City Council Meeting — November 19, 2025

So, let's do the call to order. Roll call please.

Council member Ngo, not here. Council member Wong. I'm here. Council member Sanchez. Mayor Pro Tem Lo. Mayor Yang.

Present. We have a forum. Thank you. And we have some special visitors today from the Girl Scouts Troop 2121.

So they're going to be doing the Pledge of Allegiance. Please come up and everyone please rise. Hello and good evening. We are the juniors from Troop 2121. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. Put your right hand over your heart. Face the flag. 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.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Please stay up here. We have certificates for all of the civic superstars. Yes. All right, where's Reagan? Thank you. Thank you. That way I can get out, I don't make a very good window. One, two, and three, one, two, and six, three. Parents, go ahead. Thank you. Everyone say it. One, two, three. Good job. Do your parents want to do a thing? Yes, please. Yes.

Thank you. I can tell you. Everyone's okay. Here's what I'm going to do. Parents are going to go there. I'm going to email the photo, and then she can distribute it. I think I want to back here. Okay. Thank you. Come back, come back. Stand behind your...

Everyone. All right. Everyone look straight. One, two, three.

Good job. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Let's go on with our agenda. There's no revisions or additions? Correct. Okay.

What about public communications?

Looks like we have one written communication and we have four public comments. Let's start with the first public speaker, Margaret Liang.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council members, and city staff. My name is Margaret Leung, and I'm here representing SGV Power Up Beacon on behalf of the Save Barnes Park Pool community.

There's a few housekeeping items that I want to follow up on.

I hope you guys are ready.

The first item is that I would like to know the status of the location for Laura Scudder's plaque, if we know where that is.

It was located. Oh, great. Can I have a picture of it? We'll get it to you afterwards. Okay, fantastic. That's a relief. The second item is that back in September, the city manager has issued a letter to all the local elected official to incorporate a line item in the 2026 budget.

I'd like to know if any of the elected officials responded and what is the city's plan to follow up to ensure that the request is actively supported. So that's item number two. And item number three, I think we've talked about it and I just want to reiterate it again today is that we need to have, in order to have traction, we need to have a dedicated

account earmarks and to support the transparency and the public trust.

We also request, you know, we need this dedicated accounting line for Barnes Park Pool. It will help us see, be visible, the city contributions and any earmarks by council, grant awards and also donation, the funders that we're talking about. So those are my three housekeeping items.

And moving forward is the community meeting feedback. We have several community meeting, public meetings regarding the Barnes Park Pool.

And many of the residents express a consistent concern.

The Barnes Pool footprint is really limited. It's really small. I'm not sure if you guys measure it.

It's only like 300 feet by 200 feet, the width of my driveway or the front of my house.

So it's really small.

We're trying to put a lot of stuff into it. And Monterey Park has 14 parks in Monterey Park.

And not every single youth and recreation activities

can be and should be pushed into this one site. So, and importantly, I get the feeling that perceive if maybe it's not true. I just don't want it to be perceived is that we are

pitting one group of residents against another.

Parks serve multiple populations, youth, seniors,

families, people with disabilities.

And each park has its own strength and role. The city owns this park master plan. And this plan has already identified opportunity for a splash zone and expanded youth amenity for the George Elder Park, where there is more available space. That vision should be honored, and rather than forcing unrelated amenity into the Barnes Park Pool project, where space is already a constraint.

and I think everybody knows and there is a the community support continues growing and I want

to talk about that a little bit we're very proud we just got an endorsement for the Scudder family it was a beautiful heartfelt letter I'll share that with you folks I'll email it to you guys and I'm sure that you guys already know that we have our Hamba Unified School District schools endorsement and a few other community leaders. And then we also initiated a change.org petition.

In the first 24 hours of posting the petition,

we have over 300 signatures.

And as of today, we have over 1,000 to rebuild

and to reimagine the Barnes Park Aquatic Center facility, aquatic facility. And we also had a meeting with LA84 last week, foundation. They are very supportive, but they need to see that the city is advancing this project. So we need something from the city to show that this is where we want to go. They are open to suggestion. They are willing to partner with us. So key partners and potential funders have expressed that they hope to see the aquatic center completed before the LA 28 and not several years after. So we need to talk about the phasing and we are okay with projects being phased. A complex project like this that's costing over $22 million, that's to be expected. But we need to work together to make that happen. And tonight, this is the... I'm just going to wrap it up. This is the ask, is you already located the Scudder Plague and also the budget line item for 2026 budget item with the local official making sure that there is state fund for it. And then the clarity that Barnes Park Pool planning will not be slowed by amenity that can be more appropriately located in other parks. We have 14 parks, such as George Elder Park Splash Zone Concept. And then the last one is please give direction to the staff to provide a clear timeline, funding strategy, and a potential facing design strategy. The community has shown strong unity and support. We simply ask clear communication and a path forward so we can continue to partner with

the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Can you share the contact you have with LA84 with our city staff?

Who did you speak with out of curiosity?

Okay, well, the city manager, actually, administration, you know, and again, you know, I'm going to thank you and your organization for having, let's see, we've had monthly meetings, right,

the public representative, have we not? Several meetings, have we not? Okay. Yes. Okay, thank you. Yeah, with that said, I think it would be nice if

our message is consistent.

I think there was some miscommunication, my understanding, and we

try to put that on the table, so it would

be nice if we all could talk together, and if the city is moving forward with this, we all know how

we're going to move forward with it. I think that's very clear, and there was a lot of questions regarding the $4.5 million grant submission that we did on behalf of the city. So there was a lot of questions, and if you guys want to talk about the detail and how to phase the project,

we would love to have that discussion. Thank you, Margaret. All right. Our second speaker.

Madam Mayor, members of the council, I apologize. there was one revision item that we would like to add. We wanted to add staff communication. It can be taken after the presentations if council would like. But it's a presentation by our fire department.

Okay, sounds good.

So we'll add a staff communication by...

We are a supportive community for LGBTQ plus people and their families and loved ones. We hold monthly support meetings, conduct community outreach and educational events, and advocate for LGBTQ plus rights. And I'm here tonight to thank you and to recognize your leadership in passing the Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution. In this time of escalating attacks and denial of equal rights and vital services for the transgender community, you have taken action to uplift the humanity of this vulnerable population and publicly acknowledge their history, their rights, and their contributions to our diverse and beloved community. And while many of your neighboring cities in the San Gabriel Valley present themselves as allies but remain intentionally silent to avoid any criticism by loud but isolated voices of hate who seek to demonize, terrorize, and erase the TGI community. You have shown what true allyship looks like in ensuring that all the residents of Monterey Park feel safe, welcomed, and welcomed in the community. So thank you to the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center, the Solis Policy Institute Fellows, Plasencia Consulting, Mayor Pro Tem, Henry Lo, and all the partners who helped make this resolution come to life. If PFLAG can be of service to the city in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to partnering with you. Thank you. Thank you, Vicki and all of PFLAG SGV API for coming.

Mayor, if I can ask, I know we have some people here based on Resolution 9-H. I'm not sure if we can potentially move it up so we can speak to that item and maybe have a vote before they leave tonight.

After public comment.

public comment yeah we'll move it to after public comment thank you thank you

third speaker is Don Rock

good evening madam mayor city council members and dedicated staff my name is Don Rock and I'm a proud longtime resident of Monterey Park. I saw on your agenda tonight, I'm so excited that you're recognizing Happy Day School. I wanted to congratulate Happy Day School and Miss Pam on their many decades of serving our community. As a former Happy Day camper myself, I carry so many wonderful memories and even a few lifelong friendships. Later during my college years I had the joy of returning as a camp counselor. All four of my children grew up attending Happy Day and just this past summer my son had the opportunity to work there guiding students through science lessons and activities. Thank you for recognizing the program that has brought genuine joy, belonging, and fun to thousands of families in our city. Next I'd like to thank Mayor Pro Tem Henry Lo for bringing forward the proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance. I'm here tonight to respectfully ask all of you to support and pass this resolution. This issue is deeply meaningful to me and I have great hope and confidence that this council will choose compassion and understanding as you move forward, as you move this forward. Lastly, I want to express my gratitude for the community meetings held on the revitalization of the Barnes Park Pool. At the most recent meeting, my friend Paul Isozaki spoke from the heart. His words, honest, emotional, and courageous, reflected what so many in our community are feeling. Years of frustration, sadness, and worry about the future of our pool. Seeing Paul's frustration, I want to publicly thank our city manager, Inez Alvarez, for taking the time to explain to him the process and the need for all the extras. Especially when so many of us simply want to see the pool rebuilt, she offered logic and clarity with patience and grace, and it truly brought a sense of understanding and calm. Sincerely, I truly hope you know that although only a handful of us speak meeting after meeting, we represent a much larger community that cares deeply about seeing the pool restored. For many of us, Barnes Park Pool is not just a facility. It's part of the story of Monterey park. It holds memories, milestones, and a legacy that spans generations. Thank you, as always, for your time, your leadership, and dedication to our city. Thank you.

Thank you, Don. And our final speaker for this evening is Edeline Takahashi.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, City Council members and City staff. Thank you for having me speak this evening. My name is Edlyn Takahashi for those that I haven't met before. I represent the SGV Power at Beacon and I'm also a former Mark Keppel High School Aquatics

Booster parent and past president.

And I'm here to thank you for your attention to the Barnes Park pool and for the Aquatic

Center.

I thank you for the last meeting, for your agreement to go ahead and move forward with

this project.

And I thank you also for holding meetings earlier this month for the aquatic community. Specifically, you had a meeting on Thursday, November 6th, and then for the general community

directly following.

And I also want to thank you for hosting the meeting on Monday, November 17th at the library. These are really positive steps that show that we are just trying to move this project

forward.

And I just want to state my opinion, and I really believe it's actually a fact, that the people that use the pool daily and the most frequently are people who are from the

swim community.

Those are the children or the young adults that practice daily. And they're the people that just really are using the pool often.

And also senior citizens have been overlooked. Because when I used to go out there, there used to be a free lap swim time in the morning

for the boys and girls that were on the swim team.

And during their vacations, they were allowed to participate during free lap swim time.

and during that free pool use time,

I used to see a lot of senior citizens along with some of the other swimmers trying to get in some extra swim time also using that pool and that's a population that's been kind of overlooked during this process. So I did go ahead

and we went and had a meeting with them

this past Saturday and they also are very interested in seeing the pool rebuilt.

As was mentioned earlier,

that we are doing our best to spread the word about Barnes Park, and we have, at last count,

1,034 signatures on change.org. And so though we don't have 1,000 people here in the auditorium today, we do have over 1,000 supporters that would like to see this part, Barnes Pool, rebuilt. As that was earlier said, we've met with the superintendent of Alhambra Unified School District, Denise Jamarillo, LA 84. And as we keep on, oh, and the Scudder Foundation and also from Happy Day School, where my children also attended, had swim lessons there, and later on went on to swim,

my daughter went on to swim at Keppel at the Barnes Pool. But as we apply and keep working together to do some, get some grant funding or just try to find some donors, we have letters

of support from other organizations, and we're missing a letter of support from our own City Council. So I'm requesting that from you. And also, you've been giving a lot of time to the pool, and I'd like to see that, and I requested this last meeting, but I respectfully

request that we have an agenda item that is regularly on our agenda addressing the pool, I'd like to see this project completed because when I last spoke two weeks ago, this has been on the back burner for 10 years.

And so I really would like to see this completed and this Barnes Park Aquatic Center just be, you know, something our community can be super proud of once again. So I thank you again for your time this evening. I thank you for your attention and all the effort that you're putting into this project.

Thank you.

Thank you, Edelene.

now that's the end of a public comment we'll do 7 a presentation for oh yes 9h right okay so we're gonna pull 9h miss I made that ahead really if I know it's

not agendized but really quickly want to address some of the pool comments and Carl's gonna stop me if I get too into details I just want to know really appreciate everyone that came out to all the community meetings around the pool design the survey I believe is still going on I don't know if I know when the

date is gonna end in terms of the survey I will find out through the end of the

month so for those that are interested and haven't had a chance to engage in the design of potential design of the pool please take that survey you can go on to the city website just Google Barnes Park pool and you will be able to provide your input about what your priorities are in terms of the pool potentially and I think we've been very transparent in communicating our process and I hope that and I know that many here and others not here have participated in the process so far encourage you to continue to encourage others who may not have participated to including seniors that were mentioned in some of the comments to engage in the process and you can do it from home through the survey about what your priorities and what the community's priorities should be in terms of potentially the design of this pool and I know that this council because we keep voting on continuing to make efforts to proceed and to move ahead a design and that's to come and we've I think continue to repeat ourselves we're gonna go through this community engagement process and then hopefully that well we know that that will come back to council for potential action in the coming probably in the early new year for us to take some consideration about what the next steps are and I encourage folks that are here tonight and others that may not have been here tonight or maybe watching from home to engage in that process as well and to continue to speak about what we want to see in the pool the council is trying to balance what can go right in a limited footprint here at Barnes Park with costs and everything else that hearing from the community in terms of what different parts of the community want as well in this this potential complex and so we're we want as much of your input as possible would ask continued help of those in the community to continue to encourage people to engage in this process and to work with us and we're happy to to partner with anyone who's willing to do that and it was mentioned by one of some of the speakers around potential funders we're happy I think the city is happy to talk to anyone who is interested in learning more about this project and Potentially funding or providing some funding to this project if you're if you'd like to connect us I'm sure Inaz in the city council members will be happy to take on some of these conversations as well

All right, um, so 9h any comments on 9h

Madam Mayor, thank you members for moving up the item. I know we have as always much business.

