* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] 6:30 PM [ CALL TO ORDER: Council Chamber INVOCATION: City Attorney Collins PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Councilmember Nigsarian ROLL CALL: Mayor Espinoza Mayor Pro Tem Medrano Councilmember Gomez Councilmember Nigsarian Councilmember Lampkin] AND THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. THE INVOCATION WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY ATTORNEY COLLINS, FOLLOWED BY THE FLAG SALUTE. LED BY AIDEN. AIDEN. RIGHT. AIDEN. SAY YOUR NAME. AIDEN. UH, YOUR NAME. JUST SAY YOUR NAME. YES. MY NAME IS AIDEN. IF YOU WOULD ALL PLEASE STAND, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU THAT. DEAR GOD, WE HUMBLY PRAY THAT YOU'LL GRANT WISDOM TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS IT CONSIDERS CITY BUSINESS SET FORTH IN THE MEETING AGENDA TONIGHT. WE ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE THE CITY 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 AND ITS DECISION MAKING TONIGHT SO THAT WE MAY ACT PRUDENTLY AND RESPONSIBLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE LAHABRA COMMUNITY. AMEN. AMEN. FACE OUR NATION'S FLAG AND REPEAT AFTER ME. AYE. I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, AIDEN. AY AIDEN, WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU FROM? JORDAN. JORDAN. JORDAN. JORDAN. THANK YOU. JORDAN ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AIDEN. JAYDEN? UH, WE WILL NOT WILL THE CITY CLERK? CLERK PLEASE? CALL ROLL NOW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER. LAMBKIN. . THERE IS A BUT IT'S NOT WORKING HERE. ? OH, IT IS. THERE'S A DELAY IN IT TURNING FROM RED TO GREEN, BUT IT'S STILL ON. OKAY. OH, IT STILL SAYS RED, BUT I HERE MYSELF, SO YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER LAMBKIN IS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. NICK. IAN HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ. HERE. MAYOR PRO. TEM MADANO. HERE. MAYOR ESPINOZA. HERE. ALL IN ATTENDANCE. THANK YOU. UH, WERE THERE ANY, UH, CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO, MA'AM. MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL NOW PROCEED [1. PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION TO THE LOWELL JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS WHO HAD PERFECT TEST SCORES ON THE 2025 CALIFORNIA ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND PROGRESS] TO PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS, WHICH I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY YOU ARE ALL HERE. SO LET, UH, LET MY COUNSELS ON THE COLLEAGUE. PLEASE JOIN ME AT THE, WELL. CAN YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT? MM-HMM . SORRY ABOUT THAT. CONFUSION DOWN. IT'S ACTUALLY STILL RED, BUT I THINK IT'S STILL ON. MINE'S DOING THE SAME THING. IT'S THE RAIN. I THINK SO. BLAME IT ON THE RAIN. NO. KENYA TONIGHT. NO, I HAVE THE BEST. HELLO? HELLO? HELLO? IS IT ON? IT PROBABLY IS. UH, IT, I THINK IT IS. LET'S TRY ANOTHER ONE. ALL RIGHT. TEST, TEST. ONE, TWO. TEST, TEST. OKAY. UH, WE WILL NOW CALL UP AND INVITE THE LO JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, RHONDA OVERBY, TO THE PODIUM. WE'LL BE PROVIDING THE CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION TO THE LAW JOINT SCHOOL UNIFIED STUDENTS. THANK YOU. PLEASURE TO MEET YOU. IT IS FANTASTIC. CONGRATULATIONS. WELCOME. COME ON BOARD. THANK YOU. SO I WILL START CALLING THE STUDENTS. SO WE HAVE 25 STUDENTS WITH PERFECT SCORES ON THEIR TEST. THAT IS A HUGE OH, I WILL, I WILL CALL THE NAMES, UM, OF THEM AND LET YOU KNOW. AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO THAT I'LL SAVE TO THE END, AND, UM, WHO ACTUALLY GOT A PERFECT SCORE IN BOTH ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH. WOW. OF THOSE 25. SO TWO PERFECT SCORES. SO WE'LL CALL OUR STUDENTS AND HAVE THEM COME UP. AND THEN WE WILL STAND AROUND HERE. YOU'LL GET YOUR CERTIFICATE, AND THEN WE WILL, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A PICTURE AT THE END. UM, SO IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU WANNA COME UP, IF YOU'RE A PARENT AND YOU WANNA COME UP AT THE END JUST TO KIND OF GRAB A PHOTO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO. OKAY. SO FIRST WE HAVE LAUREN VASQUEZ. CONGRATULATIONS. STAY UP HERE. LAUREN, TYLER THORNTON. MAYA RAY, KYLE MOORE. [00:05:02] ANTHONY LEE. ANTHONY. CONGRATULATIONS. ELI HAQUEZ. COLLIE. ENGLISH. CALI ENGLISH. I TRY . LUCAS FONG. ERIC CHO. ALEXIS BATEMAN. ALRIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRAT. ANNA. HAPPY BIRTHDAY . CURTIS BECK. CURTIS BECK. YOU GUYS HEAR ME? IS IT ON? OKAY. MAYA ROWEL. AIDEN ROBLES. ISABELLE RENTERIA. PERLA. MARIA MONTOYA. TRINIDAD. CLARISSA MERA. JASON HOPPY. MIA HERNANDEZ. I JUST HAVE A, THIS END. GO THIS WAY. KEN'S DEFOREST. KENZIE. KENZIE DEFOREST. IT MIGHT BE SPELLED WRONG ON HERE. IF IT IS, WE'LL FIX IT, SWEETIE. OKAY. MILA CHAVEZ. ISABELLE CASTILLO. MAYA BRUCKNER. AUSTIN BOLZANO. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN OUR TWO, UH, MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS. AVA MAREZ. AND OUR LAST ONE. MICHELLE JUNG. ALL RIGHT. STUDENTS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE YOU KIND OF BUNCH IN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. IF YOU'RE TALLER, COME TOWARDS THE BACK. YOU GUYS CAN COME UP ON THE STEP. YOU HAVE TO SQUAT A LITTLE BIT. IF YOU NEED TO GET IN FRONT, KIND OF GO ON YOUR KNEES OR CLOSET. THAT WAY YOU'LL BE IN THE PICTURE. GET UNDER JIM . I WILL. CHEESE UHOH. UH, PROP SOME HANDS OUT. YEAH. PARENTS IN THE BACK. WE'LL WAIT FOR YOU. DON'T WORRY. YOU CAN'T GET ONE RIGHT NOW. WE'LL WAIT FOR YOU'RE GOOD. EVERYBODY GET THEIR PICTURES? WE HAVE TIME. MICHAEL, CONGRATULATIONS. [00:10:10] LOTS. MAYBE I SHOULD JOIN YOU. GET THIS HAND TIGHTER OR, ALL RIGHT. NICE JOB, BOYS AND GIRLS. WAY TO GO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. RON. UHHUH. ? YES. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. MS. TAKIS IS BACK HERE AS WELL. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. LET'S GIVE A STANDING NOTE FOR MS. TKIS. YES. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO, UH, MS. OVERBY AS WELL. I BEING APPOINTED THE SUPERINTENDENT. AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO LEAVE NOW, YOU CAN LEAVE NOW BEFORE WE START THE BUSINESS OF, OF THE EVENING. HI, MS. JAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. JACOBSON. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME HAVE A GOOD NIGHT RAINING THIS BECAUSE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU? THANKS FOR COMING. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT OVER THERE. AND AIDEN, WHEREVER YOU ARE. AIDEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING US OUT TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOU. TAKE CARE, GUYS. THREE'S RAINING PRETTY GOOD A MINUTE AGO. BYE. ILL YOU LATER. OKAY. YOU'RE BEHIND YOU. OH, PLEASE DON'T. WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU GUYS FROM? HABRA. LAHABRA. ALL. WE GOT SOME, WE GOT SOME FOOTBALL PLAYERS HERE. HUH? WHAT A GAME THE OTHER DAY I SAW ONLINE. APPRECIATE IT. I WAS AT YOUR DINNER LAST WEEK. OH YEAH. YOU, I, OKAY, GET IN RESPECTFUL, MAN. OH, HEY. DO YOU GUYS NEED YOUR PAPER SIGNED? UH, I THINK SO. I MEAN, YEAH, I SIGNED. LET'S GET 'EM SIGNED. COME ON, LET'S GET 'EM SIGNED. OH YEAH, YOU SIGNED MY SIGNATURE IS WORTH $2 ON OFFER UP, BY THE WAY. TWO GUYS. . THERE YOU GO. YOU GO. OF COURSE. VERY WELCOME. VERY WELCOME. THIS MINISTRY. COME ON UP. LOOK FOR YOU. GOOD. YOU GUYS READY FOR THOUSAND OAKS? YOU GUYS NEED, YOU GUYS NEED MORE, YOU GUYS? THERE WE GO. ACT LIKE WHAT? HE LIKE, LIKE A BENCH OR WHAT WAS ? NO. OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OH, YOU NEED, YOU WANT ALL OF THEM ON THE OTHER HAND MAKING MONEY, MAN. OKAY. THERE YOU GO. RIGHT. NO, NOW IT'S, LOOK. HEY, HEY, HEY. THAT'S, YOU GOT ROSE DISTINCTION. MAKE SURE YOU FRAME THAT. FRAME IT. I'M TELLING I DON'T HAVE ANY EXTRAS. BLANK PIECE OF PAPER. OH, HI. [00:15:01] DO YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO SIGN OFF ON SOME DAY? AND I WANNA DO THAT. OKAY. YOU GOT IT. HI THERE. YOU NEED SOMETHING? YOU NEED A SIGNATURE? WHAT YOU NEED, WHAT YOU NEED? OH. ALRIGHT. HANG ON. LET STAND UP. I'VE DONE. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. HOW YOU GUYS WANNA GET A PICTURE? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GO HOME. HEY GUYS, I JUST HAD MY 40 YEAR CLASS FREEDOM BAJA HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. HI. CAN I HAND THIS TO YOU? THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL WAIT UNTIL, OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. YOU GOT STEP ON THE CHAIRS? ONE MORE. THANK YOU. DO YOU MIND IF GOES FIRST ON THE SPEAKERS? CAN I GIVE YOU ONLY BECAUSE I NEED TO RUN TO A CHILD'S BASKETBALL GAME. THERE YOU GO. RG. YES. OKAY. IS THAT A FLIP PHONE? HEY, I WOULDN'T GIVE DUDE, HE IS CARRYING COLD RIGHT NOW. NO, I WOULDN'T GET MY KID OUT . THAT THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S TRUE. ALRIGHT. YEAH, I'M GOOD AT IT. RIGHT. WE WILL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. MAYOR, ARE YOU READY? YES. OKAY. SO HOW DID YOU GET THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS. WHEN ADDRESSING THE LA HABRA CITY COUNCIL, PLEASE COMPLETE A SPEAKER'S CARD BEFORE LEAVING THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT SHALL BE RECEIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOVERNING BODY MEETING, 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. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD WISH TO SPEAK DURING THIS PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING? IF SO, PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND PROVIDE US WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. THIS IS FOR ANY ITEM NOT ON OUR AGENDA, NOT ON, SO, OKAY. I BELIEVE THERE IS NO ONE, ARE THERE NO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY. WE WILL NOW [ CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Bill 1439 ("SB 1439") amended Government Code Section 84308 to expand the regulation of campaign contributions in excess of $500 from donors involved in certain matters before the legislative body. If the donor has a matter pending before the agency, and the official received a campaign contribution from the donor in excess of $500 in the prior 12 months, the official must publicly disclose the contribution and cannot in any way participate in the decision of the matter. The donor also has a duty to disclose the contribution on the record. In the 12 months following the decision, a local official cannot receive campaign contributions in excess of $500 from a donor with an economic interest in the governmental decision. Public officials are encouraged to closely track all campaign contributions which collectively exceed $500 in any 12-month period from any single source. All matters on Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion unless a Councilmember, City staff member, or member of the audience requests separate action or removal of an item. Removed items will be considered following the Consent Calendar portion of this agenda. Public comment shall be limited to three (3) minutes per individual, with a total time limit of 30 minutes per item that has been removed for separate discussion, unless otherwise modified by the Mayor. Speaking time may not be granted and/or loaned to another individual for purposes of extending available speaking time, and comments must be kept brief, non-repetitive, and professional in nature. ] PROCEED TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL MATTERS ON CONSENT CALENDAR ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY STAFF MEMBER OR MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE REQUEST SEPARATE ACTION OR REMOVAL OF AN ITEM REMOVED. ITEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOLLOWING THE CONSENT CALENDAR PORTION OF THIS AGENDA. PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER INDIVIDUAL WITH A TOTAL TIME LIMIT OF 30 MINUTES PER ITEM THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION, UNLESS OTHERWISE, BOTTOM MODIFIED BY THE MAYOR 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 THE CONSENT CALENDAR INCLUDES CITY COUNCIL ITEMS ONE THROUGH SEVEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANY ITEM THAT STAFF WOULD WISH REMOVED? NO. MADAM MAYOR, ANY ITEM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD WISH REMOVED? NO. MADAM MAYOR ALL. IS THERE ANY ITEM THAT THE AUDIENCE WOULD WISH REMOVED? NO. MADAM MAYOR. GOOD JOB. LOOK AT THAT. YEAH, WE CALL THAT FOR PARTICIPATION. WE THEN I'LL I WILL CALL PARTICIPATING LOCAL COMPANY ACTION. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR. MADAM MAYOR. THERE SECOND. I'LL, I'LL SECOND. BUT THE , I'M SORRY. WAS THAT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LAMBKIN? YES. THANK YOU. [00:20:03] MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. MOHA HIGH SCHOOL VOTED YES. RIGHT, . THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS AT THIS TIME. WE WILL NOW PROCEED [1. CONSIDER NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS That the City Council receive and file this report and provide direction to staff.] TO CONSIDERATION ITEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THERE IS ONE CONSIDERATION ITEM ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. ANY MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE MAY REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL ON ANY CONSIDERATION ITEM PRIOR TO THE LAHABRA CITY COUNCIL TAKING A FINAL VOTE ON THE ITEM. PUBLIC COMMENTS 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 CONSIDERATION ITEM IS ENTITLED CONSIDER NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE A STAFF REPORT? WE DO. MADAM MAYOR. UM, ON THE, AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 6TH, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING, UH, MR. ANDREW G GREGSON, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MADE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL, UH, WITH A REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF LAHABRA AND THE NORTH ORANGE, UH, COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IN MR. GREGSON PROPOSAL, UH, IT SUGGESTED THAT THE CITY COULD JOIN AS A MEMBER OF THE, UH, NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER IN A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW CERTAIN ELIGIBLE AND LICENSED SMALL BUSINESSES IN LAW HOPPER TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER AT NO DIRECT COST TO THOSE BUSINESSES. LATER IN THE MEETING, DURING THE COUNCIL COMMENTS PORTION OF THE MEETING, COUNCIL MEMBER ERIAN MADE A MOTION THAT STAFF MEET WITH THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER REPRESENTATIVES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROPOSAL AND RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A REPORT ON THE FINDINGS OF THAT MEETING, MAYOR PROTE MADANO SECONDED THAT REQUEST AND THIS REPORT TONIGHT IS A RESULT OF THAT MEETING. SO, AS DIRECTED BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MET WITH MR. GREGSON AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH TO OSTENSIBLY LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR PROPOSAL OF WHAT THEY WERE, UM, UH, OUTLINING FOR THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION WITH THE CHAMBER. UM, WE FOUND OUT DURING THAT MEETING THAT THE CHAMBER OPERATES AS A 5 0 1 C SIX NONPROFIT. UM, THEY WORK ON, UH, PROVIDING BUSINESS ADVOCACY THROUGH NETWORKING AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS. UM, THE CHAMBER WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED EVIDENTLY IN 1893 AS THE ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER, AND THEN IN 1920 TURNED INTO THE FULLERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BEFORE BO BECOMING THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER IN 2014. THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER REPRESENTS BUSINESSES IN FOUR CITIES. THE CITY OF BUENA PARK, FULLERTON, LA PALM, AND STANTON. MR. GREGSON DURING THE MEETING PRESENTED, UH, WHAT WAS LABELED AS A SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROPOSAL. THAT PROPOSAL HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA REPORT TONIGHT. IN ITS ENTIRETY, THE PROPOSAL ENVISIONED THE CITY ENTERING INTO A FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER IN WHICH THE CITY WOULD PAY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, AND THAT THAT PAYMENT WOULD THEN ALLOW ELIGIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES TO BECOME MEMBERS WITHIN THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER. BASED ON THE DATA THAT MR. GREGSON, UM, INDICATED BY HIS DATA, THERE WAS OVER 2000 SMALL BUSINESSES CURRENTLY OPERATING IN THE CITY OF LAHABRA. OUR RECORDS THROUGH THE BUSINESS LICENSING DIVISION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT INDICATE CLOSER TO 1700 BUSINESSES EXCLUDING HOME OCCUPANCY PERMITTED BUSINESSES. SO THERE IS A SLIGHT DISCREPANCY IN THE, IN THE, UM, TOTAL NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR FILES, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UM, UH, GO AND LOOK TO, UH, FIGURE OUT THE DISCREPANCY LATER ON IF WE GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO DO SO. SO DEPENDING ON, RIGHT, SO DEPENDING ON THE DIRECTION PROVIDED BY CITY COUNCIL, WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THAT DISCREPANCY LATER IN THE PROPOSAL. IN THE DISCUSSION WITH MR. GREGSON, HE, UM, ALSO PROVIDED WE, WE ASKED MR. GREGSON IF HE HAD A SAMPLE AGREEMENT FOR THE WAY THIS PROGRAM WOULD OPERATE. UM, HE WAS ABLE TO SEND US AN AGREEMENT A FEW DAYS LATER THAT WAS ALSO ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT TONIGHT. UM, WE HAVE NOT STAFF AND THE, OUR CITY'S LEGAL COUNSEL HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THAT AGREEMENT IN ANY, UM, DEPTH YET. UH, PENDING COUNCIL DIRECTION TONIGHT ON WHAT, WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. GREGSON. THE COST PROPOSAL THAT HE OUTLINED WOULD, UM, IN, WOULD INVOLVE THE CITY PAYING AN INITIAL ONE-TIME ONBOARDING AND MARKETING FEE OF BETWEEN 20 AND $40,000 TO ESTABLISH THE PROGRAM, UH, AND BRING ON THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT WOULD, UH, NEED TO BE UPLOADED INTO THEIR, INTO THEIR SYSTEM. UH, THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US SUBSEQUENTLY, UH, SAID THAT THAT COST WOULD BE AT LEAST $30,000, UH, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES. UH, FURTHERMORE, [00:25:01] THE WAY THE COST STRUCTURE FOR THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM WOULD WORK IS THAT THE CITY WOULD PAY $100 PER ELIGIBLE LICENSED SMALL BUSINESS THAT WOULD BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM. AND DURING THE MEETING WITH MR. GREGSON AND, AND HIS, UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, IT WAS INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A 1000 BUSINESS MINIMUM OR A $100,000 A YEAR MINIMUM FEE THAT WOULD, UM, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE PAID, UH, BY THE CITY. BUT THAT AMOUNT COULD BE HIGHER IF THERE WERE MORE THAN A THOUSAND BUSINESSES ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. I WOULD NOTE THAT IN THE PROPOSED DRAFT AGREEMENT, THE THE $100,000 MINIMUM BUSINESS REQUIREMENT WAS NOT SPECIFIED, BUT THERE WAS INDICATION IN THERE ABOUT THE $100 PER BUSINESS, UH, REQUIREMENT. SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT MR. GREGSON PROVIDED TO US, UH, STAFF ESTIMATED THE COST FOR THE CITY'S FIRST YEAR OF THIS PROPOSED AGREEMENT. SHOULD COUNSEL DIRECT US TO MOVE FORWARD WOULD BE AT LEAST 120 TO $130,000, BUT COULD BE AS HIGH AS $247,000, DEPENDING ON EXACTLY HOW MANY ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED AND ENROLLED BY THE CITY TO BE IN THIS PROGRAM. SHOULD THE CITY CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. UM, HOWEVER, IN IN NO, IN OTHER, IN ANY CASE, THE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THE CITY WOULD BE OBLIGATED TO WOULD BE $100,000 PER YEAR. AND IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE EVEN IF THERE WERE LESS THAN A THOUSAND BUSINESSES ENROLLED. SO THAT $100,000 MINIMUM WOULD BE A HARD MINIMUM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT IN THE AGREEMENT. WE'D HAVE TO, UH, GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT LATER IF WE ARE DIRECTED TO DO SO. SO THEN WE STARTED TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM ITSELF. UM, WE ASKED HOW MANY OTHER CITIES THAT CURRENTLY THAT ARE IN THE NORTH COUNTY REGION HAVE ENROLLED IN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF PROGRAM. AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT IS RELATIVELY NEW, AND THAT IF THE CITY AGREED TO JOIN, WE WOULD LIKELY BE THE FIRST CITY TO BE IN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF PROGRAM AND COST STRUCTURE. UM, MUCH OF THE NEXT PART OF THE MEETING DIS, UH, WAS INVOLVED WITH MR. GREGSON KIND OF EXPLAINING WHAT THE BENEFIT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY WOULD BE BY JOINING THE CITY. JOINING INTO THIS PROGRAM. UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UH, LACK OF MANY SMALL BUSINESSES HAVING A EFFECTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA PRESENCE AND HOW THAT NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER COULD REALLY FILL THE GAP IN THAT, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT SOCIAL MEDIA OR ONLINE PRESENCE THAT MANY BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE WELL DEVELOPED. AND, UH, HE DESCRIBED A LOT OF THE BUSINESS ADVOCACY NETWORK OPPORTUNITIES, WEB WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT THAT NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER, UM, DOES CURRENTLY FOR MANY OF THEIR MEMBERS. AND ANY NEW MEMBERS COMING IN THROUGH THE, UH, CITY'S PARTICIPATION WOULD BENEFIT FROM THOSE PROGRAMS. HE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE, UM, 20 TO 7,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS THAT THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER CURRENTLY INTERACTS WITH 80,000 MONTHLY WEBSITE VISITORS. UH, 91,000, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA VISITS. THEY GET A MONTH. AND THEY ALSO HAVE EIGHT OVER 18,000 PODCAST LIST PODCAST LISTENERS ACROSS 28 STATES AND 23 COUNTRIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE PODCAST THAT THE CHAMBER PUTS OUT. THIS IS INFORMATION WE GATHERED FROM MR. GREGSON AND THROUGH THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY. WE HAVEN'T VERIFIED ANY OF THAT, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE, THAT DATA THAT WAS SHARED WITH US. MR. GREGSON FURTHER INDICATED THAT THE CHAMBER CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 3,500 ACTIVE BUSINESS MEMBERS AND THAT THEIR FULL-TIME STAFF INCLUDE HIMSELF, UH, AND HIS WIFE, UH, WHO IS A, UH, BUSINESS MANAGER AND HANDLES MARKETING, UM, IN, IN ADDITION TO TWO PART-TIME STAFF AND ALSO CONTRACT SUPPORT AS NEEDED. AND THE REASON THE STAFFING WAS OF INTEREST TO US IS, UH, THE QUESTION THAT WE BROUGHT UP AT THE TABLE WAS IF LA HABER WERE TO JOIN AND BRING IN A THOUSAND TO 2000 NEW BUSINESSES, HOW COULD THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER, UM, SCALE UP TO HANDLE THAT MANY NEW BUSINESSES? AND MR. GREGSON INDICATED THAT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THEY WOULD HAVE TO EXPAND, UM, UH, PART-TIME STAFFING AT THE VERY LEAST TO ACCOMMODATE THAT KIND OF VOLUME OF NEW BUSINESSES. AND IN FACT, IN HIS PROPOSAL, HE HAD INDICATED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY STARTED THE PRELIMINARILY, UH, LOOKING INTO WHAT KIND OF STAFFING THEY WOULD HAVE TO BRING IN FROM CONTRACT STAFFING TO JUST DOING THE ONBOARDING OF NEW BUSINESSES IF, IF THE CITY WERE TO PARTICIPATE. UM, WE THEN ASKED HOW THE OTHER FOUR CITIES IN THE NORTH COUNTIES REGION PARTICIPATED WITH THE CHAMBER. UH, MR. GREGSON INDICATED THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROGRAM THAT HE WAS PROPOSING IS NEW AND THAT THERE ARE NO CITIES CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THAT PROGRAM. HOWEVER, THERE ARE TWO CITIES OF THE FOUR THAT ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING A A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THIS. UM, HE ALSO INDICATED THAT, UM, IN THE PAST, UM, THE, THE FOUR CITIES IN THE NORTH COUNTY, UH, CHAMBERS REGION HAVE PARTICIPATED AS WHAT HE CALLED MUNICIPAL ENTITIES. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE DIRECT MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER FOR DUES OF APPROXIMATELY $5,000 PER YEAR. NOW, THIS WOULDN'T INVOLVE ALL THEIR, THEIR LOCAL BUSINESSES OBVIOUSLY GETTING MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS, BUT THE, THE CITIES THEMSELVES WERE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER. UM, CURRENTLY [00:30:01] TWO OF THE FOUR CITIES MAINTAIN THAT MEMBERSHIP. UH, THE CITIES OF FULLERTON AND BUENA PARK ARE CURRENTLY, UH, DUES PAYING MEMBERS. UM, THE CITIES OF LA PALMA AND STANTON ARE NOT, BUT WE DID FIND OUT THAT STANTON IS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER ON OTHER TYPES OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE CHAMBER, BUT LARGELY AT THE $5,000 A YEAR LEVEL OF MEMBERSHIP. SO WE CONTACTED THE CITIES, UH, IN THE NORTH COUNTY REGION. THE STAFF THAT WE SPOKE TO INDICATED THAT THE, UH, NORTH COUNTIES, UH, THEIR, THEIR, UH, EXPERIENCE WITH NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER WAS GENERALLY POSITIVE, TALKED ABOUT NORTH COUNTY CHAMBERS, NETWORKING AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY PROVIDE, AND ALSO THE, UH, UM, INTERACTION WITH THE CITY STAFF. UM, ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER INFORMATION, UH, YOU KNOW, MR. G GREGSON INDICATED THAT WHETHER THE CITY IS A CHAMBER MEMBER OR NOT OF THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER, LAHABRA BUSINESSES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN AS CHAMBER MEMBERS OF NORTH COUNTY TODAY. AND IN THE REPORT WE OUTLINED SEVERAL DIFFERENT PRICING OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN LAHABRA OR ANY OTHER CITIES. IN FACT, MR. GREGSON INDICATED THEY HAVE CHAMBER MEMBERS OF NORTH COUNTY CHAMBERS THAT ARE IN THE CITIES OF LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. SO THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR THE CITY NECESSARILY TO BE A MEMBER FOR THE BUSINESSES IN THAT CITY TO JOIN AS MEMBERS INDEPENDENTLY. SO IN REVIEWING THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, UH, AND CONSIDERING THE, THE, THE, UM, THE NEWNESS OF THE PROGRAM THAT WAS BEING PROPOSED AS STAFF, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL NOT NECESSARILY OPT TO JOIN INTO THIS, UH, NEW PROGRAM, UM, UNDER THEIR, UH, SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROPOSAL, BUT RATHER SEE IF THIS PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED IN ANY OF THE EXISTING FOUR CITIES IN THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER REGION AND EVALUATE HOW THAT PROGRAM THEN IS EMPLOYED, HOW IT, WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE. UH, GET SOME SORT OF REAL WORLD FEEDBACK FROM BOTH THE CITIES AND THE BUSINESSES AND THE PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS. AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL COULD DIRECT STAFF TO GO BACK AND REEVALUATE THE PROGRAM AT A FUTURE DATE AND SEE IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO PARTICIPATE AT THAT TIME SHOULD THE CITY COUNCIL BE INTERESTED IN DOING SO. UM, JIM, JIM, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE ONE THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LEVEL, IS THAT THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? THAT'S CORRECT, YEAH, THAT'S THE STRATEGIC GROWTH PROPOSAL IS, OR ONE 20 OR WHAT I SEE. OKAY. RIGHT. SO THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION AVAILABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UH, MR. GREGSON INDICATED THAT THE CITY COULD, UM, CHOOSE TO JOIN THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER AS A MUNICIPAL ENTITY PARTNER, AND THAT WOULD BE AT THE $5,000 A YEAR LEVEL. AND THAT WOULD, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION AS TO WHAT THAT MEMBERSHIP, UH, LEVEL PROVIDES BECAUSE MOST OF OUR DISCUSSION WAS SURROUNDING THE SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROGRAM. BUT SHOULD COUNCIL GIVE US DIRECTION TO LOOK INTO THAT OPTION AS AN ALTERNATIVE, WE COULD SIT DOWN AND, AND GATHER MORE INFORMATION AND BRING THAT BACK AT A LATER DATE. UH, IN EITHER CASE, THERE IS NO FUNDING BUDGETED THIS YEAR FOR ANY, UH, MEMBERSHIP TO ANY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, AT ANY LEVEL. UM, THE, THE PROGRAM THAT THE, THE NORTH COUNTY CHAMBER HAD PROPOSED AT THE COST LEVELS OF EITHER ANYWHERE FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO TO 240,000 WOULD REQUIRE A BUDGET APPROPRIATION AND LIKELY, UH, ALLOCATION OF GENERAL FUND RESERVES TO PAY FOR IT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF DISCRETIONARY FUNDING IN THE BUDGET. UM, HOWEVER, AT AT THE $5,000 LEVEL, THERE IS FUNDING IN OUR, UH, PER CONTINGENCY BUDGET THAT'S UNALLOCATED RIGHT NOW THAT WE COULD UTILIZE FOR THAT PURPOSE. SHOULD COUNCIL GIVE US THAT DIRECTION, THAT, UM, CONCLUDES MY REPORT AND PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JIM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? NO, MADAM MAYOR. NO, MADAM MAYOR, JUST ONE. UH, JIM, YOU SAID, UH, IF THERE WAS FUNDING THAT WAS FROM WHAT CONTINGENCY FUND YOU SAID? WE HAVE A PROGRAM CONTINGENCY IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGET. IT'S, UH, NOT, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT, BUT IT USUALLY, IT'S USED FOR, LET'S SAY A GRANT OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF AND WE NEED SOME LOCAL MATCH THAT'S A FUND SOURCE WE CAN GO TO QUICKLY TO, TO BENEFIT FROM GETTING A GRANT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WILL NOW OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC TO TESTIFY. IF YOU DO, PLEASE COME UP AND PROVIDE US WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. I WILL ASK THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM TO PLEASE COME FORWARD. AND MAYOR, I HAVE ABOUT NINE SPEAKER CARDS. YOU HAVE A SPEAKER CARD? GO AHEAD. YES, SORRY. I HAD A SPEAKER CARD. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL CITY STAFF. UH, I WANTED TO BEGIN BY FIRST THANKING YOU FOR, UH, DIRECTING STAFF TO EXPLORE, UH, OUR PROPOSAL AND FORGIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS ANDREW GREGSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UH, CITY STAFF FOR THE TIME AND THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE CARE THEY'VE TAKEN TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THIS. THANK YOU VERY [00:35:01] MUCH. CITY MANAGER. FOR US THIS MOMENT IS MORE THAN JUST A PRESENTATION. IT REPRESENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE LIVING WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AS THE AMERICAN DREAM. THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER HAS OVER 132 YEAR HISTORY OF PIONEERING IDEAS THAT STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE FROM HELPING ESTABLISH AND MANAGE WHAT IS NOW THE FULLERTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO SUPPORTING THE FORMATION OF ORANGE COUNTY'S FIRST FIRE DEPARTMENT. INNOVATION AND SERVICE IS PART OF WHO WE ARE TODAY. AS ALL AS THE ONLY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN ORANGE COUNTY, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO THAT SAME SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP. THE PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL IS NO EXCEPTION. IT REPRESENTS A NEW AND FORWARD THINKING WAY TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S ENTIRE BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY ECOSYSTEM, HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES STAY IN BUSINESS, GROW AND SUCCEED. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK OUR CHAMBER BOARD AND OUR BUSINESS MEMBERS. THEY CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE STRENGTH. UNI, UNI, SORRY, UNITY AND GENERAL SUPPORT FOR ONE ANOTHER. THE CULTURE OF THE CHAMBER IS BUILT ON SERVICE AND STEWARDSHIP AND AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP. THEIR SUPPORT IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO STAND HERE TONIGHT AND WITH THIS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO UPLIFT THE ENTIRE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY. SO TONIGHT, I SIMPLY WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, TO EVERY MEMBER OF STAFF WHO WAS INVOLVED AND TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WE SERVE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS VISION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPENNESS TO PARTNERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR JOURNEY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CARLA VARGAS AND I'M THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR HARD EDGE HOSPITALITY, UH, WHICH OWNS AND MANAGES THE CHASE SUITE HOTEL IN THE CITY OF BREA. UM, I WANNA SHARE WHAT THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS DONE FOR MY HOTEL. UM, AND, UH, THE TREMENDOUS VALUE THAT THEY BRING, NOT JUST TO US, BUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THEIR NETWORKING EFFORTS, ESPECIALLY CONNECTING US WITH PROGRAMS SUCH AS ROP AND LOCAL COLLEGES SUCH AS FULLERTON COLLEGE AND CYPRESS COLLEGE. THEY'VE HELPED US IDENTIFY NEW TALENT BY CONNECTING US WITH STUDENTS TO WORK IN OUR HOTELS. AND THAT'S HARD TO COME BY NOWADAYS WITH, UM, IN, IN MY INDUSTRY. UM, THEY'VE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH THESE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE WOULD'VE NEVER REACHED IF IT WOULDN'T HAVE, IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. UM, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, THEIR WOMEN'S CONFERENCE, THE SHE CONFERENCE, WHICH I FELT IT CONTINUES TO BE AN OUTSTANDING RESOURCE FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. UM, AND IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESS THIS YEAR WITH AMAZING SPEAKERS, UM, WHICH HELPED STRENGTH STRENGTHEN AND EMERGE LEADERS WITHIN OUR CITIES AND SUPPORTED SMALL BUSINESSES BY HAVING AN EXPO BEFORE THE CONFERENCE, WHICH OPENED UP EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND NETWORKING FOR ALL OF US THAT WE WOULD'VE NEVER HAD IF IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FOR THIS CONFERENCE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, UH, THE CHAMBER PROVIDED TIMELY AWARENESS WHEN A LOCAL UNION SOUGHT TO ENTER OUR SMALL CITIES AND OUR SELECT SERVICE HOTELS, BUSINESSES THAT OPERATE AS SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY GO BANKRUPT IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAME TO FRUITION. UM, THE COMMUNICATION THEY HAD WITH US HELPED US STAY INFORMED, STAY PROACTIVE AND ENGAGED. SO THIS WAS HUGE FOR US IN, IN, IN THE HOTELS IN THIS, IN OUR CITIES. UM, THE CHAMBER HAS REALLY BEEN A TRUE PARTNER FOR US, AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOHNNY HONG. I'M A OWNER AND OPERATOR OF A RETIREMENT PRO. WE SPECIALIZE IN HELPING SMALL BUSINESS PLAN FOR RETIREMENT. AND AS A SMALL BUSINESS MYSELF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHAMBER HAS HELPED ME IS TO BRING ONLINE PRESENCE FOR A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS. TO HAVE ONLINE PRESENCE IS DAUNTING. WORK AND COST WISE, A LOT OF THINGS WISE, WE CANNOT COMPETE WHEN IT COMES TO ONLINE MARKETING. HOWEVER, CHAMBER HAS PARTNERED UP WITH SMALL BUSINESS LIKE MYSELF TO BRING THE AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC. SO I [00:40:01] AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT I HAVE WITH CHAMBERS. I HOPE THAT OTHER BUSINESSES IN LA HABRA COULD ALSO FEEL THE SAME PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, I'M RASHED LANOR. THE ADDRESS IS 6 6 0 1 BEACH BOULEVARD, BONA PARK, CALIFORNIA 9 0 6 2 1. HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. AGAIN, MY NAME IS RASHED GI WORK AS A BUSINESS BROKER IN NORTH ORANGE COUNTY, AND I HAVE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. IN MY WORK, I SPEAK WITH BUSINESS OWNERS EVERY DAY. ONE PATTERN THAT SHOWS UP OVER AND OVER. BUSINESSES SEE STRONGER ECONOMIC RESULTS WHEN THEY FEEL CONNECTED, SUPPORTED, AND VISIBLE AT MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR A FEW BUSINESSES TO BE ENGAGED. THE REAL LIFT HAPPENS WHEN THE ENTIRE BUSINESS BASE HAS ACCESS TO CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION, MODERN TOOLS AND A CLEAR PLACE TO PLUG IN THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN FOCUSING HEAVILY ON THIS IDEA. INSTEAD OF RELYING ON INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES TO SELF-SELECT INTO SUPPORT, WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING A STRUCTURE THAT GIVES ALL BUSINESSES A BASELINE PRESENCE IN THE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM. THAT MEANS VISIBILITY, A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, AND ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION PIPELINES THAT HELP THEM STAY INFORMED AND COMPETE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT MOVES QUICKLY FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVES. IT, IT CREATES ALIGNMENT. IT GIVES YOU A DIRECT CHANNEL TO EVERY BUSINESS IN TOWN. IT GIVES YOU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF AN EASIER WAY TO SHARE UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES. AND IT GIVES YOUR BUSINESS OWNERS ACCESS TO A PLATFORM THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT COST OR EFFORT. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO WORKS INSIDE TRANSACTIONS AND VALUATIONS, THE BENEFITS CAN BE REAL CITIES WITH ENGAGED AND SUPPORTED BUSINESS COMMUNITIES BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE TO EMPLOYERS, INVESTORS, AND BUYERS. STABILITY MATTERS. VISIBILITY MATTERS. A COORDINATED ECOSYSTEM MATTERS. AND WHEN A CITY SHOWS IT IS INVESTING IN ITS BUSINESS BASE, THE MARKET NOTICES, LAHABRA IS IN A GREAT POSITION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS DIRECTION. YOU HAVE A DIVERSE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM SHARED PLATFORM. YOU HAVE RESIDENTS WHO WANT STRONG LOCAL COMMERCE. YOU HAVE LEADERSHIP THAT CLEARLY CARES ABOUT THE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC HEALTH AND FUTURE PROOFING THE CITY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I'LL TRY NOT TO STUTTER. UH, MY NAME'S ISA RA. I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER AT THE BLACK BEAR IN BLACKBIRD DI BUENO PARK. AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF THE NORTHERN COUNTY ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF NOW. AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE, UM, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THIS PARTNERSHIP, UH, HAS HAD ON OUR BUSINESS, UM, AND COMMUNITY PRESENCE. WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE CHAMBER, OUR DINER WAS DOING WELL, AND WE HAD A SOLID TEAM OF, UH, REGULARS. BUT SINCE BECOMING INVOLVED WITH THE CHAMBER, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW POWERFUL COMMUNICATE COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS CAN BE. UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR, OUR SALES HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW AND WE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, KEY COMMUNITY, UH, MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY, WHICH HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, OUR SUCCESS. UH, THROUGH THE CHAMBER HAD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. I'VE, UH, MET MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN OUR CITY. PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY SUPPORT BUSINESS BUSINESSES, BUT TRULY CARE ABOUT COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY GROWTH. THE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE HELPED US, UH, HOST SUCCESSFUL EVENTS LOCAL CAUSE AND HELP LOCAL CAUSES AND STRAIGHTEN A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. AND THAT IS WHAT BLACK BEAR STANDS FOR. UH, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR DINERS IN JUST A PLACE TO EAT. IT'S BECOME A PLACE WHERE LOCAL LEADERS, FAMILIES, ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER. AND THE LARGE PART, UH, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER, I'M GRATEFUL, UH, TO HAVE THE CHAMBER. UH, I AM GRATEFUL TO THE CHAMBER AND THE, AND ONE PARK AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTE, UH, OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE OURS. TOGETHER. WE'RE NOT JUST, UH, GROWING SALES, WE'RE GROWING RELATIONSHIPS, AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, I'LL GO UP. HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US EVEN WITH THIS RAIN. IT'S AMAZING TO BE IN BUENA PARK, COMING FROM BUENA PARK. SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE ME FROM MY SERVICE ROLE IN BUENA PARK, BUT TODAY I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE REVOLUTION REVOLUTIONIZING. I, I'M CARLOS FRANCO. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. I I DO THIS ON, ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND I FORGET TO INTRODUCE MYSELF QUITE FREQUENTLY. , BUT YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, UH, THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER [00:45:01] OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY OF WANNA PARK IN MANY WAYS, SITTING IN YOUR SEAT OVER IN THAT TOWN. WE OFTEN LOOK FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA FEED INTO ALL THE OTHER PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE VIEWPOINT, NOT JUST BUSINESSES, BUT HOW THRIVING BUSINESSES FEEDS OUR QUALITY SERVICES IN EACH COMMUNITY. SOME OF YOU, AS I'VE EXPLAINED, WILL RECOGNIZE MY SERVICE IN BUENA PARK SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL. BUT WHAT MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW IS THAT I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AS WELL OF A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ADVERTISING AGENCY. AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, THE VALUE THAT IS RECEIVED FROM EVERY CHAMBER MEMBER FROM THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS IMMENSE FROM THEIR PODCASTS TO THEIR, UH, ALL, ALL THEIR RIBBON CUTTINGS AND ANYTHING TRADITIONAL AND NOT TRADITIONAL, THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS ACTUALLY DOING IT RIGHT BEYOND MIXERS. THEY'RE MORE LIKE MATCHERS. EVERY CHAMBER MEMBER KNOWS THAT WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND AND THAT PUTTING THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO THRIVE IN BUSINESS, WHETHER THERE'S RELATIONSHIP BEING MADE FOR BUSINESS ONLY OR NOT, THERE IS A VALUE THERE. UH, APART FROM THE REGIONAL REACH OF THE NORTH RANCH COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I GOTTA SAY, EVEN JUST TOMORROW, WE'RE MEETING WITH, UH, SOME DELEGATES FROM MEXICO TO ESTABLISH SOME INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. UH, I HELPED START THE NORTH, I'M SORRY, THE BUENA PARK SISTER CITY FOUNDATION. AND WE HAVE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUTH KOREA FOR NEARLY A DECADE, BUT NOW WE'RE READY TO BRANCH OUT INTO A POPULATION THAT REFLECTS MORE WITHIN OUR CITY. AND THAT'S THANKS TO THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THERE'S MANY BENEFITS. I, TOO, FROM THE CITY OF WINTER PARK, HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH A SIMILAR PROPOSAL THAT YOU'RE REVIEWING NOW. AND I GOTTA SAY, REGARDLESS OF THE TIER BEYOND MEMBERSHIP, IT IS PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING WITH THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY OF HABRA. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND CITY STAFF. MY NAME'S TIFFANY TRAN. DURING THE DAY, MY DAYTIME JOB IS WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON, BUT REALLY TONIGHT I'M PUTTING ON THE HAT OF BOARD, UH, BOARD SEAT WITH THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER. YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER DID A GREAT JOB LAYING OUT THE DATA THAT WE PROVIDED HIM. YOU HEARD FROM OUR PRESIDENT, CEO AND MY COLLEAGUES THEMSELVES AND REALLY SUPPORTERS OF THE NORTH, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER. SO I JUST REALLY WANNA REITERATE WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THAT SAYING FOR A REASON. NO NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. YOU KNOW, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN 130 YEARS. WE ARE REALLY BUSINESS DRIVEN. WE FOCUS ON THE ECONOMIC FATALITY OF OUR BUSINESSES WHO WANT TO BE PART OF OUR CHAMBER AND THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING TO JOIN TO CONSIDER. SO REALLY, I, YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FROM BUENA PARK HIMSELF, THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE TRUE REFLECTION OF JUST THE ROI THAT THE CHAMBER PROVIDES, RIGHT? THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED WE MAY HAVE TWO FULL-TIME STAFF AND TWO PART-TIME STAFF, BUT REALLY THAT THE, THE PRODUCTIVITY, THE EVENTS, EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE THAT THE CHAMBER DOES, IT'LL BE HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE SUCH SMALL TIME STAFF. BUT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE READY, WE'RE READY TO WELCOME YOU GUYS AS A, AS A, WHETHER IT'S A MUNICIPAL PARTNER OR THE PROGRAM PARTNER. BUT REALLY WE HAVE OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF OUR CHAMBER 'CAUSE THEY TRULY DO SEE THE VALUE IN HOW BUSINESS DRIVEN WE ARE. THE PODCAST IS SUCH A INNOVATIVE WAY TO REALLY CONNECT WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND WITH OUR RESIDENTS, AND WITH LEADERSHIP LIKE YOURS, WHO I KNOW YOU REALLY DO VALUE ALIGNING YOURSELVES AS RE RESIDENTS AND WHAT MATTERS THE MOST. UM, YOU'LL REALLY GET THAT HERE AT THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER. SO I THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND I, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL BE A PART OF THE CHAMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCILS. UH, MY NAME IS MARCOS, UH, NUNEZ FROM, UH, SEVEN 50 NORTH BREA BOULEVARD IN, UH, BREA, CALIFORNIA 9 2 8 2 1. SO, THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE, UH, WELL, IT'S KIND OF AN HONOR TO COME DOWN HERE AND SPEAK FOR THEM BECAUSE I, I'VE BELONG TO OUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN THERE ABOUT SIX YEARS, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS RUNNING A BUSINESS, STARTING A BUSINESS GETS TOUGH IN THE BEGINNING. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE CHAMBERS. THEY JUST WAIT FOR THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, COMES UP, YOU RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND HAVE A NICE DAY. THAT'S PARTICULARLY WHAT THE, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THEM. SO THEN I GOT APPROACHED BY THEM. I KIND OF TOOK THE SAME APPROACH, KIND OF LIKE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME AROUND, BUT NO, THAT WASN'T THE CASE. THEY REALLY, REALLY GET INVOLVED. I EVEN HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ISSUES ON THE PLATFORM. THEY SENT ME A GIRL DOWN THERE IN MY OFFICE TO HELP ME SET IT ALL UP AND WENT ON HER OWN BUSINESS. I, THAT'S A ONE CLASS, UH, SERVICE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. SO I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON. BUT THEY, THEY DO SERVE AND THEY DO HELP A LOT OF BUSINESS OWNERS. AND AS A BUSINESS OWNER, YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT. SO I'LL MAKE IT SHORT AND SWEET. SO, THANK YOU GUYS. [00:50:01] THANK YOU. NOW, THOSE IN OPPOSITION, IF THEY WOULD PLEASE COME FORWARD. PROVIDE US WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. YEAH, LYNETTE FALCON, UH, 3 21 EAST LA LAHABRA BOULEVARD, CITY OF LAHABRA. UM, LYNETTE FALCON, THE CHAIR OF LAHABRA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH A LOT OF YOU THIS LAST WEEK, AND THAT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN A DIALOGUE AND NEW LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH NEW LEADERSHIP. AND I THINK THAT WENT WELL ON BOTH SIDES. AND I HOPE THAT THAT OPENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECONSIDER REBUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP AS THE LAHABRA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN HERE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS PLUS. AND THAT SAYS A LOT, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN A COMMUNITY FOR THAT LONG. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHIRAG PATEL. I'M A OWNER OF A HUNDRED PERCENT CHIROPRACTIC IN LA HABRA AND A PROUD MEMBER OF LA HABRA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT OF JOINING A LOCAL CHAMBER. UM, AND, UH, I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION. UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT OF, UH, JOINING A LOCAL CHAMBER BECAUSE ONE IS YOU GET FULL SUPPORT. UM, PLUS YOU GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS SMALL BUSINESS AROUND YOU WHEN YOU HAVE A GRAND OPENING OR LUNCHEON, YOU KNOW, WE ALL GET TOGETHER THAT SUPPORTS YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS. NOT ONLY THAT, I WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM BECAUSE OF LA HABRA CHAMBER. THEY'RE THE ONE WHO INTRODUCED ME TO THE PRINCIPAL AND OPENED THE DOOR FOR ME. NOT ONLY THAT, WE HAVE ANOTHER SCHOOL READY TO, UH, TAKE THE SPONSORSHIP FROM ME. UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, PUMA FOOTBALL, UH, SOCCER TEAM. THEY'RE ALSO COMING IN, SO THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT OF HAVING A LOCAL CHAMBER. UH, TONIGHT WE HEARD A LOT OF WORDS, UH, NUMBERS, JUST THROWING OUT THERE. ONE OF THEM IS WE'LL BUILD, WE'LL BUILD WEBSITE. SURE. I JUST GOT A QUOTE FOR WEBSITE IS THREE $3,000 NOW. 3000 TIMES THOUSAND. DO THE CALCULATION. DOES IT REALLY MAKE SENSE? THAT IS, IT IS POSSIBLE. SMALL BUSINESSES IS A HEAVY COST. ONLINE PRESENCE ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE. YOU HAVE FACEBOOK, YOU HAVE GOOGLE, YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, INSTAGRAM, DO YOUR MARKETING THERE IS AVAILABLE AND A DIGITAL PLATFORM. UH, LAHABRA CHAMBER USES THE SAME SOFTWARE THAT NORTH ORANGE COUNTY DOES, AND IT REALLY DOES NOT CREATE AN WEBSITE FOR YOU. IT JUST GIVES YOU AN ABILITY TO HAVE YOUR INFORMATION AVAILABLE. IT'S THE SAME PLATFORM. SO, UH, I'M JUST SAYING, UH, PLEASE CONSIDER LA HABRA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, YOUR LOCAL CHAMBER, AND, UH, LET'S HAVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. RICH TRUJILLO, THE TRUJILLO AND DAUGHTERS FARMERS' INSURANCE AGENCY. AND, UH, IF YOU GIVE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WE COULD DO AMAZING THINGS. , OUR CHAMBERS, FARMER'S INSURANCE, RIGHT? BUBU FARMERS . OUR CHAMBER HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN LA LATA AND NOW IN LAHABRA, UH, FOR OVER 40 YEARS. SO I HAVE BUILT A BUSINESS AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THAT'S LOCAL, THAT'S FRIENDLY, THAT KNOWS THE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN PERSON IS INDESCRIBABLE, WHAT IT MEANS TO 'EM. SO WHEN WE MAKE FRIENDS AND I MAKE FRIENDS WITH ALL OF YOU GUYS, I TALKED TO YOU PERSONALLY AND I JUST DON'T KNOW . I THINK WE SANG THAT TOGETHER ONE TIME, DIDN'T WE? WE HAD A DANCE. YEAH, WE DID. I GOT THE VIDEO TOO BY, BY THE WAY. WE COULD, WE CAN DO THAT. UM, BUT NO, WHEN WE DO A RIBBON CUTTING, WE GET 20, 30 PEOPLE. WE USED TO GET 40, 50 PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN OUR RIBBON CUTTINGS. SO LET'S PARTNER, LET'S BE THIS THING. LET'S BE THE COMMUNITY, [00:55:01] THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND LET'S GROW WHAT WE'RE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING. THERE'S A LOT OF NEW BUSINESSES STARTING UP. UH, A LOT OF HISPANIC BUSINESSES STARTING UP, AND WE HAVE BILINGUAL PEOPLE IN OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THAT MEET, GO OUT AND MEET AND GREET. WE'RE GROWING ALREADY. WE HAVE PROBABLY RIGHT NOW, AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAD 30 PEOPLE AT OUR MEETING, AND IT WAS AT THE BLACK BEAR IN LAHABRA. IN LAHABRA, RIGHT? SO WE DO THOSE THINGS. WE DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO. I'M NOT AS HIGH TECH AS ANYBODY, AS EVERYBODY HERE, BUT WE DO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOLS. JUST LAST WEEK WE WERE AT LAHABRA HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAD VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR CHAMBER GO AND HELP AT THE SNACK BAR AT THE, YOU GUYS ADVANCED THE CIF AGAIN, RIGHT? OH, YEAH. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO, AND WE PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL SCHOOLS. SO WITH THAT, I JUST ASK YOU, PLEASE CONSIDER, WE HAVE BEEN AROUND 126 YEARS, I THINK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND, UM, W WE CAN MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN AND IT WON'T COST YOU A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WHAT? I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO FOLLOW THAT. HEY, NICOLE. HI, MR. LAHARA. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. GOOD EVENING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS NICOLE TENNIS. I AM A FINANCIAL ADVISOR WITH EDWARD JONES. I AM A PROUD RESIDENT OF LAHARA AND HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE LAHARA CHAMBER FOR A, A LITTLE, PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF NOW. I'M JUST HERE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE LOCAL CHAMBER. UM, I HAD A RIBBON CUTTING NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND THAT WENT AMAZINGLY. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY DIFFERENT CHAMBERS THROUGH MY CAREER SO FAR, BECAUSE I NET NETWORK QUITE A LOT. AND THE LAHARA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS AN SPECIAL ESSENCE TO IT. IT'S VERY, IT FEELS VERY HOMEY. IT FEELS, UM, LIKE A BIG FAMILY, REALLY. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DESERVES, UM, MORE ATTENTION. AND THEN IT ALSO DESERVES TO TAKE A CHANCE ON, BECAUSE I HAVE JUST BEEN CONNECTED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE THROUGH THE HAVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY. UH, I BELIEVE THAT BUSINESSES GET EXCITED WHEN I TELL THEM THAT I'M PART OF THE CHAMBER, BECAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO. THEY WILL, THEY NEED THAT CONNECTION. WE NEED THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY. SO I HAVE BEEN PART OF THE CHAMBER FOR A WHILE. I ACCEPTED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN IT. I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ALSO AREAS TO, UM, PARTNER TOGETHER A LOT MORE WITH THE CITY. AND I THINK THEY WILL BE AN AMAZING IDEA AND VERY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN, IN THE SMALL CITY OF LA HABRA. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF. MY NAME IS NARESH VAL. I AM THE FRANCHISEE OF THE UPS STORE IN LAHABRA. I ALSO SIT AS AMBASSADOR ON MULTIPLE CHAMBERS. LAHABRA BEING ONE OF THEM. I HAVEN'T PREPARED A SPEECH OR ANYTHING. I'M JUST GONNA FREELY TALK. IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM. I DO ABOUT 46 TO 48 EVENTS A MONTH FOR FIVE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS AS AN AMBASSADOR ON FIVE, WHEN I COME TO LAHABRA, IT FEELS LIKE COMING HOME. THE PLAQUE ON THE BACK WALL SAYS COMMUNITY. MY EXPERIENCE WITH COMMUNITY WAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, PRINCIPAL GARCIA REACHED OUT, THEIR CATERER, BACKED OUT FOR THEIR STAFF DEVELOPMENT LUNCHEON. HE SENT AN EMAIL, I REACHED OUT TO THE CHAMBER, AND THE NEXT DAY WE, UH, MADE SURE THAT THEY HAD LUNCH FOR ALL THE TEACHERS. THAT'S WHAT THE LAHABRA CHAMBER DOES. IT TIES PEOPLE TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, LIKE A FAMILY. UM, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP IN THE CHAMBER TO SEE HOW WE CAN GROW TOGETHER. I, I DO FEEL THAT THAT'S BEEN LACKING A LITTLE BIT. AND I THINK IT'S NO HIDDEN SECRET, RIGHT? BUT FOR THE GENERAL PURPOSE, I WOULD SAY THAT LA HABRA [01:00:01] FEELS LIKE HOME, A SMALL COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE SO MUCH POTENTIAL COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER CHAMBERS I SIT WITH. I CAN SEE THE GROWTH HAPPENING IN LAHABRA HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? SEE NONE. I WILL NOT CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS. UH, AND I WOULD ASK, UH, DISCUSSION OR ACTION FROM THE COUNCIL. MAY I BEGIN? MADAM MAYOR, PLEASE. UH, WELL, THE ITEM BEFORE US HERE IS NOT TO CONSIDER THE, UH, LA HABA CHAMBER OF CONNORS COMMERCE. IT'S TO CONSIDER THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS. AND, UH, MR. GREGSON, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION. I'VE ATTENDED SOME OF YOUR EVENTS. I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS. I LOVE YOUR PODCAST. I, I SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU DO, WE HAD A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY AT THE, UH, ITEM THAT WE WERE AT, THAT FORUM WE WERE AT, AT, AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. AND I'VE JUST BEEN SO IMPRESSED. EVERYBODY'S MADE US FEEL WELCOME. THEY'VE EMBRACED US. AND, AND I JUST SAY, YOU HAVE A CLASS ACT ORGANIZATION. UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THERE IS A DEAL KILLER FOR ME HERE IN THIS THING. AND, AND, AND I'VE ALWAYS HELD THE LAHABRA AREA CHAMBER OF NCE. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD IS NEPOTISM AND READING THE STAFF REPORT. AND ALSO, YOU, YOU DISCLOSED IT TO ME WHEN WE MET THE OTHER DAY, IS YOU AND YOUR WIFE BASICALLY RUN THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER. AND I HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THAT. WE HOLD OURSELVES AS CITY COUNCIL TO A STANDARD OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DON'T ALLOW NEPOTISM. WE CAN'T HIRE OUR RELATIVES UP HERE. WE, WE, WE, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, ROSE AND I, UH, WERE PART OF THE COUNCIL WHEN WE VOTED, UH, FOR THAT, AND WE HELD OURSELVES TO A HIGHER STANDARD. SO UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE A DEAL KILLER FOR ME FROM JOINING YOUR, YOUR WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. IT'S ALSO A COST FACTOR AS WELL. BUT I, UH, MEET, I CONGRATULATE YOU ON ALL YOUR WONDERFUL ENDEAVORS. YOU'RE DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB. UH, YOU MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL SO WELCOME. YOU FEEL LIKE A FAMILY THERE, BUT I WISH YOU LUCK. UH, I UNFORTUNATELY, I I CAN'T BE SUPPORTING THIS AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. YOU. IS THERE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WOULD WISH TO SPEAK? THERE IS, WHENEVER READY NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER NAZARIAN, LEMME EXPLAIN. THERE WAS A REASON WHY I MADE THE MOTION TO GET A STAFF REPORT ON THIS CONCEPT. AND, AND THAT WAS AT THAT TIME. AND IT'S BECAUSE, AND I'M GOING GONNA FLAT OUT SAY IT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LAHABRA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE CITY OF LAHABRA HAS BEEN DETERIORATING FOR YEARS AND ULTIMATELY WOUND UP INTO A PLACE OF NON PARTNERSHIP. AND I CAN SEE, UNDERSTAND, AND APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH LAHABRA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND THE POTENTIALITY OF THAT IS ENORMOUS. WHEN BOTH ORGANIZATIONS, ENTITIES DO WORK IN CONCERT FOR THE COMMON GOAL OF MAKING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THRIVE, THAT IS MISSION NUMBER ONE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S WITH GREAT PAIN THAT WE WITNESS THIS DEGENERATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND WHAT, WHAT, I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING TONIGHT, OR EVEN THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE MAY NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF, AND THIS IS CENTRAL TO WHY I'M SAYING THIS, ABOUT WHY I MADE THE MOTION OF WHY MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM. SECOND IN THE MOTION IS THAT AFTER ABOUT SEVEN YEARS, THE CEO OF THE HA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MS. MARIE LAGA RESIGNED ABRUPTLY ABOUT MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO. AND AT THAT POINT, PRIOR TO HER RESIGNATION, IT'S, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CULTURE OF THE CHAMBER UP TO THAT TIME WAS DRIVEN BY MS. LAGA. AND THAT CONTINUED TO PLACE A WEDGE BETWEEN THE CHAMBER AND THE CITY, MUCH TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHICH MISSED OUT ON MANY OPPORTUNITIES. AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING WAS FRACTURED. AND, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I CAN PROBABLY SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, IS THAT THAT WAS HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE WE KNOW THE POWER AND POTENTIAL OF A ROBUST RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. SO HERE'S THE POINT. LAVIA AAU HAS RESIGNED, AND WE'VE BEEN REACHED OUT TO BY THE CHAIR, UH, UM, LYNETTE. AND THE MESSAGE THAT I'M RECEIVING IS ONE OF HOPE AND, AND, AND A GREAT DEAL OF ENTHUSIASM FOR THE REBUILDING OF THAT RELATIONSHIP. SO I WISH THAT WOULD HAPPEN. I WISH THAT WAS POSSIBLE. UH, AND IT'D BE WONDERFUL IF IT DID HAPPEN. UH, THE, THE THING WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROPOSAL, WHICH SOUNDS MAGNIFICENT AND IS TRUE TO THE PROMISE OF LITERALLY GIVING FREE CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP TO SO MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES, IS THAT IT IS A, UH, BUDGET BUSTER. YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF IT STARTS OUT AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND, IT COULD BE QUITE A BIT MORE THAN THAT. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN OUR FISCAL YEAR BUDGET. WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD THAT. SO, UH, AS WONDERFUL AS THAT MIGHT BE, I'M AFRAID THAT FOR ME, IT'S A DEAL BREAKER FOR THAT REASON [01:05:01] BECAUSE IT'S SIMPLY UNSUSTAINABLE. WE CAN'T DO THAT. UH, WHEN THE TIME COMES, I WANT EVERYONE ELSE TO SAY SOMETHING. I HAVE A MOTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE, BUT IT'S A TWO PART MOTION. SO IF YOU'D BE KIND ENOUGH MADAM MAYOR TO RETURN TO ME AT SOME POINT WHERE I CAN MAKE THE MOTION TO SINK OR SWIM, LET ME KNOW. BUT IN TERMS OF MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT. MAYOR PORT ANO, WELL, I, AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN GOMEZ HAD SAID, UH, THAT WE'RE HERE TO CONSIDER THE, UH, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER. UH, AND, UH, AS WELL AS THE, UH, YES, THERE HAS BEEN A RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH THE, UH, LAHABRA CITY CHAMBER. UH, WHAT, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. GREGSON ACTUALLY. UM, HOW MANY, UH, BOARD MEMBERS OR EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE AT NORTH ORANGE COUNTY? THREE HALF, UH, 14. AND OF THOSE 14, ARE THEY ALL BUSINESS OWNERS OF SOME SORT? UH, THEY'RE NOT ALL BUSINESS OWNERS THEMSELVES IS A MIXTURE OF PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR LARGE CORPORATIONS OR YES. SOLE, UH, ENTREPRENEURS, AND THEN ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE BOUGHT INTO FRANCHISES. SO IT'S A MIX. SO BUSINESSES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CORPORATIONS. SO, SO THERE'RE FOR IN MIXES A HAVE MIX OF PEOPLE WHO OWN THEIR OWN BUSINESS, PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPORT TO FRANCHISES OR PEOPLE WHO WORK AT LARGE CORPORATIONS. RIGHT. AND I THINK ONE OF THEM WAS HERE THIS EVENING. NOW, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE A RESIDENT FROM EDISON, I WOULD SAY EDISON IS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR LARGEST CORPORATIONS. OKAY. YEAH. SO, SO THEY'RE REPRESENTING A COMPANY, UH, A BUSINESS INTEREST OF SOME SORT. OKAY. UM, AND, AND JUST THE SAME. THANK YOU MR. CRAIGS, AND APPRECIATE IT. AND, UH, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, FOR YOUR TIME, UH, IN, UH, IN PUTTING THIS PROPOSAL TOGETHER. UH, BUT FOR ME, JUST THE SAME, IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSAL FOR A CITY. UM, I MEAN, I HAVE A, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, UH, AND THE ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBER FROM, FROM BUENA PARK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT. UH, I, I, I PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT, HOW THIS WAS TO HAPPEN IN ANOTHER CITY, UH, BEFORE, BEFORE I PERSONALLY, UH, WOULD, UH, WOULD STICK MY FOOT IN THE WATER, SO TO SPEAK, BECAUSE IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. AND I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, UM, UH, WHEN, UH, I, I WAS, I MIGHT'VE BEEN, AND I DON'T KNOW PERSONALLY THE IMPETUS WHEN WE WERE GIVING THE, UH, THE LA HABER CITY CHAMBER AN AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO. UH, I WAS VERY CONCERNED, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, WITHIN THAT CHAMBER, UH, FOR WHERE OUR MONEY WAS GOING. UH, AS SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR OVER 29 YEARS, THAT CONCERNS ME A LOT. UH, BECAUSE ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC FUNDS IS PARAMOUNT, UH, OTHER THAN PUBLIC SAFETY, OF COURSE, FOR A COMMUNITY, BUT TO SEE WHERE OUR MONEY IS GOING, UH, WHEN I COULDN'T SEE THAT, I WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN ANAHEIM AND THE FBI HAD COME INTO ANAHEIM AND HAD INDICTED THEIR CHAMBER PRESIDENT. AND OF COURSE THAT CAUSED OTHER THINGS WITHIN THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WHERE THEY WERE DOING SOME THINGS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOING, AND THAT'S NOT THINGS CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE DOING. SO THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT I HELD IN HIGH REGARD AND THAT WERE QUESTIONABLE TO ME. UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, THE, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS VERY EXPENSIVE. I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THAT, UH, WITH ANOTHER CITY OR TO SEE HOW THAT HAPPENS. I PERSONALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF LAHABRA SHOULD BE THE TEST CASE FOR THAT AT THIS POINT. UH, QUITE FRANKLY, WE JUST PASSED A MEASURE V LAST YEAR. AND, UH, WITH THAT, I AM, I THINK OF MYSELF AS SOMEWHAT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND PRUDENT AND CONSERVATIVE, UH, THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR RESIDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO, TO CONFIDE IN US AS A CITY COUNCIL AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SPENDING THEIR MONEY THE RIGHT WAY. UH, BUT, UH, I SEE THAT THE, UH, NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER DOES A LOT OF GOOD THINGS BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO A FEW MEMBERS OVER THE COURSE OF TIME AND THEY HAD NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER, UH, AND, UH, WHAT THEY COULD DO, UH, FOR THEIR, UH, FOR THEIR BUSINESSES, FOR THEIR CITIES, ET CETERA. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT AT THIS POINT. SO THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER LAKIN. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. MAD. SEE IF THIS THING IS ON. OKAY. I THINK IT'S WORKING. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE I HAVE MY CONCERNS AS WELL AS FAR AS JOINING NORTH. UM, THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY BROUGHT UP A, A THREE MAIN POINTS THAT, THAT I, THAT I HAD ON MY LIST THERE. AND, AND I WANT TO FIRST THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR NOT ONLY JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THOSE CONCERNS, BUT ALSO STAYING CONSISTENT IN THAT MESSAGING. BECAUSE YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU HAD CONCERNS ABOUT NEPOTISM AND ABOUT HOW WE SPEND OUR DOLLARS WITH OUR CITY. AND SO ONE OF THE FIRST THING I'LL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, I AM CONCERNED THE FACT THAT WE MAY BE, UM, PUTTING OUR MONEY TOWARDS AN ENTITY THAT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY. UM, AND THEN ONE HAS TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW OUR MONIES TO GO OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY'S TAX PAYING DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND SIX, YOU KNOW, SIX FIGURES. UM, I'M GONNA LOOK AT THIS FROM, UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, AND THAT IS, ASIDE FROM BEING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALSO BEING [01:10:01] A BUSINESS OWNER FOR OVER A DECADE. AND SO AS A BUSINESS OWNER, THERE ARE, I, I MAY LOOK AT THIS FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF KICKED THE TIRES ON THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT, UM, THIS, UH, PROPOSAL THAT WAS GIVEN TO US. AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS AND DISCREPANCIES IN IT. THE FIRST ONE, STARTING WITH WHO WE ARE ACTUALLY ENGAGING THE CONTRACT WITH, WHILE IT DOES MENTION NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I LOOKED, I WENT TO THE, UH, CALIFORNIA'S, UH, SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE, THE FRANCHISE, TO LOOK UP THE FRANCHISE TAX BOARD LISTINGS. AND THAT'S NOT LISTED AS A COMPANY. HOWEVER, THE, UH, THE PREVIOUS NAME, WHICH WAS I BELIEVE, UH, FULLERTON, UH, LET ME SEE HERE. LET ME GET MY NOTES HERE. 'CAUSE I TOOK A FEW NOTES. THE, UH, FULLERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS STILL LISTED. THE CONTRACT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY WE'RE ENGAGING IN A CONTRACT WITH FULLERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUT INSTEAD THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. SO THAT'S MY FIRST CONCERN. THE SECOND THING IS A LOT OF THE, UM, SELLING POINTS THAT, UH, UH, THAT ARE BEING MENTIONED IS BASED ON VIEWERSHIP, UH, METRICS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE VIEWING THE WEBSITES. WELL, THE FIRST THING I LOOK AT IS, IS AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A WEBSITE WITH MY BUSINESS, UM, THIS IS NOT REALLY MUCH OF A ROBUST WEBSITE. IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LISTING, IT'S A LANDING PAGE, UM, AND IT'S VALUED AT $1,200, UH, ANNUAL MARKET VALUE. HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF ONE OF OUR BUSINESSES WHO DOES JOIN THIS SAYS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I'M GETTING $12,000 WORTH OUTTA MY LANDING PAGE. YOU KNOW, AND THEN NOW WE ARE ON THE HOOK ON A BILL THAT WE ARE NOW, AND WE'RE STUCK ON THIS CONTRACT. UM, THE NEXT THING I LOOKED AT WAS THIS, UH, VIEWERSHIP 70,000, UH, 12 TO 14 K CALENDAR VIEWS PER YEAR. 90 SOCIAL ME, UH, 90,000 SOCIAL MEDIA REACHES. AGAIN, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT? WHEN I WRITE PROPOSALS FOR BUSINESSES AND I ACTUALLY WRITE PROPOSALS FOR BUSINESSES I'M ENGAGING WITH THAT ARE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN MEASURE THAT. THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT VIEWERSHIP. SO WHEN YOU WRITE THE PROPOSAL, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CONCRETE THINGS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY DELIVER. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I MOVE ON TO SEVERAL OTHER, OTHER ISSUES CONSIDERING WE HAVE TO HAVE A, IN ONE, UH, PROPOSAL SAID, THAT MAKES NO MENTIONING OF A MINIMUM OF A THOUSAND. UM, AS JIM SRO MENTIONED, OUR CITY MANAGER, BUT THEN IN ANOTHER PROPOSAL, IT MENTIONS WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT MINIMUM OF A THOUSAND BUSINESSES. THAT'S CONCERNING FOR HIM, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OUR BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY WANTING TO, WANTING TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE THIS, UH, MEMBERSHIP. UM, I MEAN, I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON WITH SEVERAL OTHER THINGS. UM, I, AT THIS POINT, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE, YOU KNOW, SENTIMENTAL VALUE OF WHAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED HERE FROM BOTH SIDES, UM, YES. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, I SET THIS IN THE LAST, UH, FEW MEETINGS. I WAS NOT A PART OF THE CHALLENGES BETWEEN OUR BUSINESS AND OUR CHAMBER AND OUR CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, AND THE CITY. BUT WHAT I AM SEEING, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THIS MEETING I HAD WITH THE, UH, THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THERE'S A CULTURE SHIFT OCCURRING, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM WILLING TO ACTUALLY, UM, ENGAGE IN AND LOOK AT AND SEE, UH, TO SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR OWN CHAMBER. AND MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S A LONG ROAD. I MEAN, CHANGES TAKES TIME. BUT MAYBE INSTEAD OF SPENDING OUR DOLLARS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY, SPEND IT WITHIN OUR CITY, AND YOU HEARD THE STORIES FROM, LET'S PUT ASIDE OUR CHAMBER. YOU HEARD THE STORIES FROM OUR BUSINESSES WHO TALKED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY BUILT WITHIN, WITH PEOPLE WITHIN OUR CITY, INCLUDING THESE, UH, GENTLEMEN THAT ARE SITTING HERE. UH, I MEAN, YOU COULDN'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN AT A BETTER TIME WHERE THEY ARE SECONDING THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP, THEY HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR, WITH OUR CHAMBER AND WITH OUR BUSINESSES. SO THAT TELLS ME WHAT I NEED TO HEAR AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK DURING TONIGHT'S MEETING AS TO WHAT DECISION I'M GONNA MAKE. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LAKIN, I, AS I READ, UH, THE, UH, THE REPORT, I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT KIND OF ITEMS THEY HAD TO OFFER. AND AS I STARTED READING DOWN THE INFORMATION, I GOT MORE CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COST OF, EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED HERE, THE COST, UM, THE PROPOSAL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE PROPOSAL, HOW IT PLAYS OUT WITH THOSE CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROACHED WITH THIS PROPOSAL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AT FIRST. I, UH, DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF HIRING FAMILY MEMBERS AS STAFF. UH, THAT IS ONE THING I FROWNED ON WITH THE LA HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND, UH, WE PUT A STOP TO THAT HERE, UH, IMMEDIATELY. AND SO WE WERE VERY VOCAL ABOUT THE, UM, THE HIRING FAMILY MEMBERS. UH, MAYBE THEY WERE VOLUNTEERS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT JUST GAVE ME THAT PERCEPTION. I, UM, AND THIS IS TAXPAYERS MONEY. WE HAVE TO BE VERY FRUGAL AND RESPONSIBLE WITH THE MONEY THAT WE ARE GIVING OUT. UM, AND I THINK, [01:15:01] UM, I WOULD RATHER ONCE THE, IF THERE IS A PROPOSAL, AND WE DO LIKE IT, THAT WE MAKE INCREMENTAL MOVES, NOT JUST FROM ONE LEAP TO THE OTHER. UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, CHANGE DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, AND, UM, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALONE. SO I'M LOOKING AT POSSIBLY LEAVING IT AS IT IS, AND, UH, JUST, UM, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU THAT CAME HERE AND REPORTED OUT AND, AND, AND GAVE YOUR COMMENTS. I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME MORE INFORMATION. UH, BUT FOR NOW, I AM GOING TO, UM, UM, SAY NO TO THIS, BUT I WILL LEAVE IT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER NAZARIAN TO SEE WHAT KIND OF A PROPOSAL OR, UH, MOTION HE MAKES. SO I WILL HAND IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AND IT'S SO TRUE. I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LAMPKIN SAID THE SAME THING. THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, THIS INITIAL REBUILDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LA HABER AREA CHAMBER COMMERCE, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT. IT'S BEEN SO SUDDEN AND QUICK. AND ULTIMATELY WE'RE MOTIVATED BY ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY, AND THAT IS WHAT ISN'T THE BEST WELFARE OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. SO, UM, FOR THAT REASON, I'LL MAKE KIND OF A TWO PART MOTION, BECAUSE I'LL SAY THIS, I, I AM VERY CURIOUS IN TERMS OF WHAT POTENTIAL BENEFITS COULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT ACCRUE FROM THE BUSINESS ENTITY MEMBERSHIP, MUNICIPAL ENTITY MEMBERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER. THAT'S FOR A $5,000 FEE. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH BENEFIT WE'RE GONNA GET FOR THAT $5,000. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE WORTH IT. UH, SO, UH, THAT'S WHY MY MOTION IS GOING TO BE FOR THE, UH, ESSENTIALLY THE SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH PROPOSAL TO RECEIVE AND FILE THAT PROPOSAL. AND THEN I, I ONLY NEED ONE SECOND FOR THE IDEA OF STAFF COMING BACK AT SOME SUBSEQUENT DATE AND GIVING US A REPORT ON WHAT THE ACTUAL PROS AND CONS OF THAT MUNICIPAL ENTITY MEMBERSHIP MIGHT BE. IF IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, FINE. IF IT'S OFFERS GRADE VALUE, WELL, THAT'S GREAT TOO. WE'LL TAKE THAT UP AT THAT TIME. SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE MY TWO PART MOTION. I, I, I, I JUST WANNA RESPOND TO THAT. A A, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, THERE'S SOME, SOME SURFACE LEVEL THINGS THAT I THINK WE STILL NEED TO ADDRESS. LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO ARE WE ACTUALLY ENGAGING IN A CONTRACT WITH? YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF IT'S THE FULLERTON, UH, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, FULLERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THEN THAT'S FINE. WE'LL ADDRESS THAT. I NEED MY MOTION THAT YEAH. FOR A STAFF REPORT ON THAT, AND STAFF WILL COME BACK TO THAT. SO WE CAN CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN THE TIME'S. RIGHT. AND MAYOR, PRETEND MADANO SECOND IN THAT MOTION. I'LL SECOND. WE'RE NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY ON THIS RIGHT NOW. ALL WE'RE DOING IS, UH, THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. I, I WILL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU. WOULD THE COUNCIL PLEASE VOTE? MOTION CARRIED BY THREE YES. AND TWO NO VOTES. ARE YOU SECOND MOTION THAT, OH, THAT WAS IT. NO, NO, IT WAS LIKE A TWO-PARTER, BUT THAT WAS THE, THAT'S THE WHOLE THING. IT'S JUST RECEIVING FILE AND THEN CALLING FOR STAFF REPORT. GOT IT. WAS MY SECOND. NO, THAT WAS IT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL WHO SPOKE ON THIS ITEM. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. AND NOW WE WILL PROCEED [ MAYOR'S COMMUNITY CALENDAR:] TO THE MAYOR'S COMMUNITY CALENDAR IN OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING. HOLIDAYS, CITY HALL WILL BE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER THE 26TH, AND RESUME REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS ON MONDAY, DECEMBER THE FIRST. WE HAVE TRIPS AND TOURS. JOIN THE CITY OF LA HARBOR FOR A DAY TRIP TO THE SAWDUST ART FESTIVAL IN LAGUNA BEACH ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH. COST IS $60 PER PERSON. THEN WE HAVE THE LA HARBOR TAMALE FESTIVAL. JOIN US FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL LA HARBOR TAMALE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6TH FROM 10:00 AM UNTIL 8:00 PM THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT EUCLID STREET BETWEEN LA HARBOR BOULEVARD AND EAST BRIGHTEN BECKER AVENUE AND PORT PARK. WE HAVE OUR SENIOR DANCE. THE SENIOR, UH, CHRISTMAS DANCE WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER THE 14TH FROM 2:00 PM UNTIL 4:00 PM AT THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY CENTER. ENJOY THE LIVE MUSIC RAFFLE AND DANCING AND DINNERS. HOLIDAY WISHES, PLEASE DONATE TO THE 2025 HOLIDAY WISHES PROGRAM THAT HELPS LOCAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, DONATIONS OF NEW TOYS AND OR GIFTS CARDS WILL BE GREATLY ACCEPTED, UH, BY THE STAFF AT THE LA HARBOR COMMUNITY CENTER UNTIL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER THE 17TH. WE HAVE OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MEETS ON THE SECOND AND THE FOURTH MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER. THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION MEET THAT ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER WATER CONSERVATION. WHILE IT HAS RAINED HEAVILY THIS WEEKEND, WE ARE STILL ENFORCED AND CALIFORNIA'S NOT BEING ASKED TO CONSERVE WATER. AND NOW WE WILL GO TO COMMENT FROM STAFF. UH, JUST WANTED TO WISH, UH, YOU [01:20:01] A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR, THERE WE GO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ROSE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. OH, I LOVE YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. SO VERY AND YOU SANG RIGHT ON TUNE. . OKAY. COMMENTS FROM STAFF. DONE. I ALREADY GOT YOU. OKAY. A COMMENT FROM THE COUNCIL [ COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS:] MEMBERS. I WILL BRING IT. BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER NAZARIAN. OH, OKAY. THREE THINGS. ALL GREAT VETERANS PROGRAM THIS YEAR WAS FANTASTIC. UH, IT WAS VERY INSPIRATIONAL, MOTIVATIONAL. IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE, WONDERFUL TO SEE THE VETS THERE, TEAR JERKING. WE HAD SOME REALLY OLD VETS WHO ARE STILL JUST AS PROUD, IF NOT PROUDER TODAY THAN THE, THE DAY THEY RAISED THEIR RIGHT HAND SWORN INTO OUR ARMED FORCES. SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. UH, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ALSO GOING TO THE EPIC SHOWCASE BUILD AT EL CERRITA, WHERE THESE KIDS ARE INVOLVED IN CODING COMPUTERS AND BUILDING THINGS. AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING HOW SMART THESE KIDS ARE AND THE THINGS THEY COULD DO WITH COMPUTER CODE AND ALL THAT. IT'S MIND BOGGLING TO ANYBODY, ESPECIALLY OVER THE AGE OF 25. I MEAN, I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A KID ASIDE AND SEE IF YOU COULD FIND OUT A WAY TO PUT MY WASHING MACHINE ON WIFI. I BET YOU ANYTHING, YOU COULD PROBABLY DO THAT FOR ME, BUT I DIDN'T. BUT THESE KIDS ARE GREAT, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, PRINCIPAL, UH, UH, PUTNAM FOR INVITING ME TO THAT. I, THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR DOING THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE GRANDDADDY OF, OF ALL IN THE CITY OF LA HARBOR RECENTLY WAS THE GRAND OPENING OF VIN SCULLY CENTENNIAL PARK. UH, YEAH, I, I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE THE SINGULARLY MOST IMPRESSIVE THING. I THINK THE CITY'S DONE FOR A LONG TIME, A BRAND NEW 17 ACRE PARK ON WHAT USED TO BE A LANDFILL. IT MIGHT'VE STAYED AT LANDFILL, IF NOT FOR THE TREMENDOUS HARD WORK OF OUR STAFF, AND THAT OUR SUCCESS IN GETTING GRANT MONEY TO, TO, TO BUILD THIS PARK. SO I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ WAS THERE ON VETERANS DAY, I THINK, AND, UH, HE'LL PROBABLY SAY THIS HIMSELF, BUT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY PACKED WITH ONLY THREE PARKING SPACES LEFT. AND WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE BIGGEST APPEAL, I THINK AMONG MANY, BUT MAYBE THE BIGGEST APPEAL OF THAT PARK? THE DOG PARK, RIGHT? THE DOG PARK. UM, PICKLE BALL. NOT, NOT THE VIEW BALL. YEAH. NOT THE BEAUTIFUL HILL. THE WHAT? NOT THE VIEW. NO. WELL, I THINK PICKLEBALL, NOT THE BASKETBALL COURTS PARK, IS BETTER THAN THE VIEW . YOU KNOW, I THINK FOLKS ARE HAPPY ABOUT THAT, ALL OF . SO, AND I WANT TO TELL FOLKS TOO, THAT THAT ALSO IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, WHERE THERE WILL BE MORE IMPROVEMENTS. I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SHADE STRUCTURES THAT EVENTUALLY ARE GONNA BE ERECTED THERE. SO THERE'S A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO, BUT WHAT A FANTASTIC START THAT IS. SO I'M JUST ENORMOUSLY PROUD OF OUR, OF OUR CITY AND ALL THE GREAT WORK OF STAFF AND THE COLLABORATIVE WAY THAT COUNCIL PUT THIS PROJECT TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MAYOR PRO MADANO. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UH, I TOO, UH, ATTENDED THE, UH, UH, THE GRAND OPENING OF, UH, CENTENNIAL PARK, VINCE SCULLY PARK. THAT WAS A MONUMENTAL, UH, ACHIEVEMENT ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY STAFF. I WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY'VE PUT INTO IT. AND OF COURSE, THE GRANT FUNDING THAT THEY SOUGHT, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET, UH, FOR YOU, THE COMMUNITY FOR YOU, UH, FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAT'S HERE, AND FOR YOUR YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UH, THAT, UH, ARE ABLE TO ENJOY THAT PARK AND ALL OF OUR PARKS. UH, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AS A CITY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS DO WHAT WE DO UP HERE EVERY DAY. BUT THAT IS WHAT IT IS FOR, IT'S FOR YOU GUYS AND FOR YOUR YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOUR PARENTS, FOR EVERYBODY TO ENJOY. SO IT, I EXTREMELY PROUD, UH, TO DO THAT. AND, UH, UH, A SIDE NOTE, A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN LAKIN, WHO'S NEW ON THE CITY COUNCIL, WHO RECENTLY HAD A SON NOT TOO LONG AGO. AND, UH, WHAT HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IN A FUTURE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE CONVERSATION WHEN HIS SON IS 15, 16, MAYBE 18 YEARS OLD, TO TAKE HIM TO THAT SITE AND SEE THAT HIS DAD'S NAME IS ON THAT PLAQUE. THAT'S PRETTY COOL. THAT IS VERY COOL. THAT'S WHEN IT HITS HOME, AND IT DOES, UH, VERY GOOD POINT YOU MADE. AND, UH, UH, YOU SHOULD BE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU ARE EXTREMELY PROUD. UH, BUT ONE DAY YOUR SON IS GONNA LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, THAT'S MY DAD. AND THAT'S COOL. SO YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF. UH, SELFISHLY SPEAKING, OF COURSE, THE CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S VERY NICE TO SEE. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO LEAVE EARLY, UH, BUT FORTUNATELY BECAUSE I HAD TO GO WATCH MY DAUGHTER PLAY DOWN IN SAN DIEGO, UH, AND I HAD TO CATCH A TRAIN. SO THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS THAT, UH, ALSO ATTENDED THE, UH, UH, LA HABRA CITY, UH, UH, VETERANS, UH, DAY, UH, RECOGNITION OVER AT, UH, OLG, WHICH WAS, UH, PUT ON BY THE, UH, VETERANS COMMITTEE AND THE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UH, [01:25:02] UH, VETERANS DAY COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO THE LEGION, THE AMERICAN LEGION AS WELL. UH, THAT, UH, ESCAPED ME FOR A QUICK MINUTE. WHAT A WONDERFUL, UH, UH, PROGRAM THAT THEY PUT ON EVERY YEAR. AND, UH, FOR ANY OF YOU, THE YOUNGER GENERATION, WHENEVER YOU RUN INTO A VETERAN, UH, THAT HAS SERVED IN ANY OF THE ARMED FORCES THAT ESPECIALLY THAT HAS SERVED IN ANY WAR, UH, THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN IN, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM, AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO THANK THEM, THANK THEM. REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ARMED SERVICES, THANK THEM, UH, BECAUSE IT TRULY IS, UH, UH, FOR MANY OF 'EM THAT, UH, THAT MADE IT OUT OF ANY OF THESE FOREIGN CONFLICTS. IT TRULY IS A, UH, A SACRIFICE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE MADE IN THEIR TIME, UH, AND, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, THE ATROCITIES OF, OF WAR THAT THEY HAVE SEEN. UH, SO I WANTED TO THANK OUR VETERANS, INCLUDING OUR CITY MANAGER, WHO'S ALSO SERVED. THANK YOU, JIM, FOR THAT. AND THAT WITH THAT MATTER, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ADJOURN IN THE MEMORY OF A, UH, OF A CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND, UH, WHOSE, UH, FATHER, HIS FATHER WAS A FAMILY FRIEND AS WELL, AND A, UH, KOREAN WAR VETERAN, A STAFF SERGEANT IN THE ARMY, UH, CHARLIE ROBLES, UH, WHOSE, UH, SON, DANNY AND I, UH, WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER, ST. PAUL HIGH SCHOOL. AND, UH, CHARLIE WAS A RESIDENT OF WHITTIER. HE STILL HAS FAMILY IN WHITTIER, OBVIOUSLY SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE AND HIS FOUR CHILDREN, UH, THAT, UH, HAVE MADE, UH, QUITE AN IMPACT, NOT ONLY ON MY LIFE, BUT ON MY FAMILY'S LIFE, AND, UH, FAMILY FRIENDS AS WELL. UH, CHARLIE HAS, UH, 12 GRANDCHILDREN AND FIVE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. HE LEAVES A, UH, AN ENORMOUS LEGACY. HE WAS A BUSINESS OWNER AS WELL, AND HE WAS AN AVID, UH, UH, USC FAN, QUITE AN AVID USC FAN. I'M SURE HE IS SINGING THE FIGHT SONG IN HEAVEN TODAY. SO WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM. AND, UH, WANTED TO WISH THE ROBLES FAMILY, UH, UH, CONDOLENCES ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY COUNCIL AS WELL. UH, AND, UH, ONE MORE I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADJOURN THE MEMORY OF IS, UH, ONE THAT, UH, I MISSED. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD NO IDEA THAT, UH, THIS GENTLEMAN HAD PASSED AWAY. RICHARD ROOT, UH, WHO WAS A, UH, UH, A MEMBER OF, UH, THE A YSO SOCCER COMMUNITY BACK WHEN I SERVED ON THE A YSO BOARD OVER 10 YEARS AGO. RICHARD WAS THE, UH, COMMISSIONER OF OUR LOCAL REGION, 94. HE OVERSAW THE, UH, THE, THE OPERATION HERE IN LAHABRA, UH, FOR, UH, FOR A YSO. SO HE DID A, UH, A GREAT SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, ALTHOUGH MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT, IF ANYBODY PLAYED YOUTH SOCCER AT A YSO, SOME OF YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, HE HAD AN INTEGRAL PART PART IN THE, UH, THE A YSO COMMUNITY, UH, BACK THEN. AND HE ALSO, UH, HE HAD A, A FEW DAUGHTERS THAT ALSO PLAYED SOCCER THAT ALSO PLAYED AT, UH, LA HABER GIRLS SOFTBALL AS WELL. UH, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM. HE PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 30TH. I JUST FOUND THIS OUT THIS LAST WEEK WEEKEND, AND IT'D BE REMISS IF, UH, IF WE DID NOT CLOSE IN HIS MEMORY, BECAUSE HE LEFT AN IMPRINT ON OUR, UH, ON OUR LAHABRA COMMUNITY. SO I WANTED TO THANK HIM. AND, UH, THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ. YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A MAJOR STORM COME THROUGH LAHABRA, AND I REALLY WANTED TO THANK, TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB THEY DID OUT THERE. SAW THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE, CLEARING OUR STORM DRAINS, WORKING OUT THERE, AND DR JUST GOT DRENCHED OUT THERE, SO THANK HIM. AND I ALSO ALSO WANT TO SEND MY CONDOLENCES TO ELIAS AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, HE LOST HIS MOM AND, AND SEND MY, MY LOVE AND CONDOLENCES ELIAS, HE'S OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND HE JUST DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB. UH, SO MANY TIMES I'LL GET A PHONE CALL FROM, FROM THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SAYING, I, THERE'S A MATTRESS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, WHATEVER. I JUST CALL HIM. AND HE SAYS, WE'LL, TAKE CARE OF IT. WE'LL TAKE CARE. I MEAN, JUST NEVER, NEVER BLINKS AN EYE, JUST IMMEDIATELY TAKES CARE OF IT. AND HE JUST, SUCH A TREMENDOUS INDIVIDUAL. UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VERY, UM, LIVELY MEETING AND DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT I WANNA THANK SOMEBODY PARTICULARLY OUT IN THE AUDIENCE. CHRISTIE WYATT, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS AND YOU REACHING OUT TO ME, ME, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND. AND THERE WERE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THE FORMER BOARD MEMBERS AND CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAD CONVERSATIONS. BUT YOU ALWAYS ARE A RAY OF SHINING LIGHT, EVEN DURING THE DIFFICULT TIMES THAT WE HAD, UH, WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. YOU ARE, YES, ABSOLUTELY. YOU ALWAYS BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE. AND NOT ONLY DO YOU WALK THE WALK, YOU TALK THE TALK, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE A, A VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINAIRE WORKING OUT THERE COUNTLESS HOURS WITH ALLIANCE CLUB, AND YOU'RE JUST A CLASS ACT INDIVIDUAL. AND I LOVE YOU, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD THIS WEEKEND. WANNA WISH EVERYBODY HAPPY THANKSGIVING. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYBODY. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NEXT WEEK. AND, UH, I ALSO GOT TO ATTEND THE ALUMNI FOOTBALL, UH, DINNER THIS LAST WEEK AT OUR BANQUET. AND IT WAS A GREAT MEETING WITH A LOT OF YOU GUYS. IT WAS A GREAT, UH, TIME AND COACH MO MAN, THAT GUY'S VERY INSPIRATIONAL. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT BIG WIN ON FRIDAY AGAINST THOUSAND OAKS, [01:30:01] RIGHT? YES. OH, YES. OKAY, . AND, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG GAME OUT THERE. UH, THE MAYOR AND I ALSO HAD, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE VETERAN'S DAY CELEBRATION, UH, THAT WAS, UH, HOSTED BY OUR ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA PACHECO. AND WE HAD A, A, UM, MARINE WHO I, I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME. I, I DO APOLOGIZE, GARCIA, MR. GARCIA, UH, UH, MULTIPLE HONOREE, UH, HAD SO MANY MEDALS ON HIM WHEN HE WALK, WOULD WALK WIDE, JUST WOULD CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. PURPLE HEARTS. PURPLE HEART. YES. PURPLE HEART. THREE PURPLE HEARTS, EXACTLY RIGHT. YEAH, TREMENDOUS GUY. AND OF COURSE, THE VETERANS DAY IS, IS, UH, SINCE IT'S OUR VETERAN'S DAY PROGRAM HERE AT LA HABRA, I STARTED THAT SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND THE VETERANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DEAR TO MY HEART. WELL, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, UH, I'M ALREADY OVER AT THE BREAKFAST, AND THEN MY BOSS CALLS ME UP TO CAR BROKE DOWN, SO HE WAS STRANDED. SO I RACED OVER THERE, AND I GOT BACK JUST BEFORE THE, THE, THE, THE CELEBRATION ENDED, SO AT LEAST I GOT A PIECE OF THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOUR BOSS IS STRANDED, YOU GOTTA GO HELP THE GUY. SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE SENIOR YOUR CAMPOS ON THEIR 51ST ANNIVERSARY. I GOT TO ATTEND, UH, THEIR DINNER CELEBRATION. UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE MY PARENTS WHO ARE CELEBRATING THEIR 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEK, BEN AND MARY GOMEZ, 60 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. IT'S, UH, IT'S A BITTERSWEET MOMENT BECAUSE, UM, WE WERE CELEBRATING, AND SADLY, WE LOST MY AUNT OVER THE WEEKEND. MERCEDES HARLOW, WHO'S MY MOM'S SISTER, AND HER AND MY MOM WERE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. UM, SHE, SHE HELPED RAISE ME WHEN I WAS LITTLE. MY MOM WOULD BE OUT, BE OUT WORKING. SHE WAS MY BABYSITTER. SO MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY GOES OUT TO HER, HER KIDS, UH, DEBBIE WINTERS AND ED HERRERA, AND SHE HAS FOUR OTHER SIBLINGS AS WELL. BUT, UH, MY MOM AND HER WERE VERY, VERY CLOSE, AND MY MOM, UH, HELPED TO HELP TAKE CARE OF HER AND ALSO WANT TO MENTION THE VINCE SCULLY, UM, THE PARK DEDICATION. THAT WAS FANTASTIC. I'M SO PROUD OUT OF ALL THE PROJECTS WE'VE DONE TO SEE US, WHAT FROM A DUMP SITE TO LATER ON BECAME, UH, I WAS MANY YEARS. MY DAD WAS A, A BOARD MEMBER WITH A HARVARD LITTLE LEAGUE OVER THERE. AND, UH, IT WAS, YOU'D BE ON THE OUTFIELD AND YOU COULDN'T SEE HOME PLATE. IT WAS JUST, IT WAS CRAZY OUT THERE. SO IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES, AND IT WAS JUST A FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC EVENT. FINALLY, MAYOR, UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LAKIN. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UM, OF COURSE, I WANT TO EXPRESS, UM, HOW PRIDE PROUD I AM TO SEE THE CITY COME TOGETHER AT THE, UH, CENTENNIAL PARK GRAND OPENING ON THE EIGHTH. UM, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY RESIDENTS OUT THERE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND JOIN THE PARK. SOME OF THEM WERE DIRECTLY ATTENDING THE CEREMONY, BUT YOU HAVE THOSE WHO JUST SIMPLY COULDN'T WAIT TO GET TO THOSE AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE THERE. UM, AS JOSE ALLUDED TO, IT'S A, IT'S A SPECIAL MOMENT FOR ME, NOT JUST FROM A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AS A FATHER, UM, BEING A FIRST TIME FATHER, AND AGAIN, BEING ABLE TO BRING MY KIDS TO THAT PARK YEARS LATER, UM, AS WELL AS LAS PARK AS WELL. BUT, YOU KNOW, CENTENNIAL BEING OUR GRAND PARK, IT'S THE BIGGEST PARK WE HAVE. AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH HIM, YOU KNOW, UM, MY CONTR CONTRIBUTION TO THAT PARK, UM, ALONG WITH MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND BE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY, IT'S, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO, UH, TO DO. AND SO I DO NOT TAKE THAT MOMENT FOR GRANTED. UM, SO IT WAS AN AMAZING MOMENT, UH, ON, ON, UH, NOVEMBER 11TH. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE VETERANS DAY PROGRAM AT HOURLY, GUADALUPE. AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT EVENT MADE IT REALLY FEEL LIKE IT WAS SMALL TOWN, LIKE IT WAS A REAL SMALL TOWN VIBE, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO SEE OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO SERVED, AND TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH, UM, OF A CONTRIBUTION LA HABER HAS MADE, UH, TO MANY OF OUR WARS, WORLD WAR II AND, AND, AND, AND UP. AND, UH, AS, AS SOMEONE WHO'S COME, WHO COMES FROM A LARGE MILITARY FAMILY, I SHARED SOME, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE MILITARY WITH, UM, UH, PRO, UH, MADANO, PRO TEM MEDRANO, UM, I WAS REMINDED THAT WE DON'T JUST CELEBRATE THE SERVICE THAT THEY GIVE BY GOING OVERSEAS AND JUST SIMPLY BY SERVING, BUT WE ALSO COMMEND THEM FOR THE BATTLES THAT ARE WITHIN THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS, BECAUSE MANY OF OUR SOLDIERS COME BACK AND THEY'RE NOT THE SAME PERSON THAT THEY WERE WHEN THEY LEFT. AND I KNOW THAT, SPEAKING FROM SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES WITH MY FAMILY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE GREATEST SPEECHES THAT I HEARD AT THAT EVENT WERE THOSE WHO TALKED ABOUT THE BATTLE AND THE REASON WHY IT WAS SUCH A GREAT DEAL TO ME, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY'S WILLING TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY THAT WE THANK OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN. WE THANK THEM FOR THE SERVICE THAT THEY DID, AND THEY STILL CONTINUE TO DO TODAY, EVEN AS THEY SIT HOME AT THEIR DINNER TABLES, BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL GOING THROUGH A BATTLE. UM, [01:35:01] SO, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, THAT'S ALL MY EVENTS THAT I WENT TO. I WANNA CONGRATULATE JIM SRE AND ONCE AGAIN, BEING APPOINTED, UM, TO THE OC OPERATIONS AREA EXECUTIVE BOARD. AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO TAKE THIS COUPLE OF MINUTES TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT ENTAILS. AND I KNOW YOU'VE DONE THIS. YEAH, IT'S NOT THE TIME. ALL RIGHT, COOL. I KNOW HE'S DONE THIS, UH, HE'S BEEN, UH, ELECTED TO THIS POSITION, UM, BY THE, UM, THE, UH, I HAD IT LET FAMILY CITY MANAGEMENT OR THERE WE GO, THE O-C-C-M-A-O-O-C-C-M-A, UH, FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND SO I WANNA THANK HIM FOR BEING A REPRESENTATIVE FOR OUR CI UH, CITY AND, AND, AND STEWARDSHIP OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, AND I SAY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, UM, USUALLY WHEN, WHEN YOU GET THAT FIRST RAIN, THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST BUSIEST TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU GET TO SEE WHAT'S BROKEN AND WHAT'S GOTTA BE FIXED. UM, AND IF IT'S NOT FIXED, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM AS A CITY. UM, SO OF COURSE I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WHEN THE RAIN STARTED, THERE WAS SOME, SOME CONTINGENCY PLANNING PUT TOGETHER AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET FLOODED OUT. AND ALSO, I WANNA THANK THEM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY, UM, HAVE DONE TO ASSIST SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY ON WILSHIRE STREET IN THE LAST COMING WEEKS. UH, LASTLY, I WANNA OF COURSE SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR MAYOR ROSA ESPOSA. AGAIN, THANK YOU. AND, UM, THANK, AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE, UH, WOBBLE, UH, YOU KNOW, GOBBLING TO YOU WOBBLE, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU, . ALRIGHT, I WILL TRY TO QUICKLY REPORT OUT THAT ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER THE SEVENTH, I SEVENTH, I ALSO ATTENDED WITH SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GOMEZ ASSEMBLYWOMAN BLANCA PACHECOS VETERAN TRIBUTE. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. UM, UH, IN, UH, SANTA FE SPRING. YEAH, SANTA FE SPRING, SANTA FE SPRINGS. AND SATURDAY NOVEMBER THE EIGHTH, WE ALL ATTENDED THE CENTENNIAL PARK OPENING. UH, YOU GUYS GOTTA GO OVER THERE AND ENJOY THE, THE PARK AND THE VIEW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OF THE BEAUTIFUL HILLS NOW THAT ARE FILLED WITH SNOW. ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER THE 11TH, I ATTENDED LAS POSITAS ELEMENTARY VETERAN TRIBUTE. IT WAS VERY, UH, I WAS VERY MOVED TO SEE THAT OUR YOUNG KIDS ARE REMEMBERING OUR VETERANS, AND THEY SANG THEIR LUNGS OUT AND, AND THEY SANG WITH PRIDE. SO THANK YOU TO LAS POTOS, UH, FOR HAVING THAT TRIBUTE. THEN FROM THERE, WE WENT TO THE CITY VETERANS TRIBUTE AT OLG. I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM AS WELL FOR THE OUTSTANDING TRIBUTE THAT WAS PLAYED THERE FOR ALL THE VETERANS, AND THEY ENJOY IT EVERY YEAR. ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER THE 13TH, I ATTENDED TWO MEETINGS, THE PLANNING ONE, UH, EARLY AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING FOR THE, THE, THE CAMPS, THE RED CAMPS. THERE WAS SEGREGATION BACK IN THE EARLY FORTIES AND, UH, FIFTIES, LATE FIFTIES OR EARLY FIFTIES. AND, UH, SO THEY ARE PLANNING TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A HISTORICAL PANEL GROUP AGAIN, BECAUSE THE LAST ONE THEY HAD WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. THEN I ALSO ATTENDED THE LAST CENTENNIAL MEETING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. OUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IS COMING TO AN END. LA HARBOR HAS BEEN CELEBRATING A HUNDRED YEARS OF INCORPORATION SINCE 1925, AND I WAS GLAD TO BE PART OF THAT. AND THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A ROTARY MEETING IN THE EVENING THAT DAY. I ATTENDED THE CITY SELECTION MEETING IN THE CITY OF ORANGE, WHERE ALL THE MAYORS VOTED FOR ALL THE POSITIONS THAT WERE AVAILABLE. AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS THAT THE CITY MANAGERS CITY, SANDRA, HE DOESN'T LOOK TOO HAPPY. JIM SANDRO TO CONTINUE REPRESENTING THE ORANGE COUNTY CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EXECUTIVE BOARD. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, AND ONCE VOTING I WAS COMPLETED, I DROVE TO SUPERVISOR DOUG SHAY'S KINDNESS AWARD, WHERE VANESSA PERKINS RECEIVED THE KINDNESS AWARD REPRESENTING THE CITY OF LA HARBOR. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO VANESSA. YES. ON UH, NOVEMBER THE 14TH, I ATTENDED A MORNING GATHERING WITH A GROUP OF A GROUP NAMED THE BEASTIE PRENEUR ENTREPRENEURS. UH, NICOLE. YES, I WAS THERE. I WAS THEIR SPEAKER FOR THAT MORNING, UH, AT A PLACE CALLED THE LOS BEAN IN THE CITY OF ORANGE. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME TO BE THE SPEAKER THERE. AND IN THE EVENING, I ATTENDED THE ORANGE COUNTY EDUCATIONAL ARTS ACADEMY WITH A GALLEY EVENT FOR THAT SCHOOL. AND NOVEMBER THE 16TH, WHICH I DID NOT SEE YOU THERE, I WENT TO THE SENIOR DANCE TO DROP IN AT THE CITY HALL ATRIUM, AND IT WAS PACKED. I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE COMING OUT, BUT, UH, DURING THE RAIN, BUT THEY CERTAINLY DID. AND I WAS GLAD AND, UH, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GO SOMEWHERE BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL DRESSED TO THE NINTH. IT WAS THEIR THANKSGIVING EVENT, UH, DANCE. SO WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING ALSO IN MEMORY OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORK, ELIAS ALI'S MOTHER, SADIE [01:40:01] ALI, WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY JUST TWO MONTHS BEFORE HER 90TH BIRTHDAY. THE CITY OF LA HARBOR WISHES TO EXTEND ITS DEEPEST SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF HIS MOTHER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADJOURN IN, IN MEMORY OF MERCEDES CHATTA HARLOW, CHARLIE ROBLES, RICHARD ROOT, AND PLEASE KEEP THESE PEOPLE IN YOUR PRAYERS. IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT WHEN, UH, OUR FAMILY MEMBERS PASS AWAY. I WILL CONCLUDE THAT, AND TO MONDAY, WE WILL HAVE THE, THIS ADJOURNED IN MEMORY OF ALL OF THESE PRECIOUS INDIVIDUALS TO MONDAY, DECEMBER THE FIRST 2025 AT 5:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL. CLOSED SESSION ROOM 1 1 2 C 100 EAST LA HARBOR BOULEVARD, FOLLOWED BY A REGULAR MEETING AT 6:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER. HAVE A NICE EVENING AND HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. GOOD EVENING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.