MINUTES
VERNON CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 4305 S. SANTA FE AVENUE
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Ybarra called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Ybarra led the Flag Salute.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Melissa Ybarra, Mayor
Jesus Rivera, Mayor Pro Tem
Crystal Larios, Council Member (arrived at 4:02 p.m.)
Judith Merlo, Council Member
Monica Rodriguez, Council Member
ABSENT:
None
STAFF PRESENT:
Brian Saeki, City Administrator
Zaynah Moussa-Milward, City Attorney
Genoveva Rocha, City Clerk
Alice Hui, Finance Director/City Treasurer
Veronica Petrosyan, Health and Environmental Control Director Su Tan, Director of Human Resources
Robert Sousa, Police Chief
Dan Wall, Public Works Director-City Engineer
Margie Otto, Public Utilities Assistant General Manager
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
MOTION
Council Member Merlo moved and Council Member Rodriguez seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The question was called and the motion carried 4-0, Council Member Larios absent.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
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October 6, 2026
PRESENTATIONS
1. Public Power Week, Public Natural Gas Week, and Customer Service Week Proclamation
Recommendation: Declare October 4-10, 2026, as Public Power Week, Public Natural Gas Week, and Customer Service Week
Public Utilities Assistant General Manager Otto read the proclamation and Mayor Ybarra presented Vernon Public Utilities staff with the proclamation.
2. Indigenous Peoples’ Day Proclamation
Recommendation: Proclaim October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the City of Vernon.
City Clerk Rocha read the proclamation.
3. Presentation on East Los Angeles College Southeast Education Campus Recommendation: No action required by City Council. This is a presentation only.
City Administrator Saeki introduced Dr. Monte E. Perez, President of East Los Angeles College to provide a presentation.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Ybarra asked whether the City Council had any requests to pull items for separate consideration from the Consent Calendar, and she informed the City Council that she was requesting to pull Item Nos. 9 and 10. She also requested that, in the future, items related to the “Big 4” be brought under New Business to receive updates from Staff.
Mayor Ybarra called for a motion to approve Item Nos. 4 through 8 and 11 through 16 on the Consent Calendar.
MOTION
Council Member Larios moved and Council Member Merlo seconded a motion to approve Item Nos. 4 through 8, and 11 through 16 on the Consent Calendar. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously.
The Consent Calendar consisted of the following items:
4. Meeting Minutes
Recommendation: Approve the September 15, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes.
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October 6, 2026
5. Operating Account Warrant Register
Recommendation: Approve Operating Account Warrant Register No. 182, for the period of August 16, 2026 through August 29, 2026, totaling $13,602,736.68 and consisting of ratification of electronic payments totaling $13,312,732.01 and ratification of the issuance of early checks totaling $290,004.67.
6. Public Works Department Monthly Report
Receive and file the August 2026 Building Report.
7. Extending State of Local Emergency
Recommendation: Renew No. 2026-034, ratifying Emergency Proclamation No. 2026-001, a proclamation of local emergency due to the Palos Warehouse Fire.
8. Change Order to Contract No. 20250193 with Intergraph Corp. (Octave, formerly Hexagon) for EAM Essentials Software
Recommendation: Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute quote Q-00210304 with Intergraph Corp. (Octave), in substantially the same form as submitted, for EAM Essentials Software for a total amount not-to-exceed $38,659.20, for a one-year term
11. Services Agreement with Tripepi Smith & Associates, Inc. for Strategic Marketing and Communications
Recommendation: Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Tripepi Smith & Associates, Inc., in substantially the same form as submitted, for strategic marketing and communications for a total amount not-to-exceed $150,000, for a one-year term (with an option to extend the agreement for two additional one-year terms).
12. Report on Power Plant Control Center Emergency Sewer Repairs Approved by the City Administrator
Recommendation: Receive and file a report on the emergency sewer repairs performed by Quality Jet Rooter, Inc. at the Power Plant Control Center, in the amount of $34,200, as approved by the City Administrator pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code Section 3.32.250.
13. Southern California Edison Utility Agreement for the Atlantic Blvd. Bridge Widening Project
Recommendation: A. Find that the proposed action is within the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with Section 15063 of the CEQA Guidelines; and
B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute the Utility Agreement SCE-01 with Southern California Edison (SCE) for the telecommunication work required for the rehabilitation and widening of the Atlantic Boulevard Bridge in substantially the same form as submitted for a total amount not-to-exceed $$278,998.00.
14. Public Utilities Resource Adequacy Plan for 2027
Recommendation: A. Find that approval of the proposed action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, because it is an administrative and fiscal activity 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;
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October 6, 2026
B. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-040 approving and adopting the Vernon Public Utilities Department Resource Adequacy Plan for 2027, which includes the Coincident Peak Demand Forecast, the Planning Reserve Margin, the Qualifying Capacity Criteria, and the Qualifying Capacity from such resources, the City’s Resource Adequacy and Supply Data and approving the resources used to satisfy the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) tariff requirements and repealing Resolution No. 2025-028; and
C. Authorize staff to submit the Vernon Public Utilities Department’s Resource Adequacy Plan for 2027 and the Monthly Resource Adequacy and Supply Data to the CAISO.
15. Purchase Order with Jessup Auto Plaza
Recommendation: A. Approve and authorize the issuance of a Purchase Order with Jessup Auto Plaza for a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV for a total amount not-toexceed amount of $52,879.33; B. Authorize a contingency amount of ten percent (10%) or $5,287.93 for the vehicle purchase from Jessup Auto Plaza in case of unforeseen circumstances, including, but not limited to, price, supply chain issues, or tariffs; and C. Authorize the City Administrator to facilitate the bidding and purchase of a comparable vehicle for an amount not-to-exceed $58,167.26 (Jessup Auto Plaza price plus contingency amount) from an alternate source/dealership should Jessup Auto Plaza vehicle availability be impacted by inventory shortages or vehicle availability.
16. Purchasing Agreements Related to Repair Work for Malburg Generating Station
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 of the existing cooling tower at the Malburg Generating Station (MGS) and involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use;
B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Labor and Materials Contract with SPX Cooling Tech, LLC, in substantially the same form as submitted, to perform repair work on the MGS Cooling Tower, for a total amount not-to-exceed $156,700;
C. Authorize a contingency amount of ten percent (10%) or $15,670 to cover any unforeseen expenses and grant authority to the City Administrator to approve and execute amendments up to the contingency amount, if necessary; D. Approve and authorize the issuance of a Purchase Order to DLE Equipment, Inc. for the purchase of mechanical component parts for the repair work on the MGS Cooling Tower, for a total amount not-to-exceed $191,681.84; and E. Authorize a contingency amount of ten percent (10%) or $19,168.18 in the event of unforeseen expenses and grant authority to the City Administrator to approve and execute change orders up to the contingency amount, if necessary.
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October 6, 2026
Items Nos. 9 and 10 were pulled for separate consideration.
9. Professional Services Agreement for the BIG 4 Initiative Recommendation: A. Find that it is in the best interests of the of the City to enter into agreements with DEODATE Corporation and North Star Alliances, LLC, without a competitive selection process, pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code Section 3.32.110(B)(2) given that Vernon’s participation in the BIG 4 coalition is critical to advancing the City’s pursuits of increased state and federal funding and legislative changes that address the unique needs of industrial cities; B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with DEODATE Corporation, in substantially the same form as submitted, for economic and real estate development strategy consulting services for a total not-to-exceed $92,000, for a one-year term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for Phase 2 of the BIG 4 efforts; and
C. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with North Star Alliances, LLC, in substantially the same form as submitted, for economic and real estate development strategy consulting services for a total not-to-exceed $60,000, for a one-year term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for Phase 2 of the BIG 4 efforts.
10. Report on Contract Amendment Approved by the City Administrator Recommendation: Receive and file the report on Amendment No. 1 to the Services Agreement with DEODATE Corporation in the amount of $16,875, as approved by the City Administrator pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code Section 3.32.110(B)(2), to accommodate ongoing work for Phase 1 of the BIG 4 initiative.
City Administrator Saeki spoke on Item Nos. 9 and 10. He provided information on Senate Bill 1274, which was recently signed and defines an “industrial city”. He spoke on how it would allow Vernon to pursue certain economic goals under the newly established definition going forward.
Deputy City Administrator Hernandez provided a brief presentation on Item Nos. 9 and 10. She highlighted that each item provides details on Phase 2 of the BIG 4 initiative, which called for activating the groundwork set in Phase 1. Phase 2 would be carried out by North Star Alliances, LLC and DEODATE Corporation. They would provide conference support, meeting management, economic development marketing, and optional services for a one-year term.
Mayor Ybarra asked if these items were included in the budget. City Administrator Saeki clarified that the budget did not attribute specific amounts to each of the items because data was unavailable at the time, but they were accounted for under the professional services and required no appropriations.
Mayor Ybarra invited public comments.
Miles Solomon provided a public comment regarding what the BIG 4 identify as distinctive criteria for the purposes of negotiation as industrial cities. City Administrator Saeki responded that whatever criteria is decided upon needs to be discussed with state legislators to receive support.
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October 6, 2026
Mayor Ybarra invited a motion to approve both Items Nos. 9 and 10.
MOTION
Mayor Pro Tem Rivera moved and Council Member Larios seconded a motion to approve Item Nos. 9 and 10 on the Consent Calendar. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously.
ORAL REPORTS
17. City Administrator Reports on Activities and Other Announcements City Administrator Saeki announced the upcoming Special Vernon Housing Commission meeting on October 14 at 6:00 p.m. and the Great California Shake Out on October 15 at 10:15 a.m. He provided information on the Pink Patch Project for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Halloween Spooktacular on October 28 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
18. Council Reports on Activities (including AB 1234), Announcements, or Directives to Staff
None.
CLOSED SESSION
At 4:46 p.m., Mayor Ybarra recessed the meeting to Closed Session.
19. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)
Significant exposure to litigation (1 potential matter)
RECONVENE
At 5:10 p.m., Mayor Ybarra adjourned the Closed Session and reconvened the regular meeting.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
City Attorney Moussa-Milward reported that the City Council met in Closed Session, discussed the item on the agenda, and took no reportable action.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Ybarra adjourned the meeting at 5:10 p.m.
_____________________________
MELISSA YBARRA, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
GENOVEVA ROCHA, City Clerk