April 28, 2010
Duarte City Council Member Lois Gaston Prepares to End her Term as President of California Contract Cities Association
Anyone who knows Duarte City Council member Lois Gaston knows that she wears many hats as both an elected official and consummate community volunteer.
Last year, she added another hat as president of California Contract Cities Association, a collection of 67 member cities, representing more than 10 million residents, that contract with another public or private company for municipal services. Her term as president of CCCA comes to a close in May.
“It has been so rewarding because of the effort and commitment of those people on the executive board and staff, and all of the cities that have demonstrated what collaborative partnerships can accomplish. It’s been a team effort all year,” said Gaston.
Stepping into the job, Gaston stated her focus would be on “R and R,” which in Gaston-speak means revenues and relationships. Under Gaston’s leadership CCCA worked to protect local government dollars, found new revenue sources and strengthened partnerships with the League of California Cities, Independent Cities Association and other municipal groups.
“The relationships that we have expanded upon and revenues that we have helped our cities save capped a banner year for Contract Cities Association,” said Gaston.
Among the major accomplishments:
• The successful culmination of a years-long negotiation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to resolve the Liability Trust Fund issue requiring cities to pay a surcharge into a fund to cover liability claims. CCCA was successful in reducing the Sheriff’s contract surcharge from 6% to 4% and suspending retroactive contributions from Jan. 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010, saving cities millions of dollars.
• Strengthening partnerships with the League of California Cities and the Independent Cities Association to produce a ballot measure aimed for the November 2010 ballot that would close loopholes and prohibit the state from taking, borrowing or redirecting local taxpayer funds dedicated to public safety, emergency response and other vital local government services including redevelopment.
• Launched a new Associate Members Program to develop and foster public and private partnerships between member cities and business community and to provide mutually beneficial resources and services that educate and inform. The new program will also create revenue opportunities and a forum to better serve the goals and priorities of contract cities as well as associate members.
Gaston presided over her final CCCA membership meeting on April 21 with a dinner hosted by the City of Duarte at the City of Hope’s Cooper Auditorium. Among the special guests were L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, County Librarian Margaret Donnellen Todd, and Sheriff’s Temple Station Commander Captain Joseph F. Fennell.
Continuing a tradition begun by fellow Duarte City Council member, Margaret Finlay, when she was president of CCCA, Gaston requested that rather than member cities honoring her with certificates and plaques at the end of her term, that members donate books for teens and young adults to the Duarte Library. So far, 75 new books have been donated to the library. Anyone who would like to join in the effort of helping the Duarte Library to increase its selection of books for teens and young adults can visit the CCCA website at www.contractcities.org and follow the link to the Duarte Library Teen Book Wish List.
In another tribute, close to her heart, Shaffer Ambulance has offered to donate an ambulance in Gaston’s name to Haiti. Arrangements have been made for Highways and Hedges, a missionary group headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, to transport the ambulance to Haiti where it is desperately needed.
Gaston is currently in her second term on the Duarte City Council. She served as mayor in 2006-2007. She represents Duarte on the Gold Line Phase II Joint Powers of Authority, responsible for extending the Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa. Gaston also serves on the board of directors of the Foothill Unity Center which provides families in need with food, clothing and other critical support, and is vice president of the Duarte Education Foundation among her many volunteer community activities.
