Regular City Council Meeting February 6, 2024

0:00:03Provost.

0:00:07Yeah.

0:00:09hey, Mayor, we are ready to begin when you are alright.

0:00:12Good evening. The February sixth, 2024. Regular City Council meeting is called to order at 601. Will the city clerk please call roll.

0:00:21Mayor Redneck, present mayor, pro tem. Weisinger, present Councilmember Fideli. Here councilmember Motiama here. Councilmember Quinto. Here we have a quorum. Alright. And since we're all here we don't need to consider any A B 2, 4, 9 items. So I'm going to move to the pledge of allegiance to the flag, or an observance of a moment of silence.

0:00:46I pledge allegiance to the blood. The United States of America and into the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:01:02Alright. Thank you so much. The next item on the agenda is teleconference and public comment instructions. City clerk.

0:01:10Thank you, Mayor. This hybrid meeting provides an option to participate in person or Via Zoom for closed caption services. Meetings of the City Council are subject to the Brown Act, and are held for the purpose of conducting city business. The Brown act also ensures the public's right to be heard, and while city council is not able to respond to your comments directly, your comments will be heard prior to council taking action

0:01:32for members of the public who wish to provide oral testimony. The mayor will announce the time for public comment on each applicable item, public comments will be taken in person, and a request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing a Speaker card.

0:01:44The Council's adopted rules of order and procedures, specify that public speakers address the city council in an orderly and respectful manner, proceed their comments with their name and city of residence and be respectful of time limits. Time may not be yielded from one speaker to another. That concludes my instructions. Mayor. Thank you. City clerk. Next item on the agenda is our Council and staff communications. Does our assistant city manager have any staff communications for us?

0:02:12We actually have the city manager on Zoom. Oh, excellent! We will be providing an update. Welcome City manager. We don't see you yet.

0:02:22Karen Pinkos (City Manager): Good evening, Mayor and City Council. I'm Karen picas, the city manager. I'm coming to you from

0:02:28Hollywood. Actually, the City Manager League of California, City City City City City Managers Department Conference begins tomorrow. And so thank you for indulging me and letting me

0:02:40per participate. Virtually. I just wanted to give one big shout out to our Public Works Department, and it rained a bit this weekend. It was a bit windy, this weekend, and I'm sure our public Works director could provide greater details, if there are any to be provided. But from what I understand, our crews worked really hard all weekend, to ensure that we didn't have any major incidents.

0:03:04And so I just wanna thank each and every person in that department, as well as all of our public safety members who worked really hard with this weather to keep things safe. I'm down here in Los Angeles a bit of a different story. It's still raining. So I think that we were able to

0:03:20to really weather this storm. Well, if you will. And actually, with that I was going to ask the Assistant City manager if she had any other additional comments. But from there I just wanted to say Thank you so much, and that concludes my remarks.

0:03:41I don't have anything else to add, except for we are bringing our midyear budget on March fifth, and then I also wanted to remind everybody on March ninth

0:03:52is the crab feed that will be held at the El Cerrito Recreation Center. We still have tickets available. So if you are interested in coming, please check out our website. Thank you.

0:04:04Thank you so much. Are there any announcements from the Council?

0:04:08Mayor Potem? Yes, I wanted to first congratulate El Cerrillo, native and El Cerrito high legend, Aaron Banks, who was a left guard for the San Francisco. 49 ers go nineers. We know that you will come home with the win on Sunday.

0:04:23I was gonna read something else into the minutes. But Karen's not here, so there's no fun in doing that. Also, I did have the opportunity to go to the Saint John's School's crab fee on this past Saturday, which was very well attended, as always, a lot of our students from here in in those Rideau High School, did start their education at St. John, so we had a great time there.

0:04:44And also, I'm sure some of the other council will find what I will say that we had a great time at our at our employee. Recognition dinner. And that's my report for the day. Thank you so much. Councilmember, Motoyama.

0:04:57Just, I just want to say thank you. To Staff for both the appreciate staff appreciation dinner, but also the Mayor's Conference, Contra Costa Mayor Conference event, which is really nice, and it's a reason to bring together all of our past mayors as well. So it's really nice to to share time with them. So thank you, Staff.

0:05:17Councilmember Fideli! Yes, I just wanted to.

0:05:21draw attention in less than one month is the primary election, and we have a brand new big drop off voting box in the parking lot.

0:05:32It's brand new, it's clean. So it's easy boat. Number 2. The Contra Costa transportation authority is going to be honored as the East Bay innovation Award Legacy. Awardee in Oakland on March 20 eighth at the Scottish right temple, something to be proud of.

0:05:48and tomorrow night I know some of us on the Council will be going to the

0:05:52the law enforcement appreciation night, for from the Elks were police in El Sabrante.

0:05:58Thank you.

0:06:01councilmember Quinto. Thank you, Mayor. I echo what my colleague to my left. Just said Councilmember Pardelli, and look forward to attending the public safety

0:06:11awards dinner for weeks tomorrow night. But it was wonderful to see our former mayors. Each have made a dent, and when they were mayor and many our our mentors of mine. So I want to say how wonderful it is to see everyone, including our our longtime vector control, where we had a opening for many, many months.

0:06:36and to see Mayor Menke again, and who was on that county commission for many, many years. I believe it's 25 years. and many of them are still going strong, so

0:06:51great to but see many of our past leaders who are very active now, and one of them is on my laptop board, and that is former Mayor Lewis of El Cerrito. So there's a lot of mayors, and a few of them did not show up because of their busy schedule, but hope to see them 19 months from now.

0:07:14Thank you so much

0:07:17especially since we have all of our fire personnel in the room. I want to acknowledge and take a moment to

0:07:24to honor the loss of an Almeda firefighter who a few days ago unfortunately succumbed to post traumatic stress. And it's a impact that's a huge loss to the public safety community here in the Bay area, and any stigma around asking for help must be removed. These are the folks who are here to protect all of us in the community in our darkest hour, and we need to make sure that we're always there for them.

0:07:49And again, let's remove any stigma for asking for help, because if one lesson has to come from this, it's how many people are so sad. If someone goes so please don't go anywhere.

0:08:01Yeah.

0:08:02with that

0:08:04Our next item would be oral communications from the public. But I really want to honor the amount of speakers that we're going to have tonight, do we? How many speakers do we have? We currently have 17 there? So given that I'm going to move around the schedule a little bit and do our presentation first.

0:08:20and then we will go to

0:08:22to communications from the public.

0:08:25Sound good. correct?

0:08:27Right? So we're going to move on to Item 6 and have our proclamation, honoring Captain Thomas Wade, firefighter of the year. Can we? Please have the presentation?

0:08:44Good evening, Mayor and Council. I am Eric Sales, your fire chief.

0:08:48and we are here to honor Captain Thomas Wade, for firefighter of the year.

0:08:53and just some quick comments.

0:08:5624, 7, 365 days a year. Our firefighters protect us. They work Christmas, they work Thanksgiving

0:09:03largely. Their don't. Their families donate them to us for a minimum of 56 HA week. That's their minimum schedule. They frequently wind up working 72 HA week because of backfills.

0:09:14and the firefighters each year come together to bring one person up to represent the core values and the ethos that they hold the high in this community. And this year they chose Captain Thomas Wayne because he has been a phenomenal member of this agency.

0:09:29and he has fulfilled the 3 things that new firefighters need to survive the job.

0:09:34He provides training to him. He helps us get the right equipment, and he has been an amazing mentor.

0:09:40He has

0:09:42spearheaded and maintained the helicopter rescue program. He continues to be highly involved in equipment, maintenance. and training, and it is our one opportunity of the year

0:09:52to thank a firefighter. And this year it is Thomas Wade.

0:09:56Thank you. We have a platform and wait. Do you want to say anything you don't mind? Cancel?

0:10:03Thank you, Mayor Rudnick. Members of Council.

0:10:07have a short, funny story to tell you. So

0:10:11first, I have to thank my wife sitting right here because I wouldn't be able to come to work, and as she pointed out, and provide my service at 56 HA week if she wasn't at home taking care of our son.

0:10:22So thank you to her

0:10:24and so when I told her that I was getting this award, she looked extremely surprised, a little too surprised where I actually had to ask her to not act so surprised.

0:10:40But the reason that is is because we have 30 members of this fire department that are providing a service an amazing service day in, day out.

0:10:49and I was one of those 30. So it's an honor.

0:10:51But just so, you know your fire department is extremely robust.

0:10:55and at any given day one of those members could be standing up here. But I just happen to have a good day. Thank you.

0:11:12Alright.

0:11:16Mayor, if I may, we? You need to adopt it really. Oh, yes, thank you so much. Do I have a motion to approve the proclamation? I'll move a move. I can alright. Move by Motoyama, seconded by Quinto.

0:11:30All those in favor, please say aye, aye, any opposed motion carries.

0:11:36Now we can give it to you.

0:11:39Did a photo. OP.

0:11:42Yes, super. Oh.

0:11:46since the

0:12:15if you

0:12:54all right now, we're going to move on. I think. Why, many of you are here are oral communications from the public.

0:13:00Now is the time of members of the public who wish to provide public comment regarding matters not on the agenda, consent items, presentation items and closed session items.

0:13:10Request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing a speaker card.

0:13:14Public comment will be taken in person. Only please remember to identify yourself and your city of residence at the beginning of your comments.

0:13:21City clerk, please proceed. Thank you, Mayor. This time we have 18 requests to speak, and I will go ahead.

0:13:39Okay.

