Gloria Olmos, Mayor
Hector Delgado, Mayor Pro Tem
Manuel Acosta, Councilmember
Rudy Bojorquez, Councilmember
Larry Rodriguez, Councilmember
Rene Salas, City Manager
Susie A. Altamirano, City Attorney
Adrian Garcia, City Clerk
Masami Higa, Director of Finance
CITY OF SOUTH EL MONTE
REGULAR MEETING OF THE SOUTH EL MONTE CITY COUNCIL
REVISED
AGENDA
October 7, 2025, 6:00 PM
1415 Santa Anita Avenue, South El Monte, CA 91733
PUBLIC COMMENT
Those wishing to participate during Public Comment may do so in person at the South El Monte City Hall Council Chambers, or may submit written public comments by emailing [email protected]. Emailed public comments are due by 5:00 p.m., and should be limited to no more than 250 words. Written public comments will be provided to the City Council and will be part of the record but will not be read aloud.
To participate during public comment via teleconference, see below:
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86581711880
Webinar ID: 865 8171 1880
Or call in: 1 669 900 6833, when prompted, enter 86581711880#
LIVE STREAMING OF MEETINGS
The City of South El Monte live streams the City Council Meetings over the Internet at https://www.cityofsouthelmonte.org/129/Meeting-Agendas-Minutes. After the meetings, recordings are immediately posted. NOTE: Your attendance at this public meeting may result in the streaming and recording of your image and/or voice.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if you require a disability-related modification or accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please call the City Clerk’s office at (626) 579-6540 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
MEETINGS
The City Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
Regular meetings start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1415 Santa Anita Avenue, South El Monte, California. Special and Adjourned Regular meetings start time are to be determined.
POSTING LOCATIONS OF AGENDA AND/OR CANCELLATION NOTICES Regular meeting agendas will be posted at least 72 hours before the meeting (GC 54954(a)(1)).
Agenda and Cancellation Notices can be viewed online and are also posted at the following three (3) locations: City Hall located at 1415 Santa Anita Avenue, Senior Center located at 1556 Central Avenue and the Community Center located at 1530 Central Avenue, South El Monte, California.
VIEWING OF AGENDA PACKETS
Full agenda packet can be viewed either at
https://www.cityofsouthelmonte.org/129/Meeting-Agendas-Minutes or in the City Clerk’s Office during normal business hours Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Closed on Fridays and major holidays.
ISSUES RELATED TO AGENDA
For issues related to the agenda, including a disability-related accommodation necessary to participate in this meeting, please contact:
Adrian Garcia, MMC, City Clerk
Ph (626) 443-4928
Cell (626) 926-3071
Sabrina A. Muhne, Deputy City Clerk
Ph (626) 652-3121
Cell (626) 374-1998
LEVINE ACT DISCLOSURE
Pursuant to the Levine Act (Govt Code Section 84308), any party to a permit, license, contract, or other entitlement before the City Council is required to disclose on the record any campaign contribution, including aggregated contributions, of more than $500 made by the party or the party's agents within the preceding 12 months to any City official. Participants and agents are requested to make this disclosure as well. The disclosure should be made when the agenda item is called and must include the name of the party, participant, or agent, and any other person making the contribution, the name of the recipient, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was made. Council Members are also required to make such disclosures and recuse themselves.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
City Council Members with a conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act are required to make disclosure of financial interest when the item is called and recuse themselves.
AGENDA BEGINS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
1. ROLL CALL
Councilmembers: Acosta, Bojorquez, Rodriguez, Mayor Pro Tem Delgado, and Mayor Olmos
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Manuel Acosta
3. INVOCATION
Pastor Patricia Garrett, Faith Dominion Church
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a. Certificate of Recognition to Sil Ruiz, South El Monte Librarian, for her dedication and exemplary service to South El Monte residents and the community.
4.b. Certificate of Recognition to the Vietnamese Alliance Christian Church of San Gabriel Valley for their 50th Anniversary.
4.c. Presentation by National League of Cities (NLC) on the Water and Sewer Service Line Program.
5. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AND WAIVER OF FULL READING OF
ORDINANCES
By motion of the City Council, this is the time to notify the public of any changes to the agenda, remove items from the consent calendar for individual consideration and/or rearrange the order of the agenda.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Speakers may provide public comments on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, including items on the agenda. Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. Unless a majority of the Council objects, the Mayor may provide speakers more or less time to speak. All comments or queries shall be addressed to the Council as a body and not to any specific member thereof.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(a)(2), the Ralph M. Brown Act, no action or discussion by the City Council shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except to briefly provide information, ask for clarification, provide direction to staff, or schedule a matter for a future meeting.
Consent Calendar next page.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Items on the consent calendar are considered to be routine and customary and are enacted by a single motion with the exception of items previously removed by a member of the City Council during "Approval of the Agenda" for individual consideration. Any items removed shall be individually considered immediately after taking action on the Consent Calendar.
7.a. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
Staff is requesting approval of the Minutes for the September 2, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff is requesting approval of the Minutes for the September 2, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting.
7.b. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 25-085, APPROVING WARRANTS FOR THE PERIOD OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2025, THROUGH OCTOBER 7, 2025
Authorizing payment of City expenditures for the period of September 3, 2025, through October 7, 2025, totaling $3,112,350.26
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-085, authorizing payment of City expenditures.
7.c. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION No. 25-086,
AWARDING AN AGREEMENT TO EMERGENCY PLANNING
CONSULTING (EPC) TO PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICES TO
UPDATE THE CITY'S LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN (LHMP) IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $140,000
The Federal Disaster Management Act of 2000 (DMA) requires every local, county, and state government to have an approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), also known as the Plan. In addition to minimizing the impact of major hazard events on the community, completion of the Plan also maintains eligibility for future hazard mitigation funding following any significant disaster. The City of South El Monte is updating the LHMP, which will expire in December of 2026.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-086, awarding an agreement with EPC to provide consulting services to update the City's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) for an amount not to exceed one hundred forty thousand dollars ($140,000).
Consent Calendar Items 7.d. and 7.e. next page.
CONSENT CALENDAR (CONTINUED)
7.d. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 25-087,
APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SOUTH EL MONTE AND THE
TREEPEOPLE INC.
The Treepeople Inc. is a nonprofit organization that successfully received a federal grant with USDA Forest Service to plant trees in city right of ways and giveaway trees to the residents of South El Monte.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-087, approving an MOU agreement with Treepeople Inc.
7.e. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 25-089,
APPROVING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXISTING AGREEMENT
EXECUTED ON MARCH 21, 2025, FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
WITH TIERRA WEST, INC.
Since March 21st, 2025, TierraWest has been providing economic development services to the city of South El Monte. Staff recommends approving amendment #1 with TierraWest to continue providing economic services in the amount of $49,500.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends approving Resolution No. 25-089 First Amendment with TierraWest Advisors Inc. to provide economic development services.
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None
9. GENERAL BUSINESS
9.a. CONTINUED FROM THE SEPTEMBER 16, 2025, REGULAR CITY
COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY MEETING - CONSIDERATION
OF INTRODUCTION OF FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 1284, AMENDING CHAPTER 2.64 OF THE SOUTH EL MONTE MUNICIPAL
CODE REGARDING WORKING OUT OF CLASS
Section 2.64.090 of the South El Monte Municipal Code currently authorizes out-of-class compensation but does not address situations where greater adjustments are needed to maintain equity and operational effectiveness. The proposed amendment introduces a third calculation method, providing employees in out-of-class assignments with three alternative methods to ensure fair compensation.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends City Council waive first reading and introduce Ordinance No. 1284, an amendment to Municipal Code Section 2.64.090 authorizing the City Manager, at his discretion, to approve a salary increase in excess of five percent (5%) and up to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of an employee’s base salary, when such adjustments are in the best interest of the City and consistent with budgetary appropriations.
General Business Item 9.b. next page.
GENERAL BUSINESS (CONTINUED)
9.b. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NO. 25-088
APPROVING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT WITH IYOB TESSEMA AS DIRECTOR OF HUMAN
RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT
The City Manager is asking the City Council to approve a First Amendment to the Employment Agreement between the City of South El Monte (“City”) and Iyob Tessema which provides for a five percent (5%) merit-based salary increase effective retroactively to February 13, 2025, and revisions to align Mr. Tessema’s benefits with those provided to newly appointed Director-level employees.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: The City Manager recommends City Council approve the First Amendment to Iyob Tessema’s Employment Agreement contained herein, and adopt the attached Resolution No. 25-088.
10. COMMITTEE REPORTS, INCLUDING AB 1234 REPORTS
AB 1234, section 53232.3(d) requires Members of a legislative body to provide brief reports on meetings attended at the expense of the local agency (i.e., League of California Cities Conferences, ICSC conferences, etc.) at the next regular meeting of the legislative body.
11. CORRESPONDENCE
11.a. CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE STREET ART TOURS WYNWOOD
BUGGIES INVITING THE CITY OF SOUTH EL MONTE OLYMPICS
COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF COUNCILMEMBERS RUDY
BOJORQUEZ, LARRY RODRIGUEZ, AND THE CITY MANAGER, RENE
SALAS, TO A WYNWOOD ART DISTRICT TOUR IN MIAMI, FLORIDA, FROM OCTOBER 17-21, 2025
The City's Olympic Committee has been invited by Christian Romero to visit the Miami Wynwood Arts District. Staff is recommending to allow three committee members, Rudy Borojurquez, Larry Rodriguez and Rene Salas to travel to Miami on an exploratory mission to see if this Art District concept would work for South El Monte.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends approving the trip to Miami to explore the possibility of duplicating an Arts District here in South El Monte.
12. COUNCILMEMBERS’ AGENDA - None
13. CLOSED SESSION
13.a. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL ANTICIPATED LITIGATION, Pursuant to California Government Code Sections 54956.9(d)(2) and 54956(e)(1): Three matters.
14. ADJOURNMENT
In memory of Lucio Vargas, city employee crossing guard, and Eduardo V.
Retamoza, long-time South El Monte resident.
NEXT REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING:
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
CERTIFICATION
I, Adrian Garcia, MMC, City Clerk of the City of South El Monte, or my designee, hereby certify under penalty of perjury that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on this October 2, 2025, seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting per Government Code 54954.2 at the following locations: City of South El Monte City Hall, Senior Center and Community Center and made available at www.cityofsouthelmonte.org.
Adrian Garcia, MMC