and Stay Home!