0:13:42so we'll start with our first speaker, Michael Fisher, followed by Marilyn Langlio, for let's figure out timing to make sure that we're because I'm also apologies to note that the State law and council policy allows me to reduce the total amount of time allocated for public testimony for each individual speaker.

0:14:01So we have a lot of speakers. We want to make sure we can get to as many as possible, so we'll set the time for 2 min, and then we'll cap it at our going to limit public comment and then have a total of 1 h.

0:14:15Okay, can I can, I ask. Counsel is, does council have to agree to the that time limit the 1 h time limit?

0:14:22Council policy assigns that authority to the mayor. So I'd really, I mean 18, I don't think.

0:14:29you know. Will we try to hear them all if we can? It's a mirror. It'd be wonderful. We also okay, I hear you. Time limits. Great. But let's

0:14:38let's give everybody a chance to speak.

0:14:40I think we can. See where we are after an hour, and and council could have a discussion with the mayor at that time about whether or not to allow it would, is interested in hearing additional comments. But but this we're also trying to make sure that we

0:14:55are consistent from meeting to meeting. Yeah, I mean, this isn't a budget meeting, or it's not the biggest meeting we have. So I think there's plenty of time to accommodate. But up to the mayor.

0:15:06just knowing that we do have closed session afterwards. Yeah, and we have multiple items. So it's really about the business. So let's let's stick to 2 min. We can always also modify time. But we'll just stick with 2 min and an hour.

0:15:17Yes, Mayor, give me just 1 s.

0:15:23Thank you, Mayor. If you can. Give me just one moment, Michael, please. Thank you.

0:15:32and apologies. Did you still want to do the 1 h total as well? We can always assess it after? Okay.

0:15:52okay, Michael, you can go ahead and begin your time. Thank you. Mayor Mayor, protem Council members. I am Michael Fisher from El Cerrito, and I have the honor and duty of being your library Commissioner.

0:16:08I strongly support a badly needed replacement for our library, and have worked for that since my appointment to the Library Commission.

0:16:18The case for a new library for our city is well made by the website of the committee for a Plaza station Library

0:16:27at C. 4 psl.org.

0:16:32I'd like tonight to focus on one subject how much we love and use our library.

0:16:39even though it is both too small and in disrepair.

0:16:45There are 26 libraries in the Contra Costa county system. many of them in cities that are larger than ours. and libraries that are open more hours

0:16:58yet. El Cerrito has the tenth largest door, count county wide. and the second largest of the 8 West County libraries

0:17:09door. Count, by the way, measures the number of people who come into the library.

0:17:158 of the 9 libraries that outrank El Cerrito in door count are open considerably more. 52, or 56 HA week

0:17:27compared to the 46 h that our building can provide for.

0:17:33Our patrons not only come to the library. they use its valuable resources.

0:17:40El Cerrito ranks tenth County, wise and first in the West County in circulation figures

0:17:50we need and deserve a library that is safe. more open. and meets the needs of its many patrons. Thank you. Your time has ended. Our next speaker is Marilyn Legloss, followed by Dave Weinstein.

0:18:10Good evening, Mayor and Council members. My name is Marilyn Langlois. I was born and raised in El Cerrito. My father, Gordon Langlois, served on the city council here, and as mayor back in the 1960 s. So while I currently reside in Richmond, my roots in El Cerrito go very deep.

0:18:30I am here to day to ask you, at a future meeting to take action, to adopt a resolution calling on the US. Government to stop funding genocide in Gaza.

0:18:43The City Council of Richmond did this on October 20 fourth, and you can do it too. The atrocities that are occurring

0:18:52in Gaza for all the world to see

0:18:56could be stopped if there were no more US. Funding for it

0:19:01and no more Us. Financial support. So in a way, our Federal Government is complicit in genocide. and you can take a stand posing this. I ask you to do that.

0:19:12It's the right thing to do. Thank you. Thank you. I will ask if members of the audience could please refrain from any audible disruptions, so that all speakers feel comfortable making their comments tonight. Our next speaker is Dave Weinstein, followed by Seth Morrison

0:19:28and Dave Weinstein El Cerrito, president of the El Suito Trail trekkers on whose behalf I'm going to speak to you briefly at the start of every year. I like to give a little report to the Council. Since we are a city co sponsored organization, we're doing really quite well our last 2 hikes. We've had more than 60, 65 people on almost doing too well.

0:19:46although our high leaders were so great that they managed to make a pretty good situation out of it. As the budget comes up, we do want to remind the Council that we we would like the city to pay more attention to improving the trails and to make them a capital item just way. They pay attention to roads and sidewalks. Trails are really just as important.

0:20:08and amenity. This is Trail tracker's fifteenth year in existence.

0:20:132024. We're quite proud of that. A lot of groups don't last that long. The hillside festival, which will be May fourth and fifth, will be celebrating its tenth

0:20:23anniversary. So we're looking forward to that, too. I'm also very pleased this year that we've worked with a lot of different youth groups and young people, schools on various habitat projects

0:20:36in the hillside and other places, including broom poles, ivy poles. We're going to be working potentially with several groups on sudden OP death. Bio blitzes.

0:20:47So we have a lot going. We have a really good group. I'm also pleased to announce that unless something goes terribly wrong, this will be my last year as the president of trail trackers. I'm not leaving the town, not leaving the board. But you know 15 years is planning to be president. We need somebody else, and the good news is, we have a really good stock of people on the board and working with us. So I think trail trackers will be around for a lot more than 15 more years. So thank you very much.

0:21:12Thank you. Our next speaker is Seth Morrison, followed by Sheri Dropner.

0:21:21My name is Seth Morrison, and I'm a Jewish resident of El Cerrito.

0:21:26In a letter to the Council I expressed significant concerns about how the Ceasefire resolution discussion

0:21:34was handled at the last Council meeting

0:21:37tonight. I want to focus on the mayor's well documented conflict of interest on this question.

0:21:45It's my understanding that the mayor controls the Council agenda.

0:21:49which is one reason that a ceasefire resolution has not been introduced in our city.

0:21:56I've also been told that to have spoken against a ceasefire resolution to members of the Council

0:22:03and to members of the public.

0:22:05In addition to participating in a heavily subsidized propaganda visit to Israel last year.

0:22:12sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council.

0:22:16Mayor Rudnick is the regional chair of a project of the Jcrc.

0:22:22The Jcrc. Has been very public as an advocate for the State of Israel, and as opposing ceasefire resolutions in many Bay Area cities

0:22:32as a leader in an organization

0:22:35actively advocating for one side on review of grade concern. To many residents

0:22:43it feels like this is an obvious conflict of interest.

0:22:47and I hope that the city Council and the city attorney will closely examine this issue and take appropriate action.

0:22:55Even your Scripture tells us that whoever saves the life is considered by Scripture, who has saved the whole world.

0:23:04El Cerino has a beautiful history of standing up for the oppressed.

0:23:09You have an opportunity to continue that record and hopefully save many lives.

0:23:15Please pass the ceasefire resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is sherry Dropner, please refrain from any audible thank you, droppinger, followed by Leslie Adams. Mayor.

0:23:32I've come before you before. and I will continue to come before you to ask you to raise your voices and really use the power that you have the power of your voice

0:23:43to stop. The genocide is happening in Gaza. Now I'm going to ask you tonight to do something very difficult.

0:23:51It's something it's very difficult for all of us to do sometimes. And as to put your politics aside.

0:23:58put your political party artisan party politics aside. and to look at the moral issue that's before us.

0:24:08and I know that's probably not going to be easy. You're all politicians sitting up there.

0:24:13and I know there's a party line.

0:24:16But there's a moral issue involved here that's happening right now. It doesn't have. It's not about the complexities, it's not about the nuances.

0:24:24And so I ask you to look at your heart. look at your conscience, and so I have a minute. So let's do it for a minute. Okay.

0:25:29thank you. Our next speaker is Leslie Adams, followed by Brian Woodson.

0:25:39Good evening. My name is Leslie Adams. I'm from El Cerrito.

0:25:44and I am returning again to this city council meeting to call for a ceasefire resolution

0:25:52by our city government, who represents all of us. I think I'm here representing the majority of El Cerrito residents

0:26:02who support a permanent ceasefire and the escalation of violence in Gaza. Like the majority of Americans. This is what we want. and I ask you

0:26:15if you are representing your constituents, if you ignore what we have to say.

0:26:22I call for this for all people. for human rights. dignity and peace. We cannot solve our problems fighting, or we would have done so long ago.

0:26:34The true path to healing and peace is through talk, understanding, and prioritizing, prioritizing peace.

0:26:42It's not an easy fix or short-term proposal, but the more we all make this stand. By all means.

0:26:49including any city council, resolution, or declaration, the more likely we will get to peace. safety, and security for everyone

0:27:00our voice counts. Let it be heard. No more killing innocence.

0:27:06Please take a stand, and I think I'll use the rest of my time for us to

0:27:13think about that. Thank you.

0:27:38Thank you. Our next speaker is Brian Woodson, followed by Cindy Mcpherson.

0:27:44Good evening.

0:27:45I am Pastor Brian K. Watson, senior. I've been a resident, my wife and I, who is here. Some of my neighbors are here.

0:27:52We've been in El Cerrito for 32 years, raised our family here.

0:27:58I wish we could have this conversation. I wish we could have a conversation face to face, but the place we're in is, I get to talk to you, and then you get to talk to us, and what we really need to have is is a conversation

0:28:12the Hebrew Scriptures, Moses said. and if a person calls a blemish in his neighbor.

0:28:18as he hath done, so shall it be done to him. Breach for breach.

0:28:23eye for eye, tooth for 2 had yet caused the blemish. so shall it, so shall it be done to him again.

0:28:32You shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger as the one in your own country.

0:28:389 for 9.

0:28:40What happened on October seventh?

0:28:43Horrible!

0:28:451,400 horrible!

0:28:4830,000 to 1,400 is uncongenal.

0:28:56When someone, when someone you love does something wrong.

0:29:03It's your responsibility to say, Stop. it's your responsibility. I've been to Israel many times. I love the Israeli. I love Palestinians. but we have to say, Stop!

0:29:15And in the silence you can hear mothers crying, Israeli mothers cry, Palestinian mothers cry, why?

0:29:25Because no one has said, Stop! We must not support

0:29:30the radical Netanyahu and Ben Gear. They do not speak for Israel, they do not speak for Jews, and we must. We have a small voice.

0:29:41but will not use that voice to say enough.

0:29:45thank you. Our next speaker is Cindy Mcpherson, followed by Revi deferrally.

0:29:55Hi! My name is Cindy Mcpherson, and I'm a resident of El Cerrito. I speak for myself and my husband, who couldn't be here tonight. I'm Jewish. My grandparents fled the holocaust. My great-grandmother was murdered by the Nazis.

0:30:11I'm here to ask you to take action, to call for a permanent and immediate ceasefire and a return of all hostages.

0:30:22It matters for our local communities to take actions like this because it is our Us. Tax dollars that are funding Israel's attack on Gaza.

0:30:32And it's also a chance, I urge you to take a stand for human rights. The intensity of the State violence by Israel does not

0:30:43create peace, and it does not create safety for Israelis. and you know I was here last month. I didn't get a chance to speak, because the time was cut to an hour, so thank you for suggesting we all get a chance.

0:30:59and the main thing that I heard from folks asking not to make a resolution in El Cerrito was because taking a stand on something so complicated is divisive.

0:31:09And I think, as others have said, we really have a higher stand to take than to not be divisive, so I ask you to take that stand.

0:31:19Our next speaker is revi deferral. Lee, followed by Sumayya, nesteth

0:31:25good evening, council members. My name is Reverend Deborah Lee.

0:31:29and I'm one of the ministers. That's part of the Sycamore Congregational Church on Naval Street. I'm here with my colleague, my colleague minister Tomoko

0:31:40footage also. So we're here today. The second one church is 125 years old.

0:31:46Japanese American church

0:31:48who suffered through World War 2 and the impacts on our community when we had to close the church there, and the community was all put into concentration camps.

0:31:59So we understand the impact of war and that impact of war on us and our families and our future generations calls us to stop war

0:32:10whenever we can.

0:32:11That war doesn't solve anything, but leaves the trail of victims behind that take generations to heal. I'm sure many of you maybe know that story as well in your own lives. So we're asking you to take a stand on this moral issue, to call for an end, to war.

0:32:27for a ceasefire or an end to fighting on both sides, for in order for the hostages to be returned, in order for not one more innocent life to be taken, and in order for conversations towards a just and lasting peace. This cannot happen without a permanent ceasefire.

0:32:42We're asking you to act on values, on the sacredness of life, protecting the life of innocent people and children.

0:32:49feeding the hungry, providing medical care for those in need, caring for the elderly and the most vulnerable

0:32:56preventing harm.

0:32:58Each day we could create a cease fire. Less people will be killed.

0:33:02We are part of an interfaith group of people across the Bay area and across the country who are taking peace walks for ceasefire, hanging up banners, calling, saying, Pant! The banners that say this love demands a permanent ceasefire. Now, because these are deeply interfaith values across the board.

0:33:21We hope that you'll take, bring forward a resolution and join other cities across the country, and speaking for for values to put an end to the violent.

0:33:29Thank thank you. Your time has ended the violent ways of our military, industrial, complex. Thank you. Our next speaker is same, followed by Fred Bialy.

0:33:43Good evening. I live in El Cerrito. So for months now we've been trying to appeal to your sense of morality, your sense of justice, your sense of duty to this community

0:33:56we have been met with silence and difference, or brushing away of responsibility.

0:34:02What I want to know is how your refusal or failure to make the basic declaration that the murder of innocent people and children is wrong was to make any of us feel safer.

0:34:13I have 2 4 year old boys, and this war on Gaza has made me truly understand what it feels like to be a black parent in this country.

0:34:21sending your children out

0:34:24with children without a malice, without without an ounce of malice in the hearts, and knowing they have a target on their back

0:34:30because of this Government's systemic racism, injustice, and the silence of well meaning politicians.

0:34:38I would hope that when you took your oaths of office there were some intention to do right by the people of the city.

0:34:45the the majority of which wants to cease by a resolution.

0:34:49And then you are only doing this to serve yourselves, or a small minority that you feel you represent. We're not asking you to solve the Israeli Palestinian conflict. We're just asking you to use the voice and power that we gave you as a city

0:35:04to acknowledge the humanity of all, and not just some.

0:35:10So, after 123 days of genocide I literally cannot fathom what more you need to care and to speak out more than the massacre of tens of thousands of civilians, more than the starvation and displacement of millions more than the 75 years.

0:35:27A rural and racist occupation.

0:35:30so to quote, does mention, if you are neutral in situations of injustice. You have chosen the side of the oppressor.

0:35:37Thank you.

0:35:39Our next speaker is Fred Bialy, followed by Toby Blohm.

0:35:50Yeah. Good evening. My name's Fred Bialy. I live in El Cerrito.

0:35:54and I'm here also to ask you to support passing a ceasefire resolution, and I would like to do that by honoring Rafat, Olavia

0:36:05Rappat. Alarir taught English literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza, and co-founded the organization. We are not numbers which matched experienced authors with young writers in Gaza, and promoted the power of storytelling as a means of Palestinian resistance. He never was accused of being part of Hamas.

0:36:29On December 6, 2023, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Northern Gaza, along with his brother, brothers, son, sister, and 3 children.

0:36:39The Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor wrote that Alaria was apparently deliberately targeted, surgically bombed out of the entire building after weeks of death threats that Rappat received online and by phone from Israeli accounts. 3 days before he died he wrote this poem.

0:36:59if I must die.

0:37:01you must live to tell my story, to sell my things to buy a piece of cloth, and some strings

0:37:09make it white with a long tail.

0:37:12so that a child somewhere in Gaza, while looking heaven in the eye awaiting his dad, who left in ablaze and bid no one farewell, not even to his flesh.

0:37:25not even to himself.

0:37:28That child seeds the kite, my kite, you made

0:37:31line up above and winks for a moment. An angel is there bringing back love.

0:37:39If I must die, let it bring hope.

0:37:42Let it be a tale? Thank you.

0:37:46Our next speaker is Toby Bloam, followed by Stuart so, and, Sonatina.

0:38:02Every time I hear that poem I feel like crying.

0:38:06I'm looking at each one of you tonight.

0:38:10Councilman. the Dali Quinto Mayor.

0:38:16But

0:38:18Redneck

0:38:19Weissinger, councilwoman, Weisinger.

0:38:23and console woman. Muroyama. and I want to say II praise that we have

0:38:30a diverse council. That's why I like living in the Bay area. We have a very diverse population. With a diverse council.

0:38:37We should have recognition of the long history of oppression of the Us. Against people of color and around the world. and

0:38:50the crimes that my Government has committed even before my lifetime is shocking. But this is the worst thing I've witnessed in my lifetime, and I'm I am shocked that I have a city council that is remaining silent, refusing to listen to our voices.

0:39:05refusing to listen to your own moral conscience.

0:39:10And I am shocked that we have a city Council protocol that allows a mayor who is very biased in this subject

0:39:18to have all the power on whether a resolution comes forward.

0:39:22we need to change our city council rules. It should never be. That sounds totalitarian. It sounds fascist.

0:39:28Where that protocol came from I don't know. And II ask you all to listen to find your conscience. This is, we don't have much time left. They.

0:39:37the vast majority of people in Gaza, are now displaced from their homes. How, but how much roofs will it get?

0:39:4510 children a day are.

0:39:48get ones where they have to amputate limbs. 10 children a day. That's the average. Now we're not even funding Umrah, who provides

0:39:57first immediate aid to people who need it. I'm embarrassed to be an American I hate. I hate living in this country. When this is going on.

0:40:07we're calling on you to listen to your conscience and do the right thing.

0:40:11We're calling on you as Council people to change the rules, there should not be one mayor that has the power to determine whether resolution your time has ended behind these firearms.

0:40:23Our next speaker is Stuart sonatina, followed by William Wood.

0:40:31Everyone. I am here for a

0:40:35a similar reason. There's an another issue that causes

0:40:42a large amount of death which is traffic fatalities which at the moment stands around one 110 Americans per day.

0:40:52and our and the things that we can do here and now to

0:40:59make a difference with those sorts of fatalities which is

0:41:05traffic calming infrastructure. So oh, my gosh! I just realized I introduced myself. Sorry. I know I did last time, Stuart, sonatina, else feeder, resident, 2 boys at at Harting, elementary.

0:41:17and I am. as usual here to talk about the issues of riding around town with them, and my wife and the other people who are

0:41:30trying to get around town on bikes without getting hit by cars.

0:41:35so yeah, what we we can do is quick build infrastructure, which is, you know, delineators.

0:41:41chicanes, bump outs.

0:41:46you know.

0:41:47narrowing traffic lanes for cars, anything that slows cars down and provides more space for

0:41:54bikes and pedestrians.

