City Council - Regular Meeting

I'm a trust fund baby, you can trust me. I've been beaten common sense by Thomas Paine. So many say that

I'm intense or I'm insane. You want a revolution, I want a revelation. So listen to my declaration. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

Yeah, I'm ready.

Got it, okay, you ready? All right. Let's call this meeting to order. City clerk, roll call please.

City council member, agency directors, authority members, White? White. Kasianov? Present. Mann? Present. Vice mayor, vice chair, Hughes-Leslie? Present.

We have a quorum.

I'd like to go ahead and make a motion that we excuse the mayor.

I'll second that motion.

Let's vote. The motion passes, four yeses. Okay, we will now receive the invocation by Tony Herrera from Grace Chapel.

We'll go ahead and bow our heads. Father, we thank you for this day. Lord, you are so good to us. And thank you for a holiday yesterday, Lord. And as we celebrate those who have served well your country, Lord, that gave their lives for your country, we just ask, Lord, that you would continue to help us carry on that legacy. Lord, I pray that you would give the city council wisdom today. Lord, as they hold their meeting, Lord, give them wisdom as they govern this city. Thank you for what a blessing they are, and thank you for the way that they love this city so well. So, Lord, we just ask your blessing upon the city. Lord, we pray that we would all just experience your joy. We thank you, Jesus, in your name. Amen.

Amen. Thank you. Council Member White, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Cedric, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

Let's throw our hands up your heart. Ready? Again.

Moving on to presentations, the first one we have is the SCAG Sustainability Award, and the presenter will be Ms. Swain.

Vice Mayor and Council Members, today I'm pleased to present to you the Southern California Association of Government's 2026 Sustainability Award in the Housing for Sustainability category. This award honors projects, plans, or policies that advance sustainable and equitable housing through increased production, affordability, and access. This award recognizes the combined efforts of housing, building and safety and planning to increase housing production and opportunities since the adoption of the city's housing element in 2022 and a goal of reaching the city's regional housing needs assessment number of 9,023 units. The Housing Accessibility Initiative is a three-pronged approach towards a more diverse, resilient, and community-centered housing strategy, which focuses on identity, funding, and partnerships. The identity and funding components result in the city obtaining a pro-housing designation from HCD and multiple grants to support mobile home rehabilitation, first-time homebuyer assistance, and more, along with the funding for the update of the transit-oriented development district and the Parkway Village specific plan which was adopted in January. The partnership component has resulted in the development of multiple housing projects encompassing both market rate and affordable for sale and rental. These include Imagine Village 2, a project serving residents with special needs, Desert Meadows Apartments and Townhomes, the Sage Wind and Ravello Communities, Pacific Topaz, an active adult community, and Sierra Azul. a 100% affordable apartment complex. In total, between 2022 and 2024, the city approved 2,960 units, issued 1,867 building permits, and issued 1,716 certificates of occupancy for residential developments. Together, these efforts reflect Lancaster's continued commitment to dismantling historic barriers to housing expanding meaningful choices for residents, cultivating neighborhoods that reflect the diversity and aspirations of the community, and provide safe and affordable housing. And this is what the award looks like.

Beautiful. Do you have any comments? Any comments from the team? Thank you so much. And just a big round of applause and congratulations again to our team. Those are incredible numbers. I know a lot of hard work went into it. So thank you and congrats. The next presentation we have is for Ms. Teresa Howard with the Antelope Valley Union High School District as a Career Technical Education Administrator of the Year Award. And we have our very own city manager presenting that.

I would also, before I begin, like to invite up school board member Hughes and I think assistant superintendent Chris Grado. Thank you. So I don't know where you're sitting down. Stand on up. Stand on up. Let's do a proper roasting. No. So I think it was a priority of the school board, the superintendent and of the city to get more involved and really advance these career technical education programs. A couple years ago, I believe, Teresa, you were promoted into this role, and through this association of California school administrators, this year you received this prestigious career technical administrator of the year award from the state. So really big deal. I think it's made up of 15 regions, and lots of people applied throughout the state, and she was given this honor. So a huge round of applause for her for that. I'll quickly read what this honor was. It was, Teresa is recognized for her exceptional leadership in bridging the gap between traditional education and high demand career pathways. In her role, she oversees a vast array of CTE programs that provide students with industry recognized certifications and hands on experience in fields ranging from aerospace and engineering to health sciences and digital media. Her work is celebrated for creating robust partnerships with local industries and ensuring that students graduate not just with a diploma, but with a competitive edge in the workforce. So personally, one thing I can tell you that I think is very exciting for the community, we're out there and the community kitchen, the event center, and that theater over there at the, or the emergency operations center over there at the fairgrounds right now. And I'm looking forward to see her build out the culinary program, the sports tourism program for these kids, the facilities management program, and the event management program. It's just another avenue where we can advance these CTE-type programs. So congrats to Theresa for her award, and I think The assistant superintendent wanted to say a few words.

Thank you. Vice mayor and members of the council, thank you for having us today. And this is a very well-deserved award. Ms. Howard is really good at her job. And where she really excels is that CTE is a great hands-on learning opportunity for our students. And it really promotes critical thinking. But where she's really good at is that she makes sure it's part of an industry sector. So it's not just something that's fun and project-based learning. But it's also something that, as Traleece was saying, our students can leave our high schools with a certification or something that can get them into a career almost immediately. So again, thank you. And thank you for recognizing this. But at the state level, to get this award is a very big deal and very well deserved. So thank you.

So this is her cert. And we'll bring her up. And she'll get a couple pictures with you.

Thank you, everybody.

How are we doing?

Perfect. Thank you. Okay, one, two, three.

Did either of you have any remarks on that presentation? The presentation that we just did, yes.

Oh, yes. Ms. Howard, you do a great job. We appreciate all the work that you do for our kids in the high school district and continue the good work. You have our support 100%. Thank you.

I just want to quickly touch on the two presentations that we did, housing and a lump in affordability there, and the next generation of our leaders. Now, higher education is not meant for everyone, and it shouldn't be meant for everyone, I work in higher education. It comes at a pretty high cost. So the fact that we have a community who's not only developing our next generation of leaders, they're going to be our experts in all the things that you're doing, which then, hopefully, as long as we're attacking housing and affordability over here, continuing, though, to make sure that those people who don't go to college have a way to pay for their house, to pay for their mortgage. My dad likes to share this story. One of my sisters went to Vanderbilt. She's a nurse practitioner and maybe she still lives with my parents because the affordability of housing is just insane. So thank you so much to you and the rest of the team for what you're doing to make sure that that the whole team's here. Wonderful team. Thank you. And as council member White said, keep it up because we need your help. We need your help. And I think it's no secret that I love innovation. I love AI. However, there needs to be a healthy balance of it all. So keep it up. Thank you so much for being here. And again, kudos to the whole team. At this time, we'll have the public announcement video.

You guys didn't warn me it was gonna be karaoke. May I have your attention please?

We'll say it's Council Member Mann's fault. He wanted new music and this is what happened.

I'm not working the controls down there.

The right of the public to address the council must be balanced with the need to ensure that public participation does not interfere with the orderly course of public business. The City Council follows the City's Code of Conduct and Ethics and Robert's Rules of Order in the conduct of its meetings, and we respectfully request that all are reminded to abide by the following rules. As stated on the agenda for this meeting, any person who would like to address the City is requested to complete a Speaker Card for the City Clerk. Please be sure to identify the agenda item you would like to discuss on your Speaker Card. Speaker cards must be filled out and submitted prior to the agenda item being called. You will be given an opportunity to address the Council at the time the agenda item is discussed. Individual speakers are limited to three minutes unless a different time limit is announced. Speakers must cease speaking immediately when their time has ended. Public comment on agenda items must relate to the subject matter of that item. Public comment on non-agendized items is limited to subjects within the jurisdiction of the Council. Please keep in mind that state law prohibits the Council from acting on items that are not on the agenda. The public's right to address the Council does not include the right to engage in a dialogue with individual Council members or staff. Please remain respectful of the forum and refrain from uttering, writing, or displaying profane or threatening statements towards the Council, any member thereof, staff, or any other person. Any person engaging in conduct that disrupts the meeting is subject to being removed from the Council meeting. If you disrupt the meeting, you will receive one warning. If you continue to disrupt the meeting, you will be escorted out of the meeting or the meeting will be recessed. Upon reconvening, if disruptions continue, the meeting room will be cleared in accordance with the provisions of the Brown Act. We ask that you now silence your cell phones as the meeting is about to begin. Thank you for your participation.

