15-F
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Ryan Smoot, City Manager
FROM: Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of March 10, 2025, Regular Meeting of the City Council.
DATE: March 24, 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
None
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Approve the March 10, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENT
Minutes of the March 10, 2025, Regular Meeting… .................... ………………………… 2
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MINUTES
CITY OF BELLFLOWER
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025
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 Dunton 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 Ray Dunton
Mayor Pro Tem Sonny R. Santa Ines
Council Member Dan Koops
Council Member Wendi Morse
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
3 RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
For the record, City Manager Smoot announced the titles of the Closed Session items.
There being no one from the public in attendance, without objection, Mayor Dunton recessed the Meeting at 5:34 p.m. to a Closed Session regarding:
A CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – INITIATION OF LITIGATION - GOVERNMENT CODE § 54956.9(d)(4). Number of Cases: One.
B CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code § 54956.9(d)(2):
FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES: Letter Dated February 7, 2025, available in City Clerk’s Office.
For the record, Closed Session adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
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Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 4
March 10, 2025 Page 2 of 10
4 RECONVENE FOR OPEN SESSION
Mayor Dunton reconvened the Meeting at 7:03 p.m. with all members present and announced that no reportable action was taken during Closed Session.
7:00 P.M. – OPEN SESSION
5 CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Dunton called the Open Session of the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
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 Dan Koops
Council Member Wendi Morse
Council Member Victor A. Sanchez
Staff Participants:
Ryan Smoot, City Manager
Karl H. Berger, City Attorney
Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
Len Gorecki, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Brian McNerney, Director of Public Safety
Elizabeth Oba, Director of Planning and Building Services Jim DellaLonga, Director of Economic Development
Alan Cook, Building Official
Wangsu Lee, Interim Senior Management Analyst
Dakota Wallace, Management Assistant
7 INVOCATION
Council Member Wendi Morse offered the Invocation.
8 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Director of Public Safety Brian McNerney led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 9-A
March 10, 2025 Page 3 of 10
9-A CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Dunton provided details relative to the Parks and Recreation Department’s Adaptive Recreation Program held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Caruthers Park.
Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines provided details relative to the upcoming e-Waste Recycling event to be held on March 15-16, 2025, at Frank E. Woodruff Elementary School.
Council Member Koops provided details relative to CR&R’s free bulky item collection services for residential customers.
Council Member Morse provided details relative to SteelCraft’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities to be held on March 15-16, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Council Member Sanchez provided details relative to the City’s Certified Farmers Market held every Monday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Town Center Plaza.
9-B PRESENTATION: National Women’s History Month Proclamation
Mayor Dunton and his City Council colleagues declared March 2025 as National Women’s History Month in the City of Bellflower and presented the proclamation to Alli Morse and McKayla Strange.
Alli Morse and McKayla Strange accepted the proclamation and thanked the City Council for their acknowledgment.
10 PUBLIC COMMENTS
Jessica Tyler, resident, 1) expressed the opinion that the City’s homeless situation is out of hand, mentioning that she witnessed an altercation between a homeless individual and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy earlier in the day which prompted her to attend the City Council Meeting to express her concerns; 2) commended the Sheriff’s Department for their work, further stating that she understands their hands are tied when it comes to providing assistance to the homeless; 3) expressed concerns regarding the cleanliness of the streets in her neighborhood, stating that due to heavy traffic in the area, the stree ts are not sufficiently cleaned by the street sweeper; and 4) stated the opinion that the City is a great place to live, but issues regarding the homeless and cleanliness needs to be addressed.
In response to comments provided by Jessica Tyler, Mayor Dunton suggested that she speak with Director of Public Safety McNerney to discuss the matter.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 10
March 10, 2025 Page 4 of 10
10 PUBLIC COMMENTS – Continued
Joaquin Wong, Director, Panama: Mola, Pollera y Tambor, 1) introduced himself as a resident and the Director of Panama: Mola, Pollera y Tambor, a Panamanian cultural organization; and 2) stated that he would like to connect City residents to the organization for future collaboration.
Jaydee Dizon, resident, 1) expressed excitement regarding the potential Arts District in the City; and 2) stated that she spoke with Director of Planning and Building Services Oba to offer her time as a volunteer to assist with the creation of the Arts District and revitalization of the City, noting that she graduated from California State University Long Beach with a degree in Fine Arts.
