City Council - Regular Meeting

All right. Good evening. Oh, we got a full house  th this evening. got a lot of important work to do   and acknowledgements this evening. Okay. So,  I will convene uh this meeting at 7:35 p.m.   um this Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. uh again at  7:35 pm. And we are going to start our meeting   uh this morning in honor of Malachi Owen Mitchell,  born December 17th, 2025 to fire engineer Ryan   and Melissa Mitchell. Congratulations. [Applause]  And then our invocation uh this this evening will   be Chaplain Steve Martinez. and chaplain.  Okay. All right. All right. Good evening,   Mayor, City Council. Please join me  as we pray. Ask for God's wisdom. I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does  my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,   the maker of heaven and earth. Father, we ask  tonight that you would bless our mayor and our   city council with wisdom as they make decisions,  Lord, for the city of Monrovia. We thank you for   their service, Lord. bless their families, their  grandchildren. Father, we thank you for the things   you've done in our city. We thank you for those  who've contributed in so many ways. We continue   to ask for your blessing and protection, Lord, on  our fire department, our police department. Please   bless our teachers and our schools, Lord. Please  protect our students, Father. Bless our businesses   and our churches. May the pastors here continue  to teach with love and truth and conviction. Lord,   bless the residents here. And especially Lord,  bless those who are struggling in our cities,   Lord. Maybe they're struggling with grief or  loss, addiction. Please connect them to the  

right people in these cities, Lord. And we ask  for your blessing. We acknowledge you. We look   to you for help tonight. We ask for your blessing  now, Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. And now   we will have the pledge of allegiance led by our  mayor prom, Dr. Tamley Kelly. Amen. Please rise,   put your right hand over your heart, and begin. I  pledge algiance 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 very  much. Um then roll call please. Council members   Beldin here, Jimenez here, Spicer present, Mayor  Prom, Dr. Kelly here, and Mayor Shep here. Uh and   then we do not have a report of closed session.  We did have a great study session right before   uh council meeting this evening and uh regarding  um council leazison assignments and uh protocol.   So you'll be hearing more on that uh at our next  meeting. And then moving on into our presentations   and proclamations, we will start with PR1. And  this is for someone very very special to us.   recognition of retiring administrative services  director Buffy Bulis and I believe uh the lead on   this is Mr. Fe. All right. Thank you. Um Buffy,  if I could could I invite you to uh stand at the   podium that way we can get you on uh get you on  TV. I also understand well Buffy did we all asked   Buffy today, you know what we would really like  is a 30 minute presentation on our net position.   Um, also joining uh Buffy tonight is her family.  I understand Mike is here in the audience. Also   Lauren uh as well as her parents. And I apologize  didn't get a chance to meet you both, but you are   Rose. Rose and Al. Wonderful. Thank Thank you  for Thank you for being here. We have so many  

people here joining. Those of you who know Buffy  know she's a pretty special person. Thank you. Um   definitely. It's gonna be a little bit hard for me  to get through uh this presentation tonight. I'm   going to try to be brief. Um, but Buffy has been  very special for me personally because since I   began work here at the city of Monrovia, um, when  you take a job as a city manager, you you you have   to trust people around you. Um, and I think that's  true for all of us. We all want to be around good   people that we can trust during times of need. Um  I began in end of October 2019 and on January 26th   is when we had our first case of COVID here in LA  County. Um it was just eight weeks later that we   had declared a state of emergency and before you  know it we were in the middle of a pandemic like   many people and this the city's finances were we  just had no idea how we'd be impacted and and then   before you know it there's a there's a Bobcat fire  and and the disaster that comes after a fire and   floods and um since the very beginning Buffy  has been one of the most trusted people that   I've ever worked with and I feel I could say the  same with our entire department director team. Um,   but I think the the the quote I'd like to share  about Buffy is that we have no clue how important   or impactful our influence will be uh during  our lives. And and rarely uh will we ever find   out during this lifetime. Um often the influence  we have on those around us are going to be felt   long after we're gone. And that's certainly the  case with Buffy. She's not only the very best at   what she does, but she's genuinely a kind and  good person. And as we like to say here, um,   the way we do things is always more important than  what we're actually doing. Um, and I think Buffy   has just been a a really important and impactful  part of that. She has worked for the city for uh,  

22 plus years. And I'd like to talk a little  bit about some of her accomplishments which,   you know, always strengthening the city's fiscal  position and guiding us through challenges and   long-term initiatives. Uh, from advancing pension  funding strategies to improving our net position   to addressing debt, helping secure the approval  of Measure K, doing the presentations about   Measure K. Um, uh, she was there, as I said  earlier, through pandemics and emergencies.   is I think we've declared seven disaster  declarations since I've been city manager. Um,   and Buffy has helped guide us through that and  make sure that the city's finances are play. If we   don't if we don't have our own house in order, we  can't respond to the needs of the public. That's   why finance is so important to municipalities. Um,  but I I think probably most important, Buffy has   been a leader in the organization that she's just  tackled everything with a determination for and a   deep commitment to serving others. Whether it be  a staff person who has a question about a grant,   whether it be um we're hosting an event to honor  someone in the police department, Buffy's going   to show up to support that person. Um she is  constantly um putting others first, navigating   every challenge with grace, with humility, always  putting the needs of others first. Um and while   we're certainly really excited for Buffy to uh  retire and enjoy this next phase of her life,   um she has left an indelible mark here on the  city that so many people are going to uh feel   immediately. Um, I'd like to uh take this moment  to invite the city council members if you have any   comments you would like to share with Buffy. Um,  and then would like to present her and her family   with just some small tokens of appreciation and  remind the council and others that we'll be um,   you know, formally sending Buffy off next week at  a retirement celebration. This is just her final   city council meeting. Um, thank you for allowing  me to make these comments. Go ahead. Go ahead.  

Speech. Speech. Okay, I won't give a 30 minute  speech, but I do want to say a few thank yous. Um,   good evening, Mayor Chevlin and members of the  city council. Um, I am so appreciative for my   time here at the city. Um, I want to thank you for  your support over the years and I want to thank   you for allowing me to serve the community and my  role. Uh, 22 years is a long time, almost 23. Um,   but you know it the time goes fast when you're  working with people that you enjoy working with,   that you respect, and when you have a city  council that's supportive of its employees   and the work that we do for the community. So,  thank you very much. Um, I'm deeply blessed   um to have worked with Dylan and the entire  executive management team. They're a hardworking,   dedicated team of leaders who lead by example  and I've made many friendships and I value those   friendships with them. Um, I want to thank my team  in administrative services. They're a great group   of individuals who are committed uh to working  hard and doing their best. They love the city   and I'm very proud of the work that they do for us  and I just am very appreciative of being able to   work alongside them this entire time and I'm very  thankful for them. I do want to thank Janet Wall   uh for her uh financial guidance, support,  and input. It's been great working with her,   so I'm very thankful for her. And lastly, I  want to thank my family. So, I want to thank   my husband, Mike, and my daughters, Lauren and  Brooke. Brook's not here tonight, but Lauren   is here for their support of me and my work over  the years, uh, especially during budget and audit   season. Those were crazy times every year. Um,  so, thank you so much. And I want to thank you,   thank my parents as well for the lifelong support  that they've provided me and for just being the   best parents that anyone could ask for. Um, well,  I will miss everyone tremendously. I leave the   city uh knowing that you're in good hands with  Ray Bowman. Uh, Rey is an excellent leader,  

a pleasure to work with. I am excited to see  her flourish in her new position and I know   she will do great things for the city. So,  thank you very much. Very much appreciated. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Don't run off. I wanted to give our fellow  council members a an opportunity to make comment.   So Buffy, when when I became a council member  and I used to sit in the different finance   meetings prior to you becoming the um director,  I didn't know what the hell the guy was talking   about. But when you became the director, I  understood exactly where the city was at. I   learned a lot about the auditing. And I just  want to thank you. I just want to thank you,   Buffy, for everything. You've been a jewel and I  really appreciate you. Thank you so much, Larry.   It was a pleasure working with you as well. All  right. Thanks, Edward. Go ahead, Buffy. Likewise.   I sat on the audit committee. You've made  difficult subject matter, I wouldn't say easy,   but more easily understood. And you did something  that usually people that deal with numbers and   facts don't. You did it with kindness. You did  it with a smiley. You did it with warmth. Um,   and on top of that, your work ethic. It's not just  you as an individual. You inspired people around   you. It's contagious. Your love for the city,  for the staff, people could see it. It energized   people around you. Just want to say thank you  for everything you did for Monrovia and for the  

population of Monroia, for the city council.  You're an inspiration. Thank you. Thank you,   Edward. Thank you so much for all the tremendous  amount of time and effort and uh forgoing some of   those other things that you probably wanted to  attend instead of being here with us and taking   care of the city. And we really all appreciate  it. and everyone's going to say I think some   similar things, but you've always made it um  very clear that even when I ask a dumb question   um you would respond in a very professional way  that it's very obvious um the numbers make sense   and this is why. So, uh thank you so much for just  being a tremendous asset to the community to here   to us and just being an outstanding person. I  really appreciate that and we're going to miss   you. I'm going to miss you. Thank you so much,  Buffy. I love you so much. You have just been   a jewel and I have never seen someone who had who  has that much responsibility and who remain cool,   calm and collected. It's like the duck, you know,  who's just floating on water and their legs are   going crazy underneath. So to us, we see you  as just being cool, calm, and collected even   when there was a crash and we lost all of our  information. Um, but you made us look good. Um,   as a city, you're very thorough. Um, you are  a great leader. Um, I could tell you're a   good leader because your whole team, I've never  seen so many people excited about numbers. Um,   and to see you doing that and having a smile and  your warmth and just the way you just cared uh for   this city through your job. We really appreciate  you. We honor you. We appreciate you. And I really   hope that you enjoy this this half of your life  with your family. Um vacation, do all the things  

uh that you love to do, but don't stay away. Still  come to the meetings. We expect you here on the   second and the fourth Tuesday. Okay? There is  an expectation there. But we appreciate you. Oh,   thank you so much. And I I just have to agree  with Larry. We've been around here long enough.   And not to disparrage anyone that came before  you, but oh my goodness, you are definitely a   finance communicator and make things that are  seemingly difficult and sometimes bad news,   you're able to explain uh what's going on and  make us feel good and that we can make it out   of of just about any anything. Um, you are very,  very, very sweet and I've seen you in action or   heard you in action, especially when talking to an  angry constituent about whether it was water fines   or whatever. And she's remarkable. Um, a very good  mediator as as well or arbit arbitrator. So, um,   we will definitely miss you, but, um, Rey, we're  looking forward to to you coming on board. You had   a great great, uh, example to, and, um, so, you've  been the best. We love you and we'll miss you. Um,   and good luck in your new endeavors. Have lots  of fun. Uh, and you can come back once in a   while and say hi. So, at any rate, with that,  Dylan, This time we'd like to ask Lauren who   has some small gifts and tokens of appreciation.  We'll share those with Buffy, but also with the   family members, her family members who are here.  Let's give Buffy a round of applause. Do you want   Do you want a picture with us? A souvenir and  because it takes a spouse to support such a role.

