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ALRIGHT,[ CALL TO ORDER: Council Chamber INVOCATION: Mayor Nigsarian PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tem Espinoza ROLL CALL: Mayor Nigsarian Mayor Pro Tem Espinoza Councilmember Gomez Councilmember Medrano Councilmember Simonian]
I'LL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA OF APRIL 1ST, 2024.LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT IT IS NOW 3:00 PM AND THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONIAN, WHO HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE TODAY.
THE INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY ATTORNEY KEITH COLLINS, FOLLOWED BY THE FLAG SALUTE, LED BY MAYOR PRO TEM ESPINOZA.
PLEASE STAND, DEAR GOD, WE HUMBLY PRAY THAT YOU WILL GRANT WISDOM TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AS IT CONSIDERS CITY BUSINESS SET FORTH IN THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON.
WE ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES CONFRONTING OUR COUNCIL, STAFF, AND CITIZENS, SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN STRIVE TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES WITH COMMUNITY, SPIRIT AND PARTNERSHIP IN MIND.
PLEASE BLESS THE COUNCIL IN ITS DECISION MAKING TONIGHT SO THAT WE MAY ACT PRUDENTLY AND RESPONSIBLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE LAHABRA COMMUNITY.
PLEASE TURN AND FACE OUR FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY I JUSTICE AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY COLLINS, AND THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TE ESPOSA.
UH, WILL THE, UH, CITY CLERK PLEASE CALL ROLL? YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SIMONIAN HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE FOR THIS MEETING.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
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 LOAN 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 5 4 9 5 4 0.3 A.
SUCH COMMENTS SHALL NOT BE RESPONDED TO BY THE GOVERNING BODY DURING THE MEETING.
AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SPEAKER CARDS.
ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE LIKING TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL AT THIS POINT IN TIME ON AN ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA.
SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WILL
[1. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR AN EXPECTED VACANCY ON THE LA HABRA CITY COUNCIL That the City Council conduct interviews for an expected vacancy on the La Habra City Council.]
CONTINUE TO CONSIDERATION ITEMS. THANK YOU MAYOR.ANY MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE MAY REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE LA HABER CITY COUNCIL ON ANY CONSIDERATION ITEM PRIOR TO THE LA HABER CITY COUNCIL TAKING A FINAL VOTE ON THE ITEM.
PUBLIC COMMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES PER CONSIDERATION ITEM, UNLESS OTHERWISE MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR 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.
AND THE ONLY CONSIDERATION ITEM IS TITLED CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR AN EXPECTED VACANCY ON THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL.
CITY COUNCIL WILL CONDUCT INTERVIEWS OF NINE APPLICANTS FOR AN EXPECTED VACANCY ON THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL.
THE APPLICANT INTERVIEW ORDER WAS DETERMINED BY A RANDOM DRAW CONDUCTED BY THE CITY CLERK ON MARCH 13TH, 2024.
EACH APPLICANT WILL BE SEATED AT THE TABLE FACING THE DEUS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ASKED BY EACH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
APPLICANTS MAY TAKE A SEAT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OR LEAVE THE MEETING ONCE THEIR INTERVIEW IS COMPLETED, AND SO IT BEGINS.
THE FIRST APPLICANT, UH, THIS AFTERNOON IS, UH, JAMES JIMMY OLI II.
MR. OLI, PLEASE TAKE A SEAT AND WE'LL BEGIN THE PROCESS.
AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK AS A COURTESY FOR THE OTHER APPLICANTS TO STEP OUT OF THE CHAMBER PLEASE.
HOW ARE WE? IS THIS ON? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH.
HOW ABOUT YOURSELF? VERY WELL, THANKS.
YOU MIGHT WANNA BRING IT UP EVEN A BIT CLOSER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I THINK WE CAN.
ALRIGHT, ARE WE ALL GOOD? YEP.
WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE, UH, INTERVIEW PROCESS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ.
UM, I GUESS I HAVE, FIRST OFF, I GOTTA START OFF WITH A QUESTION FROM OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, I SEE HERE THAT, UH, JIMMY SAYS HE'S PRESIDENT, ALSO THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I GUESS A CONCERN I HAVE IS AN INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IF THAT'S A PAID POSITION.
SO, IT IS NOT BEFORE, BEFORE ARE, I MEAN, COULD THAT LEAD TO A PAID POSITION WITH THE, WITH, WITH THE BOARD? 'CAUSE TRADITIONALLY THAT POSITION IS A PAID POSITION.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION IS A PAID POSITION TYPICALLY
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FOR THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RIGHT NOW, THAT MEANS IT FALLS ON ME AS THE PRESIDENT TO FILL THAT SEAT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE REPLACE THAT POSITION.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A PAID, UH, KEITH, WOULD THAT BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? SO THE, THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS A SUBDIVISION OF A CITY DEPARTMENT.
SO THE CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S MUSEUM IS A DIVISION OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I BELIEVE THE, UH, POSITION THAT MR. MR OLI IS SPEAKING OF IS, UM, ON THE FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, WHICH IS A SEPARATE 5 0 1 C3.
SO IT'S NOT AFFILIATED DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY AT ALL.
THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, BUT THEY'RE THEIR OWN SEPARATE ENTITY.
SO I, I WOULD NEED TO PULL UP THOSE RULES.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES THAT APPLY TO OFFICERS IN A NONPROFIT AND I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO WE WILL GET CLARIFICATION OF THAT, UH, JUST, JUST IN CASE.
UH, WHAT DO YOU FEEL, OR WHAT DO YOU THINK, UH, IN YOUR OPINION IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE AS A CITY? I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE'RE KIND OF FACING IS COMPLYING WITH SOME OF THE REGULATIONS COMING OUT OF SACRAMENTO AND THE IMPACTS THAT THEY'RE HAVING ON THE COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW HERE IN CALIFORNIA THERE IS A HUGE HOUSING CRISIS AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WITH THAT, THE GOVERNOR HAS REQUIRED ALL MUNICIPALITIES TO KIND OF CREATE A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO FILL SPACE IN THE CITIES WITH ADDITIONAL HOUSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT BOTH AFFORDABLE AND, AND REGULAR HOUSING.
AND I THINK WE ARE STRUGGLING HERE IN LAHABRA, GIVEN THAT THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL OF THE LAND IS BEING FULLY UTILIZED RIGHT NOW, TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN FURTHER COMPLY WITH THAT.
I THINK THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT'S GONNA FACE THE ENTIRE STATE FOR SOME TIME TO COME.
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION? WHAT WOULD YOU BE YOUR RECOMMENDATION? WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT? I THINK THE, THE COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION ARE DOING A GOOD JOB TRYING TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL HERE IN LAHABRA WITH HOW WE FULFILL OUR OBLIGATIONS JUST GIVEN WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ISSUES ALONG THAT NATURE, YOU KNOW, OVERCROWDING AND SUCH.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH HOW WE KIND OF MANAGE THAT SITUATION AND BALANCE THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
OUR SALES TAX INITIATIVE WILL BE SOON SUNSETTING, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT $8 MILLION.
UH, WHEN, UH, WHEN THAT GOES AWAY, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND DOING, UH, TO FILL THAT POTENTIAL GAP? THAT'LL HAPPEN IN, IN, WELL THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE A GAP.
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THOSE CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE? I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE TAX PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN PLACE AND, AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE CAN EXTEND THIS, THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE PROVISION THAT IS SUNSETTING OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LEVY SOME ADDITIONAL TAXES.
$8 MILLION IS A LARGE SHORTFALL IN THE CITY OF LA HABRA THAT WILL HAVE WIDE RANGING IMPACTS AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THAT.
SO ARE YOU SAYING YOU WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF EXTENDING IT OR CONTINUING WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, OR, UH, ASKING FOR MORE FROM THE VOTERS? I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS IN PLACE AND, YOU KNOW, I AM NOT FAMILIAR DEEPLY WITH ALL OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHETHER I'D SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT THAT ONE ISSUE, BUT I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES DO NEED TO DEFINITELY PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF TAXES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, UM, ON EVERYBODY.
NOW, AS YOU'RE AWARE, MR. ANDREW EARLY PROBABLY, OR, OR LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE LA COUNTY FIRE CONTRACT? IT WAS JUST RENEWED.
AND YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE INCREASE IN THAT CONTRACT? YES.
WOULD YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD BE? I DUNNO, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO THAT AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $5 MILLION A YEAR WITH A POTENTIAL FOR INCREASES EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER.
SO LET'S SAY THAT MEASURE T DID SUNSET AND OUR COST FOR LA COUNTY FIRE CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT 8 MILLION PLUS 5 MILLION.
SO, UH, THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK YOU THEN IS, DO YOU STILL THINK THAT EXAMINING THE BALLOTING OF A RENEWAL OF MEASURE T IS STILL SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE STUDIED? OR IF THAT MASSIVE OF 25, 30% BUDGET HIT WOULD BE MANAGEABLE IN SOME OTHER WAY, AND IF IT WOULD BE MANAGEABLE IN SOME OTHER WAY, ASIDE FROM SALES TAX REVENUE, WHAT CUTS DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT LOOK AT OR IN WHAT AREA? YEAH, I THINK UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER IN LAHABRA, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT EXCESSIVE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT, I THINK YOU SAID A $13 MILLION DEFICIT WITH THE SUNSET.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SALES TAX IS ONE OF THOSE WAYS THAT WE COULD CERTAINLY ADDRESS THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE REALLY RETICENT TO TRY AND CUT ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY RUNNING PRETTY LEAN ON THAT FRONT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CUTTING BACK ON PUBLIC SAFETY OR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE
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OFFER HERE TO THE RESIDENTS.MY FINAL QUESTION IS, IF YOU HAD TO IDENTIFY THE THREE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND I'VE ALREADY GIVEN YOU SOME CLUES, I THINK, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THOSE THREE ISSUES ARE? YEAH, WELL I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE THAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ ASKED ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STATE IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS AND TAKING AWAY LOCAL CONTROL IS A BIG ONE.
I THINK OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT'S UPCOMING SOON IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, A BIG ONE.
AND I THINK REALLY FINDING WAYS TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN LA HABRA, IT'S A LIFELONG RESIDENT.
UM, I'VE SEEN NOTHING BUT TRAFFIC GROW IN THIS COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING HOUSING HERE, JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH OUR THOROUGHFARES AND IT, I MEAN, IT TAKES ME FROM WALNUT TO CYPRUS WHERE I LIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT COULD TAKE ME 15 MINUTES TO GET, YOU KNOW, THREE LIGHTS.
HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
I I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING NOW, UM, AS A HARBOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE COMMUNITY? SURE.
SO I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST IN, YOU KNOW, GOVERNANCE.
UM, I'VE, YOU KNOW, I DO THAT PROFESSIONALLY FOR MY CAREER.
I, YOU KNOW, DO LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS FOR MY COMPANY.
UM, SO I'VE DONE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, LOBBYING IN DC AND LOBBYING IN SACRAMENTO AND WORKING TO, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE FOLKS ON THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT MY COMPANY DOES WITH THE INTENTION THAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO SERVE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
I THINK THE BEST WAY TO HAVE AN IMPACT IN ANYTHING HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW STARTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, THAT'S HOW WE CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS A PRODUCT HERE OF THE LA CITY SCHOOLS AND, YOU KNOW, LA HABER HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, I'VE FIRSTHAND SEEN WHAT, WHAT POWER, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY HAS TO HELP RAISE PEOPLE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND NOW BEING PART OF THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM THROUGH THE FRIENDS, IT JUST, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HELP TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE REALLY TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE NATIONAL ISSUES AND, AND EVEN STATEWIDE ISSUES, BUT IF WE DON'T START HERE AT HOME, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY DO AS MUCH GOOD.
SO I FIGURED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A VACANCY COMING AND AN ELECTION COMING UP.
NOW'S AS GOOD AS TIME, AS ANY, AND NOT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGN TOO HARD AGAINST FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FIND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO START NOW.
UH, AND I ALSO, I FOUND NOTICED THAT YOU FOUND IT IN SUPPORT, A PROGRAM THAT YOU STARTED CALLED THE LA HAR HARVESTERS COMMUNITY GARDEN.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? I KNOW THAT I WAS OVER THERE FOR LOVE LA HAR AND I WAS IN THAT AREA BEHIND THE HELP THE BRAIN AND YOUR CHILDREN WHEN THE GIRL SCOUTS WERE PLANTING AND ALL THAT.
UM, IS THERE NOW SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES, UH, THE FLOWERS I THINK THAT THEY HAD PLANTED? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IDEA STARTED A WHILE AGO.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY FOOD AND HEALTHY EATING AND STUFF IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'D BEEN WORKING WITH SEVERAL OF MY FRIENDS WHO WE ALL WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER HERE AND TRYING TO EXCHANGE GARDEN ITEMS, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN US.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE EXCESS CROPS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN EXCHANGE IT FOR FREE OR FOR OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
AND WE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF TRYING TO START SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS, UM, IN WHITTIER AND LAHABRA IN THAT AREA.
FORTUNATELY FOR US HERE IN LAHABRA, THERE WAS ALREADY WORK IN YOUR, UH, MASTER PLAN TO TRY AND IMPROVE SOME OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, PARKS THAT WE HAVE AND MAYBE GET SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS.
SO I WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES GROUP AND SOME VOLUNTEERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, I STARTED THE PROGRAM, I BROUGHT IT OUT, SOUGHT VOLUNTEERS, AND THEN STARTED WORKING WITH KIM ALBERRY IN COMMUNITY SERVICES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE SITE, UM, GET IT STARTED WITH THE HIGH LEVEL HARBOR DAY PROJECT, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO CLEAN IT OUT, UM, WITH THE HELPS OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
NOW WE HAVE SEVERAL BEDS THERE.
I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT 14 BEDS.
AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IS COLLECTING APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE PRIORITY, GOING TO RESIDENTS OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE REMAINDER GOING TO OPEN APPLICATIONS IN THE HOPES THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO GARDEN, HOW TO HAVE HEALTHY FOOD THAT'S AVAILABLE LOCALLY.
UH, AND ONE LAST THING YOU SAID HERE IN LA HARBO, WE FACE MANY CHALLENGES.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? YEAH, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE IN LA HABRA WE'RE DEALING WITH THE TRAFFIC, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE INCREASING COST OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS GROWING UP HAVING THE LAHABRA FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN HAVING TO GO TO LA COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LOSING OUR, OUR LAHA OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE POLICE FORCE AND, AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH BUDGETS SOMETIMES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES FACING US.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE CALPERS ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE COME AND GONE AND SEEM TO COME BACK EVERY FEW YEARS WITH THE PENSION PLANS.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF FINANCIAL ISSUES AHEAD OF US.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WANTING THE PARKS REDONE, WANTING THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM REDONE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY NEEDED AND NOT SO MUCH MONEY AVAILABLE.
UM, I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CREATIVE
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AND VERY CONSCIENTIOUS MOVING FORWARD ON HOW WE ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.JIMMY, FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR APPLYING AND FOR, UH, UH, FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M SURE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE AND THE WORK YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT APPLYING AND COMING FORWARD AND, UH, UH, WANTING TO FILL A GAP FOR US.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND, AND FOR BEING HERE.
WITH THAT, AND JUST IN, IN LINE WITH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED YOU, UH, BY ANY CHANCE, DID YOU GET TO READ, UH, THIS, UH, THIS EVENING'S, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? THIS ONE FOR TODAY? YES.
UH, SO, UH, IN TONIGHT'S, UH, CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, AND IT'S FOR US TO APPROVE THE, UH, THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR THE YEAR, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24, 25.
IN LINE WITH THAT, AND UNDERSTANDABLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, BUT YOU MAY KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL KNOW WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM OF THE CITY IS ON VARIOUS ISSUES.
YOU BROUGHT UP PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, AND YOU'RE CONCERNED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, DO YOU KNOW THE CITY'S POSITION, UH, LEGISLATOR PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 AND, AND REALIGNMENT? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9? I AM NOT.
SO, UH, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 IS, UH, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011.
AND BASICALLY WHAT IT IS, NON-VIOLENT, NON-SERIOUS AND NON-HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS AFTER THEY ARE RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON TO BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL.
HOW, UH, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AS FAR AS, UH, A CITY GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED? YEAH.
WELL, I THINK, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT LOCAL CONTROL IS THE BEST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL AREA IS GONNA KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEIR CHALLENGES ARE AND WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO, FRANKLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE FARTHER AWAY YOU GET, YOU KNOW, AWAY FROM THAT, THAT TOUGHER IT BECOMES TO GOVERN EVERYBODY IN A FAIR AND EFFECTIVE MANNER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL STRONGLY IN SUPPORT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL OUR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE A SIGNIFICANT SAY IN WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WITH THAT IN MIND AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S AN AGENDA, WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOLLOWING UP ON THAT IN LOCAL CONTROL, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, UH, HOUSING, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE CITY'S, UH, REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT NUMBERS, UH, AND THE HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR POSSIBLE, UH, PUNITIVE IMPACTS? SURE.
I, I PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT IT'S, IT'S WRONG WHAT THE STATE IS DOING TO TAKE AWAY LOCAL CONTROL AND KIND OF IMPLEMENT THESE ARBITRARY NUMBERS, IN MY OPINION, ON THE CITIES.
I MEAN, EVERY CITY'S GONNA KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO.
SOME CERTAINLY CAN DO MORE THAN OTHERS AND SOME CANNOT.
I THINK WHERE WE ARE IN LAHABRA, WE ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND LAND, AND UNLESS EVERY, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE SPACE IN LAHABRA WAS FILLED WITH HOUSING, IT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGING FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, REACH THOSE NUMBERS.
I THINK WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF THE AREA.
IT CAN'T JUST BE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, WE'RE ONLY SEVEN SQUARE MILES HERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE CAN ONLY FIT SO MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE IN HERE TO SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHY I WAS PART OF THE MOVEMENT AGAINST CHANGING OUR GOLF COURSE, YOU KNOW, INTO HOUSING.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S NOT FOR LACK OF EFFORT ON THE CITY'S PART.
IT'S JUST WE'VE ONLY GOT SO MUCH SPACE HERE AND ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO.
I THINK THAT IS GONNA PROVIDE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO ALL OF THE CITIES OF CALIFORNIA AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TAKING AWAY THAT LOCAL CONTROL AND REMOVING THE ABILITY OF COUNCIL AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PLANNING COMMISSIONS FROM MAKING THOSE DECISIONS WITHOUT FEAR OF PUNISHMENT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THAT TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
AND IT'S HYPOTHETICAL, CITY OF LA HABER WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
THE QUESTION IS THIS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, GET THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT INTO WHAT THEIR NEEDS AND WHAT THEY FEEL THE NEEDS ARE IN THE AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I WOULD LOOK AT ESTABLISHING SOME SORT OF COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION THAT MAY BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BRING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND, AND GATHER THEIR INSIGHTS FROM BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES TO CITY RESIDENTS TO NONPROFIT MEMBERS, AND FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE MOST PRESSING IN LA HABRA.
UM, I COULD CERTAINLY NAME OFF SEVERAL THAT I CAN THINK OF, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GATHER EVERYBODY'S PERSPECTIVE.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT, THEN WE CAN START LOOKING AT HOW TO SPLIT THE MONEY EFFECTIVELY.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TO SAY, HEY, WE'LL GIVE A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED, BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY CREATE AN
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IMPACT FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. IT, AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF THE PROGRAMS, WHAT THOSE DOLLARS AMOUNT TO, AND HOW MUCH WE CAN ALLOCATE TO MAKE REAL IMPACTS IN THE COMMUNITY.ONE FINAL QUICK QUESTION FOR ME WITH REGARD TO HOUSING, SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT QUITE A BIT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ADOPTED A HOUSING ELEMENT, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR SO.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THAT WITH THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UP IN SACRAMENTO RIGHT NOW? WHETHER WE'VE BEEN CERTIFIED OR NOT CERTIFIED? UM, I AM, I'M UNAWARE OF THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE REAL QUICK FROM ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES? NO.
ALRIGHT, MR. ANDREW, IS THERE ANY LIKE, REAL QUICK SUMMATION YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER AS WE CONCLUDE? NO, JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR HEARING ME AND INVITING ME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND APPRECIATE IT.
WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LIKE JOSE SAID, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING AND FOR YOUR, UH, EARNEST ANSWERS, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SET THE TIMER FOR EACH APPLICANT? THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
SHOULD WE SET IT AT WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF TIME, DO YOU THINK? WELL, THE CANDIDATES ARE DOUBLE SCHEDULED EVERY 15 MINUTES.
HE WAS, HE WAS GIVEN 20 MINUTES.
SO YOU WANNA DO 20 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES, OR YOU WANT, YOU WANNA TRY 20 MINUTES? IS THAT AGREED? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT 20 MINUTE INCREMENTS.
AND KEN WILL BE ESCORTING THE APPLICANTS IN AS THEY ARRIVE.
AND, AND MR. MAYOR, IF I COULD ADD, UH, I NOTICED THAT THE COUNCIL WAS NOT READING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY FROM THE SCRIPT.
WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO THAT SCRIPT.
UH, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE PARODY IN THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU COULD ASK THE SAME TYPE OF QUESTIONS TO EACH APPLICANT, THAT WOULD BE PREFERABLE.
HE SIT HERE, HE SIT HERE AFTER HE CAN.
MR. ANDREW, CAN HE SIT HERE AFTER HE CAN? YEAH.
YOURSELF? VERY WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO.
MR. VARGAS, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M GOOD.
AND YOURSELF, SIR? GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME, UH, TO FILL IN THE GAP FOR THE, UH, UPCOMING, UH, UH, VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, I ALSO, UH, I THINK I NEED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY AS WELL, AND READING YOUR RESUME, UH, YOUR, UH, RETIRED SERVICE MEMBER, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, I'LL, UH, I'LL GET STARTED, UH, BY CHANCE, UH, WERE YOU ABLE TO READ, UH, THIS EVENING'S, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE, THE AGENDA WE HAVE FOR THIS EVENING'S MEETING AFTER THESE INTERVIEWS? NOT FOR THIS EVENING, SIR.
UH, SO, UH, AS I, UH, AS I ASKED THE PREVIOUS, UH, APPLICANT, UH, THE, UH, THE CITY HAS A, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM THAT, UH, THAT WILL EITHER APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE THIS EVENING.
UH, BUT, UH, WITH THAT IT'S A, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR THE YEAR 20 FISCAL YEAR 24, 25.
UM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AND, UH, AND WITHIN THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM? UNDERSTAND YOU HAVEN'T READ THE, UH, THE, UH, THIS EVENING'S, UH, UH, COUNCIL AGENDA, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL CONTROL, HOW DO YOU FEEL? IT CAN BE VIEWED AS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD ON FOR PUBLIC VIEW AND ALSO FOR INTERNAL WITH THE, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT PERSPECTIVE WE'RE LOOKING, WHETHER IT'S FINANCE, WHETHER IT MIGHT BE ORDINANCE, CONTRACTS, TAXES, IT, IT, IT VARIES.
UM, BUT OVERALL, I THINK THE CITY WOULD HAVE WHAT WE'VE DONE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE UPCOMING MEASURE T EXPIRING IN 2028, I BELIEVE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE, UH, THE ISSUE AHEAD OF TIME INSTEAD OF WAITING DOWN THE ROAD.
SO I SAID, I CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN SPECIFICALLY, UH, INTO WHAT SPECIFIC WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH MY FINANCIAL CONTROL.
IT'S, UH, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
I CAN'T SAY WHAT, UM, I WOULD DO AS A RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE NEED TO GO MORE IN DETAIL WHAT THE, UH, ISSUE IS.
SO I'LL, I'LL EXPAND ON IT WITH THAT.
KEEPING IN MIND, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE CITY HAS A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM AS THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS THAT AS WELL.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 AND, AND REALIGNMENT? NO.
WELL, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 IS CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011.
IT'S, UH, IT SAYS A NON-VIOLENT NON-SERIOUS AND NON-HIGH RISK SEX
[00:25:01]
OFFENDERS AFTER THEY RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON TO BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL, NOT THE CITY LEVEL, THE COUNTY LEVEL.THAT BEING THE CASE AS FAR AS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
HOW DO YOU FEEL AS FAR AS HAVING LOCAL CONTROL, UH, OVER PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, ISSUES HERE IN, UH, IN LA HABRA REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BILL 1 0 9? UH, AGAIN, DOUBLE EDGED SWORD, BUT ACCORDING TO THE ORANGE COUNTY, I'M SURE THEY'RE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF VIEWING THESE INDIVIDUALS.
WE ALL MAKE, MAKE MISTAKES IN, IN THE PAST, WHETHER IT MIGHT BE LITTLE OR MAJOR, EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND OPPORTUNITY.
SO GIVEN THAT SECOND OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THE LOCAL CONTROL WITH THE COUNTY, I SEE NO PROBLEM PERSONALLY 'CAUSE WE'RE ALL HUMANS.
THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO PROVE THEY DID WRONG, BUT NOW THEY HAVE THE SECOND CHANCE TO, THEY CARRY ON FROM THAT MISTAKE.
UH, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH OUR REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, HERE, THE RENO? YES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RENO OR THE HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR, UH, POS POSSIBLE PUNITIVE IMPACTS? SO BEFORE LOOKING INTO THE ADMINISTRATION MEMOS, I WAS AGAINST IT, BUT NOW KNOWING WHAT, WHY IT'S NEEDED, UM, EVERY CITY HAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS, WITH THE POPULATION, ESPECIALLY CALIFORNIA.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH, UH, THE ARENA, AS YOU STATED FROM PREVIOUS, UM, MEETINGS, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO HAVE, I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE EIGHT 803, UH, DWELLINGS BY 2028, OR, UH, WE, WE'LL BY THE END OF 20, 20 40 I BELIEVE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE BUILDING THOSE INFRASTRUCTURES AT THE SAME TIME COMES IN PLAY WITH THE PROPERTY TAX, WHICH HAS BEEN A GREAT IMPACT FOR THE CITY ON FUNDING.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WITH THE INTEREST RATES GOING UP AND ALSO THE TAX MEASURES, IT SLOWED DOWN.
BUT WE ARE TAKING THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A CITY, AS COMMUNITY ON ALLOCATING THESE 808 0 3 DWELLINGS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, I STATED PREVIOUSLY I WILL DID NOT AGREE WITH IT, BUT LOOKING INTO THE PAPERWORK NOW I SEE WHY IT'S NEEDED.
AND I STATED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS, TRANSPARENCY IS BIG.
SO IF WE, THE PEOPLE DON'T LOOK INTO WHAT THE COUNCIL'S DOING, ONE, THEY'RE DOING DISSERVICE.
AND ALSO THEY'RE BLINDING BY NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PROCESS IS AS WELL.
SO JUST TO, UH, JUST TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHAT YOU DON'T AGREE WITH, UH, DO YOU AGREE WITH, UH, WITH THE CITY CONTINUING, UH, OR, OR LOOKING FOR LOCAL CONTROL AND TO BE ABLE TO, AND TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THESE MEASURES? OR ARE YOU, ARE YOU BETTER IN SAYING THAT THE STATE, UH, SHOULD, UH, SHOULD TELL US HOW TO, UH, IF WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES, WE SHOULD HAVE COME AGREEMENT KNOWING THAT EACH CITY HAS A UNIQUE PROBLEM OR UNIQUE INTEREST.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE MAY FLUCTUATE.
THESE NUMBERS MIGHT BE LOWER THAN THE 8 0 3 AS THE STATE REQUIRED, OR AS PUTTING THESE, THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT WE CANNOT MEET THESE NUMBERS DUE TO WHATEVER SITUATION IT IS.
EITHER TRAFFIC CONTROL CRIME, WHICH IS A BIG THING FOR THE PUBLIC FUNDING AS WELL.
IT'S JUST WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP, MORE DIRECT WITH THE, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, NOT JUST GET THE PAPERWORK AND DO AS THEY SAY.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
IT'S WHAT IT IS, A HYPOTHETICAL, THE QUESTION.
UH, SO THIS, WELL, THIS IS THE, UH, THIS IS THE HYPOTHETICAL.
THE CITY OF LA HABRA WAS GIVEN A ONETIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
THE QUESTION FOR YOU IS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS, ALLOCATING THE FUNDS FOR THIS HYPOTHETICAL, I KNOW THE ISSUE, OR THE CITY HAS A LOT OF ISSUES.
UH, ONE OF THE BIG ONES IS THE STORM DRAINS DUE TO THE WEATHER, UH, THIS, THESE PAST FEW MONTHS AS WELL CONCERNING THE MEASURE T MEASURES THAT WE ONLY GET MAYBE 18 CENTS PER DOLLAR ON THE TAXES FROM THERE.
SO ALLOCATING THESE WILL BE LOOKING INTO NEW RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS FOR HOW CAN WE BRING MORE BUSINESSES TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS MEASURE T IF IT'S NOT RENEW.
AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW WE HAVE ISSUES WITH UNION PACIFIC ON THEIR, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY WANNA PAWN OFF FOR THE CITY.
SO THAT'S EITHER BRINGING MORE LEGAL TO SQUASH THIS ISSUE AND MOVE ON AT THE SAME TIME IS BASICALLY A BIG THING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THE FIREHOUSE.
RENEW IS, IN MY OPINION, IS INSANE ON WHAT THEY WANT THE CITY TO PAY.
SO ONE WOULD BE FOR LITIGATION, FOR LEGAL MATTERS, AND THE OTHER THING WOULD BE IS BASICALLY FIXING THE STORM DRAIN.
'CAUSE IT WILL AFFECT DOWN THE ROAD.
[00:30:02]
THAT'S IT? THAT'S IT? YES.UM, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME, UH, WHAT, UM, TELL ME WHY, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING NOW? SO WHAT SPARKED MY ENTRANCE POLITICS HAS ALSO, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND, AND POLITICS HAS INTEREST ME SINCE A YOUNG AGE, UM, AS SHOWN IT IN MY RESUME AND ESSAY IS THAT MY SERVICE IS ALWAYS ABOVE MYSELF.
AT AGE 17, I JOINED THE MILITARY AND TOOK OFF.
UM, ONCE SEPARATED FROM SERVICE, I WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO WORK AGAIN FOR THE SERVICE OF OTHERS.
SO NOW THAT I HAVE A CHANCE WHERE I'M NOT ALWAYS DEPLOYED OR NOT HOME, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MY SERVICE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE BIG REASON IS I HAVE NOT SEEN A CITY OR ENVIRONMENT OR COMMUNITY THAT IS VERY TRANSPARENT AND VERY CLOSE TO THEIR RESIDENTS.
THE ONLY TIME I'VE SEEN THIS IS ON MILITARY INSTALLATION DUE TO REQUIREMENTS AND DUE TO FUNDING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THEM TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY MEMBERS.
THIS IS THE ONLY CITY THAT I'VE SEEN PERSONALLY FROM LIVING OVERSEAS TO DIFFERENT STATES TO EVEN WHEN I RAISED IN LA COUNTY, THIS IS THE ONLY CITY I'VE SEEN THAT THEY'RE TIED AND WANNA DO BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WANNA PURSUE WHERE I CAN GIVE MY IDEAS AND STRATEGIC LEVELS ON WHAT CAN DO, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THINGS INSIDE THE BOX TO FIX THESE ISSUES AND ALSO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
NOW, NOW YOU'VE LIVED HERE ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW.
AND UH, WE WE'RE KNOWN AS A CARING COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY CIVIC MINDED AND, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COULD YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH ME WHAT, IN THE RECENT PAST TO EITHER VOLUNTEER OR HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THE LA HAR, IN WHAT WAY HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? SO RECENTLY WHAT I'VE DONE IS, UM, MY BACKGROUND, I HAVE A SMALL CHILD WHO SPECIAL NEEDS AND I DON'T, I LIKE TO STAY BELOW THE RADAR, UNDER THE SHADOWS AND I'LL VOLUNTEER TO SPEAK TO OTHER PARENTS AND TELL 'EM LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, OR MAKE SURE YOU'RE LOOK INTO THIS AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW, UH, THE CITY HAS ITS ANNUAL.
UH, I LOVE THE HARBOR WITH THE RED SHIRTS, UH, HARBOR LOW KEY.
I'LL VOLUNTEER, BUT I LIKE TO KEEP IT TO MYSELF AND NOT JUST THE TYPE TYPE OF PERSON I AM.
I'LL GO VOLUNTEER, BUT I'M NOT GONNA TAKE PICTURES OR DO THIS.
IT'S JUST, LET'S DO THE, THE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
A BIG THING IS AS WELL, UH, I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OTHER MEMBERS, WITH THE VETERANS AROUND THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, UPDATED LEGAL CHANGES THAT WILL AFFECT THEIR BENEFITS, WHETHER IT MIGHT BE FOR INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY.
AGAIN, I LOW KEY GOAL, LOOK FOR THEM WHETHER IT MIGHT BE FOR THE, UH, BFW AMERICAN LEGION AND GIVE THAT INFORMATION OUT.
AND IT'S JUST, AGAIN, SERVICE TO COMMUNITY IS JUST GIVE WHAT I CAN, BUT I DON'T EXPECT NOTHING IN RETURN.
ALRIGHT, MY QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE MAYBE TWOFOLD AND ALL ABOUT MONEY.
UH, ARE YOU AWARE OF, UH, WHAT THE ADDITIONAL COST INCREASE HAS BEEN FOR THE NEW 10 YEAR CONTRACT THAT WE HAD TO RENEW? I KNOW IT'S STILL UNDER REVIEW.
UH, I KNOW IT WAS ABOUT 10 MILLION THAT THEY REQUESTED FROM THE PREVIOUS 20 YEAR TERM.
AND THEY'RE PENDING, I GUESS, FEEDBACK ON WHAT THE, UM, APPROVAL, WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA SAY YES OR NO ON, ALRIGHT, I'LL, I'LL STOP YOU THERE REAL QUICK.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE MAIN PART OF MY QUESTION IS YET TO COME.
BUT ACTUALLY, UM, UH, THE CONTRACT WAS APPROVED AND IT INCREASES OUR COST BY $5 MILLION A YEAR, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT MORE INCREASES COULD COME YEAR TO YEAR, BUT STILL IT'S A, IT'S A 10 YEAR CONTRACT THAT WAS, UH, IN ESSENCE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN IF MEASURE T UH, DOES SUNSET IN 2028 AND THE COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO BALLOT IT, UH, FOR RENEWAL, AND IF WE DO AND IT LOSES THERE'S ANOTHER $8 MILLION OR 13% OF OUR BUDGET, SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A $13 MILLION SHORTFALL.
UH, SO THE QUESTION YOU CAN ANSWER IN TWO WAYS.
NUMBER ONE, IF WE WERE REALLY FACED WITH THAT KIND OF AN UPSIDE DOWN BUDGET, WHAT SERVICES WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE? AND NUMBER TWO, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THE IDEA OF RENEWING OUR SALES TAX MEASURE OR EVEN INCREASING IT A BIT GOING, WE'RE BEGINNING WITH THE SECOND QUESTION OR WAS, UM, ON RENEWING IT IS, AS LONG AS WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, LET THEM KNOW THE ISSUE ON WHAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AND ALSO WHAT OUR APPROACHES.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING TO BE TRANSPARENT.
SECOND THING IS LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT AVENUES OF APPROACHES TO BRING IN MORE BUSINESSES.
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUS APPOINTMENT, OR EXCUSE ME, PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS WE DON'T HAVE THE DISNEY LAND, WE DON'T HAVE THE BEACHES, BUT WE HAVE THE COSTCOS,
[00:35:01]
WE HAVE THE SAMS OR THE CVS, AND THOSE ARE ONE OF THE TOP FIVE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, OR THE TOP EMPLOYERS THAT BRING IN THAT MONEY.SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE AS RESPECT TO TOWARDS THE CITY IS WHY CAN'T WE NOT OPEN A WAREHOUSE WHICH WILL REPLACE THAT MEASURE T TAXES TO BRING THAT, UM, REVENUE AND REPLACE THIS MEASURE.
T AS WE KNOW, BRAY HAS OPENED A NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR A WAREHOUSE.
UM, MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY WOULD BE LET'S LOOK INTO THE AVENUE APPROACH.
AT THE SAME TIME, LET'S WORK WITH OTHER LOCAL, UM, COMPANIES ARE DOING THE BIDS, SEE WHAT OTHER WAYS WE CAN FLUCTUATE THE COST FOR THEIR TAX BENEFITS.
AT THE SAME TIME, GETTING YOUR BID TO FIX WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
AS THE FIRST QUESTION WHEN YOU STATED ON THE SERVICES PUBLIC OR PUBLIC SAFETY, NUMBER ONE CANNOT CHANGE.
UM, WE CANNOT TAKE MONEY FROM THERE.
AND THE GENERAL FUND IS AGAIN, GOING TOWARDS THE STORM DRAINS, WHICH WHICH THERE'S NO FUNDS ALLOCATED ALLOCATED TO THAT WHICH COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
AT THE SAME TIME LOOK MORE ANALYTICAL INTO THE FINANCIALS ON WHERE WE CAN SAVE OR LEAN THE PROCESS ON HOW TO REDUCE THE SPENDING.
WELL, IF WE HAD TO MAKE SOME CUTS, WHERE DO YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF FAT THAT WE COULD PAIR FROM THE BUDGET AND WHAT AREA OF CITY SERVICES MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE IS NOT MAKING CUTS.
BUT AGAIN, STRATEGIC POINT IS WE HAVE A, AS A COMMUNITY, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, HOW TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE MONEY IS BEING WASTED OR OVERPAID.
IT'S NOT MAKING THE CUTS, WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
THERE'S MANY WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ON, AGAIN, LEAN THE PROCESS ON MAKING THIS THE SERVICES MUCH BETTER.
AGAIN, THE DOWN IN THE FUTURE, THE COST IS GONNA KEEP ON GOING UP.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS WHERE A WASTE TO SAVE MONEY, NOT JUST MAKING CUTS.
I, I'D LIKE TO DO A FOLLOW UP TO THE QUESTION OF OUR MAYOR.
UM, CAN YOU SPECIFICALLY THINK WHERE, UH, WE ARE WASTING AS A COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW OR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THE WASTE OR TAKE AWAY THAT WASTE? SO OPPORTUNITY.
UM, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS FROM THE, I'VE HEARD FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS THAT PUBLIC WORKS AVS THE WHITE LANES EVERY YEAR.
WE SHOULD TAKE IN CONSIDERATION AS PUBLIC WORKS AND COMPARE THAT TO OTHER CITIES.
WHAT PROCESS DO THE OTHER CITIES DO TO AVOID THE COST OF YEARLY REPAVING? THE WHITE LANES AT THE SAME TIME REACH OUT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AS COUNCILMAN MADANO WENT WITH A POLICE CHIEF USING TECHNOLOGY WITH THE DRONES, THAT'S GONNA SAVE MORE TIME AS WELL.
INSTEAD OF SENDING A UNIT CAR OUT TO WHATEVER THE LOCATION IS, WE CAN USE THE PROCESS FOR THE DRONES TO THAT LOCATION AS WHITTIER.
I, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY HAVE A DRONE, UM, UH, GROUP, WHICH THEY FLY FOR SPECIFIC CALLS.
SO FORGIVE ME IF I SAY THE WASTE, BUT IT'S MORE OF LEANING THE COST OF SPECIFIC CONTRACTS.
YOU MENTIONED THE, THE STRIPING THERE.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WOULD SAVE? IF, IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN, HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU THINK WOULD BE SAVED THERE? IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHO THE CONTRACT BID IS, WHERE WE GET THE PURCHASES FROM THE MATERIALS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK ALL THIS INTO CONSIDERATION, MAN HOURS.
IN YOUR ESSAY YOU SAY, I BELIEVE THAT MY BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE AND VALUES MAKE ME THE BEST CANDIDATE TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, CONSIDERING ALL THE CHALLENGES WE FACE RIGHT NOW, UH, CAN YOU KIND OF PEEL A LITTLE BIT, UH, UM, AS TO YOUR STATEMENT THERE, HOW YOU RE REGARDING MY STATEMENT IS, SINCE A YOUNG AGE, I'VE ALWAYS VIEWED POINTS FROM BACKWARDS PLANNING, STRATEGIC PLANNING AS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE.
AND THEN FROM THERE, PEEL THE ONION, LOOK AT DIFFERENT AVENUES OF APPROACHES.
UH, I'M, I'M SURE THERE'S, THERE ARE MANY PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE MORE, UH, TRAINED OR BETTER EQUIPPED, BUT WITH BRINGING IN A NEW PERSPECTIVE, ICE, NEW BLOOD, AND FROM WHAT I'VE LIVED THROUGH AND SEEN FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND DIFFERENT CITIES, DIFFERENT TOWNS AND STATES FOR THAT SMALL GAP UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION, I THINK I CAN BRING SEVERAL IDEAS, ESPECIALLY STRATEGIC POINTS WHERE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
[00:40:01]
SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY.ARE YOU CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 2, 6, 7? UH, NOT FOR THAT POST UHHUH.
UH, ARE YOUVE OF, UH, INVOLVED WITH ANY VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY IN LA HABRA? NO, I'VE REACHED OUT TO THEM DUE TO THE LORD NUMBERS.
I HAVE NOT, UH, RECEIVED CONTACT, BUT I AM FAMILIAR WITH SOME VETERANS HERE IN LA HABRA.
AGAIN, I'M A BIG COMMUNITY PERSON.
UH, MY NEIGHBOR CROSS THE STREET, A VIETNAM VETERAN.
WE ALWAYS TALK AND SAME THING, THEY DO A LOT OF EVENTS OUT OF THE CITY, ESPECIALLY SPECIFICALLY FOR RUNS OR EVENTS FOR OTHER VETERANS.
YOU MENTIONED THE FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS AS AN INTEGRAL PART, FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.
WE'RE ALL SUPPORT AND, AND ALSO CHARITABLE SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH ANY FAITH-BASED, UH, UH, ORGANIZATION IN LAHABRA? AND HOW ARE YOU GUYS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IF YOU ARE NOT SPECIFIC IN LAHABRA? UH, I'M NOT A COUNCIL MEMBER.
RA REMEMBERS, I'VE MET WITH YOU ON ONE OF YOUR, UH, LIFE FACEBOOK, UM, POST, AND I DID REACH OUT TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO FOR SERVICE.
I PASSED MY NUMBER ON FOR THESE, UH, FOR THAT ORGANIZATION.
I DID NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL.
SO AGAIN, IF I DO NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL, I WILL GO ON PEOPLE WHO I KNOW TO, TO HELP THEM WITH.
SO SPECIFICALLY FAITH-BASED FROM THIS COMMUNITY ITSELF? NO.
I, I THINK I'M OUT OF TIME, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, BY THE WAY.
OH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AS WELL.
I HAVE JUST ONE MORE REAL QUICK FIVE SECOND THING.
I BRING IT UP ONLY BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT SERVICE FROM THEORETICALLY THIS POINT ON TO, TO THE ELECTION.
SO, UH, BECAUSE YOU SAID IT IN THAT WAY, I'M JUST CURIOUS, I, IF YOU WERE TO BE THE APPOINTEE, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO RUN A FULL BORE CAMPAIGN FOR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER IF OPPORTUNITY OPENS? YES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. VARGAS.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE AND, UH, YOUR, YOUR EARNEST ANSWERS WERE GREATLY, UH, APPRECIATED.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
NOW TELL ME IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING THIS IS IT MS. HA HIDA? YES.
HOW ARE YOU TONIGHT? I'M FINE, THANKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENGAGING IN THIS PROCESS WITH US.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS EVENING, I GUESS IT'S STILL IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN THE, UH, INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, UH, IN THIS CASE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
SO WE WILL BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JIM GOMEZ.
UH, WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.
UH, QUESTION, I'M READING IT TO YOUR ESSAY HERE.
IT SAYS, I BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, I'LL BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.
TELL ME, UH, HOW YOU ENVISION YOURSELF PROVIDING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME COUNTY EMPLOYEE FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE, UM, STARTING AT SOCIAL SERVICES CPS AND CURRENTLY WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SO I BELIEVE I BRING, UM, THAT EXPERIENCE WORKING AT THE COUNTY AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY AND HOW MAYBE WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY MORE CLOSELY TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS AND, UM, OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES.
WE, WE POTENTIALLY, OR WE WILL ACTUALLY, UH, FACE A SIGNIFICANT, UH, FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WITH A SUNSET OF OUR SALES TAX MEASURE.
UM, WHAT PERSPECTIVE DO YOU SEE OR YOU COULD BRING THE, TO THE TABLE IN SOLVING, UH, A POTENTIAL FINANCIAL CRISIS? I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT AND PLAN HOW WE'RE GOING TO GENERATE, UM, THE EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF INCOME.
UM, IN REVIEWING WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT, UM, THE SALES TAXES AND OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE.
WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER OTHER SOURCES OF REV REVENUE AND WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST AS A LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY? I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND TO GET IDEAS FROM THEM AS WELL AS, UM, THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
UM, AND COME TO CONSENSUS OF HOW WE CAN, UM, MANAGE THE FINANCIAL NEEDS, UM, WITHOUT OVERBURDENING THE COMMUNITY, UM, TOO MUCH AND TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES IN GOING OVER YOUR APPLICATION.
I DIDN'T SEE TOO MUCH INVOLVED WITH, WITH ANY OF OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED WITH, WHETHER IT'S THE LIONS CLUB, THE VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS, ROTARY, OR ANY OTHER NONPROFITS OR ANY ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY CURRENTLY? UM,
[00:45:01]
NOT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.I, I DO ATTEND THE, THE VARIOUS FESTIVALS.
AND, UM, I SEE THAT THE LIONS CLUB IS VERY ACTIVE AND, UM, I'M MORE INVOLVED WITH, UM, THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST, WHICH I AM A, UM, LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST, UM, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICIAN.
SO, UM, I, I WORK BOTH AT, UM, MENTAL HEALTH AND HAVE A PRIVATE PRACTICE, UH, COUNSELING CLIENTS.
ALRIGHT, SO IN YOUR OPINION, MS. AITA, WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES CURRENTLY FACING THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY AND HOW DO YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES IS ABOUT THE, UM, POLICE, FIRE AND CITY EMPLOYEES.
UM, I READ ABOUT THIS ON NEWS BREAK THAT THERE'S, UM, AN ISSUE ABOUT, UM, SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEING UPSET THAT, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD, UM, UM, APPROVED, UM, BENEFITS THAT WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE VIEW OF THE COUNCIL ADEQUATE AND, UM, SUFFICIENT.
BUT, UM, THIS PERSON WRITING THE ARTICLE WAS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'D WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND RESEARCH MORE OF WHY THERE'S SUCH AN OBJECTION WHEN, UM, POLICE CITY, UM, EMPLOYEES AND FIRE FIGHTERS ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN THERE'S DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES.
SO, UM, SO THAT GAVE ME PAUSE TO THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE OBJECTION TO THAT? AND UM, THEN I RECEIVED POSTCARD FROM THE CITY SAYING THAT THEY WANTED FEEDBACK ABOUT, UM, LA COUNTY DOUBLING THE, THE FEES FOR FIRE SERVICES FOR US, UM, BY, YOU KNOW, BY 50% AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT, UM, ALL THE SERVICES HERE IN THE CITY AND, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S VIEW OF THAT IS.
AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF ALARMING TO HEAR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WE LOST, UM, A FIRE STATION OVER THAT AND NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE FEES ARE GONNA BE DOUBLING.
SO, UM, AND ANOTHER ISSUE, UM, IS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, WHICH, WHICH IS A DEAR TOPIC TO ME BECAUSE I, UM, WORK WITH THE HOMELESS, UM, EVERY DAY IN MY COUNTY POSITION.
SO I'M AN INTAKE COUNSELOR AND I DO OUTREACH.
I GO OUT INTO THE FIELD LOOKING FOR, UM, CERTAIN, UM, REFERRALS FROM THE DA'S OFFICE AND, UM, COLLABORATING WITH VARIOUS, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND, UM, OUR OWN, UM, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM FOR THE HOMELESS.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HOMELESS TEAM HERE IN THE CITY AND I'VE READ GOOD THINGS ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M THINKING THAT, UM, THERE'S SO MANY RESOURCES THE COUNTY HAS THAT MAYBE THE COLLABORATION HASN'T, UM, EXISTED OR, OR NEEDS TO EXIST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT HERE IN THE CITY TO LINK ALL THOSE, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE WANDERING AROUND AND TRYING TO LIVE ON THE STREETS TO, TO GET INTO, UM, PROGRAMS AND SHELTERS AND TREATMENT IF THEY, THEY WANT TREATMENT.
SO, UH, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT IT WAS LA COUNTY FIRE THAT INCREASED OUR PRICE BY $5 MILLION A YEAR AS PART OF THE NEW CONTRACT.
UM, AND WE DO EXPECT COST TO GO UP PAST THAT POINT AND, UH, THEY WANTED ANOTHER $5 MILLION TO KEEP THAT FORESTATION OPEN, WHICH FORCED US BECAUSE $10 MILLION AT THIS POINT IS TOO HUGE OF A HIT TO TURN JUST TO AMBULANCE SERVICES.
NOW WHEN MEASURE TR SALES TAX MEASURE EXPIRES OR SUNSETS, THAT'S ANOTHER $8 MILLION HIT TO THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF $13 MILLION.
WITH THAT IN MIND, WOULD YOU BE INCLINED TO SUPPORT THE RENEWAL OF MEASURE T TO KEEP THAT SALES TAX MONEY CONTINUING TO FLOW, OR WOULD YOU TAKE A MORE CRITICAL LOOK AT IT? UM, I THINK I WOULD NEED TO, TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO, IN THE LONG TERM BE THE BEST SOLUTION.
SO JUST COMING IN ON THIS, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE IF WE DID CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, THE SALES TAX OR IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO EXPLORE THAT AND FIND OUT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCE OF THE COUNCIL, UM, WHAT THEIR OPINION IS, UM, BEFORE GIVING MY OWN OPINION.
AND SO I WOULD NEED TO, TO FIND OUT MORE FACTS ABOUT ALL THAT AND WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION.
ONE FINAL THING ABOUT YOUR, UH,
[00:50:01]
REFERENCE TO, UH, THE HOMELESS ISSUE IN LA HABRA.ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW MANY UNHOUSED PEOPLE THE CURRENT CENSUS HAS INDICATED CURRENTLY RESIDE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS? UM, NO.
I, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT STATISTIC.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. QUI MAYOR, PORT ESPOSA.
I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION TO ALL THE CANDIDATES AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING, SERVING IN THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? UM, I SAW THE ARTICLE ON NEWS BREAK AND I'M ALWAYS
AND SO, UM, I HAVE A LAW DEGREE.
UM, I HAVE YET TO PASS THE BAR, I'M PLANNING TO RETAKE IT THIS SUMMER.
BUT, UM, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE AND SO, UM, I THINK I, I BRING, UM, A BALANCED VIEW OF, OF UNDERSTANDING LAWS AND, UM, BEING ABLE TO INTERPRET LAWS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, USE THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT I GAINED IN LAW SCHOOL TO BE OBJECTIVE AND TO HAVE CRITICAL THINKING AND, UM, TO INVESTIGATE AND RESEARCH THINGS BEFORE JUST JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AND, AND GIVING OPINIONS.
SO, UM, I REALLY LOVE LIVING HERE.
UM, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ORANGE COUNTY.
UM, AND I, I REALLY WANT TO GIVE BACK BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS, UM, A WAY THAT I CAN, UM, TO USE MY, UM, BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE.
UM, I HAVE A MASTER'S IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AS WELL, AND, UM, GRADUATED FROM CAL STATE FULLERTON WITH PSYCHOLOGY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I REALLY, UM, WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND I FEEL LIKE AT THIS POINT, UM, I DON'T NEED TO, UH, HAVE THE, THE BAR CART IN ORDER TO START GIVING MORE AND, AND DOING MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I, I TOLD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO.
UM, I ALSO WANNA KNOW, I SAW IN YOUR APPLICATION O ANTE O UM HMM.
ALRIGHT, MS. AKITA, UH, FIRST OF ALL, AS I'VE STATED TO THE OTHER, UH, APPLICANTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME AND FOR APPLYING YEAH, THANKS, UH, FOR THE OUTCOME VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
AND, UH, AND, UH, BEFORE WE, BEFORE I START MY QUESTIONING, BEST OF LUCK ON THE, UH, ON THE BAR.
I KNOW I'M MARRIED TO AN ATTORNEY AND I HAVE ONE, UH, SITTING HERE NEXT TO ME AS WELL, SO IT'S NOT AN EASY THING FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
I, I WOULDN'T, UH, I WOULDN'T TOUCH IT WITH THE 10 FOOT POLE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MY WIFE AND WE HAVE THE EXPERT OVER HERE NEXT TO ME.
THAT BEING SAID, AS I'VE ASKED THE, UH, THE OTHER CANDIDATES, UH, BY CHANCE HAVE YOU, UH, BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, THIS EVENING'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING AFTER THESE INTERVIEWS? UM, I TRIED TO LOOK FOR IT, BUT I DIDN'T, I ONLY SAW LIKE LAST MONTH'S, SO, OKAY, NO WORRIES.
AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU QUESTIONS BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ITEM ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, UH, APPROVAL OF THE FISCAL YEAR 24 25 CITY OF LA HARE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
IT JUST OUTLINES LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM THAT, UH, THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY AND OF COURSE, CITY COUNCIL FOLLOW THROUGH ON SOME, SOME THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE IN FOR OUR CITY, ONE OF THEM BEING LOCAL CONTROL.
UH, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, UH, WITH THE TERM WHEN IT COMES TO CITY GOVERNMENT, IF I, IF YOU CAN JUST ELABORATE IF POSSIBLE, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL.
I THINK THAT, UM, LOCAL CONTROL MEANS THAT, UM, THE CITY HAS AN INPUT ON WHAT, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL, UM, AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, HERE.
UM, SO WHATEVER EXTENT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY HAS TO EXERT CONTROL, UM, OVER ISSUES, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THAT, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST BEING SWEPT ALONG BY THE, THE HIGHER AUTHORITIES.
SO, UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE HIGHER AUTHORITIES, BUT WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CITY, I THINK WE NEED TO EXERT THAT CONTROL.
UH, ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE EITHER OTHER ITEMS WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THAT LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, UH, IS, UH, IS ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UH, IT'S, UH, WHAT ESSENTIALLY
[00:55:01]
WHAT IT IS IS THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011 HAS TO DO WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.AND WHAT IT READS IN A NUTSHELL IS THAT NON-VIOLENT, NON-SERIOUS AND NON HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS AFTER THEY'RE RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON, THAT'D BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL, NOT THE CITY LEVEL, THE COUNTY LEVEL, BUT KEEPING IN MIND LOCAL CONTROL.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, WITH THE CITY'S, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM ON, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER WITH YOU, BUT, UH, WE, UH, WE SUPPORT THE INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, TO ADDRESS NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AB 1 0 9.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? UM, I, I BELIEVE POLICE PROTECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'VE, YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN I AM, UM, ON CALL WITH THE CRISIS ASSESSMENT TEAM, SO I'VE MM-HMM,
SO I HAVE LONG EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH POSITIVE COLLABORATION WITH POLICE.
SO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE POLICE, YOU KNOW, SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION, UM, BECAUSE, UM, THERE COULD BE CONSEQUENCES OF, UM, INCREASED CRIME OR UM, YOU KNOW, CRIME IS JUST AN ISSUE THAT IS ONGOING, SO, UM, SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH OUR REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND, UH, AND THE HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, COME TO US FROM THE STATE? UM, I'M NOT SURE, UM, RENA NUMBERS AS THEY CALL 'EM.
UM, I DON'T THINK I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT ONE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, TO MY FINAL QUESTION AND, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A, UH, A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
UH, AND, UH, THIS IS THE, UH, THE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO FOR YOU SCENARIO IS THE CITY OF LA HARE WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME, STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
THE QUESTION FOR YOU IS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS? I THINK THAT, UM, THE CITY DOES A GOOD JOB OF SENDING OUT SURVEYS WHENEVER THERE ARE MAJOR ISSUES THAT THEY WANT INPUT ON.
SO I WOULD WANT TO, UM, INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND, AND FEEDBACK TO SEE WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CONCERNS OF, OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, WITH THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS AS A WHOLE, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW IN WHAT DIRECTION, UM, BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE, UM, WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE NEW TO CITY GOVERNMENT.
I WOULD WANT TO CONSULT AND GAIN, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCE OF, UH, AND OPINIONS OF THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I GIVE MY OPINION.
BUT, UM, I THINK THERE ARE CREATIVE WAYS TO UTILIZE THAT MONEY AND, UM, I THINK THE NECESSITIES NEED TO COME FIRST, THE BASICS, AND THEN, UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING LEFT OVER TO, UM, FOR CREATIVE PROGRAMS THAT CAN BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
MS. AITA, THE HALLMARK OF GOOD AS CITIZENSHIP IS A WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AND PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO FOR THAT, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, THANKS YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS AND FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
I MIGHT GO, UH, PRETTY DEEP IN THERE, MS. SEARCH.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS, AS WE SAY TO ALL APPLICANTS, THAT IS SOMETHING WE GREATLY APPRECIATE.
UH, THE, UH, INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED BY COUNCIL.
WHERE'D I START LAST TIME? WAS I, I START WITH JIM OR WITH YOU? GO THAT WAY.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION THEN IS COMING FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO.
MR. S, HOW ARE YOU? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
WELL, AS I'VE STATED WITH ALL OF THE, UH, THE, UH, CANDIDATES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME
[01:00:01]
AND FOR APPLYING FOR THIS, UH, UH, UPCOMING VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL.WE APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR TIME AND WHAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, SO, PLEASURE.
I'LL, UH, I'LL GET STARTED WITH THE QUESTIONING.
UH, SO, UH, BY CHANCE HAVE YOU READ THIS EVENING THIS AFTER OUR INTERVIEWS THIS EVENING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
BY ANY CHANCE, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT, UH, THAT CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? YES, I HAVE.
I TRY TO, UM, READ THEM AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT I KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I CAN'T MAKE IT TO EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING, BUT I TRULY LIKE TO COME TO THE ONES THAT PIQUE MY INTEREST.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, SO THERE'S A FEW ITEMS THAT, UH, WE HAVE ON, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR THIS EVENING.
UM, ONE OF 'EM THAT, UH, THAT I SEE AS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ONES IS THE, WE'RE GONNA BE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 24, 25, UH, UH, CITY OF LA HABRA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
WERE YOU ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT ITEM? YES.
UH, SO YOU KNOW WHAT, THEN YOU'VE READ, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LOCAL CONTROL AND THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL CONTROL? WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND THE, THE MEANING ON, ON LOCAL CONTROL.
UH, I, I FEEL THAT WITH ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS FOR OUR CITIZENS, OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING THE LOCAL CONTROL IS GONNA GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, LEEWAY WITH OUR COMMUNITY JUST TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN SACRAMENTO OR DOWN SOUTH COUNTY, OR MAYBE ACROSS TO THE NE NEIGHBORING CITIES MAY NOT AFFECT LAHABRA.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO S TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS BASED ON OUR LOCAL INFORMATION, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, WITH PUBLIC SAFETY SINCE YOU, UH, YOU DID READ THESE.
UM, SO DO YOU KNOW THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO AB 1 0 9 AND, UH, AND REALIGNMENT? I AM NOT SURE WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT IS.
AB 1 0 9 IS, I MEAN, I'M SORRY.
IT'S THE, UH, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011.
WHAT IT STATES IS THAT NONVIOLENT NON-SERIOUS NON-HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS AFTER THEY'RE RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON TO BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY, NOT THE CITY, BUT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL.
THAT BEING SAID, THE CITY HAS A PLATFORM IN SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT, UH, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S A DIFFICULT, AND IT'S A, A SENSITIVE NATURE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UM, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS OR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANYONE THAT BREAKS THE LAW, UH, THE THREE TIME RULE, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO GO TO, UH, JAIL TO DO THEIR, THEIR TIME ONCE THEY GET OUT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING? YES.
AND HOW WE REFORM THEM? UH, WELL, NOT NECESSARILY.
I MEAN, AS FAR AS, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, SUPPORTING OUR, UH, OUR AGENDA FOR THAT, INCREASING FUNDING FOR, FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, WELL, INCREASING, UM, THE FUNDING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY IS FIRST AND FOREMOST.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO FEEL SAFE.
WHETHER IT IS SOMEONE THAT'S DRUNK DRIVING OR WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE THAT DID A MAJOR OFFENSE, WE STILL NEED TO FEEL, AS A MOTHER, AS A GRANDMOTHER, UM, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT OUR, OUR FAMILIES ARE SAFE NO MATTER WHAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I, I WOULD BE BEHIND KNOWING THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FULLY FUNDED AND BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER QUESTION, UH, AGAIN, IN REFERENCE, OUR, UH, OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE ARENA OR THE HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR POSSIBLE, UH, PUNITIVE IMPACTS TO THE CITY? WITH ARENA NUMBERS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT OVER 800, YOU KNOW, HOUSING UNITS THAT NEED TO BE, UM, BUILT IN THE CITY OF LAHABRA, THAT NUMBER IS OVERWHELMING FOR A LOT OF US.
BUT KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S STATE MANDATED, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BUILD 800 UNITS IN, UM, THE CITY OF LAHABRA.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THOSE ARENA RULES, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD OUT THE HOMES THAT ARE NECESSARY UNTIL WE, WE REACH THAT 800 AND 804, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS.
UM, SO DO YOU SUPPORT THE LOCAL CONTROL OF THE CITY BEING ABLE TO CITE FOR ITSELF? YES.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL AS I'VE GIVEN THE, UH, THE OTHER, UH, APPLICANTS
[01:05:01]
AS WELL.IT'S A HYPOTHETICAL, UH, UH, SCENARIO HERE.
THE SCENARIO IS THIS, THE CITY OF LA HABRA WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
THE QUESTION IS THIS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
SO, UM, I HAVE TWO, TWO AREAS THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY A BENEFIT TO OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OF 'EM HAS TO DO WITH SUPERVISOR.
UM, LAST TWO WEEKS AGO, CAME DOWN AND HAD, UM, A PROGRAM HERE AT CITY HALL.
THE NUMBERS WERE STAGGERING TO ME REGARDING JUVENILE TAKING THEIR LIVES, THAT 13 TO 16 YEAR OLDS, THAT TO ME WAS, WAS HEARTBREAKING.
IF WE FOUND SOME WAY TO FIND OUT WHY ARE KIDS, WHY DO THEY WANNA TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE? WHY, WHY IS THIS, YOU KNOW, IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING AT HOME? IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL? IS A MULTITUDE OF BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
I, THOSE NUMBERS WERE STAGGERING TO ME.
AND AS A, AS A MOM, KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE A TEENAGER THAT'S HURTING BUT ISN'T ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO IF THEY HAVE THE RIGHT GUIDANCE.
SO IF WE COULD PUT SOME MONEY INTO SOME PROGRAM THAT WOULD HELP OUR TEENAGERS GET THROUGH ALL OF THAT, PUBERTY IS, IS TOUGH ANYWAY.
AND TO BE BATTLING WITH BULLYING AND, AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, DRUGS, AND, UH, FENTANYL AND ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS, THAT, THAT WOULD BE ONE AREA.
I, I WOULD THINK THAT OUR MONEY WOULD BE WELL WORTH SPENT.
THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE OUR VETERANS.
WE HAVE SO MANY VETERANS THAT ARE EITHER UNHOUSED OR NEED SERVICES TO PROTECT THEM.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE SERVED OUR COUNTRY, THEY HAVE DONE THE BENEFIT.
THEY'VE GIVEN ALL THEIR ALL TO US.
SOME OF THEM DIDN'T COME BACK, BUT THEIR FAMILIES ARE SUFFERING.
I OWE A LOT TO, UH, THE VETERANS.
I AM A PROUD DAUGHTER OF A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, AND A PROUD MOTHER OF A NEWLY RETIRED ARMY VETERAN.
SO I KNOW THAT THEIR STRUGGLES ARE REAL.
I, UM, I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS QUESTION TO ALL THE CANDIDATES, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION.
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? WELL, THAT TAKES ME BACK ABOUT 20 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IT, TO ME, GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, IT'S JUST A SMALL TOKEN OF THE APPRECIATION OF EVERYTHING THAT LAHABRA HAS DONE FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, AND, YOU KNOW, THE GENERATIONS THAT ARE THE MULTI-GENERATIONS THAT ARE LIVING WITH ME.
UM, SO WHEN I VOLUNTEER, IT'S FOR CAUSES THAT I FEEL REALLY HIT HOME WORKING WITH MEALS ON WHEELS.
I MEAN, TODAY I WAS OUT DELIVERING FOR ONE OF THE, UH, VOLUNTEERS WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY.
SO CARMEN CALLED AND I WENT AND THERE WAS A, A WOMAN, SHE WAS DOING HER YARD WORK.
ELDERLY WOMAN COULD BARELY WALK.
AND I HAD HER FOOD READY TO GO, AND I CAN SEE HER COOLER AT THE FRONT DOOR, AND I COULD HAVE JUST TAKEN THE FOOD AND DROPPED IT IN HER COOLER AND SAID GOODBYE.
BUT I WENT OVER TO HER BECAUSE SHE WAS HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULT, SHE WAS WALKING IN HER GRASS.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, SO I TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND I ASKED HER IF SHE NEEDED HELP INTO THE HOUSE, AND SHE SAID, UM, YES, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
SO WE STARTED WALKING, AND THEN I NOTICED HER GARAGE DOOR WAS UP WHEN I DROVE UP.
AND I SAID, ARE YOU GOING IN THROUGH YOUR FRONT DOOR? DO YOU HAVE TO GO IN THROUGH THE GARAGE? AND SHE GOES, OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
I CAME OUT THROUGH THE GARAGE.
SO WE TURNED AROUND FROM HER FRONT DOOR AND WE WALKED INTO THE GARAGE AND SHE GOES, I COULD TAKE IT FROM HERE, HONEY.
SO IT'S THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT I WALK AWAY AND I SAID, THAT HOUR OUTTA MY DAY WAS WELL WORTH SPENT.
I GET MORE OUT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.
BUT THAT'S WHY I DO IT, IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT GIVES SO MUCH TO US.
I'VE SEEN YOU OUT THERE, AND I KNOW, UM,
[01:10:01]
THAT YOU AND I KNOW AND OTHERS KNOW THAT LA HARBOR IS KNOWN AS THE CARING COMMUNITY.I KNOW YOU'VE SHARED WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH MEALS ON WHEELS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER INVOLVEMENT YOU HAVE IN THE HARBOR COMMUNITY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WORKING WITH MEALS ON WHEELS, I WORK WITH OUR VETERANS.
UM, I HAVE BEEN THE CHAIR OF THE VETERANS COMMITTEE FOR OVER 12 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND OUR FUNCTION, OUR MAIN FUNCTION, UM, COUNCILMAN GOMEZ KNOWS THIS, UM, IS TO BRING VETERANS DAY TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO START OUR VERY FIRST MEMORIAL DAY.
WE HAD OUR INAUGURAL MEMORIAL DAY, WHICH WAS AN AMAZING EVENT IN ITSELF, BECAUSE THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE TIME WHERE WE PAID TRIBUTE TO ALL THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL.
UM, ALONG WITH MEMORIAL DAY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, UM, FLAG DAY AND A FLAG RETIREMENT TO RETIRE ARE FLAGS IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT, IT IS DESERVING.
UM, WE INVOLVE THE BOY SCOUTS, THE, UH, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA WHO ARE BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS NOW, AND IT'S REALLY NICE THAT THEY, THEY COME DOWN, THEY DO THE FLAG RETIREMENT CEREMONY WITH US.
AND, UM, SO WORKING ON THE VETERANS COMMITTEE THERE, WE ALSO, UM, HAD THE VERY FIRST ARMY NAVY FOOTBALL GAME.
AND THIS WAS AN AMAZING, WE HAD THE J ROTCS BOTH FROM THE HABER AND SONORA HIGH SCHOOL COMING OUT TOGETHER, AND THEY PLAYED BOYS AND GIRLS ON THE TEAM.
AND, UH, THEN THE, UM, THE HABER HOST LIONS DID OUR BARBECUE FOR US, AND WE HAD HOT DOGS AND DRINKS AND, UM, IT WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST A GREAT THING.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AGAIN IN DECEMBER THIS YEAR.
