CC - Minutes - 10-24-23MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
OCTOBER 24, 2023
The regular meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Ly at 7:18 p.m.,
in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California.
PRESENT: Mayor Ly, Mayor Pro Tem Clark, Council Members Armenta, Dang,
and Low
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Kim, City Attorney Richman, Interim Director of Community
Development Wong, Director of Finance Chua, Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking,
Director of Public Works Wang, and City Clerk Hernandez
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Council Member Dang
INVOCATION — Mayor Ly
1. PUBLIC COMMENT
There being no speakers, Mayor Ly opened and closed the Public Comment period.
2. PRESENTATIONS
A. Introduction of New City Employee: Associate City Engineer, Sevan Petrossian
Director of Public Works Wang introduced Associate City Engineer Sevan
Petrossian. The City Council welcomed Mr. Petrossian to the Rosemead family.
B. Proclamation Declaring the Week of October 23-31, 2023 as "Red Ribbon Week"
in the City of Rosemead
Public Safety Supervisor Wong stated "Red Ribbon Week" is a collaborative
effort to establish an atmosphere that supports awareness, education, and on-going
initiatives to stand together as a city to promote living healthy and drug-free
lifestyles. Shared to show our commitment, City staff and the Rosemead Special
Assignment Team from Temple Sheriff s Station are participating in various events
such as attending the Red Ribbon Assembly at both Savannah Elementary and
Janson Elementary; thanked Parks staff for assisting with tying red ribbons around
the Civic Center Plaza to display Rosemead's support for a drug-free community.
The City Council presented the Proclamation declaring the week of October 23-31,
2023, as "Red Ribbon Week".
3. PUBLIC HEARING
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 1 of 10
CEOA: The following item is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act,
unless noted on the item.
A. Public Hearing on Municipal Code Amendment 23-02
Municipal Code Amendment 23-02 (MCA 23-02) is a City initiated amendment
intended to bring Chapter 17.40 (Cannabis Facilities, Cultivation, and Deliveries)
of the Rosemead Municipal Code (RMC) and RMC Section 17.20.020
(Commercial and Industrial Land Uses and Permit Requirements) up to
compliance with Senate Bill (SB) 1186 (Medicinal Cannabis Patients' Right of
Access Act), which will become effective on January 1, 2024. MCA 23-02
will update the City's existing regulations for deliveries of medicinal cannabis
and provide regulatory and operational restrictions for the establishment of
a physical, non -storefront, delivery -only medicinal cannabis retail location as a
conditionally permitted use in accordance with State law.
Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions:
1. Conduct a public hearing and receive public testimony; and
2. Introduce for the first reading, by title only, Ordinance No. 1018, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROSEMEAD, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, FOR THE APPROVAL OF MCA 23-02,
AMENDING SECTIONS 17.20.020, 17.40.010, 17.40.020,
17.40.030, 17.40.040, 17.40.050 AND ADDING SECTIONS
17.40.060 AND 17.40.070 TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH
SENATE BILL 1186 (MEDICINAL CANNABIS PATIENTS'
RIGHT OF ACCESS ACT)
Associate Planner Lao presented the report. Noted after careful deliberation with
the City Attorney's Office, staff utilized the similar methodology that was
applied when the city adopted regulatory and operational restrictions for adult
entertainment and business uses. There are generally two approaches that are used
when regulating the location of the proposed uses: 1) The dispersal method will
provide locations for non -storefront, delivery -only medicinal cannabis retail uses;
and 2) The concentration method has all uses located in one area with no specific
parameters. Staff decided to use the dispersal method which will ensure that they
are located 500 feet away from sensitive land uses such as public or private schools,
daycares, city facilities, police or fire stations, public parks or playgrounds, places
of religious assembly, and dwellings in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones within the
city limits.
Council Member Armenta inquired how companies are still able to come and
deliver cannabis within Rosemead even though the city had a moratorium on
distribution and cultivation of cannabis.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 2 of 10
City Attorney Richman explained it has been determined that we are prohibited
from telling a city that allows cannabis for medicinal purposes that they are
banned from delivering from other locations to residents within Rosemead.
Council Member Armenta thanked City Attorney Richman for the clarification;
emphasized the importance of advocating for local control.
There being no comments, Mayor Ly opened and closed the Public Comment
period.
Mayor Pro Tem Clark pointed out that our hands are tied, and we must comply
because it is State law.
Council Member Armenta thanked City Attorney Richman for going right into
action to ensure Rosemead was protected even though we did not know what the
outcome was going to be with this on the ballot.
