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Residents press Compton council over alleged 911 nonresponse, toxic-site cleanup and disputed city credit-card charges
Summary
Multiple residents told the council about a claimed 911 nonresponse for an elderly caller, urged cleanup of a long-standing toxic dump at 2700 West Alondra, and several speakers accused a councilmember of improper personal charges on a city credit card; the accused councilmember disputed the allegation on the record.
Public comment at the Nov. 18 Compton City Council meeting drew sustained criticism on three themes: perceived failures in sheriff response to emergency calls, long-standing pollution at a laundromat/2700 block of Alondra, and allegations that a councilmember used a city credit card for personal cosmetic procedures.
Jana Sarita, speaking for the Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said her 90-year-old mother called 911 on Oct. 27 and, according to Sarita, "the sheriffs have never come to this day" and dispatch did not remain on the line. "Calls are not sent up to the captain's office," she added; Sarita asked the council to investigate and to ensure seniors receive timely responses. The meeting record shows no sheriff representative was present to respond directly during the hearing.
Several commenters pressed the council on environmental and maintenance problems. Mark Smith urged prioritizing remediation at what he described as a decades-old toxic dump near 2700 West Alondra and argued the city should remediate hazards before investing in beautification. Residents and councilmembers repeatedly called for more aggressive code enforcement, better trash-collection follow-through and targeted maintenance for parks and medians.
A separate cluster of public comments accused Councilmember Spicer of improper use of a city credit card for a $1,400 "mommy makeover" charge and a number of retail purchases. Missy and others pointed to a city-card transaction list and urged accountability; Missy asked the city manager to seek the councilmember's resignation if misuse were confirmed. Spicer addressed the allegation on the record, saying the charge was linked to an event and that a Google search mistakenly matched an event vendor to a local plastic-surgery listing: "It was an event ... apparently, someone did a Google search and found a Jason Martin MD ... and just assume that I got a body makeover," he said. Several speakers called for an investigation and for staff to produce invoices; other commenters and councilmembers said they were awaiting documentation before deciding on further action.
How the council responded: members and staff repeatedly said they would look into questions about credit-card invoices, prior-year fund accounting and sheriff responsiveness. Lynn Ballon said she was awaiting invoices and indicated she would follow up with the city attorney. The meeting record shows no formal disciplinary or investigative action was taken during the session; council adjourned after approving agenda items and asked staff to return with additional information on reallocation proposals and spending details.
The meeting produced no immediate enforcement outcome on the claims raised. Residents asked for follow-up and documentation, and council directed staff to review the concerns and report back.
