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Sep 1, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council approved a $322,105 citywide parking rate study after debate over why a higher-priced vendor was selected over a lower bid, with staff explaining the lowest bidder's six-month timeline was deemed impractical for a comprehensive 18-24 month study. The council tabled a resolution to terminate preferential parking in Richland Farms for two weeks despite a petition with over 50% of residents' signatures that had sat unprocessed in the city clerk's office since March. A $4.77 million road repair contract (Phase 10) with All American Asphalt was approved covering streets across all districts. In closed session, the council authorized a $95,500 settlement in the Guzman v. City of Compton lawsuit and approved initiating litigation in one additional matter. New City Controller Lawrence Chu was introduced, and multiple residents voiced concerns about repeated business break-ins, city cleanliness, sewer maintenance failures, graffiti, and inconsistent code enforcement.

Aug 21, 2026

city council special

The Compton City Council held a special meeting on August 21, 2026, primarily to discuss the hiring of a new city manager. After a closed session, the council voted to approve moving forward with a professional services agreement for recruiting a city manager. The council then passed a resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate and enter into an agreement with Bob Murray and Associates, an executive recruiting firm, for professional recruitment services for the city manager position in an amount not to exceed $35,000. Council members Spicer was absent for the votes. Council Member Darden closed the meeting by honoring the memory of community member Jermaine L. Brown.

Aug 4, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council rejected a proposed warehouse and industrial business license tax of up to $1 per square foot that would have appeared on the November 2026 ballot and was estimated to generate $10 million annually. The motion to adopt the ordinance (Item 9) died for lack of a second, and all three related resolutions (Item 8) also failed, with council members citing concerns about business retention, lack of outreach to affected businesses, no sunset clause, and comparisons to Measure P. The council also voted to extend the Charter Review Committee through December 31, 2027 — one year shorter than the requested 2028 deadline — to allow more time for public input on potential charter revisions. Three council members were approved to attend the [League of California Cities](https://www.calcities.org) conference in September.

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 21, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council again delayed a decision on awarding $870,000 in [HUD](https://www.hud.gov)/ARPA funds to the Empowering Reach Foundation, a nonprofit that only incorporated in 2024, after multiple council members raised concerns about the organization's legitimacy, lack of local presence, and questioned why established Compton-based organizations were not chosen instead. The council directed staff to return next week with a recommendation that could split the funds among multiple organizations from the original RFP respondent list. In other action, the council unanimously approved $524,177 for Johnson Controls to replace a failing cooling tower at City Hall, with a temporary system to provide relief within days, and council members personally donated money to cover costs for the repass of July 4th shooting victim Eric Washington. A proposed $3,810 pipeline franchise review was tabled after a council member requested the consultant attend to answer questions. Public commenters raised concerns about World Oil environmental impacts, sheriff's department transparency and staffing, and the need for youth gang intervention over homeless spending.

Jul 20, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council reconvened from closed session at 2:38 PM on July 20, 2026, with a brief public report. City Manager reported that the council conducted second-round interviews for the city controller position during closed session. The council completed the interviews and provided direction to staff on how to proceed with filling the role. The meeting was adjourned at 2:39 PM. Council members Duart, Spicer, and Mayor Cherise voted yes on procedural motions, while Council members Bowers and Darton were not recorded as responding.

Jul 20, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee continued its section-by-section review of the city charter on July 20, 2026, debating changes to the Planning Commission, Personnel Board, and Recreation and Parks Commission. Key recommendations included requiring each commission to have one member from each council district with the mayor selecting one at-large member, adding professional qualifications for commissioners, and mandating that all discretionary development entitlements receive Planning Commission approval before going to council. Commissioner Baker's proposal to remove the Parks and Recreation Commission from the charter sparked the meeting's most heated debate, with multiple commissioners and public speakers arguing removal could jeopardize Compton's charter city status; Baker ultimately withdrew the recommendation pending further research. The committee voted unanimously to adjourn early at 7:00 PM and continue deliberations at a special meeting on Wednesday.

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 closed session

The Compton City Council held a special closed session on July 14, 2026, convening at 12:36 PM. No members of the public signed up to comment on the closed session items. The council voted to convene into closed session at 12:37 PM to discuss a public employment matter regarding the City Controller position, pursuant to [Government Code Section 54957](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=54957.)(b)(1). The council planned to report out on the closed session when reconvening at 4:00 PM, with a subsequent meeting scheduled for later that day.

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.

Jul 7, 2026

city council

The July 7, 2026 Compton City Council meeting was dominated by devastating public testimony from the family of Mia Bordenave Jenkins, a 19-year-old UNLV student killed in a July 4th mass shooting at the Wilmington Arms apartments, whose body was left uncovered on the ground for approximately 12 hours while officers and bystanders stepped over it. Councilwoman Duhart formally requested an Internal Affairs investigation into deputies' conduct, and the mayor directed staff to develop a community safety and violence prevention action plan. In closed session, the council accepted City Manager Willie Hopkins' resignation and appointed Acting City Manager Grooms as interim city manager at $334,070 annually (3-1 votes). The council certified the June 2026 election results 3-1 despite public objections, approved $137,170 to complete the long-overdue General Plan 2045 update, and postponed a ballot measure to permanently ban fireworks after learning no enforcement task force had been deployed on July 4th.

Jun 29, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee reviewed Sections 700–713 of the city charter, covering the city clerk, treasurer, city attorney, city manager, and public safety leadership positions. A heated debate erupted when Commissioner Marquez proposed adopting Huntington Beach's in-person voter ID model, which Commissioner Lister called voter suppression and legal counsel confirmed had been ruled unconstitutional by a California appellate court. The committee recommended adding professional qualifications and certifications for the city clerk and city treasurer, establishing timelines for filling vacant appointed positions, and clarifying Measure CA's language on whether the appointed city attorney must be an individual or a law firm. Vice Chair Butler formally rescinded her earlier recommendation to reduce city council meetings from four to two. The HR director is scheduled to attend the July 6 meeting to address job descriptions and civil service questions raised throughout the session.

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 23, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council adopted the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, which includes approximately $30 million for the sheriff's contract, new street sweepers, a vacuum truck, and a community services manager position for homeless outreach that has gone unfilled for two years despite being budgeted. The council approved $600,000 in federal HOME ARP funds to formally partner with [HOPICS](https://www.hopics.org) for homeless supportive services for the first time and authorized $2.03 million to purchase four ambulances and one paramedic squad for the fire department. The council voted to pause its membership in the California Cities for Self Reliance Joint Powers Authority after discovering the JPA had not actually joined a critical lawsuit challenging the state's ban on blackjack-style card games, potentially jeopardizing casino revenue. During discussion of extending contracts with eight outside law firms, Councilmember Bowers raised conflict-of-interest concerns about council members voting on a firm's contract after accepting holiday gifts from that firm, prompting a public exchange with the city's special legal counsel about [Form 700](https://www.fppc.ca.gov/Form700.html) reporting requirements.

Jun 22, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee held a special meeting to continue reviewing Section 500 of the city charter, focusing on three major issues: whether to recommend restoring the elected city attorney position removed by Measure CA, whether to return to citywide at-large voting instead of district-based elections, and total compensation for the mayor and city council. Committee members learned that council members receive a $600 monthly stipend, $650 auto allowance, $100 phone allowance, $20,000 annual discretionary event funds, and lifetime medical/dental/vision benefits after five years of service — with Commissioner Baker raising concerns about insufficient safeguards against cronyism in discretionary spending. No formal votes were taken; staff was directed to research total compensation details, the 2012 redistricting settlement agreement, and residency requirements for an elected city attorney, with responses expected at the June 29 meeting.

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.