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WELCOME TO THE EVENING SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[ CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bill Wells]
CALLED THE ORDER AND I WILL ASK THE CITY CLERK,[ ROLL CALL: City Clerk Angela Aguirre]
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG AND MOMENT OF SILENCE]
ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? REMAIN STANDING FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE.I 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.
[ AGENDA CHANGES:]
CHANGES STAFF.WE HAVE ANY AGENDA CHANGES? NO MA'AM.
[ 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.]
THIS TIME, ANY PERSON MAY ADDRESS A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF 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 AMAHS 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 WE HAVE THE CARDS AND A PUBLIC COMMENT? NO SIR.
[100. East County Crematorium - Appeal of Planning Commission Decision RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council: Opens the public hearing and receives testimony; Closes the public hearing; and, Moves to ADOPT the next RESOLUTION, in order, AFFIRMING the decision of the El Cajon Planning Commission and DENYING the application of East County Crematorium for Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 2247 ]
HOTTER IS AN APPEAL OF A PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION REGARDING THE EAST COUNTY CREMATORIUM AND STAFF WILL TELL US ABOUT THIS MARION COUNCIL.THANK YOU FOR JUST, JUST ONE MOMENT THERE JOHN.
SO THIS IS AN APPEAL SUBMITTED BY ROBERTSON CAR, UM, OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO DENY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 2247, UH, TO ALLOW A CREMATORIUM AT THREE 74 NORTH MAGNOLIA.
THIS MATTER WAS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 19TH THE PLANNING COMMISSION MAIN FINDINGS OF GENERAL PLAN INCONSISTENCY AND INCOMPATIBLE LAND USE INTENSIFICATION OF A LEGAL NONCONFORMING USE, NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN AND NO ESTABLISHED NEED AT THE SUBJECT SITE.
AND CONCLUDING THAT THE PROPOSED CREMATORIUM SHOULD BE LOCATED IN THE LEAST POPULATED AND DETECTABLE AREA.
UH, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT A PROHIBITING, UH, CHROMATE CREMATION SERVICES AT THE SUBJECT SITE, UM, DOES NOT PREVENT THE BUSINESS FROM CONTINUING TO OPERATE AS A FUNERAL PARLOR OR MORTUARY, WHICH IT HAS DONE.
HOWEVER, LIMITING CREMATION SERVICES TO AN OFFSITE LOCATION PREVENTS EXACERBATING A NONCONFORMING USE IN PRESERVES A LAND USE COMPATIBILITY IN THE AREA AND ELIMINATES POTENTIAL FOR NUISANCE ACTIVITY.
THESE WERE THE FINDINGS THAT WERE MADE BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 19TH.
SO A BIT OF THE OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION FOR THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A CREMATORY ADD THE EXISTING FUNERAL PARLOR AND MORTUARY ON NORTH MAGNOLIA THAT CURRENTLY OFFERS FUNERAL BURIAL AND CREMATION SERVICES.
HOWEVER, TO BE CLEAR, A CREMATION SERVICES DO NOT OCCUR ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING ONLY MINOR INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS IF THIS WERE TO BE APPROVED TO ACCOMMODATE CREMATION EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES.
UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE COOLERS, UH, FOR UM, FOR STORAGE AND AN INCINERATOR.
UH, NO EX NO EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS ARE PROPOSED TO THE EXISTING BUILDING.
THE EXISTING FUNERAL PARLOR AND MORTUARY CURRENTLY HAS A NONCONFORMING ILLEGAL NONCONFORMING STATUS, WHICH WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE CURRENT USE OF THE PROPERTY IS NOT IN LINE WITH THE ZONING CODE AND THE ADDITION OF ONSITE CREMATION WOULD BE CONSIDERED INTENSIFICATION OF USES AS CREMATION IS A SEPARATELY REGULATED USE REQUIRING CONDITIONAL USE.
PERMIT APPROVAL ALSO SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN ALSO PROHIBITS THESE USES ON THE, ON COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY, UM, WHICH IS A PR IN THE DOWNTOWN, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY ON COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, ON MAGNOLIA AND MAIN STREET.
HOWEVER, THIS PROPERTY IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL, WHICH ACCORDING TO CITY RECORDS WAS COMMERCIAL UP UNTIL 1974.
HOWEVER, CITY RECORDS COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE PROPERTY WAS REZONED TO SINGLE FAMILY.
SO FOR THE RECORD, THE PROPERTY IS ZONED
AND NOW IN ORDER TO ALLOW AN EXPANSION OF A NONCONFORMING USE, UH, THE COUNCIL MUST MAKE FINDINGS, UH, ONE THAT DISTRICT OR LITERAL INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE, UH, THE REGULATIONS WHICH AS APPLIED HERE WOULD RESULT IN
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A PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY OR UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP.AND THE APPROVAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WILL NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND GENERAL WELFARE OR, UM, TO PROPERTIES OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VICINITY.
SO THE SITE IS A LITTLE OVER HALF AN ACRE.
UM, CITY RECORDS INDICATE WHICH BUILDING PERMIT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE BUILDING WAS DEVELOPED IN 1952.
DRIVEWAYS PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE SITE, ONE ON THE NORTH PROPERTY LINE ONE IN THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE.
THERE ARE ABOUT 40 PARKING SPACES ON SITE AND IT'S LOCATED IN THE MAGNOLIA AVENUE CORRIDOR IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A VISUAL IMAGE AND A PERSPECTIVE.
HERE'S THE SITE AS YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED IN INDICATED SUBJECT SITE ON NORTH MAGNOLIA.
IT'S JUST ONE PROPERTY SOUTH OF WISCONSIN.
ON THE CORNER IS A COMMERCIAL OFFICE OR AN OFFICE AND THEN TO SOUTH OR SOME MISCELLANEOUS RETAIL CROSS THE STREET IS WHERE THE RUBIO'S IN THE HHS SAY, UM, AND MOTORWORLD AND ANY MOTORCYCLES CAN GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST IS RESIDENTIAL.
IT SHOWS YOU THE STREET FRENCH STREET FRONTAGE ON MAGNOLIA.
UM, THE GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY IS OFFICE NON-RETAIL.
UH, AGAIN, THE ZONING IS, IS RESIDENTIAL.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY GONE OVER THAT, UH, THE CREMATORY AND UH, THE INTENSIFICATION OF LEGAL NONCONFORMING USE REQUIRES A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT SUBJECT TO FINDINGS.
UM, IT IS GOVERNED BY THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN AND THE MIXED USE OVERLAY ZONE.
UH, THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN IS INTENDED TO CREATE A MIXED USE URBAN VILLAGE AND IT PROMOTES MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL USES WITH SUPPORTIVE COMMERCIAL USES.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT UM, HOW THIS DID TO HOW THE DOWNTOWN PLAN LIST AS PROHIBITED USES FUNERAL PARLORS AND MORTUARIES, BUT IT JUST INDICATES THAT IN THE COMMERCIAL ZONES DOES NOT INDICATE THAT IN ANY RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
UM, WHILE THE CREMATORIUM IS AS A USE, IT'S NOT EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED SAP LEES THAT THE USE IS SIMILAR TO
THE PROJECT SITE IS ALSO LOCATED WITHIN THE MIXED USE OVERLAY ZONE, WHICH, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO CREATE AN URBAN FRAMEWORK OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND ENSURE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN EXISTING AND PROPOSED USES.
SO WHAT HAS THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AFFIRM THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO DENY THAT DENIED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT? 2247 FOR EAST COUNTY CREMATORIUM AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANGELA, DO WE HAVEN'T TO SPEAKER CARDS? WE HAVE 11 SPEAKERS.
THE FIRST ONE IS DAN THRUST AND HI, WELCOME.
I OWN CRYSTAL CLEANERS AND I'M ALSO OWNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO UH, EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
I ALSO HAVE TWO PARTNERS IN THAT PROPERTY.
UM, I CAME TONIGHT BECAUSE I WAS HERE ONCE BEFORE WHEN THIS WAS PROPOSED TO THE COUNCIL AND THERE WAS A SPEAKER HERE THAT EXPLAINED THE, UH, MACHINERY, THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED FOR, FOR THIS PROCESS AND ALSO THE PROCESS OF FOLLOWS IT.
UH, AFTER LISTENING TO THAT I HAD NO QUALMS WHATSOEVER ABOUT THE PROCESS.
UH, ROBERT IS AN AWESOME NEIGHBOR.
HE, HE WATCHES OUT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD EVER DO ANYTHING TO PUT ANY OF US IN ANY KIND OF JEOPARDY TO DAMAGE THE REPUTATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE NO QUALMS WHATSOEVER ABOUT THIS BEING INSTALLED NEXT DOOR TO MY BUILDING.
AND WE ARE THE TWO CLOSEST BUILDINGS THAT THERE ARE RIGHT THERE TOGETHER.
I JUST HAVE ONE DRIVEWAY BETWEEN MY BUILDING AND HIS AND UM, I WOULD LIKE IT TO, TO SEE IT PROCEED FORWARD.
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GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS JAN KELLY AND I ALSO SPOKE TO YOU THE LAST TIME THIS CAME UP.
I AM THE CRISIS TEAM MANAGER FOR TRAUMA INTERVENTION.
WE'RE CALLED BY THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO COME OUT AS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP TRAUMATIC SURVIVORS OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS, UM, IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF A TRAUMA.
MOST OF THE TIME THAT THAT IS A DEATH IN THE HOME.
ROBERT, I'VE WORKED WITH ROBERT FOR FIVE YEARS.
I WAS A VOLUNTEER AND NOW I'M THE CRISIS TEAM MANAGER AND I'VE WORKED WITH HIM FOR FIVE YEARS.
I HAVE 30 VOLUNTEERS UNDER ME WHO ALSO HAVE WORKED WITH HIM ON A CONTINUAL BASIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ROBERT.
HE, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ALL THE TECHNICAL THINGS ABOUT THE MACHINERY AND YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR SOME THINGS ABOUT HIM.
BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU MY PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO CARES ABOUT PEOPLE.
HE CARES ABOUT FAMILIES AND HE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT A FAMILY GETS WHAT THEY NEED WHEN ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES DIES.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD A DEATH JUST THIS WEEK WHERE THE FAMILY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING.
IT WAS, AND IT WAS AT NIGHT, THEY HAD NO MONEY, NOTHING.
AND THEIR APARTMENT MANAGER WAS DESPERATELY TRYING TO CALL FOR A, UM, COUNTY CREMATION SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO COST TO THE FAMILY.
AND OF COURSE THE COUNTY OFFICES WERE CLOSED.
SO SHE CALLED ROBERT AND ROBERT SAID, HEY, DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT.
AND IF I DON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT, THAT'S FINE.
I DON'T, I JUST WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS FAMILY.
AND HE CAME OUT AND PICK THAT, PICK THAT LOVED ONE UP.
THAT'S THE KIND OF PERSON HE IS.
HE SAYS HE DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE'S GONNA DO.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEIR LOVED ONES ARE NOT CREMATED ALREADY ONSITE.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOUR FAMILY MEMBER DIES AND GOES TO THE MORTUARY, THEY THINK THAT'S THE LAST STOP.
MOST OF THEM ARE GOING EITHER TO VISTA OR OUT OF THE COUNTY AND WHAT AN INJURY THAT IS TO FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEIR, THAT THEIR LOVED ONE IS NOT GOING TO STAY IN THAT, IN THAT PLACE.
IT IS A, IT'S A, IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL OPTION FOR OUR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT TO THE SURVIVORS OF DEATHS.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER IT.
HI, MY NAME IS SEAN KELLY AND I'M ONE OF THOSE VOLUNTEERS WITH TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. AND YES, SHE IS MY BOSS.
SO, UM, ROBERT, THE W THE REASON WE'RE HERE AND I SPOKE WITH FOR YOU GUYS, UH, BEFORE, UH, ON THE LAST LAST TIME.
ROBERT IS, UM, JUST AN AWESOME GUY.
HE'S UM, HE DOES MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY.
HE DOES MUCH FOR THE CLIENTS THAT WE, WE DEAL WITH.
AND HE, UH, HE'S DONE HIS RESEARCH ON THIS.
AND HE WILL PUT THAT OUT BEFORE YOU.
UM, I DON'T, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT, UH, HAVING WORKED CLOSELY WITH ROBERT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, HE, HE WILL BEND OVER BACKWARD TO, AND I THINK HE'S DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PUTTING THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND OUT TO THE, TO THE CITY ALSO.
UM, JUST SO I HOPE YOU GUYS CONSIDER, UH, AND CONSIDER IT AND THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY.
UH, LIKE THE PREVIOUS, UH, PEOPLE THAT SPOKE BEFORE ME, I WAS HERE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO SPEAKING TO YOU GUYS WHEN THEY WERE FIRST CONSIDERING THIS A CUP.
I'M A FRIEND OF ROBERT'S MUSCLE, LOCAL ATTORNEY HERE IN TOWN AND HE'S COUNTY.
I SERVICE A LOT OF FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER HAVE ESTATE PLANS IN PLACE OR, UH, COME TO ME TO TALK ABOUT
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WHAT HAPPENS AFTER AND WANTING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT, HOW THEY WANT.AND A LOT OF THAT, UH, COMES DOWN TO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN TO YOU WHEN YOU PASS AWAY? AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, LIKE THE PREVIOUS PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT YOU ARE, YOUR LOVED ONE IS NOT GOING TO REMAIN IT.
MOST OF THE MORTUARIES OR MAJORITY OF THE MORTUARIES HERE IN TOWN, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHIPPED OFF LIKE CATTLE TO VISTA OR OUTSIDE THE COUNTY.
AND WHEN I CALL ROBERT, WHEN I'M ASKING FOR DETAILS ON A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL THAT PASSED AWAY, IF THEY'RE WITH HIM, HIS ANSWER TO ME ALWAYS IS YES OR NO.
HE TREATS THESE INDIVIDUALS UNTIL THE SERVICES ARE COMPLETE, UNTIL THEIR CREMATION IS DONE, UNTIL THE COFFIN IS IN THE GROUND AS HIS PATIENT, AS, AS HIS, UH, RESPECT FOR THE LOVED ONES THAT HE'S, THAT HE'S SERVICING.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACTS WILL SHOW WHAT HE'S DOING, WHAT HE WANTS TO DO OVER THERE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HARM THE COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE ALREADY ASSUME THAT CREMATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE AT MOST OF THESE MORTUARIES IN TOWN WHEN THEY'RE ADVERTISING CREMATION SERVICES.
THEY KNOW THAT BODIES ARE GOING IN AND OUT OF THE PLACE.
AND I THINK IF WE CAN GET PAST THIS PARADIGM OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BODIES BEING CREMATED AND, AND IN OUR BACKYARD AND REALLY FOCUS ON A SERVICE THAT THIS CITY NEEDS, IT'S A SERVICE THAT, UH, SIMILAR TO HAVING A HOSPITAL HERE, HAVING A POLICE STATION, HAVING A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU TOLD ME LET'S HAVE OUR POLICE, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTED TO VISTA, I'D SAY, HECK WITH THAT.
I WANT MY OKLAHOMA POLICE OFFICERS JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT WE NEED AN OKLAHOMA CREMATION SERVICE WHERE OUR LOVED ONES COULD BE TAKEN CARE OF, WHERE ROBERT CAN HANDLE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FROM START TO FINISH AND GUARANTEE THAT THAT PERSON REALLY IS IN HIS CARE.
AND WE'VE ALL HAD LOVED ONES THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY.
AND UH, MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE AND OFTENTIMES IT'S SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES THAT YOU COULD ENDURE IN YOUR LIFE.
WHETHER IT'S A FATHER, MOTHER, FRIEND, UNCLE, FAMILY MEMBER, HAVING SOMEBODY LIKE ROBERT AND EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT ABOUT ROBERT BECAUSE IT'S THE CULTURE THAT HE HAS INSTILLED IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
IT STEMS FROM THE TOP DOWN AND HOW THEY TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE.
AND WHEN I RECOMMEND AND THAT TIME OF NEED, WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS ME AND SAYS, DO YOU KNOW THE PLACE WE SHOULD TAKE OUR LOVED ONE TO? IT'S THE EASIEST THING FOR ME TO RECOMMEND THEM TO ROBERT.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I'VE RECEIVED NOT ONLY THANK YOU, BUT HUGS AND, AND THEY TALK TO ME ABOUT ROBERT AND WHAT EXPERIENCE THEY HAD AND THAT REALLY TRYING TIME OF NEED.
SO YOU'LL HEAR THE FACTS, UH, FROM ROBERT AND THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT AND THAT NOT GOING TO HURT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO APPROVE THIS FOR HIM AND, AND HELP OUR CITY BE A LEADER, NOT BE A FOLLOWER AND SHOW THE REST OF THE CITIES WHAT SHOULD REALLY BE DONE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE TYPES OF SERVICES.
GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I MAY A RELATIVE AND FRIEND OF ROBERT'S, UM, HE PERFORMED THE SERVICES, THE FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MY FATHER.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I WAS LISTENING TO THE STAFF, UH, FINDINGS AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD WAS WHETHER THERE'D BE ANY DETRIMENT TO A PUBLIC HEALTH OR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY MR ZIPCAR SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW, HE'S PROVIDING, UM, THE FUNERAL SERVICES IN A, UH, IN A DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A NONCONFORMING USE CURRENTLY IN THE AREA THAT IT'S IN.
UM, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SERVICE, PART OF THAT SERVICE INCLUDES, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNERAL SERVICES, BURIALS AND WHATNOT.
AND NOW WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS A, ANOTHER AREA THAT I THINK WE ALL, UH, NEED TO COME TO GRIPS WITH IN REALITY IS THAT WHEN THERE IS A DEATH, WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO MAKE, WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO BARRE OR, UM, WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO CREMATE.
SO MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, ANOTHER SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED BY A FUNERAL HOME BY A FUNERAL DIRECTOR.
UM, AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY AT, AT EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING SPECIFIC SERVICE AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO IS ADD ANOTHER SERVICE WITHIN THE SAME BUSINESS.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A FUNERAL HOME THAT'S LOOKING TO ADD ANOTHER SERVICE, UM, THAT'S ALREADY IN A LOCATION AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A, UM, A NONCONFORMING USE THAT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, I THINK APPROXIMATELY 40 OR 50 YEARS.
AND THAT THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, SPROUTED UP AND, AND BUILT AROUND THIS, THIS FUNERAL HOME.
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I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THE FINDINGS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT TYPE OF DAMAGE OR IS THERE A DETRIMENT TO THE PUBLIC.AND, UM, I, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE PUBLIC, UM, WOULD BE, WOULD HAVE ANY DETRIMENT TOWARDS THEIR, THEIR SAFETY OR THEIR WELFARE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF, UM, THE CREMATION MACHINE IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING TODAY AND I THINK HE'LL CLARIFY, UM, FOR YOU THAT, THAT SPECIFICALLY, THAT, THAT REALLY, THERE IS NO DETRIMENT.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING, UM, IS THAT YOU LISTEN TO WHAT MR ZUCCARO HAS TO SAY, THE MANUFACTURER AND I'M CONFIDENT YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE IS NO A DETRIMENT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH.
HELLO, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I DID ASK, UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE THAT REQUESTED TO SEE THEIR TIME TO ME, JUST A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND I'LL TRY AND KEEP IT SHORT, BUT UM, THERE IS A LOT HERE THAT I, I KIND OF LIKE TO TOUCH BASE ON IF THAT'S OKAY.
YEAH, I YOU'RE, THIS IS THE MAIN THING WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
YOU CAN TURN THE TIME OFF OF HIM.
SO, UM, YEAR AGO I, I CAME TO A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, I, I CAME TO CITY HALL AND I WENT TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I, YOU KNOW, ASKED IF I CAN OPEN UP A CREMATORIUM IN
THIS IS AFTER I HAD BEEN SERVICING FAMILIES IN THE EAST COUNTY AREA FOR WELL OVER, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
I SAW THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A CREMATORIUM IN OKLAHOMA.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT BETTER, YOU KNOW, AND WHO BETTER TO DO IT THEN HERE AT EAST COUNTY AND EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
AND WHEN I HAD APPROACHED THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, IT WAS WITHIN THE ZONING CODES AND THEY SAID, SURE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SUPPORT A CREMATORIUM IN, IN THE CITY OF EL CAHONE.
UM, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO FIND THE RIGHT LOCATION.
SO WE WENT OUT IN SEARCH OF LOCATIONS AND WE BOUGHT A FEW TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LOT OF THEM WERE TURNED DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASONS AND I'M SURE THEY WERE VALID REASONS.
UM, BUT WE FINALLY CAME ACROSS ONE THAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT WORK.
AND, UM, DURING THAT PROCESS, W YOU KNOW, WE CAME, UH, BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL AND AT THAT TIME STAFF HAD RECOMMENDED DENIAL.
UM, WITH THAT WE, WE TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, WHAT, WHAT PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SAID, WHAT, WHAT THE CONCERNS WERE OF PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, WHAT CITY COUNCIL HAD SAID AND WHAT THE CONCERNS OF, OF CITY COUNCIL, UM, OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE.
AND I PRIDE MYSELF IN LISTENING TO PEOPLE AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES US WHO WE ARE IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN A FAMILY COMES IN THROUGH OUR DOORS, WE'LL LISTEN AND WE DO WHAT THE FAMILIES ASK OF US TO DO.
WHEN THE COMMUNITY REACHES OUT TO US, WE LISTEN, WE DO WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKS OF US.
AND WHEN CITY COUNCIL MAKES THEIR DECISION AND THEY TELL ME WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE, I LISTENED AS WELL.
UM, SO, SO I GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, MARCH OF LAST YEAR AND I THINK ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED HERE AND WHAT WAS SAID.
AND YOU KNOW, I START OUT WITH MR KENDRICK.
HE WAS, HE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO OPEN UP WITH, UM, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AND, AND HIS, UM, DURING DISCUSSION.
AND ONE OF, ONE OF HIS CONCERNS WAS, YOU KNOW, PERCEPTION OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, HE WAS, HE WAS ON THE FENCE.
I'VE SERVED MR KENDRICK ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WITH MOM AND DAD.
UM, AND MR KENDRICK HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND ENOUGH TO ALWAYS COMPLIMENT ME ON THAT.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, FOR THE KIND WORDS.
AND HE'S SENT PEOPLE OTHER PATRONS OVER TO EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
UM, HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF AIR QUALITY, MORE CONCERNED ABOUT, ABOUT THE PERCEPTION.
UM, AND THEN YOU REACHED OUT TO MR GOLDWELL AND ASKED HIM ABOUT WHAT HIS PERCEPTION WOULD, WOULD HAVE BEEN.
UM, AND, AND WE TOOK THAT TO HEART.
SO, SO WHAT DID WE DO? WE, WE WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAD A SURVEY DONE AND, AND WE ASKED PEOPLE WHAT DID THEY THINK WAS ALREADY GOING ON AND WE MADE IT, WE MADE IT BROAD.
UM, WE ASKED A FEW DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
AND BASED ON THE SURVEY, MOST PEOPLE ALREADY THINK THAT CREMATION PROCESS IS ALREADY BEING DONE AT EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
UM, WHEN, YOU KNOW, MR. MCMILLAN HAD, HAD SPOKEN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK MR. MCMILLAN FOR THIS, BECAUSE HE SAYS HE BELIEVES IN PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THE OWNERS.
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INFRINGE ON, YOU KNOW, AS A PUBLIC FOR WITHIN THE SMELL OR SMOKE, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T OPPOSE AND, AND AGAIN, I, I TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.UM, MR
UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY ADMIRABLE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, MR GOBLE SAID HE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING SERVICES AT ANOTHER LOCATION, COMBAT COMPATIBILITY WITHIN, UH, WITH AN OTHER LOCATION.
UM, HE HAD A CONCERNED ABOUT SERVICES BEING HELD THERE.
UM, AND IT WASN'T THE CORRECT IMAGE FOR THE AREA THAT WE WERE IN.
UM, BUT HE WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT.
HE ACTUALLY COMPLIMENTED THE MANUFACTURER ON THE EQUIPMENT AND HE WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING SERVICES THERE AND DRAWING MORE ATTENTION TO, TO THAT FACILITY, BODIES GOING IN AND GOING OUT.
UM, AND HONORABLE MAYOR YOU, UM, YOU WANTED US TO FIND ANOTHER LOCATION.
SO I TOOK ALL THAT TO HEART AND WHAT WE DO, WE, UM, WE STARTED LOOKING FOR ANOTHER LOCATION AND YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN A COUPLE OF MORE LOCATIONS TO, TO THE CITY AND YOU KNOW, THOSE LOCATIONS WEREN'T ACCEPTABLE.
UM, SO WE GAVE IT SOME MORE THOUGHT AND WE THOUGHT, WHY NOT THE LOCATION WE'RE IN NOW? AND WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT CITY COUNCIL SAID AND WE TOOK THAT TO HEART.
ALL THESE COMMENTS AND, AND WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE AND YOU KNOW, THE PERCEPTION, IT'S ALREADY THERE.
THE BODIES, THEY'RE ALREADY COMING IN AND OUT.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, NOW LESS BODIES ARE GOING TO GO OUT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LESS CONGESTION ON THE ROADS.
UM, SOMETHINGS THAT'S GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
UM, AS A GET INTO STATISTICS OF HOW BIG CREMATION IS IN WITHIN CALIFORNIA AND NATIONALLY, CALIFORNIA, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT 65% CREMATION RATE.
NATIONALLY, WE'RE ABOUT 70% CREMATION RATE.
AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC REASONS, BUT ALSO RELIGIOUS REASONS.
UM, AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO DO WITNESS CREMATIONS MORE AND MORE.
PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT IT'S THEIR LOVED ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THAT CHAMBER MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR LOVED ONE'S GOING INTO LOAN MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WANT A DIGNIFIED CREMATION FOR THEIR LOVED ONE.
SO THAT'S HOW WE CAME ABOUT SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT DO IT AT EAST COUNTY MORTUARY? IT'S NOT GOING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC FLOW SERVICES ARE ALREADY BEING DONE THERE.
PEOPLE ALREADY BELIEVE THAT IT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING? WE'RE BRINGING A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND WE'RE PUTTING IT IN OUR GARAGE.
WE'RE NOT BUILDING A NEW BUILDING.
WE'RE NOT BUILDING THE NEW BUSINESS.
WE'RE NOT STARTING A NEW BUSINESS.
I LIKE TO CALL IT AN ANCILLARY USE, JUST LIKE A GAS STATION ADS, A MINI MARKET, JUST LIKE A STORE ADDS A LOTTERY MACHINE OR IN BE DEPARTMENT OR PRODUCE OR YOU KNOW, EVEN, UM, SUPERMARKETS ARE PUTTING STARBUCKS IN THEIR, IN THEIR FACILITIES.
THIS IS A SERVICE THAT WE'RE ALREADY PROVIDING.
THIS IS A SERVICE THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS US FOR AND RESPECTS US FOR.
AND AS ALFRED HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL A FAMILY AND HONESTLY TELL THEM THAT WHEN THEIR LOVED ONE COMES INTO MY CARE, THEY DON'T LEAVE MY CARE UNTIL WE PUT THEM IN THEIR FINAL RESTING PLACE.
AS JAN SAID, IF I SAY SOMETHING, I'M GOING TO DO IT.
I DO WHAT I SAY AND SAY WHAT I DO.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS REALLY FLATTERED BY WAS WHEN MR. KELLY GOT UP AND SPOKE AT PLANNING COMMISSIONS AND ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS ASKED HIM, THEY SAID, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF A CREMATORIUM OPENED UP NEXT DOOR TO YOU? AND HE SAID, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IF YOU ALLOWED MR JAKARTA PUT IT IN MY BACKYARD, I WOULD.
WELL, TODAY JAN FROM CRYSTAL CLEANERS CAME AND SHE PUT HER MONEY WHERE HER MOUTH IS.
SHE DOES OWN THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR AND SHE'S OKAY WITH IT.
AND I THINK THAT CARRIES A LOT OF WEIGHT.
UM, WE GO BACK TO, WE GO BACK TO THE STAFF FINDINGS, WHETHER IT'S CONSISTENT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICABLE GOALS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXISTING, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO ANYWHERE.
WE'VE BEEN, THEIR STAFF SAYS SINCE 1952, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY WE'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 1942, BUT EVEN SINCE 1952 IS A LONG TIME.
UM, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE ANY PHYSICAL CHANGES, NO CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE PUTTING A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN OUR GARAGE THAT'S GOING TO BE FACED IN OUR CHAPEL SO THAT WHEN WE DO DO A
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WITNESS, CREMATION, PEOPLE CAN DO IT IN OUR CHAPEL.PEOPLE CAN HAVE A NICE SURROUNDING, PEOPLE CAN HAVE A DIGNIFIED CREMATION, A WITNESS, CREMATION, UM, SECOND FINDING, YOU KNOW, THE PRO FROZE PROJECT.
IS IT CONSISTENT WITH ALL APPLICABLE, YOU KNOW, USE AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
AGAIN, WE'RE EXISTING, WE'RE GRANDFATHERED IN.
IF YOU GUYS ALLOW THE CUP, THEN YOU KNOW, I'M LEGALLY CONFORMING.
UM, THEY SAY THAT IT'LL NEGATIVELY IMPACT OR LIMIT THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO ONE, THIS PLACE WAS BUILT, WE'LL SAY 1952, WE WON'T SAY 1942.
A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN ALCOHOL.
DOWNTOWN WAS BUILT AROUND THIS MORTUARY.
UM, THE SHOPPING CENTER ACROSS THE STREET WITH ROSS, 24 HOUR FITNESS.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE CAME AFTER THIS MORTUARY.
RUBIO IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET JUST RECENTLY.
AND WE ALL KNOW AND WE'RE PROUD OF IT HERE IN ALCOHOL IS THE COURT YARD.
AND MARYANNE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME AS WELL, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THEM FROM COMING IN.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY'RE THRIVING.
SO OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON VERY MANY PEOPLE IN ALCOHOL, NOT FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND OTHER FUNDING, THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL, UM, NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY.
IT WON'T BE DETRIMENTAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
WELL, IT WON'T, THERE'S NO FACTS THAT SHOW THAT IT WILL, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED THAT IT WILL, THERE'S NOTHING SUPPORTING THAT IT WILL BE.
AND THE MANUFACTURER IS HERE TODAY TO SPEAK TO THAT.
HE'S GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE.
I'VE PROVIDED YOU GUYS WITH THE EQUIPMENT SPECS.
UM, WE'RE MONITORED BY THE AIR QUALITY POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, AS FAR AS SAFETY AND WELLBEING AND POLLUTION, NONE OF THAT EXIST.
WE HAVE TO GET PAST THE POINT OF CREMATION BEING SOMETHING BAD.
IT'S NOT BAD, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SERVICE THAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE, EVEN IF WE'RE DOING WITNESS CREMATIONS AT OTHER LOCATIONS, REGARDLESS OF THAT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE TYPE OF SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO INSIDE OF A CHAPEL.
UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN WATCH, PEOPLE CAN SEE PEOPLE, CAN BE A PART OF IT AND KNOW THAT THAT WAS THEIR LOVED ONE AND THEY SENT OFF THEIR LOVED ONE AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, IT'S THE FINAL CHAPTER.
UM, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY, UM, IS ANOTHER FINDING.
WE'RE TALKING 70% NATIONALLY CREMATION, UM, 65% IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GROW YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UM, YOU TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CREMATORIUMS IN SAN DIEGO.
YOU KNOW, I, I SAW THE LIST THAT WAS ONLINE AND THERE, YOU KNOW, THIS LIST IS INCORRECT.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE HUMAN CREMATORIUMS THEY'RE NOT THEIR PET.
CREMATORIUMS WE HAVE FIVE CREMATORIUMS, UM, THAT SERVICE, THE PUBLIC IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, ONE OF THEM IS ON UCS D CAMPUS.
THESE CREMATORIUMS ARE ALL AROUND US IN, IN OTHER COUNTIES.
THEY'RE IN SHOPPING CENTERS, THEY'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM SCHOOLS, THEY'RE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
UH, THEY'RE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SURPRISING TO ME IS HOW MANY OF THESE UNITS THAT THE MANUFACTURER ACTUALLY HAS ON THESE COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
THERE'S SEVERAL MORE AND I'M SURE HE'LL, WE'LL TEST IT OUT AND TELL YOU ALL OF THE COLLEGES THAT THESE UNITS ARE ON.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, I THINK WE SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT OUR FUTURE IF THESE THINGS ARE DETRIMENTAL TO, TO THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE GOING TO THESE COLLEGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU LOOK AT THE POPULATION WITH THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, SAN DIEGO HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS.
WE'RE SECOND TO LOS ANGELES, UM, WITH OVER 3 MILLION PEOPLE, ALMOST 3.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
AND WE HAVE FIVE CREMATORIES TO SERVE AS FAN.
IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATISTICS THAT I'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT LOS ANGELES HAS 27 CREMATORIES ORANGE COUNTY HAS 13, RIVERSIDE HAS HAD 15 AND SAN BERNARDINO WITH 2 MILLION PEOPLE HAS 11.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, NUMBERS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, ESPECIALLY AS AS THE COMMUNITY CHANGES, AS THE PEOPLE AROUND US CHANGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING HERE IS, IS THAT CHANGE.
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TO, UM, THE BIGGEST CONCERN WAS, WAS PERCEPTION AND, AND I THINK WE ALLEVIATE, WE ALLEVIATE THAT CONCERN.ANOTHER CONCERN GOING BACK TO BODIES BEING MOVED AROUND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO ALLEVIATE THAT CONCERN AS WELL BECAUSE NOW LESS BODIES ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING WHEN THEY COME IN.
IF THEY'RE BEING CREMATED, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE PUT BACK INTO A VEHICLE AND TAKEN TO A CREMATORY REGARDLESS OF WHERE THAT CREMATORY IS.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE TAKEN SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THEY'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THOSE SERVICES FOR THAT FAMILY AND THEN GIVE THEM THEIR, UM, THEIR CREAMIES IN A RESPECTABLE MANNER.
YOU, IT ALSO, IT ALSO PREVENTS, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
WHAT I'M DOING WHEN I'M DOING A PROCESSION WITH, YOU KNOW, 40, 50 CARDS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STOPPING TRAFFIC.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE MOTOR ESCORTS OUT THERE, WE'RE STOPPING TRAFFIC AND WE'RE GETTING THOSE 40, 50 CARS OUT SO THAT WE CAN DO A PROCESSION.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO, UM, CLOGGING UP THE FREEWAYS, YOU KNOW.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME AND I WELCOME THOSE QUESTIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE NOW OR LATER.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE EXTRA TIME.
YOU KNOW, I THINK MR. CARR, WHAT I'LL DO IS, UH, HERE, THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS AND THEN IF THE COUNCIL HAS QUESTIONS, WE'LL HAVE YOU COME BACK UP.
THANK YOU JOHN RAGGATT WITH AMERICAN CREMATORY.
AND I'M HERE JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THE EQUIPMENT IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ROBERT FORGOT TO LEAVE OUT IS I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CONCERN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT THIS EQUIPMENT IS GOVERNED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BY THREE DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
SO THERE'S ONE THE CITY APPROVAL, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S ACROSS THE STREET, SO YOU'LL BE LOOKING WHEN YOU PULL IN AND OUT OF WORK TOO, IT'S AIR QUALITY, UH, GOVERN.
SO THEY HAVE AN ANNOUNCED VISITS, UH, ANNUALLY, AND THEN THEY SMOG CHECK IT, WHICH IS A SOURCE TEST, THE SAME AS THE SMOG TEST ON THE CARS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THING IS CLEANING.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, PRODUCING, UM, TOXIC EMISSIONS.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS CONSUMER AFFAIRS.
UH, ROBERT ALREADY IS LICENSED WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS AS A FUNERAL DIRECTOR, A FUNERAL ESTABLISHMENT.
BUT THEN THERE ALSO IS A CREMATORY LICENSE THAT'S REQUIRED.
AND THOSE INSPECTORS COME UNANNOUNCED ONE TO TWO TIMES A YEAR.
AND SO THEY'RE CHECKING IT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S UP TO PAR AND THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO THAT KIND OF ALLEVIATES THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOING TO PUT A CREMATORY IN HERE AND WHO'S WATCHING THIS AND WHO'S MAKING SURE HE'S DOING THE RIGHT THING.
HE'S ALL, HE'S OBVIOUSLY GOT INTEGRITY AND HE'S DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT THERE'S OTHER THREE AGENCIES THAT ARE WATCHING IT ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS PAR ON IT.
UH, THE ONLY INFORMATION I HAVE, UM, IS EXPERIENCED THE ONE OUT, UM, IN EAST COUNTY THAT WAS NO LONGER THERE, ABOUT BELOW THE JACK IN THE BOX.
AND, UH, I HAD A SISTER IN LAW AND A SON-IN-LAW THAT LIVED IN BLOSSOM VALLEY AND WHEN THEY CAME OUT THEY COULD SMELL IT.
AND, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND THE NEW MACHINES YOU DON'T SMELL ANYMORE OR WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THAT ODOR? SO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME, A HISTORY ON THAT.
A GREAT FAMILY OWNED NEPTUNE SOCIETY, GREAT PEOPLE.
THEY PURCHASE THE, AT THE TIME IN 1979, THE LATEST AND GREATEST TECHNOLOGY FROM OVERSEAS, A EUROPEAN MACHINE AND THAT MACHINE WAS BUILT ON THE JOB SITE, KINDA GOES UNDERGROUND.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH IT IN TODAY'S, UH, APPLICATION IS THAT WE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE FINDINGS THROUGH THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES THAT WE NEEDED TO RUN AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE AND MORE BTU SO THAT IT DOES KILL ALL THAT, UH, SMOKE AND ODOR THAT WOULDN'T COME IF YOU RAN OUT A LOWER TEMPERATURE.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT POOR GENTLEMAN'S MACHINE IS IT JUST, IT WAS OLD AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND HE KEPT IT UP AND YOU KNOW, HE DID THE MAINTENANCE ON IT AND ALL THAT, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH BTU CAUSE THEY HIRED OUR CO COMPANY AND WE FOUND OUT THE THINGS THAT BURNED IN THAT TEMPERATURE LIKE IT SHOULD.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY WERE HAVING THOSE ISSUES.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WAS PUTTING OUT THAT SET THAT THE NEWS PEOPLE WERE SAYING.
I THINK THAT WAS MORE OF THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC, BUT IT STILL WAS, YOU KNOW, A NUISANCE.
AND SO HE RIGHTFULLY SHUT IT DOWN, THE AIR POLLUTION REVOKED HIS THING, AND THEN HE BOUGHT NEW MACHINES AND PUT THEM OUT IN SAN BERNARDINO, UM, AND ANOTHER RESIDENTIAL AREA WITHIN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF A SCHOOL.
BECAUSE IF YOU PUT A CREMATORY WITHIN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF SCHOOL, THEY'LL ALLOW IT.
BUT THEY JUST WANT YOU TO NOTIFY THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS.
SO HE'S DOING GREAT AND IT'S GOING THERE.
AND I THINK THAT MACHINE IS JUST SITTING THERE ON AN OPERABLE, PROBABLY THE GAS IS DISCONNECTED, BUT I WAS PART OF THAT WHOLE THING ALSO.
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UM, THEY COULD SMELL IT WHEN THEY DROVE PAST IT.SO IF YOU'RE NOT BURNING AT LEAST 1400 DEGREES AND HIGHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE BARBECUING, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, THERE IS AN ODOR.
SO THAT'S WHY ALL THE NEWER MACHINES AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BUILT NOW.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE WAS OLDER MACHINES ALL THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO AIR, UH, THE CYPRUS VIEW, M UH, GREENWOOD, ETERNAL HILLS, CSD, WE TOOK ALL THOSE EQUIPMENT OUT AND REPLACED THEM ALL WITH NEW ONES.
SO I'M THE FORTUNATE CHOSEN VENDOR WHO'S HAVE EVERY CREMATORY IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND WE'VE REPLACED ALL THOSE 1960S, 70S AND 80S EQUIPMENT AND REPLACED THEM ALL WITH NEW 2000 PLUS TECHNOLOGY AT EVERY SINGLE LOCATION WITHIN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
AND THERE'S BEEN NO COMPLAINTS OF NO COMPLAINTS.
YOU CAN LOOK IT UP AND CHECK WITH THEM.
AND AGAIN, ANNUALLY THEY'RE MONITORED BY THREE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND SOURCE TESTED EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE JUST LIKE A CAR, JUST LIKE YOUR CAR WHEN YOU GET THE REGISTRATION AND IT HAS TO BE SMOG TESTED.
EVERYBODY'S DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S ON PAR.
UH, COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACCIDENT DOWN IN NATIONAL CITY? I CAN ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
UH, UH, AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS OPERATOR ERROR AND UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES.
BUT AT THIS, AT THAT PRESENT TIME, THERE WAS A POWER DOOR FAILURE OF IT NOT GOING DOWN.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE OPERATOR INSERTED THE CASE IN, YOU KNOW, 99.9% OF CREMATIONS ARE DONE IN CARDBOARD CASKETS AND THE OTHER 1% ARE DONE IN A WOOD CASKET.
AND THIS PARTICULAR ONE HAD A CARDBOARD CASKET.
AND SO THE MACHINE IS REQUIRED TO PREHEAT TO THAT TEMPERATURE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ISSUES LIKE OVER IN LAKESIDE.
AND SO THE MACHINE WAS PREHEATED, AND WHEN THE GENTLEMEN PUT THE CARDBOARD CONTAINER INSIDE THE MACHINE, HE WENT TO GO HIT THE DOOR AND THE DOOR DIDN'T COME DOWN AND IT STARTED THE CARDBOARD CASKET OR THE CARDBOARD, YOU KNOW, THAT HOLDS THE BODY IN.
THAT ALLOWS IT TO LOAD IN EASILY.
THAT IGNITED AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE SMOKE TO COME OUT.
JUST LIKE IF YOU WERE TO LIGHT A FIRE IN YOUR FIREPLACE.
AND THEN THERE'S A SUPPRESSION SYSTEM INSIDE THAT BUILDING.
AND SO IT HIT THAT A SUPPRESSION SYSTEM AND THEN IT TURNED OFF THE MACHINE IN THE POWER OF, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE OXYGEN ON ANY FIRE, WHETHER IT BE IN YOUR FIREPLACE OR IN A CREMATORY, THEN THAT MACHINE WILL, THE SMOKE WILL COME OUT THE DOOR.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SAW ON THE NEWS CLIPS IS, YOU KNOW, SMOKE COMING OUT THE DOOR.
SO YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S NOT GREAT ALL THE TIME.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE, THEY WENT UP AND DOWN WITH THE DOOR AND IT WORKED FINE.
SO THEN WE'RE LIKE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS OPERATED AIR, BUT THEN WE LOOKED AT THE CAMERAS AND WE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE PRESSED THE DOOR, IT DIDN'T GO DOWN.
SO ANYTHING LIKE THAT CAN HAPPEN.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN BECAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST TIME SINCE YOU GUYS BEEN ALIVE THAT YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT.
AND, AND WE MANUFACTURE THEM AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THERE'S A EMERGENCY RELEASE VALVE ON THE MACHINE AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE PANICKED, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN.
HOW COULD ONLY THE CARDBOARD BURN AND NOT, WHAT'S IN THE CARDBOARD BURN? UM, WELL THE PERSON'S REFRIGERATED BEFORE AND SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A HEAT TO HEAT THAT UP.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DIRECT FLAME ON THERE.
AND THERE WAS NO DIRECT FLAME ON THERE.
SO BASICALLY THE CARDBOARD IGNITED BECAUSE THE FLOOR WAS WARM, BUT THERE WAS NO FIRE ON THE ACTUAL CREMATION.
YOU DON'T TURN THE MAIN BURNER ONTO THE MACHINE UNTIL AFTER YOU PUT THE DECEDENT IN AND CLOSED THE DOOR AND THEN HIT THE MAIN BURNER.
SO IT'D BE THE SAME THING AS, YOU KNOW.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN? IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU PUT A A WOOD IN THE FIRE PLACE, THE WOOD DOESN'T CATCH RIGHT AWAY, BUT THE PAPER DOES.
AND THEN AFTER YOU GET THE HEAT UP, THEN THE WOOD FINALLY CATCHES KIND OF LAYMAN'S TERMS ON HOW TO EXPLAIN THAT.
SO AT LAST YEAR'S MEETING, UH, MR BURWELL TALKED ABOUT A PASTY AND IF THERE'S CAPACITY IN THE FIRST CHAMBER, IT SHUTS DOWN THE MACHINE AND
THERE, SO THE CAPACITIES IN THE STACK.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE, OUR WHOLE GOAL IS AS A MANUFACTURER ON, IN ALL THE MANUFACTURERS IN THE UNITED STATES, WE DON'T WANT ANY SMOKE OR ANY ODOR COMING OUT OF THE MACHINE.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE THAT TEMPERATURE UP TO PREVENT THAT.
AND SO THEY WILL PASS CITIES IN THE STACK.
SO IF THERE'S AN UPSET IN THE CREMATION IN THE STACK BEFORE IT EXITS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS THE BURNER OFF AND GIVES IT MORE OXYGEN BECAUSE OXYGEN, UH, ELIMINATES
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THE SMOKE.SO THE ONLY REASON WHY ANY CREMATORY WOULD SMOKE OR YOU'D HAVE A PROBLEM DURING THE CREMATION IS IF YOU'RE LACKING OXYGEN OR IF YOU'RE BURNING FASTER THAN WHAT THE CREMATION CHAMBER CAN KEEP UP WITH.
SO WHY DID THE MACHINE SHUT DOWN? SUPPRESSION SYSTEM HAS A, A VALVE ON THE GAS LINE AND THIS IS ALL REQUIRED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THAT PARTICULAR CITY.
SO IF THE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM GOES OUT, IT CLICKS A CYLINOID TO THE GAS.
SO IT AUTOMATICALLY CUTS THE BURNERS FOR A SAFETY ISSUE FOR GAS.
CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT GAS FLOWING WHEN FIRE IS BURNING WITHOUT THE MACHINE BEING TOTALLY CLOSED.
BUT THAT HAPPENED AFTER, UH, THE HEAT AND THE SMOKE FROM THE CARDBOARD LEFT THE CREMATORY CHAMBER AND OF THE STACK THOUGH, BUT FROM THE FRONT, SO THERE WAS NO EVERSTAT COM NO SMOKE COMING OUT THE STACK.
SO IT CAME OUT THE FRONT AND THEN IGNITED THE SMOKE ALARMS LIKE THE ONE RIGHT ABOVE YOU.
AND SO IF IT TRIGGERS THAT, IT KILLS THE CLICKS, THE CYLINOID VALVE THAT KILLS THE GAS COMING TO THE MACHINE AND THEN KILLS THE POWER.
SO THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM IN THE BUILDING IS WHAT CUT OFF THE GAS TO THE MACHINE IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M ASKING WHY DID THE MACHINE NOT SHUT ITSELF OFF? BECAUSE A DOOR WAS OPEN AND THE MACHINE WAS OPERATING.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN IF THE OPERATOR WOULD HAVE TURNED IT OFF THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF THE GAS UNLESS YOU KILL.
UNLESS WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE, WE HAVE NO AIR AND NOT ENOUGH AIR.
AND WHEN YOU GO TO START THE MACHINE, IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AIR OXYGEN, IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE MACHINE TO RUN.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH GAS, PRESSURE WILL NOT ALLOW THE MACHINE.
SO THERE'S A BUNCH OF SAFETY ITEMS ON THE MACHINE THAT YOU KNOW, CAUSE PREVENT IT FROM HAVING AN UPSET ON THIS PARTICULAR, THE MACHINE WAS RUNNING, THE AFTERBURNER WAS PREHEATING.
IT GOT UP TO THE TEMPERATURE AND THE GENTLEMAN INSERTED THE CASE.
HE WENT TO GO HIT THE DOOR DOWN BEFORE HE HIT THE MAIN BURNER TO START THE CREMATION AND THE DOOR DIDN'T GO DOWN.
SO WHEN THE SMOKE HAD CAME OUT FROM THE CARDBOARD BEING IGNITED, IT CAME OUT THE FRONT AND THEN HIT THAT SMOKE ALARM AND THEN THE SMOKE ALARM DID ITS JOB.
I'M TRYING TO SEE WHY DIDN'T THE MACHINE SHUT ITSELF DOWN.
THE
IF WE HAD AN EARTHQUAKE, THE MACHINE WOULD SHUT DOWN BUT THE OPERATOR WOULD NEED TO SHUT IT DOWN.
BUT THAT'S WHY THE STATE REQUIRES THAT DURING THE CREMATION THAT SOMEBODY IN THERE AT ALL TIMES.
SO THEN THAT WAY IF THERE IS AN UPSET OR IF SOMETHING HAPPENS OR IF WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE OR IF WE HAVE A POWER FAILURE THAT THE OPERATOR CAN ACT RIGHT AWAY.
WE HAVE FIVE MORE SPEAKERS AND THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DREAD SUCHAR.
SO THEY GRANTED THEIR TIME TO MR SAKAR.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ELLIE HARRIS.
I'M WITH A ORGANIZATION CALLED LA MESA CITY HOPE AND MY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, SO WE GOT TOGETHER TODAY AND WE WROTE A LETTER THAT SHE WANTED ME TO READ TO ALL OF YOU.
AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
MRS DAKAR AND EAST COUNTY MORTUARY HAVE ALWAYS EXEMPLIFIED, EXEMPLIFIED THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM AND COMPASSION.
CITY HOPE WORKS WITH CRISIS SITUATIONS, SORRY.
WITH CRISIS SITUATIONS, OUR CLIENTS ARE OFTEN FACING SOMETHING HORRIFIC, WITH VERY LITTLE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE GREAT NEEDS IN THE MOMENT FOR THEM IN THE MOMENT OF LOSS WITH SORROW, THEIR SORROWS OFTEN DEEPENED BY THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY HONOR THE LOVED ONE WHO JUST PASSED AWAY.
WHEN WE CALL MRS DAKAR, WE KNOW THAT THE CLIENTS WILL BE WELL CARED FOR, THEIR LOVED ONE, HONORED AND SOMEHOW THIS SERVICES PROVIDER WILL BE INCREDIBLE EVEN ON AN IMPOSSIBLE BUDGET.
WE HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN MRS DAKAR OFFERED TO DO SERVICES AT A PRICE THAT WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO PAY PART OF THE COST OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET.
EACH INTERACTION WITH THE MRSA CAR FURTHERS OUR CONVICTION THAT HE IS A COMPASSIONATE BUSINESS OWNER, A REPRESENTATION OF COMPASSION IN EAST COUNTY AND A RESPONSIBLE AND HONORABLE CITIZEN.
WE APPRECIATE THE CITY OF
CAREFUL CONSIDERATIONS OF MRS CAR'S REQUEST.
HOWEVER, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CITIZENS, A CREMATORIUM IN OKLAHOMA WOULD SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL.
THE CREMATION OPTION AND PROCESSES GROWING AND SIGNIFICANT INSIGNIFICANCE FOR FAMILIES.
MANY CANNOT AFFORD TO BURY THEIR LOVED ONE WITHOUT THESE SERVICES.
THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCE DURING THEIR TIME OF GRIEF TO BE WITH THEIR LOVED ONES DURING THIS TIME.
WE ARE NOT SURPRISED THAT IN LIGHT OF A COMMUNITY NEED, MRS. CARR
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IS ONCE AGAIN WILLING TO STEP UP AND MEET THAT NEED.WE CANNOT THINK OF A BETTER PERSON FOR THE CITY OF EL CAHONE AND THE RESIDENTS OF EAST COUNTY TO PLACE THEIR TRUST AND FOR THIS THEN MRS DAKAR IF HE IS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FORWARD WITH ADDING THE CREMATORIUM, THIS IS THE CAR IN EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SERVE THIS REGION EVEN MORE THAN HE ALREADY DOES.
HIS PROVEN RECORD OF PROFESSIONALISM AND COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY PROVIDES CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL USE AND MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT PROPERLY TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS IN HIS COMMUNITY.
THE HIGH STANDARDS BY WHICH HE CONDUCTS HIS BUSINESS MAKE HIM AN AMAZING CANDIDATE TO TRUST WITH HIS CRITICAL NEED IN THIS REGION.
TO TRUST WITH THIS CRITICAL NEED IN THIS REGION IS WITH GREAT ADMIRATION, RESPECT.
WE THANK MRS DAKAR FOR ALL THAT HE IS ALREADY INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY AND GIVE IT TO THE CITIZENS AND THANK THE CITY COUNCIL OF ALCOHOL FOR THEIR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THIS IMPORTANT REQUEST.
WE ARE THANKFUL THAT IN IT IS INDEED MRS DAKAR, A MAN BUSINESS OWNER AND FELLOW CITIZEN MAKING THIS PETITION AND MAN, WE CAN TRUST YOU ON A CREMATORIUM WITH GREAT CARE FOR ALL OF HIS CITIZENS.
AND THAT'S WHAT DANNY WOMACK AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THE FOLLOWING CARD IS FOR EDDIE BRICO WHO ALSO GRANTED THEIR TIME TO MR SAKAR.
SO THE NEXT SPEAKER IS TERESA TOPPING.
I'M MR MAYOR AND, UH, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND I'VE LIVED HERE SINCE 2002.
I'VE LIVED WITHIN THE COUNTY SINCE 1957 AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW MR
I LIVE ON THE STREET ABOVE, ON EAST SIDE ROAD ABOVE FLYING HILLS ELEMENTARY.
AND I WAS, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED LAST YEAR WHEN, UM, ONLY ONE COUNCIL MEMBER VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THE CREMATORIUM ON MARSHALL.
UM, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WITH OUR CREMATION TRENDS IN OUR STATE THAT, UM, NOW MORE THAN EVER, ALCOHOL NEEDS TO APPROVE A CREMATORIUM HERE LOCALLY.
UH, IT'S A LONG DISTANCE FOR, THERE'S CERTAIN RELIGIONS AND JUST, UM, ALSO FAMILY DECISIONS THAT WANT TO WITNESS THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY HORRIBLE THAT IF THEY GO WITH MR
UM, AND IT IMPACTS OUR HIGHWAYS.
I, I, WHEN MY FATHER DIED 13 YEARS AGO, WE WERE IN A FUNERAL PROCESSION FROM LEMON GROVE TO HOLY CROSS CEMETERY AND THERE WAS A COLLISION IN THE FUNERAL PROCESSION JUST GOING THAT SHORT DISTANCE.
SO, UM, I JUST REALLY FEEL THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TO TONIGHT MAKE A REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT DECISION IN OUR COUNTY AND SHOW THE LEAD FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND APPROVING, UH, THE DECISION TO HAVE A CREMATORIUM HERE LOCALLY IN CAHONE, UM, FOR PEOPLE MOSTLY EAST COUNTY, BUT THE WHOLE COUNTY BECAUSE, UM, IT'S JUST MORE EFFICIENT.
I HAD NO CONCERN OVER AIR QUALITY WHERE I LIVE IF IT WOULD HAVE OPENED ON MARSHALL.
AND I'M RETIRED FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND DURING MY 34 YEAR CAREER, I DEALT WITH FAMILIES THAT WERE VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE AND UM, HAD TO TRY TO BURY THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND IT'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC DECISION THAT YOU'RE MAKING FOR PEOPLE TONIGHT TO HAVE AFFORDABLE, HONORABLE BURIALS AND TAKING CARE OF THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND I JUST THINK THAT, UM, I HOPE THAT MR MAYOR AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL JOIN MR MCCLELLAND AND SUPPORT THIS DECISION TONIGHT.
I JUST FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT.
AND YOU'LL ALSO BE SERVICING PEOPLE OF LOWER INCOME WHO CAN'T AFFORD CASKET BURIALS AND EVEN COULD TO GO THROUGH DRIVING 40 MILES TO BE CREMATED.
I JUST EXPECT YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
LAST SPEAKER IS STERILE PRIEST.
DARRYL, OUR PRIEST, ONE 24 EAST MAIN OR WEST MAIN STREET.
AND I'M GOING TO COME AT THIS AS A LITTLE DIFFERENT ANGLE HERE.
[00:55:02]
I THINK THE MAIN THING IS HERE IS WE NEED TO PROTECT SB ONE 82.IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE THE 80S.
WHAT? 81 82 I THINK WHEN WE DID IT, UH, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD PROPOSALS FOR DRIVE THROUGH STARBUCKS FOR LIQUOR STORES, FOR MCDONALD'S, FOR I THINK BOB'S OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO PUT A LUCY'S A LAUNDRY MAT ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND MAGNOLIA WHERE BORREGO HEALTH IS AT AND WE'VE ALWAYS PROTECTED IT.
AND THE PROBLEM THAT I SEE AS A DEVELOPER AND WE'RE MAKING TREMENDOUS MOMENTUM IS AGAIN, WE NEED CERTAINTY.
AND SB ONE 82 GIVES DEVELOPERS CERTAINTY, RIGHT? WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, IF YOU MAKE THIS EXCEPTION HERE, IT'S GOING TO OPEN UP THE FLOOD GATES FOR WHOEVER KNOWS WHAT.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, STARBUCKS DID WANT TO HAVE A DRIVE THROUGH HERE, WHICH WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE A FEW DRIVE-INS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE JACK IN THE BOX THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE 50S, JUST LIKE MILK PARIS'S OLD MORTUARY.
THEN THE LION'S CLUB TOGETHER.
AND RON WAS A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE MOTHER GOOSE PARADE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO PROTECT THIS.
AND ALSO, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T SAY I'M ACTUALLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALCOHOL CAHONE THE DOWNTOWN P BED.
SO I'VE GOT THREE OTHER MEMBERS HERE.
IF I COULD GET A LITTLE MORE TIME, I'D APPRECIATE IT AND IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MR ZUCKER IS A GREAT GUY.
HE'S PROVIDING A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS JUST THE TOTALLY WRONG SPOT.
I LIVE IN BLOSSOM VALLEY AND I REMEMBER THE CREMATORIUM OUT THERE AND IT WAS BAD AND MY WIFE WOULD NOT GO NEAR THAT JACK IN A BOX WITH A 10 FOOT PAUL.
ALL MY, ALL MY NEIGHBORS KNEW ABOUT THE PLACE AND IT JUST SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE.
I IMAGINE THE GUYS AT THE MARRIOTT, IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS A CREAMY IOM RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, CREMATORIUM, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, I WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD RIGHT THERE.
UH, I'VE GOT 36 HOUSES I'M COMPLETING RIGHT NOW THAT RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD THAT ARE DOWNWIND FROM THE CREMATORIUM.
UH, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT THIS.
AND ONLY NEGATIVE FOR DOWNTOWN.
MAYBE HE CAN GO OUT AND FIX THAT SITE OUT THERE AT LAKE JENNINGS, BUT THE COUNTY CLOSED THEM DOWN FOR A REASON CAUSE NOBODY WANTS THESE THINGS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE REASON THERE'S I THINK FIVE THAT HE SAID THEN SOME ARE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES CAUSE THEY HAVE HOSPITALS TIED TO THEM.
RIGHT? SO IT MAKES SENSE AND THEY'VE BEEN IN FOREVER BUT, BUT WE HAVE SPENT LONG AND HARD IN THIS COMMUNITY TO BUILD UP DOWNTOWN EL CAHONE AND I DON'T SEE WHY WE NEED TO TEAR IT DOWN JUST ON THIS ONE THING.
THE CREMATORIUM IS PROBABLY NEEDED SOMEWHERE IN THE EAST COUNTY.
HOPEFULLY HE CAN FIND A PLACE FOR IT BUT NOT RIGHT DOWNTOWN ALCOHOL.
AND THAT WOULD JUST SEND THAT TOTAL WRONG MESSAGE.
AND AGAIN, IF WE OPEN UP SB ONE 82 WHICH HAS BEEN TRIED OVER THE YEARS, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IF WE OPEN THIS THING UP, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
AND SO THE NEXT GUY THAT WANTS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ALLOWED, HE'S GOING TO SAY, WELL YOU LET THE CREMATORIUM DO IT AND THEN, AND THEN YOU KNOW, MORGAN'S GOING TO HAVE TO SAY, WELL YOU MADE AN EXCEPTION THERE.
WHY DON'T WE MAKE AN EXCEPTION HERE? AND PRETTY SOON THERE IS NO SB ONE 82 RIGHT? IT'S JUST A GUIDE.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE BOOM, THE MOMENTUM THAT WE'VE MADE IN DOWNTOWN GO AWAY BECAUSE OF THIS CREMATORIUM.
I REALIZE THE MORTUARY HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1952 OR 42 WHATEVER THAT WAS BEFORE WE HAD A LOT OF THE ZONING LAWS.
AND SO IT'S ALLOWED NOW, BUT IT'S NONCONFORMING.
AND SO ANY EXPANSION OF THAT IS, IS GOING TO BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE REST OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN DOWNTOWN ALCOHOL.
AND AGAIN, ONCE WE OPEN UP THIS, THE VARIANTS AND SB ONE 82 I DON'T SEE HOW YOU PUT THAT GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A PARADE OF PEOPLE WANTING LIQUOR STORES.
SEVEN 11 IS ALL THAT STUFF THAT WE'VE KEPT OUT OF HERE SO WE COULD GET A MARRIOTT.
SO WE CAN GET A BREAK, GO HEALTH, SO WE CAN DO ALL THAT IN A STARBUCKS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ALL THE WAY TO THE GOAL LINE YET ON DOWNTOWN, BUT LET'S DON'T STOP THE PROGRESS AND JUST BLOW ALL THAT UP FOR ONE CREMATORIUM.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, WELL THE COUNCIL LIKE THE BRING BACK ANY OF THE SPEAKERS TO ASK QUESTIONS.
BEN, I'D LIKE TO CALL ROBERT UP.
COULDN'T THIS BE A YOGURT SHOP OR SOMETHING? THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER? NO.
UM, I, I'VE, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UH,
[01:00:01]
I, I WANT YOU TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY REALLY QUICKLY ON THE COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN I GUESS A TRADITIONAL BURIAL AND THEN A CREMATION SERVICE.J B S I KNOW SOME, YOU KNOW, KELLYANN'S GO REALLY ALL OUT ON THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT JUST IN GENERAL, JUST BASIC.
SO AN AVERAGE BURIAL, UM, COSTS FROM THE FUNERAL HOME SIDE IS GOING TO BE RIGHT AROUND $5,000.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE CAN DO IT FOR A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN SOME PEOPLE, OF COURSE.
CAN DO IT FOR LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THAT'S DEPENDING ON THE MERCHANDISE THAT THEY, THAT THEY PURCHASE.
UM, I ALWAYS GIVE FAMILIES, AND NOW IN AN ANALOGY, UM, YOU KNOW ABOUT CASKETS AND I ALWAYS TELL THEM, LOOK, THESE CASKETS ARE ALL GOING TO GO INTO THE GROUND.
THEY ALL SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE, BUT WHAT DETERMINES THE PRICE OF A CASKET IS THE MATERIAL IT'S MADE OUT OF.
SO LIKE MY RING IS A WHITE GOLD RING.
IF IT WAS MADE OUT OF PLATINUM, IT'D BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT THE SAME RING, SAME THING WITH CASKETS.
UM, AS FAR AS CREMATION ON THE CREMATION SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE JUST A DIRECT CREMATION AND YOU CAN DO IT AS LOW AS A THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT YOU'RE DONE THERE.
UM, AND SOME PEOPLE MIGHT TAKE THE CREMAINS AND BARIUM IN A CRYPT OR, OR, YOU KNOW, A BARIUM INTO THE GROUND.
UM, AND IF THEY DO, IT'S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THAT LITTLE PIECE OF LAND THAN IT IS WHEN YOU DO A BURIAL.
SO THE MORTUARY COST IS ABOUT FOUR OR $5,000 AVERAGE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE THE COST END WITH A BURIAL, JUST LIKE PROPERTY VALUE IN SAN DIEGO FOR HOUSING IS UP.
WELL, IT'S THE SAME THING ON THE CEMETERY SIDE.
YOUR AVERAGE PLOT, CEMETERY PLOT IS USUALLY A BROWN, 13 TO $15,000 FOR THE PLOT.
AND THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST I'VE EVER SEEN THEM IS RIGHT AROUND FIVE, $6,000.
UM, BUT THEY GO UP TO AS HIGH AS, YOU KNOW, 15, 20, $30,000 FOR A PLOT.
SO BEFORE THIS, I, I DID DO THE RESEARCH ON A LOT OF IT AND, UM, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE, WITH THE DIFFERENT SPOTS THAT HAD SOME OF THE ISSUES AND I APPRECIATE THE GENTLEMAN WHO MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT BASICALLY OUTDATED EQUIPMENT AND, UM, AND YEAH, DUE TO SMELL AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO, AND, AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S JUST LIKE AUTOMOBILES.
AUTOMOBILE IS POLLUTED MORE IN THE 80S AND THE LESS SO IN THE 90S AND THEN YOU GO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, JUST, JUST THE, I WANT TO, UM, HOW I, HOW I PLAY THIS IN MY HEAD IS I WOULD NEVER PUT PERCEPTION OVER, UM, BEING BUSINESS FRIENDLY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND THAT, AND I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T EXPECT YOU TO MOVE.
I NEVER, I, I USUALLY SAY THAT IT'S LIKE A ROUTINE OF MINE.
I DON'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO MOVE THEIR BUSINESSES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AGAINST IT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S A RISK VERSUS REWARD.
IF IT'S $5,000, AN AVERAGE TWO FOR A TRADITIONAL BURIAL AND THEN IT'S $1,000 AND YOU'RE DONE WITH CREMATION, THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S AND, AND, AND GOOD ON YOU FOR BEING INDUSTRIOUS ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT.
SO ALL OF THOSE STATS THAT YOU MENTIONED OBVIOUSLY LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S A, IT'S A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS.
I MEAN, I, AND I, AND THAT'S MY POSITION IS TO, IS TO MAKE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THRIVE IN, IN MY CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, GOOD ON YOU FOR BEING INDUSTRIOUS.
THE FINDINGS THAT I READ ON HERE, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, SB ONE 82 WOULD BY ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN WITH, UM, OPEN THE FLOODGATES AND ALL THAT STUFF BECAUSE WE LOOK AT THINGS, I LOOK AT THINGS AS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
IT'S EITHER A GOOD IDEA OR IT'S A BAD IDEA.
UM, I DON'T CARE ABOUT SB ONE 82 OR ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA, IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND, AND, AND FOR OUR CITY AND WHAT THE MEDIAN INCOME IS AND, AND SO IT JUST, THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU THAT.
THAT'S THE MAIN QUESTION FOR ME.
OBVIOUSLY THE, THE HAZARDS AND THE POLLUTANTS AND ALL THIS STUFF AND WE'VE, I THINK WE'VE ADDRESSED A LOT OF IT AND IN THE RESEARCH THAT I DID INDEPENDENTLY ADDRESSED A LOT OF IT TOO.
SO I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE, UH, WITH THAT.
AND SO I THINK MY, MY, MY THING IS THAT IT'S A SERVICE THAT'S NEEDED.
YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS OPERATOR AND I'M, I'M A, I'M AN ALL, YOU KNOW, FULL SPEED AHEAD WITH THAT AND THE RISK VERSUS REWARD, UH, THE REWARD IS HIGHER THE WAY I'M UNDERSTANDING IT THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
AND THE FACT THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS, THE PEOPLE WHO EITHER LIVE THERE OR YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN COME UP AND SAY HOW NICE SOMEBODY IS AND VICE VERSA.
BUT THE FACT THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE NO ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, DIRECT NEIGHBORS AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU HAVE NO ISSUE WITH IT.
THERE'S NOBODY, THERE'S NOBODY REALLY SPEAKING AGAINST IT.
[01:05:01]
WITH THAT JUST TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW WHERE MY HEAD IS GOING.AND, AND THANK YOU FOR UM, DATING, YOU KNOW, THE CASE BY CASE BASIS.
I ACTUALLY DID WRITE, WRITE THAT HERE AS WELL AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, COMES IN WITH AN OPEN MIND AND, AND I BELIEVE YOU GUYS DO SO WITH EVERY CASE AND IT IS A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
IF SOMETHING IS GOOD, I WOULD HOPE YOU GUYS WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF IT.
AND IF SOMETHING IS DETRIMENTAL, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD, WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT.
AND, UH, ONE LAST THING, UM, THE EXAMPLE OF THE DOOR NOT CLOSING.
UH, AND, AND IT HAS TO BE AN OP.
THEY HAVE TO BE AN OPERATOR THERE.
IF, IF THE FEAR IS WELL THERE COULD BE A FAIL BECAUSE AN OPERATOR MISSED THE, YOU KNOW, THE LEVER TO CLOSE THE DOOR.
UM, BUT YOU COULD FALL ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL AND THE CAR IS NOT GOING TO STOP ITSELF.
SO YOU KNOW, THE, THE BODY WHERE WE GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, NEPTUNE, WHICH WAS OFF OF HIGHWAY EIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE BODY IS MADE UP OF 90% WATER.
SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT IS, IS EVAPORATED.
SO THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE ANY SMELL AT THE TEMPERATURE THAT WE'RE BURNING AND AT OUR LOCATIONS, THE WAY THE BUILDING IS SITUATED, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE PUTTING IN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN INSIDE THE GARAGE.
NO ONE'S GOING TO BE THE WISER.
THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A STACK 12 FEET HIGH WHERE PEOPLE CAN SAY, OH, THERE'S A CREMATORY THERE.
NOW, PEOPLE ALREADY THINK WE'RE A CREMATORY.
ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO ANIMALS TOO? NO SIR.
UM, IT'S NICE TO KNOW PEOPLE STAND UP FOR YOU AND SAY YOU ARE THE RIGHT GUY BECAUSE YOU ARE THE RIGHT GUY.
THERE'S FEWER AND FEWER FIRMLY OWNED MORTUARIES IN THIS COUNTRY.
PERHAPS IT'S BECOME MORE OF A CORPORATE THING.
SO I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF A RARITY IN BEING FIRMLY ON AND ESPECIALLY LOCALLY OWNED, AREN'T YOU? UH, WE ARE.
SO, UM, AND UH, I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN DIEGO FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION.
I HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY FOR US AS INDEPENDENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, 50% OF THE FUNERAL HOMES TODAY ARE OWNED BY CORPORATE.
UM, AND NOT TO TALK ILL OF ANYONE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY WHERE YOU NEED THAT PERSONAL TOUCH.
THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT THE INDEPENDENT TRULY DO MUCH BETTER THAN THE CORPORATE BECAUSE THEY CAN RELATE AND BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THERE FROM START TO FINISH, WE'RE NOT HANDING OFF.
WHEN WE PICK SOMEONE UP FROM THEIR PLACE OF DEATH, THEY COME INSIDE AND THEY MEET WITH US.
AND THEN WHEN THEY HAVE THE SERVICE WHERE THEREFORE THEM, AND THEN WHEN WE TAKE THEM TO THE CREMATORY OR WE TAKE THEM TO THE BURIAL SITE, WE'RE THERE AS WELL.
SO WE KIND OF HOLD THEIR HAND THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THIS IS ONE THING IN LIFE THAT I THINK YOU NEED SOMEONE TO HOLD YOUR HAND AND IF YOU DON'T, WE'RE THERE THE SAME WAY.
SO ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING LOCALLY OWNED IS YOU GET TO MAKE THE DECISIONS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO A GENERAL MANAGER OR A VICE PRESIDENT SOMEWHERE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT'S YOUR OBJECTION OR YOUR OBSTACLE IF CITY STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED SOME AREAS OUT IN THE MANUFACTURING ZONE, NEAR GILLESPIE FIELD, WHAT WOULD BE AN OBSTACLE OR OBJECTION YOU HAVE TO OPERATING THAT AS A SATELLITE LOCATION WITH A CREMATORIUM THERE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE GONE THROUGH THE STAFF PROCESS BEFORE WHERE THEY WERE OKAY WITH THE LOCATION AND WE ALL SAW WHAT I ENDED UP WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, BEING THE OWNER ALLOWS ME TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
UM, AND BEFORE I THOUGHT HAVING A SATELLITE LOCATION WAS OKAY AND IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
TODAY I DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY.
I DON'T FEEL THAT HAVING A SATELLITE LOCATION IS A GOOD IDEA.
I THINK BY HAVING IT THERE, UM, AT THE FUNERAL HOME WHERE BODIES ARE ALREADY COMING IN AND HAVING THE NICE AMBIANCE FOR THE FAMILIES AND NOT MOVING THE BODIES AROUND IS A MUCH BETTER IDEA, MORE PRACTICAL AND, AND I THINK IT'S A WIN WIN FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
UM, AGAIN, WHEN YOU SAY I'M THE OWNER AND I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO ANYONE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL FAMILIES I HAVE TWO, TWO POLICIES AND TO ONLY AS LONG AS IT'S LEGAL AND HUMANLY POSSIBLE, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY NO.
THAT'S ALL A REQUEST OF A FAMILY.
NO ONE GETS HURT AND THAT IT'S LEGAL THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE.
SO WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF, OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE INTERNET IS THE NEW YELLOW PAGES FOR BUSINESS.
WHEN WE GO TO LOOK FOR BUSINESSES, WE, WE'VE MET WITH THE INTERNET, WE SEARCHED FOR WHERE IS MORTUARY SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA OR SOMETHING.
LIKEWISE, WHERE IS COURTYARD IN OKLAHOMA? WHERE ARE THERE OTHER BUSINESSES IN OAKLAND? SO SOCIAL MEDIA IS A DOMINANT PART OF OUR LIVES IN MY OPINION.
UM, SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT DO I SAY TO A BUSINESS OWNER NEAR YOU? IF THERE'S A NATIONAL CITY INCIDENT AND SMOKE A SCAPES FROM A CARDBOARD CONTAINER
[01:10:01]
OUT YOUR DOOR AND IT'S VISIBLE ALONG MAGNOLIA AVENUE AND SOMEBODY POSTS SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.I WAS AT THIS BUSINESS AND YOU COULD, I DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE ANY BUSINESS NEAR YOU AND THEY SAY, I WON'T GO THERE AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE I WOULD SEE SMOKE.
WHAT DO I SAY TO THAT BUSINESS OWNER? WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PICK ON ANY, ON ANY BUSINESS.
UM, THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO, TO ANY BUSINESS.
AND WHAT YOU SAY TO THAT BUSINESS OWNER IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU UNDERSTAND, UM, THE WAY WE UNDERSTOOD THE PROJECT AND THE EQUIPMENT, UM, I THINK YOU'LL BE OKAY WITH, WITH IT.
UM, I THINK KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND THE MORE WE EDUCATE OURSELVES, THE MORE WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
WHAT HAPPENED IN NATIONAL CITY? IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD OF, UH, AN ISSUE WITH, WITH A CREMATORIUM, UM, IN SAN DIEGO OR ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF SAN DIEGO? SO IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
WHAT DO I SAY TO THE COURTYARD WHO SAYS, I'VE GOT A YELP REVIEW OF SOMEBODY WHO SAW AN INCIDENT, WHICH WAS AN INCIDENT AT ELK ON MORTUARY AND IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, HAPPENED.
AND THE COURTYARD SAYS, OH MY GOSH, THERE'S A TRIPADVISOR REVIEW THAT SAYS SAW SMOKE FROM A CARDBOARD CONTAINER OUT IN THE STREET.
WHAT DO I, AND THAT PERSON IS ANGRY AT THE COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING IT.
WHAT DO I HAS THAT ADVERSELY IMPACTED THEIR BUSINESS? I THINK, UM, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO PLEASE EVERYONE FOR ONE, BUT TWO TO WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING TO THE COURTYARD IS I WOULD SAY TO THEM IF THEY SAW SOMEBODY ON THE CORNER, UM, DOING DRUGS AND THEY GOT A BAD YELP REVIEW BECAUSE SOMEONE IN OKLAHOMA WAS DOING DRUGS IN FRONT OF THE COURTYARD.
SO I WOULD GIVE THEM THE C ANSWER.
WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT TENDS THE BEST JOB THEY CAN DO TO ENFORCE THAT, KILL IT, THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE ALL HUMAN AND THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I MEAN, THAT'S MY BEST ANSWER.
ANYONE ELSE OR QUESTIONS?
HOWEVER, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS WHAT, WHAT DARRELL SAID EARLIER IS WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ONE 82 IF WE ALLOW THIS? I THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT BUSINESS IS JUST IN THE WRONG LOCATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA.
WE'RE GOING TO TEAR DOWN THE OLD ANIMAL SHELTER.
THAT MIGHT BE A GREAT LOCATION FOR FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORIUM, BUT I DON'T THINK DOWNTOWN EL CAHONE, UH, IS THE PLACE FOR CREMATORIUM.
JUST FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE SAID ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE THINKING, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, IT MIGHT BE THE CLEANEST BUSINESS IN THE WORLD.
HOWEVER, UH, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND NOT JUST ONE BUSINESS.
AND I, I THINK THERE'S A PLACE FOR AN, AN ALCOHOL BUT NOT THIS PLACE.
AND I THINK THAT IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM AT ALL WITH IT, BUT, UH, IN DOWNTOWN EL CAHONE, UH, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT.
I'M SORRY, BUT I DID LAST TIME, BUT I CAN'T IN THIS LOCATION AND MAYBE YOU NEED TO MOVE YOU, I KNOW WE MOVED FROM UNIVERSITY AVENUE.
WE'D BEEN THERE FOR 42 YEARS IN OUR BUSINESS.
WE MOVED OVER TO HIGHWAY 94 IN COLLEGE AVENUE AND, UH, THAT WAS A GOOD MOVE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR FACTORY FORCED US TO NOW WE'RE THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYBE THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS IS TO DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT'S NOT, UH, AGAINST CITY ONE 82 SB ONE 82.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TWO WINS.
WE DON'T HAVE A FUNERAL HOME IN DOWNTOWN WHERE SB ONE 82 IS AND W WE HAVE A CREMATORIUM, BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER, BUT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
MR REPLY, LITTLE DISAPPOINTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS HOPING, UM, BUT I, I DEFINITELY RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO, UM, DARRYL ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT ONCE SP ONE 82 AND UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL DOES SOMETHING FOR ONE PERSON DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IT FOR ANOTHER.
IT'S BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENTATION, THE PERSON, THE BUSINESS ITSELF.
[01:15:01]
I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH, WITH WHEN HE SAYS, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THIS, WE'RE OPENING THIS, THIS CAN OF WORMS. I TRULY DON'T BELIEVE THAT.AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE'RE REALLY DOING THIS COMMUNITY AND INJUSTICE.
AND I AND I TRULY BELIEVE WE WOULD BE DOING THIS COMMUNITY AND INJUSTICE BY SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE BECAUSE WE'RE AFRAID SOMEONE ELSE GOING TO COME AND SAY, OH, WELL WE WANT THIS.
WELL, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT I'VE EARNED IT AND I TRULY BELIEVE, I DON'T BELIEVE I'M ENTITLED TO IT, BUT I BELIEVE I WORKED HARD.
I BELIEVE I'VE DONE THE RESEARCH.
I BELIEVE WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT CITY COUNCIL HAVE ASKED US TO LOOK AT AND WHEN WE DID ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, PERCEPTION, WHAT'S THE BIGGEST THING? WE PUT OUT A SURVEY OUT THERE.
THE COMMUNITY THINKS WE'RE DOING IT.
MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY ALREADY THINKS IT'S HAPPENING THERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE THEM ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE BRINGING IN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, PUTTING IT IN OUR GARAGE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
WE'RE SERVING THE PUBLIC, WE'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY, AND WE JUST WANT TO SERVE THEM BETTER.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES IS FOR SOMEONE TO SERVE THEM BETTER.
AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR CITY COUNCIL TO DO IS ALLOW US TO SERVE THEM BETTER.
NOT SAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE LETTING MR ZAKAR, YOU KNOW, DO THIS.
NOW WE HAVE TO LET A STORE WHO WANTS TO BRING THE LIQUOR TO THEIR STORE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A LIQUOR STORE.
I'M NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT ENCOURAGING TRANSIENTS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A DISPENSARY.
AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, IT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, WHEN THIS, DEPENDING ON HOW WE VOTE TONIGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE NEWSPAPER.
IT'S GOING TO BE BIG HEADLINES AND UH, THAT'S PERCEPTION IN EL CAHONE AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HOLD AGAINST.
UH, MAYBE SHOPPING IN EL CAHONE OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
CAUSE THEY THINK, WELL, I COULD SMELL THE ONE OUT ON IN LAKESIDE.
UM, I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY SAY.
I'LL PROBABLY SMELL THIS TOO, SO I'M NOT GOING NEAR IT.
IT MAY NOT BE THE TRUTH, BUT PERCEPTION IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, LIKE I SAY, THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES IN THE MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL AREA THAT WOULD MAKE A VERY NICE LOCATION FOR YOUR TOTAL BUSINESS.
AND THEN YOU'D HAVE IT ALL UNDER ONE ROOF AND YOU WOULDN'T, AND YOU WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE, UH, SOMETHING ELSE WOULD GO IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOW IN THAT WOULD BE CONFORMING TO SB ONE 82.
SO UNLIKE EVERY, EVERYBODY HERE, I, I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE PERCEPTION.
I CARE ABOUT THE TRUTH AS IN IT'S JUST A REALLY JUST DIFFERENT APPROACH TO IT ALL.
AND I, AND WHEN, WHEN YOU WERE ASKED, WHY DON'T YOU JUST MOVE, YOU NAMED A WHOLE PLETHORA OF REASONS AS TO WHY, BUT YOU DIDN'T NAME THE, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
IT OVERHEAD, IT WOULD COST MORE MONEY TO MOVE.
SO AS A BUSINESS PERSON, YOU HAVE TO WIN BECAUSE IF PEOPLE ARE GONNA WATCH THIS OR READ ABOUT IT, UH, THAT WOULD MAKE THE MOST SENSE.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WHILE YOU STILL KEEP YOUR PLACE? NOW, THAT PROBABLY MAKES NO SENSE.
UM, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS TO SAY, YEAH, SURE, WE LIVE, WE LIVE, WE LIVE IN A, UH, INTERNET WORLD.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD I TELL SOMEBODY THAT SAYS, UH, THERE'S A CREMATORY OVER THERE? I WOULD SAY YOU'RE GOING TO SAY $4,000 BY BEING CREMATED AS OPPOSED TO BEING BURIED.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THEM IF SOMEBODY ASKED ME AND A, AND, AND, AND ANOTHER THING IS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE MARRIOTT'S RIGHT HERE, EVERYTHING ELSE, WE, THE MOST OF THE REVIEWS, IF THEY WERE AT ALL NEGATIVE THAT I'VE SEEN EVEN EVEN ABOUT THE MARRIOTT, IT ISN'T ABOUT THE MERIT ITSELF, BUT IT'S ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE AROUND IT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU MR CLOSE.
WHO, UM, ON THAT, AND ON THAT NOTE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE PAPER, I MAY BE, YOU KNOW, UM, TODAY'S NEWS TODAY OR TOMORROW, BUT THE FOLLOWING DAY, SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO BE THAT NEWS.
UM, AND REALLY WE, WE CAN'T, UM, BASED ON OUR, OUR DECISION ON, ON THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NEWSPAPER HAS ALREADY SAID THAT THERE'S A CREMATORIUM COMING, LOOK AROUND.
YOU LOOK IN THIS ROOM, HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN OUR POSITION.
UM, AND YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE PAPER.
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ON THE INTERNET.
SO WE DIDN'T SNEAK INTO TODAY'S MEETING.
IT'S BEEN IN THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE.
[01:20:01]
IT'S BEEN ON THE INTERNET AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYONE, UM, OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, DARYL UP AND SPEAK.AND DARRYL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S A DEVELOPER IN THE AREA AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RESIDENCES HERE THAT ARE PURE YELLING AND SCREAMING AND SAYING, NO, THIS IS A BAD IDEA.
OR, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THESE COUNTY MORTUARIES REVIEWS.
AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
WHAT PAPER? EVERYBODY KEEPS REFERRING TO A PAPER.
WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE.
ANYONE ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
IF THIS DOESN'T WORK OUT TONIGHT, WELL, THE RENO, CREMATORIUM AND ALCOHOL ARE WHERE YOU CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR A PLACE THERE WON'T BE A CREMATORIUM IN OKLAHOMA.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, MR CULTURAL BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT.
I SPENT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THIS.
UM, AND I'M, AND I'M HAPPIEST, BUT I UNDERSTAND BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, I'M A, I'M A BUSINESSMAN, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHEN YOU'VE GOT A FOLDER FULL OF THEM AND YOU GOTTA, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TELL ME OR ASK ME TO GO LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION IN OKLAHOMA WHEN I'VE BROUGHT SEVERAL LOCATIONS TO THE CITY.
AND THEN AT THE 11TH HOUR I GOT A, I GOT DENIED.
AND TODAY, YOU KNOW, I ADDRESS ALL OF WHAT CITY COUNCIL HAS ASKED ME TO ADDRESS AND I BRING THEM A PERFECT PLAN, A PERFECT PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY THAT AGAIN ALLEVIATES PERCEPTION.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT ELIMINATES TRAFFIC.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON, YOU KNOW, THESE EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE TELLING ME, LET'S TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU CSD, YOU CSD HAS A CREMATORIUM, UH, PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ON THEIR COLLEGE.
AND SO YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO TELL ME THAT STUDENTS WILL NOT GO TO D.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A MEDICAL FACILITY.
IT'S A COLLEGE AND IT'S A GREAT COLLEGE.
YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THAT PEOPLE WILL NOT GO TO UC SD BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, A CREMATORY MACHINE, EQUIPMENT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THAT SCHOOL.
SO NOW YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BUILD OR DO BUSINESS IN ALCOHOL BECAUSE I HAVE A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT NOBODY EVEN KNOWS ABOUT OR ALREADY THINKS IT'S THERE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M DONE.
I, I SPENT ENOUGH MONEY ON THIS AND YOU KNOW, I'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ALCOHOL.
I'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK AND, AND, AND TAKE CARE OF THESE FAMILIES THE BEST I CAN.
BUT I, I REALLY THINK THAT ALCOHOL NEEDS THIS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE FAMILIES NEED IT.
YOU MAY NOT NEED IT RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN YOU DO, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO NEED IT, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO BE THERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO WANT THE CLOSURE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FILL OUT THAT DEATH CERTIFICATE, THAT'S THE LAST CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT FUNERAL SERVICE, THAT'S THE LAST CHAPTER.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO REMEMBER? DO YOU WANT TO REMEMBER YOUR LOVED ONE BEING IN A BOX AND INSIDE OF A WAREHOUSE SETTING, A GARAGE SETTING AND GOING INTO A RETORQUE OR WOULD YOU RATHER BE IN SOME SORT OF CHAPEL OR A ROOM THAT LOOKED BEAUTIFUL? KIND OF LIKE THE WAY YOU GUYS HAVE HERE WITH YOUR BACKDROP AND EVERYTHING AND YOUR LOVED ONE GOING IN WITH DIGNITY.
I DON'T CARE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING.
AND I WANT YOU GUYS TO HELP ME DO IT BETTER.
I KNOW YOU GUYS CARE ABOUT ALCOHOL.
LOOK WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DONE.
YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO SET A STANDARD FOR GABON NEPTUNE.
THEY MAKE ME LOOK BAD, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE OWNERS, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, I LIKE HIM AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU KNOW, LET ME SHOW EVERYONE HOW IS IT, HOW IT'S DONE, LET ALCOHOL SHOW EVERYONE WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT AND HOW WE CAN DO IT AND HOW WE CAN DO IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE A GOVERNING BODY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME IS YOU'RE THESE DISCRIMINATORY, I'M TIRED OF SHOPPING CENTERS.
THEY'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM OTHER CITY HALLS.
LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE ACROSS FROM SCHOOLS.
YOU DON'T HERE LOOK, SMALL INCIDENT HAPPENS.
NOW NATIONAL CITY MORTUARY, THERE WAS NEVER A FIRE, NO VIOLATIONS, NO NOTHING.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT HAVE WE HEARD? WHAT HAVE WE, HOW MANY OTHER STORIES CAN YOU QUOTE ME OR TELL ME ABOUT THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT WITH CREMATORIUMS AND THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS.
BUT AGAIN, ALLOW US TO BE LEADERS, YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL AND THIS IS SETTING THE STANDARD AS IT'S SHOWING PEOPLE HOW TO DO IT.
WELL, I WANT TO DO THE SAME THING.
I WANT TO FOLLOW NEW YORK GUYS FOOTSTEPS.
I WANT TO SHOW EVERYBODY HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.
[01:25:02]
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR MR. CARR? THANK YOU, SIR.ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THEN THE CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE VOTE
JOEL, I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION UPHOLDING THE APPEAL AND
BUT IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES.
EL CAHONE IS ON THE PRECIPICE OF ENTERING A GOLDEN AGE, ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE THE NEW MERCEDES BENZ DEALER THAT CAME IN THE BMW, A PERFORMING ART CENTER THAT BEING GOING TO BE RUN BY THE LARGEST, UH, PR VENUE IN THE WORLD.
THE BIGGEST THAT, THAT'S REALLY A COOL, WE'VE GOT A FOUR STAR HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN, ALMOST DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
PEOPLE SAID, WHAT A FOUR STAR HOTEL AND DOWNTOWN ALCOHOL, NO ONE WILL EVER STAY THERE.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? IT'S BEEN SOLD OUT FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS.
WE'VE GOT A SECOND FOUR STAR HOTEL OPENING UP IN OUR CITY.
10 YEARS AGO PEOPLE SAID THAT CAN'T HAPPEN IN
40 YEARS AGO, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD THE WISDOM TO CREATE SPECIFIC PLAN.
WHEN DID HE TOO? AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE ALLOWED AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED.
AND BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE, I WORKED AS A DEPUTY ASSESSOR FOR 34 YEARS.
I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN REAL ESTATE.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH CITY PLANNING FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
I TAUGHT REAL ESTATE AND FINANCE IT, SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE FOR 10 YEARS.
SO I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA HOW INVESTORS LOOK AT CITIES AND WHERE DID THIS SIDE, THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THEIR MONEY AND THEY HAD BEEN PUTTING THEIR MONEY IN THE CITY OF EL CAHONE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AT A VERY HIGH RATE.
AND THE ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DO IT IT BECAUSE WE HAVE PROVED TO THEM THAT WE ARE CONSISTENT WHAT WE, WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE DO, WE DON'T BACK OFF.
AND WE'VE TAKEN LOTS OF HEAT UP HERE FOR DOING THINGS THAT WORK CONSISTENT THOUGH THAT WE WERE PROTECTING OUR SPECIFIC PLAN.
WHEN DID HE TO SOME PEOPLE GET VERY UPSET WITH US AND I, AND I HAVE THE HIGHEST REGARD FOR ROBERT.
HE HANDLED THE FUNERALS OF BOTH MY PARENTS BUT FOUR AND FIVE AND YEARS AGO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
AND ONE THING WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THE CONDITION USE PERMIT DOES GO WITH THE LAND.
IF ROBERT WERE TO BE OUT OF THE PICTURE, THEN SOMEONE ELSE WOULD TAKE THAT OVER, UH, AND IT WOULD STILL GO ON WITH THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO WE'VE SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY TO REBRAND OUR CITY AND THAT'S HAPPENING.
WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THAT 10 YEARS AGO WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE RESTAURANTS FILLED ON THE SIDEWALKS WITH DINERS? I WENT THERE, I WENT DOWNTOWN LAST WEEK AND UH, ON THE CAR SHOW WEDNESDAY IN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY PACKED AND
IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THEM, WHY SHOULD ANYBODY ELSE FOLLOW HIM? AND, UH, I CANNOT, UH, SUPPORT, UH, THE CREMATORIUM ACROSS THE STREET.
[01:30:01]
ACCIDENT HAPPENING AND DESTROYING ANYTHING OR RATHER EVERYTHING THAT WE WORKED SO HARD FOR IN THIS CITY.AND I WANT AN ENCOURAGE DEVELOPERS TO KEEP COMING INTO OUR CITY AND I WANT TO SHOW THEM, WE STICK WITH THE PLAN AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.
THEY DON'T LIKE UNCERTAINTY AND I WANT TO GIVE THEM AS MUCH CERTAINTY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THE NATIONAL CITY BUSINESS DID GET TWO VIOLATIONS FROM THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT.
UM, FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE CREMATORY AFTERBURNER LED AT ALL TIMES DURING CREMATION FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE AT OR ABOVE 1600 DEGREES DURING THE ALL CREMATIONS.
SO IN THE NATIONAL CITY INCIDENT, THE APCD DID ISSUE A VIOLATION NOTICE TO THE OWNER OF THE, OF THE PLACE.
UM, I, I, THIS IS A RETAIL DISTRICT, COMMERCIAL RETAIL, UH, A MIX.
HOW DO I TURN MY BACK ON THOSE THAT HAVE MADE THE INVESTMENT IN THAT PART OF TOWN AND RISK A NATIONAL CITY INCIDENT? IT'S THE NATIONAL CITY INCIDENT.
FAT BOTHERS ME ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THE MACHINE WILL WORK IF, IF THE DOOR IS OPEN.
I THINK IT'S, UH, I, I'VE, I RENT BACK AND LISTEN TO LAST YEAR'S, UM, HEARING AND LEARNED ABOUT THE FIRST CHAMBER, THE SECOND CHAMBER OF THE STACK, THE OPACITY, THE THAT YOU OPERATE YOUR MACHINES AT 1,750 TO 1800 DEGREES.
THAT, UH, BODY FAT IS THAT THE FIRST THREE MINUTES AND I'LL PAN EXOTHERMIC ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT MACHINE WORKS WITH THE, WITH THE DOOR OPEN AND THAT'S HOW SMOKE GOT OUT.
IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE STACK.
IT WENT THROUGH A DOOR THAT DIDN'T CLOSE.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT ISOLATED INCIDENT HAPPENS IN DOWNTOWN EL CAHONE AND NOW I HAVE SAID ALL THOSE PEOPLE COME INVEST IN EL CAHONE.
UH, BUT YEAH, I LET THIS AND I KNEW ABOUT THIS.
IF I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL CITY INCIDENT, THE ONE THING I DIDN'T THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN, BUT I KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND SO HOW DO I TURN MY BACK ON THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND SAY IT MIGHT HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE ALL JUST GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT FIVE CREMATORIES ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
IS IT ELKA HOME'S RESPONSIBILITY TO HOUSE THE SIXTH ONE.
WE'RE WILLING TO DO IT, BUT JUST NOT IN THIS AREA IS MY OPINION.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE, A GENERAL PLAN WAS THIS WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN, THAT IT WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH LAND USE THAT IN A TESTIFY INTENSIVE, EITHER LEGAL NONCONFORMING USE.
THIS WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
A, THERE'S NO ESTABLISHED NEED AT THAT SITE.
UH, I DON'T SEE FAULT WITH THE PLANNING CONDITIONS THINKING ON THIS ONE.
AND SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE, I SUPPORT IT IN A SATELLITE LOCATION IN MANUFACTURING ZONE AND OUT IN GILLESPIE FIELD.
I'M SORRY I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL WHEN YOU STARTED THIS WHOLE THING, CAUSE MAYBE WE COULD HAVE HAD A VOTE FOR THAT ALONG THE WAY.
BUT WHAT'S HERE IS WHAT'S RIGHT NOW.
AND I, I GOTTA ALSO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND DOWN THE STREET.
UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HERE DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT OPPOSED.
THAT'S LET'S, THAT'S A, IT'S WHAT'S CALLED A LOGICAL FALLACY.
SO BECAUSE YOU DON'T SHOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE NOT OPPOSED TO IT.
YOU'RE THE RIGHT MAN, YOU'RE THE RIGHT SERVICE.
YOU DO SO MUCH MORE THAN, THAN ALL THESE OTHER MORTUARIES.
UH, IT'S THIS LOCATION AND THE RISK OF ANOTHER ISOLATED INCIDENT HARMING THOSE THAT I PROTECT THE INVESTMENT FOR AS WELL.
OKAY, WELL LET ME TRY, I GUESS MY HAND AT SOME HYPERBOLE, UH, WHEN A ROCKET GOES TO THE MOON AND IT EXPLODES, WE'RE NOT LIKE, WE SHOULDN'T GO TO THE MOON AGAIN BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE.
UH, AND IT'S THE SAME, SAME CONCEPT.
SO, SO THAT'S JUST SORT OF AN EXAGGERATION THERE.
BUT I AGAIN, I, I WOULD SAY WE, YOU TREAT THIS AS A CASE BY CASE BASIS BECAUSE, BECAUSE,
[01:35:01]
UH, DEVELOPERS AREN'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE IDEA OF ONE SECOND THAT DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME IN BECAUSE THERE'S A CREMATORY THERE.I, UM, I, I THINK THAT AS A SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESSES, THE BACKBONE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS COMMUNITY, IT ISN'T, IT ISN'T DEVELOPERS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD LOOK AT IT AS A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
IF IT WAS ROBERT, IF IT WAS MIKE, JACK OR WHOEVER ELSE IT WAS, I WOULD BE LOOKING AT IT AS A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND IF PEOPLE, IF JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T HERE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE OPPOSED TO IT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE ROBERT, THAT YOU COULD HAVE FILLED UP THE ROOM WITH PEOPLE FOR IT, BUT YOU DIDN'T.
SO THAT DOESN'T REALLY SAY ANYTHING EITHER.
WELL, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO COST SAVINGS AND WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR BURYING A LOVED A LOVED ONE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY AND WHERE IT'S COME, UH, AND WITH RESPECT TO THE MINIMAL POLLUTIONS AND, AND WHAT, AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE, IN THE NEW NEW WAYS OF, UH, PUTTING LOVED ONES TO REST.
AND THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, I, I TOUCHED UPON FREEZING CRYOGENICS AND ALL THOSE NEW, THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED AT ALL OVER IN EUROPE.
AND, UH, SO I'D BE IN FAVOR OF IT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT A THREE, TWO HERE.
I'M USUALLY NOT
UM, I THINK I OWE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR MY THOUGHTS ON THIS.
I GOTTA TELL YA, I'VE BEEN REALLY CONFLICTED ON THIS ONE.
UM, COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT DARRYL'S SAYING.
I RESPECT ALL THE OPINIONS UP UP HERE ON THE DIOCESE.
UM, BUT MY GUT FEELING IS THAT NOTHING'S GOING TO GO WRONG WITH THE CREMATORIUM.
IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO REMEMBER IT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
IT'S, THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOOD FOR THE CITY, BUT HE GOT TO COUNT TO THREE AND UH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THREE VOTES ON THIS.
I, UH, THE ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING TO ME, AND I'M HOPING ROBERT, THAT IT'S YOUR FRUSTRATION AND EXHAUSTED FROM THIS IS, IS THAT I THINK THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT GUY TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A PLACE TO DO THIS IN, IN TOWN.
AND WHEN THE SPOKE CLEARS FROM ALL THIS, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL WORK WITH THE CITY.
AND I ENCOURAGE OUR CITY STAFF TO DO EVERYTHING IN THE CAMP BECAUSE ROBERT IS A NATIVE SON.
HE'S DONE RIGHT BY ALL OF US, BY OUR PARENTS AND BY OUR FOLKS THAT HAVE PASSED ON.
AND UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE CITY TO HAVE THIS.
I, I, I CAN'T ORDER IT, BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND A WAY THAT EVERYBODY GETS WHAT THEY NEED.
AND HAVING SAID THAT, UNLESS THERE'S OTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL PUT IT TO A VOTE AND I HAVE TO, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CLARIFY THIS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I, THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMENDED IS THAT THERE'S PLACES IN EL CAHONE THAT THIS WOULD BE VERY GOOD.
IT WOULD HELP THE CITY, IT WOULD HELP HIM, IT WOULD HELP THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR LOVED ONES, BUT NOT ON MAINS AND NOT ON MAGNOLIA.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
SO MR CLAW SHOWS MOTION WOULD BE TO UPHOLD THE APPEAL.
VOTE MEANS THAT WE WOULD ALLOW THE CREMATORIUM AND NO VOTE WOULD BE IN THAT WE WOULD NOT.
IS THAT CORRECT? COUNSEL? IF YOU'RE READY THEN PLEASE VOTE.
WHAT THE F ONE FOUR VOTE WITH UH, MAYOR WELLS, COUNCIL MEMBER, KENDRICK COUNCIL MEMBER MCCLELLAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER GOEBEL VOTING? NO.
I HOPE THAT, UH, THE DISCUSSION WILL YOU ACTUALLY MAYOR, WE DO NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REZ ADOPT THE RESOLUTION NOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BY STAFF TO, UH, DENY THE APPEAL.
THIS WAS TO UPHOLD THE APPEAL, WHICH HE DIDN'T GET A FAVORABLE VOTE.
WE STILL NEED A VOTE TO PUT CLOSURE TO IT, TO I MAKE THAT MOTION.
MOTION CARRIES BY A FOUR ONE VOTE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COLLAGE,
[01:40:01]
A VOTING NO.THIS BRINGS US TO A GERMAN, THE ADJOURN RAILROAD JOINT MEETING OF THE ALCON CITY COUNCIL, OKLAHOMA HOUSING AUTHORITY SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE OUTCOME OF REDO ALL THAT AGENCY HELD THIS 24TH DAY OF JULY, 2018 IS ADJOURNED TILL TUESDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 2018 AT 3:00 PM THANK YOU.