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ALL RIGHT.I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF DECEMBER 5TH, 2022.
[ CALL TO ORDER: Council Chamber INVOCATION: City Attorney Jones PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tem Gomez ROLL CALL: Mayor Medrano Mayor Pro Tem Gomez Councilmember Espinoza Councilmember Nigsarian Councilmember Simonian]
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT IT IS 6:30 PM THE INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY ATTORNEY JONES, FOLLOWED BY PLEDGE OF ALLEG, EXCUSE ME, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY MAYOR PROTE, JIM GOMEZ.UM, WE ALL PLEASE DAN, FACE THE FLAG.
YOU WANNA, YOU WANNA DO THE PRAYER FIRST? YES, SIR.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING TO DO THE IMPORTANT BUSINESS FOR THE CITIZENS OF LAHABRA.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR FOR THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, TO CELEBRATE THIS JOYOUS TIME OF THE YEAR.
THIS SEASON, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, OUR POLICE, OUR FIRE, THE MANY STAFF PEOPLE FOR THE CITY OF LAHABRA WHO SERVE THE CITIZENS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL AND THE WAY THEY TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS AND RESPOND TO THEIR NEEDS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR, I LOVE FOR US.
AND WE SAY THESE THINGS HUMBLY BY NAME.
NOW, LET'S FACE THE FLAG AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
WILL THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK PLEASE CALL ROLL? YES.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, CLOSE SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO REPORT.
[1. RECOGNITION OF NORMA PEREZ OCHOA FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS]
WE'LL, UH, MOVE OVER TO PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS.IF I, I'LL MAKE MY WAY DOWN HERE.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU DOWN IN THE AUDIENCE, WE'VE GOT A PACKED HOUSE.
SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR, UH, FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH, UH, A, UH, PROCLAMA, EXCUSE ME, A PRESENTATION FOR, UH, OCHOA.
SO FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, UH, THAT, UH, THAT DOESN'T, UH, RECOGNIZE OR KNOW, NORMA CHO, NORMA IS A, UH, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE.
YEARS, 32 YEARS HERE IN LAHABRA.
AND, UH, UM, SO, UH, NORMA HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SHE'S, UH, PART OF THE, UH, THE POLICE, UH, CITIZENS ACADEMY IN SPANISH.
UH, SHE'S A, UH, CONTRIBUTOR TO THAT.
EVERY, UH, EVERY SESSION THAT WE HAVE, SHE NORMALLY HAS SOMEBODY, UH, UH, COME INTO, UH, TO COME INTO THE POLICE, THE POLICE CITIZENS ACADEMY IN SPANISH, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
SHE'S ALSO A BIG ADVOCATE IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD, VERY ACTIVE IN THE MONTWOOD PARK AREA.
UH, SO ACTIVE THAT, UH, SHE HAS, UH, ADVOCATED FOR THE RESIDENTS FOR THE PARK AREAS, UH, MOST NOTABLY, UH, FOR LIGHTS IN THE PARK AND, UH, FOR OTHER AMENITIES IN THE PARK, RECREATIONAL, UH, UH, EQUIPMENT AND, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, MOST RECENTLY, UH, WE HAD A, UH, MEETING HER AND I, AND A FEW, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM VAPE LAHABRA, UH, EARLIER THIS SUMMER IN THE PARK.
AND SHE ADVOCATES, OF COURSE, TO HAVE OUR PARKS, UH, TOBACCO AND VAPE FREE, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, ANYHOW, VERY ACTIVE AGAIN, AMONGST MANY OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, NORMAN DOES IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY ADVOCATES FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE WAS RECOGNIZED, UH, FOR HER, UH, MANY ACHIEVEMENTS HERE IN THE CITY.
NOW, NORMA DOES NOT SPEAK, UH, ENGLISH VERY WELL,
SO WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS, THANK YOU TO NORMA.
SO I'LL, I'LL TRANSLATE FOR HER JUST AS WELL.
UH, BUT, UH, WHAT I AND THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED TO SAY TO NORMA WAS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY HERE IN THE CITY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ADVOCATE FOR THE WHOLE LAHABRA COMMUNITY, AND EVEN THOSE THAT COME IN FROM OUTSIDE OF LAHABRA.
SO, NORMA LAGO, LAS GRAC, LATO DEEN MU GRAC LO CASA QUIN LAHABRA, MORE IMPORTANT, REK ICAO RECI, AQUI COMMO IN OLEO LAS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT HERE
[00:05:01]
IN LAHABRA.RE S IS REPRESE LATINO PARA
SO I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU IN A NUTSHELL.
IT'S GONNA BE LIKE ONE OF THOSE BOXY MATCHES WHERE THEY'RE INTERVIEWING THE, UH, THE BOXER IN SPANISH, RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE THE TRANSLATOR, AND, AND THE BOXER WILL GIVE YOU A DISSERTATION IN SPANISH OF WHAT HE HAS SAID, AND THE TRANSLATOR WILL TELL YOU, HE SAYS, YES.
I, I, I JOKE, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I, I ONLY DO THAT BECAUSE NORMA IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND NORMA WAS, UH, WHAT SHE WAS SAYING WAS THAT SHE BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE SCHOOLS HERE IN LAHABRA BECAUSE HER FAMILY, HER KIDS WERE ATTENDING LOCAL SCHOOLS.
HER KIDS HAVE GRADUATED FROM SONORA HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, SHE HAS THEN, UH, INVOLVED HERSELF EVEN FURTHER IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WITH THE SCHOOLS, WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, UH, SHE BELIEVES IN ADVOCATING FOR NOT ONLY THE LATINO COMMUNITY, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND IT SHOWS IN THE WORK SHE DOES, AND IN THE EXAMPLE SHE SETS, UH, FOR HER NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOR HER COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UH, SO I WILL, UH, I WILL REITERATE AGAIN.
UH, AND NORMA WAS THANKING THE CITY COUNCIL, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, UH, FOR, UH, FOR OUR SUPPORT.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S NOT ABOUT US.
IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE NORMA.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THAT THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGED.
SO, MU NORM, GRA, CAN WE HAVE OUR COUNSEL COME DOWN FOR A PHOTO? OH, AND, UH, WE ALSO WANTED TO GIVE, UH, NORMA, UH, FROM, UH, THE, UH, OFFICE OF, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN YOUNG.
KIM HAS ALSO PROVIDED HER A CERTIFICATE OF CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION
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MS. SO YOU, UH, NOMIA MU AND[2. RECOGNITION OF LA HABRA POP WARNER SCHOLAR ATHLETES]
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE NOT DONE YET.UH, YOU KNOW, TI THE SEASON JUST AS WELL.
UM, A, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH, ACTUALLY PROBABLY ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF, TWO WEEKS AGO, I SPOKE WITH JEANETTE HEIDER FROM, UH, FROM LAHA, POP WARNER.
AND SHE HAD INDICATED TO ME THAT, UH, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 20, UH, SCHOLAR ATHLETES OVER AT POP WARNER, UH, THAT HAD SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS, UH, NOT JUST WITH POP WARNER, BUT ACADEMICALLY.
AND, UH, WHEN SHE HAD ASKED ME, SHE SAID, IF I WOULD SIGN A FEW CERTIFICATES AS THE MAYOR.
AND I HAD ASKED HER, I SAID, UH, WOULD YOU MIND HAVING THE KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES COMING INTO, UH, TO CITY HALL? UH, BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW IT, UM, JAMES HAS BEEN HERE FOR, FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND HE'S, HE'S A, A HUGE ADVOCATE OF OUR YOUTH, YOUTH MENTORSHIP.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN SIMONIAN HAS BEEN HERE AS WELL.
AND, UH, DARREN NICKERING AND HIS PART ON VARIOUS COMMISSIONS, AND NOW AS PART OF THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE.
UM, BUT I WILL VENTURE TO SAY THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL PROBABLY AGREE THAT THERE'S PROBABLY NO MORE A ADVOCATE THAN, UH, ROSIE ESPINOSA.
UM, YEAH, WE KNOW, UH, WE KNOW ROSE, UH, UH, THROUGH HER WORK WITH, UH, ROSIE'S GARAGE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES.
AND I MENTIONED IT THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, THE VARIOUS ACCOLADES THAT ROSIE'S GARAGE HAS RECEIVED.
UM, I SAW IT ONLY FITTING THAT WE INVITE HOPPER POP WARNER, BECAUSE, UH, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT ROSE AND MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE, UH, THAT WE ARE TOTALLY BEHIND, WHETHER IT'S SPORTS, MUSIC, THE ARTS, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT WHATEVER THESE KIDS EXCEL IN.
AND IF THAT MEANS THAT THEY ALSO EXCEL ACADEMICALLY, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KIDS KNOW.
SO I'M TELLING YOU KIDS RIGHT NOW, THAT YOU KNOW THAT DOING WELL IN SCHOOL IS GREAT.
OKAY? VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD.
SO, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU UP HERE, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS THIS, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF OF TIME, JEANETTE, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA HAND YOU THE CERTIFICATES, BUT WE WANT THE KIDS TO COME UP FOR A PHOTO, IF THAT'S OKAY.
ALL RIGHT? AND I KNOW, I KNOW NOT ALL OF THE KIDS COULD BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT I DO WANNA SHOW YOU KIDS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, BY THE HELP OF MISS JEANETTE, AS I WILL CALL HER, THESE CERTIFICATES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU BY LAHABRA POP WARNER, OKAY? YOU HAVE A FEW SIGNATURES ON HERE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, JEANETTE HEIDER.
ALL RIGHT, LITTLE SCHOLARS COORDINATOR, LAHABRA POP WARNER, DECEMBER 5TH, 2022.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, ART VERDUSCO, WHO IS THE LA HABER POP WARNER PRESIDENT, ALSO DATED TODAY.
SO, ART, WHERE ARE YOU? I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU STAND UP.
AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER COACHES AND, UH, TEAM MOMS OR TEAM PARENTS, NOT JUST TEAM MOMS, BUT TEAM PARENTS, ARE THEY HERE? CAN YOU PLEASE STAND UP REAL QUICK FOR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? PLEASE STAND.
OUR TEAM, OUR, OUR PARENTS NEED TO BE, OUR VOLUNTEER.
PARENTS NEED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BEHIND THIS AS WELL, UH, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, THERE IS NO LEAGUE.
UH, AND I KNOW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, HAVING COACHED SOCCER, SOFTBALL, YADA, YADA, NOT ABOUT ME.
IT'S ABOUT YOU GUYS, BECAUSE YOU ARE WHAT MAKES THE COMMUNITY, UH, RUN.
YOU, YOU ARE WHAT MAKES THESE, THESE, UH, THESE LEAGUES SUCCESSFUL, WHETHER IT BE POP WARNER, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, SOCCER, UH, AND AGAIN, THE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, THE ARTS, WHETHER IT BE MUSIC, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU HELP MAKE THESE IN OUR COMMUNITY SUCCESSFUL.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET RECOGNIZED.
AND THOSE OF YOU THAT DO VOLUNTEER, SO WE THANK YOU AGAIN.
SO NOW CAN I HAVE, WAIT A, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE IS, UH, THERE IS ONE.
AND I HAVE TO NOTE THIS, AND I'M
[00:15:01]
SORRY.AND WHERE'S IT SAID? IS SHE HERE? ALL RIGHT.
SO IT'S ALL COME UP HERE, WILL YOU PLEASE? AND I'M SORRY, SWEETHEART, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA EMBARRASS YOU A BIT, BUT, UH, SHE'S WON THE ONLY FEMALE HERE.
OKAY? THE ONLY GIRL, UH, THAT IS, UH, THAT IS ONE OF THE TOP SCHOLAR ATHLETES, OKAY? YOU'RE A CHEERLEADER, CORRECT? ALL RIGHT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, AND I KNOW THE BOYS ARE COMING UP HERE AS WELL, BUT I AM SINGLING YOU OUT BECAUSE AS A FATHER OF THREE DAUGHTERS, ALL RIGHT, AND FATHER OF SCHOLAR ATHLETES MYSELF, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT GIRLS OUT THERE THAT ARE WATCHING ON TV UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO LA HABER, POP WARNER, TO, UH, TO GIRLS SOFTBALL, TO SOCCER.
AND UNDERSTAND, YOU CAN, CAN WE GIVE HER GPA? IS THAT OKAY? 4.0.
CAN I HAVE ALL THE OTHER BOYS COME ON UP? WE'RE GONNA TAKE A QUICK PHOTO.
SHOULD WE STAND? YEAH, WE WILL.
YOU GUYS WANNA COME DOWN HERE AND, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL STEP ON THE, UH, ON THE TOP HERE.
THE TALLER ONES COME BACK HERE.
BEFORE YOU GUYS, UH, GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS OR WHEREVER YOU'RE GONNA GO RIGHT AFTER THIS, WE WANTED TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I WANTED TO GET IT AT THE VERY LEAST, FIST BUMP, EVERYBODY UP HERE ON CITY COUNCIL, CUZ WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU.
WE WANNA SEE THE SIZE OF THIS DOUBLE.
WE WANNA SEE MORE SCHOLAR ATHLETES OUT HERE, RIGHT? GOOD JOB GUYS.
PROUD OF YOU GUYS, DON'T MISS ME.
THIS AND EFFORT COMMUNITY, US AND ALL OF US TOGETHER.
WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, SUSAN COME UP, UH, FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY ELSE FOR COMING OUT.
FOR THOSE THAT REMAIN, WE'RE STILL GONNA CONDUCT THE, UH, THE REMAINDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, MEETING.
WE'RE, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET IT GOING NOW.
MADDY RODRIGUEZ AND YOUR FRIENDS, PLEASE COME SIT DOWN.
WE GOT SOME LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HERE, SOME ATHLETES AS WELL, SCHOLAR ATHLETES AT THAT, WHEREVER YOU WANT.
[3. PRESENTATION BY THE CITY OF LA HABRA COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT]
ALL RIGHT.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR MADRANO AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT HALF THE ROOM LEFT, BUT I STILL HAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ADMIN CHANGES, UM, TECHNICAL CHA, TECHNOLOGICAL
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CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES THAT WE'RE GONNA, THAT WE'VE MADE, AND THEN I'M GONNA INVITE MY DIVISION MANAGERS TO COME UP AND TELL YOU WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN EACH OF THEIR DIVISIONS.SO LET'S START WITH SOME OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY TONIGHT ON YOUR, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR IS A LAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AGREEMENT AND CONTRACT TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING EXCITING THAT I HEARD ABOUT WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE CITY OF LAHABRA.
REALLY PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER, UM, IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT SO DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS COULD TALK TO EACH OTHER AND PROCESS PLANS A LOT MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN WE DO RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT'S REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN I HONESTLY CAME TO THE DEPARTMENT, I WAS SURPRISED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT YET.
BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AND MAKE SURE WE'RE VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED.
THAT NOBODY'S PLANS EVER GET LOST.
EVERYONE GETS THINGS PROCESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND I THINK THIS SYSTEM IS REALLY GONNA HELP US WITH THAT.
IN ADDITION, UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WAYS TO DO OUR CONSULTANT PROCUREMENT.
AS WE KNOW, WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN BRINGING ON A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THE HOPPERS PHYSICS PLAN AND IMPROVEMENTS ON LA BOULEVARD.
AS I LOOKED AT THE WAY THAT WE COULD DO THAT PROCUREMENT, I SAW THAT USUALLY WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS IS WE HAVE KIND OF A LIST OF A FEW CONSULTANTS.
AND I KNEW THAT THERE WAS A MUCH WIDER VARIETY OF CONSULTANTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO BID ON THIS PROJECT.
SO, UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS A PROGRAM THAT'S THEIR C I P NET.
THEY ARE ABLE TO POST THEIR PROJECTS ON ONE'S WEBSITE THAT ALL THE TYPE OF FOLKS THAT WORK ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WILL COME IN AND BID ON THOSE PROJECTS.
THERE'S A SIMILAR TYPE OF SITE FOR THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M WORKING TOWARDS US BEING ABLE TO USE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GO OUT WITH OUR LAHABRA SPECIFIC PLAN UPDATE THAT WE CAN HAVE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST CONSULTANTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF FOLKS TO CHOOSE FROM FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT I'M BRINGING INTO THE DEPARTMENT, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES HAVE REALLY HAPPENED IN OUR OVERALL ORGANIZATION.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I WAS THE NEW PERSON ON THE BLOCK.
I WAS THE NEW DIRECTOR AND I ONLY HAD ONE POSITION I NEEDED TO FILL, AND THAT WAS A PLANNING MANAGER.
AND THEN WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, MY CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL SAID, MM, I WANNA GET A JOB CLOSER TO HOME.
MY CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER SAID, MM, I THINK I WANNA MOVE TO ARIZONA.
AND SO, AND MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M PROBABLY GONNA RETIRE.
SO I NEEDED TO REALLY THINK, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE ORGANIZATION TO MAKE IT REALLY CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUSED, MAKE IT OPERATE REALLY WELL? AND SO I LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO REORGANIZE THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAD 18 FULL-TIME POSITIONS WHEN I CAME INTO THE POSITION BACK IN DECEMBER, 2021.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, WE NOW HAVE 20 FULL-TIME POSITIONS AND ONE PART-TIME CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER POSITION.
THIS REALLY IS JUST AN INCREASE OF TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE HONESTLY ALREADY ON THE BOOKS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY JUST HADN'T BEEN FUNDED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE BROUGHT BACK AN ASSISTANT PLANNER POSITION THAT HAD BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR US AS WELL AS A MANAGEMENT ANALYST POSITION THAT IS SOMEWHAT TAKING THE PLACE OF A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR HAD DONE ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR ME.
BUT WE CREATED SOME NEW POSITIONS.
AGAIN, WITH THIS FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE HAVE OUR PERMIT SERVICES SUPERVISOR, AND WE GOT REALLY LUCKY WITH THAT POSITION.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOMEONE BACK WHO HAD WORKED AS A PERMIT TECH FOR US, HAD GONE TO ANOTHER CITY THAT ACTUALLY IS WORKING WITH THE LAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
AND SHE CAME BACK TO US AS OUR PERMIT SERVICES SUPERVISOR TO REALLY HELP US WITH THOSE CUSTOMER SERVICE ASPECTS OF GETTING, BRINGING THE LAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON BOARD.
I HAD HEARD NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS ABOUT HER, AND SO I WAS SO EXCITED TO BRING HER BACK TO THE CITY IN THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE.
AND SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT OUR FRONT COUNTER GOES, GOES REALLY WELL.
AND THAT'S JUST GONNA BE EXTENDED AS WE, WE BRING THINGS MORE INTO THE NEXT THIS CENTURY AS FAR AS THE WAY THAT WE PROCESS THINGS.
SO THEN I ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER POSITION, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO BE MORE INTEGRATED INTO THE BUILDING DIVISION.
WHEN I CAME, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY THING, THIS IS YOUR THING.
AND A LOT OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT INSPECTORS WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUILDING WORLD, WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING INSPECTIONS.
SO WE WANTED TO REALLY INCLUDE THEM IN THE BUILDING DIVISION.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE GO OUT TO A SITE THAT PERHAPS THE PROPERTY OWNER HASN'T PULLED THE BUILDING PERMITS FOR, AND IT'S A UNSAFE CONDITION, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED A BUILDING INSPECTOR FOR.
BUT THE FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLY OVER THE LONG TERM, THAT FALLS UNDER CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE RIGHT PERSON DOING THE RIGHT WORK ON THAT PROJECT.
AND REALLY PUTTING THAT ALL INTO THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL IS REALLY EXCITED WITH THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROMOTE.
AND THAT ENDED UP BEING AN INTERNAL PROMOTION.
SO OUR SENIOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE, UM, INSPECTOR BECAME OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISOR.
AGAIN, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION MOVE UP LIKE THAT.
AND THE SAME THING WAS TRUE ABOUT OUR CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL, THAT HE WAS ONE OF OUR SENIOR INSPECTORS REALLY FIT THE BILL FOR WHAT WE WERE LOOKING
[00:25:01]
FOR.REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GOALS THAT I HAD FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST ENFORCING THE CODES, IT'S REALLY MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S NECESSARY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ANSWERING THOSE PHONE CALLS WHEN PEOPLE CALL THAT WE KNOW WHERE PLANS ARE AT, THAT WE CAN REALLY PROVIDE THAT EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND I THOUGHT HE WAS A REALLY GOOD FIT FOR THAT AS WELL AS HE GOT ALONG WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND TOGETHER WE'VE GOT BUILT A REALLY GOOD, GREAT TEAM THAT'S NOW CALLED OUR BUILDING AND SAFETY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, WHERE THEY ALL ARE WORKING TOGETHER.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAD OUR HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, WHICH MOST OF YOU KNOW, MIRANDA, SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
SHE JUST KEPT SAYING, YOU KNOW, I NEED ONE MORE PERSON.
I NEED ONE MORE PERSON TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
AND SO WE BROUGHT ON AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER TO HELP WITH HER EFFORTS.
AND YOU SAW THAT WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM.
I DON'T THINK WE COULD HAVE PULLED THAT OFF WITHOUT HER, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF THE ARPA FUNDING THAT WE'VE HAD THAT SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO HELP OUT AND JUST FILL OUT THAT DIVISION.
BUT YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT FROM RAN.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE HER, UM, TAKE HER WIND OUT HER SALES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE BROUGHT IN A PLANNING MANAGER, AND THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE KNOWING THAT ROY, WHO HAD BEEN THE PLANNING MANAGER FOR MANY YEARS AND RECENTLY WAS PROMOTED TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND THEN RETIRED.
WE NEEDED TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH REALLY GOOD PLANNING KNOWLEDGE, HAD DONE, WORKED ON A LOT OF PROJECTS, BROUGHT IN A PLANNING MANAGER FROM WHITTIER THAT WE FELT REALLY MET, THAT BILL BROUGHT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE AN ASSISTANT, UH, PLANNER, I THINK IS GREAT FIT, GOT HIM STRAIGHT OUT OF GRAD SCHOOL AT CAL POLY, AND HE'S REALLY ADDED TO OUR DEPARTMENT IN A GREAT WAY.
SO WITH ALL THESE POSITIONS, WE'VE REALLY FILLED OUT THE DEPARTMENT IN A WAY THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUS.
SOME OF THESE POSITIONS WE JUST HAD TO RETHINK WHAT'S THE BEST WAY THEY'RE GONNA BE INTEGRATED.
BUT IT'S REALLY BUILT US A GREAT TEAM AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING HANDED OVER TO RODNEY SMA SO YOU CAN MEET OUR CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL, AND HE WILL KICK IT OFF WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN BUILDING SAFETY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I'M RODNEY SIMAN, THE CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL, AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, BUILDING AND SAFETY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW SLIDES HERE, UH, THAT SHOW US ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
SO, OOPS, UH, THE FIRST SLIDE HERE SHOWS, UH, CALENDAR YEAR TO DATE.
WE HAVE ISSUED 2,300 PERMITS, 28 ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT PERMITS.
AND WE'VE PER, WE'VE, UM, PERFORMED MORE THAN 3,600 INSPECTIONS FOR LARGE PROJECTS UNDER REVIEW.
WE HAVE VISTA WALK, WHICH IS, UH, 117 TOWN HOMES, AND WE HAVE 16 CYPRESS CONDOS.
WE HAVE, UH, A 91 ROOM LAQUINTA IN AND, UH, A HALLMARK STORE COMING, UM, FOR LARGE PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE, UH, VALERA, WHICH IS A 58 TOWN HOMES AND 10 CYPRESS, 10 CYPRESS CONDOMINIUMS. AND WE HAVE, UH, AND THE ST.
JUDE'S HERITAGE MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING FOR NOTABLE PROS COMPLETED.
WE HAVE THE HABIT BURGER GRILL C, WHICH IS SEVEN NEW HOMES IN THE CALIFORNIA FISH GRILL, UH, FOR CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, TO DATE, CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS OPENED 756 CASES WITH 236 ACTIVE CASES REMAINING.
CODE ENFORCEMENT IS ADDRESSING THE UNPERMITTED BUSINESS SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THERE'S A LITTLE, UH, CHART THERE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT CASES AND KIND OF A BREAKDOWN.
SO, AND FUNNY, WE HAVE SOME, UH, BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF THE LOVE LAHABRA EVENT, WHICH IS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER LAST PHOTO HERE.
THIS CONCLUDES BUILDING AND SAFETY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.
[00:30:01]
ANY QUESTIONS I CAN, ANY QUESTIONS I CAN TAKE OR, THAT'S GOOD.ONE THING, UH, RODNEY, UM, YEAH, ALLUDED TO IS THE LOVE LA HABRA.
SO EVERY YEAR WHEN WE DO THE LOVE LA HABRA, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO FOCUS ON, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT DOES A GREAT JOB, IS IDENTIFYING THOSE HOMES IN THE CITY THAT HAVE HAD ACTIVE CODE CASES, USUALLY WITH OVERGROWN VEGETATION, SOMETIMES IT COULD BE, UM, UH, PAINT ISSUES ON THE HOME OR OTHER, UH, PHYSICAL, UH, CONDITIONS OF THE HOME.
AND CODE ENFORCEMENT TAKES THE LEAD ON GETTING THE HOMEOWNERS AGREEABLE TO HAVING THEIR HOMES OR PROPERTIES AS A LOVE LA HA PROJECT.
AND OFTEN THE LIONS CLUB TAKES THE LEAD ON ADOPTING THOSE HOMES FOR THOSE PROJECTS, AND THEY'LL SEND 30, 40, 50 PEOPLE AT TIMES TO TWO OR THREE HOMES AND SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY BRINGING THEIR HOMES CLOSER TO COMPLIANCE, IF NOT IN FULL COMPLIANCE.
AND THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP YOU SEE BETWEEN BUILDING AND SAFETY CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THOSE KIND OF PROJECTS.
UH, THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES.
ARE THEY THE SAME PROPERTY? YEP, THEY ARE.
THE VANTAGE POINTS DON'T MATCH UP.
I CHECKED THAT OVER WITH CYNTHIA BEFORE.
CAN WE GO BACK ONE SLIDE? YEAH.
SO THE, THE BEFORE PICTURE ON THIS HOME IS IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, UM, AND THE WHOLE SIDE WAS ESSENTIALLY IN THAT CONDITION AS WELL.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DEBRIS THAT WE, WE TOOK OUT.
ANOTHER ORGANIZATION I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS C AND R PROVIDES, UH, ROLL OFF DUMPSTERS FOR THESE PROJECTS AT NO COST TO THE CITY.
AND WE FILLED UP, I WANT SAY CYNTHIA OR RODNEY, WE FILLED UP TWO OR THREE, UH, THE LARGE DUMPSTERS THAT THEY, THEY PROVIDED FOR THESE PROJECTS.
I THINK WE HAVE, UH, PRESIDENT OF OUR LIONS CLUB HERE, CATHERINE, IN THE, UH, AUDIENCE.
RAISE YOUR HAND THERE, CATHERINE.
GOTTA GIVE THE LIONS A, UH, A PLUG.
UH, AS ALWAYS, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS DO AWESOME WORK.
MY NAME IS MIRANDA COLE CORONA, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING MANAGER, AND I'LL BE GOING OVER THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE ECONOMIC AND HOUSING DIVISION FOR, UM, THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
WE WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, VARIOUS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS.
UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR SOME OF OUR, UM, SERVICES, SUCH AS OUR GRAFFITI REMOVAL PROGRAM, WE PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND ALSO HELP WITH HOMELESS SERVICES FUNDINGS.
WE ALSO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR SOME OF THE, UM, FACILITIES, PROJECTS THAT THEY WORK ON DURING THE FISCAL YEAR.
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, WE EXPENDED APPROXIMATELY $706,000 IN OUR CDBG FUNDING.
UM, THESE RANGED ON, UH, FOUR MAJOR ACTIVITIES, OUR ADMINISTRATION, OUR PUBLIC SERVICE, OUR RESIDENTIAL REHAB PROGRAM, AND OUR FACILITY MAINTENANCE.
UM, ONE OF THE NOTABLE PROJECTS THAT WAS COMPLETED, UM, WAS THE, UM, SECURITY AND LIGHTING PROJECT AT THE, UM, SKATE PARK.
AND THAT WAS DONE, UM, WITH SOME CDBG FUNDING.
UM, AND WE ALSO PROVIDED SOME, UM, PUBLIC SERVICES, SUCH AS OUR FUNDING FOR OUR GRAFFITI REMOVAL PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO PROVIDE, UM, FAIR HOUSING SERVICES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING EQUAL TREATMENT AND THEIR HOUSING CHOICES HERE IN LAHABRA.
AND WE ALSO PROVIDED SERVICES TO MERCY HOUSE WHO PROVIDES, UM, BEDS AT THE BRIDGES OF KRAMER.
UM, THROUGH, UH, THE, THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2022, WE ACTUALLY ASSISTED 28 HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE, UM, COVID 19 PANDEMIC WITH A THREE MONTHS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR APPROXIMATELY $133,000.
OUR DIVISION ALSO HELPS WITH THE ACQUISITIONS OF PROPERTIES HERE IN THE CITY, AND WE PURCHASED SEVERAL PROPERTIES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR.
ONE OF 'EM IS THE, UM, FORMER AMERICAN ELECTRONIC BUILDING THAT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR, UM, CITY HALL PARKING LOT.
WE ALSO, UH, PURCHASE THAT VACANT PARCEL THAT'S ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SECOND AVENUE AND EUCLID STREET.
[00:35:01]
AND WE PURCHASED THE CHIROPRACTIC BUILDING THAT IS ADJACENT TO PORTOLA PARK.FINALLY, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON DURING THE FISCAL YEAR WAS COORDINATING WITH OTHER, UM, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT OUR APPLICATIONS AND REPORTS IN FOR, UH, CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION FUNDING.
AND DOING THAT WE HAD TO WORK, UM, NOT ONLY WITH THE, UH, FIVE LARGE CITIES, INCLUDING PLACENTA AND BUENA PARK THAT HOSTS THE NAVIGATION CENTERS, BUT WE ALSO HAD TO WORK WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY OF ORANGE TO MAKE SURE THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE PUT IN AND THAT THE FUNDING, UH, WAS RECEIVED BY THE CITIES IN ORDER TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE NAVIGATION CENTERS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE CITIES OF PLACENTA AND BUENA PARK.
AND THAT WILL CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS SONYA LOUIE AND I AM THE NEW PLANNING MANAGER.
I'D JUST LIKE TO START BY SHARING WITH THE COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS ON SOME OF THE NEWER PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY PLANNING STAFF.
FIRST, WE HAVE A NEW DUNCAN DONUTS, WHICH IS PROPOSED TO LOCATE ON THE VACANT PAD NEARBY THE LAQUINTA HOTEL TACO BELL AND HALLMARK SITE.
THE PROPOSALS A 3,800 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WHERE HALF WOULD BE OCCUPIED BY DUNKIN DONUTS, AND THE OTHER HALF WOULD BE OCCUPIED BY A FUTURE SPEC TENANT, COMMERCIAL USE PLANNINGS.
ALSO REVIEWING PLANS FOR PLANET FITNESS, WHICH PROPOSES TO LOCATE IN THE LAHABRA PLAZA.
LAHABRA PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER, UH, FIVE 80 WEST LAER BOULEVARD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LAVA BOULEVARD BETWEEN, UM, HILLCREST AND WALNUT STREET.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THIS IS AN EXISTING BUILDING THAT WAS FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE NORTH GATE MARKET.
AND, UM, PLANNING IS CURRENTLY EVALUATING PLANS FOR OUR NEW CRISPY CREAM DONUTS, WHICH IS PROPOSED AT THE CORNER OF IMPERIAL HIGHWAY IN IDAHO.
THE SITE WAS FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY BANK OF CALIFORNIA.
THIS PROJECT IS A NEW CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT INVOLVING 3,600 SQUARE FEET WITH A DRIVE THROUGH AND RESTAURANT, AND CRISPY CREAM WILL ALSO BE PROPOSING TO PROVIDE DELIVERY SERVICES.
FINALLY, STAFF IS REVIEWING A REQUEST FROM COSTCO WHO'S WISHING TO EXPAND THEIR FUEL STATION FOR A TOTAL OF 30 FUEL PUMPS.
YES, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, STAFF IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH COSTCO AND WE'RE REVIEWING ONSITE PARKING AS WELL AS THEIR VEHICLE QUEUING CAPACITY SITE.
AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT SHOWN ON THE, UH, SLIDE ON THE SCREEN, I JUST WANNA MENTION TO THE COUNCIL THAT APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEW DUTCH BROTHERS COFFEE AND AMERICA'S TIRE WERE RECENTLY PRESENTED TO THE CITY'S PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT WERE CONTINUED TO A LATER HEARING DATE.
PLANNING STAFF IS HOPING TO BRING THIS PROJECT BACK IN THE COMING MONTHS.
FOR NOW, THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN WORKING ON HOW TO BETTER ADDRESS NOISE AND ONSITE, UH, VEHICULAR CIRCULATION
UM, YEAH, AND AS THE COUNCIL IS ALREADY AWARE, PLANNING STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK ON THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WHICH REMAINS TO BE A VERY HIGH PRIORITY EFFORT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ONCE WE COMPLETE A REVISED DRAFT, WE'LL BE PRESENTING IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL FOR RE ADOPTION PLANNING.
STAFF HAS ALSO BEGUN WORKING ON OTHER STATE MANDATED GENERAL PLAN UPDATES, AND THIS INCLUDES THE CITY'S SAFETY ELEMENT, WHICH COVERS GOALS AND POLICIES ON HOW THE CITY ADDRESSES NATURAL HAZARDS AS WELL AS CLIMATE RESILIENCY.
UNDER THE SAFETY ELEMENT, WE WILL ALSO BE PROPOSING TO ADD A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMPONENT.
THE STATE BASICALLY REQUIRES TO LOOK FOR THE CITY TO LOOK AT ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS GEARED TOWARDS ENABLING THE CITY TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION, PROVIDE ACCESS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES
[00:40:01]
AND HEALTHY FOODS, PROMOTE SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING.AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF THIS UPDATE EFFORTS.
CITY STAFF WAS RECENTLY AT THE TAMA FESTIVAL LAST SATURDAY.
WE PROVIDED INFORMATIONAL FLYERS AND SOLICITED COMMUNITY INPUT BY HAVING RESIDENTS COMPLETE A SURVEY.
AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WE RECEIVED SOME GREAT FEEDBACK.
