OKAY, SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. I'LL CALL A MEETING TO ORDER AT SIX THIRTY P.M. [1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:06] ON JUNE 30TH. LAST DAY OF THE MONTH, IF WE COULD PLEASE ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. MR. DAVIS, WILL YOU PLEASE LEAD US? PLEASE RISE AS YOU'RE ABLE? PLACE YOUR HAND ON YOUR HEART AND REPEAT WITH ME. OF ALLEGIANCE] THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. [4. CONSENT CALENDAR] I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE SOMETHING TO BE PULLED ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR MR. RUSSI. YES. WE HAD A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY TO HAVE RESOLUTION TWENTY FIFTY THREE, THE MOU WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION TO BE POLE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE REST OF THE ITEMS CAN BE TAKEN AS ONE. OK, MR. CROSBY, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM--YES, GO AHEAD. WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE REST OF CONSENT. OH, I'M SORRY. OK, THEN WE'LL NEED A MOTION FOR THE REST OF CONSENT OTHER THAN WHAT'S PULLED BY THE MOTION. I MAKE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. DO I HAVE A SECOND? COUNCIL MEMBER LOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR HAND. AYE: AYE. THOSE OPPOSED, NONE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. THEN WE GO TO OUR RESOLUTION TWENTY FIFTY THREE FOR DISCUSSION, [1. Resolution No. 20-53 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA VERNE, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE LA VERNE CITY COUNCIL AND THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION (LVFA) THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021 - The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the La Verne Firefighters’ Association (LVFA) expired on June 30, 2017. Staff and LVFA representatives have been meeting since 2017 on a successor agreement. At this time, an agreement has been reached and staff is seeking City Council approval.] IF YOU'D LIKE HIM TO DO A PRESENTATION, IF YOU JUST WANT TO GO TO THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO COUNCIL. WHATEVER YOUR PREFERENCES. I THINK--J.R., WOULD YOU LIKE TO. MAKE A QUICK PRESENTATION ON THAT. I'D BE HAPPY TO. PLEASE. I AM PLEASED TO PROVIDE A REPORT ON THE SUCCESSOR, YOU FOR THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. SIMILAR TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE POA, PMMA AND CEA, THESE NEGOTIATIONS WERE CHALLENGING FOR BOTH SIDES AND REPRESENTED A DEPARTURE FROM COMPENSATION PRACTICES THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR THE PREVIOUS 30 YEARS. FACED WITH FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, NO INCREASES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED SINCE JANUARY 2017. THIS MOU PROVIDES AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE FOR LVFA MEMBERS OF THREE AND A HALF PERCENT PER FIREFIGHTER, FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT FOR ENGINEER AND FIVE PERCENT FOR CAPTAIN. BASED ON THE 2018 MARKET MEDIAN. STAFF IS ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THE INCREASES EFFECTIVE JUNE 14 IN RECOGNITION OF WHEN THE MOU LANGUAGE WAS AGREED UPON, BUT TOO LATE TO INCLUDE DURING YOUR LAST MEETING, THE JUNE 15 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THE AGREEMENT ALSO PROMISES AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN DECEMBER TO THE JANUARY 2020 MEDIAN, REPRESENTING AN 11 PERCENT BUMP FOR EACH RANK. OTHER BENEFITS FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES, SUCH AS MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE, REMAIN UNCHANGED. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CHANGES FOR FUTURE LVFA MEMBERS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE POA AGREEMENT. THESE INCLUDE A FOUR HUNDRED HOUR CAP ON VACATION. A CAP ON CITY CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD MEDICAL INSURANCE. NEW MEMBERS WILL ALSO NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS. STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT RESOLUTION 2053 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN MOU BETWEEN THE CITY OF LA VERNE THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. OF COURSE, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I HAVE A COMMENT. THANK YOU, JR. YES, SIR. MR. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. YES. I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE PULLED BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM THAT DIDN'T THINK THAT IT JUST NEEDED TO BE ON A CONSENT CALENDAR. AND I REALLY WANT TO ACTUALLY THANK THE NEGOTIATORS ON LA VERNE FIRE AND FOR THE CITY TO COME AND MERGE AND COME TOGETHER. AS A NEGOTIATOR MYSELF, I KNOW THIS IS NOT AN EASY TASK. AND REALLY APPRECIATE BOTH SIDES REALLY COMING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY AND FOR OUR LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND THINK, AH, AH. LA VERNE, FIREFIGHTER NEGOTIATORS, WHICH THEY ARE. TODD H. AND DAVE BONANO AND CHRIS PALMER. AND FOR THE CITY IS J.R. REYNOLDS AND CHRISTY LOPEZ. THOSE PEOPLE REALLY LOOKED AND AND AND CAME TOGETHER. [00:05:05] AND I KNOW WITH NEGOTIATIONS, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IT'S GETTING WHAT'S BEST FOR BOTH GROUPS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE NEGOTIATION AND MAKING SURE OUR LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS ARE TAKING CARE OF THEY ARE. THANK YOU, MR. CROSBY. WE HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS? DO WE HAVE ANYONE TO SPEAK ON THIS? ANY COMMENTS FROM OUTSIDE? MR. RUSSI. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY. OK. SO WE'LL MOVE BACK ANY OTHER LAST COMMENTS FOR THIS ITEM? I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO JUST JOIN COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY IN THANKING THE NEGOTIATORS BOTH FOR THAT LVFA AND CITY STAFF. JOB WELL DONE. AND THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, EFFORT AND ENERGY THAT WENT INTO THE NEGOTIATIONS. AS COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY SAID, NEGOTIATING EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS IS NOT EASY. SO WELL DONE. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT THIS WAS AN ARDUOUS TASK OVER MANY, MANY YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN A ROUGH ROAD. [INAUDIBLE] WORK VERY HARD AT IT AND I DO APPRECIATE STAFF'S HELP AND ALSO COUNSEL. AND ALSO MR. RUSSI, ALSO BOB KRESS, ALL THE STAFF AND THE LA VERNE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD SO WE CAN START ANOTHER CHAPTER NOW AND MAYBE MOVE FORWARD TO REBUILDING AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S GOT SOME GOOD WAGES IN THERE THAT MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND WORK FOR OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU ALL. IT WAS A VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD JOB. WELL DONE. SO AT THAT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, THEN I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE. YES. MR. CROSBY. YES, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER TWENTY FIFTY THREE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA VERNE COUNTY OF LOS SANTOS STATE, CALIFORNIA AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE LA VERNE CITY COUNCIL AND LA VERNE FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATIONS THROUGH JUNE 30TH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY ONE. AND SECOND THAT. OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND THEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AYE: AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED NONE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANKS AGAIN TO STAFF. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. NOW WE GO TO. ITEM NUMBER FIVE. MR. [Adoption of the 2020-21 Budget - A proposed budget was submitted and discussed during the City Council Budget Study Session held on June 15, 2020. At that study session, the City Manager and each of the department heads presented their respective sections of the budget document for Council discussion and consideration. Adopting Resolution No. 20-50 will officially adopt the 2020-21 budget.] RUSSI. YES. UNDER OTHER MATTERS, THIS IS THE OFFICIAL ADOPTION OF YOUR BUDGET. IN A MINUTE, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR, MARK ALVARADO. BUT AS COUNCIL IS AWARE ON THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING TONIGHT IS IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING IN ORDER TO ADOPT THE BUDGET IN TIME FOR JULY ONE, WHICH IS REQUIREMENT UNDER STATE LAW THAT YOU ADOPT YOUR BUDGET DUE TO COVID ISSUES AND OTHER CHALLENGES WE HAD TO PUSH OUR SCHEDULE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EXTRA TWO WEEKS. COUNCIL DID HAVE THEIR BUDGET PRESENTATION TWO WEEKS AGO WHERE THEY GOT MORE OF THE DETAILS OF THE BUDGET. BUT THIS IS THE OFFICIAL TASK OF THEN APPROVING IT FOR THE AUTHORITY OF THE EXPENDITURES. AND I'LL LET MARK GO INTO THE DETAILS. BUT I JUST WANTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF COUNSEL, BECAUSE THE REQUEST WAS MADE AFTER OUR LAST MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD POSTED THE AGENDA OR POSTED THE BUDGET. THAT WAS PUT UP ON OUR WEB SITE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND HAD BEEN UP THROUGH YOUR MEETING TODAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MARK AND LET HIM GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS. THANK YOU, MR. RUSSI. GOOD EVENING, MR. ALVARADO. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, BOB. BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL IS THE APPROVAL OF THE 2020 2021 CITY. VARIOUS CASE STUDY SESSIONS THAT WERE HELD. ONE IN MID-MAY, THAT WAS A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECTIONS FOR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES. AND THEN A DETAILED STUDY SESSION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT GOT INTO THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT FOR NEXT YEAR, ALONG WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTING ALL OF THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY CHANGES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. SO AT THIS POINT, WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. [00:10:04] FIFTY NINE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED NINETY FIVE DOLLARS. THAT IS THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR ALL CITY FUNDS. SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GENERAL FUND NEXT YEAR, THE ANTICIPATED BUDGET IS THIRTY FOUR POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS. THIS REPRESENTS A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS LESS THAN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET. AND OBVIOUSLY WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH COVID AND THE RELATED ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, THAT IS WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT A REDUCED BUDGET. THE COST REDUCTIONS FOR THE NEW BUDGET COMPARED TO THE CURRENT YEAR. WE HAVE SALARY SAVINGS OF FOUR POSITIONS THAT THAT ARE NOT BEING FUNDED. THESE ARE NOT PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED POSITIONS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE MULTIPLE SAVINGS ON FOR STAFF VACANCIES WHERE IT'S JUST A TIMING ISSUE WHERE WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING FILLING THESE POSITIONS ON JULY 1ST. SOME POSITIONS WE'RE ANTICIPATING FILLING AUGUST 1ST. SEPTEMBER 1ST. EVEN A LITTLE BIT LATER. SO WITH THE REALIZATION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SPENDING THOSE SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR A MONTH OR MORE, WE CAN WE CAN PROJECT AND ADD AN ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY SAVINGS INTO THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. SO, AGAIN, LET ME REITERATE, THERE ARE THERE ARE NO REDUCTIONS IN ANY OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY STAFFING LEVELS FOR NEXT YEAR. ON THE OPERATION SIDE, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE HOLDING THEIR BUDGETS STEADY. THESE OPERATIONS BUDGETS INCLUDE CONTRACTS, SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, SMALL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT INCREASING THEIR THEIR BUDGETS IN ANY OF THOSE OPERATIONAL CATEGORIES. ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THE REVENUES WE ARE LOOKING AT ARE APPROXIMATELY TWO MILLION DOLLARS LESS THAN WHERE WE WERE FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR. OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE PANDEMIC AND THE SLOWDOWN FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER, WE'VE HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS INTO OUR PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR. SALES TAX IS GOING TO BE THE AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE HIT THE BIGGEST RIGHT NOW. WE ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT AN EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET FOR 2021 COMPARED TO WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. IN ADDITION TO THAT BUSINESS LICENSE, WE ARE PROJECTING DOWN ABOUT 10 PERCENT, ABOUT FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE OTHER AREA THAT'S TAKEN A BIG HIT IS OUR RECREATIONAL FEES. OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF CLASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON OR POSSIBLY AT LEAST OVER THE SUMMER. SO WE'VE HAD TO REDUCE OUR OUR REVENUES IN THAT AREA. OUR REVENUE FOR BUILDING PERMIT VALUATIONS. WE'RE PROJECTING ALMOST THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS. AND A LOT OF THAT IS ALSO DUE TO THE TIMING OF WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING OUT. NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY CONSTRUCTION IS STILL GOING ON. WHAT'S STILL GOING ON? BUT BECAUSE OF TIMING ISSUES, WE'RE ANTICIPATING LESS OF THE PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2021. AND THEN REVENUE FROM PARKING FINES OBVIOUSLY IS DECREASED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND WE'RE PROJECTING A SMALLER DECREASE FOR NEXT YEAR. THE ONE POSITIVE NOTE IS OUR PROPERTY TAX THAT HAS NOT TAKEN THE HIT THAT RETAIL HAS. SO WE ARE PROJECTING ABOUT A TWO AND HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES FOR NEXT YEAR. OVERALL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR REVENUES DROPPING ABOUT TWO MILLION AND WE ABLE TO DECREASE EXPENDITURES ABOUT A MILLION. WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT ABOUT A ONE POINT, ONE MILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL TO BALANCE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND I WILL GET MORE INTO THAT IN IN A SECOND. BUT IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO MAINTAIN THESE SERVICES IN ALL THE AREAS TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES. THE ONLY AREA THAT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE OFFERING AS WHAT WE WOULD HAVE NORMALLY ANTICIPATED, AND I JUST MENTIONED THAT A FEW SECONDS AGO, WAS ON THE RECREATION SIDE WHERE SOME OF THE YOUTH PROGRAMS, SENIOR EVENTS, EXCURSIONS, [00:15:03] ACTIVITIES WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF STATE RESTRICTIONS AND EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING. SO FOR NOW, WE'RE HAVING TO CURTAIL THOSE. BUT ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE USED TO GETTING AND SEEING IN THE CITY, WE ARE STILL ANTICIPATING TO DOING EVERYTHING IN TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO THOUSAND TWENTY ONE. AS I MENTIONED, USING A PROJECTED ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS OF RESERVES TO BALANCE THE 2021 BUDGET. OBVIOUSLY, THESE ARE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. WHEN YOU GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF A FISCAL YEAR. IN MANY KEY AREAS OF YOUR REVENUES. AND THEN TO MAKE IT WORSE, NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. IT MAKES IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE PROJECTIONS AND KNOW THAT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE CORRECT AS YOU GO FORWARD. AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT THAT LATER ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEEP THE COUNCIL PRESENT ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPEN AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION. BUT THE USE OF RESERVES IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF LA VERNE IS ABLE TO DO BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAINTAINING AND INCREASING THEIR RESERVE LEVEL. APPROXIMATELY AT THE END OF 2000, AT THE END OF TODAY TO 2019, 2020. THE CITY WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY TEN POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN RESERVES. JUST TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE. THREE YEARS AGO, OUR RESERVES WERE NINE MILLION DOLLARS. TWO YEARS AGO, WE WERE ALMOST 10 MILLION DOLLARS. LAST YEAR, ABOUT 11 MILLION DOLLARS. AS WE LOOK TO CLOSE 2019, 2020, BECAUSE OF THE EVENTS OF THE LAST THREE MONTHS, WE ARE LOOKING TO USE ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. THE ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. SO THAT WILL REDUCE OUR RESERVES FROM 11 MILLION TO APPROXIMATELY TEN POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ANTICIPATING TO BE AT HEADING INTO THE TWENTY, TWENTY ONE FISCAL YEAR. THE USE OF ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS OF RESERVES TO BALANCE THE 20 21 BUDGET STILL PUTS THE CITY OF LA VERNE AT APPROXIMATELY NINE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS OF RESERVES, WHICH IS ABOUT A TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT RATE WHEN IT COMES TO THE PERCENTAGE OF RESERVES AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL BUDGETED EXPENDITURES. AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE CITY'S POLICY IS TO STAY AT LEAST AT 20 PERCENT. OBVIOUSLY, THE CITY HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MEETING THAT, BUT ALSO EXCEEDING THAT. PRIOR TO THIS ONE TIME USE THAT IS BEING REQUESTED RIGHT NOW, THE RESERVE LEVEL WAS OVER 30 PERCENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF STAYING FINANCIALLY STRONG AND KEEPING THE RESERVE PERCENTAGE VERY, VERY HIGH AND DEFINITELY ABOVE THE POLICY LIMITATIONS. BRIEFLY, SOME OF THE BUDGETS FOR SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS THAT MAKE UP SOME OF THE OTHER BIGGER OPERATIONS, MAKING UP THE FULL 59 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. THE WATER FUND OPERATIONS IS APPROXIMATELY TEN POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS. THE SEWER FUND, ABOUT ONE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS. OUR EQUIPMENT FUND ABOUT ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. AND THESE BUDGETS ARE ALL STATUS QUO BUDGETS COMPARED TO THE CURRENT YEAR. ONE FUND THAT I WILL NOTE IS THE CDBG FUND, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR IS APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WAS APPROXIMATELY EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THAT INCREASE IS BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND WE ARE ALLOCATING APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GO TO BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SO WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY AND ABLE TO GET THAT MONEY EARMARKED TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT. [00:20:04] BRIEFLY, ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS SIDE, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY EIGHT POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS BUDGETED FROM CIP PROJECTS AND CAPITAL OUTLAY. SOME OF THE PROJECTS INCLUDE THE FRUIT STREET MEDIAN IMPROVEMENTS, THE [INAUDIBLE] HIGHWAY STREET REHABILITATION WORK OVER ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF UTILITY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING WATER LINES, WATER MAINS, THINGS LIKE THAT. OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF ROOF REPAIRS. LITTLE LESS THAN THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS. AND APPR. TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT PURCHASES FOR THE CITY DEPARTMENTS CITYWIDE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, ABOUT HOW WE'RE IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES AND WE'RE NOW JUST STARTING TO GET INFORMATION FOR LOOKING AT THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2020, WE'RE USING KIND OF WHAT WE KNOW NOW FOR ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR. WE WILL NOT HAVE SALES TAX INFORMATION FOR THE MONTHS OF APRIL THROUGH JUNE UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST. AND THAT IS WHY WE, STAFF, WANTS TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL EITHER SEPTEMBER OR MAYBE EARLY OCTOBER WITH GOOD INFORMATION ON WHERE WE ENDED UP BEFORE FOURTH QUARTER OF THOUSAND AND TWENTY, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR FIRST FOUNDATION BLOCK TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH POTENTIALLY REVISED NUMBERS FOR THE TWENTY ONE BUDGET. THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AROUND THE HOLIDAYS OR ON THE CHRISTMAS TIME, MAYBE JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, MAYBE RIGHT AFTER AS WE START TO GET THE ACTIVITY, THE INFORMATION FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE. THAT WILL GIVE US INFORMATION THROUGH SEPTEMBER. AND THEN THAT THAT WILL GIVE US A BETTER INDICATION OF HOW CLOSE WE WERE WITH WITH SALES TAX, IF THINGS ARE ARE NOT WORSE THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED OR HOPEFULLY BETTER. AND THEN AFTER THAT EARLY 2021, MAYBE FEBRUARY, MARCH, AS WE ARE ABLE TO GET ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MONTHS WORTH OF ACTIVITY, COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH BETTER ESTIMATES FOR REVISIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2021 BUDGET. WE THINK THAT'S THAT'S VERY, VERY PRUDENT RIGHT NOW BASED ON THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE GOOD INFORMATION. WE WERE DEFINITELY VERY CONSERVATIVE ON THE REVENUE ESTIMATES, ESPECIALLY FOCUSED ON OUR SALES TAX. WE CONTRACT WITH AN OUTSIDE COMPANY WHO HELPS US WITH SALES TAX FORECASTS. AND WE TOOK THAT INFORMATION AND WE EVEN WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THEIR NUMBERS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO COME BACK THE CITY COUNCIL, WE CAN COME BACK WITH MORE POSITIVE INFORMATION THAN HAVING IT COME BACK WITH POTENTIALLY MORE CUTS TO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. SO WE'RE THINKING THOSE THREE OPPORTUNITIES WOULD BE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY TWO THOUSAND TWENTY ONE BUDGET. BUT FOR NOW, WE ARE VERY COMFORTABLE AND VERY HAPPY WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO THE CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND IF COUNCIL AGREES, STAFF ASKS FOR APPROVAL OF RESERVE RESOLUTION 20-50 TO APPROVE THE BUDGET. AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. ALVARADO. COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ALVARADO? I SEE THAT AS A NO, THEN WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A REAL QUICK COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK YOU. YOUR STAFF, ALL THE DEPARTMENT'S HEAD, MR. RUSSI, AND ALL AT THE CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER ARDUOUS TASK THAT'S JUST NOT EASY, ESPECIALLY WITH COVID-19 AND US CHANGING OUR MODELING SHUTTING OUR CITY DOWN AND OUR BUSINESSES AND THEN BRINGING THEM BACK UP. IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT TASK FOR ALL OF US INVOLVED. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. IT'S GONE WELL; IT'S A BUDGET. WE CAN USE IT, EVEN THOUGH WITH THE CUTS, I THINK EVERY DEPARTMENT DID A REALLY GOOD JOB AS FAR AS FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY COULD CUT. NOT CUTTING SERVICES, NOT CUTTING POLICE, FIRE. ESSENTIAL SERVICES. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S JUST A TOUGH TASK. AND I THINK WE DID A VERY GOOD JOB. THANK YOU TO ALL IN THE CITY. [00:25:02] PLEASE LET THEM KNOW THAT, MR. RUSSI. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WAITING TO COMMENT ON THE BUDGET, MR. RUSSI? WE DO HAVE SEVERAL. I THINK J.R. HAD CUED UP A COUPLE THAT WE HAD PHONE CALLS AND THEN SOME OTHER E MAILS. BUT JR, YOU THERE? YES, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WE HAVE TWO CALLS AND THEN A COUPLE OF EMAILED COMMENTS THAT I WILL READ. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE FIRST CALLER IS ZACH GIBSON. MR. GIBSON, GO AHEAD. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. HI, RICK. I WAS GOING TO ASK JR THIS BEFORE HE PUT ME ON HOLD, BUT AFTER EIGHTY-EIGHT, BECAUSE OF MY DYSLEXIA, AND I'M GOING TO BE READING SOMETHING I WOULD ASK FOR JUST MAYBE A MOMENT LONGER OR SO AS I TRY AND MUDDLE THROUGH IT, SINCE IT'S PRETTY BAD TODAY. SO IT WON'T BE MUCH MORE THAN THREE MINUTES; I PROMISE YOU THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FIVE, 10 MINUTE SPEECH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I GO READ IT ALL. IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME THAT. GO AHEAD, MR. GIBSON. OK. THANK YOU. HERE WE GO. STARTING RIGHT OUT, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT APPROVE THIS, THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT ADD UP AND HAS NO DEPTH. READING BOTH THE CITY MANAGER'S SUMMARIES AND THE DOCUMENTS IS CONFUSING TO SAY THE LEAST AND THE TWO ARE NOT COMPLIMENTARY AND DO NOT SHARE THE SAME INFORMATION. [INAUDIBLE] IF THEY DO BECAUSE I'M NOT. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT ANYONE READING BOTH THE MANAGER'S SUMMARY AND THE FULL DOCUMENT WOULD WALK AWAY WITH ZERO QUESTION. IF ANYONE ON THE COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE AT LEAST ONE QUESTION EACH. FOR INSTANCE, ON THE ALLOCATION OF GENERAL FUNDS, THE 70S ALONE, THEN THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE OR ARE ACTIVELY CHOOSING NOT TO. ON ANOTHER NOTE, WHY IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES THAT OUR OWN CITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF? [INAUDIBLE] THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S JOB TO HOST THE COMMUNITY HEALTH [INAUDIBLE] OR ON THE SAME [INAUDIBLE] WISHING RESIDENTS HAPPY BIRTHDAY [INAUDIBLE]. WHY IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THE VOICE OF OUR CITY OVER OUR [INAUDIBLE] IF PD COMMUNICATION BUDGET IS [INAUDIBLE] WHY ARE THEY? IT'S SO GREAT THAT THEY HAVE THE MEANS TO FUND ALL COMMUNITY SERVICES. MAYBE WE SHOULD REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TO OUR ACTUAL COMMUNITY SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. SO THAT IS WHAT THEY SHOULD ACTUALLY BE DOING. AND ON YET ANOTHER NOTE, I SWEAR, I'M WRAPPING IT UP ON YET ANOTHER NOTE. HOW CAN FOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY WE CANNOT AFFORD A FORENSIC AUDIT KNOWING THIS CITY PLANNING COMMISSION PAID TO HAVE THE 2018 COMMUNITY PROFILES DONE BY AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, AS WELL AS OUR 20 YEAR GENERAL PLAN FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY. HOW MUCH DO PAY TO KNOW THOSE WHO RUN THE CITY FOR US? BECAUSE OF IT, WHY IS A FORENSIC AUDIT OUT OF THE QUESTION? I'LL TELL YOU WHY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY WANT IT. FRANKLY, PUT, WE DO NOT TRUST THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY. WE ARE IN SECURITY AND WE DO NOT TRUST THAT THEY ARE WORKING IN OUR BEST INTEREST. WE WANT PROOF THAT WE ARE WRONG. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE RIGHT. WE WANT A NICE PILLOW TO SLEEP ON SAYING WE WERE WRONG. YOU WERE RIGHT. WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU SPEND THE MONEY THAT WE GIVE TO YOU TO SHOW US THAT OUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT IN THE WAY THAT YOU SAY AND DO NOT HIDE BEHIND ANY OTHER COMMENTS. YOU DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE FRANKLY, ANY OTHER ISSUE FALLS FLAT AND RAISES MORE QUESTIONS AS TO WHERE YOUR LOYALTIES LIE. LASTLY, WE SHOULD SHUT THIS CITY DOWN UNTIL WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET THAT COULD TAKE MORE THAN COPY AND PASTE THE DETAILS FROM THE PAST 13 YEARS. I AM ASKING YOU TO HELP US, THE RESIDENTS, TRUST THIS CITY. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, MR. GIBSON. AND I'M GOING TO BRING ON MS. BERRY, THE NEXT CALLER IS PAM BERRY. [00:30:07] HELLO. YOU'RE LIVE, PAM. I AM. OK. ARE YOU READY? READY. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. OK. OK. SORRY. I WAS LISTENING TO THIS. I GOT DELAYED. FIRST OF ALL, I WILL COMMENT RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE. I CAN TELL BY THE LOOKS ON YOUR FACES DURING THE LAST COMMENT. THERE ARE SOME REAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROCESS AS FAR AS SOUND AND HEARING WHAT THE COMMENTS ARE. FOLLOWING ALONG, IT IS NOT VERY GOOD AS FAR AS ACCESSIBILITY. SO WE DO NEED TO WORK ON ANOTHER SOLUTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHETHER YOU HAVE A COMPUTER SET UP IN THE CHAMBER OR SOMEBODY TO STEP UP AND BE THERE OR SOMETHING SO THAT IT IS A LITTLE MORE ACCESSIBLE. BUT THAT'S OFF THE SUBJECT. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS CITY CLERK PART OF THE BUDGET. AND I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] IS ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. NOT SURE HOW THE CLERK PART OF IT IS WORKING, BUT I NOTICED THERE WAS A BIG DROP IN THE CURRENT BUDGET IN A COUPLE OF AREAS, AND THEN ALSO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A PART TIME POSITION. I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD GET A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THAT PARTICULAR PART OF IT. AND THEN KIND OF ANOTHER LITTLE PART OF THAT IS I NOTICED LOOKING AT THE 2018 19 BUDGET, THAT 20, 19, 20 BUDGET AND THEN THE CURRENT ONE THAT'S PROPOSED, THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. REQUIRE TWO YEARS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART HAD CITIZENS, THEN THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY CLERK ALL ON ONE PART AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER UNDER THE COUNCIL WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. THAT IS CHANGED FOR THIS ONE. AND I WANTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF MAYBE SOME INPUT AS TO WHAT MADE THAT CHANGE, BECAUSE IT SHOWS NOW THAT THOSE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE CITY CLERK, RATHER THAN BEING ON AN EVEN PART UNDER THE COUNCIL, IS UNDER THE CITY MANAGER. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE ROLES OF CITY CLERK NEEDED TO BE INDEPENDENTLY REPORTING TO THE COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY WITH ELECTIONS, FUNCTIONS OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. I'D LIKE A CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE PURPOSE OF THAT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. AND THEN AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACTUAL BUDGET FOR THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, I GUESS YOU CALL IT, AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE ASSISTANT CLERK WHO IS FILLING THE CITY CLERK ROLE? SO THOSE WOULD BE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. MS. BERRY. MR. RUSSI, DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS TO THOSE, OR ARE YOU GOING TO WAIT? I CAN WAIT TILL ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE DONE. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU. NEXT, JR. BE SHIFTING TO EMAILED COMMENTS. THIS IS FROM TERRY KEENAN. I HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUTH SPORTS FOR THE COMING YEAR, AND I AM WONDERING WHY. IN A BUDGET OF EIGHT POINT ONE MILLION, I CANNOT FATHOM THAT THERE IS NO MONEYS AVAILABLE FOR OUR KIDS. SPORTS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH. AND AS IS SAID, THEY ARE THE VOICES AND LEADERS OF TOMORROW. YOU EVIDENTLY SUPPORTED THE PROTEST DEMONSTRATION A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT THIS LACK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR KIDS IS UNFAIR. THEIR LIVES HAVE BEEN UPENDED ENOUGH THIS YEAR WITH SCHOOL CLOSING AND NO SPORTS BEING ALLOWED SO FAR. I JUST CANNOT ACCEPT THAT THE CITY WOULD CONTINUE TO FAIL THE KIDS. PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS DECISION. RESPECTFULLY, TERRY KEENAN. THE NEXT ONE I HAVE IS FROM PAMELA ANDERSON. DEAR MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS PAMELA ANDERSON. I AM A FIVE YEAR RESIDENT OF LA VERNE. MY CHILDREN ATTEND OAK MESA AND ARE INVOLVED IN LITTLE LEAGUE AND YOUTH SOFTBALL. I IMPLORE THAT THE CITY OF LA VERNE TO DO A BETTER JOB SUPPORTING YOUTH SPORTS. I AM ON THE LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE BOARD AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY HAS DONE NOTHING TO STAND UP TO THE COUNTY TO FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN. YES, WE ARE IN L.A. COUNTY. HOWEVER, LA VERNE SHOULD NOT BE HANDLED THE SAME AS DOWNTOWN L.A. . BASED ON CURRENT OPENINGS, I HAVE HEARD NO GOOD RATIONALE AS TO WHY OUR KIDS SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO PLAY. PLEASE FIGHT FOR OUR KIDS. [00:35:02] OUR CHILDREN NEED SPORTS. THE PAST THREE MONTHS AWAY FROM THE EXERCISE, FRESH AIR, FRIENDSHIPS AND ROUTINE OF SPORTS HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MY CHILDREN. OUR KIDS HELP INCLUDES THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR THEIR HEALTH. THEY NEED TO BE