CC - 11-26-91APPROVED
CITY OF ROSEMEAD
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING DATE ,Zf-2a
ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL /
NOVEMBER 26, 1991 RY-"LHy~'~
The Regular Meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to
order by Mayor Imperial at 8:04 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City
Hall, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California.
The Pledge to the Flag was led by Mayor pro tem Clark.
The Invocation was delivered by Pastor Charlie Corum of the Olive
Branch Outreach.
ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS:
Present: Councilmen Bruesch, McDonald, Taylor, Mayor Pro Tem
Clark, and Mayor Imperial
Absent: None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: NOVEMBER 12, 1991 - REGULAR MEETING
There being no objection, approval of these Minutes was deferred
to the next Regular Meeting.
Mayor pro tem Clark requested that clarification be made on Page
12, fifth paragraph from the.bottom "...that if it went counter
clockwise like the...."
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: NOVEMBER 19, 1991 - ADJOURNED MEETING
There being no objection, approval of these Minutes was deferred
to the next Regular Meeting.
HONORING STUDENTS AT TEMPLE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL FOR
"OPERATION TEDDY" t_
Mayor Imperial announced that this Proclamation would be presented
at the school on November 27, 1991, by Mayor pro tem Clark and
Councilman Bruesch.
I. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
A. Frank Delia, Temple City Boulevard, talked about the taxes
being assessed by Los Angeles County.
Carmen Baffo, 8443 E. Village Lane, was opposed to the dance and
entertainment permit being requested by Charley Brown's Restaurant
located at San Gabriel Boulevard and Walnut Grove. Mr. Baffo cited
increased problems with traffic and noise.
II. PUBLIC HEARINGS
An explanation of the procedures for the conduct of public
hearings was presented by the City Attorney.
A. A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A CITY-INITIATED REQUEST TO
AMEND THE ROSEMEAD MUNICIPAL CODE CONCERNING REGULATIONS TO
ESTABLISH A FLOOR AREA TO LOT AREA RATIO TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF
RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES (PC RES. 91-21) - CONTINUED FROM
NOVEMBER 12, 1991
The public hearing remained open and there being no one wishing to
speak, the public hearing was closed.
The following ordinance was presented to the Council for
introduction:
ORDINANCE NO. 689
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
AMENDING ARTICLE IX OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE WITH REGARD TO"THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF FLOOR-AREA RATIOS IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES
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Councilman McDonald requested that the date in Section 11 be
changed to November 26, 1991.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MCDONALD, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM CLARK that
ordinance No. 689 be introduced on its first reading and that reading
in full be waived. Before vote could result Councilman Taylor stated
that he was opposed to the provision requiring a conditional use
permit for homes over 2,500 square feet and requested the following
remarks to be entered verbatim:
"I agree that staff has worked on this. We've kicked it back a
couple of times but there's one item in here that I cannot go
along with and I think it's one of the most important as far as
I'm concerned and I think the residents if they understood what it
actually is saying. Mansionization, we've had a problem in the
past as far as when homes were built they didn't have the proper.
setbacks and planned developments, they could have ten and twelve
foot backyards and this corrects it. It's proportionate to the
size of the home, the lot would be larger and I agree with that
one hundred percent. But the one item that I cannot vote on is to
say to a homeowner because you may have a larger home, and I'll
use myself as an example, that I have nine children and I built a
six-bedroom home and it's over the 2,500 square-foot requirement.
To make me or any resident in this community and there was a
Hindelman family that lived on Rio Hondo there, they also had nine
children, and to come to this Council or the City I think it's
almost an infringement on the right of being a human being to say
that for you to live in this community and to build a home that
you think that you need, we will require you to.get a conditional
use permit, the same thing that Charley Brown's has to do to get a
dancing permit. I think that's very wrong to say to a residential
homeowner, you cannot build a home in the City of Rosemead unless
you get a conditional use permit. And I will vote no on it but
before that I would like to make an amendment to the motion that
we delete the conditional use requirement."
The maker of the motion and the second did not agree to this
amendment.
There being no further discussion, vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Imperial, Clark, McDonald
No: Taylor
Absent. None
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared'said motion duly carried and so ordered.
III.LEGISLATIVE
A. RESOLUTION NO. 91-62 - C EIKS & DEMANDS
The following resolution was presented to the Council for
adoption:
RESOLUTION NO. 91-62
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $597,940.14
NUMBERED 37774-37804 AND 34973 THROUGH 35093
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN McDONALD that
Resolution No. 91-62 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor, Imperial, Clark, McDonald
No: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
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B. RESOLUTION NO. 91-63 - APPROVAL OF STATE AND LOCAL ENTITY
MASTER AGREEMENT NO. SLTPP-5358
The following resolution was presented to the Council for
adoption:
RESOLUTION NO. 91-63
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
APPROVING STATE-LOCAL ENTITY MASTER AGREEMENT NO. SLTPP-5358
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN McDONALD, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH that
Resolution No. 91-63 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor,
No: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
Imperial, Clark, McDonald
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
C. RESOLUTION NO. 91-64 - APPROVAL OF PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT
AGREEMENT NO. 001 TO STATE AND LOCAL ENTITY MASTER AG:
NO. SLTPP-5358
The following resolution was presented to the Council for
adoption:
RESOLUTION NO. 91-64
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
APPROVING PROGRAM SUPPLEMENT NO. 001 WITH THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE 1989-90
ASPHALT CONCRETE OVERLAY ON VARIOUS CITY STREETS
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH that
Resolution No. 91-64 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor, Imperial, Clark, McDonald
No: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
D. ORDINANCE NO. 693 - APPROVING A REQUEST FROM MICHAEL CIRRITO
TO CERTIFY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 91-534 WHICH PROPOSES
DEVELOPMENT OF A CAR WASH AT 3606 ROSEMEAD BOULEVARD, BY
AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO ALLOW THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CAR
WASHES IN THE C-3 ZONE UPON ACQUISITION OF A CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT AND A MODIFICATION OF A CONDITION REQUIRING ADDITIONAL
OFF-STREET PARKING - ADOPT
The following ordinance was presented to the Council for adoption:
ORDINANCE NO. 693
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADOPTING LAND USE REGULATIONS
FOR CAR WASHES
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN TAYLOR that
ordinance No. 693 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor, Clark
No: Imperial, McDonald
Absent: None
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
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9
E. ORDINANCE NO. 694 - AN URGENCY ORDINANCE IMPOSING A 45-DAY
MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF NEW ENTERTAINMENT LICENSES FOR
KARAOKE/KTV STUDIOS - ADOPT
The following urgency ordinance,was presented to the Council for
adoption:
ORDINANCE NO. 694
AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROSEMEAD IMPOSING A 45-DAY MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF NEW
ENTERTAINMENT LICENSES FOR THE PURPOSE OF KARAOKE/KTV
STUDIOS AND DIRECTING THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO INITIATE A
STUDY WITH RESPECT TO DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE ZONING
REGULATIONS GOVERNING SUCH USES
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH that
ordinance No. 694 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor,
No: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
Imperial, Clark, McDonald
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
IV. CONSENT CALENDAR
CC-A ACCEPTANCE OF STREET EASEMENT FOR 2603 CHARLOTTE AVENUE
CC-B APPROVAL OF COSTS FOR CITY OF ROSEMEAD PARADE TO BE HELD ON
JULY 4, 1992
CC-C REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL MARKINGS ON EGLEY STREET FOR
BITELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BRUESCH that the
foregoing items on the Consent Calendar be approved. Vote resulted:
Yes: Bruesch, Taylor, Imperial, Clark, McDonald
No: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
V. MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION & ACTION
A. REQUEST FROM AMAX, KTV, 9151 VALLEY BOULEVARD, FOR
MODIFICATION OF ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT HOURS OF OPERATION
VERBATIM DIALOGUE FOLLOWS:
FRANK G. TRIPEPI, CITY MANAGER: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council,
you have a request from Mr. Feng, the owner. He is requesting that
the City allow him to increase the hours of operation. I believe he's
in the audience this evening to answer any questions.
