[00:00:06]
GOOD EVENING.[Call to Order]
WELCOME TO THE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL MEETING.TODAY IS NOVEMBER 21ST, 2023, AND, UH, IT IS 7:00 PM AND MY NAME IS ROSARIO DIAZ, AND I AM THE CENTENNIAL MAYOR.
TONIGHT'S INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY PASTOR EZRA LAKO FROM VICTORY OUTREACH WEST COVINA, AND ANTHONY CALDERON TABBA WILL BE, WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA, PERFORMED BY WEST COVINA OWN MS. RAYA ZAYA.
IT'S SO AWESOME TO BE HERE WITH EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT.
RIGHT BEFORE WE PRAY, THERE'S A SCRIPTURE IN LUKE TWO SEVEN WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE NIGHT THAT JESUS WAS BORN AND HE CAME INTO THE WORLD AND THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR HIM AT THE END.
AND AS WE APPROACH THE HOLIDAY SEASONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT BY PRAYING IS WE'RE MAKING ROOM FOR GOD.
AND, AND I'M JUST SO BLESSED BY THAT HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD STEP IN.
WE KNOW THAT THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSS HERE IN OUR CITY HALL, THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE AT THE FEET OF OUR LEADERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE DON'T WANNA PRETEND THAT WE CAN DO IT ON OUR OWN, THAT WE HAVE THE, THE STRENGTH IN OUR OWN.
SO WE, WE CALL ON YOU TONIGHT AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD FILL THIS PLACE, THAT YOU WOULD FILL OUR HEARTS, THAT YOU WOULD LEAD US AND GUIDE US IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO TONIGHT.
EVERYONE PUT YOUR RIGHT, RIGHT HAND ON YOUR HEART.
READY? BEGIN A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE RECEIVAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HELD AT THE LIGHTS LAST CLEAN, WHOSE BROAD STRIP AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE NIGHT NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE.
THE GOD BLESS AMERICA LAND THAT I LOVE.
[00:05:01]
AND GUIDE HER THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE, FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE PRAIRIE TO THE OCEANS.WHITE WITH MY THAT WE LOVE EDUCATION.
START A BUSINESS, RAISE A FAMILY, OWN A HOME.
KIDS AND SENIORS, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
HUNDRED YEARS NOW GOING STRONG.
UM, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
UH, TONIGHT'S, UH, TONIGHT'S CLOSED SESSION WAS CANCELED.
UM, WE HAVE A, UM, PROCLAMATION.
[PRESENTATIONS]
UM, THIS IS A PROCLAMATION FOR, UM, DECLARING DJ PHIL AS THE VOICE OF WEST COVINA.SO PHIL GREW UP IN LYON, I THINK IT'S LINCOLN HEIGHTS.
AND HIS MOM WOULD TELL THE STORY OF HER LITTLE BOY DANCING TO ANY MUSIC HE LISTENED TO.
HE BECAME INTERESTED IN DJ MUSIC DURING HIS FIRST SCHOOL DANCE AND DECIDED TO TRY HIS HAND AT DJING IN 1983.
HIS FIRST RADIO DJ SET WAS ON RADIO STATION KDAY, AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
PHIL ANNOUNCED WEST COVINA BRUINS GAMES AND IS INVOLVED IN THE OPENING CEREMONIES FOR BASEBALL AT RADO PARK BASKETBALL AT CAMERON PARK, FOOTBALL AT CORTES PARK AND SOCCER AT EDGEWOOD.
HE HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED AT THE STAPLES CENTER, THE TOYOTA CENTER, THE ROSE BOWL, AND EL CAMINO COLLEGE.
PHIL IS ACTIVE IN MANY CITY EVENTS, INCLUDING DJING AT THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES, SENIOR CENTER EVENTS, THE SPRING CARNIVALS FESTIVAL OF FRIGHTS AND THE WINTER HOLIDAY EVENTS.
I, ROSARIO DIAZ, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, DO HERE PRO HEREBY PROCLAIM DJ PHIL, A DEDICATED RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA FOR 31 YEARS.
THE VOICE OF WEST COVINA ON THE 27TH OF JUNE.
SO NOW, UH, UNFORTUNATELY HE WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, SOMETHING ON THE, UH, THERE HE IS.
UH, WELL, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ANY OF OUR EVENTS, YOU KNOW THAT HE HAS A POWERFUL VOICE.
IT MEETS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZED HIM AND, AND I THINK HE IS THE, UH, THE VOICE OF WEST COVINA.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE PROCLAIM, WE MADE THIS PROCLAMATION FOR HIM.
[00:10:01]
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON NOW.WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UM, CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION TESTING.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE RAYA UP HERE.
RAYA ATTENDS EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND HAS BEEN OUR FEATURE SOLO WEST FOR OVER A YEAR.
SHE SANG AT THE CENTENNIAL AND IS SPOTLIGHTED AT VARIOUS CENTENNIAL EVENTS.
I HAVE TO SAY, SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND I SELECTED HER BECAUSE I WANTED HER TO SING.
UM, IT'S A SONG THAT WE CREATED AND I'M VERY PROUD OF IT, AND SHE SANG.
SO WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO RE AYA CELEBRATING THE ONLY WEST COVINA CENTENNIAL SOLOIST.
AH, I LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO CONTINUE SERVICING MY COMMUNITY, UM, WHETHER IT IS JUST WITH PERFORMANCE, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS ARE SO IMPORTANT AND VITAL IN COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T LET THE ARTS DIE OUT, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS.
UM, SCHOOLS WHERE I GOT MY START IN PERFORMING AND I WOULD BE NOWHERE WITHOUT MY TEACHERS WHO HAVE HELPED ME AND WITHOUT MY MOM WHO I LOVE VERY MUCH.
UM, IT'S REALLY ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE SUPPORTIVE FAMILIES.
A LOT OF THE TIMES FAMILIES ARE NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE OF CHILDREN WHO WANT TO PURSUE THE ARTS, BUT MY FAMILY IS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN WITH ME THROUGH EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND SO IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO RECEIVE THIS AND TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT I LOVE TO DO AND WHAT I HOPE BRINGS JOY TO OTHERS.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO, UH, PRESENT SOME CERTIFICATES TO THE, UM, CITIZEN ACADEMY GRADUATES.
DO YOU WANT ME TO HOPE THEY'RE ALL HERE? THE CITIZENS ACADEMY IS A 10 WEEK PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE WEST COVINA RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES FIRSTHAND INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A CERTIFICATE TO THE FOLLOWING GRADUATES FROM THE MARCH ACADEMY.
FIRST ONE IS MARTIN ALEX LOPEZ.
MARTIN, ARE YOU HERE? COME ON DOWN.
OH, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO INVITE TONY CORTINA, OUR ACTING CHIEF.
UM, GABRIELA SOLIS, CARLOS ESTRADA, CHERYL LYNN.
RIO CONTOS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS OLI
OLI ALEX, JOHN BARRA, NORMA CASTANERA,
[00:15:02]
AND ERICA MORPHIN CARDENAS, UM, ACTING CHIEF.WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? OH, SURE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU AGAIN.
THIS WAS AN ACTUALLY VERY INTENSE 10 WEEK PROGRAM WITH MANDATORY, UH, ATTENDANCE FOR EACH SESSION.
AND THE CITIZENS ACADEMY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE ARE ABOUT, WHICH IS TO PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, AND ALSO TO GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEVELOP OUR RELATIONS, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND INCREASE OUR ENGAGEMENT.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE DOING THIS.
AND I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY ONE THING, IF I MAY, TO, UH, CARING.
AFTER COMPLETING THE, UH, CITIZENS ACADEMY, KAREN LEARNED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, APPLIED TO BECOME ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, UM, TO, TO WORK AT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY TODAY SHE IS AN OFFICIAL VOLUNTEER FOR THE, THE WEST COVINO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE VERY PROUD FOR YOU TO BE PART OF OUR TEAM.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE, UH, PARTICIPANTS.
THIS WAS A, UH, 10 WEEK, LIKE YOU SAID, INTENSIVE, UH, PROGRAM.
UH, THEY WERE TAUGHT A LOT OF THINGS THAT KNOW HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATES ON WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS TO HELP SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY DID WONDERFUL.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST REALLY PRIDE OURSELF IN AND IN BRINGING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY AND BRINGING 'EM TO, UH, SHOW THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT WE DO AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO, UH, THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE SERGEANT MIKE WEATHERMAN.
UM, THIS WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK AND PLANNING AND COORDINATION, UM, TO MAKE THIS SUCH A, A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
I WANNA THANK EVERYONE AND CONGRATULATE EVERYONE FOR, FOR DOING THIS, UH, UM, CONDUCTING THIS ACADEMY AND, AND GRADUATING.
I, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR, OUR CITY.
AND I WANT TO THANK OUR WEST COA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR HELPING OUT AND DOING THIS AND HAVING THIS EVENT.
DO YOU WANNA TAKE A PICTURE? SURE.
NOW I, MIKE, I KEEP FORGETTING THAT THING.
NOW I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, SOPHIA LEE, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE C-A-A-W-C TO THE FRONT, PLEASE.
HOW ARE YOU, SOPHIA? IT WILL BE PRESENTING SOME, UM, CHECKS.
SO I'M REALLY PROUD AND HAPPY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO SPONSOR OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY REALLY NEED IT, AND IT'S TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. AND I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH GETTING SPONSORSHIPS FROM ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPONSOR AND GIVE SOME CHECKS OVER TO OUR CHILDREN.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? OKAY.
UH, IT'S MY HONOR TO, UH, REPRESENT, UH, CHINESE AMERICAN, UH, WEST COVINA ASSOCIATION.
IT'S CALLED AMERICAN CHINESE, UH, ASSOCIATION OF WEST COVINA.
IT'S NOT MYSELF,
TO BE HERE TO, UM, REPRESENT THE, THE, UH, CHINESE YEAH, THIS, THE ASSOCIATION.
UH, ACTUALLY, WE, WE SHOULD DO THAT.
UM, OUR, UH, ORGANIZATION, IT'S BEEN ABOUT FEW YEARS AND, UM, YEAH, WE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKE THE COMMUNITY MADE THE, UM, UH, OUR,
[00:20:01]
OUR CITY, UH, THE LIFE MUCH BETTER.SO TONIGHT, UH, TONIGHT I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY TO DONATE THE FOUR CHECKS.
EACH CHECK IS, UH, $1,000, UH, FROM OUR ASSOCIATION, UH, TO THEM.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, H WORD HIGH SCHOOL BANK.
THIS IS, UH, FROM OUR ORGANIZATION TO YOU.
DO YOU WANNA STAY HERE? THANK YOU.
YOU WANT EVERYBODY TOGETHER FIRST AND THE SECOND ONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THIS CHECK TO, UM, BALLET, UH, FOR LOCA FOR LOCO INTERNATIONAL.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE, IT'S, UM, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL BAND.