[Applause] Great. Great job, guys. No,  no, you guys do this. This is   you. I've got plenty of pictures  with Buffy. This is for you guys. [Laughter] [Music] We have all the tall people in the front. One, two, three. Thank you. Thank you. Good job. Thank you. Okay, for those for those who would like to  know uh and it'll it's been included in the   city manager's update, but we have a small  event uh Buffy's retirement celebration next   Thursday the 29th at 6:00 in the community  center where we'll give her the proper send   off on her on her last day on the job. So, um,  and and I think was stated earlier, you know,   sometimes the burden and challenge of public  service, much like any job, can be borne best   by the family. Lot of Tuesday nights Buffy had to  miss. A lot of night meetings and weekends that   um are now going to be Ray's life. So, let's  welcome our incoming uh department director. Rey,  

if you could join us on stage, what Let's  give Ray Bowman a round of applause. Um, we're very fortunate here at the city of  Monrovia where when we find amazing people who   care deeply about serving the community, we  find roles for them and we put them to work   and we watch them excel. We get to celebrate  the successes together. Ray is one of those   people. I'd like to share a little story about  how when I remember Ry was special for me. Um,   and it started around the same time I met Buffy  when I was a newly appointed city manager and   Ray decided she was going to leave to go to  Huntington Beach and Oh, I have to, Ray. I have   to. Now's my chance to get back. Right. Well, it  it was a wonderful wonderful opportunity for her   to pursue a career change um and to, you know,  experience, you know, public service differently.   Um, and it wasn't that long after that the Bobcat  fire started and and Rey felt like she was in the   wrong place and she reached out to me and she just  talked about how bad she felt that she couldn't be   here to support the team. She wanted me to know  how grateful she was for Monrovia. She wished   us wished us well. And then we got a couple  boxes of way too much food from Moren Bakery   the following day in the OC. and it was just her  way of saying, "Keep it up. Do a great job." Um,   and it wasn't until shortly thereafter where we  had a position open and Rey was able to quickly   return. Monrovia has always been her home. Um,  she immigrated here from Philippines. She's a   Monrovia High School graduate. Welcome. Welcome.  She she lives not too far from work. You'll see   her. You'll see her family here in town. Um,  and and she loves Monrovia. She loves Monrovia   as much as we all love Monrovia. Um she has  been doing this for 13 she has 13 years of  

finance experience including many with the city  of Monrovia. Um she is a certified CPA. Um she   has been doing budget presentations assisting  with the audit and all the successes that we've   had under Buffy's leadership and direction. Rey  has been an integral part of all of that. Um you   know we we can't do anything alone in this  business. We work with our teams and Rey has   been a very important part of the administrative  services team for some time. So I am very excited   uh for Rey to step into this next phase of her  career. I think she'll do wonderful. We have   the utmost trust and confidence in her. She's been  an employee of the year uh uh winner for the city   um before and she's just been a wonderful highly  respected member of the city organization and   we're just so excited to have her promote.  She'll her first day will be uh Buffy's last   day and uh we're just very excited for her for  so let's give Ray Bowman a round of applause. Um Rey, are there any thoughts or comments you'd  like to share? Of course. Thank you so much,   Dylan. And wow, you had to bring up Huntington  Beach. Um, first of all, Mayor Chevlin, members   of city council, the executive team, Dylan,  Lauren, Buffy, Janet, thank you so much for   this opportunity. I am deeply humbled by the trust  that you've placed in me. And of course, I want to   acknowledge Buffy. There are no words big enough  to convey my gratitude for her leadership and her   support all these years. I've been blessed to have  worked with her for almost 10 years and she's been   a tremendous influence and mentor not just for me  but for our department as a whole. She's laid a   strong foundation and created a stellar team and  I know I speak on their behalf when I say that   she will be deeply missed. I may I may or may  not have you on speed dial so just watch out.  

Like Dylan said, um, Monrovia truly is a special  place for me. And the old adage of you don't know   what you've got till it's gone really rang true  during that time. So, a few years ago, I had the   bright idea of working for another organization  and leaving Monrovia. But shortly thereafter,   I realized how truly special Monrovia is. This  place is where the community, your leadership,   and your governance all come together to  work together and in such beautiful ways. So,   I can't thank you enough, council, our elected  officials, our leadership team, and the staff   that we have in this organization. I couldn't be  more excited to take on this role because of all   of your support and your encouragement. I know I'm  following in the footsteps of someone who set a   very high standard and I'll do my best every day  to uphold those standards to keep the department   moving forward and to serve our community with our  core values of humble, hungry, loyal, and smart.   And of course, I couldn't take on this journey  alone. I'd like to give thanks and a special   shout out to my mom and my dad, my awesome support  system, my sister, she's in the crowd, my partner,   my friends. Hi. um they are truly the wind beneath  my wings and I couldn't do this without them. So   again, thank you so much for this opportunity  and your support. I'll miss Buffy tremendously,   but I'm humbled and excited to take on  this role. Thank you so much. Thank you. [Applause] Do you want a picture of us that I know she's  not retiring, but to to document her first,  

you know, to start on the job. Come on, guys.  My whole crew come on stage. Yeah. Pastoral the beginning. Where's my dog? Good luck. Good luck. [Applause] Okay, I think now we have a another  presentation here that We wanted   to acknowledge a birthday on January 31st.  Larry Spicer. Okay. On the count of three.   1 2 3. Happy birthday to you. Cha  cha cha. Happy birthday to you.   Cha cha. Happy birthday dear Lar. Happy  birthday to you and many more. [Applause]

Happy happy birthday, Larry. Thank you, Becky. I  forgot all about that. Oh, a little carrot cake. Yeah. Hey, just grab one. There. I don't need a plate. Thank  you. All right. Well, happy birthday,   Larry. Thank you. and many more. Okay,  moving right along then to student government   representative report and we have our leazison  Elsie and what's going on at the high school. Good evening, Mayor Chevlin, council members,  and members of the community. To begin,   ASB leadership has implemented a new  incentivebased ticket pricing structure   for this upcoming Satie Hawkins dance. If a  student has a 95% attendance rate or higher,   ticket prices will be $5 for those with an  ASB card and $10 for those without. However,   if the student does not reach that minimum  attendance, ticket prices will rise to $20   with ASB and 25 without. This strategy is  designed to boost overall participation,   encourage higher attendance, and make school  events more accessible to all students. Our   winter sports teams also remain actively engaged  in league competition and the ASB leadership class   is currently preparing for senior nights to honor  and celebrate the dedication of our winter student   athletes. Additionally, our Renaissance program  will be hosting a winter recognition rally this  

Thursday night where students will be acknowledged  for academic achievement, positive behavior,   and school involvement. This event reinforces a  culture of appreciation and encourages students   to remain engaged in both academics and  extracurricular activities. On Friday,   our senior class will participate in the  bite of reality program, an interactive   financial literacy experience that helps students  better understand realworld budgeting, expenses,   and decision-making as they prepare for life after  graduation. Looking ahead, we are also preparing   for our Stranger Things winter rally next Friday,  which will bring the student body together to   build school spirit and celebrate the winter  season. Lastly, we are proud to share that our   recent box singer event was a tremendous success.  The event saw strong student participation and   an enthusiastic audience. Events like this  continue to strengthen school culture and   foster a sense of community on campus. Thank you  all for your continued support of our students,   staff, and school programs. Great report. Thank  you. Good to good to see you for Larry's got a   question. Hey, um would you let Dr. Rainwater know  if there's any kids or youth who cannot afford to   um who doesn't have the money to be able to go to  the dance to let me know, please let them know and   we'll take care of it. Okay. All right. Thank you.  Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much.   And as usual, you're more than welcome to stay,  but I can understand if you've got somewhere else   to go. All right. Um, we do not have any changes  to our order of business, I do believe. So,   we will move on to the consent calendar, which are  items CC1 through CC9. Um, and they're considered   ordinary and routine and and nature and can be  entertained in one motion unless there's anything  

that needs to be pulled. Move for approval. Do  we have a second? Second. We have a motion and   a second. Then without objection, our consent  calendar is so approved. Um, moving on then to   public input. And this is uh your opportunity to  come and address the city uh council and any items   not on our agenda. And we encourage you uh to come  forward and address the city council. We want to   hear from you. You will be given three minutes uh  to provide a statement. And I know we do have some   cards and I know maybe some did not fill out a  card, but u we'll make sure we cover everyone. So,   we'll cover the ones that have submitted a card  first. Beginning with Sherry Lockchner Sherry. Good evening everyone. My name is Sheri  Lochner and I'm a resident of Monrovia.   I grew up here in Monrovia and Dworth. My mother  Lorna cannot be present but she is here in spirit.   I am here this evening to continue to advocate for  day laborers and other people who are immigrants   targeted by ICE. As you would be well aware,  ICE is continuing with their fascist unlawful   practices of detaining and kidnapping people  throughout our country. My colleagues have   reinstalled the memorial for Carlos Roberto  Mononttoyo Valdez several times and we will   continue this practice for as long as needed. We  want to see a permanent memorial for Carlos to   commemorate his life and acknowledge his death  as a result of the brutal unjust tactics of   ICE. I stand here this evening because I and  my colleagues refuse to allow the government   to sweep his death and the 44 other deaths  under the carpet. The Monrovia City Council's  

silence on Carlos Roberto Mononttoya's death is  deafening. I expect more of the elected leaders.   When are you as our elected leaders going to  speak truth to power? My questions for the city   council this evening are as always. One, what  progress has been made on sec on securing the   report investigating the circumstances resulting  in Carlos Roberto Mononttoya Valdez's death? Two,   how can my colleagues work with the city council  to secure an appropriate site for the erection of   impermanent memorial for Carlos and the 44 other  people who have died as a result of ICE actions?   And three, when is the city council going to stand  up to the authoritarian actions of this federal   government and denounce the ICE raids and secure  justice for Carlos Roberto Mononttoya Valdez?   The true measure of any society can be found  in how it treats its most vulnerable members.   That's what Mahatma Gandhi says and I stand  by that. I also stand for justice. I stand   for compassion. Where do you stand? Yoso Carlos  Roberto Mononttoyo Valdez. Thank you Martha Mack. Good evening Martha. Good evening. Um, I would  like to start um with a quote from Martin Luther   King Jr. and on Martin Luther King Jr. in honor  of um Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. This is from   the a letter from Birmingham jail um in Alabama  1963. I have almost reached the regrettable   conclusion that the black man's great stumbling  block in the stride towards freedom is not the   white citizen counselor or the Ku Klux Clanner,  but the white moderate who is more devoted to   order than to justice. Um, a lot of the things  we're seeing are technically legal right now,  

but 44 people have died in ICE custody or as a  result of ICE, and I'm going to read their names.   Henry Ruiz Guen Sowit Gazagen Dehene Maxim  Chernyak Juan Alexis Teneo Martinez Brian   Garco Rio Non Noakwin Marie An Blae Abelardo  Aenda Delgado Jesus Molina Vega Johnny Novo   Eidro Perez Tien Schwanf Lorenzo Antonio Batres  Vargas is Oscar Dwarte Rasone, Santos, Benas,   Reyes, Ismael, Ayella, Uribe, Norlan, Guzman,  Fuentes, Miguel, Anhel, Garcia, Medina, Huabining,   She Leo Cruz, Silva, Hassan Ali, Mud Salet, Jose  Castro, Rivera, Gabrielle Garcia, Ales, Kai Yin,   Wong, Francisco Gaspar, Andres, Pete Sum, Malo  Montejo, Shiraz Fatehale, Satwani, Jean Wilson,   Brutus, Fawad Sahed, Abdul Kadir, Delvin,  Francisco Rodriguez, Nenko, Stanvivv, Ganchev,   Romesh, Amachchand, Pankage, Karan, Sin, Kataria,  Jose Manuel Sanchez, Castro, Jose Castro, Rivera,   Sylio, Viegas, Gonzalez, Haime, Alanise Garcia,  Carlos Roberto Mononttoya Valdez, and these   six people have passed this year already. Keith  Porter, Heraldo, Lunas, Compos, Renee Nicole Good,  

