Tuesday, June 18, 2024

The council approved $33,880 to Day Wireless Systems for 50 Code Enforcement portable radios (consent, 5-0) and $775 in General Fund travel for elected officials to the League of California Cities conference (5-0); five larger spending items totaling more than $1.7 million — including a $600,000 tree-trimming purchase order to United Pacific Services, a $322,839 ARPA-funded contract with Cla-Val Company, a $651,950 EV charging station purchase with ChargePoint Inc. split across three line items (flagged as a repeat vendor), a $48,688 two-line-item consulting contract with MGT of America, and a fire chief vehicle purchase with competing bids from three Chevrolet dealerships ranging $81,080–$84,787 — were on the agenda but not acted upon before the meeting was continued. A fireworks permit vote for eleven nonprofit applicants failed: Spicer voted yes, Duhart, Bowers, and Darden abstained, and Mayor Sharif voted no, after approximately nine members of the public addressed the item, the majority opposing the permits. A public hearing on placing roughly 130 delinquent commercial water accounts on the Los Angeles County tax roll was pulled after Republic Services' designated presenter left the chambers before making a presentation, drawing objections from approximately eight speakers. The meeting was continued to the following week following a floor dispute between the city attorney and city manager over the city attorney's right to deliver an oral report from the dais, with the continuation passing on a 2-yes tally (Duhart and Mayor Sharif), Spicer and Darden absent, and Bowers' vote unrecorded in the transcript.