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Jun 24, 2025

city council

The council approved the FY 2025-2026 budget totaling $262.32 million across all funds — including $89.71 million from the General Fund — 4-1 with Councilmember Darden dissenting, and authorized a right-of-way agreement for the Gateway Cities regional fiber optic network associated with a $103 million contract with the California Department of Technology and an incoming $46.1 million CPUC grant, approved 4-0 with Spicer absent. Angeles Contractor, Inc. — a repeat vendor appearing across three line items totaling approximately $1.97 million — received council chambers remodeling contracts under two separate agenda items (both 5-0); Alliant Insurance Services was authorized for a $4.5 million annual insurance portfolio renewal (5-0); and The Titan Group, also flagged as a repeat vendor in two line items on the same agenda totaling $335,716, received a $300,000-per-year Human Resources investigative services contract plus $35,716 for prior outstanding invoices (5-0). Further approvals included $199,790 to St. Nick's Christmas Lighting and Decor for holiday decorations (pulled for brief discussion then approved without changes, 5-0), $164,550 to Weaver and Tidwell LLP for ERP implementation project management (4-0, Spicer absent), $200,000 in CDBG funds for a senior Meals on Wheels program divided between Cuernavaca's Grill ($185,000) and Everytable ($15,000), a $202,456 subsequent-need payment to DUDIC for groundwater remediation (5-0), and $96,000 to Townsend Public Affairs — $4,000 below the $100,000 council approval threshold, passed through the consent agenda with no council discussion (5-0); the planned appointment of Councilman Spicer as Mayor Pro Tem was tabled after Councilmember Bowers requested legal advice before voting. Approximately nine members of the public spoke at the CDBG and HOME public hearing, raising concerns about the city's self-imposed matching funds requirement, a staff decision to redirect $15,000 originally recommended for Restoration Diversion into a council discretionary program, and whether CHIRLA should receive federal grant funding given public allegations of an ongoing federal investigation; the FY 2025-2026 Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan were approved with Spicer absent and Bowers' vote not recorded in the transcript.

Sep 11, 2018

city council

The largest spending decisions approved were a $260,000 emergency street sweeping contract with CleanStreet, awarded without competitive bidding on the same night all prior street sweeping proposals were rejected (Items 17 and 18; vote tally not fully legible in transcript), and Item 16, which drew $225,000 from the Supplemental Law Enforcement Fund with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department named as the recipient across three separate line items — a pattern flagged in the agenda — covering five overtime task forces for marijuana dispensary suppression, illegal dumping, prostitution sweeps, traffic enforcement, and park patrols per the city manager; Item 16 passed with at least Galvan, McCoy, and Sharif voting yes (Zerita's vote not captured in transcript). Two additional contracts each fell just below the city's $100,000 approval threshold: $95,000 to Life Assist Medical Supplies for fire department medical supplies (4-0, no discussion) and $93,809 to KOA for Wilmington Avenue street design services (4-0, no discussion). An ordinance that would have capped total public comment at 45 minutes while raising individual council member speaking time from 5 to 10 minutes failed 1-3 with only Councilperson Galvan voting yes; approximately 14 members of the public addressed the council, with multiple speakers opposing that ordinance, the Mayor Pro Tem appointment (passed 3-1 with Councilwoman Sharif dissenting after stating on the record she had been denied her rotation at the position in what she described as a departure from a 20-year council practice), and the facility naming resolution (Item 20, naming three city recreation facilities after Dolores Zerita, DJ Quick, and Oscar De La Hoya), which passed with at least Galvan and Zerita voting yes.