[00:00:01]
AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF MONDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2023.
UH, WILL EVERYBODY PLEASE RISE FOR THE INVOCATION FOLLOWED BY THE FLAG SALUTE.
DEAR GOD, WE HUMBLY COME BEFORE YOU TODAY AND ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM AS WE GO AND, UH, INTERVIEW THESE INDIVIDUALS.
GOD, WE ALSO PRAY FOR A SPECIAL BLESSING OVER ALL THESE APPLICANTS LORD, AND WE THANK YOU GOD THAT THEY HAVE THIS WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING OVER EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
PLEASE FACE THE FLAG OF OUR COUNTRY FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND BEGIN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVINCIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UH, WILL THE CITY CLERK PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE INDEED PRESENT AT THIS TIME? I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENTS, ANYBODY WISHING TO ADDRESS THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL? PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES EACH AT THIS TIME.
ANYBODY WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL? PLEASE COME FORWARD.
ANYBODY, ANYBODY? ONCE, TWICE.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO CONSIDERATION ITEMS, UH, ANY MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE THEY MAY WISH TO REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY CONSIDERATION ITEM PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL TAKING A FINAL VOTE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE VOTING ON IT ON AN ITEM, BUT IF ANYBODY WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT WE ARE DOING AT THIS TIME, PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR ANNUAL EXPIRING TERMS AND TWO YEAR TWO ALTERNATIVES ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR ANNUAL EXPIRING TERMS, AND TWO ALTERNATIVES ON THE PLAN, ALTERNATES ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
SO OUR FIRST INDIVIDUAL IS UP HERE, UH, AT FOUR 30, IS ANNETTE LI.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WANTING TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.
LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOWN FOR, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION OR, UH, PLANNING OR PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO EITHER OR, UH, IF YOU CAN JUST BRIEFLY, UM, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
MY NAME IS ANNETTE, UH, GARRA LIMON.
AND, UM, I'VE LIVED IN THE HARBOR FOR ABOUT 44 AND A HALF YEARS.
I CAME AS A YOUNG BRIDE AND I MADE THIS MY HOME AND I WORKED HERE IN LAHABRA.
UH, I USED TO RUN THE BEAUTY COLLEGE.
AND THE WONDERFUL PART ABOUT WAS THAT WAS I DID, I HAD A LOT OF YOUTH, VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME.
I HELP MANY, MANY STUDENTS FROM, UM, THE SURROUNDING HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, TEACH SOME COSMETOLOGY.
SO BY THE TIME THEY WERE OUT OF SCHOOL, THEY ALREADY WERE PROFESSIONAL.
AND, UM, I VOLUNTEERED AT THE, FOR THE BOOSTERS FOR LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL, UH, COMBING ALL THE DRILL TEAM MEMBERS, UH, FOR ALL THEIR COMPETITIONS.
UM, I WORKED AND I DIDN'T WORK, BUT I VOLUNTEERED AT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER WITH RAY SANCHEZ FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
I'VE BEEN, I WORKED, UM, AND VOLUNTEERED FOR MEALS ON WHEELS.
I WAS A EVENT PLANNER FOR, UM, ALL THEIR AUCTIONS AND FUNDRAISERS.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF, UH, THE KOWANAS CLUB WHERE WE WORK WITH ALL THE SURROUNDING SCHOOLS TO BRING UP GRADES, WHICH IS CALLED THE PRO, UH, THE BUG PROGRAM.
AND EVERY SEPTEMBER WE WOULD TAKE MANY STUDENTS THAT WERE STARTING SCHOOL SHOPPING, AND I ALSO DID ALL THEIR EVENTS AND AUCTIONS.
UM, I'D BEEN ON THE BOARD OF OUR LADY GUADALUPE CHURCH, UH, FOR ALL THEIR, UM, MINISTRIES.
AND ALSO, UH, I'M ONE OF THE ONES THAT STARTED THE PROGRAM ON, UH, OPERATION SANDWICH, WHERE TO THIS DAY, WE STILL GIVE SANDWICHES AND LUNCHES THAT WE MAKE UP, AND ANYBODY IS WELCOME TO THEM FROM EIGHT 30 TO 12.
I'M ALSO, UM, THE, UM, THERE'S SO MANY, I'M SORRY,
WE'VE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS VOLUNTEERING TOGETHER, UH, AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
UM, THE COMMUNITY, UH, RESOURCE CENTER, THE LA LAHABRA LIFE CENTER FOR 17 YEARS.
SO I ADDED UP, UM, ALL THE HOURS THAT I WORKED.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN LAHABRA FOR 40, GOING ON 44 YEARS, BUT I HAVE VOLUNTEERED 45 YEARS BECAUSE ALONG WITH WORKING MANY YEARS, I'VE, I VOLUNTEERED FULL-TIME ALSO.
I LOVE THE CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY,
[00:05:01]
UH, THE SMALL CHILDREN WHERE, UH, I ADOPT A PROGRAM WHERE I READ A BOOK AND THEN DONATED TO OUR POLITA, AND IT WAS JUST SO MANY.AND NOW THAT I'M RETIRED, I WANNA DO IT FULL-TIME, CONTINUE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY THAT I LOVE SO MUCH.
WELL, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE A HEART OF GOLD.
WE'LL GO WITH STEVE SIMONIAN FIRST FOR THE FIRST QUESTION.
STEVE, UH, ANNETTE, WHY TURN YOUR MIC, PLEASE.
YOU KNOW, HOW I MET YOU WAS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU, YOU BEING A VOLUNTEER, AND, UH, YOU DO SO MUCH FOR SO MANY, I FIRST FEEL OBLIGATED TO SAY THANK YOU.
BUT WHY NOW, UH, HAVE YOU FOCUSED ON THE COMMISSIONS? HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT BY SERVING ON A COMMISSION, YOU COULD ADD TO WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE? I LOVE LAHABRA, AND I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE, I BELIEVE IN BEING EQUAL WITH OTHER CITIES THAT ARE BUILDING UP, UM, THEIR, THEIR LAND, AND AS FAR AS STORES AND HOMES, AND MAKING IT MORE MODERN HERE IN LAJA, WHERE WE JUST KEEP EVERYTHING HERE INSTEAD OF GOING ANYWHERE ELSE.
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND VARIANCES AND, UM, IN LAND THAT YOU CAN'T JUST BUILD.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M DOING GOOD.
AND I'LL, I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN'S MORNING, AND I SAID THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, YEARS OF SERVICE.
UH, YOU, YOU GO BACK A LONG WAY HERE IN LAHABRA, AND WE DO APPRECIATE YOU.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHERE DO YOU SEE, UH, LAHABRA IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS? WHAT, I MEAN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR VISION? UH, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE EXTREME? I SEE THIS PLACE LOOKING MORE BEAUTIFUL.
I SEE THE HOUSES AROUND, EVEN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, HOW THEY'RE REMODELING AND PAINTING AND KEEPING UP, UH, STOREFRONTS.
UH, THE SMALL PEOPLE THAT HAVE LITTLE HOUSE, UH, LITTLE BUSINESSES IN THEIR HOUSE, THEY'RE NOW GOING TO THE CHAMBER.
THEY WANNA BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I SEE EVERYTHING GOING GOOD FOR LAHABRA.
DARREN, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY SERVICES IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN SO INVOLVED IN THAT ELEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, IS CALLED THE CARING COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BASES COVERED WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
IF THERE IS A WEAK LINK, AN AREA WHERE THE MOST IMPROVEMENT COULD BE MADE, WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT TO BE? I DON'T SEE A WEAK LINK.
I SEE THAT EVERY, EVERYTHING IS BEING BUILT UP.
AND I, THERE'S A LOT OF NONPROFITS, AND ESPECIALLY AT THE BCC WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, WORK THAT'S, AND DONATIONS THAT IS FEEDING ALL EVERYBODY IN THE, IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I, I KNOW THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ONE STOP.
OUR OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED HERE.
I SEE HER AS A GLASS HALF FULL, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU'VE BEEN LIKE AN AMBASSADOR, UH, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY TITLE WHATSOEVER, BUT YOU SEEM TO BE OUT THERE VOLUNTEERING, UH, QUITE A LOT.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, ARE YOU BILINGUAL? AND IF SO, WHAT LANGUAGE DO YOU SPEAK? UH, I, I'M BILINGUAL.
SPANISH FLUENTLY OR FLUENTLY? YES.
UM, AND, UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU IF THERE IS, IS THERE AN EVENT OR A PROJECT THAT YOU WISH THE CITY WOULD OFFER THAT IS NOT PRESENTLY BEING OFFERED? ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE THAT WE ARE MISSING? A, AN OPPORTUNITY IN WHAT I SEE IS THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, LATINOS THAT HAVE, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE AFRAID TO, UH, ASK HOW DO THEY DO IT? THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA RENT A STA A STOREFRONT, UH, THEY WANNA BECOME PART OF THE CHAMBER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING WITH, WITH A LOT OF THE LATINOS.
JUST LIKE WHEN I WASN'T RUNNING THE BEAUTY COLLEGE, WHEN I RAN THE BEAUTY COLLEGE, I WAS ONLY SEVEN, UH, 27 YEARS OLD.
I GOT ALL MY CREDENTIALS AND I EVEN GOT MY CREDENTIALS FOR ADULT EDUCATION, FOR LIFE.
AND, AND I, A LOT OF THE LATINOS WOULD COME INTO THE BEAUTY COLLEGE AND, AND THAT WORKED ALL DAY, AND THEY WANTED, UH, A NIGHT PROGRAM.
SO I ASKED MR. FLAVIO, PLEASE GIVE IT, GIVE IT TO ME.
AND I STARTED, I STARTED NIGHT SCHOOL AND WE HAD A HUNDRED STUDENTS AT NIGHT, AND THEY WERE LE LEARNING ENGLISH.
THEY, THEY LEARNED COSMETOLOGY.
THEY LEARNED HOW TO GET THEIR LICENSE.
AND I THINK FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO MAKE LIKE A A, B, C, D PROGRAM FOR THE BILINGUALS AND HOW TO GET
[00:10:01]
IN BUSINESS AND HOW TO JOIN AND INCORPORATE THEIR BUSINESS AS FAR AS GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE CHAMBER, AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE AS FAR AS LIKE, UH, TO THE, SO THEY COULD, UH, ADVERTISE THEIR BUSINESS.THANK YOU, MS. ANNETTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UH, WANT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, INDICATE YOURSELF MORE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU'VE BEEN A BIG INSPIRATION FOR ME, MR. GOMEZ.
IT, IT'S OVER 20 YEARS AGO THAT WE, UH, YOU GAVE ME A LITTLE PEN THAT I ALWAYS WEAR.
UH, WHEN YOU FIRST GOT INTO THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU'RE VERY, VERY KIND AND ROSE.
YOU TRULY ROSE AS LONG AS I'VE KNOWN, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN STEADY LIKE A CHEF.
JUST YOUR, YOUR KINDNESS JUST FLOWS OUT TO PEOPLE YOU LOVE ON PEOPLE, AND YOU TRULY LIVE, LIVE.
OUR MOTTO OF CARING COMMUNITY.
AND I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO ROSA ESPINOZA, YOU'RE AN INSPIRATION FOR MANY PEOPLE HERE.
I REMEMBER WHEN YOU RAN FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR CITY COUNCIL AND THE FUNDRAISERS WE HAD, AND YOUR FIRST WALKS AT MY BEAUTY SHOP, WE USED TO STAND THERE WITH DONUTS AND WATER FOR EVERYBODY THAT RAN BY.
