City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

Good evening. Before I begin the regular city council meeting closed session, I would like to remind members of the audience that anyone wishing to speak during public comment must obtain a number card from the city clerk. Also, members of the public participating remotely who wish to address the council regarding closed session items may do so via two-way telephonic service at the conclusion of the in-person comments. Those wishing to address the City Council remotely may now call 888-788-0099 or 877-853-5247 and enter the meeting ID 842-8892-3601 to attend and participate in the meeting. I would like to call to order this regular City Council meeting closed session. The time is 5.33. City Clerk Duarte, would you please take roll?

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

Present.

Council Member Trujillo. Here. Mayor Procha-Mortiz.

Present.

And Mayor Frometa.

Present. Seems we do not have members of the audience tonight. And do we have any callers?

We don't have anyone attending remotely, Mayor.

Okay, I will make a motion to close public comment. Can I get a second? Second. So ordered by the Mayor. The City Council will now recess to closed session under the following authorities government code section 54956.95, liability claim, claimant Hatim Simi, claim number 25036, the agency claimed against is the City of Downey. Item number two, government code section 54956.95, liability claim, workers' compensation claim, claimant Jose Barajas, claim number 24-182194, workers' compensation appeals board number ADJ20699419. Agency claimed against is the City of Downey. Item number three, government code section 5495695, Liability Claim Workers' Compensation Claimant is Alfonso Flores, claim number 23-174014. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board number ADJ-19398427, the agent The agency claimed against the city of Downey. Item number four is government code section 54956.9D1, conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation, city of Whittier et al. versus Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, case number 23STCP03579, California Court of Appeals, case number B340630. And the last item for closed session tonight is Government Code Section 54957B1, Public Employee Performance Evaluation, titled City Manager. We will now recess to closed session. The time is 535.

Thank you.

In closed session, City Attorney Funk, will you please report the closed session actions?

Yes, good evening Mayor, members of the City Council, and members of the public. In tonight's closed session, the City Council addressed all matters. There is, however, no reportable action from tonight's proceedings. Thank you.

Thank you, city attorney. Before I begin the regular city council meeting open session, I would like to remind members of the audience that anyone wishing to speak during public comment must obtain a number card from the city clerk. If you didn't obtain a number and wish to speak, please proceed to the back of the room and city staff will issue you a number card. Lining up during public comment will not be permitted and each speaker should remain in their seat until their number is called. The time clock will begin when you begin your comments. Number cards should not be exchanged with other meeting attendees. If you decide to leave this meeting early, you must return the number card to city staff. Per the city's council meeting rules and for the fire safety regulations, all persons participating in person during public comment shall remain seated unless addressing the council or entering or leaving the council chambers. Standing in aisles or along the walls is prohibited. Members of the public participating remotely who wish to address the council regarding agenda, consent calendar, and non-agenda items may do so via two-way telephonic service at the conclusion of in-person public comments. Those wishing to address the city council remotely may now call 888-788-0099 or 877-853-5247 and enter the meeting ID 842-8892 to attend and participate in the meeting. I remind speakers that the City Council's meeting rules will apply to members of the public also participating in person and remotely. I will now call to order the regular City Council meeting, the open session. The time is 6.38. City Clerk Duarte, would you please take roll?

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

Present.

Council Member Trujillo. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz.

Present.

And Mayor Frometa. Present.

At this time, we will have an invocation, and I would like to thank Father Sam Ward from St. Raymond Catholic Church for attending and leading us in the invocation. Please stand.

