San Gabriel Valley
Economic Partnership
Sanitation District of Los Angeles Co.
Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District
Stanislawski & Co
West Covina
Related Topics
The City of West Covina uses the “Council-Manager” plan, based
on the business organizational model.
A board of directors, elected by residents, oversees the City; they are
the five-member City Council.
The City Council sets policy and direction for the government and hires
a day-to-day business manager, the City Manager, who uses best business
practices to carry out the Council’s direction. The Council also
hires a City Attorney, who advises the City Manager and the City Council
on legal matters.
The City Manager’s Office uses a Council Action Requests Report
to track Council requests.
In 2000, in addition to the normal workload, the City Manager’s
Office and various departments responded to 600 requests from the City
Council.
Another important element of our city government is the appointed commissions,
which study and advise council members on issues related to their charge.
*The Community Services Commission is responsible for matters that range
from recreational services to public transportation.
*The Personnel Commission reviews matters ranging from the recruitment
and selection process to holding employee hearings.
*The Planning Commission is responsible for investigating, hearing and
recommending to the City Council plans for the improvement and beautification
of the City and a host of zoning-related issues.
*The Senior Citizens Commission is responsible for identifying the needs
of West Covina’s seniors.
*The Waste Management and Environmental Quality Commission is responsible
for the management of hazardous and nonhazardous waste and environmental
quality.
City Council members are your representatives, and all Council members
and City staff are open to your opinions and suggestions. Your involvement
in local government assists us in being more responsive to the needs of
the community.
For more information, call the City Manager’s Office at (626) 814-8401 to request “The Guide to Your City.”
City Clerk-Keeping the record straight
The City Clerk maintains the official records of the City,
coordinates City elections and administers the animal control contract
for West Covina.
This year, the City participated in the Los Angeles County Registrar’s pilot Touch Screen Voting program.
West Covina was one of nine sites in the County participating
in the program. The program permitted any Los Angeles County registered
voter to stop by City Hall anytime during the three weeks prior to the
election and vote for the November presidential election via an electronic
format. More than 3,000 people took advantage of this voting opportunity
at West Covina’s location.
City Clerk Year 2000 Activity Levels include the following:
*City Council agendas prepared
Regular meetings 21
Special meetings 29
*Minutes prepared
All Council meetings 50
All Redevelopment Agency mtgs. 30
*Resolutions adopted 101
*Ordinances adopted 20
*Contracts/agreements executed 65
*Recorded documents 45
*Claims filed against the City 83
City Attorney-Even cities need lawyers
This year, the City Council selected the public agency law firm of Alvarez-Glasman
& Colvin to serve as the City’s legal counsel.
The new City Attorney, Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman, became a vital addition
to the City’s management team. Alvarez-Glasman brings with him more
than 20 years of government experience.
The West Covina-based law firm, with 12 attorneys, specializes in representing
cities and other public agencies. The firm is well-versed in addressing
the dynamic and complex legal issues of the City.
The office of the City Attorney advises the City on problems and issues
ranging from high-profile matters to providing advice on day-to-day routine
questions.
Anytime the City’s legal concerns are in question, we call on the City Attorney.
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How your tax dollars are spent.
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Finance-Show me the money
The Finance Department ensures that all other City departments have the
funds to serve the residents of West Covina.
Finance collects revenue, accounts for it and ensures that money is properly
spent. It also manages the computer information system and provides printing
services for all City departments.
To carry these responsibilities in the year 2000, the Finance Department’s
activities included the following:
*11 audits conducted
*22 financial and compliance reports made
*22,219 cash receipts processed
*7,700 checks issued
*450 purchase orders issued
*4,750 business licenses issued
*280 computers and peripherals maintained
*90 computer classes conducted
*4,200 internal documents reproduced
The Finance Department staff strives to provide complete and accurate
information in a timely manner to both City departments and the public.
They also assist the public by answering questions at the department’s
counter and over the phone.
Staff spent the first part of this year working toward the successful
balancing of the City budget. The City continued to focus on a number
of budget challenges but successfully met them with the adoption of the
2000/2001 budget.
In 1999, the budget document format was updated, making it a more useful management tool for the City Council, the public and staff. Once again, in 2000, the Government Finance Officers Association recognized this budget format, presenting the budget with an award of distinction.
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Division of Staff by Department.
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Personnel-People are their business
The purpose of a City is to provide services; to do that, the best-qualified
people must be recruited, tested and hired. Assembling a top-notch, customer-focused
work-force is the responsibility of the Personnel Department.
Personnel provides consultation, recruitment and selection, organizational
development, labor relations, benefits, employee safety and worker’s
compensation, and general liability prevention and claims management.
In 2000, the City handled 190 recruitments, resulting in 35 new full-time
and 80 new part-time employees.
The receipt of grant funding and an increase in the number of retirements
in the Police and Fire departments kept the Personnel Department busy
with new hires and promotions. Twelve new sworn employees and four non-sworn
employees were hired, and 20 employees were promoted in those departments.
The department also met with five employee associations, coordinated training for the San Gabriel Valley Employee Relations Council and honored 82 longtime employees at the Annual Service Awards Lunch.