[ ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON AGENDA ITEMS (Three minutes per speaker. The City Council may adjust the time allotted per speaker.) The public may address the City Council on agenda items prior to any action taken. Although Council Members may provide brief responses, the City Council may not engage in a discussion with members of the public during the meeting. Please complete a Speaker's Card to address the City Council in-person. Please follow the instructions at the end of the agenda and wait for the Mayor/City Clerk to call on you to address the City Council virtually. Speakers providing in-person comments will be called first. Members of the public are encouraged to communicate with the City Council via email at adm@cypressca.org or by calling 714-229-6699.]

FOR THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO, ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, MR. JONGSMA, YOU'RE UP, FOLLOWED BY MARILYN REAMS AND THEN ED KRAMER. GOOD EVENING. BOB JONGSMA, RESIDENT OF CYPRESS. YEAH, I GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS. I'M LOOKING AT THE FESTIVAL. I'M NOT QUITE SURE. IT ALMOST LOOKS A LITTLE SNEAKY TO ME. I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH IT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE TAKING OUT THE POLITICAL BOOTHS. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY'S ELECTION INTERFERING. AND MAYBE VOTING. FIXING. I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I TAKE IT, FOREVER. THAT PLACE HAS ALWAYS HAD BOOTHS FOR PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, EVEN THE CITY. EVERYBODY UP THERE HAS BEEN IN THOSE BOOTHS. AND NOW SOMEBODY SAYS WE DON'T WANT THEM ANYMORE. AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO MAKE UP FOR THE DIFFERENCE FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE IT. I THINK WE NEED AN INVESTIGATION ON IT. WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO MADE THAT SILLY DECISION, BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. AND WHOEVER DID IT SHOULD BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT'S WRONG. IT NEEDS TO PUT THE BOOTHS BACK. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE GET TO GO TO. THAT ALSO TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE POLITICS WORLD. AND YOU GUYS SHOULDN'T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO CONTROL IT. NUMBER TWO, I'M GOING TO BRING UP THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THING SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP THE LAST TIME, AND I UNDERSTAND AND MAY HAVE SOME PROBLEMS, BUT I'M LOOKING AT IT AS WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SIX COMMITTEES THAT SHE'S ON? AND WHEN DID THE MAYOR AND THE MANAGER KNOW SHE WASN'T GOING TO THE MEETINGS, AND DID SHE GET PAID FOR THE MEETINGS SHE DIDN'T GO TO? AND IF SHE DID, DID SHE GIVE THEM BACK THAT MONEY BECAUSE THAT COMMITTEE SHE GETS PAID TO GO TO, I BELIEVE IF SHE GOT PAID, IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND I BELIEVE IF THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR KNEW THAT SHE WASN'T GOING TO MEETINGS, THEY SHOULD BE REPRIMANDED BECAUSE THAT'S WRONG. THAT'S JUST WAY TOO MANY MEETINGS. IF SHE MISSED ONE, IT HAPPENS. I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF MEETINGS AND I HAPPEN TO KNOW SOMEBODY THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND HE WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER OVER THE WHOLE DEAL. SO I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO INVESTIGATE THAT AND COME UP AND ADMIT WHO KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEFORE IT GOT BROUGHT OUT TO EVERYBODY HERE, AND ALSO INVESTIGATE THOSE BOOTHS THAT YOU WANT TO DELETE FOR NO REASON AT ALL, AND CONTROL THE VOTING RIGHTS AND CONTROL HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE VOTING. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY, I WANTED TO I WILL ADMIT I MAY NOT BE THE SHARPEST CRAYON IN THE BOX. I TRY. SO ITEM 8AI WAS, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY CLICK ON THOSE DARN LETTERS AND STUFF THAT YOU GUYS PUT IN ON THE AGENDA. SO EIGHT A AND I IMAGINE THAT MR. GRANT WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY CAN'T ANSWER NOW, BUT THE ELECTIONS ADVERTISING $5,000 I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. WHY WHY IT'S THERE I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST ASKING AND THEN I GUESS THERE'S A THOUSAND FOR TRANSLATION, WHICH I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE THE ASSUMPTION ON VOTING DAY OR SOMETHING. I I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE ARE AND THEN, ITEM SEVEN, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS CARRYOVER THING IS, BUT WHAT'S CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE, I WOULD PROBABLY WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE PAID ANY ATTENTION, EXCEPT IT SAYS THAT THE BOOTHS WON'T BE AT THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR. MY REALLY BIG CONCERN IS I. IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS SITTING UP HERE AT THE DAIS THAT WERE KIND OF BENEFICIARIES AS THEY WERE RUNNING, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE ELECTED, THERE WAS SO WONDERFUL TO COME AND MEET WITH EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHETHER IT WAS IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL BOOTH OR THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF HAD A BOOTH. THE CITY OF CYPRESS HAD A BOOTH FOR THE COUNCIL. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, IF THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, I, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I DON'T

[00:15:06]

THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THESE BOOTHS IN. THIS IS A, THIS IS A VOTING SEASON AND PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THEIR CANDIDATES. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, MAYBE WITH A BEER IN YOUR HAND, AND MORE CONCERNING IS I WOULD WANT TO HEAR IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ALSO NOT HAVE A BOOTH, BECAUSE THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE, IF THIS GOES FORWARD, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THE INCUMBENTS ON THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE A HUGE ADVANTAGE AND LEG UP, BECAUSE ONLY THEY WOULD BE AT THE FESTIVAL. THAT'S A REAL CONCERN, AND I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ON RECORD AND MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE ADDRESSING. IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CRAMER. ARE YOU MR. CRAMER? I AM MR. CRAMER. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU WITHOUT YOUR MASK. YEAH, REALLY I KNOW. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I'M FREE. SO COUNCIL THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK, SPEAKING ON ONE AND SEVEN, SEVEN, PRIMARILY THE CITIZENS FESTIVAL IS THE CITIZENS FESTIVAL COUNCIL HAS NO BUSINESS SAYING WHO CAN BE IN IT. THAT'S THE COMMITTEE'S, JOB. AND, SO BANNING CANDIDATES FROM SPEAKING THERE, IT SMELLS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD SMELL OF, VOTER SUPPRESSION OR ELECTION FRAUD, EVEN, PARTICULARLY SINCE THERE'S A $5,000 DONATION. IT SAYS IN THE, IN TITLE A, AND SO, WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INVESTIGATION, LOOK INTO WHO WAS IF THERE WAS ANY PREFERENCE AND WHO WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND OR NOT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A VALID THING TO LOOK INTO, BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT AND IT SHOULDN'T BE SUGGESTED. SECONDLY, I'M, AS AN AI ENGINEER, I'M I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S SOME CONTROLS. I HEARD THE CHIEF SPEAK ABOUT THE CAMERAS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE FOCUS IN THE DISCUSSION ON CITIZENS ACCESS TO THAT FOOTAGE.

AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT AVAILABILITY IS. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PUT A LICENSE PLATE READER, SEVEN OF THEM IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN ANYWHERE, EVERY CAR THAT GOES PAST THERE AND THAT THING GETS SCANNED AND IT CAN SEE EVERYONE. AND SO YOU CAN TRACK A PERSON. YOU DON'T NEED THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, YOU DON'T NEED THEIR FACE PRINT. YOU GOT THEIR CAR REGISTRATION EVERY TIME THAT GUY DRIVES BY A CAMERA, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT CAR. YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT PERSON HAS BEEN FROM THE TIME YOU INSTALL THAT CAMERA UNTIL THE FOREVER.

OKAY, SO WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN THERE IS THE ABILITY TO TRACK EVERY US CITIZEN EVERYWHERE THEY GO. EASILY AND THAT NEEDS HUGE CONTROLS. SO I WANT TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ENSURE THERE'S NO, THERE'S EXTREME CARE. CAREFUL OVERSIGHT OF THAT, BECAUSE YOU CAN LITERALLY TELL EVERYWHERE A PERSON GOES WITHIN A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS, RIGHT? YOU DRIVE A CAR, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WERE, RIGHT? SO I'M SURE IT'S GREAT FOR THE COPS, BUT HALF OUR BUDGET GOES TO POLICE, RIGHT? WE'RE A POLICE STATE HERE. YOU KNOW, I ONE TIME I HAD MY DAUGHTER CALLED TO GET SOME PHONE NUMBER FOR A KID THAT HAD MENTIONED TO HER. A FRIEND MENTIONED SUICIDE, AND SIX BLACK AND WHITE SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE. THEY SENT ONE TO THE KID'S HOUSE. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR SOFT RESPONSE TEAM? RIGHT SO LET'S JUST BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THESE KIND OF TECHNOLOGIES BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY POWERFUL. AND SECONDLY, 23 MILLION PLUS 500 K THAT COULD HAVE GONE TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IF WE WERE JUST HAD A LITTLE VISION, YOU KNOW, THANKS. THANK YOU SIR. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ALONG TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR, ALL MATTERS LISTED ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR

[ CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are to be approved with one motion unless a Council Member requests separate action on a specific item. Council Members voting no or abstaining on a Consent Calendar item may do so without removing the item from the Consent Calendar.]

ARE TO BE APPROVED WITH ONE MOTION. UNLESS A COUNCIL MEMBER REQUESTS SEPARATE ACTION ON A SPECIFIC ITEM. COUNCIL MEMBERS VOTING NO OR ABSTAINING ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM MAY DO SO WITHOUT REMOVING THE ITEM FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR. CAN I GET A MOTION ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM SEVEN, PLEASE. SEVEN. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION ON THE REMAINING CONSENT CALENDAR MINUS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINING LESS. ITEM SEVEN. OKAY. CAN I GET A SECOND? SECOND, YOU CAN HAVE IT.

[00:20:15]

I'M SORRY, MR. MAYOR. CAN YOU REPEAT WHO MADE THE MOTION? OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN YOUR CHOICE. EITHER DAVID OR ANNE. LOCKING YOUR VOTES, PLEASE. THAT MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE NO NEW BUSINESS. ITEMS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I BELIEVE ITEM NUMBER 11 IS APPOINT MAYOR PRO TEM PETE AS DIRECTOR TO THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD. OH, I'M SORRY. WE DO THE CONSENT CALENDAR BEFORE THAT, ITEMS

[ ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR]

REMOVED, SO, COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE, MY APOLOGIES. THANKS SO MY FIRST QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR MR. BURTON. CAN YOU JUST GENERALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THESE CARRY OVER OPERATIONS? APPROPRIATIONS ARE EXACTLY. SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AS IN, WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT WE ARE CARRYING OVER APPROPRIATIONS FROM ONE FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEX? SURE. ESSENTIALLY, IT'S CONTRACTS THAT WERE AWARDED IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, AND THEY WERE NOT COMPLETED AS OF JUNE 30TH. SO, YOU KNOW, AND SO THE CARRY OVER PROCESS IS JUST MERELY, ADJUSTING THE BUDGET IN THE NEW YEAR TO ALLOW FOR THOSE CONTRACTS AND PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. SO WE'RE NOT ALLOCATING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS. IT'S SIMPLY THE FUNDS WE ALREADY DECIDED TO SPEND. ARE BEING SPENT, NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF IN THE PAST YEAR. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY THANK YOU. AND THEN I WANTED TO DISCUSS THE ITEM AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL LINE IN THERE. CITY STAFF, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR ME TO MOVE THE BALANCE OF THAT ITEM OR JUST AND VOTE ON THE FESTIVAL ITEM SEPARATELY, OR DISCUSS THE FESTIVAL ITEM AND THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK IT MAKES SENSE JUST TO HAVE YOUR DISCUSSION, SEE WHERE THE COUNCIL LANDS AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. OKAY, SO LET ME PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR THIS ONE. SO THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL IS RUN BY A PRIVATE ENTITY, A NONPROFIT. THE BOARD IS A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.

