[ CALL TO ORDER: Council Chamber PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Councilmember Nigsarian ROLL CALL: Mayor Medrano Mayor Pro Tem Gomez Councilmember Espinoza Councilmember Nigsarian Councilmember Lampkin]
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THE TIMER UP HERE, SET IT 10 MINUTES, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'LL START OFF AT GREEN.
IT'LL GO, UH, ONCE YOU, UH, GET DOWN IN TIME, IT'LL GO TO YELLOW AND THEN RED.
UM, SO AS SOON AS WE START, IT'LL BE 10 MINUTES.
[1. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR ANNUAL EXPIRING TERMS AND TWO ALTERNATES ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION That the City Council conduct interviews for annual expiring terms and two alternates on the Planning Commission and Community Services Commission.]
START WITH, UH, THE QUESTION.CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND YOU'RE INTERVIEWING FOR EITHER PLANNING OR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND I'M GONNA START OVER HERE TO MY LEFT.
UH, IN REVIEWING YOUR, UH, APPLICATION, IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF WHITTIER WITH, UH, CHAMBERS WITH WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, AND THERE WAS A FEW OTHER THINGS.
UM, I'LL GET STRAIGHT TO MY QUESTION HERE.
HOW CAN, UH, AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, HOW CAN YOU INCORPORATE YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF WHITTIER WITH ALL THE CAPACITIES THAT YOU'VE WORKED IN, IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS, UH, FOR THE, THE ZONES AND THE SPACINGS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY? WELL, IT DOES HELP THAT I AM A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF LARA.
UM, IT HAS BEEN GREAT SERVING THE CITY OF WHITTIER IN MY VARIOUS CAPACITIES THROUGH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ALSO AS A NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, IT MEANS SOMETHING MORE WHEN YOU'RE SERVING YOUR OWN COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY I TOOK A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I DECIDED TO SUBMIT MY APPLICATION AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN I REALLY DO? WHAT'S THE IMPACT? AND THE IMPACT IS THAT IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN IT'S YOUR OWN STREETS.
SO, UM, WHAT I CAN BRING TO THE, UH, COMMISSION IS A LONGSTANDING EXPERIENCE WITH VARIOUS FORMS, VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHEN I WORKED AT THE CHAMBER, I WORKED FOR UNDER A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STILL HAVE REALLY LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS THERE.
UM, I ALSO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION OR OUTSIDE OF THE COUNCIL, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, MEMBERS OF, UH, THE METRO, UH, PRESIDENT AS WELL.
AND ALL OF THAT COMES INTO PLAY WHEN YOU ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OWN CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AS A COMMISSIONER, YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS ALMOST LIKE HAVING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A PART OF THE TEAM, YOU'RE A PART OF, UH, THE SAME TEAM, AND, AND YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING THEM WELL.
AND SO HAVING THAT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, I, I'M NOT JUST A NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE, BUT I ALSO CAN GO INTO VARIOUS CAPACITIES AND DIFFERENT SCENES AND IN THE COMMUNITY AND KNOW HOW TO RESPOND CORRECTLY AND APPROPRIATELY IN A WAY THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE CITY.
AND, UH, YEAH, I'M, I'M GONNA STOP THERE 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL COUNSELORS ANSWER.
I'M GONNA PUT IT OVER YOUR QUESTION.
THANK COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN ESPINOZA.
UM, WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE IN OUR CITY OF LA HARBOR? YOU'VE LIVED HERE A NUMBER OF YEARS ALREADY.
UM, HAVE YOU EVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY AND, AND HAVE YOU SEEN HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY IMPROVE ON HIM? I HAVE, I, I, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, EACH CITY HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE TWIST, UH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY IT'S, YOU KNOW, GREAT TO SEE THINGS GROWING AND THRIVING.
THAT'S REALLY THE, THE, THE BIGGEST THING IS, IS THAT I WANNA MAKE AN IMPACT BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT WHAT THE CITY'S GONNA LOOK LIKE IN 10 TO 20 YEARS.
UM, AND WE'RE DOING GREAT THINGS.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE GREAT NEW PARKS AND PLACES AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GO BRING THEIR FAMILIES, BRING THEIR DOGS.
WE HAVE GREAT CITY, UH, EVENTS THAT WE THROW AND THAT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ASSIST, UM, TO HELP MAKE THE COMMUNITY THRIVE.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY SUPPORTS THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELP MAKING IT THRIVE, AND EVERYTHING IS KIND OF THAT E ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DOING ITS JOB.
THIS IS A GENERIC QUESTION THAT APPLIES TO BOTH PLANNING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO, AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, WHAT YOU THINK ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES CURRENTLY FACING THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW DO YOU THINK THE CITY MIGHT GO ABOUT ADDRESSING THOSE THREE ISSUES? THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I WOULD SAY ARE SAFETY, FIRST, SAFETY FOR ALL PEOPLE.
UM, I DO WORK IN A NONPROFIT THAT SERVES INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, AND SO, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE FACTORS FOR THE
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FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE.UM, SO SAFETY IS A HUGE CONCERN.
AND THE WAY THAT THE CITY CAN ADDRESS THAT IS BY CONNECTING WITH THE VARIOUS NONPROFITS AND THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM, UH, REPORT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
AND JUST HAVING A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT AND, AND AN OPEN CONVERSATION.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE, UH, THE COMMISSION THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN DIALOGUE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, THE SECOND ONE I WOULD SAY IS, UH, HOUSING IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, A BIG DEAL.
UM, AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH BOTH COMMISSIONS, RIGHT? LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN DIALOGUE AND TO LISTEN WHEN PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
AND, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE FACTS AND TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE STATE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, RULES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO, TO THE CITY AND, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
UM, SO I, I, I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE THE, THE TWO MAJOR ONES, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA COMMEND YOU, I, I'VE BEEN TO YOUR NONPROFIT, UH, FUNDRAISER OUT IN WHITTIER, AND YOU'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB, UH, WITH THAT CCB, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE CAPC.
AND IT'S, IT'S FANTASTIC, THE EVENT.
AND I'VE ALSO SEEN YOU AT THE MEALS ON WHEELS FUNDRAISER AS WELL, WHICH I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF MEALS ON WHEELS AS WELL.
UH, TELL ME WHERE IS OUR, UM, OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN LAHABRA AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT GOING ON IN LAHABRA? IT'S A TWO PART QUESTION, LIKE MOST AND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT, OH, LET'S LEAD WITH WHAT'S GREAT, RIGHT? UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS GREAT POWER IN COMMUNITY AND IN NUMBERS.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT SO MANY OF YOU ARE UP TO DATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATING AND HAVING AN OPEN DIALOGUE, UM, OF, WITH, WITH EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS WANTS TO SEE ALWAYS THE CITY LEADING US, OR ARE THEY TELLING US WHAT WE NEED TO DO? UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST THING IS THE COMMUNICATION.
AND I THINK WHAT WOULD NEED WORK WOULD BE, UH, WHICH IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST THING, RIGHT? IS TO CREATE, UH, MORE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE THAT IS, THAT IS IN A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR EVERYONE.
BUT THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT EVERYONE'S FACING.
I HAVE, UH, UH, ONE QUESTION, AND IT'S, UH, RELATED TO, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, AND I ASKED IT OF THE CANDIDATE BEFORE AS WELL MM-HMM
UH, IF, UH, PRESENTED WITH THE, UH, THE ISSUE OF, UH, UH, GREEN SPACES OR, UH, OR HOUSING, UM, AND YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ONE AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, UH, WOULD IT BE GREEN SPACES OR WOULD IT BE HOUSING? WELL, AS LONG AS THE RULES AND THE ZONING IS CORRECT, AND YOU KNOW THAT, THAT IS, YOU WORK FROM THE TOP, IT'S NOT A PERSONAL DECISION OF WHAT I PERSONALLY WANT.
IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE PLAN, GENERAL PLAN, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE ZONED FOR.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE DOING WITH, UH, WITH THE HOUSING ALLOCATIONS.
UM, AND SO I WOULD SAY HOUSING FIRST AND GREEN SECOND, UM, IN, IN A PERSONAL LEVEL, BUT IT'S NEVER A PERSONAL ANSWER.
IT'S ALWAYS WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE INTERVIEW.
WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, MS. SES.
APPRECIATE, HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT IN THE COUNCILS CHAMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE, OR YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO LEAVE AS WELL.
AND THE LIVESTREAM IS BACK UP.
HELLO, EVERYONE OUT THERE ON TV LAND.
I THINK THAT'S YOUR LINE, ACTUALLY.
DARREN, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR CAROL? UM, I'M TELLING HER RIGHT NOW TO BACK UP.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. RAMS. LYNN, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? RECOVERING NICELY, THANKS.
WELL, WE'RE HOPING THAT RECOVERY IS COMING ALONG NICELY FOR YOU.
A MONTH, MONTH AGO TODAY, I HAD MY BACK SURGERY, SO,
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WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GET ALONG WITH THE INTERVIEW REAL QUICK AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE THIS AS QUICK AND PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME MR. RAMBLING, FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER A, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AMONGST THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, DIRECTED TO YOU.
I'M GONNA POINT YOU HERE TO THE TIMER.
UH, YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES TOTAL FOR THE INTERVIEW.
IT'LL GO FROM GREEN TO YELLOW INTO RED, UH, AS, UH, AS TIME, UH, BEGINS TO, UH, DWINDLE AS THEY SAY.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH, UH, QUESTIONS.
WE'LL START TO, TO MY RIGHT WITH COUNCILWOMAN ESPINOZA.
HI, ROY, HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE.
I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ONE QUESTION.
IN YOUR OPINION, UM, WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THE CITY OF LA HARBOR SHOULD ACT TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS? WELL, IT IS BEEN GOING ON THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THE INTERFERENCE FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITH TELLING US WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW MUCH HOUSING WE CAN BUILD WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY PARKING IS, IS GOING TO TURN INTO A PROBLEM.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME AND THE UNITS ARE ALL GONNA GET BUILT AND THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY PLACE TO PARK.
COULD YOU GET CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE? OH, SORRY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE STAY WITHIN THE STATE LAW, BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO GET OUR, OUR WAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, COUNCILMAN NICK SIAN.
ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PLAN, THE DOWNTOWN CONCEPT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON? JUST SHARE ANY THOUGHTS? WE CAN'T DO THAT IN 10 MINUTES,
IT'S GREAT, GREAT TO PUT PLANS TOGETHER, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GOTTA FIND THE RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT IT.
AND I'M NOT, NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE, HOW WE DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS HELP, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE FOR BUSINESSES AND ANYBODY ELSE TO WANT TO MOVE IN WHEN YOU DO APPLY ON LINKEDIN.
I'M GONNA PASS IT ALONG TO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM GOMEZ.
UH, ROY, I, I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR DEDICATION TO ALL THE WORK YOU DO WITH THE LIONS CLUB, ALL THE WORK, UH, IN PUTTING THAT HISTORICAL MUSEUM.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE BUSIER MORE EVEN THAN WHEN YOU WERE, UH, WORKING WITH US, BUT YOU'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB AND, AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, I, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, WITH THE ALLIANCE CLUB AND HBIC AND THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
UM, CONSIDERING YOUR, YOUR BACKGROUND, UH, MY QUESTION GOES BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU THINK THAT LAHABRA NEEDS MOST AS WE DEVELOP THAT STRATEGIC PLAN OR AS THAT STRATEGIC PLAN BECOMES BECOME, COMES TO FRUITION IN 10, 20 YEARS, THAT WILL ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO OUR CITY, UM, EVEN AS JUST VISITORS, UH, AND RA AND, AND BRINGING MORE REVENUE INTO OUR CITY? WELL, AGAIN, WELL, WHEN GENERAL PLANS ARE BY THEIR NATURE VERY GENERAL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOAL DRIVEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT THOSE TOGETHER HOPING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE MARKET FORCES, UH, THE AVAILABILITY OF LAND, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THE CITY DOESN'T OWN THE LAND THAT THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER HAS TO WANNA SELL IT AND DEVELOP IT.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW THOSE THINGS TRIGGER AND WHEN THOSE ARE GONNA TRIGGER, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SAY, WELL, WHEN WE DID ALL THE STUDIES AND, AND THE ANALYSIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE COULD MANAGE.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PLAN FOR MORE BUILDINGS OR MORE SERVICES THAN WE CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY BALANCED PLAN ALONG THAT WAY.
UH, IT'LL BE, UH, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BEING CONSIDERED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION? I WOULD DO LIKE ALL GOOD PUBLIC PEOPLE AND PUNT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS OUR RESTRAINTS AND THEY DON'T LIKE IT, BUT EVERYBODY STILL UNDERSTANDS WE DON'T
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HAVE A LOT OF CHOICE, BUT THEY'RE STILL GONNA EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE DOING THIS, BUT WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE,BUT I DON'T, I DON'T SEE IT GETTING INTO A SITUATION WHERE THE COMMISSION IS CURRENTLY, UM, SEATED THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET ANYBODY THAT'S GONNA GET IN ANY KIND OF A CONFRONTATION.
I THINK EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOAL.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, OUR INTERVIEW.
WE, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU, AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, TO STAY SEATED IN THE, UH, IN THE CHAMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE GOOD.
TIME TO GO HOME AND TAKE SOME MORE MEDS.
UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS,
COUNCIL MEMBER ESPINOZA, DO YOU MIND ADJUSTING YOUR MIC? I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE BENT DOWN A LITTLE.
UM, IS IT BETTER NOW? IT'S, IT IS.
COME, YOUR AUDIO IS COMING A LITTLE BIT FAINT.
AND I TURNED THE VOLUME UP, SO THANK YOU.
WELCOME, UH, TO THE, UH, COMMISSION INTERVIEWS.
UH, I'M GONNA GO OVER JUST BRIEFLY SOME, UH, SOME QUICK ROUND RULES, UH, THE, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, UP HERE WE HAVE OUR TIMER SET TO 10 MINUTES.
UH, THE DURATION OF YOUR, OF YOUR TIME HERE, WHETHER WE FINISH BEFORE OR A LITTLE, THE GOAL IS TO FINISH WITHIN 10 MINUTES.
UH, THE, UH, LIGHT WILL TURN GREEN, YELLOW TO RED ONCE YOU GET DOWN TO, UH, UH, TO YOUR ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF TIME.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE'LL, UH, GET STARTED WITH OUR, UH, OUR INTERVIEW.
AND FIRST QUESTION IS GONNA BE COUNCIL MEMBER NICKER.
SO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A CURRENT COMMISSIONER, UM, WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE ANNUAL EVENT, AND WHAT ARE WE LACKING IN WHAT, IS THERE ANOTHER EVENT THAT YOU WISH THIS COMMITTEE, THIS COMMITTEE, THIS CITY, SHOULD EMBRACE THE BEST EVENT? THERE'S A COUPLE, UM, TAMALI FESTIVAL, OF COURSE UHHUH AND THE FESTIVAL.
BUT, UM, BEING IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, MY THIRD YEAR, UH, DIVERSITY CULTURAL HAS CHANGED A LOT.
AND MY WISH TO SEE IN THE CITY IS TO HAVE A DAY OF THE DEAD TO INCORPORATE IT BECAUSE 73% OR MORE OF THE PEOPLE HERE ARE FROM OAXACA, AND THAT'S THE CAPITAL OF, UM, DAY OF THE DEAD WHERE IT STARTED.
SO I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT.
AND IT'S COMING INTO FRUITION.
UM, IT'S UP FOR THE CITY TO LOOK AT THE COUNCIL AND WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ALSO TO PERHAPS HAVE, UM, CHINESE NEW YEAR OR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND I SEE THE CITY HAS REALLY COME TO THE, TO THE PLATE.
AND, UH, I'M VERY HAPPY BEING A COMMISSIONER, VERY HAPPY.
UH, IT'S NOT JUST SITTING IN A CHAIR.
I'M VERY INVOLVED AND, UM, I SEE THAT OUR CITY IS AND OUR COUNCIL, AND THEY LISTEN.
AND I JUST DIDN'T WANNA SIT IN A CHAIR AND MY VOICE WAS HEARD, AND I THINK EVERYTHING'S COMING TO BE.
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EXCELLENT.ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TAKE THE NEXT QUESTION, ANNETTE, UH, JUST BECAUSE, UH, SO LAHABRA IS, UH, KNOWN AS A CARING COMMUNITY.
WE ENCOURAGE A SENSE OF VOLUNTEERISM IN THE COMMUNITY.
PLEASE SHARE WITH US WHAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS TO VOLUNTEER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT GOES BACK ABOUT 47 YEARS, ACTUALLY.
I FIGURED, UM,
I TOOK THIS CONSENSUS THREE YEARS AGO, UH, WORKING FULL-TIME.
I VOLUNTEERED FULL-TIME, UM, LIVING HERE FOR 43 YEARS.
AND WHEN I DID ALL THE MATH, IT WAS 45 YEARS ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERING.
OUR PARENTS, MY PARENTS TAUGHT US TO SERVE BOTH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHURCH.
UM, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER IN OUR CITY.
MEALS ON WHEELS, UM, ART GALLERY, UH, WOMEN'S CLUB, THE LION'S CLUB, READING FOR THE STUDENTS, UH, ADOPTING A CLASSROOM, UH, OPERATION SANDWICH, WORKING FOR BCC HILLCREST.
AND, UM, IT'S COME A LONG WAY.
UM, THE, THE ORIGINAL RCRC, WHICH WAS THE RESOURCE CENTER OF, TO THE GARY CENTER, AND I CAN GO ON AND ON, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.
I, I KNOW IT GOES BEYOND THREE YEARS.
I'LL, UH, PUT THE NEXT QUESTION FOR, UH, OUR MAYOR PRO TIM GOMEZ.
MS. ANNETTE, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL YOUR DEDICATION AND WORK AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
FIRST OF ALL, WHERE, WHERE DO YOU GET ALL THE ENERGY TO DO ALL THAT YOU DO? UM, CARING ABOUT PEOPLE.
IT ALL COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, MY CHILDHOOD, MY HUS, MY DAD BEING A ORPHAN, AND TEACHING US, TEACHING HIS CHILDREN NEED TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, NOW THAT I'M RETIRED, I'M NOT EXPIRED, SO I CAN, I'M STILL GOING.
UH, I AM ALWAYS HAVING A HARD TIME NOT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EVENTS YOU ATTEND, BUT WHICH ONES YOU HAVE NOT ATTENDED.
NAME ONE EVENT I'VE BEEN TO THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU AT.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, THE, THE WORK YOU PUT IN BOTH YOUR SERVICE.
AND THIS IS TIME THAT YOU, UH, PUT INTO, UH, ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT GOES ALONG MY QUESTION AS IT AS IT RELATES TO THE POSITION YOU'RE APPLYING FOR, AND THAT IS HOW, WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE CAN DO AS A CITY, AS A CITY COUNCIL AND ALL OF THE COMMISSION, UH, COMMISSIONS CAN DO TO MAKE, TO, TO, TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE ENGAGED IN, IN THE AFFAIRS OF OUR CITY? I THINK THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE.
UH, LOOKING AT WHAT'S MAY COME TO BE AS FAR AS THE NEW CORRIDOR, HAVING THE HISTORIC SOCIETY HERE, UM, THE WOMEN'S CLUB, ART GALLERY, HOPEFULLY ONE DAY HAVING, YOU KNOW, AN ART WALK.
I'VE SEEN IT BE LIVING HERE ALMOST 47 YEARS.
AND, UM, I REALLY TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO LEAVE OUR CITY.
WE HAVE ALMOST EVERY EVENT HERE AND FROM CHILDREN'S TO ADULTS.
AND, UM, I AM VERY PROUD TO LIVE AND SERVE THE CITY.
UH, NOW WHAT DO YOU FEEL COULD BE DONE BY THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE YET? FOR, UH, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
THERE AGAIN, UM, SERVICES, RENDER SERVICES THAT THEY MAY NOT KNOW.
UH, BUT WE HAVE THAT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE HAVE THE MOBILE BILL, WE HAVE HILLCREST, WE HAVE, UH, LIAISONS FOR HOMELESS, FOR, UH, PEOPLE THAT, FOR SHELTER.
IT'S, IT'S ALL BEING DONE HERE ALREADY, THAT EVEN PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT FROM OTHER CITIES.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT THIS CITY, IS THAT WE ARE INNOVATORS.
DID YOU ASK A QUESTION ALREADY? I DID.
OH, SO WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, LAHABRA.
I CAME AS A YOUNG BRIDE, UM, AND I SAID, WHEREVER MY HUSBAND TAKES ME, I WILL PLANT MY ROOTS THERE.
AND I HAVE, AND IT'S GONNA BE 47 YEARS.
AND I HAVE SERVED MY COMMUNITY WITH ALL LOVE AND CARING, AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO ACTUALLY BE SO CLOSE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, OUR MANAGER AND I DO RECOMMEND, AND I DO TELL ALL THE RESIDENTS, I MAKE IT A POINT TO, TO, AND THEY SHOULD MAKE IT A POINT TO ATTEND EVERY COUNCIL MEETING SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY GET THEIR ANSWERS.
UH, I HEAR A LOT OF, WELL, THEY SHOULD DO THIS, THEY SHOULD DO THAT.
AND I ALWAYS LEAD THEM HERE, COME TO
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THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, VOICE YOUR OPINION, GET YOUR ANSWERS, AND YOU, YOU ANSWER YOUR OWN QUESTIONS.UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, OUR INTERVIEW.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, UH, SIT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR THE REMAINDER, OR OF COURSE YOU'RE EXCUSED.
THANK YOU FOR BEING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I THINK, OH, IT, WELL, I, PEOPLE ASK, I'M LIKE, I THINK IT WAS KIND INTERESTING YOU DISH US.
YOU WERE GOING THE PARKING LOT.
HOW ARE YOU, SIR? TREMENDOUS, VERY GOOD.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, AND YOUR INTEREST IN, UH, IN PARTICIPATING AND, AND WANTING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED HERE.
I'M GONNA POINT YOU OVER HERE TO THE, UH, THE TIMER HERE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU 10 MINUTES TOTAL.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ASK YOU, UH, ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS IF POSSIBLE, EACH.