ALRIGHT, MS. S, LET'S TALK, UH, DOLLARS AND CENTS.
SO I PRESUME YOU GOT THE MEMO WITH REGARD TO LA COUNTY FIRE, WHICH YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RECENT CHANGES, WELL, THAT'S GONNA BE A $5 MILLION, UM, INCREASE TO THE CITY OF LA HARBOR BUDGET.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE COULDN'T GET LA COUNTY FIRE TO, UM, TO AGREE TO THE SAME CONTRACT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS AT THAT POINT, AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER LONG-TERM, UM, REVENUE SOURCE ARE WE GOING TO HELP INCUMBENT THAT.
SO THAT MIGHT BE MEASURE T FUNDS.
WELL, NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED MEASURE T, YOU KNOW IT'S SUNSET, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WILL DO TO OUR BUDGET WHEN IT DOES SUNSET? IF IT SUNSETS IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT? WELL, I KNOW THAT, UM, MEASURE T BRINGS IN ABOUT $7.7 MILLION PER YEAR, UM, WHICH IS ABOUT 13% OF OUR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S GONNA, UH, THAT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LA COUNTY, UH, FIRE, UH, $5 MILLION MORE.
I MEAN, OUR BUDGET CAN ONLY GO SO FAR.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE FUNDS AND SAY, OKAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? I MEAN, MEASURE T YOU KNOW, FUNDS ARE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES AND IT FUNDS, UM, THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT LA HABER HAS, IT, IT FUNDS ALL THE EVENTS.
OUR EXTRAVAGANZA, OUR, YOU KNOW, TAMALE FESTIVAL, UM, 4TH OF JULY, UH, JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THOSE.
I MEAN, AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY LOVE TO COME OUT.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY EXPECT TO SEE THOSE THINGS.
SO IF THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REBA MEASURE T, WOULD YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA OF ASKING THE CITY WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND MEASURE T BEYOND ITS SUNSET? I THINK WE WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER WITH COMMUNITY, UH, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF TO SEE IF THAT IS, IF THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE EVENTS, THE PROGRAMS, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS, PUBLIC SAFETY, I MEAN, IT, IT MAKES SENSE.
UH, MS. S COUNCILS, MEMBER GOMEZ.
UM, LAST TIME YOU HAD APPLIED FOR THE POSITION ON THE, ON THE CITY COUNCIL, AND ACTUALLY WE MADE THE APPOINTMENT TO DARREN ERIAN.
I THINK ONE OF THE COMMENTS I HAD MADE TO YOU WAS, UH, PERHAPS YOU OUGHT TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND LEARN
[01:15:01]
THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.UH, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE, UH, SERVING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION? WHAT, WHAT BETTER PREPARES YOU FOR THIS POSITION? SHOULD IT BE COME YOUR WAY? WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO THANK ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, FOR THAT INPUT, BECAUSE BEING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION THIS, THESE LAST TWO FULL YEARS, UM, IT'S GIVEN ME A, A GOOD DIRECTION, A GOOD ASPECT OF WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES.
I MEAN, WE MAKE SOME RECOMMENDA RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND ALL THE RESOLUTIONS.
UM, AND IT'S JUST BEEN, UH, I THINK IT'S BEEN A, A GOOD TRAINING FOR ME.
UH, I HAVE ENJOYED, YOU KNOW, MY SIX YEARS ON COMMUNITY SERVICES, THE TWO YEARS ON, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY IS COMMUNITY LEVEL.
I, I DON'T HAVE ANY ASPIRATIONS TO BE YOUR GOVERNOR OR YOUR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
UM, I WANNA BE RIGHT HERE, THIS LEVEL, TAKING CARE OF MY COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
YOU KNOW, I I I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE, UM, ONE THING IS WHEN SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR A CITY COUNCIL POSITION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE THEM ACTIVE THE LAST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS OR WHATEVER THE, THE TIME PERIOD IS.
BUT IN THE OVER 20 YEARS I'VE KNOWN YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY, UH, VOLUNTEERING, MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
UM, WHETHER IT'S A POSITION THAT'S AVAILABLE OR NOT, YOU JUST ALWAYS CHIP IN.
SO FOR THAT, I COMMEND YOU AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, ALL YOUR DEVOTED AND LONGSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS TONIGHT.
AS I SAID TO OTHER APPLICANTS, THIS IS THE HALLMARK OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP, IS A WILLINGNESS TO GO THROUGH THIS, WHICH CAN BE A NERVE WRACKING EXPERIENCE, AN INTERVIEW, AND BE WILLING TO PUT IN THE VERY HARD WORK SHOULD YOU GET APPOINTED.
SO, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. ZURICH, AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SIT HERE IN THIS CHAIR AGAIN, UM, AFTER TWO YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW IT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S WHAT I DO.
NEXT WE HAVE, I BELIEVE MR. HENRY MADRID.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? VERY WELL, THANK YOU.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AS WELL AS WELL TO YOU.
SO WE'LL BEGIN THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS THIS TIME, UH, TO MY LEFT.
SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UH, TAKING YOUR INTEREST IN APPLYING FOR LAW CITY COUNCIL.
LOOKING, UH, LOOKING FORWARD, UH, DOWN THE ROAD, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GONNA FACE IN THE COMMUNITY? WELL, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, I BELIEVE WOULD BE NOT JUST THE HOMELESSNESS, BUT MAYBE THE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND ALSO FOR FAMILIES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE, THEY MIGHT HAVE SUFFERED A LOSS OF, UH, EITHER A FAMILY MEMBER OR JUST A LOSS OF A JOB.
I NOTICED THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW THE GARY CENTER IS A HUGE HELP TO LAHABRA.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY PROUD TO LIVE IN A CITY LIKE LAHABRA THAT, UH, INSTANTIATES THAT.
AND I FEEL LIKE, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE ONE HURDLE.
BUT ALSO THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE, UH, GETTING A LITTLE MORE CONTROL OVER THE TRAFFIC.
UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF SPEEDING ON ROADS LIKE EAST LA HABRA BOULEVARD, UH, IMPERIAL HIGHWAY, UH, THAT'S MORE BUSINESS MINDED BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES DOWN THERE AND, UH, JUST, UH, EX I WOULD SAY JUST GETTING EXTRA FUNDING SO THESE PROJECTS CAN GET DONE.
BUT SINCE THESE, UH, NEW HOMES ARE BEING BUILT, AND I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND OPENING BUSINESSES, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, HABRA IS IN A GOOD, A GOOD SETTING RIGHT NOW.
YOU MENTIONED GETTING EXTRA FUNDING.
WHERE WOULD YOU GET THAT EXTRA FUNDING FROM? I WOULD SAY IT WOULD COME FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING IN INTO THE NEW HOMES.
UH, THE OLD HOMES, UH, TOWNHOUSES.
ALSO THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE MOVING INTO APARTMENTS.
UH, THE TAXPAYERS WHO NOT ONLY WORK IN LAHABRA, BUT MAYBE EAT, LIVE
[01:20:01]
AND PLAY IN LAHABRA.AND, UM, ALSO JUST ANY SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SOMEONE OPENS UP.
'CAUSE THAT'S TAXATION EVERY YEAR.
HERE WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS.
DO YOU SAY ACTIVISM, ADVOCACY, AND VOLUNTEERING? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN VOLUNTEERING FOR OUR COMMUNITY? UH, VOLUNTEERING SO FAR AS IN LAHABRA, I JUST, UH, HELP OUT WITH, UH, THE ELDERLY.
UM, I HELP OUT IN GIVING OUT FOOD ALSO TO THE HOMELESS.
UH, MY NEIGHBORS, UH, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND I SEE THAT, UM, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT QUIETER.
THERE WAS AN ALLEY CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE AT.
IT WAS, UH, VERY, IT, UH, HOW SHOULD I SAY IT? NOT NECESSARILY IMPOVERISHED, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF GANG ACTIVITY GOING BACK THERE.
SO I MADE IT A POINT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO PEOPLE LIKE THE DETECTIVE COSTANZO AND VALERIE MORENO THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY.
AND, UH, IN LESS THAN A YEAR, WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO JUST CLEAN IT UP.
BUT I HAD TO LIKE, LET'S SAY CONSTANTLY STAY ON TOP OF IT BECAUSE THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF DRUG ACTIVITIES THAT, UH, THERE WAS A NEIGHBOR IN THE BACK OF ME WHO USED TO LIVE THERE.
AND FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, HE'S BEEN LIVING THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
BUT FINALLY HE WAS ABLE TO GET, UH, I GUESS REMOVED FROM THAT PREMISES.
YOU MENTIONED HELPING OUT, UH, THE HOMELESS AND THE ELDERLY.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED WITH MEALS ON WHEELS? I'M NOT CURRENTLY INVOLVED ON MEALS ON WHEELS, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO POSSIBLY PUTTING IN A VOLUNTEER APPLICATION THERE.
UH, LA HABER COLLABORATIVE, SCOTT MILLER'S ORGANIZATION THAT DOES A LOT OF MEAL OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY, HELPING OUT, UH, PARTICULARLY, UH, WITH OUR HOMELESS LIAISON.
UH, ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH THAT ORGANIZATION? NO.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE ACTUALLY MORE INVOLVED WITH, UH, WITH THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, I USED TO LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, UM, AND IT'S JUST, UH, A PRIDE THAT I TAKE IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I SEE, UH, NOT ONLY WHERE I LIVE, BUT WHERE I VISIT.
UH, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM HERE TO EAST LA TO SANTA MONICA.
I JUST TAKE IT UPON MYSELF JUST AS A PERSON WITH, UH, JUST KINDNESS AND, UM, INTEGRITY TO JUST TRY TO HELP PEOPLE.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
IT NEEDS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT JUST HELP WITH THE HOMELESS ISSUE BEING, UH, VERY CHALLENGING.
THERE'S THAT BALANCE OF BEING, WANTING TO BE COMPASSION.
AND HELPING OUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HOMELESS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT SECOND ELEMENT THAT, UH, WORKING WITH THE PROFESSIONALS OR THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION TO TRY TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM OF THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
UH, HAVE YOU HAD ANY INTEREST IN GETTING INVOLVED IN, IN THAT AND, AND RATHER, UH, FOCUS WITH THE, WITH THE ORGANIZATION AND SOMEBODY WHO'S LIKE OUR HOMELESS LIAISON HERE, UH, UM, AND DOING IT THAT WAY RATHER THAN TAKING IT UPON YOURSELF? UH, YES.
I HAVE, UH, IN THE PAST SIX WEEK, I DID HAVE AN AUNT THAT JUST PASSED AWAY, SO WE WERE HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF HER.
UH, WHAT HAPPENED WAS, UH, SHE HAD A STROKE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SHE DIDN'T MAKE IT UP TO HER 14TH MONTH, AND FINALLY THEY HAD TO GO AHEAD AND PULL THE PLUG.
'CAUSE THEY, SHE WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET INVOLVED IN AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT TO HELP IN A GROUP, GROUP SETTING.
MR. MAYOR, I HAVE NO QUE FURTHER QUESTIONS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CITY BUDGET.
ARE ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED RECENTLY WITH OUR CONTRACT WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT? UH, NO, I'M NOT.
I'M NOT, UH, YOU HAVE NOT HEARD THAT? UH, THEY RAISED OUR PRICE BY $5 MILLION A YEAR.
I MEAN, YES, I HEARD ABOUT THAT.
AND, UH, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE CITY IS, UH, ON A GREAT STRIDE RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE BUILDING MORE HOUSING.
IT LOOKS LIKE MORE RESIDENTS ARE MOVING IN AND, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE LAHABRA IS, IS ON A GOOD, I WOULD SAY, PATH RIGHT NOW BUILDING.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH OUR SALES TAX MEASURE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MEASURE T, THAT'S SUN SETTING IN 2028? ANY FAMILIARITY WITH THAT? UH, THE SALES TAX MEASURE? NO, I'M NOT.
WELL, IF, LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY THE SALES TAX MEASURE T CURRENTLY BRINGS IN ABOUT ROUGHLY $8 MILLION A YEAR.
AND LET'S SAY IT SUNSETS AND IT GOES AWAY.
AND THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY TAKE THAT KIND OF A HIT ON THE CITY BUDGET.
SO THAT COMBINED WITH THE $5 MILLION EXTRA WE'RE PAYING LA COUNTY FIRE WOULD AMOUNT TO THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD PROBABLY ENTAIL VERY SIGNIFICANT, IF NOT MASSIVE CUTS IN PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
UH, IF THAT IS THE FUTURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE ABSENCE OF OUR SALES TAX REVENUE, WOULD YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA OF ASKING THE VOTERS IF THEY'RE WILLING TO RENEW THE SALES TAX OR EVEN INCREASE IT A LITTLE BIT? I ALWAYS BELIEVE
[01:25:01]
IN, UH, I BELIEVE IN INCREASING THE SALES TAX WOULD BE FINE.UH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT, IT HELPS, DOES HELP THE COMMUNITY.
THERE IS A HUGE HELP IN COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE UH, THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I NOT ONLY SHOP IN LAHABRA, BUT I ALSO DO SOME SHOPPING IN WHITTIER AND LA MORADA.
AND SINCE THAT'S CONSIDERED LOS ANGELES, YOU DO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TAX.
AND I BELIEVE, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE TAX.
'CAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT HELP THE CITY, BUT IT HELPS TO GIVE BACK THE FUNDAMENTALS OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE.
SO YEAH, THERE, THERE WOULD BE NO POINT OF TAKING IT AWAY.
UM, I, I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS, THE CANDIDATES ALL THE SAME QUESTION TO BEGIN WITH.
AND WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING IN THE LA HAR COMMUNITY NOW? YES.
UM, I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
AND DURING THE TIME THAT I WAS LIVING HERE, UH, I NOTICED THAT, UM, AS I WAS EXPLAINING TO COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ, THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM IN THE BACK ALLEYS.
THERE WAS, UH, NOT NECESSARILY GANG ACTIVITY, BUT THERE WAS DRUG SALES GOING ON, UH, WHEN NO ONE WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN EVERYONE WAS SLEEPING.
AND, UH, I JUST TOOK A, I BELIEVE THAT I JUST TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO KNOW THAT IF THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE, I HAVE TO BE THE ONE THAT IMPLEMENTS THAT CHANGE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER POSITION WOULD ACTUALLY FIT ME BECAUSE I BEEN DOING A LOT OF THINGS ON MY OWN, LET'S SAY IN THE PAST, I WOULD SAY TWO YEARS.
I MEAN, I POSSIBLY HAVE OVER
I MEAN, MS. VALERIE MORE KNOWS ME BY MY NAME.
SO
YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO GET LITTLE THINGS FIXED.
HAVE EDISON PUT MORE LED LIGHTS IN THE BACK ALLEYS.
I JUST BELIEVE THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY AND I WANT TO SEE IT GROW AND PROSPER.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE CHILDREN AND THE CITIZENS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
AND THEY NEED A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO GO HOME TO DAY AND NIGHT.
AND NO MATTER WHAT TIME THEY WANNA, YOU KNOW, WALK WITH THEIR SPOUSE OR BY THEMSELVES OR THEIR PET, THEY SHOULD ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO DO THAT.
UM, IN YOUR APPLICATION, YOU SAID MY SKILLS AND ABILITIES ALIGN WITH WHAT THE LA HARBOR CITY NEEDS.
WOULD YOU, UH, TELL ME, AND WOULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT AND HOW IT WOULD BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY? UH, YES.
I ALWAYS FEEL IN THE NOTION OF BEING A MORE PROACTIVE PERSON AND NOT A REACTIVE PERSON.
UM, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM THE EAST COAST AND, UM, I DID MY STUDIES AT, UH, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TAUGHT US WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE I'VE LIVED IN LA HABRA.
UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ HAD ASKED ME BEFORE, AM I INVOLVED WITH ANY OF THESE, UH, GROUPS? I I'M NOT, BUT I DO STILL TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY AROUND ME IS NOT ONLY SAFE, BUT LIVABLE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, ELDERLY PEOPLE OR WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, YOUNG AND OLD CAN GO AND, UH, COME AND GO AS THEY PLEASE.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.
NOT JUST SECURITY, BUT ALSO, UH, SOMEONE WHO LOOKS OUT FOR YOU.
IT'S LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH KIND OF PROGRAM.
HAVE YOU EVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE PAST? UH, NO, I HAVE NOT.
UH, I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO ATTENDING THE NEXT ONE.
UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I WAS TAKING CARE OF MY AND MY AUNT PREVIOUSLY, AND I WAS, UH, THAT TOOK A LOT OUT OUT OF THE FAMILY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE, UH, PASSED AWAY.
BUT NO, I DO, I DO PLAN TO TAKE PART IN THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UH, AS I'VE, UH, STATED TO THE, UH, OTHER APPLICANTS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUTTA YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE AND FOR, UH, APPLYING FOR THE, UH, FOR THE UPCOMING VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL.
UH, IT MEANS A LOT, NOT ONLY TO US, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED PEOPLE OUT THERE WILLING TO, UH, WILLING TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
SO THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU, AS IT HAS BEEN, UH, TO THE OTHER APPLICANTS, UH, HAVE YOU BEEN, UH, BY ANY CHANCE? WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AFTER INTERVIEWS THIS EVENING.
BY CHANCE, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT, UH, TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? UH, NO, I HAVE NOT.
UM, SO ON TONIGHT'S, UH, CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, THERE ARE SOME ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR.
UH, ONE OF THEM, UH, SPECIFICALLY IS, UH, THE, UH, CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 20 24, 20 25.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SUPPORT AS A CITY AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THINGS DEALING
[01:30:01]
WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS, ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AS OPPOSED TO, UH, TO, UH, THE STATE TELLING US HOW TO DO THINGS HERE? I BELIEVE LOCAL CONTROL IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, BECAUSE HOW SO? WELL, BECAUSE, UH, WE WORK, LIVE AND BREATHE HERE.
I MEAN, UM, IT'S A THING WHERE YOU COULD HAVE SOME LEGISLATION THAT, UH, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, TELLS YOU TO NOT HAVE A CURFEW.
UM, AND, BUT LET'S SAY LAHABRA SEES A SPIKE IN SOME KIND OF ACTIVITY AND THEY WANNA IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN LITTLE LAHABRA.
YOU KNOW, UH, YOU CAN'T GO OUT AFTER 10:00 PM UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO WORK OR SOMEWHERE.
SO I BELIEVE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE CONTROL IN THE CITY BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW FOR THE RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALSO THE MAYORS ARE WORKING FOR THEM FOR THEIR BEST INTEREST.
UM, IT'S VERY EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN, I GUESS, UH, POLITICS THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS BRINGING TO THE TABLE, BUT IF THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW YOUR CITY, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW LA HABRA UNTIL I ACTUALLY STARTED LIVING IN IT.
AND I ACTUALLY STARTED SEEING LIKE, THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GO ON AFTER DARK OR WHEN NO ONE'S LOOKING OR PAYING ATTENTION.
SO I BELIEVE, UH, CONTROL CITY BY CITY SHOULD BE ALLOWED VERY WELL.
AGAIN, PART OF THAT, UH, WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
UH, AND DO YOU KNOW THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9? UH, AND, UH, AND REALIGNMENT, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9? UH, YES.
IT'S, IT WAS ABOUT, UH, THE, I GUESS, INCARCERATION, UH, LETTING PEOPLE OUT BEFORE, UH, LET'S SAY AS A, WELL, AGAIN, I'M FROM THE EAST COAST, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE LEGISLATION LIKE THAT.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL READ IT TO YOU JUST OH, NO, NO, I, I KNOW IT.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S NOT A GOOD LEGISLATION BECAUSE I BELIEVE RECIDIVISM COMES WHEN A PERSON, YOU KNOW, DOES THEIR PROPER TIME.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, UH, COUNSELING OR MENTORSHIP THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING BAD, UM, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING TO JUST GIVE 'EM LIKE A LITTLE SLAP ON THE HAND AND LET 'EM GO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE BACK ALLEY OF WHERE I WAS LIVING AT.
UM, THE POLICE OFFICER CAME OUT AND TOLD US, HE WAS LIKE, LOOK, UM, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, DENNIS IS GETTING OUT BECAUSE THIS IS CALIFORNIA LAW.
HE'S GONNA KEEP GETTING OUT BECAUSE HE HAS LITTLE CRIMES AGAINST HIM.
SO HE BASICALLY URGED ME TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING ON.
SO WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING IS THEY STARTED LITTERING A LOT, UM, TO A POINT WHERE THEY EVEN HAD MATTRESSES, OLD FURNITURE, CIGARETTE BUTTS, PIPES, JUST EVERYTHING.
NOW, IF YOU GO TO THAT, UM, THAT BACK ALLEY RIGHT BEHIND BERRY BROTHERS OF EAST LA HABER BOULEVARD.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A SIGN THERE THAT STATES THAT SOMEBODY CAN GET A THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, REWARD IF THEY, UH, HELP THE CITY FIND WHO'S BEEN LITTERING.
SO I'M ACTUALLY VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT I WAS A HUGE PART OF THAT, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR MY PUSHING AND PULLING, THAT WOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED.
SO I DO LITERALLY, UH, BELIEVE THAT THAT BILL IS, IT'S NOT A GOOD BILL THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE CREATES A CRIME, THEY NEED TO SERVE THE TIME.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, UH, WITH THE TERM RENA OR THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT? UH, NO, BUT IT SOUNDS, UH, YOU SAID REGIONAL HOUSING.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? YEAH, SO, UH, IT'S, UH, WE CALL IT RENA AND, UH, IT'S A REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS, UH, UH, THAT THE, UH, THAT THE STATE HAS, UH, HAS OPPOSED UPON US.
UH, I MEAN, AS FAR AS LOCAL CONTROL, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? OH, IT SOUNDS MORE SO LIKE A BILL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE MAYBE FACING HOMELESSNESS AND, UH, MAYBE, UH, THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY OF GETTING MAYBE KICKED OUT OR PUT OUTTA THEIR HOME.
UH, I WOULD SAY THAT THE HOUSE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, I BELIEVE, COULD BE DONE AT THE, AT THE CITY LEVEL HERE IN LAHABRA.
UM, JUST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF LAND HERE, A LOT OF LAND EVEN CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE AT.
AND, UH, IT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND I FEEL THAT, UH, WORKING IN PART, MAYBE WITH THE CITY, LIKE A BIGGER CITY, EVEN THE, LET'S SAY ORANGE COUNTY, UH, POSSIBLY THERE COULD BE SOME
[01:35:01]
FUNDING, UH, RECEIVED FROM THERE.SO IT CAN HELP THAT, UH, ARENA PROGRAM.
ONE, UH, DO I STILL HAVE TIME, MR. MAYOR? YOU DO.
ONE LAST QUESTION AS I'VE ASKED THE, UH, THE OTHER CANDIDATES, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
HYPOTHETICAL, THIS IS THE, UH, THIS IS THE HYPOTHETICAL.
SO THE CITY OF LAHABRA, UH, WAS GIVEN A ONE TIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
ONE TIME QUESTION TO YOU IS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
WELL, A GIFT OF $10 MILLION, UH, WELL BLESS YOU.
UH, YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONTACT ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE MAYORS, THE CITY MANAGERS, THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, WITH THE BUDGET THAT'S PROPOSED.
YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY IS NEEDED IN THE CITY.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT JUST HOMELESSNESS.
THERE'S, UH, THE GARY CENTER, THEY USUALLY GET A LOT OF DONATIONS, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE SOME OF THE FUNDING DOES COME FROM THE CITY TO PAY FOR THAT HOUSING FOR THOSE HOUSES.
OR MAYBE THE HOUSES ARE ALREADY OWNED BY THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT'S JUST LIKE ANYTHING, IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF, UH, PLANNING, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN LA HABRA, UM, THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY SO FAR AS LIKE, THE ELDERLY, UM, ANYBODY FROM THE LOWER TO MIDDLE CLASS, UPPER MIDDLE CLASS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CHILDREN HERE IN LAHABRA.
AND FOR ME, THAT'S A, THAT'S THAT, THAT'S A BIG THING.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN ARE SAFE, THEY HAVE THINGS TO DO.
MAYBE YOU CAN BUILD A NEW, UH, NOT NECESSARILY BUILD A SMALL COMMUNITY CENTER, BUT ALREADY HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER OVER THERE WHERE THE OLD NORTHGATE MARKET USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, REVAMP ONE OF THOSE AND BUILD IT INTO A SMALL COMMUNITY CENTER.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE, UH, I WANTED TO TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO OPEN IT UP, BUT I KNOW IT'S, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY EXPENSIVE, UH, PROJECT.
AND I KNOW THAT I'M CONFIDENT IN KNOWING THAT THE CITY AND THE MAYORS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT THEY WILL DO VERY WELL WITH THE $10 MILLION BUDGET.
YES, MS. MADRID SO IMPORTANT FOR A DEMOCRACY, ESPECIALLY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, TO HAVE A POOL OF PEOPLE WILLING TO SERVE AS YOU HAVE EXHIBITED AN INTEREST.
WE THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, AS I SAID EARLIER, FOR DEALING WITH THE, UH, OCCASIONAL NERVOUSNESS THAT THE INTERVIEW PROCESS ENTAILS.
YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
TAKE A SEAT AS YOU HAVE, GET COMFORTABLE, ADJUST THE MIC IF YOU LIKE.
THERE'S A BOTTLE OF WATER THERE IF YOU NEED IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TONIGHT.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.
UH, TONIGHT, THE, UH, INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WILL BEGIN ON MY RIGHT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO.
MS. GOMEZ, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING GREAT.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
AS I'VE, UH, STATED WITH THE OTHER APPLICANTS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR APPLYING FOR THE UPCOMING VACANCY.
UH, IT MEANS A LOT, NOT ONLY THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THE RESIDENTS OF LAHABRA TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE INTERESTED, UH, RESIDENTS THAT ARE WILLING TO, UH, TO TAKE UP THE CAUSE AND, UH, AND FILL IN A SEAT ON CITY COUNCIL.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL BEGIN MY QUESTIONS.
UH, BY CHANCE, HAVE YOU, UH, HAVE YOU HAPPENED TO, TO LOOK AT, SO LET ME PREFACE IT WITH THIS, AFTER INTERVIEWS, UH, TODAY WE HAVE OUR NORMAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING AT SIX 30.
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? UH, NO, NOT YET.
I WAS PLANNING ON STAYING, BUT I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE AGENDA.
UM, SO ON THAT, UH, CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, THERE'S A FEW ITEMS. UH, ONE OF THEM, UH, OF INTEREST TO ME IS, UH, THE, UH, ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR THAT, UH, GOES OVER THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR THE YEAR ENDING, UH, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 24, 25.
AND VARIOUS ITEMS ON THERE THAT THE CITY, UH, IS IN SUPPORT OF AND AGAINST AS FAR AS, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORMS. UM, ONE OF THEM BEING, UH, THE, UH, THE TOPIC, UH, THAT HAS COME UP IS, UH, LOCAL CONTROL, UH, WHEN IT COMES LOCAL CONTROL.
CAN YOU ELABORATE AT ALL IF, UH, UH, WHAT YOU'RE, UH, WHAT YOU'RE FEELING IS ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL IN THE CITY AND THE STATE? AND THIS IS NOT REFERRING TO ANYTHING REGARDING LIKE EDUCATION, BECAUSE THERE'S, I'VE BEEN A PART OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZING EFFORTS AROUND LOCAL CONTROL FORMULA FOR SCHOOLS.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CITY, I ASSUME? YES.
CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE? I HAVE, UM, NOT A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING, TO BE HONEST.
[01:40:01]
I AM, I APPLIED BECAUSE I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.I JUST GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL, SO I'M TRYING TO REENGAGE IN A LOT OF THE WORK.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITED REGARDING THE LOCAL CONTROL PROPOSAL AND DISCUSSION THAT YOU HAVE TONIGHT.
HOWEVER, I, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO LIKE GETTING MORE INFORMED IN REGARDS TO LIKE, THE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR CITY.
WELL, WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM AS I HAD STATED, UM, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A FEW THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT RELATES TO, UH, TO HOUSING, UH, TO PUBLIC SAFETY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVEN'T READ THE, UH, THE, UH, THE AGENDA.
THERE'S A, UH, A LEGISLATIVE POSITION, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS A PLATFORM, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 AND REALIGNMENT.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, UH, AB 1 0 9, THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT? NO, I DIDN'T.
BASICALLY WHAT IT SAYS, WHAT IT STATES IS THAT NONVIOLENT NON-SERIOUS AND NON-HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS, AFTER THEY'RE RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON, THEY'RE TO BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL, COUNTY LEVEL, NOT CITY LEVEL, BUT IN REFERENCE, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, AND LOCAL CONTROL.
SO THE CITY BASICALLY TAKES THE, UH, UH, THE, THE POINT OF VIEW THAT, UH, THAT WE SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
UM, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT AND WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE OR YOUR BELIEFS ARE ON THAT? SO IF I MAY REFLECT JUST WHAT YOU SHARED, IT'S FOR THE NONVIOLENT RELEASE OF INDIVIDUALS WHERE THE COUNTY WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IN THE EITHER REINTEGRATION OF THEM OR IS IT JUST NO, UH, WELL, ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS, IS, UH, SO SPECIFICALLY THIS, THE CITY SUPPORTS THE INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AB 1 0 9 NEGATIVE.
AND REALIGNMENT AND OPPOSES LEGISLATION THAT DIVERTS OR REDUCES FUNDING MEANT TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY.
CAN YOU ELABORATE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT? AND SO THE CITY WOULD BE TASKED TO LOOK INTO THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF NOT NECESSARILY HERE IN LA HABRA, BUT IN THE COUNTY? NO, NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
IT'S JUST, UH, UH, THE LOCAL CONTROL THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO AGAIN, SO THIS AS, AS A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, THE CITY SUPPORTS INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, AND WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, AND TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AB 1 0 9, WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT? DO YOU SUPPORT, DO YOU NOT SUPPORT THAT? DO YOU SUPPORT LOCAL CONTROL OF THESE TYPES OF ISSUES? I WOULD GENERALLY SUPPORT, IF THERE WAS ANY, IF THE DISCUSSION, IF THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD SUPPORT INCREASING LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDS OR IN GENERAL THE ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I AM SURE YOU ALL, AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE ALREADY ENGAGED IN THE, UM, INVESTIGATORY PROCESS WHERE YOU ALL LOOK INTO THE BENEFITS, THE COST OF THE CITY, AS WELL AS HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT LIKE THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL AS THE COUNTY OR LA COUNTY, I SHOULD SAY NOW, ORANGE COUNTY OR, OR IN PART IT COULD BE ORANGE COUNTY.
UM, AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON THAT.
I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
AND I'M SURE YOU ALL, AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? FOR ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY WANNA ADVOCATE FOR MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ONE, AN INFORMED DECISION.
TWO, ONE THAT WOULD NOT IMPACT OUR LOCAL CONSTITUENTS HERE IN THE CITY NEGATIVELY.
AND THEN THIRD, BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT EFFECTIVELY TO EVERYONE AS TO LIKE WHY THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MADE THAT DECISION.
AND OF COURSE, YOU ALL DO THAT BECAUSE SSA PUBLIC FORUM WHERE PEOPLE CAN ADVOCATE FOR THAT AS WELL AS HEAR YOUR OPINION AND DECISION.
UH, SO AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, LOCAL CONTROL AND OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, DO YOU, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH RENA REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT? I AM NOT FAMILIAR.
I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, TO MY LAST QUESTION HERE.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL.
UH, AND IT'S JUST A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
THE HYPOTHETICAL IS THIS, THE CITY OF LA HABRA WAS GIVEN A ONETIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION ONE TIME.
THE QUESTION IS THIS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS? I COULD TRY FOR SURE.
SO MY PROCESS WOULD BE, IF WE DID RECEIVE A ONE TIME $10 MILLION, WOULD BE TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCE NEEDS WITHIN OUR CITY.
UM, I, I, AGAIN, LIKE I'M RE-ENGAGING INTO THE COMMUNITY AS A, NOT ONLY A MEMBER, BUT AS AN, UH, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND LICENSED LAWYER AND BEING ABLE TO, ONE, DO AN ASSESSMENT TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHERE IS THAT NEED? WHERE IS IT DETERMINED? IS IT IN THE SCHOOLS? IS IT IN THE LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE? IS IT WITH THE DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS THAT COULD IMPROVE EITHER THE, THE CITY
[01:45:01]
FUNCTIONING OR SOME OF THE LIKE, BUDGET CUTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED.AND SO IT WOULD BE ONE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
TWO, IS THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING SOME OF THE SCHOOLS.
THREE, DOES IT INCLUDE JUST SOME OF THE GENERAL, UM, BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS THAT MAYBE DIDN'T GET TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE OF, UM, THE LACK OF COMMITMENT OR MONEY AT THE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THEN I WOULD BE ABLE TO, OF COURSE, GET, GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY'VE OBSERVED? OR FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ALL, I BELIEVE SENT OUT A SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY OR VOTERS MAYBE RECENTLY WHERE YOU WERE ASKING IF WE INCREASED THE BUDGET OR IF WE INCREASED THE TAX, WOULD YOU VOTE IN FAVOR FOR US? SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU'RE GATHERING OUR INPUT IN ORDER FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE A MORE INFORMED DECISION OR PROPOSAL OF A POLICY THAT WOULD IMPACT THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY.
THEN I WOULD, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD A TIME TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.
AND YOU DO THAT ALREADY, RIGHT? LIKE, I DIDN'T READ THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY, I LOOKED AT THE ONES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
HOWEVER, THAT IS A GOOD WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO FOLKS, HEY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THESE DECISIONS BASED ON THESE LAST, UM, WAYS THAT WE'VE GATHERED SOME DECISIONS BASED ON THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE.
AND AFTER PUTTING ALL OF THOSE FACTORS TOGETHER, UH, BEING ABLE TO LAY FORWARD A POTENTIAL PLAN TO, UM, DELEGATE WHOEVER IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE FUNDS IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY.
HI, I, UM, I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS TO ALL THE CANDIDATES AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED IT A BIT HERE, BUT AS WELL AS YOUR APPLICATION, UH, UH, AND YOU'VE LIVED HERE ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW IN THE CITY OF LA HARBOR.
AND I WANTED TO ASK WHAT, UH, HAS, UH, SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY NOW? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
MAYOR PRO TEMP, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN LA HABRA A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE, IN THE, MOSTLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I HAVE A LITTLE 8-YEAR-OLD, SHE'LL BE EIGHT ON THURSDAY.
AND, UM, JUST GETTING ACCLIMATED TO THE CITY.
I GREW UP ALL OVER THE COUNTY AND LA HABRA WAS OUR HOME, OUR PERMANENT HOME, GOD WILLING.
AND SO FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY, COVID HIT ALL OF US AND IN HORRIBLE WAYS, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET INVOLVED.
ONE, BECAUSE WE WERE REMOTE AND THEN TWO, I WAS IN LAW SCHOOL.
AND SO NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE MYSELF TO THE COMMUNITY THAT I LOVE HAS BEEN REALLY A DIFFICULT ONE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SINCE 2000 I'VE BEEN JUST INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, WHETHER IT WAS LOCAL, ENGAGING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, A LOT OF IT WERE VERY, UM, INTERNATIONAL WITH A FAITH-BASED OR WITH YOUTH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ADVOCATING FOR EITHER CITY LEGISLATIONS, STATE POLICIES, OR FEDERAL.
AND SO NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE VERY HOME THAT I LIVE IN HAS NOT RESTED WELL IN MY SOUL.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO FINALLY SAY, HEY, I'M DONE WITH LAW SCHOOL.
MY LITTLE ONE IS ALREADY LIKE, VERY INDEPENDENT, AND NOW I CAN FINALLY, LIKE, I FEEL THAT I CAN COMFORTABLY COME BACK AND CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO THE CITY.
AND THIS OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF BY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES.
AND I WAS JUST REALLY, UH, INSPIRED TO BE ABLE TO APPLY BECAUSE I KNOW THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IS REALLY IMPERATIVE TO THE CITY, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I FIGURED THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO PUT NEW RESOURCES THAT I HAVE IN THE VERY PLACE WHERE I COME AND GO.
AND WE HAVE OUR ENTIRE FAMILY HERE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I DECIDED TO APPLY AND TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE CITY.
AND LIKE MY, I SAW, I NOTICED ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU SAID YOU HAD BEGUN REENGAGING IN, UH, LOCAL ORGANIZING AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
UM, SO FOR, FROM THE CONVERSATION, WE YOU, FROM THE COMMENTS YOU SAID RIGHT NOW, I'M ASSUMING THAT IT WAS NOT IN LAHABRA THAT YOU, UH, WERE APPLYING THIS ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY BEFORE? NO.
I, WHATEVER CITY I'VE BEEN IN, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED.
UH, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY, I WOULD ARGUE AND, AND DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
BUT HERE IN LA HARBOR, I HAVE NOT, I MEAN, OF COURSE I JOINED EVERY, AND ALL THE BEAUTIFUL EVENTS THAT THIS SMALL COMMUNITY, UM, DOES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT.
UM, BUT NO, ASIDE FROM REGULAR VOLUNTEERING AT THE SCHOOL OR THINGS OF SUCH, IT HAS NOT BEEN LIKE DIRECTLY IN THE CITY.
THEN, UH, WHAT WOULD, WHAT DO YOU FEEL COULD BE DONE BY THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENT MEMBERS? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SOME OF THE OBSERVATIONS, AND THESE ARE NOT INFORMED BY ANY, UM, EVIDENCE THAT IS TANGIBLE OR STATISTICAL.
UH, THIS IS JUST, AGAIN, FROM THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, HAS BEEN THAT IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE, THE GROWTH THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE CITY, THAT IS EXCELLENT.
AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE TRAFFIC AND SUCH.
UM, FOR ME IT'S, IT'S THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF PEOPLE.
[01:50:01]
FOR EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER AND IN THE ORGANIZING THAT I DID, IT WAS A LOT OF YOUTH GROUPS THAT I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE IN.AND SO FOR ME, THINKING ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN, WITH A LOT OF YOUTH WANTING TO GET INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH ADVOCATING OF, UM, THROUGH POLICY OR CHANGING SOME OF THE POLITICS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, WE HAVE AN ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, AND SO A LOT OF FOLKS ARE NOT, I, I FEEL LIKE FROM OBSERVATION, THEY'RE DISENGAGING BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTED.
AND SO HAVING THAT LENS OF DOING ALL OF THE ORGANIZING IN THE PAST AND SEEING THAT I HAVE A GENERATION THAT FOLLOWS ME OR THAT IS AFTER ME, I REALLY FEEL THAT LAHABRA COULD GET A LOT OF THE YOUTH MORE INVOLVED.
I SEE IT IN ALL THE EVENTS THAT I SAW IT ON SATURDAY AND, AND THE EVENTS IN THE MORNING, I SAW THEM LAST WEEK, BUT IN A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY.
AND, AND I DON'T SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT MEANINGFUL.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE'S, AND IT COULD JUST BE THAT I'M NOT AS INVOLVED, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, BUT IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO RECREATE SOMETHING LIKE ROSIE'S GARAGE, BUT AT A BROADER LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE'RE ENGAGING THEM AT DIFFERENT, UM, IN THEIR DIFFERENT INTERESTS, WHETHER IT'S CULTURAL, WHETHER IT'S COLLEGE READINESS, BUT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY LENS, THROUGH SERVING, WHETHER IT'S, UM, THROUGH GETTING THEM EVEN JUST OUT AND AND INTERESTED IN WHAT IS THE, WHAT DOES THEIR FUTURE HOLD FOR THEM? AND I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, BUT IN THE CITY, I'M, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, TO OUR YOUTH, BEING ABLE TO, UM, SEE HOW MUCH THEY CAN COME BACK TO THE CITY AND CONTRIBUTE ONCE THEY ARE DONE WITH THEIR STUDIES.
THAT'S ONE WAY TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES.
OTHERS, I THINK I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT I'M, IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
WE HAVE A CULTURAL, DIFFERENT CULTURAL EVENTS.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN ALREADY GET INVOLVED IN, IN SUCH A LIKE SMALL AND MIGHTY CITY.
BUT THOSE, THAT'S ONE OBSERVATION THAT I CAN, I CAN SAY THAT I'M EXCITED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT.
ALRIGHT, MS. GOMEZ, IT'S TIME TO TALK, UH, ABOUT THE BUDGET.
WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD? UM, THAT THERE WAS A, A LITTLE BIT OF THE READING THAT THERE WAS, I THINK I COULD BE WRONG ON THE NUMBER ACTUALLY, I'M SURE I'M WRONG.
UM, I THINK ONE POINT SOMETHING BILLION MAYBE OR MILLION THAT WAS CUT.
AND SO THERE WAS SOME EITHER MERGING OF LA COUNTY AND THE LAHABRA CITY FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN.
WELL WE'VE HAD LA COUNTY FIRE FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS OR SO, AND UH, WE HAD A GREAT DEAL WITH THEM UNTIL RECENTLY THEY DECIDED TO INCREASE THE COST OF OUR CONTRACT BY $5 MILLION A YEAR, $5 MILLION.
BUT, UH, WITH THE HOPE YOU'VE GOT SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THE LA HARBOR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS RELATIVELY SMALL COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WRESTLING WITH.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY ENTAIL SOME CUTS TO THE BUDGET, SOME READJUSTMENTS HERE AND THERE.
IT'S GONNA SUNSET IN 2028, AND IF IT DOES SUNSET WITHOUT A REPLACEMENT SOURCE OF REVENUE, THAT'S ANOTHER EIGHT, ROUGHLY $8 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE.
SO LET ME ASK, UH, IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE VOTERS TO RENEW THE SALES TAX MEASURE AND MAYBE EVEN INCREASE IT A BIT, WOULD YOU BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT OR WOULD YOU BE MORE INCLINED TO CUT THE SERVICES IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT, THAT DEFICIT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
CUTTING SERVICES IS, IS PROBABLY AN OPTION THAT I BELIEVE WE WOULD MAKE AFTER WE ARE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS.
SO THERE ARE WAY, WHAT I REMEMBER FROM ALSO THE SURVEY AND, AND OTHER EFFORTS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF IS THAT THE NARRATIVE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE COMMUNICATE WITH CONSTITUENTS THE VALUE, WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WERE THE BENEFITS OF MAHER TEA, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT ARE THE COST, UM, OR I'M SORRY, WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF LOSING SUCH A BENEFIT AT THIS MOMENT? ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE RECOVERING FROM ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COVID WE WILL PROBABLY HEAR IN DECADES TO COME AND BE ABLE TO SHARE A NARRATIVE THAT, THAT AS A VOTER AND AS A TAXPAYER, AS A HOMEOWNER, THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE A LITTLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LARGER CITY, I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO ASK THAT TO VOTERS, AND I THINK, AGAIN, YOU ALL HAVE DONE THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE SURVEY THAT YOU SENT OUT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT IF WE ALSO GO AS AN ORGANIZER, I SHARED EARLIER, EVEN CANVASSING DOOR-TO-DOOR TO GET SOME INFORMED, UM, DECISIONS FROM PEOPLE.
I THINK THOSE OF US THAT DON'T GO ON GOOGLE ON OUR PHONES TO DO THE SURVEYS THAT THEY WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE TO BE ABLE TO LIKE, GET SOME REACH OUT, UH, OUTREACH, I'M SORRY, IN THAT WAY FOR THEM TO, TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND TO BE ABLE TO ALSO VOTE WITH US, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE REPRESENTING ALL OF US IN THE CITY.
AND SO THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, THAT IS ONE WAY THAT I WOULD APPROACH IT AND JUST GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT THE VOTERS WILL VOTE WITH THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
[01:55:01]
ALRIGHT, MS. GOMEZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA CLARIFY WE'RE NOT RELATED, RIGHT?
UH, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS AGO, I, I HAD APPLIED FOR AN OPENING ON THE HARBOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND WAS LIKE YOU, I INSPIRED TO WANNA APPLY FOR THE POSITION AND BACK THEN, UM, IRONICALLY IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER STEVE SIMONIAN HAD ENCOURAGED ME TO GET INVOLVED MORE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HEARING THE QUESTIONS HERE AND, AND, AND I SEE SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN YOU AND, AND I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHATSOEVER, BUT I LIKE, LIKE TO OFFER MYSELF, UH, TO GET YOU MORE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ATTEND SOME MORE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET INVOLVED WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK IT'D GREAT IF DOWN THE ROAD YOU CAN GET A APPOINTED TO LIKE A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MM-HMM.
AND I SEE YOU'RE INVOLVED AT EL CERRITO SCHOOL AND YOUR PRINCIPAL THERE, UM, MRS. PUTNAM.
SHE'S SOMEBODY WHO GREW UP IN THE COMMUNITY AND I KNOW HER VERY WELL.
AND SHE COULD TELL YOU THAT THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT, THAT I AM.
AND, AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE WILLING TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO HAVE YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UH, TO, TO BE GOING THROUGH LAW SCHOOL AND TO DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S SO SHORTCOMING.
THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND I FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A LOT, A LOT OF POTENTIAL, BUT I THINK YOU CAN GO TO GREATER, GREATER HEIGHTS LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND I WANNA SEE YOU BE SUCCESSFUL AND I'M WILLING TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
SO IF YOU EVER WANNA CALL CITY HALL, I, I'LL MAKE A AVAIL, BE AVAILABLE, UH, TO YOU.
I WANNA OFFER THAT TO YOU, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU GET A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED MM-HMM.
AND, AND HELP GUIDE YOU TO, TO LEARN THE ROPES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO IT COULD BE PREPARE YOU MORE.
LIKE I SAID, I DUNNO HOW ANYBODY'S GONNA VOTE RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND I'D BE DOING YOU A DISSERVICE IF I'D BE ASKING YOU SOME QUESTIONS AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, LEARNING CURVE'S JUST NOT QUITE THERE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR APPLYING.
NOW, AS I SAID TO ALL THE APPLICANTS, THIS IS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOLKS BE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS, WHICH IS BOTH INSTRUCTIVE, UH, IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EARNESTNESS AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND IN, IN PREPARING FOR THIS INTERVIEW AND FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UM, I'M SURE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
SO THANK YOU MS. GOMEZ, AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
WELCOME MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
DOES THIS SOUND, UH, ABOUT RIGHT? UH, IT SOUNDS GOOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
APPRECIATE, UH, THE EFFORT AND PREPARATION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE QUESTIONS, I BELIEVE THIS TIME TO MY LEFT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ.
YOU GO BY TOM, I PRESUME, RIGHT? TOM'S GREAT.
UH, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY? UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY LOT WE GO THROUGH, BUT I WOULD SAY, UH, BUDGET CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW.
SO WE KNOW ABOUT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, MAYBE THE BIGGEST ONE IS THE EXPIRATION OF MEASURE T AT THE END OF 2028.
UM, AND FROM LISTENING TO, UM, I THINK EVERY, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, GONE BACK AND REVIEWED THEM, IT SEEMS TO BE OF CONCERN TO ALL OF YOU.
AND, UH, I THINK AT LEAST MOST OF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
UM, AND I WOULD BE TOO, IN TERMS OF RENEWING THAT IN THE, IN AT, AT 2028.
SO THAT WOULD BE A CAMPAIGN THAT MUST BE WAGED AND GONE FROM THERE.
UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY OTHER CONCERNS, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, RANCH LA HARBOR THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A VERY, UH, UM, HIGH, HIGH PROFILE THING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
AND, UH, FORTUNATELY WE, UH, WE WON THE FIRST ROUND IN COURT AND THAT'S GREAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA GO AWAY.
I THINK THAT'S STILL GONNA COME BACK.
UH, THE STATE, UH, I MEAN, WE'RE UP AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO ENTITIES WITH VERY DEEP POCKETS.
[02:00:01]
ONE ARE, AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE INTEREST IN MAKING STUFF LIKE THAT HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, UH, TO MEET OUR ARENA NUMBERS OF 804, UH, WE, THEY WANT US TO DO A LOT OF THINGS, UM, DO, UH, UH, UH, MORE HOUSING INCLUDING, UH, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VERY LOW INCOME, LOW INCOME HOUSING.AND, UH, THE LATEST THING I READ ON THAT IS, UM, THAT, UH, THERE'S THIS CONCEPT CALLED BUILDER'S REMEDY THAT THEY MAY BE TRYING TO GO THROUGH AND THAT MAY COMPLETELY CIRCUMVENT THE LOCAL LAWS.
AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG ISSUE FOR LAHABRA IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, THINGS THAT COME UP ABOUT, UH, PARKING IS STILL A PROBLEM WITHIN THE HABRA AND, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS IS, UH, I THINK WE SHARE WITH A LOT OF OTHER CITIES.
SO, SO CURRENTLY THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INFLATION, UM, GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND, AND, UH, IT'S GENERALLY THOUGHT OF THAT, THAT SOMETIMES IT COULD BE VERY CHALLENGING HAVING A TAX MEASURE.
HOW WOULD YOU CONVINCE, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED THE TAX MEASURE, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT SAY, HEY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WE CAN'T DO IT.
YEAH, WELL, SO FIRST I THINK YOU NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH SIDES.
SO THAT CAN BE, TAXES CAN BE A VERY POLITICALLY DIVISIVE ISSUE.
AND, UM, SO YOU NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS POINTS TO BE MADE ON BOTH SIDES.
ALRIGHT? HOWEVER, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE, THE LOCAL FUNDING, THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVES OF THAT.
YOU, YOU CAN'T PAINT IT AS COMPLETELY BLACK AND WHITE.
IT'S NOT ALL BAD, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE WAY YOU NEED TO HAVE A REASONABLE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR ELECTORATE.
OKAY, MR. LEWINSKY, ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT LA COUNTY FIRE JUST DID TO US? AND IF SO, PLEASE EXPLAIN.
SO WE LOST FIRE STATION 1 93 AND WE'RE DOWN TO THREE.
SO, UH, WE'VE LOST, UH, 25% OF THE FIRE STATIONS, HOWEVER THAT IS GONNA BE USED, UH, FOR AMBULANCES NOW.
UM, I KNOW THE BILL TO THE HUB, WE WENT FROM ABOUT 10 MILLION TO $15 MILLION.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET CHALLENGES FOR LA HABRA.
UM, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE BRIEFINGS FROM CITY MANAGER SADRO THERE ABOUT, UM, COSTS AND ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION GOING WAY UP.
AND SO THAT'S ALSO ADDING TO THE BUDGET PRESSURES.
UH, I'VE SEEN THAT THERE'S BEEN, UH, A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN UNFILLED IN TERMS OF PREPARATION FOR THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD, UM, UH, CONSERVATIVE FISCAL POLICY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MEET THAT BEFORE YOU HAVE A BIG PROBLEM THERE.
SO THE, UH, THE COST OF THE CONTRACT GOES UP 5 MILLION AND LET'S SAY THE VOTERS SAY NO MORE SALES TAX, SO NOW WE'RE UPSIDE DOWN BY 13 MILLION.
UH, WHERE DO YOU GO FIRST FOR THOSE CUTS? WELL, UM, I THINK THE PERCENTAGE THE OF, UH, THE BUDGET, THE WAY IT'S DIVIDED UP, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, FIRE, POLICE, FIRE AND AMBULANCES SOMEWHERE AROUND 70% OF THE BUDGET, UH, THEN YOU GO TO, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES ON DOWN LINE.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE PERCENTAGES, YOU'D HAVE TO, YOU OUGHT TO MAYBE ROUGHLY KEEP THE SAME AND KIND OF GO FROM, FROM ALL OF THEM IN SOME WAY.
UM, IF THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE FOR THE CITY, YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU NEED TO ADDRESS THAT FIRST, BUT THERE PROBABLY OUGHT TO BE SOME PERCENTAGE SHARING OF THE PAIN WITHIN ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO IF THERE WERE LIKE 10% ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS, YOU'D CUT 10% FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES AND 10% FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WELL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POSITION, BUT HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, I KNOW THREE OF YOU FROM THE COUNCIL, I MEAN, COUNTING MR. SIMONIAN WHO'S LEFT, HAVE BIG POLICE BACKGROUNDS, AND YOU WOULD PROBABLY KNOW A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT, BUT THAT IS THE BIGGEST NUMBER IN THERE.
SO I, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE FAIR POSITION TO START, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TO SAY, IF YOU DO THIS, THEN THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND THEN MAKE HARD DECISIONS FROM THERE.
UH, NOW I KNOW YOU APPLIED FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? OR THE COMMUNITY SERVICE? YES, I HAVE.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW, UH, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY IN THAT CAPACITY AND IN THIS CAPACITY? UM, WELL, HAVING, UH, SEEN WHAT'S, UH, HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
I KNOW MAYOR NAZARIAN WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION A LONG TIME AND IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT'S GOING ON.
I WATCHED YOUR INTERVIEW WHEN WE DID IT LAST TIME, AND YOU WERE VERY WELL SPOKEN.
AND SO, UM, SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY GOOD START TO GO TO GET A LITTLE BIT BROADER EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH WHAT'S GOING ON IN LA HABRA.
I HAVE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT, UH, EVERY, OR
[02:05:01]
LISTENED TO EVERY SINGLE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES MEETING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.AND I THINK, AS I SAID, UH, ALL THE COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
AND SO IT'S, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTING TO SEE YOU GUYS UP THERE AND THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN YOU ALL.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, Y'ALL GET ALONG JUST GREAT AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE.
DO YOU MIND MOVING THE MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, MR. LUDWIN? SORRY.
AND YOU CAN ADJUST IT IF YOU LIKE.
AND I NOTICED ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT, UH, YOUR WIFE HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED.
UH, SHE'S WITH MEALS, UH, VOLUNTEERS WITH MEALS ON WHEELS, AND IS CURRENTLY WITH THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF LA HARBOR.
AND YOU ARE INVO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND ARE INVOLVED WITH A YSO.
UM, SO YOU'VE BEEN, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY IN THAT CAPACITY.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL COULD BE DONE BY THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR, ALL OUR RESIDENTS? WELL, UH, STARTING WITH, AGAIN, THE, THE MAJOR PARTS OF THE BUDGET MAKE IT, MAKE IT SAFE, RIGHT? UH, I'LL STEAL SOMETHING FROM A YSO.
PART OF THE, UH, PHILOSOPHIES OF A YSO IS TO MAKE IT SAFE, FAIR FUN.
AND THAT'S WHEN I REFEREE A GAME, I ALWAYS TELL THE KIDS, THAT'S MY JOB OUT THERE.
OKAY, SO SAFETY FOR THE COMMUNITY FIRST.
TO MAKE IT, UM, FAIR TO DO BUSINESS FOR ALL TYPES OF BUSINESSES IN LA HABRA AND THE SOURCE AND FUN TOO.
SO, PARKS, RECREATION, WHERE WE CAN DO FOR THE YOUTH, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY VISIBLE AND PEOPLE SEE AND UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE, RIGHT? BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THE OTHER THINGS FIRST.
I'LL JUST, UH, GO ON, ON A LIMB JUST TO BE MAYBE SLIGHTLY CONTROVERSIAL OR DIFFERENT FROM EVERY ANYONE ELSE.
I WAS LISTENING TO THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND THERE WERE, UM, PEOPLE APPLYING FOR BUSINESS PERMITS AND IN TERMS OF CANNABIS DIS DIS DISTRIBUTION, ALL RIGHT? AND THAT CAN BE VERY POLITICALLY DIVISIVE TOPIC, RIGHT? BUT, UH, YOU ALL WERE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S FAIR, YOU KNOW, IT'S LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA.
AND SO WE WANTED TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE AND WE'RE GONNA APPROVE.
I THINK THERE WAS FOUR OF THEM THAT WE WERE ALLOWED.
ALRIGHT, I, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERISM AND FOR YOUR WIFE'S VOLUNTEERISM BECAUSE THE CITY CAN'T DO IT ALL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP FILL AND FILL IN THE GAPS AND HELPS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND FOR THOSE, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, SHE'S SITTING BACK THERE IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO, TOM, HOW ARE YOU THIS EVENING? DANDY.
UH, AND, UH, AS I EXPRESSED TO THE REST OF THE, THE APPLICANTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UH, NOT ONLY FOR APPLYING, BUT FOR, UH, YOU HAD APPLIED FOR, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION AND ALSO FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR RESIDENTS KNOW, UH, THAT, UH, THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME AND, UH, AND WANTING TO FILL THAT, UH, THAT VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, FOR YOUR TIME IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITH A YSO, UH, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS WELL.
UH, I'LL GET STARTED WITH MY QUESTIONING BY CHANCE, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE, UH, SO AFTER, AFTER INTERVIEWS THIS EVENING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, AND, UH, HAVE YOU, UH, HAVE YOU BY ANY CHANCE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? I HAVE.
AND WITHIN THAT CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, THERE'S A CERTAIN ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, UH, THAT, UH, I TOOK INTEREST IN, AND THAT'S, UH, OUR LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, RIGHT? FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 20 24, 20 25.
WITH WHAT'S IN THERE IN THE STAFF REPORT? YEP.
UH, SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AND THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL CONTROL ON ISSUES? UH, I AM IN A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEING WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL IS ALSO, AGAIN, HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVING LISTENED TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND TALKING TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS OF, UH, FRIENDS WITH TOM BEAMISH FROM WAY BACK WHEN IN LAHABRA AND JUST LISTENING TO HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE THERE, THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT LOCAL CONTROL AND, UH, WE NEED LOCAL CONTROL.
SO ABSOLUTELY A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, YOU KNOW, BLANCA BERG AND KIND OF GO FROM THERE AND TALK TO THEM.
I MEAN, IT'S A LONG ROAD TO HOE AND IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATE HAS INTEREST, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST THE GENERAL IN TERMS OF DOING MORE HOUSING.
WE KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE UNDER HOUSED IN THE WHOLE STATE.
AND YOU KNOW, HOW YOU DO THAT IS, IS A SUBJECT OF DISAGREEMENT, UM, LISTENING TO ALL SIDES OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE FROM THE STATE LEVEL SUPPORTING THEIR POSITION AND THAT, OKAY, WELL YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A LONG TIME AND WE'RE NOT QUITE GETTING THERE FAST ENOUGH, AND THEREFORE WE'RE GONNA DO STUFF LIKE THIS.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO GO ARGUE AGAINST, OKAY.
AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
PARTICULARLY THE HUB BEING, WHAT ABOUT A SEVEN SQUARE MILE CITY? OKAY? WE'RE MOSTLY BUILT OUT.
WE'RE NOT A BIG CITY THAT HAS A LOT OF OPEN SPACE THAT WE CAN
[02:10:01]
DO STUFF WITH.SO WE'RE REALLY LIMITED AS WHAT WE CAN DO.
I KNOW BUILDING ADUS, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS ORIGINALLY 400, BUT, OR, OR GOT REDUCED TO 300 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY WE CALCULATED IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA COUNT, I THINK WITHIN THE, THE LOW INCOME HOUSING.
SO THAT'S GONNA HELP US, AND I THINK WE'RE ON TRACK FROM WHAT I RECALL HEARING, UH, TO ACTUALLY MEET THAT NUMBER.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, FOR SURE LOCAL CONTROL.
BUT HOW DO YOU FIGHT? THAT IS, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
SO, UH, YOU, UH, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT READING A LITTLE BIT AND HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SKIP THAT.
YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT THERE.
UH, SO, UH, THE CITY HAS A, UH, A POSITION, A LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 AND REALIGNMENT.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH AB 1 0 9? UH, 1 0 9? I, I DON'T TRANSLATE TO WHICH ONE THAT IS.
AND SO, AB 1 0 9, WHAT IT IS, IS THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011.
AND WHAT IT STATES IN A NUTSHELL IS THAT NONVIOLENT, NON-SERIOUS AND NON-HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS AFTER THEY'RE RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON TO BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL.
NOT, UH, NOT THE CITY LEVEL, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND.
SO THE, UH, THE CITY'S TAKEN UP A, A, A, A STANCE ON, UH, ON AB 1 0 9, AND, UH, WE SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF IT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? UM, WITHOUT HAVING DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THAT, IT, IT SOUNDS REASONABLE.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.
OKAY? SO YOU CAN ARGUE PEOPLE HAVE PAID THEIR DEBTS AND, AND SO, UM, THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
WE WANT TO BE, REMEMBER SAFER FUNDS, SO WE WANT TO BE SAFE, OKAY? SO HAVING SOME REASONABLE OVERSIGHT ABOUT THOSE FOLKS AND WHERE THEY ARE IS SEEMS LIKE A VERY REASONABLE POSITION TO TAKE.
THERE, UH, MAY BE A FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCE TO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MAY BE SIGNIFICANT.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO DO? YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE A LIVELY DISCUSSION AND I HAVEN'T RESEARCHED THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT CAME UP FOR SURE, FOR SURE.
WOOD, JUST LIKE THE REST OF IT.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL, OKAY.
UH, AND, UH, THE HYPOTHETICAL IS THIS, AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE QUESTION.
UH, THE CITY OF LA HABRA WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
UH, HIGHLY UNLIKELY, RIGHT? BUT SURE.
HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAD HAPPENED, LET'S JUST SAY IT DID FOR PURPOSES OF THIS, UH, THE QUESTION IS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
WELL, I COULD GO THE HUMOROUS ROUTE AND JUST SAY, BUILD A NICE BIG SOCCER STADIUM FOR, SO, BUT, UM, NO, I THINK THE, THE, THE REASONABLE WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE PERHAPS, UH, ONE TO ASK FOR COMMUNITY INPUT.
YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT EVERYONE SAYS.
JUST LIKE WHEN THEY DID THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND COMES BACK, YOU KNOW, SAFETY ALWAYS COMES FIRST.
YOU KNOW, THE POLICE FIRE ALWAYS RANKS HIGH ON THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
UM, LOOK TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR MONEY ALREADY.
THERE'S PROBABLY, I, MATTER OF FACT, I KNOW THERE'S PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO MAYBE TO LOOK TO THOSE THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE QUEUE THAT WE'VE ALREADY RESEARCHED.
SO, UM, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE GREAT IDEAS, BUT THE CITY COLLECTIVELY PROBABLY HAVE AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER IDEAS.
SO LET'S GO LOOK TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT AND MAYBE DO A SPECIAL INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, A SPECIAL POLL OF EVERYONE TO ASK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, MR. LUKI, IT'S, IT'S TRUE THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO EVEN BEGIN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LONG AFTERNOON FOR YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN WAITING IN THE FOYER PROBABLY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND, UH, WHAT'S MORE IS IF YOU WERE THE APPOINTEE, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
SO I THINK ALL THESE APPLICANTS UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO, UM, FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I THANK YOU GREATLY FOR BEING WILLING TO PARTICIPATE AND ENGAGE WITH US, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT, AND AS I'VE DESCRIBED IT, IT'S THE CORNERSTONE OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING WITH US, AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
THANK YOU M AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HOW'S IT GOING HERE, IAN? FINE, FINE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, IT'S, AND AS YOU KNOW, IT'S MY FIRST TIME HERE, UM, BEING IN FRONT OF THIS COUNCIL AND, UH, I'M JUST HONORED THAT I CAN BE HERE AS, AS A SON OF LAHABRA, SO I'M REALLY AM NICELY SAID.
[02:15:01]
YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.WE'LL BEGIN THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, UH, AT THIS POINT, AND I KEEP FORGETTING, BUT I BELIEVE WE BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MADANO, CORRECT? YES.
MR. RAZA, HOW ARE YOU THIS EVENING? I'M DOING WELL, I'M DOING WELL.
IT'S, IT'S RAMADAN AND SO I'M FASTING.
AND, UH, WHAT TIME WILL YOU BE ABLE TO EAT? UH, AT SEVEN 30.
SEVEN 30 SUNDOWN, RIGHT? YEAH.
I HAD TO ASK, BUT, UH, THANK YOU.
AS I'VE SAID, UH, TO THE OTHER APPLICANTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.
IT MEANS A LOT, NOT ONLY TO US AS A CITY COUNCIL, BUT TO THE RESIDENTS OF LAHABRA THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN, UH, IN, IN TAKING UP THIS, UH, VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL START MY QUESTIONING.
UH, THE, UH, AFTER THIS, UH, AFTER THESE INTERVIEWS THIS EVENING AT SIX 30, WE HAVE OUR NORMALLY SCHEDULED, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, BY CHANCE, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT, UH, THIS EVENING'S AGENDA FOR CITY COUNCIL, THIS EVENING'S AGENDA? I'VE HAD, I, I'VE SKIMMED OVER THE TWO AGENDAS THAT I FOUND YESTERDAY, AND I BELIEVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, I WAS JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE INTERVIEW, SO I DIDN'T REALLY LOOK THAT DEEPLY INTO TONIGHT'S, UH, MEETING AGENDA.
UH, SO, UH, ON, UH, TONIGHT'S AGENDA, ONE OF THE ITEMS, UH, OF INTEREST TO ME, I MEAN, IS EVERYTHING'S INTERESTING, OF COURSE, BUT SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY IS THAT, UH, ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 20 25 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, WHAT I WOULD SAY THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF, OF WHAT THE CITY WANTS AND WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS LEGISLATIVELY.
UM, AND, UH, UH, ONE OF THE ISSUES OFTEN DISCUSSED IN, UH, IN CITY GOVERNMENT IS, UH, LOCAL CONTROL.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, LOCAL CONTROL WHEN IT COMES, UH, THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WOULD BE ONE, BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL IN GENERAL WHEN IT COMES TO CITIES? I THINK THAT LOCAL CONTROL IS IMPERATIVE FOR A CITY TO BE ABLE TO EMBRACE ITS DIVERSITY AND ITS, ITS UNIQUE IMAGE.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT SOMEONE LIKE, WE'RE NOT Y BELINDA, WE'RE NOT FULLERTON, WE'RE NOT EVEN LAHABRA HEIGHTS.
AND I, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WHAT, IT'S WHAT OUR AUTONOMY CAN BRING OUT, WHICH MAKES US A, A, AN INCREDIBLE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT, LIKE, WHILE FOLKS IN LIKE SACRAMENTO AND, AND A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER GOVERNING BODIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO IMPOSE CERTAIN PARTS OF, UH, LIKE CERTAIN MANDATES LIKE HOUSING MANDATES AND WHATNOT ON US, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO INTERPRET THOSE MANDATES, UH, WITH LOCAL, WITH A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE AND REALLY BRING IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE, THE, THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR CITY INTO IMPLEMENTING THOSE.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE BUILDING HOUSING, WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING THAT WE'RE BUILDING, ARE WE BUILDING? WHAT TYPE OF DENSITY ARE WE BRINGING IN? WHAT TYPE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NATURAL HABITATS ARE WE TAKING CARE OF? ARE WE PRESERVING, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND MAKE FOR, MAKE, MAKE US A, A BETTER DEMOCRACY OVERALL BECAUSE IT, IT REALLY GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE VOICES INVOLVED IN THE PRO PROGRESS IN THE PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A RECIPE FOR PROGRESS COMING FROM, UH, A LABOR BACKGROUND COMING FROM, UH, UH, A, A BACKGROUND AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE MORE VOICES THAT WE HAVE INVOLVED AND THE MORE, THE MORE NICHE WE CAN GET, THE BETTER WE CAN GET IN TERMS OF PUBLIC POLICY.
UH, AND SO YOU MENTIONED HOUSING.
UM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, ABOUT READING OUR HOUSING ELEMENT REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND THEIR, UH, AND THEIR POSSIBLE, UH, UH, PUNITIVE IMPACTS WHEN IT COMES TO, TO, TO THE STATE, UH, MANDATING CERTAIN THINGS? UM, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH RENA, THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT? UH, I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH RENA, BUT I WAS READING OVER THE, SOME OF THE, THE PLANS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, UM, AROUND THE, AROUND HOW WE SHOULD BE ALLOCATING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOC GRANTS AND HOW WE SHOULD, WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE FUNDING AND WHERE, UH, WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE DENSITY.
UM, AND SO I WOULDN'T SAY I'M, I'M SUPER FAMILIAR WITH THAT DOCUMENT.
UH, SO, UH, ONE OTHER ONE IS, UH, OF COURSE YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE CITY, THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ASSEMBLY BILL 1 0 9 AND REALIGNMENT.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH AB 1 0 9? I'M NOT, NO.
UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, IT'S THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY REALIGNMENT ACT OF 2011.
AND, UH, WHAT IT STATES IN A NUTSHELL, I'LL, UH, I'LL PARAPHRASE IT.
IT'S, UH, NONVIOLENT NON-SERIOUS AND NON-HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS.
UH, AFTER THEY ARE, UH, RELEASED FROM CALIFORNIA STATE PRISON, THEY'RE BE SUPERVISED AT THE LOCAL COUNTY LEVEL, NOT THE CITY LEVEL, BUT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
SO THE CITY, UH, THE CITY TAKES A, UH, A, A STANCE ON THAT LEGISLATIVELY, AND WE SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF AB 1 0 9, UH, AND REALIGNMENT.
AND, UH, AND WE OPPOSE LEGISLATION THAT DIVERTS OR REDUCES FUNDING MEANT TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY.
CAN YOU GIMME YOUR VIEWPOINT ON THAT?
[02:20:01]
YEAH.UM, IT, IT'S VERY MUCH PIGGYBACKING OFF OF MY ANSWER, MY LAST ANSWER, THAT LIKE, IT, IT, IT ISN'T, IT SHOULDN'T BE UP TO THE COUNTY TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS IN LA HABRA.
OF COURSE, THEY CAN GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEY CAN, THEY CAN WORK WITH US COLLABORATIVELY TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT'LL WORK WITH, FOR BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
AND I, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, SUPERVISORS, SARTO AND FOLEY ARE GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE, AND I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS IN THEIR STAFF, AND THEY'RE VERY AMENABLE TO TALKING TO OUR CITY OFFICIALS AND BEING IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM TO, TO REALLY HAVE SOLUTIONS GOING.
BUT FOR ME, LIKE PERSONALLY, I WOULD REALLY WANT US TO HAVE A, A, A LOCAL, A LAHABRA, UH, I, YOU KNOW, UH, APPROACH TO IT WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT THE, THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THIS LAW.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S OKAY FOR THE COUNTY TO TAKE THAT OVER, UH, UNLESS THERE'S LIKE AN ACTUAL PROBLEM THAT IS BEING CAUSED BY THE CITY.
OF COURSE, IF THERE'S A CITY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GOING ROGUE AND DOING SOMETHING DETRIMENTAL TO ITS PEOPLE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNTIES TO THEN STEP IN AND TO BE A VOICE FOR REASON, RIGHT? AND TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE CITY TO FIX THAT.
BUT OF COURSE, THIS IS, THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
UH, NOW YOU MENTIONED THE COUNTY, HOW ABOUT THE STATE? UM, I MEAN, YEAH, COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL, RIGHT? LIKE, THERE IS, LIKE, THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S A STRATA IN GOVERNMENT AND THAT LIKE, LAYERED CAKE MODEL THAT WAS REALLY, I THINK, UM, I THINK SOLIDIFIED THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH, UH, FDRS TIME AND OFFICE.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO STAY, UH, IN, IN OUR MINDS, IN, IN THE FUTURE, GOING, GOING IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE A 21ST CENTURY AMERICA IS, IS, IS PARAMOUNT ON LOCAL CONTROL.
AND, UH, AND FOR US TO HAVE LOCAL SOLUTIONS FOR OUR VERY, UM, VERY, VERY OVERWHELMING PROBLEMS OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S CLIMATE CHANGE, POLICING, YOU KNOW, FOOD INSECURITY, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS REQUIRE LOCAL SOLUTIONS.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A HYPOTHETICAL AS I'VE, UH, I'VE GIVEN THE OTHER APPLICANTS AS WELL.
THIS IS THE, UH, THIS IS THE HYPOTHETICAL, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE QUESTION AFTER, UH, THE CITY OF LA HABRA WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME, STATE OR FEDERAL, UH, GIFT OF $10 MILLION.
ONE TIME THE QUESTION TO YOU HAS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
SO FIRST, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I ALWAYS GO TO THE CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND TO, AND, AND TO ASK THEM, FRANKLY, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT NE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY? AND HOW SHOULD WE USE THIS SPECIFIC FUNDING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM WHATEVER ENTITY, WHETHER IT'S THE FEDERAL OR THE STATE GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND THEN I, BASED ON THE, BASED ON THOSE FINDINGS, I WOULD THEN MAKE A DECISION ON HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
IT'S JUST LIKE ME WORKING AS THE ORGANIZING DIRECTOR AT RIDESHARE DRIVERS UNITED.
I DON'T MAKE, UH, I DON'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS WITHOUT OUR ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND A, AN INCREDIBLY LARGE NUMBER OF ANSWERS FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP.
UH, AND SO WORKING ON, ON THINGS TO HELP RIDESHARE DRIVERS, WE, WE FOUND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, DEACTIVATIONS ARE, OR, OR FIRINGS IN THIS, THIS FIELD ARE INCREDIBLY COMMON, AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE NUMBER TWO THING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AS, AS, UH, AS A RIDESHARE DRIVER UNION.
AND SO IT'S REALLY THOSE, THOSE INSIGHTS THAT WE GET FROM TALKING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE BEST IDEAS.
AND REALLY, I, I TRULY KNOW THAT, LIKE, I'M NOT THE ONE THAT'S GONNA COME UP WITH THE BEST IDEAS ALL THE TIME.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE WAY SMARTER THAN ME AND WAY MORE EXPERIENCED THAN I AM, THAT I NEED TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO, WHETHER THAT'S FOLKS ON THIS, UH, COUNCIL OR, OR MY NEIGHBORS.
AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, ISLAM TEACHES US CON CONTINUOUSLY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I, I TRULY WANT TO EMBODY THAT AS A LEADER AND AS A, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER SOON.
AND I, AND I WANTED TO MENTION AS WELL, READING YOUR RESUME, I WAS QUITE MOVED, UH, BY THE, UH, FIRST PARAGRAPH AND DR, IS IT DR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT TIDBIT IN THERE.
NO, I ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY WAS, UH, REACHED OUT TO HIM.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF MY OLDER TEACHERS, AND HE MADE SUCH A, SUCH AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T, I WAS ACTUALLY, I WANTED TO INVITE HIM TO THIS INTERVIEW, BUT HE WAS A LITTLE BUSY, UNFORTUNATELY.
WOULD'VE BEEN GOOD TO MEET HIM.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UM, YOU'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME NOW, HUH? YEAH.
[02:25:01]
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT, AND I'VE ASKED ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST TO YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING THE LAW HARBOR COMMUNITY NOW? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY, UH, MY WANT TO WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE ACTUALLY COMES FROM LIKE THE BEGINNING, RIGHT? WHEN I WAS, WHEN I WAS, I WAS BORN INTO A FAMILY THAT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SO USED TO BEING PART OF BEING A PART AND, AND REALLY BEING A LEAD LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY.MY GRANDFATHER WAS A, A DOCTOR, UH, IN, UH, IN THE ARMY IN WORLD WAR II FOR THE BRITISH ARMY, UH, BACK IN INDIA.
AND AFTER THE WAR, HE BECAME A COMMUNITY DOCTOR, AND SO HE WOULD GO TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES FOR FREE TO TREAT THEM.
UH, AND THROUGH THAT LEGACY, WE, WE CREATED A FAMILY FULL OF SERVICE AND FULL OF ACTION.
AND SO A BUNCH OF MY UNCLES IN INCHI RIGHT NOW ARE HEADS OF, OF, OF NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING TO GIVE PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, RELIEF DURING FLOODS, DURING THE FAMINES THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
MY MY PARENTS ARE, ARE HUGE, HUGE SUPPORTERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WORKING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, EVEN, EVEN DURING THIS, THE, THE DIFFICULT TIMES DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS, WE'VE ACTUALLY OPENED OUR HOME UP TO FOLKS THAT ARE FEEL, THAT ARE HAVING HOUSING INSECURITY, THAT ARE WORKING, AND THAT ARE TRYING TO LIVE THEIR LIVES NORMALLY, BUT ARE JUST NOT ABLE TO BECAUSE OF THE RISING RENTS AND THE RISING COST OF LIVING.
AND SO WHAT SPARKED IN ME A WANT FOR TO WORK FOR PUBLIC SERVICE WAS MY RELIGION, WAS MY FAMILY, AND WAS THE, THE, THE EXAMPLES THAT I HAD IN FRONT OF ME THAT, THAT INNATELY WANT, THAT INNATELY WANTED ME TO, TO CONTINUE DOING THIS.
UM, AND I MENTIONED MY RELIGION, UH, BECAUSE TRULY THE, THE ONLY REASON WHY I GOT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE AND WHY I GOT INTO WORKING AS AN ORGANIZER, AS AN ADVOCATE, AS A PROGRESSIVE, UH, PROGRESSIVE LEADER, UH, SINCE I WAS 15, WAS BECAUSE OF MY RELIGION.
WE HAVE A, A, A PERSON NAMED, UH, IMAM HUSSEIN WHO HA, WHO IS ACTUALLY THE INSPIRATION FOR PEOPLE LIKE MAHA MA GANDHI AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
AND NELSON MANDELA TO WORK ON, ON THE, THE REVOLUTIONARY ACTIONS THAT THEY WORKED ON.
AND HE IS HIS SPIRIT IS THE REASON WHY I CONTINUE TO DO ALL THAT I DO TODAY, REGARDLESS OF PAY, REGARDLESS OF, OF, OF DIFFICULTY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I'M ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP.
AND I TRULY, I WAS ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP EARLIER BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CAFFEINE, BUT HEY, I'M GONNA KEEP ON GOING BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US AS MUSLIMS. WE ARE TOLD THAT WE NEED TO LEAVE EACH PLACE CLEANER THAN WHEN WE HAD FIRST ARRIVED TO IT BETTER THAN WHERE WE HAD FIRST ARRIVED TO IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA DO WITH EVERY SINGLE ACTION THAT I DO, WHETHER THAT'S PROFESSIONALLY, VOLUNTARILY, OR AS A LEADER ON CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU WITH THAT, UM, I, LAHAR IS KNOWN AS A CARING COMMUNITY.
WE VALUE CIVIC MINDEDNESS AND ENCOURAGE A SENSE OF VOLUNTEERISM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COULD YOU PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE RECENT PAST TO EITHER VOLUNTEER OR BE INVOLVED IN THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, IN TERMS OF, OF BEING A VOLUNTEER, UH, FOR OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THE LAST, UH, TWO, FOR THE LAST YEAR, I'VE BEEN A VOTING MEMBER REPRESENTING OUR CONSTITUENTS ON, ON CENTRAL COMMITTEE, UH, WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ORANGE COUNTY, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE STATE, UH, AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR A ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, 64 WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
AND SO I'VE BEEN REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF OUR SMALL TOWN, UH, WITHIN THESE BIG DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, WHETHER THEY'RE ON POLICY, WHETHER THEY'RE ON, ON WHICH CANDIDATES WE NEED TO ENDORSE, WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR THAT ARE GOING TO REPRESENT OUR VALUES.
UM, I'VE BEEN A, A, A A PERSON THAT'S CONTINUOUSLY BEING A, A VOICE FOR THAT.
ON TOP OF THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, UH, ORANGE COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS AND MANY DIFFERENT DEMOCRATIC CLUBS ACROSS THE, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND REPRESENTING NORTH OC AND LA HABRA IN GENERAL, SO THAT OUR INTERESTS AREN'T, YOU KNOW, JUST ALWAYS TAKEN OVER BY, UH, MUCH RICHER AND MUCH MORE, UH, OF, UH, AVAILABLE PLACES LIKE, LIKE IN SOUTH OC WHERE PEOPLE HAVE MORE TIME AND MORE PRIVILEGE, UH, TO DO THESE VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF US HERE IN NORTH OC AND IN LA HABRA AREN'T AS PRIVILEGED.
AND THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE BEING, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THEM WAS DOUBLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? FOR US TO HAVE OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR, OUR MINDS HEARD.
WHETHER THAT'S, WE'RE WORKING ON POLICY ON HOUSING AND MAKING SURE
[02:30:01]
THAT WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR A PERSON LIKE ME TO EVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME IN CALIFORNIA AGAIN.OR WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, HELPING HELPING FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, FIND JOBS AND FIND WORK A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE, RIGHT? LIKE, I'M VERY, VERY INVOLVED IN HELPING BRING UP YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO THIS WORK AND HAVE THEM EMPOWERED IN, IN SPEAKING UP FOR THEMSELVES, WHETHER THAT'S SOCIALLY, CULTURALLY, UH, UH, IN POLICY OR WITHIN, UH, CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS WHERE THEY MIGHT NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE, WHERE THEY MIGHT NOT FEEL ACCEPTED, UH, I'M THERE BEING, BEING, UH, THEIR BACK, BEING THEIR BIG BROTHER OR, OR, OR, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, HELPING OTHER FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BRING IN THE, THE NECESSARY DIVERSITY WE NEED IN ORANGE COUNTY.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF LIKE, VERY, VERY RECENTLY, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR, FOR LAHABRA.
BUT THROUGHOUT MY, MY TIME AS A STUDENT GOING UP HERE IN LAHABRA, I'VE BEEN, UH, OF A MASSIVE PART OF THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE THAT USED TO HAPPEN AT, AT, AT SONORA, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE PART OF, UH, VOLUNTEERING AT THE LA HABRA LIBRARY TO, TO HELP KIDS DURING THEIR SUMMER, SUMMER PROGRAMS TO, TO READ AND TO TO WRITE AND BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE, UH, IN THEIR FREE TIME.
UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, I'VE BEEN A, A VOLUNTEER AT ADVANCE, UH, HELPING KIDS GET INTO COLLEGE, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES THAT HELPED ME GET INTO COLLEGE.
UH, IT WAS BECAUSE OF ADVANCE THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET A FULL RIDE AT UCI.
UH, AND SO I, I JUST, I WANNA BE THERE AS MUCH AS I CAN AND I WILL BE THERE AS MUCH AS I CAN FOR MY COMMUNITY.
UM, SO, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT IS, WHETHER THAT'S HELPING PEOPLE WITH COLLEGE ESSAYS OR JUST PICKING UP TRASH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I DO WHATEVER I CAN TO, TO BE A PART OF MY COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, MR. RAZA, TIME FOR THE COLD HARD MATH.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, LA COUNTY FIRE IN THE CITY RECENTLY? UM, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A, UH, INCREASE IN THE FIRE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENTS LIKE CONTRACTS WITH, WITH THE CITY.
AND SO THAT LED US TO HAVE LESS, UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY A MORE EXPENSIVE CONTRACT WITHIN OUR, OUR CITY BUDGET, WHICH LESSENED THE AMOUNT OF, OF FREE MONEY THAT WE HAD, IF I'M CORRECT.
YEAH, $5 MILLION MORE IS WHAT THE, UH, COUNTY'S GONNA CHARGE US FOR FIRE SERVICE.
AND ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH MEASURE T? I AM, YES.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? UM, MEASURE T IS THE HALF, UH, CENT TAX THAT IS SUPPOSED TO, UH, ECLIPSE IN 2028.
UM, UM, SO IF WE HAD THE OPTION OF, WELL, WE DO HAVE THE OPTION OF BALLOTING IN, UH, MEASURE T AGAIN FOR RENEWAL.
UM, IF WE DID THAT, WOULD YOU BE, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF EXTENDING THE SALES TAX BEYOND ITS SUNSET IN 2028? I WILL, I WOULD.
UM, AND WHILE I DON'T, UH, I, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT SALES TAX IS THE BEST SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT CAN, IT CAN FLUCTUATE.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT LIKE THIS IS GONNA BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO CONTINUE OUR, OUR ABILITY TO SURVIVE AS A, AS A CITY.
UH, INFLATION IS GONNA CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AND OUR CONSTITUENTS NEED TO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS TAX.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED, UH, IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT AND INCREASING THE FUNDING THAT WE NEEDED TO THROUGH, UH, SMALL STIPENDS TAKEN ON BY, BY THE STUDENTS STUDENT BODY AT UCI WHEN I WAS IN A-S-U-C-I.
AND IT WAS REALLY, UH, A, A PROCESS OF INOCULATING AND, AND EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE WHY, UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE TAXES LEVIED ON THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT TAKES ALL OF US AND HAVING A HALF A CENT TAX MORE FOR PEOPLE, UH, SHOULD BE AN UNDERSTANDABLE WAY FOR US TO, TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THANKFULLY, RIGHT, LIKE IT'S FOR SOMETHING THAT IS SO RIDICULOUSLY IMPORTANT, LIKE FIRE SAFETY.
I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE BIGGEST EXISTENTIAL THREAT THAT WE HAVE TO OUR CITY RIGHT NOW.
AND WITH THE FIRES RAGING EVERY YEAR IN THE FALL AND GOING TO GET THE FIRE SEASON GETTING LONGER AND LONGER, IT IS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT THAT WE CONTINUE WITH MEASURE T AND THAT WE CONTINUE FUNDING OUR, OUR, OUR ONE OF OUR SECOND LARGEST, UH, BUDGET EXPENSES OF, OF FIRE AND, UH, AMBULANCE.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ALONG 'CAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME, BUT NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ.
I'LL JUST SAY, UH, AL JAMIE, FANTASTIC INDIVIDUAL.
HE WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS TO BRING THE PENTATHLON TO LAHABRA.
[02:35:01]
LOVE IT.AND WAS THERE WHEN HE BROUGHT THAT, UH, TO PUT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS ON THE MAP, UH, I'LL JUST ASK ONE QUESTION 'CAUSE OF INTEREST OF TIME.
YOU SAY, WE CAN INVEST IN AFFORDABLE INCOME STABILIZATION HOUSING THAT WILL PROVIDE DENSITY AND HELP MEET THE HOUSING MANDATE BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
WHERE AND HOW WOULD YOU PUT THOSE HOUSINGS? THOSE ARE THE HOUSES.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW I SEE, I'VE SEEN THAT THERE'S A, A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DENSITY HAPPENING IN COMMERCIAL AREAS.
AND, AND WHILE I THINK THAT'S GREAT, I THINK WE NEED TO START BUILDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND BRING IN THAT, THAT DENSITY INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ZONING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, SORT OF LIKE SMALLER, UH, UH, BUT WE CAN HAVE MORE PLACES LIKE THAT, HAVE CONDO COMPLEXES THAT HAVE SMALLER DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD START WITH MY OWN, MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BY IMPERIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, RIGHT?
UH, TO BE QUITE HONEST, I WOULD SAY LIKE 80% OF KIDS THAT ARE BORN HERE TODAY AND THAT ARE BORN HERE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS ARE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOUSE HERE.
WELL, YOU WOULD NEVER RECOGNIZE THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY CAFFEINE.
YOU'RE A LOT REALLY
MY, MY ANSWERS WERE GOOD ENOUGH FOR US TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, RUN OUT OF TIME.
UH, I'M, I CAN GIVE OUT MY CARD IF NEED.
BUT I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR A PHONE CALL TO TALK TO FOLKS.
I KNOW MAYOR IAN KNOWS WHO I AM.
MAYOR PRO ESPINOZA KNOWS WHO I AM, SO.
ALL RIGHT, MR. RAZA, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE IS A SACRIFICE AND EVEN TODAY WAS A SACRIFICE FOR YOU AND YOUR TIME AND EFFORT AND ENERGY.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING WITH US AND UH, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR, HAVE A GOOD REST OF YOUR NIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY CANDIDACY AND, UH, LET'S CONTINUE TO WIN TOGETHER.
I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING OF LIKE OUT OF ENERGY A COPY YET.
MR. LAMPKIN, HOW ARE YOU AND YOURSELF? GOOD, THANK YOU.
TAKE A SEAT, GET SITUATED, ADJUST THE MIC AS NEEDED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE.
UH, THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE VIEWING THIS, UH, FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, BE INTERVIEWED.
SO WE'RE GONNA START, UH, UH, THIS ROUND WITH THE QUESTIONS COMING FROM TO MY LEFT.
SO THAT WILL BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY? WELL, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT I THINK THAT WE FACE CURRENTLY IS, UM, FROM SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, UH, SEEN FROM RECENT MEETINGS AND THEN ALSO HEARING FROM CITY RES OR THE RESIDENTS OF THE LA OF LA HABRA, UM, IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, WHILE THE TOP PRIORITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT, SECOND TOP PRIORITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN FIRE SERVICES, UM, AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ISSUES RELATED TO, UH, UH, CRIME IN GENERAL PROPERTY CRIMES.
BUT IF WE LOOKED A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, UH, INTO SOME OF THE MOST RECENT CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEDUCTION IN, UM, FIRE SERVICES CURRENTLY, UM, WITH ALSO NOT JUST A DEDUCTION OF FIRE SERVICE AND STAFFING AT ONE FIRE STATION, BUT ALSO AN ENTIRE CLOSURE OF A FIRE, UH, FIRE STATION, UM, UH, BY LA COUNTY, BY LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THOSE CHALLENGES? OR WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE THAT WE WOULD DO, UH, DIFFERENT IF WITH THE DECISION WE MADE? WELL, I'VE ACTUALLY PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHAT I HAVE WITH ME HERE IS THE, UH, AMENDMENT PROPOSAL FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY WHEN THEY ACTUALLY, UH, MADE THESE DECISIONS AFTER THE CITY HAD ALREADY MET WITH, UH, LA COUNTY FIRE.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS THIS SHORTFALL WE'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH.
UM, AND IF I MAY JUST KIND OF MAKE SURE I HAVE MY ACCURATE NUMBERS HERE, UM, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT $10,000 SHORTFALL, UH, I'M SORRY, $10 MILLION SHORTFALL, UM, WHEN THIS NEW CONTRACT GOES INTO ORDER.
'CAUSE NOW WE'RE BEING ASKED TO PAY A REMAINDER 50% OF THE, UH, FIRE COST.
UM, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS, UM, I TEND NOT TO ALWAYS WANT TO JUST DIRECTLY GO TO, UH, SALES TAXES OR, OR I'M SORRY, DOING MEASURES FOR, UH, TAX INCREASES.
UM, AS I BELIEVE, UM, UH, DARREN, YOU'RE AWARE, YOU, YOU'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE IN YEARS, YEARS AGO, THAT THERE'S TWO WAYS YOU RAISE REVENUE WITH THE CITY.
IT'S EITHER THROUGH, UH, INCREASE IN TAXES OR INCREASE IN REVENUE.
UM, SO THE FIRST THING I WILL LOOK AT IS WHAT CAN A CITY DO
[02:40:01]
TO RAISE REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT SHORTFALL? UM, I DO, ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN, IN, IN, IN A 1% TAX INCREASE.BUT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD PERSONALLY FAVOR, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE EVERY RESIDENT WILL WANT TO, UM, BE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN.
SO I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE, I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS OF LAHABRA BEFORE I CAN EVEN MAKE ANY DECISION AS TO WHETHER I WOULD SUPPORT A ONE, UH, 1% INCREASE, UH, IN TAXES.
UM, SOME OF THE WAYS I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY RAISE REVENUE IS TO PROBABLY USE SOME OF THESE CITY'S PROPERTIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE OR PROMOTE OTHER BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY OF LAHABRA.
