[0:20] The regular meeting of the Belfar City
Council is called to order on Monday,
[0:23] February 23, 2026 at 5:37
[0:29] p.m. Roll call, please.
>> Council member Morse,
[0:33] » here.
>> Mayor Prom Sanchez,
[0:34] » here.
>> Council member Denton,
[0:36] » here.
>> Council member Coops,
[0:38] » here. Mayor Santine
>> here. Uh, close session. Mr. Smoot.
[0:42] » Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The council recess
to close session for two items as listed
[0:46] on the agenda. Items 3A and 3B.
>> Mayor,
[0:51] » uh, any any conflicts?
>> Yeah, I need to recuse myself from item
[0:54] 3A due to a property conflict.
>> I also have to recuse myself on item 3A
[0:59] for a property conflict.
>> All right. So, we have to recuse on item
[1:02] 3A.
uh anyone who would like to well there's
[1:07] no no one else to speak on this item
from the public. So with that we will uh
[1:10] recess to close session.
[1:27] » All right.
Good evening.
[1:30] Welcome everyone. Uh welcome to the um
uh regular meeting of the Belfara City
[1:35] Council. It's called to order on Monday,
February 23rd, 2026 at 7:05 p.m. We are
[1:41] reconvening to the regular meeting and
there's no reportable action taken
[1:45] during the close session. Roll call,
please.
[1:49] » Council member Morris
>> here.
[1:51] » Mayor Prom Sanchez
>> here.
[1:53] » Council member Dutton
>> here.
[1:55] » Council member Coops
>> here.
[1:57] » Mayor Santine
>> here. Uh, tonight's invocation will be
[2:00] led by council member Dan Coops and the
pledge of allegiance will be led by
[2:04] Elizabeth Oba, director of planning and
building services. Please rise.
[2:11] » Please bow your head with me. Our
gracious heavenly father, we come to you
[2:15] this evening to give you thanks for all
the blessings you've given to our city
[2:18] and for all those that are in our city.
Be with us as we deliberate the items in
[2:22] front of us. Give us the wisdom to do
what's correct and right for our city.
[2:27] We're always thinking about safety for
our first responders, both the sheriff
[2:31] and fire. Please keep them in the realm
of your hand for sa safness and safety.
[2:36] Also remember our armed forces who
protect us from national enemies and
[2:42] make sure that everybody came comes home
tonight safe. In his name we pray. Amen.
[2:47] » Amen.
[2:51] » Please face the flag and join me for the
pledge of allegiance. I pledge
[2:55] allegiance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the republic
[3:00] for which it stands, one nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
[3:06] justice for all.
[3:11] » Thank you, Dan and Elizabeth. Uh uh
there's no request to appear remotely
[3:16] and we're going to proceed with the city
council announcements.
[3:21] Let me start. Um, the Bellflower
Volunteer Center is committed to caring
[3:27] the ch caring for children in our
community, especially those facing
[3:31] economic hardship. Through the spring
basket program, the Belfflower Volunteer
[3:36] Center brings hope, comfort, and joy to
children in our community with
[3:40] thoughtfully prepared baskets filled
with essential items and special treats.
[3:45] To participate, you can sponsor a child
and receive a few details about them to
[3:50] create a unique personalized basket.
Once your basket is ready, we'll
[3:55] coordinate a drop off at the volunteer
center at Sims Park located at 16614
[4:00] South Clark Avenue by Monday, March 23.
You can also participate by donating new
[4:07] items to help complete baskets.
Suggested items include books, games,
[4:12] toys, candy, snacks, school supplies,
gift cards, and toiletries. The donation
[4:18] deadline is Thursday, March 5. This is
simple but meaningful way to show a
[4:23] child that they are seen, valued, and
cared for. Your kindness can make a
[4:28] lasting difference and brighten a
child's day. If you're interested in
[4:33] participating or having any questions,
please call 5628041424
[4:40] extension 2331
or email siega. That's s n o r i ga at
[4:48] bellflower.ca.gov.
[4:52] Mayor Prom Sanchez.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good evening,
[4:55] Belfflower. The city of Belfflower in
partnership with the Fair Housing
[4:58] Foundation invites residents to attend a
free housing mark uh workshop on
[5:03] Wednesday, March 4th from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
in the green room at Belf City Hall.
[5:09] That is at 16600 Civic Center Drive.
This workshop is open to the public and
[5:15] is designed for tenants, landlords,
property managers, attorneys, realtors,
[5:19] and management companies. Attendees will
gain a clear understanding of their
[5:24] rights and responsibilities under
federal and state fair housing laws,
[5:28] including guidance on nav navigating
tenant and landlord disputes. Prior
[5:34] registration is required. For
registration, please call 1800446
[5:39] 3247 or for registration assistance,
please email croto again cra c as in cat
[5:46] prao
at fhfca.org.
[5:50] org. For more information on the Fair
Housing Foundation, please visit
[5:55] fhfca.org.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[5:58] » Thank you, Victor. Council member Ray
Dun.
[6:00] » Thank you, Mayor. The Clifton M.
Brackasen Library is hosting events for
[6:05] all ages this March and invites the
community members to participate in a
[6:10] series of creative hands-on workshops
designed to inspire artistic expression
[6:16] and connection.
Think it, Inc.
[6:20] Um, it
think Inc. It comics basics will take
[6:27] place on Saturday, March 7th from 2:00
p.m. to 2:45 p.m. where children ages 6
[6:34] through 12 will be accompanied by a
parent or caregiver will learn how to
[6:39] create their own comic book by exploring
the writing process, character
[6:44] development, and panel drawing. On
Tuesday, March 17th, from 5 to 6 PM,
[6:51] teens ages 13 to 17 are invited to
attend Book Page Roses, a workshop that
[7:00] explores the language of flowers while
participants craft a boutique of paper
[7:06] roses uh from a book pages to give as a
gift or keep as a personal keepsake. The
[7:13] series concludes with a uh beading
workshop on Tuesday, March 24th from 6
[7:19] PM to 7:30 p.m. where participants ages
18 and over will explore bead work as a
[7:27] practice. For the wellness and
relaxation of community building, all
[7:32] workshops are free and open to the
public and space may be limited. To
[7:36] register, please visit www.visit.lacount
[7:41] laounty library.org
uhvents.
[7:47] Thank you, Mayor.
>> Uh thank you, Ray. Council member Dan
[7:50] Coops.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Belfflar Chamber
[7:53] of Commerce encourages local businesses
and community members to connect and
[7:58] collaborate at two upcoming networking
events hosted at the Belfar Chamber of
[8:05] Commerce office. That's all one
sentence. That's a run-on sentence,
[8:08] isn't it? Yeah,
join the St. Patrick's Networking Bingo
[8:13] Game Night on Thursday, March 12th.
That'll held from 5:30 to 7:30 at the
[8:17] Chamber Office located at 16730
Belefflower Boulevard here in
[8:22] Belfflower. That'll be for an evening of
building connections, winning prizes,
[8:27] and enjoying festive refreshments. This
month's concludes with a monthly mingle
[8:32] on Tuesday morning, March 31st, and
that'll be from 9:00 to 10:00 in the
[8:36] morning. And the chamber offers
conference room and that's located at
[8:39] 16730 Belfflower Boulevard where
attendees can start their day with
[8:44] motivating conversations, coffee,
pastries, a raffle and new connections.
[8:49] You'll probably get to meet the mayor
because he usually attends with and meet
[8:52] with other fellow businesses. For more
information, please call 562-8671744
[8:59] or visit belfflowerchamber.org.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[9:02] » Thank you, Dan. Council member Wendy
Morris.
[9:04] » Thank you, Mayor. Good evening,
Belfflower. Belfflower's citywide waste
[9:08] card exchange program is now underway.
As part of a citywide effort to comply
[9:13] with California's SB 1383 requirements,
residents will soon receive new waste
[9:19] carts. From February through May, CRR
will conduct a residential cart exchange
[9:24] for all current customers. Each
household will receive a new landfill,
[9:29] recycling, and organics carts at no
additional cost. On the scheduled
[9:34] collection day, residents must place all
existing carts at the curb by 6:00 a.m.
[9:40] CRNR will empty the carts and replace
them with new ones by 6:00 p.m.
[9:45] Replacement carts will be the same size
as those currently assigned to the
[9:49] address. To know when you are scheduled
for the cart exchange, please visit the
[9:54] trash and recycling services page on the
city's website. Scroll to the bottom and
[10:00] select card exchange schedule and enter
your full address. For more information,
[10:06] please email Melanie Paws at mp pause.
That's mpazbellflower.ca.gov.
[10:15] Thank you, Mayor.