IT'S GONNA PROBABLY BE ONE, ONE EACH.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE, UH, THE TIMER THERE IS GONNA GO FROM GREEN TO YELLOW TO RED AS YOU, AS YOU GET LOW ON TIME.
OKAY? SO JUST PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL TAKE YOU ALONG AS WELL.
AND, UH, I'M GONNA PUT THE FIRST QUESTION OVER TO OUR, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM GOMEZ.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I HAVE TO DO IS TRY TO PICK SOMEBODY OUT OF ALL THESE APPLICANTS MM-HMM
HELP ME MAKE MY DECISION EASIER.
AND TELL ME WHAT SETS YOU ASIDE FROM EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S APPLYING.
UM, PROBABLY PRIOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, NOT JUST NECESSARILY HERE IN LA HABRA.
UM, I, UH, I LIVED IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY, HUNTINGTON BEACH, FOUNTAIN VALLEY AREA.
UH, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, I WAS, I WAS ACTIVE THERE, UH, WITH, UH, YOUTH SPORTS AND, UH, UH, SEVERAL OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND SO I'VE GOT SOME EXPERIENCE AND I'VE GOT A LOT OF, UM, SHALL WE SAY, UM, IDEAS OF, OF, I, I'VE SPOKEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, NEIGHBORS AND, AND PEOPLE THAT, UH, LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'VE BEEN IN LA HABER FOR ABOUT 34, 35 YEARS.
SO I'VE RAISED MY FAMILY HERE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEY, THEY ALL SEEM TO WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING.
THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THE CITY NEEDS TO DO THIS, THE CITY NEEDS TO DO THAT.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT DON'T BE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
[00:30:01]
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SOME THINGS AND I THINK, WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE CITY.OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, NOW I'M BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM.
SO, UM, AS MY DAD ALWAYS TOLD ME GROWING UP, DON'T BE THE PROBLEM, BE THE SOLUTION.
AND SO I THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY, NOW, NOW THAT I'VE RETIRED, I, I'VE SPENT ABOUT 45 YEARS IN TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT.
UM, NOW, NOW IT'S TIME TO TURN MYSELF LOCALLY AND, AND BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT, THAT HAS HELPED ME RAISE MY KIDS AND BEEN A, A VERY FAMILY FRIENDLY PLACE TO, TO LIVE OVER THE YEARS.
THAT WAS MY ONE AND DONE QUESTION.
PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN LAKIN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, IN YOUR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BY THE WAY.
UM, IN YOUR APPLICATION, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WORKED WITH THE CITY TRAFFIC GROUP ON A TRAFFIC CALMING BURNS YES.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT AND, AND SHARE? AND, AND IF YOU CAN JUST KEEP IT AS BRIEF OR MAYBE ABOUT TWO MINUTES OR SO, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET ENOUGH TIME FOR OUR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, WORD WENT OUT THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SERVE, I GUESS, AS A KIND OF AN ADVISORY CAPACITY.
UH, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, INSTALLING THE TRAFFIC BURNS AND THE TRAFFIC CALMING, UH, SITUATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO MY WIFE AND I BECAME INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UN UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE, THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT THREE OF US, UH, AS FAR AS CITIZENS THAT SHOWED UP TO WORK WITH THE, THE TRAFFIC GROUP.
UH, I'M NOT, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER.
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS IF THERE WAS THE TRAFFIC PLANNING COMMISSION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED, WE WORKED, UH, TO TRY AND GET MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVOLVED.
WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR THROUGHOUT OUR AREA, UM, AND TRIED TO ELICIT MORE OF A RESPONSE.
UN UNFORTUNATELY, UM, NOBODY REALLY SEEMED TO, TO WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH IT.
UH, WHICH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ALL RIGHT WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF KIDS AND THEY'RE OUT MOVING AROUND IN THE TRAFFIC.
AND UNFORTUNATELY OUR STREET IS FAIRLY BUSY THOROUGHFARE.
AND I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEEDED, IS TO SOMEHOW KEEP THE SPEEDING DOWN, UM, KINDA LOOK OUT FOR, FOR EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY OUT IN THE STREET.
WELL, UH, YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME CAPACITY IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU APPLIED, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN NOT SEEING AS MANY PEOPLE AS I HAVE THIS TIME AROUND APPLYING FOR ANY KIND OF POSITION.
BUT YOU'VE SEEN SOME CHANGES HERE TAKING PLACE AS FAR AS COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENTS AND ALL THAT.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE BROUGHT TO THE CITY? I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE A, A VERY COMMENDABLE JOB IN, IN ORGANIZING MORE OF THESE EVENTS.
YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WE MOVED HERE WAS BASICALLY THE, UM, CORN FESTIVAL AND CORN FESTIVAL PARADE.
WELL, NOW WE'VE GOT THE TAMALE FESTIVAL, WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER EVENTS.
WE, WE HAVE MORE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH, MORE PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MAYBE EXPAND ON THOSE PROGRAMS AND SEE HOW WE CAN OUTREACH THOSE TO MORE OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO TO GET YOUTH INVOLVED.
UM, RIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE, I, I WAS WITH LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I, I MENTORED AND, AND, UH, AND TAUGHT THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH.
UM, I, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN MAYBE, UH, ENLIST SOME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO HELP MENTOR SOME OF THESE YOUNGER, HELP 'EM SIMILAR TO THE ROSIE'S GARAGE CONCEPT.
UH, HELP THEM, UH, WITH HOMEWORK AND GET THEM MORE INVOLVED BECAUSE, UH, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS INVOLVED WITH, WITH HIGH SCHOOLS.
MY SONS WENT TO WHITTIER CHRISTIAN, AND THEY HAD TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, COMMUNITY HOURS INVOLVED WITH, WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT.
UM, SO I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT, GETTING, UH, YOUTH INVOLVED WITH OTHER YOUTH AS, AS MENTORS, UM, WOULD PARTICULARLY KIND OF BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK TOWARDS.
REALLY, I JUST GOT THE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ESPINOZA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT.
AND I, I GUESS I CAN JUST WORK ON THAT A BIT MORE AND SAY, IF YOU HAD TO IDENTIFY A WEAK LINK AND WHAT WE CALL, AS, YOU KNOW, THE CARING COMMUNITY AND THAT WE'RE KIND OF FAMOUS FOR OUR NONPROFITS AND FOR OUR OVERALL ROBUST
[00:35:01]
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.BUT IF YOU HAD TO IDENTIFY A WEAK LINK OR AN AREA WHERE YOU'D LIKE EVEN AS A PET PROJECT TO IMMERSE YOURSELF, CAN YOU THINK OF WHAT THAT MIGHT BE? WELL, I THINK IN, IN, IN REALLY ADVERTISING THESE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY, WE GET THE, THE, THE FLYER THAT COMES OUT, I THINK ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
IT HAS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAMS, THE CLASSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
BUT THAT'S REALLY ALL I EVER SEE.
AND, UM, AND, AND IF, IF, AND I'M LOOKING FOR THESE SORTS OF THINGS NOW THAT I'VE RETIRED, I, I, I WANNA GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH NOW THAT I HAVE A ADDITIONAL TIME TO DO IT.
UM, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING PUT OUT OR ADVERTISED AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY THEY COULD BE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
I, I THINK MINE IS GONNA BE AN EASY QUESTION.
IT'S NOT, AND I WANNA REASSURE YOU, IT'S NOT A TRICK QUESTION BECAUSE YOU'VE, AND I, I JUST THOUGHT OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU SAID YOU, WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED INTO THE CITY WAS THE CORN FESTIVAL, AND THEN ACTIVITIES HAVE EXPANDED.
WHAT IS TODAY YOUR FAVORITE EVENT OR ACTIVITY THAT THE CITY SPONSORS OR HAS AND WHY? HONESTLY, I, I THINK IT'S THE CORN FESTIVAL.
BECAUSE IT'S EVERY YEAR MY BOYS PARTICIPATED IN IT, UH, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WITH LAHABRA, UH, FOOTBALL, POP WARNER FOOTBALL.
UH, AND, AND IT'S KIND OF SOMETHING WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO.
UM, WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS PLAYING VOLLEYBALL AND BASKETBALL AT LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL, UH, THEY WERE SHUCKING CORN, SO WE WERE SHUCKING CORN RIGHT.
UH, PROBABLY HAD THE SOFTEST HANDS IN TOWN AFTER DEALING WITH ALL THE CORN SILK
BUT, UH, I HONESTLY, I THINK IT'S JUST BEEN SO ONGOING AND SO DEEPLY ENTRENCHED IN THE HABRA THAT THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING WE LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR.
WELL, UH, THAT, UH, THAT BRINGS AN END TO OUR QUESTIONING.
WE, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, TO STICK AROUND AND, UH, SIT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, OR OF COURSE YOU'RE EXCUSED, UH, TO GO.
BUT AGAIN, WE, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, AND PLEASE ENJOY RETIREMENT AND, UH, AND CONTINUE VOLUNTEERING.
DO YOU HAVE A TIMEFRAME TO WHEN A DECISION MIGHT BE MADE? UH, WELL, WE HAVE ANOTHER SERIES OF, UH, OF INTERVIEWS, UH, BEFORE OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IN TWO WEEKS, I BELIEVE IT IS.
UH, AND THEREAFTER, UH, WE MAY COME UP TO, FOR A DECISION, MAYBE THE COUNCIL MEETING THEREAFTER, APRIL SOMETIME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
COUNCIL CAN EITHER MAKE THAT DECISION AT THE NEXT MEETING, MARCH 16TH OR APRIL 6TH.
IT'LL BE ONE OF THOSE YES OR NO.
WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE, FEW WEEKS.
DID YOUR SON SLEEP WELL AFTER THE PARTY? OH, HE SLEPT DURING THE PARTY.
HE, UH, SLEPT TOWARDS THE END RIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT.
HE, HE KNOCKED OUT AND THEN WE GOT HOME.
HE ATE AND YEAH, HE'S ALWAYS UP UNTIL LATE NIGHT QUICK.
OTHER THAN THAT, PROBABLY WENT TO SLEEP AROUND MAYBE MIDNIGHT
[00:40:02]
AFTER THAT.DOES HE GET UP STILL, OR, OR THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
UH, NO, HE, HE, HE WAKE UP MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THAT'S IT.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LOT BETTER OVERALL THIS LAST WEEK.
DO YOU GET UP OR DO YOU GUYS SHARE THE DUTIES? UH, I'VE STARTED OFF, I START OFF GETTING UP EVERY TIME WE GET A DIAPER CHANGE.
UH, NOW THE WIFE JUST, JUST LETS HIM JUST BE IN A CIPHER UNTIL WE GET UP.
I'M THE FIRST CHANGER IN THE MORNING AND UHHUH.
AND THEN SHE'S GOT THE REST OF IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO, UH, SO BECAUSE THEY ATTEMPTED TO STOP.
