Tuesday, January 2, 2024

The council's two approved expenditures at the January 2, 2024 regular meeting were $28,700 to Major League Infields, Inc. for Dodgers Dreamfields maintenance at Gonzalez Park — staff described the amount as covering five months of past-due invoices plus two additional months at the vendor's $4,100/month rate — approved 4-0 with Darden absent, and $20,085 to the State Water Resources Control Board for a state-mandated recurring annual waste discharge permit, also approved 4-0 with Darden absent. Item 5, which would have directed $432,689 in ARPA funds to The Garland Company, Inc. for fire station roofing materials structured across three separate line items ($216,344, $188,126, and $28,219 to the same vendor), was pulled by staff before any vote and tabled to a future meeting. Thirteen residents spoke during public comment, the majority addressing street takeovers and the looting of Ruben's Bakery; the city attorney stated a draft street-takeover ordinance is in process but provided no date for when it would return to the council for a vote. On board matters, Louisa McCrary was removed from the Federal Grants Advisory Board (4-0, Darden absent) and Barbara Baker was appointed to that board (4-0, Darden absent); Councilman Bowers's motion to expand the Public Safety Commission by one seat to add a candidate he described as having over 30 years of public safety experience failed for lack of a second, and the related PSC appointment item also failed for lack of a second.