* 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] [00:00:06] GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE OUR SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. IT IS 7 0 1. MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION. UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL DURING ORAL COMMUNICATION MUST COMPLETE A SPEAKER CARD AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND SUBMIT IT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK BEFORE ORAL COMMUNICATION BEGINS. SPEAKER CARDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED ONCE ORAL COMMUNICATION HAS STARTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SB 7 0 7. AFTER ALL SPEAKERS WHO ARE PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS HAVE FINISHED, WE WILL THEN HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY. TONIGHT'S INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY ASSISTANT CITY CLERK LISA SHERICK AND MAYOR PROTE CONTOS WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALL RISE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. WE GATHER HERE TODAY IN THE SPIRIT OF UNITY AND SHARED PURPOSE. LET US OPEN OUR HEARTS TO ONE ANOTHER, TO THE WORK BEFORE US AND THE VALUES THAT GUIDE OUR COMMUNITY. MAY WE APPROACH THIS GATHERING WITH OPENNESS, RESPECT, AND A COMMITMENT TO THE WELLBEING OF ALL. IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION, MAY WE FIND WISDOM, CLARITY, AND THE STRENGTH TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS. AMEN. AMEN. GOOD EVENING. FOR THOSE WEARING HATS, WE ASK THAT YOU REMOVE THEM. PLEASE FACE THE FLAG, PUT YOUR HAND ON YOUR HEART, AND FOLLOW MY LEAD. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY JUSTICE FALL. ROLL CALL PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ HERE. COUNCILMAN WU? YEP. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. HERE, MAYOR PRO TE CONTOS HERE, MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO PRESENT, UH, CLOSED SESSION WAS CANCELED THIS EVENING, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT ONTO [PRESENTATIONS] PRESENTATIONS. SO WE'LL START WITH TASTE OF WEST COVINA PRESENTATION, RECOGNIZING CODE NINJAS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE ANDREW TO THE FRONT. THANK YOU FOR COMING. SO AT CODE NINJAS, KIDS DON'T JUST LEARN HOW TO CODE. THEY BUILD PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, CREATIVITY AND CONFIDENCE, WHILE HAVING A BLAST. THEY LEARN TO CREATE GAMES, LEARN CODING SKILLS, BUILD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AND LEARN THROUGH EXCITING CHALLENGES. WHETHER YOUR CHILD IS BRAND NEW TO CODING OR ALREADY LOVES TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S ALWAYS A NEW CHALLENGE WAITING AT CODE NINJA. THEY GIVE YOUR CHILD THE SKILLS TO CREATE, NOT JUST CONSUME TECHNOLOGY FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS. CODE NINJA'S OFFERING THREE BACK-TO-BACK SCHOOL PROMOTIONS RANGING FROM $150 DISCOUNT TO $420 DISCOUNT TO REDEEM. YOU SIMPLY NEED TO SHOW THEM THE CODE NINJA'S FLYER THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A YOUNG WEST COVINA RESIDENT. WE HAVE TWO RESIDENTS THAT WORK AT CODE NINJAS AND THEY'RE REALLY GREAT, UH, WORKING WITH THE KIDS. SO DOES CODE NINJAS HAVE A MINIMUM AGE FOR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE? AND IF YOU CAN JUST TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM. THEY'RE RIGHT HERE IN WEST COVINA. I KNOW WE HAVE THE INFORMATION AND FLYER, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN ABOUT CODE NINJA. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, IN INGES, WE SERVE, UH, KIDS FROM 5-YEAR-OLD AS YOUNG AS 5-YEAR-OLD. WE HAVE A JUNIOR PROGRAM, UH, FOR FIVE TO SEVEN, AND THEN SEVEN TO 15 WILL BE OUR MAIN PROGRAM. AND, UH, FOR 15 OF ABOVE, LIKE, WE HAVE A AI ACADEMY PROGRAM AS WELL. SO WE CATERING AND PREPARING ALL, UH, DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS TO, UH, BE BE PREPARED FOR WHAT WE ARE COMING UP WITH, UH, THE ERA OF AI. SO, YEAH, AND ALSO IF YOU ARE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERN WITH US, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A INTERNSHIP, UH, PROGRAM WITH THE, UH, UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WEST COVINA. SO, YEAH, JUST, UH, REACH OUT TO US, SEND US AN EMAIL, UH, THAT'S RIGHT HERE. AND, UH, YEAH. AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UH, TALK TO Y'ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN I COME BACK? SORRY. WE'LL THAT YOU, SO, UH, FOR THOSE, IF YOU WANNA TAKE THE CLASS, TAKE THE CLASS FOR THOSE THAT ARE CAPABLE, FEEL FREE TO TEACH, UH, THE CLASS THERE. SO ON BEHALF OF CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE CODE NINJA FOR TASTE OF WEST COA. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. [00:05:04] ALL RIGHT. ON THE NEXT TASTE OF WEST COVINA PRESENTATION, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE KUMAN. WE'RE ON AN EDUCATION ROLE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO INVITE VINCENT L TO THE FRONT. SO, AT KUMAN WEST COVINA, WHILE THEY HELP CHILDREN BUILD STRONG ACADEMIC SKILL WHILE DEVELOPING SOMETHING JUST AS IMPORTANT CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE FROM MATH AND READING TO DEVELOPING STRONG STUDY HABITS, KOON'S INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO WORK AT THEIR OWN PACE AND CELEBRATE PROGRESS ALONG THE WAY. SO EVERY CHILD'S JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT AND EVERY ACHIEVEMENT DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED. I ALSO WANTED TO, UH, PERSONALLY SPEAK ON THE VALUE OF KUMAN. UH, MY DAUGHTER HAD SOME LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, UM, GROWING UP, AND SHE WAS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES, AND KUMAN ACTUALLY HELPED HER DURING HER EDUCATION ON THAT. SO I CAN PERSONALLY SPEAK ON BEHALF OF KUMAN. AND, UM, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE SOME, UH, THOSE THAT ARE HERE TODAY YOU WANNA BRING UP. BUT I HAVE A COUPLE OF STUDENTS, THE STUDENTS, OKAY, SURE. AND THEN, SO FROM TONIGHT TO OCTOBER 15, KUMAN WEST COVINA WILL OFFER CUSTOMERS A $100 CREDIT. SIMPLY OH, HE JUST SAID, NOT JUST FOR THE MONTH, AS WE DON'T NORMALLY DO FOR TASTE OF WEST COVINA. HE SAID HE'LL DO THIS UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. SO, UH, THEY'LL OFFER CUSTOMERS. SO, YAY. THANK YOU. WE VALUE YOUR EDUCATION. UM, WE'LL OFFER CUSTOMERS A HUNDRED DOLLARS CREDIT, SIMPLY MENTION TASTE OF WEST COVINA ON YOUR VISIT. UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT KUMAN OR ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD AND ADD A FEW WORDS? UH, MY NAME IS VINCENT LONG AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF WEST COVINA KUMAN. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR IN PARTICULAR TO INVITE ME TO THIS, UH, PRESENTATION. UM, NOW, UH, IF YOU EVER DRIVEN ON FREEWAY 10 WEST BEFORE HEADING DOWN TOWARDS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, AND YOU COME CLOSE TO THE SUNSET AVENUE OFF RAMP, I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BIG BLUE CUON FREEWAY SIGN. HAVE YOU EVER WONDER WHAT THAT MYSTERIOUS LOOKING FACE IS ALL ABOUT ? WELL, IT'S NOT, UH, SOME HISTORIC, UH, SYMBOLS FROM SOME MAYAN CIVILIZATION. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE, UH, THINKING PHASE. SO LET ME INTRODUCE KUMAN. UH, KUMAN, UH, WAS ACTUALLY INTRODUCED BACK IN, UH, WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN 1958. UH, IT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION PROVIDER. UH, WE OPERATE IN, UH, OVER SIX CONTINENTS AROUND THE GLOBE. UH, AND OUR WEST COVIN CENTER HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 36 YEARS, SO A VERY LONG TIME. WE ACTUALLY HAVE SECOND GENERATION KUMAN STUDENTS COMING BACK TO OUR CENTER. UH, NOW WE NOT ONLY DO WE SERVE THE POPULATION OF WEST COVINA, BUT WE ALSO SERVE THE LABORING CITIES AS WELL. AND IN THE PAST, WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, THE NEARBY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ON SOMETHING CALLED NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. AND WE HAVE, UH, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, UH, THE TEACHERS AND THE EDUCATORS UP AND DOWN THE ST. GABRIEL VALLEY. UH, AND WE SUPPORT, UH, AT THAT TIME ABOUT EIGHT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO WE ARE VERY WELL KNOWN IN THAT COMMUNITY. UM, AND, UH, NOW FOR THOSE, UH, INITIATED, UH, PEOPLE MAY THINK, THEY MAY NOT, NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT KUMAN, UM, THEY MAY THINK LEARNING CENTER IS ALL ABOUT, UH, CENTERS, UH, CATERING ONLY TO THE, UH, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE BEHIND THAT SCHOOL. BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE IN KUMAN. AS A MATTER OF FACT, MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY HONORABLE STUDENTS NOW, WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED IN OUR PROGRAM, YES, THEY ARE REMEDIAL STUDENTS. WE DETERMINE WHERE THE WEAKEST, UH, UH, POINT IS IN THEIR FOUNDATION, AND WE HELP THEM REBUILD THEIR FOUNDATION BRICK BY BRICK UNTIL THEY GET UP TO THE GR TO THEIR GRADE LEVEL. NOW, ONCE THEY REACH THE GRADE LEVEL, IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN OUR PROGRAM, THEN THEY START STUDYING ADVANCED, UH, MATERIALS, UH, INDEPENDENTLY. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE TWO, THREE, OR EVEN FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF THE SCHOOL GRADE. WOW. UM, NOW, UM, YOU MAY BE LIKE AN OVER, UH, OVERKILL TO, TO BE SO FAR AHEAD OF THE SCHOOL, BUT KEEP IN MIND, NOWADAYS WITH THE, UH, INVENTION OF THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WE, OUR, AS PARENTS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE WELL PREPARED FOR THE GAME. UM, SO, UH, LET'S SEE. SO WE, WE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS. IF YOU ARE LIKE A YOUNG ADULT GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO LEARN A JOB THESE DAYS. UH, YOU HAVE TO [00:10:01] GO THROUGH A LOT OF INTERVIEWS AND SEND OUT A LOT OF, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATIONS. SO OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE KIDS HAVE A GOOD FIGHTING CHANCE. SO IF YOU ARE A PARENT, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE SKILLS TO SURVIVE IN THE, IN THE NEW, UH, UH, NEW GAME. NOW, WHAT ABOUT THE, THE SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM? WELL, THE SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM IS STILL TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE, UH, COVID, UH, PANDEMICS, UM, OR ABOUT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. WE HAVE ABOUT 20 YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE GAIN IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. BUT DURING THAT LAST, UH, THE TWO YEARS OF PANDEMIC, EVERYTHING IS BEING WIPED OUT. SO WE ARE BASICALLY GOING BACK TO SQUARE ZERO. UM, SO, UH, IT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, THAT, UH, WE NEED TO BRING THIS LEVEL BACK UP AGAIN. NOW, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A KUMAN? WHILE WE CANNOT SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD, BUT WE DO BELIEVE TWO THINGS. NUMBER ONE IS, UH, WE BELIEVE CHILDREN IS OUR FUTURE. AND ALSO EDUCATION GOOD. EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT. SO WE DO WHAT WE DO BEST IS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS, UH, REGAIN THAT CONFIDENCE AND BE, UH, BE ABLE TO, TO PERFORM WELL IN THIS NEW ECONOMY. UM, NOW I'M GONNA INTRODUCE TWO OF MY, UH, YOU KNOW, FINANCES AND, UM, STUDENTS. I HAVE, UH, JEFFERSON HERE IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE. UH, MAY I INVITE, UH, JEFFERSON TO THE FRONT? SO HE STARTED BACK, UM, WHEN HE WAS YOUNG AND HE'S, HE ENROLLED, HE WAS ENROLLED IN BOTH MATH AND READING. HIS MOM IS ACTUALLY IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, JULIE. SO SHE'S TAKING BUSY, TAKING PICTURE . UM, SO HE HAS BEEN, UH, WHEN HE FIRST ENROLLED IN OUR PROGRAM, WE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THAT HE, HE, HE CAN, HE HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL, SO WE CUSTOMIZE OUR STUDY PLAN TO CATER FOR, FOR HIS, UH, ABILITY. AND, UH, WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR, HE ALREADY DEVELOPED THE SKILLS AND GET, HE GOT IT TO THE HONOR ROLL ON OUR PROGRAM. SO EVER SINCE THEN, ALL THE WAY UP TO NOW, UH, HE HAS BEEN ON OUR HONOR ROLL. LAST YEAR WHEN HE WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE, HE COMPLETED HIS, UM, PRE-CALCULUS AND ALSO ONE LEVEL OF COLLEGE LEVEL MATH BACK IN SEVENTH GRADE. AND NOW HE'S IN EIGHTH GRADE. HE JUST STARTED EIGHTH GRADE. HE'S, HE ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON THE SECOND, UM, COLLEGE LEVEL MATH. SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF HIM. UH, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE MORE OF OF HIS THUNDERER. UH, I'M GONNA PASS THE MIC ONTO HIM AND LET HIM, UH, TALK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE. IT'S GONNA TAKE BE SHORT, RIGHT? OKAY. UH, HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JEFFERSON LI AND I'M ACTUALLY A FRESHMAN , NOT EIGHTH GRADER. FRESHMAN, YEAH. OKAY. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES HERE AT KUMAN. SO I STARTED KUMAN IN KINDERGARTEN, AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT EVER SINCE. UM, AND I'VE DEVELOPED ADVANCED MATH AND READING SKILLS WAY BEFORE I LEARNED THEM IN SCHOOL. AND THE RIGOROUS ASSIGNMENTS, SUPPORTIVE TEACHERS AND CONCEPT PRACTICE HAVE GIVEN ME A TRUE COMPETITIVE EDGE. MY PARENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THEY WERE BUSY RUNNING A BUSINESS. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, KUMAN BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY EDUCATION. I WAS LEARNING TOPICS IN KUMAN FAR AHEAD OF WHAT I WAS LEARNING IN SCHOOL. AND MY CLASSES WERE OFTEN VERY EASY FOR ME. IN FACT, TEACHERS OFTEN ASK ME TO GO AROUND THIS CLASS AND HELP MY PEERS WHEN THEY'RE BUSY HELPING OTHERS. UM, REMEMBER ? UH, YEAH. SO BASICALLY WHEN I WAS HELPING MY, UM, YEARS, I HELPED ONE OF, I HELPED ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND HER NAME'S VICTORIA. AND VICTORIA IS HAPPENED TO BE , THE MAYOR'S DAUGHTER. YEAH. YEAH. AND I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT TO COMPLETELY MASTER SOMETHING, YOU CAN'T JUST LIKE KNOW HOW TO GET THE ANSWER RIGHT. IF YOU WANNA FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, YOU CAN'T JUST LIKE GUESS, RIGHT? YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO KNOW THE WHY BEHIND IT AND ACTUALLY HOW YOU GET THE ANSWER. AND IN ORDER TO FULLY MASTER SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TEACH IT AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT. AND THAT'S JUST WHAT I'VE GONE BY MY WHOLE LIFE. AND, UM, NOW IN THE FUTURE, I JUST WANNA BECOME AN ENGINEER. YEAH, I THINK I'M SEEING, UH, PROBABLY, UH, WHETHER DIC, VICTOR OR VALEDICTORIAN IN THE MAKING. WE'LL COME BACK IN FOUR YEARS AND, OH, NEXT ONE I WANT TO INTRODUCE OR DO YOU WANNA PRESENT AT THE END? OH, OKAY. UH, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE, UH, MELINDA LIM, SAME LAST NAME. OKAY. THEY BELONG TO THE SAME FAMILY, AND, UH, SHE'S ALSO EXCELLENT. UH, SHE'S GOING TO STUDY BIOCHEMISTRY, UH, AND HER GOAL IS TO BECOME, UM, UM, PEDIATRIC SURGEON. SO I'M GONNA PASS [00:15:01] THE MY ON TO HER. UH, HELLO. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS MELINDA LIM, AND, UH, I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE KUMAN FAMILY FOR NEARLY A DECADE. I FIRST ALSO STARTED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND I TRAVERSED A SIMILAR PATH AS JEFFERSON DID. OVER THE YEARS, I GREW ALONGSIDE THE PROGRAM FROM COMPLETING WORKSHEETS AS A THIRD GRADER TO EATING MY PEERS IN CLASS TO EVENTUALLY GRADUATING AS SALUTORIAN OPUS COVINA HIGH SCHOOL WITH A 4.8 GPA. WHAT I VALUE MOST ABOUT KUAN IS NOT A PARTICULAR MATH OR ENGLISH SKILL THAT I LEARNED, BUT RATHER THE INDEPENDENCE AND DISCIPLINE THAT I DEVELOPED BY CONTINUOUSLY CHALLENGING MYSELF. ALONGSIDE THIS PROGRAM, I ENGAGED IN RIGOROUS COURSEWORK, TAKING 17 AP COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL, UM, WORKING PART-TIME INVOLVING MYSELF IN EXTRACURRICULARS SUCH AS CLASS COUNCIL AND RED CROSS, AND ALSO VOLUNTEERING AT THE HOSPITAL. UM, I ULTIMATELY LEARNED TIME MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY FROM KUMAN, AND ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHERE LITERACY REMAINS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN SOCIETY TODAY, I BELIEVE THAT KUMAN CAN HELP STUDENTS BUILD A STRONG ACADEMIC FOUNDATION FOR THEIR FUTURE. HOWEVER, FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE, I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT EDUCATION IS NOT SOLELY ABOUT LEARNING CONTENT, BUT ALSO ABOUT HAVING THE CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION TO KEEP ON LEARNING, WHICH ARE CORE VALUES IN THIS PROGRAM. KUMAN HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MY ACADEMIC ENDEAVOR, AND I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO MY PARENTS FOR PUTTING ME INTO THIS PROGRAM. UM, AS I BEGIN MY JOURNEY AT UC, SAN DIEGO, I'M CONFIDENT THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO EXCEL GIVEN THE STRONG MOMENTUM AND SKILLSET THAT I HAVE BUILT WITH KUMAR. THANK YOU. WOW. UH, THANK YOU. I MEAN, I WISH I HAD A CERTIFICATE FOR THE BOTH OF YOU. YOU GUYS ARE EXCEPTIONAL. UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, I KNOW MY DAUGHTER HAS LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF THE DISABILITY. SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING JUST EVERYONE. SO ON BEHALF OF A CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO KUMAN AND, UH, FOR TASTE OF WEST COA. TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY, SIGN UP AND, YOU KNOW, HELP BETTER EDUCATE EVERY, UH, CHILD. SO LEAVE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AWESOME. ALL RIGHT, UP NEXT, WE ARE, WE ARE CELEBRATING CITY TWO, CITY BASKETBALL WE HAVE, I'D LIKE TO INVITE CHRIS ALA TO THE FRONT COACH. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS . SO CITY TWO, CITY BASKETBALL WAS FOUNDED TO BRIDGE A GROWING GAP IN THE COMMUNITY. WHILE TRADITIONAL A A U TRAVEL BASKETBALL OFFERS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES, RISING COSTS HAVE MADE IT UNAFFORDABLE FOR MANY FAMILIES. THEIR MISSION IS TO DELIVER THAT SAME COMPETITIVE DRIVE AND HIGH CALIBER EXPERIENCE AT A LOW ACCESSIBLE FEE, OR AT NO COST AT ALL FOR FAMILIES FACING FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS, ENSURING NO CHILD IS LEFT BEHIND DUE TO FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. ALTHOUGH CITY TWO CITY BASKETBALL WAS LAUNCHED THIS PAST DECEMBER, THEIR PLAYERS HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED REMARKABLE MILESTONES WHILE PROUDLY REPRESENTING WEST COVINA. 