BACK AT SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. AND THEN THE FALL BACK IN SCHOOL. FURTHERMORE, IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE FISCAL CIP PLAN HAS NO MENTION OF ANY PLANS TO INVEST IN YOUTH SPORTS IN THE LA VERNE. EIGHT POINT ONE MILLION IN A BUDGET AND NOT A SINGLE DOLLAR IS BEING ALLOCATED TO YOUTH SPORTS. THIS IS INSANE. PLEASE SHARE WHY THIS DECISION WAS MADE. PLEASE SUPPORT YOUTH SPORTS AND LA VERNE AND TAKE A STAND WITH THE COUNTY TO FIGHT FOR OUR KIDS. THANK YOU, PAMELA ANDERSON. AND THE LAST ONE THAT I HAVE RECEIVED IS FROM JACKSON SALINAS. THE ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, WILL ANYTHING IN THIS BUDGET CHANGE IF THINGS GO BACK TO NORMAL FROM COVID-19 SOMETIME DURING THE YEAR? THOSE ARE ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED UP TO THIS POINT. THANK YOU, J.R.. MR. RUSSI, DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL COMMENTS FROM OR, MR. ALVARADO, YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT? I CAN ANSWER A COUPLE OF THOSE OF THOSE QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, ON THE ELECTIONS BUDGET AND I THINK THE EFFORT FOR BRINGING THAT UP, THAT WAS IT IN MY NOTES, THE REASON FOR THE DROP OFF IS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT FUNDING THE ELECTION FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION IS EVERY TWO YEARS. SO THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT IS NOT NEEDED TO BE FUNDED IN THE 2021 BUDGET. THE QUESTION REGARDING YOUTH SPORTS, I BELIEVE THE GENTLEMAN WAS LOOKING AT THE YOUTH SPORTS CIP FUND, WHICH IS A SEPARATE SMALL FUND, AND THAT BUDGET, I BELIEVE, WAS FIFTEEN THOUSAND FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. THERE'S NOTHING BUDGETED FOR TWENTY TWENTY ONE. BUT ANY OF THOSE CIPS WOULD BE FUNDED BY THE YOUTH PROGRAMS. BUT THERE ARE STILL THE REGULAR YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED IN THE COMMUNITY RECREATION SERVICES BUDGET. REGARDING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, THE ONE THAT SHOWS THE CITY CLERK ON PAR WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITIZENS, THAT'S THE GLOBAL MACRO VIEW OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS FROM A CITY WIDE VIEW. I BELIEVE THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL CHART I BELIEVE PAM WAS LOOKING AT THAT WE GOT INTO THE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS AND IT MAKES IT EASIER TO READ WHEN WE SHOW THE CITY CLERK. OBVIOUSLY IT'S AN OPERATION UNDER THE CITY MANAGER. SO ALL OF THOSE OPERATIONS ARE SHOWN UNDER THE CITY MANAGER IN THAT VIEWPOINT. SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE OF A OF A MACRO VIEW OF THE GLOBAL ORG CHART. AND THEN WE GET INTO THESE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS AND HOW THEY REPORT UNDER THE CITY MANAGER. SO, BOB, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT. NO. THOSE WERE ALL, I THINK, APPROPRIATE ANSWERS. I WILL BACK UP JUST A SECOND. AND ON THE YOUTH SPORTS. I KNOW THAT FOR THERE WAS A MEETING HELD LAST WEEK AND MAYOR HEPBURN IN COUNCIL AND MAYOR PRO TEM CARDER ATTENDED WITH LITTLE LEAGUE TO LOOK AT GLOBALLY HOW TO POSSIBLY SUPPORT ADDITIONAL CIP ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO THAT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO YOUTH SPORTS. I UNDERSTAND AND HAVE SOME DISCUSSION IN THAT REGARD. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THE TWO OF YOU WOULD WANT TO SHARE ON THAT AT THIS POINT OR IS THAT SUFFICIENT? AND I JUST WANT TO FURTHER THAT COMMENT ABOUT THAT THE CITY DOES NOTHING FOR YOUTH SPORTS . MYSELF, PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN IN YOUTH SPORTS WHEN MY KIDS WERE IN SCHOOL. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER WAS IN YOUTH SPORTS. I KNOW MR. CROSBY. MR. DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY INVOLVED SOMEWHERE WITH SPORTS. I'M SURE YOU WERE SOMEWHAT. AND OUR CITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS BESIDES THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE SENIOR PROGRAMS, THEY DO EVERYTHING FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT BE GATORS, WHETHER IT BE SWIMMING, WHETHER IT BE LITTLE LEAGUE, WHETHER IT BE SOFTBALL. AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. AND AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS THAT TAKE CARE OF OUR PARKS AND THEY TAKE CARE OF VERY WELL. THEN MEETING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND I MYSELF ATTENDED WITH THE [00:40:01] PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF LITTLE LEAGUE WAS REGARDING FUTURE USE OF THE PARK WITH TURF FIELDS. SO WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT RIGHT NOW. BUT. WHEN THEY SAY THAT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING IN THE CITY FOR YOUTH SPORTS, OUR CITY IS FOCUSED ON YOUTH SPORTS. WE DO SO MUCH, CHAD AND MR. GARY. YVONNE. THAT'S ALL WE DO. THE UNFORTUNATE PART RIGHT NOW IS DURING COVID-19. EVERYTHING'S SHUT DOWN. WE CANNOT STARTED BACK UP WITHOUT THINKING THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, SAFETY OF OUR COACHES, SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS. AND AS WE'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW DAYS, THERE'S AN UPTICK RIGHT NOW WITH SHUTTING DOWN RESTAURANTS OR NOT RESTAURANTS, BUT BARS; IT'S REAL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MASK UP. WE HAVE TO BE PROTECTED. OUR CITY'S WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO GET TO OUR SWIM BACK UP, TO GET A LITTLE LEAGUE NOT LITTLE LEAGUE, BUT SO MUCH AS FOR YOUTH CAMPS. AND WE'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB AT IT. IT'S JUST THAT IT'S CHANGING EVERY DAY. THE GUIDELINES ARE CHANGING EVERY DAY. THE RESTRICTIONS ARE CHANGING EVERY DAY. THE CITY IS FOCUS ON YOUTH SPORTS. WE KEEP OUR KIDS BUSY, WHETHER AT HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL OR AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL OR AT THE CITY LEVEL. I THINK OUR CITY DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THAT. IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE BILLS AND CANCEL, CANCEL, CANCEL. THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE GET CDC GUIDELINES TO PUSH FORWARD TO OPEN OUR CITY BACK OUT. WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL IT'S SAFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR YOUTH. SO UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. AND IT'S THE SITUATION WE'RE ALL IN RIGHT NOW. SO MR. RUSSI OR ANYBODY ELSE, ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED AND REALLY INVESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR YOUTH HAVE SERVICES. AND I WANT TO THINK SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND COUNCILWOMAN CARDER FOR HAVING THOSE ENGAGEMENTS WITH LITTLE LEAGUE AND FURTHERING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WASN'T SAID EARLIER, BUT THOSE E-MAILS ACTUALLY CAME IN PRIOR TO THAT MEETING. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSIVENESS WITH WHICH BOTH STAFF AND THE MEMBERS OF THE YOUTH SPORTS COMMITTEE RESPONDED AND ENGAGED WITH THE CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE WHAT NEXT STEPS CAN BE DONE TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING IT SAFE SO THAT OUR KIDS CAN PLAY. BUT, YOU KNOW, A PRIORITY, AS THE MAYOR SAID, IS THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. AND BEYOND SPORTS, TIM, YOU SAID THAT WELL, EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WE HAVE OUR YOUTH SPORTS COMMITTEE THAT BRINGS ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER. AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO START WHEN IT COMES TO ANY TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE. SO WE WILL BE HAVING THAT MEETING. BUT A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT WE ARE DOING FOR OUR KIDS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT'S BEEN A FOCUS FOR US TO BUILD A TEAM CENTER BECAUSE WE WANT A PLACE WHERE OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME DO HOMEWORK, HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS, HOMEWORK AND THEN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS IN THE PLANNING AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. SO THAT'S FOR ALL OF OUR YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY. SO BEYOND SPORTS, BECAUSE NOT EVERY CHILD PLAYS THE SPORT. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL CHILD. WHAT IS THE NEED OF THAT STUDENT OR INDIVIDUAL KIDS, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ESPECIALLY, THAT'S THE FOCAL POINT, IS THAT THEY NEED THAT ATTENTION AND THEY NEED A PLACE TO GO. SO I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT THE CITY IS WORKING SO HARD ON THIS TEEN CENTER TOO. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. AND I JUST WANT TO I UNDERSTAND THE PARENTS OUT THERE. I HAVE A CHILD THAT IS JUST LEAVING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IS VERY DIFFICULT, ONE THAT LOVES TO PLAY SPORTS AND TRYING TO GET OUT THERE AND PARTICIPATE. WE DO LIVE IN L.A. COUNTY, THE MOST EASTERN PART OF L.A. COUNTY, AND WE STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FROM OUR COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE AS A CITY CAN NOT CHANGE THE GUIDELINES FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THE ONE THING WE CAN DO IS MAKE THEM HARSHER, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO. AND RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOT ALLOWING US TO HAVE THESE SPORTS. NO MATTER WHAT WE COULD DO, WE CAN'T. AND THOUGH, AS A PARENT, UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO GET OUR KIDS OUT AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE OUR KIDS PLAYING THESE SPORT AND WANT TO BE OUT THERE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FROM WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE'S COMMENTS. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, MAYOR HEPBURN AND YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM CARDER FOR HAVING THE MEETING WITH LITTLE LEAGUE. AND I KNOW ALL OF OUR SPORTS AYSO, REAL LEAGUE SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL, [00:45:09] ALL REALLY WANT TO GET OUT THERE. AND IF WE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES, HOPEFULLY THESE SPIKES DON'T HAPPEN ANYMORE AND THEN WE CAN'T GET OUT THERE. SO PLEASE FOLLOW THOSE GUIDELINES WHERE YOUR MASK. AND MAKE SURE MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT THERE. THANK YOU, MR. CROSBY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN REMISS WITHOUT THE YOUTH SPORTS COUNCIL, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS. THAT IS A COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND IT'S A DIRECT LINK WITH THE CITY AND WITH ALL THE SPORTS. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL ENGAGE IN THAT. MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY JUST DISCUSSIONS AND WITH THE CITY, WORKING WITH THE YOUTH SPORTS AND THE DIFFERENT TEAMS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. AND WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM. THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS EVERY FIELD FILLED WITH KIDS AGAIN, BUT UNFORTUNATE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT THERE YET. IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT, WE DO CARE ABOUT ALL OF OUR YOUTH SPORTS AND OUR MUSIC PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WE HAVE IN THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY ARE SO THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY, BUT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CDC GUIDELINES TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW THEM SO. SO WITH THAT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. RUSSI? THERE WAS ONE MORE COMMENT A RESIDENT HAD. I DON'T REMEMBER HIS NAME, BUT IT HAD TO DO WITH IF WE GET BACK TO NORMAL AND I ASSUME HE MEANT AS FAR AS--JACKSON SALINAS--OUR REVENUE RETURNING TO NORMAL. AND AS MARK POINTED OUT, THAT'S WHY WE ARE COMING BACK TO YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, MORE FREQUENTLY. IF WE START TO SEE BETTER REVENUES THAN WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD PROPOSE RE-INSTITUTING SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE POSTPONED AT THIS POINT IN ORDER TO SHRINK OUR EXPENSE SIDE OF THE BUDGET. SO NO REAL ANTICIPATION AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT WOULD BE OUR HOPE THAT WE BE ABLE TO REINSERT SOME OF THOSE APPROPRIATIONS BACK INTO THE BUDGET. THANK YOU. I WOULD BE TOTALLY REMISS AS ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH MR. ALVARADO AND SENIOR MANAGER ANALYST CHRISTY LOPEZ, WITHOUT CHRISTY, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT FROM ALL OF US, BECAUSE ALWAYS WITH OUR MONTHLY REPORTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON, SHE KEEPS US UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY. AND IS ALWAYS VERY GENEROUS WITH LOOKING AT THE BILLS. SHE ALWAYS PUT 'EM IN MY BOX. WE LOOK AT THEIR BILLS EVERY MONTH, BUT WITHOUT HER AND WITHOUT MR. ALVARADO AND OBVIOUSLY ALL STAFF AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS. BUT SHE PUTS IT TOGETHER AND IS LITERALLY THERE IN THE BACKGROUND ALL THE TIME DOING THE HARD, DILIGENT WORK THAT MAKES THIS HAPPEN FOR US. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, CHRISTY, YOU VERY MUCH. VERY MUCH. WITH THAT I WILL--NO OTHER DISCUSSION, CAN I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. COUNCILWOMAN CARDER. OK, SECOND. OH, YO'URE MUTED, BUT THAT'S OK. I'LL SECOND IT. THANK YOU, MR. CROSBY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, AYE: AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. NONE. MOTION CARRIES. WE HAVE PASSED OUR TEN THOUSAND TWENTY TWENTY ONE BUDGET. [6. PUBLIC COMMENTS/ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - This is the time set aside for anyone wishing to address the City Council on items not listed in any other place on the agenda. Under the provisions of the Brown Act, the legislative body is prohibited from talking or engaging in discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda. However, your concerns may be referred to staff or set for discussion at a later date. There is a three-minute limit per speaker. Please email the Assistant City Clerk at cityclerk@cityoflaverne.org before 5 pm on the day of the meeting with your public comments] NOW LET'S GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS RIGHT NOW? MR. RUSSI OR JR? I BELIEVE WE DO. J.R.. YOU'RE ON MUTE. I WAS JUST MAKING SURE I HAVE THE CALL CUED UP. SORRY, YOU GUYS ALWAYS NEED TO GIVE ME A LITTLE PATIENCE. I APOLOGIZE. SO WE DO HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE FIRST IS A CALL-IN, MR. HUGH KELLY. GO AHEAD, SIR. YOU'RE LIVE. GOOD EVENING, MR. KELLY. HEY, GOOD EVENING. THIS IS HUGH KELLY, A LA VERNE RESIDENT. IT LOOKS LIKE LA VERNE HAS TOSSED OUT TO CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKERS ACT. SINCE THE CITY'S REPLY IS NOW, THERE ARE NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE TO YOUR E-MAIL REQUEST TO OUR INQUIRIES. I ASKED WHO WAS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY COMMITTEE AND I WAS GIVEN THAT RESPONSE, EVEN THOUGH TWO OF THEM SIT ON THE SCREEN BEFORE ME. BUT THEN WHO CARES, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHO CARES ABOUT A CITIZEN'S REQUEST? SO WHO CARES THAT THIS IS AN ACT, A LAW PASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATOR. SO IF YOU CAN BREAK OR NOT COMPLY WITH THE LAW. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ANY LAW? AND YOU WONDER WHY PEOPLE SUSPECT YOU ARE HIDING SOMETHING. I BRING IT UP AGAIN, FORENSIC AUDIT, WHICH COSTS THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 10 YEAR AUDIT. NO ONE CAN OR SHOULD TRUST YOU ANYMORE. ARE WE THE CITY OF BALDWIN PARK? WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU SUBMIT TO A FORENSIC AUDIT. [00:50:03] WE CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ANYMORE. YOUR CREDIBILITY IS DEAD. GGOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. KELLY. NEXT AN E-MAILED COMMENT FROM JACKSON SALINAS. HELLO AGAIN. YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING CITIES TO PROTECT THEIR MONUMENTS FROM GETTING VANDALIZED OR TORN DOWN FROM PROTESTERS FROM THE RECENT INCIDENTS. I HOPE THE CITY FOLLOWS THAT ORDER TO PROTECT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL IN OUR CITY. OR ELSE THE CITY WILL LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING BECAUSE IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO SOME MEMORIALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND THAT IS ALL THE CITY HAS RECEIVED UP TO THIS POINT. WE'LL GIVE IT A MINUTE. WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. WE CAN START WITH COUNCIL COMMENTS, CAN WE NOT? I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT. JUST WAIT A MINUTE. OK. GENERALLY A MINUTE, I THINK WE'VE GOT BETWEEN A 20 AND 40 SECOND DELAY. WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL AS WE TRY AND IMPROVE SOME OF OUR ABILITY TO HAVE THE ENGAGEMENT AS CLOSE TO WHAT NORMAL WOULD LOOK LIKE. WHEN WE FIRST PUT IN THE OPTION TO EMAIL, WE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY FOR CALLING IN NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT ABILITY AND KIND OF PERFECTED IT AS BEST WE CAN AT THIS TIME. WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMENTS FROM SOME RESIDENTS THAT TO E-MAIL IN IS A LOT HARDER THAN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR PHONE NUMBER BE EMAILED IN AND THEN CALL DURING THE MEETING BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT TO PLAN AHEAD OF TIME IS NOT REALLY BEING AS INTERACTIVE AS THEY WOULD LIKE IT TO BE AS ORGANIC. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH THAT. WE'RE STILL GOING TO ACCEPT E-MAILS. WHEN THOSE E-MAILS COME IN BEFORE THE MEETING, WE WILL SHARE THOSE WITH COUNCIL, SO YOU HAVE THEM AND THEN WE WILL BE INCLUDING THEM IN THE PUBLIC RECORD. BUT THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO EMAIL THEIR PHONE NUMBERS THROUGH THE MEETING. IF THERE IS AN ITEM THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON AND AS LONG AS WE'RE IN THAT ITEM AND WE'LL PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO EMAIL IN AND THEN EVEN IN PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE WILL CALL THOSE PEOPLE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING. SO WE HOPE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF SIMILAR TO WHAT PUBLIC COMMENT WOULD BE IF PEOPLE WERE IN THE AUDIENCE AND GETTING UP RECOGNIZING THAT WE CAN'T HAVE THAT THEN YOU NOW. SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THAT WITH OUR NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE. AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WE'LL CHANGE OUR INSTRUCTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE MEETING. SO IT'S CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC. BUT JUST WANTED THE COUNCIL TO BE AWARE THAT CHANGE IS GOING TO BE COMING. THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD. MR. CROSBY. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL. I BELIEVE THAT HEARING THE COMMENTS FROM THE ACTUAL PERSON, IT REALLY MEANS A LOT. JUST READ AN EMAIL FROM J.R. DOESN'T, I BELIEVE, HAVE THE SAME EFFECT. AND I REALLY WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEARING THAT FROM THEIR MOUTHS. MR. DAVIS. YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT SO RESIDENTS WOULD JUST TYPE IN THE ITEM NUMBER AND THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER AND SEND IT IN. THAT'S ALL THEY'D HAVE TO DO? OK, GREAT. AND WE'LL BE MONITORING IT. AND EVEN IF IT'S THE ITEM WE'RE ON, THEY WOULD SAY, I WOULD WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS, BECAUSE AS IT WAS EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY WRITE THIS LENGTHY E-MAIL, BUT THEY'RE HEARING THE EXCHANGE GO ON. AND THEN THERE'S SOMETHING AT THAT MOMENT THAT PROMPTS THEM TO SPEAK. SO THIS WOULD ENABLE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE FREELY. I WOULD JUST CAUTION THAT E-MAIL ISN'T ALWAYS AS REAL-TIME AS ONE THINKS. AND SO IF THEY SAY THIS ITEM AND THEY PUT THEIR PHONE NUMBER IN, IT STILL MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET. DELIVERED. CERTAINLY, HELPFUL TO CLARIFY WHAT THE ITEM IS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A COMMENT SECTION FOR CATS NOW [LAUGHTER]. EXCUSE ME, IS THAT A HIGHWAY? OK. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM MR. RUSSI'S COMMENT. I DO APPRECIATE THAT TOO; I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THE MORE LIVE WE GET TOO, THE BETTER OFF WE ARE. AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT. JR, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. MAYOR, THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IS WE GOT AN ADDITIONAL E-MAIL FROM ZACH GIBSON. HE'S ASKING IF ANYONE WILL ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS HE POSED DURING HIS CALLING IN. HE'S ALSO ASKING TO BE CALLED AND I'LL WAIT FOR DIRECTION ON HOW TO HANDLE THAT. HIS COMMENT WAS ACTUALLY ON THE BUDGET, WHICH WAS NOT ON PUBLIC COMMENT, SO IT'S NOT [00:55:04] COMING BACK TWICE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY WENT OVER THAT. THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON AND NOW WE'RE IN PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WE WILL NOT COMMENT ON THAT. CORRECT, MR. COSBY? CORRECT. MR. ATTORNEY? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. OK. LET'S SEE, THEN WE GO TO COUNCIL COMMENTS. [Additional Item] WHO WANTS TO START FIRST? MR. DAVIS. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYONE THAT I THINK OUR OUR FINANCIAL STAFF, CHRISTY AND MARK AND AND THE ENTIRE REST OF THE STAFF HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BUDGET IN THESE TROUBLING AND VOLATILE TIMES. IT WAS A HERCULEAN EFFORT PERFORMED WELL. IT DID PUSH US TO THE LAST TIME OF THE MONTH, BUT WE MADE IT. SO THAT WAS A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD GO, EVERYBODY. AND I'M PROUD OF THIS BUDGET. AND AND I DO RELY ON OUR ANNUAL AUDITS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING AS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT. I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY FOURTH. HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE SAFE. I QUESTION THE SANITY OF THE FOURTH THIS YEAR BECAUSE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. I WOULD SUGGEST EITHER FIREWORKS OR GUNS OR SOMETHING EXPLODING. AND PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BEEN ASKED TO MANAGE THOSE WITHOUT ANY TOLERANCE. SO LET'S PLEASE TRY TO ENJOY AND RESPECT EVERYBODY'S RIGHT TO A SAFE FOURTH OF JULY. YOU KNOW, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE OUR KIDS OUT PLAYING. I WOULD ENCOURAGE KIDS TO PLAY IN A MANNER THAT THEY CAN NOW WITHOUT ORGANIZED SPORTS, BECAUSE COVID-19 IS NOT DISAPPEARING. EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF L.A. COUNTY FOR THE FIRST ABOUT TWO MONTHS FROM MID-MARCH TO MAY 5TH, MAY 11TH, WE HAD TALLIED 22 INFECTIONS IDENTIFIED IN LA VERNE. IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS THROUGH TODAY, WE'RE NOW AT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE. SO WE'VE MULTIPLIED FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST FIVE WEEKS. SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE ACCELERATION IS GOING TO DIMINISH ANY TIME SOON. I'M BECOMING LESS HOPEFUL FOR THINGS IN THE FALL, WHEREAS IN MAY I WAS VERY HOPEFUL. LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY THAT THE MOU IT'S A GREAT THING THAT WE GOT THAT MOU SIGNED WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS. AND ON THE HEELS OF THAT NEXT MONTH, WE ANTICIPATE SEEING THE ANALYSTS REVIEW OF THE L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT'S OFFER TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE CITY. SO, WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD TO SUPPORT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR RESIDENTS FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. SO HAPPY FOURTH, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. YES. I'LL GO NEXT BECAUSE MINE FOLLOWS RIGHT ALONG WITH WHAT MUIR WAS SAYING. ALL OF COUNCIL RECEIVED A LETTER FROM DOW HYDRAULICS, RICK DOW, AND HE SENT A VERY NICE LETTER TO OUR INTERIM FIRE CHIEF IN THANKING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR HIS BUSINESS THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL LETTER IN APPRECIATION OF A LONG TERM RESIDENT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I APPLAUD THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR WHAT THEY DID FOR THIS BUSINESS AND THE SUPPORT THEY GOT FOR MANY HOURS AFTER THAT. SO THAT IS ONE TOPIC. THE OTHER TOPIC I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR STAFF. MARK, THANK YOU FOR JOINING OUR CITY AND HELPING OUT. CHRISTY IS AMAZING. WENDY AND I SAW FIRSTHAND THE DEVOTION OF A CITY EMPLOYEE. ON SATURDAY TIME THAT THEY DON'T WORK IN TIME THAT SHOULD BE HERS AFTER WORKING ON THE BUDGET, CHRISTY DEDICATED TIME ON SATURDAY TO WORK WITH ME AND WENDY ON THE DECORATING CONTEST FOR THE HOMES FOR FOURTH OF JULY. AND SHE AND CHAD WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE THIS COME ABOUT. AND WENDY, I STILL WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEA. IT'S WONDERFUL. THESE HOMES THAT WE KNOW WE BOUGHT WERE ABLE TO SEE ARE JUST GORGEOUS AND IT'S SO PATRIOTIC. SO IT MAKES OUR CITY VERY PROUD AND FOR STAFF FOR THE TIME AND DEDICATION. YOU KNOW HOW LONG AND TIME CONSUMING PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. [01:00:01] SO I'M APPRECIATIVE OF OUR STAFF, TOO. SO HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO EVERYONE. BE SAFE. ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. THANK YOU, MAYOR HEPBURN. SO I'VE HEARD ABOUT A GROUP THAT'S REALLY LOOKING TO LAVERNE'S CULTURE AWARENESS ON SOCIAL INCLUSIVELY. AND I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THIS A A A MORE FORMAL COMMITTEE WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY, POLICE AND THE COUNCIL. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE A RESOLUTION IN JULY ABOUT THIS AND MAKING THIS COMMITTEE SO THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR SOCIAL IDEAS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PERFORMING AS A CITY THE BEST AS WE CAN FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA IN JULY SO THAT WE CAN REALLY BUILD THE GAP OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS IN LA VERNE ARE REPRESENTED. THEN THIS WEEKEND, FOURTH OF JULY. PLEASE BE SAFE AND ENJOY YOUR FAMILY. IT IS NOT A 4TH OF JULY THAT WE ALL EXPECTED IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. AND I'M GOING TO REALLY MISS OUR PARADE. I'M GOING TO MISS OUR FIREWORKS. I'M REALLY GOING TO MISS EVERYTHING THAT REALLY WHAT LA VERNE HAS STOOD AND DONE. BUT BUT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC AND IT'S NOT GETTING BETTER, JUST AS COUNCILMAN DAVIS HAS SAID WITH THE NUMBERS. THEY'RE GOING NOWHERE BUT UP. MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING TESTED. MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING AT CONTACT. IT'S BECOME MORE OF A COMMUNITY SPREAD RIGHT NOW. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AND PROTECT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO HAPPY FOURTH. BE SAFE. AND THANK YOU, LA VERNE, FOR BEING LA VERNE. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. YOU KNOW, JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THE BUDGET. I JUST WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN TO OUR RESERVES, THE FACT THAT WE'RE AT, YOU KNOW TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT. AND OUR POLICY 20. THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO GET THROUGH THIS TOUGH TIME AND THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND BE ABLE TO HELP AS MANY OF OUR CITIZENRY AS POSSIBLE. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO DOING THAT. SO, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY IT ENOUGH, THAT IS A PHENOMENAL FEAT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE IN RESERVES. WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT. I ALSO WANT TO ECHO COUNCILMAN COSBY'S REQUEST THAT WE LOOK INTO THIS CULTURAL AWARENESS COMMITTEE. I KNOW THIS GROUP, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, HAS BEEN MEETING FOR SOME TIME, FOR SOME TIME NOW. SO I THINK AS EARLY AS LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT WE COULD DO BETTER IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING COME FORWARD IN JULY. AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE HOME DECORATING CONTEST, WHETHER YOU ENTERED OFFICIALLY OR NOT. I REALLY APPRECIATED BEING ABLE TO SEE ALL THE HOMES, YOU KNOW, DRESSED UP AND LOOKING REALLY NICE. SOME OF YOU ARE INCREDIBLY CREATIVE AND INCREDIBLY PINTEREST-Y. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, BUT IT REALLY IS AMAZING. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HOMES, IT IS REALLY COOL. AND I KNOW THE HOME THAT WON FOR MOST CREATIVE, IT'S ADORABLE. I MEAN, I DEFINITELY THINK THE KIDS HAD A HAND IN IT AND REALLY WENT TO TOWN ON SOME ARTS AND CRAFTS. SO VERY NICE WORK. SO THANK YOU. I KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT 4TH OF JULY THAN WE'RE ALL USED TO, BUT I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT FOLKS TOOK TO MAKE IT FEEL SPECIAL IN OUR TOWN. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING ABOUT WHERE WE LIVE. SO THANK YOU. STAY SAFE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT HAVE HEARD, YOU KNOW, PROPS TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FINDING 300 POUNDS OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS. SO HOPEFULLY FOR SOME OF YOU, YOU AREN'T HEARING AS MANY OF THE CRAZY EXPLOSIONS. I KNOW. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HEARING THEM SINCE, YOU KNOW, APRIL. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. AND I APPRECIATE IT A LOT AND SO DOES MY DOG. SO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. BACK TO MR. CROSBY, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS. THE CULTURAL AWARENESS COMMITTEE, MR. RUSSI AND I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY AND I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH THEM FOR THE LAST [01:05:02] COUPLE OF MEETINGS NOW, JUST TO START THIS WITH MR. ALLISON. MR. IVY AND JULIE WHEELER. AND THAT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS A COMMUNITY, NEED TO DO AND JUST SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, WHERE WE'RE AT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO IN THE COUNTRY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD VERY SHORTLY AS MR. RUSSI AND I DISCUSSED TODAY. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER NOW COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER AND THE FOURTH OF JULY COMMITTEE FOR THE DECORATING CONTEST. IT WAS FUN TO SEE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I MEAN, I'M JUST AS UPSET AS ANYBODY ELSE REGARDING FOURTH OF JULY. IT'S BEEN ALMOST THIRTY EIGHT, THIRTY NINE YEARS OF HAVING A WONDERFUL SATURDAY WITH FIREWORKS AND EVERYBODY ENJOYING THAT FAMILY TIME. BUT WE ARE IN COVID-19. I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH. AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SAID, THE NUMBERS ARE UP. THEY'RE NOT GOING DOWN. THEY'RE SHOWING BARS DOWN. THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. PEOPLE ARE NOT SOCIAL DISTANCING. THEY'RE NOT WEARING MASKS. SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET THOSE NUMBERS DOWN. WE MUST WEAR A MASK IN PUBLIC, TRY TO STAY SOCIAL DISTANCING. TRY TO STAY CLOSE TO YOUR FAMILY AND JUST BE HOME FOR THIS WEEKEND. ENJOY THE SURROUNDINGS AND WHETHER IT'S BEEN UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS HERE IN LA VERNE AND DON'T TRAVEL TOO FAR. JUST STAY CLOSE, YOU KNOW. THIS WILL BE OVER SOON. THE SOONER WE KEEP UP WITH OUR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THIS WILL DROP AND WE CAN BE ABLE TO MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR THE BUDGET. A LOT OF HARD WORK. CHRISTY LOPEZ, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND EVERYONE JUST HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL FOURTH. ENJOY THIS GORGEOUS WEATHER IN THIS GORGEOUS TOWN. AND PLEASE VISIT YOUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS. PLEASE TAKE OUT. DINE-IN IF YOU CAN. PLEASE GO TO THOSE SHOPS, SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE. YOU DON'T NEED TO GO ANYWHERE TO SPEND MONEY, SPEND IT IN LA VERNE SO WE CAN GET OURSELVES BACK ON OUR FEET AGAIN. AND THANK YOU, MR. RUSSI FOR GETTING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS BUDGET HAPPEN AND TO HIT THE SKIDS AND GET US PASSED AND MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND TO SEE IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE OUR REPORTS. AND THANK YOU, MR. ALVARADO, SO WE CAN HAVE OUR REPORTS EVERY MONTH OR EVERY MONTH AND A HALF TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT, JUST SO WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO MOVE US FORWARD. BUT THANK YOU, MR. RUSSI, FOR YOUR NEW TEAM. AND I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY. THANK YOU ALL. I THINK WE CALL ADJOURNED AT SEVEN THIRTY EIGHT P.M. ON THE LAST DAY OF JUNE, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY SEVEN THIRTY EIGHT P.M.. THANK YOU ALL. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. HAVE A GREAT FOURTH. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.