City Council - Regular Meeting

Yes. Council member Alonzo here. Mayor Peter Romero present. Council Palta present. Council member Melendez here. Mayor Tomayo here. And with that, u Mr. city attorney if you can announce close session items. Yes, thank you very much. So, I'll first start. Is there any public comment cards that have been turned in for We have none. Thank you very much. Um, at this time it' be appropriate for the city council to recess into close session for the two items that are listed under conference with legal counsel existing litigation and conference with legal counsel and anticipate litigation. It's appropriate to recess, Madame Mayor. All right, we'll recess into close session.

must be sand blasted so they can apply a code upon it. All right, we are uh back from close session. Mr. City Attorney, if you can report out.

Yes. Thank you very much, Madame Mayor, members of the city council. The record should reflect the city council with all five members being present in close session uh and uh were present in close session and prior to recessing into close session. Items one and two were announced uh publicly before uh discussing those matters. uh my report on both items conference with legal counsel existing litigation the Chavez versus city of Montabell and the conference with legal council anticipated litigation matter those two items were uh discussed with the city council there was no action taken that is required to be reported at this time and that would conclude my report from close session

thank you Mr. city attorney. Let's uh move forward with the invocation. Thank you for being our

and for our pledge of allegiance. Today we have not one but two future Monabello leaders. So I'm going to read a little bit about them and then I'm going to have you come up both come up to do the the pledge of allegiance. Bella Bella Quuevas. Bella is a third grade student at Washington Elementary who enjoys science and has a strong passion for space exploration. She is currently participating in flight school. Flight school and learning coding, demonstrating curiosity and determination at a very young age. Bella aspires to become a mechanical engineer so she can help and send astronauts into space. Bella. And when she was asked uh to participate today, she asked if she could bring her bestie So, her best friend, Zoe. Zoe is also a third grader at Washington Elementary who excels in her studies with math as her favorite subject. She's an active member of the Girl Scouts and is known for her outgoing, joyful spirit and her willingness to help others. Zoe enjoys dancing and aspires to become a cheerleader. She also dreams of becoming a YouTuber in the future. So come on up, Zoe and Bella, please.

So then you can do the pledge of allegiance. We can turn the mic and then please join me and my friend in the flag salute. Put your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge alce 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. We'll have a mom.

At first I thought they said fighting tool. Sir, our next item of business is uh corrections to the agenda. Mr. City Manager, good evening, mayor, council members. There aren't any corrections to the agenda today. Thank you.

Okay, great. and we'll move on to our ceremonial presentations. And if you can um if my colleagues can go up to the front so we can uh honor our citizen of the month today. Let's see. It's easier to take it up. All right. Thank you for welcoming. Um, our citizen of the month today is Lorena Bisana. Lorena.

Oh, congratulations. Very welld deserved.

Yeah, we can. So tonight we are proud to recognize a leader whose dedication to youth development and community services had ma has made a lasting impact here in our city. Lor Lorenna Pisa. Lorena has committed has been a committed and active presence in Montabelloo for over two decades. Her connection to Montabelloo began in 2006 with her involvement with the local scouting programs and that commitment has only grown stronger with time. Lorena has served as a leader of the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts across Montabelloo units, dedicating countless hours to mentoring and guiding young people. She also serves as a venturing crew committee chair in nearby Whittier, continuing her impact across the region. As a parent, Lorena has led by example. Her son achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and both of her daughters earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, an accomplishment that reflects not only their hard work, but also the guidance and encouragement they received along the way. Since 2008, Lorena has been a leader with Cub Scout Pack 45 in Montabelloo, where she continues to inspire young minds through hands-on learning and service. Currently, PAC 45 is building a take take a book, leave a book mini library near Montabelloo Intermediate, creating opportunities for literacy sharing, and neighborhood connections. In September of 2025, Lorena expanded her impact even further by founding a new Girl Scout troop now serving 15 young girls. Together, they are already planning meaningful service projects, including

creating blankets and cat and cat toys for the local animal shelter. Beyond scouting, Lorena gives her time to support seniors and young adults with special needs. She is also a proud community partner working alongside BCA Troop 33 Montabelloo, the Montabelloo Lions, and Venture Crew 6 461 and regularly participating in cleanup events here at the city. For Lorena, service is is more than volunteering. It's about shaping the next generation. She is driven by passion to help young people become confident leaders while encouraging them to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Her greatest reward is seeing the youth she mentors grow, thrive, and discover the world around them. It's with great pride that we recognize Lorena Biana as the Monabello's 2026 April 2026 citizen of the month. Please. Okay. Thank you everybody for being here. Thank you for this award. Thank you Cindy Farber. I know she's not here but she's watching online. Hi Cindy. She nominated me. Um but first I want to say like um it was just not me. I have like great role models. Mr. Farber, he's one of my role models. Cindy Farber and Miss Sher Shoy always show that we have to give back to the community and I've learned from them and that's why I'm where I'm at. So, they're like my role models. Um, I want to thank my daughters. Every time we have some kind of cubby event or Girl Scout event, I'm like, "Hey, I need help for this. Please help me." And then they go, you know, helping me. My husband for putting up

with me. Sometimes I'm not home on the weekends. I'm like camping or something. Thank you. and my whole family. My cubbies, I love my cubbies. Mr. Wayne, actually, the only reason I was able to kind of start the the my new Girl Scout troop cuz Mr. Wayne kind of stepped up and helped out so much. So, thank you or else I wouldn't have been able to do it. But, um, other than that, thank you everybody that's here. I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you. Oh, it's

How are you? How are you? All right, everybody. Okay, everybody. It's a big bridge.

I like That's it. Let me just move it. I'm going to win. What are they? That's okay.

Our next agenda item is the clean task force uh presentation.

Yes, mayor. This presentation is being given by our code enforcement and and planning staff. Uh present the present presentation is being given by code enforcement manager Joseph Kota, senior management analyst Celeles Alcantar and management analyst Lenaya Ortega mayor members. Thank you. Good evening, madame mayor, council members, city staff, and residents. Uh, tonight we will highlight the city's ongoing efforts to address non-compliance and improve quality of life through the work of our clean task force. As part of this presentation, we will also be introducing two key grant initiatives, the tobacco grant and the cow recycle grant, which support our enforcement efforts and help expand our ability to address public health concerns and environmental impacts within the community. The initiative known as the clean task force, city-leading efforts against non-compliance, focuses on addressing blight, safety hazards, and chronic problem properties through improved coordination and accountability across departments. The goal is to keep the community safe, well-maintained, and in compliance with city standards. In October 2024, the city adopted ordinance number 2479 straightening regulations for vacant properties, including requirements for registration, maintenance, and s and security to prevent deterioration and reduce blight. The ordinance also established a monitoring process that improves communication with property owners and help the city track compliance more efficiently. The effort is led by code enforcement with support from fire, police, public

works, MCAP, and the city attorney's office to ensure a coordinated and effective response. Slide three, um, area assignments and coverage improvements. Uh, for this slide, you you'll see a map of the city that reflects updated area assignments for our code enforcement team aligned with each council district. We recently readjusted these boundaries to better coordinate enforcement efforts within each district. The approach allows officers to become more familiar with their assigned areas, including reoccurring issues, property owners, and community concerns. As a result, we're seeing improved consistency, faster response times, and stronger accountability. In addition, we have adjusted our start and end times to better match peak activity periods in the community. This change enhances our team's visibility and responsiveness during peak times, thereby improving overall effectiveness. Uh major major abatement progress. This project involved a former car wash site lo located at 2302 West Whittier Boulevard which had been a longstanding nuisance in the community. The property generated ongoing concerns related to safety, blight, and repeated calls for service. Through a coordinated effort, code enforcement worked closely with police, fire, public works, MCAP, and the city attorney's office to pursue compliance. This included consistent inspections, enforcement actions, interdep department coordination, and a unified strategy to address the property. As a result of this collaboration, the nuisance portion of the site was demolished on November 6, 2025. The public safety impact has been significant. In the 12 months prior to demolition, the location generated 32 calls for