AND, UM, PRO TIM, I, I THINK YOU'RE GREAT.
I'M, UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I'VE BEEN BACKING YOU UP ALL THE TIME, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING FOR THE COUNCIL, UH, AND MR. MADRANO, UM, WHAT CAN I SAY? YOU'VE BEEN GREAT.
UM, AND AN INSPIRATION FOR MANY IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE MAYOR.
UH, WE GO BACK A LONG, LONG TIME, UH, WITH, UM, I LOVE LAHABRA AND YOU USED TO ACTUALLY WALK THOSE STREETS WITH YOUR BIG LEATHER JACKET AND, UH, JUST BE SO NICE TO EVERYBODY.
AND THANK YOU, UM, YOU ALL HAVE, UH, CROWNS, JEWELS IN YOUR CROWN.
OKAY, IS, UM, VICTOR SANTIAGO HERE? IS THERE A VICTOR SANTIAGO? COME ON UP.
UM, WELL, I'D LIKE YOU FIRST OF ALL, TO START OFF, WE, WE HAVE A 10 MINUTE INTERVIEW TIME HERE.
AND JUST TELL US FIRST OF ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
UH, WELL, MY NAME IS, UH, VICTOR MARI SANTIAGO.
I JUST MOVED TO LA HARVARD ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, SO I'M FAIRLY NEW TO, TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I ACTUALLY WORKED FOR THE CITY OF KERE.
I'M A PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGER SLASH DIRECTOR.
UH, I'VE BEEN DOING PARKS AND REC FOR, UM, SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 99.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE CITY OF KERE SINCE 99.
UM, I ALSO DO ACTUALLY THEIR, WELL, OUR PARKS AND REC COMMISSION AS WELL.
I'M IN THE BOARD, NOT ONLY IN THE BOARD, BUT I'M, I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE CITY FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I, I ENJOY IS JUST, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND RECREATION, ARTS COMMISSIONS.
UM, WE TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
YOU'RE GONNA BE FIRST THIS TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN APPLYING FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
UH, AND, UH, WELCOME TO LAHABRA TWO YEARS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE MAKING LAHABRA HOME.
UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UH, WHERE DO YOU SEE LAHABRA IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS? WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR LAHABRA? UM, WELL, LIKE I SAID, I'M FAIRLY NEW.
UM, I, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE EVENTS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HAVING ON THE WEEKENDS.
UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE OURSELVES ARE ON THE WEEKENDS, SO I KIND OF MISS THEM.
UM, BUT I DO SEE IT, IT'S MOVING FORWARD, UH, IT'S MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO IT, IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, I CAN'T TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING CHANGES.
OKAY, DARREN, YOU'RE UP FIRST, THIS SECOND, THIS TIME.
MR. SANTIAGO, WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'LL ASK YOU KIND OF THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED JUST EARLIER, AND THAT IS WITH REGARD TO ANY PRESSING NEED OR ANYTHING THAT'S LACKING THAT YOU CAN PERCEIVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT WOULD YOU ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION LIKE TO SEE THE FOCUS BE UPON? UM, IT'S ALWAYS ON THE KITS, KIDS AND FAMILIES.
UM, MORE SPORTS, MORE ACTIVITIES, MORE CLASSES.
UM, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING.
I THINK ANYWHERE YOU GO, ANY OTHER CITY YOU GO TO, IT'S ALWAYS, UM, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WITH A LOT OF CITIES IS THEY DON'T HAVE A AVAILABILITY.
AND, UM, A LOT OF TIMES WE TRY TO BRANCH OUT TO NONPROFITS OR, OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT RUN IT THEMSELVES, BUT THEY DON'T REALLY SEE THE CARE IF YOU HAVE IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES BECAUSE FOR THEM IT IS, UM, NUMBERS.
AND REALLY BOTTOM LINE IS HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MAKE.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT, UH, ESSENTIAL.
BUT FOR ME IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE KIDS AND FAMILY.
WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES DO WE HAVE FOR THEM AND WHAT CAN WE OFFER FOR THEM? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ROSE.
[00:15:01]
HERE IN OUR CITY, UH, OVER TWO YEARS.YEAH, I MOVED IN, UM, TWO YEARS AGO.
I THINK IT'S, UM, MARCH, ACTUALLY LIKE FOUR DAYS AGO.
BOTH MY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY YEAR.
WELCOME
I SPEAK, UH, SPANISH AND ENGLISH, UH, FLUENTLY BECAUSE WHERE I WORK, IT'S BASICALLY, UH, SPEAKING ONLY COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW YOUR POSITION MOST LIKELY, UH, TAKES UP A LOT OF YOUR TIME, BUT HAVE YOU EVER VOLUNTEERED HERE IN THE CITY OF LAHABRA? NO.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, IT'S JUST BEEN TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, THIS IS PART OF MY, UM, TRYING TO SEE GETTING HERE AND, AND SEE WHAT I CAN DO AND HELP OUT.
UM, I NOW BE FRANK WITH YOU GUYS, MY POSITION AND MY JOB, IT, IT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME AND I'LL TRY TO HELP OUT AS MUCH AS I CAN, UM, LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, UM, OUR SPORTS ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE, IT, IT'S ALWAYS RECREATION'S, ALWAYS ON THE WEEKENDS BECAUSE YES, MY HUSBAND, WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT AND ABOUT A AND HAVING SAID THAT, WILL YOU HAVE TIME TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS? UH, YES.
I SAW THAT THEY WERE, UM, SECOND WEDNESDAYS AT SIX 30.
UM, SO I'M HERE
UH, MR. SANTIAGO, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE APPLICATION AND TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE WITH US.
UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY OF CAH HAYS SMALL, UH, CHALLENGING, UH, COMMUNITY.
UH, NOT ROLLING AROUND IN MONEY.
UH, NO, NOT HOW BIG OF, UM, DEPARTMENT DO YOU RUN? IT'S, UM, WELL THE CITY'S 1.2 SQUARE MILES.
I THINK WHERE I LIVE IS PROBABLY BIGGER THAN THE CITY I WORK FOR.
UH, WELL NOT THE HOUSE, BUT I MEAN THE, THE, THE AREA.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A BUDGET OF PROBABLY, UM, 600 K FOR THE YEAR.
AND WE LEARNED FROM A LONG TIME AGO THAT WE STRETCH A DOLLAR OR A QUARTER INTO A DOLLAR AS BEST AS WE CAN.
UM, BECAUSE IT PARKS AND REC ALWAYS LACKS, UH, FUNDING.
IT'S, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE NUMBER ONE ASIDE FROM STREETS, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE WANNA MAKE SURE THE STREETS ARE, ARE PAVED AND EVERYTHING'S CLEAN, THAT THE, UM, IT'S JUST HAVING ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AND HAVING, UM, PROGRAMMING, HAVING SPECIAL EVENTS, PARKS, UM, MOVIES IN THE PARKS.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET.
AND YOU'RE A DEPARTMENT HEAD? YEAH, I'M, I'M A MANAGER SLASH DIRECTOR.
AND EVEN AS A DEPARTMENT HEAD, YOU'RE PROBABLY OUT THERE, UH, ON MOST EVENTS ACTUALLY PROVIDING SERVICE YOURSELF.
I'M OUT THERE AT ALL EVENTS SINCE I'M THE ONE THAT'S PLANNING MOST OF OUR EVENTS.
UM, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND ANY OF OUR PARKS OR RECREATION EVENTS? YES, ACTUALLY I WAS HERE, UM, DURING THE FALL.
UM, WE HAD, YOU GUYS HAD THE EVENT HERE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME, BUT I SPOKE TO ONE OF YOUR, UM, ARTISTS THAT YOU GUYS HAD FOR THE EVENT, AND I ACTUALLY TOOK HER WITH YOU GUYS FROM YOU GUYS FOR OUR EVENT, OUR 4TH OF JULY EVENT.
WE HAVE AN INDE, WE DON'T CALL HER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY EVENT.
UM, WE DO A FIREWORKS AND MOST WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE HERE, AND I INVITED HER, I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME.
UM, SHE WAS ONE OF THE ARTISTS YOU GUYS HAD, CAUSE YOU GUYS HAD MULTIPLE ARTISTS THAT DAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I, I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OUR PROGRAMS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, JUST FROM, UH, EXPERIENCE, UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, UM, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GONNA WORK.
EVERY, EVERY CITY, EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT.
UM, SO JUST BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING SOMETHING FOR 20 YEARS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE, BUT ALWAYS, UH, EXPERIENCE IN JUST, UM, PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE.
LET 'EM KNOW WHAT WE, WE'VE HAD, WHAT WE'VE DONE AND SEE IF IT WORKED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, VICTOR SANTIAGO FOR JOINING US TODAY.
APPRECIATE YOU, APPRECIATE IT.
HAVING THAT WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
IS, UH, PASQUA, DINO AIELLO HERE.
LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE, UH, UH, LISTED HERE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
MR. MAYOR, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT I HAVE TO AT THIS POINT PUT ON THE RECORD THAT, UH, DINO IS MY NEPHEW.
SO I'M, I MUST RECUSE MYSELF FROM BOTH THE, UH, INTERVIEW PROCESS AND OF COURSE THE VOTING PROCESS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'LL BE LEAVING THE DAIS, AND IF I FORGET TO COME BACK SOMEBODY PLEASE GET ME.
UH, SO DARREN WAS SCHEDULED A CALL.
UH, YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION POSITION, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
[00:20:01]
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE, THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU? WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PAST, UH, OR I'M GOING ON MY 22ND YEAR IN, UH, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, I'VE SERVED, UH, MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES OTHER THAN THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE.UH, I'VE ALWAYS LOVED LAHABRA SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER.
I GREW UP IN HACIENDA HEIGHTS, AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS, UH, LIVED HERE IN LAHABRA.
WE'D COME, I'D COME OVER THE HILL, AND THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT LAHABRA THAT HAS ATTRACTED ME TO THE CITY, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE THIS IS, UM, WHERE I LIVE NOW IS MY SECOND TIME LIVING IN LAHABRA.
UM, I LOVE SERVING COMMUNITIES, AND I FEEL THAT, UH, BEING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD BE A GOOD USE OF MY, MY TIME AND MY SERVICES.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE LA HARBOR GENERAL PLAN OR THE HOUSING ELEMENT? UH, SO THE, THE GENERAL PLAN IS, UH, THE, WE'LL CALL IT THE BIBLE OF, OF WHERE THE CITY WANTS TO, TO BE.
UM, I KNOW IT HAS TO BE RENEWED EVERY 10 YEARS, UH, WITH AN OUTLOOK OF WHERE THE CITY WANTS TO BE, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT BEING SAID, UM, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD BE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE GENERAL PLAN TO, UM, UH, RECOMMEND FUTURE PROJECTS TO THE COUNCIL THAT WOULD FOLLOW THE GENERAL PLAN.
STEVE, UH, THANK YOU FOR APPLYING.
UH, YOUR INTEREST IS, UM, APPRECIATED.
UM, I'VE LOOKED AT YOUR RESUME AND, UH, KIND OF WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN SOMEBODY APPLYING.
YOU'VE, UH, TOUCHED A LOT OF BASES, UH, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE HAD ONE JOB FOR, UH, MANY YEARS, YOU MOVED AROUND A LOT WITHIN THAT JOB AND TOUCHED A LOT OF POSITIONS.