Luis Caranza, Money Matters, 1) stated that he is a representative of Money Matters, a non-profit organization that educates children between the ages of 5 to 18 on financial literacy and entrepreneurship; 2) explained that their offices are located in front of the Clifton Brakensiek Library; and 3) provided details relative to an upcoming event to be held on March 25, 2025, for Mothers and Daughters in the community, further noting that he has additional information regarding upcoming events for those interested.
11 PUBLIC HEARINGS
None
12 ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
None
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the Building and Safety Division Operations.
City Manager Smoot introduced the item.
Director of Planning and Building Services Oba 1) provided a PowerPoint presentation of the Staff Report; and 2) along with City Manager Smoot and Building Official Cook, responded to Council Members’ questions.
For the record, relative to the Conclusion Slide of the PowerPoint presentation, Director Oba stated that the following matters would be brought back to the City Council in the future for additional consideration: 1) fee adjustments; 2) Resolution clarifying the Self-Certification Program; and 3) other items.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 13-A
March 10, 2025 Page 5 of 10
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS – Continued
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the Building and Safety Division Operations – Continued
At the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, and for the benefit of the public, Director Oba explained that liquefaction is a high-water level within the soil of a property, noting that if there is high-water level detected, the foundation must be designed properly to ensure it is sturdy and accounts for the high level of water.
At the request of Council Member Morse 1) Director Oba explained that staff is currently in negotiations with companies that provide online permitting and electronic plan checking to be used for internal reviews conducted by the Planning and Public Works Department; however, it will take approximately nine months to build the workflow of the software once an agreement has been reached; and 2) City Manager Smoot highlighted that the implementation of an online permitting and plan checking software is one of the objectives detailed in the Strategic Plan, noting that the goal is to provide efficient and streamlined services to constituents.
In response to Council Member Sanchez’s questions and comments, 1) Director Oba clarified that Willdan Engineering (“Willdan”) currently has an electronic plan checking portal available for applicants; however, the current challenge is with inter-departmental reviews as Planning and Public Works staff do not have access to Willdan’s portal to complete the reviews and permitting electronically; and 2) Building Official Cook a) confirmed that Willdan has two electronic plan checking portals that may be utilized by the City, but expressed the opinion that staff does not have monitors large enough to review the plans accurately; and b) confirmed that Willdan’s two electronic portals integrate with other software platforms without issue.
For the record, 1) City Manager Smoot emphasized that staff must revitalize internal policies and procedures to ensure the workflow is seamless and efficient prior to the utilization of online software, noting that staff is working towards this by assessing the current operations, identifying the areas for improvement, and making the necessary changes; and 2) Director Oba reiterated that Willdan’s electronic plan checking portal is currently available and utilized by applicants.
At the request of Council Member Koops, 1) Building Official Cook a) expressed the opinion that additional staff will be necessary to assist with the transition to online permitting and electronic plan checking, further explaining that the workload at the counter will eventually decrease, but more work will be created because projects will be approved much quicker; and b) confirmed that staff is approving hardcopy plans within 10 days, reiterating that with online permitting and electronic plan checking, permits and plans will be approved much quicker; 2) City Manager Smoot clarified that the monitors recently purchased Citywide are sufficient for online permitting and plan checking; however, additional monitors or technology may be needed for certain staff; and 3) Director Oba stated that the City received quotes from three different companies for the online permitting and electronic plan checking, which is approximately $160,000 for the first year and $70,000 to $80,000 each year thereafter, further confirming that the funds are approved in the current budget and allocated in the next budget.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 13-A
March 10, 2025 Page 6 of 10
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS – Continued
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the Building and Safety Division Operations – Continued
At the request of Council Member Sanchez, Building Official Cook 1) stated that a handout will be provided to applicants listing all required submittal items and will be made readily available at the counter and on the City’s website ; 2) noted that surrounding cities, such as the City of Downey and City of Norwalk, require a soils report for a project of 500 square feet or less, further explaining that the City of Bellflower will not require a soils report for a project of 750 square feet or less; and 3) confirmed that he will look into and provide the date of when all cities are mandated by the State of California to have prescriptive methods of design available for constituents for Accessory Dwelling Units (“ADUs”) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unites (“JADUs”).
For the record, Council Member Sanchez expressed that he liked the idea of utilizing “prescriptive methods of design” in the future to better assist applicants with their projects, such as ADUs and JADUs.