service. And the four months following demolition, that number dropped to just three calls. This represents a 72% reduction in average monthly cost for service. Uh high-risk residential property. This property is located at 418 South Maple Street. This property had ongoing nuisance issues related to trespassing, illegal dumping, and potential safety hazards. Uh through coordination across departments, we put in place a clear plan to that includes regular monitoring, public safety actions and required security measures for the property owner. These measures included securing and boarding the structure, removing trash and debris, and posting no trespass signage to deer unauthorized activity. Following a fire on March 26, 2025, the clean task force responded quickly to address immediate hazards and coordinate cleanup and abatement efforts. Ultimately, the unsafe structure was demolished, eliminating eliminating the ongoing risk to the community. The public safety impact has been significant. In the 12 months prior to demolition, the property generated 30 calls for service. In the eight months following demolition, there have been zero calls for service. So, chronic nuisance property. This property at 2100 and 21108 Wier Boulevard has been identified as a chronic nuisance due to long-term vacancy and repeated impacts including trespassing, graffiti, fire related hazards, and trash accumulation. We provided opportunities for voluntary compliance and issued clear corrective directions to the property owner. However, the issue persisted over time. As a result, enforcement escalated

through notices and citations along with city attorney involvement and progression towards legal action. The property owner installed a mobile security camera trailer to help deer activity and support monitoring, but the underlying conditions continued. The city's moving forward with abatement measures and pursuing receiverhip to secure a long-term solution and eliminate ongoing public safety concerns. Postfire stabilization. Uh following August 30th, 2025 fire at 2000 West Whittier Boulevard. The city initiated and coordinated multi-EP department response to address immediate hazards and restore sight safe site conditions. The fire department's community risk reduction division helped by reviewing the site and providing safety guidance while hazards were being addressed. The code enforcement division maintained ongoing oversight through follow-up inspections, coordination with the property owner and contractors, and progressive enforcement actions, including security and fencing requirements, graffiti removal, and compliance related to unauthorized activity. These efforts continued until fire, debris, and related nuisance conditions were fully addressed. As a result, the site was stabilized and secure with zero calls for service in the seven months following the site. And for this portion, I'm going to bring up Lana Lair. She's our management analyst.

Thank you. Good evening, Madame Mayor, members of the city council, and members of the public. Over the past few years, code enforcement has significantly expanded the city's vacant property monitoring efforts. In 2023, the city had identified 21 vacant properties. By 2025, that number increased to 67, reflecting a more proactive effort to identify and track vacant properties throughout the community. At the same time, as shown in the chart, the program is also helping move properties toward compliance and productive use. The number of properties brought back into use increased from two in 2023 to 18 in 2025 and the reoccupancy rate increased from 9.5% to 26.9%. There has also been measurable progress with vacant property registration. In 2025, 38 out of 49 currently vacant properties were registered, resulting in a registration rate of 77.6%. Together, these results show that the city's monitoring and registration efforts are strengthening accountability, improving communication with property owners, and supporting the long-term goal of returning more properties to active use. Maria Alcantara, the senior management analyst for the planning and community development department, will now continue the presentation. Thank you. Good evening, Madame Mayor, members of the council, and members of the public. To conclude city staff presentation, the city has secured external funding to support the clean task force and strengthen both our code enforcement and neighborhood improvement efforts. Most notably, the city was awarded $317,181 through the Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program, which supports enforcement of state tobacco laws, including illegal sales to minors and the flavor tobacco ban under Senate Bill

793. This grant runs through June 30th, 2028. Earlier this year, the state released the unflavored tobacco list, which can be found on the Department of Justice website. This list identifies products permitted for sale and provides clear guidance to support local enforcement of the flavored tobacco ban. This program is carried out in coordination with the Montabella Police Department and Code Enforcement Division and includes retailer inspections, undercover operations, and retailer education to ensure compliance. In addition, the city was recently awarded $275,000 from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, also known as Cal Recycle, for the illegal disposal site abatement grant program, which helps support the cleanup and remediation of illegal dumping sites across multiple nuisance properties and runs through June 30th, 2028. These funds will allow the city to remove hazardous debris, implement preventative measures such as fencing, cameras, and lighting, and support enforcement efforts, including cost recovery through leans, special assessments, or other legal mechanisms from responsible property owners as allowed under grant guidelines. Together, these grant-f funded programs provide critical resources that support the clean task force, improve coordination across departments, and reduce impacts on the general fund. Thank you. This concludes staff's presentation and we are available for any questions.

Thank you so much. I appreciate the fact that you bring your team, your code enforcement team to to present. Um and thank you to to highlighting uh the big impacts that you your team has had here in the city. It's been um huge. I think the vacant properties, the nuisance properties that you showed, the pictures, I think uh say a lot also. Um and then the grants that you're bringing to address issues such as illegal dumping and tobacco. But thank you. So I'll open it up for questions or comments, please. Council member Melinda.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh thank you for the presentation. Uh it's um something that we're all extremely excited about. Uh, you know, it's I like seeing the numbers of the properties that have been brought back, you know, from two in 2023 to 18 in 2025. Um, and we have 67 vacant properties. Uh, with these properties, are are we just to understand maybe what's going on with some of these uh locations and why they're not being um utilized or why they're being abandoned. uh what's the just overall like what's kind of some of the feedback that we're getting on some of these properties of why they're um you know why it's why they're the way that that they are right like why what's going on like is there um what kind of issues are they facing why why are they leaving these properties you know uh in those conditions so just curious to see some of the feedback that that you all have gotten

I think a lot of the properties are more commercial businesses. So when they don't uh have the opportunity to have a new business move in uh it leaves them in a tough space. And for that what we're trying to do is just trying to see like get them to be compliant and um can you walk us just a little bit? I know you kind kind of went over it on the presentation, but just walk us through what the process is and when we identify that vacant um lot and they're not being compliant, there's graffiti, like what's what's a what's a route that we're taking?

Yeah. So, typically once a property is identified as vacant, uh the code enforcement officer who's assigned to that area will reach out to them um first to verify that the property is vacant. um they would give them uh the ordinance. We also developed a brief like overview guide that's just a little bit simpler uh to see exactly what uh are the requirements for a vacant property and how to how we expect to hold them accountable. Um so we would want them to register and give us important information. Um do they expect it to be brought back into use anytime soon? What are their plans for it? Um once they do that, the officer will continue to monitor the property uh and make sure that there aren't any uh you know, graffiti or illegal dumping and whatnot. And if there are those violations, um they would give them a warning. And if they don't comply by a certain date, then the officer would uh start enforcing with citations. And if those are ignored or if the violations continue to occur, then uh we'll push it further with um legal actions with the city attorney.

Awesome. Thank you for all your work. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? Yeah, council member Peralta.

Um yes, just two. Um the first one is kind of going off of um Council Member Melendez. Um, you know, we do have properties that have just been, I would say, consistently non-compliant. Um, properties that, um, prop where property owners have just disregarded um, communications with the city, have not uh, or or don't necessarily care about the violations, right? Um, many of these property owners are kind of just sitting on these properties. They become abandoned. um they become nitroglant um and they become really an eyesore for a lot of um our neighborhood areas and I think some of us know which you know which properties we're speaking of um along near Willox and Whittier. Um can you talk a little bit about just the process that the city has to go through in terms of just forcing um these property owners to be compliant? Like what does that legal process look like? I know oftent times, you know, we are consistently u bringing it bringing it up to uh city staff but also residents in terms of just you know the city has leveraged our resources to clean up the mess or you know the the issues that a private property should um property owners should um essentially be doing. um we go in, we um paint over the graffiti the next week. Um it happens again and it's really falling on the city and us leveraging our res resources to address this. Um can you maybe talk a little bit about the difficulties in terms of just having to go through uh a judge to give us access to these properties? Um what it means for these property owners that are going through this uh this process uh with our courts? um just just kind of a glimpse in terms

of like how does that look like? Um I think is important just so residents fully understand why sometimes things do take a while when it comes to uh trying to get uh these owners compliant and then the city really trying to leverage our resources and the process we have to go to address these issues.

So these cases a lot of them involved uh chronic non-compliance from the property owner. From the code enforcement side, we have an escalation process where we issue notice of violations, administrative citations, and then for the 2100 property, we got abatement warrants through the court and we got we executed them. Unfortunately, um, violations reoccurred on the property and then the continued lack of owner maintenance and then the inconsistency of owner communication where at times I had to get the city attorney involved to initiate communication. Um, those three things alone just contributed to the prolonging of this uh of of these properties. On our end, the baitment alone, it's not a long-term solution. we need to work with the owners and and have the owners uh compliant. Um we still have a lot of work to do. I understand that. Uh we're still out there and we're addressing these issues is our main goal right now is to get full compliance whether that's through the administrative side on our end or through the legal factors uh through the city attorney's office.

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for walking us through the challenges that you guys are facing in terms of the work of of really getting these property owners to comply and to to really take um hold an importance of maintaining their property. Um lastly, and I don't know this is more so for um our community development director, but um I know that we also in this effort that we started in terms of really taking um vacant properties more seriously and and really uh creating stronger enforcement mechanisms is we also want to work with properties that might necessarily not have the resources or the capacity to um reach out to um to businesses to try to get them to come in as tenants. I know that that's something I believe we we've kind of been working on in terms of connecting um you know, mom and pop shops, uh entrepreneurs that don't have brick and mortars to potential uh sites or or properties that are available to hopefully try to get them to um to um um to go into these properties so that they're not necessarily just left abandoned. Uh do you mind talking a little bit about that effort?

Yes. Um, good evening, mayor, members of the city council. Excellent question, council member. U, the ordinance that was approved actually does incentivize popups. Um, I believe if a property owner hosts a popup for seven days out of a 30 calendar day month, they are exempt from the ordinance. And really the goal there, um, and I I think one one thing we didn't mention is that our economic development um, division is also engaged in this. So they actually work with you know groups popup uh maybe vendors or other um entities that want that want a space and maybe that space works for them. So then we would connect them to the property owner and and you know try to to make that connection so that it it could work out where we could re and I think some of this the reactivations are a result of that proactive um sort of economic development component um really where we're incentivizing those who maybe are up and coming or are looking for a permanent space. So, the ordinance does have that um included in it. So, it does provide us that opportunity.

Yeah. Thank you so much. And I appreciate the efforts on on that end of um not only just helping our local entrepreneurs and and um families that are looking to start their own businesses, but at the same time creating that incentive for uh property owners that don't have new tenants and really bringing them into the city. Appreciate that effort. Thank you so much. You're very welcome. Thank you. Any other questions, comments? So, one last thing. If a resident sees a nuisance property, how would they go about to start reporting that?

So, they could report it to us directly and then I'll have an officer signed in the area, the district area, and they'll respond. Uh, whatever um violations that they observe through the municipal code, um we'll address it. Uh but first of clear most we want to identify if the property is vacant and that's through um our notices um active monitoring that that area. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you and congratulations to the clean force. Thank you so much. Thank you. Have a good night. Thank you. Great work.

Okay. Uh public we'll move on to public comment. Um Mr. City attorney on non-aggenda items. Thank you very much, madame mayor. At this time is the opportunity of members of the public who wishes to wish to address the city council on non-aggenda items. You would have had to fill out a card, turn in the city clerk at by this time. And uh with that, we'll move forward. Mr. City Clerk, do we have speaker cards? Yes, we do. How many do we have on non-aggenda items? We have a total of seven. Seven. Okay. Madame Mayor, can city clerk proceed?

Thank you. First speaker is Eileen Warta followed by Rahul Ortalo big noise. Is this okay? Too too far. Okay. Okay. Well, for starters, good evening to all of you guys. My name is Alen Muerta and I'm a current graduate student at USC and a longtime resident at Montabelloo, born and raised in Beverly Hospital. Um I'm not coming in this way to oppose any ideas or any development that the city has done, but kind of just want to throw some ideas and recommendations essentially. Um so over the years I've noticed that like a lot of us have seen Monabello develop into um a business friendly. We got awarded that in 2025, which I'm very proud of. But at the same time, as I'm hearing talking about vacant buildings and such, I do see areas around the city that are seen either empty, they look basically, as I worded it, um empty, underutilized, or even disconnected from the community. Um to me and a resident just driving by in a sense, um I look at those and I wonder if there's any life that could essentially be put into those. Um like businesses again, like what we've been growing recently. Um and of course as a current social work student I feel like community is something that we really highlight and understand um as it strengthens us those around us and essentially the city that we call home. Um, so I just kind of have recommendations um for those empty lots essentially or even just expanding businesses cuz in doing so I also believe in employment and maybe those that want to work serve their community, work for their community that opens that opportunity up as well. Um, in terms of initiatives that can either be partnerships, specialized programs, however that may

look like but essentially initiatives to make that happen. Um, so yeah, I that's kind of like how I want to summarize it. And I guess the way I want to end this is um we don't lack anything as anything. We have so much already and we're getting so much more as I'm sitting back and listening. Um I just think it's all all um intent and action to make things happen. But yeah, that's all. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your comment. Next speaker is Rahul Ortado followed by Denise Higgopian.

Uh good evening. I just want to talk about uh three observations that I've uh not in the past here that I've noticed and I'd like to talk about it. Uh we had the uh uh coffee with a cop or something like that at the at the dealer up on Montabella Boulevard, Tesla dealer. And I noticed that uh I like to go up there and talk to them because I'm a strong supporter of the police department. Well, almost all. Uh but I noticed that there was not very many officers up there and not too many people attended. And okay, I like to go up there and talk to them, shake their hand, thank them for the service they do. I don't think it's easy to beat a police officer. So, I like to let them know that I acknowledge them. Well, then they had the one that on Boulevard. There was less officers there. Didn't get to talk to any of them. And there was less people there. What's happening? Something's going down. What What is happening? Don't they care anymore? That's my second observation. My third observation was at the last meeting I presented a question to you and you wouldn't answer. You just stared at me like a deer in my headlights until my time ran out. That's fine. That's the game you want to play. I'm a big boy. I can handle it. But when that American Legions came down here to uh do whatever they did for Romero because she belongs to the American Legion, I'll admit that the man that was presenting talking about her on the 3 minutes he stopped. But you allowed them to come down here and take pictures. That is proceeding with the same old thing. You should have told him get out in the lobby and take pictures. Mr. Glassman always says this is a business meeting. She came up here, you treated it like the Academy Awards. You need to watch what you're doing as a

mayor because you fall down an awful lot. You got to be fair with everybody. Thank you. Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Denise Gopian followed by Rosa Toayo. Good evening, mayor, council, and citizens of our community. I want to thank you for addressing the concerns on Montabella Boulevard. The business owners really appreciated that you looked at their proposal and understood that something needed to be done. This sla last five months have been distressful for everyone, especially the 16 businesses who have all lost money. Um, and that affects 70 different employees. I want to thank the public works director, Mr. S Caesar Raldon and James Convert for taking the time to analyze our property to sit there, look at our map, and come up with some solid plans. they started the process. We have gotten four parking spaces uh returned to the public use in the past two weeks. Uh the driveway coming out of Montabelloo Mart next to Rio's Pizza is still a dangerous driveway. Uh but hopefully we'll be addressing that Monday night at the traffic and safety commission meeting. And I want to thank you for putting in the request for a U-turn at Beverly Boulevard and Montabella Boulevard. Uh it's really important that we stay on this issue. The entrance on Montabella Boulevard is a major one of the 10 major entrances to our city and we can't have people having a car accident or being confused because they won't come here and shop and eat, which is what our main goal is. I want to appreciate the support of Scarlet uh

I'm sorry, Councilwoman Peralta um and uh the city manager um and also originally uh Miss Romero. We um sometimes get up here and we have heartfelt complaints, but they should never be taken personally. And so I really appreciate your responses. In the last two weeks though, there have still been an additional three accidents now totaling 10 accidents in the last two months. All coming from the same exit, the exit from the Mart of Montabelloo next to Rio's Pizza. Uh so those accidents are being documented on a security camera. They will continue to be a liability for the city until it's addressed. Regarding the seventh street, the city street has been degrading. The city public works has been coming out. I've already seen them four times filling in the potholes, but that's only in two months. When it rains again, it's going to be worse. And that is a continued stress on our public works department. So, we have to alleviate the extra street uh extra traffic on that residential street. Montabella Boulevard. Thank you very much.

Yeah, thank you.

Next speaker. Next speaker is Rosa Tamayo followed by Bill Piso. Josean. for supremac. recall the Angie Jimenez.

Um, recall. analysis. Much gracias. Gracias.

Next speaker is Bill Piso followed by Greg Gonzalez.

Good evening. At the last council meeting, uh, I was a little confused about the rules and regulations that we all must follow. During public comment, Miss Romero was honored by the American Legion. Now, I'm not questioning your service and thank you very much for your service, but I need clarification on why a group can come up, give an award, she comes down, receives it. We citizens are always reminded that this is a business meeting by the city attorney. Many times we are told, if we don't follow the rules, we will be removed from the meeting. So my question is why do the citizens have certain rules and regulations to follow and basically council people can do whatever they want receive awards during public speaking time. You know I went to a military school. So does that entitle me to get an award for an athletic scholarship? I'm I just need clarification on this. I want everybody to play by the same rules. Or is it just because it's an election year? So, I hope Mr. City Attorney, you can explain the rules and regulations that we all have to follow. Um, please. Can we do it after the meeting or could you address it now, sir? You know, Mr. Palo, I appreciate your questions. I I follow the instructions direction of the city council. I

appreciate your comments and and I let me try to address it briefly if I may. Sure. Okay.

Yeah, it is a business meeting. It is a business meeting. Uh there are certain ceremonial portions of that meeting that are part of the business of the city. when a group or organization comes up to say thank you to any council member, not just council mayor promo, you know, it would be rude, I think, if uh the that group or organization was to be sent off. Uh and you know, that was a positive thing. Um, and I would u hope that not only you but other members of the public would understand that when you know when those kinds of things happen, you know, I I know everybody wants to make everything a big issue, but there are big issues and little issues. And with all due respect, I I I view that if a organization, whether it be the American Legion or I see representative from Senator Archeletta's office, if they came up and wanted to present somebody something, even a member of the audience, uh, you know, that that um would be respect.

Okay. So, a member of the audience can I could present Mr. Za with an award then. Well, but but you're not an you are not a I would say no. With all due respect, okay, I thank you for clarification. Thank you for your comment. Next speaker is Greg Gonzalez, followed by Jose Ramirez. Happy Earth. It's fantastic to see so many involved in civic engagement. Rosa pursue determin.

Congratulations to the pledges of allegiance leaders, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, and Weeble Below troops 4533 and 2233. I hope I have those right and did not miss anyone. The children are indeed our future. Let's work towards that future for our children. I commend the city for the clean task force as well as cleaning up abandoned and neglected properties.

I call court enforcement every day. Thank you for your work. Keep the standard high. Let's keep it up. So, let's set another standard. Let's abolish plastic water bottles at city council meetings. first as a symbolic step and then as a city-wide statement and then a bomb in the war on plastic. There are many complicated issues you face and of course we are constrained by Roberts's rules of order where you cannot directly respond to our concerns as Mr. Pissi eloquently underscored. Thank you for speaking on that briefly Mr. Alvarez Glassman. This one isn't complicated. As I understand it from Miss Guen, all it takes is for one of you to have the courage in open forum to propose a motion to use only reusable water containers at city council meetings in the council chambers. If that is too politically dangerous, perhaps a ban on plastic water bottles on the deis might be more palatable. It's disappointing that on Earth Day, Earth Day, with our planet burning up, there was no official agenda item, no formal recognition, and no effort to fight against the the continued degradation and abuse of the planet we all share. We're looking for courage and leadership. Thank you for f for for fulfilling your mission of service. We can do better. Happy Earth once again.

Great comment. Next speaker is Jose Ramirez. Who was the next speaker?

Jose Ramirez. Good evening everybody. Uh three things. Um my sewer was plugged and it was plugged every time I called uh I live in Sixth Street. Every time I call uh a plumber to come, it will be a bunch of uh roots, he will come and clean it and boom. And I got tired of it. And I call different uh guys roer. And this one, the last one, um Adido, service, uh service champion. Uh and he says uh um it was the sidewalk uh uh behind the sidewalk in the street not in my side it's it's broken because the um the material that they use my house is like in 1940s and by the way I've been living like 30 years and Uh well uh I bought a house. Uh so I I come and this gentleman help me to fill up and he said you came in in time. So uh one year passed by and uh nobody noticed give me a notice. Hey we're

working in your problem. Don't worry about it or or it's going to be end up pretty soon or whatever. keep in touch with um with a citizen uh since they building the houses and making a lot of money. I don't like the houses and they don't look like houses and the hill. Uh they said, "Oh, they recovering a lot of money, a lot of millions of dollars." Uh, and I said, I'm gonna go now and present uh him the the proof that I filed for because I pay $35,000. I want to buy a car cash, but no, I got this problem. I said, uh, uh, this guy came and put the camera. He says it's broken right there. And it was like in the in the street, not in the sidewalk. for that little square like from here to here $25,000. I said do it because I was tired paying paying here, paying this, paying this guy. I will call different guys and I I I came today and I saw him. I recognized him. I talked to the gentleman that was taking care the problem and I said, "Uh,

thank you for your comment." Uh, so so we the secretary come out. He says, "Thank you for your comment. we we can address and um and help you. Uh he said we have we have a threem minute limit on on comments. That he says is that uh thank you for your comment. He thought he he he he was wrong but I fel wrong at the time wrong but thank you for your comment. We will we will uh address your your issue please. I never came to this meeting, but the streets amigos that way. Sir, sir, you're going to have to sit down, please, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir.

Mayor, that concludes all courts on non-aggenda items. Okay, great. Thank you. Our next item is uh the public hearing item number five.

So we will open up the public hearing at 8:05 and we'll start with the speakers. Yes. So, yes. At this time, um, Madame Mayor, I believe it's going to go directly into public comment. Um, and I believe we have speaker cards for the public hearing. Is that correct? Yes. May proceed.

Okay. First speaker is Fred Sedimen, followed by Will Seao. Mayor, city council members, staff, city attorney, I'm here to express support for the city of Montabelloo as it advances its resoning efforts to meet state housing requirements. The regional housing needs assessment is a state mandate and jurisdictions across California are required to plan for their fair share of housing. Montabelloo's efforts reflect a proactive and responsible approach to meeting these obligations while positioning the community for long-term stability. The city's work is being implemented in a manner that is consistent with the vision policies established through the 2040 general plan which was shaped by a compreh comprehensive community engagement process. That foundation is critical as it ensures that current actions are rooted in prior public input and a broader community informed framework for growth. It is also understood that change can raise concerns particularly when it involves familiar and long-standing areas of the community. That perspective is valid and important. At the same time, there's a clear and ongoing need to address housing availability for residents, workers, and of course, our future generations. By focusing growth along commercial corridors and incorporating mixeduse development, the city is advancing

strategies that support economic vitality, expand housing opportunities, and promote more walkable, sustainable neighborhoods. The focus moving forward on thoughtful implementation, continuing to engage the community, respond to feedback and refine plans while maintaining progress towards meeting state requirements and local goals. I thank you for your time and uh let's move forward. Appreciate it. Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Will Seo followed by Linda Nicholas. Hey, council. Thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you, Joe Palmi, for having the meeting with us the other day. Um, I believe everybody here has received a letter from Maria Leesba that had attachments for three PDFs. So, you guys can uh follow along with what I'm saying. Ra Alvarez, uh, Arnold Glassman, and, um, Salvador Melendez, I was able to hand you a copy. Now, according to this copy from July 15, 2021, thanks to the CL uh from uh HCD to the city of Montabalo, if you have documents showing the granters imposed legal restriction against non-golf course uses, we can explore using exemption. Otherwise, we are only seeing factual descriptions of the property as a golf course and language suggesting that we will remain under the same use. I bring that up because we've been messaging back and forth HCD as well as Palumbi and stuff like that, but he also admits he's not an attorney. So, here we go. Maybe everybody in the audience, maybe they agree with me. This covenant is made subject to the following covenants and conditions which shall run with the uh land and apply for the binding upon the guarantee its successor and assigns to Wit. said promise shall be used premises shall be used for a park recreational purposes only for the purposes of uh incidental to stop and shall be known as Bickno Park. you know where you guys want to put the homes. In the event said premises or any part thereof shall be ceased to be used shall be put to their successors or assigned in accordance with the representative interest of the property each of whom representatively shall thereupon have the right to immediately enter re-enter said promises. With that being said, please pass it tonight. Please put some