UH, IT'S PLEASING TO SEE THAT YOU HAD SOME, UH, POLITICAL CONTACT AND WORKED WITH CITY MANAGERS AND CITY COUNCILS AND CORRECT.
UH, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR BUDGET? UM, WELL, UH, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, CURRENTLY, UM, LAHABRA, UH, BUDGETED, UH, 55 MIL, ABOUT 55 MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, TOTAL OPERATING EX, UH, EXPENSES FOR THE CITY IS ABOUT, UM, 160 MILLION ROUGHLY.
UM, AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY LIKE WHERE EVERYTHING, UM, GOES FROM THERE, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WANNA GET, WANT ME TO GET MORE SPECIFIC.
UM, I KNOW OUR GENERAL FUND IS WHAT YOU, UH, WE USE TO PAY OUR SALARIES, OUR POLICE OR FIRE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, ALL OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU'RE PRESENTLY A LIEUTENANT? CORRECT.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A LIEUTENANT? UH, ALMOST TWO YEARS.
I WAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR JUST UNDER 40 YEARS.
UH, POLICE CHIEF FOR 10 IN, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL DO LIEUTENANTS DO?
MY FIRST QUESTION'S GONNA BE TO THE, THE COUNCILMAN.
DID YOU SKIP THE RANK A LIEUTENANT ON YOUR WAY TO BECOMING CHIEF? I DID.
I COULDN'T, SO THEY SAID BE A CAPTAIN.
UH, MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ALONG THE LINES OF, UH, MEASURE T I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT, UH, BUT MEASURE T SUNSETS IN THE YEAR 2028 FOR US, IF NOT REPLACED WITH ANOTHER LIKE, SOURCE OF REVENUE.
AND CONSIDERING THAT THE CITY'S PRACTICE IS TO PASS BALANCE BUDGETS, WHERE OR WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD CUT IN SPENDING TO OFFSET THE LOSS OF 7 MILLION IN REVENUE THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST 13% OF THE GENERAL FUND'S REVENUE BASE? BA BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE ON, UM, WORKING WITH, WITH OTHER GO, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITY GOVERNMENTS, UH, OF WHAT I'VE READ ON, UH, OUR, OUR CITY'S, UH, BUDGET, UM, I REALLY DON'T SEE CUTS.
UM, AND THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, RU RUNNING A A CITY IS, IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENT OR YOUR CONSTITUENTS NEED, UH, AND WANT SERVICES.
[00:25:01]
DON'T SEE ANY CUTS.UM, I KNOW IT'S, IT, IT DOES RUN OUT IN 2028 TO 20 YEAR, UH, MEASURE.
AND, UM, I FORESEE US PLANNING HOW TO, UH, EITHER KEEP OR REPLACE THAT FUNDING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN AND, AND, UH, YOUR WILLINGNESS AGAIN TO SERVE.
CAN WE GET I JUST TEXT HIM? YEAH.
DID JIM, YOU HEARD OH, QUALE, DID THEY CALL YOU PASQUALE AT WORK? UH, NO, SIR.
UH, OUR NEXT APPLICANT IS MARIE LAGA.
IF YOU CAN JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
AND MY NAME IS, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR 38 ISH YEARS.
UM, AS FAR AS INVOLVEMENT, I STARTED OUT WITH THE KIDS IN SCHOOL.
I DID WORK IN OUTSIDE OF THE, OF LAHABRA.
SO COMMUNITY-WISE, I WAS NOT INVOLVED.
I, UM, GREW UP WITH, WITH THE KIDS IN, UM, ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY PLAYED SPORTS, AND OF COURSE, ANYTHING THEY DID, MY HUSBAND AND I EQUALLY DID.
AND, UM, SO IT'S BEEN A GOOD JOURNEY.
I, UH, WE WERE IN HIGH, THE KIDS WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND, UH, I MET MARK STURDEVANT WHO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER WITH THE CHAMBER.
AND SO THAT'S HOW I BECAME, UM, PART OF THE CHAMBER.
I WAS THE, I WAS VAL, THE ORANGE AT THE CITRUS FAIR.
AND, UM, WE JUST GOT TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
AND, UM, HE ASKED IF I COME WORK WITH HIM.
AT THE TIME, I WAS DOING SIDE JOBS.
I WAS DOING, UM, WORKED AT DISNEY, I WORKED AT THE HONDA CENTER.
I WAS CARING FOR MY, UM, DAD THAT WAS SICK WITH LEUKEMIA.
AND SO I WAS JUST DOING SIDE JOBS.
THE CHAMBER WORKED OUT REALLY WELL.
I COULD VOLUNTEER THERE AS WELL.
AND, UM, STILL BE CLOSE TO HOME FOR MY DAD.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT STARTED WITH THE CHAMBER.
UH, ONCE I BECAME WITH THE CHAMBER, I THOUGHT, OH MY GOSH, THIS COMMUNITY IS WONDERFUL.
I'VE BEEN REALLY MISSING OUT A LOT IN THE RESIDENTS, THE PEOPLE.
AND, UM, SO I WOULD, I'D ATTEND EVERYTHING AND I'D BE A PART OF IT, AND I'D PUSH MARK TO BE A PART OF ALL THE EVENTS.
AND, UM, AND THEN THAT'S HOW I APPLIED FOR THIS COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
SO I'VE SERVED TWO TERMS, AND IT JUST GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE MORE INVOLVED AND LEARN ANOTHER ASPECT OF COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT.
WELL, YOU'VE BEEN, NOW YOU'RE BY CHARLES.
YOU'VE BEEN NOW, UH, UH, AS YOU SAID FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION.
AND, UH, SO I WOULD ASK YOU THAT THE HARBOR BOULEVARD CORRIDOR NEEDS TO BE REVITALIZED.
UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE HARBOR BOULEVARD COULD AND SHOULD OCCUR? AND, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CITY HAS, UH, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK THE CITY HAS IN THIS PROCESS? THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION IN THAT, UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, AND FOLLOWING ALONG, I ATTEND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO I KIND OF FOLLOW ALONG WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL OWNERS THAT STILL HAVE STAKE IN THAT IN HARBOR BOULEVARD.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
I, UM, I THINK THAT, AND I'D HAVE TO REALLY CHECK IF THE CBDG MONEY COULD QUALIFY FOR THAT AREA, BUT, UM, IF MAYBE WE JUST DID AN UPLIFT, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE GET THE, THE PRIVATELY OWNED, UM, BUSINESSES OR RESIDENTS TO JUST PAINT AND BEAUTIFY THEIR LITTLE AREA UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE CITY COULD ACQUIRE.
HOWEVER THAT, THAT GOES OUT IN THE FUTURE.
AND, AND I'M GONNA ASK THIS QUESTION.
I ASK IT ONLY BECAUSE A COMMUNITY SERVICE IS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO EVERYONE MM-HMM.
UM, AND, AND SO I ASK, ARE YOU BILINGUAL? AND IF SO, ARE YOU FLUENT IN THOSE LANGUAGES? I AM BILINGUAL.
I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF FIRST LANGUAGE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.
SO WHAT I DO WITH OUR CHAMBER PEOPLES, I SAY, OKAY, YOU SPEAK TO ME IN ENGLISH AND I WILL SPEAK TO YOU IN SPANISH.
AND SO WE PRACTICE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
A LOT OF OUR, OUR, UH, BILINGUAL, UM,
[00:30:01]
OR FIRST LANGUAGE SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE.SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN A LOT MORE THAN I DID IN THE PAST, BUT STILL, I, TO TRY TO READ AND WRITE, THAT TAKES ME A LITTLE BIT OF, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
STEVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR APPLYING AGAIN.
YOU'VE SERVED, UH, TWO TERMS YES.
UH, IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE, UM, MS. LAGA, THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THAT HASN'T COME UP IN THE PAST TWO TERMS THAT HASN'T COME? YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, I WAS IN THE WEIRD TERMS. SO IT WAS OUR FIRST, UM, THEN IT WAS COVID.
SO I WAS THE CHAIR DURING COVID.
SO I'M LOOKING TO REALLY TRY TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
UM, THE COMMUNICATION, THE, UM, THE ATTENDANCE AND, AND EVENTS, NOT ONLY WITH THE CHAMBER, BUT CITY EVENTS, THEY'RE DOING VERY WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I'D LIKE TO JUST SEE US GROW AND, AND GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE PRE PANDEMIC.
THE, UM, BUDGETS ARE KIND OF STATIC.
THEY PRETTY MUCH STAY THE SAME YEAR AFTER YEAR.
WE HAD A, SOME LUCK IN THE PAST AND SOME YEARS THAT WEREN'T SO LUCKY THAT WE HAD TO MAKE CUTS.
BUT DO YOU FEEL THERE'S AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF MONEY SET ASIDE FOR RECREATION IN THIS COMMUNITY? COULD ALWAYS USE MORE
AND, UM, ANYTIME THAT I GET AN OPPORTUNITY, I, UH, DO A LITTLE PLUG FOR THE CITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DO OUR BANDS FOR THE CITRUS FAIR, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE THREE BID AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THOSE SORT OF THINGS THAT MAYBE, UM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO.
UM, SO I'LL TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE CITY PEOPLE THERE, AND SO HOPING THAT, AND THAT'S ALL SUAVE CAME WHILE SUAVE CAME THROUGH GYM.
BUT, UM, THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF BANDS THAT HAVE PLAYED IN OTHER EVENTS THAT, UH, WERE ORIGINALLY AT THE CITRUS FAIR.
SO I KIND OF TRY TO PUSH HIM IN THAT WAY THAT THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY EITHER.
BUT, UM, NO, I THINK YOU DO VERY WELL.
I THINK THE, THE DEPARTMENT DOES VERY WELL IN THEIR EVENTS, AND YEAH.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANYTHING MORE THAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO TO ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN THE EXERCISE OF THEIR DUTIES? UH, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY MORE THE INCLUSIVENESS.
WE ARE, WE ARE NOT A POLICY MAKING.
WE ARE A, UM, AVI, UM, NOT ADVERSARIAL, UM, ADVISORY AND, UM, SO MAYBE INCLUDING US.
I, I KNOW I SERVED IN A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES, UM, NOT JUST THE CBDG, BUT THE SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND I'VE DONE, UH, CHILDHOOD AS WELL, BUT I WAS NEVER AT A, AT A MEETING IN ANY OF THAT PLANNING PHASE OF IT.
SO PERHAPS IN BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE INCLUSIVE AND, AND ALLOWING US TO ADVISE IF WE NEED TO ADVISE.
I DID, UM, THE LAST, ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT WE DID, UH, OVERSEE WAS THE STATUE OVER AT THE NEW LOCATION ON, UM, UH, BY NORTHGATE, THE PROVINCE BUILDING.
IT'S A STATUE THAT'S SITTING OUT IN THE BACK.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF FUN TO, TO SEE IT PROPOSED TO US AND, AND US, YOU KNOW, COMMENT ON IT AND THEN ACTUALLY SEE IT IN PLACE.
SO THOSE SORT OF THINGS, THEN IT'S, IT'S, WE FEEL MORE INCLU INCLUDED IF WE CAN, UH, PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS.
AND I BELIEVE GOING FORWARD, UM, I REMEMBER KELLY, OR NOT KELLY KIM, STATING THAT THE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO COME BACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PAUSE WITH COVID O FOR THE COUPLE YEARS OR THREE YEARS, SO THINGS COMING BACK, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE GOOD.
THANK YOU MARIE AGAIN FOR, UH, REAPPLYING AND FOR, UH, YOUR INTEREST IN A THIRD TERM.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY, YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT I'LL, I'LL, UH, SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TWO THINGS, BUT, UH, YOU, UH, YOU HAD ALLUDED TO, UH, HAVING, IT ALLUDED TO HAVING MORE FUNDING, IT SEEMS, WHEN, UH, COUNCILMAN SIMONIAN HAD ASKED YOU ABOUT, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE COULD USE MORE.
UH, WHERE WOULD, WHERE WOULD YOU, AS AN ADVISOR, UM, AND, UH, AND SPEAKING OF INCLUSIVENESS, WHERE WOULD WE GET MORE FUNDING FOR SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS? WHAT, JUST OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, I DON'T REMEMBER SAYING THAT YOU NEEDED MORE FUNDING.
I THOUGHT YOU, I SAID THAT YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB.
NO, I JUST, THERE WAS, UH, THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT, UH, ABOUT MAYBE NEEDING MORE OR WHEN IT CAME TO PROGRAMS. WHERE WOULD YOU, WHERE WOULD YOU WANT TO ADD TO THE PROGRAMS AND HOW WOULD YOU WANNA ADD? THE ONLY THING I THINK I WOULD ADD IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT ROSE IS
[00:35:01]
REALLY PUSHING MM-HMM.UM, NOT JUST THE EVENTS, BUT LIKE THE CLASSES.
AND I THINK PEOPLE JUST, UM, IN NUMBERS FEEL STRENGTHENED AND CAN, WOULD FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU, ROSE WHOLEHEARTEDLY TO BRING MORE BILINGUAL.
AND, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES RELATED.
WHERE DO YOU SEE LA HABER IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS? WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR VISION? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU FORESEE HAPPENING? GROWTH, FOR SURE.
AND WHEN YOU SAY GROWTH, AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO, TO, UH, TO REMOVE YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR BUSINESS CHAMBER HAT, SO TO SPEAK,
AND YOU, AND, AND YOU DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE CHAMBER.
UH, BUT, UH, BUT THINK ABOUT THE CITY ITSELF.
WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING, UH, IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS? YOUR VISION? WELL, THE REASON THAT I SAY IT'S DIFFICULT IS BECAUSE THE STRONGER THE BUSINESSES ARE, I REALLY DO FEEL THE STRONGER THE CITY WILL BE.
SO, SO IT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO, TO REMOVE IT AND SEPARATE IT.
UM, WE HAVE A GOOD CITY, AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M SO ADAMANT ABOUT BEING INVOLVED AND KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON, AND, AND THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND, THE BETTER EQUIPPED YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS IT COULD BE, UM, IN THIS CASE, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO I THINK IT'S GROWTH, DEFINITELY.
IT'LL BE, WE CAN ONLY GET BETTER.
UH, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND, AND, AND GREAT THINGS IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT IS BUDGET DRIVEN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, IN 2028, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVE SUNSET MEASURE T THE SALES TAX MEASURE.
AND IF THAT, UH, DOES NOT CONTINUE, THAT'S 7 MILLION A YEAR, OR ALMOST 13% OF OUR ENTIRE BUDGET WOULD GO AWAY.
SO HOW DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR THAT? IF MEASURE T DOESN'T GET RENEWED, THEN WHERE WOULD WE CUT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR THINKING ABOUT THAT? WELL, THAT GOES TO WHAT I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND EXPLAINING TO ME HOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO INCREASE TAXES OR HOW YOU ARE NOT GONNA SUSTAIN THE TAXES.
I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED ALREADY.
UM, BUT I'M THINKING, WELL, ONE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
AND SO I WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT THE INFORMATION OUT, BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT, UM, THEY'RE GONNA LOSE, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THAT MONEY IS GONE.
YOU KNOW, I, UM, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE HONESTY WITH THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE KEY TO THEM WANTING CONTINUED SERVICES OR NOT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY, IS IT REALLY, REALLY BEING HONEST ABOUT IT.
CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING?
I JUST, I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD, IT'S BEEN A GOOD SIX YEARS.
I KNOW THAT YOU, AND I'M GONNA GET CHOKED UP.
I KNOW THAT YOU PROBABLY WON'T SELECT ME BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT SITUATION, BUT, UM, THANK YOU.
AND NO MATTER WHAT, I'LL CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE CHAMBER AND THROUGH VOLUNTEERING THROUGH THE LIONS NOW, I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TITLE TO, UM, TO BE INVOLVED TO MAKE AN IMPACT, BUT I, I DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU KNOW, UM, EACH ONE OF US, THIS IS SOMETHING WE GRAPPLE WITH, WITH EVERY SINGLE SELECTION.
UH, SO YOU WILL NOT BE TREATED ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
NEXT, UH, PERSON WILL BE ROY RAMSON.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE, UM, BIT, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? YEAH.
I'VE BEEN A CITIZEN OF LAHABRA FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
UM, I SPENT 37 PLUS YEARS AS A PROFESSIONAL PLANNER.
I, UH, OVER 20 YEARS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH THE ALLIANCES CLUB, HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALMOST EVERY EVENT THAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY, INCLUDING, UM, MANAGING THE CORN FESTIVAL FOR 13 YEARS.
SO I JUST WANT TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE MY CITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED ATTENTION TO THIS CITY.
UH, EVEN AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, YOU SPENT AS MANY HOURS OFF DUTY WORKING FOR
[00:40:01]
THE CITY AS YOU DID ON DUTY, SO, UH, DIDN'T GO UNNOTICED, UH, BY ANYBODY ON THE COUNCIL.AND WE APPRECIATED THAT VERY, VERY MUCH.
UH, I NOTICED THAT YOU, UH, PUT IN FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU DID THAT.
UM, OUT OF CURIOSITY, AS A PLANNING OR A, A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION COMMISSIONER, UH, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ADD TO THAT MIX? WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE? CLEAR.
CLEARLY MY BIG SKILLSET IS IN PLANNING, BUT AGAIN, I THINK MY MANY YEARS OF WORKING IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND WORKING WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, I FEEL I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO, TO THAT COMMISSION AS WELL IN, IN THE, IN WORKING, THE WAY THEY WORK WITH STAFF, UM, IN PLANNING COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UM, THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE C D B G ALLOCATIONS, WHICH IS A KIND OF A CROSSOVER FROM MY, UH, PLANNING CAREER.
UM, AND I JUST RECENTLY HAVE BEEN ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE LARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AND I THINK WITH OUR, UM, CENTENNIAL COMING UP, I THINK IT WOULD BE A NICE MIX TO HAVE THIS HISTORIC SOCIETY WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION.
ROY, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A QUESTION HERE THAT I CAN ASK YOU THAT, UH, THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO, UH, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA ASK YOU THE MEASURE T QUESTION.
THAT ONE, THAT ONE SEEMS TO BE THE, UH, THE, THE, UH, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, SO TO SPEAK, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, IT SUNSETS IN 2028.
UM, IF FOR ANY REASON IT DOES NOT, UH, COME ABOUT, AGAIN, MEASURE T WHAT DO YOU FORESEE AS FAR AS, UH, UH, MAKING UP FOR 7 MILLION IN REVENUE? I MEAN, WHAT GIMME YOUR VISION THAT THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING FOR THE CITY? IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WE WORK WITH THE CITIZENS AND GET THAT REAPPROVED.
OVER 60% OF THE BUDGET GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT'S NOT A PLACE ANYBODY'S GONNA WANT TO CUT OR NEED SHOULD BE CUT.
SO THAT LEAVES ALL THAT MONEY COMING OUT OF ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHICH IS DEVASTATING TO ALL THOSE OTHER ARE THE DEPARTMENTS.
IT, IT COULD CLOSE DOWN ALL OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES EVENTS COMPLETELY.
I, I BELIEVE IF THAT HAPPENED.
KIND OF A TWO-PARTER WITH REGARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT OUR GENERAL APPROACH TO CERTIFICATION AND ALL THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH H C D, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE IS WITH REGARD TO OUR MEETING THOSE CHALLENGES? ONE, AND THEN NUMBER TWO, WITH REGARD TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, I'LL ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED TWICE BEFORE.
IS THERE A WEAK LINK? IS THERE SOME AREA THAT WE'VE NEGLECTED, HAVEN'T SPENT ENOUGH TIME AND ENERGY AND RESOURCES ON? WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT IS? SO, ONE AND TWO, THAT'S ABOUT A 20 MINUTE ANSWER TO EACH ONE.
UH, WE'LL DO GO FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AGAIN, WE, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT BILINGUAL AND REACHING OUT AND BEING ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT I THINK WE'RE MISSING A BIG PORTION OF OUR POPULATION, WHICH IS, IS OUR ASIAN POPULATION.
WE, WE DON'T SEEM TO TAKE, PUT ANY EFFORT, I DON'T THINK, INTO TRYING TO WORK WITH THE KOREANS IN THE CHINESE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND, AND BASED ON THE LAST SENTENCE SINCE US, THE, YOU KNOW, THEIR NUMBERS ARE INCREASING.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY MORE, MORE ATTENTION TO.
AS FAR AS THE CHALLENGES THE STATE KEEPS THROWING AT THE CITIES, I THINK YOU NEED A CRYSTAL BALL TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT, BECAUSE IT'S A NEW ONE EVERY DAY.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN LIKE 200 NEW HOUSING LAWS PASSED IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S CHALLENGED WITH TRYING TO INTERPRET AND KEEP UP WITH THOSE.
AND THEY DON'T EVEN GET THE CITY A CHANCE TO CATCH A BREATH AS THEY'RE THROWING NEW ONES AT US.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FA FACING THE CITY IS, IS MAINTAINING OUR AUTONOMY AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND LETTING THERE BE LOCAL CONTROL OVER OUR LAND USE DECISIONS.
AND, UH, I MEAN, ROY SEEMS TO SHARE THE SAME VISION WITH YOU ABOUT REACHING OUT TO THE MORE TO THE ASIAN COMMUNITY.
HAVE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP RECENTLY? I HAD JUST BROUGHT THAT UP.
I HAD BEEN ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE HAVE SISTER CITIES, HOW CAN MAYBE THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSIONERS OR SOMETHING, UH, REACH OUT TO THOSE FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE FROM MEXICO OR THE SOUTHERN SOUTH, SOUTHERN PART OF, UM, UH, MEXICO AND THEIR AREAS.
CUZ OUR SISTER CITY IS SAN MIGUEL, ONE OF THEM, AND THE OTHER ONE IS FROM KOREA, ANGU.
AND I THOUGHT, HOW COULD WE BRING THESE TWO TO HELP THEM TO SEE WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO TO CELEBRATE THOSE CULTURES? UH, BECAUSE AS, AS YOU AS SAID, THERE'S A GROWING COMMUNITY OF, UH, OF ASIANS AND WE SAW THAT AT, UH, AN EVENT THAT WAS HERE, HELD IN LA HARBOR BOULEVARD, UM, JUST HOW MANY WE SAW THAT WERE PARTICIPATING.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO, IT'S JUST
[00:45:01]
LIKE WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, WHICH MINE IS VERY LIMITED FROM WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I WENT TO KOREA.UM, BUT LEARN MORE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE ALL HERE AND WE'RE, WE WANNA THRIVE IN THE CITY OF LAHABRA.
SO YEAH, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT OUR SISTER CITIES AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO EMBRACE THEM AND TO INCLUDE THEM IN, IN ANY KIND OF INVOLVEMENT.
