Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

Good morning. Good Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Hallelujah. Whoo. We are fired up today. And welcome to our LA County Board public hearing meeting of the LA County Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. Today is a very special day. It's Tuesday, 02/24/2026, and we take note that a quorum of the board is present. Thank you all, colleagues, for being here.

It's an honor for us for us to begin today's meeting by celebrating Lunar New Year. Very special occasion. And I wanna thank the wonderful Lion dancers who performed earlier. For those of you who may have missed it, they were enchanting. They brought a lot of good luck and feeling and great entertainment.

And what a very beautiful cultural event to to have here at the County Board of Supervisors. You know, in the Chinese culture, the lion dance symbolizes good fortune, prosperity, joy, while driving away evil spirits and negative energy. Boy, we need that every day. These are all values that I hope that we carry with us throughout this year, especially as we know that this is the year of the horse. The year is particularly special as it is the year of the fire horse, a rare occurrence that happens only once every sixty years.

Isn't that profound? I had no idea. According to tradition, this year is characterized by high energy and represents passion and transformation. But it is also a year that focuses on wellness and emotional balance. A good reminder to always keep the well-being of our residents first and foremost. And as part of today's celebration, I would like to thank the many strong AAPI leaders from across my district who have joined us today. Please stand and be recognized. Our friends that are in the audience. Audience. Yes.

And our friends in the back. Come, come, come, come. Thank you. Thank you. As a part of today's celebration, I'd like to again thank all that have come today to join us, and I particularly want to uplift my honorees for today's recognition.

We have with us, and if they can join me up here, I'll be calling them up, but please come and join me now here at the dais. And these are our AAPI leaders that represent the 1st District. I wanted to honor them because before this year passes, the year of the horse, we wanted to make sure that we could celebrate here with all of you. So with us today is Diamond Bar Council Member Andrew Chao. Let's give him a round of applause.

Diamond Barr Councilmember Stan Liu and Jay Chin from Mount San Antonio College Board of Trustees and Doctor. Diana Zhao, a doctor and educator in the San Gabriel Valley. Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to start by just introducing, council member Andrew Chao.

He represents Diamond Bar's District 3. He has served in that role since 2018 and served as mayor in 2023. He was born in Taiwan and raised in Hacienda Heights in the 1st District. Council member Chao launched an advisory firm in Diamond Bar. Council Member Chao is also very involved serving on the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, as well as the Los Angeles County Small Business Commission, who is my appointee, and the county assessor's advisory council.

He is a dedicated champion for our youth and is known throughout the community for uplifting young residents. I have been grateful to partner with council member Chao to help up lift the communities in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley. Please give him a big round of applause for being with us today. I also wanna recognize Diamond Bar council member Stan Liu, a wonderful leader and educator representing the 5th District. Council member Liu was elected to the council in 2020 after serving on the city's parks and recreation commission.

He too has championed empowering our young people and has served as a STEM educator, a youth mentor, and a Sunday school teacher. I have admired his commitment to community because he is so involved at almost every level, holding positions in dozens of organizations including the Youth Science Board, the Diamond Bar Community Foundation, and President of the Chinese American elected officials. So we want to thank Council Member Lu for his tireless advocacy on behalf of our communities, our young people, and the residents of Diamond Bar. Thank you. Give him a round of applause.

And next, I am honored to recognize Jay Chen who serves on the Mount SAC board of trustees representing Area 5. Jay has been

serving in this position since 2015 after serving on the board of the education for the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District for eight years. And I'm a proud product of that school district being a graduate of La Puente High School. He is a proud product of San Gabriel Valley Public Schools as well and leverages his experience to uplift educational opportunities and career pathways for San Gabriel Valley residents. In addition to his impressive career in education, Jay is a lieutenant commander in the United States naval reserve and was previously deployed in The Middle East in 2020 as an intelligence officer to help defeat ISIS. I'm so honored to recognize him and to have him here today in our presence.

Please give him a round of applause. And finally, I wanna recognize doctor Diana Zhao, a proud Diamond Bar resident and community champion. She also, as I understand, spent several years here working for LA County. So she is a county employee. Sixteen years.

Wow. Doctor Zhao has been engaged in education and social services throughout her career. She is very active and engaged with children's development and shaping them to be the next leaders in the San Gabriel Valley. She currently serves as the first vice president of the Elite Lions Club, CEO for Win Win Relationship Learning Center, and CEO of Activate Wellness Center. Of course, this is all on top of her work as a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist.

Wow. She's an incredible community leader and is very deserving to be our honoree today. I wanna thank all four of my honorees for taking the time out of their very busy schedules to serve our community and to join us in this celebration. These four are not just essential community leaders in the San Gabriel Valley, but have made lasting impacts in the lives of youth in our district. Please, let's give them all a big round of applause and we wanna thank them again and wish everybody a happy Lunar New Year.

Thank you so

much. Now let's step forward here. Okay, with that members, we are back in the house and we will now start the county's land acknowledgment. The county of Los Angeles recognizes that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Quiche, and Chumash peoples. We honor and pay respect to their elders and descendants, past, present, and emerging, as they continue their stewardship of these lands and waters.

We acknowledge that settler colonization resulted in land seizure, disease, subjugation, slavery, relocation, broken promises, genocide, and multigenerational trauma. This acknowledgment demonstrates our responsibility and commitment to truth, healing, and reconciliation, and to elevating the stories, culture, and community of the original inhabitants of Los Angeles County. We are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these ancestral lands. We are dedicated to growing and sustaining relationships with native peoples and local tribal governments, including in no particular order. Fernandeno Tataviam, band of Mission Indians, Gabriolino Tongva, Indians of California tribal council, Gabrioleno Tongva, San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, Gabrioleno Band of Mission Indians, Quiche Nation, Yahavyatam of San Manuel Nation, San Fernando Band of Mission Indians, Coastal Band of Chumash Nation, Gabrielino Tongva Nation, Gabrielino Tongva Tribe.

To learn more about the First Peoples of Los Angeles County, please visit the Los Angeles City County Native American Indian Commission website at lanaic.lacounty.gov. Okay. So this morning, the invocation will be led by father Charbel

from

Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church representing the 4th District and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance which will be led by Brock Milhorn, member Veterans Peer Access Network representing the 5th District. If you are able, please stand with us. Thank you.

For this invocation, let us especially pray for peace in our world, especially in our country and our state, in each and every family that we experience God's love, reconciliation and healing. That humankind, that mankind will be really kind to man, to women, to children. And so we also take this moment to pray for our civil leaders, religious leaders, to be guided by the Holy Spirit to resist evil and to work for the common good. We pray also for those that are experiencing great hardship and suffering. The homeless, the poor, the abandoned, the migrants, the needy, those who are lacking proper housing, proper healthcare, proper education, and also for our budget crisis, we have the proper funds federally, in our state and local governments to serve the people that we are responsible for.

And also to think about those that maybe have no voice, the elderly, the children, those who are being discriminated against, experiencing injustice, abandonment, neglect, trauma, and all the other ways that we mistreat each other. This is a beautiful time for us during Lent, during Black History Month, during the Lunar New Year to call down God's blessings upon every single soul. And above all, that there's peace among the nations. We pray for no war, no nuclear war, no World War III, no civil war, but also no war in the human heart, the human families, that we serve each other. And this way, we can bless each other with healing and not causing wounds.

How easy it is for us to hurt one another, but so hard to heal. May God heal the wounds of our nation and of every family. For this, we especially take a moment of silence, praying for our leaders, first responders, the doctors and nurses, our civil leaders, and may be guided by God's Holy Spirit. I ask you to respond with the word amen. Can I get an amen? Amen. Thank you.

Good morning. Morning. Please face the flag. Place your right hand over your heart. If you're a veteran, you may render a hand salute, and please join me in the pledge of allegiance. 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.

Supervisor Han, you recognize. Yes.

Father Charbel, would you join me over here? Thank you, madam chair. I'm so, pleased to welcome, father Charbel Gerbovitz. Is that right?

That's right.

It's Croatian.

Yes.

Like you wanna buy a vow.

That's right.

He serves as the associate pastor at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in our hometown of San Pedro. Father Charbel is a Norbetine priest, one of the oldest surviving Roman Catholic religious orders. He was born in San Gabriel and grew up attending Saint Anthony Croatian Catholic Church, which is right up the street from here. And father Charbel was raised in Huntington Beach and received his bachelor's degree in biology and Spanish literature from the University of California Irvine. He later attended Saint John's Seminary where he received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and the of Saint Thomas Aquinas where he received a master's degree in theology.

At Mary Star, he offers English, Spanish, and Croatian masses and ministries. He also takes part in the maritime ministry assisting crews aboard ships in the port. Such a great ministry that very few people realize that every time those ships come in, right, full of cargo, they have a crew. And many times they're in port for three or four days. And what a great ministry to serve the needs of those, people who are on the ships.

Father Charbel provides significant support for Mary Star of the Elementary School and raises funds to support its operations. He also hosts a weekly English radio show and celebrates a monthly mass for ESNE, an LA based Spanish language Catholic media network that reaches 23 countries. He enjoys many sports, how do you have time, including soccer and surfing. Father Charbel, thank you for leading us this morning in that very thoughtful and purposeful invocation and for your dedication to serving others. It's my honor to present to you on behalf of my colleagues here on the board of supervisors a certificate of appreciation for joining us this morning.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

So this morning, supervisor Barger was unable to join us and she asked me if I would thank Brock Milhorn from the 5th District for leading us in today's pledge of allegiance. Petty officer second class Brock Milhorn served in the United States Navy from 2004 to 2008 on the USS Kitty Hawk with VAW one one fifteen in Japan. He is a proud resident of Monrovia where he works as a veteran peer coordinator with the Veterans Peer Access Network, supporting fellow veterans and connecting them to critical resources. He has been recognized by the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce as the twenty twenty five veteran of the year and received the military service and stewardship award. Beyond his professional work, Brock is deeply engaged in the community and brings his talents and passion into everything that he does, including proudly singing the national anthem at the Dodgers Stadium during military appreciation night.

Wow.

That's amazing.

Oh, wow. That's incredible.

We'll have to ask you to come back. Sure. Absolutely. In his free time, Brock is an avid scuba diver, golfer, baseball player, singer, actor. Wow.

On behalf of the county of Los Angeles, it is our honor to recognize you today and present you with this certificate as a small token of our gratitude for your service to our country, your leadership, and your continued dedication to our veterans and to this community. Thank you on behalf of all the board of supervisors. Congratulations. Thank you. Members, we are now going to begin the scroll presentations, and we will go in this order.

Horvath, Han, Mitchell, and then I will go last. Or if necessary, we can change out. Okay, so we'll go with Horvath, Hahn, Solis and then Mitchell. Yes, please, yes, thank you.

Good morning everyone. It's a very vibrant morning here in the Hall Of Administration and I couldn't be more thrilled to be celebrating with some tremendous honorees this morning. Please come on up. Los Angeles County is strengthened every day by the leadership, creativity, and resilience of our black communities whose contributions continue to shape who we are as a county. And you're welcome to come up too if you'd like.

Representation matters. And today's honorees remind us that especially when we invest in our young people and uplift their voices, we strengthen our shared future. During Black History Month, we're proud to recognize two individuals whose impact reflect the power of youth, of development, of cultural expression, and just the future that we all need to believe in in all of our communities. Our first honoree is Nicole Chase. Through her leadership at the Pacoima Boys and Girls Girls Club, Nicole has dedicated herself to creating spaces where young people are supported and encouraged and empowered to grow.

She leads with purpose, building trust with families she serves, and she understands that mentorship and opportunity can change the trajectory of a young person's life. Her commitment ensures that youth in Pacoima have the resources guidance they need to thrive. And recently, I was asked what we might know in our district about diversity because someone sort of characterized our district as only white and wealthy and often overlooking communities that are far too often overlooked. But that's where Nicole comes in. She steps in and makes sure that all of our voices, but especially our young people's voices in the Northeast San Fernando Valley are uplifted and amplified.

And I have seen the power of her work, not only through the work that she personally does, but really embodied in our young people. What they are doing in our community because of what they experience at the Boys and Girls Club is nothing short transformational and that's because of Unicol. Thank you very very much. If you'd like to say a few words.

Wow. Supervisor Horvath, thank you so much. This is truly an to all the board of supervisors. I'm privileged and honored to be here today representing Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley located in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. Excited that I'm able to do everyday what I'm passionate about and that's working with our young people, creating avenues of access, opportunity, and success so they can thrive.

So this truly is an honor. I'm here with my sister Kimberly Chase because I hate to fly solo. She's always got my back. But again, I'm privileged and honored to be here and I thank you for acknowledging us and recognizing us and knowing that our youth are our outstanding future and I have some amazing youth that I work with every day. And I can feel the energy of this young lady who's behind me and I think she's about to throw some blessings on you as well. So with that.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next we have Lyric Sage Rouse Ringo, who at just 12 years old is already a gifted singer, songwriter, and performer who balances academic excellence with artistic achievement as an honors performing arts magnet student at Bancroft performing arts steam middle school.

She studies musical theater. She's starring in Shrek. You better catch it because you wanna see her before she wins her Grammy, so you can say you knew her when. She also plays piano and does percussion. She also appeared on television in Abbott Elementary, Faces Music Box, and the LOL Surprise YouTube series.

