ARLETA : More City Services Expected by Official

With a new mayor and councilman in charge, the head of the Arleta Chamber of Commerce believes that the community will no longer be shortchanged when it comes to vital city services.

President Jose Bonilla expressed optimism that Councilman Richard Alarcon and Mayor Richard Riordan will ensure that Arleta receives its fair share of services, from more police to regular street maintenance.

“A lot of our streets need to be repaved,” said Bonilla, who heads the 130-member organization. “When you drive down Woodman Avenue, it’s like a war zone with all the pockmarks.”

Besides more police and cleaner streets, Bonilla’s list of most pressing concerns includes economic development, the proliferation of graffiti, enforcement of local zoning laws and the licensing of illegal street vendors.

“They’re opening their businesses right in front of your house in some cases,” Bonilla said. “It causes a lot of anger between vendors and residents.”

After a brief discussion with Alarcon on a possible joint meeting of all the chamber organizations in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, Bonilla is hopeful that Alarcon will take a more active approach in dealing with the needs and concerns in each community. “He’s probably going to listen and he has the energy to make it happen,” he said.