1 MINUTES
Regular Meeting Notice of the
Gardena City Council
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
The Regular Meeting Notice and Agenda of the Gardena City Council of the City of Gardena, California, was called to order at 7:18 PM on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, in the Council Chamber at City Hall 1700 West 162 nd Street, Gardena, California; Mayor Tasha Cerda presiding.
1. ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Tasha Cerda; Mayor Pro Tem Mark E. Henderson; Council Member Rodney G. Tanaka; Council Member Paulette C. Francis and Council Member Wanda Love; Other City Officials and Employees present: City Manager Clint Osorio; City Attorney Carmen Vasquez; City Treasurer Guy H. Mato ; City Clerk Mina Semenza; and Deputy City Clerk Becky Romero.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION - None
2. CLOSED SESSION
2.A CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL -EXISTING LITIGATION Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
Brian Park vs City of Gardena WCAB NO.: ADJ1460951
2.B CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL -EXISTING LITIGATION Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
Juan Bareno vs City of Gardena WCAB NO.: ADJ14862884
2.C CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL -EXISTING LITIGATION Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
David Brock vs City of Gardena WCAB NO.: ADJ17330020
2.D CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS Government Code Section 54956.8
Property: 15106 Nader Place/15106 Daphne Ave, Gardena, CA; APN: 4064- 023- 024
Agency Negotiator: Clint Osorio, City Manager and Greg S. Tsujiuchi, Director of Community Development
Negotiating Parties: Saturo Toga, Eiko Onagi and Bryant Hoover, Thompson Team Real Estate.
Under Negotiation: Price and Terms of Payment
Director of Administrative Services, Raymond Beeman, was present for Closed Session Items 2.A through 2.C.
Director of Community Development, Greg S. Tsujiuchi , and Economic Development Manager, Jackie Choi were present for Closed Session Item 2.D.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 2 CITY ATTORNEY REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Cerda reconvened the meeting to the Regular Open Session at 8:00 p.m., and the City Clerk noted the return of all Council Members, who were present at the meeting. When City Attorney Vasquez was asked if there was any reportable action from Closed Session, she stated the City Council met with regards to close d session Items 2.A through 2.D, staff was provided with direction, however , no reportable action was taken.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Somer Thompson and Dillon Fletcher led the Pledge of Allegiance. Somer is in the 5 th grade, Dillon is in the 3rd grade, and both attend Gardena Christian Academy and Pre- school. They both enjoy Math and are straight -A students. They both introduced their family members who were present.
4. INVOCATION
J. Mark Schwanz of Church of the Servant King, gave the Invocation.
5. PRESENTATIONS
5.A Boards & Commissions Presentation – GEBAC Chairman, Steve Rogers led the presentation and provided updates.
Mayor Cerda thanked Mr. Rogers for the presentation and the entire group for doing a great job.
5.B Gardena Events Video Presentation
6. PROCLAMATIONS
6.A "Gardena Red Ribbon Week," October 23 through October 31, 2023 – was accepted by Traci Saruwatari and Melissa Loza.
6.B Lights on Afterschool - October 26, 2023 – was a ccepted by Diana Medel the Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club of Carson. Ms.
Medel introduced CEO, Kim Richards , she thanked all Members of the Council for celebrating Lights on Afterschool.
7. APPOINTMENTS
7.A Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District Board of Trustees Appointment
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
Council Member Francis stated that she had the pleasure of serving since 2021 and it has been a very interesting opportunity, learning all about mosquitos and other things, and was thankful for the opportunity.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 3 Mayor Cerda made a motion to Re- Appoint Council Member Francis as a Member of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District Board of Trustees for a Two-Year Term – Council Member Tanaka seconded it.
It was moved by Mayor Cerda, seconded by Council Member Tanaka , and carried by the following roll call vote to Re -appoint Council Member Francis to serve as representative of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District Board of Trustees for a full 2-year Term:
Ayes: Mayor Cerda, Council Member Tanaka, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, and Council Members Francis and Love
Noes: None
Absent: None
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
8.A Waiver of Reading in Full of All Ordinances Listed on this Agenda and that they be Read by Title Only
CONTACT: CITY CLERK
8.B Approve Minutes:
Regular Meeting of the City Council, October 10, 2023
CONTACT: CITY CLERK
8.C Approval of Warrants/Payroll Register, October 24, 2023 CONTACT: CITY TREASURER
October 24, 2023: Wire Transfer: 12560 -12566; Check Numbers: 173 725-173887 for a total Warrants issued in the amount of $2,384,678.04; Total Payroll Issued for October 20, 2023: $2,330,705.17.
8.D Monthly Investment Portfolio, September 2023
CONTACT: CITY TREASURER
8.E Personnel Report P-2023-17 10-24-23
CONTACT: HUMAN RESOURCES
8.F Authorize Agreements between South Bay Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (SBWIB, Inc.) on behalf of the City of Inglewood, and the City of Gardena through June 30, 2024. Authorize the agreement between the Workforce Development Aging and Community Services and the City of Gardena run by the SBWIB, Inc., for the period ending June 30, 2027.
CONTACT: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
8.G Second Reading and Adoption of ORDINANCE NO. 1856, Amending Chapters
18.04 and 18.13 of the Gardena Municipal Code relating to Accessory Dwelling Units and making a determination that the Ordinance is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.17.
CONTACT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 4 ORDINANCE NO. 1856
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTERS 18.04 AND
18.13 OF THE GARDENA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND MAKING A
DETERMINATION THAT THE ORDINANCE IS EXEMPT FROM
CEQA PURSUANT TO PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE SECTION
21080.17
It was moved by Council Member Tanaka, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, and carried by the following roll call vote to Approve the Consent Calendar with the exceptions of Items 8.B and 8.E:
Ayes: Council Member Tanaka, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Council Members Francis and Love, and Mayor Cerda
Noes: None
Absent: None
9. EXCLUDED CONSENT CALENDAR
8.B CITY CLERK - Approve Minutes: Regular Meeting of the City Council, October 10, 2023 – was pulled by Mayor Cerda
Mayor Cerda stated that there was a typo in the Minutes for October 10, 2023, regarding the co-hosting item. She asked for the motion to read: All flyers must list the name City of Gardena.
Council Member Love added that there is another correction that needs to be made to page six (6). It was mentioned that there was a discussion, and all Council Members were in agreement. She stated that she was not in agreement with any of it.
Mayor Cerda stated that no vote will be taken on this item, and it will come back at the next Council Meeting.
8.E HUMAN RESOURCES - Personnel Report P-2023-17 10-24-23 – was pulled by Mayor Pro Tem Henderson
Mayor Pro Tem Henderson asked City Manager Osorio about the following: the vacant positions do we have a day counter of how long the positions have been open or vacant; other than our website and public sector periodicals where else do we advertise, other than Gardena Valley News? He suggested that we look into advertising in other smaller newspapers within LA County in order to get a broader reach of people who can be potentially interested in some of our positions.
City Manager Osorio explained the recruiting process and answered all questions.
Questions and comments were made by Council Member Love about TSC Workers, the SBWIB Program and possibly start using employment agencies to hire employees. City Manager Osorio replied to all questions.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 5 It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, seconded by Council Member Love, and carried by the following roll call vote to Approve Item 8.E:
Ayes: Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Council Members Love , Tanaka and Francis, and Mayor Cerda
Noes: None
Absent: None
10. PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMISSION ACTION SHEET
10.A October 17, 2023 - Meeting Cancelled
11. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - LISTEN
1) Barbara Phillips , expressed her concerns about an individual’s behavior at the last Council Meeting and spoke on the divisiveness of the Council Members. 2) A ndrea Simental, Interim Community Manager for the Mayme Dear Library; she came to announce library events for the Gardena Mayme Dear and the Masao W. Sato Libraries.
3) R
oslyn Washington, asked for the City Council and City Manager's assistance with adding stop signs on the corners of 134 th Place, between Manhattan Place and Wilton Place. She also asked about amending the Animal Ordinance so that dogs can be walked freely in the parks. Mayor Cerda asked Ms. Washington to speak to the Chief of Police regarding the stop sign.
4) M ichael and Marilee Jackson, spoke on the existing Ordinance that restricts dogs from walking in Rowley Park and his encounter with a Gardena Police Officer . He talked about how the ordinance is out-of-date since the time it was enacted. He shared part of his life experience as a pet owner in the City of Gardena. He asked that the City Council take some consideration in this matter and allow for changes to be made.
Mayor Cerda informed M r. Jackson that his timing was perfect because the city is in the middle of a Master Plan Workshop, which is this coming Thursday, this is the opportunity to talk about some changes because we are talking about the planning for the next 30 to 50 years of what we would like our parks to look like. The Mayor asked Mr. Jackson to speak to the Chief of Police regarding the officer.
5) Brandon Smith, had comments about the GEBAC presentation, specifically regarding the lack of parking that was brought up by the business owners on Gardena Boulevard.
He stated that there is no safe biking infrastructure in Gardena and that the focus should be shifted to getting people to Gardena Boulevard.
Mayor Cerda informed Mr. Smith that if he is not able to make it to the meeting, he can scan the flyer and submit his comments.
12. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS - ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
12.A Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Authorization to Order (ATO) forms with the California Network and Telecommunications (CALNET) Program Cellular and Data Services through June 30, 2025
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 6 Mayor Cerda asked if anyone asked to speak on this item and if the Council had any comments or questions. There were no public speakers.
Questions and comments were made by Council Member Francis ; she had questions regarding what this program does ; and if AT&T is the only carrier that works with this particular program. City Manager Osorio answered all questions.
It was moved by Council Member Francis, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, and carried by the following roll call vote to Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the ATO forms:
Ayes: Council Member Francis, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Council Members Tanaka and Love, and Mayor Cerda
Noes: None
Absent: None
13. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
13.A Discussion on Eligible CDBG Funded Activities
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
Director of Community Development, Greg S. Tsujiuchi and CDBG Consultant, Esther Luis led the presentation, and they were both available for any questions.
Questions and comments were made by Council Member Francis asked about the moderate- income guidelines, moderate low -income areas in the city , and about the Chase building on Rosecrans being in a low disadvantage community .
Director Tsujiuchi and Ms. Luis answered all questions.
This Item Required No Action by City Council
13.B Consideration of the Gardena Economic Business Advisory Commission (GEBAC)’s recommendations on the use of grant funds for the revitalization of Gardena Boulevard.
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
Mayor Cerda asked if anyone asked to speak on this item and if the Council had any comments or questions. There were no public speakers.
There was a discussion about the recommendations GEBAC made to the City Council. Questions and comments were made by all Members of Council thanking GEBAC for their suggestions. The three recommendations from GEBAC were as follows: 1) Inadequate Parking; 2) Safety and decorative lighting; and 3) Façade improvement. It was recommended by GEBAC that the City Council consider acquiring the vacant lot with the grant funds at 1112 W. Gardena Boulevard, but later found out that one of the stipulations was that it not be used to purchase the parking lot . Since the first recommendation was out, there was an extensive discussion about what each of the Council Members would like to see regarding recommendations numbers 2 and 3.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 7 Director of Community Development Greg Tsujiuchi brought up Director of Public Works, Allan Rigg who spoke about what he had already done as far as working with Edison and the decorative lighting, and how it is all being funded by the street lighting assessment district; he also spoke about the how his department could do some of the work so we wouldn’t have to use the grant funds and save it for the façade improvements.
Since number 2 recommendation was already being taken care of by Director Rigg, the Council was able to focus on number 3 Façade improvements. The discussion continued and some of the topics discussed were: investing the money into a pilot façade program that we already have; there is no expiration date in using the funds; that the boulevard is zoned as a mixed-use corridor and should be in uniform in whatever we decide to do; that we should stick to the stipulations and possibly help out the business owners; to do a parking improvement plan and expand our vision.
City Manager Osorio recognized GEBAC for their suggestions; stated that we should go to the third recommendation of F açade improvement; have staff bring back some ideas on how to formulate a plan on façade improvement. Mayor Cerda spoke about running a pilot program similar to Rosecrans.
Mayor Cerda spoke about tabling this item for a couple of months. Director Tsujiuchi spoke about hiring an architect to come up with some conceptual designs and would need to check with the Senator if this qualifies. Mayor Cerda then asked what the cost of consultant would be. Director Tsujiuchi replied to her questions.
Council Member Francis asked if GEBAC’s chairperson had any other input or would like to come up and give any other suggestions. Chai r Steve Rogers spoke and gave his suggestions.
It was moved by Mayor Cerda, seconded by Council Member Francis , and carried by the following roll call vote to table until January in order for staff to come back with recommendations:
Ayes: Mayor Cerda, Council Member Francis, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, and Council Members Tanaka and Love
Noes: None
Absent: None
14. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS - ELECTED & CITY MANAGER'S OFFICES – No Items
15. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS – POLICE – No Items
16. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS - PUBLIC WORKS
16.A Authorize the Contract Renewal Services with SmartCover Systems, Inc. in the amount of $63,570 to provide Active Site Management (ASM) and Warranty Coverage for a Two-Year Term
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 8 Mayor Cerda asked if anyone asked to speak on this item and if the Council had any comments or questions. There were no public speakers.
Questions and comments were made by Mayor Cerda, and Council Member Francis. Director Rigg answered all questions.
It was moved by Council Member Francis, seconded by Council Member Love, and carried by the following roll call vote to Authorize the Purchase:
Ayes: Council Member s Francis and Love, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Council Member Tanaka, and Mayor Cerda
Noes: None
Absent: None
16.B Authorization to Purchase One (1) Electric Vehicle from Enterprise Fleet Management in the amount of $57,252 for the Public Works Department
City Manager Osorio presented the Staff Report.
Mayor Cerda asked if anyone asked to speak on this item and if the Council had any comments or questions. There were no public speakers.
It was moved by Council Member Love , seconded by Council Member Francis, and carried by the following roll call vote to Approve Purchase:
Ayes: Council Members Love and Francis, Mayor Pro Tem Henderson, Council Member Tanaka, and Mayor Cerda
Noes: None
Absent: None
17. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS - RECREATION & HUMAN SERVICES – No Items
18. DEPARTMENTAL ITEMS – TRANSPORTATION – No Items
19. COUNCIL ITEMS – No Items
20. COUNCIL DIRECTIVES
Mayor Pro Tem Henderson
1) Asked if we could begin advertising job openings for the City in other periodicals, outside of our regular routine - Council Member Tanaka seconded it.
Purpose – To broaden the pool of job applicants.
Reason – To help us gain some diversity in the applicant pool.
Benefit – Part of our economic development; will raise the quality of life.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 9 Council Member Love
1) Asked if we could agendize for Council discussion to possibly start our Council meetings at an earlier time - Council Member Francis seconded it.
Purpose – Will allow more residents to attend.
Reason – To get more community engagement.
Benefit – This will allow some of our seniors to attend and stay a little longer.
Council Member Francis
1) Asked if we could have a Closed Session discussion with regards to the property at 1112 W. Gardena Boulevard (vacant lot) - Council Member Love seconded it.
Purpose – To find out if the City is interested in acquiring.
Reason – Economic development; raise the quality of life.
Benefit – Gardena Boulevard Revitalization.
Mayor Cerda
1) Asked if we could agendize for Council discussion SB 329 as it relates to an increase in City Council compensation - Council Member Tanaka seconded it.
Purpose – To increase the pay of our Council hasn’t been updated since 2002.
Reason – To make the compensation current with today’s cost of living.
Benefit – To encourage more people to run for office.
21. CITY MANAGER REMARKS RE: DIRECTIVES / COUNCIL ITEMS
City Manager Osorio gave a verbal report of information to follow -up on matters that had been directed or requested by the Mayor and Members of Council. Those items were, as follows:
1) Memo regarding the CDD September Monthly Report.
2) Memo regarding the City Attorneys memo for Senate Bill 392.
City Manager Osorio wished Chief of Police Mike Saffell a Happy Birthday.
22. COUNCIL REMARKS
1) MAYOR PRO TEM HENDERSON – Attended his ICA Board Meeting and shared they are planning their winter seminar in Santa Barbara at the Mar Vista Hotel. They will be doing programming for the Friday and Saturday conference and return home Sunday, after providing a great breakfast for all the attendees. Attended the LA County Federation of Labor homeless event, mentioned the startling numbers in regards to the poverty line and what it takes to really survive in LA County. For those of us who are not on the bubble of the poverty line, he wanted to remind us that we are blessed and to always thank God for our blessings. Attended the Gardena Police Department’s pancake breakfast, Harvest F estival and H ome Ownership Fair at Rowley Park. He thinks C ouncil Member Francis did an excellent job spearheading that event and working with those that she co- hosted with. Later that same evening, he attended a summit that was held between the Contract Cities Association and Independent Cities Association. It was an opportunity for elected officials to get DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 10 together and do some venting, sharing, and networking in regards to the difficulties sometimes experienced by being on the dais. Said it was enlightening hearing some of the interesting stories from senior elected officials that have been elected twenty something years, so good thing there is a lot of the quorum rules on our C ouncil that we implement. Attended his AQMD Meeting and is still looking for more money for the City of Gardena there, but we are spending the money we are receiving. He also attended the check presentation at Mas Fukai Park, given to us by Senator Ben Allen, as well as his regular community visits and business visits.
2) COUNCIL MEMBER FRANCIS – Attended the Home Ownership Fair at Rowley Park and would like to thank Senator Bradford, Assembly M ember Tina McKinnor, the Second Time Around Seniors Club and the Holly Park Homeowner’s Association, and the Los Angeles County Neighborhood Services who made the presentation, and for helping organize and coordinate the event and making it happen. She also wanted to give a special shoutout to our Recreation staff because when people walked in at 9:00 a.m. the room was already set up beautifully, the screens were working, and both classes on the side were set up so nicely. She remarked that when people walked in, they were wowed and she said, welcome to Gardena, this is how we do it here. Thanked the staff again for their help and giving them a moment to shine. Also attended the Harvest Festival, Fall Carnival and, along with her colleagues, the check presentation, with a check of two million dollars presented by Senator Ben Allen, to build a teen center at Mas Fukai Park. She thanked Senator Allen. In closing, she, as always, in her closing remarks talked about how there is a lot going on in this whole world and she wants everyone to know just to keep the faith and remember better days are coming.
3) COUNCIL MEMBER TANAKA – Attended the South Bay COG’s legislative briefing, quite an event, said the only person that attended was Assembly M ember Tina McKinnor, everyone else sent representatives to give their reports and most of them were in recess, but it’s always good to hear all the bills and things that are being activated, voted on, and passed. Attended the Police Department’s K9 breakfast, always a great event and well attended every year. Commented on how they had some new items for sale to support the team. After breakfast, he attended the Harvest Festival and said that the event gets better every year, too. Thanked Stephany and her staff for doing a great job. Attended our sister city Ichikawa Committee meeting and participated this year in the Great California Shakeout Drill through Gardena DCS and Tri-City CERT. Went on to explain how we did a mock thing where we were on our radios, and everybody checked in and how that shows how prepared that our city really is when it comes to a disaster. Met with Dominguez Hills University nursing student, Fahmida Ahmed, as part of one of her classes was to talk to an elected official about how they can assist with nursing students. Attended Mas Fukai’s F all Carnival and thanked Senator Ben Allen for the two million dollars he donated for our community teen center. Also, let everyone know he attended the 6:00 p.m. Study Session held before the evening’s Council Meeting.
4) MAYOR CERDA – Attended the Gardena Boulevard community meeting, said there was a good turn out there, as well as a lot of staff people there to answer questions.
In fact, she continued, it was one of the best community meetings she has been to, seemed like everybody from every department was there to answer any questions a resident had so she thanked the staff for being there. Attended the Journey of Hope domestic violence event at the Nakaoka Community Center, where they talked to young people about domestic violence and what was a healthy relationship and what DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 11 is not. She said unfortunately a lot of young people think because somebody is being very possessive and so on that is a healthy relationship, but she’s glad we’re talking to young people about this. There were even small kids there and letting them know early on is good because they too, will be teenagers and adults one day. Attended the K9 pancake breakfast, as always, they did a great job. One thing she wanted to know was if people could still get K9 swag, the shirts, and hats, because people were inquiring about purchasing it. She attended the Harvest Festival and commended Recreation and Human Services for a great job. Extended her apologies for not making it to the Home Ownership Fair, as the K9 breakfast went a little longer than expected. Wished Chief Saffell a happy birthday. Had a quick sit -down meeting with staff of Gardena Police Department about zero bail and understanding it more in detail. Commented on how it is really scary when you think about some of the things now people can do, and they do not have to worry about bail. Thanked those who explained it to her. Attended her monthly CCGA Meeting, Sanitation Meeting, Fall Carnival, and the check presentation at Mas Fukai Park and once again, thanked State Senator Ben Allen. Mr. Allen came on as our State Senator in November 2022 and already we have two million dollars from him, so she thinks that is awesome. She attended the TRP Halloween Spooktacular Dance that was held for some of our Gardena residents. She said the staff did a great job, the people were so happy as were their caregivers. There were tons of candy, junk food and dancing. It was really nice, they got to dress up in costumes and walk around and a couple of people came up to her afterwards and said it was a wonderful event. Went to her harassment training and completed the course, along with Mayor Pro Tem Henderson. Lastly, she gave a special thank you to a couple of departments: Code Enforcement, Gardena Police Department, Public Works and GTrans, for taking the time to let her learn a little more about their jobs and what they all do in more detail. As much as she thought she knew about what they did, just spending that little time with them and seeing in more detail was pretty awesome, so she thanked them for allowing her to check it out there.
5) COUNCIL MEMBER LOVE – Attended the K9 pancake breakfast early in the morning because she refused to miss another Police Department event. She stopped by, got some pancakes, and bought some swag. She did not have time to eat her pancakes at the event because she was also to attend the LA Business Financial Summit hosted by BMO Bank, in partnership with Mayor Karen Bass, at BMO Stadium. She shared the story of how she walked around the stadium with her plate of pancakes and the vendor next to her thought she got them at the stadium, so they looked around for them. When they came back, they asked where she had gotten them from because they looked so good and smelled like bacon. She wanted to let Chief Saffell know that they really would have enjoyed his pancakes. She went on to say it was a really good event, they talked to a lot of small business owners and, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, and was trying to help businesses understand the financial issues that they are having and how there’s resources out there to help them. Also attended the Fall Carnival and the two million dollar check presentation with Senator Ben Allen. That same day, she had the honor of hosting the Senator on Gardena Boulevard, where she mentioned they walked into the majority of the businesses. She said he was really interested in hearing from the business owners.
He really enjoyed talking to the businesses and finding out what their issues are and how he could help with the businesses on Gardena Boulevard. Attended the harassment training with our City Treasurer, Guy Mato and they learned a lot. Lastly,
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 12 she had two comments to make. The first being referencing our code of conduct that’s read at the beginning of the meeting, part of housekeeping that we remember during the meetings we can start to pay better attention and hopefully control, she uses the word control for lack of a better word, but really kind of make sure that the people that are speaking from the podium are not personalizing their comments and that they’re not attacking other speakers that may have opposed their position. The second was to wish her colleagues and staff an enjoyable time at our sister city in Japan.
23. ANNOUNCEMENT(S)
Mayor Cerda announced:
1) Parks & Recreation Master Plan Workshop #3, Thursday, October 26, 2023; 6 pm – 8 pm at Rowley Park. Questions and Comments can be submitted if unable to attend and prizes will be given for participation.
2) Movies on the Lawn – Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Friday, October 27, 2023; 7:00 pm at City Hall Lawn. Free Event – We will transform the City Hall lawn into our theater under the stars. Picnic blankets and lawn chairs are welcome!
3) Save the Date – Halloween Scare Zone, Friday & Saturday, October 27- 28, 2023 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Tuesday – Halloween Night, October 31, 2023, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Featuring Two Haunted Houses, Costume Contest, Sweet Treats, Games & more. Tuesday, October 31
st Only! Costume Contest: 5yrs & under at 7:30
pm; 6yrs – 10yrs at 7:45 pm; 11yrs – 14yrs at 8:00 pm; 15yrs – 17yrs at 8:15 pm at Freeman Park.
4) DEA National R x TakeBack on October 28, 2023; 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal in front of the Gardena Police Department.
5) Too Cute to Spook Halloween Event, Saturday, October 27, 2023; 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at City Hall Lawn. Bring your kids (ages 0- 10) to City Hall for a safe fun -filled night of Trick-or-Treating!
6) Celebrating Senior Citizen Health Fair, Friday, November 3, 2023; 9 am – 12 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center Auditorium & City Hall Complex Lawn. You will have access to Health screenings, Flu shots, Health and wellness vendors, and all types of screenings for anemia, blood pressure, COVID vaccine, flu vaccine, glucose, hearing, medical review, and vision. For adults 60 and older.
7) Homelessness Workshop, Wednesday, November 8, 2023; 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center – Auditorium. Speakers include: City Homeless Coordinator, Gardena Mental Evaluation Team, and Homeless Service Agencies. 8) 54th Annual Veterans Day Service, Saturday, November 11, 2023; 10:00 am at Gardena City Hall. Please note that the time has changed from 11 a.m. to now 10:00 a.m.
24. REMEMBRANCES
Mr. Tommie Herd , 81 years old, Tommie served the City of Gardena for 24 years as a bus operator in the Transportation Department.
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B 13 25. ADJOURNMENT
At 11:13 p.m., Mayor Cerda adjourned the Gardena City Council Meeting to the Closed Session portion of the City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m., and the Regular City Council Meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
MINA SEMENZA
City Clerk of the City of Gardena and
APPROVED:
Ex-officio Clerk of the Council
______________________________ By:___________________________ Tasha Cerda, Mayor Becky Romero, Deputy City Clerk
DocuSign Envelope ID: F1E1722E-98AB-4F82-9999-81E549D3AE1B