0:41:57I

0:42:01I have been emailing each of you and haven't got a response from any of the councilmembers or

0:42:07the city manager, and I

0:42:12not sure how else to

0:42:14get through to you guys. I've been going to the

0:42:18you know the El Srido Richmond Annex

0:42:21walk and roll meetings and speaking with with everyone there about

0:42:26how to get action. And yeah, just looking to work with you guys on making difference there.

0:42:32Thank you. Our next speaker is William Wood, followed by Amina. Jendah.

0:42:40Is William still here? Okay, we'll move on to Amina.

0:42:45followed by Adriana. Zelindolo.

0:42:49Thank you. It's been over a hundred days every day we wake up. First thing I do is grab my phone.

0:42:57read one of the horrible stories read the numbers which are now 35,000 dead.

0:43:03Of those 13,000 are children, 7,600 women, 30,000 civilians.

0:43:1022 million displaced

0:43:1467,000 injured.

0:43:17almost 80,000 to strayed homes.

0:43:22Damaged schools are 334, 689 healthcare professionals.

0:43:28If we stop to date. it would take the next 30 years to rebuild Gaza for these people to have a future. But one of the worst stories I read an update about was about a 6 year old girl who was in a car with her family.

0:43:41and they attacked the car. Everyone was killed except the girl, and she was trying to call the Red Cross, and nobody could go and save her. And to day her mother was crying and appealing to some one to give her news. So when we honored the fireman, it made a direct connection.

0:43:57We're all humans. A year ago there was a terrible massive earthquake in Turkey that killed thousands of people.

0:44:04and the world rushed to help them. I heard his news story today about people traveled trapped under the rubble people whose limbs were cut off.

0:44:11people who lost all their family members and the world supported the people. Today the same thing is happening, but it's not an act of God. It's an act of human beings supported by our tax dollars.

0:44:22and it has direct impact on people

0:44:25like me who has been at Elsrito resident. I raised my children here since 1994. I was walking up Moser the other day, and a group of young people in a car! Shouted an epithet at me, and as I came back down they shouted again.

0:44:36and I do not feel safe, knowing that people in this country, and particularly in this city, and I'm so grateful for all of those who have shown me. It's not true who look at Muslims and Arabs and Palestinians as nonhumans, because their life isn't worth standing up and calling for. Your time has ended. Our next speaker is Adriana Zalendolo, followed by Denise Sangster

0:45:05Hello, Council mayor. My name is Audriana Trendolo, and I live up the street on Stockton, Ave. And

0:45:14I have to tell you that I'm shaking right now. This is my first time ever coming to a council meeting.

0:45:21and I'm shaking because of the cognitive dissonance that I need to come to a space like this to beg for my tax dollars not to be put towards a genocide of people that were 30,000 plus now, and counting, and every moment that we do not pass a resolution. Friskies fire more and more children

0:45:40die. Family members die buried under the rubble, and every day I go to my Instagram feed, and there is plenty of evidence. and there is plenty of resources for the history of how we got here. I used to think before October seventh. This is a complicated issue.

0:45:58Israel Palestine, and you know what there's a lot of history that I don't know.

0:46:02What I do know is that every day

0:46:05children, adults.

0:46:07An entire race of people is getting killed with my money, and I do not know how to move forward

0:46:15during the day. This has caused me great mental distress. And I came here

0:46:23Bay Area about let's see, in 2,010, because of what people have already mentioned the diversity.

0:46:32social justice. I thought that this area was a beacon for awareness, and raising the consciousness of the world, that we were leaders in that

0:46:40and the fact that I have to beg for my city to put forward a resolution for a ceasefire to stop killing. I don't know what to do with that.

0:46:49so if we could get any sort of discussion around this, as we shared before, and requested I would love that. Thank you.

0:46:57Our next speaker is Denise Sangster, followed by sipe. Ostraja!

0:47:05Hi! I'm Denise Sanger. I live in El Cerrito. Nice to see all of you Happy New Year. I'm not here to talk about what you heard about already? I'm here to talk about at T first, and then we have 2 issues up on Arlington, first with at T. I'm sure you're aware that they at T has filed an application with a CPU. C. They want to terminate as quickly as possible on landline service. It's really a problem. If you live in the hills, our mobile phones don't work.

0:47:32and the CPU C has not set a standard of what's acceptable mobile service. So for landlines are turned off, and right now at, and T is taking up to 14 to 20 days or more to respond to outages

0:47:45unless you can get to the office of the President, which I was able to find last week I talked with the office of the President, one of the executives, and he said, our application seeks to

0:47:55approval from the Cpc. From the Cpuc. To remove outdated regulations to California and help eliminate the remaining landline consumers and transition them to modern alternative services. Well, the problem with that is, most people over the age of 75 don't want

0:48:11Internet services, and that means which the vast majority live in the hills. Still, they're going to be without service.

0:48:19In the last 3 weeks I've had 2 days of service on my landline 2 days and my mobile phone doesn't work.

0:48:27I get barely one bar.

0:48:29It's a problem. The second issue. So my call to action for you is number one is are you informed about this? And if you're not, I would ask the Council to get informed about it. Second, I would ask you to file a letter of opposition with a CPU. C that any termination of landline services stopped until a minimum level of mobile services established and everyone has access to that. It's it's life and death literally. One of our neighbors had to have their caretaker run to get medical help 3 weeks ago.

0:49:00Can't do that.

0:49:01Second issue is on Arlington Avenue. We have a street on Arlington closer to the cutting end. No, I'm sorry your time has ended. We'll go on to our next speaker, Sipita Costaja.

0:49:28you can come on up.

0:49:32Hi! I'm here. I'll say to Resident. I came here last time. I'm here to ask you what's so complicated to ask for a ceasefire trial, have a resolution

0:49:43you could say this is, we don't know. But now it's different.

0:49:47We have a ruling from ICGI. CJ. International court of Justice. That says that it's plausible that there it's a genocide happening.

0:49:58We have a ruling from our Federal judge in Oakland asking the

0:50:04widen administration to look into their relationship.

0:50:10We have so many things that right now you can just take a look and educate yourself of what's going on right now. Today I saw a video in Tiktok

0:50:21from the Idf soldiers because they have 3 bullets that we pay for killing horses in horses in gase. Can you imagine this? Did you see the picture of this naked man sitting on a chair, and this man is standing over him? Did you see that picture? Did you do your homework as people who are having a public office?

0:50:45Do you know what's going on? There's so many things you need to know.

0:50:49and I feel so sad that you are our leaders.

0:50:54Look at what's happening. We meet every one naked. It's like Nazi Era. You have to look at what's happening. I see. Jay. Look at it, the Oakland judge! Look at it! They had witnesses to come. He had this man who came who was an expert on the holocaust, and he testified, this is the genocide.

0:51:15and he compared what's happening now to what happened during Nazi Germany. So I think you have a duty to us to educate yourself this do just sit stop killing the stop killing babies. 130 reporters died in 122 days.

0:51:37That concludes our request to speak. Alright.

0:51:43If this is just one more request.

0:51:46go ahead and come up, please. If you could state your name for the record, too.

0:51:54Hello! My name is Kita Smith. I'm a else riddle resident. I live at the Hillside Gardens

0:52:01apartments, and I'm come here today

0:52:05to request infrastructure.

0:52:08stronger infrastructure with the pedestrians. Crossings

0:52:12particularly at the street of Portola Drive in San Pablo.

0:52:17I'm an avid exerciser. So I utilize the Bart trail to exercise 3 days a week

0:52:23and The flow of traffic is pretty intense there, and as far to cross that Crosswalk Due to the timing of the lights between Schmidt Lane and Mosure Lane. They tend to like

0:52:38sequenced together, which causes a lot of flow in that particular section of San Pablo.

0:52:45so I would request at the least to have some sort of automated lighting crossing feature similar to down where the El Cerrito Post Office is, I think that's on Carlos Avenue.

0:52:59so that pedestrians can so cross that section safely.

0:53:04And that's all I have. Thank you.

0:53:07Thank thank you. Any other requests to speak. Okay, Mayor, that concludes the request to speak. Thank you.

0:53:14Thank you so much. We're going to move on to item 7, which is adoption of the consent calendar. That includes the following items

0:53:24at A, the approval of minutes, B. Black history, month, proclamation, C. Lunar, New Year Proclamation

0:53:31Dee. fiscal year 2023, 2024, s quarter cash and investment report.

0:53:38action, E. Monthly disbursement and check register report for December 2023 F.

0:53:44Analysis of potential outsourcing of the city's municipal curb. Cyber cycling Operations report?

0:53:52Are there any brief questions or requests from the Council to pull items. I see Council Member Motama, and then Mayor protem Weisinger. I have questions on 70 and 70 alright

0:54:03D and E.

0:54:08Oh, yes, I wanted to pull. I was looking for. Item B, that's the black history month. Perfect. Thank you.

0:54:15Yeah. 6 F. Alright, so

0:54:21Is there a motion to approve? Item A and C so moved on. Second alright.

0:54:28Moved by Quinto, seconded by Motiama. All those in favor, please say, aye, aye.

0:54:34motion carries

0:54:36alright. So now we're gonna

0:54:37let's let's go in chronological order or alphabetical order. I should say, item B, black history month proclamation.

0:54:44Yes, Mayor. And I really actually didn't have a comment. I wanted to actually kind of correlate that to some of the things that we've just heard here tonight. But of course a lot of our visitors have left. But I'm gonna say what I need to say. So this on the record. I know someone will go back and watch it on Kct. Or watch it on our website, or anything such as that.

0:55:03But there's been a lot of talk. We're talking about black history month. We're talking about the history of struggle of black people in this country, and there's been a lot of talk about. You know how El Cerrito has this glorious history of always supporting diversity and always supporting free thought, etc., etc. But anyone who says that doesn't know the history of the city of El Cerrito.

0:55:21We just celebrated last month the Black History. I'm sorry the Martin Luther King Day that it took the Elserida Naacp had to fight 35 years ago because this city would not recognize the life and legacy of Martin, like Martin Luther King, I mean, you know you have a lot of folks who won't speak on the issue that has been talked about tonight, because there are so many people in our community in this community.

0:55:46I'm sorry.

0:56:15City council as a black leader in the State of California that she, just on October seventh, discover what is like to be a black mother in this country, and that is why, even though you do that with few black leaders who have spoken about that issue. That is why you have so many black people that speak on it, because we're not talking about the ratio of justice, implication of the issue, and how it affects black people in this country and about

0:56:405. So I just wanna say on the record. If you are still here in this room, you can let the people who let me know that is the most offensive thing that I have heard, as I've said on this counsel for the last year and 2 months that you just now you don't come here to the Council. We're fighting for black kids to make sure that they can eat to make sure that they're not getting hit by pedestrian traffic to make sure that they have somewhere to go after school because their parents are working all day and night.

0:57:05You're not here for that, obviously, because you just left because you just now this up, discover what it's like to be a black parent in the United States of America. You can let them know. Put it on next door wherever you need to council member white singers there, that is offensive, and that is why you can't get the response you want for that issue. And with that happy black history month. I see my time here.

0:57:28Alright. Item d, or anything else of black History month. No is the flag about it. It is up, and since it was pulled we do need a vote for approval as well. Alright!

0:57:40I'll just note that of

0:57:44it is important to let black people speak for themselves

0:57:47on this issue, and it is a privilege and an honor to sit with Councilmember Weissinger, who is able to speak on that. And I just

0:57:57this

0:57:58I got. I have a lot that I would like to say, and I probably just don't have the right poetic words for it. But just that II

0:58:05I will. There's this.

0:58:08And actually, you know, kind of like to the point you're making for. There's this kind of bullseye of empathy like you care about an issue, and you can be on that empathy. You know that dartboard, but you're not in the center of it, and I think it's really important that we are focused on

0:58:24who is at the center of this. And we don't want to harm people in our community who are at the center of any social justice issue.

0:58:32So on that note.

0:58:36for the Black History Month proclamation, do I have a motion so move? Second, that alright move by Weisinger, seconded by Quinto. All those in favor, please say, aye, any opposed motion carries. All right. Now we're gonna move to Item d. Fiscal year 2324, s quarter cash and investment report action.

0:58:55Thank you, Mayor.

0:58:58I have a couple of questions. I was wondering if you could tell us

0:59:04finance director. How much cash do we need to have on hand? And what is our policy to like? How much do we a month at a time, or 3 months at a time? Or what is what is the policy, and what's the protocol? And and why do we have so much cash in sort of just a checking account.

0:59:22And Mechanics Bank.

0:59:24Sure crystal rams finance director. I'm not sure that we actually have a specific policy on how much to keep in our actual checking account. But it is something that we've been over my past 6,

0:59:337 months now here, trying to really trend, analyze, because we really would like to take advantage of the money market account that was set up, and life which to generate a higher interest rate. But we do need to keep on hand for payroll

0:59:46for weekly check runs for Ap. Which only are what checks have gone out. But we stop to take into consideration all of the uncashed checks. So we're really trend analyzing to see where we're at with all our debt service payments and making sure that we're really

1:00:02leveraging that as much as we can. So it's it's a work in progress right now. But I would definitely expect to see that cash with the bank portion

1:00:10level off down a little bit lower to we are where we are able to transfer money in and out from the money market account. Yeah, it was. It was really helpful to see the report, because clearly in, you know, it's double the amount in the money market account, and the interest rate is so much higher there, and we have, you know, 3 million dollars in our checking account. We're getting almost no interest on that. So it seems kind of a wasted opportunity. So we definitely are

1:00:34trying to leverage that a lot more. Okay, thank you.

1:00:38All right. Do. I have a motion.

1:00:42I'll move all right. Move by motive, by Fideli.

1:00:46All those in favor, please say aye, aye, any opposed motion carries. Now move on to item e the monthly disbursement and check register report for December 23.

1:00:56Okay.

1:00:57so thank you, Mayor. I do have a question about the what came through the check register. I see that we are paying for the H. And a signs.

1:01:06So does that mean that we have? We have the signs they have been received.

1:01:11And when will they be installed?

1:01:15Okay, so I did reach out to if Rt is our public works structure. For this cause I was not exactly sure what this did pertain to. But the this is for the hazardous condition signs for the hillside, natural area, and not a capital project for wave finding

1:01:32which is reported city manager.

1:01:34But though the wayfarer signs are on track to be installed this spring. and they're expecting to receive the mock-up for the signs this month. Okay, thank you.

1:01:46Alright

1:01:48beneath

1:01:50motion to move alright. Move by Motayama. Second second second, second seconded by Quinto. All those in favor, please say, aye, aye, any opposed motion carries alright. And then finally, item F. Analysis of potential outsourcing of the city's municipal curbside recycling operations. Report. Yes, thank you

1:02:07So maybe maybe this might be the city manager. I'm not sure but I'm very pleased to hear that

1:02:15we're doing just fine, and that our system works well, and that we don't need to seek another

1:02:21outsourcing of effort to do our recycling. What I didn't see in the analysis was that

1:02:30this request did originate with our State auditor, I believe, and I'm

1:02:35thinking that we're about ready to send more information or another letter to them, updating on several things. I was assuming. city manager that this would be included in this

1:02:46Karen Pinkos (City Manager): absolutely. So this actually was originated by the city council and staff when we were discussing our fiscal response plan back in 2020, I believe the State auditor was aware of it. I don't believe it was an actual recommendation. But they were aware of it, and they knew it was coming, because that was something that we had put in our own plan.

1:03:11And so this is the culmination of that we are scheduled to report back to the State auditor on March sixteenth. And absolutely, this is going to be part of that package and letting them know that as the other items that they had suggested contracting which the Council has already made comments on. So this will be a part of that absolutely.

1:03:33the more they feel good about us will feel good about them. I think right. The sec. Last question is, and I didn't see. And then the financial considerations. How much did this study cost the city

1:03:45to do?

1:03:47Karen Pinkos (City Manager): I don't know if event has that information if she I'm sorry a public works Director Ortiz, if she's in the room, but we can certainly look if she doesn't have that information, we can get that to you.

1:04:03Councilmember Fideli. Yvette Ortiz, the city's public works director. I don't have that number right in front of me, but it was about $60,000. And we brought that to council for award.

1:04:13What was that? Couple of years?

1:04:26Thank you very much.

1:04:30Alright. I'll entertain a motion. Yes, I moved alright. Any other questions

1:04:37I will say anecdotally that I spoke with a colleague who works in the space in Southern California, and noted kind of the uniqueness of El Cerrito's recycling program, and they said to me.

1:04:47Hold on to that at all costs. The moment you outsource that

1:04:51it is it is a loss for the community, so it is good that we know and could substantiate. A lot of this work being done in house not only saves the community money, but we're retaining this kind of people powered element to what we do. And I would second that motion.

1:05:07Alright. So is it moved by by Quintel, and second by Fideli. All those in favor, please say I, any opposed motion carries? Alright, we're gonna move on to item 9 policy matters. Our first one is 9, a adoption of a resolution approving a side letter agreement between City bell, Cerrito and Sci. U. Local 1,021.

1:05:32Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Shannon Bassy, a senior human resources analyst in

1:05:38I have before you this evening a request to adopt a resolution to modify the salary for employees in the city's SCIU. Bargaining Group.

1:05:48Currently there are 47 and a half. Cio budgeted positions

1:05:53who are governed by a resolution. I'm sorry. An mou approved by the City Council.

1:06:00as contractually agreed upon. Positions in this group generally include permit technicians, building inspectors, engineers, custodians, recycling drivers. And that's just to name a few.

1:06:12The the proposed agreements in this resolution with scu includes a 4% salary increase for any classification within scu which would be effective. The first full pay period in January of 2024.

1:06:27Additionally, the proposed agreement extends the current Mo. Through April thirtieth, of 2,024,

1:06:35and the city and scu will continue to negotiate all the terms and conditions of the Mo. After this proposed agreement is approved.

1:06:44In closing, I'd like to thank sco employees for their leadership and commitment in serving the city. With this said, that concludes my report, and I'm available for any questions.

1:06:56Alright, are there any questions from the council

1:07:00councilmember? Fideli? Just a comment. I agree, we need to thank scu for the patience

1:07:06that they put up with over the last 2 or 3 years. Their their workers are the backbone of the city sometimes overlooked.

1:07:14and they were patient, and we appreciate that, and we appreciate the good faith and coming to terms in this contract. Thank you.

1:07:22Anything else.

1:07:25Alright,

1:07:28So now's the time for members of the public who wish to provide public comments regarding this item request can speak to be submitted to the city clerk by completing a speaker card, public comments will be taken in person. Only please remember to identify yourself in your city of residence at the beginning of your comments. City clerk, please proceed.

1:07:47We do not have any requests to speak on this item here. All right.

1:07:51Any council comments.

1:07:53I like to make a motion move by Motoyama. Second, second, second, seconded by Quinto. All those in favor, please say aye, aye, any opposed motion carries.

