14-E
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
FROM: Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of the May 9, 2022, Regular Meeting of the City Council.
DATE: May 23, 2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
None
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Approve the May 9, 2022, Regular Meeting Minutes; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENT
Minutes of the May 9, 2022, Regular Meeting… ......................... ………………………… 2
11 MINUTES
CITY OF BELLFLOWER
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022
BELLFLOWER CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS
5:30 P.M. CLOSED SESSION / 7 P.M. OPEN SESSION
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The City Council Chambers was open to the public. Per the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order effective March 4, 2022, it was strongly recommended, but not required, to wear a face covering when inside Bellflower City Hall.
5:30 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
1 CALL TO ORDER
None
2 ROLL CALL
None
3 RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
None
4 RECONVENE FOR OPEN SESSION
None
7:00 P.M. – OPEN SESSION
5 CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Dunton called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
2 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 6 May 9, 2022 Page 2 of 9
6 ROLL CALL
The following Members of the City Council responded present to roll call:
Mayor Ray Dunton
Mayor Pro Tem Sonny R. Santa Ines
Council Member Raymond Y. Hamada
Council Member Dan Koops
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
Staff Participants:
Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
Karl H. Berger, City Attorney
Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
Len Gorecki, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Joel Hockman, Director of Public Safety
Jim DellaLonga, Director of Economic Development
P.J. Mellana, Director of Parks & Recreation
Travis Sais, Assistant to the City Manager
Jennifer Poole-Eidd, Management Assistant
7 INVOCATION
Council Member Raymond Y. Hamada offered the Invocation. 8 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Joel Hockman, Director of Public Safety, led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
9-A CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Dunton provided details relative to the Neighborhood Watch Informational Session to be held on May 24, 2022, via Zoom.
Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines provided details relative to Bellflower’s “Day of the Shred” to be held on May 21, 2022 at Simms Park.
Council Member Sanchez provided details relative to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee’s residential Electric Vehicle charging incentive program.
Council Member Dan Koops provided details relative to the City of Bellflower’s illegal fireworks policy and enforcement strategy, which is facilitated by the Public Safety Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Council Member Hamada provided details relative to the Chamber of Commerce’s next Monthly Morning Mingle to be held on May 31, 2022. 3 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No.9-B
May 9, 2022 Page 3 of 9
9-B PRESENTATION: Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board
Yolanda Castro, Executive Director of Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board, 1) gave a PowerPoint presentation providing an informational overview; and 2) responded to Council Members’ questions.
9-C PRESENTATION: Proclamation Declaring May 15 – 21, 2022, as “National Public Works Week”
Mayor Dunton, along with his City Council colleagues, announced that the City of Bellflower declared May 15-21, 2022, as “National Public Works Week,” read the proclamation into the record, and presented it to Public Works Crew Leader Agustin Araujo.
Maintenance Crew Leader Araujo accepted the proclamation and stated that it was an honor to serve the community.
9-E PRESENTATION: Proclamation Declaring the month of May as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Month”
Mayor Dunton, along with his City Council colleagues, announced that the City of Bellflower declared May as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Month,” read the proclamation into the record, and presented it to Council Member Hamada.
Council Member Hamada accepted the proclamation.
9-D PRESENTATION: Proclamation Declaring the Month of May as “Mental Health Awareness Month”
Mayor Dunton, along with his City Council colleagues, announced that the City of Bellflower declared May as “Mental Health Awareness Month,” read the proclamation into the record, and presented it to Council Member Sanchez on behalf of the Community Family Guidance Center.
Council Member Sanchez accepted the proclamation and provided information relative to the Community Family Guidance Center and their work in the field of mental health, noting that they serve about 1,700 children annually and there has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with mental health disorders in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
4 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 10
May 9, 2022 Page 4 of 9
10 PUBLIC COMMENTS
Paul Hernandez, City of Baldwin Park, Council Member and Executive Director for Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL), provided an informational flyer and extended an invitation to the City Council for their upcoming conference to be held June 10 -11, 2022, in Pico Rivera, in which they would provide information relative to solutions to the water crisis, the nuances of climate change and its direct impacts on the water supply, and the solutions available to the region such as new ordinances and policies.
John Williams, resident, 1) requested an update of a resolution for the parking structure issues, noting that he spoke with a City employee who shared that someone was stabbed in the structure the prior weekend; and 2) stated that his tenants have complained that people enter the structure very late at night and “do donuts” with their vehicles.
In response to Mr. William’s comments and at the request of Mayor Dunton, City Manager Stewart 1) stated that the City was aware of the continued issues and several permanent projects were underway that should be limiting access to the structure, such as permanent gates, clean-up work, and increased security; 2) stated that the incident over the weekend was disturbing and that in light of the incident which occurred at about 4:00 p.m., the City would be increasing its security efforts earlier in the day; 3) encouraged Mr. Williams to contact Assistant City Manager/ Director of Public Works Gorecki to receive an update of the City’s efforts; and 4) elaborated that the structure was built in anticipation of the development of the area, which is now occurring with the development of the Edgeway Project, and once it’s underway the structure should be more occupied and the issues minimized.
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider adopting Resolution No. 22-17 20-17– A Resolution adopting Parks and Recreation Facility Use Fees, establishing facility use policies and procedures, and superseding Resolution No. 09-72; and waive further reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1413 – An Ordinance adding a new chapter
12.42 to Title 12 of the Bellflower Municipal Code entitled “Permits Authorizing Events Conducted in City Parks and Facilities.” CEQA: The proposed Ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and CEQA regulations (14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) because it clarifies existing regulations related to the unlawful use of public property; does not involve any commitment to a specific project which could result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment; and constitutes an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Accordingly, this Ordinance does not constitute a “project” that requires environmental review (see specifically 14 CCR § 15378(b)(2, 5)).
5 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 11
May 9, 2022 Page 5 of 9
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS – Continued
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider adopting Resolution No. 22-17 – Continued
Director of Parks and Recreation Mellana 1) provided a PowerPoint presentation of the Staff Report; and 2) along with City Manager Stewart and Consultant Tony Thrasher of Willdan Financial Services, responded to Council Members’ questions.
For the record, Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines emphasized that it is the City’s policy to not recover the full cost of services because the City made a commitment to provide this service to the residents.
Following discussion, it was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to open the public hearing.
There being no one in attendance wishing to present testimony, it was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to close the public hearing.
It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, seconded by Council Member Hamada, and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, to 1) adopt Resolution No. 22-17; and 2) waive further reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1413:
AYES: Council Members - Sanchez, Santa Ines, Hamada, Koops, and Mayor Dunton
12 ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
None
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS
None
14 CONSENT CALENDAR
For the record, 1) Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines requested that Items 14-B (Mercy House Amendment No. 2), 14-C (Resolution No. 22-18 – Industrial Hemp-derived Products), and 14-D (Farmer’s Market Operating Hours) be pulled for discussion only; and 2) Council Member Sanchez requested that Item 14-E (Palm Park Playground) be pulled for comment only.
6 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 14
May 9, 2022 Page 6 of 9
14 CONSENT CALENDAR – Continued
With regard to Item 14-B (Mercy House Amendment No. 2) and at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, Assistant to the City Manager Sais introduced Chief Program Officer Timothy Huynh to clarify the following: 1) navigation supervisors were implemented to coordinate entry tools for clients and ensure case files are up to standard and provide oversight, training, and guidance to case managers (also called navigators); 2) currently there are two navigators and one part-time supervisor stationed at New Hope in Bellflower; 3) the budget reduction in security services was tied to the implementation of a new Safety Coordinator position, which will improve service delivery and minimize cost by incorporating staff members, trained in de-escalation and who will recognize client conflicts before they occur, to interact with clients before security intervention is utilized; 4) the staffing pattern for security is changing from a 3-3-3 schedule to a 2-2-2 schedule, meaning two security personnel in the morning, evening, and overnight, respectively; 5) shuttle service will still be provided to clients; and 6) meals are subject to the competitive bid process, noting that the meal cost has increased from approximately $6.47 to $12.00.
At the request of Council Member Sanchez, Chief Program Officer Huynh clarified 1) the difference between Safety Coordinators and Security Personnel is that Safety Coordinators are trained Mercy House staff and Security Personnel are uniformed guards provided by a third-party security vendor; 2) they are decreasing the number of uniformed guards, but adding Mercy House staff to supplement; and 3) there will be and additional two Safety Coordinators in the morning and two in the evening which will result in more staff on the floor during the morning and evening shifts.
At the request of Council Member Hamada, Chief Program Officer Huynh stated that the impact of community donations on the budget was very minimal.
With regard to Item 14-C (Resolution No. 22-18 – Industrial Hemp-derived Products), and at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, Director of Finance Rhee stated that the plans to identify dispensaries that are selling industrial hemp-derived products in order to apply the appropriate calculations for tax purposes would be to look for storefronts that advertise CBD and Industrial Hemp, as well as reviews identified through Google and Yelp , along with referrals from staff and the City Council.
With regard to Item 14-D (Farmer’s Market Operating Hours) and at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, Director of Economic Development DellaLonga 1) explained that the reason for the time change was due to the operator finding that the demand from their vendor network for an afternoon farmers market was much larger than at the current earlier hours; 2) stated that an informal parking analysis was conducted by Economic Development staff for the proposed afternoon time slot in the area adjacent to Town Center Plaza and based on this analysis there should not be a significant negative impact on parking, as there was plenty of parking available at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. with more parking identified near Pirate Park in addition to the parking structure; 3) confirmed that the operator would promote the various parking availability and require the vendors to park in a
7 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 14
May 9, 2022 Page 7 of 9
14 CONSENT CALENDAR – Continued
designated area to leave parking open for customers; 4) stated that six to seven vendors are transferring from the Simms Park location to the Town Center location in addition to twenty new food vendors and ten craft vendors; and 5) noted that ideally, the set up for each vendor will be a canopy and a table in lieu of a trailer.
With regard to Item 14-E (Palm Park Playground), Council Member Sanchez wanted to highlight the project for the community’s awareness.
It was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to approve the actions stipulated on the Consent Calendar.
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file Warrant Register No. 22-111, dated May 9, 2022.
Action: Received and filed Warrant Register No. 22- 111.
B Consideration and possible action to authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 2 to Agreement File No. 853, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with Mercy House Living Centers, to extend the term for Temporary Shelter Services at New Hope Shelter. ____________________________ Action: Authorized the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 2 to Agreement File No. 853, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
C Consideration and possible action to adopt Resolution No. 22-18 – A Resolution ratifying Administrative Policy and Procedure No. 3 (“AP&P No. 3”), as amended, determining that the City of Bellflower’s cannabis tax applies to the sale of industrial hemp-derived products.
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 22-18 which ratifies AP&P No. 3 and authorizes collection of the cannabis tax from the businesses selling industrial hemp -derived products effective July 1, 2019 and amended April 28, 2022.
D Consideration and possible action to approve a request for a change in operating hours for the Bellflower Certified Farmers Market in conjunction with its relocation to Town Center Plaza.
Action: Approved the relocation of the Bellflower Certified Farmers Market to Town Center Plaza and the change of operating hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
8 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 14
May 9, 2022 Page 8 of 9
14 CONSENT CALENDAR – Continued
E Consideration and possible action to award a contract to Robertson Industries, Inc., for the Palm Park Playground Rubberized Surface Replacement (Specifications No. 21/22-04); and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Robertson Industries, Inc., in a form approved by the City Attorney.
CEQA: Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq.) and CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, §§ 15000, et seq.), the City conduct ed an environmental assessment. Based on the environmental assessment, the project was determined to be categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15303 (Class 1 - Existing Facilities).
Action: Awarded a contract to Robertson, for the Project; a nd authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with Robertson, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
F Consideration and possible action to authorize the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install red curb parking restrictions at 9835 Rosecrans Avenue and 9939 Rosecrans Avenue (C.E. #22 06).
Action: Authorized the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install red curb parking restrictions at 9835 Rosecrans Avenue and 9939 Rosecrans Avenue.
G Consideration and possible action to authorize the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install an on-street disabled parking space (blue curb) in front of 10441 Somerset Boulevard (C.E. #22-07).
Action: Authorized the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install an on-street disabled parking space (blue curb) in front of 10441 Somerset Boulevard.
H Consideration and possible action to approve the reappointment of Chamber of Commerce’s nominee Larry Wehage to the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) for the term ending June 2024.
Action: Approved the appointment of Chamber of Commerce’s nom inee Larry Wehage to the SELACO WDB for the term ending June 2024.
I Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of the April 25, 2022, Regular Meeting of the City Council.
Action: Approved the April 25, 2022, Regular Meeting Minutes.
9 Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 15
May 9, 2022 Page 9 of 9
15 COUNCIL REPORTS
For the record, Mayor Dunton proposed modifying the attire from formal to casual for regular City Council Meetings through the summer months from June 13 to September 12, 2022. Following brief discussion, it was City Council consensus to implement casual attire for regular City Council meetings through the summer months, from June 13 – September 12, 2022.
Council Member Hamada, Council Member Koops, and Council Member Sanchez made various comments and reports.
16 ADJOURNMENT
Without objection, Mayor Dunton adjourned the meeting at 8:44 p.m., to the next Regular Meeting of the Bellflower City Council at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 23, 2022.
Ray Dunton, Mayor
City of Bellflower
Attest:
Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
Approved: May 23, 2022
10