IMPERIAL: Does the owner of the Karaoke here wish to say anything?
AUDIENCE: I'll let my attorney represent me.
IMPERIAL: Fine. Would your attorney like to speak?
AUDIENCE: Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, ladies and
gentlemen of the staff. My name is Joe Micelli. I already have
submitted a request of authorization to speak. I hope you don't call
me twice. It's going to be hard enough to go through this once. The
reason why we're here today is in order to maybe explain in a little
more detail what a Karaoke is, what it is that AMAX KTV has been doing
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MICELLI CONTINUES: and to review what took place at the time of the
initial application for an entertainment permit which resulted in
Council imposing a 1:00 closing time on AMAX.. We have submitted for
Council's review a packet previously. I hope you've all had an
opportunity to review it and I would at this time like to also submit
to Council petitions from some 84 adjoining property owners ...all of
whom are in support of expanding the hours of AMAX KTV. In fact, I've
taken my own poll of the adjoining property owners and found that they
truly believe that their environment is much more safe and much more
secure as long as AMAX KTV is in operation. The reason being is that
AMAX has always provided valet parking services to the facility in an
effort to not only service their customers but also to reduce any
noise that would be generated from the parking lot. As a result of
the presence of the valet parker at the parking lot, he's in the
unique position of surveying the adjoining property owners and there
are in fact three residents which are immediately abutting to the
parking area to which valet parker has direct access visually to their
location and which otherwise are not only secluded off of Valley
Boulevard but are in the dark. Furthermore the valet parker has an
unobstructed view across Valley Boulevard to the businesses across the
street which would also provide a benefit to those properties. We
have submitted as part of our package a map of the City of Rosemead
which has attempted to clearly identify 24 other businesses within the
City in a surrounding area of the Karaoke which are open from 2:00 and
in fact are open on a 24-hour basis. We submit to Council that the
Karaoke in no way creates additional noises over and above these other
business which are in operation and in support of that went through
the great expense of hiring an acoustical engineering firm, DB
Associates, a copy of their report has also been submitted to you for
your approval and review. DB Associates came out and took acoustical.
readings pursuant to the guidelines set forth in the ordinance and
determined that in fact the utilization of the individual rooms that
are built inside of the Karaoke in no way create any violation to the
noise ordinance. The noise ordinance, I'm sure you're all aware,
looks to the effect on receptor properties and between the hours of
10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the ambient noise level cannot exceed 45 DBA.
It turns out the ambient noise level in this area off of Valley
Boulevard is in fact 48 DBA plus or minus one so the ambient noise
level itself is in violation of your noise ordinance. The acoustical
engineer, however, in his evaluation stated that when the primary
Karaoke room, a copy of the original floorplan which was presented to
the City designated that area, unfortunately there is not one attached
to this submittal. When the main Karaoke room is in operation and the
front door to the Karaoke is open then noise levels that come out of
that front door would in fact violate the noise ordinance. So what
the acoustical engineer had done was went through and provided for us
in his report a number of mitigating measures which could be
implemented to insure that that would not take place. Amongst those
was the installation if you will of a sound locked vestibule so that
there would be two doors to the Karaoke. So someone who was entering
into the Karaoke would come into a vestibule, that door would close,
and then they would open a door which would lead them into the
establishment so that at no time would the outside air be exposed to
direct noise from inside the Karaoke. Another suggestion that he had
come up with was to in fact eliminate the open area and create two
other rooms in that space for private utilization, the reason being is
that when those rooms were utilized because the.doors were closed
again there would be no noise being let out into the atmosphere when
the front door was open because. they would in fact be contained. Now,
to ally some of Councilman McDonald's fears AMAX has on all of its
private rooms not only glass doors but has installed glass windows to
each one of those rooms to allow unobstructed view into each one of
those private rooms, to insure that shall we say no hanky panky takes
place and in fact AMAX has gone out of its way to provide for the
benefits of the adjoining property owners as well and it has done so
in so far as they are prepared to do whatever is reasonably necessary
to mitigate any noise which is being generated from the Karaoke and I
think that that is the essence of the problem. Number one I think
that when the Council was looking at AMAX's original submittal they
didn't quite know what to do with it. I don't think they even knew
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MICELLI CONTINUES: what a Karaoke was at that time. The issue should
not really be let's allow them to create noise only until 1:00. The
issue should be can they do something to mitigate the noise to the
adjoining property owners and thereby not be subjected to a violation
of the noise ordinance. The other issue is are they in fact an
entertainment establishment because in reviewing the entertainment
license... Section 7.36.200 which deals with hours of operation states
and I quote "Generally no entertainment of any sort other than
mechanical music may be conducted in an establishment for which this
Chapter requires a license between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00
a.m." So, if you were to hold that the act of people going into a
room, turning on what is the modern day equivalent of Mitch Miller's
bouncing ball and singing to themselves and their friends, is
entertainment, yes they are an entertainment establishment, yes they
fall under the guidelines of the entertainment ordinance and yes you
should be able to regulate them between the hours of 2:00 and 6:00.
However, if you were to find that this is nothing more than Mitch
Miller's bouncing ball and is the equivalent of what you and I and I
think 99% of this population does every day, and that's sing in their
car, then I would have to say no, they're not an entertainment
establishment. They.provide mechanical music which is exempted under
the entertainment ordinance and therefore as long as they are not in
violation of the noise ordinance should be allowed to stay open as
long as they want.
IMPERIAL: Providing you don't charge yourself to sing in your car, go
ahead.
