[00:00:01] LET'S CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ON JULY 6TH, 6:30 P.M. LET'S ALL STAND AND RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. READY? BEGIN. OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, ROLL CALL MR. RUSSI. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS HERE, MAYOR HEPBURN HERE WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS, UNDERSTAND WE HAVE [4. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS] GEORGE [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE LIBRARY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK MR. RUSSI IS THAT CORRECT. HE SAID HE WOULD BUT I DON'T SEE HIM IN THE ATTENDEES J.R. AM I MISSING SOMETHING. NO, I DON'T SEE HIM EITHER. LET ME I GOT HIS PHONE NUMBER JUST AS A BACKUP. SO LET ME GIVE HIM A QUICK CALL AND SEE IF I CAN GET HIM ON SPEAKER. SURE, SURE. WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT. I JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THE FRIENDS OF FOURTH OF JULY, WHICH [INAUDIBLE] REQUIRES A VP AND COUNCIL MEMBER LAU IS THAT CHAIRPERSON. AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC JOB, I WANT TO THANK COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, YVONNE DURAN AND HER STAFF AND I WANT TO THANK CHRISTY IN FINANCE. I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC WORKS. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. I WANT TO THANK POLICE, FIRE AND CITY MANAGEMENT MR. RUSSI WITHOUT A DOUBT, OUR RESIDENTS WERE READY TO HAVE A PARTY AND THAT WAS A PARTY AND THE PARADE, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE STREETS THAT WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME. FAMILIES WERE TOGETHER AND THE FIREWORKS SHOW WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. [INAUDIBLE] OK, THAT'S GREAT. BUT THEY WERE FANTASTIC, GREAT WITH THE CROWD. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY. IT TAKES, AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. AND IN SUCH SHORT TIME. IT WAS FLAWLESS, SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL DONE BY STAFF, THANK YOU, PLEASE. THANK YOU. HOW ARE WE DOING J.R. ? HE IS THERE NOW. MR. MAYOR, CAN YOU HEAR US? I CAN HEAR YOU. GOOD EVENING AND HAPPY FOURTH/ FIFTH. IT'S NICE TO HEAR YOU. FOURTH/ FIFTH/ SIXTH. I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS CAN'T SEE YOU, BUT I GUESS IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN. [INAUDIBLE] IN THE PARKING LOT OVER THE LAST YEAR. BUT IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK. SO GLAD TO SEE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE CITY MAYOR, AND HOPEFULLY THE CITY STAFF AND BOARD MEMBER RESIDENTS ARE LISTENING TO THIS. A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE COVID. AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SINCE APRIL 16TH, THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. BUT I HAVE TO QUALIFY THAT STATEMENT. WE ARE OPEN WITH RESTRICTION. WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED THIRTY PEOPLE INSIDE THE BUILDING AND WE ARE MAINTAINING SIX FEET OF DISTANCING. EVERYBODY HAS TO WEAR A MASK, WHETHER YOU'RE VACCINATED OR NOT, WHETHER YOU HAVE A DOCTOR'S CERTIFICATION OR NOT. EVERYBODY HAS TO WEAR A MASK. AND THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP ON GOING FOR THE DURATION UNTIL WE GET ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO BUT HAVING SAID THAT, THE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR READING, IT'S OPEN FOR STUDYING, IT'S OPEN FOR INTERNET USE, PLACING AND PICKING UP HOLDS. THE ONE THING THAT A LOT OF THE CUSTOMERS HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE, BUT NOW HAVE SEEN THE INTERIOR LIBRARY HAS GONE, HAS UNDERGONE A MAJOR RENOVATION AND ENHANCEMENTS. WE HAVE THERE WAS A REPAINTING PROJECT LAST YEAR. SO THE BUILDING IT STARTED FEELING A LITTLE BIT MODERN [INAUDIBLE] AREA HAS BEEN REARRANGED. SO IT'S MUCH MORE OPEN NOW THAN IT WAS. THE WALLS HAVE BEEN REPAINTED. THE FRIENDS OF THE LA VERNE LIBRARY HAVE PURCHASED THREE ADDITIONAL INTERNET COMPUTERS. SO WHEREAS BEFORE COVID WE HAD FIVE. NOW WE HAVE A TOTAL OF EIGHT INTERNET COMPUTERS, WE HAVE A BRAND NEW COMPUTER FURNITURE ALSO, AND WE ALSO HAVE NEW FURNITURE [INAUDIBLE] SO A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED. UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE PRINTERS CANNOT BE USED BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS. SO [INAUDIBLE] AT THIS POINT, THREE INTERNET STATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THERE ARE NEW PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAM BECAUSE THE RESTRICTIONS, BECAUSE ALL THE PROGRAMING IS HELD IN THE MEETING ROOM AND RIGHT NOW THE ROOM IS BEING OCCUPIED BY FURNITURE, BY STAFF FROM THAT AREA. [00:05:04] AND THERE IS [INAUDIBLE] THERE AND ALL THE FURNITURE, EVERYTHING [INAUDIBLE]. SO WE, IT CAN NOT BE USED. SO BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WE ARE HAVING A SUMMER READING PROGRAM, BUT IT'S BASICALLY FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP, PICK UP CARDS AND TAKE HOME CRAFT, TAKE THEM HOME, WORK ON THEM, AND THE KIDS CAN COME BACK AND GET REWARDED WITH FREE BOOKS. IF THEY READ A SPECIFIC BOOK, [INAUDIBLE]. AND THEY COMPLETE SPECIFIC NUMBER OF CRAFTS. ALSO TWICE A MONTH ON EVERY FRIDAY. WE ARE HAVING WE ARE HAVING A VIRTUAL PROGRAM HERE. IT'S CALLED [INAUDIBLE] A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT HAS TO DO WITH I THINK IT WAS PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT, MOVEMENT AND MUSIC FOR BABIES. SO THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S SPECIFIC TO LA VERNE LIBRARIES. BUT [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY, IF THE CUSTOMERS GO ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE [INAUDIBLE].ORG EXCUSE ME, THERE'S A LIST OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMS THEY CAN SIGN UP. AND I BELIEVE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE LIST GETS UPDATED EVERY TWO WEEKS. SO THAT'S BASICALLY IT. I WISH I WISH I COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE THINGS GOING ON, BUT BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS, BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY PUT OUT SO MUCH FURNITURE OUT THERE, BECAUSE WE ARE CAPACITY AT 30 CUSTOMERS AT A GIVEN TIME THIS IS THE STATUS QUO UNTIL WE GET FURTHER WORD FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO I'M GLAD TO BE OPEN. I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU GUYS. SOME OF THE NEW FACES I HAVEN'T SEEN. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME. SO WELCOME ABOARD. AND HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME I'LL BE ABLE TO REPORT BETTER NEWS. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, WE'RE JUST GLAD YOU'RE OPEN AND COUNCIL QUESTIONS FOR MR. MAY? JUST HEY WE'RE TICKLED TO DEATH, WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION OUT. I'M SURE THEY WILL PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE. I'LL PROBABLY DO A MINUTE WITH EVERYBODY, KNOW THAT YOU'RE OPEN AND AND WITH THE RESTRICTIONS, OBVIOUSLY. AND THEN AS SOON AS WE MOVE THROUGH, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE CHANGES. JUST LET US KNOW SO WE CAN POST THOSE, THAT'D BE GREAT. [INAUDIBLE] LIKE I MENTIONED, THE SIDEWALK SERVICE WHERE WE HAVE ONE SPECIFIC HOUR IN THE MORNING FOR [INAUDIBLE] IS ENDING THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK WE ARE OUR HOURS ARE GOING TO BE TUESDAY FROM 12 TO 8. AND ONCE THEY [INAUDIBLE] ACTUALLY, THE HOUR THAT WE USE THE SIDEWALK SERVICE. THE CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO COME IN AN HOUR EARLIER SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE FACILITIES ONE HOUR EARLIER THAN THEY DID THIS WEEK. SO NEXT WEEK THAT THAT STARTS NEXT WEEK MONDAY, JULY 12TH. OK, GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. JUST KEEP US UPDATED, IF YOU WOULD, ON A WEEKLY BASIS. LET US, LET THE CITY STAFF KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON SO WE CAN UPDATE OUR RESIDENTS. WILL DO WILL DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS AGAIN. AND WELCOME BACK. NICE TO HEAR YOU. LIKEWISE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. TAKE CARE. DO WE HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR? [5. CONSENT CALENDAR] I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY UNLESS SOMETHING HAS BEEN PULLED LAST MINUTE. AND IF WE HAVE NO ONE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR . I'LL MOVE TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED. MR. RUSSI ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS. AYE. MAYOR HEPBURN. YES. MOTION CARRIES. WE MOVE TO OTHER MATTERS. [6a. Initiating Procedures for Establishing and Implementing By-District Voting for City Council Elections] ITEM NUMBER SIX INITIATING PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHED AND IMPLEMENTING BY-DISTRICT VOTING FOR CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS. MR. RUSSI. JUST AS COUNCILS AWARE YOU HAD A STUDY SESSION ON THIS BACK IN DECEMBER. THERE WAS A REQUEST MADE AT THE LAST MEETING BY MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS TO HAVE THIS BROUGHT FORWARD WITH WHAT WOULD BE THE OUTLINE OF THE PROCESS TO BEGIN THE EFFORT OF DISTRICT SHOULD THE COUNCIL CHOOSE. SO THIS INFORMATION WAS PREPARED. THE CONSULTANT THAT DID THE STUDY SESSION FOR YOU PREVIOUSLY IS THE SAME FIRM THAT WOULD BE IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES THE FIRM THAT WOULD DO THE WORK FOR US. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A TURNKEY THAT WE HAVE JUST KIND OF BROUGHT FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION. WITH THAT, I WILL LEAVE IT FOR MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS TO ADD ANYTHING THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO, AND I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT WE MIGHT BE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. SO LET ME CHECK ON THAT. SO PLEASE GO AHEAD. I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. SO ROBIN IS GOING TO LEAD US OFF ON THIS TOPIC. [00:10:02] SO ROBIN OK. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER MUIR DAVIS AND I ASKED TO BRING THIS ITEM TO THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT THE TIMING IS RIGHT AND BECAUSE WE ALSO HAD COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO FELT THAT THIS WAS ALSO THE TIME THAT OUR CITY NEEDED TO DO THIS. SO LOOKING AT THAT, YOU ALL HAVE BEFORE YOU A RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING THAT HAS BEEN DETAILED MUIR AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS TO TRY TO PUT THE WORDING IN CORRECTLY. AND SO LET ME JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW ITEMS ON IT THAT I THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE VERY MUCH INCLUSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRANSPARENT. SO EVERYBODY WILL BE INVOLVED IN THIS WITH PUBLIC HEARINGS AND EVERYTHING. SO I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT SOME OF THE ITEMS ARE. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE WHOLE RESOLUTION, BUT SOME OF THESE IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT WE FELT THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW ALONG WITH THE COUNCIL IS I'M GOING TO JUST GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF ITEMS I FELT WERE VERY IMPORTANT. THE CITY COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY TO MOVE WITH THIS CURRENT AT LARGE ELECTORAL SYSTEM FROM A AT LARGE ELECTORAL SYSTEM TO A BY DISTRICT ELECTION FOR ALL FIVE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION THREE FOUR EIGHT EIGHT SIX, AND IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES OF CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. ALSO, THE CITY MOVES TO MAKE THIS TRANSITION FROM AN AT LARGE SYSTEM TO A BY DISTRICT SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEW PROCEDURAL RULES OUTLINED IN THE GOVERNMENT CODE. THEN ALSO, THE CITY WILL BEGIN BY WORKING WITH AN EXPERIENCED DEMOGRAPHER TO ASSIST THE CITY AND ESTABLISHING MAPS FOR A BY DISTRICT ELECTORAL SYSTEM. WITH THIS, WE YOU WILL SEE LATER ON, IT'S ALSO PROPOSED THAT WE'LL LOOK AT A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER. THIS IS WHERE THE COMMUNITY GETS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IS BEFORE DRAWING A DRAFT MAP OF THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT. THE CITY WILL HOLD AT LEAST TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS OVER NO MORE THAN 30 DAYS, AT WHICH TIME THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO PROVIDE INPUT REGARDING THE COMPOSITION OF THE DISTRICTS. AND THE CITY WILL THEN PUBLISH AND MAKE AVAILABLE FOR RELEASE AT ONE, AT LEAST ONE DRAFT MAP OF THE NEW ELECTORAL SYSTEM DISTRICTS, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL SEQUENCE OF ELECTIONS SHOWING. ONCE THE DRAFT MAP HAS BEEN PUBLICIZED FOR AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS, THE CITY WILL HOLD AT LEAST TWO ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS OVER NO MORE THAN FORTY FIVE DAYS, AT WHICH TIME THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO PROVIDE INPUT REGARDING THE CONTENT OF THE DRAFT MAP IN THE PROPOSED SEQUENCE OF ELECTIONS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING OF WHICH THE COUNCIL ADOPTS A MAP. WHEREAS IF A MAP DRAFT MAP IS REVISED OR OR FOLLOWING A PUBLIC HEARING, THE REVISED MAP WILL BE PUBLISHED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE CITY CHOOSES TO ADOPT IT. ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT IS THE CITY COUNCIL FURTHER RESOLVES TO RETAIN A QUALIFIED DEMOGRAPHER, AS I TALKED ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES AGO, TO HOLD AT LEAST FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND PUBLISH AT LEAST ONE DRAFT MAP IN STAGGERING SEQUENCE. WORKING WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER CONSULTING FIRM STAFF IS DIRECTED TO PUBLICIZE RELEVANT MAPS, INFORMATION NOTICES, AGENDAS AND OTHER MATERIALS REGARDING BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS AND TO ESTABLISHED MEANS OF COMMUNICATION TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC. ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS SHALL BE NOTICED AS FOLLOWS POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE. AT LEAST 10 CALENDAR DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE HEARING POSTING ON THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND PUBLICATION AT LEAST 10 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE HEARING IN THE INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN. SO I FEEL A LOT OF THESE ITEMS. WE PULLED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN GET THAT WE HAVE HEARD OVER THE YEARS OF WHAT THE PUBLIC LIKES WITH THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS. SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MUIR TO HIT OTHER HIGHLIGHTS. THANK YOU, ROBIN. AND AS YOU'VE JUST HEARD, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER WENT THROUGH GREAT DETAIL OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT APPROXIMATELY FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS TO COME UP WITH BY DISTRICT VOTING. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE REPORT, BUT YOU'VE SEEN IT AND YOU'VE SEEN THE RESOLUTION STARTING IN DECEMBER WITH OUR STUDY SESSION, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE CURRENT AT LARGE METHOD THAT WE USE FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL IS INDEFENSIBLE. [00:15:01] AT ANY POINT IN TIME, A LAW FIRM OR SOMEONE CAN FILE SUIT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE US TO PAY A MINIMUM OF FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SATISFY THE LAWSUIT. AND THEN WE WOULD GO DOWN THIS PATH BEING PUSHED IF WE CHOSE TO FIGHT IT. WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS IT COULD COST UPWARDS OR NEARLY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS TO TRY TO RESIST THE EFFORT TO PUSH US INTO DISTRICT VOTING. AND MOST LIKELY THAT EFFORT WOULD BE LOST. NONETHELESS. OUR CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS ADOPTED LESS THAN 50 YEARS AGO IN 1972 AND PUT INTO EFFECT IN 1974. SO THIS ISN'T THIS CURRENT FORM ISN'T THE WAY LA VERNE HAS ALWAYS BEEN. THIS IS NOT NEW, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR THE HUNDRED YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE. IT'S ONLY BEEN USED FOR ABOUT HALF OF THAT, WHICH LETS ME KNOW THAT LA VERNE IS ADAPTABLE AND WE CAN ADOPT THIS NEW METHOD. UNFORTUNATELY THE CURRENT FORM THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE USING IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, PROBABLY I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW FAR BACK, BUT AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL HAS BECOME MORE POLITICIZED. HAVING A MAYOR AND FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS CREATED A PERSPECTIVE THAT ONE IS MORE EQUAL THAN THE OTHER FOUR. SO AND IT'S ALSO BECOME MORE ANIMUS. AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISTRICT TO REMOVE BOTH OF THAT POLITICIZATION OF OUR COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE ANIMUS ON OUR COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE COLLEGIAL. RESIDENTS HAVE SUGGESTED THIS CHANGE AS WELL, THAT WE TAKE ACTION. AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE TAKE ACTION NOW IN AN ACTIVE MODE RATHER THAN WAIT PASSIVELY FOR SOMEBODY TO FORCE US INTO IT. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO REFORM OUR COUNCIL TO BE BOTH MORE COLLEGIAL AND MORE CIVIL. SO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER, CARDER AND I HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD IS AN EFFORT TO INITIATE THE PROCESS FOR DISTRICT VOTING. WE ARE THIS EVENING ASKING THAT WE PASS A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH FIVE DISTRICTS AND FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THE ROTATING MAYOR AND ROTATING MAYOR PRO TEM. WE PROPOSE THAT WE HIRE NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC CORPORATION TO HOLD AT LEAST FOUR HEARINGS FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO WORK OUT THE DETAIL OF DISTRICTS AND COUNCIL FORMATIONS. SO THIS ISN'T THE END ALL BE ALL OF THE RESOLUTION. BUT WE DO NEED TO GET A RESOLUTION IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO SOMEBODY FILING A LAWSUIT. IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT THE RESOLUTION, WE STILL MAY HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET THE FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THIRDLY, IN ADDITION TO PASSING THE RESOLUTION AND IN HIRING NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC, WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD A REQUEST TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT. TONIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND I DESIRE TO CREATE AN OUTCOME TO FORM A FIVE COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS AND RETURN COLLEGIALITY TO OUR COUNCIL BY ROTATING THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM. WE WISH TO REDUCE THE ANIMOSITY AND POLITICIZATION OF OUR COUNCIL BY HOLDING THESE DISTRICT ELECTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS? OR SHALL WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? WELL WE NEED TO HAVE MR. DOUGLAS IS HERE, I THINK HE WAS GOING TO SPEAK ON THAT WASN'T HE MR. RUSSI. NO WE DON'T COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND I WERE GOING TO HANDLE IT OURSELVES AND ONLY GO TO MR. JOHNSON IF THE QUESTIONS WERE TECHNICAL IN NATURE AND NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. HOWEVER, WE DON'T WE WON'T TELL MR. JOHNSON THAT HE CANNOT SPEAK. WE JUST PREPARED THIS EVENING NOT NEEDING ANYBODY OTHER THAN COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND I TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE. WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE COVERED IT PRETTY WELL, BUT MR. JOHNSON IS HERE. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE HIM BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, JUST TO DO AN AIRBRUSH OVER WHAT YOU GUYS DISCUSSED BECAUSE PRETTY MUCH RESOLUTIONS THAT A LOT OF CITIES HAVE DONE SO IF MR. JOHNSON HAS A FEW WORDS TO SAY ON THAT BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. JUST WANTED TO SAY HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, JUST AS A QUICK BACKGROUND, AS WE DID THE DISTRICTS FOR CLAREMONT AND FOR GLENDORA AND FOR JURISDICTIONS ALL OVER THE REGION. AND WE'RE WORKING WITH [INAUDIBLE] ON THEIR REDISTRICTING NOW. SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, MR. JOHNSON, ON THESE OTHER CITIES I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING AND ALSO WHAT IS THE COMMON? IS IT A FIVE ROTATION WITH A MAYORAL ROTATION OR IS IT A FOUR DISTRICT DISTRICT BY DISTRICT OR FOUR DISTRICT WITH AN AT LARGE MAYOR, WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL CONSENSUS? BECAUSE THERE'S ABOUT A FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY CITIES IN CALIFORNIA. [00:20:06] THE NUMBERS CHANGE. MY DATA WAS I COULDN'T GET ANY NEW DATA, BUT IT'S OVER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE CITIES THAT ARE NOW OR IS IT MORE THAN THAT THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE DISTRICT VOTING. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE NOW AND IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE IN TERMS OF WHAT SYSTEMS THEY USE. YEAH. I DON'T HAVE A COUNT OF HOW MANY HAVE A CITYWIDE MAYOR OR NOT. BUT IT'S OVER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE CITIES OUT OF FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY CITIES THAT ARE NOW DOING DISTRICT VOTING, WHICH IS QUITE AN I GUESS IT'S INCREASING QUICKLY, MORE QUICKLY THAN IT WAS BEFORE NOW. COUNCIL DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER, CARDER, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS OR MR. JOHNSON BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT? I THINK PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. OK, THEN WE'LL MOVE DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ON PUBLIC COMMENT JR? MR. MAYOR NOTHING WAS RECEIVED BEFORE THE MEETING. WE DO HAVE A HAND RAISE, SO I WILL LET THAT PERSON IN. GOOD EVENING, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. HE MIGHT BE ON MUTE. I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT MR. [INAUDIBLE] WAS THE INDIVIDUAL THAT BROUGHT THIS UP ORIGINALLY FOR US TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA BACK WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND CARDER WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT HE DID BRING IT UP FOR DISCUSSION BACK WHEN TO BRING IT UP FOR A. MR. [INAUDIBLE], CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY. IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, MR. [INAUDIBLE] I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE ADDRESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN HAVE STAFF OR OUR GUESTS ANSWERING QUESTIONS. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE. MR. RUSSI. YEAH, I MIGHT SUGGEST I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. I'VE CHECKED WITH OTHERS. WE'RE STILL ABLE TO GET THAT COMMUNICATION. I KNOW THERE WAS A REPORT OF SOME PROBLEMS WITH AUDIO, BUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE WORKING ON THE SAMPLES WE'VE SEEN WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, MR. [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU COULD IF YOU WANT TO EMAIL THE CITY CLERK WITH A NUMBER, WE COULD CALL YOU ON YOUR CELL PHONE. IF NOTHING ELSE, WE CAN'T GET THE AUDIO TO WORK HERE. CAN YOU HEAR ANYTHING? BONE, CAN YOU HEAR US? WE LOST YOU AGAIN. MR. [INAUDIBLE], WE HEARD YOU AS FAR AS YOU SAYING, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW AND THEN IT WENT CLICK, CLICK, AND WE COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING BEYOND THAT. WE CAN'T. WHAT IF WE HAD HIM CALL IT PREVIOUS REQUESTS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUST TO TRY THAT. BE RIGHT BACK. WE CAN WAIT. THERE'S NO PROBLEM. WHERE IS THAT TEMPORARY MUSIC WHEN YOU NEED IT? YEAH, HOW ABOUT PATRIOTIC MUSIC TODAY? THAT WOULD BE GOOD. GOOD. I SENT YOU OUR NUMBER. HE'S CALLING HIM NOW. MR. MAYOR I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] ON THE LINE. GOOD EVENING, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. GOOD EVENING. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, THANK YOU. GOOD, THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] I HEAR THE PROPOSAL BEING FIVE DISTRICTS. IS THAT PART OF THE LAW THAT IT SAYS YOU CANNOT HAVE FOUR DISTRICTS AND AN AT LARGE MAYOR? OR IS THE PROPOSAL ONLY FOR FIVE DISTRICTS WITH A ROTATING CHANGING THE AT LARGE MAYOR TO A ROTATING AND BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THE VIDEO I'LL TRY TO LISTEN TO THE [00:25:04] ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, CURRENTLY THE RESOLUTION IS FOR FIVE DISTRICTS ELECTING FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH A ROTATING MAYOR AND A ROTATING MAYOR PRO TEM. THERE COULD BE A CHANGE TO THE RESOLUTION AS WE GO DOWN THIS PROJECT PATH THAT WOULD MODIFY THAT RESOLUTION TO FOUR DISTRICTS FOR COUNCIL WITH AN AT LARGE MAYOR. BUT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IS WHAT IT IS WITH THE FIVE DISTRICTS IN THE FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH A ROTATING MAYOR. OKAY. ANY OTHER BODY UNCALLED JR FOR A COMMENT? NO, SIR, I JUST CHECKED THE EMAIL AGAIN AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE, AND I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS RAISED FOR THIS ITEM. WE'LL GIVE IT 10 SECONDS OR SO. WE'LL POST PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO POST PUBLIC COMMENT AND COME BACK TO OUR COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY AND COUNCIL MEMBER LAU DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, MR. CROSBY I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE PROPOSAL OF THE ROTATIONAL, LIKE I KNOW I'M THE MAYOR PRO TEM RIGHT NOW. IT'S BASED ON ELECTION TIMING. WOULD THAT BE THE SAME? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING THE MAYOR TO BE TOO? AND THE REASON I ASK, BECAUSE I KNOW IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IT'S VOTED ON BY THE SCHOOL BOARD OF WHO'S LIKE THE PRESIDENT OR THE VICE PRESIDENT JUST FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROPOSAL HERE WOULD BE FOR THAT. IN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS THAT WE ESSENTIALLY VOTE FOR THE MAYOR PRO TEM RIGHT NOW, OF HOW THAT ROTATES IN THE CURRENT FORM AND OUR PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO LIKEWISE VOTE ON THE ROTATION OF THE MAYOR AS WELL. SO YOU MIGHT END UP WITH A PREDICTIVE SCHEDULE, BUT IT DOES HAVE TO BE CONFIRMED BY THREE VOTES OF THE COUNCIL EACH YEAR. OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION OF THE PROPOSAL. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, MR. CROSBY. I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MUIR WITH REGARD TO YOUR COMMENT EARLIER. I WANT TO BE CLEAR SO THE ASSESSMENT COULD CHANGE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW. IS THAT WHAT THAT WILL BE BASED ON? WELL THEY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FORMATION OF FIVE OR FOUR DISTRICTS THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY BE THROUGH IT WOULD TAKE PLACE DURING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE ACTIVE DISCUSSION WITH RESIDENTS AND COUNCIL. OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY THAT. RIGHT. THE KEY, THOUGH, IS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A RESOLUTION IN PLACE AND THE PROCESS IS GOING TO DEFEND OURSELVES FROM BEING SUED. NO I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS DEFINITELY A CONCERN THAT I HAD WHEN WE HAD THIS BROUGHT UP AT THE STUDY SESSION. RIGHT. I'M GOING TO REFER A QUESTION TO MR. JOHNSON BEING THAT SAID WHETHER IT BE A 4 DISTRICT AND A AT LARGE MAYOR OR A FIVE DISTRICT WITH A MAYORAL ROTATION LEGALLY WISE, HAS THAT CAUSED ANY ISSUES? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT THIS AIR TIGHT. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY ISSUES. AND I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THIS A LONG TIME AGO AND I DON'T RECALL WHAT THE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THAT. IS THERE ANY ISSUE WITH EITHER WAY WE DO THIS AS LONG AS WE'RE CHANGING THE DISTRICT VOTING IS A AT LARGE MAYOR GOING TO CAUSE AN ISSUE WITH A LAWSUIT? OR. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE CHALLENGES WHERE EVEN THOUGH THEY WENT TO DISTRICTS, THE PLAINTIFFS STILL CHALLENGED KEEPING THE CITY WIDE MAYOR, NONE OF THOSE SUCCEEDED. BUT EACH OF THOSE JUDGES KIND OF RULED ON OTHER ISSUES AND LEFT AN OPEN QUESTION. THERE HAS BEEN SOME STATUTORY CHANGES MORE RECENTLY THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE IT'S OK TO HAVE A CITY WIDE MAYOR, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY IT EXPLICITLY. SO, OK, I MEAN, I'M ALL FOR DISTRICT VOTING, BUT I ALSO AM FOR KEEPING SOME OF THE WAY WE DO THINGS. I WANT THE RESIDENTS TO MAKE THAT DECISION, NOT MYSELF AND NOT ANYONE ELSE, [00:30:03] WHICH WOULD BE I DON'T LIKE IT CLOSED ENDED. WE'RE SAYING WE HAVE FIVE DISTRICTS IN A MAYORAL LOCATION. IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN PUT THE LANGUAGE IN THERE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S JUST A RESOLUTION THAT CAN BE CHANGED? BUT WE WANT IT OPEN ENDED ALSO TO SAY THAT WE CAN EITHER DO A FIVE DISTRICTS OR WE DO A FOUR DISTRICT WITH A MAYORAL ROTATION. IS THAT MR. KRESS. [INAUDIBLE] THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP OF A PROCESS, AND TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL ADOPT THE DISTRICTS. AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PROCESS. I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE HAS ACTUALLY MENTIONED THIS, BUT AS PART OF MR. JOHNSON'S PROPOSAL YOU'RE GETTING SOFTWARE TOOLS AND A DEDICATED WEBSITE FOR THIS PROJECT. SO THERE IS GOING TO BE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS TO SAY THEY HAVE A BETTER IDEA AND THIS IS HOW THEY WOULD DRAFT THE DISTRICTS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE FULLY EXPECT THAT SOME RESIDENTS WILL SUBMIT PROPOSALS WITH THE 4 DISTRICTS AND THE AT LARGE MAYOR. SO IT ALL HAS TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR A FINAL VOTE. AND YOU NEED TO BE COMPLETED WITH THIS PROCESS BY DECEMBER 15TH BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN ELECTION IN JUNE OF 2022. AND IN ORDER TO HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THOSE WHO WOULD RUN FOR THESE OFFICES, WHATEVER THEY MIGHT BE, YOU HAVE TO BE DONE BY DECEMBER 15TH. OK. AND ANOTHER QUESTION WOULD COME OUT WOULD BE, I'M SORRY, MR. MAYOR. NO GO AHEAD I SEE BENEFITS ON ON ALL SIDES, TOO. AND THEN IF WE HAD FIVE COUNCIL, THEN IT'D BE FOUR YEAR TERMS INSTEAD OF THE MAYOR RUNNING EVERY TWO YEARS AS WELL. THERE'S ALSO A COST FACTOR AS JUST RUNNING FOR OFFICE, KNOWING A CITYWIDE ELECTION RATHER THAN A DISTRICT ELECTION. THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COST FACTORS WHERE THEN WE MIGHT GET MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN AND RUN FOR OFFICE, BECAUSE I KNOW THE COST FACTOR HOLDS PEOPLE OUT AS WELL, THOUGH I DO WANT TO LOOK IN THE CITIES AROUND US AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY HAVE AS WELL AND REALLY DO OUR DILIGENCE. AND JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER LAU SAID. AND YOU, MR. MAYOR AS WELL, AND I KNOW MS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER LETTING THE PEOPLE SPEAK ON THIS AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE HEARD AS WELL. SO AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SAID, THERE'S A RESOLUTION TONIGHT, BUT THAT WILL NOT BE THE THE FINAL RESOLUTION UNTIL WE GET INPUT FROM THE CITY. SO THAT IS REAL KEY TO BE TO BE SAID, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO GO OUT AFTER WHATEVER THE VOTE IS TONIGHT. THIS IS WHAT THE COUNCIL IS DOING AND TRYING TO GET DONE, KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE GOING TO THE PEOPLE FOR A LOT OF INPUT AS WELL. MR. MAYOR IF I CAN. YES. WE HAVE SOMEONE ON PUBLIC COMMENT THAT HAS MISSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT. SHOULD WE STOP THIS AND GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR GAVELED ON IS THAT CORRECT . UP TO COUNCIL IF THEY WISH TO. COUNCIL SOMEONE WAS MISSED. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED ON PUBLIC COMMENT AND EMAILED ME. AND I THINK WE SHOULD LET THEM HAVE A COMMENT. LET'S CLOSE OUR FORUM RIGHT HERE AND WE'LL GO BACK TO PUBLIC. MR. KRESS DO WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. NO. OK, WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS AND GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT. JUST GIVE JR A MINUTE TO CALL HIM, PLEASE. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IF PEOPLE WISH TO SPEAK, THEY NEED TO EMAIL CITYCLERK@CITYOFLAVERNE.ORG. WE ALWAYS WANT TO INCLUDE EVERYONE AND ANYONE. [00:35:02] WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PUT THAT LITTLE TAG LINE UNDERNEATH OUR SEAL. MR. MAYOR, I HAVE JOE GABALDON ON THE LINE. GOOD EVENING, MR. GABALDON. YOU DO HAVE THE FLOOR, SIR. THANK YOU, FOR CORRECTING THE OVERSIGHT ON MY REQUEST TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER THIS EVENING. ALSO, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M LOOKING TO SPEAK ON THE 6C AND THEN THE GENERAL COMMENT, UNLESS THAT WAS OVERLOOKED AS WELL. NO PARTICULAR ITEM ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. I FEEL THAT IT SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY SUDDEN AS IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN MENTIONED OR BROUGHT UP IN MANY OF THE MEETINGS DURING THE PREVIOUS MONTHS LEADING UP TO TODAY. AND IT'S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DECISION. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE COMMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, IF THIS WORKS, TO MAKE THINGS MORE COLLEGIAL OR CIVIL AMONG THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE MAYOR, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK IT WORKS TO DO THE OPPOSITE AND QUITE FRANKLY, BEING COLLEGIAL AND CIVIL WITH AN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE AND SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIZED. SO I THINK I REMIND THE MEMBERS THAT THAT'S THEIR DECISION TO BE CIVIL AND COLLEGIAL AMONGST EACH OTHER. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING SANTA MONICA, THAT THE GENERAL POPULATION OF LA VERNE SHOULD BE AWARE IS FIGHTING BACK ON THIS TO MITIGATE THE CONCERN REGARDING THE LAWSUIT EXPOSURE THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE. A LOT OF THIS IS VERY POLITICAL IN NATURE IN GENERAL. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL OR ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO THE IMPROVEMENT AND HOW IT IS THAT VOTER'S VOICE GETS ACROSS BETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE DECISIONS ARE MADE BETTER. IN MY OPINION OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ON THIS INITIATIVE TO DO THIS ARE DOING NOTHING MORE THAN TO CREATE MORE POLITICAL SCHEMA WITHIN THE CITY WHERE THEY ARE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS IN THEIR DISTRICT AND NOT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY I BELIEVE THAT THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP SHOULD SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY AND NOT ON BEHALF OF VOTING GROUPS. ADDITIONALLY, THE FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR FEE THAT IS BEING ASKED FOR OUT OF THE FUND IS MONEY THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE FOR THESE KIND OF THINGS. CONSIDERING THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE, INCLUDING AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING, THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT. SO I REALLY THINK THIS SHOULD BE PUT OFF UNTIL OTHER THINGS AROUND US ACTUALLY GET SETTLED, INCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA DECISION. AND I ALSO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN CROSBY THAT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE CANDIDATES THAT MAY LOOK TO [INAUDIBLE] IN FUTURE ELECTIONS MAY BE IMPROVED. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EACH OF YOU SHOULD REMEMBER IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS IF YOU VOTE TO MORE POLITICIZED OUR CURRENT CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. GABALDON. JR ANYBODY ELSE. NO, SIR. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL GO BACK TO THE FLOOR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. JOHNSON OR COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER, OR COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. I THINK MY ONLY COMMENT WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE INTERESTED IN. I THINK, AGAIN, AS WE DISCUSSED DURING THE STUDY SESSION, BACK WAY BACK WHEN. NOW, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS REGARDING LITIGATION ARE REAL. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING I THINK IF I AND CORRECT ME IF I'M MISQUOTING A MINIMUM OF, WHAT, 40 GRAND TO DEFEND A LAWSUIT AS OPPOSED TO 50 GRAND TO INVESTIGATE WHAT OUR COMMUNITY FEELS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IS MONEY WELL SPENT. I WOULD, OF COURSE, WANT STAFF AND OUR CONSULTANTS TO ALSO APPRISE OF ANY CHANGES THAT MAY BE OCCURRING WITH LITIGATION IN OTHER CITIES, WHAT'S THE NORM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISION POSSIBLE. ALSO, AS A RECENT ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW, I WILL ALSO COMMENT THAT YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, YOU MAY FOLLOW ALONG THE SPECTRUM ABOUT THE WHYS OR WHY NOT OF DISTRICTING. I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF VOICES THAT DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BECAUSE THEY ARE PRECLUDED FROM PARTICIPATING DUE TO THE HIGH PRICE OF ADMISSION. AND I'VE SAID THIS AND ALSO SEE THIS MANY TIMES OVER. THERE ARE SOME WE HAVE A COMMUNITY OF VERY SMART PEOPLE WHO I THINK COULD VERY WELL SIT IN ANY ONE OF THESE SEATS AS EASILY AS WE DO. AND SOMETIMES THE ONLY THING THAT MAY BE PRECLUDING THEM FROM DOING THAT IS, AGAIN, LIKE [00:40:04] I SAID, THE COST OF ADMISSION. AND SO I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THE STUDY WOULD PROVIDE AND WHAT THE INFORMATION WOULD BE, BECAUSE I THINK PROVIDING THAT DIVERSITY OF VOICES IS IMPORTANT. MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO JUST CLOSE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING THAT FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS, I HAVE REALLY WATCHED CLAREMONT. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I CAME ON THE COUNCIL TO SEE THAT CLAREMONT HAD A ROTATION OF THEIR MAYOR. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY STRANGE. I WAS SO USED TO LA VERNE'S WAY. AND AS I WATCHED OVER THE YEARS AND THEN TIM WHEN YOU CAME ON TO COUNCIL, YOU EVEN TALKED WITH ME ABOUT, BOY, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD A ROTATION OF A MAYOR BECAUSE IT IS NICE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO HAVE THAT LEADERSHIP. AND AS WE KNOW, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY. WE ALL ARE ONE VOTE, ALL FIVE OF US. SO NO ONE HAS MORE THAN THE OTHER. AND YOU'RE MORE JUST THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CITY. BUT THAT COULD BE SPREAD AROUND YEAR TO YEAR. CLAREMONT LOVES THE WAY IT IS. EVEN THE NEW MEMBERS THAT WERE VOTED IN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO REALLY ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK THAT THEY CAN BE MAYOR AND TO REPRESENT THEIR CITY. SO THAT'S WHY I ALSO FELT THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT FOR OUR CITY AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. MR. DAVIS. ANY OTHER PARTING COMMENTS BEFORE I SPEAK? WELL, THE I GUESS THE PIECE ON THE COST FACTOR IS AND I HAVEN'T DONE A RIGOROUS ANALYSIS, BUT THE LIMITED ANALYSIS THAT I'VE DONE HAS INDICATED AND SHOWN THAT DISTRICT ELECTIONS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THE CANDIDATES THAN AT LARGE ELECTIONS. SO THAT WOULD BE MY MY ONE COMMENT ON THE DISTRICT PIECE. GOOD POINT COUNCILMAN CROSBY. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LAU SAID TOO, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THIS LAWSUIT IS 40 GRAND, BUT WE STILL WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE 50 GRAND FOR THE DISTRICT INFORMATION AS WELL. SO IT WOULDN'T BE ONE OR THE OTHER. IT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL TO IT AS WELL. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND I HAVEN'T JUMPED IN, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S STILL THIRTY THOUSAND. THIRTY. OK. WELL. [INAUDIBLE] I THINK IT WAS THIRTY THOUSAND IS WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, BUT STILL THAT MAKES IT EIGHTY THOUSAND. WHETHER WE'D WANT TO SPEND THE 30 SO. LAWYERS FEES ALWAYS GO UP. YEAH, A POINT WELL TAKEN. AND THIS WAS AS COUNCILWOMAN CARDER SO GRACIOUSLY PUT IT ACTUALLY DURING MY MAYORAL CAMPAIGN, THOSE [INAUDIBLE] PROPONENT OF A ROTATION, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA. I THINK IT REPRESENTS OUR COMMUNITY BETTER. THIS IS SOMETHING WE DID BRING UP A WHILE AGO WHEN COVID HIT WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY KEEPING OUR CITY OPEN AND OUR BUSINESSES OPEN AND COMMUNICATING WITH OUR CITY. AND I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. I THINK THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE A LAWSUIT. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND AN EXTRA THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS THE FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AS MUCH IN LINE WITH THE DEMOGRAPHICS AS FAR AS THE DISTRICT VOTING. THEN WE'LL HAVE OPEN DISCUSSION. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT WE'RE DECIDING. WE'RE JUST DECIDING TO GIVE THIS A PATH. AND THE PATH IS GOING TO BE RIGOROUS DISCUSSION AND WHETHER IT'S A 4 DISTRICT AND AN AT LARGE MAYOR OR WHETHER IT'S A FIVE DISTRICT AND A MAYORAL ROTATION, LET THE RESIDENTS DECIDE. BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE DO THIS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK NEVER BETTER THAN THE TIME IS NOW. AND WE GET IT MOVING. WE GET TO NOVEMBER AND GET THIS THING HAMMERED OUT. LET THESE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND SO WITH THAT, I NEED AND ANY OTHER DISCUSSION I NEED A MOTION. SO I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, CAN WE DO WE NEED TO DO THIS ONE AT A TIME, MR. KRESS? OR CAN WE JUST DO THEM ALL AT ONCE? YOU CAN DO THEM ALL AT ONCE. OK, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE HONOR OF MOVING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT A RESOLUTION 2147 AS FOLLOWS RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA VERNE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EXPRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL'S INTENTION TO INITIATE PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING AND IMPLEMENTING BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. TWO ACCEPT AND APPROVE THE PROPOSAL OF NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS CORPORATION WITH THE OPTIONAL PROJECT WEBSITE ELEMENT AND NUMBER THREE, APPROPRIATE THE SUM OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THIS PROJECT. AND I WILL SECOND THAT. MR. RUSSI ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU AYE COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER YES, MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS AYE. MAYOR HEPBURN YES. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM B AGREEMENT FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT MR. [6b. Agreement for Temporary Employment (Anthony Ciotti)] ANTHONY CIOTTI. MR. RUSSI OR JR WHO IS GOING TO TAKE THIS. [00:45:02] [INAUDIBLE] CITY MANAGER RANELLS WILL TAKE THAT. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU MR. RANELLS. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. RECENTLY, THE CITY'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ANTHONY CIOTTI, RETIRED AFTER 38 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. WITH 13 YEARS HERE IN LA VERNE. DUE TO UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOT HAVING A VERY LARGE APPLICANT POOL, OUR FLEET MANAGER POSITION STILL REMAINS VACANT. MR. CIOTTI IN HIS ROLE AS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, ACTUALLY OVERSAW FLEET MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AND OBVIOUSLY HAD A LONG CAREER IN PUBLIC WORKS WITH MULTIPLE OPERATIONS, BUT WITH US SPECIFICALLY OVERSAW SOME OF THOSE FLEET OPERATIONS. THE FLEET DIVISION IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT, KEEPING OUR OUR FIRE, OUR POLICE, OUR WATER, OUR SEWER EQUIPMENT OPERATIONAL AND GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SERVE OUR PUBLIC'S NEEDS, ASIDE FROM PROVIDING DAILY SUPPORT TO FLEET OPERATIONS APPROVING THIS AGREEMENT WOULD ALLOW MR. CIOTTI TO SPECIFICALLY ASSIST WITH COMPLETING THE PURCHASE OF TWO FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES, AS WELL AS A NEW BACKING TRUCK FOR THE UTILITIES DIVISION. IN ORDER TO BE COMPLIANT WITH CALIFORNIA LAW AND THE PENSION REFORM ACT IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CERTIFY THERE IS A NEED TO WAIVE THE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DAY WAITING PERIOD. AS WELL AS TAKING ACTION, AFFIRMING THE EXECUTION OF SUCH EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS, STAFF HAS CONFIRMED WITH PERS THAT WE'RE TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS AND THAT THIS WOULD FALL IN LINE WITH THE PENSION REFORM LAW. FROM A FISCAL PERSPECTIVE, THE ARRANGEMENT PROVIDES A SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, MR. CIOTTI WILL HAVE AN HOURLY RATE REDUCED TO FLEET MANAGER AND WILL RECEIVE NO OTHER MONETARY BENEFITS. THE REDUCTION IN HOURLY RATE FROM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO FLEET MANAGER IS NECESSARY TO MEET THOSE SAME PENSION REFORM STANDARDS. SINCE THE CITY WILL BE RECRUITING FOR A FLEET MANAGER, NOT FOR A DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION, WE ACTUALLY WON'T BE FILLING THAT POSITION. TO BE IN COMPLIANCE YOU HAVE TO BE DOING AN ACTIVE RECRUITMENT FOR THE POSITION THAT THE INTERIM RETIRED A NEW [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE FILLING. STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE RESOLUTION 2145 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ANTHONY CIOTTI TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY PART TIME EMPLOYMENT. THANK YOU JR DO WE HAVE ANY THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. JR PUBLIC COMMENT DO WE HAVE ANYBODY. AND JUST LET ME LOOK AT SOMETHING LUPE JUST HANDED ME. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S. WE LOST YA. THERE YOU GO, WHAT SHE HANDED ME WAS FOR ANOTHER ITEM. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REQUEST TO SPEAK UNDER THIS ITEM AND I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS RAISED SIR. MR. GABALDON HAD SAID THAT HE WAS COMING BACK FOR ANOTHER ITEM, THAT WASN'T THIS ONE WAS IT. ITEM C MR. DAVIS. I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE. I CHECKED THE EMAIL AND IT'S ITEM C AND THEN ITEM SEVEN. SO EXCELLENT. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND COME BACK TO COUNCIL COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL BEFORE WE MOVE ON THIS ITEM. I'M HAPPY TO JUMP IN AND SAY THAT I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF KEEPING MR. CIOTTI ON IN THIS FASHION. AND I CAN AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN A LOYAL EMPLOYEE TO THE CITY AND A HARDWORKING INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL DO A GOOD JOB TO FILL THIS POSITION UNTIL WE GET SOMEBODY NEW HIRED. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU ANY COMMENTS. NO, I ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY, THANK YOU. AND JUST JR ANSWERED THEM BY WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR THAT POSITION, BUT I CAN SAY DEFINITELY THAT MR. CIOTTI CAN FILL THESE SHOES. IT'S THE UNFORTUNATE, PASSING OF MR. CRAWFORD, WHICH WHO WAS JUST A WONDERFUL PERSON. AND A VERY, VERY, VERY EXCELLENT MANAGER. BUT MR. CIOTTI HAS GOT SO MUCH EXPERIENCE IN OUR CITY AND KNOWS THE FLEET PART OF IT, KNOWS THE PUBLIC, WORKS PART OF IT, AND WE COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER PERSON IN THE SHOES. PLUS, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, MR. CIOTTI, WE'RE SAVING SOME MONEY. SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S ON THE BENEFIT PACKAGE. BUT MY PERSONAL OPINION IS WE WELCOMED HIM WITH OPEN ARMS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. WITH THAT, I NEED A MOTION. I'LL GO AHEAD AND STEP UP AND MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE FACILITATE THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER FROM MR. CIOTTI TO OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF BY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 2145, AN AGREEMENT [00:50:06] AUTHORIZING TO HIRE RETIRED ANNUITANT ANTHONY CIOTTI AS INTERIM FLEET MANAGER AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAME. THANK YOU. I WILL SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS. AYE. MAYOR HEPBURN. YES. AND IT'S AMAZING HOW THE SUN GOES DOWN SO QUICKLY WHEN YOU'RE IN A ROOM. [LAUGHTER] WE WELCOME HIM WITH OPEN ARMS STILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM C WHITE AVENUE STORM DRAIN PIPE REPLACEMENT NECESSITATED BY GOLD LINE [6c. White Ave. Storm Drain Pipe Replacement Necessitated by Gold Line Construction] CONSTRUCTION. MR. IGOE. GOOD EVENING AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING CREW THAT WITHOUT THEM THIS FOURTH OF JULY PARADE AND THE FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. HI, WELL GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU A REQUEST TONIGHT FOR THE APPROPRIATION OF THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY DOLLARS FROM THE STORMWATER FUND FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO TWENTY FOUR INCH STORM DRAIN LINES ON WHITE AVENUE THAT ARE DETERIORATED AND BEYOND REPAIR. THESE LINES ARE LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE ACTIVE METROLINK RAIL LINE AND IF LEFT, AS IS, COULD BECOME PROBLEMATIC. DURING THE ORIGINAL UTILITY INVENTORY CONDUCTED BY METRO GOLD LINE FOOTHILL EXTENSION CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY FOR THE GOLD LINE EXTENSION THROUGH THE CITY OF LA VERNE. THESE LINES WERE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE OWNED BY METROLINK BUT LATER FOUND TO BE UNCLAIMED. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH METRO AND METROLINK AND BASED ON STAFF EVALUATION, ALONG WITH THE EVALUATION OF THE CITY'S STORMWATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM, IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CITY TO OWN AND MAINTAIN THESE LINES. THE COST TO REPLACE THESE LINES HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO METRO BY KIEWIT PARSONS JOINT VENTURE KPJV AND PASSED ALONG TO THE CITY. AS WITH OTHER UTILITY WORK RELATED TO GO LIGHT, THIS IS CONSIDERED A BETTERMENT AND REQUIRES THE CITY TO PAY FOR SUCH WORK. DUE TO THE TIMELINES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OBTAINING QUOTES FOR SUCH WORK, POTENTIAL DELAYS IN THE GOLD LINE EXTENSION AND THE COST SAVINGS FOR KPJV ALREADY BEEN MOBILIZED THE ATTACHED QUOTE IS REASONABLE. WITH THAT CITY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL APPROPRIATE THE THREE HUNDRED NINETY ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY DOLLARS FROM THE STORMWATER FUND TO ALLOW FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO TWENTY FOUR INCH STORM DRAIN LINES. WITH THAT I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. IGOE. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. IGOE BEFORE WE GO TO A PUBLIC COMMENT? WE WILL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. JR, I THINK MR. GABALDON WAS REQUESTING. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, I HAVE MR. JOE GABALDON ON THE LINE. MR. GABALDON EVENING AGAIN. PLEASE BEGIN. [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. SO THIS EVENING, OBVIOUSLY, I'VE GONE THROUGH THE AGENDA, WHICH IS WHY I'M SPEAKING AND ASKING TO SPEAK FOR THE SECOND TIME, AND THEN A THIRD TIME LATER. BUT WHEN I SEE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, GIVEN THE DURATION OF THE PLANNING TIMELINES FOR THIS PROJECT AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED, INCLUDING KIEWIT PARSONS AND THE CITY OF LA VERNE STAFF AND THE CALIFORNIA REGIONAL AUTHORITIES, I FIND IT SHOCKING THAT THIS ISSUE HAS COME UP FOR THE CITY AT THIS JUNCTURE. I BELIEVE THE NECESSITY TO REPLACE THE SEWER LINES OR EXCUSE ME THE STORM DRAIN IS APPROPRIATE AND IS A NO BRAINER AT SOME POINT WHEN WHAT IS FOUND TO BE IN DISREPAIR. BUT A BILL SETTLED WITH THE CITY FOR ALMOST FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS. AND I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST AT THE LAST MEETING, OR AT LEAST ONE BEFORE THAT, THAT THE MAYOR HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE TAKE FUNDS FROM OUR RESERVE TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES AND LA VERNE WITH FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT PICKING UP THE TAB FOR FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BECAUSE OF, QUOTE, THE PROJECT WAS BELIEVED TO BE OWNED BY THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL AUTHORITY AND NOW FOUND TO BE ON OR A LEASE CITY OF LA VERNE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. SO I WOULD ASK WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS WORK AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO MORE, YOU KNOW, FINDINGS OF THIS NATURE. AND WE ARE OBVIOUSLY AT THE 11TH HOUR OF THIS PROJECT AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES UP OTHER THAN DEAL WITH IT? [00:55:02] OUR CITY IS NOT IN A POSITION TO BE MAKING THESE KINDS OF THINGS OR HAVE THESE OVERSIGHTS. AND FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS GOES A LONG WAY TO PAY FOR OTHER THINGS THE CITY NEEDS, INCLUDING THE ITEMS THAT I SPOKE TO EARLIER, TO SAY IF IN FACT WE CAN PROCEED WITH THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MR. GABALDON. JR. I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS UP TONIGHT. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER EMAILS, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GO AND JUST CHECK OUT OUR FILTER AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING THERE. OK, WE'LL GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT. STILL NOTHING RECEIVED SIR. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I THINK I'D LIKE TO COME BACK TO MR. IGOE. IT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION THAT I DID THINK ABOUT, TOO. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDER THE TRACKS AND WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE DOING SUCH EVASIVE CONSTRUCTION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GOLD LINE AND THE DOUBLE TRACKING. JUST A QUICK EXPLANATION ON WHAT ACTUALLY DID HAPPEN. WE DID THINK IT WAS OURS UNDER THE RAIL AUTHORITY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T. AND WE DO HAVE FUNDS IN THE STORM DRAIN FUND FOR 19 THAT DO COVER THESE TYPE OF THINGS. AND I'M SURE THE COST WOULD BE ASTRONOMICALLY MORE IF WE DID IT OURSELVES, BECAUSE THESE CONTRACTORS HAVE BIG EQUIPMENT THAT'S READY TO GO AND THEY'RE DIGGING RIGHT NOW AND THEY CAN DO IT IN A MUCH TIMELY [INAUDIBLE] FASHION. BUT JUST IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN, WHAT WOULD WE ASSUME THAT IT WAS UNDER THE CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, YOUR STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT. WE DID EVALUATE ALL OF THE UTILITIES IN THE AREA, AND AT THE TIME IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE UNDER METROLINK'S AUTHORITY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE WENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN METRO AND METROLINK TO DETERMINE WHO OWNED THESE LINES. AND ULTIMATELY, IT WASN'T DETERMINED THAT ANYBODY OWNED THE LINES. THERE WAS NO EASEMENTS, NO DOCUMENTS. AND SO BASED OFF THE AGE, BASED OFF THE LOCATION AND OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM FLOWING THROUGH THESE PIPELINES, IT DOES MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY TO OWN AND OPERATE THEM. I WOULD SAY THAT AT ANY RATE, IRREGARDLESS IF THE CITY DID OWN THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACED AT SOME POINT ANYWAY. AND SO TO YOUR POINT, THEY WOULD THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE PROJECT IF WE DID NOT HAVE METRO IN THE AREA DOING THIS WORK. SO I WOULD SAY IT'S A YES, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PROJECT TO CONDUCT THIS WORK, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE AND POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE HAD SOME FAILURES WITHIN THAT LINE, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROBLEMATIC. NOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, EXCUSE ME MR. [INAUDIBLE] I'M SORRY. THE LINE, THE ACTUAL THE TWENTY FOUR INCH CORRUGATED METAL STORM DRAIN WAS PRETTY MUCH DEMOLISHED. IT WAS GONE. IT WAS LITERALLY RUSTED THROUGH. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. THE BOTTOM OF BOTH OF THOSE LINES WERE DETERIORATED. AND REALLY WHAT WE KIND OF CAME TO EVALUATION OF IS THE WATER WAS FLOWING BETWEEN THOSE TWO LINES AND ERODING UNDERNEATH THOSE LINES. AND IN YOUR ESTIMATION, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING IS MUCH LESS THAN WE WOULD BE IF WE HAD CONTRACTED OUT TO PRIVATE CONTRACTOR, IS THAT CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY. GREAT. MR., CROSBY, I'M SORRY GO AHEAD. SORRY MR. RUSSI. PERMITTING PROCESS TO DO WORK UNDER A RAIL LINE IS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT. AND SO THE FACT THAT THIS IS GOING ON DOES MAKE IT EVEN MORE EFFICIENT IN THAT REGARD AS WELL SO. THAT MAKES SENSE. IT THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST POINTS THAT WE DIDN'T BRUSH ON. BUT THEY'RE DOING IT. THEY HAVE ALL THE PERMITS AND THEY'RE IN PROCESS. SO IT'S JUST PART OF THE JOB. MR. CROSBY. GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. AND MR. HEPBURN. I THINK YOU ALLUDED TO THIS, BUT IT WASN'T SPOKEN ABOUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN, MR. IGOE, ABOUT THE STORM DRAIN FUND VERSUS GENERAL FUND MONEY AS WELL? BECAUSE THAT IS A BIG ISSUE RIGHT HERE. CORRECT. THERE IS A SEPARATE FUND SO GENERAL FUND IS TYPICALLY WE RECEIVE FUNDS FROM PROPERTY TAX SALES TAX REVENUE WHERE THE STORM DRAIN FUND IS, WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE REVENUE IN THAT FUND, SO SIMILAR TO WATER AND SEWER. SO THIS IS A PROTECTED FUND. AND SO WE'RE NOT IMPACTING THE GENERAL FUND. SO THAT'S A GREAT POINT. AND SPENDING THIS FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ALL AROUND THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW OF ADD ONS AND COSTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING THERE, TOO. HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN THAT 419 FUND? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OF THIS AND THEN HAVE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ISSUES IN THE CITY? YES. LAST I CHECKED, WE HAD OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WITHIN THIS FUND. AND CURRENTLY WE DO PULL MONEY FROM THE CIP TO DO PROJECTS AND EVEN PULLING THIS MONEY [01:00:03] OUT, WE'RE NOT IMPACTING ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE CIP'S. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, I THINK YOU HAD YOUR. YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON BOTH YOUR COMMENT, MR. MAYOR, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY'S COMMENT REGARDING THE COST AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LUCKY WE FOUND IT NOW VERSUS LATER, BECAUSE I WILL SAY ANOTHER COST THAT IS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A RAIL LINE, IS RAIL PROTECTIVE INSURANCE, WHICH IS ALSO NOT CHEAP. SO ALL IN ALL. LUCKY WE CAUGHT IT. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THE LAST PIECE THAT I WANTED TO CHAT ABOUT IS THIS IS A ONE TIME FUNDING REQUIREMENT. THESE AREN'T ANNUAL FEES THAT WE HAVE TO PAY OUT. THIS IS A CAPITAL PAYMENT FOR A CAPITAL PROJECT THAT WE'LL PROBABLY FORGET ABOUT FOR ANOTHER 70 OR 80 YEARS. BUT IN THIS CASE, THOSE OLD LINES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE MY GUESS IS AT LEAST ALMOST ONE HUNDRED YEARS, I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S FORTUITOUS THAT WE FOUND THEM WHEN WE DID. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. THIS IS A CAPITAL PROJECT, AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY ANNUAL FEE, SO THIS IS A ONE TIME COST. AND THE HOPE IS WITH THE MATERIAL THAT WE'RE USING IS THAT IT WILL BE A LOT LONGER LASTING. GOOD THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. WELL, AND I AGREE WITH WHAT SEAN WAS SAYING IS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS UNDERGROUND UNTIL THEY GO INTO IT. SO, OF COURSE, IT'S IN LAST MINUTE AND WE HAVE THIS HUGE EXPENSE, BUT IT'S BETTER THAT WE FOUND IT NOW THAN WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM. I MEAN, YOU HEAR ABOUT THESE SINKHOLES AND ACCIDENTS WITH CARS AND WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN. AND I'M GLAD WE FOUND IT NOW AND WE'LL GET IT REPAIRED AND WE WON'T SEE IT AGAIN IN OUR LIFETIME, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. AND IF I CAN OFFER AND SHAWN, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, A LITTLE BIT OF SOLACE HERE. I THINK WE ONLY HAVE ONE MORE INTERSECTION THAT WE HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND, WHICH IS D STREET. SO WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDERGROUND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF D, SO MOST OF THEM ARE ALREADY DONE. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T FIND THE TOMB OF THE LOST ARK THEN WE'RE PROBABLY GOOD AND GOOD TO GO THERE ANYWAY. IF WE FIND THE LOST ARK, WE'D MAKE MONEY. SO WE HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO. [LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW LESS WE NOT FORGET THAT WE HAVE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROJECT THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE GOLD LINE NOW THE L LINE THAT'S GOING TO ABSOLUTELY ASSIST OUR CITY TO BECOME EVEN A BETTER CITY THAN WE ARE NOW TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT AS WE DIG UP THINGS, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE THINGS THAT IT'S A GOOD THING WE ACTUALLY SAW IT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THESE ARE TWO TWENTY FOUR INCH DRAIN LINES THAT DO SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY. SO AND THAT'S WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE FOR. IN REGARDS TO THE COMMENT REGARDING THE FIREFIGHTERS [INAUDIBLE] THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. THIS IS NOT A GENERAL FUND ITEM. THIS IS A STORM DRAIN FUND 419. AND WE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER WILL ATTEST TO THIS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ITEMS WE'VE HAD TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT ACTUALLY WORKED OUT TO THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY. WE PAID LESS MONEY BECAUSE WE ARE PROACTIVE AND HAD THE FACILITIES. SO BEING THAT SAID, I NEED A MOTION. WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE PASS THE WHITE AVENUE STORM DRAIN PIPE REPLACEMENT NECESSITATED BY THE GOLD LINE CONSTRUCTION. I'LL SECOND. SECOND. ROLL CALL MR. RUSSI. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS. AYE. MAYOR HEPBURN. AYE. WE MOVE TO ITEM D APPROVAL OF A STANDARDS OF COVER ANALYSIS COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT [6d. Approval of a Standards of Cover Analysis/Community Risk Assessment] . I SEE MR. CHIEF LARRY WATERHOUSE IS OUR FIRE CHIEF LARRY WATERHOUSE IS ON THE LINE HERE AND WHO IS GOING TO TAKE THIS MR. RUSSI. I WILL DO AN INTRO AND THEN LARRY WILL OR CHIEF WATERHOUSE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE. AS THE COUNCIL HAD REQUESTED AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS WAS TO INCLUDE FUNDING TO COMPLETE THE SOC THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AS PART OF THE [INAUDIBLE] STUDY THAT WAS DONE BACK IN NOVEMBER. WE INCLUDED THAT MONEY, SINCE THE DOLLAR THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED EFFECTIVE JUST THE OTHER DAY SINCE THAT TIME AND PRIOR TO THAT, CHIEF WATERHOUSE WENT OUT AND SAW IT A COUPLE OF CONSULTANTS AND HAS BROUGHT BACK A RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO GET STARTED. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF IDENTIFYING FOR OUR PERMANENT FIRE CHIEF AND WE REALLY FEEL IT'S NECESSARY TO GET THIS PROCESS GOING SO THAT THEY CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING SO THAT WE'RE NOT WASTING ANY TIME WHEN THEY COME ON BOARD TO BE ABLE TO GET THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF THE SOC. BUT SPECIFICS OF THE SOC IN THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR, I'D LIKE TO HAVE LARRY SPEAK TO THAT [01:05:01] CHIEF WATERHOUSE SPEAK TO THAT SORRY LARRY SO WITH THAT IF YOU CAN COME OFF OF MUTE AND GIVE SOME INFORMATION TO COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. YEAH, AS CITY MANAGER RUSSI STATED, THE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE WAS RECOMMENDED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE MESSINA STUDY AND FOR GOOD REASON. THIS STUDY IT HAS WHAT WE NEED AS AN AGENCY TO DETERMINE OUR CURRENT EFFECTIVENESS BASED AGAINST INDUSTRY STANDARDS, AS WELL AS HELP US PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND AT THE GOALS FOR THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE OF WHAT WE DO FOR THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE HERE. WITHOUT THE STUDY YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE THE HARD DATA THAT YOU NEED TO DRILL DOWN ON ALL THE ISSUES INVOLVED. AND I GUESS I COULD TURN THE VIDEO ON [LAUGHTER]. ANYWAY. THIS STUDY IS NOT JUST STANDARDS OF COVERAGE. THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT. IT'S PROBABLY HALF OF IT, THE OTHER HALF OF IT. AND WHAT IT STARTS WITH IS A COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT. AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY LOOK AT EVERY PIECE OF THE COMMUNITY, EVERY STRUCTURE. THAT'S A POTENTIAL HAZARD. ALL THE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES, ALL THE RAIL, ALL THE FREEWAY, ALL YOUR OVERPASSES, UNDERPASSES, RAIL, RAILWAY, THEY LOOK AT EVERY POTENTIAL RISK IN YOUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE WILD LAND AND YOUR BORDERING AGENCIES AND WHAT THEY HAVE. AND ULTIMATELY, WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT PIECE OF IT IS THE INFORMATION THAT THEY DOWNLOAD INTO FORMULAS AND INTO TEMPLATES FOR SERVICE DELIVERY THAT SHOW US WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND WHAT OUR ACTUAL CALLS ARE AND VOLUME AND TYPE AND ZONES IN THE CITY. AND THEN THEY DO SORT OF AN OVERLAY, A COMPARISON OF WORST CASE SCENARIO. HERE'S YOUR HIGH HAZARDS IN THE CITY AND HERE'S WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO FULFILL THE NEED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR FIRE ATTACK OR A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILL OR EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE FIRE SERVICE. SO THIS INSTEAD OF THE MESSINA REPORT, AND THE MESSINA REPORT, WHICH WAS MORE OF A HIGH LEVEL, THIS IS AN ACTUAL DRILL DOWN TO EVERYTHING WE DO, POLICIES, PROCEDURES, COMMUNICATIONS UNITS WE HAVE EQUIPMENT WE HAVE. SO THAT'S WHY IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS. AND I REACHED OUT TO ACTUALLY FOUR AGENCIES. ONE WAS SO BUSY RIGHT NOW, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A QUOTE. SO ULTIMATELY, AP TRITON WAS THE ONE THAT MYSELF CITY MANAGER RUSSI, THE INCOMING CHIEF, POTENTIALLY, AS WELL AS MR. MESSINA FROM THE MESSINA ASSOCIATES THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST FIT FOR OUR AGENCY AND OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE THE FUNDING THAT IS IN THE BUDGET NOW. SO THERE IS NO OTHER BUDGET IMPACT. IT'S JUST THE PROCESS FROM THIS POINT ON. THANK YOU, MR. WATERHOUSE. CHIEF DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF WATERHOUSE. I HAVE A QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK. I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM LARRY, IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME THAT WE COULD EXPECT THIS REPORT? DO THEY GIVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT THE TIMELINE SOMETIMES TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK? YES, IF WE SAW THE FIRST ONE TO TWO MONTHS IS ALL DATA COLLECTION AND INPUT AND THEN THE MIDDLE SECTION IS PUTTING TOGETHER THE RESULTS, WHICH IS ABOUT TWO MONTHS. AND THE LAST MONTHS, PROBABLY MONTH FOUR THROUGH FIVE, IS PUTTING TOGETHER A DRAFT AND FINAL RESULTS TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL AND THE MANAGER. OK, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN TO PUBLIC COMMENT? WE WILL. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. OH, I'LL WAIT TILL AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL GO AHEAD, JR WE'LL CLOSE THIS SECTION AND GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. JR. MR. MAYOR WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY EMAIL REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY HANDS UP EITHER. HE WANTED TO SPEAK [INAUDIBLE]. SO THERE'S NOTHING ON D. OK, THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND COME BACK TO COUNCIL. COUNCIL COMMENTS, MR. DAVIS. YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, CHIEF WATERHOUSE, GOOD TO SEE YOU ON VIDEO. [LAUGHTER] NAME FILLS THE SCREEN, BUT IT'S NICE TO SEE THE FACE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT. I THINK THAT YOUR CHIEF ASSIGNMENT HERE WITH THIS HAS BEEN GREAT. YOU'VE REALLY MOVED THIS ALONG, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN WITH US FOR A SHORT TIME. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE PREPARING OUR COMMUNITY. [01:10:03] SO THANK YOU FOR THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP. ALL RIGHT. NO, I DID I WAS TAKING OFF MY GLASSES BUT NO I ASKED MY QUESTION AND WE'LL MOVE ALONG. IT'S JUST IT SEEMS LIKE THAT TAKES SUCH A LONG TIME, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH DATA THEY HAVE TO GATHER. SO I KNOW PEOPLE BEEN ASKING, HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED CLARIFICATION. IT COULD END UP BEING ROUGHLY, WHAT, FIVE, SIX MONTHS? I WOULD THINK IN FIVE MONTHS IT'LL BE BUTTONED UP. THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE THAT THINGS GO REALLY SMOOTH AND IT COULD BE FOUR MONTHS. BUT THEY GIVE YOU A KIND OF A WORST CASE SCENARIO, OK? LUCKILY, WE'RE A SMALLER ORGANIZATION AND CITY, SO THERE WON'T BE AS MUCH LEGWORK TO COLLECT WHAT WE NEED. BUT THAT'S THE HARDEST PART. RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, TOO, WE ARE STILL AWAITING THE PROPOSAL FROM THE COUNTY AS WELL, AND THIS [INAUDIBLE] GOING SIMULTANEOUSLY SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE INFORMED TO MAKE DECISIONS ON WHICH WAY WE WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO GO AND THEN TO THE RESIDENTS IF NEEDED. CORRECT. CORRECT, AND CHIEF WATERHOUSE AND I HAD A MEETING WAS IT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO NOW WITH THE COUNTY. YES. TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME QUESTIONS, WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WE WERE STILL REQUESTING FROM THEM AND WE'RE CHIPPING AWAY AT IT WITH THEM. I DON'T HAVE A FIRM DATE OF WHEN I MIGHT HAVE A CONTRACT OR AT LEAST AN OUTLINE OF WHAT THE SCOPE OF WORK WOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT ONCE WE DO, I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL IS AWARE. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PUT OUT THERE THAT WE ARE DONE WITH AT THAT STAGE. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE NOT HAVE NOT MADE A DECISION ON THAT STAGE AS WELL. IT IS TRUE. WE ARE MOVING ON A DUAL PATH, AS IT WAS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU ANY COMMENTS. MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT I'M I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE DATA ON THIS AND REALLY HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALL OPINE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK IS NEEDED OR NOT NEEDED. AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXPERTS COMING IN AND GIVING US SOME REAL HARD FACTS ABOUT WHAT EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE AT THE TOP OF OUR HEAP AND WHAT'S AT THE BOTTOM AND WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE THAT, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. SO I THINK STAFF AND CHIEF WATERHOUSE FOR YOUR WORK AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT EVOLVES. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. EVEN THOUGH MY PROPOSAL WAS NOT APPROVED BY COUNCIL, THIS IS DEFINITELY A PATH WE HAVE TO GO. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS AND IN UNISON AND GIVE OUR NEW CHIEF WHEN THEY COME ON BOARD, WHEN THEY'VE GONE THROUGH ALL THE BACKGROUND, WHEN WE SELECT ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO NEED TO DO, AND HOW WE NEED TO DO IT, AND HOW QUICKLY WE NEED TO DO IT. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, MR. WATERHOUSE. YOUR EXPERIENCE IS, AS I WOULD SAY, SECOND TO NONE, YOU'VE COME WITH A VAST EXPERIENCE FROM YOUR PREVIOUS AND WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU HELPING MR. RUSSI AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS. SO BEING THAT SAID ANYMORE QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF WATERHOUSE OR STAFF, THEN WE NEED A MOTION FOR THIS. OK, I WILL MAKE THE MOTION THAT THE CITY SHOULD AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH AP TRITON, A QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED CONSULTING FIRM, FOR OUR STANDARD OF COVERAGE AND COMMUNITY RISK ANALYSIS. SECOND. I'LL SECOND. OK, ROLL CALL MR. RUSSI. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS. AYE. MAYOR HEPBURN. YES. GREAT GUYS ON WORK. [7. PUBLIC COMMENTS/ORAL COMMUNICATIONS] THEN WE MOVE TO ITEM SEVEN. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE COMMUNICATIONS. WE KNOW WE HAVE ONE, BUT. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE THREE CALL REQUESTS AND THEN OF COURSE IF WE HAVE THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING AS ATTENDEES, WE'LL GET TO YOU AS WELL. LET ME BRING UP THE FIRST PERSON. GREAT, THANK YOU. GREAT. MR. MAYOR, I HAVE KATHY CADY ON THE LINE. KATHY CADY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. [01:15:02] I AM A RETIRED PROSECUTOR FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHO WORKED OUT OF THE POMONA COURT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND AM NOW ASSISTING CRIME VICTIMS IN RESPONSE TO GEORGE GASCÓN RECENTLY ENACTED POLICY, WHICH IS THE DEVASTATING CRIME VICTIMS ENDANGERING THE COMMUNITY. ALL OF THESE HAVE VIOLATED VICTIMS RIGHTS, AND SINCE JANUARY, I HAVE REPRESENTED PRO BONO OVER 70 VICTIMS, MANY OF THEM ARE MURDER VICTIMS FAMILIES. SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES WERE ROBIN [INAUDIBLE] FAMILY AND LEE THOMPSON THEY WERE MURDERED IN LA VERNE IN THE TARGET PARKING LOT IN 1990. AND TODAY, THE DEFENDANTS WHO MURDERED THEM WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE [INAUDIBLE] COURT HOUSE. THEY WERE MURDERED BY SERGIO NELSON, WHO WAS ANGRY BECAUSE ROBIN HAD GOT A PROMOTION AT TARGET THAT HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED. HE WENT TO TARGET IN THE EARLY MORNING AND HE WAITED FOR THEM AND THEY WERE FRIENDS AND THEY WERE HAVING COFFEE IN LEE'S CAR. HE SHOT THEM THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW AND THEN HE SHOT ROBIN AGAIN IN HER HEAD BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T DIE [INAUDIBLE]. HE WAS CONVICTED OF TWO COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE MURDER, AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH. HE APPEALED HIS [INAUDIBLE] MANY TIMES. [INAUDIBLE] SENT THE CASE BACK FOR RETRIAL ON THE PENALTY PHASE. HE WILL NEVER SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY, AND HE FORCED THE PROSECUTORS TO NOT RETRY THE PENALTY PHASE DESPITE SEVERAL REQUESTS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS. [INAUDIBLE] THE FAMILY GASCÓN WOULD NOT [INAUDIBLE] HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED [INAUDIBLE] BLANKET POLICIES OF [INAUDIBLE]. THE POLICIES DID NOT ALLOW FOR APPROPRIATE GANG GUN ALLEGATIONS TO BE FILED THIS AFFECTS THE BAIL, AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN [INAUDIBLE] INDIVIDUAL [INAUDIBLE] POLICIES, WHICH ARE THE CRIMES THAT WILL AFFECT QUALITY OF LIFE [INAUDIBLE]. HE WILL NOT PROSECUTE [INAUDIBLE] CRIMES INCLUDING TRESPASS, [INAUDIBLE] POLICE, DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE, DRIVING UNDER SUSPENDED [INAUDIBLE] CRIMINAL THREATS, BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS. [INAUDIBLE] PROSECUTING CRIMES [INAUDIBLE]. THE POLICIES THAT RESULTED IN THE CRIMES [INAUDIBLE]. THE ADDITIONAL [INAUDIBLE] WILL NEVER PROSECUTE A MINOR IN ADULT COURT. I'VE PERSONALLY REPRESENTED OVER 20 FAMILIES WITH LOVED ONES MURDER BY 17 YEAR OLD GANGSTERS. AS JUVENILES THEY CAN ONLY BE KEPT IN CUSTODY UNTIL THEY ARE 25 [INAUDIBLE], EVEN IF THEY MURDERED MORE THAN ONE PERSON. THIS POLICY IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE 16 AND 17 YEAR OLD GANG MEMBERS KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE NO CONSEQUENCE [INAUDIBLE] POLICY PROVIDING PAROLE [INAUDIBLE] THAT, PROSECUTORS NO LONGER [INAUDIBLE]. THE VICTIMS [INAUDIBLE] FAMILIES [INAUDIBLE] REPRESENTED [INAUDIBLE] VICTIMS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF THE INFORMATION, AREN'T ABLE TO POINT OUT THINGS [INAUDIBLE] SOME OF THESE [INAUDIBLE]. I AND OTHER VICTIMS RIGHTS ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS VICTIMS, ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET [INAUDIBLE] ISSUES IN MORE DETAIL IF YOU WISH BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU COULD PLEASE FINISH UP, WE DO HAVE A THREE MINUTE TIME FRAME, AND YOU'VE BEEN OVER THAT, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS VERY SHORTLY WITH MR. GASCÓN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MS. GREGORY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN. OK, MR. MAYOR, I HAVE HALLEY GREGORY. MS. GREGORY, GOOD EVENING. WE DO HAVE A THREE MINUTE TIME FRAME WE TRY TO ADHERE TO. AND IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ON ANYTHING AND WE'LL HAVE STAFF HELP IF WE CAN ON SOME QUESTIONS, IF WE CAN ANSWER THEM. PLEASE CONTINUE. OH, I'M SORRY. YOU CAN GO. YOU'RE READY TO GO. OK, I'M SORRY, I'M JUST HEARING THE ZOOM CALL DELAY [INAUDIBLE] SORRY THAT THREW ME OFF. I'M CALLING ABOUT GEORGE [INAUDIBLE] TO GET GOING. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE THAT SOME 22 CITIES HAVE ALREADY VOTED IN CONFIDENCE IN GEORGE GASCÓN. HIS POLICIES HAVE MADE ALL OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY LESS SAFE. [01:20:02] AND THAT INCLUDES RIGHT HERE IN LA VERNE. I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE IN LA VERNE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY WHAT GASCÓN IS DOING. I SPOKE TO A WOMAN WHO WAS A VICTIM WHO HAD TO ATTEND A CROWD PROBATION TRIAL WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A PROSECUTOR THERE WITH HER, SHE HAD TWO KIDS BY HERSELF [INAUDIBLE] CRIMINAL [INAUDIBLE], THE CRIMINAL, HAD A PUBLIC DEFENDER. SO HE'S GOT SUPPORT BUT THE VICTIMS DON'T HAVE SUPPORT AND THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN RIGHT HERE IN NORTH LA VERNE THAT WAS SHOT RECENTLY AND THE SHOOTER WAS NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHOOTING HIM. APPARENTLY, THE SHOOTER WAS PICKED UP ON ANOTHER CRIME AND WAS NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHOOTING HIM. I'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO AN ELDERLY MAN WHO TOLD ME THAT HE VOTED FOR GASCÓN BECAUSE HE THOUGHT GASCÓN WAS ENDORSED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. [INAUDIBLE] HE'S A REPUBLICAN. HE HAD RECEIVED SOME DEFECTED ADVERTISING A FLIER IN THE MAIL THAT HAD THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S LOGO ON IT. SO HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS VOTING WHAT HIS PARTY WANTED. ALTHOUGH I'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO MANY DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND NO PARTY PREFERENCE OR ALL ACROSS THE BOARD THAT ARE OPPOSED BY WHAT GASCÓN IS DOING, AND THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY CRIME AND RISING CRIME RATES. THERE HAS BEEN A RISE IN PROPERTY THEFT BECAUSE GASCÓN IS NOT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND PEOPLE SEE THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. AND SO WHY SHOULD THEY BOTHER FOLLOWING THE LAW. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MR. MAYOR, I DO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL CALL THAT IT'LL TAKE ME A MINUTE TO BRING UP. AND IN THE MEANTIME, IF ANYBODY WISHES TO RAISE THEIR HAND, I COULD BRING THEM IN. MR. MAYOR I HAVE JOE GABALDON ON THE LINE. MR. GABALDON, GOOD EVENING AGAIN. AND AGAIN, GLAD TO HEAR THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE IN LA VERNE WATCHING OR PARTICIPATING IN TONIGHT'S MEETING. AND ON THAT NOTE, I WOULD CHALLENGE THE GROUP TO CONSIDER IN PERSON COUNCIL MEETINGS AGAIN. AS THIS IS BECOMING AN ISSUE BOTH WITH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, THE INABILITY OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE CITY TO MEET WITH THEIR COUNCIL FACE TO FACE AS OPPOSED TO SHIELDED BEHIND A PHONE CALL THAT COMES IN AND OUT BASED ON YOUR WI FI OR INTERNET SERVICE IN THE CITY. IN ADDITION, I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY MY POINT, SINCE IT WAS REBUTTED [INAUDIBLE] REGARDING THE SPENDING ON THE DRAIN FUND, IT WAS LESS ABOUT THE MONEY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF NEED AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS OBVIOUS IN THE TIMING OF FINDING THE ISSUE. IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE TO UNDERSTAND, EVALUATE AND CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THAT THAT WAS LA VERNE'S RESPONSIBILITY ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT PROJECT. SO IT COULD BE PLANNED INTO THE PROJECT SPENT BASED ON THAT UNDERSTANDING AND NOT BECOME AN EMERGENCY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE CAPITAL FUND. SO I APOLOGIZE THAT THAT WASN'T CLEAR. AND THEN TO THE GROUP THAT HAS JUST RECENTLY SPOKEN REGARDING GASCÓN, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE REGARDING JUST THOSE VICTIMS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE CITY OF LA VERNE AND ITS CITIZENS, AS HIS [INAUDIBLE] GEORGE GASCÓN WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT THE CITY OF LA VERNE AT SOME POINT. AND TO ALL THE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY IN THE CITY, WHETHER IT BE EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR FIRE OR IN THIS CASE, POLICE AND HOME SAFETY, I URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE NO CONFIDENCE AND JOIN THEIR FELLOW CITIES IN THE AREA THEY LIVE FROM SANTA CLARITA, BEVERLY HILLS, PICO RIVERA, WHITTIER, LA MIRADA, COVINA, LANCASTER, ROSEMEAD, AZUSA, SANTA FE SPRINGS, [INAUDIBLE] REDONDO BEACH, ARCADIA, MANHATTAN BEACH, PALOS VERDES, SAN GABRIEL, TEMPLE CITY, [INAUDIBLE] HEIGHTS, [INAUDIBLE] NORWALK, TORRANCE, AND OUR NEIGHBORS SAN DIMAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [01:25:02] THANK YOU MR. GABALDON. JR. YES, MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE HAND UP, SO I WILL TRY TO BRING HIM IN. AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK, THIS IS BRINGING IN RICK BOWEN. IF IT DOESN'T WORK, THEN WE WILL DO THE PHONE CALL AGAIN. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU. PERFECT. MR. BOWEN GOOD EVENING. OH. YEAH YOU'RE GOOD. EXCELLENT. THANKS. I APPRECIATE IT. I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS HERE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ANYBODY ELSE HAS SEEN ON THIS ZOOM MEETING TONIGHT, BECAUSE ALL I'VE SEEN IS THE CITY LOGO AND THE FLAG. SO I AGREE WITH MR. GABALDON. HOPEFULLY THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN PERSON IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON NOT TO. THE VIDEO AND THE AUDIO ON THESE MEETINGS HAVE PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE, WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING SINCE IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX OR EIGHT OR 10 MONTHS NOW. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY OR THE CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE I KNOW THE COUNCIL CAN'T RESPOND, IS THE PLAN TO OPEN THE NEXT MEETING, THE VERY NEXT MEETING ON JULY 19TH TO CITY MEMBERS. WE JUST HAD A HUGE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION FOUR COUNCIL PEOPLE THERE, NO MASKS, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, SO I WOULD ASSUME WE HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT WE CAN HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT CAN ALLOW THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS LIVE, BECAUSE THESE ARE AWFUL. SECOND POINT IS THAT, AGAIN, WITH THE GASCÓN, I WOULD HOPE THAT OUR CITY JUMPS ON THIS BANDWAGON OF OTHER CITIES. IF YOU WATCH THE SAN DIMAS MEETING, THEIR MAYOR WAS OUTSTANDING. HE THEY TOOK A STAND AGAINST THE POLICIES OF THIS DA THAT WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO MAKE NOT ONLY L.A., L.A. COUNTY, BUT THE WHOLE DAMN STATE JUST TERRIBLE. AND THE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS THAT NEXT JULY 19TH, SINCE WE REVISITED THE DISTRICT VOTING TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO HOPE THAT SOMEONE WOULD REVISIT AND PUT ON THE AGENDA THE FORENSIC AUDIT THAT WAS REQUESTED LAST MAY AND WE COULDN'T EVEN GET A SECOND MOTION. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN REVISIT A FORENSIC AUDIT FOR THE CITY OF LA VERNE, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE CHANGES THAT MIGHT BE TAKING PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I THANK YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY, IF YOU GIVE ME ONE SECOND JUST TO CHECK OUR FILTER AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING CAUGHT IN THERE. MR. MAYOR, THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANYBODY ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK. WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE WELL MR. RUSSI DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THOSE BEFORE I CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT? JUST THE TIMING AND THE ZOOM. YES, AS I SHARED WITH COUNSEL LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE ARE FACING IS HOW TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY THAT WANTS TO BE IN PERSON, IN PERSON GIVING OUR LIMITED SIZE OF OUR ROOM. THE OTHER THING AND COUNCIL HAD POINTED OUT LAST TIME, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS WERE RAISED, IS TRYING TO FIND AN ADEQUATE HYBRID SYSTEM THAT WE CAN ALLOW THOSE WHO WANT TO BE IN PERSON AND THOSE WHO WANT TO DO IT VIRTUALLY. SO WE ARE TESTING TOMORROW THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO USE THE CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE IN THERE AND STILL WORK IT THROUGH ZOOM. WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR VIDEO PROVIDER, I'LL CALL IT. SO WE'RE WORKING ON SOME LOOKING AT SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT HOPEFULLY WILL MAKE FOR AN ACCEPTABLE HYBRID MODEL RATHER THAN JUST ONE CAMERA GOING OVER THE ENTIRE ROOM, BECAUSE I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO SERVE THE PUBLIC. SO IT'S OUR TARGET WITHIN, IF NOT THE NEXT MEETING, THE MEETING AFTER TO TRY AND OPEN UP [01:30:03] AGAIN. AGAIN WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE LIMITED ON THE CAPACITY IN THE ROOM. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE CHALLENGED BY THAT. AND I'M JUST RELUCTANT TO OPEN AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WOULD WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON TO HAVE TO SAY WE CAN'T ALLOW YOU ALL TO COME IN JUST OUT OF SAFETY CONCERNS. SO CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE, SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT'S THAT GOOD BLEND. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT STAFF IS ENDEAVORED TO DO. DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THE GASCÓN? MEETING BASED ON COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER'S REQUEST LAST MONTH. WE HAD SOME SCHEDULING CHALLENGES WITH THERE WAS INTEREST TO HAVE AN ADA ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, THAT WOULD BE THE CASE. I ALSO FOLLOWED THE MODEL OF SAN DIMAS AND EXTENDED A OPPORTUNITY FOR REPRESENTATIVE FROM GASCÓN'S OFFICE TO ALSO PARTICIPATE SHOULD THEY CHOOSE. SO WE HAVE MADE THAT AVAILABLE TO THEM. HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I JUST SENT THAT TODAY, FRANKLY. OK. VERY GOOD. THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT WAS THE FORENSIC AUDIT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN REPORT ON THAT OR ANY ISSUE WITH THAT. OK, VERY GOOD THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND MOVE TO COUNCIL JR SAID THERE WAS ONE OTHER PERSON THAT DID JUMP ON THE LINE. JR DO YOU HAVE THEM? I DIDN'T SEE THEM. YEAH, I KNOW I JUST SAW A TEXT COME THROUGH. SORRY. THEN WE WON'T CLOSE. OK, MR. MAYOR, I HAVE THOMAS ALLISON ON THE LINE. MR. ALLISON. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR TAKING ME. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK REALLY QUICKLY TO THE GASCÓN ISSUE. I THINK IT TAKES BRAVERY TO ENGAGE IN THE CRIMINAL REFORM AND THE CONVERSATION THAT HE IS ENGAGING. AND I'D ASK THE CITY TO TAKE A TEMPERATE APPROACH TO THIS FIRST, CONSIDERING HE'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, NOT BEHOLDEN TO CITY AUTHORITY. BUT SECONDLY, I'D ASK THE CITY TO ACTUALLY DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHETHER OR NOT HIS POLICIES ARE MAKING OUR CITY MORE OR LESS SAFE. WE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO GET THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF STRUCTURAL RACISM HERE. AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH. YET. WE ARE HEARING ALL OF THESE EXAMPLES, AND YES THEY ARE TRAGIC IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. BUT THERE ARE EXAMPLES ON THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL. AND SO OUR ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE WASN'T ENOUGH TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS IN THE DOCUMENT THAT THEY COULD READ ARE STILL HAVING AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES NOW. BUT THE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT HAS BEEN USED NOW HAS BEEN USED TO AROUSE THE EMOTIONS. SO I'M ASKING THE CITY TO USE LEADERSHIP AND TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN EXERCISING ITS AUTHORITY AND DO RESEARCH AND ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE POLICIES ARE MAKING OUR CITIES MORE OR LESS SAFE, AS OPPOSED TO ENGAGING IN CONJECTURE. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ALLISON. CHAIR WE'LL WAIT A FEW MINUTES OR WAIT 30 SECONDS. SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE IS. NO ONE ELSE JR. NO, SIR. GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND MOVE TO COUNCIL COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE MEETING [8. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE/MEETING REPORTS] REPORTS. WHO WOULD LIKE TO START. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER YOU ARE MUTED. YOU DO THAT REALLY WELL, MAYOR SAYING INCLUDING THAT IN YOUR OK. YEAH, MY COMMENTS ARE WHAT TIM STARTED THE EVENING WITH IS OUR FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. AS VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH WENDY. SHE IS ONE OF THE TIER MEMBERS IS THAT WE ARE I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT OUR COMMITTEE DID OVER THE LAST MONTH. WE WERE WORKING ON THIS REALLY FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS. WHAT COULD WE DO LAST YEAR? AND WE TRIED TO DO THE BEST WE COULD. EACH MONTH WE'VE BEEN MEETING FOLLOWING THE COUNTY GUIDELINES. STAFF IS CHECKING WITH THE COUNTY CONTINUOUSLY TO SEE WHAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO DO. WE PUSHED IT TO THE VERY LAST MONTH THAT WE COULD WITH THE FIRE WORKS COMPANY TO SEE HOW [01:35:03] MUCH TIME THEY NEED. SO LUCKILY IT WAS ABLE TO HAPPEN AND OUR STAFF JUMPED ON IT. I WAS SO PROUD TO SEE OUR STAFF OUT THERE. SUNDAY NIGHT WAS AMAZING. THE HOURS THEY PUT INTO IT. SOME OF THEM LOOKED SO TIRED. THEY WERE THERE ALL DAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY NIGHT. IT WAS HOT AND THEY MADE THIS HAPPEN. KUDOS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED. AND I AM JUST SO HAPPY WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND NEXT YEAR, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BACK OUR PANCAKE BREAKFAST, THE CARNIVAL AND ALSO THE DEEP PIT BARBECUE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. LET'S SEE, OK, MUTE IS NOT ON GREAT. A COUPLE OF ADVANCE NOTICES. ONE, THE POMONA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY HAS FOUND THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ITEMS TO AGENDIZE A MEETING. SO WE ARE SKIPPING OUR JULY MEETING FOR THE PAMONA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, OR PVTA. THE COMMITTEE OR CASC IS ALSO SKIPPING ITS JULY MEETING. SO THERE IS NO MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT. A WEEK AGO, THURSDAY, YEAH THURSDAY, A WEEK AGO, LV3C HELD ITS MEETING AND INVITED BOTH THE MAYOR AND I TO ATTEND. THE MAYOR HAD EXCELLENT COMMENTS ON THE STATE OF THE CITY. AND I WAS NOT SURE WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT, BUT WE OPENED IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND THE MAYOR AND I ADDRESSED THE GROUP IN A VERY APPRECIATIVE AND HAD A NICE CONVERSATION. LET'S SEE, THE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE WAS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR. SO THANK YOU, WENDY. AND THANK YOU, ROBIN. AND THANK YOU THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. IT WAS NICE TO BE OUT THERE AGAIN. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE FOURTH OF JULY COMMITTEE FOR THE FIREWORKS. I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE FIREWORKS BECAUSE I HAD A COMMITMENT FROM MY BROTHER DOWN IN LAGUNA BEACH. NO NEED TO WAIT FOR ME. I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH ARTISTS FOR A FEW HOURS AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND DIFFERENT. BUT IT DID PRECLUDE ME FROM GETTING BACK IN TIME FOR THE FIREWORKS. BUT I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE FIREWORKS SHOW OR WATCHING THE SHOW FROM WHEREVER YOU WERE THAT EVENING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT AS A RESIDENT, I CAN OFTENTIMES LOOK THROUGH THE TREES AND SEE A FEW FIREWORKS MYSELF. SO HAPPY FOURTH, EVERYONE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER WONDERFUL OR A CONTINUATION OF A WONDERFUL YEAR. BUT THIS IS REALLY THE START OFF OF OUR CITY'S FINANCIAL YEAR. SO GOOD TO US. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND ECHO ROBIN'S COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE FOURTH OF JULY COMMITTEE AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO IT. THE STAFF, I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE SAID HOW MUCH I APPRECIATED THEIR PATIENTS AND THEIR THOUGHTFULNESS AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO BE BEST FOR THE CITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SO MANY THINGS WERE IN LIMBO AND WE DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PARADE OR HAVE FIREWORKS AND WHAT WAS THE LAST DATE WE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE A DECISION BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO GET THAT TOGETHER PRETTY QUICKLY WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME OUT AND EFFECTIVELY WERE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MAN THE FULL ROUTE INSTEAD OF A SHORT ROUTE THIS YEAR. SO THAT WAS REALLY APPRECIATED AS WELL. AND SO I KNOW IT'S HARD TOO SOMETIMES IT'S GREAT WHEN IT'S ALL ONE DAY IT'S DONE. RIGHT. AND THEN SOME OTHER DAYS IT'S NICE TO HAVE IT SPLIT UP IN TWO BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT FALLS ON A SUNDAY. BUT IT'S STILL A LOT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THAT IS REQUIRED FROM OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW. FOURTH OF JULY COMMITTEE IS ALSO COMPRISED OF RESIDENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO AREN'T GETTING PAID FOR THIS. THEY'RE NOT PART OF STAFF. THEY DON'T SIT ON COUNCIL. THEY'RE JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT LIVING IN THE CITY AND WANTING TO PROVIDE A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THE RESIDENTS. AND I THINK THAT IS THE BACKBONE OF WHAT MAKES A GOOD CITY GREAT. AND SO REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO ALL OF THOSE FOLKS. AND REALLY NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY OUT AND ABOUT. SO CONTINUE TO BE SAFE, CONTINUE TO WASH YOUR HANDS. I KNOW THIS SOUNDS WEIRD THAT WE HAVE TO STILL SAY THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, APPARENTLY NOT EVERYBODY KNEW HOW TO WASH THEIR HANDS APPROPRIATELY [LAUGHTER]. SO STAY SAFE, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND HAVE A GOOD REST OF THE WEEK. THANK YOU. MR. CROSBY. I CAN'T GO ON AND SAY HOW MUCH APPRECIATED, BECAUSE THESE WONDERFUL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS DONE THAT. TWO NAMES THAT WEREN'T SAID I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE, AS WELL IS JEFF [INAUDIBLE] AND TIM MORRISON FOR THE HARLEY'S. I LOVE THAT PART AND IT'S IMPORTANT [INAUDIBLE] COMING OUT AND BEING PART OF LA VERNE AND [01:40:04] OUR PARADE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF. AND IT WAS A GREAT FOURTH OF JULY. THANK YOU. MR. CROSBY. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT WE'D BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T SAY MR. MORRISON AND JEFF [INAUDIBLE] AND ALSO THE [INAUDIBLE] THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB. THEY PUT THAT TOGETHER AND [INAUDIBLE], LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE SO TICKLED TO BE HERE ON THE HARLEY'S. THANK YOU AGAIN, EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THIS FOURTH OF JULY PARADE AND THE FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS, DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. AND I JUST WILL SAY THAT I HAD NOT ONE PIECE OF CANDY LEFT OUT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS OF CANDY. SO EVERYBODY GOT A LOT OF CANDY THIS TIME. THEY GOT A LOT OF CANDY SO IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. JUST REAL QUICK COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS WERE ON JUNE 24TH WE HAD THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW CHAMBER AND WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE CHAIRWOMAN MORGAN STERNQUIST'S NEW CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER. IT WAS FUN IT WAS HELD AT LA VERNE BREWERY, WHICH I WOULD SUGGEST ANYBODY THAT THEY ARE STARTING LOOKING TO EXPAND THERE AT A GREAT PLACE. ALSO, JULY 31ST WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY YARD SALE OVER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ALSO FITNESS EXPO. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. I KNOW THAT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS DOING A LOT OF THINGS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING HERE PRETTY QUICKLY WITH A NEW DENTIST'S OFFICE. SO WE'RE KIND OF EXCITED HERE. SO JUST TYPICAL DAY FOR OPEN. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERY HELP AND EVERYBODY'S HARD EFFORTS AND HARD WORK TO MAKE THIS ALL THE GREAT CITY THAT WE LIVE IN. THANK YOU. ALL YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. I KNOW YOU'RE ALL INVOLVED. CITY MANAGER, EVERYBODY. [9. CLOSED SESSION] WE HAVE A NEED FOR A CLOSED SESSION, IS THAT CORRECT MR. RUSSI. YES WE DO. THEN WE WILL BE GOING AND WE WILL BE RECESSING INTO CLOSED SESSION. WE WILL NOT BE REPORTING OUT. IS THAT CORRECT? MR. KRESS. YES. THEN WE WILL OUR NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING, LA VERNE CITY COUNCIL IS MONDAY, JULY 19TH AT 6:30 PM. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 8:12 P.M.. OH. THE SECTION JUST FOR. OH EXCUSE ME I WAS GIVING YOU THAT QUEUE. YOU DIDN'T JUMP AT IT. CLOSED SESSION UNDER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.6 WE MEET IN CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR AND WE WILL BE MEETING REGARDING ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS. THANK YOU, MR. RUSSI. WE ARE NOT ADJOURNING THE MEETING WE ARE RECESSING. WE'RE RECESSING OUR MEETING AND WE WILL NOT BE REPORTING OUT. OUR NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULE IS MONDAY, JULY 19TH AT 2021. IT IS NOW 8:13 P.M.. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.