Loading...
CC - Minutes - 11-14-2023 Specila & RegularMINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL & REGULAR JOINT MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 2023 The special meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Ly at 6:09 p.m., in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Mayor Ly, Mayor Pro Tem Clark (teleconference), 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 1. WORKSHOP A. Legislative Update Presentation by Senator Susan Rubio, Representing the 22nd District Mayor Ly welcomed Senator Susan Rubio representing the 22nd District; indicated Ms. Rubio's District unfortunately does not include Rosemead, however, we are happy that she found a way to include us into her District still. Senator Susan Rubio, 22"d District, stated Mayor Ly is correct that unfortunately I am no longer the Senator that covers the City of Rosemead, but I asked to continue to support the City as much as I can until the election of 2024 when Rosemead's representative is elected. During the transition, I caretake and make sure that I am available to help you with services and any programs that I can. Senator Rubio presented a PowerPoint on Legislative Updates for the San Gabriel Valley; shared some of the victories as it pertains to deliverables of money that she brought to the San Gabriel Valley; asserted that in 2019, we created the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) Regional Housing Trust with one of my bills which allowed the SGV to band together to see how we can solve the homelessness and housing crisis that we're facing; indicated I was able to put $36 million in that Housing Trust and the only requirement is that you have a shovel -ready project that will help to either solve a homeless issue or create housing. Many cities have already taken advantage of it; noted so far, we have about 750 completed affordable housing units for families and there are a thousand in the pipeline. We also use that funding to create house communities to take people right off the streets and put them in a safe place where they get housing, fed three times a day, and if they have children, their children get services such as going to school. As of last month, we've transitioned about 50 families into permanent housing with job opportunities. I was able to give the Council of Governments $1 million to create a program called the SGV Works, which focuses on either those that are experiencing homelessness, at risk of Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page I of 33 becoming homeless or those foster youth that are transitioning out of foster care; God's Pantry, an organization in Pomona, takes them in, trains them for about an 18 -week course and they're able to earn money while they learn a skill, then after they graduate, they are placed at jobs. Highlighted that we graduated the first class several months back; this Thursday will be the second graduation. Senator Rubio talked about the other funding sources she brought: $25 million to build a community center, $10 million to support our teachers, $5 million in workforce development, $1 million into the COG to address our issues, then $4 million into the Southern California Council of Governments (SCAG) — noted right now they're creating an incredible program that focuses on equity and inclusion to make sure that those that are typically out of a job or don't have opportunities have an opportunity to get a job. Senator Rubio asserted that she passed 15 bills, all of them signed by the Governor this year: SB 20 — Regional Housing Trusts: State Framework; SB 331 — Piqui's Law: Keeping Families Safe from Violence, which is something that I've been working on for three years. Finally, after so long, we can now reform Family Court to make sure that children have a chance to be with a safe parent. So far there are 948 children murdered in the U.S. by a parent, not by a stranger, by a parent during custody battles or during separation. Opined when courts make wrong decisions, its not that they set out to make the wrong decision; it's just that they need education in terms of cases of child custody and to be able to recognize the signs of abusers. The next bill is SB 344 — California Council Registry, noting she comes from a family of cancer survivors and has had family members pass away as well. This idea came to me from a husband of someone who had breast cancer and they automatically ordered medication online; stated the man's wife passed away, so he wanted to donate about 13,000 of unused medication that he couldn't use, but California didn't have a law that would allow us to transfer medication from one patient to the other, so he had to throw it away. Indicated her recycling program now allows patients to donate unused medication to those that need it, especially because it's so expensive. Pointed out SB 603 — Children Advocacy Center: Abused Children Forensic Interviews, there's a center in the San Gabriel Valley and Monterey Park that tackles the issue of foster youth that are being abused in homes. They do forensic interviews for children that typically don't have anyone to look after them. I was able to pass a bill and bring them $3 million to not only buy a building so they can have a permanent home, but also be able to expand the services, which will be located in El Monte. Another bill I'd like to share is SB 715 — Small Business; Entrepreneur Innovation, I wanted to create a space for those that are very innovative and bright, but do not want to go to a four-year college. I've donated $2.5 million to East Los Angeles College (ELAC) so they can open a center of entrepreneurship and innovation, for anybody that wants to create a business to receive guidance with the promotion, the creativity, look into their patent to see if it works. Other budget successes that I've had this year is bringing $8.5 million to build a college called the College of Health and Community Well -Being, which will be an extension of the University of La Verne. It's going to be in Ontario to give the Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 2 of 33 opportunity to kids in the San Bernardino County; pointed out La Verne has been great in terms of subsidizing and paying most of the tuition for low-income students. Hopefully they walk away with a career and no debt to be able to fulfill whatever path they want to take. The other funding I brought was $500,000, but really, it's $1.5 million for local law enforcement to support community public safety efforts; indicated she has been spreading it out as she gets the money to ensure police departments upgrade all their camera equipment. Senator Rubio stated she is the Chair of the Senate Insurance Committee on the Senate side; we've had a lot of challenges in terms of wildfires and the risk that keeps increasing in the state of California and so many of our families and homeowners are being dropped from their insurance; noted she just got her letter last week notifying her that she was being dropped. The reason that's happening is because there's so many Natural disasters happening all at once and the risk for insurers is really high. She partnered with the insurance commissioner and the Governor herself this whole year to create plan to see how we incentivize the insurance companies to come back to California. Right now, they're writing 20% of the high-risk market, we created a plan, so hopefully we anticipate 12 months from now, you'll see the market come back and stabilize itself, which would bring down costs as well. Senator Rubio asserted that a lot of bills I've passed have been in effort to support our police departments on trying to protect children, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and holding perpetrators accountable. AB 701 — Increased Penalties for Selling Fentanyl; we know that our kids and adults are dying at record numbers from this crisis. We have invested a lot in law enforcement because if we want to ensure that they're taking care of crime in our communities and making sure that our cities are safe, they need those resources. Emphasized that my goal is to ensure that I'm not demanding that our cities become safer, rather that I need to help in any way I can to make sure the funding is there. The other bills that I passed was SB 14 — Holding Predators Accountable; stated she learned through this process that human trafficking of a minor was not a serious felony in the state of California, which she found to be extremely distressing, so she set out to change the law. Noted a colleague and her tried to pass this three years ago and weren't successful then, however, we finally passed it and it is now law. Anybody that sells a child for sex is now going to be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law and there'll be longer sentences. Commented if you're a repeat offender, you have the potential of staying in jail for life. Another bill is SB 273 — Phoenix Act, extending the statute of limitations for victims of domestic violence. When I set out to change this, California only allowed victims three years to come forward to bring their abusers to justice. Now it is changed to five years, however a bill is currently sitting in one of the committees that will extend it to 15 years to give victims more time to heal, get services and be ready to come forward. Talked about SB 1141— Coercive Control; highlighted that California only recognized domestic violence as a physical assault or something that can be physically seen. So, I changed the definition to include coercive control, which means if someone's withholding your finances, telling you who to see, what Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 1023 Page 3 of33 to wear, seeing your phone, trying to read your messages, all of that is not considered coercive control and you can take it to court as supporting evidence. Emphasized this bill is important because trauma and psychological abuse sometimes lasts way longer than a brise that can heal in a couple of weeks. Victims across the state are now using it and they're replicating this bill not only across the country but also in about 12 other countries. Senator Rubio stated she is the Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Caucus. Earlier today, we had a meeting with all the San Gabriel Valley delegation, semi -members and senators to set the goals for the following year. This year, we brought $33.2 billion for transportation and the need continues to be there; indicated we'll continue to push for infrastructure projects and transportation. Provided a brief overview: SB 2, which I was able to co-author, takes guns away from dangerous people; AB 28 puts funding into school safety and violence prevention programs; SB 848, stated there's so many people in our country, in our state and around the world, women in particular, they're having miscarriages after miscarriages, and nobody really takes that into consideration when they have a job, typically if you're sick, you can take a sick day, or if someone passes away, you can take bereavement leave, but nobody takes into consideration if you lost a child through stillbirth, a failed adoption, a failed IVF, a miscarriage, and now those that have that loss can now take a couple of days to heal and they'll have job protection to be able to just grieve the loss of that child or that family that they were expecting. SB 867 is a climate bond that will bring $75 million to the San Gabriel Mountains and San Gabriel Valley specifically for water cleanup, water conservation projects, infrastructure projects. I also was able to focus on tax credits for projects. Senator Rubio said we continue to work really diligently to make sure that we bring resources to the San Gabriel Valley. Council Member Dang thanked Senator Rubio for visiting and giving us an update. Stated he is quite stunned by the number of achievements, the amount of grant money that you're able to secure for the San Gabriel Valley, and all the bills that you were able to champion to address transportation, family safety, climate change issues, and much more. Council Member Low thanked Senator Rubio for taking the time to present to Rosemead; echoed Council Member Dang's sentiment, stating she is extremely pleased and surprised to see all the progress that you have made, the money that you have brought into the San Gabriel Valley is wonderful. Expressed appreciation for all of Senator Rubio's hard work and dedication to our community. Mayor Pro Tem Clark thanked Senator Rubio, stating it's such a breath of fresh air to see these practical things that should have been done a long time ago now being tackled and accomplished by you. Council Member Armenta noted back in 2020, Senator Rubio passed SB 1307, which allowed the City of Rosemead to utilize funding established through the 1919 Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 4 of 33 Lighting District Funds for public benefits allowed under 1972 Landscaping and Lighting Act; stated the reason I bring this up is because Senator Rubio is the only legislator that has brought money into the city of Rosemead. Emphasized it's very important to note all the efforts that Senator Rubio has made not only in the San Gabriel Valley but here in our own city. Reiterated if it wasn't for you, we would not be able to have utilized $2.1 million for our street lighting and maintenance, so thank you. Mayor Ly expressed appreciation for Senator Rubio's focus on public safety this year, stating it is such an important issue not only here in the City of Rosemead, but across the whole district. I also want to thank you for your commitment to transportation needs as well; hinted he heard there's a freeway these days that needs some fixing. Senator Rubio responded the Governor declared a state of emergency and that allows us to bring funding if we need to, so for setting it you'll get some money. Mayor Ly echoed his colleagues' sentiment that he appreciates Senator Rubio actually showing up in the City of Rosemead as it's been hard to get that from our past state legislators. Expressed we hope our future senator follows in that footstep as well. Senator Rubio stated she wanted to remind everyone that you can still call me even though I'm not the official Senator covering Rosemead. I'm here to support whatever I can do, not just for Council on the dais, but families that are listening at home. Thanked the City Council for their time. B. Strategic Plan Review 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. City Manager Kim presented a PowerPoint of "Imagine Rosemead — 2030 Strategic Plan — 2021-2023 Update", which is our first bi-annual Report Card. There is a matrix on page 2 of the Staff Report that identifies which of the 71 items are on track, delayed, not on track, ongoing, and completed; reported that in the first two years, 57 of the 71 items are on track, we have a minor number of six (6) items that are delayed, (8) eight of them are not on track for various reasons, and 18 items on track. Provided the following overview on Goal A: Safety. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 5 of 33 • Action Item A.1 is to expand the Neighborhood Watch Program to include and rotate among all neighbors in the city. Neighborhoods in the city and organized monthly, bi-monthly meetings of all neighborhood block captains. Now, this item is on track and ongoing. • Action Item A.2 To include the Sheriff and Public Safety staff to attend all neighborhood watch community meetings. This is on track, ongoing, and it is completed. Public safety and the sheriffs department have been participating in,the neighborhood watch meetings. • Action Item A.3, increase visibility of sheriffs through expanded patrol throughout the city. It is on track, ongoing, and it is completed. Staff has been working diligently with the Sheriffs Department to increase patrol. If you recall, within this budget fiscal year, we transition one SAO, Special Assigned Deputy, to patrol to increase the patrol. • Action Item A.4 is a Human Resources item to hold regularly scheduled safety training for staff and provide expanded safety programs and education in Public, in the city, publication for residents. This is an ongoing item, our HR Department has been very active in doing various programs, not only internally, but externally as well. There was recently a Great Shakeout Drill, so it is ongoing, and we anticipate doing many more. • Action Item A.5 to provide current crime statistics to residents via social media to keep the community better informed. This is also on track, ongoing, and completed. The City staff initiated a weekly social media publication called "Rosemead This Week", which is released every Monday. I encourage all residents to sign up to receive a weekly progress report, not only of the crime statistics, but you will know what's happening this week. Director of Public Works Wang discussed Action Item A.6, develop a maintenance plan for all city facilities including lighting and camera equipment reviews to determine if updates or maintenance are required; provided an update that Phase 1 of the camera system upgrade project is already complete. The Parks and Facilities Master Plan is being developed right now and is anticipated to be released in Fiscal Year 2023-24. Next is Action Item A.7, explore grant funding to install additional cameras in parks and other public facilities to help deter crime; noted that Phase 1 of the camera system installation was done, now we're evaluating additional coverage area needs. Pointed out that Public Works worked with the Finance Department and identified American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as a funding source for Phase 2 of the camera system upgrade. Mayor Ly responded in addition to that, we need to work with our advocacy team and our lobbying team in D.C. to see if we could carve out an earmark for that number, to be determined for our Sacramento one. Opined grants are great, and I want us to obviously pursue as many of those as possible, but if there's no established grant, we can look at other directed funding sources that might exist as well. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 6 of 33 City Manager Kim thanked the City Council for approving the allocation in our Budget to allow the city to upgrade our camera system because as you recall our prior camera system was very antiquated, it was very old, the quality was not very good so that allocation allowed the staff to not only replace but enhance it. Now our system is more secure, better recorded and we're able to effectively pull the video as we need it. Moving on to Action Item A.8, hire a part-time social worker or case manager to provide outreach service to homeless individuals coordinating work with all city staff including Public Works and the Sheriffs Department. This item is on track, ongoing, and completed. Again, the Council will authorize through this fiscal year's budget, using ARPA 1.2 million dollars to execute a contract with LA CADA to address and offer services to the transient population. Mayor Ly inquired how are we defining success and measuring that as part of their services? City Manager Kim responded we get a report every week from LA CADA, which includes a matrix on various engagement and data that is provided in Council's Weekly Update. Mayor Ly asked if that includes the four beds that we have allocated for homelessness? Do we know how often our four beds are vacant and or utilized? City Manager Kim confirmed it does include the four beds. Acknowledged Mayor Ly's question but indicated he did not have information on the bed vacancy right now. Mayor Ly responded there is no rush and was just curious to the efficacy of that homeless program. Mr. Kim stated he will get that information and provide it to Council. City Manager Kim discussed Action Item A.9, explore grant opportunity and continue to work with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government (COG) and other regional partners to address homelessness. This is an ongoing activity. Before Rosemead engaged LA CADA services on a full-time basis, COG was providing the LA CADA service once a week. On top of our particular contract, LA CADA is still providing that additional service every Wednesday. Council Member Annenta stated we just had a presentation from Senator Susan Rubio regarding grant opportunities to address homelessness; pointed out that Rosemead has yet to join the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, which has given millions of dollars to combat homelessness, people that are unsheltered. Expressed I don't know when or if the Council is going to decide to join, but if we're looking for grant opportunities, they are being given to those cities that are part of this Regional Housing Trust. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 7 of 33 Mayor Ly concurred with Council Member Armenta; asked staff to place this item for discussion and then potential action on a future agenda no later than the second meeting of January. City Manager Kim confirmed that staff will prepare a report. Moving on to Goal B: Responsive, Inclusive City. Action Item B.1 is to create a communication plan with an internal PIO team to promote the city's program services and progress of the implementation. This is an ongoing item. Noted a survey was released and staff is going through the results received and is working on the communication plan; indicated it will be presented to the Council in the upcoming future. Action Item B.2 create a quarterly multilingual community newsletter to share news and city information and publicize the city's program and services. This is an ongoing item, on track, and completed. "Rosemead This Week" is available in multi languages as requested and is formatted to translate on non-native English phones. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking discussed Action Item B.3, include opportunities for input at city hosted events so residents and businesses can provide feedback about city services programs and events. This is ongoing, on track and completed. We do a survey after our concert series, as well as our classes and programs that we have inside of our buildings. We also provide opportunities for other departments to come out and survey as well. Action Item B.4, organize more cultural events which recognize and celebrate the diversity of Rosemead. This is on track. Indicated this is one of the assignments that the Youth Advisory Committee is taking on to provide or to build and plan and develop a Spring 2024 cultural event. Action Item B.5 continues to expand the Rosemead Anti -Hate Campaign. This is on track, ongoing, and completed. Staff introduced the Anti -Hate Campaign last year with an art contest which was successful. Unfortunately, the Poetry Contest was not successful as we did not receive any entries. This year we launched the Art Contest recently and received quite a bit of entries which those winners will be presented at a future meeting. Mayor Ly stated as part of our lobby day in D.C., we did meet with the National Endowment of the Arts and they sounded very intrigued and excited to partner with a community like Rosemead due to the fact that we are outside what their traditional demographics are. If there's other opportunities for some sort of art -based program, might be worthwhile for us to look into partnering with the National Endowment of the Arts. City Manager Kim stated Action Item B.6 is to ensure that all city information, literature, and outreach is engaging and available in the languages most commonly spoken in the city. Item is on track, translation at the desk is available for general information, and the new website that staff is working on will have expanded translation capabilities. Action Item B.7, hold multi-lingual open house at City Hall to promote and educate the community about the city services to residents and businesses. This item is on track. Recommended implementation, we're looking at doing a leadership academy within the City of Rosemead that's in discussion with the Executive Team for once a year. Community survey to identify community Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 8 of 33 preference for this activity, so this is currently being worked on. Action Item B.8 is to create a civic educational workshop to educate the community about how they can get involved in city governance and activity. This item is also on track. The Executive Team is in discussion on creating a leadership academy. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated we are actively working on the implementation of the Youth in Government Day and the committee to engage the youth in our function, you know, governmental functions. City Manager Kim talked about Action Item B.8, continuing and expanding training for staff to learn about different aspects of organization to provide quality of service, including directing inquiries to appropriate departments andl or personnel. Commended our Human Resources (HR) Department as our current HR Manager joined us about three months ago and has jumped on board really quick. There's been a lot of activities on training; shared we recently did an active shooter training, CPR training, and cybersecurity training is always ongoing. Indicated our HR Department is continuously working on training opportunities to make our staff more informed and better in their profession. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking spoke on Action Item B.10, research and evaluate the creation of the Youth Advisory Committee. This is on track and has been completed. The Committee was re-established just about a year ago and has been meeting with full agendas. Director of Public Works Wang provided an overview on Goal C: Infrastructure and Facilities; noted all of these goals are in progress and on track, with one of them being completed. Action Item C.1, continue ongoing improvements to streets and infrastructure in the city. Street improvements and facility rehabilitation projects are included in the Fiscal Year 22-23 and Fiscal Year 23-24 CIP program. In the last fiscal year, we have initiated nine CIP projects and five of them were completed. Mayor Ly interjected, stating I appreciate the hard work you're doing, but we have to briefly mention there's a lot of projects that are outstanding and no fault to yourself as they have been accumulated over the years. Emphasized we have a lot of projects that are fully funded that we need to push out as we might begin losing some funding sources and streams if we don't push these projects out. Mayor Ly indicated he is very confident in Ms. Wang's and staffs ability to execute, but as a Council, we need to prepare for that to get as many of these projects pushed out as possible so that our residents can benefit from better infrastructure. Director of Public Works Wang responded we are fully aware, and those projects are priorities as we don't want to lose the funding sources for those projects that have been fully funded. Indicated there are projects that have safety concerns that we want to get to as well. Noted if we work on specific projects and spend the money right now, it's going to save us time and money rather than addressing Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 9 of 33 them later. Reiterated those are the factors we consider when prioritizing these projects and we're doing our best to work on that. Ms. Wang continued with Action Item C.2, maintain or enhance crosswalks, lighting and public sidewalks and review current lighting standards to determine whether they need to be revised or updated. We have completed the local road safety plan which is a document that identifies safety issues. It's good for five years so we're good with that because that's been done and we can use that to apply for funding with Caltrans. The development of Sidewalk ADA master plan started in 2023, noting we're close to completion for the design phase of that. Stated once we have that, it will be a guiding document for us to implement the street improvement, sidewalk improvements in the city. Indicated an RFP has been prepared for the street. Council Member Dang asked if what is being considered will include lighting for the vehicle traffic signals or is that more of a safety from a pedestrian walkability point of view or both? Ms. Wang clarified those are the lights on the streets, not the traffic signal lights. Council Member Dang emphasized the main goal of those lights are safety for pedestrians. Director of Public Works Wang affirmed that is correct. Council Member Armenta asked City Manager Kim how much of the money that Senator Rubio was able to secure for Rosemead under SB 1307 is being utilized to upgrade? City Manager Kim replied even though that money may be available, and we would qualify, the priority was to finish these projects and spend the expiring funds first. Council Member Armenta thanked Mr. Kim for clarifying. Director of Public Works Wang stated the Sidewalk Replacement Program is an annual project to remove and replace existing damaged concrete at various locations in the city. We are partnering with Edison that has a program to replace bulbs for free on Garvey Avenue to enhance lighting. Action Item C.3, continue to seek grant and other funding opportunities for street improvements and infrastructure enhancements. Mayor Ly asked if the Safe Route to School for $900,000 is still the number one funding opportunity you want to get? Indicated you don't need to answer that question now, Ms. Wang, just preferably before head back up to DC in March, so we can make sure we are on the same page on that one. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 10 q(33 Ms. Wang replied will do. Moved on to Action Item CA, review the city's existing bike plan to determine the feasibility of including bicycle infrastructure as an element of street improvement projects. Public Works has reviewed the city's 2012 bike plan, presented at the March 2022 Traffic Commission meeting; noted the outcome of that meeting is that we will determine the feasibility of bike lanes as we implement the CIPS of major street improvement projects during the design phase of the CIP because just not all the streets have the condition to allow for bike lanes. So that's something we will continue to look at the feasibility of as we implement the CIPS. Action Item C.5, develop and support projects which incorporate multimodal transportation systems. That's an ongoing collaboration with our Planning Division. As projects come through, we will consider multimodal opportunities as part of the development project reviews. Interim Director of Community Development Wong spoke about Action Item C.6, create a parking structure to address parking issues in the city; Community Development is to identify location of parking structure as this item requires land and is not available at the moment. That is not currently on track. Mayor Ly commented I believe later tonight we're discussing one item which can potentially handle that issue with the Civic Center Plaza upgrade. Mr. Wong affirmed that's correct, however it's not a goal that's attainable at this time. Moving on to Action Item C.7, create preferential parking districts in residential areas. The Public Works and Planning Departments are investigating the need and present items to the Traffic Commission for their consideration in neighborhoods that's probably located within commercial areas. This item is also not on track. Director of Public Works Wang stated Action Item C.8, develop a five-year Capital Improvement Project program. This one is on track. All of our CIP projects are developed into the next five years. Public Works staff will be presenting this at a future meeting to update the Council. Action Item C.9, develop and or update maintenance and repair management plans for all city facilities, including all parks and park facilities. Funding is available within FY 23-24 CIP for the development of the park and facilities master plan is currently in progress, noted we're preparing the RFP to go out. City Clerk Hernandez discussed Action Item C.10, continues to organize community cleanup events that involve residents and businesses. The Rosemead Beautification Commission has taken the lead on community cleanups on a quarterly basis to see what's the response of the community. Ascertained so far, the four community cleanups that have taken place on Valley Boulevard corridor, Garvey Avenue corridor, the Savannah Cemetery and Emerson Elementary School have been successful. Our events are held on Saturday mornings for two to three hours; there is always a great turnout of volunteers. Stated the Beautification Commission will continue to make efforts to kind of promote awareness about cleaning and recycling all around the community. Briefly introduced Action Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 11 of 33 Item C.11, the Beautification Commission's next project is to create artwork on the traffic boxes, which is in the research phase. Interim Director of Community Development Wong further explained the goal of this item is to incorporate more arts in public spaces in the city. Primarily, the art in public spaces are recommended for new projects and can't be mandated, so this particular item will be delayed. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking spoke about Goal D: Parks and Programs; Rosemead has parks facilities, green space and recreation on cultural resources to meet the needs of residents across the city. Action Item D.1 is continue to explore and evaluate opportunities for new parks and other green spaces in the city. This is on track and ongoing. While the Dog Park opened up back in March, we're also still working with Edison in the hopes to try to build Founders Park. Action Item D.2, update and expand park amenities, events, and programs so that they are more accessible and inclusive, focusing on key elements of the population, including youth, seniors, those with special needs, and residents who are not English speakers. This is on track. I've just completed with Parks Commission, a survey of amenities for all park facilities. We're also working with the Youth Advisory Committee on looking at amenities and recommendations, noted there will be a report coming to Council soon of possible things that will also tie into the CIP as well. Action Item D.3, provide case management services, emotional development, support for seniors and youth in the community. This is on track. We actually have entered into a contract with the YWCA for case management services one day a week at Garvey Center; shared that seniors are able to come and visit with the case management and they provide services as far as potential housing, support with their grounds, food, things of that nature. Council Member Armenta recalled many years ago, the city provided legal services for our seniors; stated she believes the law firm was called Betts and we had a long-standing relationship that we had with them. Noted the same law firm is providing services for El Monte seniors now. Opined she is not sure why they left Rosemead; suggested we could recontract them. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that is definitely something we can look into. Going on to Item DA, expand community outreach to identify additional program needs for residents. This is on track, ongoing, it has a lot to do with our surveying, seeing what the needs are, changing ideas that are coming around, how we can do things in a different way. Action Item D.5, continue to look for funding opportunities to expand parks and facilities. This is ongoing on track. We'll take money if anybody has it. We'll take it to build things and do things with it. Action Item D.6., create partnerships with community organizations and sports teams to enhance city sports facilities and park programming. This is delayed. This is a short midterm. No plan has been developed, but it is something that we will be working on in the future. Action Item D.7, update the field allocation policy, this has been updated and a draft will be presented to the City's Manager's Office. Action Item D.8 develop cultural arts programs and or cultural arts commission to Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 1023 Page 12 of 33 create sponsor arts and cultural events in the city. This is delayed as well. While we are looking at hosting cultural events, we have not established a plan or the possibility of adding another commission. So, it is delayed, but we are looking and researching it. Discussed Action Item D.9, create an art walk event to highlight artists in the Rosemead community. This is delayed as well as it could not happen this fiscal year, but it is something that we are planning for FY 24-25. Action Item D.10, study and evaluate the expansion of Splash Zone. That is a long- term goal, so it is on track. No action has been taken. Once we do have a City Engineer on staff, it's something that we would evaluate with Public Works and see what the feasibility and possibility of expanding that area. Action Item D.11, research a location for a dedicated soccer field; this is a long-term goal. Right now, we don't have any available park space or land to develop that, but it is something that we will keep researching. Mayor Ly stated we will pause there for the Strategic Plan item and if time permits, then we will continue this after the regular agenda has been completed. If not, we will move this item to another meeting to complete. We are going to take a brief five-minute recess and reconvene for the Regular meeting at 7:21 p.m. 7:00 P.M. The regular meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Ly at 7:21 p.m., in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Mayor Ly, Mayor Pro Tem Clark (Teleconference), 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 Low INVOCATION — Mayor Ly 2. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Ly opened the Public Comment period. Nancy Eng, indicated she is not here for herself, but is here on behalf of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) San Gabriel Valley and a chapter of the National Alliance of Mental Illness Greater Los Angeles County; stated since this is a month of gratitude, she is here to say thank you to the City of Rosemead. Due to COVID-19 lockdown, we lost our meeting space to hold our free family education classes for families supporting loved ones living with mental illness. Gave a special thank you to Director of Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 13 of 33 Parks and Recreation Boecking and staff Bernadette Galindo for their help in arranging a room at RCRC for our first in person meeting return after the COVID lockdown to provide our NAMI Family -to -Family community; noted we had 20 family members participate and 12 successfully finished the class. NAMI Family -to -Family is a free eight- week session education program for families, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidence -based program. This means that research shows that a program significantly improves the coping and problem -solving abilities of people closest to a person with a mental health condition. NAMI Family -to - Family is taught by NAMI trained family members who have been there and includes presentations, discussions, and interactive exercises. Encouraged the community to visit NAMI San Gabriel Valley and NAMI Greater Los Angeles County websites for education, support, and resources. Mayor Ly thanked Ms. Eng for her advocacy. Mr. Min Wane, Republic Services, indicated that tomorrow is America Recycles Day and shared flyers with information about recycling plastics, plastic recycling myths and common misconceptions. There being no other speakers, Mayor Ly closed the Public Comment period k) 919 *104"WO-11 G" A. Proclamation Declaring the Month of November 2023, as "Family Court Awareness Month" in the City of Rosemead City Clerk Hernandez stated Ms. Tracy Mueller Gibbs with the Family Court Awareness Month Committee, will be receiving our Proclamation via Zoom. Ms. Tracy Miller -Gibbs thanked the City Council for proclaiming November as Family Court Awareness Month. Stated she is a domestic violence survivor, a protective parent, and a child safety advocate. Our mission is to bring awareness by educating the public and lawmakers of the ways the family court system is inadvertently harming children. In many cases, the judicial officers making the decisions about child custody are prioritizing equal parenting time over the safety of children. Family court judicial officers are often attorneys and family court deals with very complex issues. Most would be shocked to know that in many states, including California, family court judges make rulings that impact children's lives, have zero mandated training hours in childhood trauma, childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, coercive control, and domestic violence. But with an educated public and supportive lawmakers, we are making changes. I can proudly say that last month, on Oct3ober 13th, Governor Newsom signed Senator Rubio's bill, SB 331, Piqui's Law: Keeping Families Safe from Violence, into law. This law was named after a five-year-old boy here in California that was murdered by his father on court-ordered visit despite warnings of abuse from the boy's mother. Most importantly, this law bans rogue treatments in California that were happening in our family court system that were literally ripping children Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 14 of 33 out of their safe parents' homes in the middle of the night to reunify them with their abusers. Emphasized we wouldn't be able to do that without the support of cities like Rosemead. The City Council thanked Ms. Miller -Gibbs for her diligence in bringing awareness and being a champion to this important issue. B. Proclamation Declaring November 25, 2023, as "Small Business Saturday" in the City of Rosemead The City Council presented the Proclamation declaring November 25, 2023 as "Small Business Saturday" to Ray Jan, Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Jan stated the objective and the goal of this is to make sure that people recognize the wonderful businesses we have here in the City of Rosemead; asserted that Rosemead is one of the food capitals of LA and California. The City Council thanked Ms. Jan for her and the Chamber's efforts in advocating for our local businesses. 4. PUBLIC HEARING - None 5. CONSENT CALENDAR ACTION: Moved by Council Member Armenta and seconded by Council Member Low to approve the Consent Calendar Items A through C, and E through J. Mayor Ly pulled Item D to table for a future meeting. The motion was carried out by the following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, Ly NOES: None ABSENT: None CE A: The following items are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, unless noted on the item. A. Claims and Demands • Resolution No. 2023-67 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $1,736,705.91 CHECKS NUMBERED 115252 THROUGH NUMBER 115364, DRAFTS NUMBERED 6834 THROUGH NUMBER 6845 AND EFT NUMBERED 51937 THROUGH NUMBER 51977 INCLUSIVELY Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2023-67. Resolution No. 2023-71 Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 15 of 33 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $2,000,585.40 CHECKS NUMBERED 115365 THROUGH NUMBER 115434, DRAFTS NUMBERED 6846 THROUGH NUMBER 6887, AND DRAFT NUMBER 6905, AND EFT NUMBERED 51978 THROUGH NUMBER 51990 INCLUSIVELY Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2023-71. B. Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 1018, Municipal Code Amendment 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) On October 24, 2023, the City Council approved for first reading Ordinance No. 1018, Municipal Code Amendment 23-02 (MCA 23-02) 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. Recommendation: That the City Council approve the second reading, by title only, and adopt 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) C. Professional Services Agreement with Rosemead Animal Hospital for Animal Shelter and Care Services The Professional Services Agreement with Rosemead Animal Hospital ("RAH") for animal shelter and care services agreement is to expire on December 31, 2023. For the past five years, RAH has provided temporary/short-term kenneling and veterinary care services to the City, in addition to supporting the City's network of animal care services. Recommendation: That the City Council authorize and direct the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Rosemead Animal Hospital for temporary/short-term kenneling and veterinary care services. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 16 of 33 E. Appointment to the Youth Advisory Committee The City has continued to solicit applications for the Youth Advisory Committee, which will advise the City Council on matters pertaining to youth. The Youth Advisory Committee is overseen by the Parks and Recreation Department and will submit an annual update to the City Council. Recommendation: That the City Council approve the appointments of Kristen Kim and Kyan Chau to the Youth Advisory Committee. F. Approval of Tract Map No. 83705 for 8601 Mission Drive The proposed Tract Map No. 83705 related to the subdivision and development at 8601 Mission Drive has been prepared in accordance with the approved tentative tract map and is being submitted for approval. Recommendation: That the City Council approve Tract Map No. 83705 and direct the City Clerk to arrange for the recordation of the map. G. City Council Designation and Appointment of Interim City Engineer as a Retired Annuitant Position The City has opened the recruitment for a permanent City Engineer due to the resignation of the previous City Engineer in May 2023. To ensure the continuity of operations during this vacancy, staff is recommending the City Council adopt a resolution to appoint Mr. Albert Leung as a Retired Annuitant to the position of City Engineer as authorized per California Government Code Sections 7522.56 and 21221(h). Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Approve the position of Interim City Engineer and authorize the position as a Retired Annuitant Position per California Government Code Sections 7522.56 and 21221(h); 2. Approve the appointment and authorize the City Manager to sign the agreement on behalf of the City with Mr. Albert Leung as the Interim City Engineer; and 3. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-68, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, APPOINTING A RETIRED ANNUITANT TO THE POSITION OF INTERIM CITY ENGINEER FOR A LIMITED DURATION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 7522.56 AND 21221(h) Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 17 of 33 H. Receive and File the I` Quarter Budget Report; Adoption of Resolution No. 2023-69 Amending the FY 2023-24 Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budgets This report summarizes the City's financial position for FY 2022-23 (unaudited) and FY 2023-24 through September 30, 2023 (1st Quarter) for the General Fund. Also included are carryover appropriations for the Capital Improvement Program, recommended budget amendments, and the FY 2024-25 Budget Preparation Calendar. The actions recommended include the adoption of Resolution No. 2023-69, to amend the FY 2023-24 Operating and Capital Improvement Program budgets. In summary, the data presented indicates that the actual revenue for the General Fund in FY 2023 exceeded the estimated budget by $5.2 million, while expenditures were $2.5 million lower than the budgeted appropriations. For Fiscal Year 2023, the General Fund's fund balance experienced a net increase of $3.9 million, rising from an initial amount of $28.5 million to a final amount of $32.4 million. Additionally, there is a total of $46.0 million in prior year appropriations across 16 funds that will be carried forward to FY 2023-24 for 34 Capital Improvement Program projects. Furthermore, the first quarter receipts for FY 2023-24 account for 6.3% of the total revenue, representing 25% of the year, while expenditures for the same period amount to 20%. Lastly, it is noted that the budget cycle for FY 2024-25 will commence in mid-January. Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Receive and file the I` Quarter Budget Report; and 2. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-69, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE FY 2023-24 OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGETS I. Adding "Family Court Awareness Month" Proclamation to the Approved List of Proclamations On October 23, 2023, the Mayor and City Clerk received a request via email from Family Court Awareness Month Committee requesting a proclamation declaring the month of November 2023, as "Family Court Awareness Month" in the City of Rosemead. Since the request came after the last meeting of October and only one meeting in November is scheduled due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Mayor Ly asked that the proclamation request and presentation be placed in the same meeting. Recommendation: That the City Council approve adding the "Family Court Awareness Month" Proclamation to the list of approved proclamations. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 18 of 33 J. Purchase of Annual Microsoft Office 365 Licensing and Additional Microsoft Entra ID Premium 2 Licensing In light of recent numerous incidents of ransomware and other security incidents targeting government entities, the City of Rosemead has a need to improve its security posture relative to accessing City computers and business systems. After a thorough analysis of the options, the Information Technology Division believes the Microsoft Entra ID Premium 2 licensing provides the best value and functionality to meet the City's security needs. The proposed quote is in the amount of $44,880 for the purchase of the annual Microsoft Office 365 licensing ($32,232) and the additional purchase of Microsoft Entra ID Premium 2 licensing ($12,648). Recommendation: That the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute the purchase of the annual Microsoft Office 365 licensing and Microsoft Entra ID Premium 2 licensing with Microsoft via the authorized retailer Intelli-Tech in the amount of $44,880. CONSENT ITEMS PULLED FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION D. Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Max Power Technology, LLC On December 10, 2019, the City of Rosemead approved a Professional Services Agreement with Max Power Technology, LLC for information technology services for a three-year period, with two one-year optional renewals. The initial Agreement was set to expire in December 2022, and the City Council approved the first amendment to the Agreement to extend the contract for an additional one-year term ending in December 2023. This is a second amendment to the Agreement, that the City Council exercise the optional renewal for a period of one year in an amount not -to -exceed $125,685, which is a $5,985 increase from the first amendment. Recommendation: That the City Council approve, authorize, and direct the City Manager to execute the second amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Max Power Technology, LLC in amount not -to -exceed $125,685 for a period of one year. Mayor Ly pulled item 5D and requested it be tabled for a future meeting; asked staff to consider what it would look like if we did go to a Request for Proposal (RFP) and if we have the capacity for that. 6. MATTERS FROM MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL 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 19 of 33 A. Consideration of an In -Kind Donation to the Volunteers in Defense of Animals for Animal Shelter and Care Services Currently, the City of Rosemead has a Professional Services Agreement with Volunteers in Defense of Animals ("VIDA") for animal shelter and care services. For the past five years, VIDA has provided long-term kenneling, adoption, and veterinary care services to the City in addition to supporting the City's network of animal care services. On October 24, 2023, the Public Safety Department received an email from VIDA notifying the City of their financial challenges stemming from increased operational expenses and decreased pet adoptions. VIDA is seeking an in-kind donation totaling $6,000 per month to ensure the shelter's continued operation and to avoid closure on December 31, 2023. This $6,000 per month would be a shared cost ($3,000 each) between the City of Rosemead and the City of La Puente, since each have a Professional Services Agreement with VIDA. Recommendation: That the City Council approve the in-kind donation consideration to VIDA in an amount not -to -exceed $3,000 per month. If VIDA's financial hardship improves within these 12 months, the in-kind donation will expire at the end of the 12th month. However, if the financial situation does not improve, staff will re-evaluate the situation and bring back further options for the Council to consider, including extending the in-kind donation period. The in-kind donation will assist their operational costs, enhancing the well-being of the animals in care, and the ability to continue VIDA's essential animal services to the City of Rosemead. Public Safety Supervisor Wong stated that currently, the City of Rosemead has professional services agreement with Volunteers in Defense of Animals (VIDA) for animal shelter and care services. For the past five years, VIDA has provided long-term scheduling, adoption, and veterinary care services to the City, in addition to supporting the City's network of animal care services. On October 24, 2023, the Public Safety Department received an email from VIDA notifying the City of their financial challenges stemming from increased operational expenses and decreased pet adoptions. VIDA's primary income streams from pet adoptions fee, which are as follows: Dog adoption is cat adoption fee is $189, and kitten adoption fee is $225. The kitten adoption fee is more because the kitten needs three sets of series of vaccines. The animal adoption package includes all vaccines are up to date, the dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed, flea medication, 30 days of medical insurance, and a free vet exam at any VCA animal hospital. Pet adoption stats were included in the Staff Report showing a drastic decline in pet adoption beginning fiscal year 2022 to current. VIDA is requesting Rosemead for the next 12 months to assist its operational expenses of $3,000 monthly not -to -exceed Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 20 of 33 $36,000 to stay open. The Public Safety Department has been pleased with the services that VIDA provides and is recommending that the City continue its unique relationship with VIDA. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council approve VIDA's request so VIDA can continue to provide essential animal services to the City of Rosemead. And for clarification, staff is recommending that the Council approve First Amendment to the Professional Service Agreement, an amount of $3,000 per month for the next 12 months, not to exceed $36,000, for animal sheltering, operational cost services, and authorize the City Manager to prepare and execute the First Amendment. Council Member Armenta asked if this is a cost savings to the City and what would be the ramifications if we didn't partner with VIDA? Public Safety Supervisor Wong responded yes; this has been a cost saving for the city for the last five years. To recall, in 2018 we received information from San Gabriel Humane Society who we had an agreement with for 2019-2020 for one year; the Humane Society wanted to charge $210,000 a year, and that was only partial services that did not include after-hours service. If you look at the stats provided, for the last five years from 2019 to 2023, we had a substantial cost saving since contracting with VIDA. The total cost of VIDA was only $143,150 for the entire five years. So now they're asking for assistance of $3,000. We really enjoy them taking care of our animals. Council Member Armenta asked do you know more or less how much funds would be needed if we didn't partner with VIDA and the city had to regain that animal control department. Ms. Wong stated we did contact other options such as the Los Angeles County Animal Shelter that wanted $782 per animal intake. Comparing the stats, that would cost us roughly close to, if not a million dollars. Noted she also reached out to Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) in Downey, who said a contract would cost us the per capita over ten dollars, so roughly a million dollars. Mayor Ly opined at the end of the day, what is important is that VIDA is providing good quality service and our staff enjoys working with them. Council Member Dang asked for clarification — since we have a contract with them, is staff asking to extend the contract in addition to the donation. City Manager Kim responded we are requesting an amendment to the contract to add $3,000 per month for the next 12 months to cover the operational expenses. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 21 of 33 Council Member Dang inquired how much is it per month with the contract in place now? City Manager Kim clarified it's not per month, it's per animal, and not- to -exceed $50,000 total annually, but the cost to the city is per dog or cat. Council Member Dang questioned how much does it cost per animal? Public Safety Supervisor Wong answered for dogs, it's $250 and for cats and kittens it's $150; noted they hold it for seven days and after the eighth day then the animal belongs to VIDA. They will try to find the animal a home to be adopted by. Council Member Dang asked part of that service is we bring the animal to VIDA, so they don't come and retrieve the animal? Ms. Wong stated that is correct. We also have an in-house dog catcher and then delivers it to our Code Enforcement Officer; indicated our CSO will be the field services that catches the loose animals to take to our short-term shelter, which then gets transported to VIDA for our long-term shelter. Council Member Armenta asked if some insight could be provided into when the city did have their animal control. Stated she knows we had some kind of partnership with one of our veterinarian hospitals; additionally, that there were issues regarding how these animals were being sheltered because we weren't equipped to be able to house these many animals. Mayor Ly interjected, stating long story short, we've facilitated different programs over the years — we've contracted it out, housed it completely, done a hybrid, partnered with the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society, Baldwin Park and VIDA, we've tried all sorts of things. There's been some consistencies in the aspect that Ms. Wong and the Code Enforcement Team has always been part of it. Reiterated we've tried other things that didn't work and staff is saying VIDA works for them, so let's stick with VIDA. ACTION: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Clark and seconded by Council Member Low to approve the in-kind donation consideration to VIDA in an amount not -to -exceed $3,000 per month. The motion was carried out by the following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, Ly NOES: None ABSENT: None B. Memorial Bench, Tree and Garden Nominations The Parks and Recreation Department has received two applications for the Memorial Bench, Tree, and Garden Program. A donor, Steven Ly, would like to Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 22 of 33 recognize Jean Hall, by dedicating a tree and garden around the Skate Park. The Iniguez Family would like to honor their son, James Iniguez, by dedicating a tree in front of the Garvey Park Gymnasium. On November 7, 2023, the Parks Commission supported the nominations and made a recommendation for the City Council to approve the program applications. Administrative Policy 50-08 states that "The Parks Commission shall have the authority to accept or deny memorials bench or tree applications and ensures all guidelines are met. The City Council will ratify all approvals or denials the first year and will revisit therefore after." Recommendation: That the City Council approve the Memorial Program applications to honor Jean Hall and James Iniguez. Mayor Ly asserted that he is recusing himself from this next item as he put this request on the agenda and has already declared his position. Mayor Pro Tem Clark will have to facilitate the meeting in my place for this item. Thank you. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated tonight, I would like to present to you two applications for consideration for the Memorial Bench Tree and Garden Program. Back in October, we received two applications, one from donor Stephen Lee, who would like to recognize Jean Hall by dedicating a tree and garden around the Skate Park at Rosemead Park. Also, we received an application from the Iniguez family, who would like to honor their son, James Iniguez, by dedicating a tree in front of the Garvey Park gymnasium. Staff presented the two applications to the Park Commission, who supported the nominations, and made a recommendation for the City Council to approve the program applications. Mr. Boecking indicated the first application is for recognition of Jean Hall, which was submitted by Mr. Steven Ly; stated I know many of you knew Jean Hall personally, but I'd like to share a little bit about her and her service to the City of Rosemead. Jean Hall honorably served the City of Rosemead, both as a Traffic Commissioner and as a Council Member. Jean demonstrated what a good and genuine person can do to promote a better community. As a mom, a grandmother, an activist, and a policymaker, Jean effectively improved Rosemead for over 50 years. As the Chair of the Traffic Commission, she led the formation of Traffic Calming Measure Toolbox, creating a series of policies that can make our streets safer and more efficient for our residents. She also led a campaign to promote bicycle education for those utilizing alternative transportation models. As a Council Member, Jean Hall strongly advocated for the development and eventual approval of Rosemead's first-ever Skate Park as she recognized building infrastructure for the next generation to enjoy and utilize. Mr. Ly would like to request a garden of flowers with roses and a tree inside or near the Skate Plaza honoring Jean's impact and legacy to the community. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 23 of 33 Director of Parks and Recreation stated the second application was submitted by the Iniguez family in honor of their beloved son, James Iniguez. James was a long-time employee of the Parks and Recreation Department. He started with the department back in January of 2016 as a Recreation Leader. During his employment, James made significant contributions to the sports programs. James was a positive force with his co-workers and the residents whom he guided in the department's programs. He was dedicated to the City of Rosemead through refereeing games, overseeing the youth and adult basketball leagues, as well as coaching countless youth participants. He showed great leadership by being prepared for anything and having everything prepared and planned for his players. His leadership will always be remembered. The City of Rosemead lost a light that went out and will never be replaced. Knowing James personally, he was an amazing young man that always had a smile on his face and was an incredibly hard worker and we all miss him in the department. The Iniguez family would like to dedicate a tree that is located outside of the Garvey Park Gymnasium, which James found as his second home and loved being there with his kids and players. Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Memorial Program applications to honor Jean Hall and James Iniguez. Council Member Armenta stated it's only right to be able to make this dedication for James and Grandma Jean. I remember clearly when we were talking about the skate park, we thought for sure she was not going to be in favor of it. And low behold, she went above and beyond to make sure that our youth had a place, an open space to be able to skateboard and gather. Recalled one time when I was walking to my car at Temple Intermediate, I saw Grandma Jean walking down the alley and I asked her what she was doing? This was when she was a Traffic Commissioner, and during the time when the alley was going to be a one-way because of how the children were exiting or the cars were exiting. Grandma Jean responded that this item is going to come to the Traffic Commission, so I have to research it. Council Member Armenta said that I didn't know James very well, but I know the impact that he had on the Parks and Recreation Department. Expressed this would be a lovely tribute to James as his second home. Council Member Dang asked for clarification, if a donor wants to donate a tree, is that a brand-new tree? Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded we could do either or. It just depends on the location and where they would like it. If there's the ability to plant a new tree, we can do that or we can designate a tree that is already existing, well -rooted and flourishing. Council Member Dang replied that is great. I think these two are very fine representatives of Model Residents in the City of Rosemead and I'd be happy to support the request. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 24 of 33 Council Member Low stated Jean Hall was definitely an incredible person. Hearing James impact on the Parks Department and city programs, I fully support honoring these two individuals and their family as well as. Mayor Pro Tem Clark concurred with her colleagues that both were wonderful individuals; shared she has such fond memories of Grandma Jean and James' service to the city was very appreciated. ACTION: Moved by Council Member Low and seconded by Council Member Armenta to approve the Memorial Program applications to honor Jean Hall and James Iniguez. The motion was carried out by the following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low NOES: None ABSENT: Ly 7. MATTERS FROM MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL A. Resolution Casting Rosemead's Votes for San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority Board Member The San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA) was established by the State Legislature (SB 1679) on February 11, 1993, to develop, finance and implement groundwater treatment programs in the San Gabriel Basin. The WQA is under the direction and leadership of a seven -member board. The Board is comprised of one member from each of the overlying municipal water districts, one from a city with prescriptive water pumping rights, one from a city without prescriptive water pumping rights, and two members representing water purveyors in the San Gabriel Basin. The Cities without prescriptive water pumping rights include Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, La Puente, La Verne, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South El Monte, Temple City, and West Covina. Under the WQA's enabling legislation, the term of the board member and alternate representing cities without pumping rights expires on January 1, 2024. The thirteen cities without prescriptive water pumping rights must hold an election. An election to fill this seat is scheduled for December 20, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., at the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority Headquarters. The nomination period for the election of the WQA Board Member representing cities without water pumping rights was closed on October 19, 2023. Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Clark was duly nominated as a candidate. Each city has one vote for each 10,000 residents or majority thereof, as determined by the 2020 U.S. census data. Per the U.S. census, the City of Rosemead has a population of 51,185 and is therefore eligible to cast five votes. The City must cast its votes for a representative by resolution of the City Council and must be delivered to the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority no later than December 19, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 1023 Page 25 q(33 Recommendation: That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2023-70, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, CASTING ITS VOTES FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MARGARET CLARK TO REPRESENT CITIES WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIVE WATER PUMPING RIGHTS ON THE BOARD OF THE SAN GABRIEL BASIN WATER QUALITY AUTHORITY City Clerk Hernandez presented the Staff Report, stating on September 26, 2023, the City Council nominated Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Clark to the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority to represent Cities Without Water Pumping Rights, which the nomination closed on October 19th. The election is scheduled for December 20, 2023, at noon to elect a delegate and an alternate. Each city has one vote for each 10,000 residents. The City of Rosemead is eligible to cast five votes. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2023-70, casting the City of Rosemead's votes for Council Member Margaret Clark to represent cities without water prescriptive pumping rights on the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority Board. Mayor Pro Tem Clark explained, as you know, there has to be a board member and an alternate in case the board member can't make the meeting. Indicated no one else put their names in and no one else was nominated; noted she had a good meeting with Valerie and told her that she is fine with being the alternate and that she wasn't going to try and run against her or anything. We're going to work together, so I'd really appreciate it if I could have your vote so I could be the alternate. Thank you. ACTION: Moved by Council Member Armenta and seconded by Mayor Ly to adopt Resolution No. 2023-70, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, CASTING ITS VOTES FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MARGARET CLARK TO REPRESENT CITIES WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIVE WATER PUMPING RIGHTS ON THE BOARD OF THE SAN GABRIEL BASIN WATER QUALITY AUTHORITY The motion was carried out by the following roll call vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, Ly NOES: None ABSENT: None B. Discussion on Civic Center Plaza and Chamber Property At the request of Mayor Steven Ly, he would like to discuss the Civic Center Plaza open space and parking enhancements, and the Chamber of Commerce property. Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide further direction to City staff. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 26 of 33 Mayor Ly stated as we look at the Civic Center Plaza and its capacity, one of the great things we did about nine to ten years ago was the upgrade to the parking lot. When we did that, we did not realize we created an unintended park space where residents are walking their dogs, riding their bikes, skating, etc.; pointed out it was not designed for that purpose. Clearly people want a park here and need an amenity for that. Indicated he invited the Directors of Community Development, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works on a field trip to check out how we can incorporate a park space within the Civic Center design, however if we eliminate parking how do we deal with that issue. Noted he had a discussion with staff about underground parking which there is a strong need for along this corridor with all the restaurants and potential opening of the food hall across the street. Mayor Ly displayed sample parking drawings and parcel maps of San Diego County's Administration Building and Waterfront Park; pointed out there is a kid play area on the southside of the building, and water pad areas on the black ruler like aspect that runs parallel to the Civic Center for kids to play in. Shared that San Diego also incorporates other ideas in their layout but not saying we have to do the same: an area where people can have a small wedding when they get their marriage license, and they are converting space on the eastern side to create a dog park. Commented where you see the children's playground equipment with the trees and blue circular lines, all that used to be a parking lot; they built underground parking to create a functional space where people do not just come to the County Administration office for County related services but rather for recreational use, which is wonderful to see. We kind of already see that in our Civic Center area, which concerns me because of the kids' safety riding their bikes with all the cars in the parking lot. Opined this is an opportunity for us to help everyone get more or less what they want — community parks, additional parking while creating a space here that works. Council Member Armenta stated she thinks this is a great concept because there have been many times when she is reversing and can't see a pedestrian especially when it is dark; noted she is mindful when she is backing out but what about other drivers who are not mindful of the safety of pedestrians. Expressed concern that people feel they have to use a parking lot instead of a designated park to exercise or other recreational uses. Inquired if the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money can be used for this; indicated support to see this come to fruition. Council Member Low opined this is a very interesting concept but worries about the cost as it is not cheap to do underground parking; recognized the concern of the safety of the folks enjoying their time at the Civic Center; suggested having staff look how to make our parking arrangement safer for those visiting our Civic Center. Mayor Ly stated that he hears the concerns about costs, indicating he has plans for that, which he has shared with staff. Council Member Low asserted that she would be looking at the cost very closely because she does not want the City of Rosemead to bear the big burden of that Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 27 of 33 cost. Opined the configuration of our property is not very square like seen in the diagram, so not sure what our parking lot would look like. Stated she would need more information before supporting this. Council Member Dang agreed it is an interesting concept. Suggested talking to Los Angeles County about leasing the land in front of our main entry doors which belongs to them and not the city. The City of Rosemead needs a downtown as City Hall is here, and the food hall is coming. When the food hall comes, it is going to ignite a lot of the redevelopment construction and there is a need for a place to park. Opined if you're going to do parking, I say go big or go home. However, he shares the same sentiment as Council Member Low to watch the cost of the project but would love to see if Mayor Ly could make the funding work. Suggested instead of going down, we go up and put a sky park as it is cheaper and one of a kind in the San Gabriel Valley; emphasized that it would be a focal point for the city. Commented that perhaps our neighbor, Bank of America, is interested in selling some property so we could square off the property which makes for a better and more fluid design. Mayor Pro Tem Clark stated she agrees with Council Members Low and Dang, the two Engineers that going underground is very expensive because you have to make sure it is earthquake proof and would have to tear some buildings out to go under them. Concurred with Council Member Dang's suggestion to go up; inquired if the Chamber of Commerce was willing to then we could build a multi -story parking structure on that property. Expressed she does not think it is safe to be underground with all the crimes going on; posed the scenario what if there is a perpetrator down there waiting, noted at least aboveground you would have more light and safety. Mayor Ly indicated he shared similar thoughts and concerns of his colleagues' with the Directors of Community Development, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works as they discussed the design of the San Diego Civic Center. Stated it does not matter if the parking structure is underground or aboveground as his end goal is to make the Civic Center a park, a space where people can congregate; recognizes there is a need for a place that is safe for our kids, adults, and seniors in the area. Emphasized he is willing to work with Council to achieve a synergistic win that everyone is happy with. Mentioned since the specific area belongs to the LA County, we met with their representatives, and they were open to the concept. Stated if we have full access that means we can do more, bigger parking structure and capacity. Noted he does not see this project being an issue as long as the city does the heavy lifting. Pointed out we were able to successfully negotiate the last project with LA County which consisted of the parking lot on the County side as well as the pad between Valley Boulevard and the parking lot of the Civic Center. In regard to the underground parking cost concerns, Mayor Ly acknowledged that it is not cheap, however, the Department of Transportation is awarding a lot of grant money for building level two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Mr. Ly asserted that just building the EV charging stations can be one cost Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 28 of 33 recovery method per parking spot; in addition, we can charge for the use of those charging stations as a generating revenue source. In the County of San Diego, if you're there for county services during the day, parking is free. After that they charge for parking to support the nightlife of the boardwalk, restaurants and amenities. The fact is whether we do underground or aboveground parking, we must have a cost recovery in place if the restaurants nearby want to utilize that space. We can do something similar to that — if you are here for city services, the first two hours are free and after that there is a charge. We do not need to touch ARPA money because we can access other funding for the park that qualifies for a conservancy grant since it would last more than 30 years. Ascertained, the only part we cannot pay for is the parking structure, however we can try to find ways to tie it in with the park cost to justify and piece enough money for that. Mayor Ly concurred with Mayor Pro Tem Clark's concern with security. Noting one of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' biggest concerns with the Civic Center's project was the water pad areas specifically that the homeless might bathe in there; indicated as a result the Supervisors budgeted for security and is paid for with revenue coming in through the evening uses, etc. As part of that cost recovery, they also pay for security guards in that area; suggested we can even budget in Park Rangers as part of this build and recover their cost for that to make sure that we protect not just the top-level surface but also the safety of any underground parking as well. Council Member Dang inquired if Mayor Ly would be open to a sky park. Mayor Ly responded I am not necessarily against it, however, keep in mind it will be harder to find grant money for that and we would have to figure out access points. Asserted it would be easier if we could flatten out the area that we have now. Council Member Low stated that San Diego County was able to do the underground parking because their budget is a lot bigger than a smaller city like us. Mayor Ly explained it was an $8 billion dollar budget that was approved and everything built at the Waterfront Park was cost -neutral and would be recoverable over a period of 50 years. Council Member Low stated we can look further into this in terms of the numbers. However, we still want to promote our city to be very business oriented. Questioned if this is a good area to have a park in the center of the commercial area, expressing concern with Valley Boulevard being a major corridor. Mayor Ly responded what if a family went to a restaurant and it was too crowded or there was not enough space, since they are already parked nearby, they can simply walk and eat at another restaurant. Shared during the pandemic, we couldn't eat at restaurants since they were closed, so my friends and I would eat at in the parking lot. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 29 of 33 Council Member Armenta recalled a couple of years back Simon Lee took the Council to Alhambra to show us all the businesses that closed due to not enough parking. Emphasized we need this parking structure to be business friendly which will help the eateries ease parking needs. Council Member Low clarified she is supportive of providing a parking structure but questioned if we want a park with a lot of grass. Mayor Ly answered yes, we want a park because we will have a space for events to succeed such as the Farmers Market. We would have the capacity to hold cultural and community events at the Civic Center to generate our downtown area. Council Member Low stated she envisions the difference between a Civic Center where there are tables and people can grab their lunch to enjoy here versus a park that I think of like Jay Imperial Park. Mayor Ly clarified we are not talking about creating a passive park because we have a Community Center here too. Council Member Low supports the idea of expanding the Civic Center to create more space for people to gather but figuring out how we fit everything is a different story. Council Member Dang stated having a little bit of both would create great synergy. Acknowledged that the property that faces big throughfare of Valley Boulevard is prime commercial frontage and should not be underutilized with just grass and trees. If we put an aboveground structure and subterranean to capitalize on putting some of the parking below grade; noted if you do a building office on top of the parking structure, you will have to rebuild City Hall and the Community Center. If we bring that park space to the rooftop, everyone can come outside to enjoy the park amenity and there would also be additional restaurant space for rooftop dining. Mayor Ly stated he thinks it is a little ironic since cost concerns were expressed and rebuilding City Hall and Community Center would be very costly. Council Member Low reiterated she did not suggest rebuilding City Hall or the Community Center. Mayor Pro Tem Clark referenced the sample picture of the underground parking, stating she does not understand if we are tearing out the buildings above it then where are they going? Mayor Ly responded there is a way to do grading without disturbing the actual surface area— you don't have to tear anything down to do a grading project. Mayor Pro Tem Clark expressed concern if we were digging under buildings and prefers to focus aboveground; reiterated what if we built a parking structure across Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 30 of 33 the street on the Chamber property. Recalled during the State of the City, (then) Mayor Dang talked about the food hall coming across the street at the Shopping Center; inquired if another option could be to negotiate with that Shopping Center to build an aboveground structure to increase parking there. Council Member Dang replied sure if we are able to secure a 99 -year lease to build a parking structure. Mayor Ly asserted we need to figure out how to make our spaces functional such as the Community Recreation Center, that space outback is left untouched — let's reimagine a way to utilize that space to rent out for events such as weddings, etc. City Manager Kim shared about the Civic Center enhancement project from his previous city in Anaheim, noting it is exactly what the City Council is talking about — creating a usable place for the public. Anaheim's Civic Center does not consist of grass but rather decomposed granite; shared we got the concept from Europe as a lot of their open spaces and amenities consist of decomposed granite material for the public to use. Mayor Ly indicated what City Manager Kim pointed out is exactly what I am thinking; stated if there is Council consensus on this, then the next step is to agendize the item and authorize staff to gather some conceptual designs for Council to look at. Expressed he is not against the skyline park, but his only concern is we want to make sure the community has easy access to it and not adding hurdles for people to take an elevator or climb stairs. Council Member Low stated she agrees with Mayor Ly that if we build a park at the Civic Center then I envision it being on the street surface for easy access. Emphasized this is a great idea, but this project needs to be on the back burner as we have so many projects in the que, and I don't want staff pulled away from the current projects. Mayor Ly replied this is just conceptual design and not even in the planning stage; pointed out we have been talking about the Founders Park for about five years and the Dog Park even longer; reiterated this is about a five -to -seven-year project as it is going to take time to secure those funds from DC. By Consensus, the City Council authorized staff to gather parking structure conceptual designs to improve the Civic Center Plaza area to create a better usable and active open space while increasing parking amenities. C. Council Comments Council Member Dang wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Council Member Armenta commended Mr. Boecking, the Parks and Recreation staff, Ms. Wang and the Public Works staff for a great job with the Halloween Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 31 of 33 Trunk or Treat, as well as Chief Tiwari for having public safety there. Indicated she heard a few concerns that they left because they couldn't find parking so we might be outgrowing our space. Suggested possibly looking at holding the Trunk or Treat event next year at Southern California Edison's parking lot. Unfortunately, that would mean we most likely would not be able to do a haunted house, which the kids really enjoyed. Mentioned when she worked in Parks and Recreation that they we used to make a haunted house out of a booth. Asked staff to look into different options as the event continues to grow and brings in more people each year. Shared that while in Baldwin Park, someone was commenting on how great the new "Rosemead" sign was that they saw on a social media post. Moving on to Dia de Los Muertos, asked staff to look into how we could partner with the Savannah Cemetery. Council Member Armenta stated just so people understand the way Sacramento works, budget requests are being accepted at the end of December and the beginning of January. Shared that she attended Assembly Member Mike Fong's Operation Gobble today; indicated she was asked to speak about how we are dealing with unsheltered folks and people in need. However, she asked how do you want me to address that since we have never received any funding from you? That being said, for budget, we need to start thinking now about what budget requests we need to ask our legislators, not only our state legislators, but also federal, and county. Commented it could be very possible that we haven't asked for anything and that's why we haven't received anything. Emphasized there's funding out there, but we have to go through the budget request process. Ms. Armenta stated School Board Clerk Qui Nguyen called me about the hanging of the Rosemead High School graduation banners. I know that our ordinance prohibits us from hanging certain flags things of that nature so I would like to look into that to see if that's the case, then we can't hang any of our veterans flags or people that are serving the military. Suggested working with the El Monte Union High School District to show support to our graduates here in the City of Rosemead. Thank City Manager Kim as there was an issue that occurred on the 9th and the 10th and citations were being given for street sweeping. The minute I contacted Mr. Kim, he was right on it; I'm happy to report that Mr. Kim voided all street sweeping citations issued on the 9th or the 10th and rectified the issue. Council Member Low thanked staff for putting the Trunk or Treat event together; shared that it was a wonderful Halloween event and she even went through the haunted house. Noted she got a text message from one of the business owners that their business got broken into again and they want to build a high fence, but according to our city ordinances, it should only go up to four feet. Asked if staff can help or if it needs to be brought to the City Council. City Manager Kim responded yes, so in the front yard, the fence height limitation is 4 feet. The Community Development Director has a minor discretion. I forget if it's 10% or 20% under a minor exception, but it is very minor and currently the way that it works is if a business would like a higher fence then they need to submit a variance application for Planning Commission's approval. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 32 of 33 Mayor Ly stated he had a great conversation with the Fiber City team not that long ago and they mentioned that part of what they do is they can build a Smart City Agreement; reiterated he asked the City Attorney and our Public Works Director to partner on that to make sure we have something that moves the city forward in that direction of promoting us as a smart city with the with the bells and whistles of building the infrastructure that we are building. The second item is our two charge point stations here. I compared the cost of what is the charge on that charge point station versus what county installed and counties is cheaper. I want us to look at realigning those costs back to what county is, so that's competitive with those numbers. That way it's pretty fair and it doesn't matter where you park and charge your car. The third item is I'd like staff to see what it would take to certify us and facilitate us, us being the whole city staff, to include council members, commissioners, etc. to participate in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. On other thing, a moment of personal privilege, this past weekend was Veteran's Day weekend. I also had the wonderful benefit and privilege of meeting the Deputy Undersecretary of the Army, Mario Diaz, he's the number three person in the Army; he was in town talking with local mayors in the area. Wished everyone a wonderful and healthy Thanksgiving! We will see everyone in December! 8. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Ly adjourned the meeting at 9:27 p.m. The regular meeting for November 28, 2023, will go dark. The next City Council meeting will take place on December 12, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rosemead City Hall Council Chamber. Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk APPROVED: 4��, — Steven Ly, Mayor Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of October 24, 2023 Page 33 of33