City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everybody. I will call this meeting to order. City Clerk Duarte, would you please take roll?

Yes, Mayor. Council Member Pemberton? Present. Council Member Sosa?

Present.

Council Member Trujillo?

Present.

Mayor Procha-Mortiz?

Present.

And Mayor Frometa.

Present. Before we begin the regular city council meeting open session, I would like to inform members of the public that I will be taking public comment regarding agenda and non-agenda items only via two-way telephonic service at the conclusion of in-person public comment as specified in the council agenda. Those wishing to address the City Council remotely may now call 888-788-0099 or 877-853-0099. 5247 and enter the meeting ID 842-8892-3601 to attend and participate in the meeting. I would also like to remind members of the audience that anyone wishing to speak during public comment must obtain a number card from the city clerk. If you didn't receive a number and wish to speak, please proceed to the back of the room and city staff will issue you a number card. Lining up during public comment will not be permitted and each speaker should remain in their seat until their number is called. The time clock will begin when you begin your comments. Number cards should not be exchanged with other meeting attendees. If you decide to leave the meeting early, you must return the number card to the city staff. For the city's council meeting rules and for the fire safety regulations, all persons participating in person during the public comment shall remain in their seat unless addressing the council or entering or leaving the chambers. Standing in the aisles or along the walls is prohibited. I remind speakers that the city's council meeting rules will apply to members of the public participating in person and remotely. I will at this time ask Pastor Chris Famizaran from the Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church to lead us in the invocation. Please rise.

Thank you, Mayor Ferreira. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to gather and discuss the matters and issues that surround our city in Downey. We take a moment to pause this evening to recognize your presence and seek your wisdom. God, you've called each leader here to serve our community with integrity, justice, and compassion. And we ask that you grant this council the clarity and understanding needed as they evaluate the various issues presented before them tonight. We ask for your wisdom as a blessing upon every item on this evening's agenda. Guide our leaders, our public members as they steward the resources of our city from our public safety, the wellness, and the local infrastructure projects that are related to the future planning of our city. Give them purpose, humble hearts, and a deep commitment to the peace, safety of every resident in Downey. May your grace, love, and truth guide every word spoken and every choice made in this meeting room tonight. In your name we pray.

Amen.

Thank you.

Amen. Thank you, Pastor. At this time, I would like to call upon Boy Scouts Troop 2 to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Those in uniform salute. Those not, place your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Two.

Thank you. Thank you for coming. And as always, we are grateful to the Boy Scouts of America, as well as the Girl Scouts, for participating, for leading us in the flag salute when they're invited, which is just about every council meeting. We appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us tonight. And thank you for your commitment to your civic participation. There are three presentations this evening. I will be going down in just a moment to get those presentations underway. But I wanted to... Welcome all of you to our City Council. This is your city and as you can see we are your representatives and it is an honor and a pleasure to be serving you and to come here to this Council Chambers twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month to conduct the business of the people of Downing. I also would like to Give me just a moment. I wrote something that I wanted to share with you. And as you know, our city has been in the news lately following several serious incidents, including a double homicide, an officer-involved shooting, and the takeover of two retail establishments that resulted in four arrests. These incidents are deeply concerning and our thoughts remain with the victims, their families and everyone affected. At the same time, it is important to put these events in perspective. Downey's overall crime statistics have been trending downward. And I will ask our city manager later on during our meeting to share some of those numbers. But this reflects the commitment, the continued hard work of our amazing Downey Police Department. And Chief, I want to thank you and thank you for your leadership and the department's fast response to the takeover that occurred over the early morning hours of Monday. The city, I want you all to know that we have continued to invest in public safety and increased police resources, personal, disability, and the response capabilities of our Downey Police Department. I want to ask you and I want to make the statement that we cannot allow a handful of high profile incidents to define our entire community. Downey remains a safe, strong, and resilient city, and we will continue supporting our police department, our police officers. We will continue investing in public safety, and we will continue working together to ensure Downey remains a place where our families, our businesses, and our residents feel safe. We see different crime situations going on regionally. And certainly Downey is not immune to these things. But I want to, again, recognize the great work that our Downey Police Department and our Downey police officers continue to do. Again, thank you. And with that, I... would like to go downstairs and get these presentations on the way later during our meeting during our council comments, reports and agenda items. Each one of us I'm sure we'll discuss a little bit more. Thank you. Hello again. We have a really great presentation today. Well, at least I think we do. And I would like to call upon our great Downey longtime resident, who I must say, well, no longer lives in our community. His family moved to Downey in 1977. And I would like to call upon Dave Lopez to join me up here on the podium. For more than four decades, Downey was Dave Lopez's home. It is where he and Elaine raised their family, where he coached their children, served our community, and built a lifetime of memories. For 43 years, Dave wasn't just a resident of Downey. He was part of the fabric of this community. As you can see, he looks a little familiar, doesn't he? Yes, yes he does. And that is because Dave, for many, many years, was the face of KCAL 9. Dave is a name that generations of Southern Californians know and trust. For nearly five decades, Dave brought us the news. He told us our stories and gave a voice to the people and communities he served. But for Downey, Dave's legacy is much more personal. As I said at the beginning, Dave didn't just simply report on Downey, he lived it. He supported our community, built relationships that extended far beyond his remarkable career in journalism. A legacy isn't about a title. It isn't about how long your name is remembered. And it certainly isn't about the position you hold. A legacy is about the people you impact, the lives you touch, and the difference you make in the place you call home. Dave, your legacy is already woven into the fabric of Downey. You have shown us that you can have a distinguished career while remaining grounded in family, faith, community, and service. Dave, you have demonstrated that leadership doesn't end when you retire from a profession or leave a position. It continues through the people you mentor, the stories you tell, and the example you leave behind. I would like to recognize Dave with the Mayor's Legacy Award. Dave, on behalf of the citizens of Downey, in recognition of your distinguished career as an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, including nine Emmy Awards and the prestigious Joe Quinn Award,

Jo Quinn.

