By Brett Callwood
At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 26, the council members were split on Council Item 19.A which read, “Discuss and Consider City Council Policy Statement prohibiting the City from co-hosting any events with individual City Council Members.”
The staff note read, “During the Sept. 12, 2023, City Council meeting, a directive was given to staff by Mayor Tasha Cerda and seconded by Councilmember Rodney Tanaka prohibiting the City from co-hosting any events with individual City Council Members.”
Mayor Cerda had said that, if an individual council member has their name attached to an event rather than the entire City Council, it suggests that the council isn’t united.
However, Council Members Paulette Francis and Wanda Love objected, stating that the individual council member should get the credit if they have done the work. Both asked what the benefit to the city and the council is, should this item pass.
For now, the item has been tabled pending further discussion.
Elsewhere in the meeting, the council unanimously approved the adoption of ordinance 1858, “Authorizing an Amendment to the Contract Between the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and the City of Gardena.”
An agreement with MDG Associates, Inc. for CDBG/HOME Program Administration and Bid & Construction Management Services was approved.
“Although all three of the responding companies are highly regarded and respected in the CDBG consulting field, MDG’s hourly rate of key personnel was lower than the other two proposers,” read the staff note. “Given MDG’s high quality of service currently being provided to the City on an interim basis, staff recommends that the City Council approve an agreement with MDG to provide CDBG/HOME program and residential rehabilitation construction administration services.”
The amount of $591,832.57 was approved for Police Item 15A, for “Additional Services and Maintenance for the Video Policing System through December 2024.”
Finally, in Departmental Item 16A, $195,600 was approved for the Construction Contract for the Nakaoka Community Center HVAC Upgrade Project, JN 522, to Bon Air Inc.
“The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system at the Nakaoka Community Center had been identified as being deficient and in need of repair,” reads the staff note. “The existing system is original to the building and has been in service for approximately 50 years. Various maintenance repairs have been performed throughout the years, but it has reached far beyond the end of its 20 to 30-year lifecycle.”