Thank you. Are there any items on the consent calendar that we'd like to pull for discussion?

I believe we wanted to pull CC 10, 11, 12, and 13.

Sorry, I also would like to pull 6, 7, 8, and 9 just to have a discussion.

Any others?

No.

OK. And I'm seeing no speaker cards for the consent calendar. OK, can I please have a motion and a second for approval of the consent calendar, pulling items 10 through 13 and 6 through 9?

A motion to approve the consent calendar.

I'll second that.

Let's vote. And the motion passes unanimously. Okay, moving on to CC6, the Lancaster Maintenance District annexation. Do we have a presentation for that?

Patty, you wanna give a quick presentation on six through nine?

Yeah, I'm actually going to have Nicole Jones join us. She oversees all of our landscaping districts and will provide a quick update.

Thank you, Nicole. Sorry for putting you on the spot.

Good afternoon, vice mayor and council members. Uh, the items before you six through nine, um, are each a little bit different. Um, number six is, um, so when a development, um, pulls their grading permits, they are assessed into our four different maintenance districts, which is landscape lighting. Drainage and sewer and at the time that they pull their grading permit We then annex them into those districts so that when they get certification of occupancy Then it gets added to the property tax roll So state of California requires that we go through an annexation proper process for every new property and then seven eight and nine are THAT'S ALSO REQUIRED BY STATE LAW THAT WE PREPARE AN ANNUAL ENGINEERS REPORT AND THEN HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23 TO GO AHEAD AND ASSESS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

ANY QUESTIONS?

YES. So what we're asking is to approve for property taxes to increase because of the services that we need?

No, your property taxes don't, it's not a property tax, it's an assessment. And the assessment is for the districts that provide services to you or to the property owner that's paying them. Like for example, drainage is all of our storm drains. Sewer is all of our sewer lateral lines that lead to the sanitation district's main lines. Lighting is all of our street lights. And landscaping is all of the city-maintained public landscaping that surrounds neighborhoods and things like that.

Second question, has the assessment been completed?

No, this is a resolution of intent. SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH DOING THE ASSESSMENT AND THEN TAKING IT TO PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 23rd.

OKAY. AND THEN IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE'LL GIVE IT TO THE PUBLIC, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AFTER THAT? WHAT IS THE STEPS AFTER THAT?

So if we're talking about CC6, this is to start the proceedings to conduct a hearing and then take the votes of the landowners as to whether they want to be annexed into the assessment district. If they vote by majority not to be annexed, then there's nothing further for the council to do. If they do not present a majority protest, then the council will consider whether to vote to annex them into the assessment district.

So even if we move forward right now, we could still decide at the end not to move forward? Correct. Thank you. You're welcome.

How do we get this information out to the community?

these are so seven through nine specifically are our annuals that we do every single year so it's people that are already paying the assessment and their assessment just increases based on the report that is done every year for 10 through 13 which i'll get into next we're doing a lot of public outreach for that which i can get into in that presentation so there's no letter that goes out to the homeowner yeah uh for the annuals?

No. Hi, my name's Chris Thomas. I'm with Harrison Associates. We prepare all these wonderful numbers for you. I eat one, sir. Welcome.

How are you doing, sir? Welcome.

Good, good. So for the annuals, there is a public hearing notice that is published just like all the other agenda items that you vote on and discuss here, and that's published in the newspaper as well as on the city website. That's how the citizens are notified of the annual assessments. And as far as the annexations, that is a letter specifically sent to each property owner.

Thank you for the clarification, sir. Appreciate it.

Any other questions? Okay. Would the team feel comfortable if I ask for a motion for CC six through nine?

Yes.

Okay. May I please have a motion in a second?

I'll make a motion to approve CC six, CC seven, CC eight and CC nine second.

Okay. Let's vote. And the motion passes unanimously. Thank you. Okay, now CC 10 through 13. Charlize, I believe we do have a presentation for this. Oh, welcome back, Nicole. Thank you.

All right. This is a little bit different. It's not our annual. It starts the Proposition 218 process as it relates to our four maintenance districts that fund important neighborhood infrastructure and maintenance services. As I mentioned them before, they are landscape, lighting, drainage, and sewer. The goal of this effort is to maintain reliable infrastructure, fairly distribute costs amongst property owners and reduce long-term infrastructure risks and emergency costs. Under California law, Proposition 218 allows cities to fund critical infrastructure and maintenance services through assessments paid by properties that directly benefit from these services. It's similar to the LA County fire assessment fee that is on property owners property taxes for those services for the area. The city hired a consultant, Harrison Associates, to conduct an updated proportional special benefit and methodology analysis tied to existing infrastructure and services. In other words, they did a comprehensive review of the districts to make sure that the right properties are paying their fair share based on today's costs and conditions. It is similar to paying your electric, water, or gas bills. It's a service that's provided. Many of these assessments were established decades ago, and most property owners have not seen increases in 20 plus years. For example, sewer fees have completely been unchanged since 2008, and drainage fees have largely unchanged since the 1990s. During that time, inflation, utility costs, labor, materials, and infrastructure maintenance needs have continued to rise significantly. These funds are legally restricted to the properties receiving the special benefit from each district and are only used to maintain our critical infrastructure and neighborhood services. Updating these assessments is necessary to sustain essential services, address deferred maintenance, reduce long-term infrastructure risk, help relieve ongoing pressure on the general fund, which for the last couple of years has been $3 to $4 million a year, and that only covers the bare minimum maintenance required. And when we take money from the general fund, we take away our ability to put more funding towards public safety, programs for our residents, paving streets, signal maintenance, parks maintenance, and other critical services the city provides. Deferred maintenance means delaying repairs because funding is insufficient. Small problems eventually become much larger and more expensive problems. The images on the screen are examples of a landscape area that's overgrown, broken street lights that may not be able to be replaced, a drainage pipe with severe root intrusion, and a sewer manhole that is in desperate need of maintenance. If we continue to delay repairs and defer maintenance, storm drains will continue to flood and get worse, resulting in dangerous conditions. Lights can fail, leading to safety issues on our streets. Landscaping can decline, resulting in fire hazards around neighborhoods and businesses. And sewer systems can require costly emergency repairs. But most importantly, our toilets will not be able to do their jobs. The images show real issues that we face, including flooding during storms, burned landscaping next to houses, street lights damaged, and sewer maintenance issues. Tonight's action only initiates the Proposition 218 process. Property owners would still receive notices, have multiple opportunities to attend open houses for information. Our first one is scheduled for June 17th at ELPAC. They'll receive ballots where required. If this is approved by council tonight, the public hearing is proposed for the July 14th council meeting. And I'm here and the consultant is here if you have any questions.

Do you guys have any questions?

Yes. I know that you said that we have been covering, the city has been covering part with our general fund. Can we do it again? Can we do it for one more year? I'm just very concerned that our community are struggling and an increase can affect a lot of people. And so maybe you could talk a little bit about what's the potential increase.

Yeah, so for a typical single-family home, if they're annexed into all four districts, which most of them would be and are, they're looking at a range of an increase from $119 to $217 a year. That's about $18 a month on the high end. But a year, it's almost $100, correct? For one year. is an increase of $119, yes.

I have another question. Have we think about another way that we don't increase the taxes for this particular services? I know it's needed, but if there's anything else that we can do in our end.

Other than continue to put the burden on the general fund, no. And like I said, that takes away money for other things that are just as important, sometimes more public safety, paving our streets, programs, parks. Those things you can't pay for with special benefit district funds. You can only use those funds for those maintenance districts. So it's... best to have the assessment actually reflect what we need in order to operate. And the longer we wait, the worse the conditions are gonna get.

When was the last time we increased the rates?

For drainage, the last time was 2008. And sewer has been, or not 2008, I'm sorry, sewer in 2008. Drainage, a lot of the property owners that pay into that have not seen an increase since the 90s. Lighting, the last time there was a Prop 218 process was 2007. And landscaping was...

I don't have the exact date, but it's a similar time frame.

Yeah, it was the early 2000s.

So that was 2008, that was a couple years before we had that major flood in Lancaster. Okay, thank you.

Any questions or comments? Yeah, a couple of things. Obviously the 218 process, By state law that puts the onus back over on the burden of the taxpayers, correct? So us approving this tonight doesn't necessarily Raise the we don't have any immediate impact on And then it would be their responsibility then to say either we accept it or we do not accept it.

Yes, ultimately the property owners are the ones that decide through a majority vote or a majority protest.

And then the second thing is we just had an open house. And I think if I got it right, the public that was there, and I'm not for sure, I know we're doing another survey, I think the public reached out to us and said, these are the things that I think are important. And I believe, if I have it right, it was the streets. Yes. And it was public safety. Yes. And I can't remember the third one. Homelessness. Homeless, right. And so by us interrupting that process, essentially the public's already telling us where the city council should put their attention on.

Correct.

At least that's my takeaway.

That's correct.

Okay.

Thank you so much. And thank you for clarifying and underscoring that, Council Member Mann.

That was great, Ken.

If there are no further questions or discussion, I'll entertain a motion for consent items 10 through 13.

A motion to approve CC 10, CC 11, 12, and 13.

I'll second that motion.

Let's vote. And it passes with three yes and one no.

Councilwoman Castellanos voting no.

Yes, thank you for highlighting that. Okay, moving on. Thank you, Nicole, for educating us and answering our questions, and thank you to my teammates for asking thoughtful questions.

Didn't mean to put you on the spot. We apologize.

Now moving on to the public hearings, PH1. The public hearing is now open. We will now hear a staff report regarding PH1 from Becky Bartlett, our manager for housing.

Good afternoon, Vice Mayor and Council. Becky Bartlett, Housing Manager for Community Development. The item before you is a public hearing pursuant to the Federal Tax Equity and Financial Responsibility Act, TEFRA, to adopt a resolution approving the issuance of the $20 million in taxes and bonds for the California Enterprise Development Authority. CEDA for the benefit of Bart's Altadonna Community Center. The financing will support the acquisition, construction, improvement, furnishing, and equipping of healthcare facilities located at 43322 Gingham, 43210 Gingham Avenue, and 42933 Business Center Parkway in Lancaster. Bart Soledadona's Community Health Center, the Antelope Valley's first federally qualified health center, provides comprehensive healthcare services to underserved populations throughout the region. Bond proceeds will refinance and improve existing healthcare facilities and fund phase two of the Bart Soledadona Community Health Center campus expansion project at Business Center Parkway. Plan improvements include expanded outpatient primary care capacity and additional services such as dental care, diagnostic imaging, dialysis, and specialty healthcare services. The project is intended to strengthen long-term financial stability, and expand access to quality healthcare services in underserved residents through the Antelope Valley. Like all TEFRA financing, there is no fiscal impact to the city. As a repayment of the bonds, this will be the sole responsibility of the borrower. Any questions?

Any questions?

I would like to recuse myself from this one.

Okay. Council Member White, it would be appropriate for you to announce the basis for your recusal and to then leave the dais if it's based on a conflict.

So, basically our offices are right next door to yours and we have mixed emotions about your plans. So, I think it would be best if I recuse myself.

It would be appropriate to recuse yourself based on proximity to the project in question. And so you've now made that announcement. It would be appropriate for you to step behind the curtain over there and wait for the rest of the council to vote.

And just to clarify, Ms. Bartlett is an employee of the city of Lancaster. Okay.

Sorry. Just want to be clear. My daughter does work for Bart's Autodona. Should I also remove myself?

Is she a dependent of yours?

No, she's not. Thank God. Can't afford her.

That is a closer question. It is technically not a conflict under the Fair Political Practices Act.

Thank you. Do you have anything you would like to share, Councilman Mann?

No.

Okay. There are no speaker cards for PH1. Public, can I close the public hearing? Go ahead. I'm going to close the public hearing, and I cut you off. Councilman Manning.

Go ahead. So I'm going to make the motion to approve PH1, adopting Resolution 26-29 in the issuance of the bonds.

Is there a second? Second. Wonderful. Let's vote. and it passes with three yes votes and one abstination with recusal, one recusal from Council Member White. Welcome back. Okay, moving on to new business. Approval of the Lancaster Energy Summer Build Credit Program. We will now hear a staff report regarding NB1 from Miss Cindy Valdiva. Did I pronounce that correctly?

Valdivia. Valdivia.

Ms. Diva, Ms. Valdivia, who is our analyst for the Lancaster Energy and CDBGB program? Thank you.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Vice Mayor, members of City Council. My name is Cindy Valdivia, your Lancaster Energy analyst, and I'm presenting to you the proposed Lancaster Energy Summer Bill Credit Program for your consideration tonight. Before discussion on the program itself, I'd like to explain what Lancaster Energy is and how it benefits our community. Lancaster Energy is the city's community choice aggregator, or better known as CCA. Established in 2015 as the first municipal CCA, eligible customers are automatically enrolled while continuing to receive a single bill from Southern California Edison. While SCE continues to deliver the power, maintain the infrastructure, and handle the billing, Lancaster Energy purchases the electricity on behalf of the residents and businesses. What makes Lancaster Energy unique is that it gives our community local control over energy programs and allows revenues to be reinvested directly back into Lancaster instead of leaving them out of the community. Since its formation, Lancaster Energy has focused on maintaining competitive rates and responsibility managing revenues. Through favorable energy market conditions and careful financial planning, over the years Lancaster Energy has generated a surplus of funds while remaining competitive with SCE rates. Because decisions are made locally, Lancaster Energy can reinvest those surplus funds directly back into the community with programs like the Summer Relief Credit Program. Today's item is another example of that local investment approach. Staff is requesting that council approve the summer bill credit program, which would provide direct utility bill relief of $40 each month to Lancaster Energy customers during the months in the summer of July, August, and September 2026. As we all know, Lancaster experiences extreme summer heat and during those months many residents and small businesses see a significant increase in electricity usage during those months to air conditioning and cooling needs. This program is intended to help reduce that financial burden during the time of the year when energy costs are typically at the highest. Total equation to the benefit is $120 for each eligible account over the summer period and this credit would appear directly on their SCE bills through the Lancaster Energy benefit credit line and no application or action would be required by customers. There's no impact to the city's general fund and this allows Lancaster Energy to strategically reinvest surplus funds back into the community in a way that provides immediate relief to customers. In closing, the program represents an opportunity for Lancaster Energy to directly reinvest into the community during the highest energy use months of the year and provide meaningful support to both residents and small businesses. Staff respectfully recommends the approval of this summer bill credit program. Thank you, and I'm available for any questions.

Thank you. Council Member White, any questions, comments?

No, I think that's a great program.

Thank you. No questions, but amazing. You know, $40 helps a lot. So thank you.

Okay, well, my only comment is let's keep it up. Thank you so much, you guys. Thank you for doing the assessment. Thank you to our community. This is a win in my books. Okay, I'll entertain a motion.

Motion to approve MB1.

I'll second that motion.

Let's vote. And it passes unanimously. Okay. Moving on to the council agenda consideration and discussion to endorse Fiona Moth for Lieutenant governor. So obviously I am not mayor RX Paris. He's way more handsome than I am. However, he did ask that the council have a discussion and kind of reflect on what Ms. Kanemaw has done for the Antelope Valley and the city of Lancaster. So just to highlight a few things, she has served as California's 34th state treasurer since January of 2019. As a treasurer, she oversees the state financing programs tied to infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and economic development throughout California. I think it's safe to say those are all very important things to us and things that we touched on today. I remember attending the AV Edge luncheon in which she spoke to not only locally elected officials, but our business owners, both small and big. And this was held in January of 2025. And like I said, the event included business leaders, community stakeholders, all throughout the Animal Valley. She also was a guest speaker, a special guest of ours, at the State of the City, which was held in July 2025. And the meat of what I would like to highlight and underscore is, again, health care and hospital financing. I think we can all agree that no one enjoys spending long times in our, I think, busiest ER in the state, the country, here locally in the Antelope Valley. And as our state treasurer, she serves as the chair for the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, which helps facilitate financing for hospitals and healthcare. Something that I'm very thankful for, she supported our state grants and financing opportunities tied to the proposed mental health hospital partnership with our sister city, Palmdale Regional Hospital. And she has been a tremendous advocate for expanding regional healthcare infrastructure and behavioral health investments throughout the entire Antelope Valley. Again, economic development and regional support. I know our small local business owners can appreciate the different loan and financing programs she's rolled out. She's helped promote regional economic development partnerships coming, like I said, to events like AB Edge, where there's local government, there's business leaders, and different state agencies. been a tremendous help in assisting in connecting us to other regional stakeholders and partners. One project that comes to mind is our data center development and technology investment opportunities that will support not just today, but our long-term growth and development. And then she continues to emphasize investment in infrastructure innovation. The city of Lancaster wants to be at the forefront of innovation and prevent any disruption to the best of our ability. And then finally, more than 30 California mayors have endorsed Fiona Ma for Lieutenant Governor, as well as other local community infrastructure and economic development leaders. At this time, do my teammates have any comments or questions?