DO YOU WANT IT? NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
UM, IT'S TO, UH, SOUTH HILL HIGH SCHOOL BAND,
THANK YOU FOR ME MAKING THE CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY BETTER AND BETTER.
WAIT, DO YOU REPRESENT MICROPHONE? WOULD YOU LIKE THE MIC WOULD SAY THREE WORDS? UH, YEAH.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, OF COURSE THE DONOR FOR THIS.
AND, UH, WE JUST ACTUALLY COMPLETED OUR SEASON.
WE CAME OUT SIX, BUT ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND WE'RE WELL RECOGNIZED ALL OVER THE REGION, AND WE'RE JUST SO PROUD TO BE PART OF WEST COVINA.
SO, ON BEHALF OF, UH, UH, SOUTH HILLS AND THE BAMB BOOSTER, WE WANNA THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ESPECIALLY THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO, I THINK JUST REITERATING, REITERATING WHAT I SAID EARLIER, UM, REALLY IT'S JUST SUPPORTING THE ARTS IS SO, SO IMPORTANT.
UM, 'CAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW, UM, AS WELL AS I SING, I ALSO PLAY IN MY SCHOOL'S BAND, SO, UM,
SO, UM, AND IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN MY BAND, AND OUR DIRECTOR IS SO AMAZING.
SO THIS MONEY IS DEFINITELY GONNA GO TO GOOD USE, AND WE ARE SO EXCITED JUST TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR CITY, AND TO REPRESENT OUR SCHOOL AS BEST AS WE CAN.
MS. PARRA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YES.
AND I WANNA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE NO WORDS OF APPRECIATION ON BEHALF OF ALI FORICO, INTERNATIONAL AND WEST COVINA DANCE COMPANY.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR THIS CHECK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GONNA MAKE FOR US.
SO, AGAIN, IF YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST TIME, I WANNA TELL YOU THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE REPRESENTING WEST COVINA IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND WE'RE GONNA DANCE FOR THE FIRST, FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, UH, BALLET FOLK CLERICO, WHICH IS FOLKLORE MEXICAN FOLK CLERICO.
IT'S GOING TO REPRESENT, UH, UH, REPRESENT US IN, UH, NEW YORK CITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO EACH PEN HAS BEEN SO HARD, AND LIKE SHE SAID, UH, FINE ARTS IS SO HARD.
AND NOW I SEE A LOT OF SUPPORT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
AND RIGHT NOW I'M TEACHING MY MONTE VISTA, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I, UH, MY DAUGHTER DOES COME FROM NEW NEW YORK, UH, LAST NIGHT, AND THIS MAYBE SHE CAN SEE YOU DANCING IN, UH, NEW YORK.
[00:25:04]
THANK YOU.BEFORE MOVING ON TO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE AN ADJOURNMENT.
JOSEPH CHAMAS, WHO WAS MY NEIGHBOR FOR FOUR, FOR 17 YEARS, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER THE 15TH, AT THE AGE OF 105.
YEAH, HE HAS SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING WIVE, ZALEA, AND MANY GENERATIONS OF NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
MR. CHAMAS WAS BORN IN SUDAN, AFRICA, AND RAISED IN ALEP, ALEPPO, SYRIA.
HE IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1949, WHERE HE LIVED IN NEW YORK AS A BANKER UNTIL HE RETIRED.
IN JANUARY OF 1984, HE MOVED TO WEST COVINA TO BE CLOSER TO HIS FAMILY.
[ORAL COMMUNICATIONS]
OKAY, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.UM, PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR ORANGE CARD IF YOU WANNA ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
AND WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME BEING, BEING CALLED, PLEASE START LINING UP IN THE CENTER ROW.
THE TIMER WILL START WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
HOW MANY SPEAKERS? WE HAVE FIVE SPEAKER CARDS, MAYOR.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS R ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY JOHN SHOEMAKER, FOLLOWED BY ELSIE MESSMAN.
HAPPY EARLY, UH, THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY.
UM, STANDARD OPERATIONS NOW, UH, INCLUDE OPEN NATIONAL BORDERS, UNRESTRICTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND MARSHALL LAW.
NO BORDERS MEAN WE ARE NO LONGER A NATION LIVING UNDER LAW, INSTEAD, UNDERCOVER OF A SCAM, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
USING THIRD WORLD, UM, GOVERNMENT PRACTICES, UM, INCREASING TYRA IS ACCOMPLISHED MARTIAL LAW AND STRICT, UH, RESTRICTIONS INCLUDE RESTRICTED RIGHTS, LONGER LINES, SPECIAL IDENTITY CHECKS, MASKS, RESTRICTIONS ON ALL FORMS OF TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY AIRLINES CAUSING, UH, GENERAL, UM, PEACEFUL COMPLIANCE BY, UH, BY MOST OF THE SHEEPLE, UH, TRIGGERING WEAKENED PUBLIC HEALTH AS INDICATED BY, UH, SHARPLY RISING, ALL CAUSE MARKED MORTALITY ACCORDING TO THE LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
THIS DATA, WHICH REMAINS TO BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED, HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A JUST PUBLISHED BOOK BY EDWARD DOWD.
UM, CRUCIAL AND PROPER OATHS OF OFFICE ARE NOT BEING ADMINISTERED, UH, ADMINISTERED, UH, ESPECIALLY TO THE PRESIDENT'S CABINET.
OUR LEADERS HAVE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR TREASONOUS BEHAVIOR, OR ASSUME THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY THAT HAS BEEN TEMPORARY NULLIFIED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS AN ADJUDICATION.
ACCOUNTABILITY IS REESTABLISHED BY COURTS UNDER, UH, ARGUMENTS, ARGUMENTATION AND TRIAL DISCOVERY OF ATTORNEY TODD CALENDAR.
UH, SO FAR WE, THE PEOPLE HAVE HAD NO CHOICE IN DETERMINING OUR FUTURE AND ARE RELEGATED TO THE CONDITION OF, OF, OF, OF THE, OF THIS CONTINENT'S ORIGINAL INDIANS AND OUR RESIDENTS THEMSELVES SEEM OVERAWED BY THE USURPERS, UH, FALSE ACTORS AND BLACKMAILERS THAT ARE TEMPORARILY CONTROLLING THE CHAIN OF UNRAVELING EVENTS WE CAN DAILY OBSERVE, SUCH, SUCH AS INCREASING VIOLENT CRIME IN WEST COVINA, A MURDERED, UH, LIQUOR STORE EMPLOYEE, UH, BY SHOPLIFTERS.
UM, UH, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WE DON'T NEED, UH, MORE CERTIFICATES TO, UH,
[00:30:02]
YOU KNOW, TO POLICE, UH, CLUBS.WE NEED NEW POLICE POSITIONS TO, TO, UM, TO, TO, UH, MEET THE PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND INCREASING VIOLENCE.
UH, NO ONE SEEMS TO BE IN CHARGE.
THE, THE BANK OF INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS AND THE BRICKS NATIONS WILL SOON DERO THE WORLD'S AMERICAN DOLLAR STANDARD, WHICH WILL TRIGGER HYPERINFLATION AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE COMBINED WITH NUMEROUS EXPANDING FRONTS OF WARFARE, UH, WILL CO COERCE AMERICANS TO TRADE THEIR TRADITIONAL VALUES AND FREEDOMS FOR, UH, TYRANNICAL DIGITAL DICTATORSHIP UNDERCOVER OF ANOTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
AND WE, WE TRADE, WE TRADE CONVENIENCE FOR, UH, FOR LAWFUL PRACTICES.
AND OUR LA LAZINESS IS GONNA END UP BITING US REALLY BAD CONVENIENCE, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL SLAVERY, UH, THE, THE PROPAGANDA MEDIA, THE, THE CENSORSHIP INDUSTRIAL CON COMPLEX, UH, ALSO KNOWN AS THE, UH, TRUSTED NEWS INITIATIVE HAS INFLICTED GLOBAL TERROR THROUGH, UH, THROUGH, UH, DESCRIBING THESE FALSE NARRATIVES.
THE MASSIVE HUMAN TOLL OF SPIKE PROTEIN, INJURIES, DISABILITIES, AND DEATH ARE FROM THE CORONAVIRUS INFECTION.
UM, AND THAT'S IGNORING ALL CAUSE MORTALITY, WHICH I ALREADY MENTIONED.
SO, UH, SO WE GOT MODIFIED RNA AND, AND GENE EDITING GOING ON INSTEAD OF, UH, DECENT PUBLIC HEALTH.
JOHN SHOEMAKER, THANK YOU, BY ELSIE MESSMAN, FOLLOWED BY JERRY PATRAS.
THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS I WAS GOING TO COVER TONIGHT WHEN I DECIDED TO, UH, GET TO ONE.
YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY GIVES AN ORGANIZATION BASICALLY A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS IN SUBSIDY, AND THEY GIVE FOUR OR $5,000 BACK.
THEY GIVE ME A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS, I'LL GIVE YOU HALF OF IT BACK.
YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS OF, UH, THE INCREASE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, OUR MAYOR, WHO'S OUTGOING, YOU KNOW, WAS ABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COME HERE BECAUSE OF THE INSULTS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, TO OUR NATIVE AMERICAN, UH, BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW.
BUT, UH, I DECIDED WHAT, UH, WAS PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT WAS THAT THE LACK OF POLICE OFFICERS IN THIS CITY ON THE STREETS, AND THAT YOU GUYS AS A GROUP HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT.
SUNDAY NIGHT, A CAR PULLS UP IN FRONT OF MY GRANDSONS AND ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS AND FIRED AT THE CAR SIX TIMES.
WHAT WAS ODD ABOUT IT WAS THE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT F YOUR FAMILY BY THOSE PEOPLE.
WHAT STRUCK ME AS THAT'S NOT SOMETHING RANDOM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS GOING ON? WE'VE HAD THE MAYOR'S HUSBAND ACCUSE MY GRANDCHILDREN OF STARTING THE FIRE AT THE 4TH OF JULY AT BKK.
WE'VE HAD THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN WU SEND TEXT MESSAGES DIRECTLY TO SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT I WAS GONNA CAUSE A DISRUPTION BY PASSING OUT FLYERS AT HER PHONY PAY TO PAY TO PRAYER, PAY BREAKFAST, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN SHE INSULTED THE HERITAGE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THIS VALLEY FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.
FIVE POLICE OFFICERS WERE BROUGHT IN NOT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC, BUT TO PROTECT THE CONS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DID SHE THINK THAT THIS WAS? YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, 1950S, A COWBOY MOVIE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE GONNA DO? OR VERY PEACEFUL, LOVING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, EVERYONE THAT I MEET.
BUT THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM IN THIS CITY, IS HOW MONEY IS SPENT, NOT
[00:35:01]
WHERE IT GOES.WE PAY FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF 200 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS TO BE ON THE STREET.
WE HAVE 160, WE HAVE 160 THAT DOESN'T COVER THE NUMBER OF THE CITY.
WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WHO CONSTANTLY SAY, WELL, LOOK AT BURBANK.
OKAY? BURBANK HAS 175 OFFICERS.