Oh, I'm sorry. Yes? Is there? Oh. Okay. So there are actually quite a few speakers on 9-H. let's see one two

we have five additional speakers on 9-H

and some written communications as well we have two written communications on 9-H alright so let's go with our first speaker Julian Day Jesus applause applause applause applause I don't know when this, do I start? Okay. Good evening, council members and city staff. My name is Julian De Jesus. My pronouns are they, them. I'm a San Gabriel Valley TGI Wellness and Justice Fellow for the Dr. Solis Policy Institute, as well as the community researcher of- the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center. I'm also a Philippine-born, gender expansive and disabled SVV resident with a deep fondness for your city. And I'm here today in support of the resolution declaring and recognizing tomorrow, Thursday, November 20th as Transgender Day of Remembrance. I give my thanks to Mayor Pro Temh Lo for championing this resolution with us. For those of you who don't know or maybe need a reminder, and that is actually extended to everybody in this room, Transgender Day of Remembrance is federally recognized and commemorates our trans sisters and siblings who have passed on, particularly those who are taken from us via murder or suicide. As a professional researcher, I've worked with the data and the people that showcase the various health inequities that TGI people or transgender, gender expansive, and intersex people are systematically subjected to. For example, I conducted a study on the LGBTQ plus substance use and harm reduction landscape in LA County several years ago, and that data showed that TGI to S-plus people, particularly those of color, are uniquely systems impacted, and that there is a dire need for funding to increase access to things like mental health care, employment, and even food. More recently, my team at the SGV LGBTQ Center closed our survey, Trans and Queer Voices of the San Gabriel Valley, which is the first research project of its kind by and for LGBTQ TQ plus people in the SGV. So we recently closed it, and so we're still in the data analysis phase, but it's already extremely obvious that TGI people in the SGV face health disparities as compared to their cisgender counterparts, and that there's a need for more education and awareness around TGI health issues. And actually a couple hours ago, in preparation for this meeting, I looked at the raw data of our survey responses from the participants who indicated Monterey Park as the city that they spend the most time in. And so transgender, gender expansive, intersex, and two-spirit people who indicated Monterey Park reported higher rates of disability and higher rates of mental cognition issues. So what that means is like trouble remembering things, trouble concentrating, struggling with completing their daily tasks. They also mentioned having to travel outside of the SGV for their gender-affirming healthcare and expressed a desire for more resources for trans and queer people within the city of Monterey Park, particularly more regularly throughout the year, i.e. not just during the month of June. Several respondents also expressed a desire for more broader community events, like culturally specific educational workshops and intergenerational discussions. I think we all know the city of Monterey Park is very racial, ethnically diverse, and we're actually seeing that LGBTQ plus people, they want to make this connection with their elders, with their family, with their neighbors, and I think that the city has done a really great job so far. and I think can continue to keep doing a good job. And so some people might be wondering how all of these things that I just talked about, healthcare access and equity, relate to Transgender Day of Remembrance. And it's been proven that higher gender-affirming healthcare access leads to improved health outcomes and a generally higher quality of life. Additionally, there are societal factors that impact health outcomes. And I'm gonna be morbid and say what needs to be said. These societal factors include things like bias, prejudice, violent crime, meaning that transphobia has led to TGI people being disproportionately impacted by violence. So I'm sharing all of this with you, again, not just you all, but everybody here in this room, to emphasize how passing this resolution is a really great step towards what your constituents reported in the survey that they actually wanted to see from the city of Monterey Park. This resolution also reminds the general public and also just, I think, reminds TGI people that we are still here. We've always existed and we will continue to exist. We deserve to survive and thrive in the city of Monterey Park, the greater San Gabriel Valley and everywhere. And so far, the city of Monterey Park has been not just an ally, I think has been much more than that to the TGI and greater LGBTQ community, in part by continuously recognizing the month of June as Pride Month, as well as hosting the Pride Festival every year. I wrote this here, so I will say I'll go on the record. I'll say that the Monterey Park Pride is always one of my favorites on the Pride tour. We always have at least 10, so I think that says a lot, but I digress. And so I'm just asking here today that the city of Monterey Park continues to protect, care, and advocate for TGI people. And again, you can do that today. This is, I think, a very low-lift effort by passing this resolution, declaring and recognizing November 20th as Transgender Day of Remembrance. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you, Julian.

Our next speaker is Joanna Chai-Cheng.

Good evening, y'all. My name is Joanna Chai-Cheng-Esterbaum, and I am so thrilled to be working with the Women's... with the Women's Foundation of California and our fellows at the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center in support of this proclamation declaring tomorrow Transgender Day of Remembrance in the city of Monterey Park and in line with this movement across the country to support trans rights in this context of so many attacks on our civil liberties as trans people. I work of the National Trans Bar Association and I've been supporting this team of fellows at the SGV LGBTQ Center. And my colleague, Julian, was super comprehensive with their public comment and all that they shared about the importance of Transgender Day of Remembrance and supporting the trans community and TGI community at this time. So I just want to echo what they shared and just thank y'all for your support. And yeah, shout out trans people and us being present and celebrating our lives, especially when there are such morbid realities. And yeah, that's what I want to share. Thank you. Thank you, Joanna. Next up is Hector Placentia.

Good evening, Council. Buenas noches. Our pronouns are they, them, we, us. We're the Executive Director of Plasencia Consulting and the Chair of the Los Angeles County LGBTQ Commission. We're excited to be in front of you here today to be able to speak about TGI people. We understand that not many people are familiar with who transgender, gender expansive, and intersex people are, and that there is an unfamiliarity. To simplify, we are simply a different type of existence. There's more than two ways to exist within this world, and TGI people really embody that and represent that. There may be fear around it and a lot of misunderstanding, which is why we invite you to reject the lies that are being told about TGI people. Within yourself, personally, by understanding that we are a part of your community, and also professionally, by being able to advance proclamations, policy, budgets that recognize and invest in the lives of TGI people in Monterey Park and the San Gabriel Valley. The truth is, we are your friends, we are your neighbors, we are your colleagues, we are ingrained in every aspect of human life and existence. TGI people have always existed and will always continue to exist, and we want you to understand this as a connection to who you are. If we have always existed, that means that each and every one of us has a TGI lineage within our family. There will be a TGI existence created within your name. And we invite you to accept those people within your family, within your community, within your colleagues in this way and in every aspect that you can. There are always opportunities in everyday life and you know where they are, you know who we are. We invite you to make connections and continue to make connections as we move forward during this difficult time. We are here in front of you today because the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center partnered with the Dr. Beatriz Maria Solis Policy Institute. This partnership is allowed for TGI, SGV, Wellness wellness and justice fellows to be able to work with local city governments to be able to recognize the lives of TGI people in advancing city proclamations. You are joined with the cities of El Monte, the city of La Puente, the city of Pasadena, and as we speak, the city of Baldwin Park also advancing a proclamation. We invite you to use your role and your place in life to be able to continue to protect and stand beside us as TGI people. This change that we must take, this new pivot that we must all make in being able to stand for justice and humanity really requires us all. We invite you to do that today by advancing this proclamation and continuing to work with us at the city, at the county level to be able to protect everyday people. Gracias. Thank you, Hector. Next up is Elizabeth Ayala.

Good evening. My name is Elizabeth Ayala. I'm a senior program manager at Women's Foundation California, And I just wanted to take a moment as a program manager at the Williams Foundation to just share that we're a statewide publicly supported foundation dedicated to achieving racial, economic, environmental, and gender justice by centering the experience and expertise of communities most impacted by systemic injustice. And that our vision for a feminist California includes the TGI community and the TGI community is central to a feminist California. And through that, the foundation runs the Dr. Beatriz Maria Solis Policy Institute program. It's an experiential policy advocacy program for people wanting to learn how to change state laws or policy at the local government level. And so I'm here in support of fellows and alums such as Julian de Jesus, who are here speaking in support of the TGI Day of Remembrance Resolution, which would be for tomorrow. For us, it's really important that we center the people most impacted by systemic oppression, by gender injustice. And we recognize that proclamations are value statements that are a beginning to looking at what it means to live our values. And so I hope the city council moves to vote the proclamation into place because our values are inclusive. Our values are diverse. And as Ector said, the TGI community has been here, will be here. So I hope we can all be welcoming to them. Thank you

Thank you Elizabeth and our final speaker for agenda 9 H is Bowie young

Okay, you can start now. Oh, you can start now. Okay, thank you. Good evening. My name is Bowie Huen, and my pronouns are it, it. I'm a youth advocate and advocacy volunteer team at the SGV LGBTQ Center, as well as an SGV TDI Wellness and Justice Fellow for the Dr. Solis Policy Institute. Our team members, Julian DeJesus, Alexander Close, and California Strata, alongside our femtor, Joanna Chai-Cheng Astorbaum, are here today with the support of PFLAG's SGV API members. We ask you, as council members of Monterey Park, to commemorate November 20th for a transgender day of remembrance. As we all know, the Trump administration and federal laws, like the Big Ugly Bill, continue to threaten and attack our community's rights, safety, and dignity. It is critical to be proactive, advocate, and educate our local communities. It is critical to support health providers and educators who serve for TGI 2S plus people, especially for those who are immigrants and are being racially profiled. As a Vietnamese trans, queer, and autistic resident of the city of San Gabriel in District 1 of LA County, I witnessed my neighbors' communities having their human rights being threatened. You know, like, it's awful to see, just to, like, see ICE within my communities and, like, threatening, like, my people and threatening the people that I care for, my friends and my family. Seeing our struggling communities be more for the many TGI 2S Plus lives that have been taken away by hateful rhetoric and the criminalization of our people.

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor the existence of TGI 2S Plus individuals. Supporting the proclamation will recognize our humanity, dignity, and the right to live safely in our communities. Thank you. Thank you, Bowie.

And that completes our public comment on this item.

Any comments? Thank you, Madam Mayor.

just something on paper but they're more than that they are a reflection of values and what we stand for and what we represent and then I think in Monterey Park we often talk about how we are a city of diversity of inclusion and I think that it's important to um make statements and uh of we mean what we say and such as today's resolution that's why it's important and and I you know I

I will say this too is that in this current political social climate that we're in in

the United States, we don't have the luxury of choosing what diversity, what community should be part of the inclusion conversation. And I say that because we do have an administration that wants to divide us and our street lives

in unity.

And even here locally, I'm very proud that the City Council since 2020 has acknowledged a resolution for Pride Month and also for the past five years has held a Pride Festival. And I will say that for me as a council member and as a community resident, I've had people come up to me and say, why are you promoting that? And in fact, not too long ago at a community meeting, someone was asking, why are we promoting things like the rainbow and what does it mean.

And all I can say is this, is that the moment you allow the marginalization of one community,

of one group of people, then you open the door to marginalize other people. And that is the slope. And it's okay to disagree on policy ideas, opinions. That's part of democracy and public discourse. But the moment you start denigrating someone because of who they love, of what religion they practice, of their gender, of their place of origin, whether they're indigenous, whether they are multiracial, non-binary. Again, the moment we begin to allow marginalization of one group of people, then we allow marginalization of everybody. And we are better than that. and I will read some language from this resolution again to illustrate why I think this is important that we have this for the record.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was first recognized on November 20, 1999 to honor the life of Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color whose murder in 1998 has yet to be solved. And I'm not going to just be part of it, but again, it's here on the agenda for all who wants to see. Transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals claim many diverse identities and are beloved members of all of our communities. Violence towards transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people disproportionately impacts transgender women of color, making black transgender women the most targeted community and experience violence in the United States. Transgender people are murdered or die of race far above other communities for the impact of poverty and other socioeconomic barriers to affordable and stable housing, gender-affirming health care, and safe employment and learning environments. The recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance has grown to celebrate the resilience of transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people, and an invaluable contribution to the social and economic fabric of our communities despite extreme discrimination and violence. In other words, we are all part of your community, and it's important that we celebrate that. And with that, I ask my colleagues to pass resolution item 9H, please.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'd just like to echo Council Member Lowe's, Mayor Pro Tem Lowe's comments.

I fully support this.

