[00:00:03]
[1) CALL TO ORDER: Mayor]
WE HAVE MEMBERS JOINING US REMOTELY.
WE HAVE MEMBER PALLARES, MEMBER MARTINEZ, MEMBER REYNA.
ALL RIGHT THEN, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
GOOD EVENING, FOLKS, THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO SECTION 3 OF EXECUTIVE ORDER N-29-20 ISSUED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM ON MARCH 17TH, 2020.
ALL MEMBERS ARE JOINING US THIS EVENING REMOTELY VIA ZOOM WEBINAR.
WE WILL NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO FOR A FLAG SALUTE.
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[4) PUBLIC COMMENTS]
>> WE MOVE INTO PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION OF THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS RESERVED FOR PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY ON ANY MATTER NOT ON THIS AGENDA.
>> I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION.
CAN WE GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL?
I DID SKIP ROLL CALL [LAUGHTER].
PLEASE GO AHEAD [OVERLAPPING] AND DO ROLL CALL.
>> I THINK YOU ASKED FOR ME, I'M HERE.
>> ALL RIGHT, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
>> YES, THERE'S SOME INTERFERENCE IN THE LINE, BUT YES.
>> MARIA, WE CAN'T HEAR CLAUDIA CLEARLY.
>> SHE'S ASKING FOR MEMBER PALLARES.
NOW, WE MAY PROCEED WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS OF THIS SPECIAL PORTION OF THE MEETING.
PUBLIC COMMENTS, AGAIN, THIS PORTION IS RESERVED FOR PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AND INCLUDING THE COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY ON ANY MATTER NOT ON THIS AGENDA AND OVER WHICH THE COUNCIL AND SUCCESSFUL AGENCY HAS JURISDICTION.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE USING A TELEPHONE PLEASE DIAL *9 ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD AND YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
ANYONE WHO HAS NOT PROVIDED COMMENTS BY THE CLOSE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THIS MEETING CAN STILL SEND THEM INTO CITY HALL AT CITYCLERK@CITYOFWASCO.ORG AND YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL RECORD.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS.
HOWEVER, DUE TO BROWN ACT REQUIREMENTS, NO ACTION MAY BE TAKEN AT THIS TIME.
SHOULD YOUR COMMENTS REQUIRE FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNCIL OR ITS SUCCESSOR AGENCY THE ITEM WILL BE AGENDIZED FOR REPORT AND DISCUSSED AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING.
AT THIS TIME MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ANY ITEMS NOT ON THIS SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA?
>> WE DO HAVE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
MY PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE PRIDE FLAG FLOWN AT CITY HALL.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT [OVERLAPPING].
>> TRACY, I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
THAT ITEM OR DISCUSSION IS AGENDIZED FOR LATER ON IN THE AGENDA, YOUR COMMENT'S OUT OF ORDER THIS TIME.
>> WILL THERE BE A TIME WHEN I CAN SPEAK ABOUT THAT?
THAT'S ITEM 12 ON THE REGULAR COUNSEL.
[00:05:04]
REAL QUICK, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING?
MISS CORDOVA, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT ARE REGARDING ANY ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO DO IT.
I'M ACTUALLY COMING ON HERE ON BEHALF OF MY MOM ANNA OCHOA TO DISPUTE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION THAT SHE RECEIVED.
I WAS INFORMED THAT I NEEDED TO PRESENT MYSELF IN ORDER TO TALK ABOUT THE CITATION THAT SHE GOT.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE PROPER MEDIUM THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO TAKE IN REGARDS TO THE CITATION.
BUT I WAS TOLD BY MY BROTHER, ERIC FLORES, THAT HE SPOKE TO SERGIO GONZALEZ AND HE SAID THAT I NEEDED TO PRESENT MYSELF ON BEHALF OF MY MOM IN REGARDS TO HER CITATION.
>> I'M NOT SURE THIS IS APPROPRIATE.
WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR HER TO CONTEST THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION? IT WOULDN'T BE THAT COME DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL.
I DO BELIEVE THERE'S AN APPEAL PROCESS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE DIRECT [INAUDIBLE] THIS EVENING.
>> I'M SORRY, THAT'S ITEM 12C UNDER NEW BUSINESS TONIGHT.
THAT IS AGENDIZED LATER ON FOR THE DISCUSSION.
MADAM CLERK, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING BUSINESS.
>> THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAYOR.
[5) a. Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to issue an Informal Bid and AwardContract to Lowest Responsible Bidder for the Emergency Repair of damagesAssociated with 6” Water Main Break on 7th Street between Cedar Avenue and BirchAvenue and to make necessary Budget Adjustments to pay for the EmergencyRepairs. (Bishop)]
VERY WELL.MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS OF THIS SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEMS 58, ADOPT THE RESOLUTION, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ISSUE AN INFORMAL BID AND AWARD CONTRACTS TO LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER FOR THE EMERGENCY REPAIR OF DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIX INCH WATER MAIN BREAK ON 7TH STREET BETWEEN CEDAR AVENUE AND BIRCH AVENUE TO MAKE NECESSARY BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS TO PAY FOR THE EMERGENCY REPAIRS.
>> GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE DEPUTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OF WATER UTILITIES LUIS VILLA TAKEOVER.
MR. VILLA KINDLY TAKE THE FLOOR.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS WILL BE A RECAP OF THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY MORNING ABOUT 3:00 AM.
I BELIEVE THE SHERIFFS CALLED THE WATER DEPARTMENT ABOUT 3:00 AM, ABOUT A LEAK ON 7TH STREET.
CITY CREWS WENT ON SITE, TEST THE SITUATION AND DID DISCOVER A PRETTY MAJOR LEAK WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN LINES THAT SUPPLIES WATER IN THAT AREA.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO WITH THE SLIDES.
IF YOU WANT TO CLICK ON THE NEXT ONE, JUST SO YOU CAN GET A VISUAL OF WHAT HAPPENED THERE SATURDAY MORNING ON SLIDE 2.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A LOT OF DEBRIS ON THE STREET TO YOUR RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WHERE THEY IDENTIFY THE PIPE THAT WAS ABOUT SIX FEET OF SIX INCH CAST IRON PIPES THAT HAD A CRACK ALL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PIPE.
CREWS WENT AHEAD AND CUT THAT OUT AND REPAIRED IT WITH A C900 PIPE, WHICH IS THE PVC PLASTIC PIPE.
ON THAT DAY WENT AHEAD AND JUST COMPACTED THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND CORNED OFF ABOUT 50 FEET OF THAT AREA TO THE PUBLIC TO RETURN BACK ON MONDAY AND FINISH OFF THAT AREA.
IF YOU CAN CLICK TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
HERE YOU'LL SEE THE PIPE THAT WAS ACTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE LOCATION AND THE CRACKS.
I THINK IF YOU CAN SEE THEM THERE ON YOUR SCREEN AND YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE SPLIT IS AT.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS WILL BE THE ACTUAL LOCATION, THE AFFECTED AREA BETWEEN BIRCH AND CEDAR.
THE BLUE THAT YOU SEE THERE, THAT'S THE SIX INCH LINE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED THROUGHOUT THAT AREA.
APPROXIMATELY A 150 LINEAR FEET OF SIX INCH WATER PIPE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.
[00:10:07]
[NOISE] SORRY, THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ASPHALT, THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CURB AND GUTTER, A REPAINT BIKE LANE AND CENTER LINE.[NOISE] REMOVE AND REPLACE FIRE HYDRANT, AND INSTALLED THREE NEW GATE VALVES IN THAT LOCATION.
STAFF SENT SOIL SAMPLES AND BASE SAMPLES FOR TESTING, WEIGHING OUR RESULTS TO DETERMINE IF CONTRACTOR CAN USE CITY STOCK TO BACKFILL.
PREPARE INFORMAL BID DOCUMENTS AND SEND TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
RECEIVE BIDS AND AWARD TO LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ESTIMATE ANTICIPATES APPROXIMATELY 267,000 IN COSTS.
THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
THERE MAY BE UNKNOWN DAMAGE IN THE GROUND THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ONCE DIGGING BEGINS.
ANTICIPATE COMPLETION BY JUNE 30TH.
WITH THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE.
I APPRECIATE THE URGENT REPORT.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE RAISE HAND EACH TIME WE REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE ON THE TELEPHONE, JUST USE STAR NINE.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS SIDE?
AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS MAYOR.
AT THIS TIME DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS.
THIS IS JUST TO AUTHORIZE THE MANAGER TO DO EXACTLY WHAT? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
>> MR. REYNA THIS IS GOING TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH THE INFORMAL BID PROCESS AND AWARD THE CONTRACT TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
[NOISE] THAT WOULD EXPEDITE THE REPAIR PROCESS.
THEN IT WOULD ALSO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO AMEND THE BUDGET BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT IS RECEIVED FOR THE BID TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THOSE REPAIRS.
>> GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I AM FINE WITH THAT.
MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA? MEMBER MARTINEZ.
YEAH, LET'S PROCEED AS STAFF HAS REQUESTED.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
>> THIS IS REYNA I'LL SECOND IT.
I REMEMBER MARTINEZ AND SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
MADAM CLERK PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE.
I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING YOU ANYWAY.
>> MARTINEZ, I'M SORRY JUST FINISH THE VOICE VOTE.
>> MAYOR MARTINEZ CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
I CAN JUST BARELY HEAR YOU, BUT AYE.
>> MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA TO REPAIR [INAUDIBLE].
THAT CONCLUDES THE BUSINESS OF OUR URGENT SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
>> I NOW CALL TO ORDER OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING BEGINNING NOW.
[1) CALL TO ORDER: Mayor]
GOOD EVENING, FOLKS.THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO SECTION 3 OF EXECUTIVE ORDER N-29-20 ISSUED BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM ON MARCH 17TH, 2020.
ALL MEMBERS ARE JOINING THIS EVENING REMOTELY VIA ZOOM WEBINAR.
WE WILL NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
[NOISE] IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, PLEASE STAND FOR OUR FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[00:15:03]
THIS EVENING, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN PROVIDE AN INVOCATION? WAIT, I THINK WE HAD SCHEDULED THIS EVENING.
>> [NOISE] WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY SCHEDULED, MAYOR.
>> I THOUGHT SOMEONE FROM LIGHTHOUSE IS SCHEDULED.
IN DUE OF INVOCATION THIS EVENING, WE WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> DO WE HAVE THE PROCLAMATION THIS EVENING?
>> THIS EVENING, WE HAVE MARCUS BALLARD ACCEPTING THIS JUNETEENTH
[5) a. Proclamation for Juneteenth]
PROCLAMATION.MR. BALLARD, ARE YOU ON THIS EVENING?
WELL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
WE'LL CULMINATE WITH COMMENTS FROM HIM REGARDING THE EVENT.
"ON JUNE 19TH, 2021, WHEREAS, ON JANUARY 1ST, 1863, PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN ISSUED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, SETTING IN MOTION THE END OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
WHEREAS, IT WAS NOT UNTIL JUNE 19TH, 1865 THAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED TO THOSE STILL ENSLAVED IN TEXAS THAT THE PEOPLE ARE INFORMED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCLAMATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE OF THE UNITED STATES, ALL SLAVES, ARE FREE.
WHEREAS, CELEBRATION OF THE END OF SLAVERY, WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS JUNETEENTH, IS THE OLDEST KNOWN PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF THE END OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
WHEREAS, JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATES AFRICAN-AMERICAN FREEDOM AND CELEBRATES THE SUCCESS GAINED THROUGHOUT EDUCATION AND GREATER OPPORTUNITY.
WHEREAS, ON A LARGER SCALE CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH REMINDS EACH OF US, THE PRECIOUS PROMISES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, AND OPPORTUNITY, WHICH ARE THE CORE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.
NOW, THEREFORE, I ALEXANDRO GARCIA, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WASCO, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH AS JUNETEENTH IN THE CITY OF WASCO, AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO BECOME AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CELEBRATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY, AND IN THE HERITAGE OF OUR NATION AND CITY.
DATED ON THE 15TH DAY OF JUNE 2021." THANK YOU.
MR. BALLARD, THIS IS ME VIRTUALLY PASSING THE [LAUGHTER] PROCLAMATION.
PLEASE GIVE US A FEW WORDS AND MAYBE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THIS WEEKEND'S EVENTS, AND OF COURSE, I'LL BE THERE TO PRESENT THAT IN PERSON.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THIS PROCLAMATION.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, AND GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND MAYOR ALEX GARCIA, AND TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF WASCO.
THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME, THANK YOU FOR THIS PROCLAMATION.
I BELIEVE TODAY THE SENATE, I THINK THEY JUST PASSED A BILL RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH OR JUNE 19 AS AN ACTUAL NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
BUT HERE IN WASCO, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAS CHOSEN JUNE 19TH NOT ONLY TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE CALL IT FREEDOM DAY, BUT TO ALSO USE THE STATE TO RECOGNIZE THE RICH AND DEEP BLACK HISTORY THAT EXISTED IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR YEARS AND STILL EXISTS.
UNLIKE OTHER SMALL TOWNS AROUND US, OUR WASCO POSSESSES THE BLACK HISTORY THAT HAS SHAPED, MOLDED, AND STILL IMPACTS OUR SMALL TOWN.
THIS JUNETEENTH EVENT WILL COMMEMORATE THE MUSICAL TALENT AND UNIQUENESS OF BLACK MUSIC.
THE DEEP PRESENCE OF THE THREE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES IN TOWN, WHICH ARE APOSTOLIC FAITH TEMPLE, AND MACEDONIA CHURCH OF GOD, AND TRUE LIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH.
ALSO, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK EDUCATORS TO OUR LESSER SCHOOL SYSTEM AND MANY MORE UNIQUENESSES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
ON THIS JUNE 19TH, WHICH IS THIS SATURDAY AT 10 O'CLOCK AT THE PLAYGROUND PARK, WHICH IS LOCATED ON 15 ND STREET, WE ARE HAVING A CELEBRATION STARTING AT 10:00 AM.
WE INVITE ALL TO COME OUT AND ENJOY THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S GOING TO BE FILLED WITH MUSIC, SINGING, POETRY, YOU NAME IT.
THERE'LL ALSO BE OVER 20 VENDORS AS WELL SELLING FOOD,
[00:20:04]
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, SKIN COLOR, WE INVITE ALL TO COME OUT ON JUNE 19TH TO HELP US CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY.
TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND TO OUR MAYOR, AND TO THE CITIZENS OF WASCO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PROCLAMATION.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. BALLARD.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE AND A YOUNG FAMILY TO TAKE CARE OF.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON HERE THIS EVENING TO VIRTUALLY ACCEPT OR DOUBLE EXCEPT [LAUGHTER] WE'LL BE SEEING YOU ON SATURDAY.
[5) b. Presentation by Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development(F.I.E.L.D) Representative.]
THIS EVENING, NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.
DO WE MAKE SURE MR. VILLARINO GOT THE LINK? QUICKLY, WANT TO SEND THAT OUT AGAIN.
EXCUSE ME, 5B, PRESENTATION BY FARMWORKER INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT; FIELD REPRESENTATIVE, MR. VILLARINO, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF FIELD INSTITUTE.
THANK YOU, CITY CLERK MARIA MARTINEZ, FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING US TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY.
MY NAME IS DAVID MIGUEL VILLARINO, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED BY CESAR CHAVEZ, CALLED THE FARMWORKERS INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH UNITED FARM WORKERS, AS ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, BUT WE CONTINUE TO ASPIRE TO DO THE GOOD WORK OF STRENGTHENING RURAL COMMUNITIES.
TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE'RE A CHARITABLE EDUCATIONAL 501C3, SO WE'RE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.
OUR CORE PURPOSE AT FIELD, THE NAME IS FIELD INSTITUTE, THE ACRONYM, IS TO EMPOWER THE UNDERSERVED TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT.
WITH ME TODAY, HOPEFULLY, IS MR. DON THORNSBERRY.
DON, ARE YOU ON? HE HAD TROUBLE EARLIER.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT.
GUSTAVO, ARE YOU ON? WERE YOU ABLE TO ENTER? OKAY.
WELL, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I'VE BEEN BLESSED BY MARIA MARTINEZ, TO BE ABLE TO COME IN, THAT IS TO JOIN YOU.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS TO FAMILIARIZE YOU WITH OUR PROGRAMS AND POSSIBLY CONFIGURE A PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE IF YOU FIND THAT THAT WOULD SUIT THE PURPOSE OF THE CITY.
FIELD, IN 2000, WAS STARTED UP AFTER A CONSIDERABLE TIME OF BEING DORMANT.
WHEN THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY CAME TO US AND POINTED OUT THAT BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS OF 2000, AND AGAIN IN 2010, IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT THE BOOMER GENERATION WAS GOING TO BE RETIRING IN RECORD NUMBERS AND THE REPLACEMENT WORKFORCE WAS HISPANIC.
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE DIAGRAMS OF THE PRESENTATION, WHAT BECAME CLEAR WAS THAT IN 2000, IT SHOWED THAT WITHIN 20 YEARS, MOST OF NON-HISPANIC WHITES WOULD BE OUT OF THE WORKFORCE.
THE REPLACEMENT WORKFORCE WAS HISPANIC, IN BIG NUMBERS, AND THE LARGEST SEGMENT OF THE REPLACEMENT WORKFORCE FOR THE US ECONOMY WAS UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE.
THE PROBLEM THAT THEY POINTED OUT WAS THAT 50 PERCENT OF LATINOS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WERE NOT COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE OTHER 50 PERCENT THAT DID, MOST NOTABLY, ONLY HAD A NINTH-GRADE LEVEL OF EDUCATION.
THAT WAS THE HUGE CONCERN, THAT HISPANICS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY IN THE FUTURE UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENED.
[00:25:03]
WE IMMEDIATELY MOBILIZED AND BEGIN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD WE DO TO STRENGTHEN THE WORKFORCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THAT 50 PERCENT OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO, COME HERE WITH A SIXTH-GRADE LEVEL OF EDUCATION, AND 27 PERCENT OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS ARE ILLITERATE IN THEIR OWN NATIVE SPANISH LANGUAGE.
WHEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, WHY WAS THE DROPOUT RATE SO HIGH, IT ISN'T NECESSARILY THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SO BAD, IT'S THAT RECENT IMMIGRANT MEXICAN FARMWORKER PARENTS WERE UNABLE TO HELP THEIR KIDS PREPARE FOR SCHOOL.
THEY START OUT BEHIND IN KINDERGARTEN AND THEY REMAIN BEHIND.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT ON READING LEVEL IN 4TH GRADE, YOU'RE GOING TO DROP OUT.
IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING ALGEBRA BY AT LEAST 7TH GRADE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COLLEGE.
SO WE TOOK THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY TO TRY TO CHANGE THINGS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CHANGE THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT'S WORSE THAN PULLING TEETH.
SO WE SAID LET'S FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CREDIBILITY RELATIVE TO CESAR CHAVEZ AND HIS CORE VALUES.
NOW, WITHOUT GETTING INTO ANY POLITICS, WE HAVE A LOT OF CREDIBILITY WITH FARMWORKERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.
WE INITIALLY STARTED BY OFFERING THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS. WE OFFER ENGLISH, AND THE ENGLISH PROGRAM IS TO ASSIST FOLKS TO BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE TO LEARN.
THOSE ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES.
THEY PAY US TO ENROLL THEM IN THEIR COURSES.
ALL THESE FARMWORKERS AND RECENT IMMIGRANTS ARE ACTUALLY COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARNING ENGLISH.
NEXT, WE STARTED A HIGH SCHOOL CHARTER SCHOOL FOR ADULTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, ONLY 18 YEARS AND OVER.
WE ARE IN 25 CAMPUSES AROUND THE STATE, INCLUDING OUR SHAFTER, MCFARLAND, DELANO, LAMONT, AND BAKERSFIELD.
WE HAVE OVER 1,000 FOLKS ENROLLED STUDYING TO GET THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
IT IS NOT A GED, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL THAT'S ACCREDITED.
NEXT, WE THEN PETITIONED THE STATE AND THEY STARTED FUNDING US FOR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
THIS IS OUR 3RD PROGRAM; CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
WE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO START TRAINING FOLKS, YES, IN AGRICULTURE, BUT ALSO IN THOSE ECONOMIC SECTORS THAT WERE PARTICULAR TO RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT SHOWED PROMISE FOR GROWTH.
WE'RE DOING SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION, WE'RE DOING RECYCLING, WE'RE DOING FIREFIGHTING, WE'RE DOING TRAIL BUILDING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY IN THE MOUNTAIN AREAS.
WE ARE ALSO DOING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, TRAINING OUR FOLKS HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN OWN CHILDCARE CENTERS.
WITH THAT, WE'RE NOW LOOKING TO ESTABLISH TO INCUBATE BUSINESSES WITHIN FIELD SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
THE REASON WE STARTED TALKING WITH WASCO, WITH MAYOR GARCIA, IS BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY PUTTING TOGETHER A TRAINING FACILITY IN BAKERSFIELD.
IT'S 10 ACRES OF SOUTH UNION AVENUE, JUST SOUTH OF THE MING AT THE OLD BAKERSFIELD ALLIANCE FOR RETARDED CITIZENS.
WE'RE TAKING THAT FACILITY, 10 ACRES, AND WE WILL BE SHOWING PEOPLE FOR ALL THOSE PROGRAMS I JUST MENTIONED, BUT ALSO CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE THINKING WE PROBABLY WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO CENTER IN NORTH COUNTY.
WE HAVE OUR ENGLISH CLASSES IN WASCO AND WE ALSO HAVE THEM IN LOST HILLS.
THOSE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE ONE MORE PROGRAM FOR YOUNG ADULTS,
[00:30:01]
18-24, AND THAT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION CORPS.WE CALL IT THE CURRENT SERVICE CONSERVATION CORP.
