July 14, 2026 City Council Meeting
- Date
- 2026-07-14 6:00pm
- Type
- Regular Meeting
- Agenda
- Agenda (PDF)
- Packet
- Agenda packet (PDF)
- Record page
- Meeting record
- Video
- YouTube recording
- Transcript
- 1399 auto-generated segments
minutes approved Outcomes below use the video and the approved minutes (printed in the Jul 28, 2026 agenda packet).
What happened
Timestamps, item boundaries and summaries on this page come from an automatic (speech-to-text) transcript of the city’s YouTube recording, checked against the posted agenda. Times may be off by a few seconds, the transcript does not identify speakers, and names and numbers may be misheard. The approved minutes are the official record. Methods
- Public Works Director Negrete gave a long presentation on piggyback (cooperative) purchasing, focused on the proposed West Coast Arborists tree contract. Lara asked to bring that contract back for reconsideration at the next meeting, and the item (16) was pulled from consent.
- The council approved the rest of the consent calendar (items 2–15 and 17) together, 5-0. That included contracts with Southland Transit (Dial-A-Van, $600,000 a year), TJKM ($319,820), Elvis Show SoCal ($306,000), Cintas ($180,000) and Kimley-Horn ($79,951), plus a $489,000 Caltrans grant.
- The General Plan Safety Element hearing was opened and continued to Jul 28.
- Lutz reported on a visit to Fujian Province, China, with Mayor Pro Tem Sánchez and suggested a friendship-city partnership there.
Agenda items, in order
Opening, invocation, pledge and proclamation
Invocation by Council Member Garcia; pledge led by Veterans Commissioner Perez. Proclamation for the Pico Water District's 100th anniversary.
Outcome: All five members present (minutes).
Presentation: Pico Rivera procurement policy (piggyback contracts)
Director Negrete explained the code and state rules, sole-source justifications, the $75,000 approval threshold and why staff proposed a piggyback contract with West Coast Arborists. Members asked about staff evaluation panels, how often piggybacks are used and the dollar thresholds. Sánchez noted the council had voted 4-0 on June 9 to seek proposals.
Outcome: Lara asked that the West Coast Arborists contract come back at the next meeting for reconsideration, seconded by Garcia (minutes). Staff also described the Smith Park pool contractor prequalification.
⚑ West Coast Arborists: connection review FL09 found an indirect overlap. Labor unions (not the vendor) linked by a self-reported labor affiliation gave to council members, so the link is circumstantial. Documented connection, not evidence of impropriety. · Vendor: West Coast Arborists
▶ Watch 13:38 · ▶ Lara's request 46:42 · ▶ The June 9 vote raised 51:47 · ▶ Pool contractor prequalification 53:16 · Read in transcript
1. General Plan Amendment 66: Safety Element (public hearing)
The Mayor opened the public hearing.
Outcome: Continued to the Jul 28, 2026 meeting; no vote.
Public comments
Six speakers and two written comments (see the Public comments tab). Staff answered questions about enforcement of illegal fireworks.
Outcome: Comments only; no action.
▶ Watch 56:28 · ▶ Fireworks citations explained 1:15:19 · Read in transcript
2–17. Consent calendar (items 2–15 and 17)
Item 16 (West Coast Arborists) was pulled. Approved together:
- 2. Minutes of Jun 23, 2026; receive and file Sister City Commission minutes
- 3. 1st warrant register of FY 2026-27
- 4. Ordinance 1209 (secondhand dealers, zoning), second reading
- 5. Ordinance 1210 (Title 8, Health and Safety), second reading
- 6. Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant, $489,000, with an $85,000 in-kind match (Resolution 7498)
- 7. Strategic Growth Council grant applications (Resolution 7499)
- 8. Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (Resolution 7500)
- 9. Paymentus: sole-source, one-year extension for electronic bill payment
- 10. Southland Transit: Dial-A-Van, second one-year extension, up to $600,000
- 11. Tristar Risk Management: sole-source claims administration amendments
- 12. Kimley-Horn: HSIP school crossings engineering, $79,951
- 13. TJKM: HSIP traffic signal and median engineering, $319,820
- 14. Cintas: first aid kits and AEDs, up to $180,000 over three years (cooperative purchase)
- 15. Elvis Show SoCal: sound and stage for city events, up to $306,000
- 17. Two Public Works trucks: $196,767 and $57,023
Outcome: Approved 5-0. The minutes list a motion by Lutz, a second by Sánchez and a roll call. On the video it sounds like a voice vote (“any opposed…”).
Contract C413 (Southland Transit) · Contract C416 (TJKM) · Contract C418 (Elvis Show SoCal)
16. Tree maintenance: West Coast Arborists
Discussed during the procurement presentation.
Outcome: Pulled from the agenda and continued; no vote. Awarded 4-1 on Jul 28, 2026.
City Manager report
City Manager Carmona gave an update on fireworks enforcement and said the livestream audio had been restored.
Outcome: Report only.
Good of the Order (AB 1234)
Members reported (see the Public comments tab, Council reports). Director Negrete gave updates on the citywide resurfacing bids and the Gateway Cities fiber optic project.
Outcome: Camacho asked for a report confirming the fiber optic work meets city standards once it is finished.
⚑ Lutz and Sánchez reported a trip to Fujian Province, China, and Lutz suggested a friendship city there. A friendship proposal with Changting County, Fujian came to the council on Oct 13 and Oct 27, 2026. The minutes do not say who paid for the trip; this was not researched. ▶ 1:28:58 · Oct 27, 2026 meeting
▶ Watch 1:17:59 · ▶ Road and fiber updates 1:42:21 · Read in transcript
Adjournment and closed session
The meeting was adjourned in memory of resident and volunteer Terry Corella. Closed session covered two existing-litigation cases: City of Pico Rivera v. Ari Stock et al. and Fernando Islas v. City of Pico Rivera et al.
Outcome: Nothing reportable from closed session (minutes).
⚑ Discrepancy in the minutes: they record a recess to closed session at 7:52 p.m., reconvening at 8:35 p.m. and adjournment at 8:16 p.m., which is earlier than the reconvene time. On the video the adjournment in memory is announced before closed session.
Connections, recusals and disclosures
Documented connection, not evidence of impropriety.
- West Coast Arborists: connection review FL09 found an indirect overlap. Labor unions (not the vendor) linked by a self-reported labor affiliation gave to council members, so the link is circumstantial. Documented connection, not evidence of impropriety. · Vendor: West Coast Arborists (item)
- Lutz and Sánchez reported a trip to Fujian Province, China, and Lutz suggested a friendship city there. A friendship proposal with Changting County, Fujian came to the council on Oct 13 and Oct 27, 2026. The minutes do not say who paid for the trip; this was not researched. ▶ 1:28:58 · Oct 27, 2026 meeting (item)
- Discrepancy in the minutes: they record a recess to closed session at 7:52 p.m., reconvening at 8:35 p.m. and adjournment at 8:16 p.m., which is earlier than the reconvene time. On the video the adjournment in memory is announced before closed session. (item)
Records for this meeting
Contracts
Key moments
| Kind | Quote | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| contract / procurement concern | “justification so there's a sheet that we work with finance on in terms of has to be reasons why we have a sole source justification whether it a lot of the reasons is either compatibility with our it ” 🔗 | ▶ 18:32 |
| contract / procurement concern | “city manager for approval anything above 75,000 we come to the council for approval whether it's informal or formal sole source or piggyback we always have a legal review, right, our city attorney and” 🔗 | ▶ 20:43 |
| contract / procurement concern | “that. That's the difference between the professional services and the nonprofessional services. In terms of piggyback procurement requirements, Again, there is a process here. So we always look at is ” 🔗 | ▶ 24:10 |
| contract / procurement concern | “no we don't know we have to have that conversation it has to be a mutual agreement that we want to go forward using that piggyback and then once they if say if they agree then we look at the prices an” 🔗 | ▶ 25:31 |
| contract / procurement concern | “higher than if we go out to bid. There's no purpose in doing that. Saving time. That's the other big thing too. Us putting together an RFP takes time to write the document, review the document, it goe” 🔗 | ▶ 26:44 |
| contract / procurement concern | “have that luxury. The services must continue. That's why you'll see a lot of times when we can't agree or maybe we don't get the RFP out in time, you have to go on a month-to-month. That's what happen” 🔗 | ▶ 27:59 |
| contract / procurement concern | “eight or nine months prior to even the expiration of their agreement which is in August and we explored the option of piggyback. Just to see if we could we had the RFP written but we said hey let's ju” 🔗 | ▶ 29:25 |
| contract / procurement concern | “If we normally would go out to have that done, they've offered with this piggyback to do that at no cost to us, which is a benefit to us and a benefit to them,” 🔗 | ▶ 33:18 |
| contract / procurement concern | “there was a couple questions talking about transparency making sure that we are being in a transparent process. So again this is a competitive process. Rosemead did a competitive process through an RF” 🔗 | ▶ 34:47 |
| contract / procurement concern | “If you're buying more volume then you're gonna get a lower price. So when we go to these piggyback contracts from the state we're gonna get a much cheaper price than if we were to go buy it ourselves ” 🔗 | ▶ 35:39 |
| contract / procurement concern | “through the Rosemead that were utilized on why we piggyback then we're gonna go with this organization that's coming.” 🔗 | ▶ 38:45 |
| contract / procurement concern | “years, how many times would you say we've the staff has approved or brought this piggyback forward to us? I know it's rare, I can't remember, but if you know yourself, how often? More often than you t” 🔗 | ▶ 41:01 |
| contract / procurement concern | “at is the vendor quality of work, their performance and their responsiveness. That usually the first thing that we look at in terms of do we want to look at for a piggyback. If that does happen then w” 🔗 | ▶ 42:07 |
| contract / procurement concern | “make sure that that price that we get is good. A lot of times we don't know. That's how we do an RFP. If I can't find a piggyback, like a lot of time I've negotiated with vendors, right? We try to neg” 🔗 | ▶ 43:18 |
| contract / procurement concern | “You said about three months in terms of? The RFP is about three or four months. The piggybacking is faster.” 🔗 | ▶ 44:04 |
| contract / procurement concern | “So I think it's important that that's established first, right? And this piggyback process is really based upon relationship and upon work ethic, right? On the contractor and the responsiveness to the” 🔗 | ▶ 46:32 |
| contract / procurement concern | “thing that was councilmember Lara mentioned about these bad contractors that we do get unrelated to piggyback but you mentioned I just wanted to highlight because I think it's important to residents t” 🔗 | ▶ 47:43 |
| contract / procurement concern | “Clarification for City Manager. So we voted on this item already, June 9th, 4-0 for instruction to go to RFB, RFP with the, you may also, I'm aware that the contract is going to expire soon. So City M” 🔗 | ▶ 51:52 |
| contract / procurement concern | “One, the fireworks. I wanted to piggyback on the resident, what she said. I experienced excessive fireworks” 🔗 | ▶ 1:35:25 |
Full transcript
Automatic speech-to-text transcript, without speaker names; it may contain errors. Click any line or timestamp to watch that moment on YouTube. Home addresses are removed.
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Public comments
Names follow the approved minutes. Home addresses are not shown. The Victor Gonzalez who spoke here as a resident may or may not be the West Coast Arborists officer who spoke on Jul 28; that is not verified.
Council member comments and reports
The speaker names in the auto-transcript are garbled here (for example “Marduk”, “Letz”). Members are identified from the minutes and the Mayor's introductions; uncertain starts are marked inferred.