BUT HE WAS THE, BUT THAT'S WHAT, YEAH, IT WAS PROBABLY, I DON'T, SO THEY ACTUALLY LIKE POSSIBLE, I DON'T THINK MAY MAYOR, THE NEXT APPOINTMENT IS NOT UNTIL FOUR 15, WHICH IS NEARLY 20 MINUTES.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECESS THE MEETING? YES.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN, UH, IF ANYBODY, UH, NEEDS TO USE, UH, THE RESTROOM OR UH, GET A GLASS OF WATER.
YEAH, WHY DON'T WE RECESS? UH, THANK YOU.
WE'LL CALL THE MEETING RECESS AT THIS MOMENT.
ALRIGHT, WE CAN RECONVENE THE MEETING.
ALRIGHT, TOM, IF WE CAN HAVE YOU, UH, TAKE A SEAT HERE AT THE, UH, THE DIOCESE THERE.
AND, UH, WE'LL JUST GO OVER A FEW, UH, UH, GROUND RULES.
UH, WE'RE CITY COUNCIL IS GONNA ASK YOU A, UH, A QUESTION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, 10 MINUTES UP HERE ON THE TIMER.
YOU'LL SEE IT, UH, PROGRESS FROM, UH, GREEN TO YELLOW TO RED ONCE YOUR TIME IS UP.
THEY HAVEN'T EVEN TAKEN THAT LONG.
UH, SO, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET IT STARTED.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN LAMBKIN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
UH, SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN, WHAT DO YOU FEEL COULD BE DONE, UH, BY THE CITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS? GOLLY, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, WE COULD DO.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I'M A BIG FAN OF THE CITY AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
I THINK THEIR, YOUR HEADS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
WE HAVE, UH, LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS, LOTS OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, DO THINGS IN THE CITY AND RUN THEM VERY WELL.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THEM.
UH, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE BEEN DOING SOCCER FOR 30 YEARS AND I'M OUT THERE EVERY SATURDAY.
I KNOW JOSE, YOU WERE OUT THERE, YOU WERE A COACH.
AND SO, UM, UH, AND THAT SUPPORTS LIKE A THOUSAND KIDS EVERY FALL AND YOU KNOW, ALMOST THAT IN THE SPRING.
SO SUPPORTING ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE FIELDS AND THE ABILITY TO RUN EVERYTHING THEY DO IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK THE CITY'S BEEN PRETTY GOOD ABOUT DOING THAT.
THERE'S ALSO OTHER EVENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING ON LIKE THE CENTENNIAL.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, VERY GOOD THAT THE CITY CAN DO TO RALLY AROUND, UM, THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY.
SO I'LL LEAVE MY COMMENTS TO THOSE TWO THINGS FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WILL, UH, MOVE ON TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ESPINOZA.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UH, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST TO APPLY AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE APPLIED FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION.
[00:45:01]
SURE.SO, UM, WHAT SPARKED YOU TO APPLY AND THEN WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH ON EITHER OF THE COMMISSION? SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, UM, I FEEL LIKE EVERYONE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING TO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY LIVE AND HAVE GROWN UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE THINGS LIKE, UH, LIKE I SAID, SOCCER.
I'VE ALSO, IT'S INTERESTING, I HEARD IN THE, THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT I WATCH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM TALKING ABOUT THE BOY SCOUTS.
AND I WAS THE CUB MASTER FOR EIGHT 17.
WE HAD 103, THREE KIDS IN THAT CUB TROOP.
SO, UM, SO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN SOME WAY, EVERYONE DOES THEIR OWN DIFFERENT THING.
WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO IS, IS FANTASTIC.
SO, GIVEN THAT, UH, I WORKED FOR BOEING FOR 37 YEARS IN VARIOUS LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT, MANAGING ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO 300 PEOPLE, BUDGETS FROM A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE, $50 MILLION.
UM, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, LARGE BUREAUCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE CITIES, STATES, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE DOD, NASA, UM, I THINK THOSE SKILLS WOULD APPLY VERY WELL TO RUNNING THINGS LIKE THIS WHERE OCCASIONALLY YOU CAN GET BUREAUCRATIC, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL, DO A PROPER ANALYSIS ON EVERYTHING.
VERY FEW THINGS IN LIFE FOR BLACK AND WHITE.
THERE'S ALWAYS ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED ON BOTH SIDES, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO COME TO A DECISION TO, YOU KNOW, THE BEST FOR THE CITY.
COUNCILMAN, ER, GOOD AFTERNOON.
LET'S, UH, DIRECT THIS QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO, UM, SHARE THOUGHTS ABOUT MAYBE TWO QUICK THINGS.
NUMBER ONE IS THE CONCEPT OF THE SPECIFIC PLAN AND THE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR ALONG THE HARBOR BOULEVARD.
AND ALSO ANY THOUGHTS OR CHALLENGES YOU FEEL WE'RE FACING WITH OUR HOUSING ELEMENT? WOW.
SO, UH, WELL I'VE BEEN LISTENING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND I KNOW ALL THE STUFF WE WERE GOING THROUGH WITH LENNAR AND THAT'S CAN BE VERY PROBLEMATIC.
AND, UH, DEALING WITH PEOPLE WITH VERY BIG, DEEP POCKETS LIKE THE STATE GOVERNMENT TOO.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS THE ABOUT WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH AND WHO YOU'RE FIGHTING WITH, HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH.
YOU KNOW, ARE YOU LIKELY TO WIN? ARE YOU LIKELY TO LOSE? WHAT'S THE BEST THING? WHAT'S THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR YOUR CITY? YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON WHAT YOU DECIDE AND TO DO THERE.
UM, REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN.
'CAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PART THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS.
WELL, THAT WAS LAND USE, THAT WAS HOUSING.
AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN, WELL, HARBOR BOULEVARD.
SO THAT, THAT'S BEEN A RECURRING THEME FOR MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND CANDIDATES THERE.
AND IT'S NOT AN EASY ANSWER, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND WE'D LIKE TO TRACK PRIVATE BUSINESSES AS WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS WITH THE WALMARTS, WITH THE COSTCOS.
AND I REMEMBER BACK WHEN THERE WAS A SORT OF A BIG FIGHT WITH COSTCO.
THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE AFRAID THEY WERE GONNA GO UNDER AND THEY, THEY PROBABLY SOME MAYBE DID.
AND YET, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY OUR FAVORITE BUSINESS IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE TAX REVENUE AND TAX BASE IS THERE.
SO, UM, SO SPECIFICALLY, I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS RIGHT NOW WITH REGARD TO THE QUARTER, BUT, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A CITY OF, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS NOW, 60 SOME ODD THOUSAND, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE.
SO, UH, GENERATING THOSE IDEAS AND GOING WITH THEM, WE CAN PROBABLY FIND SOME MORE THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR AND ELSEWHERE.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, TOM, FOR COMING AGAIN.
UH, THESE, THESE, WE HAVE A LOT OF APPLICANTS AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A DECISION BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT'S GONNA SET YOU APART FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
WELL, SO TO BE A LITTLE REPETITIVE, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN A LARGE ORGANIZATION WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, DEALING WITH MANY CONTRACTS, WITH MANY DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS, UM, I THINK DOING THAT AND BEING CALM AND RATIONAL, VERY SCIENTIFIC ABOUT THE DECISION.
I HAVE TWO ENGINEERING DEGREES AND SO I THINK THAT'LL BE HELPFUL IN THIS REGARD.
UM, UH, A LOT OF LIFE EXPERIENCE, UH, DEALING WITH THE CITIES.
WE, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, WE OWNED A SMALL APARTMENT ON LONG BEACH IN THE HERITAGE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
AND SO WORKING WITH THEM AS TO WHAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO, WHAT ALLOWED TO DO AND YET STILL IMPROVE YOUR LOT.
SO GOING THROUGH THOSE TYPE OF THINGS VERY CAREFULLY AND CAUTIOUSLY, UH, IS I THINK SOMETHING THAT I CAN BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND I DO WANNA SAY ONE THING THOUGH IS, UM, I, I, I LOVE THE DIVERSITY ON THE COUNCIL AND DIVERSITY I SEE ON THE COMMISSIONS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, I HAD TWO GIRLS AND A BOY, MY KIDS, AND SO WE WANT TO GET, UH, THE WOMEN INVOLVED AS WELL AS, UH, ALL THE MINORITIES, YOUNG FOLKS TOO.
SO, UM, AS YOU GUYS MAKE YOUR DECISIONS, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOUNG FOLKS TOO.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEREAS I THINK THAT CAN BE REALLY VALUABLE FOR YOU, HECK, IF WE COULD A REALLY COULD GO GET A YOUNG PERSON, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE DECADES OF, OF HELP TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY IN THE LONG TERM, BUT THERE'S VALUE FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN AROUND AND HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, AND ESPECIALLY IN LARGE ORGANIZATIONS AND DEALING WITH A LOT OF BUREAUCRATIC, COMPLEX KIND OF IDEAS.
[00:50:01]
AND THAT'S WHAT MY JOB WAS, IS PLANNING YOUR WHOLE JOB AT, AT BOEING IS YOUR MANAGER IS PLANNING BIG PROJECT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, SMALL, SMALL PLANS, BUDGET PLANS, PEOPLE PLANS, IT'S ALL GOING THROUGH THERE AND MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF YOUR BOSSES, WHICH YOU STILL HAVE TO DO, AND YET DOING THE RIGHT THING.TOM, I'M I'LL, UH, I'LL ADDRESS THE LAST QUESTION, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANTED TO SAY, WHEN YOU SAY YOUNG PEOPLE YES.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE,
UH, THERE'S EXPERIENCE BEHIND THAT, BUT WE'RE STILL YOUNG.
I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT THERE.
I THINK MAYBE ONLY ROSE HAS ME BEAT, BUT, UH, OKAY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, AND IT BRINGS THE MIND TO QUESTION OF LOCAL CONTROL.
UH, FOR, UH, FOR THE CITY OF LAHABRA, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVING THE EXTENSIVE UH, UH, BACKGROUND THAT YOU DO WORKING FOR BOEING, WORKING WITH THE STATE, WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, OF COURSE ON A SMALLER SCALE HERE.
YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE THERE.
WHAT'S YOUR VIEW ON LOCAL CONTROL? SO, UH, I KNOW I'VE HEARD YOU GUYS, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE BIG INTO LOCAL CONTROL AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, WE WILL GO BACK TO SAY EVERY, EVERY IDEA THERE'S GOOD IDEAS.
I THINK THERE'S VERY FEW IDEAS IN TERMS OF LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS THAT ARE PASSED THAT ARE JUST, HOW SHALL I SAY THIS? EVIL IN INTENT.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOME GOOD IDEA, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A COST.
SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE.
YOU CAN FIND PROBABLY SOME RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME IN THAT WERE REALLY GOOD IDEAS, THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS, BUT THE, THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL.
SO IN GENERAL, I THINK IT'S BETTER, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL AUTONOMY, LOCAL CONTROL, NO ONE WANTS TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO IN ANY, ANY, ANY CASE.
AND YET WE STILL HAVE SOME RULES.
YOU CAN'T GO OVER SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, 55 MILES AN HOUR OR 65.
AND SO THERE ARE RULES, BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE DO.
SO I'M ALL FOR KEEPING AS MUCH OF THAT LOCAL AS POSSIBLE.
