[ CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA SPECIAL MEETING 5:00 P.M. TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 COUNCIL CHAMBER 100 EAST LA HABRA BOULEVARD LA HABRA, CALIFORNIA 90631]
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I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF MARCH 15TH, 2022.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT IT IS 5:00 PM.
THE INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY MAYOR PRO TEM.
JAMES GOMEZ FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY ME.
WE HUMBLY COME BEFORE YOU TODAY.
AS WE DO THE BUSINESS OF THE LAGER CITY COUNCIL, UH, WE PLAY A SPREADSHEET, SO BLESSING OVER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CANDIDATES NIGHT.
WE THANK YOU LORD, THAT THEY HAVE THAT WILLINGNESS TO WANT TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ASK REGARDLESS OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE TONIGHT, THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WANT TO STRIVE TO, UH, SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE PRAY FOR A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR MAYOR, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, ROSA SPINOSA, DARREN .
AND AS WELL AS, UH, STEVE SIMONIAN AND OUR CITY MANAGER, JIM SEDRO, AND ALL OUR STAFF MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE PRAY ALL THIS IN YOUR NAME.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WELL, THE CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL.
COUNCIL MEMBER AND EXPERIAN EAR COUNCIL MEMBER ESPINOSA HERE.
MAYOR PRO TEM GOMEZ MAYOR MADRANO HERE.
NOW'S THE TIME FOR A PUBLIC COMMENTS? GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE RECEIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOVERNING BODY MEETING AND LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH THE TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES FOR ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS, UNLESS OTHERWISE MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR.
SPEAKING TIME MAY NOT BE GRANTED AND ARE LOANED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL FOR PURPOSES OF EXTENDING AVAILABLE.
SPEAKING TIME, AND COMMENTS MUST BE KEPT BRIEF NON-REPETITIVE AND PROFESSIONAL IN NATURE.
THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMON PORTION OF THE MEETING ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS ANY ITEM OF CITY BUSINESS, NOT APPEARING ON THE SCHEDULED AGENDA FOR GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5, 4 9 5, 4 0.38.
SUCH COMMENTS SHALL NOT BE RESPONDED TO BY THE GOVERNING BODY DURING THE MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO MAYOR, NO.
I MEAN, SAY THAT WE'LL MOVE ON CONSIDERATION ITEMS. ANY MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE MAY REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL ON ANY CONSIDERATION ITEM PRIOR TO THE HARBOR CITY COUNCIL, TAKING A FINAL VOTE ON THE ITEM.
PUBLIC COMMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES PER CONSIDERATION ITEM, UNLESS OTHERWISE MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR.
SPEAKING TIME MAY NOT BE GRANTED AND OR LOANED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL FOR PURPOSES OF EXTENDING AVAILABLE.
SPEAKING TIME, AND COMMENTS MUST BE KEPT BRIEF NON-REPETITIVE AND PROFESSIONAL IN NATURE.
FIRST UP, UH, ON THE, UH, CONSIDERATION ITEM IS CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS FOR ANNUAL EXPIRING TERMS AND TWO ALTERNATIVES ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
THERE ARE 14 APPLICANTS WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWING FOR THE EXPIRE TERMS AND ALTERNATE POSITIONS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, AND FOUR ALTERNATE POSITIONS ON THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY DECISIONS ON WHO WILL BE APPOINTED TO EACH POSITION TONIGHT.
THE APPOINTMENTS WILL BE MADE AT THE APRIL 4TH, 2022 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
WHEN IT, WHEN IT IS EACH APPLICANTS, TIME TO INTERVIEW, THEY WILL BE SEATED AT THE TABLE, SETTING UP FACING THE DAYAS.
THERE ARE THREE APPLICANTS WE'LL BE INTERVIEWING BY TELEPHONE AND THE CITY CLERK WILL CALL EACH OF THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
AS EACH APPLICANT HAS COMPLETED THEIR INTERVIEW.
THEY ARE WELCOME TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE INTERVIEWS, OR THEY MAY LEAVE THE MEETING AT THIS TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO TESTIFY AND TO PLEASE GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO TESTIFY, SEEING THAT THERE IS NONE WE'LL MOVE ON.
FIRST APPLICANT IS MATTHEW MATEUS.
MR. MATTHIAS, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A SEAT AND WE'LL BEGIN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
HOW ARE YOU MR. MATTHIAS? I'M DOING WELL.
AND I'LL OPEN IT UP, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, WE'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR THAT AS WELL.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW JOHN MATIAZ.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IT, BUT I DO HAVE RESUMES, UM, PRINTED.
YES, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
I WAS BORN IN THE BRONX NEW YORK AND I ACTUALLY MOVED OUT HERE WHEN I WAS THREE YEARS OLD.
SO MY, UH, DAD ACTUALLY BROUGHT US OUT.
UM, HE'S A FORMER LAPD AND ALSO A MARINE, SO HE KIND OF LED FROM NEW YORK OUT TO HERE AND THAT KIND OF LED ME LIVE LIVING IN THE HOPPER SINCE I WAS THREE YEARS OLD, UH, FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND WHY I BELIEVE I WOULD BE A GOOD FIT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR EVEN COMMUNITY SERVICES
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COMMITTEE AS WELL.UM, I'VE BEEN A REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I'VE BEEN A REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR SEVEN YEARS AND I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE, UH, AS A REALTOR.
I ALSO WORK IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AS WELL, UM, WITH THE COMPANY CALLED GRAY STAR AS A LEASING PROFESSIONAL, UM, MAKING SURE THAT LIKE BUDGETED OCCUPANCY IN OUR PROPERTY TO STAY, UM, WHERE OUR OWNERS WANT IT AND KIND OF JUST HELPING WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF A LARGE MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING.
UM, I ALSO DO HAVE INVESTMENT LICENSES TO, UM, BEING A SERIES SIX AND 63 AND EXPERIENCE, UM, DEALING WITH INVESTMENTS.
SO THAT WOULD BE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MY EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE.
WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.
ANYBODY WANT TO START MAYOR PRO TEM? I ALWAYS GET MIXED UP, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S YOUR BROTHER, I GUESS THAT FROM CALVARY CHAPEL, THE ONE THAT I KNOW, YES, YES.
UH, I GUESS I WANT TO ASK YOU IS, UH, I, YOU SEE YOUR ROLE AS A PLANNING COMMISSION IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I LOOK AT IS WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS IN THE CITY.
SO A LOT OF COMMENTARY I SEE LOOKING AT FACEBOOK AND DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS IS, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OPEN SPACE.
I DON'T TRAFFIC IS A BIG ISSUE THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY, UM, WANT THE CITY TO BE MINDFUL OF AS WELL.
SO MY GOAL, IF I WAS CHOSEN TO JOIN THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD JUST ALWAYS BE LOOKING OUT AND ON THE WATCH FOR WHAT THE PUBLIC IS LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF THE DECISIONS THEY'D WANT TO SEE BEING MADE WITHIN THE CITY.
THAT'S ALL IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
I'LL JUST GO TO MR. SIMONIAN, MATTHEW, TELL US WHY YOU THINK YOU'D BE THE BEST OF ALL THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE BEFORE US.
UH, WELL, I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE THE BEST IS LARGELY DUE TO MY EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE, UM, EXPERIENCED WITHIN REAL ESTATE AS A REALTOR, UM, WITHIN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AS WELL.
AND JUST EVEN KIND OF HAVING A DIFFERENT, MAYBE BRINGING A DIFFERENT SENSE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH, UH, INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE.
I HAVE TWO Y Y THE DESIRE TO SERVE, UH, THE DESIRE TO SERVE A CITY GOVERNMENT IS SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN.
AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE JUST BEING ON A VOLUNTEER COMMISSION, LIKE THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD BE A BREAK, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO KIND OF START WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE GOAL? UH, RIGHT NOW MY GOAL WOULD BE TO JOIN THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR IF, UM, SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBABLY BETTER FOR THE POSITION THAN A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT MAINLY, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION AND KIND OF SEE WHAT OPTIONS THERE ARE, I GUESS, WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT, UH, THAT WOULD KIND OF PEAK MY INTEREST SINCE THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT I'M LOOKING INTO THAT, UM, I REALLY DO DESIRE.
UH, TWO QUESTIONS, ACTUALLY, ONE WITH REGARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ONE WITH REGARD TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE, WITH THE MAYOR, UH, MATTHEW, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT, OR DO YOU HAVE A ROUGH IDEA OF HOW THAT RELATES TO THE CITY OF LAHABRA OR HOUSING UNITS? I'LL BE HONEST.
UM, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING IN THE PAST? I'VE BEEN TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN THE PAST, BUT NOT A COMMUNITY SERVICES.
OH, THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY QUESTION.
IF YOU'VE EVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE MEETINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
HAVE YOU DONE ANY VOLUNTEERISM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY? UM, MAINLY VOLUNTEER WORK I HAVE DONE WOULD BE AT MY CHURCH AND COUCH UP A LITTLE HOMBRE, UH, VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUTH, YOUTH MINISTRIES AND, UM, CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES AS WELL.
AND HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY'VE HAD? UM, THUS FAR? UM, NO, I HAVE NOT.
I'VE UM, BEEN TO THE CITRUS FAIR MANY TIMES TAMALE FESTIVAL, BASICALLY ALL OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT THE CITY HOLDS, BUT IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEER WORK, NO.
AND, UH, SO THE, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN RECENT YEARS HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH, SO TO SPEAK, UH, INTO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, SOMEBODY IN ANY OF THESE ISSUES? UM, ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD SAY LOCAL CONTROL WOULD BE KEY.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE CITY'S JOB TO, UM, KIND OF MAINTAIN THE RULES AND
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LEGISLATION THAT WORKS IN THE CITY.UH, AND I MEAN, I CAN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE MORE THAN THE OFFICIALS IN THE CITY, LIKE KNOWING WHAT THE INTEREST IS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS, UH, AND WHAT, UM, LEGISLATION WE'D WANT TO KEEP OR TAKE ON.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? WOULD YOU, UH, LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? A CLOSING WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.
UM, NO, UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE ANYTHING FOR CLOSING.
AND MATT AND I APOLOGIZE, YOUR NAME IS PRONOUNCED MARTINEZ.
OKAY, MAYOR, THE NEXT PERSON I'M GOING TO BE CALLING GABRIELA GARCIA.
THIS IS LORI SANDELL CITY CLERK.
YOU'RE ON LIVE WITH CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
HOW ARE YOU? THIS IS MAYOR MEDRANO.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE HERE AT CITY COUNCIL AND OF COURSE WE KNOW YOU'RE ON THE PHONE.
UH, W WOULD YOU LIKE TO START OFF WITH TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND, UH, GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GO INTO QUESTIONS SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IF YOU'D LIKE, OR WE CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO QUESTIONS IT'S UP TO YOU.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE A, UH, UH, CURRENTLY SERVING COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, UH, PERSON.
SO WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU FLOURISHERS SURE, SURE.
I WAS APPOINTED TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND I'VE BEEN SERVING SINCE 2019.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LAHABRA SINCE 2010.
UM, I, ONCE BOSCH, I SHOULD FIRST START OFF BY THANKING YOU FOR LETTING ME DO THE PHONE INTERVIEW OVER THE PHONE.
I'M ACTUALLY HOME RECOVERING FROM SURGERY.
UH, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE INTERVIEW BY PHONE.
UM, I WORK AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON WHERE I'M A PROJECT MANAGER.
I'VE BEEN THERE ALSO SINCE ABOUT 2010, AND I AM SOMEONE THAT LOVES TO BE INVOLVED WITH MY COMMUNITY.
UM, I VOLUNTEER WHENEVER I CAN.
UH, I'VE HAD A GREAT TIME BEING ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
I THINK I'VE LEARNED A LOT AND I HOPE THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME HELP TO THE RESIDENTS OF LAHABRA AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO IN ANOTHER TERM.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT DO WE CONSIDER TO BE, UH, A SUCCESS STORY OF YOURS WHILE SERVING ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION? AND MY SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT? UM, I WISH I FIRST MY SUCCESS STORY, SO I, I'M USUALLY A PRETTY RESERVED PERSON, ALTHOUGH I DO LIKE TO BE VERY INVOLVED.
SO IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCE FOR ME.
SO I REALLY PUT MYSELF OUT THERE, UM, WHEN I APPLIED FOR THIS COMMUNITY SERVICES POSITION, BUT I FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT AND I REALLY WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND SO I THINK I GRADUALLY LEARNED HOW TO LIKE SPEAK UP MORE DURING THE MEETINGS AND, AND HOW TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONVEY MY THOUGHTS DURING THE MEETING.
SO I THINK THE THING I'M MOST PROUD OF IS WITH OUR SUBCOMMITTEES.
UH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE COMMISSION, THEY, I WASN'T VERY CLEAR ON THE PROCESS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES, HOW THEY WORKED, WHAT THEY WILL RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND SO I GRADUALLY KIND OF STARTED TO WORK ON THAT WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSION AND ESTABLISHING SOME PROCESSES AND SOME PROCEDURES OF HOW THE COMMITTEE SHOULD MEET AND HOW THEY SHOULD REPORT BACK TO THE LARGER COMMISSION.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NOW PUT INTO PLACE AND WE'VE STARTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, FORMALIZED PROCESSES AROUND THE WORK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEES DO.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF.
I THINK WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS I, I, I WISH I HAD KIND OF TAKEN THAT STEP EARLIER.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR, IT'S THE END OF MY THIRD YEAR.
AND I THINK IT JUST TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO KIND OF GET COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS WORK IN THE, IN THE COMMISSION, STEVE SIMONIAN.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE FEELING GOOD ENOUGH TO AT LEAST PARTICIPATE ON THE PHONE INTERVIEW.
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UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A SLOW START AND ARE MOST PROUD OF THE FACT THAT YOU'VE FOUND SOME, UM, GROUND THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH AND STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THE FIELD OF PLAY.UH, WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT, THE CITY COULD DO A BETTER JOB IN ITS INTRODUCTION TO COMMISSIONS? YES, I THINK, UH, WHEN I STARTED, UM, THERE, THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, INTRODUCTION INTO THE DUTIES OF A COMMISSIONER AND, UH, WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM.
AND IF WE HAD DONE THAT SOONER, I THINK WE COULD HAVE JUMPED INTO THE WORK FASTER.
SO JUST LAST YEAR, UM, WE DID, UH, OUR COMMISSION WENT ON A TOUR OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE RUN BY THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT WAS SO HELPFUL TO REALLY NOT JUST HEAR ABOUT THE REPORTS AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE MEETINGS, BUT ACTUALLY SEE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE WORK AND HEARING IT FROM THEM AND SEEING THE RESIDENTS ACTUALLY PARTAKING IN THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
AND I THINK JUST HAVING, UM, MORE OF THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CAN BECOME AN, AN ANNUAL THING OR LIKE A BI-ANNUAL THING.