PLANNING STAFF HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A CODE STREAMLINING AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WE INTEND TO BRING FORWARD A NUMBER OF CODE UPDATES IN THE NEAR FUTURE, INCLUDING SIGN CODE REGULATIONS, INTRODUCING A NEW PUBLIC ARTS ORDINANCE, CREATING NEW OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON UPDATING THE LAHA BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE, I'VE NOTED UPDATES TO THE OUTDOOR DINING REGULATIONS, WHICH WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED, MAKING IT EASIER FOR RESTAURANTS TO OFFER OUTDOOR DINING BY RIGHT.
AND THIS CONCLUDES PLANNING STUFFS LIST OF UPDATES.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE ON ANY PLANNING RELATED ITEMS. THANK YOU.
COUNCIL, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON PLANNING RELATED ITEMS? I HAVE ONE.
UM, THE RECRUITMENT OF DUNCAN DONUTS AND CRISPY CREAM HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THREE POLICEMEN BEING ON THE COUNCIL?
I I'M LOOKING AT PLANET FITNESS.
I DUNNO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT
I, I'M NOT LOOKING AT PLANET FITNESS.
AND DID WE MENTION THAT CRISPY CREAM WILL DELIVER? OH YEAH.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF US, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY OPEN TO HEARING THAT.
UH, SO A FEW THINGS COME TO MIND.
UH, AND I'LL SAY AGAIN, THE LIONS AND, UH, LOVE LAHABRA AND, UH, AND OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
I WILL SAY THIS, UH, AND, UH, AND I KNOW, UH, UH, MAYOR PROTE GOMEZ AND, UH, COUNCILMAN ARIAN, UH, CAN, UH, CAN ATTEST TO THIS.
UH, AND I, AND I DON'T WANNA MAKE ANYTHING POLITICAL HERE, BUT WE DID WALK THE CITY RECENTLY.
UH, AND I, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT THROUGHOUT, REGARDLESS, THROUGHOUT MY FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO RESIDENTS.
BUT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE, UH, CONTINUE TO FIND OUT WERE, WAS WHERE WE COULD DO BETTER.
UH, AND CERTAIN CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES WOULD COME UP.
UH, VEGETATION ISSUES OF CERTAIN HOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
STREETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE, UH, WHAT CAME UPON.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO THANK YOU, UH, UH, AGAIN, OUR, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE LIONS BACK THERE FOR, UH, FOR YOUR VITAL HELP IN WHAT YOU DO HERE.
AND, UH, MIRANDA, UH, THE, UH, ECONOMIC FORUM, IT WAS A HIT.
AND IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AS YEARS GO ON, BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU THIS, I, UH, I RECENTLY SPOKE TO A, UH, COUPLE OF MAYORS FROM NEIGHBORING CITIES AND, UH, UH, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL IDEA, UM, OF, UH, OF WHAT WE DID WHEN THEY, UH, WHEN THEY GOT NOTICE OF IT.
SO, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
OUTDOOR DINING WAS HUGE AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ACCOMMODATING OUR BUSINESSES.
THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS POST PANDEMIC DURING THE PANDEMIC.
IT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, BUT POST PANDEMIC AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST ANOTHER WAY TO EXPAND OUR, UH, OR THEIR FOOTPRINT, I SHOULD SAY, IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOUR STAFF IS DOING.
[4. PRESENTATION BY THE LA HABRA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REGARDING ITS CITY OF LA HABRA FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 FUNDING ALLOCATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000]
ALL RIGHT, NEXT STEP.MARIE LAVIA FROM THE BUSINESS CHAMBER.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS ADJUSTED.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS MARIE LAGA AND I'M THE PRESIDENT CEO OF THE HABA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I FIRST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, IN 2017, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE WAYS.
UNDER THE CHAMBER'S PAST, UH, LEADERSHIP COUNCIL DIRECTED THE ELIMINATION OF THE PROGRAM, UM, THE SPECIFIC DESIGNATION OF SHOP LAHABRA.
AT THAT POINT, WE HAD HAD, UH, GENERAL SERVICE DESIGNATION AND A SHOP LAHABRA DESIGNATION.
[00:45:01]
WITH THAT ELIMINATION, ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTION THAT THE CITY PROVIDES GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND, UNDER THE GENERAL SERVICES.UM, SO TONIGHT I WILL BE PRESENTING AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO VERSUS A SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, THE MISSION OF THE CHAMBER IS TO BUILD A STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY.
IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR, FOR MANY YEARS, AND IT, UM, REALLY SERVES US WELL AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUR, OUR, UH, BUSINESSES GROW AND BE AND THRIVE.
AND, UH, JUST BE, UH, AN AID TO THE, UM, CITY WITH TAXES.
SO THE PROGRAM, UH, I'M ALREADY FORGETTING.
I STARTED TALKING AWAY, RIGHT.
UM, SO DURING C THE CHAMBER SPONSORED A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES.
THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO EITHER PAY THEIR MEMBERSHIP BECAUSE OF HARDSHIP OR BECAUSE OF THE CLOSURES THAT WERE IN PLACE.
UH, THE CHAMBER, UH, MEMBERSHIP IS, IS COMPRISED OF A VARIETY OF SMALL AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES.
SO ANY, UH, EFFECTS REALLY HIT THEM HARD.
SO DUE TO THE NATURE, THE CHAMBER BOARD, UH, VOTED TO CONTINUE THEIR MEMBERSHIP AND TO CONTINUE DISTRIBUTING THE VITAL INFORMATION THAT WAS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINES.
THE MEMBER ENGAGEMENT, HOWEVER, TAKES A, A BIG VARIETY IN BY TERMS OF, OF FORM.
UM, DEPENDING ON THE BUSINESS, IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE THEY JUST WANT AN INTRODUCTION, RIBBON, CUTTING THIS, THE BASICS, THE, UH, GRAND OPENING.
BUT WE REALLY UTILIZE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEAT A CATALYST TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE BUSINESS AND TO MAKE THEM AWARE THAT THEY ARE, ARE IN LAHABRA AND, UM, REALLY PUSH THE BUSINESS, PUSH PEOPLE TOWARD PATRONIZING THAT BUSINESS.
WE, UH, DO IN PERSON NETWORKING, THE CONNECT UP THE BASICS.
PEOPLE ARE NOT, UM, RETURNING TO IN PERSON NETWORK, ALTHOUGH WE DID SURVEY THE MEMBERSHIP AND, UM, THAT WAS THE DESIRE.
SO IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT THE DESIRE IS TO NETWORK, BUT YET IN THE EVENTS, UM, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT AS A, AS A HIGH NEED RIGHT NOW.
SO THEY ENGAGE WITH THE, THE CHAMBER IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, WHICH BECAME MORE EVIDENT DURING, UH, COVID.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF CHAMBERS THAT WE EVEN, UH, VISIT IN OUR SURROUNDING AREAS.
SO WITH THE CHAMBER BUSINESS ALLIANCE, WE HAVE BREA, YOUR BELINDA PLACE, ESSENTIA, UM, LAMARA, AND NOW WITH THE NEW DISTRICT DEAN, WE'RE HEADING OUT TOWARD LAHABRA.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT IT'S NOT LARA TOWARD THE LA AREA, AND I'M FEELING THAT THIS IS GONNA GIVE OUR MEMBERSHIP AND OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPOSURE AND, UM, JUST FEEL COMFORTABLE IN SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS.
SO WHITTIER, ALTHOUGH WAS ALREADY PART OF THE CHAMBER BUSINESS ALLIANCE, WERE STARTING TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THEM.
NORWALK DOWNEY, SANTA FE SPRINGS.
AND SO THE, THE ENGAGEMENT HAS STARTED WITH ME AND THE CEOS, WHICH, UM, WAS PRETTY EASY SINCE I KNOW A LOT OF THEM FROM CONFERENCES.
AND, UH, AND WE'LL START TO DO NETWORKING AND, AND DIFFERENT EVENTS TOGETHER TO BRING SOME MORE AWARENESS TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
SINCE WE ARE GONNA BE IN A DIFFERENT, UM, DISTRICT NOW IN A VARIETY OF, WITH ASSEMBLY AND CONGRESS, UH, THE CHAMBER, UM, OTHER BUSINESSES USE THE CHAMBER JUST AS A PLATFORM FOR ADVERTISING.
SO WE HAVE THE LIFE IN LAHABRA THAT WE DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY.
IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE BECAUSE, UH, IT HAS ALL THE CITY SERVICES, THE CITY, UM, EVENTS AND BUSINESS EVENTS AND STUFF THAT GOES ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO PEOPLE HANG ONTO IT, YOU KNOW, HANG ONTO IT IN THE, UH, FOR THE LONG TERM.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT TRYING TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION FROM A QUARTERLY TO A SIX MONTH PROGRAM OF PROGRAM.
AS, AS FAR AS LIKE THE, UH, LIFE IN LAHABRA ISSUES, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT AND, AND BUSINESSES DON'T REALIZE THAT IT DOES HAVE A LONG SHELF LIFE.
IT IS THE WAY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY WITH THE PROGRAMS AND SENIORS AND CLASSES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO WE, WE ARE DEFINITELY STILL PUSHING THAT.
ALTHOUGH THE, UM, IT IS A LITTLE BIT DOWN AS FAR AS ADVERTISEMENT IS CONCERNED.
SO SEEING THAT NEED THAT PEOPLE STILL NEED TO GET THEIR NAME OUT, THEY STILL NEED TO NETWORK.
WE IMPLEMENTED A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER.
[00:50:01]
TO PROMOTE OUR BUSINESSES AND EVENTS THAT OF OUR BUSINESSES, CUZ WE DON'T ONLY PROMOTE, WE PROMOTE THINGS THAT ARE PERTINENT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP.SO IF, IF SOMEBODY HAS AN EVENT, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE THE LIONS, BECAUSE THEY'RE, UH, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, WE PUSH IT OUT THROUGH THE CHAMBER AND THROUGH THE, UM, THE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND, UM, PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE, NOT ONLY IN SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT EMAIL WITH THE, UH, NEWSLETTER.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER RESOURCE THAT, THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF.
AND I JUST GOT ANOTHER CALL JUST THE OTHER NIGHT, HOW DO I GET IN THERE? HOW DO I ADVERTISE? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING JUST AS PART OF THE MEMBERSHIP, NOT NECESSARILY A PAID AD.
EVENTUALLY WE MIGHT END UP THERE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GENERATE FUNDS TO CONTINUE.
BUT, UM, FOR NOW IT WAS JUST TRY TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES IN ANY WAY AND SHAPE WE COULD.
SO WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO PROMOTE THE, UM, THINGS GOING ON IN LAHABRA AS FAR AS THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, UM, ANY STATE MANDATES AND ALL OF THOSE SORT OF THINGS WE WERE PUSHING THROUGH ON THE NEWSLETTER.
AS FAR AS SOCIAL MEDIA, WE CONTINUE THAT AS YOU KNOW, IS A HANDFUL.
SO WE HAVE A PLATFORM ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.
A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PAGES, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO KIND OF PUSH THROUGH AND, UH, PROMOTE THAT INTO THE CITY.
THE OTHER METHOD THAT OUR CHAMBERS ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THROUGH THEIR WEB, THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT EACH MEMBER HAS A PAGE DESIGNATED JUST TO THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS.
AND THAT IS, CAN BE USED TO, UH, PROMOTE THEIR EVENTS, RECRUIT EMPLOYMENT, UM, ANNOUNCE THINGS THEY CAN, UM, AND IT'S CAN BE, WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE CARE OF IT FOR THEM, BUT THE MEMBER CAN ALSO, THEY HAVE THE PASSWORD AND THE ID IN ORDER TO GET IN THERE AND THEY CAN CHANGE THINGS HOW THEY'D LIKE.
IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR A SMALL BUSINESS THAT DOESN'T HAVE A WEBSITE, SO THEY CAN REFER PEOPLE AND IT TENDS TO, AS YOU DO GOOGLES CHAMBER RELATED BUSINESSES TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER UP IN THE SEARCHES, SO IT HELPS THEM IN THAT WAY.
UH, SO, SO PEOPLE WILL DO, UM, USE THAT FOR, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHAMBER.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME MEMBERS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO DO VOLUNTEER HOURS.
AND SO WE HAVE A COUPLE MEMBERS THAT WERE JUST, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY WE NEED TO DO A COUPLE MORE HOURS.
SO THAT'S BEEN USEFUL BECAUSE WE'VE USED THEM FOR THE CHAMBER OF CITRUS FAIR.
WE'VE USED THEM FOR SOME OF THE OTHER EVENTS THAT WE DO THAT.
THEY, UH, ARE RELIABLE AND THEY COME OUT AND, AND TRY TO HELP US OUT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, WE TEND TO, THAT HAPPENS A LOT IS WE DO, WELL, LET ME BACK UP FOR JUST ONE SECOND.
WE DO DO ALSO CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S FOR THE SHIPPING OUT OF THE COUNTRY, IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS THAT JUST BECOME MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY NEED THE CERTIFICATE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO SHIP THEIR MERCHANDISE.
AND THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND MOST IS JC FORD.
AND I KNOW THEY TALKED ABOUT MAYBE MOVING OUT, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL COMING TO US FOR, UH, SHIPPING CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN.
AND, UH, IT, IT, IT'S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE IF THEY JUST BECOME A MEMBER VERSUS BUYING EACH CERTIFICATE AS THEY COME IN.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.
WE OFFER A, UH, EDUCATIONAL TYPE SEMINARS IN OUR, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT IS SLOWLY COMING BACK.
A LOT OF THINGS, UM, HAS BEEN A, AN EFFORT TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND, AND BE A PART OF, OF AN IN PERSON KIND OF, FOR ME IT'S ALREADY, I'M, I'M BACK, RIGHT? BUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IT TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT, THEY'RE A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE STILL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY START TO HEAR THAT THERE'S ANOTHER COVID SPREAD AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO, UM, WE ARE ALSO USED A GREAT DEAL AS AN INFORMATIONAL SOURCE.
WE GET PHONE CALLS ABOUT, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE CITY.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF AN EXAMPLE.
WE, WE GET CALLS FOR LIKE REFERRALS, UM, WITH ADUS.
WE GET CALLS FOR ENGINEERING, WE GET CALLS FOR HOTELS.
[00:55:01]
A WIDE VARIETY EVENTS.IT'S NOT OUR EVENT, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO GET THE RIGHT PERSON.
SO WE, WE ARE JUST A TRUSTED ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE JUST RANDOM PEOPLE COME IN AND ASK OR WILL EITHER COME IN OR WILL CALL US ON THE PHONE AND ASK QUESTIONS, UH, AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO, I, I TEND TO BE AT ALL THE MEETINGS HERE, AND SO I CAN GO BACK TO THE BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP AND LET THEM KNOW, OKAY, THIS CHANGE, OR THIS IS WHAT'S DISCUSSED, THIS IS WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPRESSED THAT THEY'RE JUST GONNA GET DELIVERY ON DONUTS.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT I'M ABLE TO GO IN AND, AND JUST LET THE MEMBERSHIP KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE PRESENT AT EVERY EVENT AND EVERY MEETING.
SO, UM, THEY, THEY TEND TO USE THIS THAT WAY.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE, UM, PARTNER WITH THE US CHAMBER AND THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER AND, UM, THINGS COME OUR WAY WITH REGARD TO BUSINESS ADVOCACY.
CAN YOU, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE RAILROAD, WHICH WAS THE MOST RECENT, UH, THING THAT WAS THROWN IN OUR DIRECTION.
AND SO CHAMBERS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND THE MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT JUST AT A MIXER OR AT A AN EVENT, THEY, THEY STILL FIND, THEY STILL HAVE THE VALUE.
WE EVEN GET CALLS ON FRIDAYS LIKE, WHERE'S CITY HALL? YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE PAY OUR WATER BILL? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THESE SORT OF THINGS? SO WE'RE ALWAYS THERE TO, THE ANSWER IS NEVER, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S, LET ME FIND OUT FOR YOU.
WE HAD A MEM A WOMAN THAT CAME TO US AND SHE CAME AND ADDRESSED YOU, UH, THAT WAS HAVING A PROBLEM AND NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE.
I, YOU KNOW, NO, DON'T BE AFRAID.
AND EVEN THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, THEY WERE A LITTLE AFRAID ABOUT THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THERE TO HELP THEM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, NOT JUST THE BUSINESSES, BUT THE RESIDENTS THAT COME IN AND SEEK OUT OUR HELP.
UH, WE MOST SPECIFICALLY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS DROPPED OFF THE LINE ITEM FOR US WAS THE SHOP LAHABRA.
IT IS SO CRUCIAL TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE SHOP IN LAHABRA AND, UH, WE GO TO ALL SORTS OF MEASURES TO TRY TO GET THAT WORD OUT, TRY TO, UM, GET PEOPLE TO BE A PART OF, UH, THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, A LOT OF OUR, UH, PRINTING EXPENDITURES GO TOWARD THOSE SORT OF THINGS, GO TO OUR MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS, GO TO, AND THIS IS ALL THINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATION IS HELPING OUT, HELPING US BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
THERE IS A, UM, SEE IF YOU CAN GET TO THE, I I DID SKIP A FEW THINGS, BUT THE SLIDE ON THE, THE CHART RIGHT THERE.
SO AS YOU'LL NOTICE, MEMBERSHIP TENDS TO BE ABOUT 28% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
WE HAVE MYSELF, AND WE'RE BUDGETED FOR ONE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, BUT UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE FUNCTIONING IN ON A HALF OF EMPLOYEE.
UM, OUR MATERNITY LEAVE PERSON DECIDED NOT TO COME BACK, SO, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE VERY STREAMLINED AS TO WHAT WE, UH, OUR BUDGET 20, 28% IS REALLY PRETTY LOW.
SO WE HAVE TO DO, UM, RELY ON FUNDRAISING AND GRANTS AND UM, SPONSORSHIPS AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF TO KIND OF CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE CHAMBER.
UH, THE 28%, I'LL HAVE TO SAY, WE TEND TO BE A PRETTY COMPATIBLE WITH MEMBERSHIP COSTS OF OTHER CHAMBERS IN OUR SURROUNDING AREAS.
UH, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES, SO WE REALLY CAN'T UP THE MEMBERSHIP FEE.
SO WE GO OUT AND TRY TO, TO RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS TO KIND OF BRING THAT, THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, OUR LARGEST, I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THAT AT THIS POINT? WELL, UH, WELL IF YOU'RE GONNA OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS, UH, ARE YOU, DOES THAT CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION? NO.
YOUR QUESTIONS OF REGARDING THE BUDGET.
UH, HOW MUCH IS, IF YOU HAVE ANY, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE? WE, I'M QUITE PROUD OF THAT ONE.
[01:00:01]
I INHERITED AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE 40,000 OF THAT AMOUNT.SO WE JUST MADE A BIG PAYMENT ON IT.
AND SO NOW WE OWE, I THINK IT'S LIKE $27,000 THAT WE'RE, UM, THAT WE'RE PAYING DOWN ON THAT.
AND, UM, IT IS HELD BY, I'M PROBABLY GIVING YOU MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU ASKED FOR, BUT IT IS HELD BY A LIEN ON THE BUILDING.
WE OWN OUR BUILDING AND IT, THE BUILDING WAS GRANTED OR PURCHASED BY, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND DICK, YOU PROBABLY KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT THAN, THAN I DO SINCE IT WAS BEFORE ME.
UM, SO WE, WE DO SOMEWHAT, SO IT'S ABOUT 20,000 RIGHT NOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'LL ASK THE QUESTION, I MEAN, SINCE YOU OPEN IT UP AND, UH, AS FAR AS BUDGETS ARE CONCERNED, UM, WHAT IS, UH, SO I SEE THE PERCENTAGES HERE, BUT WHAT IS THE OVERALL, UH, THE OVERALL NUMBER, UH, UM, MONEY WISE, UH, THAT THE, UH, THAT THE CHAMBER WORKS WITH YEAR IN YEAR OUT? WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT 2 88, 280 8,288,000.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR.
WE DID GO A LITTLE BIT LOWER JUST BECAUSE, UM, I THINK LAST YEAR WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE OVER 300,000, UM, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT GENERATING AS MUCH MONEY ON SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS, ALTHOUGH THEY REALLY HAVE BACK PRETTY WELL AS FAR AS OUR, OUR EVENTS EVENTS HAVE BACK PRETTY WELL.
AND, UH, WE WERE RELYING UPON THE, UH, PPP WE WERE ABLE TO GET TWO PPPS AND SO THAT KIND OF GAVE US THE BOOST AND HELPED US OUT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH MONEY IS BROUGHT INTO THE ORGANIZATION FROM MEMBERSHIP DUES? I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL.
THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, 360 A MEMBER, HOW MUCH? IT'S 360 A MEMBER, $360 A MEMBER A YEAR? YES.
AND, AND THAT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SIZE.
NO, IT DOESN'T, BUT WE DO OPERATE ON A LEVEL, UM, BASIS.
SO WE, IT GOES FROM THREE 50 UP TO 1600.
SO BASED ON WHAT THE MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO DO AND SERVICES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE OFFERED, THEY CAN CHOOSE WHAT LEVEL THAT THEY WANT TO COME IN AT.
CAN YOU GIMME A FOR INSTANCE, CUZ I'M NOT GETTING, UM, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE 1600, WE TAKE THEIR NAME WITH US WHEREVER WE GO, WHERE THE THIRD, THE 360, THEY ARE THEIR BA IT'S THE BASIC, THEY GET THE PAGE, THEY ARE ABLE TO, UH, GO TO ANY MIXER AND, UM, THE PAGE ON THE CHAMBER WEBSITE IS LIMITED AS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH IT.
THEY CAN ONLY PUT UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CHARACTERS.
AND AS YOU GO HIGHER INTO THE LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP, IT'S CALLED ENHANCED.
AND SO YOU CAN START ADDING PICTURES, YOU CAN START ADDING MORE VERBIAGE AND MORE DETAILS.
SO, SO EVEN THAT CHANGES JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING ON THAT.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 288,000, UH, INCOME, AND YOU'RE SAYING HERE THE MEMBERSHIP DUES REPRESENT 28% OF THE INCOME, THAT COMES DOWN TO ABOUT $80,000.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT TO YOU? MM-HMM.
YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ACTUALLY BUDGETED FOR.
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY MEMBERS YOU HAVE PRESENTLY RIGHT NOW THAT VARI THAT REALLY VARIES.
WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS 300, BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE SPONSORED SOME MEMBERS AND NOW THEY'RE STARTING TO COME UP TO, UM, RENEWALS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST REACHING OUT TO THEM, SAY, OKAY, ARE YOU PLANNING ON COMING BACK? OR, YOU KNOW, IS IT TIME TO SAY GOODBYE? WHEN YOU SAY SPONSOR, YOU PAY THE DUES.
BRING THEM IN, JUST THEN BILL THEM.
WE, WE FOUND OTHER WAYS, UM, WHETHER IT CAME OUT OF LIKE CITRUS FAIR MONEY OR IT CAME OUT OF SOME, WE FOUND OTHER WAYS TO FUND OURSELVES INSTEAD OF BILLING THAT MEMBER.
SO GIVE THEM A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE AND THEN HOPEFULLY THEY COME FORWARD.
AND IT WAS MORE SO DURING COVID THAN A NEW MEMBER.
IT WAS PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH US FOR A LONG TIME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY JUST FOUND THEMSELVES IN TROUBLE.
IS IS THE TREND UPWARD OR DOWNWARD IN TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP OVERALL? IT'S UPWARD IN THE SENSE OF NEW MEMBERS, NEW MEMBERS, NEW BUSINESSES COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE EXCITED THOUGH, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONES THAT MEET WITH US AT CONNECT UP TEND TO BE THE NEWER MEMBERS THAT JOIN DURING, DURING COVID VERSUS THE ONES THAT WERE ALREADY WITH US.
SO I, I THINK THEY'RE JUST, THEY JUST PUSH A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE IT, THEY KNEW HOW HARD IT WAS, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO DO BUSINESS DURING C SO, UM,
[01:05:02]
SO IT IT'S DEFINITELY GOING UP.WE'RE STILL GETTING NEW MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD BE A LOT FASTER IF WE WERE ABLE TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE MORE.
BUT, SO FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU TOOK OVER, MARIE WAS THERE LESS THAN 300? AGAIN? IT'S, IT'S, UM, I DON'T THINK SO.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT, THAT, UM, DISCREPANCY OF HOW MANY DO WE REALLY HAVE BECAUSE IF WE EVEN DO ONE THING WRONG, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, WE FILTER ALL OUR VENDORS THROUGH THE WEBSITE.
UM, IF WE PUT THAT THEY'RE AN ACTIVE VENDOR VERSUS A NON-MEMBER, IT'LL SHOW UP IN OUR NUMBERS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
AND THAT'S WHY RIGHT NOW THAT I'M BY MYSELF, I'M GOING THROUGH ONE BY ONE AND TRYING TO, UH, SEE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.
IS ANYBODY MISCODED? IS ANYBODY NOT GETTING PROPER? UM, THE NUMBERS ARE PROPER.
SO WE, WE DO, FOR EXAMPLE, LAST MONTH WE GAINED THREE, BUT WE LOST FOUR.
SO IT JUST KEEPS HOVERING RIGHT IN THE SAME AMOUNT.
WE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER BEEN OVER THREE 50 THAT I KNOW OF.
I DON'T KNOW, ROB, YOU WOULD KNOW GOING WAY BACK OR ANYBODY THAT WAS ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE BOARD PRIOR TO IT.
JUST, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONON IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD, WHICH WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 315, 310 MEMBERS AS PART OF THE CHAMBER.
SO IT APPEARS TO BE THEY'VE HAD FLAT FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.
WE LOSE THEM AND THEN WE GET SOME AND IT, IT STAYS ABOUT THE SAME.
SO ROB, YOU'RE SAYING THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH GROWTH? UH, AGAIN, MAYOR PROTA GOMEZ, I'M NOT CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I WAS THERE IT WAS ROUGHLY 310, 315.
WHEN, WHEN YOU SURVEYED THE MEMBERSHIP AND THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME, UH, LEVEL OF THEM BEING UNCOMFORTABLE TO MEET IN PERSON, UH, HOW DID YOU ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS, UH, THAT THEY HAD CONCERN ABOUT? NOT ME.
I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH OF ANY ZOOM GOING ON WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
SO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, UH, TO COMPENSATE THAT? INITIALLY WE DID THE ZOOM YES.
WHEN IT WAS, IT WAS A RULE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T MEET IN PERSON AFTER THAT WE'VE TRIED TO JUST STAY OUTSIDE AND SO WE ASSURED THEM WE'RE OUTSIDE, WE, UM, WERE TRYING TO STAY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND, UM, AND THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
WE DO OFFER THE ZOOM FOR LIKE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE TO BE INSIDE, UH, BOARD MEETINGS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT THE IN PERSON, UM, MIXERS, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, AND, AND ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONON TO VISIT OTHER CHAMBERS AND WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ATTENDING AND NOT AFRAID TO MEET IN PERSON.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP.
WHY, WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE HARBOR'S AFRAID? I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, IF I EVEN, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY ANYBODY WAS AFRAID FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS JUST, I GUESS THEY LISTENED TO THE MEDIA.
IS THE BOARD MET TO TRY TO ADDRESS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHY IT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING OUT? HAVE THEY TRIED TO COME UP, UH, AS A COLLECTIVE GROUP TO, YOU KNOW, UH, DRAW THE PEOPLE OUT? LIKE WE'RE SEEN IN OTHER CHAMBERS? IT'S COME UP IN TOPIC, UHHUH, BUT TO ACTIVELY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, I HAVEN'T SEEN TOO MUCH.
SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH, UH, THE STAFF, US AND THE STAFF TRYING TO PUSH TO GET PEOPLE TO COME BACK OUT OR OFFER OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO THE CHAMBER.
NOT, UM, TO NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE PRESENT, BUT OFFER THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WAS TELLING YOU AND MAKING THEM AWARE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WE'RE THERE FOR YOU.
UH, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO BE AT AN IN-PERSON MEETING, I, I WILL BE VERY FRANK.
I, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT A NUMBER OF CHAMBERS, AND I OFTEN GO TO THEM AND LEAVE THERE VERY SAD BECAUSE I SAY, GOD, I WANT THIS FOR MY COMMUNITY.
I WANT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO COME OUT.
I WANT THIS OUR CHAMBER TO BE THRIVING.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHITTIER CHAMBER AND SANTA FE SPRINGS.
UM, AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PUT MY FINGER AS TO WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON.
[01:10:01]
VERY HONEST WITH YOU, UM, SPEAKING NEGATIVELY OF THE CHAMBER DOESN'T HELP.UM, I GET COMMENTS AND I'M JUST BEING HONEST AND OPEN WITH YOU.
I GET COMMENTS THAT M WHAT IS MAYOR OR MAYOR PROAM GOMEZ DOING IN OTHER CITIES? UM, HE TALKS ILL OF YOU AND, UH, AND SO I CAN ONLY DO, UM, MY BEST FOR OUR CHAMBER MEMBERS.
IGNORE THOSE SORT OF THINGS AND, AND PARDON THE INTERRUPTION.
SO I, AND I, I WAS LOOKING TO WAIT UNTIL YOU WERE DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT, BUT I FEEL THE NEED TO, TO, UH, TO PREFACE OUR, OUR, OUR CONVERSATION, OUR QUESTIONS WITH THIS, UH, FOR MY SAKE AND FOR COUNCIL, AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING, UM, OF COURSE IS THE, UH, THE, THE TOPIC HERE IS THERE'S AN ALLOCATION THAT THE CITY GIVES YOU $20,000 EVERY YEAR FOR ME AND FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, UH, RECENT EVENTS, UH, IN NEIGHBORING ANAHEIM INVOLVING THE FORMER CEO OF THE BUSINESS CHAMBER, UH, TODD AMOND, UH, HAS RESULTED IN A FEDERAL INDICTMENT OF HIM AND A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE, UH, FORMER MAYOR OF ANAHEIM, HARRY SUU.
HIS ASSOCIATIONS, HIS ENDORSING OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES HAVE REVEALED QUESTIONABLE DEALINGS WITH THE ANAHEIM BUSINESS CHAMBER, POSSIBLY OTHER POLITICIANS AS A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION UNFURLS AND CONTINUES.
SO WE, AS A CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR RESIDENTS IN LIGHT OF THE 20,000, UH, THAT HAS PROVIDED THE LAB OR BUSINESS CHAMBER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS UNDERSTOOD, AND AS WE ASK QUESTIONS, UH, SO WE KNOW, AND SO OUR RESIDENTS KNOW, AND THAT FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
THAT, THAT IS, THAT VERY UNFORTUNATE.
AND I WAS VERY AWARE IN A NUMBER OF MEETINGS AND THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON AND, AND JUST EVEN, UM, LEGAL COUNSEL THAT WERE LETTING US KNOW, THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY AWAY FROM.
AND, UM, SO NO, I'M, I'M VERY AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE WITH THE, WITH THE CHAMBER.
UM, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE OUR IN-HOUSE TREASURER, BUT WE HAVE A BOOKKEEPER BURNING ON TOP OF THAT.
WE HAVE A TAX PREPARER THAT TAKES CARE OF AND WATCHES THE FINANCIAL ASPECT OF WHAT GOES ON WITH THE CHAMBER.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, I HAVE, IF I CAN JUST DO A QUICK BUDGET QUESTION, SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET SLIDE, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE NEXT SLIDE WAS GONNA SHOW, UH, EXPENSES OR OUTGOING, BUT IF IT'S 2 88 INCOME, I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THE STATUS OF, OF, OF THE FUNDING BALANCE.
SO ARE YOU RUNNING A DEFICIT? ARE YOU GENERATING A SURPLUS AND IT, IF SO, WHERE'S IT GOING? WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL DOING A SURPLUS.
AND, AND WHERE DOES THAT GO? IT, UM, IT JUST GOES BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
WE WERE TRYING TO, THIS YEAR, WE HA WE DIDN'T, BECAUSE WE DID THE $40,000 PAYMENT.
BUT, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY, ANYTHING THAT CAME IN, EXTRA SAVE MONEY TOWARD THAT LOAN.
AND SO WHEN THE CITRUS FAIR COMES UP, THAT'S GONNA BE THE MAIN TARGET.
UM, AND ANYTHING THAT WE DO, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT ASIDE SOME EXTRA TO PAY OFF THAT LOAN.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, I MEAN, IT'S, WE ARE STILL ON THE BLOCK, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET OUTTA DEBT REALLY SOON.
SO I'VE GOT OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT THEY'RE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE BUDGET.
SO IF WE WANT TO, IF YOU GUYS WANNA GO ON OR IF SHE WANTS TO CONTINUE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FINISH, MARIE GOOD.
IF YOU WANNA FINISH YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO, AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE COST OF DOING BUSINESSES ON THE RISE EMPLOYEES, WE, WE EVEN INCREASED THE HOURLY RATE IN ORDER TO GET SOMEBODY, OR AT LEAST TRY TO KEEP THE ONES THAT WE HAD.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING INTO EFFECT THAT, YOU KNOW, COMING FORWARD.
WE ARE 5 0 1 C SIX, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR A LOT OF THE FUNDING.
WE DIDN'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR WHAT THE CITY WAS OFFERING TO THE NONPROFITS.
AND SO MY THOUGHT IS, IF YOU WOULD THINK ABOUT CONSIDER, UM, INCREASING THE ALLOCATION THAT YOU DO GIVE THE CHAMBER, THE, UM, WE HAVE BEEN AT THE SAME STATUS FOR SINCE 2014.
AND, UM, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, WE TRY OUR BEST TO STREAMLINE EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN DO, BUT, UM, RISING COSTS ARE JUST CRAZY.
AND SO WE, WE DON'T LIKE TO, UM, NICKEL AND DIER MEMBERS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT, UM, GOING FORWARD, OF COURSE, A GOAL IS ALWAYS TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP.
AND, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, WE'VE HAD SOME NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE, NOT
[01:15:01]
NEGOTIATIONS, BUT SOME TALKS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEPART, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ABOUT DOING THINGS TOGETHER THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO, TO THE CHAMBERS, LIKE WE DID.NOT THE CHAMBERS, BUT THE MEMBERS, LIKE WE DID PRIOR TO, UM, COVID.
AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL, THAT'LL COME BACK AND WE CAN, UH, BE OUT THERE A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE OTHER THING THAT, UM, I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER IS, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS FOR THE GRANTS THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO THE BUSINESSES, THE SHOP AND DINING PROGRAM? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, IF IT WAS THROUGH THE CHAMBER, IF THERE WOULD BE LESS REQUIREMENTS OR IF IT'S THE SAME THING.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF NEED OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY FROM THE BUSINESS, BUT THE RESIDENTS.