1:08:03All right. We're going to move on to Item B, which is an agreement with Rubicon Landscape Corporation for landscape maintenance services.

1:08:30Good evening, Mayor Rednet City Council.

1:08:35I'm Steven. Pray I'm the environmental programs manager in the Department of Public Works. I'm joined by Corrina Sampkin, Senior programs manager. Also in

1:08:46Public works, Environmental Office or the

1:08:50operations and environmental Services division

1:08:54in the audience tonight are representatives of the landscape contracting firm that we are recommending for this contract.

1:09:05over the years El Cerrito staff have divided landscape maintenance services into 3 contract bundles, which I will describe in a moment.

1:09:15Bundle one contract with bright view landscape services expires. February 29. This year.

1:09:23Bundle 2. Contract with new image landscaping expired December first of last year.

1:09:29and we amended the Bright View contract to assume interim services until their contract ends. On February 20 ninth.

1:09:37the bundle 3 contract was awarded in June 2022, and extends until 2025, with 3, one year extensions possible. That's with the Rubicon programs, the Rubicon landscape programs.

1:09:53As for the description of the bundles bundle, one includes approximately 22 and a half acres of landscapes and street streetscapes, including Medians, sidewalks.

1:10:04plazas, shrubs, ground covers, and rain gardens. On San Pablo Avenue. Central Avenue and Fairmount Avenue.

1:10:11This bundle contains 20 sites, and is divided into 2 facility types, type, one facilities.

1:10:18such as City Hall, which require service twice weekly and type 2 service facilities that need weekly, bi-monthly or monthly care, such as the recycling center

1:10:32bundle 2 is the Alony Greenway, a 2

1:10:37approximately 2 and a half mile a linear parkway, consisting primarily of

1:10:43of popular and heavily used pedestrian bicycle pathway that is lined with a combination of naturalized fields, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, and is punctuated by small formal play spaces, sitting areas, Creek crossings, the Fairmount Avenue, Rain garden, and other areas of sensitive habitat.

1:11:04The Greenway, as you know, is a truly functional area that serves El Cerrito and surrounding communities as the primary route to and from the 2 El Cerrito, Bart. Stations.

1:11:15Plaza Station and Del Norte

1:11:18station.

1:11:20The only Oloney Greenway landscape through both stations was enhanced

1:11:25with the access place, making and safety improvements, projects. In. In 2017 these renovations added 1.1 4 acres

1:11:37to the previous contract.

1:11:41bringing the total area for this to 19.9 6 acres for this bundle, too.

1:11:49So we, the city, released a request

1:11:53or proposals in on November 20 eighth, to fulfill the

1:11:58the end of the kind of the current contracts

1:12:01city staff hosted a preposal meeting an optional pre-proposal meeting, which drew 9 people from 5 different landscape companies.

1:12:16From that meeting staff created and posted an addendum to the Rfp.

1:12:206 proposals were received, and all proposers submitted bids for all bundles for both bundles.

1:12:29The proposal review process evaluated. We had 3 public works staff on the Evaluation Committee.

1:12:37who evaluate a proposal based on their proposers, demonstrated experience in municipal landscape maintenance services, experience of key personnel

1:12:49required like licensing and certifications, you know, like

1:12:54have to have certain licenses to do certain things in landscape maintenance and certifications are really helpful for these things.

1:13:02such as

1:13:04best management, and

1:13:08that's probably the key one. And then a horticultural knowledge is certainly

1:13:16helpful. So we also looked at cost, competitiveness, competitiveness.

1:13:22and we interviewed 3 companies, and Rubicon emerged as the most qualified proposer with the best value and the best skill set to meet the city's landscape maintenance needs.

1:13:33In addition, Rubicon Landscape Corporation is an enterprise program of Rubicon programs whose mission is to provide job training and placement.

1:13:45Those successfully trained workers are a ready resource to staff their landscape maintenance contracts.

1:13:57Not only did Rubicon have a strong proposal during the interview process. It was clear they understood the importance of maintenance in high use and visible areas, such as San Pablo Avenue and the Aloni Green.

1:14:10In addition, their location in Wisconsin

1:14:13amount time to respond.

1:14:16Make sure you're speaking a little bit far from me.

1:14:23They also have a lot of experience working with other municipalities, such as El Cerrito on similar projects.

1:14:31The Supervisor actually is a graduate in horticulture, which is a benefit, as Steven pointed out.

1:14:38and they also understand the city's litter and trash reduction mandates.

1:14:44Steven already pointed this out, but Rubicon is a branch of Rubicon pro programs. And they do provide job training and opportunities. And they have. The graduates have been placed on their previous contracts and they may be available for this contract, if necessary.

1:14:58Also, as our current Parks and Athletic Fields Maintenance Company. They have been very responsive and good to work with

1:15:08the annual cost of the proposed contract is $316,660 to get us through this fiscal year. That's that comes out to about 120,554. This is the amount is based on the monthly

1:15:22rate, in addition to a one time. $23,000 cost to evaluate and repair irrigate irrigation system. So the adopted budget for the 2023 24 fiscal year is approximately $200,000, and this is based on 2018 contract pricing.

1:15:41We anticipate the expenses by the end of this month will equal 157,453, which leaves 42,476 in the budget. To cover the cost of the proposed

1:15:53contract, 86,078 are required for this fiscal year.

1:16:00There are 4 main reasons for the price increase.

1:16:04First is that labor costs have increased since 2,018, when the city first put out the request for proposal for these services, and the contracts did not provide for a cost of Cpi consumer. Price index increases.

1:16:18Stephen also mentioned that there was an additional 1.1 4 acres added in the scope for maintaining the areas along the Yellow Green way near the Bart plot.

1:16:28plaza, and as well del Norte Plaza stations.

1:16:33There's also a cost a high cost of transition for these companies to go to electric power landscaping, because, as of this year, Ab. 1346 no longer allows the sale of gas, powered landscape equipment.

1:16:47and finally, for improved efficiency, the scope of work was changed to no longer have the city supplying various materials, such as irrigation parks, and fertilizer.

1:17:00if approved by the city council, the resolution would allow us to execute an agreement with Rubicon landscape corporations to be effective. March first of 2024 for a 3 year term, and then we also have an annual option of extending that 3 more additional years.

1:17:20The resolution also would amend the 2023, 24 adopted budget to appropriate $86,078 from the general fund under restricted balances for these services for for this fiscal year

1:17:33that concludes our presentation, we're happy to take your questions

1:17:37alright! Are there any questions from the council councilmember? Quintu? Thank you, Mayor. thank you for the presentation. Just a couple questions. For folks that live on the north side

1:17:50from the Del Norte Bart. Station to

1:17:53the rich and border

1:17:56is is that included

1:17:58with yeah, with the maintenance, the the work. Yes, except save the the space, the the area between

1:18:10juncture. Sorry

1:18:14the Del norte plus apartments there, that part that is privately maintained by the the development there the city. The contracts do not include that. But other than that that picks up again at Wall Street.

1:18:28Wall Avenue. Excuse me.

1:18:29and goes north to the to San Pablo Avenue. Okay?

1:18:33And signage. And it's like cleaning up signage and and graffiti does. That is that part of the main. No, that's handled by the by, the public Works staff and by Bart. Crews as well. Okay, what about the the creek and the

1:18:52the the landscaping around the creek. Now you're referring to Baxter Creek at the Baxter Creek, but Gateway Park. A fine place indeed!

1:19:02A great investment by the city, if I do say so.

1:19:06And the grants that was, you know, it was all funded with grants. It is a tough area to maintain. It gets a lot of traffic. It is maintained through this. This contract picked up twice a week of the litter and and debris removal. It's a natural area. So you know, it isn't maintained in the same to the same level, say, as some of the other meadows and areas around the stations.

1:19:33It's meant to be more of a naturalized area. So it's only mode, you know, relatively infrequently compared with the rest of the green one. Okay, because in in comparison to the south end of town. You really do see a difference on maintenance there, and you know. So I'm I'm hoping that this group will look at, especially on the north side

1:19:59of the needs that our community.

1:20:02as in in maintenance. There's there's a lot of graffiti out there, and I know our crew takes care of that right away. But you look at the landscaping there and you know, with folks just trespassing and getting in the creek. I've seen people take baths there, and and just hang out and drink beers there, and

1:20:28and but you know a lot of trash there that needs to be picked up along the creek, and I know our crew takes care of that. So I'm hoping this new group

1:20:40we'll work on that as well.

1:20:43Thank you very much. Councilmember. Fideli.

1:20:46Yeah. And I just wanted to follow up on what Councilman. But Pinto said,

1:20:51because I've been to several Baxter cleanup areas. And that's an area that really gets a lot of trash.

1:20:57And I was noticing. And on your green grid you you do have refuse collection. But

1:21:03everything in that category is 2 times a week. Is there any way, because Baxter Creek gets more trash

1:21:10substituting or letting this group know. Maybe it's a 3 times a week and letting kind of figuring out among these things under bundle, too.

1:21:18what gets less trash? And can we give one little more attention to Baxter Creek cause. It is a gateway to our city.

1:21:26Yes, I. Within the parameters of the. We will emphasize that with the

1:21:31with the little bit of flexibility there. Yeah, a little bit of flexibility. But also we do have our public works staff that does supplement as well as the the volunteer core that services. It'd be great if I mean, it's great to have volunteers, but it'd be great not to have to call for volunteers to come out and help clean up.

1:21:50Couple other questions

1:21:53you mentioned?

