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FOR IT.[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD EVENING.WELCOME TO OUR FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
IT IS 7:02 PM MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION.
TONIGHT'S INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY PASTOR SAMUEL MARTINEZ FROM AMAZING LOVE MINISTRIES, AND COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ALL RISE, WE'RE GONNA BOW OUR HEADS.
FATHERS, WE GATHER HERE THIS EVENING.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE, THAT BY THE BLESSING OF THE UPRIGHT, THE CITY HAS EXALTED.
SO, FATHER, I BLESS WES COVINA, I BLESS FATHER AND SPEAK YOUR BLESSING UPON OUR MAYOR AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALL THOSE THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY IN THIS CITY.
FATHER, I BLESS OUR SCHOOLS FATHER, MAY THEY CONTINUE TO BE SAFE HAVENS AND I BLESS OUR ADMINISTRATORS, FATHER AND ALL OUR TEACHERS.
I BLESS FATHER, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, AND I ASK YOU TO KEEP THEM SAFE, PROTECTED FROM MORE HARM.
AND WE BLESS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
FATHER, WE BLESS ALL THE BUSINESSES.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE PRAY THAT THEY'LL CONTINUE TO PROSPER AND CREATE FATHER HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IN OUR CITY.
FATHER, WE BLESS OUR, OUR FAMILIES.
FATHER, WE BLESS OUR FATHERS AND OUR MOTHERS AND OUR CHILDREN.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR WEST COVINA.
THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU WEST.
COVINA THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU.
WE BLESS AMERICA AND WE BLESS OUR CITY, AND WE THANK YOU FOR IT.
PLEASE REMOVE YOUR CAPS AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MAYOR CALDONE, PRESENT CITY ATTORNEY.
IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE REPORTED OUT OF CLOSED SESSION? NOTHING TO REPORT OUT, MR. MAYOR.
[PRESENTATIONS]
GONNA START WITH, UH, UH, PROCLAMATION.SO COME UP, COME UP WITH TESTING, TESTING.
UH, IF I CAN INVITE MARVA PHILLIPS UP TO RECEIVE THE PROCLAMATION.
UH, BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF ACHIEVEMENTS BY AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND A TIME FOR RECOGNIZING THEIR CENTRAL ROLE IN US HISTORY, ALSO KNOWN AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
THE EVENT GREW OUT OF NEGRO HISTORY WEEK, THE BRAINCHILD OF NOTED HISTORIAN CARTER G WOODSON, AND OTHER PROMINENT AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SINCE 1976, EVERY US PRESIDENT HAS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 2024 THEME.
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE ARTS EXPLORES THE KEY INFLUENCE AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE HAD IN THE FIELDS OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, LITERATURE, FASHION, FOLKLORE, LANGUAGE, FILM, MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE, CULINARY, AND OTHER FORMS OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION.
AND SO TODAY, UH, FEBRUARY 20TH, UH, 2024.
UH, I, BRIAN CALDERON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2024 BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
WE AT THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY NAACP BRANCH 10 66, WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF WEST
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COVINA, UM, MAYOR TABBA AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL PROCLAMATION.WE'D ALSO LIKE TO LEAVE A FEW WORDS OR QUOTES FROM FAMOUS VOICES IN BLACK HISTORY.
THE WAY TO WHITE WRONGS IS TO TURN THE LIGHT OF TRUTH UPON THEM.
ITEM B WELLS, IF YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU CAME, THERE IS REALLY NO LIMIT TO WHERE YOU CAN GO.
AND FINALLY, FOR TO BE FREE IS NOT MERELY TO CAST OFF ONE'S CHAINS, BUT TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS AND ENHANCES THE FREEDOM OF OTHERS.
NELSON MANDELA, AGAIN, THANK YOU.
OKAY, ONE, TWO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT THE NEXT ONE.
TONIGHT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST COVINA BANNIS CLUB STUDENTS FROM WEST COVINA WERE PRO PROVIDED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY INTERACTING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF.
THE EVENT ALLOWED FOR THE STUDENTS TO TOUR CITY HALL, YOU'RE SO GOOD AT THIS.
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND PARTICIPATE WITH STAFF IN A MOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND SO BEFORE, UH, WE START CALLING SOME NAMES.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS UP NEXT TO MICROPHONE.
SO I THOUGHT, UH, MAYBE WE COULD HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR DAYS.
UH, SO IF WE COULD START WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, LOPEZ VITO, IF YOU COULD SHARE, UH, UH, YOUR NAME, YOUR SCHOOL, UH, AND JUST, UH, WHAT, WHAT YOU GOT OUTTA TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS, UH, DAMON AVILES.
I'M A SENIOR AT MOUNT SAC EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY'S EXPERIENCE WAS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S COMPLICATED.
IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING AS, IT'S NOT THE SIMPLE KIND OF FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT PEOPLE OFTEN PORTRAY IT AS IT IS AS COMPLICATED TO GET THINGS DONE.
BUT WHEN THINGS DO GET DONE, IT IS REALLY IMPACTFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CHRIS VICTORIA AND I'M A JUNIOR AT WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
TODAY WE GOT TO TOUR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I WANNA BECOME AN FBI WHEN I'M OLDER.
SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE AN INSIGHT ON LIKE, WHAT THEY DO, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND I GIVE PROPS TO THE CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF WORK.
I GO TO WEST VI HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M A SENIOR.
UH, HONESTLY, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT GOING INTO, INTO LIKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY, BUT IT WAS REALLY FUN.
UM, UH, YEAH, LIKE DAMIEN SAID, IT'S A LOT MORE CONFUSING.
I WAS SITTING HERE AT THE MOCK TRIAL EARLIER TODAY AND I WAS REALLY CONFUSED HALF THE TIME.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT LIKE WE DO THESE THINGS PROPERLY AND THAT YOU GUYS REALLY CARE ABOUT, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY.
MY NAME IS ARIANA CHAVEZ AND I AM A SENIOR AT SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO, AS THEY MENTIONED, WE DID OUR TOURS AND WE ALSO GOT TO SIT ONE-ON-ONE.
LIKE WE SAT WITH COUNCILMAN ALI AND HE GAVE US SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE, UM, A COUNCIL, A COUNCILMAN OR WOMAN.
AND, UH, WHAT I TOOK AWAY IS LIKE THE, LIKE HOW HARD IT IS TO REALLY BE A COUNCILWOMAN OR MAN AND TO REPRESENT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU HAVE TOLD PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO DOING FOR THE CITY.
AND THE IMPACT THAT ONE DECISION CAN REALLY MAKE ON MANY, MANY THINGS.
UM, BUT IT WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
I RECOMMEND IT AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
I AM A SENIOR AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAD REALLY A LOT OF FUN, UH, DOING THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY POINTED OUT WAS US HAVING TO CUT $2 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE.
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I REALLY ADMIRE NOT ONLY THE COUNCIL, BUT THE, BUT THE WORKERS WITHIN WESTS COVINA AND HOW HARD IT IS TO MAINTAIN SUCH IMPORTANT THINGS WITH SUCH LITTLE BUDGET.I'M A SENIOR AT WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
AND INSTEAD OF BEING MAYOR DURING THE MOCK TRIAL THAT HAPPENED TODAY, I WAS ACTUALLY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND IN THAT I DID GET A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE UP HERE.
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT I DID LEARN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE WAS I WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT THEY PROVIDED ME WITH IS I LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT HOW INTRICATE MONEY IS INSIDE OF EVERY SYSTEM IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF WEST COVINA.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY OUR PROMPT TODAY WAS, UM, CUTTING 2 MILLION FROM OUR BUDGET.
AND WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THAT, WE WERE DISCUSSING WHAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO AND PAY CUTS, REDUCING EQUIPMENT, REDUCING SALARIES.
IT WAS SUCH AN INTRICATE SUBJECT THAT I REALLY ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO TALK WITH PEOPLE WHO HAD EXPERIENCE IN IT.
AND YEAH, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY ENJOYED.
I WISH I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT AGAIN, BUT I CAN'T.
AND, AND LIKE IN REAL LIFE, UM, THERE WERE NO CUTS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT?
WHAT CAN I SAY?
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED TODAY.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, UH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME UP, UH, AND GET YOUR CERTIFICATE AND THEN WE CAN DO, UH, A BIG, UH, FAMILY PHOTO.
UH, AND THEN, UH, ONCE EVERYONE'S UP HERE TOO, WE DEFINITELY WANT THE ENTIRE, UH, CITY COUNCIL DOWN HERE.
SO, UH, ARIANA CHAVEZ FROM SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU NEED TO BE HIRED, RIGHT? ANTHONY ANDINO, SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
MCKAYLEY, JORDAN TEGEL, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
CARISSA VICTORIA, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
ALICIA WYNN, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
MILLIE PATEL, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
AVA PALACIO, WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL.
GARRETT VITO, EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
ISABELLA RODRIGUEZ, MOUNT SAC EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY.
MOUNT SAC EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY.
AND IF I COULD HAVE, UH, THE COUNCIL COME UP AND WE CAN ALSO HAVE STAFF COME UP AND WE CAN TAKE A WHOLE TEAM PHOTO.
THE CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY.
DID OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MICHAEL FLOWERS, WANT TO JOIN IN THIS PHOTO? COME ON, MISS.
AND THEN, UH, MR. FLOWERS AFTERWARDS YOU COULD BULLPEN.
I GOT TO, WE'RE GETTING ADULT FAMILY IN HERE.
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MR. FLOWERS.UH, BE BEFORE, UH, THE STUDENTS SIT DOWN.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE, UH, BRAD MANNING FROM KIWANIS TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, I'M A PROUD KIAN MYSELF, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE CITY FOR ALLOWING US TO PUT THIS PROGRAM ON AND BRING, EXPOSE THE STUDENTS FROM THE FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA TO COME IN EXPERIENCE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY TEACH IN SCHOOL LOT, BUT IT'S THE ONE AREA OF GOVERNMENT THAT THEY HAVE TRUE IMPACT ON.
YOU AS CITIZENS, YOU CAN COME TWICE A MONTH AND TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANYWHERE ELSE IN GOVERNMENT.
BUT HERE YOU CAN, YOU CAN VOICE AND YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW THE KIDS TODAY.
AND I HOPE THEY LEARNED A LOT.
I CAN TELL YOU AS AN ADULT, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR EIGHT OR NINE, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS, I LEARNED SOMETHING EVERY YEAR AND THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND I'M SO HAPPY AND THANK THE CITY FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LET YOURSELF SHINE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MICHAEL FLOWERS HERE.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STAFF, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE CITY AND THE KIWANIS FOR PUTTING THIS ON.
THESE ARE, THIS IS OUR FUTURE, WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE US, OUR FUTURE COUNCILMEN, OUR FUTURE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OUR FUTURE PRESIDENTS, CONGRESSWOMAN, CONGRESSMEN.
SO ON BEHALF, AGAIN, BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY.
I'M JUST PROUD AND I, AND I LOVE YOU AND HAVE, HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
THEY'RE MISSING THE FUN PART OF THE COMMENT.
[CITY MANAGER'S REPORT]
RIGHT.UH, NOW FOR OUR CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN BY OUR ACTING CITY MANAGER, PAULINA MORALES.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, SO TONIGHT, UH, GONNA GO BRIEFLY THROUGH SOME ITEMS FOR THE, UH, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.
JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE FACILITIES.
ON FEBRUARY 15TH, THE CITY, UH, REC KARATE CLASS HAD THEIR MONTHLY TESTING, UH, DAY FOR STUDENTS TO PROMOTED TO THE NEXT BELT.
UM, WE HAD, UH, WEEK, UH, THIS IS WEEK SIX OF THE BAO ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUE.
AND THE PICTURE ON THE FAR RIGHT IS OUR ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUE.
UM, WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE LEAGUE SEASON THIS YEAR.
NEXT, UH, IS A CORTEZ COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER.
UM, THEY CELEBRATED VALENTINE'S DAY ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH.
WE HAD OVER 180 SENIORS COME AND ENJOY MUSIC, UM, PROVIDED BY DJ RUDY.
UM, FOOD WAS PREPARED BY, BY OUR CHEFS, UM, AND THEY PARTICIPATED IN SOME RAFFLES, SO WE'RE GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, WE ALSO HAD A, LET'S GET CRAFTY VALENTINE'S DAY MAILBOX WORKSHOP ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH.
THIS EVENT WAS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL CHILDREN AND ADULTS OF ALL AGES.
PARTICIPANTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECORATE THEIR VERY OWN VALENTINE'S DAY MAILBOX.
A TOTAL OF 10 PARTICIPATED, 10 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THE EVENT.
UH, TINY TOTS ALSO HELD ITS ANNUAL VALENTINE DAY PARTY ON WEDNESDAY THE 14TH.
UM, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 10 CHILDREN ATTEND, AND THE PARENT, ME PARENT AND ME CLASS HELD, ITS FIRST EVER VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY ON WEDNESDAY, THE 14TH AS WELL.
AND WE HAD EIGHT PARTICIPANTS IN THAT EVENT.
SO AS WE WE'RE CREATING EVENTS AND WE'RE GROWING THOSE, UH,
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THAT PARTICIPATION, WE HOPE THAT MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL JOIN US IN THOSE FESTIVITIES.UM, AND THE SPRING EDITION OF THE DISCOVER IS UP.
UH, IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE AND WE'LL BE HITTING MAILBOXES WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO
SO, UM, THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE.
WE TRY TO GET, UM, INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS AS THIS DOES GO OUT TO ALL THE HOUSEHOLDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO PLEASE KEEP A, AN EYE OUT FOR IT.
UM, IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WHAT PROGRAMS, SERVICES WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND ANY NEW THINGS THAT ARE COMING.
UM, COMING UP IN THE COMMUNITY, IMMUNITY, ONE OF THOSE BEING, UM, THE CITY RECEIVED, UH, FIVE NEW DODGE RAM AMBULANCES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW IS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE READY TO GO INTO SERVICE.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE DOING A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ONCE THAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET THESE AMBULANCES.
I KNOW DURING THE PANDEMIC AND, UH, UH, RECENTLY, UH, A LOT OF CITIES, INCLUDING OURSELVES, UH, STRUGGLED WITH BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF EQUIPMENT OR APPARATUSES.
AND SO TO GET FIVE NEW, UH, AMBULANCES IS GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GOOD SERVICE FOR OUR WEST COVINA RESIDENTS.
UH, JUST LAST REMINDER, I WON'T BRING IT UP ANYMORE, BUT FEBRUARY 28TH, UH, 29TH IS THE LAST DAY FOR THE BUDGET SURVEY.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PLEASE UH, UH, PARTICIPATE AND PROVIDE US YOUR FEEDBACK AND GET IT IN BY THE 29TH.
UM, AS YOU, UH, MAY BE AWARE, WE HAVE A COUPLE ELECTIONS COMING UP THIS YEAR.
UM, THE VOTING CENTERS IN WEST COVINA, UM, FOR THE MARCH 5TH ELECTION ARE AT THE CITY HALL, THE CAMERON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, CORTES PARK COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER, AND THE SHADOW OAK RECREATION CENTER.
UM, THE VOTING DATES AND TIMES FROM MARCH 2ND TO THE FOURTH FROM 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM MARCH 5TH FROM 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM.
SO, UM, THESE CENTERS, UH, WILL BE AVAILABLE WITHIN WEST COVINA.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO VOTE IN ANY, UH, POLLING PLACE WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, WHATEVER LOCATION'S CONVENIENT TO YOU.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE ONES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, DUE TO THE ELECTION, THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MARCH 5TH WILL BE CANCELED.
UM, THE NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE MARCH 19TH.
UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON, UH, THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS THE VERDUGO DISPATCHING CENTER.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE WEST COVINA, UH, DISPATCH CENTER IS ONE OF THE FEW CITIES IN THE REGION THAT DOES BOTH PD AND FIRE.
UM, AND WEST COVINA, ALONG WITH OTHER CITIES IN THE AREA ARE HAVING TROUBLE STAFFING, UM, THESE DISPATCH CENTERS.
UM, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF DISPATCHERS IN THE COMMUNITY OR IN THE REGION.
UM, OUR CURRENT STATUS IS OUR TREND.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT AN ITEM WAS BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL A COUPLE YEARS AGO REGARDING DISPATCHING.
AND, UH, IT WAS, WE WERE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS, UH, AT THAT TIME.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS CONTRACTING OUT FOR FIRE SERVICES SINCE, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
OUR TREND IN OUR DISPATCH CENTER, UM, HAS GONE DOWN AS FAR AS STAFFING.
