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Jul 28, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council held a public workshop on air quality concerns from the World Oil Recycling facility, where [AQMD](https://www.aqmd.gov) confirmed 8 violations and over 130 odor complaints in 2026 alone, with residents and children reporting nosebleeds, headaches, and nausea. World Oil did not attend in person, drawing sharp criticism from residents and commissioners. The council also received a presentation on a 90-day drone first responder pilot program launching August 19 at Compton Station, approved a $30,810 pipeline franchise fee review, authorized a state financing application for a [PFAS](https://www.epa.gov/pfas) water treatment plant, and approved purchasing a $127,000 remote-controlled mulching machine for city maintenance. A contentious discussion over Richland Farms permit parking enforcement ended without formal action, with the city manager directed to present a consultant selection for a citywide parking study in September.

Jul 22, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee held what was originally scheduled as its final meeting on July 22, 2026, and voted unanimously to request that the City Council extend the committee's mandate through December 31, 2028, acknowledging that insufficient time was allotted for a thorough charter review. The committee also voted unanimously to hold an additional meeting on August 3 and to have the assistant city manager present their extension request at a special council meeting on August 4. During substantive charter discussions, the committee addressed sections on civil service (1100), official bonds (1200), and elections (1300), making recommendations including adding nepotism provisions, increasing bond minimums to $4 million following a prior $3.7 million theft from the treasurer's office, and mandating special elections within 90 days when council vacancies occur. Public commenters urged the committee to preserve charter protections for the Planning and Recreation and Parks Commissions and called for broader community engagement in the reform process. No charter amendments will appear on the November 2026 ballot; all recommendations are targeted for the November 2028 general election.

Jul 15, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee heard testimony from Interim HR Director Taquan Jones, who explained city hiring processes, the personnel board's role, and urged the committee to modernize the outdated charter, noting it 'hamstrings' HR operations. Commissioners recommended adding the Charter Review Committee and Public Safety Commission as permanently required boards in Section 1000, debated whether to keep the Recreation and Parks Commission, and discussed establishing term limits for both commissioners and elected officials. The committee voted unanimously to table remaining Section 1000 discussion to address other agenda items, including Commissioner Lister's proposals on elected official term limits and mandatory public budget processes. Multiple residents urged the committee not to rush charter reform to meet an August ballot deadline, with one submitting a proposed 18-month timeline, while public correspondence from four community members was formally received and will be posted online.

Jul 14, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council's July 14, 2026 meeting saw an $870,440 contract for homeless supportive services (using federal HOME ARP funds) die for lack of a second, prompting Councilwoman Darden to warn that failing to use [HUD](https://www.hud.gov) funds could jeopardize future federal allocations and request the item be brought back. Multiple residents raised concerns about an undisclosed survey sent from the city manager's office that asked residents about a warehouse tax and their opinions of specific elected officials, demanding to know how the vendor was selected, how it was funded, and why council was not informed. Special counsel presented on all-mail ballot election law, clarifying that while Compton's charter authorizes mail ballots, consolidation with county and state elections requires voting centers to remain open — though residents continued to allege widespread election fraud. The council also declared key city properties surplus land to advance commercial development, scheduled a September 15 public hearing for the Compton 2045 General Plan, and approved a three-year medical director contract for the fire department.

Jun 24, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee continued its section-by-section review of the city charter, focusing on the 600 series covering city council and mayoral powers, meeting procedures, and ordinance publication. The committee voted unanimously to reopen Sections 600 and 601 for discussion, with commissioners calling for the mayor's duties to be clearly defined beyond vague 'ceremonial purposes,' citing comparable cities that include policy leadership and legislative responsibilities. Vice Chair Butler recommended reducing city council meetings from four per month to two, though Commissioner Marquez cautioned that voters recently rejected this same proposal. Commissioners also recommended reorganizing Section 606, which combines quorum rules with council powers into one dense paragraph, and called for charter language requiring ordinances and legal notices to be published on the city website and social media in addition to a clearly identified official newspaper. Section 500 on council compensation was held over to the July 6th meeting when the HR director will attend to answer pending questions.

