Loading...
CC - Minutes - 04-25-2023MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING APRIL 25, 2023 1. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Dang at 7:18 p.m., in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Mayor Dang, Mayor Pro Tem Ly, Council Members Armenta, Clark, and Low ABSENT: None PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Council Member Clark INVOCATION was led by Mayor Dang STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Kim, City Attorney Richman, Director of Finance Chua, Interim Director of Community Development Wong, Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking, Director of Public Works Chung, Interim Chief of Police/Lieutenant Tiwari, and City Clerk Hernandez 2. PUBLIC COMMENT There being no speakers, Mayor Dang opened and closed the Public Comment period. 3. PRESENTATIONS A. Introduction of Los Angeles County Sheriffs Special Assignment Officers Designated to the City of Rosemead Lieutenant Tiwari stated he will introduce members of the Rosemead Special Assignment Team that are dedicated specifically to the Rosemead community. In effort for the deputies to communicate more one on one with the residents and businesses, the Special Assignment Team implemented the Reporting Districts in January; explaining Rosemead is broken up into seven boundaries determined by Los Angeles County, noting each deputy is assigned one of the Reporting Districts -and takes ownership of that area. Shared that we just came from a Community Area Watch meeting facilitated by Public Safety Supervisor Wong; these meetings offer direct access to deputies and city resources to educate residents and businesses on public safety matters; crime prevention through public outreach; providing crime statistics and trends in the community; and discussing the importance of emergency preparedness and safety for specific Reporting Districts. It also provides an opportunity for the community to get introduced to their area deputy who pass out their business card. The Special Assignment Team is comprised of Acting Captain Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page I of 33 George Meza, Sergeant Daniel Perez, and the following seven Deputies: Deputy Jim Farley, Deputy Eddie Rodriguez, Deputy Jovany Diaz, Deputy Justin Zhou, Deputy Vivian Zao; noted the remaining two deputies — Deputy Francisco Arredondo, and Deputy Aaron Contreras are not present tonight as they are responding to an assault with a deadly weapon and assisting in detaining the suspect. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked when each deputy introduces themselves to share which Reporting District (RD) they are assigned to and what area that covers. Deputy Jim Farley stated he has been serving the Rosemead community for the past 14 years. Also has been specializing as a Liaison for three years with all the schools in the Garvey School District and Rosemead School District, except for Rosemead High School who have their own Special Assignment Officer; he coordinates all their safety plans and addresses any safety concerns they have on their campuses. Deputy Farley is assigned to RD 0535, which covers pretty much everything near Walmart and south of that area; then RD 0536, covers the Target Shopping Center. Deputy Eddie Rodriguez said he has been on the Rosemead Team for about a year and is assigned to RD 0531 which covers anything between Valley Boulevard and the 10 Freeways. Deputy Jovany Diaz has served as a deputy for 15 years, including 10 years in custody at the Twin Towers and the Correctional Treatment Center, where he gained extensive experience working with individuals experiencing mental illness in addition to criminal matters. I've been at Temple Sheriff Station for nearly five years and with the Special Assignment Team for approximately five months. I'm in charge of RD 0532, which spans west of Garvey Avenue to San Gabriel Boulevard toward Monterey Park, and RD 0534, covering the area from Walnut Grove Avenue to Garvey Avenue, including all areas east and south. Within these districts, we reach out to residents and local businesses to address safety concerns and works with the homeless community — a significant population in the area, to identify and offer available services. Council Member Armenta asked if staff could pull up a map used for a previous presentation so we can see the areas of the Reporting Districts. Deputy Justin Zhou has been with the Sheriffs Department for approximately nine years and has been assigned to Temple Station for nearly four years. His prior assignments include the Twin Towers jail facility and the CCB Court downtown before transitioning to patrol. Deputy Zhou has been on the Special Assignment Team for almost a year now; along with Deputy Farley, he is assigned to RD 0535 covering areas south of Rush Street, including the Montebello Shopping Mall and the DoubleTree Hotel, and RD 0536, which includes the 3600 Shopping Plaza. His duties extend beyond patrol and community assistance to include support for major investigations such as narcotics, homicide, search and arrest warrants, and suspect apprehensions related to crimes in or near Rosemead. Highlighting that the Special Assignment Team regularly conducts multi -agency operations in coordination with the DEA, FBI, and CHP. Most recently, he assisted the DEA in the arrest of a Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 2 of 33 narcotics trafficker operating in and around Rosemead. The Team's primary focus remains addressing the concerns of Rosemead residents and the City Council, responding to community tips, including anonymous reports and Crime Stoppers leaders proactively investigating suspicious activity to enhance public safety and reassure the community. Council Member Amienta emphasized that the Deputies on the Rosemead Team are all special to us. Deputy Vivian Zao has ten years of service with the department, including three years at Temple Sheriff's Station, and has been assigned to the Rosemead Team for nearly one year. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve on the Team, noting her personal ties to the City of Rosemead. Along with her partner, Deputy Diaz, she is responsible for RD 0532 and RD 0534; their daily duties include reviewing patrol reports and conducting follow-up outreach with residents and business owners to address questions or concerns related to reported incidents. Pointed out that she speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Chinese Sign Language, which enhances her ability to serve the community; also provides translation assistance for major crimes and homicide investigations. Mayor Pro Tem Ly inquired since Rosemead High School has its own School Resource Officer (SRO), how does that person fall within the chain of command in terms of the overall support in engagement with Rosemead residents and our Team. Captain Meza responded that our SRO is contracted through the El Monte Unified School District; asserted the SRO has a great relationship with the city, especially with the students as they are always engaged and working with Lieutenant Tiwari and the Team in ways we can improve public safety. Lieutenant Tiwari shared that next week we're doing a Coffee with the Deputies event to try to build that community -oriented policing relationship with high school students. Our Explorer Advisor and the School Resource Deputy will be joining us. We scheduled this event around the time that school ends and to be held at the Starbucks closest on Valley Boulevard and Rio Hondo Avenue. The goal is to have a couple of Explorers who are recent high school graduates themselves showcase the Explorer Program geared towards law enforcement and serving the community. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated I know the SRO is assigned to the Temple Sheriff Station; recalled that the city pays for half of the funding of this position about $85,000. City Manager Kim responded the city pays somewhere between $100,000 to $150,000. Mayor Pro Tem Ly emphasized we really need to work closely with the SRO since the city allocates $100,000 to $150,000 for the SRO. Inquired how are we engaging students from both San Gabriel High School and Mark Keppel High School as majority of our kids go to San Gabriel, and a good amount go to Mark Keppel as well. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 3 of 33 Council Member Armenta indicated that about 85% of Rosemead residents attend San Gabriel High School. Opined about 40 to 45% of the students that live south of Garvey and then further down attend Mark Keppel High School. Lieutenant Tiwari responded we participate in the city's Youth in Government program open to Rosemead students attending those schools; however, to be transparent, other than that we do not have much engagement with students from those schools as they are out of our jurisdiction. Pointed out that San Gabriel has its own municipal Police Department and I'm assuming they have their own school officer assigned; asserted that we do not leave the city to engage with schools on a direct basis with other municipal Police Department. Mayor Pro Tem Ly said I think it is warranted to have an item added to the Public Safety Commission agenda regarding ways our Special Assignment Team can engage with students from San Gabriel High School and Mark Keppel High School. Reiterated I understand it may not necessarily be the responsibility of our roles, but when majority of our kids go to those schools, we need to make sure we're engaged. Opined it's important to promote good citizenship at a younger age to give a better chance of preventing crime in the future. Stated I know that Deputy Farley does that at the elementary school and middle school level but when you're at that high school level, that is when students are most at risk before moving on to being a citizen at the age of 18. So, I would appreciate any effort from the Team to start engaging with those schools. Council Member Low recalled being told that the Special Assignment Team only worked four days a week. Inquired is that still the case or has that changed? Also, asked if they work on weekends as well? Lieutenant Tiwari responded that they typically work four, 10 -hour shifts, so it's 40 hours coverage, but those days vary as we don't have set schedules. Now we have more coverage throughout the week. The Team does not typically work weekends, but deputies are able to adjust their hours if there is a special community event that requires them to come in on a Saturday; provided the example, tomorrow we're doing an event with the Code Enforcement that requires the deputies to come in at 5 a.m. Noted we provide the Council, City Manager, and Assistant City Manager, our calendars that include which special events we are attending for the month, whether it be a community event such as the recent Easter Eggstravaganza event, or probation operations, a DUI checkpoint, overnight burglary suppressions, etc. JAs a result, deputies will adjust their schedule accordingly to come in on the weekends when needed. Council Member Low asked if the Special Team spends 100% of their time on special projects or do they also patrol? Acting Captain Meza responded typically when you patrol, it means they are responding to calls for service. So, their specific goal is not to respond to calls for service; however, when there's an emergency call going out, for example, the bank's being robbed and then the closest unit, they're mandated to respond to that call. So Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 4 of33 that's where we'll lower the response times those emergency and priority calls, because those are the calls going off the radio. In addition to that, they're wearing a multitude of hats; explained when in patrol hats, they're not handling the call, but they're influencing the response times for those emergency and priority calls with investigative work to follow up. Stated they're wearing the community -oriented policing hat if we're doing events with the city. Council Member Low stated I would like to be able to explain to residents properly when I am asked what the Rosemead Special Assignment Team's role entails and if that includes patrol. Lieutenant Tiwari responded the deputies' time is realistically described as 50% patrolling and 50% special assignment dedicated, which basically means directed patrol or directed assignments. Emphasized in addition to patrolling, they are available to assist as needed. Council Member Armenta stated I would like to help clarify; our Special Assignment Team is more like community policing, where you're getting all the tips following up. Because if you're not on a Special Team, regardless if you're in South El Monte, Duarte, Temple City, then you are assigned to patrol, which patrols every single street. But every deputy that is assigned to a specific area, that is part of their special team duties to go up and down that area because that's how they become very acclimated with what is going -on in that area. All the deputies that are assigned to a specific area will patrol it, but their role is very different than a patrol deputy. Lieutenant Tiwari affirmed Council Member Armenta's clarification is 100% accurate; echoed a deputy on the Special Assignment Team is different than a patrol deputy. Mayor Pro Tem Ly opined the reason why there's communication in this item is because we pay for more than just a Special Assignment Team. Asked City Manager Kim if that is correct? City Manager Kim responded yes, we also pay specifically for patrol as well. Mayor Pro Tem Ly ascertained so that's the reason why there's a question of if we pay for patrol, then what exactly does the Special Assignment Team do? That's one reason why that question got brought up several months ago and why we asked for an opportunity to meet the entire Team. I will say that one of the things that I'm very pleased about though is the fact that we have such a diverse team and a team that really does look like Rosemead; opined that's a great thing for our community because it makes our community feel comfortable with the deputies. Asked the two deputies that just walked into the Council Chamber to state their name and which Reporting District they represent. Deputy Francisco Arredondo stated he has been with the Sheriffs Department for almost 12 years, patrolled for approximately three and a half years; served Rosemead for five years and has been assigned to the Rosemead Special Assignment Team for Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 5 of 33 almost a year and a half now. He oversees RD 2530 that covers anything north of Valley Boulevard. Deputy Aaron Contreras shared that he has served on the Sheriffs Department for six years and has been at Temple Station for a little over four. Assigned to the Rosemead Team for a little over a year. He is in charge of RD 0533 basically in between San Gabriel Boulevard and Walnut Grove Avenue, south of the 10 to about Rush Street, near the Friendly Inn. Council Member Low asked if the other contract cities such as Temple City also have a special team like this? Acting Captain Meza confirmed all the other cities have a special team except for the City of Bradbury. I just want to acknowledge; they do an outstanding job out there. Their assistance is asked for from other divisions and units, whether it's gathering intel or translating as they always step up and help with whatever is needed. So, you guys have a great team here! Council Member Clark shared that she was able to attend the area watch meeting at RCRC on Thursday; noted she was able to share a few words at the end to express her appreciation for the deputies and all that they do for Rosemead. Opined unfortunately, there's so much disrespect in this country for our officers, even though officers put their lives on the line for us. Reiterated we really appreciate each of you! Council Member Armenta thanked the Deputies; expressed we value and respect you. We are thankful for all that you do because we know that we cannot stand alone and we need assistance from our Rosemead Team to be able to provide the service that you all do. Stated as Past President of Contract Cities, we work really well with our Sheriffs Department in making sure that we're also the voice of our contracted city members; shared that the Sheriffs Department could always call on me if they need anything from Contract Cities as I am still on the Executive Board. Thanked the Sheriff s for their partnership in keeping Rosemead safe. Mayor Dang thanked Captain Meza for coming in and bringing the whole team to introduce. I think the neighborhood district and policing model that you are implementing is going to work really well. Opined it is important for residents and business owners to have that capability to not only recognize the face behind the badge but also know who is going to respond when there is an emergency. I think that's very powerful. I really want to thank Mayor Pro Tem Ly for asking the question about which areas of the city each deputy patrols. Acknowledged Council Member Low's questions about patrols were also very eye-opening and educational for me. Expressed my hats goes off to the Captain and all your Team members on such a tough job; added I'm glad to see that we have excellent individuals stepping up, so thank you! Mayor Pro Tem Ly asserted I know that for this Council, public safety is our number one priority, because that is probably the most engaged question we get from our community, whether it's the business community or the resident community. Council Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 6 of 33 Member Clark alluded to it that, unfortunately our hands are tied in our ability to respond, but our residents still look at us at giving that response and that's the reason why there's so much of a laser focus on the issue of public safety and how do we best utilize a limited resource to affect the most good. I want to recognize the work you guys do in affecting the most good for our community as we all know it is not an easy job. Stated as the line goes in one of Country singer Luke Bryan's songs about the boys in blue "we could sure use a lot more like you"; said that is very true you guys have a very difficult and challenging job and I really hope that programs and engagement like your upcoming Coffee with the Deputies will encourage our youth to pursue careers in public safety because we could use more people like you guys. Thank you again! Council Member Low stated I just want to say thank you to each of you. You guys have a tough job, and we really appreciate you keeping our residents and businesses safe. It is so important, like Mayor Pro Tem Ly said, public safety is one of our top priorities to make sure our residents and businesses have a safe place to live and work. I look forward to hear more success stories because you guys do so much, and then I can share with the residents some of those success stories which will make them feel proud that we have this very special team in our city. Once again, thank you! Council Member Clark requested a physical copy of the map with the Reporting Districts that identifies which area each deputy has and their respective contact information. Mayor Dang asked City Manager Kim if the Reporting Districts map could be included in the Weekly Update for Council. B. Proclamation Declaring April 2023 as "DMV/Donate Life Month" in the City of Rosemead The City Council presented a proclamation declaring April 2023 as "DMV/Donate Life Month" to Darlene Pasillas, representing OneLegacy. Darlene Pasillas representing OneLegacy, thanked Council for the recognition and support of Donate Life Month. Shared that I am a donor daughter — My mother, Irma Salate, was a mother of four, an Assistant Preschool Teacher, and a pastor's wife, noting our church was actually located here in the City of Rosemead for five years; we are very engaged with the community. More importantly, she always had a good heart and loved to give others, whether that was her time or her resources. Unfortunately, Memorial Day weekend in 2012 at the young age of 51, she suffered a brain aneurysm at home and was rushed to Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park; there she was placed on a ventilator and given the utmost care by the medical team. Two independent doctors conducted various tests to determine the likelihood of her recovery. Sadly, we were informed there was no brain activity, and she would be in a vegetative state. While our family was processing this devastating news and tragic loss in our family, we were approached by OneLegacy who informed us that my mom had registered as an organ donor at her DMV. This came as a surprise to our family as we were unaware of her decision but comforted in knowing that she Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 1023 Page 7 of 33 continued to give even in her passing. As we were processing this information and what next steps would be, we recalled we had two close family friends, a brother and sister who had been on dialysis for a few years and in need of kidneys. We asked if we can designate my mom as a potential candidate to be a donor. As you may or may not know, matching an organ to recipient, there are a lot of factors that are taken into consideration such as tissue type, blood type, height, weight, etc. Luckily my mom was a match for both so she was able to donate her left kidney and her right kidney to each sibling, who are now going on 11 years of rejuvenated health, no longer on dialysis, and living a life they may have not had the opportunity to 11 years ago. She also donated her liver and extended the life of a gentleman in his 50s; donated her corneas and tissue. Indicated that tissue donation itself can heal up to 75 lives. Emphasized my mom's one life made such a difference and healed and saved others, brought hope and restoration. I stand here today, a proud representative of OneLegacy, honored to share their mission, my mom's story and the legacy she left behind. I encourage you all to visit onelegacy.org for more information about how to donate. If you feel inclined or desire to be a hero or save a life, you can donate at the local DMV or at donatelifecalifornia.org. Thank you so much for your time for listening to me share about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Mayor Dang thanked Ms. Pasillas for sharing her mother's beautiful story. We are very proud to support and proclaim April 2023 as a DMV Donate Life Month. Thank you for the visionary work that OneLegacy are championing. Council Member Clark expressed appreciation for the very touching story shared, and that she hopes more people sign up to donate. Council Member Armenta thanked Ms. Pasillas for sharing her personal narrative with all of us. It's very important to hear the legacy that your mother has left with you and those recipients. I know that I've been blessed to have gone to many of the luncheons when they showcase the float because OneLegacy is part of the Rose Parade, noting that I've actually been able to place a rose onto the float. It is very touching to hear from other family members of donors, and it just goes to show you that their legacy, like your Mom's, lives on. Asserted, I know that I have my pink dot on driver's license, so I'm happy to give it when that time comes. Council Member Low expressed what a beautiful story and thank you for sharing it. Acknowledged that she is already registered to donate. Mayor Pro Tem Ly said I think the gift your mom gave is what we refer to sometimes as a death that can never be paid back. I think that's something probably your mom would have appreciated that fact and that it is definitely a testament, not just to her, but everyone else that has done that type of great final service. Indicated he also has that pink dot on both his DMV and military ID as well. Expressed while I hope to live a very long life, I do hope one day to be able to give that final service back to whoever needs this and then hopefully they can live a long life as well. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 8 of 33 C. Proclamation Declaring the Week of April 30, through May 6, 2023, as "Municipal Clerk's Week" The City Council presented a proclamation declaring the week of April 30, through May 6, 2023 as "Municipal Clerk's Week" to the City Clerk Hernandez and Deputy City Clerk Haworth. City Clerk Hernandez stated we are proud to celebrate Municipal Clerks Week. The Rosemead City Clerk's Office serves as the link between the city elected officials and residents. As clerks, we pledge to be neutral and impartial, rendering equal service to all. The City Clerk's Office is comprised of three staff, our Administrative Assistant Alex Jimenez, Deputy City Clerk Natalie Haworth, and myself, your City Clerk. We are responsible for maintaining and protecting all permanent and historical records; we wear many hats and have a lot of behind -the -scenes responsibilities that we are happy to facilitate with passion and commitment. During the week of April 30th through May 6th, our office will be coordinating a series of small events to promote the essential duties of the City Clerk's Office. On social media, we will be promoting what we do, conducting voter outreach efforts and promoting other services like notary or our passport program that the public may not be aware of. We look forward to continuing serving the City of Rosemead. The City Council stated we're grateful to have you as our City Clerk, and proud that you're able to foster a small but mighty team. Thanked Ericka, Natalie, and Alex for always going above and beyond not only for the Council but also for the residents and businesses, whether it is ensuring records are kept up to date, administering the elections, accommodating for passport services, or making sure public records request are being fulfilled. It's like City Clerk Hernandez said the City Clerk's Office does a lot of the behind the scenes, so it is easy to overlook municipal clerks, which is why this is really important to recognize the team's hard work and effectiveness. 4. PUBLIC HEARING A. Continued Public Hearing on Modification 21-01 - Friendly Inn Motel — 2146 San Gabriel Boulevard On July 27, 2021, the City Council approved Modification 21-01 and adopted Resolution No. 2021-37, which revised the conditions of approval to thereby amend Conditional Use Permit 88-447 for the Friendly Inn, located at 2146 San Gabriel Boulevard. Since the approval of Modification 21-01, the City Council has conducted a five-month review and a six-month review of the conditions of approval. At the six-month review on December 13, 2022, the City Council determined that due to the reduction in the number of calls for service/responses and the severity of the crimes, the security conditions should be revised to require one armed security guard to be stationed within the parking lot from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the installation of an automatic license plate reader, and a four-month review shall be conducted on Modification 21-01. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 9 of33 Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Conduct the Public Hearing and hear all public testimonies. 2. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-21, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, TO REVISE THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL OF MODIFICATION 21-01, FOR THE FRIENDLY INN. THE MOTEL IS LOCATED AT 2146 SAN GABRIEL BOULEVARD; and 3. Find that the CEQA determination of Modification 21-01 is classified as Class 1 and Class 9 Categorical Exemptions, pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15309 of the California Environmental Quality Act. Planning & Economic Development Manager Valenzuela reported that on July 27, 2021, the City Council approved modification 21-01, which revised the Conditions of Approval to amend Conditional Use Permit 88-447, for the Friendly Inn. Since Modification 21 — 01 was approved, the City Council conducted various reviews of the Conditions of Approval. On December 13, 2022, the City Council determined that due to the reduction in the number of calls for service and the severity of the crimes, the security conditions be revised to require a one-armed security guard from the hours of nine o'clock p.m. to five o'clock a.m., the installation of an automatic license plate reader, and a four-month review to be conducted. The automatic license plate reader was installed, the number of calls for service and the severity of the responses have continued to decrease. The Chief of Police recommends that the City Council modify the conditions to require one unarmed security guard from nine o'clock p.m. to five o'clock a.m. and to conduct a six-month review to determine if the conditions for security shall be altered. Mayor Dang opened the Public Comment period. Andrew Chen owner of the Friendly Inn (Inn), explained that in the past, there was an increase in crime, possibly because crime was being reported and more arrests were made. He stated he was grateful for the assistance of law enforcement in helping clean up the area of ongoing crime; however, some calls reported did not occur at the Inn. On January 8, deputies responded to the Inn regarding three gang members by the corner of San Gabriel Boulevard and Graves Avenue. A deputy did go to the Friendly Inn property to ask about the call. He noted that the incident did not occur at the Friedly Inn property. In the following incident, on January 12, deputies responded to the Inn regarding a vehicle parked in a handicapped spot. On January 18, deputies located a stolen vehicle at the Inn and arrested the driver. The driver tried to get a room and was denied; therefore, he was not a guest at the Friendly Inn. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 10 of 33 On February 20, deputies responded to the location regarding a disturbance call for service; the security guard at the location was involved in a verbal altercation with a blacklisted individual. On further investigation, deputies determined no crime at the location, only a verbal dispute. Mr. Chen explained the incident with the blacklisted guest, the individual was the one that called the police and later was told not to return or he would be trespassing. On March 15, a guest was refusing to check out. His mother, Wendy, flagged a deputy doing a routine check, and the officer assisted. On March 20, deputies responded to a robbery call for service of an unknown man; a male pistol-whipped the victim at the location and stole her belongings. The informant subsequently called the station and cancelled the call. Mr. Chen stated the motel did not have a record of a U -Haul truck allegedly used in their log. The last incident involved a guest refusing to leave the motel, claiming that due to COVID-19, he could not be kicked out and not pay for rent. Officers assisted in convincing the guest to leave. Mr. Chen reiterated that some incidents in the staff report either did not occur at the Inn property or did not occur at all. He explained that they try to avoid calling law enforcement on incidents they can address first. However, law enforcement assistance is sometimes needed. He noted that the security officers are not that effective because many people are not scared of them. He indicated that he understood the recommendation of the Chief of Police and City staff and wants to work with the City Council. Council Member Armenta asked Mr. Chen if he was referring to security guards or armed security guards. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated that Mr. Chen was referring to Condition No. 21, Subsection 2, to keep one unarmed security guard in the evening hours from nine p.m. to five a.m. Mr. Chen replied they currently have an armed security guard at the property. Mayor Dang closed the public comment period. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated that in reference to Condition No. 10 and No. 21 in the Conditions of Approval, he acknowledges the hard work of the Friendly Inn Motel in terms of their engagement on this issue. He asked Mr. Chen if he was requesting the City Council remove Condition No. 21 regarding the requirement for security guards. Mr. Chen replied yes. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked Mr. Chen about the procedures at the Inn for handling conflict before calling the sheriffs deputies. Mr. Chen replied the onsite managers try to handle the situation first; however, sometimes situations escalate, and the managers are forced to call the sheriffs deputies. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 11 of 33 Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated there should be a well -thought-out plan on what to do before calling sheriff deputies. He explained that after reviewing the staff report, he was concerned about removing Condition No. 21, section 2, regarding security guards and removing Condition No. 10. Mr. Ly stated he was only comfortable removing one condition, but not both. He questioned Mr. Chen whether they would choose to remove Condition No. 21, section 2, and come back in six months to give an update or keep the unarmed security guard in the conditions and not need to come back. Mr. Chen replied that they would prefer to remove Condition No. 21, Section 2, and return in six months. Council Member Armenta stated that the City Council needs to be able to see data; we cannot go from having security guards to not having security guards and not having data to show what is effective. She noted that since the flock cameras were installed at the property, sheriffs can determine if stolen vehicles are parked at the motel. Mr. Chen explained the Flock camera account is under the business name. However, they cannot see the vehicles the sheriff's department is marking as stolen. Therefore, the motel staff does not know until sheriff deputies arrive. Council Member Armenta reassured Mr. Chen that it is beneficial to the motel that sheriffs are actively monitoring the property. She noted that if the City Council does away with the security guards, she would like to see data in six months to determine if the security guard's requirement is warranted. Council Member Clark agreed with Council Member Armenta comments. Council Member Low stated she appreciated the business owner working hard to improve the service calls to the Sheriff's Department. She was okay with the Sheriff's recommendation, but Mr. Chen had an additional request to remove the unarmed security guard condition. She agreed with the City Council to remove that condition and return in six months to review the data. Mayor Dang acknowledged Mr. Chen's explanation about the incidents that were reported. He noted that it's concerning the service calls of guests overstaying. If the security guard requirement is removed, and the service calls begin to increase, that will not be a pleasant report in six months. He advised Mr. Chen to keep in mind his request for no guards on the premises and to have a strategy for dealing with conflict. Mr. Chen replied he would look into a protocol for dealing with conflict with guests and when to call the Sheriff s Department. Mayor Dang reiterated that the City Council appreciated the Inn's efforts and due diligence in maintaining a blacklist, rejecting people when checking IDs, and trying to minimize service calls. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 12 of 33 Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated that he understood the hospitality industry is not easy and emphasized to Mr. Chen that they should call the sheriffs department for assistance. He suggested they have an internal discussion with their staff on what to do before conflicts escalate, but they should not hesitate to contact the sheriffs department. Attorney Scott Porter, a mediator, reiterated Mayor Pro Tem Ly's motion to keep all conditions of approval except that Condition of Approval 21, second bullet, would be revised. Instead of stating security guards, which would be deleted. Mr. Porter asked the City Council if they wanted to delete the requirement to check the IDs of the motel guests and the vehicle. Mayor Pro Tem Ly explained that if there were no security guards, there would be nobody required to check in vehicles and IDs. Mr. Porter clarified that if the City Council intended to have the motel management check for IDs, it could be on the condition. Council Member Low asked for clarification that if the bullet stating security guards are required to check IDs is removed, then there is no other place in the Conditions of Approval that it could say they will check for IDs. Mr. Porter explained that the current bullet in the condition states that the security guard will be responsible for ensuring all registered motel occupants and registered guests will be checked for a valid government -issued ID. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated that checking IDs shouldn't be required in the condition since it's likely that the hotel staff is checking for IDs when checking in guests. Mr. Chen assured the City Council that motel staff check for IDs when registering guests. Mayor Pro Tem Ly motioned to adopt Resolution no. 2023-21 and remove Condition no. 21, subsection 2, regarding that item's security guards and subsections. Council Member Low asked Mr. Chen that although the City Council will remove the security guard requirements, the hotel staff will continue to check for IDs and vehicles arriving and leaving. Mr. Chen explained that the flock cameras allow them to check the license plates of vehicles arriving. ACTION: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Ly and seconded by Mayor Dang to adopt Resolution No. 2023-21, removing Condition No. 21, section 2, and subsequent sections related to the security guards. Motion was carried out by unanimous vote: AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, and Ly. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 13 of33 Council Member Armenia told Mr. Chen that although the security guard requirement is being removed, they should not hesitate to contact the Sheriffs Department when conflict arises. The City is here to assist and help with difficult situations. Mayor Pro Tem Ly agreed with Council Member Armenta and added that in terms of service calls, the Fairfield Inn has the biggest number of calls, which was okay. Urged Mr. Chen to continue working with the Sheriffs Deputies. Mr. Chen thanked the City Council and stated he would work with his staff to implement a plan to deal with conflict matters and continue to work with the Sheriff's Department. 5. CONSENT CALENDAR ACTION: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Ly and seconded by Council Member Clark to approve Consent Calendar Items A through F. The motion was carried out by the following vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, and Ly NOES: None A. Claims and Demands • Resolution No. 2023-22 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $792,904.92 CHECKS NUMBERED 113734 THROUGH NUMBER 113811, DRAFTS NUMBERED 6352 THROUGH NUMBER 6364 AND EFT NUMBERED 51602 THROUGH NUMBER 51613 INCLUSIVELY Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2023-22. B. NALEO Policy Institute on Economic Mobility - April 27-28,2023, - New York, NY Council Member Sandra Armenia received a scholarship to attend the NALEO Policy Institute on Economic Mobility, scheduled for April 27-28, 2023, in New York, NY. The scholarship will cover the cost of the conference, lodging, and airfare. However, additional expenses like transportation will be incurred by Council Member Armenta during her attendance at the conference. City Council Resolution No. 2005-47 requires prior City Council approval for out-of-state travel beyond an adjacent state to receive any reimbursement incurred while attending a conference for city business. The City Council will consider authorizing the attendance of Council Member Armenta to the NALEO Policy Institute on Economic Mobility, which will be held on April 27-28, 2023, in New York, NY. Recommendation: That the City Council authorize the attendance of Council Member Sandra Armenta to attend the NALEO Policy Institute on Economic Mobility, which will be held on April 27-28,2023, in New York, NY. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 14 of 33 C. Introduction of Ordinance No. 1015 of the City Council of the City of Rosemead, California, Amending Sections 2.35.020 and 2.35.040 of the Rosemead Municipal Code Relating to the Public Safety Commission At the February 28, 2023, City Council Meeting, the City Council directed that an ordinance be brought back to the City Council for introduction to amend the Municipal Code relating to the membership and corresponding terms of members appointed to the Rosemead Public Safety Commission. Specifically, Ordinance No. 1015 amends the number of appointed members from five to up to seven, consisting of four residents and three members of the business community. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council introduce Ordinance No. 1015 amending Sections 2.35.020 and 2.35.040 of the Rosemead Municipal Code relating to the Public Safety Commission. Recommendation: That the City Council introduce and read by title only, Ordinance No. 1015, entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTIONS 2.35.020 AND 2.35.040 TO CHAPTER 2.35 TO TITLE 2 OF THE ROSEMEAD MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATED TERMS OF MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE ROSEMEAD PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION D. Authorization to Acquire Two Used Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid Vehicles in an Amount Not -to -Exceed $90,000 The City is seeking to acquire two used Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid vehicles utilizing funding received from the South Coast Air Quality Management District ("AQMD"). Due to a lack of inventory, high mark-ups, and long lead times to acquire new vehicles on the open market, the Public Safety and Public Works Departments are requesting purchase order authority to acquire two used vehicles pursuant to the City Purchasing Policy as outlined in Rosemead Municipal Code Section 3.24.090. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2023-20 amending the City's Fiscal Year 2022-23 CIP Budget to appropriate additional funds in the amount of $10,000 from AQMD Fund Reserve and authorize and direct the City Manager to execute a purchase order in an amount not -to -exceed $90,000 for the acquisition of two used Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid vehicles. Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-20, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 BUDGET AND APPROPRIATE Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 15 of 33 ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF HYBRID VEHICLES; and 2. Authorize and direct the City Manager to execute a purchase order in an amount not -to -exceed $90,000 for the acquisition of two Toyota RAW LE Hybrid vehicles. E. Citywide Arterial Street Improvements - Project No. 43010 — Award of Construction Contract As part of the City's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Capital Improvement Program, the City Council approved the Citywide Arterial Street Improvements Project (Project). The Project consists of asphalt concrete cold mill and overlay, localized full depth asphalt concrete replacement (pothole repairs), traffic loop restoration, and installation of striping and pavement markers at various citywide locations. On April 18, 2023, the City received four (4) sealed bids. Based on staffs comprehensive bid analysis, the bid submitted by All American Asphalt in the amount of $3,322,222, is determined to be the lowest responsive bid. Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a construction contract with All American Asphalt in the amount of $3,322,222. In addition, authorize an amount of $332,222 (10%) as a contingency to cover the cost of unforeseen construction expenses, for a total construction budget of $3,654,444. 2. Find that the proposed work involves the rehabilitation of an existing public facility; therefore, the project is Class 1 Categorically Exempt pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. F. Sidewalk Replacement Program FY 22-23 - Project No. 24009 and ADA Curb Ramps — Project No. 28008 — Award of Construction Contract As part of the City's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Capital Improvement Program, the City Council approved the Sidewalk Replacement Program FY 22-23 and ADA Curb Ramps projects (Project). The Project consists of removal and replacement of existing damaged concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter, ADA curb ramps, and removal and replacement of existing trees that have caused damage to concrete infrastructure in the City's right-of-way. On April 13, 2023, the City received three (3) sealed bids. Based on the staff s comprehensive bid analysis, the bid submitted by CT&T Concrete Paving, Inc. in the amount of $479,053.68, is determined to be the lowest responsive bid. Recommendation: That the City Council take the following actions: Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 16 of 33 1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a construction contract with CT&T Concrete Paving, Inc., in the amount of $479,053.68. In addition, authorize an amount of $47 905.36 (10%) as a contingency to cover the cost of unforeseen I construction expenses, for a total construction budget of $526,959.05. 2. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-24, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET AND APPROPRIATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT PROGRAM FY 22-23 - PROJECT NO. 24009 AND ADA CURB RAMPS — PROJECT NO. 28008 The proposed work involves the rehabilitation of an existing public facility; therefore, the project is Class 1 Categorically Exempt pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. 6. MATTERS FROM CITY MANAGER & STAFF CEOA: The following items are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, unless noted on the item. A. Review and Discussion of Draft Website Redesign The City of Rosemead website (www.cityofrosemead.org) is the primary communication tool for residents, businesses, and visitors to access information regarding City services, community events, and much more. On January 10, 2023, the City Council awarded a contract to Revize, LLC ("Revize") to update the City's website. An internal working group comprised of staff from the City Manager's Office, City Clerk's Office, and the Parks & Recreation Department have spent the past several months working on a draft design. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council review the draft website design and provide feedback. Recommendation: That the City Council review the draft website design and provide feedback. Assistant City Manager Bruckner provided an overview presentation of the new draft concept for the city's website. Asserted that the city's website team has been working diligently over the last several months to bring you this design. As you can see, we kept some traditional themes that you see on the current site in terms of a top navigation, a search bar, but the layout is entirely different, all under the premise of creating more ease of use and accessibility to the end user. Even though we're presenting the draft design to you tonight, we've also spent some significant time Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 17 of 33 reorganizing the content of the website so that the end user, our residents, our businesses, visitors to the community access the information in as few clicks and keystrokes possible. Mr. Bruckner briefly discussed the translation tool which will allow visitors to view our website in the three most common languages spoken in Rosemead; highlighted that the button at the top right bar offers virtually any language that's available through Google Translate. On the home page, you will see the color scheme is a rose-colored tint, gold and olive, to slightly move away from the current color scheme of the bold red and green. The new color palette is very pleasing and appealing. Mr. Bruckner discussed the different sections: featured news story where we'll post items related to press releases, any other type of public information for upcoming events, etc.; the calendar is filtered by City Events and then Parks and Recreation events, explained looking at the back end data of what people are accessing or search terms on the site, 50% of the web traffic is related to parks and recreation which is why we highlighted that. We've integrated some social media directly into the site, so when users hover over the logos for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, the latest post that we've posted will pop up on there; they can click on the post and it will take them directly to the city's social media pages there. Then at the bottom, we added a "Did You Know" section where we can put any types of facts and figures about the City of Rosemead and things that we want to highlight, such as population, median income, available land, economic development related activities, performance data, whatever it might be that we want to feature. Explained what the department landing pages will conceptually look like; instead of having a bunch of text, we created these image boxes, so we'll have some information about how to contact the department, what the department does, etc. In terms of the main menu navigation, there are call out boxes, people can click on the boxes to learn more. You can see the hover feature in that middle top box where it kind of pops out a little bit so the user knows which box they're on. We are very excited about the design that we've prepared for you all. Council Member Low inquired about the new color scheme; stated she is not seeing that maroon or burgundy red on the new design, which has typically been associated as Rosemead's color. She asked why the city logo on the home page is all white when we use the color one most of the time. Assistant City Manager Bruckner responded that the website consultant and the designer indicated the color palette that we currently have on our site is a very difficult color palette to work with because we have a lot of very bright and bold colors that really contrast with each other and that aren't necessarily complementary. I understand that that's the traditional sort of Rosemead look and feel but in terms of terms of the new site, we really tried to take a different approach with the color palette while still trying to be true to the Rosemead themes Rosemead of red, gold, etc. Council Member Armenta suggested adding a banner on the top and do the red that Council Member Low is talking about. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 18 of 33 Mr. Bruckner explained the reason why the Rosemead logo is white is because if we use the colored logo with the photo background, it will get washed out. So in order to use the traditional logo, we'd have to put a white banner behind the top of that image, then we can change the colors and do all of that. Stated that's an easy fix if you're just looking to change the logo but if you're looking for a whole new color scheme away from the gold and the olive and the rose, we would have to go back and rework that. Council Member Armenta indicated that she is constantly going to other cities' websites to look for events and updates; mentioned you can reference the City of Azusa's website, which shows the color and is translucent, so you're still able to see the picture in the background. Suggested we could do the same effect and get the best of both worlds, with a translucent reddish color to get that Rosemead red and you're still able to see the picture. Assistant City Manager Bruckner recognized what Council Member Armenta was referring to as a picture filter; indicated he would share Azua's website with the designers as a reference. Council Member Armenta stated she doesn't know about how everyone else feels about the Category "Living", because we need to make sure that it's user friendly; opined people will understand "Resident" better than the word "Living". Noticed "Rosemead `Round the Clock" was not included on the home page; requested it be added because that's the CRM system where people are able to anonymously report an issue such as abatement, abandoned shopping carts, etc. My other request for the new site was to include a gallery of photos from city events such as 4t' of July; inquired where this gallery can be found. Assistant City Manager Bruckner responded we can certainly add "Rosemead `Round the Clock" under "Popular Services". In regard to a photo album, I'm not sure of the location right now, but we would be happy to feature it on the site. Mayor Pro Tem Ly ascertained there's a new state law that says we now have to all begin converting our website email addresses from a ".org" to a ".gov". Asked how are we doing that in terms of the website versus what we're doing in the future? Have we bought a "CityofRosemead.gov" yet? Assistant City Manager Bruckner replied we have not bought a ".gov" yet, however, in order to change the city from a ".org" to a ".gov", there's actually a lot of technical requirements to make that happen. Confirmed Mayor Pro Tem Ly is correct about the new state law which requires cities to make that transition to ".gov" by January 1, 2025. Explained ".orgs" as a domain are typically reserved for nonprofits such as hospitals. The ".gov" is more traditional nowadays for municipal websites and county websites; you'll notice everything in the federal government is a ".gov". So it really just delineates that you're at a government site as opposed to a nonprofit or a quasi -public organization. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 1023 Page 19 of 33 Mayor Pro Tem Ly responded I understand that we may not have the answer right now, but I'm assuming we're building out this new site with that new law in mind. Mr. Bruckner affirmed we certainly can transition down the road. Asserted he would share Council's feedback received tonight with the website design team and return at a future meeting with round 2 design that will include a couple of different color scheme options for Council to look at. Mayor Dang recessed the meeting for a quick break. Mayor Dang reconvened the meeting at 9:45 p.m. B. Approval of Fifth Amendment to City Clerk Employment Agreement and Approval and Adoption of Salary Schedule Resolution No. 2023-23 The City and the City Clerk entered into an Employment Agreement ("Agreement") on April 10, 2018. Section 3 of the Agreement permits the City Council to conduct performance evaluations and grant increases in salary. Pursuant to Section 3(A)(2) of the Agreement, the City Council conducted the City Clerk's performance evaluation on April 11, 2023. The City Clerk received a "substantially exceeds expectations" review with a 5 rating. A substantially exceeds expectations review entitles the City Clerk to a 5% salary increase, bringing the City Clerk's total annual base salary from $122,054 to $128,157. Recommendation That the City Council take the following actions: 1. Approve the granting of a 5% salary merit increase for a "substantially exceeds expectations" performance evaluation and authorize the Mayor to execute the Fifth Amendment on behalf of the City Council to reflect the increase; and 2. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-23, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING RESOLUTION 'NO. 2022-28 ESTABLISHING THE COMPREHENSIVE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR ALL FULL-TIME CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD City Manager Kim provided a brief report; stated staff recommends that the City Council approve the two recommended actions. ACTION: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Ly and seconded by Council Member Low to take the following actions: Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 20 of 33 1. Approve the granting of a 5% salary merit increase for a "substantially exceeds expectations" performance evaluation and authorize the Mayor to execute the Fifth Amendment on behalf of the City Council to reflect the increase; and 2. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-23, entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 2022-28 ESTABLISHING THE COMPREHENSIVE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR ALL FULL-TIME CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD The motion was carried out by the following vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, and Ly NOES: None C. Proposed Founder's Park Discussion The City Council will discuss and give direction to staff regarding the licensed Southern California Edison Corridor property that is located between Mission Drive and Wells Street just west of Walnut Grove. Currently, the City has a five-year license agreement with SCE which is set to expire on August 31, 2026. Staff has been unable to secure a funding source to build the proposed Founder's Park at this SCE location. Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction relative to this matter. Recommendation: That the City Council provide direction relative to this matter. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated this item before you to get direction from the City Council in regard to the proposed Founders Park project. You may remember that the proposed park location is at the comer of Walnut Grove Avenue and Mission Drive in between Mission and Wells. It's approximately 7.1 acres in size, is on the Southern California Edison corridor. Provided some context, back in July, the City Council was presented a conceptual design and idea for a proposed park founders park applications were submitted to the statewide park development and community revitalization program funded through Prop 68. In September of 2021, the city licensed the property in the hopes that this would give the city some advantage and credit in the grant application process. Unfortunately, both round three and round four applications were not awarded. Feedback was given mainly because the license agreement is a five-year license agreement and those grants were looking for a 30 -year agreement. Unfortunately, Edison's policy is they no longer give leases for 30 years; their only policy is a five-year license agreement. Since then, staff have been unable to find funding sources that can accommodate the project as it was proposed. The proposed project conceptual design includes a walking pass, natural gardens, and very few amenities. In 2017 this was estimated to be a $7.1 million project. Mr. Boecking noted in response to Council Member Clark's request at the Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 21 of 33 last meeting he visited Jay Imperial Park and Zapopan Park on a few different occasions just to see the usage of the parks; ascertained while Jay Imperial Park is used, I would say there is not a heavy usage. We went out a few days during the week, as well as on a Saturday; my findings were there were a few people using the trail at most, but not in excesses amount. Noted for the record that staff received a letter from SCE (Attachment C in the Staff Report) last week on Tuesday, April 18a'; the letter confirms that Edison will no longer consider a longer lease agreement, but will remain working with the city on the possible license park and hopefully if we get the funding that we need improvements to the property. In looking at this, I laid out three options for your consideration: 1. To keep the current license agreement with SCE direct staff to continue look for funding opportunities. 2. Terminate the license agreement with SCE. Currently, the city has a five-year agreement expiring in 2025; we pay roughly $3,000 a year for this property, well as roughly $17,000 to maintain the property. With this option, we would contact SCE, terminate the agreement and turn the land back over. 3. Go back and create a new conceptual design, talk with a landscape architect to potentially downgrade the project somewhere around the $4.5 million dollar range; we could look at potentially funding that project through ARPA funding. The new conceptual plan cost the city roughly $20,000; explained if that is Council's wish, then we could look into bringing back a new conceptual design for your review to see if you would like to fund it through funding that we currently have here in the city. Mr. Boecking stated he and Sal Ramirez, our local Public Affairs Representative with SCE, are both here if you have any questions. Council Member Low commented the way I assess the situation is we are not able to get the license agreement long term, so not sure whether we should continue with this. Explained it seems like a cycle, if we're not able to get the license then we're not able to get the funding. Stated I don't think the city should continue giving money to this; opined I'd rather not do another conceptual design with just grass and a walkway because people like to go to a park that has more elements for activities such as Rosemead Park and Garvey Park, they're very successful and people enjoy going to those parks. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded Edison no longer allows certain amenities such as play structures, basketball courts, things of that nature, in their easement; stated that's why the original proposed conceptual was very passive and only has a couple of small exercise equipment, a small area for tables. Reiterated this was just conceptual and was not approved by Edison, which is the reason if we wanted to continue with this project, we would have to take a design back to Edison to see what they will allow. Indicated that Zapopan Park was grandfathered in when that park was built, so those amenities were allowed by Edison, however they are no longer allowed. That's why Jay Imperial Park is pretty much just grass, walking trail, some adult exercise equipment and few tables. Council Member Low shared that she heard the businesses around Jay Imperial Park actually have complained since we put the park there, noting that there's not a lot of amenities, so there are more homeless that hang out there and affect their businesses. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 22 of33 Opined it's a good thing to have a park, but sometimes some baggage comes with it; emphasized I think we need to consider that as well. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated I think the Council knows that if there's one person who is really passionate about trying to generate additional park space in the city, it is probably me because we are severely under parks. I think the very fact that Jay Imperial Park may not be heavily used, but it is utilized is an indication that you have people in the community that need or want that space. Shared that he himself likes to go jogging throughout the community, whether it's up in this area in the northern part of Rosemead or even the southern part — for example, I enjoy taking a nice two -and - a -half -mile jog down Garvey Avenue, do a couple of laps at the Zapopan Park trail, then loop back. It helps to have a routine and it's even nicer to have a trail to run on that is comfortable and safe for my joints; noted he tends to trip and fall and that happens less likely when I run at a trail. Expressed frustration at the idea that Rosemead does not have the funds to afford to buy property to just build a park on it. We have that capability, so we have to figure out more creative ways to utilize the underdeveloped spaces in our community like we did with Jay Imperial Park and other vacant lands that we converted into community gardens. I want to thank Mr. Boecking for being part of that impetus in converting one of the underutilized parking lots at Garvey Park into a dog park. On the Edison side, I do not like hearing them say, well we're only going to do five years, and you guys can do things with it, but also you have all these restrictions. Asserted that I asked for this item to come before Council when I first came back from military leave which was over two months ago; indicated there have been about eight meetings since then that an Edison representative had multiple opportunities to reach out to the city to discuss this item. Why is it that the Fortune 500 company headquartered out of Rosemead is having difficulties engaging with us to help build a really needed resource in our community? Sal Ramirez, Public Affairs, SCE, replied we are not having difficulty. I disagree with you, Mayor Pro Tem. Indicated I'm here and always in contact with your staff. I'm always one phone call away and I don't have any control over our attorney who wrote the letter. It takes time to write stuff and schedule, so I disagree with you as far as that goes. Why is Edison not giving you a 30 -year license? It's stated in the document — We need to have that property available in case for future needs, but we are willing to work with you. We are making a five-year lease agreement just like we do at Zapopan Park and Jay Imperial Park. So, we're willing to work with you and we want to be a good partner. Commented that it's a prime choice piece of land and it is available to you for five years; reiterated it's just not available for a 30 -year license. Explained every five years we can renew the license agreement to you. Mayor Pro Tem Ly replied, but we can't get a $7 million grant from the state without a longer-term license. Mr. Ramirez interjected, saying Edison doesn't have any control over that. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 23 of 33 Mayor Pro Tem Ly responded but you do by giving us a 30 -year lease agreement. That's the control you have over it. You're just choosing not to do that, right? Not you specifically, but the corporation is choosing not to do that, correct? Mr. Ramirez replied yeah, our attorney's letter says that we can't do that. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked Mr. Ramirez if he understands why we wanted to convert that land into a park beyond the fact that it is vacant land and we're looking at it. Mr. Ramirez said go ahead, go, please tell me. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asserted that Ms. Wiederman, who is right there in the audience, has consistently complained about this issue for as long as I've been on the Council — how it is unkept as there are always weeds, litter, etc., especially in the right of ways in that vacant land. Emphasized, it takes forever to get Edison out there to clean that up, which is why Rosemead said let's take care of the maintenance, so we can ensure it is cleaned up regularly. This way we create a win-win here where Ms. Weiderman doesn't have to come to a Council meeting to complain about it and we are providing an amenity to the community. Mr. Ramirez directed them to call our 1-800 number anytime and we'll get somebody out there right away. It might not be that same day, but we will get somebody out there to clean it up. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked how fast is right away — are you talking about within 24 to 48 hours? Mr. Ramirez answered whenever we get a crew available. Mayor Pro Tem Ly responded it's not right away then. It's whenever you guys are available to do it. Mr. Ramirez stated exactly. Council Member Clark referenced the document that states the CPUC is not allowing it. Is that correct? Mr. Ramirez responded yes, that's correct. We're regulated by the CPUC and we have to follow whatever they say. Council Member Clark inquired so the CPUC are the ones that are saying no 30 -year lease. Mr. Ramirez affnned, correct. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 24 of 33 Council Member Clark opined we need to take that into consideration that the CPUC are the ones that are not allowing us the 30 -year lease and Edison's hands are kind of tied. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated yes and no, Ms. Clark. In fact, Edison can lobby the CPUC and state this is something that should be important to us that we want to better utilize these underutilized spaces for these communities. Council Member Clark asked if Edison lobbied the CPUC. Mr. Ramirez responded we did elevate it, we asked for an exception, and it was declined by our Land Management Attorney. Mayor Pro Tem Ly ascertained so you guys internally declined it. Mr. Ramirez replied yes. Council Member Clark asked so Edison did not take it to the CPUC? Mr. Ramirez said no, we haven't got to the CPUC. That's the policy of the CPUC that we do not give 30 -year leases. Council Member Clark said so Edison has tried. Your attorney checked it out anyway. Mr. Ramirez responded our attorney did due diligence, looked into it and then came back with the letter indicating no 30 -year lease. Council Member Armenta asked for clarification, your attorney looked into it, meaning they spoke to the agency, or they just interpreted the law? Mr. Ramirez stated I would have to go back and ask her exactly if she interpreted the law or if she actually spoke to somebody, but she is an attorney. She has very good credentials, I would say. Council Member Armenta stated well, we have a great attorney, too, but the fact is all law is up for interpretation. So that's what I'm asking — was this interpreted by her or was she given this response by someone she spoke to. Mr. Ramirez responded well, that is the law Council Member Armenta. Mayor Pro Tem Ly commented well there is the law and then there's also what Edison is willing to advocate on behalf of its communities. We understand that's what the CPUC is saying, but are you telling me that Edison, if your president CEO, would he co join us on a letter to the CPUC, saying that he would support a 30 -year lease on this land? Mr. Ramirez replied we could ask him, certainly. Rosemead Ciry Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 25 of 33 Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated then that's what my ask tonight is, we ask the CEO to write that letter. Council Member Clark suggested including in that letter that children need to be able to get out into the open space. Shared there's a book called "Last Child in the Woods", warns about nature deficit disorder which is where children do not even go out to their backyards because they're so addicted to their video games. This is a serious problem because there may be effects on their brains and stuff 20 years down the line. So that's why it is so important and we need more green space, trees, and amenities. Mr. Ramirez stated I agree. Council Member Armenta inquired since one of our parks is already grandfathered, can we look into seeing if the city as whole can be grandfathered in. Mayor Pro Tem Ly concurred with Ms. Armenta, especially considering the fact that Edison headquarters are in the city. We are genuinely trying to deliver something good for our community, for our kids, the seniors around that area who may not have a car and can't drive to Rosemead Park or Garvey Park. So, this might be the closest area in which they can go for a nice little walk. I'm trying to work with a Fortune 500 company helping us endeavor and doing public good literally in their own backyards. Mayor Dang acknowledged Council Member Low's remarks that we are spending $17,000, on maintenance alone every year. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked how staff are spending that $17,000? Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied that the $17,000 goes to getting our landscape crew there for maintenance of the landscape to take care of the weeds and abatements of all that. Mayor Pro Tem Ly inquired how often the crew is sent for maintenance? Mr. Boecking responded I believe six times a year. Council Member Low asked if the $17,000 is a year or is that a month? Mr. Boecking answered that $17,000 is for maintenance for a year and $3,000 is for the license for a year. Council Member Armenta stated it is interesting to me that Edison is able to take the city's money to maintain that property but not willing to work with the city in other aspects. For example, the transformer that blew up and then caught fire on the right of way on Hellman Avenue or when I've spoken to you many times about the weeds and then we get the run around that it takes this much time. Commented I am not putting you on the spot, I know your only one representative and am sure you get a lot of demands, but you are our face of Edison. So, the frustration that you hear on this Council is because we have tried to work with Edison rightfully so with Edison's Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 1023 Page 26 of 33 complex being in the City of Rosemead. I understand there are a lot of regulations, but since we already have a grandfathered park, I just don't see why Edison can't extend that to other areas in the city. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking clarified Zapopan Park itself is not grandfathered in, it is the amenities such as the play structure, the restroom structure, the basketball court, and the volleyball court there. Those amenities are no longer allowed to be built. Explained when the lease agreement ended at Zapopan Park, Edison renewed it for a five-year license which is their new policy. Council Member Armenta thanked Mr. Boecking for the clarification. It has been stated that many people are not utilizing Jay Imperial Park because of the lack of amenities, so it would be nice to have amenities grandfathered in there as well, and really as a city as a whole to try to get more people into those parks. Mayor Pro Tem Ly reiterated the question is — is there a partnership with a will to join the city in doing a public good? Mayor Dang stated I am hearing Option one is if you keep the current license agreement, we are going to pay $20,000 ($17,000 for maintenance, plus another $3,000 for the license); Option two is if you terminate, we are not obligated to maintain it, even though there is absolutely still a need, but it'll be falling on Edison's pocketbook; Option three is create a concept, revise the design, perhaps make it smaller with a $20,000 price tag. Agreed with what Mayor Pro Tem Ly said that Edison is in our backyard and you are a Fortune 500 company, I do agree that there is some community good that I think has been lapsed. I think that Edison should invest in our community a lot more. Commented even if Edison made a 20 -or -30 - year lease available, Edison shouldn't just be like okay City of Rosemead, here's your lease agreement and now you figure out how to fund this. With Edison's Headquarter being in the City of Rosemead, is there not additional scholarships available? I know you gave a $50,000 scholarship to Don Bosco, not to say that's a bad thing, kudos to the scholarship recipient. Edison needs to do more. You're saying that your CEO and your Edison Attorney are saying that their hands are tied, we can't touch this property. Okay, then open the other community benefits such as the scholarship faucet. Mr. Ramirez responded we have over $20 million a year in scholarships available and sponsorships to different nonprofits. The money does go to the community. We cannot give all $20 million to Rosemead. Mayor Dang commented we are not asking for the whole $20 million. Pointed out Edison headquarters is our neighborhood so when you guys have a project and need to work right away, you go directly to our City Manager and Director of Public Works. Our team does everything they can to help expedite the permit because we believe in Edison, so I think Edison needs to believe in us. I think you need to really invest in the future youth of our city. Mr. Ramirez stated I'll take that feedback back to my supervisor and my manager. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApril25, 2013 Page 27 of 33 Mayor Dang said we appreciate it. Council Member Armenta said to piggyback off of the permitting comment, I remember there was a time when Edison wouldn't even come to the city and ask for permits. Edison would break up our sidewalks and instead of replacing it with cement, you replaced it with tar, the black asphalt. We've been very generous to Edison, so the Council would appreciate Edison being generous also to the City of Rosemead; pointing out we could have gone after Edison and brought attention to what Edison is doing to the city that they are headquartered in. Commented hopefully that has changed. It's just our frustration when we have this utility company headquartered in our city and can't even get a pocket park. Mr. Ramirez made the comment, "you actually have two parks". Council Member Armenta stated okay, but you're very argumentative, Sal. Mr. Ramirez responded, "I'm not" Council Member Armenta replied, "You're not?" Okay, you were arguing with the Mayor Pro Tem. Maybe you don't see that you're being argumentative, but you are. Mr. Ramirez stated, "Okay, I'm just going to stay quiet then". Council Member Low I think the ask would be for Mr. Ramirez to bring it back to Edison and we'll see what the finding is. So, there's no point in going forward on this item at this time. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked when do we have to make a decision by? Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated the current license agreement ends in 2025; we will continue to maintain the property and pay the lease agreement until we get some type of direction. We do have a maintenance contract to keep it maintained, we continue to pay the yearly costs for that license to Edison. . Council Member Clark asserted that we should include in the letter that the City of Rosemead has saved Edison the maintenance cost of said amount for these many years while we are taking on that payment and responsibility of maintaining and upkeeping the land. We are simply hoping we can get more open space for our residents. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated Ms. Clark, I think we're talking about two different letters. The letter that I was originally talking about was a joint letter between the City of Rosemead and Edison International or Southern California Edison, whoever is writing to the CPUC, asking them to change 30 -year licensing policy, because that would show that Edison, though may disagree with CPUC policy, obviously their hands are tied, but they're willing to change it on their end. I think it sounds like your Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 28 of 33 letter is directed to Edison. I am referring to writing a letter to the CPUC to try to get hold of a longer lease agreement so we can build the park and get the necessary funding from the state. Council Member Armenia stated not to be a negative Nellie here, but I highly doubt that Edison is going to write this letter. So, first, let's find out if they're even willing to do that. Directed City Manager Kim to contact whoever you need at Edison to share the video of tonight's Council meeting so they can see the way that their representative is speaking to our Council; stated the video does not lie and we're not going to have somebody come in here, be argumentative, and then say, they're not being argumentative. Let the video speak for itself. I want to make sure whoever you are contacting is watching this video, because that is not a good partner when their headquarters are in our city. Council Member Low remarked once we get words from Southern California Edison, if they're not willing to partner with this letter, then we should just terminate the license and the maintenance agreements because there's no point of spending our residents' tax dollar on maintaining that property anymore. I think the maintenance of that property should go back to Southern California Edison. Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated our issue would revert to the original problem of a blighted area where you have overgrown weeds, litter not picked up, and Ms. Weiderman coming to every single Council meeting complaining about it again. I don't think it's fair to that part of the community as well. I agree we should not be spending taxpayer money on behalf of a Fortune 500 corporation, but the alternative is residents saying the city is allowing for a blighted area. Council Member Low commented I think we just have to continue to work with Edison. Opined before we didn't even have a very good rep to talk to you, but at least when Mr. Ramirez came on board, I felt like we were able to talk to him. Mayor Pro Tem Ly expressed generally I would agree with Ms. Low as I have run into Mr. Ramirez, said hi to him and we've had good conversation, but I'll be completely honest and blunt, I completely agree with Ms. Armenta on this one after tonight. Expressed, this is the first night on which I've actually felt attacked by a representative, and trust me, we've had heated conversations. I am very shocked. Nonetheless, I am trying to do what's right for the residents, community, and the future of Rosemead. I second Council Member Armenta's request to send this video, I would like to piggyback off that and ask that it is sent to Mr. Steven Powell, the President and CEO of Southern California Edison. Council Member Low stated I think we should move on to the next item. Mayor Dang thanked Mr. Ramirez for coming tonight. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 29 q(33 D. Presentation on Affordable Housing Project Counts This item is an update to the affordable housing production as requested by Mayor Pro Tem Ly at the March 14, 2023 meeting. Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide direction to staff. Planning & Economic Development Manager Valenzuela provided a brief overview presentation: In 2020, the state amended the requirements for ADUs and established junior ADUs. Asserted the number has increased significantly since those codes have changed. From 2018 to current, the city has received 320 new ADUs, 183 ADU conversions and 18 JADUs. SB 9 became effective on January 1, 2022, which allowed for urban dwellings and urban lot splits in the single-family RI zone; to date, we've received a total of six urban dwellings and one lot split. City Council has approved three mixed-use developments with density bonuses. In total, we have 21 low-income units that were proposed. The projects included the Garvey Garden Plaza, Garvey 168 Plaza, and the Taiwan Center mixed-use project. On April 27, 2021, the City Council adopted the residential small lot ordinance, this allowed construction of homes on small lots in the R3 zone; to date, we've received two projects totaling 15 units. City Council adopted the Garvey Avenue Specific Plan in 2018; to date, we've received three projects totaling 200 units. In addition to those programs, the city began rebudgeting the HUD funds, CDBG and HOME Fiscal Year 2018 to 2019 to create a fund balance for the creation of affordable housing. Between the years of 2020 and 2021, the city made two separate offers to purchase land, which did not materialize. One was due to a potential earthquake fault zone, and the second offer was not accepted by the seller. In FY 2022-2023, the program restricted land acquisition to home ownership assistance to qualifying affordable families to the lack of vacant land in our city. Recently, the City Council did approve the Mission Villas residential project; they developed 37 residential units and the city successfully entered into affordable housing agreement with the developer to secure four affordable veteran units in the amount of $1,152,000. On April 11, 2023, the city was awarded $1,463,835 for production of affordable housing. Staff is in discussions with property owners about potential acquisition; noted property isn't listed or currently vacant. In conclusion, staff is currently working on some updates in the Zoning Code. As part of this project, we're reviewing the Code and thinking of ways to create additional affordable housing. This will encourage and help us meet RHNA numbers of 4,612 units. Mayor Pro Tem Ly thanked Director of Community Development Wong, Ms. Valenzuela and the team. I want to commend your department in looking at ways of updating the Zoning Code to allow for not just more housing but more affordable housing overall. Stated where I think there's potential for more is analysis on an incentive based inclusionary housing in terns of allowing the density numbers to hit. Two, looking at incorporating a short covenant non -state, non -federal -funded affordable housing deals. So if we are not going to utilize CDBG or HOME grants, maybe instead of a 30 -year or 55 -year covenant, it is a 10 -year or 15 -year covenant Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 30 of 33 as a way to support families that need housing. Shared something that was brought up in the Charter Subcommittee meeting to regenerate our own city -based Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and utilize different concepts for that in terms of generating the necessary revenue to support affordable housing and other developments in the city. Council Member Armenta stated when I went to Sacramento with Contract Cities, I spoke to many of the legislators and we always hear how we need affordable housing but unfortunately, many of their bills do not have affordable housing components. There's a debate whether these housing bills are really addressing affordable housing or are just pocketing developers. Shared that she received a text message from a resident that their neighbor is building all these ADUs and the construction is really disrupting their quality of life. One thing that I explained to her is its state law dictating us to allow for more ADUs. Expressed people truly need affordable housing because they want to move back to let's say their hometown, but they cannot afford to as it's too expensive. Commented she and her sister are grateful that they inherited their house and were able to double the size of it. Council Member Low opined it's very unfair that the state imposed the ADU legislation on cities. We have to be smart about what we develop in our city instead of cramming these ADUs into an already crowded neighborhood; noted that it's happening in my neighborhood as well. Pointed out I still see we have a lot of areas on Garvey Avenue that need to be developed, unfortunately, those are industrial areas. If there is a way to apply for more housing in those areas that would help us build our city to be better place. Mayor Dang opined if the math works out, developers will come. There are a lot of properties in commercial areas, industrial areas, streets that are very busy dedicated highway collector streets, those need to be re-examined by staff and consultants to make those busy thoroughfares opportunities where you could create a lot of these housing inventory. There is some benefits to ADUs because if parents purchase these properties and it's paid off value is really in the land when their kids want to come back, build the ADU and the kids live in the back. That's really the driving premises behind California real estate being so valuable — it's not the structure itself, it's the land. They want to encourage a lot of these homeowners to really build it and then bring their families back as it fosters very good family dynamics. ADU by design is actually creating a lot of housing inventory. I understand there's some traffic issues and little growing pain, but is serving its intended purpose, which is to create housing inventory. 7. MATTERS FROM MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL A. Report, Discussion, and Direction Regarding the Scope of Work for State Lobbyist and Advocacy Services At the February 28, 2023, City Council Meeting, the City Council requested that an item be brought forward at a future meeting to discuss the scope of work for a Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 31 of 33 Request for Proposals ("RFP") related to State Lobbyist and Advocacy Services. Additionally, the City Council requested a lobbying cost survey of comparable cities by population in the San Gabriel Valley, or broader Los Angeles County, if necessary. Both items are included in this report for City Council review and discussion. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council provide direction on state lobbying and advocacy services. Recommendation: That the City Council provide direction on the state lobbying and advocacy services. Mayor Pro Tem Ly asked if there is an urgency on the lobbying item? If not, could we table this item to the first meeting in June? Assistant City Manager Bruckner responded the contract is set to expire on June 30, 2023. Mayor Pro Tem Ly clarified that he actually will not be here for the first meeting in June. Suggested tabling this item to the first meeting in May. By consensus, the City Council tabled this item to the first meeting in May B. Council Comments Mayor Pro Tem Ly stated this is not an urgent item — I want us to look at opportunities in which we can utilize public parking structures, public parking lots, etc., as part of our zoning and/or just economic development in the city. I am bringing this up because as mentioned earlier, a lot of these developments have come in and have a zero -parking rule in place to look at building for that future. My next request is I would like to establish standing items on two of our Commission/Committees for them to continue to look at until the project is complete: 1) The potential Garvey Park Youth Center on the Youth Advisory Committee's agenda, as that they should have a role to play and what should be in that final product. I want us to actually get this done. 2) The Parks Commission review needed amenities within the city and where those amenities could theoretically be. My last comment is on a personal note, to our Director of Public Works Chung, I know that you'll be leaving soon and you'll be sorely missed. You've done a lot of positive for our community and it's going to be big shoes to fill whoever replaces you. So, thank you for your service on behalf of the City of Rosemead. Council Member Armenta thanked Mr. Chung as he has been a big asset to our city. Never have I seen so many projects that should have been completed being completed. I know it is selfish for me to want you to stay here, but your experience allows you to spread your wings. We wish you much luck with your new agency. Council Member Clark echoed her colleagues' appreciation to Mr. Chung. Council Member Low thanked Mr. Chung for all his hard work. Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ofApri125, 2023 Page 32 of33 Mayor Dang stated since you came on board, we saw a lot of those capital improvement project lists keep growing and growing. I really appreciate a lot of your hustle in getting projects done to ensure grants did not expire. You definitely are a resource that's going to be missed. Whenever you want to come back, the door is always open. 8. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Dang adjourned the meeting at 10:50 p.m. The next City Council meeting will take place on May 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rosemead City Hall Council CAatti`tsr Ericka-Mmandel, City CFxrk APPROVED: i ✓[ a� s VA64, �i Rosemead City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 25, 2023 Page 33 of 33