For the record, and for the benefit of the public, Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines reiterated that the City of Bellflower is in a high liquefaction area, noting that during the construction of the Los Angeles County Fire Museum and Downtown Bellflower Parking Structure, the liquefaction of the Parking Structure was six times greater than the Fire Museum even though they are located only eighty feet apart, which resulted in the City paying over one million dollars to reinforce the foundation prior to the construction of the Parking Structure.
In response to questions and comments made by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines , Director Oba 1) stated that the number of plans and permits submitted from 2023 to 2024 increased by approximately 10%, noting that there has been a significant increase of ADU plan submittals as the State of California has allowed homeowners to build multiple ADUs on one lot; 2) confirmed that the permit and plan check fees are based on cost recovery and are not paid with taxpayer dollars, further stating that the fees may be increased or decreased depending on the volume of permits or applications being processed ; and 3) explained that with the adjustment of Willdan’s staffing, inspections have been fulfilled much quicker, stating that approximately twenty-two inspections are conducted per day.
At the request of Council Member Koops, and for the benefit of the public, Director Oba clarified that 1) ADUs may be built in the City of Bellflower and may be rented or sold, noting that most ADUs in the City are rented; 2) JADUs are limited to 500 square feet or less in size and must be built within the existing footprint of an existing single family residence; and 3) most ADU and JADU projects are exempt from providing additional parking as parking requirements are governed by the State of California.
Fred Taylor, resident, regarding the “Self-Certification” slide relative to the “courtesy correction list” noted, mentioned that he thought it said “cursory,” but he had since corrected himself.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 13-A
March 10, 2025 Page 7 of 10
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS – Continued
A Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the Building and Safety Division Operations – Continued
Following brief discussion, it was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, seconded by Council Member Koops, and carried by the following roll call vote, to receive and file this report:
AYES: Council Members – Morse, Sanchez, Santa Ines, Koops, and Mayor Dunton
B Consideration and possible action to approve and adopt the Bellflower 2025- 2027 Strategic Plan.
City Manager Smoot 1) introduced the item; and 2) introduced Consultant Ryder Todd Smith, President of Tripepi Smith & Associates (“Tripepi”).
Consultant Smith 1) provided a PowerPoint presentation giving an overview of the strategic planning process; and 2) along with City Manager Smoot, responded to Council Members’ questions.
For the record, the discussion followed “Goal #1 - 5” as listed on the PowerPoint presentation provided by Consultant Smith.
Goal #1: Enhance Public Safety
For the record, Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines requested to expand the language in Objective 1.8 to add “other available funding sources,” expressing the opinion that the City should not be limited to only utilizing Measure A funds.
Following brief discussion, Consultant Smith requested and received a consensus from the City Council to add “other available funding sources” to Objective 1.8.
Goal #2: Increase Public Outreach, Education and Connection
At the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, City Manager Smoot confirmed that the final version of the strategic planning report will be made available to the public on the website.
In response to Council Member Sanchez, relative to Objective 2.7, City Manager Smoot explained that improving collaboration and relationships with local organizations is included broadly in Goal #1: Enhance Public Safety, noting that the City is already partnering with local organizations in the community, but is working to improve those relationships to better assist residents.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 13-B
March 10, 2025 Page 8 of 10
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS – Continued
B Consideration and possible action to approve and adopt the Bellflower 2025- 2027 Strategic Plan – Continued
For the record, Council Member Sanchez requested to include language relative to strengthening communication and relationships with local community organizations and non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) and religious institutions to Objective 2.7, expressing the opinion that this should be broadly described in order to have more outreach amongst organizations in the community.
Consultant Smith requested and received a consensus from the City Council to add “other service providers” to Objective 2.7.
Goal #3: Continue Investing in a High-Performing and Efficient Team at City Hall
For the record, it was the consensus of the City Council to approve Goal #3 as presented.
Goal #4: Improve Quality of Life & Visual Appeal in the City
For the record, Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines requested to remove “Downtown” from Objective 4.4, expressing the opinion that the language should not be restrictive to only the Downtown area, but instead any area suitable for the purpose described.
In response to Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines’ request to remove “Downtown” from Objective 4.4, Director of Economic Development DellaLonga clarified that the addition of “Downtown” was included with the goal of allowing graduates of the City’s small business entrepreneurial programs to utilize an available space in the highly-populated Downtown area to offer their goods and services, but agreed that widening the scope would be beneficial.
Following brief discussion, Council Member Sanchez requested to add “Measure A” and “other available funds” to Objective 4.6, highlighting that the lack of affordable housing was categorized as a “very serious problem” in the Community Survey Results, further expressing the opinion that the City should utilize Measure A funds and any additional funding available to provide affordable housing to residents in the community.
Consultant Smith requested and received a consensus from the City Council to 1) remove “Downtown” from Objective 4.4; and 2) add “Measure A” and “other available funds” to Objective 4.6.
Goal #5: Strengthen Economic Development
For the record, it was the consensus of the City Council to approve Goal #5 as presented.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 13-B
March 10, 2025 Page 9 of 10
13 CONSIDERATION ITEMS – Continued
B Consideration and possible action to approve and adopt the Bellflower 2025- 2027 Strategic Plan – Continued
Following discussion, it was moved by Council Member Morse, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, and carried by the following roll call vote, to approve and adopt the Bellflower 2025-2027 Strategic Plan, as amended to a) add “other available funding sources” to Objective 1.8; b) add “other service providers” to Objective 2.7; c) remove “Downtown” from Objective 4.4; and d) add “Measure A” and “other available funds” to Objective 4.6 :
AYES: Council Members – Morse, Sanchez, Santa Ines, Koops, and Mayor Dunton
14 CONSENT CALENDAR
For the record, 1) Council Member Koops requested that Item 14-A (Warrant Register) be pulled for questions only; and 2) Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines requested that Item 14-E (Code of Conduct and Rules of Procedure) be pulled for questions only.
With regard to Item 14-A (Warrant Register), at the request of Council Member Koops, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Gorecki 1) clarified that the City has shared intersections with the City of Downey, so the City pays for the traffic signal maintenance of the shared intersections, further noting that the line item in the amount of $15,000 discussed may be for the design of new traffic signals on Foster Road; and 2) explained that the traffic signal on Park Street and Bellflower Boulevard is working; however, a chip component that was recently installed needs to be programmed accordingly.
With regard to Item 14-E (Code of Conduct and Rules of Procedure), at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, 1) City Clerk Ochiqui explained that the Code of Conduct and Rules of Procedure Resolutions were separated, and the Rules of Procedure Resolution updated to combine existing Resolutions into one for better tracking and recordkeeping; and 2) City Manager Smoot confirmed that there were no changes made to the Code of Conduct or Rules of Procedure and any minor changes would be a codification of current procedures.
Following discussion, it was moved by Council Member Koops, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines, 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. 25-091, dated March 10, 2025.
Action: Received and filed Warrant Register No. 25- 091.
B Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of the January 28, 2025, Special Meeting of the City Council.
Action: Approved the January 28, 2025, Special Meeting Minutes.
Bellflower City Council Minutes Item No. 14
March 10, 2025 Page 10 of 10
14 CONSENT CALENDAR – Continued
C Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of the February 10, 2025, Regular Meeting of the City Council.
Action: Approved the February 10, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes.
D Consideration and possible action to ratify Mayor Ray Dunton’s appointment of Mark Tigchelaar to the Public Safety Commission.
Action: Ratified Mayor Ray Dunton’s appointment of Mark Tigchelaar to fill the unexpired term on the Public Safety Commission ending December 2026.
E Consideration and possible action to adopt the following Resolutions:
Resolution No. 25-12 – A Resolution establishing a Code of Conduct in accordance with Government Code § 36813, and superseding Resolution No. 21-55; and
Resolution No. 25-13 – A Resolution establishing Rules of Procedure for conducting City Council meetings in accordance with Government Code § 36813, and superseding Resolution Nos. 05-45, 11-75, 20-13, and 21-55.
Action: Adopted Resolution Nos. 25-12 and 25-13.
15 COUNCIL REPORTS
Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines and Council Member Koops made various comments and reports.
For the record, at the request of Council Member Koops, Mayor Pro Tem Santa Ines stated that he would explain and provide him with the information needed to understand what the Art District proposal is, the location, and what the applicable costs may be.
16 ADJOURNMENT
Without objection, Mayor Dunton adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m. to the next Regular Meeting of the Bellflower City Council at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 2025.
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Ray Dunton, Mayor Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
City of Bellflower Approved: March 24, 2025