MICELLI: So, again I've submitted all those things to you for your
consideration. The second thing is I think that there was also a
misconception as to the nature of the Karaoke. Here I have the song
menu book and in it, because I took the time today to count the number
of titles, there are over 898 American titled songs, ranging from rock
and roll to children's songs. There is nothing in the nature of a
Karaoke which is endemic to any culture. I think it's endemic to all
cultures and to the very essence of the human spirit and that is an
opportunity to express themselves. We live in a modern society where
the majority, I would like and I'm not quite of that, but I think the
majority of people work a schedule which is from 9:00 to 5:00. They
traditionally find their entertainment between the hours of 5:00 and
maybe 10:00 and go to bed by 10:30 so that they're up to go to work at
7:00. However, our society is rapidly changing. Our freeways are
congested. More and more, cities are enacting ordinances to not only
attempt to create an environment where people can carpool but where
businesses are allowed to stay open at varying hours so that we can
reduce the congestion on our freeways. So we do see more and more
people that are at work between the hours of 4:00 in the afternoon and
get off of work at 12:00 at night and for a short period of time are
looking for some means of entertaining themselves and under the.terms
of the ordinance which are now in effect when these people come to
AMAX for their entertainment and they walk into the door at fifteen
minutes after twelve and they see that there are no rooms going to be
available to them they are turning around and leaving. As a result of
that the gross daily revenues from AMAX have gone and dropped pursuant
to a financial analysis which was conducted and has presented to you
for your evaluation from $724.26 a day to $139.37 a day. The result
of that drop was essentially to compel AMAX to shut down for a short.
period to see if it was even financially viable for them to continue
being in operation. As a result of a mixup in us not getting on the
schedule for the previous Council meeting AMAX has since reopened but
their sales have been dismal at the most and in fact have fallen far
short of the $100 per day mark. In short, I think that what you have
here is someone whose adjoining neighbors really feel provides a
benefit to this community. It may be something that now is on the
rise and you need to control and it's well within the province of this
body to do it. The issue is though one of fairness. If the issue is
noise generation then application of the ordinance, of the noise
ordinance needs to be done but the noise ordinance is dealing with the
generation of noises in excess of 45 DBA and AMAX is more than willing
to take reasonable corrective measures to insure that they do not
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MICELLI CONTINUES: violate those noise levels and to insure that any
noise that is created is contained within their lot. Also, I think
that you will find that AMAX has at all times maintained an excellent
rapport with all of their neighbors and in fact their neighbors are in
support of allowing them to have expanded hours on a 24-hour basis. I
think we have some other people here that want to speak in support of
AMAX so I'll quietly and meekly sit down but again I would hope that
the Council...
IMPERIAL: Before you do counselor. This petition says we the
undersigned declare and state as follows that AMAX KTV located at 9151
E. Valley Boulevard has proved themselves to be a valuable and
considerate neighbor. We wish to voice our support for their
application to be able to remain open for 24 hours a day. Now, I want
you.to go on record as saying that everyone that signed this petition
is aware of Karaoke and what it does and what their actual function
is.
MICELLI: That's correct. And as a matter of fact, Mr. Mayor, Mr.
Feng had run into a number of circumstances where people were not
aware of what a Karaoke was and people who did in fact refuse to sign
the petition for that very reason and Mr. Feng made a standing offer
to everyone who had that problem to come over to his Karaoke and to
see and to experience it on a first-hand basis and many of the people
that have signed that petition in fact did not sign the petition until
such time as they had gone there and saw exactly what they were doing
in terms of their business and in fact I would extend an open
invitation to all the members of this Council to come to this
particular Karaoke and see exactly the way that it's laid out, exactly
the way that is open for complete observation from anyone standing in
any location to look into each one of these rooms and to in fact
experience what it's like to make yourself sound better because of a
sound machine.
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. Question. How were these petitions circulated?
MICELLI: Mr. Feng went around himself, personally and he'll have to
elaborate on it because there were some.other adjoining property
owners that when he approached and explained what the problem was also
offered to take them out.
TAYLOR: Okay. Some of these are 1/2 a mile to 3/4 of a mile away.
MICELLI: That one there was-just ...the white.one was just handed to
me prior to coming into the Council meeting. The green ones which
were given...
TAYLOR: No. Excuse me. These are copies of all the green ones.
MICELLI: Oh. Those are the copies of the green ones? Okay. Well,
there was one white one that was given to me recently outside the
door. I think.you're also going to find that were some 46 of them
which are directly in and around that area.
TAYLOR: How were they all circulated, though?
MICELLI: Well, again I'll have to defer to Mr. Feng. I only know of
his personally going out and visiting these people on an individual
basis.
TAYLOR: I'm curious why we got over here 1/2 mile to 3/4 of a mile
away over to Loftus and Brookline down by the Temple City onramp to
the freeway.
MICELLI: Again, I'm going to have to defer to Mr. Feng on that point
but you're focusing in on maybe one or two isolated addresses when the
bulk of those addresses are on Steele and Bentel and Valley.
TAYLOR: Well, there's a reason for why I'm asking that. We're going
to get down to that. Were there any offers made to any of these
people to come to the Karaoke for any free demonstration or use.of the
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MICELLI: Are you talking about in terms of a quid pro quo if you will
for their having signed?
TAYLOR: Yes. Anything of that nature?
MICELLI: No, that's not the case at all. It was more of a situation
to where they had voiced the fact that they did not know what a
Karaoke was and were not going to sign a petition to allow something
to go on that they didn't have an experience of, that Mr. Feng would
offer to allow them to come down to see what he was doing down there.
TAYLOR: And the reason I ask that question is we have another issue
coming before us and that particular applicant we understand had .
offered a $10 gift certificate to anyone signing the petition.
MICELLI: Well, I have been informed that that is not the case.
BRUESCH: Mr. Mayor.
MICELLI: But again I would urge you to inquire further from Mr. Feng
because he was the one that had gone door-to-door and I do know for a
fact that a number of his adjoining property owners also took up the
cause on his behalf and took the petitions out for...
TAYLOR: The reason those questions become pertinent in the sense that
you did make the statement and we understand that not everyone would
sign it 100% but we're presented the one side of it. We don't know
those that rejected it whether there was five, ten, fifty or a
hundred. We don't know that.
IMPERIAL: That's why Mr. Taylor I would like this list surveyed by
staff to be sure these people are all knowledgable of what they signed
and they actually believe this by putting their signature on it and
I'll direct staff to do that.
MICELLI: I think that's an excellent idea, Mr. Mayor.
BRUESCH: Mr. Mayor. Got a couple of questions on this. One comment
and a couple of questions. On your report, giving a report of 20
different businesses or 24 different businesses which are open 24
hours, each type is a different type of business.
MICELLI: That's correct.
BRUESCH: It's like comparing apples to oranges.
MICELLI: Well, not really. Because you might say the primary concern
here is the generation of noise and if something is a gas station or
something is a taco stand or if something is a motel, that the opening
and closing of a car door at a Karaoke is no different than the
opening and closing of a car door at a motel and I think that all of
you have to specifically realize that the City of Rosemead is laid out
in such a way that the vast majority of commercial space that's
available in the City is adjoining residential property. And to say
that a motel which is on San Gabriel and Garvey say or 'Graves and I'll
just pick one here off the end is situated strategically differently
than AMAX is when AMAX is sitting right on Valley Boulevard, your
primary thoroughfare of the City, I think is making a slightly skewed
decision.
