City Council Meeting

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[1:27] Test, test, one, two.
[1:51] Testing, one, two.
[10:56] Hope we got it like that.
[10:57] Test test, one, two, one, two.
[11:53] Test.
[15:05] And then you have the button Raise Hand,
[15:06] Lower Hand there too.
[15:14] Thank you.
[15:44] One, two, test.
[20:27] Good evening.
[20:28] I'd like to call the regular meeting
[20:29] of La Palma City Council, Tuesday, August 4, 2026
[20:32] to order.
[20:33] We are going to go to closed session,
[20:35] and I'm going to pass it to our legal counsel to have
[20:40] our closed session items.
[20:41] Thank you, Mayor.
[20:42] We're going to meet in closed session
[20:44] to discuss two items, as listed on the agenda.
[20:47] The first is CS-1, conference with legal counsel, existing
[20:50] litigation, pursuant to paragraph 1 of subdivision
[20:53] d of California Government Code, Section 54956.9.
[20:58] The name of the case is Misty Torres versus City of La Palma.
[21:01] The case number is OCSC 30-2026-01561451-CU-OE-NJC.
[21:13] And the second item is CS-2, conference with legal counsel,
[21:16] anticipated litigation, initiation of litigation,
[21:20] pursuant to paragraph 4 of subdivision
[21:22] d of California Government Code Section 54956.9.
[21:27] The number of potential cases there is one.
[21:30] Thank you, City Attorney.
[21:32] I'll be calling for public comments at this time.
[21:34] I will begin with anyone that would like to speak
[21:36] in the council chambers.
[21:38] Is there anybody here?
[21:40] No?
[21:40] OK.
[21:41] And then I will be calling now on anyone
[21:43] that is joining telephonically.
[21:44] City Clerk, do we have--
[21:46] Madam Clerk, do we have anybody?
[21:47] We have no members joining telephonically at this time.
[21:49] For those joining telephonically,
[21:52] please raise your hand.
[21:52] And at this time, press 9 or raise your hand button
[21:56] at the bottom of your screen.
[21:57] But Madam Clerk said we don't have anybody.
[21:59] We have no one.
[22:00] OK, thank you.
[22:03] I'm going to recess into closed session.
[25:42] We'll turn this on.
[25:43] We're here for the regular meeting of La Palma City
[25:45] Council, Tuesday, August 4, 2026, which we started at 6
[25:49] o'clock for closed session.
[25:51] I'm going to pass it to our city attorney first.
[25:54] Thank you, Mayor.
[25:55] The council met in closed session on items CS-1 and CS-2,
[25:59] as listed on the agenda.
[26:00] There's no reportable action from either of the two items.
[26:04] That concludes my closed session report.
[26:07] Thank you, City Attorney.
[26:08] We are going to go to the Pledge of Allegiance,
[26:11] led by Council Member Waldman, and then the invocation
[26:14] by Saint Irenaeus Catholic Church Father Mark Cruz.
[26:19] Please stand and remain standing.
[26:23] Place your right hand over your heart or a salute.
[26:26] Please begin.
[26:28] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
[26:33] and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
[26:38] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[26:53] O living God, as we begin this city council meeting,
[26:55] we ask you to pour out your gifts of wisdom,
[26:58] compassion, and integrity and peace
[27:01] upon all who are gathered here.
[27:02] We entrust to your loving care Mayor Nitesh Patel, Mayor Pro
[27:07] Tem Debbie Baker, Council Members Mark Waldman, Janet Keo
[27:11] Conklin, and Vikesh Patel, together
[27:13] with the city staff and all who serve the people of La Palma.
[27:17] Guide them in their deliberations,
[27:18] that every decision may promote the common good
[27:21] and advance the well-being of all who live,
[27:23] work, study, and do business in this community.
[27:27] Bless this evening's discussion with respectful dialogue,
[27:30] thoughtful discernment, and a shared commitment
[27:32] to what is true, just, and beneficial for all,
[27:36] especially those who are most vulnerable.
[27:39] Protect our law enforcement officers, firefighters,
[27:42] emergency responders, health care
[27:44] workers, educators, and all who faithfully
[27:47] serve others each day.
[27:49] Strengthen the bonds that unite this community.
[27:51] Inspire us to care for one another
[27:53] with kindness and respect.
[27:55] And help us become faithful stewards of the many blessings
[27:59] entrusted to us.
[28:01] May our efforts today contribute to a future filled
[28:04] with hope, peace, and opportunity
[28:06] for every resident of La Palma.
[28:09] We ask this in Your holy name.
[28:12] Amen.
[28:17] Thank you.
[28:19] Madam Clerk, can we have roll call, please?
[28:21] Thank you, Mayor.
[28:24] Council Member Keo Conklin.
[28:25] Here.
[28:26] Council Member V. Patel.
[28:29] Council Member Mark Waldman.
[28:31] Here.
[28:32] Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Baker.
[28:34] Here.
[28:34] Mayor N. Patel.
[28:36] Here.
[28:36] Mayor, we have a quorum with all members present.
[28:38] Thank you.
[28:40] We're going to move on to presentations,
[28:42] and I'm going to come down for the presentations.
[29:03] Thank you.
[29:04] What I would like to do is, first and foremost,
[29:06] bring up the Community Activities
[29:07] and Beautification Committee.
[29:12] I love doing these presentations.
[29:14] However, I'm going to pass this one on to our committee that
[29:18] handles the Home Spotlight Award,
[29:20] and then I will speak after you're done.
[29:24] Good evening.
[29:25] This is the CAB Committee, Community
[29:31] Activities and Beautification.
[29:32] CAB.
[29:33] Ms. Valerie Bourdeaux, Ms. Janelle Frese.
[29:39] This is the vice chair.
[29:40] And I am Mary Paningsoro.
[29:41] I'm the chair this year.
[29:43] Bobby Parkjitta, Alta Duke.
[29:47] And this evening, the City of La Palma
[29:50] proudly congratulates Michael and LaTanya Darensburg
[29:53] of 4941 Borrego Drive on being selected
[29:57] as the recipient of the 2026 Fall Home Spotlight Award.
[30:02] The Darensburgs have proudly called La Palma home for more
[30:05] than 32 years, and their pride of ownership
[30:08] is evident in every detail of their beautiful Borrego
[30:12] Drive residence.
[30:15] I'd like to add that over the past several years,
[30:18] they have completed a remarkable transformation of their home and
[30:21] property, both inside and out.
[30:24] Improvements include a new roof with solar panels,
[30:26] beautifully updated landscaping, decorative brick pavers
[30:30] for the driveway and walkways, and a complete renovation
[30:33] of the backyard and pool area, creating
[30:35] an inviting outdoor space that is perfectly suited
[30:38] for Southern California living.
[30:46] Their commitment to sustainability, exceptional curb
[30:50] appeal, and community pride has made their home a true gem
[30:56] on Borrego Drive and a shining example
[30:59] of the beauty and the character that
[31:02] define La Palma's neighborhood.
[31:05] At this time, we would like to invite 2026 Fall Home
[31:10] Spotlight Award winners Michael and LaTanya
[31:14] Darensburg to join us.
[31:24] And now, on behalf of the City of La Palma and the Community
[31:28] Activities and Beautification Committee,
[31:30] it is our deep pleasure to present this certificate
[31:34] to Michael and LaTanya Darensburgs
[31:37] in recognition of this well-deserved honor.
[31:41] Join us in congratulating them again, please.
[31:50] Thank you.
[31:51] On behalf of our city council and our community,
[31:55] the pride of joy is having ownership
[31:59] and making sure our community stays beautiful
[32:03] and thus the beautification.
[32:06] So you're getting this award.