PASADENA HAS A LOT MORE THAN WE DO FOR A PAY RAISE, WHICH WAS TRIPLING THEIR INCOME, TRIPLING THEIR INCOME, 700, 20, 120, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
THAT'S AT LEAST A HALF A POLICE OFFICER.
THAT'S AT LEAST A HALF POLICE OFFICER DON'T PAY $250,000 EVERY YEAR FOR, YOU KNOW, FESTIVALS.
WE'VE GOT TWO NEW POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
WHAT HAPPENED SUNDAY NIGHT? REALLY SET MY RESOLVE OF ENSURING THAT I'M ON THIS CONSOLE IN 2024, AND SHE'S GONE.
AND YOU SHUT THE HELL UP, BILL.
AND YOU WOULD ALSO, IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY A FAIR MAYOR, YOU WOULD TELL HIM TO SHUT UP.
YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU ALLOW HIM TO SAY NASTY THINGS ABOUT OUR TREASURER, ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVE IN THE CITY.
YOU HAVE TOLD PEOPLE, WELL, I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING.
WHY CAN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING? DON'T YOU HAVE A MIND OF YOUR OWN? WHY CAN'T YOU TELL 'EM TO QUIT SAYING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE JEWISH WANT TO BE WIPED, THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO AREN'T WHITE WANNA BE WIPED THAT WE, THAT HE CLAIMS THAT YOU SUPPORT EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND DOES.
SO WE NEED TO RECRUIT MORE WHITE PEOPLE.
IF YOU CAN'T SHUT HIM DOWN, THEN RESIGN.
OR AT LEAST HAVE THE INTEGRITY TO SAY YOU DISAGREE, WHICH YOU DON'T.
I'LL C MESSMAN, THANK YOU, FOLLOWED BY JERRY PATCHES, FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW SMITH.
MY NAME IS ELSIE MESSMAN, AND I HOPE OUR NEW MAYOR WILL LEAD THIS COUNCIL IN A NEW DIRECTION.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO STATE IN THE LAST MEETING WE NEEDED TO HIRE AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL MANAGER.
AND YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT SINCE.
AND SHE'S BEEN, UH, THEY'VE BEEN, THE OTHER ONE WAS FIRED A LONG TIME AGO, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY YEARS THEY HAVE WORKED IN THE CITY, THEY NEED, THE CITY NEEDS TO GET A, A QUALIFIED, UH, PERSON TO RUN THE, THE, THE CITY AND THIS AND A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER, YOU SEEM TO BE ABLE TO FIRE POLICE TO OUR POLICE CHIEF, OUR FIRE CHIEF, TWO CITY MANAGERS, AND MANY MORE IN THE CITY, UH, FOR MONEY.
THEN IT'S COST US A LOT OF MONEY.
OKAY? NUMBER TWO, AS FOR YOUR SALARY INCREASES, FOUR OF YOU HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND HAS, AND ONE OF YOU HAS RETIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JOB.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE, IF YOU WOULD LET THE STAFF DO THEIR JOB, YOU WOULDN'T NEED MORE MONEY.
AND THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLE.
REMEMBER, THE CARPENTER LEFT A DOOR OPEN.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED, YOU CAN USE THE DOOR.
NUMBER THREE, WE HAVE 14 CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WITH SEVEN VEHICLES TO HARASS THE PEOPLE.
IN 2017 TO 2018, WE HAD TWO OFFICERS.
WE DON'T NEED, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
WHAT WE NEED IS POLICE OFFICERS TO LOOK AFTER THE PEOPLE.
IT'S A SHAME THAT, UH, YOU'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
AND HOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, I HAVE NO IDEA.
AND IF SOMEONE IS NOT SATISFIED WITH STREET SWEEPING, WE NEED TO REPORT IT TO THE CITY STAFF.
UM, IF THERE IS A COMPLAINT, IF WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS, WHY WAS THIS BROUGHT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE? WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, PAY $600,000 FOR THE SIGNS ALONE, NOT
[00:40:01]
COUNTING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT SALARIES, THE BENEFITS, ET CETERA.WE ARE ALREADY PAYING $53,377 A MONTH FOR STREET SWEEPING FOR BIWEEKLY.
AND WHAT WILL IT COST FOR WEEKLY SERVICE? I HAVE NO IDEA.
IF WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO, AND THIS, THE, AND ON THE WAY, ALL OF THIS EXTRA MONEY, WHERE IS IT GONNA COME FROM? I SAID, THESE CODE ENFORCEMENT ARE THE SWEET SWEEPING.
I SAW 'EM, THE, THE LAST TIME HE CAME DOWN MY STREET IN A VEHICLE.
ONE MAN WAS DRIVING AND ONE MAN WAS WRITING TICKETS.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS, YOU KNOW WHAT? PEOPLE OFF.
OKAY? SO I THINK YOU BETTER LOOK AT IT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
AND WE REALLY DON'T NEED WHOEVER IS COMPLAINING, LET THEM GO TO THE STAFF AND LET THEM DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
JERRY PATES, FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW SMITH, FOLLOWED BY BILL ELLIOT.
JERRY PATRAS, WEST COVINA NEIGHBORS.
TONIGHT I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON THE COUNCIL'S PROPOSED COMPENSATION INCREASE.
UNDERSTANDABLY, COUNCIL COMPENSATION HAS COME UNDER SCRUTINY SINCE THE CITY OF BILL SCANDAL, SENATE BILL 3 29, WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT JANUARY, 2020.
JANUARY 1ST, 2024, ALLOWS CITIES TO ADJUST COUNCIL SALARIES FOR INFLATION.
BASED ON THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO DETERMINE THEIR PAY EACH YEAR THAN IN THE PAST.
WITH THAT FLEXIBILITY COMES GREATER RESPONSIBILITY, A MODERATE INCREASE SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
THE APPROACH YOU UN UNANIMOUSLY PASSED AT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF IS NOT REASONABLE.
THE MATH IS CREATIVE AND UNDERESTIMATES COST TO TAXPAYERS.
THE INCREASES TO THE STIPEND AND BENEFITS ARE OUTRAGEOUS.
IT, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION SAID, COUNSEL RAISES ARE NOT TO BE COMPOUNDED.
YOUR PROPOSED INCREASE IS COMPOUNDED TO GIVE YOU A 265% INCREASE.
STIPENDS ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE A SALARY AS OCCURS WITH AN EMPLOYEE'S JOB.
COUNSEL STIPENDS ARE INTENDED TO COVER REASONABLE EXPENSES.
I SUGGEST YOU INCREASE YOUR TAX PAYER FUNDED STIPEND FROM 600 760 $5 TO 1350 A MONTH.
THAT IS DOUBLE WHAT YOU GET NOW AND SHOULD COVER REASONABLE EXPENSES.
I ALSO SUGGEST YOU INCREASE YOUR TAXPAYER FUNDED CITY COUNCIL ALLOWANCE FROM THE CURRENT 1000 ANNUAL AMOUNT PER COUNCIL MEMBER TO THE PREVIOUS 2000 PER AMOUNT.
DO $2,000 PER COUNCIL MEMBER $2,000 WOULD ALLOW YOU TO ATTEND CONFERENCES, PAY FOR PHONES AND SHIRTS, HOLD COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND TAKE CARE OF OTHER CITY RELATED EXPENSES.
LASTLY, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DO NOT RETURN THE DEPARTMENT HEAD DIRECTOR BENEFITS AS A COUNCIL BENEFIT.
IT WAS SELF-SERVING AND GREEDY FOR A PREVIOUS COUNCIL TO HAVE ADDED THAT BENEFIT.
IT WAS CORRECT FOR A SUBSEQUENT CITY COUNCIL TO REMOVE THAT BENEFIT.
YOU ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OR DEPARTMENT HEADS.
YOU ARE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF.
MATTHEW SMITH, FOLLOWED BY BILL ELLIOTT.
EVENING COUNSEL, I'M GONNA BE RELATIVELY QUICK TONIGHT, UH, WEARING TWO HATS.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO BRIAN BECOMING THE MAYOR TONIGHT.
ON BEHALF FIRST HAT ON BEHALF OF SAN GABRIEL, UH, VALLEY SENIOR SOFTBALL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS IN YOUR ROLE AS MAYOR.
UM, WE'RE VERY GRACIOUS FOR ALL THE CITY SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN UP AT SPORTSPLEX.
AND THERE'S A GROUP AT CAMERON CENTER ALSO THAT IS PRETTY CLOSELY AFFILIATED.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND ON BEHALF OF BUN STREET, WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS MAYOR, UH, CONTINUING.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING AND PARTICIPATING IN CITY RUN EVENTS, INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, UH, THIS WEEK.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WITNESS, UH, MY LOVELY WIFE SERVE AS SERVE WITH HONOR AND DISTINCTION AS A CENTENNIAL MAYOR
[00:45:01]
WEST COVINA, HER MAG, HER MAGINE, UH, HER MAGNA NINA, ME PRECEDES HER, AND SHE HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF.IN A FEW MOMENTS, BRIAN WILL BECOME OUR FIRST SOCIALIST COMMUNIST MARXIST MAYOR.
THIS IS A VERY SAD DAY FOR WEST COVINA.
WEST COVINA FIRST DISTRICT HAS APPROXIMATELY 10,800 REGISTERED VOTERS.
AND BRIAN SLITHERED UNDER THE DOOR BY DECEIVING PEOPLE AND WINNING THE SEAT WITH ONLY A MARGIN OF 284 VOTES.
AND BEFORE COMPLETING HIS FIRST TERM AND HONORING HIS OBLIGATION TO THE VOTERS WHO ELECTED HIM, IS NOW ABANDONING THE PEOPLE OF THE FIRST DISTRICT TO RUN FOR A STATE ASSEMBLY AS WEST COVINA MAYOR.
HE CANNOT POINT TO EVEN ONE ACCOMPLISHMENT WHILE SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT HE THINKS HE DESERVES A PROMOTION.
I REMIND YOU ONCE AGAIN, I'M GONNA ASK FOR MORE TIME.
I REMIND YOU THAT ONCE AGAIN, THE STORY OF THE SNAKE AND THE FROG, MR. SNAKE, MAY I PLEASE CROSS THE PATH? SURE.
THE SNAKE SAID, YOU WON'T TRY AND EAT ME WILL.
I DON'T EVEN LIKE FROG SAID THE SNAKE.
ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ME? ASKED THE FROG? DON'T BE SILLY ASSURED THE SNAKE, I'M NOT EVEN HUNGRY.
SO THE FROG BEGAN, BEGAN HOPPING ACROSS THE PATHWAY, AND BAM, THE SNAKE COILED AROUND HIM.
AND JUST BEFORE HE SWALLOWED THE FROG, THE FROG PROTESTED.
YOU PROMISED NOT TO GET ME, YOU PROMISED, AND THE SNAKE COOLEY REPLIED, BUT YOU KNEW I WAS A SNAKE.
