[0:06] [clears throat]
[0:09] [snorts]
[0:15] This is the issue we were having
[0:43] Okay. Sorry about the delay,
[0:45] technical issues.
[0:48] Okay. Um, good evening and welcome to
[0:50] the January 12th, 2026 city council
[0:53] meeting. I will now call the meeting to
[0:55] order. Um, Mayor Prom Wong, will you
[0:57] lead us in the pledge of allegiance,
[0:59] please?
[0:59] >> Yes. Thank you.
[1:06] I pledge algiance to the flag of the
[1:09] United States of America and to the
[1:11] republic for which it stands. One nation
[1:14] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[1:17] justice for all.
[1:20] >> Thank you.
[1:22] » Thank you.
[1:22] [clears throat] City clerk, will you
[1:23] please take role? Council member Calm.
[1:27] Council member Calm.
[1:30] Council member Cyn
[1:31] >> here,
[1:31] » here,
[1:32] >> Council Member Steel
[1:33] » Council Member Steel
[1:33] >> here,
[1:33] » here,
[1:33] >> Mayor Pro Tim Wong
[1:34] » Mayor Pro Tim Wong
[1:34] >> here,
[1:34] » here,
[1:34] >> and Mayor Landau
[1:35] » and Mayor Landau
[1:35] >> here.
[1:36] » here.
[1:36] >> All present.
[1:37] » All present.
[1:37] >> Thank you.
[1:40] » Thank you.
[1:40] Okay, now we will move on to uh
[1:42] presentations.
[1:45] Uh this is going to be a proclamation in
[1:48] recognition of the Harbor family, Harbor
[1:50] Surfboards, and Harbor Chronicles.
[1:54] Almost seven decades ago, in 1959,
[1:57] Rich Harbor started one of the most
[1:59] recognized California surfboard
[2:01] companies from his parents Seal Beach
[2:03] Garage before opening his own shop.
[2:06] [snorts]
[2:06] Harbor Surfboards on Main Street in Seal
[2:09] Beach in 1962.
[2:12] It [snorts] wasn't long before many of
[2:13] the town locals were asking Rich to make
[2:16] them surfboards.
[2:18] >> [snorts]
[2:18] » [snorts]
[2:18] [clears throat]
[2:18] >> Soon, Harbor's boards were gracing the
[2:21] » Soon, Harbor's boards were gracing the
[2:21] pages of Surfer Magazine underneath the
[2:23] feet of the era's most respected and
[2:26] recognized surfers.
[2:28] The legacy of Rich Harbor and the
[2:30] business operations at Harbor Surfboards
[2:33] are still going strong and being carried
[2:35] forward with Rich's family and daughter
[2:37] Melissa as head of the Harbor Surfboards
[2:40] brand, the surfboard production, and its
[2:42] worldwide distribution. Now therefore,
[2:45] be it proclaimed, the city council of
[2:48] the city of Seal Beach does hereby
[2:50] recognize the Harbor family, Harbor
[2:53] Surfboards, and Harbor Chronicles,
[2:56] shaping a legacy for their
[2:58] accomplishments and honoring Harbor's
[3:00] long-standing legacy in the city of Seal
[3:02] Beach.
[3:08] Uh this is for the Harbor Surfboards
[3:11] proclamation. So, um, Harbor Surfboards,
[3:14] if you would like to come to the podium,
[3:19] [applause]
[3:31] Harbor Surfboards, located at 329 Main
[3:34] Street in Seal Beach since 1962, stands
[3:38] as one of the longest operating surf
[3:40] shops in its original ation and
[3:42] cornerstone of the community's surfing
[3:44] history. Robert House, an owner of the
[3:47] retail operations, has played a vital
[3:49] role in preserving and evolving Harbor
[3:51] Surfboards, transitioning it into a
[3:54] thriving destination while honoring
[3:57] while honoring its foundational legacy
[3:59] established by Rich Harbor. Under Robert
[4:01] House's stewardship, the shop continues
[4:04] to serve surfers worldwide, maintaining
[4:06] the tradition of quality craftsmanship
[4:08] and community spirit that has defined
[4:10] Harbor Surfboards for over six decades.
[4:14] Now, therefore, be it proclaimed, the
[4:16] city of Seal Beach does hereby recognize
[4:19] Robert House, owner of the Retail Harbor
[4:22] Surfboard Shop at 329 Main Street, for
[4:25] his achievements in carrying forward
[4:26] this cherished legacy.
[4:30] Thank you very much. Is
[4:32] >> Would you like to say a couple words?
[4:34] » Would you like to say a couple words?
[4:34] [applause]
[4:37] » Thank you. Um it has been a tremendous
[4:40] honor to represent Harbor Surfboards and
[4:43] the Harbor family for all these years.
[4:46] Um, I am very very grateful to the town
[4:49] of Seal Beach who who has provided me
[4:53] and my wife Chris an opportunity to
[4:55] carry on this legacy and we look forward
[4:57] to doing it for many many years to come.
[5:00] Thank you.
[5:00] >> Thank you. [applause]
[5:09] » Not yet.
[5:12] >> Not yet.
[5:32] » [applause]
[5:39] » I'd like to invite up Chris Sardellis
[5:43] and his wife Enza Enz. Zia
[5:53] Chris Sardellis and Enzia Ferrell have
[5:55] dedicated years to creating the
[5:57] documentary uh film Harbor Chronicles
[5:59] Shaping a Legacy, capturing the life and
[6:02] influence of iconic surfboard shaper
[6:04] Rich Harbor. Harbor Chronicles Shaping a
[6:07] Legacy has earned a claim, including
[6:10] best action sports feature audience
[6:12] award at the Newport Beach Film
[6:14] Festival. I was there.
[6:17] >> Yes, you
[6:17] » Yes, you
[6:17] >> uh best cinematography for a documentary
[6:19] » uh best cinematography for a documentary
[6:19] feature film at the Culver City Film
[6:22] Festival, both in 2025. Through their
[6:25] passion and artistry, Chris Sardellis
[6:27] and Enzia Ferrell have preserved and
[6:29] shared the rich history of Seal Beach's
[6:32] surfing heritage with audiences
[6:34] worldwide. Now therefore it be it
[6:36] proclaimed the city the city council of
[6:39] the city of Seal Beach does hereby
[6:41] recognize Chris Sardellis and Enzia
[6:43] Ferrell for their achievements in
[6:45] creating Harbor Chronicles shaping a
[6:47] legacy for celebrating Seal Beach's
[6:50] enduring surf culture. Thank you so much
[6:53] and please say a couple of words.
[6:55] >> Thank you. Thank you.
[6:57] » Thank you. Thank you.
[6:57] >> Thank you. This is a huge honor.
[6:59] » Thank you. This is a huge honor.
[6:59] [applause]
[7:02] Well, well, first of all, I want to
[7:03] thank you, mayor, for showing up to the
[7:05] Newport Film Festival. I know you went
[7:06] to the terri the enemy's territory to
[7:08] see the movie, but you saw it and it was
[7:10] great and it actually probably helped us
[7:12] there, and I appreciate that. I
[7:14] appreciate the Harbor family. Thank you
[7:16] guys for letting me in their life and
[7:18] and letting me go through all their
[7:20] photos and everything, using all their
[7:21] footage and stuff to make the the
[7:23] incredible movie of their father, Rich
[7:25] Harbor, and their family. Uh Harbor was
[7:27] a special man to me. He gave me a break
[7:29] in my life and u I was able to move
[7:31] forward in life and and kind of get get
[7:34] my life together. I'm kind of choked up.
[7:36] So yeah, when my grandmother brought me
[7:38] here when I was 1969, I love Sil Beach.
[7:40] I've lived here and I I adore the city.
[7:42] I thank you guys for everything. Thank
[7:44] you.
[7:45] >> Thank you very much. Thank [applause]
[7:46] » Thank you very much. Thank [applause]
[7:46] you. Thank you, Mayor Landal.
[7:50] It's a huge honor.
[7:51] >> Okay, here. Did you want to say a couple
[7:53] » Okay, here. Did you want to say a couple
[7:53] words?
[8:09] » [applause]
[8:14] [applause]
[8:16] » I'd like to now call up the Harbor
[8:18] family. Can you please come to the
[8:19] podium?
[8:22] [applause]
[8:38] Okay, I'm gonna have you you guys each
[8:40] say your name and who you are.
[8:42] >> Do you want me to say everybody?
[8:45] » Do you want me to say everybody?
[8:45] >> Okay, this is Ava. This is um my dad's
[8:49] » Okay, this is Ava. This is um my dad's
[8:49] grand first granddaughter. My mom,
[8:52] Helen, Rich's wife. My daughter Elena.
[8:56] My daughter, my son, Harrison, my son,
[8:59] Miles, I'm Carrie Harour. I'm the other
[9:02] daughter. And this is my he my husband
[9:05] Kieran.
[9:07] Thank you all for coming. Um it was such
[9:10] an amazing treat to to see Harbor
[9:12] Chronicles. If you haven't seen it yet,
[9:14] you've got to go. Um I've been in Seal
[9:17] Beach 15 years. I know that's new in
[9:18] Seal Beach Time, but uh I learned so
[9:21] much. I mean, Larry Krueger was in the
[9:23] movie. So, um it it was it was amazing.
[9:26] Chris, you did, you know, um a great
[9:29] justice to this wonderful family. And uh
[9:31] we'd like to um um
[9:35] >> Oh, Bay Theater. Is it January 24th or
[9:40] » Oh, Bay Theater. Is it January 24th or
[9:40] >> 23rd? F 7:30 p.m. at
[9:44] » 23rd? F 7:30 p.m. at
[9:44] >> $10 discounts at Bay Theater. Thank you.
[9:47] » $10 discounts at Bay Theater. Thank you.
[9:47] >> Uh Deb, can you present them with the
[9:49] » Uh Deb, can you present them with the
[9:49] proclamation, please?
[9:52] >> Did any of you want to speak?
[9:54] » Did any of you want to speak?
[9:54] >> No.
[9:54] » No.
[9:54] >> Helen, would you like to speak?
[9:56] » Helen, would you like to speak?
[9:56] [laughter]
[9:57] >> We're a very shy group.
[10:00] » We're a very shy group.
[10:00] >> We have lots and
[10:05] » actually do you want to come down?
[10:06] >> Yeah.
[10:13] » [applause]
[10:17] [applause]
[10:26] » I'll go
[10:31] need to get the wide angle here. Okay,
[10:34] everyone.
[10:37] Very nice. Now, stay there. [applause]
[10:41] Everyone else, come on.
[10:51] Okay.
[11:03] » Okay, everybody looking good.
[11:07] Perfect.
[11:08] [applause]
[11:33] I also want to mention that um uh
[11:36] Supervisor Janet Wyn also provided uh
[11:40] proclamations to uh the family as well,
[11:43] Harbor Surfboards and to Chris.
[11:51] [clears throat]
[11:52] The Harbor Chronicles has shown shown a
[11:55] spotlight on what a huge impact Rich
[11:58] Harbor and Harbor Surfboards has had on
[12:00] the surf culture and industry, not only
[12:03] nationwide, but worldwide. Like many
[12:06] other beach communities who honor their
[12:08] surfing legends, plans are in the works
[12:11] to erect a statue in Eisernh Howard Park
[12:14] in honor of Seal Beach's very own Rich
[12:17] Harbor. Stay tuned for the details.
[12:20] [applause]
[12:27] » Thank you all for coming and thank you
[12:29] Harbor family for giving us Rich Harbor.
[12:36] Okay, we are now going from Rich Harbor
[12:40] to the sand dunes restoration
[12:42] presentation.
[12:45] Um, I would like to call upon Surf Rider
[12:46] Foundation Southern California Regional
[12:48] Manager Miguela Coats.
[12:55] Try and move this up here a little bit.
[12:58] Can you guys hear me? All right. Without
[13:00] having to bend down too much. Amazing.
[13:02] Um, thank you guys so much for providing
[13:04] us with the time and opportunity to come
[13:06] and speak with you all about um, our
[13:08] vision for protecting and restoring the
[13:10] coastal dunes here in Seal Beach. Um,
[13:12] like was said, my name is Michaela Coats
[13:13] and I'm the Southern California regional
[13:15] manager here representing the North
[13:17] Orange County chapter of the Surf Rider
[13:19] Foundation. And um, next slide, please.
[13:23] So just a quick overview of what we'll
[13:25] cover today is who we are and why we're
[13:27] here, why coastal dune habitats matter,
[13:30] the current project site and conditions,
[13:33] the project overview, and then I would
[13:34] be happy to answer any questions that
[13:36] you all might have at the end. Um, next
[13:38] slide, please. So the Surf Rider
[13:41] Foundation is a nonprofit organization
[13:42] that is dedicated to the protection and
[13:45] enjoyment of the world's ocean waves and
[13:47] beaches for all people through a
[13:48] powerful activist network. We work
[13:50] through grassroots chapters that are
[13:52] 100% community-led all across the
[13:54] country. And our mission centers around
[13:57] five core initiatives. One of which that
[13:59] is bringing us here today is the coast
[14:01] and climate initiative which aims to
[14:03] tackle the issues that threaten our
[14:05] beaches and our natural shorelines. Next
[14:07] slide, please. Um, the climate action
[14:10] program is the community-directed
[14:12] program that lives within the coast and
[14:14] climate initiatives and the goal is to
[14:16] use nature-based solutions to enhance
[14:18] coastal resilience. This looks very
[14:21] differently across our network but all
[14:23] um encompasses various restoration
[14:25] projects. So whether that is restoring
[14:27] mangroves in Puerto Rico or um dune
[14:29] grass in San Francisco, we have
[14:31] volunteers and community members
[14:33] engaging in this kind of stewardship
[14:35] work all across the network and we're
[14:37] hoping to bring that here to Seal Beach
[14:39] as well. Next slide, please. Oh, you
[14:40] guys are so quick. Um so like I
[14:42] mentioned, I'm here representing in the
[14:43] North Orange County chapter. We extend
[14:45] from Seal Beach here in the north down
[14:48] to Newport Beach in the south as well as
[14:50] inland in order to represent those
[14:52] inland upstream communities that all um
[14:55] deserve right the access to clean
[14:57] beaches. Next slide please. Um the North
[15:00] Orange County chapter was formed from
[15:02] the recent merger of the Newport Beach
[15:04] and Seal Beach/Honeyington Beach
[15:06] chapters. So we've had a long-standing
[15:09] presence here in the Seal Beach
[15:10] community um through beach cleanups at
[15:12] the San Gabriel River Jetty in 2025. We
[15:15] removed almost 4,000 lbs of trash from
[15:18] the beaches and waterways. We also host
[15:20] native um plant restoration events at
[15:23] Rivers End Park and have installed
[15:25] hundreds of native plants um and engaged
[15:27] community members through those events
[15:28] too. Next slide. Um so here you can see
[15:32] um the site at first um that we envision
[15:35] this project occurring. So we want to
[15:37] protect and restore the approximately
[15:39] 2.3 acres of coastal dunes that exist
[15:42] between First and Third Street. We aim
[15:44] to engage the local community through
[15:47] hands-on volunteer days to instill and
[15:49] foster stewardship. Um, all with the
[15:52] vision of strengthening Seal Beach's
[15:54] natural coastal resilience and native
[15:56] biodiversity.