AND SO WE'VE CONTINUED TO LOSE PEOPLE AND NOT BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEM.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THIS UNDERSTAFFING IN THE, IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND SOME RESIGNATIONS THAT WE ANTICIPATED OR THAT OCCURRED, WE HAD TO RESPOND, UM, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE DISPATCHING SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THE SOLUTION IS THAT, UM, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO INCREASE OUR, UH, STAFFING LEVELS IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, JUST BECAUSE IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY A YEAR TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND SO STAFF OR BRINGING IN NEW STAFF IMMEDIATELY WAS, WAS NOT A SOLUTION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
AND SO THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION IS TO CONTRACT OUT SERVICES TO ALLEVIATE THE WORKLOAD IN OUR CURRENT, IN OUR DISPATCH.
UM, WE HAVE STAFFING FOR, UM, OR BUDGETED FOR FOUR DISPATCHERS PER SHIFT.
UM, WE ARE BEEN AT THREE AND IF THE TREND CONTINUES, WE WOULD BE HITTING BELOW THAT.
AND SO TO HELP ALLEVIATE, UH, THE CURRENT STAFF THAT WE HAVE WITH MANDATED OVER, UH, OVER TIME, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO REMOVE, UH, OR CONTRACT OUT DISPATCH CALLS FOR FIRE AND EMS, UM, AND VERDUGO FIRE COMMUNICATION CENTER IS ONE OF THOSE FACILITIES THAT DOES PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
THEY ARE, WE SELECTED TO GO WITH THEM IN THIS IMMEDIATE, UM, SWITCH OVER BECAUSE THEY, UH, HAD THE MOST COMPARABLE EQUIPMENT AND PROGRAMMING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP SWITCH OVER WITHIN WEEKS WHERE THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT WERE MONTHS, UH, AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND WE DID NOT HAVE MONTHS, UM, TO SPARE.
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WE DECIDED TO GO WITH VERDUGO.AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR WEST COVINA, UM, RESIDENCE IS WHEN YOU CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY, WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, IT'S GONNA GO TO WEST COVINA DISPATCH.
UM, IF IT'S A POLICE CALL, IF YOU'RE REPORTING A CRIME, IT'S GONNA STAY WITHIN OUR DISPATCHERS HERE.
IF IT'S, UH, SOMEONE'S HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR A STRUCTURE FIRE, THEN IT'S GONNA GET TRANSFERRED OVER TO VERDUGO, AND THAT'S GONNA BE WITHIN SECONDS.
SO THERE'S NO DELAY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ENHANCED SERVICES WITH A CALL CENTER THAT IS DEDICATED TO FIRE AND EMS CALLS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS A, A TWO YEAR CONTRACT THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO GET APPROVED TONIGHT.
THE REASON IT'S TWO YEARS IS BECAUSE, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, TO GET SOMEONE, UH, A NEW DISPATCHER TRAINED, IT TAKES A YEAR FROM WHEN WE HIRE THEM.
AND, UM, RECRUITMENT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THE SITUATION WE ARE NOW.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE TWO YEARS IS AN ADEQUATE TIME FOR US TO BUILD THAT DISPATCH CENTER.
UM, AFTER TWO YEARS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REASSESS.
WE'RE INTENDING TO REASSESS, UM, THE BEST SOLUTION FOR WEST COVINA DISPATCH.
WHETHER IT WE BE, WE BRING BACK AND FULLY, UM, STAFF A DISPATCH CENTER FOR BOTH PD AND FIRE.
WHETHER IT WE CONTINUE TO CONTRACT OUT WITH VERDUGO OR WE GO WITH ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, DISPATCH CENTERS.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK TO COUNCIL AT A FUTURE DATE, UM, AND PROVIDE THOSE OPTIONS AND, AND PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION, WHAT BEST OPTION TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT FOR IMMEDIATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO OUR DISPATCH CENTER.
UM, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH VERDUGO.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT I WANTED TO SHARE IS SISTER, UH, SISTER FRIENDSHIP, CITY RELATIONSHIPS.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF CITIES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAVE, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE REALLY A BENEFIT TO, UM, CREATE, UH, GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS, UM, STRENGTHEN AND EXCHANGE CULTURAL BONDS.
UM, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, LIKE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
UM, BUILD BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AND DEVELOP DIVERSE ECONOMIES AND HELP PROVIDE TOURISM TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WEST COVINA CURRENTLY HAS OTTAWA, JAPAN AND BEIJING FANG HAI CHINA.
AND RECENTLY WE DID A FRIENDSHIP, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH TAIWAN.
UM, EVEN BEFORE THAT, UM, WEST CAMINA USED TO HAVE SISTER CITIES IN TOLUCA, MEXICO AND W WHO CHINA.
UM, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE TRIED TO ESTABLISH DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS, UM, AND I THINK SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN, UH, FROM THE DIRECTION OF INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE WANTED TO ESTABLISH THEM.
UM, TIE NINE RECENTLY, THE MOST RECENT, UH, CITY WE'VE ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH, INVITED THE CITY TO THEIR 400 YEAR CELEBRATION.
UM, AND UH, THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, UM, THIS EVENING AS, UH, INTERNATIONAL TROUT VOTE DOES REQUIRE, UM, COUNCIL APPROVAL.
AND THAT'S WHY THE ITEMS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, IF I CAN GO BACK TO OTTAWA, JAPAN AS OUR SISTER CITY.
SO THAT'S A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, UM, NOT ONLY THROUGH THE CITY, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE EAST SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, UH, CULTURAL CENTER.
UM, AND EVERY YEAR THEY'VE USUALLY DONE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT PROGRAM WITH, UH, THROUGH THE EAST SAN GABRIEL JAPANESE CULTURAL COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE CITIES.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT UH, THIS YEAR WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT THEY WILL BE COMING TO VISIT US.
UM, AND THEN IT'S INTENDED THE YEAR AFTER THAT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE REPRESENTATIVES GO TO TAWA TO VISIT THEM.
UM, HISTORICALLY THE CITY HAS GONE TO O TORAH BEFORE.
WE'VE ALSO HAD OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE GONE TO, UM, JAPAN, OR SORRY TO CHINA ON DIFFERENT TRIPS TO, UM, VISIT SISTER CITIES AND TRY TO ESTABLISH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, AND LIKE I MENTIONED, THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT POLICY THAT DOES, UH, MANDATE THAT, UM, INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL DOES GET COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO IT IS A GREAT WAY TO HELP BUILD COMMUNITY IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE PARTNERED WITH, AND THEN BRING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO, UM, WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND ALSO JUST TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND BRING THAT TO OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY LIKE WE HAVE OUR, UM, CULTURAL CENTER HERE, SPECIFICALLY ZORA.
SO, UM, I THINK I HAVE ONE LAST SLIDE AND THAT IS THE, UH, CUP UPCOMING EVENTS.
UM, NEXT MONTH WE HAVE THE SPRING FESTIVAL IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN MARCH 9TH AND MARCH 10TH FROM 11 TO 10:00 PM AND NOON TO EIGHT ON SUNDAY.
AND THEN OUR EASTER EXTRAVAGANZA ON, UH,
[00:30:01]
MARCH 23RD, UM, AT CORTES PARK AT NINE 30 AND DEL NORTE PARK AT 10:30 AM SO WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE WITH THEIR EASTER EGG BASKETS,AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME TONIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
[ORAL COMMUNICATIONS]
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, PLEASE FILL OUT AN ORANGE SPEAKER CARD, SUBMIT IT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK.
WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME BEING CALLED, PLEASE START LINING UP IN THE CENTER ROW.
THE TIMER WILL START WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED TO SPEAK.
UH, HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE? WE HAVE 16 SPEAKER SLIPS.
UM, AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'D LIKE TO SET THE SPEAKING TIME TO THREE MINUTES.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE UH, THREE MINUTES TODAY.
CAN YOU CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER JOHN SCHUMAKER, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA SCHUMAKER, FOLLOWED BY CORY WARSHAW.
THIS WILL BE RELATIVELY QUICK.
I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ANNUAL CONSOLIDATE FINANCIAL REPORT, AND THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME PEOPLE THAT GO, WHAT, WHAT EXPERTISE DOES HE HAVE? WELL, I'VE WORKED IN THE COUNTY OF FINANCE FOR 45 YEARS.
I'VE INSTALLED IN AND IMPLEMENTED FINANCIAL REPORTING SYSTEMS AND CORRECTED ISSUES THAT WERE WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
AND PART OF MY EXPERTISE WAS COMING INTO SITUATIONS WHERE COMPANIES WERE HAVING SEVERE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND HELPED STRAIGHTEN THE AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, POINTING OUT THINGS THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO DO BECAUSE I WAS VERY OPERATIONS ORIENTED AS AN ACCOUNTANT, WHICH WAS UNUSUAL.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN I DID A PROJECT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOES ON IS THERE'S A TENDENCY IN GOVERNMENT AND EVEN IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO PLAY, YOU KNOW, HERE'S SOMETHING SHINY OVER HERE.
TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY THERE.
AND WHAT I'VE NOTICED IN CITY GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY AS THEY'LL TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, OH, WE HAVE ALL THIS MONEY THAT ISN'T BEEN ALLOCATED IN THINGS LIKE THAT.
WELL, I KNOW AS A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT, AS A CHARTERED GLOBAL MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT, AS A CERTIFIED MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT, AND AGAIN, WITH 45 YEARS HOW TO PLAY THAT GAME, WHICH MEANS I KNOW HOW TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT'S WRONG AND WHAT THEY NEED TO LOOK AT.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WHEN YOU HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT THE, THE INFORMATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND IT'S JUST NOW COMING OUT.
SO YOU'RE BASICALLY TWO MONTHS LATE.
I'VE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF THAT I WENT INTO COMPANIES THAT WHATEVER TIME THEY HAD, I COULD ADD TO TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
AND I'VE WORKED AT CORPORATIONS THAT WERE MEGA CORPORATIONS THAT IT TOOK TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO DO EVERYTHING.
SO THERE'S WAYS OF IMPROVING IT.
BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS, IS WE WILL HEAR TONIGHT A LOT ABOUT GENERAL FUND, THIS AND THIS, AND WE HAVE THIS PERCENTAGE OF WHATEVER.
THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SIMPLE, AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT JESSICA AND I TALKED ABOUT WHEN SHE FIRST GOT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THEY GIVE HER 250 PAGES WORTH OF FINANCE, SAID, YOU NEED THREE NUMBERS.
HOW MUCH DID WE BRING IN? HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND? AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? I SAID, IF THEY GIVE YOU TWO OF THE THREE, OF COURSE YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE THE OTHER ANSWER.
SO WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO LOOK AT AND WHAT THEY NEED TO GO LOOK AT IS PAGE EIGHT OF THE ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL REPORT.
IT WILL SHOW WE BROUGHT IN $125 MILLION AND I WILL GIVE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR CREDIT 'CAUSE IT PRETTY CLOSE ON WHAT THEIR ESTIMATE WAS GONNA BE IN THE BUDGET.
ACTUALLY, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND WE SPENT $130 MILLION.
NOW EVERYBODY CAN, CAN DO THE MATH.
IF I SPEND 125 MILLION, I SPEND 130, GUESS WHAT? I OVERSPENT BY $5 MILLION.
SO WHEN YOU PLAY WITH THIS STUFF OF, OH, THE GENERAL FUND WENT UP IN THIS, NO, IN TOTAL YOU LOST $5 MILLION.
JESSICA SCHUMAKER, FOLLOWED BY CORY WAROFF, FOLLOWED BY JAMES GUTIERREZ.
SO, UH, MY DAD WAS BEING A LITTLE BIT MODEST BECAUSE HE DOESN'T MENTION THAT MOST OF THOSE 150 CLIENTS ARE ACTUALLY ON THE FORTUNE 500 LIST, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
IT WAS FUN AS A CHILD GROWING UP THOUGH, WHEN HE HAD SOME OF THOSE CLIENTS LIKE NIKE OR UNIVERSAL.
BUT HEY, I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT WAS ADDRESSING YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WU OR MAYOR PROM WU, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE STOP INSULTING OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BY SAYING THAT YOU'RE SUCH A CALM PERSON.
[00:35:01]
WOULD NEVER YELL AT MEMBERS OF STAFF OR COLLEAGUES, OR HAVE ANY BAD TEMPER.THAT'S JUST NOT YOUR PERSONALITY.
I THINK YOU'RE FORGETTING TIMES WHEN YOU YELLED AT ME IN CLOSE SESSION.
AND THERE ARE STILL MEMBERS HERE THAT CAN CONFIRM THAT I WOULD LOOK AT YOU AND ASK, WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME, MR. WU
THERE ARE MEMBERS OF STAFF NOW, MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY YOU VERBALLY.
I WON'T NAME THEM BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE TO AND DO WORK IN THIS CITY.
AND I KNOW YOU ARE NOT ABOVE RETALIATION, SO PLEASE STOP INSULTING THE COMMUNITY WHEN YOU ACT LIKE YOU ARE A GENTLE SOUL.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL SAY NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT MY DAD AND HOW HE SPEAKS, BUT AT LEAST HE OWNS AND ACKNOWLEDGES WHO HE IS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH HIM.
AND IT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO BE ASSERTIVE AND KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON ISSUES.
IT'S A TOTAL, A DIFFERENT SITUATION WITH HOW YOU TREAT MEMBERS OF STAFF AND FELLOW COLLEAGUES.
SO I HAVE 25 SECONDS, SO BACK, I'LL GO TO THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, HAVING A SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT.
WHAT'S NOT IMPORTANT IS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVING A $5,000 TRAVEL BUDGET WHEN THE CITY CONTINUES TO SPEND MORE THAN IT BRINGS IN AGAIN, PRIORITIES.
CORY WARSHAW, FOLLOWED BY JAMES GUTIERREZ, FOLLOWED BY ELSIE MESSMAN.
GOOD EVENING, MR. HER MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
A RECALL IS THE POWER OF THE VOTERS TO REMOVE ELECTED OFFICIALS BEFORE THEIR TERM EXPIRES.
IT'S BEEN A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT SINCE THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS AND HAS BEEN USED BY VOTERS TO EXPRESS DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
IT PROVIDES A WAY FOR CITIZENS TO EXERCISE CONTROL OVER ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO FAIL TO REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS BEST INTERESTS OR WHO ARE UNRESPONSIVE OR INCOMPETENT.
THIS VIEW MAINTAINS THAT AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE IS AN AGENT OR SERVANT OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS, NOT THEIR MASTER.
ON FEBRUARY 6TH, AS A REGISTERED VOTER IN DISTRICT FIVE, I SERVED COUNCIL MEMBER TONY WU WITH A RECALL NOTICE OF INTENT.
SINCE THEN, OUR ASSISTANT CITY CLERK HAS VERIFIED THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES THAT ARE REQUIRED AND VERIFIED THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WU HAS NOT FILED A RESPONSE, WHICH WAS DUE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE RECALL, PLEASE GO TO TONY WU RECALL.COM.
JAMES GUTIERREZ, FOLLOWED BY ELSIE MESSMAN, FOLLOWED BY YASMINE CARDONA GUTIERREZ.
HOW DO YOU FOLLOW THAT? HUH?
SO I, I JUST WANTED, I SAW SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TODAY, AND THAT WAS ALL OF YOU WELCOMING AND NURTURING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR MAKING THE TIME AND BEING PATIENT AND, AND LETTING THEM IN HERE SO THEY COULD SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH GOVERNMENT.
UM, IT DEMYSTIFIES THE PRACTICE OF GOVERNANCE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, SO I'M HERE BECAUSE LIKE MANY OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY IN THIS AREA, MORE AND MORE CITIES ARE STARTING TO, UM, SUPPORT A CEASEFIRE IN THE GAZA STRIP.
AND, AND I'M NOT ASKING THAT PEOPLE SPEAK PICK SIDES.
GENOCIDE IS NOT A POLITICAL QUESTION.
IT'S SIMPLE TO DIE OR NOT TO DIE.
THERE ARE NO SIDES ON THIS QUESTION OF GENOCIDE LIKE JEWS VERSUS
[00:40:01]
MUSLIMS OR THE NINERS VERSUS THE CHIEFS.THE NUMBER OF DEAD HAS REACHED 30,000, MOSTLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
GAZA IS A REPLICA OF THE WARSAW GHETTO.
THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL JUST RECENTLY AT A CONFERENCE, LIKENED WHAT'S GOING ON TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOLOCAUST.
THE, THE US AMBASSADOR RECENTLY STATED CEASEFIRE AT THE UN AND THE CONGRESS OF AMERICAN, PA, AFRICAN AMERICAN PASTORS HAVE RECENTLY COLLECTIVELY SET CALLED TO CEASEFIRE AND TAKEN OUT MAJOR ADS IN THE LA TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES.
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE JOINING THIS COLLECTIVE VOICE OF CONSCIOUSNESS TO SAY, STOP, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
SADLY, THE IDF, WHICH IS THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES HAVE CORRALLED PEOPLE INTO AREAS TO SAY, THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE SAFE.
