MINUTES
CITY OF DELANO
CITY COUNCIL – REGULAR MEETING
November 4, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Alindajao called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1015 – 11th Avenue.
INVOCATION
Pastor David Vivas offered the invocation.
FLAG SALUTE
Councilmember Solorio-Ruiz led the flag salute.
ROLL CALL
Council members present: Mayor Joe Alindajao, Mayor Pro Tem Morris, Councilmember Nunez, Councilmember Solorio-Ruiz
Council members absent: Councilmember Vasquez.
OFFICIALS PRESENT
City Manager Reyna, City Clerk Chavez, City Attorney Hensley, City Engineer Dowling, Police Chief Nicholson, Finance Director Rios, Human Resources Director Zamudio, Interim Community Development Director Evanson, Fire Chief Duncan and IT Manager Enriquez
PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS
No items.
ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC
1. Roberto Ibarra – “I'd like to know is there a limit on the STRR, which is the trash collectors. Is there a limit to which they can increase their fees or when they are allowed to increase their fees? I mean, do I have to ask you for the commission allowed or what is it about? Because I mean is the way it is, is like everybody's throwing fees everywhere. We paying water insurance for property insurance, taxes. Everybody is throwing things at us as the consumer. So I like to know if you have a way in which they can be allowed to increase their fees.”
CONSENT AGENDA
1) Authorization to waive the reading of any ordinance in its entirety and consenting to the reading of such ordinances by title only
2) Warrant Register in the amount of $2,668,477.12
3) Award of the “2024 Finance Work Stations Project” contract to Sierra School Equipment Company for $165,498.91 and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to sign any documents needed to carry out this project (Agreement No. 2024-56) 4) Approval of Resolution establishing a Student Loading and Unloading Zone during certain hours in front of the preschool located at 1619 Main Street, per City Code Section 10.12.080 (Resolution No. 2024-50)
5) Resolution authorizing staff to file a claim for Transportation Development Funds from Kern Council of Governments for streets and roads purposes and revising the current budget (Resolution No. 2024-51)
6) Award of the “2024 WWTP Aerator #2 Gearbox Purchase” to the Laron Company for $112,000.00 and authorize the City Manager or her designee to sign all documents needed to carry out this transaction
7) Acceptance of the 2024 Cecil Ave Storm Drain Improvement Project and authorizing the filing of the Notice of Completion
8) Approval of Professional Services Agreement with Dee Jasper & Associates, Inc., for the Civil Engineering design of the “2024 Fremont & 13th-14th & SR 99 Water Line Replacement Project” for $69,926.00 and authorization for the City Manager or her designee to sign any documents needed (Agreement No. 2024-57)
9) Approval of Contract Change Orders 1, 2, and 3 for Installation of additional Shade Structures by USA Shade and Fabric Structures at the Aquatic Center in the amount of $40,999.00 and authorization for the City Manager, or her designee, to sign said change orders and any other documents needed to complete the project. (Agreement No. 2024-58a) (Agreement No. 2024- 58b) (Agreement No. 2024-58c)
10) A Resolution Finding that a Local Emergency Has Existed Within the City, Authorizing Contracting Without the Need for Bidding Pursuant to Public Contracts Code § 22050, and Awarding the Project to JM Pipeline Construction, Inc. for $250,000.00, and Associated Actions (Resolution No. 2024-52) (Agreement No. 2024-59)
11) Approval of Professional Services Agreement with Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group to provide engineering design services in the amount of $120,000.00 for the “SB-1 No. 8 Local Streets and Roads Resurfacing, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Project” for various Alleys in Delano and Authorization for the City Manager, or here designee, to execute the agreement and any other documents needed to complete this work (Agreement No. 2024-60) 12) Approval of agreement with SAFE MOVES for $75,000.00 to provide Safe Routes to School Traffic Safety Education and Public Outreach services for the ATP-5 SRTS Intersection Enhancement Non-Infrastructure Project, ATPL-5227(069), at various schools in Delano and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to sign any documents needed to carry this project to completion (Agreement No. 2024-61)
13) Approval of professional services agreement with Peters Engineering Group, Inc. for $120,000.00 to provide design services for the construction of traffic signals at the intersections of Cecil Ave. &Vassar St., and Cecil Ave. & Browning Rd., and authorization for the City Manager, or her designee, to sign the agreement (Agreement No. 2024-62) 14) Approval of Landscape Maintenance Agreement with the State Department of Transportation for the Clean CA Project Area located on SR 155 and Authorization for the City Manager to sign the same to allow for the maintenance of the subject right of way once construction is completed (Agreement No. 2024-63)
15) Approval of Agreement with SAFE MOVES for $75,000.00 to provide Safe Routes to School Traffic Safety Education and Public Outreach services for the ATP-5 Bike Lane and Sidewalk Gap Closure Improvement Non-Infrastructure Project, ATPL-5227(067), at various schools in Delano and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to sign any documents needed to carry this project to completion (Agreement No. 2024-64)
16) Second and final reading of an ordinance of the City of Delano amending Section 20.14.35 (Signs with changeable copy) of the Delano Municipal Code. The proposed Zoning Text Amendment would allow (i) electronic and mechanical signs that have changeable copy and is located within the Downtown Commercial (DC) District along High Street between 9th and 13th; (ii) would be subject to administrative approval from the Community Development Director through the Sign Program process. (Ordinance No. 2024-1353)
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Determination The proposed Zoning Text Amendment is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed amendments may have a significant effect on the environment. In addition, the proposed Zone Text Amendment is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Title 14, Section 15273(a) of the California Code of Regulations.
17) Approve Resolution Approving Destruction of Public Records as listed in Exhibit “A” (Resolution No. 2024-53)
Motion was made by: Solorio – Ruiz to approve item no. 1-12, 14-17 on consent items; 2nd by: Nunez
Vote: 4-0
Ayes: Alindajao/Morris/Nunez/Solorio – Ruiz
Nays: None
Absent: Vasquez
Abstentions: None
Item #13 pulled by: Vice Mayor Morris
Reason: Concerns regarding progress on signal lights here in town.
Staff Report provided by: Public Works Director/City Engineer Dowling Motion was made by: Solorio – Ruiz to approve item no. 13 on consent items; 2nd by: Nunez
Vote: 4-0
Ayes: Alindajao/Morris/Nunez/Solorio – Ruiz
Nays: None
Absent: Vasquez
Abstentions: None
PUBLIC HEARINGS
No Items.
REGULAR AGENDA
18) Consideration and introduction of ordinance regulating encampments on public property Staff Report provided by Interim Community Development Director Evanson.
Mayor Alindajao opens public comment.
No public comment.
Mayor Alindajao closes public comment.
Nunez: “I'm the one who brought this up. We've been, as we know, we've been having a lot of unhoused people coming into our city and the number has been growing here drastically, probably within the last three to five years.
One of the issues we're seeing now is they're starting to camp out everywhere. I know Governor Newsom passed the new state ordinance and we're starting to see a lot of it. Caltrans is coming down with CHP into Delano and they're clearing out our freeways along the freeways, but all they're doing is they're moving them into Delano. And then at one point we did have a community-orientated policing officer with code enforcement, and we're trying to help and place him along with flood ministries and all we're doing is moving them from spot to spot. I think we need to mirror our ordinance to where we can empower some of our business owners. I know the police department has forms that we have used in the past for business owners to sign no trespassing letters by the property owners dealing with the shopping carts. Shopping carts are a big problem. We're starting to see the shopping carts with their property stacked up sitting at intersections during the day. I believe that our language needs to match what the governor is proposing. It should match it with some other stuff, again, with how to get the property owners to sign these trespassing orders. Also incorporate into the city ordinance, which we already have through the railroad company to where we can also help enforce along the railroads. There are also some issues with these shopping carts. Some of the ordinances should have it. I know we have a shopping cart ordinance, but in the ordinance, it doesn't require them to consistently or businesses to consistently pick up shopping carts. All they have to do is contact a shopping cart company. They get the shopping carts picked up and the current company that I was dealing with probably about a year and a half ago, they only come to Delano maybe once or twice a month. And they're only here if somebody calls and complains about a shopping cart. My neighborhood constantly has shopping carts all the time. I know AMPM on Cecil and Ellington on the back half of that at any given time, there's probably anywhere between 3 to 10 shopping carts with different person's properties and we're starting to turn into an encampment back there. We need to be able to empower our property owners so they can get these trespassing orders and get these people, these people to get them to the right place. If they need shelter or something, we can move them where they need to be or help them. There are also going to be the ones that don't want help. There's a lot of them out there that don't want help. There's a lot of them that have good pain in retirement and medical and they refuse to be part of anything and they're okay being on the streets. But if they're going to be on their streets and that's their choice and that's okay, but they need to understand they cannot just be camping out in front of people's businesses or defecating or urinating on people's doorways. That's starting to happen right now with the city coming up pretty close here to building our navigation center and shelter. The numbers are just going to grow, but we also have to control it through where once they get out of the shelter, they're not just parking anywhere and having shopping carts everywhere on all their property. I believe it’s really important that we mirror our city ordinance to match what the state requires.” Solorio-Ruiz: “As I've always mentioned, our houseless homeless issue, I think we have to look at it of course two lenses, the lens of making sure that we do it in a humane way where we can make sure that folks who are houseless do get help, but also making sure that we abide by public safety and make sure that our community is safe. When it comes to the governor's orders, as we often see with different policies, oftentimes it's just the state throws policies and it doesn't tell us or dictate how to enforce them. One question I have is exactly what the main component would be here in this ordinance or in the ordinance that's already in place if the enforcement component is not drastically changed.”
Hensley: “The city currently has on its books an anti-camping kind of anti-loitering if you will, on the sidewalks and rights-of-way. That language could be used with a little tweaking, but it generally hits the right cord as far as being able to move and take encampments off of those areas. We need to do something with the parks and work with staff, but we can come back to the council quickly with that part of it. I think one of the keys that came out of the US Supreme Court this year was that they overturned a couple of cases out of Boise, Idaho where the ninth circuit had held that you could not force the homeless houseless into shelters and now you can if there's one available. So you can, and the other thing is you can prohibit the encampment. So at least the law now allows for these things to happen. The issue going to become when you move them as the council's pointing out is you can move them and you can just move them around, which may not solve the problem. It may get rid of the encampment temporarily, but if there's no shelter for them, you're just moving them around constantly. I think that that's probably a big part of the equation at some point. The city can, we can increase the city's, amend the city's ordinances, take care of those issues, give the city the ability to clean up the encampments, get the ability to keep them out of the parks at night, and keep them off the sidewalks and do that. The other part of it again, is there going to be a place for them to stay?”
Solorio-Ruiz: “Of course, as council member Nunez has mentioned, we're in the process of building our own and that's going to be 24 hours. The reality is right now, flood ministries that's doing it right now is not 24 hours. So it states here, whenever feasible, provide a site assessment to determine whether an encampment presents in minimum threat to life, health, safety or infrastructure. What does that assessment site assessment look like?” Hensley: “Well, you're looking at generally, so the point of this is people are considered, they have property there and the law does require some due process with that property. And the police departments are, they're versed on that. But if you're talking there's open bodily fluids, urine, those kinds of things, or there are fire hazards, those kinds of things, they can move in quickly and clean it up. If those things aren't present, then they have to give them a little more notice and you have to go in and assess what they have as far as their belongings. Is it something that you're going to have to do, is it truly just something that can be thrown away or is it something that has value to them? Those kinds of things. Again, the PD is trained in looking at those things and what you have before you is just sort of that processes, how quickly is the city able to act on those encampments.”
Solorio-Ruiz: “It states here as well that agencies are ordered to include requirements and their policies which require them to contact service providers to request their assistance for providing resources. So basically, what I'm understanding is that we're going to work with those agencies similar to flood to make sure that before we remove them, we are providing them with the resources to get help.” Hensley: “Well, yes, that's part of the process again, which again, with the Supreme Court stepping in, you now have the ability to force them to go to shelters if you can find the available shelters. So you need to contact and be in touch with them. And I think most agencies are using the county health departments, the extent they're available and have services and you're trying to plug these people into a lot of different potential opportunities to get them help. And part of it is will they take the help and is the help available.
To deal with, be more specific about, I think the sidewalks issue is pretty well addressed in the city's current ordinances. Probably make a little change to those, but then address the issue in the parks as well, which you're really talking about. The nighttime people are allowed to sleep in the parks, lay in the parks during the day. It's something people do, but at nighttime when the parks are closed, you can get people out of there, plus you can regulate if someone's doing things that aren't otherwise lawful, you can regulate that.”
Solorio-Ruiz: “Well I'm interested in how the ordinance looks.” Nunez: “We currently do have a park ordinance where after 10:00 PM you're not allowed to be on the parks. It was just a safety issue. I know the city currently has lights that come on and stay on all night long just as a safety issue. We had a homicide there, plus we've had tagging issues and a lot of theft in our parks, so that was already initiated. Currently when the Cal Trans does come out or when the police department is moving people around, they are coming around with flood ministries or other agencies to try to get the help. Some of these people already have housing vouchers, but they refuse to go to that housing voucher, not where they want to go. They're looking for a better location than what they're being offered. That's making it hard.”
Hensley: “Again, some of their rights have been taken or been changed in that regard that they do not necessarily have to be voluntary. Now that gets problematic for other reasons, but the Supreme Court did say that if there's housing available and so long as there's not, restrictions aren't too severe as far as what their living requirements are, then they can be forced to go into housing.” Morris: “I just have a question. I was at the ribbon cutting this morning for Garden Pathways and I was talking to Ms. Gary who apparently is in charge of navigation for the homeless and she says Governor Newsom had passed a new law, only giving them four hours to move their encampment. Is there something new that has been passed that says that they had to?”
Hensley: “The governor's issued an order and his orders and what he's doing has to do with state property.
He's encouraging others that he doesn't have jurisdiction over directly such as cities to pass ordinances and laws that deal with encampments in cities and counties. But the governor's taken a strong stance on state property and moving the encampments out pretty quickly. A very recent development.” Alindajao: “This is of course an ongoing issue that's been trending up in our community and across the state of California in terms of homeless individuals. But I think it's an issue that we have to approach with compassion and also compliance because it does have an impact on businesses, has an impact on public safety and it has an impact on the greater community if we don't set some ground rules, so to speak, in terms of homelessness and encampments and whatnot. But what I do like about the governor's orders, or at least one aspect of them is that it does come with some sort of safety mechanisms for personal property. What are those, Mark? Can you explain those?” Hensley: “Well actually some of that existed even before his order is that again, they have to go out and assess the property that's there, is there any value to it, whether it's personal value, pictures, those kinds of things, or something of actual tangible value that you can't throw a person's property away, the police might have to inventory it or working with whatever agency take an inventory. They usually take pictures of it to prove what is there. If it is objectively trashed, they can throw it away. And that's part of the process is again, people have rights so make sure that you don't throw away their property that may have either personal or objective value to it.” Alindajao: “What's different between the state of the law before the governor's order and now it's just that we can now actively remove items that are involved in encampments. Is that accurate?” Hensley: “Yes. There's more under, with the Supreme Court's ruling and what's going on in the state, there's more authority to go in and clean out the encampments.” Nunez: “One of the things that if we can incorporate into this, our city ordinance is not put the burden onto a police department, but have it part of code enforcement with the assistance of the police department and to have it stored out at the corporation yards where it's a lot bigger area and we can potentially build some cages or some coverings that would protect their property, not necessarily have to be inside of a building, but if we take property from person number one, we can store it at the corporation yard and have locked cages to where we can roll their cart or their property in there. Mind you, if it's on a cart, then we're going to be taking their property off the cart, put it into this cage and giving that cart back to the business owners. But we can store it at the corporation yard and they would have to make an appointment. There is a state law where how long the property has to be held, and I believe it's 30 days. And when that property gets taken to be stored, they were handed paperwork that day that this is your 30 days after 30 days. If you don't pick up your property then it will be disposed of.” Alindajao: “I was having conversations with different individuals throughout the community and they asked me what's the greatest challenge that we face in the city. And I think one of my answers was that the city has to grow in a healthy way and being able to do that is making sure that we set the ground rules and have a plan for this growing trend of homelessness and encampment. So it's very important that we lay the groundwork. So I'm glad that council member Nunez brought this forward. A couple of questions. Mark, you said that, I wasn't sure, you said that we have to move these individuals, if we give them certain notice, move these individuals, is the burden on the government to move them and place them somewhere or only to tell them to leave from a particular area?” Hensley: “You could go in and clean up their belongings in the encampments. I mean forcing them to leave. Now if they're breaking some law like they're in the parks after the parks are closed, then they can be moved out of the parks or arrested potentially for being in the parks after dark if they're on the sidewalk in a way that they're blocking the sidewalks and you can physically remove them and under with the way the law is now, if there is a shelter available, you can force them for the evening to go into that shelter if there's something available. But the burden's not on either police or code enforcement to take them there? Well, it kind of is really. I mean because they're not going to get there otherwise. Okay. I mean this thing practically most of the burden falls back on the government. Now, private property owners are a big part of the solution because if they're on private property, we really need the private property owner to complain about them being there that they're trespassing. So private property owners play a role in this, but I mean mainly most of the burden does fall on government. And then the other people that are, the partners are out there that are helping with the housing or the services. They're part of the solution too.” Alindajao: “What does that look like in terms of if we're required under the new law or we adopt the governor's order orders, what does that look like in terms of notifying them of services if you're going to move them or force them to move? Does that mean a flyer we hand them numbers to contact? What does that look like?”
Hensley: “Generally it's communication. Just verbally. You have trained either, whether it's code enforcement, the police department or the individuals working with them, they're trained to interact with these people and how to communicate. Handing them a piece of paper is not necessarily going to be very helpful, but it's a lot. It's usually having pretty well trained or very well trained people that interact with homeless people on a regular basis and knowing how to deal with it.” Alindajao: “Item 18 says consideration and introduction of ordinance. So do we have a draft ordinance now or is it something we're still working on?”
Hensley: “Something we can have back to you in the next meeting or two, but it was to get the approval to move forward to bring it back to you very well and to get some input as far as what you wanted to see.” Alindajao: “I think you mentioned it earlier, but I think addressing the parks I think might have been something we didn't consider before, but that we should consider in terms of encampments. So I'd like to see that as part of the draft ordinance. Anything else that the council thinks wise would be to add?” Solorio-Ruiz: “I like what Councilman Nunez mentioned about perhaps bringing in code enforcement and working in collaboration with the officers, not necessarily just one over the other. They currently are or were doing that at one point.”
Alindajao: “But that'd be an administrative thing, right, Mark, that's nothing to do with the ordinance.
Would that not be included in the ordinance?”
Hensley: “Well, I'll work with the police department and code enforcement about the language it goes in.
But I mean it does come down to administrative as far as what, who's going to be doing what, and the police department in some events or some circumstances really does need to be involved. But part of that comes down to resources too and what priorities there are at that moment. I mean, homeless encampment might not be the biggest priority at certain times. That doesn't mean that they're not priorities during the day sometimes, but other things are going on.”
Motion was made by: Solorio – Ruiz to bring back a draft ordinance for regulating encampments on public property and parks on the first meeting in December;
2nd by: Nunez
Vote: 4-0
Ayes: Alindajao/Morris/Nunez/Solorio – Ruiz
Nays: None
Absent: Vasquez
Abstentions: None
19) Introduction and first reading regarding an ordinance of the City of Delano amending chapter
10.24.095 Parade routes established for certain organizations (Item Tabled) Motion was made by: Alindajao to table item 19;
2nd by: Solorio – Ruiz
Vote: 4-0
Ayes: Alindajao/Morris/Nunez/Solorio – Ruiz
Nays: None
Absent: Vasquez
Abstentions: None
20) Accepting the 2045 General Plan Background Report Draft and 2045 General Plan Policy Document
Staff Report provided by Interim Community Development Director Evanson and QK, Inc. Consultant Steve Brandt.
Motion was made by: Solorio – Ruiz to adopt item 20;
2nd by: Nunez
Vote: 4-0
Ayes: Alindajao/Morris/Nunez/Solorio – Ruiz
Nays: None
Absent: Vasquez
Abstentions: None
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
• Efforts on Police Department Recruitment (Human Resources Department) • Delano Police Department year-to-date crime stats
COUNCIL STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
Council member Vasquez – Absent.
Council member Solorio-Ruiz – “I know of course we weren't here because the city was closed, but of course happy late Larry Itliong day. I know that staff had that day off and it was of course in remembrance of the historical large leader that we have here in the City of Delano, which is Larry Itliong. So great for that. Of course, I was going to touch on that. I attended the trunk or treat. It was a huge event. Of course, kudos to our Delano Police Department or chief and I think ultimately when we hear the stats that he explained earlier and all the community events that he does, whether it's the block parties or the trunk or treats, in my opinion, that is crime prevention because we are making an area of town not only of course filled with our officers, but also bringing in community and making sure that we are building community and capacity, which is important. I wasn't able to attend the Veterans Day parade, but of course, I did catch it live on Facebook. Of course, kudos to the Veterans Day Committee as well as Mayor Alindajao for their efforts on that big deal. I also of course stopped by at the Dia De Los Muertos Day at the cemetery. So kudos to the cemetery on always figuring things out to make sure it works for the community and make sure it's a beautiful time that folks can go with their loved ones during that time. Of course, tomorrow is voting day, so hopefully folks get out and vote in terms of making sure that there are a lot of races, whether it's Presidential Congress, you name it, local races, every race is important, so hopefully folks go out and exercise their right to vote. It's important. Other than that, that's it.” Councilmember Nunez – “Since Chief Nicholson brought up the truck or treat. It was very successful. I actually came out early with my grandkids and we cheated. We started 15 minutes early and it was, I am glad I started 15 minutes early because that place was packed. I know you're having your meetings already, but we might have to extend maybe one or two more blocks. It was packed. Packed and it was beautiful. The biggest thing that I saw myself and people were commenting on that anywhere you walk there, a police officer was standing there saying hi or talking to people and they felt safe to be out there. Didn't have to worry about anybody coming in or even vehicles trying to get into the area because they even used barricades, cement, and barricades to keep people human driving through the crowd, which was great, great kudos. That's again, thank all the police officers. They were all over the place and were happy. They were smiling kids, they were really interacting with everybody. That was nice to see. On a second thing, I'd like to see if we can get code enforcement out in the streets. I know we passed a few months ago, a city ordinance updating our street vendors and our sidewalk vendors and we did name some areas that were of concern throughout the city. This weekend with Dia De Los Muertos, a couple of the intersections continue to and still have vendors that are setting up on those areas that we have restricted for them to set on mainly around the cemetery and on Garces and High Street, there was every bit of about 15 vendors at that intersection in that corner. I think we need to look and pre-plan at events that are coming up to make sure that we're out there and we're taking care of that and enforcing that. Again, anytime during the week you go to those areas and there's one or two vendors that are still sitting there and we have a city ordinance that we have enacted that needs to be enforced. That's what code enforcement is for; to go enforce those and educate these people and it seems to be the same ones over and over and over again. Other than that, I have nothing else.” Mayor Pro-Tem Morris – “Yeah, first of all, I want to thank the Chief for his report and it's good to see us in the green mostly. So we're doing good. It looks like we're in good hands anyway but thank your officers chief for a job well done. First of all, I want to welcome Mr. Chavez as the new city clerk or back in that position again. It's good to see you there, Ricardo. Also, I went to a ribbon cutting this morning for Garden Pathways. I know the city has been working with Garden Pathways now for a while, but now they have their own office here in town. It's good to have those resources in our community for anyone who wants to make a change in their life or mentoring, whether it be the children youth or adults, or anyone who wants to make those changes in their lives. So it's good to have them there. Again, want to congratulate the chief on the Halloween trunk or treat, and that was successful. I think everyone had a good time. I always tell everybody, to go out there, your kids are safe out there. They don't have to be crossing the street and watching out for the traffic because on Halloween Day as you see out there, I know where I live, kids are still out trick and treating at eight or nine o'clock at night, crossing streets and everywhere. This is the safest place that they can go treat because you don't have to take them out the next day. So it's good to see that. I just want to wish luck to all the candidates who are running tomorrow. My best wishes for all of you and good luck.
That's all I have.”
Mayor Alindajao – “I attended the Veteran's Day Parade last Saturday. Anybody else go? It was a great parade. I saw our band teacher from Cecil Avenue Junior High. Our band did a fantastic job, I think two additional junior high bands attended and it was just a great event thanks to the fire department and Chief Mason there. They always do a good job. That flag always invokes a certain emotion out of the crowd. I think it's so, I guess emotional to see that large American flag hanging over on Main and 11th. I was especially excited for our Grand Marshall this year, which was Benny Alcala Jr. He was well deserving of our Honor this year. We had a Veteran's Day breakfast on Saturday morning with a lot of veterans, Valerie Alcala, which is Benny's wife. She spoke for a few minutes. We had also the honor and the privilege to have Congressman Valadao show up and make a presentation or give a presentation for Valerie and her family. So it's just an overall great time. It's always great to see all the veterans out there in their uniforms and it was just a great event. Congratulations Chief and to all your sponsors and partners who put on that trunk or treat. I saw you out there. We were talking. Yeah. I've never seen so many people in one place in my entire life. It's so many people. I think the line to get in at some point was about a block and a half long, so it was a great event. I also liked the way you guys did the food court, and food truck area. There are some great vendors out there who serve some great food. Let's see. Congratulations to Garden Pathways if you're listening.
We've been working on that project for a number of years. I'm glad to see them now with the storefront and almost fully staffed. But they're providing important services for our community and helping on the community side to address some of the issues that are raised by crime in the city. Congratulations, chief. Thank you. Those are great numbers. Nothing is more important to a community, especially a growing community, than for it to be safe, and for citizens to feel safe. We're never going to get rid of crime, but we can control it to the extent that we can. I think the chief and the department are doing a fantastic job. So keep up the good work.”
CLOSED SESSION
No items.
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Solorio – Ruiz seconded by Nunez and unanimously carried 4-0 to adjourn the meeting at 7:08 PM _____________________________________________
Ricardo G. Chavez, City Clerk