Jo Quinn. What is it? Award for lifetime achievement. I didn't bring my glasses. I have the other glasses. Retirement from the Los Angeles Press Club. A native freelancer. Raising your family in the city of Downey where you were able to dedicate many years to coaching and supporting the city's youth, your lasting contributions to journalism and to the Downey community have left a meaningful legacy. The city of Downey proudly recognizes and celebrates your outstanding career, commitment to our community, and continued contributions to Southern California. Congratulations, Dave. I do want to say Dave now currently lives in Long Beach. He raised his two children who are present here tonight, and we will ask them to come up here for a photo in a moment. Dave currently lives in Long Beach with wife Deandra and dotes on his four grandchildren, one of which is here tonight. So thank you for joining us. Dave, would you please say a few words? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mayor. It's very nice to be honored and recognized. I have long considered this my home. I grew up in Southgate, just a little ways away. My father was in business. He started in business when I was 12 years old, 1960. That's when he started Garfield Upholstery, 44 years in business. And I was just a young type, but I'd always follow him around. And he'd always say, I got an estimate in Downey. Everybody's rich in Downey. I'm going to really load up tonight. But it was a great place. I briefly went to school at Pius X, and then we moved back here in 1977. My wife, late wife Elaine, passed away 13 years ago. In fact, Thursday will be the 13th anniversary of her passing. She's taught in Downing for many, many years. We went to church in Downing. In fact, I still go to the church that we went to. There's a memorial garden there right on the at the Messiah Lutheran Church. It's in her honor. And so I have deep roots here. Two of my children, I have two children, not two of them, two of my children, both are here tonight. My daughter Tammy, stand up Tammy. Come on, don't be shy. Tammy is a graduate of all the Downey schools. She went to Rancho Santa Gertrudis. At the time, when she was in kindergarten, there were 12 kids in her class, and I told my wife, this isn't going to last, and it didn't. They closed the school, built some beautiful homes there, and then she wound up going to the rest of her career in Downey. She graduated from Downey High School, is now a very successful lawyer. If any of you are in the crowd wanting to get a divorce, she's the one to call. My son, Matthew. Matthew, stand up. Come on. Can't get away. Matthew also was a graduate of Downey High School. Played basketball, golfers. He now works for a firm that handles hearing aids. He's very successful. His wife is next to her. Carrie, go ahead and stand up. Carrie's also a teacher from Downey. And I call her my favorite 20-year-old granddaughter. I have three granddaughters and one grandson. Cassie, Cassie, stand up. She's a junior. At the University of Chapman, she's going to go into accounting. She has an internship lined up with Ernst & Young. I'm very, very proud of that. That starts next year for her. And she was going to school here in Downey for a long time, was a top-notch student. And when the family moved to Long Beach, the Downey people said, why are we letting this A student go away? But she had a great career in Long Beach schools. She's a very, very happy young lady, and I'm very proud of all of them. As I said, I lost my wife after 43 years of marriage 13 years ago, but I was very lucky in my life. As my daughter says, you got one woman to fall in love with you and be with you and put up with you. How did you get a second? Well, I'm just very lucky. That's Deandra. Deandra, stand up, sweetheart. Deandra is a photographer. She works for the County of Los Angeles, and she's also a volunteer firefighter. So she's a very, very busy young lady. So again, I want to thank everyone for this honor. I spent 48 years on television at the age of 72, and after 48 years, I decided that was enough. COVID came in. And just a quick brief word about the nature of our business. In one word, today, television news sucks. And it's not because I left. The downfall started when I left, as I take credit for that. But what's happening today is that people today in the business are afraid to be forceful, and they're afraid to tell the truth. And they're afraid to get in trouble. I chased so many politicians down. I would chase them around the block. I would chase them at their house. I wouldn't care. I had the governor ban me from his news conferences because I asked a tough question. You don't get that anymore. And I think that's one of the reasons why this country is in the state that it's in. I'm hoping it changes. I really do. I do a Facebook report. It comes on once a week, and I like to expand my opinions. I didn't do that as a reporter because I wasn't an opinion reporter. I was a reporter, and I told the stories, and I told the news, and I told it like it was. So I hope it changes. I don't watch much of the news because I really can't stand it. But I'm trying to do my best to do what I do on my Facebook reports. I still enjoy doing that. So don't lose faith. Don't lose hope. This country has been through many, many... trials and tribulations before. I don't feel like I am as old as I am. I'm 78 years old. And we moved to Downey, got in 1977. The church we go to, I'm going to celebrate my 50th year going to that church. But I come back. I live in Long Beach. We also have a home up in Orange County. But we come to Downey because it's a special place. It really is a wonderful, wonderful place to grow up and grow and have a family and enjoy things. It's a lot of wonderful things. The world's changing. Let's hope down here it doesn't change with it. So again, many thanks for this. Mayor, thank you. I'm deeply honored. I'm very humbled by this. And as I'll quote my young grandson, who's going to be 12 years old next week, he always tells me, he says, you know, Grandpa, when you were on TV, people knew who you were. Now that you're retired, nobody knows who you are. You're not famous anymore. And then he says, except when you're trying to sell one of my books. So if you do want to have one of my books, I have just a couple in my car. I wrote a book. It's not bad. It's not bad. As my 12-year-old granddaughter once said, it's a really good book. I haven't read it yet, but I know it's really good. It's called... It's a great life if you don't weaken faith, family, and 48 years on television. And it's available on Amazon, and I'm very proud of it. And thank you for letting me plug it. My wife's giving me the go ahead and wrap up sign. I'm going to do that now. But again, many thanks. I'm deeply humbled, and thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for giving me my glasses.

Now we have a presentation of city tile plaque for our retiring employee. And I would like to call our city manager, Bradley, to present the city tile, the plaque, and the city pin.

Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it. If we can have Gus come up, I really appreciate it. So go ahead and read the bio for Gus. It's pretty amazing. So Gus Andrade began his career with the City of Downey's Maintenance Division in 1984, launching an extraordinary 41-year, must have been 12 when he started, career dedicated to serving the community. Throughout his career, Gus worked in every maintenance division, building an exceptional breadth of knowledge and earning a reputation for his reliability, professionalism, and strong work ethic. In 2022, Gus joined the facilities division, where he continued to be a trusted and respected member of the maintenance team, known for his outstanding craftsmanship, kindness, most importantly, and willingness to help others. Gus has been a mentor and friend to countless co-workers over the years. As Gus retires after 41 years of dedicated public service, he leaves behind a legacy of integrity, hard work, and unwavering commitment to the city of Downey. His contributions have made a lasting impact on the organization and the community he faithfully has served over these many years. So I want to say congratulations to Gus on an amazing career. Thank you for your dedication, your friendliness, and years of service. We want to wish you and your family many happy, healthy, and fulfilling years ahead. In just a second, I want to say thank you to your family for loaning him to us for these many years. Thank you for putting up with all the extra requests and other things that we've had that came from him. His dedication to this community has made a big difference. I want to say thank you. If I can, I'm going to call up Director Baumgardner to provide a couple of words, too, as well. But I want to say congratulations to you, sir.

And Gus, I just want to speak on behalf of all of our Public Works staff and several of them are here tonight to recognize you. You're one of the first people I met when I started here about three and a half years ago and I shook your hand and I could feel how much you loved working here and how much you love the people in Downey. it's very clear in the way you go about your job. And I also echo what Roger was sharing about your family sharing you with us. I know not just working hard during your regular hours, but Gus has been a regular member of the crews that go out and do after-hours work, whether it be traffic control when there's an accident late at night, or, you know, setting up for a street closure. You've worked in every division. You've worked all hours for us, and we do thank your family for sharing him with us. He's been so special, and we know you're very special to him as well. Thank you very much, and Gus. Thank you so much.

So Agustin Gas Andrade on behalf of the citizens of Downey in recognition of your 41 years of service to the city of Downey. We are deeply appreciative. and for your outstanding contributions to the Public Works Department and Downey community as a facilities maintenance worker three. Given this 11th day of August, 2026, signed by me and the rest of my council colleagues, once again, congratulations.

And also, on behalf of the organization, I present you with the city tile for your 41 years of amazing service. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. I'm very proud to work and to be also I grew up in Downey, and I went to all the schools, Alameda, South Middle School, what used to be called South Middle School, and I graduated from Downey High School in 84. Since I was in high school, I go, I always see the maintenance, the trade department removing trees, and I go, I can do that. And then I go, and I go, and, So right after I graduated for, I started part-time. And since I... So again, I didn't have experience, so I started from the bottom. I started from the bottom and then I went all the way up. So... And that was one of my dreams, to be a senior employee. And it was fun. I mean, it wasn't just fun. It was really... I think it kept my promise. to my parents, you know, and here I am. I'm finally retirement and I get it done with all the coworkers, supervisors, lead man, maintenance. So we were like a family and what we see like a family. And I just wanted, I'm proud of Downey and I'm proud of my family. I didn't write my speech, but I got my wife, my daughter, and I got all the coworkers behind me, and it doesn't matter, and all the city councils and the mayors. Thank you. Thank you, I mean, I mean.

Okay.

That is very special. It is rare these days, and I say it for the young people today, it is rare now to have individuals retire from the same employer for many, many years. That really speaks about not just loyalty, but that dedication and commitment that is rare these days. Congratulations, Gus. At this time, I would like to recognize a very special group of young women that are in Coaches that are here this evening. It is my honor to recognize the Downey FC girls U19 team. They recently brought home the U.S. Club Soccer National Cup Championship. and they played in Denver, Colorado, representing the city of Downey and surrounding communities. This talented group of young women competed against top teams from across the country and finished their journey as national champions. Give it up for them. If I can have... If I can have... this group of young athletes come and join me up here. I'm not done talking about you, but I would like you to be up here in front with me. We can do half and half. There we go. And if I can have their coaches join them up here too, please. That's a great, look at that. That's what I'm talking about. So the Down EFC girls team, their championship run is a remarkable story of determination and perseverance. With limited resources, Nearly three quarters of the team traveled from Downey to Denver in three vans, competing in four matches over five days in triple digit temperatures. I know. We've had triple digits in the last couple of days, and we've run indoors as fast as we can. Well, this amazing group of athletes not only competed five days in triple-digit temperatures against teams from Texas, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, and through it all, these young athletes demonstrated the heart, discipline, and teamwork that define Downy FC. We are so proud of these players, their coaches, families, and supporters. I see we have many other family members joining us here this evening. Thank you. It also, this championship also goes to the families for your support. As a mother of four children, and most of them played sports throughout the years, it is also the parents taking them to the practices, cheering them on when the games don't go the way they wanted them to go. Thank you again. This is a testament of their hard work, community and when talent, excuse me, their achievement is more than a championship. It is a testament to what can happen when talent, opportunity, hard work, good coaches come together. Congratulations to Downey FC girls U19, our national champions. Please give it up for them. We do have certificates for them. I will give those to the coaches, but I do want to call the names of the players here tonight. Anais Brink. Where are you? Raise your hand. There we go. Brianna Chairs. Or Cherries. Danielle Urena. Danielin Zuniga. Denise Alvarez. Estrella Jimenez. Juliana Ortiz. Guadalupe Ortega. Itzel Beltran. Leslie Vasquez. Lizette Vasquez. Linda Murga. Lynette Chavez. Maddy Vaca. Maria Cuadro. Mercedes, is it Sherrys? Shires. Mia Flores. Perla Gallardo. Savannah Santillan. Sui Santillan. Tracy Martinez. Now, I would also like to recognize the team coaches, Antonio Huerta, and Jorge Quintero. Now also recognizing the team managers, Eddie Serrano and Lucy Guzman. I have all the certificates here for them. What we're gonna do first is to actually have the coaches, would you like to say a few words before we take a team photo?

Of course. I was a bit prepared for this, but I'll wing it. On behalf of Downey FC, the club administrators, the managers, and my assistant coach, George, who I don't call an assistant. He's also a head coach. uh and especially these young ladies uh city council mayor we thank you for having us here in front uh for for recognizing these young ladies uh student athletes they busted their butts out there and uh i can't be any more proud i know george eddie especially the parents are very proud i know it's it was a long journey but we're here we not only represent our surrounding communities, but we also represent the city of Downey. When we put on our jersey, when they put their jersey on, and that logo represents a lot. If you see the logo, it's the Challenger. I remember as a young kid coming as a field trip to the facility, and that reminds me a lot of that during that time. So again, the city residents, thank you for having us here. It's a pleasure. Mayor, once again, thank you very much. Ladies, I'm very proud of you. I'm pretty sure George, who's a resident of Downey. I'm not a resident. But again, we take pride in representing the city of Downey. Everywhere we go, especially out of state or to play tournaments, like our mother said, anywhere you go to other people's home, you respect and you live up to those standards. And we have. And these ladies, I can't be no more proud of them. Thank you. Thank you.

If I may also add, when my children were young, I know Eddie, Eddie Serrano here, we've known each other for, I don't know, 20 plus years, if not more. And our girls actually played soccer together. And they went on to do great things. But I want to say, it takes young ladies I know you know because you've done it. It's such hard work and discipline and sacrifice, but at the same time, an example of good sportsmanship. And so thank you for representing our great city of Downey. Thank you for your hard work, and we definitely wish you great, great things in the years ahead as you continue playing soccer. If I can have my council colleagues join me and I will leave these certificates to the coaches and the team managers to distribute. Okay, let's go ahead. You can actually do the way you would do with your sports team photo. Some in the front with the knee and then the ones in the back. And have the cup right in the front. I can have it right here?

Some of you take a knee, and then the other ones get closer.

Yeah, we'll go a little sideways. Okay, we will go ahead and continue with our program. We'll allow the parents and the athletes to exit the chamber. I know they are excited and they will be taking some photos outside. Thank you for closing the door back there. Tonight, even though we have, it is not on our agenda, but it's not a business matter, but more so a special recognition. And we typically don't do this if it's not part of our agenda, but I know that the executive director of the ARC, Los Angeles and Orange County is here. Mr. Emilio Sosa, thank you for joining us tonight. Would you please come up? Thank you, Emilio. I would like to extend this certificate of recognition on the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Arc in recognition of 70 years of dedicated service and compassion to the communities of Los Angeles and Orange County. Throughout the decades, The Arc has provided vital assistance, hope, and support to individuals and families in times of crisis. The City of Downey proudly celebrates this remarkable milestone and recognizes the countless volunteer, staff, and community partners whose commitment has strengthened and enriched the lives of those they serve. Congratulations on 70 years of service, compassion, and commitment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thank you, Emilio.

Thank you, Mayor Formetta. On behalf of the Arc of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, it's my pleasure to receive this award for the over 500 individuals that we've served over the 70 years. And I also want to thank the council for the support that you and the city have always provided us from the Arc Walk and our golf tournament and being able to provide services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. and also partnering with different departments from the city to continue to support that. We're excited about our 70 years. We're looking forward to our gala next month. I hope to see you all there. And we also have some great news to be sharing over the next month or so about the growth of the ARC and some changes we have coming. So thank you.

Thank you again, Emilio. Thank you, and at this time, I will open it up for public comment regarding agenda, consent calendar, and non-agenda items. Speakers participating remotely may now dial star nine on their telephone keypad to request to speak on items listed on the agenda and non-agenda items under the jurisdiction of the Downey City Council. Speakers participating remotely will be identified by the last three digits of their telephone number when it is their turn to speak. Speakers will be prompted to unmute their telephone by dialing star six. The time clock will begin when the speaker begins their comments. Once the speaker's time has expired, The telephone line will be muted. Speakers may continue to listen to the Council meeting on the telephone. City Clerk Duarte, would you please play the pre-recorded message?

The City Council will now take public comment on agenda, consent calendar, and non-agenda items. If you did not receive a number card and wish to speak, please proceed to the back of the room to be issued a number card by City staff. We will be calling blue number cards for the public comment period. Before we begin the public comment period, we would like to remind members of the audience that the City's meeting rules contained in the Downey Municipal Code prohibit any conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting. Copies of the meeting rules are located in the back of the chambers. Members of the audience and speakers who violate these rules and cause a disruption will receive one warning and then may be removed from the meeting. Violations of the rules of decorum for council meetings may also result in an administrative fine under the municipal code or citation for a misdemeanor under penal code section 403. The city council acknowledges the right of the public to address issues that are within the city's jurisdiction and invites the public to do so during the city council meeting. However, this right must be balanced with the need of the city council to conduct the public business in a fair and efficient manner, free from disruption or disturbance. We expect that everyone who participates in today's meeting, from the members of the Council here on the dais, to staff, to the members of the public in attendance, do so with respect and dignity. Please refrain from using profanity, name-calling, or behaving in a way that disrupts this meeting. This includes yelling, whistling, booing, screaming, and any other outburst that disrupts or disturbs the meeting. Any conduct that interferes with or disrupts persons who are addressing the City Council. Any conduct that interferes with or disrupts council members while they are speaking. Any other conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting. And attacks of a personal nature on city staff or city council members that have no connection to agenda items or non-agenda items. We remind speakers that your comments must be addressed to the mayor and not to any other council member, city staff, or the audience.

Thank you. City Clerk Duarte, did we receive written correspondence to be incorporated into the record for public comment?

Yes, Mayor. We have three written public comments. The first one is from Ilda Gates, who requested that the city council cancel its contract with FLOC, citing violation of constitutional rights. The second public comment is from an anonymous submitter. The person submitted comments regarding his or her formal complaint concerning a former Public Works Committee member from District 4. The third one is from Harcuran Colon, who submitted comments regarding being targeted by a former employer. And the last one is from Ronald Finley, who requested the City Council rescind the honor accorded to the late Gordon Burke. And that is all, Mayor.

Thank you, I'll make a motion to receive and file the written public comment. Can I get a second?

Second.

Please vote.

The motion is approved unanimously.

Okay, City Clerk Duarte, how many speakers are waiting to speak?

We have three speakers, Mayor. Okay, and how many speakers here? I'm sorry, we have three in-person speakers and none online or remote.

We will have three minutes to address the city council and I will be calling blue number cards for our in-person public comment. I remind all speakers that you must remain seated until your number is called. Speaker one, please come forward.

Is there a timer? Thank you. Good evening everyone here. I am Juan Martinez. I am the delegate of the 64th district representing eight cities including the city of Downey. I am also sitting as a KDEM for the state of California for the Democratic Party. Today I come here to say it's been a while, it's been quite a while, and I'm excited to be back. I want to start over from the beginning, let bygones be bygones, and leave the past in the past and move forward. But I'm still here to serve my community, and I think we all are. So I have a few simple requests, obviously, because I think that there's some important changes that can improve our city. And if you help me, I think we will serve our community even better. I've had a long time to study. I'm pursuing law now in my academic endeavors, and I think that I can bring some substantial, maybe I'm losing the words, but I think I can help. So to start off today, no criticism, just direct to the mayor. The award, not being agendized, I know you said it's not normally done. Still a violation, still. If we could look out for that so that it doesn't happen, greatly appreciate it. I heard a statement about crime reduction, how it's trending down. I like that. I actually want that to be the case. However, looking at the data, I noticed that the Downy PD didn't submit their crime stats to the DOJ for 2024. Chief Scott Lawner, it's been two years. Can we get an update sometime in the future when that's going to change and when we're going to do that? I'm concerned for the lack of transparency by not submitting that information to the DOJ. And it's something that I hope that you will pursue seriously. More or less interesting things that I want to mention, not as important. Sectarian prayer. Let's be honest, if I pulled the record of every sectarian prayer you've ever had, I can safely assume that 70% to 80% to even 90% is just Christian pastors here. So there really isn't any diversity. I'm asking that sectarian prayer end in the city of Downey, that you consider removing that aspect from our community and keeping a more neutral... non-religious framework to our government. Not irrational, I can submit, I can turn in something from Cerritos, because they accomplish that goal fairly easily. And you know, the booing and cheering, the whole thing that you announced before public comment, also removing that. Let's work together, let's get this done. I'm here to help. I'm here to help.

Thank you. Speaker number two may come up.

Good evening, council. My name is Libertad, and I am a Downey resident, recent Downey graduate. As you know, Downey has been invaded by ICE on a number of occasion, despite the city's pledge to protect the community. But as recently as mid-July, I witnessed an ICE encounter near Warren High. But I'm not here to complain that the city is not doing enough to make sure that the citizens feel safe. Instead, I come with a message on how the city can do more, given that the residents continue to live in fear because now knowing your rights is not enough to protect yourself. In Downey, there are about approximately 21 flock cameras. Most notably, there's a flock camera directly across from the Downey Courthouse, where ICE has been seen lurking on a number of occasions. These flock cameras were installed under the pretenses of providing safety and a live surveillance feed, as written by the Downey Patriot on 2021. However, recent data has come out that FLOC has been sharing its data beyond its original intent, as said by NPR, and that city's local information and surveillance are being broadly broadcast. And simply, in simple terms, people from higher authorities connections to our flood cameras, which is not correct. Our city is leaving the possibility of assisting ICE on the table, and if it does, it is illegal under California law to share our local California data without of state authorities, as said by the state of surveillance. A quick reminder on what Flock is. They are AI cameras that track vehicles supposedly to solve crime. Even without the context of ICE, Flock surveillance shouldn't have been allowed in Downey because Flock simply existing in a public space is now private information, which limits our right to public records and even our right to prove our innocence if caught up in a case. These cameras prosecute us, not help us. In Walla Walla, a man was denied his right to public records, which could prove his innocence in a murder case because Flock info is private info. In Milwaukee, a woman got guns drawn on her because Flock misidentified her as a suspect, not once, but twice. Who's to say this can't happen in Downey? It's not fair to Downey residents to possibly be stalked and surveillance just because driving a car, because they are driving a car. Why should Downey continue a partnership with a company that repeatedly ignores laws designed to protect immigrant communities? To truly pledge in protecting its citizens, Downey needs to opt out of its flock contract and opt in for local surveillance, which just means surveillance stays within the city instead of this dystopian mass type. Who's to say drone cameras aren't next or flock cameras on every turn under the facade of public safety? If Downey really wanted to show up for its 70 plus percent Latino constituents, deflocking is the first step. It also restores privacy to Downey residents. Please don't forget your roots, your community. Don't let the legality of Saudi status prevent you from acknowledging they too are from the same race, the human race. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. And before I move on to the next speaker, I would like to have our city attorney address the issue and potential concerns regarding cameras.

Of course, thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to clarify that the city does not engage in any impermissible sharing of flock data. That includes any sharing with federal law enforcement authorities, including immigration authorities. The city's policy is available for review if you'd like, but just for the record, the city operates its flock and in accordance with all the applicable law and does not engage in any impermissible sharing.

Thank you, City Attorney Funk, appreciate that. Speaker number three may come up.

Madam Mayor, good evening. Good evening. Members of the City Council, Mr. Bradley and staff. I'd like to talk to you a little bit about socialism and the advancement of socialism in our society today. What is socialism? There's many definitions of socialism. One brief one is government control over private interests on the thing. Socialism concentrates economic and political activity in the hands of the same person. With regards to liberal or socialism in our society today, look at what's happening from the left part of the spectrum, the political spectrum. You can see what's happening there. But also, socialism is creeping into the right side of the political factor, namely the administration that we have today. A little known fact that the federal government today has equity interests in over 30 corporations in our society today. so they are able to add some kind of element of control in our particular lives. So let's keep an eye on both sides of the spectrum, and hopefully, at least from my point of view, to minimize the socialism in our society today. Madam Mayor, this ends my comments. I yield my remaining time back to you.

Thank you, Mr. Lacey. City Clerk, do we have any other We do not, Mayor. Okay, I will make a motion to close public comment. Can I get a second? Okay, so ordered by the Mayor. Now is the time for consent calendar items. Are there any council members that would like to remove or abstain from an item?

Yes, Madam Mayor. I have to abstain from items 11 and 12. And also, I brought your attention, Madam Mayor, on the agenda item, for item number 11. After the word festival, we should insert from September 19th, 3 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, September 20th for the streets closure. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Petrujillo. Anyone else have any abstentions?

I just had a quick comment on item number five.

Yes, go ahead. Would you like to pull that item?

No, I don't want to pull it. I just want to make a quick comment. Is that okay?

Yes, please.

No, I just want to emphasize the importance and the relevance of this item, a 10-year capital improvement plan, identifying short-term, mid-term, and long-term projects for our parks and rec and open green space. I just want to emphasize the importance of having this well organized, and this is a long-term play to make sure that our parks and our open green space are up to par. It provides so many benefits to our community and touches on quality of life, infrastructure, and public engagement. As a longtime Downey resident, I just wanted to... say that i really appreciate this um the way it's broken down in phases uh so we can make sure that all of our parks are um you know given the proper attention that's needed to to contribute to the quality of life we have in the city downey so thank you guys thank you staff

Thank you, Council Member Sosa. Indeed, this new 10-year roadmap, according to the report, will replace the city's prior master plan, which was adopted 10 years ago in 2016. So this is, I think we're all very supportive of this plan. And If there's any other comments or abstentions, I will go ahead and if I can have a motion in a second to approve the consent calendar as presented. So moved. Second. With adding the date to item number 11.

Second. Right.

Okay, please vote.

The consent calendar is approved with Council Member Trujillo abstaining from items 11 and 12.

Okay, thank you, colleagues. Now is the time for administrative reports. There are two administrative reports this evening. Item number 14 is the adoption of a resolution designating a voting delegate in an alternate for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo, which is slated for September 23rd through the 25th in Anaheim, that the city council adopt resolution number 26-8378, designating a voting delegate and an alternate for the League of California City's annual conference and expo. City Manager Bradley, I see that we have Judy Montenegro for the staff report.

Yes, Mayor, thank you.

Yes, good evening. Hi, Judy, good evening. Good evening, Mayor Fremetta, members of the City Council. So I'm here this evening to recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution designating a voting delegate and alternates for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo that is held every year, and this place is taking place in Anaheim September 23rd through the 25th. So the City Council must designate a voting delegate and one or two alternates to ensure that the City's interests are represented at the League of California Cities Conference and that the League considers its platform and initiatives for the upcoming year during the annual conference business meetings. So this concludes my presentation. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Judy. Colleagues, in the past, I have had the pleasure of being the voting delegate, as I have served in the policy committees. And while I serve on the housing policy committee this year, unfortunately, I have a conflict in my schedule. And I will be at the conference the first two days, Wednesday and Thursday, but will not be there for voting, which typically occurs on Friday. So if any one of you can be the designated voting delegate and an alternate, that would be great.

I would think then it would fall maybe with the mayor pro tem if he's attending that he'd be the delegate.

Yes, I'll be there Friday.

And I'll nominate Dorothy Pemberton to be the alternate. I'll be there as well. And Hector Sosa can be the other alternate. I think we can nominate two.

I will be there. I plan on attending the whole conference.

Okay. So we have a motion. Is that a motion? Yes. Okay. I will second that motion to have Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz be the designated voting delegate with Council Member Pemberton being the alternate and or Council Member Sosa. Please vote. The motion is approved unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, colleagues. Thanks, Judy. And looks like we are at the end of, let's see. Yes, I see. We're almost at the end. I didn't say the end, the end. It was almost at the end. We have the discussion number 15, the discussion regarding adding additional funding to a CAT, pay and neuter rebate program. And is there a staff report?

Yes, Mayor, we'll keep Ms. Montenegro up here for that presentation.

Okay, Ms. Montenegro, go ahead. Yes, Mayor, for Madam Members of the Council. So, regarding this item, we're asking the Council to discuss and consider the approval of an additional $2,500 for the City's Cats Bay and Neuter Rebate Program. Just a little background on that. So, on January 27th of this year, the City Council voted to approve a one-time allocation of $10,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026. for a cat spay and neuter program. So the program offered residents up to 250 to go towards a spay and neuter of a cat with a limit of two cats per household. The program was launched in March of 2026 and closed at the end of June 2026. So during this time, the city received a total of 27 applications and out of those applications, 23 were approved. The total amount of funds used for the program was $2,572. City staff did handle the program as far as marketing, intake of applications, review, and that accounted for approximately $1,600 in staff time to manage the program. At the July 28th, 2026 City Council meeting, Councilmember Pemberton requested that the Council consider the approval of an additional $2,500 to reopen the program for fiscal year 26-27. So again, tonight we're just asking the Council to discuss and provide direction to staff regarding the program and appropriate $2,500 from the general fund balance. So this concludes my presentation. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Judy. Colleagues?

Thoughts, comments? So I'd like to start the discussion. I'm also going to hand something one out for everyone. And I've done a lot of research on this, as you know. So let me first start out and say, yes, we don't want to end the program that's already been successful these first four months. The Cat, Spay, and Neuter program, and I've done some fast facts. I won't but, you know, prolong some of this information. But back in 2020, there was a freeze on program funding, and they had the Big Wolf and the Big Meow program. The dog program, that was to spay and neuter, came back through nonprofit mobile trailers once a month, but the cat program did not after 2020. So in my last 12 months as a trustee, in the last 12, 18 months that I've been on, I've asked to increase the mobile spay-neuter trailers. And as you can see that I passed out, these are five or six times that they have brought the trailers to SIACA. The executive director at the time made an effort to ask all these different organizations to come. A lot of times we have to, SIACA has to contribute a certain amount of money. Sometimes it's $3,500 for three days, and they sell out in hours. So in the last 12 months we've had, in the last five weekend clinics, the last five months we've had the weekend clinics, five of them, since September 2025, and around 400 animals are serviced in three days. over a thousand calls come in for appointments and they are full in a few days. Grants fund these programs like the Michelson Foundation, Animal Balance, ASPCA, and like I mentioned they cost anywhere from $10,000 to $35 for a weekend because it's a full staff of veterinarians and staff to do three to four hundred spay and neutering. So SIACA, as I mentioned last time, had allocated an additional $200,000 to fund more spay and neuter clinics, mobile clinics that come in. So they are reaching out to do more to bring it to Downey. But when they do, then it also affects all the cities that they service. All 17 cities are able to use the facility for the animals. We need to do more, and we can. And to compare us with other cities, as you have done a great report last time to get this started, and I pulled the numbers that we have done already. Santa Fe Springs has a fund of $10,000, giving up to 350 a cap, up to two. Paramount has a $5,000 fund, which was exhausted, it said, within five months. And I believe they've funded with some more funds. Norwalk has a $25,000 fund with a cat up to $150. Bell Gardens up to another $20,000 fund, all coming from the general fund, up to $150, up to two cats. So our perimeters are right in line with other cities that give the other option to help this feral, this cat population, the wild cat population of Spain and neutering is the way to stop it and prevent euthanasia. Because when kittens are picked up, they are euthanized if they have to be weaned. And this is not what we want to do. We want to stop what's happening. So Downey's new program started in March, and we have 24... Approved applicants, and as it was already mentioned, $2,500 paid off. So just in six months, I did a little bit of math. In six months, we prevented 24 cats from getting pregnant. If they had six kittens, that's 144 new cats. If half of those cats were female, those cats would be having kittens. That's 432 new kittens. It's astronomical when you hear the repopulation numbers that are coming with the cats that are out there. So we have helped to stop potentially 500 new cats in just six months. So I know the report said we were asking, I was asking $2,500. That's not enough. The $2,500 amount is a balance that was left. I wanted to go and request for the full year, the $10,000 fund for this fiscal year to moderate mid-year and make sure we don't run out of funds. And If we don't use it, if they won't be coming, then we can. It'll go back to the general fund just like it did now. The $2,500 that was there last year till June 30th goes back into the general fund. But again, we have a successful program. It's a great flyer. It's great promotional. And we need to keep it going. We need to do our part like other cities are. SIACA right now, as I mentioned. We read the report. We were given the report of a lot of ways to improve it, which we will once we find certain positions. And they just can't be doing it right now. We need to help. We need to help Downey residents. And I would like to move that we can fund this program, make it continue going for the fiscal year 26-27 with a $10,000 fund balance.

Thank you, Councilmember Pemberton. I do want to mention that copies of the flyers that Councilmember Pemberton provided the rest of the Council on the dais, these flyers can be found in the back of the room for anyone that would like to see these. Colleagues, any comments?

Yeah, I had a question, a couple comments. Councilmember Pemberton, thank you for your, I know you're very passionate about this topic, and thank you for the research you've done. The $200,000, when you say that they can't do it right now, why is that?

No, the $200,000 will pay for more spay and neuter mobile clinics. The nonprofits ask us, they get busy themselves, and they only have a limited amount of funds, so they choose different cities to go out to and other animal shelters to go out to, like a county. But we're going to request that they come with us, and we can do that with some of the funding that they have. And so they will come to Siakamore.

Thank you, and how did we come up with the $2,500? That was the residual from last year? Yes.

Okay.

So that just rolled over back into the 26-7 budget.

Thank you.

I'll make a motion to approve. I want to make sure that this program is not stopped midway. And if this is a residual from monies that were already voted and allocated, I will go ahead and make a motion to approve.

Approve what?

of the $2,500 for the continuation.

No, that was last year's amount. Right now, we used $2,500 in three months. If we put the fund for $2,500 now, we will not get through December. If you look at the math, we need to have the 5,000. What we need to do is have a 10,000 budget. It's like Santa Fe Springs, like Norwalk, like Bell Gardens. Look at the amount. They have 20, 25, 10,000. A $5,000 will not get us through fiscal year 26, 27. We'll be back asking for funds if people are coming. Again, if people are not using the program, rolls back into the general fund. There's nothing lost.

I do want to mention to my colleague, Dorothy, I really appreciate the information you're giving us and the passion that you have for this program. My concern is that I was in the budget subcommittee. There's a very limited amount of funds that we have extra. And if I can lean on our city manager, what is our current What is the current surplus that we have for this?

The surplus at the end of the year was projected, well, at the end of this year is projected to be around $70,000.

I thought that changed a little bit.

Yeah, I don't have top of my head what the deductions are, but yeah, we have spent some of that money since we adopted the budget.

And so for us to really go in for a $10,000, I'm here to support you for that $2,500, but the $10,000, I think it's less.

But let me also mention a couple months ago, we approved... a $10,000 fee waiver for a group coming in for a one day celebration at the theater. And that wasn't something budgeted, but we felt that was something that the community would benefit from. This too is something that community benefits from. And it's not a one day event. It will last all year long and it will prevent overpopulation of cats and not euthanasia with kittens coming in. You know, 200 kittens in a month come in sometimes to SIACA. That's disheartening. It's something we can prevent. We can revisit it, you know, if we want to go up with 5,000 and revisit it mid-year and see how it is.

I'm okay with going up with 2,500 and revisiting and see how that goes.

Revisit in six months?

Yeah. I am sure that'll be gone by December. We had 27 people in four months and they used $2,500. It's just to keep our slate. We always have so many things on our agenda.

Can we get a closer look at the $200,000 that's supposed to be allocated by SIACA for the spay and neuter?

We can look at that. We also could, if Council, if it's helpful, let you know when the $2,500 are expended, if that's helpful too as well.

In the meantime, can we get a closer look at the $200,000?

We can check it out and give you some more information about that.

But, Council Member Sosa, When this is fully booked, I'm also saying that 1,000 people call for 400 slots. They run out of space. They run out of time. It runs out. And the people are looking for somewhere to get a reimbursement. This is encouraging to do the right thing. Unless you don't have cats in your area, we see them all the time. We hear about the coyotes. This is something we can do that is not... overburdening our budget. You can see it was already successful. We need to keep it going. We probably have people waiting already, but we cannot fund it right now, the August people that are coming in. Have we had some that have been turned away yet? I'm not sure.

We did receive a few applications after July. I want to say three to four applications after July 1st.

I have a question. I know my colleague brought up the event that I brought up, El Grito, for being, does that affect our general fund?

It's a loss of revenue. So those expenses that are going to be incurred to provide that event will not be recovered. So there is some budget impact there, yes.

I heard that event wasn't going forward. What happened with that, Jason?

The event's scheduled for September 18th, I believe, at this point, yes.

So it is going forward?

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay. Can I get a motion and a second to move forward with this allocation? Yes.

Can I request that we allocate 5,000? 5,000, it'll be gone in January, I'll come back in January.

You gotta agendaize it properly. It's a violation if you don't.

Well, we'll put it into motion. Because this is working, you can see it's working. In four months, the word has gotten out, it's helping Downey, it's just for Downey residents, and these other cities, there's even more cities that have their own programs, and it's working for that city as well.

I make a motion to allocate 5,000. That way it'll carry us through the end of the year. And if it's not used, that money will go back. Okay, I'll second that. Okay, please vote. We got a motion and a second.

I would just note for the record that the modification to this matter is within the envelope of the subject matter. Correct. And therefore is permissible.

Thank you, John. Thank you for providing that feedback.

Just so I understand the procedure, there was a motion for $2,500. There was a second. We're not going to vote on that. We're just going to get rid of that motion and go straight to a 5,000 motion. Because there was a new motion, and then I hear it's Pemberton giving the second, just for the record. What happened to the 2,500 motion?

For family purposes, City Attorney Funk, was that a counter or a substitute?

The second motion would normally be considered a substitute motion, which, if given a second, would be heard first before the original motion. And if the substitute motion is approved, then that would fully supersede the original motion.

Okay, we have a motion and a second. Please vote.

Just for the record, what's being voted upon, I believe, is the substitute motion?

That's correct.

In the amount of $5,000, which was seconded?

Yes, by Council Member Pemberton.

The motion is approved unanimously.

Thank you, colleagues. I know we want to discuss at a later time that $200,000, but in the meantime, those monies will be well spent on this program. And this actually brings us to the end of our official business meeting. Now is the time for city council member announcements, requests for future agenda items, conference and meeting reports. I will begin with my far left, Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz.

Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to keep my comments rather to be short today. I did attend the National Night Out. It was a great event. Well attended. Thank you to everyone who came out. Also attended the Gangs out of Downey this last weekend. We gave about 700 backpacks. I know my colleague Dorothy and I were there. It was a lot of fun. And I can tell you the kids are not excited to go back to school, but I'm sure the parents are super excited.

Yes.

I also want to congratulate my colleague Mario for Downey Pride. It was a great event. I know Ivan was pretty excited for his crowning for Downey King.

King, yeah. And it's really LA Cotta. Thank you for your time. LA Cotta. LA Cotta is really the one that they do all the work.

And that was a proud... sponsored helping out and bringing ceviche and rice and beans. And also my colleague Dorothy Pemberton was there. I also want to say thank you to Jason for the successful Concerts in the Park events. I know that we definitely committed for another, maybe another Wednesday for the concert. So I'm sure everybody was super excited to hear that we might have another day. But it's a great event to really be in community. And all the families really enjoyed it, and all the kids enjoyed being there, especially at our parks. And now that we're talking about our park master plan, I think it's really good, you know, good events to have. I also want to take this opportunity to say thank you to our police, to our chief, I do want you, if you can, relay this information to all our officers and thank them for their hard work this past weekend. I really, myself and I'm sure my colleagues will also say the same thing, that we really appreciate everything you guys are doing to keep our community safe. And I know it wasn't easy these last few days, but thank you so much for all the hard work. I know that I do want to make a request. I don't know if I have to have a second. I know we receive our annual crime reports. I know we receive some information on a daily basis. But I would really appreciate if we can do these reports and give it to the public as a presentation, as an annual report. I don't know if I can... I need a second for that, but if our police chief or somebody from our department can come and give those reports.

So you're looking for, along with the annual report that the police department does, do a presentation here? I would like to see...

brief report done on a biannual basis, twice a year, just to give an overall sense of, I think this is important. It lets our public know trends, and I think it would be very useful. I definitely would support a biannual

I agree with that. I think it gives us transparency, a sense of safety, and I think that would be a good thing for our community to hear about what's going on with our staff. So thank you. And with that, I conclude my comments for today. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Council Member Sosa.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Chief Scott Lochner, if you can share my sentiments with the brave men and women of our Downey Police Department, that I am grateful for them. My family and I are grateful for Downey PD, and we are grateful for their professionalism, service, sacrifice, and dedication to our community.

Thank you.

And also, I do want to thank all of my colleagues on the dais here for representing at the different events this past weekend. My family and I were out of town. We were celebrating our nephew's wedding as well as celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary.

Happy anniversary.

Thank you. That concludes my comments.

Thank you, Council Member Sosa. Council Member Trujillo.

Well, everything's pretty much been said. I just want to send a big congratulations to Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz, who today really put in some roots in this city by becoming a homeowner. And that shows your commitment to our city. I always say, well, Osher Ortiz can live anywhere he wants, but he chooses to stay in the city that raised him. So congratulations, sir, and welcome to this new chapter.

Thank you.

Council Member Pemberton. Yes, thank you, Mayor Prometta. I have a few comments. It was a busy, busy week for all of us, and yes, I echo the sentiments of the concert in the parks. It ended with the Downey Symphony. Thank you, Parks and Rec and Public Works, and they always have it smooth, ready to go. We had a great variety this year. I know everybody danced, and the rose float always was feeding us, so thank you very much. The Downey Conservancy had a Bob's Big Boy Back to the Future night, and it showed the movie. It just came out in droves. Kathy Crowe was saying people were coming from Canada, from the Midwest, to see this. They're fans of Back to the Future. The actress who played Jennifer Jane Park, she attended, Claudia Wells, and she was signing many autographs. How many DeLoreans did we see there, my fellow colleagues? There were three or four. Yes. Beautiful. They brought their chairs, and then they had a blow-up screen. Bob's, I heard, ran out of food. They sold anything they could, but they literally ran out of food, probably 1,000 people. I'd like to mention that Purple Heart Day was August 7th, and it honored and remembered the U.S. servicemen. members who were wounded or killed in enemy action. And last year I want to thank staff for making Downey an official Purple Heart City. Thank you for accomplishing this. I know on my social media many veterans acknowledged it and thanked us for doing that. I ATTENDED STATE OF THE NATION LUNCHEON WITH CONGRESSMAN, CONGRESSWOMAN LINDA SANCHEZ TO HEAR THE VARIOUS ITEMS AND BILLS IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND I THINK I SAW YOU ACROSS THE ROOM. COUNCILMEMBER TROJILLO WAS ALSO THERE. AND AS YOU MENTIONED GANGS OUT OF BACKPACK. GANGS OUT OF BACKPACK. Gangs out of Downey had their backpack distribution at Golden Park, 400 backpacks for giving out and free hot dogs for the family. I know the police had that situation in the morning and were unable to be there, but we kind of forged ahead. You always put everything in there. We were looking for you grilling 400 hot dogs, no, probably thousands. And thanks to Councilman Ortiz for providing some of the food there, too. And... I also gave a happy birthday, a proclamation, to a 97-year-old Downey residence, J.B. Gibbons, and he looked fantastic. And so these cookies were made by his daughter. I'm going to give one to all of my colleagues here. They have the city seal on it. How cool are these cookies, right? And he was very spry. I've met him before on Bass Singer, so I wanted to give a shout-out to 97-year-old J.B. Gibbons. And the Pride event, as you mentioned, was held on Downey Avenue with hundreds in attendance, and they had many booths, information, food trucks, and, of course, the music to celebrate with. I want to quickly mention on the consent calendar on item number seven, we are going to receive $592,000 in grant funds for some new bus shelters. About a year or so ago, I mentioned about looking into updating some of our shelters. We have four of them done already. That's on Lakewood and Firestone. And so that's helping us move ahead. Also, along Florence Avenue, Metro is going to be doing their own updates. because of the Olympics coming. And they already, we've seen that before in prior meetings, they're going to be doing Florence Avenue improvements through Metro. And we have appointed eight new youth commissioners in this consent calendar. Everyone in all of our districts has appointed one. So congratulations to our youth commissioners. They're usually high school members. Some might be a middle school, but generally high school members. And they are giving their time and wanting to help our city and get into city government. City Manager, I have one request. I've had a couple of accidents in the last couple weeks on Old River School Road. The residents are really contacting me, and I know I've spoken about getting the, whether they call them the traffic vehicle speed feedback signs. Those are the digital signs that show the speed, and if you're going over, they flash. Paramount houses, some other have it, and I'd like to maybe explain But my prior request for vehicle speed feedback signs on Old River between Firestone and Florence, and this will help at least to try and make drivers aware how fast they are going. I know it's not a catch-all. I know the officers do their job, and that's the way motor officers will let them know that they're speeding. But it really is advanced. And residents, please slow down. It's not necessarily residents, but everyone driving, please slow down. Watch your speed limit, especially with school coming back So if that's something we can just put on the radar.

Yes, I will second that if you need a second. Yes.

And I think Councilman Trujillo had mentioned it a couple of weeks ago or months ago about Lakewood Boulevard potholes right by the landing and promenade. Are we planning to do an improvement on Lakewood Boulevard in that stretch, like from Coca-Cola to Imperial in the future? Are we waiting or we're just addressing potholes right now? I hit a few.

Lakewood is not on the immediate agenda to be done, although we are looking at doing some areas around the promenade to include that. You're doing Bellflower right now? I think with our Bellflower project. Yes. So that's something that we're working on.

Okay, because that's a heavily trafficked street. And lastly, several residents on the island asked me last week, where is the entrance sign at Bluff and Foster Bridge? But I think it's being repaired. Maybe there was a piece of lumber, but it's been a while. So it says island and had a palm tree and it had a blue trim around it. And it's right there at the entrance at Bluff and Foster Bridge.

I don't know. We'll take a look at it.

Okay. I'm sure it has no copper wiring, so it wasn't taken.

Thank you.

Missing?

Do you want a new one? They may be working on it or repairing it.

We'll find out. But what if it's missing? You want a new one?

Absolutely. They deserve a new one.

I heard that. Thank you.

We'll take a look at it and see what's going on there.

Is that all, Council Member Pemberton?

Yes, Mayor Fromenta.

Thank you. Thank you, colleagues.

I yield my time back to the mayor.

Well, thank you. Thank you. I don't have a lot to say, except once again, I started our meeting by mentioning some of the things that our city encountered over the last several days and thanking our police chief and our police department. Domestic violence calls are really volatile. It can be very dangerous. And again, to echo the sentiments of my council colleague, I want to recognize the professionalism and the hard work of our police officers. They encounter situations that are very difficult and I just want to say thank you. I applaud their continuous dedication to our city and to the safety of our residents. Please thank them on my behalf, Chief. And I do want to very quickly mention, I know City Manager Bradley will mention that as well, but as we look at the year over year, crimes in our city uh and these are arrests uh the total vehicle citations um the year-over-year change where you know down 20 percent uh total arrests uh down 13 percent and um as far as fbi index crimes uh we're looking at from robbery to aggravated assault to burglary uh overall uh we are we are down um and again it's i want to ensure that our community knows that while there is crime, we are not, we can't choose our residents and there are, we cannot have zero crime, but I do want to make sure our residents know that a couple of incidents, do not speak the whole picture about what Downey is. Downey continues to be a safe community and it is through our commitment as a council to continue to support our police department through various measures in that enforcement continues to be there. I had the opportunity to attend some events like the National Night Out and once again, kudos to our police department our public works, our parks and rec, and all of the departments that were represented and visible a week ago tonight. It was a very successful event. People are always looking forward to being part of the National Night Out and interacting with our law enforcement with our fire department. Thank you fire chief for the representation in the department and their visibility during national night out as well. Thank you. And I want to I also had the opportunity to attend a couple of other events with my colleagues. I, too, was actually out of state last weekend from Thursday through Sunday, and I missed a lot of the events that occurred on Saturday. So thank you, MPT Ortiz and Council Member Cumberton for representing. I don't have any other requests except to tell our community residents Please be safe. Our school year begins the day after tomorrow. And people are eager to drop off those children at school because they have to get to work. And the first couple of weeks coming back to school can be very hectic and very chaotic. And with that, I think as a council we take great pride and we ask for calming measures and for different things that our residents ask, crosswalks, et cetera. But again, I would like to echo the sentiments of my council colleague, Pemberton. Please be safe on the roads. Do not speed. And for the protection of all of us, of our residents. And last but certainly not least, I know the residents on Pangborn We've discussed some speed humps there, and I know that study will be conducted. Also, there are some residents that have messaged us regarding code enforcement and We are seeing a lot of vehicles parked on lawns in different places of our city. And again, I just want us to be very, to enforce our codes on that situation. That concludes my comments. And I will hand it over to you, City Manager Bradley, for your comments.

Thank you, Mayor. Only item I've got is just kind of reiterating the things that you were talking about, about the city's crime statistics. I do have the most recent report. You were referencing it from the police department, which is year-to-date information from January through June is the most recent information. I will look at the chief real quick and just say we submit all of our data on a monthly basis so that all of it is in the system at this point. So I'm getting ahead now. Yes, that's something that we do. For the year-to-date information, again, January through June, and comparing that to the same period over the prior year, Mayor, as you had mentioned, crime is actually on a downward trend, which is good for the city. Just looking at some notable statistics, we have assault, burglary down 30%. The PD is doing a great job, and really I think that's a result of increased enforcement. So if you look at the data looking at citations and arrests, those numbers are actually up and increasing. So we are actually out there doing better work, getting out on the streets and taking the bad guys off the roadways, I guess, so to speak. I think one of the things I've heard from this council on a number of occasions is that when people come to Downing, we have this reputation that if you're going to do bad things, we're going to get you and take you off the streets, and that's exactly what we're doing. Again, I think that reflects in the data that crime is on a general downward trend in the community. Things do happen, but again, our PD there is as quickly as possible to respond and take care of those incidents. So looking at the future agenda items, I think the one thing I wanted to clarify was The SIACA report that was desired still to come back and talk about the spending for the Spay and Neuter program. Is that correct?

The $200,000.

Yes. Okay. And other than that, we will take the other items and make sure they're done. And thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you again. And one last item to report. We did have our meeting, the task force city and school district task force, and Council Member Sosa and I sit on that committee. And once again, I am proud to say we are... we communicate greatly and we discussed continued education and information materials regarding the use of e-bikes that has been increasing throughout our city so i want our residents to know that we are discussing those items as well without further ado i want to say thank you to all of you thank you staff for your great work on behalf of our residents And I will adjourn this meeting in memory of firefighter Stan Reza, 35, a three-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department who perished in an off-duty vehicle crash on the 605 freeway. A moment of silence, please.