City Council Meeting - Special Meeting

Hi, City of Fontana. Welcome to the City of Fontana's Emergency Management Program, also known as Ready Fontana. The City Of Fontana is subject to a variety of emergencies and disasters, including earthquakes, floods, fires, and more. It is important that we recognize that people helping people and communities coming are the key ways lives and property can be saved during a disaster. Start to think about how you can prepare for

Yeah. I would like to call to order the special city council meeting. We'll start with our roll call. Mayor Pro Tem Garcia? Present.

Council member Cawthren? Present. Council member Roberts?

Present.

Council member Sandoval?

Present.

Mayor Heer. Please join us for our invocation given by council member John Roberts, and I've asked our mayor pro tem to do our pledge to our great nation.

Let's bow our heads. Heavenly father, we thank you for the blessings you've bestowed on Fontana. We pray that, give the council wisdom and guidance as we deliberate the matters before us today. Father, be with those in public safety and military service. Keep them safe. We ask this in your name. Amen.

All be seated. Thank you, John, for the invocation. Thank you, Peter, for the pledge. Okay. We do not have any special presentation or accommodations today.

This is a special meeting. And so at this time, we're gonna go to public comment. Good afternoon, and thank you again for attending this meeting of the city council. The Brown Act provides, on this special meeting agenda, comment on any item, including items on the consent calendar only. What this means is that the council welcomes and encourages your input on action items on today's agenda.

Please do not use profanity, name calling, or any other behavior that would disrupt the proceedings this afternoon. Speech or other activities such as yelling from the audience, applauding, that disrupts the orderly manner of business of the council and will not be allowed. After a warning, continued behavior that disrupts the meeting may result in you being asked to leave the meeting. Thank you. This brings us to public communication.

Madam mayor, if I may step in, I apologize. With your permission, I'd like to give the required report out of closed session.

Oh my goodness. Yes. Do that, please.

Thank you so much. So just to let folks know, the council did consider the item that is listed on its closed session agenda before this meeting. They provided direction to staff, but there is no reportable action today on that item. Thank you. And then just to reiterate what the mayor just said, because this is a special meeting, not a regular meeting, public comment is limited to only the items that are listed on the agenda. So that would be we've already done, public comment for the closed session. That would be the community partnership Toys for Tots classic car show on the consent calendar. Thank you, madam mayor.

Thank you, city attorney. Let's see. How many cars do you have to speak on the agenda item?

It doesn't list what they're it just says public comment it doesn't say what it's for on the cards

okay let me just make sure that everybody understood what's happening here today We have one agenda item related to a toy drive, a Christmas toy drive. If your public comment does not relate to that, you will not be allowed to speak. Anyone here for that particular item? Okay. Is that all the public cards you had?

We have five requests to speak.

Okay. Well, then I'm gonna go to the item then. Nobody's speaking about that. Okay. You're speaking about the item? Yes. Okay. What is your what is your name so that she can pull your card? What what names do you have?

First, we have Joe Sita. Okay. Then Ada. Ada. Sorry. Grace.

That's enough to just do the top three for now and come back for the rest. If you're speaking on any other item, will be asked to stop.

Sorry. I feel comfortable with the mic in my hand. My name is Josh Sita, and I am a resident of Fontana. And I'm super excited to see that, you know, we have this amazing opportunity for donations for toys for tots, for kids, especially for the holidays. And I think that that's amazing, and I would love to see how we can contribute those toys to our community members.

They're not gonna have a lot this holiday season, especially because, you know, the government shutdown and people are not having a lot of funds for their families this holiday, especially families that have been separated. So we definitely wanna make sure that, people have access to this event, in the community as well as we celebrated Lia de los Muertos and all these beautiful events here in Fontana. I would love to see how we can contribute to those families who are going to be living without a parent, especially children. Our children are our future. And as somebody who grew up here in Fontana as a child, sometimes not having, you know, presence under the tree wasn't always everything.

But I know that right now, the way the world is, this is gonna be amazing for our community. So, hopefully, we can, you know, spread the love and spread the joy with tour Toys for Tots and with the car show. I'm a big car y. I have a an amazing car that I I wanna make it a classic one day, but definitely to contribute for the community. I would love to see that. And I'm happy that this is happening, hopefully, for everybody in Fontana because we need a little love this holiday season. Fontana needs all the love we can give, and, I'm happy that this is what we're talking about today on this special session. And and I appreciate the opportunity to talk. And I hope that you all have a safe holiday season with your families united as many people are not gonna be able to do that.

Those that were called up?

Hello. My name is Ada Lara, and I am a fairly new resident to Fontana. I am a homeowner homeowner and a resident for the last three years, And I actually am really glad to hear about this Toys for Tots that you're representing today. I'd like to know also as a community member how I myself and my family members and friends and neighbors would be able to contribute to this. Also, unfortunately, I'd like to know, is there any other time that you're going to be announcing this aside from today?

Because the time limit, it refrains a lot of people that are not don't have the opportunity that I have as a retiree to be able to come in and hear any of these announcements. So I guess that would be a question, is maybe you could host something at a more appropriate time so that others could attend. Thank you. You're welcome.

Can you name your next three speakers?

Mrs. Grace. She's the last of the first three.

Alright.

Hi. My name is Grace. I'm a resident here in Fontana. I'm really glad to see about the Toys for Tots, helping children who are in need. I would just love to know how the city would be able to let families know that they're welcome to come when they're terrified of going out into the streets when they're being attacked right now. Unfortunately

Okay.

I'm a poor parents.

I I was very clear.

No. It's regarding the children.

Nothing to do with the agenda. I Okay.

Children to feel safe.

Excuse me. Do not talk out, or we will ask you to leave. Okay? Now listen. Alright. Stop right there. I said stop right there. This is your first warning. Stick to the issue on the agenda.

Children want to feel safe. Their families want to feel safe going. And, again, parents were just taken over the weekend and over the past few days.

Okay. Bye. That's the end of it. Yes. I do. Okay. Second warning, and I'm gonna ask you to leave. That's enough.

Will the children be safe and their family safe? Will you be able to answer that and publicly let them know that they will be safe in our city?

Thank

you. Care about the children. Come on. For all of you. Oh

you're talking about. Now what are your next three speak second warning for you. What are your next three speakers?

We have two more speakers, Cesar, looks like Satorane, and, Shaquan.

Are you here? Are you speaking? Okay. Are you gonna speak? Who's the next speaker after this speaker? Okay.

Cesar Zatterin, resident of Fontana. I've been here most of my life, Riverside and Fontana. I'm here for something totally different, but I feel you're gonna shut shoot it down anyway.

I am. Stick to the agenda item.

I do transportation. I came here for a hauling permit, unrelated to any of this. But where I live in South Fontana, Southridge specifically, South Southridge, Mulberry, and Philadelphia specifically, borderline Riverside, Sabratito, you guys forgot about us. We've had seven fatalities

on the MATTHEW apologize. Sir, I mean no disrespect. I have to apologize. But as the mayor's made clear, the purpose of this meeting is for what's on the agenda. And the Brown Act provides opportunity for members of the public to speak on the issue or issues like that you're bringing up during the council's regular meeting. As it happened yesterday was a a holiday, and so the council was unable to hold its regular meeting. And they have regular meetings scheduled for December 9. At that at that time would be a great opportunity for you to come and address the council on the issue that you've raised and other issues that members of the public might be here to raise that don't relate specifically to the item on today's agenda. I apologize. I don't I don't mean any disrespect.

I don't mean any disrespect to you. So are we talking about a toy drive?

Yes, sir. Okay. Yep. Toys for Tots.

You know, one of the things I can offer you, Cesar, if you're talking about transportation infrastructure, we can talk to you. You don't have to wait for the meeting.

I've tried talking to somebody to

this Well, today, you can talk to me after this meeting directly.

How can I do that?

As soon as this meeting is over, you and I can talk.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank

you. Next speaker.

Okay.

Ashokan, I hope you're open to talk to the rest of the community too about other alerting issues. And you opened up this meeting with, prayer. Although state and church is supposed to be separated, let me remind you of the laws. But it's only fair that I don't pertain to your religion, so I'm gonna open up with a prayer to my ancestors, the original people of this land. I'm gonna recognize just like you did in prayer.

I would do to creator and the original caretakers of this lands. May their spirits rest as their grandchildren are being ripped away from the streets. May their spirits rest while their grandchildren are being called illegal, undocumented children. Also, you opened up with pledging allegiance. I pledge allegiance to American Indian movement, the original people of this land. Now, these toys are that's a great idea for the kids. Great. I also before coming here, I watched a video where you speak directly to the youth. I think you have a youth advisory committee. And you told them in the video, and it's on Facebook, anybody can see it, that, you know, you encourage for them to speak their mind and their heart, that they're the future.

I agree. And you also encourage them to speak about racism, which I agree. And I hope that instead of just toys, we can give out books to these kids so they can learn the Jim Crow era, so they can learn what happened to little kids as they were being sold for $5. Sir Because these are kids. So I'm talking about kids.

I know, sir. You're done. Okay. Thank you for your comments. That's it.

That's it.

That's it. That's it. That's it. Miss, if you don't sit down, I am calling a recess, and we will be back. And when we come back, you will not be in here.

Recess right now. Right. Gonna resume everyone. Everybody take your seats. That brings us to our consent calendar.

And I I'd like to kinda talk about this a little bit. I see the chief up there. You gonna say something, chief?

No. No, ma'am.

You're just sitting close? Thank you, sir. Okay. Now every year, our community comes together, and we try to do our toy drives. And everybody is doing separate toy drives everywhere. And last year, for whatever reason, people were calling us, and we just could not get people together to do the toys you know, bring toys, enough toys. I don't think any of us were prepared for the level of gifts that needed to be brought in. Well, things have really changed. We're seeing it in Thanksgiving. We've seen what has happened with the SNAP program.

People are looking for options for food. And so we already know we're going to have a shortage. So we have some great business leaders in this community that want to come together and bring together not only the toy drive, but unify the community with a car show. I partnered with these people last last year. I had no idea the magnitude.

If those of you that were around city hall, if you recall, we had toys everywhere. And it was because people came together and brought all these toys. And when I went to the car car show, I just was not prepared. People from all over the Southern California region showed up to help out. So we did that call, and people came in. And they told me last year, if we do it again, they'll be back. And so we want to organize that toy drive so that we can help these great children. So we're really looking forward to this. This family is second to none in terms of helping. And we want to support their efforts.

And so we'll have that announcement of where that toy drive will be, but it won't be to give out the toys. It will be to bring toys in. And we're gonna ask the community throughout the entire city to help us with this effort. And it's unfortunate that our meeting turned into a whole different scenario. All we wanna do is approve letting them do this toy drive, work with our police and fire and our great community services department to make this nice, nice event. So that's our goal. So at this time, that is the item on the consent calendar. May I have a motion?

I'll move

approval, mayor. Second.

Okay. We have a motion and a second. Can we cast our votes? Is it working over there? Alright. Cast your votes. Alright. Who didn't get in there? Me?

I'm sorry, mayor. Did you not get in there?

Yeah. Okay. Let me I vote yes.

Five zero. Motion passed?

Motion passed. Thank you to my colleagues. We're gonna have a great time, and you're going to really love what they do. Now, at this time, our city manager, do you have any communication?

Yeah. Just to be clear about this event, it's going to take place December 14. It's the actual car show, and it'll be on Spring Street. So those that want to participate, certainly they should come out for that event. We'll yeah. Bring it to Hawaii. And and make sure it's probably unwrapped. They they will wrap those gifts afterwards. But this is being done in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club. So certainly want to welcome the community out there. And again, December 14, which is a Sunday. And if you want to participate and bring an unwrapped gift, certainly we'd welcome that. That concludes my reports. Thank you, Mayor.

Let's see. Do any of our elected officials have any communications they'd like to put forth? Well, I just like to tell everybody because we won't have a meeting before happy Thanksgiving. Have a good one everyone and we are having another car show we just we just taped for mayor month