Joint Meeting: El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/ February 8, 2022 Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency - 22 - 7:00 p.m.
JOINT MEETING OF THE
EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL/HOUSING
AUTHORITY/SUCCESSOR AGENCY
TO THE EL CAJON
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
MINUTES
CITY OF EL CAJON
EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA
February 8, 2022
An Adjourned Regular Joint Meeting of the El Cajon City Council/Hous ing Authority/ Successor Agency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency, held Tuesday, February 8, 2022, was called to order by Mayor/Chair Bill Wells at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, California. This meeting was adjourne d from the Adjourned Regular Joint Meeting held at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 8 , 2022, by order of the El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency.
R O L L C A L L
Council/Agencymembers present: Goble, Kendrick, and Ortiz Council/Agencymembers absent: None
Deputy Mayor/Vice Chair present: Metschel
Mayor/Chair present: Wells
Other Officers present: Mitchell, City Manager/Executive Director DiMaggio, Assistant City Manager
Foley, City Attorney/General Counsel
Cortez, City Clerk/Secretary
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG led by Mayor Wells and MOMENT OF SILENCE. (The Courts have concluded that sectarian prayer, as part of City Council Meetings, is not permitted under the Constitution).
Joint Meeting: El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/ February 8, 2022 Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency - 23 - 7:00 p.m.
AGENDA CHANGES: None
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
Mayor Wells stated the Item for Interviews for City Commissions would be presented first.
101. Interviews for City Commissions
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council conducts interviews for one (1) seat on the Personnel Commission and one (1) seat on the Planning Commission, and authorizes the City Clerk to continue accepting applications for future commission vacancies.
DISCUSSION
Applicants for the Personnel Commission:
1. Dennis Davies
2. Richard Nasif
Previous to the February 8, 2022 meeting, Mr. Dennis Davies withdrew his application.
MOTION BY GOBLE, SECOND BY KENDRICK, to APPOINT Richard Nasif to the Personnel Commission, with a term to expire on January 31, 2026.
MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
Applicants for the Planning Commission were interviewed in the following order:
1. Brian Griffin
2. Anthony Sottile
Discussion ensued amongst Council regarding the qualifications of each applicant.
MOTION BY ORTIZ, SECOND BY KENDRICK, to RE-APPOINT Anthony Sottile to the Planning Commission, with a term to expire on January 31, 2026.
MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
Joint Meeting: El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/ February 8, 2022 Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency - 24 - 7:00 p.m.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: (Continued)
100. Introduction of an Ordinance adopting a Distri ct Map for Council Member Elections in El Cajon
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
1. Opens the public hearing and receives testimony;
2. Closes the public hearing; and
3. Moves to INTRODUCE the next ORDINANCE, in order.
DISCUSSION
City Manager Mitchell provided detailed information of the Item.
Mayor Wells opened the Public Hearing.
Yasmeen Obeid, Advocacy Coordinator for Majdal Center, spoke in opposition of the adoption of the current district map. Ms. Obeid added that efforts to reach members of the City Council had been unsuccessful.
Conversation ensued amongst Councilmembers, staff and Ms. Obeid in regards to:
Community of interest applying for City Commissions;
Lack of intentional outreach to recruit for the City Commissions; Maps submitted by the group to County of San Diego and State of California; Efforts by the group to oppose the rejection of maps at the County and State levels; and
Lack of compactness in maps 100 and 112.
Jeanine Erikat, representing PANA, stated, for the record, tha t the conversation held with Ms. Obeid showed that there was partisan interest at the County and State levels by the City. She expressed her opposition in the adoption of the current district map.
Mohamed Erekat, representing Majdal Center, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
Ramah Awad, Programs Manager at Majdal Center, stated she and many others from the center were present to urge the City Council not to adopt the current map.
Mumtaz Momand, Deputy Director of Afghan Community Cu lture Center, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
Jalal Alhussain, via Arabic Translator Arabiya Aldhaher, spoke against the adoption of the current district map, and requested help securing housing for him and his family.
Joint Meeting: El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/ February 8, 2022 Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency - 25 - 7:00 p.m.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: (Item 100 – Continued)
Taghreed Shulbak, via Arabic Translator Arabiya Aldhaher, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
Khulil Areigat, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
Asia Areigat, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
Farid Maghmauma, via Arabic Translator Arabiya Aldhaher, spoke against the adoption of the current district map.
MOTION BY WELLS, SECOND BY KENDRICK, to CLOSE the Public Hearing.
MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
Discussion ensued among Council and Staff concerning the following:
Types of Community of interest groups include; schools, language, geography, ethnicity, languages spoken at home, and many more;
Current map is still relevant;
The City’s compliance of the Fair Maps Act requirements; and Definition of compactness and contiguous requirements.
City Manager Mitchell stated that adopting map 112 would bring potential litigation to the City, as it is the definition of gerrymandering.
Councilmember Ortiz shared t hat during the January 22, 2022 Public Hearing, National Demographic Corporation, the company hired by the City to assist in the R e-districting efforts, stated that map 112 did not meet the compactness rules as set by the Fair Maps Act.
MOTION BY ORTIZ, S ECOND BY METSCHEL, to INTRODUCE the
Ordinance.
MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
The City Clerk recited the title of the ordinance for a first reading.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING FOUR COUNCIL
DISTRICTS FOLLOWING THE 2020 DECENNIAL FEDERAL
CENSUS, AND ADOPTING A NEW MAP DESCRIBING THE
BOUNDARIES OF EACH OF THE DISTRICTS
Joint Meeting: El Cajon City Council/Housing Authority/ February 8, 2022 Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency - 26 - 7:00 p.m.
Adjournment: Mayor Wells adjourned the Adjourned Regular Joint Meeting of the El Cajon City Council /Housing Authority/Successor Ag ency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency held this 8th February, 2022, at 8:13 p.m., to Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 3:00 p.m.
______________________
ANGELA L. CORTEZ, CMC
City Clerk/Secretary