MINUTES OF THE REGULAR STUDY SESSION MEETING
LA MIRADA CITY COUNCIL
JULY 12, 2022 - 5 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Eng called the meeting to order at 5 p.m. in Conference Room 1, La Mirada City Hall, 13700 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada, California.
ROLL CALL
The City Council was present with Councilmember De Ruse, Councilmember Lewis, Councilmember Sarega, Mayor Pro Team Otero and Mayor Eng responding to roll call.
The following staff members were present: City Manager Jeff Boynton, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Anne Haraksin and City Attorney James Markman.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Jack Miranda expressed his appreciation to City Council for giving community groups and service clubs an opportunity to participate in the sale of fireworks. He also commented on the upcoming City Council reorganization.
Ray Fernandez expressed his appreciation to City Council for allowing local groups to participate in the sale of fireworks. He also reported on a community event that could take place in August.
4. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
4.1 2022 INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION EVENT
City Manager Boynton introduced the item.
Community Services Director Oliver Osuna said that the Independence Celebration event took place on Sunday, July 3 from 4 to 9 p.m. at La Mirada Regional Park. He said an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people were in attendance for the event with the peak time of 9 p.m. during the fireworks show. He said the event featured live performances, a patriotic program, a Flag Salute led by Cub Scout 919, the singing of the National Anthem and special guest State Senator Bob Archuleta.
Community Services Director Osuna said that this year the Public Safety Team had a strong presence at the event with Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deputies, Public Safety Officers, and Volunteers on Patrol providing security and traffic control. He said no major incidents were reported. He said overall, the event was safe, well-organized, and enjoyed by the community. Additionally, he said many positive comments were received from attendees who were glad the July 3 event returned this year.
Minutes of the Study Session Meeting
July 12, 2022
Members of the City Council asked questions and expressed their appreciation to staff for planning a successful July 3 Independence Celebration event.
4.2 2022 FIREWORKS ENFORCEMENT
City Manager Jeff Boynton introduced the item.
Public Safety Supervisor Jose Amaya said that the regular Public Safety deployment was enhanced to proactively enforce fireworks regulations. He said that the July 4 fireworks deployment consisted of seven deputies, eight Public Safety Officers, and four Code Enforcement Officers. He said a total of seven vehicles were deployed. He said the Public Safety Team issued 45 administrative citations compared to 32 citations issued in 2021.
He said all of the citations were issued for possession or discharge of illegal fireworks.
Public Safety Supervisor Amaya said field observations indicated that the number of individuals celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks were similar in most areas compared to 2021. He said calls for service were consistent throughout the night and subsided at approximately 10 p.m. He said the City continued its fireworks education campaign that included an article in the La Mirada Living newsletter, information on E-Watch, and on the City's website, marquees, and social media sites.
Members of the City Council asked questions regarding the 2022 fireworks enforcement and expressed their appreciation to staff for enforcing fireworks regulations.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
The City Manager had no reports.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the City Council adjourned the meeting at 5:26 p.m.
Leticia Revilla, Assistant City Clerk
ATTEST:
Anthony Otero, Mayor
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