City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. It's 06:00. I'm calling this meeting to order. Can you please take roll, mister city clerk?

Council member Alonso? Mayor Pertur Romero? Present. Council member Peralta?

Present.

Council member Melendez? Here. Mayor Tamayo?

Here. For, the announcement of closed session items, mister city attorney.

Yes. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thank you very much, madam mayor, members of the city council. We have four items in for closed session to discuss. Items one, two, three, four as listed on the agenda. It would be appropriate for the council to recess into closed session at this time.

No public comments. No public comment. Okay.

Yeah. Okay.

And we have no public comments for closed session.

Okay. Alright.

No. We need to do the application and the pledge. Right. Yeah. Yes. Thank you everybody for your patience. We are back from closed session. Mister city attorney, if you can please provide a report.

Thank you very much, madam mayor, members of the city council. Good evening, everyone. The record should reflect that at 06:00, the city council convened for announcement of closed session. There were no public speakers for items on closed session. City Council reassessed into the closed session room for discussion of items one, two, three and four as listed on the agenda. On each of those matters, the City Council received a briefing On items one and two, the city council provided direction to special counsel on those matters. On items three and four, a briefing was provided to the city council, but there was no action taken. Madam Mayor, that concludes my report from closed session. It is appropriate to continue with the open portion of the meeting.

Thank you very much. We will continue with our invocation. Please, Mr. Matonga.

Lord, we are here meeting to here today to conduct the matters of business, guide our hearts and our minds in the spirit and fairness, write our thoughts and speech, impart your supreme wisdom upon our activities so that our affairs may reach a successful conclusion. Thank you for being our source of guidance today. Amen.

Thank you. We're going to continue with our future Leaders of Montebello program. We have the Pledge of Allegiance coming up. So before we have our guest come up and do the pledge, I'm going to read a little bit about him. Dillinger is a fourth grade student at Washington Elementary who enjoys science and hopes to become a veterinarian one day.

He loves animals, reading, singing, dancing, and is learning to play the guitar. He is also active in his school's run club and earned third place in his school's spelling bee. His dedication and positive attitude inspire those around him and reflect the promise of the new generation. We commend Dillinger for his enthusiasm, achievements, and civic spirit, and celebrate him as a bright future leader of the Montebello community. Dillinger, please come on up.

Place your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Okay. We're gonna move along with our agenda. Mister city manager, any corrections to the agenda at this time?

Mayor, council members, there are any corrections to the agenda. Thank you.

Okay. We'll start with the presentation of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government.

May mayor, as mister Reese makes his way up to the podium, just wanted to say a few words about the the San Gabriel COG. As you may be aware, we are members of the San Gabriel COG. They're an incredible partner for us. Marissa, Ricky, Maria. We are a member of this organization who has been an incredible advocate for our city. We've received numerous funding in terms of housing. The ACE project cannot have come to fruition if it wasn't for the Sangrev Valley COG. I'm a member of the steering committee for the city managers. Our ongoing work with them is is is is something that that we value on a daily on a daily basis, and we appreciate mister Reese coming to our council meeting to talk about the organization. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, mister city manager, and good evening, mayor, council members. I'm Ed Reese. I'm proud to represent the city of Claremont and serve as your new president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. Today, I'd like to share how the COG brings together cities to tackle the challenges that you all have, deliver results, and make our region stronger. This side.

Right? Oh, alright. The COG is truly a partnership. It brings together 31 cities, two county supervisorial districts, and many local agencies across the San Gabriel Valley. Our mission is simple but powerful, to give our region one strong unified voice, to deliver projects that improve transportation, housing, and sustainability, and most importantly, to improve the quality of life of nearly 2,000,000 residents who call the San Gabriel Valley and in part this great city their home.

This collaboration is what makes us stronger than the sum of our parts. Of course, a mission this big requires leadership. That's where our executive committee comes in. I'm proud to serve alongside a group of committed local leaders, each chosen by their peers to help guide guide the COG's priorities. They help set the direction, review policies, and make sure our work reflects the needs and values of our member cities.

In short, the executive committee and the governing board keep us grounded in the realities of our communities while keeping us focused on the future. And that leadership extends outward through our policy committees. These committees are where real collaboration happens. They focus on issues that touch every city capital projects, the environment, homelessness, and transportation. We also draw on the expertise of city managers and working groups so that local voices can shape our regional solutions.

And, of course, this is where you come in. If you haven't already, I encourage you to get involved. Your expertise, your perspective helps ensure that your city's voice is heard and your residents' needs are reflected in our regional decisions. Of course, leadership and collaboration are only part of the story. Implementation matters too, and that's where our staff shines.

Under the leadership of executive director Marissa Kreider, our talented team takes ideas and turns them into action. They provide the expertise, project management, and support that make sure our city's priorities are moving forward. So I'd like to share a few examples of what collaboration has achieved. First, our construction authority. We're the only COG in Los Angeles County with this authority.

We're delivering 19 major grade separation projects, each each costing approximately 100 to $200,000,000 at little or no cost to our cities. And today, we're expanding to highway improvements, transit facilities, and active transportation projects. Second is SB thirteen eighty three compliance. This state law requires us to cut food waste going to landfills. The COG has helped cities triple their business compliance rates and at the same time helped food banks to be able to use the food donation they receive by providing them with refrigerators and other necessary equipment.

This is a true win win. We are helping the environment while addressing food insecurity. And third, Measure M funding. Just last year, we directed $36,500,000 to 17 San Gabriel Valley agencies for projects that make it easier and safer for people to go where they need to go. These are just a few snapshot examples, but they show real tangible impact show a real tangible impact the COG has had in our communities.

And beyond, of course, our regional wins, we also partner directly with cities in very unique ways. I'd like to talk about some some specific examples for the city of Montebello. One is around compliance support. The COG is proud to partner with the Heart of Compassion located here in the city of Montebello to help local business achieve compliance with SB thirteen eighty three. In the past two years, the COG has worked with Heart of Compassion to recover over 2,500,000 pounds of food.

The program is currently funded through a state local assistance grant. In regards to homeless outreach, the COG provides homeless outreach teams from the Los Angeles Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse to support the city's homelessness efforts. And around project management, in July 2024, the COG broke ground on the Montebello Quarter grade separation project. Once complete, the project will feature the construction feature construction of a roadway underpass and railroad bridges at Montebello And Olympic Boulevards, as well as at grade safety improvements at Greenwood, Maple, And Vail Avenues. The project will reduce crossing collisions, queuing, and traffic congestion in the neighborhoods along the rail corridor.