Good evening, everyone. And as summer has come to an end, because schools are back, and it gets shorter every year it seems, so it means a lot of our activities in the city and our churches are getting going. Also, as I'm seeing that the city of Downey was incorporated in 1956, the same year, and this Monday, August 31st, will be the 70th anniversary of the founding of St. Raymond's Church as well, too. So we have a weekend of activities and give thanks to God for the 70 years in this city. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. Almighty and eternal God, you've revealed your glory to the nations. God of power and might, wisdom and justice, through you authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, judgment is decreed. Assist with your spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States. that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides, may encourage due respect for virtue and religion, may execute the laws with justice and mercy, may seek to restrain crime, vice, and immorality. Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government. May they seek to preserve peace, promote national happiness, and continue to bring us the blessings of liberty and equality. We pray for the governor of this state, the members of legislature, for judges, elected officials, especially here in the city of Downey, and all others who are entrusted to guard our political welfare. May they be enabled by your powerful protection to discharge their duties with honesty and ability. We likewise commend to your unbounded mercy all citizens and residents of the United States that we be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your holy law. We may be preserved in union and that peace which the world cannot give. And after enjoying the blessings of this life, we admit it to those which are eternal. We pray to you who are Lord and God forever and ever. Amen. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Blessings.

Thank you. Thank you, Father Sam. And at this time, if you please remain standing, we have several Girl Scout troops, number 71335, 2485, and 275. Would you please come up and lead us in the flag salute?

If you can please join us 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.

Thank you, girls. Would you please give them a big round of applause? Thank you you may be seated. Thank you, thank you for bringing them. It is always a delight to see our Girl Scouts and the various troops. Thank you, thank you for your commitment to civic duty as well. Appreciate you. Good evening everybody, colleagues, city staff, and members of our community. Before we begin tonight's meeting agenda, I just wanna take a moment to reflect on what makes Downey such a special community. Our ability to welcome people, bring people together, and look out for each other. Over the last couple of weeks, we had the tremendous honor of welcoming the Irish Paralympic delegation and athletes to Downey. It was a meaningful experience to share our city with these remarkable athletes and to demonstrate the warmth, hospitality, and spirit that Downey is known for. Given our historic relationship with Roscommon, Ireland and our city's Irish roots, having the Irish delegation here was especially meaningful. I'm proud of the way our community welcomed them and I hope they felt the same sense of friendship and community that we felt in hosting them. I want to especially recognize the team that worked tirelessly coordinating their arrival, the logistics of this special visit, our Assistant City Manager Vania de Rojas, our Director of Parks and Rec, Jason Chacon, and also Monica, Kevin, Judy, Chantel, and many others. Really, it was very well done, and we appreciated all of the work. The delegation was so pleased, and so it was a heartwarming time we spent. About a week ago tonight, we had an official city's welcoming reception for them at the Space Center with our Downey Unified School District partners as well. I also hope you're all staying cool amidst these triple digit temperatures. Looks like yesterday was the second hottest day of the year, and it doesn't seem like the temperatures are going to let up this week. So our first priority is keeping our residents safe. especially our elderly residents, young children and those with compromised immune systems. Please, please stay hydrated. Limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day. Check on your elderly neighbors and those who may be particularly vulnerable to the heat. And please never leave your children or pets in a vehicle. The city has cooling centers available for our residents who need relief from the heat. Our city library is open until 8 p.m. And our Barbara J. Riley Senior and Community Center is also open until 8 p.m. I encourage anyone who needs a cool place to be to take advantage of these resources. And again, please take the heat seriously. We have two presentations tonight, and I will be going downstairs to get those presentations underway. Hello again. I have the delight of talking about someone that is, well, we have two very special people that will be recognized tonight. But the Mayor's Legacy Award, as I've mentioned before, is The legacy we are leaving, the legacy we are building, and people that are doing extraordinary things in our community. The Downey's Supper Club began when Jan Lynn retired from Downey Unified School District. Missing the camaraderie of friends who were still working, Jan jokingly posted on Facebook that she was starting a supper club and invited anyone interested to meet her at the grand reopening of the Downy Sizzler. Six people showed up and they had so much fun that the group quickly grew. Today, about 60 people gather each month at different Downey restaurants to join together and have community. No one dies alone. Everybody shares tables, enjoys a meal, and has an opportunity to connect with each other. A local news feature about the group went viral, inspiring Jan to help others start other supper clubs in their own communities. You know, we live in times where everybody has these little handheld computers. And during COVID, because of course we could not meet, we seem to be so connected and yet so lonely. One of the greatest ailments that people are suffering today is feeling lonely. They don't feel like they matter. They may not be a part of a group that accepts them for who they are. And even though there are millions of Instagram pages or Facebook or groups People live through these, but yet they are alone. They feel lonely. They need that community and that connection. And what you did, Jan, and if I can have her come up here, because I will continue to talk more about her. Big round of applause for Jan. Jan, when... We know, well, I know, but as a lifelong Downey resident, Jan attended elementary, middle, and high school in Downey, as did her late husband, Mike. Jan was blessed to raise her children in this community and takes great pride in bringing people from all walks of life together. Jan's love for Downey is at the heart of everything she does, bringing people together one meal at a time. And again, when we talk about loneliness and we talk about people wanting to belong, what you've created is very powerful. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, was covered in the news at some point, was it not?