No.

I have a comment, because I have an experience. I actually went to an event, and I met her. And as a mom, I told her that it has been difficult for me to find scholarships for my daughters. They both attend UCs. As you know, very expensive. Girls are very expensive. So she was very kind. As a mom, she said, let me get your phone number, and I'm going to send you some information about scholarships. And she did. And so I'm very thankful for that, because I was just Rocio Castellanos and East LA at an event.

Thank you. Any comments? OK. At this time, I will entertain a motion.

Motion to approve CA-1.

I'll second that motion.

Let's vote. And the motion passes with four yes votes. All right, Fiona, we're rooting for you. You better win. Okay. Moving on to council reports. Do you have anything you'd like to share?

Yes. A couple weeks ago we went to the... California cities summit out in Palm Desert and it was a great experience. We got to meet a lot of other council members school board members City managers and we learned a lot one of the things I did I would like to do is Is partner with our schools and if we're not doing that reinforce our commitment to our community, our school district, and our kids. So I thought it was great, great, great workshop.

Wonderful. And that's a board that you were just recently appointed to, correct, Cedric?

Yes.

So thank you for jumping right in.

Didn't have time to adjust, but I did it.

Dope and head first. And do you have any other events you'd like to highlight?

Yes, I went to the mini-med graduation. The mini-med graduation was a great experience. It was great to see our youth get to experience biology and not only experience it, enjoy it, along with the doctors that led the classes and the school district, Westside Union School District. It was a great experience.

Wonderful, and can we please play the video for that?

Guys, we're here with Lancaster City Council member Cedric Wyatt at Palmdale Regional Medical Center where they just had their first graduating class, 2026 Mini-Meds. Cedric, as a city council member, what does it mean to see so much time, so much investment, and so much care into our youth?

It makes me proud to see our youth coming to Palmdale Regional Center and learning about medicine. It's all about education early. and our students from Westside Union School District get to come to Palmdale Regional and get first-hand education from doctors and residents here at Palmdale Regional. We're looking forward to helping them grow and making sure that they come back and serve our community because we need our homegrown doctors to come back and serve our community and love on our community.

And council member, you shared that you come from a family of medicine. You have daughters who are RNs, occupational therapists. How are you hoping that this program continues to grow and blossom and maybe creates the next family of medicine here in the AV?

Well, I hope it gives everybody appreciation and love for medicine as they continue to come and grow with Palmdale Regional Hospital, that they love medicine and want to continue and go to medical school. and come back and serve our community. That's all we ask for.

So adorable. And I do want to give Southwest Healthcare and Ben Goki specifically, as well as our providers, a huge shout out. This is a tremendous program that they brought to fruition. They all were actually recently recognized at the Wave Dinner for being our superheroes, raising the next level and future of medical superheroes. So thank you so much for attending. Thank you for that video team. Any announcements?

Yes, I actually was very busy as well. Good, that's what we like to hear. So I attended with Cedric the same thing, the California Contract City Conference. Like Cedric said, very important for the city to work with nonprofits, to work with local school districts. When we have, for example, I used to work at a school for many years. When we get a parent who is in need, They have a child whose, you know, their family's own house. We need to learn how to connect them to the city, to local nonprofits, back to the schools. So it's a circle of love, and we should be doing that more often. Another thing is I attended Salva and Casa's rental system program. Salva received a million dollar to help prevent homeless and eviction. It was very well attended event. There was an event in Palmdale and I attended the one in Lancaster. For more information, please reach out to Salva, not to me, because I don't have the information. Another thing is we also attended the budget open house. That was very well attended, so thank you to everyone who attended. I also attended the ELPAC Marachi Divas. Great night. This is my third time being at the ELPAC. If you haven't been there, I will recommend for you to go. I also attended the Way Foundation dinner. Very excited. First time there, so very excited. And I was able to see in regards to the Pondo Regional Center. I also attended the Cinco de Mayo Parade. I was the Grand Marshal in Lake Los Angeles, so thank you very much for an honor to be the Grand Marshal for that. I also attended the North Region Fire Service Day, very warm, but it's beautiful, the experience that things that you wouldn't see or you don't have the time to see it, but it was great just for the kids to see what our fire department, they do. And on Sunday, yeah. No, Monday, yesterday. It was yesterday. Monday, we attended Memorial Day and the Lancaster Cemetery, so thank you for that. And recently, I attended the Monday Night Bites, and I think there's a video for that. Lancaster has a lot of programs and services. Our goal is to inform you. So we're here just to let you know what's happening with the city of Lancaster. Well, one of the things is a beautiful day, beautiful weather, beautiful park, amazing music. So come out, enjoy with your family, and we're here just to provide services and resources. I want to say come and join us for Monday Night Bike.

The most I've joined of it is the bounce house for my kids, you know, really, really fun for him to get the energy out. Of course, all the food vendors, you know, great choices, you know, I really enjoy it. See the different cultures, the different, just different people and their vibe and all that, and just come together, you know, and just enjoy their time, you know, enjoy the community, enjoy the weather, nice California weather. So, yeah, that's why I like coming here.

Thank you.

I guess I'm up.

You are, sir.

So it's quite busy. Obviously, there was several events already mentioned, the budget open house, yesterday's event at the cemetery over in Lancaster. And the other events that I attended, Boys and Girls Club expansion. And one of the things that's so important is Boys and Girls Club They're now approaching close to 8,000 boys and girls that they actually service here in the Antelope Valley. And so good thing to see them be able to finally be able to expand their program. And so I went to the ribbon cutting this last week on Saturday. I attended also that evening the AV Boosters Casino Night. Again, that's one of the biggest events of the year for the Antelope Valley and all the monies are raised and they go to first responders. Very successful night. And then the last item that hasn't been mentioned here was We also had the opportunity this last week to attend the 4.0 GPA celebration, and when we talk about partnering with the schools, that's one of the events that is usually held at fairgrounds. So when we talk about having a facility, there was over 800 students this year that were all north of 4.0 GPA. And so Cedric and I and Lauren had the opportunity to stand on the stage and congratulate over 800 students. And if you don't think that's a long line, that's a long line. And The joyous part of that event is this year what was given out was $185,000 worth of scholarships. That deserves applause.

Thanks, Fran.

When we talk about helping out young people, here's an event that is put on by the Friends of the Fair. It's held out at the fairgrounds. and the event, and again, were 800 plus students that had 4.0 and it was just great to stand there. Cedric and I was standing side by side and talking to all the students as they walked by and asking them what colleges that they were planning on attending and it was a variety across the country.

Yes, it was. And UC Irvine represented very well. Zot Zot, right?

Yeah, in fact, we thought there, was that the one school that was mentioned quite often? Yes. It was like they were giving out a deal, like a two for one or something.

Man, they had a whole bunch of them there. So I know them because my wife went there. Zot Zot, right?

And I know because my daughter's attending there right now. Okay.

But anyway, and then I think we have a video on the 4.0 event.

Guys, we're here at the 4.0 GPA celebration at the AV Fairgrounds. Joined with me is Haley Guzman, who was just awarded $20,000. Haley, what are you feeling right now? I'm feeling hype.

I'm feeling nervous. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling excited. I don't know. I'm going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I'm majoring in animal science. I hope to become a veterinarian one day and I just look I just think that this is going to support me in my further education because it's expensive.

Tonight I want to just share with you when I was standing up there shaking the students hands I was so impressed with the list of colleges that were Passing through. And you know what? This valley is gifted with a lot of great young people. And that's our future. So what a great night.

in today's society when it's all about that instant gratification, that instant validation to be in a room full of over 800 students who day in and day out dedicated themselves to their studies on top of, I'm sure, so much more, sports, extracurriculars, helping out at home, volunteering in our community. The fact that they put in the work day in and day out for four years and received a 4.0 GPA, I mean, that is worthy of being applauded. I forgot to ask you guys. I already know about the rest of the team. Did you achieve a 4.0 in high school, Mr. Cedric?