THEY DID LEAFLETING AND THEN THEY START BOMBING THAT AREA, AND THEN THEY MOVE 'EM TO AN AREA WHERE THEY SAID IT'S GONNA BE SAFE, AND THEY START BOMBING THAT AREA.
THE US HAS GIVEN ISRAEL $3.8 BILLION YEARLY, AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CONFLICT, THEY GIVE THEM 14 BILLION.
AND NOW WE'RE GIVING THEM ANOTHER 40 BILLION.
RUMOR HAS IT THAT WE COULD SOLVE THE HOMELESS PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY WITH $20 BILLION.
UH, WE COULD CREATE JOBS, WE COULD PROVIDE INSULIN TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T, CAN'T AFFORD IT.
WE COULD PROVIDE HEALTHCARE TO FOLKS AND EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS. WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, IF IT WOULD PLEASE, AND I, AND I IMPLORE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART TO PUT A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION ON THE AGENDA FOR US TO DISCUSS.
AND AND HOPEFULLY YOU ALL CAN VOTE ON, ON THE MARCH 15TH, UM, UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I SEE MESSMAN FOLLOWED BY YASMINE CARDONA GUTIERREZ, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CANTOS AND EVERYONE HERE AND AT HOME.
MY NAME IS ELSIE MESSMAN, A RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
THE LAST FEW MEETINGS, THE COUNCIL ASKED FOR AN INCREASE IN PAY AS THEY WANTED TO LOBBY IN SACRAMENTO IN WASHINGTON DC WELL, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM WU, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ AND THE ACTING CITY MANAGER MORALES, ARE ON THEIR WAY TO TAIWAN STARTING TOMORROW AND ENDING MARCH THE THIRD.
IT MUST BE NICE FOR THE COUNCIL TO CALL THE SHOTS ON RESIDENTS ON THE RESIDENCE DOLLARS.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY $5,000 FOR YOUR VACATION.
WHAT THIS CITY OF WEST COVINA IS GAINING BY BEING A FRIENDSHIP CITY, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE ALREADY HAVE TWO SISTER CITIES IN JAPAN AND CHINA.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A FRIENDSHIP CITY.
THE CITY, IF THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, SHOULD GO TO A LATIN COUNTRY.
AND BY THE WAY, THE REPORT WAS PREPARED BY THE ACTING CITY MANAGER, PAULINA MORALES.
IN THE MEANTIME, A LOT OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING, UH, STRUGGLING.
SO THINK OF HELPING THEM INSTEAD OF YOURSELF.
I SEE NOW WHERE MAYOR PRO TEM WU DOES NOT WANT TO BE ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AS HE HAS NOT FINISHED BUSINESS WITH THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY GOVERNMENT.
THERE IS MANY THINGS THAT WEST COVINA COULD DO TO IMPROVE THE CITY AND IS NOT FESTIVALS FOR THE SUMMER FESTIVAL OR THE MOON FESTIVAL, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
WE NEED MORE POLICE, A PROFESSIONAL CITY MANAGER AND A GRAFFITI RENEWAL COMPANY FOR A START.
PAY THE EMPLOYEES A DECENT WAGE WHERE THEY WILL STAY AND THEY'RE QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB, NOT APPRENTICES.
AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER, MR. UH, CARNY IS NOW THE CITY MANAGER OF RIALTO.
HE WAS, HE'S A LOT MORE QUALIFIED THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW TO MAKE IT KNOWN.
THE ACTING CITY MANAGER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE $5,000.
AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ALSO GOING TO, UH, TO TAIWAN, BUT HE'S PAYING THAT APPARENTLY OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET.
AND THIS IS WHY THEY'RE CANCELING THE MARCH UM, MEETING, WHICH IS A DAMN SHAME BECAUSE YOU GUYS WANNA GO
[00:45:01]
ON A VACATION.YASMINE CORDO CORDONA GUTIERREZ, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN, FOLLOWED BY DOUG FOUR.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THE POEM.
I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPLAIN THE RAGING ANGER THAT I HAVE WHEN I SEE THE STACKS OF EMPTY CHAIRS IN THE RUBBLE OF A SMALL CLASSROOM GETTING HIGHER AND HIGHER.
WHERE ARE THE LENSES OF THE CAMERAS OF THE REPORTERS WHO ACTIVELY VILIFY US? THE STACKS OF EMPTY CHAIRS RISE MORE AND MORE AS A SILENCE STRIKES RIP APART THE A OFFENSE AGAIN.
THIS POEM BY ADIVA CHARISMA IS DEDICATED TO THE PALESTINIAN CHILDREN, THEIR MOTHERS, FATHERS, SIBLINGS, AND FAMILIES.
AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, MOST OF US COMFORTABLY SEATED IN CHAIRS, I ASK YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSIDER ALL THE EMPTY AND BROKEN CHAIRS IN PALESTINE.
THERE HAVE BEEN 29,491 PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES SINCE OCTOBER SEVEN.
WHEN YOU SIT HERE ON YOUR CHAIR TODAY, TOMORROW, OR GLANCE AT AN EMPTY CHAIR, I IMPLORE YOU TO THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER HAVE THE CHANCE TO SIT TO EXIST, TO BE I'M HERE BEFORE YOU, NOT ONLY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF THE GUTIERREZ LAW FIRM BOARD MEMBER OF THE SAN GABRIEL POMONA PARENTS PLACE.
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, PROGRESSIVE SOCAL FOR CEASEFIRE, NOW GROUP PROFESSOR AT MOUNT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE.
BUT AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, I'M OVERWHELMED BY THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND BEARING WITNESS TO THE ATROCITIES IN PALESTINE.
WE ARE NOW DONE SITTING ON OUR HANDS.
YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.
CHILDREN WITH THEIR EYES GOUGED OUT INDIVIDUALS WITH MISSING LIMBS WITHOUT ANESTHESIA, PAINKILLERS, OR USING VINEGAR TO CLEAN THEIR WOUNDS.
RAHA ONCE THOUGHT TO BE A SAFE HAVEN FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES.
HAD 95 PEOPLE MURDERED THIS WEEK.
A FEW HOURS AGO, THE WHITE HOUSE WARNED ISRAEL AGAINST EXPANDING ITS OFFENSIVE INTO RAHA.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THOSE DEMANDS WILL BE MET, BUT IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN THE DEAFENING SILENCE WE HAVE HEARD OVER THE LAST 75 YEARS OF CONFLICT.
I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH A SIMPLE YET URGENT REQUEST TO SHOW YOUR HUMANITY FROM YOUR SEATS OF POWER TO ADD A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION TO THE MARCH 19TH AGENDA.
IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, WE TOOK TO THE STREETS RALLYING FOR A CEASEFIRE IN POMONA.
BY THE END OF JANUARY, OUR EFFORTS BORE FRUIT.
SIX OUT OF SEVEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN POMONA PASSED THE CITY, UH, CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
IN NOVEMBER, WE WILL REMEMBER TO TORRES, WHO CHOSE TO ABSTAIN FROM VOTING.
THIS MONTH WE HELD A PEACEFUL STROLL THROUGH AT THE CLAREMONT FARMERS MARKET, BRINGING OUR MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A SAMPLE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION TEMPLATE.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
PLEASE ADD A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION TO THE MARCH 19TH AGENDA CHRISTIAN, FOLLOWED BY DOUG FOUR, FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW SMITH.
UH, I'VE LIVED IN, I'VE ACTUALLY WAS BORN HERE AND RAISED, BORN, RAISED, AND LIVED IN WEST QUEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
UH, I'VE TAKEN TIME OUTTA MY PERSONAL SCHEDULE TO BE HERE TODAY TO CALL ON THE MEMBERS ELECTED BY OUR COMMUNITY TO BRING ABOUT A RESOLUTION FOR A CEASEFIRE REGARDING THE GENOCIDE OF PALESTINE BY THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION AS RULED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE.
NOT EVEN, NOT MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, WE HAVE BEEN LIED TO ABOUT EVERY SINGLE WAR THIS COUNTRY HAS GOTTEN INVOLVED IN.
FOR DECADES, WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ.
WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN.
WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT THE WAR IN SYRIA AND COUNTLESS OTHERS AS WELL.
CONFLICTS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF MILLIONS.
AND NOW WE ARE BEING LIED TO ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST, THAT ISRAEL IS COMMITTING, USING BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS.
AMERICANS HAVE SACRIFICED OUR TIME, ENERGY, AND PARTS OF OUR LIVES.
FOR THE OFFICIAL COUNT OF THE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN THE GAZA STRIP ALONE REACHES MORE THAN 29,000 AND COUNTING.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS NUMBER DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN THAT ARE STILL MISSING OR TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE RUBBLE OF THEIR OWN HOMES, THAT WERE BOMBED USING OUR MONEY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST APPEAL TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL OF POLITICS TO PREVENT OUR TAX DOLLARS, TO CREATE A REAL IMPACT FOR CHANGE IN CEASEFIRE.
BUT THE MOMENTUM AND THE PRE FOR THE MOMENTUM, FOR THE PRESSURE TO DEMAND A CEASEFIRE STARTS HERE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
LAST MONTH, THE CITY OF POMONA PASSED
[00:50:01]
A RESOLUTION FOR A CEASE FIRE.AND CURRENTLY LAST WEEK, THE CITY OF PICO RIVERA HAS BEGAN TO BRO TO BRING ABOUT THE SAME RESOLUTION, THE SAME MOVEMENT IS HAPPENING ALL AROUND IN OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CLAREMONT, ALMONTE, AND A GROWING NUMBER OF MANY OTHER CITIES.
AS A LIVING RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA, I EXPECT THAT OUR COMMUNITY STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMMUNITIES AROUND US AND WORK TO NOT ONLY BE AN ALLY, BUT TO BE A LEADER IN THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE AND LIBERATION.
TO STAND UP FOR LIFE AND TO STAND BY OUR VALUES WHEN WE CLAIM THAT WE APPRECIATE THE YOUNGEST OF OUR GENERATION.
AS A BARE MINIMUM, WE ASK YOU THAT YOU PLEASE ADD A RESOLUTION FOR A CEASEFIRE TO THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING IN MARCH.
DOUG FOUR, FOLLOWED BY JACK VANILLA, FOLLOWED BY PHILIP GOMEZ.
HELLO, HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING TONIGHT? DOUGLAS FOUR.
UM, I LIVE IN THIS AMAZING CITY, DISTRICT FIVE, ALSO HAVE THREE BUSINESSES IN THIS AMAZING CITY, AND I LOVE THIS CITY.
UM, I AM BACK HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUTDOOR DINING AGAIN.
IT HAS BEEN OVER ONE YEAR NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT.
ON OCTOBER 9TH, UM, WE MET WITH CITY OFFICIALS AND TO DISCUSS IT WITH OTHER OWNERS ON GLENDORA AVENUE RESTAURANT OWNERS.
THE CITY THEN STATED THAT, UM, THEY'RE NOT SURE WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE IS, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE TO ME.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A PROPERTY LINE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARKING LOT.
UM, YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW YOU OWN THE PARKING LOT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD GO WASTE CITY FUNDS, UM, WHICH BEEN TOLD TO US THAT A PROPERTY SURVEYOR IS GOING OUT.
THAT WAS FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS AGO, WAS BEING CONTRACTED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE THE PROPERTY LINES ARE.
UM, IF THAT'S THE CASE, I THINK FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS IS PLENTY OF TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THESE PROPERTY LINES ARE.
I BELIEVE YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU OWN THE SIDEWALK AND YOU OWN THE PARKING LOT FOR SURE.
AND THE ATTENDED AREA WAS THE PARKING LOT, WHICH HAS BEEN TOLD TO US.
UM, SO AT THE JANUARY 30TH MEETING, PAULINA STATED THAT THE ADOPTION OF THE REVISE CODE WOULD BE EXPLAINED AND UPDATED IN THE PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVE ASKED FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION, UM, TO CITY STAFF, AND WE STILL HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD WHAT WAS DONE ON JANUARY 3RD, NOR COULD WE FIND ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE'RE JUST ASKING IF THREE OF YOU GUYS SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT DOING IT, WE'RE GONE.
YOU KNOW, UM, IF THREE OF YOU GUYS SAY YES, WE WANT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, COME ON GUYS.
GO LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS.
YOU KNOW, GLENDORA LOOKS AMAZING IF YOU GUYS HAVE GONE DOWN DOWNTOWN GLENDORA, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST GIVE US AN ANSWER.
I I DON'T WANT TO GET UP HERE AND BEAT, BEAT DOWN.
IF, IF IT'S A NO, JUST HAVE THE GUTS TO SAY, DOUG, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS.
WE'RE NOT DOING THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THREE OF YOU GUYS VOTE NO, WE'RE NOT DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PROCESS HERE? YOU KNOW, THREE YEAR, THREE PEOPLE JU JUST COME OUT AND SAY IT.
PHILLIP GOMEZ, FOLLOWED BY JACK VANILLA, FOLLOWED BY RAVEN.
I'M A, I'M NOT MUCH OF A PUBLIC SPEAKER, BUT, UH, I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
I'M A, I'M AN HVAC TECHNICIAN BY TRADE AND I LIVE IN THIS, I LIVE IN THE LOCAL AREA AND I'M HERE TODAY, RIGHT THERE TO REQUEST A, UH, CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION RIGHT THERE FOR THE, UH, MARCH 19TH.
UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL AGENDA? WHAT DO YOU CALL 'EM? WHAT IS GOING ON OVER THERE IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
WHAT DO YOU CALL, WHAT DO YOU CALL THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE MASS KILLING OF CIVILIANS WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS? I DO NOT GO TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY SO THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS COULD BE SPENT ON KILLING CIVILIANS INTERNATIONALLY.
I PAY MY TAXES RIGHT THERE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR MY COUNTRY.
WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? EVERYTHING THAT IS, WHAT DO YOU CALL WHEN IT COMES TO, WHEN IT COMES TO EVERYTHING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED IN RIGHT THERE.
THE, UH, THE WAR IN IRAQ, THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? WAS JUST, UM, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
WHAT DO YOU CALL THE WARS IN LIBYA, SYRIA.
AND WE CAN GO ON AND ON WHERE THERE, ALL OF THIS RIGHT THERE CONTINUED RIGHT THERE WITH THE FACT THAT
[00:55:01]
THEY JUST RECENTLY, THEY, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL, THEY'VE JUST RECENTLY, WHAT DO YOU CALL, UM, VOTED AGAINST A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION AT THE UN.ALL OF THIS ADDS UP TO ONE ISSUE.
AND THAT ISSUE IS THAT OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED US.
AND MORE AND MORE MUNICIPALITIES ARE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND SAYING NO TO THIS.
RIGHT? THERE WE CALL FOUR CITIES LOCALLY WITH THEIR LONG BEACH, CUDA, HAY, POMONA, AND MONTEBELLO, AS HAVE VOTED IN FAVOR OF A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.
AND I'M CALLING ON EVERYBODY HERE TO STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY AND TO DO THE SAME.
JACKIE VANILLA, FOLLOWED BY RAVEN, FOLLOWED BY NASLI.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TIM AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN RED LEGION 18 DISTRICT.
AND WOW, WHAT A ROUGH CROWD TONIGHT.
ANYWAY, I'M HERE TO PROMOTE THE AMERICAN LEGION IN THE 18 DISTRICT, WHICH IS SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
WE HAVE POST FROM ALHAMBRA ALL THE WAY TO CLAREMONT AND FROM THE FOOTHILLS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LA PUENTE.
AND I'M HERE TO HELP OUT 'CAUSE WE'RE HAVING A PR PROBLEM LATELY.
UM, WE DO THINGS LIKE BOYS AND GIRLS STATE AND HALF BY LISTENING AUDIENCE ALREADY BAILED.
AND WE SEND, WE GO TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND BY THE COUNSELORS WE'RE PICKED OUT THESE C CERTAIN STUDENTS AND WE SEND 'EM TO SACRAMENTO, LEARN CIVICS.
AND IF THEY DO WELL THERE, THEY CAN GO ON TO NATIONALS AND EARN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY.
WE'RE INVOLVED IN BLOOD DRIVES, WE'RE INVOLVED IN A FLAGS HISTORY, OR WE'RE INVOLVED IN A BIG THING WE DO AT CHRISTMAS TIME.
WE STUFF 200 BACKPACKS AND WE SEND 'EM OVER TO WEST LA FOR THE HOMELESS VETS OVER THERE.
OUR LOCAL, OUR LOCAL POSTS HERE ARE 7 5 5, WHICH IS OVER ON BONNIE COVE NARROW HIGHWAY.
AND, UM, POST SEVEN 90, WHICH IS WORKMAN IN AZUA.
AND I'M ALSO HERE TO PROMOTE OUR LOCAL FUNDRAISERS.
WE'RE HAVING TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'RE HAVING A TACO OF NIGHT.
WHERE'S THE CAMERA?
AND I'LL TRY TO BE BACK NEXT MONTH AND, UH, I CAN SEE WHY YOU'RE OUT TAKING A BREAK FROM THE 19TH
RAVEN, FOLLOWED BY NAS LEE, FOLLOWED BY R ROBINSON COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR, I ASK THAT PEACE BE WITH YOU.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU OUR REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN WEST COVINA A MAJORITY OF MY LIFE.
I'M HERE ASKING YOU TO CALL FOR AN END TO THE VIOLENCE AND OPPRESSION IN GAZA BY CREATING A RESOLUTION AND CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE.
TWO THIRDS BEING WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE BEEN MURDERED BY THE IDF.
69,000 CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN INJURED AND MANY, MANY MORE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.
THEY HAVE NO HOSPITALS, NO SCHOOLS, WATER OR FOOD LEFT.
EVERY YEAR THE US SENDS $3.8 BILLION TO FUND THE ISRAELI STATE WITH 1 MILLION, 1000, I'M SORRY, 1,161,725 OF THOSE DOLLARS BEING THAT OF WEST COVINA TAXPAYER MONEY MAKING US COMPLICIT IN THE CRIMES AND ATROCITIES BEING COMMITTED.
I ASK YOU TO JOIN THE CALIFORNIA CITIES SUCH AS LONG BEACH, SAN FRANCISCO, POMONA, HAYWARD, AND MONTEBELLO, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER CITIES ACROSS OUR NATION TO APPLY PRESSURE ON CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE ENDLESS AND SENSELESS KILLINGS.
CONTINUING ON IN GAZA, IT'S THROUGH YOU, OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES THAT OUR LARGER GOVERNMENT WILL HEAR US.
WE ARE TIRED OF SEEING OUR TAX DOLLARS FUND WHAT THE INJ HAS CALLED A PLAUSIBLE GENOCIDE.
WHEN THAT MONEY COULD GO FURTHER TOWARDS ENDING HOMELESSNESS, FUNDING OUR EDUCATION, ASSISTING STUDENTS IN DEBT, BETTERING OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AND CREATING BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE.
I ASK YOU PLEASE NOT TO LOOK AWAY, TO BE A VOICE FOR CHANGE.
TO REMEMBER THAT JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE ISRAELI STATE ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME.
TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR HATE.
THE TARGETING OF CIVILIANS, NO MATTER THEIR
[01:00:01]
FAITH OR ETHNICITY, IS A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW.AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE, BUT SINCE I HAVE 19 SECONDS LEFT, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THAT MONEY MIGHT GO FOR THEIR, TOWARDS SISTERING CITIES AND HELPING OUR VETERANS.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT YOU ADD THIS TO YOUR NEXT AGENDA, PLEASE.
FOLLOWED BY R ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY STEVE BENNETT.
GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM A PHYSICIAN AND I PRACTICE AT QUEEN OF THE VALLEY EMINENT.
THIS IS A MISSION-DRIVEN HOSPITAL THAT HOLDS HEALTHCARE AND HUMAN KINDNESS AT ITS CORE VALUES.
AND AS I HEARD BY THE BEAUTIFUL INVOCATION AT THE START OF THIS MEETING, OUR CITY DOES THE SAME, HOLDS THOSE SAME VALUES DEARLY.
SO I KNOW THAT I CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT.
IN FACT, MANY THINGS I HEARD AT THIS MEETING SHOW ME HOW RELEVANT IT IS TO BRING THIS MATTER FORWARD.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE CLOSEST, UH, POLITICAL BODY TO, TO THE CONSTITUENT.
AND SO WHEN I HEAR MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE JOINED, UH, MEDICAL GLOBAL AND OTHER MEDICAL RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS, GOING TO THE HASA STRIP AND COMING BACK AND TELLING ME STORIES THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO PERFORM AMPUTATIONS WITH A GIGGLY SAW, WHICH IS A CIVIL WAR ERA TYPE OF BARBED WIRE TO CUT OFF A LIMB.
THESE ARE HORRIFYING STORIES THAT I KNOW THAT, UH, WE CANNOT LIVE IN PROSPERITY HERE.
THAT PROSPERITY IS FALSE IF WE KNOW THAT, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, UM, THE EXACT OPPOSITE TYPE OF REALITY TAKES PLACE.
BECAUSE IF WE SAY THAT WE HOLD THOSE TYPES OF, UH, HUMAN RIGHTS, UH, TRUE FOR US, THEN IT'S TRUE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
UM, AND SOMEBODY ELSE HERE TODAY MENTIONED, UH, NELSON MANDEL, AND I THINK IT'S VERY FITTING TO BRING UP ONE OF HIS FAMOUS QUOTES THAT HE RECOGNIZED APARTHEID IN THE STATE OF, UH, IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND SAID THAT, UH, SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT FREE UNTIL PALESTINE IS ALSO FREE.
SO NUMBER ONE, KNOWING THAT, UH, THE CITY HOLDS THESE, UH, VALUES, UH, CLOSE AND ALSO HAS A, UH, SORT OF A PRECEDENCE OF TAKING GLOBAL ISSUES AT HEART, WE, I, NUMBER ONE, SUPPORT WHAT MY OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID IN CALLING FOR OR CONSIDERING CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION ON THE AGENDA.
UH, TWO, UM, IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR JUST A CEASEFIRE BECAUSE YES, THE BOMBS MUST FALL SO THAT HUMANITARIAN AID CAN ENTER IT BECAUSE EVEN NOW, UNITED NATIONS AND WORLD, UM, HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND WORD FOOD OR UH, PROGRAM HAVE STOPPED DELIVERING AID BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES.
BUT ONCE THE BOMBS DO STOP, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, UH, DO A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS.
AND WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS? IT IS NOT OCTOBER 7TH.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES.
AND WE CANNOT FORGET THE REGIME THAT CAUSED THE GENOCIDE OF THESE 30,000 PLUS PEOPLE IN THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, BUT MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE IN PRIOR MONTHS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR FINANCIALS AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE NO FINANCIAL INTEREST THAT ENABLES THAT ENTITY TO TAKE PLACE AND TO CONTINUE TO, UM, OPPRESS THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
AND THREE, I HOPE THAT WHEN THE ROTATION OF THESE SISTER CITIES GOES FORWARD, WE SHOULD CONSIDER HAS THE CITY AS A SISTER CITY FOR WEST COVINA, UH, ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY STEVE BENNETT, FOLLOWED BY JIM GRITCH.
UH, I HEARTILY SUPPORT THE GAZA SEA CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IDEA THAT'S SO BEAUTIFULLY DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
UH, I, I CAN'T REPEAT, UH, IT'S ALL BEEN SAID.
UH, I'LL REPORT TONIGHT ON THE, UH, PANDEMIC INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.
AMERICA NOW SEEMS TO BE A NON-COUNTRY, ABSENT RECOGNIZABLE NATIONAL BORDERS WITH 50 STATES APPARENTLY UNABLE TO PROVIDE DEFENSE AGAINST AN INVASION.
ARTICLE FOUR, SECTION FOUR, THE US CONSTITUTION BE DAMNED, UH, ILLEGAL INVASIONS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS AND ASSOCIATED, UH, TRIGGERS YEARS OF, UH, SPREADING VIOLENCE COUNTRYWIDE.
UH, UH, COUNCIL, HAPPY TRAVELS IN CHINA.
I HOPE YOU ARE NOT BRIBED OR BULLIED DURING YOUR, UH, TAXPAYER FUNDED TRIP.
AND I ALSO AGREE, UH, WE USED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, UH, SISTER CITY, ME, UH, IN MEXICO.
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? UH, BEYOND ANY DOUBT IF THERE IS, UH, ONE THING ALL OF US MUST REALIZE, IF WE EVER WANT TO BREAK THROUGH INTO A BETTER WORLD, IT IS THAT MOST EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS A LIE.
EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF HUMAN EXISTENCE HAS BEEN HIJACKED AND IS TOTALLY INFESTED WITH DECEPTION.
[01:05:01]
TO FIND CIA'S OPERATION MOCKINGBIRDS INTERFERENCE WITH THE MEDIA SINCE THE 1960S IS A WELL KNOWN FACT OF AMERICAN HISTORY ATTACKS ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND CITIZENS' PRIVACY VALUES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY 24 7 PROPAGANDA.EVERYONE AMONG US WHO HAS A SINCERE LONGING FOR TRUTH WILL ATTEST TO THIS REALITY.
THERE IS DECEPTION AND CONFUSION EVERYWHERE, EVEN IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE THOUGHT WE HAD, WE WOULD FIND TRUTH.
WHEN WE TRULY SEEK TRUTH, WE WILL DISCOVER IT.
UH, SOMETIMES IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND RNA GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY.
CRISPR CAS NINE MUST BE BANNED WORLDWIDE.
SPEAKING OF GENOCIDES, LAST YEAR, TEXAS, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL PAXTON ANNOUNCED A LAWSUIT AGAINST PFIZER CLAIMING THAT THE COMPANY MISREPRESENTED THE EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF COVID-19 VACCINE TO ITS CONSUMERS.
AND THE EFFECTIVE EFFECT EFFECTIVENESS COULD BE LOWER THAN 10%.
THEY NEVER TESTED IT BECAUSE CONGRESS GAVE THEM IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY.
THERE'S NO INCENTIVES TO TEST IT.
THEY TESTED IT FOR A COUPLE DAYS, THEN WE THEN, THEN WE WENT AND, AND IT WAS TO TEST IT ON US.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO FINISH MY SENTENCE.
STEVE BENNETT, FOLLOWED BY JIM GRITCH.
GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF.
I'M STEVE BENNETT, AND TONIGHT I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE RECALL TONY WU COMMITTEE.
I SUPPORT THE RECALL OF COUNCIL MEMBER TONY WU AND WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY THIS RECALL MUST BE DONE.
AFTER THE 2018 ELECTION, TONY WU BRAGGED ABOUT HAVING A COUNCIL MAJORITY BEHIND HIM.
IN 2019, THE NEW MAJORITY VOTED TO TERMINATE THE CITY MANAGER.
THIS NEW MAJORITY THAT TONY WU CLAIMED HE HAD STARTED MAKING SWEEPING CHANGES IN THE UPPER MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY THAT HAS NEGATIVELY, NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THE FINANCIAL STANDING OF OUR CITY.
IN MARCH OF 2019, TONY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE HIRING OF DAVE CARNY AS THE ACTING CITY MANAGER WITH A THREE TO TWO VOTE, THE NEW MAJORITY VOTED IN UNISON TO APPOINT THE ACTING CITY MANAGER.
IN APRIL OF 2019, BOTH THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE FIRE CHIEF WERE TERMINATED FROM THEIR JOBS BY THE ACTING CITY MANAGER.
ROUGHLY A MONTH AFTER HIS HIRING, BOTH OF THE CHIEFS HAVE FILED LAWSUITS AGAINST THE CITY OF WEST COVINA FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION, AMONG OTHER ALLEGATIONS THAT INCLUDE HOSTILE WORKPLACE AND AGE DISCRIMINATION.
IN MAY OF 2023, THE VERDICT IN THE JURY TRIAL FOR THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF LARRY WHITHORN, AWARDED HIM $4.1 MILLION.
A JUDGE LATER RULED THAT THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF WOULD RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION.
THE TRIAL FOR THE FORMER POLICE CHIEF MARK TAYLOR IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
THIS TRIAL COULD POTENTIALLY BE ANOTHER MONUMENTAL VERDICT AGAINST THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL MORE LAWSUITS FROM FORMER EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE EITHER BEEN SETTLED OR WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COURTS.
AT THIS TIME, TONY HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS STATED NUMEROUS TIMES THAT HE HAS THE MAJORITY.
NO COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD HAVE A MAJORITY.
TONY WU'S ACTIONS SINCE THAT NOVEMBER, 2018 ELECTION HAVE PROVEN TO BE FINANCIALLY DAMAGING TO THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
THE TAXPAYERS CANNOT AFFORD TO LEAVE TONY WU IN OFFICE ANY LONGER.
THAT IS WHY TONY WU MUST BE RECALLED.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT A DIFFERENT SUBJECT, LONG RANGE FINANCIAL FORECAST.
THE GOOD NEWS WE'RE DOING ONE, UH, THE WE, UM, UH, THE STATE AUDITOR ASKED US YEARS AGO THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COSTS.
AND THIS DOCUMENT STATES THAT THIS IS TRYING TO DO IT.
HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME BAD NEWS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DOCUMENT.
AND I'M SORRY, YOU DISTRACTED ME.
AND, UH, THE REASON WHY IT'S NOT ACCURATE, IT ACTUALLY TELLS YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THING, AND I PRESUME IT WAS, YOU DIDN'T READ EVERYTHING THAT YOU RECEIVED.
IT SAYS THAT THE PROJECTIONS DO NOT INCLUDE SALARY INCREASES.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T INCLUDE SALARY INCREASES, THEN YOU'RE GROSSLY UNDER UNDERESTIMATING FUTURE EXPENSES.
AND IF GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATE FUTURE EXPENSES, THE ROSY CHART THAT SAYS EVERYTHING'S
[01:10:01]
JUST FINE ISN'T FINE ANYMORE.HERE IN, YOU'LL BE IN DEFICIT SPENDING ALL FIVE YEARS.
THAT TALKS ABOUT, AND THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER THING THAT WASN'T MENTIONED THAT I DO NEED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
IT WAS ACTUALLY ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE CITY'S LITIGATION EXPENSES HAVE BEEN RISING ENORMOUSLY.
ONLY THREE YEARS AGO, THE ANNUAL EXPENSES FOR LITIGATION WERE $2 MILLION THAT THE CITY WAS SPENDING THIS YEAR.
UH, THIS LAST YEAR IT WAS $6 MILLION.
BASED ON THE LAWSUITS THAT ARE COMING DOWN, THE NUMBER WILL BE EVEN HIGHER.
THIS PROJECTION DOESN'T INCLUDE THAT.
AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE CITY'S BALANCES ARE GOING DOWN.
IT'S PROJECTED THAT THE, UH, EXPENSES WILL EXCEED REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND BY $2 MILLION.
LAST YEAR, THE NUMBER WAS $3 MILLION.
THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, IT WAS $1 MILLION.
SO IN THREE YEARS TOTAL, THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE HAS GONE DOWN BY $6 MILLION.
THIS FORECAST DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE TREND IS DOWN.
IT SAYS EVERYTHING'S JUST FINE.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO KNOW THAT EVERYTHING FINANCIALLY IS NOT FINE.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND I DO NOT.
I DO THINK IT'S DISINGENUOUS TO MISREPRESENT, UH, THE FUTURE OF THE FINANCIAL FUTURE OF THIS CITY.
MAY YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT CONCERNS.
UM, A LOT OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT HAD TO DO WITH, UH, REQUESTING A CEASEFIRE, UM, IN THE GAZA STRIP.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY HORRIBLE STORIES AND REALITIES THAT ARE COMING OUT FROM WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT WAR TORN AREA.
UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH HEARTBREAKING ASTROS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND OCCURRING TODAY IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS ALREADY DENOUNCED, UM, THE VIOLENCE IN THE AREA.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY MUCH SADDENED BY WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, COUNCIL CAN DIRECT STAFF TO, UH, BRING BACK A RESOLUTION TO, YOU KNOW, REQUESTING A CEASEFIRE.
UM, AND WE WOULD BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT RESIDENTS REACH OUT TO THEIR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PROVIDE THAT FUNDING.
UM, AND HAVE THE POWER TO, OR THE ULTIMATE POWER TO MAKE A CHANGE, UM, REGARDING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN GAZA.
SO, UM, IT'S GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COME TO YOUR LOCAL ELECTIVES, AND WE WOULD BE MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE A CHANGE, UH, WOULD BE THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OTHER OR COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THIS EVENING.
UH, MARCH 5TH MEETING, UM, WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE ELECTION THAT DAY, AND NOT BECAUSE OF SOME, UH, THE, UH, PROPOSED, UH, TRIP TO, UH, TAIWAN.
UM, WHEN I GET BACK, I CAN SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOU.
UM, THE SECOND HEARING FOR THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE IS TODAY.
AND SO IT'LL BE EFFECTIVE 30 DAYS FROM NOW.
AND THAT'S WHEN THAT CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE.
UM, AND THEN THE CHARTS THAT IN THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL PLAN, UH, DO INCLUDE THE SALARY CHANGES THAT ARE APPROVED PER THE MOUS.
AND SO, UM, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SALARIES THAT WE, AND THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CHANGES ARE, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE 0%, 5%, 1%, OR 10%, WHATEVER THOSE INCREASES BE.
WE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR THEM 'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
BUT THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH THE MOUS ARE INCLUDED IN THOSE CHARTS.
UM, I THINK THE DEMOCRACY, OKAY.
AND, UH, UH, I GOT ELECTED 2015, AND I GOT ELECTED AGAIN 2018, AND I WAS A DISTRICT FIVE, AND I GOT REELECTED AGAIN ON 2022.
AND THEN PEOPLE, MY RESIDENT OKAY.
KNOW MY STAND ABOUT ALL THOSE POLICY, OKAY? REGARDING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, REGARDING THE DKK, AND, UH, I ALREADY EXPLAIN IT.
I, REGARDING, OKAY, I DIDN'T RESPOND TO YOUR, UH, REQUEST OR THE ACCUSATION, AND I WAS MISTAKENLY WAITING FOR CITY CLERK, OKAY? SUPPOSEDLY.
AND I THINK SHOULD SHE NOTIFY IF YOU FILE OKAY.
TO THE WRECKER, AND THEN SHE WILL NOT NOTIFY ME AND SAY, OH, OKAY, YOU SHOULD RESPOND.
[01:15:01]
I NEVER RECEIVED THAT NOTIFICATION.I HAVE TO, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GET RECALL, OKAY? SO I'M NOT EXPERIENCED WITH THAT.
OKAY? SO
SO, UH, SO NOW I'M NOT TRYING NOT TO RESPOND TO YOU.
I JUST, I RESPOND TO THE, UH, NEWSPAPER OKAY.
REGARD EACH OF YOUR ACCUSATION AND TRY MY BEST TO WHAT I FEEL IS THE TRUTH ON MY SIDE.
AND OF COURSE YOU CAN, OKAY? AND, UH, DEBATE.
BUT THAT'S DEMOCRACY, OKAY? AND, UH, PEOPLE ELECT YOU AND PEOPLE WANT TO RECALL YOU, YOU HAVE TO WRITE, OKAY? AND, UH, IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT ME, I JUST WALK AWAY, OKAY? S SUNSET.
OKAY? AND SO ANYWAY, AND THIS IS KNOWHOW FEELING.
BUT THE ONLY THING I WANT TO STATED REGARDING SOME RESIDENT TALKING ABOUT, OKAY? AND, UH, OKAY, I CREATE ALL THIS, THIS AND THAT.
LOOK AROUND THE CITY CURRENTLY COMPARE WITH FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN OUR MAYOR CORY WORKSHOP IN CHARGE THE TIME YOU HAVE A MAJORITY, OKAY? AND OUR CITY BLINK OF BANKRUPTCY, AND WE HAVE NO CONTRACT OF POLICE AND FIRE FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS, OKAY? AND THE UNION IS VERY ANGRY.
YOU WALK INTO THE CITY HALL, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WALKING INTO FUNERAL HOME BECAUSE EVERYBODY VERY ANGRY.
OKAY? SO, SO INSTEAD, WELL LOOK RIGHT NOW, LOOK, I THINK PREDOMINANTLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE HAPPY.
OUR UNION CAME TO THANK US TO GIVE THEM THE CONTRACT.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT, WE GIVE THEM THE ADJUSTMENT, AND WE BALANCE THE BUDGET.
WE NO LONGER IN BANKRUPTCY MORE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE CITY MUCH MORE PRETTIER, NICER.
WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING TO FIX ALL THE PROBLEM THAT PREVIOUS COME TO OUR SHOULDER.
AND DUE TO 23, 20, 30 YEARS OF ALL THIS BURDEN COME TO US AND WE WANT TO FIX IT.
MAYBE NOT TO YOUR STANDARD, BUT WE TRY OUR BEST.
OKAY? WE WANT PEOPLE TO ACCOUNTABLE, RESPONSIBLE, AND WE WANT OUR CITY FUNDAMENTALLY SAFE FOR THE FUTURE.
WE ARE NOT HERE, STILL HERE FOREVER, OKAY? WE DO THIS ONLY IF WE GET PAID, WHAT? $700 FOR A MONTH, OKAY? PLUS DEDUCT THIS AND THAT, ALMOST NOTHING.
WE HOPE WE CAN HAVE OUR RESIDENT FUTURE THAT THEY BE PROUD LIVING IN WEST COVINA.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DOING IN WHAT I SIT OVER HERE, OKAY? AND, UH, TRY TO CONTINUE AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM OR PEOPLE CRITICIZE ME.
OKAY? AND PEOPLE CAN CRITICIZE, PEOPLE CAN SAY ANYTHING AND HAVE ONE ACCUSATION.
YOU ENTITLED TO GET CRUCIFIED.
BUT IF YOU CANNOT STAND THE HIDDEN IN THE KITCHEN, AND I WANT TO FINISH MY JOB, BUT I PROMISED TO MY RESIDENT, AND HOPEFULLY, OKAY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN TO YOU OKAY.
I NEED TO WAIT FOR HER OR I HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT AWAY.
BUT, AND IT LOOK LIKE I ASKED TODAY, UH, THE
I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, OKAY? I PASSED THAT SEVEN DAYS.
SO ANYWAY, JUST WANT TO GIVE TO YOUR RESPONSE.
COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ, VIRO, SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
I KNOW SOMETIMES I KEEP HEARING LIKE, OH, WHAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM SAYS TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE QUICKLY TAKE BELIEF.
I KNOW THEY SAID, OH, HIS MAJORITY IS MAJORITY, BUT PEOPLE FORGET THAT SOMETIMES.
I PERSONALLY HAVE VOTED AGAINST HIM.
UH, THEY, THEY, WELL, I, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT, BECAUSE I JUST WANNA SET THIS ON THE RECORD.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'VE IMPLEMENTED THAT I'VE DONE, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY ALL SAID, OH, MAYOR PRO TE W DID THIS, OR MAY HE BROUGHT THEM IN.
AND, AND I WAS LIKE, JUST, I JUST WANNA SET THAT RECORD STRAIGHT THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY, BUT PEOPLE JUST TEND TO FORGET.
SO I JUST, I JUST FIND IT FUNNY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE, THERE'S OTHER THINGS TOO.
THINGS THAT I HAVE WENT AGAINST AND THINGS THAT I'VE IMPLEMENTED WHERE PEOPLE THOUGHT, OH, I'M JUST COPYING HIM.
LIKE, I, LIKE, EVEN WHEN I STARTED THE, UH, UH, THE FILM FESTIVAL, THEY SAID, OH, THAT, THAT CAME FROM HIM.
IT'S, IT'S ME FROM SCRATCH UP.
BUT JUST WANNA PUT THAT RECORD STRAIGHT, THAT THEY GIVE YOU TOO MUCH CREDIT WHEN CREDIT IS NOT DUE,
LIKE, THAT'S A DEFINITELY NO NOT, BUT THAT'S IT.
THANK AND, AND WE'VE SEEN MAYOR PRO TEMS FILM, SO DEFINITELY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING
[01:20:01]
TO DO WITH THEI, I, I JUST, UH, UH, WANTED TO MAKE, UH, ONE, ONE COMMENT RE REGARDING THE, UM, THE LONG-TERM FINANCIALS.
UH, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DO HAVE, UH, OUR MOUS AND NEGOTIATED AND, AND WE WROTE IN THERE THAT THE FUTURE RAISES, UH, ARE NOT IN THAT LONG-TERM VIEW BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE NEGOTIATIONS.
YOU, YOU WOULDN'T GIVE A, A PROJECT PROJECTION OF RAISES OR, OR CUTS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE GONNA NEGOTIATE.
SO JUST, UH, GIVING SOME CLARIFICATION ON, ON WHY THAT ISN'T DONE AND WHY THAT WOULD BE BAD PRACTICE, UH, TO DO THAT.
ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? MAYOR PROU, I THINK PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT THE TAIWAN TRIP.I, I WANT TO PULL THE NUMBER THREE, PLEASE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS? NUMBER ONE THROUGH EIGHT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NUMBER THREE? I'M WITH THE MOTION.
I'LL SECOND BEFORE I TAKE ROLE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO READ THE TITLE OF THE ORDINANCE INTO THE RECORD.
MAYOR ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 5 1 9, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY, COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA APPROVING CODE AMENDMENT NUMBER 23 DASH ZERO ONE, THE DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE AMENDING CHAPTER SEVEN, BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATIONS.
CHAPTER 15, MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
CHAPTER 17, PLANNING CHAPTER 18, STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND PUBLIC PLACES.
AND CHAPTER 24, VEGETATION OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE AND AMENDING THE DOWNTOWN PLAN AND CODE.
SO I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LOPEZ, VITO, TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ONE THROUGH EIGHT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM NUMBER THREE.
[3) CONSIDERATION OF EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT FOR FRIENDSHIP CITY TRIP TO TAIWAN]
PROAM.JUST WANT SOME RESIDENT CONCERN ABOUT, UH, OKAY, WHY WE GO TO TAIWAN, BY THE WAY, UH, IT'S NOT CHINA.
OKAY? AND, UH, TAIWAN AND CHINA IS TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEM.
UH, CHINA RUN BY THE COMMUNISTS AND TAIWAN IS DEMOCRATIC LIKE US.
THEY HAVE A TWO OR THREE PARTY, AND THEY ALWAYS KIND OF, UH, ELECTION.
THEY JUST WENT THROUGH THE ELECTION IN JANUARY, THEY JUST ELECTED NEW PRESIDENT, OKAY? AND, UH, CHINA NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT THEIR PRESIDENT.
BUT, UH, JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN TO, UH, RESIDENT CONCERNED ABOUT THIS TRIP, ABOUT, UH, WE RECEIVED THIS INVITATION LAST YEAR FOR TITLE NINEX SISTER CITY, UH, FOR 400 YEAR CELEBRATION.
I WAS DEBATING, OKAY, I KNOW THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY WITH US, BUT SHOULD WE TAKING THIS LONG TRIP BECAUSE IT'S A 1514 0.5 HOURS FLY, AND I THINK MAYOR CORY WAR WENT WITH ME TO CHINA IN 2017.
AND, UH, WE ONLY SIT ON THE ECONOMY CLASS, OKAY? SO, AND YOU HAVE A BABY CRYING ALL THE TIME.
UH, TOP TRIP, OKAY? AND SOMETHING TO TAIWAN, OKAY? AND THE REASON I DECIDE TO KIND WORK WITH THEM, SEE, WE CAN HAVE OTHER CITY THAT WE CAN VISIT AND WHY? UM, TAIWAN IS OUR SISTER CITY IN 2020, AND THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY WITH US, OKAY? AND WE WANT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP.
AND, UH, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO OVER IT JUST FOR CELEBRATE THEIR 400 YEARS OF, UH, SET UP THE CITY HISTORY.
I HOPE WE CAN VISIT OUT THE CITY DUE TO TAIWAN IS A HIGH TECH COUNTRY WITH, UH, 90% OF HIGH TECH OF THE CHIPS MADE OVER THERE, INCLUDING THE AI CHIP.
AND WE HOPE IF I CAN GO OVER THERE AND SET UP WITH, UH, THEIR CITY MAYOR AND, UH, MAYBE TALK TO SOME OF THEIR, UH, AND THE BUSINESS AND LET THEM KNOW WEST COVINA IN CALIFORNIA, NOT TOO FAR, NOT TOO FAR WITH THEM.
OKAY? BUT ONLY WITH A PACIFIC OCEAN.
THEY CAN BRING THEIR SEMICONDUCTOR CHIP TO OUR REGION.
WHEN I COME TO US, THEY ARE 90% PRODUCE OVER THERE.
WHY CAN'T WE SPARE SOME OF THEIR BACKUP PLAN? SO THERE IS A REASON, OKAY? I DECIDE TO, OKAY.
AND, UH, WORK WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE OVER THERE.
SEE THEY CAN HELP US TO CONNECT WITH THE, THE CITY.
AND WE GOT THREE OR FOUR CITY WILLING TO MEET WITH US, OKAY? AND WITH THE CITY MAYORS.
AND THEN THIS TRIP BECOME EVERY DAY
[01:25:01]
WE GO TO SEE ANOTHER CITY AND, UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, TRANSFER THE TREND OURSELF, OKAY? BECAUSE THE CITY INVITE WANT TO MEET US, BUT THE TRANSPORTATION WE HAVE TO DO OURSELF.SO, SO, SO IT, IT IS A, YOU CAN SEE IT'S A TOUGH TRIP, OKAY? AND THE WHY, OKAY? I, I REQUEST CITY ACTING, CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY BECAUSE THEN NOW THEY KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST A CITY COUNCIL TO GO OVER THERE BECAUSE WE CANNOT MAKE ANY DECISION.
BUT IF WE HAVE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, ACTING CITY MANAGER, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE OKAY AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY OVER THERE POSSIBLE, OKAY, WE CAN TALK AND THEY KNOW, THEY TAKE US MORE SERIOUSLY SO WE CAN OKAY.
KIND OF, UH, TALK AND HOPEFULLY BRING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO, TO DISCUSS.
SO THEY WILL TREAT US A LITTLE BIT MORE SERIOUSLY RATHER THAN JUST CITY COUNCIL.
GO OVER THERE AND THE POSSIBLE WE JUST SING AND, UH, REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO SING.
WE ALL VERY BUSY AND THE TIME IS TICKLING.
WE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING POTENTIAL AI AND THE HIGH TECH CHIP, UH, FOUND.
OKAY? ALL THIS AREA AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN CONSIDER, OKAY, AND CALIFORNIA OR WEST COVINA WILL BE ONE OF THE POTENTIAL THEY CAN, OKAY? COME TO US.
SO, SO THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, OKAY? AND YOU CAN SEE THE SCHEDULE INCLUDING ALL THIS, OR WE SET IT UP.
IT'S A VERY BUSY JAM PACK FOR ONE OR ONE FIGHT FLEW OVER THE FLYOVER DAYS.
SO WE TOOK TWO DAYS, OKAY? SO IT'S ONLY FIVE DAYS AND YOU ALWAYS SEE, YOU BASICALLY SEE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE C INCLUDING THE FOREIGN MINISTRY OF TAIWAN.
OKAY? AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN BUILD A RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING OPPORTUNITY, UH, YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS, OR HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BENEFIT TO OUR CITY FUTURE.
AND REGARDING THE $5,000 ALLOWANCE, WE WENT TO, UH, JAPAN TOGETHER WITH COREY WORKSHOP.
THE MAYOR AT THE TIME, YOU ARE THE MAYOR, PRO.
THE MAYOR WAS, UH, JAMES TO THREE OF US.
WE WENT TO JAPAN AND WE, WE TRAVELING WITH CHRIS FREELAND, I THINK YOU REMEMBER.
AND UH, AND UH, AND I REMEMBER I EVEN FLEW TO TAIWAN, TRIED TO BUILD OUT A RELATIONSHIP, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
MOST OF THE MONEY WE USE CREDIT CARD, I DIDN'T ASK FOR REIMBURSE REIMBURSEMENT.
SO ACCEPT INTO THIS, UH, TRIP.
IT WAS SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL THEMSELF TO WANT TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OR NOT.
BUT WE STILL WANT TO DISCLOSE TO THE PUBLIC AS A TRANSPARENCY WHILE WE DOING WHAT WE GO IN, WE WANT TO SHARE WITH ALL THE RESIDENT EVERYTHING IN DETAIL AND REGARDING THE CHARGE.
OKAY? AND, UH, THAT IS EACH CITY COUNCIL DECIDE, OKAY, THEY WANT TO GET REIMBURSEMENT OR NOT EVERYTHING.
YOU HAVE TO USE OUR OWN CREDIT CARD, OKAY? NOT CITY CREDIT CARD.
WE HAVE TO, I ALREADY PURCHASE THE FLIGHT USING MY OWN CREDIT CARD.
SO ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNED RESIDENT, WHY WE DOING THIS? WE HOPE WE THIS ONE WEEK WE CAN BRING OUR OKAY PRESENT AND THEY KNOW WHERE COVINA AROUND AND THEY, MAYBE IT'S A CONSIDER WE WILL BE A LOCATION FOR THEIR HIGH TECH BUSINESS.
SO, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN WITH OUR, I KNOW I PERSUADE THEM, SO PLEASE COME.
WE MAYBE CAN DO SOMETHING AND THAT THEN TREAT US MORE SERIOUSLY RATHER THAN JUST COUNSEL POSSIBLE OVER THE ASSESSING.
SO ANYWAY, THIS, THIS IS, I'M GOING TO MOVE THE MOTION APPROVED FOR, UH, AGENDA NUMBER THREE.
I I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION FOR THE CITY, ACTING CITY MANAGER, UH, TO, UH, AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT FUNDING IS, IS COMING FOR, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, IT WASN'T CLEAR ON THE REPORT WHERE THE FUNDING FOR, FOR YOUR, YOUR, UM, TRIP WAS COMING FROM.
AND I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO FOR, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, IT'LL BE COMING OUTTA THE CITY MANAGER'S, UH, BUDGET.
AND SO WE DO HAVE, UM, ACCOUNTS THAT WE CAN PULL FROM TO COVER THE COST.
SO JUST LIKE I SAID FOR, FOR TRANSPARENCY.
SO THE, THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT WE AS THE COUNCIL, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT, WE HAVE $5,000 IN, IN ALLOWANCES.
UM, THERE'S OTHER, UM, ACCOUNTS THAT WE CAN USE TO OFFSET THE, THE, THE, UH, THE REIMBURSEMENT.
YEAH, THERE IS A CONFERENCE AND TRAINING CONFERENCE, BUT LINE ITEM THAT WE CAN CHARGE THIS TO,
[01:30:01]
NO.YEAH, I, I THINK THAT JUST THE, THE, THE PUBLIC KNOWS AND THEN THAT INFORMATION WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
IT'S ALL PUBLIC DOCUMENT, SO YES,
OKAY, WE, WE HAVE A, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IN A SECOND BEFORE I TAKE FOR CALL.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE REGARDING THIS ITEM.
AND I'VE PLACED THOSE AT YOUR DESK, AND I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALL BEEN CC'D ON THEM FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
I HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM MOON, A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, CONSIDERATION OF EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT FOR FRIENDSHIP CITY TRIP TO TAIWAN.
[9) CONSIDERATION OF 2023 UPDATE TO THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM]
NOW MOVING ON TO DE DEPARTMENT REGULAR MATTERS.UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE, CONSIDERATION OF 2023, UPDATE TO THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, MS. MORALES WHO WILL PRESENT THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, I'M GONNA HAVE OCON
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE.
SO IN DECEMBER, WE CAME TO YOU AND WE PRESENTED YOU, UH, THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND THE REPORT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT.
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING OVER SOME OPTIONS ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD TO IMPLEMENT, UH, THE REPORT.
AND I, UM, SO THE THREE OPTIONS, UH, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING OVER IS TO CONTINUE, UM, THE EXISTING FUNDING OF, LEMME PULL THAT TOGETHER OF 3.2 MILLION, WHICH WOULD HAVE A LONG-TERM IMPACT THAT WOULD DECREASE OUR PCI LEVELS OF OUR STREETS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT PCI LEVELS, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND FIVE PER 5.1 MILLION PER YEAR FOR FIVE YEAR PROGRAM.
THESE ARE ALL FIVE YEAR PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEN TO INCREASE OUR PCI TO SEVEN, UH, 73, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND 5.8 MILLION ANNUALLY OVER A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM.
UM, AND I THINK THEY'RE READY SO THEY CAN, UH, OCON AND, UH, PETER CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN.
WE'RE HERE ABOUT A MONTH PLUS AGO, UH, DESCRIBING THE RESULTS OF OUR CONDITIONAL SURVEYS IN REGARDS TO THE OVERALL WEIGHTED PCI FOR THE CITY.
WE EXPLAINED THE METHODOLOGY OF HOW THE CONDITION SURVEYS WERE PERFORMED AND LEAVING YOU AT LAST, UH, MEETING.
WE DISCUSSED OBVIOUSLY THE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL TO PRESENT TWO TO THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, UH, THAT WERE, WERE BASED ON THE ACTUAL BUDGET AND SOME PROJECTED BUDGETS LIKE THAT ACTING CITY MANAGER HAD INDICATED, UH, JUST PREVIOUSLY HERE, LET'S SEE, IT'S NOT WORKING.
P UH, PMP OR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS A DECISION MAKING TOOL THAT ASSISTS STAFF AND CITY, UH, CITY STAFF IN MAKING COST EFFECTIVE DECISIONS FOR THE LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF THE PMP.
AND THOSE ARE RELATED TO THE MAINTENANCE AND REHAB OF ALL YOUR ROADWAY SEGMENTS.
MAINTENANCE BEING LIKE SLURRY SEAL REHABS BEING OVERLAYS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS.
IT PROVIDES A PROCESS OF, OR A SYSTEM FOR RATING THE PAVEMENT CONDITION, WHICH WE DESCRIBED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
ESTABLISHING A CONSISTENT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SCHEDULE, WHICH HAS BEEN DEFINED NOW FOR THE CITY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT MAINTENANCE TREATMENT STRATEGIES THAT ARE WITHIN THAT PROGRAM.
UM, ME AS A MANAGER, WHEN WE MEET WITH THE, THE CONSULTING STAFF, THE CITY STAFF REGARDS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, CITY MANAGER, CITY ENGINEERS, THE COMMON QUESTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, PETER, WHAT'S OUR CURRENT CONDITION? HOW DOES THAT COMPARE IT AGAINST OTHERS AROUND US? HOW DOES THAT COMPARE AGAINST THE STATE AVERAGE OR THE COUNTY AVERAGE? UM, WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF CONDITION IN REGARDS TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION? I'VE BEEN DOING P AND P NOW FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SO I COULD SPEAK A LOT TO THAT.
UH, HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A GOAL THE CITY MIGHT ESTABLISH IN THE FUTURE HERE? HOW WILL THE CONDITION THAT CITIES, UH, MAINTAIN STREETS RESPOND OVER TIME TO YOUR EXISTING BUDGET OR THE ACTUAL BUDGET? AND I'LL
[01:35:01]
BE DESCRIBING YOUR ACTUAL BUDGET AND THE MAINTAIN BUDGET IN THE INCREASED PCI BUDGET HERE SHORTLY.WHAT MAINTENANCE REHAB STRATEGIES EXIST TO IMPROVE OUR CURRENT CONDITIONS AND, UH, UNDER DIFFERENT FUNDING LEVELS? WHAT IS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE OVER THE GREATEST ROI WAY TO IMPLEMENT THE MULTI MULTI-YEAR CIP, BOTH WITH THE ARTERIAL AND COLLECTOR SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE LOCAL SYSTEMS? NOW, P AND P IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT.
WHAT, WHAT I SAY TO OUR CLIENTS IS, IT, IT IS A TIP OF THE PYRAMID.
IT LEADS TO A LOT OF DESIGN, DISCUSSION, COST EVALUATION, FIELD WORK, AND SO FORTH.
SO RECOMMENDATIONS GENERATED IN THE WEST CONVENE 2024 PMP ARE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES FOR GENTLEMEN LIKE MYSELF, YOUR YOUR UPPER MANAGEMENT STAFF, YOUR CONSULTING STAFF TO HAVE WORKSHOP DISCUSSIONS OF HOW TO ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC GOAL.
AND THE P THE THE P AND P ARE NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE SOLID ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND JUDGMENT BEFORE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE FINAL REHAB APPROACH SHOULD BE USED.
EXISTING CONDITIONS SHOULD BE CHECKED IN THE FIELD BY YOUR DESIGN ENGINEER, STAFF AND PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC STAFF AS WELL.
AND THE FINAL REHAB APPROACH SHOULD BE S BE ESTABLISHED AND THE PLANS AND SPECS SHOULD BE PREPARED ACCORDINGLY.
THE TYPICAL SCHEDULE IS A P AND P STUDY LIKE WE'VE PERFORMED HERE, DESIGN FIELD WORK, COST ESTIMATIONS, ACTUAL DESIGN WORK, AND EVENTUALLY THAT LEADS TO ASPHALT CONSTRUCTION THROUGH THOSE VENDORS AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE THE TIP OF THE PYRAMID HERE.
YEAH, YOU WANT, YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS THAT.
AGAIN, PCI PAYMENT CONDITION, UH, INDEX VALUE FOR THE, THERE'S FIVE CONDITION CATEGORIES, VERY GOOD TO VERY POOR.
UH, THE PCI IS DEVELOPED BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
WE FALL IN A-S-T-M-D 64 3 3 3 STANDARD TO EVALUATE THE PCI BASICALLY IN ACADEMIC TERMS, A PCI OF 100 IS A BRAND NEW STREET THAT HAS BEEN RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED OR FRESHLY OVERLAID.
THE PCI OF ZERO IS A FAILED SECTION FOR THE CITY OF WEST COMMUNITY.
YOUR NETWORK AVERAGE PCI IS 71, THAT'S RIGHT AROUND AN AVERAGE AVERAGE SCORE.
YOU CAN SEE THE METRICS IN REGARDS TO THE CITY CITY'S TOTAL CENTER LINE MILEAGE.
THAT'S A VERY LARGE CITY IN REGARDS TO COMPARING YOURSELF AGAINST OTHERS.
AGAIN, YOUR AVERAGE PCI OF 71.3, YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORICAL VALUES AS WELL.
SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT THE CITY IS BACK INTO THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY WERE BACK IN 2016 AND 17.
WE HAVE RANK CLASSIFICATIONS FOR OUR ARTERIALS, LOCALS, AND ALLEYS AS WELL.
WE'VE LINKED ALL THE PAVEMENT SEGMENTATION THAT'S IN THE PMP TO THE CITY'S GIS AS WELL.
SO STAFF CAN QUICKLY AND GRAPHICALLY REVIEW THAT DATA WITHIN THAT ENTERPRISE SYSTEM.
COMPARING WEST CONVENIENT AGAINST OTHERS.
THESE ARE PROJECT PROJECTS AND P AND P STUDIES THAT BUCKHAM HAS.
MY FIRM HAS PERFORMED THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN COUNTY, OR EXCUSE ME, THROUGHOUT LA COUNTY.
YOU CAN SEE WITH THE 71 PCIA, RIGHT ALMOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE COUNTY AVERAGE IN LA, TAKING ALL THE 88 CITIES LA COUNTIES AVERAGE, IT'S ABOUT 66, 67 NOW, AND DROPPING, YOU COMPARE YOURSELF AGAINST OTHER COUNTIES LIKE ORANGE COUNTY, WHICH IT'S AN 80, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISM DOWN THERE.
BUT AN AVERAGE 71 SCORE IS EXACTLY THAT, WHAT I SAY THROUGH MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
ONCE THE CITY ACHIEVES THE PCF 75, YOU'RE STARTING TO BEGIN, YOU'RE ENTERING THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE STATE
THERE IS A LOT MORE NEED FOR SLURRY SEALS COMPARED TO OVERLAYS.
THE PCI OF 71 HAS HAD A, A PRESENTATION THIS MORNING WITH ANOTHER COASTAL CITY DOWN IN LA UM, THE AVERAGE PCI OF 71 THAT THEY HAD AS WELL.
I SAID, YOU'RE IN THE OVERLAY BUSINESS WEST CONVENIENT HAS A, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT OF DEFERRED OVERLAY THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT HERE SHORTLY.
HERE'S A PCI CONDITION OF A BRAND NEW STREET THAT'S BEEN FRESHLY OVERLAID OR NEW NEWLY CONSTRUCTED AS THE, THE SECTION AGES DUE TO WEATHER, OXIDATION, DEFLECTION, CRACKING, LOAD BEARING DISTRESSES, DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES, WHAT HAVE YOU.
YOU START TO SEE LINEAR CRACKING, TRANSVERSE CRACKING AND BLOCK CRACKING GENERATES A PCIS OF 70 OR SIXTIES.
AS THAT SECTION DETERIORATES SEVERITY LEVELS GO FROM A LOW SEVERITY TO MEDIUM OR HIGH SEVERITY.
AND THE PCI STARTS DROPPING DOWN INTO THE FORTIES AND THIS SECTION, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT.
I CAN SEE A GREAT HERE, BUT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ALLIGATOR CRACKING.
THAT'S A LOAD-BEARING DISTRESS, WHICH WILL GENERATE A VERY LOW PCI SCORE.
SO IT GIVES YOU A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THAT THOSE ARE MOVING INTO THE BUDGET AREA, WHAT I CALL THE ECONOMIC PORTION OF THE P AND P.
[01:40:01]
TO STAFF FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, REHABILITATION MAINTENANCE, OR, UH, WORK AS WELL FOR LIKE, SUCH AS OVERLAYS AND RECONSTRUCTION WORK.THOSE ARE THE ACADEMIC TERMS THAT ARE TYPICALLY USED FOR THE P AND P WHEN WE'RE ASSESSING WHAT THE CITY'S BEEN APPLYING FOR MAINTENANCE AND REHAB, WE ALSO SET ASSESS THE UNIT COSTS AND AVAILABLE BUDGETS, UH, THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THE SYSTEM.
THE GOAL FOR THE CITY BEING A PCF 71, IT SHOULD BE TO PRESERVE THAT STATE OF CONDITION.
WE DON'T WANT TO GO BELOW 71 MOVING FORWARD.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE GOOD STREETS GOOD.
AND THEN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OF FOLLOWING THE PMP RECOMMENDATIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A FORECAST MAINTENANCE REPORT IN FRONT OF THE CITY THAT'S BEEN FINALIZED FOR THE FMR REPORT.
THAT'S A SCHEDULE OF MAINTENANCE PAYMENT SECTIONS THAT ARE BEING SCHEDULED AND RECOMMENDED FROM 2024 FISCAL YEAR TO 2029.
THIS IS A TYPICAL 25 YEAR ASPHALT CONCRETE LIFECYCLE.
YOU CAN SEE AS THE SECTION DETERIORATES FROM A HUNDRED TO ABOUT 60 65, THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT IS VERY MANAGEABLE.
YOU'RE DEALING WITH A BASICALLY 50 CENTS TO A DOLLAR PER SQUARE FOOT, A MAINTENANCE.
THAT'S WHY IT PAYS TO DO, MAINTAIN GOOD STREETS AND GOOD CONDITION IMMEDIATELY AS A SECTION DETERIORATES INTO THE OVERLAY CONDITION LEVELS, EITHER 65 OR BELOW.
YOU'RE DEALING RIGHT NOW WITH INFLATION AND THE COST OF DOING, UH, REHAB WORK ABOUT FOUR TO $5 PER SQUARE FOOT.
SO IN SOME CASES IT'S FOUR OR FIVE TIMES AS MUCH AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND AS THE SECTION DETERIORATES TO THE END OF ITS LIFESTYLE OR LIFESTYLE LIFE CYCLE OF 20 OR 25 YEARS, THE COST FOR AC RECONSTRUCTION NOWADAYS IS ABOUT $12 A SQUARE FOOT.
AND PCC RECONSTRUCTION IS 22 TO $23 A SQUARE FOOT.
SO IT'S VERY HARD TO MANAGE YOUR NETWORK WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THAT LOW, THOSE LOWER CONDITIONS.
FURTHERMORE, WORKING WITH THE CITY, THE CITY PROVIDED US THE 12 MAINTENANCE ZONES FOR YOUR RESIDENTIAL SYSTEM.
WE PRIORITIZE THOSE WITHIN THE FMR BASED UPON ITS CENTER LINE, MILES OF TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE IN THE WEIGHTED PCI FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ZONE.
I THINK IT'S ZONED WHAT'S 6, 11, 12, 1, AND TWO TYPE OF SCHEDULE.
THE ARTERIALS AND COLLECTORS ARE TYPICALLY FUNDED DIFFERENTLY FROM THE LOCALS.
SO WE SEPARATE THOSE INTO A DIFFERENT MODELING SYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ARTERIAL AND COLLECTORS AND THE LOCALS AND FOCUSING WORK INTO THE, THE DISTRICT ZONE MAPS ACTUALLY ALLOWS FOR A MORE COST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY BASED UPON MINIMIZING THE ASPHALT CONTRACTORS' MOBILIZATION COSTS.
HERE'S A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE 12 ZONES THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN UTILIZING.
BUCKHAM INHERITED THAT WE ASSESS THE CONDITIONS WITHIN THESE ZONES AND THEN AGAIN, PRIORITIZE FROM THERE.
LIKE THE ACTING CITY MANAGER INDICATED, THERE WAS THREE SCENARIOS.
ONE, THE FIRST SCENARIO THAT WE WILL RUN NO MATTER WHAT TYPE, UH, WHERE WE ARE WITH WHAT CLIENT WE RUN YOUR ACTUAL BUDGET.
SO WE TOOK A 3, 2, 3 $0.2 MILLION BUDGET AND APPLIED AGAINST THAT, AGAINST THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE FOUND THROUGH OUR SURVEYS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
THAT EQUALS ABOUT A TOTAL MIL $16 MILLION BUDGET OVER FIVE YEARS.
THE FIRST THING I LOOK AT WHEN I RUN THESE BUDGETS ARE OBVIOUSLY THE PCI RESULTS, EITHER GOING UP OR DOWN AND THE DEFERRED BACKLOG.
BASICALLY HOW MUCH SLURRY OVERLAY AND REHAB CANNOT BE ADDRESSED BASED UPON LIMITED FUNDING.
THE CONDITIONS DRAW FROM WHERE THEY WERE FROM 71 DOWN TO ABOUT 66, 67 LEVEL, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE WENT UP ABOUT 60%.
