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demant MINUTES
oROWlNGCITY OF BELLFLOWER
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, JULY 10, 2023
BELLFLOWER CITY HALL - COUNCIL CHAMBERS
5:30 P.M. CLOSED SESSION / 7:00 P.M. OPEN SESSION
5:30 P.M. - CLOSED SESSION
1 CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Santa Ines called the Regular Meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Bellflower City Hall, 16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower. 2 ROLL CALL
The following members of the City Council responded present to roll call:
Mayor Santa Ines
Council Member Ray Dunton
Council Member Dan Koops
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
For the record, Mayor Pro Tem Hamada was absent.
3 RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
For the record, 1) City Manager Stewart read the titles of the Closed Session items; and 2) Council Member Koops announced that the would recuse himself from Item 3-B as he owns property within 1,000 feet of the subject property.
Noting the aforementioned recusal and there being no one in attendance wishing to provide public comments, without objection, Mayor Santa Ines recessed the Meeting at 5:32 p.m. to a Closed Session regarding:
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 3-A
July 10, 2023 Page 2 of 11
3 RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION — Continued
A CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Negotiator: Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
Employee Organization: • AFSCME Local 1511 — Mid Managers • BCEA — Executive Assistants
• BCEA — Part Time Community Services Officers and
Part Time Maintenance Workers
• AFSCME Local 3745 — Maintenance Workers and
Community Services Officers
B CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property: 8833 Cedar Street, Bellflower, CA 90706
Agency Negotiator: Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
Negotiating Party: Vickie Dewey, Senior Property Manager, Meltdown Management, LLC
Under Negotiation: Price and terms of payment
C CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property: 2,000 acre feet of groundwater
Agency Negotiator: Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
Negotiating Party: Steve Lenton, Bellflower Somerset Mutual Water Company
Under Negotiation: Price and terms of payment
For the record, Closed Session adjourned at 5:58 p.m.
4 RECONVENE FOR OPEN SESSION
Mayor Santa Ines reconvened the Meeting at 7:00 p.m., with Mayor Pro Tem Hamada absent, and announced that no reportable action was taken during Closed Session.
7:00 P.M. - OPEN SESSION
5 CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Santa Ines called the Open Session of the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 6 July 10, 2023 Page 3 of 11
6 ROLL CALL
The following members of the City Council responded present to roll call:
Mayor Santa Ines
Council Member Ray Dunton
Council Member Dan Koops
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
For the record, it was moved by Council Member Sanchez to excuse the absence of Mayor Pro Tern Hamada. The motion failed due to lack of a second.
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 Anna Garan, Finance Manager
Natalie Rivera-Estrada, Management Analyst II
Travis Sais, Assistant to the City Manager
Jennifer Poole, Management Assistant
7 INVOCATION
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez offered the Invocation. 8 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Assistant City Manager / Director of Public Works Len Gorecki led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
9-A CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Santa Ines provided details relative to the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District and the "Mosquitos in Bellflower" presentation provided at the June 26, 2023, City Council Meeting.
Council Member Koops provided details relative to the next free movie under the stars hosted by the City to be held on July 11, 2023, at the Town Center Plaza.
Council Member Sanchez provided details relative to the next Summer Streetfest hosted by the City to be held on July 20, 2023.
Council Member Dunton provided details relative to the Chamber of Commerce's next Monthly Morning Mingle to be held on July 25, 2023.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 9-B
July 10, 2023 Page 4 of 11
9-B PRESENTATION: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness Month Mayor Santa Ines and his City Council colleagues declared July as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Awareness month in the City of Bellflower and presented the proclamation to Bellflower Unified School Board Member, Dr. Sue El Hessen.
For the record, 1) Dr. Sue El Hessen accepted the proclamation and thanked the City Council; and 2) Lauren Yokomizo, Field Deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, presented the City Council with a proclamation recognizing the City of Bellflower for proclaiming July as ADA month. 10 PUBLIC COMMENTS
Darlene Palacios, resident, 1) stated that she has been attending the City Council meetings since last September to advocate for the installation for flashing yellow lights at the intersection of Rose Street and Clark Avenue, she understands that they have been ordered, and wants to confirm the November installation date provided to her; 2) reiterated her advocacy for flashing lights because there is a nursing home on one end of her block and an assisted living center at the other end and she knows of two pedestrians who have died in recent years due to their inability to cross the street safely; and 3) reiterated that the sidewalk in front of her neighbor's house was damaged due to a fallen tree, which children in the neighborhood have been using as a "ramp" for their bicycles, and noted that the disabled struggle to maneuver around it.
For the record, 1) Mayor Santa Ines stated that he had personally called Darlene Palacios last week after speaking with the Director of Public Works and provided her with the installation date of four months to complete; and 2) with regard to the damaged sidewalk, at the request of Mayor Santa Ines, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Gorecki stated that he had a detailed conversation with the property owner after the last Council Meeting and gave him the estimated time of completion for the sidewalk repairs, so he is fully informed.
Anny Beck, resident, 1) inquired as to the City's level of emergency preparedness and would like to inform residents regarding what they can do personally to be prepared for an emergency; and 2) expressed concerns relative to "5G" exposure and requested that the City prevent the installation of "5G" in the City.
In response to comments made by Anny Beck regarding emergency preparedness, Mayor Santa Ines stated that he requested a practice drill during the budget study session in May, the City's plan is available on the website, and Director of Public Safety Hockman is available to speak to anyone directly on the matter.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 10 July 10, 2023 Page 5 of 11
10 PUBLIC COMMENTS — Continued
Guy Bremer, resident, 1) expressed the opinion that there was not enough coverage for illegal fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday in the evening in District 5, noting that there were non-stop fireworks for four hours in the vicinity of Beach Street and California Avenue, the amount of smoke and pollution was unacceptable, and there were two fires caused by fireworks; 2) inquired as to the amount of tickets written, noting that people lit illegal fireworks without fear of authority, and the City of Paramount wrote approximately 200 tickets for this period; 3) suggested the City consider banning all fireworks; and 4) stated that there were two unexcused absences at the last council meeting and inquired how many unexcused absences a Council Member could have.
In response to comments provided by Guy Bremer relative to illegal fireworks, Mayor Santa Ines assured the public that approximately 120 citations were given by six different vehicles on patrol that evening and the City would consider additional options with Public Safety staff to see what else could be done in the future.
John Butts, resident, expressed discontentment with the Sheriffs' Department due to their history of a lack of response to five reported burglaries at his place of business and expressed the opinion that the City needs a new police agency.
Hugh McLarnon, resident, addressed the City Council relative to his home which he purchased in 2020 from a developer/builder (Samuel Wassif) who he described as deceptive, stating that 1) he learned that homes may be sold without final building permits, certificates of occupancy, and listed code violations; 2) he hopes the City can put measures in place to prevent this practice from happening in the future; 3) the City provided the kind of opportunity Mr. Wassif seeks to commit fraud and there are various limited liability companies registered to him; 4) he is sad that his two neighbors are moving and they all feel let down by the City and its leadership, noting the City's mission statement; and 5) the Sheriff's Department is not performing as they should be.
Anthony Russell, resident, 1) expressed the opinion that cyclists on electric bicycles make using the sidewalks unsafe, there should be a type of licensing in place for operating those types of bicycles or a ticketing mechanism, the Sheriff's Department should confiscate the bicycles as an individual would be seriously injured or paralyzed if they were to be hit by one, and bicycle lanes may help alleviate the problem; and 2) stated that people drive at very high speeds on Maple Street, including a vehicle that consistently drives in the early morning hours without the headlights on, and suggested the City install signage or mock cameras to try to combat the issue.
In response to comments provided by Anthony Russell, Mayor Santa Ines requested that he speak with Director of Public Safety Hockman regarding his concerns.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 11-A
July 10, 2023 Page 6 of 11
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider delinquent refuse service charges; and adopt Resolution No. 23-25 — A Resolution ordering delinquent refuse service charges be assessed against the property owners and properties and such charges be transferred to the County tax rolls.
City Manager Stewart introduced the item.
Management Analyst II Rivera-Estrada 1) gave a PowerPoint presentation providing an overview of the Staff Report; and 2) along with CR&R Representative Chrystal Denning, responded to Council Members' questions.
Following discussion, it was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to open the public hearing.
Anthony Russell 1) expressed the opinion that CR&R trucks should be weighing trash in order to make the billing more equitable; 2) claimed that CR&R has raised their costs by 49% since 2019; 3) expressed concern with CR&R's billing practices in that that the delinquent account notification does not instruct customers how to pay it off and they mail bills from out of state instead of from their local headquarters which causes delays and allows them to assess late penalties; and 4) expressed concern that customers do not have the option to bury their organic waste and be "trashless" without having to pay a trash bill.
In response to comments provided by Anthony Russell, 1) Mayor Santa Ines and Council Member Dunton confirmed that the City is following the assessment process set forth; and 2) Mayor Santa Ines stated that the City can possibly look into the concept of weighing trash in the future.
Jody Gras stated that 1) her previous tenants lived at the property from November 2020 to August 2022, paid their trash bill through their bank's automatic payment option, and after they moved out placed an appeal with their bank and had that money reimbursed to them; 2) CR&R notified them of the delinquent charges, which included overcharged fees, and when asked why they had not attempted to place an appeal to the tenant's bank, CR&R stated that they didn't because they are allowed to collect from the homeowner; and 3) she requests the City Council have CR&R do their due diligence and collect the money from the previous tenants who are responsible for the charges or provide an extension so that they can deal directly with CR&R.
In response to comments provided by Jody Gras, Mayor Santa Ines requested that she speak with CR&R Representative Denning who was in attendance.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 11-A
July 10, 2023 Page 7 of 11
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS — Continued
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider delinquent refuse service charges; and adopt Resolution No. 23-25 — Continued
Amada Marquez provided an account number.
Rene Sevilla 1) stated that his tenant opened up a secondary account on the property, made service requests, and incurred charges that they have not paid; 2) stated that he called CR&R regarding this matter and asked how they vet new accounts and were told that no verification information is necessary to open an account on a property; and 3) requested that CR&R assist him with this matter.
In response to comments provided by Rene Sevilla, Mayor Santa Ines stated that there was a similar case last year and requested that he speak with CR&R Representative Denning who was in attendance and could explain the process of how to remedy that.
Bella Do 1) stated that she has had similar issues with CR&R as the previous speakers, she is a property owner that utilizes a property management company to facilitate matters with her tenants and because of this, communication with her tenants takes longer as she does not have direct contact; 2) requested that CR&R extend their noticing time to property owners and customers; and 3) noted that payments also do not always register correctly or are not properly reflected on the next bill.
Karina Becerra stated that 1) she moved to Bellflower in November of last year and the previous owners of her property had a balance due; 2) CR&R requested that she pay it, but she had refused, so they gave her a new account number; and 3) now, she has received a delinquent notice for the previous owner's account and she would like CR&R to rectify the matter.
John Butts stated that there did not appear to be any type of monitoring with regard to tenants failing to pay their bills, noting that he knew a couple of properties that have not paid for trash services for years, including the property where he operated his former business.
Chrystal Denning, Representative for CR&R Inc., 1) stated that the notification process has been the same as every year and explained that they receive and send out notices for delinquencies to property owners and that there are also a series of communication notices that go directly to the residents responsible for the account; and 2) acknowledged the comments with regard to tenant and property owner relationships and indicated that she was happy to take the personal information of those that spoke so that CR&R may follow up, research, and work on resolving the issues.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 11-A
July 10, 2023 Page 8 of 11
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS — Continued
A Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider delinquent refuse service charges; and adopt Resolution No. 23-25 — Continued
At the request of Mayor Santa Ines, CR&R Representative Denning explained 1) the process for new service accounts which includes a verification process to understand the type of relationship the person has with the property and an assessment of who is responsible for utilities, including trash services, as well as looking at records of the previous accounts on the property; 2) some of the comments provided noted discrepancies with regard to who is responsible for the account and she is willing to work with them to research it and remove them from the list, if appropriate, noting that it is the same process for management companies; and 3) with regard to late fees, she stated that there is a process which is in accordance with the contract and customers receive notices prior to late fees being accrued.
For the record, at the request of Mayor Santa Ines, Chrystal Denning of CR&R met with the speakers individually in the lobby.
There being no one else in attendance wishing to present testimony, it was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to close the public hearing.
It was moved by Council Member Dunton, seconded by Council Member Koops, and carried by the following roll call vote, to adopt Resolution No. 22-25:
AYES: Council Members - Koops, Sanchez, Dunton and Mayor Santa Ines
ABSENT: Council Member- Mayor Pro Tem Hamada
B Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider adopting Resolution No. 23-26 — A Resolution adopting a Comprehensive Fee Schedule to recover costs incurred from providing various public services and superseding Resolution No. 17-16.
City Manager Stewart introduced the item.
Finance Manager Garan gave a PowerPoint presentation providing an overview of the Staff Report; and 2) along with Consultant Tony Thrasher of Willdan Financial Services, responded to Council Members' questions.
Following discussion, it was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to open the public hearing.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 11-B
July 10, 2023 Page 9 of 11
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS — Continued
B Consideration and possible action to conduct a public hearing to consider adopting Resolution No. 23-26 — Continued
There being no one in attendance wishing to present testimony, it was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Council Member Sanchez, and carried without objection, to close the public hearing.
It was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Mayor Santa Ines, and carried by the following roll call vote, to adopt Resolution No. 23-26:
AYES: Council Members - Koops, Sanchez, Dunton and Mayor Santa Ines
ABSENT: Council Member- Mayor Pro Tern Hamada
12 ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
None
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS
None
14 CONSENT CALENDAR
It was moved by Council Member Dunton, seconded by Council Member Koops, and carried by the following roll call vote, to approve the actions stipulated on the Consent Calendar:
AYES: Council Members - Koops, Sanchez, Dunton and Mayor Santa Ines
ABSENT: Council Member - Mayor Pro Tern Hamada
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file Warrant Register No. 24-011, dated July 10, 2023.
Action: Received and filed Warrant Register No. 24-011.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 14 July 10, 2023 Page 10 of 11
14 CONSENT CALENDAR — Continued
B Consideration and possible action to adopt Resolution No. 23-23 — A resolution approving the specifications for the Local Streets Grind and Cap (Specifications No. 22/23-01), pursuant to Government Code §830.6, establishing a project payment account; and authorizing solicitation of bids.
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 conducted 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: Adopted Resolution No. 23-23.
C Consideration and possible action to authorize the Director of Public Works, or designee, to remove the time-based parking restrictions (green curb) on the north side of Artesia Boulevard just west of Lakewood Boulevard (C.E.#23-09).
Action: Authorized the Director of Public Works, or designee, to remove the time-based parking restrictions (green curb) on the north side of Artesia Boulevard just west of Lakewood Boulevard.
D Consideration and possible action to authorize the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install an on-street disabled parking space (blue curb) at 9627 Olive Street (C.E. #23-10).
Action: Authorized the Director of Public Works, or designee, to install an on-street disabled parking space (blue curb) at 9627 Olive Street.
E Consideration and possible action to authorize the Mayor to execute Agreement File No. 665.1, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with the City of Downey for Traffic Signal Modification Project at Lakewood Boulevard and Gardendale Street and Lakewood Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue.
Action: Authorized the Mayor to execute Agreement File No. 665.1, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
F Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of the June 26, 2023, Regular Meeting of the City Council.
Action: Approved the June 26, 2023, Regular Meeting Minutes.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 15 July 10, 2023 Page 11 of 11
15 COUNCIL REPORTS
Council Member Koops, Council Member Sanchez, Council Member Dunton, and Mayor Santa Ines made various comments and reports.
For the record, Council Member Koops announced that he would like to recognize the birth of Council Member Sanchez' second son, Sage Xavi Dinh Sanchez.
For the record, Mayor Santa Ines reminded the public that the City Council will be recessed and there would be no City Council Meeting on the fourth Monday of July, noting that the next Council Meeting will be held on August 14, 2023. 16 ADJOURNMENT
Without objection, Mayor Santa Ines adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m., in recognition of the birth of Sage Xavi Dinh Sanchez, to the next Regular Meeting of the Bellflower City Council at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 14, 2023.
Sonny R. Santa Ines, Mayor
City of Bellflower
ATTEST:
Mayra/ ch,, e(/ ;71611A-City Clerk
Apprdved: gust 14, 2023