YEAH, UH, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF OUT, SO I'LL, UH, I'LL END IT THERE.
AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, TO SIT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE, UH, YOU, YOU'RE FREE TO GO.
HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON AND, UH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, FOR YOUR INTEREST.
AND KEEP UP WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
I'LL HANG FOR A WHILE TO SEE IF ANYTHING INTERESTING HAPPENS.
KEEP SAYING YOU'RE FREE TO GO AND THAT'D BE LIKE RIGHT AT THE AMOUNT THAT YOU WOULD SAY WHEN YOU WERE BACK ON PATROL
WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED? I SAID KEEP SAYING FREE TO GO.
AND YOU'LL BE RIGHT AT ABOUT, JUST ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT I TOLD YOU TO SAY WHEN YOU WERE ON PATROL.
DEB SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE COP AND ONLY A COP ON OTHER SIDE.
BECAUSE YOU'VE EXPERIENCED I GOTTA CATCH MYSELF THAT
THAT GUY OUT THERE, HE WAS LIKE, LIKE SHE WAS THERE AND HE'S LITERALLY HING OVER HER.
HE'S, WHAT WAS IT? SOME, YOU COULD TELL THEY, I DON'T THINK THEY WERE TRANSIENTS, BUT THEY WERE PROBABLY SO
[00:55:08]
I, THE LEVEL OF DAD NOTES HERE IS JUST FUN.
THAT'S A NOT RECORDED, RIGHT? HE'S A CO.
HOW ARE YOU ALL? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED IF YOU'RE READY.
I'M NOT GONNA GET ANY MORE READY.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN, HEY, LET'S, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
LET'S TRY THAT, RIGHT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, SIR, UH, IT'S MR. BLIGHT, CORRECT? YES.
ALRIGHT, WELL, PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND, UH, YOUR INTEREST IN, UH, IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, UH, DOING THIS.
AND, UH, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, UH, AMONGST CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU 10 MINUTES TOTAL.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE HERE ON THIS TIMER HERE, YOU WON'T SEE, BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE TIME IS, BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE GREEN LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT AS IT DWINDLES, AND THEN RED LIGHT WHEN YOU'VE REACHED, UH, YOUR AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND, UH, WE'LL HELP YOU KEEP ON TRACK AS WELL.
UH, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH SOME QUESTIONS AND I'M GONNA START IT OVER TO MY RIGHT WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ESPINOZA.
HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
I NOTICED ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU, YOU IN CIVIC INTEREST, YOU PUT, UH, YOUR INTEREST IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? WELL, I, UM, STILL HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL HERE AND I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF TEACHERS.
UM, SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A A A I'M GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME LEFT OVER SO I CAN ASK HIM ANOTHER YEAH, GO AHEAD.
THE OTHER QUESTION I, I WANTED TO ASK, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE MOST
[01:00:01]
IMPORTANT LAND ISSUES FACING THE CITY TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE? WELL, I THINK LA HABRA IS SIMILAR TO A LOT OF CITIES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA WHERE HOUSING AND PROVIDING ENOUGH OF IT IS CRITICAL.UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST HANDFUL OF YEARS, UM, AND THEN SOME THAT HAVE NOT MADE IT FOR WHATEVER VARIOUS REASONS.
UM, BUT MEETING THE MEETING THE DEMAND FOR HOUSING, I THINK IS PRETTY CRITICAL.
UM, AND THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO, UH, REQUIRE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT POSSIBLY, UM, REDEVELOPING PROPERTIES.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OLD OLDER PROPERTIES HERE THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED, UM, THAT ARE MAYBE NOT FAILING, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT, UH, BEING OPERATED IN THEIR HIGHEST AND BEST VALUE TO THE CITY OR TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS OF, OF THE CITY.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S PROPERTIES THAT COULD BENEFIT.
YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THE NORTH GATE IS FINALLY GONNA BE OCCUPIED BY SOMEBODY 'CAUSE THAT SAT FOR WAY TOO LONG.
UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTIES WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN IDEAL TENANT SITUATIONS WHERE IT WOULD BE GREAT TO IMPROVE THEM OR FIND A WAY TO, UM, REDEVELOP THEM AND FIND WAYS TO, TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
WITH REGARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILIARITY WITH THE THING CALLED THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT NUMBERS? AND THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT THE STATE SAYS EVERY CITY HAS TO ZONE FOR HOUSING.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL? AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THE ONGOING BATTLE THAT SOME CITIES ARE HAVING SAYING, WE WANNA PRESERVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, WE WANNA HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER WHEN, WHERE, HOW, THIS SORT OF THING.
UM, I WORKED ON, WELL, I'LL START, I'LL START BACK.
I GOT A DEGREE IN CITY PLANNING.
UM, AND INITIALLY LIKE MANY PEOPLE WITH THOSE DEGREES, I WENT AND WORKED ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE AND IT WASN'T, I DIDN'T FIND THE RIGHT FIT.
AND SO THEN I CAME TO THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE AND I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF REAL ESTATE AND REAL ESTATE CONNECTED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE BALANCE BETWEEN LOCAL CONTROL AND STATE CONTROL.
AND FOR THAT MATTER, FEDERAL CONTROL IS A TOUGH ONE.
AND EVERY, EVERY JURISDICTION HAS TO WALK THAT LINE WITH WHAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF OVERARCHING PLAN, BUT THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE A HEALTHY DOSE OF WHAT'S REASONABLE LOCALLY, WHAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SPENT A COUPLE YEARS WORKING FOR CALTRANS, AND IF YOU EVER SPEND ANY TIME ON THE 15 FREEWAY OUT IN SOUTH RIVERSIDE COUNTY, YOU'LL KNOW THAT THEY IGNORED CALTRANS FOR A LONG TIME AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY HAD THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND EVERYTHING POPPED UP, AND THEN THE FREEWAY COULDN'T HANDLE IT.
AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S A NIGHTMARE AND THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO BUILD THEIR WAY OUT OF IT 20 SOMETHING YEARS LATER.
SO IS THAT BALANCE OF OKAY, WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE BIG PICTURE, BUT ALSO WHAT MAKES SENSE LOCALLY.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT BALANCE OF CONTROL.
AND IF IT YOU SWING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, IT CAN GET A LITTLE DICEY.
SO YOU GOTTA TRY TO, YOU KNOW, JUGGLE AS BEST YOU CAN.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, PROPERTIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE IDEAL USE AND THEY CAN BE REDEVELOPED.
THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM US, ONE OF THOSE TOOLS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU ACCOMPLISH THAT? AND SECOND, WOULD YOU GO AS FAR AS USING EM EMINENT DOMAIN? WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF EMINENT DOMAIN?
UM, IT DOES HAVE TO BE USED CAREFULLY AND JUDICIOUSLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, AN OWNER HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ABILITY TO EXPECT, YOU KNOW, QUIET ENJOYMENT OF THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO WORK IN LIKE A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP WHERE CITY LEADERSHIP WORKS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND SAYS, LOOK, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO SOMETHING HERE THAT BENEFITS ALL OF US BECAUSE SOMEBODY WHO OWNS A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT'S NOT THRIVING, THEY MIGHT NEED A LITTLE INCENTIVE, THEY MIGHT NEED A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT, THEY MIGHT NEED A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE, UM, TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, THEIR TYPE OF, THEIR IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR PROPERTIES BENEFIT THEM.
SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF STRIKING THE BALANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALL VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU PROBABLY COULD NAME A HANDFUL OF FOLKS THAT YOU, YOU HAVE ON SPEED DIAL THAT'D BE LIKE, OH, HEY, THAT'S, WE GOT THIS ISSUE, OR WE GOT THAT ISSUE.
AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CREATING THAT, UM, A RELATIONSHIP, A PARTNERSHIP THAT WORKS.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT GOING
[01:05:01]
TO BE PERFECT AND THERE ARE GONNA BE, SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS THAT YOU WOULD PRESENT TO THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR THEM AND THEIR SITUATION.AND I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE CHAMBER DOES WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT AND, YOU KNOW, LAHABRA FOR SOME REASON, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS BEHIND IT, BUT PEOPLE ARE OFTEN LIKE, HOW COME THE HUBBER ALREADY HAS SUCH AND SUCH RESTAURANT OR SUCH AND SUCH, YOU KNOW, RETAIL STORE, WE CAN'T GET ONE OVER IN HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS, BUT WE DO SEEM TO DO FAIRLY WELL IN THAT REGARD.
SO I KNOW WE'RE NOT TOTALLY OVERLOOKED, SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF LIKE, OKAY, DO WE HAVE A WHOLE FOODS? NO.
OKAY, WE GOT TRADER JOE'S, WE GOT A HANDFUL OF THINGS.
SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, I THINK, UM, CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENTS, LOOK FOR CHANGE THAT IS BENEFICIAL, THAT TIES, YOU KNOW, TIES EVERYTHING TOGETHER INTO A BIGGER PICTURE, WHICH IS BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
UH, AS A COMMISSIONER OF ANY CITY, UH, YOU'RE EXPECTED TO LIKELY WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO PLANNING SUCH AS YOURSELF WITH YOUR BACKGROUND IN, UM, AS A CITY PLANNER, TRANSPORTATION PLANNER, PROJECT MANAGER, UH, BUT YOU AND, AND, AND, UH, ALSO WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY LAYMAN UNDERSTANDING MM-HMM
OF HOW ZONINGS, HOW ZONES WORK, HOW COMMUNITIES WORK, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO WORK WITH, OR WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT YOU WOULD USE TO WORK WITH THOSE WHO, UM, MAY JUST HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ZONING LAWS OR, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION CONCEPTS.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE JOB.
'CAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THE, THE WHITE COLLAR SIDE OF PLANNING GETS A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY AND INTO THE IVORY TOWER OF THEORY AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY ENJOY, AND I DO SOME CONSULTING ON THE SIDE, IS I LOVE TO WORK WITH INDEPENDENT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE QUOTE UNQUOTE RED TAPE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA WALK 'EM THROUGH LIKE, OKAY, HERE'S WHY
AND SO YOU AND I, I APOLOGIZE.
I'M PROBABLY ASKING, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO IS NOT THE BUSINESSES THEMSELVES, BUT PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION THAT ARE WITH YOU THAT MAY NOT HAVE A, UH, AS WEALTH OF A KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERSTANDING AS YOU DO.
I WAS, I WAS THINKING, I WAS THINKING WITH THEM.
HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEM? OKAY.
UM, I, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THEY'RE HERE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME.
SO THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE THE, UM, DESIRE TO SERVE.
THEY HAVE THE DESIRE TO LEARN, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T BE HERE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE LIKE, I COULD IMAGINE NOT HAVING ANY SORT OF EXPERIENCE IN PLANNING, THAT'D BE KIND OF DAUNTING REALLY, TO BE LIKE, YEAH, I'M GONNA GO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING.
UM, AND I LIKE TO BREAK THINGS DOWN AND SAY, LOOK, HERE'S, HERE IS HOW AND WHY, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE HISTORY.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE A LOT OF US, I'M SURE YOU GET A DEGREE IN SOMETHING AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY GO LEARN ABOUT HOW THE JOB ACTUALLY WORKS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEGREE GETS YOU A CERTAIN TO A CERTAIN DISTANCE, BUT IT DOESN'T GET YOU TO THE FINISH LINE BY ANY MEANS.