WE HAVE OVER 100 YOUNG PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTY WHO ARE DOING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
THEY'RE DOING TRAIL BUILDING, THEY'RE DOING TREE PLANTING, THEY'RE DOING LANDSCAPING.
IT COMES WITH A GRANT OF OVER $1.7 MILLION EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OUR CORP IS CERTIFIED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF RECYCLING.
WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT FUNDING TO HIRE YOUNG PEOPLE.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A DIPLOMA, THEY CAN ENROLL IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL.
IF THEY DO HAVE A DIPLOMA, WE OFFER THEM ALL OF THESE TRAINING PROGRAMS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
WE HAVE AT LEAST 100 CORP MEMBERS AROUND THE COUNTY, AND WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT PROGRAM IN WASCO.
ESSENTIALLY, I HAD TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING TO BE PARTICIPATING.
YOU HAVE OUR WEBPAGE THAT'S UP FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY CLERK WANTS TO SCROLL THROUGH A LITTLE BIT, BUT ESSENTIALLY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO VIEW OUR WEBPAGE AND LOOK AT.
THAT'S THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT, MAYOR GARCIA.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE OTHER TEAM MEMBERS NOT BEING ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
THEY'RE PROBABLY TECHNOLOGICALLY DEFICIENT.
MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CHECK AND SEE IF THEY MIGHT BE IN THE WAITING ROOM, MAYBE REQUESTING ACCESS? MR. OLVERA, YOU WANT TO USE STAR NINE OR THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY QUEUED UP?
>> THERE'S NOBODY WHO'S RAISING THEIR HAND SO I'M NOT.
>> HERE WE GO, THERE'S SOMEBODY.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE HANDS GESTURE.
>> I'M GOING AHEAD AND PROCEED.
THANK YOU, MR. VIEW, AND I'M SURE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE COMING MONTHS, I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A DISCUSSION FOR POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER IN SERVING OUR RESIDENTS.
>> MAYOR GARCIA, I WOULD LIKE TO SEND A POWERPOINT THAT WE APPARENTLY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET UP TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CITY CLERK FOR THEIR REVIEW AND THE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS.
GO AHEAD AND SEND THAT OVER TO MY E-MAIL.
YOU HAVE THAT OR CITYCLERK@CITYOFWASCO.ORG, FOLKS.
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ANY MATERIAL GETS TO MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS IN THE COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR ANY COMMENTS?
>> YEAH, I WANTED TO DO A QUICK ROUND ROBIN MAYOR APPROACH HENRY.
MANY COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
>> I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU SIR AND BRING SOME BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
MEMBER MARTINEZ, ANY COMMENTS, ANYTHING TO ADD.
>> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO MR. OVERA SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.
AS A CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION ADVISOR TO MOSCOW HIGH, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING THESE [LAUGHTER] YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, THESE SKILLS, THESE JOBS SKILLS BECAUSE THE REALITY IS IT'S NOT EVERYBODY SUITED FOR PATHWAY IN THE COLLEGE.
THE STATE IS BEGINNING TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND GIVING THESE KIDS LIFE SKILLS AND EDUCATION SKILLS, I THINK IS A WONDERFUL THING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY WORKING WITH YOU GUYS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ AND IF YOU EVER NEED A SIDE JOB, I'LL SEND YOU OUR CONTACT.
MEMBER PALLARES, ANYTHING TO ADD?
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP TODAY AND GIVING YOUR PRESENTATION.
HOPEFULLY, WE'LL GET TO MEET SOON.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILMAN.
[00:35:01]
MR. VILLARINO FOR YOU BEING ON TONIGHT AND, OF COURSE, BEING HERE IN TOWN ON FRIDAY FOR THE CAREER AND RESOURCE FAIR WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE RESIDENTS FROM 12:00 TO 3:00 AT CORMAC PARK
WE HAVE A BOOTH AND WE'LL HAVE STAFF THERE TO PASS ON INFORMATION FOR THOSE, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN MARKERS BALLARD 619, THE JUNE 19TH THING.
I DON'T KNOW WHO MAYBE THE CITY CLERK COULD E-MAIL ME HIS CONTACT INFORMATION.
I WILL CONNECT YOU, MR. VILLARINO, I CAN DO THAT FOR YOU FOR SURE.
YOU AND ANYONE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM DIRECTLY AS WELL.
HIS E-MAIL IS MARCUS.BALLARD@YAHOO.COM AND HE'S THE ORGANIZER FOR THAT EVENT.
>> [FOREIGN] WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND [FOREIGN].
>> [FOREIGN] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOLKS.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.
[6) PUBLIC COMMENTS]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS ITEM 6.THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING, AGAIN, IS RESERVED FOR PERSONS DESIRING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AND INCLUDING THE COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY ON ANY MATTER NOT ON THIS AGENDA AND OVER WHICH THE COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY HAS JURISDICTION.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE ON A TELEPHONE, PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE TO DO THE SAME.
YOU'LL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
ANYONE WHO HAS NOT PROVIDED THEIR COMMENTS BY THE CLOSE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THIS MEETING CAN E-MAIL THEM STILL TO CITY CLERK.
AT HER E-MAIL IS CITYCLERK@CITYOFGLASGOW.ORG, AND YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL RECORD.
THIS CITY COUNCIL IS VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS.
HOWEVER, DUE TO THE BROWN ACT REQUIREMENTS, NO ACTION MAY BE TAKEN AT THIS TIME.
SHOULD YOUR COMMENTS REQUIRE FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR ITS SUCCESSOR AGENCY THE ITEM WILL BE AGENDA AS FOR A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING AND DISCUSS THEM.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT REGARDING BUSINESS, NOT ON THE AGENDA.
>> WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC- NEVER MIND.
WE DO NOT HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS MAYOR.
[7) a. Adopt a Resolution of the Successor Agency to the Former Wasco RedevelopmentAgency to add Michael Scott Hurlbert as an Authorizing Signing Authority for allSuccessor Agency Bank Accounts. (Perez Hernandez)]
MOVING ONTO SUCCESSOR AGENCY BUSINESS.SUCCESSOR AGENCY BUSINESS ITEM 7A.
ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY FOR THE FORMER WASCO REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO ADD A MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT AS AN AUTHORIZING SIGNING AUTHORITY FOR ALL SUCCESSOR AGENCY BANK ACCOUNTS, DIRECTOR PEREZ?
>> GOOD EVENING MAYOR CAN YOU HEAR ME?
HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND ZOOM ATTENDEES THIS IS RESOLUTION A BRING FORTH TO THE GOVERNING BOARD, JUST AUTHORIZING STAFF TO ADD MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT AS THE ASSIGNING AUTHORITY TO THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY FOR THE BANK ACCOUNT.
STAFF IS RECOMMENDING A GOVERNING BOARD, TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION.
ADDING MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT TO THE BANK ACCOUNTS FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY.
WITH THAT BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE GOVERNING BOARD MAY HAVE.
I JUST STOPPED BEFORE I GO TOO FAR.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
AGAIN, ON THIS ITEM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE USING A TELEPHONE, DIAL STAR NINE TO DO THE SAME.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEM 7A?
>> AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS MAYOR.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, VICE CHAIRMAN, REYNA?
>> NO COMMENT, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
>> HOW ABOUT DIRECTOR MARTINEZ?
>> NO COMMENT, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
>> MR. MAYOR, QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THE RESOLUTION DOESN'T SPECIFY THE EFFECTIVE DATE, AND SO IT SAYS JUNE 15TH FOR THEY HELD, BUT MR. HURLBERT WILL ASSUME OFFICE UNTIL JULY 1ST.
THE RESOLUTION MAY NEED TO REFLECT THAT, AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO PASS ON THE DUTIES ARE SAYING ALL THOSE CHECKS.
[00:40:01]
I DON'T THINK HE'S QUITE READY FOR THAT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.WELL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 7A, WITH THE ADDITION OF SPECIFICATION ON HIS DATE OF THE SIGNING AUTHORITY.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE.
>> MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE VOTE.
>> MAYOR, CAN YOU LET ME KNOW WHO DID THE FIRST AND THE SECOND.
>> I MOVED AND A MEMBER REYNA SECONDED IT.
MOTION BY A CHAIRMAN GARCIA SECONDED BY VICE CHAIRMAN REYNA TO APPROVE ITEM 7A WITH THE AMENDED CHANGES.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.
MOVING ON TO ITEM 8A WASCO PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY BUSINESS.
[8) a. Adopt a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Wasco Public Financing Authorityto add Michael Scott Hurlbert as an Authorizing Signing Authority for all Wasco PublicFinancing Authority Bank Accounts (Perez- Hernandez)]
ADOPT THE RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CITY, EXCUSE ME, OF THE WASCO PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY TO ADD MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT AS AN AUTHORIZING SIGNING AUTHORITY FOR ALL WASCO PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY BANK ACCOUNTS.>> GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND ZOOM ATTENDEES.
THIS EVENING WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ITEM FOR THE WASCO PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY AUTHORIZING THE MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT AS THE CITY MANAGER WITH AUTHORIZING SIGNATURE AUTHORITY.
IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ALSO AN EFFECTIVE DATE SO THAT TOO WOULD NEED TO BE SPECIFIED IN THE RESOLUTION.
BUT THAT'S JUST A REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO ADD MR. HURLBERT TO THE WASCO PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY BANK ACCOUNTS.
IN WITH THAT I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIGHT HAVE.
BEFORE THEN WE'LL ASK THE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION OR REMIND THE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
IF YOU'RE ON YOUR TELEPHONE, USE THE STAR NINE ON YOUR KEYPAD TO YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEM 8A?
>> AT THIS TIME THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENTS MAYOR.
ANY COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS, EXCUSE ME, THE MEMBERS VICE CHAIRMAN REYNA?
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MARTINEZ?
>> HOW ABOUT DIRECTOR PALLARES?
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION FOR APPROVAL WITH THE ADDED SPECIFIC DATE FOR HIM TO TAKE THAT OVER.
>> THANK YOU, MEMBER PALLARES, FOR TAKING UP FOR ME.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY MEMBERS MARTINEZ AND PALLARES.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE.
>> MOTION BY DIRECTOR MARTINEZ, SECONDED BY DIRECTOR PALLARES TO PROVE ITEM 88 WITH THE IMMEDIATE CHANGES.
>> PERFECT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CLERK, MOVING ON TO CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS.
[9) CONSENT CALENDAR:]
THE CONSENT CALENDAR CONSISTS OF ITEMS THAT, IN STAFFS' OPINION, ARE ROUTINE AND NON-CONTROVERSIAL.THESE ITEMS ARE APPROVED IN ONE MOTION UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REQUESTS REMOVAL OF A PARTICULAR ITEM.
THIS EVENING, WE HAVE ITEMS 9A THROUGH 9E: NINE A, RECEIVE AND FILE DEPARTMENTS TOTALING $22,415 AND 26 CENTS.
NINE B, ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MICHAEL SCOTT HURLBERT, THE SIGNING AUTHORITY FOR ALL CITY BANK ACCOUNTS.
NINE C, ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A LETTER OF AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY
[00:45:07]
OF KERN AS THE LEAD AGENCY TO SUBMIT TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE RECYCLING AND RECOVERY, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CALRECYCLE, A REGIONAL APPLICATION FOR THE USED OIL PAYMENT PROGRAM, OPP FISCAL YEAR 2021-'22 ON ITS BEHALF.ITEM 9D, ADOPT A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A LIST OF PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-'22 FUNDED BY SP1, THE ROAD REPAIR AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017.
ITEM 9E, ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH BADAWI AND ASSOCIATES FOR AUDITOR SERVICES.
I APOLOGIZE THAT WAS NOT ON YOUR PAPERWORK.
DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND READ IT OFF THE SCREEN?
ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE CITY'S INTENTION TO REVIEW THE IMPROVEMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR WASCO MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS NUMBER 01-01, NUMBERS 01-02, NUMBER 06-1, AND 2017-1 FOR TAX YEAR 2021-'22 AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH THE RESOLUTION SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE MEMBERS IF THEY HAVE ANY CONFLICT OF INTERESTS ON ANY PARTICULAR ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
>> I MYSELF HAVE NO CONFLICTS.
ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT OR REMOVE A PARTICULAR ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, MADAM CLERK.
>> AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO COMMENTS, MAYOR.
ANY MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE A PARTICULAR ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA?
MADAM CLERK, WOULD ITEM 9B REQUIRE A SEPARATE CONSIDERATION WITH ADDITION LIKE WE DID WITH THE PREVIOUS AGENCIES? I'M BEING SPECIFIC AS TO THE DATE OR MAYBE TOM, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT.
DID YOU NEED THAT SEPARATELY CONSIDERED?
>> NO, I'LL JUST CONCLUDE IN THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH ADDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND THE RESOLUTION.
DID I ALREADY ASK IF ANYONE NEEDS TO REMOVE ANY PARTICULAR ITEMS FROM THE CALENDAR? MADAM CLERK DID I ASK?
WELL, THEN AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE WITH THAT SPECIFIC DATE FOR THAT RESOLUTION ITEM 9C.
>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY MEMBERS, REYNA AND MARTINEZ.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE?
>> MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITH ADDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND THE RESOLUTION FOR ITEM 9D.
MOTION IS A FULL FOUR AYES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ ABSENT.
[10) a. Adopt a Resolution Amending Traffic Impact Fees Rate Schedule. (Bishop)]
MOVING ON TO PUBLIC HEARINGS, ITEM 10A; ADOPT A RESOLUTION AMENDING TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES RATE SCHEDULE.>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS IS A ROUTINE ITEM THAT WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS OUR CITY ENGINEER EVALUATES TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES AND UPDATES SINCE ACCORDING TO OUR MUNICIPAL CODE ALLOWANCE.
THIS YEAR THE TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE WILL BE GOING FROM $96 AND 48 CENTS PER DAILY TRIP TO $98 AND 13 CENTS PER DAILY TRIP.
THIS IS JUST A PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO INCREASE THAT FEE.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR BISHOP.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[NOISE] AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER AS YOU KNOW BY NOW.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND BUTTON TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE USING A TELEPHONE, PLEASE DIAL STAR 9 ON YOUR KEYPAD AND YOU'LL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
[00:50:01]
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING, MADAM CLERK?
>> AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAYOR.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[NOISE] ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA?
I MOVE TO APPROVE, IS THERE A SECOND?
>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
>> THANK YOU, MEMBER MARTINEZ.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY MYSELF AND MEMBER MARTINEZ.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ TO PROVE ITEM 10A.
MOTION IS APPROVED FOR FOUR AYES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ ABSENT.
[12) a. Discussion and Possible Minute Action on Commemorating Pride Month. (Mayor Garcia)]
SEEING NO DEFERRED BUSINESS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS ITEM 12A; DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE MINUTE ACTION ON COMMEMORATING PRIDE MONTH.MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY SLIDES AVAILABLE ON TO START? IF NOT, THAT'S OKAY.
WHAT FOLKS? I BRING FORTH THIS ITEM TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY, THE LGBT COMMUNITY HAS MADE TO OUR SMALL TOWN AND COUNTY AND WORLDWIDE BEYOND THERE.
WE ARE SENDING A SIGNAL TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE A LOVING, ACCEPTING, AND WELCOMING CITY.
THERE WAS A POINT IN MY LIFE PERSONALLY WHERE I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A PLACE FOR ME IN THIS COMMUNITY WHEN IT CAME TO MY IDENTITY.
MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME OVER THE WEEKS, EXPRESSED AND SHARED THE SAME SENTIMENT.
WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS TO COMMEMORATE OUR PRIDE MONTH, NOT ONLY THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MANY WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US BUT THE RECOGNITION OF THE WORK THAT IS YET TO BE DONE FOR FULL EQUALITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT A CAUSE, WE ARE A PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY THAT DELIVER YOUR FOOD, TEACH YOUR CHILDREN OR SHARE YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SHOULD THE COUNCIL APPROVE THIS ACTION, IT WOULD BE WITH PRIDE AND INCLUSION AND RESPECT TO THE LGBT YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHO AGAIN, FEEL THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE NOT ONLY IN THIS COMMUNITY BUT THIS WORLD.
BEING THE FIRST OPENLY LGBT ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE COUNTY OF KERN MEANS NOT A RECOGNITION OF ME BEING THE FIRST, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM NOT THE LAST.
BY DOING SO, WE SEND A SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE RAISE A FLAG AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO URGE MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES TO VOTE AND SUPPORT IN THE FORMING OF THIS ACTION.
TRUTH BE TOLD, I WOULD LIKE TO DO A LIGHTING CEREMONY BUT THE LIGHTING ELECTRICS AT OUR TOWER ARE OUT OF SERVICE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WELL, NOT SO MUCH UNFORTUNATELY, BUT BECAUSE OTHER LIGHTING INSTALLATIONS WOULD REQUIRE A BUDGET AND FOR RFP PROCESS, I DECIDED AGAINST THAT AN ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS WE FIND OURSELVES IN AT THIS TIME, WOULD REQUIRE TOO MUCH STAFF AND A BUDGET WHICH OF COURSE WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME.
THAT IS WHY I BRING FORTH THIS GESTURE, A PROPOSAL TO RAISE THE PRIDE FLAG FOR THE REMAINDER OF PRIDE MONTH, THAT'S JUNE OF 2021, IN HONOR OF, AGAIN, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY, INDIVIDUALS, AND YOUTH.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A VERY LONG LINE OF DISCUSSION THIS EVENING,
[00:55:02]
PUBLIC COMMENTS WHICH I ENCOURAGE.I ENCOURAGE ALL FOLKS TO ENGAGE IN OUR DECISION-MAKING HERE AT CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE READY FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
MADAM CLERK, ARE YOU READY? YOU'RE READY, OF COURSE.
>> BEFORE WE DO, TOM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION AS FAR AS JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF COMMENTS THAT WE HAD THIS EVENING, WHAT EXCEPTIONS ARE THERE TO LIMITING DISCUSSION OR DEBATE?
>> ALL THAT UP TO YOU AND THE COUNCIL, MR. MAYOR.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP EVERYONE AT TWO MINUTES AND KEEP IT SHORT, YOU CAN DO THAT.
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM MORE TIME, WHICH YOU GOT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU JUST WITH A QUICK GUESSTIMATE AT GLANCE, HOW MANY DO WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE AT THIS TIME?
>> WE HAVE TWO EMAILS AND WE HAVE 11 ATTENDEES.
WELL, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GET RIGHT INTO IT THEN THAT WAY WE CAN GO AHEAD AND BE AS SENSITIVE TO EVERYONE AS POSSIBLE.
>> LET ME ASK THIS MR. MAYOR, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR A SINGLE MATTER? [INAUDIBLE] DO THEY LIMIT EACH INDIVIDUAL TO TWO MINUTES AND THEN A SUBJECT MATTER TO 15 MINUTES.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS RECALLING.
>> [INAUDIBLE] ANYTHING THERE, YEAH.
>> NO, IT'S NOT ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED IN THE AGENDA SO WE'LL JUST STICK TO THE TWO MINUTES.
>> BUT YOU CAN LIMIT IT IF YOU WANT.
IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU AND THE COUNCIL.
WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
MADAM CLERK, YOU'LL START WITH THE EMAILS.
BEFORE WE DO, LET ME OPEN AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND BUTTON TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE USING A TELEPHONE, PLEASED DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD, YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
[NOISE] MADAM CLERK, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
I WILL START WITH THE EMAILS THAT I'VE RECEIVED TODAY.
THIS ONE'S FROM MARICELA ESCOBEDO.
I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH MAYOR ALEX PROPOSAL TO PUT UP A GAY FLAG OUTSIDE OF THE CITY BUILDING.
I RESPECT EVERYONE, BUT I SINCERELY FEEL IT WILL CAUSE MORE DIVISION IN WASCO THAN IT WILL DO ANY GOOD.
I DON'T FEEL THAT ANYONE'S DESIRE TO SUPPORT A CERTAIN CAUSE NEEDS TO BE DISPLAYED AS A REPRESENTATION TO THE ENTIRE CITY.
WASCO STARTS WITH A GAY PRIDE FLAG AND SOON ENOUGH, WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? THE LIST IS ENDLESS.
SUPPORT WHAT YOU WISH TO SUPPORT THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
IF HE WISHES TO DISPLAY THE FLAG OUTSIDE HIS HOME, BY ALL MEANS, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
I DON'T HOWEVER, AGREE WITH IMPOSING IT ON THE ENTIRE CITY AS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT WASCO IS.
IT IS VERY IRRITATING THAT HE PROMOTES HIMSELF AS THE FIRST LGBTQ MAYOR IN KERN COUNTY OR THE YOUNGEST MAYOR OF BOSTON.
IN PLAIN WE ELECTED HIM BECAUSE OF THOSE QUALITIES WHEN TRUTH BE TOLD, HE DIDN'T COME OUT AS A GAY UNTIL AFTER HE WAS ELECTED.
HAD HE COME OUT BEFORE ELECTION, BEING PROUD AND OUTSPOKEN ABOUT IT AS HE IS NOW THE ELECTION RESULTS MAY HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST A PERSON'S SEXUAL PREFERENCE TO EACH IS THEIR OWN, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO IMPOSE, SUPPORT OR CELEBRATION OF SOMETHING ON THE ENTIRE TOWN.
I KNOW THIS IS A TOUCHY SUBJECT BECAUSE NOWADAYS IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IF YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, THEN YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY VIEWED AS A HOMOPHOBE OR ANTI-GAY.
THERE ARE BIGGER, MORE IMPACTFUL THINGS TO CONSIDER.
I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THE PROPOSAL AS I FEEL IT WILL CAUSE MORE DIVISION AND HURT THAN IT WILL DO ANY GOOD.
IT SEEMS VERY SELF-SERVING ON THE MAYOR'S PART.
