City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started with the successor agency to the Norwalk redevelopment agency meeting of September 1, 2026. Officially called the order this meeting. Teresa, can we have a roll call, please?

Agency members, Ayala. Here. Ramirez.

Here.

Vice Chair Rios. Chair Perez.

Here. And moving on to the consent calendar, we have two items. I'll go ahead and make a motion.

Second.

We have a first and a second. Teresa, do we have anybody wishing to speak on oral communications for either of these items?

No, we do not.

All right. Can we have the roll call, please?

Agency members, Ayala. Aye. Ramirez. Aye. Vice Chair Rios. Aye. Chair Perez.

Aye. And Executive Director's Report.

No reports tonight.

Thank you. Any additional oral communications on the Accessor Agency, Theresa?

No, we haven't received a request.

Thank you. With that, we'll go ahead and close that meeting. And we'll go right into our Newark Council meeting. But before we do, I have to read this fabulous note. Effective July 1st, Government Code Section 54953.4 requires cities to implement two-way audiovisual and telephonic services to all City Council meetings. As such, meetings will be run slightly differently to include Zoom participants. In-person individuals will continue to submit a speaker card to the Sergeant of Arms. Individuals participating in the meeting virtually through Zoom will need to raise their virtual hand if they wish to speak on consent calendar or other items on the agenda and under public comments once I ask if anyone wishes to speak on the item. Callers will be muted until it's their turn to speak and muted after they speak. When I ask if there is anybody wishing to speak, this is the time for individuals using Zoom to raise their virtual hand. If using a Zoom app or the website, there is a feature that allows participants to raise their hand. And if calling in by phone, press star 9 to raise your hand. As a reminder, each person will have three minutes to speak. Only one comment per person per item is allowed. And no one may transfer their time to others. In-person individuals will be heard first, followed by virtual speakers. Please be respectful of all in attendance by following the rules of our decorum. With that, we'll officially call the meeting of September 1st to order. Thank you all for attending. Welcome to the Burr Months. We're going to get our sweaters out and bring on that colder weather. So before we get started this evening, we are honored to welcome Pastor Michael, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Convent Church, to lead tonight's invocation. He has faithfully served in his ministry for the past nine years, guided by his faith in Jesus Christ. Outside of his ministry, he is a huge movie buff and enjoys going to the movies with his wife using his AMC Stub Pass. His continued dedication to faith, service, and sharing Christ's message of love is at the heart of his ministry. Please join us in welcoming Pastor Michael to lead tonight's invocation. We are also pleased to welcome back Dominic Ortiz Olivas to tonight's City Council meeting. Welcome back, Dominic. Dominic is a fifth grade student at Edmonston Elementary School and a proud Norwalk resident who enjoys soccer, swimming, painting, and visiting theme parks. Pastor Dominic and Michael, please begin your invocation if I can ask everybody to please stand.

Thank you, Mayor. Would you pray with me? Dear God, we thank you. God, we thank you for your love for us, which is great and mighty, God. You love each person and value each person in this room, no matter where they come from, God. No matter what their background is, you have great love for them. Pray to thank you for them. I thank you for our city council. I thank you, God, that you have allowed them and placed them in the positions that they are in to better our city of Norwalk, God, to make decisions and to work together as a unified council, God, so that all parts of Norwalk would be better each day, God. God, I thank you for our first responders in this community. I thank you that they are on the front lines day in and day out, protecting us, helping us, and serving us. And I pray that you would put your hedge of protection over them and that they would know that they are protected by you as they go out, Lord. And I pray for our local schools as they've come back to school in the last month. God, I pray that you would guide the teachers Bless the administration and walk with each student so that they may come to know you and come to have a great school year. I pray for this city council. I pray that you would have your way in this room tonight, God. And I pray that all decisions would be made for the betterment of our city of Noah. In Jesus' name, amen.

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

Thank you.

Teresa, can we have a roll call, please?

Council Member Zayala.

Here.

Ramirez. Here. Vice Mayor Rios and Mayor Perez.

Here. Again, welcome everyone. I hope you're enjoying our cool air condition here in our chambers. I know it's been a little warm, but we're getting there. I have the utmost faith that our weather is going to be better very soon and we're going to get into Council Member Ramirez's favorite time of the year. He's already had like five pumpkin spice lattes, I'm sure. So thank you all for being here. Arnold, can we get a closed session report, please?

Yes, thank you very much, Madam Mayor, members of the City Council. The record should reflect the City Council convened into closed session. For the two items that were announced prior to recess into closed session that are listed on the agenda, that the four members of the city council that are present tonight were also present in closed session. And the following is my report. On item number one, the existing litigation, the West Coast Arborist matter, that matter was provided as a briefing to the city council, direction was provided to the city attorney's office, and that there's nothing required to be reported at this time. under labor negotiators that matter was also presented to the city council but there was no action taken on that and there's nothing further to report madam mayor that concludes my closed session report thank you thank you arnold all right moving next to city council comments and we'll go ahead this evening start with council member rick ramirez i have no comments thank you thanks rick council member ayala tony

Yeah, I just have one item, Mayor. I'd like to wish my wife a happy anniversary. We are married on September 8th. It'll be 42 years this year. Nice. And for people that have forgotten that it does get hot in September on the day we were married, it was over 100 degrees, so it does get hot in September. But happy anniversary, and we'll go out to dinner.

And here's to many more.

Thank you.

Yes. Congratulations.

That's Homer.

Thank you, Tony. Next to Vice Mayor Margarita Rios. Margarita?

yes thank you mayor i want to welcome everyone to our council meeting this evening um i hope you all have had a fun but relaxing summer summer is my favorite time of the year so i'm a little melancholy about uh it almost coming to an end but fall is nice you know it's a little cooler and i know people like appreciate the coolness but i for one i love the beach i love the outdoors and so summertime provides a perfect opportunity for me to do um you know enjoy enjoy with family as i hope many of you have enjoyed with family this summer Yesterday I attended Jersey Elementary, that's in the Little Lake School District. They were very gracious to send us over an invitation to the ribbon cutting of a new building that they have there at their location, which was really, really nice to tour. It is a building specifically for early education. And I am a big proponent of early education. So Jersey Elementary and Little Lake School District is definitely doing their part to attract that enrollment of very young students and start their educational careers early. So that was really nice to attend. Also, I have not had a chance to go, but I do appreciate the staff's work on lattes and leashes at Bob White Hoxie Park, where we have a dog park. And the reason that I wanted to mention that specifically is because I know that we had some concerns about the park. the safety, the cleanliness, and I really like the idea that one of the responses to that was for staff to actually hold an event or an activity there. for every Saturday in September. So if you have not had a chance to do that and you have a furry friend, please go out and support the efforts of staff and our community to gather in a place safely. Again, thank you for that consideration as a way to ensure that our community feels safe and they're actually coming out to our park, specifically in this case to our dog park at Hoxie. Saturday, September 11th, we are welcoming a new business. So I'm pretty excited about that. I hope you are too. Shanti Glow Yoga is having a ribbon cutting this Saturday at 11 a.m. to noon. So if you wanna come by and welcome a new business to our beautiful city, their address is 11005 Firestone Boulevard. I'm hoping that maybe we can share something. I don't know if we have plans to on our social media or through our chamber, Norwalk Business Chamber, to have a good attendance of our community and welcome a business here to the city of Norwalk. I also want to mention, I know we've had some safety-related incidents in the city of Norwalk that I, for one, it is very, very concerning. We all have family. We all have friends that drive on our roads. And unfortunately, things can happen anywhere. It doesn't have to be in a street in Norwalk. I know I worry about my sons. Are they safe? You know, they bicycle, they drive vehicles, and so it is very concerning. I know that we've been in very close communication with our public safety department and our sheriff's department, our captain, to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to ensure the safety of all of our residents. whether you're pedestrian, whether you're motorists, particularly in and around our schools, our major intersections, that's really, really important to all of us here on the council and to the city leadership team. So please stay safe, be aware, practice good driving habits. I know we say, if you see something, say something. Please don't hesitate to report any suspicious activity. Because believe it or not, we will, the city and the council will respond. We will respond to what we need to do to make sure that our community feels safe. And if we don't, then we need to definitely do better. And we'll work on that together. So just want to wish everyone a safe rest of your year, rest of your day, rest of the week. And remember that we're here. We're here for you. That's all, Mayor. Thank you.