He Sanchez, Dominguez, Victor Manuel Diaz,  Paradila. Thank you, Jim Wiggton. Mr. Wiggen, are you bringing your crew with you?  I am. I hope it intimidates you. Good evening. Good evening, Mayor Chevavelin and members of  the city council. My name is Jim Wigton and I am   president of the Monrovia Historic Preservation  Group, an organization that was founded in 1980   and works to preserve the architectural heritage  of Monrovia. I am here with several board members   to present our viewpoint on the development  located at 222 East Cypress Avenue. As you know,   the property contains an 1892 Victorian home  on 32,514 square ft of land. The city acquired   the property on February 25th, 2025 in part  to ensure that the home would be preserved   and the lot developed in a manner appropriate  to the neighborhood. The board has discussed   the matter several times and has reached  a consensus about how we feel the property   ideally should be developed. There are two major  points we considered. one, what happens to the   Victorian home, and two, how the property should  be improved. Point one, the Victorian. For those   of you who have not seen the interior of the home,  it would be an understatement to say that it's in   pretty rough shape. to restore the house properly,  which would include removing the rear addition and   roof alterations, not to mention the interior  restoration, would take resources beyond what  

might be prudent for the city to commit to.  If the house is to be truly saved, it should   be restored as near as possible to its original  condition. That might best be handled by an ent   entity outside the city. For even if the city were  to allocate the necessary funds to do a proper   restoration, labor constraints would balloon  the overall cost beyond what a private firm   might incur. Because the home is one of the few  remaining two-story early Victorians in Monrovia,   it deserves a concerted effort to see that it  is protected and returned to its former glory.   We also feel that moving the house to a more  appropriate location would allow more freedom in   the design of the housing on this large tract of  land. If moving the house proves feasible, we feel   that relocating the house is an option the city  should carefully consider. Because the city is not   in a position to undertake a period appropriate  restoration, an experienced firm to handle that   task would be the best solution. Point two, the  development of the 32,514 square foot par parcel.   As you are aware, a brand new bungalow court  was constructed on Mountain Avenue last spring,   designed after the Guards Court, the Guard's  Bungalow Court in Pasadena, which is listed   on the National Register of Historic Places.  While new, the interior and exterior of the six   bungalows in the court have been constructed to  mirror the quality and craftsmanship of a vintage   bungalow court, a housing style that was popular  in Southern California over a century ago and   which has withtood the test of time. That lot was  roughly 20,000 square feet, and many additional   units could have legally been built. Bungalow  courts provide individual units with garden  

space that allow families to live in a manner  that avoids the negative aspects of highdensity   apartment living. Jim, can you wrap it up? Yeah.  Okay. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly,   the city of Monrovia has an opportunity with this  project to establish itself as a leader in how to   provide affordable housing while doing so in a  manner that is time-tested and appropriate to   Monrovia's vintage neighborhoods. Sorry. Thanks.  Yeah. No, that's okay. I'm just trying to be   fair to everyone. Okay. Thank you very much.  Thank you. 18 20 21 minutes. James Wheeler. Good evening, Mayor Chevlin and council.  My name is James Wheeler. I'm the general   manager of living spaces furniture  in Monrovia. And I'm here tonight to   uh petition the council to consider a change  to city parking ordinances that would allow   street parking for commercial vehicles.  And whether that's a permit system for   a fee or a change in allowances uh that  would allow time limits up to 48 hours   or even variances for vehicles in close  proximity to businesses or residences. My store or store that I operate is at the  intersection of Mayflower and Maple. Um   recently or fairly recently vehicles parking along  Maple Street have been ticketed. Those are larger   commercial vehicles. Those vehicles then to avoid  tickets come to our parking lot. Living spaces   does not for liability reasons allow overnight  parking. So I find myself constantly going out   to the parking lot and putting tickets if you will  on those vehicles to tell them remove the vehicles   or be towed. Those vehicles have no place to go.  In partnership with our neighbors, our neighboring  

businesses, because we do try to be good  neighbors, we have arranged for the previous 30   days to not ask these vehicles to leave while this  matter has been discussed with the council in the   hopes of arranging a amicable solution. Uh I don't  want vehicles towed. I don't want them towed out   of my parking lot, but at the same time, we cannot  have them in the parking lot. So I'm hopeful the   council will consider some other alternative for  discussion maybe in partnership with those who are   being impacted so that we don't ticket commercial  vehicles. We don't impact those who are uh living   and working in the city and we don't impact those  who are providing a tax base to the city. So   that'll be my request to please consider changing  parking ordinances to allow commercial vehicle   parking perhaps in certain areas but certainly uh  in an effort to um avoid those tickets. Thank you.   Thank you very much. And just so you know, this is  just public comment. So this isn't a dialogue, so   we can't respond to you. I guess that's my that's  my point. But we have we have heard you. Okay.   Thank you. Thank you. Now I know that we have some  family members here from um Gail Montgomery and I   think they do want to come forward and say a few  words for many of you or anyone that does not know   Gail. uh just recently passed unexpectedly.  And so did you want to come up now? Come on. Good evening, Jasmine. Good evening. Good evening, mayor and city council members.  Thank you so much for allowing me the space to   speak tonight. My name is Jasmine Montgomery  and I'm here on behalf of my grandmother,   Gail Montgomery. My grandma loved this city  deeply, but Novia was not just where she  

lived. It was where she belonged. She took  pride in this community, in its history,   and the people that made it feel like home.  She believed in showing up, supporting others,   and caring about where you come from. That love  was something she carried every single day.   Some of my most cherished memories here are  walking the streets with her, listening to her   stories, and watching her light up when she talked  about the city and the people she knew. This place   holds my childhood, my laughter, my learning,  and now my grief. But more than anything,   it holds my gratitude. My grandma taught me what  it means to love a community, not just in words,   but in action. To give when you can. To be kind  when it matters most. and to leave things better   than what you found them. That is the leg legacy  that she leaves behind. As my family and I work   to honor her life with celebration that reflects  who she was, we have created a GoFundMe to help   us do that. If we are if you are able to support  or share it, we'd be incredibly grateful more than   anything. We just want to give her a farewell that  reflects the love she gave so freely to others.   I have made a QR form that is printed out  where you can just scan it on your phone or   in a device that brings you straight to the link.  I would love to leave that here today if that's   possible. Once again, thank you for honoring her  tonight and thank you for the being a city that   meant so much for her and continues to mean so  much to me. You're welcome. And do you want to   share any of the service um or celebration of life  arrangements? So, right now we are working towards   a date. That date is February 20th. It's a Friday.  Um hopefully if the community center is able to   approve it, it will be from uh 1 to 5:00 p.m. You  are not forced to stay the entire time, but it it   is welcome to all that would like to go and that  knew her. It is a celebration of life. So it's not  

a traditional memorial. So we are going to look to  bring happiness. I'm looking at at vendors across,   you know, I would like to to show support to the  vendors that are local to Monrovia. Um, I will be   sure to contact you guys when I have a a secure  date. I spoke to um the community center today   and so did my cousin and I will make sure that  information gets across to you. And thank you.   And obviously we are adjourning uh the tonight's  meeting in memory of your mother along with a few   other unfortunately people that we've lost. Well,  thank you so much for your time. Thank you guys. Anyone else wanting to address our city council  this evening? Not seeing anyone then we will   close that portion of our our meeting the  public input. Um there are opportunities   under the other items for you to provide input  on those as well. Uh we are moving now to public   hearings and meetings PH1 the ordinance of the  city council of the city of Monrovia California   repealing chapter 15.04.010 010 of title 15  of the city of Monrovia municipal code and   establishing a new chapter 1504.010 of title  15 etc etc. So thank you very much and Greg   um you're up. Glad to be back. Good evening  mayor council members. So on December 16th,   2025, I introduced the first reading of ordinance  number 2025-14, which amends title 15 of the   Monura Misba Code, also known as the updates to  the building code. The public hearing uh of the  

second reading is set for today, January 20th. As  a reminder, the California Health and Safety Code   does require that the new codes be adopted  and in effect as of 2026. With that said,   staff recommends that council uh open up the  public hearing and adopt ordinance number 2025-14.   Thank you. Thank you very much. Um any questions  of staff? No. This is a public hearing. So I will   open the public hearing and invite anyone to  come forward that would like to either speak   for or against. Just make a comment on on this  public hearing matter. Not seeing anyone. I will   close the public hearing and come back to uh  councel and unless there are questions of staff   um we can entertain a motion. I would like to make  a motion um to adopt ordinance number 2025-14.   Second. We have a motion and a second. Can we have  a roll call vote, please? Council members Beldon,   yes. Jenz, yes. Spicer, yes. Mayor Prom, Dr.  Kelly, yes. And Mayor Chevlin, yes. Thank you   very much. Thank you. Okay. Um then we have uh  Sheri Burmho is going to be bringing us um the   uh allocation of community development block  grant funds for fiscal year 2627 and approval   of fiscal year 2526 residential rehabilitation  program guidelines resolution number 2026-02. Sherry. Yes. Thank you madame mayor, members of  the city council. Tonight um we'll be presenting   for your approval the 20 fiscal year 2627 um  CDBG annual funding allocation as well as the  

use of those funds and staff is also going to be  presenting some revised program guidelines for the   residential rehab uh grant program. And before we  begin, I just wanted to provide a little overview   of the CPDG or uh community development grant  grant block grant program. Um this is a program   that's federally funded and it exists to fill  uh three uh really big goals. uh serving low   to moderate income residents um and to improve  the quality of life uh prevent deterioration   of neighborhoods and dwellings as and also to  um help aid in addressing immediate needs. So,   uh the community block grant funding actually  originates from HUD. Um it uh came the program the   CDBG program came out came out of the housing and  community development act of 1974 and this money   um is allocated to non-entitlement uh cities  which Monroia is uh through the Los Angeles   County Development Authority and then that  money is passed through the participating   non-entitlement cities of which the city of  Monroia is one. Now each year LACTA allocates   the funds to the participating cities and those  allocations must be approved by the city council   in a through a public hearing process before  those funds can be pro programmed for use.   So the allocation that's before the city council  um this evening um is for the fiscal year 2627   um and the estimated um amount of the funding is  $221240 excuse me $221,000 247. Um as you can see   for the past three years the city has um allocated  the majority of those funds to our residential  

uh rehab grant program. Um this year the city is  experiencing a 10% reduction in those funds. But   that's not just a city of Monrovia um um  10% decrease actually due to funding cuts   at the federal level. All cities um under LACTA  have experienced that that cut. So a little bit   about the residential rehab program. Um the city  has been com uh participating in it since 2009   and has served over 57 households. Um the program  provides uh grants to fund low to moderate income   households that are owner occupied. These are  single family residents that cannot afford to   um complete those necessary immediate um code  related items that are affecting the health   and safety of their homes. Um with the funding  provision that's allocated for this next fiscal   year, staff anticipates um funding total of seven  projects. Each of the projects generally range   between 20 and range between 20 and 25,000. Um  and that's really to cover the cost of the labor   and the materials. Um and it's important to note  that these are federal funds that are not taken   out of the city's general fund. So, in addition  to the presentation of the allocation of funds   this evening, staff wanted to also bring forward  the program guidelines for the residential rehab   uh program for your review and consideration.  Um these um the city always maintains these uh   this document on an annual basis. it gets updated.  But this year in particular, since we've recently   hired a new uh CDBG contract, we wanted to kind  of review some of the up updates to it to really   make sure that um these funds are going to those  who were really most um in need of them. Um and  

so we wanted to kind of highlight some of the  the key updates in this uh in the current year,   fiscal year 2526 program updates. And the first is  um uh the how these uh grants will be allocated.   Um so there's not many changes in in necessarily  to the purpose of the program, but in prior years   the city used to issue the grants on a first  come first serve basis. Um and to ensure that   we're really allocating those funds to the most  in need, we've created within the program um this   tiered system of three levels. So instead of just  opening the gates and receiving the first grants   and allowing those to get processed, we'll we'll  open the gates, receive the applications, and then   review them in in a triage manner. The level one  would be those that are needing essential repairs   to their home. Um things where we have active  roof leaks that need to be um fixed, heating   systems that have completely failed or really  bad electrical failures. Uh level two um would   focus on the necessary repairs, more preventative  measures to make sure the homes don't fall into   that level one tier. And then um any other funding  applications then that were still remaining would   be applied to the level three. And those are more  uh repairs recommended to improve the habitability   of a home, also improve the aesthetics which  contribute to the overall neighborhood. Um   and those projects types could consist of  exterior paint, interior paint, flooring, etc. Another key um highlight that um is one of  the kind of a a city best practice for many   cities who who um uh implement the this type  of program is we're proposing a change in the  

um bidding process. And this is really to meet  the federal requirement of making sure that when   uh the bids are are cast out, we're we're casting  a wide net. Um it also gives the homeowner, it's a   homeowner-driven process that allows them to use  a contractor that they feel comfortable working   with. And in this new process, the city is their  partner. We're there to facilitate if they do need   help with the bidding process, but we also have  a main role of um of being the quality control   agent. Um and this new process will also protect  the city's liability um during that process. Um another key update to this is um we're  introducing a new residency and ownership   covenant. Um and this the main purpose of this  new provision is to ensure that public funds   are really going to the long-term uh benefit of  the community the long-term community benefit.   Um and so what the new kind of um provision is is  that grant recipients will be required to sign a   covenant um indicating that they will reside  within the house um for the first five years   following the project's uh completion. And if  that home is sold or if the title is transferred,   then the homeowner would need to repay um those  funds back to the city so that they could be put   back into the community. And really again, this  is to prevent house house flipping. And then   last but not le not not but not least, this is  just a little um um um federal requirement that   is now being placed into the program. So we're  updating our guidelines to make sure they meet   the federal requirements. In addition now  to being um h being the owner of the home,   living in in the home and meeting the income  um requirements, um federal law now requires  

um the verification of immigration status. So that  have been built into the program guidelines. And   then last but not least, it's important to note  these program guidelines are a living document   and they will get reviewed annually. Um, and  there are provisions in here that allow the   city manager to sign off of them um, annually to  make sure they're still meeting the requirements   of the state and the federal government. And of  course, any major changes that will be proposed   to at a local level would be brought back to  the city council for your consideration. So,   with that, it concludes my presentation. I'd  be happy to answer any questions you have.   Um staff is recommending that the council adopt  or approve the estimated fisc year 2627 community   development block grant allocation and approve  the residential rehab grant program guidelines.   Thank you. Thank you for that report. Do we have  any questions of staff? just a few comments, but   uh I really appreciate the the new approach you  guys lined out and the the new levels, the tiers,   the prioritization, and I know you also um have  many of your code enforcement folks that may know   people that are probably really really um eager to  use this resource and probably need that resource.   So, thank you for that. Um, I think the only other  question I had is just the uh the the covenant   idea is a really good one as well and that kind  of reducing someone just taking advantage of the   situation. Is that going to be recorded then  too on their title? Yes, it would be recorded.   Great. Thanks. I have a question. Do most of  the applicants um do they come about through   the relationship between building inspectors and  the residences? Is that how they they find out   about these programs, the residents? So um before  implementing the program each fiscal year we we do   a bargaining program. So the program is released  through our main sources like the city manager  

newsletter, the city's website. This year we're  going to be updating our flyers and making sure   they're available at community places where folks  like seniors are frequently visiting the city   library. We're going to have them at city hall. We  also put it out to our Monrovia area partnership   um um communication lines. So, are the documents  bilingual? The documents contain information where   they need assistance for translation. So, we  haven't officially translated those documents   at this at this point. Thank you. But code code  I'm sorry, Tam um code enforcement does recommend,   don't they? when you have code enforcement cases.  Absolutely. We see folks at our public counter   which is planning building and code enforcement.  Um and we're always, you know, getting uh telling   people about these programs anytime they come in  looking for assistance. And I know the community   center also provides um that helpful communication  as well. I'm sorry, Tamil, I interrupted. No,   I that I think I was going to talk a little bit  more about um getting that getting the information   out. So, you said the community center and then  for the MAPS program, what is that? What are   those lines of communication? Email, Facebook, um  talking to our MAP leaders, um spreading the word,   word of mouth. Yeah. Yeah. Because a lot of uh  people are not, you know, they're not on the   internet. Is there a way that this information  can also go out? Like for example, um a bill.   That's a good idea. We can not that it has to be  that way, but just as a consideration of somebody   that because there probably there might be people  that are out there that are not admitting to their   um code issues and not coming forward with that  because uh of fear of not being able to pay for  

it, right? So that could be a possibility as well.  But but it sounds like you guys are not getting   a shortage of applications. So people are  finding the information and unfortunately   seven seven people helped our seven homes and  anyway this is a public hearing. Uh I will open   it at this I have a question. So, Cherry, I think  it's a lot better um with the um the consultant   that you're working with now and the different  things that they brought into play, you know,   with the different levels and being able to go  out where the um the homeowner can go out and   get their own contractor and bring them in in  order to be able to bid because, you know, that   relationship means a big uh it means a lot. So,  and also um the different priorities, you know,   instead of the f first come first serve because  sometimes the there's people that takes a little   bit longer to get all the documentation um that is  needed in this process. Whereas with someone else,   they might be just sitting back in the in the  wings and they're ready to go as soon as it hit.   Right. Right. And the other one, lastly, is the um  the five-year residency. That's that's really huge   because you don't want people coming in, getting  their homes fixed, and next thing you know,   they're selling it, right? So, that's good. Okay.  I I do want to say this. About two days ago,   I got a call from a contractor and he says that  there was a program that the city of Monrovia   had for home improvements and um I I had another  person on the line and I couldn't talk to him at   the time. I don't know if it was the same program  or if it was a scam. I um let's finish the public  

hearing first and then I'll comment okay on that.  Um this is a public hearing. I will open it up   for any comments either for against I don't hear  any see anybody coming forward so we will close   that portion I'll come back to city council um  and this was before your time Sher but we did   have a firsttime home buyer um program and you  could improve your property and it was a lean   on the property but it wasn't to my knowledge  it wasn't a part of our CB CBD money, CBDG, whatever that acronym is. Yeah, it it wasn't it  was a separate it was a separate program, but we   did have that. I I know that because a very close  friend of mine took advantage of that. She's still   living in the home, but um at some point in time,  it has to be paid paid back. Okay. If there are to   Sergio's question. Uh-huh. Was it answered? Well,  I was Or do we still have to wait if this the   man claimed that he was working with the city of  Monroia? Sorry. This caller claimed he was working   with the city of Monrovia was a contractor.  He was a fast talker. I was suspicious, but   I had a doctor on the other line and I said, "I'm  sorry, but I right now it's not a good time." Um,   so I I didn't find out whether it was legitimate  or if it was a scam using the city of Monrovia in   the the pitch. Interesting. Oh, he said he was  doing it now. He said he was doing it now. Yes.   That there was programs with the city of Monrovia  and make improvements on the home. Could have been   a scam. I thought you were talking about this  was years ago. No, this is like two days ago.   If I if I if I could just chime in, we I re I've  received many calls from residents about vendors,  

contractors who represent themselves as were  working with the city and they're trying to   do solar panel installations. Um that's probably  one of the most common like doortodoor, you know,   business uh proposals that we get calls on. Um  the city does not uh endorse or work with or   partner with anyone. you know, any any vendor can  can be hired uh with all the proper permitting to   to do the work, but um there have been many times  where people will show up at the door and say,   "I'm working with the city on this." Um and if  you if you ask them enough um or if you just   contact the city, we don't we don't have an  official partnership with any of these firms.   And I'm sorry, Sergio, I misunderstood your  your comment. I thought he was commenting on   a program long time ago. I didn't realize it  was a a current current thing. Um, okay. Uh,   if there are no other questions, comments,  do we have a motion? I'll make a motion. I'll   make a motion to um adopt resolution number  2026-02 and approve the fiscal year 2025-2026 residential rehabilitation grant program  guidelines. I'll second it. We have a motion   and a second. Can we please have a roll call  vote? Council member Pelton here. Yes. Jimenez,   yes. Spicer, yes. Mayor Prom. Dr. Kelly, yes.  And Mayor Shlin, yes. Okay, good job. Oh,   thank you very much. Thank Thank you. Sherry  Berjo, our community development uh director,   and I think she's up for number three, too. This  is our third public hearing this evening. fiscical   year 202425 annual mitigation fee report and  traffic impact fee update and uh SQUA exemption  

finding resolution 2026-01 and Miss Bero is yes  up for this one. Yes, thank you very much. Um,   this is another exciting report and this time  we get to talk about the annual review or annual   report of the city's traffic impact fee program as  well as the consideration of an inflationary fee   um impact fee increase um for this upcoming year.  So, as way of background, in 2019, city council   conducted a traffic uh city worked to conduct a  traffic impact fee study, which um was ruled into   a traffic impact fee ordinance adopted in 2019.  And that fee ordinance was actually developed and   uh consistent with the mitigation fee act,  which actually provides the framework um to   legally implement an impact fee. Um the purpose  of the traffic impact fee that was adopted was   to ensure that all new development, particularly  development south of Huntington Drive, was paying   for their fair share of um impact on the city's  transportation system. Um the council had adopted   a resolution in 2019 which established the fee  based on the transportation study that also   outlined a series of transportation improvements  that were to be carried out as these fees were   coming in. Um so as I mentioned this impact fee  is um is um implemented on new developments south   of Huntington Drive. The types of development are  any non-residential development greater than 1,000   square feet in size. Any residential development  consisting of five or more units. Um and these   are improvements that they are com that end up  getting completed with the funding are really  

to maintain the current level of service. So the  fees not being paid towards improving the service   um just maintaining the level of service.  Um, and the types of improvements that   are outlined based on this fee study involve  both physical improvements to the roadways and   uh technology improvements to the equipment  that's out there like the traffic signals. Um, and now this is where we get into the  meat and potatoes of this presentation and   that is the discussion the public hearing on the  trans traffic fee adjustment. So initially when   uh the resolution was passed in 2019 to implement  that fee, we all know that as time goes on,   the cost of construction and labor also increases.  So the ordinance allows the council to consider an   inflationary update to that fee. Um, and for this  year, the adjust um the adjustment recommendation   is about a 3.9 increase uh upping the fee from  $2,634 to $2,737. Um, the council, if they're   obliged to approve this, it would be through the  adoption of resolution 26-01. And that fee would   uh go into effect 60 days from tonight. Um now  with respect to the requirement for conducting   the annual impact fee report um this is a  requirement that's out of the mitigation   fee act and it requires the council to review  report that talks about the purpose of the fee   the amount of the fee the fund balances and the  public improvements that are funded. So looking   over the fiscal year from 204 over to 25, we can  see the beginning balance in this slide um $870,45

and then the ending balance is uh $1,214 and $551.  I'm not using my appropriate glasses tonight,   so things look fuzzy on the screen, so I  apologize. Um but what I can say is although   these funds haven't been physically spent yet,  the city council in over the course of this last   year has approved um uh projects that will be  funded. One of them being the Monrovia active   community travel beniculum project that um the  public works team is working on. Um so with that,   I'd like to conclude my report. Um and um  the staff recommendation this evening is to   review the annual report and approve  it as well as adopt the fee increase   outlined in the report. I'm happy to answer any  questions you have. Thank you. Any questions? Just a few. Um, this is just a one-time  fee, right, for a developer when they're   um Yeah, the fee is based on a  net new peak trip and it's it's   um it's based on their new development proposal,  right? And it's not a recurring fee, right? Um,   I guess two other questions that you don't have  to answer, but maybe we can discuss for for   discussion purposes here. But this is currently  set only south of Huntington and I know a lot of   that was probably because of Station Square and a  lot of development happening in that location. Um,   we have a lot of development even occurring north  of Huntington. uh would it make sense to look at   that at another time and why we I mean if they're  all adding trips it seems like we would want to   apply it evenly in anywhere that's adding trips.  Um maybe I'm missing something if that's true not   true. Um and then uh project it seems like we  also have flexibility on the types of projects  

uh not just they're not like set in stone  on the list from what I understand. Right.   Well, the the traffic uh study does have a list of  of projects. They're outlined. Now, the the public   works department is they're the most they have  the most expert on how they can kind of address   the goals of each of those projects. So, they're  not I think their concept, but they do have to   fall within that list within that transportation  fee study. And I think um as to you know whether   more traffic analysis is done, I I think that's  something that the public works team works on.   um all the time and I think you know get getting  cues from them as development occurs. I know   the initial fee study was really put into place  based on the general plan um growth right and the   ambient expected ambient growth through the year  2040 as well as known projects um that were coming   in in 2019 and we had about a large number. So,  yeah. I mean, I think we have we have one coming   in right now. We had we've had two already built  in kind of really close to downtown, one more   coming, and there's probably at least one more,  maybe a few more in the horizon. So, yeah. Okay.   Um, this is a public hearing and I'll open the  public hearing. Is there anyone wanting to provide   uh comment either for or against this item? Please  come forward. Not seeing anyone, I will close   that portion of uh our hearing and come back to  city council and entertain if there's no further   discussion, entertain a motion. I would like to  make a motion to adopt resolution number 2026-01. I'll second. We have a motion in a second.  Can we have a roll call vote, please? Council  

members Belden, yes. Jimenez, yes. Spicer, yes.  Mayor Prom, Dr. Kelly, yes. And Mayor Chevlin,   yes. Thank you very much, Sher. Thank you. Okay,  moving on to reports of city council. Oh, excuse   me. I was just going to bypass you all together  there. Reports of city manager and staff. Mr. Fe,   city council directives update. Yes. The  the items I'd like to brief you on today,   um earlier today, these are not on the  directives log that you have before you.   Um but as we catch up and recover from the uh the  holiday season and now convening meetings again,   we'll continue to update this list. Uh we also  have a couple work plan items related to the last   retreat that the council had for some upcoming  meetings and activities. We'll be updating this   directives log here soon. But I'd like to share a  few items that I think are important. one um last   week we received notice from some of our uh the  representatives of our congressional uh elected   officials that the city of Monrovia was success  successful in getting three projects listed on the   community project funding process. Um these are  federal appropriations for projects that benefit   Monrovia. Um each of them equals slightly over a  million dollars. So, it's a total of a little over   almost $3.1 million. We're receiving a good chunk  of money um for the Peek Road uh or not Peek Road,   excuse me, but Peek Lake project, what we refer to  as the Real Hondo Ecosystem Restoration Project.   We received a million dollar a little over  a million dollars for Encanto Park, which   is actually happening in the city of Dwarti, but  as many would know, we are part of uh the Joint   Powers Authority, which oversees these regional  storm water projects. And so, uh, certainly we   helped with the application. We supported it.  We're really excited to see that funding. While   it doesn't directly impact Monrovia, it benefits  the partnership, which also means less money, uh,   that that they're going to have to spend and money  that the partnership can put towards the project.  

And lastly, uh, we received the million-doll  request we had made for our, uh, police   center dispatch upgrade. And so, interestingly, as  council approved that project a couple months ago,   we've kind of told everybody to, hey, don't  pay the bills so quickly. Uh, at this point,   what happens is, um, everything has been forwarded  to the president for signature. Uh, they expect,   uh, him to sign, uh, and we'll receive the  appropriation, and once the president signs,   um, our appropriations are signed into federal  law, and we will work with the responsible agency   to receive the funds like other community project  funds, Dylan. So, but they are in the process of   putting together that um council. Correct. We are  not telling the manufacturer to stop development,   keep building, keep going, just find a nice place  to store it until we can bring the money bags. But   I think what what we had told our congressional  representatives um at the time that this proceeded   was we've been working for 2 years uh on this  funding request. And both times it made it either   um through the House of Representatives uh  and the Senate or uh last year uh it made it   through the House and not the Senate and it just  kind of stopped and goes away as is you know is   what happens in Washington during their budget  discussions. Um but we told them we just have   to make the decision upgrade the the dispatch  center. So we started that process and we're   very fortunate that the funding was able to come  through. So, um, we're we're excited to kind of   work backwards a little bit on this one. We'll  we'll it'll be very helpful for us. We'll I'm   sure we'll provide an update with city council  later on once we sign all the documents and are   working on the grant application, uh, the grant  agreements. You'll see further information on   all three of those. Um, and last but not least,  I attended a nice ribbon cutting ceremony today.   The city of Isusa was was uh was cutting uh ribbon  for a new monument for Route 66 at the corner of  

Alama Avenue and um Route 66 or Huntington Drive.  Um is a very nice monument marker that's lit up   at night. Says Route 66, City of Isusa. You'll  see it as you pass through. It's just across the   street to the west, directly west from the ISUsa  city hall. But it was a it's a very nice monument.   They also used the artist Victor Ving who was uh  recently at our Senishi Park ribbon cutting which   I'm sure you'll address later but it was fun to  attend and just see what other cities are doing   to honor the the centennial celebration. Uh and  that's my report this evening. Thank you. Um can   you address um Miss Sherry Lochner I think  her name is. Um if if there's any update on   progress on those items. Yes. Um the unfortunately  there's not. Um and as we've said before the we   have made the request to both the governor and  the attorney general's office for in and asked   for information related to the investigation of  the death of Carlos Roberto Valdez um in August.   Um they have been very clear that uh it's going  to take time and whether we actually get to see   uh the report um is to be determined. I I don't  I don't have any reason to believe that they're   going to share that with us. Um but we've made  the official request. I've spoken with staff   from the governor, attorneys from the governor's  office. Um, and should anita arise then or or an   ability for us to learn and receive it, then  we will we'll share that with council. Um,   but at this point, I understand the community's  frustration. As we said in the very beginning,   even we're incredibly frustrated because they just  don't share information with the city of Monrovia.   I also do want to highlight that um I had met uh  with a small group of individuals in Monrovia,   including Mrs. Faulner um when uh these requests  were initiated about a monu or some kind of mural   or an art piece um and I had shared some feedback  and input for them to consider um if what they're   asking for is for the city to you know provide  the land to pay the money to pick the artist to  

do the project on a uh on a city wall for example.  That's a very different process than if you were   to find a privately owned property with private  funds and your own artist. And uh and also it ask   you know what kind of display do you even want to  do? And I I don't think at this point there's any   consensus either within a small group or a larger  group about what to do. Um, and so I I think I've   been very um I've tried to be very clear about,  you know, the city we city council can't agree   to and discuss the item during a public comment  period. We've provided feedback and input for   them to consider. Um, I'll reach out to them  to to a couple community members again and just   remind them of here was our last communications.  But I I think what's I think what's just really   important is despite what's happening and you  know what we all see on TV and the lessons learned   and how passionate people feel about um what's  happening uh in our country right now. I think   when people come to the city and and you know make  a request, you know, there's a couple processes we   use. Um we have to think about, you know, who  owns the property, how does it get paid for,   use of public funding, who maintains it, um who's  doing it, you know, there's even differences of   opinion on what types of uh depictions or murals  they would do. and and I don't I think until   there's a decision on that, you know, it's it's  kind of hard for us to decide unless we want to do   our own project. Um then I don't think that that's  the I don't think that's what they're asking. So,   um I'll reach out again and just make sure I kind  of reaffirm our position of hey, here's you know,   I don't think we're opposed to being involved or  assisting. I've even offered to speak directly   with property owners myself. Um we've even spoken  with Calrans about possible art depictions,   mural depictions along Calrans right ofway.  Um but there's there's just if you're working   with the public agency, it's different than if  you're working directly with a private property  

owner using private funds. Um I know that there we  have somewhat um uh broach the topic of commercial   parking and I know that that has come up. Um in  terms of going forward, what would you suggest?   We'll have to do some work to to study and  really determine what it is we want to do.   One of the biggest complaints that I receive, but  also the offices of the or the police department,   the public works department, code enforcement  is about parking. Um, when we allow overnight   parking on the streets, um, you know, people  park in front of, you know, my neighbors are   parking in front of my house and I don't like  it. I don't have anywhere for me to park.   Um, we have business owners and large box trucks  where people are parking large vehicles, trailers,   boats in front of private residences. Um, we we  I probably field uh two to three complaints each   week about parking on Foothill Boulevard, large  trucks blocking the street. Usually we go out and   they're not blocking the street, they're just  they're large. And so I I don't think there's   an easy solution for parking. Um, and I think when  we enforce what's in the California Vehicle Code,   um, those oversized commercial vehicles that  aren't permitted to be on streets, when they   get ticketed now, they go find somewhere else  and that puts a burden on property owners. So,   I understand the frustration and there there there  has to be a compromise or a solution somehow.   Um, but I also think as we look back on, you  know, over the decades, one of the efforts the   city consciously made trying to improve Huntington  Drive is we wanted to clean it up at a time where   it didn't look the way it does now. So, there was  elimination of a lot of types of business uses.   um auto repair. Um we wanted to see a lot of that  um innovation and biotech and office building  

with nice landscaping that you see. Um and so  there's even some restrictions around parking   um on that Huntington Drive corridor. Um so  we'll we'll do a little bit of research and   then I'll follow up when there's an appropriate  time. Thank you. Okay. Um, moving on then to RCM2   and this is an exciting program, a one city,  one-story community reading project kickoff   and our library manager Carrie Vance is here I  think. Yeah, there you are Carrie to present. Hello and thank you so much for having me here  tonight. Um, I'm very excited to tell you about   one city, one story. Before I jump into my  presentation, I want to give you a little   background though. Um, last year the city did  apply for a grant with the National Endowment   for the Arts for their big read grant, which is  a similar program. Um, due to federal funding   issues at the time. Um, we did not receive that  grant, but us being Monrovia, we were like,   we can do this on our own then. Um, so we did pull  together. We got a lot of fundraising uh done,   a lot of support from our community partners,  local businesses, local organizations to make   this program happen. And so I'm very excited to  share it with you tonight. So Monrov is one city,   one story. This is the kickoff this year, very  first time. It'll be happening from January   through March. Um what it is is a citywide reading  and community program. Um it is for all ages,   but it is encouraging um our entire community to  come together to share experiences through one   story. So this year we chose The Bear by Andrew  Kik um which we felt was very appropriate for   Monrovia in our natural settings. It's very much  about um interacting with nature. Um how we live   with nature, how we commune with it, and how we  preserve it as well, as well as intergenerational   wisdom. It's a beautiful story about a father  and a daughter and how they're kind of living  

in nature together, and he's sharing and passing  down stories to her. Um it's a lovely story. If   you haven't had a chance to read it, I I strongly  encourage you. It's a quick read. It's 200 pages   and it's absolutely beautiful. Um why we are doing  this um any kind of program like this one city one   story big read those kind of programs bring an  entire community together. It helps build civic   pride. It helps build connections for neighbors.  It helps bring together people of different ages   of different backgrounds of even different areas  within Monrovia. Um and our tagline is actually   Monrovia connects through the power of story. I'm  even wearing my official OOS shirt tonight for you   guys. Um we believe this very strongly. Of course,  I believe it as a librarian, but I really feel   like um we all have a shared experience when we  read the same story and we're able to talk to each   other about it. We have a lot of events planned.  Our big kickoff is this Saturday at Library Park   from 1 to 3:00 p.m. I hope you can all make it.  We have lots of activities planned, nature crafts.   Um we're going to have our community booths  from our partners throughout this program. Um,   we also have weekly readins at the park that'll  be starting on January 31st. The very first one   will be at Station Square hosted by Monroia Darty  Black Alumni Association. Every week after that   on Saturday mornings from 9 to 10, neighbors  can come together and talk to one another. Even   if they didn't read the book, they can still come  and just connect with one another, share what they   think about Monrovia, what their hopes and dreams  are for one another. Um, and each week it'll be   at a different park, including um, our very brand  new Sunnishi Park, which is absolutely beautiful.   Chick-fil-A is generously hosting that one. Um,  but we have a host every week. So, I hope you guys   can also come out for some of those. Um, we also  have lots of nature programs for all ages. Um,   we have book discussions, meditation in  the park, uh, hikes in Canyon Park. Um,   we also have lots of workshops and lectures with  our community partners like Oliver from the museum  

will be giving a wonderful lecture on the history  of Canyon Park as well. And then we have a finale   event planned for Saturday the 28th of March um  at Station Square. So, we have a lot programmed   for this event. Um, these are just two of the  flyers of some of the programs. Our community   park readins are the big ones since they're going  to be happening every week. Um, but we also have   a lot of programs planned for Canyon Park um that  we hope people will be able to enjoy. And we are   trying to make sure we have programs for all  ages so that everyone can feel connected and   be able to participate in this program. We also  have age appropriate titles for the younger kids.   Um, the bear is appropriate for middle school,  teen, and adults, but for us, younger children,   we have some other books that kind of still fit  on the nature theme um that we have already, uh,   Monovia Reads actually did their fundraiser last  year, raised funds to purchase these titles and   give them to every student at Monrovia Unified  School District. So, the kids have already   received their copies, and we'll have some copies  for kids as well along with the bear for uh,   distribution to the community starting on the  24th. So what you can do um please continue to   encourage people to participate in the program.  I really appreciate it. I know all of you have   already started on this already. Um please read  the bear if you have not already. As I said,   it's an absolutely beautiful story. I promise  you will enjoy it. And if you're a member of a   book club, please encourage them to read the  book for the book club sometime during the   program's months or honestly anytime. You'll love  the book. I promise. And if you've read the book,   share it with someone. Yes. if you read the book,  please share it with someone. We also have um a   read and share program just to encourage people  to get to know their neighbors even better. So,   why not go over there and be like, "Hey, you know  what? I just read this book. It's beautiful. It's   part of the citywide program. I hope you'll read  it as well." Um so, if you want to be a part of   this program, if you want to learn more, we have  a website set up that has a a calendar of events,  

um a book list, all sorts of fun information  on there about this program. But I hope you   guys will all participate and encourage others to  participate as well. Will there be books available   at the kickoff? Yes. So that is when public  distribution starts for our entire community   while supplies last. But again, you can always  share your copies as well. Um we also have some   copies available at the library to check out,  but we're hoping people also share their copies   with one another. So it's just one more aspect of  neighbors connecting with neighbors. So thank you.   Any questions of Carrie? Carrie, will they will  they be available even before Saturday or Saturday   is the first day. First day. So, we're just  trying to get us an advanced copy, but you know,   we could wait till Saturday. Who is eligible  for the books? Is it just Boi residents? Um,   yeah. If you live or work in Monrovia, you can  get a free book. So, bring your ID. Basically,   you don't need it. Thank you very much. Thank  you. Okay, then we are moving on to our reports   of city council members and subcommittees. Now,  it seems like I, as I said, it's forever. It's   been forever, so I'm sure we could go on and on,  but uh it is five after nine, so I'll start off   with Mr. Beldon. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Uh I'm  sure all of you will will um speak about the great   ribbon cutting and opening of Sunsi Park, but uh  thanks again to all the staff and everyone that   did such an amazing job on that project. It's  it's outstanding and I know a lot of groups   were involved and uh it's a little park, but it uh  packs a really powerful message and and story. So,   thank you for that. Um and I will just kind of  jump into one of the the items I do have. Thank   you all for the opportunity to sit on the clean  power alliance. Um sometimes it's good, sometimes  

bad. Um as are as many you probably know, your  power bills are kind of just keep inching up   every month. Um a lot of that is currently  from the um the actual distribution costs,   the uh charges that Edison puts on for um uh  getting the power to you and taking care of that.   Um and those are just there's a graph in my chart  that we look at and it just kind of keeps going.   um no one knows when it's actually going to start  to taper off. Um the other part is the generation   costs and many of you are if you're a CPA, if you  joined in to take uh CPA, which is clean power   alliance uh electricity, um it looks like it's a  separate bill. It's if you just have Edison, you   actually also just have that same generation cost,  but the costs can be different sometimes. Um CPA   tries to make sure that all those costs are very  comparative. So if you have a the same house and   you had the same bill uh that those bills would  come out almost the same and and in reality the uh   folks that had green power which is the the higher  tier 100% green for the past few months we've been   pay paying the same um as what standard Edison  rates would be uh without necessarily the green   power component of it. Um but uh just in January,  Edison dropped their generation rates and they   also uh increased a fee um that CP the California  Public Utilities Commission allowed them to pass   through uh that increases substantially. So um to  adjust for that, Clean Power Alliance has just we   voted last week to lower our rates. So we're  lowering the generation rates um substantially   about 20% reduction uh to make sure that people  here in Monovia and elsewhere don't see a bump   um at large. Uh that's uh folks that are getting  there's three tiers you can have with the clean   power alliance. You can have 100% green, you  can have lean which is mostly glean green and  

then you can also have uh just lean which is um uh  very similar what Edison would provide to you as   well. So if you're the bills will be comparative  the 100% green will be a little bit higher than   uh than a normal Edison bill would be but you're  still getting that green energy uh compromise. And   that's the uh the quick way to explain it. Um you  can also go to clean power alliance their website   or you can call them as well directly and they'll  always talk you through any questions you have on   your bill or any reasons you might have and and  wonder for that. uh um that that organization is   doing a great job making sure that they don't  uh uh try to make sure that everyone has a   really affordable but green uh energy. So, thanks.  That's uh Oh, actually, sorry. Before I stop that,   um are we are we going to be talking about uh  Montgomery at at any particular time or should   I just bring it in here at the at the end? We'll  we'll honor and if you want to I'll wait until   then. No, it's I'll wait till then. Thank you, Mr.  Spicer. Okay. Um just to um elaborate a little bit   more on um what Edward was talking about Tunishi  Park. Um we celebrated that this past Tuesday. Um   the celebration was well attended. Um the park is  getting a lot of use. For those of you who passed   by and in and out Chick-fil-A, you'll see what's  going on down there. It's a lot of people, a lot   of activities. Great. Um, if you're not if you  haven't stopped in yet, you can stop in, swing by,   grab a drink or a snack from the park's neighbors,  whether it be Starbucks or Chick-fil-A, and just   spend some time there enjoying the space as you  learn about Monrovia's history. There's so much to   be appreciated at the park. Also, uh the community  services would like to remind the community that  

through a generous donation from Monrovia Parks  Wilderness and Recreation Foundation, um they   are offering a free craft program in Canyon Park  um the last Saturday of every month. So, you can   join a park naturalist at the nature center from  10:00 a.m. to 100 p.m. for a snack and craft.   make a full day out of it. Take a hike before or  after our kids craft in the canyon program. Hope   to see you there. This program is held whether  it's rain or shine. Um also the Monrovia community   um job fair is this Thursday. There will be  I believe 30 to 40 vendors there, businesses,   and they are expecting about 400 applicants. So  anyway, that's January the 22nd. It's Thursday   from 10:00 a.m. to 100 p.m. And that's my report.  Mayor, thank you very much, Mr. Jimenez. Thank   you, Madam Mayor. Um, I spent I celebrated  Martin Luther King's birthday. Yours, excuse   me. I celebrated Martin Luther King's birthday  on Sunday. I went to a special presentation that   council member Spicer also attended at the  Dwwardi Historical Museum sponsored by the   Monrovia Derty Black Alumni Association and  it was called um called to serve remembering   Dr. Martin Luther King. Um the speakers were  pastor Bonnie Tomlin and Professor Tim Connelly.   What I got most out of it personally, I try to get  something that's personal to me. And what I got   out of it is that as a council member, Dr. King's  legacy and his dream lives on through the renewal   of commitment to public service because his life  was one of public service. So that was the message  

that I got from it. It was very inspiring. Um  it was a full house at that at that museum. Um   and you could feel the enthusiasm. you could see  on the faces of the people that were present. So,   I'm very grateful to the Manurva Dory Black Alumni  Association for holding that event. And heads up,   it's it's Black History Month. It's coming up. A  lot of activities are sponsored by the Manurva DHY   Black Alumni Association uh all all next month.  Um, I also was at uh uh Sunnishi Park dedication   and I think one of the things that I enjoyed most  was listening to the comments of the family. Um,   afterwards if you stayed afterwards after had  a dedication uh they had nothing but praise for   it. Some of them said they couldn't believe that  it actually happened, that it was like watching   a a movie rather than than something that was  actually happening before their very eyes. Um,   also I want to praise this the city staff. How  quickly did the park come together? It in fact   uh that was another comment uh that somebody  made and I said, "Well, it probably could have   been done in December, but for the rains even  faster." But it was incredible how much work   they did on the a park in such a fast period of  time. I had a I have this business card at home,   a developer who said, "I can't believe how quickly  the city of Monrovia was able to approve things   and get things done." It doesn't happen in other  cities. I got to share the story about the event.   Um, one of the the family members came the day  before and I don't know if you went to the site   the day before, they had all this fencing so you  couldn't see inside. And they he was trying to   look through the little crevices to get a look at  the park and one of the two of the workers that   were there from public works, I want to embarrass  them by saying their names because this family   member took a photo with them. They saw that he  was trying to take a peek and they said, "Do you  

want to come inside and look?" And so he says he  felt so honored that he was all by himself inside   looking at the park. He and he says that would not  happen any other place but Monrovia to have two of   the employees from public works let them in early.  He says no other place would it happen. Wouldn't   happen another city. It wouldn't happen another uh  county. And like I said they were so enthusiastic   about it. They even had their pictures taken with  the employees who let them in. So, I think that   says a lot about the the employees that work here  at Monrovia. It says a lot about our community   and Sunnishi Park is going to be a monument to how  what a special place Monrovia really is. I want to   also share about another special event that we had  that not even rain could stop it. The New Year's   Eve event. There was an overflow of crowds.  Yes. because of the rain, because of the bad   weather they had inside the community center. But  that bad weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of   of the parents, of the kids that were there. They  celebrated New Year's early for the kids with New   Year's hats, noise makers, arts and crafts. They  even brought in staff even brought in a mini zoo.   Okay. Um they had hot drinks and goodies for the  kids, coloring. It was a wonderful very Monrovia   event. then not even the bad weather could stop.  So that concludes my report. Madame Mayor, thank   thank you Dr. Kelly. Thank you. Um I just wanted  to add one um extra thing regarding Sunni Park   um opening was uh those of us who was there on um  the community meeting when we had a meeting for   the community to give their feedback. Um and we it  was just like dirt there and it was pictures all  

around and um being there at the park and actually  seeing the different comments. I remember when the   community was speaking up about what they would  like to see and we were all talking about it and   as I was sitting there and I'm looking around I  remember I remember when someone mentioned let's   see if we can move that wall and that wall was  moved and I remember the comment that was made   that said you know we need the mural and to  be able to see it and it was such a beautiful   picture of yes the city could have just done it  and just took over but to be able to involve the   feedback of the community and them giving their  feedback and it actually get implemented I thought   was uh super special concerning that um Monday  was Martin Luther King's Dr. for Martin Luther   King's birthday and I wanted to uh say a quote  that I think is very appropriate and the quote   is life's most persistent and urgent question  is what are you doing for others and I think   that is such a a poignant thought um for us and  our committee what are we doing for other people   um moving right along I would like to  make an announcement in regard to MOTAB   For all of those romantics out there, there is a  gentle reminder that now is the time to reserve   your Valentine your Valentine's Day carriage  ride. Get your booking before we sell out. And   I do believe it sells out every single year. It's  a beautiful ride. This is a great way to celebrate   the holiday with your loved one. Grab dinner  in Oldtown at one of the many delicious spots   and then take a private ride in a carriage up and  down Myrtle Avenue. The private experience is only   $40 for up to four riders or maybe six if some  are children. This activity is supported by the  

Oldtown merchants and designed to encourage people  to dine, shop, and live in Oldtown Monrovia.   So get out there and support our business  community. Another note I wanted to make,   please save the date. The Oldtown Monrovia  Winewalk will be held on Saturday, April the   11th. Save the date and more details to follow.  Last thing, I wanted you to just save the date for   our state of the city. It's going to be Tuesday,  February the 10th. Make sure you write that down.   Uh at Look, Dine in Cinema at 6:00 PM, we give  you snacks, uh you know, popcorn and all kinds   of good things. We just ask that you don't throw  it. No, but it it's wonderful snacks. And so,   we want to invite you all please save the date,  February the 10th. That's it. All right. Well,   I've got a few things here and I know this is  kind of dry material, but I I've got to get get   it on everyone's radar. And this is for the Los  Angeles County Sanitation District. And Monrovia   is in two of those districts, 15 and 22. And this  is regarding the joint outfall uh system. Hold   on a second here. I've got all these these notes.  I'm going to try to make this work as best I can.   that didn't go through. At any rate, a joint  outfall system, that means all the sewers and   all the pipes and all that that come together from  all the districts to uh for the outfall and and um   uh how we dispose of our uh wastewater. Uh at any  rate, the proposed 2026 rates, I've got quite a   few. I've got slides here, but I'm not going to go  over every single one. But just so you know that   for the last two years, the boards and personnel  committee have discussed proposed service rate  

charges increases for July 1st, 2026. And that  will be um a process, a Proposition 218 and rate   setting process. It's not like ours where you  would be uh actually mailing in ballots. It's   more of a protest vote, but I can bring back more  information as to the actual process later. But   a summary of the rate recommendations, an annual  increase of less than 3% per month for a typical   single family home. It is it is um um a five-year  process package covering from 2026 27 to 203031.   and it goes from a low of 2819 then up to 39.44  um per month. But I wanted to let you know that   and and they're trying to it future increases are  going to be a 38% inflation catchup 41% capital   projects 21% and those are really the drivers  of the increase over the next five years. Um and   obviously their major efforts to reduce expenses  or they they hope to do that and I can bring some   of this information back uh tonight so you don't  have to listen to all this so late in the evening   but I wanted to there was one slide here that um  is very important for you to know or in comparison   um our rates are the lowest among other sim  similar our agencies, the uh Los Angeles County   Sanitation District, uh 25 fiscal year 2526 is  at 28.19 and going up to um 39.44 whereas the  

highest one is uh well that I've got a figure  for the 28 up to 2829 starts off at 52.59 and   by 2829 it's 70.8. 983 compared to our 3944. Um,  which agency is that? That's City of LA and then   Inland Empire, Orange County and Sacramento  are all to be determined. But even at that,   at the rates that they have for the years going  out and 2627, Inland Empire is already at 4393,   which is still above ours at 2829. Um and then  Orange County in 2728 it's higher right now it's   58.89 goes up to 6261 uh in 20 fiscal year 2728  and Sacramento uh in 2627 is at 74. So they're   actually the most expensive 74.35 and their rates  after that are to be determined. Uh the outreach   schedule is from November of 25 to 20 uh February  26. They have meetings and presentations for COGS,   businesses, and groups. January 2026, uh  Proposition 218 notices will be mailed out,   so you may get those the this month. and  from January to April 2026, social media and   advertising campaign and February through April  2026, public information meetings and tours. Um,   so uh next se the formal introduction and approval  of new ordinances or the outreach including   mailing of proposition 218 notices. So, I will  be sure to bring back more information, but just  

so you know, the the sanitation fees are uh going  up. Um, lots of mention of Shinishi Park. It was   magical. It truly was magical. And Dylan's um his  little presentation in in the program was very,   very touching. I had a few people tell me that  they found that to be the most touching of all of   it. And that was our resolution to um undo the the  resolutions from the World War II and the banning   of Japanese and the their interament. Um so thank  you Dylan. That was that was a very touching part   of the the program. And yes, the family seemed  really really really uh excited. I did want to   also mention we talked about the uh Black History  Month and their Oh, come on. Don't do this to me.   I just want to look at the picture and it's taking  me someplace else. Um, their kickoff is It won't   enlarge for me. Dog gone it. Hold on one second.  Okay, I got I got it. I finally got it. uh Sunday,   February 1st from 2 to 4 pm and that's the Black  History um kickoff and that is sponsored by the   Monrovia DHY Black Alumni Association and they  will be showing 100 years from Mississippi true   story about um my Lang Kirkland um at any rate  and that will be at the Louise Taylor Performing   Arts Center and there's lots as uh Sergey IO  said there's lots of other activities during   the month and I'm sure that Mr. Fe will include  those in his monthly or weekly, excuse me, um  

update. I did want to also mention that um we did  a lot of things. We haven't been here since the   December 16th, but this last Sunday I did have the  opportunity to attend a celebration of a 100year   anniversary for First Lutheran Church that's on  South Magnolia. And so they had a a packed church   um to uh commemorate their 100 years. So that  was that was fun. Um and do I have anything else? Oh, I think that I think that that does it.  That's probably enough. But I will be bringing   um back Oh, I know. Wanted to say that Monrovia  and I believe you had this. I think you had   it in the in your update or uh it was Monrovia  has been named the 2024 25 energy champion. Is   that the current one? Yes. Um, championed by San  Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, the city   received the highest honor champion tier for its  efforts to reduce energy use. The energy champion   award recognizes public agencies committed  to sustainability and energy efficiency. So,   congratulations to staff for doing a great job and  keeping us on track and and being re resilient.   Um, so with that, that is uh all I have for my  uh Oh, one more. I'm sorry. I keep on saying one   more. One more. This Friday, uh, Life Church is  having a pray for my city event uh at City Hall   again at 700 p.m. It's a a brief uh gathering,  but they do pray for the city. They will be   praying for on Friday and Saturday at a a total  of eight different uh cities. And so at any rate,  

but for Monrovia 700 p.m. at city hall out in  front somewhere there uh city hall at 700 p.m.   for prayers for our city. And with that now I'm  finished. Okay. Um administrative reports AR1   consideration of adjustment to mayor city council  city clerk and city treasur compensation and Mr.   Fe will lead us in that conversation. Yes. Thank  you, Mayor Chevlin. Um, as I go through this item,   I just like to point out that the there's a a  report part of your council packet that provides   this information written up that's also available  publicly, but I'll go through these slides. Um,   first an overview of SP 329 and what that is, why  it's important. Going to talk a little bit about   current council compensation and also uh ask  for your direction and guidance on a potential   increase to compensation. Let me start first  with a little bit of history. Um for for decades,   council compensation for general law cities was  set in state statute. Um it's the it was never a   uh uh it was never important to the legislature  to uh make changes to that compensation and at   the time uh that 329 was passed, there was a  maximum set for cities of our size at $400. Um,   and so in in June of 2023, Governor Newsome  signed into law SB329, which allowed for   councils to increase the maximum salary. um  uh at the time, uh state senator Bill Dodd,   who is a he was also an assembly member prior,  but also he was a former county supervisor,   uh was aware, um from his own personal experience  and the people he worked with and represented. He   was very clear and actually included in S329 that  uh he never had felt like elected officials ran  

for public office because they want to get rich.  um he felt like the compensation did not cover   just the simple costs to uh participate in our  democracy and it was very important to him to   uh uh propose a measure which would allow  for cities if they decided uh to increase the   compensation. So 329 allows cities to do that uh  would uh to increase it up to a new cap. It still   continues to be capped. it's just at a higher  limit. Uh but it allows for regular inflation   adjustments. I'm going to talk a little bit  about what that looks like. So in government code   uh 36516, it authorizes city council to enact  an ordinance to provide each member of the city   council with the salary and a and a maximum that  limit is based on the population of the city.   And I'll show the breakdown of the cities. Um the  increases are limited. They cannot exceed 5% for   each calendar year from the operative data. the  last adjustment uh and it also can uh or it can be   uh up to the CPI increase um but it cannot under  any circumstance increase by the more than the 5%. Um uh the or we cannot approve an  ordinance which does this automatically.   If you recall when we when we uh met in late 2023  and discussed this, part of the discussion was if   uh council directed staff to let's return  at regular intervals so that we never get   as far behind as we were at the time. And so  that's really why we're here today is to is to   determine if council would like us to proceed  with changes to this. Um 325 329, excuse me,   requires an ordinance to be adopted by city  council. So, we'll have to have an open session,   public hearing, two regular meetings. The  ordinance must uh demonstrate that it complies   with the law. Uh and there must be at least 7  days between introduction and adoption of the  

ordinance. And I want to point out, and this is  a very important, um the new compensation cannot   take effect for this current city council. It is  not allowed to be used until a time when the next   uh council member is sworn into office. So,  the way I look at this is you're not you're   not considering uh a compensation adjustment for  your council. You're considering this for the next   council that will take place. Um this chart shows  the the maximum amounts based on population. This   was as of January 2024. And so for cities that  have previously considered changes or increases   to their maximum, uh these numbers would be a  little bit different. But uh currently the city   of Monrovia where our population has been over  35,000 but up to and including 50,000 were allowed   a maximum compensation for elected officials of  $1,275 per month. Um we uh the city council had   determined to use that same monthly amount for not  only the mayor, not only the city council members,   but also for the city clerk and city treasurer.  Those are done differently than the ordinance   which enacts the compensation adjustments for  the city council, but much like last time,   we did them at the same time. Uh, and we would  recommend uh if if we're going to be making   adjustments to consider them at this time as well.  Um, I've presented two options and and the the   calculations which would show how much each would  be. Um, option one, if you did the CPI adjustment,   um, the first year the 2025 CPI is 3.3%. the CPI  for the 2026 period, the most recent available   is 3.2%. Um, if we uh adopted that option and  increased compensation by the CPI, uh the increase  

would go from 1,275 per month to 1,359 per month,  which is the column on the far right. That would   be the 2026 adjustment. That would become the  effective council compensation number um after the   election in November of this year. Option two is a  5% adjustment, which is the maximum amount allowed   under the law. Um, that would go from $1,275 per  month to a maximum of $1,45 per month. Also, that   would become effective, uh, after the election  in 2026. Um, I at this point, um, it's really up   to the city council to determine the next steps.  Um, but what's important just to remind everyone   is we do have to prepare an ordinance, hold  the public hearing, and have two meeting dates   uh for that to uh prior to that ordinance passing.  And then once it does pass, it doesn't take effect   until the end of the year. Um, I would go back to  this slide and perhaps for your consideration, um,   I want to point out that under the city's employee  compensation program for all of our employees,   the way we determine the appropriate what we call  step increases, so when you start work for the   city and you're brought in at the very beginning  step for your position, you're paid um, let's   just call it $100. and the next step. So after one  year on the job, you've been performing your work   successfully, you're eligible for a 5% increase.  And the city's entire compensation philosophy   around these steps is all based on these 5%  increases between steps to where you ultimately   reach the top step for your position. Uh that  position is also tied to averages of similar   positions across other cities. So perhaps for your  consideration, while I do think it would be very   easy to consider an inflationbased adjustment,  um I think an option two, a 5% adjustment would  

be equal to the annual adjustments we provide for  city employees that they're all eligible for. Um   and I think it's it might be worth consideration  if we're saying council members are going to   receive the same annual adjustment. We're moving  their positions the exact same amount that we're   moving other full-time employees. Um, at this  time I'd be happy to answer any questions you   might have. Um, further explain any uh matters  of SP 329 and we we just seek your direction. Um,   and then we'll prepare appropriate  documents after. Questions for Mr. Fe? Any comments for Mr. Fe? No one has any comments.  I mean, is it a motion? Well, you can if there's   any discussion. If no one has any comments, I  will g stay consistent to my original decision   when we increased it and I would prefer to just  stay with a CPI increase. I would actually agree   on the CPI for myself at least, but I'm open  to considering other options. Um I'm I would   uh like I'm sorry. Um you said staff increase  is 5%. I would go with staff increase with 5%. I'll go with staff increase 5% too. Larry Mr. I know I know I know um I'll go  with the CPI. Do we do we have a motion or are we just providing direction?  providing direction. So, at this point,   uh if the direction and if a majority is  for the CPI, uh we'll work with the city   attorney's office, prepare all the requisite  documents. There'll be another staff report,  

draft ordinance, and we'll return to city council  with that information at a later time. Thank Thank   you very much. And so, that will be coming  back to us. Uh at this point then, we have   uh covered all of our business for this  evening. Our next scheduled meeting is   for Tuesday, February 3rd at 7:30 p.m.  in these council chambers. Uh tonight,   uh we are ajouring in the memory of four  individuals. Um Mabel Cross, retired librarian   and veterans resource center coordinator. Uh  and her services are this Saturday, uh the 24th,   um and at Cino. And I do believe Dylan, you you  published the details in your um your update,   your city update. Oh, could you um I don't have  them right in front. We'll we'll verify that the   the family would want it to be shared publicly.  I'm not sure if that is or not or if that was   more shared with us as former co-workers and her  her services are though that this uh Friday. No,   not I'm sorry. Saturday. Um, and then, uh, Sam  D. Jiovana, uh, retired Monrovia Fire Chief,   and I know that Mr. Fe and many other employees,  uh, past and present, did attend his services this   past Sunday, and our hearts and prayers go out to  him, his family. um and Leverne Grant, mother of   public works uh city facilities caretaker Juel  Grant. And um our thoughts and prayers are with   their her family as well. And then finally, and  you heard from uh her granddaughter this evening,  

Jasmine. Um Gail Montgomery died suddenly. Um  this um was that on Friday? It just recently and   it's on the memo. It is. Oh, I don't have  a memo in front of me. Oh, TK Carter. and but um Gail Montgomery, a longtime resident and  community advocate and many of you will remember   Gail used to be right there in in front of us um  either on a scooter, her little scooter, and then   COVID came and and she didn't um fare very well  during during COVID and never really got back to   us. uh at city council, but we miss her. She was  very active on Facebook, but her her wit and her   tenacity. Uh but she was always about providing  information to the community about events and   educational things. So, she will definitely  be missed and our hearts and prayers go out to   uh her family as well. Uh and then I'm sorry I  didn't see this memo here. Um TK Carter. Yes.   Sum of former uh Darty Mayor Lois Gaston. Oh my  goodness. When when did he pass? About a week ago.   Um so uh TK Carter, son, a former Darty Mayor  Lois Gaston. Many of you of course know Lois.   And our hearts and prayers go out to um their  family as well. Missing way too many people here.   uh not a good way to start off the the new year.  So with that uh in he heavy hearts. Oh yes,  

I'm sorry Edward. Thank you. Just wanted to  comment on on the passing of Montgomery just   uh I didn't have a chance to get to know her  for a long time but I knew her for a little   short time but uh I also know of her presence  and and from everyone else her her story. Um and   just two thoughts here. one that she always  let you know what her what she was thinking   uh for good or bad. Um but hopefully you were on  the good side of it. And then but she just had a   huge heart. I know that much. Um and she always  uh was looking out for everyone else and wanted   to help and she cared about those people and she  also cared about the community of Manurvy and it's   just one of those other people that just shows  you that Manurvy is a special place and she helped   make it that. So um going to miss her. Yeah. And  when she was getting out and about, she used to   uh plan meetups and we'd all go meet up somewhere  and also have lotto pools. I'd like to comment   about Gail as well. Go ahead. I think as was  Edward alluded to with Gail, she wasn't neutral   about anything and she didn't she didn't try to  sugarcoat things. She said exactly what she said.   let the cards fall where they may. But I think  the the most outstanding characteristic of many   outstanding characteristics that she had was that  she could disagree with you. You could disagree   with her. I mean, just horribly distant positions  on politics, but she would not dislike the people   that she disagreed with. And she was able to  do that. And nowadays in political discourse,   we don't see that. You don't see people that  disagree but can be friends much less say I   love you and Gail was that type of person. She  distinguished between an individual as a human   being as a friend and someone you disagreed with  on politics. I wish we had more people like Gail  

that thought like Gail that could forgive and  love like Gail Montgomery. Thank you. Thank you.   Thank you very much and thank you for joining  us. uh this evening. Um at any rate, with that   um we are adjourned at 9:43. All right.  See you next time. All right. All right.