Neighborhood Watch Among Topics at La Mesa Town Hall Meeting

Unfunded pension liability was the first issue raised at the January 20 La Mesa Town Hall Meeting held at Maryland Avenue Elementary School. Other concerns voiced by residents ranged from crime and traffic to the city council’s views about gun control.

The two-hour meeting attracted more than 40 people. Mayor Art Madrid acknowledged the pension issue and invited residents to a March budget workshop. He urged residents to become involved with Neighborhood Watch, a program that could assist in emergency preparedness.

Police chief Alan Lanning and city manager David Witt described methods of staying informed that included receiving emails and text messages about crime alerts and neighborhood events. Traffic issues included a woman’s request to lower the speed limit on Lake Murray Boulevard to 35 miles per hour. Witt said speed-limit rules were complicated and constrained by state laws.

A man referred to the Arizona shootings and asked about the council’s “feelings about guns and gun control.” Issues like mental illness need to be addressed, said councilman Dave Allan. He later announced that the La Mesa portion of Fletcher Parkway becomes Veterans Memorial Parkway on June 3.

Pictured: Police chief Alan Lanning