BRUESCH: Could you answer another question for me? AMAX KTV, is this
is a franchise business?
MICELLI: No, it's not. It's privately owned...
BRUESCH: Do they buy the equipment or do they lease the equipment?
MICELLI: Yes. They buy the equipment and then they buy the CD discs
which contain the music.
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BRUESCH: Another question. on the...these are not numbered ...on this
page here which says about financial listing there, number four it
says customers who came in at 11:00 do not want to stay because of the
closing hour and the lobby. Now, why don't they want to stay because
there's a lobby there?
MICELLI: That I would have to ask you to address to Mr. Feng. I'm
not familiar with that. ,
BRUESCH: That's one of the questions I want to direct to them.
TRIPEPI: For Mr. Bruesch, I can probably answer that question because
I have met with the owner of the business. I believe it has to do
with basically people ...the rooms have been set up now where you can
see into them. I think it has to do with some people who go in there
to make a recording do not want everybody in the lobby basically
watching them make their recording. So, it had to do with the people
in the lobby. That's what it was.
MICELLI: And my last point, my unsolicited point, is I would direct
your attention to the certificate of occupancy that was originally
issued to AMAX back on April 22, 1991, and please note that
specifically on the certificate of occupancy it states Karaoke Studio,
AMAX KTV, and in fact Mr. Feng had gone through great lengths to try
to explain to staff at that time what a Karaoke was and it was at that
point in time after making a full disclosure of exactly everything
that was to be intended on doing in this building that staff had
identified them as a music store because in fact one of the sources of
income for AMAX is intended to be the sale of the Karaoke devices and
I might add that I've seen these Karaoke devices sold on QVC TV on
numerous occasions. It was at that point in time that the certificate
of occupancy was granted and there were no closing time restrictions
enacted. It was not until the Sheriff's department had come to visit
that there was any hint that in fact AMAX should have come forward and
sought an entertainment license. So they in fact had some five or six
months of operation as a music store, never having had any problems
with the City of Rosemead or with the police department in any way,
shape or form when suddenly their hours were reduced back until 1:00
and that's the essence of this hardship because the customers had
frequented AMAX KTV and who had relied on them to be open suddenly
found no place to go except maybe to some other location which is
allowed to be open at a later period of time and in light of the fact
that AMAX is prepared to take whatever steps are reasonably necessary
to mitigate.any harmful effects to the adjoining property.owners and
in light of the fact that we're dealing here with a generation of
mechanical music I would just hope the Council would say to themselves
that they should give an opportunity for AMAX to stumble and fall on
their face before they're compelled to go out of business and that
just has not happened because AMAX has always been and the owners
continue to want to provide a good, clean, safe form of individual
entertainment and something which any of you would be happy and proud
to go to or in the afternoon hours happy or proud to have your
children for a birthday party or a singalong or something.along those
lines and again we would respectfully request that Council amend the
original entertainment license and allow them to be open on a 24-hour
basis.
McDONALD: Mr. Mayor. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
MICELLI: Joe Micelli, M-I-C=E-L-L-I.
McDONALD: Okay, Joe. As a city council sitting here we have a
responsibility trying to provide for the safety and welfare of this
community. We also at the same time have to provide a financial base
for this City's services to be provided with. Business-wise, we
encourage a lot of businesses to come into this town and we look at
them very close. We scrutinize them for the point that you said in
this particular case it looks as though there may be something
possibly that could down the road be immoral, that goes on in that
type of facility that has little sections like this. I think you did
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McDONALD CONTINUES: a good job to go out and get the people signed
around that area. I think that's probably the thing that we look at
closest because we, are kind of a grass roots council here. When.
people come in here to speak we kind of listen. Okay? But I'd like
at this point ask the Sheriff's representatives from Temple Station if
there has been a reoccurrence over and over again of any problems
there. I think they can mention a couple that they did have ...was
that for noise level? The incidents that there? ...What type of
problems did we have there?
IMPERIAL: Let me introduce Sergeant Flower from Temple Station. He's
taking the Lieutenant's place tonight. Sergeant Flower?
IMPERIAL: Steve, why don't you come up to the microphone?
AUDIENCE: My name is Steve Wilkomm. I'm the license investigator for
the Sheriff's Department assigned to do investigation and enforcement
of the regulatory licenses for the City of Rosemead.
McDONALD: Did we have any particular problems that you have found
since KTV has gone in?
WILKOMM: Two problems. Through no fault of the applicant, apparently
there was a property damage regarding a fight inside one of the rooms
that resulted in some'damage to rather expensive equipment inside one
of the rooms.'
McDONALD: Did you determine the cause of the fight?
WILKOMM: This information was relayed to me by the applicant while I
was in the midst of processing of their license.
McDONALD: Was there a secondary problem? You said there was another
problem?
WILKOMM: Most recently, today being concerned of Mr. Bruesch's
concern about the closest residents I went out and measured it for you
from the rear wall to the closest resident who is just directly behind
them is 28 feet.
IMPERIAL: Is that a wall or a chain link fence?
WILKOMM: A wall. There are several multi-plex residents directly
behind it that I believe is owned by the same person...
IMPERIAL: With chain link fence. That's what I'm told.
WILKOMM: and there is a chain link fence that separates the
parking lot except for one portion which is directly next to the back
of the rear of the building and I went and measured it and it.was 28
feet. But while I was there I decided to make an inspection. And the
only thing that I observed to be a problem was the fact that although
there were no customers there at the time the requirement for a
licensed manager was not complied to in that there was a person who
identified herself to myself to be the manager of entertainment that
is required on the license, however, she did not get a license from
the City. And in response to that I issued a warning citation to her
and also spoke telephonically to one of the licensed managers who they
in turn did call while I was there and I did advise them of the
situation.
McDONALD: Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate your input. The
comment that I would like to make or the proposal that I would like to
make is we've got already a moratorium coming up for 45 days right at
this point to kind of look at these places because it's something
that's new to us. Okay? And noise right off the bat is a problem and
as we've said I think in the report on your lobby situation there that
there needs to be some sort of vestibule or some kind of problem to
keep the noise from going outside, if the noise is in the lobby area.
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MICELLI: Exactly. And in fact, Councilman McDonald, what AMAX has
proposed to do is to eliminate that lobby altogether by the
construction of two additional rooms to eliminate completely the
Karaoke if you will atmosphere because Karaoke by its very definition
is a group type of a singalong and by the construction of these two
additional rooms again we eliminate the problem of noise being allowed
to enter into the ambient atmosphere as soon as the front door of the
establishment is opened and also we thereby simultaneously eliminate
that entire situation where you would have if you will one stranger
singing to another stranger.
McDONALD: Okay. Thank you. What I wanted to propose is we give you
a 60-day trial period on that, at which time, with the understanding
that you're going to have to meet all the requirements of the new
ordinance that comes up on Karaoke that we're going to have in 45 days
which we as you know we just voted for that but that would give us you
an opportunity to prove to us.during that period of time that there is
really no problem there in the.community. There may some people that
are adjacent to you that have not signed that petition that will come
in-during that period, 45 days, and says no we don't want that and
then that's all it's going to take is one individual just about from
that area there to voice a serious concern on something that's going
there. I like the concept of the 24-hour because that does give
security and that's adjacent to a residences and we are having an
unbelievable amount of robberies throughout this City where people
just go in and stiff arm the people in the homes and take what they
have here and it's ...I don't know how we can solve that problem.
MICELLI: I think that you would find that AMAX would be more than
amiable to accepting your offer of going on a 60-day, 24-hour
contingency basis.
McDONALD: Realizing that we may take it back to 1:00, okay? I would
propose the 24-hour operation. This is the first time this type of
business is working like that. The problem that we have with bars and
things like that is there an activity going on there that somebody
comes out of there and they're not the same as when they went in.
MICELLI: And that's not the case here because and I did not say this
but alcoholic beverages are not served here.
McDONALD: Right. It says that in our informational packet here. So,
it would be my proposal and I move that we give them a 45-day trial
period, or let's say 60-day trial period. That gives us 15 days to
get this ordinance started to pass on a Karaoke with the understanding
that we're going to look at the whole thing all over again to see what
you have, if there's been any complaints, any problems plus you're
going to have to meet what we see as the standards that we're setting
for Karaoke in the community.
MICELLI: Well again, I think you'll find that the owners of AMAX have
always been willing to bend over backwards to comply with any
requirements of the City and to their neighbors as well, even in an
unenforced manner.
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. At this time I could be in favor changing it to
the 2:00 a.m. to put it on a par or treating them fairly in the sense
that the majority of them, we try to close entertainment facilities or
the bars and such and not comparing the two together but just saying
the 2:00 a.m. closing and I think at this time we could be opening a
Pandora's box in the sense that the question comes up you did it for
them you should do it for me and once we start the 24-hour procedure,
everyone of them and it looks to be like there's a possibility that
this could become a very popular type facility where once they start
staying open 24 hours a day you can possibly create a situation where
if it does begin to get out of hand then we could have a potential
police problem and I'm not opposed to the type of entertainment as far
as the music and the equipment that they have but I think we'd better
be very careful about starting 24-hour because once we do it it's like
the video stores that cropped up all over the state, if these are as
popular as they're implying we could have these coming out I couldn't
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McDONALD: Mr. Mayor.
MICELLI: May I address Mr. Taylor's concern? And that is this, Mr.
Taylor. The very essence of a variance is hardship and the concern
that you have I think it's a legitimate concern and one I think that
all the Council should be concerned with but what you're dealing with
here is someone who had come to the City in April, told them what they
were going to be doing, was classified as a music store, was allowed
to stay open as long as they wanted, and then were compelled to come
before the City to seek an entertainment license.
TAYLOR: Well, maybe there was as you said a misunderstanding of a
music store and staying open, it's more it becomes an entertainment
facility rather than a true music store that what we know as a music
store.
MICELLI: Well, except that the ordinance specifically says that the
entertainment ordinance does not apply to mechanical music and I just
want...I don't want to get off my point which is this and that is that
what we're seeking here is a variance and when you're looking at a
variance what you're supposed to do is look to the individual
property.
TAYLOR: Why should it be a variance?
MICELLI: Because essentially what we're here is under 4041.2.
TAYLOR: But why should it be a variance?
MICELLI: Because the way that I understand the scenario they had been
in operation on an elongated hourly basis. That was brought back to
the 1:00. That 1:00 is what created the hardship.
TAYLOR: Elongated to what, 2:00?
MICELLI: They were open ...they accepted their last customer at 3:00
and then the customer that had been accepted would be allowed to stay
and to sing until he left. They didn't allow any new customers to
come in after 3:00.
ROBERT L. KRESS, CITY ATTORNEY: Is that your representation that from
April through October 22nd those were the hours?
MICELLI: Yes. They accepted their last customer at 3:00, anybody
that was in the building after 3:00 was allowed to stay but no new
customers were allowed to enter and again looking at your concern,
what we're dealing with here is someone who has been suffering severe
financial difficulty whereas someone who's coming into the City to
establish a Karaoke who knows what the game rules are going to be
before they step up to the plate is not going to have that now that
you're going to undertake...
TAYLOR: Well, this is why this was enacted at this... for this ...when
it came before us. It was the current one. And that was the intent
to try to start to put some regulations on them.
MICELLI: But I would submit to you that when you go into establishing
a regulation on someone that it's necessary to look at the entire
picture and in this particular picture it was someone who had already
been doing exactly what they were continuing to do at the time that it
was determined that they should be an entertainment facility and for
that reason I think it's necessary to look at this as a variance issue
and to identify this particular piece of property, identify these
particular businessmen, and say what can we do in light of their
willingness to work with us and their willingness to work with their
adjoining property owners to allow them an opportunity to be
successful and stand or fall on their own merit.
TAYLOR: Well, part of my reasoning was that to make it 2:00 a.m. to.
what most of the other entertainment facilities are. That creates a
parity in the sense that we're not leaning in favor of any particular
business having the option you might say of monopolizing the market.
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•
MICELLI: Okay. But then it comes back to what is your definition of
entertainment? Is going to the lounge at a hotel, entertainment? If
that's the case then you're not going to be able to allow hotels to
have lounges.
TAYLOR: No. This is still a different... we're mixing motels or
hotels...
MICELLI: Is having a jukebox at a donut shop, entertainment? If
that's the case then you're going to have to regulate donut shops.
TAYLOR: No. We get down to semantics of it and such. That's not the
issue. As far as if it's an eating establishment, you put in the
restaurants, as far as being open 24 hours, there's not the tendency
of the donut shop or the restaurants to have the potential of the
hanky panky where the client doesn't like the window where people can
look in whereas in a restaurant or a donut shop they could care less
who looks at them.
MICELLI: But in this particular instance, the windows are there. And
if the person doesn't like the fact that the windows are there they
only have one alternative and that is to leave. And one of the things
that makes this particular location so unique is that valet parking is
provided and in fact AMAX is willing to alter their procedures in any
way necessary to insure that as their clientele exit the facility that
their car is waiting for them and what we have specifically have in
mind is when the waitress comes with their bill, at that particular
point in time they will request the valet parking ticket from the
customer.
TAYLOR: Again, I'm not that familiar with it but you're mentioning
where people go in and sing and there's waitresses there and there's
valet parking and such, I guess I'm going to have to get educated on
the cost of this operation. I mean it's the cost of the operation
when you're providing these services I could see where you couldn't
make it on a $170 a day.,
MICELLI: It is by all means a first class operation.
BRUESCH: Mr. Mayor. We need time to study these type of operations
because you've got to understand that we're in a position of looking
at the greater picture and the greater picture is is the more
businesses that are open at 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning, the more
traffic generated, the more police surveillance we need and if we
allow one to do something like that then we have to allow all of them
and if we have a great increase in the number of these type of
establishments that are open,up at 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning
perhaps there'll be a necessity to have another Sheriff's patrol on.
Well, a Sheriff's patrol costs the City $250,000 to $300,000 a year.
We're not just looking at one particular business, we're looking at a
policy of establishing a policy when these places are going to close.
We've got to know the information. We have got to know what the other
cities are doing. What they're experiencing. Okay? Perhaps nine
other cities in this area are saying well gee we don't have any
problem, there's no increased police patrols that we see a need for
but we don't know this yet and this is why we have this moratorium.
MICELLI: And Councilman, I agree with you a hundred percent. And I
think it's necessary for the City Council to address those issues in a
very thorough manner and I applaud you for undertaking the opportunity
to do that but I...and that's the reason why I think that Councilman
McDonald's suggestion is really the reasonable way to go and that is
let's let out all the rope we need to let out for 60 days and let
these guys hang themselves or let them survive on their own merits
with the understanding that when the new ordinance is implemented
they're going to have to come into compliance with that.
BRUESCH: But is it,not true that there are Karaoke establishments in
Alhambra and Monterey Park that are operating just like that, a
24-hour type period.
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MICELLI: Yes, there are.
BRUESCH: Okay. See, we have that information out there. We have to
gather it in.
MICELLI: Okay. And again I think that going outside of the City of
Rosemead is going to be valuable information for you but I think that
you have a very unique opportunity here within your City with an
establishment which has demonstrated that it's not approaching it in a
shabby way, that it is providing full-time hostesses, that it does
have windows in each one of its Karaoke rooms, that it does have valet
parking on site and if you look to what can only be considered the
Rolls Royce of Karaokes and from the standpoint of service and they
can't succeed on their merit and they're given an opportunity on a
24-hour basis and they just can't carry the ball then I think your
antenna really has to go up but if you're looking into the City of
Alhambra at maybe many established Karaokes in that area that are
shabbily put together, that do not conform to what ultimately are
going to be the guidelines that are implemented by this body, then
you're not really getting a true test of this particular establishment
and all of the attenuate circumstances that surrounded their being
brought from essentially being open until 3:00 and allowing the last
customer to stay on board to coming back and kicking everyone out at
1:00 and that's what I'm hoping that you'll do. Not only from the
standpoint of the hardship.that was created on my clients but also
from an educational standpoint for yourselves so that you can test the
waters and see if this is something that the City of Rosemead can live
with.
BRUESCH: I just wanted to end my comments with the fact that I have
seen the expansion of this type of entertainment facility into many
different what we would consider mainstream type of establishments.
Shakey's. is doing it now. Mr. Entertainment up at the mall.is selling
these things and it's becoming quite popular with everybody and if
that is the case we again I'll go back to my original statement we
need the information to allow us to come to a decision on what type of
hours, what type of clientele, how do we police the situation and so
forth and so on.
MICELLI: And again I would submit to you that you have a prime
opportunity here on Valley Boulevard to do that pursuant to Councilman
McDonald's suggestion.
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. Do we have a second to Mr. McDonald?
IMPERIAL: No we don't. Mr. McDonald.
McDONALD: I'd just like to say gentlemen that we say we're setting
precedent here, we're setting precedent there. This community changes
dramatically every six months and we are no longer a white middle
class community. We've got things are changing here fast. This gives
us an opportunity for a trial period for a new type of thing that is
really Asian oriented type of clientele for these things.
MICELLI: Except I would have to take exception to that statement only
from the standpoint as I pointed out they have over 898 if you will,
Anglo titles, ranging from...
McDONALD: We're not talking about the songs. We're talking about the
clientele and it's something new...
IMPERIAL: It originated in Japan.
McDONALD: I would make the motion that we give him his 60-day trial
period with the understanding that it gives him no assurance that it's
going to go on after we talk about the ordinance and look at your
establishment just individually beyond this point but it does you give
us an opportunity here to exclusively look at a specific thing going
on here in Rosemead. It going on in Alhambra or it going on in
Monterey Park is completely different than it going on in Rosemead so
CC 11-26-91
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McDONALD CONTINUES: I think like you do you offer us a unique
opportunity to do that and I don't think we're setting any precedent.
So, I would make the motion that we authorize a 60-day trial period
with the understanding that KTV is going to have meet all the.
requirements of the up and coming ordinances and also that you may be
back to 10:00 or 9:00 depending on what we decide.
TAYLOR: Is there a second to that motion?
BRUESCH: Mr. Mayor. I would second that motion due to the fact that
they have been operating in the City with that time frame and there
hasn't been major problems.
TAYLOR: Call for the question.
IMPERIAL: There is a motion and a second. Before we call for the
question I would like to give these people an opportunity that have
something to say to say. They've sat here, they requested it, I think
they have a right to do that and then we can take our vote. At this
time I would call Mr. George Treantafelles.
AUDIENCE: My name George Treantafelles. My address is 9142 Bentel.
It used to be a bar before and it used to be up to 3, 4 o'clock in the
morning and it was worse. It was problems and now I'm pretty happy.
These people got it and try their best. About late hours, I don't
even know it myself that they were going to ask for 24 hours. I was
going to develop that piece of property but-it's too much money. So I
gave them a short lease.
IMPERIAL: Dolly Leong.
AUDIENCE: My name is Dolly Leong. I reside at 9554 Ralph Street for
the past 20 years and we all noticed that this property after AMAX KTV
took over there was a vast improvement including the exterior, it was
clean at all times. In the recent Planning Commission hearing we were
really impressed with Commissioner Young's concerns regarding when the
owner of the Hart Plaza, 9200 Valley Boulevard, requested a
restaurant. Commissioner Young indicated concerns about the vacancy
factors of all commercial property within one block east and west and
south of this subject property. Like the Rosemead Plaza, all the
upper levels like six units were vacant and also one level on the
ground floor. I believe it was almost like 60% vacancy factors on
that Rosemead Plaza and on the south of this subject property, the
Hart Plaza, four unit out of ten was vacant. Also, on 9238-40 Valley
Boulevard was also vacant, 9143 was vacant for almost two years and
9308 I believe is also vacant. So, we believe that these commercial
properties are in prime locations and these according to the occupants
there they are vacant between one to three years.
IMPERIAL: Dolly, you've already told us about the vacancies. How far
are you from this property?
LEONG: Okay. The businesses in our neighboring cities are booming,
like in...
IMPERIAL: No. How far are you from KMAX? Where do you live in
reference to KMAX?
LEONG: I'm just two blocks away.
IMPERIAL: Two blocks away? Okay. So, if there was noise you
couldn't hear it, am I correct?
LEONG: No, I don't. I'd also like to input to the Council the
business in the neighboring cities are booming like San Gabriel
Square, the five acres new commercial development on Valley and Del
Mar and also another 44 commercial condo was already under
construction on Valley west of Walnut Grove. We'd like to request the
City Council to render a favorable decision to these property owners.