Mayor Ly commended staff for responding to SB 1186 in the most responsible way
and respecting the will of the voters while protecting our residents.
ACTION: Moved by Council Member Armenta and seconded by Council Member
Dang to introduce for the first reading, by title only, Ordinance No. 1018, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROSEMEAD, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, FOR THE APPROVAL OF MCA 23-02,
AMENDING SECTIONS 17.20.020, 17.40.010, 17.40.020,
17.40.030, 17.40.040, 17.40.050 AND ADDING SECTIONS
17.40.060 AND 17.40.070 TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH
SENATE BILL 1186 (MEDICINAL CANNABIS PATIENTS'
RIGHT OF ACCESS ACT)
City Attorney Richman read the title of the ordinance for the record.
The motion was carried out by the following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark,
Dang, Low, Ly NOES: None ABSENT: None
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
ACTION: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Clark and seconded by Council Member Armenta
to approve the Consent Calendar Items A and B. The motion was carried out by the
following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, Ly NOES: None
ABSENT: None
CEOA: The following items are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act,
unless noted on the item.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 3 of 10
A. Claims and Demands
Resolution No. 2023-66
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING CERTAIN
CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $663,788.71
CHECKS NUMBERED 115134 THROUGH NUMBER 115251,
DRAFTS NUMBERED 6785 THROUGH NUMBER 6825
AND EFT NUMBERED 51903 THROUGH NUMBER 51936
INCLUSIVELY
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2023-66.
B. Minutes
Recommendation: That the City Council approve the special meeting minutes of
April 25, 2023 and July 25, 2023.
6. MATTERS FROM MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL
A. Discussion on Public Safety
At the request of Mayor Steven Ly, he would like to discuss Public Safety
measures and strategies to help improve law enforcement response calls and
Deputy presence in the community.
Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide direction to City staff.
Mayor Ly asserted that Item 6A would be discussed prior to Item 5A.
Mayor Ly stated our goal is to find other resources and tools in this challenging
environment to help us continue the joint efforts of improving public safety
in the city.
Captain Jorge Meza, Temple Sheriff Station, stated he is looking forward to
collaborating to improve public safety and response times within Rosemead.
Lieutenant Kevin Tiwari presented a report of response times from July to
September 2023 comparing Rosemead to the other contract cities (Duarte,
South El Monte, and Temple City) that Temple Station provides services to.
Noted the response times are broken down by the type of calls: emergent, priority,
and routine as well as by three (3) shifts from: 1) Early morning from 10 p.m.
to 6 a.m., 2) Morning AM shift from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 3) Night PM shift
from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The comparison shows that Rosemead's emergent and
priority calls are well within the threshold; however, the routine calls are
higher than the average. Many factors go into the longer response times, such as
geographic area, call volumes, and the ratio of deputies to citizens, as well as others.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 4 of 10
Response Times
Emergent
Duarte
3.9
Rosemead
4
South El Monte
5
Temple City
4.2
Priority
Routine
9.5
43.4
11
67.4
10.6
56.4
9.6
50.3
Mayor Ly explained emergency calls are life threatening, priority calls are not
life threatening but can escalate for example if your house is robbed and you think
the burglar is still around, and then an example of a routine call could be a car
accident where a deputy is needed to take a Police report.
Council Member Low asked what the average number of calls of service for
each shift.
Captain Meza clarified that each Deputy receives an average of 18 calls per shift.
Council Member Armenta indicated that Duarte is 6.71 square miles, Rosemead
is 5.18 square miles, South El Monte is 2.85 square miles, and Temple City is
4.0 square miles. Asked how many patrol cars are provided in the contracted cities.
Captain Meza responded Rosemead is our largest contract with three cars assigned
on the Morning AM shift, with one additional for the Early AM shift and two
additional cars for the overlap; stated the other cities fill the same number of cars
which is 2 units per shift and 1 overlapped shift to transition the AM and PM shifts.
Council Member Low asked for a breakdown on how many cars there are per shift.
Lieutenant Tiwari gave the following breakdown:
• Morning AM Shift from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Three (3) cars, then from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. there is one (1) additional car with a total of four (4) cars.
• Night PM Shift from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. — Four (4) cars, then at 6 p.m., the first
overlapped car will be done and then 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. you will have two (2)
additional cars.
• Early Morning Shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. —Three (3) cars.
• Stated the three shifts include a total of 29.5 Deputies.
Council Member Dang inquired how many total patrol cars and SAOs are assigned
per day to Rosemead.
Captain Meza replied there are 12 patrol cars and 18 SAOs including Lieutenant
Tiwari working per day.
Mayor Ly stated of the cities listed that Rosemead is the only one with a Lieutenant
dedicated to the city.
Captain Meza affirmed that was correct.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 5 of 10
Mayor Ly shared that he has the utmost respect for all that the deputies do
especially while facing the challenges they do; opined he would like to see
Rosemead's response times improve as follows: emergent calls — 3 minutes,
priority calls — 5 minutes or less, and routine calls — 30 minutes or less. Asked how
we are administering the integration of our CSOs specifically on the routine calls
that are nondangerous (i.e. traffic collision calls).
City Manager Kim stated we started hiring more CSOs and are completing
training; indicated we are in the process of installing equipment such as radios and
laptop computers in the CSOs vehicles, so they have access to respond to and
coordinate better with the Sheriff's Department. Noted the installation of the
laptop computers are an ongoing process that will take about 6-8 months, but we
will have better integration.
Mayor Ly inquired how are we looking at deploying the CSOs. Commented that I
know there was a push to have them in the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift since that is
where the shortage is at. Asked if it is a routine call, will the Watch Sergeant/
Commander at Temple Station dispatch a Deputy or CSO, or do the residents have
to do something special to request a CSO?
City Manager Kim affirmed that is correct; responded based on the number of CSOs
we will coordinate to place them at the right location and time. Temple Station
will not be controlling the CSOs since they are city employees; noted the CSOs will
be able to hear what calls are going out through the radio, for instance if there is a
traffic collision call, then the CSO will know to respond to take the report.
Lieutenant Tiwari clarified that if a resident calls the Temple Station, the dispatcher
will have a log and based on the criteria of the call input, then dispatch the CSOs
for nonhazardous or nonworkable type calls (i.e. traffic collisions, found wallet,
etc.). The CSOs will have access from the Mobile Digital Computers (MDCs),
and CSOs will have the same capability as a deputy to acknowledge the call
enroute, pull the Sheriff s Department file number and issue the paperwork.
Mayor Ly thanked Lieutenant Tiwari for the clarification.
Council Member Armenia asked how the Park Rangers recently hired are being
utilized to ensure incidents at the park are handled accordingly.
Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that it depends on the
incident, Park Rangers would be in contact with both the Code Enforcement
and the Sheriffs Department; indicated three of the Park Rangers will start
training tomorrow.
Council Member Armenta emphasized that we do not want them to act as
our deputies rather as a support team to the deputies as an extra set of eyes to
hopefully deter any incidents at the park.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 6of10
Lieutenant Tiwari reiterated he will work with Mr. Boecking and the Park Rangers
to ensure they understand that their role is to serve as a "good witness" but should
not engage as there is nothing worth risking their lives.
Council Member Dang asked what would happen if he called Temple Station as
a resident witnessing a fight at the park. Questioned what the process would be
if a lost wallet was found at the park.
Captain Meza responded deputies would be dispatched there as a priority call for
the fight, and depending on if weapons are involved, it could be escalated to an
emergent call. Indicated if a lost wallet is found, then Temple Station would
dispatch a CSO to take the report of the lost wallet.
Council Member Dang asked at what point the CSO hands over the lost wallet
to the Park Ranger.
Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated depending on the time of day,
location of where it's found and if the Park Ranger is on duty, then the CSO can
contact the Park Ranger to take over in that capacity.
Council Member Dang inquired if the Temple Station would also be able to
dispatch the Park Rangers if a routine call is at a park.
Captain Meza stated once there is an understanding of the Park Rangers' role
and if the Council so desires then we can incorporate them in the notification
system similar to the CSOs.
Mayor Ly opined there is no need to add complexities by combining programs;
emphasized utilizing the CSOs in this capacity is still a pilot program being tested.
Council Member Armenta noted there is a cycle changing as many people are
reporting things on social media and incidents that used to only happen at night are
now happening during broad daylight as people are becoming more brazen.
Council Member Low asked what else can be done to assist the deputies with
reducing response times.
Captain Meza stated it would be beneficial to reduce response times if the
deputies are able to write some of the reports at the Substation rather than having
to drive back to Temple Station at the Public Safety Center.
Mayor Ly asked for an update on the renovation of the Substation.
City Manager Kim replied that the computer system has been upgraded for about
a year, so the deputies are able to write their reports at the Substation; noted
the Substation's full renovation is a work in progress, however, due to different
factors there have been delays.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 7 of 10
Mayor Ly requested an item be added to the next Council meeting agenda to
provide an update on the renovation of the Substation. Asked what the current status
of the Reserve Deputy Program is and if there is a shortage; noted we can
look into expanding the Reserve Deputy Program or creating our own Reserve
Officer Program, if needed.
Captain Meza asserted that we have ten (10) Level One Reserves who are full-time,
24-hour Peace Officers status but only have to provide 16 hours of volunteer time
a month and are located out of Temple Station.
Mayor Ly stated it is my understanding that Level One Reserves must partner with
someone while on duty.
Captain Meza corrected that it is Level Two Reserves that must partner with
someone while on duty. Typically, the Reserves we have are former Police Officers
that are older and do not like to work in a controlled environment and only work
city events or mobile ranges. Asserted that even if the city creates their own
Reserve Officer Program, it will still have to be connected to a Police Department
such as the Temple Sheriff Station.
Mayor Ly asked for staff to send this discussion to the Public Safety Commission
to get their thoughts on the cost benefits analysis of working with the Temple
Sheriff Station and building a stronger Deputy Reserve Program to support the
City of Rosemead versus the city creating our own Reserve Officer Program.
Suggested the possibility of partnering with Rio Hondo Police Academy and
utilizing Reserves to increase operational support of the Deputies.
Council Member Low referred to the data provided and asked about how the time
is spent per shift.
Lieutenant Tiwari commented that the deputies respond to the various calls
and that every deputy stays two to three hours to conclude paperwork and the
Temple Station incurs that cost of the overtime.
Captain Meza asserted that our deputies have a strong work ethic and are passionate
about serving the Rosemead community.
Council Member Low asked what would happen if a priority call came in and the
deputy is in the middle of compiling paperwork.
Captain Meza stated they would take a break from the paperwork and proceed to
the priority call.
Mayor Ly stated it appears that the deputies work on their reports in between calls
or at the end of their shifts as they respond to emergent and priority calls first.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 8 of 10
Lieutenant Tiwari shared if the call threshold is over 30 minutes, the Dispatch desk
is instructed to call back and advise that the deputies are aware of the situation
but have an emergent call and will attend to your call when finished responding
to the emergent call.
Captain Meza indicated that every emergent and priority call gets assigned two
deputies, and a routine call will get one deputy assigned.
Council Member Dang opined we want to support the Sheriffs Team, but also
don't want to have the optics that we are giving you all these resources without
holding you accountable. Asked if the Sheriffs Department could figure out
internally what is not working as something seems off based on the surrounding
cities' data. We are brainstorming on how to help, but we also want you to bring
a game plan for us to consider.
Lieutenant Tiwari explained Rosemead requires more resources because the
neighboring cities do not have the same demand in calls that Rosemead does.
Council Member Dang thanked Captain Meza and Lieutenant Tiwari for all the data
provided.
`•Mayor Ly expressed appreciation and emphasized it is the deputies in the front
of the line that assume the leadership role and risk their lives every day to protect
v"
our Fesidents and business community.
S:.- MATTERS FROM CITY MANAGER & STAFF
A. Report, Discussion, and Direction Regarding the 2030 Imagine Rosemead
Strategic Plan
On October 26, 2021, the Rosemead City Council adopted a new Strategic Plan that
imagines what the City will be like in the coming 10 years. The strategic plan has
acted as a roadmap for implementing Rosemead's vision for the City as well as
ongoing improvements. This update outlines the first two years of the plan and
provides a progress report on the goals and items that were identified in the 2030
Strategic Plan.
Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide direction on the
Strategic Plan.
Mayor Ly tabled Item 5A and directed staff to schedule a 6:00 p.m. Study Session
at the next meeting directly following Senator Susan Rubio's presentation.
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
Page 9 of 10
6. MATTERS FROM MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL
B. Council Comments
Mayor Ly invited the community to join the Beautification Commission at our
next Community Clean-up on Saturday, November 4a'. Check-in is at 8:30 a.m.,
at Savannah Memorial Park, 9263 Valley Boulevard, Rosemead. Volunteers will
assist with preparing the venue for Veterans' Day by placing flags to honor
Veterans who served for our country. There will be other tasks such as weed
abatement, and picking up litter, at the location. This is one of our larger
scaled events, so bring as many family members or friends as the more
volunteers the better! To register, email your name and contact information to
BeautifvineRosemeadkcityofrosemead.org. For those interested, a certificate
for community service hours will be available. We look forward to you joining us
on November 4'!
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Ly adjourned the meeting at 8:58 p.m. The next City Council meeting will take
place on November 14, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rosemead City Hall Cotitteij { hamber:
Ericka Hernandez, City Cletk '
APPROVED:
even Ly, Mayor
Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes of October 24, 2023
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