By Brandon HENSLEY

The rain season is just around the corner, and preparations for it in the Foothill area were the main topic at the Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting Aug. 19 in the community room of the La Crescenta Library.
Christopher Stone, who represented the Water Resources Division for the Department of Public Works, was on hand to give a slideshow presentation on what Public Works has been doing to the local debris basins for the storm season: namely, enlarging them.
At Pickens Canyon, the outlet tower is being raised five feet, and the channel walls two feet. Stone said the basin will be retrofitted by Oct. 11, and that its cubic yards will also be enlarged. Construction started at the end of July.
At the Pinelawns basin, the outlet tower will be raised by five feet as well. It will have another 1,600 cubic yards added to it. Construction will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15.
At Starfall debris basin, the cubic yardage will expand to 28,300. Public Works is currently removing existing debris barrier posts, and reconstructing the access road. Work is expected to be done by Oct. 15
Above Upper Canyonside (Briggs Terrace), a culvert is being planned to put into place. Stone said it will be a 72-inch diameter corrugated metal pipe across the access road of the Crescenta Valley Water District. CVWD has agreed to split the cost of the project, said Stone.
Later Stone was asked about the extended presence of K-rails in the upper regions. He said they were still necessary, even if less heavy rains come this season.
“[If] we get similar storms this coming year,” Stone said, “we want to make sure what we designed up there worked.”
Stone said it is possible the rails could be there another four years. “I would say bear with it a couple more years.”
Stone also addressed the issue of the surrounding areas at Deukmejian Wilderness Park. Those areas have become
sediment placement areas, Stone said, which is needed for possible heavy rains.
Stephanie English, spokesperson for the L.A. County Fire Department, introduced Bill Niccum, who took over as assistant fire chief this summer, replacing John Gee.
Niccum has 37 years in fire experience, and before this job was the department’s director of Emergency Medical Services Bureau.
Niccum said how happy he was to there, and promoted the county’s wildfire action plan, “Ready, Set, Go,” created last year to help residents on hillsides properly protect their homes from fires.
“A large part of that is outreach,” Niccum said. “We want to reach out to you and be accessible, and we want to focus heavily on our ‘Ready, Set, Go’ program.”
Councilwoman Danette Erickson reminded the audience that Town Council elections are coming up. She said six current members will be returning – Steve Goldsworthy, Robbyn Battles, Robert Thomas, Todd Thornbury and Erickson herself – but that the other spots will be open for voting.
There were applications to run on a table in the back of the room. Erickson said elections will be held at the library on Nov. 6. The deadline to run is Oct. 17, and a candidate forum will be held Oct. 21, also at the library.
The next CVTC meeting will be in the La Crescenta Library community room on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.

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