[CALL TO ORDER]
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THANK YOU.WELCOME TO OUR JANUARY 3RD, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND OUR 7 0 1, UH, MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION.
ANY PERSON WISH TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL DURING THE ORAL COMMUNICATION MUST COMPLETE A SPEAKER CALL THAT IS PROVIDE AT ENTRY, UH, TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER AND SUBMIT A CALL TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK PRIOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF ORAL COMMUNICATION SPEAKER CALL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER ORAL COMMUNICATION HAS STARTED TONIGHT.
INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY LIN, CARRIE DPE, YOU HERE? OKAY.
OF WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNCILMAN KENTO WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGION.
AND ALSO, AT THIS TIME, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS, EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCE TO THE COMMUNITY OF BOWEN PARK, ALONG WITH THE BOW PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FAMILY OF DARRIO JUAN, OFFICER SAMUEL RIVERO MADE THE ULTIMATE S SACRIFICE WHILE PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY ON MAY 31ST, 2021.
AFTER PLEDGE OF LEGION, WE HAVE A MOVEMENT OF SILENT TO HAVE OUR PRAYER TO THE FALLEN OFFICERS AND THE FAMILY, AND ALSO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE
UH, WE WANT TO SEND ALL PRAYER TO THEM, OKAY? ALL RIGHT.
HEAVENLY FATHER, TONIGHT WE COME TO YOU AND WE LOOK TO YOU FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR GOODNESS AND YOUR MERCY IN YOUR STRENGTH.
OUR HEARTS ARE SADDENED BY WHAT HAPPENED IN BALDWIN PARK JUST THE OTHER DAY.
AND LORD, WE DO LIFT UP THIS, THE FAMILY OF OFFICER SAMUEL RIVERAS AND PRAY GOD FOR YOUR COMFORT AND YOUR BLESSING AND YOUR STRENGTH TO BE UPON THEM.
THANK YOU, JESUS, THAT YOU SAID.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, NOT ONLY IN THAT FAMILY, BUT ALSO IN THAT COMMUNITY AND IN THAT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
FATHER, TONIGHT, WE PRAY YOUR BLESSING ON THIS COUNCIL MEETING, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD ANOINT AND GIVE WISDOM TO THE LEADERS THAT YOU HAVE PLACED OVER US, AND FATHER, THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE THEM BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AS THEY MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT ALL OF US.
FATHER AS WELL TONIGHT, LORD, WE CELEBRATE AND WE HONOR, UH, OUR NEW CHAPLAIN COMING ON BOARD.
AND THEN, AS WELL, LORD, PRAY YOUR BLESSING UPON EVERY MAN AND WOMAN WHO'S SERVING TONIGHT OUT ON THE STREETS HERE IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD WATCH OVER THEM AND PROTECT THEM, BOTH IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR YOUR BLESSING UPON THIS MEETING, AND UPON THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, AND UPON ALL OF OUR LIVES.
WE INVITE ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH HATS TO REMOVE THEM.
PLEASE PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND ON YOUR HEART AND FOLLOW MY LEAD.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
PAUL, PLEASE REMAIN, REMAIN STANDING.
HERE, MAYOR PRO, TE LOPEZ VIDO.
COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ IS OUT THIS EVENING.
AND, UH, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? ANYTHING WE PULL OUT? NOTHING TO REPORT ON THE CODE SECTION.
[PRESENTATIONS]
WE HAVE, UH, THREE PRESENTATION.UH, THE ONE, THE FIRST ONE, UH, IS, UH, GOOD SAMARITAN.
THERE ALWAYS GOOD PEOPLE OVER HERE AND, OKAY.
ALWAYS TRY TO, AND SERVE AND, UM, AND DO THE GREAT THING AND TO SAVE LIFE.
AND, UH, WE WANNA HAVE A PASTOR RICHARDSON,
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WOULD YOU COME UP TO THE FRONT? SAME.TESTING, TESTING, TESTING, TESTING.
AND UH, I THINK TONIGHT, UH, THE FIRST PRESENTATION, I WANT TO, UH, PRESENT A, A RECOGNITION TO TWO YOUNG LADIES.
AND, UH, AND THEY PERFORM THE ULTIMATE OKAY.
AND, UH, RESCUE SOME PEOPLE IN DISTRESS.
ANY, ANY TIME SOMEBODY IN DISTRESS, OKAY? ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY STAND UP AND TO HELP.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HERE AS A COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK, AND OUR PASTOR, MAYBE HE CAN TELL US WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOTHER'S DAY DURING YOUR CHURCH AND, UH, AND, UH, ALL THIS GOOD STORY.
THANK YOU, MAYOR RU, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS PASTOR AL RICHARDSON OF THE NEW BEGINNING CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH.
AND ON SUNDAY, MAY 11TH, MOTHER'S DAY, NEW BEGINNING CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH WAS FILLED WITH FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES CELEBRATING THE GIFT OF MOTHERHOOD AND GOD'S GRACE.
AMONG THE CONGREGATION WAS 84-YEAR-OLD AUNT OZZY, B SIMPSON, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS AUNT B, WHO MADE A RARE BUT HEARTFELT DECISION TO ATTEND SERVICE ALONGSIDE HER NIECE, SISTER SHONDALAND SMALLS, AND HER DAUGHTER DURING WORSHIP, AUNT B EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL EMERGENCY IN A MOMENT THAT COULD ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS DIVINE INTERVENTION.
TWO, VISITING GUESTS, ESTHER MOORE AND CAROL MOSLEY RESPONDED WITH SWIFT AND DECISIVE ACTIONS.
WITHOUT HESITATION, THESE TWO, COMPASSIONATE AND COURAGEOUS WOMEN ADMINISTERED CPR WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP RESUSCITATE AUNT BE AND SUSTAIN HER UNTIL EMERGENCY SERVICES ARRIVE.
THANKS TO THEIR HEROIC EFFORTS AND THE PRAYERS OF THE, UH, THOSE GATHERED AUNT BE, WAS STABILIZED, TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL, AND HAS SINCE RETURNED HOME AND RECOVERED TODAY, SHE IS ALIVE AND WELL, AND A LIVING TESTIMONY TO THE POWER OF GOD AND THE PRESENCE OF EVERYBODY OF EVERYDAY HERO HEROES AMONG US, ESTHER MOORE AND CAROL MOSLEY, SELFLESS ACTS EMBODIED THE TRUE SPIRIT OF SERVICE, LOVE, AND BRAVERY.
THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ACT IN A CRITICAL MOMENT, NOT ONLY SAVED A LIFE, BUT TOUCHED AN ENTIRE CHURCH COMMUNITY.
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA AND NEW BEGINNING CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH, WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THESE TWO EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN FOR THEIR LIFE SAVING INTERVENTION AND BRAVERY.
CAN PASTORS RICHARDSON, CAN YOU BRING THE HEROES UP? GOOD EVENING, CAROL.
GERALD, PLEASE COME UP, ESTHER.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WILL BE THE EASTER ESTHER? YES, ESTHER? YEAH.
YOU YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? UH, HELLO EVERYBODY.
I'M NOT A REALLY GOOD SPEAKER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AM VERY HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO, AND I WAS REALLY SHOCKED WHEN THEY SAID THE MAYOR OF WEST COVINA.
I SAID, OH, REALLY? SO
SO I, UH, RETIRED IN 2015 RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BUT I WAS A REGISTERED NURSE FOR 38 YEARS.
I WORKED ALL OVER FROM ALL DEPARTMENT EXCEPT LABOR AND DELIVERY.
AND I HAD TO QUIT WORK EARLY BECAUSE I HAD A, UH, WHAT IS IT? TORN ROTATOR CUFF IN MY SHOULDER.
BUT ON SUNDAY, MAY 11TH, I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, FOR THIS RECOGNITION, FOR THIS HONOR.
UM, TRULY, I GIVE ALL, UM, ALL THE PRAISE TO GOD FOR THIS, UM,
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS THAT WILL FOREVER BE ETCHED IN MY STORY, MY JOURNEY.
AND, UM, I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT WE WERE THERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THAT SUNDAY, THAT MOTHER'S DAY.
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH.AND AGAIN, ALL PRAISES TO GOD, AND I'M GLAD I BE AS WELL.
UH, YOU, YOU, YOU CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT TO GET RECOGNIZED.
I HAVE, WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR YOU, THAT'S WHY YOU HERE.
BUT NOT ONLY THE MALE OF WEST COVINA.
AND, UH, HE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU GUY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS HIS AUNT OR SOME HIS RELATIVE.
AND HE WANTED TO SHOW HIS APPRECIATION.
AND A MAYOR OF LONG BEACH IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, SO HE SAY, HEY, OKAY, CAN YOU BRING A CERTIFICATE TO THE CHURCH? I SAID, NO, I DO BETTER.
HOW ABOUT INVITE THEM TO BE RECOGNIZED IN PUBLIC? I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ALL THIS GOOD STORY AND THAT WE HELPING EACH OTHER AS A BROTHER AND SISTER, AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
PUT, UH, UH, PUT, UH, LONG BEACH MAYOR.
TO THE INCREDIBLE CITY OF WEST COVINA AND MY FRIEND MAYOR TONY WU AND THE ENTIRE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL.
OUR SISTER CITY IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.
THIS IS LONG BEACH MAYOR REX RICHARDSON.
FIRST I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE NEW BEGINNINGS FELLOWSHIP CHURCH OF WEST COVINA.
AND PASTOR ALFRED RICHARDSON, MY FRIEND, FOR HIS CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, ALSO RECOGNIZED THE NURSES, FRANCIS MOORE AND ESTHER MOORE WASTED NO TIME AND SPRUNG INTO ACTION WHEN A SITUATION AROSE.
IT WAS A SUNDAY SERVICE ON MOTHER'S DAY WHEN MY AUNT, OZB SIMPSON, FOUNDER OF CHARTER OAK DAY SCHOOL, OUT OF GLENDORA, CALIFORNIA HAD THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
THESE TWO GOOD SAMARITANS SPRUNG INTO ACTION, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR QUICK THINKING, THEY SAVED THE LIFE OF AUNT BE AS A MAYOR AND AS A GRATEFUL NEPHEW, AND AS A SON OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, WE THANK THE WEST COVINA COMMUNITY AND THE NEW BEGINNINGS FELLOWSHIP CHURCH FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE WANT TO THANK THESE TWO NURSES, THESE TWO HEROES FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED FRIENDSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY OF WEST COVINA, AND LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING YOUR INCREDIBLE CITY ONCE AGAIN.
YOU SEE, WEST COVINA CAN PRODUCE MAYOR
WEST COVINA CREATE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE, HOPEFULLY WHEN THEY CREATE PRESIDENT TOO FROM WEST COVINA.
BUT, BUT I WOULD SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UH, YOU STILL WANT TO ADD ON, UH, PASTOR, MAYOR? YES, GO AHEAD.
I BELIEVE AUNT B WAS NOT HERE, BUT THE DAUGHTER'S HERE.
CAN WE ALSO HAVE HER COME UP AND YEAH.
SAY HOW HER AUNT IS OR DAUGHTER MOM IS DOING? YES.
MAYBE SAY A FEW WORDS YOU CAN TELL US.
HOW IS YOUR MOM DOING? AND ESPECIALLY OKAY.
MAYOR FROM LONG BEACH, GO AHEAD.
MY NAME IS VIVIAN IVORY AND I'M A SAN GABRIEL ORIGINATE.
I GREW UP IN GLENDORA AND I HAVE A LONG HISTORY HERE IN WEST.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA, UH, LOOK AT YOU, ESTHER, AND SAY THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I WALKED IN THAT CHURCH AND I THOUGHT, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LADY.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SUCH A ROLE IN SAVING MY MOTHER'S LIFE THAT DAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH WHAT YOU KNEW THAT YOU NEEDED TO DO.
AND YOU, CAROL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING OBEDIENT AND BEYOND YOUR PAIN AND, AND JUST
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNEW, BUT I WAS JUST PUSH HARDER FROM THREE ONE, I WAS JUST, OH, I, I, I JUST, IT ALL JUST, JUST CAME TO THE, THE SURFACE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL WERE SO PROFESSIONAL AND I REALLY OH, THANK YOU.
YOU ALL WERE SO PROF PROFESSIONAL, AND I JUST, I JUST WANNA JUST SAY THANK YOU PERSONALLY.
MY MOTHER'S DOING WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, GOOD.
SO ALL CT SCANS AND EVERYTHING CAME BACK CLEAR.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I'M GONNA TELL THIS QUICK LITTLE STORY, AND I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND, PASTOR, BUT THAT CHURCH USED TO BE A MORTUARY.
AND NOT ONLY WAS IT A MORTUARY, IT'S THE MORTUARY THAT HELD HER SISTER'S BODY.
SO WHEN WE WENT THAT SUNDAY, I SAID, MAMA, YOU'RE GONNA BE OKAY.
AND SHE GOES, I'LL BE ALL RIGHT.
I THINK THE WHOLE OVERWHELMINGNESS OF THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE JUST, JUST TOOK OVER.
BUT THIS IS THE ONE THING I WANNA SAY.
I TOLD PASTOR THIS THE OTHER DAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW FOR YOU ALL THAT WERE THERE, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE DEATH ANGELS WERE LIKE, WE'RE TAKING HER AND GOD THROUGH YOU ALL'S PRAYER SAID, NO.
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HER AND GOD THROUGH YOU ALL'S PRAYER SAID, NO.AND THERE MY MOTHER WAS OPENED, HER EYES CAME BACK, AND, AND LIFE IS JUST WONDERFUL AND GOOD.
SO I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH MORE TIME.
WE LOVE WEST COVINA, US IN GLENDORA LOVE WEST COVINA TOO.
WE, WE WILL COME, YOU MOVE BACK TO WEST COVINA.
BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND, UH, OKAY.
AND WE WANNA WISH THE BEST OF YOUR MOM.
WE, MAYBE NEXT TIME I CAN BRING HER OVER HERE, WE WILL SING THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER.
SO, SO IT LOOK LIKE HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOUR FAMILY, BUT ANYWAY, HERE WE REPRESENT THE GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA.
I HAVE A, OKAY, UM, THE RECOGNITION, THE CERTIFICATE FOR YOU GUY AS MOR OKAY? AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HERO'S, OKAY.
ACTION TO SAVE LIFE AND ALSO TO CAROL MOSTLY.
AND WEST C CITY, REALLY PROUD OF YOU.
READY? ONE, TWO, AND, UH, TRACY, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? ARE YOU SURE?
TRACY IS ONE OF OUR WEST COVIN RESIDENT.
OKAY? AND, UH, I'M NOT A TALK HOST.
OKAY? I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO, WE HAVE A BETTER RATING.
OKAY? SO, SO ONE THING IS THIS, OKAY? TRACY IS ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, OKAY? ORGANIZERS FOR, I DON'T KNOW, FOREVER, TWO YEARS, 22 YEARS.
AND FOR ME AS A 10 YEARS AS A CITY COUNCIL, I WENT TO HER PLACE, ENJOY ALL THE FIELD AND THIS AND THAT, AND SHE'S SUCH A RUNNING AROUND.
SO TRACY, I KNOW YOU IN THE CHURCH.
YOU ARE THE VERY IMPORTANT PERSON.
TRY TO PUT THIS CHURCH TOGETHER AND THE PASTOR RICHARDSON, AS ONE OF THE BEST ON GLENDORA, IT BECOME OUR ANCHOR BESIDE THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND OTHERWISE YOUR CHURCH SAY SOMETHING.
AND, UM, WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE LIFE.
WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE EACH OTHER AND TO EMBRACE EACH OTHER.
AND WE ARE HERE TO REALLY CELEBRATE CAROL AND ESTHER.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT.
GOOD SAMARITAN STEPPING UP AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU.
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU, PASTOR NEW BEGINNING CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR SERVICE AT ANY TIME.
I, I WENT TO THE SERVICE IS A, IS A VERY, A VERY BEAUTIFUL CHURCH THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND, UH, I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD GO TO TAKE A LOOK AND JOIN THE, OKAY.
OKAY, LET'S HAVE A PICTURE, PLEASE.
ONE MORE PICTURE, SO MUCH FOR THE WITNESS PROTECTION.
UM, SO NEXT WHY I WANT OUR POLICE CHIEF COTINA, WOULD YOU COME DOWN? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO SWEAR IN OUR, YOUR NEW PASTOR, UH, SHOVELLING.
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ME OVER HERE OR YOU'RE OKAY.
UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY STAFF AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M YOUR, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE UP HERE TODAY, UM, TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER, UH, PASTOR AND CHAPLAIN TO OUR POLICE CHAPLAIN PROGRAM.
AND I, REAL QUICKLY JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, AND, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, THESE PROGRAMS. THE POLICE CHAPLAIN PROGRAMS PROVIDE A RANGE OF IMPORTANT BENEFITS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE PERSONNELS AND THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.
AND IN PARTICULAR, POLICE CHAPLAIN PROGRAMS PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AND, UH, AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT FOR OUR OFFICERS, THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY RESPOND TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS OUT IN THE FIELD AND, UH, PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND, UM, LOVED ONES OF VICTIMS. AND THEY PLAY A REAL IMPORTANT ROLE IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS, UH, BY SERVING AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY.
THEY PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS AND REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
UH, CHAPLAINS ALSO POSITIVELY AFFECT THE MORALE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY OFTEN SIT AND SPEAK WITH OUR, OUR PERSONNEL, AND THEY REALLY MAKE THEM FEEL SUPPORTED AND VALUED.
AND THAT'S JUST TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR US.
UM, AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THEIR SERVICE TO ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND TO THE COMMUNITY IS ALL ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS.
SO I WANT TO THANK OUR, OUR CHAPLAINS FOR ALL THEY DO AND ALL THEY GIVE.
UH, THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
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BLESSED TO HAVE PASTOR KELLY DUPE FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS AS OUR CHAPLAIN.HE'S PART OF THE WCP PD FAMILY, AND HE IS ALWAYS BEEN THERE IN TIMES OF NEED FOR OUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE ROLE AND WORK OF A POLICE CHAPLAIN IS A LOT FOR ONE PERSON TO HANDLE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'VE DECIDED TO MAKE A, THE PROGRAM EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE BY BRINGING ON A SECOND POLICE CHAPLAIN.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP, UH, PASTOR KEVIN ETE.
AND I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY INTRODUCE, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASTOR KEVIN TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR COUNCIL AND OUR CITY STAFF HERE.
UH, PASTOR KEVIN IS JUST A GREAT MAN STRAIGHT UP.
I CAN'T, THAT JUST ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE.
UH, AND HE BRINGS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE TO THE WCPD TEAM.
HE WAS THE FOUNDING AND SENIOR PASTOR OF A CHURCH LOCATED IN COVINA FOR OVER 15 YEARS.
UPON RETIRING, HE NOW SERVES SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS AS A CHAPLAIN, INCLUDING EMANATE HEALTH, TO PROVIDE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT TO PATIENTS AND FAMILIES SEEKING HOSPITAL AND HOSPICE CARE.
HE ALSO SERVED AS THE CHAPLAIN FOR THE LAVERNE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR OVER 13 YEARS.
PASTOR KEVIN RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AT CAL POLY POMONA.
AND WHILE PURSUING HIS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, HE ALSO OBTAINED LICENSING AS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, WHERE HE WORKED IN THE FIELD FOR THREE YEARS AT OUR VERY OWN QUEEN OF THE VALLEY HOSPITAL IN THE TRAUMA CENTER.
AFTER PURSUING HIS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, HE RECEIVED HIS MASTER'S DEGREE IN HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION FROM USC.
THEREAFTER, HE WORKED IN THE, IN THE, AND MANAGED IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 20 YEARS AS A SENIOR EXECUTIVE UNTIL BEING CALLED INTO THE MINISTRY.
DURING HIS HEALTHCARE CAREER, HE SERVED AS A PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, VICE PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST OPERATIONS, AND OWNED A HEALTHCARE CONSULTING COMPANY.
IN HIS VARIOUS ROLES AS A PASTOR AND CHAPLAIN AND HIS PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THE MEDICAL ARENA, PASTOR KEVIN HAS GAINED A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE IN TRAINING IN THE FIELDS OF TRAUMA, GRIEF, BEREAVEMENT, HOSPICE CARES, AND OTHER AREAS RELATED TO THE UNEXPECTED TRAUMATIC EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN LIFE.
IN ADDITION, PASTOR KEVIN HAS ALSO PROVIDED COUNSELING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HAS BEEN HONORED TO OFFICIATE WEDDINGS AND UNFORTUNATELY FUNERALS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND PASTOR KEVIN COMPLETED, UH, CALIFORNIA POST STANDARDS, WHICH POST IS WHAT THE STANDARDS THAT GOVERN ALL POLICE IN CALIFORNIA.
UH, THEIR VERY FIRST CHAPLAIN TRAINING PROGRAM 13 YEARS AGO IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.
AND PASTOR KEVIN AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 31 YEARS, AND THEY HAVE TWO SONS.
HIS WIFE IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND WILL, UH, BE PART PARTICIPATING IN THE, UH, SWEARING IN CEREMONY.
AND I LIKE TO SAY, UH, THAT SHE IS ALSO, UH, UH, A, UH, CURRENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE.
SO I WILL NOW BE REFERRING TO HER AS JUDGE OR HER HONOR, NOT
UM, THEIR OLDEST IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ACADEMY AND IS CURRENTLY SERVING OUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS.
AND THEIR YOUNGEST SON JUST GRADUATED FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, AND HE'LL BE CONTINUING HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY AS WELL.
WE HAVE HIM, HIM HERE TONIGHT AS WELL.
SO LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THOSE SERVING THE MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES HAS BEEN A LONG PASSION AND A CALLING FOR PASTOR KEVIN, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BRING YOU ON.
UH, JUDGE, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU COME UP.
SO, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN STAND RIGHT HERE.
AND IF YOU STAND HERE, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, RECITE THE OATH THAT YOU'LL, UM, REPEAT AFTER ME.
UM, AND AFTERWARDS, UM, THE JUDGE WILL PIN THE BADGE ON KEVIN.
I SAID IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU STAB HIM WITH IT ONCE, JUST THIS
UM, SO AT THIS POINT BEGIN, YOU RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I SHALL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY SERVE AS CHAPLAIN, THAT I SHALL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY SERVE AS CHAPLAIN OF THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST COVINA
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POLICE DEPARTMENT.I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND ABILITY, I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY SKILL AND ABILITY, COMMIT MYSELF TO LIVE, COMMIT MYSELF TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF THE DEPARTMENT, ACCORDING TO THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND WILL UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE CONSTITUTION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND WILL UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS ORGANIZATION AT ALL TIMES OF THIS ORGANIZATION, AT ALL TIMES, I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY.
I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT RESERVATION, WITHOUT RESERVATION, AND WITH A SINCERE HEART.
AND WITH A SINCERE HEART, COMMITTING MYSELF TO FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE, COMMITTING MYSELF TO FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE CALLING AND DUTIES, THE CALLING AND DUTIES OF A WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHAPLAIN OF A WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN ALL WAITING FOR, I WAS JUST KIDDING ABOUT STUFF.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? I'M JUST GOING, UH, PASTOR KEVIN, JUST GONNA SAY JUST A COUPLE REAL BRIEF WORDS, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I WENT TO SCHOOL IN THE CITY, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY NOW IN THIS WAY, NOT ONLY FOR THE OFFICERS AS YOU KNOW, WHO HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL JOB, BUT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME, AND I'M TRULY HONORED AND BLESSED TO BE A PART OF THE AMAZING WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT FAMILY.
WELCOME TO THE BIG FAMILY OF WESTS COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU, JUDGE.
AND WE MOVE INTO NEXT, UM, PRESENTATION.
AND THIS ONE IS ABOUT BUILDING DIVISION, COMMUNITY UPDATE AND MILESTONE.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE IMPROVE OUR CITY SERVICE.
WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR CITY SERVICE.
AND, UH, I THINK THE, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR SERVICE? OKAY.
SERVICES CAN, WE DON'T CLOSE OUR CITY HALL SO PEOPLE CAN APPLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE WANT TO OPEN IT UP 7 24, ANYTIME ALL THE PEOPLE CAN APPLY.
ESPECIALLY BUILDING AND SAFETY WHEN PEOPLE WANT BUILD A DU.
PEOPLE WANT TO DO REMODELING, PEOPLE WANNA DO DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION FROM OUR, UH, BUILDING OKAY.
AND UNDERNEATH IS OUR BUILDING SAFETY.
SO OUR DIRECTORS OUR PLANNING.
ANN, AND YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER? YES.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY THE UPDATE ON THE CITY'S BUILDING DIVISION.
THE BUILDING DIVISION IS REALLY THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FIRST SEE THEIR DREAMS OF BUILDING A NEW HOME, ADDING ONTO THEIR HOUSE, AND ALSO OP OPENING A BUSINESS.
ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS HERE IN WEST COVINA TAKES SHAPE AND FORM IN A MORE TANGIBLE AND A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY.
THE BUILDING DIVISION PREPARES, PREPARE, PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS MEET SAFETY AND THE STANDARDS.
AND ITS ESTABLISHED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BUILDING CODE HERE IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING BUILDING AND SAFETY DIVISION.
UM, TODAY WITH US WE HAVE JASON ROBBINS, THE BILL.
JASON CAN PLEASE STAND UP JASON ROBBINS.
HE IS THE BUILDING DIVISION SUPERVISOR, AND WE HAVE AILA JEFFERSON AND DENNIS TARANGO, WHICH ARE THE CITY'S BUILDING OFFICIALS.
AND TONIGHT WE ALSO HAVE MELISSA DEMERS.
UM, SHE WILL GO AHEAD AND DELIVER THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SHE WILL GO OVER THE BUILDING DIVISION PROCESS AND PRESENT THE MILESTONES.
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HONORABLE MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON BEHALF OF TRANSTEC, THE BUILDING DIVISION, AND OF COURSE UNDER OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOANNE BURNS.WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE AND PRESENT ALL OF THE AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING IN YOUR BUILDING AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT.
AND AS JOANNE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, MY NAME'S MELISSA DEMIRCI.
I'M ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS AT TRANSTECH AND WITH ME TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE END, WE HAVE YOUR REALLY CORE BUILDING AND SAFETY SUPERVISOR TEAM AND BUILDING OFFICIALS THAT IS SERVING WEST COVINA EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL START ON THE FIRST SLIDE.
SO THIS FIRST SLIDE REALLY GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR WEST COVINA BUILDING DIVISION, AND WHICH OPERATES UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND THE BUILDING DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING SAFE CODE COMPLIANT ALIGNED WITH STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS.
SO IN ESSENCE, IT ISSUES PERMIT, ISSUANCE, PLAN REVIEW, AND BUILDING INSPECTIONS.
WE TAKE PRIDE AS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, OFTENTIMES BEING THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT FOR A LOT OF RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OR APPLICANTS IN THE CITY, WHICH IS WHY EVERYTHING WE DO IS CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED AND FOCUSED.
WHETHER IT'S ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN PERSON AT THE COUNTER, WALKING SOMEONE THROUGH THE PLAN REVIEW OVER THE PHONE OR EMAIL, OR OFFERING 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, ACCESS TO OUR ONLINE PORTAL WHERE APPLICANTS CAN EASILY UPLOAD THEIR PLANS FROM ANYWHERE, ANYTIME.
AND I GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL, UM, OF HOW THAT WORKS.
WE'VE INCLUDED A SCREENSHOT OF WHAT THAT WEBPAGE LANDING LOOKS LIKE ON THE CITY WEBPAGE, AND UNDERNEATH IS A DIRECT LINK TO THE BUILDING DIVISION.
AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK THERE AND IT GUIDES YOU THROUGH ALL OF THE PROCESS.
THE BUILDING DIVISION PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN WEST COVINA.
IN THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT THOSE CORE SERVICES ARE AND HOW APPLICANTS IN THE COMMUNITY CAN REACH OUT TO THE BUILDING SAFETY DEPARTMENT.
WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE EASY AND NOT OVERWHELM APPLICANTS AS THEY GO THROUGH AND NAVIGATE THE PROCESS.
ALL THIS INFORMATION THAT I'M SHARING IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE, ON THE WEBSITE INSPECTION REQUESTS REALLY SIMPLE.
WHEN A PROJECT IS READY FOR INSPECTION, ALL APPLICANTS HAVE TO DO IS CALL THE BUILDING DIVISION NUMBER (626) 939-8425 AT MINIMUM 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, SCHEDULE THEIR, UM, INSPECTION, AND OUR INSPECTORS GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD AND IS IN CODE COMPLIANCE.
WE HAVE THE PERMIT COUNTER, WHETHER IT'S PERMIT QUESTIONS, STATUS UPDATES, OR GENERAL GUIDANCE.
OUR STAFF IS AVAILABLE IN PERSON EMAIL OR BY PHONE.
UM, THE COUNTER IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, 7:30 AM TO 5:30 PM BUT OFTENTIMES YOU WILL SEE THOSE EMAIL RESPONSES HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THOSE HOURS AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, IT'S OFTEN THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TOUCH POINT THAT AN APPLICANT RESIDENT OR COMMUNITY MEMBER MAY HAVE WITH THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT STRIVES FOR CLEAR, UM, COMMUNICATION, REALLY FRIENDLY CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND EFFICIENT AND SUPPORTIVE, UM, PROCESS THROUGH IT.
THE CITY OFFERS 24 7 ONLINE PLAN SUBMITTALS ALLOWING APPLICANTS TO UPLOAD PLANS ANYTIME FROM ANYWHERE.
OUR GOAL ULTIMATELY IS TO SUPPORT SAFE, SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION IN WEST COLINA WHILE MAKING THE PROCESS EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE USER FRIENDLY.
IN THIS NEXT SLIDE, I GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF VIRTUAL IT HIGHLIGHTS.
WEST COVINA WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP IS REALLY LEADING THE WAY IN MODERNIZING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, MAKING IT EASIER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE CITY'S GO POST ONLINE PORTAL, APPLICANTS CAN NOW SUBMIT PLANS ANYTIME IT IS OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, WITHOUT THE NEED OF COMING INTO CITY HALL.
THE SYSTEM IS PROVIDED MANAGED BY TRANSTECH AT NO COST OR ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CITY.
IT COMES WITH OUR SERVICES AND IT'S DESIGNED TO BE VERY USER-FRIENDLY.
APPLICANTS SIMPLY CREATE A LOGIN.
WE HAVE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO DO THAT.
THEY UPLOAD THEIR PLANS AND FOLLOW THE PROMPTS.
THOSE PLANS ARE THEN ROOTED INTERNALLY BEHIND THE SCENES WHERE OUR PLAN CHECKERS GET THOSE PLANS AND THEY'RE DIVIDED BY DISCIPLINE.
AND THAT PLAN CHECK IS HAPPENING FOR DEVELOPERS OR PROFESSIONALS THAT MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
IT'S EVEN EASIER BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY HAVE, THEY GET TO HAVE ONE LOGIN WHERE THEY CAN TRACK THE STATUS OF MULTIPLE PROJECTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
WITH REAL TIME UPDATES TO THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE WHAT THAT SCREENSHOT LOOKS LIKE.
AGAIN, THIS IS ACCESSIBLE DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CITY OF WEST COVINA PAGE WHERE YOU LOG IN TO UPLOAD YOUR PLANS.
BUT IF ANYONE EVER NEEDS HELP, OUR TEAM, THE BUILDING DIVISION IS THERE TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THE BENEFITS ARE SUBMIT PLANS ANYTIME FASTER, PROCESSING, REAL TRACKING, FEWER TRIPS TO CITY HALL.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A TECH UPGRADE, IT'S REFLECTION OF WEST COVE'S COMMITMENT TO CONVENIENCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND TRULY TOP-NOTCH CUSTOMER SERVICE.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHO IS SERVING YOUR CITY, HOW MUCH STAFF IS
[00:35:01]
SERVING YOUR CITY? AND WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.SO REALLY IT'S ALL AROUND CUSTOMER SERVICE, SPEED AND RELIABILITY.
AT CITY HALL, YOU HAVE 10 TO 14 STAFF MEMBERS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS, APPLICANTS DEVELOPERS DIRECTLY WITH AN ADDITIONAL BEHIND THE SCENES 20 TO 25 TEAM MEMBERS REMOTELY WORKING ON PLAN, CHECKING AND COORDINATING ALL THE PLANS THAT ARE COMING IN.
AND LATER ON IN A, IN ABOUT A SLIDE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE VOLUME OF NUMBERS, UM, THAT YOUR CITY IS PRODUCING.
WE'RE AVERAGING 40 TO 70 BUILDING INSPECTIONS PER DAY, WHICH MEANS DOZENS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY ARE RECEIVING ONSITE SUPPORT DAILY FROM TRAINED PROFESSIONALS AND TOUCHPOINT FROM THE CITY.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE REALLY PROUD THAT WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT PROJECTS IN PLAN CHECK CURRENTLY.
AND OUR AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS JUST TWO WEEKS.
AND THAT'S CALENDAR DAYS, NOT WORKING DAYS, UM, 14 DAYS.
AND OFTENTIMES IT'S EVEN QUICKER BEHIND EVERY PERMIT, INSPECTION AND REVIEW IS A TEAM THAT TAKES PRIDE IN MAKING THIS PROCESS SMOOTH AND CONVENIENT.
AND WEST COVINA TRULY CONTINUES TO SET THE STANDARD OF WHAT HIGH QUALITY, HIGH TOUCH MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ABOUT THROUGH WHAT IS OFTEN LOOKED AT AS A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS.
NOW, THIS NEXT SLIDE, IT'S A LOT OF DATA THAT I'M GONNA THROW AT YOU AND IT REALLY GIVES A CLEAR SNAPSHOT OF WHAT, WHAT DID 2024 LOOK LIKE COLLECTIVELY.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAD SOME DOCUMENTS.
WE ACTUALLY UPDATED THE NUMBERS, SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE EVEN MORE VOLUME IN THIS, UM, NEW DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE.
SO WEST COVINA SERVES NEWLY 107,000 RESIDENTS.
IN 2024, YOUR BUILDING DIVISION PROCESSED 4,658 BUILDING PERMITS.
THIS RANGES FROM EVERYTHING FROM HOME REMODELS, ADUS, COMMERCIAL PROJECT, SIMPLE REMODELS.
INTERNALLY, OUR INSPECTORS CONDUCTED 8,931 INSPECTIONS COLLECTIVELY IN 2024.
AND WE COMPLETED 1,514 INDIVIDUAL PLAN REVIEWS FOR PROJECTS.
AND WITH THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, SOILS, REPORTS, STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS, YOU NAME IT.
AND THAT'S A TOTAL OF 9,495 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS THAT YOUR WEST COVINA TEAM REVIEWED.
AND THIS IS KIND OF MY FAVORITE NUMBER, IS THE TOTAL VALUATION OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITTED IN 2024 WAS $64.4 MILLION.
I WANTED TO TAKE JUST A QUICK MOMENT TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES FOR A BUILDING PERMIT, THEY'RE REQUIRED BY CLO BY CODE TO INCLUDE AN ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THEIR PROJECT.
THAT ESTIMATE INCLUDES EVERYTHING, MATERIALS, LABOR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE REFER TO AS VALUATION.
IT COVERS EVERYTHING, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, GAS, FRAMING, YOU NAME IT.
AND THAT VALUATION IS THEN USED BY STAFF TO HELP CALCULATE THE APPROPRIATE PERMIT FEE.
YOU KNOW, A SIMPLE KITCHEN REMODEL IS NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME PERMIT FEE AS A 500 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING.
AND SO AS STAFF, WE CONFIRM THAT THE SCOPE MATCHES THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT.
SO WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE $64.4 MILLION IN TOTAL VALUATION, THAT'S THE COMBINED ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION VALUE OF PROJECTS IN THE CITY FOR THAT YEAR.
AND IT'S A TRUE REFLECTION OF YOUR INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING ACROSS WEST COVINA.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A YEAR'S WORTH OF INVESTMENT AND GROWTH IN YOUR CITY.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SERVE THE CITY.
NOW, THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE WANTED TO GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
AND SO YOU HAVE YOUR 2024 THAT I HAD ALREADY GONE OVER AND WE DID 2025 YEAR TO DATE.
WHERE ARE WE? SO IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE ALREADY PROCESSED 1,915 PERMITS.
YOUR INSPECTORS HAVE PERFORMED 4,259 INSPECTIONS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH.
THIS IS ONLY FIVE MONTHS INTO THE YEAR.
WE'VE REVIEWED 550 INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, WHICH HAD THE COMBINED 3,356 DOCUMENTS.
AND THE PERMIT VALUATION HAS ALREADY REACHED 40.9 MILLION FIVE MONTHS INTO 2025.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA COMPARE YEAR TO YEAR DIFFERENCES BECAUSE IT'S NORMAL, RIGHT? THEY REFLECT THE NATURAL RHYTHM OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TYPES OF PROJECTS BEING SUBMITTED, THEIR COMPLEXITY, AND WHEN THEY'RE READY TO GO.
SO SOME YEARS MIGHT INCLUDE VERY LARGE SCALE PROJECTS THAT HAVE A HIGH VALUATION, BUT MAYBE THE PERMITS ARE LOWER IN VALUE.
BUT SOME YEARS YOU SEE A SURGE OF SMALLER PROJECTS, KITCHEN REMODELS, ADUS, AND THAT MIGHT HAVE A LOWER VALUATION, BUT A HIGHER PERMIT NUMBER.
SO IT REALLY CHANGES YEAR TO YEAR.
IT DOESN'T MEAN A NEGATIVE TREND BY ANY MEAN.
THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS WEST COVINA CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE STEADY ACTIVITY.
YOUR BUILDING DIVISION REMAINS FULLY STAFFED, ENGAGED, AND FULLY COMMITTED TO PROVIDING FAST RESPONSIVE SERVICE NO MATTER THE PLACE OR TYPE OF PROJECT WE'RE ASSESSING.
SO IN CONCLUSION, AS YOU'VE SEEN THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, THE BUILDING DIVISION ISN'T JUST PROCESSING
[00:40:01]
PLANS AND PERMITS.WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER GUIDED EVERY DAY BY YOUR LEADERSHIP AND VISION FROM THOUSANDS OF INSPECTIONS AND PLAN REVIEWS, A DEDICATED TEAM READY TO DELIVER.
AND HERE IN 2025, WE'RE ALREADY AT PACE TO REALLY EXCEED, UM, THE PREVIOUS VALUATIONS.
A LOT OF GREAT PROJECTS ARE IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, ANY APPLICANT, ANY HOMEOWNER, ANY RESIDENT, ANY DEVELOPER THAT IS DOING CONSTRUCTION IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA HAS ACCESS TO UPLOAD THEIR PLANS AT THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME, IN THEIR OFFICE ABROAD.
UM, ON BEHALF OF OUR TEAM, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS AND IT'S SUCH A JOY TO WORK TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
ANY QUESTIONS? MYSELF AND OUR TEAM IS HERE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTION? HOLLY, ARE YOU HAPPY? VERY YOU VERY HAPPY.
AND, UH, MAYOR POTENT, GO AHEAD.
UM, I REMEMBER THE PAST YEAR WHEN I FIRST STARTED, ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I GOT, INCLUDING MYSELF WHEN I WAS REMODELING, WAS THE PERMITS, THE, UH, COMING OVER FOR INSPECTION.
ORIGINALLY WE ONLY HAD LIKE ONE OR TWO, AND IF ONE'S OUT, IT WAS JUST, IT DELAYED EVERYTHING.
SO SEEING THIS OF HOW MANY, UH, INSPECTORS ARE OUT THERE, JUST THE NUMBERS AND THE QUICK TURNAROUND, I'M, I'M SURE OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAPPY, AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU.
AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, GO AHEAD.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AND I THANK YOU.
I'M REALLY HAPPY I EXPERIENCED, UH, BUILDING OR HAVING AN ADDITION DONE AND OH BOY, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE ONLY HAD TWO INSPECTORS, I THINK.
UH, I, OKAY, UH, ALDI, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING OR OTHER WAY? I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
UH, WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND THAT THE REASON, UH, I REQUEST THIS, UH, PRESENTATION BECAUSE, UH, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
OKAY? WE, WE DOING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE BUSINESS, OKAY? WE, WE HAVE SO MANY, OUR RESIDENT WANT TO REMODEL THEIR HOME.
THEY WANT TO DO A DU, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, WE ACCOMMODATE AND THEY MAKE IT OKAY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE LONG WEEKEND BECAUSE THE CITY OPEN MONDAY TO THURSDAY, BUT NOW THEY CAN ONLINE 7 24.
SO IN THAT WAY, ANYTIME THEY'RE HOME THE WEEKEND, THEY CAN JUST SUBMIT.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WANT TO, ONE TIME I WANT TO BUILD A GARAGE, I GIVE UP BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE, BUT, AND I REMEMBER, OKAY, I DELAY AND I DIDN'T PAY.
OKAY, EXTENSION, THEY CALL ME AT SUNDAY, SAY, EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU STILL WANT TO DO YOUR GARAGE EXTENSION? AND I SAY, UH, NO, I GIVE UP.
ARE YOU SURE? AND, AND THIS IS A GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
DURING THE WEEKEND, THEY CALLING ME AND WANT ME TO SAY, ARE YOU STILL WANT TO DO YOUR PROJECT? AND THAT IS, UH, UH, IMPRESSIVE.
MEANING THAT EVEN DURING THE WEEKEND, TRY TO ASK THE RESIDENT OKAY, ABOUT YOU WANNA DO YOUR PROJECT OR NOT.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT, 7 24? THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS, CAN WE PEOPLE PAY THE FEE ONLINE? NOT YET.
RIGHT? I'M GONNA DIVERT THAT QUESTION OVER.
CAN THE FEE BE PAID ONLINE? CAN WE PAY ONLINE THE, THE FEE? BECAUSE THE, IF YOU DON'T PAY THE FEE, THEY WILL SAY, OKAY, AND THE PROJECTS CANNOT BE MOVING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY THE FEE FIRST.
UM, YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER TO YOUR MIC? YEAH.
UH, INVOICE THE PAYMENTS ONLINE.
YOU DO ACTUALLY NOT HAVE TO COME INTO THE CITY AT ALL TO PROCESS YOUR PROJECT.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE DONE COMPLETELY ONLINE, NO IN-PERSON INTERACTION WHATSOEVER.
OUR STAFF WILL SEND AN INVOICE WITH THE FEE AMOUNT AND THEY'LL ALSO SEND A LINK OF WHERE YOU CAN PAY ONLINE BY CREDIT CARD.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE CITY HALL, GO TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO PAY THE FEE.
BUT THIS FEE WILL GO TO THE OUR CT FINANCE, RIGHT? YES.
NOT GOING TO YOUR POCKET, RIGHT? NO.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THE FEE COME TO OUR CITY HALL.
JOANNE WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YES.
THE, THE LINK THAT WE PROVIDE TO PAY ONLINE IS ACTUALLY THROUGH OUR WEBS, OUR OWN WEBSITE.
SO THIS IS, UH, SO WE CAN DO THE OKAY.
SO BASICALLY PEOPLE CAN APPLY AND GIVE YOU THE PLAN.
AND YOU SAY THIS APPROVED, BUT THIS IS THE FEE THEY CAN PAY ONLINE THE FEE, AND THEN THEY CAN ROCK AND ROLL.
YOU WANT TO ADD ON SOMETHING SINCE YOU COME UP
NOT ONLY SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT, BUT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT IS TOTALLY VIRTUAL NOW, SO, OKAY.
PAYMENTS, APPLICATIONS AND PERMIT ISSUANCE ARE DONE ONLINE.
UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, UPFRONTING A NEW PERMITTING SYSTEM THAT'S GONNA MAKE THE DEPARTMENT EVEN BETTER AND EASIER OR STREAMLINE.
YEAH, THE BIGGEST, IT'S, UH, RIGHT NOW IN 2025 AND, UH, TIMES MONEY AND LOT OF PEOPLE JUST WANT TO GET THIS THING AND THEY DON'T WANT DELAY.
THE MOST OF THE TIME WE, WE HEARD FROM THE RESIDENT IS DELAYED THIS AND THAT, AND HOPEFULLY WITH THE NEW SYSTEM EVERYTHING WILL
[00:45:01]
BE STREAMLINED.VIRTUAL OFFICE AND EVERYTHING CAN BE AUTOMOTIVE AND THIS AND THAT.
BUT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO GO TO THE, IF YOU SEE I HAVE A PROJECT, A DU, BUT I STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PLANNER FIRST, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO GO TO YOU FIRST.
YES, THEY WOULD HAVE, THEY WOULD HAVE START OFF WITH PLANNING FIRST AND GET APPROVAL THROUGH PLANNING AND THEN GO TO BUILDING.
CAN THEY GO TO DO THE PLANNING BY VIRTUE OR THEY STILL NOT YET.
THE CITY IS WORKING ON A OUR WEBSITE SUBMITTAL PORTAL.
SO, UH, MAYBE ACTING CITY MANAGER, WE CAN WORK ON LEAD IMPROVEMENT.
SO IN THAT WAY EVERYTHING CAN BE BASICALLY ONLINE.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER CITY COUNCIL WANT TO ADD ON? NO, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO ANNOUNCE TO OUR RESIDENT, IF WE WANNA DO ANY PROJECT AND YOU WANT TO DO A DU, YOU WANT TO REMODEL BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO REMODEL THEIR HOME RATHER THAN BUY A NEW HOME, THEY DECIDE TO FORGET IT JUST REMODEL EXPANSION.
SO THIS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO APPLY AND HOPEFULLY THIS NEW 7 24 CAN HELP THEM HAVE A TROUBLE FREE AND THEN TO GO THROUGH WITH, WITH YOU GUY, NOT BUREAUCRACY, BUT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND SINCE WE IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE BUSINESS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, I REALLY APPRECIATE.
AND THE NEXT THING, WE JUST HAVE OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A SIMILAR SYSTEM TOO.
AND HOPEFULLY ALL THE DEPARTMENT CAN BE LIKE THIS.
AND UH, AND UH, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ON ANYBODY? NO, NO, IT'S NOT.
I'M GOING TO FINISH THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GOING TO, BEFORE I MOVE TO THE ORAL COMMUNICATION AND I, WE HAVE A GERMAN IN A MEMORY OF OFFICER SAMUEL, UH, RIVERO.
IT'S A VERY SAD STORY AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW HIM.
OKAY, ON SATURDAY, MAY 31ST, 2025, BOWEN PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER RESPOND, RESPONDED TO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THEY WERE MET WITH A GUNFIRE FROM A SUSPECT.
TRAGICALLY, OFFICER SAMUEL VERO SUSTAIN A FATAL INJURY IN THE LINE OF DUTY WHILE COURAGEOUSLY PROTECTING THE, THE LIFE OF ELDERS AND THE COMMUNITY HE SERVE.
OFFICER RO OKAY, BEGAN HIS CAREER IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2016, A DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT.
HE WAS A MEMBER OF BOWEN PARK SWAT TEAM AND SERVED AS A FIELD TRAINING OFFICER OUTSIDE OF HIS DUTY.
HE LOVE SNOWBOARDING AND A CHAIR ON THE A LA DODGER.
HE'S A DODGER FAN WITH A HEAVY HEART.
WE STAND IN THE SOLIDARITY WITH OUR NEIGHBOR, CITY OF BOWEN PARK AND DARE POLICE DEPARTMENT STATE MOLIN THE LAWS OF A HERO.
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCE TO THE OFFICER, WHOEVER, OKAY, RIVERA'S, FAMILY FRIEND, FELLOW OFFICER.
HIS SACRIFICE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE OFFICER RIVER.
THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH AT 7:20 PM THERE WILL BE A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR THE OFFICERS SAMUEL RIVERA AT THE BOW PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE FOUNTAIN AREA.
IF ANYBODY HAVE TIME, UH, IF HE CAN SHOW UP TO SHOW, SHOW YOUR REGARD PLEASE AND SHOW UP.
AND, UH, THIS IS VERY SAD, OKAY? AND, UH, ONE OF, UH, POLICE OFFICER AND TRIED TO PROTECT THE RESIDENT AND, AND, UH, AND, UM, AND SACRIFICE AND, UH, FOR THE RESIDENT, SO OUR, OUR CON CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY, TO THE CITY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[ORAL COMMUNICATIONS]
WE MOVED TO THE ORAL COMMUNICATION.UH, WE WERE NOW TO THE ORAL COMMUNICATION COMMON ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, AT LEAST MODIFIED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER OR THE CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL REQUEST TO SPEAK.
AN AGENDA ITEM WILL BE HEARD PRIOR TO REQUEST TO SPEAK ON THE NON ITEM MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT ENGAGE IN THE BEHAVIORAL THAT IS DISRUPTED TO THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF MEETING, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPEAK OF TOPIC.
SPEAKING BEYOND THE SPEAKER'S ALLOWED TIME LIMIT MAKING THE SLANDEROUS OF A PROFE REMARK OR USING LOUD THREATENING OR ABUSIVE
[00:50:01]
LANGUAGE, WHICH DISRUPT OKAY DISTURB, PLETE, OR RENDER INVISIBLE THE ELDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING.MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT THREATEN ANY PERSON WITH A PHYSICAL HARM OR ACT IN MANNER THAT MAY REASONABLY BE INTERPRETED AS AN ELEMENT THREAT OF PHYSICAL HARM.
WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME BEING CALLED, YOU MAY SIT IN THE FRONT OF A FRONT ROW AND THAT'S ANOTHER PUBLIC SPEAKER.
AND THE TIME WILL START WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
AND
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JIM GRITCH, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA RIOS, FOLLOWED BY ALEX.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK AS A MEMBER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
FIRST, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THE WORD AUDIT MEANS TO HEAR OR TO LISTEN.
AND I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
THE CITY HAS HELD TWO, UH, WORKSHOPS NOW, BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE FIRST, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP TO THESE WORKSHOPS A LOT LARGER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN YEARS PAST.
AND A LOT OF THE SPEAKERS WERE VERY ARTICULATE ABOUT WHAT THEY FELT THE ISSUES WERE WITH THE WAY THE CITY IS USING ITS MONEY.
I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID, BUT I AM ASKING THAT THE CITY MANAGER ARRANGE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE EXPOSED TO THE ISSUES THAT THE RESIDENTS RAISED, UH, AND THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER THOSE ISSUES.
UH, IN YEARS PAST WHEN FOLKS GOT UP AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT AND NOT IMPORTANT, THEY TENDED TO BE IGNORED.
AND I'M HOPING THIS YEAR THAT WON'T BE THE CASE.
UH, AND I'M JUST GONNA GIVE ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
ONE, ONE THING THAT I'VE SAID OVER THE YEARS THAT I THINK HAS BEEN KIND OF IGNORED IS SOMETHING THE STATE AUDITOR HAS SAID IN THREE SEPARATE AUDIT REPORTS, WHICH IS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO GET BEST VALUE OUT OF ITS CONTRACTS.
AND ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THERE'S A FIREWORKS CONTRACT.
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY ISN'T IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT WAS LIKE 38,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT WAS THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO SEE IF ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER GOOD PRICE WAS AVAILABLE.
WHY? BECAUSE THE PROCESS WASN'T DONE APPROPRIATELY.
WHEN YOU GO INTO A CAR DEALERSHIP AND WANNA BUY A CAR, YOU DON'T JUST ACCEPT WHAT THE CAR DEALER TELLS YOU THE PRICE IS YOU, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, TRY TO GET A BETTER PRICE.
THE CITY DOESN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND DOESN'T DO IT, UH, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR CONTRACTING AND, UH, TO BUY FIREWORKS, YOU HAVE TO START A WHOLE YEAR AHEAD.
AND THE CITY'S NEVER DONE THAT.
SO THEY END UP WITH PAYING HIGH PRICE FOR BASICALLY ONE, ONE BIDDER AT THE LAST MINUTE.
AND, UH, I, I'M JUST USING ONE EXAMPLE 'CAUSE IT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
AND, AND A LOT OF YOUR BUDGET PROBLEMS WOULD GO AWAY IF YOU ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION TO, TO THE THANK YOU, JIM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA RIOS, FOLLOWED BY ALEX.
MAYOR, PRO TEM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
I AM THE ACTING LIBRARY MANAGER, UM, FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR SUMMER EVENTS.
UM, JUNE 1ST, WE STARTED OUR SUMMER DISCOVERY PROGRAM.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES, AND, UM, YOU CAN READ AND EARN, UM, PRIZES FOR YOUR READING.
UM, WE HAVE EVENTS FOR CHILDREN ON WEDNESDAYS AT 2:00 PM UM, MAGIC SHOWS, UH, COMING.
WE HAVE A MAGIC SHOW COMING UP ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH.
AND, UM, FOR ADULTS THIS MONTH WE HAVE, UH, OUR BOOK CLUB.
AND THE FEATURED, UM, BOOK FOR ADULTS IS A FUNNY STORY BY EMILY HENRY.
UM, WE HAVE A PROGRAM FOR TEENS COMING UP ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11TH.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES, SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JOIN US AND, UM, HAVE FUN THIS SUMMER READING.
[00:55:01]
NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL, FOLLOWED BY LUIS CASTANEDA.GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS ALI POFF, PROJECT COORDINATOR AT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
WHICH IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING COMMUNITIES ACROSS LA COUNTY.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SMOKE-FREE WEST COVINA COALITION, WHICH INCLUDES LOCAL RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.
OUR COALITION SERVES AS A UNIFIED VOICE ADVOCATING FOR SMOKE-FREE CITY, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON PROTECTING PUBLIC OUTDOOR SPACES AND ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, UM, OUR COALITION MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE BY CONDUCTING SURVEYS, TABLING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND HOSTING TOWN HALLS AND EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS.
SPEAKING OF PRESENTATIONS, I WANTED INVITE YOU ALL AND THE COMMUNITY TO ATTEND OUR UPCOMING PRESENTATION ON THE HARMS OF SECONDHAND SMOKE IN OUTDOOR AREAS.
IT'LL TAKE PLACE AT WEST COVINA LIBRARY ON FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH, AT 11:00 AM I'LL BE DISCUSSING THE HEALTH RISKS OF SECONDHAND SMOKE FROM BOTH TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND E-CIGARETTES, AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOBACCO LITTER.
WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US IN CREATING A HEALTHIER, CLEANER WEST COVINA FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL, FOLLOWED BY LOUIS CASTANEDA, FOLLOWED BY RAFAEL.
UH, I BOUGHT A BUILDING HERE AND FOR COULD YOU, COULD YOU HAVE A MIC IN? OKAY.
UH, I BOUGHT A BUILDING IN WEST COVINA.
I DID A 10 31 EXCHANGE, AND FOUR YEARS LATER I FOUND OUT I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE, WHICH I GUESS I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN YOU RENTED OUT A BUILDING, YOU HAD TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE.
AND SO I GOT A BILL FOR $13,700 FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF BUSINESS LICENSE AND A PENALTY OF $13,700.
SO I IMMEDIATELY PAID THE $13,700 THAT I OWED FOR THE LICENSE, BUT I DIDN'T PAY THE, UH, THE FINE.
'CAUSE I, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FAIR.
BUT ANYWAY, IT'S GONE ON AND ON.
THE, THE FEES HAVE GONE UP TO 34,000, BUT NOW FOR SOME REASON, THIS LAST ONE I THINK SAYS THAT I ONLY OWE 20,000 AND ALL THESE ARE FEES FOR, FOR NOT HAVING PAID THE, THE FIRST ONES ON TIME.
AND I, I JUST THINK IT'S, UH, I'D GET PHONE CALLS FROM SOME COMPANY AND I'D EXPLAIN IT TO THEM, AND I THOUGHT WHEN I GOT DONE WITH THEM THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY.
AND THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER OR A MONTH LATER, I GET ANOTHER BILL WITH THE PENALTIES AND IT GOES ON AND ON.
AND THEN THERE'S A SECOND ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS THIS BUILDING THAT I OWN IS IN AN AREA THAT THEY NOW WANT RESTAURANTS, MORTUARIES, CHURCHES, ALL TYPES OF BUILDINGS.
AND IT'S A BIG CONCRETE, UH, DRY CLEANING BUILDING.
IT'S LIKE THE BIGGEST DRY CLEANING BUILDING AROUND 15,442 SQUARE FEET.
SO NOW THE TENANTS MOVED OUT AND, UH, MY INCOME'S DROPPED FROM LIKE, UH, 35,000 TO MY SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK OF 3000.
UH, AND MY EXPENSES ARE OVER 20,000.
UM, AND IT'S WHAT THE BUILDING WITH THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WANTS IN THIS AREA, RESTAURANTS AND ALL THESE OTHER TYPES OF BUILDINGS, NONE OF WHICH THIS BUILDING COULD POSSIBLY BE.
AND MY, MY AGENT COULD HAVE, UM, EITHER SOLD IT OR RENTED IT A YEAR AGO WITH STORAGE, WHICH REALLY IS, IT'S LIKE, IT'S A BIG CONCRETE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S BIG WASHING MACHINES IN IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, SO I'M, I'M STUCK WITH ALL THIS, THESE FINES.
AND NOW ON TOP OF THAT, OUT A BUILDING THAT, OH, AND THEN FOR WHAT THEY WANT THE BUILDING TO BE, I WOULD NEED 47 PARKING SPACES.
THERE'S 10 PARKING SPACES IN THE BACK AND THERE'S A, A TURNAROUND IN THE FRONT.
SORRY, THE BUZZER DIDN'T GO OFF, BUT TIME MAYOR.
AND, UH, COULD YOU HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION TO
[01:00:01]
OUR ACTING CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER? CAN YOU HELP HIM OUT TO LOOK INTO HIS SITUATION? YES, MR. MAYOR, ACTUALLY.UM, I CAN, SO, UM, JUST GET THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE, WE TRY OUR BEST TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
LOUIS CASTANEDA, FOLLOWED BY RAPHAEL, FOLLOWED BY JD.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME COMING UP HERE, SO I'M KIND OF NERVOUS, BUT, UH, MY NAME IS LUIS CASTANEDA.
I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
I'M ALSO THE CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF CASTANEDA NETWORKS.
IT'S A GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, A CONSULTING COMPANY THAT I STARTED OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
JUST WANTED TO COME ON HERE AND, UH, REALLY THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR BEING ABLE TO HELP ME OUT, UH, GET THE LICENSING DONE AND KIND OF JUST EXPLAINING EVERYTHING.
I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK A COUPLE INDIVIDUALS, UH, MR. ALI CONTOS, UH, HIMSELF.
WE'VE HAD A FEW CONVERSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS VERY INSPIRING, UH, TO ME A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UM, I WANTED TO ALSO, UM, SURE, I WAS ACTUALLY AN INTERN FOR THE, UH, CITY OF WEST COVINA AND THE IT DEPARTMENT AS A GIS, UH, TECHNICIAN.
SO, AND THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING HOW, UH, LIFE PLAYS A ROLE.
SO I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK WILLIAM TRUJILLO IN THE IT DEPARTMENT FOR PLAYING AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN MY LIFE.
AND, UM, YEAH, SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO COME ON HERE AND THANK EVERYBODY.
I WANTED TO THANK ONE OF 'EM WHO I THINK IS NO LONGER HERE.
KAREN COE FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SHE WAS, UH, VERY GREAT.
AND THEN GERARDO ROGE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT HE'S IN, BUT HE'S ANOTHER EXCELLENT FELLOW.
YOU STILL AROUND? I BELIEVE SO, YES.
UM, COMPLIANCE DIVISION WHO KINDLY REMINDED ME THAT I NEEDED TO PAY MY LICENSE WHEN IT SLIPPED MY MIND, SO OF COURSE,
YEAH,
UM, BUT YEAH, SO, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A RIDE, UH, STARTED IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR AND REALLY PICKED UP TWO MONTHS AGO, UM, WHERE HEADQUARTERED OUT OF THE REGIS BUILDING RIGHT BEHIND THE EDWARDS THEATER.
UM, WE ARE JUST SO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING A LOT OF GREAT PRODUCTS AND INNOVATION, UH, ONE OF WHICH IS USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY, AI AND IO OT, UH, DEVICES TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL AGENCIES AND MID-SIZE COMPANIES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF COMING OUT OF WEST COVINA.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE RESIDENT SHOULD BE HAPPY.
I'M HAPPY AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR PLAYING AN IN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN, IN DOING THAT.
HAPPY RESIDENT, HAPPY BUSINESSMAN.
AND, UH, YOU'LL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RAPHAEL, FOLLOWED BY JD, FOLLOWED BY SAMUEL MARTINEZ.
EVENING, FOLKS, UM, I'M GONNA THROW ALL THE NUMBERS AT YOU.
I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT COFFEE AND CAMERAS.
AVERAGE PERSON DRINKS ABOUT $92 WORTH OF COFFEE A MONTH.
OUR FLOCK CAMERAS ARE ABOUT 3,500 PER CAMERA.
POLICE RADIOS ARE ABOUT 8,000 A PIECE.
UM, AND BY THE WAY, THEY NEED TO BE UPGRADED COMING JULY FOR NEW FREQUENCY, UM, BODY CAMS FOR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS.
AND THE CAR CAMS ARE 1.4 MILLION EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UM, OUR COMPUTER AID DISPATCH AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, 320,000 A YEAR.
RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE FOUR OFFICERS WORKING ON OUR HOPE TEAMS. HOPE MANAGES OUR HOMELESS ISSUES.
THAT'S FOUR OFFICERS FOR 40 PERMANENT HOMELESS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN WEST COVINA, NOT MENTIONING THE 100 TO 300 THAT FLOAT THROUGH AT ANY TIME.
AND THERE'S ONLY FOUR OFFICERS, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB, BY THE WAY.
OKAY? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 87 POLICE OFFICERS.
WE'RE SLATED TO HAVE AT LEAST A HUNDRED, WE HAVE 87.
IT TAKES US 21 WEEKS TO HIRE ONE OFFICER AND PUT A BADGE ON THEM.
WHY AM I MENTIONING ALL THIS? WELL, I CAME UP AT A MEETING, AND BY THE WAY, I'M ALSO ON THE ART COMMITTEE.
HEY, JIM, HOW YOU DOING? I'M STILL HERE.
THAT WE HAVE CITY MEMBERS THAT ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN FLOCK CAMERAS, YET WILL NOT SPEND LESS THAN WHAT THEY SPEND ON COFFEE A MONTH.
TO SUPPORT A PUBLIC SAFETY TAX, A PUBLIC SAFETY TAX ON THE 2,399 PROPERTIES THAT ARE TAXABLE IN OUR CITY WOULD GENERATE TWO $2,031,920.
RIGHT NOW, WE ONLY HAVE 40 FLOCK CAMERAS IN A 20
[01:05:01]
SQUARE MILE DISTRICT.UM, THESE ARE INVALUABLE ASSETS.
I WAS GONNA CALL OUT, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, UH, AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
HE MADE IT ADAMANT THAT HE WAS GONNA DEFEND AND SUPPORT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO I SAY, COUNSEL, ARE WE GONNA TREAT OUR POLICE THE WAY WE TREAT OUR VETERANS? WE ARE GONNA LOVE THEM WHEN THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR US, LOVE THEM WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE ON, BUT WE'RE GONNA FORGET ABOUT THEM.
AS SOON AS THAT'S OVER, WE NEED A PUBLIC SAFETY TAX.
EVERY OTHER CITY AROUND HERE HAS ONE.
WE'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT SERIOUSLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JD, FOLLOWED BY SAMUEL MARTINEZ, PASTOR SAMUEL MARTINEZ.
I'M IN THIS DISTRICT, SO I HAVE
ABOUT, UH, ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO, I, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO, I HAD A REAL DESIRE IN MY HEART TO, UM, VISIT THE, UH, JEWISH, UH, SYNAGOGUE, THE TEMPLE.
AND, UH, FINALLY I WENT DOWN THERE, NEVER BEEN IN A JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, AND I'M 75, ALMOST 75 YEARS OLD.
UM, I WALKED IN AND I WAS GREETED BY TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ASKED ME WHY I WAS THERE.
UH, I DIDN'T FEEL INTERROGATED.
I DIDN'T FEEL THREATENED OR ANYTHING.
I JUST, UH, SAID, I'M A LOVER OF ISRAEL AND I'M A LOVER OF JERUSALEM.
AND, UH, I'VE BEEN BACK ABOUT, UH, EIGHT TIMES.
THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, I WROTE A LITTLE NOTE TO, UH, UH, THE RABBI AND I GAVE IT TO HIM.
AND I SAID, UH, YES, I AM A A CHRISTIAN PASTOR, AND I PASTOR IN THIS CITY.
UH, BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY I I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE IS BECAUSE I LOVE ISRAEL AND I LOVE JERUSALEM.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF ANTISEMITISM EVER CREEPS UP IN MY BELOVED CITY, THAT YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN SAMUEL MARTINEZ, AND YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN OUR CHURCH.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
AND TO ALL THE JEWISH CITIZENS, RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY.
AND, UH, IF AM I, ANTISEMITISM EVER COMES AROUND THIS CITY, WHICH I BELIEVE IT WON'T, YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN OUR CHURCH AND IN OUR MINISTRY AND IN SAMUEL, GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
AND, UH, UH, CITY ACTING CITY MANAGER, WANT TO RESPOND SOME OF THE SPEAKER QUESTION AND A CONCERN.
UH, MR. GRITCH, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND I HAVE ATTENDED THE BUDGET MEETINGS AS WELL, THE WORKSHOPS, AND I WILL EXPOSE THE COUNCIL TO THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS AT THOSE MEETINGS, AND I WILL BRING THEM UP TO SPEED ON, UH, THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MS. RIOS, THANK YOU AGAIN, ALWAYS ATTENDING AND, UH, BRINGING US UPDATE ON THE LATEST HAPPENINGS AT THE LIBRARY, UH, PROGRAMS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
IT'S A VERY VALUABLE, UH, PROGRAMS IN OUR CITY, AND IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.
UM, MS. POOF, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ON THE HARMS OF SECONDHAND SMOKE, UM, AND THE DAMAGING COULD CAUSE.
AND I HOPE YOUR EVENT IS WELL ATTENDED THIS WEEK.
I DIDN'T SEE, I DIDN'T SEE ME.
UM, MICHAEL, I, I SAW YOU SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND THANK YOU FOR COMING UP TO SPEAK AT, AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS VINCE AND THE WAY THAT'S VINCE'S BROTHER MICHAEL.
SO I ACTUALLY GO WAY BACK TO THE, WITH, UH, MICHAEL'S BROTHER.
WE USED TO ATTEND THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES TOGETHER MANY YEARS AGO.
BUT MICHAEL, IF I WILL GIVE YOU A CALL THIS WEEK, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEES AND PENALTIES, AND ALSO THE BUSINESS USE.
UM, SO I WILL GIVE YOU A CALL TOMORROW AND WE'LL, I'LL HELP YOU RESOLVE ALL THOSE ISSUES.
UM, MS. CASTANEDA OR MR. CASTANEDA, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE KIND WORDS AND RECOGNIZING STAFF AND COUNSEL, UH, FOR THE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY PROVIDE, UM, TO YOU AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
[01:10:01]
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.UM, YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT FLOCK, CAMERAS, POLICE RADIOS, BODY CAMS, AND A PUBLIC SAFETY ATTACKS ARE WELL RECOGNIZED.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO HIM ALREADY, I WILL HAVE CHIEF CORTINA SPEAK WITH YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ANY POLICE ISSUES.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE SUPPORT FOR OUR, UH, MEN AND WOMEN OF WEST VENA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING POSITIVE AND STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING ALONG WITH EVERYBODY.
PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYBODY THAT WE DEAL WITH, AND HAVING A SAFE, UM, COMMUNITY.
UM, RO MAYOR, UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS.
ANY OTHER CITY COUNCIL? ANY QUESTION? UH, I THINK, I THINK JAMES MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, THE CONTRACT.
I, I THINK OKAY, THAT'S A, A LONG-TERM ISSUE WE CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IN.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE IP FOR ALL THE CONTRACT.
AND I INCLUDE THE FIREWALL IN THE MAYBE NEXT YEAR.
SO IN THAT WAY, WE HAVE A OPEN POLICY, PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT WE HAVE, AND I THINK EVERY 3, 4, 5 YEARS OF CONTRACT CONTRACT UP AND WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, IP AND TO FIND THE BEST AND, UM, MORE EFFICIENT TO SERVE CITY, I THINK.
AND THAT'S A WELL TAKEN, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUE THAT MOST OF C HAS.
SO HOPEFULLY UNDER YOUR WATCH, WE CAN CORRECT THAT, THE ISSUE TO SAVE MONEY FOR OUR TAXPAYER.
ANY OTHER COUNSEL? ONLY YOU WANT SAY SOMETHING.
I REALLY AM SUPPORTIVE OF MR. GRIT'S.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE THAT, STARTING WITH 4TH OF JULY IS ALSO HAPPENING NEXT YEAR, SO WE SHOULD BE ON THAT NOW SO WE CAN SAVE SOME MONEY ON THE FIREWORKS, BUT ALSO IT'S JUST A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO, TO REALLY COMPETE THESE OUT SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET THE BEST SERVICES FOR THE, FOR THE MOST REASONABLE PRICE.
ANY OTHER CONSOLE? OTHER? OTHERWISE,
[CITY MANAGER'S REPORT]
I'M GOING TO MOVE TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, ACTING CITY MANAGER REPORT.UM, I'LL START OUT WITH, UM, OUR MEMORIAL DAY EVENT, 2025 MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY.
UH, THE CITY'S HELD ITS MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY ON MONDAY, MAY 26TH AT 10:00 AM IN FRONT OF THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL, IN A COURTYARD AT OR WEST COVINA CIVIC CENTER.
UH, THE EVENT FEATURED MEMORIAL DAY SPEECH FROM MAYOR TONY WU.
GUEST SPEAKERS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY CELESTIAL ASSEMBLY AND A, A COMMUNITY LUNCHEON.
THE VETERANS MEMORIAL ALSO RECEIVED AN UPDATE.
UM, THREE HONOREES WERE ADDED JUST IN TIME FOR MEMORIAL DAY, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FOUR FORMER WESTS COVINA, MAYOR LLOYD JOHNSON, AND THE WEST COVINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
THESE NEW ADDITIONS WERE VERIFIED, UH, TO HAVE BEEN WESTS COVINA RESIDENTS WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II.
THESE HONOREES ARE WILLIAM THOMAS LANG, JACK WILTON WILKE, AND HOMER HOBERT CUSHMAN.
THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, UH, WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN WAS HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 28TH AT CORTEZ PARK COMMUNITY CENTER COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER.
UH, 65 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATED.
UH, THE SURVEY FOR WORKSHOP TWO IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND CAN BE ACCESSED BY VISITING THE PARKS OF RECREATION MASTER PLAN WEBSITES.
THE CITY OF WEST COVINA IS HOLDING THREE COMMUNITY BUDGET BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETINGS TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 25 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK THUS FAR.
TWO WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN HELD THE FIRST HERE AT CITY HALL ON THURSDAY, MAY 29TH, AND THE SECOND WAS HELD MONDAY, JUNE 2ND AT SHADOW ELK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER.
THE THIRD AND FINAL COMMUNITY BUDGET WORKSHOP IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 12TH AT THE PALM VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER, HIGHLIGHTING A LITTLE BIT OF THE GOOD WORK THAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE.
OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREW IN THE EOS.
UH, LAST WEEK, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM REPAIRED THE SIDEWALK IN THE EOS LIFTED SECTION OF CONCRETE.
AND OTHER HAZARDS WERE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO PREVENT INJURIES AND CLAIMS. UM, SIDEWALKS, UH, REPAIRS CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR WEED ABATEMENT.
UM, SEVERAL MEDIANS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WERE OUR CURRENTLY UNDERGOING WEED ABATEMENT.
UM, THE PICTURES OF THE SLIDES DEPICT THE WORK, WHICH HAS BEEN DONE AND PERFORMED BY, UH, BRIGHTVIEW LANDSCAPING SERVICES, RED CURB AND STRIPING LAST WEEK.
PUBLIC WORKS ADDRESSED RED CURB AND STRIPING OF CROSSWALKS AND REPAINTED, WORN, AND FADED SECTIONS.
PUBLIC WORKS WILL CONTINUE TO REPAINT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ON OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE.
UM, THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN, UH, REFERRED TO AS PMP WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024.
THE PMP ASSESSES ALL ROADS WITHIN THE CITY AND GUIDES THE REHABILITATION PLANS.
ZONE SIX IS CONSTRUCTION IS BEING
[01:15:01]
COMPLETED, AND WITH THE NOTICE OF COMPLETION TO BE BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE SUMMER OF 2025.ZONE SIX COVERS THE AREA BETWEEN GLENDORA AND LARK ELLEN, SOUTH OF THE 10 FREEWAY ZONE 12 COM COMPLETING DESIGN AND GOING OUT TO BID FOR CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUMMER OF 25.
SUMMER OF 2025, UH, CONSTRUCTION ANTICIPATED TO START, UH, FOR THE FALL OF 2026, I'M SORRY, FALL OF 2025.
ALSO, UM, THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL, UH, WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN CALIFORNIA ADOPT A PET DAY ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH.
AS PART OF THIS STATEWIDE EFFORT TO PROMOTE PET ADOPTIONS, ADOPTION OF FEES WILL BE WAIVED FOR ALL ANIMALS AT ALL SEVEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTERS.
UH, THIS INCLUDES SPAY, NEUTER, AND MICROCHIPPING.
SOME OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, DISTRICT FOUR COMMUNITY MEETING WILL BE HELD AT WEST COVINA CITY HALL FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM ON JUNE 11TH, TIES AND TIERS AT SHADOW OAK COMMUNITY CENTER.
5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM ON JUNE 13TH.
POPCORN ACTION MOVIE NIGHT WILL BE HELD AT CAMERON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER FROM 5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM ON JUNE 13TH.
AND THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS SOTO BAND ON JUNE 18TH, CONTINUING THROUGH JULY 30TH, UH, 2025.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY CITY MANAGER REPORT FOR TONIGHT.
ACTING CITY MANAGER AND AL CITY COUNCIL.
UH, FOR THE MEMORIAL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, FORMER MAYOR LLOYD JOHNSON, FORMER COMMISSIONER GLENN KENNEDY AND MARIO, WHO'S HERE WITH US TODAY, UM, FOR DOING THE RESEARCH AND ADDING THEM TO OUR MEMORIAL WALL AND FOR HAVING THE HISTORY BOOTH THERE AND HAVING ALL THE INFORMATION.
UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR PRESENCE YEARLY SO THAT THOSE IN ATTENDANCE CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING OF EVERYBODY WHO'S PLACED ON THAT WALL.
AND, UH, OLLIE? OH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAVE.
I THINK YOU ALWAYS WANNA SAY SOMETHING.
AND, UH, UH, JUST REALLY QUICK, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR OKAY.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY SHOWING UP AND BRING ALL THE HISTORY BACK TO US BECAUSE WE ALLOW, OKAY.
ALL THIS HERO, WE WON'T BE HERE.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE REALLY GET TOGETHER UNITED WITH STAND, OKAY.
ESPECIALLY PEOPLE SACRIFICE FOR US.
PAY ALL REGARD AND TRIBUTE, OKAY.
AND, UH, AND I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, EVERYBODY SHOWING UP.
OKAY? THIS IS, UH, FOR 10 YEARS.
SO REALLY UNITE PEOPLE TOGETHER.
I, I SAY POLITICS TEMPORARILY, BUT UNITY IS FOREVER.
I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER, ESPECIALLY ALL THE PEOPLE SACRIFICE FOR US FOR THIS WAR.
AND, UH, AND ANOTHER THING I THINK WE NEED TO MAYBE, OKAY, AND I THINK CITY MANAGER TO UNITE VETERAN DAY COMING IN NOVEMBER.
AND THEN WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OUR VETERAN TO SET UP THEIR COMMITTEE TO LET THEM, TO PUT A VENUE FOR US.
SO THIS IS MY SUGGESTION, OTHER THAN THAT.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
MOVE INTO, UM, BASIC CONSENT CALENDAR.UH, DO ANYBODY WANNA APPROVE ANY CONSENT CALENDAR? IF NOW, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ONE TO THREE? I'LL MOVE.
UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WITH A SECOND BY MAYOR PROAM LOPEZ.
VITO, TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH THREE.
[4) PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 OPERATING AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET]
WE MOVE TO DEPARTMENT MATCHES.ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PROPOSED PHYSICAL YEARS 20 25, 20 26, OPERATING AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET.
ACTING CITY MANAGER WHO GOING TO, UH, REPORT THIS.
UM, I WILL HAVE OUR ACTING FINANCE DIRECTOR, MARIA LUISA LEYA, COME DOWN AND GIVE PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED 20 25, 6, UH, FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
[01:20:01]
YEAH, GO AHEAD.OKAY, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR PATIENCE WITH THIS BUDGET PROCESS AS IT'S BEEN UNIQUE.
UM, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS BEGAN LAST DECEMBER WITH THE BUDGET SURVEY.
WE WENT AND, UM, IT WAS OPEN FROM DECEMBER TO MAY, AND THEN WE WENT FORWARD WITH THE LONG RANGE FINANCIAL FORECAST THAT WAS UPDATED AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
UM, HOWEVER, THE LONG RANGE WILL BE REVIEWED AT A LATER DATE BECAUSE THE ADOPTED BUDGET, UM, WELL BEFORE THE ADOPTED BUDGET IS SUBMITTED TO THE GFOA TO THE STATE.
UM, WE HAVEN'T ALTERED THE ASSUMPTIONS FOR THAT, BUT THAT WAS PRESENTED THEN.
UM, THEN WE HAVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S SUBMITTED TODAY, AND THEN THE BUDGET ADOPT ADOPTION THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 17TH.
UM, SO THAT WE HAVE IT FOR JULY 1ST, THE BUDGET, UM, REVENUES FOR ALL FUNDS COMBINED IS OVER 144.2 MILLION.
AND PROPERTY TAX REMAINS THE CITY'S LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE, FOLLOWED BY SALES TAX.
TOTAL EXPENDITURES IS 156.1 MILLION.
AND THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL REVIEW.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, LIKE I HAVE THE CHARTS, IT'S PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, AND THEN WE HAVE THE EXPENDITURES THAT MOST ARE SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
MOST OF THE BUDGET IS MADE UP OF 76% IS GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
SO HERE IS WHERE I WANTED TO PRESENT AND FOCUS ON GENERAL FUND.
WE HAVE THE NET CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
AND THEN IN 23, 24, THERE WAS A SLIGHT SURPLUS.
THIS IS ACTUALS BASED ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND THEN LAST YEAR WE ADOPTED A BUDGET FOR 24 25 WITH A SLIGHT SURPLUS OF $1,300.
AND AS OF OUR MIDYEAR OR OUR SECOND QUARTER BUDGET REPORT, WE ESTIMATED A 1.1 MILLION DEFICIT.
AND NOW I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE FINANCIAL FORECAST.
WE HAVE A SLIGHT SURPLUS OF $700 FOR OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 25 26.
THIS IS OUR CHANGES IN GENERAL FUND BALANCE.
UM, THIS CHART DISPLAYS CHANGES TO FUND BALANCE OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS AND WHAT, WHAT IT IS PROPOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.
UM, THE FUND BALANCE SPIKE TO 25 MILLION, AS YOU SAW IN OUR FINANCIALS FOR 2021 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND 20 21, 20 4 MILLION IN 2022.
AND IT'S ESTIMATED TO LEVEL BACK DOWN TO 21 MILLION IN THE CURRENT YEAR AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO CONTINUE TO ADEQUATELY MAINTAIN THE CITY'S RESERVES.
AND I KNOW, UM, WE ALSO WENT WITH OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY IN FEBRUARY, AND THE COUNCIL ADOPTED AN 18% RESERVE, WHICH WAS A PRODUCT FROM OUR STATE AUDIT.
UM, AND SO NOW WE ARE REQUIRING AN 18% RESERVE THAT'S ADHERING TO THE FUND FILING POLICY THAT YOU HAVE ADOPTED.
SO WE'VE ADJUSTED TO THAT AND WE DO BELIEVE WE'LL STAY WITHIN THOSE MEANS AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE, UM, EVEN WITH OUR 25 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH IS LARGER.
UM, THIS IS A DIFFERENT CHART.
I KNOW I HAD A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION, WHICH I, I ENDED UP LIKING A LOT FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, BUT I HAD THIS ALREADY PRESENTED TO YOU AND SUBMITTED.
UM, BUT THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
UM, WE'RE PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT 96.3 MILLION AND THIS IS AN INCREASE.
UM, I SAID REVENUES, RIGHT? YEAH, REVENUES.
UM, IT'S A 5.5 OVERALL INCREASE.
MOST OF THE INCREASE IT'S ABOUT 2.7 MILLION MORE.
AND THIS IS WHERE I ALSO MENTIONED LAST, UM, IN OUR LAST MEETING WHERE I INCREASED SALES TAX QUITE A BIT, IT'S 2.7 MILLION MORE, WHICH IS 11.2 MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S ADOPTED BUDGET.
AND, BUT IT'S ONLY 2.4 MILLION, UM, INC, I'M SORRY, 2.4% INCREASE FROM ACTUALS FROM 24 25.
SO LIKE WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING.
AND SO IT PRETTY MUCH BASED ON OUR HDL, LIKE OUR CONSULTANTS, I'M SORRY, THEY, UM, HAVE PRETTY MUCH PRESENTED THAT WE WILL BE LEVELED FOR SALES TAX.
I HAVE A PRETTY CONSISTENT, UM, OR LEVELED INCREASE FOR THE ALL THE OTHER REVENUES AS WELL.
UM, ONE THING I DID WANNA NOTE, I ALREADY HAD SUBMITTED THIS OF COURSE, BUT THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT PROP A,
[01:25:02]
UM, EXCHANGE.SO WE ARE PROPOSING IN THIS BUDGET TO EXCHANGE 3.5 MILLION OF PROP A REVENUE IN EXCHANGE FOR 2.6 MILLION OF GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT IS USED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
OKAY? SO WE GO TO GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
UM, MOST OF THIS 76%, MOST OF OUR GEN, THIS IS JUST GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, ITS SALARIES AND BENEFITS, WHICH INCLUDES OUR OVERTIME AND WHILE REVENUE HAS INCREASED.
SO OUR EXPENDITURES HAVE, AND THAT'S 82.4, EXCLUDING TRANSFERS.
GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ARE PROJECTED TO BE OVER 82 MILLION.
AND THIS IS AN 8.4 MILLION INCREASE FROM THE ORIGINAL BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR'S ORIGINAL BUDGET.
UM, MOST OF THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES GO TOWARDS SALARIES, THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY AND OVERTIME.
UM, WE ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH ALL OUR BARGAINING GROUPS AND SO THEY'RE DUE TO EXPIRE.
AND SO WE'RE IN CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS.
THIS JUST ILLUSTRATES OUR DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYEES PER DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE POLICE, WHICH IS 45% OF OUR BUDGET HAVE 144.
WE HAVE BUYER AT 76, FINANCE AT 14, AND PUBLIC WORKS AT NINE.
MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES, UM, FOR PUBLIC WORKS ARE ALLOCATED TO OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS, UM, WELL FROM THERE, THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY, WHICH IS JUST FROM CALPERS.
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY INCREASING THE COST FOR PENSIONS.
NOT REALLY WITH OUR NORMAL RATES, BUT IT'S THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I DISCUSSED ALSO IN THE LONG RANGE.
HERE WE HAVE THE WORKERS' COMP FUND.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING TO BE OUR COSTS.
WE ARE FUNDING THIS YEAR WITH ABOUT 4 MILLION COMING FROM OUR SALARIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THIS KIND OF FUNDS OUR INTERNAL SERVICE FUND, WHICH IS OUR WORKERS' COMP.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE OUR LOSSES FOR GENERAL LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMP.
UM, ON THE, ON THE ROUTE, YOU KNOW, FOR GENERAL LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMP, THIS IS ALSO THE LIABILITY CLAIMS. AND THIS IS AS OF LAST YEAR BASED ON OUR ACTUARIAL.
THIS IS NOT BASED ON COSTS OF WHAT WE PAY FOR THE CASES, THIS IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CASES OVERALL.
SO WE HAVE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AT 24 SLIP AND TRIP AT 16 POTHOLE, 12% FALLING TREE LIMB AND SO ON.
UM, THE CITY'S EXCESS INSURANCE CARRIER, CAL JPIA PERFORMED AN INITIAL RISK MANAGEMENT EVALUATION TO ASSIST THE CITY IN ADDRESSING AREAS IN WHICH RISK EXPOSURE OR LOSS DATA SUPPORT THE NEED FOR CHANGE IN OPERATIONS OR ACTIVITY.
AND THEY IDENTIFIED 63 ACTION ITEMS. UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND COMPLETED ABOUT 50, BUT THERE ARE STILL 13 THAT ARE IN PROGRESS.
AND WE'RE REVIEWING THE STATUS.
AND THE ACTION ITEMS ARE RE THEY'RE REVIEWED MONTHLY WITH CAL JPIA RISK MANAGER AND, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES AND FINANCE.
THIS IS OUR GENERAL FUND OVERTIME IN MILLIONS.
AND, UM, HERE MOST OF THE, OUR OVERTIME IS FROM FIRE AND PD, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, IT'S PRETTY MUCH, IT'S LEVELED UP, CONTAINED AND BUDGETED FOR.
UM, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR FLSA OVERTIME OR OUR REIMBURSABLE OVERTIME, JUST SO THAT IT'S SUCCINCT OR LIKE PRECISE WITH WHAT OUR OVERTIME REALLY WHAT OUR COSTS ARE AND CAN BE CONTROLLED WHEN SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST TRAINING OR VACANCIES.
UM, THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE BUDGET SURVEY AS OF LAST WEEK.
PULLED THESE RESPONSES THROUGH WE'RE 20 RESPONSES THAT, AND THIS BUDGET SURVEY WAS OPEN FROM JANUARY THROUGH MAY.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND WE WILL KEEP YOU APPRISED ON THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
HOWEVER, FROM THE RESIDENT OR FROM THE RESPONDENTS THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, THERE WERE 86 THAT WERE RESIDENTS, 32 PROPERTY OWNERS AND 21 EMPLOYED IN WEST COVINA.
AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE BUDGET WAS INFRASTRUCTURE, POLICE AND FIRE THINGS, HOWEVER, THAT THEY FEEL NEED IMPROVEMENT ARE THE STREETS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WITH THE PROPOSED 25, 26, I KNOW YOU HAVE DETAILED OF THAT, AND UM, THIS IS MORE HIGH LEVEL, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE, UM,
[01:30:01]
JUST THESE KEY POINTS.THERE'S NO NEW POSITIONS OR NO NEW FTES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO GENERAL FUND, UH, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE SPORTS RISK OPERATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
THERE'S ALSO SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AND MORE ALIGNED WITH ACTUALS.
WE HAVE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER AND THE TREE TRIMMING AND LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, AND I KNOW THIS WILL PROBABLY GO IN LINE WITH WHAT A LOT THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN OUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
WE HAVE, UM, INCLUDED SPORTSPLEX, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT FUND, BUT IT'S STILL, IF THERE'S A DEFICIT IN THAT FUND, THEN GENERAL FUND, WE'LL HAVE A TRANSFER THERE.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HAVING APPROVED BASED ON THE BUDGET.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN, IN THE DETAIL OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, STAFF IS EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMPLEX TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING AND INCREASE THE LOCAL SALES TAX BASE THOUGH, UM, HOWEVER, THERE STILL IS A PROJECTED DEFICIT FOR NOW.
THERE ARE NO NEW REVENUE AND EXPEN EXPENDITURES FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH I KNOW IS ALSO A HOT TOPIC.
UM, DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE CHAMBER, UM, WE HAVE ALSO NOT INCLUDED ANY EXPENDITURES FOR THE CHAMBER FOR THE NEXT PROPO FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
OKAY, SO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
UM, THERE'S DETAILS ON THAT IN THE BUDGET.
HOWEVER, I'VE PROPOSED WELL AFTER DISCUSSION, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 12 MILLION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING A NEW PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS UNDERWAY.
THERE'S 28 MILLION THAT HAS BEEN BUDGETED, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, THERE'S 120 MILLION THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED AS WELL.
AND THEN I HAVE, UM, THE PIE CHART THAT KIND OF ILLUSTRATES 17% PER TRAFFIC.
GENERAL, GENERAL INCLUDES LIKE BUILDINGS, UM, AND THEN SEWER, NO.
OKAY, SO YOU ALSO HAVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET ALONG WITH A ONE PAGE BUDGET BRIEF THAT'S NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR CITY WEBSITE.
UM, THERE'S TRANSFERS, 13.8 INCLUDED TO FUND THE SPORTSPLEX, AS I MENTIONED.
THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
AND DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS AND MEASURE R REQUIREMENT AS WELL.
SO I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND, UM, INPUT INTO THE, UH, ADOPTED BUDGET.
'CAUSE I KNOW I HAVE TO PRESENT THAT, OR IT'LL HAVE TO BE PRESENTED AND ADOPTED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ACTING FINANCE DIRECTOR, SECOND COUNCIL.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTION? YEAH, OLLIE, GO AHEAD.
UH, MARIA LUISA, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
I JUST HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT AT, AT TECHNICAL LEVEL, JUST TO UNDERSTAND THIS BETTER.
SO LET'S SAY THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BUDGETED FTES, BUT THOSE POSITIONS AREN'T ALL FILLED.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS WITH THEM? UNSPENT MONEY.
SO YOU MENTIONED PD WE'RE BUDGETED FOR A HUNDRED, BUT THEN WE'RE, WE HAVE 87 OFFICERS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY THAT IS INTENDED TO PAY FOR THE 13 THAT AREN'T IN PLACE NOW? BECAUSE THOSE VACANCIES EXIST WHEN THERE ARE VACANCIES.
I I MEAN, THAT'S WHEN THE ACTUALS, UM, COME IN.
AND THAT'S WHERE SOMETIMES YOU DO SEE, EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE A DEFICIT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND MIDYEAR HAS PROJECTED A DEFICIT, IF THERE ARE A LOT OF VACANCIES, THEN YOU WILL SEE IN ACTUALITY WHEN WE DO THE FINANCIAL REPORT, THEN THERE WOULD BE A SURPLUS.
I GUESS YOU, YOU MAY SAY, YOU MAY SEE THAT.
UM, HOWEVER, IF EVERYTHING WAS BUDGETED FOR AND YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY VACANCY WAS, THERE WASN'T A VACANCY THEN, UM, THE BUDGET WOULD BE AS IS.
BUT, SO IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, WHERE THAT MONEY ISN'T SPENT, WHAT HAPPENS? DOES IT SIT THERE AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT YEAR? OR WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? NO, IT WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATED.
THE ONLY THINGS THAT BUD, THAT, I'M SORRY, THAT COUNCIL APPROVES TO IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND ANY APPROPRIATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THOSE WOULD ALSO BE ROLLED OVER, IS WHAT WE CALL THAT.
SALARIES WOULD NOT BE, LIKE, IF YOU HAD VACANCY SAVINGS IN THIS YEAR, IT WOULD NOT GO MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S ONLY WHAT YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 25 26 IS.
SO THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY ROLLOVER.
BUT WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR, IF THERE ISN'T
[01:35:01]
ANY SPENDING FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POSITIONS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY WITHIN THAT FISCAL, WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR? OH, I GUESS IN, IN ACCOUNTING TERMS, WE WOULD JUST HAVE IT IN FUND BALANCE.SO, UM, MY NEXT, UH, QUESTION HAS, HAS TO DO WITH, UM, UH, OUR PROCEDURES FOR MAKING SURE TO ENGAGE IN AUSTERITY MEASURES THAT THE MONEY IS SPENT.
SO LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THEIR CONTRACT COSTS FOR WHATEVER THE CONTRACT, WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE OR ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING INTO PLACE THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE SPEND OUR MONEY WELL ON WHATEVER THE PROJECT IS? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE COMPETITIVE BIDDING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE GOOD PRICES FOR THE, FOR THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR TO HAVE DONE, WE, UM, ADHERE TO OUR PURCHASING POLICY.
SO WE HAVE A PURCHASING POLICY AND, AND DEPENDING ON THE THRESHOLD, I MEAN IT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO BID OR A PROPOSAL ON RFP.
UM, SO TO ENSURE THAT WE, UM, GET A COMPETITIVE BID, THERE SHOULD BE, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS, UM, BUT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THERE SHOULD BE, UM, AND DEPENDING ON THE THRESHOLD AND THE TYPE OF PROJECT IT IS, WE SHOULD AT A MINIMAL, I GUESS, HAVE AN INFORMAL, UM, PROCEDURE WHERE IT'S INFORMAL BIDDING.
AND SO JUST INFORMAL BIDDING IS REALLY WHAT IT MEANS.
IT'S JUST HAVING QUOTES AT A MINIMUM.
UM, SO WE GO OUT AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THREE QUOTES OF SOMETHING OR A SERVICE, IF IT MAY BE THAT IF IT'S A BIGGER PROJECT, THEN OF COURSE IT'S AN RFP, AND SO WE PUT THAT ON A PLATFORM AND HAVE A CERTAIN TIME LIMIT FOR THAT AND WE ASSESS IT.
UM, SO THAT IS OUR WAY OF ENSURING COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE CON THE AMOUNT THAT WE'VE SPENT ON CONTRACTS, JUST ROUGHLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, OF THAT OVERALL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS ALLOCATED THROUGH SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTS VERSUS, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT IS DE THAT ACTUALLY IS SPENT AS THE RESULT OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING? I, I KNOW THAT'S A DEEP QUESTION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO SORT OF HAVE A ROUGH BALLPARK IDEA.
UH, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, MY OTHER QUESTION IS WITH REGARD TO, UM, COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO EXAMINE SPECIFIC EXPENDITURES, WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR OUR INCORPORATING, UH, CHANGES BASED ON THE SUGGESTIONS WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM OUR OWN JUDGMENT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE TO, UH, HAVE, UM, AN ABILITY TO CHANGE WHATEVER IS, IS, I MEAN, NOT THAT WE NECESSARILY WOULD, BUT IF WE WANTED TO PROPOSE CHANGES, WHAT WOULD THAT PROCESS BE WITHIN THIS, THIS EFFORT IN WHICH WE ARE ENGAGING TO GET THE BUDGET THROUGH? SO TODAY IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND SO FROM HERE, UM, I DO NEED TO SUBMIT FOR YOUR ADOPTED BUDGET AND RESOLUTION.
AT THIS POINT, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, PROVIDE ANY INPUT, UM, AND THEN I CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND MAKE ANY CHANGES OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
WE HAD A BUDGET SURVEY OPEN, AND I KNOW, UM, NOW WE'VE HAD BUDGET WORKSHOPS AS WELL.
AND SO I DO PLAN TO PROVIDE IN OUR STAFF REPORT FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
UH, I MEAN, KIND OF A SUMMARY, WE CAN KIND OF INFORMALLY RIGHT NOW I HAVE, UM, SOME NOTES AND I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DISCUSS, BUT THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS AND I I KNOW YOU WERE PRESENT AS WELL.
UM, BUT THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, OR CONCERNS AND ISSUES ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, OVER TIME FOR POLICE AND FIRE, THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.
UM, I, I HOPE I'M NOT MISSING TOO MANY, BUT THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS JUST, AND, AND THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY, JUST REALIZING THAT THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY IS INCREASING.
SO IT'S A COST THAT CONTINUES TO GO UP.
IT, IT WENT UP ABOUT A COUPLE MILLION THIS YEAR.
AND SO THOSE ARE RISING COSTS.
UM, BUT I DO POINT TO DETAIL THAT OUT MORE IN THE ADOPTION, AND I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY FAST.
I MEAN A, A TURNAROUND AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE MAINLY, UM, THE CONCERNS THAT CAME ABOUT.
I KNOW LAST YEAR IT, IT, IT PRETTY MUCH, IT STAYS THE SAME, UM, THE SAME CONCERNS.
AND I, I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ACTUALLY THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF, THERE'S BEEN A BIG TURNOUT ALSO, UM, IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS THIS YEAR IN COMPARISON TO OTHER YEARS.
[01:40:01]
NIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD OVER 20, UM, I GUESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS THAT WERE THERE.AND SO THOSE WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT.
WELL, FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT, WILL THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RECEIVE YOUR DETAILED NOTES BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU THROUGH THE WORKSHOPS SO THAT COUNCIL CAN LOOK AT THAT AND CONSIDER POSSIBLY PROPOSING CHANGES, UH, TO THE BUDGET IN TIME FOR US TO ADOPT? UM, I CAN PROVIDE MY NOTES GIVEN IF, UM, MYAN WOULD LIKE OR ACTING CITY MANAGER WOULD LIKE.
UM, JUST AS FAR AS THE TIMING, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO EXPLAIN ALSO, UM, THIS REPORT HAD TO BE PUBLISHED BY WEDNESDAY.
OUR FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP WAS ON THURSDAY, AND THEN OUR SECOND ONE WAS JUST YESTERDAY, SO THAT'S WHY IT COULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT FOR YOU TONIGHT.
AND JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING AND THE DEADLINES THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, BUT I CAN HOWEVER FORMALLY PROVIDE YOU WITH MY NOTES, UM, HAVE THAT APPROVED BEFORE IT GOES TO YOU.
AND AS FAR AS ANSWERING YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE, I MEAN, I KNOW THESE ARE JUST MY NOTES RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN WE ARE, OR I AM ALSO EXPECTING MAYBE SOME INPUT OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BALANCED BUDGET THIS YEAR.
AND SO, UM, ANY INPUT OR, OR QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER FOR OUR ADOPTED BUDGET, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR FROM COUNCIL.
WELL, AND I, I, I'M ALMOST DONE, I PROMISE.
UH, THE O THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK IS WHAT, WHAT PA UH, CUSHIONING DID YOU FACTOR IN WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO ENABLE US TO STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE BUDGET AMENDMENTS LATER IN THE YEAR WITHOUT GOING INTO DEFICIT SPENDING? I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? SURE.
UM, WE, WE WANT TO STAY, UH, MAKE SURE NOT TO, NOT TO GO INTO A DEFICIT, BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PAD IN SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED.
SO IN, AND LET'S SAY FOR THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED TO APPROVE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UH, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD CHANGE WHAT WE AGREED TO, TO SPEND WITH A BUDGET.
BUT IN THIS CASE, IF WE WERE TO HAVE FUTURE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION, THAT WOULD NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE WOULD BE GOING INTO DEFICIT BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF SOME PADDING IN TERMS OF HA OF HAVING ANY AMOUNT, UH, AVAILABLE TO US OTHERWISE.
SO WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE SOME SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO, IN, IN ANTICIPATION OF FUTURE POTENTIAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO APPROVE THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO, TO DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO INTO DEFICIT.
IF YOUR QUESTION IS IF I'VE HAD ANY PADDING IN MY, UM, LIKE IF I, IF I DIDN'T PUT SOMETHING REALISTIC IN MY BUDGET, I MEAN, I ACCOUNTED FOR EVERYTHING THERE.
IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CHANGES FROM THESE ASSUMPTIONS OR IF, IF THERE'S AN INCREASE OR AN EXPENDITURE THAT IS WANTED NEEDED, UM, BY THE DEPARTMENT OR COUNCIL, UM, THIS WOULD BE EXPLAINED IN THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THE STAFF REPORT COMING THROUGH IN FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
AND WE ALWAYS DO OUR BEST INTERNALLY TO FIND IF THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE OR IF THERE'S AN INCREASE IN REVENUE, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST COMING FORWARD AND AS FINANCE, LIKE WE WOULD WANNA BE THE STEWARDS OF THAT AND ALSO NOT RECOMMEND SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO INTO DEFICIT.
HOWEVER, SOMETIMES IT IS SOMETHING THAT WASN, I GUESS, ASKED IN ANOTHER WAY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BUDGET IS SET UP, IF IT'S APPROVED AS IS CURRENT IN, IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
WOULD, WOULD THAT MEAN, UH, THAT ANY FUTURE BUDGET AMENDMENTS WOULD ENTAIL OUR GOING INTO DEFICIT? THAT IS CORRECT.
IF THERE'S, IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
AND MY, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
MY LAST QUESTION IS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, IF NECESSARY TO BUY MORE TIME, DEPENDING ON HOW, WHAT THE OUTCOME IS ON OUR MEETING ON JUNE THE 17TH, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION JUST TO GIVE MORE TIME TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET SO WE CAN GET IT DONE IN TIME BEFORE, UH, JULY THE FIRST? YEAH, YOU CAN CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND, AND ADOPTED AT A SPECIAL MEETING IF YOU NEED TO.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT MORE TIME,
AND THE MAYOR POTEN, GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, CONTEST, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY TO THE PAST OF WHEN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR WOULD GIVE THE COUNCIL INFORMATION, AND THEY HAVE IN THE PAST GI UH, GIVEN US THE NOTES, GRANTED, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT, UH, IT WASN'T AHEAD OF TIME, BUT I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET THOSE FEEDBACK TODAY.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD, UM, RESIDENTS EVEN SPEAK
[01:45:01]
TO US IN REGARDS TO CERTAIN CHANGES.SO I DO REMEMBER THAT TIME WHERE THEY WERE ADAMANT OF HAVING, UH, THE HR DIRECTOR, WHICH WASN'T PART OF THAT BUDGET, AND WE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL HERE, UM, MADE KNOWN TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGE.
UM, SO FOR TODAY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR THE NOTES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE PREPARED, UM, YOU SAID, YOU MENTIONED YOU HAVE THE NOTES, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THOSE NOTES SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF FORECAST TO SEE WHAT DIRECTION THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TOWARDS.
AND, UM, THE COUNCIL CAN THEN DIRECT, UH, THE CITY STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION OR LOOK INTO THAT SO THAT THAT CAN BE ON LIKE THE NEXT, UM, BUDGET.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE NOTES, FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH US OF THE, THE TWO, UM, BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN DECIDE WHERE TO GO FROM THERE.
UM, SO FOR THE FIRST MEETING I HAVE, UM, WELL, THEY WANTED TO SEE THE BUDGET PRESENTATION ON THE WEBSITE, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT WERE PUTTING ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND IT, THAT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TOO, LIKE THAT, UM, WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED WHEN I WENT TO THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, MORE NUMBERS.
UM, SO I DID PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE WERE SEVERAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONCERNS, UM, WANTING TO DISCONTINUE AND NOT MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW IN THAT FIRST MEETING AS WELL.
CONCERN ABOUT THE SPORTSPLEX TRANSFER THAT I INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, WHICH WAS ABOUT 900,000.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION AS TO WHAT CHANGED FROM MY FINANCIAL FORECAST, UM, WHICH IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THAT'S GOING FIVE YEARS.
UH, WHAT CHANGED FROM MY FINANCIAL FORECAST TO NOW THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO THAT WAS SURPRISING, ESPECIALLY IN THAT FIRST MEETING, UM, QUESTIONING MORE ARE WHAT HAPPENED TO REVENUES OR EXPENDITURES.
AND SO I EXPLAINED THAT PROCESS OF FINDING EXPENDITURES THAT CAN GO IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT BUCKETS OR LIKE DIFFERENT SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, UM, QUESTIONING NEGOTIATIONS, UM, IF THAT'S BEEN ALSO INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, UM, OR LIKE INCREASES SALARY INCREASES, UM, IF THOSE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
AND THINKING THAT, WELL, UM, THE MESSAGE THERE WAS MORE THAT FIRST MEETING WAS, UM, THINKING THAT THE EXPENDITURES WERE UNDER REPORTED OR UNDER REPORTED IS REALLY WHAT THE MESSAGE WAS THERE TOO.
UM, THEY WANTED TO HAVE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE EVENTS, THE SPECIAL EVENTS.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS AND DISCUSSING IF SOME OF THEM COULD BE TAKEN OUT OR WHY THE SPENDING IS FOR THE SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND MY LAST, UM, THEY WERE JUST HOPING THAT THERE COULD BE SOME OPTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.
I MEAN, THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMMENTS, BUT THIS IS JUST SUMMARIZING THE MAIN ONES.
UM, SO OPTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE BUDGET OFFERING, MAYBE LIKE FREEZING POSITIONS, UM, ELIMINATING A SPECIAL EVENT, JUST DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT THERE MAY BE.
I DON'T KNOW IF MYLAN, YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE FOR THERE, BUT THAT WAS LIKE MY FIRST, THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP LAST THURSDAY.
AND THEN YESTERDAY THERE WERE A LOT MORE PEOPLE, UM, OVER 20 FOR THAT ONE, BUT I, FROM MY NOTES, IT'S NOT 200, 200, NO 20.
BUT, UM, IT WAS NICE, IT WAS REFRESHING AND IT WAS, IT WAS DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS WELL.
UM, MORE OF THAT WAS AGAIN, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DISCONTINUING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, QUESTIONING THE PROP A FUNDS, UM, ACTUALLY THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXCHANGING AND WHY THAT IS AND EXPLAINING THAT, UM, POLICE AND FIRE OVERTIME THAT WAS DISCUSSED YESTERDAY.
WHAT MEASURES ARE DONE IN ORDER TO PREVENT OR TO LIMIT, UM, POLICE AND FIRE OVERTIME.
OH, STREET SWEEPING LAST NIGHT, UM, THAT WAS DISCUSSED.
ALSO STREET SWEEPING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT, THAT, UM, NOT REALLY IN MY REALM OF BUDGET, BUT I MEAN, IT IS FOR THE CONTRACT.
BUT, UM, SO CONCERNS OVER THAT AND NOT HAVING TO, AND I KNOW THAT'S BEING ANALYZED AS FAR AS LIKE THE LOGISTICS OF THINGS, BUT
[01:50:01]
THERE WAS CONCERNS OVER THAT STREET SWEEPING AND WHY IT'S NEEDED PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS, AGAIN, LIKE, WELL, MORE WITH THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY, HOW THAT'S INCREASING.SO THERE'S COMMENTS OVER THAT OVER TIME.
OH, WELL, I MENTION THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT OVERTIME TOO.
UM, THEIR CONCERNS WITH ONGOING DURING, THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND THE CONCERNS WITH TAKING OUT OF OUR RESERVES AND OPERATIONS, AND IT'S MAKING IT INTO A DEFICIT.
SO THAT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED YESTERDAY OR BROUGHT UP AS FAR AS INPUT.
UM, I HAVE COMMENTS HERE, LIKE HAVING AN HONEST BUDGET, THINKING THAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE UNDER, UM, UNDER REPORTED THERE.
AND YEAH, I HAVE STREET SWEEPING AGAIN, BUT THAT, THAT SUMMARIZES I BELIEVE WHAT THE, THE MAIN TOPICS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS A FEW THINGS.
UM, THE OTHERS, I MEAN, UH, MORE DETAILED SPECIAL EVENTS.
THAT ONE, WE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT AS A COUNCIL BECAUSE WE AS A COUNCIL ALSO WANTED TO SEE THAT.
SO I KNOW THAT ONE'S CHECKED OFF, UM, EXPENDITURES UNDER REPORTED.
UM, BY ALL MEANS, IF RESIDENTS FEEL THAT, I MEAN, YOU SEE ALL THE EXPENDITURES, LET US KNOW WHERE YOU THINK AND WHY YOU ASSUME THAT THOSE EXPENDITURES WOULD BE UNDER REPORTED.
AND I'M HOPING OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR DID CAPTURE ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT FOR US TO, I MEAN, ALL WE COULD SAY IS FINANCE DIRECTOR, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CAPTURE ALL THOSE.
BUT IF RESIDENTS SEE SOMETHING, LET US KNOW.
UM, THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT THING, UH, RESIDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCONTINUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, THEY CREATED A COMMITTEE.
THEY, THEY TRIED TO GATHER SIGNATURES.
UM, THEY WERE GOING OUT, THEY EVEN SENT FLYERS TO EVERY RESIDENT.
I KNOW MY FAMILIES RECEIVED THAT, UM, TO, THEY REALLY RALLIED TO TRY TO DIS CONTINUE THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT AS YOU'VE SEEN IT FAILED.
THEY DIDN'T GATHER ENOUGH SIGNATURES, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS THING.
SO IN THAT ESSENCE, THE OPPOSITE COMES TRUE THAT MOST OF THE RESIDENTS DON'T MIND SEEING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PULL THROUGH.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO LET OTHERS KNOW THAT THEY DIDN'T, IF THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF, UM, THIS DISCONTINUING, THEY HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
UM, THE MORE OPTIONS TO CHANGE THE BUDGET, UH, FREEZING POSITION, ELIMINATION, UH, THESE POSITIONS THAT WE PUT OUT, THEY ARE NEEDED.
UM, UNLESS THEY'RE LIKE SPECIFIC POSITIONS THAT YOU SEE OR REQUIRE OR WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I, I RE I ASK THAT PLEASE BE SPECIFICS, UH, SPECIFIC ON CERTAIN REQUESTS THAT YOU, UH, THAT IS BEING MENTIONED, UH, POLICE AND FIRE OVER TIME.
THAT HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF AN ISSUE SINCE, YOU KNOW, EVEN I GOT HERE AS A COUNCIL, WE CHANGED A FEW PROTOCOLS.
WE MADE SOME STRIDES WITH THAT.
UM, US WE WOULD RATHER NOT SEE THOSE OVER TIME.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE SITUATION IS OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
AND FOR THE PROTECTION AND THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS, THOSE OVERTIME DID HAPPEN.
BUT IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, AGAIN IN REGARDS TO THAT, PLEASE SHARE.
WE ARE COMPLETELY OPEN TO IDEAS.
UM, LET US KNOW, UH, WE'LL TAKE THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE STREET CLEANING, THAT'S NOT A BUDGET, THAT'S MORE OF A LOGISTIC, UM, NEGOTIATION SALARY.
I MEAN THAT, UH, THINGS DO GO UP.
UH, WE, WE TRY TO ALSO, AND OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM HAS TRIED TO CREATE FAIRNESS AND AND SO FORTH.
UM, SO I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING.
SO COUNCILMAN CANTOS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WE CAN, UH, LET OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR MOVE FORWARD IN REGARDS TO WHAT CHANGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR THINGS THAT WE WE'D LIKE TO BEFORE WE HAND OVER TO HIM? I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
UH, ALLOW ME, UH, COUNCILMAN CANTO.
IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND THEN HOW ABOUT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? WELL, I JUST, WHAT I'LL SAY IS I, I'VE BEEN TO BOTH OF THE BUDGET MEETINGS AND, UM, I THINK THEY WERE PRODUCTIVE AND I WANNA THANK, UH, UH, MARIA, LISA FOR DOING THAT FOR US.
AND, UM, I WISH WE HAD MORE PARTICIPATION.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND IF YOU ARE HERE, THAT'S WONDERFUL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOTICE AT THE MEETING YESTERDAY IS THAT, I GUESS THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS PRESENT WAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE STREET SWEEPING, WHICH REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BUDGET, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT OUR STAFF ADDRESSED IT, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT.
THERE'S THINGS LITTLE KINKS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED ON.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE WORKED ON AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I MENTION THAT.
UM, SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE SPENT $2 MILLION ON THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY
[01:55:01]
KNOWS IT'S NOT $2 MILLION THAT'S BEEN SPENT.I WANT TO FOLLOW THROUGH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
CURRENTLY WE SPEND ZERO ZERO FUNCTIONAL FUND, ZERO ZERO FROM GENERAL FUND.
GO CHECK IT AT ZERO FROM GENERAL FUND.
OKAY? WE ONLY SPEND A BUDGET ABOUT $400,000 FROM COVID-19.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD, THAT'S ALL TRUTH.
SO PEOPLE CAN SPREAD THE RUMOR ABOUT, OR WE SPEND THIS MONEY, THAT MONEY BRING THE TRUTH.
AND AS FOR PUBLIC RECORD, HOW MUCH WE SPEND CURRENTLY, WE SPEND ZERO GENERAL FUND, AND THAT IS WE ARE GOING TO GET APPROVAL.
THE STATE ALREADY APPROVED, THEY'RE GOING TO FUND OUR, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL PAY 10 MONTHS OF FUNDING.
OKAY, LET'S, IS ON THEIR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, NOW GOING TO THE OKAY.
UH, THE ADMINISTRATION LAW FOR 45 DAYS OF A HEARING.
SO MEANING WHAT, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO SAVE LIFE, OKAY? TO SAVE LIFE, TO GET DIRECT FUNDING, DIRECT RESULT TO OUR RESIDENT FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND FOR OUR SENIOR.
SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, OKAY? I THINK, UH, NEXT MEETING.
BEZO WILL PROVIDE A UPDATE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHAT THEY APPROVE OF OUR, OKAY.
CDPH, THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH.
TALKED TO OUR ACTING CITY MANAGER, INCLUDING DR.
BEZO, ABOUT WHAT WE SAW FINALLY AFTER FOUR YEARS OF STRUGGLING AND WAITING FOR 16, OKAY.
TO GET THIS THING DONE WITH A PACKAGE APPROVED.
SO NOT ONLY WEST COVINA IS A PIONEER DOING THIS.
AND THEY LOVE THE WAY WE ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE EVEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT, THEY ALL WANT A SMALLER HEALTH DEPARTMENT GO DIRECT RESULTS TO OUR POPULATION TO SAVE LIFE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY TO SAVE LIFE ANYWAY, REGARDING THE BUDGET.
OKAY? AND IF THEY HAVE ANY BUDGET, WE WILL SEE HOW THE STATE GOING TO FUND THIS THING.
AND FOR US, IF WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, WE CANNOT DO IT.
BUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO FUND US, WE WANNA PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENT.
AND REGARDING COUPLE OF ISSUES, I THINK THE, REGARDING THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET IS HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY.
WHAT IS PRIORITY? THE MONEY IS OF COURSE, THE POLICE FIRE IS UNLOCKED.
THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE, I THINK WE BUDGET 112 POLICE OFFICER.
OKAY? AND, UH, AND HOW CAN WE ONLY HAVE 87 RIGHT NOW? IS CHIEF STILL HERE? OKAY.
SO ARE WE REALLY ONLY HAVE 87 RIGHT NOW.
SO I KNOW BASED ON WHAT, UM, IN THE PAST, WHAT THE CHIEF SAID, PROBABLY 87 ON THE FIELD BECAUSE IF THEY'RE ON MEDICAL LEAVE OR ANY ISSUES, BUT I MEAN THAT IT SHOULD BE THE MAX.
I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE CHIEF COTINA, HE TOLD ME WE HAVE A 90 SOMETHING, LIKE A 95, ALMOST A HUNDRED THERE ARE, BUT, BUT WE BUDGET 112.
1 1 2, HOWEVER, 'CAUSE WE APPROVE 10 OKAY.
FOR THE, FOR THE ACADEMY, FOR THE ROOKIE AND, UH, TO JOIN TO OKAY.
SO WE APPROVE, I THINK IT'S FIVE ZERO.
I ACTUALLY JUST SIGNED LIKE FIVE RECRUITMENTS TODAY AND I THINK IT'S NOW WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, BUT THERE ARE SOME VACANCIES.
UM, AND, BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON BEING UNDERSTAND BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE RETIRE 53.
OKAY? SO THREE 50, SO MEANING 50 YEARS OLD, THEY WILL RETIRE.
MEANING WE COULD FIVE, BUT WE MAYBE RETIRE THREE.
SO WE ALWAYS CATCHING, TRY TO GET A NUMBER UP, BUT WE, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE ON THE STREET TO PATROL FOR US.
OKAY? SO THIS IS, UH, SO I THINK, SO WE ARE MORE THAN 87, MY UNDERSTANDING SHOULD BE MORE THAN I, I BELIEVE WE EVEN HAD LIKE, THERE WERE LIKE FOUR, I THINK, FOR RECRUITS.
POLICE OFFICER RECRUITS TODAY.
SO I MEAN THAT EVENTUALLY WILL BE SWORN AND OUT ON THE STREETS.
BUT I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A DELAY I GUESS FROM LIKE THE ACADEMY ONTO GRADUATION, BUT YES, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S BUDGETED FOR.
AND, AND THAT WHEN WE SAY PR, BECAUSE YOU HAVE INCOME, YOU HAVE EXPENDITURE, AND HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY AND THE FIXED COSTS LIKE SALARY AND THIS AND THAT, THIS ON IN INEVITABLE.
SO, SO, BUT SOME OF THE, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, AGAIN, TODAY I RECEIVED THE EMAIL FROM, UM, OKAY, OUR COUNCILMAN GUT REGARDING COUPLE SPENDING ISSUE.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO BRING THIS OUT TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AND REGARDING THE ELEVATOR WOULD BE A MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR THAT.
[02:00:01]
THE SPRINKLER FOR MAYBE ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS TO THE CITY POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN PET THAT $2 MILLION IN, INTO PRIORITIZE, FOR EXAMPLE, G THE PARK.OKAY? THAT IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD, OKAY? AND THAT SHOULD BE IN OUR PRIORITIZED PRIORITY TO ADDRESS THE HILLSIDE.
OKAY? LET IS POTENTIALLY BURN DOWN ALL THOSE HOUSES IF WE DON'T DO SOME KIND OF, UH, UH, UH, UH, PREVENTION RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WANT TO, WE DON'T WANNA GO TO THE SCALE AGAIN.
2020, OKAY? AND WE HAVE, UH, THE MAJOR ISSUE ON THE G STER PARK AND, UH, AND WE HAVE EVACUATE.
OKAY? ALL THIS S ON THE HILLSIDE DOWN TO THE, OKAY, SOUTH HILL SQUARE TO BECOME A KIA FOR THEM, THAT'S 2020.
SO, AND YOU SEE ALL THE HOUSES BURNED DOWN, UM, PACIFIC PARA AND UH, THE EASTERN FIRE, WE HAVE TO REALLY WATCH OUT, OKAY? MAKE SURE THAT AREA IS WET AND MAKE SURE, OKAY, EVEN ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE IS POTENTIAL PROBLEMATIC TOO.
SO SINCE I TOOK YOU HOME EVERY DAY, EVERY TIME, SO I SAW ALL THOSE HILL AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A POTENTIALLY ISSUE.
ALL THE HILLSIDE IS POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE, UH, LOOK LOOKING INTO HOW WE SPEND THE BUDGET RATHER THAN OKAY, GO TO THE EL BRAND NEW ELEVATOR OR PAINT JOB OVER HERE.
SO, SO I THINK, OKAY, I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY SAVE LIFE IS PROTECT PROPERTY AND IT'S OUR JOB.
AND I THINK, OKAY, I HOPE ACTING CITY A MANAGER UNDERSTAND, UH, HOW WE BUDGET THE THING AND MAKE SURE, UH, WE USE SPEND THE MONEY OKAY.
OKAY? AND I UNDERSTAND THE ELEVATOR IS IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT HAS BEEN FIXED, OKAY? AND, UH, WE DON'T NEED A BRAND NEW, WE JUST NEED TO REPAIR AND, UH, CERTIFY THAT IS A SAFE, UH, TODAY, ON THIS COUPLE WEEK, I TOOK THE ELEVATOR, IT'S PRETTY SMOOTH.
IT, IT START JUMPY LIKE LAST TIME.
LIKE HELL, OKAY, LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER.
OKAY? SO, SO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE, HAVE PEOPLE MAINTENANCE AND UH, CHANGE THE PANEL OR SOMETHING SO WE CAN SAVE THE MILLION DOLLARS AND MAYBE USING THE MONEY INTO THE HILLSIDE, CLEAN UP AND PUT THE SPRINKLER NOW OVER HERE, PUT THE SPRINKLER TO THE HILLSIDE AND MAKE SURE, OKAY, NOBODY WILL BEND DOWN THAT PLACE BECAUSE OKAY, YOU HAVE A POTENTIAL ENCAMPMENT OVER THERE AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED 2020.
SO ANYWAY, THIS IS MY SUGGESTION.
IT SAID, OKAY, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA APPROVE A MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR ELEVATOR.
I PREFER THAT A MILLION DOLLAR GOING TO IS PRIORITIZE ABOUT SAFETY, CLEAN UP OD HILLSIDE, NORTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE, AND THE HILLSIDE ON THE TOP ON ALL THOSE LIKE HIGHLIGHT AND HOLIDAY AND BEHIND THEM.
THAT IS A VERY PROBLEMATIC AREA TOO.
AND, UH, IT BE 30 YEARS, NOBODY DO ANYTHING.
I THINK WE HAVE PUT IT ON OUR SHOULDER BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT ANY ISSUE HAPPEN TO THOSE RESIDENT.
ACTIVE CITY MAYOR, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YES.
I WANTED TO JUST CONVEY ONE MORE, UM, CONCERN OR RECOMMENDATION FROM, UM, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, UM, ON THE CIP BUDGET AND STREET REPAIRS AND RESTRICTED SURPLUS.
UM, HE'S SAYING THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, $5.2 MILLION ALLOCATED TO THE RESIDENTIAL STREET REPAIR IN THE PROPOSED CIP BUDGET.
UM, AT THIS TIME, THE CITY HOLDS APPROXIMATELY $7 MILLION IN RESTRICTED SURPLUS FUNDS THAT COULD BE STRATEGICALLY, STRATEGICALLY USED, UH, TO COMPLETE ADDITIONAL HIGH PRIORITY STREET SEGMENTS IN THE CITY, UH, THAT ARE IN STILL, UM, SEVERE DISREPAIR.
AND HE HAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS MADE, UM, STREET QUALITY IS ONE OF THE TOP CONCERNS IN THE CITY, AND HE WANTED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
I I THINK THIS IS A, UH, THIS A BUDGET ISSUE.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, WHERE WE BUDGET, WHERE WE PUT THE MONEY, OKAY? AND, UH, THAT'S WHY WE SHIFT MONEY AROUND WHERE TO SPEND THE MONEY AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, AND I AGREE WITH, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN KENTO REGARDING PADDING.
OKAY? SO IN, IN RAINING DAY, IF WE, WE DON'T NEED TO BUDGET TO BALANCE.
IF WE HAVE A SURPLUS AND WE USING THE MONEY INTO THE OKAY.
AND THE FUND BALANCE AND PUT IT INTO A RESERVE, OKAY, WHEN SOMETHING, OKAY, THEN WE CAN USE IT.
SO, SO, SO I UNDERSTAND AND THE, THE, THE HABIT OF ALL THE CITY, OKAY, THEY ALWAYS WANNA BALANCE THE BUDGET AND KIND OF SQUEEZE EVERYTHING EVEN.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS BAD, UH, TO TELL PEOPLE WE HAVE COUPLE MILLION DOLLAR SHIFT INTO THE RESERVE BECAUSE WE NEED TO USE IT.
OKAY? MEANING FOR POTENTIALLY ALL THESE HILLSIDE OR OTHER ISSUE TREE TRIM THE BIG TREE INTO PEOPLE'S HOME, THAT IS EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC.
AND, UH, WE NEED TO, UH, BECAUSE THE WEATHER CHANGING, THE WIND THIS AND LOOK AT TODAY, OKAY, WE HAVE A HAILSTONE THIS UNLESS, SO, SO
[02:05:01]
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.SO PREVENTION AND, UM, SEE OKAY, THE FUTURE AND, UH, MAKE SURE THE ALWAYS IS SAFE.
OKAY? AND, UH, OKAY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? GO AHEAD.
UM, COULD I RESPOND? OH YEAH, GO AHEAD.
THAT, UM, JUST SO THE COUNCIL'S WELL INFORMED, UH, UH, UM, THE FUNDING FOR THE PROJECTS THAT YOU JUST NAMED, I'VE, I'VE PUT ON HERE, AND THIS IS WHAT CAME UP IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP AS WELL.
I PUT THE LIST OF THE FUNDED, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, CITY HALL ELEVATORS.
WE HAVE BUDGETED 250,000 IN 25, 26.
HOWEVER, HALF A MILLION HAS ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED FOR AND STARTED IN 24, 25.
SO THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED HALF A MILLION AND THAT PROJECT IS ONGOING AND APPROVED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
HOWEVER, YES, TO FULLY FUND THE PROJECT WAS ESTIMATED AT 1 MILLION.
SO WE'RE PUTTING, WE PROPOSE TO FUND IT ADDITIONALLY IN THIS 25, 26 WITH AN ADDITIONAL 250,000.
NOW, IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO FUND AND YOU JUST, WE JUST DO THE SCOPE TO CITY HALL ELEVATORS, YES.
THEN THE 250,000 THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED FOR 25, 26 ALREADY, THE HALF A MILLION IS ALREADY LIKE IN PLAY FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THE 250,000 THAT YOU, YOU WERE PROPOSING FOR 25, 26 COULD POTENTIALLY, IT, IT IS A GENERAL FUND FUNDED BECAUSE IT'S IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
SO THAT WOULD BE FREED UP FOR GENERAL FUND.
HOWEVER, THE CITY HALL PAINT THAT IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM FUNDING OF ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES.
SO THAT'S A SEPARATE SPECIAL FUNDING.
SO THOSE FUNDS WOULD NOT GO BACK TO SP TO THE GENERAL FUND.
THEIR, THEIR RESTRICTED FUND IS, IS A RESTRICTED FUND YOU SPEND YEAH.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE FOUND THAT FUNDING FOR IT.
SO IT'S REALLY TO BE USED FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.
THE CONCERN I HAVE IS THE GENERAL FUND.
WE, SO CITY, CITY HALL, ELEVATORS FUND OUR SALARY, AUXILIARY AND, UH, PENSION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND THE RESTRICT FUND, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM.
I UNDERSTAND IF WE CAN USE THE GENERAL OKAY.
RESTRICT FUND TO UP UPDATE OUR CITY HALL.
AND IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE OUR, UH, CITY HALL IS VERY AGENT.
I REMEMBER 2015 WHEN I SHOW UP.
AND, UH, TWO 16, WHEN I JUST GET ELECTED, I SEE THE CITY STILL PUT THAT BOGGY TV, ALL THE PLACES.
I SAY IT'S A 2016, WE SHOULD REMOVE ALL THIS.
SO, SO NOW YOU CAN SEE MORE OF A FLAT PANEL, THIS AND THAT.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, UPDATE OUR CITY HOPE, BE MORE PRESENTABLE.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT ELEVATOR.
WHY WE NEED TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY, OKAY.
AND WE HAVE TO SPEND MILLION DOLLAR FOR THE TWO ELEVATOR.
AND THEN IF PEOPLE HAVE THE ELEVATOR, I DON'T THINK THAT IS THAT EXPENSIVE.
WHY WE NEED TO, DO WE HAVE IP? DO WE HAVE, UH, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE? WHY IS OUR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT? AS LONG AS YOU HAVE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT PRICEY.
UM, BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD, THE ESTIMATE WAS AT A MILLION.
HOWEVER, IF THIS, IF WE'RE NOT FUNDING FOR THAT, AND IF IT'S ONLY HALF A MILLION, THE SCOPE WILL BE MODIFIED JUST SO THAT THE CONTROL PANEL IS AT A MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, UM, QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR FOR THE CONTROL PANEL.
IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING MILITARY, EVERYTHING'S LIKE A SCHOOL.
ASPIRIN IS LIKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS AS ACTIVE.
WE SHOULD GO TO IP JUST LIKE OUR RESIDENT, UH, TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST THROW THE MONEY OKAY.
AWAY FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
YOU HAVE ANY INPUT? MAYBE WE CAN SEND IP TO
IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT EXPENSIVE.
WE SHOULD HAVE A PROFESSIONAL MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR OUR ELEVATORS.
AND I DO AGREE THAT, UM, THE MILLION DOLLAR MORE TO FULLY REPLACE THE ELEVATORS, UH, MAY NOT BE NEEDED.
THAT JUST ADDITIONAL REPAIRS, UH, OF THE INTERNAL CONTROLS AND MECHANISMS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO KEEP THE ELEVATORS SAFE AND OPERATIONAL FOR THE CITY.
WE JUST WANT TO BE A SAFE OKAY.
ELEVATOR, BUT WE, WE DON'T WANNA OVERKILL AND SPEND THE MONEY UNNECESSARY.
SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY'S GOUGING US SPENDING QUARTER MILLION FOR THE PANEL.
UH, I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE MAYBE WE CAN USE THEIR MONEY INTO OKAY.
TRAINING THE, THE OVERGROWN VEGETATION, THE HILLSIDE TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY AND LIFE.
I THINK THIS WILL BE PRIORITIZED
[02:10:01]
RATHER THAN OKAY.SO THIS IS HOW YOU SPEND THE MONEY HERE AND THERE AND HOW WE, UH, WISELY, UH, USING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, UH, WHO WANNA GO FIRST? OKAY.
UH, COUNCIL, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, SO IN THIS SITUATION, UM, WHERE JIM GR WAS QUESTIONING THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO GET ESTIMATES OR BE MORE DILIGENT ON OUR CONTRACTS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IN THIS SITUATION, DID WE GET ESTIMATES? DID WE GET THREE ESTIMATES, LIKE WHAT WE WOULD DO AT HOME? OR HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? SO WE ALWAYS ADHERE BY THE PURCHASING POLICY.
NOW, FOR THE FUNDING, WE GOT AN INITIAL ESTIMATE, NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THIS NEEDED TO BE SCALED BACK, THEY KNOW WE ONLY HAVE HALF A MILLION AT THIS POINT.
LIKE IF YOU NOW IT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, WORKING WITH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THEY'D SCOPE IT DOWN KNOWING THE PARAMETERS OF THE BUDGET.
UM, AT FIRST WE ARE, WE WERE PROPOSING, OR I THINK THE INITIAL ESTIMATE WAS FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT COULD HAVE JUST BEEN FOR A REVAMP.
HOWEVER, PURCHASE YOUR DISCUSSION.
IF YOU'RE SAYING IF, IF IT'S JUST HALF A MILLION, I BELIEVE THAT WOULD JUST BE THE CONTROL PANEL, NOT THE SUBJECT MATTER ON THE ACTUAL OPERATIONS OF IT.
BUT WE WOULD ADHERE THROUGH OUR PURCHASING POLICY, GET QUOTES, MAKE SURE IT'S COMPETITIVE.
WE DO NOT SURPASS THAT OR WE DON'T LIKE BYPASS THAT.
UM, SO WE WOULD STILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S STILL, LIKE YOUR POLICIES IN PLACE ARE ADHERED TO.
I WANT TO ADD ON FOR THE ELEVATOR.
I SAW A LOT OF HOME WITH THE ELEVATOR.
A LOT OF HOME WITH THE ELEVATOR.
IF THEY HAVE TO SPEND QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR EVERY DESIGN, THEY'RE BANKRUPT.
I, I THINK THEY HAVE A MAINTENANCE SERVICE.
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT PRICEY BECAUSE THEY'RE CABLE.
MAYBE AGING SOMETHING, CHANGING IT JUST LIKE A CAR.
I'M STILL DRIVING 20 YEARS OLD.
OKAY, JUST CHANGING HERE, THERE.
THE CAR'S STILL HERE WITH ME BECAUSE I LOVE THE CAR.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS SOMETHING TOO, THIS ELEVATOR CAN LAST FOREVER AS LONG AS WE CHANGING THE PART.
AND THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE PLAY.
BUT NOT SPENDING QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR, HALF MILLION DOLLAR OR MILLION DOLLARS AND THERE NOBODY CAN AFFORD THAT KIND OF ELEVATOR.
SO I'M SAYING IS, IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO GO IP, I THINK, UH, ACTIVE CITY, OKAY.
CITY MANAGER, THAT IS ONE OF, UH, SOUND LIKE MONEY PITS TO US FOR ELEVATOR MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY, I WAS THINK ABOUT A BRAND NEW AND I, OKAY,
SO WHO MAINTAINS IT? AND ARE, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THAT SAME COMPANY AS, YEAH, I MEAN, OH, I DON'T KNOW.
ROX, YOU KNOW, THE ELEVATOR COMPANY THAT'S DOING THAT OR WHO WE DO HAVE A SERVICE CONTRACT.
AND THEN TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MAYOR, YOU ARE CORRECT.
WHEN YOU DO HAVE MAINTENANCE, IT DOES LOWER THE COST.
SO JUST AS MARIA LUISA HAD SAID EARLIER, AND JUST AS A DIRECTION TO THE ACTING CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE THERE IS A NUMBER THAT IS IN THE CAP AND BECAUSE THE COUNCIL HAD ALREADY APPROVED, WE ARE REQUIRED TO STILL GO OUT FOR AN RFP AND FOLLOW THOSE PURCHASING, UM, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, JUST LIKE WE DID DO, UM, WITH THE FIREWORKS.
SO WE DO FOLLOW THE RFP, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO WE WILL DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE, UM, AMOUNT OF MONEY IS SPENT SO THAT WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC'S, UM, TAX DOLLARS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO PRICE GOUGE.
THESE WERE ESTIMATES, UM, THAT LIKELY NEED TO BE REVISITED, UM, THAT WERE COORDINATED THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO WE'LL REVISIT THAT WITH STAFF, UM, AND WE'LL ENSURE THAT AN RFP IS PUBLISHED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BEST POSSIBLE COST.
AND WITH RFP ALSO INVOLVES THE MAINTENANCE COST BECAUSE CORRECT.
CURRENTLY THEY HAVE, IT'S BEEN POOR MAINTENANCE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD ELEVATOR PROBLEMS AND THEY'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
SO OBVIOUSLY WHO THAT IS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
AND IF I MAY, PART OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE MECHANISMS THAT ARE IN THE ELEVATOR THEMSELVES.
SO THERE ARE, UM, PIECES, THERE ARE EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
IS IT TO A TUNE OF 1 MILLION? IT MAY NOT BE TO AT TUNE OF 1 MILLION, AND THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HAVING AN RFP SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BEST POSSIBLE COST, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING THOSE REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS.
AND YES, WE WOULD INCLUDE A MAINTENANCE PLAN IN THE SCOPE OF WORK.
YEAH, I, I, I THINK OKAY, I THINK WE TALK ENOUGH FOR ELEVATOR.
I THINK THE ELEVATOR BASICALLY
[02:15:01]
IS EVEN BRAND NEW IS NOT REALLY THE EXPENSIVE, OKAY? AND AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE MAN IS CHANGING THE PART JUST LIKE IT'S A MECHANISM.SO MEANING IF IT DOESN'T WORK, YOU CHANGING HERE, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT PRICEY.
OKAY? AGAIN, A LOT OF HOME, OKAY? THEY, THEY HAVE ELEVATOR, OKAY? AND, UH, HOTEL MOTEL, THIS AND THAT, OKAY.
BUSINESS, THEY ALL HAVE A ELEVATOR, OKAY? AND, UH, AND, UH, IT IS NOT COST THAT KIND OF MONEY AT ALL.
OKAY? AND, UH, SO, SO, SO WE JUST NEED TO WISELY AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, SOMEBODY NOT GOUGING US.
OKAY? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE, OKAY? MEANING ALL OF, NOT EVEN BRAND NEW ONE, OKAY? SO IT DOESN'T MAKE, OKAY ANY OF, UH, TO OUR REASONABLE PERSON SITTING OVER HERE, OKAY, LET'S SEND TO THIS.
SO BE CAREFUL, OKAY? WHAT, WHAT I'M SAYING IS JUST, OKAY, UTILIZE THE IP AND, UH, WHAT THE GENUINE NUMBER, UH, TO, TO, TO PUT ON EXP EXPENDITURE.
EXPENDITURE SHOULD BE MORE PRECISE, NOT JUST A LUMP SUM.
YOU MUST HAVE A NUMBER BEHIND YOUR NUMBER WHEN YOU PROVIDE TO US.
SO IN THAT WAY, OKAY, WE, WE CAN SAY, OKAY, THIS IS REASONABLE, IS REASONABLE, MAYBE WE SHIFT OKAY FROM THIS INTO SOMETHING POSSIBLE MORE.
AND, UH, ANY, AND AGAIN, AGAIN, PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT IS THE PRIORITY.
COSMETIC CAN BE SECONDARY, OKAY? AND, UH, AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT TAXPAYER ONE IS SUCH WE ARE PROTECTING, OKAY, ALL THE PROPERTY AND THE LIFE MAYOR PUTIN.
OH, THE ELEVATOR IS A SAFETY ISSUE 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA GET STUCK OR WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE DROPPED OR INJURED, WALK ON THE STAIRS, INJURED
BUT ANYWAYS, THAT'S A WHOLE NEW DIFFERENT STORY THAT'S BEEN DROPPED, UM, FOR THE OFFICERS.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE THAT BUDGET FOR THEIR FILLING IN VACANCY HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT, LIKE JUST CITYWIDE, NOBODY CAN FILL IN THEIR OFFICERS.
IT SEEMS LIKE NOBODY WANTS TO BE AN OFFICER ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT RESPECTED AS THEY WERE AT ONCE.
WERE, YOU REMEMBER THE WHOLE DEFUNDING POLICE, UM, THE TREATMENT AND EVERYTHING, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OTHER CITIES ARE OFFERING LUCRATIVE INCENTIVES.
THEY'LL PAY FOR THEIR HOUSING, THEY'LL PAY LIKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BONUS.
I MEAN, I MEAN, WE COULD DO THAT, BUT THAT HINDERS OUR BUDGET.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S A, A THOUGHT PROCESS AS WELL.
BUT, UM, IN REGARDS TO OFFICERS, WE CAN NEVER FILL THAT VACANCY AS FAST AS WE WOULD LOVE TO, BUT A LOT OF CITIES ARE STRUGGLING FOR THAT WHOLE THING.
I DO WANNA THANK, UH, THE RESIDENTS WHO ATTENDED THE BUDGET MEETING.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE THAT AND WE WELCOME ANY, YOU KNOW, INSIGHTS OR INFORMATION, BUT I STRIVE AND I, I JUST ASK WE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, I'M FOR THAT.
IF YOU HAVE THOSE IDEAS, BY ALL MEANS BRING IT.
UH, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND, AND MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, I HAVE NO, UH, FURTHER DIRECTION OF WHAT TO MOVE AND THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
I, I WOULD MOVE FORWARD AS THAT UNLESS COUNCILMAN CONTOS WANTS SOMETHING TO CHANGE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE I MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
COUNCILMAN CANTO, YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING QUICKLY SO WE CAN MOVE ON? UH, N NOT FOR NOW.
I'LL PUT IT IN WRITING LATER BECAUSE I, I, I, I AGREE WITH THE ELEVATOR CHANGES OR THE THINGS YOU'VE SAID.
WE HAVE TO, BUT I, I DON'T WANNA DO THAT HERE.
I WANNA BE, I, I APPRECIATE, OKAY, THANK YOU.
I THINK WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE.
I THINK IT'S LIKE THE HILLSIDE ELEMENT MIGHT BE MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE, OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE A FIRE HAZARD AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN YOU WANT TO ADD ON ANYTHING AND WON.
UH, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION RECEIVE FILE, RIGHT? YES.
SO DO WE NEED TO VOTE NOW? RIGHT? SO, UM, IF NOW I'M GONNA CLOSE THIS AGENDA.
I HOPE IT'S NOT TOO TOUGH ON YOU, OKAY? AND, UH,
WISELY USING THE MONEY, BUT APPRECIATE YOU BALANCE THE BUDGET THOUGH, OKAY? AND IF WE HAVE EXTRA, WE CAN PAD IN INTO THE FUND BALANCE RESERVE, AND THAT IS, I THINK, MORE SAFE FOR THE FUTURE.
APPRECIATE, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION.
I ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THE ACTING ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, PATTY SINO, WHO'S LIKE MY BUDGET TEAM THIS YEAR.
IT'S BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SO THANK YOU.
UM, WORKING HARD ON THE 25, 26 BUDGET.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
YOU DON'T HAVE A FINANCE DIRECTOR AND, UH, YOU GUYS ARE ACTING AND ACTING AND ACTING AND SO, SO, SO SORRY.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE HAVE IN NO TIME WE CAN FILL IT UP.
AND WE GET THIS THING, OKAY? AND, UH, AND WHAT I SEE, UH, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BESIDES THE POLICE ON FIRE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY NEED MONEY.
SO YOU GUYS WILL BE ON TOP OF THEM BECAUSE NO MONEY, NO POLICE ON FIRE.
SO, SO, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND BALANCE THE BUDGET, AND HOPEFULLY I CAN SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT EVEN SURPLUS, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THEN NEXT WE MOVE INTO, OKAY, CITY COUNCIL REPORT FOR AB 1, 2, 3, 4, CONFERENCE
[02:20:01]
AND THE MEETING REPORT.[CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION]
UH, COUNCIL REQUESTS AND COMMENT GO AHEAD CON.UH, THE FIR THE FIRST ONE IS I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, THAT WE, I'D LIKE TO MOVE, UH, MOVE THAT WE AGENDIZE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SECTION ONE 15 PENSION TRUST, UH, BUILDING ON THE REPORT THAT WAS GIVEN TO US, UH, SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO.
UH, JUST TO HAVE THAT MECHANISM READY SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN, UH, UH, WORKING TO ADDRESS OUR, OUR LONG-TERM, UH, UH, PENSION LIABILITIES.
ANYBODY AGAINST THAT? UH, NONE.
THE NEXT ONE IS I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO AGENDIZE, UH, PUTTING ON, UH, OR I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO AGENDIZE, UH, A MOVE TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH BRIGHTVIEW.
UH, DO WE HAVE A REPLACEMENT OF THAT? OKAY.
ANYBODY WANT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? WELL, OKAY.
I'M, IT'S NOT LIKE WE, WE DISAGREE, I DISAGREE WITH YOU.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOMEBODY DOING THE JOB RIGHT? OF COURSE.
I DON'T WANT GO AND PEOPLE YELL AT ME AND THEN TO, I MEAN, I GUESS MAYBE TO AMEN TO, AND THEN TO EMPOWER THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE STEPS TO REPLACE THEM WITH QUALITY CONTRACTORS, OKAY.
YOU GUYS HAVE NO PROBLEM TO FIND A REPLACEMENT RIGHT AWAY WE WOULD'VE TO GO OUT TO RFP.
OKAY? UH, AND SO WE DON'T SEE THE JUNGLE GROWING INTO OUR SIDEWALK TREE.
ACTUALLY, THERE IS A JUNGLE GROWING ON THE SIDEWALK ON ALL THE PLACES.
I KNOW THAT ONE NEAR THE, OKAY, IF NOBODY, UH, OKAY.
SEE THE LAST, THEY'RE VERY EFFICIENT.
THE LAST ONE IS TO ASK STAFF TO LOOK INTO WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR A, A, A, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY TAX.
NOT TO SAY WE'LL DO IT OR NOT DO IT, BUT I, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROCESS.
SO JUST FOR THE STAFF, UM, I, I WANT TO SAY THIS.
NO, THIS IS, UH, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TAXES, INCREASE INCREASING IN TAXES, THAT IS HAVE TO BE VOTE BY THE VOTER, HAVE ON THE BALLOT.
OH, IS THAT HOW I, I DON'T, WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT JUST SAY WE WANNA ERASE TAXES AND THAT, AND THEN IT HAPPEN.
IT WILL COST, IT WILL COST CITY HALF MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE.
JUST PUT A BALLOT TO, TO VOTE.
OH, I I THOUGHT THERE WAS THAT THE COUNCIL HAD A NO, NO, WE, WE ANYTHING REGARDING INCREASING, UH, TAXES.
AND SO, SO IN THAT WAY THEN, IF THE, UH, THE PERSON THAT HE WANT TO RAISE THE TAX, HE CAN HAVE, UH, GRASSROOTS TO HAVE A SIGNATURE AND SUBMIT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK ENOUGH SIGNATURE.
THEY CAN PUT A BALLOT, BUT, BUT CITY WILL CAUSE AT LEAST HALF A MILLION DOLLAR OR MORE.
AND, UH, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN PUT IN A 2026 IF THEY WANT TO REALLY GET, UH, OKAY.
AND I'M THE PERSON ANTI, UH, NEW TEXAS GUY.
OKAY? SO I WILL BE NEUTRAL, LET THEM TO DO THE THING.
BUT THE, THE THING WILL BE, UH, IF, UH, ANY PEOPLE WANT TO DO IT, WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY IT? THEY GO TO COLLECT SIGNATURE AND THEY PUT OKAY, ASKING, UH, THEY GET ENOUGH SIGNATURE VERIFY, AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO THE, UH, BALLOT.
OKAY? THEN 2026 OVER THERE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER.
IF YOU WANT TO DO THE SPECIAL ELECTION, LET EVEN WILL BE MORE PRICEY.
IT WILL BE ABOUT QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR.
I WAS JUST OUT SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT, OKAY.
MAYOR, IS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY TAX THE SAME AS A UTILITY TAX THAT'S USED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? I DON'T, UH, UH, DOESN'T MATTER.
IT A, IT IF, UH, IF, IF YOU GO TO THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY TAX, THEY CAN GO TO THE SALES TAX OR THEY CAN GO TO PUBLIC TAX OR THEY CAN DO THE PARCEL TAX.
OKAY? FOR EXAMPLE, UH, PASADENA, NOT PASADENA AS SAN MARINO DUE TO, THEY DON'T HAVE TOO MANY BUSINESS.
SO THEY GO TO THE, UH, PARCEL TAX FOR THEIR MONEY TO HAVE THEIR OWN POLICE AND FIRE, UH, PA OKAY? ELON, UH, UM, SAN MARINO ONLY HAVE A 12,000 POPULATION, BUT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN POLICE AND FIRE.
AND WHERE THEY GETTING MONEY FROM IS A VERY HEAVY DUTY OF THEIR PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX INTO FUNDING FOR THAT DUE.
THEY DON'T HAVE, UH, TOO MANY BUSINESS OVER THERE.
THEY DON'T WANT BUSINESS, THEY JUST WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL BIG HOME IN SUB MARINO, THEIR PROPERTY IS ABOUT $10 MILLION, $8 MILLION.
SO THEY CAN, ALL THE RICH PEOPLE CAN AFFORD THE LEAD, BUT I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BURDEN, OKAY? AND OUR FIXED INCOME PEOPLE, BUT AGAIN, IF ANYBODY WANT TO DO IT, THEY CAN GO TO COLLECT SIGNATURE, BUT HAVE TO GO TO THE BALLOT FOR THE VOTER TO VOTE.
BUT WILL COST US MINIMUM HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO PUT A BALLOT.
[02:25:01]
CAN, YOU CAN DISCUSS THIS, OKAY.LOOK INTO IT IF YOU STILL WANT TO CONTINUE.
I JUST WANT TO ANSWER, I DONE THIS FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS, SO I KNOW THIS INFORMATION.
PEOPLE WANT TO RECALL, THEY NEED TO COLLECT SIGNATURE IF THEY, SAME THING TOO, PUT ON BALLOT FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE, BUT THE SIGNATURE IS THE REQUIREMENT, OKAY? AND, UH, OR TO GET A FULL VOTE, UH, LAST TIME, UH, 2018.
OKAY? EARLY, OKAY, 2018 THEY PUT ON THE AGENDA, BUT THEY NEED SUPER MAJORITY FOUR ONE TO APPROVE ANY OF THE TAX INCREASE TO PUT ON PUBLIC TAX.
I AM MY EXPENSE AGAIN, NEW TAXES, SO IT FAIL IS THREE TWO.
SO I JUST WANT TO LAY YOU, BUT I THINK THEY END UP, THEY STILL DOING SOME, UH, SIGNATURE AND I THINK THEY PUT A BALLOT AND THE 80 20 AND THE 80% OF RESIDENT VOTED DOWN.
OKAY? THEY DON'T WANT INCREASE THE SALES TAX AND TO PAY FOR POLICE FIRE, I THINK POSSIBLE TO SAY WRONG, BUT JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY OKAY.
THAT WE WENT THROUGH THAT BEFORE.
BUT ANY TAXES HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTER.
OKAY? UH, ANY OTHERS? YOU HAVE ANY OTHER MOTHER? MAY I? OKAY.
ANY OTHERS? YOU HAVE ANYONE? ANY COMMENT? NO, NO COMMENT.
IS THIS, UH, ARE WE, AND IT'S THE FINAL COMMENT FOR THE MEETING.
UH, YEAH, WE DONE WITH A REQUEST IF YOU GUYS WANT GO.
[CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS]
WANTED TO TALK ABOUT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.UM, UM, VARIOUS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH FOLKS HAVE, HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, ANNOUNCING THAT, THAT THE CITY WILL BE HAVING A CENTRALIZED EVENT, UH, BUILDING ON THE SORT OF TRENDS THAT WERE HAPPENING ALL AROUND US.
AND, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE EXCITING IN, IN THE SENSE OF, OF, OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER, UH, UH, WHO, WHO WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, I WANTED JUST TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO, UH, TO CHIEF TONY CORTINA, UH, BECAUSE I, I REACHED OUT TO HIM JUST TO ASK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY ONLY IF PEOPLE WANTED TO, IF THEY STILL, FOR THOSE WHO WANTED TO STILL HAVE SOMETHING AT THEIR HOUSE OR WHATEVER.
AND HE, AND HE INDICATED TO ME THAT THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
SO I'M JUST APPRECIATIVE OF, OF THAT FLEXIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO, AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO TO THE DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR THE CENTRAL ONE GREAT TOO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT.
UH, UH, UH, I WANT TO ADD ON WHAT YOU ABOUT THE NATION NIGHT OUT.
AND AGAIN, I'VE DONE THIS, UH, 10 YEARS OKAY? AND, UH, TO NOVEMBER.
OKAY? AND, UH, AND WE, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS, IS A, IT IS A POLICE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HAVE A PIN CEREMONY AND THEY SET UP WHAT THEY WANT.
OKAY? AND, UH, SO IT IS NOT REALLY THE COUNCIL DETECT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
THEY SEE WHAT THEY CAN, HOW TO GET MORE OUTREACH FOR MORE PEOPLE, OKAY? AND, UH, I REALLY JOINED TO GO TO DIFFERENT, OKAY, OUTPOSTS FOR THE NATIONAL NIGHT TO TALKING TO ALL THESE PEOPLE SINCE 2016 TO LAST YEAR.
BUT, BUT YOU CAN SEE LAST YEAR YOU SITTING IN THE CAR OKAY.
WITH US OR THE PREVIOUS YEAR, YOU SAW, UH, WE HAVE THE FIGHTING TRAFFIC GO TO EACH OF A LOT OF TIME WE SHOW UP.
THEY, THEY, THEY'RE ALREADY DONE.
SO, SO MY SUGGESTION IS WE CAN GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING OR THEY GET TOGETHER ANYTIME AND, UH, TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM RATHER THAN SHOW UP FOR FIVE MINUTES.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR ANOTHER POST BEFORE THEY PARTY'S OVER.
WE WANT TO MEET ALL THE RESIDENT AND THIS AND THAT.
AND IT'S FOR ONE NIGHT FROM SIX O'CLOCK TILL 10 O'CLOCK, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH 10, OKAY? OR 15.
SO A LOT OF TIME WE HAVE TO SPLIT OUT OKAY.
AND, UH, MAKE SURE WE CAN COVER EVERYBODY AND THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DIS DISAPPOINT.
BUT NOW THE ISSUE LIKE TRACY BENJAMIN, OKAY? UH, AND FOR THE SOUTH SIDE, AFTER SHE RETIRE AND NOBODY WANT TO TAKE OVER, IT'S SUCH A SAD STORY BECAUSE, UH, THE SHADOW OAK SOUTH SIDE IS A MAJOR BIG, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.
THEY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE SOMETIMES IN SHADOW OAK PARK AND THEY BARBECUE THE MUSIC, BUT THIS COST A LOT OF MONEY AND OTHER EFFORT.
SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND, OKAY.
VOLUNTEER LIKE TRACY WILLING TO DO IT.
AND THE SAME THING TO THE, UH, THE EURO YOUR AREAS.
OKAY? THE ALPINE, THE ALPINE, THE ALPINE.
AND I HEARD ABOUT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE.
SO, AND, UH, SO THIS IS, UH, BUT IF ANY ELDER OF, UM, UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, THEY WANT TO DO IT.
OKAY? AND, UH, WE WILLING TO GO THERE.
OKAY? BUT, UH, I THINK I TALKED TO, UM, TONY AND, UH, CAPTAIN, UH, CHIEF COTINA AND THE CHIEF BELT, UH, BEFORE HE RETIRE.
AND I SAY, IS THAT REALLY YOU, I WANT, THIS IS SOMETHING ALL THE CITY DOING RIGHT NOW.
THEY CENTRALIZE AND BRING ALL THE RESIDENTS SO WE
[02:30:01]
CAN HAVE A THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS OVER THERE, OKAY? AND SO THE POLICE CAN DO THEIR OUTREACH.SO AGAIN, AND I RESPECT WHAT THEIR DECISION, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND SINCE YOU SAW IT, UH, WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, ALWAYS POLICE CHIEF COMING OUT TO, TO HOST.
OKAY? JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, OKAY? IT IS NOT WE TO DECIDE.
I KNOW, UH, SHERRY CALLED ME YESTERDAY.
I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HER, BUT I SAY WE STILL CAN DO IT AND WE STILL CAN VISIT ALL THIS AND THEN SPEND MORE TIME, BUT DIFFERENT DAY AND WE CAN BE THERE AND, UH, AND CELEBRATE WITH THEM.
SO ANYWAY, ANY OTHER COUNCIL WANT ALL YOU WANNA SAY MORE? NO, THAT'S IT.
AND ANY OTHER, SO, UH, UH, AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING IS THIS, AND, AND, UH, MEMORIAL DAY IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EVENT, VERY TOUCHING.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OKAY, ALL THE PEOPLE SHOW UP.
OKAY? THEY'RE REALLY, AND, UH, MR. G, I SAW YOU OVER THERE.
AND, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THERE TO SHOW THE UNITY AND PAY THE RESPECT.
AND, UH, AND THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING WE NEED TO UNITED TO REALLY AS A FAMILY.
AND, UH, THANK, AND JUST LIKE I SAY, THE, THE FLAG IS JUST ANOTHER DECORATION IS A SYMBOL, OKAY.
AND SO PEOPLE, UH, SACRIFICE FOR US.
THAT'S WHY WE CAN STANDING OVER HERE WITH A DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM FREE TO DISCUSS, AGREE AND DISAGREE, BUT, BUT WE CAN HAVE THIS FREEDOM AS A FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
AND, UH, WE TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR THE RESIDENT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DOING OVER HERE.
ANOTHER THING, I I WANT TO SAY THIS THING.
I KNOW YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY WELCOME, UH, ACTING CITY MANAGER AND, UH, FOR TWO WEEKS AND I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND OTHER PEOPLE CALLING ME AND ABOUT, AND I EVEN HAVE A DATA TENANT TO SAY, OKAY, UH, CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T MAKE THE WRONG DECISION.
SO HE EVEN, HE LIKE YOU, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY.
OKAY, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY, OKAY.
AND, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WESTSIDE 7 24, I THINK WE HAVE YOU AS A 7 24 RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW YOU HAVE STEVEN BANK IN YOUR ROOM, OKAY? AND, UH, AND THERE'S, AND PEOPLE CALLING YOU AND YOU ARE VERY RESPONSIVE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, REPRESENT THE TAXPAYER AND A GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA AND SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WILLING TO STEP UP TO HELP US GET ALL THIS CONTRACT UNION AND UNITED WITH ALL OUR STAFF.
AND, UH, THAT SHOW THE LEADERSHIP UNITE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN UNITED UNITE, WE STAND SO WE CAN SERVE WITH MORALE AND HAPPY STAFF, HAPPY STAFF, HAPPY CITY, AND HAPPY RESIDENT.
ANYBODY WANNA SAY, OH, UH, I CAN SAY MANAGER.
WANNA SAY SOMETHING? GO AHEAD.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS, MR. MAYOR.
AND THIS KIND LEADS INTO WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS I WANTED TO THANK, UM, SOME OF THE STAFF THAT ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT.
IN FACT, A GOOD NUMBER OF STAFF, UM, MEMBERS OF THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT, MEMBERS OF THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UM, WHO ARE ALL OUT TONIGHT IN FORCE AND IN FULL UNITY.
UM, ASSISTING WITH THE PROCESSION FOR OFFICER ROS FROM THE CORONER'S OFFICE TO FOREST LAWN.
SO WHEN YOU WATCH THE NEWS TONIGHT, YOU'LL SEE OUR STAFF OUT THERE.
SO THEY'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR HARD WORK AND OUT THERE DOING THE CORRECT THING AND THE RIGHT THING, AND REPRESENTING THE BEST OF WEST COVINA AS WE SUPPORT BALDWIN PARK FAMILY WITH BALDWIN PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, COUNCIL, UM, AND RESIDENTS.
WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THE EMPLOYEES AT THIS CITY.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL? WANNA SAY ANYTHING? OKAY.
AND, UH, AGAIN, IT'S ALL CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S A VERY SAD OKAY, AND THAT'S WHY I SAID MANY, MANY TIMES ON OUR POLICE OFFICER WHEN THEY PATROL ON THE STREET AND THEY REALLY OKAY IN DANGER.
SO OUR POLICE AND FIRES AND THEY'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB.
SO WE REALLY MAKE SURE PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE.
ONE OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S ALSO OUT THERE, UH, THAT I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IS OUR, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY'RE ALL OUT THERE TONIGHT AS WELL, ASSISTING WITH ROAD CLOSURES, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UM, TRAFFIC CONTROL.
UM, SO THE MAJORITY OF OUR CITY STAFF IS ACTUALLY OUT IN THE FIELD TONIGHT ASSISTING WITH THE PROCESSION.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS AND ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT ARE OUT THERE TONIGHT, OKAY.
AND, UH, REPRESENT AGAIN, THE CITY AS A CURRENT MAYOR, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE, ALL THE STAFF OKAY.
AND SHOWING COMPASSION AND RESPECT AND TO THE FOREIGN, OUR OFFICER.
AND I THINK THEY GIVE, TELL PEOPLE WE CARE.
[02:35:01]
A NUMBER, NOT JUST A, A, A, A, UM, A ISSUE.IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A HUMAN BEING.
IT'S OUR BROTHERS AND IT'S OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIEND, OKAY? AND, UH, SUCH A YOUNG AGE AND JUST GET CUT DOWN.
LIKE THIS IS, UH, VERY, VERY SAD.
AND HE HAS VERY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, UH, TWO DAUGHTER, OKAY? AND IT JUST HAVE, UH, HOUSEWARMING AND NOW GET BLOW AWAY.
SO JUST SENSELESS OF ALL THIS LOSS.
AND, UH, IT IS VERY SAD, OKAY? JUST VERY MADE ME HEARTBROKEN TO LISTEN TO THIS NEWS.
AND PLUS IT'S, UH, IT IS A, IT IS IN OUR NEIGHBOR CITY.
SO ANYWAY, THE MAJOR CONDOLENCE AND, UH, DEEPEST DEEP, OUR SYMPATHY TO THEIR, THEIR FAMILY AND PRAYER TO THEM.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NO.