AND WE'VE NOTICED THAT AS PEOPLE ARE BRINGING IN THEIR RECEIPTS, THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT WE GET, THAT THAT WHOLE PROCESS WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO, TO, UM, GET THROUGH.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, I'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO, TO SIT DOWN AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I DO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME TONIGHT.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I, I CAN, UH, CLARIFY FOR YOU, MARIE, SPECIFICALLY, WHAT, WHAT TYPES OF THINGS WERE DIFFICULT FOR THE FOLKS? THE PAPERWORK? SO THERE'S THE APPLICATION ITSELF.
AND I, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY TODAY AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I SHOULD PROBABLY FILL IT OUT MYSELF JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE, THE PROCESS MYSELF.
COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONON AND, UH, MARIE'S.
THE, THE PAPERWORK THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO COLLECT TO ENSURE THAT, UM, APPLICANTS QUALIFY FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
AND IT'S NOT OUR DOING AS A CITY, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING AS BEST WE CAN WITH APPLICANTS TO TRY TO MAKE IT EASY, BUT WHEN THEY SEE THE AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK IT TAKES TO GET A, I THINK IT'S A $200 GIFT CARD, IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT.
UH, FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO DO THAT.
UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY WAYS OF, UM, UH, TAKING FOLKS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR OTHER OUR PROGRAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED, THAT WOULD BE THE SAME CRITERIA, AND JUST HAVING THEM FILL OUT A SECOND APPLICATION WITH NO ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK, CUZ THEY'VE ALREADY PRE-QUALIFIED FOR THE OTHER PROGRAM.
SO WE CAN TRY TO GET CARDS IN MORE PEOPLE'S HANDS, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULTY.
WE, WE SEE, UH, I WISH WE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT WHEN WE GET AUDITED ON THESE FUNDS, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE PAPER TRAIL TO SHOW HOW THE FUNDS WERE PROPERLY SPENT, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PAY THAT BACK.
AND WE, OR WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUT OF ANY AUDIT FINDINGS, DO WE HAVE ANY TYPE OF, OF VIDEO OR ANY TYPE OF TRAINING FOR FOLKS SO THEY CAN ACCESS THAT AND SEE PERHAPS HOW TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE'RE DOING DIRECT STAFF INTERACTION WITH EVERY APPLICANT TO TRY TO HELP THEM SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO STREAMLINE IT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A OUTSIDE CONSULTANT THAT WE BROUGHT ON BOARD TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE SUCCESS WITH OUR BUSINESS PROGRAM FOR ARPA FUNDS BECAUSE THE BUSINESSES GENERALLY HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THEY NEED TO SUBMIT, AND THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF CRITERIA BEING BUSINESSES VERSUS, UM, RESIDENT, UM, APPLICANTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY, WE'RE OVERSUBSCRIBED ON THAT PROGRAM.
WE'LL SPEND EVERY DIME OF THAT MONEY, UH, ON THOSE, ON THOSE APPLICATIONS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HELPING THEM.
BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE, UH, SHINE AND, UM, DINING AND SHOP PROGRAM.
WELL, I'VE STILL GOT THE FLOOR.
UM, DO YOU SEE IT AS PART OF YOUR MISSION AS A CEO TO RECRUIT BUSINESSES TO LAHABRA? YES, AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S MY, MY PLACE TO DO THAT, BUT WHEN I SEE SOMEBODY THAT'S TEMPTING, OH, DEFINITELY.
DO YOU GO TO I C S C? I DO NOT.
CAN YOU TELL ME ANY BUSINESS THAT YOU'VE RECRUITED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? NO.
DO YOU ATTEND ANY OTHER FORUMS OR, OR, UH, CONVENTIONS OF THAT NATURE? LIKE I C S C I? NO.
I ATTEND THE CHAMBER CONVENTIONS, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE MY CONTACT MOST IS PROBABLY BEEN ANSWERED ALREADY.
BUT, UH, UH, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, UH, SPECIFICALLY, FOR INSTANCE, UH, WITH THE, UH, UH, THE BRINGING OF, UH, OF THE DUTCH BROTHERS KRISPY CREAMS, JOANNE'S FABRICS THAT'S COMING IN DUNKIN DONUTS, ANY PART, DID THE CHAMBER REACH OUT TO ANY OF THEM AT ALL AT ANY POINT IN TIME? MM-HMM.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY TYPE OF THOSE BUSINESSES, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT PUT A BUG IN SOMEBODY'S EAR, MAYBE SOMETHING ALONG THE HORIZON OR OUT THERE ON THE HORIZON THAT,
[01:20:01]
UH, UH, SOMEBODY YOU'VE SPOKEN TO, UM, YOU KNOW, AT A, AT A CERTAIN COMPANY, A CERTAIN BUSINESS OF SORTS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUT THERE THAT HAS CAUGHT YOUR EYE, AS YOU SAID, OR YOUR EAR.I'M TRYING TO THINK IF I, I CAN'T REMEMBER OF ONE RIGHT NOW.
ANY, ANY, ANYONE IN PARTICULAR? NO, NOTHING COMES TO MIND AT THE MOMENT.
AND I'LL FOLLOW THAT UP WITH JO, THOSE THINGS DOWN.
PARDON ME? I SAID I SHOULD HAVE JOTTED THOSE THINGS DOWN.
I THOUGHT, I, I THOUGHT OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY ASK.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I MEAN, YOU ARE THE CHAMBER, ESSENTIALLY.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND, UH, YOU DID I, IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, CHALLENGES WITH THOSE THINGS? IS THAT WHAT IT IS? TIME.
TIME AS FAR AS WHAT? AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO POST CONTINUALLY AND, UM, BEING ON TOP OF THOSE, THOSE THINGS.
AND, UH, AND, AND, AND A LOT OF IT IS GENERATED THROUGH OUR DATA PROP PROGRAM, UHHUH.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S LIKE DOING THE REELS AND THEN POSTING AT A CERTAIN TIME OF THE DAY AND, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF NO, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO DO IT AND HOW TO DO IT.
AND SO, AND WE HAVE MEMBERS THAT KIND OF, UH, HELP US ALONG, YOU KNOW, THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THEY ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO DO THE LATEST IN THE NEWS, SO, SO THAT HELPS US AS WELL.
BUT IT, IT IS, IT IS A CHALLENGE.
AND, UM, I'M STILL A PART OF THAT DINOSAUR GENERATION, SO TO SPEAK, TO A DEGREE.
I'M NOT THE LOVER OF THE CAMERA.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I, WHAT, UH, AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASK ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR ME ANYWAY.
UH, IT DOESN'T TAKE ME MUCH TIME.
UM, BUT I'VE, I'VE LEARNED THIS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT I'VE REACHED OUT TO BUSINESSES MM-HMM.
UM, AND, UH, AND I WILL BE FRANK WITH YOU AS WELL, UH, PRE PANDEMIC WAS ONE THING DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS ANOTHER.
AND OF COURSE, I'D LIKE TO CONSIDER US POST PANDEMIC AT THIS POINT.
HOPEFULLY WE DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, THAT DOESN'T, UH, THAT DOESN'T GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.
THAT BEING SAID, HOWEVER, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT HAD APPROACHED ME OVER THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC AT THE INCEPTION DURING, AND OF COURSE NOW AFTER MM-HMM.
BUSINESS OF THE WEEK, VERY SIMPLE FOR ME ANYWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
AND, UH, I, UH, I MEASURE IT ON LIKES AND, AND I GET A LOT, AND, AND IT'S NOT THAT I GET A LOT, IS THAT THE BUSINESSES GET A LOT.
UM, AND, UH, BUSINESSES COME TO ME AND THEY SAY, I, I'VE GOT A LIST LITERALLY AT HOME, YOU KNOW, WHEN CAN I BE BUSINESS OF THE WEEK? MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE GOT, UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE BRAG, BUT, UH, BUT UH, THIS IS WHAT I HAVE SEEN.
UM, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M A COUNCILMAN.
I WORK FULL-TIME AS A POLICE DETECTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF MY TIME.
UH, BUT BUSINESSES CALLED ME AND, UH, AND I'M THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I, I I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, UH, WHERE SAME CALLS.
I, AND AGAIN, AND I, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, UH, WHERE THE DROP OFF IS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING, SAYING, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT THESE ARE ALL, THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS.
UH, I'M SURE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE CHAMBER MAYBE WANNA KNOW.
UH, BUT I DO GET APPROACHED AND I, AND WE DO FOCUS ON OUR MEMBERSHIP.
BUT, UM, THE WHOLE CITY OF LAHABRA IS STILL FEEDS INTO THE TAX BASE.
SO WE WILL, IF SOMEBODY ASKS ME, I'LL STILL, I'LL STILL DO IT, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, NON, EVEN THE NON-MEMBERS BECAUSE WE'VE BECOME FRIENDS NOW, YOU KNOW, SO, NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S THE CIRCLE THOUGH, SO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT CIRCLE OF PEOPLE THAN I WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT CIRCLE OF PEOPLE.
AND SO I TRY TO PROMOTE THE CHAMBER, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, THE ONE THAT HAS THE CHAMBER ON IT, BECAUSE WHEN I'M READY TO, TO MOVE ON, THAT CAN JUST BE PICKED UP BY SOMEBODY ELSE.
WHERE PRIOR IT WAS, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL PLATFORM.
SO I DO HAVE BOTH, BUT I'M REALLY TRYING TO PUSH THE CHAMBER PLATFORM SO THAT, LIKE I SAY, IT'S ONGOING AND IT CAN JUST CONTINUE TO GROW AND, AND GO WITH WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF IT AT THE TIME.
EVEN IN OUR OFFICE, WE'VE HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE TAKEN ON AND BEEN THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT ACCOUNT.
AND, UM, AND SO IT HELPS TO HAVE IT JUST UNDER THE CHAMBER.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, QUESTIONS SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF, OF BUDGET, AND WE, WE HAVE THE, UH, THE, UH, THE BUDGET HERE, THE PIE CHART, THE, UH, WHAT COMES TO MIND HERE IS THE, UH, THE LAHABRA CITRUS FAIR.
[01:25:09]
21.I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE FIGURES WITH ME.
22 WAS OUR, PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST THIS PAST YEAR.
AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE NET? WHAT WOULD BE THE NET ON 21 IF YOU DON'T HAVE 20 TWOS? I THINK I DO HAVE 22.
JUST ON THE RIDE TICKETS, NOT, HOW ABOUT THE, THE WHOLE, UH, THE WHOLE EVENT? UH, OKAY.
IT WAS 162,000 WAS THE WHOLE HOW MUCH WHOLE 162,000 WAS THE WHOLE EVENT FOR THIS YEAR? YEAR, YES.
AND THEN AFTER EXPENSES, UH, WE ENDED UP WITH 84.
AND YOU DRAW A SALARY, CORRECT? I DO.
ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC? SURE.
I MEAN, WHAT'S THAT SALARY? 70? 70? MM-HMM.
SO OBVIOUSLY, JUST EVEN LOOKING AT THE, THE CHART, THE CITRUS FAIR IS DEFINITELY OUR HIGHEST.
AND SO, ONE BAD YEAR, WE'RE REALLY GONNA, THAT'S GONNA BE NOT A GOOD DEAL.
SO DID THAT 84 GRAND GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND? JUST INTO THE GENERAL ACCOUNT? MM-HMM.
AND IS IT STILL SITTING THERE? I MEAN, HOW, WHAT KIND OF SURPLUS ARE YOU LOOKING AT THEN, IN TERMS OF OVERALL RESOURCES? HAVE YOU GOT 84,000 ALONE FROM THE CITRUS FAIR? WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR RESERVE OR SURPLUS LOOKING LIKE? WE DON'T HAVE A BIG RESERVE.
WE, WE PRETTY MUCH PUT IT TOWARD THE, UM, THE LOAN TO PAY IT DOWN.
CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON THAT? SO, TWO MORE QUESTIONS FROM ME ACTUALLY.
UH, FOR PURPOSES OF, OF THOSE OF US THAT DON'T KNOW ANYBODY OUT IN THE PUBLIC, CAN YOU JUST GIVE A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A 5 0 1 C6 IS? WE'RE A NONPROFIT BUSINESS ORGANIZATION.
AND THE DESIGNATION AS FAR AS C C6, C3, THOSE THINGS, WHAT C3 IS A, UM, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, AND YOURS IS BUSINESS.
IF ANYBODY CAN ADD ANY, IN A NUTSHELL IS PRETTY MUCH BUSINESS.
AND I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT ON THAT LAST QUESTION.
UM, OH, QUESTION HERE IS, UH, SO I'LL TELL YOU THE, UH, THE CITY OF LAHABRA ITSELF, UH, HAS A, UH, UH, A NEPOTISM POLICY, UH, WHERE WE MAKE IT A RULE NOT TO HIRE FAMILY MEMBERS.
UM, UNDERSTANDABLY, I THINK YOUR SON WAS WORKING FOR THE CHAMBER.
DOES YOUR SON STILL WORK FOR THE CHAMBER? YEAH, HE DOES.
SO DO YOU HAVE A NEPOTISM POLICY? YOU DO NOT.
AND YOUR SON DRAWS A SALARY AS WELL? YES.
WHAT IS YOUR SON'S SALARY? HE IS A, HE'S HOURLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, UM, JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID WITH RESPECT TO YOUR JOB BEING DIFFICULT, IF SOMEBODY FROM THE COUNCIL COMMENTS IN A NEGATIVE WAY ABOUT THE CHAMBER OR ABOUT YOU? UM, THESE ARE BOTH TOUGH JOBS THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S A, YEAH, DEFINITELY PUBLIC EXPOSURE TYPE THING, AND VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE'S NOT A WEEK GO BY THAT I DON'T HEAR SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SAID, OR ALLEGEDLY YOU'VE SAID NEGATIVELY ABOUT THIS COUNCIL.
AND I, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THAT WORKS FOR OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY'RE RIGHT.
ONE OF US IS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT YOU OR YOU'RE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT US.
AND IT MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ANAHEIM SITUATION THAT BASICALLY INVOLVED THE CHAMBER GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS MM-HMM.
AND THEN WE SEE OUR CHAMBER GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW,
[01:30:01]
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE GOAL, WHAT'S THE CHAMBER'S GOAL IN INVITING AN OUTSIDE PERSON TO A BOARD MEETING AND GIVING A PRESENTATION ABOUT CANDIDATES? UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT INVITED.OUR CANDIDATES AREN'T INVITED.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE ALL OF THAT OUT.
IT MAKES IT CONFUSING, DIFFICULT.
I KNOW I'VE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, SAID, PLEASE CALL ME.
WE NEED TO TALK AND YOU AGREE.
AND THAT I DON'T GET A CALL MM-HMM.
I CAN GO ANYTIME ANY PLACE WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU ONE AND GET TO KNOW, UH, MORE ABOUT THE CHAMBER.
I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND I DUTIFULLY PAY MY MEMBERSHIP.
UH, I DON'T ASK FOR ANYTHING FOR IT.
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'RE DOING, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND, AND WHY, I GUESS WE'RE, WE'RE ENDING UP ON THE SHORTS INTO THE STICK IN TERMS OF HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT OUR COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, I DON'T RECALL EVER INVITING ANYBODY TO A BOARD MEETING.
I KNOW THAT I'VE INVITED THEM TO CONNECT UP.
UM, I INVITED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, CANDIDATES TO OUR, TO OUR MIXERS.
AND, UM, MY THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT IS I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WORK WITH WHOEVER GETS ELECTED AND I WOULD LIKE TO MEET THEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET ALONG AND I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THEM.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WHEN THEY ASKED ME, CAN I COME, I OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS SAY YES.
AND, UM, BECAUSE MAYOR, YOU ADDRESSED ONE TIME WITH THE ASSEMBLY SITUATION WHEN IT CAME TO CONGRESS, I THOUGHT, OKAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
WELL, HOW AM I GONNA FIX THIS ONE? SO I ENDED UP INVITING BOTH CANDIDATES, UM, BOTH SIDES OF THE, THAT WERE ON THE FINALISTS.
AND, UM, THAT WAS THE BEST I CAN DO.
I, I OBVIOUSLY WAS GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH ONE OF THEM, AND, AND I AM GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH ONE OF THEM.
I'VE MET, I'VE MET HER NOW, AND SO ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS I'VE MET HER, ACTUALLY.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY THOUGHT PROCESS, IS THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
AND I DON'T MEAN IT LIKE IN A NEGATIVE, I JUST MEAN THAT I'M GOING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
SO IT'S BETTER FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE AND IT, IT'S NOT AS WEARING.
IF I CAN PIGGYBACK ON THAT, THEN, HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY DISCUSSION, UH, WITH THE BOARD AND WITH YOU IN TERMS OF THE, THE IDEA OF, OF PERHAPS CREATING A POLICY WHERE THE CHAMBER IS AGNOSTIC, EXCUSE ME, AGNOSTIC WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICS? IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADVOCATE OR LOBBY, OR WE'RE NOT GONNA EVEN REACH OUT TO HAVE POLITICAL CANDIDATES DURING A CAMPAIGN CYCLE COME AND TALK TO US OR GO TO CONNECT UP, JUST STAYING AWAY FROM IT ENTIRELY? OR IS THAT, HAS THAT EVER BEEN DISCUSSED? YES, IT HAS.
UM, WE CHOSE NOT TO ENDORSE ANY CANDIDATES.
UM, SO THE ONLY THING IS IT'S NOW PUTTING A, A STATEMENT IN OUR, UM, BYLAWS CUZ WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IN IT.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, WE DEFINITELY DISCUSSED IT AND IT, IT'S BETTER JUST TO, TO BE NEUTRAL ABOUT IT.
IT DIDN'T WORK OUT REAL WELL,
WELL, AND THE LOADED QUESTION THERE IS TOO, I MEAN, ASKING YOU PERSONALLY, ARE YOU GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THE GENERAL DIRECTION? DO YOU THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL IS TAKING THE CITY OR DO YOU THINK THERE'S A TREMENDOUS, UH, ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? ARE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH CERTAIN ASPECTS OF, UH, THE DIRECTION THIS COUNCIL'S TAKING? HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT? I'M NOT DISSATISFIED.
I THINK THAT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR PEOPLE TO CHALLENGE AND QUESTION AND, AND GET, UM, ANSWERS MORE CLARITY.
UH, SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
UH, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING THAT I, THAT WOULD HOPE IS THAT WE COULD HAVE MORE OF THE INTERACTION AND MORE OF THE, UH, TRANSPARENCY.
AND, AND LIKE I TOLD YOU, DARREN, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT, IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING, ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
[01:35:01]
ASKING THE QUESTIONS, WE CAN GET, GET, UH, BE FAMILIAR AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.SO, UH, AS FAR AS, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GONNA BRING UP AND I, YOU MENTIONED IT AND I JUST CAN'T THINK WHAT IT WAS RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN WORK WITH THE CURRENT COUNCIL? OF COURSE.
AND LET ME, LET ME JUST STATE THIS.
I HAVE GONE TO OTHER CITIES AND I WILL GO COAST TO COAST, SHORT SHORE AND AROUND THE WORLD IF I HAVE TO PROMOTE LAHABRA AND I GO TO OTHER COMMUNITIES TO TRY TO GET IDEAS AND I'VE, UM, TALKED ONE ON ONE WITH BOARD MEMBERS.
I'VE TALKED TO CHRISTY WYATT, AND I SAID, WOW, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WAKE UP WITTER LIKE THEY DO OVER THERE AND HAVE IT HERE IN LAHABRA? CAN, CAN WE DO THIS? AND I'VE, I, I'VE DONE IT IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT I DESIRE FOR MY COMMUNITY.
CUZ I LOVE LAHABRA AND I WANT THOSE THINGS FOR LAHABRA.
SO, UM, IT'S MORE OF A FRUSTRATION ON MY PART BECAUSE I SEE THESE THINGS GOING ON AND I WANT THAT FOR HABRA.
I WANT THE CHAMBER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU HAD, UH, PROVIDED AS FAR AS INFORMATION OF WHAT THE CHAMBER DOES.
YOU HAD, UH, AT, UH, YOU SAID YOU HAD AT ONE TIME PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL CLASSES, UH, BUT THAT WAS NO LONGER TAKING PLACE.
NO, WE TRIED IT JUST RECENTLY, SORRY, WE TRIED IT JUST RECENTLY AND IT WAS IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND, UM, SOME PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE IT WAS LIKE, WELL, THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE OFFICE CAUSE WE DID IT RIGHT AFTER CONNECT UP.
SO THAT'S MEANING THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE GONE FROM EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING UNTIL 10 OR 10 30.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING THE IDEA OF DOING IT ON A DIFFERENT DAY OR DOING IT AT A DIFFERENT TIME.
IF YOU DID PROVIDE WORKSHOPS, ARE THEY IN, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS I SAW MRS. OCHOA BEING RECOGNIZED MM-HMM.
SHE KNOWS THAT THE HARBOR IS HERE FOR HER.
SHE HAS A VOICE BECAUSE THINGS WERE OFFERED TO HER IN SPANISH.
LIKE THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, POLICE ACADEMY, THE CERT IS OFFERED IN SPANISH.
UH, THAT SENDS A MESSAGE THAT TO HER, I BELIEVE THAT SHE'S IMPORTANT.
UM, SO THE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE NOT BILINGUAL, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ABCS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE ENTREPRENEURS THAT I SEE THAT IF THEY KNEW THE ABCS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS, UM, WHO DO THEY GO TO AND WILL IT OFFER TO THEM IN SPANISH? YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IS THESE NEW BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE THIS ASPIRATION TO START A JOB BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
AND WE DIRECT THEM MAYBE TO THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BECAUSE THAT'S A PLACE I KNOW THAT WILL GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT.
AND SO FOR ME, HAVING THESE WORKSHOPS IN, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND BEING PHYSICALLY THERE, UM, OFFERING THEM, I THINK THAT THEY WILL THRIVE BETTER IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WILL BE PART OF THE BACKBONE OF, OF LAHABRA.
SO THIS IS WHY I ASK, WILL YOU HAVE THESE WORKSHOPS AND DO YOU HAVE THEM IN IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AS WELL? THE BASICS I CAN PULL OFF, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT, WHEN I'M TRYING TO TRANSLATE AND TALK TO PEOPLE IN SPANISH.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF MEMBERS, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, WE HAVE AMBASSADORS THAT ARE VERY, VERY FLUENT IN SPANISH.
AND, AND SO IF I HA I KNOW I HAVE THAT NEED, THEY'VE OFFERED TO HELP AND BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE OR DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO.
I KNOW THAT I WAS ATTENDED A THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND I HAD SAT WITH A PERSON THAT, UH, USED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBERS, UH, BOARD, BUT WAS NO LONGER PART OF IT BECAUSE, UH, I, I GUESS HER LIMITED ENGLISH.
AND I SAID, WELL, THERE ARE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THERE THAT, UH, THAT WERE SPANISH SPEAKING.
AND SHE SAYS THAT NUMBER HAS DWINDLED.
SO IT'S A CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE WE WANT TO MM-HMM.
AND IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND RETAIN THEM ON THE BOARD, EVEN IF THEY DON'T SPEAK A LOT, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
RIGHT NOW I CAN THINK OF TWO OFF THE HAND, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT ARE ON OUR BOARD AND AMBASSADORS THAT ARE, UM, FIRST LANGUAGE SPANISH.
SO YEAH, THAT IS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, A NEED THAT WE CAN MEET.
[01:40:01]
THEY REPRESENT THE CHAMBER ON IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ALSO HELP OUT WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.UM, AND HOW MANY AMBASSADORS DO YOU HAVE? RIGHT NOW? WE HAVE ACTIVE SIX.
UH, AND THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL BUSINESS OWNERS OR BUSINESS MEMBERS, CORRECT? YES.
UM, AND, UH, ARE YOU, UH, ACTIVELY RECRUITING AMBASSADORS? UM, WE DO ONCE A YEAR.
WE WE'RE DOING IT WITH THE CYCLE OF OUR, UM, BOARD MEMBERS.
SO OUR, WE, WE ARE FISCAL YEAR, SO WE GO FROM JUNE 30TH TO JULY 1ST.
AND SO WE JUST KIND OF CHECK WITH THE AMBASSADORS, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE OR ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU, WHAT IS YOUR FEELING ON THE WHOLE THING? SO IS IT JUST THAT YOU'LL ONLY HAVE SIX OR CAN YOU HAVE, CAN YOU HAVE 12 FOR INSTANCE? WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS WE WANT.
I, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, UM, LIMIT.
AND, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK, UH, IS JUST FOR THE DIVERSITY OF IT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR MM-HMM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW BUSINESSES THAT FORMER BUSINESS CHAMBER MEMBERS THAT HAVE APPROACHED ME AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY WEREN'T TOO INCLUSIVE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IN ALL FAIRNESS, THAT'S WHY I ASK YOU BECAUSE, UH, UM, I, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN, PEOPLE CAN TELL ME CERTAIN THINGS, BUT IT'S, IT'S BETTER TO ASK YOU.
AND ONLY FAIR TO YOU JUST THE SAME AS TO HOW INCLUSIVE YOU ARE.
UM, AS FAR AS THOSE AMBASSADORS, UM, OH, I'D LIKE TO SAY I AM VERY INCLUSIVE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, I DON'T HAVE A LARGE STAFF, SO I DO HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE AMBASSADORS.
UM, I AM VERY, VERY, UH, AWARE THAT THEY DO HAVE JOBS AND THEY DO HAVE OTHER COMMITMENTS.
AND SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS PRESENT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT WHEN WE HAVE OUR MAJOR EVENTS, YOU'LL SEE THEM DOING THINGS AND HELPING OUT.
AND, UM, AND GOING BACK TO THE SPANISH SPEAKING, WE, UM, DO YOU KNOW DIEGO FROM NORTHGATE? HE TOOK OVER IN JOSHUA'S SPACE.
AND, UM, HIS SPANISH IS, HE'S DEFINITELY FIRST LANGUAGE SPANISH.
AND THE CHALLENGE WAS MAKING SURE THAT HE'S UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
AND I'M LIKE, JUST ASK, JUST STOP AND ASK.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEFINITELY TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE AND IT, IT RECRUITS THE, UH, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE HISPANIC BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
SO WE TRY TO BE AS DIVERSE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN IN OUR BOARD AND, AND JUST HAVING SMALL BUSINESSES UP TO BANKERS.
AND SO WE TRY TO DO OUR BEST AS FAR AS HAVING, UM, THAT HAPPEN.
UH, ONE MORE QUESTION AND I'LL, AND I, I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE JUMPING AROUND, BUT AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, FOR INSTANCE, UH, UH, SO THE CITY, LIKE ANY MUNICIPALITY HAS A BUDGET LINE ITEMS, UH, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE, DOWN TO THE PENNY, SO TO SPEAK.
WE HAVE WARRANTS THAT WE SIGN EVERY WEEK, YOU KNOW, JUST THE SAME, UM, CITY MANAGER AND I SIGN THEM.
DO YOU PROVIDE YOUR MEMBERSHIP OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, A LINE ITEM BUDGET OF, OF MONEY COMING IN AND OUT AND CHECKS THAT ARE WRITTEN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE NOT TO THE MEMBERSHIP.
AND WHERE COULD WE FIND THAT? UH, JUST GIMME A CALL, UH, ANYWHERE ONLINE? OR IS IT JUST, IS IT ONLY THROUGH YOU THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE, WHERE THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT? YES.
IS THERE A WAY, AS A FIVE IS A, IS THERE A WAY AS A 5 0 1 C6 BECAUSE YOU'RE A NONPROFIT, CORRECT? YES.
UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN POST THAT ONLINE AND MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC? AND AGAIN, FOR TRANSPARENCY SAKE ON OUR, UM, WEBSITE, YOU TELL ME.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
YOU KNOW, IN, IN ORDER FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE APPROACHED ME MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THIS IS THE FORUM YOU'VE BEEN GRACIOUS IN, IN ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT, UH, WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.
IT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS WELL.
THE CITY IS ALLOCATING, UH, UH, AN AMOUNT OF $20,000.
AND AGAIN, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, JUST TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT MONEY'S BEING SPENT.
AND, UH, IF, UH, IF THAT LINE ITEM BUDGET, UH, WAS ACCESSIBLE, UH, ON A WEBSITE, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT.
IN THAT WAY THE, UH, UH, OUR RESIDENTS IN LAHABRA KNOW WHERE EXACTLY OUR, OUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT, UH, BECAUSE THAT QUESTION DOES COME UP QUITE A BIT, SO YEAH.
UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE IT WITH ME.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE COPIES OR DO WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE, WE'LL GET A COPY FROM YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? I THINK, I THINK, UH, THE MAYOR WAS ASKING THAT BECAUSE WE AS A CITY ARE REQUIRED TO POST ALL OUR SALARIES OF WHAT WE MAKE, WHAT THE CITY MANAGER MAKES.
I THINK IT'S JUST ABOUT EVERY STAFF, EVERYONE, THE CALIFORNIA STATE,
[01:45:01]
WHAT IS IT, JIM? WE REPORT, IT'S THE, YOU TURN YOUR MIC.WE HAVE TO REPORT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, PAYING BENEFITS ON, UM, EVERY YEAR TO THE STATES.
AND THEN THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WEBSITES THAT, BUT WE HAVE, WE'RE REQUIRED BY LOT OF INPUT.
AND WE REPORT THAT EVERY YEAR.
UH, PIGGYBACKING ON, ON JOSE'S QUESTION ON AMBASSADORS.
DO YOU GUYS OFFER A NEW MEMBER'S MEMBERSHIP, LIKE A NEW MEMBER'S CLASS OR ORIENTATION AS TO LIKE, THE BENEFITS OF THE CHAMBER AND NOT SEPARATELY? UHHUH, WE DO IT AS ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS.
THAT WAY WE, WE ARE ABLE TO TAILOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE MEMBER WANTS TO, TO DO OR WANTS TO KNOW, OR, AND, UM, I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO, UH, THEIR CREATIVITY AND WHAT WOULD HELP THEIR BUSINESS.
SO WE DO IT ON A ONE-ON-ONE REAL, REAL DEEP, UH, DEAR TO MY HEART.
UM, WAS THE A PROGRAM, UM, DO YOU THINK THAT'LL BE COMING BACK? IS IT, IS IT, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? YEAH, SO I'VE BEEN IN, UH, TOUCH WITH THE PRINCIPAL OVER AT LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL, UHHUH, AND HE'S DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN, IN HAVING IT COME BACK.
UM, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF NOW, UH, GETTING EVERYTHING FINALIZED.
AND HONESTLY, I THINK WE NEED TO GET NEW BUSINESSES IN LINE.
THAT WAS THE LAHABRA MBA PROGRAM THAT WAS, UH, GOING OUT TO DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND TRAINING AND GETTING THAT WORK EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUTH.
I, I WAS VERY ACTIVE WITH THAT, UH, WITH DIEGO AND JOHN CAMPOS, AND THEY BRING STUDENTS TO ME REGULARLY HERE.
AND MY FINAL QUESTION, UH, YOU HAD ASK FOR AN INCREASE IN FUNDS.
UH, WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? WELL, THAT'S REALLY UP TO YOU, BUT, BUT WHAT, WHAT IF I, IF I HAD TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER, I WOULD GO WITH 10, 10,000.
AND MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, WHAT WOULD THOSE $10,000 BE USED FOR? WELL, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH, UM, SPONSORING IF I CAN, ANY OF THE, UM, MEMBERS THAT ARE HAVING ISSUES HELPING SMALL BUSINESS.
UH, THERE IS, I HAVE A COUPLE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE JUST WORKED ON A, UM, WOULD YOU MIND IF I GIVE YOU A HUNDRED NOW AND GIVE YOU ANOTHER A HUNDRED IN A COUPLE WEEKS? YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND SO PEOPLE WANNA BE ENGAGED.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THEY DON'T HAVE THE FINANCES A LOT OF TIMES.
UM, SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY INCREASE THAT.
WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR STAFFING.
UM, UM, AND IF WE CAN ADD ANOTHER MAYBE DOLLAR OR WHATEVER TO OUR, TO THAT PAY RATE, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BRING SOMEBODY INTO THE OFFICE.
WHAT, I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS ACTUALLY THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN.
TALKING ABOUT A TAX INCREASE THERE.
DEFINITELY THE MEM THE MEMBERSHIP IS OUR FOCUS.
AND, UM, JUST GETTING THE WORD OUT.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S, UH, ME GOING BUSINESS TO BUSINESS AS, AS YOU DO JOSE, UM, JUST GOING BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, MEETING PEOPLE, TALKING TO THEM AND, AND SEEING WHAT LEARNING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESSES AND SHARING.
AND SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'D BE DOING.
SO THE, THE CHA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, MEMBERSHIP DUES, UM, HOW DO YOU BASE THAT ON? IS IT BASED ON LIKE, UM, I MEAN, DO YOU CHARGE THE SAME THING AS NEIGHBORING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OR IS IT BASED ON POPULATION OF LAHABRA OR, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU GUYS COME UP WITH LIKE A MEMBERSHIP DUES? LIKE WHAT, WHAT YOU'LL CHARGE, I KNOW YOU HAVE DIFFERENT TIERS MM-HMM.
LIKE, I TRY TO GET BILL FOR THE OTHER, NOT LIKE 200,000 PEOPLE THERE AT FULLERTON.
I MEAN, I IMAGINE YOU CAN'T CHARGE THE SAME AS LIKE FULLERTON.
WELL, WE DO TRY TO GET A BASELINE FROM OTHER, UM, CHAMBERS.
WE, WE JUST RECENTLY INCREASED BY $10, THE, UM, THE MEMBERSHIP FEES, BUT WE HAD NOT INCREASED SINCE WAY BEFORE I TOOK OVER.
SO YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T THINK YOU'VE PRICED YOURSELF OUTTA THE MARKET BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF A SMALLER CITY OR MID MIDSIZE CITY.
CAUSE WE WENT FROM THREE 50 TO 360, SO, AND SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PUSHBACK AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THERE.
LIKE I SAID, THERE IS THOSE MEMBERS THAT ARE, I CAN DO $10 NOW, I CAN DO, AND WE DO HAVE A MONTHLY, UM, OPTION.
AND I'VE GONE AS FAR AS TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT, IT IS GOING TO COST YOU MORE TO BE ON A MONTHLY.
SO IF YOU COME INTO LIKE A GOOD SALE OR WHATEVER, AND YOU WANNA JUST COME PAY IT OFF, JUST PAY IT OFF SO THAT YOU'RE NOT IN HAVING TO PAY MORE THAN, THAN YOU NORMALLY DO.
SO I TRY TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES AS MUCH AS I POSSIBLY
[01:50:01]
CAN, UM, BUT ALMOST, ALMOST LIKE A CREDIT CARD TO PAY IT ALL OFF AT ONCE.INSTEAD OF MONTHLY, INCUR THE MONTHLY FEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS JUST CAME TO MIND, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE, IT SOUNDS THE PSEUDO HARDSHIPS THAT YOU'RE HAVING IN, IN RETAINING OR, OR, OR, UM, OR GETTING NEW MEMBERS.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER PERMANENTLY, UH, UH, UH, PARTNERING WITH ANDRY CHAMBER? I, UM, PROBABLY NOT.
WHY NOT? I, UM, WE, I ACTUALLY TALKED TO LAMARE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
THEY'RE, UH, MUCH SMALLER THAN US.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY'RE WAY MUCH SMALLER THAN US.
AND, UM, SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT ONE POINT, BUT LAHABRA, IT'S HARD TO, FOR EXAMPLE, MEET THE NEEDS OF LAHABRA AND KEEP THE CHARACTER OF LAHABRA AND BE IN LARA OR BE IN WHITTIER.
IT'S DIFFERENT, IT'S DIFFERENT CITIES, IT'S DIFFERENT.
UM, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS LIKE NOR, UM, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY, THEY SERVICE THREE CITIES.
IS IT THEY SERVICE A NUMBER OF CITIES.
HOW DO YOU MEET THE NEEDS? HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THREE COUNCILS, THREE MAYORS, THREE, AND MEET THE NEED OF EACH, EACH CHAMBER? THAT TO ME DOESN'T EVEN SEEM LIKE UNLESS YOU'RE HAVING SOME KIND OF A BLANKET, THIS IS GONNA BE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT.
UM, IT KIND OF LOSES THAT, UH, PERSONAL TOUCH, IF YOU WILL.
THAT WE, THAT WE WANNA HAVE WITH OUR CHAMBER.
AND, AND IF YOU'RE ASKING THE COUNCIL THAT QUESTION ANYWAY, AND, AND I, WHETHER YOU ARE OR NOT, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ANSWER IT FOR YOU.
AND THE WAY I SEE A HIERARCHY CHART, FOR INSTANCE, IS, UH, IN, IN, IN MY, IN MY SIMPLE MIND IS, THE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT IS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, WELL, I'M A POLICE DETECTIVE, YOU HAVE A POLICE CHIEF.
THE POLICE CHIEF WOULD BE THE, UH, THE HEAD OF THE BUSINESS CHAMBER.
HE HAS TWO CAPTAINS THAT SERVE AS DIFFERENT AREAS OR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THAT LAHABRA WOULD BE A TERRITORY.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, I WORKED IN SALES 30 SOMETHING YEARS AGO.
UH, YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AREA, UM, THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD DO IT ANYWAY.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE RIGHT TO, TO A DEGREE THERE IS, BUT PARTNERING WITH ANOTHER CHAMBER, YOU KNOW, THE AREA OR MM-HMM.
WE PARTNERED THAT WAY, BUT WE DON'T PARTNER IN THE SENSE OF MONEY AND, UM, STEALING EACH OTHER'S MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
YOU'D BE SHARING THEM IF YOU WERE YES.
IF YOU WERE UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.
THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY STEALING RATHER THAN A PARTNERSHIP.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SUGGESTING OR TALKING ABOUT IS A POTENTIAL MERGER, AND THERE ARE SCALES OF ECONOMY ASSOCIATED WITH A MERGER WHERE YOUR OVERHEAD SUDDENLY DROPS QUITE A BIT.
SO, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T GET THE EXTRA $10,000, THERE WAS SOME ADJUSTMENT, WOULD, UM, WOULD THAT POSE A PROBLEM OR THAT GIVE YOU FURTHER INCENTIVE TO CONSIDER, UH, PARTNERING WITH SOMEBODY ELSE? SO YOU'LL BE OKAY? YEAH, I'D, I LIKE ANOTHER FUNDRAISER.
YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE IT, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE OKAY.
I, REAL QUICK, I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE STUDENTS HERE FROM OA HIGH SCHOOL HERE.
THEY'VE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING.
I KNOW TOMORROW'S A SCHOOL DAY ROLL EARLY, SO WE UNDERSTAND YOU LADIES HAVE TO LEAVE.
WE CAN ATTEST THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR WELL OVER TWO HOURS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING ALL THE STUDENTS FROM LA HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH OUR MEETING.
YEAH, YOU GOT ME AND KEPT ME
WELL, I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THIS.
THAT'S FOR DARN CERTAIN, BUT A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? SO MY FIRST MEETING IS GOING TO BE WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN SIMONIAN.
SORRY, MY FIRST MEETING WILL BE WITH YOU.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE.
I'LL CALL YOU WEDNESDAY AT LUNCH.
I KNOW THIS WEEK IS, IS A BUSY WEEK FOR ME, SO.
OH, YOU KNOW, WELL I TAKE THURSDAY BACK CUZ ISN'T THAT, UM, THE MEMORIAL? I GOT AN IDEA.
MAYBE YOU CAN, UH, YOU GUYS CAN TALK, UH, AFTERWARD.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU UNANTICIPATED TO KEEP YOU UP HERE THIS LONG.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS CAME UP AND, UH, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WATCHING IN THOSE THAT ARE IN THE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, CAN, CAN APPRECIATE THE NATURE OF OUR QUESTIONS AND, UH, THE, THE NEED NOT JUST HERE, BUT IN ANY, UH, MUNICIPALITY FOR TRANSPARENCY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, I'LL, THE, THE TERM OF THE
[01:55:01]
NIGHT FOR ME IS, UH, IS OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO OUR RESIDENTS.SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I WAS UNCLEAR ABOUT.
ANYTHING YOU WANNA SEE, DON'T HESITATE.
AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHRISTINA TOO.
IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT, WELL, I CAN PROBABLY BE REPRINTED IF YOU WANNA JUST KEEP THAT YEAH, YOU CAN LEAVE A COPY WITH SOMEBODY.
UH, WE'RE GOING ON TO, UH, THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
[ PUBLIC COMMENTS: When addressing the La Habra City Council, please complete a Speaker’s Card before leaving the Council Chamber. General Public Comments shall be received at the beginning of the governing body meeting and limited to three (3) minutes per individual, with a total time limit of 30 minutes for all public comments, unless otherwise modified by the Mayor or Chair. 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. The general Public Comment portion of the meeting allows the public to address any item of City business not appearing on the scheduled agenda. Per Government Code Section 54954.3(a), such comments shall not be responded to by the governing body during the meeting.]
COMMENTS.ANYBODY HERE, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE RECEIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOVERNING BODY MEETING AND LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES FOR ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UNLESS OTHERWISE MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR OR CHAIR SPEAKING TIME MAY NOT BE GRANTED AND OR LOANED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL.
FOR PURPOSES OF EXTENDING AVAILABLE SPEAKING TIME, 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.
IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION FOR THE RECORD, YES.
THAT PRIOR TO 5:00 PM TODAY, AN EMAIL PUBLIC COMMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM DR.
SUE RICHARD, AND A COPY WAS PROVIDED AT THE DI FOR ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE'LL, STAFF WILL RESPOND TO HER QUESTIONS AS SHE RE REQUESTED ANSWERS.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE? WE HAVE GROCERY OUTLET.
THAT IS TIME US SPECIAL EVENT COMING UP.
HELLO ON BRO MAYER AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW ME.
UM, ME AND MY HUSBAND Q HAVE OWNED THE LAW GROCERY OUTLET FOR THREE YEARS NOW, COMING UP ON THE 21ST, AND WE'RE GONNA DO A BIG THREE YEAR CELEBRATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING, WE'RE DOING TONS OF GIVEAWAYS.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ACT ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE FUNNEL CAKES AND HOT CHOCOLATE.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FUN.
UM, MARIE MARIA IS HELPING WITH THAT.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF VENDORS THERE.
UM, WE ARE A STANDALONE IN OUR PARKING LOT, AND SO IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF SPACE FOR US TO DO A LOT.
UM, IT'S WINTER WONDERLAND THEME, SO WE WILL HAVE SANTA, WE'LL HAVE MS. CLAUS, UM, PICTURES FOR MS. CLAUS.
UM, LET'S SEE, OUR MAYOR WILL BE THERE.
JOSE MADRANO,
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THE REST OF YOU PLEASE ATTEND.
I'M ALWAYS THERE GROCERY SHOPPING, SO I SEE MY HUSBAND ALL THE TIME.
Q IS LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE LIKE BFFS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UH, YOUNG KIM IS GONNA BE THERE.
UM, WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UH, LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, I'M TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH A COUPLE OTHER SCHOOLS, BUT FOR SURE LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE THERE TO BE DOING SOME SORT OF PERFORMANCE.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FUN.
SO I HOPE YOU GUYS COME, PLEASE.
OKAY, SO IT'S GONNA BE DECEMBER 17TH, UH, FROM 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM IT'S AT MY STORE, OF COURSE, AT MY STORE.
WHI BEACH, 2001 WEST WHITTIER BOULEVARD AT THE CORNER OF BEACH BOULEVARD AND WHITTIER BOULEVARD.
ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? FEEL LIKE AN AUCTIONEER GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
[ CONSENT CALENDAR: All matters on Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion unless a Councilmember, City staff member, or member of the audience requests separate action or removal of an item. Removed items will be considered following the Consent Calendar portion of this agenda. Public comment shall be limited to three (3) minutes per individual, with a total time limit of 30 minutes per item that has been removed for separate discussion, 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. ]
ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.ALL MATTERS ON CONSENT CALENDAR ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY STAFF MEMBER, MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE REQUESTS SEPARATE ACTION.
REMOVAL OF AN ITEM REMOVED ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOLLOWING THE CONSENT CALENDAR PORTION OF THIS AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES PER ITEM THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION, UNLESS OTHERWISE, MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR.
SPEAKING TIME MAY NOT BE GRANTED AND ALONE TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL.
FOR PURPOSES OF EXTENDING AVAILABLE SPEAKING TIME AND COMMENTS MUST BE KEPT BRIEF, NON-REPETITIVE, AND PROFESSIONAL IN NATURE.
THE CONSENT CALENDAR INCLUDES CITY COUNCIL ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN CALL FOR REMOVAL OF ITEMS BY STAFF NON MENTIONED MAYOR CITY COUNCIL.
[02:00:01]
BE RECUSING MYSELF ON ITEM THREE AS I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO RESERVOIR PARK.ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE? ALL RIGHT.
CAN I HAVE A, UH, CALL FOR ACTION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, COUNCILMAN SIMONIAN ABSTAINING FROM ITEM NUMBER THREE? MR. MAYER, I GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR, NOTING THAT, UH, MR. SIMONIAN HAS ABSTAINED NUMBER THREE.
ONLY THAT'S ME, BUT YOU HAVE, I'LL SECOND THAT.
WILL THE COUNCIL PLEASE VOTE? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
NO PUBLIC HEARINGS AT THIS TIME.
[ MAYOR'S COMMUNITY CALENDAR:]
CONSIDERATION ITEMS. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE MAYOR'S COMMUNITY CALENDAR.LOCAL COVID TESTING, VACCINATION AND BOOSTER SHOT APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HOPPER COMMUNITY CENTER.
TESTING OCCURS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7:00 AM TO 6:00 PM AND FRIDAY, 7:00 AM TO 5:00 PM CLOSED WEEKENDS.
APPOINTMENTS FOR VACCINATION AND BOOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM CLOSED FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT 5 6 2 3 8 3 4 2 0 0.
SPREAD A MEASURE OF HOLIDAY CHEER AND HELP CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND SENIORS IN NEED BY DONATING TO THE 2022 LAHABRA HOLIDAY WISHES PROGRAM.
THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM HAS HELPED SO MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN NEED, AND WE INVITE EVERYONE TO MAKE A POSITIVE, POSITIVE DIFFERENCE BY PARTICIPATING THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT GIVING OPTIONS.
WE GRATEFULLY ACCEPT NEW TOY DONATIONS FOR KIDS AGES TWO THROUGH SIX, FINANCIAL DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE DONATION OF GIFT CARDS, OR THE SPONSORSHIP OF $25 ACTIVITY BAGS SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN AND SENIORS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP THOSE IN NEED, CALL US AT (562) 383-4200.
GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT AND DECORATE THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME FOR THE 2022 LAHABRA HOLIDAY HOME DECORATING CONTEST.
NOMINATIONS ARE ACCEPTED THROUGH DECEMBER 12TH, AND WINNERS WILL BE RECOGNIZED AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON DECEMBER 19TH.
FROM OUR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FREE CONTEST, PLEASE CALL 5 6 2 3 8 3 4 2 0 0 OR VISIT US ONLINE@WWW.LAHABRACA.GOV.
AS A REMINDER, LAHABRA CITY HALL WILL BE CLOSED OVER THE WINTER HOLIDAYS FROM DECEMBER 22ND THROUGH JANUARY 2ND, REOPENING TO THE PUBLIC ON JANUARY 3RD.
IN ADDITION TO THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAYS, THE COMMUNITY CENTER WILL ALSO BE CLOSED ON DECEMBER 23RD, 26TH AND JANUARY 2ND.
THE WIND TUR CLOSURE WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORK SERVICES.
WATER BILLS THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE DUE OVER THE CLOSURE WILL BE INSTEAD DUE WHEN CITY HALL REOPENS ON JANUARY 3RD.
PLEASE REFER TO YOUR WATER BILL FOR MORE INFORMATION.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AT 5 6 2 3 8 3 4 0 1 0 KIDS RING IN 2023 AT OUR ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S NOON PARTY AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31ST FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM THE PHONE WILL INCLUDE A VARIETY OF KIT FRIENDLY ARTS AND CRAFTS, AS WELL AS A LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND A COUNTDOWN BALLOON DROP AT THE STROKE OF NOON.
THE EVENT IS INCLUDED WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AT (562) 383-4236.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE AND WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES REMAIN IN EFFECT.
IRRIGATION IS LIMITED TO THREE TIMES PER WEEK WITH NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES WATERING PER STATION N NO RUNOFF.
PLEASE NOTE THAT LAWN IRRIGATION IS PROHIBITED BETWEEN 9:00 AM AND 6:00 PM AS IS THE WASHING OF HEART SURFACES SUCH AS SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS, DO YOUR PART AND HELP US CONSERVE OUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN HELP CONSERVE WATER DURING THE DROP, PLEASE CONTACT THE LAHABRA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT 5 6 2 3 8 3 4 1 70.
[ COMMENTS FROM STAFF:]
THAT, ARE THERE ANY, UH, COMMENTS FROM STAFF? UH, JUST ONE, MR. MAYOR.I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF OUR STAFF.
UM, IT WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK, UH, THIS WEEKEND TO PUT OFF THE, UH, PULL OFF THE TAMA FEST.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE WHAT WAS PUT TOGETHER ON SATURDAY DOESN'T COME TOGETHER EASILY AND IT WAS A MULTI-DEPARTMENT EFFORT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY SPEARHEADED BY COMMUNITY SERVICES.
WE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB, UH, PULLING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
PUBLIC WORKS WAS OUT THERE, CLOSING STREETS AND WORKING THE EVENT, UH, ALL THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING WAS KEPT CLEAN AND EVERYTHING WAS SAFE.
UH, THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB ON THAT CHRISTMAS TREE.
I WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY STUNNED TO SEE THAT THING WHEN IT LIT OFF AND, AND HOW GREAT IT LOOKED.
UM, AND THEN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT OUT THERE WITH A REALLY GOOD PRESENCE AND AMAZING HOW MANY KIDS WERE JUST GOING UP TO TALK TO POLICE OFFICERS AND, AND GET TO KNOW THEM.
AND IT WAS VERY, A VERY NICE, UH, EVENT TO BE ABLE TO, TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WELL ATTENDED.
[02:05:01]
I MEAN, AND I DON'T KNOW WHOSE FAVORS WE HAD TO PULL IN FOR THE WEATHER, BUT WESO, UH, GREAT JOB TO OUR STAFF AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING A LOT OF HOURS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
[ COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS:]
ALL RIGHT.UH, REAL QUICK, I WANTED TO THANK, UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, EVERYBODY THAT HAD A HAND IN THERE.
ALSO, OUR BASEBALL TEAM FROM MOHAM HIGH SCHOOL WAS OUT THERE PUTTING UP TABLES AND CHAIRS.
THE LIONS CLUB WERE OUT THERE BEING VERY, VERY ACTIVE.
IT WAS JUST A PHENOMENAL, PHENOMENAL, UM, TAMA FESTIVAL UNDER SOME VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES FOR KELLY.
UH, SHE PULLED IT OFF REG, UM, UNDER SOME VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
I WANNA THANK HENRY DECARLO FROM CHANNEL FIVE, WHO CONTINUED TO GIVE US A SHOUT OUT.
HE DID A NICE VIDEO THIS MORNING ON THE NEWS, UH, ABOUT THE TAMALE FESTIVAL, GAVE SOME SHOUTOUTS, SO I THOUGHT WE HAD FAVOR WITH THE WEATHERMAN FOR THE WEATHER THAT WE HAD, UH, THIS WEEKEND.
UM, WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE? I THINK, I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE ALL CONGRATULATIONS TO MY COLLEAGUES DARREN ARIAN AND JOSE MADRANO, UH, OFFICIALLY BEING REELECTED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING HOW THE TAMALE FESTIVAL HAS JUST EXPLODED IN, ITS IN ITS SIZE, ITS POPULARITY, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED IN TERMS OF THE VENDORS AND THE, AND THE RIDES, AND OF COURSE, THE FIREWORKS, WHICH IS A NEW THING.
I THINK LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR THEY HAD A FIREWORK SHOW.
AND I KNOW THIS YEAR SOMEBODY, I GUESS, DROPPED THE MATCH INITIALLY
AND JUST WHAT, UM, JIM SADRO SAYS, PHENOMENAL EFFORT MADE BY STAFF, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME, AND IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL THING TO SEE SO MANY LADS HAVING A GREAT TIME AT THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS, AND I WILL CONGRATULATE, UH, MR. HABER, MAYOR PROTE, JIM GOMEZ ON HIS DISTINCTIVE AND DECISIVE VICTORY.
I WILL DO THE SAME FOR, UH, MAYOR MADRANO, WHO DESPITE SUFFERING SOME SLINGS AND ARROWS IN THE MAIL, STILL, UH, PREVAILED IN A VERY LARGE WAY.
IN FACT, ALL THREE OF US, I THINK, HAD COM COMMANDING LEADS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND IF ANYTHING, THOSE MARGINS ONLY EXPANDED A BIT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTING PROCESS.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THE REGISTRAR, OUR VOTERS CONTINUED TO COUNT, AND A A COUPLE VOTES WOULD TRICKLE IN, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S IN PORT FORUM TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT OR CROW ABOUT IT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, UM, THE FAT LADY SINGS.
SO, BUT NOW IT'S BEEN CERTIFIED.
AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, I FEEL EVERMORE CONFIDENT THAT LAHABRA IS IN GREAT SHAPE.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU ON SO MANY IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU ALL HOW MUCH I VALUE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
WELL, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M ELATED.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, BUT I'VE BEEN AT THROUGH THAT CYCLE SO MANY TIMES, AND I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE FEELING AT EVERY STEP OF THE CAMPAIGN.
SO, UM, UM, I, I JUST HAD IT IN, I JUST FELT THAT, UH, THEY WERE GONNA COME OUT, RIGHT, AND THEY WERE GOING TO, THEY WERE GONNA COME OUT WINNING.
AND I WAS HAPPY THAT THAT HAPPENED.
BUT, UH, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GUYS ALL PUT IN 110, UH, PERCENT OF EVEN MORE OF WORK OUT THERE.
I HAD NEVER SEEN SO MANY SIGNS OUT THERE,
BUT, UH, YEAH, AND I STILL SEE SOME SIGNS.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU GUYS, THERE'S STILL SOME SIGNS OUT THERE THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE DOWN.
UH, BUT YEAH, I KNOW
CONGRATULATIONS, AND IT'S VERY REFRESHING TO BE ON A COUNCIL THAT IS WORKING TOGETHER, THAT WE ARE ON A MISSION TO MAKE LA HARBOR BETTER AND SERVICE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAFF IN PLACE.
I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, I JUST SEE A VERY PROSPEROUS COMING NEW YEAR AND FROM THERE ON IN.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEAGUE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL THAT, UH, WON.
AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO WORKING TOGETHER IN THE COMING YEARS AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT'S, CONGRATULATIONS ALL AROUND FOR ALL OF US.
AND, UH, I WANNA SAY THAT I ATTENDED THE OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE 75TH ANNIVERSARY.
UM, A FATHER ED WAS VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU WERE THERE, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR MADE A, SAID A FEW SPEECHES THERE, I SAID A FEW COMMENTS THERE, AND, UH, THEN THEY HAD A RECEPTION AFTERWARDS, WHICH WAS FANTASTIC.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, IT'S JUST AWESOME, AND IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
THE RIDES ADDED MORE THAT MY GRANDDAUGHTER, AND WE DID.
I MYSELF DID NOT LEAVE UNTIL THE CLOSING BECAUSE, UH, THE FERRIS WHEEL WAS FREE
[02:10:01]
AFTER, UH, A PERIOD OF TIME, AND EVERYBODY COULD GET ON THE FERRIS WHEEL FOR FREE AND THE TRAIN RIDE FOR FREE.AND SO WE WERE THERE UNTIL, UH, SHE WROTE IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UH, THAT WAS LATE INTO THE EVENING ALREADY.
SO I THINK WE SHUT THE TAMALI FESTIVAL DOWN AT THE END.
UH, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE POLICE ASSOCIATION AS WELL.
I THINK THEY HAD THEIR CHRISTMAS PARTY, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER, WHO WOULD NOT LET ME GO ANYWHERE.
I MEAN, I HAD TO STAY THERE AT THE TAMA FESTIVAL ABOUT, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT ALL WENT WELL.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THAT, UH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO, UM, TO, UH, MISS ANNETTE OVER THERE.
YOU KNOW, SHE JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU AS WELL.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING, UH, MS. OCHOA.
JUDE WAS THE ONE THAT GAVE FUNDING, UH, TO HELP THE IMMIGRANT PEOPLE, UH, TO TEACH THEM LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
UH, AND I HELPED ALONG THE WAY WITH ST.
JUDE TOWARDS THE TAIL END WHEN IT CAME TO GOVERNMENT.
UH, AND WE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THEN DON HANNAH.
UM, THEY WANTED CERTAIN THINGS FIXED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE WENT OUT THERE, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER IT WAS DRIZZLING, BUT DON BROUGHT ALL THE DIRECTORS OUT THAT NEEDED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES THAT SHE HAD.
AND WE WERE OUT THERE LOOKING AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SAID WHAT WE COULD DO, WHAT THINGS COULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, WHAT THINGS WOULD TAKE LONGER.
UM, BUT HER VOICE GOT HEARD, AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HER.
AND AFTER THAT, THERE WAS NO STOPPING HER, AND SHE JUST KEPT MOVING FORWARD AND FORWARD.
AND SO SHE'S VERY, VERY INVOLVED.
SHE, UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ST.
JUDE HAVING HAD THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO TEACH THESE RESIDENT MEMBERS OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT, THAT THEY ARE NOW USING AND BEING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I WANT TO, UH, JOURNEY MEMORY OF A, UM, A PERSON THAT PASSED AWAY.
HER NAME IS MABEL, COVER RUBUS, A SHORT STORY BEHIND HER NAME.
UH, SHE ATTENDED WILSON SCHOOL, UH, WHICH WAS A SEGREGATED SCHOOL HERE IN LA HARBOR.
HER NAME IS REALLY, UM, WHAT WAS IT? AMEDIA AMEDIA COVER RUBUS.
BUT THE SCHOOL DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO CHANGE HER NAME BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PRONOUNCE HER NAME, AMELIA.
AND SHE, FOR FOREVER, THEN KEPT THE NAME MABEL, EVEN THOUGH IT REALLY ISN'T PART OF HER NAME.
UH, SO THEY DID, UH, UH, CREATE THE PROGRAM IN HER MEMORY OF AME, UH, MABEL, EVEN THOUGH HER, HER TRUE NAME WAS AMELIA.
AND, UH, OH, AT 95 AND A HALF YEARS OLD, HER, HER FAMILY WAS PREPARING FOR A, UM, UH, PREPARING HER BIRTHDAY, 100TH BIRTHDAY PARTY, BUT SHE HAD A HEART ATTACK AND PASSED AWAY ON, UH, NOVEMBER 12TH, UH, 2022.
UH, SHE WAS BORN IN, UH, APRIL 12TH, 1923.
UM, AND SHE WAS ON THE SAME STREET THAT TONY GONZALEZ, WHO, HOW OLD WAS HE? 102.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER PERSON THERE DOWN MR. MAHI.
YOU SEE HIM AT THE CONCERTS DANCING ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT STREET THAT I'VE GOTTA MOVE INTO THAT STREET AND NOT MY STREET.
BUT ANYWAY, I WANT TO ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF, UM, A MABEL COVER RUBUS.
MR. MAYOR, IF I MIGHT, UM, JOIN THE GROUP IN, UH, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY STAFF FOR THE TAMA FESTIVAL.
IT TRULY WAS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.
I'M, I'M, UH, VERY, UH, GLAD THAT I ATTENDED, AND MY WIFE AND I ENJOYED IT IMMENSELY.
UH, REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE, UH, YOUR FRIEND.
UH, THE, UH, LAPD MARIACHI WAS, UH, REPHRASE IT.
UH, CHIEF, YOU'VE GOT A REAL CHALLENGE.
TRY TO DEVELOP SOMEBODY FROM LA HARBOR PD TO BEAT LAPD'S, UH, MARIACHI, UH, HE'S QUITE, QUITE GOOD.
UH, ANNETTE, UM, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, SWEETHEART.
YOU'RE ONLY 27 ONCE, SO ENJOY IT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, UM, EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING AND, UM, WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR A TOUGH FOUGHT ELECTION FOR SOMEONE WHO SPENT, UH, ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE AS A POLICE OFFICER, AND FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, DEVELOPED THE CORRUPTIONS UNIT AND, UH, LOCKED UP OVER 400 POLITICIANS FOR POLITICAL CORRUPTION, PROSECUTED THEM.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU, IT'S DAMN DIFFICULT TO GET GOOD PEOPLE
[02:15:01]
TO RUN FOR OFFICE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.AND WHEN YOU SEE AN OUTSIDE FORCE TRYING TO CORRUPT A SMALL CITY'S ELECTION BY PUMPING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO TWO CANDIDATES, UH, TO, UH, GET WHAT THEY WANT, SPECIAL INTEREST, UH, IT'S, IT'S SCARY FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME.
I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO A CITY, AND ONCE THEY GRAB YOU, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO LET GO.
SO, FOR THE THREE CANDIDATES WHO, UH, WERE INVOLVED IN THAT AND OUR MAYOR WHO TOOK THE BRUNT, UM, OF THAT, I HAVE NOTHING BUT, UH, ADMIRATION.
YOU DID IT AS A CLASS ACT, AND AS I WATCH YOU WORK EVERY DAY, THE COLLEAGUES THAT I HAVE UP HERE, I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS GROUP WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, REALLY, REALLY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE, AND WANNA SEE THIS TOWN, UM, BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT CAN BE.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE PART OF IT.
AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO MY COLLEAGUES JAMES MAYOR PROTON, MR. LAHABRA, AGAIN.
AND, UH, DARREN, IT WAS A, UH, IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT.
AND I WILL ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY FORMER POLICE CHIEF.
AND THAT, AND AT THE HANDS OF A, UH, A FORMER COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, WHO THOUGHT HE COULD, UH, COME IN AND DERAIL OUR CITY, SHAMEFUL, SHAMEFUL ON HIS PART, I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, AND I WON'T HOLD BACK ANYMORE WHEN I SAY THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE'S JUST NO PLACE FOR THAT.
UH, BECAUSE, UH, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE GASLIGHTING OUR RESIDENCE, AND THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THAT.
AND IF HE'S A FRIEND OF YOURS, RETHINK THAT FRIENDSHIP.
AND I WILL, AND I WILL START HERE UP ON THE DIAS, AND I WILL TELL YOU ALL, RETHINK THAT FRIENDSHIP, UH, BECAUSE, UH, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S JUST THE WRONG PLACE TO BE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I'LL LET THAT GO.
UH, WANNA DO, CONGRATULATE THE WHITTIER CHRISTIAN HERALDS FOR THEIR, UH, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, UH, FOR WINNING THE C DIVISION 14.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE THEM IN HERE, UH, IF NOT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WHOMEVER OUR NEXT MAYOR IS, UH, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THEM AT THE NEXT ONE, MAYBE, UH, MAYBE ONE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO, UH, TO CONGRATULATE THEM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BEEN IN EXCESS OF 30 SOMETHING YEARS, UH, THAT THEY LAST HAD A, UH, A CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND, UH, UH, JIM SADRO, YOU ARE A, UH, AN ALUMNI.
YEAH, I WASN'T, I WASN'T ON THAT TEAM, THOUGH.
OH, WELL, MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE FIELD, BUT I WASN'T
HEY, I, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER, MAN.
YOU COULD HAVE JUST WENT WITH IT.
SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM.
UH, AND, UH, YES, UH, ALSO, UH, UH, TO THE, UH, LAHABRA POLICE ASSOCIATION.
UM, LIKE I TOLD YOU TODAY, CHIEF, UH, WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KNOW I BLEED BLUE.
UH, I WILL ALWAYS SAY THIS, THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH I DO BELIEVE BLUE, UH, INCLUDING MYSELF, WE DO NEED TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.
AND I KNOW OUR POLICE CHIEF AND OUR LAHABRA POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE, VERY PROUD, VERY PROUD TO REPRESENT OUR CITY AND, AND, AND TO HELP YOU WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, I KNOW JENNIFER IS HERE AS WELL, SO PLEASE PASS THAT ALONG TO EVERYBODY.
SORRY, WE MISSED THE POLICE ASSOCIATION, UH, UH, CHRISTMAS PARTY.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S A LOT BETTER WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE, AND, AND THE CHIEF DOESN'T HANG AROUND TOO LONG THIS WAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE, UH, YOU CAN HAVE SOME FUN.
SO PLEASE, UH, EXTEND OUR, OUR WELL WISHES TO THE ASSOCIATION AND THE, THE MEMBERSHIP THERE.
UM, YES, ATTENDED, UH, OGS, UH, 75TH DIAMOND JUBILEE YESTERDAY.
UH, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD EVENT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUE ROSA SPINOZA TOLD ME YESTERDAY MORNING WHEN WE WERE SITTING THERE IN A PEW INSIDE THE CHURCH, UH, WAS THAT, UH, OG STARTED OUT ON A, ON A LITTLE HOUSE ON FOURTH STREET HERE IN LAHABRA, HOW, UH, HOW APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IN, UH, IT WAS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHY PEOPLE ARE LIVING SO LONG IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LADY AT GUADALUPE.
THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS QUITE AN EVENT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, AS A, AND I'LL TELL YOU, AS A LIFELONG CATHOLIC, I KNOW THERE'S A SEPARATION HERE, BUT, UH, GROWING UP AND GOING TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR 12 YEARS, UH, IT WAS NICE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR A 75TH, UH, DIAMOND JUBILEE.
AND, UH, I KNOW, UH, MY PARENTS WERE SMILING DOWN UPON ME, SO, UH, IN MY FAMILY, I KNOW IT, UH, THEY'D BE PROUD.
SO, GREAT JOB TO ALL OVER AT L LG.
UM, ALSO, UH, UH, WANNA MENTION, UM, THE, UH, THE TAMA FESTIVAL.
[02:20:01]
AND STAFF, CALI FIO.UM, EVERYONE ELSE, UH, HERE THAT PARTICIPATED CHIEF IN, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MY WIFE AND I WERE OUT THERE FOR, UH, FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE TIME.
UH, MY DAUGHTER, UH, HAD TO VOLUNTEER, DO SOME VOLUNTEER HOURS, UH, BUT I HAD AN EXTRA SPECIAL TIME WITH, UH, WITH A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES OVER IN THE, UH, THE LIONS SPONSORED BEER CANTINA.
UM, WE, UH, YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY ROSE DIDN'T WANT TO JOIN US FOR A, FOR A BEER.
THEY DO MORE THAN MAKE FUNNEL CAKES.
THEY, UH, IT WAS, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT WAS A GOOD TIME.
AND AS I TOLD EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, DRINK RESPONSIBLY, FIND A DESIGNATED DRIVER.
BUT THAT WAS A GOOD TIME HAD BY US, AND IT WAS GOOD TO LET LOOSE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, AND JUST, UH, ENJOY THE, UH, ENJOY THE, UH, THE TAMALA FESTIVAL.
UH, THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS GREAT.
YEAH, I MEAN, WHO, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, IT COOPERATED.
UH, I THINK, UH, I THINK JIM KNOWS HENRY DECARLO PRETTY WELL.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING YOU GUYS WORKED OUT.
UM, BUT, UH, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEARS.
AND, UH, ALSO WANTED TO ADD, UH, WE'D ALSO LIKE TO CLOSE IN MEMORY OF, UH, RICHARD FIO, OUR VERY OWN C FUJI'S FATHER WHO PASSED AWAY, UH, NOVEMBER 22ND.
I KNOW, UH, KELLY'S NOT HERE NOW, BUT, UH, WE'VE ALL, UH, EXPRESSED OUR CONDOLENCES AND, UH, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE REACH OUT JUST THE SAME.
UH, WE, UH, WE, WE SHARE HER LOSS.
SO, UH, KELLY, UH, YOUR, UH, YOUR FAMILY ARE IN HER THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL CLOSE IT OUT, UH, IN MEMORY OF, UH, MR. RICHARD FIO AND, UH, IN, UH, IN MEMORY OF AMELIA COVARUBIAS.
AND, UH, SHAMEFUL THAT THAT HAD TO HAPPEN.
UH, BUT, UH, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, UH, UH, MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL CALL THE CITY COUNCIL UNTIL, WHAT IS IT, DECEMBER 19TH.
OH, DO WE HAVE MORE? I, I'M UP THAT, I'M SORRY.
YOU ADJOURN TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
YEAH, YOU WERE GONNA ADJOURN TO THE HOUSING.
SO, THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED TO DECEMBER 19TH, 2022 AT 5:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL.
CLOSED SESSION ROOM ONE 12 C 100 EAST HARBOR BOULEVARD, FOLLOWED BY THE REGULAR MEETING AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER.