Minutes
Lakewood City Council
Adjourned Regular Meeting held
April 22, 2025
MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER at 6:11 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
. . .
DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON SELECTION OF LUMINARIES OF
LAKEWOOD
City Manager Thaddeus McCormack provided a brief summary of the discussions pertaining to the options for recognition of the Luminaries of Lakewood.
Public Information Officer April Johnson displayed slides and made a presentation on the Luminaries of Lakewood, which was a campaign to highlight a broad and diverse range of everyday heroes in Lakewood. She identified the original draft criteria for the luminaries and explained its mission to highlight those in the community who had made a significant contribution to the quality of life in Lakewood but whose work may not have spanned the length of time or depth of civic involvement of a Legend of Lakewood. She stated that inspiration had been drawn from the “45 Everyday Heroes” campaign used to celebrate the City’s 45th anniversary in 1999. Ms. Johnson listed the various evaluation criteria, which included community impact; commitment and dedication; innovation and creativity; leadership and mentorship; inclusivity and diversity; collaboration and partnership; ethical integrity; and overall contribution. She reported that community outreach had been implemented from October 2024 through January 2025 utilizing eMagazine and Lakewood Community News articles; social media posts; and City website page and links to online and paper submission forms.
Staff responded to questions and comments from Council Members regarding the nominees considered for recognition by the organizations in which they were involved, their impacts on the community and future considerations to include varying levels of acknowledgement.
COUNCIL MEMBER WOOD MOVED AND COUNCIL MEMBER ARELLANO
SECONDED TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED LUMINARIES AS PRESENTED AND
REFER THE LUMINARIES OF LAKEWOOD PROGRAM BACK TO STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE FOR RECALIBRATION.
UPON FURTHER DISCUSSION, COUNCIL MEMBER WOOD WITHDREW THE MOTION.
City Council Minutes
April 22, 2025
DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON SELECTION OF LUMINARIES OF
LAKEWOOD - Continued
MAYOR ROGERS MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION AND COUNCIL MEMBER
CROFT SECONDED TO REFER THE ITEM BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE TO REIMAGINE WHAT WAS CURRENTLY KNOWN
AS THE LUMINARIES PROGRAM TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY
COUNCIL MEMBER TO PROVIDE RECOGNITION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS IN A
FORM RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. UPON ROLL CALL VOTE, THE MOTION WAS APPROVED:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Wood, Croft, Chase and Rogers
NAYS: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Arellano
. . .
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought before the City Council, Mayor Rogers adjourned the meeting at 7:23 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jo Mayberry, CMC
City Clerk