[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:08]
YOU SEE, HEY, YOU ONLY HAVE A THREE PERSON OVER HERE, BUT THREE PERSON.
AND, UH, UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, OUR COUNCILWOMAN, SHE'S ON THE WAY.
BUT WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE ALL YOUR PARTICIPANT ALL THE COME OVER HERE AND WAITING.
I THINK WE PROMISED FOUR O'CLOCK RIGHT NOW.
SO LET'S START THE MEETING RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'LL, TO OUR DECEMBER 5TH, 2020, 2024 CITY SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
RIGHT NOW IS FOUR 10, AND THE MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION.
UH, THIS AFTERNOON, THE INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY THE FATHER JEW OCHA FROM ST.
LOUIS OF FRANCE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AND THE COUNCILMAN KENTO WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEASURE OF LEGION.
AND AFTER THAT, WE HAVE A NATIONAL ANTHEM, BECAUSE TODAY IS A BIG DAY TO DO THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE HAVE, UH, EMILY, RIGHT WITHIN THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR US.
UM, PRIEST, PRIEST JU IS YO IS YO QUEUE.
IF WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT, JUST RELAX.
IF YOU BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT.
OUR GOD HAS DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIVERSE CULTURES AND RELIGIONS.
HE REMAINS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
YOU ARE OUR CREATOR AND GUIDE FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE.
WE PRAY FOR ALL OUR POLITICAL LEADERS.
WE PRAY FOR THE ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS.
MAY YOU GOD BLESS THESE PEOPLE IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, COMMISSIONS, AND ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND CERTAINLY THOSE WHO PUT THEMSELVES IN HARMS SQUARE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE EMC WORKERS.
WE PLAY THAT THE MAY EXPERIENCE, HEALTH OF MIND AND BODY PEACE AND ZEAL FOR ALL THEY DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, MADE ALL WHO ARE PRESENT TODAY FEEL CONNECTED TO OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS.
AND TOGETHER JOIN HANDS IN ADVANCING THE PROGRESS, HEALTH, JOY, AND WEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
MAY OUR FUTURE BE STRONG AND BE BRIGHT WITH SHARED HOPE AND COMMIT COMMITMENT.
MAY WE GIVE THANKS TO OUR GOD AND GUIDE AND TO EVERYTHING THAT HAS MADE THIS DAY JOYFUL AND MEMORABLE.
PLEASE PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND ON YOUR HEART.
FACE THE FLAG, REMOVE ALL HATS AND FOLLOW MY LEAD.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WICKED STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL YET, OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE WHAT AT THE TWILIGHTS LASTING WHO BROUGHT STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARTS THROUGH THE, OR? THE PARTS WE'VE WATCHED WERE SOLY STREAMING AND THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT A FLAG
[00:05:01]
WAS STILL THERE.THAT OR THE LAND OF THE FREE AND OF THE GREAT JOB.
ARE YOU HERE? I'LL JUST WAIT FOR COUNCILMAN LOPEZ.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA]
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 IN THE CENTER ROW.
THE TIMER WILL START WHEN YOU REACH THE PODIUM.
UH, HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE? I HAVE THREE.
IF YOU COULD CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER, JOHN SHOEMAKER, FOLLOWED BY MARIO, FOLLOWED BY R ROBINSON.
WELL, IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT YOU MADE IT.
YEAH, IT'S BEEN A FUN FOUR YEARS BEING ABLE TO THE BACK AND FORTH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, SORT OF THING.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CHANGE IS GONNA BE INTERESTING.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY TO SOME REGARDS, MOMENTOUS OR REALLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT BOGGLES THE MIND THAT, THAT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS HERE TO SWEAR SOMEBODY IN WHO FIGHTS EVERY HOMELESS INITIATIVE THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD IN THE CITY HAS, EXCUSE ME, I KIND OF, FROM TIME TO TIME, LOSE MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT SINCE, UH, I SUFFERED A STROKE.
SO FORGIVE ME A LITTLE BIT AFTER I WAS ATTACKED, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THE, THE HOMELESS DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM, HAS RUN AS YOU KNOW, YOU NAME THE POLITICAL PARTY, THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN A MEMBER OF OR CLAIMS TO BE TAKES CREDIT FOR THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS PERSON WHO ISN'T CRAZY ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE RIGHT UN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT TO FOREGO ALL THOSE POSITIONS AND ALL THOSE BELIEFS TO SWEAR SOMEBODY IN.
THE ONLY THING THAT MIGHT BE MORE SHOCKING IS THAT WHEN SHE'S ELECTED GOVERNOR IN 2026, IF DONALD TRUMP OR JD VANCE ARE THERE TO SWEAR HER IN, THAT WOULD REALLY BE SHOWING THAT SHE'S, UH, CHANGED POSITIONS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST FIND IT, YOU KNOW, AMAZING THAT POLITICS, THE BEDFELLOWS, IT WILL MAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WILL GO AGAINST CERTAIN THINGS OR, OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT GOES ON IS EVEN MORE AMUSING AND AMAZING, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT REALLY IS INTERESTING TO SEE THOSE, SEE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I WISH YOU BEST, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S GOTTA TAKE A SELFIE.
YOU KNOW, HE THINKS IT'S THE CORONATION FOR EMPEROR WOO OR KING TONY, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING, INSTEAD OF SHOWING SOME, UH, UH, GRACE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT, UH, WOULD BE EXPECTED.
SO I WISH YOU WELL ON WHAT YOU DO, YOU KNOW, AND SEE, SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT CONTINUES TO GO ON, UH, UH, DISCOVERED ONE THING, AND I'LL
[00:10:01]
GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR, EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE POLITICAL DIFFERENCES, IS THAT YOU NEVER LOST WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU BELIEVED IN AND STOOD UP FOR IT.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S HERE, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE PRAISING A PERSON WHO DOESN'T, IS ADAMANTLY AGAINST THE POLICIES OF OUR CURRENT GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR NEWSOM.
AND IT WAS ADAMANTLY AGAINST THE POLICIES OF OUR FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY GONE.
SO, UH, MAYBE THIS HAS BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT, UH, WAS UNEXPECTED.
BUT WE'LL SEE IN THEIR, IN THEIR CAMPAIGN, HOW WELL THEY REACH ACROSS THE AISLE TO BRING THOSE PARTIES TOGETHER.
BUT THIS IS A START WHEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE HERE TO HONOR SOMEBODY WHO IS AGAINST EVERYTHING YOU'VE STATED IN PUBLIC LIFE THAT YOU WANT.
I CAN SEE YOUR EAGERNESS, TONY, JUST SITTING AS YOU SAT.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TABBA, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF.
I'M HERE TODAY WITH SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING THE SCHEDULING INTENT OF THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
WHILE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR OUR CITY, THE WAY IT WAS PLANNED RAISES SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS ABOUT FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY, AND RESPECT, NOT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT FOR OUR OUTGOING MAYOR.
IT IS CLEAR TO ME AND MANY OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS MEETING WAS DELIBERATELY SCHEDULED AT 4:00 PM TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, FOR MAYOR BABA TO ATTEND ON TIME AS A PRESIDING OFFICER OF THIS COUNCIL.
THE MAYOR DID NOT CALL FOR THIS MEETING, AND WAS NOT ONLY INFORMED OF IT AFTER THE FACT, AND WAS ONLY INFORMED OF IT AFTER THE FACT.
THE MAYOR REQUESTED THIS MEETING TO BE MOVED TO THE USUAL 6:00 PM START TIME TO ACCOMMODATE HIS AND HIS WIFE'S WORK SCHEDULE.
THIS REASONABLE REQUEST WAS DENIED.
THE TIMING FEELS CALCULATED AS IF THE INTENT WAS TO EXCLUDE MAYOR TABBA TOBA FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING IN THIS TRANSITION.
WHO ULTIMATELY MADE THE DECISION TO HOLD THIS MEETING AT 4:00 PM AND WHY WAS THE MAYOR'S REQUEST DENIED? WHAT MESSAGE DOES THIS SEND TO THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA ABOUT THE FAIRNESS OF OUR LEADERSHIP? ALSO, WANT TO ADDRESS THE LEGALITY OF THIS MEETING UNDER THE CALIFORNIA RALPH AND BROWN ACT, SPECIFICALLY SECTION 5 4 9 5 6 5 4 9 5 2 0.2 B.
SPECIAL MEETINGS CAN ONLY BE CALLED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER, OR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS MUST PROVIDE RATE OF NOTICE IF THIS MEETING WAS NOT PROPERLY CALLED.
IT RAISES A POSSIBILITY OF A BROWN ACT VIOLATION, WHICH COULD RENDER ANY ACTIONS TAKEN HERE TODAY, ILLEGAL AND VOID.
FURTHERMORE, SECTION 5 4 9 5 2 0.2 B PROHIBITS THE CITY MANAGER FROM FACILITATING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS IN A WAY THAT CREATES A SERIAL MEETING OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC'S VIEW TO THE CITY MANAGER.
WAS THIS CITY, WAS THIS MEETING CALLED LEGALLY AND CAN DOCUMENTATION BE PROVIDED SHOWING EITHER THE MAYOR'S OR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WRITTEN REQUEST FOR THE MEETING? DID THE CITY MANAGER PLEA ANY ROLE IN CONTACTING COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COORDINATE THIS MEETING? IF SO, WAS THIS DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT? IF THESE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS WERE NOT MET, IT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF THIS MEETING AND THE ACTIONS BEING TAKEN HERE TODAY.
THIS RUSH MEETING HELD AT AN UNUSUAL TIME, AND WITHOUT THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF THE OUTGOING MAYOR FEELS DISRESPECTFUL TO BOTH MAYOR TABBA AND THE RESIDENTS OF ES COVINO.
THE MAYOR HAS SERVED WITH THIS CITY WITH INTEGRITY AND DESERVES A PROPER AND DIGNIFIED FAREWELL.
INSTEAD, THIS PROCESS APPEARED DESIGNED TO EXCLUDE HIM AND MINIMIZE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS.
THIS IS NOT HOW WE SHOULD TRANSITION LEADERSHIP IN A CITY THAT VALUES FAIRNESS AND RESPECT.
THE DECISION SURROUNDING THIS MEETING IS TIMING, SCHEDULING, AND LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
CAST A SHADOW OVER WHAT SHOULD BE A CELEBRATORY MOMENT FOR OUR CITY.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS DIRECTLY, PROVIDE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT, AND REFLECT ON THE PERCEPTION THIS MEETING CREATES FOR THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION SHOULD UNITE US, NOT DIVIDE US FURTHER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, ROBINSON, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA SHOEMAKER.
WELL, YOU'RE AT LEAST THE GOOD.
