Bellflower council adopts package of charter-implementing ordinances to streamline permitting, public-works contracting and business-assistance rules

The Bellflower City Council on Monday adopted a set of ordinances and resolutions implementing powers in the city’s new charter, moves city officials said are intended to speed permitting and public‑works delivery and preserve local control.

The council voted to reaffirm use of the California Fire Code rather than the Los Angeles County fire regulations, approved amendments to the municipal code that allow broader use of design‑build and ‘‘best value’’ procurement for public works, and adopted a resolution declaring that projects funded through the city’s economic-development business assistance plan are not subject to prevailing‑wage requirements under the charter. Council members also approved contract awards and an abatement plan for a vacant commercial parcel and amended two executive employment contracts.

City officials framed the package as a direct implementation of voters’ direction when Bellflower adopted a city charter last November, and as a tool to reduce delays in building and rebuilding after recent statewide wildfires.

“This is simply the enactment of or the implementation of the voters’ intent with regard to adopting the city charter,” City Manager Ryan Smoot said as staff presented the measures. Smoot and City Attorney Carl Berger both described the actions as reaffirmations and clarifications of authority the council has exercised since 2019.

Berger stressed that applying the California Fire Code is a city choice intended to streamline permitting. “There’s nothing that prohibits applicants from coming in and complying with the LA [County] code; it’s simply not a legal requirement within the city of Bellflower that they do so,” Berger said, explaining the practical effect is to reduce duplicative or slower county processes.

What the council approved

- Fire code: The council adopted an urgency ordinance and introduced a companion ordinance to continue the city’s adoption of the California Fire Code (the city first made this choice in 2019). Staff said the action strengthens Bellflower’s legal position should the Los Angeles County Fire Department press the city over its local code choice; the council also authorized the city attorney to seek state opinions and legislative subpoenas if needed. The motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Santanez and seconded by Councilmember Dan Coops and passed on a 5‑0 roll call.

- Public‑works contracting (chapter 3.3 amendments): The council adopted an urgency ordinance and introduced an implementing ordinance to replace the city’s existing public‑works contracting chapter. Key changes include authorizing design‑build procurement for projects of any size (general‑law cities are limited to projects above $1 million), allowing the city to use ‘‘best value’’ criteria rather than lowest‑bidder selection, delegating certain approvals to staff (including design‑approval steps often called ‘‘design immunity’’), and clarifying when prevailing wage applies. Staff emphasized the change gives the city more flexible delivery options for capital projects. The motion to adopt was made by Councilmember Dan Coops, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Santanez, and the ordinances passed on a 5‑0 vote.

- Business‑assistance plan / prevailing wage: The council voted to adopt Resolution No. 25‑05, a citywide determination that projects approved under Bellflower’s economic‑development business assistance plan (including the city’s designated‑block facade program) are not subject to prevailing‑wage mandates under the charter. Staff said the resolution codifies how the city will treat grants, small loans and other business incentives so those programs remain able to assist small contractors and small businesses without the additional cost pressure of prevailing‑wage requirements. The resolution was adopted after debate; the motion was made by Mayor Dutton and seconded by Councilmember Coops and the resolution passed on the record vote.

- Designated‑block downtown facade program (Bellflower Blvd. & Oak St.): Separately, staff asked the council for a budget increase to complete the first block facelift at the northwest corner of Bellflower Boulevard and Oak Street. The project had been budgeted at $300,000 but staff reported bids in the $540,000–$680,000 range and recommended increasing the allocation by $350,000 (to a total of $850,000) to cover construction, construction management and contingencies. Council members pushed back on the total and asked staff to return with value‑engineering, alternatives and outside funding options; the council declined to approve the $350,000 increase at this meeting but adopted the prevailing‑wage resolution noted above and directed staff to return with revised scopes and financing options.

- Vacant‑lot abatement at 17046 Bellflower Blvd.: The council approved contracting for demolition and nuisance abatement at a longstanding vacant commercial parcel that city staff said had produced repeated code violations and unauthorized access. Staff presented a base bid to demolish the structure and alternatives that included removing slabs, installing perimeter 2‑rail (‘‘Kentucky’’) fencing, and covering the lot with wood chips; council members directed a version that would remove the structure, create a 5‑foot perimeter band for planting/fencing and install wood chips over much of the paved area. Staff said the property owner has not cooperated and the city will place a lien to recover abatement costs.

- Employment contracts: Councilmembers approved amendments increasing the 2025 salary for the city manager and the city clerk (the staff report corrected a CPI number before the vote). Council members said the changes reflect market comparisons and are intended to retain key staff. The motion passed 5‑0.

Why it matters

Council members and staff repeatedly tied the agenda items to the city’s new charter, which voters approved last fall with broad support, and to an intent to reduce ‘‘red tape’’ and speed work on housing and commercial projects. Staff described the agenda as both an exercise of the new local authority the charter grants and an effort to put Bellflower forward as a model for faster post‑disaster reconstruction and local‑control contracting.

Council members asked staff to bring back tighter cost breakdowns on the downtown facade project, to explore external funding or community‑led alternatives, and to ensure abatement scopes minimize recurring maintenance costs. Several council members also said they want the city to retain oversight where appropriate even as it expands staff authorization to deliver projects more quickly.

What’s next

The council introduced several ordinances on first reading and adopted urgency ordinances to make some changes effective immediately. Staff said a formal update of the city’s fire‑code adoption will come with the next scheduled statewide code cycle (the next code update will be considered to take effect in 2026) and that the public‑works code changes will be incorporated into the municipal code when the second reading and final adoption steps are completed. Staff will return with a revised scope and cost estimate for the downtown facade improvement program and work orders necessary to execute the abatement and lien actions.