UM, BUT HAVING JUST MORE OF THAT EXPOSURE TO THE PROGRAMS AND THE PEOPLE WAS REALLY VERY HELPFUL.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ITSELF PUTTING TOGETHER A, UH, A PACKET THAT WOULD INCLUDE WHAT NEW MEMBERS SHOULD BE EXPOSED TO? NO, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
THAT'S A REALLY GREAT IDEA BECAUSE HAVING, HAVING HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, I THINK I KNOW WHAT SOMEONE COMING INTO IT WOULD BE ASKING THEM WOULD BE WONDERING RIGHT FROM THE START.
AND THEN I, I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, UH, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS ON TARGET WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES ISSUES? I THINK SO.
I HAVE TO SAY I WAS VERY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
I I'M AMAZED BY EVERYTHING THAT OUR CITY WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DOING FOR HIS RESIDENTS.
UM, I ALSO TOOK PART IN THE TOUR OF ALL THE, UH, THE MANY OF THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AT THE, THAT THE CITY WAS OFFERING FROM THE COMMUNITY RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND I, IT JUST OPENED MY EYES TO, UH, WHAT ALL IS BEING DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONERS.
AND I WAS VERY PROUD TO HAVE TAKEN PART IN THAT AS WELL.
UM, ARE THERE, WHAT DID YOU, WHAT DO YOU BEST ENJOY AS A COMMISSIONER? I ENJOY HEARING ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
THERE ARE SO MANY THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF, AND I, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH PEOPLE AND TELL THEM ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR THEM TO ENJOY AND FOR THEM TO DO.
AND I REALLY LIKED MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE EVENTS, THE ACTIVITIES, THE PROGRAMS, THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR CITY AND CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
AND THEY CAN SEE EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY IS, IS DOING AN OFFERING TO THEM.
AND THEN I WANT TO ASK YOU, ARE THERE ANY RECREATION ACTIVITIES THAT YOU WISH THE CITY WOULD OFFER THAT THAT IS NOT BEING OFFERED? OH, THAT'S A LITTLE TOUGH.
CAUSE WE WERE PRETTY LIMITED IN WHAT WE COULD OFFER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE IT COME BACK TO WHAT IT WAS PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
I MEAN, OF COURSE SEE AS SAFELY AS IT CAN BE.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS COMING BACK.
YOU'VE BEEN, UH, YOU'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU FEEL LIKE OF ALL THE LITTLE CONSTITUENT WORKING PIECES OF THE COMMISSION, THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BLOCK GRANTS, HEADSTART EVENTS, GENERALLY PROGRAMS, DO YOU FEEL YOU'RE FULLY UP TO SPEED ON ALL THOSE NOW? AND, UH, IS THERE ANY AREA THAT HOLDS PARTICULAR INTEREST FOR YOU? UM, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS ARE SOMETHING THAT I THINK ARE I STILL SOMETHING I NEED TO LEARN ABOUT? AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO USE MORE OF THAT MONEY ON PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY HELP THE RESIDENTS.
I KNOW A BIG CHUNK OF IT RIGHT NOW GOES TOWARDS, UM,
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LIKE THE GRAFFITI PROGRAM, WHICH OF COURSE IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT THAT MONEY CAN COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE OF THAT MONEY GO TO PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY HELP RESIDENTS AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO GET, UM, MORE NON-PROFITS TO APPLY FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RED TAPE AND, UM, DIFFICULTY WITH THE DIFFERENT, UH, REQUIREMENTS FROM, TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT MONEY.AND SO SOME OF THE NONPROFITS ARE JUST TURNED OFF BY THE AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK THAT THEY NEED AND DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT THE CITY COULD HELP THEM SO THAT THEY DO APPLY.
AND SO WE SEE MORE OF THOSE PROGRAMS COME INTO OUR CITY.
MADRANO UH, ONE QUESTION AND IT'S, UM, UH, COLLABORATION IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT TO COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UH, CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THESE STAKEHOLDERS? SURE.
UM, FROM THE COLLABORATION THAT I'VE SEEN, I MEAN, THERE, THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF NON-PROFITS THAT THE CITY WORKS WITH TO MAKE PROGRAMS EVEN BETTER.
LIKE WHEN WE WORK WITH THE LA HABRA LIONS OR THE RECENT OPENING OF THE THEATER, WE JUST KIND OF OUR CITY FOLKS GO OUT THERE AND MAKE THE CONNECTIONS AND WORK WITH THESE NON-PROFITS AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR CITY TO HELP THEM MAKE THEIR PROGRAMS MORE SUCCESSFUL.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE SOME PARTING COMMENTS, IF NOT, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL CONCLUDE YOUR, UH, YOUR INTERVIEW.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LETTING ME DO THE INTERVIEW OVER THE PHONE.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BUT IF I AM NOT ABLE TO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
AND WE WISH YOU A, A, A QUICK RECOVERY IN THAT.
BYE-BYE MR. BOUNTY, HOW ARE YOU SIR? DOING WELL? UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR YOU IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF IF YOU'D LIKE, AND THEN NOW WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, UH, SEEING ME, UM, I JUST HAD TO PUT OUT A FIRE AT THE, UH, OFFICE, SOMEBODY SET OFF THE ALARM AT THE OFFICE, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE THE ALARM CODE BEFORE.
SO I HAD TO GO THROUGH ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF WORTH OF EMAILS JUST NOW OUTSIDE TRYING TO FIND THE CODE.
UH, SO MY NAME IS RICHARD LABOUNTY.
UM, I MOVED TO LA HOMBRE DECEMBER OF, UM, 2020, UH, FROM WINTER PARK.
UH, FIRST DAY I MOVED IN, UH, OFF OF, UM, UM, 13, 11, UH, CARPENTER STREET PLACE I WAS AT BEFORE IT WAS CLIFFORD STREET.
SO NOW I'VE KIND OF MESSED UP, UM, NEIGHBORS.
UH, EVERYBODY FROM THAT STREET CAME DOWN AND SAID, HELLO, INTRODUCED THEMSELVES.
UH, PROBABLY A WEEK LATER, ACTUALLY RAN INTO YOU AIR, UH, WIFE AND I WERE ON A WALK AND, UH, YOU CAME UP AND INTRODUCED HERSELF AND I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE A COUPLE STREETS DOWN FROM THE MIRROR.
UH, I WORKED FOR A FIRE SPRINKLER COMPANY OUT OF SANTA ANA.
UH, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THAT COMPANY.
UH, WE DO LARGE COMMERCIAL, UH, FIRE SPRINKLER INSTALLED PROJECTS, UH, BASICALLY, UH, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES.
UH, SOME OF THE HIGH PROFILE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE COMPLETED OUR, UH, SOPHIE STADIUM, UH, WILSTER GRAND, WHICH IS A 73 STORY HIGH RISE, WHICH IS THE TALLEST BUILDING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, UH, CIRCUIT TOWERS, WHICH IS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM STAPLE CENTER.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME PRETTY HIGH PROFILE PROJECTS, UH, STARTED OUT, UH, IN, UH, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, STARTED OUT IN THE U S NAVY DID EIGHT YEARS AS AN OPERATIONS SPECIALIST.
UH, THEY WANTED TO PUT ME ON BACK TO BACK TOURS AND, UH, THE WIFE SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.
UH, SHE WAS ALREADY HOME WITH TWO KIDS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUNG ONES.
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TRANSITION PROGRAM, UH, FOR UNION SPRINKLER FITTERS.I STARTED OFF AS AN APPRENTICE AND I'VE WORKED MY WAY UP TO THE POSITION THAT I'M IN NOW.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL START IT OFF.
OR MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A WEALTH OF, OF EXPERIENCE.
HOW DO YOU THINK, UH, ALL THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAVE WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY? WELL, I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT, UM, THE POSITION THAT I'M IN, UH, I, I THINK OF IT MORE AS OF, OF NOT BEING A BOSS, BUT AS A LEADER, UM, I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN MY EMPLOYEES AND I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN BEING A PEOPLE PERSON.
AND I THINK, UH, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME A YEAR AGO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD I WANT, WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THIS? I GUESS IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER I TURNED 50, WHEN I THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN FIRE SPRINKLERS.
AND, UH, SO, UH, I SITTING DOWN ONE DAY, HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE PAPER AND THERE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS FOUR OPENING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT A GREAT FIT? I LOOKED IT UP.
AND THE FIRST THING THAT CAME, UH, UH, THAT WAS THERE WAS A, UM, NEED TO BE A LEADER.
YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW NUMBER ONE TO LISTEN, WHICH I DO WITH MY OWN PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY.
I DO NOT CLOSE MY DOOR AT ALL.
UH, IF THEY NEED, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO COME SEE ME, THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO WALK IN AND TALK TO ME.
UH, THE OTHER THING WAS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT YOU MAY RUN INTO A CONFRONTATION.
WELL, I DEAL WITH GENERAL CONTRACTORS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND, UH, WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE ORDER, THERE'S ALWAYS CONFRONTATION.
AND I THINK I'M, I'M, UH, THAT TYPE OF PERSON THAT I CAN SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES THERE MAY BE UNPLEASANTRIES EXCHANGED AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BETTERED OUR RELATIONSHIP.
AND I THINK THAT I COULD DO THAT.
UM, ESPECIALLY BEING A PEOPLE PERSON GOING OUT AND TALKING WITH PEOPLE, UH, WIFE SAYS SOMETIMES I TALK TOO MUCH, BUT, UH, THAT'S JUST HOW I AM.
THERE'S A FEW FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANT TO SERVE A CRY FOR PUBLIC SURFACES, SOMETHING THEY FEEL WITHIN THEMSELVES.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'D BE THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION? WELL, FOR ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'VE STATED IS, IS, IS, UH, BEING ABLE TO LISTEN, LOOK, I'M SURE YOU HAVE SOME GREAT CANDIDATES, AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE SOME CANDIDATES THAT HAVE FAR MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I DO IN, IN PLANNING, COMMISSION AND ZONING AND, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT WHAT I THINK I CAN BRING TO THE TABLE IS MY LEADERSHIP.
AND I THINK, UH, MY LISTENING SKILLS AND JUST BEING A PEOPLE PERSON.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND TRY TO PULL THE WOOL OVER YOUR EYES AND TELL YOU THAT I KNOW PLANNING AND ZONING.
UM, I DON'T, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, THAT I WOULD DIVE INTO THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND, AND DO MY JOB TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF LA HABRA.
OTHER THAN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU ALSO SHOWED SOME INTEREST IN THE, UH, UM, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
UH, WHAT ABOUT THAT PIQUED YOUR INTEREST? UH, THE FACT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, YOU'RE WORKING WITH PEOPLE, UM, YOU'RE WORKING WITH, UH, IT SAID ON THERE IT'S, YOU'RE WORKING WITH SCHOOLS.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, I HAVE A 14 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LEAVING A RANCHO AND HEADING TO LAHABRA NEXT YEAR AND, UH, BEING MORE INVOLVED IN, IN SCHOOL THINGS AND BEING INVOLVED WITH, WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH, UH, HOMELESS, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, I, I TURNED 50 AND I, THERE'S JUST MORE TO, TO LIFE, I GUESS, THAN, THAN WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IS IN FIRE SPRINKLERS.
SO I THINK I WANTED TO BROADEN MY HORIZONS A LITTLE BIT.
UH, YOU MENTIONED LEADERSHIP, WHICH OF COURSE IS AN IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC IN PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT I ALSO WONDER IF YOU WOULD HAVE ANY, UH, ISSUE OR CHALLENGE DEALING WITH A FIVE MEMBER COMMISSION WHERE BEING THE LEADER OUT THE GATE MAY NOT BE AS IMPORTANT AS WORKING ON CONSENSUS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WORKING COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY WITH YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
SO WOULD YOU ALSO BE WILLING TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY AND CHANGE YOUR MIND ON SOMETHING AS WELL AS EXPRESS YOUR OPINION AND NOT EXPECT IT NECESSARILY TO BE ADOPTED? ABSOLUTELY.
LOOK I HAVE, I HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR ME THAT, THAT HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE 30 YEARS, THAT, THAT HAVE DESIGNED SPRINKLERS THAT KNOW MORE THAN I DO.
I ALWAYS LISTENED TO THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY PROJECT WE ALWAYS GET TOGETHER.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE FIVE, SIX PEOPLE AT THE TABLE AND WE TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT AND LOOK, I'M NOT THE ONE THAT'S ALWAYS RIGHT.
AND, AND I TAKE WHAT, WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS AND, AND,
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, AS A GROUP SAY, YAY OR NAY, UH, WHEN WE'RE PRICING A PROJECT, WHEN WE'RE BUYING MATERIALS, YOU KNOW, WHO WE'RE HAVING RUNNING THE PROJECT, I DON'T DICTATE ALL THAT.WE GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I MAY HAVE THE, HAVE THE SAY, BUT I TRY TO KEEP EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE AN ESOP COMPANY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE AN EMPLOYEE OWNED COMPANY AND I WANT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT MY SKIN IN THE GAME.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO FILL THAT PIECE OF THE PIE AND TO HAVE THAT, THAT MOTIVATION.
AND ONE FINAL THING TOO, WITH REGARD TO EITHER COMMISSION, ACTUALLY THEY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES 90% OF YOUR SUCCESS INVOLVING YOURSELF IN THESE THINGS IS JUST SHOWING UP.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD FOR FOLKS TO MAKE THESE MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO DO YOU SEE YOURSELF HAVING A, UH, EXCELLENT ATTENDANCE RECORD AT EVERY SIX 30 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OR EVERY SIX 30 COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING WITHOUT, WITH ALMOST WITHOUT FAIL.
THERE'S ALWAYS REASONABLE REASONS IF YOU'RE SICK OR SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNCIL.
COULD YOU DO THAT? I COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M A HUGE PULLMAN PLUMERIA GROWER.
UM, SO, UH, I WOULD EVEN PUT OFF THOSE, UH, TO, TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TEACH MY DAUGHTER HOW TO WATER THOSE.
THANKS VERY MUCH, MARY THEY'RE VERY FORGIVING.
THEY'RE BETTER OFF IF YOU JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU HAVE CHILDREN HERE THAT YOU SAID NOW, UM, UM, HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY OF THE, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY HAS OFFERED RECREATION ACTIVITIES? AND IF SO, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD OFFER, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY? UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE I DID THE 5K, UM, BUT IT WAS MORE OF A, OF A WALK THAN AN ACTUAL RUNNING OF THE 5K.
UM, WE JUST WENT TO THE, UH, THE, UH, LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY HAD THEIR FIRST EVER, UM, OPENING NIGHT, I GUESS, WHERE THE STUDENTS GOT TO GO AROUND AND SEE THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, WHICH I'M HIGHLY IMPRESSED WITH, WITH, UH, WITH LAW BRUH.
UM, SO YEAH, I, I GOT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY OUTSIDE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I GUESS BEING HERE ONLY A YEAR, I REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT, UH, INTERESTED YOU TO MOVE TO LA BARBARA? WELL, UM, THAT GOES BACK TO THE WIFE.
THE WIFE SAID THAT WE HAD TO STAY IN THIS AREA, SO BY THE PARK, SO WE, WE DROVE OUT HERE TO LAHABRA AND, UH, BEING ON FACEBOOK, UM, WE ACTUALLY SAW, YOU KNOW, YOUR, UH, WHEN YOU GO OUT TO THE, TO THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS OR THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF RESTAURANTS THAT WE REALLY LIKED.
AND, UH, UH, WE STARTED LOOKING, UH, IN THE AREA THAT WE WERE THERE HAPPENED TO BE A HOUSE THERE.
AND, UH, UH, WE JUST, AFTER SEEING PROBABLY 13 OR 14 DIFFERENT HOUSES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE AREA, THAT'S THE ONE AND, UH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, REDFIN HAD IT AS A, AS LIKE AN EIGHT OR A NINE, I DON'T REMEMBER FOR LAHABRA.
AND THEN OF COURSE, A SERRANO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE WAS A PRETTY HIGH SCORE TOO.
IS IT SONORA? I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT WAS, IT WAS THAT.
AND JUST THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED COMING OUT HERE AND JUST THE PEOPLE ARE PRETTY NICE.
UH, SO, UH, MY QUESTION WILL BE A PLANNING RELATED AND, UH, SO THE, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN RECENT YEARS HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH INTO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES.
UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES? I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KEEP IT LOCAL CONTROL.
UM, WE'RE THE ONES THAT LIVE HERE AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THAT BALANCE OF, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG WITH, UM, BUSINESSES THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, CAN SURVIVE AND, AND SHOP LAHABRA, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, BEING A PART OF THAT, BRINGING THE TWO TOGETHER, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SO COOL.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I'LL, UH, LEAVE IT TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS, IF NOT, WE'LL, UH, NO, I, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AGAIN, UH, I'M NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY GOING TO BE YOUR MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE, BUT I DO THANK YOU FOR INTERVIEWING AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU KNOW, I WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO SERVE IN SOME FASHION.
[00:36:04]
FIND THE OTHER GUY, MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE NEXT APPLICANT? CAUSE THE NEXT, THE ONE THAT'S NEXT? UM, MR. EASTRIDGE IS OUT ON A CALL.WE'LL TAKE THE ONE THEREAFTER.
AND MR. MAYOR, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SAY THAT IF THE NEXT CANDIDATE IS A COMMUNITY SERVICES, COMMISSIONER, DENISE SCHMIDT, THAT I'LL NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF AS THE APPLICANT IS MY SISTER-IN-LAW.
SO I'LL BE IN THE BACK AND SOMEBODY WOULD BE KIND ENOUGH TO COME GET ME WHEN IT'S OVER.
WE MIGHT HAVE HER SIT UP HERE.
HELLO, DENISE, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING GREAT.
AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LEAVE THIS UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, START WITH SOME OPENING REMARKS.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
IF YOU'D LIKE, OTHERWISE WE'LL GO DIRECTLY AND DO, UH, INTO QUESTIONS.
THE FLOURISHERS MY NAME IS DANESHA YET.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION FOR THREE YEARS.
EXCUSE ME, DENISE, COULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC A LITTLE BIT? I KNOW MY VOICE, MY NEXT WIFE.
I'M GOING TO HAVE A BIG VOICE.
UM, I I'VE BEEN LIVED IN LA HARPA FOR 30 YEARS.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, ACTUALLY.
MY DAUGHTER'S ALMOST 45 AND MY OTHER DAUGHTER IS 33.
WE ONLY DO GIRLS IN MY FAMILY AND I HAVE TWO DOGS.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE HERE.
AND, UH, WE'LL START OFF THE QUESTIONS WITH OUR MAYOR PRO TEM.
UH, I WOULD ASK, OH, WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION? AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENT? I'VE TOTALLY ENJOYED IT.
EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION, UM, HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT IN THEIR OWN WAYS, WHICH MAKES IT A GREAT COMMISSION.
CAUSE WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN IDEAS AND TOGETHER WE SEEM TO ALWAYS COME TO A GREAT CONSENSUS.
I LOVE, I LOVE GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THIS COMMISSION IS IDEAL FOR ME TO DO THAT.
NOW IT'S BEEN TOUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE OF COVID.
SO MY FIRST YEAR ON THE COMMISSION IN 2019 WAS REALLY A YEAR.
I LEARNED A LOT AND UM, THEN 2020 CAME AND THINGS CHANGED, BUT I MEAN, I HAVE TO GIVE SO MUCH CREDIT TO KIM AND KELLY.
THEY TOOK IT AND WE REALLY HAD TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD TO KEEP OUR CITY, OUR COMMUNITY STILL GOING AND KNOW THAT WE ALL CARE.
SO IT WAS THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TERM, IF I'M SO LUCKY AS TO BE ELECTED AGAIN, UM, HOPEFULLY I'M GETTING BACK TO SOME MORE NORMAL TIMES AND WE CAN BE OUT AND ABOUT, UM, AS I, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO BE HI, DENISE.
UM, YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY ADDS SOMETHING TO THE MIX ON THE COMMISSION AND THAT'S WHAT YOU FIND MOST INTERESTING IS THAT EVERYBODY PUT SOMETHING IN THE POT AND HOPEFULLY WHAT YOU PICK OUT IS THE BEST PRODUCT.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU ADD TO THAT POT? WELL, I, UM, I'M RETIRED, SO I HAVE TIME.
SO I'M ABLE TO REPRESENT THE COMMISSION WHEN OTHERS WHO ARE WORKING CAN'T AND I CAN BE AT THE ADVANCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, MY PAST LIFE, WHEN I WAS WORKING, I WAS INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACTS AND MEETING WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT, UM,
[00:40:02]
LISTENING AND HEARING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY.CAUSE I, MY WAY IS NOT THE ONLY WAY I THINK IS HELPED ME.
AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T VOTE AND WE DON'T MAKE RULES IN OUR COMMITTEE, WE STILL BRING ADVICE BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THAT'S HELPED ME SEE OTHER WAYS AND TO LEARN FROM EVERYBODY.
I THINK YOU PROBABLY DO KNOW HOW PROUD THE COUNCIL AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE COVID PROBLEM.
UM, THEY JUMPED UP AND HANDLE AN ISSUE THAT, UM, WE NEVER EXPECTED.
WE DIDN'T PREDICT, UH, AND DID IT IN A WAY THAT I THINK WAS EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO FOR THAT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
UM, ARE THERE, YOU'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 2019 ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION.
UM, SO YOU, YOU DID, YOU KNOW, DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO? DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THE COMMISSION WOULD BE INVOLVED IN FROM CDBG TO, UH, THE YOUTH SERVICE COMMISSION, TO ALL OF THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED WHERE YOU, WERE YOU AWARE OF ALL THAT THAT WAS TAKING PLACE WHEN YOU FIRST, UH, BECAME A COMMISSIONER? UM, NO, BUT I WELCOMED IT.
I CAME FROM THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE AND SO I WAS ALREADY INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY AND I LOVED THAT.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN, BUT I WANTED TO DO MORE.
SO I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR.
I KNEW ON PAPER WHAT IT SAID, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY JUMP IN AND DO IT, IT'S DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S, UM, IT'S GREAT.
CAUSE ALL THE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE DIFFERENT IN THEIR OWN WAY.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.
ARE THERE ANY ACTIVITIES THAT YOU WISH WERE OFFERED FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICE DEPARTMENT? UH, THERE HASN'T BEEN OFFERED YET.
I MEAN, YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING OFFERED.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING? I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING WE'RE MISSING NOW.
RECENTLY THE COMMISSION GOT TOGETHER AND WE LOOKED AT ALL THE SUBCOMMITTEES JUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY'D BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.
ARE THEY WHERE THEY NEED TO BE? THEY MADE A FEW SMALL TWEAKS, WHICH ADDED HOMELESSNESS TO ONE OF THEM AND POSSIBILITY OF A SCHOLARSHIP, BUT WE HAVE NOT STARTED LOOKING INTO THAT YET.
ALL RIGHT, DENISE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, IN REFERENCE TO COLLABORATIONS.
SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND PUTTING ON DIFFERENT EVENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE HAVE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THESE EVENTS.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS THROUGH THIS COLLABORATION? WELL, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PARTNER WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT BUSINESSES OUT HERE AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, AND THE EVEN, I MEAN, EVERY EVENT THAT WE HAVE, THE RACES, THE, YOU KNOW, THE 4TH OF JULY, I MEAN, EVERYTHING'S A COLLABORATION WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
THANK YOU, ANYBODY FOR THE QUESTIONS? WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT AND LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A CLOSING, IF NOT, IT'S UP TO YOU.
UM, JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I'M HOPING I'M CAN SERVE THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO WAIT HERE ANOTHER 10 MINUTES AND LET DARREN SIT BACK THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
[00:45:06]
PROJECTS FOR THE AUDIO, PETER.HOW ARE YOU, SIR? HOW ARE YOU DOING WELL? GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UH WE'RE UH, WE'LL, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
AND, UH, IF SO WE'LL, UH, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
THE FLOURISHERS UH, MY NAME'S PETER CRUZ I'M, UH, I GREW UP HERE IN LABRUM SINCE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AROUND 2019 99.
UM, I ATTENDED FULLERTON COLLEGE.
I WENT THERE, GOT MY, UH, OKAY, THANKS.
UH, I RECEIVED MY ASSOCIATE'S THERE FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PARALEGAL STUDIES.
UH, I WENT, I TRANSFERRED TO UC SANTA CRUZ.
I WENT, UH, THERE WENT TO THE UCDC PROGRAM.
UH, I WENT TO INTERN FOR CONGRESS, CAME BACK HERE BECAUSE I LOVE LA HABRA, UH, WAS ABLE TO, UH, WORK FOR AN ASSEMBLY MEMBER, A SENATOR.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW I I'M STUDYING FOR A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, UH, FOCUSED IN PUBLIC FINANCE AND, UM, I WORK FOR A NONPROFIT THAT'S FOCUSED ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, ASSISTING AND RESOURCE REFERRAL SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE, UH, WHO NEED IT RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID.
AND SO A LOT OF MY FOCUS HAS BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, HELPING OUT IN, UM, UH, UH, VOLUNTEERING FOR LIKE THE, THE CARES, UH, AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT, UH, THE CITY HAD.
AND, UH, ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ME TO HELP HIM.
WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, YOU MENTIONED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, TO BE, UM, ON THE TOP OF YOUR LIST HERE.
UM, HOW DO YOU, DO YOU THINK THE CITY IS GOING ABOUT THE RIGHT WAY TO MEET OUR GOALS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? AND IF NOT, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE? UH, WE HAVE TO MEET A CERTAIN QUOTA FOR, OR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
SO I THINK THAT AS LONG AS WE REACH THAT NUMBER THAT THE STATE REQUIRES, UM, CAUSE WE'RE A SMALL CITY, UM, THAT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR THE CITY TO DO.
UM, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, WOULD YOU BE SUPPORTIVE OF A HIGHER DENSITY TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL? I THINK THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AN OPTION THAT THE CITY SHOULD LOOK INTO.
I THINK THAT'S AN OPTION THAT THE CITY SHOULD LOOK INTO.
I, PETER, UM, THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.
UH, YOU PUT DOWN THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RATHER SERVE ON, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES, COMMUNITY SERVICES? WHAT IS YOUR PASSION IN THAT REGARD? WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR CALLING? WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THAT? UH, I LIKED THE IDEA OF, UH, LEARNING MORE ABOUT, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, AND BECAUSE THAT'S SOME OF THE FOCUS THAT I'M LEARNING IN MY MASTER'S PROGRAM, UH, IN PUBLIC FINANCE AND UNDERSTANDING THE FEDERAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE STATE AND CITY.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S WHAT THE BIGGEST BLOCK IS FOR, UH, NONPROFITS TO PARTICIPATE IN BLOCK GRANT MONEY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? NO.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE TERM PREVAILING WAGE MEANS? YES.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN IT TO ME? IT'S THE, IT'S THE WAGE IT'S REQUIRED, UM, FOR A CERTAIN COMMUNITY THAT'S ABOVE THE MINIMUM WAGE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE, UM, GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF MOST PEOPLE WHEN IN FACT PREVAILING WAGES, THE HIGHEST WAGE IN THAT ART FORM, WHETHER IT'S A BUILDING OR CABINET MAKING OR ROOFING, UH, PREVAILING WAGE MEANS IT'S THE HIGHEST WAGE.
AND SO WHEN YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY TYPE OF GOVERNMENT GRANT, UH, THAT RECIPIENT IS ANCHORED TO PROVIDING
[00:50:01]
PREVAILING WAGE.SO IF I'M THE LION'S CLUB AND I WANT TO GET A BLOCK GRANT AND I WANT TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING, I'M MORE LIKELY TO STAY AWAY FROM BLOCK GRANT MONEY BECAUSE I MAY HAVE TO PAY THE HIGHEST SALARY FOR ANY ONE OF THOSE LABOR ISSUES, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT, BUT IT IS, IT IS A FIELD OF INTEREST AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT.
I, PETER, BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AGAIN, VERY BRIEFLY.
I KNOW YOU OPENED THE DOOR TO THE POSSIBILITY OF CONSIDERING HIGHER DENSITY PROJECTS IN ORDER TO FULFILL OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT.
UH, WOULD YOU DRAW THE LINE THOUGH WITH A PROJECT THAT PERHAPS, UH, REPRESENTED A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT HAD UNPREDICTABLE IMPACTS ON CERTAIN QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AROUND THE CITY? LIKE, UH, UH, HIGHER TRAFFIC, UH, LACK OF PARKING, THE NOISE ISSUES, THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE UNDERSTANDABLE AND DESIRABLE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH IMPACTS ON THE COMMUNITY? UH, YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD CONSIDER, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT CAUSE IT WOULD BE WHAT THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE AREA AROUND THE COMMUNITY, HOW WOULD IT IMPACT THE RESIDENTS IN WHAT WOULD BE, WHAT, WHAT THE RESIDENTS WOULD BE ASKING FOR WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE AREA.
SO THAT WOULD BE A FACTOR FOR YOU AND WHETHER TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE A PROJECT LIKE THAT? YES.
UH, HAVE YOU ATTENDED VERY MANY COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETINGS IN THE PAST? NO, I JUST, UH, I WATCHED THEM.
YOU DO WATCH THEM OR LISTEN TO THEM, RIGHT? YES.
AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY AT ALL IN ATTENDING ON A REGULAR BASIS, A COMMISSION MEETING IF YOU WERE APPOINTED? YES.
I, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY, WOULD NOT HAVE ANY ISSUE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PETER.
UM, HAVE YOU, I KNOW THAT YOU LIVED HERE A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS ALREADY IN LAHABRA.
UM, WHAT YOU HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONERS AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICE DEPARTMENT OFFERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY? UM, I'VE ATTENDED EVENTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, BUT NOT IN ANY FORMAL, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, ARE THERE ANY ACTIVITIES OR RECREATION ACTIVITIES THAT YOU WISH THE CITY WERE OFF WOULD OFFER THAT WE HAVEN'T YET? UM, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY RIGHT NOW.
AND WHEN WE, UM, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE, BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, AN ISSUE THAT WE ALL HAD WHEN IT CAME ABOUT, UM, WHEN THE OPEN SPACE, WHEN THE GOLF COURSE WAS A PRIVATE OPEN SPACE AND, UH, THERE WAS DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE THERE.
UH, DID YOU THINK WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THE VOTERS WANT? ACTUALLY, MADAM I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WOULD AVOID THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE IN PENDING LITIGATION.
UM, WELL WITH THAT, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
MY IS MORE TO DO WITH, UH, PLANNING.
UH, RECENTLY THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN MORE RECENT YEARS HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH INTO, UH, CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES.
UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES? I THINK THAT LOCAL CONTROL IS A PRIORITY.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD RESPECT, UH, THE STATE LAWS AND OBEY THE STATE LAWS AS WELL.
UM, THE CALIFORNIA CD IS A, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, UH, IS THE HOUSING LAW ENFORCEMENT PART OF THE STATE.
AND SO WE SHOULD HONOR THE LAWS THAT ARE PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, OF THE TWO GIVEN THE PREFERENCE, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS A, THERE IS A, UH, UH, AN AMENDED, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL A PROPOSAL THAT'S THAT'S GOING ON THROUGH VARIOUS LEGISLATIVE GROUPS.
AND IT HASN'T, IT HASN'T, UH, UH, GONE ONTO THE LEGISLATURE.
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE LOCAL CONTROL OR WOULD YOU RATHER CEDE CONTROL TO THE STATE AS THEY ARE CONTINUING TO, UH, UH, TO DO WITH HOUSING AND, UH, OTHER ISSUES? UM, I DON'T SUPPORT ACA SEVEN.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, ANY MORE QUESTIONS WITH THAT? I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO,
[00:55:01]
UM, SPEAK TO, TO THE COUNCIL.AND I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE A SANTA CRUZ GRADUATE.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER THERE RIGHT NOW AND LOVE THE PLACE.
THAT'S A, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL AND A GREAT PLACE.
THANK YOU, THERESA COM CARE WILL BE NEXT CLEARLY.
HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO YOU IF YOU WISH TO, UH, PROVIDE AN OPENING STATEMENT, IT'S UP TO YOU.
AND, UH, WE'LL GO INTO QUESTIONS SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND, UH, THE FLOURISHERS THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MY NAME IS THERESA AND I HAVE SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2016.
AND I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE AS A COMMUNITY, UH, SERVICE COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OF LA ALHAMBRA.
I'M SO SORRY IS, UM, WHILE SERVING, I HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL COMMITTEES, UH, ONE IS, UH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.
I SERVED ON THAT FOR THREE YEARS, WHICH ALLOCATES FUNDS FOR CITY-WIDE PROGRAMS. AND TWO, I HAVE BEEN, UH, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, UH, WHICH EXCUSE ME TO THE PARKS SUB COMMITTEE AND THROUGH THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.
WE WERE ABLE TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA PARKS FOR MUCH NEEDED UPGRADING.
AND THE THIRD SUB COMMITTEE THAT I HAVE SERVED ON WAS THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND THROUGH THE LOVE LAHABRA PROGRAM, I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CLEANUP, PLANTING AND RESTORATION FOR THE HEADS.
ONE OF THE HEADSTART FACILITIES, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONERS.
ALSO THIS PAST YEAR IN THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT TOOK A SPECIAL TOUR OF THE HARBOR HEADSTART FACILITIES, WHICH I BELIEVE ROSE SPINOSA WAS ON THAT WITH US.
AND, UM, WHICH WAS REALLY, UM, A GOOD EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR US TO GET SOME, UH, IT WAS, IT GAVE US SOME INSIGHTS.
UM, IT WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL ACTUALLY, UH, TO REALIZE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
UM, AND I'M HOPING FOR THESE TOURS TO CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE TO SEE WHAT THE PROGRESS IS AS WE MOVE ALONG.
AND THE FOURTH, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE THAT I HAVE SERVED ON IS IT, THIS IS A OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S A GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, WHICH I SERVED ON THE G PACK PLAN FOR THE 2035 UPDATE, WHICH TRIES TO GUIDE THE FUTURE GROWTH DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF ALHAMBRA.
AND THAT WAS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
UM, IT HELPED ME TO GROW A LOT IN, UH, BROADENED MY HORIZON, WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES AND DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE, WHICH IS ALWAYS SOMETHING I, UH, SEEK TO DO.
UM, AND FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, THE REASON THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION COMMISSIONER IS BECAUSE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, OUR DUTIES BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND DIFFICULT TIMES THAT OUR COUNTRY IS GOING THROUGH AS A WHOLE, UM, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET OUR PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING TO FULL CAPACITY AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, WE'LL DO, BUT WE'D LIKE TO SEE YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM, I THERESA.
HOW ARE YOU? YOU HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY ACTIVE SINCE BEING ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
AND ONE THING THAT HAS IMPRESSED ME THE MOST ABOUT YOU IS YOU ALWAYS GOT A LOT OF BRIGHT IDEAS.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT, UM, MAYBE, UH, HAS NOT COME TO FRUITION YET THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN HERE? LAVA, YOU SHARE THAT WITH US AND IT'S DOING FOR A LONG TIME IN MY MIND, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO A FEW PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
UM, THERE IS, UH, I LOVE THE LAW, A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM, I THINK
[01:00:01]
THAT GETTING STARTED, YOU KNOW, BACK TO NORMAL, IF YOU WILL, IS, UH, I THINK THE CITY DID A GOOD JOB AT DOING THAT.AND OUR PROGRAMS HAVE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE INTEGRATED PEOPLE AND NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO COME OUT MORE AND MORE, AND YOU'RE SEEING THAT.
SO THAT WAS REALLY A GOOD JOB ON EVERYONE'S BEHALF.
UM, THERE WAS ONE THING, UM, JIM, THAT I WAS GOING TO, UH, JAMES, THAT I'D LIKE TO MENTION IS IN MY MIND, I HAVE MY PAST AS, AS, UM, I'VE BEEN VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RACING INDUSTRY, UM, MOTOCROSS, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, AUTOMOTIVE RACING INDUSTRY.
AND I WAS HAVING COFFEE AT THE LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX HERE, NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND I SAT THERE AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TOP RACERS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEY DO THESE HOBBIES AS THESE MINI GO-KARTS AND THEY JUST GO HIGH-SPEED AND I THOUGHT, HOW COOL WOULD THAT TO BRING THAT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO THE CITY OF LA OPERA.
AND I I'VE, I'VE JUST ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT IT, JUST SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT NEW.
SO YOU JUST, HAVEN'T SEEN JOSE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK, YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS WELL.
ALL HIS WORK WAS SOCCER AND A TREMENDOUS JOB.
ANYONE ELSE, THERESA? I DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF KNOWING YOU.
I CAN TELL JUST THE FEW MINUTES THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, WHAT IS IT YOU FEEL YOU BRING TO THE TABLE ON THE COMMISSION THAT SPECIAL? UM, I AM VERY MUCH A TEAM PLAYER.
I'M NOT A SINGLE JOB OR YOU CAN ISOLATE ME BECAUSE I, UM, I FEED OFF OTHER PEOPLE AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY ENJOY AND THAT'S WHO I AM.
AND, UH, BEING ON THE COMMISSION IS, IS REALLY BEEN GREAT.
WE HAD A FEW MEMBERS ADDED TO OUR TEAM NOT TOO LONG AGO AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S EVOLVED SINCE I HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEEN THERE.
AND, UM, I FEEL THAT, UM, SOMEONE TOLD ME ONE TIME THAT I JUST BRING A SYNERGY TO IT THAT REALLY HELPS THE TEAM AND HELPS PEOPLE LISTEN AND YOU KNOW, IS INFECTIOUS.
SO I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED THAT PART OF IT.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANTHONY YOU DO IN THE RACING INDUSTRY.
UM, ACTUALLY I DON'T DO ANYTHING.
IS IT, MY NEIGHBOR WAS A WORLD CHAMPION AT THE TIME OF SPEEDWAY AND SUPER HUGE IN EUROPE.
AND, UM, AND SO, AND IT WAS JUST A THING AND ANOTHER NEIGHBOR, UH, BUILT THE RACING ENGINES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF CONNECTIONS THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
IT JUST REALLY EXCITING SOMETHING.
UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY NOT GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT THAT ABOUT YOU, BUT, BUT, UM, IS, AND I ALSO WORKED FOR AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS FOR AWHILE.
SO THAT, THAT KINDA GAVE ME A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR ON THE COMMISSION.
IT REALLY HAS, UM, UH, KIND OF PUT A STAMP ON THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN AND THAT FEELS GOOD AT THE END OF THE DAY.
ANYONE ELSE? THEY SAY IT HELPS WHEN WE DO ALL THIS STUFF, VOLUNTEERISM, UM, THAT IT HELPS US MORE THAN WE'RE PROBABLY HELPING THE OTHERS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT DOES US GOOD AS INDIVIDUALS TO BE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT COMMUNITY.
AND I THANK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE I, I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME WHEN I ENJOYED THE TOUR THAT WE HAD.
THERE WAS A CONNECTIONS, YOU ARE ALL, UH, PERSONABLE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE THERE.
AND, UH, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A GREAT TEAM OF YOU ALL THAT, THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHEN IT HIT, WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE, IN, IN THE CITY? AND WHAT IF AND WHAT YOU SAW, DID IT IMPRESS YOU? UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S KIND OF LIKE THAT DIP, LIKE YOU'RE, YOU KIND OF HAVE THAT WHOA MOMENT AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? YOU KNOW, THEN YOU START SAYING, OKAY, LET'S START MOVING AND GETTING THINGS DONE.
BUT WE, AS, AS COMMISSIONERS, WE WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND, YOU KNOW, ASK EACH OTHER HOW THEY'RE DOING, JUST CHECK IN TOUCH
[01:05:01]
BASE, YOU KNOW, THINGS GOING ALL RIGHT WITH YOU AND IN OUR INNER CIRCLE.AND SO THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL, VERY HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GOOD AND WELL, AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN EVERYONE HAD TO PIVOT.
WHAT TYPE OF DID THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONERS DO? UM, I THINK THAT, UM, IS ONCE WE UNDERSTOOD KIND OF, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR MY, FOR MYSELF ON THIS ONE, BECAUSE I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED A NEWER, HAVE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THIS SORT OF THING.
SO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF SAY, WOW, WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE? CAUSE IT WAS LIKE CRICKETS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU DRIVE AROUND TOWN AND IT'S LIKE, THIS IS ODD.
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST ODD, YOU KNOW? AND THEN YOU GOT A HANDLE ON IT AND THEN YOU PIVOT AND YOU SAY, OKAY, I'M AVAILABLE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST NEED ANYTHING, GIVE ME A CALL.
AND SO IT WAS A MATTER OF PLUGGING IN WHERE WE NEEDED TO PLUG IN NO MATTER WHAT IT WAS.
AND THAT WAS OUR UNIFIED GOAL TO, TO SAY, JUST GIVE US A CALL.
WHAT DO YOU BEST ENJOY ABOUT BEING A COMMISSIONER? UM, OH GOSH.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST LOVED BEING A PART OF MY COMMUNITY AND, UM, I LIKE SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR MY KIDS TO STEP UP AND MAKE THE SAME DIFFERENCE WHEREVER THEY LAND.
HI, AS YOU WILL KNOW, THE COMMISSION INVOLVES ITSELF AND A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE CDBG, HEADSTART EVENTS, PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY, OUT OF ALL THOSE THINGS, IS THERE SOME LITTLE NICHE OR ONE PARTICULAR AREA AMONG THOSE ITEMS LISTED THAT YOU FIND PARTICULARLY INTERESTING OR YOU ENJOY FOCUSING ON THE MUCH, THE MOST? UM, ACTUALLY THROUGH THIS COVID THING, I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE FOOD BANK AND TO FIGURE, YOU KNOW, GET INVOLVED WITH THAT WITH SCOTT.
AND THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD BECAUSE, UM, UM, IS WHEN YOU SEE, YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY AT ITS MOST, JUST MOST VULNERABLE STATE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE GIVE OUT TO THAT FOOD BANK, AND I THINK THEY HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB ON THAT AS WELL.
AND I DON'T HAVE, THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES, BUT ONE OF MY OTHER ONE IS, IS THE, UM, THE WORK PROGRAM.
WHEN I SERVED ON CDBG, I LIKED THE WORK PROGRAM BECAUSE I THINK IT GIVES THESE KIDS A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT.
AND SO I REALLY LOVED THAT ABOUT IT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THRIVE AND, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT HOW, HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND GET THROUGH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS IT'S NEEDED.
WELL, I WAS A MAYOR PRO TEM SAYS YOU'RE KNOWN FOR YOUR CREATIVE IMPULSES.
SO, BUT ASIDE FROM MAYBE THIS POTENTIAL RACING EXPERIENCE, LIABILITY QUESTIONS ASIDE, PERHAPS, UM, ANY OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN THINK OF TO EITHER EXPAND, UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES OVERVIEW OR INCREASE ITS EFFICIENCY.
IS THERE SOMETHING SYSTEMIC MAYBE THAT COULD BE FIXED THAT COULD IMPROVE ITS VIABILITY AND IT'S OKAY IF THE ANSWER IS NO, YOU KNOW, UM, I DON'T AT THIS TIME, I DON'T SIMPLY BECAUSE, UH, WE'VE GOT A NEW ELEMENT ADDED TO IT WITH THIS CONFLICT AND IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BRING RIGHT AT THIS POINT IN THE GAME.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A TOUGH ONE FOR ME TO ANSWER, TO BE HONEST.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME THERESA ONE LAST AND, UH, AND I HAVE TO SAY, AND THIS GOES FOR, UH, FOR DENISE AS WELL, AND FOR GABBY, THAT WAS ON THE PHONE AND FOR ANY OF OUR UPCOMING, UH, UH, INTERVIEWEES, UH, RICHARD ROJAS, I THINK, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHERS, CARRIE, AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR FACES ALL COME TO MIND, DENISE AND I FAILED IT AND I'M SORRY, BUT, UH, UH, I GO BACK TO EVENTS LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY THIS LAST YEAR AND THINGS THAT GOT US STARTED TO GET US OUT OF, UH, OUT OF COVID.
SO I HAVE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
UH, VERY MUCH YOUR IDEA HERE, AS FAR AS, UH, UH GO-KARTS IS THAT YEAH, IT IS IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE MODIFIED, THEY, THEY DON'T, THEY GO MUCH FASTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE GO-KART AND THIS IS THEIR HOBBIES.
SO I, I VERY MUCH LIKED THE IDEA, UM, ASIDE FROM, UH, MY, UH, MY, MY COLLEAGUE WHO HAD, UH, HAD TO MENTION RISK MANAGEMENT AND LIABILITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, DARN THE BIG KID IN ME IS STARTING TO THINK OF CERTAIN THINGS, YOU KNOW, AROUND HERE IN LA HARBOR.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THAT BEING SAID, UH, SO I'VE ASKED, UH, I'VE, I'VE ASKED THAT THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER INTERVIEWEES, SO COLLABORATION IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THESE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH MANY STAKEHOLDERS.
CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF ANY ONE OR THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE DEAL WITH AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS
[01:10:01]
WITH THIS COLLABORATION W W WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY? YES.WHETHER IT BE A VENDORS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DOES ANY OF THAT COME TO MIND TO YOU AND HOW WE, HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH THEM AND HOW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT, OF, WHAT YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS IS ON THAT? UM, IS I THINK THE WAY THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IS THROUGH CONNECTIVITY.
SO GETTING TO KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON AND YOU HAVE THAT PERSON IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT YOU CAN RECALL AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE IS, CAN WE PLUG YOU IN HERE, HERE, HERE? DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, IT DOES.
UH, BUT THERE'S, UH, SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UH, UH, THE, UH, THAT THE AMOUNT FESTIVAL NORTH GATE IS A SPONSOR, UH, CONCERTS IN THE PARK.
I BELIEVE IT'S A CRN OURS AS A SPONSOR, RIGHT? HOW DOES THAT COLLABORATION WITH THEM? HOW DOES OUR COMMUNITY BENEFIT? UM, I THINK IT'S FOR THE SAME, LIKE THE NORTH GATE, I THINK IT'S JUST BRANDING FOR OUR CITY.
THEY, THEY'RE A PHENOMENAL FRANCHISE AND THEY'RE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR QUALITY AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, IN COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY HELPS US TO GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, SOME EXPOSURE AS WELL, TOO.
AND, AND MOST OF OUR VENUES, LIKE WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE 4TH OF JULY, IS THAT IS A HUGE VENUE, WHICH, WHICH HAS MULTIPLE PEOPLE THERE.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF EXPOSURE, THAT IS A DEFINITE IMPRINT ON SOMEONE'S MIND.
AND, UH, WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A CLOSING STATEMENT, IT'S UP TO YOU.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, UM, INTERVIEW ME TODAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING ON AND SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL, SO, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OPENING, UH, AN OPENING AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
OTHERWISE WE'LL GO STRAIGHT TO QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WILL START WITH AN OPENING, I GUESS, AS SOME OF, YOU KNOW, I WAS HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, AND I SHARED MY BACKGROUND, UH, FOR, UH, 32 YEARS OF MY CAREER.
I SPENT AS A CALIFORNIA STATE PARK RANGER AND MANAGED MY WAY UP TO, UM, IN MY 32 YEARS AS A SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE DISTRICT IN SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA COUNTY, AND ALL ALONG THAT JOURNEY, I FOUND IT IMPORTANT FOR MYSELF AND FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR, TO ALWAYS HAVE AN EAR TO THE GROUND ON WHAT WE NEED TO BRING IN MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO STATE PARKS IN PARTICULAR USE, BECAUSE DURING MY CAREER THEY WERE MISSING.
SO AT THE END OF MY CAREER, I HAPPENED TO ASK SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA THINK ABOUT ROJAS WHEN HE RETIRES? AND I'M THINKING IN MY MIND, ALL THESE PROPERTIES, I HELPED THE STATE PARKS TO ACQUIRE SOME PROGRAMS THAT I DEVELOPED AND GETTING MORE FAMILIES AND KIDS ENGAGED.
AND THE, MY FRIEND'S RESPONSE AND HEADQUARTERS, ALL ROJAS.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE DIVERSITY GUY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR LEGACY.
SO A YEAR AGO, WHEN I WAS BEFORE THE COMMISSION OR THE COUNCIL HERE, I PLEDGED A COMMITMENT THAT IF I WERE BLESSED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION, THAT I WOULD DO MY BEST TO BRING MORE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO THE OUTDOORS.
THAT WAS MY COMMITMENT TO YOU.
WE WOULD FIND A WAY TO GET KIDS, MOSTLY KIDS THAT DON'T NORMALLY GO OUT TO THE BEACH TO LEARN ABOUT NATURE OR TO THE MOUNTAINS TO LEARN ABOUT NATURE.
YOU KNOW, OUR FISHING, EVEN FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE WOULD FIND A WAY TO DO THAT.
AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THIS LAST FALL WITH A WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE A $12,000 GRANT FROM PARKS, CALIFORNIA, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO TAKE 50 KIDS TO THE BEACH, NOT JUST TO PLAY, BUT ALSO LEARN ABOUT BIRDS AND NATURE OUT OF BOLSA, CHICA, NATURAL PRESERVE.
AND THEN AS A FOLLOWUP WILL BE TAKEN 50 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SOME SURPRISE ADULTS
[01:15:01]
TO CAMP AT MALIBU CREEK STATE PARK.SO THAT'S WHAT I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE IN MY ROLE ON THIS COMMISSION, FIND WAYS TO FUND PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO CONNECT ALL CHILDREN, TO CONNECT WITH THE OUTDOORS.
MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, YOU MENTIONED SOME OTHER CITIES THAT YOU HAD WORKED IN BEFORE.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THOSE CITIES, UH, TO LAHABRA? UH, ARE WE LACKING IN ANYTHING THAT ARE IN THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE? YEAH.
I DON'T THINK THE CITY IS LACKING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME AS WE EVOLVED AS COMMUNITIES AND WE HAVE THESE CYCLES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDING AND EVEN REVENUE FROM OUR OWN CITY, THERE BECOME CHALLENGES, RIGHT? SO I DIDN'T, WELL, I SERVED ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF GALENA NEAR SANTA BARBARA.
AND THAT SAID, HAD PLENTY OF CHALLENGES BECAUSE IT BECAME A NEW CITY, UM, IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, IDENTIFYING THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AS A LOCATION FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND THERE WERE SOME BIG DEVELOPMENTS PLAN, UH, IN AN OPEN SPACE AREA IN NORTHERN KALITA.
SO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, LEADERS GOT TOGETHER AND THEY FORMED, UH, A FORMATION GROUP AND THEY TOOK IT TO THE VOTERS AND WE BECAME INCORPORATED AS A CITY.
AND WHAT WE DID, WE INHERITED ALL THE OLDER PARKS AND THE PARK RECREATION EQUIPMENT THAT THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, YOU KNOW, FUNDED, INSTALLED DURING THEIR TIME AS, AS A COUNTY OPERATION.
SO THE CHALLENGE FOR GALINA WAS HOW DO WE KEEP THESE PARKS FRESH AND NEW AND INVITING TO THE COMMUNITY? AND SO THAT WAS SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE HAD.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I ENCOURAGE THE CITY STAFF AND GALENA TO LOOK AT STATE PARKS BECAUSE DURING THE EARLY DAYS THAT I WAS ON THAT COMMISSION, STATE PARKS DID HAVE SOME PARK, UM, BONDS THAT HAD PASSED.
AND MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT WHEN WE VOTE FOR A BOND IN CALIFORNIA FOR STATE PARKS, THERE'S GENERALLY A SEPARATE ALLOCATION THAT COMES TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
AND IN THE CITY HERE IN THE HARBOR WILL BE RECEIVING SOME FUNDS FOR A PARK THIS COMING YEAR.
SO I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO DO THAT, AND THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL AND HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, IN, UH, IN SECURING FUNDING FOR REVITALIZING PARKS, UM, MODERNIZING PARKS AND MAKING THEM MORE ACCESSIBLE WITH TRAILS AND ADA COMPLIANCE.
SO, UM, IN, UH, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD EXAMPLE THAT THERE ARE SIMILAR CHALLENGES.
AND, AND AS WE, AS WE, UM, EXPERIENCED HERE TODAY AND IN LAHABRA, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING OUR REVENUES FOR THE CITY ARE CHALLENGING TIMES, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE BALANCE THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THESE COMPETING NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS, AND SOME OF THOSE ARE LEGAL.
UH, THE IDEA OF PROVIDING PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION, AND WE ALL WANT THAT.
I THINK THE RISKING SURVEY THAT WAS DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, OUR RESIDENTS TELL US WE NEED THAT.
WE WANT THAT THAT'S A PRIORITY.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT WITH DECLINING REVENUE? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT MAGIC HAPPEN, BUT SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO, TO PLANT THE SEED FOR IS THAT THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH OUR CITY IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US RESIDENTS ARE GETTING OLDER, RIGHT? WE'VE KIND OF RUN AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES AND HAD SOME GREAT EXPERIENCES.
AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND AS A LEGACY FOR THIS CITY? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE, BOTH THE YOUTH AND THE SCHOOLS AND THE ADULTS, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY ALL MOVE AWAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CITY? WHERE IS THAT REVENUE GONNA COME FROM? WHERE DOES THAT LEADERSHIP GONNA COME FROM? SO I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO PLAN FOR A LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION, BOTH IN OFFICES AND IN ORGANIZATIONS, THE CITY OPERATION HERE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT HOW DO WE ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO BE MENTORS, TO YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY? YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE A YOUTH COMMITTEE AND WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AT WORKING WITH THEM, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE CITY STAFF HERE TO BE GRANTED TIME OFF WORK, TO BECOME A MENTOR FOR THE COMMUNITY, A PROGRAM IN LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA IS CALLED LEAD.
IT'S BASICALLY, IT'S HAVING PROFESSIONALS IN CITY GOVERNMENT, AND IN BUSINESS WORK WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS AND PROVIDING THAT OPPORTUNITY OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
IF YOU STAY IN SCHOOL, RUN WITH THE RIGHT CROWD, MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, GET GOOD GRADES.
I THINK THE CITY IS, IS RIPE FOR THAT.
UH, WE DO A LOT WITH ORGANIZED SPORTS AND WITH, WITH ENTERTAINMENT NOW WITH A WONDERFUL THEATER, THAT'S STARTED UP AGAIN, BUT CAN WE THINK ABOUT OTHER WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUTH AND GET THEM TO CARE ABOUT OUR CITY, TO HAVE VALUE IN WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TODAY AND WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR THE FUTURE WE COULD DO FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, RICHARD, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAST SERVICE AS A PARK RANGER AND
[01:20:01]
SUPERVISOR THERE, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED THERE.UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR, A PAPERWORK, UH, CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY MORE QUALIFIED TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AS YOU.
OR YOU ALSO SHARE AN ALMA MATER, A WONDERFUL EAST LA COLLEGE AND ONLY MAKES YOU BETTER.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU BRING UP IS THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
AND GENERALLY IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS ARE BIRTHED IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ARE VERY MUCH LINKED TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS AND, UH, SCHOOL PERSONNEL.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S NOT A WAY TO COLLABORATE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND SEE IF WE CAN'T SEED, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN LAHABRA IT'S A GREAT, I'VE SERVED AS A MENTOR.
I KNOW A LOT OF MY FRIENDS HAVE SERVED AS MENTORS IN THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND THEY, THEY REALLY DO WORK.
AND I THINK, UM, THE MORE WE CAN DO TO TRY TO GET A YOUNG FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, IT'S NOT ALL BEEN GREAT.
UM, WHAT'S ON THE NEWS EVERY NIGHT IS A GLARING FACT THAT THAT'S TRUE.
UM, BUT TO GET THEM INVOLVED AND MAYBE HELP US CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IS SOMETHING.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO BENEFIT FROM.
WELL, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS, SOME MONEY.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE PROGRAM THAT I WAS LOOKING AT AT LA FUENTE.
IT'S CALLED LIFE EXPERIENCE ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND IT PARTNERS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF TEACHERS ON THE VICE-PRINCIPAL WHAT'S SOME SCHOOL, EXCUSE ME, WITH SOME, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ON LAQUINTA AND BASICALLY THE LIKE MEMBERS ADOPT A CHILD.
AND THEN, UH, THE, THE, THE CHILD BUILDS A LARGER GROUP THAT BASICALLY IS THERE.
THEY LEAD THAT GROUP AND ARE LEARNING ABOUT CITY, GOVERNMENT PARK OPERATIONS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUSINESSES, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, IT'S THEY WAY AT A YOUNG AGE, THEY GET ENGAGED, BECOME ENGAGED.
AND SO THEY, THEY INSTILL A VALUE THAT THIS IS MY CITY.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE WALKING THROUGH A PARK AT NIGHT AND THEY SEE SOME KIDS WANTING TO VANDALIZE HER TECH, THEY MAY INFLUENCE THAT KID TO NOT DO THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE VALUE IN THAT PARK AND THAT EXPERIENCE AND THIS CITY.
I WANT TO SAY ONE THING, I THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE LIFE CHALLENGES AND LEADERSHIP, WE DON'T OFTEN GET COMPLIMENTS, COMPLIMENTS LIKE THAT.
IT BECOMES VERY LONELY SOMETIMES, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION IS A TEAM.
WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM AND I'M LEARNING SO MUCH FROM ALL OF THEM, AND I APPRECIATE THEIR, UM, SUPPORT ME.
SO IT'S A TEAM EFFORT JUST AS THE COUNCIL HERE AS A TEAM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MOTTO OF THE COMMUNITY IS A CARING COMMUNITY AND IT SHOWS IN ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONS AND EVERYTHING WE DO, WE'RE QUITE LUCKILY LUCKY TO HOST, UH, INTERVIEWS FOR COMMISSIONS AND HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE PUT IN FOR THEM.
UM, MOST CITIES STRUGGLE TO COME UP WITH ONE.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY LUCKY IN THAT REGARD.
AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO KEEP THAT GOING IS TO INTEREST OUR CHILDREN AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I WAS LISTENING TO YOU SPEAK, I WAS RACING AHEAD BECAUSE YOU WERE COVERING ALL THE BASIC QUESTIONS THAT WE TYPICALLY ASK AND YOU KEPT ANSWERING THEM ALL SO QUICKLY THAT I, I BEGAN TO RUN OUT OF MY BASIC QUESTIONS, BUT WHAT I'M GATHERING FROM THIS IS THIS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IS VERY IMPORTANT NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART.
AND IT STRIKES ME AS A BRILLIANT IDEA.
AND ESPECIALLY AS YOU SAY, AS A, AS A COLLEGIAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, THAT INVOLVES A SCHOOL DISTRICT, SUCH AS LAHABRA CITY, SCHOOL, DISTRICT, LITTLE JOINT AND THE CITY, AND OBVIOUSLY THE INTERFACE WITH THE CITY WOULD BE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? AND THE COMMISSION TO A LESSER EXTENT COULD EVEN INVOLVE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE HARBOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT IDEA WAS SEATED AND GIVEN BIRTH TO, AND YOU COULD PLAY A ROLE IN THAT.
DO I TAKE IT, YOU'D BE WILLING TO EVEN REDOUBLE YOUR EFFORTS IN THAT REGARD TO VOLUNTEER FOR THAT EFFORT TO, UH, TO LIAISE WITH THESE VARYING INTERESTS, BRING THEM TOGETHER AND TRY TO GET THIS PROGRAM REALLY UP AND RUNNING FAIR STATEMENT.
THE LONG ANSWER IS I SEE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY HERE, AND IT'S NOT MY IDEA.
I KNOW THE CITY HAS KICKED THE CAN AROUND ABOUT CREATING A NONPROFIT FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS. EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY LIKE REVITALIZING
[01:25:01]
PARKS WHEN MAYBE THERE'S A DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY.AND IF THE COUNCIL AGREES, I WOULD BE GLAD AND HONORED TO HELP SPIRIT THAT EFFORT.
AND THAT, THAT MIGHT REQUIRE ME TO STEP AWAY FROM THIS RESPONSIBILITY HERE ON THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE A, UH, BASICALLY A TRANSPARENT ORGANIZATION, RIGHT.
WITHOUT ANY COMMITMENTS AND TIES TO THE CITY, BUT THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE MAGIC TO CREATE A FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTS THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE YOUR BUDGET CYCLES GO UP AND THEY GO DOWN.
AND THE FIRST THINGS THAT GET CUT ARE THESE PROGRAMS AND THE CHILDREN SEE THAT, AND THEY KNOW THAT WELL, WE'RE OKAY WHEN THERE'S MONEY, BUT WHEN THERE'S NO MONEY, THE ADULTS ARE GOING BACK TO THE BUSY WORK OF PRIORITIZING.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST IN WHICH YOU MAY DO IN THE FUTURE.
THE, THAT THE YOUTH ARE OUR FUTURE.
I JUST ATTENDED A MORNING MEETING WITH, UH, THREE OTHER NON-PROFITS AND WE WERE ALL, UH, CONCERNED WITH THE COVID AND HOW IT IS IMPACTED OUR USE TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, THEY'VE GONE, UH, THREE STEPS BACK AND IS TRYING TO RECOUP WHATEVER THEY'VE LEARNED, WHATEVER CONFIDENCE THEY HAVE.
UM, SO WHAT, UM, WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING AS FAR AS THE BEACH AND MOUNTAINS, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP THEM, UM, GET, GET BETTER, PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHAPERONE IF YOU NEEDED CHAPERONES TO GO TO THE BEACH OR THE NUNS OR EVERYTHING.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T CAMP OFTEN, BUT YOU KNOW, I HAVE TAKEN KIDS CAMPING.
UH, IT WAS MY FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT, UM, WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DO YOU GET FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED FROM, FROM THE CITY? YOU KNOW, UH, I'VE HAD THE FORTUNE OF JOINING YOU AND REMEMBER VAGINA AND SOME OTHERS, AND SOME OF THE EVENTS THE CITY HAS HOSTED, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, THE, THE SUMMERS THIS PAST SUMMERS, UM, CONCERTS IN THE PARK.
AND I HEARD FROM STAFF, SOME OF THESE CONCERTS, AGAIN, MIGHT'VE BEEN THE COVID PR PROPELLING THEM TO GET OUTDOORS, BUT, UH, NOTHING BUT COMPLIMENTS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHATEVER THE WISDOM OR WHEREVER THE WISDOM CAME FROM, BUT REALLY SEEKING TO PARTNER WITH PLACES LIKE NICHOLAS MARKET, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, COSTCO CHICK-FIL-A, YOU KNOW, TO HELP UNDERWRITE SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES, THE VETERANS, UH, EVENT VETERAN'S DAY EVENT, BOY, THAT THAT WAS WONDERFUL AND WELL ATTENDED AND, AND IN SUCH A VALUE TO OUR VETERANS OR, YOU KNOW, IN THE GOLDEN YEARS OF THEIR LIVES.
SO I THINK, UH, AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE KEEP LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH IN A COLLABORATIVE FASHION, WHETHER IT'S CVS INDUSTRY OR COSTCO, OR, YOU KNOW, A COLLECTIVE OF BUSINESSES WITH OUR CONTACTS AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO, WE CAN MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN HERE IN THIS CITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, AND, UH, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE, UH, DARREN EXPERIAN, YOU, UH, YOU JUST ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS AS FAR AS COLLABORATION, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND YES, COLLABORATING WITH THE BUSINESS CHAMBER AND, UH, I DO SOMETHING EVERY WEEK BUSINESS OF THE WEEK.
AND, UH, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT BECAUSE OUR BUSINESSES NEED HELP HERE IN, UH, HERE IN THE CITY, IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD, YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT, UH, THAT AS OUR, UH, OUR COMMUNITY COMES OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND HOPEFULLY OUT OF THIS, UH, THIS CURRENT, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL A MALAISE ECONOMICALLY, THAT'S, THAT'S GOING ON THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THESE BUSINESSES, UH, AND, UH, WITH THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS.
SO WHILE YOU ANSWERED THE, UH, THE COLLABORATION QUESTION THAT I HAD ASKED THE, UH, THE OTHER INTERVIEWEES, BUT, UH, I'VE GOT NOTHING LEFT TO ASK YOU THEN THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR THE, UH, FOR HELPING OUT WITH THE, UH, THE GRANT.
UH, WHAT WAS IT, A $12,000? YES, VERY IMPORTANT AND VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH.
I WILL SCREAM FROM THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS AND HOW THERE ARE YOUNG KIDS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THAT DON'T PLAY LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL THAT DON'T PLAY SOFTBALL, THAT DON'T PARTICIPATE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, IN THE THEATER AND IN OTHER SWIM ACTIVITIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM, UH, FROM THIS $12,000 GRANTS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS YOU'D WISH TO MAKE, FEEL FREE TO DO SO, OTHERWISE WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU ALL TOO, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW YOU GET A LITTLE STIPEND EVERY MONTH, BUT NOWHERE CLOSE TO THE HOURS YOU ALL PUT IN AND SERVE IN OUR CITY.
SO I KNOW I REPRESENT A LOT OF RESIDENTS BEHIND ME THAT AREN'T IN THE ROOM TODAY, THAT WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.
[01:30:26]
GOOD EVENING.HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
SO, MARIA, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU WISH TO, UH, PROVIDE AN OPENING, UH, AN OPENING STATEMENT OF SORTS.
IF NOT, WE'LL GO DIRECTLY TO QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WILL MAKE IT VERY BRIEF OPENING STATEMENT.
I'M DOING THAT SO THAT YOU CAN SORT OF GET A GIST OF HOW TO PRONOUNCE MY NAME.
YOU JUST DON'T PRONOUNCE THE AGE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO IT'S OKAY.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN LA OPERA FOR 23 YEARS.
UM, AND MY INTEREST IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS THAT I DIDN'T GROW UP HERE, BUT MY SON IS GOING TO, SO I FIGURED I'D START GETTING INVOLVED AND I'M NOW OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
ARE WE GOOD? START WITH THEIR MAYOR, BROKE HIM.
YOU LIVE IN OHIO, UM, 23, 23 YEARS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN THE LAST 23 YEARS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE THAT YOU LIKED THE MOST? I'VE LIKED THE INCREASED DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE? UM, I LIKE SEEING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
I ONCE HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THAT THEY NEVER WANTED TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY'S SAYING THE SAME TUNE.
YES, MARIA, AND YOUR, YOUR, UM, APPLICATION YOU HAD PLACED IN HERE? I CAN'T FIND IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I READ THROUGH AT ONCE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, WHAT, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY? I STILL WORK IN THAT SPACE, UM, TO CLARIFY, I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO CLIENTS AND I WORK FOR THEM EXCLUSIVELY.
UM, AND I HELPED THEM RUN THEIR BUSINESSES AND SOME OF THEIR BUSINESSES ARE PRODUCTION COMPANIES.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE DO TALENT MANAGEMENT, UH, WORK WITH ATHLETES AND ENTERTAINERS, INFLUENCERS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND YOU ALSO LIST AS INTEREST IN ACTIVITIES, RESISTANCE TRAINING.
IS THAT STANDING IN FRONT OF A BAKERY AND LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOW, NOT GOING INSIDE SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES, OR JUST RESISTING THE BIG JAR OF GOBSTOPPERS IN MY LIVING ROOM.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT DRAWS YOU TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION? WHAT, WHY DO YOU WANT TO SERVE? BECAUSE I SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES IN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT.
I WANT TO BE PART OF THE GROUP THAT SHEPHERDS RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
I DEFINITELY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST THAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, KNOWING MY SON IS GOING TO BE GROWING UP HERE.
I LIVE HERE, I OWN A HOME HERE.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WANT US TO BE BIGGER AND BETTER, BUT I ALSO WANT IT TO BE DONE RESPONSIBLY IN A WAY THAT, UM, BENEFITS ALL PEOPLE IN THE HOPPER.
UM, SO THAT'S MY INTEREST THAT'S POLITICALLY STATED PERFECTLY, BUT I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT IS.
UM, ARE YOU REFERRING TO, UM, CONTINUING TO DO REDEVELOPMENT, UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE PARKING AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO HANDLE IT, OR IS IT PLACE A BUILDING ON EVERY LOT AND LET MASS TRANSIT TAKE THE BRUNT? UH, WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU WITH ALL OF THAT? WELL, LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC FOR INSTANCE.
UM, THE BLOCK THAT I LIVE ON THE HOUSES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REZONED FOR MIXED USE.
AND NORMALLY I, I SUPPORT THAT SORT OF THING AS LONG AS BECAUSE I SUPPORT BUSINESS AND, AND CREATING MORE HOUSING, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON TOP OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE PARKING.
AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO PARK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE WHEN THEY, YOU KNOW, BUILDING RETAIL OR HAVING OFFICES OR
[01:35:01]
BUILDING WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE MIXED USE LOTS FOR.UM, BUT I'M ALSO JUST INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE WE HAVE THINGS LIKE ADEQUATE LIBRARIES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN ADEQUATE LIBRARY, ALTHOUGH I WISH IT WOULD BE BIGGER.
UM, BUT ALSO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO KEEPING UP WITH OTHER CITIES, DOING THINGS LIKE HAVING, UM, LIVE WORKSPACES AND THINGS OF THAT SORT AS WELL.
AND MY LAST NAME IS HARDER THAN YOURS.
UH, GOING BACK TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONIAN WAS TALKING TO, YOU'VE HEARD OF THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT NUMBERS THAT THE STATE IS, IS MORE OR LESS FORCING UPON US, RIGHT? THE NUMBER OF HOUSES WE HAVE TO BUILD.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY AND ROUGHLY HOW MUCH TIME IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T? I WANTED TO SAY IT WAS 200,000 WITH, BY A CERTAIN TIME, BUT I COULD BE WRONG MAYBE IN THE CITY OF LA IT'S ABOUT 800 HOMES FOR US IN ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, BUT THERE IS THIS TREMENDOUS BALANCING ACT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, LOOKING AT THE NEED TO TRY TO COMPLY WITH WHAT THE STATE'S ASKING OF US IN A GOOD FAITH MANNER, AND ALSO PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL THE FOLKS WHO LIVE HERE.
SO IF YOU WERE FACED WITH A PROJECT THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN TERMS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT OF A PARTICULAR PLAN, BUT ALSO HAD TRAFFIC IMPACTS THAT WOULD REDUCE THESE CERTAIN LEVELS OF SERVICE AT KEY INTERSECTIONS FROM MAYBE A B TO A C, WOULD YOU, AND HOW WOULD YOU WRESTLE WITH THAT BALANCE? AND DO YOU THINK YOU'D FIND YOURSELF MORE ALIGNED WITH THE IDEA OF KEEPING THE STATE OFF OUR BACK OR MORE ALIGNED WITH THE IDEA OF PROTECTING AT ALMOST ANY COST, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, THE FOLKS WHO LIVE HERE, I'M USUALLY GOING TO SIDE WITH KEEPING THE STATE OFF OUR BACK.
UM, THAT IS, BUT I, AND I SAY THAT THE ONLY CAVEAT BEING IS THAT EACH SITUATION CALLS FOR LOOKING AT THE FACTS, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE FACTS IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT I'M GENERALLY INCLINED TO KEEP THE STATE OFF OUR BACKS.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK I APPROACH THINGS LIKE A PROBLEM SOLVER.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS OF MAINTAINING BALANCE.
UM, AND I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE FACTS BEFORE ME TO BE, I KNOW THAT'S SUCH A LAWYER ANSWER, BUT I MEAN, IT DEPENDS.
BUT MY INCLINATION IS TO KEEP THE STATE OFF OUR BACKS.
I WANT THE QUALITY OF LIFE TO IMPROVE FOR PEOPLE IN THE HOMBRE, NOT TO DECLINE.
BASED ON YOUR RESUME, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH .
SO YOU'D HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH THAT, RIGHT.
HAVE YOU, UH, HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY OF THE MEETINGS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS HAD? UM, NO.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU DRIVE AROUND TOWN AND YOU LOOK AT THE LAY OF THE LAND, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU THINK, UM, WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES, OR WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT DO YOU THINK SHOULD, UH, IN YOUR MIND SAY, THIS IS WHERE I THINK THIS SHOULD GO, AND THIS IS THE KIND OF BUSINESS I SEE PLACED HERE.
UM, WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU SEE THAT WE, UM, WE NEED THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD YET IN THIS COMMUNITY? IT'S KIND OF A TOUGH QUESTION, BUT I'LL START BY SAYING, I WALK AROUND A LOT.
I WALK AROUND THE CITY A LOT, UM, KIND OF ONE OF MY PRIORITIES.
UM, I LIKE THE KIND OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE, I MEAN, THERE'S A PLACE FOR LARGE CHAINS, MEAN CAUSE THEY GENERATE, YOU KNOW, TAX REVENUE, THEY BRING JOBS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
BUT I ALSO LOVE BUSINESSES LIKE , WHICH IS TO ME, THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY.
YOU GO THERE AND YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS COMING IN AND HAVING BREAKFAST OR YOU SEE SOMEBODY FROM SCHOOL HAVING LUNCH THERE AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT, A LOT MORE BUSINESSES LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN LA HABRA BOULEVARD, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT SHOULD BE A DOWNTOWN.
I MEAN, TO RIVAL FULLERTON, DEFINITELY.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY MORE HISTORIC, I THINK.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF THAT.
UM, BUT I'D ALSO AS A BUSINESS WOMAN, UM, WHAT IS THERE A NEED FOR IN OUR COMMUNITY? UM, SPECIFICALLY, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH OF THE NUMBERS TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF NEED THERE IS.
I SEE A LOT OF, UH, THE ONE THING I WONDER ABOUT IS I SEE ALL THE, THE PET SPAS AND I HAVE TO WONDER IS THERE, IS THERE A MARKET FOR THAT? THERE, THERE, THERE MUST BE BECAUSE
[01:40:01]
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, PET SPA, YOU KNOW, ONE ACROSS FROM THE OTHER OR TWO IN ONE MINI MALL, UM, THAT SORT OF THING.SO I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY-BASED BUSINESSES, UM, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET AND, YOU KNOW, SEE THEIR NEIGHBORS.
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT I'M OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING TARGET BECAUSE I MEAN, WHO DOESN'T LOVE TARGET? I MEAN, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, WOULD YOU HAVE TIME FOR THESE MEETINGS? YES, MA'AM, YOU'LL MAKE TIME.
AL BELL, BRING UP THE END HERE WITH THE, UH, FINAL QUESTIONS IN A, IN READING YOUR RESUME.
AND MIND YOU, MY WIFE IS, UH, IS AN ASSISTANT US ATTORNEY.
UM, AND I, UH, I READ A APPELLATE COUNSEL, UH, I GUESS YOU'VE DONE SOME WORK WITH THE, UH, THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT, NINE 10TH, 11TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS WHERE YOU ADMITTED TO PRACTICE IN THOSE AS WELL AS THE U S SUPREME COURT OR IN WHAT, IN WHAT MANNER DID YOU, UH, DID YOU WORK IN THOSE? UH, SO LET ME CLARIFY.
I, SO I HAVE NOT ARGUED OR BEEN ADMITTED TO ARGUED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.
I'VE DONE APPELLATE WORK IN ALL THE CALIFORNIA COURTS OF APPEAL.
UM, AND I'M ADMITTED TO THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL.
I'VE ADVISED OTHER ATTORNEYS ON THEIR APPEALS IN THE 10TH AND 11TH CIRCUITS.
UM, I USED TO RUN AN OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN LA, UM, OF, OF PARALEGALS AND LAWYERS THAT WORKED ON APPELLATE CASES FOR OTHER OFFICES THAT MAYBE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THEIR OWN APPEALS BECAUSE NOT ALL ATTORNEYS HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT, BUT YES, I LOVED IT.
UM, IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM TRIAL WORK, WHICH IS MUCH MORE, UM, GUT AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, ARGUING IN FOUR IN FRONT OF THREE JUDGES.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT LIKE THIS ACTUALLY WE'RE GOING ON BUNK, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, AND, UH, UH, SHE, UH, SHE'S, UH, SHE'S COMMENTED ON THAT QUITE A BIT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION WILL BE A PLANNING RELATED HERE.
UH, SO RECENTLY THE, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN RECENT YEARS HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THE REACH, UH, IN THE CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES? YOU MEAN PLANNING ISSUES? YES.
WELL, ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT I THINK THAT IT'S MANDATED BY OUR LAWS, UM, THAT'S MY POSITION THAT IT IS MANDATED BY OUR, OUR STATE CONSTITUTION AND OUR STATE LAWS, UM, THAT IT REMAINED IN LOCAL CONTROL.
I JUST THINK IT'S SMARTER THAT WAY.
WE KNOW, UM, WHAT OUR HOUSING NEEDS ARE.
WE KNOW WHAT OUR TRAFFIC NEEDS ARE, UH, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WHEREAS SOMEBODY IN SACRAMENTO, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE AN INTEREST.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SKIN IN THE GAME, SO TO SPEAK, SO.
THAT'S IT FROM US? UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME CLOSING STATEMENTS IT'S UP TO YOU AND, UH, OTHERWISE, UH, THANK YOU.
WE'LL BE CALLING CARRIE SEARCH IT.
[01:45:18]
HI, CARRIE.THIS IS LORI SWINDLE CITY CLERK.
YOU'RE ON LIVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
HI, CARRIE IT'S MAYOR MEDRANO.
HOW ARE YOU HANGING IN THERE? W W WE, WE HOPE WE HOPE YOU'RE FEELING WELL.
AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE, UH, A, UH, AN OPENING STATEMENT, OTHERWISE WE CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO QUESTIONS AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO THANK YOU, MAYOR MADRANO PRO TIM GOMEZ, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM GOMEZ AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF FOR ALLOWING ME TO AT LEAST HAVE MY INTERVIEW VIA PHONE TONIGHT.
UM, AND REALLY HAPPY THAT I'M NOT ON VIDEO CAUSE IT'S, IT WAS FOR YOUR SAKE, NOT MINE.
UM, I AM, I'M READY TO PROCEED WITH YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH SO MANY, UH, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, VETERANS, A MEALS ON WHEELS OF ALL SORTS OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF CARRY? UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, I THINK IT'S EVERYTHING THAT I PUT MYSELF OUT THERE TO DO FOR OUR, UM, IT JUST GIVES YOU THE SENSE OF GIVING BACK FOR EVERYTHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY DOES FOR ALL OF US, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN VETERANS DAY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, JIM, JUST LIKE YOU, IT IS, I THINK VETERAN'S DAY IS PROBABLY MY WARMEST AND DEAREST PASSION, UM, KNOWING THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR VETERANS AND SENIORS ALL AT THE SAME MOMENT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF MY, MY MAIN PASSION IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY.
HI, DAVE, HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD.
UM, I SEE THAT YOU'VE PUT IN FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, UM, TO BE RE-UPPED AND, OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER AND WHY? WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEW IN MY, MY LIST OF THINGS, STUDENTS, UM, FROM EARLY ON WHEN I STARTED THIS COMMISSION, UM, I ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WANTED TO BE PART OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND WITH THE COUNCIL OF GUIDANCE THAT MAYBE MORE, UM, EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE 50 WEEK.
UM, I RE A ABOUT PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I THINK THAT IS A GOOD ROLE FOR ME, BASED ON ALL THE THINGS I'VE DONE.
SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, YOU'VE LOVED WHAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT YOU'RE READY TO MOVE ON.
I'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH EDUCATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE DIVISION IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN AND I'M READY TO TAKE ON NEXT CHAPTER.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION THAT I ASKED A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IT'S A, IT'S A SITUATION WHERE YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE BEING, UH, COMPELLED BY THE STATE TO BUILD ALL THESE HOUSES RIGHT OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS AND, AND TO CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, ROBUST REDEVELOPMENT.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THESE PROJECTS CAN ALSO IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE FOLKS THAT LIVE AND WORK HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DEGRADE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.
THEY DO ALL THESE POTENTIALLY BAD THINGS, AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T MITIGATE THESE IMPACTS.
[01:50:01]
SO AT THE, AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY ARE, UH, WOULD LOOK, THEY EVER BELIEVED TO A WONDERFUL NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT LOOKS GORGEOUS ON PAPER AND COULD EVEN HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND ALL THAT.BUT THEN THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE IT'S GOING TO DO BAD THINGS, UH, WITH REGARD TO TRAFFIC PARKING NOISE, OTHER IMPACTS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO WRESTLE WITH THAT AND BALANCE THOSE TWO KIND OF COMPETING INTERESTS? AND WHERE ON WHAT SIDE OF THE FENCE DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF FALLING ON? IF YOU UNDERSTAND MY QUESTION? OKAY.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN WESTBRIDGE WAS GOING ON, I ACTUALLY CARRY IF I COULD STOP RIGHT THERE, IF YOU I'D, RATHER, IF YOU COULD PLEASE NOT REFERENCE THE WESTERN PROJECT, I'M SORRY.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE CITY THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
AND SO MY THOUGHTS, THOSE TWO, THAT WAS I'M A REALTOR BY PLAY.
SO YES, OF COURSE IT ALL LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
THE FLOOR PLAN TO DEVELOPMENT OR GREEN SPACE, AND THEN I'M A RESIDENT.
AND I HAVE TO THINK OF THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU ALMOST HAVE TO FIT YOURSELF INTO, AND YOU HAVE TO THINK WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY ARE MORE HOUSES, LESS TRAFFIC, UM, SITUATIONS WERE OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT.
SO I THINK THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS IT'S HABIT THERE OF YOU AND HAVE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION ON WHAT'S GOING TO BE BEST FOR LA HOMBRE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY DESK, MY DESK ANSWER I HAVE, BECAUSE UNLESS I'M PERSONALLY FACED WITH THAT SITUATION AND NOT HAVE ALL THE FACTS GIVEN TO ME, I'D HAVE TO SAY IT.
I HAVE TO GO WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND YOU WILL, UM, AS YOU LOOK DOWN IN THE HARBOR BOULEVARD, UM, WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR THE FUTURE OF LA HARBOR BOULEVARD? BECAUSE IT IS OUR, OUR MAIN STREET.
IT'S WHERE I ALWAYS SAID, UH, PEOPLE GET THE FIRST IMPRESSION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WHAT WOULD YOU ENVISION FOR, UM, DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, ROAD? UM, DOWNTOWN LAHABRA REALLY NEEDS TO REALLY NEEDS TO KICK IT UP THERE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH IT'S ON ME SEVERAL FEW FOR THOROUGHFARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT IF WE LOOKED AT IT LIKE SOME OTHER CITIES CAN, IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO DRESS IT UP, TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER, TO BRING IN SOME, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALK, CAFES, UM, AND MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE LIVING AREAS ABOVE AND MAYBE A BUSINESS DOWN BELOW KIND OF LIKE BRASS AND SOME OF THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY SURROUNDING US WOULD REALLY LOOK BEAUTIFUL.
AND THE FACADES ON, ON MOST OF THOSE BUILDINGS ARE PRETTY OLD.
SO I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE SPACE IT'S ON OUR, AND OUR MAIN GOAL OF OURS.
AND, AND AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONER, WHAT HAVE YOU, WHAT HAVE YOU BEST ENJOYED AS THE, ON THE COMMISSION AS A COMMISSIONER? OH MY GOSH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I, I REALLY ENJOYED WAS THE, UH, CBBG BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY GRANT FUNDS, UM, I THINK BEING ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE MONEY IS USED BEST, UM, REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HOW EVERYONE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE GET X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AND CAN THAT MONEY BE SPENT BETTER HERE OR THERE? NOT THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALWAYS THE LAST WORD, BECAUSE OF COURSE THE COUNCIL HAS THE FINAL SAY, BUT I THINK IT REALLY HELPED US LOOK TO SEE WHAT OTHER NONPROFITS LEAD AND HOW THE COMMUNITY CAN BETTER BENEFIT BY THEIR, THEIR REMODELS OR ADDITIONS
[01:55:01]
TO THEIR, UH, THEIR NONPROFIT OR BUILDING PARKS, THINGS LIKE THAT.AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, UH, EVERY YEAR WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE VETERANS DAY, UH, EVENT THAT WE HAVE, UH, YOU'RE YOU'RE FRONT AND CENTER, AND OF COURSE WITH THE, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
AND, UH, AND I APPLAUD, UH, I APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS NOW IN, UH, IN WANTING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOU'VE, UH, YOU'VE DONE A, YOU'VE DONE THINGS IN THOSE OTHER THINGS.
AND, UH, I, UH, I LOVE IT THAT YOU'RE, THAT, THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TOWARDS THE NEXT CHAPTER.
AND, UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UH, IN REFERENCE TO IT.
SO IN RECENT YEARS, THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH INTO, UH, INTO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO, TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES.
UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO THAT? WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THAT? MY VIEW IS THAT LOCAL CONTROL IS GOING TO MAKE THE BEST WAY THAT ESPECIALLY IN THE HARBOR CAN KEEP TRACK OF WHAT ME WANTS THE CITY TO DO WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND HOW WE'RE BETTER GOING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT, UH, THAT'LL, UH, THAT'LL BE A FOR US, IF YOU WISH TO, UH, IF YOU WISH TO CLOSE IT UP WITH A CLOSING STATEMENT, YOU'RE FREE TO DO SO OTHERWISE WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I REALLY HAVE GIVEN THIS A LOT OF THOUGHTS SINCE THE, UH, THE LAST INTERVIEW, AND I REALLY FEEL THAT I WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND WORK WITH ALL THE OTHER PLANNERS AND MAKE US GREAT.
THAT'S THAT'S ALL I'D LIKE TO DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, CARRIE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE'S TIME, CARRIE.
I HOPE I DIDN'T CUT OFF ANY PART OF YOUR STATEMENT.
I APOLOGIZE IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU HAD SOMETHING TO ADD VERY GOOD AND WE HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER.
UH, WE'LL GET THIS STARTED AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.
IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE A, UH, AN OPENING STATEMENT OF SORTS.
OTHERWISE WE CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO QUESTIONS.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY MEMBERS OF LAHABRA, UH, PRIVILEGES COME OVER TO TONIGHT TO SPEAK WITH YOU ON THE, UH, CURRENT POSITION I'M APPLYING FOR.
WE'LL START OFF WITH QUESTIONS, JOHN.
WE FINALLY GET TO MEET IN PERSON.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, IN WHAT WAY DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THE MOST TO OUR COMMUNITY? I'VE FOR, UH, BACKGROUND, UH, EXPERTISE, UH, MEDICAL, LEGAL, UM, EDUCATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGY.
SO BY USING THOSE, UH, I WOULD, UH, ASSIST WITH THE PROGRAM, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
HI, JOHN, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION THAT DRAWS YOU TO THAT PARTICULAR COMMISSION PEOPLE FIRST? UM, I GOAL IS TO SERVE, UM, PEOPLE IN LAHABRA.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, UH, SPEAKING IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS.
SO I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS, BUT, UM, PROVIDING,
[02:00:01]
UH, PROGRAMS, UH, FOR DIFFERENT, UH, PEOPLE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE NERVOUS, JOHN, NONE OF US SPEAK MANDARIN OR SHANGHAI SHANGHAINESE.I'M VERY LOGISTIC, WHICH IS REMARKABLE.
UM, ANY PARTICULAR AREA OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE AN IMPACT? I HAVE AN IDEA OF USING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, APPLE LAHABRA, UH, IS AN IDEA THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, UH, WITH THE CITY OF LA HABRA, THE COMMUTE, MY COMMUNITY.
UM, I FEEL THAT THAT, UH, WITH PARTNERSHIP AND PUBLIC, UH, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY FOR PROGRAMS, UH, WE NEED A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WOULD, UH, MY IDEAS HAVE A, UH, APPLE, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE EXTENT OF YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION IN THE SENSE THAT WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CDBG GRANTS AND HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING? I KNOW THAT THERE'S A BUDGET OF OVER $60,000, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, USED OR, UH, BURN APRIL.
AND, UM, IF I'M CONFIRMED, I WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT, UH, CELEBRATION BECAUSE SAY ANYBODY BEEN TO A MEETING BEFORE I HAVE NOT.
WOULD YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY IN ATTENDING JUST ABOUT EVERY MEETING IF YOU WERE APPOINTED? NO.
HELLO, JOHN, YOU LIVE HERE IN THE LA HARBOR 23 YEARS? YES, I HAVE.
UM, AND, UM, HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY OF THE RECREATION ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY HAS OFFERED? I HAVE NOT.
WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU WISH THEY WOULD OFFER? I LIKE TO TEND TO CITRUS COMMIT THE CITRUS FAIR, THE TAMALE FAIR.
UM, ONE PARTICULAR, I LIKE TO ALWAYS JOIN IS THE, UH, PARTICIPATE AS THE, UH, CHRISTMAS LIGHTING AT NORTH GATE.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I THINK I'VE ATTENDED A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UH, AND YOUR INTEREST IS BEING ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
ALL RIGHT, JOHN, I'LL ASK YOU A, THE FINAL QUESTION I, I NOTICED, UH, HERE, YOU AND I HAVE, UH, HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING IN COMMON HERE YOU WORK FOR THE OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
UH, SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UH, UH, YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE APPLE IN LAHABRA.
SO I CAME UP WITH THIS QUESTION, COLLABORATION, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART, UH, AND AN ASPECT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS.
CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF ANY OF OUR CURRENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT MAYBE HELP PUT ON EVENTS HERE IN THE CITY AND HOW OUR COMMUNITY COULD BENEFIT THROUGH THOSE COLLABORATIONS? PROVIDENCE ST.
JUDE'S IS PARTICULARLY IN A MEDICAL FIELD.
THAT WOULD IT BE, UH, A PLUS FOR THE CITY, UH, COMING IN AT THE OPEN AND VACANT, UH, PROPERTY WE HAVE ON A CORNER IDAHO.
SO DEFINITELY THAT WOULD BE, UH, A PARTICULAR BOOSTS FOR OUR, UH, PROGRAMS HERE FOR LABORA.
JUDE'S, HOW, HOW WOULD THAT, HOW DOES THAT BENEFIT OUR, HOW DOES THAT COLLABORATION OF SORTS? HOW DOES THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING MEDICAL, UH, PROCEDURES, UH, LOW COSTS, UM, HOMELESSNESS, UH, SO FORTH.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A CLOSING STATEMENT, OTHERWISE, UH, WE'LL UH, WE'LL CLOSE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, JOHN.
IT'S A PLEASURE MEETING YOU HERE.
MAYOR PEARL IS OR SATAY AND LOU LOUIS SALAZAR ARE NOT PRESENT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE LAST ESTHER ROJAS.
[02:05:28]
HELLO, MR. ROJAS.THIS IS LORI SWINDELL CITY CLERK.
YOU'RE ON LIVE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
HOW ARE YOU THIS EVENING? I'M DOING OKAY.
I'M OUT OF, I MET, I'M CALLING YOU FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY, BUT I'M GLAD YOU GUYS MADE TIME FOR ME.
WELL, NO, THANK YOU FOR MAKING TIME FOR US.
DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE OUT OF THE COUNTRY, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU'RE SAFE AND SOUND AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME.
I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE FLOOR WHILE I SHOULD.
IF YOU'D WISH TO MAKE A, UH, OPENING STATEMENT, IT'S UP TO YOU.
OTHERWISE WE'LL GO DIRECTLY TO QUESTIONS.
WELL, I, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME FOR ALLOWING ME TO RE-INTERVIEW FOR BEING A PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
UM, AND A GOOD PLANNING COMMISSIONER SINCE I THINK JULY AND I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT.
AND, UM, I'M JUST EXCITED TO CONTINUE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY VERY WELL.
WE'LL START WITH OUR MAYOR PRO TEM, MR. ROJAS.
MR. LAHABRA, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M DOING WELL.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU'VE LIVED IN OHIO FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS.
UM, OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY? AND, UH, WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK IT MADE I'M GOING TO YOU? I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN THEM ON ABRA FOR EIGHT YEARS.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE NEW EXPANSION OF THE NORTH GATE MARKET AND THAT ENTIRE PROPERTY, I THINK HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, PROJECT TO THE CITY.
WHO'S REALLY, I THINK IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE GO-TO NO, I, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE FINISHED.
I'M SORRY THAT YOU WERE GETTING INTERRUPTED.
I WAS JUST, I HADN'T, I THOUGHT YOU, YOU WEREN'T FINISHED AT IT.
UM, WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU IN? I'M IN MEXICO AND VISITING FAMILY.
AND I HAD, I HAD THIS TRIP PLANNED SINCE LIKE FIVE MONTHS AGO, BUT THEY SAID THIS WAS THE ONLY NIGHT AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
YOU STAYED IN YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU'RE EMPLOYED BY A WATER DISTRICT IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHICH ONE? YES, I'M EMPLOYED BY THE WATER REPLENISHMENT DISTRICT AND IT COVERS SOUTH LA COUNTY.
IT INCLUDES 43 CITIES AND IT'S BASICALLY I MANAGE GROUNDWATER RIGHTS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE APPLIED FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PASSION SPECIFICALLY YOU HAVE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION? ABSOLUTELY.
MY EDUCATION ACTUALLY, I GOT A MASTER'S DEGREE IN CITY AND URBAN PLANNING.
UM, SO MY ACADEMIA AND, UM, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY ALL OF MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH WAS ACTUALLY A CITY PLANNING AND, UM, I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN HOUSING AND JUST DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, CREATING DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. I WAS, I DID VOLUNTEER WORK IN THAT AREA WAY BACK.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST MOVING TO LA, I, I, I SEE THAT AS AN OUTLET OF CONTINUING MY PLANNING BACKGROUND, I'M STILL A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION.
UM, SO I DEFINITELY STAY IN TOUCH WITH, UM, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THE TRENDS AND JUST THE DIFFERENT, UH, CHALLENGES THAT DIFFERENT CITIES FACE AND JUST VERY UNIQUE AND CREATIVE WAYS OF HELPING TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES.
IN THE YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN LA OPERA, IS THERE SOME, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU SEE THAT WE'RE LACKING OR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SPECIAL EFFORT TO CHANGE OR IMPLEMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO REVITALIZE OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY LIKE TRUE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT COULD REALLY BE, UM, I GUESS JUST AN AREA THAT COULD JUST COMPLETELY GET REVITALIZED.
AND THERE'S JUST SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT COMMUNITY IT'S KIND OF LIKE A BLANK SLATE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S, UM, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE IN THAT AREA.
[02:10:05]
I ASKED HER IN THE ANDREWS OF FULL DISCLOSURE, YOU KNOW, I, I CAME TO THE COUNCIL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND SPENT, UH, SOMETIME I GUESS, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF WORKING WITH ESTHER.SO THIS IS BY WAY OF EXPLANATION FOR WHY I'M NOT GOING TO ASK HER A LOT OF QUESTIONS IS BECAUSE I'M WELL AWARE OF HER QUALIFICATIONS AND HER COMPETENCY IN HER OVERALL PERFORMANCE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL THANK YOU, ESTHER, FOR APPLYING.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING AND I WILL PASS IT ALONG TO COUNCIL ESPINOSA.
WHAT PART OF MEXICO ARE YOU IN? I'M IN.
UH, YOU MENTIONED DOWNTOWN LA HARBOR BOULEVARD.
UH, IT'S BEEN A PASSION OF MINE TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPENED THERE AS WELL.
I KNOW IT'S A SLOW PROCESS, BUT IT'LL HAPPEN.
UH, WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR DOWNTOWN LA HARBOR BOULEVARD? NOT THE PLACES TO EAT.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TO ANY SITUATION IT'S FOOD.
SO I, I REALLY THINK THAT STRONG FOCUS COULD BE ATTRACTING, UM, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WITH CREATIVE, UM, AND CREATIVE TASTE.
I GUESS YOU COULD THINK LIKE AMERICAN FUSION, MEXICAN FUSION.
I KNOW THERE'S SO MANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE LIKE FOOD TRUCKS THAT ARE READY TO GROW INTO SOMETHING, SO THEY ALREADY HAVE A FOLLOWING.
AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S CULTIVATE THAT FOLLOWING AND BRING THEM INTO THE ABRA.
AND FOR ALL WE KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY ALREADY SOME, WE CHECKED IN ROJAVA THAT WE CAN CULTIVATE AND MAYBE HELP THEM GROW.
UM, I KNOW THAT I HAVE, UH, BEEN VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE SILVER LAKE, UH, EATERY THERE.
I SEE THE CAR IN COFFEE SPOT AS WELL.
I LIKED THE DIVERSITY THAT IS COMING IN TO LA HARBOR BOULEVARD.
AND, UH, I ALWAYS SAY I CAN EAT TACOS AT HOME AND BURRITOS.
SO I WANT SOME KIND OF DIVERSITY.
JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU GUYS ARE MAKING PLANNING COMMISSION DECISIONS.
IT'S JOSE MADRANO AND ENOLA, I'LL CLOSE IT UP HERE.
UH, MY, UH, MY QUESTION THAT I'VE ASKED A FEW OF THE OTHER, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, THE, UH, APP, THE CANDIDATES IS, THIS IS, UH, SO THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN RECENT YEARS HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH INTO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND OTHER ISSUES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT KEEPING LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES? WELL, I THINK IT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE LESS UP TO THE LOCALS BECAUSE POLITICS IS LOCAL, MEANING ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOCAL UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN NEEDS.
UM, SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THERE'S NEEDS TO BE ADVOCACY TO ENSURE THAT IT STAYS THAT WAY, WHERE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LEGISLATURE CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY SO THAT CITIES CAN ADJUST ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN NEEDS.
AND, UH, MY, UH, MY OTHER QUESTION TO YOU IS A, IS A RELATED.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY CHILDREN SINCE YOU'VE BEEN THERE? WELL, WELL, TH THAT WOULD NOT BE BAD FOR DESSERT.
IF MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, UH, WHEN I WAS A YOUTH GROWING UP, HAVING VISITED THERE, THERE WAS SOMEBODY ON THE BEACH THERE, UH, SELLING COCONUTS AND SLICING THEM THERE.
SO ENJOY, UH, ENJOY YOUR TIME THERE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
AND, UH, IF, UH, IF YOU HAVE A CLOSING STATEMENT BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE.
UH, NOW'S THE TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.
I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED MY TIME IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH WHATEVER DECISION YOU DECIDE TO MAKE.
UM, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE, UM, AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER, UM, MY CONTINUOUS ON THE, ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
BYE-BYE BYE-BYE YES, SHE WAS THE LAST APPLICANT.
THEN WITH THAT, UH, WE WILL, UH, CONSIDER THESE APPLICANTS FOR OUR NEXT MEETING ON APRIL 4TH, CORRECT? YES, MR. MARISOL, WE WILL, UH, AGENDA AS AN ITEM AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IN APRIL, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO MAKE DECISIONS WHO THEY'D LIKE TO APPOINT TO WHICH SEATS, UH, THE, THE, SO THERE IS NO DECISION, UH, BEING REQUESTED TONIGHT, RE WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICANTS, HOWEVER, IN THE STAFF REPORT, UM, AS YOU RECALL AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, I BELIEVE, UH, COUNCIL REDUCED THE NUMBER OF SEATS ON THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE TO FIVE PLANNING COMMISSIONS ALREADY AT FIVE
[02:15:01]
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION CURRENTLY IS AT SEVEN MEMBERS.UM, IF TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT STAFF TO A AGENDA AS AN ITEM TO CONSIDER REDUCING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION FROM SEVEN TO FIVE, THERE'S A PROCESS WE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH TO DO THAT.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY DIRECTION WE WOULD MEET TONIGHT IF COUNCIL, SO CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
IF NOT A COMMISSION WOULD SAY AT SEVEN, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO PROCEED WITH THAT FRAMEWORK FOR REDUCING THE COMMISSION FROM SEVEN MEMBERS TO FIVE, I WOULD JUST NEED A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TO, TO SECOND THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD DO THAT BEFORE I OFFER A MOTION OR A SECOND, WOULD THERE BE ANY BUDDY THAT'S PRESENTLY ON THE COMMISSION THAT WOULD BE ASKED TO LEAVE OR STEP OFF IF WE REDUCED IT? SO THE STAFF REPORT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE SIX VACANCIES CURRENTLY ON THE COMMISSION.
WOULD WE BE, WOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON OR TWO THAT WILL DISPLACE OR HOW WOULD THAT BE? WELL, BASICALLY YOU WOULD JUST APPOINT FOUR INSTEAD OF SIX, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE ONE INCUMBENT ON THERE.
UM, NOW THERE ARE TWO ALTERNATE SEATS THAT WOULD ALSO BE FILLED, UH, OR NEED TO BE FILLED.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION.
NOBODY WOULD BE USHERED OFF THE COMMISSION.
WELL, IT WOULD BE THAT TWO MEMBERS WOULD NOT BE REAPPOINTED TO THE COMMISSION AS ACTIVE MEMBERS.
THEY MAY END UP AS, AS, UM, ALTERNATIVE INSTEAD, JIM, I, I DUNNO, YOU KNOW, THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NOBODY WOULD BE, AS YOU SAY, USHERED OFF THE COMMISSION, IF SOMEBODY WOULD BE USHERED OFF THE COMMISSION, THEN I WOULD RETRACT THE MOTION AGAIN, AS MY UNDERSTANDING, IS THAT THE WAY IT WORKS OUT WITH, WITH KATHY FELIX, NOT WANTING TO BE RE-UPPED AND ALL THIS SORT OF THING, WAS IT PANS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME, UH, APPLICANTS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR BOTH COMMUNITY SERVICES, COMMISSION AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THE COUNCIL WERE TO APPOINT SOMEONE SAY FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WOULD FREE UP A SEAT THAT WOULD BECOME VACANT AND THAT C COULD BASICALLY GO AWAY WITHOUT IMPACTING ANYBODY.
SO THERE IS A PATH TO WHERE NO ONE WOULD BE DISPLACED, BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO FILL THE SEATS.
JIM, UM, IS THERE, I MEAN, HAVE WE ASKED THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION, BUT IT'S THE COUNCIL'S DECISION ON HOW MANY SEATS, UH, YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE ON EACH BODY THAT YOU CONTROL? UM, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
UH, THE NUMBER OF SEATS ARE SET IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE.
SO THEREFORE IF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER THAT IT REQUIRES US TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF A PUBLIC HEARING, BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL THAT THERE NO DECISION TONIGHT THAT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SEATS.
ALL IT WOULD DO IS START THE PROCESS FOR US TO AGENDIZE IT.
AT WHICH POINT, ONCE COUNCIL DECIDES HOW YOU WANT TO FILL THE SEATS ON THE OTHER COMMISSIONS MAY OR MAY NOT DISPLACE ANYBODY.
BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR CERTAINTY TONIGHT.
UH, HEARING FROM THE TESTIMONY SAYING THAT THE CURRENT GROUP WORKS VERY WELL TOGETHER.
I THINK, UH, THEY WOULD PROBABLY BENEFIT TO KEEPING IT AT SEVEN RATHER THAN REDUCING IT TO FIVE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THE SAME FOR NOW.
AND I WOULD CONCUR NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THE MATH IN MY HEAD WITHOUT THE EXPLANATION YOU JUST GAVE.
I WOULD, UH, I WOULD CONCUR WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE COUNCIL HAS THE OPTION AFTER YOU APPOINT FOLKS, THE DIFFERENT SEATS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE SEATS NOW AVAILABLE THAT ARE VACANT, THEN YOU CAN DIRECT US AT THAT POINT TO REDUCE IT TO.
YEAH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT'S THE BEST TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
I'D EITHER ASK THE TABLE, MY EMOTION OR OTHERWISE RETRACTED FOR THE TIME BEING, IT'S NOT EVEN AN EMOTION, IT'S JUST DIRECTING US TO BRING AN ITEM BACK TO COUNCIL SO WE CAN JUST HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER YOU DECIDE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF SEATS, SUBSTITUTE MOTION, DARREN, WE'RE GONNA ELIMINATE IT TO FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A SECOND THOUGH? THAT'S THE QUESTION? THAT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU, JIM.
ANYHOW, WE'RE HAVING TOO MUCH FUN UP HERE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED TO MONDAY, MARCH 21ST, 2022 AT 5:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION ROOM ONE 12 C 100 EAST LA HABRA BOULEVARD FOLLOWED BY THE REGULAR MEETING AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER.