El Monte · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in El Monte public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Commissioner Joe Moreno Resigns After a Year of Service
After seven months, the mayor received a District 5 nomination from a resident living outside the district, prompting a call to relax the residency requirement for commission appointments.
Goodies Restaurant Site Redevelopment
The old Goodies restaurant next to City Hall is one step from a new life — declared exempt surplus land so the city can ground lease it to a new restaurant operator.
Open Rewards Citywide Shopping Program
Speakers praised the council's business recognitions and urged more support for struggling local businesses, pointing to the night market and the Local Loop's work.
Tito's Market beer and wine license
The 54-year-old Argentine market on Garvey Avenue can now serve beer and wine with dine-in meals — the first Type 41 license in its census tract. The owner deliberately kept hours at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to preserve the family atmosphere.
Demolition health and safety concerns
A neighbor worried about asbestos, rodents, and dust from demolishing the old house. Staff pointed to conditions limiting construction hours and requiring dust control and fencing.
Municipal code hiring procedure changes
A 25-year-old 'rule of three' requiring three qualified candidates before hiring is being removed, which should speed up recruiting for hard-to-fill jobs like water engineers.
Peck Road shopping center build-out near Target
The shopping center next to Target is moving forward, with Dutch Bros replacing the previously announced Starbucks in a same-footprint building that didn't need new commission approval. Commissioners see it as a sign of growing business interest in El Monte.
Litigation settlement brings $70,000 to the city
The council unanimously settled an existing lawsuit, El Monte v. Si Chong Li, with the city receiving $70,000 rather than paying out.
Candy's Florist relocates within District 5 after 73 years
Longtime local business Candy's Florist is moving from Peck and Garvey to 11103 Garvey Avenue after 73 years, with a grand opening planned — and its first-ever woman owner plans to hire local high schoolers.
Protected tree removal and mitigation
The project removes two protected/heritage trees in the front yard. The applicant must replace them at a two-to-one ratio with four new trees or pay into the city's tree mitigation fund.
Employee wellness and professional development
HR is building a stronger employee wellness program, expanding training, and developing a return-to-work program to cut injury costs.