We were on CBS. Yes.

They came out and did a story on us at one of our dinners.

CBS News came out and did a story on us at one of our dinners. They met us out at Chris and Pitt's restaurant, and it was just so much fun, and it was so exciting. They interviewed a lot of the diners that were there, and from there, Yahoo News picked it up, and it just... I was getting messages from all over the country. Help me start that. I want that in my community. So there's Tulsa Soap Supper Club. There's one in Alabama. There's Texas. There's Arizona. There's a few up in Northern California. So they still like text me every once in a while and it's pretty exciting.

Let me read this Mayor's Legacy Award we have for you. Jan, on behalf of the citizens of Downey, in recognition of your dedication to bringing the Downey community together through the Downey Supper Club, what began with six diners has grown into a monthly gathering, creating friendships, connections, in a place where no one dines alone. An appreciation for your service and community spirit and your commitment to bringing people together and making Downey a more connected and welcoming community. You have the Mayor's Legacy Award.

Thank you.

And I will... give you my mayoral challenge coin, and I will give it to you the way law enforcement and soldiers do. Keep doing great work, and here is a city pin. If we want to come forward and take a photo. Would you want to say something else?

Well, there's several of the Supper Club members. Some of them are here from the beginning that came tonight, so could they come down and take a picture? Absolutely, absolutely.

Come down, everyone. You know, one of these, one of these things, and I can't keep showing you. I will have a story about me.

Let me move over here.

There you go. I want the mic anyway. Alright.

Oh, yes, yes.

Next month, we will be dining at the Golden Palace Chinese Food on Telegraph. And another great thing is a lot of us have never eaten there. I went there for lunch last week to get it booked. But yes, we get to try new restaurants every month. So that's another thing. People come and they're like, oh gosh, I've driven by here for years and I always wanted to eat here. So all of you are invited. We're on Instagram and Facebook. We're the Downey Supper Club.

Yes. And is it every night? Every Tuesday?

It's once a month, usually on a Tuesday, unless you eat at Chris and Pitt's. It's got to be on Wednesday because they are closed on Tuesday. But Tuesdays are usually the best night for restaurants. Wonderful.

Thank you, Dorothy. Thank you.

Thank you, of course. Well now, another one that I've been meaning, I've been wanting to recognize for quite some time is an individual that is known for his cheerful, welcoming, loving demeanor. Off of Reeves Avenue, Doug Hendricks, who is a lifelong Southern California resident, stands out and waves to the residents. And depending, I know by seasons, depending how you decorate your home, Doug may be dressed a certain way. And as drivers, as commuters, especially the early, the morning commute, Doug is known and is recognized for his friendliness, and he stands there and waves everybody hello. You know, Downey is a very peculiar community, and it is, while we seem to have grown to become the 10th largest in population in Los Angeles County, people that have been here for decades, lifelong people, you make this city so special. And while we may be a large community, we still have that sense of small town community. Doug, would you come up as I speak a little bit more about you? Doug Hendricks. I've heard about Doug for a very long time. This is our first time meeting. And people had called me to tell me, you have to recognize Doug because he is really salt of the earth. Doug grew up in Bell and moved to Downey in 1988 when he married his wife of 38 years. Would you like to join him up here?

Yeah.

Doug is a retired accountant, and he enjoys running with his wife around Apollo Park, woodworking, and has driven a float in the Rose Parade for more than 40 years. But one of his favorite contributions to the community happens right outside his front door. What started as waving goodbye to neighborhood kids heading to school has grown into a daily tradition of standing outside for about an hour, waving to every car that passes by. Dog cheerful greetings have become a welcome part of the morning for hundreds of neighbors and hundreds of people that drive through Reeves. People honk, wave, call out good morning, and some have even dropped off goodies to thank him. On the first day of school, Doug counted more than 500 cars passing by. He also adds to the fun by dressing as a scarecrow or farmer for Halloween and as an elf for Christmas. So you might have seen people have seen you. I know they've sent me photos. Through something as simple as a wave and a smile, Doug brings joy and positivity to the community every day. And this is one of the reasons why I am giving Doug Hendricks the Mayor's Champion Award because he's such a champion for our community. It says, Doug, the Mayor's Champion Award is presented to Doug Hendricks on behalf of the citizens of Downey in recognition of your dedication to spreading joy, kindness, and positivity throughout the Downey community. Your daily, oh boy, Your daily woes, cheerful greetings, and festive spirit have brightened the mornings of hundreds of neighbors and created a tradition that brings people together. Thank you, Doug, for making a difference in the city of Downey. One wave and one smile at a time. Well, thank you. Thank you so much. And I will give you also the Mayor's Challenge coin. Continue to be South of the Earth. And here is a pin. And Marianne.

Would you like to say a few words?

Well, thank you so much. I appreciate this. It was never my intention to be recognized because I just, I'm a pretty humble guy and I like to go out and spread a little cheer every morning. And it all started with our neighborhood children would get ready for school and I'd like to go out and say good morning to them and see them off to school. And then it became waving to a school bus, it became waving to all the neighbors, and then everybody wants to wave now. So you do that every morning? Most every morning. And it's just a fun tradition to have, and I enjoy doing it and bringing a little cheer to some people in the morning. Maybe they're having a rough morning or something like that, and it's just giving them a little positive send-off in the morning.

Thank you. And I do want to recognize some dear people that are here that I've known for, you know, at least 25 years. Dan and Susan Martin and Patty Leach. Such a pleasure to see you. Would you like, let's go ahead and take a photo?

Are we going to do the wave guy? Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

Now we're going to have a bite. Thank you for coming. Good night. Thank you. We have some great residents in this city. We really, really do. We are so lucky. Now is the time for public comment regarding agenda, consent, and non-agenda items. Speakers participating remotely may now dial star nine on their telephone keypad to request to speak on items listed on the agenda and non-agenda items under the jurisdiction of the Downey City Council. Speakers participating remotely will be identified by the last three digits of their telephone number when it is their turn to speak. Speakers will be prompted to unmute their telephone line by dialing star six. The time clock will begin when the speaker begins their comments. Once the speaker's time has expired, the telephone line will be muted. Once muted, you may continue to listen to the meeting via telephone.

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

City Clerk Duarte, how many speakers do we have?

Mayor, we have two in-person speakers, and I do have one written public comment that was sent to the public comment email. Okay. It is from an anonymous sender requesting an investigation and review regarding the care and veterinary response given to Lucy, a pregnant Doberman that entered SIACA on August 8th and died due to pregnancy complications, as well as her deceased puppies. That is all, Mayor.

Okay, thank you. I'll make a motion to receive and file the written public comment. Can I get a second? Second. Okay, please vote. The motion is approved unanimously. Okay, let's go ahead and have the in-person speakers. They will each have three minutes. And I will call on speaker number one to come up.

Good evening. Thank you. I'm so nervous. No, don't be. Don't be. My name is Suzanne Dodd. I live in Downey. I'm in Council Area District 4. And what I would like to bring up is trees, which have been in the paper the last couple of weeks. I guess, should I address to you according to the rules? Yes, please. I feel like you should look at everybody. I feel like I'm being rude, but I will do it right. It's been in the paper the last couple of weeks. Trees are definitely an asset to us. Absolutely. They help the air quality, they provide shade, no question about that. But there are times they are a problem and they are negative. We are a suburban community, we have wires, we have sidewalks, we have curbs. I walk a lot, three, four, five mornings a week, mile, two miles, whatever. and i run into a lot of broken curbs broken and raised sidewalks i've tripped over a few of them actually fortunately so far no falls they're a place it appears repairs have been attempted to even up sidewalks concrete's been shaved down asphalt has been put on top of sidewalks like they're trying to make it more even but of course the tree's still growing so eventually none of those really help in the long run there's also places where sidewalks are a total mess from what the trees drop because even evergreen trees are going to have debris in my observations also most trees aren't getting what they need to be healthy they don't get deep watering getting water only when sprinklers go off roots will stay shallow which causes a lot of these issues with sidewalks curbs etc Roots will stay shallow. Some trees do have naturally shallow roots. I believe ficus trees do. I think I read magnolia trees do. So no matter what you do, they have shallow roots. But generally, deep water encourages deep roots. I went on the Arbor Day Foundation's website, which for new trees recommends daily watering for two weeks. After that, you're supposed to water once a week, and they recommend for each inch of the diameter of the tree, 10 gallons of water. This is four and a half inches, so you're talking 45 gallons of water in one watering. I'd have to carry my watering can, what, 20 trips back and forth. So of course, there's always variables. If it got hot, if it rained, is your soil too soggy? Did you let your soil get too dry? There's always a lot of variables. And these, of course, are if you want a healthy tree. Trees will grow without this. People grow without eating healthy. I'd rather have cookies than abs, and I'm still walking around. So trees will grow, but if you want a healthy tree that fights off infections that will be healthy, we need to take care of them. We're also in an area that we have droughts. Every so often, well, it seems like a little more than every so often, we're told we're in a drought, start conserving water. So then we have to decide where to allocate those resources. Now in Mr. Pierce's opinion piece, I guess you would call it. Am I done already? Your time is up. We give three minutes. Well, I knew I couldn't get everything in three. I'll probably be back in a couple weeks. Yes, please do. I would like to thank you for the opportunity.

Actually, ma'am, would you give your information to our public works director? I'd like to follow up a conversation with you.

I was just going to say I'd be happy to talk to anybody. Yes, please. I'd be happy to invite any of you to walk with me. I would love to. And maybe Mr. Pierce is here? No, Mr. Pierce.

I read the article, and I don't know if you were the one that responded, but that was a good idea.

No, I didn't do any letters to the editor. We can have the back and forth. Thank you.

I'm not allowed to have the back and forth, but if we can get your information. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you.

Speaker number two may come up. Good evening.

Good evening, everyone. Thank you for having me here today. Thank you, City Council, for showing up. My name is Juan Martinez. I am the delegate of the 64 district. I represent eight cities, including the city of Downey. I also sit as a KDEM delegate for this area, representing the city of Downey. Today, I wanna talk about just a few concerns that I noticed at the last meeting, and then just move on into something general that I think that the city council should be aware of. I do want to talk about what happened at the last meeting with one of the items where you were looking to discuss and possibly take action on a $2,500 expenditure where you ended up deciding that even though it wasn't properly agendized, you would move on to allocate more funding, which was about 100% of the item proposed to $5,000, double of what it was. It was improperly agendized. The community did not know what to expect. They didn't have a 72-hour availability to digest the information of what would be proposed and expended, and therefore they had no ability to come in and speak on this matter. During the meeting, I mentioned that it was improperly agendized. Mr. Funk felt that it was within his scope to say that it was within the envelope and that the City Council could do this. I respect and I understand Mr. Funk's opinion, but that's what we have. It's just his opinion, which should be balanced with other legal scholars and other attorneys. With that said, I disagree with Mr. Funk's analysis, and I do want to say that this council should consider a cure and correct. I'll do my part, and I'll write that up for you guys, and I will be submitting it. But other than that, I wanna talk plainly with you guys. If you guys think that these type of actions are gonna be things that you're just gonna pass on to Mr. Funk and he's just gonna do the legal coverage, say, this is acceptable, it's within the scope, it's within the envelope, You're free to do that, but I am no longer just gonna write it up to the city council just so that fund can say, you're wrong, Mr. Martinez. I will pursue every legal avenue and oversight pathway that I can take, whether it be the attorney general, the DA, the civil grand jury, the FPPCC, it doesn't matter. NALEO or the bar of associations, depending on what the situation may be. We will be asking for transparency and that's what I want to inform you guys. Be aware that the community is always watching and we want transparency and accountability. That is all.

Thank you for that. Let's go ahead and take the call online. We don't have any, Mayor. Oh, no calls online, okay? If there's no other individuals wishing to speak tonight, I will make a motion to close public comment. Can I get a second?

Second.

So ordered by the Mayor. Now is the time for consent calendar items. Are there any council members that would like to remove or abstain from an item?

Yes, Mayor. I will abstain from item number four as I live in the vicinity, 500 feet.

Thank you, Councilmember Pemberton. Anyone else? Can I get a motion and a second to approve the consent calendar?

So moved. Second.

Please vote. And this is with Councilmember Pemberton abstaining from item number four.

The consent calendar is approved with Councilmember Pemberton abstaining from item number four.

Thank you. We don't have any administrative reports this evening. I will go ahead and move to our city council member announcements, requests for future agenda items, conference and meeting reports starting to my far left, Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz.

Thank you, Mayor. I don't have much to report today, but I do want to say thank you to our staff and our team for amazing work that they did with the delegation. Thank you so much. I really hope they felt the downing welcome. I'm sure they did. I was just missing out that the mayor and I, we were supposed to play a game right there, but we didn't, right? But job well done. Thank you so much. I do have one request for staff. I know we have a program, Keeping Down in Beautiful, and I want to see if we can expand that program just a little bit and see if it works, possibly allowing applicants to come in, at least two homes of someone who's elderly, a little older, or someone who cannot have the financial means, maybe we can go and support them. I know we go to different stores or different streets in our community, but I'm hoping that maybe we can expand or start that program where we can possibly help them out and maybe clean up their lawn. I know there's some houses that might need a little help if they ask for it, so I want to see if that's something we can do here in our community.

We'll definitely look at it and bring it back. Do I need a second? Through volunteers.

Through volunteers, yes. Second. Thank you. That concludes my comments. Thank you.

Thank you, MPT. Moving on to Council Member Sosa.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. A couple things. I attended a policy board meeting for Selleco Workforce Development. Nothing to report. Also, I was at the swearing in for the new mayor for Bell, Ana Maria Quintana. Anyways, I did meet and strike up a conversation with someone from the CDI, the California Department of Insurance, And my request is, I know we have a third party that comes in and does education for our senior population, mainly at Apollo Park, Barbara J. Riley. And I did exchange information with them and discuss setting up seminars on anti-scamming for our seniors and anti-fraud. So I'd like to move forward. And it doesn't cost us anything. It's just developing a a relationship directly with the CDI. So I'd like to set that up where we bring more resources available with respect to anti-scamming and anti-fraud for our seniors.

I'll second that.

Thank you. One request for staff. I'd like to do a stop sign survey on the intersection of De Palma and Mitla, M-I-T-L-A, and that's in the southwest portion of Downey.

What was that? De Palma. De Palma.

Okay, I know I was in that area with a resident. I might have addressed that with their city manager in prior meetings, but okay, I know where that street is.

I need a second on that. Second. Thank you. That concludes my comments.

Thank you, Council Member Sosa. Council Member Trujillo.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I don't have much to report in terms of the city, but I want to congratulate L.A. County. I was reading our Downey Patriot, and it looks like they're going to train ER doctors to initiate 5150 holds. I've been a big proponent, as our chief of police knows, on using 5150 holds when it comes to the homeless population. I do believe that the state of California has enabled Certain segments of the homeless population, particularly those dealing with mental health, and what I mean is the concept that sometimes we're supposed to ask people who are clearly dealing with mental health issues whether they want treatment, to me, escapes me. the reality of the situation. I think that we need to be more assertive in removing people who are clearly having mental health impacted issues and display that by sometimes being half naked, rambling on, soiled, not able to feed themselves. I want to thank Senator Susan Eggman who has been moving to identify being homeless basically under certain homeless under medical health situations as a disability. I think it's the right move in helping us deal with the homeless situation and getting people the dignified treatment that they need. So congratulations to the county. Besides that I had some issues about the five freeway exits along Paramount, but I've addressed those personally with our city manager, and I know it's frustrating because we're at the whim of Caltrans, so I hope Sacramento listens to us. We are a city bordered by four freeways, unlike many other cities, and I think we should get a little more attention when it comes to the entries and exits into our city with the freeways. Thank you, Mayor. That concludes my comments.

Thank you, Council Member Trujillo. Council Member Pemberton.

Thank you, Mayor Frometa. I would like to say that I had attended a few items last week as well. We had the Boot Barn ribbon cutting. I think that's really going to be an asset to our city with all the things that they offer for that Western look. And again, the Paralympics Ireland team, thank you to all the staff for everything they did from picking them up at the airports to the Sussman table tennis match. That was really inspiring. So... I attended our vector mosquito board. I am the trustee for Downy. And in increased cases all around Southern California of West Nile virus, including Downy. So again, I just want to stress to tip and toss all standing water, which helps breed mosquitoes. Don't water late at night. The mosquitoes love wet, damp soil in standing water. That's how they breed. Also, it's important to use repellent when going out or long-sleeve shirts. And spray your bushes and yards with foggers that can help clear and rid the mosquitoes. We have installed a number of stop signs in our city and crosswalks. I think in conjunction with our city and also maybe the school district in areas to help with students going to school. So please remember the speed limit around schools is 25. Is that right, Chief? 25. And so drive slower. I know I have a crosswalk over by Furman Park. So don't be surprised if driving the roads you all of a sudden see a a stop sign, a crosswalk, be alert. We have one on Gallatin by Meldar, and drive slower by Parks and such. So thank you, Downey PD, for being present around our schools, especially now that we've gone back in the morning hours, in the afternoon, especially also around new stop signs. People are not seeing those, so we need the visibility of our officers to let them know. I want to mention on the consent calendar that we approved, or rather it was on our check register that we have paid for 10 new Dodge Durangos for our police department. So I'm glad to see that the fleet is being updated and that we're looking into it and having the inventory and good cars. I'm sure this is coming from measure as funding that we will have for that car. Also, I'd like to thank staff on Treasure Island. The new Treasure Island sign looks fantastic. I know when they took it. I already had five residents called. Where'd it go? Thank you, Public Works, for getting that done. And they really appreciate it, even with the blue and the palm tree and such. I have one request for city manager. It came to my attention while investigating the parked car that the resident said was in the same location for a month. I said, well, why wouldn't street sweeping ticket it? Well, they didn't have street sweeping on their streets. So we have a list of 22 streets that do not receive street sweeping from years past for various reasons. So this resident said this particular area on Paramount had requested not to have streets sweeping years ago, and then they would maintain the streets, and that way they could keep their cars parked on the street. Well, they are not maintaining it. And especially now with having a vector coming around, or rather the increase of mosquitoes, we need to keep our gutters clean. So fast forward, I would like our city manager to have our streets STREET SWEEPING SERVICE IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY UNLESS THERE'S A PARTICULAR REASON WHY WE DON'T DO IT WE SHOULD INCLUDE THESE 22 CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE MASTER PLAN AND I THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME WITH THAT I HAVE FOUR STREETS IN THERE I CAN SHOW ALL OF YOU WHAT WE HAVE SO AND THEN WHEN WE ARE READY TO MAYBE HAVE ALL THE STREETS SWEPT AND PART OF THE MAIN MASTER PLAN THAT WE GIVE THE RESIDENTS TWO WEEKS NOTICE WE GIVE THEM A A letter that, and putting our signs so that they're not caught offhand, that all of a sudden we're doing street sweeping. But I think this will really help our city to keep it clean, to keep our gutter system, especially any standing water breeding mosquitoes or something like that.

I'll second that motion. And if you can, City Manager, if you can, send me that list of those 22 streets that are not.

Can do that. Actually, what might be helpful is we'll bring a report back to Council and get direction. That would be great. Yes. Thank you. That was a second, I think, yeah.