I'M ACTUALLY ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS. AND SO I'VE ATTENDED THE BOARD MEETINGS, MOST OF THE, AND I ROUTINELY SPEAK TO THE BOARD MEMBERS. THE FESTIVAL HAS HAD POLITICAL BOOTHS IN THE PAST, BOOTHS WHERE CANDIDATES OR ORGANIZATIONS COULD BUY A SPACE, AND I ACTUALLY HAD ONE WHEN I WAS A CANDIDATE IN 2022. I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH VOTERS DIRECTLY.

THIS YEAR, THE FESTIVAL HAD PLANNED ON HAVING POLITICAL BOOTHS. THE WHOLE YEAR, BOARD MEETINGS HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE EARLY THIS YEAR. CITY STAFF AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTEND SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS, AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THEIR BOOTHS AND PAID THEIR BOOTH FEES. SO THE COUNCIL, THE STAFF AND LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE KNOWN FOR A WHILE THAT THE FESTIVAL IS PLANNING TO HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS, AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO RAISE CONCERNS RELATED TO THAT. AND ACCORDING TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, I SPOKE WITH, NO CITY OFFICIALS RAISED SUCH CONCERNS UNTIL RECENTLY. ONE OTHER THING TO MENTION IS THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY AGENDA ITEMS THROUGH THE COUNCIL DURING THE YEAR, WHERE WE DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT THE FESTIVAL SHOULD HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS, AND THE COUNCIL HAS NEVER VOTED ON THAT OR PROVIDED DIRECTION ON THAT. AND SO FAST FORWARD TO LAST MONTH, I LEARNED THAT MAYOR MINIKUS HAD REACHED OUT TO A FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBER AND TOLD THEM THAT HE DIDN'T THINK THE FESTIVAL SHOULD HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS THIS YEAR, AND THAT THE BOOTHS WEREN'T NECESSARILY FAMILY FRIENDLY AND THAT HE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE DATE CHOSEN FOR THE FESTIVAL. AND MAYOR, MAYOR MINIKUS, PLEASE STOP ME IF YOU THINK ANYTHING I'M SAYING IS NOT. NO, YOU'RE OKAY, AND THEN TWO WEEKS AGO, MAYOR MINIKUS SPOKE WITH THE FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS AGAIN WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY PRESENT, AND REITERATED HIS CONCERNS. AND THE FESTIVAL TEAM EXPLAINED THAT THEY ALREADY HAD SIGN UPS FOR THE BOOTHS, AND IT WAS A SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE FESTIVAL. AND THEN AT SOME

[00:25:05]

POINT, IT WAS STATED OR IMPLIED THAT THE CITY MAY BE ABLE TO COMPENSATE THE FESTIVAL FOR LOST REVENUE, IF THEY DECIDED TO FOREGO THE POLITICAL BOOTHS, AND MAYOR MINIKUS ASKED THE FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS TO FIGURE THINGS OUT WITH JEFF DRAPER, OUR DIRECTOR OF RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. AND SO THAT'S THE THAT'S WHAT THE FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME. AND SO I'M A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE HERE WITH, I GUESS, THE PROCESS THAT GOT US HERE, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL HAD NEVER DISCUSSED WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD INTERVENE AND WHETHER THE FESTIVAL SHOULD HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT THE FESTIVAL TO HAVE THEM. THAT'S A REASONABLE OPINION TO HAVE. I UNDERSTAND MAYOR MAYOR MINIKUS MAY HAVE THAT OPINION, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THE FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS DIRECTLY. IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH OUR USUAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS. AND IF THIS WAS A CONCERN, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE IT BROUGHT UP THROUGH THE AGENDA PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD PUBLICLY DISCUSS IT AND HEAR WHAT RESIDENTS THINK. I GUESS WE HEARD FROM A FEW TONIGHT, SO THANK YOU. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I'M AT ON THIS. I'M NOT SAYING THAT MAYOR MINIKUS INTENTIONALLY SET OUT TO BYPASS THE COUNCIL, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE ULTIMATELY DID SORT OF BYPASS THE WAY THAT WE NORMALLY DO THINGS. AND SO I THINK AS A COMMENTER SAID, WE'RE WE'RE BEING ASKED TONIGHT TO USE PUBLIC FUNDS TO PAY THE FESTIVAL SO THEY WON'T HAVE THE POLITICAL BOOTHS, BUT IT WASN'T REALLY BASED ON ANY COUNCIL DIRECTION. AND ALSO, THE FESTIVAL IS LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AWAY. IT'S REALLY LATE IN THE GAME, IN MY OPINION, TO CHANGE IT UP. I THINK IT'S PROBABLY TOUGH ON THE FESTIVAL AND IT'S TOUGH ON THE BOOTH. SIGN UPS, AND I KNOW YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, THE FESTIVAL IS AGREEING TO THIS, SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I SPOKE TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, THEY TOLD ME THIS WASN'T, YOU KNOW, A DECISION THAT ORIGINATED WITH THEM OR THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, JUST MADE OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, FESTIVAL PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT GAVE ME A STATEMENT, TO READ. IT'S REALLY BRIEF. IT JUST SAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM PERTAINING TO THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL, THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION'S DECISION TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM THE RECREATION AND PARKS DISTRICT IN EXCHANGE FOR NOT HAVING POLITICAL BOOTHS WAS MADE IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS BY MAYOR SCOTT MINIKUS TO REMOVE POLITICAL BOOTHS. THE DECISION WAS NOT RELATED TO INSURANCE ISSUES OR SAFETY CONCERNS FROM JIMMY FULLER AND BRITTANY COOK.

THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION. BRITTANY, IF YOU'RE, UP AND LISTENING, I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL, SO OVERALL, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AGREEMENT AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR. IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO DISCUSS THIS IN THE FUTURE, AS IT PERTAINS TO NEXT YEAR'S FESTIVAL OR FUTURE FESTIVALS, I THINK THAT'S FINE. AND WE SHOULD PUT IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA. AND DISCUSS IT AND LET THE PUBLIC WEIGH IN. BUT AS TO THIS YEAR, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE FOLLOWED THE RIGHT PROCESS, AND WE DON'T WANT THE PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE USING OUR RESIDENTS TAX DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT WASN'T COUNCIL INITIATED, SO THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE, AND I'M FINE MOVING THE REST OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS. BUT ON THIS ONE, I THINK WE SHOULD HOLD OFF FOR THIS YEAR. AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES THINK. SO OKAY, THANKS FOR THAT, DAVID, SO A LOT OF THINGS CAME INTO PLAY, WITH THE FESTIVAL AND CAMPAIGNING. AS MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, DUE TO RECENT ONGOING POLITICAL VIOLENCE ACROSS OUR COUNTRY, THE CYPRESS COMMUNITY, FESTIVALS, INSURANCE CARRIER, AND RIGHTLY SO, INQUIRED IF POLITICAL ACTIVITY WOULD TAKE PLACE AT THE FESTIVAL AND REQUESTED A COPY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN. HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT REVEAL ITS SAFETY PLANNING FOR OBVIOUS REASONS RELATED TO ITS THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S CONCERN. THE FESTIVAL DECIDED TO NOT HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL. THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT DAVID REFERENCED THAT ARE ALSO CAME INTO PLAY IN THAT.

HOWEVER, THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER LARGE COMMUNITY SPECIAL EVENTS, AND THE FESTIVAL FEELS IT WILL HELP ENSURE A FAMILY FRIENDLY, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING AND CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY. THIS DECISION ALSO ADDRESSES CONCERNS AND THIS IS HOW I INITIALLY

[00:30:03]

FOUND OUT ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN. BOOTHS CAME FROM MEMBERS WITHIN THE CITY. RESIDENTS WITHIN THIS CITY WHO BELONG TO OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY, AND THEY EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL BEING HELD ON YOM KIPPUR AND ATTENDEE COMPLAINTS ARISING FROM POLITICAL BOOTHS. PROMINENT PLACEMENT IN THE 2022 FESTIVAL. DAVID, IF YOU RECALL, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THIS, ON OCTOBER 21ST, I BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION, WITH A PHONE CALL. AND YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK ABOUT IT, SINCE THE 21ST OF AUGUST, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU WEREN'T NOTIFIED SOONER BY THE FESTIVAL'S PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, AT LEAST KNOWN OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE RESIDENTS CONCERNS.