I was close to it, about 2.5. No. Okay, so...

I won't reveal all the results. But just, again, the hard work and the dedication that went into Achieva 4.0 is just incredible. I won't poll the audience. I won't embarrass all of us. But I really do want to emphasize what Ken was saying about the scholarship money. This is such a beautiful example. Obviously, we can all agree it's such an important event, such an important achievement to recognize. But in addition to that, the fact that this community came together and donated, the money didn't just grow on trees, donated that much money I'm talking waste management, the council members, the mayor, the vice mayor. Oh, that's me. Former vice mayor Chris, normally in years past, I think the largest scholarship was $10,000. Is that correct, Ken?

Correct. And this year?

It was $20,000.

$20,000.

And she was so composed because I can tell you when she actually received the check or her name was announced, her mom was crying, she was crying. It was a very exciting and emotional event, and I just can't thank our community enough. Yes, thank you to the kids for putting in the hard work, but thank you to the community for showing up and really emphasizing and acknowledging how much we're rooting for them, how much we care, how proud we are of them. And I have to also highlight a lot of people were going to amazing colleges, a lot of Aunt Eaters. But some of our students, a lot of our students were joining the military. They were telling us what trades they were joining. So I just want to continue to emphasize and get all of us talking. It's not just college, it's the CTE programs that matter. It's the trades, it's military service. So just thank you, thank you, thank you. Kudos to those parents out there, the teachers, the superintendents, the principals. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED, THE PRINCIPAL WAS PUT ON THE SPOT, TOO, WHEN THE $20,000 SCHOLARSHIP WAS AWARDED. AND, AGAIN, BIG, BIG, BIG THANK YOU TO FORMER VICE MAYOR MARVIN CHRIS, RECORD-SETTING SCHOLARSHIP, AND HE ALSO HAS A HUGE HAND IN JUST ENCOURAGING THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND REWARD OUR STUDENTS. SO I'LL GET OFF MY SOAP BOX. ANYTHING ELSE, KEN?

NO, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORTS.

OKAY. I think I'm going to unofficially nominate Rocio Ken to be our record keeper and our calendar keeper, because I think you did a lovely summary of just how crazy the last month has been or two weeks have been. The two events that I would like to add is Grace Resources 25th anniversary celebration, and I'll save my comments for after the video. Grace Resources, they're celebrating their 35th anniversary. So 35 years they've been pouring into this community. They've been loving. They've been giving people help in real times of need. So it feels amazing. It's such a great event. The fact that the room is full just is a testament to how giving and how loving our community is. I'm just looking forward to the fact that we're all coming together as a community and having fun, bidding on some fun auction items. But really, it's always the last auction item that opens up my heart and it just fills it. At any dollar amount, whatever you can give, give. If it's your time, give your time. If you have additional money or if you're just at the end of your bank account, just really digging deep, praying on it, and being a blessing to someone. I truly believe we're all put on this earth to let the blessings flow through us and in turn we're all blessed together An incredible event. Again, it took a team effort. We also had the opportunity to recognize the Johnson family. They've been a staple for that organization. Both him and his wife. I think Ms. Sharon got more accolades than Jeremy in her unofficial capacity. But again, it just... Highlights it takes a team and they're a beautiful team and we wish them all the best And we're really excited to start working with the new team No stranger to the Antelope Valley and and again everyone who's ever donated their time their money their energy Sharing the resource. Thank you so much and then I also had the privilege of attending the AV press future leaders event And we have a video for that One of my favorite events that we do every year. Big shout out to assembly members Tom Lackey and Juan Carrillo and of course the AV Press for continuing on this incredible tradition where we pause, reflect, and we highlight the amazing work that our young adults are doing. I always tease that, yes, it's about the future leaders. That's the name of the award. But really these young adults are already leading in our community and that's what we're recognizing. Yes, they have tremendous potential. But these high schoolers, I want to say there was over 70 applications and they had to narrow it down to 25. So it's the best and brightest of the Antelope Valley. They're already serving our community. They're scholars, they're athletes, they're artists, they're leading in their local organizations and their churches and school. So to come together and just honor them is incredible. Our future is very bright. We're in really good hands. And what I shared with the students was that leadership isn't a hat you just put on. It's a way of life. And the fact that they are living out their life that way, it gives me goosebumps to know how blessed we are to have a community of student leaders. Thank you. What they didn't show in the video but was very important to me was I had all our student leaders stand up, turn around, and give a big round of applause to their parents, their grandparents, their family, their friends, their teachers, their principals. Because again, I'm sounding like a broken record. It really takes a team. It takes support. It takes our whole community. So everyone who lived on those young adults, our future slash current leaders, thank you so much. Okay, no action is required at this time for our housing authority, our financing authority, our power authority, successor agency. So now moving on to city manager announcements.

Thank you. I have a couple quick updates for us. First, I want to announce a couple of parks programs that will be hosting some different events. So Juneteenth is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th this year. We moved it to a Saturday, or the committee, I should say, suggested and proposed and voted on moving it to Saturday so that it no longer conflicted with Father's Day so that everybody could partake and we can get more people out. So this year's event will be at Owens Memorial Park again. It's 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. They also shifted it to a little bit later in the day. I think their hope is that by the early evening the weather cools down and we can even enjoy more fun and more activities there. So looking forward to that event. And then we also have our 4th of July extravaganza coming up. That's, again, at the A.V. Fair and Events Center, July 4th. Gates open at 5. We have Landco, country artists performing at 7 p.m. And then at 9, there'll be a combo drone show, fireworks show, and it'll be bigger than ever because it is 250 years of this country. That morning, we will also be attending and partnering with the chambers on a all-valley parade that's gonna happen over in downtown Corso on 50th Street West. Both cities, all the chambers, we're all coming together to throw a big parade in honor of the 250 years of America, too, so looking forward to that event, and I know the team has some surprises with the, did we call it a float, or did you call it a party barge earlier today? I can't remember. Anyways, it'll be fun. And then a couple I just wanted to thank, and I think Councilperson Castellanos spoke to this a little bit, but thanks to the community for coming out and taking the time to show up at the budget workshop. We had, I think, over 150 people that came out that day. We've had more people fill that survey out. Thank you for letting us know what your priorities are so that we can incorporate those in this next year's budget and really focus on what matters to the community. And then last thing, our Outlook magazine was mailed out to residents, I think, last week. You can also obtain a digital version of that, a PDF of that on our website. There's a lot of good information in that, whether it's related to our programs. I think there's an article on how we're reducing crime in Lancaster by 15% last year. There's some articles on how we do cleanups and who you contact to get certain cleanups. So please go through it. The team did an outstanding job this time around of putting some really good information in there. If you haven't read it yet, please do.

Thank you. City Clerk? This is the time to address the City Council Agency Authority on non-agendized matters. Speaker cards may be found on the back table of the Council Chambers. If you have completed one, please ensure you have given it to us so you may be recognized. Individual speakers are limited to three minutes each. Please keep in mind state law prohibits Council from acting on items that are not on the agenda, and your matter may be referred to the City Manager. Thank you.

Thank you. David Paul.

Vice Mayor and Council, good afternoon. And Vice Mayor Hughes-Leslie, it's such a pleasure to announce you as Vice Mayor. I'm very happy that you took over that position. You have big shoes to fill, but I know you will do it fantastically. Yeah, there was a couple of nice events I went to, and you know, the thing that, i always appreciate is that if people get involved they realize how much fun it is to participate in civic events and that's why i do it and just to feel like you're part of something and you know if you're not gonna get in there and try and make the world a better place you can't really complain that's how i feel about it so but it's a joy to be here uh... our new council members welcome you know there's lot of work so thank you for taking that on and um yeah let's just keep making this city the best place we can good evening thank you so much fran