UM, SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLANNERS I'VE EVER WORKED WITH AT SOME OF THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES I'VE BEEN IN ARE PEOPLE WHO STARTED AS A CLERK AND THEY WORKED AT THE CITY FOR 30, 40 YEARS, AND THEY JUST LEARNED ON THE JOB, AND THEY PICKED UP SOMETHING THAT WAS INTERESTING AND THEN THEY LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT, AND THEN THEY WENT AND GOT A CERTIFICATE OR SOME SORT OF OTHER THING THAT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T A FULL FLEDGED BACHELOR'S OR MASTER'S DEGREE, BUT ESPECIALLY PLANNING THIS, IT'S, IT'S LARGELY COMMON SENSE.
THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN JUST LEARN AS YOU GO.
SO I THINK THAT IT LENDS ITSELF TO PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED, THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY GONNA HAVE A STRONG TECHNICAL, FORMAL TRAINING BACKGROUND.
REAL QUICK, AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, IN ABOUT A MINUTE OR LESS, AND I'M JUST GONNA, I'M GONNA THROW OUT FOR YOU, I THREW UP FOR A FEW CANDIDATES EARLY ON.
YOU'RE, UH, YOU, YOU'RE BROUGHT TO THE DILEMMA OF GREEN SPACE VERSUS HOUSING.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT IT? WELL, MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, WHY? WHY DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE ONLY ONE
I MEAN, I, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE OVERALL, THE ARCHING OVERARCHING PRIORITIES.
AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT, OKAY, WHAT ARE OUR OBLIGATIONS AS A CITY TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA? WE MAY HAVE TO SACRIFICE GREEN SPACE.
WE MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT WE CAN HOPEFULLY FIND WAYS TO INCORPORATE AT LEAST A SMALL AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE WITHIN HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVE WAYS THAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY CONSTRUCTION IS TENDING TO GO VERTICAL THESE DAYS.
AND SO THAT HOPEFULLY CAN, YOU CAN FIND SOME EFFICIENCIES AND AT LEAST CREATE SMALL POCKETS OF SOMETHING THAT SORT OF RESEMBLES PARK
[01:10:01]
UM, THAT, UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, OUR INTERVIEW.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE, AND, UH, OBSERVE THE REST OF THE, UH, THE INTERVIEWS.
OTHERWISE, UH, WE THANK YOU AGAIN.
AND, UH, CONGRATS ON THE, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE BIG, UH, LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL WIN.
UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL PART OF THE BOARD AT LO WRIGHT AT UH, UH, I AM STILL ON THE FOOTBALL BOARD, YES.
WE'RE STILL IN THAT CIF AFTERGLOW.
UM, WE'RE, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED.
UH, I'M GONNA GO OVER A FEW GROUND RULES HERE REAL QUICK.
UH, EACH OF THE COUNCILS MEMBERS WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I'M GONNA POINT YOU HERE TO THE, UH, TIMER HERE THAT I'M POINTING TO YOU.
UH, YOU CAN HAVE 10 MINUTES OVERALL, YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME.
UH, THE, UH, LIGHT IS GONNA BE A GREEN ONCE IT GOES TO YELLOW AND TO RED, MEANING THAT WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL START OUR FIRST SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM GOMEZ.
UH, FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW IT'S MY FIRST TIME HERE AND I FEEL LIKE I THINK SO.
LISTEN, A QUESTION FOR YOU IS YES.
UH, WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LAHABRA AND WHERE DO YOU THINK THERE'S AN AREA THAT MAYBE WE CAN IMPROVE IN LAHABRA? UH, I LIKE, UH, THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY IS VERY FRIENDLY BECAUSE I'M COMING HERE FOR TWO YEARS AGO AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, GIVE ME, OPEN THE ARMS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THE PARKS, UH, IMPROVE THE PARKS FOR, UM, I HAVE TWO CHILD WITH AUTISTIC AND I THINK, SO I NEED A MORE, UM, AUTISTIC FRIENDLY PARKS.
AND YOU'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THAT I'VE SEEN.
UH, AND YES, I'VE SEEN YOU AT MANY EVENTS AND, UH, I'VE SEEN YOU, UH, ADVOCATE FOR MANY OF OUR YOUTH, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN OUR CITY.
SO I THANK YOU THAT FOR THAT SO MUCH.
UM, ESPECIALLY DURING AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH.
UM, I, I SEE IN YOUR APPLICATION HERE YOU REFERENCE BEING BILINGUAL, ALSO LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE, UM, AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU BELIEVE BEING, UM, UH, SPEAKING MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, PROMOTING OUR CITY AND CONDUCTING EVENTS AND GETTING PEOPLE ENGAGED IN OUR CITY? HOW IMPORTANT IS, IS BEING BILINGUAL TO YOU? IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, WHEN I COME IN HERE, MORE FLYERS IS ONLY IN ENGLISH, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND NOTHING IN ENGLISH.
AND I'M ATTENDING TOO MANY EVENTS BECAUSE IT'S ONLY IN ENGLISH.
AND WHEN I COME IN AND BECAUSE I, I KNOW TWO PERSON HERE SPEAK SPANISH, AND I FEEL LIKE MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN I TALK AND COME IN AND IT'S TOO MANY PEOPLES COMING HERE, HISPANIC AND LATINS.
UH, TWO YEARS AGO I WAITRESS IN, UH, ADELITA.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I SAY THANK YOU FOR ONE PERSON, AND HE START WITH ME IN SIGN LANGUAGE, HE FEEL, HE SAY, ME.
YOU DO, YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU KNOW HOW IT'S, AND IT'S VERY LIKE, UM, COMMUNITY SPEAK, UH, NOT ONLY ONE LANGUAGE, TWO LANGUAGE, THREE LANGUAGE, AND NOT ONLY, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE MOUTH, UH, WITH THE SIGNS.
AND BECAUSE THE PERSON FEEL, UH, WELCOME.
COUNCIL ESPINOZA, START THIS, START THIS.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, LA HARBOR IS KNOWN AS A CARING COMMUNITY AND WE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS PROMOTE THAT THAT'S ALWAYS ON OUR MIND AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WANTED YOU TO SHARE WITH ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THESE YEARS AS FAR AS A VOLUNTEER
[01:15:01]
OR TO PARTICIPATE IN ANYTHING IN LA HARA.I PARTICIPATE IN EVANS, LIKE BASEBALL.
MY FIRST EVAN, LIKE, UH, ER IS ON BASEBALL.
UM, I LIKE IT THE FIRST TIME I READ.
UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, TUMOR SCARE BECAUSE IT'S MY FIRST TIME, UH, VOLUNTEER HELP ANOTHER PEOPLE HELP IN ENGLISH BECAUSE OLDER PERSON SPEAK, UH, SPANISH.
UM, BUT WHEN SERVED FOR, UM, AUTISTIC KIDS AND FAMILIES WITH, UH, DISABILITIES AND THE SHARES I SERVE THE FAMILIES WITH, UH, UH, UH, WITH, UH, SO MANY, UM, I'M SO SORRY.
UH, TOO MANY KIDS AND WITH, AND NEED HELP IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE IN SPANISH OR ENGLISH IS A VERY, UH, I FEEL LIKE VERY REGRETFUL, UH, FOR SERVING ALL THE FAMILIES, NOT ONLY MY FAMILY.
AND I GIVE IT ALL THE LOVE FOR ANOTHER FAMILIES AND CHILD.
HOW ARE YOU? YEAH, I KNOW WHAT A, WHAT A REALLY EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE YOU ARE FOR, UH, SENSORY SENSITIVE YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING.
BUT IF YOU SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF TOO.
LIKE EVERYTHING FROM BEAUTIFICATION TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT TO PARKS AND MUSEUMS, TO SPECIAL EVENTS TO YOUTH COMMITTEE, ALL THAT.
TELL ME WHERE ELSE YOUR INTERESTS ALSO LIE AND WHERE YOU THINK WORK CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE OLD COMMUNITY, RIGHT? YES.
UM, BUT I HAVE, UM, I KNOW, UM, I HAVE MORE FAMILY HERE.
I HAVE, UH, MY DAD AND MY MOM AND IS VERY, UM, I WANNA MORE EVIDENCE LIKE ANOTHER PEOPLE, UH, OLD PEOPLE.
UH, BUT MY MOM ONLY SPEAKS SPANISH AND SHE KNOW, SHE, SHE TRY CONNECT AND, AND I SAY EVERY TIME, COME, COME, COME TO EVANS, AND SHE LIKE, UH, CHINESE AND LIKE, LIKE THIS.
AND I WANNA MY FAMILY LOOK AT ME AND SAY, OH, SHE GO VOLUNTEER.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND WHEN YOU COME IN ANOTHER CITY, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW, YOU NO, YOU, YOU NOT GO ANOTHER EVENTS BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE NOT YOUR CITY, IT'S NOT YOUR COUNTRY.
AND WHEN YOU GIVE IT EXAMPLE, ALL YOUR FAMILY, ALL PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, GO WITH YOU AND FEEL UP, FEEL THE PART LIKE THE CITY, FEEL LIKE THIS NEW CITY IS YOUR HOME.
AND I WANNA, UM, OUT PERSONS, MEXICANS AND UM, UH, FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE NEW HOME AND LOVES YOUR NEW HOME.
AND I TAKE CARE FOR YOUR NEW HOME.
UH, THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF, UH, OF EVENTS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, WE HOST HERE IN THE CITY OF LAHABRA.
AND AS A COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSIONER, YOU'LL BE HELPING OUT WITH SOME OF THOSE EVENTS.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EVENT THAT HAPPENS HERE IN THE CITY AND WHY? MY FAVORITE EVENT IS THE NEXT SATURDAY, AND IT'S THE ERS CHALLENGERS EVENTS.
IT'S MY SECOND EVENT, BUT IT'S MY FAVORITE.
HELL, THEY, THEY, THEY ALL LIKE LIONS,
AND I THINK THIS, THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE EVENT.
UM, ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY IN CLOSING? I FEEL VERY NERVOUS.
I LIKE HELP AND I LIKE, UH, HELP WITH MY TIME.
I WANNA GIVE HIM MORE, UH, SUPPORT LA HABRA NOT ONLY THE CHILDREN WITH AUTISTIC, UM, BUT I WANNA HELP ALL THE PEOPLE.
THE PERSON IS COMING FROM MEXICO, THE PERSON IS COMING FROM THE, THE WOMAN'S IS COMING.
UM, I WANNA HELP THE AUTISTIC FAMILIES, THE, UH, DISABILITY FAMILIES, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU FEEL ALONE IN
AND I WANNA SAY YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
AND I TALK WITH ALL, AND YOU ARE VERY FRIENDLY, BUT SOMETIMES THE PERSON ONLY SEE YOU AND NOT SEE YOU LIKE A PERSONS.
AND I WANNA TRY ANOTHER PERSONS IN COMING.
I'M SO SORRY MY FIRST TIME HERE.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE INTERVIEW.