[32:07] When I look at your picture from the outset,
[32:09] I'm kind of jealous because my driveway should look like that,
[32:11] but it doesn't.
[32:12] It just looks like that in my dreams.
[32:14] But great job.
[32:15] Love the roof tiles.
[32:17] I bet you it's as equally beautiful inside.
[32:20] So well done.
[32:22] I know it takes time, effort, money, investment.
[32:24] And thank you for making sure that you are
[32:28] a model house for your block.
[32:30] So thank you very much for that.
[32:33] I know we have--
[32:33] I want to present these other certificates
[32:36] from our dignitaries, which our supervisor Janet Nguyen.
[32:41] Then we have Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva and also
[32:48] State Senator Tony Strickland congratulating
[32:53] you for your beautiful home.
[32:55] So I'd like to present these to you too.
[32:56] And then we're going to take a picture.
[32:59] Right here, Jason is going to take a picture.
[33:12] I'm going to pass it to you if you'd like to say a few words.
[33:16] Yeah, I'll give it to you.
[33:20] It's been a wonderful 32 years we've been here in La Palma.
[33:26] Just want to say one little thing.
[33:28] When we first moved here--
[33:31] I'm from New Orleans.
[33:32] She was born in New Orleans, but I spent most of my time.
[33:36] And I happened to notice across the highway,
[33:39] across Houston Avenue, there's a little section that
[33:45] has the French Quarter streets in it,
[33:47] the name of the French Quarter, Dauphine and Burgundy.
[33:50] And I was blown away.
[33:52] I'm like, out of all the places I moved in California,
[33:55] I find a spot with the French Quarter, with the homes,
[33:59] with the streets.
[33:59] So that kind of have helped me to realize that I'm
[34:03] moving in the right spot.
[34:06] And it's been pleasant living here over the past 32
[34:10] years, great community.
[34:12] And we appreciate the recognition.
[34:16] Thank you.
[34:17] That's a great story of how you moved into La Palma.
[34:24] Mine was I couldn't afford it in Cerritos,
[34:25] so there was the next street down,
[34:27] they said, oh, you could probably afford it here,
[34:29] when I bought 25 years ago.
[34:30] So I love to see that it brought back some of your New Orleans
[34:34] to you.
[34:36] Thank you.
[34:36] Thank you again.
[34:37] Congratulations.
[35:15] So this one is really special.
[35:18] You always hear of the American Red Cross,
[35:21] and you see what they do.
[35:23] And you usually see them on TV, right, where I hope--
[35:28] I mean, I don't mean this in a bad way--
[35:30] I don't want to have American Red Cross in my city.
[35:33] That means something's going on.
[35:35] But if something is going on, it's American Red Cross
[35:39] that we would want in our city.
[35:41] So can you please come up here so I can share our story
[35:44] and share the proclamation and the certificates
[35:47] to each and every one of you?
[35:51] Becky Barb, everyone that I got to meet--
[35:54] everyone heard of the Garden Grove incident
[35:56] that happened recently, right?
[35:58] And that incident affected so many cities nearby--
[36:04] Stanton, Cypress, Garden Grove.
[36:07] And shelters were being opened.
[36:10] I have the privilege and honor of serving as the vice chair
[36:12] of Orange County Fire Authority, which
[36:15] I was at the command center every day
[36:17] getting briefings of what's going on.
[36:19] And I think it was about 3 o'clock-- where's Barb?
[36:22] There we go.
[36:23] At 3 o'clock, with the assistance
[36:25] of-- with the help of our police, they came to us
[36:29] and said that they're having a difficult time opening shelters.
[36:34] And I was like, that's a no-brainer.
[36:36] We should be doing something like that.
[36:38] Because in time of need, this is what we do.
[36:43] If you're an elected official, if you're
[36:46] going to use your relationships or that,
[36:50] you got to use it for the better purpose of our community.
[36:53] And working with Barb, Anaheim Union School District, Nancy
[36:57] Nien, Assistant Superintendent, we got her on the phone,
[37:01] we started the process at 3 o'clock that day.
[37:05] Our first shelter, with the help with our police,
[37:08] our city manager was out there.
[37:10] At 1:00 AM, we welcomed the first
[37:14] group of people to our shelter.
[37:16] And this is where you see the true work that American Red
[37:22] Cross is doing because I think-- what did we have,
[37:25] over 150 people at the center?
[37:29] And some of them didn't want to go after everything was done
[37:31] because they felt like it was the best center
[37:35] from all the centers opened up.
[37:36] Others opened up afterwards.
[37:38] But to be the leading experience of having a shelter
[37:41] with the backing of the American Red Cross,
[37:45] it just made things easier for people going
[37:48] through such a difficult time.
[37:50] What's more important is that we all got to serve,
[37:53] and we all got to learn what the American Red Cross does.
[37:57] Let's give them a big round of applause for everything
[38:00] that they do.
[38:04] I'm going to read this proclamation
[38:07] and present it on behalf of our council.
[38:10] Whereas the American Red Cross was founded more than 140 years
[38:13] ago by one of the most honored women in America's history,
[38:17] Clara Barton, the American Red Cross
[38:21] has led with compassion and care,
[38:23] assisting neighbors and fellow Americans to provide a beacon
[38:26] of hope for those in need.
[38:29] Whereas American Red Cross workers
[38:31] perform heroic acts of service across the United States
[38:35] and abroad and the dedication of the American Red
[38:38] Cross, an example of the embodiment of the generosity
[38:42] of the American spirit and resolve
[38:44] to lend them a helping hand.
[38:46] Whereas the American Red Cross makes life-saving differences
[38:51] in people's darkest hours, whether it's delivering shelter,
[38:55] food, and comfort during disasters,
[38:59] providing critical blood donations for hospital patients
[39:03] or saving lives with first aid, and provide CPR and other skills
[39:08] to local communities in Orange County and abroad.
[39:11] Whereas American Red Cross Orange County has provided
[39:15] several services and programs throughout the country,
[39:18] including supporting more than 3,900 volunteers and responding
[39:22] to more than 130 local disasters and helping 194
[39:27] affected by disasters in 2025.
[39:30] Whereas during the May 2026 Garden Grove hazmat incident,
[39:34] the American Red Cross Orange County
[39:36] pulled together an outstanding group of volunteers
[39:42] and stood up a shelter for displaced members
[39:46] of the greater community in the surrounding cities.
[39:49] Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the City Council
[39:51] of the City of La Palma hereby commends the American Red Cross
[39:55] Orange County for their time, kindness, heroic efforts
[40:00] during the Garden Grove hazmat incident,
[40:04] which brought critical support and fostered
[40:06] unity in our community.
[40:08] Again, I commend you all.
[40:10] I'm grateful to you.
[40:11] And we strive to be leaders and volunteers like you
[40:14] because I know how many of you sacrificed your nights
[40:17] and evenings and days.
[40:18] And people that were frustrated, you treated
[40:21] them with love and compassion.
[40:24] And every time we came to the center,
[40:26] even our first responders or anyone,
[40:29] they said that everyone is so nice.
[40:32] And times like that, people get frustrated,
[40:35] yet you still treated them with kindness and love.
[40:38] And that is what La Palma is about.
[40:40] And thank you so much for doing that.
[40:42] I'm going to present this to you.
[40:43] Thank you again.
[40:45] I'm going to shake your hand.
[40:46] Let's give them a big round of applause
[40:48] again for everything they do.
[40:53] I have certificates for all of you here.
[40:56] I'm going to mix up the names right now,
[40:57] but we can take a picture.
[40:59] So I'm just going to give them to you right now.
[41:05] Barb, you just came perfectly in that order.
[41:09] So if we could take a quick picture.
[41:23] And before I give it over to Becky,
[41:26] we were the model shelter that Senator Adam
[41:31] Schiff came to our center versus any other shelters
[41:37] to look at it.
[41:38] And to have a senator of the United States
[41:41] come to see what La Palma and Red Cross had put
[41:45] together, I think that was a big deal,
[41:47] and with Congressman Derek Tran.
[41:49] It's a big deal to see something like that,
[41:51] that we are the model for all the shelters that was going on.
[41:54] So again, that's a big kudos to you guys.
[42:01] Thank you so much, Mayor Patel.
[42:04] So our Memorial Day weekend didn't quite
[42:06] go how everybody was planning.
[42:09] Thousands of families had to leave
[42:12] their homes with no notice.
[42:13] And we, in the course of-- very quickly, with the support
[42:18] of our government partners, stood up eight emergency
[42:20] shelters at seven sites within 48 hours here in Orange County.
[42:24] Over 1,400 people sought emergency shelter in those
[42:28] shelters and, with our incredible partners,
[42:30] served over 28,000 meals and snacks over that weekend.
[42:34] So I want to thank you for recognizing
[42:36] our incredible volunteers who are up here with me.
[42:39] They make the work possible.
[42:40] We had 280 volunteers that showed up for our community
[42:44] when they needed it.
[42:45] And I want to say a huge thank you to the City of La Palma.
[42:49] I was on the phone on Saturday morning I think at 7:00 AM with
[42:53] your city manager, offering to support with a meal for those
[42:58] impacted by the shelter.
[43:00] We can't do it without our partnerships.
[43:02] And having those spaces available
[43:04] where people can get that comfort and care
[43:06] is unbelievable.
[43:07] So I actually have a certificate for the city
[43:09] as well in our appreciation.
[43:12] Yes, thank you.
[43:14] Thanks, Barb.
[43:17] Just for your partnership.
[43:18] Again, times of disaster really highlights
[43:21] that it's the lift of the entire community to be there for when
[43:24] people need it the most.
[43:25] And so we just want to thank you for your partnership
[43:28] and support.
[43:37] I'll give you this.
[43:38] I'll take this.
[43:39] One thing about Barb, she was on vacation
[43:43] while she helped us put all this together,
[43:45] I think in Colorado, if I'm correct.
[43:47] Oh, Utah, see?
[43:48] Neighboring state.
[43:49] It's not La Palma.
[43:51] But 1:00 AM for us here, that means it was what time there?
[43:56] 2:00.
[43:56] So she was still there, taking our calls.
[43:59] And I was surprised at 1:00 AM, someone taking our calls.
[44:02] So thank you.
[44:03] And a big shout out to Pepe's, our local restaurant
[44:06] that just opened up.
[44:07] The first meals were provided by them free of cost.
[44:11] I called to buy them, and the owner refused to take my money.
[44:16] And I put the order in and everything,
[44:19] going there to go pick them up to pay, and he said no.
[44:21] So that just shows that when everyone works together,
[44:25] what we can accomplish.
[44:26] And I'd like to recognize Pepe's too for making that happen.
[44:30] So thank you.
[44:32] Thank you very much.
[44:35] Oh, you do?
[44:35] OK, great.
[44:36] Thank you so much.
[44:37] Well, thank you so much.
[44:38] Appreciate it.
[44:39] Thank you.
[44:47] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[45:21] So I'd like to bring Colby up.
[45:25] This is for our Volunteens and proclamations
[45:28] recognizing our 2026 camp volunteers,
[45:32] summer camp volunteers.
[45:33] Thank you, Colby.
[45:35] Good evening, Mayor Patel and members of City Council.
[45:37] My name is Colby Aeling, Recreation Coordinator.
[45:40] I had the pleasure of overseeing this year's
[45:42] Summer Volunteens program, which was once again a great success.
[45:45] This summer, 28 dedicated teens, ages 13 to 17,
[45:49] participated in the program, collectively volunteering
[45:52] over 2,800 hours of service.
[45:55] Their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment
[45:57] were instrumental in the smooth operation
[46:00] of La Palma Day Camp, Camp Tiny Tots, and various city events.
[46:04] In addition to their volunteer work,
[46:05] the Volunteens attended weekly meetings,
[46:07] where they gained valuable hands-on experience
[46:10] in leadership, communication, and professional responsibility,
[46:14] many for the very first time.
[46:21] We'd also like to take a moment to thank the amazing camp
[46:23] counselors who worked closely with the Volunteens this summer.
[46:26] Their guidance, patience, and mentorship
[46:28] helped create a supportive and fun environment for our teens
[46:31] to thrive.
[46:33] We want to sincerely thank the City Council for your continued
[46:36] support of the Volunteens program
[46:38] and for investing in the development
[46:40] of our future leaders.
[46:42] At this time, I would like to invite Mayor Patel to assist
[46:45] in presenting completion certificates
[46:47] to each of our Volunteens.
[46:49] Thank you again for your support and for joining us
[46:51] in celebrating the accomplishments of these
[46:53] outstanding young individuals.
[47:01] Thank you.
[47:01] And before we pass out the certificates,
[47:05] I believe that youth are our future leaders.
[47:09] And you all standing here, I know
[47:11] you're going to go to big colleges
[47:13] and you're going to go and make things happen, and some of you
[47:16] will come back.
[47:17] And I hope that you are sitting here one day leading our city.
[47:20] So we welcome you.
[47:22] But thank you for taking the time and effort
[47:25] and sacrificing your summer to be able to help.
[47:27] And it's a special group.
[47:29] You guys get to volunteer one person to speak.
[47:30] Who's that going to be?
[47:32] Look, I'm just joking.
[47:33] I'm just joking.
[47:34] Everyone looked away.
[47:35] Yeah, yeah, I heard you guys chatting away in the back,
[47:38] and then all of a sudden I ask you to speak,
[47:40] and you're like, look away.
[47:42] Well, thank you for everything you do.
[47:44] I'm going to pass out--
[47:50] Eddie [? Angio. ?] And parents, if you want to take pictures,
[47:57] you're more than welcome to.
[47:59] I'm that parent that takes pictures, so--
[48:02] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[48:08] Naomi [? Angio. ?] Brother and sister, I like it.
[48:23] Aubrey Arnold.
[48:35] Mason Chang.
[48:45] I'm not going to do the mic.
[48:49] Anna [? Doe. ?]
[48:59] [? Julianne ?] [? Enriquez. ?]
[49:03] Thank you.
[49:07] Where are we looking?
[49:08] Oh, she's gone.
[49:09] She's left.
[49:10] Quick.
[49:12] [? Trish ?] [? Goyle. ?]
[49:13] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[49:27] [? Julianne ?] [? Helton. ?]
[49:29] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[49:37] Oh, she wants to go back too.
[49:39] She turned bright red.
[49:46] [? Ariel Jane. ?]
[50:03] Elaine Kim.
[50:07] Thank you.
[50:12] Elise [? Kwong. ?]
[50:16] Thank you so much.
[50:22] Austin Lee.
[50:32] Justin Lee.
[50:44] Kyle [? Lyle. ?] I like it.
[50:47] You got good energy.
[50:57] [? Malia ?] [? Lomatane. ?]
[51:01] Thank you.
[51:12] [? Jason ?] Patel.
[51:16] Look at your mom for the picture.
[51:24] I embarrass my nephew.
[51:28] Brianna [? Pascal. ?]
[51:36] Aidan Perez.
[51:42] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[51:50] Jasmine [? Plahy. ?]
[51:53] Thank you.
[52:00] [? Aidan ?] [? Salas. ?]
[52:08] [? Riley ?] [? Salas. ?]
[52:12] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[52:24] Liliana Sandoval.
[52:27] Thank you.
[52:34] Jake Sato.
[52:43] [? Mikaela ?] [? Vienna. ?]
[52:52] Quinn [? Yason. ?]
[52:59] Before we have them come up and take a picture,
[53:01] why don't we give the parents a big round of applause
[53:03] because you guys put a lot of time.
[53:07] Thank you very much for everything you do.
[53:10] Let's get a group picture.
[53:11] Come on up.
[53:13] And listen, you all are taller than me,
[53:14] so I gotta get in the front.
[53:19] Come on, come on.
[53:20] We gotta move this way.
[53:23] [SIDE CONVERSATION]
[53:46] Here we go, 1, 2, 3.
[53:49] 1, 2, 3.
[54:05] Mayor?
[54:07] Mayor?
[54:08] Hopefully we see some of you back.
[54:09] Excuse me, Mayor.
[54:11] Mayor.
[54:11] Mayor Patel.
[54:15] I would like to just a little--
[54:18] thank you for these kids.
[54:20] All of you volunteers, I just have to say,
[54:22] because I was there a few times at the park
[54:24] and just watching all of you interacting with the camp kids,
[54:29] you guys are really amazing.
[54:31] And it's such dedication because it's not an easy group
[54:35] to be working with.
[54:36] And thank you for you first timers
[54:38] and those of you that have come back to serve again.
[54:41] You guys are just really amazing.
[54:43] And thank you to all the parents.
[54:44] You've raised some really amazing students
[54:47] here, amazing teenagers.
[54:50] So just thank you for all of your service.
[54:51] It's really appreciated.
[54:56] Thank you.
[54:56] When she was talking about the difficult kids,
[54:58] her grandkid was one of them.
[54:59] I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm joking.
[55:01] Thank you, guys.
[55:02] Thank you.
[55:03] Have a great day.
[55:39] All right, we're going to move on to oral communications.
[55:45] Time has been reserved at this time in the agenda for persons
[55:49] wishing to speak on any item that
[55:50] is not listed on the agenda.
[55:52] By law, the City Council is prohibited from taking
[55:54] action on such oral comments.
[55:56] The matter will automatically be referred
[55:58] to staff for appropriate response or action
[56:01] or will be placed on the agenda for a future meeting.
[56:03] Matters listed on the agenda may be addressed either at this time
[56:07] or at the time they are before the City Council for discussion.
[56:13] OK, I'm going to go into our new teleconference
[56:18] participation rules.
[56:19] So I'm going to start off by--
[56:21] I'll be calling for public comments at this time.
[56:23] I'll begin with anyone that would like to speak
[56:25] in the council chambers, and then I will call
[56:27] anyone joining telephonically.
[56:29] For those joining telephonically,
[56:31] please raise your hand at this time
[56:32] by pressing *9 or the Raise Hand button
[56:36] at the bottom of your screen.
[56:39] So I'm going to first start.
[56:41] Is there any members of the audience
[56:43] that would like to speak?
[56:44] I think I have a speaker card Ashley Castle?
[56:51] Please state your name and address for the record.
[56:53] And thank you.
[56:54] Yeah.
[56:55] So my name is Ashley Castle.
[56:57] And you said address?
[56:58] Yeah, you can just give-- they want the address
[57:01] usually for the record.
[57:03] Where I live?
[57:04] Yeah, where you live.
[57:05] City's fine, actually.
[57:06] Yeah, La Palma, California.
[57:09] So my name is Ashley.
[57:10] I am a La Palma resident for now almost 35 years.
[57:14] I currently live on Crescent, next to Cypress Arnold Park.
[57:17] I'm coming to you today as a concerned resident,
[57:19] but a mom of three.
[57:21] My family walks to Cypress Arnold Park frequently
[57:24] during the week, whether it's biking, scootering, taking
[57:26] my dog on a walk, all different times of the day,
[57:30] I'm here tonight because I'm genuinely
[57:32] concerned about the speeding that
[57:33] is taking place on Crescent.
[57:35] There's only one 40 mile per hour speed limit
[57:37] sign in the area, and it's located right across--
[57:40] or it's located right in front of the parking lot.
[57:43] So if you ask me, it's kind of too late at that point
[57:45] because cars aren't really aware, especially
[57:48] if they're not from the area.
[57:50] But if you're traveling in any direction on Crescent,
[57:53] that is the only speed limit sign between Walker and Moody.
[57:56] And it's also pretty busy when it comes
[57:59] to pedestrians in that area.
[58:01] Yes, there is a sign that says speed tracked by radar
[58:04] on Crescent, once you're turning left from Moody,
[58:07] but that radar hasn't been working for years.
[58:09] Unfortunately, it's also, I believe, blocked by the trees
[58:13] there, but it doesn't encourage drivers to slow down.
[58:17] It's not only an inconvenience, but it's a safety issue.
[58:20] Just two or three weeks ago, there
[58:21] was a serious T-bone collision that happened off
[58:23] of Santa Margarita, and one of those vehicles
[58:26] ended up in the front yard of the corner home,
[58:28] very close to the front door and front window of my complex.
[58:32] To my knowledge, it was one of the cars that was speeding.
[58:36] Cypress Arnold Park is busy every day
[58:38] of the week, whether it hosts Cypress Girls Softball
[58:40] all throughout the week.
[58:41] Pickleball courts are very active, if you're not
[58:43] familiar, all times of the day.
[58:45] And the basketball courts are right there on the main street.
[58:50] And then there's also the walking
[58:51] path that residents walk, like I said, kids, bikes, scooters.
[58:57] Everyone is on that path.
[58:58] Across the street is Kennedy High
[59:00] School, so I was a little concerned
[59:02] that it's not a school zone.
[59:05] Even though it's just the outfield,
[59:07] there's still kids walking there during the school year
[59:09] all the time.
[59:11] And I'm sure most of you know there was actually
[59:13] a student that was-- her life was taken
[59:15] at that crosswalk at Watson, so all the more reason
[59:19] to make a change.
[59:20] I'm concerned that basically a car will lose
[59:22] control going down Crescent.
[59:24] Drivers are really distracted these days,
[59:26] especially with their phones, GPS, music, books, et cetera.
[59:30] So I'm always extra cautious when I'm walking,
[59:33] but some people may not be.
[59:34] So I ask you, the city, to consider several improvements,
[59:39] evaluating whether the speed limit on Crescent
[59:41] should be lowered from Moody to Walker
[59:43] to 25 to 30 miles an hour.
[59:45] Consider establishing it a school zone,
[59:47] in addition to setting up more speed
[59:50] limit signs leading up to the park
[59:51] on both sides of the street.
[59:52] I drove it today.
[59:53] There's not much.
[59:56] Install additional speed limit signs--
[59:59] OK, sorry I said that.
[1:00:01] And then repair or replace the radar
[1:00:03] so that it works and reminds drivers
[1:00:04] to slow down or possibly putting in a speed bump or a stop sign
[1:00:08] halfway down Crescent.
[1:00:09] These, I believe, are practical changes that
[1:00:11] could prevent a future tragedy.
[1:00:12] We shouldn't have to wait until it's too late.
[1:00:14] Thank you for your time and considering these safety
[1:00:16] improvements for everyone who lives,
[1:00:18] walks, and plays along Crescent Avenue in the City of La Palma.
[1:00:22] That's all I have.
[1:00:23] Thank you very much, and we appreciate it.
[1:00:25] I know that we have your information on here.
[1:00:27] I think your number--
[1:00:29] I'm going to pass this to where we can get your phone number.
[1:00:32] And then our staff will be in contact with you.
[1:00:34] And we appreciate you taking the time,
[1:00:37] I mean, diligently putting some thought process into--
[1:00:40] Yeah, I've been wanting to come for a while now.
