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