more restrictions on it to not wait just for the seventh cycle tomorrow because Raul and Joe were refusing to work with us. We're saying tomorrow have them start looking for additional lines. Arnold is a magician when it comes to having when we're in trouble. He saved us $20 million in like 2016 when the redevelopment was having an issue. He can work this. It should be Arnold working this. It should be with the mayor. And because of the fact that we're asking for additional documents because of an alleged rumor is Mr. Alvarez might have called HCD and said teach him what they teach him a lesson and bring down HCD into uh builder's rights. If that's true then that should be a reason for termination. Also this is from 2021. We gave him an option. We had a meeting a month ago. Raul, you refused to do anything. Joe, you refused to do anything additional when we're asking you. The council gave you guys direction and you guys threw a fit. I'm sorry, but that's You arguing with him up there is also wrong. You and you and you all work for them. They work for us. We're in an election year. Learn how our history goes. Once they change, they change.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker. Next speaker is Linda Nicholas, followed by Alexandra Buseno. Good evening. Um, you're going to pass this. We all know that the reasonzoning. I would ask you to put a covenant to have a development moratorum notwithstanding any other provisions of this agreement so that no construction, development, grading or site alterations of any kind shall be permitted on the subject property during the term of the moratorum. During the effective period of the moratorium, the subject property shall remain in the condition, the current condition. No persons or entities shall initiate, approve or undertake any development activity, prohibit any activity, including not limited to construction, grading, excavation, land clearing, infrastructure, installation, or any action intended to prepare the the property for development. No permits, no license, no variance, no approvals related to such activity shall be issued during the moratorum. We need you to give the city that protection. You're going to have to do the zoning and it's at the last minute like always. Um and make sure that there's an enforcement. So any attempt to oversee this can't be done. We need we need to have protection. We need you guys to prove to us that you can do something for what we're asking you. We know you're going to reszone it last minute shoved down our throat like everything. Like Mr. Sea said, Arnold, you're a brilliant lawyer. Back in 2016, you saved the city $18 million. None of these youngsters were up here back then. They don't know what you are capable of, but I know you have the capacity to do

this. Please implement a development moratorum. Put a stand on this. Pass the zone, but also put this in there. You're protecting the the cub house, which is great. The the monument, add this in. You can do this. Have a moratorum so they can't build on this property. Cuz I'm going to tell you right now, this is our powers that be that if they want to use their deep pockets, they'll investigate and find a big null error. And guess what? You guys allow them to do anything to try to build on there, you're going to hand that over to the big family cuz it's very clear right there. You're not allowed to bill on that. And if you do, that big no family is going to own home two suites. Everything on that side will be backed with them and it'll be your fault. And you know what? I'd rather have that happen than you guys build there.

Next speaker is Alexander Viseno followed by Vivian Romero.

Hi, good evening, Madame Mayor and Council members. Today I want to persuade you to end the abuse that has been inflicted on our residents for decades. Um this land was given to the city's res residents so they could use it for recreational purposes and the land granters the big set conditions that if you use it for any other purpose that the land would be reverted back to them. For this reason, I don't think it's legal to develop this land and it is not fair to the residents for you to take away their gift. Secondly, the city has a proven financial track record that is not good. The city has repeatedly subjected the residents to take on bond debt to take on debt to build businesses on the golf course. multiple millions of dollars in bond debt to develop hotels, banquet halls, event centers, restaurants, and golf courses. The city has used a couple of contractors to operate these businesses, and the contractors don't generate profits for us repeatedly. They've never generated a profit. Okay? The contractors, they make millions on these businesses, but in the end, our city doesn't get a penny. In fact, we often have to pull money out of our general fund to keep them going. I've seen this here. Many of our residents have seen this and witnessed it. Witnessed it. All revenues get sucked up by the bond debt maintenance and by the big fat operations contracts. The city has repeatedly demonstrated that it cannot make a profit on its business endeavors in the golf course. And now you're asking us to take on more bond debt so you can dabble in the real estate market. No. No. Because you are incapable of generating a profit. Given past performance, there is little

evidence that new projects will generate positive revenue. How much time do I have?

Okay. The same operator continues to manage these facilities under long-term arrangements. One contract runs until 2064 and the other contracts have 30-year terms. So, there's lack of competitive contracting and oversight. These contracts don't go out to competitive bidding and it is highly likely that the construction work to build the housing development won't either, and it'll cost us a lot. Every dollar tied up in bond debt and underperforming enterprises is a dollar not available to pave our streets or to maintain our infrastructure. Right now, the public is carrying the risk without seeing the reward. Community trust. When projects con consistently fail to deliver public benefit, it it erodess confidence in future proposals. Right now, there are more sellers than buyers in some regions and many residents are leaving the state. Given these conditions, it is risky for the city to assume new development. Montabelloo has

Thank you for comment. Okay. Thank you. you.

Next speaker is Vivian Romero, but I don't think she's here. So, we'll move on to next speaker is Marila Desma. And after Marie, we have Rosa. Good evening, council, mayor, staff. Uh first of all, I want to thank uh the council members and Mr. Palumbi for taking the time uh to have give us a platform so we can ask more questions and and receive more clarity. Um I'm disappointed though that this came to council to the vote and such a last minute. It was the HC HCD approved it in 2021 and it took four years for essentially bringing it to council for a vote. To me, somebody dropped the ball. Something this urgent, something this important shouldn't have to take that long. Um so council please put pressure on city manager on city staff that issues of this magnitude do not come to you at the last minute especially when three of you are brand new and don't even really understand what you're voting on. So that that in my opinion that was good that you guys tabled that to get more clarity and I thank you for that. So my other point is Mr. Palumbi, I did send you an email. I wanted clarity on what exactly

where is Bickno Park because the email that you provided to HCD that you provided to the people that were there. It was misleading. It was incomplete. And your response was not up to par. You were not clear. You didn't answer my questions. In fact, you gave me more questions now because you're making me feel that there's no such thing no more as big no park. It doesn't exist. And I don't believe that to be the case. I will continue to do my due diligence. I'm in communication with HCD as you also suggested. I'm gonna I I will be getting all the possible information to share with you all council so you can be those that those councils that fight for us because we strongly believe that big no park is for the residents and we should respect it, honor it and not lose it in the mix like you were making me feel that um you said that it was purchased. No, it wasn't. the golf course was purchased. Big no park should stay intact. And nobody better than Mr. Glass Mench should know that he's been here for over 40 years. So, he should be the person that should um that you guys should be going to and asking for clarity, especially if the city manager doesn't really know. Um,

thank you for your time.

Thanks for your comment. Next speaker is Rosa Tamayo followed by Bill Piso. person. Um, Um um necess Fore necessibility. No, no, no. Fore

loans. Um, No, Um,

next speaker is Bill Piso followed by Corey Chapel.

Good evening. Tonight we have a very big decision here with item five. And over the last few weeks, I've done my own research along with attending a few meetings put together by residents and city staff. And thank you very much for city staff for all the information. In my opinion, the city of Montabella will lose either way the council votes. First, if we vote yes, we are following the requirements for housing set forth by the state for Montabelloo. But that vote isn't what most of his citizens want. If we vote no, we are not in meeting the housing numbers put on us by the state and will we become out of compliance. When that when we become out of compliance, it triggers immediately what is called builder's remorse. Builder's remorse means that any builder can present plans and build whatever and wherever they want and want to bellow per the state. There is no easy solution to this problem. I believe we must vote to reszone to become compliant with the state to meet the required numbers and fight another day. We don't need the state of Montabella with builder's remorse approving every plan and a builder permits. And believe me, that's what will happen. Currently, we have the Jackmar project property, a proposed 44 unit housing development. The citizens in the area told the builder that they would not accept a 12 to 17 unit project, but the builder's remorse is enacted. The 44 unit development will most likely be built. Monabella loses. Now, myself, I have selfish reasons for this council to vote yes to reszone. I live 550 ft from the front of the entrance of the Depal Center. Mercy Housing a few years back wanted to build a 750 unit lowincome and very lowincome housing unit. We citizens of South Montabelloo hired a historian to have the property deemed a historical site. It has come to our attention over the last few weeks

that the property is up for sale per planned bid by a secret bid process. We have also learned of an inquiry to the state historical society to have the property's historical designation overturned. I don't think this is a coincidence that all of these things are happening at the same time. If builder's remorse is enacted in Montabelloo, we are in for big problems. Believe me, there will be builders hovering over that 14 acres of land called the Depal Center like vultures. We do. You see the big picture here? Let's take the blinders off and let's focus on the big picture. I've learned in my years in business, you have to take the path of a less lesser evil at times. We have expressed our position to our county and state leaders. Let's hope it helps with our situation with the state. We also have very one big powerful tool in our pocket. and if we don't get help that we need and that is our vote come election time. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is Corey Chabel.

Uh good evening mayor and council members. I want to begin by thanking you for the increased community outreach over the past few weeks. I also want to specifically thank Joe Palumbi and the planning staff for taking the time to sit down with residents and answer questions, help us better understand where we are, how we got here, and what is truly at stake. It is very clear that our community does not want housing built on that green space near the golf course. If there were still time to reallocate those units and remain in compliance with the state, I believe that that would be the overwhelming preference of the people you represent. Unfortunately, this process did not come before council with enough time to fully explore or implement that option in a meaningful way. So, tonight, many of us find ourselves in a difficult position, feeling like we must accept resoning now with the hope that it can be corrected later in order to avoid the very real consequences of falling out of compliance with the state. This is not where we want to be, and I ask that you make a stronger effort to ensure we never find ourselves in this position again. To be clear, council must pass the resoning tonight to remain in compliance and avoid exposure to serious state penalties that could take decision-making power out of local hands. My district 5 neighbors have fought too long and too hard against projects for us to lose control to builder remedy. With that said, I think that we should also acknowledge something truly incredible. This community showed up. We spoke out. We asked questions. We became engaged in a way that made it impossible for our voices to be ignored. Because of that, we now have real tangible protections that did not exist just a month ago. Covenants and agreements for preservation and protection of the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument and our beloved Scout House, the cancellation of an open RFP, and new legally binding language that gives our community a voice in what happens to that green space moving forward. These are not small things. They are proof of the power we have when a community

stands together. But we also know that protections on paper are only as strong as the will to enforce them. And that is why accountability matters. Four out of our five council seats are up for election this year. So it will be up to all of us residents, future councils, and city staff to ensure that these covenants are upheld, that these protections remain in place, and that future decisions do not quietly undo what is being promised to us tonight. So to my neighbors, please don't stop here. Keep asking questions. Continue showing up. I implore you to register for next Tuesday's EFD meeting and stay informed about the decisions shaping our future. Because when our community stands together, we do not just participate in the process, we transform it. And if we stay engaged, we will not just protect what we love, we will shape the future of our city for generations to come. Thank you. Thank you for your comment,

mayor. That concludes all the speaker cards we received for this item. Okay, so we'll move on with uh discussions amongst the council. We could go down the list. You want to close? Oh, close. So, we'll close the public hearing at 8:30 and then on to discussions. I'm just opening. Anybody else want to speak? They didn't put a card in.

So, so are there additional speakers in the public hearing for this item? Item number five. Yeah.

Okay. uh Tila Gregorian uh resident for most of my life here in Manabel. I just can't even understand why this is even a discussion as to building homes in the country club. That property was given to the residents of Montabelloo for recreation purposes, not for housing development. Whatever greedy developer wants to build houses there, you just need to put a stop to it real quick. That property will go back to the family that gave the property to the city. It was not for development. It was for recreation purposes. And you're I I don't even know why this is even being discussed. discuss on discussion for the city. You cannot put homes in the country club and whatever greedy development is talking to whomever of the city, your name will come up eventually. Don't think you're going to be a a a stranger or unknown person continuously. All the information will eventually come up. And we need to my I I can't even I cannot even comprehend that this is even

being discussed discussed to build homes and and our one jewel of our city, the Montabelloo Country Club. Please have some common sense. You're up there representing the residents of Montabelloo. Please represent us and fight against this developer whomever he is and whomever he knows in the city that he thinks he can get minds changed. I says that property was for all of us. All of us residents in the in the city of Mabalo, north, east, west, and south. We are all a city and this property was left for recreation purposes. So, please don't even consider having a developer think of developing homes up there. It is such a greedy thing to such a greedy act for development to developer to even want to develop homes there. It is for this people of the city for entertainment purposes. So please stand up strong to this developer whomever he is and eventually we will find out who he is and who he knows and uh in this city. So beware because we the residents can arm up and fight.

Thank you for your comment. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. So this is on item five. Come on up. Yes. Good evening madame mayor, council members. I'm just a resident. Um my name is Goshaur. I live on uh Via Sandelaro very close to the golf course. That's my community. Those are my neighbors and that's not only memory and things that uh that we got used to.

Excuse me ma'am. We have a major issues on this section of Motorello beside the fact that the golf course provides so much for our community. recreation, green space. You see neighbors every single day going uh whole families using that golf course. We don't want as a residents high dense development housing development in this in this neighborhood. The traffic is horrible. When when I bought a house, my neighbors told me to come to not even go to you guys council member and ask for the light on the corner of Via Sandelaro and Garin because it's never going to happen. There will be another crash and someone going to get hit. There's a serious public issue bring so many people to our neighborhood with traffic and safety. It's not only traffic safety, it's also public safety. Behind my house in the matter of seven years that are 9 years nowadays that I live, two people got murdered just like that. Just please represent us and especially to you council member uh Peralta. You are our representative. I remember you your campaign. I do please think very wisely about development of this area. Maybe like my neighbors vote think that that should be green space because it's been given to uh to the

citizens of this town. Why not to be bold and think about that? And if not, please please hear us. We don't want high density housing in this area. It will cause tremendous issues for our community, for this stretch community. And to prove that, I invite you, every single one of you, to come tomorrow and try to cross the street Garfield from my street via Sand Delaro and just cross to other side and see how safe is that and how many cars are going to stop on this flashing lights.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Yes. Yeah, the gentleman please. He was

This is the first time I come to this meeting after 25 years. Uh I suffer a stroke and I went to school and I graduated. It took me 10 years. Uh and I've been working 37 years with MTA. I have a son in drugs. uh it's difficult to raise kids. So he took the bath the wrong crowd and he's been uh in drug since he's 17. He he goes in and out in and out and now he's losing it. He's hallucinating everywhere right here. I asked myself what what Montello can do. Uh so my son is either qualify has mental state illness and put in where the hospital is or put in the Y because he's I'm ashamed that he's offending people. He offend me. So, can you imagine uh in the streets uh and you have seen a lot of them? I have seen them. I spotted him right away. I said, "He's like my son. He's like my son. He's like my son." And downtown, I took a a video another one. He's going like this. And pretty soon that he has the pants and the floor. So I I'm asking you, have you ever thought about, do you think everybody's perfect? All the kids are perfect? No. So they're going to be drug addicts. Why do you think Mr. Trump is enforcing the the the the butter? I know they found the the the

way. It's either tunos or flying or the chips, but they're gonna come drugs. But do you ever think about it? Put him those guys where they belong to because Me has a father. I cannot argue because he's not there. I called the police and they were afraid. He tell them in front of their faces and they do nothing. Why? So I asked myself, my wife works for this uh police department of uh um Woodier. She look whatever she says it's not the same right in Mexico. Mexico you say hey come over here and take this guy and they take it in force. So right here I can't Can you do Can you do something that he's saying? Yeah. Because he's offending people. He's constantly using the the drugs and they're right here in the community. That's why they they don't go nowhere cuz they they know where they can buy it.

And uh the question is can you do something about it? Thank you sir for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you. Um, mayor, I believe this address. Madame Mayor, if if anybody comes forward again to speak a second time. No, it's only one opportunity. So, okay. Okay. Okay. Any other speakers that have not come up for item five?

I wish all of you would give these people your attention because it's hard to talk up here. Okay? So, quit with the phones. Quit looking at somewhere else. Give them the attention they deserve because we're here as citizens. I don't think any of you live around here. Thank you. Thank you for your comment.

Yeah. Anybody else? Any other speakers? Item five. Okay. So, we'll close the public hearing at 8:42. I'd like the motion to amend. Not yet. So we have uh discussion amongst the council. Did you want to start? Council member Alonzo.

No, by all means. Thanks. Okay, we'll move on. Um, Mayor Prom Romero.

Uh, yes. Uh, first I'd just like to acknowledge um all the hard work that went into um the city plan, the reasoning, and ensuring that we do stay in compliance with HCD. I appreciate the staff and the patience uh that it took uh meeting with all of the residents and addressing their concerns. um as well as my colleagues reaching out to a number of the residents. Uh I really appreciate that. As a council member, um it is my job to ensure that I vote on agenda items with full understanding of how these items affect our city. And with full transparency, I could admit with the first reading for when this item came before me that I voted in haste. Um, I knew it was time-sensitive and I wanted to remain in compliance. However, after the first reading, my vote weighed heavily on my conscience and this is why a motion to table this item. This allowed residents as well as myself to have their concerns addressed. And I thank all of the residents that did reach out to staff that reached out to um city officials who reached out to uh state representatives and who held us accountable for our decisions and asked all the hard questions. I'd like to thank um Director Palumbi for answering all the questions and making himself available to our community. Um, I believe we all have the best intentions uh for our city and um when these items come before us, I speaking for myself, I think I can become emotionally invested in these items, but at the end of the day, we need to do what we feel is best for our city as a whole. And so, um, I just appreciate everybody coming out, everybody who comes out to each of the council meetings and and holds us

accountable. Um, I appreciate the residents who want to work together with us on council and and offer solutions. We don't have all the um solutions on council and so sometimes your ideas, they make us think and I appreciate that. I appreciate the emails. Um, and that's what we're here to do. We're here to um work together. Um, we all do live in the city. So, um, uh, just to clarify that, uh, we we all do live nearby and this does affect us. It doesn't just affect, um, certain districts. This is this, uh, decision is going to affect Montabelloo as a whole. And as some has said, um, there's no easy decision, right? There's repercussions to, um, to whatever we vote on as well as Belle's remedy. It is a very real thing. There are um, major consequences to whatever actions we take. So, I just appreciate everybody who's worked on this, all the residents, all the staff and my council members. Um, and that's all I have to say on this item.

Can you plainly state whether you support or do not support? Excuse me. You're not allowed to to be allowed at the from the audience, please. Thank you very much. Still at the council level, Madame Mayor. Yes. All right. U, we'll move on. Uh, the next is council member Peralta.

Yes. Thank you so much, um, Madame Mayor. Um echoing just similar um I would say similar um thoughts here in terms of just uh very thankful for the residents that have reached out. very thankful for those that have really um pushed us to think more boldly, pushed us to think about the different tools that we have in in our toolbox as council uh to really take proactive and critical measures to protect our safe um our green spaces. I do just want to clarify some mis uh representations that have been made in terms of comments this um this evening. this specific item in terms of resoning. Um it's not it it's not to actually build housing. Um we're not obligated to build any housing. There is no developers that have been selected. Um there are no projects that proposals that are coming our way for us to review. Um there are no construction permits that are being um processed for this. Um, so I do want to be very clear about that and I think, you know, we all um have consistently shared how none of us want housing in our green space. Um this has been a very very much a catch22 type of situation in which we are being forced by the state to reszone to be able to plan for growth but we're not being forced to actually build especially in a property in which the city owns in which we have um many layers of control. Um as council member for this district I have not hidden um on this issue. Uh, you know, for me it has been really important to kind of take this issue um by the horns and and really do my best to educate to be thought partners with my community to figure out how I can best put measures

in place to ensure that this space is to be protected. um you know these past few weeks have been I would say extremely difficult for a lot of us and that not only is this such a complicated issue, not only is so much at is at stake in terms of just the consequences of the city being descertified from the state um but really um really doing putting our best foot forward in terms of being intentional about being accessible about creating spaces for residents to get involved and to uh share their concerns and and ask questions. Um you know many of us here were in these rooms three hours. Um I I had an opportunity to do a meeting with some residents uh you know doc uh doctor director Palumbi you know and his staff made himself available. I had another meeting with residents of district 2. another 3 hours of really just putting in um I would say our effort in trying to create the space to one educate, understand the issue, and at the same time figure out what what um measures we can do um in terms of the future for the golf course. And this is where we're at in terms of just what we're bringing forward and and really what we're um I would say I hope you know our council's commitment in terms of the resolution that we are introducing tonight um would terminate any past RFPs that um had come at one point in the city which were not thoughtfully or intentionally um developed in a way where the community was involved. And so for us, it's a doing a reset and actually now bringing forward a specific community visioning process that I want to advocate um to be extremely comprehensive. not just sending out a mailer to our residents that live near the golf course, but to actively have an outreach campaign to ensure that residents are a part of

these community visioning meetings to ensure that their input um and their feedback creates the vision of what is to come to the golf course. If residents want open space and recreational amenities, that's what should be in any future RFP. And so, um, really thinking about, uh, what it means to be, um, what it means to have a comprehensive, uh, community visioning process. I will say that one of the best models of organizing that I've seen here in the city of Montabelloo is the um no smoking um campaign that was done by a group of um of um of um not constituents because they're not from here, but they uh were actively involved in meeting residents where they were at uh creating events and really uh being present in terms of getting the feedback um to ensure that uh the no smoking ordinance would pass here in the city. That's the type of level of organizing and community um I would say participation that I really uh put on staff to help make that happen. And if that means that we have to find funding or prioritize funding to ensure that um we're able to have that level of participation, that's something that we we all need to commit to. Um because this is one of the last uh I would say open green spaces at this scale in our city and we have to do everything in our power to protect that. Um, I also do want to just encourage and as part of this process here today is what does it look like to begin assessing viable sites? Not necessarily waiting for the seventh element uh process to start, but begin that process. And I know it's a long process and I know that it it does take time, but that's where it it's really upon us to be able to provide um that support to ensure that you have the staff or that you have the support to be able to uh to take on that effort. Um, and so I do just want to reiterate um

that I appreciate all the really all the work that my colleagues have done to educate um our community to be thought partners to listen um and really bring these items forward because we do have a council that is very I would say um very open to the ideas whether it was uh you know listening to our businesses in Montabella Boulevard that needed um help in terms of the uh the issues of of the no U-turns and um accessing their their um their their businesses to um you know the bathroom situation across our facilities and being able to approve funding to actually fix all our bathrooms. We've uh I would say are very open to hearing our residents and being able to find solutions even even thinking about the um AI moratorum for the node data centers right that was something that um we were very proactive in terms of uh putting forward a moratorum as well as just extending that to be able to bring back a permanent ordinance to protect um our city from those types of developments. And so, uh, I appreciate our residents and then I also appreciate this council and our staff for being open to to communicating and being thought partners in in these issues. Thank you, Madame Mayor.

Thank you. Um, Council Member Melendez.

Thank you, Mayor. Um first I just want to you know start off with uh when this item first came up. Uh one of my concerns was u some of the questions and concerns that residents had brought up during that time and um since that moment there were um there's been there was a lot of engagement uh with a lot of the residents. We were able to have a community meeting here. Um wanted to appreciate uh uh and acknowledge staff that was able to uh be part of those meetings. And uh you know this is what honestly what democracy looks like of having different opinions, having different points of view. Um Corey, I mean you're super invested in this and um educating us, you know, having these conversations back and forth, organizing the community and amongst many other residents as well. And um there was a lot of different perspectives, you know, and um for me that was one of the biggest um things that I just wanted to make sure that we really did have a deep dialogue in this that we had some conversations, that we had uh opportunities for all of us to be educated on what um were able to do our our possible remedies or are our our um possible, you know, solutions that we can have to this and uh you know I I I had many conversations with uh many residents here both of our state offices. I uh Fred with you know Senator Archeletta and and both Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez. We had some conversations there of you know how um how we can work together on this as as we are hearing what the residents are telling us and saying that you know in the future they're there nobody wants any any housing there. Um my commitment is that you know that we'll we'll I'll personally work with my colleagues and

with uh with staff to see how we can um begin the process of of of when it's uh allowed to reshift or look into other sites and see how we can um you know um reallocate those those uh numbers that we have to do in our golf course into other areas. Um, but you know, um, with that being said, just appreciate everybody's, you know, input, everybody's, uh, commitment to to make sure that your community is protected. Uh, that's that's what that's what it's all about. You know, it's it's uh, um, it's it's all of us coming together. There's business owners, stakeholders, staff, residents, everybody coming together to make uh, uh, an informed uh, for us to make an informed decision. So again, want to thank those residents that that uh really worked hard in assuring that got the right answers uh u and that got a commitment from us and like Mr. Palasio said the biggest tool that you all have is that there is elections and there's an opportunity for when these elections do happen for all these candidates whether uh in office or challengers to take a position on this item and take a position on uh items like resoning. That's that's a tool that you all have and that's uh the most powerful voice and the most powerful way to uh make assuring that you all get represented. Thank you.

Thank you, council member. Um so I also want to sincerely thank the residents. I know there was um many meetings um many phone calls, many discussions um about this issue and and it wasn't a easy issue. It was very uh layered, very uh entangled, but um thank you to all who have participated, who have voiced your concerns. Um we have definitely considered that. And also uh sincere thank you to our um director of uh planning um Joseph Palumbi and to Vivian Esparza who was also part of these meetings and who did a lot of work um on these plans and have been doing a lot of work for the last couple of years. So, the city is asked to to take action on on several interconnected issues to bring Monabello's zoning code into compliance with the state housing law and the 2040 general plan. And to this end, um the council is asked to introduce four ordinances which are listed. Um there's also resolutions on there that terminate uh the RFP for the golf course. So, it's going to terminate that RFP and it's going to require the new community engagement process to include uh public meetings and um notification to the residents with that are within a,000 ft radius which that is additional to what was um previously what is uh typical um it's typical 300 I think it's 300 ft but um and any future proposals before any future proposals on that golf course there's also Also what we included are two covenants. The two covenants again are legal instruments that get recorded on title that have the restrictions for the two um the two

sites and that's the Armenian genocide u martyrs monument and the Montabelloo scout hood. So that will be on title. Um none of these actions approve any specific development. So again we're not saying we're going to develop on that site. um we are saying that we would have capacity but not that it's going to be developed. So you know again um I know there's a lot of information but I just just want to reiterate some of these some of these issues. So I I see compliance with the housing element really as as a shield for the city um where the city can have if the city is in compliance then we did dictate that process and we laid out a little bit of what that process looks like and um you will hold us accountable to that process. But if we remain if we get in compliance with our housing element plan, then that is going to protect us from the state coming in as was described and having a builder's remedy and doing high density projects all over the city. Um there's specific sites, but it would be all over the city. And there are examples of other cities that have experienced this and um and it's real. So I think it so that that's how I see it. That's how I see just the housing element being in compliance that it's our shield and that we um stay in control of what gets built in our city.

Ma'am,

so that's yes. to uh to close this off, I'll uh reiterate and pair exactly what everybody up here's already said. If you have communication with me outside of these chambers, you know very well that I am not interested in having anything built in these sites. I'm interested in compliance. I'm interested in making sure that we are in a position of negotiation power to when the time does come to propose new sites that we are in compliance and that we can transition from the existing sites to the new proposed sites. But if we're not in compliance, you know, that's that's a much harder pill to swallow. I don't want to be in a position where, you know, the state just comes in and supersedes our authority and just says, "Well, we're just going to build here because you weren't compliant." I don't want us to be in that situation. I don't think anybody here wants to be in that situation. So, to me, it's very it's very clear now. It's about staying in compliance, but also making sure that we transition in the seventh cycle to make sure that we have the amount of doors that we need to have for the state to be happy. The state's happy, the residents are happy, and we're happy. Nobody here is interested in having their city be taken over and have the state build wherever they want. I don't want that. I don't think anybody here wants that. So, thank you.

Thank you. Any any further comments or Okay. So, I will go ahead and take a motion and a second for this item. I motion to amend. Amend. Mhm. Motion to amend to amend. Yeah. And the amendment

uh two amendments, please. One of them is to restore the site plan reviewed threshold in ordinance 2489 from 10 units down to five units. And then the second amendment is to add a sentence to the existing parkland fee ordinance directing a portion of collected fees towards historically underserved neighborhoods in our city as required by state under the law AB686.

Just for clarity, if I may, mayor, that's to approve items 1 through nine with the amendment incorporated into those approvals. So, I just I just want to uh check in with the director of planning regarding those two amendments just to make sure we're we're we're good. We don't want to before um council member, do you repeating the the site uh the thresholds? What are you what's your amendment again? I'm sorry. What are you recommending your amendment again on the the thresholds? Do you mind? Yes. Do you mind restating it again for me? Yes.

Yeah. Oh, okay. If Steph got it, that's fine. Um I think Joe it might be prudent to maybe talk about I mean how it worked or why we came at these numbers and recommendations and then maybe talk about if if we can accommodate this change as part of this item.

Ye yes uh thank you mayor council member. Um so currently in our code uh site plan review which is a discretionary action that goes before the planning commission is required whenever a request comes in for three or more residential units. Uh we had increased that to 10. Um we can definitely make that amendment and uh take it to five um if that's the will of the council and uh we will um revise the ordinance and it will come back under the second reading with that amendment. uh with regard to the parkland fee um because that was in it's in a separate city ordinance and I believe it was approved in 2018 and the ordinance uh is ordinance number 2407 which is not before the council tonight. We will um as staff look at that ordinance um do an analysis and then use uh I think uh the standards that are used by HUD um to identify qualified census tracks where we can um allocate those funds accordingly uh based on um you know uh income levels and uh and I think uh we can propose using an analysis that staff will prepare to kind of put some um to put some numbers to it.

Thank you. You got it. Thank you. So, as I understand it on the floor, we have a um the motion with an amendment uh with the changes to the site plan threshold and the parkland fees, I believe. Well, the parkland fee to be brought back as as a separate item because that that would uh require a municipal code change which is a a separate process. If the council member is okay with that, we we would bring that back, but it's a separate item. Okay. I second. So, first and a second. Can we take a vote? Council member Alonzo. I'm sorry. I have a question. Just a question.

So, but if I had a substitute motion or amendment, can I make that at this time? We're going to We have a motion on the floor. So, we're going to vote on this. Well, the question is if you're going to make a substitute motion, this is your time. But if mayor is called, mayor runs the procedure of the meeting. We have a motion and a second. So, we're going to take a vote on this. So, roll call. Yes. Roll call. Councilor Malonzo. I. Mayor Port Romero. No. Councilor Pala. I. Councilor Melendez. I. Mayor Tomayo. I.

The item passes the uh with the amendments. So on to I believe the consent calendar. Mr. City Attorney. Yes.

We do not No items. No items. None. No items. Uh number 11. to entertain a motion to approve items 6 through 19.

I'll motion to approve the items right into the record. We have a motion. We need a second. I'll second. We got a second. Uh roll call, please. Council member Alonzo. I. Mayor Peter Romero. I. Council member Peralta. I. Council member Melendez. I.

Mayor Tomo. I. So, that passes. Um, item 11. Item 11, I just I wanted to pull it because I do want to highlight that item. Um, this is a $60,000 um for work to be done for the fire hydrants. I know we've talked about this many, many times, but these are the fire hydrants that are on Lincoln Boulevard right from Lammerced over to San Gabriel. So, this is uh $60,000 to start uh the design work for those fire fire hydrants. Just wanted to highlight that.

Yeah. Yeah. Mayor, thank you for for mentioning that. Um you know, collectively it's our one of our most higher prone areas. Our fire department from the very beginning has has been very proactive in trying to analyze these situations. So this is like a a really important step for us to ensure that um not not only that we protect these homes but we're thinking long term to make sure that you know some catastrophe doesn't happen. So so water access is priority number one. So this is the first step in that. Yeah. Yes. Thank you. So we'll uh get a motion to approve in a second on this item. A motion to approve. Motion a second. And a second. And we'll take a vote. Council member Alonzo. Hi. Mayor Peter Romero.

I. Council member Pala. I. Council member Melendez. I. Mayor Tomayo. I. That concludes our items and AB 1234 travel reports if we have any. Looking to my right, to my left. None. And we have no council orals uh for today. So that concludes our meeting. Thank you for attending.