CITY OF MONTEBELLO
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
M I N U T E S
MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 AT 6:30 P.M.
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1600 WEST BEVERLY BOULEVARD
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA 90640
CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Cobos-Cawthorne called the meeting to order at 6:39 p.m.
ROLL CALL – Members present were Mayor Cobos -Cawthorne, Mayor Pro Tem Jimenez, Councilmember Melendez, and Councilmember Peralta. City Clerk Jimenez and Treasurer Gutierrez were also present. Councilmember Torres was absent.
STAFF PRESENT – City Attorney Arnold Alvarez -Glasman, City Manager René Bobadilla, Assistant City Manager Arlene Salazar, Deputy City Clerk Alicia Fernandez, Assistant to Deputy City Clerk Kimberly Guillen.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY (30 MINUTES)
The City Cler k’s Office had two (2) members of the public wishing to address the City Council.
Speakers were provided three minutes to address the City Council and said speaker card s are on file at the City Clerk’s office.
The City Clerk ’s Office acknowledged eleven (11) written public comments submitted to the City’s public comment email address. Said comments are on file at the City Clerk’s office.
REGULAR SESSION
CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA – CITY MANAGER
OLD BUSINESS
1. CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT (“CVRA”)
Demographer, Mr. Claudio Gallegos, presented a PowerPoint Presentation to the City Council in which he provided an overview of the Di stricting Mapping process that C ouncil has gone through thus far. Mr. Gallegos also went through this presentation during the 4/27/22 Council Meeting.
May 2, 2022: Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 2
Councilmember Melendez thanked the demographer , staff, and the community who participated in this process . He stated the residents overwhelmingly chose to have 5 districts through their input from emails, comments and highlighted Demographer Map No. 3b because it creates the most equitable green space, keeps La Merced community together, and it’s been the most favored by the community. He asked to move forward with Demographer Map 3b and stated that this is what the community wanted.
Councilmember Peralta thanked demo grapher and staff . She expressed her preference for Demographer Map No. 3 because it falls along the lines of main streets and keeping community of interests in tact. She stated she is not opposed to Demographer Map 3b but noted that it has weird cut offs. Councilmember Peralta advocated for Demographer M ap 5C because it keeps the La Merced area intact , gives South Montebello more representation at the Council level with an additional seat, and the ability to vote for an at large Mayor.
Mayor Pro Tem Jimenez thanked demographer and staff. She noted that Demographer Map 3b received a lot of traction from the community and most residents liked this map. She expressed her support for Demographer Map 3b and stated that she hoped to vote on this tonight.
Mayor Cobos-Cawthorne, thanked the demographer and staff . She echoed the comments of her colleagues and supports the community’s comments for Demographer Map 3b and asked for a motion to move forward with this map.
Councilmember Melendez motioned, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Jimenez, that the City Council move forward Demographer Map No. 3b.
MOVED: Melendez SECONDED: Jimenez APPROVED: 4-0-0-1
AYES: Melendez, Peralta, Jimenez, Cobos-Cawthorne
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Torres
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Pro Tem Jimenez motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Councilmember Melendez; motion carried unanimously and the meeting was adjourned at 7:05 pm.
THE MINUTES OF MAY 2, 2022 ARE HEREBY APPROVED AND ADOPTED ON THIS 22ND DAY OF JUNE 2022.
_____________________________________________
Alicia Fernandez, Deputy City Clerk