BRIAN FAMOUSLY THREW THE MAYOR, THREW MAYOR DIAZ UNDER THE BUS AFTER CONSPIRING THROUGH, TRY AND DAMAGE THE CITY'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
IF THEY START SPEAKING, BRIAN SHAMELESSLY SUPPORTS RADICAL DA GEORGE GASCON.
ASK JOHN CARSON AND BOB RYAN WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THAT.
RYAN CONTINUES HIS LONG FAMILY TRADITION OF JUDGING PEOPLE BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN AND NOT THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER.
WE ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF PURE UNADULTERATED EVIL TONIGHT.
DO NOT BE FOOLED BY BRIAN'S DISARMING SMILE.
HE IS WEST COVINA, RASHIDA TALEB.
IF BRIAN WERE EVER CAUGHT BACK IN HIS HOMELAND WITH THAT RAINBOW TIE THAT HE'S SO FOND OF WEARING, THEY WOULD MARCH HIM UP TO THE HIGHEST BUILDING IN IRAN AND THROW HIM TO THE GROUND.
RYAN HAS STATED MORE THAN ONCE THAT HE BELIEVES NO ONE SHOULD EVER RECEIVE THE DEATH PENALTY OR BE LOCKED UP FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, NO MATTER THE CRIME.
I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHO PAULY K CLASS WAS.
THIS YEAR IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KIDNAPPED RAPE AND MURDER OF 12 YEAR OLD PAULY CLASS BY A CRIMINAL NAMED RICHARD ALLEN DAVIS.
THEN I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHO ADAM WALSH WAS.
ADAM WAS THE SIX YEAR OLD SON OF JOHN WALSH AND AMERICA'S MOST WANTED OF AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, WHO WAS KIDNAPPED AND MURDERED IN 1981 BY A SERIAL KILLER NAMED OTIS TOOLE.
ADAM'S HEADLESS BODY WAS FOUND IN A DRAINAGE CANAL.
THEN I ASKED BRIAN IF THOSE VIOLENT CRIMINALS DESERVED THE DEATH PENALTY OR TO BE LOCKED UP FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE TO GO FREE.
I ASKED BRIAN IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE BOY.
SURELY YOU WOULD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE THEN, RIGHT? YOU'D BE SCREAMING FOR JUSTICE AND WANT TO SEE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES SUFFER THE DEATH PENALTY FOR WHAT THEY DID TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL BOY, RIGHT? NO, HE REPLIED.
I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT BRIAN TABAY IS A DEMONSTRABLE LIAR.
HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT JUSTICE OR THE SAFETY OF HIS OWN FAMILY, LET ALONE YOURS.
AND IN A FEW MINUTES, HE WILL BECOME THE NEXT MAYOR OF WEST COVINA.
IN CLOSING, I WANNA WARN BRIAN NO, IT'S NOT NO.
[00:50:01]
ALLOW HIM TO FINISH, FINISH, FINISH.IN CLOSING, I WANNA WARN BRIAN, LET HIM FINISH HIS, LET HIM FINISH.
CAN, CAN WE ALLOW HIM TO FINISH? LET, LET'S, LET'S ALLOW HIM TO FINISH.
SO, SO WE CAN, SO WE CAN CONTINUE.
LET'S LET, LET'S LET HIM FINISH.
WOULD YOU PLEASE, WOULD YOU PLEASE, PLEASE LET HIM FINISH.
IN CLOSING, I WANT TO WARN BRIAN THAT IF HE EVER PUTS HIS HANDS ON ME AGAIN, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA ALLOW HIM TO FINISH.
IN CLOSING, I WANT TO WARN BRIAN IF HE EVER PUTS HIS HANDS ON ME AGAIN, HE'LL BE TAUGHT A LESSON HE WON'T SOON FORGET.
BRIAN TABBA VOTED TO DEFUND THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BRIAN TABBA VOTED TO DEFUND THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
RYAN TABBA VOTED TO DEFUND THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU, CINDY AND ROBERT MITCHELL.
I WE'RE KIND OF A LAST MINUTE ENTRY HERE.
UM, WE, WE CAME IN, WE WANNA, UH, SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO BRIAN ON BECOMING MAYOR.
BUT REALLY WE CAME, 'CAUSE ROBERT WANTS TO UPDATE YOU ON ITS NATIVE PLANT HABITAT.
WANT TO UPDATE AROUND MY NATIVE GARDEN AND SAY THAT WE HAVE SOME NEW GOOSEBERRY AND GOLDEN YARD THAT WE HAVE LANDED.
AND RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR FOR PLANNING SEEDS AND NATIVE PLANTS.
SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO DO THAT WITH THEIR YARD, I WOULD, I TRAIN NOW OUT, AND MY MOM HAS LOTS OF EXTRA SEED, NATIVE SEEDS AND WHITE FLOWERS, SEEDS, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE ANY, TELL THEM WHAT COMES TO YOUR GARDEN WHEN YOU PLANT NATIVE PLANTS.
AND WHEN YOU PLANT NATIVE PLANTS, YOU GET TO SEE BUTTERFLIES.
HUMMINGBIRD GET TO SEE N SETS LIKE THE PURING MANTIS.
THAT'S, WE'VE SEEN THEM ALL OVER IN OUR GARDEN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SEVEN PURE MANTIS EGG CASES THAT HAVE YET TO HATCH ANYTHING ELSE.
[00:55:03]
THERE'S LOTS OF HUMMINGBIRDS AND MOTHS YOU DONE.SO ANYWAY, WE JUST WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH A, WITH A POSITIVE NOTE AND WE'RE WILLING TO WEAR SHARE SEEDS.
AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COME VISIT OUR NATIVE PLANT GARDEN, UM, WE THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM INDIGENOUS EDUCATORS AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WILL HELP PLANT NATIVE PLANTS IN WEST COVINA TO SUPPORT, UM, THE ECOSYSTEM.
UM, MAY YOU PLEASE, UH, RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, SO IN REGARDS TO SOME COMMENTS MADE TONIGHT, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT, UM, SAFETY'S A TOP PRIORITY IN OUR CITY.
UM, WE VALUE THE WORK THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS DO IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PROTECT AND SERVE OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HEAR THAT EVERYONE, UH, WAS SAFE AFTER SUNDAY'S INCIDENT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS VOTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO, UM, INCREASE OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UM, AND PROVIDE THEM RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IN REGARDS TO OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, UM, THEY, ELSIE IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE INCREASED OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, DIVISION OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE'VE INCREASED THEIR DUTIES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY, UM, ADDRESSING, UM, CODE VIOLATIONS ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES, UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON WITH, UM, ASSISTING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOING PARKING ENFORCEMENT.
THEY'RE WORKING WITH, UM, MAINTENANCE AND OUR, UH, HOPE TEAM ADDRESSING HOMELESS ISSUES IN THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH, UM, WORKING WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS AND ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES AS WELL AS ADDRESSING ISSUES OF GRAFFITI THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, AS THEY'VE GROWN, SO HAVE, SO HAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES IN THE CITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY ARE GROWING.
BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'RE SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THOSE IMPACTS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
UM, STREET SWEEPING AND THE COMPENSATION FOR COUNCIL AND THE STIPENDS FOR THE CO, UM, COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
SO I'LL LEAVE THE COMMENTS FOR THAT WHEN THOSE ITEMS ARE ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO THANK ROBERT FOR THE WONDERFUL UPDATE ON THE NATIVE GARDEN.
AND, UM, IF THEY WANTED TO SHARE HOW PEOPLE CAN, UH, TAKE OR VISIT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS FOR THE EVENING.
[CITY MANAGER'S REPORT]
AND NOW IF YOU CAN GIVE US OUR, UM, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, PLEASE.SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, WE HAD, UM, A VETERANS OR ANNUAL VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION, UM, NOVEMBER 11TH, I THINK IT WAS A VERY WELL TURNED OUT EVENT.
WE HAD, UM, IT WAS A SECOND YEAR THAT WE'VE HAD A LUNCHEON FOR OUR FELLOW VETERANS AFTER THE CEREMONY.
UM, SO I THINK IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, AND WE HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES, UH, NEXT YEAR.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE NEXT YEAR, NOVEMBER 11TH AT 11 O'CLOCK.
SO NOW YOU KNOW THE DATE AND THE TIME AND THE LOCATION.
UM, WE ALSO HAD A SUGAR SKULLS AT CHATOW OAK PARK.
SO OUR AS STAFF ACTUALLY MADE THE SUGAR, UH, SKULLS, UH, FOR, UM, THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY CAME AND WERE ABLE TO DECORATE THEM WITH, UH, FROSTING, WITH PAINTS, WITH, UH, SEQUENCE WITH FLOWERS.
SO THAT WAS REALLY FUN EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY UP AT CHATOW OAK PARK.
SO IF YOU GUYS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S OUT FOR RESIDENTS YET, BUT IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE AND IT SHOULD BE MAILED IF IT'S NOT MAILED OUT ALREADY.
AND SO THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE NEW PROGRAMS FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, UH, QUARTER, WHICH WOULD BE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CLASSES AND PROGRAMMING, THAT'S THE DISCOVER TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
UH, AS MATT MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, THIS COMING SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.
UM, AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME, SHOPPING LOCAL KEEPS OUR LOCAL TAX DOLLARS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:00:01]
SO BY SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU'RE SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OUR CITY OF WEST COVINA.UM, TO SEE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES, PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT OFFERS AND REBATES THAT THEY PROVIDE PEOPLE THAT WANNA PARTICIPATE IN SMALL BUSINESS AND SHOP LOCAL.
SO PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE, UH, EVENTS COMING UP WITH THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, AS I'VE JUST MENTIONED, SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL LET IT SNOW IN WEST COVINA FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, UM, SIX TO 9:00 PM HERE AT THE CIVIC CENTER.
UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST CENTENNIAL TOW TOY DRIVE, WHICH WILL BE, UM, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA BE BETWEEN 10:00 AM AND ONE, UH, 1:00 PM AND IT'S, THE QUEUING WILL START AT 9:00 AM AND WE'RE PARTNERING, UM, WITH FILM AT WEST CAMINA AND HOMEBOY, UM, HOUSING CHARITIES.
AND IT'S GONNA BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF TOYS FROM MATTEL THAT WILL BE DONATED.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, DOING A TOY DRIVE.
IT'S GONNA BE BY CAR, SO NO WALKUPS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA POSSIBLY HAVE, UH, A CELEBRITY THERE AND THAT'LL BE ANNOUNCED.
UH, BUT WE HOPE THAT ANYONE THAT NEEDS IS IN NEED OF TOYS, WE'LL LIKE TO PARTICIPATE AND WE WELCOME TO COME AND, AND JOIN THE TOY DRIVE.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, OUR CHRISTMAS PARADE IN SANTAS VILLAGE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WEST COVINA.
SO, UH, WE HOPE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THERE, UM, FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, COUNCILMAN WU, UH, I, I THINK YOU SHOULD MENTION ABOUT THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THAT'S A BIGGEST THING IN GABRIEL VALLEY THAT IS ORGANIZED BY OUR PLANNING CHAIR BRAND
I THINK THAT IS, YOU SHOULD MENTION GIVING THE CREDIT FOR THAT.