WASCO IS SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE WITH OUR SMALL-TOWN VIBE,
[01:00:02]
WITH OUR UNITED FRONT.WE ALL SUPPORT AND RESPECT EACH OTHER AND OUR DIFFERENCES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LABELS.
THEN WE HAVE THIS MESSAGE FROM SHARON NICKEL.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL'S CONCERNS ON ITEM 12A ON THE AGENDA.
I BELIEVE COMMEMORATING PRIDE MONTH BY FLYING A PRIDE FLAG IS SETTING A PRESENCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE BOARD TO ALLOW ALL OTHER FLAGS FLOWN.
I SUGGEST WE STAY WITH HONORING OUR AMERICAN FLAG AND BE DONE WITH IT.
I ALSO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE NEWS WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE AGENDA ITEM.
WHO MADE THE CONTENT? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE NEWS OUT HERE COVERING OTHER IMPORTANT AGENDA ITEMS, ITEMS THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF OUR CITIZENS? THEN I HAVE A COMMENT FROM JANICE CLEMENT.
THIS REMARK IS REGARDING THE ISSUE OF THE PRIDE FLAG BEING FLOWN OVER WASCO CITY HALL.
THE PRIDE FLAG REPRESENTS ONLY A PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THIS MOVE WOULD BE OPENING UP A CAN OF WORMS FOR ALL COMMUNITY GROUPS TO DESIRE REPRESENTATION IN THIS SAME MANNER.
HOW DO YOU SAY YES TO OUR GROUP BUT NOT OTHERS? I HAVE A FLAG THAT'S SPECIAL TO ME BUT I WOULD NEVER ASSUME THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT ITS PRESENCE IN SUCH A PUBLIC PLACE.
THIS MAY POSSIBLY BE A SELF-SERVING MOVE HERE WITH NOT REPRESENTING ALL THE WASCO RESIDENTS WHO VOTE EACH OF YOU INTO OFFICE.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS MOVE CAREFULLY AND THE EFFECTS IT MAY HAVE ON OUR FUTURE AS A COMMUNITY.
LGBTQ IS A WAY OF LIFE, A PERSONAL CHOICE NOT A CITY HALL POLITICAL ISSUE IT SHOULD NOT BE A WASCO CITY ISSUE.
YOU ARE CAUSING DIVISION, PLEASE ONLY FLY FLAGS REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL WASCO VOTING CITIZENS.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
IF WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THE COMMENTS FROM THE ATTENDEES, MAYOR?
>> SORRY, I SAID YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
MY NAME IS SAL SOLORIO-RUIZ AND I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF DELANO.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF FLYING THE PRIDE FLAG OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL.
AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WE MUST CREATE A SAFER AND MORE AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL QUEER YOUTH.
DOING THIS WILL LET SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DO THIS KNOW THAT IN WASCO, THEY MATTER AND THEY ARE ACCEPTED.
I APPLAUD MAYOR GARCIA FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
DELANO JUST APPROVED A PRIDE FLAG LAST WEEK AND WE'VE RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK OF MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY SAYING, THANK YOU FOR IT.
I URGE THE WASCO CITY COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FLYING A PRIDE FLAG OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL.
>> THANK YOU, MR. SOLORIO-RUIZ I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, MADAM CLERK, NEXT.
>> HI, MY NAME IS CINDY BENDICHI.
THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING MY CALL.
I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I WOULD LOOK VERY HARD AT THE PRESIDENT, THIS IS GOING TO BE UPSETTING I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS MR. MAYOR, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS, ALL OF YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ELECTED TO SERVE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IN WASCO AND I THINK THIS LOOKS SELF-SERVING.
I SIT ON A COUPLE OF BOARDS AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU IF ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS WENT TO THE MEDIA AND MADE IT LOOK LIKE MY WHOLE BOARD WAS BEHIND THIS AS THE BOARD, I WOULD BE UPSET.
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, I SEE THIS IS THE WHOLE CITY COUNCIL APPROVING YOU GOING TO THE MEDIA, WHOEVER WENT TO THE MEDIA AND PUTTING THIS OUT THERE.
I DON'T THINK THIS REPRESENTS EVERYONE IN WASCO.
I THINK THE AMERICAN FLAG SHOULD JUST FLY ALONE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM BENDICHI.
[01:05:02]
GOOD EVENING CITY COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JOHN WINKLER AND I'M A 20 YEAR RESIDENT AT THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF BAKERSFIELD.
I RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM THE USB WITH A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE CUM LAUDE AND LATER THIS FALL, I'LL BE ATTENDING MCGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW.
ASIDE FROM THE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME WHO I AM, I'M ALSO A PROUD GAY MAN.
GROWING UP IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY WITH MY TRUTH HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN EASY, BUT I SEE POSITIVE CHANGES HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CENTRAL VALLEY EVERY DAY.
FROM WASCO'S OWN MAYOR GARCIA, CURRENT'S FIRST, OPENLY GAY ELECTED OFFICIAL TO THE RECENT PRIDE MARCH AND FLAG RAISING IN DELANO.
I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE WAVE OF POSITIVITY, COMPASSION, AND COMMUNITY OCCURRING THIS JUNE AND COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
I RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF THE POLL CONDUCTED NATIONALLY BY GALLUP, WHICH INDICATES A WHOPPING 70 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUPPORT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, UP FROM 23 PERCENT AND 90 PERCENT IN 1990.
WELL, I APPRECIATE STATS LIKE THIS I KNOW THAT LOCALLY WHAT MATTERS MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY PARTICULAR ISSUES LIKE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WE'RE PROVIDING OUR FAMILIES, NEIGHBORS, AND LOVED ONES WITH A SENSE OF BELONGING.
RAISING THE PRIDE FLAG AT WASCO CITY HALL LETS ALL THE FOLKS WHO IDENTIFY WITH THE LGBT PLUS COMMUNITY IN YOUR CITY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF LOVING WHO THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE, THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF WHO THEY ARE.
WASCO CAN BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CHANGES SWEEPING ACROSS [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY AND I HOPE YOUR BOLD ACTIONS TONIGHT CAN INSPIRE YOUR CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND MY HOMETOWN OF BAKERSFIELD TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTION IN THE YEARS TO COME.
UNFORTUNATELY BAKERSFIELD CITY COUNCILS, NOT BOLD ENOUGH TO ADOPT SUCH ACTION CURRENTLY, BUT YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL OF WASCO CAN BE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE BRAVE, CHOOSE COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING, AND MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ALL THOSE LGBT PLUS FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU HEAR US, FERNANDO? [NOISE].
>> HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR GARCIA.
MY COMMENT TODAY OR TONIGHT IS ON BEHALF OF I OBJECT TO THE FLYING THE PRIDE FLAG.
I JUST THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DIVISIVE.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD [INAUDIBLE] BEING A WASCO RESIDENT SINCE I WAS NINE YEARS OLD.
I ATTENDED ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGH, AND GRADUATED FROM WASCO HIGH, AND I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE HEARD THAT WE HAVE NOT ACCEPTED ANY GAY PERSON OR ANYBODY FOR THEIR SEXUAL PREFERENCE.
THE NOTION THAT WE WOULD BE AS A CITY, BE MORE ACCEPTABLE, I THINK IS NOT RIGHT.
I THINK WE SHOULD SEE EACH OTHER AS AMERICANS, AND ONE FLAG SHOULD IDENTIFY US ALL.
EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT PREFERENCES TOO.
SOMEBODY ELSE WILL SAY, ''NOW, FLAG MY FLAG.'' I THINK IF WE JUST STAY AS BEING AMERICANS, AS WE ALL ARE NOT DIVISIVE AND NOT GROUPING AS PEOPLE, I THINK THAT THAT IS WRONG.
I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER THE VOTE.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF WASCO FOR MOST OF MY LIFE AND I NEVER HAD SEEN OR EVEN KNOWN OF ANY CASE WHERE WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING PEOPLE.
I THINK WE ACCEPT EVERY WASCONIAN HERE, AND WE RESPECT EVERYBODY.
WE SHOULD BE JUST FLYING OUR NATION'S FLAG, AND OUR STATE FLAG FOR THAT MATTER.
MAYOR GARCIA, WE DON'T SEE YOU ANY DIFFERENT WITH OR WITH NOT FLYING YOUR FLAG.
WE STILL SEE YOU AND ACCEPT YOU THE SAME, BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD PROBABLY DO THAT IN YOUR HOME JUST AS I WOULD DO IN MY HOUSE.
PLEASE CONSIDER MY OBJECTION, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS VOTE CORRECTLY IN NOT DIVIDING RESIDENTS OF WASCO.
[01:10:01]
>> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING REALLY LONG TO SAY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I DO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO COMMEMORATE PRIDE MONTH FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT IT HASN'T BEEN VERY PROMINENT WITHIN OUR TOWN.
BUT THE FACT THAT MAYOR ALEX IS ACTUALLY BRINGING UP THIS ISSUE, I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TOWN NOT NEEDS IN A WAY, BUT SOMEHOW SHOULD DEAL WITH THE ISSUE.
I CAN'T REALLY FIND THE WORDS, BUT NOT AN ISSUE.
ME, BEING THAT I'M A MOM AND I HAVE A CHILD THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMMEMORATE, I'M TRYING TO BE OPEN ABOUT CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT ALEX IS TRYING TO COMMEMORATE.
WE COMMEMORATE ALL SEVERAL OTHER HOLIDAYS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I SUPPORT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE COMMEMORATING THIS.
MY NAME IS ACTUALLY KELSEY TAYLOR.
[NOISE] BUT MY NAME IS KELSEY TAYLOR.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF BAKERSFIELD.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER AT LARGE FOR DWK.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH MAYOR GARCIA, AND I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FLYING THE PRIDE FLAG, TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT FOR ALL IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE WITHIN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND THE CITY OF WASCO FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT'S NOT AVERAGE FOR OUR SMALL COMMUNITIES TO REPRESENT THIS SPECIFIC MINORITY GROUP.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOW A UNITED FRONT AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THEM.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, MAYOR GARCIA.
MY NAME IS OLIVIA GUTIERREZ [INAUDIBLE] I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR ALEX GARCIA IN WANTING TO FLY THE MONTH ONLY FOR PRIDE MONTH.
THIS, LIKE YOU SAID, HELPS MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SCARED OR ASHAMED TO COME OUT TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A SAFE PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I DO NOT SEE HOW RAISING THIS FLAG FOR ONE MONTH CAN BRING DIVISION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT SHOULD ONLY MAKE US MORE TOGETHER, AND UNITE US BECAUSE WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE SHOWING WHO WE ARE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MAYOR GARCIA FOR THOSE WORDS.
I DO STAND IN OPPOSITION TO IT.
I THINK AT THIS TIME, IF WE WERE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT WOULD SEND A MESSAGE OF DIVISION SPECIFICALLY TO THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY OF WASCO WHO HAVE THEIR BELIEFS.
DURING THESE TIMES, I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO BE A TOWN OF UNITY.
ANY ACTION THAT WE TAKE COULD BE A SOURCE OF DIVISION, AND AS CITY COUNCILMEN, ANY LEADERS, WE REALLY GOT TO THINK ABOUT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT THAT WE WANT TO EXCLUDE ANYONE, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE DURING THIS TIME, THIS MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT PLATFORM TO DO THAT JUST HEARING SOME OF THE COMMENTS.
I JUST THINK TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, MAKE SURE YOU HEAR THE VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY BEFORE YOU HEAR ANYBODY FROM BAKERSFIELD, DELANO, THANKFUL FOR YOU GUYS CHIMING IN, BUT THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAR OUR VOICE FIRST AND GET OUR OPINION BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION.
I JUST DO THINK THIS WILL BE A SOURCE OF DIVISION.
IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT, JUST ASK AROUND.
LOOK AT THE EMAIL, IT'S ALREADY CAUSING DIVISION, SO THIS MAY NOT BE THE TIME NOR THE PLACE.
[01:15:01]
MY LEGAL NAME IS SOCORRO SANCHEZ.
I'M A LIFELONG WASCO RESIDENT BORN IN DELANO, BUT OBVIOUSLY GREW UP HERE IN WASCO.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I PERSONALLY DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE LGBT COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT ARE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY, BUT I DO STAND OPPOSED TO FLYING THE PRIDE FLAG SIMPLY BECAUSE I DON'T PERSONALLY THINK THAT IN ANY GOVERNMENT FACILITY, WE SHOULD FLY ANY FLAG BESIDES THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FLAG AND THE CORRESPONDING STATE FLAG, WHICH WOULD BE OUR CALIFORNIA FLAG JUST BECAUSE OUR UNITED STATES FLAG ALREADY INCLUDES EVERYONE.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LGBT COMMUNITY HAS THEIR OWN FLAG, AND THAT THE YOUTH ARE DEALING WITH A LOT OF PROBLEMS OR DEPRESSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SOMEBODY DID MENTION EARLIER, IF YOU ALLOW FOR ONE GROUP TO FLY THEIR FLAG, IT WILL BRING OTHER GROUPS TO WANT TO FLY THEIR FLAG AS WELL.
I PERSONALLY JUST AM OPPOSED TO IT.
LIKE MARCUS SAID, PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE OPINION OF THE ACTUAL RESIDENTS.
>> YES, MAYOR, GIVE ME ONE MINUTE.
SCOTT HALLMARK, CAN YOU HEAR US? SCOTT, CAN YOU HEAR US?
THIS IS ACTUALLY DINA HALLMARK.
I'M JUST LOGGED IN ON MY HUSBAND'S ZOOM, BUT I WANTED TO COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF FLYING THE FLAG.
MANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS STILL LIVE IN WASCO.
THE ONLY REASON I LEFT WAS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
I'M ACTUALLY A COUNSELOR AT CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD, AND I WORK WITH MANY STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE FROM WASCO HIGH AND END UP ATTENDING CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD.
JUST IN MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH STUDENTS [BACKGROUND] , I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT HISTORICALLY, WASCO HAVE NOT BEEN THE MOST WELCOMING COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY APPARENT WITH A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT.
IT REALLY SADDENS ME TO HEAR MY HOMETOWN AND PEOPLE WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY BE SO AGAINST SOMETHING THAT IS JUST CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
I THINK THAT'S IN HIGHER EDUCATION, IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENTS COMING FORWARD.
THERE'S A MOVEMENT FOR PEOPLE TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY WITH THE CELEBRATION OF GINGIVA COMING UP.
I THINK THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT YET I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THINGS LIKE THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY DIFFERENT FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
FOR YOU GUYS TO BE ABLE TO FLY THE FLAG FOR A MONTH IS NOT GOING TO HURT ANYBODY.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT I DON'T THINK THE MAYOR IS DOING THIS FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT.
I THINK IT'S TO REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO MAY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE BEING EXCLUDED OR THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOT A SAFE PLACE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR GOVERNMENT CAN CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR A PUBLIC PLACE TO FLY THE FLAG.
BUT JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WHEN OBAMA WAS IN OFFICE, THE ENTIRE WHITE HOUSE WAS LIT UP IN A RAINBOW.
I DON'T THINK IT'S TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO MAKE COMMENTS TO ME [NOISE].
>> THANK YOU MISS HALLMARK, MADAM CLERK, NEXT [NOISE].
MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR THE STATE OF WASCO.
MY NAME IS BRYAN OSORIO AND I'M THE CURRENT MAYOR OF THE CITY OF TOLEDO, I'M CALLING TO AID IN SUPPORT OF MARCO GARCIA'S ACTION TO FLY A PRIDE FLAG IN FRONT OF CITY HALL AT WASCO.
[01:20:02]
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PRECEDENT TO SET IN SHOWING SOLIDARITY FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY IN THE COMMUNITY OF WASCO AND IN THE COMMUNITY OF KERN COUNTY.I THINK I ECHO MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED HERE BY THOSE IN SUPPORT, WHICH IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS TO BE AFFIRMED, BUT ALSO A COMMUNITY DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE TOLERATED BUT ACCEPTED AND EMBRACED UPON IDENTITY.
I JUST PASS COUNCIL MEETING THAT WE HAD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FLYING A PRIDE FLAG.
THERE WERE RESIDENTS WHO SHARE WITH US THEIR IDENTITY WITHIN THIS LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.
SHARED THAT THIS IS A VULNERABLE MOMENT FOR THEM TO DO SO, BUT SHARED THAT THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THERE WERE MANY IN SUPPORT OF THEM.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS ACTION BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO DO MORE GOOD THAN YOU EXPECT IT TO DO.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
>> MY NAME IS RYAN SALINAS AND I OPPOSE I BELIEVE THIS IS A IMPOSE AGENDA OF MAYOR GARCIA.
I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO HEAR, WAS OUTSIDE INFLUENCE TRYING ON HOW GREAT IT IS.
I BELIEVE IT WILL CAUSE DIVISION.
MY SISTER IS PART OF IT AS WELL.
BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY OF WASCO SHOULD BE DIVIDED.
ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, THIS DOES SHOW DIVISION THIS IS WHERE I STAND.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO FLY THAT FLAG, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DIVISION ABOUT THE PEOPLE TRYING TO FLY THAT FLAG, IN WHICH I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE TWO FLAGS UP.
UNITED STATES FLAG AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
>> WE HAVE FERNANDO ON THE LINE.
I WANT TO THANK MAYOR GARCIA FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
I DON'T THINK IT'S SELF-SERVING.
I THINK I REPRESENTS A VERY SMALL MEAN OF PORTION OF WASCO, BUT IT BRINGS UP ACCEPTANCE FOR THAT SMALL COMMUNITY.
WHETHER THAT BE JUST US TWO OR WHETHER THAT BE MORE.
I THINK IT SHOWS THE OUTSIDE THAT MOSCOW CAN BE ACCEPTING AS EVERYBODY IS STATING.
BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT A SMALL COMMUNITY, AS UNITED AS YOU GUYS ARE PRESENTING, THAT IT SHOW SUPPORT FOR THOSE THAT HAS VERY MINIMAL REPRESENTATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL CAUSE DIVISION AND IT WILL CAUSE FOR MORE.
BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE LARGER COMMUNITIES, LIKE WAS MENTIONED BAKERSFIELD SEES THAT WASCO CAN STAND ABOVE THAT PREJUDICE AND HATE AND SHOW UNITY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THE LAST TIME THAT ANY OTHER MAYOR BRINGS IT UP.
I DON'T THINK IT'S THE LAST TIME THAT THE CITIZENS OF WASCO WILL WANT TO BRING UP.
>> THANK YOU FERNANDO, MADAM CLERK NEXT [NOISE].
THIS IS TRACY CLINDONIN, AND I.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AFTER HEARING EVERYBODY SPEAKING TONIGHT, I HAVE MY OWN OPINION.
I HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE CONVEYED TONIGHT IS THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY, [INAUDIBLE] LGBTQ COMMUNITY, THEIR EFFORTS AND AS INDIVIDUALS WITH THE FLAG IN OUR OWN YARD BY JOINING A WALK OR VARIOUS OTHER WAYS BECAUSE THAT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE.
AS A CITIZEN OF WASCO, I FEEL THAT CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT ADOPT DISPLAYING FLAGS THAT REPRESENT PERSONAL VIEWS, AS THIS IS A PRACTICE THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO CREATING MORE DIVISION THAN IT DOES UNITY.
THIS IS NOT A MOVE FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
A MOVE FORWARD WOULD BEST AND BE BEST TO USE OF OUR ENERGY TO LEAD TO SUPPORTING THE LGBTQ YOUTH.
MAYOR GARCIA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE CREATING OUTREACH PROGRAMS HERE IN WASCO, ORGANIZING EVENTS TO SUPPORT DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY, ENSUE THEIR SUPPORT THROUGH THOSE OUTLETS.
BUT DISPLAYING THE FLAG AT OUR CITY HALL IS NOT THE WAY TO BRING US TOGETHER IN SUPPORT.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU.>> WERE YOU GUYS ABLE TO HEAR THAT? I'M SORRY, BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING THE STATEMENT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] I DID HEAR IT.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT [NOISE] DISTANT BUT IT WAS CLEAR.
>> CAN WE HAVE TIMOTHY HALTERMAN?
>> [NOISE] THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM OPPOSED TO THIS, MAINLY BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO SET A PRECEDENT, AND ONCE YOU GO DOWN THIS ROAD, THERE'S GOING TO BE A FLAG COMING BEFORE YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO APPROVE, AND YOU WILL HAVE SET A PRECEDENT THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR YOU NOT TO ACCEPT SOMETHING THAT DOES REALLY BOTHER YOU.
[NOISE] I AM AGAINST THIS JUST FOR THE SETTING OF THE PRECEDENT.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM AGAINST, I OPPOSE THE FLYING OF THE COLORED PRIDE FLAG.
YOU'VE HEARD MANY COMMENTS ALREADY ON HOW IT'S GOING TO CAUSE DIVISION IN OUR CITY.
RIGHT NOW I FEEL THAT WE'RE UNITED.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER.
BY PUTTING UP THE FLAG, YOU ARE GOING TO CAUSE DIVISION.
AS FERNANDO SAID, YOU ARE ONLY REPRESENTING A FEW OF THE RESIDENTS OF WASCO, SO WHY DO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE SEPARATION? AS MARCUS BALLARD SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF CHURCHES, AND WE HAVE FAITH, AND NOT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DON'T LOVE EVERYONE.
EVERYONE'S A HUMAN BEING, EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE TO DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO LIVE AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
THAT AS WELL, IT NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED IN OUR CITY HALL.
YES, WITH PRIDE PUT THE AMERICAN FLAG.
YES, WITH PRIDE PUT THE CALIFORNIA FLAG.
IF YOU WANT TO REPRESENT SOMETHING ELSE, DO IT IN YOUR PRIVATE PLACE, IN YOUR HOME, WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
RESPECT WASCO AND THE COMMUNITY HERE, THE VOICE OF EVERYONE.
NOT OUTSIDERS THAT ARE REPRESENTING THE SAME LIFESTYLE THAT DO NOT LIVE HERE.
THEY WON'T BE IN ANY WAY TOUCHED BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE IN WASCO.
I'VE LIVED IN WASCO FOR OVER 60 YEARS, AND I THINK THAT OUR VOICE SHOULD BE HEARD.
>> WE HAVE KELLY ON THE LINE? KELLY, CAN YOU HEAR US? KELLY? WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE MAYOR.
I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN ALL MY LIFE.
I HAVE RESPECTED OUR CITY COUNCILMAN FROM THE BEGINNING, AND I HOPE THAT THEY VOTE TONIGHT FOR ALL OF US THAT ARE CITIZENS OF WASCO.
NOT JUST THAT ONE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL OF US.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO FLY THAT FLAG, THEN LET'S ALSO FLY THE CHRISTIAN FLAG, AND LET'S FLY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FLAG.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER CITY COUNCILMAN THAT YOUR VOTE IS FOR ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF WASCO, NOT JUST ONE LITTLE GROUP.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE CURRENT COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUPERVISOR LETICIA PEREZ.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR ALEX GARCIA FOR STANDING UP FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF WASCO, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE IN YOUR WARD, OBVIOUSLY, THAT ELECTED YOU, BUT ALSO JUST PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T ELECT YOU.
YOU STAND UP FOR EVERYONE AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU KUDOS FOR THAT.
[01:30:03]
AS A PROUD CHRISTIAN SERVING THE LORD AND A MEMBER OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH EVERYONE WANTING TO RAISE THIS FLAG OVER CITY HALL.I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IT DOES REPRESENT OTHER PEOPLE.
I'M HEARING A LOT OF EXCUSES TONIGHT FROM PEOPLE SAYING IT'S GOING TO CAUSE DIVISIVENESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS VERY IRONIC BECAUSE IN FACT, BY DOING THIS, WE'RE INCLUDING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, WE'RE INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO FOR SO LONG HAD BEEN LEFT OUT, AND FINALLY, HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AND COME OUT OF THAT DARKNESS.
I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THIS COMMUNITY AND ALL COMMUNITIES.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THEY ARE WELCOMED IN WASCO, IT'S A SAFE PLACE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
>> MR. HARRISON, ARE YOU WITH US? MAY HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK ON HIM TOO.
>> DO YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND READ OFF THE OTHER EMAILS, MAYOR?
WE ARE WRITING CONCERNING THE FLAG THAT REPRESENTS GAY PRIDE.
WE DO NOT FEEL THIS AS A PLACE FOR A PERSONAL INAPPROPRIATE PLATFORM, KEEP YOUR INTIMATE PERSONAL FEELINGS PRIVATE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PULL OTHERS INTO PERSONAL CHOICES.
I AM OPPOSED TO REPRESENTING A SPECIFIC GROUP INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE AS A WHOLE.
IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO REPRESENT IS A COMMUNITY OF WASCO.
I BELIEVE THAT FLYING ANY FLAG OTHER THAN THE AMERICAN FLAG AND THE FLAG OF CALIFORNIA IS DIVERSE ACT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT RAISING THE PRIDE FLAG MAKES THIS COMMUNITY A SAFER SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME OUT AND EXPRESS THEIR SEXUAL PREFERENCES.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T CARE WHAT A PERSON'S SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS, THE ORIENTATION DOES NOT DEFINE WHO A PERSON IS, YOUR CHARACTER IS WHAT DEFINES YOU.
WE ARE ALL AMERICANS AND IF YOU LIVE HERE IN WASCO, CALIFORNIA, YOU ARE A CALIFORNIAN.
YOU'RE REPRESENTED REGARDLESS OF ORIENTATION WITH THESE FLAGS, AMERICAN, CALIFORNIA.
THE LGBT COMMUNITY LIVING HERE IN WASCO, CALIFORNIA IS BEING REPRESENTED AND NOT EXCLUDED.
THEN WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE] VEGA.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I AM OPPOSING THE FLYING OF THE PRIDE FLAG IN OUR CITY.
PLEASE CONSIDER AND HEAR THE VOICE OF OUR WASCO RESIDENTS WITH DECIDING FOR OUR CITY.
OUR LAST EMAIL IS BELINDA MARTINEZ.
I AM AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL AND IT VIOLATES RIGHTS OF ALL COMMUNITY.
THE ONLY FLAG THAT SHOULD BE FLOWN IN OUR COUNTRY TRIES FLAGS TO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WOULD NOT AGREE AND OTHERS MAY AGREE BUT FOR THE FAIRNESS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, THIS SHOULD NOT BE FLOWN.
THANK YOU, SAM AND BELINDA MARTINEZ.
>> WE HAVE THREE MORE COMMENTS ON ATTENDEES.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY OPINION THAT I'M OPPOSED TO FLYING THE PRIDE FLAG, AND I JUST WANT A PLACE OUT THAT I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT I LOVE DEARLY THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I KNOW EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID ABOUT DIVISION, ABOUT NOT BEING THE RIGHT TIME OR PLACE TO DO THOSE THINGS AND I JUST AGREE WITH ALL THOSE THINGS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A HASHTAG FLOATING AROUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND MAYOR ALEX, YOU'VE USED THIS HASHTAG YOURSELF AND IT'S HASHTAG WASCO FIRST.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED FLYING THIS FLAG DOESN'T REPRESENT WASCO AS A WHOLE, AS WOULD FLYING THE CHRISTIAN FLAG OR THE BUDDHIST FLAG OR ANY OTHER FLAG FROM ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION OR COMMUNITY WOULDN'T REPRESENT LAW SCHOOL AS A WHOLE.
IN THAT SENSE, IT'S NOT WASCO FIRST.
I REALLY WANT TO JUST EMPLOY OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO REALLY CONSIDER THAT, WE ELECTED YOU GUYS TO THE COUNCIL THAT WE
[01:35:02]
PUT YOU GUYS ON THIS BOARD AND YOU REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF WASCO NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT JUMPING IN FROM BAKERSFIELD AND ALLEN AND OTHER PLACES.I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT BY OTHERS IN THE PAST THAT ARE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE THINGS ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY THAT MAY HAVE DONE THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME TOO WE NEED TO, AGAIN, IF WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS UNITY, IF WE'RE WORKING TO REPRESENT WASCO FIRST, WASCO AS A WHOLE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING TO DISPLAY THAT UNITY AND DISPLAY WASCO FIRST.
I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE THAT FLYING ONE PARTICULAR FLAG FOR ONE PARTICULAR PEOPLE GROUP IS THAT.
AGAIN, TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I JUST IMPLORE YOU TO DISREGARD ALL THE VOICES THAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT FROM OTHER CITIES, THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE HERE IN WASCO.
THOSE PEOPLE DID NOT VOTE YOU IN TO THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN, SO PLEASE CONSIDER THE MATTER.
>> MADAM CLERK, ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>> I JUST WANT TO FIRST AND FOREMOST STATE THAT I AM A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN IN THE COMMUNITY AND I LOVE ALL PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT JESUS HAS CALLED US TO DO, TO LOVE ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR WHAT THEY CLAIM OR WHAT THEY ARE OR AREN'T.
I DO LOVE PEOPLE OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY.
I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THAT COMMUNITY, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT FLYING THE FLAG AT THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING IS AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL CAUSE DIVERSENESS.
I THINK IT WILL DIVIDE THE CITY.
QUITE HONESTLY, YOU WILL HAVE PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF THE CITY BECAUSE THEY ARE UPSET.
I REALLY WISH THE GOVERNMENT OF WASCO WOULD FOCUS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE GUN VIOLENCE IN WASCO FROM GANGS RATHER THAN WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO FLY A FLAG.
I THINK IT IS CRAZY THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FLYING A FLAG, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DEAD PEOPLE ON THE STREETS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN WASCO BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A HORRIBLE GANG PROBLEM.
PLEASE GET THE PRIORITY STRAIGHT.
>> WE HAVE YOLANDA HARRISON ON THE LINE.
>> HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME, THIS IS ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE].
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING? MAYOR ALEX AND JUDICIARY COUNSEL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS,
[01:40:39]
BECAUSE WE HEARD IT AND I THINK WE KEEP HEARING IT OVER AND OVER AND MAYOR ALEX YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IT.WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ONE CITY, ONE PEOPLE.
IF WE START TALKING ABOUT RAISING A FLAG THAT REPRESENTS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHICH I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN HERE.
I'M A CHRISTIAN, GOD LOVES EVERYBODY.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST ANYBODY IN WHAT THEIR PREFERENCE OR WHAT THEIR LIFE IS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU SAY, I'M GOING TO RAISE A FLAG FOR THIS CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE YOU'VE EXCLUDED PEOPLE.
THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
BECAUSE, NOW AS A BLACK MALE IN WASCO, IF I WANT TO SAY THAT THE CITY HAS EXCLUDED SOMEBODY, YOU SEE WHERE I CAN GO WITH THAT? I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE WITH THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO FEEL NOW THAT EVEN THAT CAN BE PUT IN THE PAST AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE CITY ONE PEOPLE, ONE CITY.
BUT IF YOU START RAISING FLAGS FOR A GROUP PEOPLE, IT'S BEEN SAID OVER AND OVER.
THEN HERE COMES THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH THEIR FLAG, THEN HERE COMES, THEN WHERE DO WE STOP AT? YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING, SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT YOU GUYS DO TAKE IT IN CONSIDERATION.
GREAT IF WE COULD FIND SOMEPLACE ELSE TO PUT IT BESIDES IN A OFFICIAL PUBLIC OFFICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IN REPRESENTING PRIDE MONTH.
IT'S A GREAT THING BECAUSE WE REPRESENT PEOPLE BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CANNOT SAY, WELL, LET'S HANG THIS FLAG UP TO REPRESENT OR TO CELEBRATE THIS PEOPLE WHEN THERE'RE STILL SOME PEOPLE IN THIS CITY AND IN WASCO WE FEEL THAT THEY'VE HAD BEEN LEFT OUT.
PLEASE, LET'S TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.
>> THANK YOU MR. HARRISON, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
MADAM CLERK, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS OR SUBMISSIONS?
>> WE HAVE AN EMAIL FROM CRYSTAL VEGA.
MY NAME IS CRYSTAL VEGA AND I'M OPPOSED TO THE FLAG.
I COME FROM A MILITARY BACKGROUND FAMILY AND UNDERSTAND THE AMERICAN FLAG WAS EARN, PAID IN BLOOD AND BELIEVED IN THE HONOR OF LOSING OUR MEN IN THE PAST WARS.
MY GRANDFATHER SURVIVED CORIUM AND BELIEVED IN HIS SACRIFICE IN SERVING OUR COUNTRY.
THAT IS THE ONLY FLAG I BELIEVE WILL EVER NEED TO BE FLOWN.
THEN WE HAVE TWO MORE COMMENTS ON OUR ATTENDEES.
>> I THINK WE CAN HEAR YOU [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
>> JUST LONG STORY SHORT, I DON'T AGREE WITH FLYING ANY OTHER FLAGS AT THE CITY HALL.
ONE NATION, ONE FLAG, INDIVISIBLE.
[BACKGROUND] THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> WE HAVE MS. GARCIA ON THE LINE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS ALEX GARCIA.
I AM A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF WASCO.
MY PARENTS WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE.
WERE BORN IN BAKERSFIELD, BUT RAISED IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M ALSO AN EDUCATOR IN THE COMMUNITY.
I AM FOR FLYING A PRIDE FLAG AT OUR CITY HALL.
I HEAR A LOT OF WILL IF WE RAISE THIS FLAG, THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT FLAG AND THE NEXT FLAG? UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE FALLACY.
THAT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE ARGUMENT.
AS AN EDUCATOR WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE SO MANY STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IDENTIFY WITH LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE ENOUGH HERE IN WASCO TO BE WHO THEY TRULY ARE.
IF WE FLY THIS FLAG, I SEE IT AS A FIRST STEP.
I THINK THAT THERE'S MORE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE PUT INTO PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE NOT FAIRLY REPRESENTED HAVE A VOICE, AND FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A SAFE SPACE WHERE THEY CAN BE THEMSELVES.
WELL, I ACCEPT THEM, I'M GOOD WITH THEM, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO BUT.
WE EITHER ACCEPT EVERYONE OR WE DON'T.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE I DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN HERE, THAT MY CHILDREN FEEL SAFE, AND FEEL REPRESENTED.
FLYING A PRIDE FLAG DOES NOT EXCLUDE OTHER GROUPS.
IN FACT, IT INCLUDES ALL GROUPS.
I AM FOR THAT, AND I DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT IS A SELF-SERVING MOTION ON MAYOR ALEX.
I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE HE'S BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A VOICE RIGHT NOW OR TOO SCARED TO HAVE A VOICE.
TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU VOTE AGAINST THIS, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT THAT COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL SAFE AND HEARD HERE IN WASCO.
>> THAT IS ALL THE COMMENTS WE HAVE, MAYOR.
THERE'S NO MORE IN THE E-MAIL, OR ON THE QUEUE, [INAUDIBLE].
>> WE HAVE NO MORE COMMENTS, MAYOR
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATION.
[INAUDIBLE] WHAT YOUR ADDRESS IS, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ARGUMENT BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, EVERYONE WHO SPOKE THIS EVENING WORKS FOR THE COMMUNITY, LIVES IN THE COMMUNITY, OR SERVES AS A RESIDENCE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
EVERYONE'S POINT ON DIVISION AND [NOISE] PRECEDENCE.
OF COURSE, IT'S UNPRECEDENTED.
I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE SPOKE OUT ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ARE VOICELESS AND HAVE FEAR TO BE THEMSELVES.
THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD CAUSED DIVISION, NO ONE HAS ACTUALLY EXPANDED ON THAT POINT.
[01:45:02]
I THINK IN ALL FAIRNESS, MY ARGUMENT, AT LEAST, IS THAT WE NEED MORE INCLUSIVE.WITH THIS ACTION, WE WOULD, IF ANYTHING, BE DOING THAT, AND BEING MORE INCLUSIVE, AND SENDING A SIGNAL TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAS NO VOICE TO DO SO THROUGH THEIR OWN.
[INAUDIBLE] AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION.
AT THIS TIME, COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE MAYOR GILBERTO REYNA FIRST.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THAT I WANT 100 PERCENT SUPPORT FULL EQUALITY FOR LGBT COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I HOPE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE PRIVATE COMMUNITY DO FILL, WELCOME, AND ACCEPTED, AND SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE DECIDE HERE TONIGHT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS GOING TO BE UPSET WITH US WHETHER WE DECIDE TO RAISE THE FLAG OR NOT RAISE THE FLAG.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR REASONING FOR DOING THAT IS GOING TO BE IGNORED BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GOING TO LOOK AT WHETHER WE DECIDED TO DO IT OR NOT DO IT.
I THINK THAT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, MANY OF YOU GUYS REALIZED THAT I'M MORE ABOUT BEING PRACTICAL AND VERY LINEAR THINKING, AND I'M LESS ABOUT SYMBOLISM, AND MORE ABOUT PRACTICAL IMPACTS ON THINGS.
THE REALITY OF RAISING THIS FLAG OR NOT RAISING THIS FLAG, IT WILL NOT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR [INAUDIBLE].
IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE SAFER, IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE NOT SAFER.
IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE SOMEBODY WHO'S HOMOPHOBIC LOOK AT THAT FLAG AND SAY, ''OH, THE CITY OF WASCO SUPPORTS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO BE HOMOPHOBIC ANYMORE.'' THE REALITY IS, YES, THERE ARE ISSUES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERY COMMUNITY THAT THE LGBT COMMUNITY HAS TO FACE.
BUT RAISING THIS FLAG, THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT.
BUT THE ARGUMENT THAT WE'RE CREATING A SLIPPERY SLOPE BY BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THIS COMING FORWARD.
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE CONSTITUENTS WHO REACHED OUT TO ME ALREADY AND SAID, ''NEXT MONTH I WANT TO FLY STRAIGHT FOR BRIGHT FLAG, A CHRISTIAN FLAG, A CONSERVATIVE WOMEN'S FLAG.'' I'VE SEEN OTHER PEOPLE POSTED IT.
MY QUESTION IS, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO DRAW THE LINE? BASICALLY, WHAT THIS IS GOING TO END UP AS, IS EVERY MONTH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A DEBATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO RAISE A PARTICULAR FLAG OR NOT.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROCESS FOR ISSUING PROCLAMATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THESE COMMUNITY AWARENESS MONTHS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY DONE FOR PRIDE.
HISTORICALLY, THAT HAS BEEN SUFFICIENT.
WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING EXTRA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LAST ONE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT MONTH.
ON THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT POINT, I'M PROBABLY THE MOST PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL.
BUT IF SOMEBODY CAME TO US THE LAST MONTH AND SAID, ''I WANT TO FLY A BLUE LIVES MATTER FLAG, OR THIN BLUE LINE FLAG," I WOULD HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO IT.
NOT BECAUSE OF MY PERSONAL BELIEFS, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT FEELS DISENFRANCHISED BY THAT TERMINOLOGY AND BY THAT FLAG.
I WANT TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS THAT ACTUALLY DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR RESIDENCE, NOT SYMBOLICALLY.
BUT IF THERE WAS A POLICY THAT CAME FORWARD, OR IF THERE WAS AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY EVENT IN SUPPORT OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT 100 PERCENT.
THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SYMBOLIC ISSUE.
I THINK THAT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS HAS BASICALLY TAKEN UP OVER AN HOUR OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OUR STAFFS TIME.
WE ARE PAYING OUR CITY STAFF TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO THIS DISCUSSION OVER SOMETHING THAT IS SYMBOLIC, THAT ISN'T AN ACTUAL PRACTICAL POLICY MATTER THAT IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR RESIDENTS.
THE REALITY IS WE DO HAVE PRESSING ISSUES.
EVERYTHING FROM CRIME TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL, TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOSING TWO VERY KEY MEMBERS OF OUR CITY STAFF HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THIS IS NOT OUR CITY MANAGERS LAST MEETING.
RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, I'VE BEEN FIELDING CALLS FROM PEOPLE FROM BAKERSFIELD, SHAFT, OR MCFARLAND, [INAUDIBLE] AND NOT TO MENTION OUR OWN CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
I THINK THAT THIS HAS BROUGHT UNWANTED ATTENTION TO OUR CITY OVER SOMETHING THAT IS SYMBOLIC.
I WANT US TO MAKE PRACTICAL DECISIONS.
I DON'T WANT US TO OPEN PANDORA'S BOX AT EVERY MONTH.
OUR COUNCIL IS GOING TO HAVE TO SIT HERE AND COME BACK TO THESE DISCUSSIONS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO FLY THE CHRISTIAN FLAG, OR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER FLAG, OR WHETHER I OPPOSE IT OR SUPPORT IT.
I DON'T WANT US GETTING HUNG UP ON SYMBOLIC DECISIONS.
I WANT US TO FOCUS ON THE POLICY DECISIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY I DO SUPPORT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:50:01]
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE REALITY IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.I HEARD YOU SAY, MR. MAYOR, THAT NOBODY HAS EXPLAINED HOW THIS IS DECISIVE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR CITIES EVER HAD THIS MUCH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
CLEARLY, IT IS A DECISIVE ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE UPSET ABOUT IT.
NOW, AGAIN, IF WE DON'T RAISE THAT FLAG, IS IT GOING TO IMPACT THEIR LIVES? NO, IT'S REALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON ANYBODY, WHETHER WE DO THIS OR NOT.
BUT WHAT IT IS GOING TO DO, IS IT'S GOING TO DISTRACT FROM THE ISSUE THAT THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO FOCUS ON WHICH ARE THE POLICY DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THE CITY OF WASCO EVERYDAY.
>> THANK YOU, MEMBER MARTINEZ.
MEMBER PALLARES, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?
>> NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU.
>> I GUESS JUST TO TOUCH ON THE POINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORTH BY MEMBER MARTINEZ.
IT SADDENS ME HONESTY THAT YOU THINK IT WILL HAVE NO FACTUAL EFFECT ON OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, YOUTH, OLDER, DOESN'T MATTER WHO, LGBT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE FOR LONG TIME FELT UNSEEN, AND IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON THEM.
MY INTENTION IS NOT FOR THE BULLIER, BUT FOR THE BULLIED THOSE WHO ARE WITHOUT A VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHO DON'T SEE A PLACE FOR THEMSELVES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.
>> MR. MAYOR, LET ME ASK YOU THEN TO THAT POINT.
>> IF YOU COULD [INAUDIBLE] CONCLUDE MY COMMENTS.
>> I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT SOMEONE REPEATED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THIS IS NOT THE TIME, BUT NO ONE EVER ANSWER WHEN WOULD BE THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE AWESOME CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE WORK THAT IS YET TO BE DONE ON THAT FRONT.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE AS A MATTER OF FACT, AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS SAID WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ONGOING GANG VIOLENCE, WHICH HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY OF MINE.
AS YOU JUST FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR EVEN ON MY WEBSITE, WE JUST DID A GANG MARCH AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE ON FRIDAY.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY WHO IS ON THIS MEETING TONIGHT THERE.
DESPITE POPULAR BELIEF, I'M ABLE TO CHEW GUM AND WALK AT THE SAME TIME.
WE HAVE MADE THOSE PRIORITY HERE AT CITY HALL.
WE'VE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA ON FRIDAY AND IT WENT OUT AS THE STANDARDS AND ALL THE AGENDA OUT TO ALL OUTLETS.
IT'S A STANDARD PRACTICE AT EVERY MEETING.
THE FACT THAT IT WAS PICKED UP, IT WAS NOT IN MY CONTROL.
I PUSH BACK ON THE FACT THAT SOMEONE SAYS THAT THIS IS A SELF-SERVING ACTION BECAUSE I PERSONALLY GET NO BENEFIT FROM IT OTHER THAN THE NUMBER OF HATE FIELD E-MAILS THAT I'VE RECEIVED OF IT, WHICH WE DON'T NEED TO GO UP.
I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT EVERYONE HAS MADE TONIGHT AND AS WELL AS MY NUMBER COLLEAGUES HAS MADE, BUT I RESPECTFULLY PUSH BACK AND SAY THAT THIS ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT TO THE DISENFRANCHISED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM PROOF OF THAT BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE AND I KNOW IT.
LIKE I SAID IN THE PAST, IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT I'M THE FIRST TO BE HERE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I'M NOT THE LAST.
THAT YOUTH IN THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT WE STAND WITH THEM AND WE SUPPORT THEM, AND THIS IS A WELCOMING PLACE FOR THEM.
IT'S NOT JUST SYMBOLIC, WE NEED TO PROCLAIM THIS.
JUST AS I DID WITH PROCLAMATIONS AND COMMEMORATIONS IN THE PAST AS I'VE DONE EVERY MONTH THIS YEAR FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, I HAVE SEEN NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FACT THAT WE'D WANT TO COMMEMORATE HIS COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I URGE MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES.
IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THAT'S PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
WE JUST RESUME THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY AS WE HAVE EVERY DAY.
IT IS JUST THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE HAVING ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, AND I RESPECT EVERYONE'S POSITION.
MEMBER MARTINEZ, YOU HAD A [INAUDIBLE] OR COMMENT TO MAKE?
REGARDING THE MAKING THE LGBT COMMUNITY FEEL MORE INCLUDED.
I UNDERSTAND THE SYMBOLIC WELCOMENESS OF THIS, BUT HONESTLY, WHEN YOU HAVE HALF THE COMMUNITY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THIS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY A POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT ASIDE, I BELIEVE IT'S CARLOS HARRISON WHO MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT LIVES ESPECIALLY SOUTH [INAUDIBLE] THAT FEELS GREAT DISENFRANCHISED FOR A
[01:55:04]
VARIETY OF REASONS.NOT ONLY SERVICES, IN STREETS AND LIGHTING, AND CRIME, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS GOING ON DOWN THERE.
WHEN IT CAME TO FEBRUARY, WHICH WAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE ISSUED A PROCLAMATION AND THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY FELT THAT THAT WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THEM FEEL INCLUDED AND TO MAKE THEIR ISSUES FEEL THAT THEY WERE IMPORTANT, AND WE DIDN'T GO BEYOND THAT.
YES, LIKE WE HAVE THIS JUNETEENTH EVENT COMING UP, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I SUPPORT IT FULLY.
JUST AS IF THERE WAS AN LGBT EVENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, I WOULD SUPPORT IT FULLY.
BUT WE DIDN'T GO AND WE DIDN'T FLY A FLAG FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
WE DIDN'T GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE STANDARD PRACTICE HAS BEEN FOR A PROCLAMATION.
I THINK THAT THAT IS WHERE MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE FEELING DISENFRANCHISED BY THIS, IS BECAUSE HISTORICALLY THE PROCLAMATIONS HAD BEEN SUFFICIENT.
NOW WE WANT TO RAISE A FLAG WHICH IS CAUSING DIVISION IN OUR COMMUNITY, MR. MAYOR, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY OPENING A PANDORA'S BOX THAT EVERY MONTH THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO GET TIED DOWN WITH MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT BY FLYING FLAGS OR LIGHT DISPLAYS OR HAGEN RIBBONS AROUND THE CITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A PROCLAMATION PROCESS, WHICH IN MY OPINION IS SUFFICIENT TO COMMEMORATE THESE EVENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR. MAYOR.
I HAVE BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY THIS FULL YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY SOME MIGHT HAVE ALLUDED TO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE JUST AS I AM ON THIS ISSUE.
IT'S NOT MY FAULT PAST LEADERS HAVE NOT BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THESE ISSUES.
THAT'S WHY IT'S UNPRECEDENTED BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER HAD A LEADER LIKE ME.
DESPITE MY COLLEAGUES OPINION, I THINK WE HAD LESS THAN 20 OR 30 FOLKS COME ON THIS EVENING.
I APPRECIATE AND VALUE EVERYONE'S OPINION.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S EXACTLY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HALF OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AGAIN, I THANK YOU, I RESPECT YOUR COMMENTS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO APPROVE THE ACTION OF COMMEMORATING THE PRIDE FLAG, RAISING IT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH OF JUNE.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY MYSELF AND MEMBER PALLARES.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE?
>> WE HAVE THREE NO'S AND ONE I.
[12) b. Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the Adoption of the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual Chapter 10. (Bishop)]
AWESOME.MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 12 B.
ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ADOPTION OF THE CALTRANS LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROCEDURES MANUAL CHAPTER 10, DIRECTOR BISHOP.
>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU IS CITY STAFF MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO YOU GO AHEAD AND MEET CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WERE OUTLINED BY THE MOST RECENT CALTRANS AUDIT FROM 2019.
BASICALLY, WHAT THIS WILL DO IS THE CITY WALL ADOPT THE CALTRANS LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROCEDURES MANUAL CHAPTER 10, WHICH IS THE PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES THAT WILL GUIDE STAFF THROUGH THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS PROCUREMENT.
ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT, I DID INCLUDE ALL OF CHAPTER 10.
THIS WOULD BE GUIDING THE PROCUREMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING CONSULTANT CONTRACTS FOR ANY STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDED PROJECTS.
CURRENTLY, THE CITY IS USING THE LAPM AS A GUIDING DOCUMENT SO THIS IS JUST GOING TO FORMALIZE IT.
ANOTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT WE HAVE IS OUR CITY PROJECTS MANAGER WAS SUPPOSED TO ATTEND THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING TRAINING, WHICH HE DID ON AUGUST 29TH, 2019.
[02:00:04]
CITY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARDS CORRECTING SOME OF THESE CORRECTIVE ACTION ITEMS AND THE REMAINING ITEMS, MYSELF AS WELL AS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON MEETING THOSE.BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE ADOPTION OF THE CHAPTER 10, I CAN ENTERTAIN THEM NOW.
>> THANK YOU DIRECTOR BISHOP FOR THAT REPORT.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION, AS YOU KNOW, IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> AT THIS TIME MAYOR, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE DEADLINE TO COMPLY WITH THE ITEMS THAT WERE FOUND ON THE AUDIT.
I BELIEVE IT'S AUGUST 31ST OF THIS YEAR.
ARE WE ON TARGET TO MEET THAT DEADLINE, MISS BISHOP?
>> WE ARE ON TARGET TO MEET MOST OF THE DEADLINE, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO MR. PEREZ REGARDING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS TO WHETHER WE WILL MEET THE DEADLINE OR IF WE'LL NEED TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION.
>> MAYOR GARCIA, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
CURRENTLY STAFF IS SEEKING FURTHER GUIDANCE FROM CALTRANS WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN INTERNAL POLICY ON THE FINANCIAL PORTION OF THE AUDIT, OR WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING FOR US TO UPDATE OUR ACCOUNTING OR CHART OF ACCOUNTS.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE RESPONSE ON WHETHER IT'S JUST A INTERNAL POLICY OR IF IT'S JUST A WHOLE RESTRUCTURING OF OUR CHART OF ACCOUNTS FOR OUR GENERAL LEDGER.
BUT AS SOON AS WE HAVE A RESPONSE, WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CHANGES JUST SO THAT WE CAN COMPLY BEFORE THE END OF AUGUST 31ST.
[NOISE] I'M SORRY, MY DOGS ARE BARKING.
MR. HURLBERT, ARE YOU COMPLETELY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE SO THAT WE COMPLY WITH THESE ITEMS BY THE DEADLINE OR REQUEST AN EXTENSION?
TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT COMPLETELY INTIMATE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M LOOKING AT, IT'S IN MY GROUP OF DOCUMENTS TO INTERNALIZE, BUT I AM AWARE OF IT AND I KNOW THAT THE STAFF IS WORKING ON IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD HERE, WE'LL WORK ON THE TIMELINE AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MEET THE DEADLINE, OR IF THERE IS SOME AN EXTENSION PROCESS OF GETTING THAT EXTENSION REQUEST IN PLACE.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR MY QUESTION BECAUSE THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP IS COMING UP RATHER QUICKLY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL, THEN.
>> I'LL GO ON TO SECOND THAT MOTION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA AND MYSELF.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA, SECONDED BY MAYOR GARCIA TO PROVE ITEM 12 B.
[02:05:01]
[OVERLAPPING].I ACTUALLY MOVED THE ACTION AND REYNA SECONDED.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA, SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA TO APPROVE ITEM 12 B.
MOTION APPROVES WITH FOUR IS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ ABSENT.
>> MAYOR, MAY I REQUEST THAT WE TAKE A FIVE MINUTES RECESS.
LET'S COME BACK HERE [NOISE] AT 8:12.
>> LET'S BEGIN AS SOON AS THE CLICK IS READY.
>> AWESOME [BACKGROUND] THE 12C; ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COST REPORT FOR ABATEMENT OF WEEDS, TRASH RUBBISH, PROPERTY BOARD-UPS, AND APPROVING THE COST REPORT FOR OUTSTANDING FINES, ASSESSING THE COST THEREOF, AND IMPOSING LIENS PURSUANT TO CITY OF WASCO MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTERS 8.24 AND 17.80 IN THE AMOUNT OF $14,886.
>> YES, GOOD EVENING MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THIS IS OUR ANNUAL CODE COMPLIANT FINE APPROVAL AND ABATEMENT TACKLING HEARING WHERE THE COUNCIL REVIEWS AND
[12) c. Adopt a Resolution Approving the Cost Report for Abatement of Weeds, Trash, Rubbish, Property Board-up, and Approving the Cost Report for Outstanding Fines, Assessing the Cost Thereof and Imposing Liens Pursuant to City of Wasco Municipal Code Chapters 8.24 and 17.80 in the Amount of $14,886.00. (Cobb)]
CONFIRMS THE ABATEMENT AND OUTSTANDING FINE AMOUNTS THAT ARE TO BE PLACED AS LIENS ON THE 2021/22 TAX ROLL.STAFF HAS FOLLOWED ALL THE PROCEDURES REGARDING NOTICING AND APPEAL HEARING WHERE THE FIND THE EC IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET TONIGHT AND IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE COUNCIL MOVE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COST REPORT FOR ABATEMENT OF WEED, TRASH, RUBBISH, PROPERTY BOARD-UP, AND OUTSTANDING CODE COMPLIANCE FINE, AND IMPOSING LIENS ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CITY OF WASCO MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTERS 8.24 AND 17.80, IN THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY OF 14,686 THAT WE NEED TO REMOVE THE OUTSTANDING FINE AMOUNT AT 2102 3RD STREET AS THE PROPERTY OWNER CAME IN AND PAID THAT THIS AFTERNOON, SO THAT WILL COME OFF OF THIS REPORT.
OTHERWISE, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPT THE REPORT AND APPROVE THE COST ACCOUNTING AS IS.
BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION ON THIS ITEM IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT, USE ZOOM PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD AND YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS, ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM?
>> WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, MAYOR, IT'S TANYA CORDOVA.
>> MS. CORDOVA THIS IS YOUR SPOT GO ON AHEAD [BACKGROUND] ALMOST A LITTLE CLEAR.
>> I WAS SUPPOSED TO INITIALLY SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE AMBER FOR ONE OF HER PROPERTIES FOR ANA OCHOA.
I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE CODE ENFORCERS, SERGIO THAT I NEEDED TO PRESENT MYSELF ON BEHALF OF MY MOM IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE CITATIONS OFFER THAT SHE RECEIVED IN JANUARY OF 2020.
>> AT THIS POINT AND I CAN DEFER TO SERGIO HE MAY HAVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THAT PARTICULAR CASE, BUT THE ORIGINAL NOTICE ON THAT PROPERTY WAS SENT IN JUNE OF 2019, WE DID NOT GET COMPLIANCE.
ANOTHER NOTICE WAS SENT IN JANUARY OF 2020, WE STILL DIDN'T GET COMPLIANCE THEN ADMIN CITATION WAS THEN SENT IN EARLY 2020.
WE NEVER RECEIVED AN APPEAL AND THEN INTEREST ACCRUED ON THAT AMOUNT THROUGH MAY OF 2021 AND THERE WAS NO APPEARANCE AT THE APPEAL HEARING EITHER.
>> I'M NOT SURE IF THIS GETS SENT TO JUST THE OWNER OR THE RENTAL PROPERTY AS WELL.
[02:10:02]
I WASN'T AWARE OF HAVING TO ATTEND A MEETING IN REGARDS TO THE CITATIONS, OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE ATTENDED THAT'S WHY I'M SUPER LATE IN DOING IT NOW.IS THERE ANOTHER STEP THAT WE CAN DO OR WHAT MY MOM COULD DO AS FAR AS THE PAYMENTS?
>> PAYMENTS, AND SERGIO FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF I'M INACCURATE HERE, BUT PAYMENT CAN BE MADE NO LATER THAN TOMORROW FOR THIS TO BE TAKEN OFF OF THE LIEN LIST.
I MEAN I HAVE TO GET THE EXACT DATE OF WHEN THIS WILL BE TURNED INTO THE COUNTY BUT I WOULD SAY THIS WEEK WOULD BE SAFE DEFINITELY TOMORROW THEY'LL ELABORATE.
>> MS. CORDOVA, DID YOU GET THAT?
>> YEAH, I GOT THAT AND IF IT IS FOR THE DATE OF TOMORROW AND THE PAYMENT IS UNABLE TO BE MADE IS THERE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY PURSUE?
>> DIRECTOR KARLA, BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IF SHE CAN COME IN TO TALK WITH STAFF IS THERE NO LONGER APPEAL OR ATTENTION'S.
>> NO, THE APPEAL PROCESS HAS EXPIRED.
THERE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO APPEAL THE CITATION.
YOU CAN APPEAL IN WRITING WHEN YOU INITIALLY RECEIVE THE CITATION AND THEN PRIOR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT, THERE'S AN IN-PERSON APPEAL HEARING AS WELL AND BOTH OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY PASSED.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THIS IS REYNA I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS IT POSSIBLE, SINCE I BELIEVE SERGIO SAID THAT THERE MAY BE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS HAS TO BE TURNED INTO THE COUNTY.
CAN WE DETERMINE WHAT THAT DATE IS AND GIVE HER UNTIL THE DAY PRIOR TO TURN IN THIS INTO THE COUNTY TO PAY, WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?
>> THIS COST REPORT HAS TO GO TO OUR CITY ENGINEER.
HE'S GOING TO INCLUDE IT WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE BUT MY PLAN IS TO SEND THAT TO HIM THIS WEEK SO THAT HE HAS EVERYTHING THAT HE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE REPORT INTO THE COUNTY.
>> [OVERLAPPING] FOUR DAYS, RIGHT?
>> WE WOULD NEED PAYMENT BY THE END OF THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK WE'LL CLOSE ON FRIDAY.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXTENSION FOR HER, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, THANK YOU.
>> I THINK THE QUESTION IS PROBABLY BE CLARIFIED ON WHETHER MS. CORDOVA'S LOOKING FOR A TIME TO PAY OR AN AVENUE TO FURTHER APPEAL THIS PROCESS I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS CLEAR.
>> THE AVENUE TO APPEAL HAS ALREADY PASSED.
>> RIGHT, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS SHE WANTS TO COME IN AND PAY OR SET UP PAYMENT MS. CORDOVA.
>> I DO WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
THE ONLY THING IS THAT MY MOM'S ON A FIXED INCOME AND MAKING THAT PAYMENT BY THURSDAY WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE SO THAT IS I BELIEVE MAYBE THAT'S WHY SERGIO WANTED ME TO COME ON HERE I'M NOT SURE.
HONESTLY, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND A MEDIUM FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT WHILE STILL WITHIN HER BUDGET.
>> DIRECTOR KARLA IS SHE ABLE TO SET UP PAYMENTS IF SHE COMES IN BEFORE THURSDAY OR IS THAT THE FINAL DEADLINE?
>> WE'VE NOT SET UP PAYMENT PLANS IN THE PAST.
IF THEY GO UNPAID AFTER THIS LONG THEY END UP AS TAX LIENS ON THE PROPERTY, SO THE AMOUNT GOES ON THE PROPERTY TAXES AND THEN GETS PAID WITH THE PROPERTY TAXES.
[OVERLAPPING] WHICH WILL GIVE YOU EXTRA TIME THEN TO PAY IT BECAUSE YOU WOULD PAY IT WITH YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL.
>> IT WAS SHIFTED FROM PAYING THE CITY TO PAYING THE COUNTY TO THE PROPERTY TAXES.
IF TIME IS WHAT SHE'S LOOKING FOR, SHE'D HAVE TO CONTACT THE COUNTY AT THAT POINT AND SEE WHEN PAYMENTS WOULD BE DUE AND WHAT PROCESS YOU WOULD HAVE.
>> SORRY, SO WOULD YOU GUYS RECOMMEND THAT I JUST WAIT UNTIL IT HITS THE PROPERTY TAXES AND TAKE CARE OF IT THAT WAY.
>> MS. CORDOVA YOU HAVE YOUR OPTIONS.
YOU JUST CERTAINLY HAVE UNTIL THURSDAY TO COME IN AND MAKE THAT PAYMENT.
OTHERWISE, YOU WOULD BE DEALING WITH THE COUNTY DIRECTLY.
I WILL INFORM MY MOM OF THAT INFORMATION THEN.
YOU ARE CLEAR ON YOUR OPTIONS THEN?
MADAM CLERK, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME?
>> AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR GILBERTO REYNA?
>> NO COMMENTS MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU.
NO OTHER COMMENTS SO THAT ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THIS IS PRETTY STANDARD, WE DO THIS ANNUALLY AT THIS TIME RIGHT BEFORE THE BUDGET
[02:15:04]
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MYSELF AND MEMBER MARTINEZ.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ TO APPROVE ITEM 12C, MOTION IS APPROVAL FOR AYES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ ABSENT? MAYOR, YOU'RE MUTED.
ON TO ITEM 12D, ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE CITY'S INTENTION TO REVIEW THE IMPROVEMENTS AND
[12) d. Adopt a Resolution Declaring the City’s Intention to Review the Improvements and Assessments for Wasco Maintenance District No. 01-01, No. 01-02, No. 06-1, and2017-1 for Tax Year 2021-22 and Authorizing the City Clerk to Publish the Resolution Setting the Public Hearing for July 6, 2021. (Bishop)]
ASSESSMENTS FOR THE WASCO'S MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS NUMBER 01-01, NUMBER 01-02, NUMBER 06-1, AND 2017-1 FOR TAX YEAR 2021-'22 AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH THE RESOLUTION SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY 6TH, 2021.>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AFTER MAINTENANCE DISTRICT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, IT IS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE AN ANNUAL ENGINEER'S REPORT TO REVIEW AND UPDATE THE ASSESSMENTS ON THE LOTS AND TO INCLUDE THE NEW TRACKS INTO THE DISTRICTS.
BASICALLY, EACH LLMD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LLMD NUMBER 1 WILL INCREASE BY CPI OF 2.2 PERCENT.
LLMD NUMBER 1 HAS NO CPI INCREASE BECAUSE IT IS NOT ALLOWED FOR THIS DISTRICT.
IT WAS NOT INCORPORATED WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED, SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT DOESN'T SEE AN INCREASE ANNUALLY.
BUT BASICALLY, THIS RESOLUTION ALLOWS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO BE SET TO JULY 6TH BECAUSE A PUBLIC HEARING IS REQUIRED BEFORE THE ASSESSMENTS CAN BE LEVIED.
THAT CONCLUDES YOUR REPORT, RIGHT?
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION ON THIS ITEM, OF COURSE, TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE ON YOUR ZOOM APPLICATION.
OTHERWISE, USE STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM AND YOU WILL BE MUTED AFTER TWO MINUTES OF COMMENTS.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN THEM.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM?
>> AT THIS TIME, MAYOR, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
>> THIS IS REYNA, I SECOND IT.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MYSELF AND MEMBER, REYNA.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA, SECONDED BY MAYOR GILBERTO REYNA TO APPROVE ITEM 12D, MOTION IS APPROVED WITH FOUR AYES WITH COUNSEL MEMBER, CORTEZ ABSENCE.
[12) e. Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Enter into an Agreement with Affinity Truck Center in the Amount of $716,399.87 to Purchase Two Refuse Trucks via Source well Contract #060920-ATC and Authorize the City Manager to Adjust Original 2020-21 Capital Improvement Plan Project No. 20238 Budgeted Amount to $725,000. (Bishop)]
ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH AFFINITY TRUCK CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $716,399.87 TO PURCHASE TWO REFUSE TRUCKS BY A SOURCEWELL CONTRACT NUMBER 060920-ATC, AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ADJUST ORIGINAL 2020-2021 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN PROJECT NUMBER 20238, BUDGETED IN THE AMOUNT OF $727,000.>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL MEMBERS.
AGAIN, THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU IS REQUESTING FOR THE CITY TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH AFFINITY TRUCK CENTER TO PURCHASE TWO NEW REFUSE TRUCKS.
PUBLIC WORKS STAFF THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN PERFORMING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE REFUSE PLEAD, AND WE DETERMINED THAT CITY'S SANITATION TRUCKS ARE CURRENTLY AGING.
HISTORICALLY, THE CITY HAS USED THE CMAQ GRANTS TO FUND THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE TRUCKS.
[02:20:01]
HOWEVER, SINCE THE BIOMEDICAL WAIVERS ARE NO LONGER BEING ISSUED, THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT GRANT OPPORTUNITY ANYMORE.THE SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA RECOMMENDS THAT REFUSE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT INTERVALS ARE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 YEARS OF AGE.
THERE IS A TYPO IN THE STAFF REPORT.
THE CITY CURRENTLY OPERATES NINE REFUSE TRUCKS NOT 10.
ONE ROLL-OFF AND TWO SWEEPERS TO PROVIDE DISPOSAL AND STREETS SWEEPING SERVICES FOR THE CITY.
STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED THAT SIX OF THOSE NINE REFUSE TRUCKS ARE 10 YEARS OR OLDER, WITH TWO OF THEM BEING OVER 15 YEARS OLD AND OUR OLDEST VEHICLE CURRENTLY IS 21 YEARS OLD.
BECAUSE SANITATION TRUCKS ROUTINELY UNDERGO PERIODIC MAINTENANCE TO HELP SUSTAIN THE OPERATIONAL LONGEVITY, THESE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN GOING FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR PREVENT ANY MAJOR MECHANICAL ISSUES AS THESE ARE OPERATED DAILY.
IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT DID EXPERIENCE ITS HIGHEST VEHICLE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE COST OF 152,000.
SINCE 2015, THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT HAS EXPERIENCED EXPENDITURES FOR UNSCHEDULED REPAIRS OF APPROXIMATELY 700,000 OVER A SIX-YEAR SPAN.
IN ADDITION TO THE OVERALL CONDITION, THE CITY IS SEEKING TO REPLACE THE OLDER DIESEL VEHICLES WITH CNG VEHICLES TO REDUCE THE CITY'S CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO TO JUST GET US TOWARDS THAT REDUCED CARBON EMISSION OUTPUT BY HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLE GOAL BY 2035.
PURCHASING THE TRUCKS WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO REPLACE THE VEHICLES ON AN ANNUAL CIP BUDGETARY CYCLE.
THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR 2021 DID SET ASIDE 700,000 TO PURCHASE THE TWO NEW TRUCKS BUT BECAUSE PRICES OF STEEL ARE RISING, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE COST TO PURCHASE THESE NEW TRUCKS, WHICH PLACES THEM OUTSIDE OF THAT BUDGETED AMOUNT.
SO STAFF IS REQUESTING THAT THE CITY COUNSEL AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ADJUST THIS BUDGETED AMOUNT TO 725,000.
THIS AMOUNT WILL PERMIT THE PURCHASE OF ONE RESIDENTIAL REFUSE TRUCK AND ONE COMMERCIAL REFUSE TRUCK TO CONTINUE SERVICING THE WASCO STATE PRISON ACCOUNT, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST ACCOUNTS, AND THE OTHER COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
TRUCK 15 WHICH IS OUR 15-YEAR-OLD TRUCK, AND TRUCK 16 WHICH IS A 21-YEAR-OLD TRUCK, WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE FLEET UPON THE ARRIVAL OF THE TWO NEW REFUSE TRUCKS.
THE WARRANTY COVERAGES ARE IDENTICAL WITH BOTH OF THEM, THEREFORE, THE CITY WILL BE GUARANTEED THE ADDED BENEFIT OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COVERAGE.
STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION.
IT WOULD BE A FIVE-YEAR WARRANTY OR 150,000 MILES FOR AN ADDITIONAL $2,500 PER TRUCK WHICH WOULD PUT THE TOTAL AT THE $716,399.87.
THE CITY MUNICODE DOES ALLOW FOR US TO UTILIZE AND PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATEWIDE CONTRACTS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING A SOURCEFUL CONTRACT IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PURCHASE.
THE TURNAROUND TIME ON THE DELIVERY OF THESE TRUCKS IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
IT'S ABOUT A 200-365 DAY PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY.
WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THESE TRUCKS TO BE DELIVERED AFTER ORDER UNTIL ABOUT JUNE 30TH OF 2022.
THE MANUFACTURER DID SAY THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY DELIVER BY THE END OF MARCH, BUT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO ANTICIPATE THEM IN JUNE.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR BISHOP.
OF COURSE, AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE ON YOUR KEYPAD AND YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM.
WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS REPORT?
>> AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAYOR.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS? MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
THIS WILL BE MOVED TO AUTHORIZED MANAGER TO MOVE $25,000 TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THESE TRUCKS AND WE ALSO PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COSTING 2,500 PER TRUCK.
I THINK THAT'S GOOD INVESTMENT TO ALLOW US TO HAVE NAMES ON THOSE TRUCKS FROM THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
>> YEAH, I CONCUR WITH MEMBER REYNA.
[02:25:01]
MADAM CLERK, I HAVE NO COMMENTS AS WELL.>> MAYOR, I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION.
>> I'M SO SORRY, I HAD TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION, MADAM CLERK.
NOW, YOU MAY CALL A VOICE VOTE.
>> INDISTRACTED BY THE DARK [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER]
>> JUST TO CONFIRM, THIS MOTION IS WITH THE EXTENDED WARRANTIES, CORRECT? YES.
>> OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA, SECONDED BY MAYOR GARCIA.
MOTION IS APPROVED WITH FOUR AYES [NOISE] WITH COUNCIL MEMBER [INAUDIBLE]
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 12E, ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH AFFINITY.
[NOISE] ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION 12F OF THE CITY COUNCIL,
[12) f. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Wasco Approving an Agreement by and between the City of Wasco and the County of Kern to Provide Law Enforcement Services Within the City of Wasco. (Ortiz Hernandez)]
THE CITY OF WASCO, APPROVING AN AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF WASCO AND THE COUNTY OF KERN TO PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF WASCO.>> MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC, THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU IS AN AGREEMENT ESSENTIALLY EXTENDING THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE CURRENT CONTRACT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY AND THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF WASCO.
JUST LIMITED BACKGROUND, THE CITY NEWS AND RESEARCHES HAS BEEN CONTRACTING WITH THE CURRENT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE DATING BACK TO 1981, IS WHAT I FOUND BASED ON THE PREVIOUS RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED OVER FIVE YEARS AGO.
THE CURRENT CONTRACT DOES HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT WOULD BE OCCURRING.
OVERALL, THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES THE SAME NUMBER OF DEPUTIES.
WE CAN ONLY HAVE 18 DEPUTIES AND THAT INCLUDES THE SERGEANT AND THEN ONE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN.
WE IN THE PAST HAD HAD TO SUPPORT TECHNICIANS AND WE'VE DOWNSIZED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC DOWN TO A SINGLE SERVICE IGNITION.
THEY'RE PROPOSING YOU TO KEEP THAT RIGHT NOW FOR THE MODEL MOVING FORWARD ON A CONTRACT HERE.
[NOISE] ONE SERGEANT, TWO SENIOR DEPUTIES, AND THE REMAINDER ARE JUST DEPUTIES WITHIN THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ASSIGNED TO THE SUBSTATION HERE IN WASCO.
PREVIOUSLY, LAST YEAR, WE HAD REQUESTED THE ADDITION OF AN ADDITIONAL DEPUTY, BUT DUE TO VACANCIES WITHIN THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FULFILL THAT.
WE'VE REMAINED AT THAT STATIC NUMBER OF 18.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE OVERALL IS THE COST OF THE CONTRACT AND THAT IS WE'RE SEEING 8.96 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR OR ROUGHLY 352,789.
THAT IS FOR THE BASE CONTRACT PRICE.
I'M GOING TO REFER TO THAT AS THE BASE CONTRACT PRICE BECAUSE BASED ON HOW THINGS WILL EVOLVE AND CHANGE TO CONTRACT, THERE WILL BE SOME VARIABILITY DEPENDING ON SOME OF THE INCIDENCES AND SERVICE LEVELS THAT WITHIN WASCO AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL PROVIDE THAT WILL CAUSE SOME VARIATION IN THE OVERALL COST IN ANNUAL BASIS.
I'LL TOUCH ON THOSE IN MORE DETAIL.
THE BIGGEST DRIVER FOR THE CONTRACT COSTS GOING UP IS RELATED TO WAGE AND LABOR COSTS.
APPROXIMATELY BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019, THE BOARD SUPERVISORS HAVE PROVIDED FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR A NUMBER OF DEPUTIES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT PRIMARILY AFFECTED WASCO IN LARGE AMOUNT.
WE DO NOT SEE THOSE INCREASES REFLECTED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE OF A CLAUSE BUILT INTO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED IN 2016 THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED FOR A 12-MONTH ADVANCED NOTICE BEFORE THOSE INCREASES CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
WE ACTUALLY WE'RE SEEING, I THINK AN EIGHT OR NINE PERCENT INCREASE LAST SPRING THAT WOULD HAVE GONE INTO EFFECT IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT CLAUSE, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT.
THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS THEY APPROACH THIS AND WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CASE THAT THERE WERE GOING TO REMOVE OR AMEND THAT CAUSE SO THAT THE COUNTY WOULDN'T HAVE TO ABSORB THOSE COST ON THEIR END.
THE OTHER DRIVER ASIDE FROM THE COST IS JUST THE STRUCTURE AND THE PAY GRADE THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES ARE AT.
I INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT AND PROVIDED TO DISTINGUISH BOTH THE DIFFERENT STEPS BETWEEN A THROUGH E AS DEPUTY'S YEAR OVER YEAR TO PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS.
[02:30:06]
NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE CITY DOES WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY MOVE UP AND STEP AND PAY GRADE.THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF DEPUTIES THAT ARE OF DIFFERENT PAINT GRADES OR HIGHER PAY GRADES IS ALSO A DRIVING FACTOR INTO WHY WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THOSE INCREASES.
YOU HAVE THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF SALARY INCREASES BEING APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 IN ADDITION TO THE STEPPING GRADES THAT SOME OF THE DEPUTIES RECEIVED.
THERE'S ALSO NUANCES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUST [INAUDIBLE] NOT TO MINIMIZE OR DISMISSED THEIR STATUS BUT BETWEEN A DEPUTY THAT HAS AN ADVANCED POST CERTIFICATE WHICH IS ESTABLISHED BY THE CALIFORNIA POSTED A POLICE OFFICER STANDARD SCREENING, REVIEW BOARDS ARE COMMISSIONED THAT ESTABLISHES THOSE ADVANCED CERTIFICATIONS BETWEEN AN INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED SWORN OFFICER.
YOU SEE ON THE CHART ON, I BELIEVE, THE SECOND PAGE OF MY STAFF REPORT WHERE WE HAVE 11 SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AT STEP E WITH ADVANCED POLICE CERTIFICATES IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR VERSUS SEVEN.
YOU SEE THOSE DIFFERENCES PLAY OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
ANOTHER DRIVER IS THE CALCULATION IN WHICH THE CONTRACT ASSUMES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF OVERTIME THAT WILL BE WORKED BY WASCO DEPUTIES.
THAT CALCULATION WAS BASED ON A NINE PERCENT FACTOR.
THAT RATE WAS INCREASED TO A 15 PERCENT FACTOR.
IT'S LIKELY PROBABLY MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT DEPUTIES REALISTICALLY ARE WORKING WHEN THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO THE WASCO SUBSTATION, WHETHER IT'S BOTH FOR TRAINING PURPOSES, IF THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEIR TRAINING CERTIFICATIONS AND OR COVERING OF SHIFTS AND OR WORKING DIFFERENT HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE COVERAGE WITHIN THE CITY.
AVAILABILITY PAY IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDED IN THERE.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME ABOUT WITH EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN WHICH THERE'S A TRAFFIC INCIDENT, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, AND COINCIDENTALLY, THE DEPUTIES THEY WERE ON DUTY LACK THE TRAINING, HAD NOT GONE THROUGH THE ADVANCED TRAINING, THE TRAINING TO PROCESS THE INVESTIGATION, IN THIS CASE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS A DUI TRAFFIC INCIDENT INVOLVING 7TH STREET AND ONE OF THE WASCO SIGNS AT A VEHICLE TRUCK.
LACKING THAT ON-CALL AND DEPUTIES AT THE CURRENT TIME, LACKING THE TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS AND POTENTIALLY CHARGE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A DRIVER WITH THE MOST SEVERE DUI OR DWI RESULTS IN SOME OF THOSE LACKING OR SOME OF THOSE REDUCED CHARGES BEING ISSUED.
WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE SERGEANTS, LIEUTENANTS ABOUT HAVING AN AVAILABILITY PAGE TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A WASCO DEPUTY THAT WOULD BE ON AN ON-CALL STATUS WITH THE INTERMEDIATE OR THE ADVANCED TRAINING FOR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS.
WE WANT TO PROBABLY SPECIFIED IN THERE THAT THEY ALSO BE TRAINED IN CLUSTERING AND DUI, DWI.
MOST OF THE DEPUTIES WILL GO THROUGH THAT BUT JUST MAKING SURE FOR THAT AVAILABILITY PAY, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE ALSO SPECIFY THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT CROSS TRAINING IN DUI, DWI, AND THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
[NOISE] THAT AVAILABILITY PAY BASED ON WHAT THEY FACTORY IN THE CONTRACT PRICE RIGHT NOW FACTORS INTO ROUGHLY ABOUT $81,100.
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, OVER $4.2 MILLION CONTRACT.
ANY $100, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES, THIS IS A SMALL PORTION OF THAT OVERALL CONTRACTED PRICE.
DIFFERENCES, AT LEAST DETAILED BETWEEN THE COST OF WAGES GOING UP, THE OVERTIME AND AVAILABILITY PAY.
THAT'S THE BULK OF THOSE INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
I MENTIONED THAT THE OVERALL CONTRACT WAS INCREASING BY ROUGHLY $352,000 OF JUST WAGES, OVERTIME.
THE AVAILABILITY PAY ALONE THAT ACCOUNTS FOR $330,000 OF THOSE INCREASES.
AGAIN FACTOR DOWN TO THE OVERALL COST OVER $4.2 MILLION CONTRACT.
YOU CAN JUST HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.
SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE CONTRACT BEING PUSHED BY THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICES, IS THE STAFFING AND REPLACEMENT OF DUTIES.
THIS GOES BACK TO THE NOTION IN THE CONTRACT THAT IF THE IP ASSIGNED TO THE WASCO SUBSTATION WERE TO BE OUT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME GREATER THAN 10 DAYS,
[02:35:01]
THEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WOULD REPLACE THAT DEPUTY.THIS ALSO EXTENDED PRIMARILY AFFECTED WORK-RELATED INJURIES, BUT ALSO EXTENDED TO MILITARY LEAVE.
UNDER THE CURRENT CONTRACTS BEING PROPOSED, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL NOT REPLACE THAT DEPUTY PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION OR RATIONALE AND THAT IS JUST THE NUMBER OF DEPUTIES THAT DEPARTMENT IS DOWN OVERALL AND LACKING THE ABILITY OF JUST BODIES OF DEPUTIES THAT THEY CAN REASSIGN TO THE WASCO SUBSTATION.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE BY MEANS OF THAT SHIFT WILL BE LOST.
THEY WILL RE-PRIORITIZE AND SHUFFLE SCHEDULES AROUND TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST THAT SCHEDULE CAN BE ACCOMMODATED.
AS THAT PROLONGED PERIOD GOES ON AND THEN THEY OBVIOUSLY WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON WHAT CHANGES WILL NEED TO OCCUR.
BUT AT A MINIMUM, THE CONTRACT PROVIDES BOTH.
THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT AND THE CURRENT CONTRACT PROVIDES A MINIMUM OF TWO DEPUTIES SHOULD BE ON DUTY IN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF WASCO AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
IF THEY WERE TO FALL BELOW THAT THEN THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD BE CONTACTED.
MY TIME SINCE BEING HERE I CAN'T RECALL THE SINGLE INSTANCE WHERE THERE WASN'T A DEPUTY AVAILABLE THAT ASSIGNED FROM THE WASCO SUBSTATION AND ALSO, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT, WHENEVER INCIDENCES DO OCCUR, A SHOOTING OR SOMETHING, MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, WE DO GET RESOURCES FROM SURROUNDING SUBSTATIONS THAT SUPPORT THE WASCO SUBSTATION WHEN NEEDED.
THAT, HINDSIGHT ALTHOUGH WORDING WISE AND CONTRACT PRICE STANDS OUT, THE REALISTIC NATURE OF JUST THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DEPUTY BEING OUT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE SERVICE LEVEL WITHIN WASCO.
THE OTHER AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR.
BUT WITH REGARDS TO SWAT CALL-OUTS DETECTIVES OR BOMB SPOT CALL-OUTS, THIS IS A CHANGE THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN THAT, THE CITY IS GOING TO BE ASSESSED AND CHARGED BACK FOR THOSE CALL-OUTS AND THOSE INVESTIGATIONS? I CAN'T RECALL I THINK I'VE JUST BUT ONE INSTANCE THAT THE SWAT TEAM WAS CALLED OUT FOR AN INCIDENT IN WASCO.
THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO WHEN LIEUTENANT MARINA WAS STILL THE SERGEANT IN WASCO AND THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THEY GOT CALLED OUT.
BUT THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN THERE ARE SERVING HIGH-RISK WARRANTS OR HIGH-RISK FELONIES, WARRANTS AND ARREST THAT THEY MAKE, THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY CALL OUT THE SWAT TEAM TO ASSIST IN THAT MANNER.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY INSTANCE RECENTLY THAT THAT WOULD OCCUR.
BUT IN THAT SCENARIO, THE CONTRACT READS THAT THE CITY WOULD BE ASSESSED BACK OR CHARGED BACK FOR THAT CALL OUT AT THE GIVEN RATE SPECIFIED WITHIN THE CONTRACT, WHICH IS PRIMARILY AN OVERTIME RATE.
DETECTIVES IS PROBABLY THE BIGGER ONE, AND WE'VE OBVIOUSLY ENFORCED, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS AND HOMICIDES THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN OUR CORPORATE LIMITS.
I BELIEVE FIVE OR SIX AS ESTIMATED IN THE 2020 CALENDAR YEAR.
JUST THE OVERTIME EXPENSE OF THAT INITIAL CALL OUT.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTED BACK TO THAT.
THAT ACCOUNTED FOR ROUGHLY ABOUT $15,000.
WHEN THE HOMICIDE DETECTIVES TAKE OVER, THEY INVESTIGATE ALL THE HOMICIDES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR WASCO DEPUTIES, BUT THEY ARE THE PRIMARY INVESTIGATIVE DEPUTIES.
IT'S NOT JUST THE OVERTIME EXPENSE RELATED TO THE CALL-OUT, BUT THEN THE REGULAR TIME EXPENSE RELATED TO THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION UNTIL THEY EITHER CLEAR THE CASE OR THEY NO LONGER HAVE ANY VIABLE LEADS AND SO IT BECOMES THE CASE, I FORGET WHAT TERMINOLOGY THEY USE.
BUT IT JUST BECOMES AN INACTIVE INVESTIGATION AT THAT POINT.
SO THE CITY WOULD BE ASSESSED BOTH AT REGULAR AND OVERTIME EXPENSE.
WE'RE TRYING TO PINPOINT HOW THAT ACCOUNTING WOULD OCCUR.
IT APPEARS THAT CITY WILL BE ASSESSED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS FOR THAT.
THEN FROM THERE ON AFTER UNTIL THE CASE IS RESOLVED OR INACTIVATED.
BOMB SQUAD, I CAN'T RECALL A SPECIFIC INSTANCE WHEN WAS THE BOMB SQUAD WAS CALLED OUT.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE OCCASION IN WHICH A RESIDENT RECEIVED A PACKAGE THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING AND THE BOMB SQUAD WAS CALLED OUT, BUT THEY WERE CALLED OFF WHILE IN ROUTE ONCE, I BELIEVE IN THAT DAY SINCE THERE WERE SOME GENTLEMEN FROM HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK THAT DROVE BY AND SOMEHOW MADE A CONNECTION THAT THEIR PACKAGE WAS DELIVERED TO THE WRONG ADDRESS.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE INSTANCES IN WHICH WE WOULD PROBABLY GET CHARGED FOR THAT.
THAT'S A BIG VARIABLE IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT OR AT LEAST BUDGET HOW MUCH TO SET ASIDE.
THAT'S WHY I SAID THE BASE CONTRACT PRICE IS ABOUT 4.2 MILLION.
INITIALLY, JUST NOT KNOWING WHAT COULD BE THE FORESEEN INSTANCES OR INCIDENCES.
[02:40:07]
REALISTICALLY GOING TO HAVE TO BUDGET ROUGHLY ABOUT 4.3-4.4 MILLION FAR LONG FOR A FEW CONTRACT, ONCE YOU FACTOR IN SOME OF THESE OTHER NEW ONES THAT COME INTO PLACE.CERTAINLY, I THINK AS I MENTIONED, THE ANNUAL INCREASE COSTS WERE BEFORE WE HAD A FIVE PERCENT CAP.
THAT CAP IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT, BUT THOSE INCREASES WERE NOT GOING TO EFFECT UNTIL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE LOOKING BACK AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SHOULD THEY CONSIDER FUTURE WAGE INCREASES OR OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE COSTS OF THE SHERIFF'S CONTRACT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THOSE IMPACTS IMMEDIATELY WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS NOTICE.
IT'S GOING TO BE WITHIN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
TYPICALLY FOR THE CONTRACT, IT'S SUCCESS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH LIEUTENANT AND THE COMMANDER MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN LATE WINTER, EARLY SPRING TO GO OVER SOME OF WHAT ON THE HORIZON FOR COST-WISE AND ANY MAJOR IMPACTS, WITH THE FINAL COST ASSESSMENT BEING COMPLETED BY ROUGHLY THE END THE MARCH, MIDDLE OF APRIL, AND THEN NAVIGATING FACTORED INTO THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.
BECAUSE OF OBVIOUSLY JUST THE ESCALATING COSTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES, THAT'S PARTLY SHIFTED HOW WE'VE APPROACHED THE NEXT FISCAL'S YEAR BUDGET.
WELL, BEFORE UNDER THE MEASURE X, THERE WERE SOME VERY SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS OF WHAT WAS GOING TO BE PAID OUT OF MEASURE X, WHETHER IT WAS AN EXTRA DEPUTY, WHETHER IT WAS A COP SCRAPPED WHEN WE STILL HAD THE COPS' DEPUTY OR SOME OF THE OTHER SPECIAL ENFORCEMENTS.
WE'VE GENERALIZED THAT INCOME AND GOTTEN MORE GENERAL OF JUST SAYING LIKE MEASURE X IS GOING TO COVER ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND A SET PRICE OR A SET AMOUNT WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, WE CAN CHANGE THAT AND YOU CAN CHANGE THAT MOVING FORWARD TO SUIT WHATEVER SERVICE LEVELS OR WHATEVER NEEDS YOU WOULD BE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE GROWING INCREASES RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THAT'S SPECIFIC TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SIDE, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE OVERALL PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS.
WE'VE ALSO FACTORED IN AND HISTORICALLY IN THE PAST, WE'VE TAKEN SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE 4TH OF JULY.
FIREWORKS SHOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE ON JULY 3RD.
THOSE ARE EXTRA DEPUTIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE INCURRED AT AN OVERTIME RATE.
YOU'LL SEE THOSE REFLECTIVE AND THE QUARTERLY INVOICES, BUT THOSE EXTRA COSTS FOR SERVICES AND SATURATION PATROLS HAS GENERALLY COME OUT OF THE MEASURE X FUND HERE IN RECENT YEARS.
THAT LIKELY WILL STILL CONTINUE.
BUT HOPING THAT AT LEAST WE'VE BUDGETED A SIZABLE AMOUNT TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES SO THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET YEAR OR A BUDGET WORKSHOP, YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO BE ABLE TO COVER ANY EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND WHATEVER PRIORITIES THE COUNSEL WOULD HAVE FOR THE SERGEANT AND LIEUTENANT TO FOCUS ON WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK GENERALLY THE PROCESS HAS BEEN FOR SOME OF THOSE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT HAS BEEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION THAT HAS JUST BEEN WITH BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER, AND THE LIEUTENANT, OR THE SERGEANT.
OBVIOUSLY FOR SOME OF THOSE SATURATION PATROLS, THOSE ARE FAIRLY SENSITIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NATURE.
THOSE HAVE BEEN JUST APPROVED WITH THE FINAL APPROVAL OR AT LEAST THE INVOICE AMOUNT COMING THEREAFTER.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER RELATED TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRACT?
>> THANK YOU, MR. ORTIZ-HERNANDEZ.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION ON THIS ITEM IS ALSO LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOUR VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
OTHERWISE, USE THE STAR NINE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD TO MAKE YOU VERBAL COMMENTS.
[NOISE] YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN THAT COMMENT.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON ITEM 12F?
>> AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS MAYOR.
>> MR. MAYOR I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT LIEUTENANT MORENO IS ALSO AVAILABLE IF YOU COUNCIL HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO HIM.
NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE SHARPS CONTRACT.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT COMMITTEE WITH THE MAYOR THAT REVIEWED THIS CONTRACT AHEAD OF TIME.
WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THIS CONTRACT VERSUS THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT.
[02:45:03]
BUT DANIEL, SOMETHING YOU SAID CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND THAT IS THAT WE NEED TO SPECIFY DUI, DWI, AND TRAFFIC INVESTIGATIONS TRAINING FOR THE OFFICERS.THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE CONTRACT IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING?
>> HISTORICALLY WHAT HAS OCCURRED IS THAT THE CITY HAS COVERED THE COST TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY CERTAIN NUMBER OF DEPUTIES TO BE EITHER A DUI OR TRAFFIC CAXTON INVESTIGATOR.
THERE WAS JUST ONE INCIDENT THAT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT WHEN THAT ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THERE WASN'T A CERTIFIED TRAFFIC INVESTIGATOR ON DUTY AT THAT TIME.
SO WHAT THIS IS TRYING TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO HAVE A DEPUTY THAT IS ON-CALL THAT AT THE EVENT YOU ENTER A SAME SCENARIO, THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH THAT INVESTIGATION OR TO HANDLE THAT INVESTIGATION AS WELL.
ORIGINALLY, THAT AVAILABILITY PAY JUST STARTED OFF WITH JUST THE TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION COMPONENT, AND THE NECESSARY TRAINING RELATED TO THAT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ALSO COVERS BOTH THE DUI AND DWI PORTION ALONE AND THAT'S WHAT I COMMUNICATED WITH LIEUTENANT MORENO, LAST WEEK.
THE LANGUAGE IS NOT INCLUDED CURRENTLY OR? [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE DUI, DWI CURRENTLY USED LANGUAGE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT, IT'S IN THE CONTRACT IN YOUR PACKET.
HOW LONG IS THE CONTRACT? MENTION THAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF A POSITIVE CASE.
>> IT'LL BE A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT.
THERE IS A PROVISION IN THERE THAT THE CITY MAY TERMINATE, I DON'T KNOW, SO IT SAYS WITHIN 12 MONTHS NOTICE PROVIDED.
BUT IT IS A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT.
>> THANK YOU, I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO DO OUR POLICE SERVICES STUDY WE REALLY ARE LIMITED ON OUR OPTIONS.
BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS CONTRACT.
REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY PAY, THAT'S $8,100 FLAT COSTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PAY, CORRECT?
I THINK THERE IS THE SPREADSHEET OR AT LEAST THE BREAKDOWN SHOWS WHAT THAT ACCOUNTS TO BETWEEN ESSENTIALLY TWO DEPUTIES.
>> THAT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, HOW MANY DEPUTIES? SO THIS IS GOING TO GUARANTEE US THAT ONE OF THOSE TWO DEPUTIES WILL BE AVAILABLE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO A SITUATION WHERE ONE'S ON VACATION, ONE IS IN TRAINING, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY AVAILABLE AFTER WE SHELL OFF THIS MONEY, CORRECT?
THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS REGARDING THE BILL BACK FROM THE DETECTIVES REGARDING HOMICIDE INVESTIGATIONS, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT BILLING IS GOING TO WORK IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TRACK THEIR HOURS.
LIKE LET'S SAY A DETECTIVE GETS A FIVE-MINUTE PHONE CALL, IS THAT BILLED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS OR 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS TO US?
>> FOR I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO THE EXTRA DUTIES AND CONTROLS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS WE GOT A COPY OR SOME FORM, LOOKS ALMOST LIKE A TIME SHEET OF JUST THE DEPUTY'S EMPLOYEE NUMBER, THE HOURS THEY WORK.
THAT OBVIOUSLY IS FAIRLY SIMPLE ON THOSE SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT ON THE ACTUAL SPECIFICS IN TERMS OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS, THAT PART, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT LIEUTENANT MORENO, OR A SERGEANT CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE MORE CLARITY ON THAT.
>> HI, THIS IS LIEUTENANT MORENO.
MR. MARTINEZ, CAN YOU GUYS HERE ME?
>> MORE THAN LIKELY ON OUR END, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS.
[NOISE] MORE THAN LIKELY WHAT WE WOULD DO ON OUR END, MR. MARTINEZ WOULD BE CREATE A CALL CENTER THAT IS SPECIFIC FOR THE DETECTIVES ONES THAT ARE WORKING ON WASCO CASES.
THAT WAY THEY'D BE EASIER TO TRACK THE EXACT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'RE SPENDING ON ANY GIVEN INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S HOW WE WOULD LIKE DO IT.
PLEASE DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
>> WELL, MY QUESTION IS MORE SPECIFIC TO AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WORKED IN HOMICIDE.
THERE'S OFTENTIMES WHERE YOU MIGHT GET A FIVE-MINUTE PHONE CALL FROM ANOTHER AGENCY OR A WITNESS OR SOMEBODY ON A CASE AND IT'S A 2-5 MINUTE PHONE CALL.
NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME DETECTIVES BACK IN THE DAYS THAT THEY ALLOW A TWO HOUR WINDOW TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THAT THEY GET BILLED IF THEY WERE CALLED OFF DUTY.
MY QUESTION IS, WHEN THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPEN, ARE WE GOING TO GET BILLED IN 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS, HOUR-LONG INCREMENTS FOR THESE KIND OF INCIDENTAL CONTACTS OR INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS THAT REALLY AREN'T GOING TO TAKE A FULL HOUR OR TWO HOURS OF TIME AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MINUTES IN NATURE.
[02:50:05]
WHAT'S THE INCREMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE MINIMUM BILLED AS FOR THOSE?>> GENERALLY THE WAY OVERTIME WORKS NOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAYING IS WHEN YOU WERE HERE, ESSENTIALLY, IT'S CONSIDERED DE MINIMIS WITH WHICH IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS DEFINED ANYTHING UNDER 10 MINUTES OR LESS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, JUST AS YOU MENTIONED, A PHONE CALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IF I WERE TO GO OVER A DE MINIMIS AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN IT WOULDN'T BE THE MINIMUM OF TWO HOURS OVERTIME COMPENSATION.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN INTO THE MOU FOR THE CALLERS.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT ON THE OVERTIME BASIS, BUT LET'S SAY THAT THIS OCCURS DURING THE DETECTIVES NORMAL HOURS.
I'M ASSUMING THAT, IF THEY'RE WORKING THERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 8:00-4:00, I'M ASSUMING WHAT THE STANDARD HOURS FOR DETECTIVES ARE.
THERE ARE ALREADY AT WORK, AND THEY GET A PHONE CALL, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY SPEND ON THAT PHONE CALL RELATED TO A WASCO CASE WILL BE BILLED BACK TO THE CITY.
IS THAT CORRECT? ARE YOU GUYS ONLY WANTING TO BILL THE ACTUAL OVERTIME OR THE FULL ENTIRE COST OF THE INVESTIGATION BACK TO THE CITY?
>> NO, IT IS OUR INTENTION TO BILL THE ENTIRE COST OF THE INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING DURING REGULAR WORK HOURS.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD CALL THAT A SIMPLE FIVE-MINUTE PHONE CALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN IT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE DOCUMENTING TO ENSURE THE BILL FOR IT.
BUT FOR AS YOU KNOW, SAY YOU GO AND GET, GOD FORBID, GET A HOMICIDE CALL OUT TONIGHT.
THEY'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING AND INTO THE REGULAR SHIFT.
WHEN THEY COME BACK THE FOLLOWING DAY THEY'RE MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO BE WORKING SOLELY ON THAT PAPER WORK, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
A FIVE MINUTE CONVERSATION HERE AND THERE, HOPE THAT THAT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE GETTING TOO TIED DOWN TO AS FAR AS MEETING THE COMPENSATION FOR IT.
>>THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT WOULD BECOME A TRACKING NIGHTMARE FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT AND THOSE INVESTIGATORS TO TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR ME.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, MR. MAYOR.
>> I ALSO WANTED TO ADD ABOUT THAT DUI LANGUAGE IN THE CONTRACT NOT BEING THERE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EASILY ADDED.
I CAN ADD THAT ONCE YOU HOPEFULLY APPROVE GOING FORWARD.
MEMBER MARTINEZ [NOISE] ANY RESPONSES [INAUDIBLE]?
>> MEMBER PALLARES, ANYTHING TO ADD?
SOMETHING I THOUGHT THAT IT CAME ACROSS MY MIND.
DANIEL WE PREVIOUSLY PAYING FOR BODY CAMERAS OR THE STORAGE OF THAT DATA, AND IS THAT ALSO IN THIS NEW CONTRACT?
>> YES PREVIOUSLY, WE WEREN'T PAYING FOR THE STORAGE, BUT THE CITY, I THINK GOING BACK TO 2012, HAD PROCURED BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR THE DEPUTIES AND THE WASCO SUBSTATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE MORE SUPERVISORS HAD RECENTLY APPROVED OUTFITTING ALL OF THE DEPUTIES WITHIN THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT WITH BODY CAMERAS.
I THINK AS THAT GETS ROLLED OUT, WE'LL GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE LIEUTENANT AND THE COMMANDER.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEING ROLLED OUT DEPARTMENT-WIDE.
>> THAT'S JUST THE THOUGHT THAT I HAD MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING SOMETHING EXTRA THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY PROVIDING NOW.
OTHER THAN THAT, THOSE ARE THE ONLY ITEMS I HAD.
I THANK YOU DANIEL SCOTT, EVERYBODY WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY, OUR CLERKS AND OTHER STAFF, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DISAGREEMENT IS CLEARED, AND WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AS FAR AS WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THIS CONTRACT FOR BOTH AGENCIES.
SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HARD WORK AND DILIGENCE TO GET THIS DONE JUST IN TIME.
[LAUGHTER] WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO APPROVE THIS ACTION AND ENTERTAIN THEIR SECOND.
>> THIS IS REYNA I SECOND IT BUT WITH STIPULATION THAT THE DUI AND DWI BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE CONTRACT.
>> VERY WELL, MADAM CLERK, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL A VOICE VOTE?
>> AND COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES.
>> MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA TO APPROVE THE ITEM 12A WITH THE CHANGES THAT WERE MENTIONED.
>> THANK YOU LIEUTENANT FOR THOSE CHANGES BY THE WAY.
DANIEL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BRING THIS BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE CHANGES HAVE BEEN DONE.
>> NOW, THE RESOLUTION PROVIDED FOR THE AUTHORIZATION OF FINALIZING THE NEGOTIATIONS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH EXECUTING.
[02:55:01]
MOVING ON TO ITEM 13, REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES, CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
>> [OVERLAPPING] MR. MAYOR I BELIEVE THAT YOU SKIPPED OVER 12G.
>> OH, I WAS READING NOTES ON THE WRONG SECTION, I APOLOGIZE.
[12) g. Adopt a Resolution to Approve the Amended Employment Agreement Terms Between Roger Mobley and the City of Wasco. (Vera)]
RETURN TO ITEM 12G; ADOPTING RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AND TERMS IN ROGER MOBLEY AND THE CITY OF WASCO.>> MRS. VERA, I DON'T THINK SHE'S ON I'LL GO AHEAD AND COVER THIS.
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IF YOU RECALL BACK, A FEW MONTHS AGO COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR RETIRING ANNUITY, MR. MOBLEY, [OVERLAPPING] TO SERVE AS EXTRA HELP WITHIN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
MR. MOBLEY PREVIOUSLY HAD SERVED AS A PLANNING DIRECTOR UP UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN JANUARY 2020.
I APOLOGIZE, THERE'S A TYPO IN THE MEMO THAT SAYS HE RETIRED IN 2021, BUT IT IS 2020.
WITH THE ABSENCE OR THE VACANT POSITION OF A SENIOR PLANNER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, HAVING TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF AND ON, WE HAVE A NEED FOR THE EXTRA HELP WITHIN A DEPARTMENT TO HELP MANAGING, PUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
[INAUDIBLE] PROJECTS THAT COME IN, AS WELL AS OTHER DUTIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
CALPERS DOES REQUIRE AND HAVE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS THAT [INAUDIBLE] ANNUITANT TO WORK AND ALSO THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT SPECIFIED THAT IT WENT THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SO JUNE 30TH, 2021.
AS WE ENTER THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AMENDMENT THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE EXTENSION FOR HIM TO REMAIN AS EXTRA DUTY HELP, BUT IT ALSO RESETS THE CALPERS HOURS WHICH I BELIEVE ARE 60 PER FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1ST, OF 2021 [NOISE].
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO AUDIENCE PORTION, WHICH IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES PER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VERBAL COMMENT USING ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE ON YOUR TELEPHONE DIAL STAR NINE.
YOU WILL BE CALLED UPON BY THE NUMBER YOU'RE CALLING FROM WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.
ONCE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, YOU WILL BE MUTED.
AT THIS TIME MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM?
>> AT THIS TIME, MAYOR WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS? MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
>> NO COMMENTS MAYOR, THANK YOU.
>> THIS IS MEMBER MARTINEZ, I'LL SECOND IT.
MADAM CLERK, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MYSELF AND SECONDED BY MEMBER OF MARTINEZ.
MOTION BY MAYOR GARCIA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ TO APPROVE ITEM 12 G.
NOTICE MOTION IS APPROVED WITH FOUR AYES WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORTEZ [INAUDIBLE].
NOW WE MAY MOVE ON TO REPORTS, THAT'S REPORTS, SOME COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES ITEMS 13A, CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WE HAVE MEMBER CORTEZ WHO SITS ON THAT COMMITTEE BUT IS NOT PRESENT THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE DOING 13B, CURRENT COUNCIL GOVERNMENTS WERE SCHEDULED TO MEET THIS THURSDAY.
ANY REPORTS FROM 13C WASCO TASK FORCE, MEMBER MARTINEZ OR REYNA?
[13) c. Wasco Task Force (Martinez & Reyna)]
AGAIN, THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE COMING UP IN THE TASK FORCE IS THE FIREWORKS ISSUE.ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS RAISED WAS WHETHER OR NOT OUR CODE COMPLIANCE COULD GO OUT AND ISSUE CITATIONS FOR [NOISE].
THAT WHETHER OR NOT OUR CODE COMPLIANCE COULD GO OUT AND ISSUE CITATIONS FOR FIREWORKS VIOLATIONS AND I'VE LEARNED SINCE THEN, APPARENTLY, WE DO NOT HAVE A CITY ORDINANCE AGAINST FIREWORKS, SO I HAVE ASKED THE MAYOR TO AGENDIZE THAT FOR A FUTURE MEETING SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN THE MEETING IS THE NOTICES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN GOING OUT REGARDING THE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE DAMAGED BECAUSE OF TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF HOMES, AND ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS FROM SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WAS THAT
[03:00:03]
THE CITY ACTUALLY PLANTED THE TREES THAT ARE CAUSING SOME OF THE DAMAGE, AND THEY DID NOT FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE GETTING BILLED FOR THAT.APPARENTLY, THIS WAS DISCUSSED SOMETIME LAST YEAR BEFORE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL.
AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE ASKED THE MAYOR TO AGENDIZE BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME VERY UPSET CITIZENS ABOUT THAT SITUATION.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE'VE DECIDED THAT FOR THE SUMMER, WE'RE JUST GOING TO MEET ONCE A MONTH INSTEAD OF BI-WEEKLY SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS GOING TO BE IN ABOUT THREE AND 1/2 WEEKS.
THANK YOU, MEMBER OF MARTINEZ AND REYNA FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THAT COMMITTEE AND ALWAYS REPORTING BACK.
>> REPORTS FROM KERN COUNTY FIRE.
[14) REPORTS FROM KC FIRE AND SHERIFF:]
DO WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES IN KERN COUNTY FIRE THIS EVENING?>> WE DO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, MAYOR.
>> YES MA'AM AND HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
>> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
I'M COVERING FOR CHIEF DUNCAN, WHO IS AWAY.
I JUST HAVE SOME STATS IF YOU'D LIKE AND THEN OPEN TO QUESTIONS.
THROUGH THE CHAIR, STATS I HAVE FOR MAY 24TH THROUGH 6:13, YOUR COMMUNITY FIRE STATION NUMBER 31 RESPONDED TO; 122 CALLS FOR SERVICE, 84 WE'RE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, PATROL 31, WHICH IS OUR TYPE SIX FIRE PATROL, ALSO ASSIGNED TO THE STATION, RESPONDED TO 6 CALLS, WATER TENDER 51, WHICH IS A TYPE TWO TACTICAL WATER TENDER, WITH BASICALLY 1500 GALLONS OF WATER, RESPONDED TO TWO INCIDENTS.
I CAN GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN ON THAT.
OF THOSE 122 CALLS ENGINE 31 RESPONDED TO; 79 WERE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE OR RESCUES,13 WERE FOR FIRES AND OF THOSE 13 CALLS FOR FIRES; 2 WERE STRUCTURE FIRES, 2 WERE VEHICLE OR AUTO FIRES, 3 WERE VEGETATION FIRES, 5 WERE RUBBISH FIRES, AND 1 WAS A CROP OR AGRICULTURAL FIRE.
THAT IS WHAT I HAVE FOR THE STATS FOR YOUR FIRE STATION 31.
I COULD ALSO LET YOU KNOW THAT RECENTLY OUR RECRUIT ACADEMY OF 30 PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE HITTING THE FIELD THIS WEEK AND FILLING FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DETAILS OF THAT WORK.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTION FOR REPRESENTATIVE FOR KERN COUNTY FIRE, ANYBODY FROM THE COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? IF NOT, THEN MOVE FORWARD.
I WANT TO ASK WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING THIS CONTINUED USE OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS WITHIN OUR CITY? HAVE ANY TICKETS BEEN ISSUED, ANY CITATIONS BEEN ISSUED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT?
>> SIR, THROUGH THAT CHAIR, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PRESENTING A PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
OBVIOUSLY, THE MEDICAL AID AND THE FIRES ARE A HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS SO WE START WITH THIS TRYING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE DANGERS OF THEM THROUGH EDUCATION, ENGINEERING, AND THEN THE LAST THING IS ENFORCEMENT.
ONE OF THE TRENDS WE'RE SEEING WITH FIREWORKS IS THE DANGERS OF THEM, NOT ONLY WHAT THE FIREWORKS WERE DOING BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE ARE WEAPONIZING FIREWORKS AND MAKING EXPLOSIVE DEVICES OR ALTERING THEM WHICH CREATES OTHER ISSUES FOR US.
WE WORKED WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS TO TRY AND MITIGATE THE THING WITH THE PUBLIC AND HAVE THEIR SAFETY IN MIND.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO IT IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS OR ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED, BUT I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
WE ALWAYS START IT OUT WITH TRYING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
[03:05:01]
I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW MANY CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED HERE IN WASCO.>> I KNOW THAT CITATIONS ARE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY BUT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW MANY HAD BEEN ISSUED HERE IN WASCO.
>>THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
>> MEMBER PALLARES, ANYTHING FOR FIRE?
>> NO QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING TONIGHT.
>> ABSOLUTELY, SIR, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
>> YES, WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
>> MADAM CLERK, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO KERN COUNTY SHERIFF.
[INAUDIBLE] SERGEANT OR LIEUTENANTS [INAUDIBLE]
>> MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT I'VE SEEN ON COUNTY FIRE.
AS I RECALL LAST TIME WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL WAS ON, I CAN'T REMEMBER VERY WELL BUT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FILL OUT SOMETHING, I WANT TO SAY ONLINE OR I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE ON THAT TO TELL US HOW MANY COMPLAINTS WERE FILED?
THROUGH THE BOARD OF THE HUMBLE MAYOR.
THE ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM WILL START.
YOU CAN GO TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE AND THERE WILL BE A FORM ON THERE CALLED KERN COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT ILLEGAL FIREWORKS TIP FORM, AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
THAT'S THE QUICKEST WAY TO FILE THOSE REPORTS OR COMPLAINTS ON ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
I CAN GET YOUR BOARD THE NUMBER OF THOSE THAT HAD BEEN FILED.
>> SIR, YOU SAID THAT TIP FORM, IS IT LIVE YET OR [INAUDIBLE] COMPLAINT FILE?
>> I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S LIVE YET BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE OUR FIREWORKS CALL CENTER SET UP YET.
RIGHT NOW, REPORTED AS A REGULAR EMERGENCY THROUGH THE 911 CALL SYSTEM.
JUST ON THAT NOTE, THIS WAS ROLLED OUT OR STATED TO BE AN INITIATIVE TO HELP WITH THE ISSUE AS IT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
WE'RE COMING UP ON TWO WEEKS BEFORE INDEPENDENCE DAY [INAUDIBLE] I JUST WANTED TO ECHO TINA NEWMAN'S COMMENTS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION WHEN IT DOES GO BY.
ANYTHING TO ADD, TINA? ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS, MADAM CLERK, FOR KERN COUNTY FIRE?
>> I HAVE NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAYOR.
AWESOME, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO KERN COUNTY SHERIFF.
>> GOOD EVENING MAYOR, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ZOOM ATTENDEES.
WHILE [NOISE] MY POWERPOINT IS BOOTING UP HERE FOR YOU GUYS.
NOTHING TOO DRASTIC, I KNOW WE'RE COMING INTO THE HOLIDAYS AND OUR SUB-STATION IS STILL OPEN.
ON THURSDAY, JUNE 3RD, AT 1:40 IN THE AFTERNOON, DEPUTIES FROM THE LOSS FOR SUB-STATION ADEPT AT A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT STOP IN THE 1,000 BLOCK OF MAPLE AVENUE OF A VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A PIECE DISTURBANCE.
DEPUTIES DETAIN THE DRIVER, BERNARDO MONTANEZ, 34 YEAR-OLD MALE FROM WASCO.
MONTANEZ WAS ON ACTIVE PROBATION.
GO AHEAD AND GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE WITH THE GUN.
DURING THE SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE, DEPUTIES LOCATED A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION.
THE FIREARM WAS REPORTED STOLEN OUT OF SAN DIEGO.
MONTANEZ WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO THE KERN COUNTY JAIL FOR SEVERAL FELONY FIREARM POSSESSION CHARGES, FELONY POSSESSION OF AMMUNITION, AND MISDEMEANOR, DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
ANYONE WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS INVESTIGATION OR ANY INVESTIGATION IS ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 861-3110, OR THE KERN COUNTY SECRET WITNESS AT AREA CODE 661-322-4040.
YOU MAY GO BACK TO MY SLIDESHOW THERE.
[03:10:14]
A LITTLE PUBLIC ADVISORY, WELL, THAT'S BOOTING UP.THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AS PART OF AN ONGOING EFFORT TO BUILD PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORTS WILL BE OFFERING A COMMUNITY ACADEMY TO THE RESIDENTS OF KERN COUNTY.
THE GOAL OF THIS COMMUNITY ACADEMY IS TO BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, OF KERN COUNTY, AND THE GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THIS IS FREE INFORMATION ACADEMY ONLY, AND WILL NOT PROVIDE CERTIFICATION TO WORK IN DETENTIONS OR VIRTUAL SETTING.
GO AHEAD, AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE AFTER THAT.
THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PERSONNEL TO INTRODUCE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THE KERN COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ACADEMY IS NOT TO RECRUIT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO BECOME DEPUTY SHERIFFS OR DETENTION DEPUTIES, BUT RATHER TO GIVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND HOW A DEPUTY SHERIFF WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A 11 WEEK PROGRAM, WILL COVER TOPICS SUCH AS THE HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A DEPUTY, USE OF FORCE, LAWS OF ARREST, PATROL PROCEDURES, GANG INVESTIGATIONS, AIR SUPPORT OPERATIONS, NARCOTICS INVESTIGATIONS, JAIL OPERATIONS, FOR SOP SIMULATOR TRAINING, AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES.
THE CLASS WILL BE TAUGHT BY THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE PERSONNEL INCLUDING DEPUTIES, DETECTIVES, SERGEANTS, AND COMMAND STAFFS.
PARTICIPANTS, WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE ALONG WITH THE DEPUTY SHERIFF ON PATROL IF THEY WISH, AND EXPERIENCE POLICE WORK FROM AN ENTIRELY NEW PERSPECTIVE.
THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS EXPECTING TO START THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY IN AUGUST 3RD.
WE CURRENTLY ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEXT COMMUNITY ACADEMY, AND CLASSES WILL BE HELD EVERY TUESDAY EVENING FROM 6:30 TO 9:30 AT THE CURRENT REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER, WHICH IS LOCATED NEXT TO SHERIFF'S OFFICE HEADQUARTERS 962 NORRIS ROAD.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION WILL BE WEEK 10, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON A SATURDAY, FOR SWAT K9, AND A PISTOL RANGE DEMONSTRATION.
GRADUATION FROM THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY WILL BE DETERMINED AT A LATER DATE.
TO QUALIFY FOR THE ACADEMY, APPLICANTS MUST BE; ONE, A RESIDENT OF KERN COUNTY OR WORK IN KERN COUNTY, TWO, THEY MUST PASS A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, INCLUDING THE FINGERPRINT CHECK, AND THREE, MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR BE 18 YEARS OF AGE, AND CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN COLLEGE COURSES.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, CONTACT 868-1682, OR COMMUNITYACADEMY@KERNSHERIFF .
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 1ST.
IT'S FAST APPROACHING, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO APPLY PRETTY RAPIDLY.
I HAVE ACTUALLY FORWARDED THIS FLYER TO EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THAT FROM ME TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER PALLARES, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE A BRIEF WORD, I KNOW YOU HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ACADEMY, AND EXPERIENCED IT, SO PLEASE, SIR.
OF COURSE, I CAN'T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH ABOUT IT.
IN FACT, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I MET SENIOR DEPUTY MARTINEZ IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
BUT YOU ALSO MEET INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY, AND GET ALL THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU REALLY WERE EAGER TO FIND OUT PERFECT PLACE FOR IT.
I CANNOT SPEAK ANY HIGHER ABOUT IT.
IT WAS SUCH A EYE OPENING EVENT, SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO FILL OUT YOUR APPLICATIONS AND APPLY.
ONCE AGAIN, THE DEADLINE IS JULY 1ST TO APPLY, AND YOU CAN GO TO COMMUNITYACADEMY@KERNSHERIFF .ORG OR CONTACT 661-868-1682, OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO ME AT THE WASCO SUBSTATION.
I WILL PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO YOU, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.
IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY THAT HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN KERN COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
GO WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS WILL BE MY FINAL ONE.
THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS EXCITED ONCE AGAIN TO OFFER PUBLIC TOURS OF KCSO HEADQUARTERS.
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIALIZED UNITS.
[03:15:02]
SEE SOME DEMONSTRATIONS, AND ASK QUESTIONS.MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH.
AGAIN, THIS DATE IS FAST APPROACHING.
WE WILL BE FEATURING OUR AIR SUPPORT, K9 BOMB SQUAD, TRAINING SIMULATORS, AND SEARCH, AND RESCUE UNITS WILL BE AT HEADQUARTERS.
WITH HEADQUARTERS BEING A SECURED FACILITY, EVERYONE MUST STAY WITH THEIR ASSIGNED GROUP, AND WILL BE ESCORTED THROUGHOUT THE TOUR.
PLEASE COME IN EARLY FOR CHECKING AS THE TOUR BEGINS PROMPTLY AT 9:00 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH.
ADULTS MUST HAVE AN ID TO CHECK-IN.
PLEASE NOTE, THE TOUR WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES, AND INVOLVE QUITE A BIT OF WALKING.
IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TOUR, THERE IS A LIMITED AVAILABILITY.
PLEASE CONTACT THE CRIME PREVENTION UNIT TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE, THEIR PHONE NUMBER IS 661-391-7559 OR THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS IS CRIMEPREVENTION@KERNSHERIFF.
AGAIN, THE PHONE NUMBERS 661-391-7559 OR EMAIL CRIMEPREVENTION@KERNSHERIFF.
ALWAYS AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE CAMERA REGISTRY PROGRAM ON HOW WE'RE DOING.
AS OF OUR LAST MEETINGS, I THINK WE'RE STUCK ON 35.
I'M ENCOURAGING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO OUT THERE JUST FIND ONE MORE THAT WOULD INCREASE THIS BY FIVE BY THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
TO REGISTER YOUR RESIDENTIAL CAMERAS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND AGAIN, THE CAMERA REBATE PROGRAM IS STILL AVAILABLE WITH THE CITY OF WASCO.
THE MAYOR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGH REPORT AS ALWAYS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS OR THE PUBLIC, MADAM CLERK CAN CHECK ON THAT.
MAYOR GILBERTO REYNA, ANYTHING TO ADD?
>> NOTHING TO ADD MAYOR, THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS WELL.
THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM, SO THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING ON THAT SUBJECT.
HE ALSO TOUCHED ON THE CAMERA REGISTRY PROGRAM.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT ON THAT.
WE HAVE SOME IDEAS FROM STAFF ABOUT RETOOLING THAT HERE IN THE COMING WEEKS, HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME WE'LL REVISIT THAT TO IMPROVE PARTICIPATION IN THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE CAMERAS.
REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD DANIEL, FINAL REPORT?
[15) REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER:]
>> FEW ITEMS REPORT, ONE IS WE RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THE STATE WATER BOARD HAD EXTENDED THE MORATORIUM ON WATER SHUT-OFFS DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, THAT IS BEING EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021.
AS REPORTED PREVIOUSLY IN THE PAST, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH CUSTOMERS NOT PAYING THE BILL, AND THE INABILITY TO SHUT THEM OFF AS WE WERE ABLE TO DURING NORMAL TIMES.
THAT WILL LIKELY STILL CONTINUE THAT INABILITY IN THAT TREND.
WE ALSO RECEIVED WRITTEN UPDATE FROM CRB, AND HIGH-SPEED RAIL RELATED TO THE WELL THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO REPLACE, REFERRED TO AS WALTER TEAM, THAT'S BEEN ON THEIR TO-DO LIST FOR PROBABLY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOW.
CASE IMPORTANT, I GUESS THE INEFFICIENCIES, AND INEFFECTIVENESS OF A HIGH-SPEED RAIL, THEY DRILLED A TEST WELL, AND WAS ACCEPTED, OR AT LEAST THE RESULTS OF THAT TEST WELL WERE ACCEPTED BY THE CITY.
IN THE FALL OF 2019, HERE WE ARE IN SUMMER OF 2021 WITH STILL NO WELL, AS ONLINE AS OF YET.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE WOULD HAVE HANDLED OUR WATER EMERGENCY LAST YEAR AT HIGH-SPEED RAIL ACTUALLY COMPLETED THE WELL CONSTRUCTION PREVIOUSLY IN WHATEVER ALLEVIATED SOME OF THE ISSUES, AND CONCERNS WE HAVE, INCLUDING THE INABILITY TO SERVE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES INTO WASCO, AND WE NEED SOMETIME.
WE'VE ADDRESSED SET DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP IN THE CRP WORKSHOP AS WELL.
[16) REPORTS FROM CITY COUNCIL:]
[03:29:56]
LASTLY, THE OTHER THING WHICH JUST COMES TO MIND[03:29:58]
WAS WITH THE GOVERNOR LIFTING THE SUMMER, THE PROVISIONS RELATED TO COVID-19.[03:30:02]
A BIG FACTOR THAT'S AFFECTING ALL EMPLOYERS IS WHAT CAL/OSHA WILL DECIDE ON, AND HOW THAT AFFECTS, OR IF IT'S MOVED FORWARD THAT'LL ALSO AFFECT WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RESUME COUNTY MEETINGS IN-PERSON.I UNDERSTAND CAL/OSHA BOARD IS SET TO MEET ON THE 17TH TO REVISIT THEIR INITIAL GUIDANCE FROM EARLIER THIS MONTH.
PENDING THAT OUTCOME WILL AFFECT WHAT PLANS, AND WHAT CITIES CAN DO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH REOPENING COMPLETELY IN SUMMER.
LASTLY, JUST TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT STAFF-REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER, AND THE SERGEANT ARE JUST REPORTS, THEY'RE NOT SPECIAL ITEMS. YOU DON'T WANT TO FIND YOURSELVES IN A BROWN ACT VIOLATION BY ENGAGING INTO A DISCUSSION ITEM THAT'S NOT PROPERLY AGENDIZED.
AS REPORTED, AND TAUGHT DURING THE BROWN ACT TRAINING THAT IS SOMETHING THAT INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE STATE, AS WELL AS DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BROWN ACT VIOLATIONS TO HIT ON COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THOSE VIOLATIONS.
JUST TRY TO BE CAUTIOUS, I REMIND YOU NOT TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY AGENDIZED.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, LASTLY, THIS IS MY FINAL REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS WILL BE MY LAST REPORT SUBJECT TO THE NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP WHICH WE TEND TO HAVE SCHEDULED FOR, I BELIEVE NEXT MONDAY, THE 21ST, AND THEN WE'LL SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET PENDING, AND YOU FIND ALL OF THE COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU, AND OUR STAFF, SO I MUCH APPRECIATE IT, AND LOOK FORWARD TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF YOU, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PROGRESS TO COME.
AS EVIDENT IN YOUR SCHEDULE AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE HAD A BUSY MONTH WORKING ON THIS BUDGET.
THERE'S STILL TWO MORE MEETINGS TO GO BEFORE WE APPROVE IT OR BEFORE IT'S CONSIDERED DONE.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO SEND MY SINCEREST THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR TIRELESS DEDICATION TO THE CITY AND THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE THANK YOU TONIGHT FOR EVERYTHING.
THIS BEING YOUR LAST OFFICIAL MEETING, TECHNICALLY REGULARLY SCHEDULED, WE HONOR THAT.
I'LL LEAVE OTHERS TO SAY THEIR PIECE AS WELL AND THEIR PART.
THAT BEING SAID, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR REPORTS FROM CITY COUNCIL THIS EVENING.
YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF, MAYOR PRO TEM, REYNA?
I WANT TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY.
YOU HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU, I AM GOING TO MISS YOU AND I WISH YOU THE BEST.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR CITY AND THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU.
I HOPE THAT ALL GOES WELL WITH YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DO TO PUT TOGETHER THIS REPORTS THAT ALLOW ME TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
I KNOW I SAY THAT EVERY MEETING, BUT I MEAN IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
THAT'S IT, MAYOR, NOTHING ELSE.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM REYNA.
FIRST OF ALL, DANIEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIRELESS SERVICE TO THE CITY OF WASCO.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO BE MISSED, AND THAT'S NOT A KNOCK ON SCOTT.
I THINK WE HAVE A VERY COMPETENT PERSON WHO'S COMING IN TO REPLACE YOU, BUT WE HAVE APPRECIATED THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE TO TRY TO CORRECT THIS SHIP BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU INHERITED A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND YOU'VE WORKED VERY HARD AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GUIDING ME AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAKING SURE THAT I WAS AWARE OF THINGS LIKE THE BROWN ACT AND OTHER THINGS AND ALSO CRUSHING A FEW DREAMS OF MINE, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL YOUR FRIENDSHIP, YOUR GUIDANCE, AND YOUR WISDOM.
IT'S MEANT A LOT TO ME EVEN BEFORE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, THE INTERACTIONS THAT I HAD WITH YOU.
I SINCERELY DO APPRECIATE THEM AND I LOOK FORWARD TO STAY IN CONTACT DOWN THE ROAD.
I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST.
I'M STILL UPSET THAT YOU'VE TAKEN OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE REASONS WHY BOTH OF YOU GUYS ARE LEAVING AND WE WANT NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR BOTH OF YOU.
LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT, THIS WAS MY FIRST BUDGET PROCESS AND IT WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
I DIDN'T SAY A LOT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT THAT I WAS TRYING TO ABSORB AND LEARN.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS THE AMOUNT OF BURDEN THAT WE PUT ON OUR CITY STAFF AT TIMES AND HOW WE'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING THEM TO DO MORE WITH LESS.
THAT LED ME DOWN A RABBIT HOLE THOUGH OVER THE WEEKEND AND THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, REACHING OUT TO STAFF MEMBERS AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS AND HAVING SOME VERY OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL THEIR WORKLOAD IS AND THE PROJECT THEY'RE TRYING TO MANAGE.
I REGRET NOT DOING THIS BEFORE OUR GOAL-SETTING SESSION SO THAT I HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF JUST WHAT WE REALLY ARE ASKING THEM TO DO BECAUSE I KNOW WE SAY WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND WE KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING HARD.
I'LL BE HONEST, I DIDN'T HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORKLOAD AND THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF DEMAND THAT AT TIMES WE PUT ON YOU GUYS THAT AT TIMES WHERE YOU GUYS ARE JUST MANAGING PUTTING OUT FIRES INSTEAD OF WORKING ON LONG-TERM PROJECTS.
I JUST WANT OUR STAFF TO KNOW YOU GUYS ARE APPRECIATED.
THIS GOES ALL THE WAY FROM OUR CITY MANAGER ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE NEWEST EMPLOYEE, YOU GUYS ARE APPRECIATED.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I PERSONALLY WILL TRY TO BE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF GOING FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING TO GET THEIR JOB DONE APPROPRIATELY.
>> THANK YOU, MEMBER MARTINEZ.
>> I THINK EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID IT PRETTY MUCH.
DANIEL, STILL HAVEN'T FORGIVEN YOU WEEK.
BUT I JUST HOPE THE BEST FOR ALL OF US, YOURSELF INCLUDED.
IT'S BEEN SAID MANY TIMES HERE THIS EVENING THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU, DANIEL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY IT, BUT WE REALLY MEAN IT.
MEMBER MARTINEZ REALLY HIT IT ON THE HEAD WHEN HE SAYS THAT YOU UNTURNED MANY ROCKS THAT HAVE BEEN TURNOVER IN A VERY LONG TIME, I CAN SAY IN OVER A DECADE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR DIRECTION AND YOUR STEADY LEADERSHIP THROUGH THIS TRANSITION.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A TURBULENT YEAR, A TURBULENT MONTH WITH SO MUCH GOING ON.
I APPRECIATE YOUR FULFILL YOUR PROMISE AND WORK TO FULFILL YOUR PROMISE TO GET US THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR, GET THE BUDGET DONE AMONG OTHER THINGS WITH THE TRANSITION TO MR. HURLBERT.
MY FINAL COMMENTS, I GUESS OUR INVITATION, THAT IS AN INVITATION FOR THE RESIDENTS AND YOU ALL TO JOIN US THIS FRIDAY.
WE'LL BE HAVING THE FIRST CAREER AND RESOURCE FAIR SINCE THE LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN LIFTED, THAT WAS TODAY, HAPPY REOPENING DAY.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE A DUTY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY JOBS TO OUR RESIDENTS AT THIS TIME, GIVING THEM THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO COME OUT AND TO THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD.
THAT ALSO LENS AND WORKS IN TANDEM WITH OUR EFFORTS COMMUNITY WIDE TO REALLY IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THIS YEAR PUTTING FORTH IDEAS, INITIATIVES, ACTIVITIES, SOLUTIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH IN HOPES OF IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT IN ONE HAND, WE MAY HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE MUST ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITY.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID, AND IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE, NOTHING STOPS A BULLET BETTER THAN A JOB.
WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE FRIDAY WITH OVER 100 JOBS EMPLOYERS WHO ARE READY TO FILL THESE POSITIONS FOR OUR YOUTH AND ANYONE WHO'S WILLING TO COME OUT AND GET A JOB AND BE A CONSTRUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THE [INAUDIBLE] IS OPEN AS ALL MY INVITATIONS ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO YOU ALL, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY HAVE YOU AT THIS ONE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT WAS GOING TO BE POST CELEBRATION, BUT WE'LL STILL HAVE A CELEBRATION IN HONOR OF THE COMMUNITY HERE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
I HOPE THAT SOME OF YOU WILL HOLD TRUE TO YOUR STATEMENTS PREVIOUSLY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU OUT THERE WITH US STANDING SIDE-BY-SIDE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
[03:35:01]
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO END WITH THESE FEW FACTS.SUICIDE IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AGES OF 10-24.
LGBT YOUTH SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATE SUICIDE AT ALMOST THREE TIMES THE RATE OF HETEROSEXUAL YOUTHS.
LGBT YOUTH ARE ALMOST FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY TO HAVE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE COMPARED TO HETEROSEXUAL YOUTH, AND I PUT MYSELF IN THAT CATEGORY.
OF ALL THE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS MADE BY THE YOUTH, LGBT YOUTH SUICIDE ATTEMPTS WERE ALMOST FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY TO REQUIRE MEDICAL TREATMENT THAN THOSE OF THE HETEROSEXUAL YOUTH.
SOMEBODY STATED EARLIER, OUR VOTES AND ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE ACTIONS TAKEN TONIGHT WILL AS WELL.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT, THE LIVELY DISCUSSION, AND EVERYONE'S WORK.
YOU [INAUDIBLE] HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
[NOISE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.