I WANTED TO ASK, UM, UH, IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE COMMUNITY? AND HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THE CITY OF LAHABRA SHOULD ACT TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS? OR IS THERE ANY? WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE HEARD SOME TALK ALREADY THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THE, THE RAPID GROWTH IN LAHABRA AND WHERE WE'VE COME IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, AND WE'VE, WE'VE REACHED GREAT THINGS, UH, AS, AS A COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN TERMS OF PUBLIC PRIVATE RELATIONSHIPS, BOTH IN PLANNING AND IN COMMUNITY SERVICES TO HELP FUND CITY PROGRAMS. I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTINUING TO WORK ON THOSE.
WE NEED TO LOOK IN AS HARD AS WE CAN INTO GETTING GRANT FUNDS.
UM, THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH LARA BOULEVARD IS IF THE CITY INVESTS MONEY.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO INVEST.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE, IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME AND BASED ON OUR BUDGET, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA GET THERE IS IF WE CAN GET SOME GRANT FUNDS AND, AND, UM, TO REALLY PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE WANT LA HARBOR BOULEVARD TO BE.
ANYWAY, THANK, I WAS JUST SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE YOU APPLY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION POSITION AND OR COMMUNITY SERVICES.
YOU HAVE JUST DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB AND I WAS JUST ELATED WHEN YOU WERE APPOINTED TO, UH, RUN AS PRESIDENT OF THE OLDS CELLERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
UH, YOU'RE THE PERFECT FIT FOR, FOR THAT ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
BUT I CAN JUST COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR MANY, MANY YEARS OF SERVICE HERE.
YOU'RE REALLY AN UNSUNG HERO IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I HAVE THE GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR YOU.
IS, UM,
YEAH, WE FIVE, THREE MINUTES EARLY.
OH, YOU WANT A BREAK? NO, NO, NO WORRIES.
YOU LIKE ROLLING? SO YOU GOT BIG PLAN? ANY BIG TRIPS? I AM GOING, OH MY GOODNESS.
[00:50:01]
YOU'RE RIGHT ON TIME.I'LL LET YOU GET SETTLED FOR A MINUTE THERE.
IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING YOU THE OTHER DAY, RIGHT? YES.
WE'VE MET EVERYBODY READY UP HERE.
UM, DENNIS, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME? GAR.
UM, AND YOU APPLIED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
CAN YOU, WE FIRST START OFF, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
UM, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LAHABRA FOR THE LAST, SINCE 2010.
MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT A BEAUTIFUL HOME OUT OF DEXFORD.
I AM A PROUD MOM OF THREE BOYS, THREE, AND THEY ALL GO TO THE LOW SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MYSELF.
I DO HAVE A MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK.
I'M A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER.
SO WORKING FOR THE COMMUNITY IS IN MY HEART.
WE'LL START OFF WITH, UH, ASKING SOME QUESTIONS.
AND JOSE MADONNA WILL BE FIRST.
YOU HAVE THREE BOYS? HUH? THREE BOYS.
HOW OLD ARE THEY? ONE IS ABOUT TO TURN 10.
THE OTHER ONE'S EIGHT AND A FOUR YEAR OLD.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE MUCH OLDER THAN YOUR BOYS, BUT JUST THE SAME.
SO, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
I'LL ASK YOU WHAT I'VE ASKED EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, YOU'RE NEW TO COMMUNITY, YOU'D BE NEW TO COMMUNITY SERVICES, CORRECT? YES.
SO, UM, WHERE DO YOU SEE LAHABRA IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS? WHAT'S YOUR VISION OF WHERE LAHABRA COULD BE OR SHOULD BE? UM, IN TERMS OF SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK WE COULD INVEST IN A MORE COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, PERHAPS.
UM, I CAME UP WITH A COUPLE IDEAS, IF YOU WANNA HEAR 'EM.
UM, ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT I CAME UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FENTANYL INCREASE THAT'S GOING ON, I THINK PERHAPS GIVING MORE WORKSHOPS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL.
WORK WORKSHOPS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HOMELESS INCREASING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WOULD BE, OKAY, WELL, WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IS DEPRESSION? WHAT'S ANXIETY, WHAT'S SCHIZOPHRENIA? SO THAT FAMILY MEMBERS COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, SO THAT, THAT WAY THEY DON'T, THEY SEEK THE SERVICES AND THEREFORE THEIR LOVED ONES DON'T HAVE TO END UP HOMELESS.
SO I THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICES, UM, AND ALSO HEALTH.
I THINK, UM, WORKSHOPS ON HEALTH, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD BE LIKE, WHAT IS DIABETES? HOW TO HANDLE IT, HOW TO PREVENT IT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WORKSHOP FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I, UH, DANZA, IF I SAID THAT CORRECTLY.
UH, THE QUESTION I WAS GONNA ASK IS REALLY THE ONE THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MADRANO ASKED.
UH, LET ME, UH, ASK YOU, ARE YOU BILINGUAL? I AM, MM-HMM.
AND HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED AND COME TO A LOT OF OUR EVENTS AROUND TOWN OVER THE LAST, UH, 20, I MEAN, 13 YEARS OR SO TO SOME OF YOUR EVENTS? YES.
DO YOU PERCEIVE ANY, UH, WEAKNESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS THAT DESERVE MORE ATTENTION? ASIDE FROM WHAT THE ONES YOU JUST MENTIONED, ANYTHING YOU DIDN'T THINK OF? YES.
UM, I THINK THE COST TO SOME OF THE SERVICES COULD BE LOWERED, UH, FOR THE MEAN OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THE INCOME MEAN IT'S LIKE BETWEEN 83 TO 88,000.
AND FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A MOM OF ME, IF I WERE TO BE SINGLE AND TAKING THREE KIDS TO AN ACTIVITY, UM, IT WOULD COST A LOT FOR SOME.
AND, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW I NOTICED YOU HAD YOUR ACTIVITY FOR THE GROOVY GROUP, THE SEVENTIES GROUP, UM, RACE.
SOME CITIES HOLD SIMILAR EVENTS, AND SOME CITIES WILL ONLY CHARGE THEIR CITIZENS ABOUT $15 PER MEMBER, AND THEREFORE MORE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COULD PARTICIPATE IN THOSE SERVICES NOW.
I THINK WE'RE IN A WAY ALSO EXCLUDING SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD THOSE ACTIVITIES.
ROSE AND DARREN TOOK MY QUESTION.
I DID, I KNOW
SO INVESTING ON THOSE SERVICES WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
AND COMING UP WITH IDEAS THAT WOULD BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT ISSUE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING? ONE OF THE ISSUES WOULD BE HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THE INCREASE IN DRUG USE, THE INCREASE OF DEATH THAT ARE COMING IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SEEING DAILY.
NOW, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MYSELF, I DO WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR LA COUNTY.
SO, AND I DO HAPPEN TO RUN GROUPS THAT ARE FOR
[00:55:01]
PERINATAL AS WELL AS GRIEF GROUP GROUP GROUPS.AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN NOTICING IN THOSE GROUPS IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF LOVED ONES THAT ARE LOSING MEMBERS DUE TO DRUG USE OR OVERDOSE.
AND SO IF WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY ESSENTIAL.
SO I WANNA ASK YOU ALSO, WHAT IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF? THERE'S TWO.
UM, ONE WOULD BE BEING A MOM, BEING A MOM OF THREE AMAZING LITTLE BOYS THAT I HOPE TO INSPIRE FOR THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS. EVERY DAY I WAKE UP, WHAT DO I WANNA DO FOR THEM? WHAT DO I WANNA DO FOR MY COMMUNITY AND WHAT WOULD MAKE MY PARENTS PROUD? SO EVEN THOUGH AS OLD AS I AM, I STILL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I DO THAT.
MS. KAAS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO APPLY AND FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I THINK BY YOUR WORDS, YOU'RE A GREAT DAUGHTER AND WE APPRECIATE THAT TOO.
UM, ALWAYS TRYING TO AS TO SEEK, UH, YOUR PARENTS', UH, PRIDE IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER GO AWAY, EVEN AFTER THEY PASSED, UM, YOU BROUGHT UP MAKING OUR EVENTS MORE AFFORDABLE.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE DISAGREES.
WE ACTUALLY SPEND HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS, UM, TRYING TO DO THAT WITH EVERY EVENT.
AND I KNOW LIKE, UH, MS. LAGA, WHO'S A CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION AS WELL, UH, CAN TELL YOU, WE HEAVILY SUBSIDIZE ALMOST EVERY PROGRAM WE PUT OUT THERE.
WE GET, UH, ALL THE VENDORS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CITY TO, UH, DIG DEEP IN THEIR POCKETS AND TRY TO COME UP WITH DONATIONS SO WE CAN, UM, MAKE THINGS MORE AFFORDABLE AND STILL HOLD, UH, EVENTS THAT WE'RE PROUD OF AND THAT ARE SAFE, UH, AND THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO ATTEND.
SO IT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT BALANCE, BUT AS YOU KNOW, UH, YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH WITH, UH, SO LITTLE MONEY.
AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE BALANCE, UH, TAXING AND SPENDING.
AND, UM, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY.
IT USED TO BE A HEAVILY, UH, REPUBLICAN RED CITY, AND NOW IT'S MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE, TO THE BLUE MM-HMM.
AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE MORE WILLINGNESS SOMETIMES TO SPEND MONEY WHERE THERE WASN'T BEFORE WHEN IT COMES TO TAXATION.
BUT WE'RE GONNA BE LOSING, UH, A VERY, UH, VALUABLE, UH, TAX OR FEE, UM, SHORTLY WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO.
AND, UH, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ASKING THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR OPTIONS TO, UM, VOTE AND MAINTAIN THAT TAX SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WERE PRESENTLY PROVIDING.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? ABOUT A TAX INCREASE THAT'S, IT'S NOT A TAX INCREASE, IT'S A TAX, IT'S A FEE CONTINUANCE.
WE PRESENTLY, UH, GET MONEY FOR THIS FEE AND, UH, WE WOULD BE LOSING IT.
IT HAS A SUNSET CLAUSE TO IT, SO IT WILL BE DISAPPEARING, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND SO WE HAVE AN OPTION TO ASK THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CONTINUING THE SERVICES THAT WE PRESENTLY PROVIDE AT THE LEVEL THAT WE PROVIDE THEM AND CONTINUE THAT FEE.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT SIDE WOULD YOU BE ON NOW? TO GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, OF BACKGROUND, VIRTUALLY EVERY CITY HAS A LOCAL REVENUE OF TAX, OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, FEE, UH, THAT GENERATES THAT INCOME FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SLIGHT LITTLE BACKGROUND.
UM, PERSONALLY, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH IT.
IT DEPENDS ON, UM, AS A VOTER, I WOULD WANNA KNOW WHERE'S IT GOING TOWARDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU READ SOMETHING AND YOU WANNA KNOW WHERE IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT WHERE IT'S GOING, HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT US INCOME, OUR, UM, HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT US.
SO AS A VOTER, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY YES, ESPECIALLY IF I KNOW IT'S GOING TO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, ASK
[01:00:01]
THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? I, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT UP HERE AND WE, YOU SHOULD KNOW AND YOU SHOULD A, WE SHOULD ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.SO, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
I, I DON'T ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS UP HERE, BUT, BUT IN THE EVENT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE RUN INTO SITUATIONS WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS, WOULD YOU ALSO BE WILLING DOWN THE ROAD IF, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, SERVE IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY, WHETHER IT'S PLANNING COMMISSION OR BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE IN, IN, IN ANOTHER CAPACITY OTHER THAN COMMUNITY SERVICES? IF WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE, UM, I THINK I WOULD WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT THEY DO.
