PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 22, 2025
City of Paramount, 16400 Colorado Avenue, Paramount, CA 90723 CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Paramount City Council was called to order by Mayor Peggy Lemons at 5:02
p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 16400
Colorado Avenue, Paramount, California.
PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE:
Student Mayors Carla Lam and Daniel Ramirez, led
the pledge of allegiance.
ROLL CALL OF
COUNCILMEMBERS:
Present: Councilmember Isabel Aguayo
Councilmember Annette C. Delgadillo
Councilmember Vilma Cuellar Stallings
Vice Mayor Brenda Olmos
Mayor Peggy Lemons
STAFF PRESENT: Grissel Chavez, Assistant City Manager
Nicholas R. Ghirelli, City Attorney
Paul Espinoza, Interim Finance Director
Adriana Figueroa, Public Works Director
Yecenia Guillen, Community Services Director
John King, Planning Director
Margarita Matson, Public Safety Director
Heidi Luce, City Clerk
Celina Sanchez, Management Analyst
Michelle Tse, Assistant Public Works Director
Eduardo Vaca, Communications Specialist
PRESENTATIONS
1. VIDEO
City of Paramount’s
2025 Spring Events
CF 39.7
A video highlighting City of Paramount’s 2025 Spring
Events was presented.
2. CERTIFICATE OF
RECOGNITION
Student Mayor for the
Day
CF 39.6
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
recognized Student Mayors for the Day Carla Lam, 5th
Grade Student at Hollydale Elementary School and
Daniel Ramirez, 5th Grade Student at Wirtz Elementary
School.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 2
3. CERTIFICATE OF
RECOGNITION
Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Detective
Jesus Perez
CF 39.6
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
recognized Detective Jesus Perez from the Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for his diligent
investigative work and outstanding service to the
community. Detective Perez was present to accept the
certificate of recognition.
4. PROCLAMATION
National Library Week
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed April 6-12, 2025 National Library Week in
the City of Paramount. Jackie Ramirez, Children’s
Librarian from the Paramount Library was present to
accept the proclamation.
5. PROCLAMATION
National Volunteer
Week
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed April 20-26, 2025 National Volunteer Week
in the City of Paramount. Representative from the
following organization that provide volunteer services
for the City’s Pitch-In-Paramount neighborhood cleanup events were present to accept the proclamation:
Reach Church, Conservation Corps of Long Beach,
Emmanuel Church, and Paramount Teen Leadership
Alliance.
6. PROCLAMATION
Alcohol Awareness
Month
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed May as Alcohol Awareness Month in the
City of Paramount. Samantha Salmeron, Executive
Director of Little House, was present to accept the
proclamation.
7. PROCLAMATION
National Child Abuse
Prevention Month
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed May as National Child Abuse Prevention
Month in the City of Paramount. Manuel San Miguel,
CFO and Alma San Miguel, CEO, of Hope for Healing
were present to accept the proclamation.
8. PROCLAMATION
Earth Month
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed May as Earth Month in the City of
Paramount. Brian Behar from TreePeople was present
to accept the proclamation.
9. PROCLAMATION
National Fair Housing
Month
CF 39.12
Mayor Lemons, on behalf of the City Council,
proclaimed May as National Fair Housing Month in the
City of Paramount. Allicia Nguyen from the Fair
Housing Foundation was present to accept the
proclamation.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 3
At 5:40 p.m., Mayor Lemons recessed the meeting for
a brief break. The meeting was reconvened at 5:57
p.m.
CF 10.4 CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC COMMENT UPDATES
There were no public comment updates.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
CF 10.3 The following residents of Elijah Mobile Home Park addressed the City Council and provided public
comments: Nelson Sanchez, Concepcion Sanchez,
and Jose Sanchez. Mayor Lemons and City Manager
Moreno responded to the comments made by the
residents.
CONSENT CALENDAR
It was moved by Councilmember Cuellar Stallings and
seconded by Councilmember Aguayo to approve
Consent Calendar Items 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and,
16 as shown below. The motion was passed by the
following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aguayo, Delgadillo,
Cuellar Stallings; Vice Mayor Olmos and
Mayor Lemons
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
10. APPROVAL
Appropriation of funds
for the Southeast
Gateway Line (SGL)
Light Rail Project for
Fiscal Year 2024-25
CF 28.1
1) Approved an increase to the FY 2024-25 Council
adopted budget to include estimated revenue from
Metro in the amount of $74,880; and 2) Approved an
appropriation in the amount of $74,880 based on the
Metro funding agreement to the Public Works
Engineering Division budget for staff and consultant
support service costs incurred related to the SGL
project for FY 2024-25.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 4
11. APPROVAL
Amendment No. 3 with
Soffa Electric, Inc. for
Water Well 16
Programming Services
(City Project No. 9116)
1) Appropriated an additional $16,960 from the
available Water Fund balance to the Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) Water Well 16 (City
Project No. 9116); and 2) Approved Amendment No. 3
to the agreement with SOFFA Electric, Inc., in the
amount of $16,960 for Well 16 start-up services; and
authorize the Mayor or her designee to execute the
Amendment.
12. APPROVAL
Appropriation of funds
for the 15101
Paramount Boulevard
Project
(City Project No. 9485)
CF 28.1
1) Approved an increase to the FY 2024-25 Council
adopted budget to include estimated revenue in the
amount of $45,300; and 2) Approved an appropriation
in the amount of $45,300 to the FY 2024-25 Council
adopted Capital Improvement Program budget for the
15101 Paramount Boulevard Project (City Project No.
9485).
13. APPROVAL
Agreement for
Consulting Services
with Trinity
Consultants, Inc. for
continued services
related to Air
Monitoring
CF 43.1146
Approved the agreement with Trinity Consultants, Inc.
for continued air monitoring for a period of one-year in a total amount not exceeding $160,000, with the option
to extend the term of the agreement by written, mutual
consent, and authorized the Mayor to execute the
agreement.
14. ORDINANCE 1197
Amending Ordinance
No. 178, the
Comprehensive Zoning
Ordinance, approving
Zone Change No. 249,
Changing the official
Zoning Map of the City
of Paramount
CF109 Zone Change
249
Read by title only, waived further reading, and adopted Ordinance No. 1197, "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARAMOUNT
AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 178, THE
COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE,
APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NO. 249, CHANGING
THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF
PARAMOUNT FROM R-M (MULTIPLE-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL) TO PD-PS (PLANNED
DEVELOPMENT WITH PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS) TO ALLOW FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF FOUR SINGLE-FAMILY
HOMES AT 15538 COLORADO AVENUE IN THE
CITY OF PARAMOUNT.”
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 5
15. ORDINANCE 1198
Approving Zoning
Ordinance Text
Amendment No. 28
CF 109 Zone Change
28 Read by title only, waived further reading, and adopted Ordinance No. 1198, " AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARAMOUNT,
APPROVING ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT
AMENDMENT NO. 28, CHANGING ALL
REFERENCES TO THE DIRECTOR OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO PLANNING
DIRECTOR; AND CHANGING ALL REFERENCES
TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT IN THE PARAMOUNT MUNICIPAL
CODE; AMENDING SECTIONS 17.04.010
(DEFINITIONS), 17.04.030(A), 17.04.040(A),
17.08.020(B)(1), AND 17.08.020(I); ADDING TO
SECTION 17.08.020; AMENDING SECTIONS
17.08.030 AND 17.08.080(A); ADDING TO SECTION
17.08.080; AMENDING SECTIONS 17.12.020(C)
AND 17.12.020(J); ADDING TO SECTION 17.12.020;
AMENDING SECTIONS 17.12.030 AND
17.12.085(A)(3); ADDING TO SECTION 17.12.120;
AMENDING SECTION 17.16.040(I); ADDING TO
SECTION 17.16.040; AMENDING SECTIONS
17.16.050, 17.16.110(A), AND 17.16.125(C)(2);
ADDING TO SECTIONS 17.16.145 AND
17.24.020(A); AMENDING SECTION 17.24.030(C);
ADDING TO SECTIONS 17.24.030 AND 17.24.040;
AMENDING SECTIONS 17.24.080(C)(4)(C),
17.24.080(C)(5)(A), AND 17.28.020(A)(1); ADDING
TO SECTION 17.28.020; AMENDING SECTION
17.28.040(A)(4); ADDING TO SECTIONS 17.28.040,
17.28.060, 17.32.040, AND 17.32.100; AMENDING
SECTION 17.36.030(K)(1); ADDING TO SECTION
17.36.100; AMENDING SECTIONS 17.44.170(A),
17.44.170(B), 17.44.460(A) TO (C), AND
17.44.460(G)(3); ADDING TO SECTION 17.44.480;
AND AMENDING SECTIONS 17.56.020 AND
17.56.030(A) OF TITLE 17 OF THE PARAMOUNT
MUNICIPAL CODE, ADDING, DELETING, AND
AMENDING DEFINITIONS; AND INCLUDING MINOR
AMENDMENTS TO ALLOWABLE USES, EXTERIOR
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 6
HOLIDAY DISPLAYS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND
OTHER MINOR REVISIONS FOR THE PURPOSE
OF MAINTAINING CONFORMITY WITH STATE
LAW, IMPLEMENTING THE PARAMOUNT
HOUSING ELEMENT, BRINGING INTERNAL
CONSISTENCY WITHIN THE ZONING ORDINANCE,
AND CLARIFYING OUTDATED TEXT.”
16. APPROVAL
Appropriation of Funds
for the Permanent
Local Housing
Allocation (PLHA)
Program
CF 69.15
1) Approved an increase to the FY 2024-25 City
Council adopted budget to include estimated unused
PLHA program funds in the amount of $91,850; and 2)
Approved an appropriation in the amount $91,850 to
the FY 2024-25 City Council adopted budget under the
Community Preservation Division’s operating budget.
OLD BUSINESS
17. DISCUSSION
Clearwater Specific
Plan Update
CF 102.3 and 43.1205
Planning Director King gave a presentation on the
Clearwater Specific Plan (Plan) and the changes
requested by the Modern Development Company. City
Manager Moreno distributed handouts providing an
overview of the options for consideration before the
City Council.
One written correspondence was received from
Kendra Carney Mehr on behalf of MDC. Copies were
provided to the City Council.
Discussion ensued concerning the outstanding
matters related to the Plan including the required
setback from the railroad and density/building height in specific areas of the Plan. The discussion included
input from Oscar Orci on behalf of Modern
Development.
Following further discussion and with City Council
concurrence, staff was directed to proceed with
following changes to the Plan.
• Railroad Setback: 50 ft. from ground-floor
residential
• Density (Town Residential): 65 du/ac; up to 6
stories with 3 story height restriction on
Paramount Boulevard
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 7
• Density (Flex District): 40 du/ac; up to 4 stories
• Density (Mixed Use Town Center): 90 du/ac; up
to 6 stories
• Add “Combo” area (changing a portion of the Flex
District) that could be either Flex District or MUTC
NEW BUSINESS
18. PRESENTATION
Small Business
Administration Disaster
Loan Program
CF 54.11
Chandler Weber, Public Information Officer from the
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Office of
Disaster Recovery and Resilience gave a presentation
sharing information about the economic assistance
and resources available to homeowners, renters,
businesses and nonprofits who sustained damages as
a result of the recent wildfires.
19. PRESENTATION
Los Angeles County
Proposed Sewer Rate
Increase
CF 61
Andrew Ngumba, from the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works gave a presentation on
the County’s proposed sewer rate increase for the next
five year period, covering Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26
through FY 2029-30.
20. ORAL REPORT
CAPIO Presentation
Overview and
Communication
Metrics Update - Social
Media Monitoring
Successes
CF 39.2
Communications Manager Jauregui along with Sara
Madesen from Tripepi Smith gave the report and
presented a PowerPoint presentation providing an
overview of the presentation they gave at the CAPIO
Conference in April regarding the City’s social media
monitoring program. Communications Manager
Jauregui also provided an overview of the
communication metrics from the past six months for
the City’s social media platforms and the website.
21. ORAL REPORT
Capital Improvement
Program (CIP)
Quarterly Update
CF 96
Public Works Director Figueroa and Assistant Public
Works Director Tse gave the report and presented a
PowerPoint presentation providing a status update on
the completed, active, and upcoming CIP projects.
22. ORAL REPORT
Update on City Council
Goals
CF 11
City Manager Moreno gave the report and presented a
PowerPoint presentation providing an update on the
status of the City Council goals set at the goal setting workshop on January 11, 2025.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 8
23. APPROVAL
Mayor’s Appointments
CF 11.4
Mayor Lemons presented the proposed Mayor’s
Appointments to the various external organizations,
board and committees as included with the agenda
report.
It was moved by Councilmember Cuellar Stallings and
seconded by Councilmember Aguayo to approve the
appointments as presented. The motion was passed
by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aguayo, Delgadillo,
Cuellar Stallings; Vice Mayor Olmos and
Mayor Lemons
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY – NEW
BUSINESS
None.
COMMENTS/COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilmembers
Councilmember Delgadillo did not have anything to
report.
Councilmember Olmos complimented City Manager
Moreno on the report on City Council’s goals. She
requested that staff look into the signage for the EV
charging stations at Progress to ensure they say
parking is for electric vehicles only. Lastly, she
announced that the Historical Society will be meeting
on Monday at 6:00 pm at Horchateria Rio Luna where
they will be promoting their new website and sharing
historical stories.
Councilmember Aguayo reported on her participation
in the Women in Leadership Luncheon hosted by the
Chamber of Commerce and the Dia del Niño event.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 9
Councilmember Cuellar Stallings commented that she
attended the Dia del Niño event and complimented the
organizers of the event. She suggested that the City
coordinate with the Gateway Cites of Governments to
host Olympic watch parties.
Mayor Lemons reported on her attendance at regular
committee meetings and City events. She expressed
appreciation to those involved with the Dia de Niño
event including Bertha Jimenez and Tepic Sister Cities
and staff.
Staff
City Manager Moreno expressed appreciation to
Magnolia Sandoval for her assistance with the goals
presentation. He also provided an update on status of
the housing legislation that the City’s lobbyist is
currently monitoring.
Mayor Lemons recessed the City Council meeting to
Closed session at 8:37 p.m. to discuss the matter listed below.
CLOSED SESSION
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING
LITIGATION
Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) - One case
Case Name: City of Paramount v. Paramount General
Hospital Co., et al., Los Angeles County
Superior Court; case no. pending
CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY
NEGOTIATORS
Government Code Section 54956.8
Property: 16635 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount,
CA 90723
Agency negotiator: John Moreno, City Manager
Negotiating parties: Mike Ferraro
Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment
Mayor Lemons called the meeting back to order in
open session at 9:21 p.m.
Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the
PARAMOUNT CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2025; Page 10
City Attorney Ghirelli reported that the City Council met in closed session to discuss the items listed above and no reportable action was taken.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the
City Council, Mayor Lemons adjourned the meeting at
9:22 p.m. to a meeting on May 13, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 16400 Colorado
Ave., Paramount, CA.
/s/ Peggy Lemons
Peggy Lemons, Mayor
ATTEST:
/s/ Heidi Luce
Heidi Luce, City Clerk