[15:57] So, why protect and restore coastal
[15:59] dunes? Well, healthy dunes can act as a
[16:02] natural barrier against storm surge and
[16:04] erosion that protects not just the
[16:06] coast, but the infrastructure that we
[16:08] have built around it. Healthy dunes play
[16:10] a critical role in providing native
[16:12] habitat for wildlife um including plants
[16:15] and birds such as the endangered
[16:17] California lease turn and the threatened
[16:19] western snowy clovers that both utilize
[16:21] dunes as nesting habitat. Restoring
[16:24] coastal dunes can also provide a more
[16:26] cost-effective method of coastal
[16:28] defense. I'm aware that the city um
[16:30] constructs a burm in order to protect
[16:32] the restaurant in the parking lot from
[16:34] storm surges that can occur. And so
[16:36] restoring dunes can be a natural
[16:38] cost-effective mechanism of getting that
[16:40] same goal. Um and lastly, by doing these
[16:42] projects in the community, we can engage
[16:44] local residents and foster stewardship
[16:47] of the environment so that we can all
[16:49] work to protect it together.
[16:52] So, the current conditions, uh, this
[16:54] project was brought to the chapter from
[16:56] concerns from local residents and
[16:58] community members over the trampling
[17:00] that has been occurring at the dunes,
[17:02] whether that's from unmanaged foot
[17:03] traffic or even ebikes as well as RV
[17:07] cars, um, that can destroy the
[17:09] vegetation and destroy the dune
[17:11] structure. The dunes are also currently
[17:13] covered in invasive species, mostly ice
[17:16] plant, which out competes natives, and
[17:18] reduces the overall biodiversity and
[17:20] health of the site. And overall, the
[17:22] lack of protection of the dunes
[17:24] continues to leave this habitat
[17:25] vulnerable to these continued human um
[17:28] as well as natural impacts. These are
[17:31] just some photos that were sent to us
[17:33] from local residents that um show
[17:35] examples of the current conditions that
[17:37] I was describing. Whether that is the
[17:39] foot traffic, the RV and ebike cars um
[17:42] or also these signs that were approved
[17:44] by the coastal commission that are
[17:45] regularly vandalized. Um but those do
[17:48] serve to try and educate people about
[17:50] the reasons why um these dunes should be
[17:53] protected.
[17:55] So, we aim to take all of these
[17:56] challenges and transform them into
[17:58] solutions through dune protection, which
[18:01] is the installing of symbolic fencing.
[18:03] Um, we can create designated walking
[18:05] areas that maintain pedestrian access
[18:08] while protecting the habitat at the
[18:10] site. Through June restoration, we can
[18:12] remove those invasive species, giving
[18:15] more space for the native species to
[18:16] thrive while also um manually installing
[18:20] native plants or native seeds in the
[18:22] site to help give those native species a
[18:24] little bit of a boost. Um and through
[18:26] regular maintenance of the site through
[18:28] workshop and restoration days, we will
[18:30] continue to engage the community in
[18:32] ongoing stewardship of this area.
[18:35] So, as I mentioned, this project was
[18:37] brought to us by residents and this is a
[18:40] fully community-led initiative. The
[18:42] chapter is 100% volunteer-led.
[18:45] And so, the North Orange County chapter
[18:46] is prepared to fund, plan, implement,
[18:49] and maintain this restoration project.
[18:51] We have be begun to find funding for
[18:54] this project to cover the materials,
[18:56] tools, and technical support, which
[18:58] would in include a restoration
[19:00] consulting company to help develop a
[19:02] restoration plan. We're going to find
[19:04] funding through a combination of grants
[19:06] as well as local donations. There are
[19:08] are already many residents who are eager
[19:10] to help support this project and bring
[19:11] it to life. Um, and the city will remain
[19:14] fully informed throughout the process.
[19:16] We've received such amazing support so
[19:18] far and we're so grateful and the city
[19:21] will continue to approve any elements
[19:23] that they want to review such as project
[19:26] plans and event dates that may occur in
[19:28] the future.
[19:30] So on this picture here you can see our
[19:32] tentative sort of map for the first
[19:35] stage of the project which is protecting
[19:37] the dunes. The green quadrants there are
[19:40] the areas of the dunes that will be
[19:42] protected by symbolic fencing. The
[19:44] spaces in between are the areas that we
[19:47] will leave open for pedestrian access
[19:50] and the black lines are the areas that
[19:52] will be wide enough for vehicle access
[19:55] specifically for lifeguards to continue
[19:57] their regular patrols. We are currently,
[19:59] oh, sorry, we are currently in the
[20:01] process of securing permits and funding
[20:03] for this first stage.
[20:06] After we protect the dunes, we aim to
[20:08] implement the restoration plan. So, like
[20:10] I mentioned, we'll be working with a
[20:12] restoration consulting company to have
[20:14] that developed for us. And again, that
[20:16] will be dependent on permits as well as
[20:19] continued funding for this project.
[20:22] And lastly, we will continue to engage
[20:24] the community um not just in the actual
[20:26] restoration itself, but in the ongoing
[20:28] maintenance for as long as needed, but
[20:30] the ultimate goal is to make this
[20:32] habitat um healthy and stable enough to
[20:34] thrive all on its own. And so, where we
[20:37] are today, we have walked the site with
[20:39] city staff and community members um in
[20:41] order to map the vehicle and public
[20:43] access routes. We have identified the
[20:46] fencing layout that will help reduce
[20:47] disturbance while preserving key access
[20:49] for the public as well as public safety
[20:52] like lifeguards. We've done a
[20:54] preliminary assessment of present
[20:55] vegetation and photographed site
[20:57] conditions. Um, and like I've said,
[20:59] we've built a lot of community interest
[21:00] around this project and we have many
[21:02] engaged volunteers ready to bring it to
[21:04] life whenever we are. Um, and so like I
[21:06] mentioned, we're currently going through
[21:07] the permit application, fundraising, um,
[21:10] and grant writing process in order to do
[21:12] that.
[21:13] Um, and so again, uh, Surf Writers work,
[21:16] we really are community first. And so by
[21:19] bringing folks out to the site, engaging
[21:21] them in this project, we can not only
[21:23] help the native biodiversity, but we can
[21:25] help to continue to foster environmental
[21:27] stewardship and anybody that wants to
[21:29] come and contribute to a more healthy
[21:32] and resilient coastline here in Seal
[21:34] Beach. And thank you all so much for
[21:36] your time. I'm happy to answer any
[21:38] questions that you might have.
[21:40] [applause]
[21:46] U Michaela, do you find that uh ebikes
[21:49] uh pose a threat to this vegetation?
[21:51] >> Ebikes were one of the Yeah. threats
[21:53] » Ebikes were one of the Yeah. threats
[21:54] that um sort of had been a concern of
[21:56] the local residents. Um, I mean, not
[21:58] only from a safety issue. I I have my
[22:00] own personal opinions about how ebikes
[22:02] can be unsafe, but also just blatantly
[22:05] going over the dune habitat, um, and the
[22:07] plants, which overall degrades the
[22:09] dunes.
[22:10] >> And Chief, uh, if somebody is caught
[22:13] » And Chief, uh, if somebody is caught
[22:13] riding ebikes in the dunes, what, uh,
[22:16] should they do it? Should PE residents
[22:18] call in?
[22:19] >> Yes. Uh, I would ask that they, uh, call
[22:22] » Yes. Uh, I would ask that they, uh, call
[22:22] our non-emergency number directly. Um
[22:25] that's uh 562-5947232.
[22:30] » Perfect. Thank you so much.
[22:31] >> Yeah, thank you. Very helpful
[22:33] » Yeah, thank you. Very helpful
[22:33] information. Uh anybody else have
[22:34] questions for Miguela?
[22:37] >> Oh, thank you very much.
[22:38] » Oh, thank you very much.
[22:38] >> Thank you all so much. [applause]
[22:47] » Okay. At this time, uh, members of the
[22:49] public may address the council regarding
[22:50] any items within the subject matter
[22:52] jurisdiction of the city council.
[22:55] Pursuant to the Brown Act, the council
[22:57] cannot discuss or take action on any
[22:59] items not on the agenda unless
[23:01] authorized by law. Matters not on the
[23:03] agenda may at the council's discretion
[23:05] be referred to the city manager and
[23:07] placed on a future agenda. All speakers
[23:09] will be limited to a period of 5
[23:11] minutes. Speakers must address their
[23:13] comments only to the mayor and the
[23:15] entire city council and not to any
[23:17] individual member of the staff or
[23:19] audience. Any documents for review
[23:21] should be presented to the city clerk
[23:23] for distribution. Speaker cards are
[23:25] available at the clerk's desk for those
[23:27] wishing to sign up to to address the
[23:28] council. Although the submission of a
[23:30] speaker card is not required in order to
[23:32] address the council. Um I've got a
[23:35] couple speaker cards, so I will start
[23:36] with them first. and Lion Kevin Young.
[23:59] Okay. Good evening, Mayor, City Council.
[24:02] Uh, [snorts] I'll be speaking about the
[24:03] Rose Lions Rose Float and the Rose
[24:05] Parade. If you want to go ahead and
[24:06] start the
[24:08] International. They win the trophy for
[24:10] the tournament volunteers
[24:12] out [music]
[24:14] of the great league among close 35 ft
[24:18] and under length. They're calling it an
[24:20] army.
[24:22] This is a really pretty one, isn't it?
[24:24] Harmony, of course, just another word
[24:26] for the magic in depicted here by four
[24:29] [music] flax seed covered lions. They're
[24:31] growing a canoe made of buffalo tree
[24:33] bark. Life will remind you that we
[24:36] really can't achieve more together than
[24:38] one.
[24:39] And some detail for you on those big
[24:41] cats. They [music] have veins of paw
[24:43] grass and pink flowered noses. We're all
[24:48] pedling across a water of greenery,
[24:50] lavender, and white roses with waves of
[24:54] white.
[24:56] Behind them is a rustic log cabin.
[25:00] That's the
[25:01] » [music]
[25:01] >> flag you see there, all of it tribute to
[25:03] » flag you see there, all of it tribute to
[25:03] the resilience of communities rebuilding
[25:06] [music] alliance around the world
[25:07] rallying to help.
[25:14] » Well, here they are returning to the
[25:16] Rose Parade from Alabama.
[25:20] Okay. [applause]
[25:27] So, Lions Club International has been
[25:30] involved in the Rose Float for
[25:32] approximately 25 years. Um,
[25:36] the average cost for a float is around
[25:40] $275,000.
[25:41] That's on the low end. So, the Lion's
[25:44] float is done for a fraction of that,
[25:46] less than 100,000. Most of it is p most
[25:49] of it is paid for through donations. You
[25:52] know, several of the people you saw on
[25:54] the float, they buy a a ticket called
[25:57] Ride for Your Life. They get to ride on
[25:59] the parade. You get a raffle ticket and
[26:01] if you win, you you know, you ride then
[26:02] you got another ticket you could walk
[26:04] alongside the parade. But we do things
[26:06] like that to try try to raise money for
[26:09] the float.
[26:11] The one thing about the lion's float in
[26:14] the parade is for us as Lions, it's one
[26:17] of our biggest marketing tools because
[26:19] it's seen by approximately 400 million
[26:22] people worldwide who watch that parade.
[26:26] So, it raises a lot of visibility for
[26:29] the Lions as a whole.
[26:31] Um, one of the things what I wanted to
[26:34] talk about is where Seal Beach got
[26:35] involved in it. Seal Beach for well Seal
[26:39] Beach has been involved ever since the
[26:40] beginning too as for 25 years and we
[26:43] usually have anywhere from 30 to 40 Seal
[26:46] Beach Lions that work
[26:49] several days during the period
[26:51] decorating the float. They put together
[26:53] an average of 600 volunteer hours during
[26:57] that period of time. Altogether there's
[26:59] roughly what a thousand volunteers to
[27:01] put together probably 10,000 hours of
[27:03] labor putting the dry material on the
[27:06] outside and then the flowers and
[27:07] everything. Um, but
[27:11] in an effort to try to, you know, raise
[27:13] a little bit of visibility for the city,
[27:16] um, for the last seven years, we've been
[27:18] letting the the Lions group use our van
[27:21] that's got Seal Beach Lions all over the
[27:23] side of it, and they've been driving the
[27:25] dignitaries around to to the airport, to
[27:28] the float, the float barn, wherever they
[27:29] need to be. Well, this year my wife and
[27:32] I drove the van. And what was really
[27:34] cool about it is by driving the van, I
[27:38] got to speak with AP Singh, the
[27:39] international director. I got to speak
[27:41] with PE or the international president.
[27:43] I got to speak with the international
[27:45] director from Canada. I got to speak to
[27:47] people from Indiana, from you know,
[27:49] Illinois. And I and the one thing that I
[27:52] told all of them is just how wonderful
[27:54] our community is, how wonderful our city
[27:58] council is, how wonderful our chamber
[28:00] is, and how we all work together so
[28:02] well. Because, you know, I'm the
[28:04] president this year, and I know our our
[28:06] club's success would not happen without
[28:08] the cooperation of the chamber, the the
[28:11] council, and us. It's a great
[28:14] collaboration that we all work together
[28:15] so well. So, basically, I just want to
[28:18] thank you for your time. Thank you for
[28:20] letting me come and talk about it. And
[28:22] you know, the parade this year was great
[28:24] because we actually won an award. We won
[28:25] an award for the the uh floral
[28:28] representation for a float under 35 ft.
[28:31] And it was it was absolutely amazing.
[28:32] So, pretty good for volunteers.
[28:36] [applause]
[28:43] Do you have any Leos with you?
[28:48] Leos, other Leos who worked on the
[28:51] float. I see two right there. Uh, the
[28:53] Leos are the the youth component of the
[28:55] the Leos. The Leos are the youth
[28:58] component of the Lions Club and it's a
[29:00] great organization. So, if you have a
[29:02] child under 18, um, I highly suggest
[29:04] getting them involved with the the Leo
[29:06] Club. Thank you very much, Kevin.
[29:08] >> Thank you.
[29:10] » Thank you.
[29:10] [applause]
[29:14] » Next, I have Robert
[29:17] Frackleton.
[29:18] >> That's it.
[29:20] » That's it.
[29:20] >> Well done. Good evening, mayor, mayor
[29:22] » Well done. Good evening, mayor, mayor
[29:22] prom, and city council. I am Robert
[29:24] Frackleton. I am the mayor prom from the
[29:26] city of Villa Park. Typically, when I
[29:28] take the 22 over here and get off at
[29:30] Seal Beach, my stomach starts thinking
[29:32] caramelized salmon. It doesn't know what
[29:34] to think now because it hasn't had it
[29:36] yet. But u uh my brain knows why I'm
[29:38] here and that's to beg of you to implore
[29:41] you to to please please keep Joe Calmic
[29:45] on the Orange County Fire Authority
[29:46] Board. Uh I serve on the OCFA board
[29:49] representing Villa Park and Joe is
[29:51] currently our vice chair and in a couple
[29:53] of weeks, God willing, he'll be
[29:56] nominated as our chair. Uh our fire
[29:58] chief resigned earlier this month. So,
[30:01] we have a big vacuum and we need the
[30:03] continuity of leadership now more than
[30:05] ever. We need Joe in that center seat
[30:06] guiding us in 2026.
[30:09] And it will be a tremendous advantage to
[30:11] Seal Beach because you're going to have
[30:12] somebody there that's going to have a
[30:14] lot of influence on who is hired to be
[30:16] our next fire chief. If you send
[30:18] somebody new, quite honestly, the way it
[30:21] works, like a lot of committees you've
[30:22] been on, you're going to be the newbie.
[30:24] You're not going to get a plum
[30:25] assignment. You're probably not going to
[30:26] be on any of the committees that are
[30:27] going to be making those big decisions.
[30:29] So Joe will be right there in the middle
[30:31] of it if you send him back. As a cash
[30:34] contract city, you need to be concerned
[30:36] about some major budget issues coming up
[30:38] in 2026. Uh the hiring of our highest
[30:42] paid chief being one of them. And we're
[30:44] ending our unfunded liability after 20
[30:47] some odd years. And uh four of our labor
[30:50] groups are getting pretty excited about
[30:52] that. And at least one if not two want
[30:54] to open negotiations in 2026. Joe knows
[30:57] these issues and again he will be
[31:00] intimately involved so as to minimize
[31:02] the effect on our cost cash cash
[31:04] contract cities like Seal Beach. Again,
[31:07] if you send a newbie, they're not going
[31:09] to be a part of that committee most
[31:11] likely. Uh they're going to be on the
[31:13] road cone committee um and and won't be
[31:16] uh having much voice. It takes about a
[31:19] year, if not two, to even understand how
[31:21] this huge uh half a billion plus uh
[31:25] dollar organization operates. But Joe
[31:27] gets it. He's been there. He's probably
[31:30] the most qualified elected official in
[31:33] all of Orange County to serve on the
[31:34] OCFA board because of all the decades of
[31:37] service he had as a firefighter and as a
[31:39] captain here in Seal Beach. But you
[31:42] probably already know that. He probably
[31:43] doesn't shut up about it is my guess.
[31:45] Um, and we need a person with Joe's
[31:48] experience leading OCFA and to be there
[31:51] when the where the big decisions are
[31:52] going to be made. Uh, OCFA is pretty
[31:55] unique in that it's not unlike a lot of
[31:57] other committees a mayoral decision, but
[31:59] it's a resolution by the entire council.
[32:01] So I sincerely ask you council to please
[32:04] send Joe back to OCFA and let him
[32:07] complete his service in the fire service
[32:09] and set you up for a great several years
[32:12] to come as a cash contract city and with
[32:15] a fire chief that you helped pick. I'll
[32:18] await your answer at Waltworf.
[32:22] [applause]
[32:27] » Thank you, Robert. Uh, is there anyone
[32:29] else that would like to address the
[32:30] council at this time?
[32:33] John.
[32:37] [applause]
[32:43] Um, I just want to say that I finished
[32:46] my Godgiven
[32:50] Drug Administration,
[32:52] Drug Enforcement Administration
[32:55] exemption pursuant to the Religious
[32:58] Freedom Restoration Act. Um, I'm going
[33:01] to show it next week. I didn't know I
[33:03] had to bring the PDF like on Friday to
[33:06] present it here, but there is a little
[33:10] uh paper over there if you don't believe
[33:14] me. Um
[33:18] yeah, I just wanted to say uh for Joe
[33:21] again, uh thank you for the work on the
[33:24] San Gabriel River and I saw I think
[33:28] we're going to talk about it later. Um,
[33:30] and the harbor surfboards. Um, it's been
[33:34] there my whole life. It's amazing that
[33:36] like such a local feeling. I love that.
[33:40] Um,
[33:41] and then the dunes we were talking
[33:44] about. Um,
[33:46] I have concern that's only on one side
[33:49] of the beach. Uh, what are we doing on
[33:52] the other side would be a question. Um,
[33:55] one of my ideas was
[33:58] for the Prop 4 grant to put out some
[34:04] 3D printed concrete uh things in the
[34:08] ocean in order to
[34:11] uh stop the beach erosion as much. And
[34:14] then maybe as a side effect, we could
[34:18] put them in this like real nice way that
[34:21] gets the waves when they hit it. I don't
[34:23] know. I don't know if it's possible, but
[34:25] I'm just putting it out there. Um,
[34:28] [snorts]
[34:30] yeah, I'll have more next week or two
[34:33] weeks. I love you all. [applause]
[34:42] » Thank you, John. Is there anyone else
[34:43] that would like to address the council?
[34:47] Ken.
[34:50] Thank you, mayor, and uh happy new year
[34:53] everyone and steam council staff and our
[34:56] first responders. I'm back again to talk
[34:59] about uh the Hannes pipelines project.
[35:03] I'm Ken Cy from College Park West. Um
[35:06] I'm sure most of you or many of you,
[35:08] maybe all of you have saw Tom Moore's
[35:11] letter to the editor in the sun from uh
[35:14] Thursday, December 11th, just before the
[35:16] holidays there. Uh, I actually wasn't
[35:20] going to read from it, but the more I
[35:21] look at it, it makes a lot of sense. So,
[35:23] I'm just going to mention that he
[35:25] pointed out that that bridge is our only
[35:28] daily access point as well as our only
[35:31] robust emergency access. You've heard
[35:34] these things before. In Tom, Tom's
[35:37] words, any risk to the bridge is a risk
[35:38] to our neighborhood safety and
[35:40] emergency. For those of you who know Tom
[35:42] Moore or have known him, he was a
[35:44] councilman for eight years. He served
[35:46] the term as mayor. Uh personally I think
[35:48] he's a very deliberative guy and very
[35:51] datadriven and information driven. um
[35:56] you know he he looked at a lot he's
[35:58] looked at a lot of information over time
[36:00] and made up his own mind and uh actually
[36:03] you know like a like any proponent I
[36:05] guess I've been trying to you know when
[36:08] you think you're right you try to say
[36:09] don't you see that this this and uh but
[36:13] you know Tom in his usual way has wanted
[36:16] to weigh everything and after the
[36:17] meeting at the pickle ball center which
[36:19] a lot of you attended for which I'm
[36:20] still grateful we're still grateful uh
[36:23] He mentioned that the uh federal
[36:25] national bridge inventory officially
[36:28] determined that that bridge is
[36:29] structurally deficient, poor
[36:31] substructure rating of four, federal rec
[36:34] re recog recommendation for actual
[36:36] bridge replacement due to substandard
[36:38] load capacity and outdated geometry. I
[36:42] actually thought that they that they
[36:43] thought a retrofit, a robust retrofit
[36:47] would be okay, but Tom pointed out to me
[36:49] that they actually recommend
[36:50] replacement. Uh he also mentioned the
[36:53] January 2025 CALR inspection which was
[36:57] the latest one which confirms decades of
[36:59] worsening deterioration of the peers
[37:02] including spallings and exposed rebar.
[37:06] Um despite that this this pipeline's
[37:09] proposal is to add two additional
[37:12] pipelines permanent loads onto the
[37:14] bridge that federal data says needs
[37:16] replacement. This raises a clear safety
[37:18] concern for Seal Beach residents and for
[37:20] Long Beach liability. As far as uh the
[37:24] importance of that bridge, I I think our
[37:26] uh first responders know about uh the
[37:30] importance of that bridge in an
[37:32] emergency. I've I've talked with our
[37:34] chief and also um um our sergeant Gray
[37:39] about that uh with the they've known
[37:42] about this in in redoing the natural uh
[37:44] I'm sorry that the the hazard mitigation
[37:47] plan every 5 years. So uh this is not a
[37:51] new thing but the pipelines may propo
[37:54] may pose a significant risk. Uh and um
[38:00] uh Tom said no new pipelines on a
[38:02] structurally deficient bridge until it
[38:04] is rehabbed or retrofitted or pipelines
[38:06] are routed by an alternative path. This
[38:09] is not opposition. This is ensuring
[38:11] public safety and regional reliability
[38:14] before adding new infrastructure. I
[38:16] think most most people in Seal Beach are
[38:19] vast majority are not against this
[38:20] pipeline project. It's just we really
[38:23] believe and from the evidence we've
[38:25] developed and the discussion that it
[38:27] doesn't need to come before through our
[38:30] area or over that bridge. Sounds like
[38:32] the bridge needs attention anyway. Uh
[38:35] probably pretty soon, but uh the we
[38:38] believe it can be routed in other
[38:40] directions and uh we don't have to go
[38:42] through the bridge uh or even through
[38:46] College Park West and the uh grove
[38:49] there. Um
[38:52] so it it it is it is a regional uh uh
[38:55] benefit to all of us to have clean water
[38:57] and to improve the functioning of the
[38:59] power plant, the DWP plant. But really
[39:02] this project offers no specific benefits
[39:04] to Seal Beach. At the pickle ball
[39:07] meeting, there was one slide and the one
[39:08] benefit they talked about is potential
[39:11] use of reclaimed water. So I think that
[39:15] ship is sailed. I think I hope to talk
[39:17] to you more about that at another time.
[39:19] The expense involving with that
[39:22] >> would be uh would be difficult. You'd
[39:25] » would be uh would be difficult. You'd
[39:25] need to have collecting systems. You'd
[39:27] have to be able to uh use use the
[39:29] reclaimed water as well as your uh your
[39:32] water that you're collecting to go to be
[39:34] reclaimed, your storm water, your
[39:36] runoff. So uh there's really no other
[39:38] improve other specific elements that
[39:41] they mentioned would be u a benefit to
[39:43] the city other than putting back they
[39:46] say better than before the work that
[39:48] they do. So I hope to continue to engage
[39:51] you in in discussion on this as we go
[39:53] forward. Uh last last time I gave the
[39:56] big booklet the big orange booklet.
[39:59] >> Hopefully uh hopefully uh you'll be have
[40:02] » Hopefully uh hopefully uh you'll be have
[40:02] had a look at that and then we can
[40:04] continue the discussion. Thank you very
[40:05] much.
[40:06] Thank you, Ken.
[40:09] [applause]
[40:18] » Good evening, uh, Mayor Lendow and the
[40:21] city council. I'm here to speak about,
[40:24] uh, new business item E, the trash
[40:26] interceptor project. Um,
[40:30] I'm a longtime surf rider volunteer and
[40:33] I can tell you I've been in this San
[40:35] Gabriel River cleaning it up for I think
[40:38] about five years now and dozens of
[40:41] cleanup events. Just this last Saturday,
[40:44] we removed 1500 lbs of trash from
[40:47] River's End Park in only two about three
[40:50] hours with 100 volunteers.
[40:53] I can tell you. Thank you. [applause]
[40:58] I can tell you, you've all heard the
[41:00] definition of insanity. We could be
[41:02] there every day doing the same thing and
[41:05] if you expect a different result, you're
[41:07] crazy. Okay, so I want to just say that
[41:11] this project is hugely important for not
[41:13] only the city of Seal Beach, but also
[41:15] all of North Orange County as it will
[41:17] prevent tons and tons or hundreds of
[41:19] thousands of tons of trash from entering
[41:21] our oceans and ending up on our beaches
[41:24] every year. Um, I've also been on the
[41:26] working group that uh, Mr. Comic, I
[41:29] believe, has chaired uh, since its
[41:31] inception. And just to see this project
[41:35] evolve and move forward the way it has
[41:37] is a is a huge um, uh, commitment to
[41:41] what you guys have have done for the
[41:45] environment here and it shows your
[41:48] commitment for the environment going
[41:49] forward. So, I personally support the
[41:52] project. I hope the city continues to
[41:53] support the project. It's hugely
[41:55] important and I look forward to seeing
[41:56] it become real. Thank you very much.
[41:59] [applause]
[42:14] » Uh good evening. Uh Theres Miller from
[42:17] Oldtown. Um uh first I just had one
[42:20] comment on the uh strategic plan that
[42:22] was done in December. I hope that uh
[42:25] there would be a recap at some point. I
[42:27] think um it was on a Saturday. A lot of
[42:29] people couldn't go. Uh I don't know how
[42:32] many people watched it on YouTube.
[42:34] Probably not that many. And I think
[42:36] there were some important decisions that
[42:38] were discussed and that need to be um
[42:40] potentially uh put in a I don't know
[42:43] some kind of a document and sent out. Um
[42:46] Charles did do a great job with in the
[42:48] sun to post some things you know with
[42:51] online and in the paper. Uh but that's
[42:54] not enough because there has been some
[42:56] more discussion online about committees
[42:58] and upcoming things and I think that um
[43:00] I don't think that the whole city uh is
[43:02] aware of it. Uh the other thing I want
[43:04] to just talk about briefly I don't know
[43:05] if you guys have seen the uh article
[43:08] recently in the Orange County Register
[43:09] about the city of Orange and what they
[43:12] did uh last year. they were they they
[43:14] running they are running a similar
[43:15] parallel path that we are in terms of
[43:18] you know deficits and stuff. So last
[43:20] year in early December or in early
[43:22] January 2025 they underwent a
[43:25] multi-million they were coming up to a
[43:28] multi-million dollar deficit and to
[43:30] avoid bankruptcy what they did is they
[43:32] contacted Grant Thornton um to do an
[43:36] audit and put them in a better fiscal
[43:39] responsibility. really they did it
[43:40] because uh they are approaching they
[43:43] were approaching a long long-term
[43:45] structural deficit similar to what we're
[43:47] facing. Uh they had some uh you know
[43:50] need for transparency and public trust
[43:53] another uh issue that Seal Beach is
[43:56] facing. Uh risk of bankruptcy looming
[43:59] just like us and deferred maintenance
[44:01] and other liabilities. And what they
[44:03] were able to do is to uh you know make
[44:06] some huge cuts along the way. Uh
[44:10] identify where there were spending um
[44:13] gaps, what could be done to fix it. Um I
[44:16] think this is a good time. It's the
[44:18] beginning of the year. It's a good time
[44:20] for our city to kind of look closely
[44:22] before we go into the budgeting process
[44:24] uh for the following fiscal year. look
[44:26] at what we spent, where we're where the
[44:28] outcomes, uh, you know, were good or
[44:30] bad, uh, and what we what we can do to,
[44:33] uh, you know, stop a potential
[44:35] bankruptcy from happening. So, um, thank
[44:37] you and, um, hopefully we'll hear more
[44:39] about the budget and everything in in
[44:41] meetings to come. Thank you.
[44:44] [applause]
[44:48] » Thank you, Teresa. Is there anyone else
[44:50] that would like to address the council?
[45:06] My name is Rio McCcoll. I'm a Seal Beach
[45:09] resident and I want to thank Surf Rider
[45:12] Foundation for taking on the Sand Dune
[45:15] project. That really does a lot for us.
[45:18] It's just amazing what changing that
[45:21] habitat to what what the animals expect,
[45:26] what difference that makes for the shore
[45:28] birds, uh other coastal birds, the
[45:31] pollinators, uh all the habitat. So,
[45:36] it's really going to be nice once it's
[45:38] done. And uh like you might have seen in
[45:41] that picture that in case you're not
[45:43] aware that there are many shorebirds
[45:46] that lay their eggs on open ground. So
[45:49] they need the right open space in order
[45:53] to see there aren't any predators coming
[45:56] toward them. But they need enough sand
[45:59] with the right type of plants that will
[46:01] allow them the sand opening to
[46:03] camouflage their eggs in the sand where
[46:06] the ice plant takes over. so thick that
[46:10] they can't get to the sand underneath
[46:12] it. So, and many of them don't even feed
[46:15] their babies. As soon as they're born,
[46:17] within two to three hours, shoreirds
[46:20] like the western snowy clover and the
[46:23] killed deer, as soon as their feathers
[46:26] dry, 2 to three hours, the fathers walk
[46:28] them to the water and teach them to feed
[46:31] themselves. So, they have a very narrow
[46:33] area where they can live.
[46:37] So, and also the trash interceptor
[46:39] project is really exciting to hear. I
[46:42] volunteer with Riverzen Park and I've
[46:44] had people asking me what can we do
[46:47] about this? You know, there's something
[46:49] they've done in the Santa Ana River and
[46:52] I said yes, Surf Rider is on it. So,
[46:55] that's really exciting. Thank you.
[46:59] [applause]
[47:03] Thank you, Rio.
[47:14] Good evening, Mayor Landau council
[47:15] members. Uh, my name is Stephanie Wade.
[47:17] I'm a District 5 Leisure World resident
[47:20] and I'm also a Surf Rider Foundation
[47:22] member. I've been a member of the Surf
[47:25] Rider Foundation and involved in Surf
[47:27] Rider uh for 23 years. And in that time,
[47:31] I've been uh with four different local
[47:34] chapters and four different beach
[47:35] communities. And nowhere do I see the
[47:39] need for dune restoration more than here
[47:41] in Seal Beach. So, I'm really proud of
[47:43] the council for embracing this project.
[47:45] I'm glad it's going forward. I'm very
[47:47] proud of Rich and the rest of the
[47:48] chapter for working so hard on this. I I
[47:51] owe you some volunteer hours on it. Um
[47:54] and I also want to say the trash
[47:56] interceptor project is terrific. I think
[47:58] it's great, but we also have to do work
[48:00] about getting rid of and reducing our
[48:03] use of plastics. Even once we get that
[48:05] off our beaches and out of the trash
[48:08] interceptor, there's no throwing it
[48:10] away. There is no way. Those plastic
[48:12] molecules break down and we're all now
[48:14] familiar with the health effects and
[48:16] that we all carry it. So, I hope we'll
[48:18] be looking at maybe a polystyrene band
[48:20] going forward. Thank you.
[48:24] [applause]
[48:28] Thank you, Stephanie. Anyone else?
[48:34] Okay, going once. Oh, okay.
[48:44] » Uh, good evening everybody. Uh, thank
[48:45] you city council and mayor for this
[48:47] time. Uh thank you sir Ryder for uh the
[48:49] important presentation on the uh dunes
[48:52] and um thank you for adopt hopefully
[48:54] adopting it and going forward. Um and
[48:57] thank you for the trash interceptor
[48:58] project as well. Uh the main reason I am
[49:01] here today is to uh make sure that uh
[49:04] when moving that project forward to
[49:05] consider that there are uh sea turtles
[49:07] in the San Gabriel River. uh there have
[49:09] been documented over a hundred uh plus
[49:12] and so uh when if and when moving
[49:15] forward with that project to include uh
[49:17] the aquarium of the Pacific and other
[49:19] partners within the area. Uh thank you.
[49:22] >> Thank you. [applause]
[49:28] » Anyone else like to speak?
[49:31] Any of the many young people in the
[49:32] audience want to speak? Oh, here we go.
[49:37] [applause]
[49:44] Hello, my name is Grayson Oslick. I go
[49:46] to Fountain Valley High School, which is
[49:48] a way far away from here. But many of us
[49:50] are here because we have a government
[49:52] project. And I think that it's very
[49:54] important um that we get out here and
[49:56] we, you know, we don't live in Seal
[49:58] Beach. None of us do. At least I don't
[49:59] think so. But I think that it's very
[50:01] important that we're able to listen and
[50:03] see these different perspectives on the
[50:04] different issues. And so chairs, I just
[50:06] want to thank you for your time and
[50:07] thank you for the opportunity for having
[50:09] us out here. And I think that it's
[50:10] important that uh us as students like
[50:13] going out of high school into college
[50:15] and into our adult lives. I think that
[50:17] it's very important that we learn the
[50:19] skills on how and what to do when
[50:21] attending these kind of meetings because
[50:23] eventually, if you think about it, we're
[50:25] all going to be living in different
[50:27] cities with different people and we're
[50:29] going to have different perspectives.
[50:30] And so being able to see those different
[50:32] perspectives and different people and
[50:34] being able to be confident, be speak up
[50:36] here just off the fly, I think it's very
[50:38] important that we learn those skills.
[50:39] And so I just want to thank you guys for
[50:40] this meeting and thank you for having us
[50:42] all out here uh on behalf of all of
[50:44] Fountain Valley High School. Thank you.
[50:47] [applause and cheering]
[50:53] Uh may I make a quick comment to the
[50:55] last speaker to Grayson from Fountain
[50:57] Valley High School. Um, I love it. And
[50:59] you are talking to an alumni from
[51:01] Fountain Valley High School, class of
[51:03] 97. [applause]
[51:05] So, I love the fact that you guys are
[51:07] here from your government class, um,
[51:09] here to speak and just here to observe.
[51:11] And this is awesome.
[51:13] [applause]
[51:16] » Thank you very much, Grayson. That was
[51:18] great. Anyone else like to speak?
[51:26] » Come on up.
[51:28] Well, so if you're in model UN, you must
[51:30] be a great public speaker,
[51:32] >> right? Yeah,
[51:34] » right? Yeah,
[51:34] >> that's that. Well, that's terrific.
[51:35] » that's that. Well, that's terrific.
[51:35] Thank you guys very much.
[51:36] >> Thank you guys.
[51:38] » Thank you guys.
[51:38] [applause]
[51:42] » Okay, anyone else?
[51:46] Okay, I am going to
[51:49] >> um can we respond to one comment that
[51:51] » um can we respond to one comment that
[51:51] was made from the audience?
[51:53] >> Sure.
[51:53] » Sure.
[51:53] >> Um the Yeah. Um, so a comment was made
[51:57] » Um the Yeah. Um, so a comment was made
[51:57] by Terresa Miller about the strategic
[52:00] plan, about a recap in documents. I
[52:02] thought I recall from that meeting we
[52:04] were going to produce an outline or some
[52:06] minutes and so forth. So can you um
[52:09] director, you want to or city manager
[52:11] Gyogus, you want to just provide a brief
[52:13] update?
[52:13] >> Yeah. No, thank you uh Teresa for
[52:15] » Yeah. No, thank you uh Teresa for
[52:16] bringing it up and council member Sen.
[52:17] Uh we will be bringing that item back
[52:19] with a strategic planning report on the
[52:22] 26th of January. So, you'll get to see
[52:24] the full report. We'll get that that out
[52:25] to the public and uh we'll be able to
[52:27] discuss that item. Thank you.
[52:31] >> Thank you. Okay. Anyone else? Okay,
[52:34] » Thank you. Okay. Anyone else? Okay,
[52:34] we're moving it on. Um by motion of the
[52:36] city council, this is the time to notify
[52:38] the public of any changes to the agenda
[52:41] and or rearrange the order of the
[52:42] agenda. Does anyone want to pull a
[52:45] consent calendar item?
[52:47] >> Yes, mayor. I do. I'd like to pull item
[52:50] » Yes, mayor. I do. I'd like to pull item
[52:50] uh what is it? C. Item C.
[52:53] Okay. Noted. Anyone else?
[52:56] City clerk, do we have any supplemental
[52:58] communications?
[53:00] >> Yes, mayor. We have um four supplemental
[53:02] » Yes, mayor. We have um four supplemental
[53:02] communications that were received after
[53:04] posting the agenda. They've been made
[53:05] available to the council and also to the
[53:08] public. I don't know if I should do the
[53:10] correction here or wait until we take
[53:12] the item item C. Now, on item C, there
[53:16] was a correction to the resolution 7722.
[53:20] Um for there was a reference to
[53:22] dissolving um the city tree advisory
[53:25] board in the heading of the resolution
[53:27] that should not have been included in
[53:29] that resolution and has since been
[53:31] removed. You have a copy of the current
[53:33] resolution now and there's copies here
[53:35] available for the public as well.
[53:38] >> Thank you very much, city clerk. Okay,
[53:40] » Thank you very much, city clerk. Okay,
[53:40] I'd like to call for a motion and a
[53:42] second to approve tonight's agenda.
[53:45] >> Motion.
[53:45] » Motion.
[53:45] >> Second. Roll call, please. It has been
[53:49] » Second. Roll call, please. It has been
[53:49] moved by Mayor Pro Tim Wong and second
[53:52] by council member Synagle. Council
[53:55] member Calm, how do you vote?
[53:56] >> Yes.
[53:57] » Yes.
[53:57] >> Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you vote?
[53:58] » Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you vote?
[53:58] >> Yes.
[53:59] » Yes.
[53:59] >> Council member Cynical, how do you vote?
[54:00] » Council member Cynical, how do you vote?
[54:00] >> Yes.
[54:01] » Yes.
[54:01] >> Council member Still, how do you vote?
[54:03] » Council member Still, how do you vote?
[54:03] >> Yes.
[54:03] » Yes.
[54:03] >> Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[54:04] » Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[54:04] >> Yes.
[54:05] » Yes.
[54:05] >> Motion carries. Five votes. Yes.
[54:07] » Motion carries. Five votes. Yes.
[54:07] >> Thank you very much. Now on to uh
[54:09] » Thank you very much. Now on to uh
[54:09] reports of city attorney Gelli. Do you
[54:12] have anything to report?
[54:12] >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. The city
[54:14] » Thank you, Madame Mayor. The city
[54:14] council met in close session this
[54:16] afternoon to discuss the two items on
[54:18] the posted agenda. All five council
[54:20] members were present and no reportable
[54:22] action was taken. And before I pass this
[54:26] on, I did just want to give uh the
[54:28] council a happy new year and a happy new
[54:30] year from the state legislature because
[54:33] they have seen fit to adopt a very
[54:35] comprehensive update to the Brown Act.
[54:37] And the Brown Act for those in the
[54:39] audience is the law that governs uh
[54:41] public meeting transparency. And so
[54:44] there's a litany of new changes um some
[54:46] minor changes that took effect on
[54:48] January 1st. the bulk of the changes um
[54:51] that are going to affect how the council
[54:53] meetings are run take effect July 1st of
[54:56] this year and the biggest change just to
[54:58] give you a quick update is that um going
[55:02] forward council meetings are going to
[55:03] have to be hybrid meetings meaning that
[55:05] there's going to have to be a telephonic
[55:08] or zoom option for
[55:11] uh the public to be able to participate
[55:14] in the meetings remotely. So, there will
[55:16] now have to be a either Zoom or phone
[55:20] system to allow public comment via um
[55:23] one of those systems. And I have not had
[55:26] an opportunity to talk to staff about
[55:28] what [clears throat] our IT capabilities
[55:30] are. Obviously, we were able to do quite
[55:32] a bit during COVID, but we're going to
[55:34] have to uh rethink about how that to
[55:37] implement this new law uh on July 1st.
[55:39] Some of the other changes include um a
[55:42] [clears throat] requirement to adopt a
[55:44] disruption policy. The meeting actually
[55:46] can't proceed uh if there is a uh
[55:50] technical dis uh interruption with the
[55:53] internet service or phone service. Um so
[55:57] we have to adopt a policy on how we're
[55:59] going to address those uh potential
[56:01] technical difficulties. And our meeting
[56:04] agendas are actually going to have to be
[56:05] translated into certain languages. And
[56:08] so we're looking at all that to make
[56:09] sure that the city council is in
[56:11] compliance with the Brown Act.
[56:14] What's that?
[56:17] And and just to be clear, the the te the
[56:20] public comment period via the hybrid
[56:23] meeting format only applies to the city
[56:24] council. It's not going to apply to
[56:26] every uh single city commission. So with
[56:29] that, um that's my report for tonight.
[56:32] >> City manager clarification. Was there a
[56:33] » City manager clarification. Was there a
[56:34] threshold in the size of the city in
[56:36] terms of the hybrid approach?
[56:39] >> Uh, I believe
[56:39] » Uh, I believe
[56:39] >> is it a population count?
[56:40] » is it a population count?
[56:40] >> 25,000.
[56:41] » 25,000.
[56:41] >> Yeah. And we're we're right on it.
[56:44] » Yeah. And we're we're right on it.
[56:44] >> I think we we made it right.
[56:45] » I think we we made it right.
[56:45] >> Just [laughter] below
[56:47] » Just [laughter] below
[56:47] >> 24,95.
[56:57] So we're below the 25,000 thresholds.
[56:59] >> Well, we're going to have to look at
[57:00] » Well, we're going to have to look at
[57:00] that and make sure. It may not apply to
[57:02] us.
[57:02] >> Yeah. Yeah,
[57:03] » Yeah. Yeah,
[57:03] >> it's as easy as a link anyway.
[57:05] » it's as easy as a link anyway.
[57:05] >> But we're in a county that has more than
[57:06] » But we're in a county that has more than
[57:06] 600,000.
[57:07] >> Oh, that's right. I'm sorry.
[57:09] » Oh, that's right. I'm sorry.
[57:09] [clears throat]
[57:10] >> Thank you, city clerk.
[57:11] » Thank you, city clerk.
[57:11] >> You You threw me for a wrench cuz I was
[57:13] » You You threw me for a wrench cuz I was
[57:13] like I knew it applied here. It's 25
[57:15] cities of 25,000 or any city in a county
[57:18] with 600,000 people.
[57:20] >> So, it does apply to Seal Beach.
[57:22] » So, it does apply to Seal Beach.
[57:22] >> Okay. Thank you, city attorney. Uh city
[57:25] » Okay. Thank you, city attorney. Uh city
[57:25] manager Gyos, do you have anything to
[57:26] report?
[57:27] >> Uh yes, I do. Mayor, uh good evening. Uh
[57:29] » Uh yes, I do. Mayor, uh good evening. Uh
[57:29] happy new year, everyone. Uh I hope
[57:30] everybody had an enjoyable holiday. Um I
[57:33] want to briefly acknowledge one event
[57:34] that took place since our last city
[57:35] council meeting. Uh on December 17th,
[57:38] the Sil Beach Police Department held a
[57:40] swearing in ceremony to welcome new
[57:41] members and recognize promotions within
[57:44] the department. Uh it was a meaningful
[57:46] event and I want to thank Chief
[57:47] Henderson uh and the entire police
[57:49] department for their continued
[57:50] commitment to public safety uh to
[57:52] service our community. Uh and finally,
[57:55] as we begin the new year, I want to
[57:56] extend my appreciation to our city staff
[57:58] for their dedication and
[57:59] professionalism, and I look forward to
[58:01] another productive year ahead in service
[58:03] to the Sil Beach community. With that,
[58:04] mayor, that concludes my report.
[58:06] >> Thank you very much. Okay. Now, general
[58:09] » Thank you very much. Okay. Now, general
[58:09] council member comments and reporting
[58:11] pursuant to AB1234.
[58:13] Uh Councilman Kelmick, would you like to
[58:16] start? Uh this evening I just have that
[58:18] I attended the uh swearing in ceremony
[58:20] for our new police officers and it looks
[58:23] like we have a very good group and the
[58:25] promotions as well. Thank you.
[58:28] >> Thank you,
[58:29] » Thank you,
[58:29] >> Councilwoman Senle.
[58:30] » Councilwoman Senle.
[58:30] >> Yes, thank you. I just wanted to make a
[58:32] » Yes, thank you. I just wanted to make a
[58:32] note that the uh Christmas parade was
[58:34] fabulous. There was a lot of volunteers
[58:37] and uh it was a great event. Really
[58:38] enjoyed it. Um, I do want to comment
[58:41] that during the rain uh season, I want
[58:43] to compliment our public works
[58:45] department and say thank you. We've
[58:47] talked about being proactive getting our
[58:49] sign stage uh, you know, flooded.
[58:51] Please, you know, use a different street
[58:54] and because uh, what happens when in
[58:57] College Park East when our streets flood
[58:58] and then people drive through it, it
[59:00] creates the wave that goes right up to
[59:02] the houses into the garage. So, um, we
[59:05] were proactive with signs out. We had
[59:07] the um what's the machine? Um the pump
[59:11] machine, [laughter]
[59:12] the pumping machine um pre-staged and
[59:16] the rains came during when our staff a
[59:19] lot were taking vacations and holidays
[59:21] and staffing was thin. And so really
[59:23] appreciate our staff that had to um be
[59:26] coordinated, jump in to make because you
[59:28] can't turn on those machines unless we
[59:30] have a staff person there.
[59:31] >> And so and I drove my neighborhood and I
[59:33] » And so and I drove my neighborhood and I
[59:33] saw our staff working. it was raining
[59:35] and it was late and it was cold. And so
[59:37] I just want to um share appreciation
[59:40] that we were proactive and um also in
[59:43] terms of being proactive for the
[59:45] flooding, the storm water runoff
[59:46] flooding uh neighbor for neighbor um
[59:48] Sergeant Gray is not here, but um our
[59:51] neighbor for neighbor program put out
[59:52] notices um in those of us that have
[59:55] signed up for it. And so the notices let
[59:58] you know storm is coming, here's where
[59:59] your sandbags are at. We're also now
[1:00:01] have the inflatables that people can buy
[1:00:04] in terms of blocking garages, you know,
[1:00:06] and so forth. So, our neighbor for
[1:00:08] neighbor put out a lot of really timely,
[1:00:10] excellent information and the storm
[1:00:13] tracking and then also appreciation to
[1:00:15] the staff who it seemed like every 30
[1:00:17] seconds we had a storm update. It was
[1:00:19] like every day, but um it was a lot of
[1:00:22] effort to keep us informed and again uh
[1:00:24] keeping us safe. So, I want to
[1:00:25] acknowledge public works for um really
[1:00:28] um going that extra mile and especially
[1:00:30] during a holiday period when we were
[1:00:32] downsized with staffing. So, um please
[1:00:34] pass that on. Thank you.
[1:00:37] >> Thank you very much, Councilman Steel.
[1:00:39] » Thank you very much, Councilman Steel.
[1:00:40] >> Yes.
[1:00:41] » Yes.
[1:00:42] >> Uh thank you very much, Mayor. Uh since
[1:00:43] » Uh thank you very much, Mayor. Uh since
[1:00:43] our last meeting, I attended the
[1:00:45] swearing in ceremony. I think uh we were
[1:00:48] all there. Nice to see the PD. Nice to
[1:00:50] see the badges and the advancements in
[1:00:53] the uh our police department. I attended
[1:00:55] the board of directors meeting of the
[1:00:57] ACCOC which is the association of city
[1:01:00] councils for Orange County. It was their
[1:01:02] board meeting where they elected a new
[1:01:03] president president and uh and so on. I
[1:01:07] also attended the Cal City's Orange
[1:01:09] County Division their final lunchon of
[1:01:11] last year. Um, I attended the OCMBBD,
[1:01:16] which is Orange County Mosquito Vector
[1:01:18] District, which is uh one of those board
[1:01:20] assignments that uh is important for a
[1:01:23] city like Seal Beach. Uh, nothing much
[1:01:25] going on on the mosquito front these
[1:01:27] days, but we're gearing up for next year
[1:01:30] and um, plans are in motion for that.
[1:01:33] Um, and I also attended the OCO act uh,
[1:01:37] which is the Orange County uh,
[1:01:41] Orange County
[1:01:44] Older adults. Thank you very much.
[1:01:46] Orange County Older Adults Advisory
[1:01:48] Commission. OCO act. Older adults
[1:01:51] advisory commission.
[1:01:52] >> Did [clears throat] you ever see your
[1:01:53] » Did [clears throat] you ever see your
[1:01:53] moment?
[1:01:53] >> I'm losing something with age here.
[1:01:54] » I'm losing something with age here.
[1:01:54] That's right.
[1:01:55] >> You're looking at me
[1:01:56] » You're looking at me
[1:01:56] >> from my memory. [laughter]
[1:01:57] » from my memory. [laughter]
[1:01:57] So anyway, uh just that blank space. I
[1:02:01] also would like to, if I may, Dave, I'm
[1:02:03] going to uh point a finger at you. We
[1:02:05] have a brand new executive director in
[1:02:07] Leisure World and he is Dave. Stand up
[1:02:09] for us, Dave. Please say hello.
[1:02:12] >> [applause and cheering]
[1:02:14] » And I'm honored honored to see you here
[1:02:16] tonight. Tell me your last name again,
[1:02:18] please.
[1:02:18] >> Norbell.
[1:02:19] » Norbell.
[1:02:19] >> Norbell. That's right. Dave Norbell. And
[1:02:21] » Norbell. That's right. Dave Norbell. And
[1:02:21] so we are uh grateful for his presence
[1:02:23] in Leisure World. He's taking over. He's
[1:02:25] figured out You figured out where the
[1:02:27] men's room is. Correct.
[1:02:28] >> Not yet.
[1:02:28] » Not yet.
[1:02:28] >> Not yet. Working on it. Uh anyway,
[1:02:31] » Not yet. Working on it. Uh anyway,
[1:02:31] welcome. Thank you for being here. And
[1:02:33] that's my comments.
[1:02:34] >> Thank you very much, Mayor Pro Tam Wong.
[1:02:36] » Thank you very much, Mayor Pro Tam Wong.
[1:02:36] >> Uh thank you, mayor. Um since our last
[1:02:38] » Uh thank you, mayor. Um since our last
[1:02:38] council meeting in December, um on
[1:02:42] December 12th, Friday, I attended the uh
[1:02:44] mayor's wheels, meals on wheels over at
[1:02:47] the North Seal Beach Library. So there
[1:02:49] city staff was there to uh basically
[1:02:51] help welcome the seniors and help make
[1:02:53] the holidays a little bit nicer. There
[1:02:55] was volunteer musicians and then we got
[1:02:57] a chance to talk to a lot of the
[1:02:58] residents within Seal Beach around the
[1:03:00] Rossmore Shopping Center and uh
[1:03:02] basically help hopefully made their day
[1:03:04] a little bit nicer. On uh Friday, excuse
[1:03:08] me, December 14th, uh Sunday, um I
[1:03:11] attended the Precious Life Shelter in
[1:03:12] Los Alamos. Uh a tour of their campus
[1:03:15] and their grounds. If you don't know
[1:03:16] what Precious Life Shelter is, it they
[1:03:18] provide emergency transitional single
[1:03:21] parent residents for pregnant women with
[1:03:23] uh no place to live. So essentially,
[1:03:25] these are women facing immediate
[1:03:26] financial, physical, or even emotional
[1:03:28] abuse that are escaping their
[1:03:30] situations. And so what they do over at
[1:03:33] Precious Life Shelter is very much um
[1:03:35] appreciated. On December 17th, I also
[1:03:38] attended the COB PD's promotion and
[1:03:41] swearing in. So that was great to see
[1:03:43] that the turnout there and the positive
[1:03:44] energy towards our police. Um on
[1:03:48] December 20th, Saturday, I myself joined
[1:03:51] with College Park West residences and
[1:03:53] the group from the CPW preserve and
[1:03:55] there we did um what I take as very
[1:03:58] personal is graffiti cleanup. So for
[1:04:01] many of those that crossed the bridge
[1:04:02] into College Park West into from Long
[1:04:04] Beach, we went I was down in San Gabriel
[1:04:07] River when it was a low tide and then
[1:04:09] all that graffiti you might have seen at
[1:04:11] the base of the bridge has now all been
[1:04:12] covered with concrete gray and and from
[1:04:15] out of view once when you venture out
[1:04:17] some more, you'll see a lot more tagging
[1:04:19] and a lot more graffiti. And I'll just
[1:04:21] say it's all been covered. So that took
[1:04:23] about five hours on Saturday. So I'm
[1:04:25] very much uh very proud of the work that
[1:04:28] College Park West residents [applause]
[1:04:29] did.
[1:04:33] and we very much said those to
[1:04:35] ourselves, even if it does come back,
[1:04:36] we'll be back. Right. Then on um also
[1:04:41] quick shout out to SP uh police
[1:04:43] department as well. Um this week in
[1:04:44] College Park West, we received emergency
[1:04:47] flyers, FEMA um emergency exits. Again,
[1:04:50] this is great as far as uh signs going
[1:04:52] up earlier last year is if there's an
[1:04:54] emergency um that strikes College Park
[1:04:57] West and the bridge were to be removed
[1:04:59] where there's some two emergency exits
[1:05:00] for residents. And then the flyers that
[1:05:02] went out was passed out by Seal Beach
[1:05:04] Police volunteers. And so that was very
[1:05:06] much appreciated. And then uh lastly,
[1:05:09] this past week was uh January 6th. It
[1:05:12] was a Tuesday and this is what I am
[1:05:14] trying to coin as the first Tuesday in
[1:05:17] Leisure World. And then there was the
[1:05:19] kickoff for my monthly uh first Tuesday
[1:05:22] uh coffee and donuts. And so there I was
[1:05:24] at uh Leisure World. Uh I I put the c
[1:05:27] the start time is between 7:30 a.m.
[1:05:29] until 8:30, but I was there about 7:10,
[1:05:32] a little bit there earlier. And um got
[1:05:34] coffee from Bogart's Coffee over on 905
[1:05:37] Ocean Avenue. And we also got donuts
[1:05:39] from Donut City over on 1210 PCH. And
[1:05:43] then there uh we had a massive turnout.
[1:05:45] We had a total of nine people. Right. I
[1:05:47] know, but it's a start and we're going
[1:05:49] to be there every Tuesday, every first
[1:05:51] Tuesday of the month going forward. And
[1:05:53] so hopefully uh just the presidents
[1:05:55] alone will hopefully indicate to the
[1:05:57] residents of Leisure World that hey,
[1:05:59] I'll be there available. I'll take any
[1:06:01] complaints. I'll take any questions or
[1:06:03] even any comments, but I'll be there,
[1:06:05] right? And then so it was great to meet
[1:06:07] some of the residences that that I
[1:06:08] haven't already met before. So that was
[1:06:09] a great little kickoff. Thank you very
[1:06:11] much.
[1:06:13] [applause]
[1:06:16] Thank you very much. [clears throat] Um
[1:06:19] I cannot uh articulate any better than
[1:06:22] city manager Gyos and Mayor Prom Wong um
[1:06:25] at how amazing um both those events the
[1:06:27] the promotion and police swearing in
[1:06:29] ceremony and the meals on wheels um for
[1:06:32] our seniors and leisure world at the
[1:06:34] North Seal Beach Center. Uh both were
[1:06:36] incredible events and very proud to be
[1:06:38] part of this community. Um, I just have
[1:06:41] a quick update on OC sanitation. Um, I
[1:06:45] have nothing to report for Fountain
[1:06:46] Valley. I'm sorry. Um, Seal Beach
[1:06:49] though, uh, construction continues on
[1:06:50] the Seal Beach pump station replacement
[1:06:52] project, uh, with wet well excavation
[1:06:55] and waterproofing, uh, to protect the
[1:06:57] concrete. Uh, this project is at Sil
[1:06:59] Beach Boulevard in Westminster. Uh, one
[1:07:01] of the things that we did do is get uh
[1:07:03] the cones removed, uh, most of the cones
[1:07:06] removed uh, on Sil Beach Boulevard
[1:07:07] leading to Westminster Boulevard, uh, to
[1:07:10] relieve traffic there at that
[1:07:11] intersection and then to allow quicker
[1:07:13] right turn onto Westminster Boulevard.
[1:07:16] So, that was helpful. Um, and also, um,
[1:07:20] happy new year to everybody and, um,
[1:07:22] let's have a great 2026.
[1:07:24] Um, [applause]
[1:07:31] Okay, that completes council comments.
[1:07:34] Um, now we move on to the consent
[1:07:36] calendar. Items on the consent calendar
[1:07:38] are considered to be routine and are
[1:07:40] enacted by a single motion with the
[1:07:42] exceptions of items removed by council
[1:07:44] members. I would like to now call for a
[1:07:46] motion and a second to approve the
[1:07:48] consent calendar with the exception of
[1:07:51] item C.
[1:07:52] >> I'll move.
[1:07:53] » I'll move.
[1:07:53] >> I'll second.
[1:07:55] » I'll second.
[1:07:55] >> Please take a role.
[1:07:57] » Please take a role.
[1:07:57] It has been moved by council member
[1:07:59] Calming and second by Mayor Pro Tim
[1:08:01] Wong. Council member Calm, how do you
[1:08:04] vote?
[1:08:04] >> Yes. Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you
[1:08:06] » Yes. Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you
[1:08:06] vote?
[1:08:06] >> Yes.
[1:08:06] » Yes.
[1:08:06] >> Council member Synico, how do you vote?
[1:08:08] » Council member Synico, how do you vote?
[1:08:08] >> Yes.
[1:08:08] » Yes.
[1:08:08] >> Council member Steel, how do you vote?
[1:08:10] » Council member Steel, how do you vote?
[1:08:10] >> Yes.
[1:08:10] » Yes.
[1:08:10] >> Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:08:12] » Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:08:12] >> Yes.
[1:08:12] » Yes.
[1:08:12] >> Motion carries five votes. Yes.
[1:08:14] » Motion carries five votes. Yes.
[1:08:14] >> Thank you very much. Uh, now on to items
[1:08:17] » Thank you very much. Uh, now on to items
[1:08:17] removed from the consent calendar. Uh,
[1:08:19] city manager, is there a staff report?
[1:08:24] There is not mayor, but I believe
[1:08:26] council member still uh would like to
[1:08:28] discuss or answer questions.
[1:08:30] >> Okay. I'm going to make a statement
[1:08:31] » Okay. I'm going to make a statement
[1:08:31] first if that's okay. Uh before we move
[1:08:33] on to discussion, uh as you know, it's
[1:08:35] the mayor's responsibility to assign
[1:08:37] council members to the various inter
[1:08:38] agency committees. I took everyone's
[1:08:41] suggestions into consideration when
[1:08:43] making these assignments. My goal was to
[1:08:46] do what's best for Seal Beach. The
[1:08:48] purpose of serving on these committees
[1:08:49] is to bring information back to the full
[1:08:51] council so that every council member
[1:08:54] understands what's happening at the
[1:08:55] county and state levels and how it
[1:08:57] affects Seal Beach. That's why these
[1:08:59] assignments are meant to rotate over
[1:09:02] time. I will now o open it up for
[1:09:04] discussion.
[1:09:08] » Okay. Um [clears throat]
[1:09:12] these uh there are three committees in
[1:09:14] uh Orange County that are kind of the
[1:09:16] countywide
[1:09:18] uh board positions that are available to
[1:09:20] each city in the county or at least in
[1:09:23] the jurisdiction. One of them is
[1:09:25] mosquito vector which gladly comes to
[1:09:27] district 5 and I enjoy that board. Uh
[1:09:30] that's a board where you see uh we we
[1:09:33] make decisions about budgets, we make
[1:09:35] decisions about executive assignments,
[1:09:36] we make decisions about the strategic
[1:09:38] direction, we have uh actual input into
[1:09:42] the uh the agency itself. We approve
[1:09:45] budgets and things like that. Uh the
[1:09:47] other two uh countywide boards are um
[1:09:52] Orange County Sanitation District. uh
[1:09:55] you have a seat for everybody who is
[1:09:57] part of the jurisdiction of Orange
[1:09:58] County sanitation which I believe is
[1:10:00] every city in Orange County has a seat
[1:10:03] on that board. So the mayors appoint the
[1:10:05] people who sit on that board. Now uh and
[1:10:09] then the third board is the Orange
[1:10:11] County uh fire authority OCFA. OCFA is
[1:10:17] unique in many different ways. Number
[1:10:19] one, their business uh is complicated.
[1:10:22] Their organization is vast. Uh they have
[1:10:27] uh I don't know how many employees, 1500
[1:10:29] or something like that, but they've got
[1:10:31] a a a lot more than that. Okay. Uh but
[1:10:33] nonetheless, it's a half a billion
[1:10:35] dollar budget. Uh it's a complicated
[1:10:37] sort of situation with capital
[1:10:39] equipment, with firehouses, with uh
[1:10:41] personnel issues, union issues. All of
[1:10:44] these things uh take time for anybody on
[1:10:47] that committee to uh absorb and be able
[1:10:50] to discuss intelligently. The the
[1:10:54] other aspect of this is we are a term
[1:10:57] limited city. Most cities in Orange
[1:10:59] County are term limited, which means
[1:11:01] that uh if we get a spot on a board and
[1:11:04] we swap out every couple of years our
[1:11:07] particular representative, uh we have
[1:11:10] very little chance of rising up the
[1:11:12] ranks of influence inside of those
[1:11:14] organizations. Uh Joe has been Joe
[1:11:17] Cowick has been on the OCFA board since
[1:11:20] 2021 and I think he served on it uh a
[1:11:23] couple of years before that as well. He
[1:11:25] has been on that board continuously. his
[1:11:28] influence on the board has continued to
[1:11:30] rise. He serves on, I believe, three
[1:11:32] different committees besides the uh
[1:11:35] board itself. Uh he knows u the board,
[1:11:40] he knows the people on the board, he
[1:11:41] knows the executive committee. The
[1:11:43] people on the executive floor at OCFA
[1:11:45] know Joe very well. Joe spent, I
[1:11:48] believe, 20 years at least as a
[1:11:50] volunteer firefighter. So, he's very
[1:11:52] keen on what the issues are for
[1:11:55] firefighters. I've spoken to the union
[1:11:58] uh and they like Joe. I'm not sure if
[1:12:00] they can actually endorse or anything
[1:12:02] like that, but they're very concerned
[1:12:03] about uh losing that position on the
[1:12:06] board uh uh just for the sake of
[1:12:09] turnover. Uh Joe is about to become the
[1:12:11] chair of the OCFA. This is 25 cities on
[1:12:15] the board. I believe it's 25. And uh
[1:12:18] this is no small shakes. For a small
[1:12:20] city like Seal Beach to have that much
[1:12:23] influence in a board of that size and
[1:12:25] that much uh across the county is really
[1:12:28] a very very rare and unique thing. So he
[1:12:32] has the respect of the uh the board of
[1:12:34] directors. Um
[1:12:37] I've got a letter here I'd like to read
[1:12:39] uh from the beginning as chair. This is
[1:12:41] from Phil Bera who is the chair of the
[1:12:44] OCFA board of directors and it says, "As
[1:12:47] chair of the Orange County Fire
[1:12:48] Authority Board of Directors, I am
[1:12:50] writing to request your assistance in
[1:12:52] the coming months when OCFA's member
[1:12:54] agencies make annual appointments of
[1:12:57] representatives to the authorities
[1:12:59] board. Presently, each director serves
[1:13:02] on the OCFA board until the selection of
[1:13:04] a successor by the appointing body. As
[1:13:08] part of our ongoing efforts to foster
[1:13:10] effective governance of the OCFA, we
[1:13:13] would like to retain continuity of vice
[1:13:16] chair director Calm serving on the board
[1:13:20] and minimize turnover
[1:13:22] to the extent possible with an operating
[1:13:25] budget over a half a billion dollars,
[1:13:28] over 1,500 employees, four labor
[1:13:31] associations, and the operation of 78
[1:13:34] fire station. The issues we face at OCFA
[1:13:37] are myriad and complex. The learning
[1:13:40] curve is steep to become familiar with
[1:13:43] the organizational structure, its
[1:13:45] operations, finances, and the types of
[1:13:47] policies and issues that come before the
[1:13:50] board. We recognize that regional board
[1:13:53] appointments are considered holistically
[1:13:55] and serve to support overall needs of
[1:13:58] the organization. However, as chair, I
[1:14:01] am seeking support from our member
[1:14:03] agencies to minimize voluntary changes
[1:14:06] made to our board appointees, such
[1:14:08] [clears throat] as those that can occur
[1:14:10] in January when most other cities and
[1:14:13] the county reorganize the leadership of
[1:14:15] their governing bodies and make it a
[1:14:17] variety of uh committee appointments.
[1:14:19] The key factor here is uh
[1:14:24] this is from the chair of the board and
[1:14:27] they're asking for Joe Calmic. Joe is
[1:14:30] about to become the chair of the OCFA
[1:14:33] later this month probably likely. I have
[1:14:36] personally spoken to four different
[1:14:38] members of the board of directors and
[1:14:40] they're concerned about any change uh at
[1:14:43] this time. Uh the other thing is that
[1:14:46] there are some big issues that are
[1:14:48] coming at OCFA right now. Uh among them
[1:14:51] the emergency response team, the rapid
[1:14:53] response team and the helicopters and
[1:14:55] the kind of uh the capitulation on what
[1:14:58] their participation is in that which is
[1:15:00] a critical issue. The resignation of
[1:15:03] their former executive director who's
[1:15:05] gone on to bigger and better things and
[1:15:07] the appointment of the next executive
[1:15:09] director. This is a big deal. The
[1:15:12] unions, I believe, are going to be
[1:15:13] coming up this coming year. And so, we
[1:15:15] need somebody with an orientation to
[1:15:17] what the unions are doing. So, I'm
[1:15:19] asking, not you folks, I'm asking this
[1:15:22] panel right here to do the right thing
[1:15:24] and send Joe Calm back to the OCFA.
[1:15:28] So, I'm going to make a motion. And I'm
[1:15:31] how uh how would I word this? So, we
[1:15:33] would uh put Joe as the
[1:15:37] uh
[1:15:39] currently the resolution before the
[1:15:41] council includes Mayor Landau as the
[1:15:45] nominated me uh council member to be on
[1:15:47] the OCFA board. If you'd like to change
[1:15:50] that, we need a motion to adopt the
[1:15:53] resolution with whomever you choose to
[1:15:56] be uh on appointed to the OCFA board.
[1:15:59] >> Okay. So, that would be my motion. My
[1:16:01] » Okay. So, that would be my motion. My
[1:16:01] motion is to uh put Joe Calmic onto the
[1:16:05] OCFA board.
[1:16:08] >> Do we have to wait for a vote on that to
[1:16:10] » Do we have to wait for a vote on that to
[1:16:10] further discussion? Give others
[1:16:12] opportunities to
[1:16:13] >> Well, you can have the the motion
[1:16:15] » Well, you can have the the motion
[1:16:15] pending and then debate that motion at
[1:16:18] this point. We don't have a second
[1:16:19] though.
[1:16:19] >> Second.
[1:16:19] » Second.
[1:16:19] >> I'll second.
[1:16:21] » I'll second.
[1:16:21] >> I'll second.
[1:16:22] » I'll second.
[1:16:22] >> So that motion can now be debated
[1:16:26] » So that motion can now be debated
[1:16:26] or modifi or you know a substitute can
[1:16:28] be offered.
[1:16:31] Um the only thing that I would add to
[1:16:34] the kind comments that have been made by
[1:16:37] other speakers is u
[1:16:40] you know I attend every board meeting.
[1:16:43] I've not missed a board meeting. It's
[1:16:45] very important for us to be represented
[1:16:47] there. Um
[1:16:51] in addition I serve on three committees,
[1:16:53] one of which I'm chair of the operations
[1:16:55] committee.
[1:16:57] In addition, I attend because it's
[1:16:59] important for the city and it's
[1:17:01] important for the progress of the fire
[1:17:03] authority. I attend all the graduations
[1:17:06] for the firemies
[1:17:08] and I've because of availability I've
[1:17:11] been asked to speak at uh the last three
[1:17:15] u academy graduations having a
[1:17:18] relationship with both the operations
[1:17:21] side of the department uh the chiefs and
[1:17:24] so forth as well as folks that are in
[1:17:28] the HR department uh the auto shop uh
[1:17:31] and other aspects of of the function ing
[1:17:34] of the fire department has proven
[1:17:36] somewhat beneficial. It I I hate to
[1:17:39] admit it, but it's taken me a few years,
[1:17:42] but I finally managed partly because of
[1:17:45] of being in the position I'm in
[1:17:48] currently able to acquire a utility
[1:17:51] vehicle for fire station 44 across the
[1:17:53] street. And this was specifically
[1:17:56] requested uh due to the fact that we
[1:17:59] have had three fires on our pier. And
[1:18:03] after each of those fires were reviewed,
[1:18:07] it was recommended that we had if we had
[1:18:10] a utility vehicle that we could ferry
[1:18:13] firefighters andor equipment and hose
[1:18:16] lines out on the pier since the pier is
[1:18:19] not uh the fire engine is not supposed
[1:18:23] to go out onto the pier. The support is
[1:18:25] somewhat limited for that. So again, the
[1:18:29] continuity of having those kinds of
[1:18:30] relationships
[1:18:32] um it took a while, but in that one
[1:18:34] regard uh has paid off. Uh
[1:18:40] and and I do agree that um that for a
[1:18:44] city like Seal Beach who has never had
[1:18:47] uh anyone uh in the chair's seat to have
[1:18:51] that seat that you do have additional
[1:18:53] influence. There's no question about it.
[1:18:56] Um, and I think that uh it's important
[1:19:00] to take advantage of that opportunity.
[1:19:04] Thank you.
[1:19:08] Okay. Um, any other comments or
[1:19:12] Okay. Um, I would like to thank Joe Calm
[1:19:14] for the five plus years that he's served
[1:19:16] on OCFA committee. Uh, Joe has built
[1:19:19] strong relationships on behalf of Seal
[1:19:21] Beach and that work is appreciated. So,
[1:19:24] thank you Joe. OCFA is incredibly
[1:19:26] important to our city and all of Orange
[1:19:28] County. Uh that said, Joe is term
[1:19:31] limited at the end of this year. He uh
[1:19:33] has served his eight years and uh will
[1:19:35] not be returning to council uh the
[1:19:37] following year. And it's important that
[1:19:39] we prepare for when he's no longer in
[1:19:41] that role. Right now, no other council
[1:19:44] member has direct experience with OCFA.
[1:19:48] We know nothing about OCFA. That creates
[1:19:50] a gap we need to address.
[1:19:53] Um, as a letter that, uh, Councilman
[1:19:55] Steele um, referenced, uh, that I also
[1:19:59] received, um, with an operating budget
[1:20:02] of over half a billion dollars, over
[1:20:04] 1500 employees, four labor associations,
[1:20:06] and the operation of 78 fire stations,
[1:20:09] the issues we face are myriad and
[1:20:12] complex. The learning curve is steep to
[1:20:14] become familiar with the organizational
[1:20:16] structure, its operations and finances,
[1:20:19] and the types of policies and issues
[1:20:21] that come before the board, quote
[1:20:23] unquote. This is a perfect example of
[1:20:26] why we need new representation so we can
[1:20:29] all learn these ropes, all of us. Uh,
[1:20:32] and that means rotating so we all are in
[1:20:34] the loop. Uh since Joe is termed out
[1:20:37] with a new council member in place this
[1:20:39] year, at least we have Joe for the next
[1:20:42] 10 11 months to help mentor us and bring
[1:20:44] us up to speed with OCFA. That is what
[1:20:48] is best for Seal Beach. I would like to
[1:20:51] make a substitute motion to keep item C
[1:20:53] as it is written.
[1:20:58] I'll second.
[1:21:02] Are we still have comments or questions?
[1:21:04] Um, if I may, um, let me first ask, um,
[1:21:08] uh, Councilman Steel. So, uh, you
[1:21:10] mentioned that you've talked to
[1:21:11] different groups in support of Joe.
[1:21:14] Would you mind sharing which groups are
[1:21:15] in support of Joe?
[1:21:16] >> I spoke to Dave Shaver, who has, uh,
[1:21:18] » I spoke to Dave Shaver, who has, uh,
[1:21:18] been on the OCFA board since 1992. He's
[1:21:22] from Stanton, and they're not term
[1:21:24] limited like cities like Seal Beach. And
[1:21:26] so, he's been on the OCFA board since it
[1:21:29] was formed in 1992. I spoke to Bob Ris
[1:21:32] who is also on the board of directors
[1:21:34] and a friend of mine from uh the
[1:21:36] mosquito vector board. He contacted me
[1:21:38] when he found out this was going on and
[1:21:40] they are all concerned about losing uh
[1:21:43] Joe on the on the uh on the board. Uh
[1:21:46] there are several other people I also
[1:21:48] spoke to a union representative who is
[1:21:51] concerned about it. I don't think the
[1:21:53] union can speak up about this per se,
[1:21:55] but uh uh it's it's one thing to take
[1:22:01] the uh put the new blood into the office
[1:22:03] next year as opposed to this year. Just
[1:22:06] as we are coming into the point where we
[1:22:08] get the maximum currency on the board of
[1:22:10] directors for the benefit of Seal Beach
[1:22:13] and for the benefit of OCFA, that's
[1:22:16] happening this year right now with Joe.
[1:22:19] We can go to new blood next year. Joe
[1:22:22] has done an excellent job on OCFA. It's
[1:22:25] an absolutely uh uh he's been key on
[1:22:28] them and he's on those other committees,
[1:22:30] too. So, I mean, swap out new blood
[1:22:33] right now just as we're ascending to the
[1:22:35] uh the most influential position on the
[1:22:38] board. Doesn't make sense to me. You can
[1:22:41] wait for that for next year and put
[1:22:43] yourself on the board next year and we
[1:22:45] can start swapping back and forth. But
[1:22:47] to to spend all of the currency that Joe
[1:22:50] has built with the board, with the
[1:22:53] executive staff, with the operations
[1:22:55] people, with the houses is is a waste of
[1:22:59] currency. It's a waste of of political
[1:23:01] capital. And if I may, so for the groups
[1:23:04] for the the leaders that you have spoken
[1:23:06] with, I know I understand we have uh
[1:23:09] Robert Fleton from the mayor promp here
[1:23:12] endorsing Joe and then we also have you
[1:23:15] said a letter from Phil Bera. For the
[1:23:16] others that you have mentioned that you
[1:23:18] spoke with, do they have letters in
[1:23:20] support
[1:23:25] » or did you just speak them?
[1:23:27] >> Do you don't want to take my word for
[1:23:28] » Do you don't want to take my word for
[1:23:28] it, Ben?
[1:23:29] >> No, no, no. I'm asking you a yes or no.
[1:23:31] » No, no, no. I'm asking you a yes or no.
[1:23:31] >> Take my word for it. They I've spoken to
[1:23:32] » Take my word for it. They I've spoken to
[1:23:32] those people and they all support Joe.
[1:23:34] >> I think you misunderstood my question.
[1:23:36] » I think you misunderstood my question.
[1:23:36] My question was yes, you spoke with
[1:23:39] them. Have they come out and publicly
[1:23:41] endorsed him?
[1:23:45] » They publicly endorsed the letter from
[1:23:46] the chair of the board.
[1:23:48] >> You're not answering my question. Where
[1:23:50] » You're not answering my question. Where
[1:23:50] is their letters of support?
[1:23:52] >> Ben, make up your own mind one way or
[1:23:54] » Ben, make up your own mind one way or
[1:23:54] the other. If you're having trouble
[1:23:55] making a decision on currency or no
[1:23:57] currency, that's your problem, not mine.
[1:23:59] But I tell you this, we are spending if
[1:24:02] you would like to hear some political
[1:24:04] capital.
[1:24:05] >> If you would like to hear a discussion,
[1:24:06] » If you would like to hear a discussion,
[1:24:06] >> you want to speak over me?
[1:24:08] » you want to speak over me?
[1:24:08] >> If you would like to hear a discussion
[1:24:10] » If you would like to hear a discussion
[1:24:10] and another point of view, I would
[1:24:12] suggest you listen and you might you
[1:24:14] might hear another point of view.
[1:24:17] >> I've heard another point of view.
[1:24:18] » I've heard another point of view.
[1:24:18] >> Okay, then. Well, I would like to share
[1:24:20] » Okay, then. Well, I would like to share
[1:24:20] a lot more, but if we would like this to
[1:24:23] go to a vote, I don't mind.
[1:24:27] City clerk.
[1:24:29] >> It has been moved by Mayor. No,
[1:24:31] » It has been moved by Mayor. No,
[1:24:31] >> go ahead.
[1:24:31] » go ahead.
[1:24:31] >> It has been moved by Mayor Landal and
[1:24:33] » It has been moved by Mayor Landal and
[1:24:33] second by council member Synico. Mayor
[1:24:36] Landal, how do you vote?
[1:24:38] >> What do we
[1:24:39] » What do we
[1:24:39] >> This is the substitute motion which is
[1:24:41] » This is the substitute motion which is
[1:24:41] as
[1:24:41] >> the substitute motion is to adopt
[1:24:44] » the substitute motion is to adopt
[1:24:44] resolution number 7722
[1:24:46] as proposed to staff. Under Robert's
[1:24:49] rules, you take the substitute motion
[1:24:51] first. If the substitute motion passes,
[1:24:53] it replaces the main motion. And that's
[1:24:56] the conclusion of the item.
[1:24:59] >> So what we're voting on right now is Joe
[1:25:01] » So what we're voting on right now is Joe
[1:25:01] on the
[1:25:02] >> Joe not on. Joe not on. Okay.
[1:25:05] » Joe not on. Joe not on. Okay.
[1:25:05] >> Please continue with the role.
[1:25:06] » Please continue with the role.
[1:25:06] >> Okay. Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:25:09] » Okay. Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:25:09] >> Yes.
[1:25:09] » Yes.
[1:25:09] >> Council member Cynical, how do you vote?
[1:25:11] » Council member Cynical, how do you vote?
[1:25:11] >> Yes.
[1:25:12] » Yes.
[1:25:12] >> Council member Calm, how do you vote?
[1:25:14] » Council member Calm, how do you vote?
[1:25:14] >> No.
[1:25:14] » No.
[1:25:14] >> Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you vote?
[1:25:16] » Mayor Pro Tim Wong, how do you vote?
[1:25:16] >> Yes.
[1:25:18] » Yes.
[1:25:18] >> Council member Still, how do you vote?
[1:25:20] » Council member Still, how do you vote?
[1:25:20] >> No.
[1:25:21] » No.
[1:25:21] >> Motion carries three to two.
[1:25:27] Thank you very much, city clerk. Um,
[1:25:30] there is no public hearing, no
[1:25:32] unfinished and continued business. We
[1:25:35] will now move on to new business, uh,
[1:25:37] consideration of a memorandum of
[1:25:38] understanding with the county of Los
[1:25:40] Angeles and the ocean cleanup for the
[1:25:42] San Gabriel Gabriel River Trash
[1:25:44] Mitigation Initiative. I'd like to call
[1:25:47] on Silsby Strategic Advisor, CEO, Shane
[1:25:50] Silsby. [clears throat]
[1:26:00] Good evening, mayor and council member,
[1:26:02] council members. Uh, thank you, mayor,
[1:26:03] for the introduction. Shane Silsby, CEO
[1:26:05] of Ssby Strategic Advisors and also your
[1:26:07] external consultant and project manager
[1:26:09] for the initiative working uh with your
[1:26:12] team at public works. Uh, you mentioned
[1:26:15] what the item is about, but I'll just
[1:26:17] give some quick background on this and
[1:26:18] then if you have questions, we we can
[1:26:20] take it from there. First of all, there
[1:26:21] are two distinct efforts going on with
[1:26:23] this issue and this initiative which is
[1:26:25] called the San Gabriel River Trash
[1:26:26] Mitigation Initiative originally um
[1:26:29] initiated by council member Kelmick and
[1:26:31] then uh had a number of agencies join
[1:26:33] the San Gabriel River working group
[1:26:34] including uh the Surf Rider folks you
[1:26:36] heard from earlier. So there are two
[1:26:38] distinct uh issues initiatives uh one is
[1:26:42] a feasibility study which we've
[1:26:44] completed and now posted live to uh a
[1:26:47] website today. It's sgrcleanup.com if
[1:26:50] anybody wants to see that document which
[1:26:52] talks about feasibility of future
[1:26:54] projects. And then we have theou
[1:26:56] discussion which is before you today to
[1:26:59] work with other uh agencies on a
[1:27:02] specific future project yet to be
[1:27:04] determined. Okay. feasibility study
[1:27:06] gives them information, but um the funer
[1:27:09] of that in cooperation the ocean cleanup
[1:27:11] wanted to make sure that agencies were
[1:27:13] on board with helping with certain items
[1:27:15] before they moved forward multi-million
[1:27:17] dollar efforts to do the actual project,
[1:27:20] whatever that project will be at the
[1:27:21] location. So, why does this initiative
[1:27:24] matter? The the overall trash cleanup,
[1:27:25] you all know because you live here, 500
[1:27:27] tons of trash each year collected off
[1:27:29] the beaches. That's not what goes into
[1:27:31] the ocean. That's just off of the
[1:27:32] beaches. Obviously important there. This
[1:27:34] is a regional collaboration as I
[1:27:36] mentioned state assembly districts 69
[1:27:38] and 72. The San Gabriel River working
[1:27:41] group was ch co-chared by council member
[1:27:43] calm and assembly member Dixon. Also
[1:27:46] interest from uh state senate district
[1:27:48] 36 cities of seal beach and long beach
[1:27:50] counties of Los Angeles and Orange
[1:27:52] County Surf Rider Foundation and various
[1:27:54] other interested uh entities including
[1:27:56] environmental groups and special guests.
[1:27:59] So what is being done now? As I said,
[1:28:01] the feasibility study has been posted.
[1:28:03] Now that phase is effectively complete
[1:28:06] and uh that study talks about 15 to 17
[1:28:10] locations depending how you count the A
[1:28:11] and B's of different technologies, but
[1:28:13] effectively it says these are the the
[1:28:15] things that you could do from a
[1:28:17] feasibility standpoint within the San
[1:28:18] Gabriel River and it ranks those. It
[1:28:21] gives you a priority of prioritization
[1:28:23] of those based on feasibility. It's a
[1:28:25] feasibility study. Also, it talks about
[1:28:28] environmental considerations. Um, sea
[1:28:30] turtles were discussed exclusively
[1:28:32] there. There's a comment about that
[1:28:33] earlier. We met with the aquarium of the
[1:28:34] Pacific. I think Mayor Pro Tim Wong and
[1:28:36] I were both at one of the events where
[1:28:38] we were releasing a a green sea turtle
[1:28:39] that was caught up in trash. So, we're
[1:28:41] trying to balance how do we protect the
[1:28:43] wildlife from the trash before they get
[1:28:45] capped, you know, caught up in that and
[1:28:46] then have to be released later. Also,
[1:28:48] there was stakeholder collaboration as
[1:28:50] part of that feasibility study as well.
[1:28:52] So, that is effectively complete that
[1:28:55] phase. Now, the second phase is looking
[1:28:57] at projects. uh that comes into the part
[1:28:59] partnership with the ocean cleanup. And
[1:29:01] so theou is asking a few things. one,
[1:29:04] it's identifying the agencies involved
[1:29:07] or the organizations involved and it's
[1:29:09] the city of Seal Beach, Los Angeles
[1:29:11] County, uh because they have
[1:29:13] jurisdiction in the flood control
[1:29:14] district and it's the ocean cleanup
[1:29:17] which is the the funding element of this
[1:29:21] and a technical expert uh worldwide on
[1:29:24] solutions um like those being evaluated.
[1:29:28] The Los Angeles County Board of
[1:29:30] Supervisors is targeting a February date
[1:29:32] to do a similar action to what you all
[1:29:34] are considering this evening to take
[1:29:36] this upon uh their board for
[1:29:38] authorization for their CEO to execute
[1:29:41] the sameou.
[1:29:43] What is the city being asked to do as
[1:29:45] part of thisou? I know you have the
[1:29:47] documents in front of you, but just to
[1:29:48] be clear about that, the city's being
[1:29:50] asked to help with future permitting
[1:29:52] elements to the extent they relate to
[1:29:55] the city of Seal Beach's jurisdiction,
[1:29:56] potentially a bridge or something like
[1:29:58] that. They're being asked to provide the
[1:30:00] feasibility study at its conclusion.
[1:30:02] Well, as I said, that's been completed
[1:30:04] and we will provide that if the board if
[1:30:06] the uh city council approves theou. So,
[1:30:08] that's effectively complete. The third
[1:30:11] thing is to share any data related to
[1:30:12] the San Gabriel River. We talked about
[1:30:14] the trash data earlier and any other
[1:30:17] hydraulic data which is easy and we've
[1:30:19] been sharing that already. So
[1:30:20] effectively the city has completed most
[1:30:23] of its tasks um already to comply with
[1:30:26] it with its portion of the MOU. That's
[1:30:28] great news. Um the other great news is
[1:30:31] that if LA County uh signs theou which
[1:30:35] we don't have a reason to believe they
[1:30:37] won't. They've agreed to this point they
[1:30:39] agree to take on the operations and
[1:30:40] maintenance for a future project. And
[1:30:42] that is not a small dollar amount
[1:30:43] either. And then of course the ocean
[1:30:45] cleanup agrees to implement a project
[1:30:47] after it's studied and has the proper
[1:30:49] community outreach and analysis and all
[1:30:51] those elements. So the Seal Beach uh the
[1:30:53] city of Seal Beach effectively gets a
[1:30:55] project delivered to them uh at no um
[1:31:01] material cost if you will to the city.
[1:31:04] It has a material benefit certainly and
[1:31:06] staff time will be engaged in all of
[1:31:08] that but but the cost of those things
[1:31:10] are largely borne by other agencies. So
[1:31:12] that's why I think it's a great um
[1:31:14] position for the city to be in with
[1:31:15] thisou
[1:31:17] quick on the expected benefits of the
[1:31:19] community obviously cleaner beaches
[1:31:20] improving public health protection of
[1:31:22] the marine wildlife that we talked about
[1:31:24] before and sensitive habitats reduce the
[1:31:26] city maintenance costs over time. If you
[1:31:28] reduce that 500 tons of trash annually
[1:31:30] that has to be collected off the beach,
[1:31:32] that improves your maintenance, better
[1:31:34] water quality along the coastline,
[1:31:36] obviously, and then a more engaged
[1:31:37] informed community.
[1:31:39] So, uh, I mentioned that and then how
[1:31:41] people can stay involved. As I mentioned
[1:31:42] earlier, the the website is up and
[1:31:44] running now. It's, uh, www.sgrcleup.com.
[1:31:48] The feasibility study is posted there,
[1:31:51] but I just wanted to lay out the whole
[1:31:53] story for you here and how the
[1:31:54] feasibility study differs from a
[1:31:56] potential future project, which is what
[1:31:57] this memorandum of understanding is
[1:31:59] linked to. And with that, I'd be happy
[1:32:01] to take any questions. I appreciate
[1:32:02] working with uh the council and the city
[1:32:04] staff on this initiative.
[1:32:06] >> Thank you very much. Any comments?
[1:32:09] » Thank you very much. Any comments?
[1:32:09] Questions?
[1:32:10] >> Um just a quick comment. Um, one thing I
[1:32:13] » Um just a quick comment. Um, one thing I
[1:32:13] learned, um, recently that when this
[1:32:15] trash is coming down, that it, uh, it's
[1:32:19] not a one-time beach, go out and clean
[1:32:21] it up. That trash goes out and we, it
[1:32:23] cycles to us for like three weeks
[1:32:26] because the tide is taking it out and if
[1:32:28] we didn't catch it on a cleanup, then
[1:32:29] it's out. It comes back. So, it's like
[1:32:31] this three week cycle of continual trash
[1:32:35] coming in on the beaches. And of course
[1:32:37] the um we're lucky we have volunteers,
[1:32:40] you know, and we're very much
[1:32:41] appreciative of all the volunteer hours,
[1:32:44] but also our public works, you know, and
[1:32:46] we're cleaning those beaches. We have a
[1:32:47] lot of equipment out there. And so um I
[1:32:50] just want to recognize the um the
[1:32:52] volunteers, but also our public works in
[1:32:54] terms of the cost, you know, the um M&R
[1:32:57] costs uh um to our budget. And so um
[1:33:00] really want to appreciate that. But and
[1:33:02] also um during those three weeks of
[1:33:05] trash in, trash out, trash in, you know,
[1:33:07] it you know, families don't want to use
[1:33:09] the beach, right? You're worried about
[1:33:12] the stuff that you find in the sand and
[1:33:14] you don't want your kids playing in it
[1:33:15] and then you don't want your your kids
[1:33:17] surfing in it because you don't know,
[1:33:19] you know, what's out there and how much.
[1:33:20] So, um I think this is a really
[1:33:22] important um thing for us to do and
[1:33:25] thank Joe for the leadership getting us
[1:33:27] started on that path and um I'm going to
[1:33:30] support this when we go to vote. But um
[1:33:32] I think it's this is a great thing for
[1:33:34] us to be doing.
[1:33:38] >> Any comments?
[1:33:39] » Any comments?
[1:33:39] >> No.
[1:33:40] » No.
[1:33:40] I was just wondering um is there any
[1:33:43] participation um responsibility for the
[1:33:46] 60 plus LA County cities upstream to
[1:33:51] mitigate the trash that's coming from
[1:33:53] their cities going into the river to get
[1:33:55] to us?
[1:33:57] >> That's a great question. Uh mayor, thank
[1:33:59] » That's a great question. Uh mayor, thank
[1:33:59] you for that. Um
[1:34:02] I will answer this in two ways. First,
[1:34:04] there's not a solution to um ask those
[1:34:07] cities to pay for a fair share partly
[1:34:09] because we don't know what that fair
[1:34:10] share would be at this point. Uh the
[1:34:12] feasibility study does talk about
[1:34:14] hydraulics, how the water moves in the
[1:34:16] rivers, and it talks about the
[1:34:19] percentage of the watershed capture at
[1:34:21] each of the evaluation points. But we
[1:34:24] are not yet able to determine where uh
[1:34:27] specifically those are coming from. We
[1:34:29] are just saying at these points, how can
[1:34:30] we address that trash? So that's the
[1:34:33] first answer, more technical one. The
[1:34:35] second one is that uh we've been working
[1:34:37] with the ocean cleanup to help them
[1:34:38] install cameras that have advanced
[1:34:41] technologies at key locations uh using
[1:34:44] AI and other um technologies which are
[1:34:47] proprietary to them to look at the trash
[1:34:49] and try to evaluate actual volumes and
[1:34:52] materials of that trash. Meaning is it
[1:34:55] debris? Is it plastic? What what is
[1:34:57] that? to try to see if we can more
[1:35:00] accurately uh predict where that is
[1:35:03] coming from. So, it's unlikely that
[1:35:05] we'll get down to uh an individual city
[1:35:08] of 60, but we're at least trying to to
[1:35:10] see if we can divide it by areas
[1:35:13] in case there's a need for future
[1:35:15] assignment of financial responsibility
[1:35:17] for that.
[1:35:18] >> Perfect. Thank you.
[1:35:19] » Perfect. Thank you.
[1:35:19] >> Yes,
[1:35:20] » Yes,
[1:35:20] >> I have a question. Um I know that we
[1:35:24] » I have a question. Um I know that we
[1:35:24] installed them a couple of years ago in
[1:35:26] Leisure World. Uh, and it's a a state
[1:35:29] law or requirement that all of the uh,
[1:35:33] what do you call those? The catch that
[1:35:34] we put in what? Can you describe that
[1:35:37] for me? Uh, Iris,
[1:35:38] >> they're the uh, catch pace and trash
[1:35:40] » they're the uh, catch pace and trash
[1:35:40] inserts.
[1:35:41] >> Yeah. All of our water uh, inputs where
[1:35:45] » Yeah. All of our water uh, inputs where
[1:35:45] the water goes into the storm drains. I
[1:35:48] don't know what you call that particular
[1:35:49] part part there, but that's the storm
[1:35:51] drains all in leisure world have a catch
[1:35:54] on them and they get cleaned out on a
[1:35:55] frequent basis. And I understood that to
[1:35:57] be uh kind of like the law of the land
[1:35:59] that everybody in California has got to
[1:36:01] install those by a certain date. Don't
[1:36:03] don't our upriver neighbors have to have
[1:36:06] those installed as well?
[1:36:08] >> It's a good question, Council Member
[1:36:09] » It's a good question, Council Member
[1:36:09] Ste. I'll do my best to answer what
[1:36:11] you're talking about is the tier one
[1:36:12] compliance for the storm water program.
[1:36:15] County, I used to work for the county.
[1:36:16] Some of you may know I used to run some
[1:36:18] of that program. Every city we've talked
[1:36:19] to have said they're in full compliance
[1:36:21] with that tier one mandate. So what that
[1:36:24] leads us to then is the trash is being
[1:36:27] uh provided or implemented or put into
[1:36:32] the system after those catch basins
[1:36:35] >> from bridges overcrossing or direct
[1:36:37] » from bridges overcrossing or direct
[1:36:37] introduction through illegal dumping
[1:36:39] >> or if you have you know maybe a person's
[1:36:41] » or if you have you know maybe a person's
[1:36:41] experiencing homelessness.
[1:36:42] >> Yeah, I know it's not meant to catch it
[1:36:44] » Yeah, I know it's not meant to catch it
[1:36:44] all and I I'm sure there are many other
[1:36:46] entry points too but uh I would hope
[1:36:49] that would help anyway. it cost us
[1:36:51] 400,000 or something like that. So
[1:36:54] >> that does work in combination also with
[1:36:56] » that does work in combination also with
[1:36:56] street sweeping. That's another part of
[1:36:57] the clean water program,
[1:36:58] >> right?
[1:36:59] » right?
[1:36:59] >> Um another reason why this I think is
[1:37:01] » Um another reason why this I think is
[1:37:01] good for Orange County cities is that LA
[1:37:03] County has a measure W, which is a storm
[1:37:05] water and quality effort to generate
[1:37:07] revenue. Orange County does not have
[1:37:08] that. So there's very minimal ways to to
[1:37:11] do projects like this locally.
[1:37:13] Appreciate your comments.
[1:37:14] >> Thank you. Any more questions?
[1:37:17] » Thank you. Any more questions?
[1:37:17] We'll make a motion to move the item.
[1:37:20] >> Is there a second?
[1:37:21] » Is there a second?
[1:37:21] >> Second.
[1:37:24] » Second.
[1:37:24] >> It has been moved by council member
[1:37:25] » It has been moved by council member
[1:37:25] Synagle and it has been second by Mayor
[1:37:27] Pro Tim Wong. Mayor Proim Wong, how do
[1:37:30] you vote?
[1:37:31] >> Yes.
[1:37:31] » Yes.
[1:37:31] >> Council member Synagle, how do you vote?
[1:37:33] » Council member Synagle, how do you vote?
[1:37:33] >> Yes.
[1:37:33] » Yes.
[1:37:33] >> Council member Calm, how do you vote?
[1:37:35] » Council member Calm, how do you vote?
[1:37:35] >> Yes.
[1:37:35] » Yes.
[1:37:35] >> Council member Still, how do you vote?
[1:37:37] » Council member Still, how do you vote?
[1:37:37] >> Yes.
[1:37:37] » Yes.
[1:37:37] >> Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:37:39] » Mayor Landau, how do you vote?
[1:37:39] >> Yes.
[1:37:39] » Yes.
[1:37:39] >> Motion carries. Five votes yes.
[1:37:41] » Motion carries. Five votes yes.
[1:37:41] >> Thank you very much.
[1:37:42] » Thank you very much.
[1:37:42] >> Thank you very much, Shane.
[1:37:46] » Thank you very much, Shane.
[1:37:46] Okay. It is a with a very heavy heart
[1:37:50] that tonight's meeting will be adjourned
[1:37:52] in memory of Marcus Mchasanova,
[1:37:56] a local 19-year-old boy who passed away
[1:37:58] in a tragic hiking accident on Mount
[1:38:00] Baldi on December 29th, 2025.
[1:38:04] He was a Seal Beach native since 2011.
[1:38:06] And he loved everything about this town.
[1:38:09] He attended Mcgallo Elementary School,
[1:38:12] Oak Middle School, and Los Alamos High
[1:38:14] School. He was a freshman at Santa Clara
[1:38:16] University's Ley School of Business.
[1:38:19] Marcus loved the outdoors with a kind of
[1:38:22] wholehearted joy that was impossible to
[1:38:24] miss. Hiking the local mountains,
[1:38:26] sailing off of Seal Beach's coast,
[1:38:28] rowing, fishing, and surfing in and
[1:38:31] around Seal Beach, skiing, free diving.
[1:38:33] If it put him outside, he was all in.
[1:38:36] The outdoors weren't just recreation for
[1:38:38] Marcus. It was where he felt most alive,
[1:38:41] most himself. He also loved sharing that
[1:38:44] joy. Marcus was a sailing instructor at
[1:38:46] Leeway Sailing Center in Long Beach. He
[1:38:49] had a natural way with kids. Patient,
[1:38:52] encouraging, and generous with his time.
[1:38:54] Helping young people discover
[1:38:55] confidence, freedom, and wonder through
[1:38:58] outdoor experiences mattered deeply to
[1:39:00] him. The family has set up an outdoor
[1:39:03] scholarship fund in his name, the
[1:39:05] Marquitos Adventure Club. All proceeds
[1:39:08] are donated to organizations that help
[1:39:10] underserved kids experience the joy of
[1:39:12] outdoors. Uh there is a GoFundMe. It's
[1:39:15] gofundme.comfarquito
[1:39:19] adventure club. As a community, we are
[1:39:22] saddened by this tragic loss and offer
[1:39:24] our support and prayers for his family
[1:39:27] during this unimaginably difficult time.
[1:39:30] I will now adjourn tonight's city
[1:39:32] council meeting in memory of Marcus
[1:39:36] Mchasanova to Monday, January 26, 2026
[1:39:40] at 5:30 p.m. to meet in close session if
[1:39:43] deemed necessary.
[1:39:45] Thank you and have a good night.
[1:39:48] [applause]