And lastly, in regards to our spotlight, I want to I would like to congratulate the city of Montebello on winning the silver award at our recent COG Energy Champion Awards. In December, the city was recognized for its hard work and dedication to energy efficiency in the San Gabriel Valley. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to a greener SUV. So at the heart of all of this,

at the heart of

all of this is what binds us together. Our shared love for the San Gabriel Valley. That's why I launched the iHeartSGV program. It grew from my deep belief that we are stronger when we celebrate our common values and the communities we call home. This program is about bringing our member cities, and through them, our residents together in shared pride and appreciation for the San Gabriel Valley.

For me, it's also personal. My love of public service is soul feeding. And this program is my way of showing gratitude for our region, for our cities, and for the people who make the San Gabriel Valley such a special place to live. The COG exists to serve you, your council, your staff, and your residents. And by working together, our collective voice is louder, our reach is further, and we can deliver projects and services no city could do alone.

As president, my number one priority right now, it's listening. I want to hear from you. Your needs, your challenges, your opportunities, so that we can make sure that you are getting the most from your membership with the call. So please, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. I'm committed to working with you and keep strengthening the San Gabriel Valley we all love. Thank you for allowing me some time today. And I'd be happy to answer any questions or take any comments.

Thank you, miss Faris. Any questions from counsel? Thank you. Thank you for coming out and making the presentation.

It's my pleasure. One last thing, Madam Mayor. Yes. As you can see, I am wearing the iHeart SUV lapel pin as part of our campaign. And tonight, as a token of our appreciation to Montebello, I do have iHeart SUV lapel pin for all of the elected, including your elected clerk and treasurer and your city manager. And I will pass this off and say thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you. We appreciate that token.

Oh, thank you.

Staff just reminded me that I should give you your award. I'm happy to present your award to you. And if possible, we can get a photograph for the COG newsletter.

Thank you. Will, come on down. Thank you so much for your presentation. Thank you everybody for coming out. We're gonna start with our citizen of the month presentation.

And this month, we are celebrating Emilia. Emilia Alvarez. Oh, very cute.

Congratulations.

You can stand right here by your grandma. Yes. Stand by grandma. She comes with her grandkids. Yes.

I'm gonna read a little bit about her, and then we will give her her certificate and take some pictures, if that's okay. Tonight, we are proud to honor a community leader whose service, compassion, and commitment have made a real difference in our city, Emilia Alvarez. Emilia has lived in Montebello for twenty nine years. And for the past eleven years, Emilia has been an active and dedicated member of the Montebello Lions Club. She is now the club vice president and was a board member from 2021 to 2024.

Her leadership has earned her several honors, including lion member of the year, the Proud Lion Award, and Melvin Jones Fellowship, which recognizes outstanding humanitarian service. What really sets Emilia apart is her personal commitment to the families she helps. For the Lions Club back to school event, she calls the families of 55 participating students to make sure they are ready and supported. For the Thanksgiving food distribution, she reaches up to a 100 families checking in, confirming their needs. The level of care shows her dedication and deep connection to our community.

Emilia also graduated from Montebello's first community community emergency response team, which is called the CERT team, in 2024, helping to strengthen our city's emergency preparedness. She continues to help organize community events such as Alliance Club upcoming pancake breakfast, vision eye screening this March, and she's also worked with local organizations to arrange free back to school haircuts for students, making sure they start the year with the confidence and dignity. Most recently, she supported and joined a beginner's yoga class for Montebello residents to promote wellness, connection, and healthy living. Oh, there we go. Okay.

When asked about her accomplishments, Emilia talks not only about awards, but about the connections, connections, relationships, and friendships she has built through service. Residents like Emilia truly show the spirit of Montebello by showing up, reaching out to others, and making sure every family feels seen and supported. On behalf of the city council, I am honored to recognize Emilia Alvarez as our February citizen of the month. Yay. Please, Camilla, if you wanna share a few words. Yes.

Good evening, everybody. And the mayor, elected council, I am deeply, deeply honored and humbled at this acknowledgment. To my second family over here, Lions, my my family here, my dear friends, extended Lions, it's because of you that I'm here today, because you guys have been an example to me on how to just simply care about our community. Yes? It's it's been a it's it's been a wonderful journey in just helping and meeting and re just the relationships that I've I've I've gone through these years in in meeting the people that I've I've helped.

So if I could say anything, I think that we have control over who we are and not anybody else. So if we could just kind of just be a little kinder to one another, be helpful, even if it's a stranger, just say good morning, say hello. Because sometimes we just don't know where people are at that moment. So if we can work on ourselves first just to be a little kinder to each other, then I think we would have a wonderful, wonderful community. And I am deeply, deeply proud of being a member and a resident of Montebello.

And

and and to you, council that has been elected, we are blessed to have you because you guys lead by leadership. And to the backbone of our city staff and, I know, fire department and police department, thank you so much, guys, for taking care of our community. So we appreciate your support. We do this out of the heart of our hearts to help the community that we live in. So we thank you for your support. And so when you see us out there, we're out there from the heart trying to help the community. So thank you. Thank you all of you for being here tonight. I deeply appreciate it.

Thank you. Here you go. Alright. Rami? Alright.

I see a lot of green out there today. Indians. So we are honoring today both our cheer and our football teams from the Montebello Indians. Okay. Tonight, we proudly recognize the outstanding achievements of the Montebello Youth Football and Cheer Program.

The Montebello Indians represented our city with excellence on a national stage. Our football team captured the Orange Empire Conference Pop Warner Championship, and went on to win the West Regional Division One Championship. Alright. They earned the opportunity to compete at the Pop Warner National Championship game in North Carolina. Traveling North Carolina.

Competing against the best teams in the country, they finished third in the nation, the nation. With their only loss coming against the eventual national national champion, what an incredible accomplishment. We also celebrate our cheer team. Cheer. Which for the second consecutive year brought home a national title at Jams National in Las Vegas.

Our tiny mites division made up of five and six year olds earned first place in the nation and were named grand champions with the highest overall score in their division. These achievements reflect dedication, teamwork, discipline, and the strong support of coaches, volunteers, and families. Most importantly, these young athletes proudly represent the city of Montebello and demonstrate the power of community. So on behalf of the city council and our residents, congratulations. We are incredibly proud of all of you.

So we're we're gonna call each of you up to come on up, and we'll start with the ladies on the chair. Okay, I think we have several. So we have where you can stand up here when we call your name. Lorelei Alvarez. Lorelei.

Lorelei. There you go, Loralei. Congratulations. Alright. Bonnie.

Bonnie Cornejo. Come on now, Bonnie. There you go. Congratulations. Janelle Garcia, Janelle. There you go. Annabelle Lopez. There you go, Annabelle. Leilani Lopez. Leilani, here comes Leilani. There you go. Congratulations. Kimberly Martinez. Kimberly. Kimberly, congratulations.

Skye Ruiz. Madison Sanchez. Alright, Madison. Giselle Giselle Toro. Congratulations, Giselle.

And we're also gonna call up the coaching staff, the cheer staff. Brianna. Brianna Lial. We'll have him come on this side. Come on over, coach. And we'll have you stand on this side, if that's okay. Spread out a little. Yes. Leslie Lopez, also part of the coaching staff. Raquel Rios.

Uh-oh. There you go, Raquel. Ashley Black. Oh, she's on the way. Isabelle Del Real.

Thank you, Isabelle. Thank you. Maddie. Maddie Velasco. She's not here? Okay. We'll send those. Audrey. Audrey Bantoja. Here you go, coach. Thank you. And last but not least, Sarah. Sarah Palomino. Thank you. And those will do I think I'll do that. Yeah. We'll do them after because I don't think we fit.

Okay. Do wanna

have some of the

girls, please? Yeah. Oh. So we'll do a picture with the cheer, and because we have a good amount of football players, I don't think we're all fit up here. So let's do a picture with cheer.

Alright. Next up, we're gonna honor our Montebello football players. That's okay. We're gonna start with James. James Avalos. James. Congratulations, James. Isaiah. Isaiah Bautista. Sorry. There's two Isaiah. Isaiah, okay. Got two Azaz. Alright. Elijah.

Congratulations,

Elijah. Fisher. Come on down, Fisher. Thank you, Fisher. Joey.

Joey Delacobbe. Congratulations, Joey. Yeah, Joey. Roman. Roman.

Wes. Come on down Wes. Congratulations. Adrian. Adrian Gonzalez.

Yeah. Well, have you please. Aiden. Aiden Green. Aiden Green. Aiden Green. But come on, Omar. Congratulations, Omar.

Thank you.

Fernando. Congratulations. James. James Moreno. Ryan. Ryan Nunez. Come on down, Ryan. Congratulations. Kaden. Kaden.

Congratulations, Kaden. Kai. Kai Palacios. There's Kai. Congratulations, Kai. Abel. Come on down, Abel. Congratulations, Abel. You could stand right. Dominic.

He knew he was x. And then we have Aiden Ruidas. Congratulations, Aiden. Isaac. Isaac Reese.

Damien. Damien, come on down. Congratulations, Damian. Congratulations. Jason.

Congratulations, Jason. Brandon. Brandon Thomas. He's not here. Jayden. Jayden. Isaiah. Come on down, Isaiah. Yay. Coaching staff.

And we'll have our coaching staff come up as well. Jose de la Torre is the head coach for the nine u. Congratulations, coach. Greg Avalos, assistant coach. Thank you, coach. Ishmael. Ishmael, assistant coach?

Congratulations.

Coach Steven. Congratulations, coach. Congratulations. We have coach Jacob. Congratulations.

Assistant coordinator, Valerie. She's coming out. There she is. Congratulations. And the trainer, Adrian. Thank you. Congratulations. We have the team parent, Celeste. Oh, thank you. And the equipment manager, Nick Nick Merrill.

Alright. Thank you. Thank you. Come on here. Alright.

These are the Montebello Indians. So we'll do a picture. Okay. That was very exciting to be able to celebrate the Indians football and cheer for their national winnings. Next, we have Black History Month.

This month, the city of Montebello and our nation as a whole recognize and honor Black History Month. Black History celebrates the enormous achievements, contributions, history of the African American community and people of African descent. Over the course of this month, we had we have the opportunity to honor the struggles and triumphs of African Americans, recognize their cultural heritage, and promote awareness of their significant impact on society. Through events, programs, and educational initiatives, Black History Month aims to foster understanding, inclusivity, and appreciation of the African American history and culture. The city of Montebello appreciates and is excited to acknowledge, celebrate, and share the rich contributions, lessons, and learnings that Black History Month offers all of us.

I'm proud that the city of Montebello continues to support and encourage awareness of the role and importance of black history has and continues to play in our society.

Mayor, if I may, as part of Black History Month, we are having an event at on Friday at Hollyfield Park from five to 7PM. We did this event as part of our art contest that we we ran online. So we're gonna be honoring the the kids and their parents, and then we're also gonna be showing a movie and have food and festivity. So we welcome the community to join us this Friday from five to 7PM at Hollyfield Park. Thank you.

Thank you, mister city manager. We are also celebrating Operation Desert Storm's thirty fifth anniversary. This evening, we pause to recognize the thirty fifth anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, which began on 01/17/1991. On that day, American and coalition forces launched a historic campaign to liberate Kauai and restore international stability. More than 600,000 United States service members answered the call, serving with courage and determination under extraordinary challenging conditions.

We remember this date because it represents a defining moment in modern history, a time when our nation came together with resolve and purpose to defend freedom. By honoring 01/17/1991, we ensure that the sacrifices made are never forgotten and that future generations understand the true cost of liberty. Thirty five years later, we remain deeply grateful to all who served, to the families who supported them, and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. May their service continue to inspire us, and may we always honor the freedoms they help to protect. Thank you.

Okay. Public comment. Mister city clerk.

Yes. Madam mayor, at this time, anyone who wishes to wish wishes to address the city council should have filled out a card at the front desk. Anyone who has, requested to speak will have three minutes to speak. We will have thirty minutes for the first period of public comment. Anyone who has not addressed the city council in the first thirty minutes will be moved to the end of the agenda. As I understand, we have seven speaker cards. Is that correct? Yes. That's take twenty one minutes so that we should be fine. And with that, with your permission, madam mayor, may the city clerk start with the first speaker card.

First speaker, we have Rosa Tomayo followed by Tila Gregorian. Next speaker is Thiela Gregorian followed by Bill Poliso.

Good

evening, council members, city staff, and residents. My name is Sheila Gargorian. And my concern today is that changing of the time of the meetings. I mean, does it start at six 06:30 or seven? We I think it's unfair that you change the times just because you think you need to and not let anyone know.