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IMPERIAL: Delia Maravilla. Did I pronounce your name right?
AUDIENCE: My name is Delia Maravilla and I'm here to tell you I live
in the back of KTV. I live at 9155 and I never have any problems with
them or customers or anything. So, I don't have no problems.
IMPERIAL: I have one here, I've got one for Mr. Angles and I've got
one with no name on it. Is there somebody that requested to speak and
didn't put their name on it?
AUDIENCE: Name is Maria Perez, 9153 E. Valley Boulevard. Everything
is okay.
IMPERIAL: Robert Angles.
AUDIENCE: My name is Robert Angles. I live at 9147 Valley Boulevard
in Rosemead. There's been a great deal of discussion about the KTV
building. First of all, I'd like to clarify something and that is
that there has been no complaint about noise from the interior of the
building. However., we do have a complaint from me and a problem with
the Karaoke next door in the amount of noise that is generated outside
it in the parking lot, on the sidewalk, from.people from customers
that are awfully happy at 2, 3, 4, 4:30 in the morning. I understand
that the KTV, the Karaoke, place does not have a permit to serve
liquor. I am not saying that do serve liquor. I am saying by the
very nature of their business in the later hours they want to be open
be available to customers who in my opinion come from bars. If a bar
closes at 2:00 and got a few bucks and feel pretty good, where you
going to go? You're going to go someplace where you can have fun.
This is where a great amount of the problem develops. I'm not going
to give you I wrote a few notes but I'm not going to go into the
history of the bar. Suffice it to say that I have lived where I do
for 35 years. I am well aware of McHenry's bar which was a fine bar
that was sold and then eventually the latest owners closed up that
business as a bar. I have had nothing but problems from the bar that
was there before. I do not want more of the same problems. I can
give you chapter and verse about the drunks, the people, there are
police reports. I've had to chase people off the property at the
point of 'a gun. There is a man arrested for rape. This is all in the
past now. I do not mean nor do I imply that it is happening now. I
am saying to you the history that I have had before and that I do not
want to allow to happen again. I have observed that means I have seen
and heard threats made from cars and pickups, now I'm going to be a
racist, made by Latinos. These were answered now I don't understand
Spanish but I know the cuss words. I do not understand Chinese. I've
heard a few of the cuss words. There have been people driving by when
there was quite a bit of business and insults were hurled at the
customers and or the parking lot attendants at the Karaoke bar. In
turn, the patrons, the customers, or the employees outside, that is in
the parking lot, answered with appropriate answers, raised fingers,
fists, this type of thing. I am very much afraid of a gang-related
problem. I am talking primarily Latin gangs. I am also talking about
Chinese gangs. We have heard of arrest, excuse me, of holdups and so
on. Late hours can lead to problems. I live next door. I do not
want to be subjected nor do I think that any other resident in the
area or the neighborhood should put in a position where they may have
to duck for cover because of the potential of the AMAX KTV. I think
that it's a now listen to what I say a good business but it does it
not belong on Valley Boulevard where it is now. I understand a man
going into business but sometimes he can't go into business where he
wants. Originally, when this started out where the KMAX started out
it started out as a car alarm repair business. I understand that
after he moved from across the street that the owner had to go into
bankruptcy. I do not know this firsthand. This is what I was told.
When he rented the building there he remodeled and he put in what is
called Karaoke equipment and to quote him I quote Mr. Feng and an
employee that he had that I only know as Bing, I'm not familiar with
his last name. I don't know if he's a partner or merely an employee
but they were going to sell the Karaoke equipment. I was given
prices. It would run anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000 and some would
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ANGLES CONTINUES: cost more money. This was going to be a store
where people would come in, listen to the Karaoke music, drink some
tea, I am quoting the owner and he would attempt to sell his
equipment. Now, this evolved since you Iwant to use the figure of
April, I'll go along with that but then it evolved into where he's not
selling equipment he's going to strictly into entertainment. There
would have been a complaint from me before this time if Mr. Feng and I
hope I pronounce his name correctly had if he had told me what he was
going to have I would have registered a complaint or I would have
disputed it before now. Mr. Feng has through the I'll say
approximately year that I have known him has told me what he has
wanted me to hear. I believe Mr. Feng in the time has grossly
distorted to me or could not convey to me what he wanted to do. I
have never tried to fight the man.
McDONALD: Mr. Angles, why don't you get down to the point and tell us
what you really want to do.
ANGLES: Okay. Fine. I
think it's going to cost
to get that's about it.
is no pleasing Mr. Feng
could... .
IMPERIAL: Mr. Angles.
ANGLES: Yes, sir.
don't want to see an extension in time. I
us more police problems. Since you want me
I am upset about this and it seems that there
and I am against any extension of time that
IMPERIAL: I believe that the people that are pro had enough to
explain their side, if you have some more to say, go ahead and say it.
ANGLES: Well, thank you but that's it basically. I'm not familiar
with your legal ramifications and I wish Mr. Feng nothing but good
luck. I feel he is in the wrong building, in the wrong area. If Mr.
Feng is successful I want or I would like to know what kind of pd and
pl insurance the man has or will carry for the protection of people.
McDONALD: Mr. Angles, how long did you live next to McHenry's bar?
ANGLES: I bought the property I think it was in 153.
McDONALD: How long was McHenry's bar next to you?
ANGLES: He was there before I bought and he closed at 2:00.
McDONALD: Was it about three or four years that he closed?
ANGLES: No. Mr. McHenry died ...the bar was owned by somebody else.
I would say it closed I'll say the best of my recollection I would say
about three years,.about three years it's been not a bar.
McDONALD: I was just saying that the connotation of having a living
next to a bar for that long in comparison to what type of business
this is that doesn't sell alcoholic beverages and is going to have to
meet the decibel sounds and is going to be valet parking where you
don't have things I would think it would be more disrupting to live
next to a bar for that long than to have these people at least have
the opportunity to have a business there.
ANGLES: I don't dispute his decibel sound. I have said before I
don't once in a while I hear things when the door opens. I'm not
trying to be picky about that. But he does have a problem with the
parking. Automobile the alarms go off and it seems.that when one goes
off, other go off, 2:00, 3:00 in the morning I don't like that. I
can't sleep. I have heard arguments. I have to jump out of bed and
there's somebody has a bad argument with a female friend or some other
person. There is just all types of noise that I don't need. That is
he's going if that is part of the business I say he should be in some
area such as Flair Park, such away from an occupied area.
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McDONALD: Is your property zoned C, commercial property?
ANGLES: Yes, it is.
