[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
I CANNOT FIND MINE, SO I CAN USE MINE OR HAVE TO KEEP, BUT ANYWAY, UH, WE'LL COME TO WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND TODAY IS OKAY.
RIGHT NOW, 7 0 2, A MEETING IN SECTION, AND TONIGHT THE, I'M NOT GONNA READ THIS.
EVERYBODY WANT TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL? YOU WILL COME TO ADDRESS, PLEASE.
AND THE INVOCATION TONIGHT WILL BE LED BY THE PASTOR KELLY TO PAY AND THE MAYOR POTENT.
LET LOPEZ VDO WILL LEAVE US IN.
THE PLEASURE, LEAD YOU ALL RIGHTS.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TONIGHT AND WE HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND YOUR GUIDANCE.
WE NEED THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR CITY.
AND WE THANK YOU, GOD, FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING IN THIS OR WORKING IN THIS GREAT CITY.
LORD, TONIGHT WE ARE HERE TO HONOR AND TO LIFT UP AS, UH, LETI LOPEZ.
VITO IS SWORN IN TO BE MAYOR LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BLESS HER, THAT YOU WOULD ANOINT HER WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE HER WISDOM AND STRENGTH, AND GUIDE HER LORD AS SHE LEADS OUR CITY, AND FULFILLS THE DUTIES UPON WHICH SHE IS ABOUT TO ENTER INTO.
SO, THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR PRESENCE HERE TONIGHT.
WE PRAY YOUR BLESSING ON THE DECISIONS THAT'LL BE MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
PLEASE REMOVE YOUR HAND, FACE THE FLAG, PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
READY? BEGIN, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, REGIME OF JUSTICE FOR ALL, AND ASSISTANT CITY CLERK.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ROLL CALL.
AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A CLOSED SESSION, SO WE HAVE NOTHING REPORT OUT.
[PRESENTATIONS]
GOOD.NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE, UH, THREE PRESENTATION WITH, UH, A THREE OUTSTANDING LADY OF, UH, WEST COVINA.
THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO INVITE, COME TO THE P**N, LIKE IS THEY ALL CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH FOR OUR CITY.
THEY, THEY BASICALLY CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO INVITE THEM AND RECOGNIZE THEM.
THE FIRST ONE YOU GOT READY? GA.
MASON, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP? UH, NO.
SO THE VERY IMPORTANT THING IS THIS GA OKAY.
HAS BEEN SERVING IS COMMUNITY SERVICE FOREVER.
AND LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG, 20, 30 YEARS ALREADY, 20 OR LONGER THAN MY SERVING IN CITY.
BUT, BUT MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THIS ALWAYS OUTSTANDING.
TRY TO COUNTRY PEOPLE TO OUR CITY, IMPROVE OUR CITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND GIVE A LOT OF SUGGESTION AND LET'S HOW OUR CITY TODAY IS SO VIBRANT AND UNITED TOGETHER.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? SURE.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I SAID 20, BUT IT MIGHT BE 15.
THEY GO SO FAST BECAUSE WHEN YOU WORK FOR A CITY, TIME FLIES.
AND I'VE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
I'VE BEEN ON A COUPLE OF THE, OF THE, UH, SEATS.
BUT I LOVE COMMUNITY AND SENIOR SERVICES.
I THINK THAT'S, IT'S SO VIBRANT AND SO IMPORTANT THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THE ONE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT TONY IS HE LOVES KIDS AND HE HAS DONE A WHOLE LOT FOR THE CHILDREN OF WEST COVINA.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK IT WAS A, IT WAS MY HONOR TO SERVE HERE.
AND TO SERVE THE GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA.
AND I SERVE WITH YOU, UH, YOU ALWAYS KIND OF SAY, TONY, WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
AND, UH, ALWAYS SAY WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE OUR
[00:05:01]
CHILDREN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM EVERYTHING.SO YOU ARE GOOD ADVISORY FOR US, BUT MOST IMPORTANT THING, YOU HAVE A GOOD HEART.
AND I THINK THIS IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE OUR ANCHOR AND OUR OKAY.
RESIDENT THAT REALLY SERVING OUR CITY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND NEVER, NEVER BEEN RECOGNIZED.
AND I THINK THIS IS GOOD TIME FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE FACE AND THE PERSON, THE CONTRIBUTE TO OUR GREAT CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
SEE, I DIDN'T GIVE YOU A PIECE OF PAPER.
I HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR SOMETHING MORE.
SO, SO YOU, SO YOU DON'T PUT IT IN THE TOILET OKAY.
THE BATHROOM PUT OUT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
YOU, I WANNA TELL YOU ONE THING.
I MOVED HERE IN 1961 AND IT WAS A LOT DIFFERENT.
AND I'VE SEEN THIS CITY GROW AND IT'S GOOD.
UH, AND, UH, LET, LET'S GIVE HER A HAND, UH, OF, OF COURSE.
IT TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN 1950.
SO 1950, I DON'T THINK I CAN STAND OVER HERE.
SO, SO, BUT THE POINT IS THIS, THIS HOW THE PROGRESS, HOW THE, THE C CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE CD BECOME VERY VIBRANT AND A LOT OF POPULATION.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE ALMOST 120,000 POPULATION.
AND, UH, WHEN IN THE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS WITH OUR HISTORIAN.
BUT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE SERVICE FROM YOU IS, IS OUTSTANDING.
AND NEXT ONE, ANOTHER MS. WEST COVINA.
NO WONDER YOU ARE MS. WEST COVINA.
I, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING.
SHE SERVE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ALSO, UH, WEST COVINA WOMEN'S CLUB.
AND THIS, SEE, IS SERVING A LOT OF DIFFERENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH COVINA.
ALWAYS REPRESENT US WELL AGAIN, AND YOUR OUTSTANDING LADY, AND CONTINUED OKAY.
TO SERVE OUR CITY, AND THEREFORE THE VOLUNTEER, BASICALLY NON-PAY.
AND SO, LIKE, YOU'RE RIGHT, I KNOW, I KNOW YOU, I KNOW CITY OWE YOU A LOT OF MONEY, BUT, BUT LET'S ALL DONATION FROM YOU.
BUT, BUT, BUT YOUR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IS BECOMING EXAMPLE FOR OUR, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR INCOMING MALE.
THERE'S A CODE CALLED, WE TALK ABOUT THE FEMALE POWER.
OKAY? SO ALL YOU GUIDE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE OUR CITY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
I WAS TRYING TO, FIRST OF ALL, GOOD EVENING.
I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHEN I WAS APPOINTED AS A COMMISSIONER, UH, LONG TIME AGO.
BUT, UM, NEVERTHELESS, UH, I'VE SERVED INITIALLY AS A SENIOR COMMISSION MM-HMM
AND THEN FROM THERE I WENT TO, WHAT'S THE ONE? THE BKK, COMMISSIONER
AND THEN FROM THERE I WENT TO, I THINK, COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND THEN FROM THERE I WENT BACK TO SENIOR SERVICES.
SO I'VE BEEN AROUND
AND AS I WAS TELLING GAIL THAT, UM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW PREVIOUSLY HAVE GONE ON TO HEAVEN.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NO LONGER HERE.
SO, BUT GOD BLESS AND I HAVE ENJOYED MY TENURE.
I HAVE, UM, MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS, UH, WE DID A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOOD.
AND I'M GLAD TO BE BACK AND SEEING THE CHAMBER LOOK SO DIFFERENT, YOU
[00:10:01]
KNOW, SO WE HAD TO CHANGE TOO MUCH.WELL, SOME DECLARATION IS BETTER THAN NO DECLARATION.
SO, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S IT.
AND, UH, I THINK MORE THAN 10 YEARS.
YOU'VE BEEN SERVING FOR 30 YEARS IN OUR CITY AND, UH, IN DIFFERENT GROUP, IN DIFFERENT COMMITTEE, AND CONTINUE TO SERVE FOR FREE.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT CITY, LIKE OKAY.
SO, SO, BUT ANYWAY, BUT THE, BUT THE, THE, THE SPIRIT, OKAY.
AND THE EFFORT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU HAVE THAT PASSION TO SERVE OUR CITY.
THE GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA.
AND, UH, UH, GA AND BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR OKAY, GLEN, AND YEAH.
SO IN 10 YEARS IN THE CITY COUNCIL, HOW LONG TIME YOU BEEN HERE? TOO LONG.
SO, OH, IT'S, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SAY, TONY, IT'S A ABOUT TIME YOU CAN, OKAY.
SO I'VE BEEN SERVING, UH, THREE TURN.
AND, UH, UH, IT'S 10 YEARS ALREADY.
SO YES, I'M MOVING TO NEXT YEAR'S, 11 YEARS SERVING IN WEST COVY, JESUS CHRIST.
BUT I, I, I ENJOY EVERY MINUTE, OKAY.
WITH ALL THE PEOPLE AND ALL THE LOVELY OKAY.
AND THE PERSONNEL AND, UH, LIKE IS WHAT CAME ME GOING AND, UH, WANT TO DO GOOD THING FOR THE CITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IS YOU, NOT ABOUT ME.
OKAY? I THINK IT'S ABOUT YOU, UH, OUTSTANDING LADY.
AND, UH, THIS IS, UH, UH, UH, A MALES DISTINGUISHED, OKAY? VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD.
I WANT TO REPRESENT 120,000 POPULATION TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH, SANDRA, FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
SO NOW YOU, YES, I'M GOING TO, I, I FEEL I'M JUST GETTING MARRIED WITH YOU.
OKAY? WALK, WALK ON THE AISLE, OKAY? PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
YOU, YOU OKAY? YEAH, I'M FINE.
AND THE NUMBER THREE, MS. WEST COVINA.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOW HER, OKAY? AND, UH, SHE IS OUR HISTORIAN AND SHE IN ALL THE EVENT, AND SHE'S TELLING HER THE STORY ABOUT WHAT WEST COVINA STORY SINCE 1923, YOU GOT READY FOR THE OUTSTANDING VERY YOUNG LADY, OKAY? SO YOUNG.
SHE LOOK LIKE MY DAUGHTER RIGHT NOW.
COLLIE
YOU JUST HAVE HER BIRTHDAY COUPLE DAYS AGO, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UH, YOU WANTED ME TELL THE, YOUR AGE? SURE.
OKAY? AND, AND THE, THE, THE PLACE I, I KNOW HER.
OKAY? AND, UH, UH, IT IS 2008, NOT IN PERSON.
UH, 2008 WEST COVINA PRODUCED A HISTORY OF WEST COVINA.
A GUY CAN CHECK ON THE YOUTUBE, JUST SEARCH OKAY.
SHE IS THE STAR OF DOCUMENTARY.
AND SHE, SHE LOOKED THE SAME, LIKE 2008, HAVE CHANGED A BIT, EVEN THE SAME, EVEN THE SAME CLOTHES, OKAY? SO FROM 2008, OKAY? SO, SO SHE WAS TELLING THE STORY ABOUT WEST COVINA HISTORY FROM 1923, AND SHE CAME IN 1934.
AND WHY SHE WENT THROUGH, DON'T FORGET, WEST COVINA WAS A FOUND LAND, OKAY? AND, UH, WE SEPARATE WITH, UH, COVINA SINCE 1923, UH, BECAUSE 700, INCLUDING THE FIRST MALE MEXICAN, MALE MEXICAN, AND HE DECIDE TO, OKAY, SAY WE ARE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND ABOUT THE SEWER INTO THIS AREA.
AND THEY BECOME SEPARATE, BECOME WEST COVINA CITY, RIGHT? AM I RIGHT? I, I LEARNED, I LEARNED FROM YOU.
OKAY? SO, SO, SO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT IS SUCH A GREAT EDUCATIONAL AND WELL MADE OKAY.
DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HISTORY OF WEST
[00:15:01]
COVINA.YOU, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT.
YOU, YOU HAVE CHANCE TO WATCH VERY INTERESTING AND A LOT OF OLD PHOTO, OKAY? AND THIS IS A HISTORY OF WEST COVINA.
WITHOUT THEM, WE DON'T HAVE HERE TODAY, OKAY? WEST COVINA BECOMES SUCH A GREAT CITY, VERY IMPORTANT CITY BECAUSE THE PREDECESSOR OKAY? THEIR EFFORT AND, UH, FOR YOU GUY, ALL THIS ONE VOLUNTEER HISTORIAN AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR OUR CITY.
AND I, I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT, YOU HAVE A VERY FAMOUS FAMILY, BUT I LET YOU SPEAK, OKAY? RIGHT NOW, I KNOW YOU, AND BY THE WAY, SHE'S A RETIRED TEACHER TOO.
UM, JUST, I'M SO HONORED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND FOR THIS AWARD, UM, MY, MY GRANDFATHER CAME HERE IN 19 SEVEN TO WESTS COVINA.
AND I WAS GR I, UH, GREW UP WHERE LAZY DOG RESTAURANT IS.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MY BACKYARD.
UM, MY GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT FOR CITY HOOD AND WHO WENT AROUND AND ASKED EVERYONE TO SIGN PETITIONS FOR THE CITY.
UH, AND MY DAD WAS A, A, A TEACHER, A SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL, AND A SUPERINTENDENT HERE IN THE FORTIES.
SO, UM, I, I JUST, I MEAN, THIS IS MY HOME.
THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE I WOULD RATHER LIVE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL CITY.
AND, UM, SO THANK YOU,
SO WE WANT TO APPRECIATE THE PRESS PREDECESSOR, WHAT YOU GUIDE THE HARD WORK, OKAY? AND WHAT WE CAN BE HERE TODAY, NO MATTER HOW THE HISTORY UP AND DOWN, OKAY, THIS AND THAT, THERE'S A HISTORY, BUT PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO APPRECIATE WHAT THE PEOPLE AND THE FIGHTING FOR AND BECOME WHO WE ARE TODAY.
AND WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE SAME THING, FIGHT THE SAME FIGHT, AND TRY TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
I, I MOVING HERE ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO, SO, YEAH, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF A LONG TIME TOO.
OKAY? SO WE ALL LOVE THE CITY, BUT, BUT YOU, THE CITY YOU STARTED, OKAY, BACK IN 1923.
19, YOUR, YOUR GRANDPARENT, YOUR FATHERS, YOUR FAMILY.
AND SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION AND WE WANNA SHOW APPRECIATION FOR YOU, OKAY? AS WE, YOUR SUCCESSOR, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO THANK YOU ABOUT THE EFFORT TO MAKE OUR CITY GREAT.
MERU, I'D LIKE TO ADD A FEW WORDS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT WAS A PLEASURE SERVING WITH, UH, GAIL AND SANDRA WHEN, DURING MY TIME IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION AND FUN FACT ABOUT MS. CORLESS, HER TWO SONS GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY BOTH, OUR PROFESSIONAL WELL, UH, PLAYED PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYERS.
HER SON RON, UM, PLAYED AND COACHED FOR THE DODGERS AND ANGELS.
SO THAT CAME FROM WEST COVINA, AND I THOUGHT EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW THAT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR RAISING BOYS FROM HERE, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH.
ALI, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YES, GO AHEAD, ALI.
I'D LIKE TO, TO ADD TO, TO THE WORDS OF THE MAYOR AND, AND MAYOR PRO TEM AND CONGRATULATING THE THREE OF YOU.
I'M GRATEFUL TO KNOW THE THREE OF YOU AND TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND AT COM, AT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND, AND, AND TO GET TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE AND TO LEARN NOT ONLY OF THE HISTORY, BUT ALSO TO SEE HOW YOU CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE NOW TO THE ONGOING LIFE OF WEST COVINA.
YOUR LEGACY IS, IS SO FAR REACHING THE THREE OF YOU.
YOUR COLLECTIVE LEGACY REALLY REPRESENTS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE REALLY DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE THE WAY THE THREE OF YOU HAVE.
SO, HARDINESS, CONGRATULATIONS AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE THREE LADIES THAT WERE PRESENTED WITH THESE AWARDS.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED LIKE THIS AND HAVE THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR OUR CITY, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING, UM, THE YOUTH AND, AND BRING THEM IN TO BE INTERESTED IN, IN WORKING TOGETHER WITH YOU.
AND YOU CAN TEACH 'EM SO MUCH, WE CAN LEARN SO MUCH FROM EACH EACH OTHER.
[00:20:01]
OKAY.I THINK, UH, FOR YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, OVER THE A DECADE, YOU, YOU HAVE GIVEN BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF WEST COVINA, THEY LOOK AT PEOPLE LIKE THE THREE OF YOU WHO HAVE THE PASSION AND THE DEDICATION TO MAKE WEST VNA CONTINUE TO SHINE OF THE CITY IT IS TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE WEST VNA BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE A THREE MAGNIFICENT HUMAN BEING AND HELPING OUR CITY.
I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR COMING TO THE NIGHT.
AND I KNOW IT'S A TROUBLE FOR YOU OVER HERE, BUT IT'S OUTSTANDING FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE BUTTON OF OUR HEART, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN.
AND, UH, WE COULD MOVE TO MANAGER REPORT.
IF NOBODY AGAINST THAT, THE MANAGER TO DESCRIBE ABOUT ANYTHING GOING ON ABOUT CITY.
UM, THIS PAST SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH, WE CELEBRATED SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY.
WE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED, THE NINE BUSINESSES WHO SIGNED UP FOR THE EVENT, AND OF COURSE, ALL THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CHOSE TO SHOP AND SHOP SMALL AND SHOP LOCAL.
YOUR SUPPORT HELPS STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND KEEPS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS VIBRANT AND THRIVING.
PARTICIPATING, PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES OFFERED A VARIETY OF PROMOTIONS, RATING FROM RAFFLE DRAWINGS TO BOGO DEALS TO PERCENTAGE DISCOUNTS.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS YEAR'S SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ONE TO REMEMBER.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ALL YEAR LONG.
ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH, THE CORTEZ PARK COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTER WELCOME OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING WITH A YUMMY TURKEY MEAL PREPARED BY CHEFS, HOLLY AND THERESA GUEST GATHERED TO ENJOY ENTERTAINMENT BY DJ RUDY.
FUN GIVEAWAYS AND RAFFLE PRIZES BY GREATER WEST COVINA, UH, MEDICAL GROUP, AND A SPECIAL PIE DONATION FROM THE ST.
GABRIEL VALLEY, SENIOR SOFTBALL AND BUN STREET.
THE CAMERON COMMUNITY CENTER HAD A SHOWING OF COCOA ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST TO KICK OFF THE EVENT, ATTENDEES WERE ABLE TO DECORATE THEIR OWN MASKS AND KERAS WITH STICKERS AND COLOR A BOOKMARK, WHILE ENJOYING SOME SNACKS AND HOT CHOCOLATE FROM THE SNACK BAR.
SOME OF OUR ACTIVE RECRUITMENTS UNDERWAY, UH, THERE ARE FIVE ACTIVE RECRUITMENTS IN THE CITY, ARE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR POSITION IS POSTED AND BE CLOSING DECEMBER 7TH.
UM, SO FAR WE'VE RECEIVED 26 APPLICATIONS THAT ARE UNDER SCREENING.
UH, OUR FIRE CHIEF POSITION IS NOW CLOSED.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 23 APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND THE RECRUITMENT BEING MANAGED BY TRIP EPI AND SMITH AND TALENT SOLUTIONS.
UH, POLICE LATERAL WE HAVE OPEN, UH, AND THAT'S OPEN UNTIL FILLED.
UM, ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONAL, UH, WILL, HAS BEEN POSTED AND WILL BE CLOSING NEXT WEEK.
UM, STATUS OF APPLICATIONS WILL BE SCREENED UPON SUBMISSION AND DAYCARE DIRECTOR.
PROMOTIONAL, UH, IS OPEN THIS WEEK AS WELL, AND APPLICATIONS WILL BE SCREENED UPON.
UPCOMING EVENTS, LET US SNOW IN WEST COVINA TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY.
IT'LL BE DECEMBER 5TH HERE AT THE CITY HALL PARKING LOT AND QANTAS CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARADE, DECEMBER 13TH IN HISTORIC, UH, GLENDO AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN WEST COVINA.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR TONIGHT, MR. MAYOR.
LOOK LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENT COMING UP AND TO SAY EVERYBODY, PLEASE ATTEND ALL THIS EVENT.
UH, TREE LIGHTING IS ONE OF THE MAGNIFICENT, JUST RIGHT OVER HERE.
AND I KNOW OUR INCOMING MAYOR IS GOING TO LIGHT THE TREE.
SHE SAY, WELL, SHE, LAST YEAR SHE SAY SHE WANT A BIGGER TREE, AND I MEASURE IS A A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
[Aditional Item]
OKAY.UH, BEFORE I MOVE TO ORAL COMMUNICATION AND I WALK IN THE ELEVATOR, I MET WITH OUR NEW STAFF, OKAY.
IS OUR HR MANAGER, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP, COME DOWN TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, MR. MAYOR MEMBERS, THE CITY COUNCIL, ROGER WELLS, UH, STARTED WITH US THIS WEEK AS OUR NEW HR RISK HR MANAGER, RISK MANAGER, YEAH.
COMING TO THE PO POLICE AND YES.
SO, HI, UH, GOOD MORNING COUNSEL.
ALI ROSARIO, MAYOR TONY WU, LETTI LOPEZ, FIDO, AND BRIAN GUTIERREZ.
UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO MEET YOU ALL, KNOW YOU BETTER.
AND WORKING FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
I STARTED LAST WEEK ON THE 24TH, SO I'M JUST GETTING ACCLIMATED TO EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY, MEANING ALL THE KEY, UH, KEY PLAYERS, KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING, UH, TO KNOW YOU ALL VERY WELL.
AND, UH, AGAIN, WORKING FOR THE CITY, BRINGING MY EXPERTISE.
UH, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY TO BRING YOU TO THE SPOTLIGHT, BUT HEY, LET'S WHAT WEST COVINA IS ABOUT.
I KNOW YOU, YOU INDICATED YOU WERE IN FILM, SO I KNOW YOU'RE PUTTING
[00:25:01]
TOGETHER A GREAT SCRIPT,BUT, BUT WILL COME AND WISH YOU THE BEST.
AND, UH, AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE UP AND DOWN, BUT STICKING TO IT, OKAY.
CAN YOU PUT THE, THE, THE COVER OF THE MIC ON, ON TOP? YES.
SEE YOU FINISHED YOUR FIRST TASK, THE COVER ON THE MIC.
[ORAL COMMUNICATIONS]
NOW WE MOVE TO ORAL COMMUNICATION.I'M NOT GOING TO RE THIS THING.
I'M NOT GOING TO REOW THIS PARAGRAPH.
I JUST WANT, UH, SHARE WITH EVERYBODY.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME BACK TO SPEAK ADDRESS TO THE COUNCIL.
AND, UH, JUST PLEASE BE CIVILIZED AND, UH, FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER.
WE HAVE MAYOR, WE HAVE EIGHT SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH SAGE NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY JOSH MURRAY.
AM I IN THE RIGHT PLACE? OKAY.
I AM THE CEO OF VALLEY LIGHT CENTER FOR SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT.
I HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
WILL YOU PLEASE HAND THESE OUT TO EVERYONE THERE AND OVER THERE, PLEASE? YES.
I HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS AND THEY WILL BE LISTED IN THAT FOLDER.