SO, AS I STATED, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE POINTED OUT TO ME, BEFORE YOU BECAME A RESIDENT HERE IN THE CITY, WHICH I THINK WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN CAMPAIGN BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL. THERE HAVE BEEN CONSTITUENT SERVICES FROM OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND OUR STATE, OUR STATE SENATOR. THOSE BOOTHS HAVE OFFERED SERVICES FROM THEIR OFFICES FOR FESTIVAL GOERS. MY DECISION TO HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION WITH THE FESTIVAL'S CO-CHAIR OR CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR WAS DERIVED OUT OF CONCERN FOR OUR CITY, AND QUITE HONESTLY, THAT'S WHAT TRUE LEADERS DO, THEY TACKLE TOUGH TOPICS THAT THEY KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH, OR SOME PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH. AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. SO, YEAH, I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP, OUT OF CONCERNS THAT I RECEIVED FROM CITIZENS HERE IN THE CITY, THEY DID NOT WANT POLITICAL BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL. THE FESTIVAL IS A PLACE WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS, AND THAT'S WHY I OPENED UP THE DISCUSSION WITH THE FESTIVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. SO. YEAH. AND I SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MIGHT BE, CONCERNS, LEGITIMATE CONCERNS PEOPLE HAVE RELATED TO HAVING POLITICAL BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL. I DON'T DISPUTE THAT. YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK TO THE WHEN I READ THE STATEMENT FROM THE FESTIVAL OR THEY SAID IT WASN'T ABOUT THE INSURANCE OR THE SAFETY CONCERNS, THEY SAID THE INQUIRY THEY GOT FROM THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY WAS A STANDARD ONE THAT THEY GET EVERY YEAR. SO IT WASN'T LIKE A IN THIS HEIGHTENED POLITICAL CLIMATE, NEW KIND OF THING. AND MAYOR, YOU DID CALL ME IN AUGUST 12TH OR 21ST AND TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO TALK TO THE FESTIVAL, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT THEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP WITH YOU, YOU NEVER MENTIONED WHAT IT WAS ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THAT I RECALL. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU REACHING OUT, BUT I DON'T RECALL YOU SAYING IT'S THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT POLITICAL BOOTHS OR OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND SO IF YOU HAD, I WOULD HAVE SAID THAT'S A VALID MIGHT BE A VALID CONCERN, BUT LET'S BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL, AS A WHOLE. YOU KNOW, OVERALL, IT'S NOT IT'S JUST ABOUT I UNDERSTAND ALL OF US ARE A CONDUIT FOR RESIDENTS CONCERNS, RIGHT? RESIDENTS HAVE CONCERNS, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. AND WE RESIDENTS IN THE OVATION COMMUNITY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT RED CURBS OR LACK OF RED CURBS. SO I WENT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I TALKED ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? AND THEN HE CONNECTED ME WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND WENT THROUGH THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION. AND THEN NOW THEY HAVE RED CURBS. IT'S GREAT, BUT THERE'S A PROCESS WE FOLLOW. AND I'M JUST SAYING THIS TIME WE I DON'T THINK WE FOLLOWED THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS. AND. RIGHT, I'M SURE YOU NONE OF YOU WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF RESIDENTS TOLD ME, WELL, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF FOOD BOOTH THEY HAVE AT THE FESTIVAL. I DON'T LIKE THAT TYPE OF FOOD. I COULDN'T JUST CALL THE FESTIVAL BOARD AND SAY, HEY, PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS FOOD. GO GET WITH OUR REC DIRECTOR AND FIGURE IT OUT, RIGHT? SO I'M NOT I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS SUCH A YOU KNOW, A HUGE THING. I JUST THINK WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE PROPER PROCESS. SO IT'S A COUNCIL DIRECTION AND NOT JUST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER KIND OF INITIATING IT. THANK YOU.

[00:35:03]

COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY QUESTION RELATED TO THE, $5,000 CARRYOVER. AND I THINK, DAVID, YOU STARTED BY ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION FROM MR. BURTON REGARDING CARRYOVERS AND SO I'M CONFUSED. RIGHT. SO I'M HEARING ON ON ONE HAND, THIS IS A $5,000 CARRYOVER FOR FUNDS THAT WERE DUE TO THE FESTIVAL LAST YEAR. THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN.

BEING WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THERE'S SOME ALLEGATIONS OR SOME CONCERN THAT IT'S A $5,000 PAYMENT TO THEM TO NOT DO BOOTHS. SO I'M NOT SURE WHO TO BEST DIRECT THE QUESTION TO.

MAYBE IT'S MR. BURTON, OR MAYBE IT'S MR. DRAPER, BUT THE $5,000 IS A CARRYOVER. AND IF I COULD JUST GET A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO HANDLE THAT FOR YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER.

SO AS PART OF THE NOT FOR PROFIT GRANT PROCESS, WHICH THE COUNCIL WENT THROUGH IN THE SPRING OF 2023, JEFF NODDED. YES OKAY, IN ADDITION TO ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS IN IN-KIND SUPPORT, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ANNUAL $5,000 CASH CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL. THE FESTIVAL HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE STATE, AND ITS NOT FOR PROFIT STATUS, WHICH WE'VE BEEN THROUGH WITH OUR OWN RECREATION FOUNDATION, AND IT'S A BUREAUCRACY THAT INSPIRES AWE BUT NONETHELESS HAD SOME ISSUES AND DID NOT HAVE THE NOT FOR PROFIT STATUS THAT ALLOWED US TO MAKE THAT $5,000 CONTRIBUTION TO THE FESTIVAL IN FISCAL YEAR 2324. THOSE FUNDS WERE APPROPRIATED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT NEVER PAID TO THE FESTIVAL, AND WE'RE GOING TO LAPSE WITHOUT A CARRY FORWARD WHEN THE FESTIVAL EXPRESSED A NEED TO BACKFILL REVENUE FROM ITS DECISION TO FOREGO HAVING CAMPAIGN BOOTHS, THAT INFORMATION GOT TO ME AND TO JEFF AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE DOING THE CARRY FORWARD. IT SEEMED LIKE A EXPEDIENT AND EFFICIENT AND TRANSPARENT WAY TO USE MONIES. THE COUNCIL HAD ALREADY APPROPRIATED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE FOR THE FESTIVAL, AND THAT'S WHY IT APPEARS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT. AND TO ENSURE THAT THE ISSUE HAD AS MUCH TRANSPARENCY AROUND IT AS POSSIBLE, WE CALLED IT OUT IN THE STAFF REPORT. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ACROSS THOSE TWO STAFF REPORTS, IT'S THE ONLY APPROPRIATION THAT WE CALLED SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE OTHER, THE FESTIVAL IS A PRIVATELY OPERATED, EVENT AND THE CITY CANNOT ORDER OR DEMAND, THEM REMOVE SOMETHING, WE JUST POINTED OUT IT WAS POINTED OUT BY THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY, THE POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT IS GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEY MADE THE DECISION BASED UPON THAT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ, I JUST WANT TO SAY I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS. I DIDN'T GET A PHONE CALL. AND I THINK OUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENT. WE NEED TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS ISSUES AND GIVE RESIDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, SO I HAVE CONCERNS THAT I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS. AND MY QUESTION IS, THEY DID NOT JUST IF THE COMMITTEE IS SAYING THEY DIDN'T DECIDE TO FOREGO CAMPAIGN BOOSTS, IT'S NOT MAKING SENSE TO ME. YOU KNOW, THEY IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE BOOST. SO THERE'S TWO CONFLICTING VIEWS HERE. AND THAT'S MY QUESTION. WHY ARE THERE TWO CONFLICTING VIEWS? IS THAT THE ENTIRE STATEMENT? I'M JUST ASKING YOU A QUESTION. WHY ARE THERE TWO CONFLICTING VIEWS HERE? IF THIS THE COMMITTEE SAID THAT THEY DID NOT DECIDE TO FOREGO THE CAMPAIGN BOOST, AND THEY WANT TO HAVE THEM. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AND WHY DIDN'T IT GO THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS WHERE EVERYBODY COULD SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, INCLUDING MYSELF AS AN ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT REPRESENTS RESIDENTS BECAUSE AS I JUST STATED, THE FESTIVAL IS A PRIVATELY OPERATED EVENT, MAYOR PRO TEM PETE. SO ONE OF THE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THIS, RIGHT? WHEN I BELIEVE A QUESTION WAS ASKED

[00:40:07]

OF THE COMMITTEE ABOUT WHY THEY CHOSE JOHN CAMPAU TO HAVE IT, COULD THEY CHANGE THE DATE? BECAUSE RECOGNIZING FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, THAT'S THEIR BIGGEST HOLIDAY. AND IT WAS THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT THEN DECIDED IT DIDN'T MATTER. AND THEY MADE THE DECISION. TWO OF THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL ARE JEWISH. SO BY HAVING CANDIDATE BOOST, THIS IS MY PERSPECTIVE. BY HAVING CANDIDATE BOOST, YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN OUT A THIRD OF THE CANDIDATES BECAUSE THEY ARE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE. YOU COULD TALK A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT EQUITY AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO A POOR DECISION ON THE DATE FOR THE KNOWING THE HOLIDAY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS, YOU SAY, WHAT'S THE BEST DATE? THEY PURPOSELY CHOSE THAT DATE, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS YOM KIPPUR, BUT THEY KNEW IT WAS AND DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD. WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL AUGUST, OKAY, WHO THE CANDIDATES WERE THAT WERE RUNNING WITHIN THE CITY, SO WE COULD HAVE KNOWN SIX MONTHS AGO. WE KNEW LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO. AND SO AS A AS A CITY RESIDENT, AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT DECISION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BASICALLY RESPECT THAT IT IS A HOLIDAY AND MAKE IT FAIR AND EQUITABLE FOR ALL OF OUR CANDIDATES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. YES. IF I MAY, I KNOW THERE'S SOME COMMENT ABOUT WHY THIS PROCESS ISN'T PUBLIC. THIS IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR DECISION AT A PUBLIC MEETING. I WILL I WILL SAY THAT THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO MY PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSION WITH MR. FULLER. I, I WAS ASKED BECAUSE THE CITY DOES FUND THIS PARTICULAR EVENT AND PROGRAM, AND THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THERE IS ANY ISSUE THAT POTENTIALLY DISCRIMINATES AGAINST A CERTAIN, RELIGION AND HAVING THE CITY MAKE THAT PUBLIC, THAT CONTRIBUTION, WHEN CERTAIN CANDIDATES OR INTERESTED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COULD NOT ATTEND, THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT CAME UP AND SO I THAT'S WHY I PARTICIPATED AFTER A COUNCIL MEETING IN THE DISCUSSION. BUT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A DECISION.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MUELLER. THE DECISION BEFORE US IS REALLY ABOUT THE CARRYOVER, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION FOR A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION. IT'S THE WAY I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS. AND WE MISS, OUR THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL LEADERSHIP IS OFTEN HERE AT THE MEETING, SO WE MISS HAVING YOU HERE. MR. FULLER, THIS WOULD BE IN BRITTANY, I UNDERSTAND, BRITTANY, YOU HAD A TERRIBLE CAR ACCIDENT. WE ARE ALL PRAYING FOR YOU. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HOME.

BUT AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THEM HERE TO SPEAK ON THE ON THE ISSUE OF.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE NOT HERE, I THINK WHAT I SEE BEFORE US IN TERMS OF A VOTE IS, IS THE CARRYOVER RELATED TO LAST YEAR'S MONEY AND WHAT I HEARD IN THE ANSWER WAS THAT THEY WERE, AWARDED THE MONEY, BUT THEN THE MONEY WAS ON HOLD BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR PAPERWORK UP TO DATE WITH THE STATE IN TERMS OF NONPROFIT STATUS. AND SO REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION WITH THE BOOTHS, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD GIVE THEM THEIR $5,000. THERE ARE LONG STANDING, WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND SO, IN TERMS OF THE AWARD OF THE $5,000 THAT WAS TEMPORARILY ON HOLD, I COMPLETELY SUPPORT, PROVIDING THEM WITH THAT FINANCIAL SUPPOR. AND JUST TO USE THE WORD SUPPORT AGAIN IN ONE SENTENCE, I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT APPROVING, THE FINANCIAL APPROPRIATIONS COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. YEAH. JUST ONE SECOND. YEAH. SO I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THE CITY ATTORNEY MENTIONED.

WELL, THIS IS TRANSPARENT. WE'RE DOING IT NOW. MY IDEA OF TRANSPARENCY ISN'T ONE LINE IN THE BURIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONSENT CALENDAR. THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, I'D SAY, ABOUT A

[00:45:03]

VERY WEIRD ARRANGEMENT FOR THE CITY TO PAY A PRIVATE ENTITY, NOT TO HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS.

THIS SHOULD HAVE APPEARED ON AN AGENDA UNDER THE TITLE NEW BUSINESS AT SOME POINT, SOONER THAN THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE FESTIVAL AND, YOU KNOW, GOSH, I'VE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO BE GENTLE ABOUT THIS AND GIVE AN EASY OUT HERE. YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO HELP US AVOID WHAT I THINK WILL BE PERCEIVED PRETTY BADLY. TO COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY'S COMMENT ABOUT THE CARRYOVER, THIS ISN'T REALLY ABOUT A CARRYOVER. IF IT WAS JUST ABOUT A CARRYOVER, THE AGENDA ITEM WOULDN'T SAY FOR REVENUE FROM POLITICAL BOOTHS. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS, THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT WAS EXTREMELY STRANGE. AND SO IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER SEPARATELY, IF WE WANT TO GIVE THE FESTIVAL $5,000 BASED ON THEIR NONPROFIT STATUS CHALLENGE, FINE. BUT IT'S THE IN EXCHANGE FOR LOST REVENUE FROM POLITICAL BOOTHS THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH. YOU KNOW, GOSH, I MEAN, I'M HESITANT TO SAY THIS, BUT I FEEL LIKE OTHER PEOPLE ARE BRINGING IT UP. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT ISN'T FAIR TO CERTAIN POLITICAL CANDIDATES IF THEY CAN'T ATTEND THE FESTIVAL, FOR YOM KIPPUR. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S GOT TO BE TOUGH. UNFORTUNATE TIMING FOR THOSE CANDIDATES. I'VE BEEN IN EVENT PRODUCTION. I KNOW THAT IT'S A ROUTINE THING THAT SOME SOMETIMES EVENTS FALL ON YOM KIPPUR AND IT POSES A CHALLENGE.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IS THAT THE CITY IS USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO PAY OFF THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE CANDIDATES THAT'S ENDORSED BY CERTAIN PEOPLE CAN ATTEND IT LOOKS TERRIBLE TO DO THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE USING PUBLIC MONEY FOR POLITICAL REASONS. AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT DIDN'T EVEN GO THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY LAST THOUGHT, GOSH, PLEASE, CAN WE PLEASE JUST DO THE RIGHT THING HERE? MY LAST THOUGHT IS IF THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THIS, BASICALLY OF SHOULD WE BE INFLUENCING A PRIVATE EVENT ON POLITICAL MATTERS, SHOULD THE MAYOR BE TALKING TO THE FESTIVAL DIRECTORS ON HIS OWN WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL, SHOULD IT JUST POP UP ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITHOUT PRIOR DISCUSSION? THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS. WHY IS IT SO URGENTLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT? IN SPITE OF ALL THESE QUESTIONS, WHAT WOULD BE THE HARM OF JUST SAYING YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT IT NEXT TIME AS IT PERTAINS TO NEXT YEAR'S FESTIVA. THE MORE WE THAT PEOPLE DIG IN, THE MORE SUSPICIOUS IT SEEMS. SO I'M JUST. I'M SORRY, BUT THIS DIDN'T REMOTELY HAPPEN THE RIGHT WAY AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING I. MAYOR PRO TEM BE. YEAH. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PROCESS, I WOULD ASSUME THE COMMITTEE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE DISCUSSION. SO IF THEY DIDN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THAT. ALL I KNOW IS, IS IT ABOUT THE 5000 THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY'S COME FROM OR IS IT ABOUT HAVING THE POLITICAL CANDIDATES AVAILABLE TO SPEAK TO THE RESIDENTS? OKAY IF IT'S THE $5,000 I, I AGREE WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY. THIS IS THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, RIGHT? THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE A DECISION. DO WE PAY THE 5000 OR NOT? OKAY. AND WHAT THAT DECISION IS, IT IS A SEPARATE ENTITY, RIGHT. BUT BEYOND JUST IT BEING ON YOM KIPPUR, THERE'S A LOT OF UNREST IN THE WORLD GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND I, I THINK WE JUST GOT TO BE REALLY, CONSCIOUS AS LEADERS WITHIN THIS CITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE

[00:50:07]

RECOMMEND WHAT WE DO. SO I, I PERSONALLY, I, I'M NOT SURE THEY HAD CANDIDATES BEFORE, THREE YEARS AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO. I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DON'T GO TO THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL TO TALK TO THE CANDIDATES. I GO TO THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL TO TASTE THE FOOD, TO SEE THE VENDORS, TO SEE THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT ARE THERE, IF THE CANDIDATES ARE THERE, WALK AROUND WITH A T SHIRT ON AND SAY, VOTE FOR ME, OKAY? THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. YOU CAN STILL DO THAT.

WE'RE JUST SAYING WE JUST RECOMMEND THAT WE JUST MANAGE THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU, I THINK WE'RE HAVING A VERY IMPORTANT AND, YOU KNOW, A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, AND I, I HEAR THE PERSPECTIVES ON ALL SIDES. I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE IS THAT HE FEELS THAT THE WAY THE, YOU KNOW, HE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT ALSO IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF THE DISCUSSION IN ITEM SEVEN, THERE ARE TWO SENTENCES THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS, YOU KNOW, THIS MONEY HAS, EXPECTATIONS ATTACHED TO IT. SO IF COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE WANTED TO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. I THINK IT COULD MAKE SENSE. AND MAYBE IT HELPS IS THAT WE JUST. REMOVE THAT FROM THE, FROM THAT PARAGRAPH, RIGHT? THAT THIS MONEY IS NOT ATTACHED TO THEIR ACTIONS. THIS IS MONEY THAT'S ATTACHED TO LAST YEAR. THIS IS A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS THEIR OWN BOARD AND. I THINK THIS MONEY IS DUE THEM REGARDLESS. I DON'T THINK IT'S TO ME IT SHOULDN'T BE LINKED TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE, POLITICAL BOOTS. WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ AND I WERE RUNNING, WE DIDN'T HAVE BOOTS AT THE FESTIVAL BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A FESTIVAL. IT WAS COVID. SO WE DID BOOTS IN THE IN THE PARK. I THINK IT WAS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTED SOMETHING, SO I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE HOSTING A BOOTH AT THE FESTIVAL. BUT I THINK THAT THE $5,000 CARRYOVER SHOULD GO TO THE FESTIVAL REGARDLESS. AND I THINK THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS IS THEY'VE RECEIVED THE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INFORMATION, IN COLLABORATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE, FROM OUR, THE ATTORNEY, THE PD, THEIR INSURANCE, OUR MAYOR, WHO'S A RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. BUT ULTIMATELY, I GUESS IT'S THEIR DECISION. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THAT'S THAT'S COUNCILMEMBER MARQUEZ. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. SO I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ETHICS, RULES AND PROCESS. YOU KNOW, WE IT'S NEVER EVEN ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF US. THE RULES ONLY APPLY TO CERTAIN PEOPLE. AND I FEEL THAT THE MAJORITY ALWAYS TENDS TO BEND THE RULES TO DO THINGS WHAT THEY WANT. WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH THE RESIDENTS. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND THE PROCESS AND IT JUST IT WOULD BE VERY UNETHICAL TO PAY THAT MONEY. IT'S JUST JUST VERY UNETHICAL. YOU HAVE PEOPLE, CANDIDATES THAT ARE EXPECTING TO PARTICIPATE. I REMEMBER TELLING SOMEBODY LAST YEAR, WE CAN WE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THE FESTIVAL ON A HOLIDAY. AND IT WASN'T A CONCERN BACK THEN, YOU KNOW, AND ANYTHING REALLY CULTURAL HASN'T BEEN YOU KNOW, RESOLUTIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK, AND I, I DON'T LIKE THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE IT'S GOT TO BE A FAIR PROCESS AND FOLLOWING, YOU KNOW, THIS IT WOULD BE VERY UNETHICAL. AND I WILL NOT SUPPORT ALLOCATING ANY KIND OF MONEY TONIGHT, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ISSUE I'M THINKING OF IS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, FREEDOM OF SPEECH, CYPRUS. WE'VE GOTTEN TWO LETTERS FROM THE FIRST AMENDMENT COALITION. I HAVE ONE HERE FROM AUGUST 8TH, 2022 REGARDING, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL CREATING ORDINANCES TO TELL PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN COMMUNICATE AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING. WE CAN'T DO THIS KIND OF STUFF. WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY, AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS. AND I WANT TO JUST SAY, I, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SOMEONE WHO

[00:55:06]

HAS CONSISTENTLY FOR YEARS HAD A BOOTH AT THE FESTIVAL AND WAS CALLED AND TOLD THAT THEY OR GOT AN EMAIL AND TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT. IT WAS A POLITICAL BOOTH, A PARTY BOOTH THAT THEY COULD NOT HAVE ANY LITERATURE FOR CANDIDATES AT ALL WHATSOEVER. AND I THOUGHT, THIS IS A VIOLATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. SO THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY GREATER CONCERN IS WHY ARE YOU ARGUING. AND ADVOCATING FOR SOMETHING AS DIVISIVE AND POLARIZING AS POLITICAL VIEWS AT A COMMUNITY EVENT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO BRING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND PRIDE, TO BRING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND PRIDE TO OUR GREAT CITY, THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. A LOT OF PEOPLE LAST YEAR COMPLAINED, OR DURING THE 2022 RUN UP TO THE ELECTION, COMPLAINED THAT POLITICAL BOOTHS WERE PRESENT AT A COMMUNITY EVENT AND THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WERE ALLOWED THERE. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT, BEFORE I BEFORE I MOVE ON, OKAY. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE, PLEASE. NO, NO, IT'S OKAY. I'LL DO IT RIGHT AFTER YOU. I GUESS. YEAH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY. IT'S NOT FOR ME. IT'S. IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW IT'S PHRASED. RIGHT ON THE AGENDA. AND IF YOU WANT TO GIVE THE FESTIVAL FIVE GRAND, GREAT. BUT TO ME, IT'S ABOUT. WE SHOULDN'T BE MAKING HAVE MADE ANY SORT OF DEAL THIS WAY WITH THE FESTIVAL AND, AND TO ME, I GUESS I'M NOT REALLY UP HERE ADVOCATING FOR POLITICAL BOOTHS. THAT'S NOT THE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING. I'M ADVOCATING THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THINGS THIS WAY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU BELIEVE THE POLITICAL BOOTHS ARE DIVISIVE, AND THAT PEOPLE DON'T. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEM THERE.

THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE IN A LOT OF WAYS, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO CONSIDER I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY HAS SAID THE FESTIVAL MADE THIS DECISION. I WANT YOU TO PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES A LITTLE BIT. WHERE THE MAYOR, WHO'S A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, ARE TELLING THEM, YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NOT HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS AT YOUR FESTIVAL. THAT'S THAT'S NOT A THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD FIND FAIRLY INTIMIDATING. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WANT ME TO SAY, BUT I FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT SOME OF THE FESTIVAL FESTIVAL BOARD MEMBERS ARE AFRAID OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THEY DON'T AGREE TO THIS MAYOR WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THAT WAS THAT IS REALLY NOT WHAT I SAID.

I DIDN'T SAY YOU SAID THAT. YOU DID. YOU SAID THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY ASKED HOW TO GO ABOUT MAKING THAT HAPPEN. THAT IS NOT THE PURPOSE WHY I WAS THERE. SO IF I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, I NEVER SAID THAT THIS IS A TRANSPARENT PROCESS. I JUST SAID THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE. AND I ALSO NEVER INSISTED THAT THEY REMOVE POLITICAL BOOTHS. MY REASON FOR BEING THERE WAS, I EXPLAINED VERY CLEARLY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHY I WAS THERE. SO I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY YOU CHARACTERIZE THAT. WELL, I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSPOKE. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT MAYOR MINIKUS ASKED THEM ABOUT AND REQUESTED THAT THEY NOT HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS, AND THAT YOU WERE STANDING IN THE VICINITY, I WAS THERE, BUT I UNDERSTOOD THAT ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THE CITY HAS AND DID PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO AN EVENT THAT IS EXCLUDING A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION, AS WELL AS CANDIDATES, AND WHETHER THAT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION CREATES A LEGAL PROBLEM. I DID NOT DEMAND OR INSIST THAT THEY REMOVE ANY BOOTHS, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, I BELIEVE. YEAH, I BELIEVE YOU. AND IF I SAID THAT YOU DID, I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSPEAKING, BUT YEAH, LOOK, AS I SAID, I DON'T THINK THIS WAS A THE FESTIVAL DIDN'T WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND DECIDE TO DO THIS, I THINK I DON'T THINK ANY INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD BE GOING OUT ON THEIR OWN, NO MATTER HOW PASSIONATELY THEY FEEL ABOUT THE ISSUE, TO TELL PRIVATE ENTITIES TO WORK WITH OUR CITY STAFF ON A PROJECT AND I JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY HAVE BEEN INTIMIDATING OR THEY MAY HAVE FELT PRESSURE IN THIS DIRECTION, AND LOOK, THAT'S JUST NOT HOW WE WANT TO BE DOING BUSINESS,

[01:00:07]

RIGHT, WE WANT TO BE GOING THROUGH THE PROPER PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERACTING, HAVE POSITIVE INTERACTIONS WITH OUR WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL HERE. COUNCILMEMBER MARQUEZ, I JUST ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS. AS SOMEBODY I WAS CENSURED FOR, DOING A GIVING FEEDBACK ON A POWERPOINT AFTER 5:00 TO THE PERSON THAT WAS MANAGING THE POWERPOINT, WHICH WAS THE CONTRACTOR, SO FOLLOWING PROCESS IS CRITICAL. AND FOR THE MAYOR, YOU NEED TO SET THE EXAMPLE FOR EVERYBODY. WE ALL NEED TO BE TREATED THE SAME. SO I JUST FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, KNOWING THAT I WAS PUNISHED FOR MAKING A PHONE CALL WHEN, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE HAD NOT EVEN RESPONDED TO THIS PERSON. SO THAT'S MY CONCERN, MAKING SURE THAT THE PROCESS IS FAIR, TRANSPARENT AND ETHICAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DAVID, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I TAKE, OBJECTION TO YOUR COMMENT AS WELL, THERE IS AT NO TIME IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH JIMMY FULLER OR WITH JIMMY AND, BRITTANY INVOLVED. I NEVER AT ANY TIME THREATENED THEM. GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF THREATENING THEM IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. SO DO NOT EVER MAKE THAT CLAIM EVEN SLIGHTLY AGAIN. WHOA I'M NOT DONE. I'M NOT DONE. OKAY, SO HANG ON. I'M NOT DONE HERE. THE THREATS. I'M NOT THREATENING YOU. I'M NOT THREATENING YOU.

I'M JUST CLARIFYING THE FACT I'M GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE. ON MY COMMENTS ECHO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S. I'M NOT MAKING A THREAT AGAINST YOU. I'M CLARIFYING YOUR STATEMENT. I NEVER, EVER QUIET, PLEASE. I NEVER THREATENED ANYBODY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN OUR MEETING WITH THE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY HERE, OUR OUR CONVERSATION WAS EXTREMELY CORDIAL. WE LAUGHED DURING THE ENTIRE TIME. I SHOOK JIMMY'S HAND AT THE END AND I GAVE BRITTANY A HUG. IF I WAS THREATENING OR INTIMIDATING THEM. YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE JUST THE OPPOSITE? THEY WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY. GO AHEAD. YOU'RE CLEAR. I DON'T KNOW, WE'LL WATCH THE VIDEO. I DON'T BELIEVE I SAID THAT YOU THREATENED THEM. YOU ALLUDED TO THE FACT I ASKED TO. YOU INTIMIDATE, I INTIMIDATED THEM, I ASKED YOU TO THINK ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT FEEL FOR THEM TO BE IN THEIR SHOES AND HAVE A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH AN ATTORNEY STANDING NEXT TO YOU ASKING OR SUGGESTING THAT THEY DO SOMETHING AND YOU WEREN'T THERE INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION. SO YOU'RE MAKING INNUENDOS. OH BOY, YOU KNOW THAT. I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE FESTIVAL BOARD PEOPLE, AND THEY'VE BEEN TELLING ME HOW THEY FEEL. ALLEGEDLY WHAT? I ASKED ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, WHY DID YOU AGREE TO THIS DEAL? I SAID, I FEEL LIKE AS A FORMER EVENT PRODUCER, THIS IS PRETTY STUPID FOR YOU TO DO. WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE EVENT THREE WEEKS BEFORE, WHEN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HAD ALREADY BOOTHS? AND THE ANSWER I GOT WAS, IT'S INTIMIDATING WHEN THE MAYOR AND THE CITY ATTORNEY ARE PUTTING YOU IN THAT POSITION. SO I DIDN'T ACCUSE YOU OF THREATENING THEM. I DIDN'T EVEN SAY YOU TRIED TO INTIMIDATE THEM. AND I DON'T BELIEVE YOU DID. I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT FEEL IN THAT POSITION. OKAY BEFORE WE PROCEED ON THE VOTE FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, I'M REMISS IN NOT, READING THIS AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER TEN. THE WARRANT REGISTER INCLUDES ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER 15715 IN THE AMOUNT OF $308.53 AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR MEDICAL COVERAGE I'M ENTITLED TO RECEIVE AS A CALPERS ANNUITANT IN VOTING FOR THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE WARRANT REGISTER.

I'M NOT VOTING ON ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER 15 715 FOR THE REASON I'VE JUST DISCLOSED, COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. I GUESS UNLESS ANYTHING ANYONE HAS OTHER THINGS TO SAY, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION, I MOVED TO REMOVE THE CYPRUS FESTIVAL REIMBURSEMENT PORTION OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AND

[01:05:13]

VOTE ON THE BALANCE OF THE ITEM. COUNCIL MEMBER LAURIE I HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. I, THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, WOULD ACCEPT AN AMENDMENT TO MOVE THE ITEM IN ITS ENTIRETY, BUT WITH REMOVING THE, STATEMENTS ABOUT IT BEING TIED TO A DECISION ABOUT POLITICAL BOOTS. EITHER WAY.

WOULD THE MAKER OF THE MOTION ACCEPT THAT? NO THEN I MOVE MY AMENDMENT. I'M TESTING YOUR, AS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. AS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION? YEAH CAN YOU CLARIFY THE MOTION, PLEASE? JUST THE UNDERLYING MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM WITHOUT THE $5,000 ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION, THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, WHICH, IF IT GETS A SECOND, WOULD BE TAKE PRIORITY. IS JUST TO MOVE THE ITEM AND REMOVE ANY REFERENCE OF THE $5,000 APPROPRIATION BEING TIED TO THE POLITICAL BOOTS ISSUE. YES, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, THAT DECISION IS UP TO THAT BOARD. BUT IT KEEPS THE $5,000 IN THE NUMBER. IS THAT CORRECT? IT GIVES THEM THE MONEY. I DON'T WANT THE FESTIVAL, WHICH I'M A HUGE FAN, TO BE. OUT THE MONEY. WELL THEN CAN I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION? I THINK I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THAT MOTION. ARE WE JUST REMOVING THE LANGUAGE PERTAINING TO POLITICAL BOOTHS OR SO? IS THE FESTIVAL GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS OR NOT? IF WE PASS YOUR MOTION, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE FESTIVAL. IT'S A PRIVATE DECISION. SORRY. YEAH, I THINK IT IF IT HELPS YOU TO THINK ABOUT IT. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE, AS AS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CARRY FORWARD WOULD PROVIDE A PAYMENT TO THE FESTIVAL TO BACKFILL REVENUE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE FROM NOT HAVING POLITICAL BOOTHS. COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY'S MOTION WOULD. PAY THE $5,000. THE FESTIVAL WAS INELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE IN FISCAL YEAR 2324, WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR ITS DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH FESTIVAL BOOTS. HAS THEIR DECISION BEEN MADE? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? LIKE I'M COMFORTABLE WITH LANGUAGE THAT SAYS WE'RE GIVING THE FESTIVAL $5,000 AS THE BACKFILL, AND THEN THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. REGARDING POLITICAL BOOTHS. AND THAT'S THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL MEMBER MALLORY'S MOTION TO OPERATE. THAT IS CORRECT. CORRECT. THEY'RE A PRIVATE ENTITY AND WE DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THAT DECISION. OKAY. AND DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF THEY'VE MADE THAT DECISION ALREADY OR IT'S BEEN FORMALIZED IN ANY WAY? THE REASON THE AGENDA REPORT APPEARED THE WAY IT DID IS THAT THE FESTIVAL COMMUNICATED TO US THAT THEY HAD DECIDED NOT TO HAVE POLITICAL BOOTHS, AND THAT THAT WAS CREATING A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FOR THEM. OKAY. AND IS THERE ANY SORT OF BINDING AGREEMENT ON THAT OR IT'S JUST SOMETHING THEY SAID THEY'D DO THE IT'S JUST SOMETHING THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO. WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE WITH THEM. AS YOU'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY THIS EVENING, THE COUNCIL AND CITY HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER THE CONTENT OF THE FESTIVAL BEYOND SORT OF LOGISTICAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS. OKAY. THANKS.

SO IF THE MOTION IS THE $5,000, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICAL BOOTHS AND THEY ARE FREE TO DO WHAT THEY LIKE REGARDING POLITICAL BOOTHS, THEN I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT MOTION. THANK YOU. THAT IS THE MOTION. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT IT'S SCHEDULED ON YOM KIPPUR AND THAT IT AFFECTS PEOPLE, BUT THAT IS UP TO THEM TO DECIDE, AND IT'S UP TO THE FESTIVAL TO

[01:10:02]

DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER TO BOOK KNIGHT RIDER, WHOM I LOVE. AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THEY HAVE THEM AS A BAND OR TO DO BOOTHS THAT THEY WANT. AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO, DO POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS THAT THEY ELIMINATED POLITICAL BOOTHS DUE TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS, WHETHER THEY DID OR DID NOT. THEY'RE NOT HERE TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES. SO I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THEM THE $5,000 AND LEAVE THE REST OF IT WITH THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE EVENT, WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE, TRYING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT HERE AN.

YEAH, I ALSO LIKE KNIGHT RIDER, AND I SECOND THE MOTION, I THINK YOU OFFERED IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. SO NOW THAT MEANS YOU'VE ACCEPTED THE AMENDMENT. IS THAT FAIR? YES IT DOES. NOW WE NEED A SECOND. IF THERE IS A SECOND, I'LL SECOND, I'LL SECOND.

THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH THREE YES VOTES BY COUNCIL AND TWO NO VOTES. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. AND TWO NO VOTES BY MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM PETE. YEAH OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE

[ ITEMS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS]

ON TO ITEMS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCILMEMBER LAURIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AT OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ, UNFORTUNATELY, REALLY ATTACKED ME IN PUBLIC RELATED TO ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY PARTICIPATION. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A LONG RESPONSE ALONG WITH MY RECOMMENDATION. SO I JUST APPRECIATE A LITTLE BIT OF GRACE FOR THE RESPONSE TIME. AND THEN ALSO, MAYOR, I WANT TO JUST KICK OFF MY RESPONSE WITH, MY HEARTFELT, WISHES, WHICH I KNOW I EXTEND ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE COUNCIL FOR OUR ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY HAND CREW, FIREFIGHTERS WHO WERE INJURED IN A ROLLOVER CRASH, LAST WEEK, EIGHT OF OUR HAND CREW FIREFIGHTERS WERE INJURED IN THIS CRASH WHILE RETURNING FROM BATTLING THE, HORRIBLE, HORRIFIC, MONSTROUS AIRPORT FIRE IN TRABUCO CANYON. SIX OF OUR HAND CREW WERE CRITICALLY INJURED. AND FOUR REMAIN HOSPITALIZED. I AM VERY PLEASED THAT A RECENT REPORT WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS IS THAT THE FOUR THAT ARE HOSPITALIZED ARE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE. WE EXPECT, TO CONTINUE TO HAVE GOOD NEWS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT THERE IS A FUNDRAISING PAGE ON THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY WEBSITE TO HELP SUPPORT THEM.

THE ADDRESS IS FALLEN FIREFIGHTER RELIEF FUND.ORG/OCFA HAND CREW, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER A DONATION OF ANY AMOUNT TO SUPPORT OUR BRAVE, HARD WORKING HAND CREW MEMBERS.

I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW MANY OF OUR HAND CREW MEMBERS. I VISITED THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN SANTIAGO CANYON SEVERAL TIMES, AND I'VE OBSERVED THEIR CONTROLLED BURNS IN ACTION AND WALKED FIRE LINES. TRIED DRIVING THEIR HEAVY EQUIPMENT, WHICH BASICALLY SPUN AROUND IN A CIRCLE WITH ME IN IT, AND MET WITH MANY OF THEIR TEAM, I THINK THAT THE FIRE, THE FIRE WORK THAT OUR HAND CREWS DONE IS OFTEN KIND OF UNKNOWN. THEIR ROLE IS TO PERFORM HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION PROJECTS AND WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION. THEY OFTEN WORK TEN HOUR DAYS. AND IN MANY INSTANCES, THEY'RE WORKING 14 DAYS OR MORE STRAIGHT. THEY'RE COMMONLY EXTENDING THEIR STAFFING HOURS FOR NOT ONLY INITIAL ATTACK COVERAGE, BUT FOR FIRE ASSIGNMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKES A LONG TIME TO PUT THOSE FIRES OUT. AND THEY ARE NOT FIREFIGHTERS IN THE SENSE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT YOU SEE AT THE FIRE STATIONS OR THE PARAMEDICS THAT ARE RESPONDING TO CALLS. THIS IS AN ENTRY LEVEL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY.

[01:15:07]

THEY HAVE HOPES AND DREAMS OF BECOMING FIREFIGHTERS, BUT OFTEN THEY ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THEIR EDUCATION. MANY OF THEM COMMUTE MANY HOURS TO THE SANTIAGO CANYON STATION AND, I THANK THEM SO MUCH FOR THEIR HARD WORK. I'VE TRIED WALKING THE LINES AFTER THEY'VE DONE A BURN, AND THESE TEAMS ARE WALKING UP HILLS LIKE THIS WITH EQUIPMENT TO CHOP DOWN THE TREES AND ALL OF THE FUEL, AND IT IS AMAZING. HARD WORK. AND SO, PLEASE GIVE THEM OUR BEST AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. IT'S TRULY BEEN AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE SERVING AS OUR CITY'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY. SINCE I WAS APPOINTED IN JANUARY OF 2021 AS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER WHO WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED ON THE JOB, MY PRIORITY HAS BEEN BOTH FIREFIGHTER AND RESIDENT SAFETY. MY GRANDFATHER, TERENCE MCGOVERN, WAS A LADDERMAN WHO RESPONDED TO THE VERY FAMOUS DEADLIEST NIGHTCLUB FIRE IN HISTORY, THE COCOANUT GROVE NIGHTCLUB FIRE OF 1942. AND IF YOU READ STORIES ABOUT THAT FIRE, IT'S, IT'S DEVASTATING THE AMOUNT OF DEATH, FORTUNATELY, A LOT OF LESSONS WERE LEARNED ABOUT FIREFIGHTING AND FIRE STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS, BUT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW HORRIFIC IT WAS TO BE ON CALL THAT DAY. ULTIMATELY, THE INJURY THAT ENDED HIS CAREER WAS A RESULT OF CATCHING A WOMAN WHO WAS JUMPING FROM THE THIRD FLOOR OF A BURNING BUILDING, CAUGHT HER, SAVED HER LIFE, BUT WAS SEVERELY DISABLED. SO THE WORK WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY IS, KIND OF A WORK OF HEART, AS WELL AS THE WORK OF, BEING AN ELECTED, MY PRIMARY FOCUS HAS BEEN ON OPERATIONS, AND I WON'T GO INTO ALL OF THE DETAILS, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE THINGS THAT I HAVE ACTIVELY ADVOCATED FOR, AND THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE STAFFING. WE'VE REDUCED FORCED OVERTIME, WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL TRAINING ACADEMIES. THE, WE'VE HARDENED SECURITY AT OUR HEADQUARTERS AND HAVE LOOKED AT HARDENING SECURITY AT THE VARIOUS FIRE STATIONS AND PURCHASED EQUIPMENT SUCH AS THE NEW BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS, WHICH INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO WILDFIRES, AS WELL AS INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN BE TRANSPORTED IN A GIVEN TIME. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT WORK, WHEN I FIRST TOOK OVER, I WAS IN A VERY SMALL MINORITY OF DIRECTORS WHO INSISTED ON ATTENDING THE MEETINGS IN PERSON. PEOPLE COULD STILL OPT OUT AND, PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM, AS WAS THE CASE, FOR ALL OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ'S YEAR WAS COVID RULES, AND EVERYBODY WAS PARTICIPATING IN ZOOM THROUGH ZOOM. WHEN I STEPPED IN, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR ZOOM, AND THERE WAS ABOUT FOUR OF US WHO INSISTED ON BEING THERE IN PERSON. SO I SAY THAT TO LET YOU KNOW HOW COMMITTED I'VE BEEN TO NOT JUST THE BOARD, BUT THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, THE AD HOC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND THE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE, IT'S A BIG COMMITMENT, BUT I'VE BEEN VERY PROUD AND HAPPY TO, BE OF SERVICE SIMULTANEOUSLY. WHILE ON COUNCIL, I'VE SERVED ON A VARIETY OF COMMITTEES. TOO MANY TO LIST HERE. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I DID IT ALL WHILE MANAGING A NONPROFIT THAT WAS OPEN THROUGHOUT COVID AND GROWING IT AT THE SAME TIME. BUT I'VE HAD A FEW THINGS HAPPEN LATELY, AND IF COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ HAD PICKED UP THE PHONE TO CALL ME, WE COULD HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I'D ALREADY IDENTIFIED THAT I WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME MAKING THE MEETINGS AND IN FACT, DURING OUR MID-YEAR UPDATE, I SPOKE WITH BOTH THE CITY MANAGER AND OUR MAYOR TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS GETTING HARD FOR ME TO MAKE ALL OF THE MEETINGS. I WAS ON MULTIPLE COMMITTEES AND GOING TO THE BOARD MEETINGS AND TRYING TO MANAGE THIS, NEW POSITION. I'M THE CEO OF AN ORG THAT PREVENTS HOMELESSNESS AND HUNGER, AND I MADE THE CHANGE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN BE DOING AS A WORLD IS TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS TRAGEDY FROM HAPPENING TO PEOPLE, AND A

[01:20:03]

FRIEND OF MINE WHO PASSED AWAY, LEFT A BIG GAP IN HIS ORGANIZATION. SO I STEPPED IN THERE AND IT'S JUST ME. AND INSTEAD OF 185 EMPLOYEES, I HAVE ONE PART TIME PERSON. SO IT'S BEEN A BIG SHIFT. AND IF I'M NOT THERE WHEN MY PERSON'S NOT THERE TO OPEN THE DOORS AND PEOPLE GO HUNGRY OR THEY GET EVICTED. SO IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SUPPORT. FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, EACH YEAR, THE INCOMING MAYOR ASSIGNS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COMMITTEES, GENERALLY, DECEMBER OR JANUARY. AND AS WE ENTERED THIS YEAR, I HAD SPOKEN TO THE MAYOR ABOUT THE JOB CHANGE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF I REALLY STILL WANT TO STAY ON CFA. I THINK I CAN DO IT. AND THAT THE HARD THING IS, IS THAT OCFA DOES NOT ALLOW ALTERNATE ALTERNATES.

EXCUSE ME. A LOT OF THE ISSUES ARE VERY COMPLEX AND REQUIRE CONTINUITY OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. WE MIGHT HAVE, TOPICS THAT GO ON FOR SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE MAKE A FINAL DECISION. AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO MAINTAIN MY SERVICE THERE.

BUT WHEN WE DID THE MID-YEAR UPDATE AND I LOOKED AT HOW I WAS DOING, I FELT LIKE IT WAS TIME TO START PLANNING MY EXIT, I A COUPLE MONTHS BACK, I TALKED TO MAYOR PRO TEM PETE BECAUSE SHE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT, OUR FIRE SERVICE, AND I SAID I MIGHT, I MIGHT NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE IF I DO. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN STEPPING IN? AND SO TONIGHT, DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS TO MAKE ALL OF THE MEETINGS, DESPITE READING THE MINUTES AND MAKING SURE THAT I'M FULLY UP TO DATE SO WHEN I'M THERE, I'M VOTING, APPROPRIATELY. I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL LEADERS AND PARTICULARLY STRONG LEADERS NEED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND SO I THINK IT'S IN THE BEST EFFORT, IT'S MY BEST EFFORT AS A STRONG LEADER. AND MY RECOMMENDATION TO THIS COUNCIL THAT WE, REPLACE ME ON OCFA TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE REPRESENTED IN PERSON AT EVERY MEETING GOING FORWARD. AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE MY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE APPOINT MAYOR PRO TEM BONNIE PETE TO FILL MY, SEAT ON ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER. I THINK I WROTE OCTOBER 1ST. THAT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE THE, BONNIE, IF SHE IS, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TO, SHE CAN GO WITH ME TO THE NEXT MEETING. I CAN INTRODUCE HER TO THE BOARD CHAIR AND TO SOME OF THE EXECS OVER THERE, AND THE AWESOME TEAM AND WE CAN DO A TRANSITION. AND I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR THE REALLY THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THE TROUBLING APPROACH OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ AND JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT. FIRST OF ALL, COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ, IF YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OCFA, YOU COULD HAVE CALLED ME DIRECTLY TO SEE WHY I HAD MISSED A FEW MEETINGS.

I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU. WE COULD HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MY LIFE. I COULD HAVE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE JOB. THE SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR WHO CHANGED DATES AT THE LAST MINUTE, SOME OF THE HEALTH ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON, THE EXCITING BUT COMPLICATED BIRTH OF MY BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING GRANDDAUGHTER, WHO WAS BORN IN JULY. OR I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT MY VERY BELOVED RELATIVE WHO WAS IN A COMA FOR SIX WEEKS AND JUST PASSED AWAY A FEW WEEKS AGO. BUT INSTEAD OF USING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS OR JUST BE HUMAN AND FIND OUT AND CHECK ON EACH OTHER, YOU USE THIS AS A POLITICAL ATTACK TO UNDERSCORE YOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF VICTIMIZATION. IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN SYMPATHY, AND PERHAPS VOTES IN YOUR CURRENT CAMPAIGN FOR A DIFFERENT ELECTED POSITION. SO IT'S KIND OF TOUCHING ON PROCESS. EVERY YEAR IN DECEMBER JANUARY, THE MAYOR APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO A VARIETY OF

[01:25:05]

POSITIONS. ALTHOUGH THE COUNCIL VOTES THE MAYOR RECOMMENDS AND GENERALLY THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE APPROVED IN 2020, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ AND I WERE ELECTED, WE, ALONG WITH OUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, WERE APPOINTED TO COMMITTEES BY MAYOR JOHN PETE, COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ WAS GIVEN ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE APPOINTMENTS, THE POSITION OF REP TO OCFA. NOW EVERYBODY WANTS THAT APPOINTMENT BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND WE LOVE OCFA.

BUT COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ WAS GIVEN THAT APPOINTMENT AND THAT'S GREAT. SHE GOT OCFA AND OTHER PEOPLE GOT PUBLIC LIBRARY AND OTHER PEOPLE GOT SANITATION. IT'S JUST IT GETS DIVVIED UP AND WE ALL REPRESENT AND WE ALL PARTICIPATE BECAUSE WE'RE CALLED TO SERVE IN WHATEVER WAY WE'RE NEEDED. IN OUR SECOND YEAR, MAYOR PAULA MORALES, IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY MADE HIS APPOINTMENTS WHEN DETERMINING THOSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, MAYOR MORALES PUT ME ON OCFA INSTEAD OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ. PERHAPS YOU KNOW, HE HAD HIS REASONS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS OF ALL OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT, COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ'S PERFORMANCE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT MAYOR MORALES MADE A CHANGE. I DIDN'T LOBBY FOR THE POSITION.

I DIDN'T ASK HIM TO REMOVE HER. HE MADE A DECISION. HE OFFERED IT TO ME, AND I SAID, YES, I WANT THAT. BUT DESPITE THAT, SHE'S BEEN ANGRY AT ME AND AT ALL OF US EVER SINCE. I THINK WE HAVE SEVERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT WE FEEL AND KNOW IS BEST FOR THE CITY, FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS WE REPRESENT. AND WE ALSO HAVE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS. AS I SAID, I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT ATTENDING EVERY SINGLE MEETING. I STILL WAS VERY ACTIVE. I STILL AM VERY ACTIVE, BUT I'M NOT 100%. AND SO I THINK THAT MAYOR PRO TEM PETE WOULD BE A GREAT REPLACEMENT. AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I AM HERE TO DO MY BEST. DURING THE TIME I AM CALLED TO SERVE, AND I AM VERY WILLING TO STEP ASIDE SO THAT THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY, FIREFIGHTERS AND ORGANIZATION HAVE THE BEST ENGAGEMENT FROM CYPRUS. THAT IS POSSIBLE. THEREFORE, I RECOMMEND YOU APPOINT MAYOR PRO TEM BONNIE PETE TO SERVE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER FIRST THROUGH THE CONCLUSION OF MY TERM, WHICH WOULD BE THE END OF DECEMBER. AND THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, DO WE NEED TO PUT THIS TO A VOTE, A MOTION, OR. I HEARD THE MOTION SO WE WOULD NEED A SECOND. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCILMEMBER BURKE, PLEASE. YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO THE COMMITTEE BOARD ISSUE A LITTLE. GENERALLY SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH ATTENDANCE AT SOME OF OUR OUTSIDE BOARDS. IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON. AND IN THE FUTURE, I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HAVE A BIT BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE ISSUE, FIRST, I WANT TO SAY, FOR THE RECORD, I THINK IT'S VALUABLE FOR US TO ATTEND THESE OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS. WE LEARN A LOT THAT WE CAN BRING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.

WE GET SOME SAY OVER COUNTYWIDE MATTERS, YEAH. AND WHEN WE ATTEND THESE MEETINGS, WE'RE REPRESENTING THE CITY OF CYPRESS. SO WHEN I GO TO MINE, I TRY TO BE ACTIVE, I TRY TO BE ENGAGED. I WANT REPRESENTATIVES TO SEE THAT PEOPLE FROM CYPRESS ARE PREPARED AND PAYING ATTENTION, FOR THE RECORD, I'VE ONLY MISSED ONE OF MY OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEES DURING MY TIME ON COUNCIL, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING AT THE SAME TIME. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? AND I THINK, AS SOMEONE SAID BEFORE, RIGHT. NOBODY EXPECTS PERFECT ATTENDANCE. PERFECT ATTENDANCE, THINGS COME UP. AND SOME OF THESE BOARDS MEET VERY FREQUENTLY. SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO MAKE THEM ALL. BUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO REACH A POINT WHERE WE HAVE A GOOD, CONSISTENT TRACK RECORD. AND SO WHAT I WANT TO THROW OUT THERE AS AN IDEA

[01:30:02]

FOR MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, STARTING WITH THE NEW COUNCIL, IS THAT AS PART OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS THAT WE DO ON THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, WHEN WE DISCUSS THEM, WE ALSO MENTION HOW MANY MEETINGS THE BOARD HAD IN THAT TIME PERIOD. AND WHICH ONES WE ATTENDED, SO THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND LETTING RESIDENTS KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING ON THAT, I SPOKE WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING STAFF COULD POTENTIALLY HELP US FOLLOW THROUGH ON, OR CHECK THE MINUTES AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOTTING OUR I'S AND CROSSING OUR T'S, AND IN THE FUTURE. RIGHT. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE, ATTACKING EACH OTHER ABOUT OR, YOU KNOW, FEELING LIKE WE ARE BEING OPEN ABOUT WE WANT TO BE WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM, YOU KNOW, WITH HONEST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION. AND, HEY, IF YOU CAN'T GO, THAT'S OKAY. LET'S FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN KIND OF THING. THAT'LL MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESIDENTS HAVE THE REPRESENTATION. THEY DESERVE AND LOOK CLEARLY WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO IN TERMS OF TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT I'M HOPING THAT, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE'LL CONSIDER JUST BEING A LITTLE MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND OPEN ON THIS. SO IT WON'T KIND OF BUBBLE UP TO THE SURFACE IN WAYS THAT AREN'T TERRIBLY PLEASANT, WITH REGARDS TO THE SPECIFIC APPOINTMENT OF MAYOR PRO TEM PETE. YEAH, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE TIMING. THE ELECTION IS COMING UP PRETTY SOON. IF YOU KNOW MY COLLEAGUES DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THIS TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, I WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR TO SERVE ON ONE OF THE THREE MONTHLY COMPENSATED BOARDS THAT WE REPRESENT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL BE STAYING ON. WE'VE GOT THREE MONTHLY COMPENSATED BOARDS. SO I FEEL LIKE IT MIGHT BE FAIR TO HAVE ONE OF US ON EACH OF THEM. AND SO I'D BE NICE TO HAVE CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF THAT. BUT, YEAH, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE OVERALL SITUATION. THANK YOU FOR THAT, DAVID, COUNCILMEMBER MARQUEZ. SO NORMALLY WE APPOINT PEOPLE, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A NEW MAYOR IN DECEMBER AND I, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE WAIT, WAIT TO BE FILLED AFTER THE ELECTION WHERE THE ELECTION'S 44 DAYS AWAY. AND, I FEEL LIKE IT'S IF WE DO THIS NOW, IT WOULD BE GIVE MORE POWER TO THE MAJORITY.

THERE ARE ONLY THREE OUTSIDE BOARDS THAT ARE COMPENSATED AND HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS. WE HAVE THE OC SANITATION DISTRICT, VECTOR CONTROL AND ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY. WE HAVE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL BE STAYING ON THROUGH THE ELECTION. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS TONIGHT, WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE ONE OF THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON EACH BOARD. AND MAYOR ALREADY SERVES ON THE OC SANITATION DISTRICT. MAYOR PRO TEM PETE SERVES ON VECTOR CONTROL. AND, I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR FOR COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE TO SERVE ON OCFA MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM PETE ARE DIVIDING THE THREE MOST IMPACTFUL COMPENSATED BOARDS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE THEMSELVES. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO THIS TONIGHT, I MEAN, I PREFER AFTER THE ELECTION THAT YOU WOULD MAKE IT A FAIR PROCESS SO THAT THE THREE OF YOU EACH HAVE A BOARD THAT'S COMPENSATED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER LOWRY. THE FOCUS ON COMPENSATION IS KIND OF SHOCKING TO ME. I SERVED ON OCFA BECAUSE I LOVE THE MISSION AND THE NEED. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COMPENSATION. AND YOU ONLY GET PAID WHEN YOU ATTEND THE MEETINGS. BY THE WAY. THE GOAL, THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE MEETINGS BEING MISSED. I TOOK THAT UP IN AN INTERNAL CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF AND DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF THE REST OF THE MEETINGS ARE MISSED. AND WHO WOULD BE THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ALREADY WHO COULD STEP IN WITHOUT BEING DISRUPTIVE TO THE PROCESS? BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THESE ISSUES ARE VERY, VERY COMPLEX. SO IF I'M STEPPING DOWN THE NEXT PERSON COMING IN NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO JUMP INTO A MOVING RIVER OF INFORMATION. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER PETE, I KNOW HAS BEEN TO EVERY SINGLE FIRE STATION IN THE COUNTY, SHE'S ATTENDED, MANY EVENTS RELATED TO, PUBLIC SAFETY, INCLUDING OUR

[01:35:06]

FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES. AND SO SHE'S PRACTICALLY, PRACTICALLY A FIREFIGHTER, NOT REALLY, BUT BUT THERE'S A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ALREADY, AND, THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, THOSE INDIVIDUALS DON'T TAKE OFFICE UNTIL DECEMBER. RIGHT. SO THIS WOULD TAKE US THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN YOU WOULD MAKE DECISIONS, WITH THE TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALONG WITH THE THREE SEATED ONES AND HOW YOU DIVIDE UP THE, COMMITTEES. I DON'T THINK COMPENSATION, I GUESS THAT'S AN ISSUE. BUT IT WAS NEVER AN ISSUE THAT I TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION ABOUT A COMMITTEE THAT I WANTED MAYBE THAT'S WHY YOU WERE SO ANGRY WHEN YOU WERE TAKEN OFF OF IT. I DON'T KNOW, BUT, I DO THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, MAYOR PRO TEM PETE, SHOULD, BE APPOINTED THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN THE NEW COUNCIL WILL MAKE DECISIONS AS COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE SAID, YOU GUYS CAN MAKE YOUR DECISIONS, WITH YOUR NEW TEAM OF FIVE. SO I DO BELIEVE THERE'S A MOTION IN FRONT OF YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS SECONDED YET. TWO POINT. I HAVE A QUESTION. I HAVE A QUESTION. SO IS THIS TEMPORARILY FOR THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS? AND THEN WHEN THE NEW MEMBERS COME IN IN DECEMBER, YOU VOTE FOR SOMEBODY PERMANENTLY FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S MY QUESTION. I WOULD BE. WELL, NOT CONCERNED, BUT WHOEVER THE NEXT ELECTEDS ARE, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY, HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO STEP INTO THAT ROLE. AND, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK, IS THAT THE OCFA, WOULD REALLY, PROBABLY INSIST UPON NOT SWITCHING OUT, A REPRESENTATIVE, NEXT YEAR, THEY LIKE CONTINUITY, ESPECIALLY LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER LORI MENTIONED, ABOUT THESE COMPLEX ISSUES. SOMEONE WHO HAS, RESEARCHED AND WAS ON A TEAM TO PURCHASE NEW HELICOPTERS, FOR A DEPARTMENT, IT IS QUITE INVOLVED PROCESS AND NOT SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY CAN JUST STEP INTO, WITHOUT HAVING, A LOT OF CORPORATE EXPERIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND WORKING WITH LARGE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS. BUT GOING BACK TO OCFA PREFERENCE, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WANT, SOMEBODY TO, BE TRANSFERRED OR BE REPLACED AFTER JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS, COUNCIL MEMBER I'M SORRY, MAYOR. PRO TEMP. AND I'LL GET TO YOU NEXT. I MEAN, CLEARLY WHAT COULD HAPPEN AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THE ELECTION IS, ONE OF THE BOARDS I'M ON IS THE VECTOR, AND I'M MID IN DECEMBER, SO I WOULD HAVE ANOTHER YEAR, BUT IF THAT NEEDED TO, IF WE NEEDED TO KIND OF BALANCE THINGS OUT, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY MAKE A CHANGE RIGHT NOW. IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE YEAR, BUT IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS, IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR AS THE, AS THE NEW MAYOR, AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT THE ASSIGNMENTS ARE. BUT TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW IS A BIT DISRUPTIVE, BUT IT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR BEGINNING IN JANUARY.

COUNCILMEMBER MARQUEZ, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING. I FEEL LIKE THE COUNCIL MAJORITY IS TIGHTENING THEIR HOLD ON POWER. YOU KNOW, APPOINTING SOMEONE TO THE CFA BOARD THIS EVENING WITH JUST 40. WHAT IS IT, 44 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION? IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE VOTERS OF CYPRESS, AND IT'S LIKE PULLING THE RUG OUT FROM BENEATH OUR NEW INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PREVENTING THEM FROM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO WEIGH IN ON THESE IMPORTANT CITY APPOINTMENTS TO EXTERNAL AGENCIES AND BOARDS. YOU KNOW, IT MATTERS WHO GETS APPOINTED TO THESE EXTERNAL PUBLIC AGENCY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. AND SO AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE HAS A LAW DEGREE FROM UCLA. HE WOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO WALK INTO THE POSITION, WE SEE HIS EXCELLENT WORK HERE ON THE DAIS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO JUDGE PEOPLE. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT, TEAM

[01:40:04]

OF PEOPLE TO MOVE IN, TO BE ELECTED. AND SO IT NEEDS TO BE FAIR TO THE VOTERS AND TO THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOUR YEARS AND EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE NEW MAYOR COMES IN AND THEN IT'S AMONGST THEM TO MAKE THE DECISIONS. IT'S NOT A COUNCIL THAT'S FINISHING UP. IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT. AND I WANT TO COMMEND, STACY, WHEN SHE WAS ON THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS SO GRACIOUS TO THE INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBERS, SHE, YOU KNOW, SHE TOLD THE MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ISSUES THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO PUSH FORWARD.

BUT SHE PUT HER FOOT DOWN AND SAID, NO, WAIT TILL THE NEW COUNCIL COMES IN. AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE HER DOING THAT WORK. AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE GRACIOUS AND LET THE NEW COUNCIL MAKE THIS DECISION. THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE A MOTION, CAN I SPEAK? OH, I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARQUEZ, YOU SEEM TO BE VERY CONFUSED. LAST MEETING YOU WANTED ME TO RECONSIDER MY ROLE ON OCFA DUE TO ATTENDANCE. SO I'VE DONE THA. SO WHAT IS IT YOU WANT? AND SECONDLY, REGARDING PROCESS. YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY, THE NEW COUNCIL WILL MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT ALL OF THE APPOINTMENTS. WE'RE NOT DECIDING TONIGHT FOR NEXT YEAR. THIS CURRENT COUNCIL CANNOT MAKE A DECISION FOR NEXT COUNCIL. IT'S UP TO THE NEXT COUNCIL OF FIVE. SO THERE'S A MOTION BEFORE YOU. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY YEAH, LET'S JUST MOVE FORWARD ON THIS. I WANT SOME CLARIFICATION. IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING SOMETHING, PLEASE CLARIFY. OH I MOSTLY JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TONE DOWN THE STUFF. BUT THE APPOINTMENT IS FOR THE NEW GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND. SO, YEAH, THIS IS WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, SO THE QUESTION I HAVE SO THIS IS JUST FOR TO COVER THE TWO MEETINGS AND THEN WHEN THE NEW COUNCIL COMES IN, THEY CAN MAKE THE DECISION. I WANT TO TRUST THAT WE FOLLOW PROCESS AND RULES. WHEN I LEAVE THIS COUNCIL, IF ANYBODY LEARNS ANYTHING FROM MY EXPERIENCE ON THIS COUNCIL THAT IT'S CRITICAL THAT EVERYBODY BE TREATED THE SAME AND EVERYBODY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A DECISION. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE RESIDENTS OF CYPRESS WHO VOTE FOR CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR SAY AND THE, THE, THE CANDIDATE PEOPLE WHO COME INTO OFFICE HAVE THEIR SAY, THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, MAYBE THE CITY ATTORNEY SAYING THE SAME THING THAT I'M SAYING WILL HELP YOU IN DECEMBER OR IN JANUARY, WHENEVER THE APPOINTMENTS ARE ON THE AGENDA. THE NEW COUNCIL VOTES. DO I HAVE THAT CORRECT? YES. AND ANNUALLY THE COUNCIL MAKES THOSE DECISIONS. THERE'S CERTAIN APPOINTMENTS THAT ARE TWO YEAR APPOINTMENTS AND THE PARTICULAR AGENCIES ASK TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN PERSON ON THEIR BOARD, BUT IT'S REALLY UP TO THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT DECISION. EXACTLY. AND THERE'S ALSO SOME AGENCIES THAT REQUIRE THE MAYOR TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CERTAIN AGENCIES HAVE PARTICULAR RULES. I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT OCFA RULES ARE, BUT AGAIN, THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES THAT DECISION. SO, CAN DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? I DID YOU SECOND IT. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. MAYOR PRO TEM. OH, OKAY. OKAY. SO WE CAN GET A VOTE NOW. THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH FOUR YES VOTES AND ONE ABSTENTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR PRO TEM, PETE WILL MEET OFFLINE SO I CAN START GETTING YOU UP TO SPEED. AND WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM OCFA HERE TONIGHT THAT I'LL MAKE SURE YOU MEET. I JUST WANT TO CHANGE MY VOTE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY. I WANT TO ABSTAIN. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO ARE

[01:45:03]

YOU SAYING YOU WERE CONFUSED? I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU DIDN'T TALK TO ME IN A DEMEANING MANNER. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, THEN, THE PUBLIC

[ ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (Three minutes per speaker. The City Council may adjust the time allotted per speaker.) The public may address the City Council on any item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Although Council Members may provide brief responses, the City Council may not discuss nor take action on items that are not on the agenda. Please complete a Speaker's Card to address the City Council in-person. Members of the public are encouraged to communicate with the City Council via email at adm@cypressca.org or by calling 714-229-6699.]