CC - Minutes - 02-11-20 MINUTES OF THE
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL
AND REGULAR JOINT MEETING
FEBRUARY 11,2020
The special meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Clark at
6:05 p.m., in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard,
• Rosemead, California.
PRESENT: Mayor Clark, Mayor Pro Tem Armenta (arrived at 6:10 p.m.), Council Members
Dang, Low(arrived at 6:10 p.m.) and Ly
ABSENT: None
1. CLOSED SESSION
A. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Government Code Section: 54957
Title: City Manager
City Attorney Richman announced that any reportable action taken by the City
Council would be reported at the regular meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Mayor Clark recessed to Closed Session.
RECONVENE TO REGULAR MEETING
The regular meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Clark at 7:59 p.m.
PRESENT: Mayor Clark, Mayor Pro Tem Armenta, Council Members Dang, Low and Ly
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Molleda, Assistant City Manager Kim, City Attorney
Richman, Sergeant Fiedler, Director of Public Works Daste, Acting Director of Finance Torrez,
Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking, and City Clerk Hernandez
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Council Member Low
INVOCATION was led by Council Member Ly
City Attorney Richman reported out of Closed Session for the Public Employee Performance
Evaluation for City Manager; noted City Manager Molleda received a 4.9 out of 5.0
performance evaluation, which substantially exceeds expectations.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 1 of 16
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Clark opened the Public Comment period.
Speaker Mindy Yeh, President-elect and Rosemead Liaison, West San Gabriel
Valley Association of Realtors, invited the City Council to attend the Five City
Mega Chamber Mixer being held February 12th, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Speaker Tania Ragland-Castaneda, Municipal Relationship Manager, Republic
Services, shared the following events: 1) Free Shred Day for Rosemead residents
on March 28, 2020 and July 25, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the UFC Gym;
2) Encouraged Rosemead residents to apply for the Republic Services Scholarship
of $1,000 being awarded to five high school seniors that are college bound.
Mrs. Ragland-Castaneda introduced Celeste Colmenares, Republic Services'
newly hired Recycling Coordinator, who will be working with the business
community on improving recycling and decompose programs.
Speaker Frances Chavez informed Council that the San Gabriel Mission will be
turning 250 years old in September 2021; invited the community to participate in
the upcoming fundraisers — History Day on April 4, 2020 held at the Old Derby
which will include a dinner and history quiz with prizes, and a Historical Tour of
the Savannah Cemetery; encouraged school age students to visit the Savannah
Cemetery as it is rich in history and learn of the pioneers.
There being no other comments, Mayor Clark closed the Public Comment period.
3. PRESENTATIONS
A. Introduction of Newly Hired Director of Community Development Angelica
Frausto-Lupo and Community Development Management Analyst Lucia
Medina-Whittaker
City Manager Molleda introduced Director of Community Development
Angelica Frausto-Lupo.
Director of Community Development Frausto-Lupo introduced Community
. Development Management Analyst Lucia Medina-Whittaker.
4. PUBLIC HEARING -None
5. CONSENT CALENDAR
ACTION: Moved by Council Member Ly and seconded by Council Member Low to
approve Consent Calendar Items A through D. Motion was carried out by the following
vote AYES: Armenta, Clark,Dang,Low, Ly ABSENT: None
A. Claims and Demands
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 2 of 16
• Resolution No. 2020-04
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING
CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF
$1,534,227.48 NUMBERED 105451 THROUGH
NUMBER 105545 INCLUSIVELY
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2020-04.
B. Approval of Minutes
Recommendation: That the City Council approve the special meeting minutes of
July 23, 2019.
C. AIPAC's 2020 Policy Conference, February 29-March 3, 2020—Washington, DC
The City Council will consider authorizing the attendance of any Council Member
who wishes to attend AIPAC's 2020 Policy Conference on February 29-March 3,
2020 in Washington, DC.
Recommendation: That the City Council authorize the attendance, at City expense,
111 of any Council'Member interested in attending AIPAC's 2020 Policy Conference
on February 29-March 3, 2020 in Washington, DC.
