City Council news: Weekly Farmer's Market proposed

In its second season, the Night Market at the summertime Concert under the Stars series each week has been received by residents enthusiastically. So much so that the city council discussed a proposal by city staff during the monthly council study session to launch a weekly Farmer's Market.

City staff proposes holding the Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Civic Center Plaza between the library and City Hall and in a portion of the parking lot east of the library.

Staff has suggested the market be held in the morning extending into the early afternoon each Wednesday to coincide with the popular Toddler Storytime at the library.

La Mirada businesses and vendors would have priority to operate at the Market. 

City staff estimates the farmers market could be operational as early as this October.

Courtesy: City of La Mirada

Changes proposed to boost attendance to Salute to Veterans.

City staff is also proposing several changes to its annual Salute to Veterans traditionally held at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts in November.

Attendance at the annual event has fallen in recent years due to the aging of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War vets according to a report prepared for the city council. About 235 people attended the most recent ceremony in November 2019 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

The report recommends shifting the ceremony away from the theatre with its seated capacity of 1,251 to the Civic Center Plaza where a scaled-down event was held outside due to Covid-19 and was well attended. 

Civic Center Plaza, located between City Hall and the county library is also the site of the Eternal Memorial Flame that has the names of all fallen La Mirada service members from 1960, the date of incorporation inscribed on it.

Also proposed is shifting the patriotic ceremony to Veteran's Day 11:11 a.m. from Monday evenings enabling more to attend due to the day being a federal holiday.

File Photo: John Lewis, La Mirada Mayor in 2010, speaks at the abbreviated
Salute to Veterans as State Sen. Bob Archuleta at right looks on

Also:

The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that designates when city elections will be held to adhere to a state law mandating local elections be held on the same date as state primaries except during years when there was a presidential election when they should be held on the date of the presidential primary.

Elections for city council District 1 and 2 will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March commencing in 2022, and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in District 3, 4, and 5 commencing in 2024.

The council will also shift the meeting it chooses its mayor and mayor pro-tem to its first council meeting in June each year.

Final passage will occur at the next council meeting on Tuesday, August 24.

Also on August 24, the city council will hold a public hearing on a proposal to permanently remove the three traffic signals on Firestone Bl. North and replace them with stop signs.

The signals at Gateway Dr. and the driveway to Northwoods Inn are currently on flashing red, and the signal at Trojan Way was removed due to the realignment of Firestone Bl. North as part of the I-5 widening project.

Three-way stop signs controls are already in place at Trojan Way and Firestone Bl North.

The Public Safety and Traffic Commission approved the proposal at its July 22 meeting.

File Photo:  Firestone Blvd and Trojan Way

(March 2021)