CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENEDS
February 24, 2025 Page 1 of 4
CALL AND NOTICE OF
SPECIAL MEETING _______________________________________________________________
CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Huntington Park will be held on Monday, February 24, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 6550 Miles Avenue, Huntington Park, CA 90255
Monday, February 24, 2025
All agenda items and reports are available for review in the City Clerk’s Office and www.hpca.gov. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda (other than writings legally exempt from public disclosure) will be made available for public inspection in the Office of the City Clerk located at 6550 Miles Avenue, Huntington Park, California 90255 during regular business hours, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday, and at the City Hall Council Chambers during the meeting.
Any person who requires a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, in order to participate in the public meeting may request such modification, accommodation, aid or service by contacting the City Clerk’s Office either in person at 6550 Miles Avenue, Huntington Park, California or by telephone at (323) 584-6161. Notification in advance of the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHILE THE COUNCIL IS IN SESSION. Thank you.
Karina Macias
Mayor
Arturo Flores Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez Vice Mayor Council Member Jonathan A. Sanabria Council Member
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PLEASE NOTE--The numerical order of items on this agenda is for convenience of reference.
Items may be taken out of order upon request of the Mayor or Members of the City Council.
Members of the City Council and the public are reminded that they must preserve order and decorum throughout the Meeting. In that regard, Members of the City Council and the public are advised that any delay or disruption in the proceedings or a refusal to obey the orders of the City Council or the presiding officer constitutes a violation of these rules. • The conduct of City Council meetings is governed by the portion of the California Government Code commonly known as the "Brown Act" and by the Huntington Park City Council Meeting Rules of Procedure.
• The City Council meeting is for conducting the City's business, and members of the audience must obey the rules of decorum set forth by law. This means that each speaker will be permitted to speak for three minutes to address items that are listed on the City Council agenda or topics which are within the jurisdictional authority of the City.
• No profanity, personal attacks, booing, cheering, applauding or other conduct disruptive to the meeting will be permitted. Any person not adhering to the Rules of Procedure or conduct authorized by the Brown Act may be asked to leave the Council Chambers.
• All comments directed to the City Council or to any member of the City Council must be directed to the Mayor (or Chairperson if Mayor is absent).
We ask that you please respect the business nature of this meeting and the order required for the proceedings conducted in the Council Chambers.
PUBLIC COMMENT
For both open and closed session, each speaker will be limited to three minutes per Huntington Park Municipal Code Section 2-1.207. Time limits may not be shared with other speakers and may not accumulate from one period of public comment to another or from one meeting to another. This is the only opportunity for public input except for scheduled public hearing items.
All comments or queries shall be addressed to the Council as a body and not to any specific member thereof. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a)(2), the Ralph M. Brown Act, no action or discussion by the City Council shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except to briefly provide information, ask for clarification, provide direction to staff, or schedule a matter for a future meeting.
ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO AGENDA
Items of business may be added to the agenda upon a motion adopted by a minimum twothirds vote finding that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the attention of the City or Agency subsequent to the agenda being posted. Items may be deleted from the agenda upon the request of staff or Council.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The City of Huntington Park shows replays of City Council Meetings on Local Access Channel 3 and over the Internet at www.hpca.gov. NOTE: Your attendance at thispublic
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meeting may result in the recording and broadcast of your image and/or voice.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
Mayor Karina Macias
Vice Mayor Arturo Flores
Council Member Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez
Council Member Jonathan A. Sanabria
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PRESENTATION(S)
NONE
PUBLIC COMMENT
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.3(a) Members of the public will have an opportunity to address the City Council on items listed on this agenda. For items on this agenda each speaker will be limited to three minutes per Huntington Park Municipal Code Section 2-1.207. Time limits may not be shared with other speakers and may not accumulate from one period of public comment to another or from one meeting to another.
STAFF RESPONSE
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
CLOSED SESSION
NONE
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
CONSENT CALENDAR
NONE
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR
REGULAR AGENDA
CITY MANAGER
1. CONSIDERATION OF FILLING VACANT COUNCILMEMBER POSITION IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CITY COUNCIL:
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1. Adopt a Resolution No. 2025-06 to fill the City Council Vacancy by one of the following options:
2. Fill the Vacancy by Special Election to be held not less than 114 days from the call of the Special Election; or
3. Fill the Vacancy by Appointment until the next regularly scheduled General Municipal Election to be held March 3, 2026, and
4. Take such additional, related action that may be desirable.
END OF REGULAR AGENDA
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Council Member Jonathan A. Sanabria
Council Member Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez
Vice Mayor Arturo Flores
Mayor Karina Macias
ADJOURNMENT
The City of Huntington Park City Council will adjourn the meeting to a Regular Meeting on Monday, March 3, 2025 at 6:00 P.M.
I, Eduardo Sarmiento, hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing agenda was posted at City of Huntington Park City Hall and made available at www.hpca.gov not less than 24 hours prior to the meeting. Dated this 23rd day of February 2025.
Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk
REGULAR AGENDA
ITEM 1
CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK
City Manager’s Office
City Council Agenda Report
February 23, 2025
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
City of Huntington Park
6550 Miles Avenue
Huntington Park, CA 90255
Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council:
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF FILLING VACANT COUNCILMEMBER POSITION DATE: February 24, 2025
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. Adopt a Resolution No. 2025-06 to fill the City Council Vacancy by one of the following options:
2. Fill the Vacancy by Special Election to be held not less than 114 days from the call of the Special Election; or
3. Fill the Vacancy by Appointment until the next regularly scheduled General Municipal Election to be held March 3, 2026, and
4. Take such additional, related action that may be desirable.
BACKGROUND
On February 18, 2025, the position held by Esmeralda Castillo was deemed vacant following an investigation into a complaint received by the City of Huntington Park in September 2024, which alleged that Councilmember Castillo was not a resident of the City. The investigation confirmed that she did not have residency or domicile in the City of Huntington Park. As a result, the City Council has the option of filing the vacancy by appointment or by calling a Special Election within 60 days of the vacancy (Government Code Section 36512). The 60-day deadline would run on April 21, 2025.
As a result of the unscheduled vacancy, the City Council is obligated to fill the vacancy of the 4-year term, which ends in March 2028 until the next General Municipal Election on March 3, 2026. Pursuant to Government Code Section 36512(b), once a vacancy of an elected office exists, the City Council has 60 days to choose one of the following:
CONSIDERATION OF FILING VACANT COUNCILMEMBER POSITION
February 23, 2025
1. Fill the vacancy by Special Election, Government Code Section 36512 (b)(1) states if the Council calls a special election, the special election shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than 114 days from the call of the Special Election. A person elected to fill a vacancy holds office for the unexpired term of the former incumbent. Currently, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk does not have any upcoming elections in 2025.
Therefore, this could be conducted as a Special Election and not consolidated with any Federal, State, or County Contests. The City of Huntington Park would be fully responsible for all costs incurred. The estimated cost for a Special Election is upwards of $500,000. If the Council wishes to proceed with this option, staff will prepare the appropriate resolutions with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk for consideration and approval as directed. The special election will require candidates to engage in the candidate nomination process, the same process followed in the past elections. However, if the City Council wishes to hold the Special Election at the same time as an election held with any Federal, State or County contests, the election would be conducted on March 3, 2026, and the seat would remain vacant until that time.
OR
2. Fill the vacancy by appointment until the next regularly scheduled general election to be held on March 3, 2026. The City of Huntington Park Municipal Code does not include an appointment process for filling vacancies in elected offices. The City Council can solicit applications and conduct interviews prior to making the appointment.
The City Council may choose (but is not required) to solicit and/or conduct interviews prior to making the appointment. If the City Council wishes to fill the vacancy by appointment, the appointment can be made at any time within 60 days of the vacancy.
Since the vacancy was effective February 18, 2025, and if the City Council opts to fill the vacancy by appointment, it must be made by April 21, 2025 (the 30-day period runs on April 19, but since this is a Saturday, the deadline is pushed forward to the next day following the weekend)
Any person appointed to fill the vacancy must be a citizen of the United States, a resident and a registered voter in the City of Huntington Park at the time the application is completed, and at least 18 years of age at the time of appointment.
In accordance with Government Code Section 36512(a)(2)(A), if the City Council fills the vacancy by appointment, the appointee will serve until the next general municipal election, which is scheduled at least 130 days after the council is notified of the vacancy.
The appointee will continue in office until a person elected to fill the vacancy has been qualified and assumes the position. The person elected will then serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
The attached Resolution (Attachment A) is prepared for the Council to select any of the
CONSIDERATION OF FILING VACANT COUNCILMEMBER POSITION
February 23, 2025
options presented. If the Council chooses Option No. 2, the City Council would need to provide direction on the process it wishes to follow to fill the vacancy by appointment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The two options available to fill the current vacancy on the City Council have different fiscal impacts.
If the City Council selects Option No. 1 - to call a Special Election, prior to the March 2026 election, it would cost upwards of $500,000. This expense was not considered as part of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget; therefore, a budget amendment would be needed.
If the City Council selects Option No. 2 - to fill the vacancy by appointment, there will be no significant fiscal impact to the City.
CONCLUSION
Staff seeks direction on the process to fill the vacancy as set forth in the attached resolution.
Respectfully submitted,
RICARDO REYES
City Manager
EDUARDO SARMIENTO
City Clerk
ATTACHMENTS
1. Attachment A - Resolution No. 2025-06
ATTACHMENT A
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-06
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK
VACATING THE SEAT HELD BY COUNCILMEMBER ESMERALDA CASTILLO AND
SELECTING AN OPTION TO FILL AN UNSCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL VACANCY IN
ITS MEMBERSHIP AS A RESULT OF THE DEEMED VACANCY OF THAT SEAT WITH A TERM ENDING IN MARCH 2028
WHEREAS, the City of Huntington Park received a complaint in September 2024 that Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo was not a resident of the City; and WHEREAS, the City investigated the complaint and discovered that Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo did not reside in the City of Huntington Park; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Huntington Park Municipal Code 2-9.02(a) and CA Government Code 36502(a), the City Council of the City of Huntington Park now deems the seat held by Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo to be vacant; and WHEREAS, Government Code Section 36512 (b) provides the City Council the option within 60 days of the vacancy to fill the vacancy by appointment or by calling a special election; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 36512 (b), once a vacancy exists, the City Council has 60 days to choose on one of the following options:
1. Fill the vacancy by Special Election on a date not less than 114 days from the call of the Special Election or conduct the Special Election concurrent with the General Election to be held on March 3, 2026; or
2. Fill the vacancy by appointment until the next regularly scheduled election to be held on March 3, 2026, by a process to be determined by the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Huntington Park, California, does hereby select Option No. ___ to fill the vacancy until the next General Municipal Election scheduled on March 3, 2026.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2025.
Karina Macias, Mayor
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-06
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK )
I, Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk of the City of Huntington Park, County of Los Angeles, State of California, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. ______ was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Huntington Park, signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk at the Special City Council Meeting held on the 24th day of February 2025 and that said Resolution was adopted by the following vote, to-wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
The undersigned, City Clerk of the City of Huntington Park, does hereby attest and certify that the foregoing Resolution is a true, full and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted at a meeting of said City which was duly convened and held on the date stated thereon, and that said document has not been amended, modified, repealed or rescinded since its date of adoption and is in full force and effect as of the date hereof.
DATE:
Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk