Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Votes And Public Comments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Fe Springs council approves housing funds, street vacation and mural design; public commenters raise contract pricing and water-district allegations
Summary
Council approved a resolution to accept $58,893 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation funds for rental assistance and rapid rehousing, approved a full street vacation to accommodate a future project, selected a boxcar mural design with modifications, approved the consent calendar while pulling item 24 for re-bid, and heard public comments alleging procurement and water-district corruption.
The Santa Fe Springs City Council voted to accept and administer year-5 Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds and approved a street vacation and a public-art selection during its regular meeting.
Mister Boveda (city staff) introduced the PLHA public hearing and described the program: “It’s called the permanent local housing allocation program. Those funds come from funds generated from real estate transactions. They take $75 from it every real estate transaction to put into this fund,” he said, and stated that “The city of Santa Fe Springs for year 5 is allowed at 58,893, and we’re proposing to use those funds for residential rental assistance programs and for rapid rehousing programs.” No members of the public spoke during the hearing. A council member moved the resolution, it received a second, and the council approved it by voice vote.
Staff then presented a street-vacation proposal for two public right-of-way easements at Carmineo Road and Excelsior Drive and a portion of Freeway Drive to accommodate a planned business expansion. The council opened the hearing, received no public testimony, and approved the full street vacation by voice vote.
During public comment earlier in the meeting, Eric Franklin, executive vice president of United Pacific Services, asked the council to scrutinize pricing in the city’s tree-maintenance services contract (item 18), saying there were “significant differences in the pricing” for extra items and providing a letter and spreadsheet for staff review. Lee Squire, a City of Downey auditor and fraud examiner, urged the council to take up an amended felony complaint and arrest-warrant request related to the Central Basin Municipal Water District, naming Alex Rojas and Luis Rojas and listing multiple charges including conspiracy, bribery and money laundering; he asked that the complaint be made part of the public record and placed on council agendas.
On old business, Community Services Manager Ed Ramirez, the Heritage Arts Advisory Committee and committee chair Gabriel Jimenez reviewed five conceptual mural designs submitted by artists Ivo Vigara and Rachel Lofthouse that drew from student-finalist artwork. The committee recommended Ivo Vigara’s option 1; council discussion focused on minor modifications — replacing or adjusting an unrealistic mountain silhouette, adding the historic springs, and incorporating features such as the steam locomotive (#870), the pump house, windmill and barn. The mayor moved to approve option 1 with the modifications as discussed, the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
The council then took up the consent calendar (items 11–34). One councilmember asked that item 24 be pulled for additional outreach, noting the original RFP ran for 38 days; the council directed staff to reopen the solicitation for 30 days and return the item at a future meeting. The remaining consent items were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will process the PLHA funds for the rental-assistance and rapid-rehousing programs, record the street-vacation paperwork to accommodate the private project, and reopen the RFP for item 24 as directed. The mural will be commissioned under the heritage-arts budget with the modifications approved by the council.