SO WHEN I RUN THAT AS A MANAGER MYSELF, I SAY I COME BACK TO AND STAFF SAYING, WE NEED TO GO AT LEAST DEFINE WHAT IT COSTS TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE, THAT QUESTION THAT COMES UP FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PETE, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM PER YEAR? YOU'RE LOOKING AT A $5.1 MILLION PER YEAR SCHEDULE FOR $25.5 MILLION BUDGET THAT SUSTAINS THE ASSET THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW THROUGH 2029.
THAT'S 71 AS THE CONDITION, WHAT THE CONDITIONS LOOK LIKE TODAY, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA LOOK LIKE IN FIVE YEARS.
THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND BACKLOG SLIGHTLY GOES UP, BUT IT'S MANAGEABLE MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT WAS A GOOD SIGN WHEN IT CAME TO TALKING WITH STAFF.
NEXT QUESTION IS, OKAY, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO INCREASE THE PI AND A COMMON SENSE APPROACH, BUT ACHIEVABLE APPROACH? I'VE SEEN OTHER CONSULTANTS GO, WELL, YOUR $3.2 MILLION DOESN'T, ISN'T, UH, AMPLE TO SUSTAIN THE ASSET.
YOU NEED A $15 MILLION BUDGET TO GET TO A LEVEL OF 80 THAT'S UNACHIEVABLE FOR A LOT OF CITIES.
I EXPLAINED THAT TODAY WITH MY OTHER CLIENT.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A COMMON SENSE APPROACH THAT'S ACHIEVABLE AND MINOR STEPS.
SO GOING FROM A 71 TO 73 IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS IS A GREAT, UH, PROCESS TO START FROM 73 TO MAYBE A 77.
[01:45:01]
BY 20 32 23 IS A GOOD GOAL TO BE AT.YOU'LL BE TOTALLY IN THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
THE INCREASED PCI BUDGET THAT YOU SEE, THE $5.8 MILLION PER YEAR, THE $29 MILLION EXPENDITURE OVER FIVE YEARS INCREASES THAT PCI TO 73.
BUT MORE SO IMPORTANTLY TO ME AS A MANAGER, FOURTH AND FIFTH YEAR OF THAT PROGRAM, THAT DEFERRED BACKLOG STARTS TO DECREASE.
THAT'S THE PRINCIPLE ON YOUR CREDIT CARD THAT YOU CAN'T PAY OFF.
DEFERRED BACKLOG IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS THERE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE STREETS IN WEST THAT NEED TO BE SLURRY TOMORROW, OVERLAID TOMORROW, REHAB RECONSTRUCTIVE TOMORROW.
SO IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY AGAIN TO DO THAT WORK, THAT'S THE DEFERRED BACKLOG.
SO WHEN WE RUN THESE MODELS AGAINST YOUR CONDITIONS AND PREDICTED CONDITIONS, YOU'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN DE DEFERRED BACKLOG.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR WEST COA.
NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO FIND THAT MONEY TO GO DO THE WORK, APPLY THAT.
SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION IN ITS ENTIRETY.
YOU HOW MANY QUESTIONS ANYONE IF I COULD ADD BEFORE
SCENARIO ONE, TWO, AND THREE, UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WE EITHER GO WITH OPTION TWO OR THREE AS WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, LET OUR STREETS GET INTO WORSE CONDITION.
AND SO AT LEAST MAINTAINING THEM AND MOVING FORWARD.
IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR, UM, STAFF REPORT ON THE LAST PAGE, THERE'S TWO TABLES.
IT DOES SHOW THAT WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR BOTH OPTIONS, TWO OR THREE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO FOR US TO IN INCREMENTALLY INCREASE OUR PCI LEVEL FROM 71 TO 73, WHICH OF THOSE OPTIONS WOULD ARE RECOMMENDED? CAN YOU VERBALIZE THAT? I KNOW IT WAS ON THE, ON THE SLIDE, BUT IF YOU COULD, THAT WOULD BE SCENARIO THREE, BE SCENARIO THREE, AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, AN ANNUAL COST OF $5 MILLION.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
WELL, ONE, THE RAIN DOESN'T HELP OUR STREETS.
THERE'S, UH, TONS OF POTHOLES.
UM, TWO IS HOW MANY YEARS DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE THE STREETS DETERIORATE DOWN TO PCI SIXTIES 45 AND FIVE.
TWO, A NEW, UH, NEW ASPHALT SECTION THAT'S DID JUST RECENTLY BEEN CONSTRUCTED OR FRESHLY OVERLAID.
HAS A 25 TYPICAL, TYPICALLY 25 YEAR LIFE CYCLE, ASSUMING NO MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED OR WILL BE PERFORMED ON THAT SECTION ALONE.
UH, AS A CITY GOES THROUGH THE 25 INITIAL 25 YEARS, TYPICALLY AFTER ABOUT FIVE OR SEVEN YEARS OF SLURRY SEALS APPLIED, THAT EXTENDS THE LIFE OF THE 25 YEAR CYCLE.
EVENTUALLY A SECONDARY SLURRY SEAL BE APPLY TO EXTEND IT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.
SO IT BECOMES A MANAGEMENT PROCESS THAT MANAGERS LIKE MYSELF AND ANA HAVE TO MAINTAIN, AUDIT THE SYSTEM AND TRACK THE DATA.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, I KNOW ON THIS REPORT THERE ARE TONS OF PICTURES THAT SHOWS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRACKING, LIKE THE ALLIGATOR CRACKING, BLEEDING BLOCK, CRACKING, UM, BUGS AND SAGS.
AND I MEAN THE, THE LIST GOES ON ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF ISSUES.
NOW, ARE THESE ISSUES BECAUSE OF HOW THE PAVEMENT WAS PAVED? OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT MAKES THIS TO GET TO THIS LEVEL? AND I JUST WANNA KNOW, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE BEING DONE.
DOES THAT AFFECT OF HOW, HOW YOU LAY IT OUT? OR IS THIS CAUSED BY? IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I CAN ANSWER THAT IN 20 DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, BASICALLY IN THE ACADEMIC TERMS, LAYMAN TERMS FOR PAVEMENT DISTRESS TYPES, THERE'S 20 DIFFERENT ASPHALT CONCRETE DISTRESSES, BLACK ASPHALT, THERE'S 19 DIFFERENT PCC DISTRESS TYPES.
SO AS INSPECTORS, LIKE MY TEAM WILL GO OUT AND IDENTIFY THOSE, THOSE ARE EITHER LOAD BEARING DISTRESSES DUE TO THE HEAVY LOADS OF DYNAMIC AND STATIC CAR, VEHICLE VEHICLE TRAVEL.
AND THERE'S CLIMATE RELATED DISTRESSES, WHICH ARE BASED UPON OBVIOUSLY THE ENVIRONMENT HEAT AND COLD EXPANSION AND COMPACTION WILL CAUSE DISTRESS.
SO OBVIOUSLY IF A STREET IS POORLY CONSTRUCTED BY AN ASPHALT CONTRACTOR, THAT SECTION WILL FAIL A LOT QUICKER THAN IT TYPICALLY WOULD.
THAT'S WHY IN THE LAST PRESENTATION I MADE TO YOU AND THE TEAM WAS TO FREQUENTLY INSPECT THE SYSTEM EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE TRACKING DETERIORATION ADEQUATELY.
'CAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE SECTION THAT WAS POORLY CONSTRUCTED.
IT LOOKS GREAT IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS, BUT AFTER FIVE YEARS AS A PCI OF 70, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
SO BECAUSE IT WAS POORLY CONSTRUCTED, THERE'S SOME SECTIONS THAT WILL LAST 40 YEARS BASED UPON FANTASTIC CONSTRUCTION.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW THAT'S BEEN APPLIED.
SO THERE'S MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT GO INTO THE LIFECYCLE.
DETERIORATION OF PAVEMENT CAN BE TRAFFIC LOAD, ENVIRONMENT, UM, WEATHER, RAIN EVENTS, WE'RE ALL DODGING
[01:50:01]
POTHOLES RIGHT NOW, LIKE LEFT AND RIGHT.BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WORST, UH, FACTORS IN PAYMENT DETERIORATION IS WATER AND OXIDATION.
SO OXYGEN AND WATER, THAT'S THE WORST THING.
WE CANNOT PREVENT A, A SECTION TO AVOID THAT TYPE OF DISTRESS.
SO AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO MONITOR THE CONDITIONS FREQUENTLY, MAKE SURE THAT MANAGERS ARE APPLYING, ARE RECOMMENDING, AND THEN APPLYING THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE IT.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO DO MAINTENANCE, WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
UM, THE ISSUE I HAVE, AND AS I MENTIONED IN THE PAST, UH, PREVIOUS PAVEMENT, UM, THAT WE ARE NEGLECTING THE ONES THAT ARE AT NEED.
AND YOU KNOW, UH, WELL, I GUESS THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THIS QUESTION.
WAS THE, THE FIRST ONE IS MAINTENANCE.
HOW IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THE STREETS THAT WAS JUST PAVED GETS PAVED.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS, IT JUST SEEMS TO GET PAID VERY CONSTANT.
AND THEN OTHER STREETS, I KNOW THEY SAID IT'S NEGLECTED, BUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEN THEY SAID IT COSTS MORE MONEY TO FIX IT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS IT'S ALREADY NEGLECTED AND THAT PCI LEVEL JUST KEEPS GOING DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.
SO I WANT, EVEN IF WE BUDGET IT INTO LIKE THE, THE STREETS THAT ARE IN DIRE NEED AT LEAST ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE STREETS THAT GETS TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, SO THAT THE OVERALL PCI DOESN'T GO DOWN, BUT MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE OTHER STREETS THAT ARE NEGLECTED IN OUR CITY.
AND THE COST OF THE, THE TRULY P AND P COMES DOWN TO THE BUDGET THAT'S APPLIED.
SO HOW BIG IS THIS SANDBOX THAT WE GET TO PLAN KIND OF THING? OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SECTIONS IN WEST CONVENIENT THAT HAVE PCIS FROM 20 AND BELOW THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND THEY'VE BEEN DEFERRED BASED BECAUSE BASED ON THE COST OF DOING THE, THE IMPROVEMENT AT $13 A SQUARE FOOT AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
SO TYPICALLY A P AND P MODEL WOULD DEFER THAT DUE TO THE COST IMPACT.
REST ASSURED WHAT WE PROVIDED TO THIS COUNCIL, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT, WE DID A MAINTENANCE ZONE SCHEDULE FOR ZONE 6, 11, 12, 1, AND TWO THAT WERE SOME OF THE REMAINING ZONES TO BE ADDRESSED.
EVERY SECTION IN THOSE ZONES IS BEING ADDRESSED.
THERE'S SOME SECTIONS THAT HAVE PCIS OF NINETIES AND ABOVE THAT WILL SIMPLY GET CRACK SEAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FMR DO COVER MOST OF THE STREETS IN THAT ZONE.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE IGNORED MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS IN THE KICKOFF MEETING, WORKING WITH STAFF, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS BACKLOG.
SO I HEAR THAT AS A MANAGER AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
SO THE $5.1 MILLION MAINTAINED PCI BUDGET AS WELL AS THE PCI OR INCREASE THE PCI BUDGET ADDRESSES THE MAJORITY OF STREETS WITHIN THAT ZONE FOR THAT GIVEN YEAR.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? DOES, DOES, DOES MAY.
WELL, I CAN CONTINUE
I, I MEAN, I, I REMEMBER TAKING THE TEENS IN LA AND UH, WHEN WE WERE DRIVING THEY WERE LIKE BUMPING AND THEY'RE LIKE, IT FEELS LIKE MEXICO, YOU KNOW? AND IT JUST SOUNDS SO BAD ON CERTAIN STREETS, ON CERTAIN CERTAIN PARTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THE KID SAID.
UH, IN, IN OUR CITY, IS THERE ANY HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS THAT ARE 20 BELOW? UM, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, ESPECIALLY LIKE HIGH IMPACTED, HIGH USAGE THAT OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT TO NEGLECT IF, IF PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY IS ENTERING OUR CITY, OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY, YOU KNOW, THE RIDE IS THERE WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET ALIGNMENTS AND ALL THIS OTHER ISSUES.
UH, I'LL, I'LL BE ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
SO YES, THERE ARE SECTIONS IN THE CITY THAT ARE LESS THAN 20, UH, ON THE HIGH, UH, TRAFFIC AREAS.
UM, SO THE GOAL OF THIS PMP PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH DIVIDES THE CITY INTO 12 MAINTENANCE ZONES, AND THE GOAL IS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UH, TO ADDRESS ONE ZONE PER YEAR.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE PLAN, IT'S SCENARIO TWO OR SCENARIO THREE IS TO ADDRESS ONE MAINTENANCE ZONE PER YEAR.
AND THE INTENT IS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS PROGRAM ONE MORE TIME, WHICH IS NOT ONLY A SUGGESTION, BUT IT'S, IT IS ACTUALLY A REQUIREMENT TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CERTAIN FUNDING SOURCES EVERY THREE YEARS.
THE PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE REASSESSED REINSPECTED SO THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CAN BE REEVALUATED.
SO WITH THAT, YOU WOULD LIKE TO START IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM IN THE NEXT YEARS TO COME.
AND THEN IN THREE YEARS, WE WOULD LIKE TO REASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM AND
[01:55:01]
BASED ON THE EXISTING, UH, COST STRUCTURES BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY, THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN FLUCTUATING AT ESPECIALLY POST COVID.UH, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO REASSESS THOSE UNIT COSTS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND RE-EVALUATE THE BUDGET SCENARIOS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE AVAILABLE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IN THE THREE YEARS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT OUR FINDINGS AND BASICALLY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK WITH FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO COUNCIL IN THREE YEARS.
BUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, THE GOAL AS PETER ALSO EXPLAINED IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ALL THE STREETS WITHIN THE MAINTENANCE ZONE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ALL THE STREETS WITHIN THAT ZONE BASICALLY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TAMU, I WILL BE QUICK.
UH, FIRST THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, I THINK THIS IS NOT FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
THIS ARE FROM OUR RESTRICTED FUND.
SO, SO, UH, I THINK $5.8 MILLION.
AND I REMEMBER, I, I THINK, UH, THE P MANAGEMENT IS NECESSARY.
OKAY? WE NEED TO HAVE A ENTIRE PLAN, HOW TO APPROACH ATTACK ALL THESE PROBLEMATIC STREET BECAUSE SOME STREET IS REALLY OBS EXCELLENCE, OKAY? THAT NEVER BEEN TAKEN CARE.
SOME STREET KIND OF A REPUTATION.
I SAW IT MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD, OKAY, 10 YEARS, THEY DID IT TWO TIMES AND, UH, OKAY, SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY NEVER, THE STREET LOOK LIKE EDUCATED SCALE.
BUT, BUT HOW CAN WE ADDRESS ALL THIS ISSUE? OKAY.
LIKE ALL THE STREET SHOULD BE ADDRESSED PROPERLY.
SO, SECOND QUESTION I'VE BEEN ASKING A LOT OF TIME BECAUSE ALL THIS, HOW WE DO IT, THIS AND THAT, I THINK PEOPLE KIND OF CONFUSED, BUT THIS IS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL TO MAKE SURE OUR STREET, ENTIRE CITY, ALL THE STREET THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE.
BUT HOW THE PEOPLE, THE RESIDENT, I'VE BEEN ASKING WHEN, HOW SOON THAT WE CAN CHECK ON THE, ON THE, OUR WEBSITE.
YOU TYPE IN THE ADDRESS THEN YOU KNOW YOUR STREET RATING AND PICTURE AND WHEN THEY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OR WHEN THEY WILL BE ADDRESSED.
SO THIS IS, UH, I THINK THIS IS ALL THE RESIDENT CONCERN IS THEY ALL SEE THIS, WE ALL RECEIVE THE EMAIL ALL THE TIME.
THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT WHEN TONY, YOU GOING TO PAY MY STREET? NEIL, YOU ARE USELESS.
HOW DO MY STREET BE DOING THIS AND THAT? AND, UH, I HAVE TO ASK YOU GUYS WHEN THIS AND THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY I'VE BEEN, OKAY, WE'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT THIS FOR A COUPLE YEARS ALREADY.
THAT WE CAN PUT THIS ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND THEN THE, THE PUBLIC TREE.
THE HILLSIDE AND THEIR STREET AND THEY ALL HAVE A, A RECORD.
AND THAT RECORD WILL CONTINUE CONTINUE NO MATTER WHO IS ON OKAY.
ON THE JOB OR THIS AND THAT LET CONTINUITY HAS TO BE CONTINUED.
