[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
WELCOME TO OUR SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025 COUNCIL SPECIAL, UH, CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING.
IT IS RIGHT NOW 6:00 PM A MEETING NOW IN SECTION.
WE WILL HAVE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROSARIO DI WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF LEGION.
BUT BEFORE I DOING THAT, UH, I WANNA HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENT FOR OLDER VICTIM WITH, UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE UKRAINIAN OKAY.
REFUGEE EUREKA, RISKY, AND, UH, ACT POWER.
POLITICAL ACTIVIST CHARLIE KERR, AND MANY, MANY, MANY OF INNOCENT VICTIM DIE EVERY DAY IN ALL PLACES.
WE WANNA HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENT ALL RIGHTS, PLEASE.
LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENT PLEASE.
GENTLEMEN, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR CAPS.
REPEAT A ME I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE, THE FLAG OF, OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
AND, UH, WELCOME THIS CITY CLERK.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA]
WE MOVE TO ORAL COMMUNICATION.I'M NOT GOING TO READ ANYTHING ANYMORE.
I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, HOW MANY SPEAKER WE HAVE? MAYOR, WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
I MEAN, JUST SKIP TO THE, YOU WANT TO PLEASE SKIP TO SURE, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
AND WANTED TO, YEAH, IT'S OKAY.
JUST, YEAH, JUST SKIP TO, UH, C CITY CLUB, PLEASE.
THEN WE WILL HAVE YOU TO COME OUT TO SPEAK.
WOULD YOU PLEASE ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK? WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE THE, OKAY.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO SPEAK TO THE ADDRESS TO COUNCIL
APPRECIATE ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK? PLEASE GIVE THE, OKAY.
UH, THEN LET'S START THE FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE.
FIRST SPEAKER IS JD, FOLLOWED BY MIRIAM.
LADY FIRST, JD, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
FIRST SPEAKER IS MIRIAM MERRIAM, VER ZO FOLLOWED DUKO, EXCUSE ME, FOLLOWED BY JD.
I CAN SPELL THAT FOR YOU IF NECESSARY FOR THE MINUTE.
UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE, UM, AND I WAS ACTUALLY VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL MEETING CALLED TODAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE FOR CALLING SPECIAL MEETINGS AND HOW MUCH NOTICE NEEDS TO BE GIVEN.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT IT WASN'T POSTED ON THE CITY HALL PAGE.
THERE WERE OTHER, UH, NOTICES FOR MEETINGS POSTED THERE, BUT THIS ONE WAS NOT.
UM, AND SO I'M NEW TO THIS PROCESS.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN WEST COVINA FOR 25 YEARS, AND I'VE DECIDED TO BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T ALWAYS COMPLAIN ABOUT THINGS IF I DON'T GET MYSELF INVOLVED.
UM, AND, AND SHARE MY THOUGHTS, UM, AND MY ACTIVISM, UM, YOU KNOW, IN PRESENT.
SO, UM, AFTER, UM, A LOT OF CONSIDERATION, MY PARENTS HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY FOR 30 YEARS AS WELL.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESSES.
I'VE ATTENDED A TOWN HALL, UM, AND IT DOES, UH, SEEM TO ME LIKE IT IS VERY, UM, INTERESTING AND SOMETIMES, UH, COMBATIVE.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND INSIST ON A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENCY, ESPECIALLY FOR, UM, UH, CITIZENS OF WEST COVINA THAT ARE NEWER TO THE PROCESS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I AM HERE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE AND PROVIDE MY OPINION.
[00:05:01]
AND, AND IF THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IN WHICH TO SPEAK, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY LATER TO PRESENT A CARD LATER, IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHARE OR PERSPECTIVE TO SHARE.UM, ONCE I UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THIS MEETING, I'D, I'D LIKE TO RESERVE THAT, THAT TIME AS WELL.
AND THEN CITY, UH, MANAGERS HERE, ATTORNEY WILL ANSWER YOU AFTER ALL THE CASE SPEECH IS OVER.
WELCOME TO THE POLITICAL ARENA, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, I NOTICED THAT THIS ROGELIO THINGS HAS BEEN GOING BACK BETWEEN, UH, THE TIME.
IT JUST BEEN GOING BACK BETWEEN, UH, ACCUSATIONS AGAINST YOU, MAYOR AND THIS NONPROFIT.
AND I'M WONDERING, LIKE MS. VITO POINTED OUT DURING THE LAST MEETING, WHEN WILL THE CITY MANAGEMENT TEAM BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SITTING AROUND AND LETTING THE CITY SPEND OR DEPLOY? SO MANY EMPLOYEES, ANYBODY CAN DO THE MATH THAT THEY DIDN'T STEP UP AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE.
THE MOU DOESN'T SEEM TO INDICATE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THIS MONEY SENT DIRECTLY TO US, AND WE'RE PUTTING OUT $152,000 WORTH OF HOURS.
WHERE WERE THEY? WHEN WILL THEY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE? THANK YOU.
ANGIE, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO.
ARE YOU SURE? YOU ALWAYS LOOK LIKE A VERY, WHEN I SEE YOU AGAIN.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, THEN WE, NO SPEAKER.
[1. Consideration of Council Member Request to Place an Item on the September 16, 2025, City Council Agenda to Consider the Complaint Against and Censure of Council Member Brian Gutierrez ]
I'M GOING TO MOVE TO OKAY.UH, MAYOR, PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE OVER? SORRY.
MAYOR PROAM, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THE STATEMENTS? NO.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT MY UPDATED ONE, BUT I MEAN, I CAN READ ANYTHING IF YOU LIKE.
I'M, I'M REQUESTING TO ADD AN ITEM ON SEPTEMBER 6TH, AGENDA TO CONSIDER THE CENTER OF COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ.
THIS REQUEST IS IN RESPONSE TO HIS ACTIONS AGAINST ME.
THE FIRST ONE WAS AFTER THE LAST SEPTEMBER 2ND COUNCIL MEETING, WHERE HE SENT ME A CEASE AND DESIST EMAIL TO SILENCE ME, THREATENING ME IF I DON'T STOP TALKING.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, HE CROSSED THE LINE AND SENT A MAN TO MY HOUSE TO LOOK FOR ME, TO MY HOME, TO GIVE MY FAMILY A LETTER FOR THE SAME EMAIL HE ORIGINALLY SENT ME.
AFTER I TOLD HIM TO STOP HARASSING ME AND STOP SENDING ME PEOPLE TO MY HOME, I RECEIVED ANOTHER CEASE AND DESIST EMAIL BULLYING ME HIS ACTIONS AND CONDUCTS LEAVE ME FEELING UNSAFE.
AND FOR SPEAKING UP TODAY, I WANTED ON THE RECORD THAT IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO ME, MY HOME OR MY FAMILY, THEN WE ALL KNOW IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT.
ALL THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO HIS BEHAVIOR TACTIC, TACTICS AND HARASSMENT TOWARDS ME.
I BELIEVE THIS MATTER SHOULD BE ADDRESSED OPENLY, TRANSPARENTLY, AND WITH THE SERIOUSNESS IT DESERVES.
AS SUCH, I'M REQUESTING TO ADD AN ITEM TO THE SEPTEMBER 16 AGENDA SO THE COUNCIL CAN DISCUSS MY COMPLAINT AGAINST AND THE CENTER OF COUNCIL MEMBER GUTS.
DO I HAVE SECOND? SECOND? I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND.
UM, SO THE, THE REALITY WAS IS THAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ VIDO CAME TO CITY HALL AND STARTED KICKING AND BANGING ON THE ACTING CITY MANAGER'S DOOR, WHICH ALSO A WITNESS TO THAT WAS ERIC REGAS, THE MILAN'S ASSISTANT, WHO SAW, LET THE COME AND BANG AND KICKED MILAN'S DOOR.
AND IT STARTED TO YELL AT ME, UH, WHERE A PORTION OF THAT, BECAUSE THERE WAS, UH, OTHER MEMBERS PUBLIC AT THAT, UH, SITUATION, A PORTION OF THAT WAS RECORDED.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD AROUND.
REALITY IS, IS THAT WE AS A CITY HOLD A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TAXPAYERS.
AND WHEN PEOPLE DON'T LIKE QUESTIONING OR DON'T LIKE THE LEGAL PROCESS, UH, THE PERSON SHE'S REFERRING TO IS A REGISTERED PROCESS SERVER FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY WHO'S LICENSE, UH, DUE TO SUE THE COUNTY.
SO IT IS A LEGAL PROCESS, UH, THAT IS WITHIN THE RIGHTS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO, TO SERVE PEOPLE AND, AND TO GIVE THEM
[00:10:01]
NOTICE.UM, THE CEASE AND DESIST EMAIL WAS BECAUSE, UH, MANY PROAM, UH, WAS CREATING FALS FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT A TOY GIVEAWAY.
UH, AND, AND IN, IN SOONER NATIONS, SOMEHOW THAT I WAS, UH, UH, HAD MY OWN NONPROFIT, WHICH IS, UH, NOT TRUE.
UM, BUT THE MATTER OF THE FACT IS, IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A, A OBVIOUSLY THERE'S WITNESSES WHO, WHO SAW MAYOR PROM'S ACTIONS AND CONDUCT AT CITY HALL.
AND, UH, THIS IS IN RETALIATION, UH, BECAUSE I WAS SENT ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL EMAIL.
AND THAT EMAIL DISCLOSED THAT MAYOR PROM LOPEZ VEDO DID NOT COMPLY, UH, WITH THE CITY'S THE CITY COUNCIL'S AUDIT REQUEST FOR FILM AT WEST COVINA.
SHE SENT A ONE PAGE EMAIL AND DID NOT DISCLOSE THE DOCUMENTS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED ON.
AND SO, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE MAY NOT BE HAPPY THAT THERE IS A COUNCIL MEMBER ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO BE THE PEOPLE'S VOICE.
AND ALL I COULD DO IS SAY THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PEOPLE'S VOICE, AND I WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE NOT SILENCE, BECAUSE THERE IS A SYSTEM CALLED THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM ENSURES THAT FAIRNESS AND DEMOCRACY GETS TO CONTINUE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS HELD TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD.
UH, THE, WE HAVE FIRST AND SECOND, UH, ROLL CALL.
PLEASE ALLOW THE TRANSPARENCY, PLEASE AND THE TRUTH TO COME OUT.
SO THIS IS A MEETING JUST ABOUT TO PUT THIS INTO THE AGENDA FOR NEXT.
SO,
I'D JUST LIKE TO, TO JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRANSPARENCY, UH, WE, WE JUST NEED TO TALK OPENLY TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S, SO WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THIS.
SO, UM, IN LIGHT OF WHAT, OF ALL OF THIS, UM, A COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ AYE, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ.
SO WHAT'S THE MOTION? THE MOTION IS THE AGENDA FOR NEXT TUESDAY.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT ENTAIL TO DISCUSS MY COMPLAINT AGAINST YOUR LETTER, YOUR CEASE AND DISEASE AND YOUR THREATS TO SILENCE ME? YEAH.
JUST, AND SO ANYWAY, YOU CAN SAY YES OR NO.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT WITNESSES SPEAK ALLOWED TO SPEAK, LIKE THE ACTING CITY MANAGER AND ERIC VERNON GIVES, WHO ARE WITNESSES TO THIS, TO MR. UH, MRS. LOPEZ FIDO'S MISCONDUCT? IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A TRANSPARENT PROCEDURE TO PUT THIS ON AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION.
SO YES OR NO? UH, BECAUSE THIS IS AN EFFORT TO RETALIATE AND NOT HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, UH, BECAUSE OF MISUSE OF PUBLIC.
A MISALLOCATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.
SO WE WILL PUT AN AGENDA FOR NEXT TUESDAY AND TO HAVE, UH, O SIDE TO BASICALLY, UH, TRANSPARENT TO SEE WHAT'S ANGLE, WHAT'S THE ISSUE.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, WE CAN GET A BUTTON OF THIS.
SO DO I HAVE A MEETING TO ADJOURN? OKAY.