Lyrics artistry is grounded in family. Her father, a long time vocal master teacher, music director, and founder of Ringo Maestro Academy, has spent decades mentoring artists and building creative spaces for community to uplift and support. And she is supported every step of the way by her mother, Tangelia Did I get that right? Okay. Through her art, Lyric encourages other young people to create boldly and step confidently into spaces where they belong.

And I had the privilege of maybe seven or eight years ago having Lyric perform in the city of West Hollywood City Hall and she truly knocked our socks off. So you are in for a treat. I would like to introduce Lyric.

We are searchlights we can see in the dark. We are rockets pointed up at the stars. We are billions with beautiful hearts. And you sold us down the river too far. What about us?

What about all the times you said you are the answers? What about us? What about love? What about trust? What about us? What about us? What us? What about about us? What about us? What about us?

What about us? Thank you. So

you've seen it here first. Nicole and Lyric show up and they show exactly what it's like to build opportunity in our communities, to step into it, and to embody it and we thank you both for the tremendous examples that you set. On behalf behalf of the entire board of supervisors, we're honored to recognize you both and we are grateful for the impact you make across Los Angeles County. And we have scrolls designed by our own very talented artists in Los Angeles County. Thank you very much.

Supervisor Han.

Thank you, madam chair. Madam mayor, come stand next to me. So pleased that in today, in honor of Black History Month, we are honoring mayor Cassandra Chase, the first black mayor of

Lakewood. A

huge huge milestone that reflects progress and the power of representation and I'm so honored that she is with us today. In 2022, the voters of Lakewood elected her to the Lakewood City Council serving Wood's Fifth District. Then in 2025, she made history as the first black mayor to represent more than 80,000 residents who call the city of Lakewood their home. Her story is not simply about a title, it's about legacy, service, and the power of possibility. Mayor Chase was raised in Lakewood and attended St.

Joseph High School. She later attended the University of California Irvine where she graduated with a degree in sociology. From an early age, her parents, Reverend Lewis Chase and Marion Costello Chase, instilled the values of service, education, and civic responsibility. Today, these values are very evident in the way that she leads. Mayor Chase ran for office because she believes in the power of government to shape everyday life.

Her vision is a community where families feel supported, young people feel empowered, and everyone has a sense of belonging. Mayor Chase is an active member of the Lakewood JCs and Syruptimus International of Lakewood Long Beach where she uplifts women, families, and our broader communities. She is the cocreator of Lakewood Lemonade Day, a citywide youth entrepreneurship program that teaches young people how to start, market, and operate their own small business, helping them build confidence, financial literacy, and leadership skills. Mayor Chase chairs several committees including the race, equity, diversity, and inclusion inclusion committee and the audit committee for the city of Lakewood. She also serves as president of the woman's caucus of the league of California cities representing more than 900 elected women across our state of California.

Yeah. Norma.

Mayor Chase also has a full time job providing advocacy and leadership program that serves k through 12 students. And she's the cofounder of an organization that helps close literacy gaps and expands opportunities for youth. Clearly, this is a woman who can lead. I'm glad her city of Lakewood recognized that and chose to support her first for city council and then, as the mayor. So I'm gonna turn the mic over to you, mayor Chase, to say a few words.

Thank you. Thank

you so much supervisor Hahn and to the entire board of supervisors being recognized during black history Month, I don't take that lightly. I've been very fortunate to be shaped by the people who didn't tell me who to be, they showed me. My mom showed me that civic engagement is an act of faith. She showed up every election, she got me involved, she had conversations about what was on the ballot and why it mattered, she taught me that my vote, my voice, my presence, that is how you love your community and how that shows up. My dad who is here with me today, the Reverend Lewis Chase, he showed me what pastoral and community care looks like in practice.

Not only in words but in how he stood up for people, how he stood with people, and he modeled what justice looks like when it's lived and not just spoken. They are also both black history and I am who I am because of them. That's why I lead in the way that I do with kindness and care because that's what was poured into me. I know that my work as mayor is not done in a silo and I thank my council colleagues for continuing David's to be here. Hey David, David made it.

Council member David Ariano has joined us today and my council colleagues on the Lakewood City Council continue to lead with care and with a vision to ensure that our community continues to get all that they deserve, and I'm grateful to our city staff, our city manager Thaddeus McCormack has joined me here today, and the many men and women who ensure that Lakewood continues to be a wonderful community to live and belong. I'm grateful to be honored and I will continue to do the work. Thank you all so much. Thank Thank

you, mayor Cassandra Chase for your service to the residents of LA County. And on behalf of the LA County Board of Supervisors and in honor of Black History Month, I wanna present you with this scroll in recognition of your historic achievement and outstanding service. This scroll symbolizes our gratitude and respect for your leadership and the example that you set for all the residents of LA County.

Oh, let's come up here for a photo.

And we continue our Black History Month celebration. We now move to honor the past leaders whose courage and conviction have shaped our nation's journey toward justice and equality. And today, I wanna recognize Robert C. Farrell, who was one of the original freedom riders. Bob was one of the freedom riders in the early 1960s and he risked his life to challenge segregation in the South.

His activism was rooted in a powerful belief that justice is not a privilege for some but a right for all. Bob is a proud UCLA alumnus where he built the foundation for his lifelong commitment to social justice. And before entering public service, he worked as a journalist using the power of words to inform and inspire change. His reporting focused on issues of equity and civil rights amplifying voices that needed to be heard then and now. Bob carried the same conviction into public service.

From 1974 until 1991, he served as a Los Angeles City Council member for the 8th District and for seventeen years. He worked tirelessly to uplift communities and ensure that every voice was heard. And during his tenure, he championed affordable housing, economic development in underserved neighborhoods, and expanded public transportation access. His leadership was marked by a steadfast commitment to equity, civil rights, community empowerment. And Bob's legacy reminds us that progress is never accidental.

It is built on courage, conviction, and collaboration. And his words still resonate today, justice is not a destination, it is a journey that we must walk together every single day. Bob is joined by his very talented wife, vocalist, Wendy Barnes Farrell, who was up on this diocese not too long ago when I was sworn in for my third and final term, Wendy sang, I am woman, hear me roar as I came down the aisle. And she is the founder and producer of the San Pedro Music Festival. Bob and Wendy are a serious power couple, and I love it that they they live in San Pedro, and have shaped the lives of so many people in the harbor area.

So thank you both for being here. Bob, would you like to say a few words?

Thank you. Thank you, supervisor Hahn, for this honor. I accept it with humility and deep gratitude. I was a student in UCLA living in a moment when history was moving fast and asking ordinary people to make extraordinary choices. The civil rights movement wasn't something we watched on television.

It was something that called us to take a stand. I was a member of CORE, the congress of racial equality in Los Angeles, joining students and community leaders members such as Earl, Mildred Walter, who believed that justice required action, not just words. Under the national leadership of James Farmer, CORE organized what became known as the freedom rides. The idea was simple but dangerous Mhmm. To go south peacefully and join others who were challenging institutional segregation.

I agreed to participate because it was necessary, not comfortable, necessary. My frame of mind was clear. As injustice was happening, standing aside was not an option. Courage didn't come from fearlessness. It came from conviction.

Along the way, I was deeply influenced by the leadership of my fellow students, Helen and Robert Singleton. They showed strength, discipline, and moral clarity, and they carried that work with dignity. Bob, in particular, exemplified the kind of steady leadership that kept us moving forward as risks were real. During the freedom during the freedom ride, we were redirected from New Orleans to Houston, Texas, where we joined local activists and students of the Progressive Youth Association. We were arrested and sent to Harris County Jail for about a week.

I don't remember regret taking a stand was the right thing to do. That experience changed my life. It reminded me that citizenship is not passive. Through civil rights work, I came to understand service as something you do for the greater good even when it may cost you personally. To be honored today is humbling. It reminds me that those moments, those choices became part of a larger story. Not my story alone, but our shared history. Thank you for remembering, supervisor Hahn, and thank you for continuing the work.

Thank you. And, Bob, on behalf of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and in honor of Black History Month, I'm so proud to present to you this scroll recognizing your lifelong commitment to social justice and equality. Thank you, Robert Farrell, for taking the risks that many people were too afraid to do. Thank you.

Good morning, Los Angeles County.

Morning. Good morning.

Come right on over on this Los Angeles, what a history lesson we are having in the Kenny Hahn Hall Of Administration today. You better recognize this is a phenomenal day from my perspective in LA County, and I am just proud and pleased to be in this space. I'd like to welcome a couple of guests that have joined us today, representatives from our author study club, the Ralph Bunch Institute of Law of UCLA, Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton, who credits the singletons for changing his life trajectory and having and for me to have the privilege to introduce him to Bob Farrell, for Bob Farrell to tell Tubbs, we had a vision of you when we formed Bay Pack all those years ago. We knew that there could be a 21 year old black man elected to the Stockton City Council, and for them to meet for the first time has been a phenomenal, phenomenal morning. And so this February, we

commemorate 100 since Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week through the Association for the Study of African American Life and History,

this laying the foundation for what we now celebrate as Black History month. And this year's centennial theme is a century of black history commemorations, and that reminds us that preserving black history honors the courage and contributions that have shaped our entire country. This black history month is probably the most consequential for me in my entire lifetime given what we are facing as a nation. And as a result, I am choosing to recognize and celebrate acts of courage as a recognition of resilience in the face of erasure and discrimination. It ensures that the courage of those who challenge injustice is remembered, taught, and honored.

And as a county, we affirm our commitment to equity, historical truth, and honoring those whose sacrifices expanded opportunity for all. And, yes, Right here in the year of the fire horse that symbolizes action and courage. It gives me great honor this year. I'm deeply proud to honor California Freedom Riders, doctor Robert Singleton and Helen Singleton. As students think about that everybody.

As students at the University of California, Los Angeles and Santa Monica College, the singletons were active in the civil rights movement supporting voting rights in the South and challenging discriminatory practices in housing business right here in Los Angeles. In 1961, working with CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality, they joined the Freedom Riders to test compliance with supreme court rulings declaring segregation in interstate travel unconstitutional. Their courageous actions revealed ongoing injustice and demand accountability. The Singletons were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and incarcerated at the Mississippi State Penitentiary alongside more than four freedom writers. I had the privilege of being introduced to this amazing couple as a result of this piece that aired on Spectrum News.

And what stopped of calm, grace, and determination chilled me sixty years later. The expression on her face that I'm clear, I am clear eyed about why I'm here and what I'm doing, and the fact that you and doctor Singleton had the courage to take that ride on my behalf sixty years later is why I stand here today. Their bravery prompted US attorney general Robert f Kennedy to petition the interstate commerce commission to issue national regulations prohibiting discrimination in interstate travel. The freedom riders helped build the momentum that led to the landmark civil rights act of 1964, eliminating legal barriers to equal opportunity in America. And so today, today, doctor Robert and Helen Singleton, we thank you.

We honor you not only for what you endured, but for what you achieved. Their courage as young students students changed changed national policy and strengthened the civil rights protections for generations. As one who was born in the freedom during the freedom 1964, I am clear about the foundation you laid and what we all stand upon. So as we celebrate Angelino's one hundred years of black history commemorations, I am hoping that we all make a conscious decision and effort to recommit ourselves to preserving accurate history, to advance equity, and to ensure that the legacy of leaders like we've been introduced here today continues to inspire all of us today and future generations. Generations.

And so I'd like to thank all of you who joined us this morning to recognize them. I'd like to encourage all of you to join me on our monthly racial justice learning exchange because the kind of work exemplified by the freedom riders can't just be talked about on one Tuesday in one month out of the year. We have to commit to be active anti racist every day. So I invite you to join my team and I on our monthly racial justice learning exchange. The next one is coming up Saturday, February 28.

We have produced bookmarks that we'd like to make available to everyone who again tells the story of this amazing couple and has those phenomenal mug shots. Because on the days when I wake up, missus Singleton, and think, I just can't take another assault, I'm a look at your picture and get up and keep swinging. Missus Singleton, will you provide

Thank you all. You probably heard that when the Freedom Riders were incarcerated that we sang songs. And I I always wondered when I saw a TV movie, why do they have the jail cells cellmates always singing? I can attest that they will do everything to make you not feel good, and that singing affirms that you know what you're doing and it helps you to have a voice. I had one of my darkest moments in the county jail in Jackson, Mississippi.

Let me show you a little bit of lever something to laugh about here. We were tried in the city jail and then the county jail before they took us out to the Delta where Parchment Penitentiary is. And I was the only black female in our group, so I was separated out from the rest. And they put me in this nasty dirty jail jail cell. It was a little thing on the floor that they called a mattress.

It was about this thick, and it was dirty. I said, I'm not gonna sleep on that. And then a rat came in the jail cell, and he tipped around, and we checked each other out because I went this way and he went that way. And then, there was a pipe that ended on my jail cell, there. And I grabbed up. This was the low moment in my life. I got down on my knees. I grabbed up all the trash and I stuffed it up, the pipe. And I said, I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight. So I started singing.

Lift every voice and sing. Not only that, I was Sarah Baughan. I was Nat King Cole. I was Elephant Fitzgerald. I I sang all night long, but I didn't sing too loud because I don't know what might have happened to me.

And I was so glad to see the sun come up, and they took me off to the jail. But, while I was on that road up to the Northern part of Mississippi, I looked out the window and I said, is a beautiful country. All these magnolias and stuff smelled good. If they could only get their social problem together, this would be a great commercial area, great tourist area, but no, they weren't ready for that. That look that I had on my face when my mug when they took my mugshot, I was saying to myself, I've done something that you don't appreciate.

It may change the way you do things here, but I know I'm right. I'm on the right side of history, so to speak, and I'm free. And and the rest of you all are basically still in bondage when you still want to keep other people in bondage. Believe it or not, there were some white people who agreed with me down there, and they were glad to be freed up to not have to push, take people to the back of the restaurant. Believe it or not, the businesses down there said to some of the I mean, by based on the noise we were making, and all the dust we were kicking up, they we were picketing everything, and not letting people go in and use the businesses.

And, the businesses started telling the politicians, I'm not gonna contribute to your campaign the next time if you keep this going, because we're losing money. So, we all this sort of thing helped change the attitudes, not completely, obviously, but we knew we were doing the right thing. Right, babe? Right. And, I've never regretted a minute of it, because I do feel that as a young person, I helped bring about a good change in this country because as I told you all, I'm from Philadelphia where they tell us, they told us all through school that we they believed in liberty and justice and equality.

That's where they wrote constitution. However, they didn't live up to the to that creed. When we say we, there's a comma there. You check the constitution, it says, there's a comma there. The people of The United States. And they say, wait, who? And then the next thing is, in order to have a more perfect union, that means they knew they were wrong. They knew they didn't have a because they still had slavery. And so I could go on and on and on, but I just wanna say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My pleasure to meet you. I voted for you.

And

I will let Bob I won't have to let Bob. He will speak if he wants to to the people. Thank

you very much. I'm going to let Helen's words be in your mind and the thoughts you have for the rest of the day. I'm I'm so very lucky that at a young age, I met a person who in fact embodied all of those things that I often talked about in front of my students in class. And that that inspired me to go on and try to put into action some of the things that we were really only applauding for a few people. And I I thank you for coming to hear, Helen and me.

And please let me challenge you to go on to be more like us. Thank you.

Yes. I wanna speak very briefly to the young people. You may think that if you don't know something, then it doesn't exist. However, my students have and friends of ours have, in the past, they've asked me, well, is our is our issue? And Bob doesn't want me to say this.

I say whatever pisses you off, that's your that's your issue. When well, someone once said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. And another person said the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice. Both of those people were ministers. One of them was doctor Martin Luther King. The arc of the moral universe will bend toward justice, but not if you don't reach up and grab it and bend it the way you want it to go.

Doctor and missus Singleton, on behalf of all of my colleagues and the board of of supervisors, it gives us great pride to present to you a resolution on behalf of all 10,000,000 residents of LA County because you stood up and grabbed that arc, and we're gonna hang on to it as well. Thank you so much. Please give them a round of applause.

What you're

saying is good. Mhmm.

One more thing.

Teach. Preach. Preach. Preach.

When we were we were arrested, as I mentioned, tried in the city jail and then tried in the county jail and then taken to Parchment Penitentiary. All that happened between July 30 and August 4 when we walked into our jail cells. What we were doing was for the children of the future. What we didn't know was on August 4, Barack Obama was born Oh. Just as we walked into our jail cells.

I had the privilege of meeting that president, and I told him. I said, we we were you were born just as we were languishing our languishing in our jail cell. And he said, well, I might have been in my diapers, but I knew something was going on.

Oh, god bless.

My goodness. Good to see you. How you doing?

Isn't this a special thing? You

all come up. You all come up. You got to hear all the beautiful stories. How are you? I do. Thank you so much. You look great. You look This is a blessing. Thank you. I want people to it is.

Oh, it's a I'm proud of you all. You know? Well, I have to catch my breath. I don't know about you, but I'm I've seen history right before our eyes, and let's give a grand salute again to the honorees on this special day, everybody. And I wanna thank everybody for joining us today to celebrate Black History Month.

You know, this year marks a special commemoration as 2026 marks a century of national commemorations of black history. In this hundredth anniversary, the founder of Black History Month asked everyone to explore impact and meaning of black history in transforming the status of the modern world. And as we commemorate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the United States independence this year, I think it's even more critical that this month remind us to tell an inclusive history of this country. And today, I wanna uplift community leaders from across my district, the first district who have transformed our communities and so many lives. And I first wanna begin with acknowledging my dear friend, Jeanette Ellis Royston, president of the Pomona Valley Branch of the NAACP.

I am so proud and honored to have her as a friend and someone who's been a true champion on civil rights in so many ways. Throughout her life, Jeanette has uplifted the need to unify and uplift our communities and always selfless. Her grassroots organizing has helped advance social justice countywide, especially in Pomona and the Eastern San Gabriel Valley. She started the quote, Get About Bus campaign, providing transportation for medical appointments to older adults and people with disabilities in Pomona Valley. She deserves a round of applause for that.

And in 2013, she reactivated the NAACP Pomona branch as a tribute to one of her own heroes, doctor Martin Luther King junior, after it had been dormant for twenty five years. Now as its president, it boasts over a 110 members and advocates for the poor and disenfranchised in The US. She has also stood up here at the board of supervisors meeting on behalf of immigrants and undocumented children and families. Yes. And she has fought for us to make sure that the rights of our AAPI brothers and sisters was also being acknowledged.

This woman is a true example of someone who cares so deeply about human rights. And that's why I'm proud honored to also call her one of my own commissioners on the Human Relations Commission. She has just been outstanding. Please give her a big round of applause. We appreciate you.

I also would like to honor at this time Ruth Ann Ellis Hall, who Ann for short, is also my appointee to the Assessment Appeals Board here at the County Hall Of Administration. She has dedicated her work. She is so dedicated to her work that she's actually president and presiding over a hearing right now where she just stepped away to receive this recognition. So give her a big round of applause. Ann has been a champion for communities across the San Gabriel Valley and serves as a chair of code enforcement for the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association.

No easy task, my friends. She assists with fundraisers for Los Altos High School Band Tournaments and is an independent real estate broker and owner of Ellis Hall and Associates. But, more importantly, she is a proud great grandmother who goes by Gigi and enjoys lending her homegrown backyard garden and participating in five k, 10 k, and half marathon run events. Oh, boy. Lot of energy. And I wanna thank her for all her work and devotion to our communities, Hacienda Heights, and to this commission. Thank you and we applaud you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you.

Big round of applause. And finally, I want to honor Sam Prater, a tireless champion for student success. Sam is the founder and executive director of LA Room and Board, which advances critical housing initiatives that help foster students, transitional age students. And he has nearly thirteen years of experience in higher education as a student affairs practitioner with a career built on housing and residential education. In fact, he's going to soon unveil an incredible development he's been working on, that we worked in partnership with our office and DCFS in Echo Park, providing housing and wraparound services to transitional age youth.

And that isn't the first development. There are many that he has under his belt. And look how young he is. Oh my god. I'm so proud of him, and he is also serving as my appointee on the Probation Oversight Commission, because he's seeking justice for our community.

And I appreciate his counsel on ensuring that the youth entrusted to the county for their care is provided. He's been an outstanding individual, and he's a good, thoughtful preacher. I've heard him speak. I've met his family. I just want to say how proud I am to know you, and that in spite of my only being here, is my last year, that you're going to continue to do, all of you are going to continue to do great things on behalf of all of us here in the county and the 10,000,000 people.

So again, thank you to Jeanette, to Anne, to Sam, and all the wonderful leaders that have been recognized here today. It is truly a moving experience to hear, about our trailblazers every level in our community and the county of Los Angeles. So it's a privilege and honor to present you also with your scrolls signed by all the county board of supervisors representing the small but mighty 10,000,000 people in this great United States Of America. So let's step forward and take a quick photo. I have one final presentation, and I'm doing this in partnership with supervisor Barger who was unable to join us this morning, but when she first told me that she was going to be recognizing Tracy Hernandez, founding CEO of Los Angeles County Business Federation, I said, oh, well, I wanna say at least something about her and really just appreciate her.

And I know Katherine, she may be listening to us right now. But, Tracy, you've also been a very dear friend of mine for several years and I'm so thankful for your support and for your leadership and your work on BizFed. One testament to your leadership, Tracy, is that I will always remember your hard work with us working alongside the county of Los Angeles to help raise the minimum wage during my first term representing the 1st District. And that was not an easy task. Because we had the voice of the business community and partnership with you and labor organizations, we ultimately passed a much better policy that I believe worked out for everyone.

Tracy has also been an indispensable partner on the issues of improving transit for Los Angeles County by bringing forward the voices of many businesses. And, I know that she'll continue to be engaged. I know she was also very much involved in several fronts, including discussions related to the I-seven 10 freeway corridor and major infrastructure initiatives. You have been someone that we can count on and rely on. Your leadership at BizFed has been critical to ensuring that Los Angeles County business community has a voice at the table.

You've been a trailblazer for the local business community helping make BizFed a leader in supporting businesses throughout Los Angeles County. And I will never forget at the height of COVID, when the county was running low on PPE, you were able to source Los masks and provide them to small businesses so they could feel safe and continue to keep their doors open. I will will never forget that. And in fact, I remember hosting alongside with you several events at local communities in the Southeast LA community and East LA. Your presence at BizFed brought an innovative perspective that helps us as policy makers understand how we support and cultivate environment that helps businesses thrive.

I wanna thank you and on behalf of myself and I know supervisor Barger and the board for all the things that you do so impactful to help our our economy here and our lives. Your intelligence, your savviness, and your true commitment to community has helped to build all the bridges that we need here in this in this county. They are important traits for people who aspire to work in leadership roles in public service. And, I wanna wish you the very best on your journey at the New California Coalition as the co founder and CEO, and I wanna thank you for making LA County a better place to live. Congratulations, and on behalf of the board, we have a store right here.

Is signed by all the board of supervisors. And we wanna thank you and your husband for giving the time and energy.

Supervisor Solis, thank you so much for the kind words. We have been on an interesting journey over this time. And I'm so grateful that my time of starting and creating BizFed literally started here on the steps of the Hall Of Administration on 01/30/2008. Hundreds of business leaders, owners came to the Hall Of Administration by design to say, we're here to work with you to build bridges between those that employ people and those that govern all of our people throughout all of LA County, all 88 cities. So we started here January 30, eighteen years ago, and I conclude my service as the CEO of BizFed these years later, right here in this room.

So it's so fitting and I'm so grateful. It means a lot. Over those eighteen years, we did organize and give voice and break down fears and barriers to 400,000 business owners of every shape and size. We worked a lot particularly on those business owners of color and disadvantaged communities. When you were the secretary of labor, I was privileged to serve on president Obama's export council as you did, and we worked, to try to get out of the great recession together by doubling US exports and helping our business owners thrive in that space.

Also on 01/31/2008, after we were on the steps here, I was just across town and I met this young man. So literally, BizFed has changed my life because meeting my husband, Randall Hernandez, the day after we started BizFed, we were meeting with the governor downtown, went to a meeting with Randall. I met him. We ended up getting married. He changed my life.

He was

a BizFed. And is the best person ever. And at our wedding, we did talk about BizFed. Literally, our pastor, as he was saying, united us. So it's all BizFed all day, and it's been, a privilege and an honor. Also, I wanna say thank you to you and supervisor Barger and all the supervisors for honoring me today during Black History Month. It's really been so moving and such an honor and a privilege to be here on this day at this time. And I will tell you as we have a chair of our board of hundreds of thousands of business owners, we have one chair every year, one year. And very early on, one of our very first chair We wanted to do things different at BizFed. We wanted to give voice and raise people up who weren't necessarily involved.

And one of our very first chairs was M. C. Townsend, who's the chair and CEO of the regional black chamber. Couple years later, one of our African American chairs was Gilbert Ivy when he was the chief operating officer at Metropolitan Water District, great African American leader. And just last year in 2025, our chair was Angela Gibson Shaw, who's the CEO of the Greater LA African American Chamber.

So, means a lot that it's today I get to celebrate, with my African American colleagues and those of us I think the common voice was, let's not be afraid, let's come together, let's empower our friends and our neighbors, let's look out for those that need help and an arm up, and let's not be afraid to deal with our elected officials. You guys are kinda scary sometimes. And so what we're trying to do, I mean it's a little nerve racking when you don't know the system. You guys have a lot of authority and processes. And so building bridges and breaking down those barriers means a lot.

And as as I move on today, I did bring you a new California coalition, binder because that is a new era of opportunity. Now what I'm going to do is work with all 58 counties throughout the whole state. So we started here at Ground 0, LA County, the epicenter of the world, all the best things come from here, and now I'm gonna work on it with all 58 counties throughout the state and empower people where they live and wherever their circumstance is to always seek more, help our government officials connect to those that are their constituents, and together our state will thrive. So thank you very much. It means a lot.

Thank you so much.

Okay, very good. Executive officer, can you please call the agenda?

We will begin on page three, public hearing item one which will be held for hearing. On page four, administrative matters, items two through 10. On item two, Supervisor Mitchell would like to abstain from the vote. On item three, the acting chief executive officer requests that this item be continued one week to 03/03/2026, as indicated on the supplemental agenda. On item five, this item was taken off calendar.

On item nine, supervisor Mitchell request that this item be held. On item 10, the chief probation officer request that this item be continued to 03/17/2026. On page 10, items eleven and twelve, ordinances for introductory. On item 11, the acting chief executive officer requests that this item be continued one week to 03/03/2026 as indicated on the supplemental agenda. On item 12, supervisor Mitchell requests that this item be held.

This item will be taken up with item nine. On page 12, notices of closed session, items CS one through CS 10. On items CS one through CS four, CS one CS eight, mean, one case and CS nine, Supervisor Solees requests that these items be continued to 03/17/2026. On items CS five, CS six, CS seven and CS eight, one case, County Council requests that these items be continued continued to 03/17/2026 as indicated on the supplemental agenda. The request for continuances in item to be taken off calendar through CS10 are before you. That completes the reading of the agenda Madam Chair.

Thank you. Moved by Horvath, Supervisor seconded by Supervisor Mitchell. To approve the items, that will be the order. Executive officer, please play the code of conduct.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention. The meeting of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is about to commence. A code of conduct will now be read and we request that you comply with it to ensure the efficient administration of the meeting. Members of the public, it is your right to participate in today's board hearing and the board encourages such participation. However, the right of the public to address the board must be balanced with the need to ensure that public comment does not interfere with the orderly course of the board's business.

All are reminded to abide by the following rules. Speakers must cease speaking immediately when their time has ended. Public comment on agenda items must relate to the subject matter of that item. General public comment is limited to subjects within the jurisdiction of the board. Public comment does not include the right to engage in a dialogue with board members or staff.

Please remain respectful of the forum and refrain from uttering, writing, or displaying profane, personal, threatening, derogatory, demeaning, or other abusive statements toward the board, any member thereof, staff, or any other person. Members of the audience should be respectful of the views expressed by speakers, staff, and board members and may not clap, cheer, whistle, or otherwise disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting. Any person engaging in conduct that disrupts the meeting is subject to being removed from the board meeting. And finally, if you witness conduct or behavior by other members of the public that disrupts your ability to remain engaged or participate in this meeting, please notify the sergeant at arms or other county staff. Thank you for your cooperation.

Today's meeting order will be the following, public comment on items not held for discussion by the board including the closed session matters, then public hearing item one, followed by items IX and XII, which will be taken up together, followed by general public comments and finishing with closed session. Before we begin, executive officer, please read the call in information and explain the speaking rules.

Good morning members of the public. If you wish to participate in public comment, you may do so in person or remotely. To participate remotely, please visit our website at www.vos.lacounty.gov to register and join the meeting, or you may call (213) 306-3065 and use access code 25305298516 and meeting password 2672026. You will have the opportunity to address the board throughout the meeting. For items not held by the board, you will receive one minute for one item and up to two minutes for two or more items.

For items held by supervisors, you will have one minute to address the board and one minute to address the board on each of the public hearing items, and one minute to address the board on general public comment. Please clearly state your name and indicate the agenda item numbers you will be addressing. Please note once your time has expired, we will immediately move to the next speaker. When it is your turn to speak, if registered on a computer or device, you will hear a beep and your name will be called or if joining by telephone, you will hear your line is unmuted, your area code and the first three digits of your phone number will be called. To ensure we hear from both in person and remote speakers, we will alternate between the two speaking queues.

Members of the public who are in attendance, when you hear or see your name displayed on the screen, please come down to the front of the boardroom and staff will assist you. Please do not approach the podium until directed to do so. At this time, we will hear from members of the public wishing to address the board on all items not held for discussion by supervisors including closed session matters. These consent items will be acted upon with one motion. For members of the public joining us remotely, to comment on these items, Please indicate the agenda item numbers that you wish to address in the beginning of your comment for us to allocate the appropriate amount of time.

We will now call in in person speakers and while they're coming forward, we will take remote speakers. This will be for all items not held by the board for discussion in closed session items. Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you? Claudia Jerez, Julia Makarian, Jesus Rojas, and Paloma Bustos. Madam Chair, there are no remote speakers to address the board. We actually do have one caller. Cannon for Lancaster. Your line is open. Please state the agenda items you're addressing and begin.

John Cannon, number two.

Please go ahead.

Morning, supervisors. As you consider the rightful action to protect residents from price gouging after the fires and during this emergency, I urge you to also confront the ongoing housing crisis impacting low income families in District 5 and across Los Angeles County. We are seeing more developments labeled low income, but too often that simply means they accept section eight. These projects are approved as affordable housing, yet once built, they are marketed as luxury units, three bedroom apartments renting for 5 or 6,000 with 800 square foot attachments, ADUs that go to three to four k. This is not affordable housing.

This is a loophole. The the assumption that the vouchers will cover the cost, the reality is families take their vouchers elsewhere, and these units are filled by corporate renters and temporary employees, not working families trying to build roots in our communities. The next generation of Angelenos, especially those who have lost their generational wealth in these fires, cannot depend on years long section eight wait list.

Thank you. Sue, your line is open. Please state the agenda items you're addressing and begin.

We respectfully oppose continuing price gouging restrictions for low income housing tax credit and other deed restricted affordable housing. These properties are already restrict strictly regulated. Rents and annual increases are capped by federal, state, and local rules specifically designed to ensure long term affordability. They are not part of the unregulated market. Continuing the 10% cumulative gap for a second year would further restrict properties at a time when insurance, utilities, maintenance, and labor costs continue to rise.

When revenues cannot keep up with expenses, properties face deferred maintenance and financial instability. To preserve long term affordability and to protect the quality of these properties, low income housing tax credit and deep restricted housing should be exempt from continuing price gouging restrictions. Please vote no on item two. Thank you.

Thank you. Caller with phone number 951809, your line is open. Please state your name, the agenda items you're addressing, and begin.

Item two, Matthew Buck, vice president of public affairs with the California Apartment Association. We respectfully urge you to amend this motion to include a definitive timeline and a clear determination date for the declaration of penal code three ninety six. Without a clear and binding phase out plan at this meeting, CAA must oppose the continued declaration. Circumstances that justified its extension no longer exist. For one, the report in item six does not support an extension.

Second, vacancy rates in the county are above 5% indicating increased housing availability. Also, recent LA Times article titled finally a renter's market highlights a softening rental market. It has become routine for the emergency housing regulations to become indefinite. Discontinuation lacks clear reasoning, guardrails or objective benchmarks for termination. Thank you.

Thank you. Kathy DeRose, your line is open. Please begin.

I am a constituent and also a real estate broker. I'm asking you to vote no on item number two, extending the countywide emergency price restrictions yet again. While this regulation was welcome and needed at the time it was enacted, it is time to retire at the DCBA, as you'll hear in item number six, has conducted a study and found price gouging for rental properties has not been an issue since April. At this time, or at this time, further extension is not warranted. I represent dozens and dozens of mom and pop landlords over the years.

It does severely impact them. They typically do not raise rents during their tenancy. People that are there for five to ten years when the person does move out or the people do move out, they want to be able to rehab rehab their property and ask for going rent. Thank you very much. Please vote no.

Thank you. Madam chair, there are no other remote speakers to address the board. Remote participation for these items is now concluded. We will go to our in person speakers. Please begin.

Hi, my name is Julie Markarian with the Apartment Owners Association of California. We represent over 20,000 housing providers. We're adamantly opposed to this continued hostility towards housing providers. I'm talking about item number two by the way. The Board of Supervisors has provided no evidence that rampant price gouging exists to warrant this ongoing stifling of our businesses.

Moreover, the state already has anti price gouging laws in place. The fires occurred over a year ago. This is anti small business and anti housing provider. This so called protection is extremely discriminatory and without merit. We urge you to stop this overreach and allow housing providers to operate their businesses without this undue burden. Stop punishing the people who provide housing.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

Good morning. My name is Paloma Gustos and I'm with the Sunita Jane Antitraffic Initiative at Loyola Losco. The strategic plan for the twenty twenty eight Olympics was taken off calendar today. The public still deserves transparency about how residents and workers will be We understand clearing encampments near Olympic venues may happen. Our concern is when clearing is done to reduce visibility of homelessness for these events rather than to connect people to stable housing and support.

When clearing is not done properly, people can lose contact with outreach workers and service providers they trust. This increases the risk of exploitation and human trafficking. The risk is even greater as preparation for the World Cup and Olympics increase demand for low pay temporary workers, especially for people already facing housing stability. The human rights plans required from FIFA and LA LA28 have also not been made public. Without transparency, the community cannot see what protections will be in place to prevent exploitation and trafficking. We urge the county to make these plans public and prioritize protecting vulnerable residents and Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

My name is Jesus Rojas. I'll be speaking on item two. My name is Jesus Rojas from the Apartment Association of Los Angeles. We urge you to vote no on agenda item two to further extend countywide emergency price restrictions. These restrictions have now been in place for fourteen months since the wildfires in January 20 since January 2025.

DCBA's data shows that ninety two percent of complaints occurred within only the first four months with only a handful of complaints per month. Furthermore, only two sixty complaints in total countywide were deemed worthy of forwarding to law enforcement and there is no data on how many were actually prosecuted. The data presented does not justify continuing sweeping countywide restrictions against tens of thousands of rental housing providers. In addition, the governor has recently quadrupled mortgage relief providing up to a $100,000 per household with up

to twelve months of coverage. Concludes our time for public comment on these items.

Madam chair, members of the board, the following items are before you. Two, with Supervisor Mitchell abstaining from the vote. Four, six through eight, these items are before you.

Thank you. Moved by Supervisor Han, seconded by myself, to approve the items with the exceptions noted by the executive officer, please call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell?

Aye.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Hahn? Aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries, carries. Four to zero.

We're now moving to the public hearing item. Executive officer, please swear in the members of the public who are requesting to address the board on this item.

Members of the public, including in person and remote speakers who are requesting to address the board on the public hearing item, please stand and raise your right hand to be sworn in. Please note that in the testimony you give before this board, you solemnly swear to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. Thank you. You may be seated. We will now move on to item one, hearing on an appeal of project number 201501232 to authorize a single family residential development within the C1 Zone and in a designated hillside management area, with two modification requests to exceed the height limit of 35 feet for a total maximum height of 65 feet, and to reduce the front yard setback area from 20 to 15 feet, located within the unincorporated community of Ladera Heights, View Park, Windsor Hills within the Westside Planning area.

For members of the public joining us remotely, to comment on this item, please use the raise hand feature if you are online or press 3 if on the telephone. A departmental statement was submitted and correspondence was received. Amy Brodick, Director of Regional Planning David DeGrazia, deputy director, and Josh Huntington, supervising planner, department of regional planning. Anthony Maroney, fire chief, Richard Stilweichen, fire marshal, fire department, Steve Berger, deputy director, department of public works, Luis Ramirez, deputy director, department of public works and Brian Baretto, Nick Subias, and Mark Reefer, government affairs for California American Water Company will be available for questions. For the departmental speakers, please state your name and title for the record when you address the board.

Are there any colleagues that have remarks or questions? Okay, why don't we go ahead and begin? Thank you.

Madam Chair and members of the board, thank you very much for opportunity to be here today. We are here for an appeal of an action by the Regional Planning Commission on a proposed housing project at 5101 South Overhill Drive. It is an 88 unit for sale condo project that would be about 65 feet in height. The Regional Planning Commission did approve the project and it is before you today on appeal. This project dates back several years.

There was a mitigated negative declaration that was brought to the board and approved back in 2017. That project was litigated and the courts did determine that our mitigated negative declaration was inadequate as it related to traffic and circulation. The board in 2020 was required by court action to withdraw the application and rescind all of the entitlements and we were directed to correct the deficiencies in their environmental review. We have done so and we are bringing the project as previously designed and as previously approved forward to you now. It is on appeal by members of the community and so this is an appeal hearing.

That concludes my report. I'm happy to answer any specific questions that you might have. We also have members of Public Works and the Fire Department as well as American Water Company here for questions.

Supervisor Mitchell? Thank you very much Madam Chair and thank you. I do have a series of questions for all of those who are on the panel today and again I wanted to kind of frame today's conversation. Thank you, Ms. Bodak.

Again, this was before the board over a decade ago and it's now back in front of us after the court ordered rigorous traffic safety study and associated mitigation measures to comply with CEQA. So that's how we got here. Amy, thank you for the presentation. I do have a question. So can you explain why the Department of Regional Planning only revisited the traffic and safety component of the EIR instead of the entire proposal application? Application?

Certainly, thank you for that question Supervisor Mitchell. The court ordered a review of the CEQA document but only found the traffic and circulation section to be deficient. That meant that all of the other CEQA components were considered adequate and acceptable to the courts. Unfortunately, the way that CEQA is structured, you don't have a project if CEQA is not approved. CEQA must come first.

So the court did require that we had to rescind all of our application application, but did not require that the project be redesigned or changed. The only requirement of the court was that we fix the deficiency of the traffic and circulation patterns. For that reason, the project as originally approved is before you today, but for the additional work that we did on the traffic and circulation.

As ordered by the court back in 2019? Yes. Let's make sure I have my timing correct. So for public works, I have heard from constituents and community members that are deeply concerned about how this project will potentially affect pedestrian and traffic safety in the area. It is an area that is squarely in the middle of our Vision Zero plan.

You know well because you came and spent time with me at a town hall meeting we convened because of the traffic deaths that occurred at the Overhill And La Brea intersection. So can you share how your department has one, assessed traffic and safety risk as well as mitigation during this part of the application process? And secondly, how will you continue to address these concerns later on in the plan check process?

Thank you for that question, Supervisor. Steve Berger, Deputy Director for Transportation of Public Works. I do wanna reflect back on our understanding of the community's concerns about safety. In fact, you probably remember this was the very first community that we enacted a community traffic safety plan. A very comprehensive plan, we included the community.

We reviewed this project and re reviewed this project in the context of that plan. And we did come to the conclusion that we've addressed all safety and mobility concerns as well. For example, the driveways, we had worked with the designers to restrict some of the access into one of the driveways, make sure that it's done safely, and we're convinced it's being done safely. In addition, we also identified some pedestrian improvements that were sorely needed, and the developer is going to be putting in about 1,500 feet of sidewalks that's going to increase mobility and safety for the community. During our plan check, we're going to make sure they come through with those commitments, and we're going to make sure they comply with all of our standards.

So we're confident that given the context of that safety plan, this is going to accomplish that.

So again, it's not just the plan, what you've already approved, but through plan check process, you will continue to be engaged to make sure that what they've committed to do actually comes to fruition.

Absolutely.

I don't know if it's you or to Amy, is there any recourse if they don't?

The reason of course is that they don't get their plan check permit issued. They will become conditions of approval and both the CEQA document that has mitigation measures and the permits conditions of approval must be checked off and complied with before public works will issue a permit. So that's the pretty standard basic answer I should say.

Okay, that's helpful. Again, the public works. Again, concerns that the project application is being reviewed under outdated standards. So if you can walk me through or give me an example of the difference between twenty seventeen and twenty twenty five building codes that this project would have to comply with.

Good morning, Supervisor Luis Ramirez. I am Deputy Director of Municipal Services. So I think to start off, it's important to know project will need to comply with whatever code is in place when they submit a building permit application to public works. Assuming that it will be done in the near future, it'll be the 2026 LA County Building Code, which as you recall, the board approved ordinances last November to implement those modifications to the building code, and it went into effect in January. A lot has changed since 2017 and 2026.

I think one of the biggest changes that we've seen is a move towards electrification of buildings. This has been done with the intent of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and really achieving decarbonization goals that both the county and the state are looking to implement. Buildings, especially apartment buildings like this, we're looking at making them all electric. Or at least the code favors electrification where heating, cooking, cooling, all of those systems will be electric. The new code also includes stricter requirements when it comes to structural seismic evaluation of buildings.

As you may recall, the state released updated fault maps last year, and what the new code requires is that these buildings do a deeper dive into how the proximity to fault lines will impact the structure and requires higher structural design to make sure that the buildings are able to withstand seismic activity.

Those are significant given the geographical location of this property. As I have heard consistently from community members and constituents, their concern about the proximity to the Inglewood Oil Fields and the history of hydraulic fracturing in that area and what that practice has done to soil stability. So I guess the fact that this was delayed from 2017 to 2026 ultimately is a good thing in that we now, when you know better, you do better. We have more stringent seismic activity requirements.

That's correct, Supervisor. Okay,

thank you. Thank you, Chief Maroney for being here. Questions for fire. And I'm assuming the fire code has also changed from 2017 to now, and in what way?

Yeah, good morning, Supervisor Anthony Maroney, fire chief. So that is a good question. Like public works, our fire code has changed. The current code, the fire hazard severity zone for this 1.8 acre property used to reside in the very high fire hazard severity zone. The state has decreased that to the high.

However, the developer will be building this project as if it was located in the very high. So it will be what the fire department refers to as a type 3A construction, which means that it has one hour of fire resistive building characteristics. So it will be built to the higher requirement even though the state has lowered that requirement by going from the very high down to the high. That is the major change in the fire code from 2017 to present.

I appreciate that. We've got representatives here from the California American Water Company. I I appreciate you being here. I understand that based on today's presentation and board letter that the project will be required to install water infrastructure that will serve the new development and will not negatively impact the surrounding area. And so I do have some questions on that because that continues to be an issue that I hear about consistently from constituents.

So at what point in the plan, check or development process do you verify that a particular project has met the requirements laid out in the will serve letter and does that process include testing both the new and existing infrastructure?

Thank in you, Supervisor Mitchell. Mark Reifer with California American Water. I'm the engineering manager for our Southern Division. The response to that would be, we go through a fire flow test at the beginning of a project if a development comes in. During that we understand what the flow requirements are and so forth.

If improvements are needed as part of the plan check review process and planning process for a project. They might come in and say we need a certain fire flow amount. We then would bring in outside consultants and engineering firm confirming that what improvements might be needed as far to bring their system up to standards. So basically any new project, any new developer project, we would make sure that whatever's done basically brings their system up to current standards. And basically with those current standards it potentially could also help others within the community.

So has that happened already or that is what will happen?

That's what will happen, yes.

What's happened already? Initially. And I'm asking that because neighboring constituents, and they've showed me maps that show areas that already have questionable water flow, where they are deeply concerned about water pressure to hydrants. And so the existing community is looking at 88 new units coming online saying we already have water flow issues. How are they gonna create an infrastructure to bring water to this brand new development? So that's the deep bone of contention.

Yeah, and in general, there's two methods. So one being a new development, and two, California American Water also does a regular comprehensive planning study, looks at our systems and makes upgrades in our system on a prioritization basis and so forth. And then we also go through our rate case process to get approval and to do those improvements. Now in this case, it's a development, specifically just for that development is the improvements that are needed. And we would basically make pipeline improvements from aging infrastructure and so forth as well as potentially capacity increases and so forth that would then provide the development, the needed fire flow and water basically.

Again, that analysis hasn't happened but it will happen.

Correct.

When?

During permitting process and so forth.

And so let's say you do that analysis and there are concerns in terms of water flow, what do you then do?

Like I said, we would work with the developer as well as an outside consultant, develop what improvements are needed. And then as those improvements are confirmed as well as submitted with the fire department and approved, then we would work with an inspector and contractor to make sure that those improvements are done. And at the end, we would also run a fire flow test to confirm that the fire flow needed is there.

And again, development.

That's for the new development.

I'm assuming you've heard from residents, as I have, about their concerns about the current infrastructure and water pressure issues. How do you respond to that?

Yeah, and I would say there's some areas where there are deficiencies and that's areas that we're trying to improve on a regular basis through our capital projects and through those basically comprehensive planning studies. So we try to maybe make a main improvement that helps more than one fire hydrant and bring it up to current standards. But yeah, on a regular prioritized basis we do that.

And so you're suggesting that the two are not connected, that that the work you will do and the infrastructure for the new development has no bearing on the existing infrastructure in surrounding communities?

Well, in the sense that these improvements that are recommended for the development definitely could help and improve some of these other areas within the community. A larger diameter main, potential storage, anything like that would definitely help others within the community improvements.

So I've heard lots of questions and desires about the hydrant flow test and I understand that public utilities will conduct them if customers request them, public utilities. And I also understand that these tests cost money. So can you share if or when your customers are able to request hydrant testing even if they're willing to pay for it?

Sure, good morning supervisor Mitchell. Brian Bredow, external affairs, California American Water. California American Water does have a hydrant testing process for projects. For example, like this developer project or when a customer is interested in upgrading their home or building an ADU, they would contact us or they would contact LA County Fire Prevention and the County Fire Prevention would submit a request on behalf of the resident or on behalf of the developer. We would run those tests, those fire flows.

Mark and his team, the engineering team would then model it and then give those results to the developer, to the residents and also to LA County to determine whether or not they could get their permit for their project. And then they would also go through and identify as Mark had mentioned any sort of infrastructure investments that they would need specifically to their project and specifically to our system in that area or on that specific block. I will say that California American Water does have an annual maintenance program where we do every five years test our hydrants on a rolling basis. And in 2027, we are going to go to a yearly hydrant testing program where every single hydrant in our systems will be tested on a yearly basis going forward.

I understand from constituents that there was a request that four particular hydrants be tested. I don't know the last time they were tested. That's not information I have. But is there a reason why they would be denied having identified hydrants tested? Tested?

I'm not sure which addresses that you're referring to but I can tell you that we do have an ongoing conversation with the HOA and the community. We've received a number of letters and emails from them. We have responded to them, and I believe we've we've provided a response our responses to you for for your review. Mhmm. We're more than happy to talk with them.

If there were additional hydrants that they have concerns about, we'd be more than happy to send our operations team out to take a look at. If they need maintenance, we'd be more than happy to do maintenance on them, which is what we do on a daily, weekly basis. And if there is a specific project that a homeowner is interested in upgrading their home or building an ADU that requires fire flow testing, we'd be more than happy to do that for them.

Okay, I appreciate that. I hope they heard you loud and clear and I'd ask that you keep my office kind of engaged in that process. I know that there are some that are a result of ADU construction and there are some that just have had long standing concerns not because of new construction, just because it's always been a problem. And so I'd like to stay connected and appreciate understanding that every five years, hydrants are tested. Correct me if I'm misstating.

On a rolling basis.

On a

rolling basis. But come 2027, every hygien will be tested annually.

That is correct.

Excellent, great. I wanted to make sure I heard that correctly. So thank you all for being here and and answering my questions. Let me just say, Madam Chair, in closing that my team and I have had ongoing meetings with an engaged constituency including those from The United Homeowners Association to really hear their concerns about the project. And the project has changed from the initial submission in 2017.

You've heard some of the examples. Street and sidewalk infrastructure improvements on Overhill Drive extending up to 1,500 feet outside of the project site to improve traffic and pedestrian safety. It's an area that I traverse regularly and there literally are no sidewalks, Overhill, La Brea, that area. So this is a good thing for the community as a whole. The increase in the number of affordable units that will be included in the building from five to 10, I keep saying affordable, it's moderate income because this is ownership, so let me get clear.

But doubling that number. Again, providing home ownership opportunities to moderate income households and making hallway and bathroom windows more opaque to address privacy concerns that neighboring homes have talked about. Again, we've had many conversations and through all of that, through my team reading from the homeowners, me engaging in multiple meetings as recently as yesterday, I am clear about the arguments against the facts and what the county is obligated to do under state law. That's the critical issue here. This has been a protracted process.

It is complex and this decision really didn't come easy for me. Frankly, I wish the project were smaller, I do. And understood in discussions with the developer also about the fact that that would not make the project fiscally feasible. I get his perspective as well. I'm hypersensitive to the uniqueness of this still largely African American single family home community and the desire of constituents there to maintain the integrity of their community.

And I'm also hypersensitive to our need across LA County to build housing and to build across the spectrum of housing, not just units for rent but also home ownership opportunities. And I think from my perspective, it's even more critical in communities like this to make sure that home ownership opportunities are available as we talk about the transfer of wealth. All that is so important in this community. And so given all I've learned and understand, I will be voting to support the Regional Planning Commission's decision to deny the appeal and support the construction of the project. Thank you for your patience and thank you for your diligence in responding questions.

We will continue to engage on the ongoing conversation about water pressure, making sure that the new construction has what they need and that the neighboring community has a higher degree of confidence in their hydrants and the pressure that comes into their homes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Supervisor Mitchell. All valid points and especially when you inherit a project that has been so old and kind of on hold. Thank you for your questions. Helps to enlighten all of us of the things that we have to go through as we try to build more affordable housing and permanent housing. Executive office, I think we are going to hear.

Madam chair, the appellant will be joining us remotely due to a weather related flight cancellation. Additionally, applicant, Elia Thompson, X Square, is present in the boardroom.

And we will now hear from the representative of the appellant, Beverly Grossman Palmer, who will be given a total of two minutes. She is here, can

Beverly Palmer, your line is open. Please begin. Beverly Palmer.

Sorry. Can you confirm that you can hear me? Yes.

Okay. Yes, go ahead.

You. I'm speaking on behalf of United Homeowners Association. This is an appeal of an 88 unit, nearly 65 foot building building that requires a CUP. UHA asked that this board take a closer look at three major safety issues. These are all things that supervisor Mitchell wisely raised.

First, water and fire flow. We just heard from CalAm regarding its process for reviewing just the water and fire safety issues here. And the legal framework under which you're approving the CUP requires that new uses with greater water supply needs than the existing use must show that they meet the county's water supply standards. This approach that you just heard about from CalAm is backward. They just established how it works.

They review they haven't even reviewed reviewed the engineering for how they will improve water safety or fire flow and fire safety water requirements in the neighborhood. CalAm and the developer assume that whatever conditions that exist that have created this acknowledged inadequate service can be fixed and they're not even taking into account the existing problems of the community in this analysis. It's backwards and given the CUP requirement that you demonstrate that there is existing adequate service, it should be done first. The geotechnical report for the project, second issue. That's stale.

The county's engineering manual requires that geotechnical reports be updated within one year of their submittal date and this report is from November 2014. Staff said that you could approve the project and get the geotechnical report updated later, but that's not even a condition of approval. Third, on traffic, there has not been an adequate analysis of safety for that northern driveway of the project. UHA's licensed traffic engineer identified specific concerns but that hasn't been addressed in detail. Thank you.

Okay, that's it, I'm sorry. Now we will hear from the representative of the applicant, Elia Thompson, Esquire, who will be given a total of two minutes.

Good morning everyone. Elliot Thompson, just want to point out and they're going to stand. This is Starlet Quarles from Bedford Group, Scott Tran from Peak Capital. They are the developers and they are here today. We all just want to thank everyone for the time and energy that it's taken in the past nine years to get here.

I am the legal attorney on this project and have been through the entire process. A couple of points that were made and you saw my letter dated earlier late last week. My apologies Supervisor Solis, I did not realize the chairs changed, my apologies, but the letter should have been addressed to you. You've heard from the experts about fire and water flow, I won't belabor that. In regards to this idea that this project needed to have or that we didn't take into effect the traffic and circulation is just false.

We have been through so many different reviews and scenarios in terms of how to make these driveways, how to make the roadway in front of our project better, safer. There's striping, there's recalculation in terms of how the driveways work, there's difference in queuing, the sidewalks, the signage, the prohibition of turns. This isn't about making this project safer, this is a long campaign to stop this project from ever being built. So we have looked at everything regarding traffic over the last five or six years. The planning department has worked have an entire environmental traffic team that has worked extensively, we've worked extensively with Public Works so the idea that everything wasn't done appropriately is just ridiculous.

In terms of the geotech report, again this project was vested in 2016 so all the reports are at that time. If anything needs to be updated, you heard these gentlemen, we simply won't get our permits and that's what will happen.

Thank you.

Any further questions from my colleagues? Supervisor Mitchell? Turn your mic on,

If regional planning could respond to the first witness's comment about kind of the order suggesting that some of this testing is being done after the fact and it's just either illogical or not according to statute that that would be the order of the testing. If you could respond to that.

Certainly. I heard three comments from the appellant related to water fire flow, the geotechnical and traffic, particularly related to the timing of the water fire flow and the geotechnical. Prior to the Regional Planning Commission decision in November, Calam Water did provide a brand new will serve letter and that is a conditional will serve letter that is necessary for us to actually proceed with the approval of the project in concept. We call that project entitlements. However, when they then transition to completing their application for plan check, they have to comply with all new development of construction drawings, and they have to update all of their technical reports to the satisfaction of Public Works.

Public Works will not review geotechnical unless the geotechnical report is updated at that time. So it was necessary for the geotechnical report to be done back in 2017 for that CEQA document, but it is also necessary and true that the geotechnical report must be updated for the plan check process, and that will occur later. Hopefully that answer that question.

Very good, thank you. I think at this time we can go to members of the public executive officer, those who Will signed

the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you? Helen Sellers, Tony McDonald, Iris Cline, Catherine Cottles, Alicia Moelzian Smith, Nicole Buchanan, Claudia Jerez, Andreas Buchanan, Michelle Walker. Madam Chair, there are no remote speakers to address the board on this item and we will conclude a remote participation for item one. In person speakers please begin.

Okay, yes, I'm in District 2, Michelle Hope Walker. I just have to say especially during Black History Month, I honor my Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and in the wording I'll say just mean, you go, girl. Because that's what we vote for you for, to handle the business, and that's what you're doing. And I love how you're really talking about the constituency because that is what is important is what the constituency thinks on this.

So I just to just see all that in action, I'm just in awe of you, Holly j Mitchell. Your bag. Oh, she always has events for us, and so I always keep the bags. And but, again, it's hard for black women to get elected. So I always wanna make sure during Black History Month that I'm coming and I'm honoring my Holly J. Mitchell, because not only here, but you all know federally, nationally, statewide. So just thank you. I wanna honor you, and I believe this project is

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

My name is doctor Helen Sellers. I live behind this project in Windsor Hills. Please, supervisors, do not vote for this dangerous project. People will die. I apologize that this project has become your responsibility now.

Why has it dragged on and on? In 2004, supervisor Burke shut it down because she knew the dangers this particular lot was to the community and anyone traveling through it. The developer strategically waited for her to term out, and all of a sudden, ten years later, Margaret Lee Thomas, who took and gave money, donations that Coors gave to him, and all of a sudden, here's a permit, conditional use permit, being pushed through. And we know that it is not something that should have been done. Don't let a judge hear

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Please begin.

Good morning.

My name is Tony McDonald, president of the United Homeowners Association two. I'm here to express my concern for what I strongly believe to be an egregious error by approving this project. In '20 in December 2025, LA County filed an environmental lawsuit against Sentinel Peaks alleging that operators failed to properly plug and abandon out of wells causing environmental harms and health risks to communities surrounding the Englewood Oilfield. We are asking that you apply the same level of caution to the View project that also poses a significant risk to our community and reject the recommendation to approve this project On a different note, we've heard over the years that property owners' rights may be a factor in the decision process. I would agree property owners do have property rights, but when those rights infringe on our community's approximately 4,600 property owners' rights to be safe in their own home and neighborhood, surely safety and preservation of life should prevail here.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

Hello, my name is Iris Cline and I respectfully request a no vote for the proposed construction of The View's five story condo with a three story subterranean parking structure at the peak of the hill within the Newport Inglewood Fault Zone. This fault zone is a long active strike slip fault and it's one of the most dangerous seismic threats in The United States. Building deep underground in such a geologically unstable area is risky and it's irresponsible. Earthquake scientists have warned us about the magnitude of destruction this fault is capable of producing. Excavating three stories down into the earth right at the fault line significantly increases the potential for structural failure during an earthquake.

We must take that warning seriously, prioritize safety over development and high risk zones. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

I'm Katherine Coddles, 59 in View Park, and I'm opposed to the project for reasons of safety of its own residents and our community. Because the oil field interacts with the community and with construction, I'd like to express gratitude to the county and board supervisors for its legal actions against the oil field in order to make our community a safe, environmentally just place to live in. I emphasize that the oil field sits on top of a major earthquake fault in the middle of a very dense urban population. It's well documented that major earthquakes trigger fires. If you approve this project, it will increase the population.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

My name is Alicia Mollison Smith. My husband and I live in the 5100 Block Of Ana Crest Drive. We've lived there the entire time our community has been fighting this project beginning in 2004 when then supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke denied it. She saw the dangers back then, and today, those same issues of public safety and protecting lives are even more threatened. Palisades and Altadena weren't the only LA communities on fire on January 7.

Our community had two fires that erupted that same night almost simultaneously, a Southern California Edison substation fire on Stocker as well as a fire in the oil fields, both located directly across the street from the proposed view project. This project is not for the greater good of our community. We have an empty reservoir. We're in a high fire hazard zone with documented overburdened low water pressure and fire hydrants not operating. California American Water, after numerous written request, would not

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

My name is Andreas Buchanan. I'm one of the residents that live on on a Crest, in one of the homes most directly impacted by this new project. I oppose it because it will just be a drain on our community and while at the same time not really presenting any real benefits to us. They call it The View because of the views that the new residents enjoy, at the same time destroying all views of the current residents that live there. They say the water infrastructure is gonna be improved while at the same time we know that it's gonna be a major drain on the current infrastructure in the area.

We wanna make sure that everything pencils out for the developer, but at the same time it's gonna have a direct negative impact for all of the current residents as well. It seems that they're just pulling on all the resources from the community without adding any real benefits. We're not against development of this of a project there, but a project of this size just makes no sense and it just drains

Thank you. Madam chair and members of the board, that concludes public comment on this item.

Madam Chair, the public hearing is now closed. Item one is before you.

Supervisor Mitchell, do you have any last comments you wanted me? No? Okay. Very good. Okay, moved by Supervisor Mitchell. I will second it. To approve the item, Executive Officer, please call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell? Aye. Supervisor Mitchell? Aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Hahn?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis? Aye. Supervisor Solis. Aye. Motion carries. Four to zero. We will now move on to item nine, non conforming vehicle ordinance amendment and item 12, county code title 15, vehicles and traffic ordinance amendment, which were held by supervisor Mitchell. These items will be taken up together. For members of the public joining us remotely to comment on this item, please use the raise hand feature if you are online or press 3 if on the telephone. Steve Berger, deputy director, public works, Jeffrey Dedrick, commander, and Tina Arevalo, acting captain, sheriff's department will be available for questions. For the departmental speakers, please state your name and title for the record when you address the board.

Supervisor Mitchell, you wish to be recognized on these items.

The vehicle origin. Let's hear from the department first. Thank Okay.

DPW, ready, go.

Alright. Supervisor Steve Berger, deputy director for public works once again. We didn't really have a presentation today, but what comes before you today is an ordinance that is, restricting the parking of oversized vehicles. This is something that, over the years and especially over the last year when we worked with the communities to develop this, became apparent this was of concern to many communities. It creates line of sight issues.

People can't see around the vehicles when they're getting out of driveways. It creates visual blight. It creates burdens for the people, both both businesses and residents that need to park. So, this is an ordinance that, has been around for a number of years, but just in the last year or so, we've, worked to develop the ordinance to implement it in additional communities. Communities that are experiencing issues with oversized vehicles.

That work we did involved a lot of community outreach. We specific dedicated meetings for this. We met with community councils, we met with standing monthly meetings, and we heard generally universal support for this ordinance in the communities you're seeing it in. Once again, we come before you with the ordinance. Julian Garcia, one of my principal engineers, who really I wanna thank, was was the lead on getting this done. Along with thanks to County Council. Thanks to parking enforcement. They had advised us on this, that it was a great tool for them to address these issues. And so with that, I'll turn it over to any questions you may

have. Supervisor?

I appreciate that, thank you. And I wanna thank DPW, particularly as you referenced the community engagement that was really deeply important to me and the residents I represent in the 2nd District because the safety challenges caused by oversized vehicles parked in public right of ways have been brought to my attention really consistently but it began about two years ago. And I wanna thank the residents who've engaged with my team for your thoughtful collaboration as well as your patience in us getting to this place. Oversized vehicles colleagues, whether box trucks, semi trucks, or recreational vehicles, create blind spots in our streets which is a safety issue for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers in all of our unincorporated communities. They also take up street parking in our communities, sometimes create noise while idling and unfortunately can attract illegal dumping.

We saw an uptick in oversized vehicle presence in our unincorporated areas after neighboring cities passed and enforced similar oversized vehicle parking restrictions. The board and county department have the responsibility to address street safety challenges in our unincorporated areas and that's why I'm supportive of expanding this ordinance to cover all unincorporated areas, particularly in the 2nd District. Adopting the ordinance is one step toward improving street safety related to oversized vehicles and implementing the ordinance is equally if not more important in order for residents to see the impact of the action that we're taking here today. I do have a couple of questions but before I get to them, I'm aware that part of the implementation of this ordinance involves questions around people who live in vehicles including RVs. And so I wanna be clear that this ordinance does not change the county's process for responding to people who live in their vehicles.

This ordinance does not magically remove inhabited RVs overnight. We have been clear from the beginning that we will maintain our outreach protocols and that the homeless services and housing department is responsible for working through the standing list of encampment hotspots, particularly in the 2nd District. Inhabited RVs have a specific track within the Pathway Home program which is implemented by HSH in partnership with LA Sheriff's Host, DPW and a group of other partners. And again, this is one critical reason why strongly advocate for resources for Pathway Home and the need to maintain momentum in connecting people living in encampments, in RV encampments in particular, to housing services. So for both DPW and parking enforcement, from each of your department's perspectives, what does implementation look like?

We've got here to the planning process, I appreciate community engagement. But what does implementation look like? And most importantly, when will enforcement begin? When will signs go up? People need to know that it's coming and be prepared to adhere to the new ordinance?

Thank you, supervisor. I'll start with the first part of the, process, which is, of course, your adoption of the ordinance. That will happen today, and next week in the process for adopting ordinances. Thirty days later, it will be coming into effect. In the meantime, what we've done, we actually have started to manufacture the signs because it does take some time to manufacture those.

And so we're gonna be able to get a head start on the the posting of the signs, which is the first step for the enforcement to begin. And that is gonna be about a six month process overall, although we wanna get the signs in and work with parking enforcement to start focusing where the need is the most. So we will start rolling these out and then working with parking enforcement to do that. Then I'll turn it over to my parking enforcement partners for their role in this.

Hi there, my name is Lieutenant Tina Revlon, the acting captain for parking enforcement detail.

Lovely. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. So in regards for this, particular enforcement, we are actively enforcing it already in several other areas. And so, when it comes to this particular one, if it is adopted, it's just a matter of moving over those ordinances into other areas that we already trained on. So, we then will train our officers that are not trained upon it, work closely with parking enforcement and our host team in order to enforce it properly.

And so, that enforcement will happen even before signs are erected?

Absolutely not. Okay. It will start after the signs are posted, obviously, to give our constituents a fair understanding of what's expected.

Got

it. So the signs will be posted, and then the enforcement will begin.

But the training has begun now. So once signs are posted, your officers will be trained and know what to do. Absolutely. I appreciate that. What will be the protocol for unoccupied oversized vehicles and what will be the protocol for those that may be occupied or inhabited?

When speaking for protocols for occupied and unoccupied vehicles, that will still remain as the current processes are now. And if you're not aware of those processes, commander Diedrich actually is just stepping in in regards for habitat RVs of that nature, and that actually falls under his shop. I'll let him speak on that.

Thank you.

Hi, well thank you for being here. The same process. We have the number one protocol in the country, so that protocol will be ensured that it's adhered to 100%. In this process, it will also help us outreach to those folks that may be coming to a protocol situation where it's one or less than five. We'll be able to assist parking enforcement as we go, connecting those with services, and then definitely adhering to the protocol. It's fairly straightforward, as you already mentioned, but our collaborative partnership, even with parking control, will continue and we will not deviate from the current Pathway Home process, which is the RV homeless encampment protocol.

I appreciate that. And for the uninhabited?

Uninhabited will be the same as it is now. If it's uninhabited and they don't have anybody inside of them, obviously, we will do the same as usual. We will mark them. Three days later, will come back, and then they will be towed.

And supervisor, to that point, quite often you could have an empty RV, but someone might come later. So we recognize that. We're ensuring that the host deputies are documenting that and parking control will be. So it won't be we show up and one's empty, so here we go. It'll be being diligent and ensuring that it is an uninhabited because quite often we are finding that there are some that will bring a dilapidated RV and drop it off for someone to inhabit at a later time. The RV Host team has become pretty good at identifying that situation and we'll be working as part of our training with parking enforcement to continue that process.

So, you RV Host team, parking enforcement, public works. Really appreciate the nature of collaboration. This is a perfect example for me in terms of when we all come together, we actually put our best vision and plan forward to really do what's best for all of LA County. So I really want you to know on behalf of my constituents, I appreciate the time and effort you've put in. I look forward to supporting the ordinance today and moving this process forward. I appreciate all of you and your work. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you ma'am.

Thank you. Let's turn to Supervisor Horvath.

Thank you Madam Chair and I really wanna thank you Supervisor Mitchell. I know you've been relentless in your focus on this issue and very integral in moving it forward. As part of the ordinance, the VA Complex in West LA is included but there are other communities in the 3rd District we've identified for similar restriction that are not included. And we want to include them due to traffic, pedestrian safety concerns specifically in Sunset Mesa, as well as fire related concerns in other areas of the Santa Monica Mountains. I know our host team knows as well.

They are truly second to none in your trauma approach to the community. The way that you personally understand each person you are serving is unlike anything I've seen. So I just really wanna commend you and your team for the ways that you show up in the community. Thank you.

Thank you ma'am.

I understand the ordinance will be coming back next week for a second reading and then it goes into effect thirty days after that. But what is the process for communities that haven't been included since I know we'll continue to hear especially from communities who weren't included today?

Thank you, Supervisor, for that question. I'm going to start by once again thanking County Council to get us to this point. When we crafted this ordinance, we were careful to write it in such a way that when we needed to add additional communities, and we knew there would be additional communities, it's going to be a streamlined process. The ordinance already is ready for additional communities to be mapped and put into place. The first step, of course, is outreach to those communities. We're going to talk with them, we're going to talk with the board offices, come up with another, we call this phase one, we're going to come up with phase two, and bring that to your board, after the communities have indicated their support for this, and come to you with additional communities that we can post signs and address this issue.

Alright, well when we get those calls, we'll make sure to check-in with you so we're able to move forward with a sense of urgency.

Please do. We'd be happy to talk to the communities and walk them through it.

Thank you. Supervisor Hahn.

Thank you, Madam Chair. When I was on the city council in Los Angeles twenty years ago, I brought forth the idea. We called it the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance because, just as you said in your opening remarks, Supervisor Mitchell, Oversized vehicles, or we're calling them nonconforming vehicles, really cause a public safety issue. I mean, how many of us have tried to eke out in an intersection trying to see oncoming traffic, and they're blocking our view is is an oversized vehicle. So it's really safety issue.

You know, and as a supervisor, I have seen in my district the existing nonconforming vehicle ordinance has proven to be very effective in South Whittier, West Whittier, Los Nietos. So I think having this brought forward to really give the same kind of consistency to our sheriff department for enforcement, think, really is important. Wanted ask two questions. One, was there a recent decision by I feel like I heard it yesterday about a judge ruling that municipalities could not destroy oversized vehicles that were used for habitation. Did I hear that right?

I think the case was a little bit different. The city of LA was looking at recreational vehicles over a certain threshold amount. That was a power given to the county, not to the city, so the judge ruled that the city could not exercise that power but it was unrelated to this exercise.

You. And the other thing that when we put forth the ordinance in the city Of LA, we heard from RV owners who said this would impact their ability to if they were going camping for a trip, they wanted to load their vehicle up, you know, probably maybe more than just twenty four hours. And so I understand owners can get permits from the sheriff department to allow them some extra time to prepare for their trip. Is that correct?

Yes, supervisor, that's exactly right. I'm glad you brought that up. Yes, there is a provision. How many days is it, Julian? Up to two consecutive days to load their families, their equipment, etcetera. So

the one issue that I've heard is that it's inconvenient because do residents have to go into a sheriff's station to apply for these permits or do we have any on line capability?

It's currently that way, but of course with technology catching up so fast, I think we can quickly implement something to

get done That would be the one thing I would urge you to do is to create an online application process for people. Some people just don't like to walk into a sheriff's station.

That's a great idea, and we will implement I

would really like you to prioritize that for people. Mean, everything else people can do online. Seems like this is the one thing that I think you should be more accommodating to people who are trying to get these permits.

I agree, Supervisor. We'll definitely on that.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just want to say that I'm happy that we're utilizing this tool, and it's been a long time in coming, and I know since I've represented unincorporated areas, East LA the San Gabriel Valley, we've had a lot of issues, with RVs, parking, and people living in those RVs, but also, allowing for their waste to, be drained into the local system, sewage system there and other activities that go on that are considered illegal. And I know we had put posting out there, and this was a couple of years back, and it seemed to have worked. I don't know, and I'm asking my staff if they have any updates for me on that, but it's around the Saybrook Park area where we had a big issue. I don't know you know offhand what I'm talking about here. Continue to see Yeah,

the medians there, you're right. I'm aware of that.

The large medians and also SABRUC itself has the nursery area. So that's one of the areas that kind of prompted East LA to be pushed forth in priority and included in this expansion.

And you're not gonna be expanding to Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights? Is that gonna be included?

It's one of the efforts we'll move forward with after engagement. We'll make sure that we engage with the community, make sure we have Right, the

The proper outreach, yeah. Because we've gotten complaints there. It's starting to pick up a lot in Hacienda Heights, but also in the West Puente Valley area around Fair Grove and some of the other unincorporated areas over time, and we would see it was kind of a whack a mole. You'd go out there, put a sign up, and then they'd go to another part of unincorporated, always avoiding the cities because the cities have enforcement. In many cases they do.

I'm just hoping we do a better job, that we have enough staffing for the enforcement to do that because we've got a lot of territory and I do see the need is very great in the 1st District. I just want you to note that. I appreciate the cooperation and the fact that, commander, that we're doing good work with Host continuing to do that because we still find even in East Los Angeles under the freeway overhangs where RVs are parked, some are abandoned. They're not abandoned, but people may be living there, but they go to work. And then they continue to park there business.

And that to me is a hazard because it's across from many of our schools and parks. So I really wanna emphasize that it is very important, the quality of life and safety for our residents in the unincorporated area and just being really vigilant and coming out regularly I think is very critical for our residents. Because many times they will call and complain. That's of the bigger caseloads that we hear about. That and dumping, illegal dumping. So again, thank you for your help and assistance, and I can't wait for you to go to do the outreach in Hacienda Heights and Roland Heights and get to the other areas. Appreciate that. Okay, seeing no further questions from the board, can we go to public comment?

Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you? Vonda Garner, Claudia Jerez, David Matthews, Michelle Massey, Barbara Tyson Fraser. Roy Humphries, your line is open. Please begin. Can

Yes, you hear

go ahead.

Okay. This is 2025 and why in the hell are we discussing this now? And if you look at my history here in Rowland Heights, this goes back ten, fifteen years of county derelict negligence beyond beyond, and the sheriff's department do any damn thing not to perform their duties, and you don't have to be a Rhodes scholar or a a law school graduate to figure this out. You people are disgusting, and this should have been taken care of. Again, Rowland Heights is the poster child for this crap. You people are disgusting and shameful, but we've been subject to the Democrats a self inflicted wound. And until that change, nothing's going to change. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Chair, there are no other remote speakers to address the board. Remote participation for these items is concluded. We will now go to our in person speakers. Please begin.

Yes, my name is Vandy Garner and I live in the unincorporated area of Palo Dallama Woods. And Supervisor Mitchell as well as the other supervisors have so eloquently covered a lot of the things that I was gonna say. It's very true. We've struggled with this for a few years now, and the problem is not getting better. It's getting worse.

So my vote would be yes on nine and twelve, and thank you so very much because our community has struggled with this for a long time, and we're looking forward to the county having the proper tools to ensure that we're carrying this out, and where enforcement is needed that it is taken. So

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker.

Hi. My name is David Matthews. I have some comment letters for for all of you that I'd like to submit. So I'm here speaking on behalf of the business community in our unincorporated areas. Business owners, employees, delivery drivers, customers, and even our homeless who have been impacted more than three years by non conforming vehicles on our streets.

Over the past three years, businesses have dealt with RV fires often linked to non payment of rent and unsafe living conditions. We have seen the rental of dilapidated, uninhabitable vehicles, rodent infestations, the dumping of hazard waste into the storm drains, posing serious risks to the employees, customers, the homeless, and the surrounding environment. Fire hydrants are often blocked, emergency access is compromised, and criminal activity increases near the businesses. These conditions put employees at risk, especially early in the morning and late at night, discouraging customers from visiting and directly impacting the businesses to remain open and viable. Illegal Thank dumping

you. Next speaker please.

Good afternoon supervisors. My name is Michelle Meese and I own a property in Rosewood. Thank you for allowing me to speak on item number nine. For over ten years, have dealt with RVs, oversized vehicles in my area. Since RVs were removed from the area, we now deal with trucks and container trucks moving containers to and from the port. They're just as bad as the RVs. I did list in my letter to the board the specific companies I've been dealing with on an almost daily basis. My property has been in my family since the nineteen seventies. I grew up there as well as my children. Unfortunately, I cannot bring my grandchildren there due to the unsafe conditions.

The trash, illegal dumping, theft, and amounts of human waste is unacceptable. My life has been threatened. I've been chased with by somebody with a hammer. I've been told that I would look good pregnant. My property has been vandalized and more. Please approve this motion. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker please.

Good afternoon. My name is Barbara Tyson Frazier. I am speaking for the families, the schools, the community of the unincorporated business, and myself as the homeless liaison for the Neighborhood Council for Harbor Gateway who has helped house some of these homeless individuals. And I've also worked very close with David Matthews, who we've helped to get over 700 RVs off the streets and about 75 more left. These RVs have contributed to illegal dumping, piles of trash, discarded furniture, hazardous waste left on the sidewalks.

It's hard for our kids to walk to school with all these trash, with these needles. It's unfair for these people who live in myself. It's very mentally disturbing. I work hard every day to come home and live to this, so I'm just asking if you would

Thank you. Madam Chair and members of the board, that concludes public comment on these items.

Item nine is before you.

Moved by Supervisor Mitchell, seconded by Supervisor Horvath to approve the item. Executive Officer, please call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell? Aye. Supervisor Mitchell? Aye. Supervisor Horvath? Aye. Supervisor Supervisor Hahn?

Aye.

Supervisor Hahn, aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries, four to zero. Item 12 is now before you.

Moved by Supervisor Hahn, seconded, I will second. To approve the item, Executive Officer, please call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell?

Aye.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Hahn?

Aye.

Supervisor Hahn? Aye. Supervisor Solis? Aye. Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries, four to zero. We will now move on to general public comment. At this time, we will hear from members of the public wishing to address the board on general public comment. This is an opportunity for the

public to address the board on subject matters within the board's jurisdiction, but not on items on the meeting agenda.

For members of the public joining us remotely, please use the raise hand feature if you are online or press 3 if on the telephone.

We of will now call in in person speakers and while they are coming forward, we will take remote speakers. Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you? Mike Hodbian, Jesus Rojas, Nicole Buchanan, Claudia Jerez, Michelle Hope Walker, David Matthews, Michelle Messi, Barbara Tyson Fraser. Roy Humphreys, your line is open. Please begin.

Yes. A dignity actor to citizenship for legacy illegals is on the table. AOC and Newsom continue taking their international buffoonery to another level. All supervisors got the email from me on a long overdue demise of the LGBTQ mafia, and that's exactly what the hell it is. While Russia, China, India, the rest of the world, and Muslim world cheering the demise of the free world with Chuck Schumer and his Democrat party's gay flag initiative.

Disgusting. And supervisor Mitchell has yet to come up with another ethnic group that burns, loots, and murders its own kind after another, group assaults them. Sheriff Luna would embarrass law enforcement with his response to the news channel about the deaths in the jail. Disgusting. Don't wanna even go there.

President Trump is using let president Trump use Obama era deportation measures. You supervisors, you Democrats, you're disgusting that should

Cannon, for Lancaster. Your line is open. Please begin.

I just wanna thank again the jail. Board of supervisors for taking action on price gouging and to employ you to continue to ask the question to developers that say that they're making affordable housing. What makes your housing affordable? If the answer is just that they accept section eight vouchers, then they are leaving out a growing number of of account of Angelenos who will never see the light of day of a section eight list. So, again, affordable housing that takes section eight, but then advertises itself as luxury housing, affordable housing that takes section eight but their two bedroom apartments are over $4,000 and their utility bills are over $600 that is not affordable housing. That is a loophole. Thank you.

Thank you. Caller, your line is open. Please begin.

