Council - Regular Meeting

Testing, one, two, one, two, testing.

Thank you, Emmanuel.

I'm going to turn it on. Thanks. I'd like to call the Anaheim City Council meeting to order. This meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and remote participation via webinar. Please bear with us as the technology may disrupt the flow of the meeting. Clerk, can you please call roll?

Council Member Ubacalva. Here. Councilmember Kurtz? Here. Councilmember Maaz? Here. Councilmember Meeks? Here. Mayor Pro Tem Leon?

Present.

Councilmember Bayless?

Present.

Mayor Akin? Present. Let the record show we have seven members present.

Are there any additions or deletions to our closed session agenda?

Mayor, there are none.

And do we have any speakers to call forward to address the closed session agenda?

Thank you, Mayor. In compliance with California's Senate bill, the City of Anaheim implemented remote public participation for City Council meetings. Members of the public wishing to address the City Council remotely during the regular session must complete a remote speaker call. by 5 p.m. at anaheim.net forward slash council webinar. Those that were wishing to address the City Council remotely on the closed session were asked to submit a speaker card by the start of this session, which was 3 p.m., and at this time, noting for the record, we did not receive any remote speaker cards to speak on the closed session agenda. Also noting for the public, detailed information on public participation and information instructions can also be found at anaheim.net, council meetings, as well as was posted on the published agenda. And Mayor and City Council noting for the record, we do not have any in-person speakers to address closed session, and we did not receive any electronic comments on closed session.

Thank you. So hearing none, we'll close public comment on the closed session agenda and recess to closed session.

Absolutely.

Good evening, everyone. I'd like to take this opportunity to reconvene our Anaheim City Council meeting back to order. This meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and remote participation via webinar. Please bear with us as technology may disrupt the flow of this meeting. The first item on our agenda is an invocation that will be offered this evening by Pastor Jonathan Derman from The Rock. Following that, Council Member Rubicalva will lead us in the flag salute. Would you all please stand if you are able? And Pastor Derman, we'll turn it over to you. Thank you.

Thank you. It's an honor to be here. If we would all bow our heads and close our eyes. Lord, we thank you for this city, God. We thank you for what you're doing here, Lord. We ask that you would bless this city and the surrounding areas, Lord, and bless the people. God, we pray for wisdom even in this council meeting, Lord, that you would lead us and guide us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Please put your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin. Amen.

I'm going to invite my council colleagues down with me as we start some of our larger presentations.

Thank you. So tonight we have some special honorees, and we are recognizing the Anaheim 2026 employee, sorry, MVPs, VIPs, excuse me. The awards reflect the true spirit of Anaheim's employees and their dedication to our community. Awardees are nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their outstanding contributions. Our employee VIPs go above and beyond for our Anaheim community. They were honored at our Employee Appreciation Picnic this June. So congratulations to this year's VIPs, and thank you for your dedication and commitment to Anaheim. I would now like to have our Human Resources Director, Ms. Linda Andel, please join us to individually recognize our employee MVPs. Ms. Linda? Okay, do I have a list? We're gonna switch, okay. All right, we're calling an audible. Oh, no, we're not calling an audible.

Oh, all right.

Okay, thank you. So the first person I'd like to introduce is Monica Vera from Convention Sports and Entertainment.

I'll just go over there.

And if we could have everybody join for an individual photo, and then there'll be one big group. Right up here. One, two, three.

Our second person is Jennifer Guaindo from Human Resources. Okay, next we have Heather Flores from Economic Development.

Here. One, two, three.

One more time, one, two, three. Next we have Mr. Eddie Barrios from Public Works. Diana Villanueva from Fire and Rescue. Christopher Kendrick from Housing and Community Development. Diana Lujan from the city clerk's office.

Here.

Mark Simon from the Anaheim Police Department. Awesome.

Let us hear it.

One, two, three.

Ariel Abeta Madrigal from Community Services. Sarah Grew from Public Utilities. All right, Natalie Aguirre from Communications.

one right here one two three thank you if we could have everybody come over and we'll do one big group photo

Gosh, you guys are hot. You are VIPs. Everybody look right here. We'll do a couple. One, two, three.

One right here, one, two, three. Thank you.

Thank you, everyone.

So in addition, we have three VIPs who couldn't make it tonight. Jennifer Gallardo from the city attorney's office. Meng Ji Deng from finance. And Maggie Saldivar Zaragoza from Planning and Building. So our next presentation is going to be for our Mills Act homes, which is something that is very unique and special to Anaheim. So our history in Anaheim lives through our neighborhoods and the historic homes of the Mills Act Preservation Program. The city started this program over two decades ago to encourage the preservation of homes that tell the story of our city's history. Homes that date back 50 years or more can qualify as historic. and owners can apply for a property tax benefit for preserving and maintaining their historic homes. Hundreds of homeowners have restored and maintained historic Anaheim houses, keeping our city's legacy alive. Anaheim has one of the largest Mills Act programs in California, preserving the city's rich history and revitalizing our neighborhoods. On the screen are this year's additions to Anaheim's Mills Act collection. Joining us tonight is Amanda Laufer from Planning and Building Department, who will share more about this year's homes.

Thank you, Mayor and members of the City Council. We would like to commemorate the efforts of the city and the community to preserve its historic resources. Anaheim has four local historic districts and about 1,500 historic properties throughout the city, most of which are located right here in downtown. The city continues to receive applications and approve new Mills Act contracts annually, as evidenced by the increasing number of historic homes with bronze Mills Act plaques near their front doors. This year, we are recognizing six Mills Act contracts that were approved in 2025. A video highlighting these properties is displayed on the screen. With these additions, Anaheim now has 418 Mills Act properties, which is the third largest program in the state behind the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, and the largest program in Orange County. The owners of these properties have undergone a rigorous application process to get to this point, and tonight the city is pleased to recognize their contributions to Anaheim's historic preservation efforts. We will now be introducing the Mills Act class of 2025. The Turner family. The Smith family. The Kloss and Quiroz family.

Right here. Whoa.

Erica Carrasco.

And Brooke and Robert Sheenan.

Yay! Yay!

Now, if we could have everybody join, we'll kind of have to make our way, certainly anybody taller will have to do that. Thankfully, we have a blind man. Ready everyone, one, two, three.

We need more babies at City Council. They're too cute. So our next presentation is extra special and one of the most difficult to achieve. We are blessed here to have Angie Becchia with us tonight. She is celebrating her 100th birthday. So Angie has called, she's called Anaheim home for more than 60 of those 100 years. She raised her family here and worked for 25 years as a seamstress at Knott's Berry Farm. She also has been a valued member of St. Justin Martyr community. Throughout her life, Angie has shared a simple message of inspiring positivity. Her words to live by, in life, you can choose to be happy or sad. Her optimism, kindness, and humor are a joy for her family, friends, and neighbors. Congratulations to you, Angie, on this remarkable milestone, and best wishes on your 100th birthday. Would your family like to join for a family photo? Would you guys like to join us?

Thank you. Right here. One, two, three. Thank you.

Thank you for being here, Angie. So our next presentation is for a martial arts champion. We're proud to recognize Anaheim's own Leonardo Salazar for his achievements in amateur Muay Thai. Did I mess that up? Okay, thank you. Leonardo is an eight-time amateur champion in his weight class. He's grown from a dedicated competitor into a coach and a leader here in Anaheim, where he continues to compete and mentor young fighters. Leonardo's journey reflects the power of discipline and perseverance. Through hard work, consistency, and focus, he overcame significant personal challenges and now uses those life experiences to inspire others. He was born and raised in Anaheim with a mission to give back to his community by encouraging young people to pursue discipline, confidence, and personal growth. Congratulations to you, Leonardo, on your accomplishments and for proudly representing the city of Anaheim. Please join us.

Thank you.

Perfect. We'll have everybody look right here. Ready? One, two, three. One more time. One, two, three. Perfect. Thank you.

We wouldn't have gotten very far. So next on our agenda is recognitions to be presented at a later date. Clerk, can you please announce them?

Thank you, Mayor and City Council. We have one this evening recognizing the month of July 2026 as National Parks and Recreation Month. And we do have a representative this time to accept if they can step forward at this time.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Jacob Lojko. I'm the Park Services Superintendent, and along with my counterpart, I oversee all the park operations. The City of Anaheim's Community Service Department is proud to join cities across the nation in celebrating July as National Parks and Recreation Month to promote the value of parks and recreation programs in enhancing the quality of life. The Community Service Department invites people of all ages to explore the city's many parks, facilities, classes, programs, amenities, and special events. This summer, the community can stay cool with swim lessons and public swim at Pearson Park Pool and other locations throughout the city. Parents can enroll their children in day camps for fun and socially rewarding experiences. People of all ages can participate in sports, fitness, and wellness classes that promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Friends and families can bond while enjoying a concert in the park, a spectacular live performance under the stars at the Pearson Park Amphitheater, a hike in Oak Canyon Nature Center, and even get into the swing of things with a round of golf at one of our golf courses. In recognition of July as Parks and Recreation Month, the Community Service Department is inviting and encouraging those who live, work and play in Anaheim to visit our parks and enjoy our special events. Additionally, we want to encourage all our residents to visit our website at anaheim.net forward slash play to learn more about our facilities and programs. Thank you.

City Clerk, can you please outline the public comment procedures and call forward the first several speakers to address our agenda?

Thank you, Mayor. Speakers have one opportunity to address the City Council. The first public comment period is limited to 90 minutes or until all agenda item speakers have been heard. Any time remaining of the 90 minutes will be provided to speakers who wish to speak on any non-agenda related items but within the Council's jurisdiction. A SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL BE OPENED BY THE MAYOR ONLY IF ANY NON-AGENDA ITEM SPEAKERS WERE NOT HEARD DURING THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND IT WILL BE OPEN AT THE END OF COUNCIL BUSINESS. THE TIME LIMIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER. IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 707, REMOTE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS AVAILABLE AT ALL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL REMOTELY MUST SUBMIT A REMOTE SPEAKER CARD AVAILABLE AT ANAHEIM.NET DETAILED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AS WELL AS ON THE PUBLISHED AGENDA. FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS, SPEAKER CARDS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE BACK OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION REQUESTED ON THE SPEAKER CARD IS OPTIONAL. ANY UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY THE SPEAKER CARD NUMBER. and noting remote participants will be called to speak following in-person speakers. At this time, I'd also like to announce that Spanish interpreting services are provided at every City Council meeting. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets, and consecutive interpretation is available to anyone who would like to address the City Council. For those members participating remotely, the webinar supports automated live captions in multiple languages, including Spanish. For translation services in other languages, we ask that you please contact the city clerk's office at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. At this time, I'd like to introduce our interpreter who will make the same announcement in Spanish.

Good afternoon. In all the councils of the Municipal Council, simultaneous Spanish interpretation services are offered through the use of headphones, and a consecutive interpretation is provided for anyone who wishes to go to the Municipal Council. Para los que participen de forma remota, la plataforma del seminario web admite subtítulos automáticos en tiempo real en varios idiomas, incluyendo el español. Para solicitar servicios de traducción a otros idiomas, por favor comuníquese con la oficina de la secretaria municipal al menos 48 horas antes de la reunión programada. Gracias.

At this time, on behalf of the City Council, we would like to remind the public that Anaheim remains committed to freedom of speech, and we ask that speakers address the City Council with civility and refrain from making personal, threatening, abusive, slanderous, or profane remarks towards any member of the Council, staff, or general public. We appreciate you reflecting this spirit when you speak. The time now is 5.36 with a 90-minute public comment period set to conclude at 7.06 or until all agenda item seekers have been heard. We ask those speakers that are in person to please line up at the podium once they see their name appear on the projection screen behind me. And Mayor and City Council, for agenda item speakers, we have two, and the two speakers that they can step forward is Paul Hayek and R. Joshua Collins.

Two things. One, CERT members should be Patronizer asked if there's CERT to work at the shelters. This Garden Grove fiasco, they had a gal coming from San Luis Obispo with CERT, and that is FEMA, and they should run these homeless shelters because they know how to find the people that are gonna be there, not only work there, live there, but hire them to work there and take care of the place. And on the other item I had in mind, item number eight, the CEO should come in when they're looking for their grant money, not their attorneys. How many members are CERT members on the board and how many are in the audience? Let's see a show of hands if you're CERT members. I got one, two, three, four. How many more? This is FEMA, this is federal. They should run them under the FEMA program.

Our next speaker, R. Joshua Collins.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Councilman. My name is R. Joseph Collins, founder of Homeless Advocates for Christ on Facebook. And first, I'd like to encourage everyone to give life to Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us, to save us from hell, to give us everlasting life. We've all sinned. We all need salvation. And there's not many ways to heaven. Jesus is the only way. And I also want to talk about a couple issues. One of them, the desperate need still for affordable housing and shelter. I'm thankful for all those that are doing things, moving things in that direction to get more affordable housing and shelter. I'm also a bit concerned, though, about the cover-up culture, lack of accountability for evil deeds, whether it be the police department or some of these shelters. There's, of course, in the LA Times that report about Disney-related police officers getting double their salary, overpaying themselves. That's very concerning. And then we have, of course, the police. One thing I like to have the council think about, you can remove and replace a bad-acting officer, but you cannot replace a lost life, as in the case of Alberto Arzolo and others that passed away So, I want the council to, of course, move in changing the situation, bring more accountability, bring an end to the cover-up culture desperately needed. And also, regarding Amanda that came in here in a wheelchair, the homeless lady, I just got back from out of town, and she asked me to come visit her at the hospital. She now has a situation with her kidneys, has to go to dialysis three times a week. So she left the shelter, the Salvation Army shelter, and they told her they'd keep her bed. She comes back, and she called me today and said they hadn't kept her bed, and she lost all her property. Clothes, shampoo, birth certificate, insulin, pens, medications, EBT, social security card, Medi-Cal card, blankets, stuffed animals, snacks, different things. This is the second time that this has happened. And this isn't the first time I've heard stories like this regarding the Salvation Army. So cover-up culture is happening there. And what are we doing to investigate and make sure that that stuff's not happening for those that are in need? We definitely need to bring change. Investigations need to happen before funds are given to places regarding the homeless. So I want to encourage the council to get people investigating and looking into these things. I can give you all the information regarding her contact information, all that. But something has to change. So please work hard to bring a difference. You know, Jesus said how you treat the least of these is how you treat him, right? He condemned people that were just treating those in need badly. So we can't be doing that. If you want to be a city of kindness, big changes need to happen. Thanks. Let me share.

Mayor, that concludes our agenda item speakers. We will now move over to general comments. We have 22 in-person speakers, and we have one participate remotely, and we'll call them after the conclusion of our in-person speakers. If our first speaker, if they can please step forward. Cecil, Cecil Corkin.

My legs are not doing well. I've been associating with Ball Road, riding the bus back and forth, and I found a supervisor that got on the bus one time. I was able to talk to him for a few minutes before I was going to the prayer at St. Justin Myers, and... My legs were swollen at one time and they beginning to bother me a little bit from time to time. And I've been trying to get my messages across. I've been toting around in my basket on the reports and Tom and John, The guy that did the films, I have his reports with me. And John Setu was the one that was with Disney that was proficiently did the films and the subliminal messages on the films that are out there now. And I'm sorry about what happened to me just now. I'm a little tired. And I'm trying to see what I can do to take care of myself on this Disney matter. And I'm still writing the Bible. I'm in Acts 12, writing the Bible. And I'm trying to get that finished. What I need to do now is work on the Dizzy reports and I'm gonna turn in the copies to the city council and let them handle it and go from there. I'm just trying to save the money. I saved about 400. I will have five by next payday. in a few days from now, and I should be able to monitor that situation. And I'm working on that matter. Let me see how long it's gonna take for me to develop that situation. and what I'm trying to explain in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It's about four different claims they went through. Subliminal message, pedophiles, sex trafficking, and the everyday affairs with Disney on how they take care of themselves. I don't know where they coming from, but I know one thing, something's gotta be done.

Cecil, I'm sorry, your time is up.

It'll take a federal marshal to handle this matter. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Thank you, Cecil. That's all I know. Thank you. Our next speaker, Annika Marie Starhart.

Annika.

We'll go to our next speaker, Matthew Harden.

Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, City Council, my name is Matthew Harden. I'm the senior representative with SCIU, United Service Workers West, and chief negotiator. I'm here to talk a little bit about our ongoing negotiations with the city at the Anaheim Convention Center right now. I've got one of my bargaining committee members with me tonight, John Paul Duchette. What I would like to talk about is we are, We are doing, it's kind of slow, but it's going well. But I believe we've kind of hit a somewhat of an impasse because we recognize 30-hour employees in the union as somewhat of full-time employees, the same way as Disney recognizes their 30-hour employees. But we've been told time and time again by the chief negotiator of the city that the 30-hour employees are no different than the 20-hour employees. And they say that they have not been given any direction from the City Council to look at the 30-hour employees as full-time employees. So we are here tonight just to ask you what we believe the 30-hour employees deserve. They give the bulk of their time to the Anaheim Convention Center. They work hard. It's very hard for them to get a second job. But they are given the basic benefits, and we believe they deserve an enhanced vacation benefit, an enhanced sick pay benefit. Jury duty. They do not get jury duty. Now imagine your 30 hour employees wanting to do their civic duty but can't give up the work. We have just, I believe that we have temporary or done a TA on bereavement leave, but they haven't had bereavement leave. So we're here tonight just to ask you Give guidance to your bargaining committee, your chief negotiator, to look at allowing 30-hour employees to be looked at as something different than just a regular part-time employee. And then on a side note, Mayor Pro Tem, I don't know if you remember, but I met you briefly out in front of the Kaiser facility when they were doing their protest. We talked a little bit. I told you we were going in the negotiations at the time, and you said to get a hold of you if there's anything that you could do for us. We would love to reach out to you. I don't believe this is a big ask. We're not coming with exorbitant issues, but we do think it's time for the 30-hour employees to be recognized as something more than just part-time workers. And I can take any questions if you have anything, but that's basically it. Thank you.

Our next speaker.

One of the questions residents keep asking is, who made the decision to flush 10 million gallons of our drinking water? That decision was not a unilateral decision by one manager. Eleanor Basito, the city's laboratory manager, is responsible for reviewing the elevated THM results. Richard Salas, the water systems operations superintendent, and Keith McDonald, the former water operations managers, both hold T5 licenses. The T5 license is the highest treatment certification issued by the state of California. Those licenses signify that Richard Salas and Keith McDonald are qualified to operate and supervise drinking water treatment plants, chemical dosing, regulatory compliance, water quality, and public health. Yet, Eleanor Basito, Richard Salas, and Keith McDonald collectively ordered excessive flushing before compliance testing. Not once, not twice. The flushing went on for months after the water turned brown and the THM levels exceeded state levels. Why was this allowed? Are there no guardrails to prevent flushing before compliance testing? Turns out there are. Basito, Salas, and McDonald may have ordered the flushing, but they don't manage the team that performs the flushing. That responsibility belongs to Cecil Looney, who holds a D5 water distribution Operator license, that license signifies that Cecil Looney is qualified to operate and supervise the drinking water distribution system including pipelines, hydrant flushing, water quality throughout the system, and regulatory compliance. Cecil Looney, who oversees the division responsible for hydrant flushing, it is his responsibility to ensure that any flushing is in compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act. Yet more than 10 million gallons were still flushed by his staff. And all of these city employees report to Craig Parker, water operations manager. And what do you think they have in common? Not one of them has provided an answer to our repeated questions regarding the brown water and the excessive flushing. City of Anaheim residents deserve better than silence.

Our next speaker, Janine Robbins.

When is Anaheim going to learn its lesson? After everything this city went through with Harry's to-do and Todd Ament, you would think transparency would be your first instinct, not your last. Yet here we are again, the city trying to conceal wrongdoing rather than correct it. And don't think for one second that we're letting the poison drinking water issues go. But this new scandal of the police officer overtime cash grab needs our undivided attention. Does everyone remember the Mickey Mouse Club? The good old days of innocence when integrity actually meant something? Well, Anaheim has its own Mickey Mouse Club, and this club is very exclusive and very, very lucrative. I'm talking about the Anaheim Police Department's Downtown Disney Detail. The club has about a dozen members, but tonight I'd like to introduce you to two of its biggest stars. According to payroll records, Tony Lee, Sergeant Tony Lee, made $181,000 in regular pay and nearly $250,000 in overtime in 2024, making him the highest overtime earner in the entire Anaheim Police Department. How does no one notice that a police sergeant is earning more than both the chief of police and the city manager? Officer Jose Duran, president of the police union, was also among the department's highest earners, receiving approximately $380,000 in total compensation in 2024. And guess who approved his timesheets? Anybody? Sergeant Tony Lee. Isn't Debbie Moreno responsible for the finances? Isn't Linda Andal responsible for personnel investigations? Is Rob Fabella the city attorney or the city's criminal defense attorney? Isn't the city council responsible for oversight? Former Chief Rick Armendariz was concerned enough about overtime at the Downtown Disney Detail that he ordered an audit. And turns out his suspicions were correct. The LA Times reported command staff officers concluded that potential overtime misuse resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime compensation. Chief Armendariz coincidentally retired before this audit was completed. So who was responsible for burying it? Chief Sid, Greg Garcia, Linda Endall, Debbie Moreno, Rob Fabella, Mike Leister. And perhaps the most important question of all, did this city council know that taxpayers were funding overtime at levels that allowed a single sergeant to earn more than both the chief of police and the city manager? If you knew, why didn't you ask questions? What is wrong with you? And Natalie, we are very aware of your public support of Jose Duran and the Anaheim Police Union, but why should we believe that those relationships played no role in the council's silence regarding this audit and the results of the audit? You can't blame Jim Vanderpool anymore. This dumpster fire is burning on your watch. Next speaker, G. Price. Justice for Albert Arzola.

Following the speaker, Mark Herbert.

Both Officer Lee and Duran were among the highest overtime earners in the Anaheim Police Department. Although Councilmember Rubicava received campaign donations and endorsements from the Anaheim Police Association, she certainly isn't the only one. Those campaign activities are a matter of public record, and several other members of the Council have also benefited from those same endorsements and donations. What residents would like to know is, did those endorsements or campaign donations influence the city's decision to not seek an independent law enforcement review of the overtime audit? An independent review protects everyone, the officers, the city, and most importantly, the taxpayers. Residents also recognize that the council often relies on information provided by city leadership, and that information may not always be forthcoming. Is it possible that the former city manager downplayed the audit to this council? If so, why? The former city manager and the current human resources director were actively advocating to outsource the city's workman's compensation program. What's interesting is the city had already paid for an independent study, and according to that study, taxpayers would save money by keeping the program in-house rather than hiring an outside contractor. Yet despite that recommendation, Vanderpool's calendar shows that he and the human resources director met with the president of Adminsure, the very company seeking to oversee the city's workman's compensation program. Why does any of this matter? Because the public deserves answers to two important questions. One, did anyone from Anaheim PD advocate for admin sure's contract? And did that advocacy overlap in time or influence with the city's handling of the overtime audit? The public deserves complete transparency and the truth wherever that may lead.

Our next speaker, Mark Herbert.

Mark Herbert, anaheimgreece.com. The Anaheim Way of Accountability. Two takes on what accountability looks like. First take, in 2018, the California Highway Patrol discovered suspicious overtime practices. Did they investigate themselves and immediately declare everything was fine? No, they did not. They opened a criminal investigation partnered with the California Department of Justice and in 2022, 54 current and former CHP officers were criminally charged directly related to the suspicious overtime practices. This is what accountability looks like. Second take, the Anaheim way. In 2024, suspicious overtime practices prompted the then police chief, Rick Armendias, to order a review. As part of the review, an audit was initiated to examine the overtime associated with the Downtown Disney police detail. Records reflect APD Police Sergeant Tony Lee was transferred out of the Downtown Disney assignment with no explanation given. The audit raises many questions about why Sergeant Lee was moved out of the Disney assignment. A, what were the red flags that merited an audit? B, when does overtime become excessive or suspicious? C, is there a point where overtime affects job performance? D, what were the findings of the audit? E, if the audit didn't reflect any findings, why was Sergeant Lee transferred out of the Disney assignment? This is what accountability looks like in Anaheim. The mayor, council, and staff may not have questions about the audit, but the residents do. For instance, the audit raises questions about why Sergeant Lee was removed from the assignment. Among the questions around the issue is why council member Rubicalva took an interest in Sergeant Tony Lee's reassignment. If a council member intervenes in an individual personnel matter, residents have the right to ask questions. Did council member Rubicova attempt to influence city leadership to reverse Tony Lee's reassignment from the downtown Disney detail? If so, why? The public deserves accountability from its mayor, council, and police. It can start with some answers to these questions. As the California Highway Patrol demonstrated, public confidence isn't built by investigating yourself. There will be a Public Utilities Commission meeting on Wednesday, July 21st at 5 p.m. in the building across the street. It will deal with our 26 unanswered questions.

Our next speaker, if they can step forward. Following this speaker, we have Dave Duran, Art Castillo, and Denise Barnes.

Mayor and council members, former Chief Rick Armendariz removed Sergeant Tony Lee from the Downtown Disney detail in December 2025. It's fair to say Sergeant Lee was unhappy about that decision. How do we know? Because he recently filed a government claim against the city of Anaheim. According to Sergeant Lee's own claim, the resort policing team was a highly sought after assignment because it dramatically increased an officer's earning potential through overtime. The claim also describes the resort policing team assignment as a, quote, lifelong appointment. A lifelong appointment? Last time I checked, the only people with lifetime appointments are Supreme Court justices. Most jobs come with assignments, not lifetime guarantees. Don't taxpayers have a right to know how that overtime was being earned and how the Disney assignment became so lucrative? And why should one group of officers reap all the rewards of this assignment? Why not establish a rotation so the benefits accrue equally to all officers? Tonight, I'd also like to ask two public officials a question. Councilmember Rubalcava, Residents have seen you publicly support the Anaheim Police Association on many occasions. How do you address residents' concerns that these relationships might influence decision-making when matters involving police union leadership come before the city? And second, City Attorney Fabella, wouldn't an independent review by an outside law enforcement agency help answer these questions and restore public trust? Why haven't you recommended one? If there's nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear from an outside independent review. Thank you. Next speaker, Dave Duran.

Let's assess the true condition of our city without the mayor's distractions and presentations and motivational speakers and taxpayer-funded meals. Residents have consistently expressed concerns about the safety of our drinking water. We are aware that flushing occurred. We know that millions of gallons of water were flushed prior to state compliance testing. And we know the city is aware of this situation. Yet, residents remain without answers. Concerns have also been raised regarding repeated violations of call before you dig during excavation work. Violations that have put both workers and the public at risk. On this day, to this day, no one has faced any consequences. Residents have frequently inquired about the presence of perchlorates from fireworks and their effects on surrounding neighborhoods. This council has responded with a troubling silence of neglect. Additionally, there are the city's financial troubles, contracts awarded to relatives, no bid contracts issued without consul consent, and 17 million charged on city credit cards over just two years without any audit. Time and time again, transparency has been overshadowed by silence. Former city manager Vanderpool resigned in security and scrutiny regarding the Lake Havasu retreat. Yet this council has failed to address the issue publicly or demand accountability. Anaheim residents have felt embarrassed by your response. And now we face yet another scandal. Police officers have accrued hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars through questionable overtime practices. And instead of supporting the leaders responsible for investigating these issues, those leaders face retaliation. Anaheim is not functioning as a proper government. Government should reveal wrongdoing and rectify it, not conceal it. It should safeguard whistleblowers, not isolate and punish them. It should embrace independent investigation, not resist them.

Mr. Duran, your time is up.

Your ongoing silence conveys a powerful and unacceptable message to the residents, and to everyone here in Anaheim. Enough.

Our next speaker, Art Castillo. Art Castillo followed by Denise Barnes and then John Baca.

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT, I STARTED THE CITY AT 13 WITH A WORK PERMIT. I WAS 17 WHEN I CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE KIDS. I ADVOCATED FOR A LOT OF KIDS AND I'M ACTUALLY THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT A LOT OF THESE BEATINGS AND THE KILLINGS TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO GET HELP. And we really, 53 years, still seeing it happening. I just want to bring that to your attention because I think you don't know. But one of the biggest things that when I go to the school board and your position here and their position over there, I just recently went. And I got some comments from some of the, I'm not going to say any names, I don't want to put it in right now, until I investigate. But what on my investigation is, you guys don't go to the review boards, you don't go to the community meetings all the time of each other's to know each other, to mix, to get the problem, to solve it. I got kind of attacked in a way. Of course we help Boys and Girls Clubs, Kids in Action, we're for all those kids, but the at-risk kids, the ones that need, we call them gutter kids, they can't be on the property of their community or in the streets. And we have police in our schools, and the teacher says, we don't have any, not the teacher, administrator said, we don't have any jurisdiction with the police. And I said, well, you got them in the schools. So why don't we put social workers in there instead save some money and I said those kids you're responsible to get to go home and they don't make it home or they when they get home they're being on the gun with handcuffs or being questioned and Again, I can go back and tell you, there's bad between mojos between two parties, and those neighborhoods got bad names, but there's good people in there, and that's the problem. You're listening to somebody telling you something, but you don't hear the other side. I've been watching very carefully, And that feels like nobody cares. You know, there was police officers that used to carry somebody's old lady's groceries up to her house or walk them across the street or do good things to help people. But then those officers were taken out of those communities and they put in these officers that were doing the opposite. So when I come here to speak, and sometimes I'm going to say something different, but when I hear everybody here, they're talking about something that happened way back in the 70s, 80s, 90s. It's repeating. We try to come with an open hand to try to work with you. And again, I taught kids, and I helped kids out there in the community to try to get them a better life, and I saved a lot. We could save a lot more. But please, don't convict somebody because you hate them because they're brown. Or be on the side because a policeman told you. Because I also see in meetings, the cops right behind you. And then all of a sudden, it feels like you're being pressured, that they're putting pressure on you to talk. And then again, myself and others were illegally terminated. So there's a lot of us who just... Sir, I'm sorry your time is up. Yeah, thank you.

Our next speaker, Denise Barnes.

Good afternoon. I'm going to talk about the older senior adults needing emergency kits. I'm so grateful that we were able to have Savannah High School open during this last incident that happened. But I was also on council when we had the 2017 fires. And if that doesn't shake you to your core, I don't know what does. I have seen a notice on Facebook that the city of Fullerton has a family preparedness day. At readyoc.com, you may sign up and go through the process. For a free emergency kit, sign up at readyoc.com slash prepare. And that's everything from a flashlight, the case, all supplies. We all must prepare and prepare for ourselves. As chair of the Older Senior Citizens Commission, I will be bringing forward a request to secure an emergency kit for every older senior adult. After seeing the Garden Grove gas scare affect parts of Anaheim, we must get ahead of the potential emergencies that can and will happen in our own backyard. Please let education and safety be brought to our older community now. The need for the most vulnerable is in your hands. If Fullerton can do it, so can we. Safety is number one for our residents. I heard recently that Disney has resources for 72 hours in case of an emergency for employees and tourists. How about the Convention Center, Angel Stadium, City Hall? Are we prepared? Please be aware that emergency kits and education should be at the reach of every resident. Also, keep a kit for your pet. On a different note, I would like to formally request that Councilwoman Rubicava Bring a candidate to participate in the older senior adults commission. It has been months since there was a replacement. The district has been left without representation for a while. Please prioritize this request as soon as possible. Thank you.

Our next speaker, John Baca, followed by Gustavo Castillo.

Hello, my name is John Bauckham, the IBW rep for three contracts here in Anaheim. And I want to thank tonight the mayor and the council members for finally bringing this thing to resolution. And I know it's going for votes, so I just want to thank you. This is the last contract that we have that was under negotiation. It's for the part-timers. And I know somebody spoke about the part-timers earlier. And we appreciate the willingness of council and I should say HR also with the city that we got this done in a timely manner. And I'm just glad it's behind us. And let's move on. So thank you. Appreciate it.

Our next speaker, Gustavo Castillo, followed by Anonymous 2 by the card number 7656.

Good evening. Hearing the comments here today, it sounds like Anaheim needs to focus on transparency and accountability. I think it costs zero dollars to release all police body cam footage. So justice for Arzola, I'm sorry that the family is still here, still looking for answers and still fighting for this. So I hope that you guys really work with them. My name is Gustavo, I'm here with Accord. When this council approved the expansion of the automatic license plate reader camera program, the overwhelming majority of public comments opposed this. Since that vote, we haven't heard one public implementation update from the city or Anaheim PD explaining where this project stands, let alone an announcement on the city's social media informing residents that this expansion has been approved. We already know that residents aren't able to attend city council meetings because of their main responsibilities, but that doesn't mean they're not engaged. Many residents rely on the city's website and social media to stay informed about what's happening in Anaheim. If the city uses those platforms to communicate about other important initiatives, this surveillance program deserves the same level of communication and transparency. I'm respectfully asking the City Council to direct Anaheim PD to return with a public implementation update at the next City Council meeting and to use the City's website and social media to provide regular updates on the implementation of this program. Residents deserve to know how this program is being implemented and continue participating in the conversation. To save you time, we already know that mostly all community comments are saying on our Accord's Instagram page is that they do not want this in their communities. We were urged by community member Grace Arzola here to speak against this, and that's why we're here alongside Sergio as well. We've already seen AI technologies being abused to target community members, citizens, and non-citizens alike. This AI technology abuse is not a question of if anymore, but rather when and how many more. Listen to your community and give residents transparency on your decision since you guys unanimously decided to approve this. It's never too late to make the right decision.

Hello again. Last time I was here I was just anonymous, now I'm anonymous too. I'm here to speak again on behalf of duty managers who have not gotten a raise from the Anaheim Convention Center for over ten years. Ten years. So I passed around a document that you all should have received, so I'd like to see a show of hands who received and read the document that I provided. Amongst the seven of you. Nobody? Nobody read the document that I brought to this building and asked to be distributed to any of you council members. Interesting. Well, these people make $21.84 an hour. They have a high responsibility managing people that are workers at ACC as well as the general public. So if somebody goes off, they're the ones responsible for deciding whether they stay or have to go. APPARENTLY NONE OF YOU ARE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING, SO LET'S GET DOWN TO WHERE I JUST LEARNED TONIGHT THAT THE UNION, WHO WAS SPEAKING UP HERE EARLIER, WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO ADD 30-HOUR-A-WEEK PEOPLE TO THE UNION, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT GOT SKIPPED WERE THE DUTY MANAGERS. THEREFORE, THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RAISE FOR 10 YEARS. THIS IS SOLELY THE BLAME. of ACC leadership. When they asked for a raise and asked to join this very same union two years ago, the city attorney denied it, saying no changes could be made mid-contract. Okay, fine. But that does not deserve that their raise should have been ignored. But then you commissioned a study. You're going to give them a new name, and then they will be paid uniformly according to your own rules and regulations based on the level of responsibility and duties that they hold. That study took more than a year, so they got skipped over for the same request from 2024 in 2025. So that's two more years, no raise. And they have been told by Mindy, the deputy director, that don't expect much, nothing retroactive to your recent request in 24, and not much is coming. Isn't that great? Mindy, by the way... has enjoyed a 65% pay increase over the last six years. That is over 11% per year. And in one of those years, it was an increase of $104,000. And these people who barely make more than minimum wage have gotten nothing in 10 years. In 2016, minimum wage was $10. Now, standard minimum wage is $16.90. That's a 69% increase. If you're fast food, it's now $20. They got a 100% increase for Basic minimum wage yet these people that cover Anaheim's behind making sure things people don't misbehave They make sure that they follow the rules They make sure that union members clip on to scissor lifts so they don't fall to their death They cover your ass and they didn't get a raise for ten years and you didn't even bother to read the information I provided I'm beyond shocked We have our next speaker. Maybe I should give this document to the Orange County Register.

We can bring a microphone to the speaker. We can bring her a microphone.

good evening my name is juanita lopez and um the mother of i'm the grandmother of albert arzola and um sad and hurt because they killed my grandson for no reason i don't know why they had to shoot him in the back kill him for no reason Yeah, and her because I don't get to see him, I don't get to talk to him. Mother's Day comes up, all these special occasions come up, and I don't get to see him or talk to him or nothing anymore because the Anaheim Police Department took his life. I don't know why they had to kill him for no reason when he had his hands up in the air. That's all I have to say.

We'll have our next speakers, Rosie Arzola, Pearl Arzola.

December 6, 2025 will never be the same. Shame on Nathan Garcia for killing my son. District Attorney Todd Spitzer needs to hold Nathan Garcia for murder. Shame. My son Alberto Arzola should be here alive today. My son had his life stolen. Nathan Garcia took care of that. Justice for my son. Shame. Why should you not conduct discovery, Todd Spitzer? When he, Nathan Garcia, bullied my son at his home, his safe place, where he, my son, got shot, murdered by the police department. Shame on the chief of police not standing in front of us, giving us our back. He should be here, sitting down, listening to all our comments and everything, not giving us our back. Nathan Garcia robbed my son's life. My son was loved by the city of Anaheim. He loved city of Anaheim. Had much more to live, but they took his life. He had no chance to claim his valuable bonus that he was so happy to get from his job. They took that away from him. My son loved to cook. He loved to travel. My son's dream was to be the best chef in Anaheim, but Nathan Garcia took my son's life, robbed my son. My son had dreams. December 6th shattered our whole family's life. I ask for change. We don't want another parent to go through what I'm going through. My son should be alive. But Nathan Garcia took my son, robbed him for his dreams, asked for other family members to come out and speak. as become what the police department did to them, robbed them from their family, from their loved ones, from their children. This is unfair that the police department hides behind their badge and gun and can't even sit in front of us. The chief of police can't even sit, the district attorney can't even sit in front of us and see our grief, what our grieving, shameful. as a community to whatever events Anaheim is having to go. We just did a 5K run for my son. My whole family was there. We ran for my son, for my son to get justice and transparency. We love him. His nephews love him and we all miss him.

Ma'am, I'm sorry your time is up.

Shame on Anaheim Police Department. Shame on them. Shame on them.

And shame on the chief police standing behind us instead of being in front of us.

Our next speaker, Pearl Arzola, followed by Grace Arzola.

Okay, don't get on this. I just wanna say, as a sister that lost their brother to gun violence, it saddens me that you guys still have Nathan Garcia in the police force. You guys have the power to fire city managers for taking a free trip, but keep killer cops and thieves on the payroll even after they are found. of stealing thousands of hundreds in dollars in fake overtime pay. But yet you guys don't want to use that power to get justice for my brother. We need transparency and accountability. Fire those who have killed community members and who steal from the residents. Why is your police reviewing flawed cameras to harass those practicing their First Amendment rights. We should be able to protect the terror that ICE is inflicting in our community without fear.

Can I get her time? My name is Grace Arzola, and I'm here to advocate for my nephew, Albert Arzola, who was killed on December 6th. Reading the LA Time article, it just set so many emotions because you guys sit here and tell us to trust the process and investigation's going. And reading that you guys had an investigation and people sold hundreds of thousands of dollars and they got to retire with their retirement money instead of making them pay back, prosecute them, charge them for embezzlement, for stealing from the community, taking resources that we need in your district, Norma, and hearing that there is arrest quota for your district, because that's where Disneyland's at. That should be alarming. These are young men getting harassed that end up dead. My nephew ended up dead because Nathan Garcia harassed him for months. Why? Because he didn't like who he hung out, didn't like the color of his skin, didn't like the clothes they could wear. What they could afford in the hood is what they're going to wear. until they do better. But unless we put the resources we need there to help these young people get better, I went to the 5K, it saddens me that we don't have that in your district. We could get people to come out and do it, but we wanna do an event and we have to pay you guys a fee. We're over here fundraising to give kids stuff to go back to school, but you guys want 1900 to host an event to close down the street? Like, come on, are you for real? Meanwhile, they're stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. How can you guys look at us in our face and tell us to trust the process? Fire people. Prosecute people. You guys are going to harass that mom that's stealing from Walmart? to get meat in their house, possibly a third strike, while your officers are stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You guys promised us that the cameras were not going to be to harass those protecting our community from ICE. But your guys' name came up on the report that your officers are reviewing those cameras for those exercising their First Amendment rights, constitutional rights that we have a right to. And your guys' cameras are serving to harass, do the plate reading for those exercising their First Amendment rights, attending these. This is alarming. And we sat here and we told you guys not to vote for them. And all of you guys voted for them. And you guys said, our police officers are not going to harass. They're not going to be creeps looking up at their ex-girlfriend and give us examples. No. We want answers. We deserve answers about the money. We deserve answers about the camera. And we deserve answers why it's easier to fire someone that got a free vacation over someone that took someone's life. And you guys, what, the union president was the one stealing the money that came and advocated for you guys to keep Nathan Garcia on the fucking payroll. Fire all of them. Every single one. Christine Lopez, followed by David Pulido.

All right, I'm Christine. I'm here as Albert Arzola's aunt as I speak to all of you in the presence of the public and those that watch from home. The city of Anaheim, the chief of police, Manuel Sid, has ignored our demands to make the footage available to the public. We continue to ask for answers regarding why one of the officers who was present in Albert's death did not have his camera on. This is a violation of the Anaheim Police Department BWC Policy 451 and per California Senate Bill 1421, names are no longer protected in officer-involved shootings. The public has a legal right to know his name. We continue to demand that Nathan Garcia be terminated from the payroll. You continue to protect officers with no impunity. It's a shame that Anaheim continues to be considered one of the deadliest cities to live in. You look the other way when you have the opportunity to build trust among your neighborhoods and fail to act in the best interest of keeping your residents safe. I can only imagine how you would act if ICE came into our neighborhoods and unlawfully took someone's life. Would you be silent just like you are doing today? You need to assure your communities that they are safe. The way that your officer showed up and took Albert's life in an unmarked car wearing no identifiers that they were police, dragged him from his home and shot him in front of his family is cowardice. And to know there have been prior incidents of him being involved in child assault on other Anaheim residents is terrifying to all families of color that live in your city. I have said this before, and I will say this again. Born and raised in Stanton, Albert's great grandfather, Jesse Lopez, was good friends with police officer Joe Vargas. I know there are many good police officers who live by their commitment to protect and serve. It's disgusting that a few give them a bad name. I put this on those in power that don't have the courage, that won't do the right thing, they lack integrity, even in the face of reelection or wanting to prioritize your campaign coffers over community trust. Flock cameras, the flock cameras should have never been approved. We know it's a violation of our constitutional right to privacy. This is a mass surveillance system with few regulations of oversight. Um, this will eventually, um, ACLU has done a lot of research on this and they know that it is a violation of the constitutional rights. So, um, it's really disappointing that all of you guys voted for that. And also stop creating unnecessary barriers to provide needed services to our youth and Anaheim families. I'm sorry, your time is up. Anybody that's trying to do something good for the community should not be having to go over, having red tape and barriers that are not necessary. Thank you. Thank you.

Our next speaker, David Pulido. David Pulido.

My name is David Pulido. I'm a member of Community Service Organization and its Police Accountability Committee. I'm here once again with the family of Albert Garzola to demand justice for Albert Garzola. We're here to demand the public release of all unedited body camera footage. The public should be able to see that. It should not be something you have to request individually in a flash drive. And in my case, it was never delivered to me. That's wrong, right? We are here to demand that Anaheim Police Chief Manny Sid fire the police officer who killed Albert immediately. We demand killer cop Nathan Garcia be fired. Fire Nathan Garcia! That's right. For months, this family has filled this chamber and made their demands very clear. And for months, this council has basically been silent in response. Silence is unacceptable when you hold political power, and it means you're taking the side of killer cops. That's what that means. Shame. And even worse, after hearing this family's testimony and even seeing video evidence of the family being harassed by police, some of you have chosen to use your presentations to celebrate and whitewash police. We see those things. In particular, Natalie Ruvalcaba, I've seen your presentations. It's disgusting. You celebrate the police knowing that officers like Nathan Garcia had a history of violence. He used excessive force on an unarmed 14-year-old Chicano in 2024. Shame. You do this. You do this even though the family comes here month after month. And that's why we are here to demand justice for Albert right now. We're not looking for excuses. We've heard these excuses for years, for years, and you have officers right now in your department who have killed over and over, and we're not going to stand for it. We're not going to sit here and let it happen again. We are demanding justice right now. You need to protect your residents right now. Justice for Albert Arzola. Fire Nathan Garcia.

Our next speaker to step forward.

My name is Donna Acevedo. I'm a lifelong resident of Anaheim. I'm 59 years old, so feels like a long time. I started coming here because my 21-year-old son, Joel Acevedo, was murdered on july 22nd 2012 it's going to be 14 years that he was beaten up and shot in the back of the head by kelly phillips Last month on Wednesday, June 24th at 10.05, officers Jared Rodriguez and Wallace Gonzalez drove past my apartment where some of our teenagers were sitting outside. The police yelled out of their vehicle to the teenagers, Pauline Street is after you. Don't call us for help. And they left. Is that what these officers do to instigate problems in the neighborhoods? Is that... Is that how they get gang violence to start so the officers can make a game out of it and with the safety of the children and the families in these neighborhoods? I spoke with Sergeant Serega. He agreed that it shouldn't have happened. So on Thursday, June 25th, I attended the police review board meeting. When it was first formed, one of the purposes was to accept complaints from the public. They no longer do that. So what is their purpose now? Maybe there should be a review of the police review board because I only see them being cheerleaders for the police where there's supposed to be oversight and accountability. And where was the chief of police? He wasn't there. And speaking of Chief Sid, we saw him today at Varsity Burger. Vern asked him why he has not responded to five emails from former Councilman Dr. Jose Moreno about attending a Los Amigos community meeting. And Chief Sid said he never saw the emails and blamed it on his secretary. And that just seems like bullshit to me. Like, how does he miss five emails? I think he's just afraid to go. And, you know, it's not like one of his social media events. I mean, he was probably too busy. Taking pictures with the sick kids over at chalk to you know, do some real work. I don't even know what he really does So then on Monday, June 29th at 1135 a.m Officer Rose showed up in our courtyard He felt entitled to recklessly drive up on the curb and the sidewalk into our private courtyard where young children play and He said he was assisting another officer from the alley. He had no reason to come up. It's like if he drove into your patio on your front yard. I spoke with Sergeant Pedroza. He said there is no policy against doing something like that. Well, maybe there should be a policy. Like a policy for common sense because it should not have happened. I guess my time is over, but it just seems like there's no accountability here. And if people would listen to what these officers do to the teenagers in the community, Albert Arzola would still be alive.

Albert Arzola would still be alive if people here would ever listen.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Vern Nelson.

As the Arzola family and the public waits for the eighth month, going on eight months, to get answers about the December 6th killing of 19-year-old Albert by Officer Nathan Garcia, as we all wait to see the autopsy, find out the name of Nathan's partner who didn't have his body cam on, find out who shot Albert's friend needlessly in the head with a beanbag round, sending him to the hospital with a brain injury, And many other important details. I want to remind us all how long it took for you guys to even tell us the name of the cop who killed Albert and what the excuse was. It took almost five months for the city to tell us Nathan Garcia's name. It never takes that long. But throughout February, March and April, we were told that Nathan's identity had to be kept secret because he was in danger. Supposedly there were threats against him, we were told. This was a new one we never heard before. It sounded like they were taking a page from ICE officers who supposedly have to wear masks because they're in so much danger. But then suddenly, late on April 21st, the threats were apparently no longer a problem as the city revealed the name of Nathan Garcia to the Arzola's lawyer. Funny coincidence though, you know what else happened? Nearly the same moment, Nathan Garcia's name was released. A lawsuit against the city was settled for we don't know how much money for excessive force against the same officer, Nathan Garcia and his partner, Kyle Smith. According to the LA Times, those two had knocked a 14-year-old Latino boy off his bicycle, a kid with no record, who was allegedly trying to comply. They knelt on his back, punched him in the testicles, fractured his shoulder, and we had to pay for that. Isn't that a coincidence that the city had to wait till that suit was settled before releasing Nathan Garcia's name? It almost makes you think there really wasn't any threat against the officer's life. Maybe we'll never know for sure, but how weird is it that the threat was no longer a problem as soon as the other lawsuit was settled? This is just one more thing that makes it hard to trust the city and the APD. We're still waiting for a lot more information about this killing and we're not gonna forget about it. I know that's what. That's what people think, that take long enough and people just forget about it. And all things considered, Nathan Garcia should no longer be on the street, armed, and on our payroll, to say the least. He seems to be a menace. Anyway, on a lighter note, the next Anaheim Democrats Club meeting is this Thursday night at 7 at the Untold Story Bookstore. We'll be talking about the ramping up of ICE raids and killings, what we can do about it, how to get rid of flock cameras. And our special guest will be the Democratic Socialists of America, the OCDSA, who've been having lots of great victories across the country. And it should be a meeting that nobody wants to miss. So hope to see some of you there. Maybe not you guys, although you're invited, but maybe some of you.

Our next speaker.

Running Deer Clan, Obsidian Knife Clan. I remember when you got sworn in, that was beautiful. I was with my friend Chabela. She happens to be from the federally recognized tribal nation, Kickapoo, which are in Mexico and the US, thanks to Benito Juarez. We actually have a school in your district, District 5, Christian Moss. Hopefully we get that Benito Juarez mural for what he stood for soon, or maybe later. So I'm hearing all these stories. I remember in 2012 what happened to Donna's son, and I'm glad she never sold out. She never received that money. Just like Lakotas in South Dakota, they're getting ready to Sundance right now in June, July, and August. And Leonard Peltier, he's out finally. But it reminds me of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, Mayor. In there, it says, it just shows you the history. We connect to Chicanos, Mexicanos, and people of color, Middle Eastern people. and Native Americans, how they call us merciless savages, merciless savage Indians. You know, and you wonder why we want to change the name of the school of the colonists, and the Saxons, and Catalanites, because they killed Arzola, and they keep killing their people in the bodies of reservations, and ICE just killed another Mexicano in Texas and in Maine. Shame. So with that, when you got sworn in, I was surprised and very happy and shocked, excited that you said, respectfully, when you got sworn in, you said, I remember my grandma telling me that the Mexicans were not allowed to swim in the Pearson pool. And with that, That just shows you the history of back then when Artie was saying too, right, from like, even from the Pachuco days, how you used to fight the Marines from Chicano Park area, now it's known as Chicano Park, Barrio Logan. Beautiful mirrors, by the way. And so... And thank you for all the murals that you've been supporting here. Some have been going up, some have been going down, and we're going to get rid of the home of the murals, knock it down, abolish it, execute it behind the gym. 50 seconds left. We want to request for a Mexican American slash Chicano Chicana monument like they have in Garden Grove Westminster with Mendez. Thanks to Christine. She invited me to meet the Mendez family. It was beautiful. We went to the Garden Grove City School Board District, and I got to speak about the colonists and the history to the pool. And the idea came about how we should have something like that, Mayor. And Chicana Power from East Los Campos, mucho respeto. I heard a lot of good things about you, and I'm glad you're here in our city. But sadly, we have this trauma, this pain, and we can't trust police. We can't trust authority. And the KK used to burn the crosses at Pearson Park. So we have a Gigi Colby Bryan mural, why not? A monument in history of what the colonists did to our people back then. And if you guys say there should be peace and love and respect and trust, well, let's have that monument to show some type of condolences or peace, respect. Thank you, your time is up.

We'll have our next speaker step forward. Following this speaker is Albert Arzola.

The family finally had their first court date for whatever it was. And I just want to say that feels good because we feel like, you know, we've just been walked on. I mean, not getting the name of a killer is pretty, you know, respectable. I mean, it's the very least you could say.

We don't even know who was the getaway driver who didn't even turn on his body cam when Albert was killed.

I don't know if anybody else saw today, but the LA Times wrote an article about how Anaheim police union leaders were racking up so much money in overtime that they made more than the chief. Maybe when you guys said the chief was being paid for a good value, maybe you guys knew something that we didn't. He wasn't getting paid better than his sergeants. And... Why was Disney allegedly pressuring these people about arrest quotas? I mean, that just feels despicable. Imagine somebody kills your family member and it was for their arrest quota for Disney. That's pretty despicable. I'm one of the biggest Disney fans in the world. It just brings to light of what they really care about, the arrest quotas. It wasn't about giving back to the community. When I was eight years old at Sunkist, the school was very, very underfunded. It was not that good. I mean, half of these schools had to share a football field. In East Vail and Corona, we don't have to share football fields. Every school gets their own personal field. How are you guys gonna tell me in Anaheim we can't afford individual football fields? Now I'll talk about what really matters. I saw on the news recently LAPD had to shut down one of their best gang units because officers refused to turn on their body cams when they committed a murder. That happens, and you know what? I saw as well that the LAPD threatened to sue the city council over some legislation, some reckless stuff. So yeah, I can see the both sides. It's pretty messed up when the LAPD and the PD don't wanna work for the citizens. They wanna work for their own personal motives. This just brings me back to Albert's murder. There's no official footage from the partner until Albert's already dead. This murder probably didn't come as a surprise to you guys because we now know you guys were trying to settle a previous lawsuit that involved Nathan Garcia, not checking his member, brutally assaulting a 14-year-old child. You know, let's not get this confused. This was a crime of like, they say murder is a crime of passion. It's when you let your emotions take over. Nathan Garcia had been harassing Albert all up until his death. How am I supposed to feel? That's a bully, except this bully has a gun and he has authority to kill. Albert had maybe five seconds to react to his death. We've been spending seven months coming here. What was Albert supposed to do in five seconds? Thank you.

Next speaker, Albert Arzola. Daniel Gonzalez.

Hello, I'm Alberto Azula, the father of my son that Nathan Garcia have killed. I have matter here gonna be something that I wrote up because I forgot my glasses.

Thank you all for standing here with my family today. I am standing before you not just as a grieving man, but as a proud, broken-hearted father. We are here for my boy, Albert Arzola. He was only 19 years old. As a father, you watch your son grow up, graduate from Cotella High School, work hard, and start chasing his dreams. Albert loved sports, he loved cooking, and he wanted to make a life in the culinary arts. He was his mother's Rosie's whole world, and he was my pride and joy. He was a good, hardworking kid who loved his family deeply. He was not a threat to anyone. My son should be standing next to me today. As a parent, your worst nightmare is not being able to protect your child. On December 6th, 2025, that nightmare became our reality right on our front porch on South Philadelphia Street. Albert was home. He was approached by officers over a misdemeanor graffiti report that our attorneys have made clear that he had absolutely nothing to do with. Eyewitnesses and body cam footage show my boy trying to comply. He showed his hands. One of his hands was flat on the ground. But instead of being protected, he was dragged backward by his hoodie and shot repeatedly in the back and neck. There is no justification on this earth for the deadly force they used against my son. To break our hearts even further, our family, including young children, were handcuffed and detained for hours. They forced us to watch our son, our brother bleed and die. For months, the department tried to hide the identity of the officer who did this. For months, we have faced harassment with police cars driving past our home and shining lights into our windows while we tried to mourn. I am telling them today, you will not intimidate a grieving father. Enough is enough. They took my life son, but they cannot silence my voice. We are fighting back with everything we have. Our family has filed civil rights legal claims in federal court against the city of Anaheim and the police department. We finally know the name of the man who took my son from me, Officer Nathan Garcia. We know he has a history of excessive force allegations involving minors, yet Chief Manuel Cid has kept him on the force. As Albert's father, alongside Rosie and our entire family, I am demanding absolute accountability today. Fire Officer Nathan Garcia immediately and permanently. Publicly release all unedited body cam footage and the official autopsy report. Prosecute those responsible for taking my son's life. The city says its officers act in the interest of public safety. I look at the empty seat at our dinner table and I ask them, whose safety? If a father cannot protect his 19-year-old boy on his own front porch, no one is safe. We will not allow them to investigate themselves, hide the truth, and delay transparency. Please help me fight for my son. Sign the Change.org Justice for Albert Arzola petition. Keep up the pressure on the city council. Stand with us, march with us, and use your voices. I will not stop until we have justice for my boy. Justice for Albert Arzola.

Thank you. Our next speaker, Daniel Gonzalez, followed by Matthew Compton.

I'm here on behalf of Albert Ozola. I'm a family friend. I've known Albert for some time now. And I'm not going to come here and present a bunch of facts. You guys have a bunch of accounts where people are doing that already. And a lot of you guys aren't even looking, making eye contact with them. I don't see anybody taking notes or really paying attention. But aside from all that, the family's planning their annual trip coming up. Something I go on with them and Half the family's tied between not going because someone's not gonna be there and the other half is trying to make peace with what they got. They're trying to make something whole when something's missing. I ask all you guys to take reflection in your own lives as if it was one of your own family members and how would their day go? We all get to go home and enjoy the luxury of being alive. If it was you guys, would you guys want to wait six months, over six months, just to hear the truth, transparency? They're not asking for you guys to do the impossible, yet they're having to jump through hula hoops and come to resistance just for getting the, like, justice. If one of your family members was gone, what would you do? If it was one of you guys, how would your family be right now without your guys' presence there? I'm not a lawyer, I'm not trained on how to speak politically correct, but I'm asking you guys to be human. I'm asking you guys to take in consideration what the family's going through. I'm a family friend, and I've known Albert for only maybe six years. And he had such an impact on me that I'm here in Anaheim in the city I don't live in. I've never grew up out here. I went to a couple of Angel games in the Disneyland a couple of times, but I'm asking you guys to be human. It doesn't matter who we are, where we're from or where we came from, but everyone needs to be heard and protected. If it was one of you guys, if it was one of your guys' family members, your son, your nephew, cousin, Brother, what would you do? Would you sit here and wait six, seven months for things to go on the same? Nathan Garcia is not innocent. He's not the first offense. He has a history of treating people wrong, treating kids wrong, targeting kids, going to their house before and after Albert was killed, murdered. They don't want anything. They don't want special treatment. They want justice. They want to be treated like human beings. That's all I got to say.

Our next speaker, Matthew Compton. Matthew Compton. Matthew Compton. We'll go to our next speaker, Kenneth Batiste.

Hello, everybody. Give an honor to God and those on the council that is supporting the God of the people. My subject tonight is who interests are we really protecting? Are we protecting the residents or are we protecting the special interests such as Disneyland, angels, and all the building People, landlords, things of the sort, are you in the interest of the residents? First thing we had looking at, it was in the Voice of OC. It comes after FBI agent and independent detail Disney Resort interest mammoth influence on city council making. This is Voice of OC, February 2nd, 2004. We look at what Disney has done for our city. First thing I want to say is I'm glad nobody was part of that deal for the parking lot that was almost 40 years ago that we are paying for today. Disney has not paid one penny while they collected all the money from the revenue and kept it. We could have used that revenue to pay for the parking lot. At the end of this time, they're going to use You to give it to them. Yeah, it's coming. Another thing to influence. Disney puts a lot of money into this. Our campaigns. The police union puts a lot of money into the campaign along with the fire department. So a lot of it has to go ahead and do with things heading towards those organizations. It was so bad that when Sadu was here, the union president got a contract for $1.2 million for benefits and he wasn't even an Anaheim employee. Okay, so that's just what we're going ahead and saying that. Transparency. A lot of you ran on transparency. Transparency is the truth in a timely manner. This right here with this shooting took so long. Just think if it was your family, the Arizola family is going through grief. And I'm glad that they're here because I was in the hospital and I came back after all of these months and they still are here. They're not going nowhere. They're not going nowhere. My point of it is, is that when you're right, the police department goes ahead and releases all the footages, everything else right from the beginning. When they're wrong, they try to hide stuff. My point is, who interests are you gonna go ahead and look out for? Are you looking out for the people who go ahead and contribute to your campaign? Or are you looking out for your residents? Because it looks like right now, your residents are losing. Thank you.

Mayor and city council. That concludes our in-person speakers. We do have a remote participant to address City Council remotely. At this time, we will call onto our remote participant, Duane Roberts. If you can please unmute your line at this time.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can, Mr. Roberts. Very good. Okay, I'll start. Mr. Roberts, your time has started.

Okay, good evening. Duane Roberts, editor and publisher, AnaheimInvestigator.com. We stand at a crossroads. California faces a $100 billion healthcare funding gap. a gap that threatens hospitals, clinics, and the safety net providers millions of families rely on. And yet, when a modest, one-time 5% tax is proposed on the state's 200 wealthiest residents to close it, the loudest outrage comes straight from Silicon Valley's billionaire class, reacting as if the sky is falling. They warn us that this small levy will cripple innovation. They insist that asking billionaires to contribute a fraction of their wealth is an attack on the natural order. But let's be honest, their private fortunes did not emerge from thin air. They were built on decades of public investment, our investment. Silicon Valley's success story is not one of lone geniuses in garages. That's a fairy tale. In reality, the evidence shows this region became a global technology hub because of government-funded research, defense contracts, and state-created markets. The semiconductor boom of the 50s and 60s fueled by Cold War defense spending for missiles and rockets. The Internet, created by DARPA, an offshoot of the Defense Department. Google's foundational algorithm, developed with a National Science Foundation grant, taxpayer money. Tesla, saved from bankruptcy by California's zero emission vehicle credit market. SpaceX, sustained by billions in NASA and Pentagon contracts. Many iPhone components from GPS to cellular networks originated in military research. These companies did not bootstrap themselves into existence. They were built on public dollars, public risk, and public infrastructure. Californians were full partners in creating this wealth. When Silicon Valley billionaires make idle threats to flee the state over this tax, don't believe them. Their firms are highly dependent on California's world-class universities, its supply chain networks, its unmatched concentration of talent, and an innovations ecosystem that exists here and only here. These advantages, which took decades to build, cannot be hauled off in a moving van and replanted in a cornfield somewhere in Iowa. Meanwhile, the cost of doing nothing is devastating. Hospitals are delaying critical upgrades. Clinics are understaffed. Vulnerable communities are already feeling the strain. We cannot absorb a $100 billion shortfall without causing real harm. Proposition 40, the Billionaire Tax Act, is not an attack on success. It's a long overdue public dividend, a recognition that when public money helps generate private fortunes, the return should benefit everyone, not just those at the very top. A 5% contribution from the wealthiest 200 individuals is not punishment. It is partnership. It is responsibility. It is fairness. So this November, let us save our health care system. Let us invest in the future of every Californian. And let us affirm a simple truth. When the public helps create wealth, the public deserves a share of the returns. Vote yes on Proposition 40. Thank you very much for your time.

Mayor and City Council, that concludes all our in-person and remote speakers. Noting for the record, we did receive 22 electronic comments. Those comments were distributed to City Council as well as posted on the City's website and can be found at anaheim.net public comment.

Thank you. We're now going to close public comment portion of our meeting and move to council communications. Are there any council members with items to share? Mayor Pro Tem Leon.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I wanted to start off thanking everybody. I appreciate everybody that came out to be a part of our 4th of July festivities in the city. It really was a huge success across our community. I had the chance to spend the day at a number of different neighborhood celebrations. I did a little neighborhood parade as well in District 2. Community gatherings, local events was another reminder really of what makes our city special. I also want to recognize our police department, our fire and rescue department, our public works team, community services, all of the city staff who worked throughout the holiday to keep our community safe. And I also want to thank Jenny and a number of different neighborhood leaders in District 2 who helped organize the celebrations and thank everybody who made sure that they did their part in keeping our community safe with safe and sane fireworks throughout. One of my favorite stops over the last few weeks as well was a recent neighborhood gathering organized by one of our community leaders in District 2, Guadalupe. She partnered with Fire Zone Church, really just set up in her neighborhood and had a little get-together with kids, having the opportunity to come out and play. win prizes. It wasn't a large city event, but it really is a meaningful opportunity for folks to come together, neighbors to spend time together, families meeting one another, children enjoying that safe place to celebrate. So I want to thank everybody who helped organize it. I also want to thank Dooku Lee, who was out there tabling with the Misses. Appreciate you being there on a Saturday. It really helped out a lot and shared some valuable resources for our community. I also want to highlight the kickoff of our Emprendedores program. I want to give a shout out to our Economic Development Department. Appreciate their work through this. This program is designed to help our entrepreneurs, small business owners, or future small business owners to access practical resources and guidance as they begin to grow their businesses. We know many of our local businesses here in Anaheim have started with an idea. and a family willing to take that leap, to take that chance. And programs like this really help to turn those ideas into lasting businesses and contributors here in our local neighborhoods and our local economy. So thank you to our Economic Development Department for your work and efforts on this. And as I told all of the participants, I'm looking forward to the ribbon cuttings and to having them open up their businesses here in the city of Anaheim. And finally, I'd like to recognize someone who really has had a lasting impact on the city of Anaheim, and that's our Public Utilities General Manager, Mr. Dooku Lee. Dooku, who's decided to retire, even though we've all spent the last three months trying to convince him not to do it, I haven't been successful, but it is what it is. Duke has always been a person that is led by example. Throughout my time here on the council, whether it was a community meeting, whether it was a neighborhood open house, whether it was a neighborhood event, he showed up. He listened, and more importantly, he followed through on the commitments that he made to many of our community members. He's never viewed the public utilities organization as just something that is really behind the scenes. They're just focusing on the big projects, but really as evidenced. And there were a lot more photos, Dooku, but I couldn't fit them all on the slide. He's always understood that it's about connecting with our neighborhoods and making sure that he's there for our community. I've appreciated his willingness to answer my questions throughout my time here. We've walked project sites together multiple times, answered all of the dumb questions that I had, and did so with a lot of patience and grace, and I really, really appreciate that. And overall, I just want to say thank you to Dooku for his years of service to the city of Anaheim, to District 2 for all of the great things that we've been able to do in our neighborhoods, a lot of these neighborhoods that have haven't really had the opportunity or chance to have the attention that we've been able to bring them and be able to really address those concerns. So I want to say thank you officially on the record, Dooku. I still think you should reconsider your decision, but I do want to wish you congratulations, well wishes on your next chapter, and we are wishing you nothing but the best. And thank you sincerely for your service to the city of Anaheim.

Thank you. Council Member Moss. Thank you, I have a few slides to share.

We had a successful community cleanup last month at Edison Park. We had Spectrum come out and join us. They provided refreshments and helped pick up trash. We also had residents from Anaheim Hills, members of the Rotary Club, and a local church come out to join us. So it was a great opportunity to not only pick up trash and keep it out of our waterways and oceans, but also to connect with community members and listen to some of their concerns. Our next cleanup will be Saturday, August 22nd at Rio Vista Park from 9 to 10. Everybody is invited. We will not have a cleanup in July. Next slide, please. We had an event last month called Sensory with a Patch. This was put on by Mother Lucy, who's a mother of a special needs child, and this was all about connecting our first responders with the autistic community and special needs community. So we had not only police officers there, we also had fire and park rangers there, and I believe code enforcement. But it was a great opportunity, not only to connect with each other, but we had a lot of great resources there. Out of respect for privacy, I didn't put any pictures of the kids, but it was a great event that was built on the foundation that Mayor Pro Tem Leon started. And on Monday, Chief Patrick Russell joined me in wishing District 5 resident Helen Franke a happy 102nd birthday. So she is a fabulous woman who was born in Brooklyn, New York, She is thriving. I was made aware of her birthday from a neighbor who goes and visits her with her young daughter, brings her food, and just checks on her and makes sure that all of her needs are met. So I want to thank Erica Alvarez for making the phone call and for Chief Russell for joining me. And then lastly, I want to acknowledge that Dooku Lee was the recipient of the Anaheim Historical Society's 2026 Andy Anaheim Award. This is a very special award, and it honors people in the community who go out of their way to bring people together who are an inspiration and a leader, and who are creatively making Anaheim an even more wonderful place to live. So congratulations, Dooku, and I second everything Mayor Pro Tem said. That's all my slides. I do have a couple other comments. We had a wonderful concert in the park at Pioneer Park last month. So I want to thank Shawnee, Larsen, Cash, and your team for not only putting on great performances, but you guys had games set up. I walked up. There was line dancing going on. City departments out there to share resources. And people were watching the World Cup on their little portable TVs. So there were maybe 300 or 400 people there enjoying the evening. So I wanted to thank you for bringing that to District 5. On this past Saturday, I attended Vern Nelson's concert, and it was a pleasure to be a part of. So thank you for District 5 resident Vern Nelson for the invitation. And lastly, tomorrow at the Sunkist Branch Library, we will be hosting a nutrition literacy workshop. I was contacted by the Cal State Fullerton School of Nursing. Anaheim is identified as a place where we need to work on some health issues, including obesity and a general knowledge of proper nutrition. So tomorrow at Sunkist Library, we'll be there at 3.30 to School of Nursing students will be there to share important information. Thank you. That's all my comments.

Thank you. Council Member Rubicalva and then Council Member Campos-Gertz.

Thank you, Mayor Aiken. And I believe, Madam Clerk, I have a few slides. As everybody knows, I represent District 3, which is home to approximately 50,000 residents. One of the things that I pride myself on is not only growing up in the city of Anaheim, but also living very closely among many of my neighbors. And a lot of their concerns are my concerns. And I want to highlight the wonderful enforcement that our city leaders were able to help us with in order in response to a lot of the concerns that we've received from residents. So we did issue 40 citations. The city confiscated 2,500 pounds of fireworks. And these are all illegal fireworks. They are not the safe and sane fireworks that are in the city of Anaheim legally. And the safe and sane fireworks do offer an opportunity for many of our nonprofits to earn money that they can utilize for things like football programs or the band like my council colleague here was part of. at what high school? Magnolia. I was going to say Savannah. It's not Anaheim. And then we also had 27 drone missions. So I just want to thank everybody who was involved, including our public utilities, our fire department, our police department, and our city manager for helping with this firework enforcement. I know the residents of District 3 were happy. Although we did not reach perfection, everybody who lives in the city is well aware that there were a lot of illegal fireworks that were going on. I do want to say we have made significant progress. So thank you for all of those who were involved in that endeavor. I also want to mention the 250th birthday of our country was something that the city took very seriously this year and every year, but specifically this year because it was 250 years. So I want to thank our city staff for hosting our 5K and 10K. And whoever did the 10K route, I'm going to have to find you. It was all uphill. The mayor did it as well. So it was a great way to be part of the community. And I just want to thank everybody who participated. As you can see, we have families from public utilities. We also have our chief communications officer. Our city manager was in attendance. And pretty much the entire council was there to support. So thank you for celebrating the birth of our country and our freedom. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ORANGE COUNTY CONSERVATION CORP, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG OUR AT-RISK, NOT ONLY YOUTH, BUT ALSO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE HAD JUSTICE CHALLENGES IN THE PAST. THEY DID RECENTLY ROLL OUT OR HAVE THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THEIR, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO READ THIS, BUT THEIR BIORETENTION PROJECT, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN CONSERVATION. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT ON WATER CONSERVATION HERE IN NOT ONLY THE CITY OF ANAHEIM, BUT ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SO I WANT TO THANK THE ORANGE COUNTY CONSERVATION CORP AND MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER MOSS, WHO WE JOINED EACH OTHER TO CELEBRATE THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. And then I just want to highlight, so as many of you know, economic development, which is attracting and retaining businesses, is a very important part of what our city does. We have a very strong and robust economy because of it. But I did have an opportunity to visit OCVIBE, which is a project located in District 5, I believe, right? I can't remember, Moss. So it's right here in our city, but I'm continued to be amazed by the scale and progress taking shape in this area. As you know, the parking structure has gone up. It's been less than a year and we've seen just so much development. This multi-billion dollar private investment is transforming the area around the Honda Center into a vibrant destination that will strengthen our local economy, create hundreds of union construction jobs for members of the LAOC building trades, deliver new housing opportunities and provide beautiful public spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy. This development will not only have places to eat and areas to generate revenue, but it will also have affordable housing. And so that's something that we're very proud of as a council and I'm happy to be part of that and to have been able to take my kids since they're on summer break. This is the kind of fun that those kids get. So thank you to our OC Vibe partners for inviting us to participate. And then I also just want to highlight the District 3 newsletter. If you have not already signed up, it is at anaheim.net slash D3. You can find out some of the things that are going on in the district, but we did recently send out our six-month recap, so I highly recommend taking a look at that. It includes highlights from our budget. what our council has approved because as you know our council we are not Day-to-day operations. We are policy and governance So it's important to understand what we are working on so that you can see the work that the City Council is doing on behalf of the residents And then this may not be the last slide, but I think we're getting close. But I just wanted to also promote an upcoming event that we have, a school supply giveaway. It is to make sure that the local youth in our area, any kids of all ages, so from elementary to high school, have the resources that they need to succeed this coming school year. I want to thank all of our partners who are dedicated to this event. Hopefully Wild Wing will be there. I see we have some OC5 people. But I just also want to highlight our fire department, our police department will be hosting hot dogs and local car clubs as well as public utilities, public works, housing and community development. But just thank you everybody who cares about our community and the kids who are getting ready to go back to school. And then I know I'm not the only one, but I am very sad that we are not losing Dooku, but Dooku is going on to do other great things. He's going to get bored, I'm sure, because he has his phone and is very responsive all the time. But I just wanted to recognize Dooku for all of his dedication to the city of Anaheim. You are one of the most dedicated employees that I've ever met. My dad was a 40-year employee of public utilities, and he did have the opportunity to work under several general managers, and I have to say, by far, Dooku Cooley was the best. So there is going to be a void in the city of Anaheim. I wish you would reconsider staying, but I am very happy for you and your next endeavor. And then lastly, I would like to ask the mayor to close the meeting in memory of Ampelia Sandoval. She leaves behind a husband and seven children who also all attended Anaheim High School. It's a great loss to our community, and I would just like to ask you to close the meeting in Ampelia Sandoval's memory. And that concludes my council comments.

Thank you. Council Member Kurtz and then Council Member Bayless.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I don't have any slides. I just want to take this time to personally thank Dooku for the service he's given to the city, to the residents' businesses in the city. Thank you, Dooku, for showing up any time we asked you for help in District 4. Thank you for playing soccer with the kids. Thank you for going into neighborhoods when there were outages and being there at midnight, 1 o'clock in the morning, responding to frightened residents. I'll always remember that. Remember the service that you've given. Thank you.

Councilmember Bayless.

Thank you. I know a lot of things have already been covered. I, too, want to give just a real quick shout out to Code Enforcement, Fire PD for the enforcement for the illegal fireworks. So thank you for that. And then I just can't get along without everybody else. We're going to do it again. But Dooku, you are definitely one of one for an employee that's out there. Thank you. Thank you for keeping the lights on. I know for the last, yeah, literally. I know for the last, what is about a year, a little bit more, almost two years now, right? I've been able to work with you as a city council member. And even before that, as a resident, you could see you truly do care for the community. I wish you all the best. And if you do decide to come back, let us know. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Meeks. And I will add on to the Dooku accolades, but I've known you forever. And there are a few people that come into an organization and make such a large impact, much more than an individual, you would expect an individual to make. And Dooku, you're one of those people. You have established a culture in the utilities department that I hope lives on for many, many years after you're retire and are doing other fun things but I think I think it will because you have been such a presence there you have really been an example and hired people that hopefully can carry on that vision for you and such an asset to the city we are totally gonna miss you but obviously we can get on without you because they got along without me right but wish you all the best in your retirement

That was awesome. Thank you. I just want to obviously dump on heap as much praise as Dooku is willing to let us give him. Your passion for the city is just infectious. And, you know, you're so between obviously doing your day job, but just coming up with so much creative programming, whether it's the electric vehicles to teaching people about sustainability with the amazing center that you led to things about drought resistant plants. And you have the best giveaways. Don't tell Public Works I said that, but you have some of the best giveaways and you're just always there for the community. So thank you so much for being a part of the team. And it'll be a Definitely a void that's going to be very hard to fill. I wanted to share a couple of things since the last meeting. For those of you that were able to come, we had an amazing groundbreaking at 39 Commons. that really kind of honors some of the wonderful work that is going on in West Anaheim. For years, a lot of people have promised West Anaheim investment, involvement, attention, and it's really been beautiful over the last couple of years to see it changing from taking out some of the problem motels to attracting new businesses and this at 39 commons we had our groundbreaking that's going to bring a very vibrant commercial center to this corner of beach boulevard and so we had a groundbreaking ceremony that uh... is going to welcome a dutch brothers which my kids tell me is absolutely fantastic. Another in and out to that corner, as well as a Dave's Hot Chicken it's going to have. Add compliments to the housing and the community center we have there, as well as investment as we have taken back Beach Boulevard. to really beautify that corridor. And it's a promise that we have made to West Anaheim. And it was just really exciting to have council colleagues out there at the groundbreaking and the coolest thing, Councilmember Bayless, getting behind the earth mover and actually driving it. That was pretty impressive. Yeah, he drove that thing. I moved out of the way. That was not going to happen for me. Next, I want to just again echo my council colleagues on thanking so much of our community and our community staff that put in a ton of work to have our Fourth of July go as smoothly as it does. It starts at What, 6.30 in the morning with the 5K and 10K. I did do the 10K, but I had a puppy that I was drafting behind a little bit. Congratulations to my daughter in the 10K. She came in third in her age group. So I was super proud of her. And then, of course, the Yankee Doodle Dog Show, as well as the Peralta Park festivities and the beautiful firework show that they put on for the 250th. And just echo my council colleagues' comments. We haven't solved all of the firework issues. But I really hope people see that we do take it seriously. We are trying to improve. And there was a lot of community help that really led to proper enforcement action. So thank you to everyone that helps us try to keep our city safe on the 4th of July. Last, I just wanted to announce something that's coming up on July 16th. for our anaheim residents it's it's been a passion of mine to really make sure that anaheim residents that that live here get to enjoy a variety of of the things that are in our city we have the oc vibe team that is here they were giving early registration for anaheim residents for world cup game watches. We've also had a lot of our community service programs that are having early registration for Anaheim residents. And this is something that I started working with President Thomas Mazaloum, the last Disneyland president, and finally came to fruition, which is a discounted yearly ticket for Anaheim residents. So starting on July 16th, you can make reservations to have a one-day Anaheim resident ticket for $71 that is tied to the 71st anniversary of Disneyland being in the park. You can start using it on July 20th, and it is going to go all the way to October 8th. which coincides to the week of Anaheim's founding and our Founders Day on October 5th. So if you are an Anaheim resident, please, and you are able to, it's interesting to you to go to the park, please take advantage of this. I know it's still an expensive ticket, but it's about half the price that you would normally pay, and you can still combine it with the $50 kids tickets. So look for, on their website, it's going to go live on the 16th. And you, although you still have to make reservations, you can use it all the way to October 8th. So I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of Anaheim residents enjoying the park this fall. That is it for me. So we are going to close council communications and move on to our city manager's update. Mr. City Manager, do you have anything for us?

Yes, thank you, Mayor. Just a couple of items. First and foremost, very briefly on the stadium assessment, no major update at this time. As I previously mentioned, the final assessment is expected to be completed later this year, so more to come on that. Next, I can't believe we're halfway through summer, and so I just want to remind the community that we still have some events. We've had tons of concerts and movies in the park and everything else throughout summer, thanks to Shawnee and her team. Everyone at Parks and Rec and the community services, they do an amazing job. We still have some concerts, and so please join us for Concerts in the Canyon at Reagan Park every Thursday this month from 6.30 to 8.00. Obviously bring all your picnic gear and come out and join us. In addition, there's so much more happening throughout the city this summer, both at our libraries and our parks and other programs. So I just encourage everybody to check our website and get more information on all those amazing programs. And then finally, to add to the love fest for Dooku, I want to lend my voice to my appreciation and thanks to Dooku for all of his time. And on behalf of the city staff and executive team, he's been such a critical player in this town for so long. Not sure what we're gonna do without him, but you know, I I was fortunate I got here 21 years ago Dooku has been with us for 26 years. So I was fortunate to know him throughout my entire career here in Anaheim and He's he's just an incredible employee person Not only is he incredible manager. I actually met him on the basketball court my first time we used to play lunch basketball lunch lunch basketball at lunch when we were probably you know 20 pounds lighter and much younger and he's a machine on the basketball court too so in case anyone's wondering there's nothing he can't do he's that kind of individual and we are we're absolutely gonna miss you Dooku I'm so excited for the next chapter you absolutely deserve it and Listen, I know if we ever need you, you're gonna be available for us. And so congratulations, thank you again on behalf of the entire organization. What an incredible career, thank you.

And you don't age, so what's your secret? Whatever products you're using, I want to know. So next on our calendar is the city's consent calendar. Items 1 through 14 are before us. Are there any members of the consent calendar that somebody would like to pull? I see Council Member Moss.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I would like to pull item number four. And regarding item number eight, upon guidance received from the city's ethics officer due to my employment with the nonprofit organization Alzheimer's OC, which was an applicant for CDBG... I will be recusing myself from any vote pertaining to item number eight. Furthermore, if this item is pulled by any council colleagues for further discussion or consideration, I will leave the council chambers for the duration of the discussion and vote. This recusal will be noted in the official record. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Campos-Kurtz.

I'm pulling item number eight.

Number eight? Okay. Council Member Meeks?

I'd like to pull item two.

Thank you. Council Member Bayless?

Item seven, please.

Thank you. And excuse me. Okay. Thank you, I'm trying to see item number 11, please. So can I have a motion to move the remainder of the calendar?

I'll move that. Second.

Please vote.

The vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Thank you. So the first item pulled by Council Member Meeks is item number two. Would you like a staff report?

No, I just have a comment and question. Well, first I want to say how lucky we are to have this whole undergrounding program. And it's one of the benefits of having our own electric utility here. So we can beautify some of our corridors and we've done a fabulous job. And it's so noticeable when we go out there and make a difference. But as we move forward in the five-year plan, which is all great, but for like the six or seven-year plan, can you look at Orangethorpe? And I think some of those areas are Edison, and we might not be able to do as much, but it is a... Arterial in our street in our city that has not gotten a lot of love and attention in it It could use some so maybe an underground if you look at the undergrounding if we could look at some landscaping a median I don't know what needs to be done out there, but It's not very pretty All right, that's it On item number two if not, okay, I'll move records I

to that list, and I know you know what's coming, East Street. Thank you, and I thank you for the current plan. We're excited about it in District 4, thank you.

Thank you, do we have a motion?

I'll move approval. Second.

Thank you, a motion, a second, please vote.

The vote is seven ayes, no nays, motion carries.

Thank you. The next item pulled, item number four, pulled by Councilmember Moss. Would you like a staff report?

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I do not need a full staff report. Thank you for making your way down. Just a quick question about the timeline of this grand project. How are we doing? When do we expect to phase one to open?

Yes. So we are, as I think was mentioned, moving. The OC Vibe team is moving quickly. We have phase one of construction. Actually, can I show you a slide? Please. So joining me this evening is Lissandra Obrusco, who's a senior planner and project manager for all things OC Vibe. Great, so you can see on this slide the areas in green are items that between last review period and this review period have been completed. So we have the interiors of parking deck B and C open for business. Cars are actively parking in those structures. And there's some finishing details on the outside that are yet to come, but those structures are in use. Security Hub, Douglas Road, Stanley Cupway, and River Road Phase 1 are also all completed. The areas in yellow are currently under construction. We expect parking deck D to be completed later this calendar year. They actually are going through the temporary certificate of occupancy process right now. So we expect parking to be accommodated for D23 next month. I think that's next month. And then also Market Hall, Concert Hall, Honda Center West, Urban Park, and the exterior parking deck D will all be finished next year in 2027. South Plaza and Residential Phase 1 along with Neighborhood Park are groundbreaking for South Plaza occurred this year. Vertical construction of both the purple areas is in plan check and will be kicking off soon. And then one more slide I'd like to show. The areas in red are all also either in plan check or soon to be coming in. Those are all areas that are required to be completed for the delivery of LA-28 in two years as of yesterday. So we are actively moving forward in all aspects of the plan. So I would say on schedule, if not ahead of schedule.

Thank you. I appreciate staff time and keeping this on schedule. And I was a little worried, I have to say, about the parking structure. I was worried about resident feedback, but I've heard nothing but positive feedback from residents. So well done to the OC Vibe team. And thank you. That's all I had.

Thank you. Heather, I had a quick question. At a couple of the recent events that I have gone to, in addition to obviously the playoff hockey games, we have a lot of street vendors. they're circling the the property and really on the corner of new stanley cup way and douglas road as well as on catella avenue between where the honda center is and then walking down catella to enter the parking structure We have people blocking sidewalks, which means that we have customers to the Honda Center that are walking into traffic on Cotella to go around. It's also a bit concerning if anybody is in a wheelchair or in a scooter. They can't use a public sidewalk. I know we had... at the beginning of the street vendor ordinance really made an aggressive push. What can we do in working with the OC Vibe team to make sure that between Stanley Cup Way and Douglas Road, as well as on Cotella, that we are enforcing our street ordinance? Certainly.

And I would just advise the department head to keep it related to the item on the agenda.

Yes, absolutely. So I will say that it is a collaborative effort. We are working within some recent court decisions as well, aware of how construction has... Opened up some areas that we were previously Avoiding so we are it's a continuous conversation with with OC vibe security and how we will Continue to Respect state law moving forward as well.

Okay, can we can maybe you and I get together and just Kind of update me a little in a little bit more detail about this Certainly. Thank you With that, do we have a motion to move item number four?

Motion to move. Second.

Motion to second. Please vote.

The vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Next item is item number seven, pulled by Councilmember Bayless. Would you like a staff report?

I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK A STAFF REPORT IS NEEDED, BUT I WILL WAIT TILL RUDY AND HIS TEAM COME SIT DOWN. Thank you. When I was reading this, I noticed first off that we're asking two different things here. We've got item one and item two. Item two has no contingency upon it, and then item one has a 20% contingency. Now, I realize that these are funds that aren't necessarily coming from the general fund, and it's not necessarily going to save the fleet fund any money by this, but my thought here was this. We've got a 20% contingency on almost, what, 90-some-odd vehicles, and what really stood out to me was that we've got some fire trucks and some ambulances that have asterisks by it that may not even come in on this fiscal year that could possibly take up to four or five years before they come in. When you add them up, we're almost seven million and we've got a almost 1.4 million contingency on top of it. My thought is is that we could do a little bit better on our estimation and not have a 1.4 million contingency. So I guess the question I'll ask is this. Is a 20% contingency required for the rest of these vehicles or could we get that down?

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, and Council Member Bayless. Thank you for the question, and you bring up a good point. You know, this year, we are doing something a little bit different because of the long lead items on some of these fire vehicles that we have to order. We're pre-ordering, if you will, but the 20% contingency has kind of been the standard practice we've been doing for a lot of our vehicles because When we come and get the authorization from the city council to purchase these vehicles at the beginning of the year, they're purchased throughout the year, and usually it's due to certain buying blocks that we get with the manufacturer. For example, some of the police vehicles we're not going to be able to order. You prove now we won't be able to order until April. So that's why we try to use the best information we have on pricing of vehicles today, but knowing things will probably go up by the time we're actually able to order them. But the point that you bring up about those fire vehicles, that's what we're doing that's unique. We're pre-ordering those, so we'll be able to lock in those prices earlier, know what those costs are, so we would be able to reduce that contingency on those fire vehicles below the 20%.

So fire vehicles, you say yes, but everything else still is at a, you think a 20% contingency is still needed?

That's what we've been experiencing. It was historically lower in the past, but when we went through the pandemic and we started going through supply chain issues and dramatic inflation, that's when we increased it to 20% because it was appropriate and it was what we were using. But we are seeing those numbers starting to stabilize more. And going back, what we've done over the last couple of years, and we've seen that contingency fluctuate around 9% to 11%. So we think even a 10% contingency would suffice going forward.

All right. Well, I think it was my intent to make a motion to make this down to 10%, but I'll just say this. If 20% is, I mean, I like to hear we're down to 10%. If we could do that next year, maybe take some, I don't know, some, my guidance or whatever and say, hey, look, maybe we can make 10% next year work and we'll just approve this as is. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve item number seven as is.

Thank you, please vote.

The vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Thank you. The next item on our agenda is item number eight, pulled by Council Member Kurtz. Would you like a staff report?

I don't need a staff report. I do have a couple of questions.

And I will note for the record, Council Member Moss has left the dais.

Item number eight in the staff report, it mentions presidential executive order 1428. Excuse me, 14, yeah, 14218. Can you explain what that presidential executive order is and how has it affected or is affecting, how is it affecting our Anaheim residents?

Thank You councilmember Kurtz for the question Sandra Lozo deputy director housing community development I have my colleague deputy director Andy Nogal here and my senior admin analyst Linda Lee to help with any other additional questions While there are implications to the Anaheim Housing Authority section 8 program voucher program Related to that executive order the HUD entitlements before you tonight listed are largely silent on legal status Our programs have historically never collected this data, and it was not a regulatory mandate to do so. The executive order passed down implied uses on what they call the systematic alien verification for entitlements, or the SAVE system, and that's to verify immigration status. However, no clear guidance on implementation of this executive order was ever issued last year. There currently is litigation at the state level. And so over the use of this system, so the city has received communications from HUD at the field office locally that there is a stay on that. So right now, the directives to all our subrecipients is business as usual. And if there's any change in that, then we'll obviously address it on the Section 8 side. Notifications have been issued for those that may be impacted. But again, at this particular time, because of the current litigation, everything stays.

That's good to hear, thank you. One more question on the home budget. I noticed that funding source is at 3.5 million, but your program costs are only 1.5 million. It looks like we're leaving $2 million on the table. I'm sure your department never leaves money on the table. So what's the plan for that?

Thank you for that question. So there is a total of the 3.5 and some change million dollars in the home program. The $2 million of unprogrammed balance right now is largely from the COVID era of our home. They call it American Rescue Plan or ARP dollars. And so that funding is very restrictive to serving homeless populations and is not set to expire until 2030. And so the department's stance right now is we're prioritizing the commitment of the home funding to our affordable housing projects for any gap financing. The department works very closely, myself and Andy, to identify upcoming types of development opportunities, such as the Carl Karcher site right now, to infuse these dollars. But we need to include it in the plan as unprogrammed at this time, but have it available and identified to be used in case these opportunities come up during this action plan. If for some reason it doesn't work out, we do plan on using that for more tenant-based rental assistance. to make sure we do use it by the spending deadline. So we never leave money on the table, but sometimes we leave it there just in case we have some opportunities that come up during the period.

Thank you. I don't have any other questions. I'd like to move the item if no one else has questions.

The vote is six ayes, no nays with the recorded recusal by Councilmember Maas. Motion carries.

Thank you. Last item pulled is item 11, which I pulled. And I just wanted to kind of ask some clarifying questions. So in the staff report, we are talking about doing a $215,000 a year lease for a portion of the flood control basin adjacent to Dad Miller Golf Course. How have we handled this historically, this parcel?

Great. Good evening, Mayor and City Council members. Are you referring to the lease going years back?

Yeah, so the 44-acre part of it, what's kind of the history of that lease?

So that area, the original agreement governing use of the county property was originally executed in 1959. It was for a 25-year period. It was modified in 1977 for another 25 years. And the history related to that agreement basically allowed that the property was used under the term recreational activities, in our case for golf, in exchange for maintenance of this site. After that, the city continued to enter into MOUs with the County of Orange for use of that site. And then eventually there was an MOU related to the county wanting the city to Excuse me to annex the county islands in exchange for a dollar a year in rent. It's my understanding that that the city attempted to do that on multiple times and was unsuccessful with the voters. And since then, we have continued on a month to month license lease with the county until they contacted us in December of twenty four. wanting to formalize a long-term lease agreement, including a rental cost. So that sort of brings us up to date of where we are today.

So we're going from $1 a year to the $215,000 a year? Correct. And along that, I know we've gotten some emails and concerns. The flood control district kind of winds through the golf course by Savannah High School. And when it rains, it gets filled with trash, anything that washes down the river. Who's responsible for keeping that clean and making sure that there's no encampments, trash or debris in that flood control area?

So the flood control that you're mentioning starts adjacent to the county property, but then it continues on, and it does buffer up against the city portion of the golf course. That area, which includes riprap as well as soil, that area the city is responsible for maintaining, cleaning up trash, debris, and... Graffiti or anything else that stops along the way and that's really important because it is right adjacent to the golf course so we don't want it to Not look well So that won't be an added cost on top of the per year To then incur additional cleanup of the flood control district. No, that is a cost that we have always absorbed with our contractors that operate the golf course

Thank you. I know that your team has worked tirelessly on this to try to get to an amount that doesn't impact the Gulf community and West Anaheim and surrounding areas that use this. I'm a big proponent of making sure that assets in Anaheim are both accessible and affordable for Anaheim residents. So given that we're going to have to incur an additional you know, $6.7 million over the term of the lease. Is there a plan to have a consistent rate for Anaheim residents, but try to make up the delta by raising fees for out of Anaheim golfers?

Right, that's a great question, and I appreciate that. Our plan, if this item is approved tonight, is to come back at a future meeting and bring a proposal that would begin a non-resident rate. So our plan is not to increase current rates for residents, but to increase and create now a new category of a fee that would be for non-residents.

Okay, thank you for looking into that. I just think it's important for those Anaheim residents that this is their home course and they use it a lot, that it's not going to result in higher golf fees for them, considering it is so difficult now to find reasonable places to golf with its popularity. The last thing I wanted to, I guess, if and when we are bringing it back with an alternate fee schedule, are we planning on letting people know at the golf course kind of why this is happening and that we're not just Greedy and trying to, you know, stick it to non-residents, but this is actually something that they can address with their county supervisor.

That's something we can absolutely do with some signage and with some communications. And the intent really is to cover these additional expenses. by other than Anaheim residents. And so we actually have a large number of non-residents that do play golf at Dad Miller Golf Course. So we feel we'll be able to have a nominal increase, be able to continue to keep the number of golfers at that facility and still be able to pay that fee.

Thank you. I know there's a lot of seniors that use it. I just want to make sure that we let them know that we're not cutting services. We're not going to raise rates on Anaheim residents. It's still going to be an accessible, well-kept facility for Anaheim residents and then those that come beyond. Council Member Kurtz, did you have a question or comment?

Did I just want to confirm? The $215,000 per year, those fees are not being paid for. You do not plan on having residents, taxpayers pay those fees.

Correct. The plan is to create a new fee category that would increase the cost of golf for non-residents, and that delta would then be planned, utilized for this rental fee.

So that none of the $215,000 will come out of the general fund?

Correct. And even so, it would not come out of the general fund as golf is an enterprise fund. Yes.

Thank you. I just wanted to confirm that. Make sure that residents know that they're not paying for the golf. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Rubicova?

I just have a comment. I was just going to say, when I was elected, I know that our golf courses were not doing well, and we were in the red. So I just want to thank you guys for the transformation that you've made in that area, not only improving what I would call one of the largest parks, but also just all of the investment and time and effort that you've made. So thank you. And I do think that this is a really good business decision. It gives you a little more control over how you're able to operate. And having a 25-year lease is a good investment. At $6.7 million, that's actually really good. And also, thank you for the concessions for Anaheim residents.

Thank you. And if I may real quick, since I didn't give a staff report, I failed to introduce our golf manager, Cameron Carr. He's with me this evening, I think his first time up here. And so I just want to introduce him. And you are correct. Golf really got very popular during COVID when it was one of the few sports you could go outside and play. And so since then, we've been fortunate enough to be able to be good stewards of those increases and reinvest those funds back into our golf courses. So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you, Shawnee. Thank you, Cameron. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you. I know we were out there recently, and you drove me through the course and really pointed out where this area was. And I know this isn't necessarily the ideal situation to be in, but in order to move us forward to address some of the longstanding issues you're trying to address at the golf course, I appreciate it. I was trying to think of difficult questions to ask you since it's your first time up here, but I don't really have any. What I did want to ask was in terms of current rates, I know that it has been already asked, so I'm not going to repeat that we're not looking to raise rates for Anaheim residents, but can you just share what the current rates are? How popular is the golf course? Can you talk a little bit about the numbers?

Thank you. Yeah, the current state of the golf courses is really good. We have some statistics on rounds through the last 30 years, and we are getting to the point where I just got a report from Anaheim Hills or one of our other golf courses that we did 88,000 rounds, which is the most we've done since 1991. Dad Miller's right there with it at about 97,000 rounds a year. The current rates, I don't know if you want me to go through them, but it's a range. We have dynamic pricing, so we have a low and a high range. So depending on how popular it is to play at a certain time, the rate can go up and it can go down. So when we do come back with a fee structure, it'll be raising the high end of that rate, basically, in order to cover these fees.

And so when you say, I mean, again, focusing on non-residents that are using, can you share what the current kind of ratio that we're looking at is? I mean, do we see a lot of our residents using it? Are there more non-residents?

It's about 20%, I would say, at Dad Miller. Residents and 80% are not. Golfers travel. That's part of the community is to play multiple golf courses all over the place. And we are a popular one. And I think a lot of people like to travel to come play this golf course. It's fun. It's easy. It's flat. You know what you're going to get. So we do have a lot of non-residents, yes.

And then when we're talking about, and you'll bring this back, but when we're talking about that new free structure for non-residents to consider, are we talking, can you sort of ballpark it for me? Are we talking a couple more bucks? What does that look like?

Yes. At Dad Miller, what we're going to propose is a smaller fee increase. We really wouldn't want to raise the rate really high at that golf course. It's known for its affordability. I would say around 3% to 5%. And some of our lower rates are $21 for seniors, and the high rate is $65 for the public non-resident on the weekend.

Got it. Okay. Well, I appreciate it. And I know this is located in District 2, and so it's kind of a little hidden gem. So if you haven't been to Dadmiller, check it out. But I appreciate, Cameron, the work that you and your team do. And again, this isn't necessarily the ideal situation that we want to be in, but in order to move us forward, we'll be supportive. Thank you.

Thank you. So with that, I'll make a motion. Oh, sorry. Council Member Bayless?

Thank you. Just a quick question. I know our rec department, we allow priority registration with all our rec classes that we have. Do you allow a priority reservation on the golf course for residents as well?

Yeah, good question. Actually, Mayor Aiken brought that forward a while back, and we got that program on its feet. So to give an example, general public gets to play, gets to reserve tee times seven days in advance, and we allow residents to enter into... a program where it allows them to do 14 days in advance. And if you're a golfer, you know that priority tee times is gold. It's more valuable than the actual fee itself. So it's been a good program. And yeah, a lot of people have taken advantage of it.

Great. Thank you very much.

Thank you. And if you haven't, just to Mayor Pro Tem's point, the clubhouse, all the work you've done, the restaurant, it's really beautiful. And if you haven't had a chance to go over there and just have lunch, it's beautiful and right by Savannah High School. So with that, I made a motion. Is there a second? Second. A second. Please vote.

The vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Thank you. So that concludes our consent calendar. Our next item on the agenda is item number 15 to fill two at-large tenant vacancies on the Housing and Community Development Commission for terms expiring December 31st, 2026 and 2028. Do we have nominations?

With no nominations, Mayor, we can go ahead and continue and bring it back at a later date, if that's the case. I'm sorry, what?

I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

If there is no nominations on the floor, we can go ahead and continue, or I just remove it and I can bring it back at a later date.

Okay, is there a question by Mayor Potem?

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I know, Madam Clerk, you provided us with a list. I see that a number of these, at least the District 2 ones, were submitted like a while ago. I mean, have we recently done any work to confirm that all of these folks still live?

Yes. So each of these were reached out to and asking them, because we were trying to build a robust list of applicants. And it's been hard to get specifically. We do get applications, but the specific qualifications that they need to be tenants. And so and trying to build the list we did reach out to them and ask them if they were still Interested in the members that were on this list were interested to still be considered I would like to recommend Jacqueline Marley, which is a resident of district 3 I

Thank you. Jacqueline, which?

It's M-A-H-R-L-E-Y.

Yeah, would we do that for the longer term? We can do that.

We can do that. If that would make the nomination for the term ending on December 31st, 2028.

Okay, so we have a motion for Jacqueline Marley for the term ending December 31st, 2028. Please vote.

And the vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

I saw also Councilmember Kurtz had rung in for a comment.

So for the shorter term, I'd like to nominate Patrocina Capessi, I think is her last name.

Yes, Councilmember. From District 4.

Thank you. If no further nominations, please vote.

And the vote is seven ayes, no nays. The appointment moves forward.

Thank you. Item 16 is Code Enforcement Operations and Interdepartmental Efforts to Address the Implementation of Tobacco Retail Permit, Nitrous Oxide, and Kratom Regulations. Mr. City Manager, may I turn it over to you for a staff report?

Yes, thank you, Mayor. This update will be provided by our quarterback and led by our planning department, Ms. Heather Allen.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. Heather Allen, I'm the Planning and Building Director and pleased to present this presentation along with Police Chief Sid this evening. Joining me is Mark Archibald, our Community Preservation and Licensing Manager. Robert Happel, recently promoted Code Enforcement Supervisor, and Police Lieutenant Jeff Mundy. Tonight we're providing an update on our efforts related to tobacco retail permits. nitrous oxide and kratom in response to requests from City Council following the creation of new regulations last year. Specifically at the May 13th, 2025 City Council meeting, Council Member Bayless requested an annual update on the implementation and impacts of the Tobacco Retail Permit Program. This is our first annual update. Additionally, on December 16th and then January 13th of 2026, Council Member Rubicova requested a similar update on the city's efforts related to nitrous oxide and kratom enforcement following ordinance implementation. So as a refresher, as a bit of background, on May 29th, 2025, the city council adopted ordinance number 6611, establishing Anaheim's tobacco retail permit by adding section 1860-09-0 to the municipal code. The intent of this ordinance is to regulate the retail sale of tobacco products focusing on improving public health and safety by reducing illegal activities associated with tobacco retailers, such as the sale of controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, gambling, and illegal weapons. The ordinance created a regulatory permit requirement for tobacco retailers and established operational standards, permit suspension and replication procedures, and land use restrictions. Later in January of this year, the city council adopted ordinance number 6618, adding chapter 6.103 for nitrous oxide to the municipal code. The intent of this ordinance is to regulate the sale of nitrous oxide to prevent illegal and recreational use to protect public health and safety. The ordinance established regulations with respect to the sale of nitrous oxide for recreational misuse and identified criminal and civil penalties for violations. Additionally, the city council adopted ordinance number 6619, adding chapter 6.105 for kratom to the municipal code. The intent of this ordinance is to regulate kratom to protect public health and safety. The ordinance established regulations prohibiting the sale, distribution, or possession of specified kratom and 7OH products, prohibiting synthetic enhancements, and restricting packaging and marketing practices that target minors, and identified criminal and civil penalties for violations. So at this point, I'll ask Mark to speak about both education and outreach, as well as enforcement activities to date.

Thank you, Heather. Following the adoption of the Tobacco Retail Permit Program, business licensing and code enforcement staff conducted outreach to existing businesses potentially operating as tobacco retailers within the city. Notification letters were distributed, advising operators of the new permit requirements, applicable compliance deadlines, operational standards, inspection authority, and potential enforcement consequences for noncompliance. The outreach efforts emphasized voluntary compliance and provided contact information for businesses seeking assistance with the permitting process. Since the adoption of the Tobacco Retail Permit Program, business licensing staff has coordinated the issuance of regulatory permits for qualifying tobacco retail businesses. Additionally, code enforcement staff in collaboration with the Anaheim Police Department and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration have conducted inspections and compliance reviews of smoke shops operating within Anaheim. Enforcement efforts focused on verifying compliance with section 18.16.090 of the Anaheim Municipal Code and are ongoing. Following the adoption of Ordinances 6618 and 6619, the city developed an informational flyer outlining the new regulations governing nitrous oxide and kratom products. The flyer summarized prohibited activities and enforcement provisions. Flyers also included contact information for code enforcement to assist businesses with compliance questions as well as the link to Anaheim Anytime to report an issue. Over 200 fliers were distributed during field inspections and direct outreach to smoke shops, convenience stores, mini-marts, gas stations, and other potentially affected retailers. During these inspections, staff identified two liquor stores possessing limited quantities of Kratom products. Following education regarding the ordinance requirements, both businesses voluntarily surrendered the products for disposal. Illegal nitrous oxide and Kratom products were also identified and confiscated as part enforcement efforts associated with smoke shops. Code enforcement staff will continue conducting periodic inspections and compliance reviews as a part of proactive enforcement efforts and respond to any requests from the public regarding potential violations to ensure ongoing adherence to Anaheim's nitrous oxide and kratom regulations. Within the first 12 months of enacting Anaheim's comprehensive regulatory framework for tobacco retailers, nitrous oxide, and creative products, the city has established a coordinated program for compliance. These efforts have improved accountability within the regulated business community while advancing the city council's goals for protecting public health, promoting responsible business practices, reducing unlawful activity, and preserving safe neighborhoods throughout Anaheim. This concludes my update. We're happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Does anyone on Council have any questions or requests for information for our code enforcement or Anaheim Police Department team? I just wanted to say thank you to code enforcement as well as Anaheim Police Department for working on this. I didn't know what Kratom was when this thing started. So it was a real education on what we can do to try to make our streets safer. And I think it's a good sign. I did a ride along to look at some of the smoke shops and it was really boring. There was not a lot going on. So I think that's actually a really good sign. It means it's working. So thank you for putting time into this. And if you at any point think we're missing anything or we could tighten anything up, I would love to hear your input or suggestions. That's a no. Okay, that's good. Oh, sorry. Council Member Rubicalla.

Thank you guys for the update and implementation on it. I can see the difference already. I've heard less from parents, but a lot of the surrounding liquor stores that were advertising Kratom or Fill Free, whatever that product was, are no longer being advertised. So I commend you guys for the work that you're doing and the outreach and communication, and thank you for coming back and giving us this update.

Thank you. Council Member Bayless?

I'll ask, do you have any statistics on violations?

We don't at this time. As was mentioned in the presentation, we are going through some active enforcement efforts. So once we complete that, I'd be happy to share.

Thank you.

OK, no other comments or questions? Would you like to move the item?

Yeah, I'll move the item. Mayor and city council, this is an information. Oh, we don't have to move anything. Yeah, information.

Perfect. Perfect, perfect. So I believe that is the last item on our business calendar. We don't have any more public speakers, but Mr. City Attorney, do we have anything from closed session that you need to report out?

Yes, Madam Mayor. As to item two, the council approved the initiation of litigation in one case on a vote of seven to zero. With certain exceptions, the action once commenced, another particular shall be disclosed to any person upon inquiry. As to the other three items, there is no reportable action.

Thank you. So again, clerk, no further items from the first public comment section. So now we'll move on to future agenda requests by council members. Council Member Rubicalva, is there anything you'd like to add to a future agenda?

Not at this time, Mayor, except for to ask you to close the meeting in memory of the resident.

Yes, thank you for the reminder. Council Member Moss.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I would like to invite District 5 resident Helen Franke in to recognize her 102 years of life. That would be awesome. Thank you. And I actually have one other thing. I'd like to request an informational item about the Anaheim Police Department's Blue Envelope Program. It's a program I learned about at the Sensory with the Patch event. My understanding is that it's designed to help promote safe, positive, effective interactions between law enforcement and community members who may have a condition or disability that impacts communication.

All right. Thank you very much. Mayor Pro Tem.

Only if he wants to, but I'd like to agendize a recognition to recognize Mr. Dooku Lee on his retirement. For the next, well, I know you're traveling soon, so whenever your schedule permits, we'd love to have you back and recognize your service to you.

Thank you. With no other business before the council, I would like to adjourn this meeting in the memory of Ampelia Sandoval, and we will see everyone on July 28th.