I KNOW ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMITTEE, PURIFICATIONS, I'M NOT SO FAMILIAR WITH.
SO I, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
IS MADELINE MORRISON HERE? MADELINE, COME ON DOWN.
OKAY, MADELINE, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BASICALLY DO IS ASK YOU TO, TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND THEN EACH ONE OF THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? SURE.
UM, MADELINE MORRISON, I'VE LIVED IN LAHABRA.
THIS SPRING WILL BE SIX YEARS.
UM, I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY HILLS WEST COMMUNITY, AND I'M CURRENTLY ON THE BOARD FOR THAT COMMUNITY, UM, FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'M A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FOR THE ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, PREVIOUSLY I DID WORK HERE, UM, IN LAHABRA AND IN BUENA PARK AS, UM, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR THE FULLERTON JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, I WORK, YOU KNOW, IN EDUCATION.
I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, AND I HAVE A FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND A HUSBAND HERE IN LAHABRA WITH ME.
AND, UM, WE ENJOY LIVING HERE.
WERE YOU, WERE YOU A ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL? YES.
NICE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SAME QUESTION I'VE ASKED A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS.
DEPENDING UPON YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES, PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, THINGS THAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, SHOULD THERE BE A NEW PRIORITY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM? ARE WE LACKING IN ANY CERTAIN WAY? IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AS FAR AS YOU CAN TELL? YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN I THINK OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT READING ABOUT WHAT KIND OF, WHAT IT DOES AND, AND HISTORICALLY IN OTHER CITIES, WHAT IT DOES, PARKS, UM, THINGS FOR YOUTH THINGS, EVENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL ACTIVITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I KNOW READING THAT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE MAKING THE, I'M TRYING TO GET MY BEARINGS HERE, THE NEW PARK, VISTA GRANDE PARK.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY EXCITING, YOU KNOW, AS A MOM TO A TODDLER.
WE LOVE TO GO TO THE ONE UP, UM, UP ON IDAHO, VISTA, VISTA, I FORGOT THE NAME OF IT.
UM, WE'VE GONE TO MANY DIFFERENT ONES HERE IN THE, IN THE CITY.
UM, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, INVESTING IN IN A NICE PARK HERE IN THE CITY IS GONNA BE AWESOME.
I KNOW THE TRAILS O YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE HILL WHERE I AM, THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOME TRAILS IN THERE.
SO LOTS OF RECREATION, YOU KNOW, I THINK IS, IS FUN AND NEEDED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEVER, YOU KNOW, LAJA ISN'T LACKING IN I THINK, FUN THINGS TO DO.
THERE'S ALWAYS A FESTIVAL, CORN FESTIVAL, TAMALE FESTIVAL, SOME KIND, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF FUN, UM, THING HAPPENING.
UM, THE, WE'RE FAMILIAR, I HAVE MY DAUGHTER IN A LOT OF THE, UM, THINGS THE CITY OFFERS THROUGH THE PARKS AND REC.
UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF THINGS TO CHOOSE FROM.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE'RE ON, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT TRACK.
I'M HAPPY WITH WHAT'S OFFERED WITH THE CITY.
UM, SO YOU HAVE ATTENDED THE CLASS.
YOU HAVE ATTENDED QUITE THE, UH, NUMBER OF EVENTS AT THE CITY HALL.
UH, AND NO, I ASKED HER IF SHE SPOKE ANY OTHER LANGUAGES.
UH, I SAW THAT ON YOUR APPLICATION.
I ALSO SAW THAT YOUR CIVIC INTEREST IS LIBRARIES.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT DOOR TO US RIGHT HERE IS, IS IT'S SMALL, BUT, YOU KNOW, A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I GREW UP GOING TO THE LIBRARIES, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S MAYBE WHY I BECAME A TEACHER AND WENT INTO EDUCATION, BUT THEY, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND SO HE'S KIND OF NEW TO THE LIBRARY NOW THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR YOUNG DAUGHTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S SAYING THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY OFFER COMPUTERS TO RESIDENTS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY OFFER, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY OFFER, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES FOR WHATEVER PEOPLE ARE NEEDING
[01:05:01]
AND THAT IT'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST BOOKS.AND SO I SAID, YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, HUBS OF THE CITY AND, AND THEY OFFER SOME GREAT THINGS THAT PEOPLE SOMETIMES MIGHT NOT KNOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
AND, UH, SO WE'VE SPENT, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE LIBRARY HERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW NIGHT THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING ACTUALLY FOR GETTING READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, SO WE'RE GONNA BE GOING TO THAT.
AND, UM, I JUST THINK THAT THEY'RE PLACES THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST BOOKS.
THEY'RE PLACES WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND WHERE YOU CAN BETTER YOUR COMMUNITY AND OFFER THINGS.
AND, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ON, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY ANYTHING LIKE A LIBRARY BOARD OR A LIBRARY, ANY KIND OF GROUP, BUT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ME.
I WAS SURPRISE AS WELL AS TO WHAT THIS, THE LIBRARY OFFERS.
UH, I TUTOR KIDS AND WE CHOSE TO HAVE POP-UP TUTORING IN DIFFERENT PARKS.
AND, AND YOU CAN CHECK THOSE OUT TOO AT THE LIBRARY.
THEY'RE IN BIG DEMAND BY PARENTS WHO, UH, ONLY SPEAK SPANISH SO THAT THEY OR DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET.
AND I HAD TO ACTUALLY WAIT A MONTH BEFORE I COULD GET MINE.
SO I FINALLY DECIDED, NO, I'LL JUST GET A, A CELL PHONE AND GET AS MUCH HOTSPOT AS I CAN ON THAT PHONE TO HELP THE KIDS.
BUT YEAH, THEY ARE MOVING IN, IN SO MANY DIRECTIONS AND THE NEEDS THERE FOR THE LIBRARY.
SO, YES, ESPECIALLY LIKE YOU SAID, HELPING THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN.
THERE WAS LOTS OF TUTORING PROGRAMS AND THINGS OFFERED.
HOMEWORK HELP, HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE, THINGS TO READY FOR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, WITH READING AND, AND THINGS WITH JUST CRAFTS, LEGOS, EVERYTHING TO GET STUDENTS READY FOR SCHOOL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TODAY AND THANK YOU, UH, WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS, NUMBER ONE, AND THEN, UH, GIVING OF YOUR TIME IF EVENTUALLY PLACED ON A COMMISSION.
UM, AS I GO OVER YOUR, UM, APPLICATION, YOU CERTAINLY APPEAR TO BE BUSY ALREADY,
ARE YOU GONNA HAVE THE TIME TO DO THIS ADDITIONAL WORK? YES.
UH, I LOOKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF A COMMITMENT IT IS.
AND I DISCUSSED IT WITH MY HUSBAND WHO DID SAY THE SAME THING AS YOU, WHO SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, NOW WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST, IT JUST FELT RIGHT.
IT FELT LIKE A TYPE OF COMMISSION THAT I'D LIKE TO BE ON.
HE KNOWS, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M A HARD WORKER.
HE KNOWS THAT I'M SOMEONE THAT LIKES TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND LIKES TO HELP.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH HE, HE, HE MADE THE SAME REFERENCE, HE SAID, YES, GO AHEAD.
YOU KNOW, HE, HE'S SUPPORTIVE.
SO YEAH, IT, IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.
YOUR HUSBAND DIDN'T REALLY COME UP WITH AN INNOVATIVE QUESTION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GIVEN AS HUSBANDS.
I THINK HE JUST REALIZES HE, HE DOES.
I'M GONNA KEEP GOING, DOING WHAT I'M DOING.
AND, YOU KNOW, LUCKILY, LIKE I SAID, HE'S SUPPORTIVE.
AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WE WENT TO A PARK, UM, DOWN IN IRVINE, SO NOT, NOT AROUND HERE.
AND IT WAS A REALLY NEAT PARK.
AND THEY HAD A PLAQUE AND JUST WHEN THE PARK OPENED AND DIFFERENT STUFF.
AND SO I WAS READING ABOUT IT AND, AND, UM, AND IT SAID, YOU KNOW, DEDICATED BY THE COMMISSION, CITY, CITY SERVICES COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE, CUZ I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT THIS WAS BEFORE, UM, I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT, HONESTLY.
AND THEN READING ABOUT IT ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE AND THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND, UM, AND SO I CALLED HIM OVER.
I SAID, LOOK, I SAID, SEE, I SAID, THIS IS THE TYPE OF STUFF THAT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN AND HELP PLAN AND DO.
AND I SAID, AND IT'S NEAT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IT'S UP HERE ON A WALL AND THAT IT'S, IT'S A REAL THING AND IT'S A THING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN, IN COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE, HE GETS IT.
HE GETS WHY, WHY I'D WANT TO DO THIS.
AND HE'S PROUD OF THE, THE COMMUNITY AND, AND LIVING HERE AND AS WELL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S YEAH, NOT A PROBLEM.
THE EVENING COMMITMENT, YOU'RE ON THE, UH, HOA BOARD WHERE YOU RESIDE.
UH, IS THERE AN ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, BROUGHT YOU HERE? NO.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, MR. MR ERIAN AND, AND COUNCILMAN MADRANO, YOU'VE COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO SPEAK AND, AND TO DO THINGS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG FAMILIES.
THERE AREN'T A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY, MORE SO THEY'RE STARTING TO MOVE IN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, AN OLDER COMMUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE I HEAR THEM MENTION AREN'T SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT AS A YOUNGER PERSON THAT I SEE AS A CONCERN, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY SPEAK ON SAFETY OR THEY SPEAK ON TRAFFIC OR THEY SPEAK ON DIFFERENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, WE'RE SUPER HAPPY THERE AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL, YOU KNOW, UNSAFE IN THE LEAST OR, OR ANY, ANY, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS, UM, RELATED.
YEAH, JOSE, WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR INTEREST AND, UH, IN APPLYING FOR OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION.
UH, I ALSO, I'D LOOKED AT YOUR, UH, YOUR RESUME AND YOUR APPLICATION.
YOU'RE CURRENTLY IN A DOCTORATE PROGRAM, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, I'M ON HIATUS.
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING OUR DAUGHTER AND BEING A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND I JUST HAD A LOT GOING ON AND, UM, I'LL GET BACK TO IT, BUT RIGHT, SO RIGHT NOW I'M HALFWAY THROUGH AT CAL STATE FULLERTON, BUT IT'S ON PAUSE RIGHT NOW.BUT THAT IS THE EVENTUAL GOAL.
I'LL GET THERE ONE DAY EVENTUALLY.
AND A FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER USED TO, RIGHT? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, SHOOT FOR THE MOON YES.
UM, MY QUESTION, SIMILAR QUESTION, UH, FOR THE, UH, OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, COMMISSION APPLICANTS, UH, YOU'VE BEEN IN LAHABRA FOR A LITTLE BIT NOW.
UH, WHERE DO YOU SEE LAHABRA IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS? WHAT'S YOUR VISION, UH, AS A COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, COMMISSION MEMBER IF YOU WERE TO BE SELECTED? YOU KNOW, I LIKE IT BEING SMALL.
I LIKE IT KIND OF BEING A HIDDEN GEM.
THAT'S KIND OF HOW I LOOK AT LAHABRA.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS WORKING HERE WITH THE, WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL, SCHOOL DISTRICT, EVERYONE KNOWS LAHABRA.
