* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:09] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR MARCH 3RD, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. IT IS 7:06 PM MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION. I'LL HAVE OUR STUDENT CITY MAYOR LILLIAN SHRI, CONTINUE THE MEETING. GO AHEAD. ANY PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL DURING ORAL COMMUNICATIONS MUST COMPLETE A SPEAKER CARD THAT IS PROVIDED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND SUBMIT THE CARD TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. SPEAKER CARDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER ORAL COMMUNICATIONS HAS STARTED. UH, TONIGHT'S INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY PASTOR SAMUEL MARTINEZ FROM AMAZING LOVE MINISTRIES. AND I FROM EDGEWOOD WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALL RISE. THANK YOU MAYOR. LET'S PRAY. HEAVENLY FATHERS, WE GATHER HERE THIS EVENING. WE THANK YOU FOR THE FREEDOMS THAT WE ENJOY IN AMERICA. BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER, FATHER, THOSE AMERICAN SOLDIERS THAT HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIFE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. FATHER, WE HONOR THEM. WE HONOR THEIR MEMORY. WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT ALL OUR SOLDIERS IN HARM'S WAY. AND FATHER COMFORT THE FAMILIES FATHER OF THOSE THAT HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES. OH SIX. FATHER, WE, WE BLESS THEIR FAMILIES. WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE WISDOM TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALL THOSE THAT THAT WORK FOR THE CITY FATHER, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE IN POSITION OF AUTHORITY. BUT REMEMBER THE WORDS OF THE PSALMS THAT SAID, I WILL LIFT UP MY EYES ONTO THE HILLS. FROM WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM? MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH. FATHER, OUR HELP COMES FROM YOU. AND SO WE DEPEND ON YOU TO GUIDE US AND TO LEAD US EVEN IN THIS MEETING. BLESS AMERICA, BLESS OUR SOLDIERS. FATHER, BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND KEEP THEM SAFE. GOD BLESS WEST COVINA. BLESS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR BUSINESSES. FATHER, OUR SCHOOLS. GOD BLESS AMERICA. GOD BLESS. WE COVINA OUR BELOVED CITY. IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. READY? READY, BEGIN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA REPUBLIC FROM RICHARD STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY. AND JUST YOU WANNA CONTINUE ON? UM, GO FOR IT. SO JUST SAY SECOND ROLL CALL PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HERE. COUNCIL MAN WU, WE RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN W IS GOING TO BE LATE THIS EVENING. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ HERE. MAYOR PROTOS. HERE. MAYOR LOPEZ RO HERE. SO THERE WAS NO, UH, CLOSED SESSION TODAY, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO BE REPORTED OUT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE [PRESENTATIONS] HAVE OUR NEW LOGO AS OUR NATION APPROACHES THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE. LEADING UP TO JULY 4TH, 2026, WE JOINED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN EMBRACING THIS ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT, CELEBRATE, AND LOOK AHEAD HERE IN WEST COVINA, WE ARE PROUD TO STAND ALONGSIDE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN RECOGNIZING 250 YEARS OF AMERICAN RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, DIVERSITY, AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES. OUR CITY EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA, WELCOMING, HARDWORKING, AND FORWARD LOOKING TO HELP CELEBRATE, WE HAVE ON DISPLAY THIS AMERICA 250 LOGO, WHICH IS PART OF THE AMERICA 250 INITIATIVE. I INVITE ALL RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO JOIN US AS WE BEGIN THIS COMMEMORATIVE JOURNEY TOGETHER, LET US HONOR THE PAST, CELEBRATE THE PRESENT, AND INSPIRE THE FUTURE RIGHT HERE IN WEST COVINA. SO ON TO PRESENTATIONS WE'D LIKE TO INVITE, UM, YOU WANNA JOIN ME OR DO YOU WANNA BRING IT UP? SURE. HERE WE'LL HAVE HER DO THE PRESENTATIONS. TESTING, TESTING, TESTING. SO WE'D LIKE TO INVITE [00:05:01] MARELLI, BRO, BROS. BROTHERS CIRCUS TO THE FRONT AND SHE'S GONNA SAY A FEW WORDS. WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME MARELLI BROS CIRCUS TO OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN WEST COVINA. THE CIRCUS IS NOW PERFORMING AT PLAZA WEST COVINA THROUGH MARCH 9TH, 2026. THIS TWO HOUR FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOW OFFERS FUN FOR ALL AGES WITH VIP SEATING OPTIONS, ONSITE FOOD AND DRINKS, FREE ADMISSION FOR CHILDREN UNDER TWO AND SENIOR AND MILITARY DISCOUNTS. OUR RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO STEP RIGHT UP AND ENJOY AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE RIGHT HERE IN WEST COVINA. SO LIKE FOR BOTH CAN SAY A FEW WORDS, THEY'RE JUST RIGHT HERE IN WEST COVINA. LIKE TO START. HI. WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR HAVING US HERE THIS EVENING AND HAVING US IN YOUR CITY. WE'RE VERY EXCITED. MARELLI BROTHER CIRCUS IS ACTUALLY A CALIFORNIA BASED SHOW OUT OF HESPERIA, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT IN THE HIGH DESERT UP NORTH. AND WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE. THIS IS OUR SECOND SEASON, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY. FIRST. LAST YEAR WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, LIKE ALL SMALL BUSINESSES. IT WAS DIFFICULT TIME IN THE COUNTRY, I THINK, AND EVERYBODY, 'CAUSE TIMES ARE HARD AND WE'RE IN ENTERTAINMENT. BUT HERE IN WEST COVINA, I'M SO HAPPY TO SAY THAT LAST WEEK WE HAD A SELL OUT PERFORMANCE SUNDAY EVENING AND IN MULTIPLE SHOWS WHERE IT WAS REALLY, REALLY FULL OF PEOPLE. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR SHOWING US SO MUCH LOVE AND SUPPORT. THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US IN WEST COVINA ONCE AGAIN. LIKE WHAT MATT SAYS, UH, TI THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR US AND UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO BE HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF YOURS, WEST COVINA. LIKE MATT SAYS, YOU GUYS BEEN SO, SO GOOD TO US AND WE ARE GONNA BE HERE TO MONDAY SO YOU STILL HAVE SOME TIME. AND I PROMISE YOU IT WILL BE THE BEST HOUR AND A HALF YOU WILL NEVER HAVE WHEN YOU COME SEE MAR ELLI BROTHERS CIRCUS. I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL HAVE A LOT, A LOT OF FUN. YOU WILL FORGET EVERY PROBLEM YOU HAVE SOON. JUST DEPEND. I'M MAR ELLI. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK I'M SAYING, BUT YES, , I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS. IT'S FIRST TIME I'M NERVOUS. TRUST ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. SO THEY, THEY ARE RIGHT HERE AT THE MALL. UH, SOME OF THE CITY STAFF HAVE ATTENDED. THEY WERE AMAZED. IT'S A FAMILY FUN, FUN DAY. YOU COULD BRING YOUR FRIENDS FAMILY DATE NIGHT OR ANYTHING COME THIS WEEKEND. COME CELEBRATE AND ENJOY THE FUN AND UH, GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. THE WHAT? OH, WE HAVE A VIDEO. THERE IT IS. AND ALL FROM OUR CIRCUS FAMILY TO A SHOW THAT WILL AMAZE YOU WITH THE WONDER SIGHT. YOU'LL SEE MARELLI BROTHER CIRCUS, MARELLI BROTHER CIRCUS A HIGH FLYING CIRCUS SHOW. BEYOND WELL, WELL IT WAS A LITTLE PIECE, UH, A LITTLE PIECE, BUT WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE. I THINK, UH, MATT IS, THEY HAVE A LITTLE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU. LITTLE PERFORMANCE AND IT'S PERFECT. OUR STUDENTS ARE HERE. IS THAT, CAN WE PUT ON A LITTLE? YEAH. THIS IS YOUR DAY. WE LOVE MAGIC. ALRIGHT GUYS, YOU GUYS WANNA SEE SOME MAGIC? YEAH. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA NEED FOUR VICTOR. VOLUNTEERS. VOLUNTEERS. LET'S SEE. WE HAVE STUDENTS ARE HERE TODAY. LET'S SEE. UH, RIGHT HERE. LET'S SEE. YEAH, YOU SIR, LET'S GO. COME ON. OH YEAH, PEOPLE, SORRY, YOU STOPPED. ONE MORE HERE. OH, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE HERE. WE NEED ONE MORE. YOU VOLUNTEERS STAND RIGHT HERE. YOU'RE GONNA STAND RIGHT THERE. JUST TURN. PERFECT. NICE AND CLOSE. STAND RIGHT HERE, PLEASE. ADJOURN THIS WAY. PERFECT. ALRIGHT GENTLEMEN, HAVE A SEAT. SO THE CHAIR IS ON YOUR SIDE. IT'S NOT MUSICAL CHAIR, IS IT? ? ALRIGHT GUYS, WE'LL BE LATER. YOUR ARMS CLOSE. YOUR ARMS CLOSE YOUR ARMS. PERFECT. HERE WE GO. LAY ON DOWN LIKE YOU SHOT, RIGHT? WOO. ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO. RELAX. THEY'RE SAYING RELAX. WHOA. ONE MORE, ONE MORE. HERE WE GO. HERE WE GO. TWO. [00:10:04] I PULL THIS THIRD CHAIR. YEAH, WE GO. I GOT BUDDY, I, I I GOT THEY'RE ALL TAKE SHIRT. YEAH. YOU STILL SAYING NO? PUT YOUR HEAD BACK. PUT YOUR HEAD BACK. HEAD BACK. RELAX. HOW? WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT A WAIT A MINUTE. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PASSES. ALRIGHT, TO COME AND SEE US. SO THERE'S 1, 2, 3, 4 FOR YOU. SCHEDULE. ALRIGHT, 1, 2, 3, 4 FOR YOU AND THE SCHEDULE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR. AND THE REST, THE YOURS. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EVERYBODY DID SO. AND REMEMBER OUR BOX OFFICE, OUR BOX OFFICE IS GONNA BE OPEN AT 1230 ALL THE WAY TO SHOWTIME. BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE NO TIME TO COME BY AND PURCHASE YOUR TICKET ON THE CIRCUS, YOU CAN STILL BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE. VERY SIMPLE. THREE WW DOT MARELLI BRASS CIRCUS.COM. VERY SIMPLE. OUR WEBSITE TO PURCHASE THAT TICKET. ALL RIGHT, SO YOU HAVE NO TIME TO COME OVER. YOU CAN STILL PURCHASE ON ONLINE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND GOD BLESS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND NO ONE GOT INJURED TODAY. SO THAT, THAT'S A PLUS. SO WE ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT A CERTIFICATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. I PRESENT THIS CERTIFICATE, HURRY UP. I OVER HERE. OH. OH WOW. WOW. THANK YOU. TAKE MY PHOTO. YES, PLEASE. READY? YOU HOLD IT, HOLD IT BACK. YOU KNOW WHAT? PUT IT EVEN OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME. TI CAN WE HAVE SOME FOR THESE KIDS? OH YEAH, THESE KIDS FOR THE OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL. SO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED GETS THE CERTIFICATES OR I MEAN, PICK TICKETS OR SOMETHING. ALL RIGHT. SO AS YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW WHY ALL THE STUDENTS ARE HERE TODAY? IT'S OUR ANNUAL YEARLY GOVERNMENT, STUDENT GOVERNMENT. SO TONIGHT WE ARE RECOGNIZING STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE DIVISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST COVINA KIWANIS CLUB, AND STUDENTS FROM WEST COVINA WERE PROVIDED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY INTERACTING WITH CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF. THE EVENT ALLOWED THE STUDENTS TO TOUR CITY HALL, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND PARTICIPATE WITH STAFF IN A MOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT IS THE ONE KEY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU LEARNED FROM TODAY? SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE, WE'LL START WITH THE MAYOR. UM, ONE KEY TAKEAWAY YOU LEARNED FROM TODAY AND THOSE ON THE CITY COUNCIL ON DAAS WILL HAVE EACH STUDENT QUICKLY SAY ONE THING. OH YEAH. MIC. UH, HELLO, MY NAME IS LILLIAN SHRI. I COME FROM EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. UM, THANK YOU. UH, A KEY TAKEAWAY I TOOK FROM TODAY'S EXPERIENCE. UM, FIRST OF ALL, BEING MAYOR WAS VERY, VERY, VERY COOL. UH, I FELT LIKE I HAD A LOT OF POWER, BUT HONESTLY IT WAS MOSTLY ABOUT THE TEAMWORK THAT COMES FROM THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS BEHIND ME. UM, AND IT REALLY SHOWED THAT IT'S NOT ONLY AN AN INDIVIDUAL, IT'S NOT AN INDIVIDUAL, UM, TASK. IT'S MORE OF LIKE A GROUP TASK AND YOU CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING, ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN. UM, AND THAT REALLY, THAT REALLY INSPIRED ME BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT, UM, GOVERNMENT WAS MAINLY INDIVIDUAL AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE PERSON [00:15:01] REALLY IN POWER. BUT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST COVINA WHOLE SYSTEM, I REALLY NOTICED THAT IT'S NOT LIKE THAT IT ANY WAY. AND ALL THESE WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS REALLY RELY ON EACH OTHER AND THEY WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR CITY. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND WE'LL START HERE. CITY CLERK. OH, MY NAME. MY NAME IS SAMUEL TAPIA AND I COME FROM CORONADO HIGH SCHOOL. AND I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY, UH, ONE, UM, ONE KEY TAKEAWAY WAS BEING A CITY CLERK. YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS REALLY NICE BEING UP HERE, NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GUESTS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LIKE, AND LIKE SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT FEELS REALLY NICE AND, YOU KNOW, BEING PART AND, UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE AND ALL OF US COMING FROM DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND WHAT WE DID, UH, THIS MORNING WAS REALLY NICE, REALLY BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, AND IT FELT LIKE THE REAL THING HONESTLY. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REALLY, THAT WAS REALLY NICE. YEAH. THANK YOU. SO IS THIS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER? DO YOU HAVE TWO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS OR? PERFECT. HI, MY NAME'S HANNAH. I'M FROM WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL. AND TODAY I JUST LIKE KIND OF RECOGNIZE HOW MUCH THE CITY PUTS INTO EFFORT TO LIKE, MAKE OUR CITY GREAT. LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND LEARNING THE PROCESS OF LIKE, PAPERWORK AND LIKE, EVERYTHING. IT JUST MADE ME LIKE APPRECIATE THE CITY MORE BECAUSE I PERSONALLY LOVE WEST CAMINA, LIKE JUST THE CITY IN GENERAL. I'VE BEEN LIKE IN THE DISTRICT FOR A WHILE, SO JUST LIKE LEARNING MORE ABOUT LIKE WHAT PEOPLE DO AND LIKE WHAT LEADERS DO TO LIKE, MAKE OUR CITY SO GREAT. JUST MADE ME APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH MORE. UM, HI, MY NAME IS ANTONIO. UH, I GO TO SOUTH HILLS ACADEMY HERE IN WEST COVINA, UM, AS ANOTHER ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL. UM, TODAY SEEING ALL OF THE, OF THE PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, INTERCHANGE WITH EACH OTHER, WE GOT TO SEE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, LIKE EXACTLY HOW THEY WORK WITH EACH OTHER. AND HERE IN OUR MOCK TRIAL EARLIER, WE GOT TO SEE LIKE, AGAIN, HOW THEY WORKED TOGETHER WITH, WITH BUDGETING AND EVERYTHING. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS TRULY AMAZING TO SEE HOW, UM, ANOTHER CITY'S GOVERNMENT WORKS. SO YEAH, SO WE HAVE THE ONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE CITY, HAD HAS TO DO ALL THE WORK. THE CITY MANAGER. HI EVERYONE, I HOPE YOU'RE DOING FINE TODAY. I'M CHRISTIAN FROM WEST COVINA HIGH SCHOOL AND I ACTED AS THE CITY MANAGER FOR TODAY. AND ONE KEY TAKEAWAY THAT I TOOK OUT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER DOES LIKE, HAVE TO, HAS THE CITY MANAGER HAS TO KEEP IN BALANCE BETWEEN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS, UM, THEIR JOB IS REALLY TO LIKE ALLEVIATE ANY LIKE, STRESSORS COMING FROM BOTH SIDES. AND IT JUST MADE ME EXPERIENCE, IT JUST MADE ME LIKE, IT JUST ALLOWED ME TO EXPERIENCE HOW THERE'S SO MUCH MORE LIKE GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AND IT'S MADE ME APPRECIATE OUR CITY MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANNOUNCE MY GUTIERREZ. UH, HI. I'M ISAAC NUNEZ FROM WEST CONA HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE THING I LIKE KIND OF TOOK AWAY WAS HOW MUCH IT IS REALLY TO RUN WEST WING HIGH SCHOOL, OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY OR RUN WEST COVINA. UM, IT'S A VERY BIG CITY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST KIND OF ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE, ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE JUST RUNNING THE WHOLE CITY, BUT IT IS REALLY EVERY DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE PUTS THEIR OWN OPINION AND REALLY TAKES A LOT TO RUN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN WOO. HI, I AM WENDY FROM, UH, SOUTH HILLS ACADEMY AND IT'S SO EXCITING TO SIT HERE AND I LEARNED A LOT TODAY. IT'S SO HARD, THIS WORK. I NEED TO KNOW HOW, HOW TO GIVE MONEY FOR EACH, EACH, UH, EACH PLACE. YEAH. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. HI. HI. MY NAME IS ERIC OLA. I'M FROM SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE, ONE THING THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM TODAY IS THAT BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER IS KIND OF STRESSFUL. GETTING ALL THE IDEAS THROWN AT YOU FROM EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS WAS VERY OVERWHELMING AND LIKE, UM, HAVING ALL LIKE THE, THEIR IDEAS THROWN AT YOU, LIKE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON INTO YOUR HEAD AND THAT, UM, THIS JOB IS KIND OF LIKE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THAT AND THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS DO REALLY GOOD AND THAT THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB RUNNING OUR CITY AND THAT IT TAKES A LOT TO DO THIS JOB. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO. TAM CONTOS. HI, MY NAME IS CARLENE VIRGIN. I'M HERE REPRESENTING MACK EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY. WOO. GO. TIMBERWOLVES . UM, TODAY, LIKE GOING [00:20:01] THROUGH THE MOCK TRIAL AND GOING THROUGH STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY, IT TAUGHT ME THAT WEST COVINA AS A CITY REALLY WORKS WELL TOGETHER. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT PEOPLE LIKE REALLY DON'T RECOGNIZE, AND I THINK THAT AS A, AS A WHOLE WEST CITY OF WEST COVINA IS LIKE ONE NEATLY RUN UNIT. I THINK IT IS REALLY HARD JOB AS UM, ERIC WAS SAYING. AND I THINK THAT WE JUST COULD GIVE MORE, UH, APPRECIATION TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE BEING UP HERE AND SITTING UP HERE WAS REALLY HARD. NICE. THANK YOU. SO, AS YOU KNOW, KIMANI SAYS THIS AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE VERNE MOYER TO THE FRONT, SAY A FEW WORDS. HE'S HERE EVERY YEAR AND HE IS PART OF THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. EVERY YEAR. YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND SEE ALL THESE YOUNG PEOPLE RUN THE CITY FOR AT LEAST ONE MEETING. THEY LEARN A LOT. AND AS AIAN, WE ARE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND DO THIS BECAUSE IT GIVES THE STUDENTS A LOOKSIE IN WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN A CITY LIKE WEST COVINA. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT WHEN YOU HAVE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE SO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, ONE OF YOU WILL ALL BE SITTING UP HERE OR BE WORKING FOR THE CITY AND THIS IS A START. SO THANK YOU. SO ON BEHALF OF CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE'D LIKE TO HONOR EACH STUDENT THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS DAY. AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH SOUTH HILLS ACADEMY. RONNIE REN, ANTONIO P, YOU COULD STAY UP HERE. EDWARD CHEN. OH, EDWARD, SORRY. JAMES Z WENDY SHU SHOE. ATHENA AU. SO GO AHEAD AND STAY UP HERE. WE'RE GONNA NOW DO SOUTH HILLS. ERIC GLO. OH, THE FIRST SCHOOL. OKAY. WE'LL DO SCHOOL AT A TIME. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS ERIC GLA FROM SOUTH HILLS. ALEX RASMUSSEN. NATALIE MARTINEZ. OH, OKAY. YEAH, IT'S FROM SOUTH HILLS. WE'LL TAKE ONE PHOTO. I LOVE THE SHIRT. ONE, TWO. NOW FROM CORONADO, KIANA, ALMAN. ALMAN. SAMUEL TAPIA, JEN MENDOZA, LESLIE VALENCIA. I'M CORONADO. SO FROM EDGEWOOD WE HAVE THE ONE AND ONLY MAYOR LILLIAN SHRI SCHOOL. . OKAY. YOU KNOW, WE AT THE END WE'LL TAKE ONE GROUP PHOTO FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT. UM, THANK YOU. NOW FOR MOUNT [00:25:01] SAC EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY, WE HAVE ESANTE, KATELYN LEE, LEE, MARI, MENDOZA, SANCHEZ, TARA, ER FOR YEAH, . THANK YOU. SAY YOUR LAST NAME. HAI. THERE YOU GO. UH, CARLENE, UH, VIEN. AND THIS IS FROM MOUNT SAC EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY. NOW WE HAVE WES COVINA HIGH SCHOOL, MELISSA COSTA, CHRISTINE, FELIPE, ISAAC NUNEZ, NUNEZ. SURE. WE'RE ALL IN THE DAAS. FRANCESCA RIOS. YAY. OOH, YOU GUYS CAME MATCHING TOO. LOVE IT. HANNAH TRONG. SHE HERE. OH YEAH, SHE'S OH ONE TWO. CAN I HAVE ALL THE STUDENTS COME UP FOR ONE GROUP PHOTO? THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT. OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IF I'M COMING BACK UP. AND ERIC'S GONNA TAKE A NICE GROUP PHOTO FROM UP ABOVE. SO MUCH WISHES. ERIC, THANK YOU MUCH NICE TO MEET YOU. THESE ARE OUR FUTURE. GOOD. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GIVE UP MY KIDS. OH, NO THANK YOU. WANT YOU? NO, NO, NO, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU, . WITHOUT EVERYTHING. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE A ONE MINUTE RECESS SO THAT IF STUDENTS WISH TO GO AHEAD AND EXIT, UM, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO SO. OR YOU CAN STICK AROUND AND SIT THROUGH THE WHOLE COUNCIL. WAIT, GO AHEAD. UH, ONE MINUTE RECESS. THANK YOU. SO, [00:30:05] ALL RIGHT, WE ARE BACK CALLING BUSINESS BACK TO ORDER. ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE SCHOOL TOMORROW, SO IT'S STILL A SCHOOL DAY. SO THANK YOU. NOW ON TO CONTINUING ON WITH OUR PRESENTATION. WE HAVE TASTE OF WEST COVINA WE'RE PRESENTING. WE'D LIKE TO INVITE ANDREW TO THE FRONT, RECOGNIZING DOUGH DUDES PIZZA. SO DOUGH DUDES PIZZA IS A CASUAL LOCAL PIZZERIA KNOWN FOR ITS HANDCRAFTED PIES, BUILT ON AN EXPERT EX EXPERTLY FERMENTED DOUGH THAT DELIVERS THE PERFECT BALANCE OF CRISPY AND CHEWY WITH A LIGHTLY BLISTERED FINISH. YOU COULD TELL I'M LIKE SLAUGHTERING, I'M LIKE PIZZA. UH, THE MENU FEATURES CLASSICS LIKE MARGARITA AND PEPPERONI ALONGSIDE CREATIVE SPECIALTY PIZZA, SUCH AS A SPICY J-POP. AND THE SIGNATURE, THE DUDE TOP WITH BOLD FLAVORS AND FRESH, HIGHLY HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS WITH ITS LAID BACK ATMOSPHERE, FRIENDLY SERVICE AND PASSION FOR SERIOUSLY GOOD PIZZA. IT'S A GO-TO SPOT FOR FLAVORFUL DINING IN WEST COVINA. SO THIS MARCH DO JUDE'S PIZZA WILL OFFER AN AMAZING DISCOUNT. YOU'LL RECEIVE $10 OFF WHEN YOU MAKE A PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE. FEED THE FAMILY, FEED THE FRIENDS AND IT'S PIZZA. WHO DOESN'T LIKE PIZZA? SO A FEW WORDS. OH YEAH. UM, THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL FOR INVITING US OUT HERE AND HIGHLIGHTING OUR BUSINESS. UH, GOD BLESS AMERICA FOR BEING ABLE TO RUN A SMALL BUSINESS. UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BUSINESS. I OWN IT WITH A BUDDY OF MINE. UH, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR 30 YEARS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OWNING A BUSINESS TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME, AND WHAT YOU SEE TODAY IS AN ACCUMULATION OF SIX YEARS OF BREWERY POPUPS AND CATERINGS. UM, BUT, UH, WE LOVE PIZZA, WE LOVE PEOPLE. UM, AND WE'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEED YOU GUYS, SO PLEASE COME THROUGH, TRY A PIZZA SOMETIME. UH, WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS DOWN THERE. SO YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I, I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB INTRODUCING MY OWN SELF, SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT, . REALLY. SO ON THE SCREEN, I KNOW THEY'RE LOCATED 9 8 9 SOUTH GLENDORA AVENUE, THE PIZZA THAT IS SHOWN. WHAT PIZZA IS THAT? SO THAT'S GONNA, UM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A MARGARITA WITH, UH, PEPPERONI ON IT. UM, SO, UH, WE DO HAVE A, A BASE OF OF PIZZAS TO CHOOSE FROM, FROM OUR MENU. UM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO BUILD YOUR OWN AND, AND ADD TO WHATEVER YOU LIKE. UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DO A NEO NEAPOLITAN STYLE PIZZA. UH, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN, UH, ANY OTHER KIND OF PIZZA DOUGH YOU'RE GONNA FIND AROUND HERE. UM, IT'S A LITTLE UNIQUE, THE TEMPERATURE IN WHICH WE COOK IT AT THE PROCESS IN WHICH WE DO THE DOUGH. SO IF YOU WANNA TRY SOMETHING NEW AND YOU LIKE PIZZA, FEEL FREE TO COME OUT AND GIVE US A TRY. SO, SO EVERYBODY HERE I CHALLENGE YOU TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS AND TRY DIFFERENT PIZZAS. SO COME OUT I'LL, WE'LL STOP BY AS A FAMILY. SO ON BEHALF OF CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DOUGH DUDES PIZZA, THAT'S THEIR SPECIALTY DUDES AND TA AND SO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TASTE OF WEST COVINA. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE SOME OH YEAH, THERE YOU GO. THANKS. SO OUR NEXT TASTE OF WEST COVINA. HE COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY, BUT WE'D LIKE TO STILL PROMOTE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. UM, AND THAT IS SUNDAY CAR WASH, WHICH BRINGS A BRIGHT FEEL GOOD ENERGY TO CAR CARE WITH FAST MODERN EXPRESS WASH DESIGN TO GET YOU IN AND OUT AND SHINING IN MINUTES WITH TIERED WASH PACKAGES, PREMIUM PROTECTANTS AND UNLIMITED MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, IT MAKES KEEPING YOUR RIDE SPOTLESS EASY, AFFORDABLE, AND HAS HASSLE-FREE, CLEAN, EFFICIENT, AND COMMUNITY FOCUSED. SUNDAY CAR WASH TURNS AN EVERYDAY ERRAND INTO A SMOOTH, UPBEAT EXPERIENCE THAT LEAVES YOUR CAR AND YOUR DAY LOOKING BETTER. SO FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH SUNDAY, CAR WASH IS PROUD TO OFFER A GREAT PROMOTION. ANY TIERED MEMBERSHIP WILL BE OFFERED FOR ONLY $5 FOR THE FIRST MONTH. SO TAKE THAT TIER LEVEL ANYWHERE YOU WANT. MEMBERSHIP COSTS WILL RETURN TO REGULAR PRICING AFTER THE INITIAL MONTH. UH, WE DID ATTEND THEIR OPENING. AND FEEL FREE TO GET YOUR CAR WASH IN THIS MONTH OF MARCH. SO THANK YOU. SUNDAY CAR WASH AND IT'S SUNDAY. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THE DAY OF SUNDAY, BUT SUNDAY CAR WASH. ALL RIGHT, [CITY MANAGER'S REPORT] ON TO CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. WE WILL BE GIVEN BY ACTING CITY MANAGER MILAN. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, WE ARE EXCITED TO JOIN OUR LOCAL YOUTH LEAGUES AND CELEBRATING OPENING DAYS. HOLD ON SO THEY CAN SEE THE PRESENTATION. THERE WE GO. WE ARE EXCITED TO JOIN [00:35:01] OUR LOCAL YOUTH LEAGUES IN CELEBRATING OPENING DAYS. THE FOLLOWING LEAGUES HAVE ALREADY HELD THEIR OPENING DAY, OPENING DAY AND NIGHT CEREMONIES, WEST COVINA, PONY BASEBALL, PACIFIC COAST, LITTLE LEAGUE WEST COVINA, GIRLS SOFTBALL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THE UPCOMING OPENING DAYS FOR THE REST OF OUR LEAGUES AND SHARING THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SOON. PUBLIC WORK STREET CREW REPLACED CONCRETE IN THE TRASH COLLECTION AREA OF THE MAINTENANCE YARD AREA PUBLIC WORKS STAFF ASSISTED WITH THE REMOVAL OF A PRIVATE TREE THAT FELL IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ON SOUTH CENTRIS AND AMANDA AVENUE CITY ELECTRICIANS WORKED ON THE FOLLOWING LIGHTING PROJECTS, TRAFFIC SAFETY LIGHT AT EAST GARVEY AVENUE SOUTH AND SOUTH ARK. ELLEN AND CAMERON BALLPARK LIGHT FIELDS CITY STAFF COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING FOR CPR AND FIRST AID AND FIRE EXTINGUISHERS CERTIFICATIONS. THE WEST COVINA CHAMBER WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE ITS NEWEST MEMBER SMART TECH AUTO. SMART TECH AUTO IS A RECENTLY OPEN FAMILY OWNED AUTO COLLISION AND REPAIR FACILITY PROUDLY SERVING THE WEST COVINA COMMUNITY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT KYLE ZANG AT 6 2 6 2 0 8 6 6 8 6 FOR ANY OF YOUR AUTO COLLISION REPAIR NEEDS. AS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF IT TO ITS MEMBERS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT AND INTRODUCE NEW MEMBERS AS THEY JOIN THE WEST COVINA CHAMBER. TO ADDRESS INCREASED VOLUME OF PUBLIC RECORDS, REQUESTS AND DOCUMENT PROCESSING, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WILL TEMPORARILY CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC AT 2:00 PM ON TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS. WE APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION. THE SPRING 2026 EDITION OF THE DISCOVER WEST COVINA CITY NEWSLETTER AND RECREATION GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT ON THE HOMEPAGE OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE. PRINTED COPIES ARE AT THE POST OFFICE AND BEING DELIVERED TO RESIDENTS HOMES. THE SEE WEST COVINA INVITES THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND MICRO BUDGET WORKSHOPS HELD EVERY FRIDAY IN MARCH. THESE SESSIONS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE INTERESTED RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW BUDGET INFORMATION AND ASK QUESTIONS SPACES LIMITED RSVB BY EMAILING DIANA COMPOST AT DE COMPOST@WESTCOVINA.ORG TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENTS. ON JANUARY 24TH, THE WEST COVINA FIRE EXPLORER POST POSTED RECRUITMENT TRYOUTS FOR PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBERS. CANDIDATES COMPLETED A STRUCTURED PROCESS THAT INCLUDED BOTH PHYSICAL AGILITY AND ASSESSMENTS AND FORMAL INTERVIEWS. THE EXPLORER POST HAS GROWN TO A STRONG MEMBERSHIP OF 25 YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 15 TO 20 EXPLORERS MEET WEEKLY ON THURSDAYS, ROTATING AMONG DEPARTMENTS FIVE FIRE STATIONS TO TRAIN ALONG FIREFIGHTERS AND DEVELOP FOUNDATIONAL SERVICE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. THE PROGRAM SERVES AS A PATHWAY FOR YOUTH INTEREST IN PURSUING FUTURE CAREERS IN THE FIRE SERVICE EXPLORERS, ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEPARTMENT AND CITY EVENTS, INCLUDING PROVIDING A COLOR GUARD FOR MAJOR CIVIC CEREMONIES. MEMBERS ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING FOR THE ANNUAL FIRE EXPLORER MUSTER WHERE THEY WILL COMPETE AGAINST OTHER EXPLORER POSTS IN SKILL-BASED EVENTS. THE POST RECENTLY CONDUCTED ITS FIRST TRAINING SESSION AT FIRE STATION 1 22 ON CORTEZ, MAKING THE MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR'S HANDS-ON DEVELOPMENT CYCLE. UPCOMING EVENTS, EASTER EXTRAVAGANZA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AQUINAS CLUB OF WEST COVINA IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH AT CORTEZ PARK AND DEL NORTE PARK. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE MOVING TO ORAL COMMUNICATION, WE'D LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING IN REMEMBRANCE OF IRENE MARIE THOMPSON. FLEE. IRENE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON DECEMBER 26TH, 2025, SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY. SHE ALWAYS HAD A BEAUTIFUL SMILE FOR EVERYONE AND DELIGHTED IN GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE. SHE LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, TRAVEL, GARDENING, BOOKS, EDUCATION, VOLUNTEERING, SWIMMING AND CHOCOLATE. AFTER GRADUATING FROM MOUNT SAC WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, IRENE WORKED AS A RECEPTION AT UNION OILS RAYA, WHERE SHE MET RAY. THE YOUNG COUPLE ENJOYED MANY ACTIVITIES INCLUDING DANCING TO BIG BAND MUSIC, THE BEACH AND SKIING AT MAMMOTH. RAY AND IRENE MARRIED IN 1954 AND BOUGHT A HOUSE IN WEST COVINA. IN 1959. RAY AND IRENE WHO WERE ENDLESSLY CURIOUS AND LOVED LEARNING, MOVED TO BERKELEY WHERE IRENE EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE. WHILE IN BERKELEY, THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN, ROB AND KAREN. AFTER BERKELEY, THE FAMILY MOVED BACK TO WEST COVINA. IRENE VOLUNTEERED AT THE SCHOOLS INCLUDING PTA PRESIDENT FOR BOTH MELINDA ELEMENTARY AND CAMERON JUNIOR HIGH. SHE WAS A ROOM PARENT, A READING TUTOR, AND A CLUB SCOUT DEN MOTHER, A CAMPFIRE LEADER AND VARIOUS CITYWIDE ROLES. RAY WAS A LONGTIME SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. IN LATER YEARS, IRENE AND RAY PURSUED THEIR LIFELONG LOVE AT TRAVEL AND MADE MANY NEW FRIENDS IN WEST COVINA. AFTER RAY PASSED AWAY IN 2000, IRENE STAYED INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. SHE WAS A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, WEST COVINA BEAUTIFUL, AND THE WEST COVINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. WELL INTO HER [00:40:01] EIGHTIES, SHE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE LIBRARY AND OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES TO THE CITY COUNCIL. IRENE RECEIVED A CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2010. SHE DELIGHTED IN BEING A GRANDMOTHER AND WAS A FREQUENT, WELL VERY WELCOME GUEST IN WOODSIDE, BOZEMAN, AND SOUTH CAROLINA TO VISIT HER KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER CHILDREN, ROB AND KAREN, THEIR SPOUSES, GRANDCHILDREN, AND THEIR NIECES AND NEPHEW AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. AND SO THAT IT'S AN ADJOURNMENT FOR HER. AND ONTO [ORAL COMMUNICATIONS] ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, WE ARE GONNA MOVE TO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. AND COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, UNLESS MODIFIED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER. UM, REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE HEARD PRIOR TO REQUEST, UH, TO SPEAK ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT ENGAGE IN BEHAVIOR THAT IS DISRUPTIVE TO THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPEAKING OFF TOPIC, SPEAKING BEYOND THE SPEAKER'S ALLOTTED TIME LIMIT MAKING SLANDEROUS OR PROFANE REMARKS OR USING LOUD THREATENING OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, WHICH DISRUPTS, DISTURBS, IMPEDES OR RENDERS INFU INFEASIBLE THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY NOT THREATEN ANY PERSON WITH PHYSICAL HARM OR ACT IN A MANNER THAT MAY REASONABLY BE INTERPRETED AS IMMINENT THREAT OF PHYSICAL HARM. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME BEING CALLED, YOU MAY SIT IN THE FRONT A ROW DESIGNATED FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, THEN THE TIME WILL START WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE TONIGHT? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. WE HAVE 14 SPEAKERS. OKAY, GO AHEAD. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JOSH MURRAY, FOLLOWED BY JOHN SHOEMAKER, FOLLOWED BY NIKKI AHERN. UH, HELLO. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M JOSH MURRAY AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF WEST COVINA LIBRARY. I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE ADULTS OF THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR RESILIENCY PROGRAM ON TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH FROM TWO TO 3:00 PM WE ALL HAVE CHALLENGING EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN OUR LIVES, BUT HOW CAN WE BETTER COPE WITH THE STRESS OF THESE LIFE OF EVENTS? WELL, RE RESILIENCY IS AN ABILITY THAT WE DEVELOP IN EVERYONE AND LEARN THESE TIPS FOR CULTIVATING THIS VALUABLE SKILL AT OUR PROGRAM, WHICH IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH. AGAIN, IT'LL BE ON TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH FROM TWO TO THREE. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT THE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH FOR OUR ANNUAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY. OUR DIGITAL SERVICES SUCH AS EBOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, STREAMING MOVIES AND DATABASES ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, LA COUNTY LIBRARY.ORG. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SPEAKER. HELLO? I CAN ALREADY HEAR THE SCREAMS TONIGHT. YOU'RE VIOLATING MY RIGHTS. YOU'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF ME BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY. OH, YOU'RE AGAINST ME BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, BE WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE VIOLATING. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TALK TO PEOPLE, YOU'RE PREVENTING ME FROM DOING MY JOB. I MEAN, I CAN ALREADY HEAR JUST THE CONTINUING, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT EVERYTHING WILL BE HIM, HIM, HIM, NOT ANYBODY ELSE. YOU KNOW, HE TALKS ABOUT HE WANTS TO BE OPEN, HE WANTS EVERYBODY TO HAVE A SAY. THIS IS A GUY WHO, UH, THAT I'M AWARE OF HAS FILED FOUR CRIMINAL CHARGES OR COMPLAINTS AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OR STAFF UNDER THE NAME JOHN DOE. HE'S FILED AT LEAST TWO CIVIL LAWSUITS UNDER THE NAME JOHN DOE. HE PUT OUT A FLYER UNDER THE, UNDER THE THING THAT, OH, IT WASN'T PAID FOR BY TAXPAYER MONEY. DOESN'T SAY WHO PAYS FOR IT. HE'S FILED CIVIL ACTIONS AGAINST THE CITY UNDER THE NAME JOHN DOE. THIS IS A PERSON WHO WANTS EVERYTHING TO BE OPEN AND ABOVE BOARD, BUT HIDES UNDER THE NAME JOHN DOE. WHY DOESN'T HE WANT THAT TO BE OPEN? WHY? BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS HE FILES CHARGES WITH THE SHERIFFS, OTHER CITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IT'S HARD TO TRACE JOHN DOE AND HE WANTS EVERYTHING TO BE OPEN, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR TO NO END THAT, OH, THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF A DA, UH, OR OTHER REASONS. AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS IMMENSELY AMUSING READING ONE OF THE REPORTS WAS, OH, OH, THAT'S RIGHT. HE'S GONNA SAY CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THEY DIDN'T PROPERLY GIVE ME A, UH, ACCOMMODATION FOR MY DISABILITY. YOU KNOW, OR HE WILL COME UP WITH ANOTHER ONE THAT'S A PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING. YOU KNOW, I WONDER, I SEE HE'S GOT A STACK OF PAPERS. I WONDER HOW MANY OF THEM HE'S GONNA PASS OUT AND DID HE GIVE [00:45:01] COUNCIL MEMBER, OR EXCUSE ME, MAYOR PRO TIM CONTOS A VERSION OF IT. SO HE'S AWARE OF WHAT'S THERE. YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR HIM TO READ THE DOCUMENTS TONIGHT IF HE DIDN'T RECEIVE AN ADVANCE COPY, YOU KNOW, AND THE THING THAT CRACKED ME UP ON ONE OF HIS, UH, COMMENTS WAS ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE AGAINST ME. AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO HIM WHEN THEY WERE EVALUATING DIFFERENT CLAIMS, WHICH THEY FOUND HIS CLAIMS WERE FALSE AND THE ONES AGAINST HIM WERE ACCURATE THAT HE DIDN'T WANT IT RECORDED. WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT IT RECORDED? I WOULD'VE PULLED IT OUT AND SAID, NOT ONLY ARE YOU RECORDING IT, I'M RECORDING IT 'CAUSE I DON'T TRUST THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA ALTER THE TAPE, SO WE'LL HAVE THE TWO VERSIONS OF IT. SO WHAT IS HE TRYING TO HIDE? SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NIKKI AHERN, FOLLOWED BY JERRY PATCHES, FOLLOWED BY NICK LEWIS. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MY NAME IS NIKKI AHERN AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS SOMEONE WHO VOTED FOR COUNCIL MEMBER BRIAN GUTIERREZ AND PLACED MY TRUST IN HIM TO REPRESENT OUR DISTRICT WITH INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM, AND RESPECT BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT TO THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, TO THE CITY STAFF WHO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY EVERY DAY AND TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR CITY. I AM SINCERELY SORRY THAT MY VOTE HELPED PLACE SOMEONE IN THIS POSITION WHOSE BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO THE INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATION, HAS CAUSED HARM AND DISRUPTION WITHIN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. LIKE MANY VOTERS, I TRUSTED THAT PER, THAT THE PERSON I SUPPORTED WOULD LEAD WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND RESPECT. THAT IS WHY I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED AND FRANKLY APPALLED BY THE FINDINGS OF THAT INVESTIGATION. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ REPEATEDLY HARASSED, INTIMIDATED AND BULLIED CITY STAFF AND FELLOW COUN FELLOW COUNSELING MEMBERS. THAT BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE AND IT IS A BETRAYAL OF THE TRUST PLACED IN HIM BY THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM. PUBLIC SERVICE IS EXACTLY THAT SERVICE. IT REQUIRES PROFESSIONALISM, COLLABORATION, RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO YOU, WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO SERVE THIS CITY. NO CITY EMPLOYEE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO ENDURE HARASSMENT OR INTIMIDATION SIMPLY FOR DOING THEIR JOB. A HEALTHY AND EFFECTIVE CITY GOVERNMENT DEPENDS ON MUTUAL RESPECT BETWEEN ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF. WHEN THAT ENVIRONMENT IS DAMAGED, IT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AS A VOTER WHO SUPPORTED HIM, I FEEL MISLED AND LET DOWN DISTRICT ONE DESERVE LEADERSHIP THAT REFLECTS THE VALUES OF RESPECT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PROFESSIONALISM. WE EXPECT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ELEVATE THE WORK OF THE CITY, NOT CREATE A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN IT. LEADERSHIP ALSO MEANS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY WHEN ACTIONS FALL SHORT OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS. AT THIS POINT, THE MOST RESPONSIBLE AND HONORABLE STEP WOULD BE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ TO STEP ASIDE AND ALLOW SOMEONE WHO CAN LEAD WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND RESPECT TO REPRESENT RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT ONE. THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT INTEGRITY IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY. OUR CITY DESERVES LEADERSHIP THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, NOT LEADERSHIP THAT CREATES DIVISION AND FEAR AMONGST THOSE WHO SERVE IT. I ASK COUNCIL MEMBER GUTTIER TO SERIOUSLY REFLECT ON THE IMPACT OF THESE FINDINGS AND TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RESIDENTS HE WAS ELECTED TO REPRESENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JERRY PATES, FOLLOWED BY NICK LEWIS, FOLLOWED BY DARRYL SPIVEY. EVENING COUNSEL, DIFFERENT SUBJECTS. TONIGHT I'M GONNA COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM THREE, THE PURCHASE OF A FIRE UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLE. I THINK THE VEHICLE PURCHASE IS REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT. I DO, HOWEVER, HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING. THE SEVENTH PARAGRAPH OF THE DISCUSSION SECTION. STATES STAFF RECOMMENDS FUNDING THE PURCHASE USING GENERAL FUND RESOURCES. THE FISCAL IMPACT SECTION STATES, THERE IS NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PURCHASE. THAT SEEMS CONTRADICTORY. DOESN'T THE VEHICLE PURCHASE IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND? PLEASE CLARIFY. THE FIFTH PARAGRAPH OF THE DISCUSSION. STATES RESPONSES TO MASTER MUTUAL AID INCIDENT INCIDENTS ARE REIMBURSED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE COSTS INCLUDE A 15% ADMINISTRATIVE FEE APPLIED TO ELIGIBLE EXPENSES AND THAT THESE FUNDS ARE USED TO OFFSET PERSONNEL [00:50:01] COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPLOYMENTS AND TO SUPPORT ONGOING TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT, UH, AND VEHICLE READINESS NEEDS. THAT SEEMS REASONABLE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN RESIDENTS SUCH AS MYSELF ASK ABOUT FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERTIME, WERE CONSISTENTLY TOLD THE STATE REIMBURSES THE CITY FOR OVERTIME RESULTING FROM MUTUAL AID DEPLOYMENTS. IS THE STATE MUTUAL AID REIMBURSEMENT ADEQUATE TO COVER BOTH THE VEHICLE PURCHASE AND MUTUAL AID OVERTIME? OR WILL THE CITY BE PICKING UP THE STATE MUTUAL AID OVERTIME? WHERE IS THE LINE ITEM THAT KEEPS TRACK OF MUTUAL AID O OVERTIME? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NICK LEWIS, FOLLOWED BY GERALD SPIVEY, FOLLOWED BY RITA. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M NOT HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO BE, BUT BECAUSE I'M INCENSED BY THE REPORT THAT I READ AS PART OF ITEM FIVE TONIGHT. FIRST I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS REPORT IS AN INDICTMENT ON THE JUDGMENT OF NEARLY EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL. IT IS NOT MERELY AN INDICTMENT ON THE JUDGMENT OF THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ACTED INAPPROPRIATELY, BUT IT IS AN INDICTMENT ON THOSE WHO BLINDLY SUPPORTED THE ELECTION AND FOR A WHILE, THE POLICIES OF ANOTHER MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRUTH IS THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MAYOR PRO TEM, I THINK YOU ALL DESERVE EACH OTHER REGARDLESS. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND TRAGIC PART OF ALL OF THIS IS THE TRULY AWFUL LAWYERING INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS SUPPOSEDLY CONFIDENTIAL REPORT. IF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO READ THROUGH THIS REPORT, THE THREE SUPPOSEDLY ANONYMOUS EMPLOYEES AND THEIR STATEMENTS ARE PRESENTED IN A WAY WHERE EVERYONE CAN EASILY IDENTIFY THEM BY NAME. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THE FACT THAT YOUR COUNCIL DID NOTHING TO SHIELD THE CITY, THE CITY'S EMPLOYEES FROM BEING QUOTED IN A WAY SUCH THAT THEY'RE EASILY IDENTIFIED OR OTHERWISE WARNED YOU OF THE RISK OF PUBLISHING THIS IN ITS CURRENT FORM IS NOT JUST AN OVERSIGHT, IT'S MALPRACTICE. PARTICULARLY WHEN THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE QUOTED AS BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE RETRIBUTION FROM A CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER. NO DOUBT THIS VERY OBVIOUS OVERSIGHT WILL COST THE CITY. THIS BRINGS ME BACK, THIS BRINGS ME BACK TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS PROPOSED SECTION TWO DASH 7 0 3 IS ENTIRELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BOTH ON A STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. AND IF YOU TRY TO ENFORCE THIS IN ANY WAY OR ATTEMPT TO SHAME ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO SIGN THIS, THIS PROPOSED MANDATORY LOYALTY TEST, THIS CITY WILL END UP IN COURT AND WILL LOSE. THIS ISN'T SOME CLOSE CALL. THIS TYPE OF ADDITIONAL OATH PREREQUISITE IS SPECIFICALLY FORBIDDEN UNDER CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 20, SECTION THREE. AND THESE TYPES OF BURDENS ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT SIMPLY DON'T STAND. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU TOOK AWAY THE TWO MINUTES OF DISCUSSION THAT YOU NEED TO HEAR, BUT THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, NOT MINE. SO WHILE THE INEVITABLE SUITS THAT WILL ARISE AS A RESULT OF YOUR INCLUSION OF THIS PROVISION, FINALLY, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR PROPOSED SECTIONS TWO DASH 7 29 AND TWO DASH SEVEN 30. MUCH LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I'VE HIGHLIGHTED TONIGHT, THESE PROVISIONS ARE SIMPLY BAD LAWYERING AND PART OF A BROADER PROBLEM BY WHICH THIS COUNCIL UTILIZES ITS CITY ATTORNEY TO PROPAGATE BAD LITIGATIONS, BAD LITIGATION POSITIONS AGAINST THE VERY PEOPLE THAT IT PURPORTS TO SERVE. IMPEACHMENT AND DISQUALIFICATION FROM, FOR FROM HOLDING FUTURE OFFICE ARE NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE PROVISIONS THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE WILL EVER DELEGATE TO THIS CITY. HELL, THEY DON'T EVEN EXIST AT THE STATE LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW WHOSE BRIGHT IDEA IT WAS TO INCLUDE THIS NONSENSE, BUT YOU MIGHT AS WELL INCLUDE A PROVISION TO INCLUDE THE PLACING OF THE OFFICIAL IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR BEING STONED PUBLICLY, RE UH, RECEIVING 16 LASHES AND FOR GOOD MEASURE BEING SOLD INTO INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. DARRYL SPIVEY, FOLLOWED BY RITA, FOLLOWED BY DOUG FOUR. HI EVERYBODY. HOW YOU DOING? OKAY, SO ANYWAY, UM, THREE MINUTES, TWO WEEKS AGO ON TUESDAY, ANTI-ICE PROTESTORS WERE THROWING PROJECTILES AT VEHICLES ON AMAR ROAD. ONE OF THOSE OBJECTS STRUCK MY WIFE'S CAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK FOR LUNCH. THESE PROTESTS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT OUR AREA AND THERE APPEARS TO BE LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION. MANY OF YOU MAY RECALL LAST SUMMER DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF ANTI-ICE DEMONSTRATIONS WHEN VIDEO WENT VIRAL SHOWING AN ATTACK THAT OCCURRED RIGHT HERE ON CITY HALL PROPERTY. NOTHING ME MEANINGFUL WAS DONE IN RESPONSE. IT FEELS AS THOUGH VULNERABLE VULNERABILITY TO VIOLENCE IS SIMPLY BECOMING THE NORM FOR CITIZENS OF WEST COVINA. I WAS TOLD BY THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF ADMISSIONS FOR ROLAND HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT, MIRIAM KIM, THAT TEACHERS WERE LEADING THESE PROTESTS. IF THAT IS TRUE, IT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS. HOW CAN IT BE ACCEPTABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS ANDRUS WITH EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN OR LEAD [00:55:01] DEMONSTRATIONS THAT BECOME VIOLENT AND ENDANGER THE PUBLIC? THESE PROTESTS ARE NOT HARMLESS. WHEN OBJECTS ARE THROWN INTO TRAFFIC, PEOPLE CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. PROPERTY IS DAMAGED AND OTHER CITIES INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN IN, IN FACT BEEN HURT. THIS IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL, IT IS REAL. I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS A DEEPLY TROUBLING INCIDENT. MIRIAM KIM PROVIDED INFORMATION TO THE POLICE THAT LED OFFICERS TO SEARCH MY WIFE'S VEHICLE UNDER THE SUSPICION THAT WAS THERE WAS A FIREARM INSIDE DURING THAT SEARCH, MY ARM WAS INJURED. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION WAS MISHANDLED AND I WILL BE PURSUING LEGAL ACTION. NO ONE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POSITION OF AUTHORITY, SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS HERE IN WEST COVINA AND MANY SHARE THE SAME CONCERN. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE. MY WIFE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE. WE EXPECT THAT THERE ARE AGENCIES IN PLACE TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM VIOLENCE AND FROM THOSE WHO ENCOURAGE IT. RECENTLY IN EDA, A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD WITH A THRONE OBJECT AND TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY AFTER 10 DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL. WHEN OBJECTS ARE THROWN INTO THE STREETS AND TRAFFIC LIVES ARE PUT AT RISK, CHILDREN ARE PUT AT RISK. PUBLIC SAFETY MUST COME FIRST. POLITICAL VIEWS ASIDE, WE CANNOT ACCEPT VIOLENCE AS NORMAL. I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA AND TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO INCITE OR PARTICIPATE IN VIOLENCE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, LIEUTENANT MOUNT MATT NELSON IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. HE'S PROBABLY THE MOST ARTICULATE, COMMUNICATIVE, AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING OFFICER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM AND I APPRECIATE BUILDING AND SAFETY. UH, LISA, I BUILDING AND SAFETY AND CREW AND, UH, MATT AND UM, MATT AND CREW OVER IN CODE ENFORCEMENT. AWESOME. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU RITA. THREE MINUTES IS HARD. RITA, FOLLOWED BY DOUG. FOUR, FOLLOWED BY DON COOK. SO TONIGHT MY COMPUTER AND PHONE WOULD NOT, UM, SPEAK TO EACH OTHER. SO I JUST HAVE THIS ON MY PHONE. UM, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RITA PREZINSKI. I WAS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER HERE IN WEST COVINA FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS. THEREFORE, WEST COVINA HAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART AND ITS APPEARANCE MATTERS TO ME AS I KNOW IT DOES TO YOU AS WELL. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M MATT'S MOM. YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT JOBS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ARE HARD TO COME BY, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT GIVE THEM A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. AND UNTIL CLEANING THE BUS STOPS HERE IN WEST COVINA, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE MATT WAS EVER GOING TO KNOW THAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT IN HIS WORKING CAREER. TRY NOT TO CRY. OKAY? MATT HAD MANY JOBS WHERE HE DIDN'T FIND SUCCESS UNTIL HE GOT ON THE BUS CREW HERE IN WEST COVINA. FINALLY, UNDER GILBERT'S EXCELLENT INSTRUCTION, MATT LEARNED A WORK ETHIC WHILE CLEANING THE BUS STOPS. I WATCHED MY SON GROW INTO ADULTHOOD AND BECOME MORE CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITY TO SUCCEED. HE FINALLY HAD A JOB THAT MADE HIM FEEL LIKE HE WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN HIS COMMUNITY. SORRY, I LOST THAT. THE BUS CREW, WHILE NOT A CAREER, WAS A JOB THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. HE WOULD TAKE HIS FAMILY TO WEST COVINA, HIS OLDER SIBLINGS, THEY ALL HAVE CAREERS THAT THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF, AND MATT WAS VERY PROUD OF CLEANING YOUR BUS STOPS. AND HE, WHEN THEY WOULD COME IN TO VISIT, HE WOULD BRING THEM DOWN HERE TO WEST COVINA TO SEE WHAT HIS WORK WAS. THIS JOB GAVE HIM A FE FEELING OF SELF POSITIVE WORTH. IN 2025, MATT GRADUATED FROM CITRUS COLLEGE WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN KINESTHESIOLOGY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD'VE EVER HAD THE DISCIPLINE OF STICKING WITH A JOB THAT WASN'T, THAT WASN'T JUST DONE, BUT THAT IT WAS DONE RIGHT UNLESS HE HAD WORKED ON THE BUS CREW AND LEARNED THE DETAIL AND DISCIPLINE THAT GILBERT TAUGHT AND THAT SAGE AND IVAN EXPECTED. WE HAVE ALL BEEN DIRTY BUS STOPS, THAT SMELL OF URINE. WE'VE STOOD OUTSIDE OF THEM IN FEAR OF THE GERMS AND CERTAIN BACTERIA THAT WERE IN CERTAIN IN, IN CLEAR SIGHT. THE CLIENTS AND GILBERT WILL CONTINUE MAKING CERTAIN THAT THE PE PEOPLE OF WEST COVINA DON'T FEAR USING YOUR BUS STOPS BECAUSE THEY WILL BE CLEAN. THEREFORE, I IMPLORE YOU, PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS JOB AWAY FROM THE CLIENTS AT VALLEY LIGHT. THEY NEED THIS JOB AND SO DO [01:00:01] YOU. THANK YOU. DOUG FOUR, FOLLOWED BY DON COOK, FOLLOWED BY VIVIAN. HI GUYS. MY NAME IS DOUG FOUR. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT THREE. THANK YOU MS. DIAZ FOR COMING TO THE HISTORIC WEST COVINA BUSINESS DISTRICT MEETING TODAY. WE WERE TALKING TODAY ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION OF DOWNTOWN. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. WE APPRECIATE IT. UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ATHENS AGAIN. SURPRISE, SURPRISE. UM, AGAIN, I HAVE ASKED THIS MANY TIMES, HOW MUCH WAS ATHENS ASKING FOR TO COMPLY WITH THE SENATE BILL? NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE AS A CITY COULD AGREE TO A 17 TO 303% IF WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WERE ASKING FOR. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY BUSINESS SENSE. UM, WE NEED TO FIND THESE NUMBERS OUT. UM, I'VE ASKED OVER AND OVER ATHENS KNOWS, MAYBE YOU GUYS KNOW, MAYBE THE CITY KNOWS, I'M NOT TOO SURE, BUT WE WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW HOW MUCH THEY NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THIS AND NOBODY'S ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. MILAN, THANK YOU FOR DOING A GREAT JOB. UM, SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE LAST GAL THAT SAID IN YOUR SEAT. THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON YOU, BUT YOU STATED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT MY BUSINESS HAS BEEN GIVEN 17%. UM, THEY STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK TO ME WITH ANY NUMBERS. UM, THERE IS ZERO COMMUNICATION BUSINESSES IN THERE ARE ARE SAYING THAT THEY WERE FORCED TO DO THIS COMMUN COMMUNICATIVE TRASH THING THAT THEY WEREN'T EVEN TALKED TO. UM, ATHENS ALSO, YOU ALSO REPORTED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT ATHENS SAID THAT THEY'VE TALKED TO ALL 1000 BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. WAS THAT DONE BY EMAIL? DID THEY JUST TELL YOU THAT? WHO TOLD YOU THIS INFORMATION? ALL, I'LL START OFF. HEARST RANCH GOT 103% INCREASE. THEY WERE NEVER CONTACTED, UM, ONE IN ALL CHURCH, A 60% INCREASE. THEY WERE STILL NEVER CONTACTED. UM, OTHER PEOPLE. SIZZLER WENT UP 72%. THEY WERE NEVER CONTACTED WEST COVINA MEDICAL CENTER, UM, ON ORANGE STREET. THEY WERE NEVER CONTACTED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENT THEY WENT UP. AM PM ON SUNSET. THEY'VE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED WHEN YOU MADE THAT STATEMENT. UM, HAVEN CITY, THE OWNER OF HAVEN CITY I TALKED TO, THEY WERE NEVER CONTACTED. UM, THE BEST WESTERN PLUS. THEY WERE NEVER CONTACTED. THERE IS BUSINESS AFTER BUSINESS IN WEST COVINA THAT I HAVE TALKED TO THAT HAVE STILL NEVER BEEN CONTACTED. SO WHO IS LYING AT ATHENS? WHY ARE WE NOT HOLDING ATHENS RESPONSIBLE? THEY LIED TO YOU GUYS THAT DAY. UM, ABOUT THE 17%. WHY ARE WE NOT HOLDING THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR BIGGEST CONTRACT IN THE CITY? I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND. WE NEED TO HOLD THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. OR LET'S GET A NEW TRASH SERVICE. LET'S PUT IT OUT BID. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DAWN COOK, FOLLOWED BY VIVIAN, FOLLOWED BY IVAN CAMPOS. MY NAME IS DAWN COOK AND I'M HERE TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S TO TELL YOU WHAT A GREAT JOB YOUR CITY STAFF IS DOING. IT'S, IT'S AN AMAZING CITY STAFF. UM, WE HAVE, UH, 112 INDUSTRIAL CONDOS UP ON, UH, SAN BERNARDINO ROAD. MOST RECENTLY, WE FINISHED UNIT, UH, 16, UH, 1611, UH, IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF 24. AND LAST YEAR IN JANUARY, WE FINISHED, UH, 1623. DURING THE LAST RE UH, DURING THE FIRST RAIN OF THE SEASON, UM, WE HAD SOME OF THE TENANTS COMPLAIN ABOUT BAD SMELLS. UM, WE LOOKED, TRIED TO FIND OUT WHERE IT WAS. WE COULDN'T FIND IT. DURING THE SECOND BIG RAIN, IT CAME BACK AGAIN. WE WENT, WE FLUSHED ALL THE TOILETS. WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF AND WE WENT OUTSIDE. WE LOOKED IN THE CLEANOUTS AND THEY WERE FULL. WE WENT OUT INTO THIS SEWER MANHOLE. WE LIFTED SOME OF THOSE AND THEY WERE FULL. SO WE BROUGHT A COMMERCIAL COMPANY IN. THEY CLEANED THEM OUT, PUMPED IT OUT ON A WEDNESDAY. WE FIGURED, OKAY, WE'RE SET ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY WE LOOKED AGAIN. THEY'RE FULL AGAIN. NOW, AGAIN, THIS IS AFTER WE'VE BEEN USING THIS SYSTEM FOR TWO YEARS. UM, WE HAVE THEM COME OUT AGAIN, PUMP IT OUT AGAIN, TRY TO DO SOME CAMERAS. UH, THEY START FILLING UP AGAIN. WE GO OUT AND WE LIFT THE MANHOLE IN THE STREET, WHICH BELONGS TO THE CITY. AND THAT WASN'T REALLY A GOOD THING FOR US TO DO, BUT WE WERE IN A BAD WAY. [01:05:02] THERE'S A GIANT PLUG, STEEL PLUG IN THE, WHERE OUR SEWER LINE IS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO THE CITY SEWER LINE. WELL, IT ISN'T MINE AND IT BELONGS TO THE CITY. SO I GO DOWN TO THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT THERE. I MEET JOSE AND MEDINA AND HIS WONDERFUL CREW. THEY SAID, IT AINT OUR NOBODY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT. WE'LL COME OUT TOMORROW AT NINE. THAT'S THE HARD THING WITH THESE GUYS. THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT AT NINE, BUT THEY REALLY COME OUT AT EIGHT 30 OR THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE AT 11 AND THEY GET THERE AT 10. UM, THEY COME OUT, THEY LOOK AT IT, WOW, HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT CAME FROM. SO THEY'D START TRYING TO GET IT AND THEY TRY ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND THE ARMS ON IT ARE BENDING. THEY BRING IN A BACKHOE, THEY DO ALL THIS STUFF. IT DOESN'T WORK. UM, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS REALLY QUICK BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA LOSE THE BACK. BEST PART. UM, THEY CLEAR THE SYSTEM. THEY GO, THEY MAKE THEIR OWN TOOLS. THEY COME, THEY CLEAR THE SYSTEM. AND, AND THESE GUYS ARE SO SUPER PROFESSIONAL. WHEN THEY CLEARED THE SYSTEM, EVERYTHING GOES. THEY DON'T GO HOME. THEY WENT UP TO THE NEXT SEWER THING AND CLEARED IT DOWN. THERE THEY GO 600 FEET DOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE STUFF THAT I JUST ADDED TO THE CITY SYSTEM DOESN'T CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS FOR OTHER PEOPLE. THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, THESE GUYS ARE FIERCELY DEVOTED TO THE CITY FIERCELY. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SEWER BELONGS TO THEM AND THEY TREAT IT LIKE A PERSONAL THING. COULD I READ THEIR NAMES REAL QUICK? SURE. I MEAN, I'M PRETTY SURE OUR, THE STAFF WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THEY DON'T HEAR THESE THINGS VERY OFTEN, SO PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE STAFF. OKAY. IT'S BRIAN LEWIS IS THE MAINTENANCE COORDINATOR AND CHRIS WASHINGTON IS THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WHO BOUGHT IT, DID THE BACK COAT WHEN WE TRIED THAT THING. NICK PRESIDIO, LAWRENCE DURAN, JAMES SILVAS, MANNY VILLANUEVA, RAYMOND, UH, RAYEN GARCIA, AND THEN JOSEPH MEDINA, WHO TOLD ME UPSET. HE SAID, I COULDN'T SLEEP LAST NIGHT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WERE GONNA CLEAR THIS. THIS ISN'T, THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM HERE. SOMEBODY DID THAT, RIGHT? BUT THESE GUYS JUST CAME OUT AND FIXED IT. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HIRING PEOPLE LIKE THEM AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND TO TAKE CARE OF THIS. THEY'RE GREAT STEWARDS OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THANK YOU. THAT VIVIAN FOLLOWED BY IVAN CAMPOS, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA PEREZ. I MET YOU A YEAR AGO. . HI, I AM VIVIAN TURAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA FOR 52 YEARS. IN 74 WE MOVED HERE AND I WAS ALSO A TEACHER. I'M RETIRED NOW. SPECIAL NEEDS STARTED AT TOPA SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS TOPA SCHOOL. WHEN BRIAN CAME KNOCKING TO MY DOOR, BRIAN, I WAS SO PROUD TO SEE YOU AND REPRESENTING WEST COVINA AND YOU OPENED TO ME THAT YOU WERE AUTISTIC. SO I THOUGHT I HAD MY FAMILY VOTING FOR YOU. AND EVERYBODY VOTING. CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? SO, SO I COULD HEAR YOU MIC, PLEASE. YEAH. I, I HAD MY WHOLE FAMILY VOTE AND, UM, AND SO SORRY AND DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND I THINK IT'S THE BEST THING TO GO AHEAD AND STEP DOWN FOR YOUR SAKE. AND EVERYBODY'S THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY RIGHT NOW. BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE MINUTE. THANK YOU. IVAN CAMPOS, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY SAGE NEWMAN. HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS IVAN CAMPOS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR VALLEY LIGHT. WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE CITY OF WEST COVINA FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A VERY POSITIVE AND, UH, FULFILLING EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE CITY. BUT, UH, RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN VERY SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S BEEN VERY, SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ADVOCATES, BUT HAS BEEN OUR BIGGEST OPPOSITION. YOU KNOW, UH, WE CHARGE OURSELVES OR WE WORK TO TRY TO GO AND BE ADVOCATES AND, UH, TRY TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO FORGE THESE, UH, CHALLENGE THESE SERVICES FOR THE POPULATION THAT WE SERVE. BUT I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT, UH, MR. BRIAN GUTIERREZ, INSTEAD OF HELPING OUR CAUSE OR WORKING AND TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION, HE'S JUST IMMEDIATELY GOING AND, UH, FINDING WHATEVER HE CAN THINK OF THAT WASN'T EVEN, UH, ACCURATE. BUT, UH, WE DO FEEL, AND I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT IT MIGHT BE BEST FOR HIM TO MAYBE STEP ASIDE AND, UH, ALLOW THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO REALLY GO AND CONDUCT BUSINESS FOR WEST COVINA. 'CAUSE I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE THE MINDSET TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND, UH, NOT HAVE A NEGATIVE, UH, PERSON ON YOUR SIDE TO HOLD YOU [01:10:01] BACK. THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU. MELISSA PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY SAGE NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY GLEN KENNEDY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MELISSA AND I'M THE SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT MANAGER AT VALLEY LIGHT. IN MY DEPARTMENT, WE HELP PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. I ALSO OVERSEE THE CREW THAT HAS CLEANED THE BUS SHELTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA FOR THE, FOR OVER 25 YEARS. MR. GUTIERREZ, THE STATEMENTS AND COMMENTS YOU MADE REFERRING TO THE SERVICES RECEIVED FROM OUR CREW WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND DISAPPOINTING, AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN A MORE PROFESSIONAL MANNER. I HAVE OBSERVED SIMILAR BEHAVIOR TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, AND IT'S, IN MY OPINION THAT YOU STEP DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SAGE NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY GLENN KENNEDY, FOLLOWED BY RAY VARGAS. ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES IS BY MAYA ANGELO. AND THAT QUOTE IS, DIVERSITY BRINGS BEAUTY AND STRENGTH. AND WHAT I HAVE WITNESSED EVER SINCE MR. GUTIERREZ HAS BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL, HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT CHAOS, CONFUSION, AND LIES. AND THIS REALLY HURTS ME TO MY HEART BECAUSE I SHOULD BE HERE. COUNCILMAN BRIAN. I SHOULD BE HERE DEFENDING YOU, NOT DEFENDING OURSELVES AGAINST YOUR ATTACKS. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I'M, I'M SORRY. SORRY, SAGE. I'M SORRY. UH, WE HAVE THE MACHINE GOING ON. WE CAN RESET YOUR TIME SO WE CAN HEAR YOU AND WE CAN HEAR YOU. JUST ONE MINUTE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? UH, GIVE US ONE MINUTE. OKAY. JUST ONE MINUTE. SORRY. OKAY, I APOLOGIZE. WE CAN RESTART YOUR, YOUR CLOCK. OKAY. WE CAN GO AHEAD AND RESTART IT. GO AHEAD. YOU CAN RESTART. WHAT DISTURBS ME THOUGH IS THAT I SHOULD BE HERE ADVOCATING FOR YOU, MR. GUTIERREZ. INSTEAD I'M PROTECTING MY CLIENTS AGAINST YOU. AND THAT IS SO DISAPPOINTING. THAT BREAKS MY HEART. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I HAVE MENTIONED THAT I HAVE A 43-YEAR-OLD SON WHO HAS AUTISM. AND LET ME JUST SAY THIS, JUST NOT ONLY TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ANYONE THAT IS WATCHING THIS, EMPLOYERS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THIS IS NOT NORMAL AUTISTIC BEHAVIOR. THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL AND THAT RESPECT, HOWEVER, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE AUTISM FOR 45 YEARS. AND THIS IS UNUSUAL. BRIAN, DO US A FAVOR AND STEP DOWN AND GO AND GET SOME HELP. THANK YOU. OOPS. SORRY. THINK BACK. THANK YOU. GLENN KENNEDY, FOLLOWED BY RAY VARGAS, FOLLOWED BY MARIO ALVARO. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. GLEN KENNEDY. NOW ON A POSITIVE NOTE, UM, REPRESENT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. AND, UM, THIS FRIDAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR MONTHLY MEET AND GREET AT STARTS AT 6 30, 3 38 GLENDORA AVENUE. UM, ALSO, UM, THIS THURSDAY WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE, AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE OUR, UH, ROUND TABLE. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO COME DOWN AND, UH, BRING YOUR PICTURES AND, AND TELL US YOUR STORIES ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S STORY IS IMPORTANT TO US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. GOD BLESS AMERICA, [01:15:01] AND, UH, GOOD LUCK. THANK YOU. RAY VARGAS, FOLLOWED BY MARIO. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UH, RAY VARGAS. WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN CORRUPTION HERE AT WEST COVINA, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UM, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN TONY W'S CREW. UM, AND THE LAST THREE MEETINGS I'VE BEEN HERE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST BEEN, IT'S BEEN HAYWIRE WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU GUYS. ONLY ONE IS, UH, CONTOS. HE'S THE ONLY QUIET ONE, BUT IT'S BEEN CHAOS. THIS IS LIKE, UH, ARCADIA CITY COUNCILS. I MEAN, IT, IT'S OUTTA CONTROL, IT'S OUTTA HAND. BUT ANYWAY, I WANT TO GIVE, UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO, UH, WEST COVINA PD. UH, THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB. UH, JUST WATCH YOUR OFFICERS, BECAUSE I HEARD, UH, ONE, UH, SPEAKER UP HERE SAY THAT, UH, HE WAS HARASSED. SO TAKE CARE OF THAT, TONY. AND ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE DEPARTMENT'S DOING REAL GOOD. UM, ALL THESE THREATS AND STUFF THAT ARE GOING ON AMONGST OURSELVES AND THESE LAWSUITS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, UM, YOU GUYS GOTTA TAKE LEADERSHIP IN YOUR POSITION AND DO THE RIGHT THING HERE, YOU KNOW, AND TO ME, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THESE MEETINGS FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS. IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, YOU'VE ALWAYS RAN IT. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUR PUPPET SHOW RIGHT HERE. AND YOU GUYS GOTTA CHANGE IT, CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE, CHANGE THE STAFF, WHATNOT. BUT IT'S NOT HEALTHY AND IT LOOKS BAD. AND IT REFLECTS ON THE, ON THE COUNCIL, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE. UM, SO TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THREATS GOING ON AMONGST YOURSELVES, YOU KNOW, I'LL GET A GUN, I'LL SHOOT YOU AND WHATNOT, THIS AND THAT. I MEAN, THAT'S UNCALLED FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS IS UNCALLED FOR. YOU KNOW? UM, WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK AND TELL YOU GUYS WHAT WE FEEL, WHAT WE WANT, THE CHANGES AND STUFF. I HAD BRIAN TABBA, TOBA THE INTERSECTION, APUE AND VINCENT. HE NEVER PUT A TURN SIGNAL. HE NEVER DID NOTHING. BRIAN GUTIERREZ DID IT IN, UH, SIX MONTHS, EIGHT MONTHS, EVERYTHING WAS DONE. YOU KNOW, UH, ATHENS, THE GENTLEMAN OVER HERE, HE'S BEEN CRYING AND HOLLERING AND TELLING YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS, YOU, YOU GUYS AIN'T PAYING HIS TRASH BILL. HE IS. AND HE'S GETTING HIT A HUNDRED PERCENT. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING ABOUT IT? MARIO ALVARO. LET'S GET HIM OUT. GOOD EVENING. COUNSEL. THAT MIC THERE. UH, SO YES, UH, KIND OF PICK OFF WITH GLEN KENNEDY ON THE POSITIVE NOTE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND THE CITY. UH, COME TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. UM, TWO BIG EVENTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, UH, MEETING AND GREET THIS FRIDAY, WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, TALKING ON THE BATTLE WITH FOREST LAWN THAT OCCURRED IN THE 1960S. UM, IT'S GONNA BE A REAL FUN EVENT. UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE IN THIS VERY ROOM BACK IN THE 1960S. AND THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER WITH THE COUNCIL WERE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE VISIBLE NOW AT FOREST LAWN THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, UH, HAD THE NOT ROAD ROSE UP NEXT, UM, LET'S SEE, ON THE 26TH OF MARCH, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH COVINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUR TOWN HALL 1922. THIS IS A DINNER, UH, TYPE MEETING. IT'S $18, $15 IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OR A STUDENT WITH ID. UM, AT THE WOMEN'S CLUB IN COVINA, UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN, UH, THE STUDENTS FROM THE MOCK TRIAL TEAM AND THE DEBATE TEAMS FROM, UH, SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL AND EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. EACH COULD BE COVERING, UH, THE COVINA AND THE WEST COVINA PERSPECTIVE. UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE US BACK TO 1922 AND ARGUE WHY THEY SHOULD DO THE SEWAGE FARM AND WHY THEY SHOULDN'T DO THE SEWAGE FARM. SO, UH, LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO MAKE IT OUT TO THAT. IT'S GONNA BE A REAL FUN EVENT. LASTLY, UM, AND THIS ONE'S ONE I'M REALLY PROUD OF. WE ARE WORKING TO PUT TOGETHER A NIGHT MARKET AT HEARST RANCH. UH, [01:20:01] WENT AHEAD AND HANDED YOU GUYS OUT THE, UH, FLY HERE FOR THE FIRST ONE. THAT IS GONNA BE APRIL 17TH, 5:00 PM TO 11:00 PM UH, WE WILL HAVE A LIVE DJ, DJ PHIL, VOICE OF WEST COVINA WILL BE HELPING US OUT. HE REALLY JUST BRINGS AND CREATES THAT TONE FOR US, UH, 40 PLUS VENDORS, FOOD, MUSIC, UM, IN THIS VERY ROOM BACK IN NOVEMBER, 1997. MEMBERS OF, UH, THE HEARST RANCH, UH, FOUNDATION, UH, THE HEARST FAMILY. THEY CAME UP HERE, YOU KNOW, TO PROPOSE THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS TREASURE OF WEST COVINA TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, TO BE ENJOYED AS A LIVING MUSEUM. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST STEP OF REALLY OPENING IT TO THE PUBLIC ON A RECURRING BASIS. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY AS WELL TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF TO MAKE THAT A REALITY. THANK YOU. YOU, WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKER SLIPS, MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, ACTING CITY MANAGER. WILL YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, CONCERNS TODAY? THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UM, FIRST, UH, JOSH MURRAY, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR UPDATES ON THE, UH, WEST COVINA LIBRARY. UM, MR. SCHUMAKER, MS. AARON, UM, MR. LEWIS, MR. TURAN, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND, UH, SPEAKING ON, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE TONIGHT. I'LL WAIT FOR THAT TO, UH, COME UP BEFORE PROVIDING ANY FURTHER COMMENT. UM, MS. PARTRIDGES, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERNS AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE UTILITY VEHICLE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, UM, THAT'LL ALSO BE DISCUSSED, UM, TONIGHT. UM, MR. SPIVEY, UM, I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR WIFE'S CAR BEING HIT BY A THROWN ITEM. THERE'S, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE IN ANY WAY. AND I KNOW OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STAFF, UM, WE HAVE DEPLOYED WHEN WE'VE HAD NOTICE THAT THERE WERE GONNA BE, UM, GATHERINGS IN DIFFERENT AREA. NOT INTERVENING, BUT, UH, JUST MONITORING THE SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERALL CONCERNS AND, UM, THANKING MATT NELSON FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF FOR DOING A GREAT JOB, UM, FOR MS. PREZINSKI, MS. PEREZ, MR. CAMPOS, MS. PEREZ, MS. SAGE NEWMAN, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSITIVE WORDS ABOUT VALUE LIGHT INDUSTRIES. IT IS A VALUABLE ORGANIZATION. THEY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB FOR US. THANK YOU FOR THOSE, UM, COMMENTS. UM, DOUG, FOR, UM, DOUG, YOU'RE CORRECT. WHATEVER I'VE SAID WAS TOLD BY ATHENS, THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE TOLD ME. SO OBVIOUSLY TOMORROW I GOTTA CIRCLE BACK AND SET UP ANOTHER MEETING TO CLARIFY SOME OF THESE THINGS. UM, THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED THAT YOU'VE ASKED, AND BEING IN PRIVATE BUSINESS, THEY DON'T ALWAYS, UM, THE STAFF THAT I'M DEALING WITH, THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE ANSWERS. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE 'EM, UM, TO GIVE ME. BUT, UM, I'M AWARE OF THOSE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. AND AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE BUSINESS, UM, ALL THE PEOPLE WITH A CONTRACT WITH ATHENS WERE CONTACTED. NOW, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WITH HAVEN CITY OR A SHOPPING CENTER, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY CONTACT THE PERSON THAT'S ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF THE TRASH BILL. UM, INSTEAD OF EACH INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS, I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE THOUSAND BUSINESSES, BUT THERE'S ONLY LIKE 890, UM, ACCOUNT HOLDERS IN THE CITY. SO I'LL GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT. AND REGARDLESS IF IT'S THE ACCOUNT HOLDER OR THE BUSINESS, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF NOTIFICATION, BECAUSE I KNOW THE COSTS ARE PASSED ON, UH, FROM THE ACCOUNT HOLDER TO THEIR TENANTS. SO I WILL FOLLOW BACK WITH THAT. UM, I WILL GIVE YOU A CALL AFTER I SPEAK WITH ATHENS, AND I'LL ALSO INCLUDE IT IN MY UPCOMING, UH, CITY MANAGER'S REPORTS. HOWEVER YOU CAN HEAR, UH, WHAT I FOUND OUT. UH, MR. COOK, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, GREAT WORDS AND COMPLIMENTS TO OUR, OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFF. UM, I WAS AWARE OF THAT SITUATION, UH, WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE CALL AND THE, THE WORK THEY PUT INTO IT. IT WAS QUITE EXTENSIVE. AND I, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT OUR STAFF GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHEN TASKED IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE AT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, FROM POLICE TO FIRE, TO PUBLIC WORKS, TO PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING, BUILDING, AND EVERY STAFF MEMBER, EVERYBODY REALLY DOES DO THE BEST THEY CAN. AND THEY ARE GIVING MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT, PUTTING IN FAR MORE HOURS THAN THEY'RE EVER PAID FOR, BECAUSE THE, THE STAFF HERE, THE ONES I'VE HIRED, THE ONES I INHERITED, THEY TRULY DO CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY. AND I HOPE THE CITY COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THAT, UH, WHERE A SMALL STAFF FOR THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WE HAVE. BUT I TRULY APPRECIATE MY STAFF, AND I WOULD HOPE THE COMMUNITY DOES AS WELL. GLENN KENNEDY, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS, AND MARIO, FOR YOUR UPDATES ON BOTH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE EVENT HAPPENING AT, UM, HURST RANCH. I KNOW THOSE FLYERS HAVE BEEN PASSED OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, AND I'M SURE WE'LL BE PUTTING OUT MORE INFORMATION ON [01:25:01] THAT. UM, RA VARGAS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AS ALWAYS. PLUS YOUR COMPLIMENTS THANKING WEST COVINA, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT, WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND YOU AS I ARE VERY HAPPY THAT FINALLY THAT INTERSECTION OF PUENTE AND VINCENT HAS A CONTROLLED LEFT TURN. I KNOW WE'VE BOTH BEEN OUT THERE FOR MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS. UM, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY INTERSECTION. WE ARE WORKING ON OTHERS. AND JUST FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS BROUGHT UP OTHER INTERSECTIONS IN THE CITY, THOSE ARE A HIGH PRIORITY. WE'RE MOVING AS FAST AS WE CAN. A LOT OF INVOLVES DEALING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING, AND A LOT OF APPROVALS FROM CALTRANS AND OTHER AGENCIES. SO ON THE CITY STAFF SIDE, WE ARE MOVING AS FAST AS WE CAN, ESPECIALLY WITH ANY LIFE SAFETY CONCERN IN THE CITY. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY RESPONSES FOR TONIGHT. UM, JUST PLEASE MAKE SURE WE NEED TO HOLD ATHENS ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THEY PROMISE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HERE TO PRESENT ALL THE FACTS AND THE WHOLE PICTURE, AND TO ANSWER ALL THE BUSINESS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. SO MAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIORITY THAT ATHENS COME HERE TO ANSWER ALL. AND THEN IN REFERENCE TO ONE OF THE COMMENT, UM, I KNOW MISS NIKKI'S NIGHT MARKET, I, THEY, WHEN THEY WERE STARTING IT UP, UM, THEY WANTED TO HAVE IT IN WEST COVINA BECAUSE THESE ARE OUR RESIDENT, IT'S GRASSROOT EFFORT. AND THE ONES THAT ARE PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER, THEY LIVE IN WEST COVINA. SO THEY ARE, UH, WEST CONA RESIDENTS WHO'S PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND MAKING THIS WHOLE. SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROMOTE THIS AS WELL SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN ENJOY. HERST RANCH IS A, A BIG THING, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO, UH, MAGIC AND WONDERS. SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UH, REGARDING HERT RANCH. OKAY. AND, UH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA ABOUT NIGHT MARKET. THE ISSUE IS THE PARKING. OKAY. HOW YOU WORK WITH THE PARKING. BUT EVERY TIME I WENT THERE, YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY TO GET PARKING. SO HOPEFULLY MAYBE YOU CAN TALK TO THE NEIGHBOR, THE CHURCH, AND, UH, YES, WORK WITH THEM AND, UH, MAYBE PAY THEM A LITTLE BIT. OKAY? YES. OKAY. WITH THEM TO COOPERATE. THEN WE HAVE AMPLE PARKING, THEN THE EVENT WILL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. OTHERWISE, SO DIFFICULT, PEOPLE WILL PARK. SO, SO MANY BLOCK AWAY AND THEN WALK, AND AT NIGHTTIME, MAYBE NOT SAFE. SO HOPEFULLY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS WILL INTO, THEY HAVE A LOT OF PARKING. OKAY. AND THE SECOND THING I WANT TO, UH, ECHO WITH THE MAYOR, SAY, REGARDING ETHAN, I THINK LAST TIME WE HAVE A ONE, MAY I ALREADY REQUEST THEN TO COME TO CT COUNCIL TO DO A PRESENTATION TO SHOW US ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT THE CHARGE, THIS LETTER CONCERN. OKAY. HOPEFULLY THEY CAN GIVE US A PRESENTATION. OKAY. IS IT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. UM, YEAH, I THINK THE ATENS SITUATION IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. BUT ALSO, UH, IF OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND, AND, AND OUR CITY MANAGER ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE REREAD THE CONTRACT. SO WHEN ATHENS DOES COME, UH, THE CITY STAFF IS PREPARED TO, UH, IF ATHENS IS NOT SAYING SOMETHING, THAT'S CORRECT, THAT, UH, OUR CITY STAFF IS READY TO RESPOND. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UM, UH, VALLEY LIGHT, UH, AGAIN, UH, THIS COUNCIL, UH, NEVER VOTED TO TERMINATE THEIR AGREEMENT. UH, AND A AGAIN, UH, I THINK WE ASKED LAST TIME FOR A UPDATE STATUS ON WHY THEY WERE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO WORK FOR OUR CITY AND, AND SO FORTH. UH, IT'S NOT DONE YET, BUT THE MEETING THAT'S BEING REFERENCED IS THE JULY 15TH MEETING, UH, THE TRANSCRIPT'S IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW. BUT ONCE IT'S DONE, I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE TO GIVE IT TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. BUT IF ANYONE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE REFERRING TO, UH, YOU COULD WATCH THE JULY 15TH, 2025 COUNCIL MEETING AND MAKE YOUR OWN DETERMINATION ABOUT WHAT WAS DISCUSSED THAT DAY. BUT THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO ONTO CONSENT, [CONSENT CALENDAR] CALENDAR, COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER THREE. NOBODY ELSE HAS MADAM MAYOR. YES. UH, ITEM TWO, IF THAT'S THE CO UH, THE, UH, CODE OF CONDUCT. IS THAT TWO? UH, YES. YES. OKAY. ITEM TWO, TWO AND THREE. AND FOUR AND FOUR. SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. SO ACTUALLY JUST MOTION TO APPROVE ONE. MAYBE I SHOULD APPROVE NUMBER ONE, ONE, I'M NOT KIDDING. SO JUST MOTION AGENDA ONE. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE OF SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. ROLL CALL. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU, A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER ONE, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ. COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ. UM, LET'S SEE. JUST APPROVING MO, UH, AGENDA ONE. I WILL ABSTAIN. COUNCILMAN [01:30:01] WU. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. MAYOR PRO TE CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO AYE. MOTION ITEM PASSES. MAYOR WITH ONE ABSTAIN. ONE ABSTAINING. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO ITEM NUMBER TWO, [2) CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 2537 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD ARTICLE XII, ENTITLED "CODE OF CONDUCT"] UH, MAYOR TEM CONTOS. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UH, I ACTUALLY, UM, I WANT TO START A, AGAIN, BY EXPRESSING MY APPRECIATION TO, UH, MR. O'CONNELL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HE DID IN WRITING THE CODE OF CONDUCT. I WROTE, UH, UH, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, JUST A NOTE ASKING THAT WE, THAT WE STRIKE OUT, UH, SECTIONS 2, 7 0 3, UH, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. AND THEN 2 7 29, WHICH IS, UH, IMPEACHMENT AND 2 7 30 THAT HAS, HAS TO DO WITH, UH, FUTURE AFTER, UH, OFFICE FOLLOWING IMP IMPEACHMENT. UM, UH, I ACTUALLY IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH, WITH WHAT, UH, NICK LEWIS SAID EARLIER, WITH REGARD TO CONCERNS REGARDING, UH, THOSE THREE SECTIONS, UH, PASSING, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL STATUTORY AND STATUTORY, UM, A MUSTER. AND, AND ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO 7 2, 7 0 3 WITH REGARD TO, UH, STATE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, UH, AS WELL AS WITH REGARD TO, UH, STANDING CASE LAW THAT I PROVIDED EVERYBODY. I WON'T BORE EVERYBODY WITH THE DETAILS AS TO WHAT THOSE CASES ARE, BUT, BUT ESSENTIALLY, THOSE, THOSE CASES STILL CONTROL. AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST, I, IF, IF THE COUNSEL WOULD BE WILLING TO JUST RE REMOVE THOSE, I THINK THAT IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE STAND A GREATER, UH, UM, A TEST OF, OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, BE STRONGER IN, IN TERMS OF NOT, UH, SUBJECTING US TO ANY UNNECESSARY, UH, VIOLATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL OR EVEN, UH, UH, STATUTORY LAW. AND SO, I'D LIKE TO, I'D, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST, UM, JUST FOR BEGINNING DISCUSSION, LIKE, TO, TO MOVE THAT WE, THAT WE, WE STRIKE, UM, UH, 2 7 0 3 2 7 29 AND 2 7 30. ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A ATTORNEY ANSWER THE CONCERN CONCERNS. OKAY. NOT A PROBLEM. UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS. SURE. MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS, CAN WE START AT THE VERY END WITH 2 7 3 0 AND 2 7 2 9? SURE. OKAY. SO 2 7 3 0, UM, WHICH IS RELATED TO DISQUALIFICATION FROM OFFICE AFTER, UH, IMPEACHMENT. MM-HMM . UM, IT SAYS EXPLICITLY WITHIN, UH, THAT SECTION THAT REQUIRES ENABLING AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION DOESN'T ALLOW YES. AND WHERE SUCH A THING IS THERE, UH, CAN YOU DESCRIBE FOR ME WHAT YOUR CONCERN IS REGARDING, UH, THAT PROVISION? 'CAUSE YOU SAID THAT YOU FEEL IT VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION RIGHT NOW. YES. WELL, I MEAN, IN, IN, IN THE SENSE OF, I, I REALIZE THAT THERE'S NO LAW THAT ALLOWS US TO, TO, UH, TRIGGER THOSE PROVISIONS NOW, UH, UNTIL, OR UNLESS THERE'S A, A LAW THAT, OR THE, THE CONSTITUTION HAS CHANGED OR A STATUTORY LAW, UH, FACILITATES CHANGES, BUT RIGHT. IT, IT'S JUST TO HAVE THAT IN THERE WITHOUT, WITHOUT ANY CURRENT, UH, FORCE OF LAW. I, I JUST FEEL IT WOULD BE STRONGER IF WE JUST REMOVE THEM. IT'S JUST, SO, I, I THINK THAT THE, AND, AND I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT MR. LEWIS KNOWS OR DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE AND WHAT THEY'RE INTENDING TO PASS OR NOT GOING TO PASS. UM, I CAN ONLY JUST SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND WORKING WITH DIFFERENT CITIES AND THE LEGISLATURE IN GENERAL. UM, THERE ACTUALLY IS A SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT WITHIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA REGARDING IMPEACHMENT, UM, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS BASED ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE HAVING A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS WITHOUT ANY KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY. UM, SO THE IDEA OF 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0, UM, IS IN SOME WAYS AN EFFICIENCY, UH, PROVISION WITHIN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU DID NOT HAVE 2 7, 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0, AND THERE WAS ENABLING AUTHORITY WITHIN THE STATE, THEN THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK FOR IT. CONVERSELY, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IT IN AND, UM, IT IS ENABLED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THEN IT'S ALREADY HERE, BUT RIGHT NOW, 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0 HAVE NO LEGAL EFFECT UNTIL THERE'S ENABLING AUTHORITY WITHIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. MM-HMM . SO, UH, I, I WOULD, UM, I MEAN THIS, OBVIOUSLY OUR OPINIONS ARE, ARE SIMPLY JUST OUR OPINIONS ABOUT HOW THE STATUTE IS WRITTEN, HOW IT WOULD WORK. WE LEAVE THIS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR DISCRETION OF HOW THEY'D LIKE TO PROCEED. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE RISK OF 2 7 2 9 2 7 3 0, UM, AT LEAST AS AS I READ WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT THE CITY WILL BE SUED OVER 2 7 2 9 [01:35:01] AND 2 7 3 0 AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, CORRECT? YEAH. YES, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT IN EFFECT THERE, THERE WOULD BE NO DAMAGE CAUSED TO ANYONE AT THIS POINT, BUT, BUT IT'S JUST A, I GUESS IT'S A DIFFERENCE IN TACTICS. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, FOR, FOR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS EFFICIENCY REASONS, BUT I WOULD RATHER THAT WE CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE, WHEN WE COME TO IT, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENCE IN TACTIC, WHICH, WHICH IS WHY I STILL FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE, UM, UM, STRICKEN FROM THE, FROM THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, I MEAN, FOR, UH, CODE OF CONDUCT. NO, AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. YES. SO FOR 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0, UM, I, I THINK YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU HAD SOME CONCERN THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME LIABILITY OR SOME KIND OF LAWSUITS THAT THE, THAT OTHER, UH, THAT 2 7 3 0, OR I'M SORRY, YEAH, 2 7 0 3 MAY OPEN THE CITY UP TO, YOU'RE NOT STATING THAT YOU FEEL THAT THE CITY WILL BE SUED REGARDING 2 7 2 9 OR 2 7 2. NO, ONLY WITH, WELL, 2, 2, 7 0 3 REALLY IS VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR REASONS I LAID OUT FOR THE COUNCIL. YEAH. LET, LET'S, LET'S GET TO THAT ONE IN JUST A MINUTE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, 'CAUSE THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, AS MUCH AS I'M SURE THEY'D LOVE TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL WITH YOU AND ME, UM, AND GO OVER THIS, UH, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS AND WHAT THE RISKS ARE, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE CONCERNS. SO YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT THERE IS A RISK, IT'S MORE OF A TACTICAL DECISION REGARDING 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. YES. I, I, I, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. UM, AND SORRY, IF IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M DEPOSING YOU, IT'S JUST A BAD HABIT, . THAT'S OKAY. UM, SO 2 7 0 3, UH, THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MM-HMM . UM, AND, AND, AND YOUR CONCERN REGARDING THAT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. SO YOUR RELIANCE, UH, ON YOUR CONCERN HERE IS THAT YOU FEEL THAT THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION, UM, ESSENTIALLY SAYS ANYTHING THAT IS CLOSE TO AN OATH OR DECLARATION OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES OR TEST WOULD BE INVALID UNDER THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION. IS THAT YOUR CONCERN? YES. I'M TRYING TO SUMMARIZE IT. SO IF I'M SAYING IT WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME. YES. UH, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD. AND, UH, AND PLUS, I, I ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DIFFERENT CASES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, YOU HAVE I READ THEM WHILE EVERYBODY WAS DOING THEIR THING. YES. UHHUH . UM, YEAH. SO THE, THE TWO CASES THAT, UH, THAT YOU HAD SENT, AND I, I'VE READ A VARIETY OF THESE CASES AS WELL. I, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ACTUALLY ONLY THE LAST CLAUSE OF ARTICLE 20, SECTION THREE OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION, WHICH SAYS SHALL BE REQUIRED AS A QUALIFICATION FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICE OR EMPLOYMENT. YES. AND SO IT, IT TURNS ENTIRELY ON WHETHER OR NOT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. WOULD YOU AGREE? YES. YES. AND THE MAN MANDATORY LANGUAGE OF THAT, AND I ACTUALLY JUST SENT PROPOSED LANGUAGE TO FIX, TO POTENTIALLY TO FIX THIS. AND I, I DON'T, I, I JUST, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD LOOK THAT IF TO TOM SHOULD HAVE IT TO FORWARD T OR HE CAN READ IT. UM, AND IT WAS NOT IN THE MATERIAL, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIX THAT ISSUE. NO, AND, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WANNA WORK BACKWARDS JUST KIND OF THROUGH I THINK HOW THE, THE CODE OF CONDUCT WORKS WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, WITHOUT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND WITH, UM, WHAT YOUR PROPOSED CHANGES. IS THAT FAIR? YES. OKAY. UM, SO LET'S JUST ASSUME FOR A SECOND THAT THE CODE OF CONDUCT HAD 2 7 0 3 COMPLETELY STRUCK FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE IT IS A MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE, UM, THE CODE OF CONDUCT WOULD STILL BE COMPLETELY IN EFFECT, CORRECT? SO, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT THE, TO THE COUNCIL? WELL, WELL, THERE COULD BE THE EFFECT OF, OF PEOPLE FEELING THAT, THAT IN ORDER THAT, THAT BY SIGNING AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT SOMEHOW OBLIGATES THEM TO MORE THAN JUST THE OATH THAT'S REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. OH, I'M SORRY. I, I I MUST HAVE MISSPOKE. I I'M SAYING IF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS STRUCK, IF THERE WAS NO LONGER A 2, 7 0 3, IF IT WAS COMPLETELY GONE, THE CODE OF CONDUCT IS STILL IN EFFECT. YES. JUST, YEAH. I, THAT'S THE ONLY, UM, THAT PROVISIONS ALL THAT I, I WANTED TO HAVE REMOVED OR TO BE MODIFIED POTENTIALLY IN ORDER TO, TO. RIGHT. AND, AND SO THE, THE IDEA OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UM, WHICH, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WITH IT STILL BEING IN THERE, UM, THE CONCEPT OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, IT, IT'S PURPOSEFULLY PHRASED NOT TO BE A DECLARATION OATH OR TEST. UM, IT ALSO SAYS IN A, THAT FAILURE TO EXECUTE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHALL NOT INVALIDATE AN ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT. UM, IT ALSO HAS MULTIPLE CLAUSES THAT SAYS, UM, THAT IT CAN ONLY BE DONE CONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE LAW, UM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. AND F EVEN SAYS, NO WAIVER OF RIGHTS, NOTHING IN THIS SECTION OR IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REQUIRED HEREBY SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL, STATUTORY, OR COMMON LAW. RIGHT. OR CREATE AN EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP OR TO EXPAND THE CITY'S [01:40:01] AUTHORITY BEYOND THAT, UH, THAT PROVIDED BY LAW. UM, SO I, I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A DIFFERENCE IN INTERPRETATION OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. I THINK YOU ARE INTERPRETING, INTERPRETING THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO POSSIBLY CREATE A QUALIFICATION FOR A PUBLIC OFFICE. YES. AND, AND I THINK THAT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT BECAUSE THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT EXPLICITLY SAYS, UM, THAT IT WOULD NOT VALIDATE AN ELECTION, WHICH IS WHAT THE 1901 CASE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE, I THINK IT'S CALLED THE PURITY ACT. YES. UM, UH, THAT ONE SAYS THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE SEATED FOR, UH, YOUR POSITION BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT TAKE THE SECONDARY OATH. UM, AND THEN THE SECOND CASE THAT YOU HAD SENT, WHICH WAS, UH, SORRY, I WISH I HAD AN I MEMORY, UH, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION VERSUS CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO. UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, THERE WAS AN OATH THAT WAS TAKEN NOT TO GO ON STRIKE. UM, BUT THAT OATH, WHAT THE COURT HAD ACTUALLY SAID IN THAT IS, UM, THE ENTIRE PROVISION RELATED TO GOING ON STRIKE OR NOT, THAT LAW THAT WAS PASSED WAS ENTIRELY APPLICABLE. AND THEY SEVERED THE OATH. IT WAS EXPLICITLY CALLED AN OATH. THEY HAD SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH GETTING PEOPLE TO PROMISE TO DO THESE THINGS. IT'S JUST THAT YOU CALLED IT ESSENTIALLY AN OATH. SO I, I THINK, UM, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION OF HOW I'M READING THESE CASES. THERE MAY BE MANY, IT'S CALIFORNIA, THERE'S PROBABLY MANY, MANY OTHER CASES OUT THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S HOW WE'RE INTERPRETING WHAT WOULD BE A QUALIFICATION AND WHAT ARE THE RESULTS RELATED TO, IF YOU DO OR DO NOT, UM, ESSENTIALLY DO THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. UM, THE, THE COMPARABLE SITUATION THAT I WOULD PUT THIS WITH IS THE COUNCIL OR CITY EMPLOYEES. MANY EMPLOYEES, ACTUALLY EMPLOYEES OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE A SEXUAL, UH, HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE TRAINING. YOU, I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD TO DO THAT BEFORE IN YOUR LIFETIME AS WELL. UM, WHEN YOU GO TO A SEXUAL HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE TRAINING, SIMILAR TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT HERE, YOU ARE FREE TO NOT EXECUTE THE DOCUMENT THAT SAYS, I HAVE RECEIVED AND AGREE NOT TO SEXUALLY HARASS, UM, THE EMPLOYEES. BUT WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, AND, AND MS. FOX COULD SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, IS THEN AN EMPLOYEE WILL SAY, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO SEXUALLY HARASS SOMEONE. UM, AND I YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT PROVES THAT I KNEW THAT I'M ALLOWED THAT, THAT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SEXUALLY HARASS SOMEONE. UM, THE, THE INTENT OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS A CODE OF CONDUCT IN PLACE WITH THE COUNCIL. IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN ADDITIONAL THING TO SAY TO SOMEBODY, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND. DON'T, DON'T BE SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA BE BREAKING THE RULES OF DECORUM. DON'T BE SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO BE VIOLATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT. UM, AND IF YOU DO SAY, I AM NOT GOING TO EXECUTE THIS, UM, IT SAYS IN E THAT, UM, FAILURE TO EXECUTE, UH, SHALL NOT INVALIDATE THE APPLICABILITY OF THIS, UH, OF THIS ARTICLE, BUT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING APPROPRIATE GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES UNDER DIVISION FOUR. AND IF YOU RECALL, DIVISION FOUR FOLLOWS ANOTHER SECTION THAT SAYS EXPLICITLY WHAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BE PUNISHED FOR, UH, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, OR HAVE A GOVERNANCE BASED, ME GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURE. IT WOULD BE AKIN TO IF ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE HAD SAID, I DIDN'T EXECUTE THIS, AND THEREFORE I HAVE THE RIGHT TO VIOLATE THE CODE OF CONDUCT AT AD NAUSEUM AS MUCH AS I WANT TO. AND SO IT'S, IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE TRAINING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAN I BELIEVE WHAT THE TWO CASES ARE THAT YOU'RE CITING. UM, FOR THE COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION THOUGH, AND I TOLD YOU I'D GET TO THE LAST PART I PROMISED, UM, FOR THE COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION, UM, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS HAD, UM, SUGGESTED IS INSTEAD OF HAVING AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, UM, ANY POTENTIAL COUNCIL MEMBER, ANYONE THAT IS SWORN IN, ANYONE THAT ESSENTIALLY RENEWS OR GETS THEIR OFFICE BACK, THAT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WOULD SAY THAT THEY WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THE CODE OF CONDUCT UPON, YOU KNOW, TAKING OFFICE, UM, RETAKING OFFICE OR, UH, SUBMITTING SOMETHING RATHER THAN ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF IT. SO IT WOULD BE BASICALLY THE BURDEN WOULD BE ON THE CITY, UM, TO PROVIDE THIS TO THE POTENTIAL COUNCIL MEMBER AS OPPOSED TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED, UM, IT'S JUST A SIMPLE, UH, BURDEN SWITCH FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. IS THAT A, I, I DON'T WANNA, AGAIN, MISCHARACTERIZE, BUT IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS THE, THE, THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES THAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT EARLIER. SO RIGHT. THAT'S WHY I TRIED TO, AND AND THE WAY THAT YOU'RE SOLVING IT IS INSTEAD OF HAVING SOMEONE SAY THAT THEY RECEIVED IT, IT WOULD BE FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE IT TO THEM. YES. OKAY. AND, AND SO THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH [01:45:01] COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS, I BELIEVE I'VE, UM, ADDRESSED EACH OF YOUR, UH, THINGS. I, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL AND, AND OF COURSE, YOURSELF AS WELL. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE WENT THROUGH EACH OF YOUR THREE CONCERNS SO THAT THE COUNCIL COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU AND I ARE TRYING TO SURE. YEAH. I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I REALIZE TO THE COUNCIL, IT SEEMS LIKE SPLITTING HAIRS, BUT WHAT I, I'M JUST TRYING TO LOOK, LOOK TO OF, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT POTENTIAL OBJECTIONS TO THIS AS WELL AS ENFORCEABILITY. AND SO I WANTED THAT, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BE PROACTIVE AND JUST, AND, AND I, I FEEL TACTICALLY THAT REMOVING 7 29 AND SEVEN 30 WOULD, WOULD, WOULD BE BETTER. AND, UH, WITH AS FAR AS 7 2, 7 0 3 GOES, UH, I'M UP FOR COMPROMISE LANGUAGE, BUT, BUT AT A VERY MINIMUM, WE, WE SHOULD MAKE THE MODIF, UH, MODIFICATIONS IN ORDER TO, TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL CONSTITUTIONAL, UM, OBJECTIONS, UH, LATER. YEAH. THAT MAY BE LEVI AGAINST, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF I WANNA ADDRESS ONE MORE QUICK THING, UM, SECTION FOUR OF THE ACTUAL, UM, CODE, UH, RELATES TO SEVERABILITY, WHICH, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR FOR THE COUNSEL THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT SOMEONE WERE TO SAY THAT THEY FEEL THAT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS IMPROPER, UM, AND, AND WE CAN GO THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT HYPOTHETICALS, I'M SURE, OF WHAT SOMETHING WOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT LET'S SAY THAT SOMEBODY SAID THAT THEY DON'T WANNA EXECUTE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AND FOR SOME REASON SOMEONE TRIED TO ARGUE THAT THAT PREVENTED THEM FROM BEING SEEDED. UM, THE LAWSUIT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURRED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, UM, THAT THE SCENARIO WOULD BE THEY'D ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO SUE SAYING THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT SEVERED FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT, NOT INVALIDATE THE ENTIRE CODE OF CONDUCT. SO THEY WOULD BE SAYING, I WANT 2 7 0 3 TO BE STRUCK, AS OPPOSED TO THE ENTIRE CODE OF CONDUCT IS BEING STRUCK. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT SAN FRANCISCO LAWSUIT THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCC CONTOS WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO I, I THINK I'VE GIVEN AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU WERE, UH, DISCUSSING HERE, AND I'LL ANSWER ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. COUNCIL. OKAY. COUNCILMAN, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND TO ATTORNEY BACK AND FORTH INTO DETAIL AND, UH, BACK TO LIKE LAST MEETING INTO THE LAW 1 0 1, OKAY. AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT AND DEFINITION IS, IS, OKAY, SO AND SO WHAT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND THE SOLUTION, OKAY. AND OUR MAYOR, POT KENTO BRING UP, UH, HIS CONCERN, AND LIKE LAST TIME HE BRINGS OUT, HE BROUGHT SOME CONCERN AND, UH, YOU AMENDED AND WE APPROVE AND DECIDE HE HAS SOME CONCERN. AND, UH, THE ONLY QUESTION I ASK IS, UH, DOES HIS CONCERN, OKAY, HAS VALUE FOR AMENDED OKAY. LANGUAGE OR THIS AND THAT, ANY SUGGESTION FROM YOUR SIDE SO WE CAN, IF OKAY, IT'S UP TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND GET THE BODY, THEN WE DECIDE TO ADOPT YOUR RECOMMENDATION OR, OR, OR HIS RECOMMENDATION, RIGHT? AND, AND I'LL, AS OPPOSED TO LAST TIME WHERE I BASICALLY USED LEGALESE TO NOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER IT DIRECTLY. UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT THE CONCERNS REGARDING TWO SEVEN, UH, TWO NINE AND 2 7 3 0 ARE, ARE NOT LEGAL CONCERNS. THEY'RE MORE TACTICAL. UM, SO I, I I DO NOT SEE ANY LEGAL REASON, UM, TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0. UM, I BELIEVE THE CONCERNS REGARDING 2 7 0 3 ARE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED WITHIN 2 7 0 3. UM, BUT IF THE COUNCIL WANTED TO TAKE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE APPROACH POSSIBLE TO 2 7 0 3, UM, IT WOULD BE TO TAKE COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS, UM, POSITION OF BASICALLY PUTTING IT ON THE CITY TO HAND THE CODE OF CONDUCT TO A POTENTIAL COUNCIL MEMBER AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THE POTENTIAL COUNCIL MEMBER SIGN THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED. UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT 2 7 0 3 DOES ADDRESS THE CONCERNS RAISED IN THOSE TWO CASES. UM, BUT THERE IS A, IT WOULD BE A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH. GOT IT. SO, OKAY. MAYOR OPINION COUNCIL, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT YOUR SUGGESTION BASICALLY ON THE OUTSIDE ATTORNEY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. HE RECOMMENDED ON THE NUMBER THREE AND DOING SOME KIND OF VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION AND ONE AND TWO, HE SAID, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY. IT IS NOT ON CONSTITUTIONAL ABOUT THE OKAY. THE LANGUAGE. SO HOW DO YOU THINK, CAN YOU COMPROMISE OR YOU WANT EVERYTHING? WELL, THAT'S WHY I OFFERED, UM, IF YOU, IF THE COUNCIL DOESN'T WANT TO STRIKE THE ENTIRE SECTION OUT COMPLETELY, THAT'S WHY I OFFERED THE COMPROMISE LANGUAGE OF, OF CHANGING THAT, UH, TO A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH THAT, THAT MR. O'CONNELL HAD DISCUSSED. OH, MR. O'CONNELL, I CAN READ IT FOR YOU IF YOU'D LIKE. I HAVE HIS LANG EXACT LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BE CHANGED TO, SO [01:50:01] HOW DO YOU THINK YOU AGREE WITH THAT? THE MEANING IF YOU TOOK THE COMPROMISED CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, IT WOULD BE THE MOST LITIGATION DEFENSE WAY THAT YOU COULD HANDLE THIS? UM, THERE IS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS WILL AGREE WITH ME ON THIS. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE LEGAL INDUSTRY, PUBLIC GOVERNMENT, ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS IMMUNE FROM SOMEONE SUING YOU. NOT AT ALL CAN SUE . IT'S, IT'S JUST, YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE A SLIGHTLY MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH. I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS APPROACH IS, IS MORE CONSERVATIVE. UM, I THINK THAT IT IS, UM, IT'S NOT THAT IT IS UNWISE, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT APPROACH, UM, THAT ADDRESSES SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE SOMEONE TO TRY TO SUE. UM, AND YOU'VE HEARD ANOTHER, UH, CONSTITUENT, I BELIEVE IT WAS NICK LEWIS HAD CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE LANGUAGE AS WELL, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS HAD SAID IT. I, I DON'T, I DON'T AGREE THAT IT'S NECESSARY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE IF THAT AND COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS COULD, SO YOU AGREE WITH, UH, MALE PROTEIN COUNCIL'S SUGGESTION? UM, I, I THINK IT IS AN, I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS NECESSARY, BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT IF THE COUNCIL WANTED TO TAKE A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, THEN THIS WOULD BE FINE. SO, MALE, UH, PROTEIN COUNTER, YOU'RE OKAY IF IF THE LANGUAGE, IF THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE IS, IS ACCEPTED, THEN I'LL BE FINE WITH WITH THAT, IT'S, DO YOU WANT ME TO READ THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE? YES. IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ, READ THAT TO THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC PLEASE. SURE. YEAH. EACH ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIAL SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH A COPY OF THIS ARTICLE, THE CITY'S RULES OF DECORUM AND APPLICABLE CITY POLICIES REGARDING CONDUCT RECEIPT OF THESE MATERIALS SHALL SERVE AS NOTICE OF THE STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL OATH DECLARATION OR TEST AS A QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC OFFICE CONSISTENT WITH ARTICLE 20, SECTION THREE OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION, FAILURE TO SIGN ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT SHALL NOT AFFECT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, OFFICIAL'S ABILITY TO ASSUME OFFICE, PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS OR EXERCISE THE DUTIES OF OFFICE. COUNCILMAN MCC CONTOS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT LAST PARAGRAPH, CONSIDERING THEY'RE NOT SIGNING SOMETHING IS MOOT, SO IT'S ACTUALLY JUST THOSE TWO SENTENCES, YOU WOULD JUST CHANGE ALL OF 2 7 0 3 TO BASICALLY SAY PROVIDE, AND THAT THIS DOESN'T VIOLATE, UM, THE CONSTITUTION. SO THAT WOULD BE THE CHANGE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS IS ASKING FOR. UM, SO I HAVE A FEW CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS. I KNOW, UH, 2 7 2 9 AND 2 7 3 0. UM, GOOD TO KNOW THAT IT HAS NO LEGAL BEARING. THERE'S NO RISK. UM, YEAH, THAT HAS NOTHING. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR PRO TEM, WE CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN IT COMES, ALL OUR RULES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHEN CALIFORNIA OR FEDERAL LAW CHANGES, IT TRICKLES BACK DOWN TO US. WE MAKE CHANGES BASED ON THOSE RULES. WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST WITH A LOT OF MANY THINGS. UM, BUT CURRENTLY AS IT STANDS, UH, IT, IT HAS NO IMPACT. UM, SO THAT, THAT ADDRESSES 7 29, 7 30 IN REGARDS TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. UM, AND WHEN YOU SAID THE HARASSMENT THING, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT I THOUGHT OF AS, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES OR JUST THAT YOU HAVE TO SIGN, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE, BECAUSE WE GET A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE INCLUDING COUNSELS THAT SAYS, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW. WE DIDN'T KNOW. IT'S NOT WRITTEN. AND PERSONALLY, WE ARE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE AND WE SHOULD BE ALL HELD ACCOUNTABLE, UM, TO OUR ACTIONS. AND JUST BY GIVING THE RECEIPT SHOWS JUST NOTHING VERSUS IF YOU ACTUALLY SIGNED IT OFF OR YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT SIGN AND REFUSE. BUT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD INFORMATION FOR THE RESIDENTS TO KNOW. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHO YOU WANNA SEE WHETHER THEY WILL HOLD TO THOSE STANDARDS OR THEY REFUSE NOT TO. UM, I KNOW ON THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, I MEAN, IT ALREADY STATES FAILURE TO EXECUTE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHALL NOT INVALIDATE AN ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY LAST, ON F IT SAYS, NO WAY, UM, NOTHING IN THIS SECTION OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REQUIRED HEREBY SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL STATUTORY COMMON LAW, RIGHT. AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO I KNOW IT ALREADY LISTED THERE, BUT I FEEL THAT JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IS IMPORTANT. I KNOW, UM, AS A CITY EMPLOYEE AS WELL AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF THE COUNCIL ALREADY HAD BEEN THERE, UH, DONE THE ETHICS TRAINING THAT WE HAVE TO DO. IT'S THIS TWO HOUR TRAINING THAT WE HAVE TO DO EVERY TWO YEARS. I JUST COMPLETED THAT. AND THAT IS ALMOST LIKE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO AND REGISTER, TAKE THE QUIZ AND SO FORTH. UM, IT'S GOOD INFORMATION AND IT'S GOOD THAT WE SHOULD BE HELD TO THAT. AND WHETHER YOU SIGN IT OR NOT, THAT'S FINE. IT'S, IT DOESN'T HOLD WHERE YOU CAN'T SERVE AS OFFICE BECAUSE WE HAVE VOTERS WHO WILL VOTE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHETHER THEY ARE GOOD OR BAD, IT'S THEIR CHOICE THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THIS. BUT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THIS [01:55:01] SO THE RESIDENTS KNOW, UM, DOES THE ETHICS TRAINING THAT WE DO IS THAT, I MEAN, I KNOW I DON'T BELIEVE WE SIGN ANYTHING, BUT WHEN WE REGISTER ONLINE, THAT IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS THAT'S SIMILAR? IT'S IT'S SIMILAR IN THAT WAY. AND, AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE OATH OF OFFICE, UM, THE OATH IS SOMETHING THAT, FOR INSTANCE, POLICE OFFICERS TAKE AN OATH, UM, OBVIOUSLY, BUT POLICE OFFICERS ALSO HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT FILE THAT WHEN YOU HAND THEM THE EMPLOYMENT FILE, THEY'LL ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF, UM, FOR INSTANCE, THE PERSONNEL MANUAL. THEY'LL ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF, UM, THE HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE STILL ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THE TERM ACKNOWLEDGE WAS USED. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, UM, OATH AND TEST AND, AND THE DIFFERENT WORDS THAT THE CONSTITUTION, UH, USES, AND I SEE THE LITTLE SMILE FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TE CONTOS ATTORNEYS LIKE TO PLAY, UH, GAMES WITH THIS. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE REASON WHY IT'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, UM, A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION WILL OFTEN HAVE A SIGNATURE LINE THAT SAYS, I'VE ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPTS. IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU AGREE WITH IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T CONTINUE DOING YOUR JOB. IT IS JUST MERELY AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. WHICH IS WHY I SAID COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS IS TAKING A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS WITHIN THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF THE, THE CODE SECTION ITSELF. AND THAT TWO SECTION TWO DASH 7 0 3, THAT TITLE OF THAT SECTION SAYS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO THIS IS WHERE, I MEAN, I'M FINE IF THIS HAS NO IMPLICATION, THERE'S NO, UH, LEGAL MATTER, AND GRANTED, I I GET IT. ANYBODY CAN SUE IT BE A FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT. WE, YOU KNOW, GET THAT ANYTIME, BUT AS LONG AS THERE'S NO, UM, LEGAL WHERE THIS, ANYTHING THAT IS WRITTEN HERE COULD CAUSE US TO LOSE A LAWSUIT, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS MY CONCERN. OF COURSE, RISK, RISK OVER REWARD, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. I MEAN, TO, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THERE'S FOUR TIMES JUST WITHIN THIS SECTION, ACTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS HELPED US IN OTHER SECTIONS DURING THE PREVIOUS MEETING, UM, WHERE IT SAYS QUITE EXPLICITLY THAT, UM, THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE THE CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAWS, ANY OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS. UM, IT IS MERELY TO BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. SO, UM, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN, BUT I, I THINK IT IS JUST A MORE CONSERVATIVE, UH, APPROACH. AND THEN BY ALL MEANS, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS HAS COME IN FOR READING. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP. UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I, UM, I FELT LIKE, UM, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS BEFORE. WE'VE HAD, UH, CORRECTIONS DONE, AND, AND I RESPECT, UH, MY FELLOW COLLEAGUE, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS, BECAUSE HE'S THE ATTORNEY AND SPEAKS TO THE OTHER ATTORNEY AND SORRY, THEY COMMUNICATE, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, THAT'S WHY WE, WE HIRE THEM TO, UH, PROTECT THE CITY. AND, UM, THEY MADE THEIR CHANGES. AND I THINK THAT I, UM, I CAN AGREE WITH OUR ATTORNEYS THAT PREPARED THIS AND WITH THE CONSULTATION OF OUR, YOU KNOW, MAYOR PRO TEM HELPING OUT HERE. SO I WOULD SAY THAT WE SHOULD JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE HAVE. AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S A, I I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT, UM, OUR ATTORNEYS ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY. SO I WOULD MOVE FORWARD TO APPROVE THIS. SO YOUR MOTION? YES, I SPEAK. COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, UH, YES. SO WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS LIKE, WHY WOULD WE PUT LANGUAGE IN THERE IF IT COULD POTENTIALLY OPEN US TO LITIGATION? UM, WHEN YOU TALK THE TERM CONSERVATIVE, UH, CAN YOU DEFINE CONSERVATIVE? DOES THAT MEAN IT LESSENS THE ABILITY FOR THE CITY TO POTENTIALLY BE SUED IN LITIGATION BECAUSE OF A MISUNDERSTANDING AND SO FORTH? SO CAN, THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE TERM BEING MORE CONSERVATIVE. WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT DEFINE? LET ME TRY TO ADDRESS THAT MORE CLEARLY. UM, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THE WORD CONSERVATIVE, YOU'RE ASKING WHAT, I MEAN WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS APPROACH TO IT. UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ANY KIND OF LAW STATUTE POLICY, ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE PASSED, UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAT YOU COULD CHOOSE REGARDING HOW IT IS THAT YOU APPROACH SOMETHING. SO FOR INSTANCE, WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE, DO YOU MIND IF I USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE? I THINK YOU'LL BE ANALOGOUS. UM, SO IF YOU HAD A SEXUAL HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE TRAINING AND POLICY, UM, THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER, EACH WORD MATTERS WITHIN THAT POLICY, YOU'D AGREE, RIGHT? AND, AND SO IF YOU ARE SAYING TO SOMEONE AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HARASS, CREATE A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT [02:00:01] OR OTHERWISE, AND YOU GO ON FOR PAGES AND PAGES, VERSUS A, UH, LESS CONSERVATIVE APPROACH WOULD BE JUST TO PUT IN ONE SENTENCE THAT SAYS, I WILL NOT SEXUALLY HARASS ANYONE. UM, IRONICALLY, THE MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH WOULD BE TO HAVE AN EXTREME LENGTH DOCUMENT THAT LAYS OUT EVERY SINGLE THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN LITIGATION. UM, CONSERVATIVE IN, IN MY WORLD IS ODD AT TIMES, , THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT HERE, UM, THE REASON WHY IT IS CONSERVATIVE WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS IS TALKING ABOUT IS WOULD SOMEONE POTENTIALLY SUE SAYING THEY WANNA HAVE THIS SEVERED FROM, UM, FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT ITSELF? MM-HMM . THE CONVERSE RISK THAT YOU RUN, AND THIS IS HOW ALL LAWS UNFORTUNATELY WORK, IS THAT YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT GETS SUED FOR VIOLATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND THEY PLEAD IGNORANCE AND THEY THROW THEIR HANDS UP IN THE AIR AND THEY SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT. SO BY BEING CONSERVATIVE WITH ONE SIDE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY OPENING UP THE CITY TO LIABILITY ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT'S, IT IS UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THOSE CHOICES, THOSE HARD CHOICES THAT THE CITY HAS TO MAKE SOMETIMES IS TO SAY, IS IT BETTER TO, UM, MAKE IT SO THAT YOU HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BEHAVE? OR IS IT BETTER TO HAVE A POTENTIAL THAT SOMEONE IS GONNA SAY, I WANT TO TAKE OUT THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UM, BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS, UH, PHRASES LIKE IT DOESN'T VIOLATE, IT WILL NOT IMPEDE ON OR OTHERWISE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS THAT SOMEONE WILL SAY, I I FEEL THAT THIS IS A QUALIFICATION FOR OFFICE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I WOULD USE THE TERM CONSERVATIVE APPROACH FOR THAT. YEAH. AND, AND MY CONCERN IS THIS, THIS CODE OF CONDUCT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME AND YEARS TO COME. AND WHEN WE PUT LANGUAGE, I BELIEVE IN A CODE OF CONDUCT THAT POTENTIALLY CONTRADICTS, UH, WITH THE LAW. I KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE CODE OR IN THIS PROPOSED CODE THAT ADDRESSES, UH, THE ISSUE AT HAND. BUT AGAIN, I THINK BEING CONSERVATIVE, WHICH MEANS LIKE YOU INDICATED AT, I MEAN, AT THE SAME TIME, BEING CONSERVATIVE MEANS BEING ABLE TO DEFEND POTENTIALLY FROM A LAWSUIT AND, AND FROM, AND TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY FROM HAVING TO GO INTO UNNECESSARY LITIGATION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK, UH, SECTION E, SO ON SECTION C, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2 7 0 3. YES. OKAY. UH, SO SECTION C, IT SAYS, I FULLY, IT SAYS IT FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT I AM, I AM EXECUTING THIS ACKNOWLEDGE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT THE ARREST, COERCION, OR UNDUE INFLUENCE. AND I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL OF MY CHOOSING REGARDING THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND OBLIGATIONS DESCRIBED HERE. AND, BUT THEN YOU GO TO SECTION E IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF THAT SECTION E IT SAYS, BUT MAY BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING APPROPRIATE GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES. LEMME START, LEMME START FROM THE BEGINNING. EFFECT A FAILURE TO EXECUTE. FAILURE TO EXECUTE. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL NOT INVALIDATE THE APPLICABILITY OF THIS ARTICLE, BUT MAY BE CON CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING APPROPRIATE GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES UNDER DIVISION FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. SO IS THERE A CONSEQUENCE IF SOMEONE DOES NOT EXECUTE IT? AND, AND THAT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING WHAT THAT SENSE IS BECAUSE MAKES IT SEEM NO. AND DO YOU MIND IF I EXPLAIN THAT? YES. THINK I CAN, I CAN MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR FOR YOU. UM, SO IF YOU HAD, I'LL GIVE YOU THE EXACT, UH, SITUATION THAT THIS WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO. UM, FIRST OF ALL, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW IS GONNA LIMIT ANYTHING THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO USE THIS AS THE SOLE AND PRIMARY EVIDENCE THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, BUT LET'S PUT THAT TO THE SIDE OF THE, TO EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW CLAUSE. UM, THE REASON THAT YOU HAVE THIS IS BECAUSE DIVISION FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE, IF YOU TURNED TO THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, IS GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES AND ESCALATION, UM, WHICH TALKS ABOUT BASICALLY WHAT CAN BE DONE IF SOMEONE VIOLATES SECTION THREE OR SECTION TWO, UM, AND IT LISTS OFF THE ONLY THINGS THAT SOMEONE CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR, ESSENTIALLY, I'M USING THE WORD LIABLE, BUT COULD BE PUNISHED OTHERWISE, HAVE A GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURE. UM, NOTHING IN THOSE GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES DOES IT SAY FAILURE TO EXECUTE IS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE COULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR. IT'S ACTUALLY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT TRY TO PLEAD IGNORANCE. SO IF YOU, FOR INSTANCE, HAD SOMEONE THAT REPEATEDLY VIOLATED, UM, ONE OF THESE SECTIONS AND THEN SAID THEY'RE EXCUSED FOR REPEATEDLY VIOLATING IT IS I'VE NEVER RECEIVED IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT SAYS, THEN THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL WHEN [02:05:01] THEY'RE DECIDING WHAT GOVERNANCE BASED MEASURES SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE. SO GOING BACK TO THAT SEXUAL HARASSMENT, UH, PIECE, IF SOMEONE SAID, I AM ALLOWED TO SEXUALLY HARASS PEOPLE BECAUSE I'VE NEVER RECEIVED A SEXUAL HARASSMENT AVOIDANCE TRAINING AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT, UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT A COURT, UH, VERY LIKELY IN AN EMPLOYMENT CASE WOULD SAY, THAT'S NOT JUST, UH, A BAD REASON, BUT THAT'S BAD FAITH. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR THAT PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL. WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT YOU WERE DOING THAT PURPOSEFULLY, IT ALMOST DEMONSTRATES INTENT TO VIOLATE THE CODE OF CONDUCT IN SOME WAYS. SO, UM, QUESTION. SURE. IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS CODE OF CONDUCT WHERE IT CURRENTLY STANDS THAT CONTRADICTS ANY CURRENT LAWS? AND THAT IS MY FINAL QUESTION FOR THIS EVENING. I, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING IN THIS THAT VIOLATES ANY CURRENT LAWS. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE WAS ANY QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT DID, I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS, UM, PRIOR TWO, TWO MEETINGS PRIOR, I DON'T KNOW, UH, SURE. WE'LL GO WITH TWO MEETINGS PRIOR, UM, TWO MEETINGS PRIOR WHERE WE HAD THE VERY HARD CARVE OUTS, UM, THAT WOULD SAY TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE BY LAW OR, UM, JUST IF THERE, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE WAS ANY AMBIGUITY, YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE PROTECTED. UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH WAYS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS VERY CONSCIOUSLY SAID, WE DO NOT INTEND TO VIOLATE THE CALIFORNIA STATE CONSTITUTION. IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION OR ANY AMBIGUITY, UM, THERE IS NO AMBIGUITY THAT THE COUNCIL WISHES TO SUPERSEDE THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION. OKAY. SO, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE CONTOS, UH, FOR THE LAST MEETING WHEN THIS WAS, CAME UP TO US ON THE SECOND TIME FOR THE CATCHALL. SO WITH YOUR CATCHALL, IT ACTUALLY HELPED WITH THIS ONE. UM, WE DO HAVE A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I DIDN'T FINISH MY QUESTION. YEAH. OKAY. SECOND. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. HOLD ON. WE'LL GET CALM DOWN. UM, WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. AND YOU, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO FINISH YOUR QUESTION. GO AHEAD. YES. UM, SO AGAIN, I, I THINK, UH, WE HAD TWO LAWYERS TODAY TELL US, UH, THIS POTENTIAL, THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE. AND, AND NOT ONLY IS MAYOR PROTOS A LICENSED LAWYER, BUT ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER LEWIS IS A LICENSED LAWYER. AND, UM, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT TAKING MEASURES AND DEVELOPING CODE AND, AND REGULATIONS THAT DON'T CONTRADICT STATE LAW. IF, IF THE TIME COMES WHEN STATE LAW IS CHANGED, THAT SHOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DEVELOP A POLICY OR A LAW THAT, THAT SUPPORTS THAT, UH, AND, AND TO DEVELOP ANYTHING, UH, THAT CONTRADICTS, UH, THE STATE'S CONSTITUTION AND, AND VICE VERSA. AND PUT LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT CURATE THE AVERAGE PUBLIC MEMBER FROM READING THIS AND BEING BEGINNING CONFUSED ABOUT ENFORCEABILITY. UH, AGAIN, IT, IT, IT ELIMINATES CONSERVATIVE, UH, IT POTENTIALLY OPENS UP THE CITY TO POTENTIAL LITIGATION IN THE YEARS TO COME BECAUSE WE'RE WRITING SOMETHING THAT CONTRADICTS ITSELF THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. AND, AND THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY. THANK YOU. SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S AS MENTIONED, THANK YOU TO THE STATE ATTORNEY. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION TO THE LAW. NOW WE UNDERSTAND LAW CHANGES AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD COME AND THE CITY WILL THEN BRING IT BACK TO US AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MODIFY ANY OF OUR RULES TO APPLY TO THOSE CURRENT LAWS. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. THANK YOU MAYOR. I HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ, A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN WU FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2 3 5 7 IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CA, UM, ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING CHAPTER TWO OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD ARTICLE SEVEN ENTITLED CODE OF CONDUCT. I BELIEVE IT'S SEVEN. COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? NO. COUNCILMAN WU AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR PRO TEMP CONTOS. NO. MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO. AYE. ITEM PASSES THREE TO MAYOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO THAT WAS NUMBER TWO. NOW TO [3) CONSIDERATION OF PURCHASE OF A FIRE UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLE (UTV) AND ASSOCIATED BUDGET AMENDMENT] AGENDA ITEM THREE, WHICH, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS ONE OF OUR RESIDENT WHO BROUGHT UP THE FUNDING, IF YOU CAN JUST ADDRESS REGARDING THE PURCHASE OF THAT VEHICLE USING GENERAL FUNDS AND THE CONTRADICTION, WHO'S GONNA MAKE THAT REPORT COME ON UP? I'M GONNA ASK, UH, CHIEF BROWN AND OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, UM, KAREN NAWA, UH, TO COME UP, BUT I WILL PREFACE THEIR PRESENTATION WITH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS RESIDENT BRING UP WAS THE REIMBURSEMENT FROM CAL OES. AS THE COUNCIL'S AWARE, I WAS TASKED WITH WORKING WITH CHIEF BROWN IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT ON OUR REIMBURSEMENT FROM CAL OES. UM, CHIEF BROWN HAS REALLY SPEARHEADED THIS EFFORT ALONG WITH HIS STAFF AND HAS IDENTIFIED THAT PREVIOUS REIMBURSEMENTS, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE BEEN [02:10:01] PROBABLY ONE THIRD, ONE HALF OF WHAT THE CITY WAS PROBABLY IN ENTITLED TO. SO THANK YOU TO CHIEF BROWN, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR GETTING OUR, OUR CURRENT FULLY BURDENED RATES AND WORKING WITH CALL A S. SO WE ARE PROPERLY REIMBURSED, REIMBURSED WHEN OUR STAFF DEPLOYS TO EMERGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. OKAY. YEAH. JUST TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS, UM, MS. RA'S, UM, UH, COMMENTS. UM, THAT WAS A MISTAKE IN OUR DRAFT OF THE POLICY. WE INITIALLY, UH, PROPOSED TO DO IT UNDER GENERAL FUNDS. UM, BUT WORKING WITH FINANCE, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND, UM, THAT WAS PART OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S, UM, UH, MONEY THAT WE HAD. AND SO WE CHANGED IT TO REFLECT COMING OUT OF THAT FUND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND. AND THAT WAS MY MISTAKE FOR NOT CATCHING THAT PORTION OF THE, UM, CHANGES IN THE STAFF REPORT. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. UM, WE COULD HAVE CITI CORRECT THAT, UH, FOR, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT CORRECTION FOR THE NEXT MEETING MINUTES CAN REFLECT THAT. OKAY. AND IF I COULD TOO, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADDRESS THE FACT OF HOW THE REIMBURSEMENT OF MUTUAL AID, UM, IS APPLIED. SO WHEN WE GO OUT ON A MUTUAL AID TO FIGHT ALL OF THESE WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS UP AND DOWN THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA, NOT ONLY IS THE REGULAR PAY AND THE OVERTIME PAY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DEPLOYED OUT IN THAT, UH, ASSIGNMENT, A HUNDRED PERCENT REIMBURSED BY THE STATE, ALSO THE BACKFILL, THE PEOPLE WORKING BACK IN THE STATION TO COVER THOSE PERSONNEL IS A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERED FOR THE OVERTIME FOR THEM TO BACKFILL THAT PERSON WHILE THEY'RE OUT ON THE ASSIGNMENT. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THAT'S WHERE THAT 15% ADMINISTRATIVE RATE COMES ON TOP OF THAT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF OR OTHER CITY STAFF AND FINANCE, THAT IT TAKES TIME FOR THEM TO PROCESS THE PAPERWORK ON THE BACK END. AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN MAKE UP SOME OF THAT MONEY. SO IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, JUST THAT APPARATUS ALONE, UM, HAS PAID FOR ITSELF. UM, THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS PAID FOR ITSELF IN FULL EACH OF THOSE YEARS. AND WE CONTINUE, WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT. UM, THIS IS A VERY LIMITED RESOURCE THAT NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HAVE. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE ONE. WE HAVE THE TRAINING, THE TOOLS, AND THE EQUIPMENT OTHER THAN THE UTV, UH, WHICH IS A NEW REQUIREMENT OF CAL OES AND FIRESCOPE TO OBTAIN A TYPE ONE REMS TEAM, UH, WHICH IS A RAPID RESPONSE, UH, MODULE, UH, SUPPORT MODULE THAT, UM, SUPPORTS THE CREWS OUT WORKING ON STEEP SLOPES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THE ONLY PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT TYPE ONE RESOURCE IS THE UTV. THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THE STATE, UH, THE BACKFILL. UM, ONE QUESTION. HOW OFTEN DO YOU GUYS GO OUT FOR DEPLOYMENT PER YEAR, ROUGHLY? UH, SO THE REMS TEAM OVER THE PAST, UH, TWO YEARS, UM, I PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX TIMES. AND MOST OF THE TIME THAT THEY'RE OUT, THEY'RE OUT FOR EITHER 14 OR SOMETIMES 21 DAY DEPLOYMENTS. AND ARE YOU MAKING SURE THAT ALL PAPER, ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORKS ARE SUBMITTED FOR THOSE REIMBURSEMENT AND THAT WE MAKE SURE WE COLLECT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE DUE FOR TO US? YEAH. SO EVERY YEAR WE NOT ONLY DO WE TRAIN, UM, ALL OF OUR STAFF IN WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING, THE RT ONE 30, IT'S AN ANNUAL TRAINING, BUT ON TOP OF WHAT'S REQUIRED, WE ALSO DO A SEPARATE PORTION OF IT, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING HOW TO DO THE PAPERWORK AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, REIMBURSED PROPERLY AND COMPLETED WHILE WE'RE OUT ON THE, UH, ON THE ASSIGNMENT. CAL OES ALSO HAS REPRESENTATIVES OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PAPERWORK IS IN ORDER. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, ONCE THAT PAPERWORK IS SUBMITTED AT THE INCIDENT, I HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO OVERVIEW AND LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT IT EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE PENNY, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL REIMBURSED. AND HOW LONG DOES A REIMBURSEMENT TAKE TO KICK IN TO OUR FUNDS? UH, IT, IT KIND OF DEPENDS, BUT, UH, THE STATE HAS GONE THROUGH A PROCESS TO TRY TO STREAMLINE THAT, AND THEY TRY TO GET THE FUNDS BACK TO US WITHIN 120 DAYS. SO NOW WHERE WE USED TO FILL OUT ALL THIS PAPERWORK ON ACTUAL PAPER, UM, THERE'S AN APP THROUGH CAL OES THAT WE FILL IT OUT, UH, ELECTRONICALLY, WHICH SPEEDS UP THE PROCESS MUCH QUICKER. OKAY. AND IS FINANCE DOUBLE CHECKING THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED EACH AND EVERY PENNY THAT IS DUE TO US? YES, WE DO CONFIRM AND VERIFY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN WU? YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. I, I THINK, UH, WE TRY TO HAVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE SELF-SUFFICIENT. [02:15:01] OKAY. MEANING, UH, WITH THE MUTUAL AID. OKAY. I KNOW PREVIOUS. OKAY. AND, UH, OUR FINANCE DIRECTORS DIDN'T FIRE US PROPERLY AND, UH, WE MORE LIKE A NEGATIVE. AND THEN, BUT NOW WITH THE NEW FINANCE DIRECTORS. OKAY. AND, UH, WE WANT TO CLAIM MORE ON WHAT THESE, WE DESERVE TO HAVE THE, WE SAW THE MUTUAL AID. OKAY. ANOTHER THING, MAYBE A FINANCE ADVISOR SHARE WITH US, WE HAVE A AMBULANCE AND THAT SOMETHING TOO, UH, CAN BUILD UP. OKAY. SOMETHING THAT CAN BRING THE REVENUE TO US, AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF, UH, INCREASE WHAT THE BENEFIT FOR OUR, UH, FIRE STATION, TO REBUILD THE FIRE STATION, TO DO THE TRAINING FACILITY, ALL FROM THAT, WHAT WE CAN BRING IN. OKAY. AND BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE STATE OR FEDERAL IS NOT GOING TO GIVE US OKAY. ANY MONEY OKAY. TO MAYBE GIVE US VERY LITTLE MONEY. IT'S COMPARED WITH THE $20 MILLION TO REBUILD A STATION OR $20 MILLION BILL OR TRAINING FACILITY. THAT IS NOT THE MONEY THAT CAN, CAN GIVE TO US. SO WE HAVE TO FIND OKAY. THE WAY TO SELF SUFFICIENT AND BRING THIS AND IMPROVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY FIRE STATION ONE. THIS IS LEAVING THE TRAILER, SO WE REALLY NEED TO DO IT ASAP, SO MAYBE FINANCE DIRECTOR CAN SHARE THE, SOME LIGHT WITH US, BECAUSE SOUND LIKE DOING A GREAT JOB. OKAY. OKAY. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. I ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF HERE REGARDING THE AMBULANCE SERVICES. THEY ARE EXPLORING, UM, WORKING WITH A THIRD PARTY AGENCY TO PROVIDE AMBULANCE SERVICES, HAVE THEM HELP US ON ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE AND SEE WHAT A PILOT PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO THAT IS CURRENTLY ALREADY IN THE PROCESS. IT TAKES TIME TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS. SO, BUT WE ARE COLLABORATING TOGETHER TO LOOK INTO THIS PILOT PROGRAM AND TO HAVE SOME RESULTS AND SEE WHAT, WHAT WE ACTUALLY CAN, UH, HOPEFULLY GET IN RETURN FOR THESE AMBULANCES. GREAT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN. UH, GUTIERREZ? YES. UM, HAS THERE BEEN A, ANY INCREASE IN FUNDING SINCE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE PRO, ONE OF THE ONE EXPERTISE YOU BROUGHT KAREN, WHEN YOU CAME BOARD WAS THAT YOU WERE GONNA BANG ON CES'S DOOR AND, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE CITY WAS GETTING ITS FAIR SHARE OF, OF RETURNS AND IN WAGES AND SO FORTH. HAS THERE BEEN, UH, AN INCREASE OR, OR, OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN HOW TO COLLECT THOSE FEES NOW? WELL, ACTUALLY OUR COLLABORATIVE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE SUBMITTED OUR FULLY BURDENED RATES. UH, IT'S IN THE PROCESS TO BE SUBMITTED, AND ONCE I COULD SUBMIT IT AND IT GETS APPROVED, THEN THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO REQUEST TO INCREASE THE 15% ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD COSTS. MM-HMM . FIRST STEP IS TO GET OUR FULLY BURDENED CURRENT RATES APPROVED, AND THEN THE SECOND STEP WILL BE TO GO OUT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES TO POSSIBLY GET IN, UH, AN INCREASE. BUT WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH FIRE TO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SUCCESS FOR YOU SOON. GREAT. GREAT. AND, AND, UM, ANOTHER THING I WANNA SAY, UH, I KNOW, UM, CONGRESSMAN, UH, GIL ROS HAS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I KNOW HE, UH, RECENTLY SECURED, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER I MY A HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. UH, HOW MUCH, WHAT WAS IT? 200 5200. 250,000. OKAY. YEAH. SO HE JUST RECENTLY SECURED $250,000 TO HELP, UH, SUPPORT THE REBUILDING OF FIRE STATION ONE. AND WE, WE NEED ANOTHER 20 MEETING . YES. AND, AND I JUST WANNA, UH, GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND THANK, UH, THE CONGRESSMAN'S OFFICE FOR HIS DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY. SO, THANK YOU, AMOO. WE'RE WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH GIL CIRO'S OFFICE TO SUBMIT ANOTHER GRANT FOR THIS YEAR, UM, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THAT, UH, SUBMITTED, UM, TO HIS OFFICE, UH, TOMORROW. YEAH. OKAY. GREAT. MAKE SURE YOU MEET THAT DEADLINE. I'VE BEEN EMAILING YOU ALL THE TIME. DON'T MISS IT. DON'T MISS IT. , WE, WE'VE GOT IT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FINANCE AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE IN THERE TO SUPPORT, UM, WHAT WE NEED AND COME UP WITH THE BEST STRATEGY OF HOW TO GO AFTER THAT MONEY. GREAT. UH, MAYOR, I'M GONNA MOVE THE MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU, A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM NUMBER THREE, CONSIDERATION OF PURCHASE OF A FIRE UTILITY, TERRAIN VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED BUDGET AMENDMENT. COUNCILMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AYE. COUNCILMAN? WOO. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR PRO TEMP CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO AYE. MOTION PASSES ONTO ITEM [4) REVIEW OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR CITY FACILITIES] NUMBER FOUR. WAS THAT YOU COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. GO AHEAD. UM, SO THE, UH, ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, MAYBE IT'S FOR YOU MIKE OR KAREN, BUT, UH, IS THIS PROPOSALS WILL BE RANKED IN THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, AND I SEE PROPOSED COSTS IS 20 OR 20 POINTS. IS THERE A REASON? I, I MEAN, I THINK OUR CODE ASK US TO, UH, AWARD THE, THE, THE MOST, THE LOWEST [02:20:02] WAS WHERE WAS THE COURT? YOU COULD, YOU COULD RE YOU COULD TELL US OUR CODE, BUT IT'S THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER, RIGHT? I BELIEVE THE MOST COMPETENT BIDDER. SO THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. SO IN THIS, IN THIS PROCESS, UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACTORS. THE RATINGS ARE THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE THE MOST COMPETENT BIDDER, NOT NECESSARILY THE LOWEST. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, BY THE WAY. GOOD EVENING. OKAY, GREAT. PERFECT. OKAY. UM, AND I, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME. UM, MOVE THE MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND ROLL CALL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU. SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TIM CONTOS TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, REVIEW OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR CITY FACILITIES. COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ AYE. COUNCILMAN WU AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ AYE. MAYOR PRO, TIM CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ AYE. MOTION PASSES ONTO DEPARTMENT REGULAR MATTERS. ITEM NUMBER FIVE, REVIEW INVESTIGATION REPORT PREPARED BY JAMELE EMPLOYMENT LAW REGARDING CONCERNS RAISED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS AT SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025. COUNCIL MEETING. SO, CITY MANAGER WHO WILL PRESENT THE STAFF REPORT. UM, MS. KATIE FOX FROM BU TER WILL BE PRESENTING THE REPORT TONIGHT. DEAR GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL, CATHERINE FOX ON UH, FROM BUCKHALTER. UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, REVIEW [5) REVIEW OF INVESTIGATION REPORT PREPARED BY GEMELLI EMPLOYMENT LAW REGARDING CONCERNS RAISED BY COUNCILMEMBERS AT SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 COUNCIL MEETING] OF THE INVESTIGATION REPORT PREPARED BY JAMELE EMPLOYMENT LAW. WE HAVE MS. ELLI HERE TONIGHT, SO WE'LL INVITE HER UP, UM, IF THE COUNCIL WOULD WISH TO ASK HER SOME QUESTIONS. UM, BUT IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL REVIEW RECEIVE AND FILE THE CON THE INVESTIGATION REPORT BY MELLY EMPLOYMENT LAW DATED FEBRUARY 26TH, 2026. UH, SECOND TO DIRECT STAFF AND OR OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO PREPARE AND PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS ADDRESSING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, LINES OF AUTHORITY, APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTOCOLS WITHIN THE COUNSEL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING. AND THIRD, IF THE COUNCIL WISHES TO CONSIDER ANY FORMAL ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THE FINDINGS IN THE INVESTIGATION REPORT TO DIRECT STAFF TO AGENDIZE. SUCH AN ACTION FOR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING. ANY QUESTIONS BY THE COUNSEL? MR. AND MR. MELLEY IS HERE. IF THE COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HER, WE'D, UH, WRITE HER UP. GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS KELLY JAMELE. I'M THE FOUNDER MANAGING ATTORNEY JAMELE EMPLOYMENT LAW. I'M AN EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY AND WORKPLACE INVESTIGATOR. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO ATTEND TONIGHT'S COUNSEL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO SHARE THE SCOPE OF MY INVESTIGATION AS WELL AS MY INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY FINDINGS ARE FINAL AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO DEBATE OR NEGOTIATION. IN SEPTEMBER, 2025, THE CITY OF WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL RETAINED ME AS A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATOR TO CONDUCT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO CONCERNS RAISED BY MAYOR LETTI LOPEZ, VITO, AND COUNCIL MEMBER TONY WU ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS BRIAN GUTIERREZ, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S CONCERNS ABOUT MAYOR LOPEZ VITO, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WU. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, AT THIS SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR LOPEZ, VITO SOUGHT, SOUGHT TO CENSOR COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ FOR ENGAGING IN HARASSING AND RETALIATORY BEHAVIOR. SHE BELIEVED HIS BEHAVIOR WAS AN ATTEMPT TO SILENCE HER RATHER THAN VOTE TO CENSOR. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTED FIVE OH TO HIRE AN EXTERNAL THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATOR TO INVESTIGATE THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED. ALTHOUGH NO NUMEROUS CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE ALSO FILED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ. THIS INVESTIGATION ONLY FOCUSED ON THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S CONCERNS. THE COMPLAINTS I INVESTIGATED INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING, ONE, COMPLAINTS AGAINST COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ MA, MAYOR LOPEZ, VITO, AND COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, UH, OR SORRY, MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ENGAGED IN A PATTERN OF HARASSING AND RETALIATORY BEHAVIOR AFTER HE ACCUSED HER OF DOING SHADY THINGS, AND THEN TRIED TO INTIMIDATE HER BY SERVING HER WITH THE CEASE AND DESIST LETTER AT HER PERSONAL RESIDENCE. IN ADDITION, COUNCIL MEMBER WU SENT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AN EMAIL ON AUGUST 18TH TELLING COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ TO STOP FABRICATING LIES TO HARASS AND THREATEN HIM. NUMBER TWO, COMPLAINTS AGAINST MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO. ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ SENT AN EMAIL TO LOPEZ VITO AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEMANDING LOPEZ VITO CEASE AND DESIST FROM FURTHER YELLING, INTIMIDATION, OR RETALIATION. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ALSO REPORTED THAT THE PROPOSED SENSOR BY LOPEZ VITO WAS RETALIATORY BECAUSE COUNCIL [02:25:01] MEMBER GUTIERREZ QUESTIONED LOPEZ, VITO AND WU ABOUT THEIR TIES TO NONPROFITS AS WELL AS THEIR USE OF CITY FUNDS TO PAY FOR NONPROFIT EVENTS. NUMBER THREE, COMPLAINTS AGAINST, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WU. IN ADDITION, ON AUGUST 17TH, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ FILED A COMPLAINT WITH HUMAN RESOURCES ALLEGING COUNCIL MEMBER WU ENGAGED IN WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION. AND THEN FINALLY, GUTIERREZ'S COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S CONCERN REGARDING A PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC. DURING THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ALSO RAISED CONCERNS THAT HE WAS TARGETED OR TREATED UNFAIRLY BECAUSE OF A PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC. IN MY REPORT, I MAKE FACTUAL FINDINGS, ONLY THE FACTUAL FINDINGS WERE MADE. AFTER CAREFULLY ANALYZING ALL THE EVIDENCE GATHERED AND THE DOCUMENTS PROVIDED, I ANALYZE THE ALLEGATIONS PURSUANT TO A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE STANDARD, WHICH MEANS I REACH CONCLUSIONS AS TO WHETHER THE ALLEGED EVENTS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT TO HAVE OCCURRED. AS FOR MY INVESTIGATION METHODOLOGY, THE CITY OF WEST COVINA PROVIDED ME WITH UNFETTERED ACCESS TO ALL THE WITNESSES AND DOCUMENTS I REQUESTED. OVER A FIVE MONTH PERIOD, I CONDUCTED 13 INTERVIEWS WITH NINE WITNESSES, INCLUDING ALL FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE ACTING CITY MANAGER, AND THREE CITY EMPLOYEES. IN ADDITION TO THE 13 INTERVIEWS I CONDUCTED, I REVIEWED HOURS OF RECORDED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AUDIO, VIDEO RECORDINGS, AS WELL AS OVER 700 DOCUMENTS PROVIDED TO ME BY THE CITY OF WEST COVINA AND THE INTERVIEWEES. IN MY REPORT, I HAVE DRAWN CONCLUSIONS FROM THE TOTALITY OF THE EVIDENCE AND A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE FACTS, DOCUMENTS, WITNESSES, AND WHERE NECESSARY I MADE CREDIBILITY DETERMINATIONS. WITH THAT AS MY BACKDROP, MY FINDINGS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING, FINDING ONE, AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE, I FIND BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ENGAGED IN UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT THAT OTHERS REASONABLY PERCEIVED AS INTIMIDATING AND RETALIATORY. I MAKE THIS FINDING FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS FIRST, AND AS AN OVERALL MATTER, ALL FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, IN ADDITION TO THE ACTING CITY MANAGER, EXPRESSED SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT COUNCIL GUTTIER. COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ IS THREATENING AND RETALIATORY CONDUCT WITNESSES CORROBORATED SCENE, OR RECEIVING EMAILS FROM GUTIERREZ THAT WERE ACCUSATORY AND CONFRONTATIONAL. SECOND, EVERY WITNESS I SPOKE WITH REPORTED THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ROUTINELY MAKES UNNECESSARY THREATS OF LEGAL ACTION INTERRUPTS WHEN OTHERS ARE SPEAKING AND TALKS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF IN A DISRESPECTFUL MANNER. MULTIPLE EXAMPLES WERE CORROBORATED BY NUMEROUS WITNESSES. THIRD, EVERY CITY STAFF MEMBER I SPOKE TO WAS HESITANT TO SHARE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ON COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION. THEY WERE WORRIED COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WOULD TARGET THEM. ONCE HE LEARNED THE SOURCE OF THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, I FOUND NO MOTIVE FOR THE CITY EMPLOYEES TO FABRICATE THESE CONCERNS. FOURTH, I CONSIDERED COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S BELIEF THAT MAYOR LOPEZ, VITO, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WU WERE OUT TO GET HIM BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HAD REPORTED THEM TO NUMEROUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. FOR THAT REASON, I GAVE COUNCILMAN CANTOS STATEMENTS, GREATER WEIGHT COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS IS THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HAS NOT REPORTED FOR MISCONDUCT. COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS RAISED SIMILAR CONCERNS AS MAYOR LOPEZ VITO AND COUNCIL MEMBER WU ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ FIFTH. I ALSO GAVE THE ACTING CITY MANAGERS CONCERNS ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AS GREATER WEIGHT SINCE HE REPORTS EQUALLY TO ALL FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THE ACTING CITY MANAGER EXPLAINED. WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING. SIXTH, I FOUND MAYOR LOPEZ VITO AND COUNCIL MEMBER WU CREDIBLE WHEN THEY EXPLAINED THEY WERE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ MADE NUMEROUS PUBLIC ALLEGATIONS OF WRONGDOING WITHOUT PROVIDING FACTUAL SUPPORT. FINALLY, I CONSIDERED COUNCIL MEMBERS GUTIERREZ'S MOTIVE TO DENY THESE CONCERNS. DURING COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S WINNER WITNESS INTERVIEW, HE ACKNOWLEDGED SENDING A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER WHEN HE FELT THREATENED. IT IS MORE PLAUSIBLE THAN NOT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ RESPONSE BY SENDING THREATENING AND INTIMIDATING EMAILS AS A WAY OF REGAINING POWER OR CONTROL AND PROTECTING HIS REPUTATION. FINDING TWO. [02:30:01] AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE, I FIND BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT MAYOR LOPEZ VITO DID NOT ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT THAT COULD REASONABLY BE PERCEIVED AS INTIMIDATING OR RETALIATORY. I MAKE THIS FINDING FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. FIRST, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MAYOR LOPEZ, VITO NEVER THREATENED HIM. SECOND, I LISTENED TO BOTH OF GUTIERREZ'S AUTO RECORDINGS OF LOPEZ VITO SPEAKING TO HIM IN THE ACTING CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. IN BOTH AUDIO, IN BOTH AUDIO, AUDIO RECORDINGS, WHILE LOPEZ VITO SEEMED UPSET, SHE SPOKE TO GUTIERREZ IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. SHE NEVER MADE ANY STATEMENTS THAT WERE OBJECTIVELY INTIMIDATING OR THREATENING. THIRD, I TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THE ACTING CITY MANAGER STATEMENT THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER WHO EXPRESSED FEAR OF INTIMIDATION OR RETALIATION FROM LOPEZ VITO. THIS WAS CORROBORATED BY MULTIPLE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO SAID, WHO ALSO SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY CONCERNS INVOLVING LOPEZ VITO'S CONDUCT. FOURTH, I FOUND LOPEZ VITO MORE CREDIBLE THAN GUTIERREZ WHEN SHE EXPLAINED THE REASONS WHY SHE REQUESTED THE CENSURE OF GUTIERREZ. SHE WAS GENUINELY UPSET THAT GUTIERREZ CROSSED THE LINE BY INVOLVING HER FAMILY AND HER HOME IN WORK-RELATED MATTERS. THIS WAS CORROBORATED BY THE ACTING CITY MANAGER WHO CREDIBLY EXPLAINED HE TOO FELT GUTIERREZ CROSSED THE LINE WHEN GUTIERREZ ATTEMPTED TO HAVE HIM SERVE AT HIS ELDERLY PARENTS' HOME. OVERALL, IN CONSIDERING THE TOTALITY OF THE EVIDENCE, GUTIERREZ'S CREDIBILITY HAS BEEN UNDERMINED BY THE NUMBER OF ALLEGATIONS HE HAS MADE IN THE ONE YEAR HE HAS BEEN IN OFFICE AS WELL AS THE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE INFORMATION GUTIERREZ PROVIDED. MOREOVER, NONE OF THE WITNESSES, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ REQUESTED I SPEAK WITH SHARED GUTIERREZ'S SA SAME CONCERNS FINDING THREE. AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE, I FIND BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WU ON TWO OCCASIONS MADE UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENTS TO COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, I DO NOT FIND, HOWEVER, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WU'S CONDUCT COULD REASONABLY BE PERCEIVED AS INTIMIDATING OR RETALIATORY. I MAKE THESE FINDINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. FIRST, THE VIDEO RECORDING OF THE AUGUST, 2025 INTERACTION BETWEEN WU AND GUTIERREZ CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD A VERBAL ALTERCATION DURING THE FOMENT FESTIVAL. ALTHOUGH COUNCIL MEMBER WU DID NOT COUNT, DID NOT TOUCH COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WU WAS VISIBLY UPSET. WITNESSES CORROBORATED WU USED PROFANITIES. AND SPEAKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ INCLUDED NAME CALLING. ALTHOUGH THE ACTING CITY MANAGER SAID, GUTIERREZ PROVOKED WU PROVOCATION DOES NOT EXCUSE THE USE OF PROFANITY OR RESORTING TO NAME CALLING. ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT AND PROFESSIONALISM. SECOND, WHILE I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ SUBJECTIVELY FOUND W'S CONDUCT INTIMIDATING OR RETALIATORY, I DO NOT FIND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER W'S BEHAVIOR WAS OBJECTIVELY INTIMIDATING OR RETALIATORY. WU IS MUCH SMALLER IN STATUTE THAN GUTIERREZ. NOTHING PREVENTED GUTIERREZ FROM WALKING AWAY FROM WU. AND FACT, AFTER WU MADE THE UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENTS TO GUTIERREZ WU AND THE ACTING CITY MANAGER WALKED TOWARDS THE STAGE AND AWAY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ THIRD, THE VIDEO RECORDING OF THE JANUARY 6TH, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING CONFIRMED COUNCIL MEMBER WU MADE AN UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENT ABOUT THE NEED TO WEAR SUNGLASSES OR SUN LOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER WU SAID THIS, IN RESPONSE TO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS INSTALLED IN THE CITY CHAMBER, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, WU KNEW THE ADDITIONAL LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED AS AN ACCOMMODATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WOO'S COMMENTS WERE INAPPROPRIATE AND A PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE AND INCONSISTENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE STANDARDS. FINALLY, FINDING NUMBER FOUR, AFTER A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE, I FIND BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WAS NOT TARGETED OR TREATED UNFAIRLY BECAUSE OF A PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC. I MAKE THESE FINDINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. FIRST, AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ PROVIDED WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION IN SUPPORT OF HIS PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2025, THE CITY PROMPTLY REQUESTED A MEETING WITH GUTIERREZ TO DISCUSS HIS REQUESTS. THEREAFTER, WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME, CITY STAFF TOOK REMEDIAL ACTION. SECOND, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE REMEDIAL ACTION TAKEN WAS ACCEPTABLE. FINALLY, AS DISCUSSED ABOVE, ALTHOUGH I [02:35:01] FIND CO, ALTHOUGH I FIND COUNCIL MEMBER WU WU MADE ONE UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT THAT COULD BE VIEWED AS RELATED TO COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC, I DO NOT FIND THIS SINGLE ISOLATED COMMENT SUPPORTS A FINDING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WAS TARGETED OR TREATED UNFAIRLY BECAUSE OF HIS PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES, THAT CONCLUDES MY SUMMARY. THE REPORT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU PUT IN, AND IT'S ACTUALLY NICE TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY WHO DOES NOT KNOW US, WHO HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH ANY OF US CITY STAFF OR ANYBODY TO CREATE THIS, UM, THOROUGH REPORT. SO I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND THIS ALSO GIVES THE RESIDENTS THE ABILITY TO HEAR, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN IT COMES FROM ANY OF OUR MOUTHS, THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHT PROCESS. BUT WHEN IT COMES FROM SOMEBODY ELSE, A THIRD PARTY, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. UM, THE RESIDENTS, I KNOW SHE GAVE A BRIEF SUMMARY, IT'S IN OUR AGENDA ON ITEM FIVE. IT'S, UH, LITERALLY A STACK WITH EVIDENCE AND AS SHE MENTIONED FACT FINDING. UM, SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. UM, IT'S, UH, WELL, BEFORE I CONTINUE MAKE MY COMMENTS, I'LL ALLOW OTHER COUNSELS TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THEIR COMMENTS OR IF THEY WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING. DOES ANYBODY WANNA SAY ANYTHING? COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. UM, IN YOUR, UH, MS. MS. JAMAL, WHEN THIS REPORT WAS DONE, WHO DID YOU GIVE THIS REPORT TO? COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, WHEN MY REPORT WAS FINALIZED AT THE REQUEST OF COUNSEL BUCKHALTER, I PROVIDED THE REPORT TO BUCKHALTER BALTER. AND, AND THEY WERE, AND YOU DIDN'T DECIDE. YOU DIDN'T, WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE IT TO CARITA? OUR HR DIRECTOR OR NA METTA, WHO WAS OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DESIGNATED TO OVERSEE THIS INVESTIGATION? UM, SIR, I BELIEVE I, I SUBMITTED THE, THE REPORT AT THE REQUEST OF KATIE FOX. CATHERINE FOX AT BALTER. GREAT. I BELIEVE SHE WANTED TO PERFORM REDACTIONS ON THE REPORT, AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE REQUEST THAT I PROVIDE THE REPORT TO HER LAW FIRM FIRST. SO BO BALTER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REDACTIONS TO THE DOCUMENT? I DON'T KNOW, SIR. I PROVIDED MY FULL REPORT TO BALTER. I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REPORT