>> Thank you, Wendy. Uh, tonight we have
[10:18] one presentation uh by the Los Angeles
County Sanitation District, Mr. Smoot.
[10:24] Uh,
>> thank you, Mr. Mayor. I believe he's
[10:26] coming up to handle this one for you.
[10:33] » Thank you, uh, Mayor San Andmbers.
Um, my name is Matt Eaton. I'm the
[10:38] deputy assistant chief engineer for the
sanitation districts and I'm here today
[10:42] to talk about our proposed sewer rate
increase uh that we are proposing for
[10:47] this spring to take effect in July. So,
a little bit about us. We we provide
[10:53] sewer service for a large part of LA
County uh both up in the northern part
[10:57] of the county as well as the
southeastern part of the county. And the
[11:00] rates we're talking about uh as part of
this rate increase are the ones that
[11:05] cover the southeastern part of the
county, including the city of
[11:08] Belfflower.
And uh just as a point of uh
[11:13] clarification, we do not manage the
small sewers like in your street. We
[11:17] manage the large what we call trunk
sewers that the cities feed into and we
[11:21] manage seven treatment plants that treat
the wastewater.
[11:27] So if you're a parcel owner in the city
of Bellflower or any place in our our
[11:32] territory, uh you should have received a
what we call a Proposition 218 notice
[11:37] which explains the rate increase. It
explains why we need the rate increase
[11:42] and the factors that go into it. It also
has parcel specific information that
[11:50] gives the exact rate of that particular
parcel. So if you have this uh if you
[11:55] save this, you can look at it and see
what your rate's going to be. If you
[11:58] don't have it, you can go on our website
and I'll have that information at the
[12:01] end where you can look it up as well.
So again, a little bit about what we do.
[12:08] We serve uh the sanitary needs of 5.5
million people uh again throughout the
[12:14] county. Uh the services we pro provide
are essential for public safety and the
[12:20] environment. They have to operate 24/7
uh year round. Um requires constant
[12:25] maintenance upkeep and upkeep. We treat
about 400 million gallons a day of waste
[12:29] water. Um and of course that upkeep and
the maintenance and the new projects and
[12:35] just the operations costs uh obviously
uh require a significant amount of
[12:40] funding. Um we also must must attract uh
skilled labor. Um we have about 1,800
[12:47] employees across all types of um all
types of specialties, scientists,
[12:52] engineers, operators, maintenance
people, truck drivers and uh we need to
[12:58] maintain that staffing level. Um, in
particular, the last five years, our
[13:02] costs for certain things have gone up
significantly, especially, and I'll talk
[13:05] a little bit more about this, but
especially chemicals and utilities, um,
[13:10] have gone up a lot faster than in
inflation, and we do utilize a lot of
[13:14] those, uh, raw materials for our
operations. We also have some
[13:19] significant capital projects underway
and planned to maintain reliability and
[13:23] improve our treatment processes.
So again, as I mentioned, we are we are
[13:29] seeking a rate increase at this time uh
for a number of reasons. One is we're
[13:34] doing some catchup. We uh implemented a
fairly modest rate increase back in 2022
[13:40] and uh we were trying to be uh trying to
impose as little as small of a rate
[13:47] increase as we could because it was the
middle of COVID. Unfortunately,
[13:51] inflation has caught up with us and
surpassed what our rates could could
[13:55] handle. So our costs have gone up 20% in
the last 5 years. Our rates have only
[13:59] gone up 10%. And as I mentioned before,
chemicals and utilities are a big part
[14:04] of that. Those have doubled in the last
five years. And that is a big part of
[14:07] our operating expenses.
Uh we also have major upgrades under
[14:12] underway. We are ensuring that we have
complete reliability of our system,
[14:17] minimize sewer spills, minimize any
upsets or any impact to the environment.
[14:22] We also have a project plan um and right
now it's in the planning phase and it
[14:27] won't be constructed for at least five
more years but it's to increase the
[14:31] treatment at our Carson facility so that
we could potentially expand our
[14:36] production of recycled water uh and
increase and provide a new source of
[14:41] water for the region that would
potentially uh treat up to 150 mill
[14:46] million gallons a day that would be
available for um water recycling.
[14:55] So, in terms of a rate increase, um, and
I meant to mention this before, our
[14:59] rates do not go on water bills. Um,
residents will not see it except on
[15:04] their property tax bill. So, only
property owners will see our rates and
[15:08] see the rate increase. Any renter will
not not see that directly. Um, so it's
[15:13] build once a year on the property tax
bill. In terms of a monthly cost of how
[15:18] much our rates are going up in the city
of Bellflower, it's in between between
[15:22] $2.67 and $2 $2.92.
