1 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER
38300 SIERRA
HIGHWAY,
SUITE
B
PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA
APRIL 15, 2025
www.cityofpalmdale.org
1)
CALL MEETING
TO
ORDER
Mayor Loa called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm.
Note: All City Council memberships are reflected in their City Council titles.
2)
ROLL
CALL
MAYOR
LOA,
MAYOR
PRO
TEM
BETTENCOURT,
COUNCILMEMBERS
BISHOP,
OHLSEN,
ALARCÓN
PRESENT: Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea Alarcón.
ABSENT:
None.
3)
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF
SILENCE
Mayor Loa announced
a moment of silence for Rhonda Camacho and Johnny
Zamrzla. Councilmember Ohlsen led the
Pledge of Allegiance
.
City Manager Pro Tem Mendez withdrew items 5.2 and 12.2 from the agenda, they were not considered.
4)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
CONSENT CALENDAR, APPOINTMENT(S), NEW BUSINESS, AND CLOSED SESSION:
Motion: A motion was made and passed to restore the public comment sections to t
hree minutes for the Consent Calendar, Appointments and New Business together, and the Closed Session separate.
Moved by Eric Ohlsen, seconded by Andrea Alarcón.
Vote: Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes:
Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea Alarcón.
Jason Zink spoke on the down
-
payment assistance program
and assessment
districts.
Council pulled items 5.8 and 5.9 for discussion.
2 5)
CONSENT
CALENDAR
5.1)
Waive full reading of the Resolution(s) and/or Ordinance(s) to be considered and voted on at this meeting. (This allows for reading the title only in lieu of reciting the entire text).
5.2)
Approve Down
-
Payment Assistance
Program.
This item was not heard
;
it was withdrawn from the agenda
5.3)
Adopt Resolution No. CC 2025
-
025, a Resolution of the City Council of
the
for
the continuation of the annual levy of assessments and designating the
Engineer of Work for fiscal year 2025
-
26 for the City of Palmdale Drainage
Benefit Assessment Districts No. 1 and No.
2006
-
02. 5.4)
Adopt Resolution No. CC 2025
-
026, a Resolution of the City Council of
the
for
the continuation of the annual levy of assessments and designating the
Engineer of Work for fiscal year 2025
-
26 for the City of Palmdale Landscape
Maintenance Assessment Districts and Annexations, Park Maintenance and
Recreation Improvement District, and Streetlight Maintenance Assessment Districts and
Annexations.
5.5)
Adopt Resolution No. CC 2025
-
034, a Resolution of the City Council of
the
City of Palmdale adopting the Joint Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles acting on behalf of the Los Angeles County General Fund, Los Angeles County Consolidated Fire Protection District, the Board of Directors of the County Sanitation District No. 14 of Los Angeles County and the governing bodies of the Antelope
Valley
Cemetery District,
Antelope
Valley
Mosquito and
Vector
Control District, Antelope
Valley
Resource Conservation District, City of Palmdale, and the Palmdale Water
District
-
Zone E approving and accepting the negotiated exchange of property tax revenues resulting from annexation to County Sanitation District No. 14 Entitled Annexation No.
464.
5.6)
Approve Third Amendment to the Agreement with SOV Security for PN 872,
Citywide Security Upgrades, increasing the agreement by $255,750 for the
total not to exceed amount of $1,525,616 with an extension of 180 calendar days for a total of 596 calendar days.
5.7)
Approve Third Amendment to the Agreement with Schneider Electric for
professional services for PN 880, ESCO Energy Project, increasing the
agreement by $84,450 for the total not to exceed amount of $15,336,605 with
an extension of three months for a total term of 22 months.
5.8)
Approve requisition with National Auto Fleet for the purchase of two new
Roadline GPMT Graffiti Trucks for a total not to exceed amount of $334,500; and approve requisition with Inland Kenworth (US), Inc. for the purchase of a 3 new T880 Super 10 Dump Truck for a total not to exceed amount of $285,000; and approve requisition with Municipal Maintenance Equipment for the
purchase of a new Petersen Lightning Loader for a total not to exceed amount
of $295,000; and approve requisition with PB Loader Corporation for the
purchase
of
a
new
B
-
5 Asphalt
Truck
for
a
total
not
to
exceed
amount
of
$360,000.
Deputy Director of Public Works Livingston presented the staff report and spoke about the features of the vehicles purchased.
Council spoke in support of this item and thanked the leadership.
Mayor Pro Tem Bettencourt provided information to the public for reporting graffiti.
Motion: Approve requisitions 250913, 250915, 250917, 250930.
Moved by Andrea Alarcón, seconded by Austin Bishop.
Vote: Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes:
Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea
Alarcón.
5.9)
Notice of Completion (NOC)
-
Accept public landscape improvements for
Palmdale
Terrace
Apartments located at 2650 East Avenue
Q
-
12. Director of Public Works
Torres
presented the staff
report. Council spoke in
support of this item.
Motion: Accept Notice of Completion (NOC)
-
Accept public landscape
improvements for Palmdale Terrace Apartments located at 2650 East Avenue Q
-
12. Moved by Andrea Alarcón, seconded by Eric Ohlsen.
Vote: Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes: Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea Alarcón.
5.10)
Notice of Completion (NOC)
-
Accept public street improvements for Legacy
Lane Industrial Building located at 40347 Legacy Lane.
5.11)
Approve the minutes from the previous meeting.
Motion: Approve all items listed under the Consent Calendar except item 5.2 ,
which was
withdrawn from the agenda, and items 5.8 and 5.9
,
which were pulled for discussion.
Moved by Austin Bishop, seconded by Laura Bettencourt.
Vote:
Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes:
Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea
Alarcón.
4 6)
APPOINTMENTS
6.1)
Appoint one (1) member to serve on the Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector
C
ontrol District Board.
Public Comments: None.
Mr. Gee and Mr. Acevedo introduced themselves and spoke regarding their experience.
There was Council discussion regarding the applicants.
Motion: Appoint Mr. Acevedo as a member to serve on the Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District Board.
Moved by Eric Ohlsen, seconded by Austin Bishop.
Vote:
Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes: Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea Alarcón.
7)
NEW BUSINESS
7.1)
Adopt Resolution No. CC 2025
-
033, a Resolution of the City Council of
the
City of Palmdale approving the Five
Year
Public Art Work Plan for projects
in
the City of Palmdale in accordance with Chapter 15.01 of the Palmdale Municipal Code.
P
ublic Art P
rogram
Manager Davis and Chair Sarno gave a PowerPoint
presentation to
the
Council and discussed the Public Art Work
Plan.
The following individuals provided public input: William Hawley,
Lori Antoinette,
Chris Minsal, Jason Zink, and Marsha Furman. Also, three letters were
received
supporting
the Public Art Work
Plan.
Councilmember
Alarcón
discussed coordinating a shuttle tour of art
with the
senior centers and
thanked the Commis
sion for bringing
Native
Amer
ican
art to
M
cAdam Park
.
Chair Sarno
discussed
a future tour and encouraged the public to attend
the
Public Art Commission meetings.
Mayor Pro Tem Bettencourt spoke about the arts (i.e. murals, performance), requested a recreation center at Domenic Massari, suggested that the Scouts push for a local arts badge, and bringing more Native American art to the community.
Councilmember Ohlsen spoke in support of the Public Art Program and commended staff.
Councilmember Bishop spoke about the success of the Public Art Program.
5 Motion: Adopt Resolution No. CC 2025
-
033, a Resolution of the City Council of
the City of Palmdale approving the Five Year Public Art Work Plan.
Moved by Andrea Alarcón, seconded by Austin Bishop.
Vote:
Motion carried (5
-
0)
Yes: Richard J. Loa, Laura Bettencourt, Austin Bishop, Eric Ohlsen, Andrea Alarcón.
8)
REPORT
City Manager Pro
Tem
Mendez announced the following upcoming events:
Art
Reception at the Palmdale Playhouse on April 18,
You
Are Loved event on April
19,
Senior Resource Fair at Legacy Commons on April 23, Pet Wellness Clinic in
Poncitlan Square on April 27; Books & Barks at the Library on April 29 ,
and
the
Many
Voices
One Vision Prevention Summit on April 30 and May 1.
9)
REPORT
Captain Cartmill gave an update on response times for routine calls, service calls, Public Safety partnership, Part 1 crimes, arrests, graffiti -
related arrests, traffic
enforcement, collision prevention, and traffic tickets. He also announced that the Sheriff's Department and the City will host an Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on May 9.
Mayor Loa asked for an update on graffiti
-
related arrests, and Captain Cartmill said
he would follow up with the information. The conversation about graffiti continued afterward.
10)
NON
-
AGENDA PUBLIC
COMMENTS:
The following individuals provided public comments: Eugene Hernandez thanked Council for increasing the speaking time for public comments, and restoring the Chimbole Center; Jason Zink suggested th
at
the Public Art Commission create a
calendar of the wall murals, survey the citizens regarding the use of the income from the implemented sales tax, replacing missing or faded street signs, paving streets, and submitting a letter to representatives regarding creation of a super commuter opportunity and a state economic zones, add hand rails and air conditioner units to the city budget for veterans and seniors; and Marsha Furman spoke about the vehicles that were purchased and the lack of sidewalks in the older areas.
11)
COUNCIL REPORTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR
FUTURE
AGENDA
ITEMS
Councilmember Bishop talked about the five vehicles the city bought and how they will help improve the quality of life for residents.
Councilmember Ohlsen spoke about teamwork among staff, public participation, volunteerism, and making the three
-
minute time limit for public comments
permanent.
6 Mayor Pro Tem Bettencourt asked for an update on the Chimbole Center, and City Manager Pro Tem Mendez provided a short response.
Ma
yor Pro Tem
Bettencourt
also
raised concerns about missing sidewalks and suggested using the GIS map to show which neighborhoods lack
them. In response,
City Manage
r Pro Tem
Mendez
mentioned plans for a future sidewalk master plan.
Councilmember
Alarcón
discussed the
veterans' emergency needs fund that was
established
and requested that City Manager Pro Tem Mendez explore the program to see if extra funds
should be allocated through the budget process. She also mentioned the resignation of the 5th District
Planning
Commissioner and asked for a
review of the Planning Commission meeting time. Additionally, she shared updates on several events:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
at the Playhouse, Palmdale
High School Prom Night, an Earth Day event by SALVA on April 16, Children's Day on April 19 hosted by LA Care and partners, and the Get the Scoop event at Albe's Ice Cream on May 10.
Mayor Loa talked about the new vehicles the city bought to help remove graffiti and repair potholes, with the goal of making the city look better and improving residents' quality of life.
12)
PRESENTATION
BY CITY
ATTORNEY
12.1)
Conference with Legal Counsel
Existing Litigation
Marlene
Jannet
Hernandez Daniel, J. Stoneham, et al. vs. Marlene Jannet Hernandez,
et
al.
This closed session is being held pursuant to the authority of California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1
).
12.2)
Conference with Legal Counsel
Existing Litigation
Maithi Ricci
v.
City of Palmdale, et al.
This closed session is being held pursuant to the authority of
California
Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1).
This item was not heard
;
it was withdrawn from the agenda
12.3)
CONFERENCE
WITH
LEGAL
COUNSEL
ANTICIPATED
LITIGATION
Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9: (1 potential case
facts and
circumstances unknown to potential plaintiffs)
13)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY CITY
ATTORNEY
Closed Session was held from 6:36 pm
-
8:31 pm.
Acting City Attorney Halfman announced the following:
12.1 -
Reportable action received to offer
a
settlement for $5.5M
.
12.3 -
There were no reportable actions.
7 14)
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Loa adjourned the meeting at 8:32 pm to May 6, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber located at 38300 Sierra
Highway,
Suite B, Palmdale,
California.
PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED this 6th day of May, 2025.
Richard J. Loa, Mayor
ATTEST:
Rochelle Scott, City Clerk