[01:20:01]
AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, TO STICK AROUND AND, UH, AND WATCH THE, UH, THE LAST TWO INTERVIEWS IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU.
OKAY, WELL, HOW ARE YOU MR. GONZALEZ? YES, SIR.
YOU'RE HERE EARLY, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED.
I'LL, UH, I'LL GO OVER A FEW GROUND RULES HERE.
UH, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WILL, UH, WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WE'LL GET YOUR ANSWER AND YOUR FEEDBACK.
AND, UH, THEREAFTER, UH, WE'LL CONCLUDE.
I'M GONNA POINT YOU HERE TO THE TIMER UP HERE, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE THE TIME.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE LIGHT WILL, UH, WILL TURN GREEN WHEN WE START.
IT'LL PROGRESS TO YELLOW AND RED WHEN WE RUN OUT OF TIME, UH, AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW.
UH, SO WE'LL PROCEED WITH THAT.
AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, GET STARTED WITH OUR FIRST QUESTION.
AND OUR FIRST QUESTION IS GONNA COME FROM COUNCILMAN LAMBKIN.
UH, CAN YOU SHARE WITH, UH, ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'VE ATTENDED IN OUR CITY? UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO WAIT UNTIL THE SIRENS, BUT, OKAY.
SO, I, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN JUST TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF YOUR ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES YOU'VE BEEN TO WITHIN OUR CITY.
UM, IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN MORE ACTIVE THAN PRESENT BECAUSE I'VE HAD MY 25-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, SHE STARTED AT OLETA.
UM, SHE WENT TO STARBUCKS AND THEN FROM LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL, I'M SORRY,
UM, SO I WAS INVOLVED IN ALL THE ACTIVITIES, THE CORN FESTIVAL, UM, RAISING A LAMB, A, A PIG, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I, I REALLY COULDN'T NAME ALL THE EVENTS 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM THAT WE WOULD GO TO.
UM, BUT I ALSO HAVE MY SON, RICHARD, WHO ACTUALLY WAS BORN HERE, AND HE WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL.
SO I FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE SPORTS, THE, THE SOCCER, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE BY TARGET.
UH, WE ALSO, I WAS INVOLVED WITH HIS SCHOOL, HE WAS IN BAND, SO I'D GO TO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, THE BAND WOULD ALSO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, THE CORN FESTIVAL, DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS.
AND NOW I'VE GOT JACOB, WHO'S 14 YEARS OLD, AND HE'S ALSO GOING THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
UM, I'VE DONE SIMILAR THOSE THINGS.
UM, SO YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED HERE AND YOU HAVE, UH, YOUR INTEREST IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS, UM, THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH REGARDS TO THE DESIGN, THE, THE SERVICES THAT ARE OFFERED IN THE CITY, THE BUSINESSES THAT COME IN, WHAT KIND OF ISSUES DO YOU STILL SEE THAT IS FACING THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW DO YOU BELIEVE LA HARBOR SHOULD ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE CONCERNS? WELL, I'VE BEEN IN LA HARBOR 18 YEARS.
I WAS HERE WHEN, UH, WHERE IS IT? OVER IMPERIAL IN BEACH.
IT USED TO BE AN OLD, LIKE, I THINK IT WAS AN ABANDONED CHURCH IN THAT, THAT HUGE LOT OVER THERE.
AND THEN IT GOT TURNED INTO THESE APARTMENTS, THE VENETIAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AT FIRST, I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
THEN I SEE THE TRAFFIC BUILDING UP MORE AND MORE, AND THEN I SEE MORE, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PROGRESS IN ONE POINT.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T STOP PROGRESS.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN LAHABRA GROW.
UM, I WISH THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DEDICATION TO THE UPKEEP OF THE STREETS, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I DO
[01:25:01]
SEE IT KIND OF DETERIORATING BECAUSE THERE'S MORE PEOPLE, I'M REALLY NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE HOMELESS SITUATION.IF YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THIS ONE KID MANY YEARS AGO THAT'S SUICIDE UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STILL FORM THERE ON CHRISTMAS.
THEY PUT THEIR CATTLES OUT THERE, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OUT OF HAND.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WALKING ALL OVER.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT BRAVER NOW.
THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, I THINK THEY'RE, IT'S NOT REALLY GETTING, GETTING RID OF THEM, BUT PLACING THEM, GIVING THEM ASSISTANCE.
YOU KNOW, OUR CITY IS A GREAT CITY, YOU KNOW, AND I, I LOVE THIS CITY AND I WANT, I BELIEVE I'M GONNA STAY HERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF SOME OF THE ISSUES I SEE.
UM, IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE CROWDED EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN SIRI.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S INTERESTING.
YOU, YOU, YOU SAY THAT, WELL, THERE'S NOT A LOT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THESE SACRAMENTO MANDATES THAT ARE REQUIRING US TO ZONE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOUSES? AND WHAT ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LOCAL CONTROL, WHERE WE KIND OF HAVE THE ABILITY OR DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW THESE, THESE THINGS ARE BUILT? UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LOCAL CONTROL AND ABOUT OUR HOUSING SITUATION? I BELIEVE IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SACRAMENTO MANDATING THINGS TO US THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE CERTAIN TYPE OF, OF LOW INCOME HOUSING.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE A TYPE OF A PLAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE WILL THEY BE? UM, HOW WILL THEY BE ABSORBED INTO THE, THE COMMUNITY, INTO ALL THE, THE, THE NEW RESIDENTS THAT ARE COMING UP? I DON'T BELIEVE CROWDING THEM ALL TOGETHER IN ONE SPOT WOULD PROBABLY BE BENEFICIAL FOR US.
BUT I THINK IF WE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY, NEW BUILDINGS, UH, NEW CONCEPTS, NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING ALLOW, ALLOW A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING, BUT WITHOUT MAKING THEM FEEL BAD, WITHOUT MAKING THEM FEEL LESS THAN, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN GOD, AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A FAIR SHARE IN THIS LIFE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO SOMEHOW ALLOCATE IN CERTAIN AREAS FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING, I THINK IT, IT WOULD BE JUST FINE WITHOUT JUST GROUPING THEM ALL TOGETHER.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THEN THAT AREA WILL PROBABLY JUST, YOU, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE EVERYTHING JUST GOING DOWNHILL, MORE TRASH, MORE THINGS, AND PROBABLY MORE SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZED FROM THE CITY TO GO THERE.
UM, BUT IF YOU SPREAD IT OUT, PERHAPS SOME OF THESE FOLKS WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
IF I MAY, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA INTERRUPT REAL QUICK.
IF I CAN INTERJECT THIS ONE THING.
HAVE YOU READ THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN THAT ADDRESSES ALL THIS? HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH IT? NOT IN DETAIL.
I'VE, I'VE GONE THROUGH SOME OF IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I GET EMAILS FROM THAT, SO I DO.
UM, YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THE UPKEEP ON SOME OF THE STREETS.
AND MY QUESTION IS, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE IS YOUR CONCERN, UH, WHERE THE UPKEEP LACKS IN THE COMMUNITY? AND SECOND IS, UH, ARE YOU AWARE OF OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN? I'M NOT AWARE OF THE PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN, BUT I AM AWARE OF THE UPKEEP.
I LIVE ON BRASS LANTERN AND, UM, IMPERIAL.
THAT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE FOR ME BECAUSE THE CITY IS, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HIGHWAY.
THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN SECTIONS.
AND THEN I HAVE TO DEAL, WHO WAS IT? CAL, CAL CALTRANS.
RIGHT? SOMEONE, AND, AND GETTING THROUGH TO THEM, IT'S, IT'S A NIGHTMARE.
UM, THAT CREEK IS ANOTHER SITUATION, BUT IF YOU, IF WE TALK SPECIFICALLY ON THE STREET, THE CITY SIDEWALKS, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT ONE CORNER AND GO FROM BRASS LANTERN, IT'S PROBABLY EVEN FURTHER WEST, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO IMPERIAL, BECAUSE I WALK THERE OFTEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOTHING BUT ROCKS WITH DIRT AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE GOING ON THROUGH THAT SECTION RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND THAT'S TALKING RIGHT BY THE CHURCH RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
THAT WHOLE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, UH, NOT ACROSS THE STREET, BECAUSE IT'S ALL DIRT OVER THERE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
AND, AND I, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY JURISDICTION OVER THE, THE CREEK, BUT THAT'S A NIGHTMARE DOWN THERE.
AND, UH, AND ALONG THOSE LINES, UH, BECAUSE YOU, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE GENERAL AREA, THE CREEK, AND WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT THE, THE, UH, THE CREEK ITSELF IS, UH, IS GOVERNED BY THE,
[01:30:01]
UH, THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.ARE YOU FAMILIAR AT ALL, UH, WITH, UH, WITH ANY OF THE, UH, THE SERVICES, UH, THAT THE, UH, CITY OF LA HABER PROVIDES AS FAR AS, UH, THE UNHOUSED HOMELESS PEOPLE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY, ANYTHING? NO, NOT AT ALL.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT THE CITY DOES PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NEEDED.
AND YOU SEE THE SAME FOLKS ON THE SAME CORNERS, THE SAME STREETS ALL THE TIME.
AND I'M THINKING THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW EVERYONE SAYS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY THEY'RE NOT THERE TO HOUSE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THERE TO PROTECT AND SERVE US.
AND, AND, AND ALONG THOSE LINES, IF, UH, IF YOU WEREN'T FAMILIAR, YES.
THE CITY OF LAHABRA HAS, UH, UH, CONTRIBUTES TO TWO, UH, TO TWO HOMELESS SHELTERS.
UH, ONE IN THE CITY OF, UH, WINTER PARK, THE OTHER IN THE CITY OF PLACENTIA THAT WE CONTRIBUTE MONEY TOWARDS.
AND, UH, THOSE, UH, THOSE SERVICES ARE, ARE OFTEN, UH, UH, OFFERED, UH, TO THE UNHOUSED AND TO THE, UH, THE HOMELESS.
UH, BEING HOMELESS IS NOT A CRIME.
UH, BUT, UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE BY THE SAME TOKEN THOUGH, IS, UH, AS A CITY AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, WE HAVE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS CONTINUE TO OFFER THOSE SERVICES.
AND YES, UH, THE, UH, THE ANSWER IS NOT ALWAYS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, BUT THEY ARE OUR FRONTLINE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO HOMELESS LIAISONS, UH, THAT WE EMPLOY HERE AS WELL.
AND WE ARE, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON THE, UH, ON THE ISSUE.
BUT, UH, WITH THAT, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING INTERESTED IN, UH, IN, UH, PLANNING.
UH, AND, UH, I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO, UH, TO SIT IN THE CHAMBER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE MORE INTERVIEW OUTSIDE OF THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, MR. GONZALEZ.
YES, MR. RODRIGUEZ, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, SIR? GOOD TO SEE YOU.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL GET STARTED.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS HERE UP ON THE, UH, ON FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, I SHOULD SAY.
I'M GONNA POINT YOU TO THE TIMER HERE.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU 10 MINUTES IF YOU'LL HAVE AMPLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
THE, UH, THE, THE COLORS HERE, GREEN WILL STAY GREEN UP UNTIL, UH, TIME STARTS TO DWINDLE WITHIN THE LAST MINUTE.
