Printed Agenda

CITY OF WEST COVINA

CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY
UPDATED July 31, 2025
AUGUST 5, 2025, 7:00 PM
REGULAR MEETING

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1444 W. GARVEY AVENUE SOUTH
WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA 91790

Mayor Tony Wu
Mayor Pro Tem Letty Lopez-Viado
Councilman Ollie Cantos
Councilwoman Rosario Diaz
Councilmember Brian Gutierrez

Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices prior to entering the Council Chambers

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
The City complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you will need special assistance at a Council meeting, please call (626) 939-8433 (voice) or (626) 960-4422 (TTY) from 8am to 5pm Monday through Thursday. Please call at least one day prior to the meeting date to inform us of your particular needs and to determine if accommodation is possible. For sign language interpreter services at Council meetings, please request no less than four working days prior to the meeting.

AGENDA MATERIAL
Agenda material is available for review at the City Clerk's Office, Room 317 in City Hall, 1444 W. Garvey Avenue South, West Covina and at www.westcovina.org. Any writings or documents regarding any item on this agenda, not exempt from public disclosure, provided to a majority of the City Council that is distributed less than 72 hours before the meeting, will be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s Office, Room 317 of City Hall located at 1444 W. Garvey Avenue South, West Covina, during normal business hours.

NOTICE
The City Council will regularly convene on the first and third Tuesday of the month. The West Covina Community Development Commission, West Covina Public Financing Authority and the West Covina Community Services Foundation are agencies on which the City Council serves as members. Agendas may contain items for these boards, as necessary.

PUBLIC COMMENTS
ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL

Any person wishing to address the City Council on any matter listed on the agenda, excluding any matter set for a public hearing, or on any other matter within their jurisdiction must complete a speaker card that is provided at the entrance to the Council Chambers and submit the card to the City Clerk prior to the commencement of Oral Communications. No speaker cards will be accepted after the commencement of Oral Communications, except at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.

Please identify on the speaker card whether you are speaking on an agenda item or non-agenda. Requests to speak on agenda items will be heard prior to requests to speak on non-agenda items. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, unless modified by the Presiding Officer or the City Council.

Any testimony or comments regarding a matter set for a public hearing will be heard during the hearing.

While members of the public are free to level criticism of City policies and the action(s) or proposed action(s) of the City Council or its members, members of the public may not engage in behavior that is disruptive to the orderly conduct of the meeting, including, but not limited to, speaking off topic, speaking beyond the speaker’s allotted time limit, making slanderous or profane remarks or using loud, threatening, or abusive language which disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. Members of the public may not threaten any person with physical harm or act in a manner that may reasonably be interpreted as an imminent threat of physical harm. The City of West Covina will not tolerate harassment based upon a person’s race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, or age.

RULES OF DECORUM
Excerpts from the West Covina Municipal Code and Penal Code pertaining to the Rules of Decorum will be found at the end of agenda.

AGENDA

CITY OF WEST COVINA
CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY

TUESDAY AUGUST 5, 2025, 7:00 PM
REGULAR MEETING

INVOCATION

Led by Pastor Samuel Martinez from Amazing Love Ministries

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Led by Councilwoman Diaz

ROLL CALL

REPORTING OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION

PRESENTATIONS

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - Three (3) minutes per speaker
Please step forward to the podium and state your name and city of residence for the record when recognized by the Mayor.

CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
City Manager's report on current City projects.

CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed under CONSENT CALENDAR are considered to be routine and can be acted on by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the City Council/Community Development Commission request specific items to be removed from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion or action.

APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES

COMMISSION SUMMARY OF ACTIONS

CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SENIOR SERVICES REGULAR COMMISSION MEETINGS HELD ON MARCH 11, 2025, AND MAY 13, 2025.

It is recommended that the City Council receive and file the Community and Senior Services Commission meeting minutes from its regular meetings on March 11, 2025, and May 13, 2025.

ORDINANCES FOR ADOPTION - Procedural Waiver. Waive full reading of each ordinance on the agenda and authorize the approval of each ordinance by title only.

CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE

CONSIDERATION ACCEPTANCE OF WORK AND AUTHORIZATION TO FILE THE NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR THE FY 23-24 RESIDENTIAL STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT - PROJECT NO. C24008

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Accept the work performed by Onyx Paving Company for the FY 23-24 Residential Street Rehabilitation Project (Project No. C24008) with a final contract amount of $5,103,895.25; and

2. Authorize the Acting City Manager and Deputy City Clerk to execute the Notice of Completion and file the Notice of Completion with the County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder; and

3. Authorize the Acting City Manager to release retention once appropriate.

CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF THE ACTING CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED APPOINTMENTS OF KAREN OGAWA AS FINANCE DIRECTOR, CARMELITA UNDERWOOD AS HUMAN RESOURCES/RISK MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, AND NILESH MEHTA AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER

It is recommended that the City Council approve the following proposed appointments:

Karen Ogawa to the position of Finance Director;
Carmelita Underwood to the position of Human Resources/Risk Management Director and
Nilesh Mehta to the position of Assistant City Manager.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

CONSIDERATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 ASSESSMENT RATE FOR WEST COVINA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NOS. 1 AND 2

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolutions:

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-43 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA SETTING THE ASSESSMENT RATE FOR WEST COVINA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 1 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2025

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-44 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA SETTING THE ASSESSMENT RATE FOR WEST COVINA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 2 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2025

ACCEPTANCE DEDICATION OF EASEMENT AT 1731 WEST SAN BERNARDINO ROAD FOR SIGNAL INSTALLATION PURPOSES AND ACCESS, MAINTENANCE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF IRWINDALE

It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:

Accept the approximately 144.5 square foot easement located in the north-west corner of the property at 1731 West San Bernardino Road; and
Authorize the Acting City Manager to sign the easement and record the easement with the County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder; and
Authorize the Acting City Manager to execute the Access, Maintenance and Indemnity Agreement with the City of Irwindale.

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

HEARINGS

PUBLIC HEARINGS

PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE WEST COVINA CITYWIDE SEWER SERVICE CHARGE COLLECTION METHOD AND ASSOCIATED REPORT

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-60 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE SEWER SERVICE CHARGES TO BE COLLECTED ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 TAX ROLL

PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 ASSESSMENT FOR THE WEST COVINA CITYWIDE LIGHTING AND MAINTENANCE DISTRICT

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-59 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING THE DIAGRAM AND ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITYWIDE LIGHTING AND MAINTENANCE DISTRICT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26

PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 ASSESSMENTS FOR WEST COVINA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS 4, 6 AND 7

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolutions:

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-61 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING A DIAGRAM AND ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 FOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 4

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-62 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING A DIAGRAM AND ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 FOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 6

RESOLUTION NO. 2025-63 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING A DIAGRAM AND ASSESSMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 FOR LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 7

MAYOR/COUNCILMEMBERS REPORTS
AB 1234 Conference and Meeting Report (verbal, if any)
(In accordance with AB 1234, Councilmembers shall make a brief report or file a written report on any meeting/event/conference attended at City expense.)

CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, STUDIES OR INVESTIGATION
(Per City of West Covina Standing Rules 4.f - Requests for reports, studies, or investigations that are not readily available must be placed on the City Council/Successor Agency agenda as items of business and must be approved by a majority of the City Council/Successor Agency Board.)

CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS

ADJOURNMENT

Next Tentative City Council Meeting

Regular Meeting

Date August 19, 2025

7:00 PM

RULES OF DECORUM

The following are excerpts from the West Covina Municipal Code:

Sec. 2-48. Manner of addressing council; time limit; persons addressing may be sworn.

Each person addressing the council shall step up to the rostrum, shall give his or her name and city of residence in an audible tone of voice for the record and unless further time is granted by the council, shall limit his or her address to five (5) minutes.
The city council may establish a limit on the duration of oral communications.
All remarks shall be addressed to the council as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than the council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the council, without the permission of the presiding officer. No question shall be asked of a councilmember except through the presiding officer.
The presiding officer may require any person to be sworn as a witness before addressing the council on any subject. Any such person who, having taken an oath that he or she will testify truthfully, willfully and contrary to such oath states as true any material matter which he knows to be false may be held to answer criminally and subject to the penalty prescribed for perjury by the provisions of the Penal Code of the state.

Sec. 2-50. Decorum--Required.

While the council is in session, the members shall preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay or disrupt the proceedings or the peace of the council nor interrupt any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the council or its presiding officer, except as otherwise herein provided.
Members of the public shall not willfully disrupt the meeting or act in a manner that actually impairs the orderly conduct of the meeting. For the purposes of this code, “willfully disrupt” includes, but is not limited to, continuing to do any of the following after being warned by the Mayor that continuing to do so will be a violation of the law:
1. Addressing the Mayor and City Council without first being recognized.
2. Persisting in addressing a subject or subjects, other than that before the Mayor and City Council.
3. Repetitiously addressing the same subject.
4. Failing to relinquish the podium when directed to do so.
5. From the audience, interrupting or attempting to interrupt, a speaker, the Mayor, a council member, or a staff member or shouting or attempting to shout over a speaker, the Mayor, a council member or a staff member.
6. As a speaker, interrupting or attempting to interrupt the Mayor, a council member, or a staff member, or shouting over or attempting to shout over the Mayor, a council member, or a staff member. Nothing in this section or any rules of the council shall be construed to prohibit public criticism of the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the City or of the acts or omissions of the City Council. It shall be unlawful to violate the provisions of this Section.

If any subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase or word of this Section 2-50 is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Section. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this section and each subsection, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or words had been declared invalid or unconstitutional.

Sec. 2-52. Persons authorized to be within council area.
No person, except city officials, their representatives and members of the news media shall be permitted within the rail in front of the council chamber without the express consent of the council.

The following are excerpts from the Penal Code

148(a) (1) Every Person who willfully resists, delays, or obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety code, in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

403 Every person who, without authority of law, willfully disturbs or breaks up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character, other than an assembly or meeting referred to in Section 303 of the Penal Code or Section 18340 of the Elections Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor.