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AT[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THIS POINT I'D LIKE FOR, UH, US TO GET OUR EXPLANATION FROM OUR INTERPRETER ON OUR SERVICES FOR THIS EVENING'S MEETING.THERE IS INTERPRET AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND AS A REMINDER, IF WE COULD PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES OR ANY DEVICES, UH, IN THE CHAMBER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
WITH THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, UH, LIVE WEBCAST OF THE MEETING CAN BE VIEWED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UH, NOTICE AGENDA AND INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY'S WEBSITE INFORMS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY MAY SUBMIT A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT OR A PUBLIC COMMENT ON A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, EITHER IN PERSON AND BY FILLING OUT ONE OF THESE SLIPS AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE AT THE, UH, BACK OF THE AUDITORIUM AND GETTING THOSE OVER TO OUR, UH, CLERK'S DESK AND, OR BY PRE-REGISTERING, THEY CAN, UH, COME ON BY ZOOM, BY PRE-REGISTERING ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, NO LATER THAN FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING OR EMAILING NO LATER THAN FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING.
AND ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE IF RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE.
WITH THAT, IF WE COULD HAVE ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA PRESENT, VICE MAYOR IMANI.
IF WE COULD PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
REMAIN STANDING FOR THE INVOCATION, PLEASE.
AND WOULD, UH, MEMBER MOLINA, PLEASE LEAD US READY PLEDGE.
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 LIBERTY, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
LORD GOD, WE THANK YOU THAT WE COULD GATHER HERE TODAY AS CITIZENS OF THIS FINE CITY.
WE THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE HERE WITH US, THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US LIFE, AND WE PRAY FOR NATIONAL CITY.
WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR HAND, A BLESSING UPON IT, AND UPON EACH ONE OF US, HELP US AS CITIZENS TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR, AND TO ALWAYS PUT YOU FIRST.
WE PRAY, LORD GOD, THAT FOR YOUR PROTECTION UPON OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UPON OUR FIREMEN, LORD GOD, UPON THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY, WE PRAY, LORD, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE MAYOR, FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
WE PRAY, LORD GOD, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM WISDOM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE.
LORD, WE GIVE YOU THIS DAY, WE GIVE YOU ALL THE HONOR AND GLORY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND YOUR KINDNESS.
WOULD YOU IDENTIFY THE, THE CHURCH THAT YOU'RE WITH? MY NAME IS ERIC MARTIN.
I'M FROM HORIZON, SOUTH BAY CHURCH.
[5. PUBLIC COMMENT]
WE GET INTO PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT FOUR, SO WE WILL GIVE THREE MINUTES EACH PERSON.AND, UH, SO IF WE COULD START OUT WITH, UH OH, MIKE MEJIA.
THERE HE IS, BE FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY SCHROCK TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAKE SCOT.
WELL, COUNSEL, I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, SOMETHING SCARY THAN GOING INTO A BURNING BUILDING, UH, WITH JUST THE HOST.
UH, APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS AGO, UH, I SAW A BIT ON LOCAL NEWS ABOUT A SCHOOL IN LA JOLLA, UH, THAT WAS DOING AN EGG DROP COMPETITION OFF OF THE ICONIC GEISEL LIBRARY AT UCSD.
UH, AND, AND AT THE TIME I ASKED MYSELF, WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NATIONAL CITY? UH, SO I'VE BEEN FLOATING IDEA AND WORKING ON IT.
[00:05:01]
UH, AS YOU KNOW, NATIONALLY, FIREFIGHTERS TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THEIR DEPARTMENT AND IN THEIR STATION HEADQUARTERS, STATION 34.UH, WE ALSO TAKE PRIDE AT THAT STATION IS A COMMUNITY STATION.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO PRESENT AND INVITE YOU TO THE ANNUAL GREAT NATIONAL CITY FIRE TOWER EGG DROP COMPETITION WITH JOHN OTIS FIFTH GRADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, IT'LL BE HELD THIS 20, THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH, UH, AT 9:00 AM AT STATION 34.
UH, STUDENTS HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, IN TEAMS TO BUILD ENGINEER, UH, THEIR AG VEHICLES.
AND THESE VEHICLES WILL BE DROPPED BY FIREFIGHTERS OFF OF THE FIFTH STORY TOWER.
TO THE GROUND, UH, IT WILL BE PROMOTING STEM, WHICH IS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH.
UH, THOSE VEHICLES, UH, THAT SURVIVE WILL BE PUT IN A LOTTERY AND THE TEAM THAT WINS THAT LOTTERY, UH, WILL BE INVITED TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO THE FIRE STATION FOR DINNER.
UH, AND THAT'S BEING THIS YEAR CATERED BY SHAKE SHACK, UH, AS IS OUR SECOND YEAR.
UH, SO THERE WERE MANY HANDS THAT COLLABORATED ON THIS PROJECT, THE CITY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE LOCAL, UH, AND BUSINESS.
AND I WANT TO THANK THEM ALL AND THANK YOU.
NOW, THE KIDS ARE NOT GONNA RIDE THEIR PARACHUTE SOUND OR ANYTHING, ARE THEY? OKAY.
JEFFREY SCHROCK, HAVE WE FOLLOWED BY JAKE? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.
COUNCIL STAFF AND NATIONAL CITY RESIDENT.
I'M JEFFREY SCHROCK, VOLUNTEER WORKER FOR OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATE.
I'M HERE TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I STRONGLY SUPPORT CUSTOMER MEMBERS, BUSH AND JOSE
YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
YOU'RE A PART OF OUR NATIONAL CITY FAMILY.
YOU WE'RE GONNA GET REELECTED.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME FUN DOING THIS HERE.
LET'S HAVE FUN WITH OUR PEOPLE AND ATTRACT THEM TO WANT, MAKE THEM WANT TO VOTE.
AND, UH, I, I'M ASKING ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THEIR APPEAL OF STATE PROPOSITION 47.
IT'S TIME WE SAY GOODBYE TO THE GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD FOR THE HARDCORE CRIMINAL, CRIMINAL DRUG.
DRUG ADDICTS THAT SIMPLY WANNA AVOID THE LAW AND JUSTICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANNA GET TREATMENT.
THE NEW POLICY SHOULD BE, YOU GET TWO CHANCES OF GOING IN FRONT OF A JUDGE.
YOU DON'T GO TO REHAB THE THIRD TIME YOU'RE GOING TO JAIL OR PRISON.
THAT MEANS FOR POSSESSION OF THINGS LIKE METHAMPHETAMINE, HEROIN, COCAINE.
WE GO BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
IT'S TIME WE INVOKE TOUGH LOVE.
DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN, NOT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE JUNKIES AND THE DRUG ADDICTS.
AND BELIEVE ME, THAT STUFF CONTRIBUTES TO THE HOMELESS ACTIVITY.
IF YOU DON'T THINK DECRIMINALIZATION DRUG LAWS ARE DONE DAMAGE TO OUR STATE AND OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTY, THEN YOU'RE SADLY MISTAKEN.
ALL WE WE ARE ALLOWING 'EM TO DO IS CONTINUE TO DO MORE DAMAGE TO THEMSELVES.
WHEN THEY DON'T SHOW UP FOR COURT, IT GOES ON THEIR CREDIT BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL MATTER.
SO THEY'RE SCREWING THEMSELVES ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT.
AND IT'S TIME WE CAN INVOKE TOUGH LOVE.
LET'S DO WHAT'S GOOD BY THE KIDS, BY OUR YOUTH, OUR TEENAGERS.
GET THE DOPE OUTTA THEIR FACES.
LET'S CLEAN IT UP AND GO BACK TO THE WAY WE DID THINGS IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
UH, SO I'M ASKING THE FULL COUNSELS FOR YOU GUYS TO ENDORSE THE APPEAL OF STATE PROPOSITION 47.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED FUEL DEPOT IN THE WEST SIDE.
THAT WOULD INVOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION BY RAIL LOADING AND DISTRIBUTION BY DIESEL TRUCKS OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN OUR COMMUNITY ON OUR STREETS, THERE ARE AMPLE UNDISPUTED FACTS THAT TOGETHER WARRANT THE DENIAL OF THE PERMIT APPLICATION.
FIRST, CORPORATIONS LIKE USDG FUEL HAVE A SOLE PURPOSE, MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER VALUE.
AND THAT SOLE PURPOSE OFTEN LEADS TO SHORTSIGHTEDNESS CUT CORNERS AND EFFORTS TO LIMIT LIABILITY.
SECOND, THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY, THE TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL WOULD PUT OUR COMMUNITY AT A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF SUBSTANTIAL HARM AND INCREASED POLLUTION.
THIRD, THE PROPOSED DEPOT WOULD BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING MY OWN AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY CENTERS, PUBLIC PARKS, OTHER BUSINESSES, INCLUDING CONSUMER AND FOOD SERVICES THAT SUPPORT A SAFE, HEALTHY, VIBRANT ECONOMY AND ESSENTIAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HUBS LIKE THE MTS TROLLEY.
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THE PROJECT WOULD RESULT IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN OTHER CITIES AND OTHER PARTS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.PUTTING THOSE COMMUNITIES IN VITAL ECOSYSTEMS AT RISK AND PUTTING IN JEOPARDY ARE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THESE UNDISPUTED FACTS SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWEIGH ANY ECONOMIC BENEFIT DERIVED FROM THE FUEL DEPOT.
NOW, I'M CONFIDENT WHEN THE MATTER IS AN AGENDA ITEM BEFORE THIS BODY, YOUR DEEP ROOTED COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, YOUR COMMUNITY WILL LEAD TO THE ONLY REASONABLE OUTCOME FIVE VOTES AGAINST THE FUEL DEPOT.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
HI, I'M HERE TO, UM, ALERT YOU OF A POTENTIAL FARCE, AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE RENT CONTROL INITIATIVE BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT CALLS ITSELF THE NATIONAL CITY, UH, DEMOCRATIC CLUB.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE'LL BE HEARING A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF RENT CONTROL.
BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING HERE, WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IS THAT, UM, I THINK THERE'S FAKE ORGANIZATIONS, THERE ARE PROPONENTS OF RENT CONTROL.
UH, THE, THIS ORGANIZATION I CALLED, UH, THE NATIONAL CITY DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
UH, I ATTEMPTED TO GO TO THIS MEETING.
I'M A DEMOCRAT, I'M A NATIONAL CITY PERSON, BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE.
SO I THOUGHT I'D GO AND LISTEN AND GET MYSELF EDUCATED ON THIS.
BUT, UM, WHEN I SHOWED UP, I WAS TOLD NO, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS IS A PRIVATE MEETING, ALTHOUGH IT, THE, THE ADVERTISEMENT SAID, YOU KNOW, BRING A FRIEND AND BRING A DEMOCRATIC FRIEND.
AND, UH, I WAS TURNED, I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, SINCE, UM, I DIDN'T PAY FOR THE, FOR MY, UH, FEES, I ASKED IF I COULD PAY FOR MY FEES AT THAT MEETING AND I COULD JOIN.
THEN THEY SAID, NO, YOU CAN'T BECAUSE YOU HADN'T, UH, YOU HAVEN'T.
THE THE TIME TO PAY WOULD'VE BEEN THREE MONTHS BEFORE WHEN THEY ENDORSED JOSE RODRIGUEZ, I GUESS.
AND SO THE DOOR HAS CLOSED FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN.
AND, UM, IT'S, AND OF ALL PEOPLE, IT'S THIS.
JOSE SERTA, I GUESS, IS, UH, THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT HE WAS GONNA, UH, HIRE FOR HIS CONSULTANT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, IT WAS CINDY, UH, CINDY LOPEZ, WHO WAS THE COORDINATOR.
SO, AND THERE WAS ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE THERE.
I WASN'T ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT MAYBE I WASN'T A PAID MEMBER, SO I WASN'T ALLOWED TO VOTE OR MAKE COMMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, THERE'S FAKE RENT CONTROL INITIATIVES THAT HAVE POLITICAL INFLUENCES AND ARE ARE I THINK, UM, NATURALLY, UH, JOSE RODRIGUEZ IS, UH, LEADING THE CAUSE.
SO, UH, THIS IS THE SAME JOSE SERTA, WHO WHEN I SHOWED UP TO, UH, A MEETING HERE AT, UH, AT THE CITY, HE REPRESENTED HIMSELF AS A CITY EMPLOYEE REPRESENTING, UH, UH, THE CITY'S ATTORNEY.
NOW, HE SHAKES HIS HAND, SHAKES HIS HEAD.
UH, I, I SUGGEST YOU TALK TO JOSE SERTA IF YOU WANNA CONFIRM THIS, JOSE.
'CAUSE HE'S THE ONE, I DUNNO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING I DID I SAY YOU WERE THERE.
THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAVE UNDER, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR MORRISON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A PARENT AND A YOUTH MENTOR FOCUSED ON MARIJUANA PREVENTION.
DECADES AGO, PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT SECONDHAND TOBACCO SMOKE WAS NOT HARMFUL.
BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH HAS CHANGED THIS PERCEPTION LEADING TO SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS.
LIKEWISE, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND PEER REVIEWED, PUBLISHED, PUBLISHED STUDIES PROVE THAT EXPOSURE TO SECONDHAND MARIJUANA SMOKE HAS SIMILAR CONSEQUENCES.
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN NON-SMOKERS RIGHTS FOUNDATION, SECONDHAND MARIJUANA SMOKE CONTAINS FINE PARTICLES THAT CAN BE BREATHED DEEPLY INTO THE LUNGS.
THESE PARTICLES CAUSE LUNG IRRITATION, ASTHMA ATTACKS, AND RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS EXACERBATING PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONCERNS.
MARIJUANA THAT'S CONSUMED BY VAPORS, VAPE PENS AND DAB RINGS PRODUCES A CHEMICAL AEROSOL THAT POLLUTES AIR TO UNHEALTHY LEVELS, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MERCURY, CADMIUM, NICKEL LEAD, HYDROGEN CYANIDE, CRON CHROMIUM,
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AND THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF AMMONIA ARE FOUND IN MARIJUANA SMOKE THAT IS IN THAT IS IN TOBACCO SMOKE.THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY HAS INTEREST IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT MAXIMIZES PROFITS AT THE COST OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
SIMILAR TO THE TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, AND FOOD INDUSTRIES, THEY'RE MARKETING DIRECTLY TO OUR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH FRUITY AND SWEET FLAVORS IN HOPES OF ADDICTING THEM.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT MUST CREATE POLICIES WORKING TO PROTECT PROGRESS MADE IN CREATING SMOKE-FREE AIR IN OUR STATE AND CITY, AND FOCUS ON LIMITING THE DAMAGE TO THE HEALTH OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
THE YOUNG, THE OLD, AND THOSE WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO SMOKE MARIJUANA HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT EVERYONE BE EDUCATED ON THE HARMS OF SMOKING MARIJUANA, THE HARM TO THEIR HEALTH AND THE DEVASTATING UNINTENDED HARM TO THOSE AROUND THEM.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF A COALITION OF PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS UNITED WITH PAVE A NATIONAL APPEARANCE AGAINST VAPING ORGANIZATION.
PAVE HAS A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY TO STEM THE SALE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO, E-CIGARETTE AND VAPE PRODUCTS THAT, THOUGH ILLEGAL KEEP POPPING UP IN SMOKE SHOPS AND SMALL RETAIL OUTLETS UNDER EVOLVING NEW NAMES AND LABELS AND ASSESSMENT SHOWS.
THEY'RE AVAILABLE HERE, BUT STORE OWNERS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THEIR ILLEGALITY.
THE PROBLEM IS, ONCE THESE ILLEGAL FLAVORED VAPE PRODUCTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND PULLED FROM SHELVES, MANUFACTURERS QUICKLY DESIGN NEW DISCREETLY FLAVORED ILLEGAL PRODUCTS THAT POP BACK UP IN THEIR PLACE.
IT'S LIKE A CONTINUOUS GAME OF WHACK-A-MOLE.
SOME PRODUCTS HAVE WHAT ARE CALLED CONTEXT FLAVORS.
THEIR NAMES HINT OF FLAVORS THAT ARE DISGUISED IN THE PRODUCT, BUT NOT EXPLICITLY NAMED ON THE PACKAGING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THESE PRODUCTS FEED THE VAPING EPIDEMIC AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OUR LOCALITY.
I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO ENGAGE IN ASSESSMENT AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT LOCAL YOUTH FROM THE SALE OF THESE RECURRENT ILLEGAL FLAVORED TOBACCO VAPES BY THOSE WHO TRY TO BEAT THE SYSTEM.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION TO ALERT RETAILERS TO THEIR ILLEGALITY, BECAUSE IT'S OFTEN CONFUSING TO DISTINGUISH TOBACCO PRODUCTS THAT ARE LEGAL FROM THOSE THAT ARE NOT.
I'M HERE AS A YOUTH GROUP, UM, MENTOR.
ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR IS ABOUT TO END, AND SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE THAT FIRST TIME USE OF MOST SUBSTANCES PEAK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, TEENS HAVE MORE UNSTRUCTURED TIME WITH, UH, WITH SUMMER SEEING AN INCREASE, A 30% INCREASE IN SUBSTANCE, UM, ABUSE AND USE, ESPECIALLY WITH MARIJUANA.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MARIJUANA IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED DRUG AMONG OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPAIRED LEARNING, LOSS OF MEMORY FOR OUR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS.
THE IMPAIRMENT INCREASES WITH MORE FREQUENT USE AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS USE MARIJUANA FOR MANY REASONS, INCLUDING CURIOSITY, PEER PRESSURE, WANTING TO FIT IN WITH FRIENDS.
SOME USE TO COPE WITH ANXIETY, STRESS, EVEN DEPRESSION.
UNFORTUNATELY, TEENS SOMETIMES FEEL THEY ARE INVINCIBLE, BUT THE TRUTH IS THEY MAY BE SETTING THEMSELVES UP FOR THE UNFORESEEN DANGERS IN THEIR FUTURE.
ULTIMATELY, MANY FACTORS INTO WHY YOUNG PEOPLE DECIDE TO USE MARIJUANA, INCLUDING THEIR ENVIRONMENT AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, OR IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO REALIZE THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE AND THE RISK OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MARIJUANA BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL PUT OUR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS ON A PATH TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
AND MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE WRITTEN COMMENT, UM, THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY A COALITION FOR FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND CON IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[6.1 Proclamation - Emergency Medical Services Week ]
WE GO INTO OUR PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS.WE DO HAVE TWO PROCLAMATIONS THIS EVENING.
UH, FIRST ONE IS EMERGENCY MEDICAL
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SERVICES WEEK.AND EER, UH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES BASICALLY CAME ON THE FOREFRONT DURING THE CIVIL WAR HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND, AND IN THE PAST IT WAS KIND OF, UH, UM, ASSOCIATED MUCH MORE WITH WARFARE.
AND NOW IT'S MUCH MORE, UH, WE THINK OF IT MUCH MORE ON THE CIVILIAN LEVEL AND, AND IN EVERY, IN OUR EVERYDAY, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND SO IT WAS FIRST PROCLAIMED AS AN EMERGENCY MED MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK, UH, BY GERALD FORD BACK IN 1974.
SO THAT MEANS THIS IS ACTUALLY THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY, UH, OF MEDICAL SERVICE WEEK.
AND, UH, SO WE, WE KNOW IT'S, IT'S LIKE, UM, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT INSURANCE POLICIES.
IT IS A HUGE INSURANCE POLICY WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH THINGS AS THEIR, UH, NOT ONLY IN OUR CASE WE HAVE A MR, WE ALSO HAVE OUR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HIMSELF WITH THE, UH, PARAMEDICS.
UM, AND OUR DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE JUST AUTOMATICALLY EXPECT TO BE THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE, WE KNOW THAT IF WE HIT 9 1 1, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE GONNA ARRIVE.
AND, UH, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE EASY THINGS TO TAKE FOR GRANTED AND FOR WHAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT GOING INTO A, UH, WHETHER IF IT'S GOING INTO A, A, A FIERY BUILDING, UH, OR YOU KNOW, OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ON A BICYCLE THAT GOT GOT HURT OR WHAT, ALL, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM ONE EXTREME TO ANOTHER.
ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WHICH HAPPENED, UH, IN THE SAME WAY WHEN WE HAD THE FLOODS, EMERGENCY SERVICES, WERE OUT THERE CONSTANTLY, UH, IN DEALING WITH ALL THESE ISSUES.
SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, COMMEMORATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND NEVER TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED FOR THE WORK THAT IS DONE THAT WE ALWAYS EXPECT TO BE THERE.
BUT WE, AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW AND HAVE ASSURANCE THAT WE HAVE THE VERY BEST PROFESSIONALS THERE TO DO THAT WORK AND TO BE THAT INSURANCE POLICY FOR ALL OF US WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, WE'D LIKE TO DECLARE THIS, THE EMERGENCY, UH, MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK.
I KNOW WE GOT A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, THIS IS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST NATIONAL EMS WEEK.
THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S EMS WEEK IS HONORING THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO CHALLENGED THE STATUS QUO AND RAISED THE BAR FOR ALL OF US.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON THEIR EFFORTS AND, AND COMMITTING OURSELVES TO FORGE A FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF EMS PROFESSIONALS TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES.
YOUR FIREFIGHTERS IN NATIONAL CITY TAKE IMMENSE PRIDE IN THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S REALLY A TRUE PASSION FOR THEM.
WE WERE THE FIRST DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS, AND TODAY WE HAVE 26 PARAMEDICS EMPLOYED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CONTINUE TO TRAIN MORE.
SO FAR IN 2024, WE HAVE RESPONDED TO OVER 3000 EMS RESPONSES, BUT HAVEN'T DONE SO WE'LL KNOW.
OUR EMS PARTNER IN NATIONAL CITY AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE HAVE BEEN RIGHT THERE WITH US ANSWERING THE CALL.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP WILBER DAN AND HIS TEAM FROM MAYOR MARK TO ACCEPT THEIR PROCLAMATION.
WELL, YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD? YES, SIR.
YOU GUYS ARE VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH.
REST THE COUNCIL HERE AND THANK OKAY.
AND WE'RE GONNA, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU GUYS WILL GO AND STAND IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM, SO, SO YOU'RE NOT, IT'S NOT HIDING YOU.
AND THEN WE WILL BE BEHIND YOU.
IF YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, WE'D LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING.
OH, WE, WE, WE APPRECIATE RECOGNITION.
THAT'S, WE'RE JUST DOING OUR JOBS.
[6.2 Proclamation - National Public Works Week ]
OUR NEXT ONE IS, UH, A LITTLE ON THE INTERNAL SIDE HERE.AND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST AS THEY RESPOND, WE HAVE A GROUP HERE IN TOWN THAT IS BASICALLY 24 HOURS RESPONSE NO MATTER WHAT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER COMES DOWN THE PIKE, UH, HAS TO BE OUT THERE.
WHETHER, IF IT'S NORMAL WORK HOURS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHETHER IF IT'S WHATEVER.
I REMEMBER THE, THE MORNING OF OUR FLOOD IN JANUARY, UH, I WENT OVER TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT 18TH STREET WAS DOING BY HOOVER.
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AND, AND WHAT THEY HAD, THEY HAD SOME, SOME OF THOSE, UH, A-FRAME SIGNS AND THEY HAD 'EM DOWN AT THE STREET TO BASICALLY LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT STREET WAS GONNA BE FLOODED.DON'T GO ON THE STREET, THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM.
AND SO NOBODY GOT TO SEE THE SIGNS.
AND HERE WE HAD, AND AS I SAY, THIS WAS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND HERE WE HAD, UH, PUBLIC WORKS INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE WAITING OUT THROUGH THE AIR AND THE WATER WAS UP ABOVE THEIR, WELL, ABOVE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR WASTE AND GOING OUT THERE TO RETRIEVE THE SIGNS SO THEY COULD PUT 'EM UP HIGHER UP ON THE HILL TO TELL PEOPLE DON'T DRIVE INTO IT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO WHETHER, IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY LIKE THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE DAILY WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY OUR, OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREWS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE TAKE ALL THAT STUFF FOR GRANTED.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND YET IF SOMETHING SITS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN THE TOWN THAT SITS THERE TOO LONG AND YOU GET THESE COMPLAINTS, A LOT THING'S BEEN SITTING THERE FOR THREE DAYS, NOBODY'S TOUCHED IT.
BUT WHEN IT GETS, WHEN YOU NEVER EVEN GOT TO SEE IT 'CAUSE IT GOT PICKED UP BEFORE YOU EVEN NOTICED IT, THE GRATITUDE A LOT OF TIMES DOESN'T, ISN'T THERE.
BUT WE GOT A FANTASTIC GROUP THAT GETS OVERWORKED AND, UH, UH, AND CERTAINLY, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT SOMETIMES UNDERAPPRECIATED AND WE NEVER WANT THEM TO FEEL UNDERAPPRECIATED.
SO THEREFORE, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DO COMMEMORATE TIMES LIKE THIS.
AND THIS IS NATIONAL, UH, PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
I WAS, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
WELL, SHOULD I DO? I HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION.
YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? OH MY GOSH.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WELL, WE GOT YOU ALL UP HERE.
LET'S DO THE PICTURE FIRST AND THEN WE'LL DO THE PRESENTATION.
NOW WELL MAR MARTHA, UH, WATER AS OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IS GONNA GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT? REALLY WANT TO, UH, SHOW SOME NICE PHOTOS, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT OUR CREWS PROVIDE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO TAKE A FEW, FEW MINUTES, UH, JUST TO LET THE COUNCIL AND PUBLIC KNOW HOW INCREDIBLY PROUD I AM OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS MEN AND WOMEN.
IT, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, IT IS A 24 7 JOB FOR ALL OF OUR, ALL OF THOSE WORKERS.
UM, MOST OF THEM, THEY'RE UP AT 4, 4 30 IN THE MOR MORNING.
THEY REPORT TO OUR, OUR YARD AT FIVE 30 AND 6, 6 30.
THEY'RE OUT IN THE FIELD DOING WORK.
THEY'RE KEEPING OUR STREETS CLEAN AND SAFE, OUR PARKS, AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR PEST TO, TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES, WHICH, WHICH ARE GETTING, GETTING OLD.
UM, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSE DURING THE FLOOD EVENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, IN ADDITION TO ALL THEIR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES, THEY WERE PUTTING IN EXTRA HOURS EVERY WEEK, CLEARING OUT OUR CHANNELS, UM, REMOVING INVASIVE VEGETATION SEDIMENT, MANMADE DEBRIS, UM, IN PREPARATION FOR THE RAINY SEASON.
AND THEN GEARING UP FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS PROJECTED TO BE A REASONABLE RAIN EVENT ABOUT AN INCH
UH, THEY STARTED ABOUT FOUR DAYS IN ADVANCE, AND THEY DID ANOTHER FULL SWEEP OF, OF OUR, OUR MAJOR CULVERTS AND CHANNELS.
AND, AND THEY WERE OUT THERE, UM, THAT NIGHT, EARLY THAT MORNING.
AND THEN WE JUST GOT POUNDED BY A CATASTROPHIC EVENT.
AND, UH, THEY WERE OUT TRYING TO CLOSE ROADS, UM, DIVERT PEOPLE SO THEY DON'T GET FLOODED AND ON THE STREETS.
AND I THINK WHAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE IS, IS WE'RE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS REMOVED FROM THAT EVENT.
THEY ARE STILL, OUR CREWS ARE STILL DOING CLEANUPS AND REPAIRS FOUR, FOUR MONTHS LATER, IN ADDITION TO HAVING TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR, THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, AGAIN, I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM.
I I CAN'T THANK THIS COUNCIL ENOUGH AND OUR CITY MANAGER FOR THE SUPPORT YOU ALWAYS GIVE.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS SUPPORT THEM.
[00:30:01]
UH, IT'S AN AMAZING COMMUNITY TO WORK FOR.OUR, OUR STAFF TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN PROVIDING THESE, THESE SERVICES EVERY DAY.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM.
AND THIS IS, THIS WEEK IS, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT WEEK TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT, AGAIN, FLIES UNDER THE RADAR QUITE A BIT.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PROVIDE A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION AND SOME PHOTOS HIGHLIGHTING THE, THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, MARTA JUAREZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF AS WELL.
IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT REALLY SIMPLE, BUT WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE, UH, NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK AND ALSO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR VERY OWN PUBLIC WORKS TEAM HERE IN NATIONAL CITY AS, AS STEVE OUR DIRECTOR HAS, HAS MENTIONED.
SO, UM, THIS IS JUST, UH, IT'S THE POSTER.
SO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, UH, OF WHICH WE'RE A MEMBER AGENCY, UM, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, AND IT CELEBRATES NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK AS OF SUNDAY, MAY 19TH THIS WEEK AND THIS YEAR.
THE THEME HERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS ADVANCING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
AND THE INTENT IS REALLY TO ILLUSTRATE TO ALL WHAT A CRITICAL ROLE PUBLIC WORKS TEAMS PLAY NATIONWIDE, WAY BEYOND WHAT MOST PEOPLE, PUBLIC, MOST PEOPLE TYPICALLY NOTICE, RIGHT? THAT THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT WITHIN OUR CITY, AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE.
UM, SO EVERY YEAR A PWA DEVELOPS A POST TO GRAPHICALLY DEPICT THAT THEME.
AND, AND IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN HERE, UM, JUST TO, UH, REALLY EMPHASIZE, UH, THE PEOPLE BEHIND PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, THESE ARE THE FOUR SUPERVISORS IN NATIONAL CITY.
THIS IS THE, THE TEAM OF LEADERS, UM, WHO RUN OUR DE OUR, THE PUBLIC WORK SIDE OF OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 50 POSITIONS HELD UNDER THESE FOUR DIVISIONS.
SO FLEET AND, AND EQUIPMENT LED BY RUBEN WETA.
AND LOOK AT HIM, LOOK AT HIM SMILING IN THAT PICTURE TOO.
WE, WE HAVE IN THIS PRESENTATION,
UM, AND, UH, FACILITIES IS LED BY CHRIS GARCIA.
UH, PARKS IS LED BY VICTOR VE AND STREETS AND WASTEWATER IS LED BY ARTURO GONZALEZ.
SO THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS MANAGE THE TEAMS THAT ARE COMMITTED AND HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS SERVING OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.
SO, VERY QUICKLY, RATHER THAN GO THROUGH A LIST OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TASKS AND THE SCOPE OF OUR JOBS, I JUST WANTED TO SPEND JUST A FEW SECONDS TO VERY QUICKLY SHOW YOU VISUALLY WITH SOME PHOTOS HOW OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREWS GET STUFF DONE.
SO HERE WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND FLEET MAINTENANCE DIVISION.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, REALLY FLEET PROVIDES REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE FOR ALL CITY VEHICLES, BIG AND SMALL.
YOU SEE HERE, UM, POLICE, FIRE HEAVY EQUIPMENT, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER EQUIPMENT ON BUILDINGS AND SO ON.
IT'S A FLEET OF MORE THAN 220 VEHICLES.
AND, AND, UM, REALLY, UH, NO TASK IS TOO BIG FOR OUR SMALL TEAM OF CURRENTLY JUST THREE MECHANICS, INCLUDING REUBEN, WHO ROLLS UP HIS SLEEVES EVERY DAY.
NOT ONLY THE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, BUT ALSO INCLUDING ALL THE CUSTODIAL WORK INSIDE, WHICH IS A DAILY OPERATION.
UH, PARTICULARLY OUR FACILITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES SUCH AS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE STATIONS, LIBRARY, POOL, YOUTH AND RECREATION CENTERS LIKE CASAL AND CAMACHO.
AND, AND, AND OUR TEAM TAKES CARE OF THAT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY WITH A LOT OF WORK ORDERS.
UM, THEN WE HAVE THE PARKS DIVISION.
THIS CREW NOT ONLY TAKES CARE OF ALL OF OUR FIVE PARKS, BUT ALSO THE STREET MEDIANS AND THE CITY FACILITY LANDSCAPING.
UH, THEY'RE SEEN HERE CLEANING UP SOME OF THOSE MEDIANS, DOING SOME MAJOR WEED ABATEMENT, TRIMMING TREES, MAINTAINING OUR SOFT AND HARDSCAPES AT OUR PARKS AND ATHLETIC FIELDS AS WELL, AMONG OTHER THINGS, UH, STREETS AND WASTEWATER DIVISION.
THE CREW HERE BASICALLY TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S OVER AND UNDER THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
SO THEY FIX POTHOLES, REPAIR SIDEWALKS, THEY DO WEED ABATEMENT, THEY MAINTAIN OUR
[00:35:01]
SEWER PIPES.THEY OPERATE AND CLEAN OUR STORM SYSTEM AND CHANNELS.
UM, AND THEN THIS SLIDE, I ALSO WANT TO REALLY POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAM VERY FITTING WITH THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S, YOU KNOW, UH, WEEK CELEBRATION, ADVANCING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAM FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, I BELIEVE.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT ON A ROTATING BASIS, EVERY SINGLE WEEK THERE'S A TEAM OF TWO PEOPLE THAT WORK A LITTLE BIT OFF SCHEDULE AND THEY FOCUS ON GOING AROUND THE CITY, PICKING UP TRASH AND ITEMS THAT END UP ON OUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
UM, THAT PICTURE IN THE TOP MIDDLE THERE IS ACTUALLY FROM THIS MORNING ALONE.
SO THAT WAS PROBABLY A 20 MINUTE DRIVE THROUGH A FEW STREETS IN THE CITY.
UH, THIS IS A DAILY ISSUE IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY AND ONE OF THE MANY EXAMPLES OF HOW OUR TEAMS, TEAM MEMBERS EXEMPLIFY THIS, UH, ADVANCING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL THAT WE REALLY TAKE PERSONALLY AND DELIVER ON EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE OUR TEAM AND FOR THE PROCLAMATION THAT YOU COMMEMORATED IT WITH TODAY.
I'M SO PROUD OF ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, WE ARE CELEBRATING TODAY, UH, HERE IN OUR ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I LOVE THIS PRESENTATION, MS. JUAREZ.
I THINK, UH, AND I MEAN ALL OF THE MEN HERE ARE SMILING.
I THINK THAT'S INDICATIVE OF, UH, THE FANTASTIC DEPARTMENT THAT IS THE ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND ALL OF THESE PICTURES ARE ALL OF, UM, INDIVIDUALS OUT ON THE FIELD.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE MADE SEVERAL, UH, REQUESTS VIA THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN IT JUST GETS DONE.
SO, UH, MARTHA, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THEY GET STUFF DONE AND THAT'S EXACTLY MY EXPERIENCE AND, AND I HOPE MANY PEOPLE IN NATIONAL CITY RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT ON THE FIELD, BUT ESPECIALLY ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT ALSO WORKS EXTREMELY HARD.
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF HEARING FROM MS. ZA GONZALEZ JUST LAST WEEK ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT, UM, SPECIFICALLY EVELYN NUNEZ, CARLY BATTLE, AND JENNIFER QUINTERO DO FOR THIS TEAM.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF WE WEREN'T HIGHLIGHTING THEM AS WELL.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT DOES, UH, THAT GETS STUFF DONE FOR US HERE IN NATIONAL CITY.
I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT, THAT WORK THAT GETS DONE OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAVE NO, UH, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT.
[8.1 Appointments: City Boards, Commissions, and Committees – City Council Interview and Appointment for the Civil Service Commission]
GO INTO INTERVIEWS AND APPOINTMENTS.WE HAVE, UH, ONE POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT AND THIS IS FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
AND SO I WOULD ASK IF, UH, GILMORE IS GILMORE IN THE AUDIENCE NOT SEEING HIM HERE, AND, UM, DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE HAS BEEN INTERVIEWED FOR THIS, HUH? NO, MAYOR, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO, UM, GILMORE, UH, THROUGH PHONE AND EMAIL OKAY.
OVER THE LAST WEEK AND DID NOT RECEIVE AN RSVP CONFIRMATION BACK.
BUT WE WERE HOPING FINGERS CROSSED THAT THEY WERE GONNA SHOW UP.
SO WE CAN MAKE, MAKE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO SEE IF POSSIBLE, MAYBE, HOPEFULLY THEY WERE OUT OF TOWN OR SOMETHING.
AND, UH, UH, MAKE ANOTHER ATTEMPT ON THAT.
WE DO HAVE TWO OPENINGS AVAILABLE ON OUR CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND SO THAT WE ONLY HAD JUST THE ONE APPLICANT.
SO WE WILL HOLD THAT OVER AND, UH, SEE IF WE CAN MAKE ANOTHER ATTEMPT ON THAT.
[9. REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS]
WITH THAT WE WILL GO INTO, UH, REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS.I WILL, UH, START OVER HERE ON OUR LEFT.
JUST WANTED TO REPORT THAT AT THE LAST SAND DAX, UH, MOBILITY WORKING GROUP MEETING, WE HAD A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE REGIONAL ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO, AND SAND DAX STAFF IS TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE, UH, EVS BEING PURCHASED IN COMMUNITIES LIKE NATIONAL CITY, WHERE WE HAVE GENERALLY A LOWER, UH, INCOME, UH, 60% AREA MEDIUM INCOME ARE BELOW.
UM, AS WELL AS LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST, UH, ISSUE THAT WE HAVE FOR, UM, EV VEHICLE EXPANSIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND I MEAN THROUGHOUT THE US BUT SO, SO THEY'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TO TRY TO FIND SOME SOLUTIONS AND SOME EQUITY WHEN IT COMES TO INCENTIVIZING EVS BEING PURCHASED IN COMMUNITIES LIKE NATIONAL CITY.
[00:40:01]
UPDATE ON, UM, UH, FLEXIBLE FLEETS AND PILOTS.SO WE HAVE OUR FRANK AND NATIONAL CITY.
UH, THERE ARE ABOUT NINE OF THESE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IN A TON OF DIFFERENT AREAS, INCLUDING PB, OB DOWNTOWN, ALL CLOUD, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
SO THEY ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO WORK FOR PERMANENT FUNDING SOURCES AND FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE OF THESE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION, UH, WHICH IS ALL WELL AND GOOD.
UH, AND TOMORROW I WILL BE, UM, MEETING FOR THE, UM, UH, FOR CALCO.
UM, IT IS A LEGISLATIVE DAY, SO WE WILL BE, UM, UH, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, UH, CALCO FUNDING IS NOT CUT AS MUCH.
AND, UM, THERE IS A PROPOSED CUT OF ABOUT 50% OF THE FUNDING STATEWIDE FOR, UH, HOUSING AND HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UH, AND HOUSING PLANNING PROGRAMS. SO LET'S SEE WHAT WE COULD DO.
BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S OUR TASK FOR TOMORROW THROUGH SANDAG AND CALCO.
UH, OVER HERE ON THE FAR RIGHT.
UH, THE SANDAG BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, UM, HAPPENED, UH, MAY 10TH.
WE DID TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, THE BIKE ANYWHERE DAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY BIKE ANYWHERE MONTH.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WERE ABLE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES, BUT, UH, I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THE ENDEAVOR AND, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAD A VERY GOOD TURNOUT THIS YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY, I WASN'T ABLE TO GET ON A BIKE AND GO, BUT, UM, I, I DO DEFINITELY, IT'S ON MY BUCKET LIST, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE IT THE WHOLE LOOP AROUND, UM, THE, UH, BAY SHORE BIKEWAY ON A BIKE AND, AND NOT FALL OVER HOPEFULLY
UM, BUT IT IS TRUE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU'VE RIDDEN A BIKE, WHICH IS MY CASE LAST YEAR, I DID TRY IT AND I WAS SURPRISED.
YEAH, IT'S JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, THE EQUILIBRIUM WAS THERE, I WAS FINE.
NOTHING HAPPENED, NOTHING BAD HAPPENED.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO THERE, THAT HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL ENDEAVOR.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BE MEETING AGAIN THIS COMING FRIDAY, AND OF COURSE THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO JOIN US, THE MEETINGS, UM, STARTING IN THE MORNING, AND, UH, THEY ARE HELD DOWNTOWN AND IT'S, UH, VERY CONVENIENT TO TAKE THE TROLLEY.
I, I HOP ON, UH, 24TH STREET STATION, TAKE IT DOWN TO, UH, THE FIFTH AVENUE STATION DOWNTOWN, AND IT'S JUST, UM, LESS THAN HALF A BLOCK, UH, INTO THE WELLS FARGO BUILDING.
SO YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THE WATER AGENCIES.
UM, AS, UH, PREVIOUS WEEKS WE'VE BEEN, UH, DOING OUR, UH, BUDGET STUDY AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE'S NOT MUCH TO REPORT, MAYOR.
I SAY BASICALLY SAME THING WITH, UH, SWEETWATER AUTHORITY.
WE WILL MOVE ON, UH, WITH THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY, NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER REPORTS COMING FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THOSE.
UM, THE, UH, WELL, WE, WE SHOULD, SHOULD MAYBE MAKE ON ONE STATEMENT THAT WOULD BE ON THE, UH, UH, THE PORT COMMISSION.
UH, AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, UH, THAT WAS, WHAT WAS, THAT WAS LAST, LAST TUESDAY, OR LAST WEDNESDAY, WASN'T IT? WEDNESDAY I THINK IT WAS.
UM, AND, UH, AS I SAY, UH, I THINK SOME EXCITING NEWS FOR US, THERE WAS A, THEIR WHOLE, IT WAS BASICALLY ABOUT THEIR BUDGET AND IT WAS THEIR, THEIR BUDGET MEETING.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT PROBABLY OF THE CONVERSATION IN THAT BUDGET MEETING, PROBABLY 80% OF IT WAS ABOUT NATIONAL CITY.
UM, AND THE, UH, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, BASICALLY ALL BASICALLY CAME OUT AND SAID, WE NEED TO DO SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME SERIOUS WORK, FINANCIAL WORK DEALING WITH NATIONAL CITY.
UH, SO WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY TOOK WITH A COUPLE OF, UH, UH, THEY, THEY, THERE WAS A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, WHICH THEY ACCEPTED FOR THE BASIC BUDGET.
THEY HAVE A SURPLUS AMOUNT, WHICH WAS SEPARATE, UH, THE BASIC BUDGET.
THEY, THEY LEFT IT, UH, WHAT WAS PROPOSED, BASICALLY THE SAME WITH ONE BIG EXCEPTION.
CURRENTLY, THERE IS A MYTH, A, UH, A MITIGATION IMPACT FEE THAT IS FOR BASICALLY NATIONAL CITY OF MARIO LOGAN.
AND IT COMES OFF THE REVENUES OFF THE TWO TERMINALS.
AND IT CURRENTLY, IT STARTED OUT AT ONE HALF PERCENT, UH, AND THEN IT WENT TO, UH, 1%, AND NOW IT IS CURRENTLY AT 2%.
AND THEY VOTED THE OTHER DAY TO MOVE THAT UP TO 4%.
SO IT WILL BASICALLY, UH, MAKE AVAILABLE FOR, UH, FOR US AND FOR BARRIO LOGAN ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS PER YEAR, UH, OF ADDITIONAL MITIGATION, OFFSITE MITIGATION.
AND, UH, WHICH A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THEY TOLD US LEGALLY THEY COULDN'T DO THAT.
AND WE GOT OUR NOSE, YOU KNOW, THE CAMEL'S NOSE UNDER THE TENT WITH THE HALF PERCENT BACK THEN, UH, THAT WAS UNDER SOME THREATS OF SOME DIFFERENT STUFF AND SOME LITIGATION.
[00:45:01]
AND THEY CAME UP AND SAID, OKAY, OH, WE, WE THINK WE CAN DO A HALF PERCENT.WELL NOW THAT'S MOVED TO 4%, SO A MUCH LARGER NUMBER, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DEAL WITH A WHOLE LOT BETTER.
THEN THEY CAME UP WITH, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH THEIR SURPLUS MONEY? AND THERE'S ABOUT $26 MILLION THIS YEAR OF SURPLUS, AND SO WHAT, WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH THAT? AND SO THEY STARTED COMING UP WITH SOME IDEAS, AND THEN THE BREAKS GOT PUT ON AND SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, WE STILL, 'CAUSE I GOT UP AND I DID REQUEST THAT WE HAVE SOME MEETINGS WITH BETWEEN US AND THEM.
AND, UH, THEY, UH, THEY SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, WE HAVEN'T DEALT WITH NATIONAL CITY YET.
SO THEY'RE BRINGING BACK THEIR, THERE'S BUDGET ON JUNE 18TH, AND IT WILL BE WHAT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON THE BUDGET PLUS MOVING THAT UP TO 4%.
THEN THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE GONNA ADDRESS THE SURPLUS AFTER THEY MEET WITH US.
AND SO THEY WANNA MEET WITH US FIRST TO SEE WHAT NEEDS, NOT NEEDS TO COME FROM THE PORT TO US FOR LEGITIMATE PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, AND THAT WE CAN MOVE, MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
SO THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS WILL BE HELD IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS AND IN, IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR JUNE 18TH MEETING.
SO JUST DIDN'T WANNA REPORT ON THAT.
UH, SO THAT WAS ANOTHER REGIONAL, REGIONAL CONSIDERATION WITH THAT, THAT, UH, FINISHES OUR REGIONAL, UH, BOARDS AND REPORTS.
SO THAT'S, UH, GREAT PROGRESS.
UM, SO THE MSA, UH, DID, WAS THAT INCLUDED IN THE, UH, DISCUSSION? NO, THE RENEGOTIATING OF THE MSA, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY AGREED TO DO NEGOTIATION ON MSA.
BUT THAT, YEAH, THAT'S NOT PART, WHEN IS THAT COMING? UH, PROBABLY AS SOON AS WE GET DONE WITH THIS, THIS NEGOTIATION.
UH, AND, UH, AND REAL QUICKLY 'CAUSE PART BECAUSE THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY DOLLARS, SO THAT'S WHY I ASK OUR BUDGET.
AND, UH, YEAH, AND IT IS, UH, MUNICIPAL SERVICES AGREEMENT MSA, AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN THAT IT GOES ON A, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL SERVICE, UH, STATISTIC.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU ACTUALLY RESPOND? HOW MANY TIMES DO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPOND? HOW MANY TIMES DO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPOND? AND ONE OF THEIR ARGUMENTS IS CORONADO FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS AT LEAST AS, AS OFTEN AS WE DO, IF NOT MORE.
THE DIFFERENCE BEING WHAT THE CH WHAT THE CORONADO FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO IS COALS THAT WERE LEFT GOING IN A FIRE RING ON THE BEACH, WHAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO.
WE'VE GOT HUGE TANKS DOWN THERE THAT HAVE THOSE NICE BIG TRIANGLES ON 'EM THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT THEIR HAZARDOUS OR CORROSIVE CHEMICALS, ALL OF THIS KIND OF STUFF.
WE MAY ONLY HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE EVERY 5, 10, 20 YEARS.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR IT EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, THE TRAINING, EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT'S A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR GOING AND PUTTING UP WITH, YOU KNOW, SMALL LITTLE FIRES AND STUFF ON THE BEACH AND THINGS ALONG THAT LINE AS OPPOSED TO DEALING WITH ALL THE INDUSTRIAL STUFF.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE ONLY DOING IT ON AN INCIDENT RATE, THAT'S, THAT LOOKS ALL NICE AND PRETTY.
SO WHAT IT SHOWS IS THE FOUR CITIES GET BETWEEN 1.3 MILLION AND $1.5 MILLION PER YEAR BEING CHULA VISTA NATIONAL CITY, UH, CORONADO AND CITY OF SAN DIEGO, IMPERIAL BEACH GETS $5.3 MILLION, UH, PER YEAR FOR THEIR SERVICES.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA, THAT'S GONNA BE RE-LOOKED AT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T, AND THEY SAY, WELL, OKAY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE INTANGIBLES, NOT JUST A INCIDENT RATE TYPE OF THING, BUT WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO QUANTIFY IT SO THEY WANNA SIT DOWN AND SEE IF WE CAN'T QUANTIFY THOSE INTANGIBLES.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING VERY STRONGLY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THIS ONE, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, YEAH.
SO THAT AS SOON AS WE GET DONE WITH THIS ONE, THAT'S, THAT'S NEXT IN LINE.
[10. CONSENT CALENDAR]
NEXT WE GET INTO CONSENT CALENDARS 10, UH, ITEM 10.1 THROUGH 10 17, WE DO NEED TO PULL ITEM 10 10, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY REQUEST, UH, FROM THE AUDIENCE OR ANYTHING ON ANY ITEMS AND NOT SEE ANYTHING FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.IF NOT, COULD WE GET A MOTION MOVE? MOTION TO APPROVE MR. MAYOR? OKAY.
ALL, ALL OF 'EM WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 10.
UH, WITH THAT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND SO YOU KNOW, OUR DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
[10.10 Discussion Regarding Policy and Possible Removal of Parks, Recreation & Senior Citizens Advisory Committee Member Due to Unexcused Absences per City Council Policy No. 107]
10 TO BE PULLED BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, THE RECOMMENDATION IS PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF, KIND OF HARD TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF IF WE DON'T, DIDN'T, DON'T PULL IT.UM, SO WITH THAT, WE, UH, WE DO HAVE A REC RECOMMENDATION.
[00:50:01]
KNOW IF OUR CITY CLERK WANTED TO ADDRESS THIS OR I CAN ADDRESS IT WHICHEVER WAY YOU WANT IT.IT'S UP TO YOU, MAYOR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO IT, THAT'S FINE.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S ON THE PARKS RECREATION AND SENIOR CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT HAS NOT MADE A MEETING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, HAS NOT COMPLETED, AND AFTER CONTINUAL REQUESTING, HAS NOT COMPLETED ANY OF HIS REQUIRED, UM, OH, UH, OH.
A TRAINING THAT IS, THAT IS REQUIRED OF ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS.
AND SO, UH, BASICALLY THIS WOULD BE THE REMOVAL OF THIS INDIVIDUAL AND THEY'VE TRIED CONTACTING AND CANNOT MAKE ANY CONTACT WITH THEM.
AM I SAYING THOSE THINGS RIGHT? UH, MS. CHAPPEL, CORRECT? YES.
WE HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THEM TOO FOR THIS EXTENT.
SO THE BASIC RECOMMENDATION WAS PROVIDE DIRECTION STAFF IS TO REMOVE THIS PERSON BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN CONTACT, WE CANNOT CONTACT THEM.
THEY HAVE NOT ATTENDED ANY MEETINGS AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANY OF THEIR TRAINING.
THIS IS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD AND, UH, YOU DON'T NEED, I DON'T NEED TO PUT THAT ON.
UH, SO ANYWAY, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? UM HUH MR. MAYOR, MOVE TO RELIEVE, UH, THIS MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN, UM, ABSENT TO THIS COMMISSION AND, UM, I SO MOVE.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL OF 11 MEETINGS, HAS NOT MADE ANY OF THE 11 MEETINGS.
THERE ARE TWO REQUIRED MANDATORY TRAININGS, AND HE HAS, HAS NOT COMPLETE ANY OF THOSE DURING THAT, THAT THAT TOTAL PERIOD.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO YOU, NO MORE DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
[11.1 Notice of and Calling for the Holding of a General Municipal Election, and Request for Consolidation with the Statewide General Municipal Election]
NEXT WE GO INTO THE STAFF REPORTS AND CITY ATTORNEY IS THIS, YOU'RE GONNA GO BE YOUR FUN ONE? YEP.ARE WE GONNA BE ALRIGHT? WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO MISS CHAPEL.
IT'S THE CITY CLERK SHOW TONIGHT.
I WAS GOING TO, UM, TAKE ALL OF THE NEXT THREE ITEMS TOGETHER AND PRESENT THEM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ONE POINT OR 11.1.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ ALSO HAD A COMMENT, SO I CAN DO THAT ONE FIRST AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON FROM THERE.
UM, THESE ARE BASICALLY MINISTERIAL, UH, REPORTS TO, UM, COME TO COUNCIL.
WE JUST NEED TO RECEIVE YOUR APPROVAL TO NOTICE OF AND CALL FOR THE HOLDING OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND THE REQUEST TO CONSOLIDATE OUR ELECTION WITH THE STATEWIDE MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND THE COUNTY REGISTRAR VOTERS.
UM, THE ON THE BALLOT THIS YEAR WILL BE, UM, THE TWO COUNCIL SEATS.
SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE FOR DISTRICT TWO.
THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE, UH, ELECT AN, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT DISTRICT.
AND THE SAME THING FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, OUR REDISTRICTING WILL BE DONE, UM,
AND THEN, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A CITIZENS INITIATIVE THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD IN 2022 AND, UM, WAS DELAYED AND PUSHED TO THIS ELECTION SO THAT WE DIDN'T CAUSE A SPECIAL ELECTION.
AND THAT IS FOR, UM, THE VOTER'S QUESTION RELATING TO, UH, SPECIAL PARCEL TAX FOR STREETS AND PARKS.
SO TONIGHT I'M JUST, UM, ASKING, UH, YOUR APPROVAL OF A REC A RESOLUTION TO CALL, UM, THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR NOVEMBER THE FIFTH.
UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL FIRST BE TAKING 11 ONE AND, UH, YES, YOU CITY ATTORNEY.
I BELIEVE THERE IS ONE CORRECTION TO BE MADE ON THAT, SO WE CAN GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY.
I THINK, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THIS WAS DELAYED, UM, THE DATE, UH, THE SHOULD IT PASSED THE DATE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE ASSESSMENT WOULD BE IN 2025 AND NOT 2024.
AND I THINK THAT CHANGE WAS CIRCULATED AMONG THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT WAS, IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN READ THE, UH, THE TITLE OF THE BALLOT QUESTION THAT WILL APPEAR ON THE BALLOT.
IT'S, UH, SHALL THE MEASURE ADDING A SPECIAL PARCEL TAX IN THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
[00:55:01]
TO BE USED FOR STREET AND PARK PURPOSES WITH RATES BASED ON THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY AND EXEMPTING CERTAIN TYPES OF PROPERTIES TO BE COLLECTED BEGINNING IN 2025 AND CONTINUING UNTIL REPEALED BY THE VOTERS WITH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE GENERATING AN ESTIMATED $1.7 MILLION ANNUALLY TO BE ADOPTED.AND THEN IT'LL BE A YES OR A NO QUESTION.
WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER, MR. DENTA, I GUESS, UM, HEARING, BUT, UH, SHELLY HAD TO SAY, SORT OF ANSWERS HALF MY QUESTION, AND I GUESS THE OTHER PART OF MY QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THESE TAXES, PARTIAL TAXES, AND WE JUST GOT INTO THE DISCUSSION POSSIBLY ABOUT RENT CONTROL AND, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN THAT RENTS ARE REALLY HIGH.
AND HERE WE HAVE A, A, A INITIATIVE HERE THAT SAYS, WELL, YOU CAN RAISE TAXES, YOU KNOW, FROM A HOMEOWNER OR LANDLORD OR OWNER.
I'M GONNA SAY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA RAISE THE TAXES THAT I HAVE TO PAY AND YOU'RE FORCING RENT CONTROL AT THE SAME TIME, THAT JUST PUTS THE RISK AWAY FROM THE RENTEE TO THE HOMEOWNER.
AND OR MAYBE I'LL RAISE THE RENT TO THE, TO THE, UH, RENTEE.
SO I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC, YOU KNOW, PUSHING RENT CONTROL AND AT THE SAME TIME RAISING TAXES.
IT JUST DOESN'T SOUND CONSISTENT.
WELL, LET ME JUST, I COULD SAY GO, GO AHEAD.
LET ME JUST SAY FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS NOT, THE CITY IS NOT PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT.
UH, AS FAR AS THIS IS NOT OUR, THE CITY'S DECISION TO DO THAT.
THIS WAS A CITIZENS INITIATIVE AND WAS DONE WITH SIGNATURES AND WHAT WE GET A REPORT FROM THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS SAYING THAT THERE WAS AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES, AND SO THEREFORE WE ARE THEN REQUIRED TO PUT IT ON A BALLOT FOR THE CITIZENS TO DO SO.
ANY ACTION WE DO TONIGHT IS NOT IN, IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION OF THIS MEASURE.
IT IS ONLY MEETING OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENT OF FULFILLING THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS.
AND TO PUT THIS ON, UH, ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
UH, WITH THAT, I BELIEVE MR. RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU, MS. MAYOR.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CITY STAFF FOR HELPING PREPARE THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME.
I, I, I THANK, UH, SIGNATURE GATHERING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS STARTED IN GOD IT FEELS LIKE FOREVER, UM, JANUARY, 2022.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
IT WAS INTENDED TO GET ON THE 2022 INITIATIVE.
UH, IT'S 2022 ELECTION CYCLE IN NOVEMBER.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL WANTED TO CONDUCT A STUDY.
THE STUDY TOOK 30 DAYS, WHICH THEN MADE IT, UH, INELIGIBLE TO GET ON THAT, UH, CYCLE.
AND NOW IT IS HEADING INTO THE 2024 CYCLE.
SO THIS IS A PROCEDURAL STEP, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS WE'RE HERE.
UH, BUT I, I DO, THE REASON I PULLED THIS LAST MEETING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT AND WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, IS BECAUSE THE QUESTION THAT IS ASKED TO THE INDIVIDUAL VOTERS, WHICH THE CLERK, UH, READ A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IS EXCEEDINGLY VAGUE AND, UH, DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY DETAILS AS TO WHAT EXACTLY IT IS.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND PROVIDED OUR CLERK, UM, UH, PROPOSED LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS SENT OVER TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR, WHICH I BELIEVE, UH, PROVIDES A MORE, UH, INSIGHTFUL ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE INITIATIVE ACTUALLY IS.
SO, JUST TO PUT IT VERY CLEAR, THAT'S THAT'S THE INTENDED REASON.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO BE, UM, AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE, CONSIDERING THAT 2,800, UH, CITIZENS OF OUR CITY ACTUALLY, UM, UH, SIGNED FOR THIS AND WANTED TO PUT THIS INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT.
UH, IT WAS LARGELY A VOLUNTEER EFFORT AND, UM, UH, TO GET IT HERE.
SO I DO THINK WITH THAT AMOUNT OF EFFORT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE TO THE VOTERS THAT WE'RE ASKING TO ACTUALLY, UH, VOTE ON THIS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ IT OUT LOUD.
UM, THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE IS NATIONAL CITY STREET REPAIR AND PARKS IMPROVEMENT MEASURE TO REPAIR BROKEN STREETS, SIDEWALKS IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, PAVE ALL UNIMPROVED DIRT ALLEYS AT STREET LIGHTING AND RENOVATE PARKS SLASH PLAYGROUNDS, SHALL THE MEASURE AUTHORIZING A $75 YEAR PARCEL
[01:00:01]
TAX FOR HOMEOWNERS WITH COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ASSESSED HIGHER, RAISING 1.7 MILLION ANNUALLY UNTIL ENDED BY VOTERS EXEMPTING LOW INCOME SENIORS WITH CITIZEN OVERSIGHT INDEPENDENT AUDITS AND FUNDS USED ONLY FOR NATIONAL CITY BE ADOPTED.SO THAT IS THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WAS WRITTEN A FEW YEARS AGO, WHICH AGAIN, IS EXCEEDINGLY VAGUE.
UH, STATES SHALL THE MEASURE ADDING A SPECIAL PARCEL TAX IN THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY TO BE USED FOR STREET AND PARK PURPOSES, UH, WITH RATES BASED ON THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY, AND ACCEPTING CERTAIN TYPES OF PROPERTIES TO BE COLLECT, COLLECTED, BEGINNING IN 2025 AND CONTINUING UNTIL REPEALED BY THE VOTERS WITH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE GENERATING AN ESTIMATED $1.7 MILLION ANNUALLY BE ADOPTED.
SO IT'S SIMPLY ASKING FOR MORE DETAILS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE QUESTION ITSELF, UH, 75 CHARACTER OR 75 WORDS ARE ALLOWED.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY UTILIZING HOW MUCH WE COULD PUT IN THERE WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS AGAIN WHY I PROPOSED IT.
SO, UM, WANTED TO BRING IT UP.
I'M OPEN TO WHAT MY COLLEAGUES, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON IT.
BUT I DO THINK SEEN AS, UH, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT IS GONNA GO FOR THE VOTERS, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SEEKING, UH, TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM.
SO, OUR DIRECTION RIGHT NOW, JUST LIKE WHAT OUR, UH, CITY CLERK SAID IS ADMINISTERIAL.
SO I WANTED TO ASK OUR COUNSEL, LEGAL COUNSEL ON WHAT ARE THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF CHANGING THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED THEN? OKAY.
SO AS, UM, THE CITY CLERK INDICATED, UH, WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS A MINISTERIAL DUTY TO PLACE THE INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT.
UM, THIS ISSUE WAS BEFORE THE COUNCIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UM, AND AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED, UM, THE COUNCIL HAD A NUMBER OF OPTIONS, ONE OF WHICH WAS TO REQUIRE A 92 12 ANALYSIS OF THE INITIATIVE.
UM, THAT REPORT WAS PREPARED, UM, AND AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, UM, THE TIME FOR PUTTING THE MEASURE ON THE BALLOT HAD PASSED.
UM, SO THE DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL WAS TO PLACE TAKE THE ACTIONS TO PLACE THE, UM, THE MEASURE ON THIS UPCOMING ELECTION.
UM, AND THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE WAS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UM, AND IT WAS APPROVED AT THAT TIME.
UM, SO NOW HERE WE ARE TONIGHT, AND IT'S MY OPINION THAT YOUR DUTY IS TO PLACE THE INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT BASED ON THE LANGUAGE THAT'S, UH, PRESENTED TO YOU, UH, TONIGHT.
UM, NOW, SHOULD YOU WANT TO MODIFY, UH, THE STATEMENT THAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, UNDER THE ELECTION CODE.
THE DUTY HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BALLOT STATEMENT IS TRUE AND IMPARTIAL.
IT'S NOT ABOUT VAGUENESS, IT'S ABOUT BEING IMPARTIAL.
AND THERE IS A, A, THERE IS A LANGUAGE, AND I'M NOT A WORD LIMIT.
I THINK AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ INDICATED MM-HMM,
UM, AND UNDER THE ELECTION CODE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR OFFICE IS REQUIRED TO DO IS PREVE PREPARE THAT IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS.
UH, AND WE DID THAT AND WE PRESENTED IT TO THE PRIOR COUNCIL AND THEY APPROVED IT, AND WE'RE PRESENTING IT TO YOU AGAIN TONIGHT.
AND IT'S MY OPINION THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED THAT'S IN THE STAFF REPORT MEETS THE ELECTION CODE REQUIREMENTS.
NOW, I'VE LOOKED AT THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE, AND I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT IT DOES NOT INDICATE A TRUE AND AN IMPARTIAL STATEMENT.
UM, IT FOCUSES ON, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THERE'S TWO AREAS WHERE I WOULD CONSIDER THIS LANGUAGE AS CHERRY PICKING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ACTUAL INITIATIVE, AND WE ASK ABOUT THE TYPES OF PROPERTY THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS, THERE'S AT LEAST 12 CATEGORIES OF PROPERTY, AND THIS LANGUAGE IS ONLY CHOSEN TWO, AND THEY HAPPEN TO BE THE TWO THAT ARE ONE OF THE LOWEST AMOUNTS BEING CHARGED.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE CATEGORIES, SOME OF THOSE FEES ARE $500, $750, ET CETERA.
AND, AND THE OTHER PART TO THAT IS
[01:05:01]
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LANGUAGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND YOU OWN A MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY OR AN INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY, YOU WOULD THINK THIS DOESN'T AFFECT ME.AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
YOU WOULDN'T TAKE ANY CONSIDERATION ABOUT IT.
ONLY THOSE THAT HAVE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SOME COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THE SECOND THING THAT'S CONCERNING IS THAT THERE'S LANGUAGE ABOUT EXEMPTING LOW INCOME SENIORS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THE INITIATIVE SAYS.
THERE IS A SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION, BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING LOW INCOME.
NOT ONLY IS IT MISLEADING, BUT ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE ABOUT ANOTHER EIGHT CATEGORIES OF EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE IN THE INITIATIVE THAT THIS DOESN'T ADDRESS.
AND SO, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, THIS IS NOT FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.
NOW, THIS IS GONNA COME UP, SO I MAY AS WELL BRING IT UP.
NOW,
HE IS A SPONSOR OF THIS INITIATIVE.
AND ONE HAS TO ASK, CAN A SPONSOR OF THE INITIATIVE TRULY PROVIDE YOU WITH A TRUE AND IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OR STATEMENT OF THE BALLOT? AND SO THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS, IS I THINK THAT SUBSTANTIVELY WE'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH THE LANGUAGE BEING PROPOSED PROCEDURALLY, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY PASSED THE POINT WHERE YOU SHOULD BE MAKING CHANGES.
AND THIRD, I HAVE TO QUESTION WHETHER THE LANGUAGE PROPOSED BY A PROPONENT OF THE MEASURE CAN ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED TRUE AND IMPARTIAL.
SO, UM, YOU, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, US HEARING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AFTER RECEIVING THIS EMAIL, UM, WITH THE CHANGES THAT, UM, ARE BEING PROPOSED TO BE, UM, LANGUAGE PROPOSED TO BE USED, I ALSO HAVE TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE AS A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL.
THIS IMPACTS REAL ESTATE OWNERSHIP.
SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I WOULD, I WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN 2022.
I, I AM NOT HERE YET, BUT I WOULD RESPECT WHAT WAS PASSED THEN.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST SO TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE, UH, WITH THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE FORMER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THE CITY CLERK WHO WERE HERE BEFORE, UM, I THINK THE, UH, THE BURDEN OF, OF, UM, THE BURDEN OF, UM, MAKING THIS PROPOSITION OR THIS INITIATIVE IS IN THE BURDEN OF WHO ARE SPONSORING THEM TO THE VAULTERS NOT HERE ON THE DICE.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UM, I JUST DON'T WANT US TO BE EXPOSED IN ANY QUESTIONS LATER ON BECAUSE THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THE FORMER COUNCIL.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN, UM, UM, SUBMITTED INITIALLY.
NOW WE ARE JUST DOING THE, THE ADMINISTERIAL PROCESS IN ORDER FOR THIS INITIATIVE THAT HAS BEEN DELAYED ALREADY TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
SO I THINK THE PROOF OF Y EXPLAINING THIS INITIATIVE, UM, LIES TO THE BURDEN OF THE SPONSOR OF THIS INITIATIVE.
UM, YOU, I MEAN TO SAY IN ORDER FOR US NOT TO EXPOSE THIS DAES INTO ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, I'LL LET YOU RESPOND.
JUST TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I MEAN, THE LANGUAGE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS LITERALLY TAKEN FROM THE INITIATIVE ITSELF.
SO TO SAY THAT IT'S MISCHARACTERIZED, I THINK IS FARFETCHED.
WE JUST HAVE TO READ LITER, THE PURPOSE NUMBER ONE, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S FOR.
IT SAYS FIX POTHOLES, REPAIR SIDEWALKS, REPAY STREETS, IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN AND SAFETY.
IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY WHAT'S IN THERE.
AND TO REITERATE KIND OF THE, UM, FEE ITSELF, I THINK THE FEE IS IMPORTANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THERE.
AND THE REASON THAT SINGLE FAMILY WAS INCLUDED WAS NOT BECAUSE IT WAS THE LOWEST AMOUNT, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST AMOUNT OF PARCELS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED AROUND THE CITY.
SO THERE ARE A TOTAL OF, UH, 9,800 PARCELS.
5,400 OF THOSE ARE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS.
SO IT WOULD BE IDEAL TO PUT ALL OF THE OVER 30 INDIVIDUAL ZONED PARCELS ON THERE THAT THIS
[01:10:01]
WOULD IMPACT, BUT IT WOULDN'T IMPACT THE MAJORITY.SO IT, IT, I WISH WE COULD HAVE MORE IN THERE.
I THINK IT WAS WRITTEN IN A WAY TO JUST BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, THE OTHER THING TO NOTE WAS THE, UM, UM, AMOUNT OF, UM, WORDS THAT COULD BE IN THERE.
AGAIN, I THINK MAXIMIZING THE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USEFUL.
WHICH IS WHY, UH, THAT WAS PROPOSED.
SO I THINK, I THINK THAT MEASURES LIKE THIS OR ANY MEASURE, WE SHOULD BE AS CLEAR RESPONSIBLE TO VOTERS, AND THAT'S WHY I PROPOSED THE INDIVIDUAL LANGUAGE.
FOR THE CHAIR, JUST JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED IN 2022, AND THIS WAS APPROVED BY THE THREE WHO ARE SITTING HERE THEN.
SO WAS THIS LANGUAGE BEEN APPROVED BY THE THREE OF YOU WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED? I JUST DON'T REMEMBER.
YEAH, IT, IT, CITY CLERK, WE HAD A DISCUSSION.
WHAT WAS THE, UH, WHAT WAS THE VOTE THEN? MAY I ASK? I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, IF I'M GOING OUT THE BORDER, I'M SORRY.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK TO THE LADY NEXT TO YOU WHEN YOU ASK CITY CLERK.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND, BUT, BUT NO, BUT, BUT THE DATA IS WITH OUR CITY CLERK.
SO HE, SHE WILL ANSWER THAT BECAUSE SHE'S VERY GOOD AT GETTING INFORMATION.
SO WHEN WE, UM, PROVIDED THE REPORT, THE 92 12 REPORT MM-HMM.
AND IF I COULD SAY THAT THE, THE REASON IT WAS HELD OVER AT THAT TIME, AND I STILL HAVE AN OBJECTION NOT TOWARD THE WORDAGE, BUT ON THE FACTUALITY BECAUSE IT DOES TALK THAT IT WOULD AN ESTIMATED $1.7 MILLION.
WHEN I ASKED STAFF AT THAT TIME, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH $1.7 MILLION, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WILL CALL YOU OUT OF ORDER.
WE JUST WANTED, THOSE ARE EXPLANATIONS THAT THE BURDEN WILL BE, I KNOW WHOEVER IS INITIATING IT, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST, ARE WE GOING TO APPROVE THIS OR NOT? OKAY.
WELL WAIT A MINUTE, BUT SORRY, VICE MAYOR, I DO WANT TO HEAR THIS PART BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S RELEVANT.
IT'S, IT IS RELEVANT ON WHY IT WAS HELD OVER.
AND, AND I ASKED STAFF AND STAFF AT THE TIME SAID, OKAY, WE KNOW IN THE INITIATIVE THAT'S PROPOSED HOW MUCH IT IS FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PARCELS, AND WE KNOW HOW MANY PARCELS THERE ARE THAT FALL INTO THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO ONLY THING WE DO, WE MULTIPLY 'EM ALL OUT, ADD 'EM TOGETHER, AND IT CAME TO $1.7 MILLION.
THE QUESTION CAME UP, WELL, THERE'S EXEMPTIONS IN HERE, SENIORS, UH, LOW, UH, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING, UH, NONPROFITS.
BUT, SO IT CAN'T BE THAT 1.7 'CAUSE YOU GOT EXEMPTIONS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING LESS THAN 1.7.
AND SO IT WAS, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF SAYING 1.7 MILLION.
I THOUGHT WE ASKED THAT WAS THE QUESTION STAFF TO COME BACK WITH AN ANALYSIS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THAT CAME BACK AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS THE 1.7 MILLION.
NO, WELL, NO, IT WAS THAT THEY HAD NO WAY OF FIGURING IT OUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT SPECIFICITY ON THE EXEMPTIONS.
AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT BECAUSE IT WOULD STILL SAY THAT P IT SAYS IN THERE ON THE EXEMPTIONS POLICIES WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO, TO DO THOSE, MR. MAYOR.
SO THEREFORE THERE WASN'T, WASN'T ABLE TO BE A SPECIFICITY.
THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH THE LANGUAGE COMING UP, I KNOW WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY SAYS AND I AGREE WITH HIM.
UH, BUT IN ALL DUE RESPECT, THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT LANGUAGE IS SUPPOSED TO BE UNBIASED AND, UH, IS SUPPOSED TO BE NEUTRAL LANGUAGE.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AT THAT TIME.
CHARLES BELL WAS THE CITY ATTORNEY AT THAT POINT, AND HE CAME UP WITH THE LANGUAGE AND BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IMPARTIAL AND NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
AND SO NOW OF COURSE WE COME UP WITH THIS OTHER LANGUAGE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, AS WAS MENTIONED, UH, COUNCILMAN RODRIGUEZ, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE MAIN PROPONENT OF THIS.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO WRITE OR HAD PEOPLE WRITE THE INITIATIVE, YOU SHOULDN'T GET TO ALSO WRITE THE QUOTE UNQUOTE UN IMPARTIAL AND UNBIASED LANGUAGE.
UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT WOULD BRING US, I THINK, SOME, SOME LEGAL, UH, LEGAL ANGST AND PEOPLE COULD CHALLENGE US ON THAT.
THE, IF THE COMMITTEE, WHICH THERE IS A COMMITTEE, IT'S YES FOR SAFE STREETS AND PARKS FOR ALL ENDORSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE RODRIGUEZ, THAT'S HIS TITLE AND ITS NAME.
IF THEY FEEL THAT THIS DOES NOT ADEQUATELY OR DOES NOT FACTUALLY PRESENT IT, THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY GO TO, AND IT'S DONE ALL THE TIME TO THE REGISTRAR VOTERS AND CHALLENGE THAT.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE POINT TO DO THAT.
BUT THEY SHOULD NOT BE INPUTTING THE IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS.
THIS WAS SEEN AT THE TIME AS IMPARTIAL AND UNBIASED,
[01:15:02]
AND YET IT, IT, IT CAPTURED THE CHARACTER OF THE INITIATIVE.AND THEREFORE I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THE, THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
UH, JUST TO, UM, YOU, I MEAN, THIS WAS THE APPROVED UNBIASED LANGUAGE THAT THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS THE RESULT OF THE 92 12 ANALYSIS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MENTIONING ABOUT SOME UNDERLYING, AND, AND THERE ARE JUST LIKE WHAT OUR COUNCIL HAD SAID, THERE WERE EIGHT POINTS OF CONTENTION IN THIS INITIATIVE THAT IS NOT INDICATED OR EXPRESSED IN THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE.
THAT'S WHY I'M HAVING A HARD TIME ALSO.
UM, AND SO I AM PUTTING THAT BURDEN ONTO THE, THE, IN THE INITIATORS OR THE SPONSOR OF THIS INITIATIVE.
AND, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BE CONSISTENT WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE COUNCIL THEN MM-HMM.
AND WITH THE, UH, GUIDANCE FROM OUR, FROM OUR COUNCIL AND JUST THE, UH, REQUEST FROM OUR CITY CLERK, MR. MAYOR.
WELL, I THINK THERE IS A, UH, AFTER, OKAY, AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ, LEMME ANSWER ONE MORE TIME AND THEN THAT'S GONNA, FOR CLARITY, CLARITY'S SAKE.
I, I DO THINK THAT THE INITIATIVE PROPONENTS WERE MENTIONING THAT THE FEE OR THE, UH, AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WOULD BE COMING IN WOULD BE 1.9 TO 2 MILLION MM-HMM.
AND THE IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS THAT CAME BACK SAID 1.7 MM-HMM.
IT JUST DIDN'T TAKE IN THE INTO ACCOUNT THE EXEMPTIONS 'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T QUALIFY.
WELL, THAT WAS THE ACCOUNT INTO THE EXEMPTIONS.
AND THE ACCOUNTING FOR THE EXEMPTIONS WAS THEN 1.7.
SO THAT WAS ONE THE OTHER, THE, UM, MAKE ME LOSE MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
UM, SO, SO THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES.
THE OTHER WAS ABOUT THE, OH YEAH, THE VOTE ITSELF, THE VOTE WAS A FIVE OH VOTE BECAUSE WE VOTED ON THE ENTIRE ITEM TOGETHER.
SO IT, IT WASN'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS BROKEN DOWN BY ONE THING IN ANOTHER OR ANOTHER.
THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE AT THAT TIME.
BUT VOTING NO WOULD'VE MEANT VOTING NO TO PUT IT ON THE, UH, BALLOT.
OH, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT BROKEN DOWN IN ANY OTHER WAY.
AND TO SAY IT WASN'T POLITICIZED IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT.
UM, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR PREVIOUS MAYOR DID NOT SUPPORT THIS AND TRY IT EVERY WHICH WAY TO DERAIL IT.
SO IT LET, LET'S JUST BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
WELL, I, IT WAS POLITICIZING ON ALL SIDES, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE GAME.
I'M GONNA ONE MORE COMMENT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO MOTION.
UH, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD OF, OH, OH, YOU, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD A MOTION, BUT I, I BELIEVE WE WERE GONNA MAKE OH, I THOUGHT I HEARD MY COMMENT.
UM, UM, VERY MUCH TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
I DID RECEIVE THE ONE REPORT THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY.
THIS IS, UM, THE 92 12 REPORT, UH, THAT W THAT WAS PREPARED AUGUST 30TH, 2022.
IT'S A REPORT ON INITIATIVE MEASURE TO ESTABLISH A SPECIAL PARCEL TAX IN NATIONAL CITY FOR STREETS AND PARKS.
UM, PARDON ME, UM, THAT LANGUAGE MATCHES WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED, AND THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT NEAR WHAT IS, UM, SUGGESTED BY MR. RODRIGUEZ TONIGHT.
I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS, UM, PIECE THAT HAS BEEN, UH, I, I THINK THAT IT, IT HASN'T BEEN STATED CORRECTLY, SO I WANNA MAKE IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.
BASED ON THIS REPORT, THE, UM, REVENUES, WE ARE ABLE TO ESTIMATE THAT THE YEARLY POTENTIAL TAX REVENUE FROM THIS INITIATIVE TO BE AT MOST 1.5, UH, AS SEEN IN FIGURE A.
THIS ANALYSIS DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LISTED EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED, UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL, SPECIAL SCHOOLS, QUALIFYING SENIOR CITIZENS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, AND THERE'S FOUR OTHERS.
UM, AGAIN, THERE IS CURRENTLY NO AVAILABLE DATA THAT TIES THE OWNERSHIP OF THE PARCELS TO THE EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED FOR IN THE INITIATIVE.
AND THEN IT IS, UH, OTHER THAN PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, WHICH WAS NOT PROVIDED FOR THAT REASON, THE BASIS OF THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES PROVIDED IN THIS REPORT WILL BE 1.56 MILLION.
SO, UM, SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR WHAT THAT
[01:20:01]
DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT.THIS REPORT ACTUALLY STATES 1.56 MILLION PER THE REPORT ACTUALLY DOESN'T INCLUDE THE EXEMPTIONS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LOWER THAT NUMBER.
SO, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, BEING CLEAR TO THE VOTERS AND PRESENTING THEM FACTUAL INFORMATION FOR WHICH THEY CAN MAKE A VOTE ON, UM, THE, MY OTHER QUESTION ON HERE IS, UM, THE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE TALKS ABOUT EXEMPTING LOW INCOME SENIORS.
UM, IN FACT, THAT'S NOT FACTUAL
UH, IT DOES AGAIN, STATE THE RATE OF TAXATION IS BASED ON THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PARCELS, THOSE LANDLORDS WOULD HAVE TO PAY $75 MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL PARCELS UP TO $500.
I UNDERSTAND MOST OF THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN MOBILE HOME PARCELS WOULD QUALIFY UNDER THIS EXEMPTING LOW INCOME SENIORS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE REALLY IS, UM, SOME MISLEADING LANGUAGE IN HERE.
UM, I WON'T READ THE REST OF THIS.
UNIMPROVED RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL PARCELS OF THEIR TAX WOULD BE A THOUSAND DOLLARS, MISCELLANEOUS PARCELS 150.
UM, I AM HIGHLY CONCERNED THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS SAYING WORDS SUCH AS THIS NEW SUGGESTED LANGUAGE IS CHERRY PICKING.
FOR THAT REASON, I CANNOT ACCEPT THE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE TONIGHT.
UM, AND I WOULD, UM, BE IN FAVOR OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE THAT IS ON TODAY'S REPORT, WHICH IS WHAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FOR TWO YEARS AGO IN 2022.
WELL, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON TODAY'S REPORT.
I SECOND AND COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA, THAT IS, UH, TO CLARIFY, INCLUDING THE 2025.
IN FACT, I READ THE, UH, INITIATIVE AND IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, IT WOULD BEGIN JULY, 2025.
BUT THE WAY YOU HAVE IT HERE IS FINE WITH ME.
AND THEN WE THERE, WE'RE GONNA GO TO VOTE.
SO I APPRECIATE THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY SAT ANALYSIS ON IT.
AND YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I JUST GOING OVER YOUR QUESTIONS, IS THE CURRENT VALID STATEMENT TRUE AND IMPARTIAL? THE CURRENT ONE, NOT THE, UH, RECENT ONE PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RE COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ? SO I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT I DO THINK MORE IS BETTER.
SO JUST THAT, UM, YOUR SECOND QUESTION, DOES IT VIOLATE PROTOCOL SINCE THE COUNCIL APPROVED IT BACK IN 2022? THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES.
THAT'S LIKE NEW TO ME IN THIS, IN THIS DISCUSSION.
UH, I THINK THAT, UM, IT DOES, IT VIOLATE PROTOCOL.
IT POSSIBLY DOES, AND IT MIGHT PUT US AT RISK BECAUSE WE DID, UM, VOTE UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THAT LANGUAGE.
AND YES, IT'S, IT'S TRUE THAT WE ALL, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO DISCUSS THAT FULL LANGUAGE, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT GOING BACK ON SOMETHING WE ALREADY, UH, DECIDED THAT DOES, UH, CONCERN ME, UH, ILLEGALLY EVEN IF, UM, ADDING MORE DETAIL.
I, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS.
UM, AND THEN YOUR OTHER QUESTION, UH, BARRY, CAN A SPONSORING COUNCIL MEMBER BE IMPARTIAL? I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE'S A WAY TO PROVE THAT, PER SE, BUT I THINK THE MAJORITY, AT LEAST FOR, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF, OF FOLKS AT LEAST IN THIS ROOM WOULD PROBABLY SAY THE PERCE, IT'S ABOUT PERCEPTION.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE REAL QUESTION BECAUSE THE REAL QUESTION IS, IT'S, IT'S NOT UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ ONE PERSON.
IT'S UP TO ALL OF US, UM, ON, ON THE DICE.
SO CAN WE ALL BE IMPARTIAL? I, I THINK THE ANSWER IS, UH, AS, AS A MAJORITY BODY, AND I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.
AND I'LL SAY FULL, FULL DISCLOSURE, I HAVE NOT SUPPORTED THE INITIATIVE.
I, I NEED TO STILL READ AND, AND CONSIDER.
SO I'VE, I HAVE NOT DECIDED WHETHER I'M SUPPORTING OR NOT, BUT I DO THINK WE CAN BE, UH, PARTIAL, UH, IM IMPARTIAL.
UM, BUT SO I AM, UH, I WAS MORE OPEN TO CHANGING THE LANGUAGE.
I'M, I'M JUST STRUGGLING WITH THE, THE RISK OF GOING BACK TO SOMETHING WE ALREADY UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED IN 2022.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PART IS, UM, SO, UH, OUR, OUR CITY ATTORNEY USED THE WORD CHERRY PICKING, UM, AND SAID THERE WAS 12 CATEGORIES THAT WERE NOT MENTIONING.
SO MY QUESTION IS, SO THERE WAS ONLY ON HERE ONE CATEGORY THAT WAS MENTIONED.
YOU SAID, CAN YOU, WHAT WAS THAT? THAT WAS,
[01:25:01]
YOU SAID THERE WAS ONLY ONE CATEGORY OF, UH, UM, I THINK WAS IT, WAS IT EXEMPTIONS? WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO.THERE'S, UM, THE ISSUE WAS THE LANGUAGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED REFERS TO A PARCEL TAX ON SINGLE FAMILY PARCELS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
AND THEY'VE ONLY CHOSEN THOSE TWO TO PUT ON THE STATEMENT TO HIGHLIGHT.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THERE IS THE SAME THING WITH EXEMPTIONS.
THERE ARE, I THINK MAYBE ABOUT 10 SEPARATE EXEMPTIONS, AND THEY'VE ONLY CHOSEN TO HIGHLIGHT ONE.
UM, SO I, I FEEL LIKE IT HAS TO BE ALL OR NOTHING OR SUMMARIZED, BECAUSE THAT PUTS US AT RISK FOR CHERRY PICKING.
IF WE COULD PUT ALL OF THEM, WE SHOULD PUT ALL OF THEM.
BUT I MEAN, CLEARLY, UM, IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT EXEMPTIONS, PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL, SENIOR CITIZENS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION, GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM.
SO THIS WAS JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPLANATION OF THE INITIATIVE ITSELF.
AND, UM, I THINK THE, AGAIN, THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS WRITTEN IS JUST EXCEEDINGLY VAGUE.
MR. MAYOR, JUST ONE LAST THING, JUST TO, UM, HAVE A CONATION FOR OUR COLLEAGUE HERE.
THERE IS A STATEMENT OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PUT DURING THE BOOKLET AND GO FIGHT AND PUT ALL THOSE WORDS THAT WE WANTED TO PUT.
UH, BUT HERE, I JUST WANT IT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU GUYS HAD VOTED.
I WASN'T HERE THEN, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY CLERK AND THE GUIDANCE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THAT STATEMENT OF INFORMATION THAT YOU PUT ALL THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANTED THERE, BRO.
AND IT'LL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO FOR A VOTE ON THIS.
NOW, ONCE AGAIN, LET JUST REITERATE, THIS IS NOT A VOTE FOR OR AGAINST THE INITIATIVE.
THIS IS JUST MEETING THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO BY THE, UH, UH, REGISTRAR VOTERS THAT SINCE IT MET THEIR REQUIREMENTS, WE ARE IMP WE ARE FORCED TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT, WHETHER IF WE LIKE IT OR NOT.
THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION AND SAY, OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, THIS IS THE MOTION IS TO USE WITH THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT IS ON OUR AGENDA, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JUST MOVING FROM 2024 TO 25.
MR. MAYOR, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE, I WILL BE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION SCENE AS IT IS OUR DUTY.
I FEEL LIKE IT WAS OUR DUTY BACK IN 22 AND SOMEBODY WAS PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES, BUT LET'S GET IT ON THERE.
I WILL SAY I DO THINK IT WAS POLITICAL, BUT EVERYTHING'S POLITICAL.
SO EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL, BELIEVE ME.
[Items 11.2 & 11.3]
WE, COULD WE TAKE, UH, 11 TWO AND 11 THREE TOGETHER? YES, SIR.I, I WOULD LIKE A SEPARATE VOTE ON THE RESOLUTIONS THOUGH, IF THAT'S OKAY.
JUST 'CAUSE I NEED TO PROVIDE THEM, UH, IN THAT WAY.
SO 11.2 IS ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING, UH, REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING TO THE CANDIDATE STATEMENTS FOR THE, UH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, UH, ELECTION.
AND THAT'S JUST BASICALLY, UM, STATING THAT THE COST, THE ESTIMATED COST.
SO IN OUR ELECTIONS, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY OF THE 18 CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTION.
SO THEY CAN ONLY GIVE ME AN ESTIMATED COST FOR THE CANDIDATE STATEMENTS.
SOMETIMES IT'S MORE, SOMETIMES IT'S LESS.
WE'LL REFUND THE DIFFERENCE IF THAT'S THE CASE.
SO, UM, THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE CANDIDATE STATEMENT IS, UH, $1,500.
THIS TIME IT WOULD BE FOR CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES ONLY, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE 200 WORD STATEMENT.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION PROVIDING, UM, CONDUCT OF A SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION IN THE EVENT OF A TIE VOTE.
AND SO BASICALLY THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.
UH, IF ANY TWO OR MORE PERSONS RECEIVE AN EQUAL, UM, VOTE, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES FOR AN OFFICE TO BE VOTED FOR WITHIN THE CITY, THERE SHALL BE, UH, HELD WITHIN THE CITY A SPECIAL RUNOFF
[01:30:01]
ELECTION TO RESOLVE THE TIE VOTE.SO THIS WOULD JUST BE AUTHORIZING THAT IN THAT CASE THAT THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE TO DO IT AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THIS IS FOR THE TWO RESOLUTIONS.
AND MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ONE THING, PLEASE.
I WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING ALSO.
WE DID RECEIVE WRITTEN COMMENT ON 11.3 BY, UH, FROM TED GOTCHU.
AND HE SUBMITTED IT AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND BECAUSE THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED, I TOLD HIM I WOULD MENTION IT AGAIN.
AND IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.
THAT WAS THE DEAL ABOUT IF WE DO HAVE TO APPOINT SOMEBODY THAT WE SPECIFY REGARDING THE VACANCY YEAH.
FOR A VACANCY THAT THEY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THAT, UH, THAT DISTRICT.
AND, UH, SO WITH THAT MOTION, WE DO NEED A MOTION.
AND WE HAVE SET MOTION AND A SECOND NO DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY ON THAT IS THAT I KNOW THERE'S A FORMULA, BUT I STILL THINK THE FORMULA IS BAD BROKEN.
BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE THE CITY OF NASH, IF YOU WERE, WHEN WE WERE RUNNING CITYWIDE, IT WOULD BE LIKE THE $1,500 IF YOU WERE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL.
IF YOU WERE RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD.
AND ACTUALLY IT'S A LARGE AREA 'CAUSE IT HAD INCLUDED LINCOLN ACRES ALSO.
SO, AND THEY MADE, LIKE I SAID, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE TREATED DIFFERENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY SUPPOSEDLY IT'S A FORMULA ON HOW MANY VOTERS AND HOW MANY PAMPHLETS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND YET THE PAMPHLETS ARE THE SAME AND THE VOTER BASE IS THE SAME.
BUT, SO I IT'S A WEIRD FORMULA, MAYOR, WE GET FINE.
THAT FINE IS ONE THING I WOULD CORRECT.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE VOTER, UH, GUIDES THIS YEAR ARE GONNA BE EIGHT AND A HALF BY 11.
OH, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING BIG STYLE.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE 11.3 AND THE RESOLUTION MOVE TO ADOPT 11.3.
MR. MAYOR, THIS IS FOR SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION IN CASE OF A TIE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
AND PLEASE VOTE APPROVE UNANIMOUSLY.
OKAY, LET'S GET DOWN HERE THEN.
AND WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES.
[11.4 POLICY 105 REQUEST - Support California Senate Bill 915 (Dave Cortese) - Requested by Councilmember Rodriguez]
WE GO INTO 11.4.THIS IS A, UH, 1 0 5 REQUEST AND, UH, TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL, UH, NINE 15, UH, REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN RODRIGUEZ.
THANK YOU FOR THE COUNCIL FOR, UM, BEING OPEN TO DISCUSSING THIS PARTICULAR, UH, SENATE BILL.
UM, THE SENATE BILL IS INTENDED TO, UH, PROVIDE, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH REGULATIONS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
IT IS SENATE BILL, UM, NUMBER NINE 15 BY SENATOR CORTESI.
SO, UM, UH, A FEW CITIES HAVE SIGNED IN TO SUPPORT.
UM, IT IS CURRENTLY STILL BEING AMENDED.
IT IS, UM, IN ITS THIRD READING AT THE SENATE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT PASSES, IT GOES OVER TO THE ASSEMBLY AND FOR A FINAL VOTE.
BUT, UM, E ESSENTIALLY THE BILL WOULD PROVIDE, UM, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES THE AUTHORITY OR THE AUTHORITY ON HOW TO REGULATE, HOW TO REGULATE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, WHICH I KNOW SEEMS VERY FARFETCHED.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, OWNING A TESLA, THAT SELF-DRIVE IS A LITTLE SCARY.
AND, UH, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE OF THAT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE LOCAL CONTROL OVER THIS.
UM, SO WE COULD DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT THIS TO OPERATE.
AND THIS SENATE BILL WILL AUTHORIZE, UH, OUR MUNICIPALITY AS WELL AS OTHERS TO, TO, UM, UH, DECIDE ACCORDINGLY WHAT'S BEST IN THIS CASE.
UM, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? UM, I, I'VE GOT A FEW, UM, I, LOOKING AT THIS, THIS IS PUT PUT, UH, FORWARD BY THE, UH, TEAMSTERS.
AND LET ME JUST SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT, MY FATHER WAS A TEAMSTER AND RETIRED AS A TEAMSTER.
AND SO, UH, LOVE THE TEAMSTERS.
BUT QUESTION HERE IS, AND I, I,
[01:35:01]
I READ THE, UM, THE, UH, YEAH, THE SENATE BILL, I ALSO WATCHED THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE.AND IT WAS INTERESTING IN THAT WHAT THEIR DEAL WAS, THEY SAID THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CLOSER TO THE ISSUE AND SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THESE TYPE OF THINGS.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT THEY DON'T.
WELL, HERE'S THE QUESTION HERE.
IT IS, LIKE, IN THIS THING, WE, WE PUT THIS ON OUR AGENDA AND WE MAKE A DECISION.
UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL, THEY HAVE, THEY HAD A SERIES OF, OF, OF HEARINGS AND PEOPLE CAN PUT THEIR INPUT INTO IT.
COULD YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU KNOW INTERSTATE? YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS ONE, ONE STATE CAN'T BLOCK ANOTHER STATE FROM TRAVEL AND THINGS ALONG THAT LINE.
AND THAT'S INTERSTATE, UH, TRAFFIC.
NOW, THIS IS INTERSTATE INTRASTATE, I'M SORRY, THIS IS WITHIN CALIFORNIA.
SO IF WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A CITY HERE THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN DECIDES, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW THESE IN OUR CITY.
NOW YOU GOTTA KIND OF GO AROUND IT, FIND A WAY TO GET AROUND IT, OR YOUR SERVICE DOESN'T GET, DOESN'T GET SERVICED.
SHALL WE SAY, IF TAXI CABS START GOING TO THIS AND THE TAXI CAB COMPANY, UH, UH, DRIVERS GO AND PUT PRESSURE ON A CITY COUNCIL SAYING, OH NO, 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOSE OUR JOBS, WELL THEN IT MAY NOT HAVE TO DO WITH SAFETY.
BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW YOU END UP WITH THESE BLOCKAGES.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER ISSUE IS, IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, IF WE'RE GIVEN THE DISCRETION TO BE ABLE TO SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT IN OUR CITY, BUT WE DECIDE, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA ACT ON IT, AND THEN AN ACCIDENT DOES HAPPEN BECAUSE WE HAD THE RIGHT TO REGULATE IT, THEN DO WE BECOME LIABLE? IS THE LIABILITY ON US THIS, THIS, THIS IS A STATE ISSUE AND IS TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION WITHIN OUR STATE, AND THIS IS GONNA BE MORE THAN JUST LOCAL.
THIS WOULD BE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION AS FAR AS TRUCKING, EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I THINK THEY ARE MUCH MORE EQUIPPED TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT AND THROUGH HEARINGS AND, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING IT OUT IN THE OPEN, THEN ALLOWING EACH AND EVERY CITY COUNCIL TO DO THIS WITHOUT HAVING THE BACKGROUND, WITHOUT HAVING THE HEARINGS, WITHOUT GETTING ALL THE INPUT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MAYBE TAKING ON, BECAUSE IF WE DECIDE NOT TO GET INTO ALL THE, EVERY BILL AND, AND REGULATE 'EM OURSELF IS TAKEN ON THE LIABILITY THEN BY DOING THAT.
UM, SO I, I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT OPPOSE THIS BILL, BUT I DON'T THINK UNTIL I, UNTIL IT SEES A MUCH DIFFERENT FORM, I COULD NOT MYSELF SUPPORT IT FOR THAT REASON.
AND, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, AUTOMATED, UH, VEHICLES.
I'VE RIDDEN IN A COUPLE OF 'EM, SOME OF THE EARLY ONES.
MY GENERATION, I WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS HITTING FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL OVER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND THE PERSON THAT WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, I DID HAVE TO MOVE HIS RED AND WHITE CANE 'CAUSE HE WAS BLIND.
I WAS SITTING THERE, I WAS, I WAS GRABBING ONTO STUFF.
BUT AS I SAY, THINGS ARE CHANGING AND, UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA PUT EVERY CITY IN THE RES IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING THOSE DECISIONS INDEPENDENTLY AND MAYBE NOT FROM, ENTIRELY FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, AND THEREFORE CAUSING A HUGE INTRA STATE PROBLEM ON TRANSPORTATION.
ANYWAY, THOSE ARE JUST MY CONCERNS.
SO, MR. MAYOR, ARE YOU SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WORDS THAT YOU HAVE SAID, UM, YOU ARE INDICATING YOU'RE EX, YOU'RE EXPRESSING THAT THIS IS PREMATURE FOR US TO, UH, UH, MAKE A DECISION WITH REGARDS TO THIS, UM, SENATE BILL? YEAH.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I WOULD THINK IT'S PREMATURE.
I, AS I SAY, I'M CERTAINLY WOULD NOT OPPOSE IT BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UH, BUT I WOULD HATE TO SEE US JUMP OUT THERE ON, ON SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY, YOU KNOW, TWO-SIDED INFORMATION ON OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND MIGHT PUT OURSELF IN MORE OF A LIABILITY.
UM, I, I ACTUALLY HAVE ALSO, MOST RECENTLY, JUST A, A MONTH OR TWO BACK IN PHOENIX, IT WASN'T PHOENIX, IT WAS TEMPE, ARIZONA.
THEY HAVE THE WAYMO, WHICH IS A, A DRIVER DRIVERLESS VEHICLE.
AND IT'S, AND IT, UM, IT WAS KIND OF SCARY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME I GOT IN, UM, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, WE FILLED UP THE SEAT, THE, THE, THE, THE, I THINK IT WAS A SEDAN.
AND IT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THREE OF US IN THE BACK, SOMEBODY IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND ABSOLUTELY NO ONE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SEE THE STEERING WHEEL AND EVERYTHING.
AT ONE POINT, UM, THE COMPUTER CAME ON AND IT WAS A LIVE PERSON ON THE OTHER LINE.
I THINK SOMEBODY HAD FORGOTTEN TO BUCKLE UP.
[01:40:01]
US, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS, IT'S NECESSARY THAT EVERYBODY BUCKLE UP.SO IT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN ELEMENT OF THERE BEING A HUMAN THAT WAS, I GUESS, WATCHING US AS WE WERE WRITING THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY.
UH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
UM, I WOULDN'T MIND SEEING THAT HERE IN, UM, IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR NATIONAL CITY.
UM, DESPITE ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, BEING INNOVATIVE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I I THINK IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY TO COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, UM, UH, I, I CERTAINLY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING IT WITHOUT, UM, A LOT MORE INFORMATION WITHOUT TALKS, UH, WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE FOR THIS.
I HAVEN'T BEEN APPROACHED BY ANYBODY, UM, RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, THE DETAILS ABOUT THIS BILL.
SO, UM, I'M NOT PREPARED TO SUPPORT THIS.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY AT SOME FUTURE POINT.
UM, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING COOL TO BRING THE NATIONAL CITY OR, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO GET BEHIND THIS BILL.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW, LIKE MAYOR SAID, IT'S A LITTLE PREMATURE.
OTHERS? IT'S THE JETSON SMEAR
THEY HAD THE JOHNNY MOBILE OR SOMETHING AND HAD THE LITTLE ROBOT IN THE FRONT.
I FORGET WHAT IT WAS, BUT YEAH, SAME TYPE THING.
LITTLE, LITTLE CRAZY FIFTH ELEMENT, I THINK.
ANYWAY, SO GET, GETTING BACK TO, SO GETTING BACK TO THIS, UM, SO WHEN, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BILL LANGUAGE, UM, AUTHORIZED A, A CITY WITH POPULATION LESS THAN TWO 50, UH, THOUSAND, THAT SHARES OF BORDER IS CONTIGUOUS WITH THE CITY THAT HAS ENACTED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE, UM, ORDINANCE TO ENACT ONE SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTENT.
UM, O ONE AREA PROHIBIT AN ORDINANCE, UM, ENACTED, UM, PURSUANT TO THIS BILL FROM BANNING THIS, THE SAFE OPERATION OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES SO CITIES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BAN IT.
AND THEN, UM, THE, MY, UH, I THINK THE PART I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THIS BILL IS, UH, REQUIRING AUTONOMOUS, UH, VEHICLE SERVICE TO INCLUDE, UM, AN OVERRIDE SYSTEM, INOPERABILITY OR OVERRIDE SYSTEM.
EACH IS, IT'S A VEHICLES, UH, AND PROVIDE TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS ON HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE VEHICLES AND THE USE OF THE OVERRIDE SYSTEM.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE A GOOD ITEM.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL? YEAH, I THINK THIS IS, UH, GENERALLY GOOD.
AND I, I THINK IT GIVES US, UM, IT, I MEAN, SIMILAR RATIONALE FOR WHY I BROUGHT AB 27 83.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, GET ON ON THESE BILLS EARLY.
I THINK IT GIVES OUR CITY INFLUENCE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SHAPE IT.
I HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, WORKED DIRECTLY ON THIS BILL, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO, TO WORK ON, UH, DIFFERENT BILLS SEPARATE.
SO THIS, THIS MAKES SENSE TO ME.
AND IT'S, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS PASSED.
UM, THE, WHEN I LOOK AT THE, UM, WHERE IT'S AT, IT'S, IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE SENATE, UM, AND IT, IT, YOU KNOW, FROM SOME ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, I KNOW IT, IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN, UM, OR I KNOW OF AT LEAST IT, IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN GOOD SUPPORT.
SO PAST, I THINK LIKE THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.
SO, SO YEAH, I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE, BUT I HEAR MY COLLEAGUES AND IT'S, I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS AS WELL.
MR. MAY I JUST LAST BEFORE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AS A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UM, MEMBER OF, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT WE DO WITH THE STATE AND AND FEDERAL LEVEL THAT, UM, CAN WE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, CAN WE HEAR THE, AT LEAST THE FIRST READING, BECAUSE IT'S TOO, IT'S TOO EARLY FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUMP IN THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE HOW THIS WILL EVOLVE, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BEING EXPOSED IN GENERAL AFFAIRS, UM, IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR, UM, THE OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT I REPRESENT, I THINK WE, OUR, OUR, UM, OUR OUR, UM, STRATEGY IS TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THE FIRST READING AND SEE WHAT THE, UH, UH, DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, MEAN, UH, NEGATIVES, POSITIVES THAT WILL COME OUT, UM, IN THE NEXT TWO READINGS.
UM, SO IF, MAYBE, IF YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, CONSIDER WAITING AND, AND NOT SHELVING THIS AWAY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'LL BE, IT WILL BE A STANDING, UM, DISCUSSION UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION WITH REGARDS TO THIS.
THE BILL, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER COUNCIL MEMBER? YEAH, IF, IF IT IS TIME CERTAIN, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.
UH, IT WAS AMENDED AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, LAST THURSDAY.
SO IT WILL BE, UH, BEING AMENDED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, IF WE CAN PLACE IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA MEETING, MAYBE BEFORE WE GO ON THE JULY RECESS, THAT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
[01:45:01]
OKAY.IF THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO, TO LOOK AT.
WELL, BUT TO HEAR THE, UM, UH, BILL ITSELF MM-HMM.
UM, IN THE LAST MEETING OF JUNE, BEFORE THE JULY RECESS.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? AND WHEN WE DO COME BACK TO HEAR THIS, CAN WE HAVE A REPORT THAT SHOWS THE, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESSION OF THE BILL SO FAR AND WHAT COMMITTEES HAVE APPROVED IT AND THIS AND THAT.
JUST SOME A REPORT THAT HAS DETAILS TO LOOK AT AND IF THERE IS OPPOSITION, WHAT IS YEAH, IT, I, I, YES, IT IS ONLINE THOUGH.
BUT I WANT IT AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T GONNA LOOK FOR IT ONLINE, AND THEY'RE GONNA USE OUR AGENDA PACKET FOR THE INFORMATION.
50 MANAGER WILL MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO IF THAT, IF THAT IS OKAY WITH EVERYBODY, WE CAN JUST, THEY BOTH.
UM, DO WE NEED A VOTE ON IT, UH, MR. MAYOR, OR WE'RE GOOD? I THINK, I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
YEAH, I THINK WE CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER STAFF REPORTS? I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION FOR THE, THE COUNCIL.
DID ANYONE GO TO THE EVENT SATURDAY? I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO THE PORT PARTY.
WHICH ONE? THE PORT, UH, PORT.
DO YOU EAT ENOUGH FOR ME TOO?
THERE WAS TOO MANY EVENTS THAT THERE WAS FOOD AT, AND SO I HAD TO, I COULDN'T EAT AT ALL OF THEM.
AND, UH, BUT NO, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A GOOD TURNOUT DOWN THERE.
AND, UH, UM, AND AS I SAY, FAMILY SEEMED TO BE HAVING A, A GOOD TIME.
IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLOUDY UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON AND IT CLEARED UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND IT WAS REALLY NICE DOWN THERE.
SO IT COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER ON THAT, SORRY, SAFETY MANAGER.
IT WAS MY DAUGHTER'S GRADUATION, SO.
SO IF THERE'S NOT THEN, UM, ANYTHING IN THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? NOTHING.
[13. ELECTED OFFICIALS REPORT]
WE'LL GO WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS REPORT.I HAVE A BRIEF STATEMENT, UM, TO MAKE, UH, THIS IS ALMOST COMICAL IF IT WAS NOT SO INFURIATING, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND STATE IT.
UM, THE ELECTION CYCLE IS CLOSE AND IT'S, IT'S HEATING UP.
UH, JUST TO REITERATE, UH, AND TO REMIND FOLKS, TWO MONTHS AGO, A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ACCUSED, MY WIFE AND I, OF OWNING AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY IN INDIO, CALIFORNIA, ACCUSED OF NOT CLAIMING THE PROPERTY THAT I'M NOT REQUIRED, UM, UH, TO PROCLAIM PUBLICLY THROUGH THE FORM 700, UH, SAID THAT WE WERE HIDING OUR ASSETS BECAUSE THE LLC WAS IN SAN DIEGO AND NOT IN THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY.
UH, THE SAME PERSON ACCUSED ME AND MY FAMILY IN OWNING A CANNABIS SHOP LAST YEAR, PUBLICLY, UM, ALL INTENDED TO MAKE US LOOK BAD.
AND THE TRUTH IS THAT MY WIFE, UH, AND I DO HAVE A PROPERTY MANAGER AT THIS HOME ONE MONTH AGO, THE MANAGER NOTIFIED US THAT SOMEBODY VISITED THE HOME WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS SOMEBODY FROM NATIONAL CITY, UH, ASKING QUESTIONS TO THE TENANTS IF THEY KNEW JOSE RODRIGUEZ, UH, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
AND, UH, THEY WERE BEING ASKED HOW MUCH DO THEY PAY RENT? THEY ENCOURAGED THEM TO NOT PAY RENT.
THIS WAS NORTH TELLING THEM IN, IN THE CITY OF INDIA.
SO SOMEBODY PHYSICALLY DROVE THERE, SPOKE TO TENANTS, ENCOURAGED THEM TO NOT PAY RENT, UH, TELL THEM, HEY, DO YOU KNOW JOSE, JOSE RODRIGUEZ, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY? I KNOW HIM FROM NATIONAL CITY.
UM, THE TENANT I'VE NEVER MET, THEN CONTACTED THE PROPERTY MANAGER.
AND, UH, THE TENANT DIDN'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SHE FREAKED OUT AND SAID, I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE.
UM, SO THE REASON I MENTIONED THIS IS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NEW TO OUR CYCLE AND, UH, TO OUR POLITICAL VINDICTIVENESS THAT OCCURS IN OUR CITY.
IT IS, IT IS, UH, INFURIATING.
IT'S SO SMALL TOWNISH HONESTLY, THAT THESE KIND OF THINGS OCCUR.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME, LATE LAST YEAR, MY WIFE APPLIED FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE HERE IN NATIONAL CITY TO HAVE, UH, A TEMPORARY PARKING IN FRONT OF HER HOUSE AND WAS HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED.
I CAN'T REMEMBER A SINGLE TIME WHERE THAT'S HAPPENED AND WAS HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED BY A COUPLE OF FOLKS HERE.
UM, IN THE FALL OF 2022, SOMEBODY FILED AN ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT TO THEN CITY MANAGER ABOUT MY WIFE'S BUSINESS, UM, AND HAD THE CITY INSPECTORS VISIT OUR HOME IN HOPES THAT THERE WAS A INVESTIGATION TO BE STARTED.
AROUND THAT SAME TIME, I WAS BEING ACCUSED OF BEING A, UH, CANNABIS OWNER.
UM, SO LOOK, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE IN A POLITICAL CYCLE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE LIMITS TO SOME OF THIS STUFF.
[01:50:01]
OUTTA HAND.IT'S KIND OF, UH, UH, EXCEEDINGLY PETTY AND VINDICTIVE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE A PLACE IN OUR LOCAL POLITICS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE HIGH STANDARDS AND NOT, UM, RELY ON SOME OF THESE REALLY DIRTY, PETTY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORIC ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN OUR CITY.
UH, NOTHING TOO, TOO, UH, NN REPORT, BUT I WANT TO THANK A, A LIBRARY STAFF FOR, UH, THIS PAST SATURDAY FOR THE HISTORY OF THE LOWRIDERS EVENT.
IT WAS, UH, PRETTY WELL ATTENDED.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY, UH, DID THAT EVENT.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, OUR LIBRARY STAFF FOR DOING THAT KIND OF OUTREACH TO, UM, UH, TO, TO, UH, TO ONE OF OUR, OUR BIG COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, THE TURNAROUND WAS DECENT.
THEY HAD, UH, GOOD FOOD, UM, AND THEY HAD EXHIBITS, UM, AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS INSIDE.
SO JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, LIBRARY STAFF AND EVERY, ALL THE CITY STAFF THAT WERE INVOLVED IN PUTTING THAT EVENT TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT WAS IN A COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED LOWRIDER COALITION, UM, WHICH IS A NON-PROFIT.
SO, UH, YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF, UH, UH, INNOVATE, INNOVATIVE, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT I, I SEE OUR LIBRARY DOING.
I ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR, UH, DEPARTMENTS TO DO THAT KIND OF OUTREACH, NOT JUST WITH THE LOWRIDER COMMUNITY, BUT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT, UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS OUT THERE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WILL INTRODUCE NEW FOLKS TO THE LIBRARY AND HOPE, HOPEFULLY INCREASE THE, THE USAGE, THE CIRCULATION, ALL THAT.
SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EVENT AND, UH, APPRECIATE STAFF FOR WORKING ON IT.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, DIRECT A COUPLE QUESTIONS TO CITY MANAGER AND, AND STAFF, IF I MAY.
UH, EARLIER WE HAD A COMMENT ABOUT AMORTIZATION FROM ONE OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS.
AND, UM, IT, IT FELT A LITTLE BIT LIKE MAYBE SOME OF THE INFORMATION, UM, IS A LITTLE, UH, INACCURATE, UH, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS IN.
UM, HOW CAN I SAY THIS AS FAR AS WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS THAT WE'RE DOING AS FOR AMORTIZATION, UM, AND I WOULD, IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF STAFF CAN COME BACK WITH SOME OF THE DETAILS, SOME OF THE FACTS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING REGARDING AMORTIZATION.
UM, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MR. MARTIN REEDER, UM, A COUPLE, FEW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK AND DID LEARN THAT, UM, A ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR AMORTIZATION LAST YEAR REMAINS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UM, THERE HASN'T BEEN ACTION TOWARDS THIS ENDEAVOR.
AND SO IF, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE A BRIEF REPORT ON WHAT IN FACT THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING TOWARDS AMORTIZATION, IT WOULD HELP THAT WAY, UM, WE CAN, UH, REACH BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DISPEL SOME OF THESE, UM, SOME OF THIS IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, NOTHING IS BEING DONE.
UM, MY SECOND COMMENT IS, UM, UH, TO MR. CITY ATTORNEY, OR IF ANYBODY IN YOUR STAFF CAN HELP ME, UH, INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO A MEETING THAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK ON THURSDAY, I BELIEVE IT'S AT THE, AT THE LIBRARY.
AND IT IS A SCOPING MEETING, UM, THAT WILL CONSIDER THE PROJECT THAT IS PROPOSED FOR S-D-G-S-D-G FUELS, I BELIEVE IS THE, UH, VENDOR.
AND THEY ARE PROPOSING A FUEL TRANSPORT STATION, UM, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT WOULD UTILIZE THE RAIL, WHICH IS, UM, OPERATED BY BNSF.
AND SO I AM INVITING THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU'RE AT ALL INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
IF YOU HAVE, UM, COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY, UH, BRINGING THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
UM, PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING.
IT'S ON THURSDAY, CITY ATTORNEY.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE TIME AND, UH, CONFIRM THE LOCATION AT THE LIBRARY? IT IS THE COMMUNITY ROOM AT THE LIBRARY.
COMMUNITY ROOM AT THE LIBRARY.
AT WHAT, WHAT TIME? THANK YOU.
BUT LET ME, I CAN CHECK REAL QUICK.
UH, I'M A LITTLE WORRIED I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS, UM, ADVERTISED ON OUR CITY CHANNELS.
PLEASE IF WE CAN GET THAT AT LEAST ON OUR INSTAGRAM, ON OUR, UM, FACEBOOK, UM, I THINK IT IS CRUCIAL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE INFORMED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
AGAIN, THIS IS A, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SATISFY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, THE EIR THAT WILL EVENTUALLY, UH, COME OUT OF THIS.
WE NEED TO HAVE A SCOPING MEETING TO, THAT WOULD LEAD TO WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT IS GOING TO COVER.
SO IT IS NECESSARY FOR RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT TO VOICE THEIR OPINION FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM MR.
UH, CARLOS GERICH, A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, THOSE COMMENTS.
WE WILL FOLLOW UP ON AMORTIZATION.
UH, JUST TO NOTE THAT THE MEETING FOR THE FUEL STATE, UH, FUELING STATION IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING.
IT IS A MEETING OF THE, UH, APPLICANT, UH, TO START THE SCOPING PROCESS.
[01:55:01]
ARE NOT ADVERTISING IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT A CITY PUBLIC MEETING.I, WELL, IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING.
IT'S JUST NOT A CITY, IT'S NOT A CITY MEETING.
SO, REAL QUICK, I I JUST WANT TO LIKE, SO WE JUST REALLY NEED TO BE, BECAUSE I HEARD THIS COME UP ALREADY, UH, BEFORE, UM, AND NOT, NOT
THIS IS A DIFFERENT CITY STAFFER SAYING TO, I MEAN, IT WAS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION.
UM, AND SO I I I JUST THINK WE SHOULD BE REALLY CAREFUL WITH OUR LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT COMES ACROSS AS DISCOURAGING FOLKS TO, TO COME.
AND I THINK WHAT, LIKE THE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE, AND IT WAS, IT WAS MARTIN THAT SAID IT, UM, ACCORDING TO THE EHC, THAT THIS ISN'T, UH, A COMMUNITY MEETING.
IT'S LIKE IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING AND THAT KINDA LANGUAGE.
I, I JUST THINK WE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE EVERYTHING, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IS IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING.
BUT JUST, I JUST PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
LIKE ALL OF US BECAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING AND I, I DON'T WANT US TO START HAVING THE PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE DISCOURAGING, UH, RESIDENTS FROM, FROM ATTENDING.
WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING, UH, FOLKS TO ATTEND BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS POTENTIAL HEALTH ISSUE.
AND, AND MY LAST THING, UM, UH, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING, UM, AT, IN OUR, UM, STATE CAPITAL IN SACRAMENTO, UH, WITH OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, UH, MARTA JUAREZ AND WITH TIER SA GONZALEZ, UM, A CALIFORNIA DEFENSE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD REALLY BEEN A PART OF, UM, THIS TYPE OF COMMUNITY.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, IT WAS A GREAT, UH, TIME TO COLLABORATE WITH DEFENSE COMMUNITIES, THE MILITARY STATE LEADERSHIP, AND THE LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT DO HAVE A NAVY BASE.
AND SO NATIONAL CITY, OF COURSE, HAS A NAVY BASE, UH, THAT IS A PART OF OUR CITY.
AND SO HEARING THESE DISCUSSIONS WAS, IT WAS A VERY RICH, UM, MEETING FOR ME.
I, I LEARNED A LOT AND SOME OF THE MORE, UM, INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS ON HERE.
HAD A LOT TO DO WITH ECONOMIC RESILIENCY AND INNOVATION.
AND THIS IS ABOUT, UM, NOT JUST THE, THE MILITARY COMMUNITY THAT HAS TO GO ON AND OFF THE BASE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR JOBS AND FOR THEIR WELLBEING, BUT IT ALSO IMPACTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS AROUND THE NAVY BASE.
AND SO THIS WAS A VERY, UM, EYEOPENING SUMMIT FOR ME.
I HADN'T REALLY, UM, SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, CAPTAINS, UM, NOT CAPTAIN SULLIVAN, I WAS LOOKING AT YOU
AND WE, UM, TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE VERY GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLLOW UP THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN.
THIS WAS AS A RESULT OF THE GRANT THAT NATIONAL CITY, UH, HAD FOR THE RESILIENCY PROJECT, WHICH IDENTIFIED, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION FOR FOLKS THAT ARE COMING ON AND OFF THE BASE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING THE BASE.
SO, UH, THIS WAS A PART OF THAT GRANT AND I WAS VERY GRATEFUL THAT I WAS INVITED AND I, AND I THANK, UH, STAFF FOR, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S YOUR 1234 REPORT ON THAT? YES.
UM, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO THANK, UM, CITY MANAGER AND THE DIRECTORS, UM, AND THEIR STAFF FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S, UM, BEEN BEFORE US OR HAVE BEEN BEFORE US, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THOSE OPTIONS.
CITY MANAGER, UM, FOR, UM, NEXT MEETING.
UM, I LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I DO A, UH, FREE NOTARIAL SERVICES AT THE LIBRARY MAYOR, UM, THAT'S ON SATURDAY THE 25TH FROM 10 TO 12.
I INVITE EVERYONE WHO'S GOT, UM, UM, WHO NEEDS THOSE SERVICES AND UM, I PROVIDE THEM FOR FREE.
UM, WHAT ELSE? UM, I THINK THAT'S IT.
THOSE, THOSE UM, COMMENTS, UM, BY MY COLLEAGUE HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE VERY EXCITING, UM, SUMMIT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, IT IS ALSO UNFORTUNATE COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THOSE UNFORTUNATE SITUATIONS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE ARE IN POLITICS.
WE GOTTA HAVE A HARDER TUMMY SOMETIMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BUT, UH, THOSE SITUATIONS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
ALRIGHT, UM, COUPLE OF THINGS REAL QUICK.
UH, PROBABLY MANY OF YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THAT WE, IT WAS BIG DEAL IN THE NEWS THIS LAST COUPLE WEEKS WAS THE LITHIUM FIRES OUT AT OTAI MESA.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PERMANENT FIXTURES, PROTECTED EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND, AND IT'S OUT THERE KIND OF AS FAR KIND OF OUT OF THE WAY AS THEY COULD, AS THEY COULD GET IT.
AND YET THEY'RE STILL DOING LOCKDOWNS WITH, UH, DONOVAN PRISON TALKING ABOUT EVEN POSSIBLE EVACUATIONS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TOXIC FUMES.
[02:00:01]
SO, AND I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE HAVING A MEETING ON THURSDAY, BUT THEY ALSO SHOULD INCLUDE THIS BECAUSE WE'RE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ELECTRIFICATION, UH, STATION HERE ON THE WEST SIDE ON TYS AVENUE, UH, THERE AT 19TH AND, AND, UH, OR I'M SORRY, UH, ABOUT 22ND ENTITLING, NOW WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING IN ALL OF THESE, UH, WHAT I CALL A MOBILE LITHIUM BANKS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 18 WHEELERS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER GOING INTO THERE.AND THEY HAVE A MUCH GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR ACCIDENTS THAN THE THE PERMANENT STATIONS OUT THERE AT OTAY MESA.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS, WE ARE DOWNWIND, THE ENTIRE CITY IS DOWNWIND OF THAT SITE.
SO IF THOSE FUMES EVER WERE TO HAPPEN, WE EVER WERE TO EVER HAVE THAT, AND IT'S STILL REIGNITING, THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THAT THING OUT.
IT'S BEEN WHAT NOW? SEVEN DAYS AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, TO PUT THAT THING OUT.
THAT'S WHAT WE COULD VERY EASILY HAVE HERE.
SO I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND, UM, AND AS I SAY, THAT ONE IS, I THINK A PRIME EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THOSE DANGERS.
AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH, WITH THE PORT THAT WE COULD HAVE, WE COULD BE DEALING WITH HERE BECAUSE OF THEM WANTING TO SIT IT HERE IN NATIONAL CITY BECAUSE NONE OF THE OTHER CITIES WANTED IT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO, UM, THOUGHT ON THAT, UH, THE OTHER THING IS COMING UP QUICKLY.
WE HAVE OUR, UH, JULY 4TH, UH, CELEBRATION IN KIMBALL, UH, PARK, AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN OUT PUT OUT MUCH.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PUTTING OUT THE INFORMATION THIS WEEK ON IT.
THE DATES ON THAT ARE GONNA BE THE THIRD THROUGH THE SEVENTH, AND THE FIREWORKS ARE GONNA BE ON SATURDAY THE SIXTH, JUST OFF TO THE MISS NATIONALS.
AND THAT'LL ALSO BE IN THE MISS NATIONAL CITY PAGEANT WILL BE INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT ON THAT ONE ALSO.
SO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS KIND OF PUSHING ON 'EM, I WAS GOING, HEY, COME ON, YOU GOTTA GIVE US THE DATES BECAUSE OTHERWISE OUR CALENDARS START FILLING UP AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND, UH, WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO OUT OF TOWN.
WE'RE ON JULY BREAK, EVERYTHING ELSE AND YOU DON'T WANNA MISS THESE THINGS.
SO ANYWAY, SO I DID FIND OUT IT IS JULY 3RD THROUGH THE SEVENTH AND THE FIREWORKS IS GONNA BE ON SATURDAY THE SIXTH.
UM, I, I DO HAVE TO RESPOND TO THE ONE THING THAT WAS, I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP A COUPLE TIMES, UH, WITH THE, THE, THE PARKING AT THE DAYCARE, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, AND EXTRA ATTENTION THAT WAS, IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE PERSON, IT WAS, 'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER HAD A REQUEST TO ALLOW PARKING AT A, UH, PAR, UH, PARKING AT A RESIDENTIAL LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
SO OF COURSE IT GOT EXTRA SCRUTINY.
IT DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PERSON IT HAD, THAT WAS, THAT HAD NEVER, THAT KIND OF REQUEST HAD NEVER COME BEFORE US BEFORE.
SO I AGREE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THINGS, AND I SAY IF YOU, IF YOU HAD ATTENTION TAKEN UP AT INDIO, YEAH.
THAT'S, THAT'S GOING, THAT'S GOING BEYOND.
BUT I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN FIT THAT SAME ONE AS FAR AS THE PARKING SITUATION.
THAT WAS SOMETHING, I MEAN, WHEN WE HAVE OTHER PARKING DEALS, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S THE SAME THING.
WE'VE, IT'S, WE'VE ALREADY HAVE A PATTERN OF IT.
WE HAD NO PATTERN OF THIS ONE AT ALL.
AND SO WE DID HAVE TO TAKE SOME EXTRA SCRUTINY ON THAT.
AND, UM, SO, UM, I AGREE WITH YOU SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, JUST LIKE I KNOW IT'S, WE ALL GET HIT.
I, I HAD SOME, I'VE STILL GOT A NICE STACK OF THE UH, UH, THESE ALMOST ANONYMOUS, UM, OH HIT PIECES THAT CAME OUT ME IN THE LAST ELECTION ACCUSED ME OF ALL KINDS OF FUN STUFF.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
AND UH, IT IS SMALL TOWN AND, UH, SMALL TOWN.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WE DID NOT HAVE CLOSED SESSION, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT OUT OF THAT.
WE ARE ADJOURNED TO OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING, WHICH WILL BE ON JUNE THE FOURTH.