You also need to remember that we have people at work and are rushing to get to this their residents at Montebello, and they rush to get to this council meeting. So I think you need to take that into consideration and not just change the meeting because we had a lot of things going on today. Perhaps you need to separate all of those honors and to so that meetings won't go on as late. But there's other ways of handling it without changing the time of a meeting and letting not letting people know, actually.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Bill Poliso followed by Susan Lynn Rodriguez.

Hi. Good evening. I just wanted to bring something to your all attention, and I've seen it in South Montebello. And I'm sure the chief has also seen it that more homeless people are showing up in South Montebello. It's a shame that we even have to talk about it because there shouldn't be any homeless on the streets in this country.

But I work in Downtown LA, and what I'm seeing is them making a big effort of cleaning up the streets. And we have the World Cup coming and the Olympics, and they're moving them east out of Downtown LA. So I just want to have a plan together because I believe this is going to be a problem here, and we need to be ready for that. The other thing I'd like to ask is around the perimeter of the DePaul Center. There's a lot of people who use the sidewalks down there to walk.

If we could get the city to put in some dog waste stations. Unfortunately, people do not pick up after their dogs, and, you know, it's really a mess. They're not that expensive, maybe five or six of them around the perimeter. It's gonna make our city look a whole bunch better. And the third thing that I'd like to suggest is a rule up there of all the council people when people are here for public comment not to be on their phone.

This house here belongs to the citizens. And when we come up here and we speak, whether you like what we say or not, it's our right to do that. You should not be on your phones hiding behind your little computer. A gentleman over there sits back like he's watching TV at home. You need to pay attention to what the citizens are saying.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Susan Lynn Rodriguez followed by Raul Urtado.

Honorable mayor and city council, it's a pleasure to be able to come before you this evening. My request is for a project file on the 5th And 6th Whittier Boulevard project in an effort to shed a little transparency on what's going on down there. It's a little confusing, and being able to see the project file will help a lot. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Raul Hurtado followed by Linda Nicholas.

Let me see here. Public communications on items of community interest. Wanna go back to the last time I spoke here at the city council meeting where we were talking about or I was talking about then captain Lopez retiring after he was put on an administrative leave for his lies and the investigation that was going on on about him. He retired abruptly because that way he wouldn't have to answer any questions for the investigators. Now I dug up the paper when he retired.

What a bunch of hogwash. After dedicating more than thirty years to his career, Montebello police captain chief Lopez junior officially said goodbye to the Montebello police department on 05/14/2024. What happened? He officially said goodbye. What happened?

Well, I'll tell you what happened just like I said before. From that poem, oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practiced to deceive. City manager, captain Lopez, they practiced to deceive and conspire and overthrow, or if you wanna call it, chief Espinosa. I'm sorry, but that's the absolute truth. He he failed to do the oral that all candidates go through on this particular candidate.

And it is my belief, my belief, that you were trying to get this candidate out on the street with a badge and a gun, and then Lopez here would discover, well, he didn't go through this part. Oh, we gotta fire the chief. He didn't he failed, but the chief caught it. You underestimated him. He caught it. And then he brought it to his attention, and he lied. The investigator, he lied about it. He tried to get other people to say that he he was that it happened, and nobody would back him up. That's why he retired. And now I can't understand.

He's back? What happened here? I'll tell you what happened here. The malignant cell from Huntington Park made this possible. And it's a shame that we have to operate that way because we got, you got rid of a good good police chief, one of the best we've ever had for second rate. I'll be back to climax this probably at the next so hopefully, can bring his associations back so I can help him out.

Thank you for your comment.

Next speaker is Linda Nicholas followed by Denise Ecopian.

Good evening. My name is Linda Nicholas, cofounder of Match nine zero six four o. This evening, I would like to direct my comments to city attorney Glassman, the sixth member of the city council. During the meeting of January 28, you, Glassman, made the Freudian slip referring to yourself as we on the council did not like the comments made against us. Maybe you were having a senior moment.

But if I'm not correct, has it been over forty five years since you sat there as a city council member? A couple years ago during the meeting, when many people showed up asking the council for support for the Palestine's, they were running up and down the aisles ranting, raving, yelling their flags, clapping. Never once did you open your mouth demanding order in the chambers. Yet when Scarlett went on her drunken rant, you glassmen over and over admonished the members of the audience to stop yelling out or you would have us removed. You, mayor, should have taken control of the meeting and admonished Peralta for talking over you and taking over your meeting.

You're the mayor. Mister Glassman, as a city attorney, your job is to keep your mouth shut until and only when you're asked for legal advice. You are not the sergeant of arms. That position belongs to chief Lopez. You have no power to evict anyone from meetings or chambers, period.

As a disabled senior of German Jewish descent, if you ever threaten to remove me again, please do. I will sue you, and I have already spoken to a couple lawyers that would love to take you down. Mister Glassman, you really cannot afford to add more problems to your law firm. You can't sell it as it is because you were told it's toxic because of you. So please threaten to have me thrown out, and that will be the last nail in your law firm's coffin.

You two newbies, while again, he's not he's missing. They were appointed illegally, did not show any respect for the seats you hold because it was given to you for the yes votes. It's obvious you two care about only the money that you're paid, and it's desperately needed. You should not be paying a consul person that doesn't show up. Do what the what the commissioners do. If they don't show up, they don't get paid. I don't feel you should be paid if you don't show up. How many medians has he missed? He should be dismissed. That's why he doesn't respect the seat. He didn't have to work to earn it. Just remember, evil only triumphs when good people do nothing, but trust is in this room. We will never give up fighting for our city of Annabel.

Thank you for your comment.

Our last speaker is Denise Hagopian.

Good evening, mayor, council members, citizens of Montebello. Montebello Boulevard is a major entrance to our city and thoroughfare of our city. The last three months have been disastrous to the businesses and residents that live around it. The Toro construction project was labeled resurfacing. When did they build all those dividers in the middle of the street?

When did they eliminate our driveways? People cannot make a left turn if they're coming south from, the freeway. We have 1,200 new houses that are opening up in Metro Heights. Do they wanna drive down Montebello Boulevard? Do they want their cars to be filthy?

Do they wanna not be able to turn left to come into my parking lot? In order to turn left into the parking lot, they have to drive three quarters of a block three blocks, sorry, around the block. Some of them have to drive a half mile. They have to go down to Madison, make a u-turn, come back up. They have to make a left turn at Beverly Boulevard, and then make a u-turn at Jack in the Box.

If you look at the street and Jack In The Box, it's all torn up from all the left turn pockets that people are making. I wanna know how come as a business owner and as a property owner, I was not notified. What city council meeting was this presented at where you could build those dividers in the middle of the street and lock off our businesses? You have made my property value go down, which I have worked forty two years to build that business. And now my Valentine's was 50% off.

My customers were calling from their cars because they couldn't get in. I have two videos on my phone of trucks that are parked in the middle of the street that have Toro's name on them with no driver in them and no workers in the middle of the street. We have come with all the cones spread all out for two to three weeks, and there's no workers, or one worker comes and plants a plant. So if you think planting those trees was going to eliminate some climate change, well, guess what you did? You tripled the distance that people drive, and their frustration, and the traffic, plus the fire department can't even get out of their driveway to get onto Montebello Boulevard because the left turn lane, they're blocked all the way down to Victoria.

So I'm saying things that why weren't they thought about ahead of time? Why weren't the business owners notified so that we could come and tell you? I've been on that street for forty two years. I know the rhythm of the cars. I know what it's busy and not busy. But you guys vote on something, and you don't even know what you're voting on. And has anyone come? No. I just asked the person in the audience, what do you think of Montebello Boulevard?

Madam mayor, comments are open.

Thank you very much. But I just have one one, please, one more minute. Today, they chalked out.

Is it okay? We have our our three minutes are up. Your three minutes are up.

But they're they're chalk marking the street right now. Okay? They're chalk marking to take out So three parking am I supposed to wait and like last

time and you'll have the

middle of the

street yelling and screaming?

We can talk to you.

No. I'm going to take those I'm just gonna

take break again.

You're forcing me to be

I have three minutes.

Protect myself. You're not protecting

me We have three minutes for each speaker. We're happy to talk to you after the meeting. Thank you. Does that conclude the the speakers? Okay.

Yes. Mayor, that concludes all speaker cards for non agenda items.

Okay. Thank you. We are moving on to the public hearing number 10. Do we have a presentation for this item?

Yes, mayor. Presentation is being given by our incredible planning team. Our planning manager, Viganesparza our assistant planners, Emilio Fernandez and Gray Shajashi. They're going to talk to you about this very important recommendations that we have for you. Thank you.

Perfect. Thank you. Perfect. Thank you. You wanna take this?

Yeah. Good evening, madam mayor, members of the council. The item before you denied is a city initiated request to amend various provisions of the city's zoning code, specifically title 17 of the Montebello Municipal Code related to mixed use development standards, objective design standards for residential and mixed use developments, site plan review standards, and corresponding amendments to the zoning map. Collectively, the proposed text amendments are intended to implement the goals and policies of the city's general plan and housing element in accordance with state housing law. To provide some background on why staff is proposing the amendments, on 06/22/2022, city council adopted the city's sixth cycle of the housing element and subsequently was certified by the housing Department of Housing and Community Development, also known as HCD, on 07/11/2022.

On 04/10/2024, the city council adopted the Montebello 2040 general plan and the downtown Montebello specific plan and certified a final environmental impact report in compliance with CEQA guidelines. Prior to the adoption of the general plan, the city conducted extensive community engagement from October 2020 through February 2024, and approximately 31 public outreach activities were held in connection with the 2040 general plan, bike plan, and downtown specific plan. Through this community based and collaborative approach, the general plan was designated to represent the interest and feedback of the community. The proposed amendments we're presenting tonight serve as a critical implementation tool for the sixth cycle of the housing element and the Montebello 2040 general plan, ensuring that the adopted goals and policies are carried out throughout these regulatory updates. As mentioned, staff is proposing several tax code amendments to the city's zoning code, which are consistent with the city's general plan and housing elements in accordance with state housing law.

The first text amendment would amend chapter 17.22, commercial zones generally, to establish new mixed use development standards applicable to the city's C1 and C2 zoning districts. The second text amendment request would amend Title 17 of the Montebello Municipal Code to establish Chapter 17.21, a new chapter within the municipal code to provide objective design standards for residential and mixed use development projects. The third text amendment would amend chapter 17.74, site plan review to update to update the thresholds for when a site plan review is required, to remove provisions that allow the combination of multiple discretionary entitlement approvals under a single application, and include an exception that would allow certain qualifying mixed use or residential projects to be reviewed administratively. And lastly, staff is proposing a zone change and amendments to the city zoning map to rezone approximately two seventy properties to ensure general consistency with the land use designation established by the Montebello 2040 General Plan, specifically the opportunity sites identified in the city's six cycle housing element. Now the amendment these amendments were all considered by the city's Planning Commission during a duly noticed public hearing conducted on 02/10/2026, where the Planning Commission voted unanimously to adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council adopt ordinances amending the various provisions of Title 17 and approving amendments to the zoning map.

Now, I'll hand it over to Ms. Emily Fernandez, who will provide you with more detail on the mixed use standards.

Thank you, Viviana. The mixed use development standards are intended to implement the Montebello General Plan by encouraging high quality mixed use development that integrates housing, commercial, and community serving uses, particularly near transit corridors. This ordinance would be applicable to the existing commercial zones, c one neighborhood commercial and c two general commercial. All new mixed use projects are required to dedicate at least 50% of the total building square footage to residential use. The development standards regulations include density, height, and floor area ratio.

This ordinance allows multifamily residential, retail, office, and more, with some uses requiring a conditional use permit. Projects with at least 20% affordable housing may qualify for administrative review supporting the city's housing affordability goals while maintaining objective design standards. Chapter seventeen twenty one establishes objective measurable design standards for multifamily and mixed use development. The standards will apply to new construction and expansions of projects with more than two housing units, including the commercial components of mixed use projects unless a specific plan overlay or plan development is in place. The primary goal of the objective design standards is to provide transparency for applicant, staff, and decision makers when developing and reviewing projects.

The standards address site plan, circulation, open space, and design standards. Our next Grace Hayashi is gonna go over the site plan review and the zone change.

Thank you, Emily. The next proposed tax code amendment is to chapter seventeen seventy four thirty a of the site plan review chapter, which would raise the thresholds requiring Planning Commission approval. Residential projects would require review at 10 or more units instead of three, and commercial or industrial projects at 25,000 square feet or more instead of 5,000 square feet. Smaller projects typically generate fewer impacts, and increasing these thresholds reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens while reflecting current development patterns. The amendment would also remove the provision exempting projects with a conditional use permit from separate site plan review, allowing each entitlement to be reviewed independently with distinct findings.

Finally, a new subsection b would create an exception for qualifying residential or mixed use projects that reserve at least 20% of units for lower income households. These projects may be eligible for administrative review if no zoning change variance or general plan amendment is required as reflected in the attached ordinance. This change supports affordable housing by streamlining approvals while maintaining compliance with all applicable development standards. To align with the 2040 general plan, staff is proposing rezoning approximately 270 parcels to ensure consistency with the land use designations established by the Montebello 2040 general plan and the opportunity sites identified in the city's six cycle housing element 2021 to 2029 and to update the zoning for existing nonconforming parcels to better align with surrounding land uses and current development standards. While most parcels would become consistent with the general plan upon approval, some remain inconsistent, and they may be reviewed for potential future amendments.

Upon HCD's recent comments on the resolution, staff carefully reviewed and incorporated the requested revisions. The resolution has been updated accordingly. The slide before you is the existing and current zoning map. This is the proposed zoning map with the proposed rezoned parcels. The proposed amendments to title 17 and the zoning map are consistent with the 2040 general plan and fall within the scope of the final environmental impact report certified by the city council on 04/10/2024.

Staff recommends that city council approve recommendation numbers one through six to introduce and waive the first reading of ordinance numbers twenty four eighty seven, twenty four eighty eight, twenty four eighty nine, and twenty four ninety, amending provisions of title 17 zoning of the City Of Montebello Municipal Code related to mixed use development standards, objective design standards for residential and mixed use developments, site plan review standards, and adopt resolution number twenty six zero nine approving the corresponding amendments to the zoning map consistent with the Montebello 2040 general plan and the city's housing element, and to determine and find that the proposed amendments are consistent with the final EIR certified by the city council on 04/10/2024. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Great job on the presentation. This is a complicated topic or can be complicated. But I'll take any questions from counsel. Yeah. We have to open the public hearing. Oh, and received testimony. Okay. We'll open up the public hearing.

Is there anyone in the audience who wishes to address this item on any of the elements that have been presented? Please step forward at this time. Madam Mary, the record should reflect that. Please step forward.

I think

she said she wants order. Sorry.

Oh, yes. No. Thank you. Thank you.

Ladies, you may have a seat right in the front. Please state your name for the record.

Was very informative and an update on the plan and how it's going.

I

in in the future, I'm going going to make some comments, but but, basically, I wanna say thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that wishes to address the city council on this item? Madam mayor, the record should reflect that no one else is stepping forward.

It would be appropriate to Please

step forward. I'm sorry. No. Please step forward. And that's on this item only. It's on this item only. Yes, please.

Okay. No problem.

And please state your name for the record. You will have three minutes.

My name is Josephine Garza, and I came to accompany my friend who lives near that area where that project is near 6th Street. Am I correct that's the project we're talking about? Near 6th Street?

Well, it's more comprehensive than just that.

Yeah. But that's part of it. Okay. Because she lives on 6th Street. And we came because of this project proposal. And she would like to I'm speaking on her behalf because she didn't say it. She just thanked you. She wants a hearing, an additional hearing on the project to have it spelled out so citizens could talk about the project. And she has some ideas about the project. So that's what I just wanted that to be in record that, she wanted to request another hearing. I don't know if that was clear when she spoke the first time.

Very well. Thank you, ma'am.

If I may just what project? You said 6th And Whittier?

The one that that's a multi use where you have the commercial and the residential. Okay. Yeah. And she wanted she lives on 6th

Okay.

Near Whittier.

Yeah. I I think I know what you're afraid. Okay. Thank you for letting us know. Okay? Okay. Circle back.

It's the right project. Right?

No. I think it's a separate project, but we'll we'll

we'll see. By Chavez? Is there Chavez?

No. That's a project, but this is for this is an item for rezoning

our And that's not gonna affect that project?

Well, yeah. I mean, it is because we're rezoning it to allow that housing. Yeah. But yeah. But if you're talking just about the project, I thought that's what you're referring to.

Yes. I yeah. She would like to have a hearing on it. Okay. But I think he has a comment.

Would like to Yeah.

Joe, do you wanna

Madam mayor, member of the council, just to address this question, the downtown specific plan was approved with the general plan, so that zoning will not be affected by tonight's action. That that zoning is already in place. The the action tonight specifically relates to the c one and c two zones, which are the corridors along Washington, primarily Washington, Beverly, and Whittier Boulevard, but it would be West of Montebello Boulevard, so outside the downtown specific plan area.

Okay. Well, thank you for clearing that up. Planning commission. Right?

Planning Department.

Planning Department.

We're here

to answer any questions as well.

Yeah. Well, anyway, thank you for clearing that up. Thank you very much. And is there a possibility of a hearing? No. Okay. But in the 6th Street area. Okay. All right. Well, thank you very much. Thank you for letting me speak. Thank

you. Thank you.

I'll just request. Is there anyone else in the audience who wishes to address the city council on this specific item, item number 10? And at that point, no one is stepping forward. So now, Madam Mayor, we can close the public hearing.

Okay. And no questions from council? Hurry? Oh, yes. Council Member Melendez.

Thank you, mayor. Just as the just for everybody's understanding, as we change or adopt this new zoning, what happens to the properties that are already incurring use? And because of this zone change, now they're nonconforming? If we could just talk a little bit about what happens to those specific businesses or areas where there there might be nonconforming now.

Yes. Councilmember. That's a great question. For those for those existing businesses, they would be considered nonconforming. And depending on the situation, for example, if there's an existing entitlement, then they could utilize that entitlement to continue to maybe modify the use. That would be discretionary. But if a if a use ceases to exist for more than six months, it would it would no longer be allowed if it is not allowed in the new zoning permitted uses. So for those uses that exist today, they would they would be allowed to to ex you know, continue to exist. But if they ceased operation for more than six months, then they would not be allowed to to return to that property.

Thank you, director. So in essence, if somebody has a business license, they need to renew the business license, but this is out of on a nonconforming, you know, their uses, nothing happens to it because they're still operating and they're still having that use?

That is correct. Okay.

And just in regards to the I think it was chapter 17.74. Those changes of the review when it comes to the units in in residential, is that based on, like, state law, or why did that increase? Just out of curiosity.

Are are you referring to the site plan review standards?

Yeah. I think I saw somewhere where it was, like, I think it was, like, three units.

Yes.

And then it it increased to, like, I think, double digits.

Yes. That that is not related to any state requirement. That was more of, staff looking at surrounding cities. I think we looked at cities such as Downey and other cities who have increased their thresholds as well to streamline housing. So we really looked at it as a an an ability for us to streamline projects using the objective design standards that are before you tonight as well.

Got it. Okay. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you so I thank you so much for our staff here who provided a a very comprehensive presentation here on this important item and really just the amount of work that everyone did the past few years with over 31 outreach meetings and bringing this to council multiple times as we became compliant with our housing element and general plan update since, I think, like, 1973. Just a few items here for clarification. I know that in the past, in terms of we know that when it comes to building more housing, that's something that all cities are having to comply with and face. Oftentimes when housing developments come, though, there are issues in terms of aspect of affordability.

And in the past, we've talked about, like, universal housing ordinances, which would mandate future developments to have, for example, like a 20% allocated appropriation of units to be income affordable. I do see here that we have added to, I think, C1, C2 zones something similar in terms of a 20% affordable allocation for affordable units with, I think, staff administrative review. Mister Pelham, would you mind just clarifying if if that concept in terms of of kind of the universal housing ordinance, instead of it being like that that citywide type of ordinance that in a way, is something similar in terms of just specifically in specific zones that would be appropriate for for any type of, like, high density type of residential developments that may come?

Yes, council member. That's a great point. So so what this does is it acts in in a sense as an inclusionary housing incentive where it incentivizes affordable housing, and it streamlines the process for developers. Obviously, developers, especially when it comes to affordable housing, they look for projects that that can pencil out for them. Right?

And when we can save them time, we, in essence, can save them money. So that's why we incentivize this affordable housing by including that 20% provision in the ordinance that would trigger administrative review as long as they don't require, as staff said, a zone change or some type of entitlement. If that's not the case and they stay within the parameters of our objective design standards and meet that 20% minimum requirement, then they would be subject to the administrative review process.

Understood. Thank you. And I appreciate that because I think, again, as we prioritize future developments, ensuring there there are there there is that aspect of of affordability is something that I know is a priority to a lot of us here on council. I do also just wanna make another comment here. I'm glad my colleague brought up the the smaller the smaller units in terms of administrative review, and I think that that that's a great change in terms of ensuring that small businesses or smaller developments coming that want to come to the city are not necessarily over regulated when it comes to that administrative review.

Oftentimes, we see smaller businesses not coming to Montebello or folks that want expand housing opportunities at a very small scale, not moving forward with their projects because of that over regulation that often cities tend to impose on those smaller projects. So I do appreciate that in terms of just ensuring we are business friendly in the in that aspect when it comes to smaller businesses and smaller developments that want to increase our housing opportunity. Another item here in terms of just as spoken in the past, I know a lot of these c two c one, c two now mixed use commercial zones, specifically within our major corridors. Obviously, as as projects come into play in the future, something that I I hope this council can prioritize is ensuring that those projects really emphasize the importance of incorporating meaningful green and open space amenities to our communities. You go to a lot of really, really beautiful communities in the region where you have these commercial areas that are that are not necessarily these concrete jungles, but they really incorporate that open space aspect to ensure that it is a place that is, I think, intentional in terms of being open to the community where folks can meaningfully, I think, engage and be a part of that that area of the city.

And so I know in terms of just those future projects coming into play through site plan and design review, how can we, as city staff or as council, ensure that that those spaces in this in the c two, c one mixed use commercial corridors, how can we ensure that those specific projects can potentially maximize the use of their standards when it comes to those open space thresholds that we have?

Another great question and something that we did address in the ordinance. In addition to the affordable housing component, which I know that it's been discussed, you know, linked at the council, we've we've heard we've heard the the council. But if you look at the table that's included with the mixed use standards and the draft ordinance, there is an open space requirement, which the minimum area would be 15% of the total lot area with the minimum dimensions being 20 by 20. So there is, and then the objective design standards would further enhance that. So we would still require open space as part of any future project consistent with the the ordinance.

Thank you. And I appreciate that thoughtfulness of kind of ensuring that some of these priorities are in some way woven into these these amendments that we're making here with our with our zoning. Thank you for the time, Eric. That concludes my comments.

Thank you. So just, I know, as was mentioned, you have all been working on this since, like, 2020, so six years. And oh, okay. And and it included 31 public meetings. It includes 270 parcels. So it's a lot of work that's being done here. And this is all in in and to try to bring our compliance with the housing element, which was a state housing law. So thank you for all your efforts. So with that, if there's a motion on the floor.

A motion to approve.

Motion by, council member Peralta. I second. Second by council member Romero by mayor Protebra Romero. And roll call.

Mayor Protebra Romero. Aye. Council member Peralta?

Aye.

Council member Melendez?

Aye.

Mayor Tamayo?

Aye. Passes. Move on to our regular business. Item number 11, award agreement to All American Asphalt. Do we have a presentation for this?

Yes, mayor. Giving the presentation today is our public works deputy director, mister James Coyner.

Good evening, mayor Tamayo and honorable members of the city council. For your review tonight is the annual senate bill SB one street enhancement project rubberized asphalt construction project nine four four. Next slide. The scope of the work is roadway rehabilitation and refurbishment by removing existing pavement, performing grinding and overlaying, adjusting utilities, installing traffic control, and replacing striping and marking. The goals of this project is in regards of improvement of the performance of our roadways, smooth and quiet roads with enhanced traction, durability, pavement maintenance for road life extension, accessibility, safe access to schools, works, to services, and etcetera.

Just a project timeline on this one. Back on 01/14/2026, the city council approved the publication notice of inviting bid. And on the fifteenth through the eleventh, the NIV was published in local newspapers of general circulation and posted to Planet Bids. On February 11, the bid period closed. And tonight, February 25, city council will vote on awarding the contract to the contractor.

In in regards of progressing with the project, we're looking at starting the road construction improvements on April, May 2026. We'll begin in projected completion date will be in October 2026. Here's a list of the streets that are part of the segment in the scope of work. Just for your reference, these streets are pulled from the pavement management system that was done by Bauer Engineering back in August 2025. And these are streets that have been indexed by the pavement condition index.

So a grading of zero being poor to 102 being excellent. So we're systematically going through and repairing the streets during the the poorer conditions. Next slide. Over here is an overall view of all the different locations that will have the work highlighted in green. So we try to, you know, have the equity amongst all the five districts to do road repairs in those areas.

This is a kinda like just a magnifying just zero in on District 1 in those areas. District 2 highlighted in the green areas. District 3 is highlighted in those green areas also. District 4 highlighted in green is where we're gonna be doing the projects and repair the overlay. And District 5 highlighted in the green is the project where they're gonna be doing the overlay.

Now, during construction, you know, we will have some temporary street closures, detours, and parking restrictions. It is the responsibility of the contractor. They will schedule a notification, a minimum of forty eight hours, to the community and the people in the area, And they'll be sending out letters, and also staff will be assisting, also communication of, giving residents, forewarning. Also here is the, public works phone number and also our email. Excellent.

Also, I just wanna on our city website is our payment management system. So residents or anyone wants to go on to our website, they can look up the the PMS. Any questions?

Any questions?

Just a just a quick comment. Very excited to see that the area around Montebello High School, obviously, it's it's on the list because it's on one of the top, I guess, most affected streets in the pavement management system. But for those of us that have gone through the Montebello High School area, we know how severely worn down that area is. Very excited to see that coming. Thank you for the presentation.

You're welcome.

So again, just the timeline for the construction, it starts in April and May, and it will go on till October. And I'll then about more or less about there or so.

Correct. Yes.

About six months, more or less.

More or less, depending on the start date, if it's in April or May.

Okay. Great.

Great. And that's for total completion of the project. Not all streets get started at the same time, so different phases of it. But from beginning to end, it should be that time period.

Okay. Any other questions?

No. I'd just like to comment that, yeah, definitely excited that this is gonna happen. I know for a lot of residents, we all feel extremely impatient about having our streets done. I, myself, my street has potholes too, and it needs work. But I understand that some some streets are are in more need than others. So I just ask for all residents to be patient and and, you know, one one street at a time. So I'm looking forward to these repairs and seeing much improvement to

the city. So thank you.

Thank you. So this item is at council for for motion. I'll motion to approve.

I'll

second. Motion by council member Peralta, second by council member Melendez. Can we take roll?

Mayor Protender Romero?

Aye.

Council Member Peralta? Aye. Council Member Melendez? Aye. Mayor Tamayo?

Aye. That item passes. And we'll move on to our consent calendar. Mister City Attorney.

Members of the council, this is the consent calendar. All matters listed under consent are considered to be routine. Any member any item a member wishes to discuss or if member of the public has submitted a card to speak on this item would be polls for separate discussion and vote. All other items may be approved in a single motion. Do we have any speaker cards?

We do not.

And with your permission, madam mayor, I'll poll the council. This would be for consent calendar items number 12 through 19. And we will start with mayor pro tem Romero. Any items?

No items.

Council member Peralta?

No items.

Council member Melendez? No items.

And mayor Tamayo? No items.

Be appropriate entertain a motion to approve items 12 through 19. I'll make the motion.

I'll second.

A motion by council member, Melendez, second by council member Peralta. I'll take a take a roll, please.

Mayor Protender Romero.

Aye.

Council member Peralta. Aye. Council member Melendez. Aye. Mayor Tamayo.

Aye. Consent calendar is approved. Next item is the a b twelve thirty four travel reports.

Yep. Yes.

Yes. I had an opportunity to attend the Independent Cities Association conference that took place this past weekend. I would just say some of the highlights that I think we're we're really we're really good in terms of just the conference in itself in some of the best practices that some cities are taking on. We all know that a lot of our cities are facing budget issues or generally generating tax generating revenue without raising taxes is one of our priorities. There was a segment on economic development and they spotlighted the city of Santa Monica, they have been undertaking a lot of different initiatives to be able to raise their general fund revenue.

Some of the some of the things that they're doing don't necessarily apply to Mont Belo. Some do, but they're being innovative in terms of those initiatives. One of them that does apply and something that I know we're looking at is in terms of taking our ambulance transportation in house. I believe they're gonna be generating about $7,000,000 annually by doing that. So no longer contracting that service, but taking it in taking it in in house.

And so they've, I believe, launched that effort this year and are now providing those services probably by Santa Monica. They are also looking at they have a lot of parking towers as well as just facilities that are underutilized that they own. So they're looking at how they can essentially be creative in bringing in revenue by doing pop ups. Some of these some of these garages or I'm sorry. Parking garages.

The top the top floor, they're making it into drive in movie kind of movie weekend movie initiatives and renting that out, allowing for food and and and beverage sales. They're also changing how or they're reworking their public parking fees. We don't do that here, but they're also cleaning up some of their fees, which is something that I know we we undertook recently. And so I think in total, through various efforts, they're looking at potentially raising up to $21.20 27 or so million dollars annually by taking on those efforts. And so I thought that was a really good just example of how cities are being creative in terms of bringing in more revenue.

And then the second session was in terms of drones. Oftentimes, we have them being used by police, But this time, they showcased how public works is beginning to use drones to do to go and essentially inspect any type of development, aging infrastructure going into some of these very narrow areas or hard to get areas to be able to be more efficient in terms of using drones versus sending humans into some of these dangerous spaces. That concludes my overview of the conference. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes.

I too attended the conference. So, basically, for anyone who doesn't know what the association is, it it brings together city council members, city officials, and business partners for the purpose of collaboration, networking, and knowledge. The the I did appreciate the drone presentation. As council member Peralta had said. I did appreciate they were discussing how they've used the drones, like, during the fires and where there were there were unsafe areas to send personnel, and instead they were able to send the drones out to see exactly the damage that was that was encountered.

And so I think that would definitely be good for our city as well to try to incorporate those things in the future. The biggest cause that stood out to me, the session on cybersecurity and just seeing what type of effects that it could have if there was a security breach in our city and listening to the policies and procedures that other cities have implemented and what we ourselves have in place. So I appreciate it, the different classes. And that's all I have to report. Thank you.

I also attended the independent cities association conference. And like council member Peralta, one of my biggest takeaways from attending the conference was the value of sharing best practices. When cities come together, we share ideas of what's working, what's not working, and how to bring ideas back here to our city. For Montebello, that means consistently looking for smarter ways strengthen our financial future while improving our services for our residents. And the example that I'll I'll mention again is the ambulance program to bring that in house.

And the reason is the reason that it works for the city of Montebello is because Montebello has its own fire department. So it's it can be it can be designed as a system that maximize efficiency. It could improve response time, give us greater operational control, and create a revenue stream that stays here in Montebello. So reinvesting in our neighborhoods and infrastructure and essential services. So that was my biggest takeaway also from from the conference.

Okay. Thank you. Yep. And no counsel orals. And we adjourn at 08:51. Thank you for attending.