24 HOOPS TOURNAMENT WON OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THEIR VERY FIRST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE COMPETED IN AN EXHIBITION MATCH AGAINST A VISITING TRAVEL TEAM FROM NEW ZEALAND COCA-COLA, WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONALS PLACED THIRD OUT OF 20 ELITE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE REGION. JAM ON IT, NATIONAL EVENT. LAS VEGAS CAPTURED FIRST PLACE IN THE U 14 DIVISION. WHENEVER THEY STEP INTO THE COURT, OPPONENTS ASK WHERE ARE THEY FROM? AND THEY TAKE IMMENSE PRIDE IN ANSWERING WEST COVINA. YAY, . ALL RIGHT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? AND THAT'S A PROUD MOMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SPORTS EDUCATION, SO HERE IT IS ALL AROUND. HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. UH, YEAH, WE CITY TO CITY, WE, WE WERE STARTING IN IN TRAVEL BALL WHERE YOU PAY THE TRADITIONAL FEES AND EVERYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH DAILY LIFE AND, UM, IT JUST GOT VERY EXPENSIVE. SO IN ESSENCE, WE DECIDED, A GROUP OF HIS PARENTS, UH, DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S DO SOMETHING FOR THE KIDS AND MAKE IT FUN SO WE DON'T WANNA SEE ANY MORE KIDS DROPPING OFF FROM THE TEAM. SO WE WENT TOGETHER. I, I DESIGNATE MY FULL TIME, UH, AT NO COST. SO ALL MY TRAINING AND EVERYTHING, I DO IT FOR FREE, EVERYTHING THAT WE MAKE AND, UM, FUNDRAISE FOR IS ALL FOR THE KIDS AND THE TEAM. UM, AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE THEY LOVE TO GO, UH, WHEN WE GO TO GAMES AND EVERYTHING, THEY ALL JUMP IN THE CAR AND ENDS UP, I'M TAKING THEM AND PARENTS ARE [00:20:01] CARPOOLING OR WHAT HAVE YOU. UM, OH, EXCUSE ME, MY PHONE. OKAY. UM, YEAH, WE, WE ARE HERE, I'M HERE TO HELP TEACH THE, THE PLAYERS HOW, WHAT TRULY THE BASKETBALL'S ABOUT HOW TO PLAY THE GAME, UM, HOW TO WORK AS TEAM, UM, HOW TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD WORK ETHIC AND PRACTICE AND, UM, THE DEDICATION TO EACH OTHER, TO THE TEAM, UM, TO THE SPORT, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY THRIVE AT THEIR BEST. UM, IN LESS THAN A YEAR, THIS 14 YEAR TEAM IS, HAS PLAYED MANY TOURNAMENTS AND I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 60% THEY'VE ACTUALLY WON. SO, UM, AND, AND THAT COCA-COLA TOURNAMENT YOU MENTIONED, WE ONLY HAD FIVE PLAYERS AT THE TIME. UH, A COUPLE. WE WERE MISSING A COUPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, NO SUBS. I THINK ONE OF THE GAMES, ONE OF YOU HAD A PLAYER FOUL OUT, SO, UH, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS AN INTENSE GAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DID REALLY, REALLY WELL. UM, AND NOW THEY'RE CURRENTLY COMPETING IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS, SO NOW ALL THE PARENTS ARE SUPPORTING THEM, UH, ARE EAGER TO GO SUPPORT THEM AND WATCH THEM AS THEY PLAY AND, AND GROW. AND THEN, UM, SEE HOW MUCH THEY, THEY BECOME STUDENT ATHLETES NOW, UM, IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START BACK UP IN MARCH OF 2027, UH, TO HOLD UP TRYOUTS AND, UH, GET BACK GOING AS CITY TO CITY, UM, AND GET THESE BOYS BACK TOGETHER. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, COMPETING ON ELITE LEVELS. WE GOT INVITED TO SOME BIGGER TOURNAMENTS THAN WE NORMALLY PLAY, UM, BUT, UH, THEY WORKED HARD TO GET THERE. UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, WE PLAYED IN SOME TOURNAMENTS FROM BRING YOUR SQUAD, UH, 24 7 HOOPS AND THE JET SERIES. UM, THEY EITHER HAD RINGS OR TROPHIES OR, OR MEDALS THAT THE KIDS LOVED. AND, UH, THE BEST PART OF IT ALL IS JUST WATCHING THEM LAUGH AND HAVE FUN WITH EACH OTHER. UM, WHETHER THEY'RE WINNING OR LOSING, THEY, THERE'S SO MUCH OF A TEAM, THEY DON'T CARE. THEY JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AND PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS. OH, NICE. SO, UH, BEFORE I WRAP IT UP, UM, I WANNA INVITE YOU ALL TO A SPECIAL FUNDRAISER AT, UH, HEARST RANCH THIS FRIDAY. UM, CITY TO CITY WILL BE THERE. WE'LL BE HAVING A RAFFLE AND, UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD FOOD THERE AND, UH, UH, OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES WILL BE HAVING SOME, UH, SOME SHOPS THERE. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. HOLD ON. OH, WAIT. ALL RIGHT. SO I, I WILL ACTUALLY BE THERE THIS FRIDAY, SO COME OUT AND SUPPORT. SO WE DO HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR OUR COACH, CHRIS AALA, UH, HONORING CITY TO CITY BASKETBALL TEAM. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO BRING UP A FEW OF THE TEAM ITSELF THAT ARE HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO ALSO BRING UP CLAUDIA SOLIS AS A TEAM PARENT COORDINATOR. COME ON UP. THAT'S OKAY. STAY, STAY UP WITH US. THANK YOU. UM, ETHAN ANG OR, UH, UH, HONORING ANG. OH, ANG ETHAN, COME ON UP. AND I SAW EARLIER ONE OF THE BASKETBALL PLAYERS OUTSIDE AND I WAS LIKE, WHOA, YOU'RE SO TALL. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 14 YEARS OLD. I WAS LIKE, WOW. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO BRING UP SAMUEL LACOSTA. COME ON UP. CONGRATS. YOU'RE THE ONE I MET OUTSIDE, HUH? 14-YEAR-OLD, RIGHT? 14. LOOK AT THAT. UM, ANDREA ASAN. ANDREA, COME ON. ANDREA, THESE ARE ALL YOUR TEAMS. HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN TOGETHER AS A TEAM? UM, I'D SAY MAJORITY OF 'EM HAVE BEEN AT LEAST FOUR YEARS. OKAY. UM, I LIKE A COUPLE OF, LIKE ONE YEAR, SO. AWESOME. WE'LL BRING UP ANTHONY. CORNELL. OH, HE WANTS TO GO WITH HIS LITTLE BROTHER. IT'S OKAY. HE IS SUPPORTING . HE'S OUR FUTURE BASKETBALL PLAYER. RIGHT? THERE YOU GO. AW, THERE YOU GO. HE IS SUPPORTING. THAT'S AWESOME. COME WITH TEAM MANAGER, RIGHT? . AW, BRING UP. YAY. BRING UP CARLOS ALA. SO THIS IS YOUR TEAM. WOULD ANY OF THE YOUTHS LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING OR THE TEAM PARENT COORDINATOR? GO AHEAD. WE CAN START FROM HERE. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US, YOU KNOW? UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UH, WITH HOW EXPENSIVE, UM, A SPORT SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE HOLD BACK, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST, UH, THING THAT WAS THE CORE THING OF US PARENTS STARTING IT. SO THEY, [00:25:01] WE WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE AT BIG TOURNAMENTS AND MAKE IT AFFORDABLE. SO THAT'S BEEN THE MOST BLESSING FOR OUR, OUR PLAYERS HERE. SO THANK YOU MAYOR LETTI. COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE RECOGNITION, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US. ANYTHING. THANK YOU, . HOW ABOUT THE LITTLE BROTHER WHO WANTS THIS SPORT? ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? HAVE A GOOD DAY, . SO ON BEHALF OF CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE CITY TO CITY, AND IT'S EVEN MORE AN HONOR THAT THAT CITY IS WEST COVINA. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THAT ONE? YES, THAT ONE GOES. YES. ALL RIGHT, SO THAT ENDS OUR PRESENTATION. WE'LL CONTINUE WITH OUR MEETING, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ON [CITY MANAGER'S REPORT] TO THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. WHO ELSE BE GIVEN BY OUR CITY MANAGER? UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. READY? UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE ITS NEWEST VEHICLE, A 2024 FORD FOUR 50 XL EQUIPPED WITH SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OF STREET STRIPING OPERATIONS. THE VEHICLE FEATURES THREE PAINT GUNS AND THREE PUMPS ALONG STAFF TO APPLY UP TO THREE DIFFERENT PAINT COLORS SIMULTANEOUSLY ENHANCE SAFETY LIGHTING TO INCREASE VISIBILITY WHILE WORKING IN THE ROADWAY. A BUILT-IN MULTI-DIRECTIONAL ARROW BOARD THAT PROVIDES VISIBILITY TO TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS NEW VEHICLE WILL ENHANCE PUBLIC WORK'S ABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY MAINTAIN AND UPDATE ROADWAY MARKINGS WHILE PROVING CREW SAFETY AND VISIBILITY DURING OPERATIONS. ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, THE PUBLIC WORKS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION HOSTED A FREE PAPER TRADING EVENT AT THE WEST FOR WEST COVINA RESIDENCE. EVENT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS WITH MORE THAN 120 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATING IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE COMMUNITY SERVICE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE CIP PROJECTS IN THE WORKS FIRE STATION 1 23 ROOF AND SEWER REPAIRS, UM, AT GINGRICH PARK BASKETBALL PORT, UH, BASKETBALL COURT REPAIRS, SOUTH SIDE SEWER LINING PROJECT, SPORTSPLEX PLAYGROUND RESURFACING, UH, REPLACEMENT AND HOLBECK UNDERPASS FREEWAY WATER PUMP REPLACEMENT PROJECT. THOSE PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS. ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, PALM VIEW PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER HOSTED ITS ANNUAL ICE CREAM DAY PARTICIPANTS ENJOYED AN AFTERNOON FILLED WITH ICE CREAM, BINGO, MUSIC, AND FUN ACTIVITIES, THE EVENT, AND PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTICIPANTS TO SOCIALIZE, ENJOY YOUR FRESHMEN, AND SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS. ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, THE CORTEZ PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER AND SENIOR CENTER WAS HONORED TO CELEBRATE A VERY SPECIAL MILESTONE, 10 INCREDIBLE SENIORS TURNING 90 AND ABOVE. THIS WONDERFUL CELEBRATION WAS FILLED WITH SMILES, LAUGHTER, FRIENDSHIP, MU MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY DJ RUDY, AND CHERISHED MEMORIES. AS WE HONORED THESE AMAZING INDIVIDUALS AND REMARKABLE LIVES, THEY HAVE LIVED A BIG THANK YOU TO BEACON HEALTHCARE CENTER FOR BEING OUR GENEROUS EVENT SPONSOR AND HELPING MAKE THIS CELEBRATION SO SPECIAL. THE CAMERON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER HOSTED A FREE MOVIE NIGHT ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, FEATURING A SCREENING OF ENCANTO. PRIOR TO THE A PM MOVIE, ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN GAMES AND CRAFTS AND ENJOYED REFRESHMENTS FROM THE SNACK BAR EVENT PROVIDED TO FAMILY FRIENDLY RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY THAT ENCOURAGED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION. ON AUGUST 28TH, DETECTIVES IN INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION INTO A RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY THAT OCCURRED ON THE 1400 BLOCK OF LOTUS COURT, AND SUCCESSFULLY TRACED A STOLEN ITEM FROM THE BURGLARY TO A RESIDENCE LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF CHINO. ON SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 11TH, DETECTIVES OBTAINED A SEARCH WARRANT AND EXECUTED THE WARRANT AT THE IDENTIFIED CHINO RESIDENCE. DURING THE SEARCH OFFICERS RECOVERED STOLEN PROPERTY DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE INITIAL BURGLARY CASE. TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT [00:30:01] INCIDENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY BOOKED INTO CUSTODY AT THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT JAIL ON BURGLARY RELATED CHARGES. THERE WILL BE FOUR VOTE CENTERS IN WEST COVINA FOR THE NOVEMBER 26TH, UH, ELECTION. AS DAYS AND TIMES ARE CONFIRMED, THE CITY'S WEBSITE WILL BE UPDATED. THE WEST COVINA FIRE EXPLORER POST 4 65 PARTICIPATED IN THEIR ROTARY LA FIVE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY AND BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA GREATER LOS ANGELES COUNCIL, THREE EXPLORERS, ETHAN MENDEZ, MATTHEW CAMPOS, AND CHRISTIAN MONTA AND MONTOYA WERE EACH AWARDED AN $800 VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THEIR FUTURE CAREERS. OUR EXPLORER COLOR GUARD ALSO HAS THE HONOR OF PRESENTING THE COLORS DURING THIS SPECIAL EVENT, WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SPECIALIZED TRAINING, INCLUDING THE RECENTLY CONDUCTED STATE FIRE TRAINING DRIVER OPERATOR COURSE ONE B. THIS COURSE PROVIDES FIREFIGHTERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND HANDS-ON SKILLS NECESSARY TO SAFELY OPERATE AND PERFORM PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON PUMPING APPARATUS. TRAINING TOPICS INCLUDED ROUTINE TESTING, INSPECTIONS AND SERVICING OF THE PUMPING APPARATUS, PRODUCING HAND MASTER AND FOAM FIRE STATION FIRE STREAMS, RELAY PUMPING OPERATIONS, AND PROVIDING WATER TO FIRE SPRINKLER AND STANDPIPE SYSTEMS. THE TRAINING ENHANCES THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONAL READINESS, ENSURES PERSONNEL ARE PREPARED TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE CRITICAL FIRE GROUND PUMPING OPERATIONS. IN RECOGNITION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH, A TRIBUTE HONORING THE LIVES LOST. DURING THE TRAGIC EVENTS AND ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH 20 2001, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATED WITH THE VERDUGO FIRE COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS REPORTING AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EACH OF THE 49 FIRE STATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS TO REMEMBER THE NEARLY 3000 INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE PENTAGON, AND IN SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, INCLUDING 415 FIRST RESPONDERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. TRIBUTE CONCLUDED WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR THE COURAGE, SERVICE, AND LASTING LEGACY. THE 2026 STATE OF THE CITY AND EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH AT THE WEST COVINA SPORTSPLEX FROM FIVE 30 TO 8:30 PM TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AND CAN BE PURCHASED BY VISITING WEST COVINA STATE OF THE CITY. 20 TWENTY6@EVENTBRITE.COM. SAVE THE DATE FOR 2026 WEST COVENA MOON FESTIVAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD FROM ONE TO 9:00 PM HERE AT WEST COLINA CITY HALL. THE EVENT WILL FEATURE FOOD, FAMILY FUND, LIVE, ENTERTAINMENT, COPLAY, AND MORE. THE 2026 FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OPEN HOUSE IS SET FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT FIRE STATION. TWO. GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, EXPLORE FIRE ENGINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND ENJOY LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS. THE WEST COVINA FIRE EXPLORERS WILL ALSO BE HOLDING A FUNDRAISER BY SELLING HOT DOGS, CHIPS, SODA, AND WATER IN 2026. FESTIVAL OF FREIGHTS IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH FROM FOUR TO 9:00 PM IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WEST COVINA ON SOUTH GLENDO AVENUE. JOIN US FOR THE FOOD ENTERTAINMENT SCARE ZONES TRICK OR TREATING COSTUME CONTEST AND FUN. THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE WEST COVINA FARMER'S MARKET AND HEARST RANCH NIGHT MARKET. IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS RECEIVED, MAYOR LOPEZ VITO DIRECTED ME TO REVIEW OUR CURRENT PERMITTING PROCESS AND FEE SCHEDULE FOR BOTH THE WEST COVINA FARMER'S MARKET AND THE HEARST RANCH NIGHT MARKET STAFF HAS CONDUCTED OUR REVIEW AND HAVE DEVELOPED A PLAN MOVING FORWARD. THE PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR EACH VENUE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026, ALLOWING BOTH MARKETS TO CONTINUE OPERATING THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. DURING THIS TIME, CITY STAFF WILL DIRECTLY WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE MARKET ORGANIZERS TO ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL PERMIT PROCESS PROVIDES GREATER CONSISTENCY AND CLARITY FOR FUTURE EVENTS. THE SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS WILL BE COORDINATED WITH THE INVOLVED PARTIES WITH MONTHLY, MONTHLY INSPECTIONS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THIS APPROACH WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO MAINTAIN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH ORGANIZERS, SUPPORT THE MARKET'S ONGOING OPERATIONS, ENSURE THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS AND VENDORS AND VISITORS UPCOMING EVENTS. UH, THE STEM CLUB, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH, PALM VIEW PARK AT COMMUNITY CENTER, FIVE TO 6:30 PM RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6TH, CORTEZ PARK COMMUNITIES AND SENIOR CENTER 9:30 AM AM TO 3:30 PM AND PUMPKIN PATCH PAINT NIGHT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH AT THE SHADOW OAK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR TONIGHT. UH, UH, THANK YOU MYLAN. I KNOW THERE WAS A COUNCIL REQUEST I WAS GONNA PUT AT THE END, UM, [00:35:01] BUT AS EVERYBODY KNOWS NOW, WE'VE, MYLAN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP BOTH MARKET OPERATORS TO DEVELOP A PATHWAY MOVING FORWARD. UM, SO THAT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THOSE TWO MARKETS. UH, THANK YOU. AND ONTO [ORAL COMMUNICATIONS] ORAL COMMUNICATION, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ORAL COMMUNICATION. SO PUBLIC COMMENTS IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, BOTH IN PERSON AND REMOTE PARTICIPATION, UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER OR THE CITY COUNCIL. ONCE ALL IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK WILL ANNOUNCE IF THERE ARE ANY REGISTERED REMOTE PARTICIPANTS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT. IF THERE ARE REMOTE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WISH TO SPEAK, THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK WILL BEGIN RECOGNIZING REMOTE SPEAKERS. REMOTE SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY NAME, ASKED TO UNMUTE THEMSELVES AND PROCEED WITH THEIR CO UH, COMMENT. WHEN A SPEAKERS TIME HAS EXPIRED, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE NOTIFIED. 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 IN FEASIBLE. 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. ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE TONIGHT, MAYOR, THIS EVENING? WE HAVE 15, UH, SPEAKERS IN THE CHAMBERS AND WE HAVE ONE REMOTE PARTICIPANT. OKAY, GO AHEAD AND PROCEED. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JOSH MURRAY, FOLLOWED BY LESLIE GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY HOWARD VAN DERRE. HELLO, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOSH MURRAY AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF WEST COVINA LIBRARY. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE CHILDREN OF THE COMMUNITY AGES, UH, FIVE TO 12 AND THEIR PARENT OR CAREGIVER TO ATTEND OUR OTA TIN ART FOR KIDS PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 FROM THREE 30 TO 4:30 PM JOIN US TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. DISCOVER OTA A MEXICAN FOLK ART THAT IS MADE BY PRESSING DESIGNS IN SOFT METAL, AND THEN CREATE YOUR VERY OWN MASTERPIECE TO TAKE HOME WITH YOU. ALSO ON THE SAME DAY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD FROM FOUR TO 5:00 PM TEAMS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND 18 POTTERY WORKSHOP TEAMS WILL BE PROVIDED AIR, DRY, CLAY, AND INSTRUCTION ON DIFFERENT METHODS OF CRAFTING POTTERY. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. LESLIE GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY HOWARD VANDER EBB, FOLLOWED BY YVONNE, FOUND VANDER VANDER EBB. EXCUSE ME. OKAY. HI. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M LESLIE GARCIA. UH, DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT HERE TO CHEW Y'ALL OUT, UH, TODAY, . UM, BUT I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON AN AGENDA ITEM AND SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A CITY POLICY OPPOSING LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS AND BATTERY ENERGY, UH, STORAGE SYSTEMS. UM, SO I'VE BEEN PRETTY INVOLVED WITH ADVOCATING AGAINST DATA CENTERS IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, AND MORE RECENTLY, UM, I HELPED COVINA RESIDENTS, UH, ORGANIZE AGAINST A BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM PROJECT, UM, THAT WAS GOING TO BE BUILT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND ALSO LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE A CHEER CAMP, A GYM TATTOO PARLOR, UM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. UM, SO I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THESE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES WILL COME AND LIE TO JUST ABOUT EVERYONE. UM, THEY'LL COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TO US CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND SAY THAT THEY DID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH. YET RESIDENTS DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROJECT, UM, UNTIL A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION REACHES OUT TO THEM OR MAYBE A CONCERNED, UM, NEIGHBOR TALKS TO THEM. UM, THEY'LL HAVE SO-CALLED EXPERTS COME IN, UM, AND TALK TO YOU GUYS AND SAY THAT, UM, THEY'LL LIMIT LIKE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION OR COMPLETELY TWIST FACTS TO FIT THE NARRATIVE THAT THESE, UM, SYSTEMS DO NOT POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT OR, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, AND OTHER CITIES HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THESE COMPANIES WILL JUST STEAMROLL, UH, RESIDENTS, UM, AND THAT THEIR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT IS JUST COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE PROFITS. UM, RECENTLY IN MONTEREY PARK, IT WAS THE FIRST, UM, CITY IN THE US TO ACTUALLY BAN DATA CENTERS, UM, BY BOTH, UM, CITY ORDINANCE AND BALLOT. AND RECENTLY, UM, IN ALHAMBRA, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, IT ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER 3RD TO AMEND THEIR CITY CHARTER AND MAKE IT PERMANENT. UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UM, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER AND CODIFY IT AND MAKE IT PERMANENT IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HOWARD VANDER EBB, FOLLOWED BY YVONNE VANDER EBB. I'LL GET IT, I'LL GET IT. FOLLOWED BY FRIENDS AND SANTA MARIA [00:40:01] . GOOD EVENING MAYOR COUNCIL AND COUNCIL STAFF. MY NAME IS HOWARD AND I LIVE ON ALTARA DRIVE. I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE NINE RESIDENTS. THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AND DAMAGES TO THEIR BLACK WALL, THE, THE BACK WALL THAT FACES THE HILL AND OTHER DAMAGES TO THEIR CONCRETE PATIO AND POOLS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY HAS CLEARED ALL THE SHRUBS AND VEGETATIONS FROM THE HILL AROUND 20 19, 20 20. WE URGE AT THE COUNCIL VISIT THESE HOMES THAT ARE AFFECTED AND SEE THE PROGRESSION OF THE DAMAGES. WE WANT TO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM ALI CONTOS FOR VISITING LAST SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH. ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN, WE REQUEST THAT THE CITY PLANT VEGETATION THAT WOULD HOLD THE SOIL JUST LIKE THE PLANTS GROWN ON THE HILLS ALONG AMAR ROAD EAST OF AZUA AVENUE. IN CLOSING, WE URGE THE CITY COVER THE HILL BEFORE THE EL NAL RAINS SATURATE THE HILL AND FURTHER COMPROMISE THE WALLS AND OTHER STRUCTURES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU YVONNE. VANDER EBB, FOLLOWED BY FRANCINE SANTA MARIA, FOLLOWED BY SHERRY BION. PUT THIS DOWN A LITTLE. YEAH, GO AHEAD. HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM ONE OF THE 10 RESIDENTS ON ALTARA DRIVE. ALTARA, CAN YOU BRING IT A LITTLE LOWER SUBMITTED SO THEY COULD HEAR YOU? YOU CAN BRING IT LOWER. THANK YOU. I START OVER. PERFECT. YOU CAN SPEAK, YOU CAN GET IT BACK. OH, LISA, CAN YOU RESTART? UH, HELLO. COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM ONE OF THE 10 RESIDENTS ON ALTARA DRIVE, ALTARA CIRCLE THAT SUBMITTED A CLAIM OVER SIX MONTHS AGO. IN THOSE SIX MONTHS, THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO RESPONSES FROM THE CITY. I SENT EMAILS, MADE CALLS AND VISITS, TRYING TO GET ASSISTANCE, HELP, OR ANSWERS. THEN ON JUNE 9TH, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM KEVIN RICHARD THAT OUR CLAIMS WERE SUBMITTED TO THEIR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR PROCESSING. THAT WAS THE ONLY REAL INFORMATION I RECEIVED. UNTIL RECENTLY, WE WERE ALL GIVEN CLAIM REJECTION NOTICES FROM YOU, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO FIX ISSUES, RESOLVE PROBLEMS, AND SUPPORT US, YOUR COMMUNITY. OUR CLAIMS WERE SUBMITTED BECAUSE WE ON ALTARA DRIVE, ALTARA CIRCLE LIVE ON A HILLSIDE THAT BELONGS TO THE CITY, AND IT IS SHIFTING AND IT IS UNSTABLE. IN APPROXIMATELY 20 19, 20 20, THE REC CITY REMOVED BUSHES, SHRUBBERY EDGES, AND ANY TYPE OF VEGETATION EXCEPT FOR TREES. NOTHING WAS PLANTED TO REPLACE THE VEGETATION. AND AS YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW, REMOVING VEGETATION ON A HILLSIDE DESTABILIZES THE SOIL AND TRIGGERS SEVERE EROSION, LANDSLIDES AND RUNOFF ISSUES FROM THE TIME OF THIS REMOVAL TO PRESENT. THIS HAS CAUSED SEPARATION ON OUR WALLS THAT SEPARATE OUR PROPERTIES FROM NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR. OUR BACK FENCING IS LEANING TOWARDS THE HILL. THERE IS DAMAGE TO POOLS SHOWING SEVERAL CRACKS. THERE ARE CRACKS ON FOUNDATIONS, UNEVEN UNEVENNESS AND SLANTING. THIS IS A SITUATION OF URGENCY, AND THE CITY IS DOING NOTHING TO FIX THIS. THE HILL IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. OUR PROPERTIES ARE SLOWLY SLIPPING, AND IF YOU DO NOTHING, WE FEAR OUR HOMES WILL EVENTUALLY BE AT RISK. WE PAY EXTRA ON OUR TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE. BUT NOW YOU HAVE PUT SEVERAL HOMES IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I ASK, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THIS WAS YOUR HOME? WOULD YOU PUT YOUR FAMILIES AT RISK? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT KNOWING THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES? DO YOU FEEL SAFE NOW, LET ALONE WHEN THE RAINS COME, KNOWING THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE MORE DAMAGE AND POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS. AND WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT IF OUR HOMES GET RED TAGGED BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO DO NOTHING? AND KNOW THIS, NOT ONLY WILL IT AFFECT OUR HOMES, IT WILL AFFECT THE HOMES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND THE HOMES ACROSS FROM US. IF YOU SIT AND DO NOTHING, YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A DISASTER THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I KNOW THIS WILL TAKE TIME TO FIX. SO IN THE MEANTIME, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUT SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION ON THE HILL PRIOR TO THE RAINS THAT ARE COMING. WE ALSO NEED THE WATER RUNOFF TO BE CLEARED OF ALL DEBRIS. SO NOW IN CLOSING, WHEN YOU GO HOME TONIGHT TO YOUR FAMILIES, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM, ASK YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR THEM IF THIS WAS THEIR HOME? THANK YOU. FRANCINE SANTA [00:45:01] MARIA, FOLLOWED BY SHERRY BARIAN, FOLLOWED BY JERRY PATES, SPEAKING MAYOR AND COUNCIL PEOPLE. UM, MY NAME IS FRANCINE SANTA MARIA. I'M A TEACHER. I'VE LIVED IN WEST COVINA FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. I RAISED MY KIDS HERE, AND ME AND MY FAMILY TRY TO BE VERY GOOD CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED OUR DREAM HOUSE ON THE HILL. WE'VE LIVED ON ALTARA DRIVE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. UH, HOWEVER RECENTLY I, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE BLOCK OF MY NEIGHBORS, THERE'S AT LEAST 10 OF US, HAVE NOTICED CRACKS IN OUR FOUNDATION OF AT LEAST AN INCH AND WALLS, SEPARATING OUR PROPERTIES GROWING WIDER AND WIDER APART, UM, AT LEAST FOUR INCHES. IN MY CASE. NOT ONLY DO I HAVE CRACKS ON IN MY FOUNDATION, WHICH ARE ABOUT, UM, SIX INCHES, BUT IN MY SWIMMING POOL AS WELL. IN THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN ON THE ALTARA HILLSIDE, I IT HAVE, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY MAINTENANCE DONE. UH, IN FACT, WE RARELY SEE ANY CITY WORKERS. IN ADDITION TO THE CRACKS, THERE HAS BEEN A LEAK BEHIND MY HOUSE, UH, WHERE THERE'S AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM. UM, FOR YEARS WHEN I CALLED TO LET THE CITY KNOW, THEY CAME AND TURNED IT OFF. MONTHS LATER, AFTER SATURATING THE GROUND, DURING THE RAINY SEASON, AS THE RAIN SATURATES THE HILL, NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO SUPPORT OUR HILL. UPON SEEING THE CRACKS IN OUR YARD, WE LET OUR CITY KNOW SINCE AFTER ALL, WE ARE ALL TAX PAYING CITIZENS. AND THEY BASICALLY SAID, SO SUE US PERSONALLY, I HAVE HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING AT NIGHT WORRYING ABOUT MY HOME. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE PUT SO MUCH MONEY INTO OUR PROPERTY. I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO OFFER MY CHILDREN WHEN I'M GONE, BUT I WORK VERY HARD TO PAY FOR MY HOME BECAUSE MY HOUSE WAS GONNA BE THE ONLY THING I COULD PASS ON TO THEM. THESE CRACKS IN MY HOME AND POOL HAVE BECOME THE SUBJECT OF MANY NIGHTMARES AND FEARS FOR OUR FUTURE IN OUR HOME. THE SATURATION OF THE HILL NOT ONLY AFFECTS US, BUT THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STREET FROM US IN TERMS OF THEIR PROPERTY VALUES. IT ESPECIALLY AFFECTS THE PEOPLE DOWN THE HILL FROM US BECAUSE IT ALSO PUTS THEM IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AS A CITY, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR RESIDENTS SAFE? THIS RAINY SEASON IS SET TO BRING A LOT OF RAIN. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL BE DONE TO MAINTAIN THIS HILL SO THAT THE RESIDENTS OF ALT AMERICAN STOP SEEING CRACKS IN THEIR FOUNDATION. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THIS WAS YOUR HOUSE AND IF THIS WAS AFFECTING YOUR OWN FAMILIES? SHERRY BIAN, FOLLOWED BY JERRY PATCHES, FOLLOWED BY RAY VARGAS JR. THE PROBLEM WITH THE CITY GROWING IS WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE LEFT FOR THE HISTORY OF WEST COVINA. THE HISTORY OF OUR FARMERS' MARKET WAS THE CHAMBER ACTUALLY OWNED THE FARMER'S MARKET. JERRY WAS OUR MARKET MANAGER, AND ROGER WAS OUR ASSISTANT MARKET MANAGER. WE WERE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT THE MALL. EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL. AND IT WAS THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WHO REQUESTED US TO MOVE TO GLENDORA TO REVITALIZE THE GLENDORA DOWNTOWN AREA. THEY SAID, WE'LL WAIVE ALL FEES. AND IN THE CONTRACT IT ALSO STATED THEY WERE GOING TO MINIMALLY CHARGE THE FEES OF ANY FIRE AND THE CITY BECAUSE THE, WE, THE CHAMBER WAS DOING A FAVOR MOVING THE MARKET THERE. UM, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S, DOES THE CITY THINK THAT THEY CAN RUN THE MARKET AND DO BETTER? DO YOU GUYS REALIZE THAT IN ORDER TO RUN A FARMER'S MARKET, YOU HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED AN AGRICULTURAL CERTIFIED PERSON TO RUN A FARMER'S MARKET? JUST NOT, I WANNA DO IT. YOU GOTTA BE CERTIFIED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. YOU HAVE TO PAY AGRICULTURAL FEES EVERY SINGLE WEEK, WHICH NEEDS TO BE CALCULATED AND PAID TO THE STATE QUARTERLY. THEN YOU HAVE TO BE SET UP WITH THE STATE TO ACCEPT THE EBT, THE WIC, THE SENIOR PROGRAMS FOR THE, THE LOW INCOME. THIS IS ALL, IT'S VERY COMPLEX AND WE ARE LUCKY. WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES WHO ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET HERE NOW, EVER. WE GOT TO KEEP THEM HERE. AND ROXANNE, IF YOU WANNA LOOK INTO THE CONTRACTS, THE CONTRACT, THEN IT BECAME INDEPENDENT. WHEN THE CHAMBER WENT BANKRUPT, THEY ASKED ME BACK IN TO HELP CLOSE THE CHAMBER. AND AT THAT TIME, ROGER, WE, THE CHAMBER OWED HIM WELL OVER $2,000 BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN FRONTING ALL OF THE MONEY TO [00:50:01] KEEP THE MARKET GOING. IN ORDER TO BARTER WITH THAT, WE GAVE HIM THE MARKET. BUT THAT WAS AFTER THE MOVE HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. SO ROGER GOT HIS DAUGHTER TO COME IN, AND SHE ALSO WENT TO SCHOOL AND GOT CERTIFIED TO RUN THE MARKET WITH HIM BECAUSE JERRY HAD BECOME ILL AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME. UM, IT'S JUST EVERY TIME WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE CITY, FOR THE RESIDENTS, THE CITY COMES IN AND STEPS OVER EVERYONE'S TOES. YOU, YOURSELF, LEDDY, I BELIEVE IT WAS A YEAR AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, A WOMAN CAME HERE AND SAID THAT HER CHURCH OF 44 WANTED TO DO A BOUTIQUE, ALREADY HAD IT PLANNED, DIDN'T KNOW THEY NEEDED TO GO TO THE CITY BECAUSE IT WAS PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND SAID THAT THE CITY WANTED $1,800 FOR THEIR PERMIT. YOU LED THE WAY IN ELIMINATING THAT PROCESS AND YOU, THEY WENT AHEAD AND WERE ABLE TO DO IT. YOU'RE INTERFERING WITH OUR CHURCH, YOU'RE INTERFERING WITH OUR RESIDENTS, AND YOU'RE INTERFERING WITH THE ONE FUN THING THAT HAS COME INTO THE CITY. THE NIGHT MARKETS, THE FARMER'S MARKET BOUTIQUES. SORRY, THE THING DIDN'T WORK. YOU'VE HAD MORE THAN BUZZER, DIDN'T IT? BUT YEAH, YOU HAD MORE THANK YOU. IT DIDN'T GO OFF. IT DIDN'T GO OFF, IT DIDN'T. GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE HISTORY. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. JERRY PATES, FOLLOWED BY RAY VARGAS, FOLLOWED BY CASSANDRA. GOOD EVENING. THIS ISN'T PLANNED, BUT I'M CONTINUING WHAT SHERRY STARTED. UM, I DIDN'T, I IT'S REALLY GETTING A GROWING CONCERN THE WAY THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE CITY ARE BEING TREATED. I APPRECIATE TWO OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO EXPRESS CONCERN. AND ON THIS, I'VE TAKEN ENOUGH CLASSES, I'VE WORKED LONG ENOUGH, I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT AND EDUCATED THAT THE WAY YOU TREAT PEOPLE AFFECTS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO. AND IF YOU'RE IN AN ORGANIZATION AND YOU WANT GOOD RESULTS, YOU TREAT PEOPLE NICELY, YOU TREAT THEM WELL, YOU RECOGNIZE WHEN THEY GIVE SOME EXTRA AND DO SOMETHING. AND I'M GONNA GIVE THREE EXAMPLES, TWO OF WHICH I THINK ARE SORT OF RESULT, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED BEFORE. AND I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. THE RESTAURANTS, I GO EAT QUITE A BIT AT THE RESTAURANTS ON OLD GLEN HISTORIC GLENDORA. THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD ONES AND SOME REALLY NEW ONES THAT ARE REALLY GOOD. I TRIUMPH IF YOU HAVEN'T. SO I GO TO A HAMBURGER PLACE. I'M NOT SAYING NAMES. I COME OUT, THEY'VE GOT NEW FURNITURE AND I, I NOTICE IN THE OUTDOOR DINING, AND THEN THE NEXT THING I HEAR, THE CITY'S HUSTLING THOSE RESTAURANTS TO GET RID OF THE OUTDOOR DINING. WHY? THEY DO SOMETHING GOOD AND YOU JUST WANNA KILL IT. THE MARKETS, I LOVE THE FARMER'S MARKET. I DON'T GO EVERY WEEK, BUT IT IS REALLY HANDY. IT'S CONVENIENT. IT'S NOT OVERLY CROWDED. I'M OLD. I DON'T WANNA GET BUMPED AND PUSHED CROWDED PLACES HAD HAPPENS. NEXT THING I HEAR, YOU GUYS ARE HASSLING 'EM. WHY? I GREW UP IN THE HILLS OF MONTEREY PARK. THOSE HILLS WERE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN WEST COVINA. WE DID NEVER, EVER TOOK THE GROWTH OFF OF OUR HILLS. EVERY WINTER, EVERY MY MOM WOULD WAKE ME UP. WE HA TO GO HELP CLEAN OFF THE WINTER'S GROWTH SO THAT WE HAD GOOD SPRING AND SUMMER AND FALL. YOU, BUT YOU GUYS TOOK ALL THE GR GROWTH OFF AND NOW THEY HAVE A, THESE RESIDENTS HAVE A PROBLEM AND THE CITY IS INDIFFERENT TO IT. THEY'RE HASSLING THEM. THIS IS SO WRONG. WHY? WHY? I DON'T GET IT. DO YOU NOT LIKE RESIDENTS? DO YOU NOT LIKE BUSINESS? WHEN A BUSINESS OR RESIDENT HA DOES SOMETHING, WELL REWARD IT. THAT NIGHT MARKET'S HELPING THE NONPROFITS AND YOU'RE HASSLING THEM. I HOPE THIS GETS FIXED FOR THE PERMANENT TIME, NOT JUST THE TEMPORARY THING. AND I HOPE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN TO ANOTHER BUSINESS, ANOTHER EFFORT THAT SOMEBODY DOES, IT'S GOT TO STOP. THANK YOU. RAY VARGAS JR. FOLLOWED BY CASSANDRA, FOLLOWED BY MARK VANDER EBB. OKAY, GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE TO BRING UP SOME, UH, ISSUES. BUT FIRST OFF, I WANNA START OUT WITH, UH, WHAT A GREAT JOB. I SEE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF WEST COVINA, UH, THEY'RE UP AND DOWN VINCENT AVENUE, SIRENS, UH, RED LIGHTS, EMERGENCY [00:55:01] VEHICLES GOING UP AND DOWN. THEY'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. GOOD JOB. I JUST WANNA CALL TONY OUT. TONY CORTINA, SINCE HE'S GIVING OUT POLICE BADGES OF WEST COVINA. CAN YOU ORDER ME A CITY BADGE OF WEST COVINA? I'LL TAKE NUMBER 180 7. PUT IT ON THERE. OH, UM, ANOTHER THING. THIS MOON FEST MILAN, YOU NEVER GAVE ME THE NUMBERS OF THE MOON FEST. I ASKED YOU AND I I ASKED EVERYBODY WHAT DID THE CITY PROFIT ON THE MOON FEST? NOBODY GAVE ME A DAMN ANSWER. NOW WE GOT THE MOON FEST GOING AGAIN FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE'S, UH, FOUNDATION. THERE'S KIDS THAT WANT TO CONTINUE PLAYING BASKETBALL. THERE'S PEOPLE'S PROPERTY GETTING DAMAGED. YES, EL NINO'S COMING, AND YOU GUYS ARE JUST SITTING ON YOUR BUTTS HERE, NOT DOING A DAMN THING. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THAT DUMB GRIN ON YOUR FACE. YOU'RE THE ROOT OF ALL PROBLEMS. I'VE TOLD EVERYBODY HERE, THIS IS A CORRUPTED COUNCIL BESIDES CONTOS AND BRIAN GUTIERREZ, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN CORRUPTED. YOU BROUGHT THIS GUY FROM LA PUENTE, YOU KNEW HE WAS CORRUPTED. YOU KNEW HE WAS GONNA BE UP YOUR BUTT, YOU KNOW, AND HE DON'T SAY NOTHING. HE'S FIRING INNOCENT PEOPLE WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE FIRED YOU FIRST. YOU KNOW, THE LADY, SHE'S SICK, SHE'S GETTING CANCER TREATMENT. HE LET HER GO. THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HE LET HIM GO. WHO IS HE? WHO IN THE HELL IS HE? HE'S A RACIST. HE'S A BIGOT. I KNOW WHO HE IS BEHIND THAT SUIT AT THAT TIE. I KNOW HIS COLORS, BUT I'M CALLING ALL YOU GUYS OUT. YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE WRONG DAMN THING. WHAT HAPPENED AT BALDWIN PARK? AND THEY GOT CAUGHT JUST NOT TOO LONG AGO ON THE CORRUPTION. IT'S HAPPENING HERE. IT'S HAPPENING HERE. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. WHO'S THE MAYOR? YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE CORRUPTED AND THE SAME THING'S HAPPENING HERE IN WEST COVINA. AND YOU GUYS DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS. THEY'RE HERE. THEY'RE TELLING YOU IT'S A DREAM HOME. THEY WANNA LEAVE IT TO THEIR FAMILY BECAUSE CASSANDRA, FOLLOWED BY MARK VANDER, FOLLOWED BY MARIO AVARO. HI, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CASSIE. UM, I LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ALT STREET IN WEST COQUINA. UM, I AM NOT ONE OF THE CLAIM RESIDENTS ACTUALLY. UM, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS SLIDING HILL, ALTHOUGH BACK IN 2020, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING ON A SMALLER SCALE. WE LIVE ON A SMALLER HILL, APPROXIMATELY ONE FIFTH OF THE, UH, HILL THAT YVONNE AND OTHER, OTHER CLAIMANTS, UM, UH, LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE, THE STREET. THAT'S JUST THE SIZE REFERENCE. DESPITE THIS BEING A SMALLER SCALE, THE HILL ALSO HAS LARGE BUSHES THAT OVERLOOKING RICH PARK HALLWAY, I MEAN HALLWAY, UH, WALKWAY ENTRANCE. UM, AND THE HILLSIDE IS WEST COVINA PROPERTY WHERE MY FAMILY HAD TO CALL THE CITY NUMEROUS TIMES TO CUT THE BUSHES. ANOTHER BACKSTORY IS IN 2009, YES, I GO BACK, UM, WHERE THERE WAS A MAN NAMED JONATHAN ALEXANDER RUDOLPH, WHO WAS FOUND, UM, DEAD IN THE BUSHES. AND YOU CAN STILL READ ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, BUT SINCE THEN, WE HAVE ALWAYS CALLED THE CITY WHEN THE BUSHES GREW BEYOND THE HEIGHT OF OUR FENCE LINE OR GROW BEYOND THE FENCE, UH, NEXT TO OUR FENCE FOR SAFETY. NOW THAT EVERYONE HERE KNOWS HOW THE CITY WANTS TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE ALWAYS WOULD LET THEM KNOW TO TRIM IT AND THEY WOULD. BUT IN 2020, THE BUDGET REDUCED FOR MAINTENANCE ACCORDING TO THE CITY. AND WE ALL TRIED TO FIND FILE ACRA CLAIM THAT THE BUSHES ROOTS DUG OUT OUR FENCE AND THE BUSHES OVERGREW AND PUSHED OUR FENCE DOWN. WE GOT A DENIAL THEN, BUT WE STILL DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIX IT OURSELVES. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS THROUGH OUR, UH, AT OUR POCKET. BUT IT IS NOW MORE DISHEARTENING TO HEAR THAT THE CLAIM RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING, UH, [01:00:01] WHAT MY FAMILY AND I HAVE. BUT NOW, FAR WORSE, EXCUSE ME, THAT MANY ARE AFFECTED. I DO WORRY NOT JUST FOR THE OVERALL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AS I AS CURRENTLY, IT IS STILL NOT SUFFICIENTLY MAINTAIN SUFFICIENTLY MAINTAINED. BUT FOR THE OVERALL SAFETY, I HAVE LIVED ON THAT STREET SINCE 2002. MY GRANDPARENTS WHO ALSO LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE RESIDENCE, UM, SINCE 1986. AND I COME NOT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CITY, BUT JUST TO SIMPLY ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY, FOR SUPPORT OF THE STREET AND THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS, AND HOPEFULLY THE NEXT GENERATIONS TO COME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MARK VANDER AB FOLLOWED BY MARIO AVARO, FOLLOWED BY LIZETTE VELAZQUEZ. UH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MARK VANDER AND I'M ACTUALLY STANDING IN AS A PROXY FOR A FELLOW NEIGHBOR. SO I'LL BE READING HER WORDS VERBATIM. DEAR COUNSEL, MY NAME IS SHANNY RERA NORWELL AND MY RESIDENCE IS 26 11 ULT DRIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I'M UNABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON AND I'M ASKING A NEIGHBOR TO SPEAK ON MY BEHALF. RESIDENTS IN THE ULT DRIVE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON OUR HILLSIDE WHERE TREES AND SHRUBS HAVE DECAYED AND DIED FOR YEARS. IN MY OPINION, THE LACK OF VEGETATION HAS CAUSED THE HILLSIDE TO ERODE AND AFFECT OUR BRICK WALLS TO SEPARATE LEAN AND BREAK AWAY BY SEVERAL INCHES IN SOME AREAS. SPECIFIC TO MY HOME, MY HILLSIDE HAS A TREE ESTIMATED HEIGHT OF 60 FEET, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE ROOTS ARE LIFTING MY CONCRETE PATIO AND GETTING EXTREMELY CLOSE TO MY SLIDING DOOR AND HOUSE FOUNDATION. THE CRACKS RUN SEVERAL FEET IN LENGTH AND OVER AN INCH IN WIDTH. ADDITIONALLY, MY NEIGHBOR'S WALL ON THE SOUTH SIDE IS LEANING TOWARDS MY PROPERTY AND BREAKING MY PLANTER BY SEVERAL INCHES. MY NEIGHBOR'S WALL ON THE NORTH SIDE IS ALSO CRACKING AND EXPERIENCING SEPARATION. WE SUBMITTED CLAIMS SINCE MARCH, 2026, BUT I'VE HAD TO CONSTANTLY FOLLOW UP IN ORDER TO RECEIVE UPDATES. LAST WEEK WE, WE RECEIVED A CERTIFIED LETTER FROM THE CITY, WHICH DOESN'T ADDRESS ANY OF OUR CONCERNS. IN MY VIEW. IT TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO SEEK LEGAL ACTION IN ORDER FOR THE CITY TO ACT. IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND A LET DOWN THAT OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT REP, ARE NOT RESPONDING TO LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. AND FINALLY, WE'RE ASKING THE CITY TO INVESTIGATE IN GOOD FAITH THE CAUSE OF THESE WALL SEPARATIONS, WALL LEANINGS, AND POSSIBLE FOUNDATION ISSUES. WE'RE SEEKING A SOLUTION TO THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MARIO AVARO, FOLLOWED BY LIZETTE VELASQUEZ, FOLLOWED BY JD. UH, FORGIVE THE STAPLING ON THOSE. THEY WERE KIND OF STAPLED HEBREW STYLE . SO THE BACK IS THE FRONT. FRONT IS THE BACK. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. FIRST, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND OUR CITY MANAGER FOR THE QUICK ACTION OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS AND FOR WORKING TOWARD A PRACTICAL SOLUTION. I'M CURRY. I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE DISCUSSION OF AN ANNUAL RECURRING PERMIT STRUCTURE FOR THE WEST COVINA NIGHT MARKET AND SIMILARLY SITUATED RECURRING MARKETS. I THINK THAT PROVIDES A PATH FORWARD, BUT I WANT TO MAKE ONE DISTINCTION VERY CLEAR. THE FARMER'S MARKET IS ITS OWN ISSUE. THE FARMER'S MARKET HISTORICALLY OPERATED UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHERE IT ULTIMATELY NEEDS TO RETURN. IF IT IS A CITY SPONSORED EVENT, THAT SPONSORSHIP AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH PARTIES SHOULD BE FORMALLY DOCUMENTED. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CITY'S OWN DOWNTOWN PLAN ACTION. A 11.5 STATES VERBATIM RETAIN AND EXPAND FARMER'S MARKET IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE FARMER'S MARKET COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE, AND BY LOCAL INITIATIVES. THAT IS A CITY'S ADOPTED POLICY. THE FARMER'S MARKET SHOULD THEREFORE BE ADDRESSED THROUGH A FORMER RELATIONSHIP CONSISTENT WITH THAT POLICY, RATHER THAN SIMPLY FOLDED INTO THE SOLUTION BEING DEVELOPED FOR PRIVATE RECURRING MARKETS. SECOND, WHILE I APPRECIATE HOW QUICKLY EVERYONE IS WORKING NOW, THE LATE NOTIFICATION THAT CREATED THIS SITUATION WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. NOT TO ME, NOT TO AMY, AND NOT TO RUBIN OR OTHERS WHO WERE SUDDENLY CONFRONTED WITH REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT REASONABLE TIME TO COMPLY. WE SUPPORT LEGITIMATE PUBLIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, BUT ORGANIZERS MUST BE TOLD THOSE REQUIREMENTS EARLY ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY MEET THEM. THERE'S ALSO A, A SEPARATE PROBLEM INVOLVING SINGLE EVENTS. AN ANNUAL PERMIT MAY SOLVE THE RECURRING MARKET ISSUE, BUT IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE BARBECUE COMPETITION EXAMPLE WHERE ORGANIZER, FIRE HEALTH PARTICIPANT AND FACILITY COSTS CAN STACK UP VERY QUICKLY. I AM ASKING THAT THOSE SINGLE EVENT FEES RECEIVE ANOTHER REVIEW, INCLUDING WHETHER THE REGULATORY CHARGES APPROPRIATELY CORRESPOND TO THE CITY'S REGULATORY [01:05:01] COSTS. WHAT WE'RE UNCOVERING ISN'T REALLY A FIRE PROBLEM OR A FARMER'S MARKET PROBLEM. IT'S AN INSTITUTIONAL CONTINUITY PROBLEM. YEARS OF TURNOVER CHANGING. LEADERSHIP IN FRAGMENTED DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY APPEAR TO HAVE ALLOWED LONGSTANDING AGREEMENT PROCEDURES AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. THE RESULT IS INCONSISTENT GUIDANCE AND A LAST MINUTE ENFORCEMENT AGAINST OPERATORS WHO ARE ACTING OPENLY AND IN GOOD FAITH. THAT'S A SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE FAILURE AND IT NEEDS A SYSTEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE FIX. AND I BELIEVE THAT SAME PRINCIPLE, CLEAR RULES, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY SHOULD APPLY WHEN THE CITY ITSELF IS THE EVENT ORGANIZER OR SPONSOR. I'M GONNA MAKE THIS ONE QUICK. THIS IS A FISCAL POLICY MATTER THAT I REQUEST TO THE CITY COUNCIL JUST BASED ON THE CITY EVENTS. I REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER, FINANCE DIRECTOR, CITY ATTORNEY, TO RETURN WITH THE CITY SPONSOR SPECIAL EVENTS FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND SPONSORSHIP ETHICS POLICY. THANK YOU. SEND THE REST OUT. LIZETTE. LIZETTE VELASQUEZ FOLLOWED BY JD, FOLLOWED BY STEVE BENNETT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LIZETTE VELAZQUEZ, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY SON, CARLOS ANTONIO ORTIZ, KNOWN TO US AS CHARLIE. CHARLIE WAS FAILED BY EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ON OCTOBER 13TH, 2025. DURING LUNCH, CHARLIE WAS ASSAULTED BY JAIME RO JR. THE ASSAULT INVOLVED BRASS KNUCKLES, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED A WEAPON. MULTIPLE STUDENTS RECORDED THE INCIDENT, AND IN THOSE RECORDINGS, JAIME JUNIOR CAN BE SEEN STRIKING CHARLIE. WHILE A TEACHER WAS PRESENT, THE TEACHER EVENTUALLY INTERVENED AND BROKE UP THE FIGHT. WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD WAS, IS DEEPLY CONCERNING. NO POLICE WERE CONTACTED. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO MEANINGFUL INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED INTO THE ASSAULT. EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THAT THE SCHOOL WAS AWARE THAT HYMAN JR. HAD A PENDING CRIMINAL CASE INVOLVING AN ASSAULT AGAINST ANOTHER STUDENT WITH BRASS KNUCKLES. THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED CONCERN. SCHOOL STAFF KNEW THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN A SERIOUS INCIDENT INVOLVING THE SAME TYPE OF WEAPON, BRASS KNUCKLES. YET AFTER CHARLIE WAS ASSAULTED, THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE QUESTION WE CONTINUE TO ASK IS, WHY, WHY WERE THE POLICE NOT CALLED? WHY WAS THERE NO INVESTIGATION? WHY WAS AN ASSAULT INVOLVING A WEAPON TREATED AS SOMETHING THAT COULD SIMPLY BE HANDLED AT SCHOOL AND THEN LEFT BEHIND? WE TRUSTED EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND ITS STAFF TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION WHEN A STUDENT WAS SERIOUSLY ASSAULTED. WE BELIEVE THAT THE OCTOBER 13TH, 2025 INCIDENT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE PROPER SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND THROUGHOUT INVESTIGATION. THREE MONTHS LATER, ON JANUARY 28TH, 2026, CHARLIE WAS MURDERED. WE WILL NEVER KNOW WITH CERTAIN CERTAINTY WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAVE HAPPENED IF THE OCTOBER 13 INCIDENT HAD BEEN PROPERLY REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED, OR IF APPROPRIATE ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN AT THAT TIME. BUT WE CANNOT IGNORE. THE EARLIER INTERVENTION COULD HAVE CHANGED THE COURSE OF EVENTS. CHARLIE DESERVED BETTER. OUR FAMILY DESERVES ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT THE SCHOOL KNEW ACTIONS WERE TAKEN, AND WHY. THE OCTOBER 13TH, 2025 ASSAULT WAS NOT REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO CHARLIE IS NEVER ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO ANOTHER STUDENT. WE TRUSTED THE SCHOOL TO KEEP OUR, OUR CH OUR CHILDREN SAFE. THAT TRUST AND THAT TRUST WAS BROKEN. WE ARE ASKING FOR THE TRUTH, FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, AND FOR THE PROTOCOLS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. SO NO PARENT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME LOSS THAT I'M GOING THROUGH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. NOW I'M WITHOUT MY SON AND I'M ASKING FOR JUSTICE. AND I WANT EDGEWOOD IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR NOT PROTECTING MY CHILD. THEY LET A STUDENT OLDER THAN MY SON, MURDER MY SON, ASSAULT MY SON. THREE MONTHS LATER, THIS STUDENT MURDERED MY SON WITH HIS FATHER. EDWIN NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND PLEASE, WE NEED TO DO BETTER. WEST COVINA. WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BIASED AS WELL. I HAVE CALLED AND REPORT [01:10:01] AND ONE OF THE OFFICERS HAS GIVEN ME INFORMATION OF THE OTHER FAMILY AND VICE VERSA. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THAT IS DANGEROUS. WE NEED TO DO BETTER WEST COVINA. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME, JUSTICE FOR CHARLIE JD FOLLOWED BY STEVE BENNETT, FOLLOWED BY JOHN RAY. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UH, GOD BLESS THAT FAMILY. UM, I'M UP HERE TONIGHT ON TWO ISSUES. UH, REAL QUICK, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MOON FESTIVAL BACK HERE ON, ON THIS CAMPUS AS OPPOSED TO DOWNTOWN. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, UH, LAST YEAR'S MR. CITY MANAGER WASN'T WELL DONE. I WAS HERE AND I ENJOYED IT, BUT I THINK HAS BEEN SAID IN MANY OTHER WAYS THAT EVENTS SUCH AS THE MOON FESTIVAL AND OTHER FESTIVALS HIGHLIGHT OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, BRING BUSINESS TO THE AREA AND ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY. SO, I I ASIDE ALL THE POLITICS AND MAYBE THE FINANCIAL AND DISCREPANCIES, I BELIEVE THE EVENT ITSELF WAS WHOLESOME AND INVITING AND VERY COMMUNITY ORIENTED. THAT SAID, MR. GUTIERREZ, I PROMISE I'D COME BACK WITH A QUESTION FOR YOU, SIR. AND SINCE THEN I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS QUESTION'S PROBABLY BETTER DIRECTED AT MR. CITY MANAGER BECAUSE A FEW MEETINGS BACK, YOU FOLKS WENT OVER SOME LEGAL EXPENSES THAT ARE STILL ADDING UP AND MAY DO SO UP INTO THE, THE COMING YEAR. BUT I REAL, I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR CASE, JOHN DOE VERSUS JOHN SHOEMAKER, THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE FOOTING FOR. AND I'M THINKING, WELL, WAIT. THIS IS A CASE BETWEEN JOHN DOE AND MR. SHOEMAKER. WHY ARE THE TAXPAYERS HAVING TO PICK UP THOSE LEGAL EXPENSES? THERE MAY BE A A VERY SIMPLE REASON I'VE BEEN GIVEN ONE, BUT SINCE I HAVE PROMISED I'D BRING THIS QUESTION BACK AND I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER, I WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS COUNCIL ALLOWED FOR TAXPAYER MONEY TO BE APPLIED TO COVER THE EXPENSES OF THAT CASE BETWEEN JOHN DOE AND MR. SHOEMAKER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING. STEVE BENNETT, FOLLOWED BY JOHN RAY AS A PARENT, MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU. WE DO NEED TO DO BETTER IN THIS CITY. TWO OF THESE COUNCIL PEOPLE KEEP TOUTING ON ELECTION MAILERS THAT WE'RE THE THIRD SAFEST CITY. I WAS ATTACKED BY THAT COUNCIL WOMAN'S HUSBAND IN THIS STAIRWAY, AND THEY STILL CLAIM IT'S THE THIRD SAFEST CITY. SO MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU AND I WISH YOU THE BEST. 'CAUSE AS A PARENT, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE GRIEF AND THE PAIN THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT FROM MY HEART. COUNSEL, I'M BACK. YOU KNOW WHAT'S NOT BACK? THE STREET SWEEPING REPORT I WANT. I DON'T WANT TO USE GROUNDHOG DAY. I REALLY DON'T. BUT IT'S NOT BACK YET. IT'S BEEN FOUR MEETINGS. WE WERE GONNA HAVE A REPORT. HOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX THE MESS THAT THREE OF YOU STARTED? HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX THE FACT THAT RESIDENTS CAN'T PARK IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE ON STREETS EVENING DAY MILES AWAY? WE DON'T HAVE A REPORT BACK. WE CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. YEAH, WE'RE NOT ISSUING TICKETS. I GET IT. IT'S NOT ELECTION DAY YET. THAT'LL HAPPEN AFTER, AFTER THE ELECTION BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE LIKE, OH, YOU GUYS WANTED IT. WE DON'T, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BACK HERE. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'RE EITHER NOT WANTING THE INFORMATION OUT OR IT'S NOT INFORMATION THAT YOU GUYS WANT OUT. SO BRING IT BACK BEFORE THE RESIDENTS START PACKING THOSE CHAMBERS AGAIN. AND I GET TO COME UP HERE AND TELL YOU IT'S GROUNDHOG DAY AGAIN. THAT'S A FACT. THERE'S SOMETHING IN THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. SO, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE HERE MENTIONED PEOPLE GETTING FIRED. A FEW WEEKS AGO. WE LOST THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, NEIL, WHO WAS FIRED. WE LOST THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, RODERICK. [01:15:02] WE LOST THE WHAT? ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUY, UH, DON HAY. EVEN THOUGH TONY SAYS WE GOT 3,400 NEW BUSINESSES, WHICH IS A LIE. UM, ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE FIRED. AND NOW THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. IS IT BECAUSE SHE DID SOMETHING YOU GUYS DON'T LIKE? I'M CURIOUS. IT'S NOT GOOD SIGN. AND FOR THE PEOPLE ON ALTARA DRIVE, LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON. THEY'RE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE DON'T NEED. THEY'RE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON FESTIVALS FOR THAT MAN, HIS WIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. THEY ARE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A SPORTSPLEX THAT'S LOSING MONEY. THAT MONEY ABOUT CLEARING YOUR HILL AND HELPING YOU GUYS. YEAH. THEY'RE SPENDING AT OTHER PLACES. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? SADLY, I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE TO THAT MAN, YOU GUYS DON'T MATTER. THE TWO UP HERE THAT CARE MAYOR PRO, TE CONTOS AND BRIAN GUTIERREZ, YOU NEED TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM. THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT MATTER. AND THAT IS ON YOU GUYS. JOHN RAY. GOD BLESS CHARLIE. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME TONIGHT. I'M HONORED TO TO GO LAST. UM, SO I'LL, UH, KEEP IT BRIEF, BUT HOPEFULLY POIGNANT. UH, I'M JOHN RAY NAL. I REPRESENT ONE OF THE 10 HOMEOWNERS AFFECTED BY THE CITY'S HILLSIDE LAND BEHIND OUR PROPERTIES ON ALTAMIRA DRIVE. FIRST, I WANT THANK ALI COMPOS FOR COMING OUT LAST WEEKEND TO SEE OUR HOMES AND THE HILLSIDE FIRSTHAND IN THE RAIN. UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. UH, YOU'VE NOW HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF MY, MY NEIGHBORS, SO I WON'T REPEAT THEIR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES. BUT COLLECTIVELY, WE'RE DEALING WITH A SERIOUS ONGOING PROBLEM. VEGETATION AND GROUND COVER REMOVED BY THE CITY OWNED HILLSIDE BEHIND OUR HOMES IN 20 19, 20 20. SINCE THEN, SIGNIFICANT EROSION AND GROUND MOVEMENT, DAMAGE TO POOLS, CONCRETE FENCING, UM, SAFETY HAZARDS FOR MY CHILDREN. UH, AND WE'VE SUBMITTED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION TO THE CITY THAT NOTES THAT CONDITION APPEARS PROGRESSIVE AND MAY WORSEN WITHOUT STABILIZATION, ESPECIALLY AHEAD OF AN EL NINO WINTER. UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CLAIMS HAVE BEEN REJECTED, BUT THAT REJECTION DOES NOT STOP THE HILLSIDE FROM MOVING. SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING FOR THREE THINGS. FIRST, CORRECTIVE ACTION. PROFESSIONALLY, EVALUATE THE HILLSIDE AND DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED TO STABILIZE IT AND ADDRESS THE EXISTING DAMAGE. SECOND PREVENTIVE ACTION, PUT APPROPRIATE EROSION CONTROL, VEGETATION STABILIZATION, AND MONITORING MEASURES IN PLACE SO THAT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DOESN'T OCCUR. AND THIRD, A RECONSIDERATION OF OUR CLAIMS BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AND THE CONDITION OF THE HILLSIDE. I'M NOT SIMPLY ASKING YOU TO TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, INVESTIGATE IT, EVALUATE IT, AND HELP US FIX IT. THESE ARE OUR HOMES AND I'M ASKING FOR THE CITY'S HELP TO BEFORE THE DAMAGE BECOMES WORSE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US TONIGHT. MAYOR, WE HAVE, UH, JOHN, MR. JOHN SHOEMAKER ON, UM, REMOTE CONNECT. MR. SCHUMAKER, IF YOU CAN PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. GO AHEAD, MR. SCHUMAKER. UH, MR. MAKER IS UNMUTED AND EVERYTHING IS OKAY ON OUR END, MAYOR. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES OR WHAT'S THE RULES ON THIS? YEAH. OH, WE CAN'T. OH, OKAY. I DUNNO. OKAY. SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO LET THE THREE MINUTES GO DOWN, MR. SHOEMAKER, AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HEAR YOU. SO IF YOU HAVE IT ON MUTE, KINDLY UNMUTE. HE IS UNMUTED. OH, HE'S UNMUTED? YES. OKAY. [01:20:02] I, TECHNOLOGY, IT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE SOMETIMES. MR. SHOEMAKER, MR. SHOEMAKER, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, MR. SHOEMAKER, YOUR MUTE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. SEE? OKAY. THAT'S TIME MR. MAKER. THE TIME HAS PASSED. OKAY. UM, CITY MANAGER, MAY YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING. UM, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR A LOT TONIGHT. SO MAKE, I'LL TRY TO COVER EVERYBODY'S, UM, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS TONIGHT. FIRST OF ALL, FOR LIZETTE VELASQUEZ, UM, OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY, SYMPATHY WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WHAT A HORRIBLE EVENT INCIDENT. UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT, AND I HOPE YOU'VE BROUGHT THESE SAME CONCERNS. THE ATTENTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ANYBODY ELSE MAY BE INVOLVED. UM, ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO FOR YOU, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. AND I'LL BE SURE AND GIVE YOU MY CARD BEFORE YOU LEAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT OPEN DOOR, OPEN LINE. YOU CAN CONTACT US ANYTIME. WE WILL HELP YOU WITH WHATEVER WE CAN HELP YOU WITH. AND AGAIN, OUR, OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. UM, AGAIN, WE COVERED A LOT OF TOPICS TONIGHT. JOSH MURRAY, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE ON THE WEST COVENA LIBRARY AND THE UPCOMING EVENTS. LESLIE GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTIVE, UH, SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UM, FOR THE ALTARA, UH, RESIDENTS AND SPEAKERS, HOWARD, UM, EVAN, EVEN EVAN, FRANCINE, CASSANDRA, MARK, AND, UH, JOHN, UM, HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR REQUEST FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION, PREVENTATIVE ACTION. UM, I WILL DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK AT THOSE, UM, CONCERNS THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION TONIGHT. AND IF THERE IS ANY PREVENTIVE OR OR CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN IN THE CITY, WE'LL DEFINITELY, UM, TAKE THAT. AND I, I DON'T WANNA, UM, SPEAK OUTTA LINE AND I DON'T WANT TO DISMISS ANY OF YOUR, UH, CONCERNS. WE DO EMPATHIZE WITH, UM, THE PROBLEMS YOU'RE DEALING WITH. UM, I UNDERSTAND, AND I'LL JUST SPEAK FROM WHAT I KNOW PERSONALLY, THAT A, YOU DID RE SUBMIT, UM, CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FOR THE CITY TO THE CITY. AND ON SEPTEMBER 4TH YOU DID RECEIVE A, A, UH, CLAIM REJECTION NOTICE FROM OUR RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, WHICH GOES THROUGH OUR, OUR RISK ATTORNEYS AND, AND THAT SIDE OF THE SHOP. AND WITH THAT, IN THE LETTER THAT WAS PROVIDED, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A GOVERNMENT CODE CITED THAT GIVES YOU AN ALLOTTED TIMEFRAME, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY FALL, FALL UNDER YOUR RECONSIDERATION. THERE, THERE'S SOME ACTIONS THAT YOU CAN TAKE. UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE THAT'S GONNA GO AWAY RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'LL FALL MORE UNDER YOUR RECONSIDERATION. AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LINES IN THE, THE LETTER YOU RECEIVED IS, AND IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION ALSO AS CITY MANAGER, IS TO PLEASE SEEK ADVICE, UH, FROM AN ATTORNEY OF YOUR CHOICE FOR THE, THE LEGAL QUESTIONS. 'CAUSE I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO ANSWER ANY OF THE LEGAL QUESTIONS OR THE RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE QUESTIONS. UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE WILL WORK TO PREVENT ANYTHING, UH, FROM OCCURRING ON YOUR HILLSIDE OR ANYBODY ELSE'S HILLSIDE OR THEIR STREET ONCE IT'S BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. SO I WILL WORK WITH OUR STAFF, [01:25:01] UM, TO ADDRESS THOSE. UM, JERRY PORES. UM, THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING ON THE FARMER'S MARKET, THE NIGHT MARKET. UM, ALSO THE OUTDOOR DINING ON GLENDORA. UM, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT WE ORIGINALLY DID RECEIVE A, A COMPLAINT ABOUT OUTDOOR DINING ON GLENDORA, AND IT WAS MORE BECAUSE IT WAS LOCATED ON CITY PROPERTY AND THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEEDED TO ESTABLISH AN INDEMNIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO RIGHTFULLY SET UP ON CITY PROPERTY. UM, I DID MEET WITH, LET'S SAY, A HAMBURGER PLACE AND SOME OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS WITHOUT IDENTIFYING WHO I SPOKE TO. AND WE DID MEET ON, AT CITY HALL HERE ON A FRIDAY. AND WE SAT DOWN, WE TALKED OUT WHAT'S NEEDED. UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, BUILDING AND SAFETY. AND WE DO HAVE A PROCESS THAT'LL MOVE FORWARD. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PERMIT AND TO ENCOURAGE, UM, OUTDOOR DINING AND, UH, THROUGHOUT THE GLENDORA CORRIDOR AND HELP REVITALIZE, UM, THAT AREA. AND SO THANK YOU TO THE BUSINESSES THAT DID MEET WITH ME. UH, WE DO HAVE A PATH FORWARD, UM, FOR THAT, UM, EVENT IN PROCESS. AND THAT'LL BE COMING FORWARD PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. I'LL BE TALKING MORE WITH THE BUSINESSES AND WE'LL FINALIZE THE PAPERWORK THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT AND THE INDEMNIFICATION PROCESS. AND THEN AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PATRONIZE THE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND THE RESTAURANTS ARE VERY GOOD DOWN THERE. AND WHAT YOU REALLY SHOULD DO IS START AT DALEWOOD AND START WORKING SOUTH AND START VISITING ALL OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, IS GOOD FOOD DOWN THERE. IT REALLY IS, INCLUDING ONE OF MY FAVORITE BURGER PLACES, WHICH I WON'T NAME. UM, SHERRY, THANK YOU FOR THE HISTORY OF THE, UH, DOWNTOWN, UM, FARMER'S MARKET. YOU ARE CORRECT. UM, AND MARIO WAS ALSO CORRECT THAT PART OF IT IS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE LEFT HERE IN THE CITY. AND WHEN THINGS COME UP, SOMETIMES WE TAKE, GOING BACK TO, IT'S NOT SO EASY JUST TO GO TO A COMPUTER AND GOOGLE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED 10, 15, 20 YEARS AGO. SO YOU'RE CORRECT ON YOUR HISTORY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND SO FAR. SO WE ARE WORKING FOR A PATH FORWARD, UH, WITH THE, UM, NOT ONLY THE FARMER'S MARKET, THE NIGHT MARKET, AND ANY OTHER EVENTS THAT WANT TO COME TO THE CITY. UH, THAT'LL BE REOCCURRING. UH, I AM WORKING WITH OUR FIRE CHIEF, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND WE WILL BE FINALIZING AND BRINGING THAT FORWARD. BUT THERE IS A PATH FORWARD. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE DO ENCOURAGE, AND I BELIEVE I MENTIONED IN MY SAY MANAGER REPORT, THERE IS A PATH FORWARD AND WE ENCOURAGE THESE TYPE OF EVENTS. IT IS POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, ANYTHING POSITIVE WE REALLY SHOULD BE SUPPORTING. UM, RAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT. UH, ALSO ON THE EL NINO, I DID PROVIDE THE MAYOR WITH SOME INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING EL NINOS PROVIDED BY, UH, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, PUBLIC WORKS LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT. AND THE STATE, UH, WILL BE COMING BACK IN NO, UH, OCTOBER WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SOME SAFEGUARDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY ON THE UPCOMING RANGE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SIGNIFICANT. AND IT TIES INTO SOME OF THE OTHER DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD, UM, TONIGHT AND ON THE, THE MOON FESTIVAL REPORT, I BELIEVE, AND I'LL STAND, I MAY STAND CORRECTED. I THOUGHT WE CAME BACK TO THE, THE COUNCIL AND DID PRESENT A REPORT ON THAT, BUT IF NOT, I WILL PROVIDE IT TO YOU, RAY, I I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD, MY EMAIL ADDRESS, AND I'LL SEND THAT TO YOU. UM, IF IT WASN'T PRESENTED, UM, MARIO, UM, AGAIN, UH, NIGHT MARKET AND FARMER'S MARKET. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION YOU'VE PROVIDED AS WELL. YOU, YOU DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON SOME INSTITUTIONAL STUFF. AGAIN, THE, THE MAYOR WHEN SHE, UH, CONTACTED ME A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ON THIS, WE STARTED WORKING ON IT. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT REACHED A, A FEVER SH POINT YET. BUT, UH, AGAIN, PATH FORWARD, WE'LL GET THIS RESOLVED AND, UH, GET THIS ALL TAKEN CARE OF. I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL BE HAPPY. UM, JD ON YOUR, UH, QUESTION OR CONCERN ABOUT THE MOON FESTIVAL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THANK YOU FOR, UM, RECOGNIZING IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL EVENT HERE LAST WEEK. AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF MOVING IT OFF THE, DOWN TO DOWNTOWN GLENDORA CORRIDOR WAS BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS YEARS, UM, EXPENSE AS FAR AS, UM, STAFFING AND OVERHEAD. UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA MOVE IT BACK DOWN THERE AT SOME POINT. UH, WE TESTED LAST YEAR HERE, IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. UH, WE'VE KEPT IT HERE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T MOVE THAT EVENT AND OTHER EVENTS DOWN TO, UM, GLENDO AVENUE AGAIN, TO PROMOTE OUR, OUR DOWNTOWN. I THINK YOU WILL SEE SOME REVITALIZATION, UH, COMING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INCREASE OF OUTDOOR DINING AND OTHER THINGS THAT'LL BE COMING TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND ON YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LEGAL EXPENSES, UM, IN THE, UH, DOUGH VERSUS SHOEMAKER CASE, OR SHOEMAKER VERSUS DOUGH, WHATEVER IT WAS, UM, THE CITY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY, UH, FUNDING TOWARDS THE, UH, UM, MR. SHOEMAKER ON HIS SIDE OF THE CASE. UM, [01:30:01] OUR ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REPRESENTED, UM, THE EMPLOYEE THAT WAS SUBPOENAED TO TESTIFY IN THE CASE AND THE INTEREST OF THE CITY, THE REQUEST FOR RECORDS, THOSE TYPE THINGS. SO THAT WAS THE ONLY EXPENSE THAT WAS, UM, ALLOCATED IN THAT MATTER. UM, STEVE BENNETT, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE STREET SOUPING REPORT IS DUE TO COME BACK, UH, TO THE COUNCIL. AND AS YOU RECOGNIZED IT, IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ISSUE. YOU HAVE 16 SQUARE MILES, UH, STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED. UM, THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE PARKING'S LIMITED. UH, THERE'S SOME AREAS WHERE IT'S PERMIT PARKING ONLY. THERE'S SOME AREAS WHERE ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IS ALREADY POSTED FOR NO PARKING AT ANY TIME. UM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, UH, CONTRACT THAT'S CURRENTLY $1.4 MILLION A YEAR TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CONTRACT, MAY INCREASE COSTS, IT MAY DECREASE COSTS. UM, THERE'S THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, THE, WE HAVE OVER 7,000 SIGNS POSTED. DO WE CHANGE SOME? ALL OF 'EM. THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO THE REPORT ITSELF WILL, UH, COVER ALL THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, ONCE DIRECTED TO WORK ON THIS, I DIDN'T WANNA RUSH BACK AND PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T SUFFICIENT TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO LOOK AT. WE, WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE STAFF. UH, I DO HAVE OUR ENGINEERING PUBLIC WORKS, UM, STAFF THAT'S WORKING ON THIS, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. SO WE WILL BE COMING BACK. WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S SOMETHING, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL CAN REALLY CONSIDER AND MAKE A, UM, A GOOD DECISION ON WHICHEVER WAY THEY GO. UH, BUT WE NEED TO FIRST PROVIDE ALL THE CORRECT INFORMATION TO THE COUNCILS SO THEY CAN MAKE A EDUCATED DECISION ON THIS. AND AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANNA RUSH TO GET THIS DONE. I WANT MY STAFF TO DEDICATE THEIR TIME TO MAKE SURE IT'S CORRECT. AND I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD COVER MY RESPONSES FOR TONIGHT, MADAM MAYOR. OKAY. UM, OUR HEARTS DO GO OUT TO, TO THE FAMILY. UM, MY KIDS GO TO EDGEWOOD AND JUST TO, SORRY. I, I PERSONALLY HAVE GONE THROUGH THESE MURDERS AT WORK, SO 14-YEAR-OLD, YOU KNOW, 16-YEAR-OLD. I'VE HAD MULTIPLE SHARE OF THOSE. UM, BUT I HOPE THAT WE GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FIX THOSE THINGS. I, I UNDERSTAND. BUT, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASSIST IF WE NEED TO INVOLVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE, ARE THERE, WE'RE OPEN. SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SO THAT WE CAN, WHAT THE CITY CAN DO. I KNOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ONE THING AND THE CITY IS, IS ANOTHER. BUT WITH THE, UM, WITH OUR POLICE AND AS A COUNCIL, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, UM, FOR THOSE THAT LIVE IN TOMORROW. UH, TOMORROW. UH, I THANK YOU FOR SHARING THOSE ISSUES. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL THE ISSUES THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THAT, THAT'S NEW, NEW TO ME. UM, NORMALLY, UM, THEY REACH OUT TO THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE, AND THE COUNCIL GETS IN AND NORMALLY THE, THE COUNCIL BRINGS IT FORTH TO THE COUNCIL AND SO THAT WE CAN HELP RESOLVE THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. UM, BUT WE AS A COUNCIL AS A WHOLE WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT IN ANY WAY WE CAN. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NEW INFORMATION THAT WAS BROUGHT UP. CITY WILL WORK AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. UM, AS FOR THOSE MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT BUSINESSES, UH, THAT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL. THE CITY DOES NOT GO OUT THERE AND HAGGLE OUR BUSINESSES. I MEAN, WE, WE LOVE OUR BUSINESSES. WE ALWAYS WANNA WORK FOR THEM. IN THE CASE OF THE FARMER'S MARKET, IT WAS ONE PERSON WHO REPORTED THEM AND HAD THE CITY LOOK INTO IT. SO IT'S NOT THE CITY THAT'S JUST GOES OUT AND DO THAT. UM, SO I'VE TOLD THIS PERSON A FEW DAYS AGO THAT I'M GOING TO BRING FORTH AT THE COUNCIL MEETING FOR, UM, AND TO PUT IN A COUNCIL REQUEST, UH, FOR, TO BRING FORTH ALL THE INFORMATION BECAUSE SOME INFORMATION IS NEW TO US TOO. LIKE, I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND THAT I SAID THAT I WAS GONNA REQUEST AT THE VERY END FOR THE FEE STRUCTURES, UM, FOR THE SPECIAL EVENTS, PERMIT FEES, THE OVERALL, UH, INFORMATION FEE WAIVERS. AND JUST TO MAKE IT FAIR, EQUITABLE TO STREAMLINE FOR ALL BUSINESSES AND FOR NONPROFITS. UM, AS YOU KNOW ME, I'M ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY AND PER I, I DO COMMUNITY SERVICES, I DO SPECIAL EVENTS. I MEAN, THAT'S MY FORTE. AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT. I WANNA BRING THAT HERE IN OUR CITY. UM, THANK YOU JD FOR MENTIONING THAT. I KNOW SOME RESIDENTS SAYS, OH, CUT AND SLASH THE SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE DOWNTOWN. I'M HERE FOR THE MAJORITY TO BRING THIS, TO BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER FOR THE UNITY. UM, SO I DID TELL THAT PERSON THAT I WAS GOING TO BRING IT TONIGHT AND TONIGHT I WILL. UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUMP THE GUN AND POLITICIZE THESE THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, BRING FORTH. BUT I, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT COUNCIL IS HERE FOR THE [01:35:01] BUSINESSES AND FOR THE NONPROFITS TO MAKE THINGS WORK. SO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I WANTED TO BRING UP. UM, THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU TO OUR CITY MANAGER FOR ADDRESSING MANY OF THOSE ISSUES. UM, I'D LIKE I HAVE A COMMENT. UH, GO AHEAD. UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, YOU COULD LOOK MAYOR PRO AND GO FIRST. I THINK HE HAS COMMENTS. UH, GO AHEAD. OKAY, GREAT. SO, UH, GREAT. UH, YES. I SENT MY CONDO THIS, UH, TO THE DOTES FAMILY, TO CHARLIE. UH, YOU CAME HERE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO DEFER YOU BACK TO THE SUE SUE BOARD. YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION POTENTIAL MISCONDUCT. UH, AND SO I WILL ASK OUR CITY MANAGER DIRECT OUR POLICE CHIEF ANTONIO CORINA, TO MEET WITH THE FAMILY, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHY A REPORT WAS NOT DONE. WE HAVE A PEACE OFFICER ON THAT SCHOOL PROPERTY. I WANNA KNOW, THE FAMILY WANTS TO KNOW WHY THE PEACE OFFICER DID NOT TAKE A REPORT INITIALLY. UH, THE FAMILY HAS ALSO REPORTED SUSPECTED BIAS IN THE REPORTING ASPECT. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITY MANAGER TO ALSO DIRECT THE POLICE CHIEF, UH, TO FILE AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY, MEET WITH THEM. AND, AND THAT'S HOW WE RESOLVE ISSUES. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UM, UH, THE WA THE FAM, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE, THE WALL THAT'S FALLING APART, UH, IT'S CREATING A HAZARD. UH, I THINK THE FAMILIES HERE ALSO ASK FOR PLANTATION TO BE, UH, PLANTED, UM, BEFORE, UH, THE MAIN STORMS COME TO CALIFORNIA. AND SO, UH, WE, WE, AGAIN, EXPENSE TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF FUNDS, UH, TO OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR CITY'S OPERATIONS. THE, AND MINIMUM WHAT WE COULD DO IS PLANT GREENERY, UH, UH, TO PREVENT ANY EFFECT FOR THE PROPERTIES THAT THEY HAVE A CONCERN OR CONCERN ABOUT. UM, IN REGARDS TO THE STREET SWEEPING, UH, CITY MANAGER, YOU, YOU STATED THAT YOU'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK, BUT YOU DON'T STATE WHEN YOU'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UM, AND THEN, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE OTHER RESIDENT REGARDING THE, THE NIGHT MARKET AND, AND, AND THE, AND, UH, FARMER'S MARKET, UH, I THINK, UH, ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS, SHERRY MENTIONED SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS OR, OR, OR JERRY MENTIONED POTENTIALLY SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS DON'T WORK. AND SO, UH, I WANT TO KNOW IF, UH, THE CITY INTENDS TO BRING BACK A POLICY TO THE CITY COUNCIL. SO THE CITY COUNCIL COULD DISCUSS, UH, THE ISSUE IN PUBLIC AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHY, INITIALLY, WHY THEY WERE BEING, BEING CHARGED A $3,000 FEE. AND ALSO IF OTHER ENTITIES ARE AFFECTED WITH THESE FEES, SUCH AS, UH, A CATHOLIC CHURCH WHO HAS CARNIVALS YEARLY. AND SO, UH, SO THO THOSE, THOSE ARE, UH, MY, MY CONCERNS. UM, AND, AND I WILL ASK THAT THE CITY MANAGER TAKE ACTION. WELL, YES, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I MENTIONED WITH THE COUNCIL REQUEST AT THE VERY END. UM, GO AHEAD, MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS. THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM MAYOR. UM, MR. CITY MANAGER, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE, THE STAFF, UH, HAVING RECEIVED THE REPORTS WITH THE CLAIMS FROM THE DIFFERENT RESIDENTS IN MARCH OR APRIL, ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS AGO, IT WAS ALREADY KNOWN BY THE OFFICE. SO WITH THE DENIAL OF CLAIMS THAT WAS ISSUED TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS, I'M WONDERING WHAT WOULD BE THE BASIS FOR DENYING THEIR CLAIMS WITHOUT EVER CONDUCTING A GEOLOGICAL REPORT OR OTHER STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HILL WAS EVEN SAFE IN THE FIRST PLACE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SLIPPAGE OF THE HILL WAS PROVIDED TO YOUR OFFICE, UH, OR, OR PART OF CITY HALL, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE. I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHED SOME LIGHT ON THAT, BECAUSE I'M REALLY SURPRISED THAT THE DENIALS WERE ISSUED WITHOUT ANY ANALYTICAL BASIS FOR ISSUING THE DENIAL. MAYOR PROAM CONTOS, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THERE WERE, UM, ONE OR MORE DATES THAT CLAIMS WERE SUBMITTED. IT WAS PROVIDED TO OUR, UM, INSURANCE CARRIER AND RISK MANAGEMENT, UM, SIDE OF OPERATIONS TO REVIEW. AND IT WASN'T UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4TH, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE REJECTION NOTICE OF CLAIM WAS BEING SENT TO THE FIVE OR SIX SEVEN PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAD, UM, SUBMITTED, UM, CLAIM PAPERWORK. UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN, UM, THE PAPERWORK THAT WAS SUBMITTED WITH, UH, WHATEVER INFORMATION THEY PROVIDED, BUT IN MOST CLAIM CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY OR CLAIM FOR DAMAGES, IT'S USUALLY THE ACCUSER THAT PROVIDES THE REPORT OR THE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THEIR CLAIM. SO, AGAIN, [01:40:01] I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SUBMITTED AGAIN, SEPTEMBER 4TH WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, AND YOU HAD BROUGHT IT UP TO ME A LITTLE BEFORE THAT, THAT THE RESIDENTS HAD NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE, UM, FROM THE CITY'S RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. SO I CONTACTED RISK AND I SAID, WE NEED TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE, UH, TO THE CLAIMS. AND AGAIN, THERE WAS AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT DATES THE CLAIMS WERE SUBMITTED. UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S UP TO THE PERSON FILING THE CLAIM TO SHOW CAUSE OR SHOW REASON WHY IT SHOULD BE SUBSTANTIATED. I DON'T, APPARENTLY WHATEVER WAS SUBMITTED WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO UPHOLD THE CLAIM. SO, STICKING TO THE AGENDA, UM, THIS PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, THAT YOU CAN MAKE THAT REQUEST AT THE VERY END WHEN, UH, WE HAVE COUNCIL REQUESTS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, GOING ON. SO THAT ENDS, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. WE ARE GONNA [CONSENT CALENDAR] GO ON TO CONSENT CALENDAR. COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? MADAM MAYOR? UH, YES. A SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, MATTER WITH ITEM ONE, JUST A SMALL CORRECTION. OKAY. DID SO WE'LL PULL ITEM ONE THEN? YES. OKAY. AND I'LL PULL NUMBER TWO. TWO. ANYTHING ELSE DID YOU WANNA PULL? OKAY. SO THERE'S ONLY 1, 2, 3. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER THREE ONLY. SO MOVE SECOND. DO I HAVE A FIRST, I HAVE A SECOND ROLL CALL. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN WU. A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ TO PRO, UH, APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM NUMBER THREE, COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AYE. COUNCILMAN WU AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. MAYOR PRO, TIM CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ VIDO AYE. MOTION PASSES [1) CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL FOR THE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY/COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD REGULAR SESSION MEETING MINUTES.] ONTO AGENDA ITEM ONE. UH, GO AHEAD, MAYOR PRO, TIM CONTOS. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. JUST A SMALL, UH, CORRECTION TO THE MINUTES. IT HAD MENTIONED THE DATA CENTERS AND THE TIME BY WHICH THEY WOULD BE BROUGHT BACK. IT SAID SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH. A SMALL CORRECTION, IT SHOULD BE, AND IT'S ALREADY BEING BROUGHT UP TODAY ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS. I'LL MAKE THE CORRECTION. THAT'S IT WITHOUT, WITHOUT A MOVE. ADOPTION APPROVAL. SECOND ROLL CALL. A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM CONTOS TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM NUMBER ONE, CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL FOR THE MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026 WITH A SMALL CORRECTION, NOTING THE DATE CHANGE FROM SEPTEMBER TO TUESDAY, EXCUSE ME, FROM SUNDAY TO TUESDAY. AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DIAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ ABSTAIN. COUNCILMAN WU? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. MAYOR PRO. TIM CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ. VIRA AYE. MOTION PASSES ONTO ITEM NUMBER [2) BIENNIAL REVIEW OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE ] TWO. UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. CAN WE, UH, EXPLAIN WHAT THIS FORM IS TO GOOD EVENING. UM, COUNCIL MAYOR THROUGH THE CHAIR. THIS ITEM IS, UH, A RECEIVE AND FILE ITEM THAT'S BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL EVERY TWO YEARS. UH, AND IT'S ALERTING YOUR, YOU AS A, A COUNCIL BOARD THAT THE CITY CLERK STAFF IS GOING TO LOOK AT THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO STAFFING AND BRING BACK ANY CHANGES THAT THE CITY CLERK OFF THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE RECOMMENDS FOR WHO FILLS OUT A FORM 700. SO THIS IS JUST A NOTICE TO THE COUNCIL THAT CHANGES WERE MADE TO CITY POSITIONS AND THAT THOSE CHANGES AND THE LIST OF FILERS ARE COMING BACK TO YOU BY THE END OF DECEMBER 31ST. SO, UM, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA WHO, WHO WE ARE IS INCLUDE NEW POSITIONS? CHECK MARK. CHECK MARK IS, UH, REVISE THE TITLES OF EXISTING POSITIONS, AND THEN IT SAYS, DELETE TITLES ARE POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ABOLISHED AND OR POSITIONS THAT NO LONGER MAKE OR PARTICIPATE IN MAKING GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS. CORRECT. SO WHEN THE COUNCIL, UH, ADOPTS THE BUDGET AND STAFFING POSITIONS, CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO CERTAIN POSITIONS. SO THOSE CHANGES ARE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL. A RED LINED VERSION OF THOSE CHANGES WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL. GREAT. SO DO WE HAVE A, UH, IN ORDER FOR THIS CHECK MARK TO BE MARKED, WAS THERE A, A, A LIST, UM, A LIST OR SOMETHING MADE? YES. A STAFF SCHEDULE LIST. OKAY. AND, AND WHAT, IS THERE A REASON WHY IT'S NOT PART OF THIS PUBLIC AGENDA? YES, BECAUSE THE CHANGES COME BACK TO THIS BODY AT THE END, OR BY THE END OF DECEMBER, 2026. THE LIST IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT, NOR HAS IT HISTORICALLY BEEN ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT. MM-HMM . YEAH. UM, YEAH, I, I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ATTACH THE LIST. 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS. SO CAN I, CAN I GET A COPY? 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING THE CITY MANAGER FOR FIVE DAYS. NOW THE LIST WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT THAT COMES BACK TO THE COUNCIL. YEAH. CAN I, CAN I GET ONE SOONER? I WON'T BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT SOONER. I NEED TO GO THROUGH THE LIST AND MAKE THE RED LINE CHANGES. [01:45:01] COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ. SO DO WE, BUT WE, WE ARE MARKING HERE THAT WE'RE GONNA POTENTIALLY REMOVE. SO WHO'S MAKING A DECISION TO REMOVE POSITIONS? THE COUNCIL MADE THAT DECISION WHEN THEY'VE ADOPTED BUDGETS. WAIT, IT'S HIDDEN IN THE BUDGET OR REMOVE WE NO, THE STAFF IS STAFFING IS PRESENTED IN THE BUDGET TO THIS COUNCIL. SO ARE WE, ARE WE TAKING ANYONE WHO'S CURRENTLY EMPLOYED FOR THE CITY OF WESTFIELD? ARE WE RE ARE WE TAKING THEM OFF THIS RESPONSIBILITY OF FORM 700? NO. OKAY. 'CAUSE ONE IN THE CHECK MARKS, IT STATES IF A POSITION TITLE HAS CHANGED, THE LIST WILL REFLECT THAT TITLE CHANGE. THIS COUNCIL HAS APPROVED TITLE CHANGES TO INDIVIDUALS SO THAT, THAT, UH, OR THE COMMISSION HAS APPROVED TITLE CHANGES AND IS WAITING TO COME TO THIS COUNCIL. SO THOSE CHANGES WILL BE REFLECTED. OKAY. SO NO, NO. SO THERE'LL BE NO, UH, I, I, I SEE IN THE LAST CHECK MARK, UH, IN THE END OF IT, IT SAYS POSITIONS THAT NO LONGER MAKE OR PARTICIPATE IN MAKING GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS. WOULD ANY OF THOSE, ARE ANY OF THOSE BEING CHANGED OR, OR DELETED? WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. AND THAT IS, THAT IS THE REPORT THAT'S GONNA BE COMING BACK TO YOU, SIR. OKAY. AND, AND THAT REPORT WILL, WILL SHOW US WHO YOU WOULD TEND TO RE REMOVE FROM. YES. RIGHT. AND THEN JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE AND RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND, LISA, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT A FORM 700 AND WHAT ITS PURPOSE IS? FORM 700 IS FILLED OUT BY COUNCIL, BY COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGEMENT, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK AT THE, UH, CITY TO REPORT ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE WITH BUSINESSES OR PROPERTY THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WHEN DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AT A STAFF LEVEL, A COUNCIL LEVEL, OR A COMMISSION LEVEL. GREAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MAYOR? COUNSEL? UH, NO. IS THERE A MOTION? WOULD A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION BY, I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCILMAN WU. YES. AND A SECOND BY MAYOR PROTI CONTOS TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM NUMBER TWO, BIENNIAL REVIEW OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AYE. COUNCILMAN WU AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. AYE. MAYOR PRO. TIM CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ VIDO AYE. MOTION PASSES ONTO ITEM [CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION] FOUR, CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED AUSA SYNCHRONIS, UH, SYNCHRONIZATION PROJECT. UM, MYLAN, WHO WILL PRESENT THE STAFF REPORT. UM, OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WILL COME DOWN TO THE PRESENTATION. YOU'RE BEHIND ME. BRIAN CERVANTES WILL DO THE PRESENTATION. HE'S DOWN HERE. THANK YOU. AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM, AS WELL AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, TONIGHT I'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON THE AZUA TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION PROJECT, AS WELL AS OUR STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT. ALSO ALONG AZUA AVENUE. THIS EVENING, I'LL BE GOING OVER THE SCOPE OF BOTH THE AZUA TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION PROJECT, UH, AS WELL AS THE AZUA STREET REHAB, UH, GOING OVER THE PROJECT FUNDING FOR BOTH THE PROJECT TIMELINES AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS FOR THE PROJECT. SO THE FIRST PROJECT'S GONNA BE THE AZUA, A AVENUE TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION PROJECT. UH, THIS, THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT IS SYNCHRONIZATION ALONG AZUA AVENUE FROM NORTHERN CITY LIMIT TO SOUTHERN CITY YOUTH LIMIT ALONG THE ENTIRETY OF AZUA AVENUE, UH, IN ORDER TO SYNCHRONIZE THE SIGNALS. WE ARE, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE DESIGN PHASE FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, WHICH I'LL GO OVER IN A BIT MORE DETAIL HERE IN A MOMENT. UH, BUT WE'RE PROPOSING, UH, WIRELESS CONTROLLERS BETWEEN EACH SIGNAL CABINET TO SYNCHRONIZE. SO AS VEHICLES TRAVEL ALONG THE CORRIDOR, THERE'LL BE MORE EFFICIENCY FOR DRIVERS AS WELL AS BUS USERS. UM, AS WELL AS PART OF THIS, WE'LL BE UPDATING THE SIGNAL TIMING SHEETS AT ALL INTERSECTIONS ALONG AZUA AVENUE AS WELL. WE'LL BE DOING HARDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING, UH, CURB RAMP REPLACEMENTS AND PED COUNTDOWN HEADS, WHICH ARE BOTH IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE A DA TRANSITION PLAN ADOPTED BY THE CITY. AND WE WILL BE RELOCATING TWO POLES AT THE OR TWO POLES IN TOTAL. ONE AT THE INTERSECTION OF EAST GARVEY AVENUE, NORTH AND NORTH AZUA AVENUE, AND THE SECOND ONE AT MANILA WAY AND SOUTH AZUA AVENUE, UH, FOR A DA COMPLIANCE. THE SECOND PROJECT IS THE AZUA AVENUE STREET REHABILITATION. UH, FOR THIS PROJECT, WE'LL BE GRINDING OVERLAYING AZUA AVENUE NORTH OF VINE AVENUE TO THE NORTHERN CITY LIMIT. AND THEN WE'LL BE DOING A MICROSURFACING ON AZUA AVENUE SOUTH OF VINE TO THE SOUTHERN CITY LIMIT. AND WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS WORK, WE'LL ALSO BE DOING CURB RAMP REPLACEMENTS AND A DA UPGRADES AS WELL. WE'LL BE, UH, REINSTALLING SITE, UH, STRIPE ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND DOING IMPROVED CROSSWALKS AT THE INTERSECTIONS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THOSE. ALONG ALL AZUA AVENUE FOR PROJECT FUNDING. THE ESTIMATE COST FOR THE AZUA TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION IS APPROXIMATELY 3.4 MILLION FROM OUR LATEST ESTIMATES FOR THE AZUA AVENUE STREET REHABILITATION. THE MOST LATE RECENT ESTIMATE IS $9 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF BOTH PROJECTS OF $12.4 MILLION. UH, FOR THE FUNDING WE CURRENTLY [01:50:01] HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, THE FIRST SOURCE IS $7 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS, FEDERAL GRANTS, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT. UH, THE AZUA PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. UH, THE SECOND SOURCE IS A LITTLE OVER 2.6 MILLION, ALSO IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE AZUA AVENUE STREET REHABILITATION AS WELL. WE HAVE A LITTLE UNDER 1.5 MILLION IN MEASURE M FOR THE REGIONAL SIGNAL SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION. UH, $2 MILLION OF MEASURE R FOR THE INTERIOR ROAD REHABILITATION AND 100,000 FOR MEASURE R FOR VIDEO DETECTION CITYWIDE FOR A TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING OF THIR A LITTLE UNDER $13.2 MILLION. SO NOW TO GIVE, UH, GO OVER AND COMPLETE PROJECT TIMELINE, UH, ON 8 6 20 25, ENGINEERING COMPLETED THE DESIGNS FOR THE STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT AND RECEIVED STATE APPROVAL FOR, UH, UH, CONSTRUCTION. ON JULY 1ST, 2025, THE CITY COUNCIL AWARDED A DESIGN CONTRACT TO KIMLEY HORNE ASSOCIATES FOR THE AZUA, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION PROJECT OR TSSP, UH, AUGUST, OR YEAH, AUGUST 11TH, 2025. UH, THE 9% PLANS RECEIVED STATE, OR THAT SHOULD BE 2026. MY APOLOGIES. AUGUST 11TH TO LAST MONTH, THE 9% PLANS RECEIVED STATE AUTHORIZATION ON THE AZUA TSSP FOR CONSTRUCTION FUNDING. CURRENTLY NOW IN FALL OF 2026, WE ANTICIPATE GOING OUT TO BID. UH, WE ARE WORKING ON FINALIZING THOSE 100% PLANS CURRENTLY, UH, IN LATE 2026 OR THE VERY START OF 2027. UH, WE ANTICIPATE BRINGING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BACK FOR THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION FOR BOTH PROJECTS. AND THEN FUNDING, UH, DOES LAPSE IN DECEMBER 31ST, 2028. HOWEVER, OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS ARE, UH, HAVING THE PROJECT FULLY COMPLETED IN THE EARLY SPRING OF 2028. NOW, TO GO OVER SOME NEXT STEPS ON THE PROJECTS, UH, THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT PLANS COMPLETED AND THE FINALIZATION OF THE NOTICE INVITING BIDS, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE TO HAVE THIS MONTH, IF NOT EARLY NEXT MONTH. UH, ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, WE'LL RELEASE THE NOTICE INVITING BIDS FOR CONTRACTOR TO SUBMIT BIDS FOR, UH, REVIEW FOR THE CITY. ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, WE'LL BE BRINGING THE CONTRACT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE NEXT AVAILABLE MEETING. UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION FOR AWARD, UH, ONCE THAT CONTRACT IS AWARDED AND THE CONTRACTOR'S FULLY BROUGHT ON TO PRE, UH, PREPARE WORK, THE CONTRACTOR WILL NEED TO ORDER SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT DOES HAVE LONGER LEAD TIMES SINCE THIS IS RELAYING TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS. THERE HAS BEEN SOME ITEMS HISTORICALLY IN OUR OTHER PROJECTS, WHICH HAVE LONGER LEAD TIMES, SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE A BETTER SCHEDULE WITH WHAT THE CURRENT, UH, ANTICIPATION IS, UH, AT THAT TIME, ONCE THE CONTRACTOR'S FULLY BROUGHT ON BOARD AND CAN PROVIDE A TIGHTER SCHEDULE FOR THAT. UH, ONCE THAT'S, UH, ONCE THE CONTRACTOR ORS THE MATERIAL, THEY'LL BEGIN DOING SOME HARDSCAPE WORK, UH, OR SOME EARLY WORK. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THOSE LONG LEAD TIME MATERIALS. SO THE WHOLE PROJECT WON'T BE COMPLETED AGAIN UNTIL THAT SPRING 2028, UH, DATE THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING. HOWEVER, I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS PROJECT. NO QUESTION. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN WU? YEAH, WE'VE BEEN REQUEST THIS AND THEY'VE BEEN, WON'T HAVE THIS PROJECT GOING ON A-S-A-P-I KNOW IT TAKE FOREVER AND THEY NEED TO SO-CALLED THE PROCESS, BUT OKAY. THEN WE IN REQUEST OKAY. HAVE BEEN REQUESTED THROUGH OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN, CHRIS ANO, AND THEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO BEFORE SHE RETIRED, SHE AWARD THE WEST COVINA $7 MILLION. THAT'S WHY WE CAN DO THIS SYNCHRONIZATION. TO DO THE SYNCHRONIZATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY BECAUSE WE HAVE EAST WEST FREEWAY FROM OKAY, ON THE, OKAY, UH, 2, 10, 10 AND 60. AND THEN WE HAVE A GOAL LINE AND ON THE NORTH OF, UH, SU THEN WE HAVE METROLINK ON COVINA. AND THEN NORTH AND SOUTH WE BASICALLY ONLY HAVE 6 0 5 57. SO THE 10 FEET AWAY, THE, THE AZUA AVENUE BECOME MOST IMPORTANT. OKAY? NORTH AND SOUTH CONNECT, ALL THESE EAST AND WEST. SO PEOPLE CAN WANT TO TAKE A GOLD LINE OR THEY WANT TAKE THE METRO LINK, OKAY. FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, MUCH EASIER TO DRIVE ON A SUSE AVENUE, BUT AZUA CURRENTLY IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF, UH, EASTERN WEST CASINO NOW THEN ARE CO COLLABORATE TOGETHER. SO, SO, SO THIS IS HOW THIS WHAT THIS PROJECTS ABOUT, BUT ONLY ISSUE, OKAY. AND I BEEN REQUEST, OKAY, THAT IS, WE NEED TO TALK TO AZUA, COVINA AND LAE AND CITY OF INDUSTRY. SO WE CAN FUND TWO 10 OKAY. AND TO 60, AND WE ALL SYNCHRONIZE TOGETHER. SO NOT ONLY THE, THE PORTION OF, UH, WEST COVINA, THEN YOU OUTTA OUR JURISDICTION THEN BECOME TRAFFIC AGAIN. [01:55:01] SO IT IS REALLY DEFICIENT TO WHAT WE TRY TO DO, MAKE IT EASIER WHEN YOU DRIVING LESS THAN 40 MILE HOUR, UH, PER, OKAY. AND THEN YOU CAN DRIVE GREEN LIGHT ALL THE TIME. AND IF YOU TAKE THE OKAY, FOUR HILLS TRANSIT, THE MASS TRANSPORTATION, AND THEN WHEN THEY HIT ON AZUA THEN WILL BECOME GREEN LIGHT FOR THEM. IT MAKE EASIER FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO COMMUTE CURRENTLY IS VERY DIFFICULT. OKAY? BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE AVOID AZUA. I AVOID AZUA BIG TIME BECAUSE IT JUST WASTING A LOT OF TIME TO DRIVING OVER THERE. THE TRAFFIC IS JUST LIKE BUMPER TO BUMPERS AND, UH, VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC. SO, SO, SO HOW, OKAY, YOU, YOU'RE DOING THIS OKAY. AND ALL THIS PROCESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME OKAY, I THINK WE TRY TO TALK TO THE NEW, UM, OKAY. AFTER ELECTION, I THINK OUR NEW UH OKAY. AND OUR SUPERVISORS OF DISTRICT ONE IS MARINA ELENA. OKAY? HOPEFULLY SHE WILL HELP US TO CONNECT WITH SUSE COVINA. SO WHAT YOU GUY TO HELP US TO KIND OF WORKING WITH ALL THE CITY AND COUNTY, SINCE YOU ARE A BIG ENGINEER COMPANY, YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT CONNECTION. OKAY? AND RATHER THAN JUST BUILD US, WE WANT TO BUILD ASAP BY THE SAME TIME CAN WE, CAN WE TALK TO SUSE AND THE COVINAS AND THE, THE POINT CITY INDUSTRY POINT POSSIBLE HAVE A ONE TRAFFIC OR TWO TRAFFIC SCENE NOW. OKAY. AND SENTENCING TO INDUSTRY ABOUT ONE OR TWO. AND, UH, COVINA MAYBE HAVE A FIVE OR SIX AND SUSE MAYBE SEVEN OR EIGHT. SO, SO IF WE CAN GET ALL THESE TRAFFIC IN, WE HAVE THE MOST, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 20 OKAY. OR 30 OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL. SO WE HAVE A BIG OKAY. PORTION OF SUSE. SO, SO THE THING IS, FIRST THING, OKAY, THE TIMELINE 28, LET'S TAKE IT TOO LONG TO TO COMPLETE IF WE CAN DO IT. OKAY. WHEN YOU SAY 20 20, 20 28 SPRING POSSIBLY YOU WILL GO TO SUMMER, MAYBE EVEN FALL. OKAY. YOU GET DELAY OR CONSTRUCTION ALL THE TIME. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE IT MORE PRECISE AND CONCISE TO MUCH OF SHORTER TIME SO PEOPLE CAN ENJOY IT. OKAY? AND, UH, SYNCHRONIZATION. AND, UH, SO, SO MY REQUEST IS OKAY, AND ON, ON YOUR ENGINEER COMPANY, NOT ONLY YOU BEATING ALL THIS PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY FIRST THING MAKE IT MUCH FASTER, OKAY? AND, UH, SECOND THING IS, OKAY, COLLABORATE WITH OTHER CITY USER, COVINA, CITY, INDUSTRY AND, UH, AND, AND THE LAPUENTE. OKAY? SO WE CAN CONNECT ALL THESE OKAY. SOUTH FROM NORTH AND SOUTH, MUCH EASIER TO SYNCHRONIZE. OKAY? AND WHEN YOU SYNCHRONIZE, BASICALLY, OKAY, PEOPLE CAN DRIVE FROM SOUTH SIDE OKAY? GREEN LIGHT INTO METRO LINK. THEY CAN GO TO EAST AND WEST, OKAY? AND THAT WILL BE REALLY HELPING A LOT OF COMMUTER TO TAKING THE MASS TRANSPORTATION. I, I'VE BEEN GOSPEL THIS FOR EIGHT YEARS WITH THE COUNTY, BUT THEY IGNORE ME. BUT HOPEFULLY THIS TIME, UH, WITH A NEW SUPERVISOR COMING IN, OKAY? WE TAKE THIS SERIOUS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE THIS NORTH AND SOUTH, UH, MUCH EASIER FOR OUR RESIDENT TO, TO, TO, TO COMMUTE. CAN, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ANY POSSIBILITY? OKAY. AND I'VE BEEN IN THE CAR COUNCIL, GOVERNMENT ARE TALKING TO A SUSE, COVINA AND ALL OTHER CITY. THEY ALL WILLING, BUT WE JUST NEED SOME LEADERSHIP LIKE COUNTY OKAY. AND THEIR, THEIR ENGINEER OR PUBLIC WORK DEPARTMENT. OKAY. THEY SAY THEY ALREADY HAVE A SYNCHRONIZED SETUP. SO HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT CONNECT WITH OUR SYNCHRONIZATION TOGETHER? GO AHEAD. MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE SOME LIGHT. YEAH, OF COURSE. AND THEN YOUR, UH, POINTS REGARDING THE REGIONAL ASPECT WAS SOMETHING WE DID LOOK AT IN THE BEGINNING. WE HAVE MET WITH SOME OF THE CITIES THAT YOU MENTIONED TO TRY GET THAT REGIONAL, UH, EFFICIENCY BECAUSE AZUA IS SUCH A MAJOR NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR. I KNOW AT THE TIME WHEN THIS WAS PRIOR TO, WE WENT OUT TO DESIGN, WE WANTED TO SEE IF OTHER AGENCIES WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR PROJECT WITH WEST COVINA TAKING THE LEAD. AT THAT TIME THEY WERE LOOKING FOR FUNDS. THEY WEREN'T, THEY WEREN'T AS LUCKY HAVE ALL THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FOR THIS PROJECT. HOWEVER, WE DEFINITELY CAN, I KNOW, UH, WE WERE WORKING WITH THE COG ON THAT. WE COULD DEFINITELY CIRCLE BACK WITH THEM AND SEE IF THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE FUNDS AND MAKE IT A TRUE REGIONAL PROJECT. UM, OH, GO ON. I, IN COG I BASICALLY TALKED TODAY, INTRODUCED ME TO COUNTY PUBLIC WORK. OKAY. AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OR CHIEF ENGINEER OR SOMETHING, AND THEY TOLD ME, LET'S SUSE ALREADY EQUIP SYNCHRONIZATION CAPACITY. MM-HMM . SO YOU MIGHT BE TALK TO THEM, TALK TO THE OKAY. COUNTY PUBLIC WORK DIRECTOR AND SEE OKAY, WHAT THEY CAN DO IF WE ALREADY, THEY ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY, [02:00:01] THEN WE CAN CONNECT WITH THEIR OKAY. OR WE CAN WORK TOGETHER THE GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER. WE CANNOT JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING OUR THING AND THEY, THEY AND THEY OTHERWISE BECOME A WASTE. SO I THINK COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. OKAY. AND, UH, THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO THE SINGLE CITY DUE TO THEY DON'T HAVE A FUND. AZUSA. COVINA, OKAY. BUT I THINK IF WE CAN TALK TO COUNTY, BECAUSE THIS IS NORTH AND SOUTH, OKAY. MULTI CITY AND THE COUNTY BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN I TALK TO THEIR AT CAR, OKAY? AND THEY, THEY ARE WILLING, OKAY? AND TO MAKE THIS THING MUCH EASIER AND THIS, THEY CAN TAKE ALL THE CREDIT, OKAY. MAKING NORTH AND SOUTH OR SYNCHRONIZATION BECAUSE IF WE CAME FROM TWO 10 TO 60, ALL GREEN LIGHT WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING 40 MILE PER HOUR, OKAY, I THINK THIS REALLY CAN HELP A LOT OF TRAFFIC. NO, NO TRAFFIC JAM, NO BUMPER TO BUMPER, NO POLLUTION, LESS POLLUTION BECAUSE PEOPLE NOT IDLING OVER THERE. SO I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING, UH, COUNTY REALLY HAVE A LOOK INTO IT TO HELP, SINCE WE ARE DOING THIS AS A LEAD, AS A LEADER, HOPEFULLY OTHER CITY WITH THE COUNTY HELP JOIN US ALSO, THAT IS WHAT YOU OKAY. AS A BIG ENGINEER COMPANY TO TALK TO THEM SINCE YOU SHOULD HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THEIR ENGINEER AND THE PUBLIC WORK. OKAY? AND THEN A LOT OF YOUR ENGINEERS IS RETIRED FROM COUNTY, SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HELP US PUT IT TOGETHER. OTHERWISE ONLY THE PORTION OF WHI CO IT DOESN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE. YOU GO WHI CO THIS PORTION SYNCHRONIZED, THEN YOU GO OUTSIDE BUMPER TO BUMPER DECEIVING. WHAT WE TRYING TO DO FROM NORTH SIDE AND SOUTH DIRECT EVERYTHING ENTIRELY. SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY, YOU GUYS HAVE TO REALLY WORK ON IT, OKAY? AND FOR US, OKAY, WE CAN PUT THIS TOGETHER AND PLUS MAKE IT TIMELINE MUCH FASTER. THIS LIKE ANOTHER TWO YEARS, 20, 20, 20 YEARS IS TAKING FOREVER. ANYWAY. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. I'M DONE. THANK YOU MADAM COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ. UM, I WANNA GO TO YOUR PAGE WHERE YOU HAVE AZUA AVENUE STREET REHABILITATION SCOPE. YES. OKAY, SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, NUMBER ONE, GRIND AND OVERLAY ON AZUA AVENUE NORTH OF VINE AVENUE TO THE CITY LIMITS, UH, WHAT EXACTLY IS GRIND AND OVERLAY? SO GRIND AND OVERLAY IS GOING TO BE WHERE ACT WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GRINDING DOWN THE TOP LAYER OF THE STREET. IT DEPENDS ON THE DEPTH, DEPENDING ON THE STREET TYPE. UM, I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU INCORRECT NUMBERS, I WANNA SAY THIS ONE IS POSSIBLY LIKE THREE OR FOUR INCHES, I COULD BE MISTAKEN ON THAT. BUT THEY'LL FULLY GRIND DOWN THE STREET THAT'S EXPERIENCING CRACKING POTHOLES, DIFFERENT DEFORMATION, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO REBUILD THAT WHOLE PORTION OF THE STREET BY OVERLAID ADDING NEW ASPHALT TO IT. SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY RECONSTRUCTING A PORTION OF THE STREET. OKAY. NOW NUMBER TWO, YOU SAY MICROSURFACING MM-HMM . ON AZUA AVENUE SOUTH OF VINE TO THE CITY LIMITS. CORRECT. HOW, WHAT IS THAT MICROS SURFACING? YEAH, SO SIMILAR TO OUR, UH, RESIDENTIAL STREETS, WHEN WE DO OUR LOCAL ROAD REHABILITATION, IT'S ALMOST SIMILAR TO A SLUR SEAL WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE OF A ADDING A PROTECTIVE LAYER ONTO WHAT'S EXISTING. AND THE REASON FOR THAT CHANGE IS, IS AZUA AVENUE HA UH, SOUTH OF VINE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN REPAVED MUCH MORE RECENTLY. SO IT'S IN A BEAR CONDITION AND THAT IS A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE YES. WHERE WE CAN, UH, ESSENTIALLY TREAT AND EXPAND THE LIFETIME OF THE ROAD. WHEREAS NORTH OF VINE DOES NEED A, THAT MORE EXPENSIVE GRIND AND OVERLAY TO REALLY GIVE IT A NICE SMOOTH SURFACE. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THIS. UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, AZUA AVENUE NORTH OF THE FREEWAY LOOKS HORRIBLE AND THIS IS GONNA REALLY LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN OUR CITY. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS. AND THEN THE RE STRIPING, IT'S GONNA LOOK FABULOUS, SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ? YES. UM, LET'S SEE. SO ARE THEY FINISHED WITH THE DESIGNS? NO, WE RECEIVED APPROVAL ON THE 90% PLANS. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE 100%, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE TO HAVE THIS MONTH, IF NOT IN EARLY OCTOBER. AND THAT'S BY, UH, KIMBERLY HORN AND ASSOCIATES, CORRECT? KIMBERLY HORN? YES. OKAY, SO WE HAVE 90% OCTOBER, AND THEN HOW, AND THEN, THEN IT'LL GO FOR RFP. UH, YES, CORRECT. SO I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS, OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ALSO ACCOMMODATE POTENTIALLY THE OLYMPICS TRAFFIC AND SO FORTH. SO IS THERE A WAY TO, WHEN YOU'RE OUTGOING BID THAT WHOEVER'S BIDDING FOR THIS CONTRACT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS, UH, AN EXPEDITIOUS PROCESS? YES, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING INTO AS WE ARE AWARE THAT ROAD AS MY, AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY OTHERS. HOWEVER, THIS ONE WITH THE SYNCHRONIZATION WOULD BE A GREAT CANDIDATE TO HELP MOVE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. UH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING INTO AS WE'RE CRAFTING THE NOTICE [02:05:01] INVITING BIDS CURRENTLY IS HOW WHAT WE COULD DO REALLY MAKE IT VERY STRINGENT ON THOSE DATES. GREAT. AND, UM, LATE 2026, SO YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROJECTING THAT YOU'LL COME BACK TO US BEFORE DECEMBER OR SOMETHING, OR, UH, OUR CURRENT PROJECTION IS AT THE VERY, OUR GOAL IS DECEMBER, UH, BUT WE'RE STAYING, UH, EITHER DECEMBER, IF NOT THE VERY START OF THE YEAR. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EXPEDITIOUSLY MOVE THIS FORWARD TOO LATE EARLIER. EARLIER . YEAH. SO, YEAH, SO HOPEFULLY JUST LIKE THEY'RE DOING IN LOS ANGELES AND ELSEWHERE FOR THE US OLYMPICS ARE COMING TO OUR, TO VARIOUS CITIES, IS THAT THEY HAVE EXPEDITED PROJECTS LIKE THIS, UH, TO GET IT DONE. AND SO I THINK, UH, IF I'M NOT HEARING WRONG, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES WILL WANT A SOLUTION LIKE THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK POTENTIALLY IN, UH, UH, DECEMBER OR OCTOBER OR SO FORTH. UM, ALSO, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I BELIEVE A SUSE IS, IS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A GRANT FROM CONGRESSMAN SUN'S OFFICE. WHEN I WAS RESEARCHING THE GRANTS THAT THE CONGRESSMAN'S OFFICE WAS GIVING OUT, I CAME ACROSS, UH, A PROJECT THAT A SUSA CALIFORNIA IS DOING TO TURN THEIR ONE WAY STREETS INTO TWO-WAY STREETS. ARE YOU, UH, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT? NO, I CAN'T SAY FAMILIAR. SO, SO IT SEEMS LIKE A SUSA HAS SOMETHING IN PROCESS ALREADY AND AND THEIR PROCESS MAY BE TURNING THEIR ONE WAY STREETS INTO TWO WAY STREETS. BUT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR, FOR YOU, FOR YOU GUYS AT TRANSTECH, UH, TO MEET WITH THE SUSE OFFICIALS AND, AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SECULARIZATION PROJECT AND OTHER CITIES. THEY'RE NOT GONNA WANNA SPEND TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONIES AND SO FORTH. SO MAYBE THE SOLUTION IS OFFER THEM, UH, HOW MUCH IT'LL COST TO JUST DO THE SYNCHRONIZATION, THE, THE WIRELESS REMOTE, UH, SYSTEM MM-HMM . THAT GOES ONTO THE POSE. SO I THINK THAT MAY BE A SOLUTION. UH, BUT THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. UH, REALLY QUICK, UH, COUNCILMAN WYE? UH, YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY, I, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP. OKAY. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GUT, I THINK THIS IS GREAT IDEAS IF WE CAN KIND OF, UH, EXACTLY LIKE THE OTHER CITY DOESN'T GET WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, SO THEY MAY BE SHY AWAY FROM, BUT SYNCHRONIZATION IS GOING TO BENEFIT ALL THE CITY TOGETHER. SO IF WE CAN HAVE A, RIGHT NOW IT'S AI AND, UH, HIGH TECH AND SATELLITE. OKAY? SO WE CAN PUT SOME KIND OF DEVICE OKAY. AND PUT OKAY. HELP THEM TO PUT ON THEIR TRAFFIC SIGNAL SO WE CAN KIND OF HELP OUT ENTIRE, ENTIRE ROAD. THIS IS A BIG HUGE, OKAY, AND THIS, OKAY, SO-CALLED ROAD 39 SO WE CAN KIND OF CONNECT TOGETHER FOR ALL THE CITY. SO, SO HOPEFULLY WITH THAT, THE IDEA IN THE PAST POSSIBLE WITH, UH, OKAY TALKING TO THE, OUR CONGRESSMAN, HOPEFULLY HE HAS SOME KIND OF GRANT ON OKAY. EN LARGE, OKAY. AND EXPAND. OKAY. AND, UH, SUSE WITH ONE SINGLE LINE BECOME TWO AND I THINK THEY WILL BE REALLY HELPING TO LOSE UP THE TRAFFIC AT THE SAME TIME WITH SYNCHRONIZATION AND THE HELPING PEOPLE TO EASY TO TRAVEL. SO THE THE POINT IS, IS EASY TO TRAVEL NOT ONLY TO TWO 10, BUT ALSO TO TAKE THE, THE GO LINE, TAKE THE METRO LINK. WHY NOT? PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO FROM SOUTH TO, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME THEY CAN ARRIVE, OKAY? BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC IS PRETTY HORRIBLE. SO HOPEFULLY THEY CAN HELP OUT WITH, UH, WITH THE SYNCHRONIZATION WITH, UH, OKAY, AND THE FOUR HILL TRANSIT WITH, UH, MASS TRANSPORTATION WITH THEIR SATELLITE. WHEN THEY HIT ON THE, THE AZUA WILL BECOME GREEN LIGHT. THEY CAN GO TO TAKE 60 OR TWO, 10, SO MUCH MORE EASIER AND PEOPLE WILL, WILL BE WILLING TO TAKE THE MUCH CONVENIENT TRANSPORTATION RATHER THAN BUMPER TO BUMPER ON FREEWAY AND PLUS THE $6 PER GALLON OF GAS. SO MAYBE PEOPLE WILL TRY TO GO TO MASS TRANSPORTATION. SO AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO KIND OF, UH, TALKING TO OTHER CITY AND COG AND, UH, MAYBE SOME IDEA ABOUT THE, THE DEVICE SO WE CAN HELP THEM TO ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT'LL BE EASY TO CONVERT TOGETHER. YOU DON'T WANT TO, WE HAVE A ONE SYSTEM AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SYSTEM THEN, THEN HOW, HOW WE CONVERT TOGETHER. SO MAYBE HAVE TO THINK AHEAD, OKAY. TO HELP OUT CITY TO DO IT LATER ON OR HOPEFULLY ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THANK YOU MAYOR. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS, SEEING NONE IT TO RECEIVE IN FILE. SO, UM, WE'RE GOOD. WE'LL END THAT ONE. UH, WE'LL DO THE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING CITY POLICY OPPOSING LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS AND COMMERCIAL BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM FACILITIES IN WEST COVINA. AND DIRECTING STAFF TO FURTHER EVALUATE, DEVELOP APPROPRIATE REGULATORY APPROACHES. WHO WILL PRESENT THIS REPORT? CITY MANAGER. OR IS THERE SOMEBODY, [02:10:01] OR IS THERE JUST DIRECT QUESTIONS? WE CAN GO. UM, I THOUGHT I HAD MY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ART. ARE YOU HERE? YOU WANNA COME ON DOWN? COME ON DOWN. I DIDN'T SEE HIM UP THERE. UM, ART CERVAN IS OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK SO. OH, YOU'RE, IT'S MINE IS NOT VOTING ON MY, YEAH, IT'S ON. OKAY. NOW IT'S FINE. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS A PROPOSED RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A CITY COUNCIL POLICY REGARDING THE SITING OF LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS AND COMMERCIAL SCALE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS OR BEST FACILITIES WITHIN WEST COVINA. THESE ARE SPECIALIZED FACILITIES THAT CAN INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEMANDS, CONTINUOUS OPERATIONS AND UNIQUE OPERATIONAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. IN PARTICULAR COMMERCIAL SCALE BEST FACILITIES PRESENT SPECIALIZED FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CONSIDERATIONS. WEST COVINA SUBSTANTIALLY BUILT OUT IS A, IS A SUBSTANTIALLY BUILT OUT COMMUNITY WITH ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMERCIAL AREAS, EMPLOYMENT CENTERS, AND OTHER SENSITIVE LAND USES. THE PROPOSED POLICY IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING LAND USE, COMPATIBILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS, NOISE AND COMMUNITY COMPATIBILITY. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR EITHER LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS OR COMMERCIAL SCALE BEST FACILITIES IN THE CITY AT THIS TIME. THEREFORE, THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT INTENDED TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL. THE RESOLUTION WOULD ESTABLISH A CITY COUNCIL'S POLICY OPPOSING THE SITING OF THESE USES IN WEST COVINA. IT WOULD NOT AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE OR ESTABLISH A PERMANENT ZONING PROHIBITION. FOLLOWING ADOPTION. STAFF WOULD CONTINUE TO RESEARCH AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL REGULATORY APPROACHES INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT CODE PROVISIONS AND OTHER AVAILABLE LAND USE TOOLS. ANY FUTURE REGULATORY CHANGES WOULD RETURN SEPARATELY TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATE FOR CONSIDERATION AND WOULD BE EVALUATED FOR COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE LAW SQL. UM, THE RESOLUTION IS EXEMPT FROM CE QA UNDER SECTION OF 1 5 0 6 1 B THREE AS ITS ADOPTION BY ITSELF WOULD NOT RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT. STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OR PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE DIRECTION. THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S PRESENTATION. DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? UH, MAYOR PRO CONTOS. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. I, I THINK WHEN YOU HAD A SYSTEM THOUGH IT ALL SHUT EVERYTHING UP. OH, SORRY. YOUR MIC'S ON NOW. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU TO HEAR YOU . THANK YOU. I KNOW MINES WAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR FOR HER TECHNICAL HELP WITH THIS . UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE STAFF FOR, FOR, FOR WHAT IT PUT TOGETHER HERE. I JUST WANTED TO ASK A SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION. PART OF THE MOTHER MAYOR WAS ALSO OUR ISSUING A LETTER TO THE C CITY OF INDUSTRY OPPOSING THE DATA CENTER BECAUSE IT DOES AFFECT OUR IMMEDIATE AREA, UH, TOO. IS THAT STILL COMING IN A DIFFERENT ITEM? OR IS, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF, OF THAT? THAT'S JUST SORT OF A, A SIDE NOTE. WE CAN CERTAINLY PREPARE THAT LETTER. UH, DOES COUNSEL WANNA SEE THAT LETTER BEFORE IT GOES OUT? WELL, IT'S, UH, IT'S ESSENTIALLY SHOULD BE REFLECTIVE OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, THE BASIS FOR OUR, OUR, THE RESOLUTION TODAY IF IT'S PASSED. AND, AND I'M, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT, BUT WE JUST NEED TO SEND A LETTER THERE, UM, OPPOSING, UM, EXPRESSING OUR OPPOSITION BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S A NEIGHBORING CITY, BUT IT DOES AFFECT THIS, THIS REGION, THAT'S WHY WE REALLY NEED TO, TO STEP IN. THAT'S WHY THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTHER. MAY I REQUEST, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO REMIND, UH, REMIND STAFF THAT THAT WAS ALREADY WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. ABSOLUTELY. WE, WE CAN COORDINATE THAT LETTER. THANK YOU. NO QUESTIONS. I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO STAFF FOR DOING THIS. SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A RECEIVE AND FILE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, SORRY, THIS IS NOT, OH, NO, MAYOR. WE DO, IT'S A RESOLUTION, SO WE DO NEED, IT'S A RESOLUTION. SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVE ADOPTION? I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU. I HAVE A RE I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER CONTOS A SECOND BY, UH, MAYOR LOPEZ DITO TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING CITY POLICY OPPOSING LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS AND COMMERCIAL BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM FACILITIES IN WEST COVINA AND DIRECTING STAFF TO FURTHER EVALUATE AND DEVELOP APPROPRIATE REGULATORY APPROACHES. COUNCIL MEMBER GUTIERREZ AYE. COUNCILMAN WU? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN DIAZ? AYE. MAYOR PRO TEMP CONTOS. AYE. MAYOR LOPEZ. VITO AYE. MOTION PASSES ON TWO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, ON CITY COUNCIL REPORTS, ANY AB 1, 2, 3, 4 CONFERENCE AND MEETING [02:15:01] TO REPORT ANY OF THE COUNCIL? SEEING NONE, UM, THIS IS A CITY COUNCIL REQUEST. MOTHER MAY I, UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED AND PROMISED, I'M REQUESTING CITY STAFF TO PROVIDE COUNCIL WITH A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF JUST THE CITY'S CURRENT SPECIAL EVENT PROCESS, FEE STRUCTURE, PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, AND RELATED CITY SERVICES. UH, AS WELL AS LIKE WHAT IS THE CURRENT PERMITTING PROCESS, THE HISTORY, I KNOW WE'VE HEARD SOME OF THE HISTORY ON THAT. THE TEMPORARY USE PERMIT, UH, THE TUP, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, FEES, THE INSPECTIONS, UH, FEE STRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS, ANY ASSOCIATED COSTS, OTHER APPLICABLE PERMITS AND FEES SO THAT WE'RE NOT SURPRISED, UH, INCLUDING FEE WAIVERS REDUCTIONS. AND WHAT'S THE COMPARISON WITH OTHER CITIES? UH, AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES TO STREAMLINE THE WHOLE PROCESS. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FAIR, EQUITABLE AND IT'S CONSISTENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT IT'S REASONABLE, UH, FOR ALL. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE EXPLORE WAYS TO MAKE THE WHOLE PROCESS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND FOR EVERYBODY, FOR THE COUNCIL, FOR THE CITY STAFF, AND FOR THE RESIDENTS. AND TO NAVIGATE FOR BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING RESIDENTS WHO WANNA HOLD EVENTS OR PARTNER WITH THE CITY. UM, I JUST WANT LOCAL BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TRYING TO BRING EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, AND, UH, COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR RESIDENTS. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S LIKE FULL COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES, INCLUDING WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD TODAY, INCLUDING WHAT WE RECEIVED BY EMAIL AND, UM, THE REQUEST, UH, FOR JUST ALL THE, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IT COULD BE BROUGHT FORTH TO US. AND, UM, AND YEAH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. SO DO I HAVE ANY ISSUES? ANY S MADAM MAYOR? YES. I'D LIKE TO SECOND YOUR MOTION. OKAY, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER AGAINST IT? NOBODY'S AGAINST IT. SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ONE. THANK YOU. UM, OTHER CITY COUNCIL. MADAM MAYOR, BEFORE WE GET INTO ANY OTHER COUNCIL REQUESTS, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO NOT HAVE A DISCUSSION OR PROVIDE DIRECTION ON THE HILLSIDE. IS IT IN, IT IS IN THE CLAIMS PROCESS RIGHT NOW. I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU DO WANNA DISCUSS IT, WE AGENDIZE IT FOR A FUTURE CLOSED SESSION OKAY. AND DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE THIS PROCEEDS. OKAY. THANK YOU, MA. THANK YOU MA. MADAM MAYOR. MAYOR PRO CI ACTUALLY DISAGREE WITH PART OF THAT. UH, AND, AND THE PART THAT HAD THAT NEEDS REALLY IMMEDIATE ACTION IS FOR US TO, TO, UH, LOOK INTO THE SAFETY OF THAT HILLSIDE. THAT THAT SHOULD NOT WAIT. THE HILL IS ALREADY SLIPPING. WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE CAUSE MAY BE. IF WE WERE TO DO A, A GEOLOGICAL, UH, UH, STUDY THERE, THEN IF, IF IT'S OUR, IF IT'S, UH, IF THERE'S SLIPPAGE THERE THAT'S, THAT'S THAT WE'RE THE CAUSE OF, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING. IF IT'S NOT, BUT IF A GEOLOGICAL REPORT WILL SETTLE THAT MATTER, AND I, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY, UH, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY, UH, NOT HAPPY WITH, WITH THE WAY THAT THIS WHOLE THING IS, HAS UNFOLDED. UH, THERE WAS, UH, AN ISSUE WITH REGARD TO DENIAL OF THE CLAIMS WITHOUT EVEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MERITS. JUST A STRAIGHT OUT DENIAL, WHICH ACTUALLY PUTS AN, AN, AN, AN AN IN INCREDIBLE BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS. AND, AND WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IS THERE, THEY, INSTEAD OF EVEN DENYING IT, JUST SAY, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO IT. THEN WE DO A STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HILL IS SAFE. THEN BASED ON THAT STUDY, THEN WE WOULD SAY, WELL, WE ARE, WE'RE AT FAULT. WE'RE GOING TO FIX IT. OR THERE'S NOTHING HERE. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. BUT, AND THEN THAT AT THAT POINT, IF THE, IF AN OBJECTIVE GEOLOGICAL STUDY WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, CONDUCTED, THAT WOULD'VE SHOWN THERE'S NO, NO HILL SLIPPAGE AND IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, THEN THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AT THAT POINT OF TIME TO DO THIS. I REALIZE YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS IN CLOSED SESSION, BUT AT THE VERY SAME TIME, UM, UM, MR. DUARTE, THE, THE, THIS PROCEEDED FORWARD WITHOUT EVEN SEEKING A, UH, SEEKING DI A DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL ON A MATTER AS MAJOR AS THIS. SO HAD IT GONE THROUGH AND HAD THE RESIDENTS NOT ORGANIZED, THEN WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IS THEY WOULD'VE BEEN BURDENED WITH HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIND AN ATTORNEY TO FIGHT A LARGE CITY. AND IT'S JUST, I DON'T LIKE THE WAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN HANDLED, AND I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE, THE FULL THING OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND SO THEREFORE I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, OF, UH, INSTRUCT THE STAFF IMMEDIATELY TO CONDUCT A GEOLOGICAL STUDY TO MAKE SURE TO CHECK INTO THE SAFETY OF THE HILL. AND THEN ONLY THEN UPON THE FINDINGS OF THAT, OF THAT, THEN WE, WE COULD PROCEED FORWARD WITH DETERMINING OUR OPTIONS. BUT THAT IS ESSENTIAL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING ON THAT HILL WITH THE EL NINO RAINS THAT ARE COMING, ALL OF THIS BUREAUCRACY OF HAVING TO TAKE LONGER, IT'S JUST GONNA BE TOO LONG. AND I DON'T WANT THE RESIDENTS TO HAVE TO SUFFER OR HAVE TO WORRY UNNECESSARILY. WE NEED TO CONDUCT A GEOLOGICAL STUDY NOW. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, TO ASK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PROCEED FORWARD WITH CONDUCTING THE GEOLOGICAL STUDY TO DETERMINE THE MERITS OR ABSENCE OF MERITS OF THE, OF THE CLAIM WITH CLAIMS, WITH REGARD TO THAT HILLSIDE. WELL, I MEAN, BEFORE I LET THE OTHER COUNSEL SPEAK, UM, MY ISSUE IS RIGHT NOW FOR THE PREVENTION, UM, MY FOCUS IS TO MAKE SURE WE PREVENT ANYTHING WORSE FROM HAPPENING. THE EL NINO IS COMING IN, [02:20:01] UH, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF RIGHT NOW. I MEAN THAT, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF WHATEVER WE NEED TO MITIGATE AND PREVENT ANYTHING FROM GETTING WORSE OR, YOU KNOW, ADDING THINGS TO JUST PREVENT THE SITUATION. SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT MY FOCUS IS PREVENTION FROM MAKING THINGS HAPPEN WORSE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE FOR, UM, THIS UPCOMING RAIN SEASON. UH, COUNCILMAN WU? UH, OKAY. I, I, I AGREE. OKAY. UM, BUT I WANT TO HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY OKAY. ADVISE. OKAY. UM, ABOUT, UH, OKAY, UH, MAYOR PUTIN KENTO REGARDING REQUIRED GEOLOGY AND, UH, ANALYSIS FOR THE HAIL. THIS IS A DISCUSSION FOR CLOSED SESSION CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED, WE CANNOT EVEN, THERE'S EXPOSURE FOR LIABILITY. THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS ADMISSION OF LIABILITY ON THE CITY'S PART. I DISAGREE. IT'S WE'RE, WE'RE CONDUCTING AN ASSESSMENT. I UNDERSTAND YOU DISAGREE, UM, MAYOR PROTE, BUT AGAIN, I WOULD, MY ADVICE IS THAT YOU HAVE THIS DISCUSSION IN CLOSED SESSION. IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT OUT HERE, YOU CAN HAVE IT OUT HERE AS WELL. I MEAN, YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT OUT HERE, YOU'RE GONNA DO IT ANYWAY. BUT MY, MY ADVICE IS TO HAVE IT IN CLOSED SESSION. ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO, WE CAN DO THE CLOSED SESSION STILL IS WHAT YOU WANT. YEAH. I MEAN, AND THEY CAN REPORT IT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION. UH, JUST LIABILITY FOR IF THERE'S ANY, ANY REPORTABLE ACTION IN CLOSED SESSION. BUT BEYOND THAT, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING COUNCILWOMAN? OH, WAIT, YOU'RE MIC, MIC. AND THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH WAITING FOR A CLOSED SESSION? MADAM MAYOR, GO AHEAD. I WENT TO THAT, THAT AREA, THE, THE HILLS, THE, THE, IT'S SLIPPING. THERE ARE CRACKS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND I WORRY, I I MEAN IT'S, I'M NOT TRYING TO TO TO OVER DRAMATIZE THIS, BUT IF, IF ANY OF YOU WERE TO GO THERE, YOU YOU'D SEE THAT WHAT IS, WHAT IS HAPPENING? AND THE THING IS, THERE COULD BE AN ACCELERATION FACTOR, MAYBE NOT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO SEND SOMEBODY OUT RIGHT AWAY JUST TO, TO CONDUCT A STUDY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE RELEASE IT OR WHATEVER, BUT IF IT TURNS OUT AFTER OUR EFFORTS TO, TO, TO HIRE GEOLOGISTS, AN INDEPENDENT GE GEOLOGIST TO SAY, OH MY GOSH, IT'S SLIPPING OR WHATEVER. IT'S NOT EVEN A MATTER OF THE CLAIMS A AGAINST US AS A CITY. IT'S A MATTER OF SUPPORTING THESE RESIDENTS. IF THERE, IF THE HILL SLIPPAGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING THAT WE DID, THEN, THEN THAT'LL, THAT WILL BE, UH, THE, THAT WILL BE SHOWN IN THE INDEPENDENT GEOLOGICAL STUDY AT THAT POINT. WE COULD DO THAT. BUT, BUT, BUT I, I SUPPORT, I I REALLY APPRECIATE THE MAYOR FOR WHAT SHE'S SAYING ABOUT THE PREVENTION, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THERE, THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING AND IF WE WAIT ANY LONGER, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. IF, IF WE NEED TO HAVE THE GEOLOGICAL STUDY AS TO THE RESULTS OF THAT, WE, WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. BUT THEN, BUT WE NEED TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE STUDY NOW SO THAT WE WILL KNOW ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THAT HILL IS SAFE OR UNSAFE. IF THE HILL IS SAFE, THEN FINE. IF IT'S NOT SAFE AND SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN OR BECAUSE THERE'S EROSION THAT'S, THAT'S SHOWN THERE TO, TO, TO BE TAKING PLACE, THEN THAT'S GONNA PROMPT IMMEDIATE ACTION REASONS. I, I BELIEVE THE CLAIM FORM, SAY 20 19, 20 20, IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS. UM, I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WAITING TILL THE NEXT MEETING TO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND GET DIRECTION. SO WE HAVE, AGAIN, THAT'S MY ADVICE. YEAH, I MEAN WE DO HAVE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, THE CLAIM SITUATION, BUT EXACTLY. BUT THAT'S THE CLAIM SITUATION. BUT ON HERE, FOR THE RESIDENT'S SAKE, I DO AGREE ON A PORTION OF HAVING OUR STAFF GO THERE IMMEDIATELY, HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS ADDRESSED, HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY. BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN THE STUDIES, BRINGING IN THIS, THE, THE BUREAUCRACY OF GOING BACK AND FORTH AND APPROVING ALL THAT TAKES A WHILE. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THE RESIDENTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF. UM, WE'RE HERE TO PROTECT LIFE PROPERTY. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY TAKES, UM, ALL NECESSARY EFFORTS TO IMMEDIATELY HANDLE THAT SITUATION THERE, TO PROTECT LIFE, TO PROTECT PROPERTY. UM, THAT IS MY GOAL AND MY FOCUS RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE RAINS ARE COMING IN. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVE FORWARD IN MAKING SURE THAT AREA, ESPECIALLY THAT STREET OR THAT IS ALL TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY, THE WHOLE CLAIM SITUATION. I WILL DEFER THAT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY. UM, AND UH, WE CAN GO FROM THERE AND WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND THEN WE CAN REPORT THAT OUT. UM, COUNCILMAN GUTIERREZ, ARE THESE, ARE THESE RECENT PHOTOS, MYLAN, DIDN'T YOU GO EXPECT A SITE? I DO NOT KNOW IF THOSE ARE RECENT OR NOT. THOSE WERE PROVIDED BY THE RESIDENT. THEY WERE RECENT. YES. I, I DO SEE IT SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2026. SO IF ON SOME, IF OUR OKAY, GREAT. MM-HMM . UM, IF, IF OUR TREES ARE LOOKING LIKE THAT, UH, YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO SEND WEST COAST ARBORISTS OUT THERE BECAUSE, UH, THEY LOOK EXTREMELY OVERGROWN. UH, AND POTENTIALLY, YES, HAVE A STAFF GO OUT THERE AND EXPECT THE GROUND. UH, AND IF, IF IT'S DOABLE, UH, ADD, ADD SOME PLANTATION, UH, I THINK THAT'S DOABLE RIGHT AWAY. [02:25:02] YEAH. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. I, I AGREE WITH, UH, SOME OF, UH, THE, THE HILLSIDE, THE TREE ISSUE, BUT I THINK WE NEED A TREE TO HOLD THE GROUND. BUT, BUT I KNOW WE MIGHT HAVE A LIABILITY ISSUE, BUT WE HAVE A, A OKAY. A GROUP OF RESIDENT HAVE A ISSUE. OKAY. AND THEY JUST HAVE A CLAIM. THEY, THEY HAVEN'T HAVE A LAWSUIT YET, BUT I THINK AS A GOVERNMENT, I, I KIND OF, UH, WANT TO SUPPORT OKAY. MALE PROTEIN REGARDING, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEND THE GEOLOGIST OVER THERE. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A TRANS DECK. OKAY. OR WE CAN HAVE A SOMEBODY. OKAY. OKAY. THIS IS SOMETHING WHEN SOMEBODY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR HOME, OKAY? AND THIS IS STILL LIVELIHOOD, OKAY? AS A CITY, OKAY, YES, WE MIGHT HAVE A LIABILITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE NEED TO HAVE THEIR PEACE IN MIND, OKAY. TO SEE THIS HILL IS REALLY SAFE OR NOT SAFE. OR WHAT ISSUE IS THIS? I THINK THIS IS A LIST THAT THE CITY CAN DO IS TO SEND THE GEOLOGY OVER THERE TO CHECK THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ALL THE HILL IS ANYTHING I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. SINCE I'M, UM, WAS A REALTOR, A LOT OF HILLSIDE, THEY HAVE SOME SETTLING THE WALL, THIS AND THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF THEY HAVE ALL THIS ISSUE, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN OKAY. AND HAVE ON THE CITY SIDE, OKAY. AND, UH, TO HAVE, UH, OKAY TO CHECK A LEG HILLS IS REALLY A ISSUE. OKAY? AND SO I WILL SECOND WITH, UH, MAIL PUT OKAY TO SEND A OKAY, SOME KIND OF, UH, INSPECTOR TO SEE ANY HILL ISSUE. THEN WE CAN DIG INTO IT TO THIS LESS HILL ISSUE. OKAY? AND IF IT'S NOT AN ISSUE, THEN IT'S JUST A SETTLEMENT ISSUE, THEN THEY CAN BE RELAXED AND THEN LIKE THEY JUST, OKAY, THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE EARTH MOVEMENT THING. SO IT IS NOT GOING TO COLLAB INTO DOWN BELOW. SO ANYWAY, THIS IS MY, I WAS SECOND SAY. I KNOW THE CLOSE ACTION MAY BE LIABILITY ISSUE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE, THE RESIDENT, I THINK, AND TO THE, THE, AT THE BASIC TO SEND A INSPECTOR GEOLOGY TO CHECK THE HILL FIRST. I THINK THIS IS THE MINIMUM THE CITY CAN DO. UH, COUNCILMAN GUTTER. YES. WHO'S THE INSURANCE CARRIER THAT DENIED HIM? I DO NOT HAVE NO CARRIER DENIED HIM. THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T ACCEPT COVERAGE ON IT. WHICH, WHICH, WHO'S OUR INSURANCE CARRIER? PIAJ. JPIA. NOT WITHIN OUR MEMORANDUM. SO HOW ABOUT WE SEND A GE LET'S, HOW ABOUT WE CONSULT WITH OUR INSURANCE CARRIER FIRST, JPIA AND IF JPIA CONSENTS TO THE CITY HIRING A GEOLOGIST, THEN WE IMMEDIATELY HIRE A GEOLOGIST, JPIA OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, JPIA SAID THEY'RE NOT GONNA COVER IT. SO THEY'RE NOT OUR CARRIER FOR THIS. I KNOW, BUT IF YOU'RE SAYING, IF YOU'RE STATING THAT WE'RE GONNA CREATE LIABILITY, THEN THE PROPER, THE PROPER, THE PROPER WAY TO GO IS TO CONSULT WITH OUR CARRIER TO SAY, IF WE DO THIS, WILL WE MAKE OURSELF LIABLE? WELL, THAT, THAT WAS MY ADVICE EARLIER. LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN CLOSE SESSION SO WE CAN SPEAK FREELY ON IT. WELL, WE COULD TAKE, WE COULD TAKE ACTION NOW. SO I GUESS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS WHAT I'M ASKING IS SHOULD WE, UH, LET'S DO WHAT MAYOR PRO CONTOS WANTS, BUT FIRST ALSO IN THE PROCESS CONSULT WITH JPIA, SO ON, ON THIS. 'CAUSE IF, IF THE REPORT COMES BACK, THE RELIABLE WHO'S GOING, THE TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, WHICH IS, IF WE ARE LIABLE, WE, WE, WE SHOULD PAY FOR IT. BUT WE SHOULD CONSULT WITH OUR CARRIER. SO OUR CARRIER IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION. SO I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GEOLOGIST, UM, INSPECTION. INSPECTION. SO WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT. AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE RESIDENTS TAKE CARE OF THAT, BUT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD. I MEAN, WE HAVE A FIRST, WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE GEOLOGIST INSPECTION. UM, THAT'S DIFFERENT. SO YOU WANT JUST AN INSPECTION OR MAYOR PROTON? WE, WE NEED TO HIRE GEOLOGISTS TO, TO, TO CHECK FOR SAFETY AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY FIND THAT THERE'S AN ABSENCE OF SAFETY, THEN TO, TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH CORRECTIVE ACTION SO THE LAND BECOMES STABILIZED IF IT'S FOUND TO BE UNSTABLE. GREAT. SAY AGAIN? WE HAVE FIRST AND SECOND, DO WE HAVE ANY DISAGREEMENTS OR ANY OPPOSITION? SEEING NONE, ALL COUNCIL AGREES TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, [CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS] ANYTHING, ANY OTHER CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS? MADAM MAYOR? UH, JUST ONE MORE, UH, REQUEST JUST TO THE CITY MANAGER, WHEN DO WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE, THE, THE DETAILED STREET SWEEPING REPORT THAT WAS REFERRED TO DURING ORAL COMMUNICATIONS? I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING TIME TO DOING IT PROPERLY. I'M JUST, JUST SO WE HAVE AN IDEA EXPECTATION WISE, WHEN TO EXPECT THAT BACK. [02:30:01] UH, WE EXPECT TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. UH, SEEING NONE, UM, MEETING'S ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * 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.