City Council Meeting — March 19, 2025

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1969 1969

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I heard some interesting news. Not that right.

Thank you.

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It's called the meeting to order. It is 640. I'm going to read the land acknowledgement.

We would like to acknowledge that the land we inhabit today was once known as Talbangar,

the home of the Gabriolino Tongva people. We show respect to the Gabriolino Tongva people as well as all indigenous people past, present,

and future.

and honor their labor as original caretakers of this land.

We commit to the uplifting, the Gavadino Tongva people. Invite you to acknowledge the history and join us in caring for this land.

Let's join me in the flag salute. We have our explorers. Please stand.

Thank you.

Outward face, freeze and colors.

Raise your right hand over your heart. Ready, 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.

Order colors.

Outward face.

Forward march.

Out color.

Madam Clerk, roll call please.

Council Member Wong?

Here.

Council Member Sanchez? Not present. Council Member Lowe? Here. Mayor Pro Tem Yang? Here. Mayor Goh? Present. We have a quorum. Thank you.

Agenda additions, deletions, and changes?

Yes, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, there is a correction to the agenda for Item 3i. that item. The staff report dates are correct, but on the agenda there was a typo for the date. It has 2024 on there through 2025. It's just supposed to be April 21st through 25th 25 for the one week. So just wanted to make that notation. And in addition, we had one request if the council could please consider moving up the presentation item to before staff communications. The presentation item 1A if we could, we have members here, guests, if we could move that item before staff communications, please. Before staff communication,

any objections? Okay? Alright. Looks like we got that.

And then there's one other item that our city attorney is going to discuss,

item 3H. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. 3H is going to be continued to the next agenda for the reason that we have three conflicts on this particular item, but since there are only four people present, we can't draw straws for this item in order to create a quorum. So we're just going to wait for Council Member Sanchez to return in order for us to go through that process.

Okay, so 3H is pushed out. So with that, let's go to 1A first.

Oh, do we have public comments? Sorry.

Do we have public comments? Sorry about that.

Sorry. First speaker, Alex So.

That's Chow. Chow, Chow, Chow, that's all. It's okay. Hi, everyone. I'm Alex Chow. Hey, I wanted to introduce you to some of the things that are happening with the Chamber of Commerce. So I know in the past, there's been some issues with the Chamber of Commerce. So since I came aboard, we've been trying to find ways to bridge the divide with the city.

And one of those ways we felt was necessary to move forward together, rather than apart, was to form a new chamber entity. Kind of to get rid of all the bad, negative sentiment from the past.

Right? So we created a new chamber entity. We still have some things to formally deChinatown-International Districte upon, right? Such as the officer roles and whatnot. But it looks like maybe this is a blessing or a curse, but I'm going to be serving as the president. So I want to come out here, introduce myself to you guys. Some of you guys already know. Some of you I'm meeting for the first time.

But, you know, I really want to find ways that we can do better, right, for the business community here. For a long time, the business community, including myself, has been hearing things like the city doesn't get along with the chamber. The chamber did some things in the past to make the city mad, et cetera, et cetera. That's all water under the bridge, right? I tell people now when they bring it up, that's the past.

I don't need to know the details of the past. All I need to know about is the details of the future, right?

And the future is going to be bright because it's going to be the chamber working with the city to make the business community stronger, right?

So, you know, I know in the, you know, not too distant future, we're going to have more conversations, right? Maybe myself and Inez, we could talk a little bit about more details about how we can kind of plug into existing city programs. existing city organizations, but what we want to do is be of a greater value to the business community here, and I hope you give us the opportunity. Any questions or you guys can't field questions at this time? We can't really field questions,

but encourage you as the chamber gets going happy to meet and I think Inez and the city staff would be happy to follow.

Okay. All right. I appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

Next speaker is a written communication we received from Jing Hong. She writes to report the severe deterioration of the road service in the 1400 to 1600 South Grand Ridge area. She states that the road has extensive cracks and aging asphalt,

and nearly every week, loose rocks and broken asphalt emerge from the pavement. This not only poses a serious safety risk for drivers and pedestrians, but also increases the likelihood of further structural failure or even potential ground collapse if left unaddressed. Currently, the city's maintenance approach appears to be filling small patches whenever a stone or piece of asphalt comes loose. Unfortunately, this method is highly inefficient and ineffective. It does not resolve the underlying problem, and the road continues to deteriorate rapidly. A more extensive repair or resurfacing project is urgently needed to ensure long-term safety and road integrity. She urges the city to prioritize this issue and take meaningful action as soon as possible. A proper large-scale repair would not only be more cost-effective in the long run, but also greatly improve traffic safety and the quality of life for local residents. No other comments.

Okay.

No other speakers? That's it? All right. Thank you. Now we'll bring up

1A. Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, this item is the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. The city

was selected for an Excellence in Social Media Engagement Award, and our Joseph Leon, Our trustee on the board there is here to talk about this award, along with Jerry Millis from the district. Thank you.

Thank you. Good evening, Mayor, Council Members, staff, and, of course, residents of Monty Park. As you mentioned, Joseph Leon, I'm a resident of Monty Park. He's also a city's representative of the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control. I'm very delighted to have Mr. Morales here today from the district. The city received an award for its outstanding media. and I don't want to delay any further, so I'll let him continue on. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Councilmembers, and members of the community.

As Trustee Leon mentioned, my name is Jerry Morales, Clerk of the Board with San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. It is a privilege to recognize the city of Monterey Park for its outstanding commitment to public health and community engagement.

This year marks the first time our district is presenting the Excellence in Social Media Engagement Award. and we are thrilled to honor Monterey Park as its inaugural recipient. The City of Monterey Park has demonstrated outstanding commitment to public health and community engagement through its innovative and impactful use of social media. As a valued partner of the district, the City has played a crucial role in educating, informing, and engaging residents on mosquito awareness and vector control efforts. Through consistent collaboration, Monterey Park has actively shared the district's social media toolkits, public service announcements, and key messaging to amplify awareness. The city's dedication extends beyond digital outreach, ensuring that residents remain informed about area-wide mosquito treatments by sharing schedules and routes through various communication channels. On behalf of SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, we sincerely appreciate Monterey's Park dedication to community education and public health. We also want to recognize Trustee Joseph Leon for his ongoing advocacy and leadership in mosquito awareness and vector control efforts within the city. Recently, at our March 14th Board of Trustees meeting, we had the privilege of officially presenting this award to the city, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share this recognition with the broader community here tonight. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Monterey Park as we work together to keep our community safe and informed. And once again, congratulations and thank you for your commitment to protecting public health. and we have this certificate along with this glass award and would you like to take a quick picture? That would be great.

Yes. Well, council, you can join me up there. Also, before we just finish, I just want to thank city staff because it wouldn't be possible for all the efforts city staff put in, especially the media department. Thank you so much.

Mr. Mayor, my person of the council, just wanted to share that our media staff is headed up by

our media supervisor, Randy Ashino. He's actually not with us tonight, but Nick is in our sound room, so we can ask maybe Nick to come out of the sound room as well.

One, two, three. Let me take one right here.

One, two, three. Let me just take one more. Oh, yeah.

He's the guy doing a little more. I'm sure.

All right.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, ready? One, two, three, one more. One, two, three.

Okay, that's good.

Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you. Great to work.

Thank you again.

Thank you, Joseph, for representing the city and accepting the award on the 14th. Okay, now let's move on to staff communications.

First up is the city manager's office. So I wanted to take a moment to share some updates. Our former fire chief, Chris Thompson, has separated from service with the city of Monterey Park. So I wanted to take a moment to introduce a few of our staff. Tonight we have here interim fire chief Scott Haverly, if you can come on down, please. And we have our interim community development director, Philip Lanzafame. He's here, too. We introduced him at last meeting, but if you can come down. And then we also have Martin Din. He is our new IT manager, so please come on up. So I'll do quick, brief introductions here.

Scott Haberly is, as I mentioned, our interim fire chief. He has retired from the city of Huntington Beach. He is a familiar face to the city. He served as fire chief here in Monterey Park from 2014 to 2020.

So we welcome you back, and we're glad that you're here to help in our fire department.

Phillip Lantafame, he's also in an interim position for us.

He's serving for our community development director as we're looking to hire for both of these positions.

Philip is retired from the city of Glendale

so he has lots of experience in community development and so we're excited

that he's here to help us in the meantime, in the interim. Thank you so much, Philip, for being here.

And lastly, Martin Din, he is our new IT manager. He is not in

an interim role, so he is here with us. He comes from the city of Southgate and so we are very appreciative

of Martin choosing to come over to Monterey Park

and we are grateful for his wealth of experience that he's bringing.

He's already given us tips and pointers of how he can make our network

and our systems more improved

and definitely keeping our cybersecurity safe. So welcome Martin. Thank you.

Any questions, comments? Just to add my congratulations from the city manager and CSAF, Welcome back. I would say, Scott, you're not familiar because I don't remember your mustache from before. But welcome back and welcome to both of you. We appreciate you stepping into these roles and look forward to your leadership of your teams going forward. Thanks.

Appreciate it. Again, Scott, great to see you back in Monterey Park and, you know, this is a community that you know very well. We're very fortunate to have you as well as to also our new staff. Thank you very much for stepping up and taking care of our city and our community.

Yeah, same. Welcome back, Scott. And glad to, grateful to have all three of you guys on our team.

Welcome, all of you. And I guess two of you are ready for Movember.

So glad to have you guys back or join us. Thank you.

Thank you.

Public Works. Shot.

S-Pugetown Bay. S-Honiggo, Mayor, Mayor, Mayor, Pro Temp and City Council. Sean Igo, Public Works Director. Tonight we have a couple of items for you. The first one is our Monterey Pass Complete Streets Project. We had our first community meeting on Monday and we have our next meeting coming up next Monday. So I just want to remind the community that we have these community workshops going on. We want to hear from the community on the feedback on providing additional connectivity and accessibility along this corridor. So it's important for the community to provide additional connectivity and accessibility along this corridor. So it's important for the community to provide additional connectivity and accessibility along this corridor.

to come out and give us feedback on what they're looking for along this corridor. Additionally, we're working on a meeting with just the businesses

to get feedback from the businesses on their input. We're reaching out directly to them to schedule a meeting to provide some input from them. With that,

I'm going to pass it over to Sochi Tupan, our public works manager, to give some updates on the rest of our updates.

good evening mayor mayor pro tem and members of the city council sochi tipan on april 5th we will

be hosting our cleanup event in partnership with where disposal we will be collecting bulky items

e-waste and we will also be having free paper shredding services it's really popular when we

have paper shredding so we encourage people to arrive early as it is a first come first serve once the truck is full. The event will be taking place at Barnes Park from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

On April 12th, we'll be hosting our Earth Day celebration in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival. It'll be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Like previous years, we will have an Earth Day tent with different sustainability partners hosting tables, sharing resources and information about programs available to residents. The Environmental Commission will be hosting a seed swap table. This was a new activity, a new event that we had last year, and it was very popular and well-received. It is sponsored by the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, who's donating seeds and also planting pots, and where Disposal is donating bagged compost. So we encourage people to bring different plantings or seeds to swap. And also, if you don't bring some, you do have the opportunity to take some with you. We just ask that you bring native plants or locally grown seeds just to make sure that everything stays non-invasive to the city of Monterey Park. We will also be having our ribbon cutting for our new microtransit program, MPK Transit Express. So we will have VIA, the company that we've been working with there, who will also be having a table at their Earth Day tent, helping people sign up for the app, create accounts, share more information about the program. We'll also have a vehicle out for display so everybody can learn more about our new microtransit program. And that concludes my presentation. Thank you.

What time at the Earth Day Festival is going to be the ribbon-cutting?

The ribbon-cutting is going to be at the start of the event, so 11 a.m.

11 a.m. Okay. I want to make sure I'm there.

Sure. And then one last thing, actually, for Earth Day, one of the items on the agenda today is a recommendation to waive fairs for our Spirit Bus program. This is something we've done for the last couple of years. Last year we did see an increase in ridership for that week that we waived fairs, so we hope you consider that for this year again. Thank you.

Mr. Mayor? Yes. Yes. Oh, actually, no, I just wanted to say, you know, again, I'm very excited about the pilot program for the ride share I've been taking this week. And I have to say, when I use the app, I guess, to be honest, I was expecting kind of like when you call an Uber or a Lyft. So I was surprised to see a van that had the logo and said MPK Express. And so, yeah, it's been great. And hopefully more people will use it to get around to the city. Or in my case, I've been using it to connect with the Metro E-Line to get to work. Actually, I'd be curious, too, maybe at some point getting a report on how many people have signed up for that program. I'm very curious, actually.

So we haven't fully ramped up our marketing for the program. We are waiting for all of our marketing material to be translated so we can distribute to everybody in the community. So we were doing a trial period, really, for this starting list last week. We did have 50 accounts created for the app, which really was a lot of internal use. And probably if people saw the van out in the community and maybe Googled it or saw it on their app to see what it was. And there was a couple of trips and rides. I don't have the exact number for last week. but we hope that once we start all of our marketing we do our ribbon cutting and people learn more about the program that ridership grows

any other questions? any other comments, questions? not, thank you so much

Xochitl and Sean

and we have police

good evening mr mayor mayor pro tem members of the city council i'm gus jimenez captain with the monitor park police department i'm here to give you a police department update on a couple of things that we're working on the first thing that i wanted to talk about was we had a neighborhood Watch Focus Group meeting on March 6, 2025. And we made this meeting specifically because we wanted to meet with our former and current block captains to discuss how we can rejuvenate,

kind of restart the Neighborhood Watch program and get it back to the levels that it used to be. So we met with our block captains. We promoted this event at our town hall meeting on February 27th. We also sent out some RSVPs to some of our block captains, former block captains, to attend. We had 12 in attendance. Some of the things that we talked about was revamping our web page, having it more easily accessible, being able to create and join Neighborhood Watch programs more easily rather than having to call the Community Engagement Bureau to do that. So a lot of good ideas were discussed. And some of the things that we are going to be rolling out, first week of April is going to be probably a three-step rollout. The first part is going to be the ability for our residents to go on to the Monterey Park Police Department website through the Community Engagement Bureau and then click a link to join a Neighborhood Watch program. So that's going to be like the first phase. So they're going to be able to do that online. They won't have to call in. It can be all done online. The second phase that we're going to do is we're going to implement a GIS map that's going to show geographical areas in the city where we have existing neighborhood watch programs, existing block captains, and then they can kind of pick and choose to either create their own neighborhood watch program and or join an existing neighborhood watch program. So that's going to be kind of our second phase of the rollout of our new neighborhood watch program webpage. The third phase is, which we're really excited about, and I know the residents are going to be excited about, is they're going to be able to click on a link and it's going to give them public safety information, crime prevention tips, crime trends and statistics. So they're going to be able to click on the link and be able to pull up data specifically for their area, crime trends, things that are going on up to the minute on exactly what's going on. So we're really excited about this new feature.

As we have more council meetings, we'll be updating council on the progression of the website.

But I can tell you that beginning April 1st, it's going to be the initial rollout of being able to log on. or I'm sorry, be able to visit the website and join a Neighborhood Watch program online. So that's going to be the first rollout, and that'll be the first week of April.

Next slide, please. Also want to give you guys an update. We did have a town hall meeting in the Highland area. We had a great number of people that attended. Many of the council members were there that night. We had 200 plus that attended the meeting. We addressed issues on residential burglaries. It was great news that Detective Chin was able to share with the public that we were able to apprehend and arrest the three suspects that were responsible for several residential burglaries in that area.

These suspects were also involved in numerous burglaries in the Southern California area. Numerous law enforcement agencies were looking for them.

So we were really excited to share that news with our residents that they were arrested. And we had a really good session. A lot of great questions were asked of the chief, the police department, of the city. And I think the citizens really walked away from that feeling a little more at ease on what was going on in that area. And we just continue to have these town hall meetings. Can I go to the next slide, please?

So that is just a quick picture of the town hall meeting, what it looked like at Highland School.

We do have some upcoming town hall meetings, and I want to share those dates with you. so the upcoming town hall meetings we have is on May 8th we will be at Bella Vista Elementary School and all this is going to be rolled out on our social media it's on our website

and also on the Cascades there will be an article with a QR code that you can scan and it will take you directly to the Community Engagement Bureau website that has all these town hall meetings so if you can't catch the dates as I'm telling them to you it will be on that website

So Thursday, May 8th, 2025 at Bella Vista Elementary from 6 to 7. Wednesday, May 21st at Garvey Ranch Park from 6 to 7. Thursday, June 12th at Sierra Vista Park from 6 to 7. I do want to share that we are missing one more there, which we were supposed to have, and we're still in discussion with Brightwood School. There was a conflict with their school schedule and spring break. So we are going to have one more at Brightwood School, and as we get that information out, we will share it with council, and we'll also share it on our websites for the additional town hall meeting. Next slide, please.

And lastly, I just want to share some news. We revamped our Citizens Academy. As you all remember, it used to be an eight-session program where the citizens would come in one day a week

and share a few hours with the police department to learn the ins and outs of the police department. We heard feedback from a lot of our residents that attended the Citizens Academy, and they really wanted it to be condensed down to one day. So we listened to our citizens, and we condensed our Citizens Academy to one day. This is the first time we're going to do it. It's a test trial. We're hoping it works, and we're hoping it's successful. But it's going to be a one day. It'll be in English, Chinese, and Spanish. We will have translators there to help with that. We will talk to the public about all the aspects of the police department. Anyone can attend. And again, if you go to the Monterey Park Community Engagement Bureau website, you can find the link there. We also have it on our spotlight on the city website. And we will be pushing it on our social media.

So the date is going to be, the date is Saturday, May 17th. And you can show up that day and register at 7 o'clock in the morning.

And the seminar starts between 8 and 5. So if you don't register ahead of time, you can show up that day and register as well So again, you can call the Community Engagement Bureau. The number is listed there. It's six two six three zero seven one two one five or you can visit the Monterey Park Police Department I'm sorry the City of Monterey Park website and the Police Department Community Engagement Bureau site to get more information

That concludes my presentation. I'm available for any questions you may have

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you captain I REALLY APPRECIATE ONE, JUST WANT TO ECHO MY APPRECIATION FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TOWN HALL AT HIGHLANDS. I THINK IT REALLY, AS YOU NOTED, REALLY HELPED REASSURE A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE THAT EXPERIENCE SERIES OF BURGLARIES. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND THAT WE ARE BUILDING OUT MORE TOWN HALLS TO HELP WITH RECRUITING

FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AND HELPING TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER OUR NEIGHBORS AND RESIDENTS AND businesses as well to be able to address these things and do more crime prevention.

Because all of us are part, not just the police department, but all of us as neighbors share in the responsibility of keeping our community safe.

So we appreciate the continued outreach of the police department to our communities and the neighborhoods. One thing that came up during the town hall was potentially bringing back citizen patrol. I don't know if we're thinking about that or if that's further along or if there's any update on that.

Yeah, so the chief is wearing the works of looking to see if that's something that we are going to implement. There's a lot of factors that go into it, but we are looking into it. There's obviously training that's involved. There's recruitment. There's equipment that's involved with the citizen patrol. So the chief is looking into it, and if we get more information and if we do start the recruitment process, we'll let council know that we're moving forward with it.

Great. No, I think there were at least a few potential volunteers or interested folks out of that crowd at Highlands. And I'm sure as the police department goes to the other neighborhoods, I think everyone's more and more comfortable emerging from our COVID stay at home kind of mindset. And I think people are interested in doing this and interested in joining neighborhood watch some more and finding other opportunities to engage in the city.

So look forward to that. I know there are programs that might make sense for us.

You said the website for prime stats and trends and prevention tips, that's going to go live in a few weeks? No. So the first rollout or the first part is just going to be the ability to register for a neighborhood watch program or a block.

It's going to be like a three-phase deployment on that. The second phase will be more of a GIS map where you can find specific geographical areas of existing neighborhood watch programs and captains, and you can join those programs if you like. The third phase is going to be the statistics and the updated information. That will roll out. And, again, as we progress through the development of that website, we will obviously let council know and update you,

and we'll let the public know.

And I know the chief does plan on bringing in our Community Engagement Bureau unit to do a kind of live presentation to show you how to navigate through, how to get.

that would be interested in being able to access this information. I appreciate the police department making this a lot easier for people to be able to access and learn about these things and even signing up for neighborhood watch that much easier. That's all I got.

I just want to echo some of the sentiments. I was at the town hall and it was, you know, I think what was very rare to see was so many

people in the community there to not just applaud, but also really support a police department, because not a lot of communities can say the same thing. I think some communities are mistrust of law enforcement, and so the fact that there was such a high turnout, I think, speaks volumes, and hopefully from that town hall, you did get a lot of people interested in signing up for the Neighborhood Watch program, and I know for me, I think what was probably also discussed a lot was the use of the flock cameras that really made a big difference, And I know that certainly I think in the community, what I heard was people asking, can we get more of them? And so certainly if that is something that, you know, is in the possibility, then certainly I would support, you know, putting more Flock cameras around the city.

Yeah, I definitely support the Flock camera idea, too, and want to echo the sentiments that you guys are doing a great job with the town halls and scheduling more of that,

because I'm sure a lot of residents didn't get a chance to go, even though 200-plus attended. and the neighborhood watch updates are great. I'm glad you guys are doing this three phases. So if someone goes on the website to watch the neighborhood watch meeting, is it a recording or will it be live?

So we're going to continue to do our Zoom meetings. So our neighborhood watch programs, we implemented that during COVID where we did Zoom meetings, and it was very successful. So our plan is to continue to do a hybrid, live and then Zoom, and we're really leaving it up to our residents to tell us what they feel more comfortable. We're also opening up several city facilities, so if they don't feel comfortable having their neighbors all in one location at one home, we can provide areas either here at City Hall, different facilities in the city where we can still have our Neighborhood Watch meetings away from their neighborhood, but together as a group, and we can offer Zoom. So we're really leaving it up to that group to tell us how they want us to deliver the Neighborhood Watch program. We're not dictating it. We're asking them for direction, and then we try to accommodate those needs.

What about the idea of having a recorded video? Because a lot of the Zoom meetings, live meetings, the same material is shared over and over again. So what about having a recording that anyone can just go on and refresh your memory and watch any time?

Yeah, it's a great idea. That's absolutely something I think we can look into. I will absolutely take notes and let talk with our lieutenant see if that's something that we can do and something that's feasible But yeah, we will absolutely look into that great great

And then my last comment is regarding the social media I think you know, please you guys do a great job updating the public on the current events of social media just one advice I guess is if There's like a flyer like let's say the one day citizens Academy that has a time or a date I would encourage you guys to put it in the as a post not as a story because the story goes away I think maybe there was a coffee with a cop one and I try to go back to find the date I couldn't find it so having as opposed that stays would be helpful okay absolutely thank you thank

you thank you captain Gus again thank you for all these meetings and engagement with the community as you as we go back and look at what happened in March the show up at Highlands. It really shows that we have a community that wants to engage, wants to know what's going on, and the police is there to kind of meet those needs.

So thank you for doing this. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you all.

Next up on the agenda is 2A, update on permanent memorial efforts and request direction to engage a consultant to lead the community engagement process.

That's me.

All right, Diana.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Madam Mayor Pro Tem and City Council, Diana Garcia, Assistant City Manager. Also joining us tonight is Andrea Tseng of the Chinatown Service Center's MPK Hope Resiliency Center. Staff have been working through the process since the shooting in January of 2023 with Chinatown Service Center staff. staff. So before you this evening is an update on the permanent memorial efforts and request for direction to engage a consultant to lead a community process for the development of a permanent memorial. So just a little bit of background and history here. In response to the mass shooting on January 21, 2023, the city of Monterey Park has worked to support the community's mental health and healing in a variety of ways. from providing support and counseling in city facilities to assisting with the opening of the resiliency center and the establishment of the MPK Healing Fund to holding events to bring community members together to remember and honor victims and survivors. Since the shooting, the city has also considered the establishment of a permanent memorial to honor the victims and support community healing. In September of 2023, City Council first discussed memorial planning. Initial research on six memorials in other cities was presented for initial consideration, and items such as cost, complexity, and the long-term nature of the process was discussed. In May of 2024, a memorial ad hoc subcommittee was established with Councilmembers Wong and Lo to explore options and to meet with professionals who have led memorial planning efforts in other communities affected by mass violence. In September of 2024, Nina Locke, CSC's Chief Behavioral Health Officer and then Director of the Monterey Park Hope Resiliency Center, informed staff that CSC was initiating discussions with the family members of victims and the survivors about their sentiments on a permanent memorial. As part of this feedback process, CSC staff also created a survey to gather additional feedback about the permanent memorial. So after about three months of discussions and surveying family members and survivors, CSC staff pushed the survey out in January of 2025 to gather input from the greater community. The city also shared the survey via social media, the city website, and promotion in our city facilities and at city events.

So between November of 2024 and February of 2025, a total of 222 questionnaires were completed

as part of the community outreach effort. Of these responses, 152 were physical submissions collected at various outreach events and 70 were submitted online. line. Some individuals declined to complete the questionnaire, sharing that they felt that the topic did not pertain to them. The survey data was collected from a wide range of sources to ensure broad community participation. Again, it was made available online and paper copies were distributed at community events, including the Lunar New Year Festival, at the library, and at dance events at the Langley Center. Over all, the survey showed support for establishing a permanent memorial. 82.6% of respondents indicated they were in favor of building a memorial in Monterey Park.

A portion of respondents shared other perspectives. There were 7.8% that expressed that they were not interested and 9.1% indicated that they were uncertain. When asked about the preferred setting for the memorial, the majority of respondents

FACILITIES, THE MOST POPULAR DESIGN PREFERENCES WERE A GARDEN, A WALL DISPLAY, OR A SCULPTURE. DUE TO THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR AN OUTDOOR MEMORIAL, STAFF HAVE CONSIDERED POSSIBLE SITES. GIVEN THAT CITY HALL IS CENTRALLY LOCATED AND CLOSE TO THE STAR DANCE BALLROOM, THE FRONT Lawn seems an appropriate location. It's centrally located. It serves as the city's public safety headquarters. And of course Monterey Park Fire and PD staff were intimately involved with the tragedy and affected by it. It is the formal site of the city's civic center. It's also been the location of vigils and remembrance ceremonies. And it does contain memorials, other memorials and monuments. So that is a Google Maps view of the front lawn with some potential sites. Again, these options are preliminary, but we wanted to provide them for Council's consideration. Additionally, we wanted to provide the full Council some best practices on establishing permanent memorials. So these were taken directly from a presentation made to the 1 October Memorial Committee. That was the body that was formed to lead the memorial process in Las Vegas following the Route 91 shooting. And this presentation was made by Anita Huja. She's the manager for the mass violence response and the ombudsperson for crime victims with the California Victim Compensation Board. She's worked with many communities that have experienced mass violence and loss. The Memorial Ad Hoc Subcommittee were able to meet with Anita during their research, so we wanted to share these with the full council as you consider your decisions this evening. So input from victims and survivors is the number one priority.

Transparency is also important. There should be no surprises.

The entire process, such as design, changes, and decisions should be shared with the public.

There should be a collective vision. So what do we want the memorial to look like?

We probably want it to represent diversity in victims' families, first responders, survivors, and the multicultural aspect should also be represented. We want to consider a realistic timeline.

Timelines vary greatly in communities.

They can range from a couple of months to a decade to establish permanent memorials. Another thing that Anita shares is that local artists are important to be involved in the process.

It's helpful to have people who are in the local community, who understand the feeling of the community, and to have artists and architects who are involved with working with victims and their families and who are open to hearing thoughts, suggestions, and ideas from them.

The goal of a memorial is to provide comfort and hope. So the memorial shouldn't be a dark reminder. It's meant to be a place of comfort that promotes healing. And the placement of the memorial should be carefully considered to accomplish that.

Everyone should be represented. Everybody who is involved in any phase of the process should be represented on committees and groups so that there are no surprises. If a city is making a decision about the site of a memorial or other key issues, the public should be involved from the start. And finances should also be considered. There's always a cost of establishing the memorial and then ongoing maintenance for a memorial.

So the survey that was conducted by CSC, in addition to expressing support for the memorial itself, 30% of survey respondents indicated an interest in participating in planning efforts to shape the memorial's design and purpose. So these results show that there's an interest from the community in being directly involved in planning and development.

STAFF THIS EVENING ARE RECOMMENDING ENGAGING A CONSULTANT THAT WOULD LEAD AND FACILITATE

A BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. THIS APPROACH WOULD PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY FOR PARTICIPANTS ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO ENGAGE AT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL IN A STRUCTURED YET INCLUSIVE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. THIS COULD BE SIMILAR TO A STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT or a master planning effort. It would allow for participation from a wide range of stakeholders without the challenges of maintaining a structured committee. Those challenges could be quorum issues, turnover, sensitivity of member selection and appointment.

If we hire a consultant, they would lead community engagement along these lines. So designing and implementing that process, utilizing various engagement tools, surveys, community meetings, focus groups, and individual interviews, leveraging the knowledge and experience of various stakeholders, ensuring accessibility, language support, and diverse community representation, synthesizing community input into a clear vision, and maintaining openness and transparency in those decisions.

So this evening, staff is asking that council receive and file this update and provide additional direction. Thank you, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Comments, questions?

Yes. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Diane. I know a lot of work went into getting us to this point as we continue to progress on

this and appreciate the Chinatown Service Center and your efforts in helping to lead

the initial survey and getting feedback and thoughts from community members and those impacted and the victims as well and their families.

in terms of the recommendation here right my when I read and see right community

engagement consultant potentially I feel like in my mind we've already done right a lot of initial community engagement we've solicited feedback through a survey and we've had some small group in private conversations with the families and the victims as well and have gotten feedback I think that is enough to that has been helpful. I'm worried

that, and my thinking is I don't want, I don't think we need someone to help do more broad-based kind of

outreach to get us the same kind of feedback that we've already gotten. I think we just need to start moving towards kind of a next step in terms of outlining what the process is going to be for potential designs and sites for a memorial, because it's hard for me and I think a lot of people to say to give

So I think if we start to move it along and start to outline what that might look like that would that would solicit more feedback from from the community I don't know what brings someone on Just to get more kind of brought general feedback you ask ten people Where a site would be good for this and what a design might look like that might be good You'll get a hundred different answers even from me. We get a hundred different answers depending what time of day you ask And so I kind of want to get us to a point where we've got a little bit more tangible kind of potential exact process of how we want to move forward on this and potential sites that might work. I prefer city-owned property so that we can move more quickly and that we don't have to drag this out and there's no property acquisition that's going to be part of this that could delay this. So if we're narrowing that down to city-owned sites in the city that might make sense and they're in proximity to the side of the star bar room I think that's something

we can maybe direct staff to come back to us as was kind of hinted at through this through the presentation and then maybe staff can reach out to a few of

the other with the ten the the Las Vegas or other memorials and they're and looking at what their process was to solicit designs and to arrive at a final design and just start to bring maybe bring it out outline or potential

kind of options for the council to consider what that process might be for and what might make sense for the council here to proceed in terms of a process for actually getting to a couple of maybe preliminary designs or a handful

of final designs that potentially choose from how do we get there so that we can

then do I think community engagement around something that's more solid and people can have more direct engagement and feedback on in terms of potential sites and potential designs.

That's my kind of initial thought when I was looking through this.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know, I have a similar sentiment. I think especially because, I mean, now we're already well into the third quarter of the year, and I mean, pretty soon we'll be approaching the third anniversary of the Massachusetts. I know even last year as we were putting second anniversary people were already asking what are our plans and I think probably while we are still able to have a captive audience which is measured by those who attend our visuals I think we should probably start looking at how can we move the process forward in terms of concepts. I agree that it should probably be something that is not static, something that certainly may provoke someone to reflect but it's also meant to be something that's also something I think that that is also someone can tangibly understand what the monument is supposed to evoke. And again, I know we talked a lot about Las Vegas and certainly I know it took Las Vegas over ten years to get to where they are. And certainly maybe it's comparing apples and oranges of what happened in Mandalay Bay and what happened here. But nonetheless, I don't think anyone here wants to see a ten year process. But again, I understand why it took Las Vegas so long. And at the same time, you know, I really, from what I've seen so far, I brought before the small community garden they had, I'm sorry, small community park they have at Las Vegas, which again, it's meant to be like any other park, one can walk through it, one can sit down. And I think that's something where we have the advantage. We have 13 parks in the community and certainly we have the advantage of maybe using something that we already have as a facility as a place to create a monument for reflection for the victims of the mass shooting.

Well, first of all, I wanted to say thank you for the efforts to gather all this valuable data. If you can go back to the slide that has all the numbers, so there's 222 responses collected, majority support and memorial.

I do echo Council Member Juan's statement about the location.

I think it should be somewhere in between Star Ballroom where the shooting happened and probably between that and City Hall,

probably city owned property as well but something in that vicinity anything farther away might seem less relevant

and then also the popular design prefaces

a garden or like something related to flowers or trees you know like council member Lowe said something where families and anyone affected can go to reflect and remember the victims

okay thank you I'm just going to jump in with my thinking here it's now been two plus years we're kind of moving on to the next step of this and and the survey is telling because it tells you this was out for more than a few months and we've gotten enough responses here to know that to me I kind of circle three things here the majority a large majority of the people want a memorial the memorial is preferably outdoor where people can go and visit and it's kind of

down to either a garden a sculpture or a wall design okay so wall display so we're down to that so i think i'm what i'm thinking here is we got to move on to the next step which is engage someone to put that design together. And then we have our CPC community participation group that kind of is handling this

and let them take this to the next step so we have something more concrete in terms of planning.

Because otherwise, you'll be talking about design and it will go on for another five, 10 years and that's not what we want this to be. I know Council Member Wong and Council Member Lo were instrumental in setting this up for at least a year and a half now. So, yeah, welcome your thoughts in terms of what's the next step where we're going with this

Mr. Mayor members the council I just wanted to chime in on what I've heard so far and see if this is the direction that council would like us to Go in or if there's other items to consider so it sounds like The council is interested in some moving towards some next steps So site selection and also the process to solicit design concepts. And so with that understanding, I think then the next step for staff would be to bring back another item, really kind of honing in on site selection, right? That way, if we are going to request design concepts, designers will need to know the location of where they're, you know, thinking about this space. So site selection would be very important. And then I think what I'm hearing is focus in on what the other memorial committees, not so much their memorial committee process,

but the process specifically of how they accepted design designs or design concepts. And then we could bring those processes back to council for consideration on what process we can use in getting concept designs,

whether that's an RFP process or some kind of other process. Does that sound, did I capture it?

You took it out of my brain, yes. And just to echo what I think we've all said, I don't think anyone here wants to see a long, drawn-out process. I think we want to just keep this moving forward and get something in terms of final design. And I think the steps you laid out, right, hard to get it get potential designs without knowing what sites right an artist or a designer an architect isn't going to know what to design if they don't know where they're designing for and so I think the site potential sites narrowing that down it's probably first step and then finding kind of the process and seeing how other organizations solicited designs to go through and I think at that point what might make more sense to do some community engagement when we have potential designs based on a site or sites that we narrow down to for someone to even propose potential designs for and what that timeline might look like too.

And I can share a little bit about the processes that different committees and groups have used to arrive at a design. So there are some that have gone through a request for qualifications for artists as the first step. So they request these qualifications from either a firm or an architect or a landscape architect. they consider those qualifications, they select the architect or the designer that they're going to work with, and then they work with them on developing what that design is going to look like. The other process that some committees have used is they've requested proposals. So they've issued an RFP for a design. And Inez is right, City Manager Alvarez is right. We would want if we were to issue an RFP to give parameters for any potential bidders to work within. So site selection, potential budget not to exceed. Some of these memorials have cost $10 million and $15 million. So really the sky's the limit in terms of budget. So we would want to make sure that any proposals that we are receiving are going to be something that's realistically accomplishable for us. Once they've received those proposals, there are different various methods that committees and communities have used to select. They've been discussed in committee. They've been voted on by community members. Occasionally, they're just selected by a body, whether that's a city council or a county commission. That really varies community to community. So those are some options.

I actually like the site you identified which is basically outside of City Hall I was listening to Pro Tem Yang here in terms of we want something that's close to the star ballroom and where it is here, I just can't think of any location that we own from the location to here other than this is right outside City Hall so I think that's a good location. And then I love to have the sky as the limit. Unfortunately, we have to be realistic and be mindful of costs and also timing. So that will play a factor in too here.

Actually, Mr. Mayor, that was my thinking too. So at what point do we also then need to include a discussion in sequence when we talk about design, RFPs, also fundraising because I think in all the models we looked at in terms of monument establishment, there was some fundraising efforts because again, we could say sky's the limit or not the limit and that can make a difference between what is realistic and I'm just curious at what point do we need to discuss fund raising and the vehicle too. I mean, I know I've suggested in the past that perhaps we use the Hope and Healing Fund as a vehicle. Mind you, I know the community appointed advisory board and certainly we defer to their leadership and their recommendation, but given that it's already an established fund which is familiar with the community, whether or not we want to use that as a possibility, because I think also that should go into our thinking as well, is that or as the mayor said, I mean, what type of monument also probably hinges on also the cost and whether it's feasible and also whether or not we're able to get the community support to have resources to establish such a monument.

Well, and just in response to that too, I think funding this is a critical part, but it's hard to know or to fundraise when we don't know what it is yet. And what right so I think the first next step is what I think city managers outlined and I think part of that After that next step will be determining what the process and potential avenues are for Making sure it gets fun and actually built but it's hard I think I would imagine it's hard to well, it's Hard to ask people for money when they don't know what they're they would pay for yet And we don't even know the price rate because we don't have a design to to price out

So, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, the other items that we just want to make sure that we have clarification on, it sounds like there is consensus for an outdoor space. Is that accurate? Yes. Yes? Okay. Outdoor space. And so, yes, we have been thoughtful in site selection. if proximity to the star ballroom is important it will limit what city owned properties or

facilities spaces that we have available for this type of memorial. So City Hall is very close

this is one of the reasons it was looked at. Is there any other locations or is the front of City Hall

Well, yeah, in my thinking too, right, I think Langley Center would be a potential one. Beth Ryan Park right there next to Langley or even in front of Langley. For me, there's a connection to elders and those that participated in a lot of the activities since the shooting as well to support healing and the community coming together. I think Langley would make sense, and it's also within proximity of the ballroom. The other thing too which might be more difficult is the city known Parking Lot as we're looking at potential uses there could integrate a design for some sort of outdoor space that could be a memorial into that design as well for moving forward on that that's also very close to the ballroom. That's also very close to the ballroom. Actually, if I can add one more suggestion whether or not it's feasible, but perhaps, you know, the library, we have that green space between the library,

I mean, it's not a large space, but nonetheless, it is a space, possibly, as well.

So I know we have memorials at City Hall and also at the library. Do we have any memorials at Langley Center?

Not as a memorial. We have Beth Ryan Park that's been dedicated. It's the small park that's connected to the facility.

That space has been dedicated, Beth Ryan Park. And then there's a mural inside the building,

but I wouldn't really call those memorials.

Other than Beth Ryan Park, there's really not open space within Langley because everything's concrete.

there's a bench in the back other than that again we're going to let the team kind of go find us a location and report back I don't think we're making the decision tonight to say we got a location pinned down

maybe the next step is to make a motion to engage a consultant and then have the consultant come up with

so just before we move on it is helpful to have a little feedback from council for locations if there is interest in Langley Center, if there is interest in Lincoln and Garvey parking lot if there is interest in library, we just want to make sure that we're looking at the sites that truly could lend itself for a memorial outdoor space, what does that look like or what will be designed that will come but I think it is important for us to know where to really focus our attention. And so if there's consensus for all the spaces, we could look at all of them. But if we're leaning towards one over the others, that's also helpful for staff to know as we're really you know trying to narrow in and get the process moving forward. And I will note as well that we

kind of brainstormed and considered some various sites. The I think the issue with Beth Ryan Park LANGLEY CENTER IS THAT IT IS ALREADY DEDICATED AND IT IS BUILT OUT. SO YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO REMOVE LANDSCAPING FEATURES TO ADD SOMETHING NEW. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AS A POSSIBILITY. THIS AREA IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, THERE ARE PARTS THAT HAVE TREES THAT ARE DEDICATED, BUT THERE ARE ACTUAL GREEN SPACES THAT could be used to put in a memorial. I think the challenge with the area, that grass area in front of the library is that it's quite pitched. We were also looking at some spots behind City Hall in Barnes Park, but the spots that are not already being used for programming are quite hilly, and I think that that might present challenges with accessibility if we were to put a monument

there. Mr. Mayor, I mean, if we need to narrow it down, I think what's before us, that probably is the best location. I mean, it is walking distance to our ballroom. And we, well, we do have not just memorials to individuals, but there's the World War II memorial there. So we do certainly have, it's a space that's already been established for commemoration. So perhaps that is

the most ideal spot. Yeah, and if you think about where we had it two years ago a year ago, we put the names right outside that area in terms of a temporary memorial space. So I am in favor of

that space. Yeah, our vigils, all the ceremonies year after year have been in that space.

Sounds good. I think that's helpful. Thank you. I think we can focus here and then potentially look at other sites, but it sounds like our first focus will be City Hall. Definitely hearing the next steps. I understand the funding component will need to be discussed, and maybe when we bring back an item to consider which process we're going to use to go through designs, I think a funding discussion at that time could be appropriate to figure out if we're really going to do an RFP process or what process we're going to use. If we're collecting designs, are we going to collect designs and then figure out the fundraising component after or are we going to set a limit on what you know not to exceed amount on what the designer could propose so we can definitely take that at the next council action item if that works okay well with that do I have a motion

do you need a motion for these next steps or it sounds like well we need to receive in file and

next steps right I think we understand the direction so I guess just it would just be a motion for the number one because we're not gonna engage the the consultant yet at this point so it would probably just be an action for

sorry I'll make the motion to receive and file the report and there's clear direction for city staff on the next steps I can second a motion by customer

Second by Pro Tem Yang. Please vote.

Approved unanimously.

Okay, thank you. Let's go to the consent calendar.

Just another reminder that item 3H has been moved per choral to the next meeting due to conflicts.

So with that, are there any items you guys want to pull or have discussions on?

I will pull 3B. I don't need the report. I just want to note it and have a quick comment for that. 3B, okay.

and yeah that's it okay anything else

so just 3b

so i'll move the remaining items move the council member one for the remove the remaining items

I second that. Second by Council Member Lowe.

Take a vote.

Approved unanimously. Okay, thank you. Now let's go to 3B. So I don't need the report. So one, thank you to the staff. I really appreciate, especially the finest department, for getting this to us. I know we've been talking about this particular item, and I think it's a great last, whenever it was, November LA County Economic Development Corporation named Maury Park one of the most business friendly cities in LA County

I think this is a furtherance of our efforts to continue to be business friendly in the city by providing a first-year free program for small businesses in the city So appreciate the staff The staffs and all of our city departments efforts to continue to make Maury Park a business friendly city and look forward to other efforts like this that we can consider and encourage staff to come up with other

ideas I would love to consider them and to adopt them and implement to continue

to make sure we live up to the award of becoming one of the most business friendly cities in the region I'd also like to ask I don't think this was required or part of this but if staff can report back on an annual basis on just how many new businesses are taking advantage of this I just be curious from a council perspective to see how this is working and how many are being helped by this and anything like that. With that, I'm happy to make the motion for item 3B. So moved by Council Member Wong.

Second. Second by Pro Tem Yang. Take a vote. Approved unanimously. Okay. Moving along to

public hearing 4A

So 4A I'll recuse myself because my residence is within 500 feet of the project location

Let's give her a minute to step into the

hybrid room Okay

Okay. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. Before you this evening is the annual weed abatement protest hearing. So this is the hearing that the Council approved on February 5th.

They adopted a resolution approving the weed abatement list or the declaration.

This meeting is designed for any parcel owners identified on that list to formally protest or object to their inclusion and open up the public hearing.

I'd be happy to have any questions you have.

I HAVE TO OPEN UP A PUBLIC HEARING.

ANYONE ANYONE ANYONE? NO SPEAKERS.

NO?

OKAY.

THAT'S CLOSE.

I'LL MAKE THE MOTION IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION TO ADOPT STAFF RINGRENDATION.

OKAY MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER WONG. I'LL SECOND THAT.

SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER LO. WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.

Approved unanimously.

All right, Scott, that would be the easiest item for you.

Thank you.

All right, welcome back. Pro Tem Yang. We're going to actually go to 4B now.

Who's coming for me, Christine? Okay.

Christine Tomakawa, Director of Human Resources, will be presenting this item.

We're just dealing with technical issues.

All right. Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, Christine Tomikawa, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management.

Do we want the speakers first or do we go to the presentation?

Well, it's a public hearing, so you can probably do the public speakers during the public hearing. Okay, go ahead. Are they?

They're speakers.

Okay. Hi, Charles. I have Julie DeZille here with me as well. She's the HR and risk management manager. So she's here for moral support. No, I'm just kidding. All right. The item before you is a new requirement that became effective January 1, 2025. The city is required to present the status of vacancies within the city and our recruitment and retention efforts to fill these vacancies on an annual basis before the city's budget gets adopted. The public hearing is also available so that the recognized associations have an opportunity to share their input as well regarding the status of vacancies and retention and recruitment. As stated in the staff report, coming out of pandemic in 2022, the city had approximately 70 positions that were vacant. and we recognized that there was a need to find ways to attract and to get through our recruitment process faster and more efficient because there are so many openings all around the county and very few qualified candidates. So efficiency was of a need, and at that time we declared an employment emergency. and so that employment emergency went until December of 2023 because our personnel rules and regulations were a little outdated in how our processes were for recruitments and then since then we've also updated those rules and regulations to help us be more flexible with how our recruitment processes work so that's one of the ways that we've been trying to help with the recruitment part for our vacancies. And then as you may be aware, the civil service process can be tedious because the city is required to provide a fair and impartial recruitment process which can involve a variety of steps which takes time and effort on city staff and potential applicants and sometimes draws out the process. Since the employment emergency, we've been able to update, like I said, again, the rules to help us, assist with streamlining the recruitment steps, allowing part-timers to participate in promotional recruitments where they weren't allowed to do that before, and reducing time in between recruitment steps because we understand the need to capture qualified candidates in a timely manner is important.

Also as we prepare for upcoming negotiations, we are aware there may be negotiation discussions around retention for current employees and continuing to provide competitive salary and benefits in the current labor market.

We continue to work with each department to figure out different ways to attract qualified candidates.

We recognize we have a new generation of candidates out there in the pool who may not have a 20 or 25 year career at a city anymore.

so we're trying to figure out how we attain and attract those types of candidates as well.

The HR department is working with the departments to try different approaches to testing and interviews. For example, last Saturday, HR and public works staff held a performance exam.

Another opportunity we're doing is this coming Saturday, HR and recreation staff are going to hold a job fair for part-time positions. So we're going to have potential candidates where they can come, apply for any of our part-time positions, get an interview, and then maybe take the first step in our background process, which is typically a live scan.

All in one day, all in one place.

next we can go through the vacancy reports that were attached to the staff report and so the

reports are by each association and the classifications that fall under that association

Does that help? A little bit bigger. So for the first group, we have the Confidential Employee Association.

We've highlighted the two positions that are still currently vacant in that association.

and then you can see at the bottom there's a total of 13 positions that are budgeted

and two are vacant which gives us a vacancy percentage of 15 percent

next we have the firefighters association and within there you see that there are 48 positions

budgeted we have right now three positions that are vacant with a percentage of six percent we also put a statistic in there about vacancy percentage following completion of background

which means we have candidates in the background process and so if they we understand that in fire

and police sometimes people fall out of the background process and so we understand that

we are not counting that that vacancy filled until they've completed that full background process

and that they've actually started working so if the people that are in backgrounds right now

complete those steps then once they've completed it then we would have a two percent vacancy after

those people in backgrounds fill a spot does that make sense

all right we have the mid management association and again you can see the highlighted positions

there are 32 budgeted positions and four of them are vacant right now for a 13 vacancy

Battalion Chief, there are four positions budgeted and all positions are filled.

Police Captains, there are two positions budgeted and both positions are filled.

Police Officer Association, we have 59 positions budgeted and four positions are vacant.

So again, you'll see a vacancy percentage of 7%, but again, we have people in backgrounds at various stages, and so if those people make it through the background, then the city would have a 0% vacancy.

Police Officers Mid-Management Association, there are 16 positions budgeted, and there are no vacancies at those levels.

Our Service Employees International Union Local 721, this is our general employees.

This is our largest group.

You can see they go on for a couple of pages. So we'll scroll through some of them.

And you can see the positions that are vacant are the ones highlighted in yellow.

And you can see the maintenance worker position here where we have 11 budgeted, but we have

currently six that are vacant.

So that's why we've been trying to find various ways to fill that position.

some of these positions too as you see like a senior water production system operator

in working with the department sometimes they may be keeping them vacant to give current employees

an opportunity to gain the experience in an acting position or potentially to have a promotional

opportunity available to the internal folks as well so that's one of the retention options that we have available is being able to promote from internal.

So as you see, vacancy is 18%,

and then we have a couple of positions that are being recruited for,

and so that's why it says 17% when they finish their background process.

We have an unrepresented classifications as well.

We have two positions, but as you were introduced to Martin earlier tonight, he has filled one

of those vacant positions, so the percentage is actually at 6% now with filling one of those positions.

That concludes my presentation. We're available to take any questions, and then the hearing.

Let's open up public hearing.

open up public hearing I know we have a stack of cards first speaker Ryan Murillo of SEIU

all right good evening mayor mayor pro tem city council members of the public my name is Ryan Murillo I'm with SEIU local 721 as you just saw on the screen SEIU is the largest we represent the largest employees of Monterey Park. We span pretty much every department in the city, from the water department to public works to, like, your parks, even City Hall here. And despite being the largest represented members in the city, we're actually the lowest paid. So out of all those unions you just saw, we're the lowest paid union in the city. If you look on page 190 of your staff report, you notice how the vacancies reduced from 70 to 30, which is not bad. However, out of those 30 vacancies, 80% of that is SEIU, which is, you know, that's not good. The majority of the vacancies here from, was it May 22nd, there was 30, and then on page 24 of the agenda item, you'll see that that represents 18%, which is SEIU.

So we're here to ask the city and management to really consider filling those vacancies. If you think about it, a vacancy means the city is not being competitive with the surrounding cities. So a fully staffed city is a healthy city, and we want you to consider being fully staffed. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker. Next speaker, John Nguyen.

Good evening, city staff, mayor, mayor Potem, city council. and the public. My name is John. I'm the current president of SIU 721. I'm here to talk about the

vacancies here and, you know, what does that mean for us as a city, us as a group. Short staff,

you know, leads to a lack of timely and proper services to the residents of Monterey Park.

They can lead to safety issues when our members perform work without the proper support and staffing. That leads to burnout, overworked. Some more people are leaving for other cities Because the workload is too much. We don't have enough people to help us historically some of our units work has been contracted out which has ended up being more expensive residents Than by making the positions more competitive in-house we've currently

See contracted out our plan reviews or inspections some of our park works some are engineering services These country oppositions are less knowledgeable historically which can lead to errors and confusion See employees end up having to oversee some of the work of the contractors Should they not know what they're doing or you know need extra assistance? with that I'm gonna jump over to

What do the vacancies mean and hear from our members?

Sorry

Hi. Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, City Council members. My name is Deborah Takahashi, and I'm actually the teen library at the Monterey Public, Monterey Park Bruggemar Library. I want to give a little bit of context of my career and why this library is so important. So in December of 2005, I got my first job as a youth library aide, and that literally inspired me to pursue my master's degree in librarianship.

and my 20 year anniversary of being in public libraries is coming up this year. I'm very excited

and with as an aide and assistant eventually a library as a librarian my time at the Monterey

Park Bruggemyra Library has been actually the most rewarding. Most of you all of you are familiar with the services that we provide at the library so from our bustling adult literacy program and our packed story times to many individuals seeking refuge in our building, the library clearly demonstrates how this community appreciates its existence. But more importantly, as a librarian and a youth advocate,

I have had the privilege of meeting and working with hundreds of teenagers,

including the 145 that are on my volunteer roster

with the library's Junior Friends Volunteer Program. And in this role, I have dedicated a considerable amount of energy to ensuring that teens get the services, the teens who use our services and attend our programs or who volunteer,

I make it a point to make sure that they are given the knowledge and support that they need to prepare for adulthood. I have also appreciated collaborating with the many community organizations

and the individuals who provide essential information to services for teens, and I am eternally grateful for that assistance.

But what I love most about working in the library, besides working with the teens, is collaborating with the talented and the passionate individuals who deliver programs and services to our residents.

So while my experience has taught me a lot about working with the youth, I could not accomplish my goals without my incredible coworkers and colleagues at the library.

and one thing as hopefully most of you know or for those who don't know librarians and library

staff are very passionate about delivering quality service they're also very passionate about making sure that our community has access to information that will help them in their lifelong learning

journeys as well as their development but what i what i would like to share today is due to the recent compensation study, the findings have indicated the librarians in the city of Monterey

Park are underpaid. When you compare to my peers and other county municipal libraries, librarians at the Monterey Park Bruggenmeyer Library are not receiving the salaries that they deserve. And as the cost of living continues to rise, along with the cost of food, gas, and utilities,

some of us have to question, is it worth it staying? So the study reveals that another equally

important positions are also underpaid. As SEIU local 721s enter into contract negotiations,

I hope that the city will demonstrate the support and the respect for SEIU employees, especially those who work in vital roles to maintain our infrastructure, our parks, and essential community services provided to seniors, youth, and our immigrant community. Thank you for attention, and I look forward to a positive outcome in the future.

Thank you, Deb. Next speaker.

Next speaker, Robert Ferriero, also of SEIU 721.

Next speaker will be Jocelyn Chavez. Good evening, Council Members, City Attorney, and City Manager. My name is Jocelyn Chavez. I am one of the code enforcement officers here in the City of Monterey Park and a member of the SEIU Union.

I am here today to bring attention to a serious concern within our department, underpayment for the work that we do, and insufficient staffing to meet the workload. To retain employees and strengthen our workforce, the city must offer competitive pay just as surrounding cities do. The reality is that vacancies continue to increase because employees are leaving for better paying opportunities elsewhere. It is often said that employees are appreciated, but true appreciation is shown through an action. Providing fair wages and adequate staffing would not only support current employees, but also improve the quality service for the community in Monterey Park. I urge the city to make meaningful steps towards addressing these issues. Thank you for your time and your consideration.

Now, Robert Feria.

Good evening, Council Mayor. I appreciate your time this evening. My name is Robert Feria. I work with SEIU 721 as a staff negotiator here on behalf of our members at Monterey Park.

So I'm here to talk about the vacancies in relation to the latest comp study that was done by the city. So the cities retained Ralph Anderson to conduct another comp study. This is the same group that conducted the study back in 2023.

What we found is there are similar comparators and positions found in the 2023 study. There's a similar comparators.

ZOxtra removed the number of comparison positions found for most of our job classes as in 2023. However, we've not seen the full comp study. So we've not been able to fully evaluate all the comparator positions. Um, as part of our information request, we will be looking for that information. Um, although we don't have all the information, we have then a cursory analysis that we'd like to share with you. Um, the first thing we want to notice out of the 56 job classifications, we represent and have budgeted FTEs, 33 were surveyed with enough comparators. So that's 59%.

The data that we have received in the agenda, the study claims that SEIU group, and this is on page 48 of the agenda, the SEIU group is, quote-unquote, above market median on average when salary ranges are compared. When benefits are added, there is a slight but insignificant improvement in market position primarily due to city paid longevity and deferred compensation benefits. In actuality, however, when we look at the last study and compare it with this one, the numbers from 2023 show that there's been a decrease in the latest study for cash benefits and insurance.

So you will see in our reports, we have pulled it from 2023 and 2025 and circled that in 2023 study,

our average with base cash and insurance was that we would be 3.9% above the market.

That has now dropped to 3.3% above market. So we've suffered a decrease there. Out of the 15 job classifications that were referenced earlier that have vacancies that were shared by Ms. Tomikawa, Not a single one was reported below markets, according to the 2025 Ralph Anderson comp study in terms of cash or cash and benefits. And only one of the 15 classifications was considered below market median if cash, benefits, and insurance was considered. And seven of those 15 classifications that currently have vacancies had no comparison done at all. Beyond the vacant positions, as Deborah mentioned earlier, had vacancies.

Sorry, not vacancies. We're below market, and they were all the way up to 24.4% below market.

On the following page, you can see we've pulled out the comp study. We've highlighted here positions. The positions in yellow are ones that are below market median that were surveyed. The positions in blue have vacancies, but they are said to be above market median. And at the top, we've included positions that were not compared. We assume because there were not enough comparators to make a determination. But we've listed the number of vacant positions for each one up at the top of that section.

So based on our analysis, you know, as noted, there are other positions that are below market rate outside of the vacancies. The vacancies span several departments. So this is not an issue about hiring practices at a specific department.

And to the point made earlier that some positions are being held open for the ability of people to promote from within,

the senior water production systems operator was vacant two years ago. So either someone has filled that position and since left, which speaks to the same type of issue, or it's been vacant for quite some time and no one's taken it. Again, we want to note that the market competitiveness has dropped from 3.9 to 3.3%. And we want to say that this large number of vacancies that have remained since 2023, Again, 80% of our positions, total positions, have remained vacant. Speak to the fact that although this study says we're above, we're actually not being competitive enough.

This is going to say I'm out of time, but I just want to note a couple more things quite quickly,

because this is part of the government code for us to do this presentation. vacancies going forward several of the comparator agencies that we're looking at have colas built in alhambra five percent colas built in for the next three years arcadia just received a seven percent increase six percent is scheduled for this year five percent for next year monrovia has committed to doing ongoing comp studies with a guaranteed minimum 5% increase. And most cities have wage skills that only have five steps. So annually, they can reach the max within five years. Downey, five steps at 5.5% each. El Segundo, five steps with the first step after only six months. Glendora, five steps at 5% each. San Gabriel, five steps at 5% each. So all of this is what we're contending with and something that we need to consider as we move forward. If we're not just thinking about filling these vacancies now but for the future. And so I appreciate the little bit of extra time. I'm going to pass it back for Deborah to conclude for us. Thank you.

Thank you, Robert. So based on this information, because of the repeated and continuously vacant positions in our particular bargaining, it points to a serious need for a greater package in order to make these particular positions attractive. And as we've mentioned, several comparator agencies will continue to push ahead of Monterey Park if there is not a real change that is made to the compensation for our bargaining unit positions in the city of Monterey Park.

So basically what it means, continued vacancies being greater cost and it's even less services for the citizens of Monterey Park. So the unit requests that the city looks at the reality of the particular situation in regards to the vacancies. Our unit has, these positions have

not been filled in our unit and it will continue to have the greatest number of vacant positions

in the city. So in essence, by filling these positions, we will give the residents of Monterey Park the services that they pay for and they actually deserve. And since we will soon be in negotiations, we request that the city take our requests very seriously and to commit to filling these vacancies in the same way that they have with the other units. So basically what that means,

by offering a competitive package, not just for today, but for the future.

And that's it. Thank you.

Next speaker, Justin Burrell of the Monterey Park Firefighters Association.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. We thank you for the time to listen to us tonight. My name is Justin Burrell, a 23-year member of this union,

and tonight I'm speaking on behalf of Monterey Park Professional Firefighters Local 1014.

This evening marks as an important step as the city councils have opened the door for feedback from the unions regarding recruitment and retention within our department.

It's crucial for us to share our thoughts and experiences, whether they are positive or negative, because it's a vital part of this collaborative process.

When it comes to recruitment, we are burdened with the same challenges we've faced over the last five years. There seems to be a disconnect in our department when it comes to incentives for attracting both entry-level and lateral firefighters who are already trained and experienced.

Unlike the police department or other neighboring fire departments, we currently lack pay bonuses and step increases

to entice these skilled individuals to join our team. This lengthy hiring process, which stretches over several months at times, often means we may start out with hoping to bring on three new hires, but may end up with just one or two. If they haven't accepted other job offers in the meantime.

Retaining our current team is equally critical. Thankfully, many of our firefighters and paramedics are committed to their work. But in the past year, we've seen two of our experienced paramedics leave for other opportunities in both Los Angeles County Fire and El Segundo Fire, which this was a significant loss for us and our residents.

Another pressing concern is the extensive workload our team has faced. Many have had to take on extra shifts to cover vacancies caused by injuries or other challenges. The average industry standard is around 56 extra hours worked each month. Our current Monterey Park firefighter paramedics are putting in over 190 extra hours away from their families. Firefighters as well in the firefighter rank are working more than 160 additional hours beyond their regular shifts, which ultimately they are there to ensure that every emergency response unit is readily available to the community we serve. This kind of exhausting schedule takes a heavy emotional and physical toll. The mental fatigue, stress, and emotional strain can affect not just the individuals working those hours, but also their families and relationships. It raises a significant concern regarding retention, and we're aware that this is not a sustainable situation. However, we are grateful that these important issues have been acknowledged by city officials and that discussions are already underway to seek solutions. There's been talk about refocusing on our reserve firefighter program, which in this case we can quickly bring those folks on board when needed. We truly believe that investing in the future of our firefighters is a promising path forward. As we look toward the future, we remain hopeful. We trust that city administration will continue to collaborate with us to help address these concerns and find ways to make meaningful change. Thank you for your attention and for understanding the challenges we all face together. thank you applause

applause

applause no other speakers

okay did I close public hearing already or let's close the public hearing comments from council

I'll just say appreciate folks that came out today to give us feedback

and thoughts and really appreciate that. I know we're starting the process of negotiations

for the next contract for all the bargaining units

here for City Hall. Appreciate you providing this initial feedback.

Look forward to a continued conversation and dialogue in the months to come.

I also wanted to thank everyone for coming today. Certainly this is a collaborative effort. And we look forward to the conversation.

thank you yeah i appreciate everyone who took the time out this evening to come and sit through the city council meeting and share with us the feedback and information it's very helpful the presentation is well received as well and the details inside are very valuable too so thanks

everyone for coming i echo the same sentiments thank you for this um we we read it we'll read it again and we'll make sure staff is looking at that i just want a clarification comment okay i i I know that we have vacancies in our city. Maybe you guys can clarify. The surrounding cities, their vacancies and their staff situation, are we similar to them or is there a big disparity? I just want that to be on file.

In discussions with other HR directors in surrounding cities, we're not the only ones affected by the vacancies, hence why there's legislation out there statewide that's requiring all public agencies to have this type of conversation with the associations. It's not just Monterey Park. It's not just L.A. County. This is a statewide legislation that has passed, and it's because it's been brought up to the state legislatures that there is vacancies all throughout public agencies.

Okay. Thank you.

Do we need a motion?

Do you need a motion to receive the thought?

We do need a motion. I'll make a motion. A motion by Council Member Wong. A second.

A second by Council Member Lowe.

Let's take a vote.

Approved unanimously.

Okay. Moving on to item 4C.

Thank you.

If we can just take a moment while the staff gets set up for the presentation.

I need to recuse myself.

On this one? Council Member Wong also.

No, then we won't have enough.

Just to clarify, right, within 1,000 feet, over 500 feet is okay as long as it's not

a material impact.

Yes, I don't think. Oh. All right.

Thank you.

GO AHEAD, STAFF. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF

THE COUNCIL. THIS NEXT ITEM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M

THE CHILD PLANNING MANAGER. THIS NEXT ITEM BEFORE YOU RELATES TO

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR CITY'S HOUSING ELEMENT AS PREVIOUSLY

approved by City Council as well as making our city code consistent with state law.

Here to make this presentation this evening is our senior planner, Eliana Munoz.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and members of the City Council.

The item before you this evening is a city-initiated zone text amendment and zone change to bring

to bring consistency between the Monterey Park General Plan land use

and urban design element and the city's municipal code.

Just for some brief background, in November of 2020, the voters approved the General Plan land use and urban design element. This was done through Measure JJ.

In January 2022, the City Council approved an update to the city's housing element.

In March 2023, the California State Department of Housing and Community Development, or HCD, certified our housing element.

As part of the requirement to implement the housing element, several programs aimed at creating consistency between the general plan and the city's code

and the city code to help encourage the production of housing and meet the city's arenas were proposed.

So tonight, this ordinance and zone change proposes to implement several of those programs.

One of the items addressed by this ordinance is the amendment of the code to implement the state's ADU mandate

to ensure that the city is consistent across all ADU and JADU provisions.

Because the city's existing ADU regulations already are inconsistent with the state law, staff has been implementing the state law and this formalizes that action. This part of the ordinance satisfies Land Use Element Implementation Program 2 and the Housing Element Program 12.

The ordinance will also amend the code affecting development of residential projects on non-vacant sites.

For a site slated for residential development that has existing affordable housing units,

replacement units at the same or lower affordability levels will be required.

This amendment satisfies Housing Element Program 13.

The ordinance also proposes the creation of the residential incentive zone. We'll call it RIS. This zone will add a layer for specific properties listed in the housing element site's inventory. As required by state law, this change will allow qualifying housing projects within these areas to be approved administratively if they meet certain criteria providing for affordability, amenities, and design standards. By establishing this RIS, a zoning overlay will be added to 43 properties.

All of the affected sites are along Garvey Avenue at the northernmost part of the city.

Detailed maps and listings are included in the staff report.

These two items satisfy Housing Element Program 10.

And here is the graphic on the screen highlighting the 43 properties I mentioned. The properties are circled and shown in the color lime green. The last item addressed by the proposed ordinance is to amend the code to eliminate conflicting provisions regarding alcohol sales throughout the code. The inconsistencies were created when the business recovery program authorized accessory use of on-site and off-site alcohol sales to be approved via administrative use permit.

All of these items as presented summarize the draft ordinance.

Therefore, staff's recommendation tonight is for the City Council to consider opening the public hearing and taking testimonial and documentary evidence.

After closing the public hearing and considering the evidence submitted during the public hearing, introducing and waiving first reading of the ordinance implementing the Monterey Park General Plan by amending Title 21 of the Monterey Park Municipal Code ZCA-25-02 and amending the zoning map ZA-25-01

and taking such additional related action that may be desirable. And this concludes my presentation,

and we are available for any questions that the Council may have. Thank you.

Let's open up for public hearing.

First speaker, Lucia Roybal.

Hi there. I'm not much of a public speaker so I apologize I get a little nervous I'm just here to

To confirm it's clear that from other public meetings that the city intends to rezone Saturn Park for mixed-use and housing

But it's not being it's not covered in this agenda

And I'm here to formally ask does a does this

Ordinance have anything related to Saturn Park

Any related ordinances or resolutions that apply to center and park in any way including zoning changes land use modifications housing elements updates or measure DJ implementation

That's a question I don't know if you can answer now or

If it is supposed to apply in the future, why isn't it being listed in the in the agenda

If it's not included, can I get a confirmation that this ordinance will not apply to Saturn Park's mixed-use housing?

If you can confirm that any changes to Saturn Park require a formal process amending the housing element and general plan, as well as public review.

and

sorry

I just want to confirm whether risk can be applied to areas that are not listed in the housing element

thank you

next speaker we'll take the commentary later but next speaker

The speaker is me.

Good evening. My name is Michelle. I'm speaking as a resident tonight. I apologize for the delay in getting back with my comments. I should have said this a long time ago, and I think there were a lot of holidays, and so a lot of time has passed. But the last time I was up here speaking about zoning and changes to the zoning, I was asking what authorized that, what permitted that, what statute, what law, what ordinance, what language says that the city has the authority to override the voter-approved general plan.

and our city attorney was very rude and condescending to me and I hope you don't allow that type of behavior with our residents.

It's bad enough that he did that to me in a public meeting that was video recorded for anyone to play back, but I hope he doesn't do that to other employees

or staff or even as we see our neighbors here.

I've discussed this with you many times the importance of transparency it's a very big issue if you want to gain the community's trust you need to be honest about your intentions your actions and be transparent I asked you this question I asked the staff, I asked the former planning

I asked the city manager, everyone struggled with this answer

When you're struggling to give a very easy, direct, straightforward answer, that's your answer to yourself. Just because you can get away with something doesn't mean it's right. So please consider your community and your constituents. Thank you.

Thank you.

just for a point of clarification I like the city attorney to address the first question made by the first speaker which is does the Ritz or actually I don't foresee does that apply to Saturn business park I think that was the

question I heard miss Mary Mary we want to close the public hearing I think we're Yeah, let's close above hearing. We have one more.

Okay. Okay.

This written communication was submitted by Eric Reibald. He writes that Agenda Item 4C proposes zoning amendments that could further expand allowable uses in Saturn Park, yet the agenda does not mention Saturn Park by name. the city he has concerns that the city is gradually changing Saturn Park zoning without transparency by introducing incremental changes to the Monterey Park municipal code modifying zoning regulations shifting housing allocations and redefining permitted uses in Saturn Park the city must clearly state whether agenda item 4c is connected to these zoning shifts in Saturn Park if this amendment lays the foundation for additional land use changes the public has a right to know before it is approved. These changes bypass the required general plan amendment process, which should include full public input, CEQA review, and formal approval. Saturn Park has designated innovation technology in the general plan. The city must amend the general plan first before any zone changes can be legal. Measure J.J. approved by voters in 2020 amended the general plan to designate Saturn Park as innovation technology. The city claims that Measure JJ is inconsistent with zoning regulations and must be modified, citing Lesher Communications, Inc. versus City of Walnut. However, Lesher only invalidates zoning ordinances that conflict with the general plan. It does not allow the city to override a voter-approved general plan amendment without following the proper legal process. If the city wants to rezone Saturn Park for misuse or housing, it must formally amend the general plan through public hearings, CEQA review, and voter approval, not by making incremental zoning changes without transparency. No other comments.

No other comment. I'm going to close public hearing. And then I had, well, Council Member Wong.

Oh, I mean, similar to, I mean, same question you have. Okay. Maybe we can have staff.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Those are the properties that are affected by this particular property. Saturn Park is not on the agenda tonight. Saturn Park has been on the agenda and public agendas at least nine different times and has been repeatedly, the public has been repeatedly informed that this will be an ongoing process over probably the next year.

Thank you. Any questions or comments from council? No. I have a question. For the list of 222, again that's part of the overlay on the map. Are those properties where there's already an existing application for an ADU or that

more in anticipation? Because that area is zoned for mixed-use housing also, if I believe.

Cancer member Lowe, page 222.

The one with all the addresses?

Yes. The list entitled Exhibit B on page 222 lists a total of 43 properties.

These 43 properties are the properties that will be added to the RIS. So these properties will have an overlay added to them.

And again, this is an area that also has been zoned already for mixed use development as well, right?

It looks like at least, Council Member Lowe, all these properties have a land use designation of mixed use. Citys. The city is continuing its efforts to make any changes necessary for that.

And again, we're simply just codifying what we've already started doing in practice for a while now, right?

Councilor Nuburro, that is in relation to our ADUs. The list here on the RIS, most of those properties currently do not have ADUs. And I don't believe any are proposed currently on the properties list.

listed for the RIS overlay.

Okay. And I think, again, thank you, City Manager, for saying very clearly that the item pertains to what is on the map and what's on the list on page 222. Let the record show for the public to be aware.

Thank you. Kind of along that, so the RIS areas. So we could, this is an option for the city to pursue in other areas that are designated mixed use or can this also be done in commercial areas? I am curious about that.

So as you can see on the map, some of the areas are longer major commercial corridors. The RIS allows developers under certain circumstances to have a by-right approval of residential units on those sites.

and some of the criteria include affordability meeting objective design standards as well as having certain amenities on the site so if if there's a

commercially zoned area that isn't mixed-use the city can override the existing zoning and land use to allow to to insert a RIS area or what or does it have to be already mixed use and allow for some sort of residential.

Mr. Mayor, if I could just, okay, I think the question is, are you, Council Member Wong, are you asking if RIS, the overlay, can be added to other areas that are not shown on the map? Yes.

Okay, so. Other areas that are not mixed use and, yeah, not already residential areas.

Sure, I'll go ahead and answer that, Council Member Wong. So RIS properties only apply to sites that city has already designated within the site's inventory and the housing element for potential residential development. That is the requirement that we allow for these properties to be developed for residential uses by right. And that's a state requirement.

And Mr. Mayor, members of the council, just to follow up. conceivably yes one could put the zoning elsewhere within the city that would

require additional public hearings would require change the zoning map as has

been stated for the record we are implementing the housing element and

we're required by the state to make these changes to the zoning as being

presented here tonight in fact we have a schedule that we have to keep in order

to be in compliance with HCD regulations. Thank you. Other comments?

No? If there aren't any, I'm happy to make the motion to adopt staff recommendation.

I'll second it.

So motion by Council Member Wong, second by Council Member Lowe. Take a vote. Approved unanimously.

Thank you.

Let's get Liz back.

I also want to know who came up with the acronym RIS but that I'll take the answer offline

get back to my calendar okay new business none future agenda items

well then we'll go to city communications thank you Mr. Mayor appreciate tonight everyone who came out to speak and to provide feedback on various items on the agenda look forward to continuing engagement from residents and those that are interested in the city's business appreciate everyone engaging just a quick report out attended along with a number of other local elected officials delegation trip to Taiwan last week. Grateful to be back home in my own bed. That is much more comfortable. But I had a great time engaging with mayors and city council members throughout Taiwan. We visited a number of cities, I think four or five city officials that we had formal meetings with, engaging with them on cultural exchange, but also many of those cities expressed interest in also establishing ties. I know we FORMULLY HAD FORMAL TIES WITH NOW A DISTRICT USED TO BE A CITY YOUNG HE JUST OUTSIDE OF TAIPEI CITY ITSELF NOW WAS ABSORBED INTO NEW TAIPEI CITY A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT DISTRICT EXECUTIVE I WAS ABLE TO MEET WHILE I WAS THERE WITH FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FORMER MAYOR YVON NU AND THEY EXPRESS INTEREST IN REESTABLISHING TIES AS WELL WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN EXPLORE THIS GOING forward and what else we can do to engage some of the sister cities relationships that we used to have and I know that we've been working on with stakeholders in the community around how what next steps we can potentially take on these international global partnerships and relationships to rebuild some of those that I think we lost over the pandemic and have fallen kind of through the cracks but great great trip really appreciate the opportunity to visit some of my family and and friends that are there as well and to kind of take this initial step of reintroducing Monterey Park and us to some of our counterparts that are very well aware of Monterey Park. As some will know, Monterey Park for a time was known as Little Taipei. There's a smaller Taiwanese-American population here that has kind of shrunk a little over the last 10, 15, 20 years, but still a very healthy population here and look forward to seeing how we may be able to explore some next steps to follow up on this trip. Thank you.

Thank you. And thank you, Councillor Wong, for representing us for the Delegation Taiwan.

Let's see. For me, I want to thank everyone in the community who came out to the Complete Streets presentation we had at Langley Senior Centre. And also thank you for the staff who did a great job of explaining what the project is.

And I'm sure that, you know, more information we put out there, the more informed the community will be regarding the Complete Streets project. And then today I attended, as our seat representative, to the LAX Roundtable. It's a quarterly meeting, and probably the actionable item which I want to report is that we voted to draft a letter to, well, I guess now new Secretary of Transportation Duffy, again regarding the LAX Metro's concerns on airplane noise and also the need for the FAA to listen to our concerns and to take action. The last time our organization representing the LA Metroplex region wrote a letter was to then Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg on the Biden administration, but of course Mr. Buttigieg is no longer there, and so we are issuing a letter now to Secretary Duffy, and we are hoping that this administration will actually, you know, take heed of our concerns. And that's it for me.

Yesterday we had a very successful program at the library. Thank you to Diana Garcia and everyone involved.

It was with the Sierra Madre Middle School Dual Immersion Program, and there was over 100 middle school students who visited Monterey Park, came to the library and got to be immersed and learn about our city. Also, VCA engineers had a very successful grand opening ribbon cutting just last week. They're right on Atlantic. They're a very large civil engineering company, so we're very happy to welcome them to our city.

A couple of items for me since last council meeting. So March 6th, we had our first, or my first installment of Meet the Mayor at Neudah City, highlighting the Noodle City Pho restaurant on Garvey by New Avenue. On March 8th I got the pleasure of, well I lit the fireworks, the firecrackers at the firecracker bike ride and doggy walk and that was a Saturday morning. But I can't, I didn't imagine how loud those firecrackers were until you lit it because seven of them went up for 10 minutes and you're just trying to back away from it but that was exciting we had over a thousand bikers that day that same afternoon we had the Optimist speech competition at the service center and then that evening we had the Chinese American military support dinner also held in Murray Park also attended the ribbon cut highlighting VCA engineers a new business in our city starting this year. Spoke to the library's teen group just a couple of days ago, highlighting civic works and involvement in a community, basically preaching to the teens to be more involved within our library, within our city. Then this past week I was at the Garvey School held their St. Gable Valley Youth Summit, which is their, I think this is their 15 years now in the community, presented a certificate to a resident who turned 100 years old a couple of weeks ago in the city of Mario Park at the Lions Manor out of Chandler. And then we were also, I was also on a panel, a community voices panel in the city of Rosmeet highlighting anti-Asian hate. and basically it's a community panel to voice concerns about public safety

and safety within the St. Gabriel Valley for all residents, not just Asians.

That's all I have. With that, I'm going to adjourn the meeting.

Wait, Mr. Mayor, you didn't show up on Sunday to the Firecracker Run? You know, many of our residents ran that annual event. I know you ran.

I didn't run. I couldn't run, but I was there just to give the shout-out to the bikers. So 8.56, meeting's adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.