YOU KNOW, NOW I'M IN ORANGE AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE FROM CENTRAL ORANGE COUNTY OR SOUTHERN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY, THE BEACH COMMUNITIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ASK ME WHERE I LIVE AND I SAY LAHABRA.
AND SOME, SOMETIMES I GET A LOOK, SOMETIMES I GET CONFUSION.
I HAVE TO SAY WHITTIER FULLERTON, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM, THEY, THEY KNOW WHERE IT IS, BUT THEY'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ISN'T A FREEWAY THAT RUNS THROUGH.
THERE ISN'T SOMETIMES BIG REASONS WHY IF YOU'RE NOT COMING HERE FOR SOMETHING, WHY YOU'D COME THROUGH.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY'RE EVEN SURPRISED IT'S IN ORANGE COUNTY, THEY SAY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A LAKE COUNTY, GO RIGHT ON THE EDGE, YOU KNOW? BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, SMALL, THAT CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY FEEL THAT IT HAS.
BUT, UM, REVITALIZING SOME OF THIS MAYBE DOWNTOWN AREA, KIND OF MAKING IT ATTRACTIVE TO, TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TO, TO UM, KIND OF, KIND OF NOT MAKE IT SOMETHING LIKE DOWNTOWN FULLERTON IS, OR JUST LIKE WHAT BREA IS, BUT JUST SOMETHING WHERE, UM, IT DOES HAVE A LITTLE SPARKLE TO IT.
AND MAYBE MAKING IT SEEM A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTRACTIVE TOWARDS PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NOT THINK OF LAHABRA JUST OFF THE BAT.
IT IS A REALLY COOL PLACE TO LIVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME BUILDINGS HERE THAT MAYBE ARE A LITTLE OLD OR JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A DOWNTOWN KIND OF AREA, LIKE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US DOWN EUCLID, BUT THERE ISN'T REALLY A LOT GOING ON.
AND SO, AND THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE OF WHERE LAHABRA WANTS TO GO.
BUT THAT'S WHY LAJA WORKS WHEN I GO TO WORK OR WHEN I GO MORE INLAND, YOU KNOW, THAT ANSWER DOESN'T GET ME AS FAR SO DONE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THIS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO YOU SEE, UH, UH, THAT BRIDGE TO BE BUILT BETWEEN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE CITY? I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING RESOURCES LIKE WHAT WE SAID ABOUT THE LIBRARY, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF MY JOB AS A PRINCIPAL ISN'T JUST RUNNING THE SCHOOL AS A, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY TOO, BUT DEFINITELY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND DEFINITELY AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU'RE ALMOST LIKE A, LIKE A POLITICAL FIGURE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU, THEY'RE WATCHING YOUR SCHOOL, THEY'RE WATCHING YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT.
AND SO ACTUALLY LAST WEEK I HAD TO GO TO, UM, THE ORANGE LITTLE LEAGUE, UM, OPENING CEREMONIES JUST BECAUSE WE SHARE THE FIELDS WITH THEM.
AND SO I DID AN ACT OF GOODWILL ON, YOU KNOW, SHARING THE FIELDS AND SHAKE HANDS AND WISH EVERYONE A GOOD SEASON AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, AND SO THINGS LIKE THAT ARE WHERE I SEE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES KIND OF COMING TOGETHER, SHARING RESOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS, SHARING WHAT GOES ON IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT'S AVAILABLE, UM, AND LETTING, YOU KNOW, PE CUZ SCHOOLS JUST, THEY ARE MICROCOSMS OF THE COMMUNITY.
YOU, YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, SERVING THE, THE, THE CHILDREN AND THE, THE, THE FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY REALLY DO ALL GO TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I TRY TO HAVE DONE IN MY ADMINISTRATIVE CAREER AND EVEN AS MY TEACHING CAREER, IS GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY WHERE, WHERE I WORK.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND TO, TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND TO KNOW HOW TO BEST HELP YOUR STUDENTS AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
WELL, I, I JUST, JUST HAVE TO SAY HOW IMPRESSED I AM WITH, WITH YOUR INTERVIEW TODAY.
CLEARLY YOUR WISDOM OUTS EXCEEDS YOUR AGE TREMENDOUSLY.
AND, UH, I'M JUST SO IMPRESSED SPEAKING ALL THESE LANGUAGES AND ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS ABOUT 9 5 44.
YEAH, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT CALLING TO CLOSE YET.
LAST TIME I WAS IN HERE IT WAS, UH, WE WERE GONNA QUIET ROOM.
I WALKED IN TODAY AND YOU GUYS THANK YOU.
RIGHT, WE'RE UPSTAIRS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
[01:15:07]
OKAY.HAVE A SEAT THERE AND WE'LL DO IT VERY MUCH, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID UPSTAIRS IN THAT UPPER ROOM LAST TIME.
UH, WE'LL JUST, UH, ASK YOU TO, YOU KNOW, BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN WE'LL GO AROUND AND ASK QUESTIONS.
UH, I AM A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, AND I HAVE SIX KIDS, UH, A WIFE AND, UH, REALLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH CHURCH ACTIVITIES.
UM, COACHING MY SONS, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS. HAPPY TO SEE YOU GUYS THERE OVER THE WEEKEND WITH US.
UH, WE MISSED YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ESPINOZA.
UM, BUT IT WAS, UH, GOOD TO SEE THE REST OF YOU.
I OWN A REAL ESTATE BUSINESS, UM, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, FOUR YEARS JUST WRAPPING UP MY FIRST TERM.
I THINK THREE OF THREE OF YOU HERE APPOINTED ME TO MY PREVIOUS TERM.
AND IT'S BEEN, UH, A PLEASURE TO SERVE IN THAT WAY.
I'VE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL, UH, IN IN THOSE FOUR YEARS, UH, SERVING ALONGSIDE COMMISSIONER ERIAN.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONER POWELL WAS, UH, A TREMENDOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEADER THAT I STEPPED INTO AND LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
UM, BEING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHAT IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF? YEAH, I SHARED A FEW OF THEM WITH YOU.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, RANCHO LAHABRA WAS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CONSIDER THAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, UM, AS MUCH AS WE WOULD A HEADACHE IN A LOT OF WAYS.
UM, BUT THAT WAS, UH, I THINK MAN TRIAL BY FIRE.
UH, IF, IF THERE'S ONE PROJECT THAT YOU CAN LEARN, PROBABLY JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM THAT CERTAINLY WAS ONE OF 'EM.
BUT I WAS A PART OF THE TRADER JOE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE SHOPPING CENTER WAS A PART OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WEIRD THINGS.
WE SEE BIG THINGS, WE SEE THE LITTLE THINGS.
WE, WE HAD A, A MEETING WHERE GREENHILL'S BAPTIST CHURCH, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO PUT A SHED IN AND THEY HAD SOME KIND OF PROPERTY LOT, YOU KNOW, ISSUES.
AND THAT WAS A, LIKE A MINOR THING.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE ONES THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF, I THINK WOULD BE BE RECENTLY WE HAD AMERICA'S TIRES AND DUTCH BROS GOING INTO LAMBERT AND BEACH BOULEVARD.
AND THAT WAS GREAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
UH, NOT, NOT A TON OF SUPPORT FROM THE N THE DIRECT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CENTER THERE.
BUT THE, THE PROCESS, I THINK WAS, WAS REALLY NEAT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY CAME FORWARD, THEY ADDRESSED THEIR CONCERNS.
UM, THOSE CONCERNS WERE KIND OF PUNTED BACK FROM THE COMMISSION BACK TO THE APPLICANT.
AND THE APPLICANT, UH, MODIFIED THEIR DESIGN, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THEN CAME BACK AND SOUGHT APPROVAL AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION VOTED TO APPROVE THE PROJECT AND, AND SEND IT BACK TO YOU, YOU GUYS.
UM, SO THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE.
I THINK WATCHING THE PROCESS WORK, HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO, UH, WAS REALLY NEAT ON THAT ONE.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A VISION FOR LA HARBOR BOULEVARD? YEAH, THE GENERAL PLAN
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WITH THE, WE'VE APPROVED A FEW PROJECTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IN THE, THE OLD NORTHGATE SHOPPING CENTER.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WATCHING THOSE SLOWLY BUT SURELY, YOU KNOW, START TO TAKE FORM, I THINK IS, IS REALLY PROMISING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW FROM WHERE, WHERE, WHERE YOU GUYS SIT AND WHERE THE CITY STAFF SITS, WHAT, UM, WHAT WE HAVE COMING IN, WHAT, YOU KNOW, INTERESTS THERE ARE FROM DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, CUZ WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT AS MUCH AS MAYBE YOU GUYS WOULD.
UM, BUT I THINK JUST THE DEVELOPMENT OF, YOU KNOW, OF THAT AREA AND, AND WHAT WE CAN MAKE OF SPECIFICALLY LIKE THAT CENTER THERE.
BECAUSE I THINK FOR ME, THAT'S THE HEART OF THE HARBOR RIGHT THERE.
AND, UH, YOU KIND OF GO ARTERIES OUTSIDE ON THE HARBOR BOULEVARD FROM THERE, BUT WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO DRAW, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES AND WHATEVER IT MAY BE INTO THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOULEVARD OF THE BELLS, UH, WOULD BE, WOULD BE GREAT.
OKAY, STEVE, JASON, THANK YOU, UH, FOR APPLYING AGAIN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU FOR WANTING TO SERVE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I HAVE TAKEN SOME INTEREST, UH, AND READ THE, UM, MINUTES FROM YOUR MEETINGS AND CERTAINLY ON LARGER PROJECTS, READ, UH, THINGS, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU MAKE, UH, DECISIONS AND WHY YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU DO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I FIND A BIT, UH, PROBLEMATIC IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES COMMISSIONERS VOTE, UH, BUT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY ARTICULATE WHY THEY VOTE THE WAY THEY DO.
SO IT LEAVES A BIG VOID FOR ME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE IS YOUR HEAD? WHERE, WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN
[01:20:01]
THE CITY? WHAT I, I THINK YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS, IT'S JUST, JUST DIFFICULT.AND, UH, EVEN SOME SMALLER, UH, THINGS LIKE THE, UH, THE CANNABIS THINGS, I BELIEVE, UM, THERE'S A VOTE AGAIN, BUT NO, NO DIALOGUE AS TO WHY THE VOTE IS WHAT IT IS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW WHY A COMMISSIONER WOULD VOTE AND THEN NOT SAY WHY THEY VOTE THE WAY THEY DO? YEAH, AND I, AND I THINK, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
I, I THINK WE EXPERIENCED THAT QUITE A BIT, UH, TO BE HONEST.
AND I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY REASONS FOR THAT WOULD BE, I THINK JUST MAYBE LACK OF, UM, CONFIDENCE OR UNDERSTANDING OF EXACTLY WHAT OUR ROLE IS ON THE COMMISSION.
UH, AND THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MY TERM I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TURNOVER AND WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE HAD TO STEP AWAY EARLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS SO VALUABLE IS, IS TRAINING.
AND WE, UM, I ATTENDED A, A TRAINING IN FOUNTAIN VALLEY RECENTLY, AND I WAS THE ONLY COMMISSIONER THERE, WHICH WAS A BLESSING BECAUSE CITY STAFF WAS THERE.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE I, YOU KNOW, I, I WISH THE REST OF MY COMMISSIONERS WERE THERE WITH ME BECAUSE I WALKED AWAY FROM THAT FEELING LIKE, GOSH, THAT WAS IN MY, THE LAST YEAR OF MY TERM THAT I WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCED TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I FEEL LIKE HAD I KNOWN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS I CARRIED AWAY FROM THERE SOONER, OH MY GOODNESS.
