>> I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 06:30 P.M. [1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:04] IF YOU WOULD ALL RISE, AND LEAD ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. READY? BEGIN. ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ROLL-CALL. MR. RUSSI? >> OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. >> PRESENT. >> COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. >> PRESENT. >> COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, HAD ANNOUNCED HER ABSENCE BEFORE. MAYOR PRO TEM CARDER. >> PRESENT. >> MAYOR HEPBURN. >> PRESENT. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. >> WE WILL MOVE TO PRESENTATIONS. [4. PRESENTATIONS] WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS AND I FOR LA VERNE COMMUNITY OF DESIGN AWARDS. THERE'LL BE CDA PRESENTATION. I THINK MRS. MCCURLEY WILL BE DOING THIS. IS THAT CORRECT, MR. RUSSI? >> YES, THAT IS CORRECT. [LAUGHTER]. >> GOOD EVENING. MISS MCCURLEY. >> GOOD EVENING. I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN AND BRING UP THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. >> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MR. RIVERA. I SEE DEVORAH IN THERE. DEVORAH LIEBERMAN. HOW ARE YOU? >> I'M TERRIFIC. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH THESE MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES. >> NICE TO SEE YOU. ALWAYS THE PLEASURE. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. TONIGHT WE ARE PRESENTING THE 2021 CITY OF LA VERNE COMMUNITY DESIGN AWARDS. THE THREE DESIGNER AWARDS ARE HELD EVERY TWO YEARS. FOR THIS INSTALLATION OF THE AWARDS WE'RE HONORING OUTSTANDING PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS SO BETWEEN 2019-2020. JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON WHY WE DO THE COMMITTEE DESIGN AWARDS. THE COMMITTEE DESIGN AWARDS GIVE THE CITY A CHANCE TO RECOGNIZE LOCAL BUSINESSES, INSTITUTIONS, AND RESIDENTS WHO HAVE MADE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS AND IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT IN ORDER TO DESIGN A PROJECT IT REQUIRES, NOT ONLY EXCELLENT AND DESIGN, BUT ALSO COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE APPLICANTS, THE OWNERS, THE ARCHITECTS, THE CONTRACTORS, AND THE STAFF HERE AT CITY HALL, IN ORDER TO HAVE THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF A WELL-DESIGNED PROJECT. NOMINATIONS WERE SOLICITED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND FROM CITY STAFF AND ULTIMATELY, THE CITY COUNCIL AWARDED THOSE PROJECTS THAT MERITED RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE AND DESIGN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE GENERAL PLAN POLICIES TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE LA VERNE'S UNIQUE CHARACTER BY ENCOURAGING DISTINCTIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY AND PEOPLE ORIENTED DESIGN. FOR THIS YEAR'S AWARDS, THE WINNING PROJECTS WERE SELECTED FROM THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES. ONE, PUBLIC ART, TWO, RESIDENTIAL, THREE, INSTITUTIONAL, FOUR, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE AND LASTLY, INTERIOR DESIGN. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO. HERE ARE THIS YEAR'S AWARDS WINNERS, AND I BELIEVE MAYOR HEPBURN WILL HELP ME OUT IN THIS PRESENTATION BY ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS. >> MAYOR, YOU'RE ON MUTE. >> NO, I'M NOT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TO LEARN THAT FROM NOW ON WHEN WE DO THIS FOR A WHILE. UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE, THE LUDWICK CENTER, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, INSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC ART AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO A BUILDING THAT MY DAUGHTER ACTUALLY WAS IN AND I'M SURE A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MANY CITY RESIDENTS, THEY DID AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB AND THEN ALSO JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE PROJECT AND IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ADDITION AS YOU COME DOWN BONITA AND SO WITH THAT. [OVERLAPPING] >> YES, THE LUDWICK CENTER FOR SPIRITUALITY, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND MAJOR PROJECT THAT THE UNIVERSITY UNDERTOOK FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THEIR MASTER PLAN BACK IN APRIL 2017. THE LUDWICK CENTER WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY IN JANUARY 2018 AND THEN IT WAS FINALIZED BY NOVEMBER 2019. THIS PROJECT, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE OLD AND THE NEW. IT INVOLVED THE RE-PURPOSING AND PARTIAL DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING BRAND HALL RESIDENTS INTO THIS NEW FACILITY THAT'S NOW APPROXIMATELY 14,000 SQUARE FEET. I MEAN, IT WAS DESIGNED BY STEINBERG HEART ARCHITECTS AND THEY INCORPORATED AND DEDICATED SPACES FOR OFFICES, CLASSROOMS, GATHERINGS, MEDITATION, AND PRAYER ALONG WITH A LOT OF EFFORT WAS PUT INTO THE LANDSCAPING IN THE COURTYARD AREA. [00:05:04] THEY HAVE SEVERAL WATER FEATURES IN WHAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AS THE COMMUNITY GATHERING COURTYARD AND IN THEIR SANCTUARY GARDEN. THE PROJECT ALSO INCORPORATED SEVERAL PUBLIC ART PIECES, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ART PIECES THAT THEY INCORPORATED WAS A INTRICATELY PATTERNED BRONZE MEDAL SCREEN AT THE STAIRWELL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUILDING. THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS, IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A CUTOUT OF AN EXISTING PROTECTED HASS TREE THAT'S ALREADY ON THE SITE AND AGAIN, THIS WAS DESIGNED BY STEINBERG HEART AND PICTURED AT THE TOP PHOTO WE HAVE ULV PRESIDENT DEVORAH LIEBERMAN WITH THE MAYOR TIM HEPBURN AND PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON JASON SMITHSON. AT THE BOTTOM WE HAVE KIM PATTON, WHO'S A PARTNER AT STEINBERG HEART, AGAIN PHOTO PICTURED WITH THE MAYOR AND CHAIRPERSON SMITHSON AND I BELIEVE THAT DEVORAH HAS A FEW WORDS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SAY. >> THANK YOU. AM I ON MUTE? >> NO, YOUR GOOD. >> I'M GOOD. >> YOUR ARE LIVE. >> I'M LIVE. VERY QUICKLY. FIRST OF ALL, WE'D LIKE TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU DID A BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION. BRAND HALL TO THIS NEW BUILDING AND VERY QUICKLY THE BUILDING WAS CREATED BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS THE CORE VALUES OF OUR UNIVERSITY AND IT WAS BUILT TO BE SPECIFICALLY A LOCATION WHERE EVERY STUDENT, A FACULTY, STAFF, AND OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE I BELONG AND THAT'S WHY WE NAMED THIS THE LUDWICK CENTER FOR SPIRITUALITY, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR FAITH OR NO FAITH, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ETHNICITY OR CULTURE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY OR GREATER COMMUNITY, YOU COULD COME TOGETHER AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE I BELONG. THIS IS WHERE I CAN BE MY AUTHENTIC SELF AND I KNOW THAT I THINK THE MAYOR MENTIONED THIS WAS BRAND HALL ORIGINALLY AND MANY OF YOU, SEVERAL OF YOU PROBABLY LIVED IN BRAND HALL. WE STILL RECOGNIZE BRAND HALL BRAND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CAMPUS AND WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE SUCCESSES POST-PANDEMIC. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PLANNING STAFF FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN REALIZING THE VISION OF THIS BUILDING. I'D LIKE TO THANK PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING AND SAFETY IN THE BUILDING INSPECTORS AND HELPING US OVERCOME SOME CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE THIS END RESULTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS BUILDING WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SCORES OF DONORS. THIS BUILDING, THE FINANCES CAME FROM THE DONORS WHO FELT AND SAW THE VISION AND SAID, "THIS IS A POSSIBILITY. AND IN PARTICULAR, I WANT TO THANK OUR LEAD DONORS, SARAH LUDWICK, THEY NAMED THE WHOLE BUILDING AND WHEN I TOLD ART AND SARAH THAT THE CITY WAS RECOGNIZING THE UNIVERSITY WITH THIS AWARD. HIS EXACT QUOTE WAS, THIS BUILDING IS TRULY WORTHY OF A DESIGN AWARD. IT IS AN ICONIC IMAGE FOR A PROGRESSIVE UNIVERSITY. ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE, WE WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF LA VERNE FOR RECOGNIZING NOT JUST THE BEAUTY OF THE BUILDING, BUT WHAT THE BUILDING STANDS FOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT LIEBERMAN. [APPLAUSE]. >> OH, LIGHT APPLAUSE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. >> ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL TOO WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF IT, THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND ALSO THE BACK-END STAIRWELL. IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN. BEAUTIFUL. >> NOTICED THAT WE'RE SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THAT PICTURE. >> I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU SOCIAL DISTANCE. >> YES WE ALL. >> I THINK IT WAS 6.5 FEET. I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, SO PERFECT TRIANGLE THERE. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING. >> NEXT WE HAVE ANOTHER UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE PROJECT, MAYOR. >> YES. THIS IS THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE CITRUS HALL, ORIGINS, PUBLIC ART. BRIAN WORLEY WAS THE ARTISTS WE MET MR. WORLEY. NICE GENTLEMEN AND JUST ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL ADDITION. IT JUST, IT'S NICE TO SEE ART. I KNOW THE UNIVERSITY HAS QUITE A BIT OF ART ENCOMPASSING THE WHOLE CAMPUS AND THE EXTERNAL PART OF THE CAMPUS WHICH IT SETS ASIDE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE YOU CAN REALLY APPRECIATE. [00:10:02] YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE NICE THINGS IN LIFE IN OUR PAST AND OUR HISTORY TOO. IT'S REALLY NICE. THANK YOU. >> YES AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THIS WAS DONE BY THE ARTIST BRIAN WORLEY. HE'S A LOCAL ARTIST AND HE'S ACTUALLY PRETTY WELL KNOWN AND HAS A VERY IMPRESSIVE RESUME AND HE'S DONE THREE OTHER ART PIECES HERE IN THE CITY, AS WELL AS DOING NUMEROUS OTHER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MURALS IN THEIR REGION. THIS PIECE IS CALLED ORIGINS, AND IT'S A LARGE-SCALE BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL MURAL THAT'S LOCATED ON THE BUILDING, CITRUS RESIDENTS HALL AND THE SPOT DINING HALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE AND IT FEATURES CITRUS TREES, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO COMMEMORATE THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT THE CITRUS INDUSTRY PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOT ONLY THE CITY OF LA VERNE, BUT ALSO THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE AND THE USE OF THE METAL STEEL, SORRY, OF THE STAINLESS STEEL, ALONG WITH THE PHOTO ETCHING OF THE CITRUS TREES, INTENDED TO BE A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF OUR CITY'S HISTORIC ORIGINS AND IT WAS ALSO MEANT TO COMPLEMENT THE MORE CONTEMPORARY AND MODERN AESTHETIC OF THE CITRUS HALL AND SPOT FACILITY. PICTURED IS BRIAN WORLEY WITH THE MAYOR AND CHAIRPERSON [INAUDIBLE]. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> WF CONSTRUCTION- LA VERNE LANDING, THAT'S A RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC ART, JIM MORAN FROM WF CONSTRUCTION. ALSO, ADAM BROWN FROM WF CONSTRUCTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ARTIST WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND VICTOR LOCKET WITH WF CONSTRUCTION, BUT NICE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING AT BUILDING MORE LA VERNE. NICE TO HAVE SOME ART WITH SOME RESIDENTIAL AND LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE FUTURE WITH THE GOLD LINE AND SOME OTHER PROPERTIES TO DEVELOP. WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM HERE, BUT ALSO TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL ART, MAIA. >> YES, SO THE WF CONSTRUCTION. THIS'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST MAJOR PROJECTS TO OCCUR IN OUR OLD TOWN LA VERNE SPECIFIC PLAN AREA, WHICH WAS ADOPTED WITH THE INTENT OF ENCOURAGING NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH THE FORTHCOMING GOLD LINE STATION. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES 38 APARTMENT UNITS AND THEY RANGE IN SIZE FROM I BELIEVE, ONE BEDROOM TO THREE BEDROOM, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES PARTIAL UNDERGROUND PARKING, SO LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT WAS APPROVED POST ADOPTION OF THE OLD TOWN LA VERNE SPECIFIC PLAN, CIRCA 2013. THIS WAS APPROVED BY PLANNING IN 2017, AND IT WAS COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF 2019. THE PUBLIC ART PIECE THAT WAS DESIGNED BY ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS AT WF CONSTRUCTION, VICTOR LOCKET. HE TOOK INSPIRATION FROM THE ELEMENTS THAT WERE FORMATIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LA VERNE, SO THERE'S THREE MAIN PIECES IN THIS ABSTRACT PIECE THAT YOU CAN SEE. THERE'S THE FOOTHILLS, AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM PORTION, YOU SEE THE CITRUS GROWS IN THE RAILWAY. PICTURED AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, AND IS JIM MORAN AND ADAM BROWN FROM WF CONSTRUCTION. >> THANK YOU, MAIA. THIS RIGHT HERE, THE PIEROTH RESIDENCE. IT'S RESIDENTIAL, IT'S LITERALLY ABOUT A TWO-MINUTE, THREE-MINUTE WALK DOWN THE STREET OFF A GOLDEN HILLS ROAD. IF PEOPLE KNOW GOLDEN HILLS ROAD, THERE WAS BASICALLY A COVERT WHERE THEY HAD OAK TREES, WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED NEXT TO ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, BUT UNBELIEVABLE WHAT THEY DID, THE HOUSE IS GORGEOUS YOUNG FAMILY, PAUL AND JESSICA PIEROTH THE OWNERS. MAIA. >> PAUL AND JESSICA, THEY ARE ACTUALLY LONG TIME LA VERNE RESIDENTS, AND THIS SLIDE SAT VACANT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE RANCHO ESPERANZA SPECIFIC PLAN WHICH WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED BY THE CITY IN 1987. OVER THE YEARS THERE HAD BEEN DIFFERENT PROPOSALS, BUT IT WAS A DIFFICULT LOT TO DEVELOP BECAUSE THERE ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND PROTECTED OAK TREES ON THE SITE, SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP WITH A DESIGN THAT COULD ALSO PROTECT THOSE TREES. BUT THE PIEROTHS BEGAN WORKING WITH STAFF BACK IN 2017, AND ULTIMATELY THROUGH THE COLLABORATION WITH STAFF AND THEIR ARCHITECTS AND THEIR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, THEY WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A DESIGN, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO, WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO PROTECT THE TREES AND REALLY MAKE THE OAK TREE A FOCAL POINT OF THE PROPERTY. THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN JUNE 2020, AND IT'S A SINGLE STORY HOUSE THAT'S FARMHOUSE INSPIRED. IT WAS CUSTOM BUILT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR FAMILY, AND THEY HAVE FOUR CHILDREN AND PETS, AND THEY OBVIOUSLY INCLUDED A LOT OF AMENITIES AT THE PROJECT TO FULFILL THEIR NEEDS AS A FAMILY, [00:15:03] INCLUDING A SPORT COURT AND A SWIMMING POOL AND SPA, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THERE. IN THIS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE PAUL PICTURED WITH THE MAYOR AND [INAUDIBLE]. >> THANK YOU MAIA. MJ 'S ONESTOP BARBERSHOP FOR INTERIOR DESIGN. MAJED JAJIEH, OWNER. WE MET HE AND HIS WIFE AND HIS TWO CHILDREN. IT'S JUST NICE TO SEE YOUNG FAMILIES. NOW, I THINK HE HAS ONE OR TWO MORE BARBER SHOPS. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT REALLY WAS AFFECTED BY COVID AND STILL IS, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO OPERATE NOW. BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES HERE IN LA VERNE AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BARBER SHOP. JUST TO WISH THEM WELL, TO APPRECIATE THEM BEING HERE. MAIA. >> [INAUDIBLE] THERE. THANK YOU MAYOR. >> I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. GABRIEL. MR. RIVERA. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. MJ'S ONESTOP BARBERSHOP, LIKE MAYOR SAID, IS A LOCAL LIBRARIAN BARBER SHOP THAT WAS FOUNDED BY MAJED JAJIEH. AS A KID, MAJED ALWAYS DREAMED OF OWNING HIS OWN BUSINESS, AND AT 25, HE ENROLLED INTO BARBER SCHOOL WITH INTENTIONS OF OPENING UP HIS OWN BARBERSHOP. HE EVENTUALLY ACHIEVED HIS DREAMS AND OPENED UP TO BARBER SHOPS, ONE IN COVINA AND ONE IN AZUSA. MAJED DECIDED TO OPEN A THIRD LOCATION HERE IN LA VERNE DUE TO ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HIS SON'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE CONCEPT FOR HIS INTERIOR DESIGN STEM FROM HIS OTHER TWO LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS HE WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER A SHOP THAT LA VERNE RESIDENTS WOULD LOVE AND APPRECIATE WHEN THEY VISIT. I ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM MAJED AS WELL. HE SAYS, "THANKS FOR ALL THE CONTINUED SUPPORT. AS WE ALL BOUNCE BACK FROM 2020. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE REST OF YOU TO COME OUT AND GO BACK TO NORMAL LIVING, MAJED." >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW WE HAVE MOXIE SALON INTERIOR DESIGN. JANETTE PAZ, OWNER. SHE WAS VERY NICE. THIS ONE TOO, IT'S LIKE THE SAME THING, GOT SHUT DOWN IN COVID, BUT THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY RARING TO GO AGAIN. I KNOW WE HAVE PARTIAL OPENING. IS THIS MR. RIVERA, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS ONE TOO? >> SURE. THE MOXIE SALON, LIKE MAYOR SAID, IS OWNED BY JANETTE PAZ. SHE OFFERS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT HAIRSTYLE SERVICES FOR ALL AGES. JANETTE FIRST OPENED HER SALON BUSINESS IN THE YEAR 2000 AND ENJOYS BOTH THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF RUNNING HER BUSINESS AS WELL AS THE CREATIVE ASPECT OF BEING A HAIRSTYLIST. HER INSPIRATION TO DESIGN THE SALON WAS TO CREATE AN INVITING PLACE FOR CUSTOMERS CAN FEEL BOTH A WARM ATMOSPHERE AND A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. TO JANETTE HER CUSTOMERS AND HER CO-WORKERS ARE NOT JUST ACQUAINTANCES, THEY'RE HER FAMILY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MAGIC TEA SHOP. THE YOUNG GENTLEMEN THERE, MAGIC TEA AND ITS INTERIOR DESIGN AND ALEX XIAO AND FENNY CHEUNG, THE OWNERS, VERY NICE. THEY'RE JUST EXCITED TO GET BACK IN BUSINESS EVEN THOUGH IT'S TAKEOUT STILL. BUT THEY STARTED A NEW BUSINESS WHEN COVID HIT. AGAIN, THE CITY SUPPORTS ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES IN ANYWAY WE CAN, AND SO I RECOMMEND ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO PLEASE GIVE THEM A TRY. GO AHEAD, SIR. >> MAGIC TEA FOUNDED BY ALEX XIAO AND FENNY CHEUNG. PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON SELLING BUBBLE TEA DRINKS AND VARIOUS SNACKS. THEIR LOVE FOR BUBBLE TEA INSPIRED THEM TO EVENTUALLY OPEN UP THEIR OWN BUBBLE TEA BUSINESS HERE LA VERNE. THEY ALWAYS LOVED HOW THE CITY MADE THEM FEEL RELAXED AND COMFORTABLE AND LOVED THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE CITY AND THE RESONANCE PROVIDE. THEY DECIDED THAT LA VERNE WOULD BE A PERFECT LOCATION TO OPEN UP THEIR FIRST BUSINESS. THEY ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL MESSAGE AS WELL. THEY SAY, "DO WHAT WE LOVE, LOVE WHAT WE DO. THANKS TO LA VERNE FOR MAKING OUR DREAMS COME TRUE." >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MS. MCCURLEY AND MR. RIVERA. THESE PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY EXCITED AND IT'S NICE THAT WE CAN CONGRATULATE THEM AND GIVE THESE AWARDS OUT BECAUSE THEY REALLY TRULY DO. THERE'S PLENTY OTHER ONES TOO, BUT THESE ONES STOOD OUT, BUT THANK YOU COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MS. MCCURLEY, MR. RIVERA, FOR YOUR HELP AND THE PICTURES, AND IT WAS A GREAT DAY. WE REALLY DO LIKE THAT. THANK YOU TO JASON SIMISON THE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS, MR. RUSSI? >> I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY. JAN DID ANYTHING ELSE COME IN? >> NO, SIR. NOTHING HAS COME IN OTHER THAN THE DESIGN AWARDS. [00:20:03] >> WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. [6. CONSENT CALENDAR] IS ANYTHING BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, MR. RUSSI? >> NO. >> NO. THEN ANY DISCUSSION OR MOTION. [OVERLAPPING]. >> I MAKE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR. >> COUNCIL WILL REQUIRE MOTION TO SECOND. >> I WILL SECOND IT. WHILE I'M SECONDING IT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MR. SALINAS FOR CATCHING A MINOR FAUX PAS OF MISSING E-MAILS. I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE FOUND THOSE. WELL, THEY WEREN'T LOST, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. BUT IN TODAY'S WORLD WHERE THERE ARE 20 MILLION THINGS GOING ON IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT, IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE PAYING ATTENTION, SO THANK YOU, MR. SALINAS. >> THAT WOULD BE A SECOND THEN, MR. MUIR DAVIS. >> YEAH, I SECONDED IT FIRST. >> YEAH, YOU SECONDED IT FIRST. >> TALKED A LITTLE WHILE- [LAUGHTER] >> -AND FORGOT. [OVERLAPPING]. >> THEN WE WILL TAKE A ROLL CALL ON THIS; IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES, WE WILL. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. AYE. >> COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY? >> YES. >> MAYOR PRO TEM CARDER? >> YES. >> MAYOR HEPBURN? >> YES. >> GREAT. >> WE MOVE TO ITEM SEVEN OTHER MATTERS, [7.a. Bowdoin Street at Williams Avenue Reopening] GOLDMAN STREET AT WILLIAMS AVENUE REOPENING. >> YEAH. ANTHONY CIOTTI WILL HANDLE THE MAJORITY OF THIS ITEM, BUT I'LL JUST HAVE SOME OPENING COMMENTS. THE REASON THIS IS COMING TO YOU, THE CLOSURE ABODE WHEN OBVIOUSLY AS HAD A HISTORY AND BACK AND FORTH COMMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF WHETHER IT SHOULD REMAIN OPEN OR CLOSED. WHILE THE CITIES IN THE PROCESS OF PROCESSING AN APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT ON AMHERST. WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMMENTS ASSOCIATED TO THE CLOSURE AND WHETHER IT SHOULD REMAIN. THE PROJECT ITSELF DOES NOT, AS WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE AIR, IS IN NO WAY OF AN EFFECT ON WHETHER IT SHOULD REMAIN OPEN OR CLOSED. HOWEVER, THAT BEING THE CASE AND RECOGNIZING THE NUMBER OF COMMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED, WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO AT LEAST HAVE COUNCIL DISCUSS THIS ITEM AND SEE IF THERE WAS A INTEREST IN PURSUING CHANGES IN THAT AREA. WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ANTHONY. HE'LL PROBABLY REPEAT SOME OF WHAT I SAID, BUT ALSO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE HISTORY OF WHAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, ANTHONY. >> THANK YOU, BOB. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. CIOTTI >> GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU? >> WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> GOOD. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TONIGHT SPEAKING REGARDS TO COMMENTS WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM RESIDENTS BOTH IN FAVOR AND AGAINST THE REOPENING OF THE CLOSURE AT BALDWIN AND WILLIAMS. THE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED BY A PROPOSED 42 HOME DEVELOPMENT OFF OF AMHERST STREET. BASED OFF OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, THE PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE ANY BEARING ON THE REOPENING OF THIS INTERSECTION. COUNCIL ORIGINALLY TOOK ACTION TO CLOSE THIS INTERSECTION IN 1984 DUE TO COMMUTER BYPASS TRAFFIC. THE CLOSURE WAS A TOPIC IN 2001 AND AGAIN IN 2003. AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2003 AND BASED OFF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED FROM PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE CONSTANT DIRECTED STAFF, THAT THE CLOSURE OF BALDWIN AND WILLIAMS WILL REMAIN. IN PREPARING FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, ON FEBRUARY 18TH, STAFF SENT OUT 353 NOTICES TO RESIDENTS LETTING THEM KNOW THAT COMMENTS FROM THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT REGARDING THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF BALDWIN AND WILLIAMS HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE PRESENTED PRESENTING THIS TOPIC AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. SINCE THE TIME THAT REPORT WAS SUBMITTED, I HAVE RECEIVED 45 E-MAILS, 35 OPPOSED TO THE REOPENING, AND SEVEN IN FAVOR OF THE REOPENING. STAFF REQUEST SOME DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL ON WHETHER TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO OR DIRECT STEP TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC STUDIES, REPORT FINDINGS BACK TO COUNCIL. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? >> ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL FOR MR. CIOTTI? >> NOT PRESENTLY. [OVERLAPPING] >> ANTHONY, IF I COULD GET YOU TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA. I HEARD THAT YOU'RE NOT SHOWING UP ON THE LIVE STREAM BECAUSE YOUR CAMERAS ON. THANK YOU, SORRY. >> MY APOLOGIES. >> [OVERLAPPING] THERE HE IS. >> IT WASN'T JUST A VOICE BEHIND THAT SCREEN. >> NO, I'M SORRY. [LAUGHTER] >> MY APOLOGIES. >> SO WE COULD BE HEARD BUT NOT SEEN. [LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING] [LAUGHTER] >> MR. MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND THEN. [OVERLAPPING]. >> I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO. WE HAVE A QUITE A LIST. [00:25:02] WHEN WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WE'RE GOING TO STAY TO THE THREE MINUTE LIMIT STRICTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COMMENT AND WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO GIVE THEIR OPINION OR THEIR REQUESTS ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. [BACKGROUND] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE SUE GETTYS IS ON THE LINE? >> GOOD EVENING, MS. GETTYS? >> HI, THIS IS SUE GETTYS, A RESIDENT ON PEPPERDINE COURT LAVERNE FOR 37 YEARS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE BARRICADE AT BALDWIN WILLIAMS WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE PERMANENT. IT WAS CONSTRUCTED DURING THE TIME OF THE 210 FREEWAY PROJECT EASTWARD TO PROHIBIT CUT THROUGH COMMUTER TRAFFIC, WHICH INDEED WAS BAD. [NOISE] >> WITH THE 210 FREEWAY COMPLETED, THE BARRICADE NO LONGER SERVED ITS ORIGINAL FUNCTION. IT HAS SINCE DIVERTED ALL CUT-THROUGH TRAFFIC DOWN AMHERST. IT IS A CONTINUAL INFLUX OF VEHICLE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED UP AND DOWN AMHERST STREET. [BACKGROUND] >> WITH THE PROPOSED 42 UNIT HOUSING PROJECT ON AMHERST, WE WILL HAVE HONESTLY A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE, INCREASING TRAFFIC BY 18 PERCENT ON AMHERST. THE JUNCTION OF BALDWIN AND WILLIAM NEEDS TO BE OPEN TO HELP EVEN THE FLOW. I AM EMPATHETIC TO RESIDENCE ON BALDWIN WHO HAVE ENJOYED A DRASTIC FREE STREET FOR 40 YEARS. BUT THE TIME HAS COME. THE DEVELOPER OF SAID PROJECT, THAT'S THE BALDWIN WILLIAM BARRICADE HAS NO BEARING ON THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE. WELL, THIS SHOULD BE A RED FLAG TO ALL OF US. THAT THE DEVELOPER IS NOT THINKING OF THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTS AS ITS OPENING MOST CERTAINLY PLAYS A ROLE IN ALLEVIATING TRAFFIC. PERHAPS, NEW AND RECENT UPDATED TRAFFIC STUDIES NEED TO BE DONE. I AM HOPING FOR A RESOLUTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. >> THANK YOU, MS. GETTYS. [BACKGROUND] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE [INAUDIBLE]. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. VALAR. WE DO HAVE A THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THAT TIME, PLEASE. >> OKAY. THAT'S FINE. YEAH, GOOD EVENING. [OVERLAPPING] >> YEAH. IT WILL BE VERY BRIEF. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS OPENING OF THIS STREET ON WILLIAMS DRIVE AND WE HAVE LIVED HERE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW AND WE'VE SEEN SO MANY ACCIDENTS IN THE CORNER AND IN 2013, I'M NOT SURE IF MR. DAN IS IN THE MEETING, BUT HE IS AWARE THAT MY WIFE ALMOST DIED IN A CAR, WENT AIRBORNE AND WENT INSIDE OUR GARAGE AND ALMOST HITTING HER BECAUSE SHE WAS WATERING OUR FRONT LAWN. EVEN AFTER THAT, WE WENT TO THE CITY TO ACTUALLY ASK TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT AND NOTHING WAS DONE AND WE GOT SIGNATURES FROM EVERYWHERE. WE JUST FEEL THAT OPENING THIS STREET WILL CAUSE MORE ACCIDENTS. BECAUSE THE OTHER CITIES WILL USE IT AS A SHORTCUT TO GET TO THE FREEWAY AND WE'RE RIGHT THERE IN THE CORNER AND WITHOUT THIS STREET BEING OPEN AS IT IS THERE'S ALREADY SO MUCH ACCIDENTS HAPPENING AND WE WANT TO AVOID THAT. WE DON'T WANT IT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE SOMEBODY GETS HIT AND GETS DISABLED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, WE'RE REALLY OPPOSED TO THIS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. >> THANK YOU, MR. VALAR. [BACKGROUND] >> MR. MAYOR I HAVE LUIS ROWE ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING MR. ROWE, IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP IT TO A THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME. WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER. [00:30:01] THANK YOU. [NOISE] >> THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO MY CONCERNS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL REOPENING OF THE BALDWIN AND WILLIAM STREET INTERSECTION. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING TODAY IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT, FROM THE RESIDENTS OF AMHERST STREET THAT WE TRAFFIC-FREE ENVIRONMENT UP THERE, THAT'S COMPLETELY UNTRUE. A BORDERING STREET, SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN [INAUDIBLE] , AND BRADFORD HAVE THEIR ONGOING ISSUE WITH HIGH VOLUME, VERY HIGH-SPEED OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL STREET, WITH A 25 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT. WE HAVE A VERY POOR QUALITY OF LIFE THERE, WITH MANY CARS EXCEEDING 40 MILES AN HOUR, AND MANY EXCEEDING 60 MILES AN HOUR. IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS STREET FOR FAMILIES, AND CHILDREN LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MANY STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE TO CONFIRM THIS ISSUE WITH QUALITATIVE DATA. I'VE ACTUALLY REACHED SOME OF THAT EVIDENCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THIS MEETING FOR REVIEW. I DO FEEL THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE MISCHARACTERIZING, AND EXAGGERATING THE VOLUME, SPEED OF TRAFFIC ON OUR OWN STREET. A SIMPLE TRAFFIC STUDY COMPARISON WHICH THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC, AND THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC, IS IN FACT MUCH LOWER ON [INAUDIBLE] THAN IT IS ON [INAUDIBLE]. [INAUDIBLE] STREET EXPERIENCES MUCH HIGHER VOLUME AND A MUCH HIGHER SPEED OF TRAFFIC. WHILE [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS MAY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A TRAFFIC ISSUE, THE ISSUE IS NOT COMPARABLE AND IS NEGLIGIBLE WHEN COMPARED, TO THE ISSUES CURRENTLY FACED ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET. THE EXTENT OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUE ON [INAUDIBLE] IS TO BE CAREFULLY REVIEWED AND PUT INTO CONTEXT WHEN, COMPARED TO THE ONGOING EXTREME SPEED ISSUES, THAT ARE HISTORICALLY DOCUMENTED ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET. [INAUDIBLE] STREET ALREADY HAS SETTLED STOP SIGNS AND AN ACTUAL CURVATURE AT THE ROAD. THERE'S NOT A HIGH VOLUME, OR HIGH-SPEED IN [INAUDIBLE] AND [INAUDIBLE] COMPARED TO [INAUDIBLE] STREET. REOPENING THE INTERSECTION WILL NOT POSITIVELY REDUCE VOLUME ON AMHERST STREET, HOWEVER, OPENING THE INTERSECTION WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC, AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET RESIDENTS THROUGH INCREASED VOLUME, AND INCREASED SPEEDS. AMHERST RESIDENTS ARE REQUESTING THE INTERSECTION TO BE OPENED UP, WITHOUT HAVING ANY SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT ON THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, THAT IT WILL DRAMATICALLY AFFECT THE RESIDENTS ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET. SOME PORTION OF [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS ARE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE INTERSECTION TO BE REOPENED FOR NO GOOD REASON, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR NEIGHBOR'S QUALITY OF LIFE. THE INTERSECTION MAY EVEN INCREASE THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC ON AMHERST BY ENCOURAGING ADDITIONAL DRIVERS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IF THE CITY DOES GO AHEAD WITH FURTHER TRAFFIC STUDIES, THEN WE ASK THAT THERE'S NO BIAS IN THE REPORTS, AND A FAIR AND EQUITABLE STUDY IS CONDUCTED, TO SHOW THE TRUE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE VOLUME, AND SPEED ON BOTH AMHERST AND BALDWIN STREET. THE STUDY WILL CLEARLY SHOW THAT AMHERST DOES NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC ISSUE, BUT BALDWIN STREET DOES HAVE CONSIDERABLE VOLUME AND SPEED ISSUES. WE HOPE THAT ANY FUTURE ALTERATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD FAIRLY CONSIDER THE IMPACT, THAT WILL BE EXPERIENCED BY THE ALREADY SUFFERING [INAUDIBLE] STREET RESIDENTS. IN CONCLUSION, WE HOPE THAT THE INTERSECTION REMAINS CLOSED, THE PROPOSED REOPENING ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON AMHERST STREET. REOPENING THE INTERSECTION SHALL DRAMATICALLY [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]. >> IF YOU COULD FINISH MR. ROWE, WE HAVE OUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. [OVERLAPPING] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JEFF [INAUDIBLE] ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. IT'S NICE TO HEAR YOUR VOICE TONIGHT, AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP IT TO A THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME, WE DO HAVE OTHER CALLERS. YOU MAY BEGIN. >> YEAH. JUST WANT TO SAY, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. I WANT TO ALSO ECHO THE COMMENTS OF MY NEIGHBORS WHO GET US, WHO SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE REMOVAL OF THE TEMPORARY BARRICADE. WELL, AS YOU INDICATED, ALL CUT ROUTE TRAFFIC IN THE AREA IS NOW PUMMELED ON TO [INAUDIBLE] STREET. IT SHOULD BE SHARED WITH [INAUDIBLE] STREET. DURING A PRESENTATION, MR. CIOTTI INDICATED THAT THERE'S SOME TALLY THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE EMAILED HIM, WITH REQUESTS TO HAVE IT REMAIN OPEN. THAT'S BECAUSE WELL OVER 100 LA VERNE RESIDENTS WITH NUMBERS RISING DAILY, HAVE SIGNED A PETITION REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL ACTION TOWARDS REOPENING [INAUDIBLE] STREET, TO IT'S INTENDED USE BY REMOVAL OF THE BARRICADE. I WANTED TO REITERATE THE FACT THAT, NOW IS THE TIME WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT UPWARDS OF 42 HOMES BEING ADDED TO AMHERST STREET, [00:35:04] AND A [INAUDIBLE] WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE TRAFFIC IMPACTS ON AMHERST. NOW'S THE TIME TO SHARE THAT TRAFFIC LOAD, WITH OUR NEIGHBORING STREET BALDWIN. DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL DIRECTING ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC STUDIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. [NOISE] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE] . [NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE PATRICIA ROWE ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING, MISS ROWE. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES OR UNDER. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. >> UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. >> GO AHEAD. >> YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. MY NAME'S PATRICIA, AND I'M A RESIDENT ON [INAUDIBLE] STREET, AND I AM OPPOSED TO OPENING, AND REOPENING THE [INAUDIBLE] STREET INTERSECTION AT WILLIAMS AVENUE. TO INVITE THE FREE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FROM CLAREMONT TO [INAUDIBLE] , BY OPENING THE [INAUDIBLE] STREET INTERSECTION AT WILLIAMS AVENUE, WILL LIKELY PROVE MUCH MORE OF A DANGER, AND JUDGMENT TO [INAUDIBLE] STREET RESIDENTS THAN IT WILL EVER BENEFIT AMHERST RESIDENTS. WHOM I UNDERSTAND THEIR DRIVING IS PROPOSAL. I BELIEVE BALDWIN RESIDENTS SHARED THE CONCERN OF OUR NEIGHBORS ON AMHERST ABOUT THE PROPOSED NEW BUILD OF 42 HOUSES, AND THE RESULTING TRAFFIC. WE'VE ALSO MOST CERTAINLY SHARE THE BURDEN OF ADDITIONAL CARS COMING FROM THIS, AND ANY NEW HOUSING CREATED IN THE AREA. I KNOW ONE RESIDENT SAID THAT WE ARE TRAFFIC-FREE. I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE PROBABLY GET MUCH MORE TRAFFIC COMING UP ON BRADFORD, FROM THE NEW APARTMENTS THAT WERE BUILT ON FOOTHILL IN BRADFORD, BECAUSE IT'S ACCESS TO THE FREEWAY FOR THEM. IT'S CERTAINLY NOT TRAFFIC-FREE. WITH INCREASED TRAFFIC THROUGH THE AREA BY THE NEW DEVELOPMENT ON [INAUDIBLE] OR PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT ON [INAUDIBLE] , WILL LIKELY COME WITH ITS INCONVENIENCE, AND DANGERS FOR RESIDENTS ON BOTH STREETS, IT WILL LIKELY BE SIGNIFICANT MORE SO, FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. HISTORY CURRENTLY HAS TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES IN THE FORM OF TWO STOP SIGNS, THE [INAUDIBLE] INTERSECTION, AND [INAUDIBLE]. IN ADDITION TO SIGNIFICANT DIP ON [INAUDIBLE] , WHICH REQUIRES CARS TO SLOW DOWN, EVEN IF THEY INTEND TO IGNORE THE STOP SIGN, WHICH I'M SURE AT TIMES THEY DO. [INAUDIBLE] STREET HOWEVER IS A LONG, STRAIGHT, UNINTERRUPTED ROAD WITH WIDE LANES, WHICH ALLOWS AND ALMOST ENCOURAGES EXCESSIVE SPEED FOR A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WHILE THERE IS SIGNAGE WARNING A NO-TOLERANCE ZONE FOR SPEEDING, AND AN ELECTRONIC READER, THAT FLUSHES THE WARNING WHEN DRIVERS ARE OVER THE 25 MILES PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT, THERE ARE NO PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN, AND LITTLE INCIDENT BY WAY OF ENFORCEMENT TO DO SO. I THINK WITH THAT, WHEN [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS WERE ASKED FOR MEASURES TO CONTROL SPEED IN THE PAST, THE OPTION TO PLACE PHYSICAL BARRIERS SUCH AS SPEED BUMPS, OR STOP SIGNS WAS SEEN IMPRACTICAL BECAUSE IT WILL INHIBIT EMERGENCY SERVICE RESPONSE TIME. I UNDERSTAND AND EMPATHIZE WITH THAT BECAUSE I GET THE WAY [INAUDIBLE] BRADFORD THAT NEED EMERGENCY CARE OFTEN, AND THE QUICKEST ACCESS TO THEM IS [INAUDIBLE] TO BRADFORD, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PHYSICAL BARRIERS. [INAUDIBLE]. I CARE ABOUT THEIR SAFETY TOO. IF THE CITY OF LA VERNE MOVES TO OPEN [INAUDIBLE] TO WILLIAM, BY FURTHER INCREASED TRAFFIC ON [INAUDIBLE] FROM NEIGHBORING CITIES LIKE [INAUDIBLE] , WHO HAVE NO VESTED INTERESTS IN THE SAFETY OF THE STREET'S RESIDENTS. THE CITY WILL NOT ONLY BE INCURRING THE COST OF REMOVAL OF THE CURRENT BARRIER BETWEEN [INAUDIBLE] STREET AND WILLIAM, BUT MORE TIME AND MONEY WILL BE REQUIRED AFTERWARD IN ORDER TO FIND AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION, TO THE DANGERS RESULTING IN HIGHER TRAFFIC VOLUME, EXCESSIVE SPEED, THAT WILL ALSO TAKE THE EMERGENCY SERVICE RESPONSE TIMES INTO ACCOUNT. I ASK THE CITY, DO NOT NEEDLESSLY SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO MAKE AN ALREADY EXISTING ISSUE WORSE, I ASK THE CITY TO NOT PANDER TO THE DISCONTENT FEW WHILE UNDERMINING THE SAFETY OF MANY, AND I ASK THE CITY TO NOT OPEN [INAUDIBLE] STREET INTERSECTION AT WILLIAMS AVENUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU, MISS ROWE. [NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE CYNTHIA GABALDON ON THE LINE. > GOOD EVENING MISS. GABALDON, IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP TO A THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. YOU MAY BEGIN. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND ALSO CITY STAFF. IF ANY OF THOSE HERE IN AMHERST ARE PLEADING WITH YOU TO PLEASE VOTE YES, [00:40:04] TO HAVE A FULL NEIGHBORHOOD-WIDE TRAFFIC STUDY. WE'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS UP FOR 20 YEARS NOW. I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE ON BOARD DON'T KNOW ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ON DOWN HERE, BUT THE SPEED HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. IN THE EXISTING TRAFFIC STUDY IN THE EIR FOR THE AMHERST PROJECT, IT ALREADY SHOWS THAT WE HAVE A VMT, WHICH IS THE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, WHICH IS THE NEW EIR CONCEPT, THAT WE'RE ALREADY HAVE IT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED STREET. WE HAVE TWO INTERSECTIONS BOUNDING US, WHICH ARE THEN LOS WITH AN S WHICH IS THE LEVEL OF SERVICE. THAT'S THE LOWEST LEVEL THAT A STREET CAN HAVE. AMHERST IS MORE IMPACTED THAN PEOPLE REALIZE. WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO SAFETY, OUR HEALTH PERSONALLY, RIGHT AT THE GUAVA AND AMHERST INTERSECTION, WE'VE THREE CARS LAND IN OUR YARD OVER THE YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN HERE 26 YEARS. BETWEEN THE HISTORY OF CHANGING THE WEST END OF AMHERST TO FULL TRAFFIC, AND THEN WE HAVE THE HIGH SCHOOL'S TRAFFIC, WE HAVE THE LDS CHURCH TRAFFIC. WE HAVE THE CROSS THROUGH TRAFFIC FROM THE LA VERNE VILLAGE. ALL OF THESE THINGS CUMULATIVELY, HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED OUR STREET. WE MUST DO THIS TRAFFIC STUDY. IT MUST CONSIDER CURRENT, EXISTING TRAFFIC, AND FUTURE TRAFFIC INCLUDING THE AMHERST PROJECT, THE PROPOSED PROJECT ON FRUIT, AT THE NURSERY, AND ALSO MORE REGIONALLY, THE 650 PLUS UNIT APARTMENT BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE GOING IN DOWN AT GARRY AND DEMIDA. THIS NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR US. A COUPLE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT PUTTING IN SPEED BUMPS, WE ALREADY USE STREETS FOR THE FIRETRUCKS TO GET TO THE MOBILE HOME PARK, DOWN IN BRADFORD AND WILLIAMS. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DON'T HAVE THE SPEED BUMPS HERE. BIGGER PICTURE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY THOUGH, IS THAT IT WAS WRITTEN IN 2011, IT MISSES QUITE A BIT, IT MISSES GARRY AND SMITH. IT DIDN'T EVER CONSIDER THE STOP SIGNS AT AMHERST, AND GUAVA, AND BRADFORD. WE NEED TO HAVE GOOD DATA, WE NEED TO DO THIS FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DO HAVE OVER 100 SIGNATURES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THIS, IT'S JUST TIME TO TAKE AMHERST STREET VERY SERIOUSLY, WE'VE WAITED 20 YEARS. THAT'S IT. YOU ALSO HAVE THE SASE LETTER TOO, THANK YOU. >> MR. MAYOR, YOU'RE ON MUTE. >> THAT'S WHY YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME. [LAUGHTER] >> THANK YOU. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JASON RIDLEY ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. RIDLEY. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES OR UNDER, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. YOU MAY BEGIN. >> OKAY. I'LL KEEP IT EVEN SHORTER THAN THAT. I'M NOT A FAN OF THE PROJECT OVER THERE THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON AMHERST. I'LL SHOW YOU THAT. I LIKE TO KEEP IT TO A MINIMUM AS POSSIBLE, BUT MY REAL CONCERN WAS THE LETTER ABOUT THE OPENING OF BOWDOIN AND WILLIAMS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO OPEN BOWDOIN AND WILLIAMS WHEN IN YOUR SHEET HERE, IT SAYS THAT THE EIR REPORT SAYS THAT THE PROJECT HAS NO BEARING ON THE OPENING OF THE INTERSECTION. MY QUESTION IS, HOW DID IT EVEN COME ABOUT. THEN I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CITY WANTS TO SPEND MONEY TO REOPEN SOMETHING THAT ISN'T AN ISSUE, ACCORDING TO YOU GUYS. IS THIS A QUESTION OR IT'S JUST A COMMENT-ONLY THING? >> COMMENTS. >> HELLO. >> WE'RE HERE. JUST COMMENTS, YES, WE'RE JUST LISTENING TO WHAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE, AND YOUR CONCERNS ARE. >> OKAY. PRETTY GOOD, I'M ADDRESSING THE BOWDOIN AND WILLIAMS THING. YOU HAVE THE AMHERST PEOPLE UPSET, BECAUSE THEY GO THAT WAY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING THAT WAY. YOU HAVE TWO POINTS OF HAVING A STOP ON AMHERST, NONE ON BOWDOIN, WE ALREADY HAVE A SPEEDING PROBLEM ON BOWDOIN, THAT'S WHY THERE ARE SPEED INDICATORS, [00:45:01] ARE UP ON BOWDOIN ALREADY. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIGGER ISSUE IF YOU OPEN UP THE END OF THE STREET. THAT WAS IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.[NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE DANITA BEAUCHAMP ON THE LINE. >> HELLO MS. BEAUCHAMP, YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES OR UNDER. ACTUALLY, YOU'RE THE LAST ONE, BUT IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP THE THREE MINUTES, WE'LL APPRECIATE, YOU MAY START AT ANY TIME. >> GOOD EVENING MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND STAFF. I HAVE LIVED IN LA VERNE ON AMHERST STREET FOR 33 YEARS, AND IN THAT TIME THE TRAFFIC HAS NOT ONLY INCREASED IN VOLUME, BUT ALSO IN SPEED. WHEN THE HOMES ON OAKLAND RANCH AND OAK CLIFF WERE BUILT THE CITY OPENED AMHERST TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC, AS IT WAS PREVIOUSLY A ONE-WAY STREET FROM GUAVA TO FRUIT. THUS CREATING A FULLY ACCESSIBLE EAST WEST THROUGHFARE ON AMHERST, ALL THE WAY FROM FRUIT STREET TO WILLIAMS AVENUE. WE HAVE COLLECTED OVER 115 SIGNATURES FROM REGISTERED VOTERS WHO ARE RESIDENTS IN THIS IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF HAVING THE BARRIER REMOVED ON BOWDOIN, AT WILLIAM INTERSECTION. SHOULD THE PROJECTED HOUSING CONSTRUCTION BE APPROVED, THIS WILL PUT APPROXIMATELY 100 ADDITIONAL VEHICLES ONTO AMHERST. I PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED THE CITY WITH VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE INTERSECTION OF AMHERST AND GUAVA, AND THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT DO NOT OBSERVE THE THREE-WAY STOP SIGN. THIS HAS ONLY INCREASED SINCE THAT TIME. THIS WILL BE CREATING AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE RESIDENTS AT THIS INTERSECTION, AS THEY FAIL TO STOP [NOISE] AS WELL AS OUR CONTINUED NEIGHBORHOOD DEGRADATION. AS STATED IN THE AGENDA REPORT DATED 3-1-21, THE EIR PREPARED FOR THE PROJECT, FOUND THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE ANY BEARING ON THE REOPENING OF THIS INTERSECTION. JUST FROM A LOGICAL STANDPOINT, HOW CAN IT NOT? THE AMHERST-FRUIT INTERSECTION IS THE ONLY TRAFFIC MITIGATION OFFERED IN THE EIR. BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTROLLED SIGNAL ACT, THAT CAN BE INSTALLED AT THAT INTERSECTION. THE FACT THAT THE HOUSING PROJECT EIR IS UTILIZING COMPLETELY OUTDATED TRAFFIC DATA FROM 2011, WHICH IS 10-YEARS OLD, MEANS IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TRAFFIC FROM THE LA VERNE VILLAGE, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS PATRONS, NOR DOES IT INCLUDE THE TRAFFIC AT THE AMHERST-GUAVA INTERSECTION. A NEW TRAFFIC STUDY MUST BE CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE THE MOST UP-TO-DATE DATA AVAILABLE, NOT SOMETHING FROM 10 YEARS AGO, WITH SOME BASIC FORMULA OF 1.34 PERCENT FOR 9 YEARS, ADDED TO IT AS THE EIR REPORTED. AT THE TIME OF THE BARRIER CONSTRUCTION, THE CONTINUATION OF THE 210 FREEWAY WAS NOT BUILT, AND PEOPLE USED 210 ROAD AS THE MAKESHIFT HIGHWAY, BUT INSTEAD, LEARN HOW TO CUT THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO AVOID CONTROL SIGNALS. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 210 WAS COMPLETED 20 YEARS AGO, IT HAS SERVED ITS PURPOSE FOR THOSE WHO RESIDE ON BOWDOIN, AND THE ADJACENT STREET, BUT IT IS NOW TIME TO REOPEN BOWDOIN, AND ALLOW THAT STREET TO ACCEPT THE OVERFLOW OF VEHICLES OF AMHERST. THE FACT THAT IT WAS A PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO RESIDED ON BOWDOIN, WAS THE ONE WHO HAS THE CITY INSTALL IT, MIND YOU, ILLEGALLY. AS THERE WERE NO SEQUEL OR LOS TRAFFIC STUDY PERFORMED BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE SEQUEL- LOS LAWSUIT, COULD BE FILED TO HAVE THE BARRIER REMOVED, SHOULD THE CITY FAIL TO DO SO. BUT I BELIEVE THE CITY OF LA VERNE IS ALREADY INVOLVED WITH TOO MANY LAWSUITS, IT WILL ONLY RESULT IN ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE CITY, AND IN THE END, ONLY COST THE RESIDENTS MORE MONEY. >> YOU'RE REACHING YOUR THREE MINUTES. >> PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF A NEW TRAFFIC CITY TO BE PERFORMED. ONCE THE DATA IS RECEIVED, IT WILL WARRANT THE REOPENING OF BOWDOIN AND WILLIAMS INTERSECTION, AND STOP SIGNS CAN BE INSERTED TO GO DOWN THE TRAFFIC FLOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTIVENESS. >> THANK YOU. >> MR. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE AT LEAST THREE MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU. >> YEAH. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE MATTHEW BOKO ON THE LINE. >> BEING MR. BOKO WOULD YOU PLEASE KEEP THE THREE MINUTES. WE'D APPRECIATE IT. YOU MAY BEGIN. >> GOOD EVENING. THIS IS MATTHEW BOKO. I LIVE IN PEPPERDINE CORTICAL CRACK. WE'VE BEEN RESIDENTS HERE SINCE 1983, [00:50:01] THAT MAKES IT ABOUT 38 YEARS. MY REAR BENCH FACES THE BOAT ON THE STREET AND MY DRIVEWAY FACES THE AMHERST SO I CAN THEN KNOW WHAT THE TRAFFIC IS LIKE. SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, I HAVE BEEN WITH NO VOTE ON WHAT'S OPEN IT UP TIME AND THEN THE BARRIER WAS PUT IN. FROM MY ANALYSIS IS I WALK THE CORRIDOR IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE HEAVY TRAFFIC IN BOWDEN IS REALLY FROM BRADFORD TO FRUIT, BUT FROM BRADFORD TO WILLIAM IT'S ALMOST NIL. IT WILL OFFLOAD SOME OF THE TRAFFIC ON AMHERST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT PROJECT OR MIGHT PUT UP A STOP SIGN AND EVEN UP SPEED BUMP THERE, TO SLOW THE TRAFFIC AS THEY MAKE IT TURN INTO THE BOWDEN. I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE A 100 PERCENT INCREASE OF TRAFFIC, BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME OF THE LOAD OF AMHERST AND IT'S BASICALLY LOAD SHARING. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE ELIZABETH ARENAS ON THE LINE. >> MRS. ARENA. IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE KEEP TO THE THREE-MINUTE FRAME AND YOU MAY BEGIN. >> THANK YOU. I'M A NEW RESIDENTS TO THE CITY OF LAVERNE. I'VE BEEN HERE LESS THAN TWO YEARS. I'M VERY IMPRESSIVE OF THE CITY SO FAR. BUT I STRONGLY FEEL THAT TAKING THE BARRIER ON VOTING, LET ME SAY A BARRIER ON THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE NOTE THEN CAN WE KEEP A CLOSED PEOPLE ON BOWDEN ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SPEEDING AND TRAFFIC, THEIR FAMILIES ARE NOT COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT SO WERE THE PEOPLE ON AMHERST AND IN THE OTHER SURROUNDING STREETS [NOISE] EVERYTHING I HAVE READ SO FAR. I SAID THAT YOU MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO PLAN THAT LITTLE CUL-DE-SAC EVERYTHING FROM BRADFORD OVER TO WILLIAM IS CLOSED. THEY CAN ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF NOT HAVING CARS GO BY [BACKGROUND]. AT LEAST TWO TO THREE CARS COME THROUGH HERE IN A MINUTE. I STOOD UP THERE MYSELF WITH MY HUSBAND YESTERDAY AND SAW THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC, IN THE CITY HAS CLOSET YEARS AGO. IT WAS TOLD TO ME BY ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT IT WAS CLOSELY ILLEGALLY AND THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. I THE SECOND UPON BY, THE CITY HAS CHANGED, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE CHANGED AND WE FEAR THING I THINK ABOUT OPENING BOWDEN BACKUP. IT ONLY SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE SPEAKING OF ME, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE A COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE IN. IT HAS TO BE THE CITY COUNCIL TO REALIZE THAT EVERYBODY COUNTS HERE, EVERYBODY CHILDREN AND FAMILY. EVERYBODY CARED FOR THEIR SAFETY. BUT THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT AFTER REOPENING BOWDEN, WE CAN PUT MORE STUFF LENGTH THERE. WE CAN HAVE POLICE GET MORE INVOLVED. PLEASE I'M BEGGING THE CITY COUNCIL TO REALLY TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS AND REOPEN IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> WELCOME. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE ANDRES ALDANA. >> YES, ALDANA TIM. >> HI. >> YOU CAN KEEP THE THREE MINUTES. WE'D APPRECIATE IT. YOU MAY BEGIN. >> GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM A RESIDENT OF AMHERST STREET I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS. OF COURSE I WAS EFFECTIVELY ASKING FOR THE REOPENING OF BRADFORD TO WILLIAM STREET. THROUGHOUT THE PAST FEW YEARS ON BRADFORD STREET. I NOTICED THIS LITTLE INCREASE OF TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN BRADFORD AND WILLIAM STREET. IN FACT, YESTERDAY SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MY WIFE AND I WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF MY DOOR BETWEEN 2:30PM TO 3:00PM. WE COUNTED 44 VEHICLES TRAVELING UP AND DOWN THE STREET, AGAIN THIS IS A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. I WAS PUSHING A PROBLEM DOWN THE STREET AND DOUBLING THE TRAFFIC IMPACT TO NEIGHBORS. THERE'S SOME LOCAL COMMUNITY. FIGURED OUT A GOOD PLAN. ABOUT ANY RESIDENT OF AN ONLINE SESSION STATED, THEIR CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. [00:55:04] BUT, NOW I ASK WHAT ABOUT THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY? I KNOW YOU HAVE AND WILL GET MORE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BUT IN YOUR RESPONSE I ASKED YOU TO CONSIDER THE POLL. YOU OPENED OUT INTO WILLIAMS. I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS AND DISCUSSION THERE, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO PUT THE POWER DOWN THE STREET AND COMPROMISE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ANOTHER NEIGHBOR. NUMBER 2, IF I WERE TO PLACE SPEED BUMPS ON BRADFORD. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESIDENTS OF BRADFORD EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPEEDING. IN FACT, IN 2015 AND 2017, THERE'S PUBLIC DOCUMENTATION REGARDING THIS CONCERN WITHIN THAT DOCUMENTATION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF SPEEDERS WERE RESIDENTS OF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD. FURTHER, IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE RESIDENCE. THE RESIDENCE, BUT THE STREET PLACE BE HARMFUL AND BURDEN. YES, THEY ARE SAFE. IT DOESN'T BE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND NUMBER 3, PLACE STOP SIGNS ABOUT IT. WE TRAVEL UP AND DOWN BRADFORD. I GO JOGGING THERE. THERE ARE NO STOP SIGNS. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SIMPLE THINGS AND YES, ABOVE ALL, SHOULD BE A TRAFFIC STUDY. THE CLOSING I WOULD SAY THAT I HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF SPACE OR OUR NEIGHBORS ON BOWDEN HAVE PRIDE IN THESE HOMES. THE THINKING GOES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BRADFORD. WE DON'T WANT TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING GREATER FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES. HOWEVER, TO ACHIEVE THIS, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION AND IT STARTS WITH THE REOPENING OF BELGIAN TO WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> WE DO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PERSON, COLLINS, SO PLEASE HOLD. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JOSEPH GELATO ON THE LINE? >>MR. GELATO WELCOME, AND IF YOU CAN PLEASE KEEP IT TO A THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME I APPRECIATE IT, AND YOU MAY BEGIN. >> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I LIVE ON AMHERST, AND I DIDN'T INTEND ON SPEAKING THIS EVENING, BUT I'D LISTENED TO COMMENTS SO FAR, AND I BELIEVED THAT THIS ISSUE HAS EVENTUALLY MORPHED ITSELF INTO A BIT OF PITTING VOTE IN RESIDENCE AGAINST AMHERST RESIDENCE, WHICH IS UNFAIR TO RESIDENTS ON BOTH STREETS. THE HISTORY OF THE STREET BEING CLOSED, ITS ORIGIN BEING BACK IN '84, WAS JUST AFTER OUR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ, WHO WAS A RESIDENT ON THAT STREET, PETITIONED AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL TO GET THE STREET CLOSED. IT WAS CLOSED IN 1984. THE PLAN THAT TIME WAS TO KEEP IT CLOSED TO CONTROL TRAFFIC FOR WHAT WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE IS THROUGH WITHOUT A FREEWAY. THE PLAN WAS ALWAYS TO HAVE IT REOPENED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RESIDENTS OF BOWDEN HAVE ENJOYED IT, BASICALLY A PRIVATE STREET. MOST OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT MAY EXIST ON BOWDEN, I DON'T KNOW FOR A FACT, BUT I DO SEE THEM ON OCCASION AND UNDERSTAND THE STRAIGHT AWAY ASPECT OF IT. THOSE ARE RESIDENTS OF THAT STREET. YOU CAN'T GO BEYOND IT. UNLESS FOLKS ARE VISITING THE STREET OR LIVE THEIR GOALS OR THEIR RESIDENTS THAT ARE FLYING UP AND DOWN THAT STREET. ON AVERAGE DIFFERENCE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A CUT-THROUGH WAY FOR FOLKS THAT LIVE IN CLAREMONT IN POMONA. PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET IT ON THE TRAFFIC CUT-THROUGH TO AVOID THE FOOTHILL AND INTERSECTION. THE COMMENTS FROM MY NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW RESIDENTS ARE ALL TRUE. WE SEE THAT EVERY DAY, AND WE BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. I HAVE LIVED ON THE STREETS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND I'VE WATCHED IT, AND I WOULD OFFER THAT A SOLUTION BY THE CITY BE THAT POTENTIALLY ADD THE THING CONTROLS THAT ARE EXISTING ON AMHERST TODAY WERE INTERSECTION OF STOP SIGN. IT'S PUT IT THE CORNER OF BOWDEN AND GUAVA, BRADFORD AND BOWDEN AND TO OPEN UP THE INTERSECTION AND ADDING ANOTHER STOP AT WILLIAMS AND BOWDEN. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. I THINK THAT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PROJECT, ADDING 40-SOMETHING HOMES AT A MEASURE OF TWO CARS PER HOME PLUS ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. I THINK IT'S A FAIR PROPOSAL THAT BALANCE TO THE TRAFFIC ON BOTH, [01:00:01] AND I THINK THAT THE CITY TAKES IT SERIOUSLY. IT'LL LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC STUDY WITH THAT CONSIDERATION IN PLACE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU, MR. GELATO. WE'LL WAIT A FEW SECONDS HERE. >> I DID CONFIRM WITH THE CITY CLERK THAT WAS WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED VIA EMAIL UP TO THIS POINT. >> THIS POINT. OKAY. WE'LL GIVE IT A FEW MORE SECONDS AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. NOTHING ELSE HERE. >> YES, SIR. NOTHING ELSE. >> WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL. COUNCIL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER? >> YES. I'D LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY HERE. I LIVED ON [INAUDIBLE] CIRCLE RIGHT AFTER BOWDEN, WHICH IS JUST BEFORE AMHERST IN BOWDEN. THAT WAS BACK 40 YEARS AGO. AT THAT TIME I WAS A YOUNG MOM, TWO LITTLE KIDS, AND EVERYBODY IN THAT WHOLE AREA HAD LITTLE KIDS. IT WAS THE NEW DEVELOPMENT? LOTS OF YOUNG FAMILIES MOVING IN. TRAFFIC ON BOWDEN WAS RIDICULOUS. THE FREEWAY WAS NOT THROUGH. A GROUP OF THE RESIDENTS WORKING WITH ROBERT RODRIGUEZ PUT TOGETHER CONCEPT OF PUTTING A CLOSURE AT THE END OF WILLIAMS AND BOWDEN. THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT. IT WAS APPROVED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN THE FREEWAY OPENED UP, THAT WOULD COME DOWN. IN A LONG STORY SHORT, HERE IT IS 40 YEARS LATER, AND I DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE FOR THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, BUT THE FREEWAY BROUGHT ME OUT. THAT'S YOUR ONLY REASON WE MOVED. WE LOVED THAT AREA AND I STILL DRIVE THAT AREA QUITE A BIT. HAVE FRIENDS STILL OVER THERE, AND I WOULD SAY, I FEEL VERY STRONG THAT THAT STREET NEEDS TO BE OPENED UP. WITH THE TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET, WE HAVE TO ALSO SERIOUSLY LOOK, I'D BE IN FAVOR OF A TRAFFIC STUDY BECAUSE WE DO NEED STOP SIGNS ALONG THERE. BEYOND STOP SIGNS, I FEEL WE TRULY NEED TO HAVE TRAFFIC CONTROL. IT IS STILL A THOROUGHFARE RIGHT NOW. AMHERST DOES HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL STOP SIGNS. AS SOME OF THESE GENTLEMEN AND WOMEN SPOKE, IF WE ADDED A STOP SIGN AT GUAVA AND BOWDEN, BRADFORD AND AMHERST. THEN OF COURSE, WHEN WE TAKE DOWN THE BARRIER AT WILLIAMS AND BOWDEN, THAT WOULD BE IN-LINE WITH AMHERST. EXACTLY THE SAME PLACES THAT THEY HAVE STOP SIGNS. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO THIS PLUS SIGNAGE. I DO WANT TO SAY TO THE ONE GENTLEMAN THAT SAID THAT SPEED BUMPS ARE NOT A PROBLEM. THEY ARE A PROBLEM. WE HAVE THEM HERE WHERE I LIVE NOW AND THEY DOES SLOW DOWN THE EMERGENCY CARE THAT WE NEED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT CARE FOR SPEED BUMPS AND IT'S HARD ON OUR VEHICLES. ALSO, THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER THINGS WE CAN LOOK AT DOING SIGNAGE ON THE STREETS. RATHER WE POST-WAR SIGNS THAT I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS SUGGESTION WHEN WE GO FOR THE STUDY IS THAT THEY SERIOUSLY LOOK AT PUTTING THEM STOP SIGNS. THAT BARRIER, IN MY OPINION, NEEDS TO COME DOWN. IT'S 20 YEARS PAST THE TIME WE SAID WE WOULD AND WE ALL AGREED UPON IT WHEN WE LIVED THERE AND WE TOLD THEM THAT YES, WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT BARRIER THERE TO PROTECT. THAT STREET DOES NEED ASSISTANCE IN FINDING WAYS TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC. BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, IF YOU HAVE AMHERST BEARING ALL THIS TRAFFIC, WHICH A LOT OF THEM DO. IF WE OPEN UP BOWDEN, I THINK THAT WOULD SPLIT SOME OF THE TRAFFIC EVENLY SO THAT SOME PEOPLE COME THROUGH, EITHER WAY, BOWDEN AND AMHERST DOES NOT TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO GARY. YOU STILL HAVE TO GO DOWN TO WILLIAMS, MAKE CURVES TO GET OVER EITHER TO DOWN WILLIAMS ALL THE WAY, OR TO GET OVER TO GARY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE SMITH'S STREET. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND OPEN UP THE BARRIER. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. TRAFFIC IS A CHALLENGING ISSUE IN ALL OF LA VERNE. [01:05:02] CLEARLY, THE RESIDENTS IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME STRONG ISSUES WITH REGARD TO BOTH BOWDOIN AND AMHERST. I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER'S HISTORY BECAUSE I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF THAT SECTION OF LA VERNE, EVEN THOUGH I'VE LIVED HERE NEARLY ALL MY LIFE. JUST BECAUSE SOME OF US LIVE HERE A LONG TIME DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE'RE AWARE OF EVERY SITUATION. I AGREE THAT THE AMHERST DEVELOPMENT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE THAN THIS INTERSECTION CONSIDERATION. I THINK THAT THE PROPOSAL I'D LIKE US TO THINK ABOUT WOULD BE TO ASK THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MIGHT IMPLEMENT SOME TRAFFIC CALMING FOR THAT ENTIRE AREA, INCLUDING AN OPENING OF BOWDOIN AND WILLIAMS. WHEN IT COMES TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC STUDY, I THINK I WOULD WANT TO MORE INVOLVED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT CALMING MEASURES THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT THE USE OF SPEED BUMPS. I GUESS I'M SPLIT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO ADDRESS THIS OR WHETHER WE GO STATUS QUO RIGHT NOW AND LET THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE LOOK AT IT. THAT'S WHERE I AM. >> THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. MR. CROSBY. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER FOR THAT. NO JOKING ASIDE, BUT YOU KEEP DRIVING UP AND DOWN THAT STREET. WE'VE GOT TO TELL YOU TO SLOW DOWN SOMETIMES PLEASE [LAUGHTER] BUT, THERE WAS SOME REALLY GOOD RESIDENTS AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RESIDENTS REALLY COMING OUT AND SPEAKING TONIGHT. WE HAVE OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT AND OPEN. I BELIEVE TONIGHT REALLY SHOWED THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL IN AND REALLY GIVE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS. WE HAD OVER 15 RESIDENTS CALL IN AND THEN PEOPLE ADDITIONALLY CALL THEM AFTER NOW YOU INPUT IN PRIOR TO. SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT INPUT. A LOT OF RESIDENTS, MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT REALLY SAID ITS REALLY PITTING ONE STREET OVER THE OTHER. WHAT WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO IS REALLY PIT OUR RESIDENTS AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR ALL THAT. NOW I DO AGREE THAT THE HOUSING PROJECT THAT IS ON AMHERST THAT DOESN'T COINCIDE WITH THIS. I ALSO AGREE THAT IN 1984 THAT THIS WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE FREEWAY AND THAT IS ONE PAST US. BUT WHAT I WOULD TRY TO MOVE FOR IS THAT IF AND WHEN THIS HOUSING PROJECT ACTUALLY IS PUT IN, THEN WE ACTUALLY GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC STATE FOR ALL THE AREA WHERE LIKE, WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS WAS TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT OUR OTHER STAFF TO DEVELOP A PLAN AS WELL. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE HOUSING ON AMHERST HAS NOT EVEN BEEN APPROVED BY OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT. EVERYBODY IS CONJECTURING OF THESE CARS BEING INUNDATED ON THAT STREET AND ADDING TO IT. LET'S SEE WHERE THAT GOES AND THEN COME BACK AND NEED TO DO A STUDY. DO A STUDY FOR OPENING AND REALLY LOOK AT AND EDUCATE THE PEOPLE WHY THAT STREET WAS CLOSED. I LIVE OFF OF BOWDOIN JUST BELOW THE OTHER SIDE OF FRUIT AND DO SEE THE CARS ON BOWDOIN BETWEEN EMERALD AND FRUIT TRYING TO DO SHORTCUTS TO GET TO THE FREEWAY AND VISITS THERE TOO. SO I DO SEE THE IMPACT THAT HAS ON THOSE STREETS THERE AND WOULD KNOW THAT OPENING UP BOWDOIN, CARS WOULD KEEP MOVING FORWARD UP THAT STREET AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME SLOWING DOWN TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET AS WELL. LOTS OF THINGS TO DISSECT IN HERE THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES. WE HAVE THE CHURCH THAT'S ON AMHERST THERE, WE HAVE THE HIGH SCHOOL DOWN THE STREET AND WE HAVE THE HOMES [01:10:01] ON BRADFORD AND AT THE MOBILE HOMES ON BRADFORD TOO. SO A LOT OF TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THAT AREA. >> THANK YOU MR. CROSBY. ALL VERY GOOD POINTS. I APPRECIATE REALLY ALL THE COUNCIL'S INPUT, ALSO STAFF. I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS. THIS IS A VERY IMPASSIONED ISSUE BETWEEN TRAFFIC AND BETWEEN THE SAFETY. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL STRIVE FOR IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL SAFE IN THIS COMMUNITY. BUT THE ISSUE WITH THIS IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO SEPARATE THE TWO PROJECTS. THE PROJECT ON BOWDOIN IS TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM THE AMHERST DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT SEPARATE 100 PERCENT. WE DON'T WANT TO GO TOO SOON ON SOMETHING TO A TRAFFIC STUDY WHEN THAT MAY CHANGE DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING IN THAT AREA, AND THIS IS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE THE MAYOR ROLE, THAT ONCE THE FREEWAY OPENED UP, THAT BOWDOIN WAS VERY, VERY BUSY EAST AND WEST AND VERY CONCERNED. WE HAVE MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN THEY SENT LETTERS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I GOT CALLS FROM MULTIPLE RESIDENTS THAT, "HEY, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S A HIGHWAY." NOW UNDERSTANDING TOO THE PEOPLE WHO CUT DOWN THEY GO THROUGH AMHERST AND CUT THROUGH TO WILLIAMS AVENUE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S POSITION HERE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME AND AS COUNCILOR RICARDO STATED, IT WAS A 1984. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A PURPOSE AT THAT POINT. BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO PIT RESIDENT AGAINST RESIDENT. I THINK WE ALL NEED TO. I DO REALLY LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS'S SUGGESTION THAT THIS COULD BE FOR THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND MAYBE WE CAN FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION TO ASSIST WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT AREA TO DISCUSS IT. BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT, I THINK A TRAFFIC STUDY IS PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT TIME. WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE IF THAT PROJECT DOES GO THROUGH. I DON'T WANT TO ATTACH THESE PROJECTS TOGETHER. THEY'RE TOTALLY SEPARATE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON ADVERSE, THEY ARE NOT ADVERSE, BUT BOWDOIN THAT THE TRAFFIC IS REALLY BAD AS FAR AS THE SPEED BECAUSE IT IS A SINGLE THROUGH AND THE PEOPLE THAT GET THE TRAFFIC ON AMHERST, BUT AS COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY SAID THE CHURCH, THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND JUST CUTTING THROUGH THAT AREA. I'M MORE THAN SUPPORT NOT TO, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO A TRAFFIC STUDY NOW. I THINK THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CAN MAYBE LOOK AT THIS AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, GET THE INFORMATION YOU GATHERED FROM [INAUDIBLE]. BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND THE $15,000 AS WE NOTICE IN YOUR POCKET. [INAUDIBLE] I THINK WE'VE DONE TWO OR THREE STUDIES SINCE 1984. IS THAT CORRECT? SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE. OBVIOUSLY IT'S CHANGED BUT TWO OR THREE STUDIES? >> YES. WE HAVE DONE ACTUALLY TWO TRAFFIC STUDIES, YES. >> TWO, CORRECT. OKAY. >> WHEN WAS THE LAST ONE COMPLETED? >> 2003. >> 2003? >> THE LAST TROPIC STUDY WAS, CORRECT. >> THERE'S BEEN ONLY THE ONE, ACTUALLY, WHEN WAS THE TRACT BUILT ON THE CORNER THERE? JUST ON THE CORNER. THE NEW TRACK THAT WAS BUILT THERE, WHEN WAS THAT BUILT? DO YOU REMEMBER [OVERLAPPING] THAT ONE? >>ON BRADFORD AND BOWDOIN THEN [INAUDIBLE]. >> ROUGHLY 2000, 2001 RIGHT IN THAT. >> SO THAT WAS INCORPORATED IN THE 2003 TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WAS ALREADY PART OF THAT. >> YES, TO MAYOR. THIS IS DAN KEESEY. >> KEESEY. THANK YOU. >> IF I MAY. THE LAST TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED WAS THAT CIRCUIT 2001 THROUGH 2003 PERIOD IN WHICH WE DID THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK. IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT ONCE THE FREEWAY OPENED, THAT WE RE-EVALUATE THE NEED FOR THE CLOSURE AT WILLIAMS AND BOWDOIN. WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE COLLECTED LICENSE PLATES TO DETERMINE WHERE PEOPLE LIVED, WHO WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. GET COLLECTED DATA REGARDING SPEEDS, CONDUCTED TRAFFIC WARRANTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT STOP SIGNS WOULD BE PERMITTED AT THE VARIOUS INTERSECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE TODAY IS THE RESULT OF THAT WORK. THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME DECIDED THERE WAS NO BENEFIT, [01:15:03] THAT I SHOULD SAY, TO OPENING BOWDOIN TO TRAFFIC FOLLOWING THE FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION. SO THEY AT THAT TIME DETERMINED IT WAS GOING TO STAY. AS I SAID, WE CONDUCTED TRAFFIC WARRANTS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER HAS SUGGESTED PUTTING STOP SIGNS IN. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND DOING SO UNLESS THEY ARE WARRANTED TRAFFIC, EXCUSE ME, TRAFFIC STOP SIGNS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONTROL SPEEDS. THEIR PURPOSE IS TO ASSIGN RIGHT-OF-WAY AT INTERSECTING STREETS. THAT'S IT. IF YOU INSTALL UNWARRANTED STOP SIGNS, YOU OPEN THE CITY UP TO LIABILITIES FROM REAR-END COLLISIONS AND OTHER RELATED ACCIDENTS THAT MIGHT OCCUR AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS. >> I THINK AT THE TIME, AND IT'S IN ONE OF THE STAFF REPORTS THAT'S ATTACHED TO YOUR PACKET. IN 2003, THE ULTIMATE DECISION, IT FOUND THAT TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON BALDWIN WAS SOMETHING LIKE 25 PERCENT GREATER THAN WHAT WE WERE FINDING ON AMHERST AT THE TIME. THERE WERE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STAFF HAD SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, A NUMBER OF WHICH WERE IMPLEMENTED AND THAT WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT BOTH WENT IN FRUIT. YOU MAY OR MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THE SIGNAL THAT IS THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TEMPORARY SIGNAL DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FREEWAY. WE THE CITY THEN FUNDED FULL CONSTRUCTION AFTER THE FREEWAY BRIDGE WAS CONSTRUCTED TO BETTER FACILITATE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT IN THAT AREA. I DON'T RECALL THE OTHERS. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE. THE VEHICLE SPEEDS, NOT REFERRING TO THE DECEMBER 1, 2003, REPORT THAT'S IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, ARE ATTACHED TO YOUR STAFF REPORT. VEHICLE SPEEDS WERE GENERALLY THOUGHT TO BE WITHIN 7-12 MILES OF THE POSTED SPEED LIMITS. BY THE SPEED OF AN ABODE WHEN AT THAT TIME WAS 30 OR 35, I DON'T RECALL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 30. WE REDUCED THE SPEED LIMIT TO 25 AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE FEW HOMES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BALDWIN, JUST WEST OF BRADFORD, WHEN WE FINISHED OUT THE STREET AND I THINK THERE WERE TWO OR THREE HOMES THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE STREET ITSELF THEN QUALIFIED AS A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE WAY THE VEHICLE CODE AND THE UNIFORM ON TRACK ON THE CALIFORNIA UNIFORM ON TRAFFIC CONTROL IDENTIFY A RESIDENTIAL AREA IS BY THE NUMBER OF HOUSES WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE. ONCE THOSE HOUSES WERE CONSTRUCTED, WE THEN MOVED THE TRAFFIC SPEED LIMITS TO 25 MILES PER HOUR. WE FOUND THAT TRAFFIC VOLUMES THROUGH THE STREET, AS I MENTIONED, WE FOUND IT WAS MINOR. THAT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH THIS LICENSE PLATE READING SYSTEM THAT WE USE. MOST OF WHAT WE FOUND CUTTING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WAS LOCAL RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN THE AREA. THEN OTHER STOP SIGNS WILL WALK IN IT. ANY OF THE INTERSECTION WE EVALUATED. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'LL FIND THAT WOULD BE THE CASE TODAY AS WELL. THEY WON'T BE WARRANTED. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THIS WHOLE THING. YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING TO REGURGITATING EVERYTHING THAT WE DID BACK IN THE 2003 PERIOD, AND PRIOR TO THAT. THE IDEA OF SENDING THIS OFF TO THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS LIKELY A GOOD ONE. THAT'S SO MUCH PART OF THEIR PURPOSE, I GUESS. I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL I COULD SHARE WITH YOU AT THIS MOMENT. I CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. >> MR. KEESEY, JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION. AT THE TIME THAT THEY DID THAT STUDY AND IT WAS QUITE AN EXTENSIVE STUDY. WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? WHAT WAS THAT CONSENSUS OBVIOUSLY TO KEEP BALDWIN CLOSED? BUT COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, WHY? >> WELL, THERE WAS NO BASH FOUND TO OPENING BALDWIN. THE OTHER THING TOO IS, ONCE WE SIGNALIZED BALDWIN, ACCESS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAME EASIER VIA THAT ROUTE THAN ANY OTHER ROUTE. AM HURST IS DIFFICULT TO GET OUT ON, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE MAKING A LEFT TURN, [01:20:01] LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE THROUGH. MOST PEOPLE WILL GENERALLY MIGRATE THEMSELVES UP TO FRUIT AND BALDWIN WHERE TRAFFIC IS CONTROLLED VIA THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL, IT MAKES IT EASIER AND SAFER TO EXIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK IF YOU OPENED BALDWIN, CONSEQUENCES OF DOING SO MAY NOT BE APPARENT RIGHT NOW. BUT AS THEY SAY, THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. >> THANK YOU. GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. KEESEY? COUNCIL? >> JUST WHEN MR. KEESEY FINALLY DOES RETIRE, IS HE GOING TO COME BACK TO EVERY BOARD MEETING AFTER THAT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION? [LAUGHTER] >> I REMEMBER THIS ONE THING. I GOT TO CALL IN. >> IS THERE ENCYCLOPEDIA LA VERNE? >> THE BOOK OF CHEESY. >> MY MEMORY IS FAILING FAST, I MIGHT NOT BE FOR VERY LONG. >> WE START DEMONSTRATING THAT FAILURE OF MEMORY THEN, SO THAT WE LIKE TO GO AT SOME POINT. WAIT A FEW YEARS UNTIL THE GOLD LINE IS FINISHED. >> WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT INPUT ALONG WITH MR. TJH AND MR. KEESEY, BECAUSE, GIVES US SOME DEPTH OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I DO THINK THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE TOO HASTY WITH THIS, BUT I DO LIKE THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION. TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING OF SPENDING ANY MONEY OR ANYTHING. THE OTHER HOUSING TRACT IS STILL IN THE SKY AND IN THE CLOUDS AND THE RESIDENTS ARE HAVING AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW. BUT AS MR. KEESEY SAID, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION ON SOMETHING THAT MAY MAKE IT WORSE OR MAKE AN ISSUE THAT, OH MY GOSH, NOW WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS AND WE HAVE TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WE JUST CREATED. IT'S LIKE IT'S BEEN WORKING. MAYBE IT'S NOT WORKING AS WELL. I THINK WE NEED TO PUT OUR EYES ON IT. WE'VE GOT SOME, COUNCIL MEMBER, DAVIS AND MYSELF, ON THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE ALONG WITH MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS PLUS PUBLIC WORKS. JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD TO SPENDING ANY MONEY. YES, SIR. MR. DAVIS. >> MR. MAYOR, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT AND FROM WHAT I READ AS WELL, THE LAST STUDY THAT TRAFFIC STUDY WAS DONE AFTER SOME DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THAT WE CAN USE THAT AS OUR MODEL AND WAIT TILL, IF AND WHEN THE AMHERST PROJECT IS DONE. IF IT'S NOT DONE, THEN THERE'S NO CHANGES. THEN I THINK WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DREAM UP. BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED, I GUESS, IN SUGGESTING THAT IF THE PROJECT GET AMHERST IS COMPLETED, THAT WE THEN TAKE CONSIDERATION OF A TRAFFIC STUDY, AT WHICH POINT EITHER THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CAN ENGAGE WITH THAT BEFORE AND DURING OR AFTER THAT TO HELP INFLUENCE THE CALMING ACTIVITIES OR THE STREET CALMING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN THAT WHOLE AREA. >> THAT WAS LIKE A MOTION TO ME. >> I GUESS I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS. >> MR. CROSBY, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT, [NOISE] WE MIGHT MAKE A MOTION AND WE'LL. >> THE MOTION WILL BE TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO FOR NOW UNTIL I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO MAKE THE ADDITIONAL PIECE THOUGH, THAT MOTION OF MAINTAINING STATUS QUO IS RECOGNIZED AS EXISTING UNTIL WE HAVE THAT. IF THE AMHERST PROJECT GOES THROUGH, THEN WE REOPEN IT AND THINK ABOUT A TRAFFIC STUDY. I'M NOT SAYING THOUGH THAT, INDEPENDENTLY OF THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THAT WHOLE AREA AND SEE HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED. THEY WE, US GET INVOLVED. >> MR. KRESS, IS THAT GOOD FOR A MOTION, SIR? >> IT'S PRETTY GOOD. I THINK WE CAN SORT IT OUT AND FURTHER THAN THAT. >> [OVERLAPPING] CLARIFY STATUS QUO, BUT STILL POINTED. PUSH IT TO THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FOR AT LEAST SOME EVALUATION IN THE MEANTIME. >> THANK YOU. >> YES. >> DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? >> I CAN SECOND THAT. >> WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, PLEASE. >> YES WE CAN. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. >> I. >> COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY? >> YES. >> MAYOR PRO TEM CARDER? >> NO. >> MAYOR HEPBURN? >> YES. >> OKAY. WE HAVE OUR DIRECTION. >> MOTION CARRIES. VERY GOOD. NOW IF I DIDN'T JUMBLE UP ALL MY PAPERWORK HERE, WE WILL CLOSE OUT. WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THAT CORRECT? >> NO. [OVERLAPPING] [01:25:02] >> I'M SORRY. WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM. EXCUSE ME. >> MAYOR, YOU PUT THIS ITEM ON. >> I DID, SORRY. [LAUGHTER] YES. ITEM B, 7B. [7.b. Mayor Hepburn has requested an item be placed on the Agenda for Council to discuss allowing the public to be included on video during the Council meetings.] I RESONANT REQUESTED THAT WE PUT ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS ALLOWING PUBLIC TO BE INCLUDED ON VIDEO DURING THE COUNCIL MINUTES. I JUST BROUGHT IT FORWARD AS MR. BOWEN HAD ASKED TO PUT THIS ON, JUST TO DISCUSS WHERE WE'RE AT AND TO DISCUSS MOVING FORWARD. OBVIOUSLY, WE'D ALL LIKE TO GET TO NORMAL COUNCIL MEETING AND HAVE IN-PERSON COUNCIL MEETINGS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY WON'T ALLOW THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE MORPHING WHAT WE'RE DOING AND ADDING MAYBE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE AS FAR AS IF PEOPLE WANT TO SPEAK, PUTTING HIM ON ZOOM AND LET THEM SPEAK. BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT TO YOU GUYS. I THINK MR. BOWEN WANTED TO TALK AFTER WE MADE OUR COMMENTS AND THEN HE WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE TO EVERYONE. >> WELL, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND WE'LL MAKE OUR COMMENTS. >> ANYBODY ELSE? WILL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JACKSON SALINAS ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING, MR. SALINAS, WE DO OUR THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME. THANK YOU, SIR. >> ALREADY, I'LL GO AHEAD. I THINK THE THING THAT MAYOR HAS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL FORM A [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE INCLUDED ON ZOOM DURING THE COUNCIL MEANS DONE PUBLIC COMMENT. OUR RESIDENTS ARE SICK AND TIRED WITH THE COMMUNICATION STUFF LIKE E-MAIL AND COMMENTS BEING ACCURATELY PRO NARROW, NOT GOING THROUGH PHONE CALL LINE. WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER A WAY FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN ALL MEETINGS. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. SALINAS. >> MR. MAYOR? >> GOOD EVENING, MR. BOWEN. WE DO HAVE A THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME, IF YOU DON'T MIND, PLEASE. >> OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WANT TO THANK MAYOR HEPBURN FOR PUTTING THE CITIZENS ON THE AGENDA. HE'S THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT AGREED TO THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. I WAS HOPING TO HEAR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' COMMENTS FIRST TO SEE WHERE THEY STOOD ON THIS SUBJECT. BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE EVER GET THAT. I WON'T GO INTO THIS WITH NO INFORMATION AND NO FACES, AND BY THE WAY, I'M WONDERING MR. CROSBY WHO JUST MADE A COMMENT A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT HOW INTERACTIVE THIS IS. [NOISE] >> BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU SEE. BUT WHAT WE SEE THE PEOPLE THAT CALL IN IS A STOPWATCH. NO FACES, NO COUNCIL MEMBERS, NO NOTHING. STRICTLY A STOPWATCH COUNTING TO THREE MINUTES. IT'S INSULTING, QUITE FRANKLY. FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST 11 MONTHS, THE CITIZENS HAD BEEN DENIED THE RIGHT TO MEET WHAT THEIR REPRESENTATIVES. TODAY IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES OF STOPWATCH. NO REACTION FROM THE COUNCIL. YOU DON'T GET TO SAY ANYTHING AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT COMMUNICATION TO ME IS TWO-WAY STREET. YOU LEAD PEOPLE, YOU SEE THEIR FACES, YOU SEE THEIR REACTIONS. THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE CITY'S MANAGER SAID, NEW MORE COMMITTEES AND GROUPS THAT HAVE LARGE VIRTUAL STATIONS WERE LARGE GROUPS OF PARTICIPANTS. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT COULD EASILY ALLOW 30-40 PEOPLE, BUT THE CITY MANAGER WON'T ALLOW IT. WE APPARENTLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO BROADCAST MEETINGS WITH LARGE PARTICIPATION. CASSIE AND NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ARE TWO GREAT EXAMPLES. IN FACT, JUST LAST WEEK CITIZENS WANTED TO HAVE A GROUP MEETING WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPER OF THE AMATEURS HOUSING PROJECT. THEY WERE AT SURE STATE THAT THE CITY COULD DO A VIRTUAL MEETING BEFORE MARCH 15TH. IT'S ON THE VIDEO CHECK IF ITS 7:59 PM. IF WE CAN DO IT TO HEAR THE CITIZENS ON THAT PROJECT, WHY CAN'T WE OPEN THESE CRITICAL MEETINGS TO THE PUBLIC? BY THE WAY, I'M NOT REFERRING TO THE CURRENT FORMAT WHICH DISCOURAGES PARTICIPATION, BAD PHONE CONNECTION, LOST REQUESTS TO SPEAK, BAD SOUND, TERRIBLE DELAYS IN CALLING CITIZENS THAT WANT TO SPEAK. QUITE ALONG THE EMAILS AND PICTATIONS LIKE THE LOUIE'S FOREST PARK, [01:30:06] WITH OVER 200 SIGNATURES THAT DO NOT GET PRESENTED TO THE CITIZENS. JUST LIKE CLOSING A B3 TO ALLOW RESTAURANTS TO SURVIVE, I'M SURE THE CITY STAFF CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT. PLEASE DIRECT THE CITY MANAGEMENT TO ALLOW OUR GREAT CITIZENS COLLECT THEIR VOICES AND FACES THEY HEARD. A FEW MINUTES AGO MR. DAVIS INDICATED THAT WITHOUT A FACE, MR. KRESS WAS JUST A VOICE. I THINK HE MADE A POINT. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. >> THANK YOU. MR. BOWEN. [NOISE] >> DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? >> WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO MORE. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. >> THANK YOU. [NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE PAM BERRY. >> GOOD EVENING MISS BERRY. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. YOU MAY BEGIN. THANK YOU AGAIN. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL AND MAYOR. I HAVE ASKED FOR QUITE A WHILE SOME WAY THAT WE COULD PARTICIPATE MORE. AS MR. BOWEN MENTIONED, I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS REALLY KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE ON THE OTHER. [LAUGHTER] >> FIRST OF ALL, IF WE GET A CALL I REFERABLE TO CALL WITH THIS AWFUL TIME GAP AND EVERYBODY COMES ON SO CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY'RE LISTENING TO SOMETHING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE IN, AND THAT'S LIKE OVERWHELMING. BUT THEN IF WE WERE THERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, EVERY COMMENT COULD BE HEARD. EVERY SINGLE ONE. WE YOU DON'T READ EMAILS ANYMORE. THEY JUST GET SHUFFLED IN AND PUT IN A MINUTE. BUT I GUESS WE JUST DON'T HEAR IT. YOU COULD HEAR IT, YOU MIGHT READ IT IF YOU CHOOSE TO, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR IT FROM THE A VOICE. INTERESTING THING EARLIER IN THIS MEETING, A SPEAKER FROM THE CITY WAS REPORTING AND IT DID NOT HAVE HIS CAMERA ON. THE CITY MANAGER SAID, ''YOU NEED TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON, SO YOU'RE NOT JUST A VOICE." WE THE PEOPLE ARE JUST A VOICE. WE CAN'T SEE, YOU CAN'T SEE US, AND LIKE RICK SAID, THE WHOLE SCREEN IS NOTHING BUT A TIMER. THAT TIMER NEEDS TO BE EITHER A LITTLE TINY PART OF IT OR NOT AT ALL. JUST LET US KNOW. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR FACES. WE WANT TO BE SEEN. THE VIRTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH HAD UP TO 50 PEOPLE ON IT. THE LEADERS WERE ABLE TO SHARE. IF THERE WERE ANY COMMENTS, THEY WERE RIGHT THERE. YOU COULD SEE THEM. THEY COULD SEE US. WE COULD HEAR THEM. THERE WAS NO FIVE-MINUTE DELAY. I MEAN, 18 CALLED LAST MEETING. WHAT WAS THE COMBINED LAST TIME FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE GAPS? OUR FORMER MAYOR USED TO SAY, "LET'S FIND A WAY TO SAY YES." I'M REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT WHEN THE FIRST REQUEST WAS MADE TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, THE COUNCIL DIDN'T SAY, OF COURSE, LET'S FIGURE IT OUT. LET'S IMPROVE THINGS FOR OUR CITY. LET'S GET PEOPLE TO BE HEARD. WE WANT TO HEAR YOU. WE WANT TO SEE YOU. PLEASE JUST LET US BE INVOLVED. THERE'S NO SAFETY ISSUE HERE, IT'S CALLED INCLUSION. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME VALUE AS A PARTICIPANT BUT NOT JUST BE JUST A VOICE. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S MY COMMENT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU MISS BERRY. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JOHN WILSON ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING MR. WILSON. IF YOU KEEP IT TO A THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME. YOU MAY BEGIN. >> THANK YOU. [NOISE] >> I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING VIDEO WITH BOTH OF US VIDEO CALLING WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, EITHER IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS OR ON A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM. AS THE GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER, I GET YOU RIGHT NOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT ANY TIMER FROM THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, AND I'M ALREADY ON. OBVIOUSLY, I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A TIME DELAY, BUT THIS JUST DOESN'T SEEM REAL. THE LAST TIME I RAN INTO YOU AT STATE WAY, MR. MAYOR, [01:35:01] I EVEN MADE THE COMMENT TO YOU THAT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT BORING BEING VIRTUAL, AND IT WAS A GENERAL COMMENT. I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOME ON VIDEO, MAYBE EVEN GO AS FAR AS TO HAVE ANYBODY THAT IS IN THE ZOOM MEETING HAVE A ZOOM MEETING VIDEO SO WE COULD ALL SEE EACH OTHER THERE AND PARTICIPATING. I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T GET BACK TO THE LIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE CHAMBERS RIGHT NOW. BUT THIS COULD BE THE NEXT BEST THING. A LOT OF US LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT GOES ON IN OUR CITY, AND TREAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO ME IT HUMANIZES THE WHOLE PROCESS. YEAH, I'D JUST RATHER THAN SEEING THIS COOPERATE HERE, I'D RATHER SEE YOU GUYS, AT LEAST SO I COULD GET YOUR REACTIONS TO WHAT I'M SAYING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. [NOISE] >> MR. MAYOR I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR THIS ITEM. >> WAIT A FEW SECONDS. [NOISE] >> I THINK WE CAN NOTHING JR? >> NOTHING SIR. >> WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. COMMENTS FROM OUR COUNCIL? >> MR. MAYOR, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE AT THE LAST MEETING, SHE EXPLAINED THE PURPOSE FOR BRINGING IT UP AND WHAT HER PROPOSAL WAS. YOU EXPLAINED THE PURPOSE OF WHY YOU BROUGHT THIS UP, WHICH WAS THAT THE RESIDENTS REQUESTED, BUT WHAT'S YOUR PROPOSAL? I WANT TO HEAR THAT BEFORE I CAN MAKE A COMMENT. >> MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE THAT IF WE CAN OPEN IT UP AND PUT PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE INSTEAD OF HANGING ON THE PHONE. MR. RUSSI AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS. TO TRY TO OPEN UP AS MUCH WE CAN. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'VE TALKED TO OTHER CITIES AND WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB ACTUALLY, AS FAR AS HOW WE'RE DOING IT. I KNOW THAT TIME'S AN ISSUE. MR. RUSSI COULD PROBABLY EXPLAIN THAT, THAT IT WON'T ALLOW US TO DO THAT. MY PROPOSAL IS BASICALLY IS TO SEE IF WE CAN INVOLVE THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THEM IN THE QUEUE. THERE ARE SOME CITIES THAT PUT PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE WHEN THEY WANT TO, INSTEAD OF BEING ON A PHONE CALL WE CAN HAVE AN ACTUAL PERSON IN THEIR FACE. I THINK THAT GETS US CLOSER TO INTERACTION WITH OUR RESIDENTS. UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE WAYS OFF FROM OPEN COUNCIL. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD BECAUSE IT WOULD BE NICE AS THE LAST GENTLEMAN STATED AND ALSO MR. BOWEN, AND ALSO MRS. BARRY THAT JUST TO HAVE A FACE ANY INTERACTION OF US LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND THE COMMUNICATION, OUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. I WAS INSTALLED AS MR. CROSBY WASN'T ALLOWED TO AN EMPTY ROOM. WE WEREN'T USED TO THAT. ALL OF US ARE USED TO THESE BIG MEETINGS, GRANTED, WE'RE IN COVID-19, FAST FORWARD. IT'S ALMOST A YEAR AGO WHEN WE ALL GOT INSTALLED OR THE ACTUALLY THE ELECTION. MINE IS TO SEE IF WE CAN MORPH IT A LITTLE BIT AND GET US. IF WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE CALLING IN TO BE IN THE QUEUE, THAT THEY CAN BE ON THE ZOOM MEETING. OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T HAVE ANYBODY IN A ZOOM MEETING. ALL TECHNOLOGY IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPEN ZOOM MEETING BEING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, WHICH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND MR. SHEAR DID HIS. IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, AND IT WORKS WITHOUT TOO MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO OUR MEETINGS. [OVERLAPPING] >> I THINK THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT RICK IS ASKING MR. BOWEN IS ASKING THAT THEY'RE ON THE SCREEN AT THE WHOLE TIME OF THE MEETING- [OVERLAPPING] >> -BECAUSE OF QUEUE MEANS IN A WAITING ROOM BROUGHT AND WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? >> THAT'S WHAT I'M SPEAKING. I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO WITH MR. BOWEN IS ASKING RIGHT NOW, THE CITIES THAT I'VE TALKED TO. THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY DO, THEY CAN'T. BUT I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING, MAYBE DOWN THE ROAD. BUT I THINK MOST OF THE CITIES, THREE OR FOUR OF THE CITIES THAT I PULLED, TEMPLE CITY, SOUTH PASADENA, MONROVIA. THEY BASICALLY WERE AHEAD OF THE GAME. WE ACTUALLY DO A VERY GOOD JOB. IT'S GOTTEN BETTER, I THINK PERSONALLY AND MR. RUSSI AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ON THIS, BUT I THINK BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE QUEUE WHEN THEY'RE WAITING TO BE ON A PHONE CALL, BRINGING THEM INTO THE ZOOM MEETING SO WE CAN SEE THEM WITH SO WE CAN INTERACT AND SEE THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. THEN IF WE COME DOWN THE ROAD, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS GOING TO TRANSITION TO OPEN MEETINGS AGAIN, HOPEFULLY, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR I WOULD IMAGINE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. >> I HEARD A LOT OF IF STATEMENTS THERE. CAN WE OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE MIGHT SOMEDAY BE ABLE TO DO IT, MR. MAYOR? [01:40:03] [OVERLAPPING]. >> I THINK WE CAN. >> IF WE CAN DO IT THEN I'D LIKE TO DO IT THIS WAY, BUT I DON'T HEAR. [OVERLAPPING] >> I WAS LIKE PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE THAT WHEN WE HAVE A MEETING INSTEAD OF BEING ON A PHONE CALL THAT WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE, THAT THEY CAN COME ON THE ZOOM MEETING. >> INTO THE ZOOM QUEUE. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> OKAY. >> OH. I WAS. [OVERLAPPING]. >> NOW, I UNDERSTAND SOLIDLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. >> NOW, I WANT TO BRING THEM IN SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT AND TALK TO THEM AND SEE THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND SOME. BUT ANYWAY, MR. RUSSI. >> THE WAY THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE IN ZOOM IS THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT YOU CAN DO. ONE IS A WEBINAR WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE OFF ON A DIFFERENT SCREEN THAT IS BEING MONITORED, BUT THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO WATCH TO THE MEETING GOING ON. THEY CAN THEN RAISE THEIR HAND, THEY CAN BE SEEN. THEIR VOICE COMES IN. I THINK CLAREMONT FOLLOWS THIS FORMAT. IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DO WITH OUR MEETINGS RIGHT NOW EXCEPT FOR WE'RE DOING IT ON PHONE VERSUS ZOOM. THE OTHER OPTION IS PEOPLE ARE SITTING IN OUR WAITING ROOM. THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS WE DON'T SEE THEM. WE JUST SEE PEOPLE SITTING IN A WAITING ROOM. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ITEM THEY'RE SPEAKING ON. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY WANTED TO SPEAK ON TWO ITEMS. I MEAN, WE'D HAVE TO GO CHECK WITH EACH PERSON AND BRING THEM INTO THE ROOM TO FIND OUT. IT JUST IS CLUMSY THE OTHER WAY, YEAH, WE COULD LOOK AT DOING THAT. HOWEVER, YOU WOULDN'T SEE THE PERSON AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I'VE SEEN WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IN THAT QUEUE. PEOPLE CAN MONITOR THE MEETING AT THE SAME TIME IS THEIR VOICE IS JUST WHAT'S COMING IN, NOT THE PERSON THEMSELVES. WE CAN GO DO SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON THAT. I THINK WHAT WE ARE DOING IS SERVING OUR NEEDS THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE TAKE PHONE CALLS AND THEN MONITOR OR ZOOM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GAINING, BUT IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANTED TO GO, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND PROBABLY UPGRADE OUR SYSTEM. ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO. [OVERLAPPING] >> IT WILL ALSO MEAN MAKING THE LOGIN CREDENTIALS FOR THE ZOOM MEETING PUBLIC TO GET THEM INTO THE MEETING. >> IF WE WERE TO BRING HIM IN WITH THEIR VIDEO, YES. YOU WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE FULL CREDENTIAL. THEY WOULD SIT IN THE WAITING ROOM AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO BRING THEM IN. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S CLUMSY IN THE SENSE OF WE NEED TO GO FIND OUT WHAT EACH ITEM IS BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE THEM, THEY DON'T RAISE THEIR HAND. THERE'S NO MONITORING OF THAT PERSON. IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT IF WE WERE TO LOOK TO PURSUE THAT. THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO CORRECT, THE CITY MANAGER IS NOT SAYING WE CAN'T USE THE COMMUNITY CENTER. THE COUNTY IS SAYING THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING EVENTS OF THAT SIDE. NOT TO MENTION, WE DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. THE ONLY PLACE WE HAVE TO LIVE STREAM OUT OTHER THAN ZOOM LIKE THIS IS IN OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND IT'S JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BRING- [NOISE] >> -OTHER THAN MAYBE COUNCIL AND STAFF IN AND WE KNOW THAT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY AT THIS POINT. >> YEAH. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT ALONG WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BOB. A FEW OF THE COMMENTS WERE THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS NOT ALLOWING US TO MEET IN PUBLIC. I WANT THE PUBLIC OUT THERE TO KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER CHECKS WITH US. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK HIM WHAT WE WANT TO DO. THIS IS THE FORMAT THAT WE HAVE AS COUNCIL RECOMMENDED BECAUSE IT'S WORKING. I HAVE HAD NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT SOMEBODY NOT GETTING ON. I HAVE HAD A COMPLAINT THAT THE TIMER IS OFF, THAT THE DELAY THAT THEY'RE GETTING AT HOME IS OFF. BUT I TALKED TO JR ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK. IF THERE'S AN ISSUE FROM THE PUBLIC, THEY CAN CONTACT US AND WE'LL LOOK INTO IT FOR YOU. BUT IT IS NOT THE CITY MANAGER. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HE WORKS FOR US. WE GAVE HIM DIRECTION. THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO DO IT. I DON'T FEEL SAFE BEING IN A COUNCIL CHAMBER. I HAVE ASKED THAT WE STICK WITH ZOOM FOR AWHILE. I WANT THAT TO BE HEARD AND I REALLY THINK 2021 SHOULD BE LACK OF BLAME. LET'S PUT MORE INTO SOLUTIONS. I THINK WE WORK TOGETHER WELL WHEN DOING THAT. >> WELL WE CANNOT MEET, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT AND 100 PERCENT AGREEMENT. I JUST THINK WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT HERE IS JUST, IF WE COULD MORPH THIS TO SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN HAVE MORE INVOLVEMENT FROM THE RESIDENTS INSTEAD OF A PHONE CALL, TO BRING THEM ON ZOOM. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MR. RUSSI. I DON'T KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY, OKAY? I OUGHT TO BE RIGHT UPFRONT WITH YOU. [01:45:01] I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS- [NOISE] >> -FOR SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY, LORD KNOWS, TILL THE END OF THE YEAR, IF NOT THE 1ST OF NEXT YEAR, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE ACCESS WITHOUT TOO MUCH EXTRA WORK ON STAFF OR HAVING TO PURCHASE MORE TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS FOR A WHILE IF PEOPLE DO WANT TO COME OUT AND SPEAK, AND IT'S NOT AN ISSUE TO GET THEM IN ON A ZOOM. IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT. >> MR. MAYOR, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, FOR CLEARLY ARTICULATING WHAT IT WAS YOU'RE PROPOSING IN THIS AGENDA ISSUE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO. I DO APPRECIATE OUR RESIDENTS' CONCERNS ABOUT THE LIMITATION OF ACCESS THAT THEY HAVE INTO THIS MEETING. I TOO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN LARGER ZOOM CALLS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT LEAST THE QUALITY I'VE SEEN IN LARGE ZOOM CALLS, I'M PROBABLY GETTING 85-90 PERCENT, MAYBE 93 PERCENT GOOD BROADBAND FOR THAT, BUT I LOSE ANYWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN AND 15 PERCENT OF WHAT GOES ON IN THE LARGER MEETINGS BECAUSE, MY SCREEN FREEZES FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S SCREEN FREEZES, AND FOR A COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING FOR THE BUSINESS OF OUR CITY, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FREEZING UP OR THINGS HAPPENING TO INTERRUPT OUR MEETING IN THAT SENSE. MY CONCERN IS THAT I WANT TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH-QUALITY THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE THESE IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR OUR CITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY INCLUDING US, HAS HAD TO DO THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR THIS EXTREME COVID EVENT, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE CAN'T ALL BE TOGETHER, BUT I CONCUR COMPLETELY WITH MR. KRESS'S NOTION THAT WE NEED MAYBE FEEDBACK TO ZOOM IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT, TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHETHER WE CAN HAVE SEPARATE LEVELS OF CREDENTIALING, TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND THEN TO COUNSEL SEPARATELY BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A BIG CONCERN OF MINE FOR THE LIMITED VERSIONING [NOISE] OF CREDENTIALING FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETING. WHILE IT APPEARS SIMPLE AND EASY BECAUSE COMPUTER COMPANIES LIKE TO MAKE IT LOOK SIMPLE AND EASY. THE BEHIND THE SCENES IS MUCH MORE CHALLENGING THAN THAT, AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO OUR STAFF, JR IN PARTICULAR AND [INAUDIBLE] [NOISE] WHO IS EVEN ON THE BACK END OF THAT, WHO MAKE THIS LOOK AS MAGICAL AS IT IS. THEY MAKE IT LOOK EASY. THEY KEEP IT ENGAGED. I GET THE FACT THAT THE COLORS ARE TIME DELAYED ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. IT'S IMPROVED OVER THE TIME TOO THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A TIME THAT PEOPLE WERE LISTENING TO THE SCREEN, AND WE WOULD TALK TO THEM AND THEY WOULD WAIT TILL THE SCREEN TOLD THEM WHAT TO DO, AND THEN THEY WOULD START SPEAKING INTO THE PHONE. WE'VE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS. I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE WITHOUT SPENDING- [NOISE] >> -A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY FOR, IT'S NOT JUST FOR A DAY OR TWO, BUT IT'S NOT FOREVER- [NOISE] >> -AND I HOPE THAT OUR RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO ACCOMMODATE AND ARE GRACIOUS WITH THE LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY. I'M IN FAVOR OF DELAYING THIS DECISION TILL TECHNOLOGY CATCHES UP. >> WELL, AND ALONG WITH THAT, I KNOW THAT SOME OF MY MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNCIL, SUCH AS, GOLD LINE MEETING AND TRI-CITY MENTAL HEALTH. THEY ARE EXECUTIVE MEETINGS AND IT'S NOT ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC ON THE MEETING, AND IT'S HELD THE SAME WAY WE ARE BECAUSE WE'RE THERE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS. THEN WE HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION TOO, AND WE DO IT THE SAME WAY THAT IF SOMEONE CALLS IN, THEY'RE NOT SEEN, BUT WE HEAR THEM AND WE TAKE EMAILS, AND IT'S WORKING QUITE WELL, AND I THINK THAT'S THE PROFESSIONALISM OF A COMMITTEE. IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY MEETINGS. I UNDERSTAND HAVING SOME MEETINGS THAT IT'S OPEN, LIKE THE AMHERST AREA, HAVING A PUBLIC MEETING, OR A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE IT'S THE WHOLE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPT. >> RIGHT, AND MR. BOWEN WAS BRINGING UP CA SEM. I KNOW THAT IN THE LAST CA SEM MEETING THAT HE AND I WERE BOTH IN, I SAW ABOUT TWO MINUTES OF GLITCHING GOING ON. >> OH. >> THANK YOU, AND I REALLY ACTUALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S COMMENT TONIGHT. I DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY ONLY SEE THE STOPWATCH THERE BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE SOME PEOPLE KNOW HE ASKED THAT QUESTION. [01:50:01] WE SEE A STOPWATCH IN A LARGE STOPWATCH, AND THEN WE SEE A PANEL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MANAGE THE STOPWATCH ON OUR OWN THEN, SO THEY SEE OUR FACES WHEN THEY'RE MAKING COMMENTS BECAUSE. [OVERLAPPING] >> THANK YOU. SORRY, GO AHEAD. I'LL LET YOU FINISH. >> THE GOOD POINT BEING MADE BECAUSE WHAT I'M INTENTLY LISTENING AND WRITING DOWN WHAT THEY'RE DOING, I SEE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS DOING THE SAME THING, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS DON'T FEEL THAT WE ARE JUST NOT THERE LISTENING TO THEM BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING. I SEE OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS DOING THAT AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY SEE THAT AS WELL, AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT THEY WERE SEEING ON THEIR SIDE, AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT COULD BE A POSITIVE CHANGE. I TO REPRESENT THE CITY ON THE FOOTHILL TRANSIT COMMITTEE GOVERNING BOARD. I'M NOT ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, BUT I'M ON THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND FROM ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES, WE HAVE ABOUT 25 PEOPLE THAT REPRESENT THE GOVERNING BOARD ON THE SCREEN, SO ALL THOSE