McDONALD: So, that's what are supposed to be in there, that type of
property, is businesses and you have a resident unfortunately it
happens to be in a place where businesses are going in. I think if we
give them a trial period and we can document problems after 2:00,
we'll put it back down to 2:00 but I think we ought Mr. Angles, don't
you agree that we ought to give them an opportunity to give this
Council some information over a period of time because this is really
something new, business-wise. I think any type of business that's
next to you open 24 hours may cause problems because you have a
residence that is right next to it but we've also had two residents
that said they've had no problem at all. So, what we're trying to do
we're not saying that one is saying something wrong or you're saying
something what we want to do is have a situation here where they
actually are in operation, they are working this period of time,
that'll give us some input to tighten up the ordinance that we're
going to come up with.
ANGLES: Mr. McDonald, may I point out that two of the people that
have testified here for it are tenants.
McDONALD: I don't think you need to talk down any witnesses.
ANGLES: Thank you. I'm not trying to talk to anybody down.
McDONALD: I meant put them down at all because everybody comes out
here of their own volition, we understand.
ANGLES: I see. Well, thank you very much, Mr. McDonald.
IMPERIAL: Bob, Mr'. Taylor wanted to ask you some...
TAYLOR: No, Mr. Mayor, I think Mr. Angles' points are well taken and
we've had a good discussion on it and I would like to call for the
question on this item as to 24-hours or some alternative.
McDONALD: Mr. Mayor. I'd like to amend that motion with some
information that the attorney has given me and Mr. Feng and his
attorney can listen to this. What we want is a documentation of all
those people that attend between that period of time on an hourly
basis so we know you've come in and asked us that you're having a
financial hardship and that opening this period of time is going to
bring you back onto a financial stability and you can do that without
causing problems in the community so what we need to do if we're going
to allow this to happen, research-wise, we'll say for this 60 days we
need documentation on an hourly basis of how many people come in and
use that and you can show us the financial books that it's a...Joe,
would you agree to that?
MICELLI: Yes. We are currently doing that.
McDONALD: Okay. That's all I needed.
IMPERIAL: Counselor, may I ask a question? Is it a fact that this is
not the only installation your clients have but they own two more
Karaokes and one warehouse in Covina or something like that?
MICELLI: No, that's not true. This is the only Karaoke they own.
Mr. Feng is also in the equipment repair business in the City of
Commerce but this is the only Karaoke that they own.
IMPERIAL: So, they only own this one business. They don't have two
more?
MICELLI: No, they don't.
IMPERIAL: Well, that's not what I'm hearing. That's the reason I
wanted to clarify this.
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MICELLI: Yes. There's no question about that.
IMPERIAL: Okay. Thank you.
BRUESCH: I call for the question.
CLARK: Mr. Mayor. I wanted to ask Mr. Angles one question. When you
were talking about the drive-by threats and you said the Karaoke bar
now were you talking about the bar that was there or are you talking
about AMAX?
ANGLES: No. I'm talking about the building where the Karaoke is
there. If I said bar it was a slip. I don't mean a bar that is where
you drink. It is the Karaoke building there where the...
CLARK: So, during the period since April you have heard cars driving
by threatening and.....?
ANGLES: Yes. I have heard it on two occasions. Now, I didn't write
it down or I'm saying on two separate occasions when their parking lot
was full I would say around 11:00 in the evening, around that time,
I'd be standing outside and I observed I saw and I heard and I both
parties and this is two different times. The one time it happened and
maybe three weeks later. Now, I didn't count the days and I'm
guessing when I say three weeks but I would say a few weeks later I
saw the same thing. Not from the same people or not anyone I could
identify but I heard the hollering go back and forth. Now, this is
outside the building, not inside. I have no complaint about inside
the building, the noise level.
CLARK: What about the valet parking? Since they've had valet parking
have you had the same problems?
ANGLES: Yes.
IMPERIAL: How long have they had valet parking?
ANGLES: They started after they opened probably the owner could tell
you better than I could but just off of my head I would say if they
started their Karaoke in April I would say probably a couple of weeks
after they opened. Of course, Mr. Feng would have his bills or know
when he started the...
IMPERIAL: Because that night I was there I seen no valet.
TAYLOR: Well, let's try again, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to call for the
question and vote on it.
IMPERIAL: Thank you. The question's been called for. State your
pleasure.
Vote taken from voting slip:
Yes: Bruesch, McDonald
No: Taylor, Imperial, Clark
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. I'd like to make the motion that we amend the
hour to 2:00 a.m. to keep the business on a par with the existing
businesses rather than single him out for a 1:00 a.m. closing and
we'll keep the moratorium to review all the businesses.
BRUESCH: I'll second that.
CLARK: Mr. Mayor. I had intended to make a counter motion that since
the City allowed him to have a 3:00 a.m....isn't that what you said,
Don?...I thought originally you said that they were closing at 3 or at
least their customer was coming in. If we made it so that everyone
had to be out of there by 3 I don't see how the financial hardship
argument could stand if the City in fact did allow certain things.
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IMPERIAL: I think we're dealing with the point they might be in there
by 3 but do they have to be out by 3? Do they close their doors?
That's the question.
CLARK: Well, if we made them close their doors at 3
IMPERIAL: If they get the after bar trade in there then they're not
going to leave there by 3:00 because you have to take into
consideration...
CLARK: Yeah but if we stipulated that they had to then we would get
input from Mr. Angles as the next door neighbor. It would give him
the opportunity to write down and document every adverse thing that
happens. There's two sides to this thing.
BRUESCH: In other words, no new customers after 2:00 a.m.
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. My motion was that it close at 2:00 a.m. because
you could tell 50 of your best customers to be in the door by 2:00
a.m. and stay until 7:00 a.m. My motion is simply that it close at
2:00 a.m.
IMPERIAL: Is there a second? I'll second it.
TAYLOR: And I'd call for the question.
IMPERIAL: The question's been called for. Please vote.
Vote taken from voting slip:
Yes: Taylor, Imperial
No: Bruesch, Clark, McDonald
TAYLOR: Then it appears that he simply closes at 1:00 a.m. at this
time and it stays that way.
McDONALD: Unless there's another motion.
TAYLOR: 'All right. Let's go ahead.
CLARK: I'll move that we make a 3:00 a.m. closing with not just not
last customer but doors everyone out at 3:00 a.m.
BRUESCH: I'll second that motion.
IMPERIAL: It's been readily moved and seconded. Would you vote
please?
Vote taken from voting slip:
Yes: Bruesch, Clark, McDonald
No: Taylor, Imperial
McDONALD: Mr. Mayor. Joe and Mr. Feng this also requires the
documentation of those hours because we'll be looking again at that
after the moratorium.
END VERBATIM DIALOGUE
VI. STATUS REPORTS - None
VII. MATTERS FROM OFFICIALS
A. COUNCILMAN BRUESCH
1. Requested a report showing the procedures used to insure
that all Dance and Entertainment permits are issued with minimum
impact to the surrounding residential areas.
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Mayor Imperial asked that a list of all Dance and Entertainment
permits, both existing and applied for during the last six months but
not yet granted, by included in that report.
There being no further action to be taken at this time, the
meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m. The next regular meeting is
scheduled for December 10, 1991, at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
C' Clerk
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