THE GOOD SIDE IS AT LEAST YOU'RE GONNA GET RID OF ME.
WELL, I I HAVE A, A BIG RESPECT FOR THE BROWN ACT AND WHAT WAS JUST SAID.
SO IT WOULD, UH, UH, YOU, YOU REALLY NEED TO RECONSULT YOUR, UH, UH, ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE, UH, THE POLICE DE OR SOMEBODY HAS TO DO SOME ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS HERE TONIGHT.
UH, THE BROWN ACT IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I'M DIGRESSING.
UH, EMILY DID A GOOD JOB ON THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER AND A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND THAT, THE WAR OF 1812,
[00:15:01]
THE BRITISH JUST WALKED INTO DC AND JUST TOOK OVER WITH PRACTICALLY NOT EVEN FIRING A SHOT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BALTIMORE, BALTIMORE HELD, AND THAT SONG WAS WRITTEN.SO THANKS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE MILITARY DEFENDING BALTIMORE AND, AND PRESIDENT, UH, GENERAL, UH, JACKSON, WHO LATER BECAME, UH, PRESIDENT JACKSON, NEW ORLEANS, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT BALTIMORE AND, UH, NEW ORLEANS HOLDING, UH, THE UNITED STATES HAD LOOKED, UH, QUITE DIFFERENT, UH, MAYBE, UH, THE WESTERN PART OF THE, UH, COUNTRY, BE FRI FRENCH SPEAKING OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST THOUGHT EMILY, UH, DID A GOOD JOB.
AND I'D LIKE TO SECOND ALL THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED IN THE OPENING PRAYER.
IT WAS A, IT WAS A BETTER THAN AVERAGE JOB.
I, I, I REALLY, UH, RESPECTED WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY.
AND I, AND I SECOND ALL THOSE SENTIMENTS.
UH, I ALMOST FORGOT WHAT I CAME UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, I HAVE A REPUTATION AS BEING ONE OF THE MORE CONFUSED RESIDENTS AT WEST COVINA.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL ME THE VILLAGE IDIOT.
AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND VERY, I, I MEAN, I, I WONDER WHY THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THIS, THIS, UH, DICEY MEETING WITH A VERY SHORT AGENDA.
I MEAN, UH, ONCE THE COMMENTS ARE OVER, I THINK THIS, UH, THIS MEETING'S GONNA GO PRETTY QUICK, A PRETTY SHORT AGENDA.
BUT THE CHAMBERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT FOR THE CANDIDATE FORUM THAT LED UP TO THE ELECTION, THAT LED TO THE, UH, ELECTION RESULT, WHICH WAS, IS GONNA BE, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME OATH AT THIS MEETING.
THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WEREN'T AVAILABLE FOR A WEST COVINA FOR THE WEST COVINA CANDIDATES.
THE CITIZENS HAD TO GO, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, THERE'S A LADY THAT SHOULD BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT SHE WAS SO P****D OFF BECAUSE SHE HAD TO, UH, IN A WEEK ORGANIZE A CANDIDATE FOR 'EM ON THEIR OWN.
NO COUNCIL CHAMBERS, NO VENUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR A STUPID GUY LIKE ME, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
AND I WISH, YOU KNOW, I WONDER WHY THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WEREN'T AVAILABLE FOR A CANDIDATE FORUM SO THE ISSUES COULD BE DISCUSSED BEFORE THE RESIDENTS AT A REASONABLE HOURS.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE FREEWAY THAT CAN'T COME TO THIS MEETING, AND IF THERE WAS ANY IMPORTANT BUSINESS, THEY'D MISS OUT ON IT.
SO, I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME AND I BETTER SHUT UP.
BUT, UH, I HAD A FEW OTHER THINGS TO SAY, BUT THEY PROBABLY WEREN'T IMPORTANT ANYWAY.
ANYWAY, OH, THERE'S A RUMOR GOING AROUND.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHETHER IT'S TRUE OR FALSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I ALREADY SAID I WAS CONFUSED, BUT, UH, THERE'S A RUMOR THAT THE MOST OF THE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CABINET NEVER TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.
AND, AND BASICALLY, UH, IF THEY NEVER TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE, YOU KNOW, SWEAR ON THE BIBLE AND DOING WHAT, UH, THEY REALLY DIDN'T HOLD OFFICE AND THEY WERE EXERCISING AUTHORITY, UH, AGAINST ALL LAWS.
I MEAN, IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE OATH, UH, YOU, YOU'RE NOT, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, UH, ABIDE BY THE OATH.
AND, AND, UH, I, I'D LIKE, UH, SOME PEOPLE THAT KNOW MORE THAN ME TO, TO FIND OUT WHY THE P UH, PRESIDENT BIDEN'S, UH, CABINET NEVER TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS HARDER TO BE ON THIS SIDE THAN IT WAS TO SIT ON THAT SIDE OF THE DAIS, BUT MAYBE SOMEDAY I'LL GET OVER NOT LIKING TO PUBLIC SPEAK.
UM, I DID NOT PLAN TO SPEAK AT THIS MEETING, BUT AFTER I HEARD HOW IT WAS ARRANGED AND DECIDED TO COME, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, TO THE MAYOR, I'VE BEEN IN THE POSITION THAT YOU WERE IN FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WHERE, UM, BASICALLY YOU'RE BEATING
[00:20:01]
A HEAD, YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.EVEN WHEN YOU AGREE ON ISSUES, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT DONE THE WAY CERTAIN PEOPLE WANT IT, IT DOESN'T GET DONE.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA THAT THERE'S NO COMMON GROUND TO BE FOUND, IF YOU VEER JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF OF WHAT A CERTAIN MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WANTED.
I'VE BEEN, I WAS SUBJECTED TO SCREAMING MATCHES IN CLOSED SESSION, ONE SIDED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
AND SO I WANNA SAY TO YOU THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU SAID WHAT YOU STOOD FOR WHEN YOU RAN FOR OFFICE.
YOU WERE ELECTED ON THAT PLATFORM, AND YOU STOOD BY THAT PLATFORM.
I GOT TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BIT BETTER DURING THIS CAMPAIGN PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AS YOU AND MY FATHER HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU COULD FIND COMMON GROUND IF YOU WERE TO SERVE ON THE COUNCIL TOGETHER.
SO I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS I ALSO CHOSE TO SPOKE SPEAK IS BECAUSE MY FATHER IS AND HAS BEEN MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER.
AND TO WATCH HIM UP HERE STRUGGLE TO SPEAK AND LOSE HIS WORDS.
SOMEBODY WHO'S NEVER HAD A HEALTH ISSUE BUT WAS ATTACKED.
AND ANYBODY WHO SAYS OTHERWISE CAN JUST TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
AND ANYBODY WHO SAYS THEY NEED TO SEE VIDEO OR WHATEVER, GROW UP, GET A LIFE, THERE'S A REASON THERE'S RESTRAINING ORDER IN PLACE, AND I HOPE IT WILL STAY IN PLACE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THIS COUNCIL, WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WAS INVESTIGATED BECAUSE HE, UH, ALLEGEDLY THREATENED THE CITY MANAGER.
WE HAVE ANOTHER UNDER AN ACTIVE RESTRAINING ORDER.
WHAT IS THIS CITY? WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? WHERE ARE THE RESIDENTS PAYING ATTENTION TO WHO YOU'RE ELECTING? IT'S SAD, IT'S PATHETIC.
IT'S MADE WEST COVINA A LAUGHING STOCK.
YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN HONOR TO HAVE THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HERE TO SWEAR IN SOMEBODY TO OUR COUNSEL.
NOW, ALL I CAN THINK IS, MY GOD, THAT PERSON OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED ON WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
THAT THE PERSON SHE'S HERE TO SWEAR IN WAS IN A COMPANY THAT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND HAS BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR TIES TO DRUG CARTELS IN ADDITION TO THINGS MY DAD ALREADY MENTIONED.
SO I SAY TO THE FOUR OF YOU THAT ARE STILL SITTING HERE, AND THE ONE THAT WILL JOIN YOU REMEMBER WHO AND WHAT WEST COVINA WAS.
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE CITY LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHEN WEST COVINA WAS THE JEWEL OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
I WORK IN A CAREER EVERY DAY THAT I INTERACT WITH POLITICIANS AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
WE ARE A JOKE, WE ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT.
AND YOU CAN SMIRK AT ME, TONY, BUT IT'S A FACT.
AND THE PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE WHO MATTER AND KNOW ARE THE ONES SAYING IT, AND PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW AND WILL NEVER KNOW.
BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL REMEMBER MY ABSOLUTE JOY WHEN I LOST THE ELECTION AND SAT HERE FOR MY LAST MEETING.
IN FACT, HE, HE HAD TO, UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, REMIND ME OF DECORUM AND TO CALM MYSELF OF IT BECAUSE I WAS SO HAPPY.
AND EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS JUST REINFORCED IT.
I LOOK AT COVINA AND LOOK AT ALL THE BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS AND BUILDING THAT'S GOING ON THERE AND SAY, THAT ALL SHOULD BE WEST COVINA.
YET WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON A HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT WE WILL PAY TWICE FOR IF YOU EVER GET IT OFF THE GROUND, DO BETTER.
UH, MAYOR, IS YOUR FAMILY HERE YET? ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT? OKAY, IN MY LAST TWO SECONDS, EVERYBODY, UM, THE MAYOR'S FAMILY COULD NOT BE HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE AT WORK.
IF SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK AND THANK HIM.
I HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKER CARDS, MAYOR.
UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, WOULD YOU RESPOND TO ANY PUBLIC
[00:25:01]
COMMENT CONCERNS? WE CAN KEEP IT LIGHT TODAY.I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYTHING I NEED TO RESPOND TO THIS EVENING, SO I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, MAYOR.
[1) DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 5, 2024 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION]
WILL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR? ITEM ONE.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TE WU.
AND A SECOND BY MAYOR CALDERONE.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO PASS THE FLOOR TO MAYOR PRO TEM.
[2) RECOGNITION OF OUTGOING CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND INSTALLATION OF NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS]
AND I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, UM, MAYBE THE CITY, OTHER CITY COUNCIL WANT TO HAVE A COMMENT IF, UH, NO COMMENT.I'M GOING TO, UM, BASICALLY PRESENT ALL THE FAREWELL GIVE TO OUR OKAY.
SO ANYBODY WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? WE, WE, I, I DID SPEAK LAST TIME.
ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT? NO.
UM, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM, I WOULD PLEASE, IF THIS IS THE TIME TO, TO, TO EXPRESS THOUGHTS TO OUR MAYOR.
AFTER THAT, WE ARE GONNA DUMP TO THE PODIUM END TO BASICALLY PRESENT ALL THE GIVE AND THE
SO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? GO AHEAD.
UH, UM, I, I WANTED TO, UH, PUBLICLY E EXPRESS MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO MAYOR ALDERON TABBA FOR, FOR HIS SERVICE.
AND I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY, NORMALLY, WE, WE SORT OF SPEAK GENERALLY IN TERMS OF JUST IN THIRD PERSON, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOU, BRIAN.
NOW, UM, I, I WANTED TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I HAVE APPRECIATED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, GETTING TO, UH, KNOW YOU, UH, AND, AND GETTING TO WORK IN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU, UH, WHEREVER WE COULD.
AND, AND, UH, I ALSO HAVE APPRECIATED YOUR CANDOR, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN THE VIEWS THAT YOU'VE EXPRESSED AND, AND WE'VE FOUND COMMON CAUSE ON DIFFERENT FRONTS.
UM, I, I'M ALSO APPRECIATIVE TO YOU FOR, UH, JUST YOU AS A, AS A PERSON WHERE, UM, I, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU JUST LIKE, IT WAS, AS WAS TRUE WITH ALL OF OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU PRIOR TO MY JOINING THIS COUNCIL.
BUT, UH, HAVING GOTTEN TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU AND SENIA AND ANTHONY AND YOUR PARENTS AND, AND, AND, UH, GETTING TO BE IN YOUR SPACE, IT HAS JUST BEEN A, A, A GENUINE, UH, PLEASURE AND JOY TO HAVE, UH, GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU AND TO, UH, REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
UM, WE HERE ON COUNCIL, WE'RE ALL HERE FOR WHATEVER TIME WE HAVE.
AND, UM, I'M JUST SO APPRECIATIVE TO YOU, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR ALWAYS STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.
AND, AND ALSO FOR, FOR HOLDING TRUE FOR, UM, WANTING TO ADVANCE THE VI THE VISION OF WHAT, UH, THOSE WHO VOTED FOR YOU, UH, BROUGHT YOU INTO OFFICE FOR.
AND I ALSO THINK, UM, BRIAN, THAT, UH, OUR, UH, PARTNERSHIP, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T HAD FULL AGREEMENT ON SPECIFIC ISSUES, THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE HAD MAGNIFICENT, UM, TRUST WITH ONE ANOTHER, WHERE I KNOW THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SAID ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE.
AND, AND, AND THE SAME WITH ME.
AND THE THING IS, I'VE, I REALLY ADMIRE YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS, FOR THE, THE WAY THAT YOU CARE ABOUT PEOPLE.
AND, AND, UH, I JUST AM GRATEFUL TO YOU, AND I WANTED TO BE PUBLIC IN EXPRESSING MY GRATITUDE FOR HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALONGSIDE YOU AND, AND, UH, TO HAVE, UM, SUPPORTED YOU IN, UM, BECOMING MAYOR.
AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT, THAT YOU HAD TO, THAT YOU HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE CITY AND FOR DISTRICT ONE TO BE REPRESENTED IN THE MAYOR'S CHAIR.
AND, AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, AND, UH, WARMEST WISHES TO YOU WITH, WITH ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND, UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, DEPUTY LOPEZ, FIDO, WELL, UH, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE TODAY.
BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY, MAYOR, UH,
UM, DURING, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY RUNNING.
YOU KNOW, YOU SPEND TIME, MONEY, YOU MAKE A LOT OF SACRIFICES WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU DID THE TIME TO BE WHERE YOU ARE AT HERE, AND YOU ARE A PUBLIC SERVANT.
SO DURING THESE TIMES, YOU DID SERVE, UM, I KNOW JUST LIKE YOU, AMONG ALL OF US HERE, EVEN WITH RESIDENTS, EVERYBODY WANTS THE BEST FOR WEST COVINA.
[00:30:01]
HOW WE GET THERE, AND THE VISION OF THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT.UM, BUT WE ARE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME GOALS, AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT TIME.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UM, WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES.
I MEAN, UH, SOMETIMES WE'RE AN OPPOSING ENDS, BUT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE GOAL IS FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR FAITH, YOUR BELIEFS.
WE ALL, ALL OF US HERE, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS OUR OWN FAITH AND BELIEFS.
UM, AND, UM, THERE ARE RESIDENTS THAT SUPPORT, DON'T SUPPORT.
NOTHING'S A HUNDRED PERCENT HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
I KNOW WE HAD, UM, DINNER, LUNCH WITH FAMILY, UM, A LOT OF EVENTS TOGETHER, AND YOU WERE THERE.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO WEST COVINA, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT DURING THAT TIME.
AND, UH, I GUESS NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER, OTHER STUFF.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT MAY COME AND GO.
AND, UH, MAY
I WASN'T, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN PICK YOU.
THE MICS WORK, RIGHT? I'LL DO THE TEST.
HE, HE'S A TEACHER AS A COACH.
HE JUST HAVE THE SCHOOL OVER HERE AND, UH, QUICK.
OKAY? AND, UH, I KNOW, UH, WE ARE LEFT AND RIGHT.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A BETTER RATING BECAUSE WE HAVE A DRAMA AND WE HAVE A DEBATE BETWEEN TWO OF US ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S ONLY THE POLITICS.
OKAY? I THINK PRIVATELY WE KIND OF GET ALONG, OKAY? I THINK WE CAN FACE THE PUBLIC EVERYTHING LIKE WE ARE UNITED, FACING, OUTSIDE, BUT IN
BUT HERE, JUST LIKE LAST MEETING, I SAY, I THANK YOU FOR THE FOUR YEARS OVER HERE, AND THE, WE ALWAYS HAVE A BACK AND FORTH, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE AGREE WITH MOST OF THE THING.
I THINK THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT THING.
MOST OF THE, THE, THE PEOPLE LIVING THE TRAFFIC, THE POWER HALL, THE PAINT, THE GRAFFITI, THE HOMELESS, WE THE SAME, OKAY? AND SOME OTHER, OKAY.
WAGE TAXES OR, OKAY, THE HOMELESS, OKAY? HAVE HALFWAY HOME OR PASSED, BY THE WAY, I, I NEVER RAISED TAXES.
WE, WE HAVE A, A A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENCE OVER THERE, BUT I DON'T WANNA START THE DEBATE OVER HERE AGAIN, OKAY? I WANNA SAY ALL THE GOOD THING, BUT, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL THE FLOOR, OKAY? BECAUSE
AND THIS IS JUST LIKE THIS, OKAY? AND, UH, YOU HAVE A CHANCE, AND YOU GET ON AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE, YOU GET OFF, OKAY, GOOD AND BAD, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT, BUT NOW YOU HAVE MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY, THIS AND THAT.
BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE FOUR YEARS, OKAY? LUCKILY WE DIDN'T PUNCH EACH OTHER, BUT WE DEBATE, WE CIVILIZED.
UH, I, UH, FIRST, UH, WANNA, UH, THANK, UH, THE CITY STAFF, UH, FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
UH, THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE OUR FOREVER HOME.
UH, AND, AND ALL OF YOU, UH, HAVE DEDICATED YOUR LIVES HERE.
I I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE FORGET THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS COUNCIL, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PART-TIME.
UH, OUR LIVELIHOODS ARE, ARE NOT MADE, UH, BY BEING ON THIS DIET.
UH, BUT CITY STAFF IS, UM, THEY WORK EVERY DAY AND THEY TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR US, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
UH, AND THEIR JOB IS HARD, UM, BECAUSE POLITICS DOES IMPACT THEIR JOBS.
AND, UH, SOMETIMES IT ISN'T THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO THAT, THAT CAUSES THEM TO, TO NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE.
AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, THAT, THAT CAN LEAVE.
UH, AND, AND THE STAFF CAN JUST CONTINUE TO DO THE GREAT WORK.
UH, SO I WANNA START BY THANKING ALL OF THEM.
UH, I, THERE THERE'S A COUPLE, UH, STAFF MEMBERS, NOT, NOT CURRENT STAFF.
I, I DON'T WANNA, UH, PUT ANYONE, UH, ON
[00:35:01]
THE CITY.BUT THERE, THERE'S THREE FOLKS I DEFINITELY DID WANNA SHOUT OUT.
ONE WHO IS STILL WORKING FOR THE CITY FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS.
UH, CHIEF RICHARD B OUR POLICE CHIEF, UH, MY FOUR YEARS.
AND THE MEETINGS THAT, UH, I WAS ABLE TO HAVE WITH YOU AND TALK WITH YOU AND TALK WITH YOU ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, TALK WITH YOU ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, UM, BUT JUST THE, THE GIVE AND TAKE.
I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU, UH, ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS, UH, TO BE A POLICE OFFICER, UH, WHAT IT MEANS TO TRY TO PROTECT THE CITY, UH, AND, UH, REALLY THE APPROACHES TO HOMELESSNESS.
UH, I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU.
UH, SO CHIEF BELL, I THINK I, UH, THANK YOU.
UH, I ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO THOSE MEETINGS.
AND AS YOU'RE GOING INTO RETIREMENT, UH, MAYBE WE CAN GET TOGETHER, GET ON THAT CHALKBOARD, UH, TALK A LITTLE FOOTBALL.
UH, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I, I LOVE TO DO THAT.
UM, TO, UH, OUR OTHER, UH, CHIEF, UH, OUR FIRE CHIEF, UH, VINCE CAPELLI, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR FOUR YEARS.
UH, HE WAS SOMEONE, UH, WHO'S SHOWN THE COMMUNITY LOVE.
UH, I GO BACK, WHEN I FIRST STARTED WAS COVID, UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS THE PANDEMIC.
AND ONE OF MY FIRST MEETINGS WAS IN JANUARY.
AND I REMEMBER CHIEF COMING TO US AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND, AND, AND THE, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALL OF YOU WERE OUT THERE, UH, PUTTING YOURSELVES, UH, IN, IN DANGER, RIGHT? YOU ARE A FRONTLINE.
UH, AND HE SPOKE ABOUT THE TRAUMA HE WAS SEEING.
HE WAS TAUGHT, HE SPOKE ABOUT ALL THE DEATH, AND HE SPOKE ABOUT IT WITH SO MUCH LOVE AND CARING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
UH, AND THAT, UH, HAS ALWAYS STUCK TO ME.
AND, AND, UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SERVANT, UH, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT FROM, FROM YOUR DIRECTORS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR CHIEFS.
UH, AND SO I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, FIRST TWO FEMALES TO JOIN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND, UH, YOU, YOU ARE LOVED, UH, BY THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND FINALLY, UH, THE PERSON I PROBABLY SPENT THE MOST TIME WITH, UH, FORMER CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE LISTENING, UM, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UH, HOURS AND HOURS OF CONVERSATIONS, OUR ONE-ON-ONES.
UH, AND AGAIN, WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE COUNCIL, I THINK WE WERE REALLY FAR APART IN THE WAY WE VIEWED THINGS AND WAY WE VIEWED POLICIES, UH, THE WAY WE VIEWED THE WORLD.
BUT, UM, YOU LISTENED TO ME, UH, YOU SPOKE TO ME AND, AND WITH LOVE AND, AND AGAIN, THE CARING YOU HAD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, BY THE END OF YOUR TIME HERE, UM, I REALLY FELT LIKE WE HAD A CONNECTION AND A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP.
UH, AND SO I, I, I REALLY, UH, WANNA THANK YOU, UH, TO COUNCILMAN CONTOS, OLI, I'LL BE A LITTLE INFORMAL WITH EVERYBODY.
UM, THE, AFTER YOU GOT ELECTED, YOU, YOU, YOU ASKED ME TO LUNCH.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION DURING THE CONTROVERSY OF, UH, THE INDIGENOUS PRAYER.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS A THREE OR FOUR HOUR CONVERSATION.
UM, WE CREATED A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP.
UH, MY, MY SON ANTHONY, UH, HIS SCHOOL, JUST, I, IF YOU HAVEN'T, WELL, ALL OF YOU HAVE MET OLLIE.
UM, BUT, UM, OLI IS SOMEONE, IT, YOU WANT A COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU, YOU WANT SOMEONE TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
UH, THAT'S WHAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SHOULD BE LIKE.
UH, AND SO YOU'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU LETTI.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KIND OF SHARED IT, SO I WAS LIKE, OH, DON'T TAKE IT AWAY.
UH, BUT YOU DIDN'T SHARE IT ALL THE WAY.
UM, SO AGAIN, DURING A REALLY TOUGH TIME, RIGHT THERE, THERE WAS, UH, THE, THE STRIPPING, UH, POSSIBLE STRIPPING OF MY, MY TITLE AS, AS MAYOR PROAM, AFTER, YOU KNOW, A CONTROVERSIAL EVENT, UH, WAS A MEETING, WAS A, WAS A, A HARSH MEETING, RIGHT? THERE WAS THREE HOURS OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, BUT AFTERWARDS, YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND REACHED OUT TO MY WIFE AND I, UH, YOU INVITED US TO DINNER.
UH, AND YOU, YOU OFFERED ME KINDNESS.
AND THEN WHEN I GOT SWORN IN AS MAYOR, UM, IT WAS ANOTHER TOUGH NIGHT.
UH, THERE, THERE, I DIDN'T, THERE ARE FEW
[00:40:01]
PEOPLE I, I THINK, THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY ENJOY HAVING ME ON THE COUNCIL.AND THERE, THERE WAS SOME PRETTY HARSH THINGS SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS HURTFUL, UM, TO MY FAMILY.
UH, BUT YOU, AS I WAS WALKING BACK, YOU, THE LOVE YOU SHOWED ME, UH, AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT'S OFF TO THE SIDE.
UM, BUT I WILL ALWAYS APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT MEANT, UH, SO MUCH TO ME.
UH, ROSARIO, UH, I KNOW WE'VE HAD OUR, UH, DISAGREEMENTS, UM, BUT, UH, AS I SAID, WHEN I BECAME THE MAYOR, UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE YOU AND, UH, BE AROUND YOU, UM, WHEN YOU'VE SHOWN, AGAIN, SO MUCH CARING.
UH, I MENTIONED WHEN YOU, UM, WHEN IT WAS YOUR TURN TO RECEIVE THE, THE GAVEL, UH, JUST THE LOVE YOU SHOWED TO THE FAMILY THAT HAD JUST LOST THEIR SON.
UH, I'VE SEEN YOU WITH YOUR, YOUR GRANDKIDS.
AND, UM, I EAT YOUR COOKIES, AND THEY'RE AMAZING.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU.
UH, I'M GONNA ALSO SHOUT OUT, JUST 'CAUSE, UH, I, I FELT I WANTED TO, UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, UH, THERE WAS, UH, AN OPENING OF A LASER TAG.
UH, AND IT WAS, SO, ONE OF THE FIRST EVENTS, YOU KNOW, OF RIBBON CUTTING.
UH, AND BILL, YOU WERE THERE AND YOU OFFERED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF MYSELF AND MY SON AT THAT LASER TAG.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS, IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, I WANT TO KNOW THAT.
AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IN PUBLIC I COULD SHARE THAT.
UH, FINALLY, UH, TONY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR LOVELY FAMILY.
AND I, I THINK WHEN YOU WANNA JUDGE A PERSON, UH, I THINK SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THEIR FAMILY AND THEY LOVE YOU.
THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN KIND TO ME.
AND SO, UH, IT'S BEEN AN EXPERIENCE,
UH, SO, UM, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASKING ME, AM I GONNA, UH, DI DISAPPEAR? AND, AND, AND TONY KNOWS ME WELL ENOUGH THAT I'LL BE ON THIS DAIS AND THERE'LL BE ISSUES THAT I WILL BE FIGHTING FOR.
UH, AND I WILL BE UP HERE, UM, TO THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME TO, TO SERVE FOR FOUR YEARS, FOR WOW, I, YOU KNOW, UH, THE EXPERIENCES I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO HAVE, UM, BECAUSE YOU HAD FAITH IN ME, AND YOU ELECTED ME, AND YOU ALLOWED ME TO BE IN SPACES THAT I WOULD'VE NEVER DREAMT OF BEING IN.
UH, AND YOU ALLOWED ME TO, TO BE YOUR VOICE ON ISSUES.
UH, AND I'VE MADE SO MANY FRIENDSHIPS.
I SEE SO MANY OF YOU, UH, THAT I WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO KNOW.
UH, AND WHEN YOU VOTED ME INTO THIS SPACE, AND, AND, AND BRIAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA FIND IT OUT.
AND AND HOPEFULLY YOU ENJOY IT AS WELL, THAT THIS OPENS UP A WORLD TO YOU.
UH, IT OPENS UP PEOPLE LIKE JUST SO MUCH TALENTED, LOVELY PEOPLE.
UH, AND, AND I, I, I THANK YOU WES COVINA.
UM, AND I, I JUST CAN'T PUT IT INTO TO WORDS.
UH, I, UH, WANNA SAY SOMETHING TO, TO BRIAN, UH, BRIAN, YOU KNOW, UM, ENJOY TONIGHT.
TONIGHT'S REALLY YOUR NIGHT AND, AND MAYOR PRO TEMS NIGHT, UH, REALLY ENJOY IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HERE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES.
THIS IS SPECIAL, OKAY? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA BE UP THERE AND YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK.
AND, AND I HOPE, LIKE I SAID, I HOPE TONIGHT IS EVERYTHING YOU IMAGINED IT TO BE, UM, TO MY FAMILY.
UH, I'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU GUYS WHEN I GET HOME.
[00:45:01]
UM, UH, BUT I GUESS THE LAST THING, 'CAUSE ANTHONY, ANTHONY ANTHONY'S MY SON, 11-YEAR-OLD.UH, AND SO HE'LL, HE'LL GET TO WATCH THIS, UH, AFTER, 'CAUSE I'LL FORCE HIM TO, UH,
HE, HE DOESN'T WANNA GET ON YOUTUBE.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, ANTHONY, UH, SO YEAH, HE HASN'T HEARD THIS YET.
SO, UH, WHEN MY, UH, WHEN, WHEN YOU WERE IN MOM'S BELLY, UH, IT WAS THE PINNACLE OF MY CAREER.
UH, I HAD JUST COACHED, UH, AND WE WON THE LEAGUE TITLE FIRST TIME IN 32 YEARS.
UH, I HAD BEEN NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR.
UH, I WAS LIKE, MAN, LIFE JUST CANNOT GET BETTER.
UH, AND I THOUGHT, I, I FIGURED IT OUT.
I, I WAS GETTING INVITED BY NFL COACHES TO, TO THESE CAMPS, TO COACH QUARTERBACKS.
RIGHT? I MEAN, TONY, LIKE, WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M TELLING YOU THIS, THIS WAS CRAZY.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND THEN, AND, AND THEN I, THERE WAS A NIGHTMARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, ANTHONY, YOU WERE A YEAR, YOU WERE A YEAR OLD.
UH, AND I WAS, UM, FALSELY ACCUSED OF, OF HITTING A KID.
AND PROBABLY THE WORST THING YOU COULD BE ACCUSED OF, RIGHT? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, WOW.
RIGHT? LIKE, LIKE, MY WORLD IS OVER BECAUSE IT, IT DIDN'T MATTER, RIGHT? IT DIDN'T, DIDN'T MATTER THAT IT WAS A LIE.
DIDN'T MATTER THAT, YOU KNOW, I'D BE FOUND INNOCENT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, ONCE IT'S THERE, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S THAT SCARLET LETTER YOU'LL WEAR FOREVER.
BUT THEN THE LIGHT CAME OUT, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE I'LL SHOUT OUT MY PARENTS HERE.
ONE THING THEY ALWAYS TAUGHT ME IS, IS TO TREAT PEOPLE, TO VALUE PEOPLE, TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE, TO LOVE PEOPLE.
AND FROM THAT DARK TIME, ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT I HAD LOVED, THEY LOVED ME BACK.
UH, MY SCHOOL DISTRICT CARRIED ME, UH, WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED ME, CHOSE ME, ALLOWED ME, UH, TO WRITE THE ETHNIC STUDIES CURRICULUM, WHICH I HAD BEEN FIGHTING FOR 20 YEARS TO HAVE.
MY FRIENDS AT CHARTER OAK HIRED ME TO BE THEIR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, WENT UNDEFEATED, WENT A LEAGUE TITLE, ANTHONY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU WERE THE BALL BOY, AND YOU WERE BORED AS HELL AND COULDN'T WAIT FOR US TO LOSE, UM,
AND I WAS ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
LIKE, I'M TELLING YOU, WHEN, WHEN I WAS IN THAT DARKEST DAYS, NO WAY COULD I IMAGINE THAT I COULD END UP HERE.
AND SO, ANTHONY, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, THE STORY'S NOT OVER, BUD.
RIGHT? WE CAN ALWAYS CONTINUE.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LIFE HAS FOR YOU.
SO, WES COVINA, UH, THANK YOU.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN HONOR OF A LIFETIME, FRIENDS.
UH, AND SO, UH, TILL NEXT TIME, THANK YOU.
YEAH, I WOULD, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA GIMME TIMER, HONESTLY.
I WAS LIKE, I WAS LIKE, I'M UP THERE.
AND HE'S LIKE, HEY, ANYONE HAVE ANY SAY? NO ONE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY.
I WAS LIKE, OH MAN, I'M JUST GONNA BE OLDER.
THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO HAVE ALL THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK, BUT NEXT TIME YOU COME OVER, HE ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
OKAY? SO DEPEND ON HOW WE FEEL.
OKAY? BUT, BUT, BUT MOST IMPORTANT THING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
FOUR YEARS, UH, IT'S EXPERIENCE TO ME TOO.
BUT I ENJOY TO WORK WITH YOU BECAUSE, UH, DRAMA DEBATING TWO SIDES ALWAYS.
BUT I CAN GUARANTEE EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE THINKING EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR AGENDA.
SO WE ALL WANT TO KIND OF FIND A WAY, UH, TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT AGAIN, WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
AND I CAN TELL THE LOVE YOU HAVE TO OUR CITY, BUT I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, OKAY? AND, UH, NOW YOU HAVE MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND THE SCHOOL AND THE FOCUS, AND YOU NEVER KNOW.
[00:50:02]
HEY, IF YOU STILL HAVE A STOMACH FORWARD, WELCOME BACK.SO REPRESENT THE GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA.
SO YOU CAN ENJOY DOING THIS AND PRACTICE AT HOME.
OH,
I WOULD'VE ONE OF THIS BACK IN 2000, UH, 2020.
SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL GIVE TO ME AGAIN AFTER I END OF MY MAIL OR SO YOU NO, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THEY GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE.
I THINK ONCE ENOUGH, I DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE.
I THINK YOU DON'T NEED SO MANY.
UH, FORMER MAYOR MIKE TWO ISN'T LIKE THE SECOND ONE.
LIKE GOLD OR PLATED OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHERE'S, WHERE? WHERE'S MAYOR HERFORD? MAYOR HERFORD HERE.
SO THEY'RE LIKE FOREVER, THEY'RE LIKE ICON TO OUR CITY.
SO ANYWAY, ANOTHER ONE, UH, ONLY FOR THE PERSON RETIRE.
OKAY? BUT I DON'T THINK YOU WILL RETIRE RIGHT AWAY.
SO THIS, UH, YOU SHOULD SAY IT'S A TAB TOBACCO BY WAY, WAY, BUT IT'S OKAY.
SO ANYWAY, UH, AGAIN, UH, BE CAREFUL.
YOU WANNA HOLD IT? I'LL HOLD IT.
BUT ANYWAY, AND WE SHOW THE BEST.
AND, UH, I WILL MISS OUR DEBATE, OKAY? AND, UH, DRAMA WILL CONTINUE NO MATTER WHAT THIS, WHAT POLITICS IS.
OH, UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, LEGISLATIVE REPS WHO HAVE CERTIFICATES FOR, UM, YES.
AND, UH, RIGHT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION THAT IT WAS, IT, THAT IT WAS ITEM NUMBER ONE THAT WAS MADE A MOTION WAS MADE BY MAYOR PRO TAMU, AND A SECOND BY MAYOR CALDERONE.
UH, AND THAT ITEM IS A RESOLUTION, UH, NUMBER 2024 DASH 70, AND THAT IS DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE NUM NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
AND IF, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL UP, UH, SENATOR RUBIO, WE CAN CLAP.
I'M STATE SENATOR SUSAN RUBIO.
JUST WANTED TO COME AND RECOGNIZE YOU.
AND I THINK ANYONE THAT SERVES, DESERVES RESPECT.
UM, I REPRESENT 18 CITIES, AND AS I GO UP TO EACH AND EVERY CITY, YOU SEE MOTHERS, YOU SEE FATHERS SERVING, AND I'VE SEEN PREGNANT WOMEN.
AND SO IT REALLY DOES, UM, TAKE A LOT FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, YOUR FAMILY.
SOMETIMES IT'S THANKLESS, AND YOU GET TO SEE SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT THE JOB REQUIRES, RIGHT? FOR US TO LISTEN IN THE GOOD AND THE BAD TIMES.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY WELL, AND I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU, AND I KNOW YOUR FAMILY, AND I'VE SEEN YOUR SON ANTHONY RUN AROUND.
IN FACT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TAG, UM, GRAND OPENING.
I THINK WE WERE SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER AND PLAYING TAG THAT ONE DAY,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE I SAID, I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT EASY TO SERVE.
AND, UH, SO MY RESPECTS TO YOU FOR WANTING TO SERVE TO YOUR WIFE, BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY SERVE ALONG WITH YOU.
AND I'VE SEEN ANTHONY WITH YOU, YOUR WIFE.
AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE, IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE YOU, UH, FOR THE WORK, THE DEDICATION, FOR WANTING TO SERVE AND PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE.
AND FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AS COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR, UM, I DO WANNA COMMEND YOU.
AND HERE'S A CERTIFICATE, AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
[00:55:12]
LISA.HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS ELENA ROBLES.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSWOMAN GRACE NAPOLITANO.
UM, I WAS A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, AND THEN IT WAS TAKEN BACK FROM ME, BUT NO, NO, I'M NOT UPSET ABOUT THAT AT ALL.
BUT, OH, I JUST DROPPED A LITTLE GIFT I HAVE FOR YOU.
UM, CONGRESSWOMAN DID WANT ME TO COME AND, UM, HONOR YOU ON YOUR LAST DAY HERE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON OUR WAY OUT TOO.
WE WERE, UH, THIS IS OUR LAST WEEK IN OFFICE.
WE'RE CLOSING OUR, OUR OFF OUR OFFICES, BUT THE CONGRESSWOMAN WANTED ME TO COME AND, AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON ALL THE WORK YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE HERE AND, UM, TO HONOR YOU.
SO I BROUGHT A CERTIFICATE ON HER BEHALF, AND I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK, AND SHE DID WANT YOU TO HAVE ONE OF HER CHALLENGE COINS THAT NOT EVERYBODY HAS.
BUT, UM, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID AND CONGRATULATIONS, AND I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS WENDY VERA, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN RUBIO.
HERE TO RECOGNIZE OUTGOING MAYOR BRIAN CALDERON TABBA FOR HIS SERVICE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A TOKEN OF RECOGNITION FOR HIM THAT READS ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE AND RESIDENTS OF THE 48TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
YOUR EFFORTS IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DURING YOUR 2020 TO 2024 TERM ON THE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL.
GOING ONE, GOING TWO, MAYOR, TAKE CARE.
UM, SO ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, WE ARE GOING TO NEXT AGENDA.
UH, AT THIS TIME, WE WILL BEGIN ADMINISTERING THE OATH OF OFFICE TO OUR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IF I CAN PLEASE HAVE, UH, SENATOR SUSAN RUBIO AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT BRIAN GUTIERREZ TO THE FRONT.
I AM NOT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
UH, SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, SO I WILL BE ADMINISTERING THE OATH OF OFFICE MICROPHONE.
SAY I, I STATE YOUR NAME CLOSER.
STATE, I, I NOW STATE YOUR NAME, BRIAN ANTHONY GUTIERREZ.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND, THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES BORN AND DOMESTIC THORN AND A DOMESTIC.
AND THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH.
TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE, AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF INVASION, AND THAT I WILL, WELL, THAT I WILL.
[01:00:01]
AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE.DISCHARGE THE DUTIES, THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.
HOW ARE YOU? HOW YOU DOING? CONGRATULATIONS.
AND WE DO HAVE A RECOGNITION FOR, FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, FOR BRIAN.
AS I STATED EARLIER, UH, IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE, BUT NOT JUST TO SERVE.
AND THAT IS TO REALLY BE RESPONSIVE TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND, AND THEIR NEEDS.
AND WE'RE ALL COUNTING ON YOU TO THE, THE RIGHT THING TO LISTEN AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE RESPECTFUL OF ALL OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EVERYONE ON THE DAAS.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND I APPLAUD YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR RESIDENTS AND YOUR INTEREST IN IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH.
THANK YOU, JESSE GILGO FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KUNA, LOCKES, KUNA LAKI OFFICE.
ALSO, SORRY TO DISAPPOINT AS I'M ALSO NOT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, BUT I'M MARCEL CAL, DIRECTOR PROUDLY HERE WITH BRIAN TODAY TO HONOR A CERTIFICATE.
CAN I ACTUALLY HAVE YOU HOLD UP HERE AS WELL? OKAY.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ON YOUR HISTORIC ELECTION IN WEST COVINA AS THE, THE FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER IN CITY OF WEST COVINA AND THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TO BE ELECTED WITH AUTISM.
IT'S YOUR HISTORIC WIN THAT IS A TESTAMENT OF YOUR DEDICATION AND RESILIENCE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO SERVE.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR RECOGNIZES THAT YOUR JOURNEY STANDS AS A BEACON OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION, EMBODIES THIS SPIRIT OF PROGRESS AND INCLUSIVITY, AND DEMONSTRATES THAT THE IMPOSSIBLE IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER WENDY VERA FROM BLANCO RUBIO'S OFFICE.
MY NAME IS WENDY RA, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO, WHO CERTAINLY EXTENDS HER BEST WISHES.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT BRIAN GUTIERREZ.
IT'S AN HONOR FOR US TO BE HERE AND PRESENT HIM WITH THIS FABULOUS PLAQUE ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY.
AND IT READS, IN RECOGNITION OF BECOMING THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL WITH AUTISM ELECTED TO THE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL AND THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, YOU REPRESENT AN INSPIRING MILESTONE FOR THE AUTISM COMMUNITY.
I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR DETERMINATION AND BELIEVING IN YOURSELF.
YOUR TENACITY DEMONSTRATES THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY ASSEMBLY.
BLANCA RUBIO HERSELF, COUNCIL MEMBER BRIAN GUTIERREZ SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR HIS EXEMPLARY SERVICE, THE CITIZENS OF CALIFORNIA AND EXTENDED BEST WISHES FOR HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
SIGNED TODAY, DECEMBER 5TH, 2024.
CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, I'D ALSO LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH YOUR CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION.
ARE YOU READY? WANNA HAVE A SEAT? ARE WE GONNA START ARGUING TOGETHER?
[01:05:03]
COUNCIL MEMBER GUT, YOU ARE VERY POPULAR.DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER LEGISLATIVE REPS? DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE? NO.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ROSARIO DIAZ TO THE FRONT COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, AS WELL AS PASTOR SAMUEL MARTINEZ AND MR. BILL ELLIOT? YES.
THINK THEY, I THINK THEY BROUGHT THEIR STAND.
MY DAD BIBLE GONNA PUT, ACTUALLY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, REPEAT AFTER ME.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND, THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE, AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATIONS OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION.
AND THAT I WILL WELL, AND I WILL WELL.
AND FAITHFULLY AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE.
DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH, THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER, I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.
SO OFFICIAL LOOKING, SO OFFICIAL.
I ASK FOR PERMISSION TO SAY A FEW SHORT WORDS.
I AM A PASTOR IN THIS CITY, AND I LIVE IN THE CITY IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY.
I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, IF YOU'RE PRAYING INDIVIDUALS, PRAY FOR THESE PEOPLE DAILY OR WHENEVER YOU THINK ABOUT IT, OKAY? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY WIFE AND I LIKE TO DO, UH, EVERY, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND YOU, THEY NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE, AND THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM THAN TO PRAY FOR THEM EVERY DAY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL, AND GOD BLESS WEST COVINA.
WANNA CONGRATULATE THE COUNCILWOMAN? UM, IT'S ALWAYS, UH, GREAT TO COME TO, TO WEST COVINA.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS BEHIND ME AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS VERY RESPONSIVE TO, TO, UH, AT LEAST SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS IN TERMS OF, UH, WHEN I ASK, YOU KNOW, ISSUES, COLLABORATION, YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE WINS WHEN WE COLLABORATE, WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AS RESPECTFUL HUMAN BEINGS.
AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO GRACIOUS.
EVERY TIME WE TALK, EVERY TIME WE WANT TO DISCUSS ISSUES, YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE.
SO I REALLY WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS, YOU KNOW, REELECTION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE WORK AND CONTINUING TO, TO, UH, HAVE DISCUSSIONS, DIALOGUE, AND LOOK FORWARD TO.
LET'S SEE WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS NEXT ROUND.
AND YOU WILL FOREVER BE THE MILLENNIAL MAYOR.
AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU.
AND, UH, IT'S VERY SPECIAL THAT YOU CELEBRATE AS A CITY A HUNDRED YEARS, AND, AND YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING
[01:10:01]
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT CELEBRATION.SO, ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE, IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE YOUR REELECTION AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
I APPLAUD YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR RESIDENTS AND INTEREST IN IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITIES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, AGAIN, CONTINUING THAT WORK.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, BRIAN AND EVERYONE ELSE BEHIND US, I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST SO MANY GOOD THINGS THAT, THAT COME BY JUST HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.
SO WITH RESPECT AND ADMIRATION, CONGRATULATIONS.
WENDY VERA HERE WITH, UH, THE OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO, WHO EXTENDS A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROSARIO DIAZ.
UM, SINCE SHE WAS ELECTED IN 2020, UM, THEY'VE HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS, AND SO THEY LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED COLLABORATION TOGETHER, UM, AND CERTAINLY THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE 48TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
SO, ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE 48TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, IT'S AN HONOR TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS MILESTONE AND BEST WISHES FOR FUTURE SUCCESS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER LEGISLATIVE REPS AT THIS TIME? COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ.
I'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH YOUR CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION, UH, ROSA.
ALSO, AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM, UH, GRACE NAPOLITANO'S OFFICE, AND SHE HAS A GIFT FOR, UM, OUR ELECTED.
SO, MR. GUTIERREZ, IF YOU'D ALSO LIKE TO COME DOWN, WELL, IT'S FOR EVERYBODY.
SO AS, AS YOU KNOW, THE CONGRESSWOMAN WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT SHE DID, UM, SEND A VIDEO AND YOU'LL EVENTUALLY WATCH IT.
BUT, UM, SHE WANTED ME TO BRING, UH, UH, ONE OF HER PROS FROM THE CAPITOL, UH, FOR, AS A GIFT TO THE CITY, AS A THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING HER TO THE 31ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AND TO YOUR CITY.
UM, OF COURSE, OUR TIME WENT BY TOO FAST.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE LEAVING.
UH, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ.
UM, BUT YES, THIS IS FOR THE CITY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA RAFFLE IT AMONGST YOU, I'M NOT SURE, BUT
SO THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING US TO YOUR CITY AND FOR ALLOWING US TO SERVE YOU.
SO WHAT, YEAH, YOU'LL GET RIGHT NOW, CITY CLERK.
[3) REORGANIZATION OF MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM]
NEXT ITEM, PLEASE.ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE REORGANIZATION OF THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM SECTION TWO DASH 21 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE RECENTLY AMENDED THROUGH CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 5 2 3 ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 OUTLINES THE ORDER OF MAYOR ORAL SUCCESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION
[01:15:01]
TWO DASH 21.DURING ELECTION YEARS, THE CITY COUNCIL IS REQUIRED TO REORGANIZE AND INSTALL ONE OF ITS MEMBERS AS MAYOR AND ONE AS MAYOR PRO TEM AT THE MEETING AT WHICH IT DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO DASH 21 AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AT WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL REORGANIZES, THE CURRENT MAYOR PRO TEM, SUCCEEDS TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR AND ALL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MOVE UP ONE POSITION SUCH THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE THIRD POSITION ON THE SUCCESSION LIST MOVES INTO THE MAYOR PRO TEM POSITION.
WHEN THERE ARE TWO OR MORE NEWLY ELECTED FIRST TERM COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY ARE THE HIGHEST, UM, EXCUSE ME, THEY ARE ADDED TO THE SUCCESSION LIST IN ORDER BASED ON WHO RECEIVED THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VOTES IN THEIR DISTRICT AT THE ELECTION.
IF AN INCUMBENT COUNCIL MEMBER IS REELECTED DURING A REGULAR ELECTION YEAR, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MAINTAINS THEIR POSITION ON THE SUCCESSION LIST FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER, 2024 ELECTION.
THE ORDER OF SUCCESSION IS AS FOLLOWS.
COUNCIL MEMBER BRIAN GUTIERREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER, DO WE HAVE ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING? NO OPPOSITION.
WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH THE SWEARING IN OF OUR NEW MAYOR.
IF WE CAN PLEASE HAVE MRS. ROOT COME TO THE FRONT AND ANYONE ELSE WHO IS GOING TO BE PRESENT.
AND, UM, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME TO BE THE MAYOR.
OKAY? IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE MY WIFE TO SWEAR ME IN.
WHY? BECAUSE, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO, I THANK EVERYBODY, BUT I FORGOT TO THANK MY WIFE,
SO IN THAT WAY, I'M GOING TO HAVE MY WIFE SEW ME IN SO SHE WILL NEVER REMEMBER.
SHE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT SHE'S IN THE FRONT PAGE.
WITHOUT HER, I WON'T HAVE WHO I AM TODAY.
SO SHE'S EVERYTHING, UH, THE ANCHOR OF THE FAMILY.
SO MY FAMILY, WOULD YOU PLEASE HOLD MY KID, ALL MY CHILDREN COMING UP NEXT TO ME? YEAH.
SO THIS, THIS FOR ME, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THIS, I HAVE, UH, UH, THIS IS ALL MY CHILDREN, OKAY? WE ARE MULTICULTURAL.
UH, BUT YOU, THIS IS LIKE OUR CITY, OKAY? WE ARE ALL VERY DIVERSE, BUT THEY ARE ALL MY CHILDREN, JAKE.
OKAY? COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
SO WE HAVE JAKE, YASMINE, SERENA, CATHERINE, JUSTIN, MEGAN.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK MORE, OTHERWISE WE'LL BE IN TROUBLE.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND.
I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AGAINST ALL ENEMY, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND, AND ALLEGIANCE.
I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY.
I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT AN ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION.
AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY, AND I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF JUDGE, THE DUTY OF MAYOR OF WEST COVINA.
OF MAYOR OF WEST COVINA, UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER, ABOUT WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER UPON ENTER.
UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER A UPON A UPON WHICH, WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER.
[01:20:05]
ONE.ONE
THANK YOU,
AT THIS TIME, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE HAVE A NEWLY ELECT CITY COUNCIL, AND I WANT TO GIVE THIS CHANCE SO EVERY, EVERYBODY CAN SAY SOMETHING AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORK TOGETHER.
THIS IS, UH, YOUR NEW CITY COUNCIL.
GOVERNMENT TO BASICALLY HOW WE REPRESENT TAXPAYER.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GONNA WORK VERY HARD FOR YOU AND TO MAKE, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK AND, UH, I THINK THE FIRST PERSON IS NEWLY ELECT.
WELL, I AM, UH, I AM HONORED TO BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
I THANK THE 3,995 VOTERS WHO ELECTED ME TO OFFICE, WHO BELIEVED IN ME TODAY SHOWS THAT NO MATTER WHERE ONE PERSON COMES FROM IN LIFE, THAT A, THAT A CHILD THAT WAS ONCE ABUSED, BEATEN, AND PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ABUSED AS A CHILD THAT WENT INTO THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, A CHILD WHO HAD AUTISM STILL RISE TO GREATNESS AND OVERCOMES LIFE'S TOUGHEST CHALLENGES.
I AM HONORED TO BE THAT PERSON TODAY AS BECOMING THE FIRST PERSON IN THE CITY'S HISTORY TO BE ELECTED WITH AUTISM AND IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
TOGETHER, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A CHANGE.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT ONE CONTINUE TO HAVE A VOICE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO, BEFORE I CONTINUE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF MY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS BEING IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
MRS. NOSO FROM NOGALES HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M A GRADUATE OF NOGALES HIGH SCHOOL, SO LET'S HER APPLAUSE.
AND, AND, AND I WROTE A LITTLE, A LITTLE, UM, WHERE'S MY, WHERE'S MY PHONE AT? IF I COULD FIND IT.
I AM HONORED TO BE YOUR CONSUM MEMBER, AND THANK YOU TO THE 3,995 VOTERS WHO ELECTED ME TO THIS POSITION.
I PROMISE YOU THE VOTER, MY BOSSES, I WILL WORK WITH HEART AND PASSION TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND VIBRANT IN DISTRICT ONE.
ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, THE VOTERS OF WEST COVINAS DISTRICT ONE SPOKE AND THEY SAID, THE MEN AND WOMAN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SHALL NOT BE PUSHED TO THE SIDE.
THE VOTERS ELECTED A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WILL ENSURE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE WEST VEN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO FINALLY FIGHT CRIME AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT ONE SAFE AGAIN.
THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN TO ENSURE THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE A VOICE AND TO GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITY AND BEAUTIFY OUR PUBLIC PARKS.
AND SO MY LAST STATEMENT AGAIN, WILL BE THAT I AM EXTREMELY HONORED TO BE ELECTED AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT.
THANK YOU TO THE VOTERS OF WEST COVINA FOR HAVING A HEART AND THE PASSION IN BELIEVING IN ME.
I PROMISE YOU THAT I WILL ALWAYS WORK WITH HEART AND PASSION IN LEADING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY DEAR FRIEND, SENATOR SUSAN RUBIO, FOR ADMINISTERING MY
[01:25:01]
OATH TODAY.AND ALSO MY DEAR FRIEND, ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA RUBIO, AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ELANY KKI FOR SENDING HER REPRESENTATIVE TODAY, AS I KNOW SHE REALLY WANTED TO BE HERE, BUT SHE COULDN'T BE BECAUSE OF, UH, SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS A VOICE AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, AGAIN, THE IMPOSSIBLE IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, NO MATTER WHERE YOU COME FROM, IT IS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GUT.
AND, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN TELL Y'ALL WE ARE CONNECTED.
SO ALL THE GRAND WE ARE ON YOUR SHOULDER NOW WEST NEED A LOT OF GRANT FOR THE POLICE AND FIRES OKAY? FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
SO HOPEFULLY WITH YOUR HELP, OKAY, WITH ALL THIS ENFORCEMENT FROM YOU, I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE A LOT OF THINGS.
AND THE NEXT ONE, I WANT TO INVITE COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ TO SPEAK SOMETHING.
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING YOU, UH, THANKING MR. UM, I MEAN, SORRY, I'M SORRY.
I'D LIKE TO THANK PASTOR MARTINEZ FOR DOING ME THE HONOR OF SWEARING ME IN TONIGHT.
WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, YOU PROMISED THAT YOU WOULD PRAY FOR ME EVERY DAY, AND THAT MEANT A LOT, A GREAT DEAL TO ME.
YOUR PRAYERS ON MY BEHALF HAVE BEEN AN ADVANTAGE.
THE SOURCE OF A GREAT STRENGTH AND INSPIRATION AND SUPPORTING ME IN PRAYERS IS SOMETHING I WILL NEVER FORGET.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR BRAND NEW CITY COUNCILMAN BRIAN GUTIERREZ, WHO I KNOW WILL DO GREAT THINGS IN DISTRICT ONE.
BRIAN IS A GREAT FRIEND AND IS DEDICATED AND DEVOTED TO HIS CITY, AND I BELIEVE THE VOTERS MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.
I AM THRILLED TO HAVE BEEN REELECTED, AND WE STILL HAVE MUCH IMPORTANT WORK TO DO.
I PLEDGE MORE HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT THREE, AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR ME, I AM HERE TO REPRESENT YOU AS WELL.
I ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK THOSE WHO VOTED FOR ME A SECOND TIME.
YOUR LOYALTY AND CONTINUED SUPPORT IS HUMBLING, AND IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.
I WILL CONTINUE DOING WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, MEETING WITH CONSTITUENTS AND PERSONALLY ANSWERING YOUR CALLS, YOUR EMAILS, AND WORKING HARD TO KEEP WEST COVINA, THE PLACE TO START A BUSINESS, RAISE A FAMILY, AND OWN A HOME.
I AM EVER GRATEFUL FOR THE 4% INCREASE IN VOTE IN VOTES RECEIVED OVER MY 2020 ELECTION AND LEADING MY CLOSEST COMPETITOR BY 976 VOTES FEELS LIKE A MANDATE, AND IT'S VERY SATISFYING.
THANK YOU FOR THE CONFIDENCE YOU PLACED IN ME.
I WAS HONORED TO SERVE AS WEST COVINA CENTENNIAL MAYOR, AND I WAS, AND I AM VERY PROUD.
THIS TERM BEGINS MY 38TH YEAR IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
I AM HUMBLED BY THE 3,397 VOTES WHO CHECKED THE BOX NEXT TO MY NAME.
DURING MY FIRST TERM IN OFFICE.
WE SUCCESSFULLY INCREASED THE SAFETY IN OUR MOST DANGEROUS FOUR-WAY INTERSECTIONS, WHERE LIVES WERE LOST THROUGH MY LEADERSHIP, THE CITY HAS INSTALLED 105 SOLAR POWERED FLASHING STOP SIGNS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY REMAINS MY PERMANENT CONCERN.
I ALSO LEFT THE WAY FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR CENTER MEDIANS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DIRT FOR 15 YEARS.
THOSE CENTER MEDIANS HAVE BEEN VASTLY IMPROVED AND BEAUTIFIED WITH PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND TREES, AND REMAINS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE CREPE MYRTLES BLOOM THIS SPRING.
I ALSO WANNA THANK CHIEF RICHARD BELL, WHO IS RETIRING
[01:30:01]
LATER THIS MONTH.HE HAS SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL, AND I THANK HIM FOR HIS DECADES OF SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
AND FINALLY, I WANNA THANK OUR STELLAR CITY STAFF FOR THEIR REMARKABLE WORK, AND MY COLLEAGUES AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT.
TOGETHER, WE WILL PRESERVE THIS JEWEL OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND, UH, AND I CAN TELL, UH, YOU WENT THROUGH A LOT FOR THIS FOUR YEARS, BUT YOU ARE PERSISTENT AND, UM, YOU WORK HARD, OKAY? AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW YOU DRIVING AROUND.
OKAY? AND CHECK EACH OF, UH, SMALL AREA, ANY OF THIS STREET YOU WENT, ALL THE PLACES YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THE BEAUTIFICATION, YOUR PASSION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW PASSIONATE YOU ARE AND TRY TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
AND SO THE PEOPLE ARE SPOKEN, THE VOTER BASICALLY GIVE YOU OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE YOUR HARD WORK.
AND WE CAN SEE THAT FLASHING STOP SIGN.
NOW WE GOT, I INSTALL IN A BEAUTIFUL LIFE FOR 40 YEARS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE SEE SUCH A BEAUTIFICATION, AND WE WANT TO WORK ON THIS AND FOR YOUR PUSH, AND YOU DESERVE TO GET REELECTED AGAIN.
AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO WORK FOR CONTINUE.
AND, UH, WITH YOUR HELP, I THINK OUR CITY WILL LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL AND SAFE.
AND THE NEXT ONE, I WANT TO INVITE COUNCILMAN ALDI KENTO TO SAY SOMETHING PLEASE.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY, MY EXCITEMENT ABOUT WORKING WITH, UH, OUR, OUR COUNCIL AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCILMAN BRIAN GUTIERREZ, NOT ONLY FOR HIS HISTORIC WIN, BUT ALSO FOR HIS TIRELESS ENERGY IN MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT HE WANTS TO DO FOR THE CITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO SAY THAT WHEN LOOKING AT THE REAL POTENTIAL OF WHAT WE ALL AS A COUNCIL HAVE TOGETHER, OUR COLLECTIVE SYNERGY IN WORKING IN TEAM PARTNERSHIP IS WHAT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD STRONGER AND WILL ENABLE US TO RISE TO NEW LEVELS OF, OF SUCCESS.
MY CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, ROSARIO DIAZ.
IT HAS BEEN A JOY TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, TO GO ON PATROL WITH YOU, TO BE AT EVENTS WITH YOU, AND TO SPEND A LOT OF SOCIAL TIME WITH YOU AS WELL.
YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO IS A LEADER WHO WORKS EXTRAORDINARILY HARD FOR THE CITY.
YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF HEART AND YOU ALSO JUST BRING A LOT OF PASSION TO, TO YOUR ROLE HERE ON COUNCIL.
I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO WITH THE TWO OF YOU HERE AND WITH OUR, OUR COUNCIL, I KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET MUCH DONE AS WE LOOK, LOOK AHEAD TO THE FUTURE.
AND HERE WE GO, EVERYBODY GET READY FOR A RIDE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, YOUR PASSION AND, UH, YOU LIKE SENDING EMAIL LIKE NONSTOP 24 7, 24,
TRY EVERYBODY NOT, BUT THAT IS HOW WE CAN KIND OF PUSH TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
BUT YOU ARE SO DEDICATE, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SPEECH.
AND, UH, LAST ONE, WE WANT TO HAVE A COUNCILWOMAN, OKAY? AND, UH, UM, MAYOR PROTON, UH, LOPEZ, FIDO, GO AHEAD.
UH, A BIGGEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOTH OF YOU.
UM, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE, THE RESULTS ARE THERE.
UH, SO SOMETIMES WHEN THEY COME HERE AND ATTACK US OR, YOU KNOW, HIT, HIT US OR, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD TALK TO THE RESIDENTS WHO VOTED FOR THEM.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY AGAIN, A BIG CONGRATULATIONS, UH, WITH COUNCILMAN BRIAN GUTIERREZ.
FOR THOSE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, ACTUALLY WHEN I FIRST RAN, WE RAN AGAINST EACH OTHER.
AND SO PEOPLE MAY LOOK AT THE FAILURES, BUT THIS IS JUST PROVEN THAT YOUR PERSISTENT, YOUR COMMITMENT, AND HERE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING ON IS WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT DOES MEAN A LOT.
YOU, YOU DIDN'T GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST KEPT GOING ON.
SO THAT IS A BIG CONGRATULATIONS.
[01:35:01]
THE TIME, I KNOW WE'VE MET, BECAUSE WHEN WE RAN AGAINST EACH OTHER, SO WE HAD OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DISAGREEMENTS THEN, BUT WE WORKED TOGETHER AND HE WAS OUR PLANNING COMMISSIONER AND YOU KNOW, AND I WAS HAPPY TO APPOINT YOU.BUT THE POINT THAT WE, I DON'T KNOW IF ALL EVERYBODY KNOWS, BUT HE AND I DID THE BIGGEST TOY GIVEAWAY IN THE WHOLE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY HERE IN SAN, IN HERE IN WEST COVINA.
AND THAT WAS LIKE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF TOYS.
IT WAS JUST THE LONGEST LINE THAT WENT TO OTHER CITIES AND, UH, WITH HIS BIG, UH, HELP AND THE CONNECTIONS.
AND SO, LIKE MAYOR SAID, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THESE CONNECTIONS TO BRING HERE IN WEST COVINA AND, UH, MAKE THE CITY EVEN GRANDER AND BETTER.
BUT I JUST DO WANNA SAY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, YOU, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO AMAZING WORK.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M PROUD OF YOU.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH.
MAYOR PROTON, UH, LOPEZ, FIDO, I THINK, UM, YOU LIKE A ANCHOR, OKAY? AND, UH, YOU GET REELECTED WITHOUT ANY PEOPLE CAN CHALLENGE YOU BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL GIVE UP AND NOBODY CAN BEAT.
OKAY? AND LATI, OKAY? SO, SO LET'S SHOWING YOUR POWER AND YOU CARE AND PEOPLE LOVE YOU.
SO FOR YOU, UH, TO CONTINUE TO HELP THE CITY, UH, CITY BLESSING FOR YOUR HELP.