I have a lot to say. I can't wait. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Fran Sarasaras and I'm a Commissioner for LA County for Aging and Disabilities. And of course, I've been here in Lancaster for many, many, many, many years. But I also want to at this point congratulate our new vice mayor, our new council members, and of course our veteran there. Welcome, welcome all of you. You do have, it is a big responsibility to run a city and it's, things are changing drastically here. not only here but throughout the whole world, and people's destinies are changing. A lot of adults are leaving us, and the new generation, and thank God for those 800 youngsters. That was wonderful, and I've been praying and praying for something like that because they are the seed of our future. And that is so great. And I want to, like you said, the parents, because they work just as hard trying to keep these kids in school. Yeah. So thank you, everybody. It's always my pleasure to come here. I really like living in Lancaster, and I do, everything I do is for Lancaster. That's why I became, I was appointed as a commissioner to, I even forgot what I was saying. I think my mind is going a mile a minute because I know I only have three minutes and I'm already going down. But anyway, I was appointed because for this district, for the 5th District, which is a big district, because we don't get any kind of accountable efforts or anything from down below. So I'm trying my darndest to do what I can for all of us. But also, real quick, I just want to say thank you to the City of Lancaster. And the mental health department, on Friday, we had, at the Lancaster Senior Center, we had a prom. And you should have seen, it was so neat. Everybody got dressed up, just like if they were in high school. And everybody had a good time, and it was, I know, I hear you. Please finish. And it was good to see, and not only for Lancaster, a lot of people from, it was, we invited, well, not we, they invited people from Palmdale, some even came from Little Rock, they came from all over, and what I really got out of it is that's what we need, not just Lancaster, not just Palmdale, not just, we are all one, no matter which way you look at it. You know, we're all here for the same reason. We live here. We must like it if we live here. So let's get together and do something about it as a unit, not as an individual little city here and little city there, because we are all one. And that's what we need. And then, like, I know the mayor's not here, but I guess I'm not saying it right, but to co-phrase our mayor, Now I forgot where I was going to go. I guess I'm getting too excited. I just feel that we need to get together and be a unit, not this is yours, this is mine, and I think this city is going to get bigger and bigger, and it is going to be coming if anybody doesn't realize it. We are going to be the second L.A. because it's getting there. Oh, I think I thank you very much. God bless you all.

Thank you, Fran. And we're blessed to have you putting in the hard work representing us in L.A., and I couldn't agree more with everything you said. We often get a better product when we all come together, work together, have differing opinions, do that uncomfortable thing where we agree to disagree, but we get it out there, and ultimately we compromise and work through it, and we get a better product. So thank you for what you do in our community.

Thank you very much. And now, if I can get my motor running, I'll leave. Thank you very much. Thank you. Ronald Riley Sr.?

Good afternoon, ex-mayor and city council members.

I appreciate being able to come up and speak to you all and read what I have to give you all. This is to inform this panel in regards about the loitering, the gambling, dope, and drug selling activities locally. There is and has been for ten years or more, which it has been more, dope and marijuana laundering along with illegal gambling being conducted Monday through Sunday at the intersection Challenger and K here in Lancaster on the east side. These activities along with these gang members' behaviors has brought about a very strong deterrence and distaste to go and conduct business in that plaza. It has gotten so bad, the Rockemar Del Mar restaurant had to close its doors out of business November 30th, 2026, due to also the customers refused to come nor bring their families. because of the negative activities of the gang members at that plaza. Three to five months ago, an innocent lady was shot in a crossfire, but lived, thank God, at that plaza. A crossfire that took place. Tokyo Steak Restaurant is also anticipating to relocate their restaurant. It's also anticipating to remove from that location also. Captain Robertson and I, and two of his local deputies, along with two of his deputies, and I met with the owner and superior, Mr. Trino Morales. He brought it to our attention, a lady from the school district, Lancaster, that several students from Jack Northrop and junior high across from the plaza, there being sold drugs and marijuana from those gang members. Other owners I spoke to and with at the plaza stated they have like statements about this bad conduct and behavior from those people and how it has and is affected their businesses no customers participation. The children after school, before school, seeing these men loitering, gambling, bent over and standing gambling, dope selling Monday through Friday at 1004 East Avenue K liquor store at the plaza. These are the businesses that has and are being affected in that plaza and drop loss of business at that location. Number one, East Street Clothing, 1014 East Avenue K. Tokyo Steakhouse, 1024 East Avenue K. And the Classic Barbershop, 1012 East Avenue K. And the Tap House, where Rocamar Del Mar Restaurant, the Mexican restaurant, are closed. And I'm at the end. I have some questions I'd like to give to the members in the place. The city here.

Sir.

As a homeowner in your neighborhood.

I'm so sorry, your time has elapsed. However, I have a few questions for you if you may. Yes, please. Do you know if the plaza has a business watch program?

I am a neighborhood watch block captain.

Thank you, sir, for your service.

And I've been there for at least five years now.

Okay.

And this is what I've observed.

Good.

But I wanted to ask you, Mayor, ex-Mayor, I mean, Vice Mayor.

That's okay. What's your question?

As a homeowner in your neighborhood, would you tolerate these type of activities? And would you care for the gang members to cross the behavior to sell drugs to your students and your children?

I think these are all rhetorical questions, though, because I don't think anyone in this room.

Okay. So, you know, I have done my own surveillance to Captain Roberts. I've spoken to him lengthy. And I've talked to also Chief Armillan. I have done my own surveillance at that place. And I tell you, I've been incognito because they have warned me to be careful.

You got to be safe.

And so I did. And I said across the street, unbeknownst to them, I have videos of them. I have pictures of them selling drugs and doing things that they shouldn't do illegally. And I was wondering, why couldn't we have two entities here, the Sheriff Department and the Police Department? Why don't they send someone there to be incognito to capture these people and remove these people? Then we have another problem, ma'am, over on the east side on 10th Street. And thank you all for hearing me. I hope we can get something done about this because it has ruined our neighborhood. And I heard these people speak earlier about Lancaster and the communities and the neighborhoods. Why aren't we doing something about that after 15 years? Thank you, and y'all have a blessed day.

Sir, hold on one second.

Mr. Riley.

Yes, sir. Go ahead.

I'll just call him back to you.

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Just like Fran, thank you for what you're doing in our community. Thank you for stepping up and putting together your neighborhood watch. It sounds like unofficially you're the captain of this business watch that should probably get formed, Rod. Yes, I am. So please, after this meeting or when it suits your time, get with our chief. Our captain over here, he's pretty involved in our community. He has a little one, I know for a fact. So absolutely not. Nobody in this room thinks that's acceptable. Thank you for doing your part.

Thank you.

We hope you continue to partner with us.

Oh, I will.

But chief needs to take it over from here.

It's got to be removed.

100%. So I look forward to the plan you guys are going to come up with.

Thank you again. One last statement. Go ahead.

I was just going to say thank you, Mr. Riley, for all that you do. I want to let you know that you're not in this alone. We're here with you. Thank you. So I'll be talking to you off record later on, and we'll make sure that we come up with some type of plan after we speak with Rod. And everyone else. All right. All right.

So I just want to say, if I could interject quickly, I think because we completely agree with this gentleman and his comments here. And we've done a lot of work at that location. And I'd like to turn it over to Rod to summarize some of the work that's already been done out there. It's one of the locations we've been spending a significant amount of time on in the last few months.

Thank you. Before you go, Chief, did you have a comment?

No, I just wanted to say the same thing. Right away when I started my role, that was one of the questions about that particular location. I used to go there to get my nails done. I don't go there anymore because it's not safe. And so I did have those conversations with city manager and the chief as well. Okay, Chief, take it away.

Excuse me. There's a young man that got shot and killed over there too. This was, I would say, last year. Also, one of the chiefs from the, one of the sergeants from the sheriff department was parked there, and I went up to him. I know those guys were standing there, and they were doing what they were doing. I didn't care. And so I say, sir, excuse me, why can't they come and keep coming here? Because every time you leave, he said, no, they run and they hide. Or they go and get in their cars, but they come right back. So I called and talked with... one of your ladies at the sheriff's station, Ms. Matthews, Deputy Matthews. And she says, oh, we come there. I said, yeah, you do, but you don't send, I know no one could stay there, but they leave and then they come back. And so Captain Roberts told me he was going to send a drone over it. So I just want you all to know people are being hurt there as well. Go ahead, sir. Thank you.

First, thank you for coming, sir. It's a pleasure to see you again. So yeah, we have been doing extensive work there and at I and 10th, I believe is the other location you're talking about. We've done quite a bit of work there. I'm happy to tell you that. In fact, we've worked closely with the owner of the property who now owns both of those properties, believe it or not. We're opening a substation at Challenger and Kay, I think, I believe we're gonna open that July one or August one from working with that property owner. So my team has worked extensively with all the business owners In fact, we recently visited the Tap House. If you haven't been there, they got really good food there. So, but we've contacted every one of the business owners in that property and built relationships with them so we can start addressing issues. We've even gone as far as, you may have seen some of those, I think they're called Bollards, the big water field. We put some of those in the parking lot. Yes, it was in the parking lot. So they could keep their vehicles. Out of there from doing donuts and all of that. So we're definitely on that. But we'd love to talk with you and hear more about your side. I don't know if my officer who handles, well, actually one of my officers who handles the project back there, Officer Rodriguez is here as well. Be glad to have you connect with him and share and figure out how we work together. And we're not done. We're not done there. We're not done with high intent as well. But we appreciate you coming. We want to hear from the community. Thank you.

And we need more people like you. So that business watch I was talking about, you can recruit some people. Sounds like you have your pulse on what's going on. So as you guys connect, please share that with the business owners. Share that with the community. Because I'm sure they have thoughts. They just maybe haven't had the time to come and communicate them to us. So thanks, Chief. Thank you, sir.

Yes, because I have myself personally, I went to each of those facilities and talked with the supervisors and the owners and got this information from them.

Sounds like a business watch captain. Next up, yeah. We have Miguel Coronado.

Thank you so much.

We're at 2.46 and I haven't got to the podium.

2.45. Mr. Riley, I got complaints about that corner.

I'll be over there this weekend, so I'm going to help you out. Thank you, please.

Yes, sir. I'm here tonight because the city continues to fail the young people who work the hardest and ask for the least.

I'm so sorry to interrupt you. Yes, ma'am. Please restart his time.

Thank you, Vice Mayor. Appreciate it. Congratulations on that. I'm here tonight because the city continues to fill the young people who work the hardest and ask for the least. Rocio, thank you for texting me back. Appreciate that. That's a good leader. Cedric, if you could please text me back or call me, I appreciate it. About 3% received 4.0. out of the 21,500 students, 3%. I request certificates of recognition for students who earn academic success while serving their community, students who volunteer, students who mentor, students who stay out of trouble, students who represent the best of Lancaster truly told me that our experience decides that, not my two leaders that we just elected. Mayor Perez denied the recognition last year of my students, I'm asking this year. to please honor it. The decision sends a message. In Lancaster, we celebrate power more than we celebrate education. We reward control more than we reward achievement. Chief, I still need to talk to you, if you could please call me back. At the same time, our parks continue to deteriorate. The park's been like that for over a year, Trolleys. Broken equipment, neglect fields, unsafe conditions, Communities ignored, as you can hear from Mr. Riley. I'll be there to support you. The Parks and Arts Recreation and Community Service budget stands at $33.98 million. Think about that. Now compare that with policing. For the fiscal year 2026, 2027, Lancaster allocated almost $30 million directly to the Sheriff's Department, which I support 100%, specifically Luna and Captain Barlet. The Lancaster Police Department budget totals almost $60 million. Combined policing expenditures totals almost $90 million. You can't take care of Mr. Riley's community? What the hell's wrong with you guys? Mayor, you're not here. That equals approximately 522 per resident. Now let's compare that Lancaster, Santa Clarita. Santa Clarita has more residents than Lancaster, nearly 58,000. Yet Santa Clarita spends approximately 158 per resident, on Sheriff's Services. Their budget is about $30 million. Lancaster spends more than three times that amount. And what are Lancaster residents getting in return? Lancaster has a poverty rate of 15.6%. Santa Clarita, 7.4%. Lancaster unemployment stands at 7.6%. Santa Clarita, 5.0%. Lancaster's median household income is $81,511. Santa Clarita's median household income is $123,062. The gap is more than $41,000. The council continues pouring massive amount of money into police instruction while educational recognition, youth investment and community spaces receive excuses, delay and neglect. Trolleys, Mayor Paris, you deny certificate for students who earn them. You underserved the parks and the families that depend on them. You continue expanding enforcement while the city struggles with poverty, educational attainment and economic mobility. Young people in Lancaster do not need more political ego. They need opportunity. They need investment. A city that refuses to honor my students while spending $89 million of policing has lost sight of what public service is supposed to mean. Please take care of these parks. Rocio. Cedric. We're depending on you. I can't depend on these people.

Thank you so much for your comments. Up next, we have Ms. Carla Johnson. Carla. Yes, ma'am. Come on down here and...

Thank you. So thank you for everything you all said about supporting students. Come on down. All right. And I'll try to stay within my three minutes. And I feel OK after listening to those last two about what I'm about to say.

OK, so good afternoon. Ma'am, I'm so sorry. I just want to make sure we get your time. Can you restart it, please?

And go. Okay. Good afternoon. I'm here today because I care about the city and I expect fairness, respect and equal treatment for every resident, including myself. Um, at the winter holiday, uh, city council meeting, I followed all the rules. I was prepared. I, and I had my remarks written yet. I was not given my full three minutes that made me feel singled out and dismissed. And it was not consistent with the equal treatment guaranteed to all residents for the Brown act. I also want to address the tone of previous meetings. City Council meetings are supposed to be nonpartisan. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that. Comments from the Mayor about his support of the President's highly questionable national policies and the Supreme Court's eventual decision to strike down the Voting Rights Act as it pertains to redistricting were inappropriate for this setting and made some residents feel excluded. This council is supposed to represent the entire city. Repeated religious readings from the mayor can also make residents of different backgrounds feel singled out. I responded politely at the time but did not feel inclusive. but it did not feel inclusive. City leadership is supposed to represent people of all faiths and people even of no faith. I want to acknowledge the Los Angeles County Library Manager. I know they're a different government entity here in Lancaster. He's required to watch these meetings and he works on behalf of the entire community even though I know his background doesn't always allow him to understand me. This is called peaceful coexistence. I encourage the public to support library programs, including the book club being a restart at the Lancaster Library. Shout out to our new reference librarian. She knows who I mean. I also want to know what the city has done about the HOA concerns I raised months ago. Residents are facing selective enforcement and inconsistent rules. We need oversight and accountability. We pay local taxes in addition to HOA dues. And I want to address public safety. At the winter break meeting, no offense, but the Lancaster police chief asked why residents don't call law enforcement. Well, I can tell you why from my experience. I called the sheriff's station for help one night, and I know you're police, not sheriff. I'm getting to you. A deputy said she was on her way. I waited nine hours. She never arrived and I received no call. When I followed up, I was told nothing would be done. Another time I went to Lancaster Police Station in person, no one came to the door. A voice through the intercom told me to go to the sheriff's station. I explained that the station felt unsafe because unstable people were yelling and talking to themselves in the waiting area. Normal residents should not have to risk that kind of exposure just to get help. For years, local law enforcement said their hands were tied by decisions made by the previous district attorney, Gascon. That was hard on the public. But now we have a different district attorney, Hockman, who from what I can see is taking cases seriously and is responsive to law enforcement efforts. So that excuse no longer applies. It's time for law enforcement to provide consistent, reliable service. A couple more sentences. That is why people don't call. We need reliability, accessibility, and safety, not chaos. I would also like to schedule a meeting with the two new council members who I hope will be more responsive. This does not let the long-serving council members off the hook. And just to thank you, Ms. Leslie, or whatever, sorry.

I'll respond to that.

That's my last name. I did email everyone a while ago about some concerns that do have to do with the city, and you're the only one who answered. So thank you for that. I'm done. And can I please get a business card or something to schedule a meeting with you two?

Yes, ma'am. I can only speak for myself, but I have an open-door policy. Whenever you want to meet with me, talk with me, I'm available.

Do you have an email address?

I'll give that to you.

Okay. Tralee, can you make sure she gets our contact information? Thank you. And then additionally, if you go, correct me if I'm wrong, if you go on our website, it has all of our pages listed as well as our email addresses and different ways to get in contact. Okay.

And thank you again. Including these two because I did go online and you two were not at it yet. Tralee. Thank you.

Thank you for your feedback. WOLFORD CARPENTRY? DID I GET THAT RIGHT?

YEAH.

OH, PERFECT.

THESE TWO GUYS GOT ME FIRED UP NOW.

OH, WE'RE READY FOR IT. SIR, SIR, SORRY. CAN WE GO AHEAD AND RESTART? AND GO.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THESE E-SCOOTERS AND THESE E-BIKES. And every morning, I'll go to the donut house, and these guys are idiots. They don't wear helmets. There should be a law on that. They dash in and out of traffic. I've almost hit one of them. And they just don't care about the vehicles. Number two, I have the deal with having your eye. You guys are taking care of it. I see you guys over there all the time. And once you go into that little plaza, these guys run across the street and they're selling over there. And I've talked to a couple of businesses over there and they say they've got to clean this up because they're wrecking our business. I mean, the hair stylist place, they've gone down so much. Customers don't wanna go in there, they don't wanna go to the donut shop. And then you got people sitting out there begging for money. You got homeless people right around the corner pissing on the wall, pissing around the back. Come on. I mean, I know the sheriff. I know the sheriff's doing their job. I know the Lancaster Police Department's doing their job. But it's just...

Unacceptable.

Yeah, unacceptable. And I see it all the time. So I stopped going to the Donut House. Now I go on to Avenue J to the Donut place over there. And I'm doing business with them. I mean, and I've talked to the owners of the Donut House, and they said, we've lost half of our businesses. Half of our business from people coming in, their customers. That's not right. They're making an honest living and keeping the doors open. I mean, we got to do something. Other than that, like I said, the e-scooters and the e-bikes, we've got to set a policy in the city that they have to have helmets on. And they need to do something about the speed. They've got to drop it down. I mean, I think they've got to go back to the little scooters that they... push because they don't go that fast and the drivers don't have to worry about hitting them.

As a child of a nurse and a law enforcement dad, always had the helmet on. And I have two reckless, courageous kids myself. So I hear you, sir. Thank you so much.

But anyways, thank you for listening.

Greg, Greg Basham, sir, you're next.

Good afternoon.

Sorry, sorry, Greg. Thank you.

Um, good afternoon. Um, congratulations on the promotion. Congratulations on the reelection and congratulations on your election victories and welcome. Uh, two new faces. Maybe you've been around, but I personally haven't seen you. Um, Tralee's love the open house. Um, that budget open house. I went there, it was great. Um, And Chief, you were there too. I appreciated the chats that we had. I'm not going to have, I think, the energy of some of these people, but I also have a couple of gripes. Councilman Mann, you're right. Maybe I did fill your ear because those are my gripes. The paving of the streets, they're horrendous on the east side. West side, you could find some bad roads too, but the east side is just not there. One of the streets, the one that I take to come here, From 20th Street East to the just past the railroad tracks on Lancaster Boulevard, It's like running over a gravel road. It's bad. So that's my first bugaboo. Just please start repaving these streets. Then the other thing is maybe I don't know if homelessness is a crime, but I think panhandling is and I heard a few of the other residents here complaining about that. I also see that on a daily basis. Then I'm proposing something to the city council. I didn't know there was that much money going into law enforcement, but I'd like to spend a little more. There is a, it's a camera that, and I spoke with you about this chief, but not the camera part of it, but it can actually record sound and pinpoint the vehicle that's exceeding high level of decibels the name of it is sound view it's from Europe it's being used on the East Coast and it has definitely helped revenue by ticketing these cars and vehicles so I just thought you know that would be something maybe to look into because you know you guys got the drones and you get red light cameras, you know, why not add one more because that's my bug 20th Street East and Avenue J. It's like a racetrack all the time. And one last thing. Sorry. I know I'm going over. I don't want to do that. I was trying to keep it close. The last meeting I attended you guys had on the agenda about Vehicles that we're gonna go around and like video Code violations or something and I just wanted to know did you guys approve it because I I think I left early. Sorry But did was it approved? Or you guys aren't supposed to answer but all right, that's my question was it it was no it was approved and Okay. All right. Um, so good on that. I love it. And then I like to ask, and I usually ask the mayor, could I apply for that job? So when it happens, it happens. And thank you guys for overextending my time.

Thank you. Thanks for the feedback. And then chief, if you haven't done so already, can we please look into the, the sound decibel sound view? I know for a fact that's a pet peeve of the mayor's. My kids think it's really cool, but I don't find it particularly enjoyable, and it can be unsafe. It could be correlated with unsafe things. Okay, that completes our public business. Cedric, any additional comments?

No.

Rocio?

Ken. Trulese, point of clarification. How much money is budgeted for both over on the sheriff and the police side? Because I think that we've heard a number that I believe is a little bit inflated.

The sheriff's contract with the liability cost all included is $30 million annually. and our operation is around 27 annually, so the total is 57 million.

Thank you, because I know that, again, when we took that survey and we talked about what are the top three priorities, And I think that from a city standpoint, we are focusing on that for the 26-27. And then point of clarification, Santa Clarita, I understand just recently visited us because they're possibly taking a look at maybe looking at a hybrid approach as well.

Yes, they've seen some crime trends that they're not happy with and so they came up, their city manager was here I think two Mondays ago to do a tour of our facility, look at our Intelligent Crime Center and get a sneak peek at all the things that we're doing because they're looking at copying that. They're running into a lot of the same issues that we've been running into where they want a higher level of policing in the city and they can't get it because of certain things that the county can't increase the size of the contract. So they're looking at options as well for where they go in the future.

Right, thank you, I just wanted to, sometimes there's statements made publicly or on social media and then people look and go, what? And then the positive thing is we think our solutions are working because what was the number for the first quarter that we were down?

So the first quarter was 33%, I think. 32, Rod's correcting me. And then we just got the numbers in for April as well today. And I want to say it's 27%. I think it's 27.

Yeah, 27% for the first third of the year.

down in addition to the 15% reduction we had for the full year last year. So if we keep on that same trend into the year, we'll have a two-year reduction close to 50% in crime.

Correct. And I know for a fact, because we get quarterly when we're at the NCTC meeting, we get an update both on the Palmdale side and the Santa Clarita. And not that you would want to on cities to the south of us, but obviously our numbers are moving in the right direction as opposed to the cities that have not found out that better solution maybe to policing. All right, just wanted to make those points. Thank you.

Sorry to put you on the spot. Do you know or can you share with the team roughly how much money was raised at the AV Booster casino night?

I don't think that's been released yet. So again, those are dollars that are raised at a local level, and then they are used to, again, any kind of emergency services, goes to the Sheriff's Department, the Police Department, the Fire Department. And usually it's for items that the county won't provide or are not in a position to provide. And proud to be a part of that. that group on a regular basis and donate. I know it's made a big difference. Not that I want to put the captain on the spot, but both the Palmdale station as well as the Santa Clarita station has benefited from the AV boosters. Just want to make sure everybody understands their reach is pretty big.

Thank you. And hopefully, when we do get that number, we can share it with the team. And I just have a few points of gratitude I want to share. I want to thank our law enforcement, anyone who puts on the uniform, LASD, LPD, the Palmdale guys and gals, all of them. All four of us had the opportunity just yesterday to attend the Memorial Day ceremony at Lancaster Cemetery. Again, a phenomenal, professional, respectful event. But I shared a Bible verse. It's one of my favorite, John 15, 13. And the gist of it is there's no greater love than to lay down one's life for their friend. And that applies in a lot of different ways. It applies to our military. It applies to our law enforcement. But I also shared that laying down your life can come in many forms. It's not just about death. It's the people who are sacrificing their time, their energy, their money their piece to get involved in this community. I agree with Greg. I think we need more money for law enforcement. I think we need more money for a lot of things. But the reality is the men and women who put on that uniform, they do the best that they can with what they have. And oftentimes what they contribute is their votes, who they vote for, how they spend their private time, their personal time. So thank you to our entire community. Every event that we highlighted today, it was more than just the board, the council members. It was a whole community who rallied around and gave, again, laid down their life. money, time, energy. So thank you to our law enforcement. And then I want to just applaud my teammates, my new teammates, for jumping head first. I know we've talked about it. It's a lot to learn. I'm still learning. Thank you for jumping in the deep end with us, for showing up, for going to events, for asking questions. like you guys said, like others said, it's a lot of hard work. And I don't take that for granted. And thank you to your families. And the mayor's not here, but I want to express our gratitude to the mayor. He wants to be here. He's doing his his work, he's representing a client fighting for justice for them. And I think it's safe to say that he expresses all the same gratitudes I have. And to the people who came up today and spoke during public comments, feedback is a gift. I don't know if everyone feels that way. Whether we agree or disagree with the feedback you gave, I thank you for it. And the people who who observed things and they were passionate, they had the energy. Please don't let it stop here. Get with chief, get with the city manager, get with us. It's easy to complain. It's a whole lot different to roll up your sleeves and get into the work with us. So thank you guys for coming. Thanks for the comments. And at this time, the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9th at 1.30 PM. This meeting is adjourned.