AFTER I PROVIDED IT TO BALTER. OKAY, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT. UM, THE TIMELINE, UM, YOU, YOU PUT YOUR, YOU STARTED YOUR TIMELINE. IT SAYS JUNE 4TH, 2025. GUTIERREZ SENT AN EMAIL TO CITY STAFF IN RESPONSE TO RU TO GUTTER TO REFRAIN HER USING THREATENING LANGUAGE TOWARDS OUR CITY STAFF. IS THERE A REASON WHY, UM, YOU DIDN'T PUT THE MAY 6TH, 2025 DATE? UH, WHEN MY COLLEAGUE STATED THAT, UM, THE NONPROFIT WAS FUNDING ALL EXPENSES RELATING TO A CITY EVENT? SIR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I HAD ASKED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU DURING YOUR INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWS, IF THERE WAS ANY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, ANY DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE, ANY INFORMATION AT ALL THAT YOU WANTED TO PROVIDE TO ME FOR MY REVIEW. UM, I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF YOU MENTIONED THE JUNE, UH, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UM, IT WASN'T UNTIL YOUR EMAIL THIS WEEKEND THAT I LEARNED THAT NOW, UM, THERE'S A BELIEF THAT IT BEGAN IN MAY OF 2025. YEAH. SO, UM, I PRESENT, I, I PRESENT, PRESENTED TONS OF DOCUMENTS TO YOU AND, AND IT SEEMS LIKE NONE, UH, NONE OF MY DOCUMENTS WERE IN HERE BESIDES OTHERS. WHAT OTHERS HAVE, WERE, WERE GIVEN TO YOU. UM, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN, UM, INTIMIDATION HARASSMENT COMPARED TO, UH, ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. UH, THAT'S A TWO, TWO HUGE, UH, CHARACTERISTICS, UH, THAT DEFINE ITSELF. UH, YOU KNOW, OVERSIGHT ONLY FEELS LIKE INTIMIDATION SOMETIMES TO THOSE WHO FEAR ACCOUNTABILITY AND, AND NO TIME. I THINK THAT, I THINK, I MEAN, WE'LL GO OVER IT RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU, YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S AN AREA AND WE WILL GET THERE, BUT THERE'S AN AREA WHERE YOU ONLY ATTACH THREE EMAILS OF A, OF A 13 PAGE EMAIL. AND IN THE BEGINNING OF, UM, THAT EMAIL, UH, THE JUNE 4TH EMAIL, UM, YOU LEAVE OUT THAT THERE WAS ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS REGARDING TRANSTECH AND ALLOWING A, A THIRD PARTY TO BE INVITED RIGHT BEFORE THEIR CONTRACT WAS RENEWED. YOU LEFT THAT OUT IN YOUR REPORT. AND THEN, AND THEN YOU LEFT OUT THAT I HAD QUESTIONS REGARDING WEST VENUS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA [02:40:02] TELLS ME THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE AN APPLICATION OR APPLICATION PROCESS, CDPH IS NOT REVIEWING ANY DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED BY VENA. AND SO, MS. JAMAL, WHEN I'VE BEEN ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE AND I SEE INVOICES OF AN ENGINEER ENGINEERING COMPANY CHARGING A MONTHLY FEE TO THE TAXPAYERS, WHEN ONE OF THOSE LINE ITEMS STATES ENGINEER, WHY DOES THE LINE ITEM SAY, ENGINEER? WHO, WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR AN ENGINEER TO RUN A A, A HEALTH DEPARTMENT? AND SO WHEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS PRINTING THESE QUESTIONS TO ME, AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO INQUIRE AND, AND, AND TECHNICALLY HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS ELECTING ME TO OFFICE TO ASK THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS? AND, AND MS. JAMAL, YOU LEFT THAT OUT OF YOUR REPORT, AND I THINK THAT PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THE EMAIL WAS ABOUT YOU. YOU CANNOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO GIVE YOU THREE PAGES OF A, OF A 13 PAGE EMAIL. UH, IT, IT LEAVES OUT THE FACTUAL BASIS OF WHY THAT EMAIL WAS CREATED. UH, YOU, YOUR CONTRACT, AND YOU, YOU CONCUR THAT YOUR JOB WAS NOT TO MAKE LEGAL FINDINGS. AND WHEN YOU COME, WHEN IT COMES TO FIJA AND, AND, AND THE A DA AND OTHER REGULATORY LAWS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THAT PLAYS A HUGE ROLE BECAUSE THERE'S ALSO LAWS THAT SAY ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND, AND OVERSIGHT. AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR REPORT LEFT IT OUT, AND I'M NOT ACCUSING YOU OF ANYTHING, BUT IT'S VITAL WHEN THE PUBLIC HAS NEEDS TO KNOW AND HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW AND EMAILS ARE BEING LEFT OUT FOR THEM NOT TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUE REASON OF THIS EMAIL IS ABOUT, WAS ABOUT A HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, AND PROFIT AND, AND FEES BEING PAID TO A HEALTH DE A A, A THIRD PARTY WHERE IT WAS VERY QUESTIONABLE. AND, AND SO WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE. UM, ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, ON THE, ON THE COMPLAINT, IT ALLEGES, UM, UM, SISTER HERE AT THE SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHEN CAWC APPEARED IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO PRESENT THE FINANCIALS, LOPEZ STATED GUTIERREZ ATTACK THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CAWC. MR. MALLEY DID, WERE YOU ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT VIDEO? I DID. AND DID YOU FIND IT ANY CONCERN WHATSOEVER FOR A NONPROFIT JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR TAX RETURNS DIDN'T MATCH WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS BEING PRESENTED ON THE SCREEN THAT DAY? UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF MY INVESTIGATION. SO IT'S, IT'S NOT SO, AND, AND THE PROBLEM IS, MR. MALLEY, IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE ACCUSING SOMEONE OF INTIMIDATION AND HARASSMENT, THAT'S NOT INTIMIDATION WHEN YOU'RE ENSURING FISCAL AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT CITY HALL BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS ELECTED YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR MONEY IS NOT BEING MISSPENT. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THAT ITEM, UH, YOU DID NOT LOOK AT THE FACT THAT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OVER $152,000 WAS ALLOCATED TO THIS EVENT. YOU DID NOT LOOK AT THAT 180 OVER $182,000 WAS AWARDED TO A BOARD MEMBER OF THAT NONPROFIT. AND, AND TO ME, UH, IF I'M BEING ACCUSED OF INTIMIDATION FOR DOING MY JOB TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE I DO EVERYTHING WITH HEART AND PASSION. AND, AND WHEN I'M BEING ACCUSED OF SOMETHING AND, AND THE PUBLIC'S BEING LEFT OUT TO KNOW WHAT THE FULL STORY IS, UH, IT'S ALARMING. UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I PERFORMED AN EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION, WHICH TOOK OVER, OVER FIVE MONTHS, UH, RE IN WHICH I CONDUCTED 13 INTERVIEWS. I REVIEWED INCLUDING TWO DAYS OF IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS WITH YOU. I REVIEWED EVERY DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS OVER 700 DOCUMENTS PROVIDED TO ME BY YOU, AS WELL AS THE OTHER INTERVIEWEES IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA. I REVIEWED EVERY AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING SHARED WITH ME. I REVIEWED ALL RECORDED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT I WAS TOLD CONTAINED RELEVANT INFORMATION. MY INVESTIGATION, I BELIEVE, ADHERED TO GENERALLY ACCEPTED HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES FOR WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS. MY FINDINGS ARE BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF ALL THE INFORMATION AND WITNESS STATEMENTS PROVIDED. BUT MR. MALLEY, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD WHEN THAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR REPORT, WHY, WHY WASN'T, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE, THE INDIVIDUAL WITNESS FROM ANOTHER CITY WHO, WHO COMMENTED ABOUT ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, ALLOWING FOR SPECIAL PERMITTING [02:45:01] PROCESSES, PERMITS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO OCCUR. AND YOU STATED THAT YOU HAD TO SEEK PERMISSION FROM BULK ALTER, BUT THEN IN YOUR REPORT, YOU SAID YOU WERE ALLOWED FREE ABILITY TO INTERVIEW ANYONE, BUT YOU TOLD I DID. EVERY, EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT I WANTED TO INTERVIEW, I WAS PROVIDED ACCESS TO INTERVIEW. BUT YOU, YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD TO ASK PERMISSION TO INTERVIEW THIS SUBJECT MATTER. A PERSON WHO COMMENTED SAYING THAT, UH, HE WAS TOLD TO APPROVE PLANNING PERMITS TO MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH AN, UH, HIS COMPANY. UM, I DON'T, I I NEVER REQUESTED TO INTERVIEW THAT INDIVIDUAL, BUT, UH, SORRY, IT'S A FLY. UM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS I GAVE YOU HIM, I GAVE YOU THAT PERSON AS A WITNESS. AND, AND IF YOU DIDN'T INTERVIEW HIM, HOW ARE WE CREATING AN UNBIASED REPORT? AND, AND SO I, I'LL MOVE ON. UM, WHILE READING THE, UM, YOU'RE CONTINUE TO ANSWER, UM, THIS, I HOPE YOU LOOK AT THIS AS A PACKAGE AS A WHOLE, UM, THIS, WITH THE FACTS THAT THAT IS GIVEN, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BEHAVIOR IS CREATING A HOSTILE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, NOT JUST TO THE COUNCIL, BUT TO THE CITY STAFF. UM, OUR CITY RESOURCES HAS BEEN ALL OCCUPIED, ALL ON ONE COUNCIL. UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE CITY SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THIS ONE PERSON AND MY CONCERN, STAFF NEEDS TO CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES, PROFESSIONAL AND EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT ANY FEAR, INTIMIDATION, THREATENING OR RETALIATION, FABRICATING STORIES, MAKING IT PERSONAL AND NOT STICKING TO CITY BUSINESS. AND WE'RE HERE TO DO CITY BUSINESS. WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE THAT SCOPE DOING ALL THESE THINGS THAT, THAT FALLS IN LINE INTO, AGAIN, INTIMIDATION, THREATENING, RETALIATION, WE DO HAVE PROOF. AND IT'S ACTUALLY INTERESTING TO SEE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SEEING SOME OF THESE ATTACHMENTS AND LETTERS INCLUDING, UM, FROM, UH, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WHO DOESN'T SHARE MUCH, I KNOW SHE'S QUIET AND SEEING THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO HER, UM, YOU KNOW, TO EVEN READING MAYOR PROAM CONTOS, WHICH I KNOW THAT THAT CARRIES A GREATER, UH, BECAUSE HE'S FAIR AND FOR HIM TO EVEN STATE A LOT OF THESE THINGS, EVERYBODY IS HAVING THE SAME EXACT VIEW AND FEELS THE SAME THING. THIS IS ABUSE OF POWER. AND SO THIS SHOWS THE RESIDENTS ALL THIS THAT IS OCCURRING THAT I, I KNOW AN, UM, THE, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO, YOU DON'T STATE EVERYTHING IN DETAIL. SO I KNOW THE RESIDENTS DON'T FEEL OR HEAR ALL THE STORIES AND EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES. THIS GIVES THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE. BUT I, I JUST, I WANT THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THIS SPACE IS IN CONTEXT OF ALL OF THAT. HENCE, IT GOES BACK TO THE CODE OF CONDUCT. AND SO YOUR CONDUCT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND IT IS CAUSING HARM TO THE CITY, TO THE RESIDENTS. IT CAUSES FINANCIAL, EVERYTHING, UH, CITY RESOURCES. AND SO THIS IS WHAT THIS IS PROVING. AND SO THERE'S NOT ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS IN HERE THAT GOES AGAINST TO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING. AND IF YOU THINK THAT IS OKAY TO DO, IT'S NOT OKAY. AND WE HAVE PROOF FROM EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, INCLUDING STAFF. SO THIS IS A REPORT THAT JUST PROVES IT, AND IT'S ALL OUT THERE. AND SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, BUT SO, UM, AND SO WE MOVE ON. UM, AND AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS OVER THE WEEKEND. YOU SENT ME 15 EMAILS MM-HMM . UM, BUT AS I'VE STATED, AS I TOLD YOU PREVIOUSLY, AS I'VE SAID TONIGHT, MY FINDINGS ARE NOT, UM, ARE FINAL. MY FINDINGS ARE FINAL AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO DEBATE OR NEGOTIATION. YEAH. SO, UM, AND, AND THE REASON WHY I SEPARATED THOSE EMAILS IS INSTEAD OF WRITING YOU A LONG EMAIL, WAS TO SEE IF YOU RESPOND INDIVIDUALLY TO THE INDIVIDUAL ERRORS. I BELIEVE THAT WERE, THAT WERE ADDRESSED. UM, SO WE MOVE ON, AND IT SAYS IN 2025, THE CAWC WITHDREW FROM PARTYING FROM THE CITY, CITY FOR THE MOON FESTIVAL, LIKELY DUE TO THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY CREATED BY GUTIERREZ. THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED. MY COLLEAGUE [02:50:01] SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THAT NONPROFIT AND SAID THAT HE'LL GIVE CONTROL BACK TO THE CITY. AND THAT'S HOW THIS DAY, THAT MONEY HAS NOT GONE COME, COME BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS. MR. MALLEY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF YOU'RE DOING A REPORT THAT ALL FACTS ARE, ARE REPORTED PART OF THIS REPORT BECAUSE A FAIR AND, AND, AND REPORT BASED UPON STRONG COMMUNITY INPUT, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WHY. IS COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ASKING THESE QUESTIONS? IS THERE FACTUAL BASIS BEHIND HIS QUESTIONS? AND WHEN YOUR REPORT LEAVES THAT OUT, THAT'S CONCERNING. YOUR REPORT ALSO LEAVES OUT, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE MATTER, BUT THERE'S EMAILS IN HERE SHOWING THAT MR. MORRIDGE AND CHER WERE, WERE SENDING YOU DOCUMENTS TO ADD TO THIS PACKET. WELL, WHILE MR. MORRIDGE WAS ACTUALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN PROVIDING THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOCUMENTS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT, UH, A LOT OF THE DOCUMENTS ARE THAT EXIST TODAY IN MY POSSESSION GIVEN TO OVERSIGHT AUTHORITIES, WAS BECAUSE OF MR. MORRIDGE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ENSURE THAT THESE INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITIES HAD VITAL INFORMATION AT THEIR HAND. AND, AND SO WHAT I'M SEEING THE CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS IN HERE, IT'S CONCERNING. UM, AND THEN, AND THEN FOR SOMEONE TO, YOU, YOU LEAVE OUT ON THIS REPORT, YOU, ALTHOUGH YOU MENTIONED THAT I SENT A A, A LICENSED PROCESS SERVER, BUT YOU FAILED TO PUT THE FOOD STORY, YOU FAILED TO PUT THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL THREATENED THAT I WAS AN EFFING IDIOT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT I'M DEAD TO HIM. AND THAT, UH, AND, AND AND OTHER WORDS, UH, THAT WERE ALARMING. YOU ALSO FAILED TO REP TO REPORT IN YOUR THING THAT I WAS ALSO THREATENED TO BE SHOT. AND AND YOUR REPORT DOESN'T HAVE THAT. WHY WOULDN'T YOU? AND THIS IS VITAL INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC HAD THE RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT. UM, AND, AND WE MOVE ON. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, YOU ASKED HER TO RESPOND TO THAT. WOULD YOU LIKE MS. JAMELE TO RESPOND TO THAT? SURE. UH, I REPORTED ALL OF THE INFORMATION OF WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS SHARED WITH ME. SO IF THAT INFORMATION, IF IF INFORMATION, IF SPECIFIC INFORMATION WAS SHARED WITH ME DURING YOUR INTERVIEW, DURING EACH OF YOUR INTERVIEWS, THAT WAS INCLUDED WITHIN THE SUMMARY OF YOUR INTERVIEWS. YEAH. 'CAUSE I'M, I'M LOOKING HERE AND, AND, AND YOU, YOU, YOU PUT IN YOUR REPORT THAT MR. RACK, WHICH WAS BOUGHT HER, BECAUSE I I, I SENT A PROCESSOR TO AN ADDRESS THAT, UH, HIS PARENTS ALLEGEDLY LIVED AT, THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY THAT WAS DONE IS BECAUSE MR. RACKER SAID HE WANTED TO BE SERVED PROPERLY. AND THAT I WAS ASKED FOR, TECHNICALLY, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THIS RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA, I MEAN, MAKE STAFF LOOK BAD, BUT I WAS, I WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE MONETARY COMPENSATION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR A WITNESS TO APPEAR IN COURT. UM, AND WHEN ALL THIS INFORMATION IS LEFT OUT AND YOU ONLY REPORT ON HALF OF IT, YOU, YOU, YOU PUT IN YOUR REPORT THAT MR. MOR, OR, OR THIS HASN'T LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS FOR YEARS, BUT A PRIOR CASE INVOLVING MR. , I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO HAS THAT ADDRESS ON FILE. UH, AND HE WAS PROPERLY SERVED BY A LEGAL PROCESS SERVER BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO BE, UH, WE ACCEPT THE SERVICE IN A REGULAR MATTER. SECOND, I NEVER TOLD YOU I SENT CEASE AND DESIST LETTERS BECAUSE I FEEL FEARFUL. UH, CEASE AND DESIST LETTERS IS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION WHEN A TOPIC OR A SUBJECT HAS TO BE GIVEN IN A, IN A, IN A MANNER. SO, SO SOMEONE COULD UNDERSTAND, UM, WE GO ON AND AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, LET ME SPEAK TO THAT POINT. 'CAUSE I, I RECALLED THAT VERY CLEARLY THAT WHEN I ASKED YOU WHY YOU SENT ME A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER, YOU RESPONDED BECAUSE YOU FELT THREATENED. NO, I, I SAID THAT THERE, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONFLICT FOR BALTAR TO HAVE BEEN THE, BEEN THE ONE TO HAVE FOUND YOUR FIRM. AL ALTER IS THE ONE ALSO SUING ME, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW I HAVE A ACCOMMODATION. BUT, UM, AND, AND SO I, I ABSOLUTELY, I FELT THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT. AND, AND, AND TODAY WE HAVE A REPORT THAT IS MISSING DOCUMENTS. UM, AND, AND WE GO ON. UM, AND AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, THERE WERE OVER 700 DOCUMENTS SHARED WITH ME. SO IF I WOULD'VE ATTACHED THOSE TO THE REPORT, WE WOULD BE HERE ALL EVENING. YEAH. AND, BUT AGAIN, YOU, YOU, YOU PUT UTTERS INFORMATION ON HERE, BUT NOT MINES. AND SO, PAGE 14, IT ALSO STATES THAT, UM, BECAUSE I SAY GUTTER EXPLAINED AND IT'S IMPORTANT PERSONALITY PERSONALLY TO SERVE LOPEZ [02:55:01] CEASE AND ASSIST LATER AT HER HOME BECAUSE MILLIONS OF TAXPAYERS WERE MISAPPROPRIATE, I NEVER SAID THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. CAN I ASK A QUESTION? BECAUSE MILLIONS, I NEVER SAID THAT. NO, NO. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. BECAUSE ON THIS REPORT, IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, YOU RECORDED INTERVIEWS AND YOU ASKED, AND I KNOW YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT YOU KNOW, KIND OF GIVE A HARD TIME. YOU DIDN'T WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THE INVESTIGATION. UM, THEN YOU MADE EXCUSES, YOU KNOW, WELL, DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATIONS, OR YOU WANTED WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, AND THEN YOU, THEY, UM, YOU DID NOT WANT A CONSENT TO INTERVIEW BEING RECORDED. IF YOU HAD RECORDED THIS, ALL OF THIS, HE SAID, SHE SAID, WOULD'VE NOT OCCURRED. WHICH IS IRONIC BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRIVATELY RECORDED ME AND OTHERS RECORDING. SO THAT ONE I DON'T UNDERSTAND. SO THE, YOU DIDN'T LET HER RECORD TO MAKE SURE THESE WERE THE CL CLEAR THINGS OF WHAT I SAID, WHAT I DIDN'T SAY. BUT EVERYBODY ELSE HAD THIS INTERVIEW RECORDED. UM, NOT ONLY THAT, I KNOW IN HERE THERE WAS A LOT OF LIKE FABRICATED FALSE ALLEGATIONS THAT YOU WOULD MAKE. SHE JUST SAID RIGHT HERE, RIGHT TODAY THAT SHE IS MAKING FACT, FINDING THE ACTUAL FACTS, THE PROOFS AND EVERYTHING THAT IS THERE. SO IF THERE'S NO FACTS TO PROVE THAT, HOW CAN FALSE ALLEGATIONS, THEIR ALLEGATIONS, ACCUSATION IS OCCURRING AND THEN GOING BACK TO THREATENING. BECAUSE I MEAN, THERE'S EMAIL. I, I SAW ONE EMAIL THAT WAS, I MEAN, NOT ONLY TO MYSELF OBVIOUSLY, BUT THERE'S ONE WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE A HABIT, INCLUDING DOING THE CITY FOR SOMEBODY WHO LOVES CITY OF WEST COVINA, THEY TRY NOT TO HURT THE CITY, BUT YOU SUED. IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU SUED. AND YOU'VE ALSO, WITH THE CODE OF CONDUCT, YOU TOLD THE COUNCIL HERE THAT IF YOU PASS THE CODE OF CONDUCT, THE VERY NEXT DAY, I WILL SUE YOU. THERE'S A LOT OF, IF YOU DO THIS, IF YOU DO THAT, X, Y, Z, I WILL SUE YOU. SO ON HERE, YOU EVEN WROTE THAT TO COUNCILWOMAN, DO DIAZ, UM, WHERE YOU'RE SAYING ALL THIS STUFF, AND THEN I'LL PURSUE ALL AVAILABLE LEGAL REMEDIES INCLUDING SUING YOU PERSONALLY, IF NECESSARY. UM, A LOT OF THESE OTHER THINGS IS GOING TO ALL THAT ROUTE. NOW, AGAIN, YOU MENTIONED ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. IT'S, IT'S GIVEN, WHEN YOU SEND OUT CEASE AND DESIST, IT GOES OUT TO THE MEDIA. IT GOES OUT TO LIKE, WHEN YOU SENT THESE THINGS OUT TO ME, TO FBI, TO THE DOJ, TO ALL THESE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS. I KNOW EVEN WITH CALOSHA AND I, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU WORK FOR THESE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS. EVERYONE EXCEPT THE CITY, INSTEAD OF PROTECTING THE CITY, IT'S LIKE YOU JUST WANNA BRING THE CITY DOWN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TIMES YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT. YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. SO YOU HAVE ALREADY SUED US IN THE PAST. YOU'VE THREATENED THE CITY TO SUE US AGAIN. AGAIN, THIS IS REGARDING YOUR CONDUCT. THE, AND IT GOES BACK TO FEAR, INTIMIDATION, THREATENING, RETALIATION. WE HAVE PROOF WITH EVEN THE STAFF THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO THIS, I WILL TAKE ALL LEGAL ACTIONS. UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO REPORT ALL THESE OUTSIDE AGENCIES. AND SO THAT WHAT'S CONCERNING TO ME IS THE PROTECTION FOR THE CITY. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE YOU PROTECTING? WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR? AND SO THAT, THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN IN THIS WHOLE MATTER. BUT YOU HAVE NOT NEGATED THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS HERE THAT IS WRITTEN, ARE YOU QUESTION, I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING HER A BUNCH OF OTHER QUESTIONS THAT'S NOT HERE, BUT WHAT ABOUT WHAT'S IN HERE? LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT IS INSIDE THIS. IS THERE ANYTHING INACCURATE THAT IS BEING SAID? BECAUSE WE ALL FEEL THIS, NOT JUST THE COUNCIL, NOT JUST THE STAFF, BUT INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUED RESIDENTS FOR MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU WANT TRANSPARENCY, BUT YOU HIDE BEHIND EVERYTHING. YOU HIDE BEHIND SAFE AT HOME. LIKE, I CAN DO THIS, BUT YOU CAN'T DO THIS. AND EXACTLY. YOU WANNA SAY THOSE THINGS OF LIKE, WELL, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT. HERE WE GO. LET'S TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. SO THAT'S WHY I APPRECIATE THIS, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALLOWED TO PUT THIS INTO TRANSPARENT FOR OTHERS TO REALLY SEE THE TRUE MR. BRIAN GUTIERREZ, WHO WE DID NOT EVEN KNOW. I DO NOT KNOW YOU OF A PERSON THAT I KNOWN YOU BEFORE TO WHO YOU ARE TODAY. AND RE ALL THESE REPEATED BEHAVIORS, REPEATED PATTERNS. I MEAN, YOU ARE WORSE THAN WHAT I IMAGINED. AND, YOU KNOW, FIT FOR OFFICE. GRANTED, THAT IS RESIDENCE. I KNOW WE'VE HAD HEARD A FEW PEOPLE, THEY WANT YOU TO STEP DOWN, YOU KNOW, TO RESIGN. UM, THAT IS UP TO THE PUBLIC. I MEAN, EVEN IF WE WERE ALL HERE TO SAY, WE WISH FOR YOU TO RESIGN. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. LISTEN OR NOT, THE PUBLIC, THE RESIDENTS, [03:00:01] THEY HAVE THAT. IF THEY WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH A RECALL, THAT'S ON THEM. BUT THIS IS JUST SHOWCASING THE TRUTH. WE WANTED THE TRUTH, AND I APPRECIATE THE TRUTH THAT IS GIVEN OUT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING IN HERE THAT IS CURRENTLY, I MEAN, THIS IS A LOT OF PAGES, THIS IS A LOT OF FINDING, THIS IS A LOT OF, UM, ANALYSIS OF WHAT WAS SAID, WHAT WAS MENTIONED. I MEAN, SOME THINGS WERE VERY SURPRISING. LIKE I, I'M SURPRISED, YOU KNOW, HE SAID THAT HE DID THAT. UM, AND, AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IS IT'S ALL THERE. AND SO IS THERE AN ISSUE QUESTION IN HERE? AND YOU KEEP DIGRESSING AND YOU KEEP, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DISTRACT FROM THE REAL SITUATION. THE REAL CASE AND SITUATION IS YOUR BEHAVIOR. AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE AT TODAY. SO DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THESE FINDINGS? YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH YOU, YOU KEEP INTERRUPTING ME. UM, AND SO, UM, SO AGAIN, I NEVER STATED THAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE, WERE MISAPPROPRIATE UH, MISAPPROPRIATED. UH, THERE WAS OTHER FACTUAL CLAIMS THAT WERE REPORTED TO YOU, KELLY. UH, AND, AND THE REASON WHY I WASN'T RECORDED, BECAUSE I, I GOT PERMISSION TO, UH, LIKE I TOLD YOU, MS. JAMAL, UH, TO REPORT THIS AS A VIEWER OR INDEPENDENT, UH, INVESTIGATOR. UM, AND I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTING I HAD DID. UM, AND, AND SO WE MOVE ON AND, AND SAYS, MR. PROB MILLIONS, I NEVER STA STATED THAT. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. UM, IT GOES ON, UH, I GUESS WE'LL BE, AND SO FILING AGAIN, I NEVER, I NEVER STATED WHEN I FEEL THREAD AND I SEND THOSE CEASE AND ASSIST LETTERS, UM, AGAIN, YOU, YOU, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU HEARD RECORDINGS, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S OKAY TO RAISE YOUR VOICE OR POTENTIALLY YELL, YELL AT SOMEONE AT CITY HALL THAT THAT WAS NO FINDING. UM, AND, AND THEN SMACKING THE DOOR, WHEN, WHEN THAT PERSON LEFT, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, I LISTENED TO THE RECORDINGS AND I DID NOT HEAR A RAISED VOICE. I HEARD SOMEONE WHO SOUNDED UPSET BUT WAS NOT YELLING, DID NOT SLAM OR KICK A DOOR. I HEARD VERY PROFESSIONAL TONE BEING USED AND VERY PROFESSIONAL WORDS BEING USED. AND AGAIN, UH, UH, WHEN THIS SUB, WHEN THIS SUBJECT WAS BEFORE US, I ASKED OUR ACTIVE CITY MANAGER QUESTIONS AND HE ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS. UH, AND, AND SO AGAIN, IT IT'S CONTRADICTORY, UH, IN YOUR REPORT. UM, WE GO ON. WHILE YOU'RE WAITING AND LOOKING AT THAT, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. GO AHEAD, MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT. UM, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW FAR DO WE GO WITH THIS ? I MEAN, BECAUSE, UM, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ DOES NOT AGREE WITH ANY OF THE REPORTS, ANYTHING IN THERE AT ALL. AND, UM, I MEAN, I GUESS HE COULD WRITE A REBUTTAL AND MAYBE POST IT SOMEWHERE. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS. I JUST KNOW THAT HE'S NOT GONNA AGREE WITH ANY OF IT. AND, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT PROBABLY NOT A COMPLETE REPORT BECAUSE IT WAS RECORDED AND WE WERE ALL RECORDED AS AS, I MEAN, I BELIEVE SO. AND, UM, HE APPARENTLY WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WASN'T. SO, I MEAN, I JUST WONDERED HOW FAR ARE WE GONNA GO WITH THIS? UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF CEASE AND DESIST MEMOS THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO PEOPLE. AND, AND LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S PROB THIS BOOK WOULD BE HUGE AND WE'D HAVE SO MUCH, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, I I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. UM, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ WAS COUNCILMAN, UH, I MEAN, MAYOR PROTE OLI CONTOS STATEMENT INCORRECT. DID YOU READ THAT? UH, I, I SPOKEN TO MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS ALREADY. DID YOU READ IT? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR'S AWARDS, BUT, UH, SOME MISSTATEMENTS, I BELIEVE, UH, THAT WAS ADDRESS, UH, THAT WAS VOICED. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE I HERE, I'M NOT HERE TO, UH, PUT THE MAYOR PRO TEM ON, ON THE SPOT OR VICE VERSA. I THINK THERE'S MORE, UH, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH MY QUE I MEAN, MY BRIEF STATEMENTS. I'M ALREADY ALMOST, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M ALREADY FINISHED ALMOST. OH, I, I'M, OKAY, SO I'M NOT DONE [03:05:01] THOUGH. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, COUNCIL MEMBER DIAZ, I'M SO SORRY TO INTERRUPT. CAN I RESPOND TO TWO THINGS THAT YOU JUST RAISED BEFORE YOU MOVE ON? AND JUST SO THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU JUST RAISED, YOU MADE A STATEMENT THAT THIS WAS, I BELIEVE YOU SAID, NOT A COMPLETE REPORT BECAUSE IT WASN'T, UH, RECORDED, AT LEAST COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S TWO INTERVIEWS WERE NOT RECORDED. UM, MS. JAME'S REPORT IS A SUMMARY OF HER INVESTIGATION. SO AS SHE SAID, SHE REVIEWED OVER 700 RIGHT DOCUMENTS, THAT'S NOT PAGES, THAT IS INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS. SO MORE PAGES THAN THAT. UM, INTERVIEWED 13, UH, HAD 13 INTERVIEWS OF NINE WITNESSES. AND SO I BELIEVE IT IS A COMPLETE REPORT. IT JUST MIGHT NOT HAVE, UM, AN INTERVIEW RECORDED THAT WE, UM, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RECORDED. I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY. UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, YOU ASKED WHERE WE GO FROM HERE OR WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE. I THINK THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE THE THREE ITEMS IN THE STAFF REPORT HERE TODAY. AND WE CAN GO THROUGH, OUR SUGGESTION IS PROBABLY ADDRESS THOSE AS INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS SINCE THEY ARE ALL RELATED TO THE GELLI INVESTIGATION REPORT, BUT DIFFERENT ITEMS. UM, BUT THAT I, AT THIS POINT, I THINK IS THE, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. IT'S THOSE THREE ITEMS, UH, FOR TODAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I GUESS I'M, I'M SAYING THAT WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE IS BECAUSE HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA BE HERE LISTENING TO THE NO, I'M, I'M ALMOST DONE CONTRADICTIONS THAT YOU FEEL OKAY. YEAH, I'M ALMOST DONE. UM, AND SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO GO BRIEF AND, AND FASTER. UM, SO, UM, ITEM ATTACHMENT NUMBER 13, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU STATED THAT THERE WAS NO FACTUAL BASIS TO, TO ANY OF MY ALLEGATIONS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ATTACHMENT 13, IT'S AN EMAIL, UH, BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND AND COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE. I, I DID MAKE A FINDING THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WU DID MAKE UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENTS. UM, SO, AND THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR COMPLAINTS? NO, I'M REFERRING TO, UM, THE FPPC MATTER. UM, YOU HAVE AN ATTACHMENT ON HERE AND, AND STATES, THE MAYOR STATES, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT ALL CITY FUNDS ARE PROVIDED TO FULFILLMENT. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CITY RECORD FROM THE MAR, THE MARCH 21ST, 2023 MEETING DONATION OF CITY PORTION AND PROCEED PROCEEDS FROM REVENUE CENTENNIAL SPRING FESTIVAL, CAR RIGHTS ORDERING $2,223 AND 90 CENTS TO FILL IN WEST COVINA. THIS DONATION SERVES THE PUBLIC'S PURPOSE AND BENEFIT OF CONTRIBUTING TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND YOU HAVE THE VOTE THAT TOOK PLACE. AND, AND MAYOR, MAYOR, THE MAYOR VOTED ON THIS, AND I'M GONNA GIVE THIS TO THE CLERKS TO, TO FILE THIS AS ATTACHMENT 13. UM, AGAIN, THIS IS VITAL INFORMATION THAT YOU REPORT. YOU, YOU, YOU LEFT DOWN YOUR REPORT. YOU MAKE ME LOOK LIKE SOMEHOW I'M A, A COMPLETE LIAR IN EVERYTHING I'VE EVER REPORTED. AND THAT'S NOT TRUE. I TAKE THAT INTEGRITY AND, AND THAT, UH, RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HIGHEST REGARD BECAUSE THE VOTERS PUT ME IN THIS SEAT AND INTIMIDATION FOR STANDING UP FOR VOTERS. IT'S NOT INTIMIDATION WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE JOB THAT THE VOTERS ELECT YOU TO DO, TO ENSURE POTENTIALLY ALLEGED MONEY IS NOT BEING MISUSED. AND, AND SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, ATTACHMENT 18. UM, AND THESE ARE THE EMAILS I SENT YOU, MR. MALLEY. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE AS PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD AND, AND THE ATTACHMENTS ARE ON THERE, UM, FOR ATTACHMENT 18, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU FAIL TO EVEN LOOK AT THE CHAMBER STRUCTURE, THE WEST FNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. UH, YOU, YOU FAIL TO PUT IN YOUR REPORT THAT OUR CHAMBER IS CLASSIFIED AS AN, AS A PRIVATE NONPROFIT. AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THAT MEANS THAT TECHNICALLY THESE RECORDS ARE NOT THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE PUTTING IN THIS CHAMBER. BUT THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INCLUDES, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOTHING AGAINST THESE EMPLOYEES 'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE REMARKABLE PEOPLE, BUT RADO ROJAS IS THE CEO. UH, OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER IS LISTED AS FORMER CFO, AND OUR ASSISTANT CITY CLERK IS LISTED AS SECRETARY. AND, AND THIS IS ATTACHMENT 18 THAT I'M GIVING TO THE, TO BE PART OF THE RECORD. SO WHEN, WHEN VITAL INFORMATION OF LIKE THAT IS MISSING, THE PUBLIC IS LEFT THINKING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CONS MEMBER GUTIERREZ. BUT WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE FACTS AND THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE, AND, AND AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, UH, YOU DON'T SEE A MONITOR HERE TODAY, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING FROM MY QUESTIONS AND MY BRAIN IS BECAUSE I AM A PERSON WHO KNOWS HOW TO COMMUNICATE. I, I, GROWING UP IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND, AND LEARNING YOUNG TO, TO GET SERVICES AS A YOUNG KID WITH AUTISM, [03:10:01] UH, I WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND LEARN FAST. AND SO, AGAIN, THERE'S NO AI, UH, HERE TODAY. UM, AND, AND NEVER USED AT PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, BESIDES, UH, NOTES. UH, AND IT WAS NEVER BEEN DONE HERE. UM, AND SO WE MOVE ON. UH, AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A MISSING TIMELINE, AND SO I'M PUTTING THAT PART IN THE PUBLIC RECORD TOO. UM, ATTACHMENT 16, A MISCHARACTERIZATION A PROTECTIVE, UH, INFORMATION. I'M NOT GONNA, UM, GO INTO, UH, THIS, IN, IN THIS, THIS ATTACHMENT. IT'S REGARDS TO THE EMAIL I SENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROSARIO DIAZ. UH, BUT I AM ATTACHING, UH, I'M GIVING TO THE CLERK ATTACHMENT 16. UH, AND AGAIN, IT LEAVES OUT, IT LEAVES OUT DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF YOUR REPORT, UH, THAT YOU DID NOT PUT PART OF YOUR REPORT. UM, ATTACHMENT FIT ATTACHMENT 15, UH, FPPC COMPLAINTS. UH, THERE'S BEEN ONLY TWO OFFICIAL, UH, OFFICIAL ONES IN REGARDS TO MY, UH, SORRY, WELL, THERE'S THREE. BUT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO TWO, TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES SPECIFICALLY, UM, THOSE ARE ONGOING, UH, AND ARE, AND, AND THEY'RE BEING REVIEWED. AND, AND THAT'S WHY THE REPORT STATES THAT I WOULD NOT GO INTO DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MATTERS THAT ARE WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE FPPC. UM, AGAIN, I ALSO SEE THERE WAS AREAS IN THERE THAT TALKED ABOUT, AND I, AND, AND, AND THEN THIS IS THE QUESTIONS WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT MR. O'CONNELL LAST TIME, BUT, UH, ABOUT LEVY VERSUS THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA. AND I KNOW, AND I SUPPORT THE FACT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS CANNOT GIVE DIRECTIONS TO CITY STAFF, BUT THEY CAN INQUIRE THE LAW SAYS MEMBERS OF THE MEMBERS OF OF A GOVERNING BODY HAVE THE RIGHT TO INQUIRE, DO INQUIRY WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS. UM, AND, AND, AND YOUR REPORT FAILS TO INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT LEVY VERSUS SANTA MONICA. AND THEN THERE WAS SOME SORT OF, SOME SORT OF A MISCONSTRUED ABOUT, SOMEHOW I HAVE NEVER STATED THAT I, I GET TO ORDER OR ANYONE GETS TO ORDER. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED, AND THAT'S WHY GIVING YOU, UH, PAST LAWSUITS FROM OUR CITY THAT TALKS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS GIVING ORDERS. AND, AND THEN WHEN YOU, WHEN WE GO TO, UH, I, I ALSO REPORTED TO YOU BBK, UH, THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING OUR FIRE STATION. UH, THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE DESIGN CHANGES AND BBK WHISTLEBLOWER TO ME AND COUNCIL MEMBER OTOS, UH, THE WHISTLEBLOWER AND REPORTED POTENTIAL MISCONDUCT THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL COUNCILMEMBER WAS GIVING ORDERS TO EX TO EXPAND THE SCOPE WITHOUT THE TAXPAYERS KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THESE DESIGNS. AND SO I'M GIVING TO THE PUBLIC RECORD ALL OF THESE DESIGNS THAT BBK GAVE TO ME ON A WHISTLEBLOWER BASIS. UM, AND, AND, AND SO THERE'S ONLY TWO MORE HERE. UH, UM, A FEW MORE. UM, ATTACHMENT NUMBER 10, UM, AGAIN, IT, IT LEAVES OUT, UH, EMAILS, UH, IT LEAVES OUT ALL OTHER EMAIL PAGES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED TO, TO IT ABOUT OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR OUR CONTRACT WITH TRANSTECH. UH, AGAIN, UH, AT NO POINT, SHAPE, OR FORM DO I HAVE THE AUTHORITY OR DETERMINATION TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE HAS VIOLATED A CRIME. BUT I HAVE AN ETHICAL DUTY TO ALWAYS ENSURE THAT IF MISCONDUCT IS OCCURRING, POTENTIAL MISCONDUCT OR ALLEGED MISCONDUCT, IT IS MY JOB TO REPORT IT TO OVERSIGHT AUTHORITIES. AND, AND AGAIN, UH, I HAVE NOT, I, IT'S NOT MY JOB TO DETERMINE THE BASIS OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OR IF A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED THAT REST IS WITH THE AUTHORITIES THAT HAVE THAT ABILITY. BUT I DO NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY. AND I WANNA MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. UM, IN REGARDS TO ATTACHMENT 22, UH, ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, I'M, I'M, I'M PROVIDING, UH, THIS AS ATTACHMENT NUMBER 22 TO THE CITY CLERK. IT HAS ALL INVOICES THAT THEN WOULD NOT DISCUSS AT ALL ABOUT OUR, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A, AN ENGINEERING COMPANY BEING PAID MONTHLY, BUT WITH NO BASIS, UH, TO PROVIDE ANY SERVICES TO THE TAXPAYERS. AND WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SERVICE IS BEING, UH, UTILIZED, BUT THE, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAID, NO, YOU'RE NOT EVEN AN APPLICANT. AND, AND, AND SO THAT'S ALARMING. AND, AND WHEN I'M ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS, THAT'S BECAUSE I, I WAS ELECTED TO ASK THESE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND, UM, AND, AND SELECT FINDINGS. I GO ON AND SELECT THE FINDINGS. UM, [03:15:01] AND I'M, AND I'M ATTACHING THIS ONE AS WELL. AGAIN, UH, SOME OF THESE MAY NEED REDACTIONS, SO I'M SURE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL, WILL REVIEW THESE DOCUMENTS TO MAKE THE PROPER, UM, REDACTIONS. BUT AGAIN, YOUR REPORT ALSO LEAVES OUT THE MOST RECENT FIRING OF OUR FORMER FIRE CHIEF VINCENT CAPELLI. IT LEAVES OUT THE CASES WHERE MARK, FORMER FIRE CHIEF MARK TAYLOR, FORMER, UH, SORRY, FORMER, UH, POLICE CHIEF MARK TAYLOR, UH, IT LEAVES OUT, UH, THE LARRY WHITHORN CASE CASES THAT THE APPELLATE COURTS ROOT AT THE, AS A BODY TO HOLD CERTAIN PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND, AND A REPORT COMPLETELY LEAVES THAT OUT. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S, UM, LET'S SEE. WHERE'S THIS ONE? AND THIS ONE IS, UM, ATTACHMENT 20. UM, AGAIN, IT LEAVES YOU LEAVE OUT ON YOUR REPORT VITAL INFORMATION AND EMAILS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF IT. AND THIS IS ATTACHMENT 20. AND, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY STATE, UM, COMMENTS FOR NOW. SO, UM, AGAIN, MAY I RESPOND TO COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIEREZ? YOU MADE A, UH, COMMENTS QUESTIONING SOME OF THE ATTACHMENTS TO THE REPORT. I THINK THE REASONS FOR THE ATTACHMENTS ARE REFERENCED IN THE REPORT ITSELF, THAT THE ATTACHMENTS ARE REFERENCED TO SUPPORT CERTAIN SENTENCES AND STATEMENTS THAT ARE IN THE REPORT. SO I'LL JUST, I JUST DIRECT YOU YES. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE INCLUDED. YEAH. AND, AND MY CONCERN WAS, IS THAT WE POTENTIALLY HAD, I THINK, THREE PAGES OF A, WHAT, A, A 13 PAGE EMAIL AND, AND, AND THAT, HOW DOES THE TAXPAYER SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT I'M ARGUING ABOUT OR WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TECHNICALLY WITHIN THE LEGAL CONFINEMENTS OF FIJA, THAT IT'S NOT CONSIDERED, UH, INTIMIDATION WHEN IT COMES TO FIJA, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OVERSIGHT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ELIMINATING ALL THIS INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC HAD THE RIGHT TO KNOW, OH, WOW. IS BRIAN FIGHTING FOR OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS? IS BRIAN QUESTIONING IRREGULARITIES AND POTENTIAL FUNDING FOR NONPROFITS OR, OR, I REGULARITIES IN, UH, UH, UH, PAYING FOR A HELP DEPARTMENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE. UH, AND, AND THEN POTENTIALLY IRREGULARITIES IN A FIRE DESIGN THAT WAS EXPANDED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, OR EVEN MOST RECENTLY TALKING ABOUT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN CLOSED SESSION, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO, BUT THOSE, THAT WAS NOT, IT'S NOT, THOSE ARE INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC WAS LEFT OUT FROM YOUR REPORT, AND, AND IT WAS CONCERNING TO ME. SO, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ. AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS WEEKEND WHEN YOU SENT ME THE ADDITIONAL EMAILS WITH THE ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS, I REVIEWED ALL THE ADDITIONAL DETAILS, ALL THE ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS EMAILS THAT YOU PROVIDED. NOTHING IN THE INFORMATION. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING NEW THAT CAUSED ME TO QUESTION OR CHANGE MY FINDINGS. YES. AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT I, THESE DOCUMENTS WERE IGNORED IN YOUR REPORT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, OBVIOUSLY FOR YOU TO ADMIT THAT YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT NOW, NOR, OR I GET THAT. BUT, UH, I'M WILLING TO MOVE ON THOUGH. I, I, I WANNA ADDRESS CERTAIN THINGS. SO I KNOW SOME THINGS THAT HE'S PUTTING IN ABOUT ME, LIKE, YES, HE WROTE, HE SAID IT WAS LIKE A FIVE OH VOTE. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S TRANSPARENCY. WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING. YOU CAN REPLAY THAT. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU DO FACT FINDING, SO HIS ALLEGATION AND ACCUSATION OF RECEIVING MONEY, CHECK THE FINANCE, WAS A CHECK EVER ISSUED, WAS PAYMENT EVER MADE? NO. SO THAT'S WHY IT ENDS THERE. SO THAT ACCUSATION DOESN'T UPHOLD, UM, ALL THIS STUFF IS ALREADY BEING, 'CAUSE HE ALREADY PUT REPORTED TO FPPC. SO FPPC IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING ALL OF THAT. SO THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. UM, NOW I KNOW HE MENTIONS, YOU KNOW, KNOW HE HAS A DUTY TO REPORT MISCONDUCT. MY QUESTION TO YOU, WOULD YOU REPORT YOURSELF FOR YOUR MISCONDUCT? THAT'S ONE QUESTION. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE AI AND EVERYTHING, UM, THOSE GLASSES ARE YOU WEARING, ARE THOSE META AI? I MEAN, IT HAS SPECIALTIES. YOU MEAN DISCRIMINATORY MAYOR, STOPPING DISCRIMINATORY. DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY DISABILITY. THAT'S NOT A DISABILITY THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE. WE HAVE GLASSES. I WEAR GLASSES. GEEZ. SO INAPPROPRIATE TALKING ABOUT WHITE GLASSES. NO, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. AND SO IF IT HAS SPECIAL FEATURES OF RECORDING VIEWING, DO THESE HAVE SPECIAL FEATURES? I'M JUST ASKING. NO, IT'S INAPPROPRIATE. I MEAN, SOMEBODY ELSE IS WEARING, YOU KNOW, ATTACK MY DISABILITY. NOW, IT'S INAPPROPRIATE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DISABILITY. I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL FEATURES. UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, COUNCILWOMAN BRINGS UP A VALID POINT. AND RIGHT NOW, I KNOW, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM IS QUIET IN THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE MAYOR PRO TEM TO SAY A FEW WORDS IF, BECAUSE ON HIS REPORT, YOU KNOW, AS RESIDENTS COME IN, THEY VALUE HIS INPUT, THEY VALUE HIS, THAT'S WHY IT HAS GREATER WEIGHT. AND IF YOU READ A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM HAS MENTIONED IN REFERENCE TO, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, [03:20:01] THAT HAS GREAT GREATER VALUE, I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM MAYOR PRO. TIM CONTOS SAY SOMETHING. UM, WELL, DO YOU WANT MAYOR PRO TIM CONTOS? ARE YOU, DID, DID COUNCILMAN WILL GO FURTHER? DO YOU WANT HIM TO GO FIRST? WANNA SAY SOMETHING? OKAY, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UH, I'VE BEEN SITTING OVER HERE. OKAY. LISTEN TO YOUR REBUTTAL AND THIS AND THAT. YOU ENTITLED TO ARGUE AND THIS AND THAT AND THE REPORT COME OUT. OKAY? AND I WANT TO FOLLOW, UH, WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN SAY. WHAT NEXT? OKAY. WHAT THE ATTORNEY'S SUGGESTION WITH ALL THIS REPORT AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY? AND IT JUST LIKE, NOW YOU JUST RAISE YOUR VOICE AND START YELLING, OKAY? AND YOU SAY PEOPLE YELLING AT YOU. OKAY? SO, SO JUST CALM DOWN, OKAY? UH, WE HERE CIVILIZED AND, UH, AND TRY TO FIGURE A WAY OUT. HOPEFULLY, OKAY? YOU CAN IMPROVE. OKAY? HOPEFULLY WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE AND MOVE THE CITY. AND THIS IS WHAT ALL THIS IS ABOUT, OKAY? AND HOW CAN WE HELP THE CITY MOVE ON AND HOW ALL THIS ONE YEARS OR ALL THIS, OKAY. BEHAVIOR, OKAY. OR ALL THIS WILD ACCUSATION AND THEY OCCUPY OUR TIME. IT'S NOT NECESSARY. OKAY? I THINK WE SHOULD, OKAY. SPEND OUR TIME INTO IMPROVE OUR CITY. BUT REPORT IS BASED ON LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS A MAYOR, OKAY? WE REQUEST FROM, OKAY, MAYOR PROTON, REGARDING THE ISSUE ONE CENTURY YOU, BUT THE SUGGESTION IS LET'S HAVE A INVESTIGATION. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS INVESTIGATION. AND AFTER THAT, AND WE GOT A FINDING, THEN TONIGHT WE HAVE DECIDE SHALL WE CONTINUE WITH THIS? I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST THING. OKAY? I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE, CONTINUE LAST YEAR, HOW WE LET OUT. WE WANT TO GET THE INVESTIGATION REPORT WITH THE THIRD PARTY. MAKE SURE, OKAY. ALL THE ROCK, NO ROCK UNTURNED, EVERYTHING INTO CAN BE CHALLENGED. THIS IS ONE THING. AND SECOND THING, ALL THIS REPORT, LIKE YOU SAY, CRIMINAL OKAY. AND THIS AND THAT. THEN WE HAVE A ATTORNEY TO LOOK INTO OR WHY ALL THIS WOULD THAT BE OKAY? SUBJECT TO THE CRIMINAL OR THIS AND THAT INTO THE DA. OKAY. AND LET, OKAY. THE PARTY CAN SUBPOENA AND CHECK EVERYTHING AND WITH A TEASE. OKAY? I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE LIKE YOU CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT, OKAY, OUTSIDE AGENCY, THE ATTORNEY, OKAY. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE DA, THIS AND THAT. LET'S GO FOR, OKAY, LET, LET'S, LET'S TURN OUT ALL THIS REPORT INTO THE DA AND THIS WHAT, BY THE SUGGESTION OF OUR OKAY. ON THE OUTSIDE ATTORNEY, OKAY? SEE ALL THIS EVIDENCE BE ENOUGH, OKAY? DO TO CHECK ALL THE, THE FINANCE DOING ABOUT THE EITHER NON-PROFIT OR YOU NON-PROFIT. OKAY? SEE ANY OF, OF WRONG FINANCIAL DUE, OKAY? I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A SUBPOENA POWER, BUT THE DE HAS SUBPOENA POWER. ALL THE DOCUMENT HAVE TO PROVIDE IN THE OKAY. CALL OF THE LAW. SO I THINK THIS IS TWO THING. UH, I WANT TO CONCLUDE THIS THING. FIRST THING IS FINISH UP LAST YEAR, WE LET OUT. OKAY? SECOND THING IS, UH, ATTORNEY'S OBJECTION FOR WE GO NEXT. YEP. AND THANK YOU. CAN, CAN I, UH, BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS SPEAKS, UH, AND I'M ONLY SPEAKING BECAUSE, UH, MS. FOX WASN'T THERE FOR THE INITIAL MEETING WHERE THE INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED. SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE STATUS OF WHERE THIS INVESTIGATION STANDS. UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, MR. MELLY HAS COMPLETED PHASE ONE OF TWO FOR THE INVESTIGATION, AS IT SAYS IN THE REPORT. AND I BELIEVE MR. MELLEY, I THINK YOU SAID IN YOUR SUMMARY, UM, THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS ALLEGATIONS BY STAFF MEMBERS AGAINST COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GUTIERREZ. UM, THAT INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING AND PURSUANT TO, UH, STATE LAW, UM, MUST CONCLUDE. UM, THERE WAS A SECONDARY PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, WHICH MS. MELLI HAD, UH, HAD MANY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO, BUT ALSO AN OUTSIDE ACCOUNTING FIRM, UM, WAS ENGAGED. UH, THE QUESTION, UH, NOW BEFORE THE COUNSEL IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT INVESTIGATION WILL ACTUALLY BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED. UM, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN DOCUMENTS WILL BE TURNED OVER AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT INVESTIGATION WILL ACTUALLY HAVE ANY RESULTS AS A, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. UM, I I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, COUNCIL MEMBER WU, IS THAT BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. UM, YOU HAVE ALREADY REFERRED CERTAIN ALLEGATIONS RELATED TO POTENTIAL FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY, UH, TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UM, BECAUSE THAT AVENUE IS ALREADY BEING EXPLORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, UM, THE HUMIL, I BELIEVE IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. UM, IF THE INVESTIGATION [03:25:01] WILL NOT BE FULLY PARTICIPATED IN, UM, IT WOULD BE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNSEL'S PURVIEW TO STATE, THIS SHOULD GO TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BECAUSE AN INVESTIGATOR AS COUNCIL MEMBER WU, HAD SAID, DOES NOT HAVE SUBPOENA POWER, DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO LOOK INTO POTENTIAL CRIMINAL WRONGDOING IF SOMEONE WILL NOT VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT DOCUMENTS. SO THAT'S NOT . YOU KEEP MENTIONING A NONPROFIT THAT'S NOT MINE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE NONPROFITS IS THAT THE MAYOR IS A SANATORIUM BOARD MEMBER OF HER NONPROFIT, AND SHE VOTED ON AN ACTION THAT MS. JAMMAL LEFT OUT OF HER REPORT. AND, AND MAYOR RU, HIS WIFE IS THE FOUNDER AND CFO OF THE CAWC, WHICH OVER $152,000 OF MONEY PLUS A HUNDRED OVER 182,000 CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED. I, I, I THINK THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THAT YOU WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, AND YOU VOTED FIVE ZERO AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS FOR THERE TO BE A FULL INVESTIGATION. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN, UM, PARTICIPATION AND, UH, DOUBTS ABOUT THE IMPARTIALITY OF INVESTIGATOR. I THINK WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER WU, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN, IT IS SAYING THAT WITHOUT SUBPOENA POWER AND WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO LOOK INTO THEIR ALLEGATIONS THAT THEY HAVE, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE SAID, THAT YOU HAVE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THEM, THAT WOULD BE BETTER TO TURN THAT OVER TO A DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO ACTUALLY LOOK INTO, UH, CRIMINAL, UH, ALLEGATIONS. IS THAT, IF I'M MISSTATING THAT BY ANYBODY, PLEASE CORRECT ME. I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR FOR THE RECORD. SO I'VE SPOKEN TO, UH, THE INVESTIGATOR FIRM THAT YOU HIRED, WAS IT PLANTED MORON? AND IT INCLUDES FORMER INVESTIGATORS, UH, I BELIEVE, I THINK HE USED TO WORK FOR THE FBI. SO I THINK THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT, GO AHEAD AND REFER IT, BUT YOU SHOULD LET THIS FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION MOVE FORWARD. WHY DO WE NOT WANT A THIRD PARTY TO LOOK AT OUR CITY'S BOOKS? UH, WE SHOULDN'T BE HIDING OUR NUMBERS FROM THIS THIRD PARTY, THIS OTHER THIRD PARTY FIRM. UH, AND MY CONCERN, MR. MELLEY, IS THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING HER, MR. UH, UM, UH, O' AND SO, YEAH. AND, AND IN FACT, YOU CAN ASK MR. MELLY THE TOTALITY OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE SPOKEN TO HER DURING THIS INVEST. IN FACT, MR. MELLY, HELLO? AND MR. MELLEY. HI. HI, I'M TOM. NICE TO MEET YOU. NICE TO MEET YOU TOO. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SPOKEN? ZERO. THANK YOU. SO, BUT YOU'RE THOSE WHO DID NOT HEAR IT ON THE MICROPHONE, HE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO HER. I'VE, I'VE NEVER WORKED WITH MR. O'CONNELL BEFORE. I'VE NEVER MET HIM OR SEEN HIM IN PERSON UNTIL TONIGHT. BUT YOUR FIRM IS THE ONE WHO OKAY. REFERRED IT. NO, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE WE'RE HIS FIRM REFERRED. YOU WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO ACCUSATIONS, ALLEGATIONS. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA STOP THAT. UM, IT'S FACT FINDING. I, WE HAVE TWO OTHERS WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK. UM, AND SO IN REFERENCE TO CONTINUING ON, I DO AGREE WITH THE MOVING IT FORWARD TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BECAUSE WHY SPEND THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON AN INVESTIGATION WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANNA SUBMIT DOCUMENTS, THEY DON'T WANNA BE RECORDED. THEY DON'T, THEY CAN'T BE SUBPOENAED. SO I AGREE. AND IF, UH, COUNCILMAN WU HAD MOTIONED THAT I SECOND, OKAY, SO WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND FOR THAT, BUT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. SO GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED OUT WITH CENTERING, AND, UM, THEN FROM THERE WE WENT INTO AN INVESTIGATION AND WE ALL VOTED FIVE ZERO, RIGHT? SO MY RECOMMENDATION HERE WOULD BE TO GO BACK TO THE CENTERING AND, UM, CENTURY EIGHT, UM, COUNCILMAN BRIAN GUTIERREZ. OH, SIR, IT'S OKAY FOR HIM TO, THAT'S A MOTION. SAY AGAIN, . SO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CING AS WELL, AND A SECOND, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE MAYOR POT PONTO SPEAK. PLEASE ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK. THAT'S WHERE YOU CALLING. PLEASE ALLOW MAYOR PRO, TIM TO SPEAK. SPEAK. LET STOP TALKING. LET HIM SPEAK. YOU, CONTINUE, PLEASE. SHE WAS STILL, OH, GO AHEAD. YOU'RE NOT COMPLETED. I JUST, I WAS GONNA JUST SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, IF YOU FEEL THAT THERE'S A CRIME THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED, BY ALL MEANS, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SUBMIT EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO THE DA'S OFFICE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. IT HAS, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS REPORT IS REFLECTING ANY FINANCIAL, UM, VIOLATIONS HERE. I THINK IT'S MORE OF A, UH, RETALIATION AND HARASSMENT OF EMPLOYEES AND FELLOW COLLEAGUES. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS REPORT IS ABOUT. AND, UM, SO I WOULD SAY MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR INVESTIGATION OR MOVE FORWARD WITH PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO YOUR DA OR YOUR FBI PERSON THAT YOU [03:30:01] KNOW SO WELL, AND LET'S JUST SEE WHERE THE CHIPS FALL. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM CONTOS, GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I'M GOING TO PREFACE MY REMARKS BY SAYING YOU ARE ALL ABOUT TO HATE ME, ALL FOUR OF YOU. OKAY? I'M JUST, I HAVE MY INDEPENDENCE AND I'M ABOUT TO EX REALLY LAY THINGS OUT IN, IN A WAY THAT, UH, I HAVEN'T BEFORE. UM, JUST TO BE VERY DIRECT, I DID NOT SUPPORT GUTIERREZ FOR ELECTION TO OFFICE. I DID NOT. AND THOSE WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN VERIFY THAT I DID NOT. THIS IS, THESE SORTS OF TACTICS ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SAW, UH, DURING HIS TIME IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I, I DID NOT WANT THIS DRAMA BE, UH, BEFALLING US ON COUNCIL. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG REASONS WHY I DID NOT SUPPORT HIM. AND AT THE TIME THAT, UH, HE WAS RUNNING FOR, UH, ELECTION, UH, YOU KNOW, HE ALSO HAD SAID, UH, DISPARAGING THINGS ABOUT ME. AND THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER THINGS THAT HE HAS SAID ABOUT ME, BUT I'M A BIG BOY. I CAN HANDLE ALL OF THAT. AND NOW, SO, SO THE THREE OF YOU, UM, THE, THE MAYOR, UM, AND THE, UM, COUNCIL, UM, COUNCILMAN WU AND, AND, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, DIAZ, YOU ALL SUPPORTED THIS MAN TO BE ELECTED TO OFFICE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE NOW FACED WITH. UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, THIS IS JUST REALLY AGGRAVATING BECAUSE I, I REALLY HATE DRAMA. AND ALL WE HAVE SEEN LATELY IS DRAMA. THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, NONE OF YOU COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO TO HAPPEN. UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF YOU HAD A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION OF HIM THAN I DID, OR I NEVER TALKED TO THE THREE OF YOU ABOUT ANY OF THIS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO LEAVE IT TO THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT ONE, UH, TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION AS TO WHO THEY WANTED. BUT I DID NOT SUPPORT, UH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ DURING THAT, THAT TIME. UH, AND, AND SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO PREFACE THAT. SO, AND NOW WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION WHERE, UH, THERE ARE ALL THESE, UH, ACCUSATIONS AND WE ALSO, WE ALL OF US HERE ON COUNCIL, WE HAVE SEEN THE DEVASTATION IN THE LIVES OF VARIOUS, OF OUR VERY TREASURED AND BELOVED, UH, EMPLOYEES, SOME OF WHOM ARE NO LONGER WITH US, SOME OF WHOM ARE STILL, UH, LIVING IN, IN FEAR AND WORRIED. AND WE KNOW ABOUT THOSE SITUATIONS. AND IT'S, IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY DISTRESSING TO ME. UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO I WILL NOT NAME, BUT THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE. AND SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MIGHT KNOW WHO SOME OF THEM ARE, WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN LITERALLY DEVASTATED BY ALL OF THIS. ALL OF THIS. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, WHO WERE WORKING FOR THE CITY, WHO, WHO CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT AND WHO, WHO DID THEIR BEST BECAUSE THEY WERE CALLED TO SERVE. AND THEN NOW THEY, BECAUSE OF VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY ARE, ARE NOW SUBJECTED TO ALL THESE, ALL THE, ALL SUCH A NUMBER OF DIFFICULTIES THAT DID NOT HAPPEN PRIOR TO WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ CAME ON THE SCENE. COMBINE ALL OF THAT WITH, WITH HOW THE TACTIC HAS BEEN TRUE FACTUALLY, THAT WHENEVER THERE HAS BEEN ANY OPPOSITION THAT THERE, THAT THE NEXT STEP BY COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ WAS TO OF, WAS TO TAKE ANOTHER ACTION, WHETHER IT MAY BE, TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THAT PERSON WITH AN OVERSIGHT AGENCY THAT HAS OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY OVER THAT PERSON, OR TO LEVERAGE THE COURTS WHENEVER PE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE, HAVE ENGAGED IN, UM, EX EXERCISING THEIR FREE SPEECH AT WHICH TIME SUIT COMMENCED, WHICH IS STILL IN, IN, IN HA IN PROCESS. NOW, THAT'S TO SAY NOTHING OF HOW, UH, ONE OF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S APPOINTEES A REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT, UH, LEADER UP, UP AND COMING WHO WAS RIGHTFULLY APPOINTED TO A, A ROLE. HE, HE SENT AN EMAIL, UH, ASKING ABOUT THE, THE RATIONALE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AS TO WHY HE VOTED WHATEVER WAY HE DID, AFTER WHICH TIME STAFF WERE INSTRUCTED TO DISMISS HIM. AND SO TO THIS DAY, THAT YOUNG MAN IS NO LONGER IN SERVICE AS THE RESULT OF, OF THAT PERSON QUESTIONING SOMETHING. BUT INSTEAD OF, OF ANSWERING, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT JUST SIMPLY LED TO, UH, THE PERSON BEING DISMISSED. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ARE STATEMENTS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, IT SEEMS AS IF IT DOESN'T ALWAYS PERTAIN IN THAT DIRECTION. IT, IT'S, IT'S AN, IT'S EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY FOR ALL OF US TO SIT HERE IN THIS ENDLESS BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHO SAID WHAT AND WHO DID WHAT TO WHOM. AND THEN IT JUST LEADS TO MORE, [03:35:01] WHICH JUST CONTINUES AD NAUSEUM. AND I, I FRANKLY, AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL OF THIS. I'M TIRED OF IT ALL. I HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO, TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. I'VE WORKED VERY HARD AT THAT. AND THE, AND THE WAY THAT I TRY TO DO THAT WAS, WAS BASICALLY TO, TO KEEP CONFIDENCE, IS WITH WHATEVER ANYONE INDIVIDUAL SAID TO ME. AND I, I STILL WILL, WILL HOLD TRUE TO THAT. BECAUSE PART OF THIS JOB IN GOVERNING THE CITY OF 110,000 PEOPLE IS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS OF RESPECT AND TRUST, AND NOT TO GO BEHIND PEOPLE'S BACK, PLAY THESE GAMES, ET CETERA. AND, AND I JUST, THAT IS THE WAY THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY CHOSEN TO, TO OPERATE. THAT IS WHY THERE'S NO ONE HERE THAT KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HAS SAID TO ME. AND FOR ANY OF THEM, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WHO KNOWS ABOUT WHAT'S WHAT WAS SAID TO ME. THAT IS PART OF, OF MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO KEEPING THOSE CON THO THOSE CONVERSATIONS PRIVATE. AND SO IF ANYONE WERE TO SAY, WELL, GOSH, YOU'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. WELL, LET ME JUST TELL YOU, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THESE, THESE RELATIONSHIPS, WE HAVE TO BUILD FROM A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST IN WHICH WE CAN SPEAK WITH CANDOR ABOUT WHAT WE THINK OR WHAT WE DO NOT THINK. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER THAT'S DONE, THEN WE EXCHANGE OUR I OUR IDEAS, AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. BUT AT NO TIME DO I TAKE, PERSONALLY, INCLUDING TONIGHT, WHEN MY COLLEAGUES DIS THREE OF MY COLLEAGUES DISAGREED WITH ME ON THE EARLIER ISSUE WITH REGARD TO THE CODE OF CONDUCT. MY, MY REACTION AND RESPONSE TO THAT WILL NOW NOT BE TO GO TO THE FPPC AND FIND SOMETHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEM OR TO MAKE OTHER ALLEGATIONS, BECAUSE I'M ANGRY ABOUT HOW WE DISAGREED ON WHATEVER THAT ONE ON THAT ISSUE. I DISAGREE WITH EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL ON ONE ISSUE OR ANOTHER. BUT THAT IS WHAT IS ENTAILED WITH HOW WE GOVERN. WE HAVE GOT TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND IDEAS IN A FRANK MANNER, AND FRANKLY, WE WILL NOT ALWAYS AGREE. AND THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHERE WE DISAGREE. BRING THIS, BRING NOW TO THE, THE NEXT PART OF THIS WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE HEARD IN THE COMMUNITY THESE THOUGHTS, OH, YOU'RE WITH TONY, YOU'RE AGAINST TONY, YOU'RE WITH BRIAN, YOU'RE AGAINST BRIAN. ALL OF THAT MADNESS DOES NOT HELP EITHER. THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR US TO KEEP OPERATING THIS WAY. IT JUST ISN'T BEFORE, EVEN WHEN BRIAN CALDERONE TOBA WAS HERE, AND EVEN WHEN, WHEN COLLEAGUES HAD DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM, AND EVEN WHEN I HAD DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM, THERE WAS STILL A BASELINE OF WHAT WAS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN TERMS OF BEHAVIOR OF WHAT IS EXPECTED BY MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A CO A WRITTEN CODE OF CONDUCT BECAUSE IT WAS SORT OF ASSUMED THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF DECENT BEHAVIOR. I'M REALLY SADDENED THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A 40 PAGE CODE OF CONDUCT TO TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING, WHEN THAT SHOULD BE BASICALLY COMMON SENSE, WHICH BECAUSE OF THIS ENVIRONMENT, WE CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT OF PRINCIPLES BECAUSE OF, OF THESE SITUATIONS BACK AND FORTH WHERE THERE'S ESCALATION WHERE ONE IS MAD, THEN THE OTHER GETS MAD, THEN FILE MORE COMPLAINTS. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN 14 MONTHS SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ CAME INTO OFFICE, AND WE HAVE BEEN DEVOLVING INTO ALL OF THIS. THIS CANNOT BE SUSTAINED. THAT ALL HAVING BEEN SAID WHEN LOOKING AT A CENSURE, WELL THEN, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? SO THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE A CENSURE. OH, WELL THEN YOU CENSURE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, THEN WHAT? NOTHING, NOTHING HAPPENS UNLESS THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT ONE DECIDE TO DO WHATEVER THEY DO, WHETHER IT'S RECALL, WHETHER WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WANNA DO, IT'S UP TO THEM OR NOT TO RECALL WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY DO. THAT IS THE DECISION OF THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT ONE. AND, AND HOWEVER WAY THINGS FALL OUT, WHETHER THEY, WHETHER THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE DO, IF THEY'RE UNHAPPY, IT, IT ALL, IT IS ULTIMATELY A MATTER OF WHO IS GOING TO BE ACTIVE WITH TAKING A STAND ON WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS. RECALL HIM, DON'T RECALL HIM. C HIM DON'T CENTER HIM. IT JUST KEEPS GOING ON. I'M TELLING YOU, FROM HAVING INTERACTED WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THROUGHOUT THIS REGION, THAT THIS CITY IS SEEN AS A JOKE. IT IS SEEN AS A JOKE WHEN, WHEN THE CIRCUS WAS CAME TO TOWN. I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT WHEN SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE CIRCUS, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE CIRCUS LITERALLY CAME TO TOWN. I THOUGHT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL . I [03:40:01] LITERALLY, I, THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO WITNESSED THAT CONVERSATION. I WAS NOT KIDDING. I'M LIKE, OH, I'M TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL CIRCUS CIRCUS. THIS IS, THIS IS MADNESS. SO I, WHAT, WHAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO, I TRIED THIS BEFORE. I'M, I, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THIS. WE HAVE GOT TO COME TO A FULL, AMONG THE FIVE OF US, AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PREVENT THIS ESCALATION FROM CONTINUING OVER THE NEXT TWO PLUS YEARS. WE HAVE GOT TO FIND A WAY. THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. WE HAVE WASTED SO MUCH TIME OVER ALL OF THESE ISSUES. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES ON THE MOTHER MAY I LIST THAT ARE NOT GETTING DONE, THAT I KEEP HOUNDING FOLKS. BUT WE CAN'T GET TO ANY OF THAT, NOR CAN FELLOW COLLEAGUES OF OUR HERE GET, HAVE THEIR ISSUES ADDRESSED. BECAUSE WE'RE SO, SO FOCUSED ON ALL OF THIS. THIS IS NOT WHAT ANY OF US CAME HERE TO DO. TO, TO JUST HAVE THIS DRAMA ONE THING AFTER THE OTHER. AND THEN THE NEXT THING PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ IS, IS BEING A CRUSADER. HE'S STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM TO DISTRICT ONE. GOOD FOR HIM FOR DOING WHATEVER HE CAN TO STAND UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY. THAT SOUNDS GOOD, EXCEPT THE OTHER PART OF IT TO CONSIDER IS WE ALL CAME HERE TO STAND UP FOR THE PER, FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON. ALL OF US WERE HERE ELECTED. I I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE THE GOAL OF, OF JUST COMING HERE AND JUST, JUST SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING. I HAVE SPENT TIME WITH ALL FOUR OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE, ALL FOUR OF THEM. AND I, I KNOW FROM, FROM INTERACTING WITH THEM, THOUGH I VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE ON A GREAT NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH EACH OF THEM ON CERTAIN THINGS. I ALSO HAVE SEEN HOW THEY TRULY DO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW THAT. AM I NOW GOING TO BE TOLD, OH, WELL NOW YOU MUST BE WITH RU. OH, YOU MUST BE WITH GUTIERREZ. HERE WE GO AGAIN. WE'VE GOTTA STOP THIS. I FEEL LIKE I WANNA BE THE ADULT IN THE ROOM AND SAY, LET'S STOP ALL OF THIS. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE PEOPLE OF WEST COVINA HAVE ELECTED US TO DO, TO GO BACK AND FORTH AND TO HAVE REPORT AFTER REPORT. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON BEING NICE TO FOLKS FOR THREE YEARS, AND I HAVE TRIED TO HAVE PATIENCE, BUT I HAVE LOST MY PATIENCE WITH ALL OF THIS. THIS IS MADNESS FOR US TO CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROAD. WE HAVE GOTTA FIND AN OFF RAMP. AND THE OFF RAMP THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO DO A RESET, WHATEVER THAT ENTAILS. AND WE NEED TO STOP THIS DRAMA AND STOP THIS POLARIZATION. IT IS NOT SERVING ANY OF US WELL. IT DOESN'T SERVE ANY OF OUR AGENDAS. NOT ONE OF US. AND I AM JUST FRANKLY TIRED OF ALL OF THIS BACK AND FORTH MADNESS, BECAUSE ALL IT DOES, I CAN JUST SEE IT NOW, CEN AND A COUNTER REPORT AND THE COUNTER TO THE COUNTER REPORT THAN MORE STUFF THAT'S GOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. DO YOU KNOW NOBODY IN THE COMMUNITY? LET'S, HERE'S NEWS FOR EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD. NOBODY CARES. PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THEIR STREETS BEING WITHOUT POTHOLES. THEY CARE ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION. THEY CARE ABOUT PARKS AND RECREATION GETTING DONE. THEY CARE ABOUT PROGRAMMATIC, PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES. THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON AND NOT ALL OF THIS. SO WITH THAT, WITH ALL OF THAT, I'M NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. SO WHATEVER VOTE YOU ALL DO, I'M ABSTAINING. THAT'S IT. OKAY? SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE VERY PASSIONATE SPEECH, OKAY? AND I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT. WE ARE NOT HERE FOR ALL THIS DRAMA. WE ARE NOT HERE FOR THE CIRCUS. WE ONLY HERE FOR THE REAL CIRCUS IN WEST COVINA. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SHOW. I WENT ALREADY, OKAY? I THINK WE SHOULD GO SUPPORT THEM TO GO TO THE CIRCUS CIRCUS, BUT NOT THE CITY COUNCIL CIRCUITS. I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT. OKAY? AND, UH, WE HERE TRY TO SPEND OUR TIME, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THIS, OKAY? UM, JUST LIKE YOU SAY, OKAY, AND THE 2024 ELECTION, OKAY? I SUPPOSE BRIAN GUTTI, I THINK HE'S A YOUNG BLIND MAN. MAYBE HAVE SOME KIND OF, UH, OKAY, AND THIS AND THAT, BUT I'M, I TRY MY BEST TO, TO HELP HIM. OKAY? SEE MAYBE THE FUTURE, OR HE WILL BE HELPING US IN THE CITY BECAUSE I'M AN LIKE TO BE HERE, OKAY? FOREVER, OKAY? I, I SERVE ENOUGH TIME. BUT THE THING IS, THE YOUNGER PEOPLE SHOULD COMING OUT AND HE SHOW HIS PASSION, OKAY? AND, UH, AND HE, HE HAS A LOT OF GOOD IDEA, OKAY? I, I REALLY ADMIRE HIS, UH, OKAY, HARD WORK. BUT I CANNOT BELIEVE IT ABOUT HOW WE WILL COME UP LIKE THIS. OKAY? AND THIS IS NOT HEALTHY AT ALL. I AGREE WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT. I'M NOT GOING TO, DON'T WORRY. I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK TOO, TOO LAW. I KNOW YOU, YOU WANNA HAVE A SEAT? YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND OVER THERE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. BUT, BUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS. WE, WE HAVE AGREE AND DISAGREE AND THEN, AND THAT'S WHY WE HERE, OKAY? AND WE TRY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AS, AS A PASSION, AS WE CAN, AS A DEDICATED, AS WE CAN. MAYBE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT WE [03:45:01] ALL, UH, TRY TO, OKAY, HELP THE COMMUNITY AND IMPROVE THE CITY FROM ALMOST BANKRUPT, BUT NOW SURPLUS. HOW? WE HAVE A VERY LITTLE POLICE NOW WE HAVE A FOURFOLD POLICE, AND WE WANT TO DO A LOT OF GREAT THING. NOTHING STOP US TO DO OUR JOB. THE POWER HALL WILL BE FILLED. I, WE REPORT THE POTHOLE AT THE TIME, THE MEDIAN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAN. WE WANT THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE PARK, THE STREET AND EVERYTHING WE WANT, PUTTING ALL THE BUSINESS COMING IN. OKAY? IT IS NOTHING. STOP US, OKAY? OLLIE, WE CONTINUE. YOU CONTINUE. EVERYBODY'S DOING. AND THE CITY WORKING VERY HARD. IT'S UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE THIS SIDE SHOW, OKAY? THIS IS JUST COME WITH THE JOB. YOU SEE THIS, OKAY? FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU SEE THE STATE GOVERNMENT. YOU SEE THE COUNTY, OKAY? OR ANY OTHER CITY, THEY ALL HAVE THE SIMILAR DRAMA BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN BEING, OKAY? AND THAT THING HAPPEN, OKAY? AND THE DRAMA CHARACTER, THIS AND THAT. BUT THE ONLY ONE THING WE HEAR IS TRY TO PROTECT THE STAFF. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE STATE CAN DO THEIR JOB. WE WANT THEM TO BE HARASSED. WE WANT THEM TO HAVE NO FEAR TO DO THEIR JOB. AND THAT'S WHY WE HERE FOR THE C IS JUST SYMBOLIC. IT'S NOTHING HAVE ANY TEETH. YOU JUST SAY, HEY, DON'T DO THIS. OKAY? YOU HAVE A GAY BEHAVIOR, OKAY? MAYBE YOU SHOULD EXTEND THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CHANGING YOUR BEHAVIOR. IT'S, IT'S NOT HUMIDITY A PERSON, OKAY? IT IS JUST SAY THIS FINDING LIKE LAST YEAR, AND THEN THIS YEAR WE WANT TO CONTINUE, OKAY? AND FINISH. OKAY? THIS AND THAT. THE CENTRAL CANNOT DO ANYTHING. IT CANNOT IMPEACH, OKAY? A PERSON, OKAY? OR CANNOT DO ANY DAMAGES. OKAY? BUT AT LEAST THIS IS OUR RIGHT OF THE CITY COUNCIL. WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE STAND BASED ON LAB, OKAY? BEHAVIOR BASED ON LAB REPORT. AND A LOT OF, UH, OKAY, STAFF HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, LIKE YOU SAY, OKAY? SOME OF THEM EVEN OKAY. LOST THEIR JOB. OKAY? AND SOME OF THEM EVEN LOST THEIR PENSION. OKAY? AND THE, FOR THAT, OKAY, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS BEHAVIOR HAVE TO STOP. OKAY? AND HOPEFULLY, OKAY, THOSE PEOPLE CAN, OKAY. CAN GET THEIR RETIREMENT BACK. OKAY? SO ALL THIS IS JUST TRY TO HELP THE CITY STAFF WORKING WITHOUT FEE, NOT ABOUT US. WE, WE ARE PAID VERY LITTLE MORE A VOLUNTEER, OKAY? AND, UH, WE HAVE A TURN, OKAY? AND, UH, DECIDE TO HOW YOU WANT TO SERVE. WE SERVE HERE VOLUNTARILY. OKAY? WE NOT SERVE HERE BY, WE NEED TO USE THIS TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY. WE DO THIS AGAIN AS A VOLUNTEER. WE WANT TO HELP THE CITY, BUT THE STAFF IS A FULL-TIME, AND THIS IS THEIR JOB. THIS THEIR LIVELIHOOD. THEY HAVE A KID TO FEED, OKAY? THEY HAVE FAMILY AND, AND WE, THEY WANT DO JOB, BUT WE DON'T WANT THEM TO JUMP, HAVE A FEAR. THEY MAYBE GET INTIMIDATED AND MAYBE HAVE TO, OKAY, RESIGN OR MAYBE SO SCARED, OKAY? AND THEY HAVE TO QUIT. AND, AND, AND, AND THIS IS WHAT WE HERE FOR, OKAY? IT IS NOT ABOUT A PERSON, IT'S ABOUT HOW WE STOP THIS, OKAY? AND BEHAVIOR. SO THE CITY CAN FREELY WORK. AND REGARDING ACCENTURE, AND WE ARE HERE FIRST AND SECOND, WE JUST NEED TO COM COMPLETE. OTHERWISE, WHY WE DO THIS REPORT. SECOND THING, REGARDING ALL THIS WILD ACCUSATION, INCLUDING EVERYBODY'S, UH, SO-CALLED NON-PROFIT, INCLUDING GUTIEREZ, HUMANEZ, NONPROFIT. WE GET TO CHECK THIS AND THAT, ALL THIS, INCLUDING MYSELF, INCLUDING THE, OKAY, LADY FILM, THIS AND THAT. OH, GO TO DA, OKAY? HAVE THIS SUBPOENA, OKAY. AND CHECK INTO, OKAY, ALL THIS ISSUE, I CAN MAKE SURE NO ROCK UNTURNED AND TO FIND ANY OR WRONGDOING. SO THIS IS WHAT THIS ABOUT. AND WESTFALL THIS, THIS THING IS OVER, OKAY? DON'T SAY, OKAY, REGARDING ALL THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THIS AND THAT, OKAY? AND GO TO PUBLIC RECORDS. SEE WHY. AND HOW ABOUT DR. BEZO, HE WORK VERY LITTLE AND, UH, AND SERVING US. SO MAKE SURE OUR PUBLIC OKAY, UH, AND WORK, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH IS, IS, IS, IS, IS SECURE. ALL THIS, EVERYBODY'S VOLUNTEERS TRY TO HELP THE CITY. OKAY? SO IN THAT WAY, AND JUST TRY TO SMEAR PEOPLE WITH THEIR REPUTATION, THIS AND THAT. OKAY? YOU CAN ACCUSE, BUT END UP ALL THAT CAN GO TO DA SINCE SHE SAYS CRIMINAL ACT. THEN LET THE DA TO LOOK EVERYTHING TO IT. AND THEN THIS IS THE SUGGESTION. SO I THINK THAT HAS A FIRST AND SECOND TOO. SO ANYWAY, AND THEN I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE. AND THEN I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE. UM, MAYOR PROTE, THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING. I, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST SIDE THAT I DON'T, THAT MAYBE MANY HAVE SEEN ON YOUR OTHER SIDE. LIKE, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK [03:50:01] YOU. I DO AGREE WITH YOU. I REALLY WANT ALL THIS DRAMA TO END. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FROM BEFORE. I WANNA FOCUS ON CITY BUSINESS. LET'S GET TO THAT. UM, IN REFERENCE TO, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, I'VE WORKED WITH HIM IN THE PAST. I MEAN, HE, YOU EVERYBODY KNOWS THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT I AM A COMMUNITY PERSON. COMMUNITY EVENTS IS MY SPECIALTY. CHILDREN IS MY SPECIALTY. I LOVE. SO WHEN I HAD PARTNERED WITH HIM WITH THE BIGGEST TOY DRIVE IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, I MEAN THAT, THAT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS, AND IT'S GREAT. AND I WANTED TO SEE THAT CONTINUE ON. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN HE GOT ELECTED TO COUNCIL, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HE SHOWED ME PRIOR DIDN'T HAPPEN. UM, BUT I DID NOT KNOW HOW DESTRUCTIVE HE WAS. A LOT OF IT WAS SECRETIVE, JOHN DOE ALL THIS STUFF. I MEAN, MORE WAS ENLIGHT ENLIGHTENED. UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS MORE FOR THE STAFF. IT'S, IT'S FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CITY. UM, THIS WITH THE CEN, IT, IT KNOWS WHERE I STAND, UM, WHICH IS THE PROTECTION OF THE CITY STAFF AND THE, AS WELL AS THE RESIDENTS, THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND. UM, AND SO THAT IS IN REFERENCE TO THAT. BUT I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL. COUNCIL MAG, VERY BRIEF SECOND. MS. ELLI IS, IS WONDERING IF SHE STILL NEEDED? OH, I DON'T THINK SO. NO, I THINK WE'RE GOOD. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I KNOW IT'S GETTING LATE. I'M, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY WE'LL WRAP UP. AND HOPEFULLY BY THIS END OF THIS EVENING, THIS IS ALL DONE. IT DIES OUT. BUT AGAIN, I HAVE NO CONTROL WITH EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL, EVERY TO EACH OF THEIR OWN. SO GOOD NIGHT FOR THIS EVENING. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. SLEEP. WELL DRIVE SAFE. I KNOW THAT A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS RESPONDED TO, UM, MS. MELLI, UH, BEING ABLE TO LEAVE, OR IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, IS THAT OKAY WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? NOBODY ELSE HAS QUESTIONS, RIGHT? OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIVE OS HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. UM, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCILMAN CONTOS. THANK YOU. I, I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. YOU AND I SPEAK A LOT. WE, WE DO TALK A LOT. AND, UM, UM, WE ALL WANNA SEE OUR CITY FLOURISH, GET BETTER, CLEAN UP OUR STREETS. AND THAT'S WHAT, UM, ME AND COUNCILMAN CONTOS DO. WE DO THE DRIVING AROUND AND A LOT OF REPORTING, A LOT OF EMAILS. AND, AND SO, UM, OUR ACTING CITY MANAGER CAN ATTEST TO THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE CARE ABOUT OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE IT BETTER, AND WE WANNA KEEP IMPROVING AND MAINTAIN WHATEVER LOOKS NICE, MAINTAIN THAT, RIGHT? AND, UM, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMAN CONTOS SAYS THAT WE ALL SUPPORTED, UM, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ. AND, UM, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ. MY HUSBAND WAS THE ONE THAT HUNG OUT WITH HIM. AND, UM, I WAS JUST CORDIAL. AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I FELT SORRY FOR HIM BECAUSE I FELT LIKE HE WAS ALONE. AND I, I WAS NICE TO HIM, THAT'S ALL. AND, UM, BUT BOY, I, I, I DIDN'T, I COULDN'T IMAGINE THE THINGS THAT HE'S DOING NOW. I WOULD NOT IMAGINE HIM DOING THAT. I MEAN, EVEN ACTUALLY BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT HE WAS SAYING. AND, UM, I WOULD TELL MY HUSBAND, I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT. DON'T, DON'T, YOU CAN'T TRUST EVERYONE. AND, UM, AND I GUESS THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. SO I WASN'T SUPPORTIVE AND I WAS, I WAS NEUTRAL. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, I JUST DIDN'T WANT THE OTHER ONE. BUT , BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE . SO, UM, BUT I WASN'T, I WASN'T CHEERING FOR ANYONE, ACTUALLY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. REAL CALL COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ. YES. AND YOU KNOW, THE SAME THING YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, THE FORMER MAYOR BRIAN IDE. THEY, THEY TRY TO SKIP HIM FOR, UH, WHEN HE, WHEN HE BECAME MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THEY TRY TO SKIP HIM WHEN HE BECAME MAYOR. UH, IT NEVER STOPS. UH, WE SHOULD BE PUTTING OUR RESIDENTS FIRST AND MOVING ON. BUT, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WANNA CONTINUE TO ARGUE, UH, INFORMATION THAT THEY KNOW, UH, IS JUST RETALIATORY. UH, THEY, EACH OF THEM, EACH THREE OF THEM HAVE, UH, TWO OF THEM ARE UNDER REVIEW BY THE FPPC ONE, UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FPPC. UH, SHE, SHE, SHE LOBBIED ME TO APPOINT HER HUSBAND AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER. AND I REFUSED. UH, THAT'S A RIGHT THAT I HOLD TO RE TO RESERVE THAT. UH, AND, AND, BUT HERE WE NEED TO MOVE ON [03:55:01] AND PUT THE TAXPAYERS FIRST. BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO WANNA ARGUE THIS, UH, IT'S RIDICULOUS, UH, BECAUSE IT, IT'S VERY CLEAR WHAT THE INTENT IS. YOU DON'T LIKE WHEN I PUT FACTS OUT, YOU DON'T, LIKE YOU HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE A INVESTIGATOR WHO PURPOSELY LEFT OUT INFORMATION, WHO PURPOSELY, UH, DISREGARDED TONS OF EMAILS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE EMAIL CHANGE. SHE ATTACHED, YOU KNOW, THREE PAGES OF A 13 PAGE EMAIL. UH, EMAIL. UH, IT'S RIDICULOUS. UH, AND WE SHOULD, UH, MOVE ON AND, AND STOP ATTACKING ME BECAUSE I REPORTED STUFF TO OVERSIGHT AUTHORITIES. OKAY? SO WE HAVE A MOTION. AND THAT BEING SAID, I, WE WANNA END THIS. WE DON'T WANNA CONTINUE ON WITH THIS INVESTIGATION, ESPECIALLY KNOWING ALL THE LIMITATIONS THAT CAN OCCUR. I DO AGREE. IF THEY WANT TO FINISH THE INVESTIGATION, IF THERE IS ANY CRIMINAL ACT WITHIN ANY COUNSEL, LET THE DA TAKE OVER AND CONTINUE WITH THAT SO WE DON'T LONGER BLEED FINANCIALLY AND HAVE TO SIT THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND FOCUS ON CITY BUSINESS. SO WE DID HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND IS THAT TO HAVE THE CENSURE, WHAT'S THE MOTION TO HAVE THE CZ? YEAH, THE CENSURE. OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M CORRECT BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AND, UH, SECOND BY ME. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MU. THANK YOU, UH, TO MOVE TO C COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, NO, IT'S NOT TO, IT'S NOT TO MOVE TO CENSURE, IT'S TO MOVE TO A HEARING. THANK YOU. TO MOVE TO CENSURE, AN AGENDA TO MOVE TO A CENSURE HEARING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ? NO. COUNCILMAN WU, I, AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR PRO TE CONTOS PRESENT VOTE AND ABSTAIN. AB ABSTAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AYE RO, THANK YOU. PASSES. THAT PASSES. UH, 3 1 1 SECOND MOTION. THE SECOND MOTION IS TO TAKE ANY ALLEGED, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ANY ALLEGED MISCONDUCT TO THE DA'S OFFICE? ALL THE REPORT, ALL THE ACCUSATION TO, SORRY. WE'LL HAVE THE, UM, EVERYBODY'S GONNA TALK . UH, YES. IT WAS TO TERMINATE, I BELIEVE IT WAS TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH PLANT MORAN, WHO WAS THE FIRM RETAINED TO CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION INTO FINANCIAL ALLEGED FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY TO TERMINATE THAT INVESTIGATION. I THINK THE RATIONALE, AT LEAST AS DISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL, WAS BECAUSE IT WAS REFERRED TO THE, UH, DIFFERENT OVERSIGHT AUTHORITIES. THE DA YES, THE DA TO DA FOR THIS TO REFER ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, INCLUDING, CAN YOU SPEAK ON THE MIC SO I COULD HEAR? YEAH. SO TO REFER ALL AL YES. HI. OKAY. LISA IS THE ONE THAT PROBABLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT HERE. OKAY. UM, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE CONCLUSION OF THIS INVESTIGATION, UH, THE COUNCIL WOULD BE MOVING TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT OF PLANT MORAN INTO THE FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY TO MOVE TO BASICALLY REFER ALL FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY, WHICH INCLUDES COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ'S CLAIMS, AND, UH, COUNCIL, UH, WOMAN, UH, LOPEZ VITO'S CLAIMS. UM, ALL OF THOSE CLAIMS TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, INCLUDING ANY ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE PART OF, UH, THE CURRENT REPORT AS WELL, ALL WOULD BE INCLUDED IN A REFERRAL TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, INCLUDING THE REPORT, ALSO THE HARASSMENT. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. O'CONNELL. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WOO AND A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, UH, CAN WE SEPARATE THOSE MOTIONS? IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE . WE COULD SEPARATE THEM. WE SHOULD PUT, PLAN IT MORE ON BY ITSELF. AND THEN TOMMY, YOU'RE WAVING YOUR HEAD. NO, I DUNNO WHY YOU ALWAYS HAVE, YOU CAN MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, SEE IF YOU GET A SECOND. SO, I, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SHOULD SEPARATE THE MOTIONS. ONE'S ABOUT PLATE MORON, AND ANOTHER IS ABOUT, UH, REFERRING THE REPORT TO THE DA'S OFFICE, WHICH IT HAS MAJOR ERRORS ON, BUT YEAH, VICE VERSA. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SEEING NONE, THAT MOTION DIES. CONTINUE ON. SO, UH, GOING BACK TO THE FIRST MOTION, A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU, SECOND BY COUNCIL ME DIAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ. YEAH. AND I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT. UH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENT IS, THE REASON WHY THEY DON'T WANT PLANTS MORRAN TO CONTINUE IS BECAUSE AS OF THIS DAY, FUNDING FROM THE 2025 MOON FESTIVAL HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN BACK TO THE CITY. UH, AND THE TWO COLLEAGUE, MY TWO COLLEAGUES ON HERE, THE MAYOR AND AND COUNCILMAN , HAVE REFUSED TO HAND OVER THEIR BOOKS TO, TO C THE CITY. AND SO THEY WANNA REFER THIS REPORT THAT'S BIAS AND ONE SIDED. SO, SO LET ME LET BE MY GUESS. GO AHEAD AND I'LL SAY YES, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A BIAS REPORT. COUNCILMAN WU. [04:00:01] OKAY. AND, UH, YES, BUT NOW, THEN HE SAY IT'S TRUE. OKAY. AND, UH, OH, THIS SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY DA. WELL THEN GO TO A NOTICE OF INVESTIGATOR AND BASICALLY, OKAY, CALL CT HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SO I THINK HE USED THE DA WITH SUBPOENA, POWER SUBPOENA. YOU SUBPOENA ME, SUBPOENA ANYBODY, AND TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION THAT WE ALL HAVE A CONCERN REGARDING YOU WITH YOUR NONPROFIT, THEY PAYING YOU. OKAY. OR YOU HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT ME WITH ANY OTHER ISSUE. SO WITH THAT, I THINK DA SHOULD GO INTO THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTE A PERSON DOING THE WRONG THING. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR APPROACH. TEMP CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ VIDO, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS KNOW I DON'T WANNA SPEND MORE CITY STAFF RESOURCES AND CITY FUNDS TO CONTINUE AN INVESTIGATION THAT'S GONNA GO TO THE DA. SO, THAT BEING SAID, IT IS AN I AND I WANT THIS TO END. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ADAM PASSES FIVE ZERO. THANKS. OH, SORRY. UH, LONG NIGHT. UM, SO IT'S ONE MORE. IS THERE ONE MORE? OKAY, GO AHEAD. ONE MORE ONE. SO GO AHEAD. YES, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS STILL ONE OF RECEIVING AND FILING THE JAMELE INVESTIGATION REPORT. SEE, THERE'S TWO MORE. AFTER REVIEWING THIS REPORT, STILL MOVE. SECOND. WE HAVE A FIRST, A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WA SECOND BY MAYOR CONTOS TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE REPORT BY JAMELE COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ. UM, MRS. JAMALI, UH, FAILED TO INCLUDE VITAL INFORMATION IN HER REPORT THAT THE PUBLIC HAD THE RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT. IT'S, IT'S BEEN, CAN YOU VOTE YES OR NO? IT'S BIAS. AND SO NO COUNCILMAN. WOO. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR PRO TEMP CONTOS AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ VIDO AYE. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, NOW ON TO CITY TWO MORE. OH, THERE'S TWO MORE. KEEP GOING. YES. THE STAFF REPORT HAD THREE AND THEN THERE WERE TWO THAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED DURING TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION. SO THE SECOND WAS TO DIRECT STAFF AND OR OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, LINES OF AUTHORITY AND APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTOCOLS WITHIN THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION AT A SUBSEQUENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU IS SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ TO DIRECT STAFF AND OR OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO PREPARE AND PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS ADDRESSING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, LINES OF AUTHORITY AND APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTOCOLS WITHIN THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE DULY NOTICED. CITY COUNCIL MEETING. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ, SINCE THIS IS, UH, TO BRING IT TO US, UH, BECAUSE A LEVY VERSUS, VERSUS SANTA MONICA IS ESTABLISHED CASE LAW, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO INQUIRE. SO, UH, GO AHEAD AND BRING IT AND I'LL, I'LL LOOK AT IT. SO YES. COUNCILMAN WU. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. MAYOR PRO. TIM CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO AYE. MOTION PASSES. GO AHEAD. AND ON NUMBER THREE, RECOMMENDATION. YES. THANK YOU. LAST ONE. IF THE CITY COUNCIL WISHES TO CONSIDER ANY FORMAL ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THE INVESTIGATION REPORT TO DIRECT STAFF TO AGENDA SUCH AN ACTION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE CENTER, BUT YEAH, IF THAT'S, SO WE JUST DID, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE ALREADY VOTED ON THAT? YEP. PERFECT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYTHING ELSE? SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, CENSOR MAYOR TONY. WOO. UH, FOR THE DISCRIMINATORY REMARKS HE MADE TO ME, UH, AT A PUBLIC EVENT, WHICH WAS DOCUMENTED, BUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, AND HIS CONDUCT IN CLOSED SESSION AND HIS CONDUCT, UH, RELATING TO THE FIRING OF VINCENT, UH, CAMP, THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF OF THE FIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. IS THERE A SECTION? COULD I, COULD I CLARIFY THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ? YES. UH, YOU CAN'T MOVE TO CEN. YOU HAD MOVED TO AGENDA A CENSURE HEARING. UH, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR YES. TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE TO AGENDIZE. IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION DIES. ALRIGHT, THAT IS DONE. NOW WE CAN MOVE ON. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS. ANY AB 1 23 4 CONFERENCE AND MEETING REPORT. SEEING NONE, CITY COUNCIL REQUEST. IS THERE ANY COUNCIL REQUEST? NONE. [CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS] CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS? ANY, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE HERE IS A ACTION TO, UH, MAKE A POINT TO RETALIATE AGAINST ME, UH, FOR REPORTING MISCONDUCT. UH, THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR. UH, YOU HAVE A INVESTIGATOR THAT WAS HIRED [04:05:01] TO THIRD PARTY FIRM, BUTCH HALTER. UH, THE SAME FIRM HAS REPRESENTED THE CITY ON NUMEROUS LAWSUITS THAT THEY'VE LOST IN EVERY MA ALMOST EVERY MATTER, UH, INCLUDING THE FIRING OF EVERY OTHER, UH, UH, FORMER POLICE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF AND, AND SO FORTH. UM, FROM MARK TAYLOR TO LARRY WHITHORN, WHICH THE PALATE COURT JUST RECENTLY RULED THAT MAYOR RU WAS RESPONSIBLE, UH, FOR HIS INTIMIDATION THERE. UM, YOU HAVE REPORTS WHERE, UH, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER REPORTED MISCONDUCT, UH, FROM MR. VINCENT CAPELLI'S SITUATION. BUT AGAIN, MY THREE COLLEAGUES, UH, WILL LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND, AND, AND ACT LIKE NOTHING'S HAPPENED. UM, EVIDENCE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME DOCUMENTATION. UH, YOU COULD, YOU COULD TRY TO, YOU COULD CENSOR ME WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA DETER ME FROM REPORTING ANY, IT'S NOT GONNA DETER ME FROM INSURING OVERSIGHT THAT THE TAXPAYERS ELECTING ME TO THIS OFFICE TO DO. IT'S NOT GONNA DETER ME THAT IF I BELIEVE SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT OR IN REGULARITIES ARE OCCURRING TO REFER TO AN APPROPRIATE THIRD PARTY, UH, UH, INVESTIGATING AGENCIES THAT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, UH, INVESTIGATE MATTERS LIKE THIS. SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, THE CITY STAFF WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN PROVIDING VITAL EVIDENCE IN THIS PROCESS. UH, AND, AND, AND ALSO MY, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, ON THIS COUNCIL WHO ACTUALLY INTRODUCED ME TO, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE. UM, AND, UH, I'LL CONCLUDE THAT SPEECH CHAIR. ANY OTHER COUNSEL COMMENTS? UH, YES, MADAM MAYOR, GO AHEAD. UM, JUST TO LET FOLKS KNOW, AND I, I, IF, IF I'M INCORRECT ON THE DATE, BUT I THINK I'M CORRECT ON SATURDAY THE 14TH OF MARCH, UH, RIDGE WRITERS IS GOING TO BE, UH, A GREAT PLACE OF ACTIVITY. I THINK STARTING ROUGHLY 8, 8 30 IN THE MORNING. UH, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE 80 RESIDENTS COME TOGETHER THERE TO AT RIDGE WRITERS, UH, TO WORK ON, ON PAINTING THE FENCES AND REALLY CONTINUING TO, TO REVITALIZE THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER. I RESPECTFULLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY CALL UPON EVERYBODY, UH, TO, TO GET THEIR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED, THEIR FAMILIES, KIDS. WE NEED 80 PEOPLE THERE MOST IDEALLY TO, TO, UH, HELP REPAINT THE, THE, THE FENCES AND TO REALLY MAKE THE PLACE LOOK BEAUTIFUL. AND I THINK MADAM MAYOR, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE. SO IT'S GONNA BE NICE TO GET TO JOIN FORCES WITH YOU THERE. AND SO JUST WANTED TO CALL UPON EVERYONE TO JOIN US. IT'S GOING TO BE A BLAST. AND SO IT'S GOING, GOING TO BE WONDERFUL TO, TO HAVE A NICE COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENT TOGETHER AS WE REVITALIZE A PART OF OUR HISTORY THAT HAS BEEN DORMANT MORE RECENTLY, BUT IS NOW ON THE RESURGENCE. YEAH. I LOVE HEARING, UM, POSITIVE NEWS AND AGAIN, COMMUNITY. UM, THAT'S WHY I WILL BE THERE, UH, FIRSTHAND. AND, UM, THERE'S 75 CONFIRMED AND THEY'RE STUDENTS AS WELL. AND I KNOW ONE OF, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION, RICH. OH, THERE'S A QUESTION. OH, JUST FINISHING YOU. OH, OKAY. I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP. IT'S PUBLIC COMMENTS. I MEAN, COUNCIL COMMENTS, SO I'M COMMENTING. UM, BUT I DO, UH, THAT'S ONE OF MY PROJECTS. I KNOW I HAVEN'T REALLY DISCUSSED IT OUT, BUT I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, A FEW RESIDENTS. I KNOW MARIO'S HERE STILL THIS EVENING, AND HE'S ONE OF 'EM. UM, AND OTHER, UH, TO BRING BACK LIKE THE HORSES AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE COMING UP. BUT THIS IS TO SET IT UP AND MAKE THE EQUESTRIAN BEAUTIFUL AND USABLE. AND, UH, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER THINGS THAT WILL COME TO, TO DISPLAY AND EVERYTHING. SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. CAN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP? CAN WE BRING DOG, BECOME A DOG PARK TOO? WE LIKE HORSES. THERE'S A, ACTUALLY A, CAN WE COMMINGLING TOGETHER? DOG AND HORSES. . OKAY. BRING TOMMY DOG. AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON THE LEASH, THERE'S A LOT OF DOG AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THEY HAVE A PLACE TO, WE CAN BRING THE DOG AND PAINT THE PLACE. WELL, IF THAT'S YOUR, YEAH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING. UM, AND IF THE DOG WANTS TO HELP PAINT OR, YOU KNOW, COVER ANY HOLES, THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASSIST THOUGH. THEY CAN LEAK. THEY CAN LEAK. OKAY. BUT JUST A, JUST A SUGGESTION. OKAY. OKAY. ANY OTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS? NO. UM, MOTION TO ADJOURN. I MOTION? YEAH. MOTION TO ADJOURN. THANK YOU EVERYONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.