MINUTES
VERNON CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 4305 SANTA FE AVENUE
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Larios called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Larios led the Flag Salute.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Crystal Larios, Mayor
Judith Merlo, Mayor Pro Tem
Melissa Ybarra, Council Member
Leticia Lopez, Council Member
Jesus Rivera, Council Member
STAFF PRESENT:
Carlos Fandino, City Administrator
Zaynah Moussa, City Attorney
Deborah Harrington, Interim City Clerk
Jessica Alcaraz, Financial Services Administrator
Fredrick Agyin, Health and Environmental Control Director Michael Earl, Human Resources Director
Brandon Gray, Police Captain
Manuel Garcia, Public Works Deputy Director
Todd Dusenberry, Public Utilities General Manager
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
MOTION
Council Member Ybarra moved and Mayor Pro Tem Merlo seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. Amendments to Vernon Municipal Code Sections 17.56.060 and 17.57.020 pertaining to Automobile Parking and Truck Loading
Deputy Public Works Director Garcia presented the staff report.
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Mayor Larios opened the public hearing. There being no other speakers, Mayor Larios closed the public hearing.
MOTION
Council Member Ybarra moved and Council Member Rivera seconded a motion to: A.
Find that proposed action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, because it is general policy and procedure-making activity that is unrelated to any specific project, which must undergo separate CEQA review, and that will not result in direct physical changes or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not constitute a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378; B. Introduced and conducted first reading of Ordinance No. 1300 amending Tables 17.56.060(B) and 17.56.060(C) in Section 17.56.060 and Table
17.57.020(B) in Section 17.57.020 of the Vernon Municipal Code regarding standards and requirements for automobile parking and truck loading for Data Centers; and C. Directed staff to schedule second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 1300 at the next scheduled City Council meeting. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously.
CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION
Council Member Lopez moved and Mayor Larios seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously.
The Consent Calendar consisted of the following items:
2. Meeting Minutes
Recommendation: Approve the April 2, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes.
3. Claims Against the City
Recommendation: Receive and file the claim submitted by Kevin Yee.
4. Operating Account Warrant Register
Recommendation: Approve Operating Account Warrant Register No. 128, for the period of March 3 through March 16, 2024, totaling $9,717,202.88 and consisting of ratification of electronic payments totaling $9,235,499.76 and ratification of the issuance of early checks totaling $481,703.12.
5. Fire Department Activity Report
Recommendation: Receive and file the February 2024 Fire Department Activity Report.
6. City of Vernon National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Duly Authorized Representatives
Recommendation: A. Adopt Resolution No. 2024-05 repealing Resolution No. 2014-06 related to the NPDES Permit Authorized Representatives; and B.
Authorize the Director of Public Works, Director of Health and Environmental Control and the General Manager of Vernon Public Utilities as duly authorized representatives, to sign, certify, and electronically submit permit registration DocuSign Envelope ID: B77BF0A5-4324-4639-B540-0D52B00F8E4A Regular City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5
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documents, notices of termination, and any other documents, reports, or information required by the NPDES permit.
7. Arbor Day Proclamation and Application for Tree City USA 2024 Recommendation: A. Proclaim April 26, 2024 as Arbor Day in the City of Vernon; B. Authorize the Public Works Department to apply to the Arbor Day Foundation for Tree City USA 2024 certification; andC. Authorize the Mayor to sign the 2024 Tree City USA Application for Certification when it becomes available.
8. Contract with Bear Electrical Solutions, Inc. for Citywide Traffic Signal Maintenance and Repair FY 2024 Project - Contract No. 20240283 Recommendation: A. Find that the proposed action is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, because the project consists of the maintenance, repair or minor alteration of existing traffic signals and involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use; B. Accept the bid from Bear Electrical Solutions, Inc. (Bear Electrical) as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and reject all other bids; C. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a contract with Bear Electrical in substantially the same form as submitted, for the Citywide Traffic Signal Maintenance and Repair FY 2024 Project, in an amount not-to-exceed $200,000 per year for a total of $600,000 over the three-year term of Contract No. 20240283; and D. Authorize a contingency of ten percent (10%) or $60,000 in the event of an unexpected changed condition or additional extraordinary maintenance and grant authority to the City Administrator to issue a change order for an amount up to the contingency amount, if necessary.
9. Notice of Completion for Contract No. 20240122 Gifford Avenue, 48th, 49th, & 50th Street
Recommendation: A. Find that the proposed action is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, because the project consists of the maintenance, repair or minor alteration of existing streets and involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use; B. Accept the work of Hardy & Harper, Inc. as related to City Contract No. 20240122; and C. Authorize the Director of Public Works to execute and submit the Notice of Completion for the project to the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office.
10. Letter Agreement with Southern California Edison Company Recommendation: A. Find that the proposed action is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, because the work being approved by this Letter Agreement (Phase 1) consists of engineering and materials procurement that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not constitute a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. Upon completion of Phase 1, a separate Letter Agreement will be presented to City Council for the construction portion of this project (Phase 2); B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Letter Agreement with Southern California Edison Company (SCE), in substantially the same form as submitted, for SCE to perform required engineering and procurement work related to Interconnection Facilities, Distribution Upgrades, and Network Upgrades, in an amount not-to-exceed $14,024,895; and C.
Authorize a contingency amount of five percent (5%) or $701,245 for unforeseen DocuSign Envelope ID: B77BF0A5-4324-4639-B540-0D52B00F8E4A Regular City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5
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changes in fees or other expenses not included in the proposal, and grant authority to the City Administrator to issue change orders for an amount up to the contingency amount, if necessary.
11. Services Agreement with Renne Public Policy Group for Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy
Recommendation: Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG), in substantially the same form as submitted, for legislative and regulatory advocacy services for a total amount not-to-exceed $447,000 for a three-year term.
ORAL REPORTS
12. City Administrator Reports on Activities and Other Announcements.
City Administrator Fandino announced LA County Fire will host a Flag Ceremony for Retired Fighter Darren Simpkin who passed away on February 3, 2024. The Flag Ceremony to be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, at Fire Station 13 on Fruitland Avenue; Vernon General Municipal Election Second Canvassing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber; the City is currently seeking members of the community interested in serving on the City’s Business and Industry Commission (BIC) and Green Vernon Commission (GVC). Information on each commission and the application is available online at cityofvernon.org/BoardAppointments. Applications are due by May 9, 2024 and; Vernon’s next Job Fair is coming soon – mark your calendars for Thursday, May 23, 2024.
13. City Council Reports on Activities (including AB 1234), Announcements, or Directives to Staff.
None.
CLOSED SESSION
RECESS
Mayor Larios recessed the meeting to Closed Session at 9:08 a.m.
14. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)
Significant exposure to litigation (1 potential matter)
RECONVENE
At 9:44 a.m., Mayor Larios adjourned the Closed Session and reconvened the regular meeting.
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CLOSED SESSION REPORT
City Attorney Moussa reported that Council met in Closed Session, discussed the item on the agenda and took no reportable action.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Larios adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m.
______________________________
JUDITH MERLO, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
YONNIE PARKER, Deputy City Clerk
(seal)
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