UM, AS I FELT THE NEED TO SEEK COUNSEL BASED ON WHAT MYSELF, AS WELL AS MY BOARD MEMBERS WITNESSED THAT THE JULY MEETING.
BRIAN, AM I LOOKING AT BRIAN? YES.
BRIAN, I HAVE A QUESTION ASKED SWEETHEART.
YOU SAID THAT WE WERE NOT GOING OUT TO THOSE BUS SHELTERS AND THAT YOU WERE GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR WORK.
WOULD YOU MIND TELLING ME MORE ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE YOU MADE SOME VERY SCATHING REMARKS ABOUT MY A LET ME FINISH, ABOUT MY AGENCY THAT HAS BEEN SERVING THIS COMMUNITY FOR 30 YEARS.
AND YOUR FALSE, YOUR FALSE INSINUATIONS COULD HAVE COST.
MY AGENCY SUPPORTERS GRANTS MONEY, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
AND FOR THAT, I SOUGHT LEGAL COUNSEL.
WILL YOU, DID YOU HAND THOSE OUT? YES, I DID.
IF WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE SUPPORT US, LIKE BLANCA RUBIO.
OR THE FORMER, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN GRACE NAPOLITANO, EVEN, UH, CATHERINE BARGER, THAT HAS SUPPORTED OUR EVENTS AND OUR EFFORTS FOR OUR CLIENTS TO FIND EMPLOYMENT, TO THANK THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE EMPLOYED OUR CLIENTS.
AND YOU GUYS CAME UP HERE IN JULY AND YOU BASICALLY RUINED THAT.
AND WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME ABOUT IT IS THAT THE COMPLAINTS THAT YOU HAD, THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCEDURE IS, BUT IF YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE TELLING YOU THAT THE BUS SHELTERS ARE UNKEPT, YOUR NEXT STEP SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO REPORT IT TO THE CITY MANAGER IMMEDIATELY SO THAT YOUR CITY MANAGER COULD CONTACT US AND WE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN THIS PACKET, THERE ARE FIVE YEARS WORTH OF EMAILS AND NOT ONE OF THEM OKAY.
NOT ONE OF THEM HAD COMPLAINTS IN IT.
LOOK THROUGH YOUR, UH, PACKET.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A MEETING, OKAY.
UH, AFTER THE MEETING OF, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, YOU ARE WELCOME TO MAKE APPOINTMENT WITH EACH OF CITY COUNCIL OR OUR CITY MANAGER.
WE WILL ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS EMAIL ME AND TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
NO, DID YOU GIVE JOSH MURRAY? IT'S OKAY.
[00:30:04]
UH, HI.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS JOSH MURRAY AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF WEST COVINA LIBRARY.
ADULTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR SEWING BASICS PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, FROM NOON TO 2:00 PM JOIN US FOR A CHANCE TO LEARN A NEW SKILL.
YOU'LL LEARN THE BASICS SUCH AS CUTTING FABRIC, THREADING A SEWING MACHINE, NEEDLE, AND SEWING IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
REGISTRATION IS LIMITED AND AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, LA COUNTY LIBRARY.ORG.
ALSO, ON THE SAME DAY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, FROM FOUR TO 5:00 PM TEENS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEEN GINGERBREAD HOUSE PROGRAM.
TEENS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THEIR VERY OWN UNIQUE GINGERBREAD HOUSES OUT OF GRAHAM CRACKERS, FROSTING, AND CANDY.
AND THEY WILL LEARN ABOUT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN WHILE ENJOYING OUR FUN WINTER ACTIVITY.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS FOR AGES 12 TO 17.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
COUPLE ITEMS. ONE, THE CHANGES, UH, OF, UH, CLASSIFICATIONS.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS OR THE, THE NEED FOR IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A SAFE CITY, IT SEEMS LIKE WHY WOULD THE JAILER NEED TO BE BE PROMOTED UNLESS THEY'RE GETTING REALLY BUSY, MAYBE WE'RE NOT THE THIRD, UH, SAFEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
ALSO, AS WE LOOK THROUGH THINGS, OH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I DID A QUICK, UH, SEARCH.
UH, AND ESTIMATES HAVE OUR CITY AT ABOUT 107,000, NOT 120,000.
THE CENSUS ONLY HAD IT AS 109.
SO PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY LEAVING, NOT, UH, COMING BACK.
AND THERE, THERE IS ONE THING THAT I HOPE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL WOULD GO ALONG WITH IS THERE ARE THINGS THAT GET PASSED OUT HERE THAT BECOME PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD, BUT WE NEVER SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS THEIR REPORTS, YOU KNOW, WHICH, WHICH ARE CLEAR AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THEN THERE'LL BE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SHOW UP WITH A HUNDRED PAGES THAT THEY KIND OF PASS OUT TO WHO'S EVER HERE.
BUT EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING ON TV NEVER GETS TO SEE 'EM.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S THERE.
I I WAS HOPING THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PREPARE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ALL OF YOU, WHEN YOU PREPARE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S PRESENTED, THERE SHOULD BE A COPY THAT'S ELECTRONICALLY GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY CLERK SO THEY CAN UPLOAD IT SO EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING CAN SEE IT.
AND IT BECOMES PART OF THE RECORD.
BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE WATCHING, WHEN WE'RE WATCHING THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, VIDEOS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT IT'S, WHAT'S PUT ON THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT'S THERE.
AND ALSO WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ONCE IN A WHILE I SEE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT YOUR CELL PHONES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT TYPE OF STUFF SHOULD BE BANNED BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE TALKING TO SOMEBODY, TALKING TO EACH OTHER, GETTING ADVICE FROM A THIRD PARTY OR DOING RESEARCH THAT ISN'T PART OF THE RECORD OR ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT INFORMATION IS COMING FROM.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS BACK IN 2019, IT POPPED UP, UH, WITH THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN FILES THAT ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WAS TEXTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN
YOU KNOW, SO WHO, WHO ELSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE TEXTING PEOPLE TRYING TO GET INFORMATION THAT'S NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD.
AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY ALL OF YOU TALK ABOUT BEING OPEN AND WANTING TRANSPARENCY TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT WOULD BE THE THING THAT YOU PUT YOUR PHONES AWAY, YOU PUT WHATEVER YOU'RE USING AWAY, OR IT GETS CAPTURED SO THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL OF YOU HAVE FAMILIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
NEXT SPEAKER, BRIAN CALDERON TABBA.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE, THE ROTATION TONIGHT.
UH, I'M HERE FIRST, UH, TO, TO SPEAK TO JOHN.
UH, ALL OF THAT IS PUBLIC RECORD, SO IF YOU EVER WANTED TO REQUEST, UH, THE CELL PHONES DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING, YOU CAN, UH, SO JUST, UH, SEND THAT OUT.
I'M GUESSING, UH, WHATEVER'S ON THAT COMPUTER AS WELL.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY HERE TONIGHT, UM, BECAUSE THERE, THERE IS AN, AN URGENT MATTER, UM, A WEST COVINA RESIDENT, UH, HUNG TOM HUANG, UM, WAS, UH, ABDUCTED FROM HIS, UH, IMMIGRATION HEARING.
UH, JUST, UH, LAST WEEK, UH, HIS FAMILY, UM, UH, PUT
[00:35:01]
OUT THIS LETTER AND, UH, ASKED ME TO COME AND SPEAK TONIGHT.I SHARED IT WITH YOU AND I, I WANNA UPLIFT HIS STORY.
UH, TOM CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN HE WAS JUST SIX YEARS OLD.
UH, THIS COUNTRY IS THE ONLY HOME HE'S EVER TRULY KNOWN.
UH, GROWING UP AS AN ASIAN AMERICAN KID NAVIGATING A NEW WORLD, HE FACED CHALLENGES LIKE MANY OF US DO.
AND LIKE Y MANY YOUNG PEOPLE, HIS JOURNEY WASN'T THE SMOOTHEST.
BUT THE MAN HE IS TODAY IS AN INCREDIBLE AND LOVING FAMILY MAN WITH A MEN'S STREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS.
TODAY, TOM IS A DEVOTED SINGLE FATHER TO TWO INCREDIBLE DAUGHTERS, UH, INCLUDING ONE, UH, SHE'S A SENIOR.
UH, SHE SUFFERS FROM AUTISM, UM, BUT SHE'S THRIVED, UH, BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE, PATIENCE, AND UNWAVERING DEDICATION.
UM, SHE IS STRUGGLING, UM, EVER SINCE, UH, HER, HER FATHER WAS TAKEN.
UH, HE IS CURRENTLY IN ADELANTO.
UM, HE, HE ALSO ADOPTED HIS, UH, OTHER DAUGHTER AFTER THE PASSING OF HIS SISTER.
UH, FAMILY'S ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF HIS LIFE.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, IS BETTER AND WAS BETTER, UM, WITH TOM IN IT, UH, AND TOM TAKING CARE OF HIS FAMILY AND, AND TOM WORKING HARD.
UM, AND WE ARE, ARE LESS SAFE TODAY.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, NOVEMBER 20TH, AFTER HIS IMMIGRATION CHECK-IN, UM, HE, HE WAS ABDUCTED.
UH, HE'S CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, IN ADELANTO.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE CONTACTED CONGRESSMAN GIL CISNEROS OFFICE, UH, CONGRESSMAN DEREK TRAN'S OFFICE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WRITING LETTERS AND, UH, UH, MY REQUEST AND THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILY, UH, IS IF, UM, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO, TO WRITE A LETTER, UH, IN SUPPORT, UH, OF TOM.
SO, SO HE CAN BE, UH, REUNITED FOR WITH HIS FAMILY, UH, AND GO THROUGH, UH, THE IMMIGRATION PROCESS AS HE HAD BEEN DOING, UH, FOR ALL THESE MANY DECADES.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, UH, THAT'S THE ASK.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY THE, THE COUNCIL, UM, WILL GO FORWARD WITH THAT.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TONIGHT.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU, YOU ENJOY YOURSELVES.
UH, MAYOR WU, MAYOR ELECT LETTI, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS NIKKI RODRIGUEZ AHERN, AND I WANNA EXPRESS WHAT A PROFOUND HONOR IT HAS BEEN TO WITNESS THE LEADERSHIP OF, TO MAYOR TONY WU IN THE CITY OF WEST COA.
MAYOR WU, YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR FAMILIES, AND ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, HAS MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
AS A PATIENT CARE PATHWAY EDUCATOR, I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN THE WAY YOU SHOW UP, NOT JUST IN TITLE, BUT IN ACTION.
YOU CONSISTENTLY ATTEND OUR EVENTS, YOU CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS' SUCCESSES, AND REMIND THEM THAT THEIR ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISHMENTS MATTER.
THIS YEAR YOU HELPED ME RECENTLY, YOU HELPED ME SECURE SPONSORSHIP THROUGH C-A-A-W-C, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, WHICH MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR TWO OF MY YOUNG LADIES TO JOIN A THREE DAY MISSIONARY TRIP TO SKID ROW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE IN ALL CHURCH OF WEST COVINA.
THESE WERE STUDENTS 14 YEARS OLD, WHO WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD THIS LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.
THEIR WORLD BECAME BIGGER, THEIR FAITH BECAME STRONGER, AND THEIR BELIEF IN THEIR OWN POTENTIAL GREW IN A WAY THAT CANNOT BE MEASURED.
YOU DIDN'T JUST OPEN A DOOR ALONG WITH C-A-A-W-C, YOU ALTERED THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIVES FOR THAT AND FOR SO MUCH MORE, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TONIGHT.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE LETTI AS SHE STEPS INTO THE ROLE OF MAYOR LETTI.
YOUR LEADERSHIP IS DEEPLY MEANINGFUL TO SO MANY OF US.
