I
I
MINUTES OF MARCH 18, 2025
REGULAR MEETING OF THE SAN GABRIEL CITY COUNCIL
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Wu called the regular meeting of the San Gabriel City Council to order at 6:37 P.M. on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 425 South Mission Drive, San Gabriel, California, 91776.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Wu.
ROLL CALL
Council Members Present:
Council Members Absent:
Staff Members Present:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
Eric Chan, Tony Ding, Jorge Herrera Avila, Vice Mayor
Menchaca, and Mayor John Wu.
None.
City Manager Mark Lazzaretto, City Attorney Keith
Lemieux, Community Services Director Rebecca Perez,
Chief City Clerk Sharon Clark, Fire Chief Steven Wallace; Human Resources/Risk Management Director Edward
Macias, Finance Director William Kaholokula, Police
Chief Edward Elizalde, Acting Public Works Director/
City Engineer Szeka Cheng, Acting Community
Development Director Samantha Tewasart, and
Assistant City Clerk Marilyn Bonus.
A. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR (GOVERNMENT CODE §54957.6) City Negotiators - City Manager Lazzaretto, City Attorney Lemieux, and Human Resources/Risk Management Director Macias.
Regarding the following Employee Organizations - San Gabriel Police Officer's Association, San Gabriel Police Management Group, San Gabriel Firefighter's Association, San Gabriel Fire Management Group and all Unrepresented Employees. I There was no reportable action.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chief City Clerk Clark provided information for the public on how to view the meeting.
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ORDER
Mayor Wu approved the agenda order.
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Page 1 of 5 March 18, 2025 ____ ._. __ ,....__ .........
2. PRESENTATIONS
A. RECOGNITION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT PROMOTION
Fire Chief Wallace made the presentation to Fire Engineer Kevin Montoya, and Chief City Clerk Clark administered a ceremonial oath of office. Fire Engineer Montoya's badge was pinned by his father, retired City of Orange Fire Captain Adrian Montoya.
I 3. PUBLIC COMMENT
I
I
Chandler Weber, Public Information Officer, U.S. Small Business Administration, spoke on benefits the Administration can provide for business owners.
Cheri Cabot, resident, on behalf of the Kiwanis Club of San Gabriel, as Chair of the Scholarship Committee, announced the Kiwanis scholarship program.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Menchaca, seconded by Council Member Ding, to approve Consent Calendar Items 4A - 4F as presented.
Motion carried by a vote of 5-0 as follows:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
CHAN, DING, HERRERA AVILA, MENCHACA, WU
NONE
NONE
NONE
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The City Council approved the following:
1. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting of February 18, 2025.
2. Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of February 18, 2025.
B. MATERIAL DEMANDS
The City Council approved February 21, and 28, 2025, Material Demands for the payment of City expenditures.
C. CASH AND INVESTMENT REPORT - FEBRUARY 2025
The City Council received and filed the Cash and Investment Report for February 2025.
D. APPROVAL OF FINAL PARCEL MAP NO. 82702, A SELF-STORAGE PROJECT LOCATED AT 414 SOUTH SAN GABRIEL BOULEVARD PLANNING CASE NO.
TMAP19-008
The City Council accepted Final Parcel Map No. 82702 and authorized filing with the Los Angeles County Recorder.
E. RESOLUTION NO. 25-11 PROCLAIMING THE TERMINATION OF A LOCAL
EMERGENCY
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Page 2 of 5 March 18, 2025 I
I
I
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-11 proclaiming the termination of a local emergency.
F. 400-420 WEST VALLEY BOULEVARD REQUEST TO WAIVE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $36,567.80
The City Council waived the development impact fee increase in the amount of $36,567.80 and authorized a refund of the $10,000 paid into the Development Impact Fee account.
5. PUBLIC HEARING - None.
6. CONTINUED BUSINESS
A. FENCES, WALLS, AND HEDGES HEIGHT DISCUSSION
Acting Community Development Director Tewasart made the presentation.
Clarifying discussion included how removing height limits would affect public safety.
Priscilla Geddis, resident, submitted written comments expressing various concerns.
Discussion included hedge height as related to public safety, enforcement, and maintenance; the homeowner's right to landscape; public outreach about vegetation maintenance responsibility; hedge regulations in neighboring cities; and disputes on hedge height as civil matters.
There was a consensus of the City Council to direct staff to prepare an ordinance keeping fence and wall regulations unchanged and removing the height limit for hedges.
7. NEW BUSINESS
A. FISCAL VEAR 2024-2025 MID-VEAR BUDGET UPDATE [RESOLUTION NO. 25- 13]
Finance Director Kaholokula made the presentation.
Clarifying discussion included changes in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues.
There was no public comment.
Discussion included cost control measures; general fund reserve levels; projections are based on departments spending all appropriated funds; variability of plan check fees; property tax deferral of $125,000; and possible reimbursements from FEMA related to the Eaton Fire.
A motion was made by Council Member Chan, seconded by Vice Mayor Menchaca, to receive and file the mid-year budget update report and adopt Resolution No. 25-13 approving mid-year adjustments to the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget.
Motion carried by a vote of 5-0 as follows:
AYES:
NOES:
CHAN, DING, HERRERA AVILA, MENCHACA, WU
NONE
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Page 3 of 5 March 18, 2025 I
I
I
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
NONE
NONE
B. AUTHORIZATION OF TEMPORARY POLICE STAFFING INCREASE AND
ADDITION OF HUMAN RESOURCE SPECIALIST POSITION TO THE
DEPARTMENT'S AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL [RESOLUTION NO. 25-12] Police Chief Elizalde made the presentation.
Clarifying discussion included the Police Department's percentage of the City budget, challenges of filling the roster of allotted sworn personnel, space limitations, overtime aspects, technology to improve efficiency, and vacancy savings.
A written comment in opposition was received from Chasity Jennings-Nunez.
Discussion included job details for the human resources specialist, staffing levels, hiring process for sworn positions, hiring challenges, similar over-hiring practices being used by other agencies, officer positions would be offset with vacancy savings and the human resources specialist position would be budgeted, and recruitment strategies.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Menchaca, seconded by Council Member Ding, to adopt Resolution No. 25-12 authorizing the City Manager and the Human Resources Director to temporarily over-hire five police officers and to add a Human Resources Specialist to the Police Department's staffing.
Motion carried by a vote of 5-0 as follows:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
CHAN, DING, HERRERA AVILA, MENCHACA, WU
NONE
NONE
NONE
8. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT - None.
9. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND CONFERENCE/MEETING REPORTS
Council Member Chan reported on his attendance at a monthly Chinese American Citizens' Alliance meeting.
Council Member Herrera Avila reported his attendance at the National League of Cities Conference and noted the topics that were presented and requested a discussion on Mayor Wu's proposed internship program be agendized for the next meeting.
Following Vice Mayor Menchaca's request for more information outside of the agenda process, Council Member Herrera Avila withdrew his request. In closing, he thanked the Mayor for his year of service as Mayor.
Council Member Ding reported on his attendance at the 44th Annual National Latina Women's Conference and Expo, and the grand opening of Seen Health San Gabriel Valley.
Vice Mayor Menchaca reported on her attendance at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation's National Latina Women's Conference and Expo held in San Gabriel, and the San Gabriel Mission High School's Career Day as the keynote speaker; and announced the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control Board's mosquito treatment campaign in the Eaton Fire burn area, and the San Gabriel Police Officers' CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Page 4 of 5 March 18, 2025 I
I
I
Association's fundraiser and raffle event for San Gabriel Detective Greg Malette, to be held on March 19, 2024, from 11 :30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. at the Mission Grape Vine Arbor.
Mayor Wu reported on his attendance at the Chinese American Military Support Spring Festival and a Los Angeles County Sanitation District meeting; announced the Sanitation District's Earth Day Festival to be held on April 12, 2024, from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at the District's main office in Whittier; and reported on his participatioij in the Asian American Real Estate Association Tri-County 2025 Gala and Installation Ceremony at the San Gabriel Country Club.
10. CLOSED SESSION - None.
11. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Page 5 of 5 March 18, 2025