[1:00:42] And it's great and refreshing to hear
[1:00:44] that you've provided some solutions to a problem too.
[1:00:47] So I appreciate that taking the time to put it so effectively
[1:00:52] for us to understand.
[1:00:54] And I'm going to pass it over.
[1:00:55] Oh, there we go.
[1:00:56] I forgot you go this way.
[1:00:57] And she'll get you--
[1:00:58] yep, thank you, Ms. Castle.
[1:01:02] We have Luis.
[1:01:07] Luis, thank you.
[1:01:08] Please come up and state your city and your comments, please.
[1:01:14] Good afternoon, Mayor Patel and members of the Council.
[1:01:19] I'm Luis Vizcaíno.
[1:01:20] I've been a resident of La Palma for about a year now.
[1:01:23] And I love everything the city has to offer.
[1:01:25] It's been really nice.
[1:01:26] I live at the Brookside Apartments,
[1:01:28] and it's really nice to be able to just walk everywhere.
[1:01:31] Just commenting on what she had said a little bit.
[1:01:34] There are a lot of physical things
[1:01:35] that can be done as well, like daylighting, making the street
[1:01:38] a little bit more uncomfortable to drive in,
[1:01:40] which makes drivers more weary to speed,
[1:01:43] just adding little things.
[1:01:45] It doesn't have to be signs or radars.
[1:01:46] It can also be physical infrastructure that can make
[1:01:49] people rethink going so fast.
[1:01:51] I know speeding is a really big problem.
[1:01:53] But that's not what I'm speaking on.
[1:01:55] I'd like to speak on the Motorola contract that
[1:01:57] was signed last year to equip the police department with body
[1:02:00] and in-vehicle cameras.
[1:02:02] The contract includes clauses on the use and implementation
[1:02:05] of Automatic License Plate Readers, also known as ALPRs,
[1:02:09] which often have broad surveillance capabilities
[1:02:12] outside of simply reading license plates, which
[1:02:14] they don't even do that well.
[1:02:16] The readers can be used to create dossiers
[1:02:17] on specific individuals, logging the appearance of their license
[1:02:20] plate wherever the cameras are.
[1:02:22] There's evidence that police officers may misuse
[1:02:24] the capabilities of the network to illegally stalk and harass
[1:02:27] exes, activists, and others otherwise unrelated
[1:02:31] to criminal investigations.
[1:02:33] The broad and unregulated scope of the network
[1:02:35] also allows users to track anyone across county and state
[1:02:38] lines without a judicial warrant, a gross abuse
[1:02:41] of taxpayers' privacy, the very people who fund these contracts.
[1:02:45] This is on top of ICE's use of these networks
[1:02:47] to illegally track and harass immigrants
[1:02:48] and political dissidents.
[1:02:50] Public safety is a popular service for these cameras,
[1:02:52] and online trackers of Flock cameras,
[1:02:54] like DeFlock, list various within La Palma.
[1:02:57] This is something I must speak against.
[1:03:00] Sure we could solve all crimes by monitoring
[1:03:02] every individual at all times, but it is
[1:03:04] a fundamental abuse of privacy.
[1:03:06] We must balance safety with freedom, something
[1:03:08] that these networks neglect.
[1:03:10] Therefore, I sincerely request that your staff
[1:03:12] review the contract and look into the possibility
[1:03:14] of terminating it as soon as possible.
[1:03:16] If termination is not possible, I
[1:03:17] implore you to mandate logs of every instance and reason
[1:03:20] for using the network.
[1:03:21] Thank you for the time-- thank you
[1:03:22] for your time and all the work you
[1:03:24] do to keep La Palma thriving.
[1:03:26] Thank you for your comments, and we appreciate
[1:03:28] the comments and the concerns.
[1:03:29] So what I'm going to do is I'm going to pass this to our Madam
[1:03:31] Clerk, and she's going to get your number too,
[1:03:33] and we'll have staff reach out to you.
[1:03:36] Thank you.
[1:03:36] Thank you very much for your comments.
[1:03:40] OK, moving on to--
[1:03:43] are there any other oral communications
[1:03:45] in the public that would like to speak on any matters that
[1:03:48] are not listed on the agenda?
[1:03:50] OK, moving forward.
[1:03:51] Madam Clerk, do we have any members telephonically
[1:03:54] that would like to speak?
[1:03:56] We do not have anyone attending telephonically.
[1:03:58] Thank you very much.
[1:03:58] We're going to now recess City Council
[1:04:00] and convene as a successor agency
[1:04:02] to the Dissolved Community Development Commission
[1:04:04] of the City of La Palma.
[1:04:05] The City Council will now recess and convene as a successor
[1:04:07] agency to the Dissolved Community Development Commission
[1:04:10] of the City of La Palma.
[1:04:11] Members of the La Palma City Council received no compensation
[1:04:14] or stipend as a result of convening or participating
[1:04:16] in either the successor agency or otherwise
[1:04:18] as serving as members of the successor agency.
[1:04:22] We have the consent calendar.
[1:04:24] And would any of the council members
[1:04:26] like anything pulled from this consent calendar?
[1:04:30] Move to approve.
[1:04:31] There's a motion to approve.
[1:04:33] Is there a second?
[1:04:34] OK, there's a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Baker and a second
[1:04:37] by Council Waldman.
[1:04:39] And roll call.
[1:04:41] If we can get public comment opportunity.
[1:04:44] Oh, yes, sorry.
[1:04:46] I gotta go back to the public comments now.
[1:04:48] It's different.
[1:04:50] I will be calling for public comments at this time.
[1:04:52] I'll begin with anyone that would like to speak
[1:04:54] in the council chambers, and then I
[1:04:55] will go-- we'll call on anyone joining telephonically.
[1:04:58] For those joining telephonically,
[1:05:00] please raise your hand at this time by pressing *9,
[1:05:03] or raise the hand button at the bottom of your screen.
[1:05:08] Are there any members in the public that
[1:05:10] are wishing to speak on this matter?
[1:05:11] No?
[1:05:12] Madam Clerk, do we have anybody telephonically joining.
[1:05:14] We do not.
[1:05:15] OK, thank you.
[1:05:16] Now we will go to roll call, please.
[1:05:18] Thank you, sir.
[1:05:19] Successor Agency Member Keo Conklin.
[1:05:22] Yes.
[1:05:23] Member V. Patel.
[1:05:24] Yes.
[1:05:25] Member Waldman.
[1:05:26] Yes.
[1:05:27] Member Baker.
[1:05:28] Aye.
[1:05:29] Member N. Patel.
[1:05:30] Yes.
[1:05:31] Motion passes unanimously.
[1:05:33] Great, thank you.
[1:05:34] So now we're going to adjourn the successor agency,
[1:05:36] and we're going to go convene back as a City Council.
[1:05:38] And we're going to move on to the consent calendar here.
[1:05:41] Oh, Mayor, actually you have item B, the successor
[1:05:44] agency regular items.
[1:05:45] I missed it, sorry.
[1:05:48] OK, we're going to go to the regular item
[1:05:51] update on the bottom of the successor agency,
[1:05:54] receive and file the update on the successor agency
[1:05:59] and pass it to our city manager.
[1:06:00] Thank you, Mayor.
[1:06:01] I don't have a staff report.
[1:06:02] This is just a receive and file.
[1:06:04] It's just an update on the successor agency.
[1:06:07] Just a brief update, there hasn't been very much movement.
[1:06:12] The loans are being paid off every year.
[1:06:15] So that's it.
[1:06:16] Yes.
[1:06:17] Thank you.
[1:06:18] And we're now going to adjourn the successor agency
[1:06:21] and move on to the City Council consent calendar.
[1:06:25] Any members from council would like any items pulled?
[1:06:29] No?
[1:06:30] I'm going to go to public comments.
[1:06:32] I'll be calling for public comments at this time.
[1:06:34] I'll begin with anyone that would like to speak
[1:06:36] in the council chambers, and then I will call on anyone
[1:06:39] joining telephonically.
[1:06:40] For those joining telephonically,
[1:06:41] please raise your hand at this time
[1:06:43] by pressing *9 or raise the hand button
[1:06:46] at the bottom of your screen.
[1:06:48] Any members from the public would like anything to discuss
[1:06:52] on the consent calendar?
[1:06:53] No?
[1:06:54] OK.
[1:06:55] Madam Clerk, do we have anybody calling
[1:06:56] in to discuss this matter?
[1:06:58] We do not.
[1:06:59] OK, thank you.
[1:07:00] Is there a motion for the consent calendar?
[1:07:03] Move to approve.
[1:07:04] I second.
[1:07:05] Thank you.
[1:07:06] There was a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Baker and a second
[1:07:10] by Council Member Janet Keo Conklin.
[1:07:13] Roll call, please.
[1:07:14] Thank you, Mayor.
[1:07:15] Council Member Keo Conklin.
[1:07:16] Yes.
[1:07:16] Council Member V. Patel.
[1:07:17] Yes.
[1:07:18] Council Member Waldman.
[1:07:19] Yes.
[1:07:20] Mayor Pro Tem Baker.
[1:07:21] Aye.
[1:07:21] Mayor N. Patel.
[1:07:22] Yes.
[1:07:23] Motion passes unanimously.
[1:07:24] Thank you.
[1:07:26] And now we're going to go on to the public hearings,
[1:07:28] the regular items, the League of California Cities voting
[1:07:31] delegates and resolution.
[1:07:34] I am going to-- so the designate--
[1:07:37] I'm going to pass it to you, City Manager.
[1:07:39] Yes, thank you, Mayor.
[1:07:40] I'm going to briefly pass it over for a brief report
[1:07:43] to our city clerk.
[1:07:44] Thank you.
[1:07:45] Thank you very much.
[1:07:46] Every year, the city of Cal Cities--
[1:07:48] still calling it the League of California Cities--
[1:07:51] Cal Cities convenes a general assembly of the membership.
[1:07:54] And at this general assembly, each member
[1:07:57] can designate and delegate one voting member
[1:07:59] plus an alternate voting member to vote
[1:08:01] on important policies and matters that come
[1:08:03] before the general assembly.
[1:08:06] So tonight, we are asking that the City Council consider
[1:08:09] a designation of Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Baker as the voting
[1:08:12] delegate and designating council member Vikesh Patel
[1:08:16] as the alternate and also authorizing the City of La Palma
[1:08:20] delegation the discretion to vote
[1:08:22] on any resolutions taken into consideration for that evening.
[1:08:27] Great, thank you.
[1:08:28] Before I go to the council-- well, actually, council,
[1:08:32] do you have any comments or questions on this
[1:08:33] before I go to the public?
[1:08:35] No?
[1:08:36] OK.
[1:08:37] I will be calling for public comments at this time.
[1:08:40] I will begin with anyone that would like to speak
[1:08:42] in the council chambers, and then I will call
[1:08:44] anybody joining telephonically.
[1:08:47] For those joining telephonically,
[1:08:48] please raise your hand at this time
[1:08:50] by pressing *9 or the Raise Hand button
[1:08:53] at the bottom of your screen.
[1:08:55] Any members of the public would like to speak on this matter?
[1:08:59] No?
[1:09:00] Madam Clerk, do we have anybody calling
[1:09:02] in to speak on this matter?
[1:09:04] We do not.
[1:09:04] OK, thank you.
[1:09:06] Is there a motion?
[1:09:09] Motion to approve.
[1:09:11] OK, do we need to read each item out, or can we just approve,
[1:09:15] City Attorney, item number 12?
[1:09:18] You can take all three in one motion.
[1:09:20] OK, so I'll read all three again for the motion.
[1:09:25] We don't need to read it?
[1:09:26] No, it's OK.
[1:09:27] OK, perfect.
[1:09:27] So there's a motion by Debbie Baker.
[1:09:29] Do we have a second?
[1:09:30] Second.
[1:09:30] And a second by Council Member Waldman.
[1:09:33] Roll call, please.
[1:09:35] Thank you, Mayor.
[1:09:35] Council Member Keo Conklin.
[1:09:37] Abstain.
[1:09:38] Council Member V. Patel.
[1:09:39] Yes.
[1:09:40] Council Member Waldman.
[1:09:41] Yes.
[1:09:41] Mayor Pro Tem Baker.
[1:09:42] Aye.
[1:09:43] Mayor N. Patel.
[1:09:44] Yes.
[1:09:44] Motion passes, four yes, one abstain.
[1:09:48] OK, we're going to go to AB1234 reports.
[1:09:51] And since I started this side last time,
[1:09:53] I'm going to go this way to Council Member Keo Conklin.
[1:09:58] Good evening, everyone.
[1:09:59] I just wanted to, first of all, congratulate
[1:10:04] all the recipients tonight for being recognized.
[1:10:09] Congratulations on your homes--
[1:10:11] I mean, your home.
[1:10:12] You did a great job, and we always
[1:10:15] want to appreciate our residents for doing such a phenomenal job.
[1:10:19] Congratulations.
[1:10:20] I want to also congratulate and recognize the American Red Cross
[1:10:24] for doing a phenomenal job.
[1:10:28] Also, thank you to the volunteers
[1:10:30] for stepping up and volunteering for our community.
[1:10:35] We also appreciate our residents.
[1:10:38] Let me just report on what I've done, starting,
[1:10:45] let's see here, April-- no, July 7, I went to the North Orange
[1:10:50] County Chamber, and they were giving
[1:10:52] out awards for businesses.
[1:10:54] July 9, I went to the Concert in the Park.
[1:10:59] July 29, Orange County Transit Transportation
[1:11:03] Authority did a roundtable and a tour of the 405 express lane.
[1:11:09] And today we celebrated our volunteers.
[1:11:13] So congratulations to all the volunteers.
[1:11:16] And today is interesting.
[1:11:18] We're practicing our telephonic system, where people are
[1:11:24] able to listen to our meeting.
[1:11:27] This is really important.
[1:11:28] And this is the next step of transparency.
[1:11:32] So I'm happy that we're practicing this.
[1:11:35] And hopefully next time, we can do it visually.
[1:11:38] This is very inclusive.
[1:11:40] And I think that transparency is very
[1:11:42] important for our community, especially for our elders
[1:11:46] or people who are working.
[1:11:48] So have a great summer.
[1:11:51] And this is Janet Keo Conklin.
[1:11:52] Thank you.
[1:11:55] Mark Waldman.
[1:11:56] Janet, the volunteer recognition dinner.
[1:12:01] It was outstanding.
[1:12:03] In all the years that I've been on the council,
[1:12:05] starting in 2004, the places we've had these awards,
[1:12:08] they are packed.
[1:12:10] This is a volunteer city.
[1:12:12] When somebody-- when I was mayor many years ago, the guy asked,
[1:12:15] where do I go?
[1:12:15] What are the big landmarks in La Palma?
[1:12:18] And my response was, we are not a city of sites.
[1:12:23] We are a city of people, a city of volunteers.
[1:12:26] I say come to any one of our activities,
[1:12:29] and you will be amazed at how in such a small city,
[1:12:32] many people come out and help and participate.
[1:12:37] Thank you.
[1:12:38] Council Member Vikesh Patel.
[1:12:42] Thank you.
[1:12:43] On June 18, I attended the Orange County Mosquito and
[1:12:46] Vector Control Board meeting.
[1:12:48] On 4th of July, I attended the 4th of July Run for Fun.
[1:12:52] It's a great event put out by the staff.
[1:12:55] A lot of people attended.
[1:12:57] On July 9th, 16th, and the 30th, I attended Concert in the Park.
[1:13:02] Great turnout for those events as well.
[1:13:05] On July 12, attended Youth Action Committee.
[1:13:10] On July 17 through the 19, I attended the AAPI
[1:13:13] Lead Summit Conference.
[1:13:16] And August 4, attended, which is today, the 2026
[1:13:21] Volunteer Recognition Event.
[1:13:23] It was great to see a lot of volunteers
[1:13:24] out there helping the city, and we're able to recognize them.
[1:13:29] I also want to congratulate Michael and LaTanya Darensburg
[1:13:32] on their house winning the Spotlight Award
[1:13:36] and also to the Red Cross volunteers
[1:13:39] that helped out during the Garden Grove incident.
[1:13:41] Thank you.
[1:13:43] Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Baker.
[1:13:46] Thank you.
[1:13:49] We were dark in July.
[1:13:51] So starting from June 4, attended Southern California
[1:13:55] Association of Government's Community, Economic and Human
[1:13:59] Development Committee meeting.
[1:14:01] And right after that, attended the Regional Council meeting.
[1:14:04] June 5, attended the League of California
[1:14:06] Cities Orange County Division Executive Committee meeting.
[1:14:10] June 10, attended Orange County Sanitation District's
[1:14:13] administration meeting.
[1:14:15] June 11, attended the League of California
[1:14:18] Cities Orange County Division, our quarterly division meeting.
[1:14:23] And June 12, attended Cal Cities Orange County Division,
[1:14:26] our board of directors meeting.
[1:14:28] The 18th, attended the Cal Cities Orange County Division
[1:14:32] event at the Magic Castle.
[1:14:34] That was a really fun thing.
[1:14:36] I've never been there before, so it was pretty cool.
[1:14:39] Then also that day, I attended the business mixer
[1:14:42] as part of the business engagement ad hoc
[1:14:44] committee along with our mayor.
[1:14:48] And I think it was a very successful event.
[1:14:50] Every event, we've gotten a little better attendance.
[1:14:54] And it was really nice to meet and talk to our new business
[1:14:58] owners in our community.
[1:15:00] And June 23, attended the Business
[1:15:02] Engagement and Economic Development and Land Use
[1:15:05] ad hoc meeting.
[1:15:07] And also that day attended Orange County--
[1:15:10] OC San's Board of Directors meeting.
[1:15:13] July 2, attended SCAG's CEHD committee meeting and also
[1:15:17] the Regional Council meeting.
[1:15:19] And July 4 attended the 4th of July Run for Fun.
[1:15:23] That was a really great turnout.
[1:15:25] I think every year it's getting bigger.
[1:15:27] And it was a lot of fun and got to hand out some of the awards.
[1:15:32] That was a really fun time.
[1:15:34] And thank you to Kiwanis who was there
[1:15:36] to make pancakes for everybody.
[1:15:38] And July 8, attended OC San's Administration
[1:15:41] Committee meeting.
[1:15:43] July 10, attended Cal Cities Orange County Division
[1:15:46] Board of Directors meeting.
[1:15:47] And also that day attended the ribbon
[1:15:50] cutting for Minuteman Press.
[1:15:51] So if you have any copying needs, they are up and running
[1:15:56] and ready for business.
[1:15:58] July 14, attended the Community Activities
[1:16:01] and Beautification Committee interview with the mayor.
[1:16:06] And the 16th, I attended the CAB interview--
[1:16:11] actually the balance of the CAB interviews on the 16th.
[1:16:15] July 22, attended OC San's Board of Directors meeting.
[1:16:19] July 30, attended the Orange County fair event for government
[1:16:23] and elected officials.
[1:16:25] August 4, that's today, attended the Volunteer
[1:16:30] Recognition Event honoring the heart of our community.
[1:16:33] Also attended a few of the Concerts in the Park.
[1:16:36] And thank you to the Darensburg family
[1:16:39] for receiving the Home Spotlight Award
[1:16:42] and keeping our city beautiful.
[1:16:45] We love to see that.
[1:16:47] And thank you to the American Red Cross
[1:16:49] for all that you do for our community
[1:16:51] and that we know that we can always count on you to be
[1:16:53] there when help is needed.
[1:16:56] And again, thank you to all of the Volunteens for the service
[1:16:59] during the summer.
[1:17:01] I just can't even thank them enough.
[1:17:04] I mean, it's a really big undertaking.
[1:17:05] And to all of the parents and to our Community
[1:17:10] Services Department--
[1:17:13] thank you to our Community Services
[1:17:14] Department and the CAB Committee for all
[1:17:16] that you do for our community.
[1:17:19] And we have our civic expo National
[1:17:21] Night Out this Thursday.
[1:17:23] And it does start at 6:00 instead
[1:17:24] of 6:30 and concert after.
[1:17:27] Thank you.
[1:17:29] Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.
[1:17:30] OK, for mine, on June 4, I had a meeting with Orange County Fire
[1:17:39] Authority with the chief for the recruitment of our new chief
[1:17:42] there.
[1:17:42] On June 6, I attended Boys Republic as an invited guest
[1:17:47] from the City of La Palma, which was out in Chino Hills.
[1:17:52] Boys Republic is a group that helps
[1:17:55] to mold young men that have gone off the path
[1:17:58] and bring them on the path.
[1:18:00] And it was an awesome event that was attended by probably about
[1:18:03] 3,000 people, held in Chino.
[1:18:06] And representing La Palma was an honor there.
[1:18:09] On June 7, I attended the [INAUDIBLE] part
[1:18:12] of our [INAUDIBLE] program, which was hosted with almost
[1:18:18] over 1,000 people in our city.
[1:18:21] June 9, I attended the Budget and Finance
[1:18:24] for Orange County Fire Authority,
[1:18:26] which I am the chair of.
[1:18:27] June 10, I attended another OCFA budget and finance meeting,
[1:18:33] which was a closed session.
[1:18:35] June 12, I attended the Flag Day event,
[1:18:39] which was held in Anaheim.
[1:18:41] And a lot of the local elected from Orange County
[1:18:45] was there to celebrate Flag Day.
[1:18:47] On June 12, I attended--
[1:18:48] Philip Chen hosted an event--
[1:18:51] actually, he hosted me to talk about issues of La Palma
[1:18:54] and met with the assembly member there.
[1:18:57] On June 17, Orange County Fire Authority graduation.
[1:19:01] If you've never been to a graduation,
[1:19:05] you really have to see one of these graduations.
[1:19:07] It is spectacular to see firefighters that are coming in
[1:19:12] and go through this graduation.
[1:19:13] It was my first one attending as the vice chair of Orange
[1:19:15] County Fire Authority.
[1:19:17] Phenomenal.
[1:19:18] I don't think I'll miss one again.
[1:19:19] And I told my family, I think I'm
[1:19:20] going to take a few of my family members
[1:19:22] to see what kind of a show they put on for our firefighters
[1:19:27] and our first responders.
[1:19:29] So thank you for having me there.
[1:19:31] On June 18, we hosted our La Palma mixer.
[1:19:34] And Stephanie and her team, what a success
[1:19:38] of bringing in businesses from La Palma.
[1:19:41] We hosted it at-- shop local here--
[1:19:44] in Isla, the Cuban restaurant.
[1:19:46] We had numerous businesses come out.
[1:19:49] And from there, we were able to make some connections that allow
[1:19:52] us to be able to recognize our businesses
[1:19:56] and to help them bring engagement with our residents.
[1:20:01] On June 22, I attended the OCFA Board agenda review meeting.
[1:20:11] On June 23, Business Engagement and Economic
[1:20:14] Development Committee meeting.
[1:20:16] On June 25, I attended the ACCOC Legislative
[1:20:20] and Regulation Committee, which I am the first district
[1:20:24] representative of.
[1:20:26] On June 25, I attended the OCFA Board and Executive
[1:20:30] Committee meeting.
[1:20:31] On July 3, again, we had an Orange County Fire Authority
[1:20:35] chief recruitment meeting.
[1:20:37] On July 8, I got to speak at the Chugh Law Firm
[1:20:42] with four kids from Artesia and La Palma.
[1:20:44] There are youths.
[1:20:45] Every time I get that opportunity
[1:20:47] to speak to our children, they are our future leaders,
[1:20:51] and they are going through a program-- an
[1:20:53] eight-week internship program.
[1:20:55] So it was an opportunity to engage about what I do
[1:20:58] and how I work in my role as mayor
[1:21:00] and my businesses and things like that
[1:21:02] and also my nonprofits.
[1:21:04] So it was a good time.
[1:21:06] July 10, I attended an Orange County
[1:21:08] Fire Authority meeting in regards to closed session items.
[1:21:12] July 12, I attended the Youth Action Committee meeting,
[1:21:15] which was on a Sunday, to present awards to students
[1:21:18] from the City of La Palma.
[1:21:21] On July 14, I attended the grand opening of Minuteman.
[1:21:24] Again, shop local.
[1:21:26] We want to encourage residents and outside of the cities
[1:21:29] to use our businesses.
[1:21:33] And then July 15, I attended ACCOC board meeting.
[1:21:39] I'm going to go back to July 4 because I skipped it.
[1:21:42] I'd just got back from India at about 2 o'clock
[1:21:45] and got an invitation from a member in our community
[1:21:50] that they were hosting a barbecue.
[1:21:53] This is the beauty of our city.
[1:21:55] We had police there.
[1:21:56] We had the Fire Authority there.
[1:21:59] We had neighbors from all over that neighborhood there.
[1:22:02] And it was a fun time to be able to go
[1:22:04] and engage with our community.
[1:22:07] July 15, I had the honor of meeting
[1:22:11] our Indian ambassador that came in from Washington, DC.
[1:22:16] On July 16, I had a tour with Assembly Member
[1:22:20] Chen with Edward Life Sciences.
[1:22:24] Anybody in the public familiar with Edward Life Sciences?
[1:22:27] They make the catheters and the stents that go into it.
[1:22:33] This is pretty-- it's home to us because a lot of my family,
[1:22:37] we had a brother pass away from a heart attack at the age of 37.
[1:22:42] And we have genetic heart disease.
[1:22:44] So seeing what Edward Life Science does
[1:22:47] and what they've been around and the technology
[1:22:49] that they are using, it was phenomenal to be
[1:22:52] able to get a tour and see that they have really
[1:22:55] led the medical device industry and the technology
[1:23:00] that they're coming up with.
[1:23:03] On July 16, that day, we also had CAB interviews
[1:23:07] with Mayor Pro Tem for the Community
[1:23:09] Activities and Beautification.
[1:23:11] On July 22, I attended the CJPIA annual board meeting
[1:23:16] with other cities that came from all across California,
[1:23:21] and we hosted them in La Palma.
[1:23:23] So it was an honor to see everybody
[1:23:24] come into La Palma, all the dignitaries
[1:23:26] that came in for that.
[1:23:28] On July 27, I attended an event saying goodbye to our US
[1:23:34] ambassador Michelle Steele.
[1:23:36] It was an honor to be invited with a small, select group
[1:23:39] of people and wish her well as the US ambassador
[1:23:43] to South Korea.
[1:23:45] And luckily, I have the privilege of calling her friend.
[1:23:49] On July 29, I got to visit the OCVIBE.
[1:23:53] I don't know if you're familiar with what's going
[1:23:54] on and being built in Anaheim.
[1:23:56] And we took a tour through that.
[1:24:00] A lot is being developed there.
[1:24:02] And a lot of jobs have been created because it
[1:24:06] is used through unions.
[1:24:08] All work has been done through local unions.
[1:24:11] So it's a great way to help bring in revenue
[1:24:15] and build a job force for our residents
[1:24:20] and neighboring cities.
[1:24:22] July 30, I attended Concerts in the Park.
[1:24:24] And August 4, today, we got to recognize all of our volunteers
[1:24:29] that make La Palma what it is.
[1:24:32] This is special to me.
[1:24:33] I know we're bringing this back.
[1:24:35] In 2011, I was named La Palma Volunteer of the Year
[1:24:39] when I wasn't on council, so it's really special to see
[1:24:43] it come back to our city.
[1:24:44] So thank you to our city staff, Jason, our Community
[1:24:48] Recreation Service Manager, for making
[1:24:50] that happen with this team.
[1:24:52] And I'd like to recognize [? Dixon ?]
[1:24:55] [? Liu, ?] who was named 2026 La Palma Volunteer of the Year.
[1:24:59] Big shout out to him.
[1:25:02] He's been in this city 40-plus years and never been recognized.
[1:25:06] And it was our honor to recognize him for all the work
[1:25:08] that he does.
[1:25:09] And to Michael and LaTanya, like I said,
[1:25:12] I'm jealous of your driveway.
[1:25:14] Your roof too, I was looking at that too now.
[1:25:16] So thank you very much for what you do
[1:25:18] to keep your house up to date.
[1:25:20] And like I said, it takes time, investment, and money.
[1:25:23] And thank you for putting it to good use
[1:25:25] to making sure that it's a model home for the neighborhood.
[1:25:28] Also, again, American Red Cross, phenomenal work that they do.
[1:25:32] And to our Volunteens, they're really
[1:25:34] special because these kids are our future leaders.
[1:25:39] And when I say this, one day they're
[1:25:41] going to come back and sit up here and lead this city.
[1:25:43] So thank you to all of them too.
[1:25:45] I'm going to pass it on to City Manager.
[1:25:49] Do you have any remarks?
[1:25:51] Yes, thank you, Mayor.
[1:25:52] I have three brief announcements.
[1:25:55] Of course, Mayor Pro Tem Baker briefly mentioned,
[1:25:58] but our Civic Expo, National Night Out,
[1:26:00] and Hometown Heroes Concert will be held this Thursday,
[1:26:03] August 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
[1:26:07] There will be food trucks, a family fun zone, a resource fair
[1:26:11] of city departments and partner agencies,
[1:26:14] and live music performed by Stone Soul.
[1:26:18] The second announcement is beginning this Friday, August 7,
[1:26:24] the city will be hosting our Central Park Cinema
[1:26:26] Series for the next four weeks.
[1:26:29] It is free and begins at 8:00 PM.
[1:26:32] The first movie will be Back to the Future,
[1:26:35] followed by Zootopia 2, The Karate Kid,
[1:26:38] and How to Train Your Dragon.
[1:26:42] And finally, next Thursday, August 13, at 6:30 PM,
[1:26:47] in partnership with the Pacific Symphony,
[1:26:50] we will be hosting the Symphony on the Go at Central Park.
[1:26:54] It is also free.
[1:26:56] And they will be performing An Evening
[1:26:58] at the Opera and Broadway, including Bernstein,
[1:27:01] Gershwin, and Mozart.
[1:27:03] So we invite the community to join us.
[1:27:05] Thank you.
[1:27:06] Thank you, City Manager.
[1:27:07] City Attorney, do you have any remarks?
[1:27:09] Thank you, Mayor.
[1:27:10] No remarks.
[1:27:11] OK, we're going to adjourn at 7:31.