D. Amendment to the Management and Operation Agreement with MV
Transportation, Inc.
The City of Rosemead entered into a one-year agreement with MV Transportation,
Inc., on January 1,2019,to provide transportation services to the City of Rosemead
from February 16, 2019 and expiring on February 15, 2020. Knowing that the
agreement would soon expire, staff began a comprehensive Request for Proposal
(RFP) process for Rosemead Transit services and advertised the RFP on
November 25, 2019. The proposal submittal deadline was January 7, 2020. Staff
is currently evaluating the received proposals and soon will be coming before the
City Council with a recommendation.
While the proposals are being evaluated, the City requested a 45-day extension to
the current agreement with MV Transportation Inc. MV Transportation agreed
to the 45-day extension which enables the City of Rosemead to evaluate the
submitted proposals and helps with a transition should a different company, other
than MV Transportation, Inc., be selected by the City Council.
Recommendation: That the Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a First
Amendment professional services agreement with MV Transportation, Inc.; for
45- days through March 31, 2020.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of Februaty 11, 2020
Page 3 of 16
6. MATTERS FROM CITY MANAGER& STAFF
A. One-Year Professional Services Agreement for City Engineering, Traffic
Engineering and General Engineering Services
Recommendation: That the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into
an agreement with Transtech Engineers to provide City Engineering, Traffic
Engineering and General Engineering Services and to execute a Professional
Services Agreement for a one-year term.
The Public Works Department has two distinct Divisions: The Engineering
Division and Maintenance Division. Currently, the Public Works Department
has a limited agreement with Transtech Engineering (Transtech) to provide the
Engineering Division services due to vacancies within the Department.
The Department also maintains three other engineering services agreements
(with Elie Farah, Inc., KOA Corporation, and Willdan Engineering) to provide
specific and limited support services on an as-needed basis.
Director of Public Works Daste indicated the Public Works Department budgeted
for three full-time positions — Public Works Inspector, Associate Civil Engineer
and a Civil Engineer Assistant, at a combined cost of$352,000; opined at this time,
staff feels it is in the City's best interest to enter into a one-year agreement for
engineering services,while the City continues to assess the best direction to proceed
in staffing the Engineering Division in the future.Mr.Daste stated the City released
a Request for Proposal (RFP) for engineering services, and six (6) proposals were
received by the deadline of October 10, 2019. After reviewing and scoring each
proposal, City Manager Molleda, Assistant City Manager Kim, and myself,
interviewed Interwest, Onward, Transtech, and Willdan, to meet each firm's team
of experts and assess which firm's strengths best matched the needs of the City;
asserted at the end of the process, Transtech was selected based on the company's
qualifications, familiarity with regional issues of the San Gabriel Valley and
understanding of the unique challenges of Rosemead's aggressive CIP program.
Mr. Daste stated Transtech's proposal for engineering services was quoted at a
not-to-exceed amount of$342,000; requested for the approved budget adjustment
to include benefits for the three engineering positions and to transfer the residual of
$249,000 to correspond to other professional types account.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta requested a breakdown of the three positions.
Director of Public Works Daste replied the Public Works Inspector at $98,870,
Associate Civil Engineer at $137,723 and Civil Engineer Assistant at $115,421
with benefits included for all three positions totaling $352,014.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta reminded the City Council that they approved to allocate
$229,800 in FY 2019-2020 comprised of the following breakdown: Public Works
Inspector at $74,900, Associate Civil Engineer at $94,500, and Civil Engineer
Assistant at $60,400; requested clarification on how each position was budgeted
with benefits.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 4 of 16
City Manager Molleda responded these are the figures that were in the budget and
verified by the former Finance Director before her departure.
Council Member Ly explained if you multiply the allotted budget of $229,800
by 1.5, the amount equates to $344,700, which is in-line with PERS obligation
and the total annual costs; opined the Associate Civil Engineer's base salary is
relatively low.
Mr. Daste clarified the three positions allocated in the 2019-2020 budget were base
salary and did not include benefits.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta reiterated that the Council is aware what has been
budgeted and fluctuation of PERS;requested the 2019-2020 Budget book to further
review the budget allotted for the three positions; inquired why the RFP changed
from three-years to a one-year contract and if there were negotiation with
other companies.
Director of Public Works Daste stated staff did not feel comfortable proceeding
with a three-year contract plus another two-years;opined the one-year proposal was
in the City's best interest so that a better assessment could be conducted and then
provide Council with a more adequate recommendation of the Department's needs;
indicated negotiations began after the interviewprocess, once it was determined
that Transtech best fit the needs of the City; noted negotiation with one company
is common in the RFP process.
Ms. Armenta expressed concern with the transparency of the process, stating it is
not City practice to negotiate with one company only; emphasized this Council
works hard to be transparent.
City Manager Molleda apologized, stating she understands the City Council's
normal RFP process; noted the Public Works Department encountered a lot of
transition with the loss of the City Engineer and Public Works Director,thus having
Transtech step in to assist the City during that time was crucial; explained it made
sense for the City to continue with the same company instead of going through
an unnecessary transition process with a new company who may not understand
the City's needs.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta concurred with Ms. Molleda that Transtech has stepped
up and done a wonderful job meeting the City's needs; offered an apology to
Transtech, clarifying there are no issues with Transtech rather concerns with
how the bidding process is being done; stressed to Mr. Daste that each city goes
about the bidding process differently and may not be the same in Rosemead.
Council Member Ly affirmed this is the typical process;reminded the City Council
of their experience with the contract for trash services ten years ago; noted once ,
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 5 of 16
Republic Services was selected for the contract staff started negotiating lower
commercial rates as they were significantly higher than the residential rates.
Council Member Low asked to confirm that staff only negotiated with Republic
Services once the plan was to enter a contract.
Mr. Ly affirmed that once City Council selected Republic Services for the trash
company, an exclusive negotiation was entered between the City and Republic
Services;reiterated this confirms we are in line with the City's negotiation process;
stated it was his understanding that unless a contract is related to a specific
Public Works project (i.e., construction or CIP related), the Council has discretion
in choosing a contractor that may not be the lowest bidder as there are other
variables to take into consideration.
City Attorney Richman concurred with Mr. Ly, stating when it comes to
professional services the law envisions there are other variables than prices that
you should be considering versus public contracting which requires the lowest
responsible bidder.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta reminded City Council that Athens was not selected
for the trash contract as they submitted two bids in one, however recalled
providing all bidders the same opportunity; emphasized the importance of being
fair across the board.
Council Member Ly stood by his statement that the vetting process was met;
clarified the only difference is the Council vetted the trash contract as it was a
controversial item,and an interview panel consisting of the City Manager,Assistant
City Manager, and Public Works Director, vetted the engineer contract, resulting
in Transtech being recommended; noted all four firms that participated in the
interview process worked with the City in the past; praised Transtech for stepping
in multiple times when the City needed them during a transitional period and for
securing a $27 million Metro funding gap grant for the City; expressed support
in awarding the contract for engineering services to Transtech.
Ms. Armenta reiterated her issue has nothing to do with Transtech or their quality
of work, it has to do with the process of how we got here; indicated to ensure
transparency and that every bidder receives the same opportunity,the practice is to
put any contracts that have been in existence of ten years out to bid regardless how
small or large the contract is.
Council Member Low stated the City issued an RFP for engineering services and
these are the companies that submitted proposals, however staff is not selecting
a company for a three-year contract,rather they are looking for a one-year extension
to finish our current projects such as the Garvey Park restrooms; asked the City
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 6 of 16
Manager to confirm if she is understanding this correctly, that if we do not have
this extension in place, the projects cannot continue.
City Manager Molleda confirmed that is correct as we currently do not have an
in-house engineer to complete these projects.
Council Member Low expressed support for the one-year extension with Transtech,
reiterating their accomplishments and attesting to their qualitative service provided
to the City the past couple of years; asserted that the City is essentially asking
Transtech for a favor with this one-year extension to finish our current projects;
stated she understands Mayor Pro Tern Armenta's concern with the proposal
process, however does not see a problem as Council is not approving a three-year
contract; indicated that staff can issue another RFP when time calls for it.
City Manager Molleda asserted at some point, we need to determine if we want to
continue contracting engineering services or increase the salary as we have learned
through this process that engineering services are very expensive.
Council Member Ly clarified that Mayor Pro Tem Armenta is correct as the
numbers presented is the base salary, not including benefits, however that staff
is also correct as the three positions including benefits totals $352,000; opined the
combined amount is too low for these positions, alluding that low salary is part of
why the City has gone through four Public Works Directors in the last six years.
Mr. Ly stated that a one-year contract is too short, however it is up to staff to do
their due diligence to analyze and bring a recommendation to Council to proceed
with contracted or in-house engineering services; emphasized this Department
needs stability as quickly as possible and we are beginning to get there with this
new director. Council Member Ly thanked Transtech for their continuous
commitment to community service engagement; implored Transtech to honor
their verbal promise made at the League of California Cities event, that if selected
in the future,as part of a pro bono project they would provide staff to teach STEMS
to the youth group/commissioners once the development of the Youth Center is
established at Garvey Center.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta asked Council Member Ly to check the FY 2019-2020
Budget book for the allocation of the Public Works Management Analyst position.
Council Member Ly responded that the Public Works Management Analyst is not
reflected in the budget and will most likely be part of a budget amendment.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta inquired how will the three positions be backfilled if the
Public Works Management Analyst was not budgeted.
City Manager Molleda informed Council that the previously vacated Public Works
Director funds will go toward the three positions, also that the Engineer position
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 7 of 16
will be brought back as one position rather than being split in two,with a part-time
Public Works Inspector.
Council Member Low reiterated for the record that she wants reassurance that
•
the existing projects, especially the Garvey Park restrooms, will be completed
under this contract.
Council Member Ly asserted in this situation, contracting for the engineering
services will align with our Strategic Plan model which states, "when in doubt,
contract out".
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta inquired if the three positions are part-time or full-time;
expressed concern that we are incurring an additional $800 in cost to include
benefits while receiving less service hours.
Director of Public Works Daste responded that the positions are part-time with
the following breakdown: City Engineer - 25 hours per week, Traffic Engineer -
8 hours per week, and Public Works Permit Inspector-20 hours per week.
Council Member Ly stated the Staff Report indicates the positions are based on a
20/80 model with the City Engineer at 3/4, Traffic Engineer at Y4 and Public Works
Permit Inspector at 1/4 of the time; emphasized that Transtech's proposal is$10,000
less than what we would pay if we hired in-house Engineering staff as the total cost
would be $352,014.
Ms. Armenta noted the difference is that our internal staff would be full-time.
City Manager Molleda noted that staff took Transtech's recommendation into
consideration that a full-time engineer is not needed; shared with Council that
staff learned through this process when contracting out other cities do not have
full-time engineers.
Council Member Ly indicated an Associate Civil Engineer PE base salary is
between $120,000-$130,000 and with benefits is $190,000.
Council Member Low concurred with Mr. Ly that the cost allocated in the budget
will secure a very junior level of engineering experience.
Council Member Dang asked the City Manager to clarify if the submitted proposal
of$342,000 correlates to the one-year extension with Transtech.
Ms. Molleda clarified the RFP was initially released in an effort to obtains quotes
from different companies for a three-year contract; confirmed the $342,000 is for
the one-year extension.
•
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of Februaiy 11, 2020
Page 8 of 16
Council Member Dang noting his experience on the hiring committee, stated a
Civil Engineer Assistant cost inflated as it is roughly between$85,000-$90,000 and
an Associate Civil Engineer is between $150,000-$160,000; indicated the
individual itemized costs are off a bit, however the overall cost of $352,000 is
correct. Mr. Dang expressed support to contract with Transtech simply because if
the City were to hire its own Civil Engineer and Associate Civil Engineer, the
manpower and experience level will not be the same as what Transtech provides;
acknowledged we would not have most of these grants if Transtech had not initiated
and obtained them on behalf of the City; opined even if we bring our own staff on
board,they would not be able to absorb all 24 of these projects in the pipeline.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta requested to hear from Transtech regarding their
professional opinion of the City functioning properly with part-time consultants.
