City Council/Successor Agency Minutes of 7/26/22 Page 1 of 4 Final Minutes Approved on August 18, 2022
MINUTES
CUDAHY CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING and
CITY OF CUDAHY AS SUCCESSOR AGENCY and
HOUSING SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CUDAHY
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JOINT MEETING
July 26, 2022 6:30 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor / Chair Alcantar called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Council / Agency Member Jack M. Guerrero
Council / Agency Member Blanca Lozoya
Council / Agency Member Daisy Lomelí
Vice Mayor / Vice Chair Jose R. Gonzalez (arrived at 6:37 p.m.) Mayor / Chair Elizabeth Alcantar
ABSENT: Council / Agency Member Blanca Lozoya
ALSO PRESENT: City Manager, Alfonso Noyola, Deputy City Attorney, Susie Altamirano, Assistant City Clerk, Estefania Zamora, Finance Director, Joshua Calhoun, Administrative Services Director, Brenda Rodriguez, and Community Development Director, Juan Arauz.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Damian Martin provided information on his company, addressed Council Member Guerrero’s concern, spoke to discourage the City Council from placing the competing measure on the ballot, pointed out its flaws and ramifications, and mentioned their negotiations with the City Attorney.
Gerardo Hernandez commented on the City's social media accounts not having correct information, on having no social media awareness that the City has done to explain the initiative information, quoted Mayor Alcantar, mentioned a lack of transparency and necessary information regarding the measure, and asked the City to do a better job in proving transparency and information.
Jordan Ferguson commented that he is an attorney representing proponents of the citizen-backed initiative, the collaboration with city constituents people who live in work in the City of Cudahy to design a retail cannabis ordinance that will benefit everyone, thrive in the City, protect, mentioned percentage of residents who signed the petition, explained the difference between both ordinances, the problem of running two initiatives, and urged the Council to work with their constituents.
City Council/Successor Agency Minutes of 7/26/22 Page 2 of 4 Susie commented that proponents of the measure were not clear to Cudahy residents and voters, residents and voters were misinformed and misguided, mentioned the community having no need for dispensaries, spoke against the proponents, and hoped Council could pass an initiative that would protect the community.
Mr. E commented on a previous statement regarding asking for community input, the community not being aware and confused about what is going on, mentioned that this is the first time he heard about two ballot initiatives, gave suggestions on how to inform the community, asked about the impact of the established businesses that deal with manufacturing and the delivery of cannabis goods.
Jack Guerrero commented against the proposed marijuana retail presence in the community, his resentment of what the Los Angeles Times revealed of the marijuana trade, THC content being more significant than ever, stating that marijuana is a gateway drug, overall a terrible example for the young people, tax revenue, concerns of high concentration of dispensaries, disagreed with the efforts to bring this trade into the community and stated he would withdraw from closed session.
4. CLOSED SESSION
A. Closed Session Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) – Conference with Legal Counsel to Discuss Matter Involving Potential Litigation – One Matter
At 7:00 p.m., Deputy City Attorney, Susie Altamirano recessed to closed session.
At 7:49 p.m., Deputy City Attorney, Susie Altamirano reconvened to open session, announced that all members of the Council were present except for Council Member Guerrero and Lozoya, and an update was provided by legal counsel, feedback and questions were presented by City Council and no final action was taken.
Public Comment was reopened by Mayor Alcantar.
Cecilia Barajas commented that she agrees with one of the speakers, Susie, and Council Member Guerrero in regards to what they said, brought up a comment from George Ferguson, mentioned people did not know what they were signing, they were being sweet talked, people in Cudahy not needing this, stating that she is against it and her disappointment against Council Member Guerrero, asked for reconsideration and a way out of it.
Susie de Santiago commented that dispensaries are not wanted in the community's high-density population, their effort to raise families and keep their kids off drugs, the effects of marijuana, alleged the community was deceived by paid canvassers, urged the Council to help the community and protect it.
Gerardo Hernandez asked Council to recognize all community who spoke during public comments about the lack of transparency received from canvassers in regard to the measure, brought up his previous comment about the City's lack of transparency, City Council/Successor Agency Minutes of 7/26/22 Page 3 of 4 mentioned the mispronunciation of a prior speaker of the City name, and the need for the City to provide more awareness.
Jorden Ferguson addressed the inaccuracy that proponents lied or misled the voters, mentioned conducting polling of registered voters in the City, stated that no one was deceived, addressed sensitive receptors, and let the Council know that he is here to answer any questions they may have and the proponents of the initiative have worked collaboratively with the City through the process.
Mr. E commented that he and a few neighbors were approached in regards to the ballot measure, canvassers stating it was on behalf of the City and mentioned that it would be best for the City to introduce their own ballot measure similar to what is in place, providing more transparency, education, and in-person session meetings, for the community to be educated and informed.
5. BUSINESS SESSION
Adoption of Proposed Resolution No. 22-46 (1) Giving Notice of the Submission to the Qualified Voters for the City of Cudahy of Two Separate and Competing Proposed Ordinances Relating to the Authorization and Regulation of Certain Commercial Cannabis Activities in the City of Cudahy; (2) Requesting that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles Grant the City’s Request for Consolidation of said General Municipal Election with the November 8, 2022, Statewide General Municipal Election Administered By the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (“County Clerk”) of the County of Los Angeles; (3) Requesting that the County Clerk Provide Specific Election Administration Services in Connection with the City’s General Municipal Election; and (4) Setting Rules and Deadlines for Arguments and Rebuttals for and Against the Ordinance
Presented by the City Attorney
Recommendation: The City Council is requested to adopt proposed Resolution No. 22- 46 adding both the Cudahy Marijuana Retail Sales Regulation and Taxation Ballot Measure as a citizen’s proposed measure and the Cudahy Cannabis Retail Sales Regulation and Taxation Ballot Measure as proposed by the City Council to the November 8, 2022, City of Cudahy General Municipal Election and setting priorities for filing written arguments and rebuttals regarding the measures.
Motion: Mayor Alcantar motioned to have a community outreach on August 2, 2022, National Night Out, schedule a Special Council Meeting on August 8, 2022, to finalize Council’s decision before the August 12, 2022, deadline, and include the Ad-Hoc Economic Development Committee to be involved in the final conversation, seconded by Vice Mayor Gonzalez. Motion passed 3-0-1 by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Lomelí, Gonzalez, and Alcantar
NOES: None
ABSENT: Lozoya
ABSTAIN: Guerrero
City Council/Successor Agency Minutes of 7/26/22 Page 4 of 4
6. ADJOURNMENT
Council Member Lomelí motioned to adjourn the City Council / Agency meeting at 8:57 p.m., seconded by Vice Mayor Gonzalez. Motion passed 3-0-2 by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Lomelí, Gonzalez, and Alcantar
NOES: None
ABSENT: Lozoya and Guerrero
ABSTAIN: None
Elizabeth Alcantar
Mayor
ATTEST:
Richard Iglesias
City Clerk