[0:02] Good evening. We're going to uh call our
[0:04] city council special meeting to order
[0:06] for August uh 25th, 2026. And right now
[0:10] the time is 5:30 p.m.
[0:12] Uh we want to welcome everyone here in
[0:14] the audience and and at home. Our first
[0:18] business order of business is roll call.
[0:22] » Councilmember Hogan?
[0:23] » Here.
[0:24] » Councilmember Lilburn? She has an
[0:26] excused absence due to a conflict of
[0:28] interest requiring recusal from the sole
[0:31] item on tonight's agenda.
[0:33] Councilmember McMillan?
[0:34] » Here.
[0:35] » Councilmember Saldana?
[0:36] » Here.
[0:37] » And Councilmember Timber?
[0:38] » Present.
[0:40] » All right. At this time, we are going to
[0:43] move on to public comment and I'm going
[0:45] to look to uh our city clerk to read us
[0:47] into public comment.
[0:49] » Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. At this time,
[0:51] we will open the public comment period.
[0:52] Members of the public may address the
[0:54] city council matters that are within the
[0:55] city's jurisdiction and they're only
[0:58] listed on the agenda. I don't see any
[1:01] public speakers um remotely or in
[1:04] person.
[1:05] » Okay.
[1:06] » And no emailed public comments either
[1:08] submitted by email.
[1:09] » Excellent. Thank you. Okay, we're going
[1:11] to move on to the uh legislative item on
[1:13] the agenda, actions related to the
[1:15] Highland Senior Center HVAC systems. And
[1:17] I'm going to look to Octavio for a
[1:19] presentation.
[1:21] » Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem, city
[1:23] council. Uh tonight we'd like to provide
[1:25] an update on the Highland Senior Center
[1:26] HVAC project and uh seek direction from
[1:29] the council regarding completion of the
[1:31] project using uh CDBG and additional
[1:34] city funds.
[1:35] Um as a reminder, uh city's awarded uh
[1:38] about $180,000 in CDBG funding through
[1:42] the county in 2024 and this is part of
[1:45] um COVID relief funds and um the um
[1:51] the purpose of that grant, the county
[1:53] suggested
[1:54] um the Highland Senior Center as a
[1:56] viable candidate for for those funds. Uh
[2:00] So, the project was intended to address
[2:02] the Highland Senior Center's three
[2:04] existing
[2:05] HVAC systems, aging system.
[2:08] This project was seen as critical given
[2:11] it serves our senior community and it's
[2:13] also one of two cooling centers in the
[2:16] region.
[2:17] Or if you know, that's open to our
[2:19] Highland
[2:20] residents.
[2:22] This project facilitated by the city
[2:25] and the grant requires that all work be
[2:27] completed by September 30th
[2:30] in order to
[2:32] you know, get costs reimbursed.
[2:35] Since the approval,
[2:37] the project's encountered um
[2:40] challenge after challenge,
[2:42] unforeseen circumstances.
[2:44] When we first started the project, it
[2:46] was intended to be a
[2:48] really a like-for-like replacement.
[2:51] We took a look at the existing
[2:53] equipment, worked with the
[2:56] the vendor, the manufacturer of that
[2:58] equipment and we asked for proposal to
[3:01] really replace those units in kind. At
[3:04] the time,
[3:05] we received a proposal to replace all
[3:08] three systems for about $120,000.
[3:12] Concurrently,
[3:14] because this this was on a
[3:16] the building is owned by the state, we
[3:18] needed approval from the state to move
[3:20] forward with the project. You know, fast
[3:22] forward after you know, a couple years
[3:24] of coordination,
[3:26] we were finally given direction to
[3:29] provide engineered plans and receive
[3:32] approval from the state fire marshal. Um
[3:35] This happened roughly this past spring.
[3:39] Because time was of the essence, so even
[3:41] though I said the
[3:43] the grant expires or the deadline for
[3:45] the grant was September is September
[3:47] 30th,
[3:48] at one point in time it was June 30th
[3:51] and we were able to get an extension to
[3:52] keep the project alive, keep it going
[3:54] given the circumstance.
[3:56] Um so that's one important important
[3:57] piece there as far as timing's
[3:59] concerned.
[4:00] Uh so because time was of the essence,
[4:02] uh we engaged one of our on-call
[4:04] engineering firms, WSP, who's
[4:07] uh well-versed in this type of work, has
[4:09] worked with the state getting approvals
[4:11] from the State Fire Marshal office.
[4:13] And um
[4:15] uh we received we we completed those
[4:18] those plans and we received approval
[4:19] from the state. Uh but that effort alone
[4:21] was uh roughly $43,000.
[4:24] Um and um
[4:27] once we had those plans in place, we
[4:29] reached out to a carrier who had
[4:30] provided the proposal prior. And uh we
[4:33] determined that
[4:35] uh the the cost had significantly
[4:37] increased due to additional items that
[4:40] the state required to be
[4:42] uh done for the project. So it was no
[4:44] longer a like-for-like uh you know, in
[4:47] kind replacement. We had to do a bunch
[4:48] of duct work and um
[4:51] uh other uh construction-related items
[4:53] to to meet the the state requirement. Um
[4:57] uh but all hope was not lost. Um we
[4:59] pivoted rather than focusing on three
[5:01] systems like we initially planned.
[5:04] Uh we were able to still um
[5:06] you know, deliver a project and and
[5:08] deliver two systems, uh or so we
[5:11] thought.
[5:12] Um
[5:14] Once we reached out to uh Carrier uh
[5:17] to move forward with with a new proposal
[5:19] that had given us um
[5:21] uh for the two systems,
[5:23] uh
[5:24] they let us know uh that equipment was
[5:26] no longer available and it would take uh
[5:29] about 12 weeks to actually get that
[5:31] equipment. Uh that wouldn't work with
[5:33] the timeline of the grant, so we had to
[5:35] pivot once more.
[5:37] Um
[5:38] we engaged our engineer and um other
[5:41] uh vendors to try to find an alternate
[5:43] substitute for for these systems or for
[5:46] the HVAC system.
[5:47] We were able to uh
[5:49] find that train
[5:51] um would be able to provide alternate
[5:54] units and they were, you know,
[5:57] ready,
[5:58] um available, and they could deliver it
[6:01] within the grant timeline.
[6:02] Um the the issue was um
[6:06] they couldn't secure the
[6:09] piece of equipment without a signed
[6:11] purchase order. Given the experience
[6:13] that we had had with Carrier,
[6:15] uh we moved forward with signing a
[6:17] purchase order for just one system
[6:20] um because there was an unknown of of
[6:22] labor. Uh they were concurrently
[6:25] reviewing the scope
[6:27] uh make sure that they uh
[6:29] uh gave us a an accurate labor cost for
[6:32] the installation of that unit and we
[6:33] also um asked for quotes for for the
[6:36] rest of the the systems.
[6:39] Uh unfortunately, the cost of all three
[6:41] systems, um much like before, was beyond
[6:44] the budget um and uh we focused on a
[6:47] single system.
[6:48] Um
[6:50] and um
[6:51] you know, uh to our surprise, the the
[6:54] cost of that single system had increased
[6:57] significantly compared to the cost that
[6:59] we had seen before.
[7:00] Uh for that single system, just the
[7:02] labor uh was $156,000.
[7:06] So, combined with the equipment that we
[7:08] had reserved,
[7:09] uh we were looking at $191,000
[7:12] for one of three systems.
[7:15] Um
[7:16] so, uh the the total project cost,
[7:19] including engineering, permits,
[7:23] um and a you know, we're
[7:27] um
[7:28] we're requesting a 20 uh roughly a 10%
[7:31] contingency, so $20,000,
[7:33] uh you're looking um uh
[7:37] a deficit of roughly $81,000
[7:41] um uh, to to able to complete a single
[7:44] system.
[7:45] Um, and and that's that's really where
[7:48] we are right now. Um,
[7:50] to date we've spent, uh, $55,000 on on
[7:54] this project and
[7:56] uh, one important consideration is that
[7:58] uh, so not only do we have the grant
[8:00] deadline, uh, but one piece that's, uh,
[8:02] required is that we deliver the project
[8:04] to be able to,
[8:06] uh, get the, uh, the money that we've
[8:08] already spent reimbursed.
[8:10] Um,
[8:12] when you take out the $20,000
[8:14] contingency, uh, the cost of moving
[8:17] forward with the project is $61,000.
[8:22] Um, and um,
[8:24] you know, with that, I you know, I'd
[8:26] like to conclude my presentation and
[8:27] open it up to any questions you might
[8:29] have.
[8:32] » I I
[8:33] uh, Mr. Chair,
[8:34] I'm confused.
[8:36] Uh,
[8:38] I was reading the list of, uh, of, uh,
[8:41] materials and it looks like there's a
[8:43] air conditioning unit and a heat pump.
[8:46] Are they two separate units or one
[8:49] together?
[8:50] » So, um, I'll I'll I'll provide, uh,
[8:53] a response, but I also have Jim
[8:55] Richardson here who's, uh, I call him an
[8:57] HVAC expert and can better explain it.
[9:00] Uh, but how it works, it's it's a
[9:02] system. So, I think I probably used unit
[9:05] and system interchangeably. So, you have
[9:08] three systems and you have a combination
[9:12] of
[9:13] um, two to four units per system. It's
[9:17] kind of depends on the build. Uh, so,
[9:20] uh, in this particular case, we would
[9:22] be, uh, if if the council chooses to
[9:24] move forward, we would be completing uh,
[9:27] one of the three systems. I I believe it
[9:30] was, you know, three units, both heating
[9:32] and ventilating and, uh, air
[9:33] conditioning.
[9:34] » So,
[9:35] so we're in essence we're replacing unit
[9:38] with a heat pump,
[9:40] which does air conditioning and heating
[9:42] at the same time.
[9:43] » Yeah, I'll I'll call Jim who can better
[9:45] explain it.
[9:52] » You got to turn the mic on.
[9:57] » So, uh the unit that's being replaced
[10:00] that is uh still in this uh
[10:04] request is a Trane.
[10:07] The outdoor unit is a Trane
[10:09] uh condenser and the indoor part is make
[10:13] made up of two
[10:15] uh
[10:16] fan coil units that are sistered
[10:18] together
[10:19] into one uh plenum
[10:22] and it's because of the space that's in
[10:24] the building is limited. So, it actually
[10:26] takes two units inside to two five-ton
[10:30] units inside
[10:32] uh fan coil units
[10:34] that are coupled with the outdoor 10-ton
[10:37] unit.
[10:39] If that makes sense.
[10:42] » Well, I
[10:43] I don't understand, but but uh I know uh
[10:47] at AQMD, we're trying to get everyone to
[10:49] use heat pumps instead of H you know,
[10:52] air conditioning systems.
[10:55] But,
[10:56] » I can confirm that it is uh it's all
[10:58] electric heat pump. It's We The existing
[11:01] unit is gas electric and the new unit is
[11:05] all electric.
[11:06] » Okay. Okay.
[11:07] Thank you.
[11:08] Question uh for
[11:11] Tish, I guess. The uh 81,000
[11:14] is it that's coming from our general
[11:16] fund?
[11:20] » Yeah, it would come from the general
[11:22] fund because we can't use special
[11:23] revenue funds to fund a project like
[11:25] this. You can only use general fund. So,
[11:28] we'll be using our general capital
[11:29] financing fund
[11:31] technically.
[11:33] If you choose to do so.
[11:34] » Being reimbursed by community
[11:36] development.
[11:36] » We're only being reimbursed for 178,000
[11:40] and some change, and the rest is what we
[11:42] have to actually pay out of pocket as
[11:44] is.
[11:44] » And we're paying for a project that's
[11:45] not in the city?
[11:46] » Correct.
[11:48] But it directly benefits our residents
[11:50] is why we're allowed to actually even
[11:51] consider it. Yeah.
[11:54] Only from the general fund money. We
[11:56] can't use any of our special revenue
[11:57] accounts to fund it.
[12:00] » Um I have a question for Octavio and and
[12:02] I guess Jim.
[12:03] Um so you you mentioned that we were
[12:05] initially we were going to install three
[12:06] systems, and then because of time and
[12:10] the permitting process and that, you
[12:11] know,
[12:12] uh those constraints that we narrowed it
[12:14] down to one system.
[12:16] Will that one system be sufficient to
[12:18] cool off the building to to be Is it
[12:20] adequate enough to call it a cooling
[12:22] center for our seniors?
[12:26] » Yeah, so so the
[12:28] the system serve different portions of
[12:32] uh the center.
[12:33] Um
[12:35] I mean officially, I don't I don't know
[12:37] what um the requirements for a cooling
[12:40] center would be, but
[12:43] um
[12:44] you know,
[12:45] moving forward with with this would
[12:47] provide the the adequate cooling um
[12:50] within portions of of the senior center
[12:52] and
[12:52] » And you know, it is assuming the the
[12:54] main the general areas like where they
[12:56] congregate and do some most of the
[12:58] activities.
[12:59] » Yes, so so the
[13:02] the systems are
[13:04] functioning now, so it's serving as a
[13:07] cooling center as is. However, there's a
[13:09] lot of maintenance uh issues and uh the
[13:12] system tends to be down pretty
[13:14] frequently, so uh moving forward uh with
[13:17] this uh may address this at least, you
[13:19] know, one of the three aging systems.
[13:21] » Okay.
[13:23] Okay, any
[13:25] Larry?
[13:26] » Uh
[13:27] Well, I would
[13:28] I would definitely support and move the
[13:31] the project forward. However, since
[13:33] we're using general fund money,
[13:36] uh
[13:37] I would like to ask the city manager as
[13:40] part of this motion to seek
[13:43] reimbursement from the state or and
[13:45] county to replace the general fund money
[13:47] since we are in essence donating to the
[13:50] senior center.
[13:53] » And if I may respond to that, um so we
[13:56] will certainly try to do that. Um but
[13:58] just to be clear, you know, we don't
[14:00] have the time to get that approved ahead
[14:02] of time because we have September Yeah,
[14:04] so we will definitely
[14:06] um both approach um
[14:09] you know, the state and also the county
[14:12] uh for effectively a reimbursement to
[14:14] the city for the local funds we're going
[14:16] to spend.
[14:17] » Especially the state since they're the
[14:18] ones that causing this additional funds
[14:21] to be needed.
[14:22] » Surely.
[14:22] » Right.
[14:23] » Yes.
[14:24] » Okay, so I've got a motion.
[14:27] » I second.
[14:29] » And I second. I got a motion from
[14:30] McAllen and a second from Hogan.
[14:33] Uh all those in favor?
[14:35] » Aye.
[14:35] » Aye.
[14:37] » Any opposed?
[14:38] » Just to follow up on I just want to make
[14:41] sure it's a reflect in the minutes what
[14:43] Larry just discussed. I have heartburn
[14:45] spending general fund money outside the
[14:48] city even though it does probably
[14:51] service a lot of Island citizens in a
[14:54] state building which required us to put
[14:57] increased costs into this project in
[15:00] their building.
[15:02] Government is running absolutely amok.
[15:05] I mean
[15:07] » I I agree with you, John. I
[15:09] if I may share while I was out
[15:11] canvassing for my campaign and speaking
[15:13] to some of these seniors,
[15:14] a lot of them that are on fixed budgets
[15:16] don't want to run the AC system, you
[15:18] know, they they can't afford to it and
[15:21] it being 109° outside today, I can only
[15:24] imagine what you know how they're
[15:25] suffering. So, us being able to provide
[15:28] this, even if it is a state building, us
[15:30] being able to provide this for them, I
[15:31] think, you know, it's a step in the
[15:33] » Well, I understand I approve the
[15:34] project, but there's just heartburn that
[15:37] the state's requiring us to do extra
[15:39] things to get this project through in
[15:42] their building to service citizens of
[15:45] the county, Highland, and the state of
[15:48] California. Makes absolutely no sense.
[15:50] But,
[15:51] » Hopefully Carlos can get us that money
[15:53] reimbursed, but okay.
[15:55] » And and then just to be clear, as part
[15:56] of the recommendation by city council,
[15:59] we do have an eighth item, and that is
[16:01] for the city manager to seek
[16:03] reimbursement from the state and/or the
[16:04] county for the city's share. So, just
[16:07] want to put that into the record.
[16:08] » Into the record, yes.
[16:09] » Yes, thank you.
[16:10] » Okay. Does that require a separate vote?
[16:12] That's just
[16:14] » No, that was It's all part of the same
[16:15] vote that the council
[16:17] » Okay. Um if we don't have any other
[16:19] items, uh we will adjourn.
[16:21] » Now, can I ask a question? This is not
[16:24] on the agenda. It's it's off the agenda,
[16:26] but it's we're not going to ask or make
[16:28] a decision. I'd like an update
[16:31] on the stolen cameras.
[16:34] Uh makes no sense that
[16:37] How are they stealing on a pole that's
[16:39] 30 or 40 ft in the air unless you've got
[16:41] a boom truck? And can we get an update
[16:44] where that's at and what do we have what
[16:47] information we have about the theft? It
[16:49] just to me is what mind-boggling.
[16:51] » Yeah, so I'll I'll I'll be brief because
[16:53] it's not an item on the agenda, but just
[16:55] as part of my updates that I would give
[16:57] to the council, I suppose I can take a
[16:59] few minutes to cover that item. Um what
[17:02] I can tell you is that we did have
[17:03] vandalism at three separate locations. I
[17:06] could tell you that Captain Dean is
[17:09] making this a priority for him. They are
[17:11] going to
[17:12] catch the people. They No, they they
[17:15] They there's there's vandalism. They're
[17:16] cutting the poles. They're damaging the
[17:18] equipment.
[17:19] » The poles most of them are on traffic
[17:21] signal poles.
[17:22] » Actually
[17:23] there are some that are not. There are
[17:25] on poles. In fact, the one that
[17:27] just to give you a point of reference,
[17:29] there's one right there in front of the
[17:30] Starbucks on Baseline at the 210 Freeway
[17:33] and it's in the median and you can see
[17:35] it. It's it's visible. It's about the
[17:38] height of
[17:39] you know a street street sign like a
[17:41] street name sign or or a stop sign. So
[17:43] it's a pole of that height. So not all
[17:47] cameras are set up higher in elevation,
[17:50] but that is something that we're looking
[17:52] to do in order to
[17:53] » So they're basically being stolen low
[17:55] elevated.
[17:57] » Correct. Cameras that are accessible.
[17:59] Obviously people shouldn't be doing
[18:00] that, but the fact of the matter is
[18:03] they're there.
[18:04] They are accessible. All they have to do
[18:06] is cut the pole and they're the camera
[18:09] will come down with the panel with solar
[18:11] panel and everything. So this is an
[18:13] issue.
[18:15] And so we we are working with Flock to
[18:17] get those cameras replaced, but we're
[18:20] also working the PD is also working
[18:22] » Pole I hope.
[18:23] » Right. We're looking at those yeah, so
[18:25] that we don't necessarily
[18:27] put them right back where it was because
[18:29] obviously we need to take a different
[18:31] approach.
[18:31] » I don't think we should continue talking
[18:34] about where the cameras are and how high
[18:35] they are.
[18:36] » Yeah.
[18:37] » And and um since this item is not on the
[18:39] agenda, I I would recommend that we wrap
[18:41] up the discussion as well.
[18:43] » Thank you, Marcella. Okay, with that we
[18:45] will adjourn.
[18:47] » Thanks for patience.
[18:53] » I was just envisioning how they climb