Thank you, Margarita. I saw Karen raising up her hand. It's September 5th. You said September 11th. September 5th at 11 a.m., right, Karen? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So my comments, I'm going to try to be quick. It is bulletin meeting. So we have our bulletins and our newsletters for our senior center and our social services center. There's a lot of great information in here about activities that are happening at the senior center, trips and activities that they're doing. The various groups, whether it's a support group that comes and holds meetings at our social services center. any of our resources that we have we turn around and share those with the community and you can get all of the information on them either on our website on our social media pages or in our newsletters um i do know that it is uh september's national senior center month so we're going to talk about that in a little bit um but gabby i wanted to share i was actually at a meeting with some other residents in other cities that have senior centers They tend to say that ours is the best. So I just want to thank you and thank our team. I know our funding, some of our funding for our senior center, our nutrition program, et cetera, is county funds that comes to us, which then means we get to share the wonderful senior center that we have in our city with others in our county, which then shows how great we are doing and we get to turn around and they get to compliment their staff to try to our staff to try to get them to improve their center like ours so thank you all get a newsletter please with some of this great information the norwalk now did hit everybody's mailboxes a lot of great information in here and i just want to highlight one of the things that is coming up of course labor day closures around our city. But a new section here is build up Norwalk. And we've been having that a lot on our social media pages, a lot of changes going on in our city. So I want to thank staff and the team for highlighting some of the great things that are happening. A huge congratulations to our Norwalk transit team. I saw on our social media pages for the third year in a row, our bus drivers have won the bus rodeo for three Pete's strong each and every year. Jim, thank you Please thank you. Thank you for your leadership. And go back and thank the team. I'm sure we will highlight and celebrate them at a meeting in the future. So congratulations on that. Just a few of the meetings that I have attended. We had a contract cities board of directors meeting. We've had several neighborhood watch meetings in regards to public safety, like the vice mayor mentioned. And we also talked about our street improvements so that way our residents know what is happening when their streets are getting repaved, improved, et cetera. So we're trying to communicate that as best as possible. And we had a regular JPIA meeting. And then myself and two of my colleagues were able to attend the Contract Cities fall seminar this past weekend where we had sessions on crisis communication, safety net. We talked about partnering together with various cities, neighboring cities, the county. We talked about the Rose Institute and how Measure G is directly going to impact our cities and how we do business with the county. And then we also had a session on the ballot breakdown. And so it was a very informative weekend. We also had the privilege to spend the weekend with Sheriff Luna, who provided us lots of information, one of which is some of the upcoming El Nino preparations that the county is going to be doing and the resources that we have, which is why you'll begin to see that on our agendas, and we'll be getting that information out to everybody very soon. That was a lot. All right. Let's go ahead and move on to our special presentations. We do have three this evening. So we'll go ahead and get started. Tonight the City of Norwalk proclaims September in the City of Norwalk as Norwalk Housing Authority's 50th Anniversary Commemoration Month. For five decades the Norwalk Housing Authority has played an important role in providing affordable housing opportunities and rental assistance to thousands of Norwalk residents. Since its establishment in 1976, the Norwalk Housing Authority has continued to expand its programs and services to support families, older adults, individuals with disabilities, veterans, foster youth, and those experiencing homelessness. The Housing Authority continues to help residents achieve greater stability, independence and a better quality of life. Tonight we recognize and celebrate the Norwalk Housing Authority's 50 years of service and its lasting contributions to our community. At this time let's welcome representatives from the Norwalk Housing Authority to the floor to accept the proclamation. Council colleagues and team, please join us for a photo so we can celebrate you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Right over here, ready? One, two, three. Perfect, thank you so much.

Alright, let's give them a round of applause.

All right. Moving on to our next special presentation, we are proclaiming September as National Preparedness Month.

The City of Norwalk proclaims the month of September as National Preparedness Month. This annual observance encourages individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take proactive steps to prepare for emergencies and disasters. This year's theme, Americans Stand Ready, highlight the importance of being informed, making emergency plans, building emergency supply kits, and taking steps to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. By preparing ahead of time and becoming more self-reliant, residents can also help support first responders and strengthen our community's ability to respond during challenging moments. The City of Norwalk remains committed to working with federal, state, and local partners to promote preparedness, safety, and resilience throughout our community. At this time, let's welcome our representatives to the floor to accept the proclamation. Council colleagues, once again, please join me for a photo. Let's welcome our search team.

Let's give them a round of applause.

They're gonna keep moving us down this way. All right. Perfect, right there. So we're just discussing it now.

Mr. White, you have a good time.

Good to see you, my friend. All right. So you want to come a little on top?

Can I sit on the floor, please?

Oh. All right. We're going to speech judge this way.

All right.

Ready? One, two, three. Perfect.

Thank you so much. All right. Let's give them another round of applause. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

So as we reset, I do want to add something. We talk about being prepared and being ready for an emergency. Well you never know if you're absolutely ready for an emergency until it hits. But one of the ways that we used to always practice was our fire drills or the drop and roll or when you're a kid and you're in school, you have your earthquake drills. Well the City of Norwalk has the ability to have these types of drills in our city on different size fashions. So we will be having one of those drills this Friday in a specific area. And so I'm going to ask Director Rita Ruiz to just give us a little heads up to the community of what's going on.

Thank you, Mayor Perez. So this Friday, September 4th, beginning at 6.30, there's going to be a street closure off of Shoemaker and Rosecrans between Tom White and Shoemaker. We will be having an active shooter training exercise between the hours of 6 and 12. Law enforcement agencies, along with FIRE, ourselves, Norwalk La Mirada School Safety, and Public Safety will all be there

and directing traffic and assisting in the exercise with uh with the school on site thank you for that rita and this is not the first time that we've done this type of drill hammer in norwalk correct no it's not thank you and again it's nothing that surrounding neighbors businesses all have been communicated with?

No, it's kind of I have to knock them myself. I've gone to the businesses checked in, communicated alternate routes, myself and the quadrant officers have done that as well as law enforcement. One of the deputies was on set as well. And if they have any questions, they can contact our dispatch office 562-929-5732. And we have additional information for them if needed.

Thank you. »» Wonderful. Thank you so much for that. All right. Going to our final special presentation for this meeting. We are proclaiming September as Senior Center Month. The City of Norwalk also proclaims the month of September as Senior Center Month. This observance celebrates the important role senior centers play in supporting, connecting and enriching the lives of older adults in our community. The Norwalk Senior Center provides a welcoming space where adults ages 50 and older can build friendships, participate in social and cultural activities. access health and wellness programs, receive important information and resources and remain active and engaged in the community. The center also helps connect older adults to support related nutrition, housing, caregiving, transportation and other essential services. Most importantly, the Senior Center Month gives an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom, experience and contributions of Norwalk's older adults whose involvement continues to strengthen our community. At this time, let's welcome representatives from the Senior Center to the floor to accept the proclamation. Council colleagues, please join me once again for a photo. And let's give them a round of applause.

Let's go to the left and right, and if you need to go on that step right there, you can.

All right, ready? One, two, three.

Perfect, thank you so much.

mayor and council we wanted to do a quick presentation on the senior center so miss regalado will present sounds good thank you as part of this proclamation thank you mayor perez first of all the senior center is located at 14 040 san antonio boulevard Our vision there is to empower an independence and enhance the well-being of our diverse older adults. Our seniors have been busy this summer. We kicked it off with our summer dance. We experienced the magic of Elvis and an independent day carnival. We had coffee with a cop, a fall tote bag craft, and an enhanced summer dance. And building improvements. Many improvements have been completed. The exterior of the building was painted and the eaves have been replaced. New flooring in the restrooms. Lobby furniture has been updated to increase socializing. And new tables and chairs in our nutrition program. Upcoming improvements are our touchless faucets in our restrooms and a new TV in the lounge. We have upcoming activities. And the big one will be the September 16 celebration, where we will have mariachi on Wednesday, September 16, from 9 to 11. We have an afternoon with Vicente Fernandez, Wednesday, September 23, from 3.30 to 5.30. We have a miniature golf in October. We also have the ofrenda, where we start building for Day of the Dead. We are going to be asking our seniors to bring 5x7 photos to be placed in our ofrenda at our senior center, and it will start on November 10th from 3.30 to 5. Oops. and the norwalk senior center is open monday through thursdays from eight to six fridays eight to five saturday eight to three and we're closed on sundays and our nutrition begins at 10 45 daily monday to friday with the meal starting at 11 30 to 2 30. um suggestion is two dollars for the mail over 60 Under 60 is $6, and currently we're serving about 250 seniors on a daily basis. Thank you.

Thank you. That was just to be able to provide some information to the community on this day that we're proclaiming Senior Center Month. Thank you.

Thank you, Jesus. Why don't you just keep going and we'll move right over to city manager comment.

Great. Thank you, Mayor, members of the City Council. The first thing I wanted to address is our safety issues that have happened. We did have a tragic accident here this morning at 1 a.m. STATEMENT READ BY OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC STATEMENT READ BY OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED AFFAIRS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACTIVITY. ABOUT THE ACTIVITY. WE ARE ADDRESSING IT. WE ARE ADDRESSING IT. MR. LEAVEY, IF YOU WOULD MIND MR. LEAVEY, IF YOU WOULD MIND TO READ THE STATEMENT. TO READ THE STATEMENT.

ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAPPY TO ASSIST WITH READING THE HAPPY TO ASSIST WITH READING THE STATEMENT. STATEMENT. MAYOR PEREZ, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR PEREZ, COUNCIL MEMBERS, RESIDENTS AND ATTENDAN City of Norwalk statement on the September 1st traffic safety incident, safe driving saves lives. The safety of the Norwalk community remains a top priority. While the September 1st collision remains under investigation, the city will rely on information confirmed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as the investigation continues. The city of Norwalk has invested in three dedicated LASD motor deputies to increase traffic enforcement and visibility in areas of concern, including along Rosecrans Avenue. The city will continue reviewing traffic conditions throughout the city and evaluating necessary education enforcement and engineering measures to improve safety safe driving saves lives every driver has a responsibility to obey traffic laws avoid reckless behavior and help keep norwalk safe that concludes the statement

Thank you, Mr. Sandman, providing that statement. And we will continue to be on watch throughout our city for safety issues in our community. Next, as we continue to speak about El Nino and National Preparedness Month here in September, we want to present a video to you tonight, but also the next meeting will have a more in-depth informational presentation. But we wanted to show you just a video of what the city is beginning to do for the El Nino preparedness. With that, can we play the video?

Norwalk is preparing now for El Nino and the possibility of heavy rain this season. Public services crews are clearing storm drains and preparing sand locations across the city.

Hello, my name is Nick Robles, maintenance three worker for the city of Norwalk. And as you can see, we're cleaning all the storm drains in the city.

This is the beginning of the city's preparations. Additional work will include allocating resources as conditions develop. Residents can get sand at four Norwalk parks and should bring their own equipment. Empty sandbags may also be available at fire stations 20 and 115 while supplies last. Learn more at norwalk.org slash El Nino.

Thank you. This is just the beginning. And we also encourage all families to prepare at home, clean around the areas so the water can flow onto the street and down the gutter so there's no flooding on the property. And with that, we'll bring some more information at our next city council meeting to continue to remind our community. NEXT, THE STRATEGIC PLAN DATE UPDATE. I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE A FACILITATOR OCTOBER 24TH. WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING BETWEEN 1030 AND 2 P.M. AS A STRATEGIC PLAN AS WE CONTINUE TO KEEP FOCUSED ON WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL GOALS ARE. WE WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND BE ABLE TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. SO I'LL PROVIDE THAT DATE TO YOU AND YOU LET ME KNOW IF THAT IS WORKABLE FOR YOUR SCHEDULE. THAT'S OCTOBER 24, 1030 TO 2 P.M. Next, we want to also provide a back to school safety Norwalk video. It's a back to school video and wanted to show you what has been continued, the continued efforts related to public safety in safer areas as kids, students go back to school. So with that, we can play the video.

Welcome back to School Norwalk. A coordinated safety presence around Norwalk schools is helping students cross streets safely and keeping busy drop off and pickup areas moving. The Norwalk Public Safety Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies and school safety staff are working together during the busiest morning and afternoon periods. Drivers can help by dropping off students safely, following posted signs and keeping crosswalks visible. Do not park along red curbs or within 20 feet of the approach to a crosswalk, even when the curb is not painted.

Hi Norwalk, I'm Deputy Martinez and I'm with the Norwalk Sheriff's Station. And I'm Officer Cuadras and I'm with the Department of Norwalk Public Safety. My number one safety tip for drivers around Norwalk schools is to please be aware, please stop and look both to your left and to your right and watch out for the little ones. What parents can do to make drop-off safer for everyone is number one, be patient and number two, let's follow all traffic signals and lights. Welcome back to school Norwalk. And please, let's make it a safe and successful school year.

Together, these efforts help make school travel safer for students, families, and the community. Have a great school year, students.

And as you can see, the student excitement continues. So thank you, Public Safety and our Sheriff's Department and the school safety for providing a very safe environment for our students. Next, we have the biweekly review video. With that, lots of exciting events.

On August 19th, the Norwalk Public Safety Department and Norwalk Sheriff's Department came together with residents for a Coffee with a Cop event at the Social Services Centre. The event gave community members an opportunity to connect with officers and deputies, ask questions, and share concerns about safety in their neighbourhoods. That same day, the Norwalk Senior Centre turned up the music for its Senior Citizens Afternoon Day Dance. Seniors enjoyed refreshing fruit and drinks while spending the afternoon dancing, socializing and having fun. As part of Norwalk's ongoing street rehabilitation program, residents in Zone 30 attended a neighborhood information meeting on August 22nd. City engineers and project contractors were on hand to provide updates and provide residents information on what to expect as work begins on their streets. On August 25th, the Norwalk Social Services Center partnered with the American Red Cross to host a community blood drive. Residents and city staff rolled up their sleeves to donate blood, helping provide a lifesaving supply for patients in need.

As you can see, a variety of events. We continue to have them, and please join us. There's plenty, plenty more on the bulletins that you shared. All the events are listed, and you're all welcome to attend. Last, I have the update on immigration the city continues to monitor community needs and no immigration related calls or requests for assistance have been received through the community preparedness resource hotline since the last city council meeting information and referral resources continue to be available for residents seeking assistance community legal aid socal remains available by appointment to provide eligible residents with immigration related legal assistance Additionally, the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights will host upcoming resources tables at the Norwalk Senior Center on Wednesday, September 16, and the Social Services Center on Tuesday, September 22, continuing to provide residents with access to information, referrals, and community-based resources. And with that, that concludes my report comments tonight. Thank you.

Thank you, Jesus. And I'm going to ask now that we play our video. I did forget to play it at our last meeting. This is part of the new regulations that we're moving forward with the new legislation that was passed for all city council meetings. So, Teresa, can we play that video, please?

Good evening. Following are the rules of decorum for the meeting. Please be respectful of everyone in attendance while speaking. Individuals will not be allowed to continue speaking if any of the following occurs. Any conduct that disrupts or disturbs the meeting. any conduct that interferes with or disrupts persons who are addressing City Council or City Council members while they are speaking, or attacks of a personal nature on City Council members, City staff, or other speakers. Each individual is allotted three minutes to speak, may only speak once per item, and may not transfer their time to others. Comments must be addressed to the City Council. Thank you.

»» Thank you, Teresa. Do we have any oral communications on any closed session consent calendar items?

»» No, we do not.

All right. Thank you. I do have a request to hear a report on item number 5, item number 7, and item number 8 from Vice Mayor Rios. So if we can have those reports first. And then we will take a vote. Margarita, do you want to vote? You just want to hear the report and then we can vote on everything? Or do you want to vote on them individually? Okay.

right let's go ahead and move forward with the reports on five seven and eight yes mayor members of the city council ms jones stewart will present on number five

Thank you, Mr. Gomez. Mayor Perez, members of the city council. As a way of the background, the existing budget for fiscal year 26-27 includes the allocation of $198,450 from technology replacement fund for a project that would upgrade our firewalls at two locations, the city hall and in transit public services facility. The staff, IT, our IT manager, in cooperation with IB Digital, that is our city's information technology consultant, provided analysis and right-sized this project while still meeting city's operations and security requirements. And the result was that the final cost is actually less to replace the two firewalls and will result in savings of $81,890. At the same time, the team established a need or recognized the need for technology infrastructure management and optimization services. That is the proposal that we received also from IB Digital, and those are the services that would encounter monitoring and proactive management of city servers, network, and storage infrastructure, structured operating systems, firmware, and third-party patch management. Configuration, backup, and restoration for supported network devices. Backup oversight, including backup monitoring and restore testing. And also vendor coordination and lifecycle management for supported infrastructure. And we would receive a quarterly reporting on infrastructure health, capacity, and patch compliance reports and any needed improvements. The cost for all these services would be $5,500 per month and would not exceed 66,000 annually. Because we have savings from firewall projects, city's recommending or staff is recommending using the savings not to exceed cost of $66,000 annually and engage the IB digital to provide this monitoring services. As a way of recommended action from staff to city council is to approve the agreement with IB Digital to provide technology infrastructure management and optimization services for a total of 66,000 per fiscal year and authorize the city manager to execute the agreement and any additional amendments provided there is funding in the future budgets on behalf of the city in the form approved by the city attorney. So as we have actually only 10 to nine months left of the fiscal year, so the cost would be less than 66,000. It would be not to exceed 55,000 actually. And this concludes my report. I have staff. gomez and mr sloan warring who is the vice president of ib digital present in the audience here and we are ready to answer any questions staff may city council may have thank you very much

Thank you. Yes, I do see we have a representative from the organization here, which I greatly appreciate, because I know that whenever we enter into any contract for services, I think it's very important that we understand who those individuals are, not put a face to a name. So thank you very much for being here. I also want to thank you for the statement of services. So that was super, super helpful. And another thing that I really appreciate is having all that information beforehand. The question I had, and I don't know if you want to come up to the podium. That might help just a little bit. the statement of services as i mentioned was very thorough and i really really appreciate that and i think it is something that's super super important it helps obviously it's important to how our city functions when it comes to our technology infrastructure I'm wondering if any of that correlates with an issue, a cybersecurity issue. Is that something also that would, is being monitored, would be included as part of that quarterly report? Hey, everything looks good. Maybe, hey, you all need to look at some this.

That's a great question, Ms. Rios. So to answer your question is, currently we are delivering a stack of cybersecurity solutions for the currently. There's kind of a gap in our services when it comes to management of that infrastructure. Right now, we're providing cybersecurity solutions that come with that reporting for you guys now. This expands the services we're providing to now manage and maintain that infrastructure on an ongoing basis, not solely to serve on a cybersecurity standpoint. So it's basically creating a more in-depth understanding of your environment and manage of your environment. So overall increasing your cybersecurity posture.

Wonderful. I hope that answers your question. That answers it perfectly. That's what I was hoping for. I just kind of wanted an affirmation from you. So thank you so very much.

Thank you.

All right. Let's go to report on item number seven, please.

yes mayor and members of the city council mr levy sun will report good evening mayor perez and members of the council and those watching online and in person uh joining me tonight is our members from the merino group and i'm excited to present on the amendment that will actually benefit the community uh the city and actually the staff The original agreement was approved back in September 2025 after a competitive RFP. And the purpose was to have a specialized support for high impact, sensitive, and or fast moving issues. The communications department continues, though, to manage the day-to-day operations of the city communications. And this agreement provides a supplemental capacity only when needed. For the particular item here, council did approve for this fiscal year to reduce the maximum compensation by 50%. Now, the current term and also moving into the amendment still provide support that could include monitoring, analysis, and any provider's strategic communications that's needed. Areas of topics could include public safety, infrastructure, economic development, even service delivery, and even also taking a look at regional issues that we may not be able to monitor on a day-to-day basis. I want to make it clear that the Marino Group does not produce routine newsletters. They don't take the place of any staff members. They are there not to be embedded in daily staff production. They are a specialized team that we have on the bench for when we need to activate the service. Now, the activation can come in many different scenarios. It could be when staff are managing multiple incidents and we need to have that support, or if there are multiple jurisdictions involved in terms of, say, a joint information center that gets activated with other cities, other agencies. It could also include any significant social or economic impacts that are present that are outside of the day-to-day scope of what our staff can provide. Even then, the activation is still reliant on city manager's office or myself to activate. So there is no automatic activation in terms of this amendment. It is now solely going to be on call, which is why this is what's changed precisely in the amendment. There is now, we're exercising the one year amendment option eliminating the $3,000 a month retainer and moving to the on-call only service. That does reduce the maximum annual compensation from $100,000 to $50,000. And with that, that means there's no guaranteed workload or monthly minimum. And the actual cost will then depend on the services requested. The original agreement now has been modified with the fiscal impact that is shown on the screen where it establishes the compensation again not to exceed $50,000. which is 50% less compared to the initial term. Funding is included in the communications department, and it does support the city council strategic plan number one of providing high-quality customer service to the community. Now, while this isn't part of the scope of work or included in the amendment, but I did mention benefits to staff. In the past year, we have also increased our training for staff, and because the fiscal year was approved with modification to a very key role in our department, we have increased training for that individual. It also then cascades down to the rest of the team. What this means is that we have become more self-sufficient and will continue to be more self-sufficient, so that way we can take on more of these incidents as needed working with other departments. So yes, this is a team that's benched, but any time we hit that trigger point, we can activate them as needed. Staff recommendation as displayed is for city council to approve this amendment with the listed dates through September 4th, eliminating the monthly retainer and providing compensation of the existing hourly rate in an amount not to exceed 50,000 and authorize the city manager to execute the amendment and any additional amendments provided there's funding in the budget and the action is within the city manager's signing authority on behalf of the city in a form approved by city council. That concludes my report.

Thank you, Levy. Margarita, did you have a question?

Yes, thank you, Levy, for that information. I know that in the past when we've discussed the specialized team and how it relates and collabs with our communications team, over the years we've had the goal to grow our communication team, increase their knowledge, their understanding of the importance of messaging, the narrative, communication to the public, et cetera. And I know that we're making some strides with that, which is good because our messaging to the community is so, so important. But it has to be timely, it has to be relevant, and it has to basically communicate to the community what they need to know, what's critical for them to know at that point. now considering that now uh the merino group will be on call what process or protocol do you all plan to use to trigger that on-call service because what i envision is that there's an understanding you're aligned with hey you know this incident happened or this occurred in the city we need to get a message out to the community like asap So what type of plant protocol or process has been established or are you speaking of that still to work things out? I mean, I'm hoping you already have, but again, I just think it's so important for your team and the council wants to be and is very supportive of your team. But I think there has to be a clear understanding is, you know, we need to act, we need to put something out. We have the Marino group for assistance. Let's put something together and form our community. So what are we doing about that?

Absolutely. Thank you for that question. And this is all about reducing redundancy. We want to make sure that our team is running efficiently so that it can respond quickly. But when we hit those certain triggers that is actually placed in our crisis communications plan that notes these specific triggers that we need to then consider reaching out for extra help with this team on the bench. we have a vendor handbook that's also included where we have expectations of deliverables that we will implement as well or haven't been implementing the goal here is to have that really clear demarcation between staff and the support team so the workflow will still again come through with city manager's office or myself providing that activation And activation includes certain specific details. For example, we want to have a project number assigned to this, a date assigned to this. We expect a deliverable within an hour or so, depending on the situation. And then there's a stand down protocol as well, where if a certain amount of time elapses where there's no new information, then either side can then trigger that stand down procedure, just so that we're not running the clock, running the bill, and we can easily save money, but also stay efficient and reduce the redundancy.

okay i know that we originally um brought on the merino group back in 2020 approximately when we were going through the pandemic of covid and again communication was really critical to the community but what happens and our community is very fluid and things change you know they're constant um so it's something that we have to stay on top of so i'm wondering i would like to hear from the merino group on um if you would come to the podium please and I'll continue speaking as he comes to the podium, but I know that in reading the report, a lot is discussed as far as the awareness and looking out for what's trending, what has occurred, what is potential, but I think specifically what I wanna get down to is our public safety, incidents that affect public safety in our community. How do you envision working with our social media team to make sure that we're getting that message out to our community? Is there someone on your team that's monitoring, that's aware? Are you made aware? And then you put something together. Because as I mentioned before, the timeliness is critical. And since we have a consultant that's working with the team, I want to make sure that we're optimizing our resources.

Yes, thank you for the question. Specifically with regards to public safety, it is important. We do have access to technological tools. There are social media listening tools that can identify what's going on throughout, what's being reported in many different social media platforms. It's important for us to track those and we do track them on a daily basis and provide what's called sentiment reports to the team so that they know exactly what's going on. Someone reporting on something in a particular platform, those things are readily available and part of our menu of services that we provide. Now in doing so, it's also important for us to be able to track also just general tendencies of the community. Crime may be down, let's say, for example, but certain segments of the community may feel that they're not feeling safe because certain incidents may be occurring in a particular part of the city. So we provide some insight to the communications team to be able to let them know, look, this is trending, this is what's going on, maybe this is a particular opportunity to provide some information, maybe public safety department, can be able to do something there. Quadrant officers may be able to, you know, address some of those issues. LA County sheriffs, obviously. But those are all the tools that we do to ensure that the communications department is fully aware of what's going on.

Thank you so much for that explanation. That makes a lot of sense, and I appreciate that. I know that we cannot control the opinions of the public. We can't do that. However, we can control the narrative based on the facts that we know. So again, I want to thank you also for being present as you continue to be a partner in the services and resources that you provide to our community. So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. All right. And the final report to be heard out of consent is item number eight.

Good evening, Mayor Perez and Vice Mayor Rios and members of the City Council. Tonight, I'll be reviewing the approval of a blue curb at a resident on the 14600 block of Dartmoor Avenue. The Norwalk Municipal Code 10.10 establishes procedures for Norwalk residents to apply for the installation of a blue-curbed parking space for exclusive use of a disabled person in front of or adjacent to the residence. The Department of Public Safety received an application from the resident for the installation of an off-street disabled parking space, also known as a blue curb, on the side of the residence located on the address stated on the presentation. The property is located mid-block on the east side of the 14600 block of Dartmoor between Barnwell and Greystone Avenue. Public safety staff verified that the applicant's disabled person parking placard is current in accordance to the Norwalk Municipal Code section 10.10.060. Property owners are required to sign the petition submitted with a blue curve request. The applicant met this requirement and the property owner has signed the petition in support of this request. Staff also inspected the immediate area of the 14600 block of Dartmoor Avenue for abandoned or inoperable vehicles and observed no such violations. A survey of the surrounding neighborhood revealed that there are no existing blue curbs in the immediate vicinity of the applicant's residence. This item was brought to the Public Safety Commission on August 3rd and approved for your consent at tonight's meeting. Whether the request is approved or denied based on the established criteria and whether the blue curb is required for the applicant's accessibility and safety, the following criteria was met. Step forth in the Norwalk Municipal Code section 10.10.060 establishes the eligibility for the installation of the blue curb. Thank you.

Thank you, Rita. Margarita?

Thank you, Rita. I just wanted to clarify something. This particular property, is there an ADU attached to the property? Yes. Okay. So the applicant is an occupant of the primary or the ADU? The ADU. Okay, and that's why I just, you know, it created just a little question in my head as to, you know, having to be aware of that in the future because of the fact that this is an ADU and we know that there are no type of parking requirements for an ADU, yet we have this particular situation where the occupant is requesting a blue curbs because they have no access to the property, unfortunately.

Correct. Their son is the one that needs the parking in front of them.

Yeah, yeah. Okay.

I just wanted to clarify that, thank you. Yeah, no problem, thank you.

I have a question on that. Do we have protocols in place that evaluates the permits annually to see if it's required?

Yes, every year once they are set to expire, we send a public safety officer out there to evaluate and ensure that the original applicant still lives on the residence.

Okay, because that's a real concern because we want to alleviate and create more space once there's no need for it.

Correct. And they are, when they do receive their approval letter, they are required to notify us if they're either leaving or there's another tenant.

And then the requirement also for that is to have a handicap placard in place at all times, correct? Correct. All right. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Can I get a motion for the consent calendar, please?

I'll second.

Thank you. We have a first and a second. Teresa?

Council Members Aiello. Aye. Ramirez. Aye. Vice Mayor Rios. Mayor Perez.

Aye. And I'm abstaining on two items under commercial demands that I will provide the city clerk. And I'm also abstaining on item number five. All right. Thank you very much for that. Do we have any advisory appointments this evening?

I do.

Thank you. Go right ahead, Rick.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. And my applicant is here, Martha Straczynski. And I'm appointing her to the Arts and Public Places Commission. And she's here to take the oath. Come on down.

All right. I'll go ahead and second that. Can we get a roll call, please?

Council Member Zayala? Aye. Ramirez? Aye. Vice Mayor Rios? And Mayor Perez? Aye. Good evening. How are you? »» Good, thank you. »» Great. Please raise your right hand and follow along with me. Aye. And state your name.

Martha Straczynski. Martha Straczynski.

Do solemnly swear.

Do solemnly swear.

That I will support and defend.

That I will support and defend.

The Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the United States.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

And the Constitution of the State of California.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

that I will bear true faith and allegiance that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States for the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California and the Constitution of the State of California that I take this obligation freely that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion or purpose of evasion purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully

And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I'm about to enter. Thank you. Congratulations.

All right. Thank you. Congratulations. Moving on to item number 10, project number 7184, award of contract construction, construction management and inspection services for Carmenita Road rehabilitation from 550 feet north of Excelsior Drive to Rosecrans Avenue. um jesus this has been a long one coming i can't wait to see this report

YES MAYOR MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS AREA INCLUDING A COUNTY SANITATION PROJECT THAT HAS SORT OF DELAYED THE PROJECT BUT HERE WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE PROJECT AND IT'S A LONG TIME COMING FOR SURE AND TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MR ALBERT MENDOZA PRESENT THIS STAFF REPORT

yeah thank you mr gomez good evening madam mayor vice mayor and council members item 10 on tonight's agenda addresses project number 7184 award of contract for construction construction management inspection services for the carmenita road rehabilitation from 500 feet north of Excelsior Drive to Rosecrans Avenue, federal project number STPL 5347050, resolution number 2654, budget amendment with engineer's report number 26-29. On June 29th, 2026, staff solicited four construction bids for the Carbonita project, project number 7184. The project is fairly funded through the Caltrans Surface Transportation Program. Scope of work includes rehabilitation, existing asphalt pavement, reconstruction of sidewalks, curb and gutter, dry waste, ADA compliant curb ramps, traffic signing, striping, and pavement markings. On July 29, 2026, the city received a total of nine bids, which were publicly open. Two bids were found to be non-responsive. The responsive bids are tallied in the table as shown in the slide. R.J. Noble was the lowest apparent low bidder and responsible bidder with a $2.8 million bid, ranging from $2.8 million to $4.2 million with an average of $3.3 million. Also in June 29th, 2026, staff solicited an RFP from Qualified Engineering First to provide construction management and inspection services for the project. On July 20th, 2026, proposals were received from the following six firms, Bergen Associates, DCCM Infrastructure, Ladao Consulting Group, Next Gen Design Builders, SOMAS, and Spex Engineering Group. Staff examined the proposals based on several factors. These include technical knowledge, proposed team experiences, scope of work, and qualifications. Top three firms were ranked as follows, number one being La Daya Consulting Group, Specs Engineering Group ranked second, and SOMUS ranked third. Back in August 5th, 2025, the city awarded a contract for a professional service agreement to Onward Engineering to provide design services for this specific project. Now as the project enters the construction phase, staff now recommends entering into an agreement or amendment one with Onward Engineering to provide design support services during construction. Services will include attending construction meetings, responding to contractors' requests for information and submittals, and preparation of basketball plants. Construction is anticipated to begin late September, with project completion expected by February 2027, weather permitting. Following is an estimated cost breakdown of the total project costs, construction at $2.8 million, contingency of 15% of $432,000, construction mat inspection $307,000, with a 15% contingency of $46,000 for a subtotal of $3.7 million, with an administration cost of 3% of $111,000 for a total estimated cost of $3.8 million. Project expenditures are currently funded from the surface transportation Prop C, Measure R, and Measure M funds in the amount of $3,026,000. Resolution number 26-54 includes a new appropriation of $790,670 of unencumbered greener renovation fund and Prop C funds to support all these services. Therefore, staff recommends City Council adopt resolution number 26-54, resolution of the City Council of the City of Norwalk authorizing an amendment to fiscal year 26-27, adopted budget to appropriate street renovation and prop C funds for project number 7184, Carbonita Road Rehabilitation, 550 feet north of Excelsior Drive to Rose Prince Avenue in the amount of $790,670. and award a contract to R.J. Noble Company in the amount of $2,886,279 with a 15% contingency in the amount of $432,942 for construction services. In addition, award a contract to La Daya Consulting Group in the amount of $307,308 including a 15% contingency in the amount of $46,096 for construction management and inspection services. and approve amendment number one with Onward Engineering in the amount of $33,192 for design support during construction. And finally, authorize the city manager to execute the contract and amendments with the contingencies on behalf of the city in forms approved by the city attorney. That concludes my presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Albert. Any questions in regards to this item? All right, seeing none, I'll go ahead and move this item. We have a first and a second, times two. Roll call, please.

Council Member Zaiello?

Aye. Ramirez?

Aye.

Vice Mayor Rios? Aye. Mayor Perez? Aye. Thank you. Moving next to item number 11, Project number 7944, award a contract construction, construction management and inspection services for local streets rehabilitation program zones 5, 6, and 30, resolution number 26-55. Can we have the staff report, please?

YES, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS AGAIN ANOTHER PROJECT THAT CONTINUES WITH OUR STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOW OVER 50%. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO PUT US OVER 50% OF PAVED PROJECT STREETS HERE IN THE CITY. SO WITH THAT, MR. ALBERT MENDOZA WILL PRESENT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MADAM MAYOR. City council members, tonight this item is for project number 7944, it's to award a contract or contracts for construction, construction management, inspection services for the local streets rehabilitation program zones 5, 6, and 30, resolution number 26-55, budget amendment with an engineer's report number of 26-32. June 29th, 2026, staff solicited for construction bids for this project. The scope of work includes improvements to the asphalt concrete pavement, reconstruction of cross gutters, spandrels, curb and gutters, ADA compliant curb ramps, traffic signing and striping. July 15, 2026, City received bids, six bids, which were public open. One bid was found to be non-responsive. The responsive bids were ranked as follows. One is Onyx Paving with the lowest responsive, responsible bid for $4.9 million. Harding & Harper, $5.2 million. Calamex Engineering, $5.3 million. R.J. Noble, $6.4 million. And Gentry Brothers, $6.4 million. On June 11, 2026, staff also solicited an RFP from qualified engineering firms to provide construction management inspection for this project. July 14th, proposals were received from 16 firms. I'm not going to go through them. I'll go through the top three, which staff examined based on several factors. These include technical knowledge, proposed team experience, scope of work, and qualifications. Specs Engineering was ranked number one, TKE Engineering second, followed by Burke and Associates. Back in January, January 2026, City Council awarded an agreement to Kimblee Horne and Associates to provide professional design services for this specific project. As the project now enters construction phase, staff recommends entering to amendment number one with Kimblee Horne to provide design support services during the construction. Services will include attending construction meetings, responding to contractors' requests for information, submittals, and also the preparation of asphalt plans. Construction is anticipated to begin late September, with the project completion expected by March 2027, weather permitting. Following is an estimated cost breakdown for the project. Our construction costs at $4.9 million, contingency of $1.2 million, CNM services half a million, contingency $75,000, design support with a 15% contingency for a total of $7.2 million, and $108,000 for administration for a total estimated cost of $7.3 million. Available funding from RMRA funds is $91,000. Resolution number 26-55 includes an appropriation of $7.2 million of unencumbered Measure M, Prop 1B, RMRA, and street renovation funds to support these services. Staff recommends council adopt resolution numbers 26-55, a resolution of the City Council of the City of Norwalk authorizing an amendment to the fiscal year 26-27 adopted budget to appropriate funds for the project, or for project number 7944, local street rehabilitation program for zones five, six, and 30 in the amount of $7,227,600. Also award a contract to Onyx Paving Company in the amount of $4.9 million with a 25% contingency of $1.2 million. Award an agreement to Speck Engineering Group in the amount of half a million with a 15% contingency in the amount of $75,000 for construction management and inspection services. That also is recommending a word of amendment number one to Kimberly horn and the amount of 380,000 with a 15% contingency for design support services during construction and authorize the city manager to execute the contract and any amendments within these contingencies on behalf of the city and forms approved by the city attorney. But that concludes my presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Albert. Any questions? I'll go ahead and move the item. First and second. Can we have a roll call, please? council members aiello hi ramirez vice mayor rios mayor perez hi all right moving on to item number 12 updated urban forest management plan and resolution number 26-52 amending the fiscal year budget 2627 to appropriate funds for implementation of tree planting initiatives identified in the updated urban forest management plan jesus can we have a staff report yes mayor members of the city council mr alvar mendoza will present

Thank you, Mr. Gomez. Evening, Madam Mayor, members of the City Council. As you may recall, staff presented an updated urban forest management plan at the July 21st study session. Tonight, we're returning for a formal adoption of such plan. I'll start with a brief summary of the plan and then highlight the updates that were made based on council's direction and the community feedback we received. Just a quick recap, the city's urban forest management plan is an important public infrastructure asset that provides several environmental and community benefits, including shade, improved air quality, storm water capture, and an improved quality of life for our residents. The urban forest management plan provides long term strategy for managing and protecting that asset. The city's original urban forest management plan was adopted back in 2014. Since then, our tree inventory has changed, industry standards and technology have evolved, and climate resilience has become a greater priority. The city worked with West Coast Arborist to update the plan and provide us with a current data-driven framework for managing and growing our urban forest. Part of the update, West Coast Arborist completed a comprehensive inventory of the city's publicly maintained trees. The inventory identified more than 16,000 trees representing 252 different species. Overall, our urban forest is doing well with approximately 82% of our trees rated in good condition. The inventory also helps us identify where future maintenance, replacement, and planning efforts should be focused. The inventory also identified a number of opportunities to expand our urban forest through vacant planting locations throughout the city. The plan recommends a strategic approach to planting with an overall goal of increasing the city's tree canopy by approximately 3% every decade. To work toward that goal, the plan recommends planting approximately 400 trees each year. as this was one of the areas council specifically discussed during the July 21st study session. During the July 21st study session, Council expressed support for prioritizing funding for future tree planting efforts. In response, we included an estimated annual investment of $350,000 in the implementation strategy to begin working toward the recommended goal of planting 404 trees each year. As part of tonight's action, staff is also requesting approval of a $350,000 budget amendment to begin implementing the annual tree planting program. Another recommendation that was discussed during the study session was the broader selection of trees, including additional California native and climate adapted species. This gives staff more flexibility to select the right tree for the right location while improving species diversity and the long-term resiliency of our urban forest. Overall, these recommendations are part of the broader framework established to the updated plan. Beyond the inventory itself, the plan establishes a long-term framework for managing the city's urban forest. It provides consistent maintenance standards, improve species diversity, planting priorities, strengthness to climate resilience, support future grant opportunities, and create a framework for long-term budgeting and planning. This plan will be, excuse me, will become the city's roadmap for managing our trees over the coming decades. Community involvement continues to play an important role in the success of our urban forestry program. The city already conducts annual outreach through our Arbor Day celebration, which includes volunteer tree planting. During the July 21st study session, Council also asked staff to look at additional opportunities to engage our youth. In response, we added a new objective focused on partnering with local schools and creating more opportunities for students to participate in tree planting and learn about the city's urban forest As part of the plan update, the city also conducted a community survey throughout the month of July to get feedback on the community's priorities for our urban forest. We received a total of 583 responses, with 81% coming from Norwalk residents. Overall, the results showed strong support for the city's urban forest and continued investment in tree planting and maintenance. We also received 281 open-ended comments which provided additional feedback on planting, maintenance, preservation in the future of our urban forests. The feedback we received reinforced the goals and strategies that are already included in the plan. following our july twenty first study session staff incorporated the feedback and direction provided by the city council and is returning tonight for formal adoption of our urban forest management plan implementation of the plan will occur over multiple years and will be guided by available funding future budget allocations and grant opportunities as part of tonight's action staff is also requesting a three hundred fifty thousand 50,000 budget amendment to begin implementation of the plan's annual tree planting program and works towards our goal. The adoption of the urban forest management plan establishes a long-term framework to guide future budgeting grant applications, as mentioned before, and operational decision-making for staff. Tonight, staff is requesting a budget amendment for $350,000 that is being proposed to initiate the implementation of said plan. Future implementation of the plan will be subject to available funding. With that, staff recommends City Council adopt Resolution 26-52, a resolution of the City Council of the City of Norwalk authorizing an amendment for fiscal year 26-27 adopted budget to appropriate funds for the implementation of the tree-planting initiatives identified in the updated Urban Forest Management Plan in the amount of $350,000. Also to adopt the updated City of Norwalk urban forest management plan incorporating the direction provided during the July 21st study session regarding expanding the youth engagement opportunities and future tree planting priorities. With that, that concludes my presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Albert. I'll go ahead and make a few comments first. Let me just say thank you again to all of the residents that participated in the community survey. The link for or the right now the final draft of the urban forest management plan is on our website, 305 pages in case anybody is wondering. But this truly is a guide. It is a living, breathing document that we can use as a city to move forward to the next steps. With adoption that means that we now can go and apply for grants and have that as a tool when we are applying for these grants to say we have an adopted plan in the City of Norwalk. We know where we want to go with our urban forest management plan. And we need your help getting there. So I appreciate that we're taking the initiative to adopt the plan. It is ours once it is adopted. And then we get to adopt it how we see fit. But I would truly look at this as a guide. And I think you guys did a great job with hearing what Council shared with you at the initial meeting when we had the full report. We added in the youth component, which I think is great in addition to what we already do. And by putting some teeth behind it with some funding to start the project and get us going while we apply for those grants. So I appreciate all of the work that has gone into this and look forward to seeing it say adopted. Any other questions or comments? Margarita?

I also want to thank the staff in the community for bringing us to this point. I am super, super excited about this one. We've been working on it for a couple of years. We're that much closer tonight. If you don't already know, I am a tree hugger. I love trees. I love the environment. And people may ask, well, why? What's the big deal about our urban forest management plan, right? Well, it really is a big deal. Not to say that other things are not, because there's a lot of things that are important in our city. Are we worried about improving our streets, our potholes? Absolutely. Getting businesses, generating tax revenue. you know, building, you know, housing. I mean, it's all super, super relevant. It really is. But I just think that when it comes to really solidifying our future and what we're going to leave for future generations, Our climate and the environment is critical. If we can leave them a beautiful tree canopy, clean water, clean air, a beautiful city, this is the plan that does that. So we're handling everything else and all those other items are super, super important to me too. Absolutely to all of us. But this is just something that is really, really important to me. That's why I'm really appreciative of all the work that's gone into it because our trees is really in our tree canopy and our urban forest is super, super important.

And I just wanted to just, there's at least three points that I wanted to make with this is we all know, we've all seen those trees that

We're probably not planted in the best place. We've all seen them. So with this plan, we have an opportunity to be proactive versus reactive, which is cost effective. That's number one. As the city continues to grow and we bring on urban developments, sometimes So the landscape and the trees is kind of an afterthought. Well, this plan makes sure that as we build Norwalk, we are also building our urban forest. It is no longer just an afterthought. And then the third point I wanted to make was sometimes low-income communities suffer the greatest pollution effects. this plan ensures that we have environmental justice and equity for the residents of norwalk so those are just kind of three things you know that came to mind as as i was listening to the presentation and then just kind of looking back and my involvement in this and again being super grateful to the council for having this vision and and bringing this uh this far thank you

Thank you. I'll go ahead and make the motion to adopt. Second. Can we have a roll call, please?

Council members, Ayala?

This has clearly been the Albert Show tonight, so it's an honor to vote yes.

Ramirez? Albert Show.

Albert Show. Albert's got every item.

Thank you. Vice Mayor Rios and Mayor Perez?

Aye. Thank you, everyone. All right, Albert, we're going to close it out. We have the acceptance of the 2025 sewer master plan. Jesus.

We're going to continue with the show, the Albert Mendoza show. Mr. Mendoza, please.

Thank you, Mr. Gomes, with great honor. Good evening again, Madam Mayor, members of the Keeley City Council. Item number 13, tonight's agenda is the city's 2025 sewer system master plan. Tonight I will be providing an overview of the Sewer Master Plan and its key findings. The Sewer Master Plan update was prepared by SOMUS, a well-known engineering firm. Following the presentation, our consultant from SOMUS will be able to assist with any questions. They're actually joining us through Zoom, Mr. Halbach and also Kim Alexander. So to start, the city owns and operates the Norwalk Sewer System, a municipal sewer enterprise providing sewer collection services for the majority of the city. Tonight's presentation will cover five key areas. The master plan goals and objectives, the existing sewer infrastructure and facilities, system condition capacity assessment, and the recommended capital improvement program, or CIPs. This is the city's sewer service area that is generally followed the city boundaries shown on the map, all that is highlighted in blue. This slide shows one of our lift stations, one of our three lift stations that we have in the city. This one in particular is located at Curtis and King at 13012 Curtis and King Road. We do have submissible pipes on all three of the lift stations. This is another lift station that we have at Bloomfield and Millette at 15402 Bloomfield Avenue. Harboring Greeley Lift Station, who currently will be replaced in the next few months. This all the area there's highlighted the street segments as far as the condition that was assessed throughout this master plan with noting pipes that should be replaced pipes that are that are there have the capacity and others that don't have the capacity for our sewer system. So what is the purpose of our sewer master plan? So the city's previous sewer master plan was completed back in 2015. That's around the same time that the previous water master plan was updated. Master plans are comprehensive efforts and are typically updated based on factors such as infrastructure condition, operational needs, regulatory requirements, changes in development and land use, economic and funding considerations. Although Southern California communities are largely built out, new development and changes in land use continue to affect the future sewer demands. It is the City's responsibility to ensure that the sewers are adequately sized for existing and future flows. The Master Plan identifies system capacity and condition deficiencies and recommends improvements to maintain reliable service. The update also supports planning and compliance activities associated with the state water board requirements, including capacity assessments, design criteria, and capital improvement planning. While the master plan itself is not a standalone state mandate, it supports other required programs, including the sewer system management plan and future rate setting efforts. The primary objective of the master plan is to develop an updated hydraulic model of the city's wastewater collection system and incorporate the findings into this new update sewer master plan report. Mainly, the analysis consists of three primary components. A condition assessment that's evaluating the physical condition of the existing infrastructure, pipes, lift stations, or whatnot. A capacity assessment using a GIS-based hydraulic model and flow monitoring to evaluate existing and future system capacity. Flow meters were installed at selected location to collect data and calibrate the hydraulic model. The calibrated model was then used to evaluate both existing conditions and future build-out conditions, including anticipated city-wide development. And finally, the capital improvement program to develop projects and prioritize them as needed. The first component of the condition assessment was much of the sewer system was constructed in the 1950s, shortly after the City's incorporation, making infrastructure age an important consideration. The City also conducts CCTV inspections on approximately a five-year cycle to evaluate the physical condition of sewer pipelines and manholes. For this master plan, SOMUS reviewed CCTV data for approximately 20% of the pipeline system representing approximately 172,000 lineal feet of pipe or 669 pipeline segments throughout the city. Based on the CCTV inspections, previous master plan findings, and record drawings and system age, SOMUS was able to recommend approximately over 4,000 linear feet of sewer replacement and approximately 28,000 linear feet of rehabilitation through lining, which I will touch a little bit more in the upcoming slides. The second major component is the capital assessment. The process began by incorporating the GIS data in the hydraulic model to establish the existing sewer network. Flow monitoring data was then used to establish calibrated flows. Existing land use information was used to assign flows to appropriate manholes. Future development information provided by the city's community development department was incorporated to estimate future flows. The model was then was then run under different conditions, including dry and wet weather scenarios to identify potential capacity deficiencies. Again, the analysis identified approximately 4,100 linear feet of existing capacity issues in our network and approximately 4,200 linear feet of potential future build-up capacity issues. A third and final component is the capital improvement program. As the owner of the public sewer system, the city is responsible for the public sewer infrastructure. The city's ongoing maintenance program has helped maintain a reliable system operations thus far. The recommended CIP is based on three primary considerations. Again, it's condition assessment, including the review of 20% of the available CCTV data and information from the previous master plan, capacity assessment using the hydraulic model, and an ongoing rehabilitation and repair program that's addressing infrastructure needs and the additional CCTV inspection that are needed to complete the entire master plan for the city. Rehabilitation projects are categorized based on the severity of the identified need with category five representing the highest priority for repairs. The ongoing approach helps track effect progression and evaluate maintenance, effectiveness, and support proactive asset management. This map illustrates the repair types that were identified in this condition assessment. For example, it's very hard to see, but the green pipelines require no repairs. The blue pipelines can be either rehabilitated using internal lining, which generally avoids open cuts excavation, which become very costly, and thus minimize impacts to streets and surrounding community. The pink pipelines are the recommended for complete removal and replacement where lining is not a viable option. So this map comes from the hydraulic model and identifies area where the existing system is approaching capacity. The model identified four locations where existing pipelines are operating at approximately half full or greater. The yellow segments represent pipelines operating between approximately 50 to 67 percent full The master plan uses 67% as a full threshold at which pipeline upsizing may be warranted. Maintaining additional capacity helps accommodate inflow and infiltration and provides greater resilience during wet weather events. Based on the modeling, the estimated cost of the recommended existing system capacity improvements is approximately $5.2 million. This map also uses a hydraulic model, but incorporates future build-out conditions. Build-out flows include anticipated development and future land use demands, including housing needs identified in the city's adopted housing element. This model uses the conservative peak flow assumptions for future development. Under these conditions, the model identifies three additional areas where capacity improvements may eventually be needed. The estimated cost for these additional bill or related improvements is approximately $5.3 million. So our consultant, Somis, has identified the recommended near-term CIP for 2027 through 2032. These projects incorporate existing capacity improvements identified through hydraulic modeling, party four and five rehabilitation projects identified through the condition assessment, additional CCTV review and manual inspections to further evaluate the system. The estimated total for the near-term CIP is approximately $17.2 million. The long-term CIP covers 2032 through 2057. These projects incorporate future buildup capacity improvements, lower priority watch list projects identified through hydraulic modeling, remaining rehabilitation needs anticipated through continuous CCTV inspections. All these projects will be refined over time as additional condition and operation data becomes available. The current estimated total cost for the long-term CIP is approximately $70 million. In this slide, our consultant further breaks down the recommended CIPs into a priority list, which separate out five-year blocks, project planning. then a 20-year long-term plan, which will be refined over time. In summary, the 2025 sewer system plan provides the city with an updated assessment of the sewer system's condition, capacity, and future needs. The plan provides a framework for prioritizing improvements, maintaining reliable service, and strategically planning for future capital investments. Staff appreciates the efforts made by SOMA to put this report together. With that, staff recommends the City Council accept the 2025 sewer master plan prepared by SOMUS as complete. That concludes my presentation.

Thanks, Albert. You did a great job tonight.

Thank you.

I saw a lot of dollars floating around once we need to get those priority areas and some of those other key areas done. But again, this is a roadmap to provide direction for the city and the team to now go after some of those grants to be able to bring that back to council and get some of these projects done. So thank you for the presentation. Any additional questions or comments? All right, seeing none, I'll go ahead and move the item.

Can we have a roll call, please? Council Member Zayala?

Aye.

Ramirez? Vice Mayor Rios? Mayor Perez?

Aye. Thank you. Moving next to our public comments, we have the first speaker, Mr. Ron Luna.

Okay, sorry. Yeah, I'm calling about, I'm having a problem with, you know, my wife, we've been married 49 years, and she's had a disease the whole time, but now she's like 66, you know, the disease is kind of, Messing with her, you know what I mean? When you have a disease like she's got. So, you know, some morning she wakes up, you know, she's all right. And then some morning she ain't. But when the morning she isn't, she's always telling me, well, I'm gonna call the city and get them over here. So she's been calling code enforcement. I don't know if she realized, you know, we're married, why are we? And then she's calling it on herself because of the fight. So me and my daughter, we've been, you know, We did, we cleaned it all up and everything, and then quote, unquote, said, fine. But we didn't tell her, Carmen, to look in the garage, but my wife did. So I said, Carmen, I didn't say you could look, but your wife did. But she doesn't know what she's doing, you know what I mean? She's doing that to me, but we've been married 49 years. So I called, where's Ozzy at? Is he here or anything? Where's he at?

I'm right here, sir.

Yeah, I've been calling him, and this guy's ignoring me. I can't get no help from nobody because they don't realize my wife's sick, you know, and she keeps telling me she's going to keep calling code enforcement on me. So I was just wondering if you guys can tell code enforcement when my wife calls is just to ignore her. You know what I mean? Because she's just going to keep calling. So I don't know where I can get some help from, you know? I just don't know. I mean, the whole outside's clean. Me and my daughter, we did it in 100 degree weather. It was hot. I was sweating. And my daughter, she's not that healthy either, and she helped me, you know? And we got it all done. But the garage, you know, my daughter rented another storage for my granddaughter, you know, for her to put her stuff. But she's got three kids in private school. And then groceries and gas and car insurance, we don't have the money to rent another storage unit. They want us to empty the garage out, to empty all that stuff out. But right now we just can't do it right now. And so Dolores, we'll give you a month, empty it all out. You know, what the heck? Where am I going to get that money to get another and empty it out? So it's my wife calling the court enforcement on us, on herself. You know, that's what, they're saying she's calling them on herself. So I don't know if you guys can help me or not. That's why I'm here, just to see what you guys can do for me.

Mr. Luna, we can't address or answer any of those questions for any of our residents during public comment, but I will have the team contact you tomorrow and do some follow-up on that.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you. All right. All right, our next speaker is Mr. Jack Cornejo.

Norwalk City Council, in the profound words of Mary Poppins, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Unpleasant things become easier when you approach them with something more enjoyable. And it is absolutely enjoyable when a resident can bring to your attention the commendable job done by two of our Norwalk staff. highlighting social worker Natalie Alvarado, based at our senior center, and deputy city manager Alex Hamilton. They have provided consistent, consistent, consistent professional service in the multiple years that I've been interacting with them. They have been able to help me find the answers to difficult and complicated questions that have brought them. And that is appreciated. Well, that was the sugar. Now is time for the medicine. City Council, this has been brought before you previously, but two terms, two terms be codified into city regulations. Next, term limits need to be established for the commission members. It is recommended once again that a limit of two terms, two terms be codified into the city regulations. This will allow more opportunity for those in the community wanting to serve. In addition, a person serving as a commission member should be limited to one commission at a time. This allows the opportunity for those in the community wanting to serve. The best government is a government of checks, balances, and limits. These three principles establish trust and confidence in the democratic process and guarantee that everyone will be represented. City Council, term limits are a powerful medicine, but they will provide powerful results to our city if we take the medicine.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Ms. Cynthia Clemente. Cynthia, do you want the microphone?

Good evening Mayor Perez and City Council members. Usually I come up here and I have a lot of ugly things to say. Tonight I want to honor one of you. I want to honor Councilman Rick Ramirez. Rick Ramirez has always been honest. He's appreciated when we as seniors or any resident of Norwalk ask him questions. He always says let me look into it. Within two or three days he gives us an answer. There are many residents of Norwalk that are very proud of him and glad to have him as a councilman. His honesty has always been appreciated. He's caring and compassionate for Norwalk residents of all ages. There are many... He never makes any promises, only honesty. He's kind and understanding. So Councilman Rick Ramirez, in regards to all the kindness and goodness in you, I would like to present you with these pockets to show how much you are appreciated as a Councilman and to give you some recognition. And I have a little token of a gift card for you. So can you come and get that?

While we're doing that, Teresa, do we have any Zoom comments, oral communications?

We do not.

All right. With that, we are set for this evening. This meeting is adjourned. Have a good night, everyone.