* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] YEAH. YEAH. GOOD EVENING. WELCOME TO OUR NOVEMBER 19, 20, 24 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. IT IS 7:00 PM MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION. UH, TONIGHT'S INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY CHAPLAIN LISA MAYO AND COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALL RISE, MY KIND AND HEAVENLY FATHER, I COME TO YOU THANKING YOU FOR THIS DAY, FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU'RE GIVING US, LORD, AND MOST OF ALL HERE, FATHER, TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU. I ASK THAT YOU BLESS OUR NEW CURRENT PRESIDENT, TO BE OUR STAFF HERE, THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE YOU IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN WEST COVEA. ANOINT THEM AND BLESS THEM WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND WATCH OVER THEM AND GIVE THEM WISDOM TO ALWAYS STAY KIND FOR OUR WHOLE PURPOSE, LORD, IS TO SERVE YOU. I THANK YOU IN YOUR SON'S NAME. I HAVE PRAYED. AMEN. AMEN. GENTLEMEN, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR CAPS. PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION, GOD, IN THE LIBERTY, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, ROLL CALL POLICE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCILMAN CONTOS HERE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ. VITO, PRESENT MAYOR PRO TE WU. YEP. MAYOR CALDONE TABBA. PRESENT CITY ATTORNEY. IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE REPORTED OUT OF CLOSED SESSION? NOTHING TO REPORT, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE WILL NOW [PRESENTATIONS] MOVE ON TO PRESENTATIONS. UH, THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, CASA'S MEDICAL CLINIC FOR 36 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN WEST COVINA, UH, WILL BE RESCHEDULED, UH, TO A FUTURE MEETING. UM, BUT LET'S MOVE TO THE PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY. ALL RIGHT. ARE WE ON? OH, WE ARE ON. FANTASTIC. OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, UH, IN, UH, WHAT AN HONOR, UH, WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE ELOISE BIENVENU 100TH BIRTHDAY. SO, YES. AND CAN THE FAMILY COME UP? YEAH. YEAH. NOW I'LL COME TO YOU, . SO, UH, ELOISE WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 7TH, 1924. SO HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY. FANTASTIC. UH, IN THE CITY OF CAMPBELL SPORT, WISCONSIN, WHERE SHE LIVED UNTIL SHE MOVED TO MILWAUKEE. AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, SHE MET HER HUSBAND, HAROLD VAN NU, IN MILWAUKEE, AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN 1946. IN 1960, THE FAMILY MOVED AND SETTLED FOR GOOD FOREVER HOME HERE IN WEST COVINA. WOW. NI YEAH. NO, 64 YEARS. OH, I, THE STORIES YOU COULD TELL ABOUT WEST COVINA AND, AND, AND WE WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO SHARE TONIGHT, . YES. UH, ELOISE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ST. CHRISTOPHER'S CHOIR FOR 48 YEARS AND STILL ATTENDS SERVICES THERE, AND WAS A VOLUNTEER FOR 20 YEARS AT QUEEN OF THE VALLEY HOSPITAL. SHE SPENT MANY YEARS AS A PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF NAME, A CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS. ELOISE [00:05:01] RETIRED AS A SOCIAL WORKER AT LANTERMAN DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER IN 1990. AFTER 17 YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT THERE, HER 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION INCLUDED TWO FORMER WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL EXCHANGE STUDENTS WHO WE HOSTED DURING THE 19 91 92 SCHOOL YEAR. OOH. ONE TRAVELED FROM ZURICH, SWITZERLAND AND THE OTHER FROM BERLIN, GERMANY. ELOISE HAS FOUR CHILDREN. ARE, ARE THEY HERE? ADD FOUR CHILDREN? UH, JEAN, 77 JEAN HERE. CAN WE GIVE IT UP FOR JEAN LYNN? 74. UH, PHILIP 61. UH, AND, UH, IF WE CAN ALL HONOR, UH, YVONNE WHO, UH, PASSED IN 2006. OH. AND, AND WHAT IS THE GRAND, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? DAN. DAN. GRANDSON. DAN, WHAT, WHAT? WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP AND GET YOUR APPLAUSE. . UH, ELOISE, UH, ALL FOUR CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL. UH, ELOISE IS STILL VERY ACTIVE AND HAS LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE SINCE 1960. YES. SO, ELOISE, IT'D BE MY HONOR, IF YOU COULD TAKE THE MIC AND, AND JUST SHARE, UH, WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE. I MEAN, 100 YEARS. I, I TEACH HISTORY, SO I'LL JUST TAKE A SEAT AND YOU COULD TAKE US DOWN AND HEAR ANYTHING. NOBODY TOLD ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY ANYTHING TONIGHT. . SO, IN 1960, WE WERE ONLY 40,000 PEOPLE IN WEST COVINA. WE HAD A THEATER WHERE EVER THE PLAZA IS NOW, I GUESS. AND, UH, JUST SAW THE CITY GROW AND GROW AND GROW. IT KEEPS GROWING. SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. . . IT'S, UH, I STAYED ON THE SAME STREET. I'M THE OLD LADY ON THE STREET. THE OLDEST LADY IN, THE OLDEST RESIDENT IN MY LITTLE SECTION, WHICH I BELIEVE IS NEAR ROSARIO DE'S . HE LIVES SOMEPLACE AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME, . AW, FANTASTIC. UH, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN SAY. I THANK YOU. YES. WE SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YES. OH, OH, OH, WAIT. WE ARE NOT DONE. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL, WANNA SING THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY? YES. SO IF WE CAN ALL JOIN IN AT THE, WE, WE ALL KNOW THE SONG, RIGHT? ? YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, WE COULD PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN IF WE JUST NO, WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, AT THE COUNT OF THREE, ONE, TWO, THREE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR E, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, AND MANY MORE. SO, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, THIS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR YOUR 100TH BIRTHDAY. YAY. WE HAVE THE FAMILY COME UP AND TAKE A PHOTO. CITY COUNCIL, DO YOU WANNA JOIN IN THE THIS IS NOT EVERY DAY. HOLY THIS WAY. THIS, HUH? YEAH, AT THIS. YOU GOT HIM. ROSA. PERFECT. I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU FOR SOMETHING. OH, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. YOU HAVE HAIR AND YOU, AND YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING. YOU BETTER THAN ME. . YOU SHOULDA HEARD HIM TONIGHT. YOU CAN BARELY SIX. OKAY. I'M KIND OF OLDER THAN YOU. YOU LOOK SO YOUNG AND CONGRATULATIONS. WHAT KIND OF FOOD YOU HAVE. MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE WITH US WHAT KIND OF FOOD MALE. SO CAN KEEP YOU SO YOUNG. I KNOW. ICE CREAM. I LOVE IT THAT WE'RE LIVING IN WEST COVINA. THEY'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [00:10:13] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OH, AM AM I ON? AM I ON? TURN IT ON. AM I TURNED IT ON NOW? I'M GOOD. THERE WE ARE. LOOK AT THAT. ALRIGHT, NOW, UH, WE HAVE OUR PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, TONY SONG, UH, WEST COVINA, RESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF DIABETES CARE PARTNERS TO THE FRONT. ALRIGHT, MR. TONY SONG IS A RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA AND IS THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF DIABETES CARE PARTNERS SPECIALIZING IN ONLINE PATIENT DIABETES, WELLNESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AND AN ADVOCATE FOR ALL PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES. NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH, A TIME WHEN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SEEK TO BRING ATTENTION TO DIABETES. THIS YEAR'S FOCUS IS ON TAKING ACTION TO PREVENT DIABETES HEALTH PROBLEMS. DIABETES IS A DISEASE THAT OCCURS WHEN YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE ALSO CLO. BLOOD SUGAR IS TOO HIGH. IT AFFECTS ABOUT 38 MILLION AMERICANS, INCLUDING ADULTS AND YOUTH. DIABETES CAN DAMAGE THE EYES, KIDNEYS, NERVES AND HEART, AND IT IS LINKED TO SOME TYPES OF CANCER. BUT THERE'S GOOD NEWS. TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH MAY HELP YOU PREVENT DIABETES HEALTH PROBLEMS. AND SO, UH, TONY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A FEW WORDS? AND THEN WE WILL GIVE YOU THE PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, CITY COUNCIL, AND THANK YOU ALI, UH, FOR GIVING THIS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. AND ELOISE, UH, ONCE AGAIN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH. YES. AND SOMEBODY SAID, WHAT'S YOUR SECRET? I HEARD ICE CREAM. SO I THINK WE ALL , WE ALL GO TO, UH, MATT'S PLACE DOWN THE, DOWN THE STREET AND HAVE SOME ICE CREAM, RIGHT? YEAH. INSTEAD OF SNICKERDOODLES, UM, , I THINK, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, THERE'S 38 MILLION PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIABETES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. UM, WHAT'S MORE STAGGERING IS THAT 98 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE PRE-DIABETES. MM-HMM. . AND IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT PREDIABETES AND UNDIAGNOSED DIABETES, IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY CLOSE TO ONE TO TWO. MEANING THAT IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT OF YOU, EITHER YOU HAVE DIABETES OR PRE-DIABETES, OR THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU DOES THINK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? SO THIS IS DEFINITELY AN EPIDEMIC. THINGS HAVE TO BE DONE. SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD RECOMMEND IS, IF YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY HISTORY, PLEASE GET TESTED EVERY YEAR. THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING THAT YOU CAN DO. AND IT'S AN EASY TEST. JUST GO TO THE, THE LAB, THEY DRAW YOUR ARM. AND EVEN EASIER, IF THERE'S A HEALTH SCREENING SOMEWHERE, GO GET HEALTH SCREENED. AND THAT'S JUST THE FINGER PRICK. SO IF YOU CAN DO THAT, WE CAN, WE CAN CATCH A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH PRE-DIABETES AND DIABETES, RIGHT? FROM THAT. NOW, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE AT RISK FOR PRE-DIABETES, THERE'S AN ONLINE TEST THAT YOU CAN TAKE. IT'S FREE. UM, IT'S A CDC TEST. YOU JUST GO DOWN, IT'S EIGHT QUESTIONS AND IT TELLS YOU WHAT YOUR RISK IS FOR PRE-DIABETES. IF THAT NUMBER IS HIGH, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR, GET IT CHECKED EARLY. THAT IS THE KEY TO PRE TO PREVENTING ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH DIABETES. GET IT CHECKED EARLY. AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DO AFTER WE, WE GET DIAGNOSED. NOW FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES, UM, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP THE FOODS THAT YOU LOVE. YOU DON'T. AND SO IF YOU'RE IN THAT SITUATION, PLEASE GO GET SOME SUPPORT FROM PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. GO OUT AND LOOK FOR THAT. NOW, IF YOU HAVE, UM, PRE-DIABETES, MAKE SURE YOU GET CHECKED. RIGHT? AND THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS, UM, IF YOU NEED SUPPORT AND YOU NEED, UM, HELP, WE'RE LOCATED HERE IN WEST COVINA, UH, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK UP DIABETES AND WEST COVINA. AND WE'RE THE TOP SEARCH DIABETES CARE PARTNERS, AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP. UM, WE TAKE MOST MEDI, UH, MEDI-CAL. SO, UH, AND SO IF, UH, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF INSURANCE, WE COULD DEFINITELY HELP YOU. THANK YOU. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. [00:15:03] ALL RIGHT, UH, NEXT PRESENTATION. OUR PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE ROBERTO ARNOLD, WEST COVINA PRESIDENT, UH, CHAMBER PRESIDENT. ALRIGHT, TO SEE YOU. WE ARE THRILLED TO BE CELEBRATING SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. AND THIS TIME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WEST COVINA CHAMBER SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY WAS STARTED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS, THAT SMALL BUSINESS TO PROMOTE AND RIGHT, UH, WE ALL GOT THAT BLACK CARD, RIGHT, UH, TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. IT IS HELD THE SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, UH, ALSO AFTER BLACK FRIDAY, UH, ENCOURAGING CONSUMERS TO SHOP LOCAL AND SHOP SMALL, BUT SPEND A LOT LIKE EVERY YEAR. SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY PROGRAM ENCOURAGES BOTH SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE. WEST COVINA SMALL BUSINESSES CAN PARTICIPATE, UH, BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CITY'S SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY PROGRAM. UH, I WOULD, UH, NOW, UH, LIKE TO PASS OVER, UH, THE MIC TO ROBERTO ARNOLD, WEST COVINA CHAMBER PRESIDENT, TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY PROGRAM. OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HEY, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M GONNA KEEP THIS NICE AND BRIEF. UH, TONIGHT I AM JOINED NOT ONLY, UH, WITH MY CHAMBER, BUT I'M ALSO JOINED WITH THE MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE. AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OF THE CHAMBER, UM, SMALL BUSINESS, ARE THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY CREATE AND DRIVE INNOVATION AND ADD VIBRANCY TO THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. THAT'S WHY WE PROUDLY SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, A NATIONWIDE EVENT, ENCOURAGING US TO SHOP LOCAL AND STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY. SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY CELEBRATED THE SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING IS A DAY TO APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SHAPE OUR CITY. THIS YEAR, THE CHAMBER CITY OF WEST COVINA AND THE MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE ARE PROUD TO FEATURE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND WEBSITE. ADDITIONALLY, PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES WILL, WILL RECEIVE SHOP SMART MERCHANDISE, COURTESY OF AMERICAN EXPRESS WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. UH, YEAH, WE'RE LIMITED ON THAT. . WE HAVE A, A FEW BUSINESSES THAT WE WANT GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, SYL LEARNING OF WEST COVINA, SHINING SMILE ORTHODONTICS SUBMARINE COLLECTION SALON TOP PERFORMANCE FIT CLUB, ORCHID INCENSE CANDLES, BUN RAIT FLOWERS BY, UH, ROBERT TAYLOR MATHNASIUM, THE COVE, CNR FRESH CO NINJA WEST COVINA CAKE, SPAA HERO TECH SOLUTIONS. I HAVE TWO MORE LJB, UH, STRATEGIES AND ALPHA PRIME HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS. UM, FOR A FULL LIST OF THE PROMOTIONS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE. IF YOUR BUSINESS IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, THE DEADLINE IS TONIGHT. UM, PLEASE GET IT INTO US SO THAT WAY WE CAN PROMOTE YOU. AND THEN, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A BUSINESS OWNER, WE STILL ENCOURAGE EVERYONE AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, MEMBERS ALIKE TO GET INVOLVED BY SPREADING THE WORD AND SUPPORTING, UH, LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES. THESE HOLIDAYS. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LET'S MAKE THIS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ONE TO REMEMBER. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND HERE'S OUR PROCLAMATION, PROCLAIMING NOVEMBER 30TH, 2024. SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. ALL RIGHT, NOW [CITY MANAGER'S REPORT] FOR OUR CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN BY OUR CITY MANAGER, SAN FRANCISCO GIANT FAN, PAULINA . OH, GOOD THING WE DIDN'T MAKE THE BET. AND I HAVE TO WEAR SOMETHING DODGER TONIGHT. BUT , GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I HAVE A COUPLE UPDATES THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY. FIRST IS A, A RECAP OF A COUPLE OF, UH, CHAMBER EVENTS THAT WE HAD THIS PAST MONTH. WE HAD THE BREW OR BOO AND BREW EVENT AT THE COVE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH. IT WAS A NETWORKING EVENT FOR OUR CHAMBER. UM, AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. WE HAD A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME AND DRESSED UP AND PARTICIPATED IN THE, UH, COSTUME CONTEST. UM, SO THEY HAVE, UH, EVENTS EVERY MONTH. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE, UH, CHAMBER, PLEASE GO ON OUR, THE CITY WEBSITE. AND ON OUR WEBSITE, THERE'S A PAGE DEDICATED TO THE CHAMBER TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING EVENTS, HOW TO [00:20:01] BECOME A, UH, MEMBER, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO BE A SPONSOR AS WELL. SO, UM, PLEASE CHECK THAT ON THE WEBSITE. UM, WE ALSO ARE VERY EXCITED THAT, UH, HAVEN CITY MARKET DID THEIR GRAND OPENING ON NOVEMBER 2ND. IT IS WEST COVINA FIRST FOOD HALL. SO THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF, UM, RESTAURANTS. THEY HAVE A BREWERY IN THERE. UM, THEY HAVE ALL TYPES OF FOOD IN DIFFERENT CUISINE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. SO IF YOU, UH, ARE GOING OUT WITH FRIENDS AND YOU CAN'T DECIDE ON WHAT TO EAT, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO GO. SO YOU CAN EACH GET WHAT YOU ARE CRAVING AND NOT HAVE TO COMPROMISE ON, UH, A SELECTION OF CUISINE. UH, HAVEN CITY WILL ALSO BE HAVING EVENTS IN THEIR OPEN SPACE OUTSIDE. SO IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE OR ON THEIR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, UM, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW AND SEE WHAT EVENTS ARE COMING UP AT HAVEN CITY MARKET. NEXT, UH, IS WE HAD OUR VETERANS, UH, DAY CEREMONY ON NOVEMBER 11TH. UM, THE CEREMONY HONORED THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES WHO HAVE SERVED TO PROTECT OUR GREAT NATION. UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED, UH, THE EVENT AS WE HONORED THE LIVES, UH, FIGHT AND SERVICE OF OUR VETERANS. UM, AND WE ALSO HAD A BARBECUE LUNCH AFTERWARDS. SO IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THIS YEAR, UH, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU COME NEXT YEAR. WE DO PROVIDE, UH, ATTENDEES OF LOVELY, UH, LUNCH AFTER THE SERVICE, AFTER THE CEREMONY. UH, NEXT IS WE HAVE, OH, UH, THIS WEEK, JUST YESTERDAY, WEST COVINA LAUNCHED OUR MICRO TRANSIT PROGRAM, GO WEST COVINA. SO THIS IS A ON DEMAND APP BASED TRANSIT SERVICE THAT OPERATES WITHIN, UM, A FIXED AREA. UM, THIS AREA IS NORTH OF MERCED, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE NORTH BOUNDARY OF THE CITY AND TO THE EAST AND WEST, UH, BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY. UM, SO JUST NORTH OF MERCED. UM, THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH VIA, WE GOT A GRANT, UM, FOR 1.1 MILLION. UM, PART OF THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE GRANT WITH SOME MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED. UM, BUT IT IS A NEW ALTERNATIVE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WE ARE OFFERING OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SIGN UP. YOU HAVE TO, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP OR THERE IS A SERVICE THAT YOU CAN CALL. ALL THE INFORMATION IS ON THE CITY WEBSITE. UM, BUT IT IS GONNA BE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR 12 MONTHS. IT'S MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAYS. THE SERVICES PROVIDED 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM YOU CAN CALL AHEAD TO CALL AHEAD TO SCHEDULE, UM, RIDES, OR YOU COULD DO IT KIND OF LIKE, UH, SIMILAR TO THE OTHER RIDE SHARES, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT IT IS SHARED. SO IT'S NOT A PRIVATE RIDE SHARE. UH, YOU MAY, UH, BE IN THE VEHICLE WITH, UH, ANOTHER WEST COVINA RESIDENT. UM, IT IS FREE UNTIL FUNDING RUNS OUT. AND SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CHECK IT OUT AND TRY IT, UH, SEE IF YOU LIKE IT. UM, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE MICRO TRANSIT, THE CITY WILL, UM, KEEP THE RED AND THE BLUE GO WEST SHUTTLE ROUTES UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY WHERE THEY WILL BE PHASED OUT. UM, AND THEN THE MICRO TRANSIT WILL BE PROVIDING SERVICE, LIKE I SAID, FROM MERCED NORTH. UM, THE GO, UH, GREEN SHUTTLE, UM, WILL REMAIN, AND THAT WILL BE UPGRADED WITH TECHNOLOGY. SO IT'LL BE MORE APP BASED, SO RESIDENTS CAN SEE WHERE THE SHUTTLE IS. UM, AND THE, THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT GREEN SHUTTLE. UM, WE STILL HAVE OUR UBER PILOT PROGRAM FOR, UM, SENIORS, UH, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH, UH, DISABILITIES THAT CAN USE THE PILOT PROGRAM. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUR DIAL RIDE. SO THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE NEW, UH, TRANSIT OPTIONS IN THE CITY. UM, WEST COVINA HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UM, A A DA TRANSITION PLAN. UM, WE ARE NOW ASKING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE, UH, FEEDBACK. UM, WE ARE SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR PROGRAMS, ABOUT OUR FACILITIES, PARKS AND SERVICES WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. UM, THE, UH, SURVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS TO TAKE UNTIL DECEMBER 27TH. UM, THE QR CODE IS UP ON THE SCREEN. IT'S, UH, UH, ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE. SO IF YOU GO TO WEST COVINA.ORG/ADA PLAN, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE SURVEY. SO, UM, PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY. WE ARE, WE ARE SEEKING OUR, UH, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND INPUT ON, UM, OUR, UM, FACILITIES, PARKS, AND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SHOP LOCAL, UM, AND SHOP SMALL. THE DEADLINE FOR, UH, FOR BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IS TODAY. UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE, UM, GET A FEW MORE BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE AFTER VIEWING THIS, UH, MEETING. UH, AND WE HOPE THAT OUR RESIDENTS DO SHOP AT OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND HELP SUPPORT THEM AS THEY'RE BIG [00:25:01] CONTRIBUTORS TO MAKING WEST COVINA A GREATER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. UM, IN OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING, WE WILL BE CLOSED NOVEMBER 28TH, AND WE WILL BE OPENED ON, UM, DECEMBER 2ND. UH, SO NOT SURE IF EVERYONE WAS AWARE, BUT WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH SANTA CLAUS. UH, WE HAVE A MAILBOX RIGHT OUTSIDE CITY HALL WHERE HE, UH, HIS ELS COME AND PICK UP THE LETTERS AND TAKE 'EM DIRECTLY TO SANTA. SO WE ENCOURAGE OUR WEST COVINA RESIDENTS TO, UH, DROP OFF YOUR, UH, LETTERS TO SANTA, UM, AVAILABILITY THE 18TH TO DECEMBER 6TH. UM, AND THAT WAY SANTA CLAUS CAN RESPOND TO THOSE LETTERS IN TIME. SO, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ALREADY, IT'S, YOU CAN START SUBMITTING YOUR, YOUR CHRISTMAS LETTER. UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, UPCOMING EVENTS, LETTERS TO SANTA. WE HAVE THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, OUR ANNUAL LET IT SNOW WILL TAKE PLACE DECEMBER 6TH FROM SIX TO 9:00 PM AT THE WEST. HERE AT THE WEST COVINA, UH, CIVIC CENTER. UM, WE HAVE THE CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARADE IN SANTA'S VILLAGE THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM IN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WEST COVINA. UM, WE WILL ALSO BE DOING A WEST COVINA CHAMBER TOW DRIVE AND A, UH, WEST COVINA CHAMBER END OF YEAR EVENT. UM, SO CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE TWO EVENTS. OTHERWISE, UM, I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A LOVELY THANKSGIVING. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, BEFORE MOVING TO ORAL COMMUNICATION, WE HAVE TWO ADJOURNMENTS. UH, THE FIRST, UH, MICHAEL MILLER, FORMER WEST COVINA COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 22ND, 2024. MR. MILLER WAS FIRST ELECTED TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF WEST COVINA IN MARCH OF 2001, AND COMPLETED HIS SERVICE AS MAYOR TO THE CITY IN 2005. MR. MILLER HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY. HE WORKED FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, OFFICE OF PLANNING PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, FOLLOWED BY AN ELECTED POSITION TO WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL. FOR FOUR YEARS, MR. MILLER'S SERVICE EXTENDS BEYOND HIS DUTIES AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND CITY STAFF MEMBER. HE SERVED AS DIRECTOR AND BOARD MEMBER FOR MANY CLUBS AND FORUM, INCLUDING OF THE LIONS CLUB, SERVING AS PRESIDENT FROM 1977 THROUGH 78. FOR HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS, MR. MILLER HAD BEEN NAMED WEST COVINA, CITIZEN OF THE YEAR, 1998, AND WEST COVINA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, RECREATIONAL SERVICES 1999. IN ADDITION TO HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, MR. MILLER HAS BEEN A DEVOTED AND LOVING HUSBAND AND FATHER. TONIGHT'S SECOND ADJOURNMENT IS IN MEMORY OF ADRIAN FUENTES, MALLORY SANTOS, AND ROBERT ESCALANTE, THE VICTIMS OF MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES THAT TOOK PLACE IN NOVEMBER OF 2023. OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES OF THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AS A HOLIDAYS APPROACH, WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE BRINGS AND HOPE FOR MOMENTS OF COMFORT AND SOLACE. WE WILL NOW [ORAL COMMUNICATIONS] MOVE TO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, PLEASE FILL OUT AN ORANGE SPEAKER CARD AND SUBMIT IT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME BEING CALLED, PLEASE START LINING UP AT THE CENTER ROW. THE TIMER WILL START WHEN YOU REACH THE PODIUM. REQUEST TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE HEARD PRIOR TO REQUEST TO SPEAK ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. UH, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE FIRST SPEAKERS? YES, MAYOR. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS R ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY LISA MAYO, FOLLOWED BY DOUGLAS FOR, UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UM, UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS. UH, UH, BOBBY, UH, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH AND, UH, UH, I GUESS BOBBY KENNEDY HAS HIS, UH, HANDS FULL, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN. UH, UH, IN, IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN DEMONSTRATIONS IN JAPAN. UH, THE, THERE'S AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS SUMMIT SUMMIT IN, UH, TOKYO. UH, ANOTHER ATOMIC [00:30:01] BOMB IS ABOUT READY TO BE, UH, DROPPED ON JAPAN. UH, THE, THE FORM OF THE BOMB IS, UH, UH, JAPANESE DOCTORS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT. IT'S A NEW, UH, REPLICON VACCINE. IT'S A SELF AMPLIFYING, UH, GENE ENGINEERED MESSENGER, RNA VACCINE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MANKIND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AND, UH, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THAT, UH, WE'RE THE LAB RATS. UH, IT'S AS IN OPERATION, WARP SPEED. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER EMERGENCY. AND, UH, IN AN EMERGENCY, UH, USED HUMANS AS GUINEA PIGS. WELL, UH, THE REPLICON VACCINE USES A SELF-REPLICATING FUNCTION CALLED REPLICATE TO REPLICATE THE, UH, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UH, GENE EDITING, UH, FOR YOUR BODY. AND, UH, A LOT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN, UH, BODY AND SOVEREIGNTY AND BO BODY INTEGRITY. AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HUMAN LIVES MATTER. WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH YEARS OF, UH, OF WARP SPEED. AND, UH, LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE NOTICED THAT, UH, BIRTH RATES ARE DOWN AND DEATH RATES ARE UP. IT'S, IT'S, UH, THEY'RE, UH, THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I, WHAT DO THEY CALL IT? UH, ACTUARIAL ACT. THEY DO ACTUARIAL STUDIES TO STAY IN BUSINESS, TO, TO FOLLOW THESE TRENDS AND FIGURE OUT WHY. WELL, ANYWAY, UH, I'M TRYING TO SHARE WHAT'S UH, GONNA BE HAPPENING IN, IN JAPAN SOON. UH, UH, THE VACCINE, UH, COMPONENTS YOU'VE HEARD OF SHEDDING, UH, MAY BE TRANSMITTED FROM THE RECIPIENT TO OTHER PEOPLE OR ANIMALS. I MEAN, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A VACCINE THAT'S, UH, SHEDDING ON STEROIDS. THEREFORE, DR. MURAKAMI HAS CALLED FOR THE VACCINE TO BE UNLAUNCHED UNTIL ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. UH, SO, SO LET'S NOT RISK, UH, A NEW PANDEMIC. AND, UH, THERE'S ENOUGH WARS GOING ON IN THE, ON THE PLANET. UH, YOU EVER HEARD OF FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APO APOCALYPSE, UH, UKRAINE, UH, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND INCLUDING, UH, MORE FAMINE AND DEATH? SO, THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE GOOD NEWS. I HOPE WE, UH, CAN AVOID, UH, UH, NUCLEAR WAR BEF DURING THE CHRISTMAS, DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. UH, OLD MAN BIDEN WANT, MIGHT WANNA TAKE, UH, HALF THE WORLD OUT WITH HIM, I DON'T KNOW. BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ALERT THE, UH, PUBLIC IF THIS NEW NEWLY ENGINEERED REPLICON VIRUS IS A WHOLE LOT WORSE THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH. AND, UH, A LOT OF, I, I'M JUST, UH, MY, MY OFFICIAL TITLE IS THE VILLAGE IDIOT. BUT YOU MAY BE GETTING BETTER ADVICE FROM THE VILLAGE IDIOT THAN YOU. YOU CAN FROM YOUR, UH, YOUR, UH, MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS. SO, UH, HAPPY NEW YEAR AND, UH, MERRY CHRISTMAS. AND MY LAST 17 SECONDS ARE, IS GONNA GO TO THE MAYOR . THANK YOU. HA HA. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. BILL LISA MAYO, FOLLOWED BY DOUGLAS FOR, FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA FUENTES. I, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN TOP THAT. UH, BRIAN MAYOR BRIAN ROSA CANTOS LOPEZ . MY SPANISH IS NOT THAT GOOD. SORRY. ANYWAY, I CAME HERE TO THANK PAULINA MORALES FOR BEING ONE OF OUR MODELS AT OUR, UM, EMBLEM, UH, TEA THAT WE HAD. AND THANK YOU ROSARIO OLI. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND SUPPORTING. SHE WAS, I'M GONNA TELL HER THE TRUTH. SHE WAS NERVOUS, BUT SHE DID A GREAT JOB. AND SO I REALLY WANNA THANK HER BECAUSE I KNOW THE JOBS YOU HAVE ARE TOUGH. [00:35:02] NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANNA HAVE IT MYSELF. BUT IT WAS GOOD THAT SHE TOOK TIME OUT FROM WHATEVER SHE HAS TO DO WITH HER LIFE TO COME AND DO THIS FOR THE WEST CAM EMBLEM CLUB. AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT WAS SOLD OUT. YES, IT WAS GREAT. SO, AND I, UH, THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY HERE, UH, CAME WITH A HAT AND IT REMINDED ME OF ALL THE HATS THAT WERE THERE. AND EVEN ONE HAD A LITTLE BIRD THERE. DID YOU REMEMBER THAT? SO IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THESE, UH, AND IT WAS A FUN TIME, AND IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND STAYING FOCUSED ON THE GOOD IN THINGS THAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS GONNA HELP US WITH, OF COURSE, OUR KIDS THAT WE'RE, UM, WE ALWAYS ADOPT A FAMILY, A EMBLEM CLUB FOR CHRISTMAS, FOR A FOSTER FAMILY AND, UH, MILITARY FAMILY. AND WE HAVE IT ON DECEMBER THE NINTH. SO I'M INVITING ALL OF YOU TO COME OVER AT FIVE O'CLOCK AT, AND THE EMBLEM CUP WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FEED YOU. NOT A LOT, BUT I'LL STILL GET SOMETHING TO EAT, AND, UH, COME AND SEE THE FAMILIES THAT IT'S, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE HELPING KIDS AND A FOSTER CHILDREN AND OUR MILITARY THAT SERVES US. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M ALL ABOUT, KIDS. SO IF YOU CAN'T, PLEASE JOIN US DECEMBER THE NINTH AT THE WEST CO ELKS LODGE, AND PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR AND COME AND JOIN US AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK AND COME AND EAT WITH US AND MEET THE FAMILIES. AND, AND TWO OF THE ELKS MEMBERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PROVIDING, UH, THE BASKETS OF FOOD. AND WE'RE ALSO GIVING A DONATION. SO I'M WORKING WITH EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND THE PRINCIPAL I MET, AND SHE'S GONNA HELP ME OUT WITH ALL OF THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. PAULINA DOUGLAS FOUR, FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA FUENTES, FOLLOWED BY HERMAN. HELLO, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DOUG. FOUR. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE, HAVE BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT THREE. UM, AND I LOVE WEST COVINA. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR OBSERVING THE TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY AT THE LAST MEETING BY NOT ADDING AND VOTING ON AGENDA ITEMS, UM, AT THE END OF THE LAST MEETING. SO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR NOT DOING THAT. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION THAT I PRESENTED AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING REGARDING THE RFQ BIDDING PROCESS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS OF THE NEW FIREHOUSE. AT THAT MEETING, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL CHANGES REGARDING THE SCOPE OF WORK AND AN OPEN NEGOTIATION OF PRICES BY THE CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE VOTE THAT MAKES THE AWARDING PROCESS UNFAIR TO THE PEOPLE, THE ARCHITECTURE, THAT FIRM THAT WAS CHOSEN, AS WELL AS UNFAIR TO THE FIRMS THAT WERE NOT CHOSEN. I WILL ASK AGAIN. UM, IS THE CITY GONNA REFL RE FLY THE RFQ? SO THE OTHER ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT HAVE A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO DO BID. THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. JOSHUA FUENTES, FOLLOWED BY HERMAN, FOLLOWED BY THE PIRATE. YOU SAY YOUR HEARTS GO OUT FOR US. THAT'S A LIE. YOU MADE PROMISES THAT YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW. ALL OF YOU GUYS DID THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU GUYS DID. YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT LIGHT. STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. IT'S BEEN A YEAR. SATURDAY WILL BE A YEAR. WE HAVE NO ANSWERS. NO ONE WILL TELL US ANYTHING. I HAVE SENT EMAILS, I HAVE SENT TEXT MESSAGES. I HAVE MADE PHONE CALLS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH NO RESPONSES TO ANYBODY. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON. NOT ONE THING. WE KNOW NOTHING. AND IT'S A YEAR. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS CAN SIT UP HERE. YOU GUYS MAKE THESE PROMISES. YOU GUYS TELL US THIS STUFF AND NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME STAGES OF THE LIGHT GETTING FIXED, RIGHT. AND NOTHING'S DONE YET. RIGHT. BUT YET WE WERE TOLD IT WAS GONNA BE DONE IN OCTOBER. OCTOBER HAS COME AND GONE. NOW WE'RE IN NOVEMBER. WHEN IS IT, WHEN, WHEN ARE YOU GUYS ACTUALLY GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH WITH WHAT YOU SAY? BECAUSE US WE'RE, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE CLOSURE. RIGHT. OUR SON WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US. OUR SON AND HIS GIRLFRIEND BALTIMORE WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM US. AND [00:40:01] NOBODY. AND THE WAY WE WERE TREATED THAT NIGHT WAS HORRIBLE. YOU KNOW, I USED TO THINK REALLY HIGHLY OF THIS PLACE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, EVERYTHING. I DON'T ANYMORE. THE WAY THEY TREATED MY SON, THEY TREATED HIM LIKE HE WAS A CRIMINAL. YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD OFFICERS MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT HIM. WELL, HE LAID ON THE GROUND DEAD. OKAY? OH, MAYBE IT WAS THE KID WE WERE CHASING THE OTHER NIGHT THAT WE COULDN'T CATCH. RIGHT? WE HAD ONE OF YOUR SERGEANTS THAT TOLD ME TO MY FACE, WE BOTH LOST SOMETHING TODAY. YOU LOST YOUR SON. AND I LOST MY THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH MY FAMILY. THAT IS B******T. HE SAID THAT TO MY FACE. AND I HAD TO WALK AWAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS CAN SIT HERE AND BE THAT WAY. THE, YOU, YOUR POLICE CHIEF. OKAY. HE TOLD ME HE'S GONNA HAVE ANSWERS FOR ME. I MET WITH HIM ON AUGUST 26TH, SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, HE'LL HAVE ANSWERS FOR ME. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? THAT'S 11 WEEKS NOW. RIGHT? HE WON'T ANSWER MY PHONE CALLS, HE WON'T ANSWER MY EMAILS. NOTHING. THAT'S A DISGRACE. AND IT TURNED, THEN WE FIND OUT THAT YOU GUYS TURNED MY SON'S POLICE REPORT OVER TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT WHO'S NOW OVERSEEING IT. BUT YET I'M BEING TOLD THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR A TOXICOLOGY REPORT THAT I GOT BACK IN JANUARY FOR MY SON. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. THERE'S NOTHING TO CELEBRATE. I'M SORRY. THERE'S NOT, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE ALL GONNA HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. WE'RE NOT. WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S THE DAY OUR SON, SON DIED. RIGHT? WE TURNED STUFF IN TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT A LIGHT THAT WE WERE TOLD WAS FIXED BACK IN 2016, 17. WE HAVEN'T GOT AN ANSWER YET. 'CAUSE IF THAT IS IN FACT THE CASE AND THAT LIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED BACK THEN, MY SON WOULDN'T BE DEAD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A TURN ARROW AT THAT LIGHT AND THAT PERSON WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED IN FRONT OF HIM. WHY CAN'T WE GET ANY ANSWERS? THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO GET AT. I CAN'T GET ANY ANSWERS FROM ANYBODY. NOBODY, I CAN'T GET ANYONE TO RETURN A PHONE CALL TO ME. NOTHING. IT'S, IT'S SAD. IT REALLY, REALLY IS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, BUT IT'S, IT'S, WE, WE HAVE NO CLOSURE WHATSOEVER. ONE BIT. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH IT. WE DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT TURNED IN FRONT OF THEM, RIGHT? RIGHT. THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WENT ON THAT NIGHT THAT IT, WE CAN'T GET NO ANSWERS ON ANYTHING, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE'VE MET MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE MET MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE CHIEF, UH, SERGEANTS. CAPTAINS, RIGHT? NO ANSWERS. NOTHING. WE DON'T GET ANYTHING BACK. WE'LL LOOK INTO IT. WELL, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOOK INTO IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, SAME WITH, SAME WITH WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH YOU GUYS, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE MANAGERS. WE'VE HAD 'EM BIG MEETINGS WITH EVERYBODY. AND I'LL HAVE NO ANSWERS WHATSOEVER ON ANY OF THIS STUFF. YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS. IT'S, I I, I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M RAN, BEEN RAIDING, BUT IT'S, I'M, I I I AM A BROKEN FATHER. I AM. I HAVE TWO OTHER CHILDREN THAT I STILL HAVE TO CARE FOR. I HAVE A WIFE THAT I HAVE TO CARE FOR, SO I TRY TO BE STRONG FOR THEM. BUT IT'S HARD. YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU THAT IS NO LONGER HERE. HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYONE TO SPEAK FOR HIM. RIGHT? HE HAS NO ONE TO SPEAK FOR HIM. THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS DEEMED HIS FAULT. RIGHT? BECAUSE ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS WROTE DOWN IN HIS REPORT THAT MY SON RAN A RED LIGHT. EVEN THOUGH THE SERGEANT ON DUTY, ON DUTY WATCHED THE VIDEO AND TOLD US THE LIGHT WAS YELLOW THAT HE WENT THROUGH. BUT FOR SIX MONTHS, THE REPORT SHOWED THAT MY SON RAN A RED LIGHT. SO FOR SIX MONTHS, EVERYBODY'S SAYING THAT, OH, IT WAS THE KID'S FAULT. DOES ANYBODY CARE ANYMORE THAT IT'S NOT HIS FAULT? NO, THEY DID SIX MONTHS AGO. OH, THAT'S WHAT HE GETS, RIGHT? HE'S A YOUNG KID, RIGHT? BUT NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE POLICE REPORT, PARTIAL, PARTIAL POLICE REPORT COMES OUT, IT'S SAYING THAT, OH, IT WAS A YELLOW LIGHT. DOES ANYBODY CARE FROM SIX MONTHS AGO? NO. 'CAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY SAID WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THERE WAS NO ONE THERE TO DEFEND HIM. NOBODY. WE DID. I DON'T KNOW. WE, THERE'S SOMETHING I WISH I COULD GET SOME ANSWERS FROM YOU GUYS. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. IF I COULD GET SOME ANSWERS, I'D REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT ALL. SO WE HERMAN, FOLLOWED BY THE PIRATE, FOLLOWED BY JEFF. A AINO. WHAT'S THE SECRET ABOUT WEST COVINA? WE HAVE A MANAGER WHO CAN'T RESOLVE SOME OF THESE LITTLE ISSUES. LIKE HOW DO WE FIX THE LIGHT? WELL, I'M SORRY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A [00:45:01] BUDGET TO FIX THE LIGHT, RIGHT? BUT YET, RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA, RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING THE TAXES FOR LIGHT. POLINA. NO. BUT YOU GOT THE TIME TO SPEND IT TO GO TO A HAT FASHION. AM I RIGHT OR WRONG? BUT YET YOU WON'T SIT DOWN TO MAYBE DOLE THROUGH THE PAYROLL THERE AND MAYBE CUT MAYBE 1% OUT OF MAYBE SOME FRAUDULENT BASE POLICY UNDER YOUR NONPROFITS. WE DON'T NEED THEM. THE TAXPAYERS CAN HANDLE THE BILLS. IT'S JUST THE WASTEFUL CONS, MISAPPROPRIATIONS OF THOSE FUNDS. WHY COULDN'T YOU GET A LIGHT? WHY COULDN'T YOU CLEAN THE WEED ABATEMENT? WHY COULDN'T YOU DO YOUR JOB WHEN YOU WENT TO THAT DODGER GAME AND LEFT US ALL ALONE IN THE DARK? YOU SEE, MR. MAYOR, THE ISSUE IS THERE IS NO ISSUE. IT'S ALL SOLVED BY MONEY. MONEY WHICH TURNS THE CITY MONEY, WHICH TURNS YOUR HEADS AND MONEY THAT SOME OF YOU, I FEEL, HAVE PLACED IN YOUR OWN NONPROFIT FUNDING. WHERE'S OUR SHAKERS AT? TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. WE NEED 'EM TO GET UP AND, AND SHOW THE FACTS. I DON'T LIKE TO SHOW THE FACTS. 'CAUSE I ALREADY KNOW THE FACT THAT WE'RE BECOMING A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE OF PADDING AND WAXING OUR HANDS WITH ALL THE TAXPAYERS MONEY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW A DARN THING, RIGHT? BRIAN, YOU THINK YOU COULD PULL THE RUG OVER OUR HEADS BECAUSE YOU'D THINK CRAZY HORSE WAS CRAZY WHEN HE SURROUNDED CUSTARD AND ANNIHILATED THE UNITED STATES ARMY FOR THE CRIMES THEY DID TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS OF THIS COUNTRY. THE LAND OF THIS PEOPLE THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, BRIAN, A CHILD THAT LIVES IN THIS LAND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED ALL TO THE FACT, IF PAULINE WOULD'VE JUST SIMPLY PULLED OUT OF THE BUDGET TO HAVE YOUR MUNICIPALITY PEOPLE GET OUT THERE AND FIX THE LIGHT. A SIMPLE MAINTENANCE LIKE THAT WE HAD A MONTH AGO. PEOPLE IN HERE ABOUT THE WEED PROBLEM OF YOU CAN'T SMOKE IT, THEN YANK IT. IF YOU CAN'T YANK IT, THEN GET RID OF THEM. FIRE THEM. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE ILLEGALLY HERE WANTING TO WORK. BUT ARE YOU GONNA HIRE THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS? NO. RIGHT? THE CITY OF WEST COTA WILL NOT HIRE THEM. 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT A SANCTUARY CITY. OH, MAYBE I'M WRONG. YOU MIGHT BE A SANCTUARY CITY BEHIND THE CORRUPTION OF GAVIN NEWCOMB, RIGHT? WASN'T IT? HE WHO PROMISED US BETTER RENTS, FREE RENTS, MATTER OF FACT, WHICH THAT'S A LIE, COMES OUTTA MY TAXES. UM, FOOD. I'M TIRED OF YOUR CHEAP FOOD. I WANNA GO EAT AT CITY HAVEN. JUST ROLL ME A CHECK OUTTA YOUR MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS. I CAN GO THERE AND BUY ME A NICE DINNER AS I HEARD FROM PAULINE, THE MANAGER. AND THIRD, WHAT DID YOUR FORMER VICE PRESIDENT SAY AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF FAILURE? HA HA HA HA HA. I'M DOING MY PART. ME AND ME AND THE, AND THE 46 PRESIDENT DUMPED ON BIDEN, HAVE DONE OUR PART TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT. STOP STEALING THE LINE. STOP STEALING THE LINE. WE NEED REFORM. WE NEED A REFORM THAT STANDS UP FOR JUSTICE AND TAKES A STANCE AGAINST INJUSTICE. I DON'T CARE HOW MANY ILLEGALS COME INTO THIS COUNTRY, AS LONG AS THEY COME INTO THE PROPER CHANNELS SO THAT THIS LITTLE BOY, THAT LITTLE GIRL FROM WEST COVINA HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION AS TO OPPOSED TO HAVING THEIR EDUCATION SUBSIDIZED BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TEACH THEM A SECOND LANGUAGE TO UNDERSTAND, TO GET THE CULTURE OF EDUCATION, RIGHT. NO, THE CULTURE IS, YOU'RE IN MY AMERICA. WOO. THIS IS MY AMERICA. THEY'RE AMERICA. OUR AMERICA, AND WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA. REMEMBER THAT, BRIAN? REMEMBER THAT THE PIRATE FOLLOWED BY JEFF AINO FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW. REMEMBER THAT? WOO. I FEEL LIKE WHAT I HAVE [00:50:01] TO SAY DOESN'T MEAN THAT MUCH AFTER HEARING THE THE CHILD THAT WAS KILLED AT THE LIGHT. BUT, UM, GREETINGS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M NOT SAYING MY NAME BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN BULLIED AND HATE MAIL. NOT THAT I'M REALLY THAT SCARED, BUT YOU GUYS KNOW ME PRETTY WELL. UM, SO APPARENTLY OUR CITY MEETINGS ARE LOOKING MORE LIKE SOUTH KOREAN PARLIAMENT THAN A SMALL SGB COUNCIL MEETING. I MYSELF AM GLAD THE CHAIRS ARE BOLTED TO THE GROUND RIGHT NOW. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, ARE WE GONNA START THROWING WATER BALLOONS LIKE THEY DID IN TAIWAN? I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD INVITE THE RUGBY PLAYERS TO SHOW US THE HAKKA WAR DANCE LIKE THEY DID IN NEW ZEALAND. YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WILL REALLY PUT WEST COVINA ON THE MAP FOR SURE. UM, BUT WITH ALL THE VIOLENCE AND EVERYTHING I AM, I AM COUNTING ON CHIEF BELL BEFORE HE LEAVES TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INVESTIGATION GOES INTO NEUTRAL HANDS AND, UM, VIOLENCE TO THE POINT OF SERIOUS INJURIES. UNACCEPTABLE. UM, AND I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, BUT I'M JUST HOPING THAT IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL HANDS AND IS INVESTIGATED. BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE CITY. I KNOW THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HATRED TOWARDS TONY WU, AND THEN THEY HAVE A TONY WU GROUP OR WHATEVER IT IS. BUT I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU GUYS ALL THAT, THOSE OF US PEASANTS ARE TIRED OF IT. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON BETWEEN ALL Y'ALL. THE CITY IS DIVIDED AND MOST OF US AREN'T SURE WHY. I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I GET HATE MAIL FOR NOT VOTING FOR ANYONE. I'M PRESSURED FOR TELLING PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO VOTE AND PUT SIGNS IN THEIR YARD TO NOT LETTING ANYONE BULLY THEM. AND I GET BULLIED. MIND YOU, I'M A PIRATE, SO I DON'T CARE. BUT, UM, I GET BULLIED BECAUSE I, EVEN A FRIEND I CHOSE TO HAVE, LIKE, WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING POLITICS. AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME CRAZ PEOPLE IN THIS CITY COMING AFTER ME. AND, AND SPEAKING OF HATE MAIL, OKAY? THE PIRATE IS A SYMBOL OF NOT BEING INFLUENCED BY DORKS WHO CARE SO MUCH ABOUT POLITICS THAT THEY SELL THEIR SOUL. I'M PIRATICAL NOT POLITICAL. AND PUDE IS A WAY OF LIFE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF US IN THE SGV WHO'VE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE 1975. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION TO THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE HATE MAIL TO ME THAT THEY MIGHT WANNA BE CAREFUL, DISPARAGING MY TERMINALLY ILL HUSBAND, BECAUSE HE IS TOUGHER AND SCARIER THAN ANYONE WHO WROTE THE LETTER EVEN AT DEATH DOOR. OKAY? AND THAT BEING SAID, I WANNA JUST SAY IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY TO COME TOGETHER. WE SHOULDN'T HATE EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF POLITICS OR WHATEVER THE HELL IS REALLY GOING ON HERE. AND I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. BUT THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING US PEASANTS DON'T KNOW. AND, UH, I HAVE NOT EVEN GONE TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY BECAUSE ALL THE PRESSURE, THE BULLYING, THE HATE MAIL. AND IT'S NOT THAT I'M SCARED, IT'S JUST THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE FUN FOR ME TO GO. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK OLLIE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH US. UM, THE REST OF YOU NEED TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER. THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, SO PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH US. AND, UM, AND I ALSO, I KNOW THAT CHIEF BELL IS RETIRING, AND I KNOW THAT HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT HIM. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK LETTIE FOR OPENLY REBUKING GASCON. SO I'M NOT THAT THANKFUL THOUGH. SO COME ON, WEST KINA WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER, THE ELECTION'S OVER AND, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL OF US WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SO NICE TO EACH OTHER. WE'RE NEIGHBORS AND WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE THINKING. SO THAT'S IT. JEFF AINO, FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL STEFAN. HELLO. HOW YOU DOING? THAT WAS A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THE BULLYING IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. AND I'M GLAD THIS SELECTION KNOW IS OVER. CONGRATULATIONS TO BRIAN GUTIERREZ, MRS. DIAZ, YOU KNOW, THEY WON. THE OTHER ONES ARE LOSERS, SO GO AWAY. IT'S OVER WITH. STOP THE BULLYING. STOP THE STUPID RACIST REMARKS. YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING RIDICULOUS THAT YOU CAN'T SIT IN YOUR HOME AND EDGE PEOPLE HIDE BEHIND SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES AND GO AROUND AND POKE AT PEOPLE. THEY GOTTA GO TO A PLANNING COMMISSION AND RAISE A BIG HELL. THAT'S TALK CALL PERSON A LIAR WHEN THEY CAN'T EVEN PROVE IT. AND IF THEY DID, CAN'T PROVE IT. WHY DON'T YOU JUST PROVE IT INSTEAD OF JUST SUGGESTING IT? IT MAKES NO DAMN SENSE. YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A NICE SMILE ON YOUR FACE A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT [00:55:01] YOU DON'T NOW. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. DO I INTIMIDATE YOU OR SOMETHING? THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I DON'T, I'M NOT HERE TO INTIMIDATE IT. VERY, VERY GOOD, JEFF. THANK YOU. OKAY? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING REALLY JUST RID RIDICULOUS. MY WIFE'S BEEN CALLED A NAZI. SHE'S BEEN CALLED A SELLOUT, A RACIST. I CAN'T, THE THINGS THAT SHIT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THESE BULLIES GET BEAT UP BY SOMEBODY ELSE, AND NOW THEY WANNA CRY WOLF. OH, I'VE BEEN HURT. I'M HURT. WHAT A BUNCH OF . EXCUSE ME. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. AND I'M SURE GLAD THIS ELECTION IS OVER BECAUSE IT JUST IS, IT IS JUST GOTTEN OBNOXIOUS. AND I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY HEAR PEOPLE COME UP HERE AND SAY EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE, HOW YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN BULLIED. BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS THIS TALK IS CHEAP. PEOPLE COULD SAY ANYTHING THEY WANT. I JUST LET IT ROLL OFF MY BACK. THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE. IF THEY REALLY WANNA COME AND SAY SOMETHING TO ME, THEY COULD COME TO MY HOUSE. YOU KNOW, I'LL HAVE A, I'LL HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION WITH THEM. I PUT A SIGN IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE THAT SAID TRUMP IN 2016, HE WASN'T EVEN THE PRESIDENT YET. AND I HAD A KID COME UP TO MY HOUSE, CALL ME A RACIST, TEAR MY SIGN DOWN. THEN TWO WEEKS, THREE WEEKS LATER, SOME MORE KIDS GRAB MY SIGN. AND THEN THEY HAD TO CALL ME A RACIST. THEY SAID, OH, I LIKE TACOS. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I'M A MEXICAN OR NOT. BUT THEY HAD TO SAY IT ANYWAYS. THEY SAID IT RIGHT TO MY FACE. AND ALL I'M THERE IS JUST SAYING, MY SIGN'S RIGHT THERE. YOUR KIDS ARE RIGHT THERE WHO TOOK MY SIGN? BUT I'M THE ONE THAT'S MAKING THE FIGHT. I'M NOT MAKING A FIGHT. GIMME MY SIGN BACK. THIS WAS 2016. HE WASN'T EVEN THE PRESIDENT. AND THEN WE GO THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF ALL OVER AGAIN. THIS AND THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. SORRY, BUT YOUR JOBS AREN'T THAT IMPORTANT. YOUR JOBS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. SHE HAS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB TO KEEP THE FUND, THE, THE FUNDS GOING. YOU GUYS ARE JUST HERE TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS WORK PROPERLY. BUT SHE'S GOT THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB. AND THE CITY, I, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO LOST HIS SON. MY BROTHER LOST HIS LEGS ON VALINDA AND, AND CAMERON. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, BACK THEN, LIKE MAYBE FIVE MONTHS LATER, THEY PUT A TURN SIGNAL ON THAT AT THAT INTERSECTION. AND MY BROTHER WAS ONLY 17 YEARS OLD, AND HIS LEGS WERE CUT RIGHT OFF. BUT THE SAME THING A MAN TOOK A LI PERSON TOOK A LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF HIM. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, YOU NEED REALLY NEED TO START WORKING TOGETHER AND STOP, AND STOP THIS HATRED OF PEOPLE SAYING, YOU'RE AGAINST HIM AND HE'S AGAINST YOU, AND SO ON AND SO ON. YOU NEED TO STOP IT. THIS IS YOUR STOP. DON'T SIT THERE AND SAY THAT. DON'T THINK OR SUGGEST THAT ALL THIS IS HAPPENING, BECAUSE THE FOOL'S NOT FOR WOO. CAN'T GET THEIR STUFF WHAT THEY WANT. OKAY? THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR WAY. SO THEY SAY MAKE A SIGN THAT'S JUST HATRED AND BULLYING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PUTTING UP SIGNS AND, AND SENDING OUT POST-ITS ABOUT SOMEBODY TRYING TO WIN AN ELECTION THAT'S JUST HATRED. IF YOU CAN'T WIN ON YOUR OWN MERIT, THEN SHAME ON YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MATTHEW FOLLOWED MICHAEL STEFAN FOLLOWED BY DESIREE FUENTES. AND JEFF, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO MY HOUSE. WE'RE STILL NOT FRIENDS. I KNOW. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, I'M BOTH EMBARRASSED AND APPALLED BY THE RECENT ACTIONS OF SITTING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. THE DIVISIVE RHETORIC AND FALSE NARRATIVES BEING SPREAD HAVE ONLY DI DEEPENED DIVISIONS AND ERODED TRUST IN OUR LEADERSHIP. IT'S PAINFULLY CLEAR THAT SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE BECOME SILENT BYSTANDERS, ALLOWING OUR CITY'S WELLBEING TO DECLINE INSTEAD OF STEPPING UP AS PROACTIVE VOICES FOR THE COMMUNITY. EVEN MORE TROUBLING IS THE BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS LIKE COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, WHO NOT ONLY CONTINUES TO PURSUE PERSONAL GRUDGES UNDER THE GUISE OF PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT HAS SHOWN NO CULPABILITY FOR THE HARM CAUSED BY HER ACTIONS AND THOSE OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS. THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING TARGETED ATTACKS AND HARASSMENT OF OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HAS CRE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR, MISTRUST, AND DIVISION. WHAT'S CARINA'S LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY HAS ALLOWED THIS TO TOXIC DYNAMIC, TO PERSIST FURTHER ERODING TRUST IN CITY GOVERNANCE AND UNDERMINING PROGRESS. WHAT'S MORE ALARMING IS THE MESSAGE THIS SENDS TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THE NEXT GENERATION. WHEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS OR THE ACTIONS OF THEIR FAMILY, IT SETS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT. IT TELLS OUR YOUTH THAT DEFLECTION, EVASION, AND A LACK OF INTEGRITY ARE ACCEPTABLE IN LEADERSHIP. THIS IS ENTIRELY THE WRONG EXAMPLE FOR OUR CITY'S FUTURE LEADERS. WHO SHOULD, WHO SHOULD BE LEARNING THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPECT, AND SERVICE TO OTHERS ARE CORE VALUES OF PUBLIC OFFICE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ'S, CONTINUED PRESENCE ON THE CITY COUNCIL NOT ONLY UNDERMINES THE CITY'S CREDIBILITY, BUT ALSO POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. HER PREOCCUPATION WITH PERSONAL GRIEVANCES HAS LEFT, [01:00:01] HAS LEFT CRITICAL ISSUES LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, HOMELESSNESS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE. NEGLECTED. THE CITY COUNCIL, MIRED IN DIVISION AND DYSFUNCTION CANNOT MAKE SOUND DECISIONS TO PROTECT AND SERVE ITS RESIDENTS. LEAVING WEST COVINA VULNERABLE TO FURTHER DECLINE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THE DIVISIVENESS, EVASION OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MISUSE OF OFFICE MUST END IMMEDIATELY. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ'S ACTIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN INABILITY TO SERVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY. IT'S TIME FOR HER TO STEP DOWN FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALLOW WESTS COVINA TO BEGIN REBUILDING THE TRUST, UNITY AND LEADERSHIP THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE. OUR CITY DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS TOXIC ENVIRONMENT. WE NEED LEADERS WHO, WHO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS, PRIORITIZE THE THE GREATER GOOD, AND RESTORE THE VALUES OF RESPECT AND SERVICE TO OUR CITY. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ'S RESIGNATION IS CRITICAL, IS THE CRITICAL FIRST STEP TOWARD HEALING THE COMMUNITY. SETTING A BETTER EXAMPLE FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND PUTTING WEST COA BACK ON THE PATH TO PROGRESS. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. FOLLOWED BY DESIREE. FOLLOWED BY MARIO. YES. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA FOR 63 YEARS. IT WAS MY GRANDSON THAT WAS KILLED AT THAT LIGHT. AND I'M JUST REALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WAY THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNCIL AMENDMENT. WHEN WE CAME IN, AFTER 10 MONTHS OF A MEETING, MY DAUGHTER THREW OUT PAPERWORK SHOWING THAT THE LIGHT WAS COMPLETED AND PAID FOR. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL BACK, NEVER CALLED BACK. POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL, SAID, HERE'S MY PHONE NUMBER. I'LL NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. PHONE WENT DEAD. MY SON'S A CHIEF OF THE CHP DAY AFTER THE, WE HAD OUR MEETING. AFTER 10 MONTHS, THEY TURNED IT OVER TO THE CHP. WHEN I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE CHP FINDING OUT YOU GUYS JUST KICKED IT OFF AFTER 10 MONTHS. IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY. AFTER 63 YEARS, I'VE CAUGHT THREE GUYS DOING BAD S**T IN MY, IN, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TWICE. I CALLED THE POLICE TWICE THEY CAME OUT, TOLD THE CAR ONCE, LET THE GUYS GO, NEVER CAME BACK AND QUESTIONED. ANOTHER TIME THEY CAME. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE GUY. THEY GO, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE GUY LOOKS LIKE? I GO, I GOT, I GOT A PICTURE. WELL, LET'S, THEY TOOK OFF TO GO CHASE THE GUY. NEVER CAME BACK. THIRD TIME I TOOK CARE OF IT MYSELF. SO THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY ABOUT WEST COVINA, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, DON'T CALL THE POLICE. CALL ICE. 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS CITY. I MEAN, AFTER 63 YEARS, THE THINGS YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AND WHY IT'S BEEN PAID FOR AND COMPLETED, AND YOU GUYS PUT A LIGHT AT EIGHTH OF A MILE DOWN THE STREET THAT TURNS INTO A MOUNTAIN. WHY IS THERE A LIGHT TURNING INTO A MOUNTAIN WHEN YOU HAVE A STREET THAT YOU HAVE TO CROSS FOUR LANES AND A DRIVEWAY THAT'S SO STEEP BECAUSE OF BKK DUMP THAT WAS THERE. YOU HAVE TO STOP BEFORE YOU GO IN THE DRIVEWAY. YOUR MANAGEMENT IS CRAZY. AND MY WHOLE FAMILY'S ELECTRICIANS, MY LITTLE BROTHERS, MIT ELECTRICAL ENGINEER. WHEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT THIS, HE SAYS, FIX THE LIGHT. EVERYTHING'S THERE. ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS WE PLAY SIX LENSES AND GO TO THE BOX AND DO SOME ANY MORE ON CAN DO IT WITHIN A DAY. BUT YOU GUYS WILL SAY, OH, IT'LL BE ANOTHER $120,000. THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. ELON MUSK CAN SEND A ROCKET UP AND NASA CHURCH TAKES 10 TIMES AS MUCH MONEY TO SEND A ROCKET UP THAT ELON MUSK CAN SEND UP. IT'S THE WASTE. IT'S THE WASTE. YOU GUYS PUT IN. EVERYTHING YOU DO, YOU CAN'T FINISH NOTHING. AND IT'S JUST A WASTE. I JUST HAD TO GET IT OFF. I'M REALLY DISGUSTED WITH THIS CITY. AFTER 63 YEARS, DESIREE FUENTES, FOLLOWED BY MARIO, FOLLOWED BY SHERRY BARIAN. I, HELLO. MY SON IS ADRIAN FUENTES. SO I WANNA ASK EACH ONE OF YOU, FOR THE LAST YEAR, WHAT HAS ANY ONE OF YOU DONE FOR OUR CITY? BECAUSE YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE FOR THE LAST YEAR? I'VE PLANNED MY SON'S FUNERAL. I'VE BURIED MY SON, BURIED HIS GIRLFRIEND, BURIED ANOTHER RESIDENT OF THE CITY THAT PASSED AWAY THE NIGHT AFTER MY SON CELEBRATED EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY AT THE CEMETERY, CELEBRATED MY SON'S. WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY? WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN HIS GIRLFRIEND'S 21ST BIRTHDAY? ALL WITHOUT MY SON. WHAT HAS ANY ONE OF YOU DONE? BECAUSE WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT IN THE LAST YEAR, I HAVE NO ASSISTANCE. I HAVE NO SECRETARIES. [01:05:01] I HAVE NO HELP. BUT I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT AMAR IN WESTPORT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE 1988. I HAVE DOCUMENTS OF IT FROM THE CITY. I FOUND OUT THAT THREE TIMES THE LIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PAID FOR THREE SEPARATE YEARS, $140,000 FOR ONE YEAR, $140,000 ANOTHER YEAR, AND $145,000 ANOTHER YEAR. I THE DOCUMENTS THAT PROVE THE LIGHT WAS ALREADY PAID FOR AND COMPLETED. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAS ANY ONE OF YOU DONE FOR THE CITY? THE, I MEAN, I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE GRANTS FOR, FOR $3 MILLION FOR LEFT TURN PHASING. AND I DO KNOW THAT THE, WHAT CITRUS AND CAMERON, THAT LIGHT WAS, IS PART OF UNDERGROUND, BUT THAT'S UNDER A SEPARATE GRANT. I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THAT'S A SEPARATE GRANT THAN THE ONE THAT'S FOR THE 3 MILLION. I HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THAT THIS LIGHT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT IN YEARS AGO, WOO WAS ON COUNCIL. HE ACTUALLY, HE, HE VOTED AGAINST IT, BUT IT WAS A FOUR TO FIVE UNANIM. ALL BUT THE LIGHT WAS APPROVED FOR MR. IN WESTPORT. IT WAS APPROVED FROM CITY COUNCIL. THAT WAS YEARS AGO. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE DONE, BECAUSE I MEAN, NOT ONE OF YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY OR A 21ST BIRTHDAY OR BURY YOUR CHILDREN, BUT I HAVE THANK YOU. BUT AT HER MEETING, NO, WITH YOU GUYS. OKAY. MARIO FOLLOWED BY SHERRY BARAN. ALL RIGHT. UH, GOOD EVENING. MAYOR TABBA, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF SAID IT BEFORE. SAY IT AGAIN. LIFE ISN'T FAIR AND WE ARE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL. WE AS INDIVIDUALS CAN STRIVE FOR FAIRNESS AND TREAT PEOPLE EQUALLY. THE LAST TIME I STOOD BEFORE YOU, I SAID THESE WORDS IN REFERENCE TO BILL ELLIOT'S OUTBURST AT THE CITY. CITY'S FAILURE TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE TO TODAY, COMPELLED TO SAY THEM AGAIN. BUT THIS TIME I'M REFERENCING THE VIOLENT ATTACK ON JOHN SCHUMAKER AND STEVE BENNETT. DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING ON OCTOBER 22ND, AFTER THAT MEETING, I RECEIVED MULTIPLE CALLS FROM RESIDENTS WHO SHARED THEIR FRUSTRATIONS. MANY OF THEM USED TO ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS REGULARLY, BUT HAVE CHOSEN TO STAY HOME, NOT BECAUSE THEY LACK INTEREST, BUT BECAUSE OF THREATENING AND DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR. LIKE WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM BILL ELLIOT DURING ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, THIS INTIMIDATION HAS DRIVEN PEOPLE AWAY FROM ENGAGING IN THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS. IT WAS ON FULL DISPLAY AT A RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING. BILL DISRUPTED ORAL COMMUNICATIONS WHILE ANOTHER SPEAKER WAS AT THE PODIUM. DESPITE THE MAYOR CALLING A RE AND INSTRUCTING THAT BILL BE REMOVED, HE REFUSED TO LEAVE. THE SAME OFFICER WHO INTERVENED DURING THE OCTOBER 22ND FIGHT ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE HIM THAT EVENING, BUT WAS ALSO DEFIED. ULTIMATELY, THE CHIEF OF POLICE SPOKE WITH BILL AND THEN TOLD MAYOR O BRIAN TABBA THAT BILL HAD PROMISED NOT TO DISRUPT AGAIN AND SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. THIS LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY REFLECTS A DEEPER PROBLEM. WHEN BAD BEHAVIOR GOES UNCHECKED, IT ONLY WORSENS OVER TIME. IF YOU DON'T ADDRESS IT, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT ESCALATES AND SOMEONE GETS HURT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 22ND WHEN STEVE AND JOHN WERE VIOLENTLY ATTACKED. THIS T DIDN'T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM. IT'S IS A RESULT OF YEARS OF AN ACTION AND ENABLEMENT. IN ADDITION TO THESE TROUBLING INCIDENT, WE'RE ALSO SEEING INCREASED CRIME IN OUR CITY. RECENT EXAMPLE IS A BULLET THAT I FOUND PIERCED THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE WEST COVINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, DAMAGING ONE OF THE PORTRAITS OF LB SHA. THESE INCIDENTS ARE A STARK REMINDER THAT CRIME AND DISORDER WEST COVINA ARE ON THE RISE. AND OUR FOCUS IS THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ON PREVENTING THEM, NOT JUST REACHING TO THEM AFTER THE FACT. THIS BRINGS ME TO SUE ROBERT PEELS, THE FATHER OF MODERN, THE FATHER OF MODERN POLICING, AND HIS NINTH PRINCIPLE TO RECOGNIZE ALWAYS THAT THE TEST, THE POLICE EFFICIENCY, IS THE ABSENCE OF CRIME AND DISORDER, AND NOT THE VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF POLICE ACTION IN DEALING WITH THEM. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MEASURE OF EFFECTIVE POLICING IS NOT HOW MANY ARRESTS ARE MADE OR HOW VISIBLE THE RESPONSE IS, BUT IN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE COMMUNITY ITSELF. UNFORTUNATELY, WEST COVINA, WE ARE FAILING AT THAT TEST. COMPOUNDING THIS FAILURE IS A RECENT INSTAGRAM POST BY WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT PROUDLY ANNOUNCING THEIR FEATURE IN THE EPISODE OF COPS TV. WHILE [01:10:01] I UNDERSTAND THEIR DESIRE TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF OUR OFFICERS, I QUESTION WHETHER CHASING MOVIE POPULARITY ALIGNS WITH THE MISSION OF MODERN PROFESSIONAL POLICE FORCE. IN FACT, THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE OF SHOWS LIKE COPS RUNS DIRECTLY COUNTER TO PEEL'S NINTH PRINCIPLE. THESE PROGRAMS THRIVE ON CENTRALIZING SENSATIONALIZING VISIBLE POLICE ACTION, OFTEN PRIORITIZING SPECTACLE OVER SUBSTANCE. INSTEAD OF CHASING THE SPOTLIGHT, I SUGGEST THAT WEST POLINA PD FOCUSES ENERGY ON PREVENTING CRIME AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT ACTUALLY MATTER TO RESIDENTS. LIKE THE RISING CRIME RATE, PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY TRUST. LEADERSHIP REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY AND A FOCUS ON OUTCOMES, NOT OPTICS. AND INSTEAD OF PRI PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY AND FAIRNESS, WE'VE SEEN FAVORITISM, COMPLACENCY, AND A LACK OF DECISIVE ACTION. THIS VIOLENT ALTERCATION AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, THE BULLET INCIDENT, AND NOW THIS PURSUIT OF MEDIA RECOGNITION ARE NOT ISOLATED. THERE ARE SYMPTOMS OF A CITY THAT HAS ALLOWED DISORDER AND DYSFUNCTION. TO FESTER THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. THE COUNSEL MUST ENSURE IMPARTIALITY IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE OCTOBER 22ND INCIDENT BY TRANSFERRING THE CASE TO SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, SOMETHING I FEEL THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY, NOT A MONTH LATER. MOREOVER, THE CITY MUST TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO PREVENT FUTURE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, TO HOLD DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR ACCOUNTABLE, AND TO REDUCE CRIME AND DISORDER. IF WE FAIL TO ASK, IF WE FAIL TO ACT, WE RISK SENDING A DANGEROUS MESSAGE THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE ABOVE THE LAW, THAT BAD BEHAVIOR WILL BE TOLERATED, AND THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT A PRIORITY. THIS ERODES THE PUBLIC TRUST AND UNDERMINES THE FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY EQUALLY, OR UNDERMINES THE FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY THAT WE SHOULD ALL STRIVE FOR. WEST COVINA DESERVES BETTER. IT'S TIME FOR THIS COUNCIL TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE FOR FAIRNESS, SAFETY, AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. THANK YOU SHERRY BARIAN. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T PLAN ON SPEAKING TONIGHT, BUT I'M GONNA SPEAK NOW. I'VE LIVED IN THIS CITY FOR 68 YEARS. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF COUNCILS COME AND GO. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF POLICE CHIEFS COME AND GO. CITY MANAGERS COME AND GO. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THIS GENTLEMAN. HE'S BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS REPORT DONE FOR A YEAR, AND NOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA TRANSFER IT OUT. WHAT'S GOING ON? IF THAT HAD BEEN ANY ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN, YOU KNOW THAT THAT LIGHT WOULD'VE BEEN FIXED THE NEXT DAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE MONEY THAT THIS CITY CAUGHT. BUT YOU ARE GOING TO GET YOUR LIGHT ON CAMERON AND CITRUS, AND YOU WANT ONE OLLIE, YOU WANT ONE ON VINE AND MONTEZUMA WAY. I WILL BET YOU THAT YOUR LIGHTS GET DONE BEFORE THE ONE ON 20 AND VINCENT AND HIS LIGHT GETS FIXED. I'LL PUT MONEY ON IT. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. I WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THAT DISCREPANCY ON OCTOBER 22ND. EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING IT'S POLITIC. IT'S NOT JUST POLITICS PEOPLE. IT'S A LIKE AND DISLIKE OF PEOPLE THAT GET ANGRY AND ATTACK PEOPLE AND SAY THINGS THAT ARE UNTRUE AND YOU CAN'T PROVE IT. BUT YOU CAN GET UP HERE AND YOU COULD JUST HUMILI HUMILIATE ANYBODY. I AM DISGUSTED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT KNOW OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHICH THEY DID, AND HAVE THIS CASE THE NEXT DAY THROWN TO INDUSTRY. SHERIFF, I'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE TWICE. CITY MANAGER. YOU COULD HAVE OVERWRITTEN IT AND YOU COULD HAVE ALSO SAID, WE REALLY SHOULD TAKE THIS OUT A MONTH LATER AFTER THE INCIDENT. THERE IS NO REPORT AVAILABLE TO THE TWO VICTIMS WHO WERE BEAT UP. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. EVERYONE SAYS YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. YOU START NEEDING TO STOP YOUR POLITICS, STOP YOUR FAVORITISM, AND DOING THE JOB FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, NOT YOUR OWN PERSONAL INTEREST. I HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKER SLIPS. MAYOR, UM, CITY MANAGER. UM, WILL YOU PLEASE RESPOND? AND CAN YOU, UH, START BY RESPONDING TO THE FUENTES FAMILY? YES. AND, UM, YES TO THE, TO THE FUENTES FAMILY. UM, WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. WE UNDERSTAND IT'S THE ANNIVERSARY COMING UP AND IT'S GONNA BE A VERY SAD TIME, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS NOT TO HAVE A LOVED ONE. UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND YOU'VE BEEN SEEKING ANSWERS AND YOU KNOW, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE REPORTS TAKE THE TIME THAT THEY DO BECAUSE THEY WANNA DO A THOROUGH JOB. UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE [01:15:01] REACHING OUT TO YOU AND PROVIDING YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT REPORT. UM, SO THAT'S ALL I CAN SHARE REGARDING THAT INVESTIGATION. UM, AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE LIGHT? OH, THANK YOU . UM, SO IN OCTOBER, THE COUNCIL DID APPROVE, UH, SOME TEMPORARY, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE, UH, INTERSECTION. UM, AND SO THOSE SHOULD BE DONE BY SPRING OF 2025. WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO SEEK FUNDING FOR, UH, A PERMANENT LEFT TURN SIGNAL AT THAT INTERSECTION. SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS THAT. WE, UM, I BELIEVE HAVE APPLIED FOR A GRANT FOR THAT WOULD HELP, UH, FUND THAT INTERSECTION IN ADDITION TO OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BUT IT WOULD INCLUDE THE AMAR WESTPORT, UH, INTERSECTION. UM, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, UH, INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED, UM, MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING ANY FELONY, MISDEMEANOR OR INFRACTION COMMITTED WITHIN THE CITY. FOLLOWING SINCE INCIDENTS, THE POLICE OF CHIEF, UM, MAY DECIDE WHETHER WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT OR AN EXTERNAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WILL HANDLE ANY NECESSARY FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION. INITIALLY, THE UM, INVESTIGATION WAS RETAINED BY THE POLICE COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND AFTER INITIAL REPORTS WERE COMPLETED, HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSULTATION WITH THE SHERIFFS, UH, REGARDING THE CASE, CHIEF BELL DECIDED TO TRANSFER THE INVESTIGATION TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. ALL FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS WILL NOW BE CONDUCTED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND ANY COMMENTS OR FINDINGS WILL COME FROM THEIR INVESTIGATION AND AS IT'S AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO, TO COMMENT ON THAT INCIDENT, AND THAT I BELIEVE CONCLUDES MY, UM, COMMENTS TONIGHT. OKAY. UM, WE WILL NOW MOVE, UH, [CONSENT CALENDAR] TO OUR CONSENT CALENDAR. COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? OKAY. UH, I WILL BE PULLING ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS? NUMBER ONE THROUGH EIGHT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NUMBER SEVEN. I'LL MOVE THE MOTION. I'LL SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ, VITO, TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH SIX AND NUMBER EIGHT, LEAVING OUT, UH, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH WAS PULLED BY MAYOR UH, CALDONE. ZABI. BEFORE I TAKE ROLE, I'D LIKE TO READ THE TITLE OF THE ORDINANCE INTO THE RECORD. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 5 2 4. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING DIVISION TWO, PURCHASING PROCEDURES OF ARTICLE SEVEN PURCHASES AND SALES OF CHAPTER TWO, ADMINISTRATION OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE. COUNCILMAN CONTOS AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. COUNCILMAN LOPEZ. VITO AYE. MAYOR PRO TE WU. AYE. MAYOR CALDRON TABBA. AYE. ITEMS PAST FIVE ZERO, MAYOR. OKAY. UM, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, [7) CONSIDERATION OF 2023 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)/ FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA), STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANT (EMW-2023-FF-01127)] IF I COULD HAVE, UH, FIRE CHIEF, UH, VINCE CAPELLI COME DOWN, UH, HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING, UH, THE SAFER GRANT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNSEL, STAFF, CITIZENS. GOOD EVENING. UH, SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE, THE ITEM, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, YOU, UH, HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE, WE DECLINE THE GRANT. SO I JUST, UH, WANTED TO HEAR SOME INFORMATION. UH, SO CURRENTLY THE, THE STAFFING, UH, IS, IS 70 FIREFIGHTERS. UH, THIS GRANT WOULD, UH, MOVE US TO 86. UM, SO FIRST OFF, UM, CHIEF, CHIEF CAPELLI, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN, UM, WHY, WHY YOU DEEM IT NECESSARY TO, TO ADD THAT, THAT PERSONNEL, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WE APPLY FOR THE GRANT. UH, AND SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MAYOR COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR LEMME SPEAK. UH, WE, UH, AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE ALWAYS SEEKING WAYS TO, UM, BRING IN THINGS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HELP SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND GATHER RESOURCES. UH, I THINK 2018 WAS WHEN THE LAST TIME WE HAD TO, UH, ROLL BACK ONE OF THE FIRE ENGINES. WE SHUT DOWN, UH, OUR FIFTH FIRE ENGINE AND TOOK US BELOW STANDARDS TO WHERE WE RESPONSE MEASURES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. AND WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE'RE NOT MEETING THE PERCENTILES TO RESPOND TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE COULD DO THAT WITH OTHER RESOURCES. SO WE REACHED OUT TO FEMA AND THEY HAVE RESOURCES CALLED THE SAFER GRANT, WHICH IS THE, UH, STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMS RESOURCES. AND THEY'LL GIVE US FUNDS TO FUND [01:20:01] PERSONNEL TO COME ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE OUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE. AND THIS WAS GOING TO INCREASE A FIRE ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE TO RESPOND TO CALLS THAT WOULD HELP US HAVE A QUICKER RESPONSE TIME FOR EMS CALLS AND QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES FOR FIRES. UM, SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT, UH, WE WANT TO MEET IS THE FIRST ARRIVING EMT OR PARAMEDIC WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, LESS THAN 300 SECONDS. UH, OUR, OUR TIME AVERAGE OF 2024 IS SIX MINUTES AND 23 SECONDS, AND WE'D LIKE TO GET AT LEAST ONE FIRE ENGINE ENGINE ON A FIRE, UH, IN LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES. AND OUR AVERAGE TIME, OUR, OUR AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIMES TO MEET THAT STANDARD IS 29%, AND WE'D LIKE TO DO IT IN 90% OF THE TIME. SO WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A WAY TO HELP BRING THE STAFFING UP TO HOPEFULLY MEET THOSE STANDARDS. OKAY. AND, AND SO, UH, CITY MANAGER, UM, YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DECLINED THE GRANT. CAN CAN YOU GO INTO THE, THE REASONING, UM, WHY YOU, YOU, YOU FOUND THIS, THIS GRANT WOULD NOT BE, UH, A BENEFIT TO THE CITY. THE CITY OF WEST COVINA HAS A HISTORY WITH THE SAFER GRANT. UM, WE'VE APPLIED FOR THE SAFER GRANT, UH, TWO TIMES BEFORE AND RECEIVED IT. UM, THE FIRST TIME, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE GRANT, UM, IT OR, BUT, UH, THE CITY WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE, UH, ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS HIRED THROUGH THE GRANT FOR THREE YEARS. HOWEVER, AS, UH, YEAR TWO AND THREE, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING DIMINISHED AND THE BURDEN FOR THE CITY TO PAY FOR THAT COST INCREASED. UM, THEN THE SECOND TIME, UH, THAT THE SAFER GRANT WAS APPLIED FOR, UM, THERE WAS ISSUES WHERE SIDE LETTERS HADN'T BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH THE, UH, ASSOCIATION, THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THOSE FIREFIGHTERS BEYOND THAT THREE YEAR TERM, UM, WHICH INCREASED COST FOR THE CITY. UM, AND SO THEY HAVE THE SAFER GRANT IN THE PAST WITH THE CITY HAS COST THE CITY TO, UM, SPEND MONEY THAT WAS NOT ANTICIPATED WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR THE GRANT. OKAY. SO, SO THEN IN, IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR OPINION IS, IS THE, THE ADDED STAFFING NOT NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CITY? THE, THE ADDITIONAL, UM, 15 PERSONNEL, I THINK ALL DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY CAN BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL STAFFING, INCLUDING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. AND, AND IN THIS CASE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO, SO THEN THIS GRANT WOULD, WOULD, WOULD COVER THAT PERSONNEL FOR, UH, I GUESS CHIEF CAPELLI WOULD COVER THE PERSONNEL FOR THREE YEARS, IS THAT YEAH. SO THE, THE FEMA, UH, ASSISTANT FIREFIGHTERS GRANT SAFER. UM, THIS, UH, FUNDING PERIOD, THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD, THEY PAY FOR ALL THREE YEARS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME OF IT. THERE'S NO MATCHING BY THE CITY. UM, HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE TO HIRE PERSONNEL, WHICH WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THREE CAPTAINS, THREE ENGINEERS AND PERSONNEL TO HELP MANAGE THE WHOLE SITUATION TO GET A FIRE ENGINE, UM, WE HAVE TO COVER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COST OF A FIREFIGHTER, THE COST OF A CAPTAIN, WHICH IS PART OF THE AWARD, WHICH WASN'T IN THE PAST. THIS ONE DOES REQUIRE THE CITY AND ALLOW THE CITY TO DO IT. SO WE HIRE 15 FIREFIGHTERS. WE WOULD PROMOTE THREE CAPTAINS, THREE ENGINEERS, BUT THE BURDEN ON THAT WOULD COST THE CITY. AND I THINK THE OVERALL, AFTER THREE YEARS, THE COST TO THE CITY WOULD BE ROUGHLY ABOUT $4 MILLION. I THINK WHAT IT WOULD BE IF WE TOOK ON THE GRANT AND WE WOULD APPLY FOR THE GRANT FOR MULTIPLE YEARS, AGAIN AND AGAIN TO THE CITY, CAN COME TO A ABILITY TO PAY FOR ITSELF. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE PROPER RESOURCES ADEQUATELY KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. AND WE NEED THESE PERSONNEL TO DO THAT, AND WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO HAVE THAT REVENUE OURSELVES. AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO GET US THERE UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE OUT THOSE THINGS. OKAY. UM, YOUR, YOUR CHIEF CONCERN CITY MANAGER IS, IS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DELVE INTO THE, THE, THE GENERAL FUND. IF WE DID ACCEPT THIS GRANT? THERE'S A COUPLE CONCERNS. YES, THERE IS GONNA BE DEFICIT SPENDING. THE OTHER THING IS, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED, IF THERE'S ALTERNATIVE STAFFING THAT WAS CONSIDERED WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR IT. UM, UH, IN ADDITION POTENTIAL OR FUTURE LAYOFFS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH IN THE PAST WHERE IN YEAR THREE, WE WOULD HAVE TO LET GO OF THOSE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ISSUE RIGHT NOW AS WELL IS THAT THERE'S NO SIDE LETTERS WITH THE ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH WOULD THEN FURTHER EXACERBATE THE LAYOFF ISSUE IN YEAR THREE. OKAY. I, I, I THINK JUST, JUST ONE OF MY CONCERNS, AND, AND I GUESS THIS WAS A A, A QUESTION I'D HAD FOR YOU, IS, IS THAT, LIKE, UH, IS THAT A, A, A POLICY THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AS A CITY THAT, UH, ANY APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS THAT WILL COVER, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT [01:25:01] OF STAFFING? UM, IF WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT MONEY'S GONNA COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, THEN WE WILL NOT, UH, ACCEPT THOSE TYPES OF GRANTS. IS BECAUSE, UH, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO CREATING A, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE ARE LOOKING TO FUND THAT EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH GRANTS. AND MANY OF THOSE GRANTS FUNCTION SIMILAR TO THE SAFER GRANT, WHERE, UH, AT A CERTAIN PERIOD, UH, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE STAFFING, UM, CITIES HAVE HAD TO GO INTO THEIR GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? SO, UH, CITY OF PASADENA YEARLY HAS TO GO INTO THEIR GENERAL FUND. UH, CITY OF LONG BEACH ACTUALLY HAD TO FIRE 70, UH, STAFF MEMBERS FROM THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH. SO I, UH, I GUESS THI THINKING LONG TERM, UM, IS, IS THIS, UH, A POLICY THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO SET IN PLACE TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THAT ANY GRANTS WE APPLY FOR, WE, UH, ARE ONLY GOING TO ACCEPT THOSE THAT WILL NOT, UH, COST US OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. UM, OR IS, IS IT JUST FOR THIS GRANT? AND WE CAN ANTICIPATE LATER ON ACCEPTING GRANTS THAT WILL AND ANTICIPATE COSTING IN THE GENERAL FUND. I THINK THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE A COUNCIL POLICY DECISION IF THEY WANT TO, UM, HAVE THAT KIND OF POLICY. WHAT I'M LOOKING AT TONIGHT IS THIS PARTICULAR GRANT. MM-HMM. , UM, AND THE ISSUES IN ADDITION TO THE DEFICIT SPENDING THAT IT'S ARISING. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE HISTORY THAT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA HAS HAD WITH HIS EXACT GRANT AND THE CO THE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT IT'S PLACED AS A BURDEN ON THE CITY. AND SO WITH THIS PARTICULAR GRANT, THAT'S WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE DON'T ACCEPT IT. OKAY. AND, AND JUST THE, THE OTHER, THE OTHER COST ITEM, UM, THAT, THAT YOU, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED, I THINK IT'S IN THE REPORT, UH, IS, UH, THE PENSION OBLIGATION PIECE, WHICH, WHICH ISN'T, UM, COVERED. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? AND IF I COULD HAVE STEPHANIE SIGMA OR FINANCE DIRECTOR, SHE'D BE ABLE, THAT'D FANTASTIC TO BETTER, UH, SPEAK TO THAT, BUT YES, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDED COST. UM, THAT'S NOT CALCULATED IN THIS BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY FOR TH THOSE THREE YEARS, AND THEN WE WOULD BE OBLIGATED FOR THOSE PENSION. YEAH. CAN YOU THANK YOU. YES. UM, JUST TO SPEAK ON THAT, BECAUSE, UM, DUE TO THE CRUNCH TIME THAT MYSELF AND I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGER GOT TO REVIEW THIS, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FULLY GET WITH CALPERS TO SEE WHAT THE FULL IMPACT ON OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY WOULD BE. UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, UM, THEY ESTIMATE A 2.8% IN GROWTH RATE, AND SO TO ADD, UM, 15 PERSONNEL WOULD BE OVER A 20% PERCENT IN GROWTH RATE. SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. OKAY. UM, AND, AND THEN SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THIS WITH, WITH ANY EMPLOYEE THAT WE BROUGHT IN THAT WAS COVERED THROUGH, THROUGH A GRANT. IS IS THAT AGAIN, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, IS, IS, IS THAT PART OF WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING OF FINANCIAL, UM, RESPONSIBILITY THAT WHOEVER WE BRING IN COVERED BY GRANT, WE WOULD HAVE THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY. THERE'S ALWAYS AN ADDITIONAL WHEN YOU INCREASE PAYROLL, BUT TYPICALLY IF OVER THE YEARS WE MAY HAVE INCREASED WITH GRANTS IN PARTICULAR, ONE BY ONE, TWO BY TWO 15 IS A HUGE INCREASE, RIGHT. AS, AS WOULD BE AN EN EN ENTIRE, UH, NEW BUREAUCRACY. MM-HMM. , RIGHT? YEAH. WE CAN ANTICIPATE WHAT THAT WOULD COST. UH, OKAY. UH OH. YES. UH, MAYOR PRO TAMU, YOU, YOU CAN ASK. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UH, I, THANKS TO, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ABOUT CT CITY MANAGER. OKAY. OR FINANCE DEPARTMENT APPLY TO SEVERAL GRAND. OKAY. I, I WENT THROUGH SEVERAL GRAND BACK, BACK IN 2018 AND, UH, BECAUSE THE LAYOFF, THIS AND THAT, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY AND WE HAVE THE CUT 10% AND WE WENT THROUGH HELL. SO I WENT THROUGH THAT 2018. SO I KNOW SEVERAL GRAND JUST LIKE YOU, YOU DRINKING THE SALT WATER, TRY TO STOP THE THIRST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE STAFF STAFFING, BUT THE STAFFING IS ONLY 36 MONTHS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, WITH THE 15, 16 ADDITIONAL STAFF, THEN YOU NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CHIEF CAPTAIN, THIS AND THAT. AND PLUS WE'LL PAY FOR THAT OVER TIME. SO, SO A LOT OF, UH, WHAT'S THE BUDGET? AND BY THE WAY, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH OF, UH, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR, WHAT WE TRY TO DO, IMPROVE OUR STATION? DO WE HAVE A ROOM TO PUT SO MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY CURRENT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, WE HAVE TO BUILD STATION ONE. OKAY. WE HAVE TO BUILD [01:30:01] TRAINING FACILITY. OKAY. DO WE HAVE THAT KIND OF CAPACITY AND TO DO IT, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M WONDERING WHEN YOU GUY TO HAVE THIS, HAVE YOU GUY ANALYZE. OKAY. AND SO YOU CAN HAVE A FULL SUPPORT. OKAY. FULL REPORT TO US. SO THIS IS A POINT AND COME, SO WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, OKAY. THIS SEVERAL GRAND IN THE, IN YOUR, ON YOUR, ON YOUR DESK, BECAUSE I NEVER SEE YOU EVER MENTION ANY TIME TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THE CITY MANAGEMENT THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, THIS GRANT, AND THEN DO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING? OKAY. JUST OKAY. RECEIVE THIS GRANT AND PLUS ADDITIONAL PAY. OKAY? THE GRANT IS NOT GIVEN FOR FREE. THE GRANT GIVE TO YOU, THEN YOU NEED TO ALL THE SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR THE PERSONNEL. AND THEN, AND THE MORE IMPORTANT THING, THAT'S WHAT I WORRY ABOUT AFTER THREE YEARS, AND WE'RE GONNA GOING THROUGH AGAIN BECAUSE WE ANOTHER THREE, $4 MILLION WE DON'T HAVE IN OUR BUDGET. AND HOW CAN WE FORESEE THREE YEARS LATER TO HOW IS OUR FINANCIAL OKAY. SITUATION. OKAY. CAN WE, CAN, CAN WE, OKAY. AND AFFORDED AUDITION THIS PERSONNEL. SO ANYWAY, OKAY. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION WHEN YOU EVER OKAY, BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ABOUT, I KNOW SOME FFA TALKED TO ME ABOUT THE APPLYING SEVERAL GRANT, BUT I NEVER HEARD ABOUT FROM THE CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM. I WAS PROVIDED THE GRANT, UH, LAST MONTH. SO IT'S STILL 30 DAYS AGO SOME, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE. SO BASICALLY THIS SCENE IS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. NEVER DIS NEVER DISCUSSED WITH YOU. I WAS PROVIDED THE APPLICATION FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT A MONTH AGO. SO, UH, WITH ALL GRANTS, THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDE EVEN LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS APPROVED TONIGHT, WE BRING THEM, THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY TO BE APPROVED. AFTER WE DO IT, WE RESEARCH AND TRY TO GET GRANTS ALL THE TIME. JUST LIKE THE LAST SAFER GRANTS THAT WERE APPROVED, THE LAST A FG GRANTS, THE OTS, GRANTS, SHACK GRANTS, ALL OF THEM COME TO YOU FOR APPROVAL AFTER WE'VE ALREADY BEEN AWARDED JUST LIKE THIS ONE WAS AS WELL. I, I UNDERSTAND CHIEF. SAME AS THEY ALL WERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. BUT, BUT THIS WAY, INCLUDING THE PERSONNEL, 16%, NOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ADDITIONAL HIRE IS LESS SUPPOSEDLY YOU SHOULD TALK TO THE HR AND TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE NEED TO PREPARE, IF WE WANT TO PREPARE THIS, PLEASE PRESENT TO US HOW MUCH WILL COST US FOR ADDITIONAL CAPTAIN, ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT CHIEF, A UH, ADDITIONAL, ANY OF, UH, OKAY. FUND THIS GRANT, HOW MUCH WE FUND GENERAL FUND, AND HOW ABOUT AFTER THREE YEARS LATER, WHAT HAPPENED? OKAY. AND ARE WE GOING TO LAY THEM OFF? DO THEY HAVE A CONTRACT? THEY ONLY GET HIRED FOR THREE YEARS. OKAY. SO THE CONTRACT THREE YEARS AFTER THAT. AND THEN WE DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH IN 2018. THEN THEY SHOW OVER HERE VERY ANGRY. AND THEN, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE LAID OFF. SO, SO, SO THE SITUATION, THIS IS WHAT I, I WENT THROUGH IN 2018. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH AGAIN UNLESS WE HAVE A OKAY. AN SOLID FUNDING THAT AFTER THREE YEARS, OKAY, ALL THESE PEOPLE WILL STAY WITH US. AND PLUS WE HAVE A CAPACITY TO KEEP ALL THESE PEOPLE IN ALL STATION. I THINK A LOT STATION IS KIND OF, UH, NEED REPAIR AND THE REMODEL AND TO MAKE SURE THE CAPTURE IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL THESE STATION. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING AND THE, AND THE, AND THE PRIORITIZE. OKAY. PRIORITY, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS BUILD A STATION ONE. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL STATION ONE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY ON THE TRAILER ON THE CITY YARD. OKAY. I THINK THAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE THERE. SO I, I DON'T KNOW. NOW WE FOCUS TO GO TO POTENTIALLY HIRE MORE STAFF. SO CHIEF WHERE WE PUT THOSE, THOSE STAFF IN. SO WE ALREADY HAD THIS ENGINE COMPANY IN PLACE FOR MANY YEARS IN THE CITY AND WE ALREADY HAVE LOCATION FOR IT TO GO. THEY WOULD JUST GO BACK IN THE SAME LOCATION THEY WERE, WHICH IS ENGINE TWO AT STATION TWO. AND THE FACILITIES WOULD MEET THE NEEDS FOR THE ENGINE COMPANY. THERE IS WAYS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WHEN WE MET THE CITY MANAGER TO GO WITH THIS, THAT BRINGING IN AN EXTRA AMBULANCE CO AN AMBULANCE TO TRANSPORT. MY RECOMMENDATION IS ACTUALLY BRING IN MORE THAN JUST THE ONE AND FUND IT OURSELVES. UM, OF, OF LOTS OF PROPOSALS THAT WE COULD BRING IN THE REVENUE. I, I, I ANTICIPATE THAT IF WE DID BRING IN THE AMBULANCE, IT ACTUALLY COVERED THEM MONEY YOURSELVES. AND THE REPORT WAS GENERATED, WOULD, WOULD'VE SHOWED, SHOWED YOU THAT THE REVENUES NEEDED TO SUPPORT THIS, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN, IN MY OPINION, IMPACTED THE GENERAL FUND AND THAT AMBULANCE TRANSPORTS, UH, WE BRING IN REVENUE FOR THAT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THEM OUT TO, UH, PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANIES, WHICH AREN'T BUSINESS FOR THAT. UM, THEY TRANSPORT WHEN WE CAN'T DO IT. 'CAUSE WE ONLY HAVE THREE. ANOTHER QUESTION. I THINK WE'VE KNOWN WE NEED MORE THAN THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND THAT WOULD INCREASE THE REVENUE TO HELP COVER THE COST, WHATEVER WE DID. GOT IT. THANK YOU, CHIEF. BUT, BUT DID YOU, OKAY, HE'S TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU APPLY THIS GRANT FOR ADDITIONAL 16 [01:35:01] PEOPLE AND WHAT ADDITIONAL COST TO GENERAL FUND, DID YOU BRING THE NUMBER OR HAVE YOU HAVE, UH, OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR PROVIDE YOU THE NUMBER, HOW, HOW MUCH WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL FUND THIS, AND THEN AFTER THREE YEAR, DO YOU HAVE A LETTER TO SAY THREE YEAR THE CONTRACT ONLY THREE YEAR. AFTER THREE YEAR, THEY NEED TO BE LAID OFF. OKAY. BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING ADDITIONAL, I DUNNO, THREE, FOUR, $5 MILLION. SO WE'VE BEEN COMING TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND MANAGEMENT EXPLAINING THAT OUR NEEDS TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF THE WEST COVINA WITH PRO PROPER, UM, INADEQUATE RESPONSES OF WHAT WE NEED. WE'VE BEEN SAYING, I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. AND CHIEF, OKAY, I'M SORRY. UH, THE, THE, MY QUESTION IS BECAUSE WE ARE CITY COUNCIL, WE NOT IN THE NUMBER, THE NUMBER WE PROVIDE BY THE, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR. DID YOU TALK TO HER? HOW MUCH WILL COST OKAY. ADDITIONAL BESIDE THE GRANT AND INCLUDING THE OVERTIME CALCULATION SO THEY CAN BRING TO US HOW MUCH WOULD COST US ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR FUNDING. OKAY. AND UH, DO WE HAVE THAT NUMBER? YEAH. SO IN, IN, IN OUR CALCULATIONS NUMBERS, WE DID GET FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHAT AR FEES FOR, FOR SERVICES ARE WHAT OUR COSTS FOR PERSONNEL, THE FULLY BURDENED. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBER ADDITIONAL, HOW MUCH IT COST US? JUST THE BEGINNING TO HAVE A 16 AND PLUS. OKAY. CHIEF, ASSISTANT CHIEF AND, UH, CAPTAIN AND THIS AND THAT. YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL 60 PEOPLE COME IN AND OVERTIME. AND DOES THE OKAY. CHIEF PROVIDE YOU HIS CALCULATION OR I HAVE YOU CALCULATE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST HER? ADDITIONALLY, SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT OVER TIME, BUT I DID PROVIDE THE FULLY BURDENED RATE FOR JUST THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR THE PERSONNEL THAT HE PRESENTED AND THE REPORT. AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME, UM, IT IS PROVIDED AS ONE OF THE OPTIONS IN HERE AND THE FISCAL IMPACT IS OVER 4.3 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND. $4.3 MILLION? YES. FOR HOW LONG? FOR ONE YEAR. THAT WAS FOR THE THREE YEARS FOR IT. 4.3 MILLION ADDITIONAL FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S AS PER POST ON, SO WE HAVE A SEVERAL GRANT COMING IN AND WE WERE THREE YEARS, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL $4.2 MILLION TO JUSTIFY FOR THESE 16 PEOPLE BESIDE THE SAFER GRANT. AND THEN AFTER THREE YEARS, THEN THE NUMBER WERE INCLUDING THEIR SALARY PLUS THE $4.3 MILLION IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THOSE PEOPLE. YES. AND AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE IMPACT HERE ON THE LIABILITY, WHICH WILL DOUBLE NEXT YEAR WITHOUT THESE PEOPLE. OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. I'M DONE. THANK YOU. UH, SO I I I GUESS THERE, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UH, SO, SO ONE, UH, IS, IS THAT LEVEL OF PERSONNEL NECESSARY? RIGHT? WE'RE WE'RE ONLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IF IT'S NECESSARY. IF, IF, IF, IF, IF IT ISN'T THEN, THEN WE SHOULD ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE DECLINING THE GRANT. UH, SO, UH, AGAIN, CHIEF CAPELLI, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU APPLIED FOR THE GRANT. SO YOU DEEM IT NECESSARY FOR, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TO, FOR US TO GET TO THIS NUMBER. IS THIS THE NUMBER THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS WHAT WOULD PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE COMMUNITY? UH, NO, ACTUALLY WE ACTUALLY TO BE IN LINE WITH THE REGION NATIONALLY AND OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS. WE'RE ACTUALLY, ARE FAR, WELL FAR BELOW THE STANDARDS IN LA COUNTY. UM, SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE PRESENTED IN TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND TO THIS COUNCIL BEFORE IS, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE NEED. UM, THIS WAS JUST A START TO GET US THERE. UM, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS WE NEED MORE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO, UH, EMS AND FIRE EMERGENCIES IN THE CITY. AND THIS WAS A WAY TO GET US THERE. GIVE US THREE YEARS, OR MAYBE SIX YEARS OR NINE YEARS. 'CAUSE WE WOULD REAPPLY FOR THE GRANT TILL THE CITY COULD FIND A WAY TO BRING IN SOME TYPE OF REVENUES THAT WOULD COVER THIS. WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GET THE SAFER GRANT. AND IF NOT, UNFORTUNATELY THE PROBLEM IS WE WOULD HAVE TO LET THOSE INDIVIDUALS GO INTO SHUT DOWN THAT APPARATUS AGAIN. BUT OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE WOULD JUST GO UP AS THEY'VE DONE, UM, 30% SINCE I, I THINK IT WAS SINCE 1980, OR I'M SORRY, SINCE THE LAST SAFER GRANT, IT'S GONE UP 30%. OKAY. NO, I, I, I MEAN I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS TO, TO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE LOOK AT, WELL, WE'LL JUST APPLY FOR GRANTS AND GRANTS WILL BE THE, THE MAGIC BULLET. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, BEING TOLD THAT, WELL, WE, WE, WE PAY A LOT. WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING THE SAME TYPE OF SERVICE? SO, UH, THE REALITY IS RIGHT NOW, AS, AS A CITY, WE CAN AFFORD 70 PERSONNEL JUST THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, AND WE ARE BUDGET NEUTRAL, WE'RE DEFICIT NEUTRAL, UH, WE CAN APPLY FOR THIS SAFER GRANT THAT WILL, UH, HAVE THREE YEARS OF NOT COMPLETE FUNDING AS, AS WE'RE HEARING. UM, [01:40:01] BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD SUPPORT THE HIRING OF, OF MORE STAFF. SO, UH, AGAIN, I THINK FOR, FOR THE RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE COST, UH, THERE, THERE THERE'S A COST TO PAY. NOW DOES THAT MEAN WE APPROVE THE SAFER GRANT AND THEN WITHIN THESE NEXT THREE YEARS FIND ANOTHER REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA TO GUARANTEE THAT WE HAVE THIS LEVEL OF STAFFING? UM, BECAUSE THEY, WE WOULD BE AWARE, RIGHT? WE WOULD HAVE THREE YEARS THAT WE NEED TO, TO FIND THIS FUNDING. I, I THINK THE OTHER POINT THOUGH, AND AND WHY I REALLY FELT THIS ITEM NEEDED TO BE PULLED IS, IS WE ARE, UH, PLANNING TO TO FUND AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGH GRANTS. AND IT, IT, I THINK THIS, THIS IS CLEAR THAT, THAT GRANTS AREN'T FREE. THAT WHENEVER YOU BRING PERSONNEL THERE, THERE IS A, A PENSION COST, UH, AND THERE IS GONNA BE COST TO THE GENERAL FUND. UH, AND, AND SO I I, I THINK THAT THAT DEFINITELY, UH, I I I WANTED THE, THE RESIDENTS, UH, TO KNOW, OKAY, UH, YES, COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ VIRO, THANK YOU. UM, GRANTED, WE WOULD ALWAYS WANNA FULLY STAFF ALL DEPARTMENTS. UH, THE ISSUE IS, I DO REMEMBER TRANSITIONING COMING IN AND DURING THAT TIME WHEN WE HAD TO LAY OFF ALL THE FIREMEN CLOTHES, YOU KNOW, REMOVE THE TRUCK OR WHATEVER, THAT THE APPARATUS, THERE WAS AN UPROAR IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY WERE NOT HAPPY. UM, GRANTED, BECAUSE OF THE TIMES AND STUFF, AND I, I WANNA PREVENT A LAPSE OF, I MEAN A REPEAT OF THE SITUATION. UM, SO I HAD A FEW THINGS. I KNOW YOU MENTIONED ABOUT STAFFING, BUT I, I MEAN, I, I DO EVEN REMEMBER WHEN, AT ONE TIME WHEN THE FIRE WANTED TO PUSH TO GO TO COUNTY AND THE PLAN WAS TO REMOVE AND TAKE AWAY TWO FIRE STATIONS. SO WE WERE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE TWO LESS STATIONS IN OUR CITY. UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY I WAS NOT FOR THAT. UH, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STAFFING AT ONE TIME YEAH. AND LAYOFF. AND, AND SO AT ONE POINT YOUR DEPARTMENT WAS FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, REMOVING, GOING TO COUNTY, REMOVING THE STATIONS, REMOVING, YOU KNOW, LETTING GO, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER THAT WAS. SO, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO THIS SITUATION, UM, OBVIOUSLY I WANNA PREVENT FUTURE LAYOFFS. AND THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THE RESIDENTS WON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS A TEMPORARY GRANT. HOWEVER, WE, WE PHASE THIS AND EVERYTHING THEY, THEY WON'T UNDERSTAND. SO THE, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE, UM, WHY WASN'T A SIDE LETTER CREATED FOR THIS GRANT? SO, UH, THE, ACTUALLY THE SAFER GRANTS ACTUALLY BROUGHT TO A FG AND WRITTEN AND PREPARED FOR THROUGH THE FFA. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BRING THIS UP AND DO IT, AND THEY DID ALL THE WORK FOR IT. AND THEY DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH MANAGEMENT. AND WE DETERMINE, I HELPED THEM WITH NUMBERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. THEN WE SUBMIT 'EM. MOST ALL THE GRANTS ARE, ARE DONE TOGETHER. UM, I JUST WASN'T AWARE THAT, UH, SIDE LETTER THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN AT THE TIME. I DIDN'T KNOW ONE NEEDED TO BE DONE. I WAS NOT PART OF THE OTHER SAFER GRANTS. UH, BE HONEST WITH YOU. UH, I WAS NOT A FAN OF SAFER GRANTS PRIOR TO THIS ONE, WHERE YOU HAD TO HAVE MATCHING, YOU HAD TO HAVE, UM, OTHER REQUIREMENTS. THIS ONE IS PURELY TO INCREASE THE RESOURCES AND THEY FUND IT COMPLETELY. SO THAT'S WHY WE TOOK THE OPTION TO GO AND TRY TO APPLY FOR IT AS WE DID THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME AND WE WERE FUNDING. 'CAUSE IT'S VERY SOUGHT AFTER GRANT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE UNITED STATES BECAUSE IT'S A WAY FOR COMMUNITIES TO HELP BUILD IT. YES, I UNDERSTAND. AND THEY DO GRANT, UM, THE PERSONNEL, OBVIOUSLY IT DOESN'T COVER THE COST OF OVERTIME EQUIPMENT, CALPERS AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO COVER. UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS THIS GRANT ONLY FOR BRAND NEW FIREFIGHTERS TO BE BROUGHT IN OR CAN THIS GRANT ALSO COVER THE COST OF OUR CURRENT, UH, FIREFIGHTERS? NO, MA'AM. THE, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE GRANT IS TO READ A CER REACH A CERTAIN LEVEL TO THE, THE IDENTIFICATION IS, FOR EXAMPLE, GET ONE FIRE ENGINE TO A FIRE, UH, 90% OF THE TIME WITHIN FOUR MINUTES. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE MEETING THAT AT 20 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THE TIME. SO 80% OF THE TIME WE'RE NOT MEETING THAT. SO WE IDENTIFY WHAT MAY GET US THERE. AND THIS MAY HELP US UNDERSTAND, WE'D HAVE TO REEVALUATE IN THREE YEARS. SO YOU NEED NEW PERSONNEL. THE FIELD IS NEW RESOURCES TO BE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO THESE CALLS. UM, I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE PAST OF LIKE YOUR STAFFING MODEL. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WELL WE HAD A TIME WHERE OVERTIME WAS HIT. YOU GUYS WERE GOING WAY PAST AND SPENDING TONS OF MONEY FOR OVERTIME. NOW IF YOUR NEW FIREFIGHTERS OFFSET THAT AND DID THE FILL IN TO REDUCE OVERTIME, AND THAT WOULD BE A MODEL CHANGE, I WOULD BE FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT HELPS THE GENERAL FUND. IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION. SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO ALSO CONSIDER. UM, BUT YEAH, BUT THAT'S THE STAFFING MODEL AND THAT'S THE OVERTIME. NOW FOR THIS FOR, [01:45:02] I WOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER, I MEAN PROBABLY NOT THE FULL LOAD, BUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FIREFIGHTERS TO COME IN SO THAT THREE YEARS LATER WHEN YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT ARE GONNA RETIRE OR LET'S, LET'S JUST PICK A NUMBER WHERE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE SHORT STAFFED, YOU KNOW, 10. UM, SO THESE 10 YOU, UH, FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE COMING IN THROUGH THIS GRANT AFTER THREE YEARS, THEN WE TECHNICALLY, WELL WE WILL HIRE THEM PERMANENTLY FOR, UH, THE FIREFIGHTER. SO THEN THAT IT'S TRANSITION IN, IT SAVES THE WORK OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, RECRUITING NEW HIRE. I WOULD BE FOR THAT IN THAT ASPECT. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CREATING THIS WHOLE THING AND THEN THREE YEARS REDUCING IT, WE ARE GONNA GET HIT AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. UM, THAT'S JUST A FEW OF MY CONCERNS. IF, IF THERE'S A WAY TO WIN-WIN THIS WHOLE SITUATION WITH THE CITY AND THE FIREFIGHTER, THEN I CAN BE FOR THAT. BUT OF COURSE IT INVOLVES ADDITIONAL WORK OF THE NUMBERS, ADDITIONAL, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE. SO I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND. UM, AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE CURRENTLY, HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE? UM, AT OUR VACANT CURRENTLY? SO RIGHT NOW THE, THE BULK OF BACK IN THOSE YEARS WHERE IT WAS REALLY SUPER BAD IS WE HAD, SO I A PERSON I THINK, UH, FOR ONE FOR 18 MONTHS WE HAD LIKE 18 VACANCIES OR 15 VACANCIES. WE'VE BEEN RUNNING VERY WELL OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH ONE TO TWO VACANCIES. I THINK WE HAVE ONE VACANCY RIGHT NOW IN THE FIREFIGHTER RANK ACTUAL SPOT THAT WE HAVE TO FILL IN OVERTIME, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR CONSTANT STAFFING OVERTIME. THE OVERTIME NUMBER WE HAVE IS STRICTLY FOR CONSTANT STAFFING. WHERE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UNLIKE MOST DEPARTMENTS, IF SOMEBODY GOES ON VACATION, SICK BEREAVEMENT TRAINING, WHATEVER, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON IN THAT POSITION TO CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO, TO THE COMMUNITY. WHERE IN MOST OTHER, OTHER THAN THE PUBLIC SAFETY, WE DON'T DO THAT PERSON'S OFF. WE DON'T COVER THEM. SO OUR OVERTIME IS NOT FOR JUST SPENDING, WE DON'T MAKE UP OR WE'RE NOT ABLE TO JUST MAKE OVERTIME. IT'S OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS IDENTIFIED TO CONSTANT STAFFING TO KEEP A WHEELS ROLLING ON THE FIRE STATION. WELL THAT, THAT'S WHY I SAID IT'S A MODEL. IT IT'S YOUR STAFFING MODEL AND YOUR CURRENT STAFFING MODEL, WHICH I WOULD'VE LOVED TO SEE A CHANGE IN THAT STAFF STAFFING MODEL TO REDUCE THE OVERTIME. SO IF YOU HAD A FIREFIGHTER THAT IS ON ROTATION THAT COVERS THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON VACATION OR ANYTHING, 'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY OUT, THEN THAT ROTATING FIREFIGHTER CAN COVER THAT, THEN THAT WOULD DRASTICALLY REDUCE OVERTIME. AND IF THAT'S A, A STAFFING MODEL THAT IS IMPLEMENTED WITH THIS, THEN I WOULD BE FOR IT. UM, AGAIN, SO THAT IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY GENERAL FUNDS TONS OF MONEY TO, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND HERE WE JUST REDUCE THAT IN 2018, YOU KNOW, TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING THIS IN AND THEN BRING IT BACK DOWN. SO THAT'S JUST MY INPUT FOR THAT. SO WE BROUGHT THAT TO COUNCIL, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS, AND STEPHANIE ASSISTED WITH THAT TO SHOW WHAT IT WOULD COST TO HAVE, WHICH I THINK IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS FLOATERS AT ONE TIME, UM, THAT THE COST WAS NOT AFFECTED TO DO THAT, TO HAVE EXTRA. AND THIS GRANT DOESN'T, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT ACTUALLY. I DON'T THINK IT WAS MAYBE. AND STEPHANIE SAID NO. YEAH, WE, I, THAT ONE WAS, I WAS DEFINITELY PUSHING FOR THE STAFFING MODEL THAT, THAT I DO RECALL, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE ABOUT THAT CASE. BUT I DO REMEMBER IT, STAFFING MODEL WAS NOT, UM, PRESENTED THIS GRANT ONE PROVIDED THIS HAS TO BE ACTUALLY, UM, BODIES IN A SEAT OF NEW POSITIONS TO ACTUALLY FILL THE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS. BUT THE STAFFING MODEL STAYS THE SAME. SO THE OVERTIME'S GONNA INCREASE. WE, I JUST NEED THAT INFORMATION. MAYOR PROU. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. AND, AND I THINK THAT THE ISSUE, OKAY, I HAVE OVER HERE OKAY, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE MANAGEMENT. OKAY. I THINK IF YOU GUYS CAN PREPARE THIS OKAY. AND COMMUNICATE OKAY TO THEM BECAUSE THIS, UH, 16 PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE OKAY. AND THE HR NEED TO KNOW, OKAY. AND THEN HOW MUCH WILL COST ADDITIONALLY, OKAY. THE ANALYSIS LED MUST BE OKAY TO US OKAY. MUCH EARLIER. OKAY. SO IN THAT WAY YOU BOTH CAN KIND OF DISCUSS AND SEE IS FEASIBLE AND NOT JUST SEND, THROW IT TO OUR LAB, WANT US TO APPROVE SOMETHING, OKAY? POTENTIALLY IS A MAJOR DEFICIT SPENDING AND THAT WE WANT TO CONTROL OUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, EVERYTHING'S IN CHECK. OKAY? AND DON'T FORGET, WE JUST OKAY. HAVE A BRAND NEW CRANE OKAY? FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 2024. OKAY? AND, UH, WE HAVE A CRANE. I REMEMBER 20, 26, 16, UH, 2016 WE HAVE A NEW CRANE, OKAY? AND NOW WE 2024 WE GOT ANOTHER NEW CRANE. OKAY? AND THEN WE HAVE A ONE BRAND NEW OKAY. ENGINE AND NOW WE HAVE A FIVE BRAND NEW OKAY? UH, PARAMEDIC AND AMBULANCE AND WE STILL HAVE A 3 0 1. SO WE GOT A LOT OF EQUIPMENT RIGHT NOW. OKAY? AND THAT'S CALLED CT, I DUNNO, $5.5 MILLION JUST FOR ALL THIS NEW EQUIPMENT, I THINK SINCE WE HAVE A FIVE BRAND NEW, OKAY? OKAY. AND AMBULANCE. OKAY. I THINK WE NOW WE HAVE THE, [01:50:01] UH, A NEW SYSTEM WITH, UM, DISPATCHERS TO CALL TO PICK UP THE PHONE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE CAN DO THE LEVEL CALL. SO MEANING WHAT IT POSSIBLE THIS CAN WORK WITH THE LOOKING TO, OKAY, SINCE WE HAVE A FIRE AMBULANCE AND MAYBE EACH FIRE STATION HAVE ONE AMBULANCE AND PLUS ADDITIONAL THREE AS A BACKUP. SO WE HAVE A EIGHT AMBULANCE WE CAN CONTRACT OUT TO HELP OTHERS OKAY. CITY AND, AND BUILD THIS TEAM. AND THAT CAN BRING IN INCOME TO JUSTIFY SOME OF YOUR OVERTIME AND THIS AND THAT. SO, SO THIS SUMMER THING THAT MAYBE YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH THE MANAGEMENT, OKAY? AND RATHER THAN JUST THROW A BIG SPENDING ITEM TO US AND THE COMMUNICATION TO THE CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT IS, I THINK IT'S VERY VITAL. OKAY? SO WE CAN HARMONY MANY WORK TOGETHER, UNDERSTAND, AND WITH ALL THE NUMBER. SO, SO, SO IN THAT WAY, UH, I WANT TO MOVE THE MOTION TO CONCUR THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO DECLINE THE SAFER GRANT AGAIN, UM, COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ. VIRO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, IN REGARDS TO THIS, IT, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS GRANT IS DUE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE TIME TURNAROUND IS FOR THIS. I ACTUALLY, WHEN, WHEN WAS THIS GRANT ACTUALLY OPEN TO THE DEPARTMENT? I MEAN TO YOUR DEPARTMENT TO APPLY? I'M JUST CURIOUS ON IT WAS THE TIMELINE. IT WAS EIGHT TO 10 MONTHS AGO. I'M NOT SURE. THERE'S USUALLY, THEY'RE USUALLY A YEAR, EIGHT TO 10 MONTHS, 12 MONTHS BEHIND. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN CAN, UH, BE BEFORE YOU, UH, ASK THE NEXT QUESTION. WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO OH, TO SOMEONE. SEC SECOND. OKAY. COUNCILMAN CANTO A SECOND. SO WE CAN GO BACK TO DISCUSSION AND THEN WE CAN DO A THANK YOU. NOW, UM, AGAIN, IT'S UH, I MEAN EIGHT MONTHS AGO. AND WHEN DID YOU KNOW, WHEN DID YOU GET NOTIFIED THAT YOU GUYS WERE, THAT IT WAS APPROVED? UH, THE CITY WAS NOTIFIED WHILE I WAS, UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE I WAS STILL OFF ON, UH, MY INJURY REPAIR. AND, UH, WHEN I CAME BACK I SEPTEMBER. OKAY. UM, I, I WOULD ONLY APPROVE IF, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN, IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THE FIREFIGHTER IS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA HAVE, LET'S SAY, UM, SOME PEOPLE RETIRING AND LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A NUMBER THAT LET'S SAY THERE'S GONNA BE FIVE IN, IN THREE YEARS, IT'LL BE FIVE SHORT. THEN I WOULD APPROVE LIKE OKAY HIRING, YOU KNOW, GETTING, USING THE GRANT TO FILL IN FOR FIVE POSITIONS. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, BUT IT DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR THAT. BUT IF WE HAD FIVE OPENINGS, WE ALREADY BUDGET FOR THOSE, WE WOULD JUST HAVE A TEST AND FILL THOSE THAT WAY. THAT'S, THAT WOULD ALREADY, IF WE, IF WE HAD PEOPLE WHO RETIRED, WE WOULD HAVE A NORMAL PROCESS OF FILLING THOSE IN. AND THAT'S OUR PROCESS TO ALWAYS HAVE LISTS AVAILABLE TO TRY TO GET YEAH. THIS, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPENING SUSPENDED OVERTIME THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'M SAYING. LIKE IF THERE IS AN OPENING AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE PROJECTED OPENINGS, THEN I WOULD GET THESE, UH, GET THE GRANT TO FILL IN THOSE POSITIONS AND THEN THEY TRANSITION TO AN ACTUAL HIRE AFTER. SO WE SAVE THREE YEARS. IT'S A SAVINGS FOR THE CITY. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU ALREADY, THEY, YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW THEY OPERATE AND THEN THEY, THEY CAN WELCOME THEM AS A PERMANENT FIRE MANAGER. YOU'RE MANAGER, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ABSORBING, UH, SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS AFTER THE THREE YEARS IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RE-GET THE GRANT. CORRECT. SO IF THERE'S AN OPENING IN THE, IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT YEAR THREE, WE WOULD HIRE ONE OF THOSE FROM THE SAFER GRANT INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE THEM GET LAID OFF. THAT'S THE PART THAT I'VE, I WANT IT'S ALREADY PROVIDED. NO, I KNOW, BUT I REMEMBER BACK THEN WE HAD TO LAY THEM OFF AND I, I CAN'T LET GO OF FIRE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HORRIBLE FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THAT'S HORRIBLE FOR US. MM-HMM. AND, AND IT'S, IT LOOKS REALLY BAD FOR THE, YOU DON'T WANT TO LAY OFF PEOPLE. YEAH, THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN. I DON'T WANNA GET THERE AND THEN TELL THEM, OKAY, YOU'RE DONE. BYE. AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPENINGS OR FEEL OBLIGATED TO CARRY THEM AND WE CAN'T AFFORD THEM. SO THAT'S MY ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY. BUT GO AHEAD. WE'LL KEEP IT AND NOT SHUT IT DOWN. YEAH. CONTINUE WITH IT. NO, I, UH, YOU KNOW, I I I THINK AS, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND, AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE, UM, I BELIEVE WE ARE GONNA LOOK TO HIRE A GRANT WRITER AND LIKE I, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE, WE DO PLAN, UH, TO FUND AN ENTIRE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE GRANT PROCESS. I MEAN, THIS REALLY IS THE TYPE OF ANALYSIS THAT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT WE'RE GONNA FIRE, UH, AFTER GRANTS DRY UP. UM, THAT, THAT IS JUST A REALITY. UH, AND THAT IS A REALITY OF PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, AND SO, UH, I THINK AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. UH, I THINK, UM, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES, COMES TO THIS, IT, IT, UH, SINCE THERE, THERE REALLY DOESN'T SEEM LIKE AN APPETITE, UH, TO FIND FUNDING, UH, FOR THE OTHER THREE YEARS. YEAH. I, I, I THINK THEN THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH BECAUSE, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, THE COUNCIL ISN'T, ISN'T LOOKING TO FIND A, A DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCE AND WE WOULD NEED A REVENUE SOURCE TO, TO COVER THIS AND THAT, THAT'S A REALITY. UM, [01:55:01] BUT I'M, I'M, I'M HOPING WE ARE, WE'RE SETTING PRECEDENT HERE THEN THAT AS WE LOOK TO FUND POSITIONS THROUGH GRANTS, THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR THE REVENUE TO SUPPORT THESE EMPLOYEES ONCE THE GRANTS, UH, SUNSET ARE FINISHED. UM, AND ALSO CONSIDERING THE, THE, THE PENSION OBLIGATIONS THAT, THAT WOULD COME WITH THAT. COUNCILMAN CONTOS? YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, UH, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO FOR US AS A COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTAL LEADERS, UH, GO, UH, COORDINATE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND NOT APPLY FOR GRANTS WITHOUT LETTING THE CITY MANAGER KNOW AND PROVIDING THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO COORDINATE TOGETHER. SO THAT WAY IT, WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE THE LEFT HAND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU. YES, SIR. HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM WU WITH THE SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CONTOS TO ADOPT THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, CONSIDERATION OF 2023. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, DHS SLASH FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, FEMA STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, SAFER GRANT, EMW DASH 2 0 23 DASH FF DASH 0 123. COUNCILMAN CONTOS AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN LOPEZ. VITO ABSTAIN. MAYOR PRO TE W AYE. MAYOR CALDONE TABBA? NO. NOPE. WE HAVE A VOTE OF 3 1 1. IT'S APPROVED. YES. ALL RIGHT. LET US MOVE FORWARD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER REQUEST, UH, CITY COUNCIL REPORTS AB 1, 2, 3, 4 CONFERENCE AND MEETING REPORTS. ANY, ANY CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS? MOTHER, MAY I REQUEST? NO. ANY CITY [CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS] COUNCIL COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN CONCHOS? YES. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE RESIDENTS AWARE OF, OF, UH, UH, GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE AUTHORITY, WHERE IF THERE ARE, UH, HOUSES, UH, THAT IN, IN WHICH THERE IS LIVING SPACE ABOVE A GARAGE, OR IF THERE IS A CRAWLSPACE BELOW A FOUNDATION, THAT THERE IS A GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE FOR HOMEOWNERS OF, OF ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO $13,000. UH, SO, UH, IF THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, UH, UH, I, THERE SHOULD BE INFORMATION DISTRIBUTED ALSO, BUT I ALSO, IF THEY EMAIL ME, I'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND THAT, UH, INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS. UH, THE, THE SECOND ITEM IS WITH REGARD TO, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, SAFETY OF KIDS, UH, UH, THERE HAS, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SOME RESIDENT REQUESTS FOR CROSSING GUARDS AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR IN THE FUTURE FROM, FOR ANYONE WHO SEES THIS OR WHO IS IN THE COMMUNITY, IF THERE IS AN INTEREST IN, IN HAVING CROSSING GUARDS, UH, AT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS, UH, THAT I, I'D, I REALLY WOULD LIKE, UH, TO, FOR US TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH COORDINATING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH WHOM WE HAVE, I THINK, WELL, THE CITY MANAGER COULD CORRECT ME, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN AGREEMENT WHERE WE WOULD, WE COULD COVER FOR HALF OF THE DISTRICT WOULD COVER FOR HALF. I MEAN, YOU COULD CORRECT ME IF THAT ON THAT, IF I'M INCORRECT. BUT, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, BRING THAT UP BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS AN INTEREST IN, IN HAVING A CROSSING GUARD AT HOLING CREST. UH, UM, AND SO, UH, AND, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHERS, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE JUST GOOD FOR, FOR FOLKS TO PLEASE COME FORWARD TO LET, LET US KNOW SO THAT WAY WE CAN BE OF FURTHER SUPPORT TO, UH, SCHOOLS, UH, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE KIDS TO MAKE SURE TO PROMOTE SAFETY. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER, DID YOU WANNA CLARIFY OR WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR COUNCILMAN CONTOS? YES, COUNCILMAN CONTOS. THERE IS AN AGREEMENT, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE TERMS OFF OF MY TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UH, THERE IS A COST OR COST SHARING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, FOR CROSSING GUARDS AND IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT, UM, DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF CROSSING GUARDS AND AT THE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS. OKAY. IF, IF, IF YOU COULD EMAIL THAT INFORMATION TO, TO US ALL, I'M SURE COUNCILMAN CONTOS WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. ALRIGHT, ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOVE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN, PLEASE. SECOND, THIS CONCLUDES OUR MEETING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.