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Compton council OKs $600,000 fuel contract and $10,000 park allocation amid heated public comment
Summary
The council approved a $600,000 purchase order authorization for city fuel and a $10,000 budget amendment for Kelly Park; a prolonged public comment period included calls to remove the city manager, complaints about clerk hours and development, and announcements of local events.
The Compton City Council unanimously approved an authorization for city staff to establish purchase orders for gasoline with Jenovich Company, Dion and Sons, Inc., and Wood Oil Company up to $600,000, and separately amended the recreation budget by $10,000 for Kelly Park equipment and supplies.
Council discussion on the fuel item focused on the size of the authorization. During debate a council member asked for a departmental breakdown of fuel use, calling $600,000 "kind of steep," and city staff said they would provide usage tabulations by the end of the week. The fuel authorization excludes the fire department.
The meeting featured an extended public comment period in which residents raised a mix of concerns and announcements: Brent Rivas (Recreation Department) promoted Compton’s 70th annual Christmas parade; Van Scott announced construction and a November 6 groundbreaking at 1434 West Compton Boulevard; other speakers pressed for stronger code enforcement, raised questions about development near a grammar school on 134th Street, and criticized city leadership and the city manager. Public commenters explicitly called for the city manager’s removal and alleged missing or mishandled funds; the mayor and other commenters offered contrasting defenses and a few residents spoke in support of current operations.
Representative quotes from the meeting capture the tone: a commenter urged the council to remove the city manager, saying, "We want him gone"; a council member asked of the fuel item, "600,000 is kind of steep"; Brent Rivas invited residents to the parade, giving the date and route. The council voted unanimously to approve the park allocation and the fuel authorization.
Why it matters: The fuel contract and park funding allocate operating dollars that affect day-to-day city services. The public comment period underscored strong resident concern about city management, transparency, and neighborhood impacts from development.
Next steps: Staff will deliver the requested fuel usage breakdown and additional details on the 134th Street development at a future meeting.
