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Nov 4, 2025

city council

The council's largest spending approval was $1.4 million to United Pacific Services, Inc. for tree trimming, passed on the consent agenda 4-0-1 (Darton abstaining) as three split line items ($700,000, $400,000, and $300,000); the city manager stated additional funds may be requested to bring the year's total to $1 million. The same 4-0-1 consent vote also approved $88,151 to Nunez Office Installation DBA NOI Installations for Water Department furniture, structured as three separate payments ($44,076, $36,989, and $7,087). The council approved a $143,270 professional services contract with The Natelson Dale Group for an economic development strategic plan, 4-0-1 (Darton abstaining), despite lower competing bids on record at $137,675 and $129,500; the firm also appears in a separate Successor Agency action item, bringing its total across both agenda items to seven line items and $440,260. A six-year lease with Fathers and Mothers Who Care — which included a $175,000 city expenditure for improvements at a city-owned property on North Alameda — was tabled with no formal vote after council members questioned whether building and safety had inspected the facility and whether the improvement terms had been adequately documented. Approximately fifteen residents spoke during public comment, with multiple speakers raising complaints about Water Department billing fees, inconsistent charges, and staff conduct.

Oct 28, 2025

city council

The two largest items on the October 28, 2025 agenda—a $65.87 million payment to CalPERS from the Retirement Trust Fund (Item 3) and a $143,270 consulting contract with The Natelson Dale Group, Inc. for an Economic Development Strategic Plan (Item 5)—were tabled before any vote was taken. The consent agenda passed 5-0, approving $50,000 to Grainger for Public Works supplies and $43,092 to Nunez Office Installation DBA NOI Installations for Water Department furniture paid from the Water Fund. A resolution declaring certain city properties surplus under the Surplus Land Act passed 5-0 with no recorded discussion; the Successor Agency adopted a parallel resolution also 5-0 in the session immediately following. The Natelson Dale Group, Inc. appears in four line items across two agenda items totaling $429,810—with amounts of $143,270, $128,360, and $14,910 in one item and $143,270 in the other—a repeat-vendor and split-payment pattern residents should track, particularly given that the transcript records no vote on either Natelson Dale item. A pre-meeting public workshop on the city's unfunded accrued pension liability was informational only and produced no spending vote; approximately six members of the public spoke, including former city clerk Charles Davis, who urged the council not to act on any pension prepayment without broader analysis of all three CalPERS fund components.

Sep 2, 2025

city council

The council's largest approved spending commitments were a $9.69M street rehabilitation contract with Palp, Inc. dba Excel Paving funded by MTA Bond Funds (5-0) and a $5.07M citywide road repair contract with Hardy & Harper, Inc. funded across Measure P, Measure M, and Measure R (5-0); Palp, Inc. dba Excel Paving is a flagged repeat vendor appearing in two agenda items totaling $20.34M on this agenda. The council also approved a $2.32M contract amendment with R2Build (dba R2B Engineering) for Tank Farm Reservoir upgrades from the Water Enterprise Fund (5-0), a $1.08M annual supply contract with Ferguson Waterworks (5-0), a $100,000 purchase order with Roadline Products, Inc. for pavement marking equipment with no council discussion (5-0), a health insurance contribution rate fix directing $2,520 and $2,409 per employee and annuitant respectively to CalPERS (5-0), and a $73,160 JAG grant budget amendment — with the city manager stating primary use will be license-plate-reader cameras — (5-0). Three items were not approved: the FY 2025-26 salary schedule budget amendment — which contains a $96,324 line item sitting just below the $100,000 approval threshold — was tabled at Council Member Duhart's request for more detail; a six-year lease with Fathers and Mothers Who Care covering $175,000 in building renovations at a city-owned property and $2,332 per month in rent was tabled after council members said the staff report lacked cost justification; and a budget amendment to direct approximately $141.82M to CalPERS for pension liability — making CalPERS a repeat vendor across four line items totaling $141.83M on this agenda — was pulled by the city manager, who said he wants to present it at a public workshop first. Nineteen residents addressed the council during public comment, with multiple speakers citing homelessness, a 6.8% property tax reassessment, deteriorating streets and missing street signs, and inconsistent street sweeping; one speaker alleged the city manager has been spending beyond the $50,000 limit set by Resolution 26100 for the past year.

Dec 10, 2024

city council

The council's largest spending decision was a $2,914,000 contract with R2Build (dba R2B Engineering) for tank farm reservoir upgrades, funded from ARPA dollars the city manager stated must be obligated by December 31, 2026; the vote was 5-0. The council also approved a $215,438 purchase order to Yunex Traffic for outstanding invoices covering traffic signal and street lighting maintenance performed after that vendor's contract expired and before a replacement contract was in place — a pattern one public speaker questioned directly — on a 4-0 vote with Councilman Bowers not appearing in the recorded roll call. Acceptance of the Citywide Road Repair Services VII project, releasing $102,828 in contractor retention to Hardy & Harper, Inc., passed 5-0, and a $14,347 Human Resources budget amendment adding two new positions while eliminating two vacant ones passed 5-0. A first reading of an ordinance creating a new Compton Arts Commission passed 4-1 with Councilman Bowers dissenting; one speaker objected that existing commissions are not fully operational. Twelve members of the public addressed the council, with speakers raising questions about late vendor payments, the scope of the tank farm contract, and the city manager's prior use of a personal credit card to pay a tax lien on city-owned property ahead of a council-approved purchasing card.

Nov 26, 2024

city council

The council's largest spending approval was a $2,389,600 contract with R2Build (dba R2B Engineering) for a chlorination system upgrade at the Municipal Water Department, passed 4-0 with Spicer absent after water department staff described the existing system as over 20 years old. The council approved a $76,832 final ARPA-funded payment to 72 Hour, LLC DBA National Auto Fleet Group — the same vendor held a prior $221,707 contract for the same fire command vehicle, totaling $298,539 across two line items — because the original purchase order was closed at fiscal year-end without the remaining balance paid, passed 4-0 with Spicer absent. Elevate Public Affairs received a $103,800 contract extension for public relations services (3-1, Bowers dissenting, Spicer absent), with Councilwoman Darden citing uncompleted deliverables including the city newsletter and digital billboard management; the city manager's representative stated the city currently owes Elevate for outstanding invoices and that the contract's 30-day termination clause will be used once a public information officer — currently being recruited — is in place. Geary Floors, Inc. was approved for $36,000 in gymnasium floor repair at Lueders Park split across three line items — a $30,000 contract and a $6,000 budget allocation, both from Measure P Capital Outlay — as part of the consent package passed 4-0 with Spicer absent. A proposed city purchasing card program ($25,000 budget allocation) was pulled from the agenda and will return at a future meeting after at least three of six public speakers specifically criticized it; the FY 2021-2022 audited financial statements were received and filed 4-0 as an informational item — no new spending was approved through that action.

Nov 12, 2024

city council

The council's largest spending approval was a $272,043 contract with P31 Development Corporation for Heritage House restoration (Item 13), funded through CDBG grants and Capital Outlay, passed 4-0 with Councilwoman Darden absent; the council also approved two roof replacement contracts with Rite-Way Corporation — $183,360 at Burrell MacDonald Park from ARPA funds (Item 11, 4-0) and $134,925 at Tucker Park from Capital Outlay (Item 12, 4-0) — making Rite-Way the recipient of $318,285 in contracts across two separate agenda items at this meeting. The consent agenda passed 4-0 (Darden absent) without individual item discussion and included $66,771 to TRC Investments LLC DBA SERVPRO, split into two line items ($61,073 and $5,698), for emergency repairs at Fire Station One, along with $93,945 directed to Gateway Cities Council of Governments across three separate agenda items covering annual membership dues, corridor studies, and an Alondra Boulevard street study. A $67,500 basketball court resurfacing contract with Epic Surfaces (Item 9) was pulled from the consent agenda at staff's request and received no vote at this meeting. Nine residents spoke during general public comment — raising concerns about property tax levels, Republic Services billing discrepancies, two street lights at Pauline and Caldwell reported down for over 16 years, and limits on public comment time — and no public comment was taken on any individual spending item. The state audit status update (Item 10) and Republic Services service report (Item 2) were informational presentations only; no spending was approved in connection with either.

Oct 1, 2024

city council

The council's largest approval was a $12.60 million construction contract awarded to Palp, Inc. dba Excel Paving for the Wilmington Avenue Safe Streets project (total budget allocation $13.86 million), passed 5-0; the council also approved a $2.28 million contract amendment with Beador Construction Company, Inc. for the Artesia Boulevard Bridge Repair project, also 5-0, with Beador appearing in two line items on the same agenda totaling $6.89 million. A $1.25 million multi-year contract with the LA County Department of Animal Care and Control passed 3-1 with Bowers abstaining (Spicer voting no), with council members citing resident complaints about response times of up to five days for dead animal pickup. Additional spending approvals included $160,000 to Vital Records Control for document scanning services (5-0), $120,000 to Jankovich Company for fire department fuel and lubricants (5-0), and $21,585 to BrightView Landscape Services for turf replacement at Jackie Robinson Stadium (5-0); the Sylvia Nunn Angels property lease and the citywide salary schedule amendment were both pulled by staff before any council vote. The council voted 3-1 (Mayor Sheree no, Bowers absent) to return a previously approved $203,944 professional services agreement with St. John's Community Health and Nimble Thoughts Counseling to the agenda for reconsideration, after a public speaker alleged one vendor does not exist and a council member cited new information about the awardees.

Sep 24, 2024

city council

The council's largest expenditure approvals were a recurring $5 million payment to the Water Replenishment District of Southern California for groundwater assessment fees (5-0) and a $1.96 million road repair contract to Hardy & Harper, Inc. from Measure P funds (5-0), followed by a recurring $800,000 purchase order to the Metropolitan Water District for imported water (5-0). A $203,944 youth counseling services contract was approved 4-1 with Bowers dissenting — but only after the city manager disclosed on the floor that intended vendor VCH Prosperity Consulting DBA Compton Wellness ($92,600, just below the $100,000 approval threshold) had active state licensing board issues; the council substituted St. John's at the same amount while retaining Nimble Thoughts Counseling at $111,344, with Bowers noting that vendors were not adequately vetted before appearing on the agenda. The council also approved $62,436 split between Safe Life Defense ($24,487, just below the $25,000 approval threshold) and Axon Enterprise ($37,949) for code enforcement vests and tasers (5-0), and $139,980 to Villarruel Architects for Jackie Robinson Stadium renovation using CDBG funds (5-0). Four public speakers asked that Restoration Diversion Services — a human trafficking services nonprofit occupying city-owned space at 206 North Long Beach Boulevard — keep its lease at $1 per year; the council approved a one-year renewal at that rate (5-0), while a second lease item for the same organization and the Sylvia Nunn Angels lease item were both pulled by staff without a vote. The citywide salary schedule amendment was withdrawn before a vote after Councilmember Darden identified errors and a missing prior resolution, and will return at a future meeting.

Sep 3, 2024

city council

The council's largest approved expenditure was $150,000 split among three recurring fire apparatus vendors — Bit Pros Fire Services, William Kalvikov DBA Fire Apparatus Solutions, and Performance Truck Repair Inc. — passed 4-0 on a consent block (Spicer absent throughout the meeting) that also included a $70,000 recurring purchase order to Waxie Sanitary Supply; a standalone $125,000 recurring purchase order to Life Assist Medical Supplies was approved separately 4-0. A $120,000 fuel purchase order split among Jankovich, SC Fuels, and Wood Oil (item 18, also recurring) was pulled by the city manager before the vote with no reason stated on the record. The council held a public hearing on reallocating $743,175.67 in unspent CDBG funds dating back to 2017 — the city manager stated HUD had physically visited city hall and warned of penalties if the funds were not expended — drawing approximately five public speakers who raised questions about vagueness in the proposed program categories; the hearing closed 4-0, but no separate approval vote on the reallocation itself is documented in the transcript. Two identically-described resolutions — items 16 and 17 — ratifying what is listed as the same AFSCME Local 3947 Article 19 side letter were each approved 4-0 with no council discussion of the duplication.

Apr 2, 2024

city council

The council's largest spending approvals were $328,900 to Risher Sutherland, Inc. dba United Contractors, Inc. for a roof replacement at Fire Station 1 and $108,905 to TechCoat Contractors, Inc. for a pedestrian coating system at Fire Stations 1 and 3, both approved 4-0 with no council discussion. The council also approved $45,000 to Future Buildings for a fire department metal storage structure — $5,000 below the council's $50,000 approval threshold — and $20,000 to Eadie and Payne, LLP across two line items ($15,000 multi-year contract plus $5,000 purchase order), both 4-0 with no discussion; Eadie and Payne is a recurring vendor appearing in two entries on this agenda. The council accepted a $37,800 grant from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and separately approved $27,000 to Harold Johnson as a youth program coordinator, 4-0; a $254.95 payment to Staples Advantage for office supplies from prior fiscal years was also approved 4-0, with the city manager stating it required council approval because the original purchase order had been exceeded. The development agreement authorizing City Ventures Home Building LLC to develop a 60-unit for-sale housing project at 930 W. Compton Blvd. passed 3-0-1 (Darden abstaining) after an extended procedural dispute between Councilmember Bowers and the city attorney over whether the vote constituted the first or second reading of the ordinance. Approximately eleven members of the public addressed the council during the general comment period, with multiple speakers raising concerns about the City Ventures project, HOA enforcement in existing developments, infrastructure conditions citywide, and park access.

Mar 19, 2024

city council

The council approved $200,846 in water system annual fees to the State Water Resources Control Board in a single 5-0 vote covering three line items — $100,423, $52,090, and $48,333 — with the $48,333 amount falling just below the $50,000 individual approval threshold and the city manager stating the payments were slightly late. The council also approved a $131,550 contract with W. Frank Newton, Inc. DBA WFN Consulting for grant administration services (5-0), following Councilmember Darden's questions about past grant compliance failures, and a $25,000 purchase order with Blue Diamond Company for asphalt stock material (5-0), with the city manager stating the funds are for on-hand supply for daily pothole repair crews, not street repaving. Two grant budget amendments were approved 5-0: $550,455 from the DOJ for tobacco enforcement (with only $5,400 of that allocated to youth outreach), where the council noted grant acceptance originally dated to 2021 and the city manager described the multi-year delay as 'a significant management oversight'; and $129,212 from CalRecycle for SB 1383 organics compliance. The council approved on first reading a development agreement with City Ventures Homebuilding, LLC for a 60-unit market-rate housing project at 930 W. Compton Boulevard (4-0-1, Spicer abstaining); the $400,000 due from the developer at close of escrow is revenue to the city, not a spending decision.

Jan 16, 2024

city council

The council's largest spending approval was $404,470 to The Garland Company, Inc. for fire station roofing materials, divided across two ARPA-funded line items ($216,344 and $188,126) on a single agenda item and approved 5-0 with no discussion; the council also approved 5-0 a total of $45,000 to Screamin Eagle Services, Inc. for illegal dumping cleanup split across three separate payments ($22,500, $14,580, and $7,920) — the largest single payment sits just below the $25,000 approval threshold, and a company representative appeared during public comment to report invoices going unpaid for 45 to 75 days. A three-year elevator service agreement totaling $39,060 with Pacific Coast Elevator Corporation DBA Amtech Elevator Services (Measure P funds), with Councilman Bowers raising but not pursuing a question about whether a ramp should replace the serviced wheelchair lift, and $31,185 in Gateway Cities Council of Governments membership dues were each approved 5-0. A proposed twelve-month lease with CHIRLA — structured as revenue to the city, not a spending item — was pulled by the city manager, who cited ambiguity between two listed rent figures in the agreement and Surplus Lands Act concerns about undercharging. A council motion to remove Barbara Baker from the Federal Grants Advisory Board failed 1-2 with two abstentions (Spicer in favor; Duhart and Bowers opposed; Darden and Mayor Sharif abstaining), and approximately fourteen members of the public addressed the council on illegal dumping, unpaid vendor invoices, budget transparency, potholes, and public safety.