1:21:56about extending year to year additional years past the 3 years. What is the cost ramifications. Is it locked in at the same cost? Or do you have to renegotiate each of those years? No, we wouldn't have to renegotiate what we have in the contract right now is annually after starting 20 July first of 2,025. They're allowed a Cpi increase if they requested. Oh, okay, so it would be a Cpi increase

1:22:23in in the

1:22:26estimates that you got back

1:22:29the company. I don't know if you can talk about this, but auto. which was very high.

1:22:35What was the difference of what they would do for the city compared to what we're getting now? Did they do more or anything, or give back rubs, or what? What is

1:22:43what is it that they

1:22:45based on what we could see on the proposal they just answered the way we had with the same

1:22:53and then the last point I have, and maybe it's not. It's not that important. But in your resolution you have West County Times for reaching out. They don't exist anymore. It's East Bay times.

1:23:05Okay, just to let. I mean, it's the dwindling of journalism. And now they're just. It's the East Bay time. So just to correct that because it doesn't exist. Thank you.

1:23:15And councilmember, Motoyama. Thank you. Mayor. Thank you, staff for this presentation.

1:23:20I have a question and a comment. First, a comment. I am really excited that we're going to extend our work with

1:23:30Rubicon programs. I think that the program itself is, you know, a really great one. And II really appreciate our ability to to work with them and expand their pro, you know, help them to expand their programming.

1:23:43The question I had for you is in the scope.

1:23:47There was a list of where these bundle

1:23:53this is bundle one would be, and what I didn't see is any of the Medians on south of Fairmont Avenue on Ashbrain? So those are large Medians, and I was wondering who who maintains those if they're not in the scope.

1:24:07Rubicon programs currently maintains those in their current contract. They maintain all of the parks as well as, and because of the proximity of those Medians to the Harding facility, they maintain that Median from the South Albany border north to Fairmount. Okay? So they're considered parks.

1:24:26or just for the purposes of the scope. But for the purposes of dividing these bundles there are some.

1:24:34you know it's a little fuzzy around what's a park and what's not? But it seemed more appropriate to assign it to that bundle, that bundle 3, as we call it, than to make it a suburb to include it with these other people. But that's been assigned that's been maintained by Rubicon since their contract was renewed in 20 20

1:24:55they're taking care very nicely, but I just wanted to make sure they weren't being left out. So thank you.

1:25:04I have a quick question which is, you noted that there's potential irrigation repairs. Where are those irrigation needs most significant.

1:25:15Do we know? Well. you know, the Greenway is

1:25:22really the Greenway and San Pablo Avenue, I think, are the most significant spaces for the. There's damage to the vandalism, to the irrigation system. We're we're, you know, doing our best to comply with the

1:25:39with the water. Use reduction requirements and we, in order to do that, we

1:25:45we need to have a functional irrigation

1:25:47at the same time they're they're damaged periodic. So it is. A significant component of the of the project so to go through and get it up to speed. To begin with, I think, is a prudent approach that Rubicon gave suggested to us.

1:26:06Thank you.

1:26:07Great. Another question from Councilor Mcclinton. I just want to clarify something. Is it the same Rubicon that managed our housing at the Idaho apartments at one time?

1:26:20And then also is it related to the work on in San Francisco that trains people at restaurants? It's like the same group.

1:26:30I can't speak as much to that.

1:26:33As the Rubicon staff could.

1:26:38I do know that that Rubicon landscaping does maintain several places in San Francisco, including Treasure Island and the Coast Guard.

1:26:49Station.

1:26:51Also, they have

1:26:53veterans, administration facilities. yeah. So it's coming here. I'm I'm Laura Webster. I'm with Rubicon programs and Rubicon landscape group.

1:27:06And I the first part of your question I wanted to find out is Rubicon related to the Rubicon group that used to manage our

1:27:18affordable housing at the Idaho apartments here in El Cerrito and San Pablo. Yes, and we were. Yeah. And also, is it the same operation that trains people for restaurants such as a Rubicon restaurant on the Embarcadena

1:27:36that we that is us or was us. We divested of the Rubicon

1:27:43bakery although we still have a very close relationship with them. About.

1:27:51I think it was about 8 years ago, and it was just sort of wanting to refocus more of our energy on a more holistic instead of just transitional employment.

1:28:03We wanted to. We're working a lot now with the the re-entry. You know, people that have previously been incarcerated and and advocating for them as well as

1:28:15you know, mental health services. And yeah.

1:28:21thank you very much. I appreciate all the work that Rubicon does a big fan.

1:28:26One more question from Council Member. It's more of a comment, it it seems that. And this is primarily directed to Chief Keith back, that I think that you know we really need to focus more on Greenway Patrol in order to. You know, I think ultimately it will save us money if we are having vandalism and

1:28:50irrigation is damaged and lots of other issues come up. So I just wanted to put that out there. Thank you. Thank you so much. II saw the chief nodding in the back.

1:29:01Alright. So now it's time for the members of the public who wish to provide public comment regarding this item. Request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing the Speaker card.

1:29:11Public comments will be taken in person. Only please remember to identify yourself in your city of residence at the beginning of your comments. City clerk, please proceed. We do not have any requests to speak on this item, Mayor, I read all of that. All right. Any further council comments.

1:29:28I see one from Quinto. And then, Fideli.

1:29:32thank you, Mayor

1:29:34as someone who has used the services of Rubicon. We've we've had our Sierra Club dinners there through the years, and it's giving people a second chance and a people re-entering. We have a shortage of workers here in California. And so whatever we can do to support.

1:29:56We have so many openings, and they're not enough people to do these jobs. And these are good working jobs. So I'm full support of this. And

1:30:06you know, remember the good work that they've done, and I know apartments when Rubicon manage that, then so I am a big fan of, yeah, I just want to second that. I like the work that Rubicon does, and it's great to be associated with them. And I just want to say, I think it's interesting. The concept of your work bundles.

1:30:31and I just wanted you to remember the Rubicon folks that these are bundles of joy for the El Cerrito residents, so take care of them, and we appreciate the effort that you're doing. Thank you

1:30:43right. Do I have a motion to approve Councillor Quinto, seconded by Motoyama?

1:30:50All those in favor, please say, aye, aye, any opposed motion carries. Thank you, Staff, so much for this, for the full process really appreciate it.

1:30:58It's it's only gonna bear wonderful fruit for the community. Alright.

1:31:03So, moving on to Item C. Speaking of community budget amendments for park facility, deferred maintenance and repair projects.

1:31:11May we please have a staff report.

1:31:15I see our

1:31:17wonderful public Works director coming to.

1:31:22I went to the front.

1:31:29Good evening, Mayor and Council members. Thank you. Thank you for this time to present on the Budget Budget Amendment request for park and facility, deferred maintenance and repair projects.

1:31:47First, I'd want to start with giving me some background as to how we came here tonight to request the funding as part of the fiscal year 2023, 24 budget and capital improvement program budget. We city staff proposed several projects listed here as the most urgent in terms of addressing deferred maintenance and repair needs.

1:32:14At the time the budget was proposed

1:32:17staff estimated expenditures of about 1.1 4 million to a design and complete the projects. These were planning level estimates that were available at the time of the budget.

1:32:28These expenditures were modeled in the 10 Year General Fund forecast to ensure that they could be accommodated over the long run.

1:32:38and at that time. Staff proposed that the budget appropriations for those projects be made. When the a contract was ready to be issued for the design or construction of the project as we work to refine. Those projects

1:32:56over the last several months staff have worked to refine the scope cost and the schedule

1:33:04and the estimated cost for those projects have increased from the planning level estimate to 2.7 5 million, or, again, both design and construction. The increased costs are primarily related to 2 items. It's to address additional deficiency that were identified as part of the scope evaluation. And that's Ada. Making sure that we have an accessible path of travel and accessible parking spaces

1:33:32which are a minimum amount of Ada improvements that we need to make as well as increased construction process prices due to inflation and labor and supply costs.

1:33:44Given the amount of current active projects that city staff is managing this year and staff capacity. We think we will only be able to move forward with a subset of these projects.

1:34:00and they're listed here as well as in your package.

1:34:05I wanna just highlight that the first Project City Council previously approved budget appropriation of $75,000 to fill the funding gap for the Arlington Park Improvements project back in October of 2023, and that project is currently under construction and expected to be done

1:34:24in the spring.

1:34:26The next 6 projects are the total. The top 6 projects are the ones that we will like to move forward with design and construction. This fiscal year.

1:34:37Oh, I wanna highlight a few things about the projects listed here. Not I won't go through all of them but one highlight that the City Hall boiler replacement is for a boiler. It's past. It's it's past its service life. And we propose to replace it with an electric boiler

1:34:53and so you see that cost listed here. We are eligible for a rebate from Mc, for the electric unit, the cost of the electric boiler. The initial installation is higher than a gas replacement unit. But, we still need to evaluate the operational cost and any cost savings that we may realize from the operations in the electric unit versus a gas unit

1:35:18in terms of the City Hall leap, repair that's been in the on the to do list for a while, and it's for the south facing wall. We have continuous leaks. Not continuous leaks, but during heavy rain events we do have leaks at the walls and floors of the south facing wall. Here

1:35:35the community center roof replacement. Had those damaged sections of that roof. There was additional damage that was done in the wind event last year. So we are eligible for some insurance. Payments for that

1:35:49and the zoom center, Ada and Ed station parking lot improvements that is moving forward this fiscal year. We can move forward with the design, and we will. We plan on doing the construction next fiscal year.

1:36:03the Arlington Park playground resurfacing that's a pretty deteriorated shape underneath the

1:36:10The large slide

1:36:12right now we're busy doing the other Park Improvement project there at the picnic sites and at the clubhouse. So we're pushing this out until next year.

1:36:22The last 2 projects, the corporation yard parking lot rehab and public safety parking lot improvements. The parking lot. The parking lot pavement isn't pretty that shape in those 2. At those 2 facilities.

1:36:36there needs to be major rehabilitation which is driving up the cost

1:36:41at the corporation yard. Specifically, the pavement has deteriorated to the subgrade which requires more substantial reconstruction, and we also have to do grading. To make sure we achieve the Ada access requirements.

1:37:00So in summary. In our this fiscal year, we are requesting our estimating 1.1

1:37:061.1 6 million for design and construction of those projects that includes a 75,000 previously approved by council. So the budget appropriation request is smaller as lower by that amount for the remaining projects. We propose to come back to council as part of the biennial budget process to recrace, to request funding for the additional phases.

1:37:30I do want to say that

1:37:32as we identified as we discussed in the Budget Kickoff

1:37:36meeting with a workshop with council back in January City staff, is developing a deferred maintenance plan to systematically address

1:37:46the large amount of deferred maintenance. The city has public work, staff and city finance staff

1:37:53are working on developing that plan, and we'll be coming back to council as part of the Biannual budget, with additional information regarding the required re financial resources to both. Do facility assessment as well as to move forward with

1:38:11an annual program to address our deferred maintenance backbone.

1:38:21Add

1:38:22approval of the budget amendment for these deferred maintenance projects meets 2 strategic plan goals, including the ability and belonging by improving parks and recreational facilities and infrastructure and amenities, by investing in the maintenance and rehab of critical facilities in the city.

1:38:40The proposed action is where SIM Staff is requesting that Council approve a budget amendment, and for fiscal year 2223, 24, and the amount of $1,084,800 from the general fund and restricted fund balance

1:38:58for these projects that we've just reviewed.

1:39:01The fiscal year 2223 unaudited general fund

1:39:05unrestricted fund balance is estimated to be

1:39:08about 10.3 million dollars. This includes the estimated adjustments for Emergency and Pensions Trust funds

1:39:16previously approved Council Amendments in this fiscal year. Sorry for the type of there total, 2.3 million dollars with the proposed amendment, the resulting general fund balance that's estimated to be 6 point

1:39:349 million dollars, which represents approximately 50%. Of the General Fund

1:39:39expenditures.

1:39:41This concludes my presentation. Thank you, and available to answer your questions.

1:39:46Any questions from the council

1:39:49councilmember. Motoyama. II do. I thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Director Ortiz for this great presentation. Can you go back to that last slide? And I just want to make sure I understand kind of where we are. So the 10.2 is this year's additional fund balance based on unaudited financials.

1:40:14that is, in addition to the fund balance prior or I.

1:40:21So I guess that is not our total fund balance.

1:40:25And then I just want to understand in the context of the total fund balance. And maybe

1:40:31it'd be helpful to have our finance director finance director reams come as well. I'm sorry this is not so much of a public works question that's more of a a budget question. So

1:40:42II what I am concerned that I'm hearing is that if we approve this, then our fund balance goes to 6.9 million, which does not sound correct. So I know that's not what you probably meant, directories. I just wanna be sure that I understand what this means definitely crystal rains. Finance director. So now that number would be after the contribution to the Edr. F, and the 1 million to the

1:41:06Section 1 15, and then any of the other appropriations that have already been made this fiscal year. So it's taking the last year's estimated fund balance. What we had taking those things into consideration. And then that would leave us with 6.9.

1:41:22Okay, so that's the 15% of the general fund. But then, if you add in the Edr ff, and the section 1, 15, it's 15 million, which is 33. Okay, yeah. So I just want to make sure that that's not something happened that

1:41:379 million dollars, and then the 6.9 balance that includes our mandated contributions that come from any additional fund balance or that still to come. No, that's after the waterfall effect. Okay?

1:41:58Because the

1:42:00depending on how the Edr ff is worded. There might not be an additional. But I do believe that city manager Pink, has put in an additional contribution for that as well in this number, and then there would be that additional contribution towards 30? Yep, the 33 that would go to the 1. 15. Okay remaining.

1:42:21Karen Pinkos (City Manager): Yes, and if I may, the one of the things that we'll start to bring to the City Council is the difference between the unrestricted general fund balance and the restricted general fund balance, so that 6.9 million is the unrestricted the restricted includes as as crystal, said the Edrf. The section 115 trust will be a completely separate out of the general fund. But the Edrf.

1:42:46Is a restricted portion of the general fund. So that's some new vocabulary that you'll be hearing from us as we discuss the fund balance.

1:42:56Thank you, city manager, and then it would. A little table would be really helpful if you could train us to look for that and keep it consistent. It would be really helpful definitely.

1:43:06Okay, thank you.

1:43:08Thank you. Councilmember. Fideli, do you have? Yeah, I do. All right. Yvette, thank you. I wanted to focus on the swim center just for a couple of questions. Is that Ada and Ev station a relatively new

1:43:21project. It has nothing to do with what we're going to be doing on the big pool coming up

1:43:27recently. It's actually related to the work we did on the recreational pool last year we deferred the Ada improvements. And so we need to do that. And while we're we have to

1:43:42reconstruct portions of the

1:43:44of the pavement of the parking Lot pavement to provide the Ada to meet the Ada requirements. So at the same time we'll be looking at installing the E, the electrical conduit and the ev charging stations. So this is always part of the plan. It's just the financing that was deferred till now, and thank you for the Ev charging which part of the parking lot of those gonna be closer to the

1:44:08community center. Do you know yet I don't have that information with me tonight, but I can definitely follow up with you. And did we or could we or did we should? Did we get grants to put those Ev. Is that money we got from Grants? Or is there a lot of grant money out there for Evie?

1:44:24And so we'll continue to explore that right now. The only the funding we're asking for tonight is for the design

1:44:29of that project, and we'll come back as part of next year's budget to request construction, and in the meantime we'll look for those Grant opportunities. Great? Thank you.

1:44:44I have none. Any last call

1:44:46alright.

1:44:47Is there any public comment on this item. There is no public comment. Alright, alright! Move by councilmember Fideli, second by Motayama. All those in favor, please say aye, me post motion carries. Alright. We're going to move on to city council and local regional liaison assignments. Thank you so much. Director Ofe's.

1:45:09Are there any Council reports?

1:45:12Councilmember Quinto, and then councilmember Fideli. Thank you. I just want to mention that tomorrow the Executive Committee of Cal Cities will be having a Zoom Meeting with the governor, and we will point out what we would like and what all cities in California

1:45:32would like. I'm gonna speak about environmental policy and the future of climate bonds. With us. 37 million dollar deficit the State of California has. We can't wait and and the things that the governor would like to cut. Usually the first thing to go is environmental legislation and housing. So this is a way where we will be able to.

1:45:58Yeah, deal with climate change. And you look at all the floods and all the storms, and

1:46:05and so many counties in California dealing with, you know, emergencies and disaster right now. I truly believe this is a way to go, so I'll be speaking on that tomorrow. Thank you so much. Today there was a zoom call. With other

1:46:26the 2 representatives from Ccta, me and Chris Kelly of Hercules, and some other city staff about

1:46:34kind of a bold project with some RM. 3, which is the regional measure. 3 monies coming in

1:46:42to again look at rapid bus transit along San Pablo Avenue in Richmond, San Pablo and Elsorito. So it's going to be a long-term project. Cal. Trans is coming in to do some safety

1:46:56projects along a couple crosswalks and some new asphalt. But this is a long-term planning, and

1:47:03there could be a possibility of going

1:47:05into Alameda county as well. Thank you.

1:47:08Thank you so much. Council member. Thank you. Mayor. On the

1:47:14on January eighteenth I attended the a bag executive Committee.

1:47:19and we had some great news at Abag's Bay Area Housing Finance Agency is starting to do its first loans, so that will be some helpful funding for additional affordable housing in the Bay Area. So we will. I'm tracking that closely. So when opportunities arise for elsewhere to, I'll definitely let Staff know

1:47:41on the nineteenth I participate in the Cal Cities Housing Community Economic Development Policy Committee. On the Twentieth

1:47:50I did a present Housing presentation to the Association of American University women, West Contra Costa County, and then, on the 20 sixth, I attended the employee recognition dinner. On the 20 eighth I met with Steve Price to hear more about what Austria rollers and strollers is doing, and on February first I attended the Contra Costa County Mayor's conference. Meeting.

1:48:16Thank you. Thank you so much council Member Weisinger. Alright

1:48:20I attended so many events that we had shared about. You know we had the Mayor's conferences. Fantastic one!

1:48:25Spend our time on that I did get to attend the ribbon cutting for knit pixies, which is on San Pablo on the north side, which is a service that many El Srido families will be very happy now exists in town. It's an incredibly family owned business, and I learned a lot about

1:48:43about had license when visiting the the facility. So I it's a head Lice company. Yes, remove it through. So if you suspect that either you or loved one has it. You can go there, and they can check for you. No, they have a great facility there. It's incredibly clean. They make their own products there. It's I was very impressed and learned a lot from it.

1:49:12Now on that note.

1:49:18it is now 7 50, and the city council will convene to a closed session for the following items.

1:49:25Item, a conference of legal counsel for anticipated litigation

1:49:30and item B conference with legal counsel for existing litigation next regularly scheduled scheduled city Council meeting is Tuesday, February twentieth, at 6 PM.

1:49:40Thank you so much for attending you, Mayor.