Ahmad Ansari, Principal for Transtech Engineers, noted prior to Mr. Daste's
arrival, he was the Acting Public Works Director/Interim City Engineer and
currently still serves as Rosemead's City Engineer; indicated by contracting out,
staff will be able to streamline and assess the engineering needs for the city;
addressed Ms. Armenta's concern,stating although it appears the services provided
are only part-time, the Engineering Division is very effective in delivering of
projects; asserted in his professional opinion there is no need for three full-time
consulted positions, as the Inspector and Civil Engineer can complete the work
within 20-25 hours per week. Mr. Ansari concurred with Mr. Dang, affirming that
Transtech has over 100 staff available in the main office to support and assist
the City; informed Council that if the City were to hire in-house staff, they would
be looking at costs between$240,000-$250,000 for a City Engineer and a combined
total of well-over $500,000 for an Associate Civil Engineer, Public Works
Inspector, and Traffic Engineer.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta thanked Mr. Ansari for his professional opinion;
explained she requested Transtech to provide this information directly so that
residents can understand the justification in staff's recommendation to proceed with
part-time consulting services and feel comfortable with Council's decision.
Mayor Clark asked for clarification regarding how the benefits are different from
the numbers provided in the Budget, also what benefits are included.
Council Member Ly stated in the Budget book,page 177 shows only the base salary
and page 216 shows the combined cost of salary and benefits;noted benefits include
the normal benefit amenities.
City Manager Molleda informed Council that the calculation for new employees is
calculated at 2.0% at 60.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 9 of 16
Council Member Ly reiterated his concern that this contract is only for a one-year
term which will not help the Public Works Department attain the stability needed;
asked what the Department's goal is,emphasizing he does not want Council to have
to revisit this conversation again in a year.
Director of Public Works Daste responded the objective is to continue evaluating
the Department's workload, needs, and recommendation from Transtech while
comparing the market for in-house engineering staff; assured Council that staff's
goal is aligned with Council's to attain stability within the Department.
Mr.Ly inquired if the evaluation will be completed in time for the upcoming budget
or be pushed until 2022.
City Manager Molleda interjected that they will have it for the budget, noting staff
was conservative with this One-year agreement since they were part-time positions;
confirmed staff will bring back a budget adjustment to allocate more money to the
salaries for either in-house staffing or for contracted engineering services.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta inquired if the Public Works Department is fully staffed
besides these three positions, and if so, what is staff doing to ensure the workload
is fairly distributed so that all the work is not piled onto Transtech. -
Mr. Daste confirmed the Public Works Department is fully staffed, asserting that
each staff is carrying out their respective responsibilities (i.e., the Public Services
Division maintaining the streets and parks); emphasized that Transtech will be
specifically providing engineering services.
Council Member Dang summarized that Engineering is responsible to get the new
construction built and Public Works staff is responsible for maintaining existing
buildings; noted the City would need to invest in special software to conduct
engineering business that costs around $30,000 and ensure our in-house staff have
the skills set to run the software; noting the advantage of having Transtech provide
engineering services, they have the software and experienced staff.
Council Member Ly asked Mr. Ansari of Transtech, how confident is he with
the proposed hours and budget; noted he would like Transtech to continue writing
more grants as they have successfully secured grant money for the City.
Ahmad Ansari affirmed he is very confident the hours are aligned to meet the City's
needs as the consulted working team proposed those numbers after their initial
evaluation of the Department; stated hours to complete the current lists of CIP
projects as well as new projects were taken into consideration and are accounted
for; assured Council that while the proposed agreement is for engineering services,
it will also allocate time for grant writing.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes ofFebruaiy 11, 2020
Page 10 of 16
Council Member Ly stated he prefers we enter a two-year contract with Transtech,
which will allow staff a full year to analyze the Department's needs.
Council Member Low concurred with Mr. Ly to enter a two-year extension with
Transtech and to ensure the numbers are fair in terms of market value.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta opined that she would have been more comfortable had
staff not issued an RFP and requested an extension from the get-go.
City Manager Molleda responded staffs' intention of issuing an RFP was to
examine our options, however engineering services being so expensive, we
felt the extension was the best solution to allow more time to evaluate the
Department's needs.
Mr. Ly reiterated that the vetting process was correctly followed as staff issued the
RFP, evaluated the proposals, interviewed the firms, negotiated, and are now
presenting their recommendation to Council; expressed his concern is not with the
process rather the short-term of contract.
Council Member Dang asked the City Attorney if it would be an issue if Council
were to approve a two-year extension even though staff's recommendation was
only for a one-year extension.
City Attorney Richman stated if that is Council's desire, it would not be an issue
and is reasonable as two years would still fall within the range of the RFP calling
upon three years.
Ms. Armenta suggested not including the RFPs for transparency purposes and to
proceed with only approving the extension.
Mr. Ly stated that he understands Ms. Armenta's request and will include that as
part of the motion.
Mr. Dang highlighted that Transtech's proposal indicates they will provide four
engineers and one inspector, where the other firms are providing three engineers
and one inspector; expressed confidence that the City is in good hands as Transtech
has the manpower, experience, and resources to help us succeed.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta inquired if Transtech's original contract included an
option to extend the term.
Council Member Ly responded the current contract is for on-call services.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta noted most of our contracts extended are for three years;
stated she is comfortable approving this extension, however, also hopes other firms
do not respond negatively to Council's decision.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 11 of 16
Mr. Ly asked staff if two years is enough time for staff to analyze the Department's
needs or if they think additional time is needed.
City Manager Molleda stated staff is comfortable with the two-year extension and
if needed, will bring back a budget adjustment to allocate more money to the
salaries for either in-house staffing or for contracted engineering services.
Council Member Ly motioned to stop the RFP process for engineering services, _
reject the bids submitted and come to an agreement with Transtech Engineers
under the terms listed on page 5 of the Staff Report for a two-year contract with an
option of a one-year extension.
City Attorney Richman clarified we are not rejecting the proposals submitted as the
RFP was not a construction contract;further noted we are not extending the contract
since it is on-call, rather we will be entering into a new agreement with Transtech.
Ms. Armenta asked that the motion includes verbiage referencing Transtech
Engineers as an"existing firm".
Director of Public Works Daste noted that we need to ensure we specify that the
amount of money is annually to the contract inception and not per fiscal year.
ACTION: Moved by Council Member Ly and seconded by Council Member Low
to take the following actions:
1. Finalize and terminate the proposal process for engineering services; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with existing firm,
Transtech Engineers, to provide City Engineering, Traffic Engineering and
General Engineering Services and to execute a Professional Services
Agreement for a two-year contract with an option of a one-year extension.
Motion was carried out by the following vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang,
Low, Ly ABSENT: None
7. MATTERS FROM MAYOR& CITY COUNCIL
A. Discussion on Parks Supervision at City Parks
Recommendation: That the City Council discuss parks supervision at City Parks.
City Manager Molleda stated this item is presented to the City Council at the
request of Mayor Pro Tern Armenta as she would like to discuss increasing park
supervision at City parks.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta indicated she requested this item to share residents'
concerns regarding the safety and lack of supervision at the parks; informed
Council from her experience as Parks staff that there would be one supervisor
between the hours of 10 a.m. to dusk (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) walking around the park to
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 12 of 16
keep an eye out for any illegal activities,monitor the restrooms,make their presence
known and be available to assist park patronages if needed. Ms. Armenta noted in
2010, changes were made where one supervisor would split their time between two
parks; emphasized that Rosemead Park, Garvey Park and Zapopan Park all need
constant supervision so that residents are not discouraged to go to the park; asked
the Council for solutions on how to best supervise the parks to bring back a sense
of security for the residents.
Council Member Ly concurred with Mayor Pro Tem Armenta's concerns, noting
he has observed a significant increase of homelessness including their drinking
activities at Zapopan Park; opined it is a shame the parks are not used more
often as Council and staff have invested time and money to beautify the parks,
however understood there is a safety concern. Mr. Ly suggested having an official
City presence, not necessarily a deputy, rather a person in uniform like a security
guard, at our main facilities (i.e., City Hall,the three major parks and Jay Imperial)
so that people feel safe.
Mayor Clark echoed Ms. Armenta's and Mr. Ly's concerns, stating it has gotten
worse due to homeless situations.
Council Member Dang agreed with his colleagues the safety of our residents is very
important; opined having a City presence, perhaps staff wearing clothing with
a Rosemead logo will help residents identify a go-to person in case of an emergency
and act as a deterrent for criminal activities including vandalization.
Mr. Ly stated it is difficult to close Rosemead Park despite having park hours.
Ms. Armenta stated the park hours need to be visibly posted in multiple locations;
thanked Council for seeing the importance in this issue as Council is elected to be
the voices for the residents.
Mr. Dang asked Sergeant Fiedler on the deputy's protocols on homeless issues and
encampment.
Sergeant Fiedler responded the Team conducts early morning patrols around 3 a.m.
to 4 a.m., checking the parks and cite.those violating the sunset to sunrise code.
Council Member Dang inquired how a citation is sent to a homeless individual.
Sergeant Fielder indicated typically they are regular offenders;noted the individual
receiving the citation will have to appear in court, then after 60 days the citation
turns into a warrant.
Mayor Clark opened the Public Comment period.
Speaker Le Don Lewin shared the following concerns regarding Rosemead Park:
1) Constantly sees dogs without a leash and causes fights with other dogs who are
on a leash; 2) People are smoking and openly drinking at the park; 3) Abandoned
vehicle left there; 4) Park patrons are riding their scooters, bicycles and skates on
the trail. Mrs. Lewin requested additional signage be posted at the Park and
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 13 of 16
verbiage should include -hours of the park; asked City staff why they removed the
sign on Encinita Avenue in parking lot, emphasizing now there is only one sign on
Mission Drive.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta asked City Manager Molleda to determine why that sign
was removed and if it will be replaced.
City Manager Molleda noted we will look into this and provide an update on the
Council Weekly Update.
Speaker Brian Lewin mentioned bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and roller skates
will run down and damage the trails; opined extra supervision will help protect
City's investment in expanding the trails. Mr. Lewin echoed the needs of some
type of full-time supervision. A good option would be a CSO or a full-time Parks
and Recreation staff; try out the option and bring it back in 6 months to see how
things are looking and to work on additional signage.
There being no other comments, Mayor Clark closed the Public Comment period.
Council Member Ly expressed his desire to have a CSO at each of the major
facilities as staff will need time to analyze and budget for the fiscal year; inquired
if there is CSO money in the budget for CSO hours.
City Manager Molleda stated we currently have eight CSOs who were recently
hired and will need full-time Code Enforcement Officers to patrol the parks. In the
meantime, to have signs installed; assured there will be Parks and Recreation staff
and CSOs presence at Rosemead Park.
Mr. Ly asked are CSOs hours limited.
Assistant City Manager Kim responded CSOs work 20 hours a week.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta suggested splitting the shifts; Recreation staff patrol part
of the time and CSOs patrol during the most utilized park hours.
Council Member Low opined it's best if we leave the scheduling for staff to handle;
indicates she prefers if it is CSOs patrolling the parks rather than Parks staff as
CSOs are in uniform and would be more equipped to handle public safety issues;
suggested the posted signs include phone numbers to call for various needs;
asked for clarification if we are assigning one staff to each park every day or having
CSOs monitor by walking around the park for 8 hours.
Council Member Ly responded that was his vision to have the CSO monitoring the
park for 8 hours; commented since the parks supervision is not currently budgeted,
having CSO presence during peak hours will suffice for a short fix.
Council Member Low agreed for CSOs to enforce and to ensure no one is drinking,
smoking, and following the laws and rules are important.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 14 of 16
City Manager Molleda mentioned at Garvey Center a CSO has been stationed
during pre-school hours for parents and children to have sense of safety and can
implement the something similar at the parks with the CSOs. Ms. Molleda
stated during budget, will be requesting for more CSOs as CSOs are currently
doing more tasks.
Assistant City Manager Kim stated CSOs are part-timers, which most are young
and not as experienced; noted Code Enforcement personnel are more seasoned to
do the actual enforcement.
Council Member Low prefers CSOs to monitor the parks and call the Sheriffs
Department for backup assistance.
Council Member Dang concurred with Ms. Low that the added signage should
include the Public Safety Center's phone number, as well as a list of the prohibited
activities(i.e., drinking, smoking)and the specific code along with the fine amount.
City Manager Molleda mentioned there are similar signs at our Community Garden
stating the rules and such signs can be made for the park to address all these
concerns from tonight's dialogues.
Council Member Ly advised staff to minimize the amount of information printed
on the sign as people will disregard it and lose interest fast.
Council Member Low stated the signs should have the right amount of information;
reiterated again, we should leave it up to staffs discretion.
Mayor Clark suggested staff strategically place pictures throughout the trails
to display that no bicycles are allowed, etc., and then having one or two
listing all the rules.
Mayor Pro Tern Armenta mentioned when utilizing the CSOs presence at the park,
they can go to the Rec room to do their report writing while still having the doors
open to park visitors. This option will allow the CSOs to continue to their regular
work assignments and when during the entire 8 hours shift.
Council Member Ly proposed staff come back in two weeks with a short-term fix
whether that is to fund CSOs for 5 or 8 hours or direction from Council to staff
to allocate funding for CSOs to patrol each major City facility or park.
B. Council Comments
Council Member Ly wished everyone a happy Presidents' Day.
Mayor Pro Tem Armenta thanked City Manager Molleda for continuing to do her
due diligence in addressing residents' concerns that she forwards her way, such as
handling the homeless encampment that was developing at Garvey Park.
Council Member Dang requested staff provide an update of the traffic condition on
Rosemead Boulevard for the community's reference.
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 15 of 16
City Manager Molleda asserted CSOs were sent to ticket cars that are parking
during rush hour.
Director of Public Works Daste noted there has been ongoing City Council and
public concerns regarding the traffic delays along Rosemead Boulevard, near the
I-10 Freeway,which is entirely under Caltrans right-of-way and jurisdiction; stated
City staff has contacted Caltrans maintenance and operations on numerous
occasions to evaluate the current signal operation to see if any timing improvements
or synchronization can be performed; informed Council while this effort has been
underway,the City was awarded a total of$27 million under the LA Metro Mobility
grant fund under Measure 710R. Mr. Daste affirmed there are 4 qualified
Rosemead projects under this program, one is the Rosemead Boulevard segments
project which will consist of installation of adaptative traffic signals system for
five traffic signals along this segment; shared that an adaptative system means the
system adjusts its timing components based on perceived traffic flow in demand
and real time; commented that the work also includes interchange improvements
at Rosemead Boulevard and I-10 interchange to improve the geometry in traffic
flow; recommended that we wait for the 710 funds to kick-in rather than trying to
synchronization now; affirmed he will verify when the funds will be released and
report back to Council.
Mayor Clark shared a resident's concern that stated the homeless community are
getting more aggressive as they appeared to have set two cars on fire across the
street from City Hall; requested to adjourn tonight's meeting in memory of Dave
Perez, a longtime Mayor of the City of Industry.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Clark adjourned the regular meeting at 10:20 p.m., in memory of Dave Perez,
a longtime Mayor of the City of Industry. The next City Council meeting is scheduled to
take place on February 25,2020,at 7:00 p.m. in the Rosemead City Hall Council Chamber.
—
Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk
APPROVED:
441k4
,rte
Sandra Armenta, Mayor
Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Joint Meeting
Minutes of February 11, 2020
Page 16 of 16