The reboot of the TV show Baywatch will soon begin production on our Southern California beaches. I asked the LA County Board of Supervisors to encourage that company showcase the those with physical disabilities and disabilities of all types and show that the wonderful opportunity of enjoying a day at the beach. LA County has information of beach wheelchairs and beach access mat availability to make that possible. After all, the twenty twenty eight Paralympics will be in town soon and the TV show can be a great way to share that all are welcome to enjoy our beaches. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you. Madam chair, there are no other remote speakers to address the board. Remote participation for general public comment is now concluded. We will go to our in person speakers. Please begin.

Go ahead, sir.

Hi. My name is Mike Codbian. Today, the reason is I have a section eight and they gave me the until August, get out the property. I mean, they're not paying for my my rent. And I just wanna from you guys and the representative if can help us with that problem. It's not only me, there's more than 150 people. They're gonna stay outside.

What district do you live in, sir? What district of

the city?

It's Glendale District but I'm living in Los Angeles.

Okay. Supervisor Actually, it's the 5th District but we can have a staffer assist you.

Yes, please. Thank you.

You. Next speaker please.

Hi, my name is Barbara Tyson once again. I work strongly in the community and the kids in our community are very passionate about this with the dumping and them having to walk over needles and trash meat being passed around and thrown in the areas dumping. I just would really hope that you're considering this new audience, with the illegal RVs parking for the kids for their safety and their, you know, mental, stability that they have to walk through all this trash and all this unhealthy smells. And so I'm just hoping that you would really take this ordinance in consideration as soon as possible. I appreciate you.

Thank you for the pleasure of having me to speak. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Madam chair and members of the board, that concludes our time for general public comment.

We will now proceed with adjournments.

Thank you. I will begin my adjournments. We'll go from one, three, two, and four. So let me move on here. I move that when we adjourn today, we do so in the memory of Robert Sanchez, my former college counselor at La Puente High School who was a deeply influential voice in my life and my family's. Mr. Sanchez, a native Angelina, was born on 10/01/1940 and sadly passed away on February 12. Mr. Sanchez was a dedicated educator who spent his career supporting and encouraging students to fulfill their dreams and potential, including individuals such as myself. Mr.

Sanchez attended West Covina High School, graduating in 1959, and then spent the next few years working as a sheet metal apprentice with the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local one hundred eight as a part time supervisor for the city of Covina's recreation, parks department, and the assistant director of recreation for the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. His work with the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District inspired him to pursue education as a career. Mr. Sanchez earned an Associate of Arts degree from Mount SAC in 1967 and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Psychology from Cal Poly Pomona in 1968. He then went on to complete a Masters of Science in counseling from La Verne College in 1977 and an administrative credential from Pacific Lutheran University.

Mr. Sanchez began his career in education in 1970 in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District as a teacher at Fred M. Sparks Junior High School. That's where I met him. He was my history teacher.

And I remember the lengthy debates we would have and how appropriate that today we heard individuals quoting what the constitution meant. And I know that it rings true for many of us. He also then was a teacher there at Sparks Junior High and then went on to La Puente High School back in 1973, and that's where I kind of reconnected with him there. And he inspired me to go to college and told me that there was opportunity, that there was financial aid and there was a path forward if I chose to take it. And had I not taken it, I know I wouldn't be seated here, wouldn't have been able to serve in the different capacities that I've had and influenced even my own siblings to go to college.

I mean that's how impactful this man was. And I think about him and the other counselors, him especially, for motivating underrepresented students, both African American and Latino students and Asian students at that time. He was way ahead of so many people when I think back at what he did. He also went on to become a high school counselor at Capistrano Valley High School in 1977 and then San Marcos High School in 1979. In 1981, Mr.

Sanchez and his family moved to Washington State after he accepted a position as a head counselor, assistant principal in varsity basketball coach at a newly established Stela Com High School. After returning to California, he came back in 1984. He joined Torrey Pines High School as a counselor in 1985. He joined the Vista Unified School District as a counselor at that high school. When the district added a new high school, Mr.

Sanchez joined the new staff and helped launch Rancho Buena High School in 1987. He worked there until his retirement in 1999. Mr. Sanchez's career in education spanned more than thirty years, during which he influenced and inspired countless students, many that I know have gone on to have very lucrative careers in different professions, and many of them staying here locally and even working for the county of Los Angeles, some that I came to know. His own experience with overcoming polio allowed him to connect with students in a very profoundly authentic way, giving his words of guidance and depth and credibility that resonated with his students.

In fact, he told a story. Why are you feeling so down about yourself, having pity on yourself thinking that you don't have anything to offer and you're 100% physically fit? I am not. And here I am as a PE coach, polio, and was able to survive and get through and was one of the leading Mexican American teachers at that time because there were very few. You could count them and everybody would just flock to him because he really resonated with the community.

He gave so much and I thank him and today I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't attend his funeral. It's being held today. But Mr. Sanchez is survived by his loving and steadfast wife of fifty two years, Cindy Sanchez, and his three beloved daughters, Daniela, Andrea and Autumn. They all graduated from Cal Poly Pomona by the way, which he was an alumni from.

His four treasured grandchildren, Nathan, Natalie, Ray Lee and Graydon. His dear sister and brother-in-law Lydia and Bob, and countless extended family members and friends. He used to remind me that he was a Mexican American who was raised in East LA as well. So I remember that fondly. And then lastly, members, and I know several of you wanna speak on this item, I wanna move, that we adjourn in memory of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, a towering leader for the civil rights movement and a friend.

Reverend Jackson devoted his life to fighting for justice and dignity for working people and communities too often left behind. And one of the most prominent leaders of our time, Reverend Jackson was a tireless advocate for civil rights, voting rights, and economic opportunity. His leadership helped inspire generations of activists and public servants, and his historic presidential campaigns helped pave the way for more inclusive representation in our nation's highest offices. An ordained minister, staunch LGBTQ rights activist, and protege of Doctor. Martin Luther King Junior, Reverend Jackson also served as delegate and shadow senator for the District Of Columbia and founded the organizations that would become the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

I had the honor of working with Reverend Jackson during my time as member of the House and also later as Secretary of Labor. I will never forget walking with him across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made to secure the right to vote and the work still that is left to do. His impact reached far beyond our borders through his work for diplomacy, peace, and human rights. Now more than ever, his work is a resolute reminder of the impact every single one of us can make. Reverend Jesse Jackson's legacy will endure in the movements he strengthened, the rooms he's spoken, and the leaders he inspired.

His life will forever be a testament to faith, courage, and hope. Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Brown, and six children, including Stetida, Jesse Junior, Jonathan, among extended family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. May he rest in power. I will now like to turn over to Supervisor Mitchell, and then Supervisor Hahn and anyone else who'd like to speak. Supervisor Mcdonald.

Oh, Supervisor Solis, thank you for sharing that picture. Pictures are so powerful. We have to stop taking pictures with our phones and have real pictures that we can pull up for times like this. Seeing that picture of you all walking across the bridge and looking at that picture and recognizing the people who aren't with us anymore, I saw Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on the telephone, she was regulating in the middle of the March. So thank you for sharing that picture with us.

As I learned about the passing of Reverend Jackson this weekend, like I said, this has been a profound Black History Month for me. An incredible documentary about James Lawson was premiered at the Pan African A Better Way that chronicles his history with Doctor. King. This has just been a profound month for me. But I found myself as the chair of the voter education drive at UC Riverside in 1984, leading the effort to register people to vote for his first presidential bid.

And I have to say, as a native Evangelino, my first trip to the South was in 1988 to Atlanta to the DNC. So to walk within a stone's throw from a UC Riverside campus and encounter people campus, that had never voted. It required that I practice my 20 year old skills in convincing these women about the fact that their vote did matter and that he could win if they showed up. Profound lifelong lesson for me in 1984. Never would have imagined that in 1988, I'd be working for my forever boss, then state Senator Diane Watson who said, You will come with me to the DNC in Atlanta and these are the tasks you will do every day.

Okay. And our friend Willis Edwards granted me a floor pass for the final night so for me to be in the room with my Jackson for President 'eighty eight sweatshirt on to hear the speech about your patch isn't big enough. And to now, all these years later, understand not only the speeches he gave and to see the recent Stacks concert at our Coliseum where he spoke and began the I am somebody chant to understand that he was more than those self affirming comments, to recognize the rule changes he brought to bear on the DNC, to create an opportunity for a woman to be the Democratic nominee, for a black man to be the Democratic nominee. The whole notion of each one gets a vote, the issue that Fannie Lou Hamer fought hard for in 1972, but it was Reverend Jackson and his work in 'eighty four and 'eighty eight which brought those rule changes to bear which will make a difference for people of color women and all future potential candidates having a sense of belonging and having a shot. If you've never heard his 1988 speech where he talks about your patch isn't big enough, I encourage everyone to Google it and hear it.

And so if we are not able to honor people as we had the privilege of doing today, Angelina's who participated in the Freedom Rides, at least when our heroes passed. It's incumbent upon all of us to pause and take some time and learn, go deeper than what's kind of fed to us in terms of their role understand the national policy changes that he brought to bear. It was also deeply humbling to hear his children acknowledge the passing of their father and that what they sacrificed and what they gave to all of us by sacrificing the time their father spent for sixty years on behalf of a nation, on behalf of a world, we owe them a great respect and debt of thanks as well. Supervisor Solis, thank you for that amazing picture and for allowing us the opportunity to pause and acknowledge his significance to us in Los Angeles. And I want to acknowledge Ashley Jackson who lives here in California on the passing of her father.

Thank you.

Thank you. Supervisor Hahn.

Thank you, Supervisor Felice and Mitchell for those comments. I too wanted to add my voice to, you know, that's when he was here. He was here in the boardroom when I was chair and I happened to just see him in the back of the auditorium and I said, Reverend Jackson, come forward. I don't remember why he was here, but he just appeared in our boardroom and I wanted him to come forward. But yeah, he was truly a giant in the civil rights movement in this country.

As you said, Supervisor Mitchell, he didn't just demand change, he built the power and the infrastructure needed to make that power happen. During his nineteen eighty eight presidential campaign, my dad decided to throw his endorsement behind Reverend Jackson, and Reverend Jackson never forgot that and would mention that, how important that was for him because all the candidates were courting my father's endorsement here in Los Angeles and he never forgot that show of support because my dad believed in Reverend Jackson's vision of an America grounded in justice, dignity, opportunity, and he may not have won that particular race, but I think he changed a lot of what Americans believed was actually possible. When I was in Congress, I also went on the civil rights pilgrimage with John Lewis, and I brought my 11 year old granddaughter, McKenna, with me and we also walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Reverend Jackson, and it was a powerful reminder of how his life's work connected generations and will continue to influence and connect generations long after he has passed. And who can remember that night, I believe it was in Chicago, right, when President Obama became the he got the votes votes to become the president and the tears that were flowing spontaneously from Reverend Jackson's face, no one will ever forget that.

And you could just see the years of struggle that were in those tears and this moment had finally arrived that this country would elect an African American to the highest office in the land. I also give my sympathies to his family, children, particularly Jesse Jackson Jr. Who I served with in Congress. The legacy continues because maybe you're all familiar with Statuary Hall where each state gets to have two statues unless there is a bill or a resolution from a member of Congress to initiate the possibility of an extra statue. And Jesse Jackson Junior commissioned a statue of Rosa Parks to be in Statuary Hall and there was a national search for an artist.

The artist that won happened to be from San Pedro, Eugene Dobbs, and in his mind, it's the only statue in Statuary Hall that is sitting down and it's a statue of Rosa Parks seated and it was so significant. And the day we unveiled it, Reverend Jackson was there and it was a very, very special moment, but it also showed, you know, how much he influenced his his children to also have lasting legacies and statues that would remind people forever of the struggles that the African American people had in this country. So thank you for us adjourning today in his honor.

I'll just add thank you for including all of us in your endurement and of course extending my condolences to his entire family. Today has been nothing short of extraordinary extraordinary and truly understanding and being steeped in very rich and important history, not only for Los Angeles but for our entire country. And this adjournment is also included in that. I think it's an important reminder to me how we work cross generationally because my first exposure to Reverend Jackson was watching him on Sesame Street and watching his message be delivered to young people. And I think we can never underestimate the ways in which those messages shared with young people can then live with you throughout your lifetime.

And it is through that work and all of the ways that he touched so many lives that his work will continue to live on and the people and future generations who carry it on. So thank you for including me and for sharing these wonderful stories.

Well, thank all of you and with that, we'll take these motions as seconded and there's no objection then to unanimous vote, that will be the order. And now members, executive officers, can you read us into closed session, please?

Members of the public, the board will now be going into closed session in accordance with Brown Act requirements. Notice is hereby given that the Board of Supervisors will convene in closed session to discuss item number CS10, Conference with Labor Negotiators, Joseph M. Nikita and Designated Staff as indicated on the posted and supplemental agendas.

Okay, we are back now in open session. Executive officer, please read the report of action.

The following is the report of action taken in closed session on 02/24/2026, item number CS 10, conference with labor negotiators, Joseph M. Nikita and designated staff. No reportable action was taken.

That concludes today's next meeting of the board will be a special meeting held Friday, 02/27/2026 at nine a. M. Keep in mind that's the budget, so we'll be having a lot of presentations. Yes, the next regular meeting of the board will be held on 03/03/2026 at 09:30. Thank you, this meeting is adjourned.