AS A WOMAN AND A WOMAN OF COLOR, YOU ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR YOUNG GIRLS THROUGHOUT WEST COVINA GIRLS WHO NEED TO SEE EXAMPLES OF STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND REP REPRESENTATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP.
YOUR JOURNEY HAS NOT BEEN EASY.
YOU HAVE FACED CHALLENGES, CRITICISM, AND OBSTACLES, YET YOU HAVE REMAINED GROUNDED, COMMITTED, AND UNWAVERING IN YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY.
YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS TONIGHT IS NOT JUST A PERSONAL, PERSONAL MILESTONE.
IT IS A SYMBOL OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
IT SHOWS OUR YOUNG WOMAN THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS, THEIR PRESENCE MATTERS, AND THEIR DREAMS ARE VALID.
TO MAYOR WU AND MAYOR ELECT LOPEZ AND ALL OF YOU ON CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SCHOOLS, YOUR DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE OF WEST COVINA.
[00:40:01]
TO STAND HERE TONIGHT AND RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE ALL DONE AND THE WORK THAT IS STILL TO COME.NEXT SPEAKER IS GLENN KENNEDY.
UM, FIRST I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
I'LL LET EVERYBODY HERE KNOW THAT, UH, THIS FRIDAY, UH, WE HAVE OUR, UH, MONTHLY MEET AND GREET, 6 33 38 GLENDORA AVENUE.
UM, AND I WOULD HOPE, UH, EVERYBODY, THE WHOLE PUBLIC'S INVITED, AND I HOPE YOU ALL ATTEND.
UH, BUT WHAT I REALLY WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, LAST, UH, MEETING, YOU GUYS ARE GOING OVER THE TREE TRIMMING CONTRACT AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UM, WE WERE, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT AND, UM, THE PALM TREES, THE PALM TREES THAT SIT ALONG, UM, LAR ON AND ORANGE, AND ALL THROUGH THE CITY, WE COULD DEEM THOSE AS HISTORICAL LANDMARKS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, COMES GRANT MONEY AND TO MAINTAIN THEM.
AND THEN THAT WAY, THIS, UH, THAT MONEY DOES NOT HAVE TO COME OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A PHENOMENAL IDEA TO SAVE THE CITY A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY HERE.
AND, UH, I SERVED WITH ALL THREE OF THESE WOMEN, GAIL MASON,
WE BOTH WERE ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR YEARS, AT LEAST 15 YEARS TOGETHER.
AND, AND, AND ALSO ON THE HISTORICAL SIDE.
AND, AND WITH CLORIS, I, I STILL SIT SIDE BY SIDE WITH HER.
I, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A FACT HERE THAT IF IT WASN'T FOR HER GRANDFATHER, THERE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A WEST VINER UNTIL THE 1930S.
IT TOOK 500 VOTES TO START A CITY.
HE PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN THE FIRST MAYOR OF THIS CITY.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE PASSED AWAY A MONTH BEFORE IT BECAME IN THE NEXT MAN UP WAS, UH, UH, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
I MEAN, BENJAMIN, UH, OF MAXON MAXON.
BUT I, I, I WANNA SAY FLORIS, IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE AND YOU'RE SUCH AN ICONIC WOMAN IN THIS CITY.
NICE SPEAKER, DOUG FOR HI GUYS.
MY NAME IS DOUG FOR, I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND I HAVE BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT THREE TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR INCLUDING THE HISTORIC WEST COVINA BUSINESS DISTRICT IN, UH, AND THE MEMBERS IN THE SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY.
GERARDO AND DANYE ASSISTED US IN INCLUDING AND INCLUDED US IN THE EVENT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM AS THEIR NEW CITY EMPLOYEES, AND, UM, TO MAKE THE DOWNTOWN WEST COVINA A GREAT DESTINATION AND A HIGHLIGHT IN OUR CITY.
ALSO, LETI, CONGRATULATIONS ON TONIGHT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE WEST COVINA BETTER.
MARIO, I, OH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
CITY COUNCIL LETTI, CONGRATULATIONS ON ROTATION TO MOTHERHOOD.
UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU THIS COMING YEAR.
UH, COUPLE OF THINGS I GUESS TO ECHO ON.
UH, YES, HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL BE HAVING OUR MEET AND GREET.
IT IS A ETHNIC POTLUCK, SO LUMPIA, EVERYBODY LOVES LUMPIA.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE? UM, RIDGE WRITERS, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, ROTARY AND, UH, HELPING KIND OF REVIVE THAT AREA.
AND AS SUCH, UM, THERE'S A GROUP THAT HAS GOTTEN TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL NAME, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF DOING RIDGE WRITERS NEW GENERATION.
AND I WILL BE AMONG THEM RIDING IN THE COVINA CHRISTMAS PARADE, UH, THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME, UH, ALSO INTERACTION IN THE FUTURE COMING THIS YEAR.
'CAUSE THE HORSES ARE THERE AND THEY WANNA COME OUT AND PLAY.
UH, ASHLEY, LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.
OH, AND THEN, YEAH, THE CORLESS.
UM, YEAH, I'VE SPENT HOURS UPON HOURS JUST, UH, BEING A SPONGE AND ABSORBING ALL OF THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY, MANY MORE, UH, YEAH, INTERESTING GATHERINGS WHERE WE DISCUSS ALL THE HISTORY.
WE HAVE NO MORE SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
MAYOR WI ENJOY OTHERS' SPEECH.
[00:45:01]
AND, UH, UH,[CITY MANAGER'S REPORT]
CITY MANAGER, YOU WANT TO OKAY.SHARE SOME OF, UH, UH, LIGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE QUESTION OVER HERE.
UM, SAGE NEWMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, VALLEY LIGHT INDUSTRIES IN, IN YOUR COMPANY.
UM, WE WILL FACILITATE A MEETING FOR YOU TO MEET WITH ANY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT YOU'D LIKE, AND WE CAN DO THAT IN MY OFFICE AT ANY TIME.
I HAVE YOUR NUMBER, I WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
UM, JOSH MURRAY, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ON THE WEST COVINA LIBRARY, AS ALWAYS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, DOCUMENTS AND TRANSPARENCY AND PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD.
I'VE, I'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TOO, UH, WHENEVER ANYTHING'S PASSED OUT AT A MEETING THAT I HAVE A COPY, AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, ADD THAT TO OUR WEBSITE AS PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD SO PEOPLE CAN, UM, SEE WHAT WAS PASSED OUT AT A MEETING AND TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
UM, BRIAN TABBA BY, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND STORY AND KIND WORDS ABOUT ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, WE WISH YOU THE BEST ON THAT ONE.
WISH EVERYBODY THE BEST ON THOSE TYPE SITUATIONS.
UM, NIKKI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, TONY WU, OUR OUTGOING MAYOR.
UM, I'LL ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY THAT DOES MORE TO PROMOTE, UM, YOUTH AND KID FUNCTIONS AND, UM, TO HELP KIDS IN OUR CITY THAN TONY'S DONE.
I KNOW THE LAST SIX MONTHS BEING UP HERE, I THINK AT LEAST EVERY WEEK, COUPLE TIMES A WEEK, I GET A REQUEST TO MEET WITH SOMEBODY, HELP SOMEBODY ATTEND SOMETHING.
SO, UM, THOSE COMMENTS RING VERY TRUE TO ME.
UM, GLEN KENNEDY, THANK YOU FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AGAIN, THAT'S AT 3 3 8, UH, SOUTH GLENDORA AVENUE, AND ALSO ABOUT THE PALM TREES.
THEY WILL HAVE STAFF REACH OUT TO YOU, UH, ABOUT THAT AND SEE IF THERE IS ACTUAL SOME GRANT MONEY WE CAN USE TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF OUR TREE COSTS AS WE DO TRIM, UM, THE PALM TREES THROUGHOUT OUR CORRIDORS.
UM, DOUG, FOR THANK YOU FOR THANKING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UM, ADDING IN DONYA AND GERARDO TO, UH, REENERGIZE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS, UH, BEEN A BIG ASSET TO THE CITY, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UM, THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT ON GLENDORA AVENUE, AS WELL AS ALL THE CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH OUR, OUR BUSINESSES.
MARIO, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE RIDGE RIDERS, THE WORK I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING DOWN THERE.
I'VE SEEN YOU DRIVING THE TRACTOR AND DOING ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE HORSES IN THE PARADE THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, THAT'S GOOD NEWS, UH, FOR CORLESS.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON EVERYTHING.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT BEING A BASEBALL GUY, RON AND GARY, UM, I WATCHED THROUGHOUT THEIR PRO CAREER, AND MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THEIR NAME, BUT DEFINITELY IF YOU'RE A BASEBALL GUY, YOU KNOW, RON AND GARY REINEKE ARE, ARE BIG NAMES IN, UH, LOS ANGELES SPORTS.
SO THANK YOU AND TELL, I SAID HELLO.
AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALL WOULD BE NICE.
AND THAT BACK TO CITY, BACK CITY.
AND, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY, MR. MAYOR.
ANY OTHER COMMENT FROM THE COUNCIL? OKAY.
I WANT TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT OUR BUS STOP CLEANING.
AND I MET, UH, THE CREW, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND, UM, I KNOW MAYBE FIVE MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS AGO.
AND THE, UH, CITRUS AND THE ES.
AND, UH, I MET THEM AND, AND AT THE SAME TIME BAR, OKAY.
AND THE CITRUS AND ALSO STOP HAS BEEN MUCH CLEANER.
I, I HAVE TO SAY IT, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE.
I THINK WHAT I SEE IN MY OWN EYE AND THE IMPROVEMENT IS CLEARLY VISIBLE.
AND PLUS, I MET YOUR CREW, BUT THEY HARDWORKING PEOPLE, A VERY DEDICATED CREW, I SAY SO, AND I THINK WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM, OKAY? ANY ISSUE, WE TRY TO SMOOTH, OKAY? AND THE CITY COUNCIL TRY TO WORK WITH, UH, YOU GUY AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET OKAY.
AND THE CONTRACT AND, BUT AGAIN, AGAIN, AND I SAW THE IMPROVEMENT, OKAY.
ON THE BAREN CONS, CI AND OTHER PLACES.
AND, UH, VISIBLY YOU CAN SEE THE TRASH HAD BEEN CLEANED AND BUS UP AND THEY USED THE POWER WASH.
AND UH, AND WE USED THE TWO TRUCK OVER THERE, A POWER WASH AND THE BUS STOP.
AND I SAW IT MYSELF IN MY EYES.
SO, SO, AND I EVEN POST ON MY FACEBOOK, OKAY? I SAY, GREAT JOB, THIS AND THAT.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE DIDN'T SEE IT, OKAY? WE SAW IT, OKAY.
WE WILL PROMOTE IT, OKAY? JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, OKAY? IT'S NOT EVERYBODY CRITICIZE YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY GOOD THING ABOUT YOU.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, LET'S CONCLUDE ABOUT OUR ORAL COMMUNICATION, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SERVICE.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
THEN NOW WE GO TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.UH, IF NOBODY WANT TO, OKAY, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD? UH, JUST, UH, NUMBER ONE REAL FAST.
ANYBODY WANT TO PULL ANYTHING OTHERWISE, OKAY, IT TWO AND THREE WHO WANNA MOVE THE MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
[00:50:01]
OKAY.OUR COUNCILMAN ALI KENTO MOVE THE MOTION AND I'LL HAVE OUR COUNCIL MEMBER CRITERIA SECOND, UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[1) CONSIDERATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT TO PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT AND JOINT ESCROW INSTRUCTIONS FOR A PORTION OF DEVELOPMENT SITE (APN 8474-007-940) IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA]
NUMBER ONE, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GUT, GO AHEAD.YES, IF, UH, IF, UH, OUR NEW DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR COULD BRIEFLY, UH, TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT THIS IS AND THE GREAT BUSINESS IS COMING TO OUR CITY PRETTY SOON, THANK YOU.
UH, MAYOR, MAYOR PRO, TIM, UH, THE ITEM THAT'S BEFORE YOU IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE PURCHASE AND SELL AGREEMENT.
UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS THE CITY IS SELLING A PIECE OF LAND TO A DEVELOPER WHO'S PLANNING ON BUILDING A TEXAS ROADHOUSE RESTAURANT, RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE ALREADY ENTERED INTO THE AGREEMENT, WE'VE ENTERED INTO ESCROW, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE AMENDING, WE'RE MAKING THREE AMENDMENTS TO THE PURCHASE TO SELL AGREEMENT.
FIRST AMENDMENT IS TO THE EXECUTION DATE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE CHANGING THE EXECUTION DATE TO OCTOBER 1ST.
THE SECOND AND THIRD AMENDMENT IS TO A 30 DAY EXTENSION PERIOD.
SO WE'VE GOT TWO 30 DAY EXTENSION PERIODS THAT WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE.
DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS? UH, NO.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEXAS ROADHOUSE COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THIS, UH, NEW SALE IS ABOUT.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
TEXT OF ROLL HOUSE, COMING TO WIS COVINA.
UH, AND, UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AND APPROVED FIVE ZERO, UH, WELCOME TEXAS ROADHOUSE.
AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UH, WE SOLD THE LAND AND, UH, WE GOT ABOUT $3 MILLION INTO OUR GENERAL, UH, FUND.
OKAY? AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MAGNIFICENT TEXTILE WAREHOUSE RIGHT BY THE FREEWAY IN FRONT OF, UH, WEST COVENA PLAZA IS GOING TO BECOME A, ANOTHER LANDMARK FOR THE WEST COVINA.
[4) REORGANIZATION OF MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM]
WHO'S GONNA PRESENT IT? I'LL PRESENT.ITEM NUMBER FOUR, REORGANIZATION OF MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM SECTION TWO DASH 21 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CO CODE, EXCUSE ME, RECENTLY AMENDED THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 5 2 3 ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2024, OUTLINES THE ORDER OF THE MAYORAL SUCCESS SUCCESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO DASH 21.
DURING ELECTION YEARS, THE CITY COUNCIL IS REQUIRED, REQUIRED TO REORGANIZE AND INSTALL ONE OF ITS MEMBERS AS MAYOR AND ONE AS MAYOR PRO TEM AT THE MEETING AT WHICH IT DECLARES THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO DASH 21 AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AT WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL REORGANIZES, THE CURRENT MAYOR PRO TEM, SUCCEEDS TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR AND ALL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MOVE UP ONE POSITION SUCH THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE THIRD POSITION ON THE SUCCESSION LIST MOVES INTO THE MAYOR PRO TEMP POSITION.
WHEN THERE ARE TWO OR MORE NEWLY ELECTED FIRST TERM COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY ARE ADDED TO THE SUCCESSION LISTED IN ORDER BASED ON WHO RECEIVED THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VOTES IN THEIR DISTRICT AT THE ELECTION.
IF AN INCUMBENT COUNCIL MEMBER IS REELECTED DURING A REGULAR ELECTION YEAR, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MAINTAINS THEIR POSITION ON THE SUCCESSION LIST FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER, 2024 ELECTION.
THE ORDER OF SUCCESSION IS AS FOLLOWS.
TONY WU, MAYOR LETTI LOPEZ, VITO MAYOR PRO TEM ALI CONTOS, COUNCIL MEMBER ROSARIO DIAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND BRIAN GUTIERREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER, DO WE HAVE ANY OPPOSITION? UM, NO BEING, NO HEARING, NO OPPOSITION.
WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH THE SWEARING IN OF OUR NEW MAYOR.
AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
AND I'M GONNA NOMINATE, OKAY, THIS PROCEDURES OKAY TO HAVE OUR MAYOR PRO LADY LOPEZ, UH, BECOME OUR NEW MAYOR.
ANYBODY AGAINST THIS? IF NONE.
GO DOWN TO THE PODIUM TO I IN.
I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ VITO AND PASTOR KELLY
[00:55:01]
DUPEE.ALRIGHT, WELL, CONGRATULATIONS MAYOR LETTI LOPEZ.
VITO, WOULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THESE WORDS AFTER ME? I LETTI LOPEZ VETO.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR? DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND, THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE, THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION.
AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I AM ABOUT TO ENTER UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.
UM, I DO HAVE A SPEECH, BUT I'LL RESERVE THAT WHEN I'M BACK ON THE DAIS OFFICIALLY THERE.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO ALSO CALL ONTO THE OUTGOING MAYOR WU, FORMER
SO AS OUR TRADITION, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS PLAQUE.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN MAYOR BEFORE, SO NOW YOU HAVE ONE FOR YOUR WORK, ONE FOR YOUR OFFICE, AND THEN FUTURE ONE FOR ANYWHERE ELSE.
AND SO I DO HAVE A FEW WORDS AGAIN, BUT I'M GONNA SAVE IT FOR THERE.
UM, AND OH, ONE PHOTO FOR OUR OUTGOING.
WE ALSO HAVE A FEW OFFICES THAT ARE HERE, UM, THAT LIKE TO ALSO PRESENT CERTIFICATES FOR YOUR OUTGOING.
OH, HERE, IT'S, SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FROM CONGRESSMAN GAIL CISNEROS OFFICE TO PRESENT A CERTIFICATE FOR OUTGOING MAYOR W THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN SALAMA FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN GIL CISNEROS.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE TO OUTGOING MAYOR TONY WU.
UM, WELL, THROUGHOUT YOUR MOST RECENT MAYORAL TERM, YOU JUST, UM, ADVOCATED VERY WELL, UM, ON BEHALF OF YOUR CONSTITUENCY, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH.
UM, ALWAYS ENCOURAGING CITY PRIDE AND, UM, JUST DOING SOME GREAT STUFF, MAKING WEST COVINA, IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE MORE THAN 100,000 RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA, THE VISITORS, THE BUSINESSES, UM, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, EVERYTHING.
UM, YOU REALLY CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH, UH, AS MAYOR AND YOU WILL CONTINUE IN YOUR COUNCIL, UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO OUR NEW MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I FORGOT TO MENTION, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING FOR YOUR OUTGOING MAYORSHIP MAYOR
UH, THE, COULD YOU BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU PASSED SO FAST? I JUST GOT SW IN YESTERDAY, NOW I'M GOODBYE.
BUT I WANNA SAY THIS, THIS IS MY HONOR TO BE OKAY.
[01:00:01]
A MAYOR OF WEST COVINA FOR THIS YEAR, OKAY? AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE STAFF, OKAY? AND, UH, OKAY.AND, UH, ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE AND, UH, ESPECIALLY MY RESIDENT, WE WORK TOGETHER FOR THIS WHOLE YEAR.
I WORKING IN THE WEST COVINA AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, OKAY? YEAH.
IF YOU GUYS LIVE IN WEST COVINA LONG ENOUGH, I THINK YOU REMEMBER IN 2018 THE CITY ALMOST BANKRUPT, OKAY? AND NOW YOU CAN SEE THE WEST COVINA MUCH BETTER THAN THE 2018.
NOT ONLY WE SUR SUPPLY AND THIS YEAR, OKAY, WE EVEN HIRE 10 ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICER AND WE GOING TO BUILD THE FIRE STATION.
NUMBER ONE, WE JUST APPROVE, OKAY? AND THAT BEAUTIFUL DESIGN, LET BEAUTIFUL FIRE STATION IS GOING TO SAVE A LOT OF LIFE.
AND THEN WE MAYBE EVEN GO TO DO THE, OKAY, STATION NUMBER THREE AND THEN ONE NEED A LOT OF ATTENTION TOO.
SO WE ARE GOING TO DO A LOT OF, OKAY, CON CONSTRUCTION, IMPROVE OUR CITY.
AND MOST IMPORTANT, MOST IMPORTANT THING, THIS YEAR WE HAVE ALL OUR UNION CONTRACT AND THE 2020 I WAS WORK ON THE UNION CONTRACT.
OR MYSELF, IT'S AFTER THIS COUPLE YEARS, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO GET ANOTHER THREE YEAR CONTRACT.
I WANT TO THANK OKAY, THE UNION THAT COULD WORK THE CITY AND, UH, WORK ON THIS CONTRACT AND FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.
WORK AS A FAMILY, UNITED TOGETHER.
WE HAVE TO UNITED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE OUR CITY.
NOT ONLY THAT, BESIDE OUR CITY, THE UNION, THE CONTRACT, AND WORKING TOGETHER UNITED AND PLUS, WITH THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY EVENT AND MAKE OUR RESIDENT VERY HAPPY.
WE TALK ABOUT WHAT PARTY, PARTY PARTY REMEMBER? AND THE COMMUN PARTY ANIMAL MAYOR.
OKAY? SO, BUT THE THING IS THIS, WE BRING HAPPINESS TO OUR RESIDENT.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE FOR, WE PROVIDE THE SERVICE, WE PROVIDE THE UNITY, WE PROVIDE THE EVENT, WE PROVIDE THE PROGRAM.
AND EVERYBODY KNOW WE HAVE SO MANY OF, UH, BUSINESS COMING TO WEST COVINA.
AND THEN NOT ONLY WE HAVE, UH, THIS YEAR WE HAVE UH, UH, UM, OKAY, UM, UH, URBAN, URBAN CAFE.
OKAY? CALIFORNIA FISH GRILL AND URBAN.
OKAY? OUR, OKAY, UH, WHAT, OKAY.
UH, HEAVEN CITY, 36 RESTAURANTS OVER THERE.
AND NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FOGGO, DECIA, TEXAS, US ROYAL OUR HOUSE.
OKAY? AND ALL THOSE CHICKEN ALL COMING IN, WE ARE ON THE MAP FOR ALL THE BUSINESS COMING TO WEST COVINA.
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WEST COVINA BECOME, OKAY.
A BIG CITY, OKAY? NO MATTER PEOPLE SAY WE ARE 107 THIS ANALYTIC, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO COME.
BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE STREET, VERY HAPPY SHOPPING AROUND.
LOOK AT OUR WEST COVINA PLAZA.
LOOK AT WEST, UH, MCINTYRE SQUARE.
LOOK AT SFS IN THE SOUTH SIDE.
LOOK AT ABOUT OUR, OKAY, TOKYO CENTRAL.
LOOK AT HOW BUSY YOU CAN EVEN FIND A PARKING SPACE, RIGHT? YOU COMPARE WITH ALL THE SURROUND CITIES.
SEE WEST COVINA, VIBRANT, HAPPY, AND WHAT BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
SO THIS IS WHAT THIS CITY IS ABOUT.
WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER, OKAY.
THIS IS ABOUT WHAT? WEAPON? NOTHING, GO AHEAD.
OKAY? I WANNA SAY THE NEW MAYOR.
OKAY? SO SHE, SHE KNOW HER JOB IS OKAY.
THIS JOB IS ABOUT HOW TO BRING OUR CITY CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, OKAY? AND THIS IS IMPORTANT.
THIS IS HOW WE HERE FOR, WE HERE TO IMPROVE OUR CITY.
OKAY? AND, AND THAT IS HOW WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE OUR CHILDREN HAS A PROGRAM.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE, OKAY, OUR OKAY, SENIOR, OKAY.
AND THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
SO I, I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENT, BUT AT THE END, THE ONLY ONE PERSON I WANNA THANK THE MOST IS MY WIFE HELEN.
WITHOUT MY WIFE, I WON'T BE HERE.
NOT ONLY ACHIEVE MY AMERICAN DREAM, OKAY.
AND BECOME A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN.
AND THE SAME TIME FOR HER SUPPORT, OKAY? I CAN BASICALLY, I CAN SERVE THE CITY FOR THIS SO-CALLED NON-PAYING JOB, OKAY? AND FOR PEOPLE TO ATTACK AND WITH ALL THE DRAMA, AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT AND LET IS HOW OKAY? THE CITY.
BUT, BUT WHO CARE? YOU WANT TO IMPROVE THE CITY.
SOMEBODY HAVE COME OUT TO DO IT.
AND I WILLING TO DO THIS BECAUSE THE SUPPORT OF MY WIFE.
AND THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
OKAY? I CAN TALK FOREVER, BUT I'M SO PROUD YOU CAN, I'M SO PROUD.
[01:05:01]
THIS IS A PROUD CITY, AND THIS IS SUCH A GREAT CITY.WHEN I'M MOVING, I HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS WEST COVINA, OKAY? I JUST PICK UP THE HOUSE, OKAY? AND, UH, OKAY.
I'M HERE FOR 40 YEARS, OKAY? AND I WANT, I CANNOT COMPARE WITH, UH, CO OKAY? AND SHE'S, UH, HERE 90, 93 YEARS.
OKAY? BUT THE POINT IS, IS NO MATTER NEWCOMER OR OLD TIMER, WE ARE ALL HERE TOGETHER.
I WANT THANK THE SUPPORT FROM SANDRAS AND, UH, OKAY.
WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN BE HERE TODAY.
I'M JUST CHANGING MY TITLE FROM MAYOR TO COUNCILMAN, OKAY? AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
WE'RE LETTING HIM HAVE HIS MOMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, JASMINE FROM THE SENATOR SUSAN RUBIO'S OFFICE.
I'M WITH SENATOR SUSAN RUBIO HERE IN WEST COVINA.
AND TODAY WE'RE HERE TO REALLY, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE MR. TONY WU, THE OUTGOING MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
UM, I HAVE A CERTIFICATE HERE FOR YOU.
UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH YOU, UH, NOT TOO LONG, MAYBE ONLY ABOUT SIX MONTHS, BUT YOU'VE ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL WELCOME AND YOU REALLY PUSHED ME TO DO BETTER WITH LIKE, PUBLIC SPEAKING.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA WELCOME, UH, MAYOR PRO NOW.
NOW THE MAYOR AT WEST COVINA, MS. LATI LOPEZ VIDO.
UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I, I, I REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN SHE, THE FIRST TIME SHE CAME TO THE SENIOR CENTER AND THEN SHE READING THE SCRIPT, I SAID, DON'T READ THE SCRIPT.
YOU HAVE TO COME OUT, SPEAK LIKE ME.
YOU JUST, JUST FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY KNOW YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO INVITE WENDY, REPRESENTATIVE FROM ASSEMBLY MEMBER BLANCA RUBIO'S OFFICE.
AND WHAT A PLEASURE IT IS TO RECOGNIZE OUTGOING MAYOR TONY WU ON BEHALF OF STATE ASSEMBLY BLANCA RUBIO.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR, WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR SERVING COUNTLESS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY DURING YOUR, UH, TERM AS MAYOR.
AND SO WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR LEADING THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVING YOUR, UM, CONSTITUENTS.
SO WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT AND PRESENT YOU WITH THIS TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FOR, AGAIN, YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, MAYOR.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO INVITE BRIAN RODRIGUEZ FROM POLICE OFFICER ASSOCIATION, POA, TO PRESENT A CERTIFICATE.
WELL, I'M NOT BRIAN, BUT I'M NOT AS HANDSOME AS HIM.
BUT ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE WEST COVINA POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION, WE WANT TO, UH, PRESENT THIS HELMET TO YOU AS A WOW, AS A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION.
UH, WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AND, UH, WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.
I'LL MAKE SURE TO CALL YOU, UM, NEXT TIME WE HAVE, UH, A RIOT PUT.
WHY NOT ONE WITH ONE ON TWO, THREE.
THAT MEANS YOU GOTTA BE WORKING WITH THEM.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, GUY HAMILTON FROM WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR.
UH, MR. WU, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR US.
UM, WE'VE HAD A, UH, DIFFICULT TIME IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO WORKING ON OUR CONTRACT, BUT WE, I, UM, BUT WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
YOU'VE, UH, ALWAYS TREATED US RIGHT.
UM, WE'VE HAD TO, UH, WORK FOR WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN, BUT, UH, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH, UH, THE NEW CITY MANAGER, UM, AND NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HELP.
UM, UH, BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY WE HAD, UH, SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE HERE THAT JUST RAN OFF ON CALLS.
WE HAD A LARGER CREW HERE, BUT THEY'RE OUT, UH, DOING THEIR JOB.
[01:10:01]
UM, I WANTED TO THANK, UH, MAYOR WOO FOR HIS, UH, 10 YEARS OF SERVICE AND WE GOT YOU THIS PLAQUE TO ATE THAT.ON THE COUNT 3, 1, 2, 3, 1 MORE THIS WAY.
IF WE CAN GET ALL THE, UH, OTHER MEMBERS UP HERE PLEASE TOO, TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH.
YES, YES, MR. WU, I APPRECIATE THAT.
WE WILL STEP FORWARD A LITTLE BIT SO THEY CAN GET BEHIND US ON THE SIDES AND ALL OVER.
AND, AND I WANNA SAY REALLY QUICK, OKAY.
I WANNA THANK THE POA AND THE FFA.
THE BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICING OUR CITY TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE.
WE CAN GET THIS MOU GET THIS CONTRACT SMOOTH AND EVERYBODY HAPPY.
I THINK NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR STAFF AND MAKE SURE OUR CITY CONTINUE TO MOVE ON.
OKAY? AND, UH, WE HAVE BRIGHT FUTURE AND WE'RE GONNA STICK TOGETHER.
UM, CITY STAFF, CAN YOU PLEASE CHANGE THE ROTATION OF MOVEMENT, PLEASE? 'CAUSE WE HAVE ROSARIO HERE AND YEAH, WE NEED TO MOVE ALL THE, UM, ITEMS. CAN YOU KINDLY MOVE THE, UH, DOESN'T WANNA MOVE MAYOR LOPEZ? VIRO, THE PLAQUES HAVE BEEN MOVED.
BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ DOES NOT WANNA MOVE.
CAN YOU MOVE HIS, UH, COMPUTER PLEASE? UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, MAY YOU PLEASE MOVE TO YOUR NEW SEAT.
IS THERE ANYTHING? MAY MAYOR IT.
CHAIR, IT'S YOUR WITHIN YOUR DISCRETION ON WHERE EVERYONE SITS.
SERGEANT AT ARMS, MAY YOU KINDLY ASSIST, UH, MR. GUTIERREZ, MOVE HIS ITEMS TO HIS NEW LOCATION.
PLEASE MOVE HIS ITEMS. IT DOESN'T WORK.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO CALL FOR A, A CLOSED SESSION RECESS, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
NO, WE ARE CONTINUING ON WITH THIS.
THERE IS NOTHING LEGAL ABOUT THIS.
PLEASE, PLEASE MOVE TO YOUR ASSIGNED SEATING.
COUNCILWOMAN ROSARIO SITS RIGHT THERE.
AND THAT AS A ROTATION, ALWAYS THE MAYOR DECIDE WHO THE SEAT.
AND I THINK THIS IS, WE HAVE TO ENFORCE AND, UH, I THINK WE GOT AN A, DA.
THE, BASICALLY THE CITY MANAGERS AND ALREADY CHANGED THE LIGHT TO GET A DA ABOUT WHAT HE WANT.
SO IN THAT WAY, OKAY, CITY ATTORNEY, WHO WE ALREADY COMPLY WITH, MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THE, THE CITY MANAGER HAS ADDRESSED THE SITUATION ALREADY.
SO ALL THE, UH, THE SITUATION HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SATISFIED.
SO IN THAT WAY, THE SEAT SHOULD BE ROTATE TO WHAT THE CURRENT MAYOR WANT.
MR. BAYER, I'VE STAFF HAS DONE EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO ACCOMMODATE AT THIS POINT.
DO NOT TALK ABOUT A DISABILITY IN PUBLIC.
AND IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT DISABILITY, YOU GO IN CLOSE SESSION.
THIS IS, UH, MAYOR ROTATIONAL.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DISABILITY.
EVERYBODY HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE MET THE LIGHTING CHANGES.
MATTER OF FACT, YOU INSTALL THESE LI LIGHTING, JUST MOVE YOUR, JUST
[01:15:01]
MOVE YOUR SEAT AND WE CAN DEAL WITH THE OTHER ISSUES AFTERWARDS.SO IF YOU CAN KINDLY MOVE TO YOUR NEW SEAT AND IN THE NEXT CLOSED SESSION MEETING, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
BUT FOR NOW, KINDLY PLEASE MOVE.
YES, LET'S COME OVER HIS SEAT OVER HERE.
IF YOU NEED THE, UH, ASSISTANCE TO HELP YOU ROLL YOUR CHAIR OVER WITH YOU IN IT, BY ALL MEANS, WE CAN REQUEST THAT.
BECAUSE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, THIS IS NOT A DIS AGAINST LAW.
AND I URGE YOU TO STOP TALKING ABOUT ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.
IS THERE ANYTHING LEGAL ABOUT THIS? MADAM MAYOR, WITHIN YOUR DISCRETION ON WHERE EVERYONE CAN, THEN IT IS MY DISCRETION.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS ADDRESS, HE'S REFERRING TO A QUESTION ABOUT DISCLOSING.
PLEASE MOVE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UNDER THE REHABILITATION ACT.
YOU ARE IN THE SEAT OF COUNCILWOMAN ROSARIO DIAZ.
IF YOU WANNA CALL FOR A RECESS, CALL FOR A, A CLOSED SESSION RECESS.
ALRIGHT, RESET AS IS AND I CAN, UH, LET'S HAVE A FIVE MINUTES RESET TO SETTLE THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER UNDERSTAND TO KIND OF WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
AND YOU WANT TO COME FOR WE, YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE GAVEL WAS OKAY.
ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
MEETING ISN'T BACK IN SESSION.
SO NO, UN I USE MY HAND UNFORTUNATELY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
UM, THE GAVEL IS CONVENIENTLY MISSING NOW.
SO I KNOW I'VE STATED IN THE PAST HOW CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS DON'T MAKE UP ALLEGATIONS.
SABOTAGE, STOP MAKING UP ALLEGATIONS.
OH, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T, PLEASE POINT OUT YES.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO, UH, RECUSE HIM.
UH, NOW I CAN ACTUALLY REUSE THIS.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME, AND IF YOU WILL NOT, I WILL HAVE SERGEANT OF ARMS TO REMOVE YOU.
SERGEANT OF ARMS, PLEASE REMOVE COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ.
MADAM MAYOR, DO WE NEED TO HAVE A, YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TAKE ANOTHER RECESS.
UH, JUST, OH, I THINK PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT THE MAYOR AND LET HER FINISH MY UNDERSTANDING.
POINT OF HOLDER, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE MAYORS OKAY.
TRY TO CONDUCT THE, THE, THE MEETING.
IF ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER DISRUPT THE MEETING, THEN LET THE THREE VOTE.
WE CAN REMOVE THE COUNCIL IF IT CONTINUALLY INTERRUPTS AND YOU CANNOT FINISH THE MEETING.
SO IF YOU HEARD THAT, NO INTERRUPTIONS.
UM, SO I, I DO APOLOGIZE, UH, TO OUR WEST COVINA RESIDENTS, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER HERE THAT IS NOT ACTING ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AS MY, I HAD A SPEECH AND UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD THIS, UM, INTERRUPTION.
BUT ANYWAYS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I, UH, AS I STEPPED INTO THE ROLE OF MAYOR TONIGHT, I JUST WANNA BE, I WANT TO BEGIN BY EXPRESSING MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE.
UH, THIS MOMENT ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE NEW TITLE.
IT REPRESENTS THE SHARED EFFORT, TRUST, AND COLLABORATION THAT MAKE OUR CITY STRONGER.
SO THANK YOU PASTOR KELLY FOR SWEARING ME IN.
AS MANY MAY NOT KNOW THAT HE BRINGS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY EXPERIENCE AND SERVES AS A POLICE CHAPLAIN, HE AND I, HE AND I WILL BE WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILIES IN WEST COVINA.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, UM, HAPPENING WITH SOME WORKSHOPS.
AS FOR TO MY FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND THE SACRIFICES YOU HAVE MADE.
I KNOW THERE ARE TIMES THAT YOU WONDER WHETHER ALL THE CHALLENGES AND ISSUES I DEAL WITH ARE WORTH IT, BUT YOUR BELIEF IN ME AND YOUR CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT, INCLUDING MY CHILDREN, YES, THANK YOU.
UM, EMPOWERS ME TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WITH PURPOSE.
TOGETHER WE'RE HELPING BUILD A CITY WHERE WE WANNA LIVE, WORK, SHOP, AND PLAY, CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR OUTGOING MAYOR TONY WU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, DEDICATION, AND TIRELESS SERVICE.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT YOU OPERATE ON A DIFFERENT KIND OF BATTERY.
ONE THAT NEVER ENTERS LOW POWER MODE.
ATTENDING MULTIPLE EVENTS A DAY, RESPONDING TO EMAILS AND CALLS AT
[01:20:01]
ALL HOURS, AND STILL SHOWING UP THE NEXT MORNING WITH NEW IDEAS LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY.YOU JUST KEEP GOING AND GOING AND GOING, PUSHING NONSTOP TO IMPROVE OUR CITY AT EVERY EVENT.
YOU ALWAYS ASK THE COMMUNITY CAN, CAN THE COMMUNITY.
GUESS WHAT HE ALWAYS SAYS AT THESE EVENTS? HE SAYS, DO YOU KNOW WAS COVINA? AND WITHOUT FAIL, THE CROWD ALWAYS ANSWERS, UH, LOUDLY, YES, THEY DO.
SO JUST LIKE YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW, AND EVERY DAY, I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I ALSO TRULY LOVE WEST COVINA.
SO THANK YOU TONY, FOR REINFORCING THE LOVE THAT WE SHARE.
AND TO MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION THAT YOU BRING TO EVERY DISCUSSION.
WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER, LEAVE BEHIND THESE PETTY DRAMA AND FOCUS ON THE REAL WORK AHEAD OF US.
LET'S COMMIT TO MAINTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF RESPECT AND DECORUM, NOT JUST IN THESE CHAMBERS, BUT BEYOND THEM AS WELL.
TO ALL OUR CITY STAFF, YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION ARE TRULY THE BACKBONE OF EVERYTHING WE ACCOMPLISH.
YOU TURN OUR IDEAS INTO ACTION EVEN WHEN THE PACE IS DEMANDING, AND YOU DO IT WITH EXPERTISE AND GRACE FAR MORE THAN THE PUBLIC EVER SEES.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE CITY MOVING.
AND WHEN THE COUNCIL PILES ON NEW TASK, I'M COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING A WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES BALANCE AND WELLNESS.
AS SOMEONE WHO ALSO WORKS FULL TIME AND PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE.
YOU ALSO DESERVE A WORK LIFE BALANCE TOO, AND A NON HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
AND I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE IT WHILE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE SERVICE FOR OUR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST AND FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING YOU.
I'M NOT JUST A DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTATIVE.
I'M THE MAYOR OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
AND I WILL REP REPRESENT ALL OF YOU WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF STANDARDS SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO FEEL PROUD OF OUR CITY.
THERE WILL BE POLICIES AND DECISIONS YOU AGREE WITH AND OTHERS YOU MAY NOT.
AS I'VE ALWAYS SAID, WHEN YOU COME WITH COMPLAINTS, BLAME OR CRITICISM, PLEASE ALSO COME WITH AN OPEN MIND WITH A SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM, OR AT LEAST A SUGGESTION TO HELP.
SO FEEL FREE TO JOIN US IN LIFTING THE CITY UP.
IT TAKES ALL OF US TO DO THAT.
SO IN THE SEVEN YEARS IN OFFICE, I HAVE LISTED STAYED OPEN AND REMAIN CONSISTENT IN MY EFFORTS.
I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A WIN-WIN SITUATION, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH YOUR HELP AND INPUT.
I'M ALL ABOUT UNITY AND COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE ONE CITY AFTER ALL, AND WEST COVINA IS OUR HOME.
AS WE BEGIN THIS NEXT CHAPTER, I'M REMINDED THAT PROGRESS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS NEVER ABOUT ONE PERSON.
IT'S ABOUT LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER, FINDING COMMON GROUND, AND WORKING TOWARDS SOLUTIONS THAT MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD.
I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD.
I'M ENERGIZED BY THE OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE US, AND I AM COMMITTED TO SERVING WITH HUMILITY, COLLABORATION, AND A FOCUS IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERY RESIDENT AND WITH A LITTLE HUMOR TO KEEP US ALL GOING.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR NEW MAYOR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A STRONGER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER IN THIS YEAR AHEAD.
SO THANK YOU WES COVINA, UM, LETTING ALLOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS, OKAY? UM, I, I I CAN GO FIRST, OKAY? AND, UH, AND, AND I WANT TO THANK OKAY.
AND, UH, OUR MAYOR, LETTI LOPEZ, FIDO, I THINK YOU WILL BE A GREAT LEADER, OKAY? AND, UH, EXTREMELY, UNFORTUNATELY.
OKAY, TONIGHT WE HAVE A, THIS ACT FROM OUR, ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
OKAY? I THINK WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER, OKAY? BE CIVILIZED, OKAY? AND IF YOU HAVE ANY DISAGREEMENT, OKAY, YOU CAN, WE CAN LATER OKAY? TO WORK IT OUT, BUT NOT JUST PLAY OUT LIKE THIS.
OKAY? ESPECIALLY SHE JUST GOT SWORN IN, OKAY? AND, UH, I THINK IT'S JUST MUTUAL RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, OKAY? NO, MA, NO MATTER YOU HAVE A DISAGREEMENT, BUT LET'S WORK IT OUT.
OKAY? MOST IMPORTANT THING IS HOW THIS CITY'S ABOUT.
OKAY? WE, WE WORK IT OUT WITHOUT THE DIFFERENCE, OKAY? CIVILIZED OKAY? WITH, UH, THE ATTITUDE, RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, OKAY? RESPECT OUR NEW MAYOR, OKAY? AND RESPECT, OKAY? OUR OKAY.
[01:25:01]
OUR, THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER IS REPRESENT, OKAY? THE CITY, THE TAXPAYER, THE, THE, THE RESIDENT.WE PROUD TO BE OKAY AND HERE TO MAKE DECISION FOR THEIR LIFE.
BUT THE SAME TIME WE TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE MALE LADY LOPEZ VIDO, AND STILL WITH THE DIGNITY, STILL WITH THE ATTITUDE AND STILL OKAY TO THE PERFORMANCE ABOUT THE SPEECH.
AND, UH, I STILL CONTINUE ON TO SERVE THIS GREAT CITY OF WEST COVINA.
EVEN WE HAVE THIS KINDA UNPRECEDENTED, THIS KIND OF ACT.
OKAY? BUT YOU STILL PUT YOUR OKAY AND, UM, EMOTION TOGETHER AND UH, AND, UH, AND WE RESPECT YOU.
I THINK THIS IS THAT PEOPLE KNOW, OKAY, YOU ARE A STRONG PERSON TO LEAD OUR CITY.
I THINK NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT.
OKAY? YOU ARE THE STRONG PERSON TO BE OUR LEADER.
YOU ARE THE QUALIFIED PERSON, OKAY? EVEN YOU THE FEMALE, IT'S 50% OF OUR POPULATION.
OKAY? SO, SO WITH THAT, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU WILLING TO PICK UP, OKAY, THIS TEXT ON YOUR SHOULDER, OKAY? SHOW PEOPLE THE GRACE.
SHOW PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR, YOUR EMOTIONS.
SHOW PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR ABILITY.
I THINK THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT THING.
OKAY? MAYBE THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF DRAMA AND SOME KIND OF FREAK SHOW OVER HERE, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO DECREASE ABOUT YOUR ABILITY, ABOUT YOUR MAYORSHIP.
I THINK MORE IMPORTANT THING WE KNOW YOU'LL BE A GREAT MAYOR LAST TIME, 2021, YOU WISH PROVEN, AND THIS TIME YOU SHOW YOU WILL PUT YOURSELF TOGETHER WITH THIS KIND OF RIDICULOUS SITUATION.
AND YOU HAVE THAT GREAT SPEECH, OKAY? I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND WE WILL FOLLOW YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MADAM MAYOR.
I, I WANTED TO, UH, JOIN WITH THE FORMER MAYOR IN EXPRESSING MY HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR ASCENDANCY TO THIS POSITION.
ANYONE WHO SERVES IN THE SEAT OF MAYOR BY VIRTUE OF THE NATURE OF THE JOB, IT IS A COMBINATION OF CEREMONY AND STATESMEN AND STATESMANSHIP ALONG WITH A SPIRIT OF LOVE AND CARING AND BEING THE FACE OF THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
YOU ARE THE ONE AS AS OUR LEADER WHO REPRESENTS US ALL.
AND IN SPITE OF WHATEVER AGREEMENTS OR DISAGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH POLICY, THE FACT IS THAT WHENEVER WE ALL TURN TO THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER TO, UH, EXPECT AND DEMAND THE BEST, AND WHENEVER WE DO OUR PART TO CONTRIBUTE TO HELPING THEM TO DO THEIR JOBS, AND AS WELL AS TO MAKING SURE TO BUILD A STRONG TEAM SPIRIT, THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER.
AND YOU IN YOUR ROLE, YOU HAVE SERVED HERE FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND DURING THAT TIME, UH, YOU HAVE SEEN ALL NUMBER OF ISSUES THROUGH THROUGHOUT, UH, YOUR, YOUR TENURE.
AND NOW AS, AS OUR MAYOR, I AM APPRECIATIVE FOR GETTING TO SERVE AT YOUR SIDE AS YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS ALSO DEDICATED, UH, TO MAKING A REAL AND LASTING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I JOINED WITH, WITH OUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN EXPRESSING MY DEEPEST, HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU IN THANKSGIVING FOR YOUR PAST SERVICE, BUT ALSO WITH A POSITIVE VISION AND EXCITEMENT FOR WHAT YOU ARE TO DO DURING YOUR TENURE.
AND IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU AS MY MAYOR PRO TEM.
SO I AM SO GLAD TO CALL YOU MAYOR PRO TEM OLI CANTOS, AND HAVE YOU AS MY RIGHT HAND.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROSARIO DIAZ.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, UM, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU.
I MEAN, YOU ARE ABLE TO HOLD IT TOGETHER DESPITE THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ENCOUNTER.
AND, UM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE A FABULOUS MAYOR AGAIN.
AND, UM, I, I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU AND, UM, I KNOW YOUR FAMILY'S PROUD OF YOU AND, UM, I'M SURE OUR CONS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PROUD OF YOU.
AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALONGSIDE OUR MAYOR PRO CONTOS
MAYOR WU, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR CITY.
[01:30:02]
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BUSY, AS LETTI SAYS,AND I THINK THAT WHILE YOU'RE ASLEEP, I THINK YOU'RE DREAMING ABOUT THE CITY.
AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU HAVE YOUR WIFE, HELEN, THAT SUPPORTS YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UH, WITHOUT HER, OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULDN'T DO THANK YOU.
YOU WOULDN'T BE SO SUCCESSFUL.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR MAYORSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US.
YOU'VE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD.
AND, UM, SO NOW YOU GET TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER,
AND, UM, AS FOR I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN W UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
UM, AS THE RESIDENTS CAN SEE YOUR TRUE CHARACTERS COME OUT.
SO IT JUST SHOWS TRUE CHARACTER OF SOMEONE BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE TODAY.
BUT I JUST WANT TO ALSO GO TO COUNCIL REQUEST.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, GOOD EVENING NEIGHBORS, COLLEAGUES, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW C SEATED MAYOR TONIGHT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT TITLES, IT'S ABOUT TRUST.
THE PEOPLE AT SPN DIDN'T HIRE ANY OF US TO WIN ARGUMENTS.
I COME TO THIS DIOCESE WITH A SIMPLE PROMISE TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST, TO TELL THE TRUE KINDLY BUT PLAINLY, AND TO KEEP THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS IN THE SUNLIGHT WHERE IT BELONGS.
THERE WAS A COMMENT RECENTLY ABOUT ME VISITING CITY HALL AT ALL HOURS AS IF I WERE ROAMING THROUGH DEPARTMENTS AND RUMMAGING THROUGH DESK FOR THE RECORD AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY WATCHING AT HOME.
MY ACCESS IS THE SAME AS ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THE COMMUNITY ROOM, THE CONSOLE OFFICES AND CONFERENCE AREAS.
EVERY DOCUMENT I REVIEW COMES TO PROPER LAWFUL CHANNELS.
AND I WILL KEEP PERFORMING THAT DUTY WITH TRANSPARENCY AND RESPECT.
AS WE BEGIN THIS NEW CHAPTER, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE STANDARD WE OWE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
ETHICS ISN'T A SLOGAN WE DUST OFF DURING DIFFICULT MOMENTS.
IT IS THE DAILY WORK OF SELF-DISCIPLINE.
IT MEANS WE AVOID EVEN THE APPEARANCE OF FAVORITISM.
IT MEANS COMPETITIVE, FAIR CONTRACTING.
IT MEANS DISCLOSURES WHEN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS OR FINANCIAL TIES TO COLOR OR VOTE.
AND IT MEANS ACCUSING OURSELVES WHEN PRIVATE INTERESTS, INCLUDING PRIVATE LOANS OR OTHER FINANCIAL ENTANGLEMENTS AMONG PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
IT MIGHT REASONABLY CAUSE THE PUBLIC TO QUESTION OUR IMPARTIALITY.
IT PROTECTS THE CITY, IT PROTECTS THE COUNCIL, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT PROTECTS THE PUBLIC'S TRUST.
WE CAN DISAGREE AND WE WILL, BUT DISAGREEMENT IS NOT DISRUPTION.
QUESTIONS ARE NOT GRANDSTANDING.
THEY'RE TO CHOOSE A GOOD GOVERNMENT.
WHEN WE INSIST ON PURE SCORING, FOOD BACKUP, AND OPEN COMPETITION, WE'RE NOT SLOWING PROGRESS.
WE'RE PREVENTING MISTAKES AND SAVING MONEY.
THE FASTEST RATE TO LOSE THE PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IS TO SAY, TRUST US WHILE KEEPING THE PAPERWORK OUT OF YOU.
I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE WAY WE SPEAK TO AND ABOUT.
ONE OTHER WEST GREEN STRAIN IN ITS IS ITS PEOPLE, OUR FRONTLINE STAFF, OUR POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OUR FAMILIES, OUR SENIORS, AND OUR YOUTH.
THEY DESERVE TO SEE LEADERS WHO MODEL COURAGE AND KINDNESS AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY DESERVE A COUNCIL THAT LISTENS MORE THAN IT LABELS, THAT ASK HARD QUESTIONS WITHOUT PERSONALIZING THEM.
AND THEY CAN SAY, WE, AND WE CAN ALL SAY THAT WHEN WE GOT SOMETHING WRONG.
WHEN THE FACTS DEMANDED TO OUR NEW MAYOR, YOU WOULD DEFINE THIS YEAR'S TONE.
YOU WOULD DECIDE WHETHER WE MEET SCRU WHEN WE, IF WE MEET SCRUTINY WITH OPENNESS OR WITH DEFENSIVENESS.
WHETHER WE WALK A AUDITS AND RESIST OR RESIST THEM, WHETHER WE LEAN ON INSIDERS OR WIDEN THE CIRCLE TO MANY QUALIFIED VOICES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM ROOTING FOR YOUR SUCCESS BECAUSE YOUR SUCCESS IS WEST VENS SUCCESS.
IF YOU CHOOSE SUNLIGHT, YOU'LL FIND ME THERE.
WHEN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY FOR MY PART, I WILL CONTINUE TO FILE THE REQUEST, READ THE RECORDS, AND BRING FORWARD WHAT I FIND PROFESSIONALLY.
I WOULD DEFEND STAFF WHO'D FOLLOW RULES AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
AND I WOULD CHALLENGE THE PROCESSES THAT CUT CORNERS OR CLOSED DOORS.
IF ANYONE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING TRIES TO MAKE PUBLIC SERVICE A PRIVATE BENEFIT, I'LL CALL IT OUT AND SEEK CORRECTION.
THAT IS NOT POLITICS, THAT IS STEWARDSHIP.
DR. KING SAID THE ARC OF A MORAL UNIVERSE IS THE LONG IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARDS JUSTICE.
IT BANS WHEN ORDINARY PEOPLE, NEIGHBORS, CITY WORKERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS CHOOSE FAIRNESS OR FAVORITISM.
AND TRUTH OVER CONVENIENCE, IT BENDS WHEN WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST.
SO HERE'S MY COMMITMENT TONIGHT.
I WILL, I WILL MEASURE EVERY VOTE BY ONE TEST.
DOES IT SERVE THE PEOPLE WEST FAIRLY AND TRANSPARENTLY? I WILL SUPPORT COMPETITIVE PROCESSES THAT GIVE EVERY QUALIFIED VENDOR A REAL CHANCE.
[01:35:05]
AND WENA, LET'S CHOOSE THE HARDER RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG.LET'S SHOW OUR CHILDREN THAT INTEGRITY ISN'T JUST A WORD ON A WALL, IT'S WHERE WE GOVERN.
LET'S MAKE THIS YEAR WITH THE FACTS LEAD THE PUBLIC WINS AND THE ON AGENDA IT SERVES.
AND THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY, UM, ANYTHING, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, UM, I APOLOGIZE TO MY CONSULT IF YOU DIDN'T GET THE HR EMAIL THAT GONE OUT.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS GROWING UP AS A CHILD WHO WAS PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY ABUSED AS A CHILD AND GOING TO THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM WHILE ALSO HAVING AUTISM.
AND WHEN THERE IS MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT THE REASONS WHY I AM REQUESTING AN ACCOMMODATION AND THE CITY'S LABOR LAWYERS CONCUR WITH THAT FINDING, ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU HAVE A HEART.
UH, I DON'T DO THIS BECAUSE I DISLIKE ANYONE ON THIS CONSOLE.
UH, I HAVE AUTISM AND IT'S NOTHING I HIDE.
I'M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER ELECTED IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WITH AUTISM AND A SAN VALLEY.
BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NEED ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND ALL I ASK IS TO PLEASE HAVE A HEART.
DID DO YOU WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO SAY I'LL HAVE A REQUEST.
OKAY, WELL, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.
AB 1, 2, 3, 4, CONFERENCE AND MEETING REPORTS.
[CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION]
CITY COUNCIL REQUEST? YEP.I WANT TO CITY LOOK INTO THE, UH, A DA ABUSE, OKAY.
PEOPLE USING THE A DA EXCUSES NOT GOING TO COMPLY AND, UH, WITH THE CITY.
SO THIS IS MY REQUEST LOOKING TO AT THE SECOND THING AND OKAY, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, GUTTI WAS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HE HAS AUTISM, THIS AND THAT.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO APPROVE SHOWING HE REALLY HAVE, SO THIS IS ANOTHER REQUEST, UH, SHOWING HE HAS, UH, OKAY, LIKE THE ISSUE.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS REGARDING THE A DA.
PEOPLE USING A DA AS EXCUSES NOT GOING TO COMPLY, UH, WITH WHAT THE RULE AND THE REGULATION IS.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THAT'S DISCRIMINATORY.
I KNOW I SPEAK WHEN YOU'RE, I WANNA BE A POINT OF ORDER.
LET ME, LET ME CONTACT, LET ME, I WILL, I WILL ADDRESS YOU.
THE HR DEPARTMENT DOES THEIR JOB.
THEY FOLLOW FEDERAL GUIDELINES THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR AN ACT THAT'S POTENTIALLY DISCRIMINATORY.
AND UH, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR HR DIRECTOR OR YOUR CITY MANAGER OR YOUR LABOR LAWYERS, UH, THEN YOU COULD CONSULT WITH THEM IN CLOSED SESSION AS THE LAW REQUIRES.
AND I HAVE A MOTION, I WILL SECOND BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING PRIOR.
SO IF YOU SAID THAT TRANSPARENCY, YEAH, LET'S DISCUSS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHETHER WHAT A DA REQUIREMENTS ARE.
I MEAN, WE ARE HERE TO MAKE SURE IT IS THAT EVERYBODY HAS THAT EQUAL TREATMENT, BUT AGAIN, IT NEEDS TO BE EQUAL TREATMENT AND IT'S REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, NOT WHEN SOMETHING IS BEING UNREASONABLE.
SO I WILL SECOND BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO BRING ALL THIS FORWARD TO SEE AND KNOW WHAT EXACTLY, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE FOR TRANSPARENCY REASONS.
AND I HAVE, I HAVE A, THAT'S WE'RE GOOD.
I WANNA POINT OF ORDER, LEMME MOVE THE ORDER.
I MEAN, POINT OF ORDER PLEASE.
UM, ARE YOU ANY CLARIFICATION? ARE YOU ASKING THAT THIS BE PUT IN CLOSED SESSION? BECAUSE THIS IS A, THIS IS A LABOR MATTER.
A DA IN GENERAL IS FOR ANY, IT SHOULD BE OPEN FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE IF FOR FUTURE, IF WE HAVE A FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS A DA ISSUES, WE SHOULD KNOW SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE ISSUES.
WE DON'T, WE DO NOT HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON IN THIS COUNCIL WITH A DA ARE YOU ASKING FOR A DA TRAINING? WE WANT NO, NOT TRAINING.
WE DO NEED TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION A, DA AND THAT'S A CLOSED SECTION.
MATTER, MATTER, MATTER, MATTER, MATTER.
WE UNDER, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE REQUEST IS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO PRESERVE ANYONE'S RIGHTS THAT HAS A DISABILITY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO INFORM COUNSEL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS IS BEING FOLLOWED AND THE COUNSEL IS INFORMED.
THAT THAT SUM SUMMARIZE IT PROPERLY? YES.
SO WE HAVE A FIRST, WE SECOND ANY AGREEMENTS, DISAGREEMENTS.
THEN WE'LL, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UH, I ALSO WANTED TO PUT IN A REQUEST THAT, UH, FOR ALL AGENDA, FOR ALL AGENDA, FUTURE AGENDA, THAT WE HAVE THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS]
UH, CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS?[01:40:03]
NOPE.UH, I JUST WANNA LET EVERYBODY KNOW.
AND YOU ALWAYS GET A SHOW WITH WEST COVINA.
UM, BUT THERE IS CAKE UPSTAIRS.
AND, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.