Tuesday, January 14, 2025

The council's largest spending approval was a recurring $800,000 contract with the City of Downey for fire and emergency medical dispatching services, passed on the consent agenda 4-0 (Darden absent); the same vote covered three recurring regulatory and consulting payments — $53,975 to the State Water Resources Control Board, $34,050 to Price Paige & Company LLP for a CPA contract amendment, and $33,012 to the California Department of Industrial Relations — with one resident, Fidel Marquez, publicly opposing the Price Paige item during public comment. A $416,428 amendment to a construction contract with MDJ Management LLC for security upgrades at 404 N. Alameda passed 4-0 (Darden absent) following a presentation by Director Ward citing scope additions — drainage retention basins, ADA sidewalks, and interior cameras — not anticipated when the project was authorized in June 2023; Ward stated the project is approximately 80% complete. A $28,799 General Fund purchase order to HDL for municipal tax and audit consulting passed 4-0 (Darden absent); both HDL and Price Paige & Company LLP are General Fund consulting vendors approved at the same meeting, and HDL's amount falls just under $30,000. No new spending was approved for the Olympics/Tourism Committee ordinance (first reading only, no vote taken) or the exclusive negotiation agreement with the Wind Project for 21 affordable units at 1716 E. Rosecrans (4-0, Darden absent), though the Wind Project ENA drew multiple public objections in the concurrent successor agency session.