UM, LAHABRA PRIDES ITSELF ON, UH, BEING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS BEING PART OF THAT COMMUNITY, UH, A CARING COMMUNITY INITIATIVE.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING THEM BY MAYBE CREATING A MARQUEE ON, ON CITY PROPERTY WHERE WE ACTUALLY CAN PUT THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS ON THAT MARQUEE AND THEY PAY A CERTAIN FEE OR MAYBE EVEN, UM, OPEN UP SOME SORT OF, UM, OPEN MARKET, NOT JUST EVERY, ANNUALLY, EVERY YEAR, BUT MAYBE DO ONE LIKE EVERY WEEK LIKE A FARMER'S MARKET WHERE PEOPLE PAY A FEE AND MAYBE A PERMIT FEE TO COME ONTO CITY PROPERTY AND BE ABLE TO, UM, UM, SELL THEIR GOODS AND SERVICES.
WOULD THAT BE DONE THROUGH SALES TAX? PROPERTY TAX? WHAT'S YOUR ENVISION FOR THAT? UH, PROPERTY TAX HAVE BEEN, HAS HAVE BEEN INCREASING.
UM, I CAN SEE MYSELF, I I CAN SEE MYSELF SUPPORTING MAYBE A, A SALES TAX OR A UTILITY TAX FOR THAT MEASURE.
I MEAN, I, I MEAN HELP PEEL AWAY WITH OF, OF, OF THAT IDEA OF THE 1%.
SO, WELL, THE FIRST THING I WOULD THINK ABOUT IS SEEING IF WE CAN GET SOME GRANTS OF SOME OF SOME SORT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE, UM, UM, THE, THE FUNDS THAT ARE NOT IN THE GENERAL FUND, UH, BE USED TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT SERVICE.
BUT IF NOT, THEN I WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE OPEN TO HAVING SOME TYPE OF SALES TAX.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS OF, OR THE RESIDENTS OF LA HABRA NEED TO UNDERSTAND ITS SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR FIRE SERVICE, UH, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF LA HABRA, BUT OF COURSE THE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS THAT WE MAY HAVE WITH SURROUNDING CITIES.
UM, SO, AND, AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE ESSENTIALLY A HUB FOR NOT JUST ORANGE COUNTY, BUT ALSO LA COUNTY, UH, SURROUNDING CITIES WITHIN LA COUNTY.
SO, UM, YOU SEEM TO HAVE A DECENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIRE SITUATION.
THAT'S $5 MILLION MORE A YEAR FOR US.
AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS, I PRESUME THAT THE LOSS OF ALL SALES TAX REVENUE WOULD HAVE AFTER THE MEASURE SUNSETS IN 28.
SO LET'S, IMA IMAGINE, LET'S IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT, UH, AN APOCALYPTIC SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE DOWN $13 MILLION AND NOW YOU'RE ON CITY COUNCIL AND YOU NEED TO MAKE START MAKING CHOICES.
SO WHERE DO YOU GO FIRST AND WHAT FAT DO YOU CUT FIRST IN ORDER TO GET THE, THE BUDGET RIGHT SIDE UP? AGAIN,
SO, UM, I APOLOGIZE IF I'M A LITTLE OFF ON THIS BECAUSE WHEN I THINK OF APOCALYPSE I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL INCIDENTS WHERE THERE'S MASS CASUALTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
MY LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE AND WORKING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN A LOT OF THE MOST RECENT, UH, FIRES WE'VE HAD IN LA COUNTY, WE LOST THAT MONEY.
THAT'S ABOUT THE WAY IT'D BE HERE.
SO
WE ALREADY KNOW AT MEASURE T IS GONNA BE SUNSET, UM, PRETTY SOON HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE, WE COULD PROBABLY REINTRODUCE TO THE RESIDENTS, UM, OR WE CAN COME UP WITH ANOTHER MEASURE OF SORTS TO SPECIFICALLY TARGET, UM, UM, MAINTAINING OUR FIRE SERVICE.
I'M GONNA JUMP IN REAL QUICK BECAUSE LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT WE JUST CAN'T GET THAT MONEY.
I'M CURIOUS IN YOUR PHILOSOPHY IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GO TO CUT FIRST.
OH, WHERE ARE WE GONNA GO TO CUT FIRST? RIGHT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE LARGEST BUDGET IS LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND, AND SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD TRY TO SEEK WAYS NOT NECESSARILY TO, UM, CUT STAFF, BUT TO SEE WHERE OUR, WHERE OUR GAPS ARE CURRENTLY, WHERE WE AREN'T FILLING POSITIONS AND THEN RE AND, AND NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON INCREASING OR TRYING TO GET BACK UP TO THOSE STAFFING LEVELS, BUT MAYBE TRY TO REASSIGN SOME OF THOSE DUTIES OVER TO OTHER AREAS.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF LAHABRA, UM, CHANGED THEIR, UM, THEIR INITIATIVE WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT USED TO PRIMARILY DEAL WITH THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE ONCE ORANGE COUNTY KIND OF GAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CITIES.
AND SO WHAT THAT SHIFTED TO WAS THE, UM, WAS THE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE COMMUNITY RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, OR I BELIEVE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE OF THE TWO, BUT I BELIEVE THAT BY DOING THAT IT WASN'T JUST A MEANS TO SHOW, UM, TO, TO TAKE AWAY THAT KIND OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT TYPE OF MENTALITY TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
BUT IT'S ALSO A MEANS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SAVE MONEY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT PAYING COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS
[02:45:01]
AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD A POLICE OFFICER TO, TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES.SO I WOULD TRY TO SEE WHERE WE CAN SHIFT RESPONSIBILITIES FROM ONE SIGNIFICANT DEPARTMENT OVER TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
I, YOU, UH, APPLIED, UH, PREVIOUSLY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSIONER COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION.
IS IT, AM I CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
AND SO I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? WELL, IT KIND OF COMES AS SOMEONE, UH, FOR ME, SOMEONE WHO HAS ALWAYS SERVED THE, UH, THE COMMUNITIES I'VE LIVED IN, UM, EVER SINCE I WAS A KID.
I'VE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERED AND ALWAYS PROVIDED SERVICE TO ANY COMMUNITY THAT I LIVED IN.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE CITY OF LA HARBOR FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS NOW.
AND UNFORTUNATELY DURING THAT TIME I WAS SPENDING THE ENTIRE TIME OBTAINING MY AA MA UH, BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE WITHIN A THREE AND A HALF YEAR PERIOD.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT LITERALLY THREE WEEKS AGO.
AND I, UM, A WEEK AFTER I ACTUALLY ACHIEVED THAT, THAT IS WHEN YOU STARTED SEEING ME ATTENDING DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UM, BUT GOING OVER THE OVERALL HISTORY OF JUST WHO I AM AS A PERSON PROVIDING SERVICE, UM, I VOLUNTEERED AT LIBRARIES SINCE I WAS SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS OLD DOING PUPPET SHOWS AND MENTORING.
UM, I'VE ALSO ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY, UM, ORGANIZING.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS WAS THE INITIATIVE WINS VERSUS STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH IN WHICH I WAS A PART OF 118 STUDENT, UM, LAWSUIT WHERE WE SUED THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR BETTER SCHOOL CONDITIONS FOR LOS ANGELES AREAS AND ALL OF CALIFORNIA.
AND WE ACTUALLY PREVAILED IN THAT.
UM, I'VE ALSO VOLUNTEERED AT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE VITA PROGRAM, UH, THROUGH LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S A PROGRAM WHERE WE FOCUS ON, UM, TARGETING, UM, AT-RISK YOUTH, UH, YOUTH THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, IN SOME TYPE OF JUVENILE HALL FACILITY.
AND AS YOU ARE, YOU'RE AWARE, MS. ESPINOSA, UH, IN 2016, YOU MADE REFERENCE TO YOUR OWN INITIATIVES OF COMBATING THINGS LIKE GANG VIOLENCE AND JUVENILE VI UH, JUVENILE CRIMES.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE BOTH SHARE.
UM, SINCE THEN I'VE ALWAYS AGAIN VOLUNTEERED, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN I FELT LIKE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS A BIT WHERE I FELT LIKE I OUTGROWN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND AS YOU ALREADY WOULD ALREADY AWARE, I'M A DEPUTY SHERIFF OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
I EXPANDED THE WAYS IN WHICH I COULD PROVIDE SERVICE TO COMMUNITIES BY STARTING MY OWN BUSINESS
AND SO CURRENTLY WITH THIS BUSINESS RUNNING FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, UM, SERVING WELL OVER 80 DIFFERENT CITIES AND THERE'S ONLY A 343 CITIES IN CALIFORNIA AND I SERVICE ABOUT 80 OF THOSE.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY WALKED INTO ABOUT A HUNDRED CITY COUNCILS CHAMBERS.
UM, I AM EXPANDING THE WAY IN WHICH I PROVIDE SERVICE AND NOW IT'S COME HERE AND I BELIEVE IT'S MY TURN TO BE ABLE TO BE OF SERVICE IN THE CITY OF LA HARBA BRINGING ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE AND ALL THOSE RESOURCES PLUS MORE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN MY RESUME, UH, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, NOT JUST FOR, UM, THE, THE CITY ITSELF AS A WHOLE, THE CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO ITS RESIDENTS, WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT.
WELL, LA HARBOR IS KNOWN AS A CARING COMMUNITY.
YOU SHARED WITH ME ALL YOUR VOLUNTEERISM THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY OR LA AND ORANGE.
UH, COULD YOU PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE RECENT PAST OR EITHER VOLUNTEERED OR BE INVOLVED, UH, WITH THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I JUST JOINED THE LIONS CLUB, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UH, AGAIN, A WEEK AFTER I GOT DONE MY, WITH MY MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM.
UM, AS YOU ARE PROBABLY, WE'VE SEEN EACH OTHER SEVERAL TIMES.
I PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, A COUPLE OF GRAND OPENINGS, UM, AND NOT JUST ACTUALLY GOING TO THE GRAND OPENING AND BEING A PART OF THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, BUT ACTUALLY SPENDING TIME WITH THE OWNERS.
UM, AND, AND JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHY THEY STARTED THEIR BUSINESS.
WHAT IS THE CULTURE BEHIND THEIR BUSINESS? AND, AND WHEN I SAY CULTURE, I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE ETHNIC CULTURE, BUT I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION OR THE BUSINESS ITSELF.
UM, I'VE SPENT TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT WITH THAT.
WE JUST HAD A, UH, A, A, A COMPANY OR A BUSINESS THAT JUST OPENED JUST RECENTLY, RENEE'S TIRE, UM, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WITHIN THE HEART OF, UM, LAHABRA.
IT'S IN OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.
AND, UH, THIS IS SOMEONE, THIS IS A BUSINESS THAT ACTUALLY BY COINCIDENCE, I KNEW THE OWNER, UH, BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO LAHABRA.
SO I WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY WHEN THEY CAME.
AND, UH, I DO SPEND SOME TIME OVER THERE JUST CHECKING IN, SEEING HOW THE BUSINESS IS GOING, AND JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAYOR MADANO, MR. LAMPKIN, UH, AS I'VE SAID TO ALL OF THE, UH, THE APPLICANTS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.
UH, FOR, UH, FOR, UH, APPLYING, UH, FOR THE, UH, VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE ALSO INTERVIEWED, UH, FOR THE, UH, VACANCIES THAT WERE ON, UH, PLANNING, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, I BELIEVE, MAYBE EVEN COMMUNITY SERVICES.
UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND, UH, AND, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, YOUR, UH, YOUR TIME HERE TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY MUCH.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
[02:50:01]
18 YEARS SWORN.UH, BUT ABOUT 23 YEARS OF SERVICE WORKING IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, BOTH AS A, A SWORN RESERVE, UM, UH, AS WELL AS A, A, A NON-SWORN RIGHT.
AS A CADET, AS A SHERIFF EXPLORER, I'VE HAD ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT UNIFORMS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MY CAREER.
WHERE DID YOU DO YOUR PATROL TIME? UM, PART OF THAT WAS AT COMPTON SHERIFF'S STATION.
WHAT YEARS? I BELIEVE IT WAS, LET'S SEE, LET'S GO BACK.
UH, SO AS A RESERVE DEPUTY AROUND 20 2006 THROUGH 2007, AND THEN AGAIN, UM, AND FROM 2011 TO PARTIALLY 2012.
UM, AND YOU DID THE VIDA PROGRAM AS WELL? YES, SIR.
AS A VOLUNTEER OR AS A, UH, PAID, UH, PAID, UH, SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, BOTH.
AS AN EXPLORER AND AS A PAID DEPUTY SHERIFF.
AND THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED ABOUT MY OTHER PLACES I'VE WORKED ON.
I'VE ALSO WORKED TRANSIT SERVICES, UH, BUREAU, TSB, UM, TSB.
AND THE REASON WHY I SHARE THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN, IN LA HARE IS THE UNION PACIFIC, UH, RIGHT OF WAY WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF HOMELESSNESS AND LOT OF, A LOT OF TRANSIENTS.
UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF, UM, GRAFFITI, UH, VANDALISM, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS BEING LEFT IN, IN THE, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOUR NARCOTICS AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF DRUGS, UM, OCCUR, UM, OCCURRING WITHIN THAT RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ACTUALLY DEALT WITH FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, WORKING TRANSIT, UM, WITH, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE AREA THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, AS THE, WHAT WE CALL THE OVERLAP, UM, DEPUTY IN THAT AREA.
AND THESE, WHAT AREA WAS THAT? SO MY AREA COVERED ALL OF THE SOUTH BAY AREA, UM, OF, OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BUT ALSO WILMINGTON, UH, HALF OF LINWOOD, HALF OF COMPTON PARTS OF LAPD FROM 77TH DIVISION TO SOUTHEAST DIVISION.
THE BLUE LINE, THE RED LINE, THE BLUE LINE, THE RED, UH, NOT, NOT THE, NOT THE RED LINE, BUT THE BLUE LINE, THE GREEN LINE.
AND THEN, BUT MY PRIMARY, UH, ROLE WAS TO ADDRESS THE, UM, THE, THE METRO AREAS, UM, GOING INTO LONG BEACH, BUT ALSO ALL OF THE BUS SYSTEM FROM THE CITY OF SAN PEDRO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, SLAUSON NAV, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, OR SLAUSON SLAUSON NAV, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA IN, UH, LAD'S AREA? YES.
SLAUSON AND CENTRAL, I THINK IT IS.
KNOW THE AREA VERY WELL, WORK THERE EVERY DAY.
UH, SO LET ME GET IN, UH, LET ME GET INTO IT REAL QUICK.
UH, SO, UH, AFTER, UH, AFTER THESE INTERVIEWS, UH, WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING STARTING AT SIX 30.
UH, BY CHANCE, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO REVIEW THAT CITY COUNCIL AGENDA? I HAVE NOT.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T, UH, IN, IN, IN MANY WAYS.
I, I'M, I'M A VERY BUSY PERSON.
I, I'VE, I'VE BEEN PROVIDING SERVICE THAT'S OKAY.
NO, NO, NO WORRIES, NO WORRIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE ITEM OF NOTE, AND THERE ARE MANY, OF COURSE, ON EVERY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, ONE THAT, UH, THAT DREW MY INTEREST, SO TO SPEAK, UH, WAS THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR THE, UH, CITY OF LAHABRA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 20 24, 20 25.
UH, SPECIFICALLY SOME ITEMS IN THERE AND UNDERSTAND YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, THAT'S FINE.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS IN REFERENCE TO IT TO A DEGREE AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, IT ADDRESSES, UH, LOCAL CONTROL, UH, AND THE, UH, CITY'S, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL CONTROL, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AND THE ISSUES THAT COME UP WITHIN THE CITY AS OPPOSED TO, OR AS THEY APPLY TO, UH, TO STATE GOVERNMENT AND, UH, LOCALLY? WELL, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY SHORT ANSWER.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT COUNTY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT STATE, THEY'RE NOT IN TUNE WITH WHAT THE RESIDENTS NEED AND WHAT THEIR DESIRES ARE.
SO I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE LOCAL CONTROL TO ITS CITY GOVERNMENTS, UH, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE HEARING FROM THE, UM, FROM THE RESIDENTS.
AND AS YOU SAW IN MY, IN MY RESUME, OR NOT RESUME, BUT UM, IN MY ESSAY, UM, YOU KNOW, MY WHOLE, I, MY WHOLE GOAL HERE IS TO NOT ONLY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT ALSO TO GIVE THEM A VOICE.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE GIVE THEM VOICE, AND BY GIVING 'EM A VOICE, WE'RE EXERCISING NEUTRALITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THOSE VOICES ARE GONNA VARY.
AND WHEN WE EXERCISE THAT NEUTRALITY, WE'RE ALSO, UM, ESSENTIALLY BUILDING TRUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AS YOU'RE PROBABLY ALREADY AWARE, UM, IN THE SEVERAL STUDIES THAT THE CITY HAS DONE, I BELIEVE THE OTHER ONE, THE LAST ONE WAS THROUGH FM THREE, THEY DID A SET STUDY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE SATISFACTION OF NOT JUST THE CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES.
AND WE'VE SEEN A BIT OF A DECLINE IN PEOPLE TRUSTING ITS CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN REBUILD THAT TRUST OR REGAIN THAT TRUST, AND IT'S NOT BY MUCH, IT'S NOT A SHARP DECLINE, BUT ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN INCREASE OR BUILD THAT TRUST IS TO HAVE EVERYTHING LOCAL.
TO HAVE THEM BE ABLE TO COME AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND THEIR CONCERNS.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND BY DOING THAT, WE'RE BUILDING THAT TRUST WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO, UH, YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ITEM, UH, BUT, UH, THE CITY ALSO HAS A, UH, LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM WHEN IT COMES TO AB 1 0 9 AND REALIGNMENT.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH AB 1 0 9? I AM
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST GIVE A, A QUICK SYNOPSIS.
I, I TRY NOT TO MIX 'EM UP, BUT I'M, I'M
[02:55:01]
VERY FAMILIAR.I TRY TO NOT TO MIX UP ALL THESE SENATE BILLS AND CEILING BILLS THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH.
SO I BELIEVE, UM, THIS IS NOT THE, UH, SENATE, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY AB 1 0 9? SO IT'S THE REALIGNMENT OF, UH, PEOPLE IN STATE PRISONS SERVING TIME IN THE COUNTY JAILS.
IS, IS, IS THAT OKAY? THAT'S RIGHT.
I TRY NOT TO GET THEM ALL MIXED UP, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF 'EM.
I BELIEVE MS. ESPINO, YOU EVEN BROUGHT THIS UP BACK IN 2018.
UM, SO MY THOUGHTS OF THAT IS, IS THAT WE SEE WHAT'S OCCURRING WHEN WE ALLOW, UM, VIOLENT CRIMINALS, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE HABITUAL CRIMINALS, UH, TO BE RELEASED BACK OUT INTO PUBLIC WITH THE HOPE, NOT THE, UM, THE, THE BELIEF, BUT ACTUALLY THE HOPE THAT, UM, THEY ARE GOING TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A MANNER THAT IS, UH, IN A STANDARD THAT'S ACCEPTABLE BY, BY THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOME CASES THAT DOES HAPPEN.
UM, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE RECIDIVISM RATE RIGHT NOW IN CALIFORNIA IS SOMEWHERE AROUND EIGHT OR, UH, SEVEN OR EIGHT TO, UH, OUT OF EVERY 10 PEOPLE RETURNING BACK TO INCARCERATION, THERE'S A TWO-PART APPROACH TO THAT.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING PENALIZED FOR THE CRIMES THAT THEY COMMIT, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL BASED DISCIPLINE TO GET THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE TO, TO REACCLIMATE TO THE COMMUNITY.
PART OF THE REASON WHY PEOPLE COMMIT CRIMES, AND I KNOW THIS AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN POVERTY IN SOUTH LA DURING THE LA RIOTS, I LIVED A BLOCK AWAY FROM FLORENCE AND NORMANDY, THE EPICENTER OF LA RIOTS.
PART OF WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO, UM, UH, RETURN TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY KNOW.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT SHOWING A LITTLE BIT OF EMPATHY, SHOWING A LITTLE BIT OF CARE.
UM, WE DO THAT BY PROVIDING RESOURCES, PART OF EDUCATION, AND PART OF THAT'S EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, UM, TO, TO, TO PEOPLE SO THAT WAY THEY CAN BE A, UM, PRODUCTIVE PERSON IN SOCIETY.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NECESSARILY ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS.
UH, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GET TO MY, UH, TO MY LAST QUESTION.
I'VE ASKED, I'VE ASKED ALL THE APPLICANTS THIS, UH, IT'S A, UH, IT'S A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION, IS ALL IT IS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE, UH, THE SCENARIO AND THEN THE QUESTION.
SO THE CITY OF LA HABRA, UH, WAS GIVEN A ONE-TIME, STATE OR FEDERAL GIFT OF $10 MILLION
THE QUESTION FOR YOU IS THIS, DESCRIBE TO ME YOUR PROCESS OF DETERMINING HOW TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS IN A, IN, IN A QUICK MINUTE OR TWO.
I'M GONNA TRY, BUT I, AND JUST VERY QUICKLY, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THAT LAST QUESTION YOU ASKED.
I I JUST DON'T WANNA JUST TALK ABOUT IT.
I WANNA BE ABOUT IT BECAUSE ONE OF MY JOBS THAT I DID IN LA COUNTY AS A A, UH, WORKING IN CUSTODY WAS I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL DEPUTIES THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDED EDUCATION TO INMATES, UH, WHILE, WHILE THEY WERE THERE, UM, IN, IN AN EDUCATION PROGRAM.
I HATE TO SAY THIS, MR. LAMPKIN, BUT WE'RE ALREADY 11 SECONDS OVER, SO YOU GOTTA GET TO THAT QUESTION.
SO THE FIRST THING IS WE TALK TO THE PEOPLE.
WE ASK THEM WHAT, WHAT WE SURVEY THEM, FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR, WHAT ARE SOME OF THEIR PRIORITIES, AND THEN WE EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THE CITY HAS RECOGNIZED AS A CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, NOW IT'S EASY TO SAY, WE JUST PUT THAT WHOLE THING TOWARDS FIRE SERVICE, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER AREAS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE S SPILLWAYS THAT, UH, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO BEEF UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN ADDITION TO, TO GETTING GRANTS ON TOP OF THE 10 MILLION.
MR. LAMPKIN, NOTHING IS QUITE SO NOBLE AS, UH, AN, AN EFFORT AT PUBLIC SERVICE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SACRIFICE BEING HERE TODAY AND PARTICIPATING WITH US.
WE VERY MUCH RESPECT YOUR DESIRE TO, TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I'M GONNA BE SERVING THIS COMMUNITY NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE ANYBODY OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AT THIS TIME TO COME UP AND TESTIFY IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THAT PORTION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND NOW THAT WE HAVE CONCLUDED ALL INTERVIEWS, I WILL NOW SAY THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED TO THE REGULAR MEETING AT SIX 30 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER.