CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENEDS
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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 Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 6550 Miles Avenue, Huntington Park, CA 90255
Wednesday, April 23, 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.
Arturo Flores
Mayor
Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez Jonathan A. Sanabria Vice Mayor Council Member Karina Macias 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 Arturo Flores
Vice Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez
Council Member Jonathan A. Sanabria
Council Member Karina Macias
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
NONE
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SPECIAL AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL
1. CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL VACANCY – APPLICANT
PRESENTATIONS AND POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANT COUNCIL SEAT
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CITY COUNCIL:
1. Receive presentations from applicants seeking appointment to the vacant City Council seat;
2. At the Council’s discretion, discuss the applications and/or ask questions of the applicants; and
3. Consider making an appointment to fill the vacant City Council seat in accordance with Government Code § 36512 and Huntington Park Municipal Code § 2-9.02(a), pursuant to the recent stay issued by the California Court of Appeal.
END OF SPECIAL AGENDA
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Council Member Karina Macias
Council Member Jonathan A. Sanabria
Vice Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez
Mayor Arturo Flores
ADJOURNMENT
The City of Huntington Park City Council will adjourn the meeting to a Regular Meeting on Monday, May 5, 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 21st day of April 2025.
Eduardo Sarmiento, City Clerk
SPECIAL AGENDA
ITEM 1
CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK
Office of the City Council
City Council Agenda Report
April 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:
CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL VACANCY – APPLICANT PRESENTATIONS
AND POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANT COUNCIL SEAT
1. Receive presentations from applicants seeking appointment to the vacant City Council seat;
2. At the Council’s discretion, discuss the applications and/or ask questions of the applicants; and
3. Consider making an appointment to fill the vacant City Council seat in accordance with Government Code § 36512 and Huntington Park Municipal Code § 2-9.02(a), pursuant to the recent stay issued by the California Court of Appeal.
BACKGROUND
On April 4, 2025, the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that barred the City Council from taking further action to fill the seat previously held by former Councilmember Esmeralda Castillo.
However, on April 21, 2025, the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division One, issued a temporary stay of enforcement of the April 4 TRO. The stay allows the City of Huntington Park to proceed with the appointment process while appellate proceedings are pending.
This action reaffirms the City’s authority to fill the vacancy under the framework of state and municipal law, and it enables the Council to move forward with its commitment to ensure full representation for the residents of Huntington Park.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code § 54956), the statutory minimum notice required for calling a special meeting of the City Council is 24 hours. The City is exceeding this requirement by providing 48 hours' notice, as this special meeting is being officially called and noticed on Monday, April 21, 2025, for a meeting to be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT
None at this time. Proceeding with an appointment avoids the cost of a special election, which has been estimated to exceed $1 million.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Court of Appeal Temporary Stay Order
B. City Council Appointment Applications
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION ONE
ESMERALDA CASTILLO,
Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
CITY OF HUNTINGTON PARK, et
al.,
Defendants and Appellants.
B345510
(Super. Ct. L.A. County
No. 25STCV05179)
(BARBARA A. MEIERS, Judge)
TEMPORARY STAY ORDER
Enforcement of the April 4, 2025 temporary restraining order enjoining appellants from taking further action to fill respondent’s seat in Los Angeles Superior Court case No. 25STCV05179, entitled Esmeralda Castillo v. City of Huntington Park, et al., is hereby stayed pending resolution of the above petition or further order of this Court.
__________________________________
ROTHSCHILD, Presiding Justice
&28572)$33($/²6(&21'',67
(9$0F&/,172&., Clerk
Deputy Clerk
Apr 21, 2025
Angelica Lopez
ATTACHMENT "A"
ATTACHMENT “B”
CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT APPLICATION LIST
1. Blake McCormack
2. Carlos Aragon
3. Carlos Bejarano
4. Carlos Cordova
5. Celia Beatriz Rivas
6. Christopher A. Garcia
7. Cynthia Constanza
8. David Sanchez
9. Diana Garcia
10.Ernie Cortez
11.Frank Angeles
12.Guillermo Flores
13.Horacio Sanchez
14.Jairo Avila
15.Jose Amed Padilla
16.Joshua Escobar
17.Karina Morales
18.Lorena Valenzuela
19.Manuel Martinez
20.Mario S. Rivas
21.Nancy Martiz
22.Raquel Roman
23.Raymond Sanchez
24.Rodolfo Cruz
25.Ruben Cardiel
26.Stephanie Robles
27.Steve Saldana
28.Valentin Palos Amezquita
29.Vincente Cadena
30.