1 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER
38300 SIERRA
HIGHWAY,
SUITE
B
PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA
AUGUST 1, 2025
9:00 AM
1)
CALL MEETING
TO
ORDER
Mayor Pro Tem Bettencourt called the meeting to order at 9:05 am.
Note: All City Council memberships are reflected in their City Council titles.
2)
ROLL CALL
MAYOR
PRO TEM
BETTENCOURT,
COUNCILMEMBERS
BISHOP,
LOA, OHLSEN,
ALARCÓN
PRESENT:
Laura
Bettencourt,
Austin
Bishop,
Richard
J.
Loa,
Andrea
Alarcón.
ABSENT:
Eric
Ohlsen.
Councilmember Ohlsen arrived at 9:36 am.
3)
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF
SILENCE
Councilmember Bishop led the pledge of allegiance.
4)
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
None.
5)
PRESENTATION
5.1)
City Council Strategic Planning
Workshop.
Patrick Ibarra, Consultant, The Mejorando Group, outlined the agenda for the day. The Council and the consultant discussed the session's ground rules and desired outcomes for the session.
Mr.
Ibarra discussed
building a stronger community and focusing on solving
problems that can be fixed by local government.
Councilmembers reviewed the current strategic plan and discussed ways to expand the current goals.
They also discussed
the BEST goals, strategic plan,
and budget.
Break was held from 10:10 am
-
10:26 am.
2 Deputy City Manager Lopez presented an overview of grant programs from other cities. The Council provided input to staff on options for setting aside funding for local non
-
profits, small businesses, community groups, veterans,
youth, seniors, and the disabled.
Lunch was held from 11:45 am to 12:30 pm.
Department Director's provided status updates on their priority projects:
Director of Housing Reyes
-
Ninth Patriot, Juniper Valley Associates, Together
California, Linc Housing, and Victory Outreach. She also discussed the Down Payment Assistance Program, Homelessness Plan, Workforce Development, Advancing Communities Together, Mental Health America, Two -
Life
s
tyles,
Dream Village, and the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA).
Director of Parks and Recreation Smith
-
DryTown Water Park, Emergency
Operations Center, Littlerock Dam, and SAVES.
Director of Public Works Torres
-
McAdam Park, Chimbole Cultural Center,
Avenue T, Rancho Vista Boulevard Grade Separation, and Avenue R Regional Basin.
Deputy Director of Public Works Livingston
-
Graffiti Removal.
Director of Economic and Community Development
Taggart
-
Property
Business Improvement District, Foreign Trade Zone 191, Palmdale Eats,
Facade Updates, and Avenue M
Corridor.
Director of Operations Samson
-
Position Recruitments, Onboarding Software
Systems, Council Chamber Video Wall, AI Translation, and Security Operations Center.
City Manager's Team provided a status update on their projects:
Deputy City Manager Gallagher
-
National Night Out and the Public Safety
Partnership with the Sheriff's Department
City Manager Pro Tem Mendez
-
Civic Center Design, Airport, Acquiring Water
Rights, and the Auto Mall partnership.
Councilmembers presented their preferred discussion topics, including efforts to
promote the city through advertising, the development of a recreation center at Domenic Massari Park, engagement with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
regarding reopening the Palmdale airport, updates on the Center for
Transportation
Technology
Excellence, the High Desert Corridor and
other
transportation initiatives, the status of the relinquishment of Palmdale
3 Boulevard, and strategies to provide reliable, high
-
quality services to
the
residents of Palmdale.
6)
ADJOURN
Mayor Pro Tem Bettencourt adjourned the meeting at 2:37 pm.
PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED
2nd
day of
September
2025.
Laura Bettencourt, Mayor Pro Tem
ATTEST:
Rochelle Scott, City Clerk