AND, BUT I THINK IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE FIVE VERSE WITH ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUND AND THIS WHAT WEST COVINA IS ABOUT.
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, WHAT KIND OF BACKGROUND, IF YOU WORK HARD AND PROVE TO PEOPLE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SERVE, TO BE THE LEADER, WE HAVE A FIRST BLIND PERSON OKAY? TO BE OUR CITY COUNCIL.
AND ONE DAY HE POSSIBLY BE THE MAYOR.
OKAY? AND WE HAVE A FIRST ARTISAN, OKAY? AND THEN WE HAVE A FIRST LATINA TO BE THE MALE LAST YEAR TO CENTENNIAL MALE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A FIRST, OKAY? UH, FILIPINO AND HISPANIC BACKGROUND.
AND YOU WILL BE MALE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
AND MYSELF, FRESH OUTTA BOTH ASIAN IMMIGRANT.
SO YOU CAN SEE YOU HAVE ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUND AND YOU ALL CAN SERVE TO YOUR RESIDENT TO PROVE OKAY, YOURSELF AND FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR YOU.
AND YOU JUST HAVE TO PROVE IT.
OKAY? AND I THINK WE ALL HERE, SIT OVER HERE, PROVE IT.
NINE YEARS, OKAY? ELECTED THREE TIMES.
AND I REMEMBER TWO FIRST TIME 2015, I WAS RUNNING AGAINST WITH BRIAN GUTTI.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? THAT TIME HE ALREADY RUNNING AND THEN HE RUN AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN.
BUT FINALLY, YOU SIT WITH US AND, AND YOU STILL YOUNG, YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR, WHAT? 30, 34.
SO SINCE YOU ARE 20 SOMETHING, YOU ALREADY START RUNNING.
SO I WANT TO GET THIS MEETING OVER, SO I'M NOT GONNA CONTINUE MUMBLING, OKAY? AND WE'LL TAKE FOREVER BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW I CAN TALK FOREVER.
I PREPARE A VERY SHORT STATEMENT SO I DON'T MAKE ANY MISTAKE AND SHOWING HOW WE WORK TOGETHER FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, DISTINGUISHED GUEST, CITY, OFFICIAL FRIEND, FAMILY, AND MY FELLOW RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TODAY AS YOUR MAYOR, I'M DEEPLY HUMBLE BY THE TRUST YOU HAVE PLACED IN ME, AND I'M EAGER TO SERVE THE CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE WITH.
C IS MORE THAN A PLACE, IT'S COMMUNITY, A VIBRANT, DIVERSE, AND DYNAMIC COMMUNITY.
LET REFLECT THE BEST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, FROM OUR THRIVING BUSINESS TO OUR FAMILY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ARE A CITY FOR POTENTIAL AND PRIDE.
TODAY, AS I TAKE THIS OATH, I RENEW MY COMMITMENT TO EVERY RESIDENCE OF WEST COVINA.
I PLEDGE TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE OUR CITY IS SAFE, PROSPEROUS, AND INCLUSIVE.
AND TOGETHER WE WILL FOCUS ON ONE.
NUMBER ONE, ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT.
SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS, ATTRACTING NEW INVESTMENT, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.
SECOND, PUBLIC SAFETY, ENHANCING RESOURCE FOR OUR POLICE, FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICE AND HEALTH TO ENTIRE, TO ENSURE EVERY RESIDENT FEEL SECURE AND SAFE.
NUMBER THREE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
LISTENING TO YOUR VOICE, THE RESIDENT'S VOICE, ADDRESSING A RESIDENT CONCERN,
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FOSTERING AND OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT.IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE, PARK AND BEAUTIFICATION.
OKAY? AND WORK WITH A PUBLIC SERVICE TO MAKE WEST COVINA AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND WASTE FAMILY.
WE WANT A LOT OF KIDS, OKAY? WE WANT CHILDREN.
I KNOW THIS WORK CANNOT BE DONE ALONE.
I'M COMMITTED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, MY COLLEAGUE, OKAY.
AND MY CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY LEADER, AND ALL OF YOU TO ACHIEVE OUR SHARED VISION FOR WEST COVINA.
TOGETHER, WE'LL FACE CHALLENGE WITH THE DETERMINATION, AND, BUT WE WILL CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENT WITH PRIDE.
AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, LET US REMEMBER THAT OUR STRENGTHS LAY IN OUR UNITY.
WE HAVE TOE TOGETHER BY WORKING TOGETHER, RESPECT OUR DIFFERENCE AND FOCUSING ON WHAT UNITE US WE CAN ACHIEVE GREAT THING.
LAST, I WANT TO TAKE THIS CHANCE, THE MOMENT TO THANK MY FAMILY.
ALL MY FAMILY'S OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY MY WIFE.
AND, UH, WITHOUT HER EVEN, SHE DOESN'T WANNA GIMME A KISS, BUT I STILL LOVE HER.
AT LEAST I CAN MOVE BACK TO THE ROOM.
I DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THE GARAGE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO THE REGINA WESTCORP.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BELIEVE IN ME.
I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR MAYOR GIVENS ONLY ONE YEAR, BUT IT'S 12 MONTHS.
WE NEED TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND EXCITED TO GET TO WORK ON BEHALF OF THE WONDERFUL CITY THAT WE LOVE.
TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE THAT WEST COVINA CONTINUE TO BE A, A SHINING EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT, RESILIENT AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND LET'S GET STARTED ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER.
AND I, I, AND I CANNOT EMPHASIZE MORE, OKAY.
ENOUGH ABOUT LET'S WORK TOGETHER.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE LOVE, HATE THIS UN LED BASED POLITICS, BUT LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
THAT IS WHY WE SIT OVER HERE, WILLING TO DONATE OUR TIME WORK 120% TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
SO, UM, ANY OF THE COMMON OUR CT COUNCIL WANT TO SAY BEFORE I JOINED THE MEETING, AND I WANT TO SAY THIS, WE HAVE, UH, DRINK WITHOUT ALCOHOL, OKAY? AND, UH, WE DRINK, OKAY? AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, I THINK WE HAVE CAKE AND WE HAVE A PORT CAKE AND A COOKIE.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK FILIPINO AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.
THEY DONATE THE, THE, THE DELICIOUS FILIPINO CUISINE AND FOR, IT'S CALLED OKAY,
BUT I LIKE, I LIKE EGG, OKAY? WITH THE DARK INSIDE.
BUT ANYWAY, AND, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE THE CHINESE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OVER HERE.
AND THEY, THEY, THE, THEY, THE A DID A GROUP, UH, PUT A MAGNIFICENT MOON FESTIVAL.
WE HAVE THE TODAY 20,000 PEOPLE WITH ALL DIVERSE OF PERFORMANCE.
AND WE HAVE IV FROM THE, UH, UH, PUERTO RICO.
AND THE NEXT MEETING WE WANT TO DONATE, I THINK CAWC TOLD ME THEY WANT TO DONATE, UH, $1,000 TO YOUR GROUP FOR YOUR GOING TO LONDON.
OKAY? WE WANT, AGAIN, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE COMMUNITY GET TOGETHERS AND, UH, PITCHING TO HELP OUR YOUTH FOR OUR FUTURE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
AND WE HAVE, UH, ALMOST EVERYBODY'S OVER HERE.
WE HAVE, UH, OKAY, UH, MY CHIROPRACTOR RIGHT THERE.
MAKE SURE MY BACK SO I CAN, I CAN, I CAN MAKE SURE I CAN SIT.
OKAY? OTHERWISE, HE GIMME A MASSAGE IN THE BACK.
AND WE HAVE A KAISER CEO RIGHT THERE, EUGENE, OKAY? AND, UH, OKAY.
WANT, THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, OKAY? AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, OKAY, MY NEIGHBORS, OKAY.
AND A STRONG SUPPORTER OVER HERE, OKAY? WITH, UH, A LOT OF, UH, UH, MY, MY FORMER HR OKAY? AND, OKAY, SUE
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THERE, OKAY? MY DANCE PARTNER JEAN, OKAY? EVERY TIME WHEN I GO OUT, SHE WILL DANCE WITH ME.
MY WIFE'S OVER HERE, OKAY? GOSH, WE JUST DANCE, OKAY? LET'S SAID OKAY.
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BUT, BUT SHE LIKE TO DANCE.SHE HAS, UH, SHE'S A GOOD DANCER, OKAY? AND THEN WE HAVE
YOU BETTER TO WIN THE LAWSUIT,
AND WE, WE HAVE THE, THE FORMER MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BELL GARDENS, PE ASIT AS WELL HERE.
OH, AND, AND I ALSO, AND I'LL ALSO LIKE TO, UM, THANK, UH, THE PORTAL FAMILY, THE PORTAL, UH, BETTY PORTO, THE PORTAL FAMILY, ACTUALLY, UH, YOU'LL SEE 'EM UPSTAIRS.
THEY'RE DIPPING BELGIUM CHOCOLATE WITH THE CITY'S LOGO ON THEM.
SO THEY'RE CUSTOM LIMITED EDITION WEST SINA COOKIES FOR TODAY, OKAY?
UH, AND THE FIRST LESSON FOR YOU, A COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER CRITERIA, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE FIRST LESSON.
YOU SAY, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? AND I SAY, HMM, NO, WAIT, OKAY.
SO I CAN DO MY POWER TRIP, BUT IT'S OKAY.
I'M JUST SAYING, OKAY, I HAVE THIS, THE FIRST LESSON.
NEXT TIME I'M GONNA CUT YOU OFF.
BUT ANYWAY, AND, UH, I THINK WE HAVE OUR WEST
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, TRANSTECH.
OKAY? AND, UH, SHERRY BILL OR BILL GARDEN.
AND DID I, DO WE, DID I MISS ANYBODY? OH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR, OKAY.
OKAY, BILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, DID, DID YOU DONATE ANY FILL? OKAY,
WHO, WHO ELSE WE MISSED? OKAY? UH, UM, OKAY.
AND, UH, UM, GIE FAMILY AND MRS. GIE OVER HERE, OKAY? AND, UH, SO SORRY.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE HIM.
IF YOU LET ME KNOW, WE WILL DO ADUR FOR HIM, OKAY? BUT HE IS, UH, SUCH A NICE GENTLEMAN, OKAY? AND, UH, WE ALL LOVE HIM, BUT SO, SO SORRY.
THE MAJOR LOSS, OKAY? IF I KNOW EARLIER, OKAY? THE CITY WILL DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, OH, UH, THE VOICE OF WEST COVIN, OKAY? AND OUR DJ, FL YOU, YOU, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL VOICE.
YES, UH, YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST.
OKAY? COM, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER, REALLY DOING YOUR GREAT JOB.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO AGENDA MEETING? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND MEETING, ADJOURN.