CITY OF MONTEBELLO
ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2025 AT 6:00 PM
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1600 WEST BEVERLY BOULEVARD
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA
CITY COUNCIL
Salvador Melendez, Mayor
Georgina Tamayo, Mayor Pro Tem
David N. Torres, Councilmember
Scarlet Peralta, Councilmember
Vacant, Councilmember
CITY CLERK
Christopher Jimenez
CITY MANAGER
Raul Alvarez
CITY TREASURER
David Matanga
DEPARTMENT HEADS
CITY ATTORNEY
Arnold M. Alvarez-Glasman
Fire Chief
Police Chief
Director of Finance
Director of Planning/Community Development
Acting Director of Public Works
Director of Recreation and Community Services
Director of Transportation
Fernando Pelaez
Paul Espinosa
Michael Solorza
Joseph Palombi
Cesar Roldan
David Sosnowski
John Soria
January 29, 2025: Adjourned City Council Meeting Page 2 of 3
NOTICES
This City Council Meeting ("Council") will be held in person and will meet at City Hall – City Council Chambers, 1600 West Beverly Boulevard, Montebello, California. The meeting will be live streamed and can be watched on the City’s website and YouTube Channel via the following link: https://www.montebelloca.gov, and may also be viewed on Spectrum Public Access Channel 3 for all Spectrum cable subscribers.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) any person with a disability who requires special accommodations in order to participate in a meeting should contact the Administration Office at (323) 887-1437 Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Please call 48 hours prior to the meeting to ensure that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide accessibility to this meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II 1203). If you require translation services, please contact the City Clerk’s office 72 hours before this meeting. Si necesita servicios de traducción, comuníquese con la Oficina del Secretario Municipal 72 horas antes de esta reunión. 如果您需要翻译服务，请在会议前 72 小时联系市书记员办公室
RULES OF DECORUM:
Pursuant to Section 54957.95 of the Government Code, the presiding member of the legislative body conducting a meeting, or their designee, is authorized to remove, or cause the removal of, an individual for disrupting the meeting.
Any such removal will be preceded by a warning to the disruptive individual by the presiding member of the legislative body or their designee that the individual’s behavior is disrupting the meeting and that the individual’s failure to promptly cease their disruptive behavior may result in their removal.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
In-Person: For those interested in participating during the Public Comment period(s) or public testimony period for Public Hearings of the City Council meetings, you may address the City Council in person only the day of the meeting.
Speakers will be required to fill out a speaker card provided at the door and submit it to City Clerk staff prior to each Public Comment announcement period. Staff will number and call each speaker card in the order received. Closed Session begins at 6:00 p.m. and Regular Session begins immediately thereafter; if there is no Closed Session, Regular Session will begin at 6:00 p.m.
AGENDA MATERIALS: The agenda and/or agenda packet are available for public inspection at City’s website at:
Agendas, Minutes, and Videos,
January 29, 2025: Adjourned City Council Meeting Page 3 of 3
IN CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS, PLEASE TURN OFF, OR MUTE, ALL CELL PHONES AND PAGERS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION
OPENING CEREMONIES
CALL TO ORDER - 6:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
CLOSED SESSION - NONE
REGULAR SESSION - IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING CLOSED SESSION
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE
The Public Comments were received at the Regular Meeting of January 22, 2025; no additional comments will be accepted.
REGULAR BUSINESS
1. APPOINTMENT TO FILL DISTRICT 5 CITY COUNCIL VACANCY
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Consideration of interviewed applicants and make an appointment to fill the existing vacant City Council Seat for the term ending in December 2026; and
2. Take such additional, related action that may be desirable.
CONSENT CALENDAR - NONE
ADJOURNMENT
The City of Montebello will adjourn to the next Regular Meeting on February 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. , which can be live-streamed at https://www.montebelloca.gov (Click on Live Stream).
I, Kimberly Guillen, Senior Deputy City Clerk for the City of Montebello hereby certify that a copy of this agenda has been posted at City Hall and the City's website and delivered to each member of the City of Montebello City Council no less than 24-hours before the start of the Adjourned Meeting.
Kimberly Guillen, Senior Deputy City Clerk
ITEM # 1
CITY OF MONTEBELLO
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Raul Alvarez, City Manager
BY: Kimberly Guillen, Senior Deputy City Clerk
SUBJECT: APPOINTMENT TO FILL DISTRICT 5 CITY COUNCIL VACANCY
DATE: January 29, 2025
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Consideration of interviewed applicants and make an appointment to fill the existing vacant City Council Seat for the term ending in December 2026; and
2. Take such additional, related action that may be desirable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended actions.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
The 2024 General Municipal Election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, for two (2) City Council seats, the City Clerk seat and the recall of Councilmember Angie Jimenez. During a Special City Council Meeting on December 5, 2024, the election results were certified, causing the removal of Councilmember Angie Jimenez.
On January 8, 2025, the City Council decided to fill this vacancy through an appointment process. Registered voters residing within City Council District 5 of Montebello were invited to apply. Interested community members were directed to complete an application available on the City’s website and submit it to the City Clerk's Office by 5:30 p.m. on January 15, 2025. Applicants were also invited to attend the Regular City Council Meeting on January 22, 2025, to provide an oral statement.
On January 22, 2025, the City Council decided to extend the appointment process to a
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT - MEETING OF JANUARY 29, 2025
Special Meeting on January 29th, to allow additional time for deliberation.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
N/A
ANALYSIS:
In total, the City received ten (10) applications. Of those, six (6) applications qualified after they met all the application requirements by the prescribed deadline. Four (4) applications were disqualified because they did not fully meet the requirements.
Attachment A includes the names of the applicants along with their respective applications with personal information redacted. The applicants who submitted applications are as follows:
Qualified Applications (6 total)
1. Rafael Santoya
2. Rocio Y. Berru
3. Ricardo Alonzo
4. Joseph Sanchez
5. William E. Paolisso III
6. James J. Santana
Disqualified Applications (4 total)
7. Maribel Hernandez (Does not live in District 5)
8. Claudia Castro (Does not live in District 5 and the candidate statement does not meet the word count requirement)
9. Brissa Sotelo (Declaration missing signature)
10. Richard Saldana (Application submitted after deadline, missing signature on declaration, and missing candidate statement)
The City Council has flexibility in determining the process for selecting an appointee to the vacant City Council seat. A motion, second, and majority vote are required to finalize the appointment. The proposed appointment process is outlined below:
1. Applicant names will be drawn to determine the order of interviews.
2. Staff will provide copies of the applications and supporting documents for each candidate.
3. Each applicant will deliver a three-minute oral statement in the determined order.
4. The City Council will have an opportunity to ask follow-up questions after each presentation.
5. Following the interviews, the City Council will deliberate and select an appointee by majority vote.
The selected appointee must take the oath of office on or before February 5, 2025, and will assume their seat at the Regular City Council Meeting scheduled for February 12, 2025.
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT - MEETING OF JANUARY 29, 2025
SUMMARY:
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct interviews of applicants and make an appointment to fill an existing vacant City Council Seat for the term ending in December 2026; and take such additional, related action that may be desirable.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Attachment A - List of Applicants for District 5 Councilmembers
ATTACHMENT A
Name of Applicant
Date
Submitted
Voter
Registration
Verification
Felony
Conviction
Declaration
Candidate
Statement Notes
1 Rafael Santoya 1/13/2025
Meets all
quaifications
2 Rocio Y. Berru 1/13/2025
Meets all
quaifications
3 Ricardo Alonzo Ugalde 1/14/2025
Meets all
quaifications
4 Joseph Sanchez 1/15/2025
Meets all
quaifications
5 Willam E. Paolisso III 1/15/2025
Meets all
quaifications
6 James J. Santana 1/15/2025
Meets all
qualifications
7 Maribel Hernandez 1/15/2025
Active Voter but
resides in District
4 8 Claudia Castro 1/15/2025
Active Voter but
resides in District
4. Candidate
Statement does
not meet the
word count
requirement.
9 Brissa Sotelo 1/15/2025
The declaration is
missing a
signature. Brissa
called on 1/16 to
inform us she
meant to sign .
10 Richard Saldana 1/15/2025
Submitted after
deadline, missing
signature on
declaration, &
missing
candidate
statement.
APPLICATIONS FOR DISTRICT 5 CITY COUNCIL VACANCY
* Does not meet all requirements