Jun 16, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council held a public hearing on the proposed $287.2 million FY 2026-27 budget, which includes $48.3 million toward unfunded pension liability, $65 million for infrastructure including 52 street repairs, and $72 million for public safety. Council members requested a cost analysis on bringing animal control services in-house, an audit of sheriff deputy patrol staffing, and a [CalPERS](https://www.calpers.ca.gov) presentation on pension paydown options by September. The council also approved $645,000 in litigation settlements, a $249,000 Taser upgrade for the Public Safety department, and water utility purchase orders, while Councilman Spicer alleged a potential 'gift of public funds' involving colleagues' plan to let an organization owing the city $200,000 use a city facility rent-free. Budget adoption is expected next week.

Jun 15, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee met on June 15, 2026, to discuss previously tabled charter sections and develop proposed amendments. The most significant debate centered on Section 504, where commissioners recommended increasing council and mayoral compensation from $600 to $3,000 per month while eliminating car allowances, cell phone stipends, and lifetime medical/dental benefits, with disagreements over whether changes should take effect immediately or be phased in with future elections. Commissioners also debated extending the 30-day residency requirement for candidates to 60 days or one year, discussed what population data source should trigger redistricting at the 100,000-resident threshold, and recommended changing redistricting criteria from 'registered voters' to 'residents.' The committee only completed Sections 500-505, falling short of its goal to cover Sections 100-700, prompting acknowledgment that additional special meetings on June 22 and 24 will be needed. Public commenters criticized the committee's rushed timeline and lack of community workshops, arguing the charter review process needs broader public engagement.

Jun 9, 2026

city council

The June 9, 2026 Compton City Council meeting was dominated by explosive public comments from multiple residents alleging the city violated its own Resolution 26363, which mandated an all-mail ballot election for June 2, but polling places were opened anyway. Speakers demanded the election be invalidated and reported contacting the FBI. The council also directed staff to place a permanent fireworks ban on the November 2026 ballot while maintaining the current suspension, approved a $1.8 million street sweeping package to transition services in-house, accepted a $350,000 state tobacco enforcement grant partnering with the Sheriff's Department, and held a public hearing on the 2026-2027 [CDBG](https://www.[hud](https://www.hud.gov).gov/program_offices/comm_planning/cdbg) and HOME annual action plan totaling approximately $1.76 million. Mayor Sharif was absent due to the death of her sister.

May 26, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council formally censured Councilman Andre Spicer for misusing the city Cal Card (purchasing card), voting 4-0 to revoke his card privileges, remove him from all committees, boards, and commissions, strip his Mayor Pro Tempore title, and refer the independent investigator's findings to the LA County Sheriff and District Attorney. The council also held a budget workshop for FY 2026-2027, presenting a proposed $83.7 million general fund with $56.5 million dedicated to public safety, including a sheriff's contract increasing to $30.5 million. Other approvals included a three-year, $525,500-per-year street name sign installation program, $150,000 for traffic calming devices including neighborhood roundabouts, and a salary schedule for unclassified employees through 2029. Residents voiced strong concerns about World Oil Recycling Center's recent fire and air violations, brown water quality, sheriff's department costs and responsiveness, and the need for better emergency communication systems.

May 12, 2026

city council

At the May 12, 2026 meeting, the Compton City Council approved several key items including a $200,000 CalTrans grant to continue the city's Clean Team cleanup program, a $309,495 contract for asphalt pavement rehabilitation at various locations, a $67,500 contract for dirt removal and dumping cleanup on city-owned parcels near the 710 freeway, and an $874,908 cost-sharing agreement with the City of Carson for street improvements on Central Avenue. The council also adopted a schedule for upcoming community budget workshops across all four districts, with an additional Saturday session being explored, and scheduled a public hearing for the HUD 2026-27 Annual Action Plan on June 9. During public comment, residents raised concerns about street conditions, Republic Services trash pickup delays, transparency and financial accountability, the Compton Unified School District bond measure, and a credit card misuse investigation — with the city manager announcing that a full report and the investigator will be presented at next week's meeting.

Apr 28, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council met on April 28, 2026, and took several significant actions. The council approved five-year labor agreements (2024–2029) with three employee groups—management (CMEA/[AFSCME](https://www.afscme.org)), general employees ([AFSCME](https://www.afscme.org) Local 3947), and firefighters (Local 2216)—bringing wages to more competitive levels. The FY 2023–2024 audit by EDN Payne was received with a clean financial opinion but flagged 21 findings including 12 material weaknesses, primarily related to reporting delays and internal controls; the council also authorized EDN Payne for the FY 2025 audit at $232,885. The Community Improvement Services department was renamed the Public Safety department with restructured supervisory positions, a zero-emission bus rollout plan for nine electric buses was approved for state submission, and $268,285 was allocated to AP Triton to help the fire department pursue regaining ambulance transport rights from LA County. The council heard presentations on the June 2 primary election voting procedures, a legislative update highlighting new Brown Act requirements (SB 707) taking effect July 1, 2026, and potential federal funding from Congresswoman Waters for water and sewer projects totaling $5.4 million. The proposed budget hearing was postponed from June 2 due to its conflict with election day, and two items were tabled—a $200,000 [Caltrans](https://dot.ca.gov) grant appropriation due to insufficient votes and a $79,554 HOME ARP nonprofit capacity-building contract pending more information.

Apr 27, 2026

city council closed session

The Compton City Council held a closed session to discuss the evaluation and potential dismissal of the City Manager. The council reaffirmed a prior 3-2 vote from April 7 to place the City Manager on paid administrative leave, with Council Members Spicer and Duhart dissenting. The council also voted to appoint Jerry Grooms, a retired annuitant, as acting City Manager during the leave period, with a contract to be brought back for ratification. During public comment, multiple residents raised concerns about transparency, alleged [Brown Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=54950.) violations, a disputed $300,000 check related to [Republic Services](https://www.republicservices.com), and demanded the removal of appointed Council Member Spicer. Council Member Duhart stated on the record that she disagreed with the actions, citing a state audit that highlighted instability in the City Manager position.

Apr 16, 2026

personnel board

The Compton Personnel Board unanimously approved eligible lists for seven city positions, including 13 firefighter vacancies focused on paramedic-certified candidates narrowed from nearly 200 applicants. The board also approved three temporary appointments, abolished six outdated eligible lists, and granted temporary exemptions from classified service for three positions in the Water and General Services departments. HR Director Jones acknowledged an oversight in failing to bring an exempt appointment before the board previously and apologized for the lapse. Battalion Chief Jason Henderson was recognized for commanding the response to a major fire at a metal processing facility that drew national news coverage, and board members urged city leadership to prioritize inspections of high-risk industrial buildings.

Apr 14, 2026

city council

The council voted 2-3 to reject a travel authorization (Item 5) totaling $1,623 structured across three separate General Fund line items — $1,000, $548, and $75 — for elected officials to attend the 67th Annual Municipal Seminar in Indian Wells in May 2026, with Mayor Sharif, Spicer, and Bowers voting no and Duhart and Darden voting yes; the three-way split of expenditures for a single event is a pattern flagged in the structured agenda. A right-of-entry and access agreement with nonprofit Connecting Compton for a former landfill site at 2815–2901 West Alondra Boulevard (Item 6) was tabled 4-1 (Bowers dissenting) after council members raised concerns about soil contamination, the city's disclosure of two unresolved competing access challenges filed against the city, and the revelation that vendor NV5 holds an active city stormwater-sampling contract at the site yet has produced no reports to the council. Staff was directed to bring NV5 before the council for a full presentation, explore a request for proposals for soil site analysis, and contact the EPA directly, with all three components targeted to return by mid-May 2026. The closed session on public employee discipline — concerning the city manager currently on administrative leave — was referred to outside retained counsel Enzo Law with no additional reportable action; two members of the public addressed the closed-session item before it convened, both speaking in support of the city manager.

Apr 7, 2026

city council

The council's two largest expenditure approvals were a combined $1,129,333 to Savi Construction, Inc. — structured as an $847,000 three-year citywide red curb painting contract plus a separate $282,333 first-year purchase order to the same vendor — approved 5-0 with Councilmember Bowers voting yes while stating 'reluctantly'; and a $801,642 two-year sole-source lease with Flock Safety, Inc. for 74 automatic license plate readers and 37 PTZ cameras, approved 5-0 despite opposition from at least four public speakers who cited privacy concerns, potential conflicts with California's SB 34 and SB 54, and the sole-source designation of the contract. The consent agenda — which included a $62,100 contract to Mariposa Eco Consulting for SB 1383 implementation, acceptance of a $32,208 LA Dodgers Foundation grant paired with a $24,000 contract to Harold Johnson (an amount that sits just below the $25,000 council approval threshold), and two sets of meeting minutes — passed 5-0 after item 7, a $5,662 Grainger purchase order for portable evaporative coolers at Wilson Park Gymnasium, was pulled for separate discussion and then approved 5-0. At the close of the meeting, following a reconvened closed session, council reported that the city manager was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Item 12, a discussion on facilities honoring Cesar Chavez, received no council direction and died; item 11, scheduling public hearings for the FY 2026-27 budget, was tabled to be returned with printed dates.

Mar 24, 2026

city council

The largest spending approved at this meeting was a five-year SEIU Local 721 collective bargaining agreement (Maintenance and Trades and Public Safety Auxiliary, FY2025–2029) carrying five expenditure line items totaling approximately $2.45 million; the city manager stated the deal brings wages closer to comparable-city market rates, it passed on an electronic vote, and no individual tally was captured in the transcript (Councilmember Darton was absent throughout the meeting). The council also approved a contract with Agiloft, Inc. for a contract lifecycle management platform — described from the dais as not to exceed $257,418 with a $76,000 implementation cost and $55,821 annual subscription — but the structured agenda items show Agiloft across six line items totaling $716,433, with four sub-$100K entries summing to $201,597 flagged as a possible split-payment pattern; additionally, a $76,000 line item attributed to Spectrum Mobility, LLC appeared in the structured agenda data but was not mentioned in the city manager's presentation, and the item passed with no tally stated. The consent agenda passed 4-0 with Darton absent, approving $102,245 in planning consultant contracts split between Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. at $180/hr and 4Leaf, Inc. at $160/hr from the General Fund. The largest single dollar item on the agenda — a right-of-entry agreement for the former Alondra Boulevard landfill site with $3 million flowing to Connecting Compton in two line items ($2M and $1M) — was pulled from the consent agenda before any vote; two Connecting Compton co-founders spoke in support during public comment, while two other residents raised concerns about unresolved environmental hazards at the site, including what one speaker described as visible daily gas emissions.

Mar 19, 2026

personnel board

The Compton Personnel Board unanimously approved six items at its March 19, 2026 meeting, with the most significant being the authorization of temporary firefighter appointments to address a severe staffing shortage in the fire department. Fire Chief Donald reported 10 current vacancies across captain, engineer, and firefighter ranks, with retired fire captains and firefighter paramedics being brought in temporarily while the department works to fill 20 positions. The board also approved eligible lists for city clerk technician, street maintenance supervisor, and associate civil engineer positions, abolished a building inspector eligible list due to unsuitable candidates, and extended the fire captain eligible list for six months. Compton College's upcoming fire academy, expected to launch in fall 2026, was noted as a future pipeline for local firefighter recruitment.