YOU KNOW, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A, A, A BLESSING FOR THE COMMISSION AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHERE I STAND AND, AND HOW I, I COME TO MAKE MY DECISIONS, UH, THE STAFF REPORT IS HUGE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THE EXPERTS ON EVERYTHING.
AND SO GONNA DEFER A LOT OF THE, THE EXPERTISE TO THEM AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AND THE ISSUES THAT THEY'RE RAISING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, COMMENT, PUBLIC OPINION, PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST DISCUSSION, UH, TO ME MEANS A LOT.
AND WHERE THE PUBLIC STANDS ON THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS IMPORTANT NOW FOR US ON THE COMMISSION, IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE BE ALL END ALL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING A DECISION.
UM, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LATITUDE ON, ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU, BUT FOR US, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE ZONING, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE VARIANCES ALLOW FOR? WHAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE BLACK AND WHITE.
UH, AND, AND I THINK STAFF IS THE EXPERT ON THAT AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE COMMON SENSE OF IT IN, UH, AS, AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT A, A PLANNER, UH, OR AN EXPERT PLANNER, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE SEE BEST FIT IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM, FROM OUR POSITION, GIVEN THE INFORMATION THAT STAFF HAS GIVEN US.
UM, CUZ A LOT OF TIMES, COMMISSIONER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, SIMON, WE COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ON, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT EVERY PROJECT BEFORE US, WELL, WE CAN JUST WRAP UP AND GO HOME THEN IF WE'RE JUST GOING TO, YOU KNOW, GO WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BUT I, I THINK, I THINK THERE'S MORE TO IT AND THAT'S WHY, TO GO BACK TO THAT AMERICA'S TIRE PROJECT, I LIKE THE PROCESS AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE PLANNING COMMISSION EXISTS, HOW IT, HOW IT IS.
AND, UH, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S HELPFUL FOR YOU.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, IF, IF ALL WE WANT IS THE EXPERT'S OPINION, WE WOULDN'T NEED A COMMISSIONER AT ALL.
ACTUALLY, YOU'RE THE FIRST LINE OF GETTING IT TO THE PUBLIC, GETTING IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, GETTING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHATEVER THAT PROJECT IS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF IT, WHICH IS WHY I LOVE THE PUBLIC INTERACTION.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOUR MEETINGS HAVE A LOT MORE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SEATS OUT HERE THAN WE DO SOMETIMES.
WE'RE HERE ALL BY OURSELVES AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS MAYBE MORE SO THAN OTHERS, BUT WHEN IT'S THINGS THAT, THAT MATTER AND THERE'S NOBODY HERE, YOU KNOW, IT DOES IRK ME A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE FIVE OF US UP HERE, WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, FIVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SOUNDING BOARD FOR OKAY, HOW DO WE THINK OUR COMMUNITY WOULD RESPOND TO THIS? AND THAT'S THE WAY WE SEE IT.
WE, WE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T GET AN ABUNDANCE OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS EVEN WHEN THEY'RE CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S, UH, CONFIDENT WITH THEMSELVES AND THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE LOGICAL, MEASURED DECISIONS THAT ARE GONNA HELP US ALL IN THE FUTURE WHEN THESE PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION, WHATEVER THEY ARE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF, IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY ENOUGH TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SAY WHY.
SO THAT WE GET THE FEELING, UH, THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE VOTING CUZ WE DON'T HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SURE.
[01:25:01]
SHOWING UP, UH, THAT WE CAN READ THEIR TE TESTIMONY AS WELL.JASON, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR REAPPLYING AGAIN FOR, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
AND, UH, MY QUESTION, UH, FOR, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION IS, UH, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MEASURE T, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I'D IMAGINE, UH, SO, UH, IT, UH, SUNSETS IN THE YEAR 2028 IF, UH, FOR ANY REASON, UH, IT DOES, UH, IT DOES NOT PASS, UH, FOR, UH, TO REINSTITUTE, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR, UH, WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE CITY WOULD DO TO MAKE UP FOR 7 MILLION IN REVENUE? WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD WE DO? YEAH.
UM, AT FIRST, I, I DON'T KNOW, UM, THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S A BIG ONE, RIGHT? UM, AND FROM WHERE, WHERE I SIT ON THE COMMISSION, I, I DON'T, TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, VALUE, INSIGHT AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PROVIDE TO THE CITY, UM, AS A, AS A RESIDENT, OH, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD WANT TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY ON, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL REVIEWS AND, AND THE BUDGET AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT FROM WHERE THE COMMISSION SITS, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD BE IN MY PURVIEW.
SO I DON'T HAVE A, A GREAT PREPARED ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
UH, AS A, AS A RESIDENT, WHAT'S YOUR VIEW ON MEASURE T FOR OUR CITY? YEAH.
WE, WE, WE NEED IT, WE NEED IT BADLY
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO, TO TRY TO PUSH, PUSH FOR THAT AND, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT C CONTINUES ON AND DOESN'T SUNSET, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING.
UH, WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON LOCAL CONTROL AS A PLANNER? AS A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I SHOULD SAY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY LOCAL CONTROL? WELL, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE MORE AND MORE THE, UH, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS TAKING AWAY, UH, CONTROL FROM, UH, FROM CITIES, UH, WHETHER IT BE ON, UH, HOUSING, PUBLIC SAFETY, OTHER ISSUES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY WANNA LEGISLATE TO TAKE AWAY FROM MUNICIPALITIES.
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON, UH, ON OUR LOCAL CONTROL? SHOULD WE YEAH.
SHOULD WE, UH, UH, SHOULD WE GIVE UP SOME OF THAT LOCAL CONTROL OR HOLD ONTO IT? YEAH, IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU SEE CITIES LIKE HUNTINGTON BEACH THAT, THAT ARE HOLDING ON FOR DEER LIFE AND, AND LAHABRA HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT HERE NEXT TO US, UH, A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
AND I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO FAR BEHIND THEM.
AND I, I, I THINK THAT, UM, MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT MAKES LAHABRA GREAT AND, UH, THE, THE SMALLNESS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTY THAT COMES FROM FROM THAT IS VALUABLE.
SO I THINK MAINTAINING A LOT OF LOCAL CONTROL AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
IT'S HARD BECAUSE SACRAMENTO TIES OUR HANDS, UH, THE HOUSING ELEMENT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ALL OF THAT IS, UM, IT'S A BEAR AND WE HAVE TO DO THINGS TO, UM, TO KEEP SACRAMENTO OFF OF OUR BACK.
BUT DOING THOSE AND, AND THAT'S WHY IT, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I THINK THE COMMISSION'S BEEN PRETTY INVOLVED IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND, UM, COMING UP WITH, AND STAFF HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS ON THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE THAT WILL SUFFICE WHAT SACRAMENTO'S ASKING FOR AND ALSO STILL MAINTAIN THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW MAKE THE CITY OF LAHABRA GREAT.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S NOT TO JUST BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, WHICH IS HARD FOR ME AS A REAL ESTATE GUY TO SAY.
UM, BUT IT'S GOTTA MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAS TO MAKE SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WE, WE SEE OUR RESIDENTS WANTING.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
JASON, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, AS ALWAYS.
AS JASON SAID, WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I'LL BUILD ON WHAT COUNCIL WARREN MADRANO SAID JUST A BIT, BECAUSE I WANT TO EVEN PICK YOUR BRAIN A BIT MORE PHILOSOPHICALLY BECAUSE CITIES ALL AROUND THE STATE OF COURSE, ARE ON BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM.
SOME ARE LIKE HUNTINGTON BEACH, SOME ARE LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO REALIZE THE VISION OF SACRAMENTO AND BUILD THOSE 3.5 MILLION HOUSES? UM, IS YOUR GUT FEELING THAT WE WANNA AVOID HAVING THAT NIMBY KIND OF THING IN LAHABRA AND ADOPT THE GOAL OF SACRAMENTO AND GETTING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN TOWN? OR DO YOU PRIORITIZE, AND I THINK YOU WERE KIND OF HITTING AT THIS, PRIORITIZE THAT IDEA THAT QUALITY OF LIFE IS FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR LAHABRA, EVEN IT MEANS EXCLUDING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, WHICH YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE FEELING ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, IT'S HARD CUZ IN A LOT OF WAYS I FEEL LIKE OUR HANDS ARE TIED, RIGHT? LIKE SACRAMENTO'S SAYING YOU NEED TO DO THIS AND, AND SO WE CAN PUSH BACK TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
AND THEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENTERING THAT LITIGATION AREA, WHICH, UM, I'M SURE THE CITY ATTORNEY IS ADVISING YOU AND CERTAINLY ADVISING US ON.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THE NIMBYISM IS REAL.
WE HEAR THAT A LOT BEFORE, BEFORE YOU GUYS DO ON THESE, YOU KNOW, BUILDING PROJECTS.
I KNOW WE SAT, WE SAT THROUGH, UM, DAYS OF TESTIMONY FROM THE PUBLIC ON THE RANCHO LAHABRA OH YEAH.
UH, SAT RIGHT NEXT TO YOU 13 HOURS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS BETTER THAT IT WAS ON ZOOM OR WORSE, I'M NOT SURE.
UM, BUT SITTING THROUGH THAT AND, AND SEEING IT AND HEARING IT, UM, AND REALIZING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MEANS.
[01:30:01]
YOU KNOW, OF, OF THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONIAN, UM, I WAS THE ONE VOTE, YOU KNOW, IN SUPPORT OF, OF THE ZONING CHANGE, RIGHT? UM, NOT NECESSARILY IN SUPPORT OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT COMES WITH THAT.UM, BUT SO THE CONFIDENCE TO PUSH BACK ON, ON THE NIMBYISM IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET EVERY, ALMOST EVERYBODY THAT COMES IN HERE ON PROJECTS, UH, IS, IS OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT, RIGHT? WE DON'T GET A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE SAYING, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE GET ONE OUT OF 10 AND AND THE OTHER NINE ARE HERE TO, TO PUSH BACK ON A PROJECT.
UH, WHICH IF WE DON'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE FROM WHERE WE SIT AND IF WE AREN'T DOING OUR HOMEWORK AND REALLY, UH, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, UH, CONSEQUENCES, OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT COULD BE, UM, THEN SURE.
THEN WE CAN JUST CAVE TO THAT.
OR WE CAN DO WHAT WE THINK IS BEST FOR OUR CITY.
AND I THINK DARREN, I, I KNOW I, SORRY.
EREN, I'M NOT GIVING YOU, YOU KNOW, A, A VERY, UM, MAYBE STRONG ENOUGH ANSWER, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S HARD TO, BECAUSE OUR HANDS ARE TIED.
UM, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM STAFF? NONE MR. MAYOR.
ALL I HAVE TO SAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL AND DOING THIS, THE SELECTION.
THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH TO ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME, UH, FOR GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
UH, WE WILL BE ADJOURNING TO THE SPECIAL MEETING ON MONDAY, MARCH 20TH, 2023 AT 4:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
IN ORDER TO CONDUCT ONE COMMISSIONER INTERVIEW, THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE LA HARBOR CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, MARCH 20TH AT 5:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL.
CLOSED SESSION ROOM AT 100 HUNDRED EAST EL HARBOR BOULEVARD, FOLLOWED BY THE REGULAR MEETING AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED.