Nov 28, 2025 City Council Special

[ CALL TO ORDER 4:00 P.M. City Council Chambers]

[00:00:07]

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. MADAM CITY CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PETE HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO PRESENT. AND MAYOR BURKE HERE. ALL PRESENT. WELL, I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. WE MET TO FILL THIS VACANCY LAST WEEK, AND AFTER EXTENSIVE DELIBERATIONS AND CHALLENGES REACHING A CONSENSUS, WE CHOSE AN APPLICANT. AND SHORTLY AFTER THE APPLICANT WITHDREW. SO WE'RE BACK, AND WE STILL NEED TO EITHER APPOINT SOMEONE OR CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION BY NOVEMBER 30TH. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS MEETING FALLS THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, BUT WE HAVE A LEGAL DEADLINE TO MEET. AND SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE IT WORK AND WAS ABLE TO SHOW UP THIS AFTERNOON. BEFORE WE START, I WANT TO GIVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY A CHANCE TO OFFER SOME KIND OF CLARIFICATION OR UPDATE REGARDING IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION. HOW WOULD THAT WORK? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND ALL THOSE PRESENT. SO THE ELECTIONS CODE REQUIRES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL EITHER APPOINT SOMEONE TO A VACANT SEAT THAT BECOMES VACANT OR CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE VACANCY OCCURRING. SO THE BACK IN OCTOBER, I BELIEVE IT WAS OCTOBER 13TH. THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THOSE OPTIONS AND DIRECTED THAT A PROCESS BE SET UP FOR APPOINTMENT OF THE THE CANDIDATE ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES TO FILL THE SEAT. THE ELECTIONS LAW SAYS THAT WE KNOW THE CITY HAS TRANSITIONED TO ELECTIONS BY DISTRICT. IT'S NO LONGER AT LARGE, BUT WITH THE ELECTIONS CODE, CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS CODE SAYS, IS THAT WHEN A SEAT IS VACATED, THE ELECTION FOR THAT SEAT IS DONE IN THE SAME MANNER THAT PARTICULAR PERSON WAS ELECTED. SO SCOTT MINIKUS RESIGNED, AND HE HAD BEEN APPOINTED AT LARGE THROUGH AN AT LARGE ELECTION. SO UNDER THE ELECTIONS CODE, THE APPOINTMENT CAN BE WELL, THE APPOINTMENT CAN BE LARGE, BUT THE SPECIAL ELECTION WOULD ALSO BE AT LARGE. ABOUT EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE COUNCIL MADE THE DECISION TO APPOINT SOMEONE, THE ATTORNEY WHO HANDLED THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT CASE AGAINST THE CITY, I GUESS, BECAME AWARE OF THE AGENDA AND SENT A LETTER SAYING HE AGREES THAT THE ELECTIONS LAW SAYS THAT PERSON THAT'S VACATED A SEAT IS ELECTED IN THE MANNER IS IS APPOINTED. LET ME START OVER. WHEN A PERSON VACATES A SEAT, A CANDIDATE TO. SIT IN THAT POSITION IS ELECTED THROUGH AN AT LARGE APPOINTMENT. SO HE HE AGREED WITH THAT, BUT BELIEVES THAT THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THE CITY SIGNED COMPELS THE CITY TO DO A BY-DISTRICT ELECTION, EVEN IF IT'S A SPECIAL ELECTION. SO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ACTUALLY DOESN'T SAY THAT. IT JUST SAYS FUTURE ELECTIONS SHALL BE BY DISTRICT. SO IT NEVER ACTUALLY CONTEMPLATED OR EXPRESSLY COVERED SPECIFIC. SPECIAL ELECTION. HAVING SAID ALL THAT, AT LEAST BECAUSE THAT ATTORNEY HAS THREATENED LEGAL ACTION IF THE COUNCIL PROCEEDS TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION AND DOES IT AT LARGE, I THINK THE COUNCIL CAN PROCEED TO WHAT IF IT DOES A SPECIAL ELECTION TO PROCEED BY DISTRICT ONLY, WHICH WOULD BE A DISTRICT FIVE ELECTION? WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE COSTS FOR THAT ARE LIKELY LESS THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY QUOTED. I DON'T KNOW THAT AMOUNT, SO I CAN'T SPEAK AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D BE LESS. I SUSPECT THEY WOULD BE. WE COULD POTENTIALLY PROVIDE SOME ESTIMATE ESTIMATES BASED ON WHAT? WE HAVE AN AUDIO ISSUE. BUT WE CAN. I'M GOING TO GO

[00:05:09]

AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE SAME CITY, IT'S NOT THE SAME SIZE. BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WAS ABLE TO FIND ON SHORT NOTICE. SO IN ANY CASE, THANK YOU, MR. CITY ATTORNEY. I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE ALL THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY TO CONSIDER.

SO ORAL COMMUNICATIONS IS COMING UP. GOT A LOT OF SPEAKERS. I WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE THAT. SO OVERALL, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF WHAT THIS GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR, IMPROVING THE PROCESS TO GET ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, WORKING WITH OUR COMMISSION TO IMPROVE PLAYGROUNDS IN OUR PARKS, BEING SMART WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS, AND HAVING WHAT I THINK IS A REALLY HIGH LEVEL OF RESPONSE RESPONSIVENESS TO RESIDENTS CONCERNS. WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES, BUT OVERALL, I THINK THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. BUT WITH THAT SAID, I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT I DON'T THINK OUR NOVEMBER 19TH MEETING PROBABLY GOES ON OUR HIGHLIGHT REEL. THERE WAS, I THINK WE WERE ALL A LITTLE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE LEVEL LEVEL OF STUBBORNNESS AND UNWILLINGNESS TO BUDGE IN THE ROOM. AND WHEN YOU'VE GOT FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND YOU NEED THREE VOTES TO REACH AN OUTCOME, INTRANSIGENT STUBBORNNESS OR INTRANSIGENCE MAKES IT PRETTY CHALLENGING. SO I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF ANYONE WHO WATCHED THE MEETING WITH THE PROCESS, WITH THE OUTCOME, BECAUSE I FELT THAT FRUSTRATION MYSELF. I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO AND SEE IT. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE SORT OF RIGHT BACK WHERE WE WERE. WE DIDN'T BIND THE CITY TO A DUBIOUS CONTRACT. NO COUNCIL MEMBER LAUNCHED INTO AN EMBARRASSING TIRADE. WE'VE GOT A VACANCY TO FILL BY NOVEMBER 30TH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND I HOPE WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE THAT AND APPRECIATE THAT. WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY. AND I THINK THAT'S EVIDENT JUST BY SEEING HOW MANY ENGAGED PEOPLE SHOWED UP HERE

[ ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (Three minutes per speaker. The City Council may adjust the time allotted per speaker.) The public may address the City Council only on the matter listed on the agenda. 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. Members of the public are encouraged to communicate with the City Council via email at cityclerk@cypressca.org or by calling (714) 229-6699 by Wednesday, November 26 at 4:30 p.m. City Hall will be closed on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Voicemail messages received after Wednesday, November 26, at 4:30 p.m. may not be received prior to the meeting. ]

[00:10:04]

GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON, CYPRESS RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS CITY COUNCIL. BECAUSE YOU WERE PAYING ATTENTION, YOU STOPPED THE APPOINTMENT OF A FRIEND OF MAYOR BURKE, A FRIEND WHO LIED ON HIS RESUME. THE FIRST QUESTION OF THE EVENING IS MAYOR BURKE. RESIDENTS WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU KNEW AND WHEN YOU KNEW IT. WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WASN'T JUST A MISTAKE BY MAYOR BURKE AND THE COUNCIL MAJORITY. IT WAS A FAILURE OF JUDGMENT, A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP AND A PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT FOR OUR CITY. MAYOR BURKE, MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG VOTED TO APPOINT QUENTIN BENTLEY TO THE CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL. CITY MATERIALS TOLD THE PUBLIC THAT MR. BENTLEY WORKS AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT CYPRESS HIGH SCHOOL.

COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG EVEN SAID PUBLICLY THAT HE VOTED FOR BENTLEY BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT CLAIM, BUT THE CLAIM WAS FALSE. MR. BENTLEY DOES NOT HOLD A CALIFORNIA TEACHING CREDENTIAL. HE HAS NEVER SERVED AS A SPECIAL ED TEACHER. HE WAS EMPLOYED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT. BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE, BUT A VERY DIFFERENT ROLE FROM WHAT HE CLAIMED. WHO REVEALED THE TRUTH. NOT THE CITY, NOT THE COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR, RESIDENTS. AND ONCE THE PUBLIC EXPOSED THE FALSEHOOD, MR. BENTLEY WITHDREW. THE CITY RELEASED A VAGUE STATEMENT. THE MAYOR OFFERED VAGUE COMMENTS ABOUT REFLECTION, BUT NOT ONE OF THE THREE WHO VOTED FOR HIM ACKNOWLEDGED THE REAL ISSUE. THEY APPOINTED SOMEONE TO CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT VERIFYING THE MOST BASIC FACTS ON HIS RESUME. AND THERE ARE ONLY TWO EXPLANATIONS, AND BOTH ARE TROUBLING. EITHER THEY KNEW THE CLAIM WAS FALSE AND APPOINTED HIM ANYWAY, OR THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO CHECK. BOTH RAISED SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPETENCE, DILIGENCE AND INTEGRITY. AND LET'S BE HONEST, MR. BENTLEY WASN'T A RANDOM APPLICANT. HE WAS SOMEONE MAYOR BURKE PERSONALLY BROUGHT INTO CITY CIRCLES, PUSHING HIM ONTO THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE, ADVOCATING FOR HIM ON THE REC COMMISSION, ENLISTING HIM AS ONE OF HIS TOP PICKS FOR THIS COUNCIL SEAT. WHEN MAYOR BURKE'S FIRST CHOICE DIDN'T GET SUPPORT, ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER OFFERED BENTLEY, THE MAYOR'S SECOND CHOICE, AS A FALLBACK, AND THE MAJORITY PUSHED IT THROUGH. THIS WASN'T DUE PROCESS. THIS WAS PARTIZAN POLITICS, AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE REAL. THE PUBLIC IS LEFT WONDERING WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS WILLING TO OVERLOOK WHEN LEADERS STOP DOING DILIGENCE, WHEN ALLIANCES MATTER MORE THAN QUALIFICATIONS, AND WHEN FACTS TAKE A BACK SEAT TO POLITICS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. FINISH YOUR THOUGHT. THANK YOU.

CYPRESS DESERVES BETTER THAN A COUNCIL MAJORITY THAT CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO VERIFY A RESUME, LET ALONE LEAD A CITY. THANK YOU. JOHN PEET FOLLOWED BY PEARL BOULTER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR BURKE AND CYBER CITY COUNCIL AT THE NOVEMBER 19TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE COUNCIL MAJORITY FAILED IN ITS LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE CITY. RATHER THAN SELECT THE CANDIDATE FOR THE OPEN CITY COUNCIL SEAT THAT WAS BEST QUALIFIED AND MOST EXPERIENCED, YOU SETTLED FOR THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR IN QUENTIN BENTLEY, A PERSON WHO HAD ONLY BEEN APPOINTED TO THE RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION FOUR MONTHS PRIOR, YOU WERE INFORMED THAT MR. BENTLEY HAD MISSED TWO OF THE FOUR COMMISSION MEETINGS HE WAS SELECTED TO SERVE ON. YET DESPITE MISSING 50% OF THE MEETINGS, YOU STILL SELECTED

[00:15:04]

AND LET'S RECALL WHAT COUNCIL CANDIDATE BURKE SAID DURING THE 2022 ELECTION. IT IS SAID THAT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHEN DECIDING WHO TO VOTE FOR. ANY CANDIDATE CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO HEAR OR TALK ABOUT, WHAT A GREAT JOB THEY'LL DO IN OFFICE. BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW SOMEBODY, LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE. WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT MR. BURKE DOES THIS EVENING OR MAYOR BURKE DOES THIS EVENING. WILL HE RISE ABOVE PARTIZANSHIP BY PICKING THE BEST CANDIDATE, REGARDLESS OF WHICH DISTRICT SHE LIVES IN, OR WHICH POLITICAL PARTY SHE IS REGISTERED AS? WILL HE BE TRANSPARENT WITH RESIDENTS? BY HOLDING A ROBUST DISCUSSION OF THE REASONS TO SELECT OR NOT SELECT A CANDIDATE? OR WILL HE REMAIN SILENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO HOLD A VOTE WITHOUT ANY MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION? AND WILL MAYOR BURKE PUT RESIDENTS FIRST BY SELECTING THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB? A PERSON LIKE AMEL, WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED HER LEADERSHIP BY SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND LEADING KEY NONPROFITS IN CARING FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY? OR WILL HE SELECT A PERSON LIKE CANDY KERN, WHO HAS SERVED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DEMONSTRATED HER LEADERSHIP IN SELECTING A NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND BY SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATING THE DISTRICT THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID PANDEMIC. SO LET'S SEE, THESE ARE THE TWO BEST CANDIDATES, AND LET'S SEE WHAT MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MAJORITY DO WITH THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE CITY TONIGHT. THANK YOU. PEARL BOLTER, FOLLOWED BY DAVID SKORPINSKI, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. HERB WALTHER, RESIDENT. CYPRESS. WHAT OCCURRED LAST AT LAST WEEK'S SPECIAL MEETING TO FILL THE OPEN SEAT ON THE CITY COUNCIL WAS A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP BY THE COUNCIL MAJORITY, WHICH IS MAYOR DAVID BURKE, MAYOR PRO TEM LEO MEDRANO AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAL CHAN. NOT ONLY DID THE MAJORITY COUNCIL MAJORITY SELECT AN APPLICANT THAT LIED ON HIS APPLICATION, WHICH DEMONSTRATES THAT NO SIMPLE SCREENING WAS NOT EVEN DONE, AND ANY EXECUTIVE WOULD KNOW THAT EVERY APPLICATION NEEDS A SIMPLE SCREENING. AND THAT'S A VERY SIMPLE THING TO DO. BUT ALSO JUST THE FACT THAT THIS PERSON WAS CHOSEN WHEN THERE WERE MUCH MORE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS DEMONSTRATES A TRUE LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND JUDGMENT. THIS TRAVESTY WAS A STAIN ON A CITY THAT HAS PRIDED ITSELF ON STRONG LEADERSHIP FOR DECADES.

THE COUNCIL MAJORITY SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WITH EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE, AND THAT'S BONNIE PETE, AND THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED, AND WE WOULDN'T BE HERE RIGHT NOW. AND, MAYOR BURKE, THAT'S NOT GOOD NEWS THAT WE'RE HERE AGAIN. NOW, THE COUNCIL MAJORITY SHOULD MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND NOT THE IDEOLOGICAL OR POLITICAL ONE. THERE ARE TWO APPLICANTS WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED BY THE CYPRESS RESIDENTS AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP, BOTH IN THEIR CAREERS AND IN THEIR ROLES AS CIVIC PUBLIC LEADERS. AND THAT'S KENNY KERN AND ANNE MALLORY. PLEASE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS, MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND CHOOSE ONE OF THESE APPLICANTS.

DAVID SKORPINSKI, FOLLOWED BY EDDIE KRAMER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PERSONS. I'M DAVE SKORPINSKI. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF CYPRESS FOR 26 YEARS. I'M ALSO ON A COMMISSION FOR THE SENIOR CENTER. AND THIS THE COMMISSION CONDUCTS A MEET AND GREET EVERY OTHER MONTH. WE PRESENT QUESTIONS TO THE SENIORS AND MOST OF THE QUESTIONS ARE ARE YOU ARE YOU A CYPRESS RESIDENT? HOW DO YOU LIKE THE SENIOR CENTER? WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU ATTEND AT THE

[00:20:03]

YOU CAN CHECK MY EDUCATION BUT SO OKAY THINGS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS BUT IT DOESN'T DESERVE VENOM. AND IT'D BE THE CITY MANAGER'S FAULT IF ANYBODY'S. NOT THIS, NOT THE COUNCIL. SO.

BUT. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT A LETTER I SENT YOU GUYS. YOU DON'T? THE PROBLEM WITH MINIKUS IS HE WAS AN APPOINTMENT. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, HE WAS THE NEIGHBOR OF MORALES, AND HE GOT ON THE COUNCIL, AND I WAS IRKED ABOUT THAT FOR AN ENTIRE SEAT. I NEVER LIKED HIM BECAUSE OF THAT. SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE US AT POINT FRIENDS. RIGHT. SO HOW DO WE DO THIS? WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT THE DE FACTO STANDARD. GOLD STANDARD IS BEING AN ELECTION, AND YOU'RE WILLING TO SPEND 900,000, 300,000 TO DO IT. BUT WE'VE ALREADY HAD AN ELECTION. WE ELECTED FRANCIS MARQUEZ, WHO WAS GERRYMANDERED BASICALLY OUT OF HER SEAT, THE SEAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FILLING. AND WE ALSO ELECTED FRANCIS MARQUEZ. OH, IS THERE ANOTHER OPEN MIC? WE WE ALSO ELECTED RACHEL STRONG, WHO WAS A RUNNER UP IN I IN THE ELECTION. SO WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE VOTED ON THAT COULD BE SEATED. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHO SHOULD BE IN THE SEAT. ONE OF THOSE TWO, EITHER THAT OR YOU EITHER THAT OR YOU RE-INTERVIEW ALL OF THE CANDIDATES. WHICH CASE YOU MIGHT GET REALLY GREAT PEOPLE. KIDDING. BUT THERE'S NO NEED TO RE-INTERVIEW PEOPLE. THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE AN ELECTION. YOU'VE ALREADY HAD THE ELECTION. THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR FRANCIS MARQUEZ AND RACHEL STRONG PICK ONE OF THEM, AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NANCY JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY ROB JOHNSON. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ADDRESSING THIS TO THE COUNCIL. PEOPLE WHO VOTED IN THE LAST COUNCIL PERSON. YOU HAVE TRIPLE HANDEDLY MADE CYPRUS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ORANGE COUNTY. IT APPEARS YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND DO NOT BELONG ON THE DAIS.

[00:25:07]

TRY BEING MAYOR IN 2020. AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, EVERYTHING CLOSES DOWN.

EVERYONE'S ANGRY. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THE WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK. WE KNOW THERE WAS MISTAKES MADE. I'M HOPING THAT IN THE WEEK'S TIME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO DO SOME PROPER RESEARCHING AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO STABILIZE AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A STRONG LEADERSHIP TO FILL THAT FIFTH POSITION. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND WITH THE CANDIDATES LISTED THAT YOU HAVE SOMEONE LIKE ANNE MALLORY THAT HAS SERVED ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FOUR YEARS. MAYOR IS JUAN. SHE WOULD HELP STABILIZE THE SITUATION. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE SHE'D EVEN BRING BACK SNOWY OWL. SO, SO. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE ANOTHER CANDIDATE. YOU HAVE CANDI KEARNS. SHE SAT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SHE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDERS, AND SHE'S VOLUNTEERED IN THE CITY. SO SHE KNOWS THE CITY WELL, HER KIDS HAVING GONE THROUGH THE SYSTEM AS WELL. TWO, TWO STRONG CANDIDATES. I'D ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THOSE TWO. AND WHEN YOU RESTRUCTURE, NO ONE FINER THAN BONNIE PEACH. SHE WAS YOUR MAYOR PRO TEM LAST YEAR, AND SHE SHOULD BE YOUR MAYOR NEXT YEAR. SHE'S GOT YOUR EXPERIENCE, BONNIE. GOOD LUCK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAROL ERB. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A MINUTE. WHAT'S WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT? THIS AUDIO ISSUE. I WANT TO TAKE A TWO MINUTE RECESS. SURE. WE'LL TAKE A TWO MINUTE R ALRIGHT. OPTIMIST. OR HOPEFULLY THAT'S RESOLVED. SO WE'LL JUMP BACK IN WITH CAROL ERB, FOLLOWED BY RACHEL STRONG CARNAHAN, MAYOR BURKE, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CAROL ERB. I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF CYPRESS AND CURRENTLY A RECREATION COMMISSIONER, ALTHOUGH TODAY I'M HERE SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, NOT A COMMISSIONER.

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS BURKE, MEDRANO AND PETE FOR RESPONDING TO MY EMAIL WHERE I MADE A SUGGESTION FOR THE VACANT SEAT REPLACEMENT PROCESS. I KNOW YOU HAVE A MONUMENTAL TASK IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM, AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE OBSERVING THE PROCESS PROBABLY CAN'T FATHOM THE ENORMITY OF THIS DUTY. HOWEVER, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU VALUE HEARING VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES, SO I'M HERE TO SHARE MINE. AT THE INTERVIEWS LAST WEEK, COUNCIL MEMBERS EACH TRIED TO MAKE THE CASE FOR DIFFERENT APPLICANTS WHEN THERE WAS NO INITIAL AGREEMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PETE SUGGESTED A SECOND CANDIDATE, AS DID COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG, AFTER IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS STILL NO AGREEMENT, PETE SUGGESTED A THIRD CANDIDATE, GIVING CLEAR REASONS FOR ALL OF HER CHOICES. AT THIS POINT, MAYOR BURKE, WHO WOULD ONLY PUT FORTH ONE NAME, TOLD THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE IF SOMEONE WAS TO BE AGREED UPON. COUNCILMEMBER CHANG AT ONE POINT MADE A STATEMENT AGAINST SELECTING A CANDIDATE WHO RESIDED IN AREA FIVE, YET HE PROCEEDED TO SELECT OTHERS WHO LIVED IN THAT AREA, WHILE USING THAT AS A REASON NOT TO SELECT SEVERAL OTHER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. AFTER I REVIEWED THE APPLICATIONS AND I HEARD THE INTERVIEWS, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WERE ANNE MALLORY AND CANDY KERN. EITHER COULD STEP INTO THE ROLE SEAMLESSLY SO WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR CITY BUSINESS. CANDY SERVED SUCCESSFULLY ON THE CYPRESS SCHOOL BOARD FOR YEARS, HELPED TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT, AND KNOWS THE EXPECTATIONS AND TIME COMMITMENT OF THE JOB. NOT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTED ON WHY CANDY COULDN'T GET A SECOND AND BE PUT UP FOR VOTE. MAYOR BURKE WAS THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO STATED A REASON THAT ANNE SHOULD NOT BE SELECTED, BUT HIS COMMENT WAS UNFAIR AND BIASED. HE SAID SHE WAS TOO BUSY, INDICATING SHE WOULD NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DO THE JOB. HOWEVER, MAYOR BURKE ULTIMATELY VOTED FOR QUENTIN BENTLEY, WHO IT WAS BELIEVED AT THE TIME, WAS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AND A SPORTS COACH AND A FATHER OF TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. I INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT ANNE, A WOMAN WHO HAS A MULTITUDE OF EXPERIENCE, A HISTORY OF HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS, AS WELL AS MANY

[00:30:01]

PLEASE HANG ON A MOMENT, MISS STRONG CARNAHAN, SO I APOLOGIZE. LOOK, IT'S A TOUGH SITUATION WHEN I CAN'T RESPOND TO EVERY FALSE THING THAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME. BUT UNLESS I HAVE AMNESIA, I DON'T RECALL SAYING THAT ANNE SHOULDN'T BE A COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE SHE'S TOO BUSY. SO. SO I'M. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO JUMP INTO EVERY FALSEHOOD BECAUSE, FRANKLY, WE'D BE HERE ALL NIGHT. BUT I JUST ASK THAT. PLEASE, PLEASE, PEOPLE TRY AND STICK TO THE FACTS AND THE RECORD. WITH THAT, SAID RACHEL STRONG CARNAHAN, FOLLOWED BY JAMIE NEEDHAM. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS AND CITY STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. I'M HONORED AGAIN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS IS A POSITION THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE CLEARLY A LOT OF STAMINA. THIS IS OFFICIALLY MY FIFTH BID TO TRY TO GET THIS POSITION, AND TO ME, THAT DOESN'T CONSTITUTE A STORY OF DEFEAT. IT'S ONE OF COMMITMENT.

IT SHOWS THAT I DON'T GIVE UP ON SERVING THE CITY OR ON THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER FOR 12 YEARS IN THIS COMMUNITY, A MOM RAISING A SECOND GENERATION RESIDENT IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND A SEVEN YEAR SCHOOL VOLUNTEER. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THESE THINGS MAKE ME TOO BUSY TO SERVE, NOT BY ANYBODY HERE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS AND FROM FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. I THINK THESE ARE THE VERY REASONS THAT I HAVE MORE SKIN IN THIS RACE THAN THE OTHER CANDIDATES. AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I MAKE COMPLEX DECISIONS DAILY. I MANAGE BUDGETS, I LEAD PEOPLE WITH CONFLICTING VIEWS, AND I UNDERSTAND HOW CITY POLICIES WILL AFFECT REAL HOUSEHOLDS AND STOREFRONTS. AS A PARENT AND VOLUNTEER, I SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT OUR FAMILIES, TEENS, TEACHERS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS NEED. AND BECAUSE I'M INVOLVED, I'M ALREADY DOING SOME OF THE WORK A COUNCIL MEMBER MUST DO. I'M SHOWING UP. I'M SHOWING UP AT FOOTBALL GAMES AND BASEBALL GAMES, SCHOOL EVENTS, THEATER PRODUCTIONS, BUSINESS OPENINGS. SHOUT OUT TO MITSUWA! THAT'S AMAZING. WE'RE EXCITED PLACES WHERE OUR COMMUNITY GATHERS, BUT WHERE LEADERSHIP IS SOMETIMES MISSING. I DON'T SHOW UP BECAUSE THIS IS EXPECTED. I SHOW UP BECAUSE THIS IS MY HOME.

I KNOW THE KIDS IN THESE PRODUCTIONS HITTING THESE HOME RUNS. I'M ROOTING FOR THESE FELLOW BUSINESS OWNERS TO SUCCEED, JUST AS I DID IF APPOINTED. MY PRIORITIES ARE CLEAR AND THEY ARE GROUNDED IN RESPONSIBILITY TO RECRUIT AND SELECT AN EXCELLENT CITY MANAGER TO HELP PAY DOWN THE POLICE PENSION, BUT STILL MAINTAIN A BALANCED BUDGET AND A SURPLUS TO REIMAGINE OUR GREEN SPACES WITH OUR TEENS IN MIND. TO CREATE PLACES THAT KEEP THEM ENGAGED, SAFE AND CONNECTED, AND TO CONTINUE BUILDING A CITY THAT VALUES DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION NOT IN A PERFORMATIVE MANNER, BUT IN A VERY REAL WAY FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE AS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT, A FUTURE THAT INCLUDES AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SAFEGUARD OUR LOCAL SENIORS AND TO ATTRACT YOUNG FAMILIES WITH KIDS. I'M RUNNING FOR THE SEAT BECAUSE I WANT TO LEAD WITH HONESTY, FAIRNESS AND APPROACHABILITY. I WANT RESIDENTS TO FEEL HEARD. I WANT A COMMUNITY THAT'S VIBRANT AND PROSPEROUS. ABOVE ALL, I WANT A COUNCIL THAT REFLECTS THE HEART OF THIS COMMUNITY. I'M NOT COMING TO THIS ROLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. I'M COMING FROM RIGHT HERE AS A PLACE THAT I RAISED MY CHILDREN, THAT I WHERE I WORK, WHERE I INVEST, AND WHERE I LOVE THE CITY AS ONLY A HOMETOWN HOMETOWN GIRL CAN DO. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME HERE TONIGHT TO SUPPORT ME IN THIS POSITION, AND TO SHARE YOUR HONEST EXPERIENCES ABOUT ME AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK WITH ME, ESPECIALLY ON WHAT HAS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU, YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. RESPECTFULLY, I WOULD BE HONORED TO SERVE.

THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, BUT I'M GOING TO TEXT MESSAGES THAT WE'VE COME BACK FROM RECESS AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO HEAR ANYTHING SINCE. OKAY, LET'S PAUSE FOR A MOMENT IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONFER AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. THE WEBINAR IS ON AND THERE IS AUDIO ON THE PANEL. SO IF WE'D LIKE TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK. YEAH. I MEAN FROM SOMEBODY THAT'S ON THE LINE, SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING APPEARS TO BE WORKING FROM OUR END. IF ANYONE HAS. WHENEVER DID THE CITY

[00:35:01]

AND I BELIEVE YOU SAID THERE'S A PLACE THAT PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THE MEETING THAT'S WORKING WEBSITE THAT LIKE YOU SAID, THAT ASKED QUESTIONS. SO, OKAY, WELL, I'D ENCOURAGE ANYONE LISTENING TO GO TO THE CITY WEBSITE TO LISTEN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT THROUGH THE GO TO WEBINAR, I BELIEVE THAT THE RAISE YOUR HAND FUNCTION STILL SEEMS TO WORK, AND SO WE'LL DO OUR BEST WITH THAT. IF WE HAVE ANY HANDS RAISED. ALL RIGHT.

JAMIE NEEDHAM, FOLLOWED BY BROOKE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING HOW FORTUNATE CYPRESS IS TO HAVE MANY QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS APPLY FOR THIS APPOINTMENT. AS YOU CONSIDER THE CANDIDATES, I HOPE YOU'LL REFLECT ON THE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES REPRESENTED AND GIVE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO MISS RACHEL STRONG, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN TO MANY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY AS MISS RACHEL, SHE'S A LONGTIME CYPRESS RESIDENT WHO HAS BUILT HER FAMILY AND CAREER HERE. SHE'S THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE REALITIES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, LOCAL INVESTMENT, AND STAYING CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THE DAY TO DAY, DAY TO DAY NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SHE HAS BUILT HER WORK AROUND ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, REMINDING US THAT CITY LEADERSHIP INFLUENCES NOT ONLY TODAY'S SERVICES, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES WE CREATE FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION. MISS RACHEL'S BACKGROUND REFLECTS ESPECIALLY STRONG ENGAGEMENT IN SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHE HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN UP IN SPACES WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEARNING, GROWING AND SEEKING SUPPORT. THAT KIND OF SUSTAINED COMMITMENT SPEAKS TO A GENUINE PASSION FOR ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY SHE COMES IN CONTACT WITH FEELS SEEN, VALUED AND EQUIPPED TO SUCCEED. HER DEDICATION EXTENDS FAR BEYOND TECHNIQUE. SHE FOCUSES ON BUILDING CONFIDENCE, BELONGING AND RESILIENCE. SHE CARRIES FORWARD FORWARD VALUES SHAPED BY HER OWN FAMILY, AND AT EACH PERFORMANCE SHE LEAVES AN EMPTY SEAT IN HONOR OF HER LATE FATHER. THAT QUIET GESTURE REFLECTS A DEEP RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO SHAPED HER, AND A BELIEF IN CARING FORWARD THEIR INFLUENCE THROUGH SERVICE AND CARE FOR OTHERS. WHILE SYMBOLIC, IT OFFERS A MEANINGFUL GLIMPSE INTO THE HEART AND GROUNDING SHE BRINGS TO ALL SHE DOES.

MISS RACHEL HAS ALSO DEMONSTRATED HER INTEREST IN CIVIC LEADERSHIP OVER TIME BY PREVIOUSLY RUNNING FOR OFFICE, WHICH REQUIRED FUNDING, AND POUNDING THE PAVEMENT, WHICH SHE DID. STEPPING FORWARD IN THESE WAYS REFLECTS HER DEDICATION AND COURAGE AND HER LONG TERM DESIRE TO SERVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT EVERY CANDIDATE HAS TAKEN THAT STEP IN THE PAST. THAT CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT PROVIDES MEANINGFUL INSIGHT INTO A PERSON'S READINESS TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUBLIC SERVICE. WHILE EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT, IT'S NOT THE SOLE MEASURE OF A STRONG CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS SAT ON THAT DAIS HAS FACED A LEARNING CURVE. WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN QUICKLY, TO LISTEN DEEPLY, TO PREPARE THOROUGHLY, AND TO APPROACH CHALLENGES WITH HUMILITY AND OPENNESS. LOCAL GOVERNMENT THRIVES WHEN LONG STANDING EXPERIENCE IS BALANCED WITH NEW PERSPECTIVE AND FRESH ENERGY. IN RECENT YEARS, BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD HAVE WELCOMED SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS. THESE TRANSITIONS HAVE SHOWN THAT CYPRESS IS NOT JUST CAPABLE OF EMBRACING NEW LEADERSHIP. CYPRESS IS READY FOR IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. BROOKE. FOLLOWED BY ROBIN

[00:40:04]

LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION OF MY APPLICATION AND WISH ALL THE BEST FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE REMAINING APPLICANTS FOR THE VACANT POSITION. SINCERELY, BILL WEISENBERG. NOW THAT I'VE READ THAT INTO THE RECORD, IT HAS REQUEST. I JUST WANT TO SAY I CONCUR WITH A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE HERE. THEY SPOKE VERY WELL THIS EVENING, SO I DON'T WANT TO BE DUPLICATIVE IN MY COMMENTS. I DO HAVE ONE THING TO SAY IN REGARDS TO THE APPLICANT THAT WAS SELECTED AND THAT WITHDREW.

QUENTIN BENTLEY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINED THAT HE WASN'T RESEARCHED. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, AND THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME BECAUSE I SPENT 30 MINUTES AND I FOUND A LEGAL DOCUMENT IN KINGS COUNTY. WE HAD A NAME CHANGE SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE HE MOVED HERE TO THE CITY OF CYPRESS. IT'S A PUBLIC RECORD. IT'S ONLINE. SO WHEN SOMEBODY CHANGES THEIR NAME SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE THEY COME TO THEIR CITY. AND THERE'S EMBELLISHMENTS OR ISSUES WITH THE APPLICATION TO SIT ON THE DAIS, THAT CONCERNS ME. I FOUND THIS VERY QUICKLY. IT'S A IT'S A PUBLIC RECORD. I COULDN'T ANYBODY ELSE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBIN ESLER.

I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT SINCE 1978. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO DEMOCRAT MAYOR DAVID BURKE, DEMOCRAT MAYOR PRO TEM LEO MEDRANO AND DEMOCRAT COUNCILMEMBER KYLE CHANG. WHAT A JOKE THAT YOU THREE WERE READY TO PUT SOMEONE ON THE CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL WHO YOU DID NOT PROPERLY VET, AS EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN SAYING, AS YOU'VE BEEN READING IN EMAILS AND I'M SURE ELSEWHERE, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT WHEN IT WAS BASIC INFORMATION THAT WAS OUT THERE. AND IT WAS PATHETIC. PATHETIC AS AN UNDERLYING PATHETIC, PATHETIC THAT SOMEBODY WITH MAYOR BURKE WHO SAID THEY WOULD DO A COIN TOSS, YOU'RE GOING TO DO A COIN TOSS. HERE'S A COIN TOSS. YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT TONIGHT ALSO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DO. YOU DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO VET BASIC INFORMATION THAT ANYONE COULD FIND, AS BROOKE JUST SAID. SO MOST OF THE CANDIDATES, EVEN THE ONES I WOULDN'T WANT TO VOTE FOR, CARE ABOUT THE CITY. WE ALL AGREE THEY CARE ABOUT THE CITY, SO EVERYBODY HAS THEIR PERSONAL PREFERENCE. I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND GO ON AND ON AND ON. I SUPPORT CANDY KERN. I SUPPORT EITHER ONE OF THEM. WOULD BE GREAT ON THE CITY COUNCIL, AND I HOPE YOU DO SOMETHING MORE THAN A LOUSY COIN TOSS AND PICKING SOMEBODY ON THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. JENNY LEE, FOLLOWED BY GINA MARTINEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JENNY LEE, A TEACHER IN THE CYPRESS SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND I'M HONORED TO SPEAK ABOUT RACHEL CARNAHAN. I KNEW HER AS RACHEL STRONG BACK THEN. AS A TEACHER, I WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE ENERGY, RELIABILITY, AND HEART THAT MRS. CARNAHAN BROUGHT AS A PARENT VOLUNTEER. WHEN HER SON ATTENDED OUR SCHOOL, SHE WAS A CONSTANT PRESENCE IN OUR CLASSROOMS, READING WITH STUDENTS, ORGANIZING PROJECTS, SUPPORTING TEACHERS, AND STEPPING IN WHEREVER SHE WAS NEEDED. HER COMMITMENT WAS AN OCCASIONAL. IT WAS CONSISTENT, GENUINE, AND ROOTED IN A DEEP BELIEF IN OUR CHILDREN'S POTENTIAL. BEYOND HER WORK IN THE CLASSROOMS, SHE CONTRIBUTED

[00:45:02]

RACHEL CARNAHAN IS AN ASSET TO CYPRESS. SHE HAS ALREADY MADE MANY CHILDREN'S LIVES BETTER, AND I KNOW SHE WILL DO THE SAME FOR CYPRESS. THANK YOU. GINA MARTINEZ, FOLLOWED BY DOCTOR FRANCIS MARQUEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL IN CYPRESS RESIDENTS. I'M GINA MARTINEZ AND I AM ALSO A TEACHER IN THE CYPRESS SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M HONORED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF RACHEL CARNAHAN FOR CITY COUNCIL. I ACTUALLY MET RACHEL FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN I TRANSFERRED SCHOOLS AND WAS ASKED TO HELP BUILD AND STRENGTHEN OUR SCHOOL'S PBIS PROGRAM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO WHAT THE PBIS PROGRAM IS. IT'S A HUGE EXPLANATION, BUT JUST KNOW THAT MY ULTIMATE GOAL WITH THE PROGRAM AT MY SCHOOL WAS TO USE THE PROGRAM TO CREATE A STRONGER SENSE OF COMMUNITY ON CAMPUS, AND FROM DAY ONE, RACHEL STOOD OUT AS SOMEONE WHO EARNESTLY INVESTED IN THAT SAME MISSION. SHE SHOWED UP, LISTENED WITH INTEREST ABOUT WHAT I HOPED TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE PROGRAM, OFFERED TO DO WHAT SHE COULD DO TO HELP OUT SUPPORTED STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND HELPED CREATE THE KIND OF POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES FEEL CONNECTED. SO RACHEL UNDERSTANDS CYPRESS FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGE POINTS. AS YOU KNOW, SHE'S A LONG TIME RESIDENT, RAISING A FAMILY HERE, AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER, AND A BUSINESS OWNER THAT INTERACTS WITH CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS. AND THIS MEANS THAT SHE ENGAGES DAILY WITH RESIDENTS OF VARYING AGE GROUPS, WHICH GIVES HER THE REAL PULSE ON THE NEEDS, CONCERNS AND HOPES OF MULTIGENERATIONAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO I FEEL THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED. AND A COUNCIL MEMBER, SOMEONE WHO LISTENS, SEEKS FEEDBACK AND MAKES DECISIONS THAT REFLECT A BALANCED, THOUGHTFUL COMPROMISE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL CYPRESS RESIDENTS. RACHEL IS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T JUST SPEAK FOR THE COMMUNITY, SHE ACTUALLY ENGAGES WITH IT. HER WARMTH, DEPENDABILITY, AND SOLUTION ORIENTED MINDSET HAVE ALWAYS STOOD OUT TO ME, AND RACHEL CARNAHAN IS AN ASSET TO CYPRESS, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT SHE WOULD BRING THE SAME HEART, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY CENTERED LEADERSHIP TO THE CITY OF CYPRESS AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. DOCTOR FRANCIS MARQUEZ. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANTED TO SAY I BRING TO THIS ROLE A LIFETIME OF SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP ROOTED IN THIS COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SERVING ON THE CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL AS A TENURED PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE WHO'S WORKED WITH THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AND IS A FORMER LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR IN CONGRESS. I'VE SPENT MY CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE, CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS, WORKING FAMILIES, SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESSES, VETERANS AND SENIORS. EVEN WHEN I WAS WORKING IN WASHINGTON, DC ON CAPITOL HILL, I WAS THINKING ABOUT CYPRESS. AS I STARTED SERVING FOR CONGRESSMAN LOWENTHAL, I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE DEFENSE BILL AND SAW THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MONEY FOR THE STARBASE PROGRAM.

AND I WORKED DAY AND NIGHT AND GOT OVER 125 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SIGN ON TO GET $50 MILLION OF FUNDING SO THAT WE COULD LAUNCH THE PROGRAM IN 2014. THIS PROGRAM SERVES ALL CYPRESS YOUTH FIFTH GRADERS, AS LONG AS THEIR TEACHERS CAN GET THE BUS TO THE SCHOOL TO THE BASE, THEY THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. AND THEY'RE LEARNING. YOU KNOW, FROM THE MILITARY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM. I STRUGGLED WITH STEM GROWING ISSUES GROWING UP IN CYPRESS WITH MATH, AND SO I WANTED OUR YOUTH TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, LEARN QUICKLY AND LEARN FROM A YOUNG AGE. I DIDN'T GET THAT GROUNDING, AND I WANTED OUR FUTURE LEADERS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE IT. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT I FEEL THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE AN ELECTION. OUR RESIDENTS VOTED IN 2020. I WORKED DAY AND NIGHT. ACTUALLY, I RAN IN 2018. I LOST THAT ELECTION, LOST BY 144 VOTES. I KNOCKED ON DOORS, WORKED DAY AND NIGHT, TALKED TO VOTERS, AND I CAME BACK HAPPILY IN 2020 DURING COVID AND MADE MILLIONS OF PHONE CALLS AND KNOCKED ON DOORS IN THE FINAL WEEKS. AND LUCKILY, PEOPLE REMEMBERED ME FROM EARLIER FROM 2018. BUT I WANT TO SAY I SERVE

[00:50:04]

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOBODY HAS MENTIONED. AND I WAS IT WAS BY SOMEBODY WHO WAS ORIGINALLY APPOINTED WHEN I RAN TWICE. I RAN IN 2018 AND 2020. AT THE TIME, OUR RESIDENTS VOTED FOR A WELL PREPARED, EDUCATED, DIVERSE CANDIDATE WHO THEY COULD IDENTIFY WITH. NOT SELECTING THAT INDIVIDUAL IS, TO ME, IS DENYING THE VOICES OF THE RESIDENTS AND HER THE OPPORTUNITY SHE EARNED. THERE WAS A COMMITMENT MADE TO DIVERSITY UPON THE REDISTRICTING SETTLEMENT, AND THE CITY OF CYPRESS NEEDS TO FOLLOW IT INSTEAD OF BEING PLACED IN LEGAL JEOPARDY. I'VE SERVED TIRELESSLY OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY FOR OUR RESIDENTS, EVEN WHILE SERVING ON THE COUNCIL. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I'VE ADVISED MEMBERS, AND WATCHING THIS PROCESS HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO ME THAT MY EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER. THIS IS WHY I'M ANNOUNCING MY 2026 RUN FOR CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL. I'M THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE WHO CAME OUT IN THE TOP TWO IN THE 2020 ELECTION. DURING COVID, I EARNED THE VOTES OF NEARLY 20% OF CYPRESS RESIDENTS. I SPEAK SPANISH AND COMMUNICATE IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, AND WHILE SERVING, I WORKED TIRELESSLY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS, MEETING THEM AT THEIR WORKPLACES, IN THEIR KITCHENS, LIVING ROOMS, BACKYARDS AND GARAGES TO ENSURE THAT THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD. SO I HOPE AND TRUST THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER ME FOR THIS POSITION. FINISH YOUR THOUGHT, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT I CAN SEAMLESSLY WALK INTO AND DO THE WORK AND WHERE THINGS LEFT OFF, AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PROPER QUESTIONS ARE ASKED, THE PROPER PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEYOND YOUR ALLOTTED TIME. JOSE TRINIDAD CASTANEDA, FOLLOWED BY GLENN BUTTON. AND FROM LAST WEEK, ME ONE SECOND HERE. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MAYOR BURKE, MY NAME IS JOSE TRINIDAD CASTANEDA, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT COMING TO YOU ALL WITH RESPECT AND A SINCERE INTENTION TO HELP THIS COUNCIL AVOID A COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE CRISIS. WHAT IS UNFOLDING THIS EVENING DIDN'T APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE. IT'S THE PREDICTABLE OUTCOME OF TWO YEARS OF MISALIGNED DECISIONS AND A VACANCY PROCESS BUILT ON AN UNSTABLE LEGAL GROUND. THIS IS NOT ABOUT BLAME, OKAY? IT'S ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY. AND RIGHT NOW, RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER AT THE CENTER, TONIGHT'S PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ALL SEEING IS THE MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL CODE LANGUAGE ADOPTED IN FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 2024. THAT LANGUAGE CREATED AN AT LARGE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR THE FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM THAT WAS ALREADY SCHEDULED UNDER A BINDING CVRA SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT TO TRANSITION TO A DISTRICT BASED REPRESENTATION, AND THAT THIS MANEUVER IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY GOVERNMENT CODE 36512. THAT STATUTE APPLIES TO JURISDICTIONS STILL OPERATING UNDER A TRADITIONAL, STABLE AT LARGE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, AND NOT A CITY THAT IS ALREADY AGREED AND IN TRANSIT IN TRANSITION TO A BY-DISTRICT MODEL. SO NOTHING IN GOVERNMENT CODE 36512 PERMITS A CITY TO REVIVE OR REINVENT AN AT LARGE APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY DURING AN ONGOING SHIFT TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS. AND NOTHING IN THE CVRA SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT PROBABLY ALLOWED IT EITHER. AS A RESULT, ANY APPOINTMENT MADE TONIGHT RISKS BEING LEGALLY VULNERABLE DUE TO THE ENTIRELY FLAWED DESIGN OF THE TRANSITION PROCESS ITSELF. I LEFT LAST, I LEFT THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS LAST WEEK FRUSTRATED, FEELING VERY DISCONTENT AND DISAPPOINTED, BUT NOT IN ANY ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR, IS JUST AT THE AT THE FAILURE OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. AND IT MAY BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE SPIRIT, THERE'S AN INCONSISTENCY WITH HOW IT ALIGNS WITH THE SPIRIT INTENT OR IMPLIED TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT THAT EXPOSES THE CITY TO INJUNCTION, TO AN INJUNCTION, LIKELY A COURT ORDERED SPECIAL ELECTION AND SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL EXPOSURE. YEAH, SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL LOSSES THAT THE CITY SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO AVOID. LET ME BE CLEAR. I'M NOT HERE TO ENCOURAGE LITIGATION. I'M HERE TO HELP YOU BE MORE INFORMED AND LIKELY PREVENT IT. THERE'S ONE THERE'S ONE PATH AVAILABLE

[00:55:02]

THAT'S DOCTOR FRANCIS MARQUEZ. OKAY. THE TRUTH IS THAT COUNCILWOMAN BONNIE PETE WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE BODY WHO CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A LEVEL OF PREPARATION, UPHELD A STANDARD OF HONESTY AND INTEGRITY AND AND HIGH STANDARDS FOR ALL CANDIDATES TO MEET. AND I DIDN'T SEE THAT THROUGH ANY OF THE OTHER RESPONSES PROVIDED BY THE REST OF THE COUNCIL. SO MAINTAIN THOSE HIGH STANDARDS. I ASK YOU TO FINISH. AND LAST THING I DID TELL YOU TO CHANGE THE ZOOM. JUST IF I MAY, REAL QUICK, MAYOR, I KNOW THE SPEAKER SAID THAT THE SPECIAL APPOINTMENT, THE ELECTION TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT COULD NOT OCCUR AT LARGE UNDER STATE LAW. KEVIN SHENKMAN ACTUALLY CONFIRMED THAT. BUT FOR THE INTERPRETATION THAT HE PROVIDED IN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT HE EVEN AGREES WITH OUR ANALYSIS. GLENN BUTTON, FOLLOWED BY KELLY K. GOOD EVENING. AS A 30 PLUS YEAR RESIDENT OF OUR FINE CITY, I COME TO WISH YOU A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. AND AS A QUICK HISTORICAL REMINDER, INEXPERIENCE IS EXPENSIVE.

EXPENSIVE IN MANY TERMS, NOT JUST FINANCIAL. THE PILGRIMS WHO CAME OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, THEY WERE UNPREPARED FOR A NEW ENGLAND WINTER. AND THAT FIRST WINTER, HALF OF THEM DIED.

INEXPERIENCE IS EXPENSIVE. SQUANTO HAD EXPERIENCE WHICH ENDED UP PROVIDING THE FIRST THANKSGIVING THE FOLLOWING YEAR, BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE THAT KNEW THAT LAND, AND SO SQUANTO HELPED THE PILGRIMS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HARVEST WHERE THEY COULD CELEBRATE. THE FIRST THANKSGIVING EXPERIENCE HAS VALUE, AND THE RECENT HEMORRHAGING THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR CITY OF EXPERIENCE IS REGRETTABLE. OUR CITY MANAGER WAS IMMEDIATELY SNATCHED UP BY YORBA LINDA, OUR CITY CLERK, OUR ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, ALL WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. AND IT SEEMED WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO IN OPPOSITION TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO SPOKE ABOUT CHANGING THE DATE OF THE MEETING, THEY SELECTED A DATE WHEN OUR EXPERIENCED CITY ATTORNEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT. OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE IS LIKELY TO RETIRE SOON. WE'VE GOT A A HEMORRHAGING OF EXPERIENCE. MY EARNEST RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO APPOINT NOT JUST A CANDIDATE, BUT SOMEONE WITH PROVEN EXPERIENCE, SOMEONE WHO WILL BRING A CALM, REASONED APPROACH BACK TO OUR CITY. AND THE PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE AND MALLORY, SHE'S A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. SHE'S A FORMER MAYOR. SHE'S BEEN THE LEADER OF LARGE, MULTIFACETED ORGANIZATIONS WHICH SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. THE FALLBACK THE ALTERNATE SUGGESTION I WOULD HAVE IS FOR CANDI KERN, WHO HAS PROVEN SCHOOL BOARD EXPERIENCE. THEY HAVE SAT ON THE DAIS FOR LARGE, MULTIFACETED ORGANIZATIONS. THEY HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, AND WE NEED TO DO THIS QUICKLY, BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY GOT 11.5 MONTHS BEFORE THIS SEAT IS UP FOR ELECTION. SO MAKE THE WISE CHOICE. PUT SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE INTO THAT EMPTY SEAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KELLY K, FOLLOWED BY BETH CULVER. HELLO. SORRY I'M STILL RECOVERING FROM AN ILLNESS, BUT I HAD THIS WHOLE SPEECH PREPARED. BUT INSTEAD OF REPEATING BASICALLY EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TRULY DISAPPOINTING IT WAS TO SEE THE RESULTS OF YOUR SELECTION FOR THE COUNCIL VACANCY. IT SHOWED A REAL LACK OF COMPETENCY ANY JUST IT'S SO IT JUST BECAME VERY OBVIOUS HOW PARTIZAN THIS WHOLE APPOINTMENT PROCESS HAS BECOME. AND I QUESTION MY ABILITY TO REALLY TRUST YOU GUYS. MAYOR PRO TEM MAYOR, YOU

[01:00:04]

AND FOR THAT REASON, YOU KNOW, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER STEPPING DOWN AS MAYOR. MR. DAVID BURKE. AND YOU, MR. MEDRANO, SHOULD REALLY RECONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO SERVE THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS OF CYPRUS. AS MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU GUYS ARE NEW TO THIS. IT TAKES A LOT TO RUN A CITY. I KNOW I COULDN'T DO IT, BUT AND THAT'S BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OR THE QUALIFICATIONS. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU'RE STILL LEARNING AND EMBRACE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GROW. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY ALLOWING OTHERS WITH MORE EXPERIENCE, MORE QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS BONNIE, PETE AND MALLORY, EVEN CANDI KERN, ALL OF THESE WOMEN HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP. WELL BE EFFECTIVE IN LEADERSHIP. THAT ALL BEING SAID, I REALLY WANT TO REITERATE THE ONE PERSON WHO SHOULD NOT BE APPOINTED IS FRANCIS MARQUEZ. THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CONTINUES TO ENGAGE IN VEXATIOUS LITIGATION AGAINST THE CITY. AND I DON'T BELIEVE SOMEBODY LIKE THAT IS TRUSTWORTHY. AND SHE'S NOT HERE TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS. SHE'S HERE TO SERVE HER OWN POLITICAL PURPOSES. SO PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU TO PUT ASIDE YOUR POLITICAL INTERESTS, YOUR BIAS, PARTIZAN POLITICS AND THE GAMESMANSHIP AND REALLY UPHOLD YOUR ETHICAL DUTY TO SERVE US, THE RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. BETH CULVER, FOLLOWED BY HARUMI. GREETINGS. AND THAT INCLUDES GREETINGS TO THE THREE OPAQUE AMIGOS. MY NAME IS BETH CULVER, AND I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY. IT FEELS LIKE FOREVER, BUT I LOVE IT.

AND I WANT TO AGREE WITH GLENN HERE. THE RECENT HEMORRHAGING OF THE HEMORRHAGING OF EXPERIENCED, QUALIFIED CITIZENS OF CYPRUS EMPLOYEES IS QUITE ALARMING. IT CALLS INTO QUESTION THE CHARACTER OF THE LEADERSHIP OF CYPRUS, GIVING IT THE APPEARANCE OF NEFARIOUS NEPOTISM AND DODGY DOINGS. I'VE GOT A FEW EXAMPLES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS ANYBODY. YOU GOT RID OF 75 YEARS COLLECTIVELY OF EXPERIENCE. THAT'S PHENOMENAL. IT'S TIME TO INFUSE THIS COUNCIL WITH SOMEONE THAT'S INTELLIGENT, EXPERIENCED AND AND RESPONSIBLE LEADER FOR THE CYPRUS CITIZENS. TIME FOR PROFESSIONALISM. AND NO MORE NAIVE TRANSPLANTS. TIME TO HONOR THE OATH OF OFFICE THAT YOU SWORE AND SIGNED TO. RIGHT HERE. COPY OF IT. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF CALIFORNIA. AND NOT TO BOGUS, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, UNLAWFUL MANDATES. IT'S TIME FOR THE TRUTH. TIME TO PUT YOUR EGOS, YOUR ARROGANCE, YOUR QUESTIONABLE AGENDAS ASIDE. TRY PROFESSIONALISM AND TRANSPARENCY FOR ONCE. AND BY THE WAY, IF I WAS TO RELY ON A PERSON TO MAKE CITIES FOR THE DECISION, INCLUDING EVERYTHING FROM THE THE STREETS, THE SCHOOLS, THE HOUSING, THE ZONING, THE SAFETY, THE FIRE RESPONSE, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T RELY ON A DANCER. OR WOULD I RELY ON SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT A PERSONAL LEGAL LITIGATION GOING ON WITH THE CITY OF CYPRUS, WHICH COST US NEARLY $1 MILLION. THANK YOU. HARUMI, FOLLOWED BY CLAUDIA NAZARIO. HI, MY NAME IS HARUMI. I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF CYPRUS. LAST WEEK WAS A SHAM MEETING FILLED WITH LIES AND EVASION. QUINTON BENTLEY LIED ABOUT HIS QUALIFICATIONS. MAYOR BURKE LIED WHEN HE SAID HE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER HE WILL RUN AGAIN. HE ALREADY HAS A CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED IN 2026, IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T KNOW, MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO WOULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY HE SUPPORTED RACHEL CARNAHAN. COUNCILMEMBER CHANG WOULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY HE WOULD SUPPORT RACHEL CARNAHAN. WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THIS, WITH WITH THESE THREE MEMBERS, THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED AND BRIGHTEST IN THE CITY WITH LOADS OF EXPERIENCE, ARE BEING FORCED TO RESIGN OR LEAVING BECAUSE OF ABYSMAL LEADERSHIP. WE LOST PETER GRANT 11.5 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. ALICIA FARNELL, CITY KIRK 20 YEARS. THAT'S WHY WE ARE HAVING THIS AUDIO ISSUES. CHRISTINA DIESEL, ASSISTANT CLERK TEN YEARS. TWO MORE LOSSES ARE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. MATT

[01:05:03]

THERE ARE UGLY SIDES TO IT. THERE ARE VERY BENEFICIAL SIDES TO IT. I WANT TO BE ON THAT BENEFICIAL SIDE FOR OUR CITY RESIDENTS. I HAVE A PERFECT RECORD AS A CITY COMMISSIONER OF ATTENDANCE IN A YEAR AND A HALF. I'VE NOT MISSED ONE MEETING. WE MEET MONTHLY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M. MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN ME. I'M QUITE ENGAGED IN OUR CITY. I ATTEND ALL OF OUR CITY EVENTS. I'M OUT THERE TALKING FACE TO FACE TO OUR RESIDENTS, NOT ONLY AT THOSE EVENTS AT OUR SENIOR CENTER. I ENGAGE WITH THEM AT THEIR BINGO. I GO WITH THEM ON THEIR TRIPS. WE HAVE A BIG POPULATION OF SENIORS, AND THEIR VOICE COUNTS TO THEIR VOICE REALLY COUNTS. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGES IN OUR POPULATION HERE.

I'M READY TO REPRESENT ALL OF THEM AND LISTEN TO THEM. I DO KNOW HOW TO LISTEN QUITE ATTENTIVELY. I RAISED THREE CHILDREN. THEY'RE ALL QUITE DIFFERENT. ALL DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES COME AT YOU WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS. I WANT THIS, I WANT THAT. THAT'S HOW OUR CITY IS. THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO RESPECT EVERY ONE OF THEM AND REPRESENT THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. I'M READY TO DO THAT. SITTING NEXT TO YOU, BESIDE YOU, RESPECTING EVERY ONE OF YOU AND YOUR BELIEFS AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND MAKING MY DECISIONS AND MAKING THEM KNOWN BY VOTING AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. MADAM CITY CLERK, CAN YOU CHECK IF WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CARDS, PLEASE? OH, ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE PEOPLE TEXTING ME AS WELL SAYING THEY'RE ON THE WEBINAR AND THEY HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED, BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. THEY'VE GONE TO LOOK AT THE OTHER ONE. THEY CAN HEAR IT, BUT THEY WANT TO COMMENT. SO THEY'RE NOT. THEY HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED, BUT THEY'RE NOT.

THEY CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL THEN HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE IN-PERSON SPEAKER CARDS. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BRIEF RECESS AND SEE IF WE CAN WORK OUT THE AUDIO ISSUE SO THAT THE FOLKS ONLINE CAN COMMENT AND HEAR. SO LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKER CARDS, PETER CROTTY AND MARILYN REAMS. I SEE A GENTLEMAN. DO YOU HAVE A CARD? OKAY. WELL I DON'T THINK I HAVE

[01:10:05]

AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS TO APPOINT HER TONIGHT OR LET HER GO TO ELECTION. THANK YOU.

MARILYN REAMS, FOLLOWED BY THE GENTLEMAN IN THE FRONT ROW. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO KEEP MY COMMENTS FAIRLY BRIEF AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS DOWN TONIGHT. I ECHO WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE GRAVITY OF THE DECISION TONIGHT. IT IS IMPORTANT. THAT YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. MAYBE UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHERS, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN HERE THAT ARE ARE WELL QUALIFIED, WELL EDUCATED, AND I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE DEEPLY IN THE VALUE OF EDUCATION. I BELIEVE I BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS CRITICAL FOR A POSITION ON THIS COUNCIL, A STRONG BACKGROUND WITH A HIGH EDUCATION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. AS A RETIRED TEACHER MYSELF, I, I GOOD GRAVY. I WANT DESPERATELY FOR YOU TO CHOOSE A CANDIDATE THAT IS WELL EDUCATED AND WELL QUALIFIED. AND I HONESTLY, I, I THINK AND I, I, I REFUSE TO SEE THIS, YOU KNOW, DIMINISHING HUMAN BEINGS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. WE SHOULD NEVER BE ABOUT THAT IN THIS CHAMBER, FROM ANYONE, FROM ANY RESIDENT TO BULLY OR TO DIMINISH A HUMAN BEING FOR WHAT THEY DO. THAT IS NOT OKAY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IN DEFENSE OF RACHEL CARNAHAN, SHE IS YOU KNOW, THIS WOMAN IS A WELL-EDUCATED WOMAN. AND, YOU KNOW, TO DIMINISH HER IS NOT OKAY WITH ME. SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING, BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING WITH A WELL ESTABLISHED REPUTATION IN THIS CITY. CANDY KERN A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE, A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE IN AS THE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT, I THINK SHE WOULD BE ALSO AN ASSET AND A FINE FIT ON THIS COUNCIL. AND ALSO ANNE MALLORY, ALSO WELL EXPERIENCED AND WELL GROUNDED IN WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THE CITY. I, I HAVE SPOKEN PRIVATELY, WELL, NOT PRIVATELY. I'VE WRITTEN LETTERS TO SEVERAL OF YOU AND AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE'S IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE UP HERE THAT IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY. AND THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MADE. ONE OF THEM CHANGING THE COUNCIL DAY. I URGE YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER BACKING OUT OF THAT. WAIT UNTIL THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER IS SEATED. HAVE TIME TO DO THESE THINGS. WAIT UNTIL A CITY MANAGER IS APPOINTED FOR THE NEW TERM, AND THEN TALK TO A NEW CITY MANAGER AND HAVE HAVE A HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THAT. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, I AM IN ABSOLUTE AGREEMENT THAT BONNIE PETE SHOULD BE OUR MAYOR NEXT, NEXT YEAR. AND I URGE THIS COUNCIL, AND I MEAN THAT FROM THE HEART WITH EVERY OUNCE THAT I CAN TELL YOU. THANK YOU.

WE NEED THAT EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU. HELLO. I DO WANT TO MENTION I GREW UP IN CYPRUS.

I'M 22 AND I EVEN SEE ONE OF MY TEACHERS HERE. SO THIS IS A PRETTY SMALL TOWN. SORRY. COULD YOU START BY STATING YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE CARD? SURE. BRUCE MULLEN, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION TO YOU GUYS THE WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WAS A VERY DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE CITY. AND I DO WANT TO MENTION TO YOU GUYS THAT FOR ME PERSONALLY, GROWING UP IN THE CITY, I LOVE THE CITY AND ALL THE PARKS. I KNOW THE CITY. I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO TAKE THE TIME AND REALLY CONSIDER SOMEONE THAT KNOWS THE CITY FROM THE GROUND

[01:15:02]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY OTHER IN-PERSON SPEAKER CARDS. NO MORE IN-PERSON SPEAKER CARDS. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED IF YOU WANT TO. SO WILL THEY BE ABLE TO HEAR US? IF WE CALL ON THEM, WE CAN. CERTAINLY WE CAN TRY. BUT I WAS PLANNING TO TAKE A RECESS BECAUSE I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW IF THEY CAN HEAR THEM. BUT WHO'S THE PERSON WITH THEIR HAND RAISED? IT IS J.R. NASARI. J.R. NASARI, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, YOU'RE FREE TO COMMENT, SO PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND COMMENT. OKAY, WELL, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT PERHAPS YOU CAN'T HEAR US, SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE A BRIEF RECESS, SEE IF WE CAN SORT OUT THIS AUDIO ISSUE, COME BACK, GET THAT COMMENT AND ANY OTHER HANDS RAISED AND THEN CONTINUE. SO WE'RE READY? YES. WE'RE READY. I SHOW TWO HANDS RAISED ON OUR VIRTUAL COMMENTS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH J.R. NIZARI. YOU ARE UNMUTED. PLEASE GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF. YES J.R. NIZARI, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, YOU'RE FREE TO COMMENT. THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS J.R. NIZARI. I'M A CIVIL LITIGATION ATTORNEY WHO WAS RAISED IN CYPRUS MY WHOLE LIFE. THE CITY IS ONE THAT NEVER FAILS ITS CITIZENS, AND I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT WILL DO SO NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HEARD MANY COMMENTS FROM A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS, BOTH IN FAVOR AND BOTH HAVE BEEN APPALLED WITH WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. BUT I'M HERE TONIGHT TO NOT ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE ACTIONS, BUT RATHER ADVOCATE FOR ONE OF THE CANDIDATES WHO I THINK WOULD BE AN AMAZING ASSET. IN ADDITION TO YOUR COUNSEL, WHO IS CLAUDIA NIZARI, SHE IS A DEDICATED, DEDICATED CIVIL SERVANT WHO HAS BEEN DOING SO THROUGHOUT HER WHOLE LIFE. AND WHILE HER RESUME DOES REFLECT A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN AN AMAZING MOTHER WHO RAISED HER CHILDREN AND ALSO WORKED ALONGSIDE HER HUSBAND WITH A WONDERFUL SMALL BUSINESS IN HER COMMUNITY, SHE'S SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO HONE HER REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE AND UTILIZE THAT TO BETTER THE LIVES OF OTHERS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THROUGHOUT HER LIFE AND THROUGHOUT HER TIME OF CHOOSING TO RAISE HER FAMILY IN CYPRUS, SHE'S BEEN SOMEBODY WHO, WITH HER WORK, HAS BEEN ABLE TO REVIEW BUDGETS, WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO SELECT A BID FOR CONTRACTS, AND SOMEBODY WHO IS VERY INTELLIGENT IN THE WAY THAT SHE EXECUTES HER DECISION MAKING. SHE'S VERY METHODICAL PERSON IN THE SENSE THAT SHE TAKES IN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS NECESSARY AT HAND FOR DECISION MAKING, AND REALLY EVALUATES IT WITH A LEVEL HEAD AND A CLEAR EYE. SOMETHING ABOUT CLAUDIA IS THAT SHE DOES NOW, AND HAS BEEN NOT ONLY A VOLUNTEER WITH THE CITY, BUT ALSO WORKS AT THE SENIOR COMMISSION AS WELL.

SHE'S SOMEBODY WHO LOVES FINDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK. SHE LOVES TO HELP OUT A NEIGHBOR. SHE LOVES TO ENSURE THAT THE LIVES OF OTHERS ARE BETTER BECAUSE SHE WAS ABLE TO HAVE A TOUCH ON IT. AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, SHE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WITH OUR GREAT CITY OF CYPRUS. AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES HAVE HAD THESE OPPORTUNITIES ALREADY, IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR MARK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REFLECT THEIR OWN TRACK RECORD, AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT START TO GIVE CLAUDIA THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HER MARK AND CONTINUE TO MAKE NOT ONLY HER FAMILY, BUT HER CITY PROUD AS THE NEXT APPOINTED MEMBER ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CYPRUS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WHO'S NEXT UP? NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN WEST. ALL RIGHT. MR. WEST, IF YOU'RE IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU'RE FREE TO COMMENT. HELLO. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS JOHN WEST, AND I'M HERE ONCE AGAIN TO STATE MY SUPPORT FOR CLAUDIA. CLAUDIA, IS YOUR LEASE CONTRACT CONTROVERSIAL CANDIDATE RIGHT NOW? I'VE KNOWN CLAUDIA FOR MANY YEARS. SHE'S THE DEFINITION OF SERVICE. SHE LISTENS, SHE LEADS, AND SHE FOLLOWS THROUGH. NOT FOR RECOGNITION, BUT BECAUSE SHE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT CYPRUS.

NEARLY EVERY BOARD OR ROLE SHE HAD HAS BEEN VOLUNTEER BECAUSE SERVICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HER CALLING. CLAUDIA BRINGS A THOUGHTFUL PERSPECTIVE TO EVERY DISCUSSION. SHE APPROACHES CHALLENGES WITH RESPECT AND DETERMINATION, AND A GENUINE DESIRE TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT HELP EVERYONE. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS IN ACTION AROUND THE CITY. WITH HER WORK AT THE SENIOR CENTER. BUT WHAT MAKES HER MOST UNIQUE IS HER HEART. WHEN SOMEONE GOES MISSING FROM

[01:20:06]

CLAUDIA ACTS. CLAUDIA SERVES WITH COMPASSION AND INTEGRITY. HER VOICE ON THIS COUNCIL WILL HELP GUIDE CYPRUS FORWARD IN A POSITIVE, INCLUSIVE, COMMUNITY CENTERED DIRECTION. IS PROGRESS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER HANDS RAISED ONLINE? THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE GET TO THE AGENDA ITEM, I DID WANT TO ASK ONE QUESTION OF I'M GOING TO GOT A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY MANAGER AND THEN ONE FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY. SO MR. CITY MANAGER, A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS HAVE KIND OF RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VETTING PROCESS FOR APPLICANTS. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE THAT PROCESS THAT THE CITY USES WHEN AN APPOINTMENT IS BEING CONSIDERED? PLEASE. I CAN SPEAK FOR THIS CITY AND I CAN SPEAK FOR THE OTHER CITIES FOR WHICH I HAVE SERVED. I'VE WORKED 31 PLUS YEARS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, 24 OF THOSE AS CITY MANAGER BEFORE I RETIRED. I'VE SINCE WORKED FOR FOUR OTHER CITIES. WHAT WE DO IS WE CONFIRM ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, AS WAS STATED IN PRESENTATIONS THAT WE MADE CONCERNING THIS MATTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. SPECIFICALLY, WE CONFIRM THAT THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK COUNCIL OFFICE ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND A CYPRUS RESIDENT IN THIS CASE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE CITY OF CYPRUS. WE DO NOT CONDUCT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS. WE CERTAINLY DO THAT OF EMPLOYEES. WE HIRE. WE DO STAFF KEEPS ITS DISTANCE FROM WHO THE VOTERS ELECT. WE CONFIRM THEIR ELIGIBILITY. WE DO NOT CONDUCT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS. I KNOW OF NO SUCH PRACTICE ANYWHERE THAT I'VE WORKED WHERE THAT'S THE CASE. WE DID PUBLISH EARLY WHEN THE WHEN WE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE 16 APPLICATIONS AND PUBLISHED THOSE PUBLICLY. THEY'RE THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY. WE DO NOT PRESUME TO CONDUCT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. AND THEN, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, AT THE LAST MEETING, VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS MADE MOTIONS TO BRING UP VARIOUS APPLICANTS. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN MAKE MOTIONS TO SUPPORT ANY APPLICANTS TONIGHT, OR IS THIS MEETING SORT OF A COMPLETELY CLEAN SLATE? I WOULD SAY IT'S THE LATTER. SO IT'S A COMPLETELY CLEAN SLATE. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TWO LESS APPLICANTS. SO EVEN IF A MOTION HAD BEEN MADE PREVIOUSLY, THAT SAME MOTION COULD BE MADE BY THE SAME PERSON TODAY. SO IT'S STARTING OVER. IN LIGHT OF THE UPDATES THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'VE ALL HAD SOME TIME TO REFLECT

[1. Appoint an Applicant to Fill the City Council Vacancy Prepared by: Lisa Berglund, City Clerk Recommendation: Appoint an Applicant to Fill the City Council Vacancy and Adopt Resolution No. 7040, A Resolution of the City of Cypress, California Filling a Vacancy in the Office of City Councilmember by Appointment.]

[01:25:02]

AND I'M NOT SAYING ALL FIVE CANDIDATES, I'M JUST SAYING AS EVERYBODY MAY HAVE THEIR TOP TWO, MAY HAVE THEIR TOP ONE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BUILT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. AND I MEAN DISCUSSION, NOT JUST A PUSHING OUT INFORMATION. AND.

THANK YOU. MAYBE I'M CONFUSED. I DON'T IS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING. I DON'T SEE HOW THAT REALLY LIMITS ANY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM HAVING A DISCUSSION. IT'S JUST KIND OF SUGGESTING FOCUSING THE DISCUSSION ON CANDIDATES WHO HAVE MORE BROAD SUPPORT. BECAUSE WE HAD WE HAD 16 APPLICANTS AND WE COULD GO THROUGH ALL 14 REMAINING. AS TO WHY WE DON'T SUPPORT, I'VE SEEN THE BIAS IN THE LAST MEETING. OKAY. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT SOMETHING HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST WEEK. SO I WANT EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR CANDIDATES TO HEAR MY PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHY, BUT ALSO FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND IF IF THERE IS A MAJORITY THAT CHOOSES TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, THAT IS THE MAJORITY AND IT HAS EVERY RIGHT. BUT I WANT THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, IT'S GOING TO GET NARROWED DOWN TO 2 OR 3. I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE MY OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MY VOICE HEARD, AND I WANT MY VOICE HEARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. WELL, AND I SEE MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO.

SURE. SO FIRST I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING WE HAVE A GREAT LIST OF CANDIDATES. AND I WAS VERY HUMBLED. I KIND OF WANT TO ECHO WHAT DOCTOR CHANG SAID EARLIER. I'M I DON'T KNOW IF I WOW, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE SPEECHES THAT WERE DELIVERED, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED, THE GREAT LIST OF CANDIDATES. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR APPLYING.

AND I THINK IT REALLY SHOWS HOW MUCH CONCERN AND CARE THE RESIDENTS OF CYPRUS HAVE FOR THIS CITY. SO I WANT TO START OFF WITH THAT. I ALSO WANT TO START OFF WITH THE REMAINING FIVE CANDIDATES. PRETTY MUCH PEOPLE HAVE INTERACTED WITH ON ON VARIOUS LEVELS. IF WE'VE EITHER SEEN THEM PERFORM THEIR DUTIES AS A COMMISSIONER, THEY'VE ALSO WENT THROUGH INTERVIEWS AS A COMMISSIONER, OR WE'VE SEEN THEM PERFORM THEIR DUTIES AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, OR WE SAW THEM RUN CAMPAIGNS. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THESE FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE COME BEFORE US. MOST PEOPLE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, KNOW THEM ON A CERTAIN LEVEL, HAVE MET WITH THEM, HAVE TALKED WITH THEM WHEN THEY CAMPAIGNED, AND SO FORTH. SO A LOT OF INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED DURING THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND A LOT OF INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED OVER THE YEARS ON THESE CANDIDATES. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I BELIEVE THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION WE ALREADY HAVE. ARE THERE BIASES? I WILL SAY YES, THERE ARE BIASES IN EVERYTHING AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE TOUGHEST PART. WHENEVER YOU WANT TO PICK A CANDIDATE, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN WHEN WE SELECT A CITY MANAGER AND WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN WHEN WE. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT WAS PASSED ON TO

[01:30:06]

AND I WAS WARNED ABOUT THIS AND CAUTIONED ABOUT THIS, THE WORDS WE SAY UP HERE CAN BE USED AND UNFORTUNATELY PUT CYPRUS INTO A MORE DRAMATIC SITUATION. SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING CRITICAL ABOUT ONE CANDIDATE, THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE OTHER SIDE AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WE GET INTO THAT VITRIOLIC SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE CRITICIZING THE CANDIDATES, AND THAT IS WHAT I'M FEARFUL OF. AND I'M ALSO EVEN MORE FEARFUL OF SOME OF THE WORDS BEING CHOSEN BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT REALLY KNOWING, KIND OF GETTING INTO THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT. AND THEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN A FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT OR A LAWSUIT. ONE OF THE CANDIDATES THEN SUES THE CITY OF CYPRUS. THAT IS WHY I HAVE CHOSEN. EVEN WHEN PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME, I HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO BE CRITICAL OF THE CANDIDATES BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THAT MAY CREATE THE DRAMA AND CREATE THE FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS. I AM OF THE OPINION WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION. LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT DOWN OUR TOP ONE, 2 OR 3. LET'S PUT IT OUT THERE AND TRY TO VISUALLY RANK THE CANDIDATES OR PUT THEM IN THERE AND KIND OF PRIORITIZE. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CANDIDATES AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. BUT OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE ALL GOTTEN TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES ON ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAVE PULLED THEIR FORUM FOR 60S. I'VE GONE OVER SOME OF THEIR INFORMATION. FOR THOSE THAT HAVE RAN FOR OFFICE, THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION. I'VE PULLED THEIR WEBSITES. I'VE SEEN HOW THEY HAVE DONE THINGS, TALKED TO THEM DURING COMMISSIONER MEETINGS, TALK TO THEM DURING COMMISSIONER SOCIAL HOURS, TALK TO THEM, SAY TO THE CITY. SO A LOT OF THESE CANDIDATES, IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'RE SEEING THEM. SECOND TIME, THIRD TIME FOR SOME OF THESE CANDIDATES. IT'S BEEN DOZENS OF TIMES WE'VE SEEN THEM. SO AS A RESULT, I'M OF I AGREE. I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME. I THINK IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING HERE ON A FRIDAY ON BLACK FRIDAY HERE RIGHT BEFORE.

UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH, WE HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A DECISION BY NOVEMBER 30TH. OTHERWISE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG CITY ATTORNEY, WE WILL FIND OURSELVES IN THE RECIPIENT OF A LAWSUIT, POTENTIALLY, AND EVEN WASTING MORE MONEY HERE WITH THE STATE, WASTING MORE MONEY AND TIME AND SO FORTH. SO I'M OF THE OPINION THOUGH. THIS IS AN UGLY WAY OF DOING IT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT OUR NUMBER ONE AND TWO DOWN, OR JUST PUT TWO PEOPLE TRY TO NARROW DOWN THE POOL AND THEN GO AHEAD AND THEN MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT. IF SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE THAT MOTION, THEY CAN DO A COUNTER MOTION, COUNTER SUBSTITUTE MOTION. AND THEN BY ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDERS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND THEN MAKE A DECISION. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER PETE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE RESIDENTS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. NOW, BEFORE WE GO INTO ANY SELECTION OF OUR TOP TWO. I DON'T THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE YOUR MIND MADE UP OF WHO THOSE TOP TWO ARE. I THINK IT'S PRUDENT. I DON'T THINK LAST TIME I SAID ANYTHING THAT WAS INCORRECT OR UNFACTUAL ABOUT ANY OF THE CANDIDATES, EVERYTHING I SAID WAS FACTUAL. IT WAS BASED ON EITHER DATA IN THE VOTER'S RECORDS OR DATA IN MINUTES OF MEETINGS. I DIDN'T STATE ANYTHING AND I'M SORRY IF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO HEAR THAT.

MAYBE THEY WERE INCONSISTENT AT MEETINGS. IT'S THE FACT. SO THAT IS WHY I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THIS OPEN DIALOG SO OUR RESIDENTS CAN HEAR AS TO WHY. I KNOW WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION THE LAST TIME. I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE RESIDENTS TO HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION TODAY AND SAYING, OKAY, MY TOP TWO ARE X AND Y, OKAY, I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I'LL TELL YOU MY TOP TWO AND WHY I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR TOP TWO. AND THEN LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION THAT THE IT COMES DOWN TO THESE TWO PEOPLE AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A OKAY, WHICH IS THE BEST OF THOSE TWO, BUT I THINK IT'S A COP OUT. HONESTLY, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE DIALOG BASED ON FACTS THAT WE ALL HAVE AS TO HOW YOU MADE YOUR DECISION, I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO SAY I DON'T LIKE THAT PERSON BECAUSE SHE HAS GREEN HAIR, OKAY? I'M NOT ASKING FOR THAT. I'M JUST ASKING YOU FOR IT. TO REALLY BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE REASONING BEHIND THE SELECTION OF A CANDIDATE. MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILMEMBER PETE. I DO RESPECT THEM AND I WILL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US YOUR TOP TWO? YEAH, I WILL TELL YOU MY TOP TWO, BUT I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO JUMP IN BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME CONFUSION. COUNCIL MEMBER PETE, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY TALKED ABOUT PREVENTING A DISCUSSION. I SUGGESTED THAT WE EACH IDENTIFY OUR TOP TWO AND THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION WHERE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WEIGHS IN ON THE

[01:35:02]

THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. SO IF YOU'RE OPEN TO SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT THAT WE CAME DOWN TO THAT YOU GUYS ALL PUT IN, THEN THAT'S WHERE I WAS. SO. COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG, THANK YOU. IT ACTUALLY SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN AGREEMENT. I, I THINK WE BEGIN THIS PROCESS BY WRITING DOWN OUR TOP TWO CANDIDATES. AND IF WE CAN'T FIND SOME AGREEMENT, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST OF CANDIDATES, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT EACH CANDIDATE. SO COUNCIL MEMBER, GO AHEAD.

COUNCIL MEMBER. PETE. YES. SO THE ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, BECAUSE I, I HEARD DIFFERENT FOLKS COME UP AND THEY'RE PLEADING FOR A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE. LOVE THE LOVE THAT LET'S NOT LOSE SIGHT. THIS IS FOR A 12 MONTH ASSIGNMENT, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT BRINGING SOMEBODY IN THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THAT'S UP TO THE RESIDENTS TO DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO HAVE. AND THAT WILL HAPPEN IN 26. SO I WANT TO REITERATE, I THINK WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLY ON IS WE ARE LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES THAT CAN STEP IN FOR 12 MONTHS, AND THEY COULD BE INSIDE THE DISTRICT OR NOT.

DOESN'T MATTER. BUT THEY'RE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES THAT CAN EASILY STEP IN AND NOT BE DISRUPTIVE TO OUR CITY. I'M GOING TO STOP YOU FOR A SECOND. I APPRECIATE YOUR GETTING INTO KIND OF THE CRITERIA THAT YOU'RE FOCUSING ON. THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK YOU SHOULD RAISE IN THE DISCUSSION WE HAVE, BUT I THINK I DON'T THINK I DON'T SEE THE CRITERIA AS BEING UNREASONABLE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND MAYBE MAYBE THAT'S SUGGESTING THAT. BUT I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO START THE CONVERSATION. IF YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR CERTAIN CANDIDATES FOR THE REASONS YOU'RE DESCRIBING, GO FOR IT. BUT I THINK WE'RE COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG SUGGESTED WE WRITE DOWN OUR TOP TWO AND START THE CONVERSATION. AT WHAT POINT IN TIME DO WE TALK ABOUT QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR? I'M NOT BADMOUTHING ANYBODY, OKAY? WHENEVER YOU WANT. SO LET'S DO IT RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE PUT UP THE TOP TWO, BECAUSE I, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE. COUNCILMEMBER PETE, WHEN WE DISCUSS THE CANDIDATES, YOU ARE FREE TO ARTICULATE THE QUALITIES YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE AND WHY A GIVEN CANDIDATE MEETS OR DOESN'T MEET THOSE CRITERIA. I GUESS THAT SEEMS LIKE YOU'D WANT TO DO IT BEFORE, RIGHT? WE WANT TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME, OR SOMEONE THAT HAS PRIOR COUNCIL EXPERIENCE, OR SOMEONE THAT LIVES IN DISTRICT FIVE. IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING AND WE'RE THROWING DARTS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE THROWING AT BECAUSE WE ALL MAY BE ON EXACTLY THE DIFFERENT PAGES WITH REGARDS TO QUALIFICATIONS. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT IS I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE I KNOW I DEFINITELY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF QUALIFICATIONS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, I'M JUST GOING ON RECORD THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT. YEAH I I'LL AND MAYOR PRO TEM JUST I WAS GOING TO SAY YEAH I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO COME TO A UNANIMOUS CONSENSUS ABOUT THE QUALITIES WE VALUE. THAT'S

[01:40:04]

AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO JUST ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO EXPLAIN IT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO JUST GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. PLEASE BE SEATED, IF I MAY, MAYOR, I ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT. TO THE EXTENT WE ARE SUBMITTING, THE COUNCIL IS SUBMITTING THE NOTES TO THE CITY CLERK. IT HAS TO INCLUDE THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S NAME SO THE CLERK IS ABLE TO IDENTIFY. YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT AT THE OUTSET OF THIS PROCESS. SO. AND THIS IS JUST A STRAW POLL, AND THEN WE'RE FREE TO PRESS OUR REQUEST TO SPEAK AND SAY WHATEVER WE SEE FIT. SURE. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO APPOINT AND A VOTE HAS BEEN TAKEN. CORRECT. THAT IS THE OFFICIAL PROCESS. IT'S NOT, HEY, WE THINK THIS OR THAT, CORRECT? I'M UNCLEAR. WHEN YOU SAY WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING, WE CANNOT APPOINT SOMEONE UNTIL A MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND THEN SECONDED, THEN VOTE AND WE NEED TO GO, OKAY. SO WE CAN DISCUSS ALL WE WANT AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN UNTIL WE DO. ROB FOLLOWS ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, SO THERE HAS TO BE A MOTION, A SECOND, AND A MAJORITY VOTE. OKAY, SO WHEN YOU'RE READY, MADAM CITY CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE THEIR TOP TWO CHOICES? YES. STARTING WITH MAYOR PRO TEM RACHEL STRONG AND CLAUDIA NAZARIO. COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG, RACHEL STRONG AND FRANCIS MARQUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER PETE AND MALLORY AND CANDI KERN, MAYOR BURKE, RACHEL STRONG AND CANDI KERN. THANK YOU. SO IF I GOT THAT CORRECTLY, THE TWO APPLICANTS WHO HAD MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS RANKED THEM IN THE TOP TWO WERE RACHEL STRONG AND CANDI KERN. AND SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER EXPRESSED THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON AND JUST GOING IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. CANDI KERN FOLLOWED BY RACHEL. OR WE'LL START WITH CANDI KERN.

BUT COUNCIL MEMBER PETE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON ANY OTHER APPLICANTS OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS TO DO. SO. ALL RIGHT. SO BUCKLE IN. ALL RIGHT. AS I TALKED ABOUT YOU KNOW, IS IS NOT NECESSARILY QUALITIES BUT QUALIFICATIONS.

OKAY. I LOOK AT THIS AS A 12 MONTH ASSIGNMENT. THE PERSON MAY OR MAY NOT RUN FOR COUNCIL NEXT YEAR. THAT THAT IS TOTALLY UP TO THEM. WHEREVER THEY'RE AT IT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THAT, I SAY, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OUR CITY IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, WE'VE LOST OUR CITY MANAGER, WE'VE LOST OUR CITY CLERK, WE'VE LOST OUR ASSISTANT CITY CLERK. WE HAVE OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR GOING OUT AND ASSUMING WE CHANGE OUR MEETING DATES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT COUNCIL. THAT IS ENOUGH CHANGE WITHIN THE CITY, AND I AGREE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO SAID IT, BUT I AGREE THAT WHEN WE MAKE MAJOR CHANGES WITHIN THE CITY, WHICH IS INCLUDING ADDING SOMEONE TO THE TO THE COUNCIL, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME STABILITY IN OUR CITY AND WE SHOULD HAVE A CITY MANAGER THAT IS A FULL TIME CITY MANAGER VESTED IN THE CITY.

[01:45:04]

BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SPOTS WITHIN OUR CITY AND VERY, VERY CRITICAL ROLES. AND SO I LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN FOR 12 MONTHS. I DIDN'T LOOK AT DISTRICT. I LOOKED AT QUALIFICATIONS AND I LOOKED AT THREE DIFFERENT THINGS. ONE IS I LOOKED AT WHO HAS BEEN ELECTED TO SOME SORT OF CIVIC SORT OF SERVANT OFFICE. OKAY.

AND THAT THAT BRINGS US TO THREE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES. WE'VE GOT ANNE MALLORY, WE'VE GOT FRANCIS MARQUEZ, AND WE'VE GOT CANDY CURRAN. OKAY, THOSE THREE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN RUNNING AND BEING A CIVIC SERVANT FOR SOME BOARD. OKAY. OR SOME COUNCIL. I LOOK AT THAT FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AS SOME BRINGING SOME STABILITY TO OUR COUNCIL. IT'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT I'M NOT TALKING BAD ABOUT ANYBODY. THIS IS NOT A LEARNING CURVE FOR SOMEONE. I WOULD SAY IF WE HAD A VERY STABLE STAFF MAYBE. RIGHT. BUT THIS IS NOT A LEARNING CURVE. JOB, RIGHT.

THEY SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE RESIDENTS. AND THAT'S WHY I WENT TO THE THREE. OKAY. WHEN I CAME DOWN TO AND AGAIN, MR. ATTORNEY, I'M GOING TO CALL ON YOU FOR A MINUTE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST MEETING WHEN DOCTOR MARQUEZ GOT UP AND SPOKE, SHE SAID, AND I'VE, I'VE AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THE CITY IN OUR LAWSUIT. CAN YOU AND I DON'T MEAN I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, BUT CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR THAT? IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT IN YOUR MIND, IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR? NO, THAT'S NOT A CORRECT STATEMENT. THE THE COUNTEROFFER IS DRASTICALLY. OFF OF THE OFFER THE CITY MADE. OKAY. I DON'T THINK IT'S PRUDENT FOR US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BRING SOMEBODY WITHIN THE COUNCIL THAT'S SUING THE CITY. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. SO THAT BRINGS ME DOWN TO TWO. OKAY. AND AGAIN, I GO DOWN TO ELECTED WITHIN THE CITY. SO. WAS IN FROM 2020 TO 24. SHE TOO GOT OUT OF HER. SHE WAS UNABLE TO RUN IN 24 BECAUSE SHE THERE WAS ALREADY SOMEBODY IN THAT SEAT. OKAY. AND THAT IS SIMILAR TO WHAT DOCTOR MARQUEZ HAD AS WELL. SO SHE LED THE CITY. SHE'S BEEN A FORMER MAYOR AND SHE HAS LED THE CITY IN THE COUNCIL. AND I DIDN'T HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL THROUGH COVID AND THE WHOLE PANDEMIC. THAT TOOK QUITE A BIT FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. SO I APPLAUD COUNCIL MEMBER OR FORMER MAYOR MALLORY FOR SHE AND THE FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR REALLY MAKING AND CONTINUING TO MAKE CYPRUS THE GREAT CITY IT IS. SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE SOME OF THE SERVICES, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES, AND I AND I LEAVE THAT TO THE LEADERSHIP OF ANN MALLORY AS WELL AS THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. NOW I'M GOING TO SWITCH TO CANDY CURRAN EXACTLY THE SAME THING. I SERVED WITH HER THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, I GUARANTEE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS AND THE PANDEMIC AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAD ON OUR CHILDREN. CANDY WAS PRESIDENT AT THE TIME AND LED WITHOUT ANY, ANY MISSTEP OR ANYTHING. WHAT SHE FOCUSED ON WAS, NUMBER ONE, MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS GOT FED. IT WAS AMAZING TO US AS A AS A LEADERSHIP THAT CHILDREN ONLY WENT TO SCHOOL SOMETIMES TO GET FED. SO THAT WAS NUMBER ONE. TWO IS HOW DO WE GIVE SOMETHING TO ALL PARENTS THAT BEST MET THEIR NEEDS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THREE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND I'M I'M GOING TO PUT CANDY IN THAT ROLE BECAUSE SHE HAD TO LEAD THE TRUSTEES INTO A DECISION ABOUT HOW DO WE HANDLE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE DID. SHE ALSO HAD TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE POLITICS THROUGH LANDALE, WHO IS ON A YEAR ROUND SCHEDULE. SHE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU OFF THE YEAR ROUND SCHEDULE FOR RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE NEED IT TO BE SOME STANDARDIZATION WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT WAS A HARD DISCUSSION TO HAVE, THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. LANDALE HOLDS THAT CLOSE TO THEIR HEART AND WE MADE A COMMITMENT AS A BOARD THAT WE WOULD BRING THAT BACK AS SOON AS WE WERE ABLE. SO I LOOK AT QUALIFICATIONS I LOOK AT EXPERIENCE AND I SAY BOTH ANN AS WELL AS CANDY, BRING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF QUALIFICATIONS INTO THE ROLE THEY CAN CHOOSE TO RUN NEXT

[01:50:01]

COUNCIL MEMBER PETE CAN I. SO ONE FOLLOW UP I HAVE FOR YOU. I THINK AT THE OUTSET YOU HAD MENTIONED YOU HAD THREE CRITERIA. I THOUGHT YOU MENTIONED ONE, WHICH WAS THE QUALIFICATIONS. MAYBE I MISHEARD YOU, BUT I JUST WANTED TO IF YOU HAD THREE CRITERIA AND YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE OTHER TWO, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE. YEAH. SO GOOD POINT. ONE IS CLEARLY THE GOVERNANCE BOARD BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE. SO THAT WAS MY NUMBER ONE. TWO IS HOW ARE THEY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. ARE THEY ACTIVE WITH THE COUNCIL.

ARE THEY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE SEE THEM IN THE COMMUNITY? ARE THEY KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY EITHER FOR PAST OR TODAY? AND THEN I LOOK, ARE THEY INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY? DO THEY DO THEY PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT ACTIVITIES? DO THEY PARTICIPATE IN, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME THINGS FOR THE WOMEN'S CLUB OF CYPRUS? DO THEY DO THINGS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. SO I LOOK AT ARE THEY INVESTED IN THE CITY AND SERVING WITHIN THE CITY? BECAUSE THAT TELLS ME WHERE THEIR HEART IS, AND IT TELLS ME THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY THAT THEY LOVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND SO, COUNCIL MEMBER OH, AND ONE OTHER THING I DID LOOK AT WAS TIME. OKAY, I APOLOGIZE. THAT WAS KIND OF MY FOURTH ONE, BUT DO THEY HAVE TIME TO SERVE? AND I'M GOING TO USE I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE THAT SAID I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TAKES, AND I'M NOT CERTAIN IF I COULD FULFILL THAT, BUT I SHALL GIVE IT A TRY. SO THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT TOO. THANK YOU. AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE IN A MOMENT.

COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG. THE ORIGINAL KIND OF THOUGHT I HAD WAS TO SPEAK TO CANDY CURRAN, SINCE SHE WAS THE FIRST ALPHABETICAL IDENTIFIED BY THE TOP BY THE GROUP. BUT YOU'RE FREE TO ADDRESS ANYTHING. COUNCIL MEMBER PETE SAID. SAY ANYTHING YOU LIKE, SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS. COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG. THANK YOU. I FIRST WANTED TO THANK ALL THE APPLICANTS WHO STEPPED FORWARD TO SERVE. AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR GUIDING US THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT PROCESS. ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN CONTENTIOUS AT TIMES, THIS IS HOW DEBATES ON THE DAIS SHOULD LOOK AT. SHOULD LOOK LIKE NO SHOUTING, NO NAME CALLING, NO CHARACTER ATTACKS. THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY DEBATE. MANY OF US ON THE DAIS, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE HOLD STRONG VIEWS ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION CYPRUS SHOULD TAKE AND WHO IS BEST QUALIFIED TO LEAD US THERE.

ON ONE HAND, WE HAVE SOME VERY QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED CANDIDATES LIKE FORMER MAYOR ANNE MALLORY AND FRANCIS MARQUEZ, WHO ARE READY AND WILLING TO STEP IN. THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE AND THEY CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IF THEY WERE TO STEP IN.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A DESIRE FOR CHANGE. THE PEOPLE HAVE ELECTED NEW LEADERS LIKE MAYOR PRO TEM MEDRANO AND I, TO LEAD THE CITY IN A NEW DIRECTION. AND AFTER LISTENING CAREFULLY TO RESIDENTS AND REFLECTING ON THE NEEDS OF THE CITY, I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY VOTE. I'LL BE CASTING MY VOTE FOR RACHEL STRONG AS A LOCAL BUSINESS PERSON AND A PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER. SHE'S BEEN A STAPLE OF THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS. SHE HAS SHOWN A WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, AND WAS THE RUNNER UP IN THE 2022 ELECTION, COMING IN RIGHT BEHIND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MINIKUS, WHO SHE'LL BE REPLACING, AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER PETE. AND IN THE COMING YEAR, I BELIEVE HER STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY WILL INSPIRE THOUGHTFUL UPDATES TO OUR OWN SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY. AND SO WHEN YOU GUYS ARE

[01:55:06]

WE DIDN'T CUT EACH OTHER OFF. WE RESPECTED THE OTHER OPINIONS. I RESPECT COUNCIL MEMBERS OPINION. I RESPECT DOCTOR CHIANG'S OPINION. AND I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP WITH THIS, THAT ONCE YOU MAKE THAT MOTION, I'LL GO AND SECOND THAT MOTION FOR RACHEL STRONG. COUNCIL MEMBER.

PETE, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CHANG SAID. RACHEL STRONG CAME IN THE FOURTH BEHIND MYSELF. SO THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN WITH MR. MINIKUS COMING IN THE MIDDLE, MYSELF AND THEN RACHEL STRONG, JUST FOR CLARITY. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S WEIGHED IN. SO. COUNCIL MEMBER PETE, I WANT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION TOO. SO MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICANTS WHO GOT THE HAD THE MOST INITIAL SUPPORT. I WANT TO DO THAT. I BELIEVE IN THAT. AND SO LIKE YOU, I WANT TO KIND OF WEIGH IN ON MY CRITERIA THAT I'M CONSIDERING. AND THEN I'M GOING TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO CANDI KERN AND THEN MISS KERN IF YOU'RE OPEN TO IT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT AT THE END OF BECAUSE I LISTEN, WE HEAR YOUR WE HEAR RESIDENTS, WE HEAR YOUR COMMENTS, WE HEAR YOUR YOUR SUPPORT. THIS PERSON WE HEAR YOUR DON'T SUPPORT THIS PERSON.

COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOU. YOU KNOW, YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.

HONESTLY, I THINK IT'S STRANGE TO NOT GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ADDRESS WHAT MAY BE YOUR PERCEIVED WEAKNESSES OR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, I HAVE TWO MAJOR CRITERIA. AND THE FIRST IS SOMEONE WHO HAS THE INTELLIGENCE AND WORK ETHIC TO DO WHAT I SEE AS THE JOB OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES, ARTICULATE THE REASONS FOR YOUR VOTES, AND BE RESPONSIVE TO RESIDENTS. I DON'T REQUIRE AN ADVANCED DEGREE OR ANY KIND OF LITMUS TEST. AND FOR ME, HAVING SERVED AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL PREVIOUSLY IS NOT A PREREQUISITE. IN FACT, IN MY OPINION, JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS SERVED AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL DOES NOT MEAN THEY MEET THE CRITERIA, IN MY OPINION. BUT ONE OF MY MAJOR CRITERIA, OF COURSE, IS SOMEONE WHO CAN STEP IN AND DO THE JOB WELL. THE OTHER MAJOR CRITERIA I'M LOOKING AT, AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR ME, IS CHARACTER. OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO TREATS OTHER PEOPLE WELL, ESPECIALLY THOSE THEY DISAGREE WITH AND WHO WILL PUT THE COMMUNITY FIRST AHEAD OF SPECIAL INTERESTS AND POLITICAL ALLIES. TEMPERAMENT MATTERS A LOT TO ME, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS THE CITY COUNCIL AND CYPRUS HAS HAD THE PAST FEW YEARS, I THINK IT MOSTLY BOILS DOWN TO ISSUES OF CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT. WE GOT A GREAT CITY, SAFE STREETS, WONDERFUL SCHOOLS, RESIDENTS WHO REALLY CARE. BUT IF YOU READ THE HEADLINES FROM 2021 TO 2024, YOU'D READ MOSTLY ABOUT LAWSUITS AND CENSURES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS GIVING 20 OR 30 MINUTE PRESENTATIONS ATTACKING ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE PAST WHO, RATHER THAN SHOWING UP WITH A GENUINE DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER AND TRULY HEAR WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING, HAVE RESPONDED TO DISAGREEMENT WITH INSULTS, ACCUSATIONS AND VICIOUSNESS. FRANKLY, WE HAVE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO I THINK HAVE JUST BEEN LET THE PERSONAL DISPUTES AND PARTIZAN GAMES DISTRACT FROM THE ISSUES THAT REALLY MATTER. AND THIS YEAR I THINK THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER. YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN'T BRAG ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT THIS YEAR WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW LAWSUITS INVOLVING COUNCIL

[02:00:01]

THAT WHOLE SITUATION AND EVERYTHING THAT CAME FROM THAT. AND SO WHEN I SAY I DON'T WANT TO GO BACKWARDS, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE LAWSUITS AND THE DRAMA AND THE ATTACKS. SO I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE OF INTEGRITY AND SOMEONE WILL TRULY PUT THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND ABILITY TO DO THE JOB AND THE RIGHT TEMPERAMENT ARE MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES HERE. I HAVE GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT A LOT OF THE APPLICANTS. MY TOP TWO WERE RACHEL STRONG AND CANDI KERN. MISS KERN, YOUR FIRST IN THE ALPHABETICAL LIST FOR ME. YOUR PRIOR SERVICE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, I THINK IS VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. IN A LOT OF WAYS. IT'S COMPARABLE TO SERVING ON A COUNCIL. FROM WHAT I KNOW OF YOU A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT YOU WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN THE KIND OF PETTINESS AND PARTIZANSHIP THAT'S BEEN A BLACK MARK IN THESE CHAMBERS. I KNOW YOU AND MISS STRONG BOTH RAN IN ELECTIONS NOT TOO LONG AGO AND YOU CAME UP SHORT. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE VOTE SUPPORT FROM THOUSANDS OF VOTERS. AND THAT'S NOT A DECIDING FACTOR FOR ME, BUT IT'S SOMETHING. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF LOCAL LEADERS AND RESIDENTS DURING YOUR TIME ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. I THINK YOU HAVE A LOT OF POINTS IN YOUR FAVOR, AND I'LL BE HONEST REGARDING MY MY BIGGEST HESITATION, WHICH IS JUST YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT. SERVING ON THE COUNCIL HADN'T REALLY BEEN ON YOUR RADAR BEFORE, WHEREAS WE HAVE MULTIPLE OTHER APPLICANTS WHO KIND OF DEMONSTRATED A SUSTAINED DESIRE TO SERVE ON THE COUNCIL, AND THEY'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL AND THEY'VE SHOWED UP FOR MEETINGS AND EXPRESSED THEIR OPINION. AND I KIND OF KNOW WHERE THEY STAND. AND IT'S NOT I'M NOT I DON'T MEAN IT TO SAY THAT. IT'S LIKE A DISQUALIFYING THING. I KNOW YOU HAD ANOTHER JOB SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOT MANY STRENGTHS. FOR ME, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE CRITERIA I WASN'T AS SURE ABOUT, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING NOT HAVING IT ON YOUR RADAR AND THEN FEELING CALLED TO SERVE. AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.

BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY. I JUST I FEEL LIKE IF I'M GOING TO BRING UP SOMETHING, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RESPOND. MR. MAYOR, I FEEL LIKE, SHOULD I TRY? YES, PLEASE. I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS AND WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO RELY ON THE SECOND PART OF WHAT YOU SAID, THAT YES, I WAS DOING OTHER THINGS AS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT CROSSED MY PATH AND THAT'S WHY MY MIND CHANGED. BUT I ALSO JUST AM RELUCTANT TO SAY TOO MUCH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS

[02:05:03]

I THINK MISS STRONG IS A VERY WELL RESPECTED BUSINESS OWNER IN THE CITY, AND SHE'S DEMONSTRATED A CLEAR AND SUSTAINED DESIRE TO SERVE ON THE COUNCIL, HAVING RUN TWICE AND APPLIED FOR THIS VACANCY. I THINK SHE PERFORMED VERY ADMIRABLY IN THE 2022 CAMPAIGN.

AS SOMEONE SAID, SHE WAS THE NEXT RUNNER UP IN THAT ELECTION WITH OVER 5000 VOTES, SO SHE HAS DOCUMENTED SUPPORT ALONG WITH MANY OTHER APPLICANTS. SHE ALSO STRIKES ME AS SOMEONE WHOSE TEMPERAMENT WOULD BE A POSITIVE ADDITION TO THE COUNCIL. I THINK SHE'D BRING A NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THE GROUP WITHOUT SOME OF THE BAGGAGE, FRANKLY, OF APPLICANTS WHO'VE SERVED BEFORE. AND I'VE ALSO SEEN HER IN CHAMBERS OVER THE YEARS, AND I THINK SHE'S GENERALLY BEEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES. I RECALL NOT TOO LONG AGO, A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER PROPOSED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN INCREDIBLY RESTRICTIVE POLICY TO PREVENT MINORITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM GETTING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND LIMITING THE NUMBER OF AGENDA ITEMS A COUNCIL MEMBER COULD PREPARE IN A GIVEN YEAR. MISS STRONG CAME AND SPOKE OUT AGAINST THAT. I REMEMBER WHEN, DURING THE 2022 CAMPAIGN, WE DISCUSSED THE CVRA LAWSUIT. I BELIEVE MISS STRONG WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF FIGHTING THAT LAWSUIT. THE DECISION TO FIGHT THAT LAWSUIT COST THE CITY $1.7 MILLION. I'M NOT SAYING I NEED TO KNOW WHERE APPLICANTS STAND ON EVERY ISSUE OR THAT THEY NEED TO AGREE WITH ME, BUT I RESPECT THAT. OVER THE YEARS, MISS STRONG HAS PUT HERSELF OUT THERE, BEEN ENGAGED, AND LET RESIDENTS KNOW WHERE SHE STANDS. LASTLY, AND SOME RESIDENTS ALLUDED TO THIS, I LIKE THAT MISS STRONG OWNS A LOCAL BUSINESS BECAUSE SHE, JUST BY VIRTUE OF HER JOB, INTERACTS WITH LOTS OF CYPRESS RESIDENTS CONSISTENTLY. I LEARN A LOT WHEN I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING TO RESIDENTS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, WHEREVER. I KNOW SHE'S INTERACTING WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN HER DAILY LIFE. I THINK THAT HELPS HER HAVE A GOOD PULSE ON THE COMMUNITY. SO THOSE ARE SOME KEY POINTS IN MISS STRONG'S FAVOR. I DID WANT TO GIVE MISS STRONG AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS A A CONCERN THAT'S BEEN RAISED. AND MR. CITY ATTORNEY, I JUST WANT TO CHECK WITH YOU.

I THINK IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO DO THAT, BUT. IT IS OKAY. HOWEVER, THE INVITATION WOULD HAVE TO BE OPEN TO ALL APPLICANTS. OKAY. AND THAT'S EVEN IF IT'S TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC POINT, IF IT'S PARTICULAR TO THE APPLICANT, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. OKAY. AND THIS ONE'S PARTICULAR TO THE APPLICANT I GUESS I GOT TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. MISS STRONG'S. YOU'VE NEVER SERVED AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL BEFORE. AND DURING YOUR INTERVIEW, YOU MENTIONED NOT BEING SURE ABOUT THE TIME COMMITMENT FOR THE JOB, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE MENTION THIS EVENING, AND THAT THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE. AND THE AS COUNCIL MEMBER PETE MENTIONED, THE APPOINTMENT IS ONLY FOR A YEAR. SO I WANTED TO ASK, I THINK IT'S VALID TO ASK YOU TO SPEAK TO WHETHER YOU'RE PREPARED TO STEP INTO THIS ROLE AND EFFECTIVELY SERVE AND GIVE IT YOUR FULL COMMITMENT. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND ANSWER THE QUESTION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME BECAUSE THIS IS A SPECIAL

[02:10:01]

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A MOMENT TO SAY SO. THANK YOU. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS ABOUT THE CANDIDATES WHO WERE IDENTIFIED. DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE COUNCILMEMBER PETE? ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO ADD SOME FACTS. SO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS. SO OUR MAYOR TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VOTES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO JUST JUST LET ME CLARIFY KIND OF WHERE EVERYTHING STOOD. SO IN IN THE ORIGINAL ELECTION WITH CANDY CORN BACK IN 2012. AND BY THE WAY, ALL PUBLIC DATA, SHE GOT 6868 39 TO BE EXACT, OF THE COMMUNITY VOTE. BACK IN 2012, SHE RAN UNCONTESTED IN 2016 AND 2020, WHICH USUALLY SAYS THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THAT WANTED TO RUN AGAINST CANDY. SO IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HER, HER CREDIBILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IN 2020. I DON'T REMEMBER THIS 2020 OR 2022. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY 2022. RACHEL RAN AND SHE GOT, AS YOU SAID, 51, 42 VOTES. AND THEN IN 2022 OR 20 AND ALSO RAN WITH 8129. SO JUST AGAIN, FOR CLARIFICATION, IS IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHO VOTERS VOTED FOR IN EITHER ANY OF THE ELECTIONS, BOTH ANN AND CANDY CAME ON TOP OF ANYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU.

ALL. RIGHT. WELL, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR REMARKS OR QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS? HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION OR HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. I'M FINE WITH MAKING THE MOTION.

IF YOU GUYS ARE COMMENTING. OKAY. YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE RACHEL STRONG TO FILL THE VACANCY OF THE THE COUNCIL SEAT. I MOTION TO APPOINT. I'M SORRY. PARDON ME.

THAT INCLUDES ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION. THAT'S BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THAT INCLUDES ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION. THAT'S BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

THAT MOTION PASSES THREE YES VOTES, WITH ONE DISSENTING VOTE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PETE. CONGRATULATIONS, MISS STRONG. IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SAY A FEW WORDS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. BUT IT'S. PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR YOUR SWEARING IN, MISS STRONG.

THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE AN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2025, BEGINNING AT 5:30 P.M. IN

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.