SMALL LITTLE BOXES EVERYWHERE, BUT WHEN THEY DO A PUBLIC COMMENT, I BELIEVE WHAT CLAREMONT IS DOING IS THAT A PERSON IS IN A QUEUE AREA, THEN THAT PERSON COMES ON AND YOU COULD SEE THAT PERSON IF THEY CHOOSE TO PUT THEIR SCREEN ON, OR IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO OR PHONE-IN, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THEIR FACE. I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE LOOK AT THAT AND WONDER HOW THAT IS, AND DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO GET MANY RESIDENTS INVOLVED. TONIGHT MADE THE COMMENT, AND THANK YOU, MR. BOWEN, FOR POINTING THAT OUT. WE HAD MANY PEOPLE COME IN AND WE HAD PEOPLE CALL IN THAT WEREN'T EVEN REGISTERED TO CALL IN, THAT THEY CALLED IN AFTERWARDS. AGAIN, MR. [INAUDIBLE] EVEN STATED THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK UNTIL HE HEARD OTHERS SPEAK. THAT LEAVES THE TECHNOLOGY COMING IN AND CALLING IN TOO, WHERE THE CITY AND THE CHAMBERS THAT PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T WILLING TO SPEAK AFTER HEARING SOMEONE ELSE GOT UP AND SPOKE AS WELL. I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER, THAT IT IS THE COUNCIL'S CHOICE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S ALSO THE COUNTY NOT ALLOWING BIG GROUPS TO BE BACK INSIDE AT THIS POINT, EVEN WITHIN LARGE AREAS. THEY HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FOR MEETINGS, BUT IT IS OUR DIRECTION THAT WE GIVE MR. RUSSI. I WOULD LIKE TO NOT HAVE THAT TIMEKEEPER ON THERE, AND I KNOW PEOPLE WITH THE DELAY THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO IT, AND THEN IT'S THEIR TURN, AND OUR STAFF DOES A GREAT JOB SAYING PROBABLY THAT TO THEM WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO COME ON, BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT CONCEPT OF A DELAY MOTION TOO. I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE AND HEAR WHAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THEIR FACE WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING AND SEEING OUR STAFF WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING TO US AS WELL, BUT I WANT THEM TO SEE US WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING TO US. >> YES, THE MAYOR HAD ACTUALLY POINTED THAT OUT, I GUESS SOMEBODY TEXT THEM, SAID THAT WE'RE ONLY GETTING THE TIMER. WHEN WE SWITCHED STREAMING SERVICES ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AGO- [NOISE] >> -THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES. [NOISE] >> IF THEY SHARED IT WITH ME- [NOISE] >> I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, BUT TO YOUR POINT THERE'S AN EASY WAY TO FIX THAT. WE CAN JUST GO TO YELLOW, RED CARDS RATHER AND AS TIME IS GETTING CLOSE TO THE END, AND TAKE THE TIMER DOWN. WE CAN WORK ON SOMETHING TO FIX THAT SO THAT THE COUNCIL REMAINS ON THE SCREEN DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. SHOULD BE FIXABLE. >> YES. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR COMMENTS. I'M GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO CLARIFY THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN OR RESONANCE ONE MORE, WE SHOULD TRY TO GIVE THEM MORE IF TECHNOLOGY IS THERE AND IT'S POSSIBLE, LET'S FIND OUT IF WE CAN PUT THEM IN THE QUEUE. ALL I'M ASKING IS TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO. I'M ON MULTIPLE ZOOM MEETINGS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THIS IS MY FOURTH TODAY WITH LARGE GROUPS JUST LIKE THE COG, WITH THE SANITATION DISTRICT, WITH THE ACE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY. THERE'S MANY AND THE QUALITY IS WITH A LARGE GROUP, IT DOES HAVE A TENDENCY TO GO SOUTH REAL QUICK. BUT ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT WE GIVE OUR RESONANCE IF WE CAN PUT THEM IN A QUEUE AND WE CAN DO THAT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE, IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM. I THINK ALL OF US WOULD TOO. IF THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, BUT I SAY WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS FOR SOME TIME, [01:55:03] SO LET'S TRY IT. LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. LET'S GIVE SOME OPTIONS. >> BUT I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO LEAVE OPEN THE COLUMN BECAUSE SOME OF YOUR RESUME. [OVERLAPPING] >> I'M NOT SAYING CHANGE ANYTHING THAT WE DO NOW. I'M SAYING, LET'S FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, AND YOU CAN HAVE OPTION A OR OPTION B. >> RIGHT. >> YEAH, IT WORKS FINE. IT'S JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BE ON TO BE VIEWED. LIKE I SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE BACK TO OPEN COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR SOME TIME. IF WE CAN DO A TECHNOLOGY-WISE AND NOT DEGRADE OUR QUALITY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, LET'S DO IT. AT LEAST SEE IF IT'S EXPENSIVE THEN WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL. >> THE EXPENSE IS JUST A MATTER OF PROBABLY UPGRADING THE LICENSE THAT WE HAVE. >> THEN I SAY WE DO IT, AT LEAST LET'S TRY IT. >> WELL, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH TIM, IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN QUEUE THEM IN, THEY SHOULDN'T BE PART OF THE WHOLE MEETING. >> NO THAT MUSTN'T HAPPEN. >> YES. >> I AGREE. >> MAYBE IT'S TIME SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A YEAR TO LOOK AT OTHER PROGRAMS. WEBEX IS ANOTHER PROGRAM I'VE BEEN USING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. MAYBE WE JUST GIVE DIRECTION FOR STAFF TO LOOK INTO OTHER OPTIONS, LIKE TIM SAID. >> YES, TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT A NEW, WE'VE FINALLY WORKED THE BUGS OUT OF THIS ONE. [OVERLAPPING] >> I MUST SAY, I HAVE TO COMMENT THAT STAFF IS DOING EXTREMELY GOOD JOB. ALL THE STAFF JR, LUPEY EVERYBODY ROMEO. I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE TO GET TECH SAVVY NOW, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT LITTLE BOTTOM THING AT THE BOTTOM WHERE IT SAYS REACTIONS UNTIL JUST LIKE A MONTH AGO AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND. WOW, YOU CAN HAPPY FACE, SAD FACE. IT'S LIKE WE'RE ALL MORPHING THROUGH THIS. BUT I THINK THE POINT IS, IS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE INVOLVED. LET'S SEE IF THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS AND IS [INAUDIBLE]. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT BASE LIKE WEBEX, THERE'S A MILLION OF THEM OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO ONLY SO MANY THAT ARE GOOD, THE QUALITY, I DO AGREE WITH MR. DAVIS THAT THE QUALITY HAS TO BE GOOD. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE DEGRADATION. WE'VE GOT MEETINGS TO HANDLE, WE GOT THINGS TO DO, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT I THINK IF THERE IS AN AGREEMENT IF WE CAN TRY AND LET'S SEE WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS. >> CLEAR. >> THEN REPORT BACK. >> WE DON'T NEED THE TECHNOLOGY TO GET THE TIMER OFF THERE AND COME UP WITH ANOTHER WAY. >> YEAH. PLEASE I FEEL LIKE I'M ON A DATING GAME OR SOMETHING, SO PLEASE TAKE THAT OFF. [LAUGHTER] >> OKAY. >> I HOPE PATTY DOESN'T FIND OUT. [LAUGHTER] >> OKAY. THERE'S NO ACTION ON THAT. WE DON'T NEED TO GET ROLL-CALL. THAT'S JUST DIRECTION TO STAFF, IS THAT CORRECT. MR. ATTORNEY? >> YES. >> OKAY. ITEM B, WE HAVE A NEED FOR A CLOSE SESSION, MR. RUSSI. >> ACTUALLY, YOU'VE GOT A PUBLIC COMMENT. >> WAIT. WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS/ORAL COMMUNICATIONS] EXCUSE ME, I KNEW THAT. THAT WILL MOVE TO ITEM EIGHT. >> IF WOULD BE COUNCIL'S PREFERENCE, I CAN JUST KEEP A TIMER RIGHT NOW. WE DO NOT HAVE TO BRING THE TIMER UP. WE CAN JUST TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT THIS WAY. >> THAT'LL BE NICE. LET'S DO THAT. YEAH. NICE CHANGE RIGHT OFF THE BAT. WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. >> DID YOU HEAR THAT, JR? >> SORRY, JR. >> YOU JUST CUT OUT HALF IS JAW, I'M SURE HE'S FINE. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE RICK BOWEN ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING MR. BOWEN, YOU KNOW THE TIME-FRAME. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP IT THREE, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. >> I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT TOMORROW, TUESDAY IS THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF MR. MAYOR HEPBURN. 5,786 CITIZENS VOTED TO REMOVE THE CITY MAYOR. THE CITY MAYOR TO BE REPLACED WITH SOMEONE THAT WOULD LISTEN TO ITS CITIZENS. THAT'S AN ASTONISHING 26 PERCENT WINNING MARGIN. BASED ON THE CONTINUED, I'LL USE THE PHRASE BACK BITING AND PARTICULARLY SNARKY COMMENTS, PARTICULARLY FROM MUIR DAVIS TOWARDS THE NEW MAYOR, AND OTHER THINGS LIKE A CONTINUOUS UNDERMINING OF HIS REQUEST, THINGS LIKE THE INTRODUCTION OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, A FORENSIC AUDIT WHEN HE FIRST TOOK OFFICE, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND NO-BID CONTRACTS AND THE CONSIDERATION OF LEGAL DISTRICT VOTING. I HOPE THE CITIZENS THAT VOTED FOR MR. HEPBURN, [02:00:01] REMEMBER THE LACK OF COOPERATION HE HAS RECEIVED AND CONTINUES TO RECEIVE. A NEW ELECTION FOR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR IS A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AWAY. GOD FORBID, WE HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION. CITIZENS NEED TO SEE WHO THEY ELECTED AND ASK IF THOSE THAT THEY DID ELECT ARE REALLY WHO THEY REPRESENTED THEMSELVES TO BE. 5,786 OF US VOTED A NEW VIBRANT MAYOR. WE GOT ONE. WILL THE COUNCIL HELP OR WILL THE COUNCIL CONTINUE TO BLOCK HIS EFFORTS FOR CHANGE? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. >> THANK YOU MR. BOWEN. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JEFF BUSLER ON THE LINE. >> MR. BUSLER GOOD EVENING. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. WE'D APPRECIATE IT. >> I'LL DO WHAT I CAN DO. THREE THINGS I WANT TO HIT ON REAL QUICK AND TWO OF THEM ARE CARRIER FROM LAST WEEK. YOU HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF THE CITY THAT IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED OUT OF ACCESS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, AND THE LAST ISSUE OF DISCUSSION WAS RELATED TO IT, BUT IT'S FAR WORSE THAN THAT. I'VE TRIED TO GIVE PEOPLE THE LINKS TO SEND AN E-MAIL AND HOW TO ACCESS YOUR ONLINE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS AS TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY AS EVERYBODY ELSE. YOU'RE ACTUALLY WORKING IN THE DARK RELATIVE TO MOST OF THE CITY RIGHT NOW. IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO BE PASSING THINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT TO THE CITY WHEN NOBODY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, IT DOESN'T GO OVER WELL. UNFAIRLY TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY ON THIS STUFF, LAST MEETING I HAD SENT IN AN E-MAIL SAYING THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK ON ITEM 7B, WHICH WAS REGARDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I DIDN'T GET CALLED UP, AND WHEN I DIDN'T GET CALLED UP, I ONLY HAD 30 SECONDS TO TRY TO FIND A NUMBER AND CALL IN. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH IT IN THAT TIME. I WAS BLOCKED OUT ON TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY. YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO REACH THE CITY AND I WILL PUT FORTH, YOU DON'T PASS ANYTHING IRREVERSIBLE UNTIL YOU GET EVERYBODY BACK IN THE MEETINGS SO THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE. ALSO ON THE FIRE ISSUE, I'D LIKE TO THANK THOSE OF YOU THAT PASSED THE THING TO SET IT TO A VOTE. THAT IS A BIG DEAL. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SAID DURING THE CAMPAIGN THAT YOU DID NOT WANT TO GO COUNTY, AT LEAST UNLESS THE CITY VOTED FOR IT, AND AT LEAST YOU BACKED THAT UP. LAST, ONE OF THE COMMENTS MADE DURING THAT DISCUSSION LAST WEEK, MR. MAYOR, YOU WERE VERY DEMEANING TO THE POPULATION OF THE CITY, THAT THEY MIGHT OPPOSE YOUR CONCLUSION ON SOMETHING. YOU BASICALLY THREW OUT THERE THAT, WELL, IF IT'S GOING TO COST LESS AND WE'RE GOING TO GET BETTER SERVICE. WHY WOULD WE WANT TO GO TO THE CITY? THAT IS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE. THEY DON'T HAVE A CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO FILL. THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE HOW IT AFFECTS THEIR INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD. PLEASE DON'T BE SO DEMEANING TO THOSE IN THE CITY. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADDRESS TODAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU MR. BUSLER. [NOISE]. >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE TERRY PRENTICE ON THE LINE. >> MR. PRENTICE, GOOD EVENING. WE HAVE THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME TONIGHT. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP IT THAT, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. >>GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS OF [INAUDIBLE] AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, A COMMENT WAS MADE THAT LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS ONLY NINE FIREFIGHTERS ON DUTY IN THE CITY, AND CANNOT SAFELY RESPOND AND HANDLE ANY TYPE OF STRUCTURE FIRE, WHILE DEFENDING THE POSITION THAT WE NEED TO CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT FOR OUR FIRE AND PARAMEDIC SERVICES. BUT UNDER EITHER OF THE CONTRACT OPTIONS PRESENTED, LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM OF ONLY EIGHT FIREFIGHTERS ON DUTY IN THE CITY AT ANY TIME. CURRENTLY, LA COUNTY FIRE PROVIDES THIS BEST SERVICES TO LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY DISPATCH THE PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT TO DEAL WITH REPORTED SITUATIONS. IF LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE REPORTED INCIDENT, THEN LA COUNTY FIRE DISPATCH SENDS OTHER PERSONNEL AND [02:05:02] EQUIPMENT TO THE SCENE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUTOMATIC MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS. SEVERAL DECADES AGO, THE CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID PACT WAS BORN AS A RESULT OF THE CONCLUSION THAT NO FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH EVERY TYPE OF DISASTER. THE PREFERRED METHOD OF CO-OPERATING IN THIS ENDEAVOR WAS FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE TO ENTER INTO AUTOMATIC MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER LOCAL DEPARTMENTS. LA VERNE CURRENTLY HAS AUTOMATIC MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS IN PLACE WITH BOTH LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT AND ANGELES NATIONAL COURSE. LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT IS SIGNATORY TO THE STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID PACTS, WHICH IS A STRONG ENDORSEMENT AND HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM FULFILLING ITS COMMITMENT TO MUTUAL AID. BY FAR, THE GREATEST REQUESTS FOR SERVICE FROM LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ARE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID. THE RATIO OF FIRE RESPONSES COMPARED TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID RESPONSES IS 4.5 RESPONSES TO 2,580 RESPONSES PER YEAR, OR THAT LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO A FIRE OF ANY SORTS EVERY TWO AND A HALF TO THREE MONTHS WHILE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE EVERY 3.4 HOURS. THIS A FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE. THE RESPONSE RATIO CLOSELY MIRRORS THE DOCUMENTED RESPONSES OF THE LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY, INCLUDING THE 59 OTHER STATES THAT CONTRACT WITH THE LA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT. UNDER THE PROPOSED CONTRACT, LA FIRE WOULD HAVE ON DUTY, A MAXIMUM OF THREE FIREFIGHTERS WITH PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION OUT OF THE EIGHT TOTAL REQUIRED FIGHTERS ON DUTY. WHILE LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UNDER CURRENT MINIMUM STAFFING LEVEL, HAS ON DUTY A MINIMUM OF NINE FIREFIGHTERS WITH PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION, AND UNDER TRADITIONAL STAFFING WOULD HAVE 11 FIREFIGHTERS WITH PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION. LA COUNTY FIRE DOES NOT HAVE THEIR OWN AMBULANCES, BUT RELY UPON OUTSOURCING WITH PRIVATE AMBULANCES WHILE LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THREE FULLY EQUIPPED RESCUE AMBULANCES WITH ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS ON BOARD. FOR YEARS THE CITY OF LA VERNE HAS REQUIRED FIREFIGHTERS TO BE PARAMEDIC CERTIFIED AND PAID A PARAMEDIC PREMIUM FOR THAT CERTIFICATION, WHICH ADDED THE LIFESAVING VALUE TO THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS [INAUDIBLE] >> MR. PRENTICE, YOU'RE REACHING YOUR THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME. IF YOU COULD PLEASE CLOSE. >> I ASK THE COUNCIL TO REINSTATE THE PARAMEDIC PREMIUM IMMEDIATELY, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU, COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRENTICE. >> MR. MAYOR, LINDA LAWCART WILL CONTINUE ON THE LINE. >> GOOD EVENING MS. WILKINSON, HOW ARE YOU THIS EVENING, AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP YOUR TIME TO THREE MINUTES, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >> GOOD EVENING. IT'S WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE WIDE AVENUE HOUSE AND BUNGALOW MOVE. THE HOUSE MOVER ERIC BRANDT OF BRANDT HOUSE & BUILDING MOVERS DIED ON A JOB SITE LAST MONTH. YESTERDAY WAS HIS 67TH BIRTHDAY. BESIDES BEING A GENUINELY KIND MAN, HE WAS A MASTER AND HIGHLY RESPECTED IN HIS SPECIALIZED FIELD. I DIDN'T INTERVIEW ANOTHER HALF MOVER BECAUSE ERIC WAS SO IMPRESSIVE, HUMBLE, AND COMPETENT. HE STARTED HIS COMPANY AFTER HIRING OTHERS TO MOVE A FEW HOUSES WHEN HE WAS IN HIS EARLY 20S. HE FIGURED HE COULD DO IT BETTER, AND SO HE DID. EXCUSE ME. LAST WEEK I RECEIVED THE RELEASE AND CANCELLATION OF MY CONTRACT FROM BRANDT HOUSE MOVERS. HOUSE MOVERS ARE FEW, AND IN MOST CASES, LIKE A CASTE SYSTEM BEING PASSED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. I'M HIRING DINUBA HOUSE MOVERS OUT OF THE FRESNO AREA. RICK THE OWNER CAME DOWN LAST WEEK. I HAVE ACCEPTED HIS BID, AND ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT INCLUDE CRANING OFF THE TOP PORTION OF THE ROOF LIKE ERIC'S CONTRACT INCLUDED. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE ROOF IS GOING TO BE CUT INTO SECTIONS AND FOLDED INTO THE REMAINING LOWER PART OF THE ROOF TO CLEAR THE POWER LINES ON FIRST STREET. DINUBA HAS THIS JOB ON THEIR SCHEDULE TO COMMENCE MARCH 22ND, AND A MOVE DATE OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31ST. I'VE RECEIVED AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSE AND BUNGALOW FROM THE BUYER OF THE WIDE AVENUE PROPERTY, MATT WALBURN. AT THE HOUSE AND BUNGALOWS FOREVER HOME AT THE CORNER OF FIRST AND S STREETS, THEIR NEW FOUNDATIONS ARE IN AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO DO THAN WAIT FOR THE STRUCTURES TO ROLL DOWN THE STREET. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOOD NIGHT. >> THANK YOU MS. WILKINSON. WE'RE VERY SORRY FOR THE UNTIMELY PASSING OF YOUR MOVER. THAT'S TRAGIC. THANK YOU. [02:10:03] >> MR. MAYOR, I HAVE ANDY GLAZE ON THE LINE. >> MR. GLAZE, GOOD EVENING. IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP TO THE THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME. [LAUGHTER] >> THANK YOU, MR. GLAZE. >> GIVE IT TO ME. [LAUGHTER] >> THANK YOU. YOU MAY BEGIN, SIR. >> MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, MY NAME IS ANDY GLAZE AND I'M THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT IN REGARDS TO YOUR VOTE LAST WEEK TO PUT POLITICS BEFORE SAFETY. THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS AND YOUR LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS DOESN'T APPARENTLY MATTER ANYMORE, OR NOT FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS. EVERY ONE OF YOU EXCEPT ROBIN CARDER SPOKE ON NOVEMBER 2ND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY, AND HOW IT WAS YOUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN, AND YET ON FEBRUARY 16TH, A FEW MONTHS LATER, NOT ONE OF YOU MENTIONED IT. WHILE MAKING YOUR DECISION TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND PROTECT YOURSELF POLITICALLY, NOT ONE OF YOU MENTIONED ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU DISCUSSED IN THE MESSINA REPORT, COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORT, MEETINGS WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS, AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THREE RECENT LA VERNE FIRE CHIEFS. YOUR LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS WILL NOT IGNORE SAFETY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. IT WASN'T LONG AGO THAT WE DID A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ON OUR FIRE CHIEF PETE JANKOWSKI, OVER OUR SAFETY CONCERNS. THAT TURNED INTO A LAWSUIT AND COST THE CITY OF LA VERNE $5.5 MILLION. OH, HOW QUICKLY THE CITY COUNCIL FORGETS THE LESSONS OF HISTORY. I RECOGNIZE THIS IS OPEN COMMENT AND YOU CANNOT ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, BUT LAST WEEK WHEN WE ASKED ROBIN CARDER THE SAME QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA'S ITEM, WE WERE TOLD SHE WASN'T GOING TO ANSWER THEM. QUESTION ONE, ACCORDING TO THE 52 PAGE MESSINA REPORT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INCLUDES DEEP SEATED MISTRUST, ANGER AND FRUSTRATION. LAST WEEK YOU DOUBLED THAT MISTRUST ANGER AND FRUSTRATION. DO YOU CARE? DO YOU HAVE A PLAN ON FIXING IT? QUESTION TWO, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN MORE FIREFIGHTERS? FIRE STATION THREE HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR OVER A YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FIREFIGHTERS TO STAFF IT. OUR LAST HIRING PROCESS NETTED US ZERO FIREFIGHTERS. FIREFIGHTERS COME AND LEAVE JUST AS FAST. WITH YOUR LATEST VOTE, WE HAVE FOUR MORE FIREFIGHTERS GETTING READY TO LEAVE LA VERNE. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? QUESTION THREE, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN A QUALIFIED FIRE CHIEF? WE HAVEN'T HAD A FIRE CHIEF IN TWO YEARS. WE'RE CURRENTLY ON OUR THIRD INTERIM FIRE CHIEF. THE MESSINA REPORT ADVISED THIS, "ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ISSUES THE CITY FACES IN CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN THE LA VERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS RECRUITMENT OF A NEXT FIRE CHIEF." ROBIN CARDER SPEARHEADED THIS MOVE AND SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH ASSISTANT NAMED JIM MURPHY. MR. MURPHY IS THE SAME INDIVIDUAL WHO LAST YEAR THREATENED TO EXTERMINATE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING MYSELF. MARION WEBSTER DEFINES EXTERMINATE AS TO GET RID OF COMPLETELY, USUALLY BY KILLING OFF. THIS PUTS SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. IMAGINE COMING TO WORK DEDICATED TO HELPING THE CITIZENS OF LA VERNE AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH A CITIZEN WHO IS THREATENING TO EXTERMINATE YOU. THEN A COUNCIL MEMBER ALIGNS HERSELF WITH THE SAME CITIZEN AND RUNS A CAMPAIGN TO, "SAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THEM." YOU CAN NOW IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF EMOTIONAL TOIL THIS HAS PUT THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS THROUGH. I'M SHOCKED THIS IS THE TYPE OF PERSON ROBIN CARDER WANTS TO ALIGN HERSELF WITH. SOMEONE WHO WANTS LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS DEAD. MRS. CARDER AND MR. MURPHY DON'T WANT TO SAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY WANT TO DESTROY IT. IT MAKES SENSE ROBIN CARDER NEVER MENTIONED SAFETY AS A CONCERN. >> MR. GLAZE, YOU'VE REACHED YOUR THREE MINUTES. IF YOU CAN FINISH UP. THANK YOU. JR. >> YES, MR MAYOR. WE HAVE CYNTHIA GULBERDON ON AND THE LINE. >> MS. GULBERDON, GOOD EVENING AGAIN. PLEASE ADHERE TO THE THREE-MINUTE TIME-FRAME, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE YOU MAY BEGIN. >> NO PROBLEM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, JUST TO SUMMARIZE WHAT THESE LAST COMMENTS, ACTUALLY BLEND TWO OF ITEMS TOGETHER. TONIGHT, EIGHT OF THE 12 CALLS WERE ACTUALLY FOR OPENING BOWDEN. WE HAVE 100 PLUS SIGNATURE ASKING YOU JUST TO LOOK AT DOING THE TRAFFIC STUDY NOW, SEE US, YOU CAN'T SEE BUT YOU NEED TO SEE US. IN YOUR DECISION TONIGHT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZED YOU DID THIS, BUT YOU TIED THE FUTURE PROJECT TO THE OPENING OF BOWDEN AND YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT AND TECHNICALLY NOW UNDER C CLAUSE THAT PROJECT NOW NEEDS TO CONSIDER BOWDEN AS A MITIGATION MEASURE IN THE EIR AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUOUSLY BRING THAT UP. ONE LAST ISSUE TO IT IS THAT KEY [02:15:02] SEE THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR BOTH MISS SOMETHING IN 2011, THERE WAS ANOTHER TRAFFIC STUDY DONE. IT WAS DONE FOR THE LAVERNE VILLAGE. WE WERE TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT, THAT 2011 STUDY WAS ACTUALLY THE NEW BASE POINT FOR STREET, IT SAYS THAT WE HAVE LOS FAILURE AND IN THE NEW EIR IT SAYS THAT THE VEG-EN TS FOR FOR AMHERST IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. YOU USED THAT REPORT, AGAINST THE PEOPLE THAT 100 PLUS SIGNATURES IN 2011. YOU'RE IGNORING US AGAIN TONIGHT, PLEASE SEE US, SEE US HERE ON AMHERST, PLEASE. I'M ALSO GOING TO REQUEST MAYBE OTHER TYPES OF DISCUSSION SO THAT MAYBE MORE OF US ON AMHERST CAN THEN HAVE A ONE-TO-ONE WITH ANY OF YOU SO WE CAN FIGURED SOMETHING OUT ON THIS, BECAUSE TONIGHT WAS JUST TOO MUCH WE WERE COMPLETELY IGNORED, YOU DON'T SEE US HERE IN AMHERST. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MS GULBERDON. >> MR. MAYOR THAT CONCLUDES WHAT WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED. IF YOU WOULD JUST GIVE US A MOMENT TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE IS EMAILING IN. >> THANK YOU. NOTHING ELSE, JARRED? >> NO, SIR. >> WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE REPORTS. [9. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE/MEETING REPORTS] WHO WOULD LIKE TO START THIS EVENING? COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. >> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. I BELIEVE COUNTER, THEY HAD SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS BACK AND FORTH, WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ABOUT EVERYTHING, BUT WE HAD WELL WORTH DISCUSSION ON MANY SUBJECTS TONIGHT. I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO US OPENING BACKUP FOR I KNOW BENITO HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ARE COMING BACK AND THAT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE KIDS GETTING OUT. I WANT TO LOOK FORWARD HOW WITH THOSE REGULATIONS, IF WE CAN START SOME CITY ATHLETICS AND TO SO JUST LOOKING INTO BRINGING BACK KIDS OUT AND PLAYING. APPRECIATE ALL THE COUNCIL AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO FOR OUR CITY ALL THE TIME SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT VOICE SO THANK YOU. >> THANKS, MR. CROSBY. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. >> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I CONCUR WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY SAID ABOUT SCHOOLS OPENING UP AND THEY'RE BEING SOME RESEMBLANCE OF NORMALITY RETURNING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT. AS HIS EARLIER COMMENTS ON A ROBUST DISCUSSION OF CITY COUNCIL IS A GOOD DISCUSSION. WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE AND TALK ABOUT THE VARIOUS ISSUES AND ASPECTS AND THEY AREN'T ALWAYS PRETTY, WHICH IS WHY THEY OFTEN TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT BEING A PROCESS OF MAKING SAUSAGE. THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS JOHNSON, AND JOHNSON WAS JUST APPROVED TO DELIVER ITS VACCINATIONS SO NOW WE HAVE THREE VACCINATIONS. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON IS A SINGLE SHOT VERSUS THE OTHERS THAT REQUIRE TWO SHOTS, BUT PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO GET ONE VERSUS THE OTHER IF ONE IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU, PLEASE GET VACCINATED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. >> YES, I WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE FROM GOLDLINE IS FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T SEEN, IS THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON A STREET IN LAVERNE IN THAT'S TORN UP THERE SO BE AWARE WHEN YOU GO IN THAT AREA BUT A LOT OF WORK IS BEING DONE AND IT TRULY IS MOVING ALONG AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. THEN TODAY I TOOK A DRIVE DOWN TO FULTON IN POMONA, TO SEE THAT POMONA LAVERNE DOWN IN THAT AREA DOWN AND IT'S ALL TORN UP TOO AND THEY'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT WORK THEY DID ON WHEELER AVENUE. IT'S PROGRESSING ALONG QUITE NICELY. THAT'S AN UPDATE FROM THEM BUT OTHERWISE, I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THIS COUNCIL IS WORKING TOGETHER AND YOU WOULDN'T WANT US TO BE A RUBBER STAMP GROUP, AND IT'S EACH OF US HAVE INDIVIDUAL OPINIONS. WE DISCUSS IT, WE MIGHT NOT AGREE AND THERE'S TIMES WE DON'T AGREE AND I MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH SOMEONE'S ANSWER, [02:20:04] BUT WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ISSUE AND WE MOVE FORWARD. I RESPECT EVERYBODY'S TIME THEY GIVE TO THIS COUNCIL. BEYOND THESE MEETINGS, WE HAVE LOTS OF OTHER MEETINGS WE ATTEND AND WE REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY. I REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE SAID OVER AND OVER, I LISTENED TO THE PEOPLE. I KNOW THE OTHERS DO TO, BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE COHERENT COUNCIL, WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. I'M GOING TO ECHO, THE FIRST ONE IS THE COVID VACCINE, JOHNSON AND JOHNSON IS COMING OUT AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SO PERFECTLY PUT IT, GET A SHOT AND TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT BE PFIZER, MODERNA OR JOHNSON AND JOHNSON. THE NICE THING ABOUT A THIRD VACCINE IS THE FACT THAT IT INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF VACCINES THAT WE CAN GIVE. I WILL GIVE THE COUNTY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE RUN OUT OF VACCINES AND A LOT OF THEM. IT'S WORKING LIKE A MACHINE, THE FAIR PLAQUES, I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO SANTA CLARITA DOWN IN DOWNY A LOT OF THE BIG VACCINE SITES, SO CALL, GO TO THE WEBSITE, HAVE YOUR NEIGHBOR HELP YOU IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TECHNICAL ABILITY OR THE DEVICES AT HOME, PLEASE GO TO A NEIGHBOR OR A FRIEND. THEY'RE BECOMING MORE AND MORE READILY AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY OUR LOCAL PHARMACIES, YOUR CVSS, YOUR RITE AIDS. NOW THAT THE PFIZER VACCINE DOESN'T NEED TO BE FROZEN AT 81 DEGREES BELOW ZERO, THAT'S GOING TO HELP QUITE A BIT TOO. I THINK THEY'LL SEE MORE OF THAT. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE AND THAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT COUNSEL. WE WON'T ALWAYS AGREE WILL HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION, AS MR. CROSBY SAID IN MR. DAVIS, AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE RESIDENTS. WE'RE ALL RESIDENTS HERE. WE ALL LIVE HERE. WE WORKED WITH OUR STAFF. WE READ A LOT OF INFORMATION WHERE ON ALL SORTS OF OTHER COMMITTEES THAT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME, BUT IT ALSO MAKES US MUCH MORE PREPARED FOR OUR MEETINGS TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE DO CARE ABOUT EVERYTHING WE DISCUSS AND TO MAKE A BETTER COMMUNITY FOR US, A MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD, MORE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS. WE ALL LIVE HERE. WE'VE ALL RAISED OUR KIDS OR ARE RAISING OUR CHILDREN HERE. I DO APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION WE HAVE WITH COUNCIL. I DO APPRECIATE THAT WE READ, WE DISCUSS, WE ARGUE, AND THEN WE COME UP TO A DECISION. IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE DECISION THAT ONE OF US OR ANY OF US WOULD LIKE, BUT IT'S DECISION OF THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD ON AN ITEM, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD. IT'S NOT A PERFECT WORLD, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT THANK YOU, COUNCIL, I DO APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION. I DO APPRECIATE THE STAFF THE INFORMATION, AND I MUST REMIND EVERYONE OUT THERE THAT WE GET INFORMATION AS THIS COUNCIL MEETING IS GOING, WE GET INFORMATION UP TO ABOUT THE LAST MINUTE OF THE COUNCIL MEETING. WE'RE TRYING TO POUR THROUGH INFORMATION THAT ALL THE RESONANCE GIVE US. ALL THE RESIDENTS FOR EXAMPLE, ON BOWDEN AND ON AMHERST WE'VE READ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE AND WE'VE READ THEM BEFORE AND THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, BUT IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB, BUT WE TRY OUR BEST TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT THE WHOLE OF THE RESIDENTS. I WANT ALSO TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT AS WE GET THE VACCINES AND WE GET THE HARD IMMUNITY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE NOTICED, THE NUMBERS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND ALSO THE DEATHS HAVE BEEN DROPPING, SPECIALLY THE HOSPITALIZATIONS THE COVID CASES. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL GET TO THE NEXT TIER THAT WE CAN OPEN UP OUR COMMUNITY MORE JUST AS OUR SCHOOLS ARE PLANNING THE OPENING UP ON APRIL 5TH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE THAT CHOOSE PLEASE GET THE VACCINE. THE MORE THEY GET THE VACCINE, THE SAFE WE ALL ARE, WE CAN OPEN UP MORE AND MORE. WE GET OUR RESTAURANTS OPEN BACK UP. WE CAN GET OUR PLACES OF THE DISNEYLAND OPENED BACK UP. THE THINGS THAT WE ALL WANT TO LOVE AND SEE AND TRAVEL AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD. ON THAT NOTE TOO, THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AS SOON AS THESE TIERS ARE CHANGING AND DROPPING DOWN IN NUMBERS, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY. I KNOW THAT MR. RUSSI AND MYSELF, WE WORK WITH OUR COUNTY SUPERVISOR, CATHERINE BARGER, AND HER STAFF, SANDRA, MARVILLA AT THE COUNTY ON WHAT CAN WE OPEN NOW? WE'VE GOT PEOPLE CALLING FROM THE MOBILE HOME COMMUNITIES WHEN WE OPEN UP OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS OR SHUFFLEBOARD, OR WAIT ROOMS, WHEN CAN WE HAVE BASKETBALL HOOPS BACKED UP ON OUR PARKS. AS THEY COME, WE WILL WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO OPEN MORE THINGS UP AND QUICKLY, AND ON THAT, REMEMBER, GIRL SCOUT COOKIES KEEP BUYING THEM 80 PERCENT OF THEIR BUDGET IS MADE BY THE PURCHASING OF THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES SO, GIVE TO THE MILITARY, YOUR FRIENDS, HOMELESS SHELTERS, GO ONLINE GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA, PICK YOUR LOCAL AREAS HERE BUY THOSE COOKIES. ANYWAY, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, WE DO APPRECIATE IT. MR. RUSSI, WE HAVE A NEED FOR A CLOSE SESSION. IS THAT CORRECT? [10. CLOSED SESSION:] [02:25:03] >> YEAH, JUST ONE ITEM. THERE WERE TWO LISTED, BUT WE ARE ONLY GOING TO CLOSE SESSION ON ONE. THERE WILL BE NOTHING TO REPORT OUT OF IT. >> WHEN? >> THE CLOSED SESSION IS CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, EXISTING LITIGATION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9, SUBSECTION A, AND THE CASES ARE LISTED. I WON'T READ EACH ONE OF THEM. I DON'T NEED TO CORRECT MR. KRESS. >> DO NOT. >> WE PUBLISH THEM WE WILL RECESS INTO CLOSE SESSION OUR NEXT MEETING IS MARCH 15TH AT 06:30 PM. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.