Yes, second.

Perfect, thank you. And that concludes my comments, thank you.

Okay, okay, I thought you were maybe looking through something to share. I will keep my comments short since I did speak at the beginning of our meeting. Just thank you, thank you to our police and fire chiefs for the tremendous work that your departments do to keep our city safe. Thank you. Just a couple of reports I want to give is we celebrated the 73rd birthday of the oldest operating McDonald's. which happens to be in District 4. There's 45,000 McDonald's around the world, and this one here in Downey is the second oldest and continuing to operate. I was made aware of this by Charles Phoenix, who is a mid-century modern icon, and they had a happy birthday celebration on Sunday. It was wonderful to see many people from our community, but also people from all over Los Angeles County that came dressed in original McDonald's gear. That was really, really fun. I have a couple of asks, and one is, we had talked about the plaques on our various parks that had been stolen. Do we have an update on when we're going to be getting the new plaques? And second, there is one of the residents who's late mother, and let me pull up the name. This is Roger Miller's mother, Ruth Custon Miller. She was the first female, and she was a senior librarian under Claudia. I see Ben shaking his head. It appears that when we did the library remodel, a plaque that had been placed inside the library in the children's area was, of course, taken down for the remodel. And it doesn't seem like that plaque was ever put back. And if we can check, I just want to be sensitive to these historical plaques that we've had to make sure that we have them back. And speaking of plaques. Mayor, excuse me. Yes.

I brought that up. I think it was about a year ago. He also contacted me. And I think our director knew of them and found them. We know where the plaque is, see? And he will be putting it up. So we still have it in safekeeping. Okay, perfect, perfect.

I know he's approached me a handful of times, and I just wanted to make sure that we move forward and we get that done. Thank you. And then the fire memorial that we... that we unveiled a few years ago. That is also missing a plaque. Can we look into getting that plaque done now? Do I need a second for that?

No, we can take care of those.

Thank you. Thank you. And then I do want to let our residents know, couple of stop signs that were very, very much needed in District 4, and one of which is right behind Downey High School. There's a wonderful crosswalk and new stop signs, and thank you. The residents are really happy. Thankfully, the The high schoolers kept dodging cars for years, so they really appreciate that. And then the second stop sign that was put up last year was on Pangborn and Maddock in a residential street, and that little neighborhood really appreciates that, so thank you. A couple of... things we have. One more thing is we have the I Love Downey Festival coming up Saturday, September 19th, and we will be celebrating our 70th anniversary since incorporation. We talked about the hours of operation, 3 to 8, if we can move it 4 to 9. And the ask is the Historical Society has videos that they would like to showcase, and those are better viewed a little bit more in the evening. So if we can... move that festival a little bit later, that would be great. And for our community, we have the We will be having a special 9-11 remembrance ceremony on Friday, September 11th at 8.30 outside here at the Civic Center. We also will have September 16th, Wednesday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the 27th Citizen Academy will be starting. And I want to... INVITE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO BE PART OF THAT CITIZENS ACADEMY THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND ALSO, THOSE OF YOU THAT WANT TO START A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, PLEASE CONTACT MOMI CERVANTES WITH DOWNY PD. SHE IS IN CHARGE OF GETTING THESE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS. I BELIEVE WE HAVE 243. ABOUT 240 SOMETHING.

Sorry, 254 right now.

254. And so, again, I always say engaged communities are strong communities. Let's get engaged and get those neighborhood watch groups started. That concludes my comments. I will turn it over to our city manager for your comments.

Thanks, Mayor. The only comment I have is just to get a second on the hours of operation for the change. I'm not sure what the operational impacts are, but we'll prepare that report if there's a second.

I'll second that. Second.

Thank you. That's all from staff. Thank you.

Thank you, everybody. Thank you, everybody. It looks like we've come to the end of our council meeting. This city council meeting is now adjourned in memory of police officer Austin Zaid Abdel-Nabi, 30, of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, who was shot and killed when responding to a call regarding an armed subject in Las Vegas. A moment of silence, please. The time is 7.29. This meeting is adjourned.