I really appreciate the speakers that came out tonight to speak in favor of this item. I, too, am in favor of this item. And as Mayor Pro Tem Lowe mentioned, it's an increasingly tough time, especially not only for the LGBTQ community, but particularly the trans community across this country, where we have elements of our community and our country that are increasingly using this as a dividing issue for many in our society and our community. And while this resolution is symbolic, I believe symbols matter and do matter a lot and would ask my colleagues as well to join in support and look forward to supporting this item in particular and looking at other ways that we can continue to support not only the LGBTQ plus community and Monterey Park standing continuing to stand as a community of inclusion for all in our community but particularly a trans community at this particularly tough

time in our society in our in our country I also wanted to thank mayor

pro tem lo for bringing this resolution forward I'm a parent and and a teacher as well and I realize and I know how important it is to be able to create an atmosphere in our community that is accepting that is inclusive and that teaches young people the importance of being inclusive and celebrating our diversity and I think one of the things that we do here in Monterey Park and I think that we do really well is celebrate that diversity so it makes me a very proud resident of Monterey Park when we do stuff like this that we when we celebrate diversity so I wanted to also thank all the people that came out I'm a civics teacher so civic engagement is very important so I appreciate you making time tonight to share your opinion and being here tonight I really appreciate that and I'm also in favor of this resolution I to end

I too am in favor of this resolution and thank you to our mayor pro tem for making this request Thank you to each and every one of you for coming to speak on it I know it takes a lot of courage to get up on the podium and on your voice, but it really matters. So let's vote

Okay, we'll move for approval. Yes, well motion to approve item on H. I'll second. Thank you

Approved unanimously

All right, thank you. That concludes agenda item 9H.

So we're going back to item 7, presentation. Starting with 7A, we have a special recognition today for Happy Day Preschool. So a group of volunteers on Halloween weekend went to some of our local convalescent homes, including the Monterey Park Convalescent Hospital.

So Happy Day Preschool is owned by Ms. Pam Rasmussen, who couldn't be here today,

But we do have certificates to recognize all the volunteers who made that event possible. And would any of you like to say a few words? We have Susan Trong, parent and volunteer. Victoria Chavez Calderon, another one of our volunteers. And Gladys Morales, activities director at Monterey Park Convalescent Hospital. Michelle Chen, also activities director at Heritage Manor. and Pam Rasmussen, director of Happy Day Preschool. Anyone want to say any words?

All right, well then come up and we'll take a picture. They brought all the students trick-or-treating

to the local convalescent home, so the seniors and the students all got a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Thank you for your service. Thank you.

Thank you.

Stay in the middle. Get closer.

Now over here. Over here. There's no happy day without the camp. Over here.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, yeah. All right.

7B, we have a presentation from the Monterey Park Chamber of Commerce.

Madam Mayor, I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but before we move on, I just wanted to speak

to the last item.

I wanted to thank the Happy Day volunteers who came by today.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Happy Day School has been around for now 80 years, right? And so it's an amazing, amazing school.

Oh. Oh. Okay. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Okay, go. Yeah. Go, go.

Okay, so I just wanted to thank the volunteers for coming today from Happy Day School. For those who might not be familiar, Happy Day School's been in Monterey Park for 80 years now. And it's an amazing school. My daughters, all three of them, attended Happy Day School. And I think there is something special in that school. It's truly a treasure here in our community. And we have a lot of treasures here in our community. And we're building others as well. But I wanted to make sure that I make note of Happy Day School because they are an amazing partner, but they are an amazing school in our community. So I wanted to thank Miss Pam, as she's commonly referred to. My daughters learn how to swim there, and they constantly, every day, talk about the experiences that they have there. So thank you so much for all the work that you guys do.

Happy Day is the safest preschool in this city. Best love, most dedication from the parents of Don't be free preschool. Happy day is the absolute thing. I will leave my daughter there all day, all weekend, and I will never be worried. The safest place.

The last thing I'll say is I'm a teacher, and my wife's a teacher as well, and there are tons of teachers in this community and throughout LA that bring their kids there,

and that speaks volumes, I think. Yep. Thank you.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor and Council Members. I am Jolene Tu. I am the President of the Monterey Park Chamber of Commerce. First and foremost, I want to thank the City of Monterey Park for giving us this opportunity to announce our newly established Monterey Park Chamber of Commerce. We are excited to share that we have a completely new entity, a new logo, as you can see, and 12 newly elected board of directors. The Modern Park Chamber's core values and operational approach are based on integrity,

transparency, and dedication to serving our business community. And sorry, one more slide. Sorry, there you go. I would like to highlight three key areas of new development. First, I wanna emphasize the Chamber's and wavering commitment to transparency. To ensure transparency and accountability, our treasurer and co-treasurer are using professional tools to record and produce proper, organized, and clear accounting. We'll be filing taxes timely and accurately, and financial reports will be presented at each BOD meeting, which are held every first Thursday of each month at the Holiday Inn in Monterey Park. Our secretary will be ensuring that proper meeting minutes, resolutions, and agendas will be recorded and approved by the BOD at each meeting, and our bylaws will be strictly followed. Further, to ensure we have healthy checks and balances in place, we have also established a compliance committee led by our board of director and attorney, Alexander Shao, to uphold strong governance practices and compliance standards. Next, we are proud to introduce our mission. Next slide. Actually, another slide. to serve as a vibrant organization dedicated to our business community and residents. In pursuit of this mission, we are prioritizing four main areas of engagement. Next slide, please. Well, actually, I'm sorry, one back. I apologize. One back. One back. Sorry. Thanks. One, community events. By participating in community events, our chamber aims to showcase and connect Mono Park businesses to its residents. Secondly, strategic educational courses, which consists of workshops and seminars to support professional business growth. Thirdly, business-to-business engagement, where we are creating platforms for small businesses to network and form partnerships. And finally, marketing opportunities to help local businesses increase.

Our committees have already, in the last few short months, devoted countless hours, a substantial effort to coordinating activities and planning new events for the coming year. For example, next slide. We have monthly business mixers hosted at the Holiday Inn in Monterey Park. This is an opportunity and space created for our businesses' organizations monthly to connect, share ideas, and form collaborations. Next slide. We are also hosting and attending multi-chamber events, allowing our businesses to meet and foster connections with neighboring business networks. Next slide. We're participating in Marnier Park community events, such as the Marnier Park Monster Mash this past October, where we set up our own booth and had a great time offering popcorn, cotton handy, and games to our community. At that event, businesses were invited to participate and share information about their services. Similarly, we participated, sorry, next slide. And at the Cortisone DeVille event in El Monte with our own booth providing a simple platform for businesses to share information and promote themselves to neighboring cities, extending their reach and visibility. Next slide. Coming soon, we'll be at the December 4th City of Monterey Park Holiday Snow Village event and we'll be hosting our first Lunar New Year banquet on February 10th of 2026. Again, the goal of these events are to provide fun and engaging platforms and opportunities for our Montero Park businesses to showcase and share the business services with the community. Next slide. And next slide.

Next slide, thanks. In 2026, we'll also be hosting monthly seminars and workshops for our small businesses on an array of topics from our industry experts. Some of these topics include free AI, sorry, next slide. Oh, I'm sorry, one back, I'm sorry. Free AI tools to help market your small businesses, presented by Derek Talberg of Birdseye Management Services. Small business grants and grant writing seminar, presented by Johnny Huang of Chinatown Service Center. Next slide. and Small Business and Commercial Loan Workshop presented by Bella Q of East West Bank. Next slide. Immigration Law Updates presented by Jo-Lynn Tu and Albert Hsu of the Law Office of Albert Hsu. Next slide. Import and Export Regulatory Changes in Light of New Terrorists presented by Karen Huang of Yuseng Logistics Inc. And Small Business Operations Series presented by Alex Dow of Venerables Law Office.

So we have a full list of events and courses on our website starting this December. Could we go up a couple of slides? Back, I'm sorry, back a couple of slides. One more, one more, one more. There you go, that one. Here's our basic membership structure with discounts for students, military, and individual members. We kind of looked back at the services we'll be providing and compared our services to neighboring chambers and created a, you know, how we can grow kind of benefits package for all of our members. And for a limited time, we're offering a three-month free chamber membership starting now and ending in December 31st. And now I want to introduce and thank our talented and hardworking board of directors and committee members for their talent and dedication. Could I go a couple of slides forward?

One more. Perfect. I would like to begin with thanking Peter Lim. He is our vice president of operations and our events chair. Peter is currently a SoCal building inspections manager and a previous city of Monterey Park city inspector for 14 years. Do you want to stand up? That's Peter. We have Florence Tao, our vice president, and she is a client relations director of Venerable's injury law office. And then Florence is out of town today, but we also have Lee Lin, our treasurer, whom is a designer and benefits advisor. Hi, Lee. And we have Yash Vidaya, our co-treasurer, whom is a Monterey Park Subway franchise owner and owner of a total of seven Subway restaurants. He is also a managing director of VIDEA Investment Partnership. We have Derek Talberg, our Secretary of Education's committee chair, who is the CEO of Birdseye Management Services. We have Alex Hsiao, our compliance committee chair and partner at Venerables Injury Law Office in Monterey Park. We also have Dr. Ethan Guang, our membership committee chair and CEO of Alpha Medical Pharmacy in Monterey Park. Next, we have Beverly Lim, our marketing committee chair and graphics designer. We have David Romero, our board of directors and general manager at Holiday Inn in Monterey Park. We have Bella Q, our board of director and vice president of mortgage relations of East West Bank. We have Geoffrey Arbit, our board of director, who is a realtor at Pinnacle Real Estate Group and board of director of West Singapore Valley Association of Realtors. Next, we also have four new committee members. Karen Huang, membership committee member from Yuseng Logistics, Inc. Wendy Branston, events committee chair and director of sales at Holiday Inn Monterey Park. Tiffany Tron, Events Committee member and Monterey Park Participation Committee Commissioner. Victor Toria Stapleton, Education Committee member who is also a realtor actor and model. And we are proud to announce that Charles Buck Stapleton will be our 2026 ambassador. Buck is a veteran, a lawyer, a real estate broker, and educator. Can we go up two slides? One down. One more. One more. Thanks. And lastly, I am Jolyne Tu, president of the chamber, and I am a real estate and immigration attorney at the law office at Elberstu. I'm also currently a realtor broker of REMAX Champions. This marks the first phase of our chamber's development. Over the coming years, we look forward to rolling out a variety of programs, initiatives designed to provide even greater support to our business community and residents. So please follow us on social media and we hope to see everybody soon. Thank you.

Thank you, Jolene. Any questions for the chamber? Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, Jolene.

Really appreciate you and the board coming tonight to update the council in the city on the Chamber of Commerce. Really appreciate it and I'm really excited to see the programming you have already planned. The board here, super engaged clearly, and really appreciate the diversity in terms of the representation on the board of the businesses here in Monterey Park. Really, really do want to wish you success and look forward to partnering where we can on the city side with the Chamber going forward. I'm just curious, this might be more of a question for staff. have we had some conversations, looking at Joe back there with the chamber team

and are we planning to do that? Madam Mayor, members of the council,

yes, staff has been in communication with the new chamber board and so correct, we are exploring opportunities in the future to see if there's possibilities for partnership.

Yes, we had several meetings with Joseph Torres and Tim Howe and they've been really supportive and really helpful. So I'm sure we'll be continuing those conversations coming forward. Yeah, no, it'd be great to,

I know Joe and the, our economic development team and the city staff have been working on

helping to support our businesses,

especially our small businesses here in the city need a lot of help. And I think this chamber can really offer that and look forward to seeing how we can partner on that and compliment each other on our, what we can do. And if we work closely together, I think we can do a lot more by working together, chamber in the city for the business community here in Monterey Park and the business climate in Monterey Park than if we weren't working in partnership so really appreciate you coming to present and update us I look forward to either you or other representatives from the board continue to engage the city and have these conversations going forward in a strong partnership with the business community in the city well into the future I think we have very much the same interest in terms of a strong business community that supports and a city that wants to support the business community here and really appreciate being able to have an organized way to engage the businesses here in the city through the chamber and so I'm sure Joe you guys already know Joe but Joe and his team will be in very close contact and as we explore ways to partner and opportunities to really continue to advance our shared goals and mission and really look forward to seeing how we can do that together.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, thank you so much. That means a lot to us. With the whole chamber, we're very excited about this venture, and definitely we look to partner with the city in any way we can and be of any help. Thank you.

I just wanted to express my gratitude for all of you that came tonight, and not only did you get to see a lot of the work that we're doing here, but we're looking forward to seeing the work that you're doing as well. As you know, our city is working really hard to make Monterey Park and has been working really hard to make Monterey Park create a great climate here for business, but we know that that also takes a village, and so we really appreciate all of the help that we can get from your end. So we look forward to attending some of your events and look forward to seeing you at some of our events as well. I appreciate you being here tonight and looking forward to the potentially growing relationship.

Thank you. Yes, thank you. Yes, and we're always open to feedback. You know, we're always trying to improve as we are new. We have a lot of ideas coming up, but definitely, you know, talking through them and perhaps getting the city's feedback would be much appreciated as well. Thank you. Madam Mayor, thank you.

Well, you know, I also want to just echo sentiments. I mean, thank you very much for coming here tonight to introduce your board, your organization, and also I think being very transparent about your programming as well as your administrative structure. I know that that's very important to this city council and to staff that when it comes to issues, quality of life, the business community, we all have the same interests or we all want to work together. And I think that in the name of collaboration,

It is important to be transparent, to be able to also be accountable when it comes to organizational

activity, structure, finances. And I hope that with this reconstituted chamber that transparency and fidelity is there because

we do want to work together.

because I think as much as our staff do a great job of economic promotion, we do need to have in tandem an organization that's also representing the interest of the business community. And so we wish you luck, and certainly we hope that we can continue to collaborate and work together.

Yes, thank you so much. And I did want to emphasize that we have 12 brand-new members as well as a brand-new entity. And definitely, you know, our core value is on transparency. and, you know, again, feedback, you know, from our community and, you know, this city right here is very valuable to us as well. So, and also I wanted to introduce everybody and emphasize the members we have on our board because they are part of Monterey Park, a lot of us, and also they're working professionals and, you know, credibility and reputation is on the top of our

list. Well, thank you so much for coming today and giving us this comprehensive presentation. I think it's amazing how much progress has been made this year and all the new leaders that have been elected to the board. Very impressive. And, you know, we're looking forward to seeing all the new events that you're going to put forward in the city. I came to your booth at Monster Mash, and it was a great job putting all the candy, apples, the popcorn, and the cotton candy together. So looking forward to more events from you.

Thank you. Yeah, for our December event, we're going to have free hot cocoa, stop by our booth, and popcorn.

Thank you so much for the update.

It was very informative. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right, that completes our presentation section for this evening.

Now we go to our staff communications.

Today we have fire. All right. Good evening, Madam Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, City Manager, City

Executive Team, and Honored Guests. My name is Jason Hing, and I am your Fire Chief for the Monterey Park Fire Department. And yes,

unwrapped toys specifically for children and families in Monterey Park, ensuring the donations directly support our own community. Costco serves as a key drop-off location, actively promotes the toy drive, and welcomes our crews on site to engage with the public. This year's event will be held

on Saturday, December 6th from 11 to 4 p.m. Costco will advertise a free picture with Santa, and they also provide the Santa, for anyone who donates a toy. We expect this to help increase

the participation and boost donations. Through the partnership, we collect hundreds of toys each year, helping ensure local families can still enjoy the holiday season. We continue to appreciate Costco's continued support and the generosity of our residents who donate year after year.

Next slide, please.

We also have collection boxes at our local businesses,

Chick-fil-A and Canes, and we're actively seeking to increase that with our campaign to see if several more will participate

and take boxes. On December 16th of this year, that's where we partner with some of the local schools and we invite them to come over and pick up toys for their students. And then any leftover toys are given to a foster program where we partner with the corporate center. And our folks also carry a few extra toys on the apparatus so in case we encounter some needy families during their visits

or during their incidents that they respond to, they'll have something to provide for that child in need. That's it, and I can answer any questions.

All right. Thank you so much.

We are promoting that widely across our channels, right?

Yes, we will ensure that we're promoting

if we haven't started already. Yes. Great cause. Thank you, Chief. Thank you.

All right, no old business. And then we'll move on to our consent agenda.

We've already pulled 9H.

Any comments or discussion on the remaining items

of the consent calendar? Mayor, if I could pull 9F just for quick comments. I don't need the presentation. All right.

Council Member Wang has requested 9F be pulled.

And if no other items are being pulled, I'll move to pass the remaining ones.

All right. Second. Okay. Let's vote on the remaining items.

Approved unanimously.

Okay. Let's go to item 9F.

I mean, grab me.

You just had some questions, right?

Well, not really questions.

I just want to really want to commend Public Works and the city staff on getting this project to this point. I know we're awarding the contract or this item is to award the contract for construction. I just want to say how big a deal this is. This will be our first complete street, right? Essentially our first complete street design and build out in the city. city it's been years and years in the making and across multiple jurisdictions to make sure that the planning the design the community input for this project happened and it did and we appreciate everyone that engaged in this project over the last few years Rob just wanted to pull the item because I'm excited and I wanted to really know how big a deal this is because this is a huge project for the city to undertake and in partnership with our our our neighboring jurisdictions and look forward to the, I don't know if we're gonna do groundbreaking, but at least the finishing of this project at some point, I think is worth celebrating. And I think we'll be a model and it's already in some ways, the design's already a model for some of the other complete streets that we are looking at, including Monterey pass and Garvey and other parts of the city and eventually all these things are gonna connect and help residents and others in the city really be able to travel more safely, walk, whether that's walking, driving, or biking, and all this, these improvements in terms of our transportation networks, this is a huge piece of that and really appreciate the work of staff in getting it to this point and look forward to seeing the completion of this project. Sean, if really quick, if you can remind us or just note for us the construction timeline, at least the estimated construction timeline for this.

Yes.

Good evening, Arnold, Mayor, Mayor, Pro Tem and City Council. I'm still Sean I go public works director. Yes, the plan is to get this started early next year and be completed by July of next year. So it's a short timeline, but the team and the contractor

are eager to get this thing done.

As are we. So looking forward to it. And I know Ziad is going to take us all out there for a tour once it's done. With that, I'm happy to make the motion to approve item 9F.

All right, Council Member Bowen, motions? I'll second. All right, let's vote.

Approved unanimously.

Okay, thank you.

Moving on to our public hearing. So we'll go ahead and open public hearing.

Item 10.

So this item, there's been a request to postpone it to the next council meeting in December.

There are two...

Okay, so we have two public speakers.

First speaker is Michelle E.

So the two speakers will speak tonight and then any additional speakers will be speaking at the next meeting when this item is heard.

So, Michelle?

It's being continued to the next meeting, but we're opening public hearing today.

Do you guys wanna hear the public comment tonight or do you wanna wait until?

We can leave it for, we can ask the commenters.

Do you guys wanna speak tonight or next time?

Yeah, I think it's just one time right

Well, it will be on the record but yeah If you want to speak at the meeting when the items gonna be heard you can we can take that

Mr. Mayor or madam mayor and members of the council This is is public hearing as you know you have one opportunity to provide testimony during the public hearing My suggestion is if individuals showed up here tonight that are unable to come to the next book to the continuance that they speak tonight But there is no two bites at the apple Everyone has one opportunity for testimony during the public hearing

Right, so we're not voting on it tonight.

No, tonight, it is public hearing. So everything that's heard tonight goes on the record.

There's no guarantee. We can't predict the future.

So is there going to be two more parts or are there not going to be one part? Does tonight count and what are these parts?

Tonight's comments would count as part of the public hearing because the public hearing, as the mayor has explained, is open. And if the council chooses to continue the item to be heard on December 3rd,

that could be the council's action.

So any records that we collect tonight would be part of the public hearing.

And actually I think I have to recuse myself even from the public hearing so I'm gonna leave the room now. Okay. Yes. Okay.

Anyway, so actually, so just question, I mean again, this, there'll be, is there going

to be more than one reading I guess is the question I have. Madam Mayor, members of the council, this is a public hearing.

If you would like to hear the presentation, I believe the applicant's attorney here is ready to provide a presentation. The applicant has requested that the public hearing be continued. So the recommendation is to open the public hearing and then continue the public hearing to December 3rd, which means there will be no presentation tonight. The only testimony that would be collected tonight under that circumstance is if anyone is in the audience who needs to testify tonight because they intentionally showed up here tonight to testify because this is a notice public hearing. If they can continue or wait for their comments until December 3rd, until after the presentation, then that would be appropriate. but you don't get to testify tonight and then again on December 3rd, if that makes sense.

That makes sense. Thank you. Yes. My question is after December 3rd, when it's president.

If there's a speaker here speaking in their capacity as a resident, then my suggestion is that they come up and speak during the microphone.

All right. Would you like to speak as a resident? I could ask you some questions. So after December 3rd, when you present it, is there another, Are you going to present it for the second time for final approval at a later date?

We don't have the answer to that question.

That's the council's prerogative, right?

Yeah, we will decide when the time comes.

So he only gets to speak once, too. Everybody, yes.

Do you, Jim, Jim, why don't you speak first?

Sorry. Jim Pugh on behalf of the applicant I'm not here to provide testimony on the item I'm just here to reiterate the letter that was provided to the council in advance which was a request for the continuance particularly for a council member goes absence and it's in his district this project is

so out of respect to him and consideration of the whole council we'd like the matter to be continued

substantively till the date certain which is December 3rd the next regularly scheduled City Council hearing that's all we have for tonight okay thank you so there was no there is no

presentation then okay yeah so then we'll just continue it to the next team next meeting um do we need to do a motion yeah okay anyone move to postpone this in the next meeting

I mean, that's fine. That's fine if we postpone. I guess the property of continuance, is that?

Public continuance. Okay, it's fine.

If the speaker has, on behalf of your client, is asking for continuance, then I say fine. I am okay with the continuance.

Okay. Move? I move for continuance of the item. All right.

I agree only because Councilmember Ngo is not here and this item is in his district in respect for Councilmember Ngo. I think he should be present to listen to the presentation and also have an opportunity to vote.

Yeah, I agree as well.

Councilmember Loew's motion.

Especially since Councilmember Wan is conflicted from voting.

And also, before I guess we close the public hearing, and again, although this is a continuance, I mean, again, remind me again, it is the Council's pleasure, certainly, if we wish to, even after December 3rd, to continue the item, we have that prerogative, correct?

It's our pleasure, correct?

Madam Mayor, members of the Council, you can continue the matter as long as you want to.

Okay, okay.

So I do suggest if you're continuing it though to continue it to a date certain our recommendation is December 3rd

Okay, all right. Thank you

All right, let's vote on mayor pro tems motion to move it to December 3rd

Approved unanimously

All right

Any new business no new business City Communications.

In terms of the recusal, just to be clear about my recusal from the item, given legal guidance around conflict of interest laws, my employer would be the one providing electricity to this project the project and exceeding the limit that requires recusal. I don't know if Carl can say it better than I can say.

Thank you, Madam Mayor and members of the Council.

We are seeking FPPC confirmation with regard to Council Member

Wong's potential conflict.

As he alluded to, Edison, which is his employer and a source of income to him, would be supplying the electricity for the

proposed site.

So in an abundance of caution, we are obtaining FPPC guidance

FBPC guidance with regard to a potential conflict.

Communications? No?

I just want to share one. This past Thursday, our city celebrated Native American Heritage Month at our farmer's market. And we had a presentation. I wanted to thank city staff and Robert for organizing that. It was extremely well done. A lot of community members out to learning about Native American heritage. We had a lot of people dancing in unison as well. And my daughters got a chance to make Native American dolls using corn husks. So that was a lot of fun. As always, our city creates a lot of family fun events. So I wanted to thank our city for not just symbolically celebrating Native American Heritage Month, but also putting it to action. So I wanted to thank you, Robert, for doing that. I also wanted to share and thank our city staff for the Veterans Day ceremony on November

the 11th.

I know a lot of us were there in attendance to not just honor our veterans, but also celebrate

with them.

So I wanted to thank staff for arranging that. I know our mayor was there and spoke on our behalf, so I want to thank our mayor as well for doing that. And then lastly, I just wanted to share that, and I think most of you guys know that I teach civics and one of the things that we teach in civics that's actually really missing today is civil discourse and the importance of teaching that to our students is so important and I think that when students and younger people and I'm a parent as well I have three young daughters when they look at us as adults we have to model appropriate behavior in terms of how we speak and and how we address others in the form of respect. And I think that's so important, but so vitally missing in our society today. So wanted to thank all of our staff because every time that I'm out there and we're at events, I'm just so proud of the work that you guys do as ambassadors for our city. That includes police, that includes fire, and all of our staff, so amazing. And I just can't tell you enough how many compliments I get both as a parent, as a community member and even in our schools and our district about how great it is

to work with our city.

So I wanted to thank you for that because there are pockets where that doesn't happen. And so it's so important to model that for people who might not know how to do that. So thank you so much for your civility. Thank you so much for your respect for our community and for modeling what appropriate behavior looks like. Same thing with our council members.

So thank you.

Thank you. The only thing I want to communicate and share is that next week is Thanksgiving, and so certainly I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, but also during this holiday when we give thanks, I do also want to give thanks to our dedicated city staff who devote day in day out to our community, as well as to those in our community who engage in, you know, civic involvement in our community. And I think that we're very blessed to live in the community that we live in. And so I give thanks and hope that everyone has a peaceful holiday.

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.

I wanted to also quickly recognize VCA Engineering Company for hosting last night's Meetup with the Mayor and Duck House for catering. It was a great turnout, and thank you to all the city staff members for organizing last

night's event.

The next Meetup with the Mayor will be Tuesday, December 16th at 5 p.m., and it's going to be held at Shenano on Atlantic also.

All right. with that. Any other comments?

Madam Mayor, I just wanted to say one last thing. I just wanted to do a quick plug. I know that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there are a lot of people in need. And I know that in our neighboring community and actually within our community and our staff is gonna be participating in this as well. There is a food drive that is happening at Belvedere Park, which is neighboring my district in the southern part of Monterey Park. And I just wanted to do a quick plug. that is happening on Monday November 24th between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at Belvedere Park and if we haven't posted that flyer for that event if we can share it through our social media so that residents of Monterey Park who might be in need and might be interested can participate as

well. Madam Mayor yes we can definitely post that flyer and I believe it's a food distribution event just for clarification sorry I thought I heard I thought I heard of food

drive so food distribution event very good thank you thank you any other

comments then we'll go ahead and adjourn the meeting at 822