Um, the city actually encompasses two
[15:30] separate districts. We're we're a group
of 24 districts, but the city of
[15:34] Belflower actually has two districts
that are overlapping the city the city.
[15:38] So, it's either $2.67 a month or $2.92
a month. and it's a 5-year rate increase
[15:46] starting July 1st of 26.
So, we don't take these rate increases
[15:52] lightly. We understand they do impact uh
homeowners and business owners and we
[15:57] all always try to endeavor to keep our
costs down. One thing we look at every
[16:01] year is how our costs compare to other
agencies. Now, this this is not just our
[16:07] charge. This is the all-in price of
sewer service. So, it includes local
[16:11] costs as well. And you can see that we
are about half of a lot of other local
[16:17] agencies. Um, in particular, in
particular, the city of LA is very
[16:22] similar in size to us and very similar
treatment level. And you can see they're
[16:27] about double what our charge is. Um, and
we take pride in being efficient and
[16:31] cost-effective and and keeping our rates
low.
[16:37] Um, and you know, to do that, we have a
a number of efforts that we're always
[16:41] pursuing. One is low interest uh loans
and grants when they're available.
[16:47] Taking on debt when it makes sense and
it's feasible. Uh we're always looking
[16:51] at ways to reduce our chemical and
electricity costs. Um we have a number
[16:55] number of successful projects that have
have done that. I mentioned we're a
[17:00] group of 24 districts, but by combining
our efforts in terms of administrative
[17:05] staff and purchasing, we can keep our
costs down. And then we always are
[17:10] looking for additional re revenue
sources. So we do sell reclaimed water.
[17:14] We sell clean energy in the form of
renewable bio gas and electricity. Uh we
[17:19] also sell bioolids. So those help offset
our costs.
[17:25] Um we also have what we call low low
water rebate program. And again it's a
[17:30] little confusing. This is not to get a
rebate on your water bill. to get to to
[17:34] get a lower charge or a rebate on our
bill that goes on your tax bill, but we
[17:41] need your water bills to implement this.
So, it's a fairly simple application.
[17:45] You can go on our website, you can call
us, but we do need 12 months of water
[17:49] bills. And if we see that your water use
is less than average, you'll get a lower
[17:55] sanitation district's charge and
potentially a rebate on your charge,
[17:59] too.
[18:03] Um, we also have what we call industrial
weight industrial wastewater
[18:08] searchcharges. Uh, what I've mentioned
before applies to businesses, commercial
[18:13] businesses, and homeowners. Industrial
users, we actually measure what they
[18:18] discharge um because typically they're
very large and there will be a similar
[18:22] rate increase for those facilities as
well.
[18:28] So in conclusion, um we are recommending
a rate increase uh to cover the higher
[18:34] operating costs we've seen um our our
capital projects to keep up with our
[18:38] aging infrastructure and our increased
treatment that we uh will be
[18:43] undertaking. Uh we do have that low
water rebate program um for low water
[18:49] users.
And um also I should have mentioned this
[18:53] before, we do have a process for public
comment and a pro process for protests
[18:58] and it's in the 218 notice and it's on
our website as well.
[19:04] Uh so we are we are doing outreach to
the cities such as my my presentation
[19:09] today, but we have public meetings as
well. We have a couple Zoom
[19:13] presentations coming up. We also have a
in-person presentation on April 25th,
[19:18] uh, along with a tour of our largest
facility, and I do recommend that. The
[19:23] tour is very interesting. You can see
exactly what we're doing and and where
[19:27] where the money is going um, from your
rates.
[19:34] And ultimately, to approve the rates, we
need to go to our board and solicit
[19:39] approval. There will be a public hearing
in advance of that that vote. Um, you
[19:44] can see depending on what dis district
you're in, uh, it's either May 13th or
[19:49] May 27th,
uh, and it's at our headquarters in
[19:53] Whittier.
And there's also a protest process where
[19:56] you can sub submit a protest and don't
have to be there in person.
[20:01] But if you need more information, we do
have customer service uh, staff that are
[20:05] very responsive. they will pick up the
phone and help you with any questions
[20:09] about the rates, about the rebate, uh,
or anything you need. Uh, you can see
[20:15] the phone number here, our email rates
at lacsd.org.
[20:19] You can go to our website that also has
information. You can get a sample of
[20:23] that Prop 218 notice. If you can't find
yours, you can look yours up there. U,
[20:28] you look, you can look up specific
information about your parcel as well to
[20:32] see the charge.
So that uh concludes my presentation.
[20:37] I'm happy to answer any questions if
there are.
[20:39] » Thank you Matt for your very informative
presentation. Just a couple of
[20:42] questions. In your chart we just said um
the rate for Belfar is about 26 less
[20:47] than three about $3. It
>> it's going up by 267 each month.
[20:50] » So it says uh for five years. Can you
explain that? Is it flat for now for the
[20:55] next five years or there's going to be
some kind of escalator?
[20:58] » Yeah, every every year the rates going
up $2.67.
[21:02] So right now uh per month on a monthly
basis. So right now um I don't have it
[21:07] off top of my head but the rates for
most of the people in the city of
[21:10] Bellflower are on the like the $180 per
year to $200 per year range.
[21:15] » So they'll be going up about $25 $30 per
year um or the $250 to $3 per
[21:23] » every year. So the second is going to be
60 and then correct 90 and then Okay.
[21:26] Correct. All right. Good. And then um in
the previous chart previous to this you
[21:32] me district. So how will our residents
know where to go whether they're
[21:37] district 3 or district 18.
>> Okay. It would be on their notice. So if
[21:40] they have their notice it'll give the
exact hearing date and their exact
[21:43] district or you can go to our website to
look up your parcel or you can give us a
[21:47] call.
>> Ah okay. Very good. And I think there's
[21:50] one project that I would like you to
discuss and talk about is the pure water
[21:54] project.
>> Okay.
[21:54] » Can you talk about it? So, the pure
water project we're doing in partnership
[21:58] with Metropolitan Water District. Um,
it'll it'll potentially be constructed
[22:03] at our uh plant in Carson. We just got
approval of the environmental impact
[22:09] report and
uh over the next five years, we'll be
[22:13] doing additional planning and
engineering. But what this project is,
[22:17] it's a two-part project. Our part is to
build additional treatment to feed water
[22:24] to their potential project. Their water
will take the cleanup even further and
[22:29] treat it into water that can go into the
Metropolitan Water District system
[22:34] initially just as groundwater recharge
>> but potent potentially eventually be
[22:39] integrated into their portable water
system. Um and we are undertaking our
[22:46] part of it uh in in part to provide that
new source of water and in part to
[22:52] address potential future regulations
that are going to require us to provide
[22:58] additional treatment anyways. So it's
kind of a two-fold purpose um from our
[23:02] perspective. But again, uh potential uh
size of 150 million gallons per day,
[23:10] which is very significant. And uh the
value of this water isn't just in the
[23:14] water. The value is in that it's going
to be available no matter what the
[23:18] drought situation is. So you have
Colorado River water, which may not be
[23:24] available, and in fact, right now, it's
at very low levels. and and you know
[23:29] there's there it may it may impact
deliveries to the MET system. Right now
[23:34] California is doing pretty well with
water. The reservoirs are full, but
[23:37] there's no guarantee that'll happen in
the future. We've seen we've seen how
[23:41] it's been in the past. But our system,
our proposed system will be able to
[23:46] operate straight through drought
periods. As long as people are using
[23:49] water, it'll be coming to us. We'll be
able to turn it around and recycle it.
[23:54] » Ah, okay. Very good. Thank you.
>> Sure. Any question of Mr. Eden?
[23:59] » No,
>> I do.
[24:01] Council
>> member Coops.
[24:03] » As you know, state of California has
mandated all the cities to accept
[24:06] additional housing. ADUs are pretty
popular and more intense properties.
[24:12] » Sure.
>> And I'm always worried about the
[24:14] infrastructure, although you've
mentioned that you're not responsible
[24:16] for the smaller lines, but the big trunk
lines are yours. Do we need to be
[24:20] concerned that we're going to overload
the system? So right now, no, because
[24:25] water use has dropped off through water
conservation. So even though we've seen
[24:29] growth in the county, we haven't seen a
growth in the amount of gallons of waste
[24:33] water coming to us. In fact, we've been
flat for about 20 years even though
[24:37] we've seen growth. Um so we don't see a
particular issue with um with ADUs.
[24:44] Now, um there could potentially be
impacts with growth on our treatment
[24:50] plants, and we've seen that a little bit
because the more growth you have, even
[24:54] if water is being conserved, you still
have the same um constituents in the
[24:59] wastewater. So, the same solids and
chemicals and and biological material in
[25:04] the wastewater that require treatment.
But in terms of over overloading our
[25:08] sewer system, we do not um we do not
anticipate an issue there
[25:13] » because that's always a concern. You
know, we keep adding and we need more
[25:17] plumbing, electrical,
>> sewer. It all goes together.
[25:21] » Yeah. the uh
[25:26] several years ago, the sanitation
district was involved with a lawsuit
[25:31] having to do with the farming acres up
north where the solids were going to be
[25:36] placed. And the result of that was I
think the sanitation district lost the
[25:41] case.
>> Mhm.
[25:42] » And was that a 30 or $40 million loss?
>> Uh yeah, approximately. That's what the
[25:49] final number. How much is that impacting
the price of our water going up?
[25:52] » So that that um that case is related to
the wastewater service that we provide
[26:00] to this area. So yes, the the the rates
here do contribute to toward that
[26:05] settlement or toward toward that
verdict. Um, for a for a sense of scale,
[26:11] we have uh for a single family home that
works out to maybe
[26:18] um a total cost of uh we'll call it $10.
So spread over time, both the past and
[26:25] in the future. Um we're talking maybe a
dollar out of the $200 charge. Uh
[26:31] » okay. Over the five years that you
>> over the five years that Sunny talked
[26:34] about.
>> Yeah.
[26:36] Do you have knowledge also of this? I
know sanitation district has to do with
[26:41] uh moving of trash components.
>> And several years ago there was a deal
[26:46] where we going they were building a
train and that going to dispose of the
[26:50] solids out in the desert in any
reservation. Whatever happened to that?
[26:54] So we built out the system um and it was
built and ready to go but then the
[26:59] recession hit and the volumes of trash
in the county declined. Um, and that
[27:05] combined with additional recycling meant
the amount required for disposal
[27:09] declined significantly. So when we first
planned the system back in the '9s, we
[27:16] anticipated, not just us, but everyone
else anticipated
[27:20] uh landfills closing, waste volumes
going up, and a lot of that didn't
[27:25] materialize. Um, so we still have the
system ready to go for when it is
[27:30] needed. Um but we don't anticipate
running it anytime in the near future.
[27:36] » Okay, that's all my questions.
>> All right, thank you.
[27:39] » Thank you very much. Okay,
>> customer Don, any question?
[27:42] » No questions. And to a footnote, is that
property out in
[27:47] » Sanwalking Valley.
>> So yeah, is leased out, right?
[27:50] » Uh the one in Imperial County.
>> Yeah, leased out. So we get they're
[27:54] getting income on the dirt and dirt that
they're leased out anyway. Yeah, we we
[27:57] get we have facility we have the inner
moto facility in industry which is
[28:01] leased out and the facility in
>> and how many acres was that farm?
[28:06] » Uh the farm or the landfill?
>> The the well the the the farm
[28:12] » landfill the case. The case
>> the case the case that one uh
[28:16] » I believe that's 14,000 acres something
like that. It's it's a large huge piece
[28:21] of land.
>> Yeah. It's a big composting facility as
[28:23] well as farmland. I once heard there was
80 truckloads of waste brought out of
[28:28] the plants here taken northward. Is that
number still?
[28:31] » That's probably about right. It's about
a thousand tons per day.
[28:34] » Yeah.
>> Of human waste.
[28:35] » Yep.
>> Yep.
[28:37] » Thank you.
>> All right. All right. Thank you. Thank
[28:39] you, Matt.
>> Thank you, Mayor.
[28:43] » All right. Next item. Uh public
comments. Mr. Smooth.
[28:51] » Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is the time
set aside for the public to address the
[28:54] city council on matters not listed on
the agenda. Anyone wishing to address
[28:58] the city council should come to the
podium, be recognized by the mayor, and
[29:00] state your name for the record. If you
wish to address the city council on an
[29:03] agenda item, you may do so by
approaching the podium as we review that
[29:07] particular item, and you'll be given
three minutes to address the city
[29:09] council.
>> Okay. If you have um like to talk about
[29:14] anything other than agenda items, please
come up, sign up, sign your name, and
[29:20] state your name for the record.
[29:34] Hello, my name is Sophia Partida. Uh, I
just had a quick question. Are we able
[29:38] to ask y'all questions about the close
session?
[29:42] » Um,
>> no. No.
[29:43] » No. Oh, okay. That was it. I was just
curious.
[29:46] » Yeah, it's close session. So,
>> yeah, close session. All right.
[29:48] » Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you. Anyone else?
[29:53] All right, moving along. There are no
public hearings tonight. There are no
[29:58] ordinances or resolutions for
consideration. There's no consideration
[30:01] item. Uh moving on to consent calendar.
Uh any conflicts on the consent
[30:08] calendar?
>> Mr. Mayor, I am out on 13C. I have a
[30:13] property adjacent to this property being
discussed.
[30:16] » 13C for Mr. Coops.
>> Yeah.
[30:19] » 15. Oh, 15 C. 15. 15 C. 15C.
>> All right. Any any other recuses?
[30:26] » Mr. Mayor, I'd like to uh recuse myself
on item 15D out of the abundance of
[30:31] precaution.
>> 15D. Okay. For count mayor prom Sanchez
[30:37] and any anyone who would like to pull an
item for separate discussion?
[30:42] » No.
>> Okay. I'd like to pull item 15 15D.
[30:47] » Sorry about taking another break.
Okay,
[30:51] » get your cough under control.
>> All right, 15D.
[30:55] Is there anyone here from uh Modern
Vegan Cuisine LLC DBA Elri Ricky?
[31:06] » Nobody wants to admit to it.
>> Okay, please come forward. We have some
[31:10] some questions for you.
[31:14] Uh, let me just say the reason I I
pulled this item, I'm very excited when
[31:17] I saw the lights on El Ricky. I thought
it's going to be opening very soon
[31:22] because it's been a it's been a long
time since that restaurant's been uh
[31:26] it's been closed under construction and
um I must admit that um a couple of
[31:32] times several months ago I I dropped in.
I talked to the contractor. I asked him
[31:38] what's going on here and oh uh we're
doing some tile work and things like
[31:42] that. So, so I asked him why why it's
kind of seems like it's kind of stop and
[31:46] go, stop and go and
>> so explain to me about the the finances
[31:50] of the restaurants
>> and if you can confirm also I I
[31:55] understand that the property is also uh
for sale. Maybe you can just kind of
[31:59] confirm that.
>> And again based on my early statement I
[32:03] was very excited when I saw the lights
on uh promoting basically El Ricky. So,
[32:08] can you give us the status of El Ricky
because I'm really wanted to open.
[32:13] » Okay. Sure. Uh, you know, we got uh we
had another project that we were working
[32:17] on and we got a little tight moneywise.
>> Can you state your name and what's your
[32:23] relationship?
>> Yeah, my name is uh Jose Burrito. I'm
[32:25] the owner of the property. Okay. But
owner of the business, too.
[32:29] » Um, we have a few other projects and we
got a little tie with the money. Uh, and
[32:33] we're two brothers. So, um, my brother
want to sell. I don't want to sell it.
[32:39] But finally, we've got some cash flow
and, uh, we'll decide to move forward
[32:43] and open it.
>> So, you're not selling it anymore?
[32:45] » No, no, no. We'll we'll figure it out.
>> That is good news, sir.
[32:48] » All right.
>> Good news. Okay.
[32:49] » No, we will open.
>> Okay.
[32:51] » So, what's your what's your timeline now
in terms of opening?
[32:54] » Uh, probably like two months at the
most.
[32:58] » Two months.
>> Yeah.
[32:59] » Okay. Soon.
>> Wow.
[33:01] » Yeah.
>> You surprised me.
[33:02] » Well, we get the license. It's a good
surprise though. It's a good surprise.
[33:06] Don't get
>> I know it. It took a little while, but
[33:08] we want to make sure that we move
forward fast if we can't.
[33:11] » Okay. So, are you set with your menu?
Because if I understand it's going to be
[33:14] seafood.
>> Yeah, it's like a seafood. Yes, we can
[33:17] get your menu uh later on for sure.
>> Okay. Okay. In two months. Okay.
[33:22] » So, um in terms of the encroachment um
encroachment permit or license here,
[33:29] what do you plan to do with that
encroachment with that area? Um, we just
[33:34] want to finish uh remodeling and and get
ready to open after we're get the
[33:38] license.
>> Okay. And do you have your uh beer and
[33:42] wine license already?
>> Yeah, we do have it. Yes. Waiting.
[33:44] Uh-huh.
>> So, you're ready to go?
[33:46] » Yes.
>> Oh, okay. All right. Very good.
[33:49] » Right. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, sir. And and uh are you
[33:52] related to uh what's name now? Uh
>> yeah, we're part of Calas and Roas.
[34:00] » Yeah, your brother. your brothers or
>> uh I think you probably saw my nephew is
[34:06] my nephew.
>> Another one. Um
[34:08] » Frank Daniel
>> Daniel
[34:10] » Daniel is my nephew. He's my brother's
son.
[34:12] » All right. Okay.
>> Uhhuh.
[34:14] » And Noreli is
>> uh my niece.
[34:16] » Your niece. Okay.
>> Uhhuh.
[34:18] » All right. Okay. Very good.
>> Well, thank you.
[34:20] » Thank you so much.
>> Thank you very much.
[34:21] » Let us know when you when you're ready
to open. When
[34:24] » we'll get the license, then we'll move
forward.
[34:26] » Okay. Very good. Thank you.
All right,
[34:31] » move the consent calendar. Oh, we got a
Victor back.
[34:34] » Victor.
>> Victor.
[34:37] » He's not far.
[34:45] » That's safe.
[34:48] » That was quick.
>> All right, go ahead.
[34:53] » I'd like to move the consent calendar.
>> Second. Uh motion by council member
[34:57] Coupe, seconded by council member uh
Dunton to calendar with the two um
[35:03] recuse.
>> Uh roll call, please.
[35:09] » Council member Morris,
>> I.
[35:11] » Mayor Pro Tim Sanchez,
>> I.
[35:13] » Council member Dutton,
>> I.
[35:14] » Council member Coops,
>> I.
[35:16] » Mayor Santine,
>> I council reports. Uh council member
[35:20] Morris,
>> I have none.
[35:21] » Uh thank you, C. Mayor Prom Sanchez.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh just want to
[35:26] report out that uh this weekend myself,
council member Coops, and uh Council
[35:31] Member Wendy Morris attended the uh
Greater League Belfar Greater League um
[35:36] ribbon cutting or opening ceremony day.
It was a fun event, fun day. Uh well
[35:41] spent. Uh made sure to recognize the
entire council and uh yeah, they they're
[35:47] ready to go and they're going to have
some fun. So
[35:49] » Oh, awesome. Very good. Thank you,
Council Member Dun.
[35:53] » Uh nothing to report today. All right.
Council member Coops.
[35:56] » No, I'm green with council vice chair
>> mayor prommeritus
[36:03] all the
>> we had a you know every year we go out
[36:08] and welcome the new crop of kids to play
baseball. There's usually five six
[36:12] hundred kids. The president told us that
there were 60 more signed up this year
[36:16] than last year. And so that's very
encouraging. They keep a great diamond
[36:20] there. A lot of enthusiasm, a lot of
help from the parents. Um, that league's
[36:24] been in existence over 70 years. I know
that because 65 years ago I played in it
[36:29] and uh for four years and never got a
hit, but that's another story. That's
[36:33] like a no hitter.
>> Yeah,
[36:36] it ruined my group sports forever. I
never played again. But, uh,
[36:39] nevertheless, it's a great organization.
It's a great part of our fabric of
[36:42] Bellflower. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
>> All right. Thank you, Council Member
[36:45] Coops. I just want to thank uh public um
parks and rec staff for the nice very
[36:51] nice uh Valentine's party for seniors
last last week. It was well attended. It
[36:56] was pleasant surprise with so many
attendees. A lot of seniors came to that
[36:59] party. So uh they know how to throw a
party. Uh and also I talked about
[37:04] parking at the last meeting. I'd like to
ask staff to look into our parking
[37:09] permit district if we can kind of review
that. Uh I think it's been a long time
[37:14] and I look at it uh recently um in terms
of the number of cars being allowed per
[37:18] household. It is a big number of cars.
So if we can update that um that policy
[37:24] or whatever you call it for parking
district and make a report a
[37:28] recommendation to the council.
>> Certainly we can take a look at that.
[37:31] » All right. Very good. With that uh this
meeting is adjourned to the next regular
[37:34] meeting of the BPA city council at 5:30
p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2026. This
[37:41] meeting is now adjourned.
>> 10 to 8.
[37:45] » No. 1:30.