SO, SO, SO CAN YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION PLEASE? SO IF I COULD JUST ADD BEFORE, UM, BEFORE NOW, THAT ONCE YOU GUYS MAKE A DECISION, THEN WE CAN FINALIZE THE REPORT AND THEN THAT'LL BE DETERMINING OR DETERMINING, UH, THE REPORT THAT THEN CAN, CAN GET POSTED ON THE GIS AND I BELIEVE IT'S TWO WEEKS THAT IT'LL TAKE.
SO, UM, ONCE IT'S APPROVED, IT'LL BE UP IN TWO, WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
SO, SO WE APPROVE TONIGHT? MM-HMM?
THAT INFORMATION WILL BE UP ON THE SCREEN.
WAIT, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY OR TWO WEEKS FROM WHAT DAY TODAY? TODAY WHEN WE APPROVE TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW.
'CAUSE IT'S ALREADY NINE O'CLOCK.
I I BEEN RECEIVED A LOT OF BROKEN PROMISE.
I'M NOT SURE THIS IS GONNA BE TRUE IN MY YEAR.
WE WILL RECEIVE, PEOPLE CAN GO TO OUR WEST C DO OG OKAY.
AND TYPE IN INTO THEIR ADDRESS AND CHECK ABOUT THEIR STREET CONDITION AND WHEN THE STREET WILL BE REPAID, RIGHT FROM THE REPORT? YES.
UH, I'M HAPPY, SIR, IF YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE.
SO THEN WHAT, WHAT I JUST HEARD IS THAT ON THE MARCH 19TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN THE CITY MANAGER REPORT, YOU ARE GONNA SHOW US, UH, EXACTLY HOW TO DO THAT.
WE CAN TYPE IN ADDRESS, HAVE IT FLASH UP FOR US.
AND SO RESIDENTS COULD ALSO SEE THERE IT IS.
MARCH 19TH, WE'RE GONNA GET A LIVE DEMONSTRATION.
AND ALSO PLEASE PUT IT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, EMAIL,
[02:00:01]
CARRIER PIGEON, WHATEVER IT TAKES.SO EVERYBODY KNOWS AND IN THE DISCOVER HOW TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE THING I I I, I WANTED TO SAY IS I THINK WHEN TAXPAYERS, THEY WANNA SEE THEIR STREETS, UM, MAINTAIN REPAIR.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PREVENTATIVE, WHEN YOU CAN PREVENT AUTO REPAIR, WHEN YOU CAN PREVENT FOLKS FROM ACTUALLY SPENDING MORE MONEY ON GAS BECAUSE THE, THE STREETS AREN'T PAID PROPERLY.
I MEAN, WE, WE WILL ACTUALLY BE SAVING OUR RESIDENTS MONEY, UH, SAVING THEM HARDSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE NOT HAVING MONEY FOR EMERGENCIES, WELL, WHAT, WHAT CAN A CITY DO? CAN MAKE SURE THE STREETS ARE PAVED AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PREVENT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND SO, UH, IT'S WHY I'M, I'M REALLY IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE THIRD OPTION.
SO I, I, I'D LIKE TO MOVE, UH, OPTION THREE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LOPEZ, VITO TO, UM, APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE DIRECTION IS OPTION THREE.
SO WE WILL NOW MOVE TO CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.
UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, UH, AB 1, 2, 3, 4 CONFERENCE OR ANY MEETING REPORTS?
[CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION]
CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS? COUNCILMAN CONTOS? MR. MAYOR? I, I HAVE, I HAVE TWO, UH, THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST BRING, BRING THESE UP.I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ONE AT A TIME, BUT ONE OF THEM, AND I'M, AND IT'S, I'M TOLD THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE, BUT THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME, BUT I'LL BRING IT UP ANYWAY, THAT THE FIRST, UH, MOTHER MAY I REQUEST WOULD BE THAT OUR STAFF LOOK INTO, UM, UM, A WAY TO, TO HIRE A, A WASHINGTON DC LOBBYIST WHOSE DIRECT PURPOSE WILL BE TO SECURE US EARMARKS FROM CONGRESS.
UH, WHERE, WHERE THE AMOUNTS OF THE EARMARKS WOULD, WOULD, UH, THE GOAL WOULD BE THAT THE AMOUNT OF THE EARMARKS THAT WOULD BE SECURED THROUGH, UH, HIRING SUCH A LOBBYIST WOULD LITERALLY BE A MULTIPLIER OF WHATEVER IT COSTS US.
IT WOULD MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF, THE SECOND MOTHER MAY I, UH, HAS, UH, HA HA.
I, I WAS SAY, CAN YOU MOTHER MAY I, OKAY, COOL.
SO LET, LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND YEAH.
SO WE HAVE A, A MOTION AND A AND A SECOND IF WE COULD TAKE IT ONE BY ONE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CONTOS, A SECOND BY MAYOR PRO PROU TO HIRE A DC LOBBYIST.
COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TIME, 'CAUSE I DO REMEMBER WE PUSHED THIS MM-HMM.
UH, DURING WE, WE'VE BE ASKING JESSICA YEAH.
I REMEMBER SHE WAS HERE TIME MANY TIMES AND, UH, SHE HAD, HOPEFULLY IT DID SAY HAPPEN, BUT YES.
ON THE SECOND ROUND,
MAY I, IS THAT WE, THAT WE INSTRUCT IF WE COULD ASK STAFF, UH, TO LOOK INTO, UH, BRINGING ON BOARD A PROFESSIONAL, UH, GRANT WRITER OR GRANT WRITER TEAM WHERE AGAIN, THE SAME PRINCIPLE WOULD BE THE CASE WHERE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE SECOND
SO FIVE ZERO MOTHER, MAY I, AND, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE MOTHER MAY EYES, WE REQUEST IT, BUT I HAD REQUESTED THIS WHEN I FIRST CAME IN A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
MAYBE THIS TIME WE HAPPENED, WE ALL HAVE YOU
WELL, YEAH, THAT WAS ON THE LAST RECORD AS WELL, BUT I KNOW WE WERE INFORMED AND THEY NEVER REALLY BROUGHT IT BACK TO US THAT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, HAVE THEIR OWN GRANT, BUT WE DON'T TECHNICALLY HAVE A GRANT WRITER AND TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE GRANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS WHAT I WAS PUSHING A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT SO MANY THINGS HAPPEN AND, AND AGAIN, IT GOES INTO THE BACKGROUND, BUT OF COURSE, YES, TOO.
I THINK WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, UH, NO, I THINK AFTER WE, OUR REORG REORGANIZATION, WE HAVE, UH, KELLY MADON, UH, YES.
[02:05:01]
HIM SITTING OKAY.AS ASSISTANT ASSISTANT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER? ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER, I THINK HE'S A GRANT WRITER.
AND, UH, I KNOW HE'S CAPABLE TO USE CDBG FUND AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WITH ALL THIS CAN HELP US BRING RESOURCE INTO OUR CITY.
HE'S, HE'S ALREADY BEEN BEEN ASSIGNED, SO HE IS GONNA BE COORDINATING ALL OF THE GRANTS FOR THE CITY.
WE DON'T HAVE A CENTRALIZED LOCATION, IT IS BASED ON THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT, UM, WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK OPTIONS FOR BRINGING IN A, A PROFESSIONAL GRANT WRITER COUNCIL MAN, CONTOS.
THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO CLARIFY.
THAT EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE, UH, KELLY'S GREAT, UH, TALENT, I, I, THE SPECIFIC REQUEST IS, IS TO BRING IN FOLKS WITH A SOLID RECORD OF HAVING BROUGHT IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO THAT WAY AGAIN, IT'S A MULTIPLIER LIKE THE LAST REQUEST THAT, THAT WHATEVER IT COSTS, THAT, THAT THEY WOULD BRING IN MORE IN GRANTS THAN WHAT IT COSTS US.
SO IT WOULD, IT WOULD PAY FOR ITSELF.
NO, I THINK IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE BEST PRACTICES, UH, FOR WHILE RUN CITIES TO, TO HAVE, AND I THINK IT'S BEYOND TIME.
MAYOR PRO WU, UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
AND, AND SINCE WE TALK ABOUT MONEY, AND I PRESUME WE SHOULD HAVE THE $7 MILLION FOR OUR CONGRESSWOMAN CHRIS
AND, UH, FOR $7 MILLION FROM FEDERAL GRANT THAT BASICALLY WE FIXED ZA AND, UH, WITH A DA COMPLIANCE.
AND, UH, WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE, WHAT HAPPENED? CAN WE CITY NEED TO FOLLOW UP TO RECEIVE THESE $7 MILLION? I MY UNDERSTANDING IT HAS BEEN APPROVED LAST YEAR AND, UH, WHERE IS THE MONEY OKAY.
WHEN WE COME TO US SO WE CAN STUDY, FIX UP THE SUSE AVENUE.
AS I REMEMBER THE FEMA GRANT, OKAY.
AND THE CITY WAS A STATUS TO APPLY ALL THIS FEMA GRANT DUE TO, WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUE, INCLUDING THEY WILL PAY FOR OVERTIME.
THIS UNLESS, SO HOPEFULLY CITY DON'T MISS ANY OF, UH, THIS POTENTIAL GRANT, UH, FROM FEDERAL, I KNOW STATE MAYBE HAVE A BUDGET ISSUE, BUT FEDERAL, OKAY.
THEY PRINT THE MONEY ANYWAY, SO MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME OF THE MONEY FROM THEM.
SO, SO LET, LET, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO GET SOME RESULTS INTO OUR CITY.
UM, THEN, UH, I, I DO, I DO HAVE A, A REQUEST.
UM, BACK, BACK IN NOVEMBER, UH, I WAS, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND I WAS ONE OF 18 ELECTED OFFICIALS IN LA COUNTY, UH, TO SIGN AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN AND SECRETARY BLINKEN CALLING FOR, UH, PERMANENCY FIRING GAZA, THE SAFE RETURN OF ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE AND AN END TO THE COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT OF PALESTINIANS.
UH, SO I AM, UH, REQUESTING, UH, CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, UH, BE PUT ON OUR MARCH 19TH AGENDA.
YOU KNOW, THE SUFFERING OF GAZA, OKAY.
AND, UH, THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND POTENTIAL WAR IN ALL PLACES, AND THEN IS ALL HUMAN TRAGEDY.
AND, UH, AND IT IS UNBEARABLE TO SEE THE CHILDREN GET BLOW AWAY.
AND, UH, I, I SEE THE HUMAN SUFFERING AND, UH, BUT I, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR LOCAL LEVEL, WHAT CAN WE DO? THIS IS A FEDERAL LEVEL THING, IS, UH, WHAT THE FEDERAL LEVEL SHOULD DO AND HERE, NO MATTER HOW WE DECIDE, WE ALWAYS BECOME CONTROVERSIAL AND THEN NOTHING WE CAN DO.
BUT IF YOU DO THIS, AND THEN WE, WE CANNOT STOP, OKAY.
WE CANNOT START THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OKAY.
OKAY? CAN YOU PLEASE TALK? WE, WE CANNOT DO NOTHING AT ALL.
WE JUST, UH, A LOCAL, OUR JOB IS ABOUT THE STREET, OKAY? AND, UH, THE POWER HALL, THE PAVING, THE STREET SAFETY, THE SCHOOL CHILDREN, AND THAT IS OUR JOB.
OKAY? ALL THESE THINGS, INCLUDING THE THING I, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT SYMPATHY, OKAY? SIMPLIFY REGARDING ALL THIS SUFFERING.
BUT SHOULD WE GET INTO ALL THIS EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE? THAT IS WHAT MY CONCERN IS.
BECAUSE IF, IF WE DO THIS, AND THEN, THEN ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE WILL SAY, WHY YOU DIDN'T SEE THE SUFFERING OF ISRAEL? OKAY.
AND DA, DA DA, AND PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY, THEY CANNOT GET ALONE AND LIVE IN THAT PLACE.
AND WE KNOW THE HISTORY, WE UNDERSTAND
[02:10:01]
AND THE HOW.OKAY? THE LAND, AND THEN, OKAY, THE AFTER WAR II AND THE BRITISH BRINGS THOSE EUROPEAN JEWISH OVER THE SETTLEMENT AND, AND THEN BECOME A CONFLICT.
AND, AND THEN WE AS A LOCAL LEVEL, WE ALMOST POWERLESS, OKAY? AND TRY TO DO ANYTHING.
THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE, WILL DIVIDE OUR CITY.
WILL IT CREATE AN ISSUE FOR ANOTHER GROUP? PEOPLE COME OVER HERE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE NOT SIMPLIFY, OKAY, ALL MY HEART, I SAW IT.
I CANNOT BEAR WITH MY EYE BECAUSE I, I HAVE A KID TOO.
I SEE ALL THE CHILDREN LIKE THIS AND ALL MY, OKAY.
UM, POLICIES ABOUT HOW CAN WE HELP CHILDREN, OKAY? AND WE REALLY WANT THEM TO CEASE FIRE.
WE REALLY WANT THEM TO STOP IT.
OKAY? BRING THE RESOURCE, BRING WATER, BRING FOOD TO THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HUMAN BEING TOO.
SO, SO, BUT I REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THIS WOULD BE A POTENTIALLY OKAY ISSUE.
AND THIS IS MY CONCERN, OKAY? WE, WE, WE CAN MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, TO SUPPORT, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO? BUT THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CREATE A POTENTIAL, UH, DIVIDED OKAY.
AND THEN THIS IS NOT OUR LOCAL LEVEL CAN, CAN DO.
OKAY? IT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING WE CAN, UH, PULL IT TOGETHER AND THEN THEY WILL CHANGE THEIR MIND.
BIDEN WANT TO DO THIS AND THAT OR NOT.
BIDEN CAN, CAN, CAN STOP THE THING HIMSELF.
HE DOESN'T, WILL HE, I DON'T THINK HE WILL LISTEN TO US.
ANYWAY, THIS, THIS IS MY COMMENT.
AND I, I, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT.
I, I BELIEVE WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER IS, IS FOR, FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR CITIZENS, WE, WE ARE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE MOST ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
AND IT, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ACCESS TO, TO YOUR CONGRESS PERSON, TO YOUR SENATOR.
WE ONLY HAVE TWO, UH, TO YOUR GOVERNOR.
UM, WE ARE THAT, THAT VOICE FOR THE, THE LARGER GROUP OF RESIDENTS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK LIKE, LIKE YOU JUST STATED RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH, WITH YOUR WORDS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SAY AND, AND, AND TO VOICE IT OUT AND VOICE IT OUT LOUD AS, AS YOU DID, YOU KNOW, AND, AND CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE, IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR.
UH, A RESOLUTION TAKES THAT A STEP FURTHER.
UH, IT SAYS, UM, WE AS REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA ARE ALSO CALLING FOR THIS.
AND IT, IT DOES MEAN SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, UH, EARLIER, EARLIER TODAY, I WAS, I WAS ABLE TO BE WITH THE, THE PARENTS, UM, THAT ARE STRUGGLING IN, UM, CAMERON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST TO BE THERE AND TO HEAR THEM AND TO LISTEN TO THEM.
YOU KNOW? UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WEST COVINA PD.
IT'S IN THEIR HANDS WITH THE INVESTIGATION THEY'RE DOING.
UH, ALL I COULD DO WAS BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF THE CITY AND LISTEN AND, AND HEAR THEM OUT.
UH, AND THAT WAS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW? AND THEN THEY UNDERSTOOD I COULDN'T DO MORE.
I, I COULDN'T PUT ANYONE IN JAIL.
UM, BUT WHAT I COULD DO AS, AS THE MAYOR OF WEST COVINA, AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL WAS, WAS I COULD BE THERE.
I COULD LISTEN, UH, AND I COULD, I COULD HEAR THEM.
AND, AND SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE, WE CAN DO, UH, I MEAN, WE CAN DO A RESOLUTION.
UM, OTHER CITIES HAVE, HAVE, HAVE DONE THAT.
I, I BELIEVE IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT STANCE TO TAKE.
AND IT DOES SET, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WERE WE ABLE TO, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT CONTROVERSY.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE I SAID, I, I'VE, I'VE SIGNED ON TO A LETTER, UH, MYSELF.
UM, BUT AGAIN, TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY AS A COUNSEL, UH, TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION AND, AND TO PUT ONE FORWARD, UH, I, I THINK IS IN IMPORTANT.
SEEING NO MORE COMMENTS, UH, THIS CONCLUDES, OH, WELL, ACTUALLY, DID WE GET A, A MOTION TO, UH, ADJOURN MOTION? NO.
'CAUSE WE, WE, WE, WE TOOK THE OTHER ONES.
IS THERE NO SECOND ALL, WELL, I GUESS THERE WILL BE NO RESOLUTION ON THE MARCH 19TH COUNCIL MEETING.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING? I'LL MOVE THE MOTION AND ADJOURN.
[02:15:02]
I'LL SECOND.IS THERE, UH, MEETING ADJOURNED?