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[ CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bill Wells]
SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.THE MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER AND I WILL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO PLEASE CALL THE ROLE.
ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF STYLISTS AND WHEN I ASKED MR STEVE WALKMAN TO COME UP AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE.
READY BEGIN PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ALL RIGHT, STAFF, DO YOU HAVE ANY AGENDA CHANGES? NO SIR.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, any person may address a matter within the jurisdiction of the City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency that is not on the Agenda. Comments relating to items on today’s docket are to be taken at the time the item is heard. State law prohibits discussion or action on items not on the Agenda; however, Council, Authority and Agency Members may briefly respond to statements or questions. An item may be placed on a future Agenda.]
IT BRINGS US TO PUBLIC COMMENT.AT THIS TIME, ANY PERSON MAY ADDRESS A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY, THE CITY COUNCIL, HOUSING AUTHORITY, SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE ALCOHOL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
COMMENTS RELATED TO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA ALREADY BE TAKEN AT THE TIME THAT THE ADAM IS HEARD.
STATE LAW PROHIBITS DISCUSSION OR ACTION ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, COUNCIL AUTHORITY AND AGENCY MEMBERS MAY BRIEFLY RESPOND TO STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS AND AN ITEM MAY BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
ANGELA, DO YOU HAVE ANY CARDS UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES SIR.
THE FIRST ONE IS TAYLOR ABELE.
HI, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST WANT TO SPEAK QUICKLY AS A RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER OF EL CAHONE.
UM, JUST THAT I CARE A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR CITY AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO GIVE MY RESOUNDING SUPPORT FOR MR. ORTIZ, PHIL OR T'S TO BE APPOINTED TO THE
I'VE KNOWN PHIL FOR MANY YEARS AND I CAN SAY WITHOUT A DOUBT HE'S ONE OF THE MOST SELFLESS MEN OF CHARACTER, INTEGRITY AND HONOR.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO NOW.
I TRUST HIM COMPLETELY TO HELP GUIDE OUR CITY IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION IN COOPERATION WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WITH GENUINE CONSIDERATION AND COMPASSION FOR ALL THE CITIZENS OF EL CAHONE.
HE HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE MORE THAN QUALIFIED FOR THIS POSITION BY HIS ACTIONS, TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITH HIS CONSTANT INVOLVEMENT.
IN OUR COMMUNITY AS A VOLUNTEER.
PHIL IS A SUPPORTER OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING ECE, TLC, ST MADELINE, SOPHIE CENTER, AND
HE IS LITERALLY ROLLING UP HIS SLEEVES AND HELPING WITH HIS OWN TWO HANDS TO CLEAN UP OUR CITY AS A BUSINESS OWNER HIMSELF.
PHIL KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AS BUSINESS OWNERS, WHICH GIVES US ME GREAT CONFIDENCE TO KNOW THAT IF APPOINTED BUSINESS OWNERS AND ALCOHOL AND WE'LL HAVE A WELL-QUALIFIED GOOD MAN REPRESENTING US.
ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE, I HAVE LITERALLY ENTRUSTED HIM WITH MY FIRST BORN CHILD WHEN HE OFFERED TO WATCH MY ONE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, SO MY WIFE AND I COULD HAVE A MUCH NEEDED DATE NIGHT OUT.
I KNOW I'M ONLY ONE OF COUNTLESS CITIZENS OF ALCOHOL WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HIS GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS FIRSTHAND.
ULTIMATELY, I'M CONFIDENT PHIL IS THE BEST MAN FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE HE HAS PROVEN IT WITH A LIFE OF VOLUNTARY PUBLIC SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND CHARACTER AND HIS SACRIFICE FOR THE WELLBEING OF HIS FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THIS COUNCIL APPOINT FILLER T'S.
YOU'RE THE ACT PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER NOW, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF.
SAY I'M THE, UH, CAMERA STEWART BORN AND RAISED IN EAST COUNTY, YOU KNOW, LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE.
A BUSINESS OWNER IN EAST COUNTY, UH, CARE ABOUT THE CITY VERY MUCH.
AND UH, I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT THE COUNCIL APPOINTS PHIL ORTIZ, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBER POSITION THAT'S OPEN.
UH, I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE SAN DIEGO EAST COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I'M CURRENTLY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UH, PHIL ORTIZ SERVES ON THAT BOARD, UH, UNDER MY LEADERSHIP.
AND, UH, SINCE BEING ON THAT BOARD, HE HAS, UH, BEEN VERY ACTIVE AND WILLING TO HELP, UH, AND REALLY JUST CARES ABOUT, UH, THE CITY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO HELP THE CITY.
UH, I WOULD ALSO JUST SAY THAT HE'S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING IN THE DA, UH, THE DA'S OFFICE, UH, TO JOIN UP WITH OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND LAND USE COMMITTEE.
HE, UH, HELPED, UH, GET THAT DONE AND, AND HE'S JUST A, A GREAT GUY.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE ACTIONS THAT HE'S DONE AND HOW HE'S HELPED US.
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YOU KNOW, JUST SHORT AND SWEET.I'M JUST HERE, UH, AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD TO, UH, REQUEST THAT PHILBY, UH, APPOINTED AND, UH, I HAVE FAITH IN HIM THAT HE WILL, UH, MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
JUST SEEING HIS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP GROUP THAT HE STARTED.
UH, HE'S A GRADUATE OF THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FROM THE SAN DIEGO EAST COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UH, I THINK LEADERSHIP IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HIM AND I THINK HE REALLY CARES ABOUT THIS CITY AND I, I'VE SEEN THE EFFORTS HE'S PUT IN, UH, DURING THE, UH, PAST FEW YEARS, UM, AND BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CITY.
SHORT AND SWEET CAMERA STEWART, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, REQUESTING PHIL ORTIZ BE APPOINTED.
UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, WHOEVER IS SELECTED TO FILL THE SEAT, UH, THAT THEY HAVE THE MORAL FORTITUDE REGARDLESS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF, PARTY BELIEF OR ANYTHING ELSE, THEY HAVE THE MORAL FORTITUDE TO SERVE IN A BIPAP PARTISAN WAY.
THIS COUNCIL NEEDS A NEW FACE AND AN HONEST AND TRANSPARENT FACE.
AND I'M NOT ENDORSING ANYONE THIS EVENING AND I'M MISSING ONE OF MY BEST SHOWS, BUT AFTER EIGHT O'CLOCK, THE MASTER CHEF JR BY BEING HERE, THAT'S HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME.
IT'S YOUR, WHAT WAS WHAT SHOW YOU MISS A MASTER CHEF, JUNIORS.
SO PLEASURE TO BE BACK HERE AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WITH SUCH A GREAT FEELING IN THIS ROOM.
UH, IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY AND IT IS AGAIN AND I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO BE THE THIRD GUY UP SAYING GREAT THINGS ABOUT A GUY LIKE FEELER TO TEASE, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH TO SAY THAT I'M NOT SCARED OF THAT.
UM, I'VE WORKED WITH PHIL ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UH, HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FORMING A DINNER FOR THE BUS KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING TOGETHER BIKES AND TVS AND A SH A WONDERFUL DINNER FOR KIDS THAT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT ANY OTHER WAY.
I'VE WORKED WITH THEM, NOT ONLY IN THE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, BUT WHEN WE GOT DONE WITH THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AND HE WAS A GRADUATE, WE ASKED HIM TO COME BACK.
AND JUST LAST WEEK HE SPOKE ON CULTURE AND DIVERSITY AND DID AN EXCELLENT JOB TO THIS YEAR'S LEADERSHIP CLASS.
UM, THERE'S JUST SO MANY, UH, EXAMPLES OF HOW PHIL IS NOT ONLY A GREAT VOLUNTEER, BUT AN EFFECTIVE ONE.
HE GETS STUFF DONE AND I AGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME.
HE'S, HE'S OUT THERE WORKING REAL HARD FOR HIS FAMILY AND, AND I'M HIS FRIEND.
SO WHAT I DID IS INSTEAD OF BEING JUST HIS FRIEND AND HIS BUDDY, UNTIL YOU'RE GOOD STORIES, I WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS TO SEE IF I REALLY INCURRED CONSCIENCE COULD SAY THIS IS THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS OUT HERE THAT I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH THAT I REALLY RESPECT AND I WOULD STILL ASK YOU TO A POINT FILLER T'S FOR THE VACANT SPOT THAT WE HAVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU MIGHT HAVE PULLED THAT THING DOWN THERE.
OUR FIRST, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE MAYOR.
MR. WELLS WOULD HAVE BEEN INVITED, BUT OUR PRECEDENT TO GO TO WASHINGTON AND CELEBRATE THE DAY.
NOW I GO, NOW I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS, THIS POSITION I JUST WENT, EVERYBODY AND THE CITY COUNCIL, THE VOTE WITH THE CONSCIENCE FOR THAT HEART, UM, WEED THE WEED OR DID THEY THINK THAT THAT CANDY THAT FELT TO BE SITTING AT THAT POSITION, BUT WITH HONESTY AND DON'T LET ANYBODY INFLUENCE YOU.
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AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ROGER'S SECRET WEAPON DIDN'T YOU? SHE'S GREAT.
WE HAVE MY SEVEN MONTH OLD BABY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL YOU MIGHT BE A GOOD, A GOOD, UH, COMPETITION.
WHOSE LEGS? WE HAVE FOUR MORE SPEAKERS AND NEXT ONE IS MOHAMMED TO HAMA.
UH, MAYOR WELL, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF AND ATTENDEES.
MY NAME IS MOHAMMED
AND I BELIEVE TONY CHUTE IS HERE.
SO, UH, WE REALLY DESERVE THIS.
AND I BELIEVE WE'RE AMONG FEW CITIES WHO RECEIVE THAT OR EVEN THE ONLY CITY WILL RECEIVE THAT.
AND SPEAKING OF THE CANDIDATES, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS AND FORTUNATELY I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THE APPLICANT MENTIONED THE MIDDLE EASTERN COMMUNITY OR PUT AN ANY OF THE PRIORITY OF THE SHOES.
UM, BUT, UH, CONSIDERING THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION OR SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW THIS, THE CITY COUNCIL MORE THE IDEA, THE VISION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
THEN IF WE'RE LOOKING AT DIVERSITY ON LOOKING OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT I CAN RECOMMEND IS A HUMBARD CABRERA AND JOEL LAGUARDIA BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE ALWAYS SEE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE.
SO THIS IS WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY.
MINGO VILLA SEVERE HOWARD, UH, MET YOU A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK WHEN WE WON THE WORLD SERIES.
I'M ACTUALLY THE LEAGUE PRESIDENT FOR, I'M A PONY YOUTH BASEBALL.
YOU REMEMBER THAT? THAT'S GREAT.
AND WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT STEPHEN WOOD FOR THE OPEN VACANT SEAT.
UH, WE BELIEVE HE'D BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY, UM, HELP OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF OUR MAIN FIELDS AS WELL AS PARK.
AND WE SEE REDUCTION IN NUMBERS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF HOMELESS AT WELLS PARK.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO USE SOME CONE VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL AS ONE OF OUR MAIN FIELDS.
THEY, UM, SOMEBODY HAD THE BRIGHT IDEA TO PUT A CONEX IN THE BACK, YOU KNOW, NOW TO A HOMELESS CAMP BACK THERE, YOU KNOW, ON THE SCHOOL PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MANY ISSUES THAT THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED AND I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, MR STEVEN WOULD, WOULD, UH, HELP MOVE US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO THAT'S WHO WE, UM, SUPPORT.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M WITH THE, UM, EAST COUNTY JUSTICE COALITION AND WE'RE HERE.
UM, WE'RE COMPRISED OF OVER 25 ORGANIZATIONS AND WE'RE HERE TO, UM, GIVE OUR, UM, UM, WE WANT YOU TO VOTE OR APPOINT STELLA DELRIOS.
SHE'S, UH, SHE HAS BEEN ON THE WORLD SCOPE.
SHE'S GONE TO UNITED NATIONS FEW TIMES.
UH, SHE'S GONE TO WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON, DC, AND A FEW TIMES SHE RUNS AN AGENCY HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND JUST THE SAME.
AND SHE'S, UH, UH, SHE JUST VOLUNTEERS EVERYWHERE.
I'M LOOKING, SHE'S AT, UH, SHE'S WORKED.
UH, SHE'S WORKED TIRELESSLY WITH, UM, THE, THE, UH, REFUGEE COMMUNITY HERE IN, IN, UH, EAST COUNTY.
UH, THE, SHE JUST GOT AWARDED THE, UM, AN AWARD BY THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, THE MUSLIM BY THE MOSCOW AND ALCOHOL.
AND, UM, SHE JUST, SHE JUST WORKS TIRED ENDLESSLY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE, UM, DOING WORK WITH A LOT OF THE HOMELESS EVEN AFTER HOURS.
UH, WE GO OUT THERE AS A GROUP SOMETIMES AND ASSIST THE HOMELESS.
I KNOW SHE'S A PERSON THAT WILL ADDRESS THE HOMELESS ISSUE HERE IN OKLAHOMA.
UH, DRAW MORE BUSINESSES HERE AND, AND INVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF EPCOT HORN, WHICH IS BADLY NEEDED.
YOU'VE ALL BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB AND I THINK THAT THE JOB COULD BE DONE EVEN BETTER IF WE BOUGHT THE STELLA LONG.
I DO HONOR THE WORK YOU DO ON A BOAT.
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UM, I CAN SAY IS TO STELLA.
SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING OVER 2,600 PEOPLE TO BECOME CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM WERE MIDDLE EASTERN FOLKS.
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THE RESPECT OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN COMMUNITY BECAUSE SHE WORKS TIRELESSLY FOR THEM, BUT SHE WORKS TIRELESSLY FOR ALL THE COMMUNITIES AND AT THE HOME AND, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.SO, UM, I'M JUST HERE, I COULD BE WATCHING MAGIC CHIP TOO, BUT, UH, I JUST THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT I'M HERE TO TOBACCO.
STELLA, SHE'S A TRUE FRIEND, NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK ALCOHOL CAN, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SECOND, AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS BEING THE MOST IMPOVERISHED CITY IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, WHERE THE BEST CITY IN THE COUNTY? I THINK SO.
SO, UM, SHE HAS A VISION FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS IN THIS, IN, IN, UH, IN SAN DIEGO AND UM, I'M SORRY.
SHE HAS A VISION FOR VET SERVICES.
THEY'RE BADLY NEEDED, JUST THE SAME, BUT IT SERVICES ARE NEEDED ALL AROUND HERE IN OKLAHOMA.
AND NOT THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB LIKE I SAID, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT UM, WE UH, PUT A PARTY ASIDE, NO DEMOCRAT, NO REPUBLICAN, CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL.
LET'S JUST APPOINT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB.
SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO BE FAIR TO BOTH SIDES.
AND, UM, I JUST, I JUST HOPE THAT, UH, YOU DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND, UH, APPOINT, UH, MS
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR LAST SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS STEPHANIE HARPER.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BACKGROUND WHY I'M SO INVOLVED WITH OUR POLITICS AND UM, HELP WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.
IT WAS JULY OF 2013 WHEN I ATTENDED MY VERY FIRST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
LITTLE DID I KNOW THEN HOW MUCH THAT ONE MEETING WOULD CHANGE MY LIFE.
I WAS SPEECHLESS AT THE LIES THAT UNFOLDED BEFORE ME AT THE, AT THE TIME COUNCILMAN WALLACE WAS INDIRECTLY ASKED IF HIS JOB WAS TO PRAY FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.
MR. ROSE TOOK THAT AND RAN WITH IT AND BY THE END IT WAS, IT WAS THE CITIZEN WHO WAS NO LONGER THERE TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
SAID THAT PRAYER WAS RIDICULOUS, WHICH WAS A LIE.
WHAT HAPPENED? I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHY WOULD HE LIE ABOUT WHAT WAS JUST SAID? I MEAN, WE ALL HEARD THE SAME THING.
RIGHT, BUT I GUESS NOT BECAUSE NOT ONE OF YOU SPOKE UP TO CRAIG, MR. WELLS, YOU JUST WENT ALONG WITH IT.
AT THAT MOMENT I KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE.
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHAT OTHER KIND OF LIES AND INJUSTICE WAS GOING ON IN MY CITY, RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE BESIDES STAFF, THERE WAS ONLY LIKE FIVE PEOPLE THERE, INCLUDING MYSELF.
IT SEEMED LIKE NO ONE CARED AND THE MORE NO ONE CARED, THE MORE IT SEEMED TO GET AWAY WITH.
I DECIDED THAT I HAD TO STAND UP TO THE CORRUPTION AND BE THE VOICE FROM THE CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DECISIONS AND LAWS THAT THEY MAKE.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO SPEAK BECAUSE FOR ME THAT'S ALL THIS IS, IS A CHANCE TO SPEAK THE CHANCE TO MAKE MAYBE FIVE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT WHO YOU THREE WILL PICK.
SO EVERYONE HERE KNOWS YOU'RE NOT ME.
I DON'T HAVE THE SAME IDEOLOGIES AS YOU.
I BELIEVE THAT LISTENING TO THAT TOO AND ACTED UPON WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE TELLING YOU SHOULD BE A HUGE PART OF YOUR JOB.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS THINK SO.
YOU WILL CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH YOU AND STAYS QUIET IN THE BACKGROUND.
I WILL NOT SIT AND LET YOU KEEP GETTING RAISES EVERY YEAR TO THE ONES WHO MAKE OVER $100 AN HOUR.
NOT WHEN OUR CITY HAS 600 HOMELESS CITIZENS, HALF OF THEM, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
THIS HAS HAPPENED ON YOUR WATCH.
I WILL NOT SUPPORT HIKES IN THE RATES BY SDG UNION, BUT I WILL SUPPORT CCEE TESTING FOR OUR CITY SOMETHING.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE SUPPORTED, I WOULD NEVER HAVE WENT ALONG WITH PUTTING THE BAND ON FEEDING OUR HOMELESS CITIZENS.
THAT WAS JUST AN ALWAYS WRONG, BUT SINCE YOU THREE HAVE MADE IT KIND OF ILLEGAL TO BE HOMELESS IN OUR CITIES WITH LAWS THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR PAST, IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME.
WE HAVE CHILDREN GROWING UP IN HOTEL ROOMS. WE HAVE DISABLED SENIOR CITIZENS AND VETERANS WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY SLEEPING ON THE STREETS.
YOU THREE JUST HAVE JUST SAT BACK AND WATCHED OUR CITY FALL APART.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO I AM NOT TAKING MY HAT OUT OF THE RUNNING BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT ME.
I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE CITIZENS VOTE ME IN.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN I'LL BE SITTING UP THERE AND WHEN I DO THE CHANGE THAT IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED AND MERCY WILL HAPPEN.
I KNOW THAT I WILL BE ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CITY AND NOT MY POCKET.
I WILL EXPOSE ALL CORRUPTION AND BE ABOUT MAKING OUR CITY AFFORDABLE FOR OUR CITIZENS AGAIN AND SAFE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
I WANT TO SEE BUSINESSES SWIPE AGAIN, NOT BE THE POOREST CITY IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
I WON'T WORK TO MAKE THIS THE VALLEY OF OPPORTUNITY AGAIN.
THE PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM.
SO I KNOW YOU WON'T BE CHOOSING, BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
[100. City Council Appointment RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council appoints an eligible candidate to fill an "at-large" vacancy on the City Council with a term through November 2020. ]
NOW THAT BRINGS US TO PUBLIC HEARINGS.THE APPOINTMENTS OF CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF WOULD TELL US ABOUT THIS PLACE.
CERTAINLY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
AS PART OF THE AGENDA PACKET, WE'VE
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INCLUDED ALL THE APPLICANTS.UM, AS WE INDICATED EARLIER AT THE THREE O'CLOCK MEETING, SEVERAL OF THOSE APPLICANTS HAVE DROPPED OUT AND WE JUST HEARD A, A FOURTH APPLICANT HAS DROPPED OUT.
SO THE COUNCIL HAS 18 CANDIDATES OR APPLICANTS TO CHOOSE FROM TONIGHT.
DURING YOUR THREE O'CLOCK MEETING, YOU MADE A DECISION TO, UM, HEAR A TWO MINUTE REMARK FROM EACH OF THE APPLICANTS.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, UM, WE RECOMMEND YOU HOLD PUBLIC COMMENT, COMMENT.
AT THAT TIME, TAKE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN BASED ON WHAT YOU HEARD, WHAT YOU'VE READ IN THE APPLICATIONS AND FROM THE, UH, THE PUBLIC, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE THAT YOU PRESCRIBED EARLIER TODAY AND NOMINATE ABOUT UP TO SIX INDIVIDUALS.
YOU WOULD WRITE THOSE INDIVIDUALS A PIECE OF PAPER, TURN THEM INTO THE CITY CLERK, AND THEN WE'LL TALLY THOSE BASED ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT RECEIVED TWO OR MORE NOMINATIONS WILL, UH, CONDUCT SOME INTERVIEWS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.
STAFF MET WITH THE APPLICANTS AND EXPLAIN THAT PER PROTOCOL WE DREW NAMES, UH, RANDOMLY AND BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WITH THE ORDER BY WHICH, UH, MS, UH, MS. CORTEZ DREW THAT THEIR NAMES FROM THE, FROM UH, A BOWL.
SO WITH THAT COUNCIL, UH, WE'RE HERE TO TURN THE TIME OVER TO YOU TO ENTERTAIN APPLICANTS.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS AN APPOINTMENT TO FILL THE REMAINDER OF THE VACANCY FOR MR BANK COLOSSAE WHO RESIGNED.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE A POISONED TONIGHT, YOU WILL BE AND YOU WANT TO CONTINUE ON THE COUNCIL, YOU, YOU'LL BE RUNNING IF YOU ARE ABLE TO RUN IN DISTRICT TWO OR DISTRICT FOUR, BECAUSE OF THE, THOSE ARE THE TWO OPEN DISTRICTS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT IT'S NOT A FOUR YEAR TERM, BUT IT'S A TWO YEAR TERM COUNSELOR.
YEAH, IT'S ALSO DISTRICT THREE.
SO I'M HAVING SAID THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, NUMBER ONE IS MICHELLE MITCHELL.
WELL, I, I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK AND THEN, UH, AT THE END WE'LL CHOSE, UH, THE FINALISTS WHO ASK QUESTIONS OF, HI MICHELLE.
I DON'T HAVE A CHEERING SQUAD WITH ME.
I HAVE NOBODY TO SPEAK UP FOR ME.
I'M NOT A POLITICIAN, I'M NOT A BUSINESS OWNER.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
THIS TIME I'VE RAISED MY FAMILY HERE.
MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE HERE AND I GOT TIRED OF COMPLAINING, SO I DECIDED TO RUN.
I'VE GOT THREE AREAS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REALLY FOCUS ON.
ONE IS HOMELESS, BUT THE THING IS IT'S NOT HOMELESS.
IT'S A DRUG PROBLEM AND I HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS.
ONE OF THEM IS TO LOOK INTO THE PROGRAM CALLED PLEADS, AND THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK WAS SAN DIEGO CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A $300,000 PROGRAM THAT THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO CAME UP WITH 150,000 AND THE COUNTY CAME UP WITH ANOTHER HUNDRED AND 50,000.
I'D LIKE TO KIND OF EXPLORE THAT AND SEE IF THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY FOR OUR CITY.
UM, THE NEXT WOULD BE A HOUSING FAIR.
I'D LIKE TO BRING IN MORTGAGE BROKERS, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, A HUD VA, AND SHOW PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN AFFORD A HOME AND ALCOHOL.
I THINK THERE'S LIKE $286,000 IN A PROGRAM CALLED AMERICA.
I THINK IT'S CALLED AMERICA FIRST.
AND I'D LIKE TO GET RESIDENTS A CHANCE TO LOOK INTO THAT.
WE BOUGHT IN OKLAHOMA BASED ON THE MCC PROGRAM AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO BUY OUR HOME IN 2000 THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE, I'M SORRY.
THE THIRD ONE IS, UM, GOSH, THE THIRD ONE IS BRINGING IN EMPLOYERS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT BUILDINGS AND I'M UP, SO GO AHEAD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT BUILDINGS IN OKLAHOMA AND WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYERS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ENTICE GENERAL ATOMICS.
WE HAVE OVER 15,000 EMPLOYEES.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO MAYBE HAVE A A SUBSTATION OUT HERE.
THERE'S GENERAL ATOMICS, THERE'S AMAZON, WHO KNOWS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF BUILDINGS OUT HERE THAT WE SHOULD GO BY AND SEE IF WE CAN'T INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT I KNOW ON MY POSITION
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WHERE I WORK AT GENERAL ATOMICS, YOU GIVE ME A PROBLEM AND I WILL SOLVE IT.I'M GOOD AT FINDING SOLUTIONS AND WORKING WITH GROUPS.
I WORK WITH HIGH LEVEL VIP VISITORS THAT COME TO OUR OFFICE AND I KNOW THAT I CAN WORK WITH EVERYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL.
I CAN WORK WITH EVERYBODY IN THE STAFF AND WE CAN GET SOME PROJECTS COMPLETED AND THAT'S ALL.
THAT TWO MINUTES IS GOING TO GO ARRIVE REALLY FAST.
IF YOU'RE FINISHING YOUR THOUGHT, I CERTAINLY WILL LET YOU FINISH POSTS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE TILL MIDNIGHT.
MR MAYOR, I WENT ON AHEAD AND I PREPARED SOMETHING.
SINCE WE'RE LIMITED ON TIME, UH, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR MISSING MASTER CHEF TONIGHT.
I'M A BAD SURFER AND I'M LOOKING TO BE APPOINTED TO THE VACANT CITY COUNCIL SEAT HERE TONIGHT.
MY ENTIRE LIFE, WHETHER IT WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, DOING THE MORE THAN 10 PLUS YEARS OF VOLUNTEER WORK WITH REFUGEES OR MY TIME AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SEMINARY.
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A DESIRE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY, BEING COUNTY AND AMERICAN AND I BELIEVE ONE OF ONLY TWO CALGARY AND AMERICANS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR THIS VACANCY.
IN A CITY OF LIKE ALCOHOL AND THAT HAS CLOSE TO 30,000 CALGARIANS.
MY DESIRE TO SERVE IN MY COMMUNITY HAS BEEN EVEN MORE OF A DRIVE FOR ME.
UH, BEING A LIFETIME ELKO HOME NATIVE, UH, AND RESIDENT, I FEEL LIKE I KNOW THE ISSUES THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
PUBLIC SAFETY, HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I'VE ROBUST BACKGROUND WITH A MYRIAD OF DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT MAKE ME THE BEST PERSON FOR THIS JOB.
I'VE 10 YEARS OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT AS AN ECONOMIC SPECULATOR AND AN ADVISOR FOR SOME OF THE LARGEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN WORLD.
MY FORMER POSITION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET ASSOCIATION, WHILE I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR ALMOST A DECADE, TAUGHT ME ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY, PERMITTING, ZONING, GRANT WRITING, AND ALL THOSE OTHER BORING BEHIND THE SCENE THINGS THAT POLICY WANTS, LIKE ME, LOVE TO DO TO MAKE BUSINESSES SUCCEED.
FINALLY, I KNOW HOW TO SPEAK, LISTEN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TAKE ACTION IN MY COMMUNITY.
AS A FORMER STATEWIDE POLITICAL CANDIDATE MYSELF, I RAN INTO DISTRICT OF ALMOST HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
I TOOK PRIDE IN BEING SOMEONE THAT PEOPLE CAME TO WITH ISSUES AND HELPING THEM RESOLVE THEM.
MOST OF YOU APPARENTLY COUNCIL KNOW ME EXCEPT FOR MR MCCLELLAN WHO'D ONLY EXPERIENCED THAT REALLY HAD WITH THEM WAS WHEN HE SOLD ME MY FIRST CAR WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD.
AND SOME OF YOU HAVE TOLD ME I AM THE EXACTLY THE KIND OF PERSON THAT YOU COULD WORK WITH BECAUSE I'VE PROVEN TO BE NONPARTISAN IN MY COMMUNITY.
SO NOW I'M GIVING YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ME THAT PERSON THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH A I HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT TONIGHT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STARTING THIS PROCESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
DID I GET THAT LAST NAME CORRECT? CLOSE ENOUGH, SIR.
OKAY, I'LL GO INTO THIS IS FINE.
A GUN, DEZ, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SAY.
IT SOUNDED BETTER WHEN YOU SAID IT.
SO THAT IS MY NAME, RICHARD LAGUNAS JR.
I'VE LIVED IN THIS CITY FOR 32 YEARS.
I'M RETIRED FROM THE ELKO AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I SERVED WITH INTEGRITY FOR 30 I HAVE DEVOTED MORE THAN HALF OF MY LIFE TO MAKE OKLAHOMA A BETTER COMMUNITY THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THROUGH MY COACHING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.
I HAVE MENTORED SEVERAL YOUTH AS I BELIEVE THE YOUTH ARE OUR FUTURE.
ON THE APPLICATION IT ASKS FOR THREE CONCERNS FOR OUR CITY.
ONE WAS HOMELESSNESS, TWO WAS VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, AND THREE, I'D LIKE TO SEE INSTILLING A DERRICK TYPE PROGRAM IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN AN EFFORT TO FIGHT DRUGS AND BULLYING.
WHILE WORKING, I HAD A REPUTATION OF TREATING ALL WITH RESPECT.
THIS IS SOMETHING I HAD TAUGHT MY TRAINEES AND SOMETHING I STILL PRACTICE IN MY DAILY CONTACTS.
I BELIEVE THE LAWS OF OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ENFORCED WITH COMPASSION OR IF YOU WILL, SPIRIT OF THE LAW VERSUS LETTER OF THE LAW.
I HAVE SEEN CHANGES IN OUR CITY OVER THE YEARS, SOME BAD, BUT I'VE SEEN A LOT OF GOOD ALSO AND I MUST COMMEND YOU ON THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO OUR CITY.
THAT BEING SAID, I BELIEVE PEOPLE WON'T COME TO OUR CITY IF THEY DO NOT FEEL SAFE.
WE HAVE THE FINEST FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE COUNTY HERE IN OUR CITY.
I KNOW THE COMMAND STAFF FOR BOTH THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE INTEGRITY THEY POSSESS HAVING THIS KNOWLEDGE.
I BELIEVE I CAN IN A DIPLOMATIC WAY BE A SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE WHEN QUESTIONS ARISE FROM THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, I'M A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM SEEING WHO I AM IN THE MIRROR.
I TEACH THE PLAYERS THAT I COACH.
INTEGRITY IS VITAL AND MAKES A PERSON WHO THEY ARE AS AN OFFICER OF THE LAW, ONE MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
I STILL LEAD MY LIFE BY THESE VALUES.
[00:30:01]
THE OPPORTUNITY, I WILL DO MY BEST TO REPRESENT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.I FEEL I HAVE PROVEN THIS IN THE PAST WITH MY ACTIONS DURING MY SERVICE TO THE CITY.
I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
WELL, JOHN IS INDEED MY FIRST NAME.
I'VE ALWAYS GONE BY MY MIDDLE NAME, RICHARD OR DEBT.
UM, MOST FOLKS, MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS ALL CALL HIM THE DECK.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE PREFERABLE.
I WOULD SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT WORK, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT BRING NEW INCOME STREAMS INTO THE CITY.
AN EXAMPLE OF THINGS AT WORK, UH, TWO HOTELS, BRAND NEW HOTELS IN TOWN, A NEW MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP ON MARSHALL.
AND LAST I HEARD RANGE ROVER WAS GONNA JOIN, UH, WITH THEIR DEALERSHIP ON MARSHALL AS WELL, WHICH WILL EVEN BE BETTER FOR THE CITY.
THEIR REHABILITATION OF EQ PACK WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THE INITIATIVE UNDERTAKEN BY FORMER CITY MANAGER WILL OFFERED TO BRING IN LIVE NATION TO MANAGE AT PAC WAS PIVOTAL.
THAT COMBINATION OFFERS POTENTIAL FOR NEW BUSINESS ACTIVITY AND HOPEFULLY THAT COULD LEAD TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN AREA AS THE AREAS NEEDED.
AN APPROVEMENT PROBABLY HOMELESS, I SHOULD SAY, SAID BE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.
ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, I HAVE REVIEWED THE, UH, PRELIMINARY PLANS THAT THE SAN DIEGO RIVER FOUNDATION HAS TO IMPROVE FORRESTER CREEK, WHICH RUNS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE CITY EAST TO WEST.
I THINK IT HAS REAL POTENTIAL.
IN CLOSING, I WANT TO MENTION THAT, UH, THE CITY IS CRIME FREE MULTI-HOUSING PROGRAM.
JOE DIRECTLY OUT OF AN INITIATIVE THAT I WORKED ON AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF APARTMENT OWNERS WITH POLICE CHIEF, JIM D, JIM DAVIS, DIRECTOR WITH HER RE TROUBLED NEIGHBORHOOD OF GANG ACTIVITY AND POORLY MANAGED PROPERTIES, BUT POINTED, I BRING NO PERSONAL AGENDA.
RATHER, I WOULD PLEDGE TO DO MY VERY BEST TO BE AN ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
TONIGHT'S PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY.
NEVER NO ONE TO MAKE THE J CYLON OR YEAH, IT'S FINE.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY MY NAME, I GET THE EMIL, IT'S WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE UP HERE AND INTERVIEW FOR THIS.
SO, UH, JUST TO GET SOME OF THE NITTY GRITTY OUT OF THE WAY HERE.
I AM A FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT, IF YOU WILL.
MY PARENTS MOVED US TO SAN DIEGO IN 1989.
I WENT THROUGH JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL HERE.
I HAVE THREE CHILDREN OF MY OWN, SO I HAVE A LOT OF, UM, INTEREST IN SEEING ALCOHOL RUN WELL FOR MY OWN KIDS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY THE BIGGEST REASON WHY I'M HERE.
JUST TO ENSURE THAT MY KIDS HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE.
AND, UH, WELL OTHER THAN THAT, I'M BASICALLY A SCIENCE GUY.
I'VE WORKED IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE SCIENCES MOST OF MY LIFE.
UM, I PASSED OUT A RESUME BECAUSE I HONESTLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.
I FIGURED IT'S AN INTERVIEW, SO I'M ROLLING.
UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN I'M AN ANALYTICAL GUY.
I WORKED IN PROGRAMMING SYSTEMS, ADMINISTRATION.
I WAS A PROJECT MANAGER FOR AWHILE, SO I KNOW HOW TO MANAGE FINANCES AND UH, UM, BACK TO PROGRAMMING AGAIN.
RIGHT NOW THAT'S MY CURRENT JOB.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF BACKGROUND, A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND THAT CAN HELP MAYBE AUTOMATE AND IMPROVE SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS HERE.
UM, I'VE OWNED TWO BUSINESSES, BOTH HERE IN EL CAHONE.
IN FACT, YOU, SOME OF YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN IT ON BROADWAY.
I USED TO HAVE QUADRANT STUDIOS.
IT GOT CONVERTED TO MY SISTER'S LAW OFFICE.
AND MY, UH, I ALSO RAN A FINANCIAL BUSINESS FROM 2008 TO ABOUT 2015
[00:35:03]
WHEN I CLOSED IT DOWN WHERE I WAS A BUSINESS ANALYST MOSTLY.AND I'M DOING A LOT OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, SO I HAVE A LOT OF BACKGROUND IN FINANCE AND AS WELL AS IT, UM, IN REGARDS TO ISSUES, I AM A INDEPENDENT, LIFELONG, NEVER REGISTERED FOR ANY PARTY.
I HAVE A LOT OF PRIDE IN THAT.
AND UM, YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
I'M OUT OF TIME, SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY MUCH MORE THAN THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY I, UH, YOU'LL GIVE ME SOME KINDERS SITTER HAITIAN HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND TALKING.
THANK YOU COUNCIL STAFF AND EVERYONE ATTENDING.
MY NAME IS ABRAHAM O HAZY AND I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN OKLAHOMA.
I'VE ATTENDED THE RINK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MAGNOLIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BOSTONIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CONE VALLEY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, EL HOME VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, AND EVEN GROSSMONT COLLEGE.
UM, AND, UH, AT THE TIME AT OAKLAND VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, I BECAME AN ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER.
AND AT THAT SAME TIME, SOCIAL MEDIA CAME ABOUT WHERE I WAS ABLE TO USE THAT NETWORK.
UH, TODAY, UM, I ATTENDED CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND I STUDIED INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES WITH A MINOR IN COMMUNICATIONS.
AND, UH, DURING MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL WAS ACTUALLY MENTORED BY DARYL PRIEST OF DP HOMES, WHICH, UM, HE'S STILL A MENTOR OF MINE AND FRIEND THAT I'VE WORKED WITH TODAY TO GIVE BACK TO ELKHORN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, MY DREAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN NFL PLAYER TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY SO THAT I COULD COME BACK TO OKLAHOMA AND DO SOME SPECIAL THINGS.
OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT, BUT I BECAME AN ENTREPRENEUR AND I STARTED GIVING BACK TO EL CAJON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, UM, AFTER STARTING A BASKETBALL LEAGUE, UH, AND RAISING MONEY, UH, WITH ALUMNI FUNCTIONS WITH MY GOOD FRIEND RONNIE KASHA IS HERE TODAY.
WE RAISED $9,500, AND DONATED IT TO THE ECV, UM, ASB.
AND, UH, WITH THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO INCOMING FRESHMEN RECEIVE FREE ASB CARDS AND, UH, UPPERCLASSMEN WERE ABLE TO GET IT AT $7 INSTEAD OF $20.
UM, AND I ALSO STARTED A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED ALUMNI UNITED TO MOTIVATE, INSPIRE AND EDUCATE OUR YOUTH WITH ATHLETES, ENTREPRENEURS, AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS.
AND WITH THAT I STARTED THE SAN DIEGO KINGS BASKETBALL TEAM, WHICH IS A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE AMERICAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION.
UH, AND I'VE BEEN USING IT AS A PLATFORM TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE SLOGAN COMMUNITY FIRST.
AND MY, UH, MAIN GOAL THERE WAS TO WIN IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WINNING IN THE GYM.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING INTO OUR THIRD YEAR AND I'M HAPPY THAT ALL OUR GAMES ARE NOW RIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND AT EL CAJON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, MY FOCUS WAS BECOMING A COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO MAKE THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA ONE OF THE BEST CITIES.
AND THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS WHY NOT OKLAHOMA? THANK YOU.
I WANT TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP REALLY QUICK.
IT'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE SOME OF MY TIME, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WHEN CAMERON STEWART SPOKE A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD, A CHAIR, I WANT TO JUST CLEAR UP THE HEAT AND NOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
HE WAS SPEAKING AS HIS, AS AN OWN INDIVIDUAL PERSON.
I'M NOT ENDORSED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SO I NEED THAT TO BE SAID.
UH, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION TO SERVING OUR CITY, SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL AS A POSITION OF PUBLIC TRUST THAT REQUIRES RESPONSIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE AS A BUSINESS OWNER, PLANNING COMMISSIONER, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER AND FAMILY.
MAN, I TAKE THIS POSITION WITH THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS AND I'M HUMBLED THAT SO MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE ENCOURAGED ME TO APPLY FOR THIS VACANCY.
I BELIEVE THE CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA DESERVE SOMEONE TO REPRESENT THEM THAT IS DEDICATED TO UPHOLDING THEIR VALUES, LISTENING TO THEIR CONCERNS, AND FINDING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO OUR UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES.
GROWING UP IN EAST COUNTY, I BELIEVE THAT THE CITIZENS ELK HOME, I KNOW THE CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA REPRESENT WHAT IS BEST ABOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THEY'RE GENEROUS, THEY'RE COMPASSIONATE, AND THEY'RE DEDICATED.
I SEE THESE QUALITIES LIVED ALL ACROSS OUR CITY FROM THE OAK AND COMMUNITY CLEANUP GROUP THAT I HELPED START WITH KATHY PELLMAN, OUR EAST COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHICH I'M A BOARD MEMBER ON.
OUR CHURCH COMMUNITIES ARE NUMEROUS NONPROFITS.
ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENT GROUPS OF
ONCE AGAIN, EXAMPLES OF CITIZENS BEING GENEROUS, COMPASSIONATE, AND DEDICATED.
IF APPOINTED, I'M DEDICATED TO CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK THIS COUNCIL AND STAFF HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED AND CONTINUING THESE VALUES BY BEING A CITIZEN FOCUS COUNCILMAN WHO WILL KEEP MAKING OKLAHOMA THE AMAZING PLACE IT IS TO LIVE, WORK, AND RUN A BUSINESS.
NEXT TO MARRYING MY WIFE AND RAISING OUR SON.
BEING ON THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN MY TITA IMMIGRATED HERE FROM THE UNITED STATES, FROM MEXICO TO SEEK A BETTER LIFE, SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED THAT HER GRANDSON COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
[00:40:01]
BE A CITY COUNCILMAN.UH, BUT THEN AGAIN, MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER NEVER DREAMED THAT HER DAUGHTER, MY TITA WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST LATINO BUSINESS OWNERS IN CHICAGO.
AND I'M PROUD TO BE FOLLOWING IN MY FAMILY'S FOOTSTEPS, WORKING HARD IN MY BUSINESS AND INVESTING IN MY COMMUNITY.
AND MY THREE, UH, PRIORITIES WOULD BE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, STRONG CITY FINANCES AND MANAGING THE HOMELESS PROBLEM, UH, HOMELESS POPULATION RESPONSIBLY.
IT'S GOOD TO BE IN THE HOUSES.
BE POLITE, PAY THEM
MEMBERS OF THE AND CITY COUNCIL,
THEY'RE VERY HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY AS WELL.
SO I'M TAKING OH, AND THEY BELIEVE IN IT.
THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE TOO AS WELL.
EVERYONE
BUT MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TELL THE TRUTH.
I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH ANYBODY EXPECTED TODAY.
THE FOOD PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL RESIDENTS TOO AS WELL.
THESE ARE ALL THE RESTAURANTS I CAN NEED, SO I DID TRY TO DO MY JOB, BUT THE THING IS THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS I'VE BEEN THE MAYOR 17 YEARS, 16 YEARS, MEMBER OF COUNCIL FOR SIX YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION OF THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION AS A COMMISSIONER FOR THE OF ALL THINGS.
YOU'LL NOT COME BELIEVE THAT, BUT A YOUTH COMMISSIONER AND CHAIR OF THAT.
I WAS APPOINTED BY MAYOR SNAP A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, BUT IT WAS GOOD.
ALCOHOL HAS BEEN GOOD TO BEING.
I WANT TO THANK MAYOR LEWIS WHO GAVE 25 YEARS OF HIS LIFE TO SERVING AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR BILL WELLS FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS OF FILING, FILLING THIS VACANCY.
I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE LIVED IN OKLAHOMA SINCE 1977 AND TO BE A PART OF OUR ASIAN COMMUNITY MAKING UP ALMOST 4% OF ALCOHOL, MORE SO OF THAT GROUP OF WHOPPING 225 ARE FILIPINOS AND LIKELY I'M RELATED TO ALL OF THEM.
I AM FORTUNATE TO BE A PRODUCT OF THE CAHONE VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HONORED TO SERVE CURRENTLY ON THE GOVERNING SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SINCE 2014 MY SERVICE ON THE BOARD IS CLOSELY COMPARABLE TO THE SEAT THAT I'M SEEKING FOR CITY COUNCIL.
UNDER MY TERM AS BOARD PRESIDENT CAHONE VALLEY WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE DIGITAL PROMISE AND LEAGUE OF INNOVATION SCHOOLS, A BIPARTISAN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHICH WAS AUTHORED AUTHORIZED BY THE CONGRESS IN 2008, OUR RECOGNITION IDENTIFIES SCALE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AMONGST THE NATION.
I'VE HELPED TO IMPLEMENT OUR ONE-TO-ONE TECHNOLOGY PLAN ROLL OUT AND IN APPROVAL OF THE CREATION AND OPENING OF THE FIRST, UH, ELEMENTARY COMPUTER SCIENCE, UH, SCHOOL RIOS, ALSO AFFILIATED WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF GOOGLE.
I'VE APPROVED, UM, I'VE APPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH QUALCOMM, ILLUMINA, MULTIPLE OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, PARTNERING WITH THEM TO ASSIST AND RESTORING RELEVANCE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIMARILY WITH THE FOCUS OF OUR DIRECTION, WITH OUR UNIQUE CURRICULUM OF THE WORLD OF WORK, CONNECTING STUDENTS TO A REALISTIC PATHWAYS TO CAREERS AND EXPOSURES.
ALSO RECEIVING GLOBAL ATTENTION.
OUR MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO BE A PART OF WAS THE CREATION OF TEDX
[00:45:01]
KIDS AT ELCA HOME.AND THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS ALLOWED ALL STUDENTS IN CAHONE VALLEY, THE ACCESS FOR A ROBUST AND PERSONALIZED CURRICULUM DESIGNED BY TED ED TEAM THAT EMPOWERS OUR CHILDREN IN PRESENTATION LITERACY, GIVING OUR STUDENTS THE UNDERSTANDING TO ARTICULATE OUR IDEAS AND THOUGHTS.
I HAVE FULFILLED A CAPACITY OF SERVICE AND
BUT MY GREATEST MEASURE OF ACHIEVEMENT WILL BE MY APPROVAL RATING OF MAYOR WELLS AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO MY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER, ENGLISH AND SPEECH TEACHER WHO IS ALSO PRESENT HERE TONIGHT.
HOW ARE YOU? COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR.
SOMEBODY AT THE THREE O'CLOCK SAID SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
AND THE FIFTH GRADE I WAS A DEMOCRAT AND IN THE SIXTH GRADE I WAS AN INDEPENDENT.
SO, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE OF THE ONLY FEW NATIVE BORN EL CAHONE IAN'S HERE.
SO LET'S JUST NARROW IT DOWN TO THAT AND WE GO, UM, WELL I WANT TO BE ACTUALLY IN ALL SERIOUSNESS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
I WANT TO TELL YOU ALL SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL TO ME THAT I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYBODY.
I'VE TOLD A FEW PEOPLE MANY YEARS AGO ON MY BUSINESS.
I'VE BEEN DOING WORKING WITH THE L COHEN SINCE THE 80S.
I ACTUALLY GOT SOMEBODY THAT CAME TO ME AND SAID, LOOK AT, WE DO NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU HIRE MINORITIES AND YOU HIRE WOMEN AND I HIRE A POWERFUL IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE WOMEN.
AND THEY SAID, WE ALSO DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A LATINO, SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS DIFFICULT ON YOU.
NOW ALCOHOL AND IS THIS NOT THIS KIND OF PLACE? EL EAST COUNTY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
I JUST WANT YOU, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE VOTE TODAY, DON'T THINK ABOUT THOSE INFLUENCES.
THOSE ARE THE BAD INFLUENCES OF ALCOHOL.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT THEY HAVE CONTROL OF THINGS.
THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE IN OTHER PLACES.
AND NELL CONE IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, I ACTUALLY BECAME, UH, EAST COUNTY CHAMBERS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR TWICE I BECAME A CITIZEN OF THE YEAR BECAUSE IT EMPOWERED ME TO DO EVEN MORE BECAUSE THE THINGS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.
SO POLITICS IS A DIRTY, PEOPLE SAY AWFUL THINGS ABOUT YOU.
THEY SAY AWFUL THINGS ABOUT ME, BUT I JUDGE YOU.
I LET THE LORD JUDGE YOU AND, AND I KNOW EACH ONE OF YOU.
IT'S ABOUT THE MINORITIES, THE TAXI DRIVERS, THE 5,800 PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR ME LAST TIME WHEN I RAN FOR ELECTION AND I'D ASKED YOU JUST LET GOD BE THE JUDGE AND I SAY, YOU KNOW THAT I'M THE PERSON THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALCOHOLICS SINCE THE EIGHTIES MAYOR WALLS.
WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CHAMBER, A MEASURE D WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO DRAFT IT WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE SUPPORTED YOU ON THE RED LIGHT INITIATIVE AND WHEN IT CAME TO FOX SHOCKS TO HELPING BRING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN INTO OKLAHOMA, WE WORK TOGETHER ON THAT.
GARY KENDRICK, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT DEAN TO APPROVE ORDINANCE CASA GROUP AND BRINGING THE PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET ASSOCIATION INTO MY OFFICE TO GET THEM TO SUPPORT YOU ON THAT.
WE KINDA RAN OUT OF TIME AND, UH, BOB MCCLELLAN, STEVE GOBLE WORKING ON THINGS FOR YOU.
JUST CONSIDER SOMEBODY THAT IS A, AS A NATIVE, CONSIDER SOMEBODY THAT HAS DONE THE WORK.
CONSIDER A MINORITY, CONSIDER SOMEBODY THAT SUPPORTS WOMEN ISSUES AND CONSIDER SOMEBODY THAT ACTUALLY REMEMBERS RONALD REAGAN WHEN HE SAID THERE'S NO LIMITS TO THE AMOUNT OF GOOD YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU DON'T CARE WHO GETS THE CREDIT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW THIS IS A HARD PLACE TO BE FOR YOU TO MAKE ALL THIS DECISION AS A LONGSTANDING RESONANT OF 40 YEARS PLUS IN ALCOHOL.
AND I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE MANY ACCOLADES AND QUALIFICATIONS.
UH, THE ONE THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF, THOSE YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE.
I ATTENDED THE UNITED NATIONS IN 2012, UH, TO ADDRESS HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON THE BEHALF OF THE WOMAN OF STAT.
THE STATUS OF WOMEN ALSO BE IN A REPEATEDLY GUEST SPEAKER FOR CEDAR, FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS A, IS ALSO, UM, SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF.
AND IN ADDITION, I JUST RECEIVED A NOMINATION THAT I'M GOING TO RECEIVE FROM THE SUMMIT CENTER OF SAN DIEGO FROM
SO I SAY WITH, I SAY ALL THAT BECAUSE I TAKE
[00:50:01]
GREAT PRIDE IN SERVING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY.I ALSO CHAIR THE WELCOME NEWCOMER NETWORK, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF 50 ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE REFUGEE ASYLEE AND IMMIGRANT ISSUES.
UM, MY MYSELF, I'M AN IMMIGRANT ALSO FROM MEXICO.
I KNOW THAT ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS WHERE 25%, 29% HERE IN ALCOHOL, BECAUSE I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE CENSUS LAST YEAR AND I'M ALSO INVOLVED IN THE CENSUS THIS YEAR.
I, THE COMMUNITIES OF THIS, I UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND I'M ALSO A HOUSING ADVOCATE.
I WROTE A HUD GRANT JUST RECENTLY AND AN APRIL 29TH OF THIS YEAR.
I'M PROUD TO SAY I BROUGHT IN $900,000 TO OUR AGENCY TO SERVE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HOUSING, EXCUSE ME, AGAINST HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.
I ALSO BEGAN AS A VOLUNTEER AT MY AGENCY AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I'M GETTING NERVOUS WITH THIS CLOCK HERE, BUT MOSTLY I RAISED MY CHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN HERE, JOHNSON SCHOOL TO EMERALD SCHOOL, TO THE ALCOHOL HIGH SCHOOL.
I SERVE ON THE POLICE CHIEF SPORT ON THE CHIEF OF POLICE SPORTS PROUDLY BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF THE CITY AND ALCOHOL AND IT'S CONSTITUTES, I KNOW I'LL BE COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO THE GREAT CITY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESSNESS, ANTI-BULLYING, VETERAN AND SENIOR ISSUES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ALL THE ISSUES.
I WILL LISTEN WITH COMPASSION AND TRANSPARENCY AND MOST OF ALL HONESTY.
HOW ARE YOU? HELLO MAYOR CITY COUNCIL STAFF.
MY NAME IS JUAN CARLOS MERCADO.
UM, MY STORY IS VERY SIMILAR TO EVERYONE HERE.
UM, AT 19, I UH, ENLISTED IN THE ARMY.
I, UM, I'M A COMBAT INFANTRY VETERAN FROM IRAQ.
UH, ALSO ALUMNI FROM SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY, UH, ROTC, A COMMISSIONED OFFICER, UM, 10 YEARS TOTAL IN THE ARMY, UH, DISABLED VETERAN.
UM, I GREW UP IN THE SOUTH BAY, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO, UM, SOUTH OF THE EIGHT, ALL THE WAY TO CALEXICO THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
UH, AND I CAN SAY, I CAN SAY I HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE TO SAY THAT I'VE BEEN HERE IN OKLAHOMA FOR YEARS.
AND WHAT SHOCKED ME, A PLEASANT SURPRISE WAS THAT THE PEOPLE, ERICA WHON ARE THE NICEST EVERYWHERE I GO.
YOU'RE GREETED, PEOPLE LOOK YOU IN THE EYE AND THEY SAY, HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? HOW'S YOUR DAY? THAT TO ME, THAT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'M VERY, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I DUNNO, I'M, UM, IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT.
UM, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I JUST LOVE IT HERE.
I GUESS I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
UM, ON THE ISSUES, I WANT TO SAY, LIKE EVERYONE SAID, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE NEED AFFORDABLE DAYCARE.
I, I HEAR THAT FROM THE, UH, FROM A LOT OF THE, UH, UM, UH, FAMILIES, UM, UH, TO THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THERE, RECREATIONAL ABUSE THERE.
UM, ALSO, UM, I'VE, I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES AND I'LL WRAP IT UP WITH THAT.
I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN FIGHTING THE DEPORTATION OF SOLDIERS.
I AM THE FOUNDER OF THE PORT OF VETERANS OF AMERICA AT
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO UM, TO, TO SPEAK AND UM, THE APPOINTMENT FOR US CITY COUNCIL.
UH, MY NAME IS AMANDA MCGIMPSEY AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY APPOINTMENT TONIGHT, A CITY COUNCIL WOMAN.
I WOULD BRING A DECADE OF BUSINESS EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS A PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO TO COORDINATE STEM EDUCATION EVENTS.
AND HAVE CONSULTED WITH UM, ON STRATEGIC MARKETING AND OPERATIONS PLANS FOR THE EAST COUNTY HOMELESS TASK
[00:55:01]
FORCE.I AM ALSO CURRENTLY PURSUING MY MASTER'S OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION WITH A RESEARCH FOCUS ON HOMELESSNESS.
MY PRIORITIES ON CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE TO INCREASE A NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY SUPPORT BUSINESS AS FAR AS SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND CREATE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THROUGH MY WORK WITH THE EAST COUNTY HOMELESS TASK FORCE, I BELIEVE A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH IS NEEDED TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS.
I COMMEND THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR RECENT PROPOSAL TO US OF ESTABLISHING A ROTATING NIGHT SHELTER.
I WOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT REUNIFICATION EFFORTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING TO ADDRESS UH, AT RISK POPULATIONS.
AND FINALLY I WOULD PROMOTE REGIONAL COLLABORATION NOT ONLY WITH THE SURROUNDING CITIES IN EAST COUNTY BUT ALSO WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS WHO ARE WORKING TO TOP THE ISSUE TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY.
I WOULD FORM A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED, INCLUDING A COMPETITIVE SALARY AS WELL AS PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING ON HOW TO DEAL WITH HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WOULD ALSO SUPPORT YOUTH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN OUR PARKS.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT PROMOTES SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND REDUCES CRIME.
I WAS SUPPORT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROPOSE AND PROPOSE WAYS TO MAKE
TO DO THIS, I WOULD SUPPORT ADAPTIVE REUSE PROGRAM TO HELP LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS TURN VACANT BUILDINGS INTO NEW BUSINESSES.
THIS WOULD INCLUDE PERMIT FEE WAIVERS AND A FASTER TIMELINE FOR ELIGIBLE PROJECTS AS WELL AS DEVELOPING AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT WOULD FAVOR A LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
YES, THANK YOU FOR GIVING, FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MY CITY.
I'M SURELY THE OLDEST APPLICANT HERE, MAYBE BOB MCCLELLAN AT DOES ME, BUT THE REST OF YOU AND YES, I HAVE TO ADMIT MARK LEWIS WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS AS WAS JOE, AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
UH, I'M A RETIRED TEACHER, KAHN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 25 YEARS, 46 YEARS, A RESIDENT PROPERTY OWNER, TAXPAYER OF EL CAHONE.
A VISION IS FOR A FUTURE HOSPITAL, NOT JUST A KAISER THING.
AND YET AS WELL, MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS HOSPITAL FOR A LONG TIME SINCE WE LOST OUR TWO FULLY SERVES SERVICE HOSPITALS ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.
NOW I HAVE A BIG VISION FOR THIS HOSPITAL.
I KNOW THAT, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ASK THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE VETERANS, WHOEVER CAN HELP US, EVEN THE INDIAN NATIONS TO BUILD THIS STATE OF THE ART EMERGENCY HOSPITALS.
THEY HAVE NORTH COUNTY, THEY HAVE THEM IN SOUTH DOWN BY THE BORDER.
WHAT ARE WE CHOPPED LIVER OUT HERE IN EAST COUNTY? I DON'T THINK SO.
UH, SENIOR RESOURCES, UH, THEY NEED TO BE RESTORED.
WE LOST THE SENIOR CENTER WHEN WE LOST A WELLS PARK.
WE NEED MORE SENIOR ACTIVITIES, MEETINGS, GREETINGS, CRAFTS, GAMES, ET CETERA.
THE CITY OF LA MESA HAS 66 ACTIVITIES FOR SENIORS ALONE.
UM, AND NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF SENIORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUTURE OF L CONE FOR WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE PAST MISTAKES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
UM, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE A CITY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM, FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE AND A FIRST LUTHERAN WORKS WITH THIS PROGRAM QUITE WELL.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE, EVEN THE CERT TYPE PROGRAM THERE.
UH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE, OF COURSE WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS AND DRUG PROGRAM SOLUTIONS MUST INCLUDE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION.
UM, OH, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU MY QUALIFICATIONS.
I'M OUT OF TIME, BUT I THINK YOU CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
ALL RIGHT, STEVEN, WHAT? HEY STEVEN, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? THANKS MR MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I AM A CITIZEN HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND I'VE LIVED HERE FOR THE LAST SEVEN
[01:00:01]
YEARS.AND UH, AS I, AS CITIZEN OF THE TOWN, I'VE SEEN MANY OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER UNDERTAKEN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS TO GREAT SUCCESS.
AND I'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF PROMOTING THAT IN THE TOWN AS WE GO FORWARD.
THE CITY HAS HAD RECENT SUCCESS WITH THE MARRIOTT AND THE NEW HOTELS THAT ARE BEING BUILT OVER BY HOME DEPOT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE REAL ISSUES WITH HOMELESSNESS AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT AREN'T BEING COMPLETED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND I THINK THAT MY EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE BOARD OF THE UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM AT SAN DIEGO STATE AND ON THE BORDER OF MY CHURCH, UH, PREPARED ME TO WORK IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH OTHER PEOPLE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT FACE OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I WORK AS A PROJECT MANAGER IN CONSTRUCTION HERE IN EAST COUNTY AND WE DO A LOT OF PROBLEM SOLVING WITH A VARIETY OF AGENCIES, INCLUDING THIS CITY AS WELL AS THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, THE OTHER CITIES IN THE TOWN, IN THE AREA THAT HAS PREPARED ME TO BE ABLE TO LEAD OUR, OUR CITY, UH, INTO THE FUTURE AS WE SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT FACE US, UH, THROUGHOUT THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
I, UH, I'M RAISING MY FAMILY HERE IN TOWN AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A, A GREAT PLACE TO BE AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE IT THE BEST CITY IN THE COUNTY.
AND I HOPE THAT SHE'LL GIVE ME THAT OPPORTUNITY BY APPOINTING ME TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I BELIEVE I'M THE LAST ONE NOW.
HELLO MAYOR LA CITY COUNCIL STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'M A PERSON THAT'S VERY CONSERVATIVE.
I BELIEVE IN FREEDOM AND I BELIEVE IN SMALL GOVERNMENT.
I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA IS INVOLVED IN WITHIN CERTAIN PARAMETERS.
I HAVE, AS YOU'VE SEEN IN MY APPLICATION, I HAVE A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES.
I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES IN THE INSURANCE BUSINESS.
I'VE HAD THE EXPERIENCES, I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES, UH, AND UH, IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AS WELL.
I REMEMBER BEING IN THE ARMY, I THINK THIS WAS A REALLY A CRUTCH.
THEY GAVE ME AN EXAMINATION BEFORE I WENT INTO THE ARMY TO SEE WHAT MY ATTRIBUTES WERE.
AND, UH, THE SERGEANT AT ARMS TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE HIGH ENOUGH AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO HERE IN THE ARMY.
SO I SAID, WELL, WHAT UNIT IS MISSING, UH, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, MEETING TODAY.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, THE HOSPITAL UNIT, I JOINED THAT ONE.
SO TO ME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I COULD GO IN MANY, MANY FIELDS AND SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THAT PARTICULAR APTITUDE THAT I HAVE, SOMETIMES I JUST CHOOSE WHATEVER IT'S IN FRONT OF ME.
AND, UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DIVERSITY IN A CANDIDATE, I AM THE ONE WHO HAS A VARIETY OF DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES, APTITUDE, WHICH THE CITY WOULD BENEFIT BY.
I'VE BEEN IN THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION FOR 13 YEARS AND I BELIEVE I'VE BEEN A CHAIRMAN FOR ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AND I WAS A PRESIDENT OF TOASTMASTERS, A CLUB AS WELL.
AND ALSO I'M INVOLVED IN MINISTRY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO I HAVE A, A SERVANT'S HEART.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE THAT I WOULD SERVE THE CITY WELL BECAUSE OF MY PHILOSOPHICAL POINT OF VIEW.
UH, MY NAME IS JUAN AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UH, MAYOR COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF.
I HAD BEEN A SERVER FOR THE COUNTY FOR ALMOST 17 YEARS WHEN I BEGAN TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY.
TOOK ME AWHILE TO UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC, UH, WHAT WE SERVE TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE PEOPLE.
AND OVER THE YEARS I HAVE LEARNED THAT YOU SERVE THE PEOPLE NOT ONLY BASE ON THEIR DIVERSITY, BUT WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS, UH, WHEN THEY MOVE TOWARD THE HOME.
I LIVE NEAR HERE DOWNTOWN AND I BEGAN TO MEET SOME OF THE PEOPLE, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY AND SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NEIGHBORS USED TO CALL ME AND SAY, HEY JUAN, THERE'S HOMELESS PEOPLE OUT THERE SITTING ON THE STREETS SLEEPING ON THE STREET.
AND THEN I USED TO BE ON MEETINGS AND I WOULD LOOK AT MY PHONE AND THEN PEOPLE WOULD TEXT ME
[01:05:01]
HOMELESS PEOPLE AGAIN ON THE CITY.AND I REMEMBER WHO YEARS AGO WE MET, WE MET YOUR WHALES AND CHIEF DAVIS.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE ISSUES.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AUTHENTIC CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT WAS WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO TELL US HOW TENTED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS, UH, WHAT THEY WANT.
SO WE KNOW WE GOT SEVERAL ISSUES ON THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A HOMELESS ISSUE, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO THE RELEVANT ISSUES.
UH, I MEAN I CAN SPEAK OF, OF ALL MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNTY WORKING WITH COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, WORKING WITH SOME PEOPLE AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, BY WAS HIGHLY IMPORTANT FOR ME IS TO MAKE SURE IT'S A HOME GAS IS SPOT OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, SO WHEN PEOPLE MOVE DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PROBABLY
EVEN IF I'M NOT THE LEG, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTINUE THE WORK ON THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M HIGHLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT EVERY CANDIDATE THAT CAME HERE, THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOU WANT TO SAY LEG FOR THIS POSITION.
I'M HERE TO WORK WITH EVERYONE.
I MAY WIN WIN SITUATION PERSON.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WE BRING TOGETHER THE IDEAS AND HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, I HAVE THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF ISSUES THE COUNCIL WILL BE DEALING WITH IN THE COMING YEARS.
I HAVE LOOKED AT MEETING MINUTES ONLINE.
I'VE REVIEWED LAST YEAR'S GENERAL PLAN IN ITS ENTIRETY.
I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT I'M CAPABLE OF ADDING WISDOM TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WHO HAS BEEN PRACTICING LAW FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AFTER ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW.
I'M AN ETHICAL PERSON WITH A SPOTLESS RECORD OF PRACTICE.
THERE ARE NO SCANDALS THAT WILL SURFACE IF I AM CHOSEN TO ASSIST THIS COUNCIL.
I ALSO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY TYPE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IF I WERE CHOSEN.
I AM INTERESTED IN PROVING THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE.
I SERVED ON MY HOA AS PRESIDENT FOR MANY YEARS.
THERE ARE ISSUES IN ELKO HOME THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED THAT COULD USE AN ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM A FRESH PERSPECTIVE LIKE MINE AND IF I MAY SAY SO.
THERE IS A SOMEWHAT LACK OF FEMALE ENERGY ON THE COUNCIL.
I'M HOPING TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE IN ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF ALCOHOL, NOT JUST ONE GROUP BUT EVERYONE.
I HAVE NO ALLIANCES OR HIDDEN AGENDAS.
I HAVE NO POLITICAL AGENDA AND I'M NOT POLITICALLY CONNECTED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR OR NOT, BUT HERE I AM, I'M AVAILABLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CHOOSE ME TO FILL THE
WELL, BEFORE I CLOSED, WAS THERE ANYBODY THAT WE NEGLECTED TONIGHT? WE DIDN'T GET YOU ON THE LIST OR YOU WERE, YOU HAD PUT IN THE APPLICATION.
OKAY, SO WE'RE DONE WITH THIS PART.
THE NEXT PART IS, AND FORGIVE US, WE HAVEN'T DONE DONE IT THIS WAY BEFORE.
EACH ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IS GOING TO WRITE ON A PIECE OF PAPER, THE SIX PEOPLE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOVE FORWARD TO THE FINALS.
MR MAYOR, I'D RECOMMEND THAT WE ALLOW PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE.
OH, I DID WANT TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN YET.
WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT.
WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS LAURA COBELL COUNCIL MEMBER FROM OUR FRIENDLY CITY TO THE UH, I GUESS TO THE NORTHWEST.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF PHIL ORTIZ.
MY NAME IS LAURA COVAL AND I'M AN EAST COUNTY NATIVE AND AN A RESIDENT OF SANTI.
SO WHY AM I HERE TONIGHT? I HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR ALCOHOL AS I WAS BORN HERE.
MY CHILDHOOD HOME WAS ON WEST WASHINGTON WHEN IT WAS A TWO LANE STREET.
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A HAIRSTYLIST AT THE MOP SHOT, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON MAGNOLIA AVENUE AND MY DAD WAS A 32 YEAR VETERAN OF THE ALCOHOL AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I MET PHIL AS PART OF AN EAST EAST COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP CLASS.
OUR CLASS WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIM AND IN FACT VOTED FAIL MOST LIKELY TO BREAK A WORLD RECORD AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THIS IS DEFINED AS A PERSON
[01:10:01]
WHO IS A GO GETTER WHO NEVER TURNS DOWN A CHALLENGE AND IS BOUND TO END UP IN RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT.IN MY PRIOR 25 PLUS YEAR CAREER WITH THE SAN DIEGO PADRES, ONE OF MY ROLES WAS TO SPOT NEW FRONT OFFICE TALENT.
PHIL DOES NOT KNOW THIS, BUT AFTER OUR EIGHT MONTH LEADERSHIP CLASS ENDED, I SHARED WITH A FRIEND THAT I THOUGHT THIS GUY PHIL WOULD BE A GREAT POLITICIAN ONE DAY FILL HIS TALENT AND I GUESS THAT ONE DAY IS TODAY.
PHIL HAS A SERVANT HEART, STRONG BUSINESS ACUMEN.
HE IS FORWARD THINKING AND HE HAS A PROVEN ABILITY TO COLLABORATE, UNIFY AND BE PART OF A TEAM.
HE IS NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK HIS MIND, BUT HE DOES IT WITH TACT AND RESPECT.
BILL WILL BE, PHIL WILL BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO MOVE ALCOHOL FORWARD.
AND I SUPPORT PHIL PHIL ORTIZ.
OUR LAST SPEAKER IS LUTA HEDDA.
AS YOU KNOW, I SIT AS PRESIDENT OF, OF UH, HOTSPUR SOCCER CLUB, THE LARGEST COMPETITIVE SOCCER CLUB HERE BASED IN OKLAHOMA.
I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT FOR PARK AND RECS.
SO EVERY KID THAT PLAYS ORGANIZED SPORTS IN THIS VALLEY, I REPRESENT THOSE KIDS.
I PUT IN A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND WE'RE IN SUPPORTING THIS COMMUNITY AND THE KIDS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE SOMEONE THAT WORKS HARDER THAN I DO, BUT THIS GENTLEMAN, I ACTUALLY WORK WITH THIS GENTLEMAN AND HE WAS BEING A LITTLE MODEST.
HE'S ACTUALLY ON THE MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE BOTH WORKED FOR.
AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH HIM FOR LARGE CONTRACTS, FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WE'RE MANAGING CURRENTLY.
AND ALSO, UH, SOME NEGOTIATIONS WITH SOME OF THE LABOR UNIONS, WHICH YOU KNOW, HOW THOSE, UH, NEGOTIATIONS CAN BE.
HE'S IMPRESSED ME MIGHTILY AND I THINK HE'D BE A GREAT ASSET TO THIS, TO THIS COMMUNITY, AND TO THIS KEY CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S WHY TODAY I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT STEVE WOOD FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL.
OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO GO, CAN I GET MY SPEECH NOW? ALL RIGHT.
SO, UM, WE ARE DONE WITH THE PART WHERE WE'RE HEARING EVERYBODY SPEAK.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UH, I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME AND THE COURAGE PEOPLE HAVE AND THE DESIRE THEY HAVE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES, UH, WHEN YOU, YOU'RE UP HERE AND YOU SAY, WHY DO THEY EVER GET INVOLVED IN THIS? BECAUSE THIS IS A TERRIBLY HARD DECISION TO MAKE.
BUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS EACH ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME WRITE DOWN THE SIX PEOPLE THAT THEY WANT TO SEE, GO ON TO THE FINALS AND THEN WE WILL BRING, UH, IF THERE ARE TWO OF THOSE, IF, UH, THE PERSON, THE NAMES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR SHEET, MASH UP WITH ANY OTHER NAMES AND THEY GET, THEY GET TWO VOTES.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO GO ONTO THE FINALS AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, IF YOU WEREN'T CHOSEN, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
ANYWAY, WE RESPECT YOU ALL AND UH, AGAIN, I APPLAUD YOU FOR, FOR BEING PART OF THE PROCESS.
WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS TAKE ABOUT A 10 MINUTE BREAK, LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, GATHER THEIR THOUGHTS, WRITE DOWN THEIR LISTS AND WE WILL COME BACK.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT TO CONFER WITH EACH OTHER AND UH, WE'LL COME BACK IN 10 MINUTES.
UH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THAT'S UP TO SIX MEMBERS.
YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE IF YOU WANT.
THEN WE WILL TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK AT EIGHT 25.
WHAT DO THEY WANT US TO WRITE ON? JUST THE BACK OF WHAT? I'LL GET YOU, WE'LL GET YOU SOME PAPER JUST WHOLE, OKAY.
WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO THE CITY CLERK TO START CALLING THE NAMES.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN ORDER OF SEATED SEATS AT THE DAYAS.
MAYOR WALES, UH, NOMINATED ANTONY
[01:15:01]
YOU HAYSI AND PHIL ARE TEAS.NOW ANGELA, YOU STILL TELLING, OKAY, GIVE HER A MINUTE.
SO MR MAYOR, WE HAVE 'EM IN COUNCIL.
WE HAVE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT RECEIVED AT LEAST TWO OR MORE VOTES AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE INDICATED BY THE ASTERICK NEXT TO THEIR NAME.
WE'RE GOING TO JUST DOUBLE COUNT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT RIGHT.
WE HAVE SEVERAL COUNTERS AND VERIFIERS.
GENTLEMEN THAT THAT'S THE, THOSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO INTERVIEW.
SO A FINAL CONTESTANT, SORRY, CONTESTANTS THE FINAL LAW.
SO ARE THERE CONTESTANTS ON THE CHEF SHOW? OKAY.
UH, THE FINAL PEOPLE IN CONSIDERATION ARE RICHARD GOON, DEZ HUMBER, CUBERO, PHIL ORTIZ AND ANTHONY'S WILL TLA.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START ASKING QUESTIONS OF THOSE FOUR.
I KNOW IT'S LATE AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THINGS TO DO.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO SLIP OUT, IF YOU'RE FINISHED TONIGHT, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
UH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ON.
SO, UM, LET'S START WITH RICHARD AND NUNEZ.
THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS AND WE'LL, THERE'S ORAL TIME LIMIT HERE, BUT UH, KEEP IT IN MY BRIEF.
I'LL LET YOU GUYS GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, SIR, HOW WOULD YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HELP YOU BE A GREAT CITY COUNCIL PERSON? WELL, I HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DARK SIDE OF OUR CITY.
I BELIEVE THAT I CAN ASSIST US IN ATTACKING IT.
A LOT OF CITIZENS DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENS SOMETIMES ON, LIKE I SAID, THE DARK SIDE OF THE CITY.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO EXPLAIN TO THE CITIZENS WHY WE CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS.
UH, AS FAR AS TAKING ENFORCEMENT ACTION OR HAVING THE POLICE COME OUT ALL THE TIME AND DO CERTAIN THINGS OR SIT ON A HOUSE AND WATCH IT.
AND I KNOW THAT AS A CITIZEN, I KNOW THAT AND I THINK THAT DIDN'T TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, WHEN I HEAR, WHEN I HEAR SOME OF THE FOLKS, UH, SAYING WHAT THEY SAY ALSO AS A CITIZEN, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN RETIRED NOW, IT'S GOING ON NINE YEARS, SO I HAVE TO ALSO BE PATIENT.
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT JOB.
THEY DO OUR FIRED, OUR PUBLIC WORKS, DOES A GREAT JOB.
I CAN'T TELL YOU ALL THOSE YEARS I WORKED FOR THE CITY, HOW THEY ALWAYS CAME THROUGH FOR US.
AND I HAD JUST HAD THIS KNOWLEDGE.
SO I BELIEVE I COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND IN BEING A LIAISON TO THE CITIZENS THAT MAY NOT KNOW THE INTERNAL WORKINGS AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENS ON THE STREETS, BUT WHEN WE'RE QUESTIONING.
AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU.
IF SELECTED, YOU WOULD BE TAKING THE PLACE OF A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT RESIGNED, HOW WOULD YOU BE DIFFERENT THAN THAT COUNCIL MEMBER?
WE'RE ALL HUMAN AND WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.
UH, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I'VE, I'VE, I WAS ABLE TO SURVIVE THE STREETS.
I'VE LEARNED A LOT ON THE STREETS.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BOOK KNOWLEDGE, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF STREET KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM AND SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
A POOR GENTLEMAN MAKE SOME BAD MISTAKES.
IT MADE SOME CHOICES AND IT'S LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES.
[01:20:01]
MADE SOME TOO.I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THEY WERE POSITIVE CHOICES.
I THINK I'VE INFLUENCED A COUPLE OF FOLKS IN MY LIFE.
MATTER OF FACT, ONE OF MY DEAR STUDENTS AND FOOTBALL PLAYERS, NUMBER SEVEN, MU HAZY.
UM, I, I'M HONORED TO SAY HE'S EVEN HERE.
UH, I THINK I'VE IMPACTED SOME FOLKS I HAVE AND I WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.
UH, I REALLY DON'T, I, I FEEL FOR THAT GENTLEMAN, UH, TO GO OUT AND DISGRACE LIKE THAT, BUT I'VE LIVED MY LIFE THE BEST.
BEING AN EXAMPLE OF, OF WHO I AM AND LEADING, LEADING THE BEST I CAN DO WITH INTEGRITY.
UH, MY FAMILY'S NAME, MY FRIENDS, MY KIDS.
UM, I'D DEFINITELY BE AWARE OF WHAT I AM DOING AND THE DECISIONS THAT I MAKE IN A POSITIVE WAY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CITY.
I'M, I'M INVESTED IN THIS CITY.
I THINK WE KNOW THAT I WORK MANY OF MIDNIGHTS PATROLLING THE STREETS, KEEPING KEEPING FOLKS SAFE.
I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT I WAS THE SHEEP DOG.
WHEN PEOPLE ASK WHAT'S THE SHEEP DOG? SHEEP DOG PROTECTS THE FLOCK FROM THE WOLF THAT'S IN MY BLOOD.
THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO EVEN FROM A COUNCIL SEAT IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTION, SO I'M JUST GOING TO SIT HERE AND TAKE IT ALL IN.
I THOUGHT I WAS JUST GOING TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS.
STEVE, THIS WILL BE A QUESTION FOR ALL FOUR CANDIDATES.
SO HERE'S THE SCENARIO AND IT'S REGARDS WITH HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE ALL OF THE CANDIDATES LISTED HOMELESSNESS AS AN ISSUE IN ALCOHOL.
WE WANT TO FOCUS ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S SOME MAN THAT I'LL CALL ROBERT.
HE LIVES ON A STREET IN EL CAHONE RIGHT NOW ON THE SIDEWALK, AND I'VE TALKED TO HIM, LEARNED THIS STORY, FOUND OUT WHY HE WON'T GET OFF THE STREET.
WELL, WE PUT THEM IN TOUCH WITH CORINA, OUR HOUSING NAVIGATOR.
SHE FOUND ROBERT ROBERT'S NOT HIS REAL NAME, A PLACE TO LIVE.
HE GETS ABOUT $900 IN SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PAYMENTS THAT HE SHARES WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND FOOD.
AND SHE FOUND HIM A PLACE TO LIVE AND HE TURNED IT DOWN.
UH, HE TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE IT SAID IT'S TOO FAR AWAY.
HE SAID, I LIKE IT HERE ON THIS STREET IN THE STREET AND HE STILL IS THERE TONIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK.
I MEAN IT'S THE SAME THING WITH A PERSON THAT'S UNDER THE UM, UH, HAS A, AN ADDICTION TO A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.
IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GET FIXED, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.
SO I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHY ARE YOU NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES? UM, SOME PEOPLE I FIND IT, YOU KNOW, AND I COMMEND THE FOLKS THAT HELP WITH THE HOMELESS.
I FIND THE PROBLEM IS THAT, UM, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS AND THEY'RE MEANT MEANT MENTALLY CHALLENGED AND NO MEDICATION IS GOING TO HELP THEM.
THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE MENTALLY CHALLENGED AND MEDICATION WILL HELP THEM.
THERE'S FOLKS THAT HAVE A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM AND THEY DON'T WANT HELP.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS AND THEY WILL TAKE HELP.
SO I WAS THINKING, WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHO IS WHO.
IF YOU WANT HELP, LET'S GIVE IT TO THEM BECAUSE THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO.
THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS OUT HERE THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM.
I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS.
IF I CAN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION OR FIND ANOTHER LOCATION, HE MAY BE SAFE.
MAYBE IT'S A, HAS THE SAME ENVIRONMENT, SAME, UH, AMENITIES THAT HE MIGHT WANT.
THEN LET'S GET HIM TRANSPORTED THERE.
LET'S GET THEM TRANSPORTED THERE.
LET'S FIND OUT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM THOUGH.
AND IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO HELP HIMSELF, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I THINK WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR ENFORCEMENT.
IT IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO BE A HOMELESS PERSON OR POOR.
BUT WHAT THEY DO IN THE CITY, DEFECATING, URINATING, BATTERY FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER, TRESPASSING.
THOSE ARE AGAINST THE LAW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE PROPER ENFORCEMENT.
I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME CITIES WOULD GIVE NEEDLES TO A HEROIN ADDICT.
I UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING SEVERAL DISEASES AND HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T
[01:25:01]
SHARE IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S IT, IT'S LIKE, ARE WE ENCOURAGING THEM BY HOUSING THEM AND FINDING LOCATIONS FOR THEM WHERE THEY'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE THE BAD BEHAVIOR OR, WELL, IF WE FIND THEM A HOME OR SOMEWHERE TO STAY, BY ALL MEANS.I WAS ALSO THINKING ABOUT LIKE ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS.
I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE SPONSORS, SOMEBODY THAT'LL ACCOMPANY THEM TO THE MEETING.
SOMEBODY THAT'LL ASSIST THEM IN TOUGH TIMES.
COULD WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH HOMELESS FOLKS? I KNOW THE CHURCHES AND THE MINISTRIES DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
COULD WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? MAYBE THAT'S JUST NEAT WHAT SOME HOMELESS FOLKS NEED.
MAYBE THEY NEED A LITTLE GUIDANCE, A LITTLE PUSH, A LITTLE SUPPORT.
I JUST, MAYBE IT'S AN, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
IF IT IS, I, I, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THE FOLKS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, DEAL WITH THE HOMELESS AND FINDING OUT WHAT CAN WORK TOGETHER.
THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD MAKE ALCOHOL MORE DESIRABLE FOR BUSINESSES TO COME? WELL, LIKE I WAS SAYING IN MY OTHER STATEMENT, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE TO FEEL SAFE.
AND IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME.
AND I TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE RELUCTANT TO COME TO OUR CITY.
IF I FEEL RELUCTANT TO WALK TO THE STORE KNOWING I'M AN ENCOUNTER, SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT GOOD, THAT ISN'T GOOD.
CAN WE SOLVE ALL THE CRIME? NO.
BUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES A BANG UP JOB WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.
I WISH WE COULD GIVE THEM MORE, MORE PERSONNEL, KEEP THE PERSONNEL WE HAVE AND HAVE THEM, UH, AND WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM.
WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM IN PROGRAMS. I WISH WE COULD, UH, AS FAR AS FEELING SAFE, WE HAVE THE HOMELESS.
THAT'S A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
COULD WE, UH, DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE THE COURTHOUSE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HAVE A HABITUAL TRANSIENT TYPE PROGRAM WHERE THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT HELP.
THEY, IF THEY DON'T WANT HELP, OKAY.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO ENFORCE THE LAWS.
LET'S GO TO THE COURT AND TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION.
UM, SIR, SOMETIMES, UH, THE HARDEST PART ABOUT THIS JOB IS TO MAKE A DECISION BETWEEN TWO GOOD CHOICES OR TWO BAD CHOICES.
UM, I KIND OF DEVELOPED A FRAMEWORK FOR WHICH I, I USE TO MAKE DECISIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF, UH, A FRAMEWORK THAT YOU USE TO MAKE DECISIONS? CAUSE THAT'S, THERE'LL BE TIMES ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN YOU, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD TO MAKE A DECISION LIKE TONIGHT.
I LIKE TO THINK I HAVE SOME INTEGRITY.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT I POSSESS IT.
I AM A CURRENTLY ON THE PERSONNEL COMMISSION FOR OUR CITY.
I AM, I'VE MADE SOME DECISIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I'VE MADE THEM BASED ON THE FACTS THAT I'M GIVEN, MAKE THE BEST DETERMINATION IN MY HEART AND MY HEAD.
WHAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND MAKE THAT DECISION.
I DO, I INTEGRITY IS EVERYTHING.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS, SIR? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
DO YOU HAVE TO LIST AGAIN? CERTAINLY IF WE'RE GOING TO JUST GO DOWN THAT LIST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
CARRIE, YOU WANT TO START OFF? WELL, I'M GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS AS THE OTHERS.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU BE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER GUY? UH,
WE CAN COME TO AGREEMENTS AND WE CAN, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WORK WITH BOB TO GET BICYCLES TO CHILDREN, WORK WITH STEVE ON THE HOMELESS ISSUE, CLEANING UP
UH, THE OTHER THING, UH, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR UNIQUE SITUATION.
UH, YOU GO IN TO GET APPROVAL AT THE CITY FOR PERMITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
DO YOU SEE ANY KIND OF CONFLICT INVOLVED IF YOU WERE TO BE SELECTED? WE A 1% 1.125% OF OUR WORK IS ACTUALLY DONE IN ALCOHOL.
[01:30:01]
SO I DON'T SEE THAT AS MY CORPORATION HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THAT.WE ACTUALLY DO A LOT OF WORK IN, UM, THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
SO, UM, WE FOCUS ON LETTING OTHER DESIGN TEAMS HAVE EVERYTHING FROM, UH, INTERSTATE FIVE WEST.
AND I'LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM INTERSTATE FIVE TO NEW YORK.
THAT'S OUR PHILOSOPHY AT MY COMPANY.
BUT IT DOES GIVE US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE A LOT OF PLANNING, A LOT OF DIFFERENT CITY MANAGERS, A LOT OF GREAT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS.
AND A LOT OF, UH, WE GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE AND KNOW WHAT THEIR ORDINANCES ARE, HOW THOSE AFFECT THEIR CITIES, WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND IT GIVES US AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THAT I COULD ACTUALLY BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE CITY THAT I DON'T BELIEVE OTHER CANDIDATES COULD.
AND UH, THE LAST QUESTION IS, HOW WOULD YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HELP YOU BE A BETTER COUNCIL MEMBER? SO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, MR KENDRICK, I THINK IT'S A PERFECT QUESTION.
I'M SOMEBODY THAT'S ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PAYCHECK AND GIVEN A PAYCHECK.
I'VE SIGNED BOTH SIDES OF THAT PAYCHECK.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGERS, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO HAVE TO SIGN BOTH SIDES.
YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY REGULATION.
AND HAVING THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH ALL THE REGULATIONS AND SBS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE IS SOMETHING THAT WE KEEP TRACK OF EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT CAN AFFECT US TOMORROW.
AND SO WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THOSE SAME THINGS.
OH, THERE'S A NEW ORDINANCE THAT SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO THIS OR, OR THAT.
YEAH, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE'S, THERE MIGHT BE A NEW OR A NEW, A BALL THAT'S COMING DOWN THAT SAYS THAT THE ZONING THAT'S WITHIN THE CITY THAT'S NEAR A STOP OR A BUS STOPS GOING TO BE DETERMINED BY THE STATE RATHER THAN BY THE CITY.
THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.
THAT'S ALSO GONNA AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, THE THING THAT GETS ME THE MOST, HAVING SIGNED BOTH SIDES OF THE PAYCHECK IS THAT I HAVE A LOT OF APATHY AND HUMILITY FOR THE EMPLOYEES, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE FROM THE TRYING TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THEY COME HERE TO EL CAHONE.
BUT I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE SINCE FOREVER AND I HAVEN'T LEFT YET.
I WORKED FOR A TOP 500 COMPANIES, CORPORATIONS, AND I'VE COME BACK TO ALGON.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IN ALCOHOL PEOPLE COME HERE.
IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAD A GREAT BIG ASIAN POPULATION AT ONE POINT.
WE HAD A GREAT BIG MIDDLE EASTERN POPULATION.
AT ONE POINT THEY COME, THEY LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THEY MOVE ON TO GREATER AND OTHER PLACES AND IT'S A FANTASTIC THING.
THEY'LL GO AND HAS THAT GREAT MIX.
WE HAVE 29% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LATIN AMERICAN, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY OVER THE AGE OF 30 IN MY DISTRICT.
EVEN MORE THAN THAT, 30 30% AND SO WHEN I GO INTO THEIR HOMES AND I SPEAK TO THEM, THE AMERICAN DREAM IS STILL ALIVE, ALCOHOL AND IS STILL STRONG.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST ONE? THE FIRST ONE IS ROBERT.
HE JUST WANTS TO STAY THERE ON THE STREET BECAUSE THAT'S HIS TERRITORY AND WHO'S TURNED DOWN HELP AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO WRITE.
THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION AND AS W WHEN WE, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT TOGETHER AND STARTED A HOMELESS TASK FORCE AND ALCOHOL, I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FIRST, THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE IN OKLAHOMA AND IS DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT YOU THINK ABOUT THE HOMELESSNESS AND ALCOHOL AND IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS IT'S INCREASED BY A 35% OR SO, BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT THE HOMELESSNESS IN SAN DIEGO, IT'S INCREASED ACTUALLY BY OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT EITHER WHAT SAN FRANCISCO IS DOING, IT'S INCREASED BY 200% SO OKLAHOMA AT 35% OR SOMETHING.
IT'S ACTUALLY DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAD THE OTHER CITIES SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE MAYOR OF SAN DIEGO ABOUT THE SAME THING OF WHAT ALCOHOL IS DOING HERE AND I'VE HAD OTHER PEOPLE LIKE HAROLD BROWN GO AND TALK TO THEM AS WELL.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE BOTH ON THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE TOGETHER, STEVE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE SALVATION ARMY, WE'RE BUILDING THAT BRAND NEW 33,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.
IT'S BEEN A DREAM OF MINE FOR NINE YEARS.
IT'S A BABY THAT'S BEING BORN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ALL OF THESE COUNTY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY IN ALCOHOL.
BUT THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PIECE AS YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING THAT WE WORKED HARD ON AND OUR, OUR ASSESSMENT STUDIES AND AS, AS YOU'RE REALLY FAMILIAR WITH, WE HAVE TO TOUCH SOMEBODY MORE SIX TIMES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO THEN BECOME TRUSTING US TO
[01:35:01]
FIND OUT THEIR REAL NAME.SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT LETTING THE PERSON GO ONCE, BUT WE HAVE TO GO FIND THAT PERSON AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE FROM CANINES AND CAMMIES, UM, THEY JUST GOT A BIG, UH, THING WITH NETFLIX RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO HELP THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM, UM, THAT ARE VETERANS TO GET THEM OFF THE STREET.
AND THEN, UH, HAROLD BROWN IS DOING A GREAT JOB AT EAC, TLC AND THEN THE SALVATION ARMY IS DOING THEIR THING.
AND WE HAVE, UH, A FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAM AT THE SALVATION ARMY THAT AS YOU ARE AWARE, LAST YEAR WE REUNIFIED 30 PEOPLE.
THIS YEAR JUST TO, TO TODAY WE REUNIFIED 50 FAMILIES, SO WE'RE EXPECTING TO DO OVER A HUNDRED FAMILIES.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND ASK FOR MORE ASSISTANCE AS A RESULT, BUT MY POINT IS THIS, YES, YOU DO HAVE TO DO AN ENFORCEMENT AT ONE POINT, BUT THE STATE IS HOLDING YOUR HAND SAYING, HEY, YOU CAN'T DO ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE IT'S AGAINST THE LAW HERE.
THE CITY ATTORNEY KNOWS THAT, BUT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE CAN DO BEFORE WE GET TO THAT ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AND GIVE THE JUDGES THEN A CHANCE TO SAY, OKAY, I GAVE THIS PERSON A CHANCE.
LIKE IF YOU EVER, IF YOU WATCH THE PROGRAM ABOUT SEATTLE IS DYING, YOU'LL SEE THE OTHER CITIES ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOME PROGRAMS WHICH ARE OKAY, WE GAVE YOU A CHANCE.
WE TOUCHED YOU MORE THAN SO MANY TIMES.
WE'VE HAD THE ROUTINE IN ALCOHOL LEVEL, OVER 39%, 30, 29 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELPING WITH THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE AND THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.
HAVE INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING SHOW DO A PRIVATE, A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN MAKE ALCOHOL MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR BUSINESSES TO COME? THIS IS AN EASY ONE.
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, YOU WERE HIRED, VINCE DIMAGGIO, THE GREATEST GIFT TO MANKIND.
UH, SOMEBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS BUSINESS AND UNDERSTANDS THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SOME OF THAT UNDERSTANDS LIKE GRAHAM FROM THEM, GIRL UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
NOW WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY MASSAGE THE ZONING, MAKE MICRO ZONING, DO THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT THAT ARE, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING PURPOSES BEFORE.
SOME OF THEM ARE BORN RIGHT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD ATTITUDE AND THEIR ROUTE TO WORK TO GET THINGS DONE, BUT WE JUST CAN'T MAKE, YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS WATCHING IT ON TV.
WE CAN'T MAKE A CUP FOR EVERY SINGLE TINY DEAL OF THING OR MEP FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING AND WE CAN'T HAVE SO MANY REGULATIONS THAT IT ACTUALLY PRECLUDES PEOPLE.
WE ALSO CAN'T BE APPLYING CERTAIN REGULATIONS THE WAY THAT OTHER CITIES AREN'T.
SO OTHER CITIES ARE SAYING, OKAY, YOU HAVE AN ADA REQUIREMENTS.
THE ADA REQUIREMENT IS THAT SO MANY BATHROOMS HAVE TO BE ADA.
ONE AN ALCOHOL, AND EVERY BATHROOM HAS TO BE ADA.
EVEN THE, EVEN THE PRIVATE BATHROOM.
WELL, AM I GOING TO BUILD A BUSINESS IN SANTI OR HERE, YOU KNOW, OR IS EVERY DOOR HAVE TO BE ADA REQUIRED? DO I HAVE THE 21 FOOT HEIGHT REQUIREMENT IN CERTAIN THINGS IN ORDER TO GO GET A CUP? IF I GO OVER 21 FEET, WELL, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE SHORT AND STUBBY AND UGLY, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, SOMETHING MR GLOBAL, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME AND YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
SOME UNDERGROUNDING SOME OTHER THINGS.
I SAW THAT IN THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GETTING SOME MONEY FOR SOME FUNDING FOR THAT.
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME BOTH THINGS THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL AND LESS REGULATIONS AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST GOING TO SHOW UP AND WANT TO MAKE ALL GONE THE GREATNESS THAT IT WAS BEFORE.
SAME QUESTION I ASKED, WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU USE FOR YOURSELF TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS? WELL, I W I WANT TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE READ ALL THE BUSINESS BOOKS KEPNER TREGOE UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE DUES ARE AND DO NOTS, YES OR NO IS BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A DECISION IN BUSINESS.
IT'S HOW YOU MAKE THIS DECISION THAT'S A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DECISION OR, OR JUST A PERSONAL DECISION, THINGS THAT ARE, UH, THE, THE BEST HABITS FOR LIFE AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
BUT ALSO, RIGHT IN THE END, YOU MAKE THE ANALYSIS, YOU SIT DOWN AND YOU LOOK UP TO HEAVEN.
YOU PRAY, YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING HERE? THAT'S IN THE END.
THE FINAL ARBITRATOR AFTER YOU LOOK
[01:40:01]
AT EVERYTHING.I'VE BEEN AT SEVERAL JURIES, I'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL, UH, AS A PROFESSIONAL WITNESS SEVERAL TIMES.
AND IT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE.
SOMETIMES YOU'D HAVE TWO GOOD THINGS IN TWO BAD THINGS, BUT IF YOU CAN FIND A THIRD SOLUTION, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ONE THING OR ANOTHER THING.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONING MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL OF THEM AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST THIS OR THAT, IT'S A, IT'S ALSO A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
IAN'S, A LOT OF TIMES YOU CAN'T MAKE BOTH HAPPY, BUT IN THE END, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
HUMBLE YOURSELF AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT IN YOUR HEART.
WHO'S NEXT? THE NEXT MR PHIL ORTIZ.
WELL, PHIL, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTIONS I ASKED THE OTHERS.
UH, HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT? THE PERSON THAT USED TO OCCUPY THE SEAT THAT YOU'RE GOING FOR? YEAH.
UM, I, I WAS, I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE FORMER COUNCILMAN ABOUT HIS ACTIONS.
AND, UH, LIKE ONE OF THE APPLICANTS EARLIER SAID, UM, HE MADE SOME BAD DECISIONS AND, UM, I HOPE THAT HE, UM, MOVES ON AND, AND COMES UP ON TOP, UH, OUT OF THIS.
I DON'T WISH HIM ANY ILL WILL, BUT, UM, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I HELPED START A PROGRAM CALLED FRAT MANNERS, STANDS FOR FRATERNITY MEN AGAINST NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTS AND RAPE SITUATIONS.
I SPOKE TO THOUSANDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS, UH, ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
AND, UM, SO I WAS STANDING UP FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE WAS BEING ACCUSED OF.
UM, AND I'VE ALSO WRITTEN MYSELF A, A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, IN THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA.
AND I'D LIKE FOR THAT TO BE ADOPTED.
UM, SO IF THIS HAPPENS, GOD FORBID, AGAIN, UM, THERE'S A STANDARD THAT ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS APPOINTED, PEOPLE CAN, UH, UH, LIVE BY AND BE ABIDE BY, ABIDE BY.
UM, SO, AND THEN AGAIN, WORKING WITH, UH, PEOPLE ACROSS THE AISLE OR COUNCILMAN, UM, YOU, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER ON A BIPARTISAN WAY AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE FACING THE COMMUNITY YOU BRING IN, YOU BRING IN COMMUNITY INPUT AND, AND WORK THE PROBLEM.
UM, IT DOES NO GOOD TO MAKE ENEMIES.
UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE CITIZENS AND WHEN YOU MAKE IT ABOUT YOURSELF, UM, YOU'RE NO LONGER WORKING FOR THE CITIZENS, YOU'RE MAKING IT ABOUT YOURSELF.
AND SO I PLANNED TO BE SELFLESS.
UM, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, CITIZEN FOCUSED, UM, GETTING FEEDBACK AND UM, GIVING EL CAHONE A GOOD NAME THAT IT DESERVES.
SECOND QUESTION IS, HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE YOUR EDUCATION HELP YOU BE A BETTER COUNCIL MEMBER? YEAH, SO LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M A BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, I'VE MANAGED PEOPLE, I'VE HAD TO LOOK AT BUDGETS.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN EMPLOYEE AND AN EMPLOYER.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN.
UM, I DIDN'T SAY IT TONIGHT, BUT I'VE PREPARED FOR THIS.
I HAVE A BACHELOR'S IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION FROM SAN DIEGO STATE AND I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT EMPHASIZING IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
SO I THINK THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO ASPECTS OF, OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR LOOKING AT BUDGETS, UM, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN ROLES OF A CITY COUNCILMAN, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FISCALLY HEALTHY AND STRONG.
WE HAVE, UH, A GREAT RESERVE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT RESERVE.
UH, JUST THIS LAST WEEK, THE CITY OF OXNARD, UH, THE CITY MANAGER DECLARED THAT THEY WERE $10 MILLION.
IT WAS A $10 MILLION SHORTFALL AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO START LAYING OFF WORKERS AND THEY ATTRIBUTED IT TO, UH, THE CONTRIBUTION TO PENSION, UM, TO CALPERS.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, THE CITY'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONTRIBUTING MORE MONEY TO CALPERS AND THAT THAT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE IS GOING TO COME IN HANDY.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE OXNARD IS, WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO LAY OFF POLICE, FIRE, CITY STAFF.
UM, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THIS IS THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE A, IT'S RUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS IN CHARGE OF OUR POLICE IN CHARGE OF FIRE, IN CHARGE OF OUR WATER.
OUR SEWAGE IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT
[01:45:01]
IS, UM, IMPORTANT ABOUT OUR DAILY LIVES.SO, UM, ALL THAT TO SAY THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE CITY AND, AND MY, MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS LOOKING AT BUDGETS, MANAGING PEOPLE, WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
LET'S CIRCLE BACK TO MY FRIEND ROBERT.
HOW CAN WE HELP HIM? YOU HAVE TH THAT'S A, UM, A TOUGH SITUATION TO BE IN.
UM, PHILOSOPHICALLY ON A HIGH LEVEL VIEW, UM, LIKE MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT'S NOT ILLEGAL TO BE HOMELESS AND IF YOU'RE FORCING PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING AGAINST THEIR WILL, THAT SETS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN THE COUNTRY HAS ALL THE ANSWERS.
I THINK EVERY MAJOR CITY, AT LEAST ON THE WEST COAST, IS DEALING WITH THIS.
UM, I THINK PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF SOLVING HOMELESSNESS IS THE BEST THING THAT THE CITY CAN DO.
THEY HAVE, WE HAVE AMAZING, UH, NONPROFITS, ECE, TLC, ALCOHOL COLLABORATIVE CRISIS HOUSE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF HELPING PEOPLE LIFT THEMSELVES UP OUT OF THEIR, UM, EMOTIONAL POVERTY, THEIR SPIRITUAL POVERTY, THEIR MENTAL POVERTY, SO THEN THEY CAN LIFT THEMSELVES UP OUT, OUT OF THEIR PHYSICAL POVERTY.
UM, I, I, I'M, I'M PROUD ALCOHOL IS DOING AMAZING WORK, UM, WITH THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS WE NEED TO DEFINE WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I THINK YOU DO A VERY GOOD JOB, STEVE, OF DOING THAT.
YOU'VE AND AT, UM, TOWN HALLS AND UM, OTHER MEETINGS YOU DEFINE WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO HOMELESS BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR ONE PERSON WHO MAYBE THE SINGLE MOM WHO'S DOWN ON HER LUCK LIVING OUT OF HER CAR ISN'T GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR ANOTHER PERSON WHO'S DEALING WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR ADDICTION.
UM, SO WE NEED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE NEED TO DEFINE WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO THE HOMELESS, THEIR SPECIFIC OBSTACLES THAT THEY'RE FACING, AND THEN TAILOR IT TO THEM ACCORDINGLY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY ON THE HOMELESS PROBLEM.
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO TO MAKE ALCOHOL AND ATTRACTIVE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO BUSINESSES? THE BUSINESSES? YEAH.
WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DID THE COUNCIL AND, AND STAFF HAS ALREADY SET A GREAT PRECEDENT.
YOU'RE INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE WITH EQ PACK.
UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING AN INVESTMENT IN TO REVITALIZE IT AND THEN YOU'RE BRINGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN TO MANAGE IT AND IT'S, I THINK THEY ALREADY HAVE 80 CONCERTS BOOK ONCE THEY OPEN.
UM, MAYBE CONTINUING THAT PROGRAM IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES TO COME IN, IN VACANT LOTS.
UM, THERE'S A PHILOSOPHY OF IF YOU WANT LESS OF SOMETHING, TAX IT.
IF YOU WANT MORE OF SOMETHING, SUBSIDIZE IT.
WE WANT BUSINESS, SO LET'S NOT TAX HIM.
I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES IN CALIFORNIA TO LOWER TAXES.
THAT'S INCENTIVIZING BUSINESSES TO COME IN.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE DOLLARS COME IN AND PEOPLE SPEND THEIR MONEY IN EL CAHONE ON SALES TAX, THEN WE HAVE MORE REVENUE FOR SERVICES WITHOUT RAISING TAXES ON OUR CITIZENS.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
I KNOW THAT'S A BIG, UM, PROCESS.
THE EAST COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THEY'RE ONE OF THE, UH, THEY ARE CURRENTLY FUNDING THE HOMELESS TASK FORCE.
AND I WANT TO TIP MY HAT TO GRAHAM AND SAY VELCRO HONED FOR, UM, SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE $5,000 TO KEEP THAT GOING.
THEY, EVERYONE IN THAT, UM, MEETING HAS SAID THE, THESE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN THE GLUE THAT HOLDS ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER.
UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING THAT, HAVE METRICS, UM, FOR IF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE INSTITUTING ACTUALLY WORK.
SAME QUESTION I HAD ASKED THE OTHERS.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A FRAMEWORK FROM WHAT YOU USE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS? YES.
I THINK THE FIRST ONE IS YOU NEED TO STAND BY YOUR CONVICTIONS AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, NOT IN YOUR OWN.
UM, I THINK MY, MY GRANDFATHER SERVED IN WORLD WAR II AND HE SACRIFICED A LOT.
MY WHOLE FAMILY HAS BEEN MILITARY.
AND I THINK IF YOU WANT TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU NEED TO LOSE SOMETHING.
YOU NEED TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING.
[01:50:01]
UM, AND THAT MIGHT BE, UM, OTHER PEOPLE'S POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON YOU.UM, JUST SO AS THESE MILITARY MEMBERS SACRIFICE SOMEBODY FOR YOUR COUNTRY, I THINK YOU NEED TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING TO SERVE IN PUBLIC OFFICE.
UM, ON TOP OF THAT, ON A HIGH LEVEL, YOU NEED TO NOT DO WHAT'S, UM, I TRY AND DO WHAT IS NOT POPULAR, BUT WHAT'S RIGHT, TAKING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I'M LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF WHAT THE DECISIONS ARE GOING TO, WHAT MY DECISIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, TALKING TO EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, BRINGING ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AND MAKING THE BEST POSSIBLE DECISION FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT MIGHT NOT BE POPULAR, BUT IF IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, THEN YOU'LL KNOW, UM, AND NOT BE SWAYED BY PUBLIC OPINION.
A MEMBER, A MEMBER MAY OR MR COUNTS ACCOUNT NUMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MR. ANTHONY.
SO TLA
THIS IS THE LAST, TONY YOUR LAST.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO ALL THE OTHER, SO TONY, SAME QUESTION.
HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT THAN THAT OTHER GUY THAT SAT IN THAT CHAIR? I WOULDN'T BE DIVISIVE.
IT'S NOT ME AGAINST THE CITY COUNCIL IS HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH A GOAL? AND THAT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE I SAW BEN COLLAGE WILL BE VERY DIVISIVE, PUTTING, UH, UH, VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AND THEN THE INTERNET, YOU KNOW, SAYING HOW THAT BILL WAS YOUR EVERYBODY ELSE, HOW BAD THEY WERE AND HOW GREAT HE WAS.
I WOULDN'T, I WOULD NOT BE THE VESSEL.
I WOULD TRY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE.
AND A SECOND QUESTION IS, HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND YOUR EDUCATION MAKE YOU A GOOD COUNCIL MEMBER? I, YOU KNOW, I, I, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU BECOME A PUBLIC SERVANT, UH, IT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNANCE AND ALSO THE PHILOSOPHY OF COMMUNITY, WHICH IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
AND IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PHILOSOPHY, BECAUSE I, I HAVE, UH, A FAITH THAT HAS ANSWERS.
YOU COULD HAVE A FAITH THAT HAS NO ANSWERS AND YOU'RE GOING TO STICK BY THAT FAITH.
BUT I HAVE A FAITH THAT HAS ANSWERS AND THAT FAITH DRIVES EVERYTHING THAT I DO.
AND, UH, SO MY EXPERIENCES, UH, IN THE BUSINESS WORLD IS THAT A BUSINESS NEED TO BE HELPED.
UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE GO GETTERS, PEOPLE WHO MAKE MONEY, THEY DO IT HONESTLY.
THAT IS REALLY, THEY HELP THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DON'T HURT THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW? AND ALSO THERE'S A, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE A GOOD CITIZENS WHO MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE ACCOUTREMENTS, YOU KNOW, AND BEING GREAT, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE LISTENED BECAUSE THEY HAVE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
SOMETIMES I SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S, I'VE LEARNED THAT THROUGH LIVING AND THEN IN THE EDUCATION FIELD, I'VE LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, FEEL STRONGLY THAT YOU CAN GIVE A GOOD EDUCATION WITHOUT TEACHING MORALS.
YOU KNOW WHAT A FAILURE THAT HAS BEEN.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU CAN'T, YOU CANNOT HAVE A SCHOOL IN ORDER, DOESN'T TEACH MORALS AND BE A GOOD SCHOOL BECAUSE I KNOW SOMEBODY WHO VERY, VERY SMART, VERY SMART.
THE DEVIL IS VERY SMART, BUT HE'S A SMART DEVIL.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A PHILOSOPHY THAT I'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME EXPERIENCES.
OUR FRIEND ROBERT STILL NEEDS SOME HELP.
ALL RIGHT, I KNOW THAT FRIEND.
WHAT CAN YOU OFFER? HOW DO WE HELP ROBERT? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS WHO REALLY NEED HELP.
YOU COULD BECOME HOMELESS BECAUSE OF A DISASTER.
IT IS OUR DUTY TO HELP THAT PERSON.
YOU CAN BECOME HOMELESS BECAUSE OF A DISEASE OR A, AN ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO YOU, THAT PERSON, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DUTY TO, TO HELP THAT PERSON.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, BECOME POOR FOR NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, USUALLY BECOME POOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CERTAIN KIND OF DISABILITY WE NEED TO HELP THEM.
BUT THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE HOMELESS, I THINK IT'S A MORAL ISSUE BECAUSE THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO ON THE STREET, WHETHER IT BE ALCOHOL OR DRUGS OR THEIR ADDICTION.
EITHER GET HELP AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET HELP, THEN YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF TOWN.
THAT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY THAT, UH, YEAH.
A PERSON HAS A, IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO BE A HOMELESS.
IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO BE HOMELESS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO, WHEN YOU'RE LIVING ON THE STREETS, YOU'RE COMMITTING A LOT OF CRIME.
YOU BECOME AN ENCOURAGEABLE AND ENCOURAGEABLE AS A PERSON THAT CAN'T DO ANYTHING,
[01:55:01]
YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT.AND THE BIBLE ADDRESSES A PERSON WHO IS AN ENCOURAGEABLE AND HE GIVES THE ANSWER WHAT TO DO WITH THAT PERSON.
AND WHAT CAN WE DO MORE OF TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE BUSINESS TO ALCOHOL? WELL, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE HOMELESS SITUATION, IT WILL ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT SHOP IN CERTAIN AREAS IN OKLAHOMA OR OTHER CITIES BECAUSE OF THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
AND ALSO IF THE GOVERNMENT GETS OUT OF THE WAY LESS REGULATIONS AND ALLOWS BUSINESS TO FLOURISH, TO DO THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, THEN THAT WILL ALSO HELP, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND WHEN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS THRIVING, THE PEOPLE THRIVE.
SO I, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL INTERRELATED AND WHAT WE DO, IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING OR ANOTHER THING.
IT'S LIKE A HARMONY OF THINGS WORKING TOGETHER IN HARMONY SO THAT I WOULD REDUCE THE REGULATIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WORKING WITHIN CERTAIN PARAMETERS.
UM, TYPICAL DECISIONS, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, HOW DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT KIND OF A FRAMEWORK DO YOU USE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? WELL, IF A STARTUP A MORAL ISSUE, I KNOW, UH, THAN YOU KNOW, A MORAL ISSUE, I HAVE NO PROBLEM MAKING A DECISION QUICKLY.
BUT IF IT'S NOT A MORAL ISSUE, I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS THE PRINCIPAL OF THE ONE, THERE'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THERE'S THE, THE, THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FEW.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SITUATION IS THE DECISION WOULD EITHER HELP ONE PERSON.
WE EITHER HELP, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR IT WOULD HELP THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO DECISION WHICH WAY IS GOING TO GO, USUALLY IF IT'S TWO OR THREE OR IF THEY'RE DOING, IF IT'S THREE GOOD THINGS, EVERYBODY'S HAPPY, BUT IF IT'S TWO OUT OF THREE, IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE, BUT LEAST YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.
BUT IF IT'S JUST ONE PERSON BENEFITING FROM THE DECISION, THEN I WOULD STAY AWAY FROM THAT DECISION.
AND AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR ON THAT? YEAH, YOU ARE.
AT THIS POINT I'LL BRING THE CONVERSATION BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
GENERALLY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY DISCUSSION THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE BEFORE WE, SOMEBODY MAKES A MOTION VERY WELL.
I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH ALL FOUR OF THE FINALISTS.
UH, MY PARAMETERS WERE I WANTED SOMEONE WAS KINDHEARTED, COMPASSIONATE, INTELLIGENT.
ALL FOUR OF THOSE PEOPLE MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS.
ANY OF THE FOUR WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT COUNCIL PERSON.
SO LISTEN TO MY OTHER, MY COLLEAGUES HERE, I WOULD ECHO WHAT GARY SAID THERE.
ALL FOUR OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE THE SECOND TIME ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH AND UH, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD DECISION BECAUSE, UH, OH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU'RE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M IMPRESSED WITH ALL OF THE CANDIDATES, UH, AND TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS STILL HERE.
I WAS TURNED DOWN FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
I WAS TURNED DOWN FOR PERSONNEL COMMISSION AND I DIDN'T MAKE IT AND I DIDN'T QUIT.
I'M SAYING DON'T QUIT IF YOU DIDN'T GET SELECTED TONIGHT, KEEP GOING.
BECAUSE IF YOUR MOTIVATION IS RIGHT, YOU'LL END UP IN A CHAIR HERE SOMEDAY.
I THINK ARE THE FOUR CANDIDATES THAT REMAIN.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE CHOOSING A, WHAT'S THE TIE BREAKER? BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES.
EVERYBODY HAS GOOD EXPERIENCE.
EVERYBODY HAS GOOD TEMPERAMENT.
TO ME, UH, THE SEAT NEXT TO ME HERE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY WITH A GOOD TEMPERAMENT.
SOMEBODY WHO IS, UH, NOT EXPLOSIVE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
BUT, UH, LET'S, LET'S TALK IT OUT.
I THINK THIS IS A ONE AND A HALF YEAR APPOINTMENT.
WHOEVER WE APPOINT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE GOING INTO THE 2020 ELECTION.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT BECAUSE, UH, PEOPLE GAVE ME MORE VOTES THAN THEY GAVE AN APPOINTED THREE YEAR INCUMBENT.
SO IT JUST MEANS HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO TELL THE PEOPLE OF ALCOHOL, WHAT YOUR MESSAGE IS TO IMPROVE THE CITY.
SO THE APPOINTMENT DOES NOT MEAN THIS PERSON HAS AN ADVANTAGE IN ANY WAY.
UH, I LOOK FOR THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS.
[02:00:01]
I SEE THAT, UH, MR GOOANDESS WORKS WITH COACHING WITH KIDS.HE CERTAINLY HAS A TEMPERAMENT OF THE POLICE OFFICER.
MY GOODNESS, THE PATIENT'S POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO HAVE IN THE CITY OF EL CAHONE.
UH, MR. CABRERA, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS.
YOU, YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT A SALVATION ARMY.
YOU'D BEEN DOING IT A CASA, YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT AND ALL SORTS OF CHARITIES ACROSS THIS TOWN, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
UM, MR
PEOPLE COULD NEVER FIND A BETTER DEVOTED PERSON IN THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA.
MR. ORTIZ, YOU'RE, I WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF IMPRESSED BY YOUR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION POINTS OF VIEW.
WE'VE CROSSED PATHS AMONG THE CHAMBER.
I THINK, UM, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE'VE PICKED UP TRASH TOGETHER OFF THE STREETS OF ELKO, HAULED IT TO THE DUMP BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT OKLAHOMA.
EACH ONE OF THESE FOUR PEOPLE HAS A DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS.
WE CAN'T GO WRONG, AND YET WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
I LIKE EVERYBODY THAT CAME UP TONIGHT.
I LIKE FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T COME UP TONIGHT OR AT LEAST DIDN'T COME TO THE FINAL ROUNDS.
UM, THERE'S JUST NO EASY WAY TO MAKE A DECISION LIKE THIS.
AND I'D BE LYING TO SAY THAT I WOULD BE UNSURPRISED, THAT I'D BE CHOOSING FILLER ORTIZ.
UH, I'VE WORKED WITH FILLER TEAS, UH, IN SO MANY PROJECTS.
HE'S NEVER BEEN IN A BAD MOOD.
NEVER, NEVER DIDN'T FAIL TO COMPLETE HIS MISSION.
AND I LIKE HIS ENERGY AND I LIKE, I THINK HE'S GOT A BIG FUTURE IN POLITICS.
AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF, UH, IF WE HAVE TO CHOOSE, I TH THE IDEA THAT HE'S YOUNG AND HE'S EDUCATED AND HE'S GOT A BIG FUTURE AND I CAN SEE HIM, UH, EVENTUALLY BECOMING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY.
I COULD SEE HIM GOING ON TO OTHER OFFICES AS WELL.
SO IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE AND IT IS DIFFICULT, I WOULD CHOOSE.
I DON'T WANT TO CUT ANYBODY OFF.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION THAN FIVE, BUT IF NOT, I WILL MAKE A, MAKE A, A NOMINATION.
GARY, ALL THE CANDIDATES ARE GREAT.
SO I THINK PHIL WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT COUNCIL PERSON.
HOWEVER, UH, I THINK, UH, I'D HAVE TO STICK WITH PHIL AND, UH, HUMMER IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND I LIKE YOU'RE SEEING HIM IN A POSITION IN THE CITY, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND YEAH, WE, WE LOVE HUMBERT AND UH, WE'D LIKE TO SEE HIM THERE, BUT I THINK PHIL ORTIZ IS THE ONE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA PICK TONIGHT.
UH, I DO FIND THE VOTERS APPROVED PROPOSITION S IN 2016, THEY ASKED US TO CARVE OUT DISTRICTS BASED ON COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, DIFFERENT PARTS OF EL CAHONE.
UH, MR. ORTIZ FITS, DOES FIT ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST THAT'S NOT REPRESENTED UP HERE ON THE DIOCESE.
AND I DO THINK THAT IS AN EXTRA BONUS IF WE WANT TO CALL IT THAT.
I DO AGREE YOU BRINGS A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW IN TERMS OF A DIFFERENT AGE GROUP.
HE'S NOT A CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF THE ARP LIKE WE ARE, UH, SORRY PHIL, YOU DON'T GET THE DISCOUNTS.
BUT I, I REALLY THINK THERE'S A PLUS THAT HE DOES REPRESENTED A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST THAT THE VOTERS SAID WE REALLY WANT YOU TO TRY TO UH, SPREAD OFF THE OPINIONS OF THOSE THAT ARE IN OKLAHOMA AND CERTAINLY HIS HERITAGE AND HIS PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND MEETS THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANTED.
SO I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT PHIL ORTIZ WOULD TAKE THE EMPTY SEAT AND WE WOULD APPOINT HIM TO THE REMAINING TIME OF BEN COLLAGE.
WHAT WAS THE SECOND? AND PLEASE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
[02:05:06]
AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU TAKING THE TIME AND BEING HERE.
PHIL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP AND BE SWORN IN AND TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE.
I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU STAND HERE SO YOU CAN SAY YOUR FULL NAME.
DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE STATE OF CANADA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
DID I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, ANY MENTAL RESERVATIONS WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.