By Brett Callwood
At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, August 26, Public Hearing Item 14A called for, “Adopting a Resolution establishing fees for Vacant Property Program Registration and Renewal, as authorized pursuant to Ordinance No. 1882 and finding that the fee resolution is exempt from CEQA under Guidelines Section 15273 and Public Resources Code Section 21080(b)(8). The adoption of this resolution is statutorily exempt from the requirements of CEQA because these fees are imposed to meet operating expenses through cost recovery for staff wages incurred by the City and the adoption of this resolution falls within the exemptions for local agency decisions specified in Public Resources Code section 21080(b)(8) and CEQA Guidelines section 15273.”
That item passed 4-1, with Councilperson Wanda Love the one nay vote.
Item 14B passed unanimously: “Consideration of a contract with spcaLA for Animal Sheltering and Services.”
Item 20A saw five people recommended for 2025 Gardena Wall of Fame induction: Marcelino Almaraz (Posthumous), Michael Saffell, Philip A. Johnson, Sr.,Susana Weltz Medina, and Woods Rayburn Woolwine, Jr. The votes were done individually for each recommendation, and all passed unanimously.
Item 20B called for the naming of a voting delegate and alternate for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo in October. The council voted on Councilperson Rodney Tanaka for the delegate, and Mayor Tasha Cerda for the alternate. That vote went 4-1, with Love the one nay vote.
Finally, Item 20C called for the “Redistributing the Community Discretionary Fund of Councilmember Wanda Love to the Rest of the City Council.” This comes following Love’s second censure at the previous meeting.
Councilperson Paulette Francis stated that she didn’t want any of Love’s funds redistributed to her, because it “doesn’t feel right.” The council therefore voted to redistribute the funds three ways (Cerda, Tanaka, Mayor Pro Tem Mark Henderson), and that passed 3-2 with Francis and Love the two nay votes.
