MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITIES OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, IRWINDALE,
SANTA FE SPRINGS AND VERNON
This Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) is dated as of August __, 2025, (“Effective Date”) and is entered into by and between the City of Commerce, a municipal corporation, (“Commerce”), City of Industry, a municipal corporation, (“Industry”), City of Irwindale, a municipal corporation, (“Irwindale”), City of Santa Fe Springs, a municipal corporation, (“Santa Fe Springs”), and City of Vernon, a municipal corporation, (“Vernon”). Commerce, Industry, Irwindale, Santa Fe Springs, and Vernon are hereinafter sometimes individually referred to as “City” and collectively referred to as “Cities.”
RECITALS
WHEREAS, each of the Cities is located in Los Angeles County and each offers extensive industrial and commercial zones boasting countless businesses employing approximately 500,000 people, focused on manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, transportation and logistics, and ecommerce; and WHEREAS, the working population of the Cities importantly contributes to the property and sales tax base of the Cities and the State of California; and WHEREAS, the Cities, through this Memorandum of Understanding, desire to create a unified effort advocating, advancing, and planning their shared priorities seeking state and federal capital investment, as well as legislative and administrative policies to address the unique needs and benefits that their industrial and commercial activities offer Los Angeles County and the State of California.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and conditions herein contained, the Cities agree as follows:
1. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES.
Under this MOU, the Cities agree to work together to:
A. On or before November 15 of each year, develop a joint legislative agenda for Sacramento and Washington, DC, that focuses on the preservation of industrial and commercial activities, infrastructure funding, regulatory reform and, importantly, local land use control;
B. Engage state and federal legislators as well as local and statewide advocacy organizations with a unified voice seeking support for this MOU’s priorities; C. Develop and distribute information about the Cities, including, but not limited to, advocating for state and federal capital investment dollars for freight infrastructure modernization, environmental mitigation for industrial zones, industrial space redevelopment, and workforce development facilities;
D. Monitor state and federal grants that may assist one or all of the Cities to promote the purpose of this MOU and the industrial, manufacturing, and commercial activities of each respective City;
E. Monitor state and federal legislation affecting industrial, manufacturing, and commercial zones, warehouse emission regulations, local tax authority and fiscal tools and labor and workforce mandates. Each of the Cities will coordinate these efforts with their respective state and federal legislative advocates at their own respective cost; F. Create a state and federal legislative affairs working group made up with staff members, consultants, legislative advocates, contractors or agents of each of the Cities to track legislation, coordinate shared positions on legislation, and/or to visit either Sacramento or Washington, DC;
G. Draft, as necessary, a unified report highlighting the economic impact and investment needs for and contributions of each of the Cities;
H. The Cities agree that this MOU merely creates a multijurisdictional coalition that is not a separate legal entity and does not have the powers of a decision-making legislative body; I. The Cities look forward to aligning with key organizations throughout the region, including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Southern California Association of Governments, the California and local Chambers of Commerce, the California State Association of Counties and the Southern California Leadership Council;
J. The Cities will identify and prioritize shovel-ready capital projects for inclusion in state bond measures, California Climate Investment funding projects, and any federal, state or local economic development infrastructure funding measures; K. The Cities, when appropriate, will support the preservation of local fiscal control efforts, protecting revenue generating tools such as utility user taxes, business license fees and local sales and use transaction taxes. In addition, when necessary, the Cities will oppose those state mandates that reduce city revenues without a corresponding funding increase elsewhere to assist local governments to avoid revenue decreases; and L. The Cities will draft and issue a legislative impact report outlining federal or state investments secured for the region; legislative wins or losses; policy priorities, and the economic contributions of the Cities to California’s GDP.
2. TERM & TERMINATION
This MOU is effective as of September 1, 2025, and shall expire on August 31, 2030, unless the Cities agree otherwise. Any City may terminate its participation in this MOU upon 45-days written notice to the other Cities.
3. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITES
Each City shall be responsible for their own respective costs related to any and all activities that are a part of this MOU. There are no dues related to the Cities’ participation in this MOU.
4. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
Each City shall indemnify, protect, hold harmless and defend, with counsel selected by the affected City, the other Cities and any agency or instrumentality thereof, and/or any of its elected or appointed officials, officers, employees and agents from any and all claims, actions, or proceedings against the Cities, to attack, set aside, void, annul, seek monetary damages arising from this MOU.
Any of the Cities shall promptly notify the other Cities of any claim, action, or proceeding to which this provision may be applicable and shall further cooperate fully in the defense of the action. Each City reserves its right to take any and all action the City deems to be in the best interest of the City and its citizens in regard to such defense.
5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
5.1 The captions appearing at the commencement of the sections hereof, and in any paragraph thereof, are descriptive only and shall have no significance in the interpretation of this MOU.
5.2 The waiver by any of the Cities of any breach of any term, covenant or condition herein contained shall not be deemed to be a waiver of such term, covenant or condition or of any subsequent breach of the same or any other term, covenant or condition herein contained. No term, covenant or condition of this MOU shall be deemed to have been waived by any of the Cities unless in writing.
5.3 Each right, power and remedy provided for herein or now or hereafter existing at law, in equity, by statute, or otherwise shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other right, power, or remedy provided for herein or now or hereafter existing at law, in equity, by statute, or otherwise. The exercise, the commencement of the exercise, or the forbearance of the exercise by any Party of any one or more of such rights, powers or remedies shall not preclude the simultaneous or later exercise by such Party of any of all of such other rights, powers or remedies.
5.4 If any action at law or suit in equity is brought to enforce or interpret the provisions of this MOU, or arising out of or relating to this MOU, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees and all related costs, including costs of expert witnesses and consultants, as well as costs on appeal, in addition to any other relief to which it may be entitled. The venue for any litigation shall be Los Angeles County, California or in the United States District Court for Central District of California.
5.5 If any term or provision of this MOU or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall, to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, then such term or provision shall be amended to, and solely to, the extent necessary to cure such invalidity or unenforceability, and in its amended form shall be enforceable. In such event, the remainder of this MOU, or the application of such term or provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each term and provision of this MOU shall be valid and be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.
5.6 This MOU shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California without regard to principles of conflicts of laws.
5.7 The Parties represent and warrant that they have had advice of counsel of their own choosing in the negotiations for and the preparation of this MOU, and that they have read this MOU, or had the same read to them by counsel, and that they have had this MOU fully explained to them by their counsel, and they are fully aware of the MOU's legal effect. This MOU is to be construed fairly and not in favor of or against any City, regardless of which City or Cities drafted or participated in the drafting of its terms.
5.8 This instrument contains the entire MOU between the Cities with respect to the purpose and function of the MOU. No other prior oral or written agreement(s) are binding upon the Cities. Amendments hereto or deviations herefrom shall be effective and binding only if made in writing and executed by each City.
5.9 The terms of this MOU shall bind and inure to the benefit of each of the Cities, and each of their respective elected and appointed officials, officers, employees, and agents.
5.10 This MOU may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
5.11 Each person executing this MOU hereby represents and warrants (i) their authority to do so, and (ii) that such authority has been duly and validly conferred.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this MOU as of the Effective Date.
CITY OF COMMERCE
By:________________________________
Ivan Altamirano, Mayor
Attest:
By:______________________________
Lena Shumway, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
By:
Noel Tapia, City Attorney
CITY OF INDUSTRY
By:________________________________
Cory C. Moss, Mayor
Attest:
By:______________________________
Julie Gutierrez-Robles, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
By:
James M. Casso, City Attorney
CITY OF IRWINDALE
By:________________________________
Larry G. Burrola, Mayor
Attest:
By:______________________________
Laura Nieto, Chief Deputy Clerk
Approved as to form:
By:
Adrian Guerra, City Attorney
CITY OF SANTA FE SPRINGS
By:________________________________
William K. Rounds, Mayor
Attest:
By:______________________________
Fernando N. Munoz, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
By:
Rick R. Olivarez, City Attorney
CITY OF VERNON
By:________________________________
Leticia Lopez, Mayor
Attest:
By:______________________________
Genoveva Rocha, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
By:
Zaynah Moussa, City Attorney