Minutes
Lakewood City Council
Adjourned Regular Meeting held
August 13, 2024
MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER at 6:25 p.m. by Mayor Rogers in the Executive Board Room, 5000 Clark Avenue, Lakewood, California.
ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Mayor Todd Rogers
Vice Mayor Cassandra Chase
Council Member David Arellano
Council Member Steve Croft
Council Member Jeff Wood
. . .
LEGENDS OF LAKEWOOD
April Johnson, Community Relations Manager, displayed slides and made a presentation regarding the Legends of Lakewood. She provided a brief history of the program and illustrated the criteria for the designation, namely, a person or organization who had made a major contribution to either the City’s original formation or to its progress in the years after incorporation for a period ending twenty years prior to their selection. She noted the previous recipients of the honor and identified the prospective nominees for 2024. She stated that Dennis Lander, Kirk Real, Dave Rodda and Project Shepherd were recommended for consideration as this year’s honorees.
Staff responded to questions and comments from the Council Members pertaining to the merits of the proposed nominees and the timeline of the program event.
COUNCIL MEMBER CROFT MOVED AND COUNCIL MEMBER WOOD SECONDED
TO NAMING THE RECOMMENDED LEGENDS OF LAKEWOOD TO BE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED IN MARCH OR APRIL 2025.
Mayor Rogers called for a show of hands of those in support of the recommendation. The response of those present was unanimous.
Ms. Johnson described a secondary campaign to highlight a broad and diverse range of everyday heroes in Lakewood. She provided a draft criteria for those who had made a significant contribution to the quality of life in the City but whose work may not have spanned the length of time or depth of civic engagement of a Legend of Lakewood. She stated that inspiration had been drawn from the “45 Everyday Heroes” campaign at the time of the City’s 45th Anniversary celebration in 1999 and shared sample nomination listing of information that would be requested. She added that the Legends of Lakewood would be announced and honored first at a special Lakewood Celebrates type of reception in March or April of 2025, and that the Luminaries of Lakewood recognition would follow a month or two later.
City Council Minutes
August 13, 2024
LEGENDS OF LAKEWOOD - Continued
Selection of Luminaries would be overseen by the Community Promotions Committee and the City Council could opt to make the Luminaries an ongoing campaign depending on the response to the initial implementation of the program. It was recommended that the City Council take action on naming the recommended Legends of Lakewood, who would publicly be announced in March or April of 2025; and to take action on the creation of the Luminaries of Lakewood program.
Mayor Rogers expressed his honor at being recognized as one of the 45 Everyday Heroes and Council Member Wood concurred with the Mayor’s concern on the potential for minimizing the significance of the accolade by having a greater number of Luminaries.
Staff responded to questions and comments from the Council Members regarding providing sufficient criteria and outreach to allow others the opportunity to submit nominations; evaluating the program subsequent to the initial Luminaries presentation to determine continuation and frequency of the tribute; additional discussion on obtaining community input prior to Council consideration and approval; limiting to no more than four or five honorees per district with five Luminaries at large; and to include recognizing non-residents as well for their contributions to the City.
. . .
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought before the City Council, Mayor Rogers adjourned the meeting at 7:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jo Mayberry
City Clerk