The Cerritos City Council voted 3–2 on Sept. 25 to direct staff to change reservation and class policies at Cerritos Park East and Liberty Park 2 effective Oct. 15, 2025, to comply with Los Angeles County Measure A requirements and restore the city’s eligibility for Measure A funding. The decision removes the resident-priority reservation and discounted class-fee rules at those two facilities that the county said made Cerritos “not in good standing.”

Council members and staff framed the vote as a tradeoff between local priority rules and access to park funding. Community and Cultural Services Director Annie Hilton told the council, “To regain eligibility to apply for any Measure A funding, the city would need to revise its policies to allow residents and nonresidents to reserve meeting rooms and picnic shelters at Cerritos Park East concurrently.”

Why it matters: staff said the city currently stands to forfeit about $1.9 million in Measure A formula funds already allocated to Cerritos and would be disqualified from applying for competitive Measure A grant cycles planned by Los Angeles County (staff cited roughly $58 million in competitive funds that will be available to eligible jurisdictions in 2025). The council had included a $1,000,000 Heritage Park Play Island renovation in the adopted 2025–26 Capital Improvement Program contingent on Measure A funding; staff warned that losing eligibility would postpone that project until alternative funds are found.

Council debate centered on the local impacts of compliance. Mayor Pro Tem Linda Johnson, who made the motion to change policy, said council members had visited Heritage Park and concluded the park improvements “outweigh our current reservation and registration policies.” Opponents warned the change would reduce priority access for Cerritos residents. Councilmember Jennifer Hong said, “I still say no. I prefer the residents should have the privilege of priority reservation, and we should have a discount on this.”

Staff and council members described what would change if the policy is implemented: residents and nonresidents would be able to reserve meeting rooms and picnic shelters at Cerritos Park East at the same times and rates; nonresidents would gain equal reservation access to athletic fields at Cerritos Park East; the Liberty Park 2 tot lot program would be charged the same fee for residents and nonresidents; and registration for classes and programs at those two locations would open concurrently to residents and nonresidents. Staff said programs at other facilities — the Olympic swim center, the golf course and the library — would remain on the existing resident-priority schedules and fee structures.

Annie Hilton and Public Works Director Alvin Papa told the council that the county requires a covenant on property to make the nondiscrimination clause run with the land and that compliance is intended to remain in effect in perpetuity for any Measure A funds expended on affected sites. Hilton also said some popular programs such as adaptive recreation and preschool classes would be affected and that eliminating resident priority may reduce access for some Cerritos residents.

Public comment was split. Parents and park users urged keeping resident priority and discounted rates; others and council supporters argued the available Measure A funds are needed to repair long-neglected park facilities. Resident Catherine Pasquale, who said she spends time at local parks with children, urged the council to secure Measure A money to renovate Heritage Park and improve play equipment and shade.

The motion (Recommendation 2b in the staff report) passed 3–2; the council directed staff to implement the policy changes by Oct. 15, 2025, and to proceed with the process to access Measure A funds for the Heritage Park Play Island project. Staff said they would return with implementation details, a timeline and any contract awards related to the project.

Next steps: staff will prepare the administrative changes required to implement the policy by the Oct. 15 deadline and advance the Heritage Park Play Island renovation under the city’s adopted CIP if Measure A funding is confirmed. Council members who voted against the change said they will monitor impacts to residents’ access and requested regular updates.

(Reporting from the Sept. 25, 2025 Cerritos City Council meeting.)