AND THAT IS WHAT HE PUT THE MONEY AND HAVE PEOPLE TO DONATE AND, UH, TO DO THE BIGGEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU, UM, BRIAN
IS THAT ALL? UM, MADAM MAYOR, COUNCILMAN CONTOS.
IT'S SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
YES, BUT IT'S, UM, I THINK THEY LISTED THE TOY DRIVE FOR THE NINTH AND IT'S THE THIRD.
RIGHT? BUT EARLIER, I THINK SHE, FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, I THOUGHT SHE SAID SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH.
AND I THINK DECEMBER 9TH IS, UH, OUR CHILDREN PARADE, CORRECT? SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH IS THE PARADE.
SEE, WE KNOW THE SCHEDULE
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO CONSENT CALENDAR.UM, DOES ANYONE WANNA PULL ANYTHING FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? NO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE? I MOVE THE MOTION TO BE APPROVED FROM 1, 2, 3 SECOND.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CONTOS TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
MAYOR PROM, CALDERON TABBA AYE.
SO, AS THE OUTGOING MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW COMMENTS.
I HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING TO SAY.
HAVING A DISTINCTION OF BECOMING WEST COVINA CENTENNIAL MAYOR HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING, BUSY, AND HUMBLING EXPERIENCES.
I AM HONORED TO BE THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE AS MAYOR FOR THIS GREAT CITY.
AND I HOPE I AM AN INSPIRATION TO LITTLE GIRLS, LIKE THE LITTLE GIRL I USED TO BE.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE DURING THIS TIME, AND I HAVE MADE A LOT OF TREASURED FRIENDS A ALONG THE WAY.
I HAVE INVESTED MANY LONG UNSEEN HOURS OF HARD WORK REPRESENTING CONSTITUENTS, AND HAVE ALWAYS STRIVED TO EXCELLENCE IN ALL THAT I HAVE THAT I SAY AND DO.
I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO DURING MY REMAINING TIME ON THIS COUNCIL.
I AM VERY PROUD OF WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED DURING MY TENURE AS MAYOR.
BUT CLEARLY THERE IS MUCH IMPORTANT WORK STILL TO BE DONE.
I'M, I AM EVER GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND VALUED COLLEAGUES.
AND FOR THE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE PLACED IN ME.
SINCERE GRATITUDE ESPECIALLY GOES OUT TO THE 3,738 VOTERS
[01:05:01]
OF THE THIRD DISTRICT WHO HAVE THE ENTRUST, WHO HAVE ENTRUSTED ME WITH THE HONOR OF REPRESENTING THEM AT CITY HALL.SERVING ON THIS ELECTED BODY HAS BEEN A VERY FULFILLING EXPERIENCE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES ALONG THE WAY.
I ALWAYS STRIVED TO BE HANDS-ON A HANDS-ON MAYOR, AND TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND AVAILABLE SINCE THE DAY I THREW MY HAT IN THE RING.
I'VE HAD A CLEAR VISION OF THE KIND OF MAYOR I WANTED TO BE.
IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN AN EASY ROAD, AND NO ONE EVER PROMISED ME A ROSE GARDEN.
SOME DAYS HAVE BEEN TOUGH, AND MY FINAL DAY AS MAYOR IS BITTERSWEET.
BUT MY FAITH IN GOD REMAINS STRONG.
I AM REMINDED BY MATTHEW 1721, I MEAN 20 AND 21.
THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF MY VALUED COLLEAGUES, TONY LETY, DARIO, AND OLI, HAS HELPED ME THROUGH UNCERTAIN TIMES.
I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HELP FROM PAULINA, ROXANNE, ERIC, AND MANY OTHERS WHO REMAIN INVALUABLE ASSETS.
STELLAR GUIDANCE FROM LISA AND SAGE, ADVICE FROM TOM HAS BEEN IMMEASURABLE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MY NEXT YEAR ON THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IT IS MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO CONTINUE SERVING TO THE, THE PEOPLE OF WEST COVINA.
[3) REORGANIZATION OF MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM]
I'M GOOD.COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE APPOINTMENTS OF THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
THE CITY COUNCIL CONDUCTS ITS ANNUAL REORGANIZATION DURING THE SECOND REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF NOVEMBER IN NON-ELECTION YEARS.
THE MUNICIPAL CODE OUTLINES THE MAYOR ORAL SUCCESSION PROCESS, WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE LENGTH OF THE CURRENT TERM OF INCUMBENCY.
THE ORDER OF SUCCESSION IS AS FOLLOWS.
BRIAN CALDERON TABBA MAYOR TONY WU, MAYOR PRO TEM LETI LOPEZ.
VITO, COUNCIL MEMBER OLI CONTOS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROSARIO DIAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH THE MAYOR'S OATH OF OFFICE.
IF I CAN PLEASE HAVE MR. AND MRS. CALDERONE TABBA COME FORWARD ALONG WITH MR. TBA TO ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE TO ADJUST IT.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
I, BRIAN CAL, TAB I, BRIAN ERON DO SOLEMNLY AFFIRM, DO SOLEMNLY AFFIRM THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND, THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE, THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION.
AND THAT I WILL WELL, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON
[01:10:01]
WHICH, THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.UH, IF I COULD HAVE, UH, CENTENNIAL MAYOR, UH, ROSARIO DIAZ, UH, PLEASE COME UP.
UH, SO IT, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED KNOW, UH, THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, SOME CONTENTIOUS MOMENTS, UH, ON THE DAIS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST KINDA SHARE, UH, A COUPLE MOMENTS THAT JUST HAPPENED THIS WEEK ACTUALLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VETERAN'S DAY EVENT, UH, AND IT WAS, UH, ONE OF THE MOST EMOTIONAL, UM, ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTFUL, UH, VETERANS DAY EVENTS THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN A PART OF.
UH, AND I KNOW, UH, THAT YOU PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN IT.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO SIT WITH YOU AT THAT EVENT, UH, AND TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH LOVE YOU HAD, UH, FOR THE VETERANS AND THE CARE YOU TOOK, UM, TO CHOOSE THE MUSIC, UH, TO CHOOSE YOUR WORDS.
UH, AGAIN, I, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US, WE, WE HAVE OUR DISAGREEMENTS AND THERE'S THOSE POLICIES AND JUST KIND OF THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD SOMETIMES IS DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS LOVE OF COMMUNITY, LOVE OF FAMILY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST YESTERDAY, UH, WE WERE AT THE, THE WAKE OF, UH, OFFICER MATTHEW ORTIZ.
UH, AND TO WATCH YOU, UM, WITH HIS MOTHER AND TO, TO SEE YOU EMBRACE HER AND JUST GIVE HER CARE AND LOVE, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW.
UH, AND SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE WAY YOU'VE REPRESENTED, UH, AS A CENTENNIAL MAYOR.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU, UH, WITH YOUR MAYOR'S PLAQUE.
UH, AND IF WE COULD ALL GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND, UH, YES, I WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY TO REPRESENT MY CITY AS, AS BEST I CAN.
AND AS FAR AS THE VETERANS, UH, EVENT, UM, I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND I LOVE MY CITY.
AND, UH, I WANNA BE A POSITIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR CITY.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY I TRY TO DO THE BEST I CAN.
AND I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH EVERYONE THAT I CAN.
UM, I, UH,
[01:15:02]
AND NOW IF I CAN HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FFA LOCAL 3, 2, 2 6.I HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
UH, I'M THE SECRETARY FOR THE WEST COVINA FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ASSOCI ASSOCIATION, WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU THIS HELMET FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
OH MY GOD, I'M SO HONORED, I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE THIS.
I REMEMBER WHEN TONY WU GOT THIS, AND I THOUGHT, I WANT ONE OF THOSE
I THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN MINE.
WHEN DO I GET TO WORK?
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST HANG OUT WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AT LEAST ONE NIGHT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE ONLY HAD TWO CALLS.
NOT VERY EXCITING, BUT THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF CALLS, WHICH IS POSITIVE AND GOOD.
BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND, UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT I'M ABLE TO BE YOUR MAYOR AND TO CONTINUE, WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
MAYORS IS THE MAYOR, SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
YOU SHOULD PULL ON YOUR HEAD TWO.
SEE HERE, WE'RE NOW I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE RYAN SERRANO FROM LA COUNTY SUPERVISOR HILDA SOLIS OFFICE.
UH, AS MAYOR
I SERVE AS SENIOR FIELD DEPUTY FOR SUPERVISOR HILDA SOLIS.
AND ON BEHALF OF SUPERVISOR HILDA SOLIS, LEMME SAY WHAT A JOY AND HONOR IT IS TO RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE OUTGOING CENTENNIAL MAYOR OF WEST COVINA.
GO GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND FOR THE CIVIC PRIDE DEMONSTRATED BY NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
NOW, IF I MAY, UM, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM JOSH NEWMAN'S OFFICE.
WENDY LAZER RA, IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR JOSH NEWMAN.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE OUTGOING MAYOR, UM, DIAZ FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN YOUR SERVICE AS CENTENNIAL MAYOR.
SO WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE CITY, AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
ONE, TWO, WENDY VERA FROM THE OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO, THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS WENDY VERA, AND I'M ONE OF THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO.
AND WE'RE HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO COMMEMORATE OUTGOING CENTENNIAL MAYOR, MADAM MAYOR ROSARIO DIAZ, FOR HER EFFORTS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, SHE'S BEEN HERE AND SHE'S PROVIDED HER HER SERVICE.
AND WE WANNA CONGRATULATE HER WITH THE CERTIFICATE AND RECOGNITION AND GO AHEAD AND PRESENT THAT NOW.
SO, ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE AND RESIDENTS OF THE 48TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, I COMMEND YOU FOR PROUDLY SERVING COUNTLESS RESIDENTS DURING YOUR TERM.
AS MAYOR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS RECOGNIZED BY MANY ACROSS THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CENTENNIAL LEADERSHIP AND BEST WISHES FOR FUTURE SUCCESS.
[01:20:15]
OKAY.SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO, UH, SAY SOME COMMENTS, UH, TO OUR OUTGOING MAYOR.
SO IF WE COULD START, UH, WITH COUNCILMAN CONTOS.
AND, UH, UM, I THINK, UM, AGAIN, AGAIN, WE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENCE ON THE POLICY, BUT WE ALL WANT OUR CITY TO BE GOOD.
OKAY? WE ALL WANT TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
I THINK THE LOVE FOR THE CITY, WE ALL THE SAME, BUT IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT WAY AND TO DO IT, OKAY? NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT EVERYBODY HAVE A DIFFERENT BELIEF.
BUT I WANNA WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, OKAY? AS THE MAYOR WEST COVINA, OKAY? AND, UM, AND DO THE THING, AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO GET THE POLICY TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
SO, I THINK IMPORTANT TO UNITY AND, UH, UNITED, WE STAND AND LET'S CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
I WISH YOU THE BEST, OKAY? AND FOR OUTGOING MAYOR, OKAY? AND OUR CENTENNIAL MAYOR, I, I WANT TO SAY THIS, OKAY? AT THE BEGINNING, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU DO GOOD OR NOT, OKAY? I'M JUST SAY, HEY, YOU, YOU DON'T SPEAK THAT MUCH, THIS AND THAT, BUT THEN I FIND OUT YOU WORK SO HARD, OKAY? YOU REALLY PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT.
I WAS, I I SAW IT, OKAY? I WITNESSED, OKAY? AND I SAW HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPEND, OKAY? I DON'T KNOW YOU SPEND AT HOME AT ALL BECAUSE YOU, MOST OF THE TIME YOU HANG OUT WITH OUR COUNCILMAN KENTO DRIVING AROUND AND TO FIND A PROBLEM, OKAY? AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW YOU ACHIEVEMENT, YOU ARE THE ONE OF THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED MAYOR I EVER SEEN.
I SIT OVER HERE, YOU DONE FLASHING? OKAY, STOP SIGN.
YOU'RE PUSHING THAT AND WE CAN SEE ALL THE PLACES WE HAVE THE FLASHING STOP SIGN, OKAY? AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO THE SOUTH SIDE AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ALL THE STOP SIGN.
AND THAT CAN SAVE A LOT OF LIFE BECAUSE THAT FLASHING STOP SIGN REALLY VERY CLEAR FOR PEOPLE TO STOP.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE SEE THE MEDIAN, THE MEDIAN INTO THE FLOWERS, THE BEAUTIFICATION.
AND YOU REALLY PULL IT TOGETHER AND YOU PUSHING.
I SEE HOW YOU PUSH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT MILLION DOLLAR SOMETHING FROM THE, OUR COVID 19 BUDGET AND PUSHING THAT INTO BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR MEDIAN.
AND THERE'S ONE THING, AND ALL THE MONUMENT SIGN, IF YOU SEE AROUND WEST COVINA, WE HAVE A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT SIGN POPPING OUT LIKE MUSHROOM.
YOU, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY, OKAY? BUT IT'S REALLY PRETTY.
I DRIVING AROUND, SEE ALL THE MONUMENT, IT'S LOW PROFILE, BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL WITH OUR LOGO.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE PUSHING FOR THAT.
SO YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF.
ANOTHER THING IS OUR SHADOW OAK PARK, OUR SHADOW OAK PARK, YOU DROVE AROUND WITH THE POLICE AND I HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINT ABOUT HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH THE PARKING LOT, SHADOW OAK PARK AT NIGHTTIME.
AND YOU DRAW AROUND WITH OUR POLICE OFFICER AND THEY SUGGEST TO PUT A GATE AND YOU PUSH, PUT A GATE IN THE SHADOW PARK.
SO MEANING WHAT? THE PARKING LOT HOPEFULLY WILL STOP A LOT OF CRIME OR A LOT OF WEIRD STUFF OVER THERE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD AND NEIGHBOR HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE THEIR PEACE.
AND FOR OUR POLICE, HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T SPEND WAY TOO MUCH RESOURCE.
THEY'RE OVER THERE DOING THE SAME REPETITION OF THE SAME ISSUE WE HAVE.
SO HOPEFULLY, BUT I THINK THAT GATE STOP AT THE NIGHTTIME, WE REALLY STOP A LOT OF CAR, OKAY? GO INSIDE TO DO SOME WEIRD STUFF.
SO SEE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS REALLY HELPING OUR CITY.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU SEE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT OF THIS YEAR.
AND, AND, UH, YOU WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN KENTO AND CONTINUE TO DRIVE AROUND, SEE THE TRASH CAN FROM OUR BUS STOP.
AND YOU REQUEST TO RE WE UPDATE THE BUS STOP.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SPENDING THE MONEY, OKAY? AND SO WE HAVE A DEBATE FOR THAT, OKAY? I WANNA SAY FORGET IT.
JUST GET RID OF ALL THE BUS STOP.
SO PEOPLE JUST STAND OVER THERE AND SAY, NOPE, WE NEED TO HAVE, PEOPLE CAN SIT, OKAY? AND WE STAND THIS AND THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO FIND A BUDGET.
SO YOU, YOU DONE A LOT, A LOT OF STUFF.
MAYBE PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU WITH YOUR HARD WORK.
AND I CAN SEE A LOT OF CITY, OKAY? OUR CITY IMPROVE A LOT, BUT OF COURSE, YOU, YOU, YOU PUT IT AND I WAS NEXT TO YOU AND HELP YOU TO PUSH EVERYTHING.
SO, OKAY? SO OTHERWISE, JUST A OTHERWISE MAYOR
[01:25:01]
ANOTHER TWO VOTE.DON'T FORGET, YOU NEED A, YOU NEED A THREE VOTE TO GET THE THING DONE.
AND, UH, OKAY, SO THE COLLABORATION TOGETHER WITH CITY COUNCIL, LET, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE CITY? BUT ONCE, ONE MORE TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE CITY IMPROVE.
BY THE WAY, THIS YEAR, OUR CITY EMERGED ON THE FOUR MAGAZINE.
WE CAN OVER OPERATE IT, BUT WE TAKE IT, WE ARE NUMBER THREE, THE SAFEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
I KNOW WE HAVE MORE ROOM TO IMPROVE, BUT HEY, WE, WE TAKE IT OKAY, BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD REPUTATION FOR US.
WE ARE THE MOST OF A FRIENDLY CITY FROM VERIZON NEWS, SO THIS IS SO ACHIEVEMENT OF A 2023.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN, CENTENNIAL MAYOR, AND YOU REALLY PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT.
OKAY? AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR DEDICATION.
APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR JOB, AND HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, LOPEZ.
VITO, SIR, I, I WON'T MAKE IT LONG.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF GUESTS HERE THIS EVENING WHO, UH, PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANNA STAY WITH US TILL MIDNIGHT, SO THERE'S PLENTY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UPCOMING COUNCIL.
BUT UNTIL THEN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR TABBA.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING.
UM, THE DIRECTION OF HOW THE START CAN GO IN MANY WAYS, DUNNO WHAT TO EXPECT.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU THIS EVENING FOR STARTING IN A POSITIVE NOTE.
THAT IS, UH, A VERY GOOD START.
SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE, THE YEAR, UH, AS YOUR MAYORSHIP.
AND THEN AS FOR OUR OUTGOING MAYOR, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY HAS THEIR STRENGTHS AND IT WAS NICE THAT YOU ALSO BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, OUR WEST COVINA SOLOIST HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE BROUGHT, THAT WAS PART OF, UM, OUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY.
AND IT'S NICE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A DEDICATED SONG FOR WEST COVINA, AND SHE SANG SO LOVELY.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING HER IN AND WORKING WITH HER ON THAT, AND FOR THE MANY THINGS YOU HAVE ALSO ACCOMPLISHED DURING THIS YEAR.
SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU BOTH, UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD, UM, TO HOPEFULLY A POSITIVE DYNAMIC THIS UPCOMING, UH, YEAR.
SO THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CONTOS, MR. MAYOR.
I, I, I, I REALLY, I JUST HAVE GOT TO TO SAY, UH, TO YOU THAT, UM, AS, AS WE'VE TALKED, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT ONE DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR, THEIR ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE MAYOR'S SEAT.
UH, YOU AND I FROM THE BEGINNING HAVE, HAVE WORKED TO, UH, TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER AT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE HAD WONDERFUL DISCUSSIONS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ONGOING DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION.
AND I'VE ALSO ENJOYED AS BEING A, THE, THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL.
I HAVE ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, I MEAN ALL YOUR WHOLE FAMILY, AND TO MEET YOUR, YOUR, YOUR DAD, YOUR FATHER TONIGHT.
WHAT AN HONOR AND FOR HIM TO SWEAR YOU IN IS VERY, VERY MOVING.
SO, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AND I, I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MAGNIFICENT YEAR TOGETHER.
UH, AND FOR A, A, A MOMENT OR TWO, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO ADDRESS, UM, OUR, OUR CENTENNIAL MAYOR ROSARIO DIAZ IS, UM, YOU HAVE BEEN NOT ONLY, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WORKS EXTRAORDINARILY HARD, BUT YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTE HEART OF PLATINUM.
UH, I HAVE SEEN YOU IN, IN GROUP SETTINGS, IN ONE-ON-ONE SETTINGS, AND YOU TRULY DO CARE.
NOT ONLY DID YOU DEDICATE YOURSELF AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EVENTS TO BE THERE FOR FOLKS, BUT I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU AS WE HAVE CRISSCROSSED EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT OF OUR CITY LOOKING FOR ISSUES TO RESOLVE.
UH, I'VE ALSO WORKED WITH YOU, UM, ON, ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WHERE YOU HAVE LITERALLY JUST DEDICATED YOUR HEART AND SOUL.
YOU'VE, YOU AND I HAVE WORKED TO GO OUT TO MEET WITH HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, THE UNHOUSED, UH, TO, TO, UH, OFFER ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT YOU.
I HAVE SEEN YOUR HEART AS YOU HAVE ASSISTED WITH FEEDING HUNGRY FAMILIES, UH, WITH, WITH CALLING RESIDENTS, WITH VISITING RESIDENTS IN THE HOSPITAL WHO, WHO, WHO WERE IN, IN, IN DIRE STRAITS, AND WHO ARE, ARE DOING BETTER.
UH, YOUR YOUR HEART IS JUST INCREDIBLE.
UH, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, BUT YOUR COMMITMENT, UH, TO THIS CITY TO GET TO, TO HAVE A, A FRONT ROW SEAT TO YOUR DEDICATION EVERY
[01:30:01]
SINGLE DAY, TO CARING FOR AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY IS EXTRAORDINARILY ADMIRABLE.AS WELL AS YOUR DEDICATION TO THE POLICIES OF THE CITY, AND PROMOTING A PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUPPORT FOR OUR, FOR, UM, EVERY, EVERY PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, LITERALLY FROM LITTLE KIDS TO SENIOR CITIZENS AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN.
AND TO HAVE BUILT THE, THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP WITH YOU.
AND FOR THIS, FOR YOU TO BE MY FIRST MAYOR ON THIS COUNCIL, I'M TRULY GRATEFUL.
AND I JUST THINK THE WORLD OF YOU AND, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD KNOW.
AND I WANT TO SAY THIS PUBLICLY HERE, THAT YOU ARE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE HUMAN BEING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS A PROFESSIONAL, AS SOMEONE DEDICATED TO THE CITY.
AND YOU ARE JUST TO BE COMMENDED FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE CITY AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON A BANNER YEAR.
UH, NOW I, I'D LIKE TO INVITE TO THE MICROPHONE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBER STEVEN PRICHARD TO THE FRONT FOR A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES RECOGNIZES THAT WE OCCUPY LAND ORIGINALLY AND STILL INHABITED AND CARED FOR BY THE TONGVA IV, SERRANO, KI, AND CHUMASH PEOPLES.
WE HONOR AND PAY RESPECT TO THEIR ELDERS AND DESCENDANTS PAST, PRESENT, AND EMERGING AS THEY CONTINUE THE STEWARDSHIP OF THESE LANDS AND WATERS.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SETTLER COLONIALISM RESULTED IN LAND SEIZURE DISEASE, SUBJUGATION, SLAVERY, RELOCATION, BROKEN PROMISES, GENOCIDE, AND MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAUMA.
THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DEMONSTRATES OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT TO TRUTH, HEALING, AND RECONCILIATION, AND TO ELEVATING THE STORIES OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY OF THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE AND WORK ON THESE ANCESTRAL LANDS.
WE ARE DEDICATED TO GROWING AND SUSTAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH NATIVE PEOPLES AND LOCAL TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
THE FERNANDINO TE BAND OF MISSION INDIANS, GABRIELINO TON INDIANS OF CALIFORNIA TRIBAL COUNCIL, GABRIELINO TON, SAN GABRIEL BAND OF MISSION, INDIANS, GABRIELINO BAND OF MISSION, INDIANS ISH NATIONS.
MANUEL BAND OF MISSION, INDIANS, SAN FERNANDO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO NOW INVITE, UH, CHIEF NICK ROCHA TO THE FRONT, UH, FOR A BLESSING.
ROCHA TAMAR, THE GABRIEL SHOSHONE NATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I KNOW WE HAD OUR, OUR DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST, HEATED, BUT WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO GO FORWARD IN A, AN HONEST AND, AND MORE POSITIVE WAY, IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A PRAYER
WE COME TO YOU CLEANSE OF THOSE DARK ENERGIES AND FORCES THAT SEE ONLY TO OUR DEFEAT AND FAILURES, SO THAT WE MAY COME TO THE AID OF ALL YOUR CREATIONS HERE IN THIS PLACE FOR ALL THAT FLY IN YOUR SKY, WALK MOTHER EARTH AND SWIM IN OUR LIVING WATERS FOR ALL THAT MOVE IN THE DAY, FOR ALL THAT MOVE IN THE NIGHT FOR ALL WITH STEM STALKER, VINE WORLD ARE HERE IN THE HOOP OF LIFE FOR EVERYTHING AS A SPIRIT BESTOWED ONTO THEM BY YOU, OUR CREATOR, ALL MADE EQUAL, NONE BE GREATER THAN THE OTHER.
PLEASE, CREATOR, DON'T LET US FAIL.
AND YOU FAIL YOU IN THIS TASK, GIVE US THE WISDOM TO SUCCEED AND NOURISH OUR SPIRITS.
SO, SO THAT WE CAN STAND STRONG IN OUR MISSION TO SPEAK.
FOR THOSE THAT CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WE ASK THAT YOU OPEN THE EARS, HEARTS, AND MINDS OF OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS, SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR THE FAINT CRIES OF THE MEEK AND HELPLESS, AND HELP SEE AND HELP ALL TO SEE BEYOND
[01:35:01]
WHAT THEY HAVE ONLY CREATED FOR THEMSELVES.WE ASK YOU, OUR CREATOR, TO BLESS THIS JOURNEY FOR BRIAN WHO STANDS STRONG AGAINST TYRANTS AND, AND WILL BE YOUR INSTRUMENT TO CONTINUE TO BE A VOICE, TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THOSE THAT CANNOT SHINE FOR THEMSELVES, AND BE A GOOD CARETAKER OF MOTHER EARTH AND CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND CITY AGAINST THOSE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS THAT CLOAKED THEMSELVES UNDER THE COVER OF PATRIOTISM.
I'D LIKE TO NOW INVITE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE RYAN SERRANO FROM LA COUNTY SUPERVISOR HILDA SOLIS OFFICE TO THE FRONT.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, EVERYBODY.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF SUPERVISOR SOLIS TO TRULY SHARE WHAT A JOY AND A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE HERE TONIGHT, TO RECOGNIZE BRIAN TABBA TOBA AS THE INCOMING MAYOR FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
UH, WITH SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DOES HEREBY JOIN YOUR CELEBRATION.
I JUST WANNA SAY IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO SEE CIVIL CIVILITY IS NOT DEAD.
AND WE TRULY THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
ONE MORE PICTURE, MAYOR, AT THIS TIME, IF I COULD, I'D LIKE TO INVITE ELIZABETH LAZARIN FROM SENATOR JOSH NEWMAN'S OFFICE.
UM, I'M AGAIN REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR JOSH NEWMAN.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR TO CONGRATULATE YOU, UH, MAYOR TOFI ON YOUR, UM, NEW POSITION.
AND WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, NOT ONLY, UM, AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE, BUT ALSO AS AN EDUCATOR.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR, UM, POSITION AS MAYOR AND MAYOR, IF YOU WANNA STAY HERE, WE HAVE WENDY SAVADA FROM OFFICE.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS WENDY VERA, AND I'M WITH THE OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO.
AND WE'RE ALSO HERE TO RECOGNIZE INCOMING MAYOR BRIAN TABBA.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND PRESENT THE CERTIFICATE.
ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE AND RESIDENTS OF THE 48TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, I COMMEND YOU FOR MAINTAINING THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TOWARDS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL RESOURCES TO OUR RESIDENTS.
CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES.
UH, I'D NOW LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, FIRST OFF, I, I WANNA, I WANNA THANK, UM, MY, MY FAMILY, UH, MY SISTER, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, MY NIECES AND NEPHEW WHO ARE HERE.
[01:40:01]
MY, UH, UM,OBVIOUSLY, I WANNA THANK MY LITTLE BOY OVER THERE, ANTHONY
UH, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED ME NEXT TO YOU, BUT YOU HAD IT
UM, AND THEN, UM,
UH, AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, MY WONDERFUL WIFE, UM, WHO IS, UM, SHE, SHE IS BEYOND A, A ROCK STAR.
UH, AND, UM, SHE IS JUST, YOU KNOW, RAISING A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOY, UH, HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR HER COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE COULDN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT YOU BABES.
UM, THIS CITY, UM, THIS CITY, UM, MEANS A LOT TO ALL OF US UP HERE.
UM, WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT GO ON HERE, UH, AND SOMETIMES THOSE, THOSE PASSIONS OVERFLOW A LITTLE BIT, UH, AND CAN CREATE, UM, SOME, SOME UGLINESS.
YOU KNOW, UM, CHIEF ROCHA WITH YOUR BLESSING REMINDS US, YOU KNOW, THIS SPACE, THIS SPACE IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.
COMMUNITY HAS EXISTED HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF UGLINESS THAT HAPPENED.
UM, BUT I, I ALWAYS THINK BACK TO, TO MY ANCESTORS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE LIVING IN A TIME WHERE THEIR, THEIR EXISTENCE REALLY WASN'T WELCOMED.
UM, NOT ONLY WAS IT NOT WELCOMED, BUT IT, IT WAS ETHNICALLY CLEANSED GENOCIDE.
AND YET, IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, THEY STILL HAD HOPE, RIGHT? THEY STILL FOUND LOVE.
THEY STILL BELIEVED ENOUGH TO CREATE FAMILY, RIGHT? YOU, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T CREATE CHILDREN IF YOU DON'T THINK THINGS CAN IMPROVE.
THINGS CAN GET BETTER THAT WE CAN GET TO THAT SPACE WHERE ALL, AND, AND I SAY ALL, ALL FIVE OF US ARE WORKING TO GET FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE OUR CHILDREN HERE.
WE ALL WANNA SEE OUR NEIGHBORS FULFILL THEIR DESTINIES.
WE WANNA SEE THE CITY OF WEST COVINA BE THAT SPACE THAT WE ALL BELIEVE IN.
IT'S WHY WE DECIDED TO BE ROOTED HERE, UH, TO BUY OUR HOMES HERE, TO SEND OUR KIDS TO THEIR SCHOOLS, TO TRUST OUR CHILDREN, TO THOSE WONDERFUL TEACHERS, TO THE POLICE, THE FIRE, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT CITY STAFF, EVERYONE THAT MAKES A COMMUNITY WORK.
UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL SPACE, A VERY SPECIAL SPACE.
UM, I SEE FORMER MAYOR BEN WONG HERE.
UH, I SPENT SOME TIME JUST LOOKING AT ALL THOSE PHOTOS.
I AM SITTING WITH THREE FORMER MAYORS AS WELL.
UM, IT'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THAT TITLE BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAY 110,000 PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE VIEWED.
UH, AND I DON'T TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIGHTLY.
UM, BUT I AM HUMBLED THAT I'VE BEEN ENTRUSTED, UH, TO WEAR THAT MANTLE.
I HOPE THAT I WILL REPRESENT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA IN A WAY THAT IS HONORABLE, AND THAT WE WILL HAVE A VERY POSITIVE PRODUCT FULL YEAR THIS YEAR.
[01:45:01]
I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS SPACE.UH, I AM JUST GOING TO BORROW IT FOR A MOMENT, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT PERSON CAN TAKE THIS MANTLE.
AND THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS WE, WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO ENTER THIS SPACE.
YOU KNOW, UH, RUNNING FOR COUNCIL IS DAUNTING.
IT IS TAXING ON FAMILY, TAXING ON RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT SITTING UP HERE GIVES YOU SOMETHING, UH, THAT YOU, YOU, YOU CAN'T GET.
UM, IT, IT'S MORE THAN AN HONOR.
IT'S, UH, IT, IT IS VERY SPECIAL.
AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO, TO SIT UP HERE, UM, IT'S SOMETHING YOU'LL, YOU'LL NEVER FORGET, AND YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TO FOLKS.
UM, WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THAT SACRIFICE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DEMOCRACY IS.
AND WHEN YOU MAKE THAT SACRIFICE, WE ALL WILL APPRECIATE IT, BECAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS TO SIT IN THIS CHAIR.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE THESE VOTES.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE THE ARROWS, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THE MUD.
UM, BUT I'LL SAY THIS, I GOT A 10 YEAR OLD BOY SITTING OVER THERE, UM, AND HE NEEDS PEOPLE TO REPRESENT HIM, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE I SEE A LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS OVER THERE, ORANGEWOOD IN THE HOUSE,
SO, UH, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT 2024 IS COMING, AND I KNOW WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE IN THESE SEATS.
UM, WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE UP HERE NOW, BUT THIS CITY'S GONNA OUTLAST ALL OF US.
AND SO WE'LL NEED PEOPLE TO CARRY ON AND BUILD ON WHAT WE'RE BUILDING ON.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, AND LET'S HAVE, UH, A WONDERFUL YEAR.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS.
MR. MAYOR, UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, JUST AS A, AS A MATTER OF A REQUEST, UM, UM, OUR, OUR CENTENNIAL MAYOR, UH, SHE HA UH, BECAUSE OF THE TIMING, THIS IS AN OFF ELECTION YEAR, AND THERE ARE EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP FOR NO, UH, FOR DECEMBER 1ST AND NINTH, UH, THAT SHE CONTINUED TO HAVE A, A ROLE IN, IN, IN DOING THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND SUCH THAT, THAT OTHER FOLKS HAVE GOTTEN TO DO PRIOR BECAUSE IT'S AN OFF ELECTION YEAR.
AND, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN, UH, THE SECOND THING IS, UM, I'M WONDERING IF OF, AS A MOTHER MAY, I, UH, IF WE COULD LOOK INTO EQUALIZING THE LENGTH OF, OF TIME OF SERVICE, SO THAT WAY, NO MATTER WHEN A PERSON IS SERVING AS MAYOR, WHETHER IT IS IN AN OFF ELECTION YEAR OR ON ELECTION YEAR, THAT THEY ALL, THAT THE TIME BE ESSENTIALLY EQUAL.
SO THAT WAY, UH, FOR ROUGHLY 12 MONTHS.
SO THEN THAT WAY, UH, NO MAYOR IN AN OFF ELECTION YEAR WOULD BE SHORTCHANGED IN TERMS OF TIME.
[CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION]
WELL, COUNCILMAN CONTOS A A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE AGENDA.I THINK WE CAN, SINCE THE REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE, I, I'M OKAY WITH TAKING THE REQUEST AND THEN MOVING THE REPORT TO, TO AFTER THAT.
I, I THINK, UH, I WILL SUPPORT, OKAY.
AND THE COUNCILMAN CONTACT THE REQUEST, AND, UH, BECAUSE, UH, IF EVERYBODY HAVE A ONE YEAR, OKAY.
OUR CENTENNIAL MAYOR OKAY, SHOULD CHANGE FOR ONE MONTH
SO, SO, SO I THINK THIS IS, UH, I KNOW YOU REALLY WANT TO DO A CHRIS A CHILDREN CHRISTMAS PARADE, AND I THINK YOU REALLY WANT TO, OKAY, LIKE THE TREE OF CITY HALL, BECAUSE LAST YEAR IT WAS A MALE, UH, ARIA CASTANO DID THE THING, AND THIS YEAR YOU OUTTA LUCK.
SO I THINK WITH OUR CURRENT MAIL PERMISSION, WE CAN STILL HAVE YOU AS HONOR OUR BOTH CENTENNIAL MAYOR AND TO EQUALLY TOGETHER TO LIGHT THE TREE AND, AND TO BE IN THE PARADE.
SO IN THAT WAY, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY REGRET.
AND THIS, I WILL SECOND ON THE MOTHER MAYOR TO LOOK INTO THE EQUAL LENS OF EACH OF, UH, ROTATION MALE.
SO TREAT EVERYBODY EQUALLY SO WE DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF, UH, REGRET FOR ANY OF THE FUTURE, MAYOR.
[01:50:01]
OKAY? THANK YOU.I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY POINT OF ORDER.
MAYOR, IF I MAY CLARIFY THE MOTHER, MAY I REQUEST, I HEARD TWO REQUESTS.
ONE MOTHER, MAY I REQUEST, AND I'LL TAKE THEM SEPARATELY, IS TO HAVE OUTGOING MAYOR DIAZ PARTICIPATE IN THE CHRISTMAS CEREMONIES.
NO, IT, MR. MAYOR, UM, THAT WAS JUST A REQUEST.
I THINK THE MOTHER MAY I IS CHANGING THE ORDINANCE SO WE CAN GO TO CONSISTENT TERMS. THE MOTHER MAY I REQUEST IS, SO WE HAVE ONE MOTHER, MAY I REQUEST THEN, AND THAT IS TO LOOK AT THE CHANGING THE ORDINANCE TO HAVE EQUAL LENGTHS FOR MAYOR.
AND TO, UH, COUNCILMAN CONTOS, YOUR, YOUR REQUEST.
UH, I, I HAVE SPOKEN TO, TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I WILL BE, UH, SPEAKING WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, UH, TO SEE, UH, THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE AN ENJOYABLE, UH, TREE LIGHTING AND, AND CHRISTMAS PARADE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S APPROPRIATE AND, UH, I WOULD BE HONORED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ALL HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GET TO, TO WEAR THE, THE MANTLE OF MAYOR.
UM, BUT WE ARE ALL FIVE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, UH, AND FOR US TO PARTICIPATE, UH, AND, AND SHARE, UH, IS MORE THAN APPROPRIATE.
UH, AND SO I, I LOOK FORWARD, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DECEMBER EVENTS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE EVENTS GOING FORWARD.
SO, UH, DEFINITELY MR. MAYOR, MAYOR PROAM WU.
I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, VERY GRACEFULLY.
AND, UH, I KNOW YOUR CAREER IS REASSURING.
YOU ARE THE KOREAN MAYOR, BUT IT'S VERY NICE OKAY.
OKAY? I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ALL EQUALLY SIT OVER HERE, BUT OKAY.
CURRENTLY, YOU'RE THE MAYOR AND THE CENTENNIAL MAYOR THAT REALLY AND WANT TO BE IN THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
AND THIS DECIDE DUE TO HE, MR. CHANCE LAST YEAR.
SO, AND YOU WILL DO IT NEXT YEAR, OKAY? SO IN THAT WAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, AND THAT IS WHY WE CAN ALL GET ALONG AND, UH, WORK TOGETHER.
[MAYOR/COUNCILMEMBERS REPORTS]
TO COUNCIL REPORTS.UH, I BELIEVE I AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH THE COUNCIL REPORT, SO, UH, I WAS MISSING, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, UH, LAST MEETING.
UH, I, UM, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, SPONSORSHIP BY THE US CHINA PEOPLE'S FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION, UH, TO REPRESENT WEST COVINA ON A DELEGATION OF, OF MAYORS AND OTHER ELECTED, UH, COUNTY SUPERVISORS.
UH, ASSEMBLY MEMBER MIKE FUNG, UH, LED THE DELEGATION ALONG WITH, UH, TREASURER JOHN CHANG.
AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST OFF, TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE, THE HOMELAND OF, OF MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DIVERSE COUNTRIES THAT THE RESIDENTS COME FROM, IT GIVES YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE IN CHINA TO SEE SO MANY SIMILARITIES IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES, RIGHT? PEOPLE WANNA FEEL SAFE, PEOPLE WANT TO WORK.
PEOPLE WANNA KNOW THAT THEIR KIDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
AND OFTENTIMES, WE, WE DON'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN WE AREN'T ABLE TO BE IN OTHER SPACES.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS.
I KNOW WE, WE GET CRITICIZED FOR SOME OF OUR EVENTS, BUT THOSE EVENTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO EAT TOGETHER.
IT ALLOWS US TO SHARE SPACE TOGETHER.
IT ALLOWS US TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER THAT THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY'S ABOUT.
AND SO IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO GO AND, AND, AND TO SEE AND, AND TO EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, IN CHEYENNE, THE, THE FIRST CITY WE VISITED, WE WERE ABLE
[01:55:01]
TO VISIT A GOLDEN HOME CABIN TREE, WHICH IS LOOKING TO POSSIBLY OPEN A, A FACTORY IN THE CITY OF ELMONTE, CITY OF INDUSTRY.SO THEY ARE COMING TO THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
UH, AND TO, TO SEE THE, THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, THAT THEY'RE DOING, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE, UH, CATTLE THAT MAKES THE, THE BATTERIES FOR THE SOLAR PANELS THAT MANY OF US HAVE IN OUR HOME.
UH, AND TO AGAIN, UH, JUST TO, TO SEE SOME OF THE, THE BUSINESS THAT THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY AT A SUBNATIONAL LEVEL, RIGHT? LOCAL TO LOCAL, UM, PARTICIPATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, KNOW, UH, AGAIN, JUST, JUST TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH.
UH, WE THEN WENT TO THE CITY OF CUSON WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SIT ON A PANEL PANEL FOR EDUCATION, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SPREAD THE MAGNIFICENT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN WEST COVINA AND IN THE WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COVE, COVINA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND ROLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AS THOSE ALL REPRESENT WEST COVINA.
AND PEOPLE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UH, I WAS ALSO ABLE TO MEET WITH ONE OF OUR SISTER CITIES, WOOHOO, WHICH I WAS UNAWARE OF, THAT FORMER MAYOR STEVE HERFORD, HAD SIGNED INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF WOOHOO IN CHINA, WHICH WAS, WAS SOMETHING I WAS NOT AWARE OF.
UH, AND SO THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS WE ARE DOING HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
UH, I THEN, I THINK THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP WAS GOING TO BEIJING, WHERE WE ACTUALLY SAW A CELEBRATION.
IT WAS THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FLYING TIGERS.
AND THIS WAS A, UH, I'M A HISTORY TEACHER AND I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS.
THE FLYING TIGERS WERE A GROUP OF US MILITARY AIR FORCE THAT VOLUNTEERED AFTER THEIR TOUR AND WORLD WAR II WAS OVER.
THEY VOLUNTEERED TO HELP FIGHT AGAINST THE JAPANESE THAT WERE TERRORIZING CHINA.
YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US WHO, WHO MAYBE ARE UNAWARE OF THE HISTORY THERE, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE, WHERE CHINA AND AND RUSSIA WERE OUR ALLIES, AND WE WERE FIGHTING JAPAN AND GERMANY.
AND TO SEE THE REVERENCE, THE, THE CHINESE PEOPLE, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD FOR THE FLYING TIGERS, UH, AND THEN TO GO TO THE US EMBASSY, AND THEY HAD A CELEBRATION.
AND, AND PRIOR TO, TO THE FLYING TIGERS BEING CELEBRATED, THEY WERE GONNA PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE GONNA PLAY A RECORDING, AUDIO DIDN'T WORK.
THE MC BASICALLY WAS LIKE, I'M SORRY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SKIP THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
AND THE AMBASSADOR WAS LIKE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SKIP THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
SO 300 PEOPLE IN AN AUDITORIUM SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM ACAPELLA.
AND IF YOU WERE IN THAT ROOM TO EXPERIENCE THAT, NOW, NOW THINK ABOUT THAT.
HERE YOU ARE IN BEIJING, BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE EMBASSY, YOU'RE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO HAVE THE AMBASSADOR LEAD YOU IN THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND TO, TO SEE THAT EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL IN THAT ROOM KNEW IT WORD FOR WORD.
UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT, IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE.
SO, UH, THAT, UM, KIND OF SUMS UP, UH, THE, THE TRIP.
UH, IT WAS, UH, AN EXPERIENCE THAT WILL ALLOWS ME TO HAVE A DIFFERENT LENS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO RELATE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND, UH, IN A WAY THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, AND TO ALSO CELEBRATE WEST COVINA, UH, IN, IN A WAY THAT I, I THINK, UH, BROUGHT A LOT OF RESPECT TO OUR CITY, UH, AND TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, I'D LIKE, UH, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING? UH, I MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING SECOND.
AND DO WE HAVE CAKE, COFFEE? OH,
AND AFTER I SLAM THIS GAVEL, WE WILL
[02:00:01]
HAVE CAKE AND COFFEE.