AND THAT'LL CONCLUDE OUR INTERVIEW.
I FORESEE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT, BUT, UH, REGARDLESS, I'LL GET US STARTED AND, UH, I'M GONNA START OUR FIRST LINE OF QUESTIONING FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN LAMPKIN.
I THINK I WENT FIRST ON THE LAST ONE, DID YOU? I DID, YES, SIR.
I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO, UH, I WANNA BE FAIR TO
HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? UH, I'M FINE.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, WHAT EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE WITH LAND USE, PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OR REAL ESTATE? SO, ICA LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF A GENERAL, UM, EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN, I'VE HAD MY REAL ESTATE LICENSE FOR 22 YEARS.
UH, I OPERATE A BUSINESS HERE WITHIN THE CITY FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS.
UM, I WORK WITH, UH, I'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, UH, IN MY BACKGROUND FROM, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, FIRE, UM, ALSO WORK, UH, AS A COMMUNITY LIAISON FOR THE, UH, UNIVERSITY OF CHAPMAN.
SO I, AS A LIAISON, I GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH CITY PERSONNEL, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS WELL AS OTHER OFFICIALS.
AND WE DEAL WITH ISSUES WITH, UM, CHAPMAN'S GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITY OF ORANGE, YOU KNOW, SO, SO WHETHER IT'S DEVELOPMENT OR HOUSING OR OUR STUDENTS LIVING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE GO AND VISIT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND KIND OF GET THEIR INPUT ON, ON, ON THEIR, UM, ON, ON WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY AS FAR AS GROWTH AND, AND CONTRIBUTION, MORE CONTRIBUTIONS TO, UH, TO THE CITY.
AND I ATTEND THOSE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MEETINGS AS WELL.
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DEALS WITH LAND USE.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT PLANNING COMMISSION WRESTLES WITH AND THE COUNCIL WRESTLES WITH IS THE IDEA OF, UH, THE HOUSING ELEMENT.
AND HOW TO BEST TO INTERPRET THE GENERAL
[01:35:01]
PLAN, WHICH I HOPE YOU'RE GENERALLY FAMILIAR WITH.AND THE SPECIFIC PLAN WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON FOR LA HARBOR BOULEVARD.
UH, OUR CHALLENGE IS TRYING TO PRESERVE SOME LITTLE BIT OF LOCAL CONTROL OVER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO BUILD A CERTAIN NUMBER, NOT TO BUILD THEM I, I'M SORRY, BUT TO ZONE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT CONCEPT OF LOCAL CONTROL? HOW DO YOU INTERPRET THE CHALLENGES THAT NOT ONLY LA HARBOR, BUT ALL CITIES ARE FACING IN MANAGING THE HOUSING CHALLENGE IN CALIFORNIA? I THINK YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THAT CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW, HAVING THE LOCAL CONTROL OVER, UM, UH, THE MORE OF A GLOBAL CONTROL, MORE OF THE, UH, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST AND THE COMMUNITY'S BEST INTEREST TO RETAIN LOCAL CONTROL AND, AND PROVIDE PLANS THAT, THAT ALL PARTIES CAN AGREE UPON.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE A MIDDLE GROUND WHERE, WHERE, WHERE PARTIES CAN BOTH HAVE, UH, A, A WIN-WIN FOR EITHER SITE, LIKE HOUSING, FOR INSTANCE, FOR IN LA LA HARBOR.
I MEAN, I'M LOOKING OVER THE STATS AND WE HAVE OVER 60,000 RESIDENTS, BUT YET WE ONLY HAVE 40,000 HOUSING UNITS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEDIAN INCOME FROM LA HARRA, I MEAN, IT'S, WHAT IS IT AVERAGE ABOUT 47, $50,000 A YEAR.
I MEAN, OUR, THE HOUSING PRICES IN LA HARRA, UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THE REAL ESTATE, HAVING MY REAL ESTATE LICENSE LAST 22 YEARS, I LOOK AT HOW SOME, SOME OF OUR PROPERTY VALUE IN LA HARRA EXCEEDS BREA.
AND, AND, AND WITH OUR INCOME BEING WHERE IT'S AT, WE NEED TO DEVELOP MORE, UH, HOUSING TO HOUSE OUR OWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
MY FAMILY GREW UP IN THIS COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY SINCE THE CITY WAS INCORPORATED IN 1925.
BUT MY PARENTS MET HERE, THEY GREW UP RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, SO I'M, I WENT TO SCHOOL HERE.
THEY, THEY GO TO THE HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL, UM, GO, UH, THE HARBOR CHEER.
THEY BROUGHT HOME THE CIF CHAMPIONSHIP
SO, UM, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE TO RETAIN LOCAL CONTROL BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A VOICE IN, IN THE, UH, KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE MIX BECAUSE IT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
AND, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, IT'S A LOT FOR YOU ALL TO, TO TAKE ON, AND YOU'VE GOT OTHER, OTHER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT HAVING THESE PLANNING COMMISSIONS AND OTHER COMMISSIONS, THEY, THEIR LIAISONS FOR YOU AND THE COMMUNITY, THEY ACT AS A BUFFER BETWEEN YOU AND THE COMMUNITY TO HELP KIND OF GUIDE, GO DOWN THE RIGHT PATH AND HELP, UM, COME UP WITH, UH, RESOLUTIONS THAT, THAT WILL, UM, BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR PROTE GOMEZ.
MR. MAYOR, YOU'VE LIVED IN, UH, A LAHABRA 50 YEARS, IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UH, TELL ME SOMETHING, UH, IN THOSE 50 YEARS, YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE, OBVIOUSLY TON OF CHANGE.
AND, UH, TELL ME SOMETHING THAT YOU THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE CITY DID THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.
AND TELL ME SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? WELL, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST, UM, GROWING UP WATCHING THAT, WE'VE HAD ALL THESE, UH, THE CAR DEALERSHIPS OVER THE YEARS.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I BOUGHT MY FIRST CAR AT, UH, THE FORD DEALERSHIP HERE.
AND I REALLY WISH THE, THE CITY WOULD DO SOMETHING WITH THAT PROPERTY.
IT'S BEEN SITTING VACANT FOR YEARS, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S AN EYESORE.
AND, BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S STUFF ON THE BACK END, WHETHER IT'S THE SOIL ISSUES WITH THAT PROPERTY OR, OR, OR THE, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP IT.
I, I, I'M NOT SURE, I'M NOT PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, WHAT I LIKE THE, THAT LA HARBAS DONE IS THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE CONTINUED TO BEAUTIFY LA HARBA.
LOOK AT AREAS THAT WERE NOT DEVELOPED THAT ARE NOT DEVELOPED.
LIKE IN FACT, THE, THE CAR DEALERSHIP ON WHEELER BOULEVARD, THE OLD, UH, CHEVY DEALERSHIP, THE HOUSING IN THERE, BEAUTIFUL HOUSING.
THE HOUSING RIGHT HERE OFF EUCLID, JUST DOWN THE STREET BY THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
MY MOM LIVES IN THE HOUSING TRACK, RIGHT? BE BACK THERE.
I NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD GET HOUSING RIGHT IN THAT, IN THERE, BUT JUST TO SEE THAT HOUSING, JUST TO SEE THE CITY MOVE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT DOWN ON IMPERIAL AND BEACH DOWN THERE, YOU SEE THE CONSTANT GROWTH FROM WHAT IT USED TO BE BACK IN THE DAY WHEN IT WAS THE FASHION SQUARE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN A TON OF DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS, AND I LIKE THE DIRECTION THE CITY'S GOING BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION AND YOU'RE BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY UP WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE NEVER BEEN A NATURE, BUT I'M PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT OF THE HARBOR AND MY FAMILY.
WE ALL LIVE HERE STILL BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE COMMUNITY, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EXCELLENT.
I, YOU KNOW, GREW UP A LOT OF THE MEMBERS OF, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND JUST THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
IF I DIDN'T LOVE IT, I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
UH, I JUST VERY QUICKLY, WHAT'S YOUR MASTER DEGREE IN? I'M WORKING ON MY PHD IN, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
[01:40:01]
I, I KNOW YOU HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC SAFETY.BEING A PUBLIC, UH, OWNER OF A PUBLIC SAFETY BUSINESS PROVIDES SERVICES TO WIDE VARIETY OF CITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ALL OVER ORANGE COUNTY.
UM, AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, HOW WOULD YOU INCORPORATE THAT LAW ENFORCE, OR NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR DECISION MAKING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION? WELL, PUBLIC SAFETY'S NUMBER ONE IN MY, I MEAN, COMING FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY BACKGROUND.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENTS AND, AND, UH, THE, THE COMMUNITY, UM, THE, UH, THE PLANS.
UH, YOU HAVE TO THINK OF SAFETY IN MIND.
WHO, WHO'S GOING TO BE OCCUPYING THAT PROPERTY? WHAT'S THE PROPERTY GONNA BE USED FOR? WHAT AREA IS THE PROPERTY IN? SO THAT ALL FALLS UNDER THE REALM OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA PROTECT AND, OR MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO, UM, TO, TO OCCUPY.
WHETHER, WHETHER IT BE A HOUSING COMPLEX OR A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE AND MAKE, AND KIND OF LOOK AT, CONSIDER PUBLIC SAFETY AS A PLAN OF THAT.
I MEAN, THERE'S A DIFFERENT PIECES OF THAT PUZZLE, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY IS PART OF THAT PUZZLE.
WE'RE, UH, WE'RE NEARING OUR TIME, UH, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE NOT ONLY A RESIDENT, BUT A BUSINESS OWNER HERE IN THE CITY.
ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST YOU MIGHT HAVE AS A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION? UM, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, CURRENT BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, AND THAT WOULD BE A CONFLICT, UH, AS ANY PUBLIC ENTITY, UH, WOULD SEE IT.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANY CONFLICT.
ALL MY, MY BUSINESS RELATES TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, OTHER CITY, UH, VENUES, UH, OTHER CITY ENTITIES THAT I HAVE.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE A CURRENT, CURRENT SITUATION WHERE THERE'S A CONFLICT OR I DON'T FORESEE ONE EITHER.
THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I WOULD TELL YOU, YOU CAN SIT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND, UH, AND LISTEN TO THE NEXT INTERVIEW, BUT THAT'S NOT FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS
ALL JOKING ASIDE, UH, I, WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING.
I WELCOME BOTH OF YOU GENTLEMEN TO, UH, TO STAY IF YOU'D LIKE.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE DAY'S GETTING LONGER.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WILL, UH, LEAVE IT TO, UH, YOU'RE FREE TO GO.
AND, UH, THE PUBLIC IS NOW INVITED TO TESTIFY.
IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE STEP FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I'LL CALL FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND OR ACTION.
I, I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE TODAY'S APPLICATES.
WAS THAT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MS. ARIAN? THANK YOU.
WELL, THE COUNCIL PLEASE VOTE.
YEAH, WE GOT, WE GOT A LITTLE STICKY PANEL HERE.
UH, THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED TO THE ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING AT 5:30 PM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER.