MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LA VERNE
Monday, October 3, 2022
A regular meeting of the La Verne City Council was reconvened and called to order by Mayor Hepburn at 6:48 Council Members present: Mayor Tim Hepburn
Mayor Pro Tem Rick Crosby
Council Member Wendy Lau
Council Member Steven Frank Johnson
Council Member Meshal "Kash" Kashifalghita
Absent: None.
Advisory personnel present: Interim City Manager Jess Duff Assistant City Manager JR Ranells
City Attorney Robert L. Kress
Assistant City Clerk Lupe Gaeta Estrella
Community Development Director Eric Scherer
Principal Planner Candice Bowcock
3. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Tim Hepburn.
Introduction of Newly Appointed Mayor Hepburn, on behalf of the City Council, introduced newly appointed Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Coatney. Brandon was appointed Deputy Fire Coatney Chief on October 3, 2022. His primary responsibility will be operations. He has 26 years of experience, most recently serving as a Deputy Fire Chief of Operations in the Orange County area, and serving as the California Fire Chiefs Association Operations Section President. His wife pinned his badge.
The City Council along with Fire Chief Nigg welcomed the Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Coatney to the City of La Verne.
4. Announcements of Upcoming Sherry Best, La Verne Historical Society President, announced they would be Community Events hosting a "Dia De Los Muertos" event at Hillcrest Homes on October 10, 2022, at 4:00 p.m.; and on October 18, 2022, there will be an excursion to visit the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum.
Leah Skinner, La Verne Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, announced they would be holding their annual "Taste of La Verne" Food Festival on October 19, 2022, and their 3° annual Taste of La Verne Restaurant week Event, October 20-23, 2022
their oberosteven Vom ordier 1 2, 022ed that the Fraiplex is holding
5. Consent Calendar It was moved by Johnson, seconded by Lau, and unanimously carried to accept, approve, or act on the Consent Calendar items.
City Council Minutes City Council Minutes of the Regular and Adjournment of meetings of September 19, 2022, were received and approved
City Council Minutes, Monday, October 3, 2022, Page 2.
Register of Audited Demands Register of Audited Demands in the amount of $2,357,857.37 dated September 15, 2022, and in the amount of $443,406.23 dated September 22, 2022. Approved as recommended by Finance Director Lopez.
Old Town La Verne Business Old Town La Verne Business Improvement District Appointment - Improvement District Previous Old Town La Verne Business Improvement District (OTLVBID) Board Appointment Member Matthew Forgey, a representative of the Third Street Wine Shop elected not to seek re-appointment upon his term's expiration. The City solicited applications for the vacancy from the OTLVBID members and the general public. Only one application was received by long-term OTLVBID member and business owner George Henderson.
It was recommended by the Old Town La Verne Business Improvement District's Advisory Board that the Mayor appoint George Henderson to the vacant seat effective June 30, 2024, with the approval of the City Council.
Approved.
Staff recommended approval and passage of the following Resolutions:
Resolution No. 22-73, Resolution No. 22-73 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE dopting a Standardize CITY OF LA VERNE, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, onflict of Interest Code fo ADOPTING A STANDARDIZED CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE FOR Designated Employees DESIGNATED EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF LA VERNE - Every two-years, Removed Added
Community Services Coordinator
Deputy Fire Marshes Director Community Services Manager Recreation Coordinator Deputy Fire Chief
Fire Marshal
Fire Safety Specialist - Part-time
Assistant City Clerk Estrella recommended that the City Council adopt esolution No. 22-73, updating the standardized conflict of interest code to esignated employees. Approved as recommende
6. American Recovery Act - Principal Planner Bowcock reported on the American Recovery Act and Small Small Business Rescue Business Rescue Program request to update. At the City Council meetin Program Update eld on February 22, 2022, staff presented the Small Business Rescu Program using a portion of the City's allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The program has been operating successfully since March of 2022 and has assisted over 61 businesses. Staff has been working with the Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of La Verne (ULV) to develop an update to the program. There Is also a need to redirect the remaining funds to Fire Station 1 Gender Compliance Project.
City Council Minutes, Monday, October 3, 2022, Page 3.
Principal Planner Bowcock recommended that the City Council approve the update to the Small Business Rescue Program, as follows:
• The business must have been mandated to shut down during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
> The business has a minimum of at least one employee and does not exceed a maximum of fifty (50) full or full-time equivalent employees (two part-time employees' equal one full- time employee).
• The number of additional grant participants will be limited to the amount of funding (up to $100,000) allocated to the program.
• The business must submit the application, and all required supporting documentation on or before December 1, 2022.
Mayor Hepburn called for public comment.
There was none.
It was moved by Lau, seconded by Crosby, and unanimously carried to approve the updates to the Small Business Rescue Program and that the City Council approve the reallocation of the remaining unused Small Business Rescue Program ARPA funds (about $300,000), after the close of the program on December 1, 2002, 1o the Fire Station 1 Gender Compliance
7. Public Comment This was the time set aside for anyone wishing to address the City Council on items not listed in any other place on the agenda.
Mayor Hepburn called for public comment.
One public comment received by email is attached.
8. Council Comments Please Note: Only partial Council comments are noted below. To hear the rest of their comments, please visit the City's website to view the archived Council Member Lau stated that it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She reported on the dates and times of the Active Transportation Committee, Tri- City Mental Health Authority and the Youth and Family Action Committee meetings. She also spoke about the City's Trunk or Treat event, and other community events.
Mayor Pro Tem Crosby stated that he met with the residents of the Twin Oaks and Casitas Mobile Home Parks and will be meeting with the residents of the Fountain Mobile Home Park on Friday. He also spoke about the upcoming City and community events.
Council Member Johnson also spoke about the upcoming City and Community events and that he planned on attending.
City Council Minutes, Monday, October 3, 2022, Page 4.
Council Member Kashifalghita spoke about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and thanked the La Verne Police and Fire Departments for their support and fundraising efforts for breast cancer. He reported that he was looking into obtaining a grant to purchase Automatic Emergency Defibrillators for the City:
youth sport teams
Mayor Hepburn thanked Chief Nigg for all his efforts building up the Fire Department and for recruiting a new Fire Deputy Chief. He reported that the La Verne Red Devil Pizza Restaurant would be donating 20% of their proceeds toward breast cancer supporting the La Verne Police Department Pink Patch fundraiser on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. He also spoke about the
9. Closed Session At 7:26 p.m., the La Verne City Council recessed to Closed Session for the following:
Conference with Labor Negotiator (Government Code Section 54957.6).
Negotiators: City Manager, Assistant City Manager,
and City Attorney
Employee Organization(s): La Verne Firefighters' Association.
10. PorChy Managea Closed Session on Friday, October 7, 202a18.00 a.m. for city Counto interview Apicants Respectfully submitted,
Supe Saca Estrella
Lupe Gaeta Estrella, CMC
Assistant City Clerk
Danita A. Beauchamp
2516 Amherst Street
La Verne, CA 91750
September 27, 2022
Rick Crosby, Mayor Pro-Tem
Tim Hepburn. Mayor
Steve Johnson, Councilmember
Meshal Kashifalghita, Councilmember
Wendy Lau, Councilmember
Jess Duff, Interim City Manager
JR Ranells, Assistant City Manager
Lupe Estrella, Assistant City Clerk
RE: City of La Verne Forensic Audit offered by California Assemblymember Mr. Chris Holden's office Dear City Council Members, Mayor Pro-Tem, and Mayor and City Staff:
I am formally requesting the city council instruct the staff to place the subject of the free forensic audit that was offered by Mr. Chris Holden's office on the next city council's agenda for the meeting scheduled on Monday, October 3, 2022.
I have several reasons for this request. Mr. Holden is in the middle of an election and our city may miss out on the opportunity to collect on this offer, should he lose his race, which is a viable possibility. This was also a promise Mayor Hepburn made during his campaign, as well as the two other council members who were part of his "team", Steve Johnson and Meshal Kashifalghita, who agreed with him in that regard.
I think the greatest concern for my request for the forensic audit is due to the previous employment history of Finance Director, Marla Pendleton. She was a whistleblower when she worked for the county of Riverside, for which she was fired. She sued the county for unlawful termination and won her case. The fact that she was "fired" by the city of La Verne begs the question, was her termination over her potential for blowing the whistle once again? I do not believe in coincidences and when numerous different council members and city staff all use the exact same verbiage in regards to the financial status of the city, "great place"; it reads as if this was scripted. When Ms. Pendleton and the department heads spoke at the budget presentation, I sensed a very high level of apprehension on her behalf. If 1 am not mistaken, it was only a day or two following the budget presentation, that she was then terminated. Was she kept on just for appearances to present the budget and to meet the state requirements? There are many unanswered questions.
If the city is in such a "great place" financially as everyone is claiming (current, and past council members and staff), what is the harm in having an audit conducted? I realize there would be additional work for the staff but with the city offering transparency (as stated in the city's mission statement) I don't understand why the city would choose to not pursue this topic, especially with no cost to the city and so many residents who have already requested it and those who are in agreement with this topic.
The fact that there have been numerous instances where Proposition A transportation funds have been sold to other cities for $.75 on the dollar so the funds can be used in the general fund also seems odd. If the city's budgetary stature is in such a "great place" why are the additional funds necessary? The fact that same auditor conducts the annual audit and says things look good, is not enough. A forensic audit would scrutinize the tiniest of discrepancies and I believe this request is fair and within our rights as citizens of the city.
Should the city's finances be found without error or fraud then the city can put the residents' minds at ease and put an end to all of the requests. Then can the city focus on how to improve the city's rating as we are listed in near the bottom.
I look forward to your responses, as well as seeing this as an agenda item for the city council to vote upon at the next scheduled city council meeting.
Respectfully,
Vanita. Beauchamp