The La Puente City Council operates less than a mile from Industry City Council, but the Tuesday, Aug. 14 meeting was as fast as Industry meetings of old.

It was a record 24 minutes before recessing into an hour and three minute closed session.

The meeting opened back up to the public after an hour and seven minutes, but by then no one had stuck around in the audience.

The last three audience members left at the half hour mark into the closed session, confused as to why the meeting had a closed session meeting in the middle of an otherwise regular council meeting.

The structure of the meeting may have been to enable one council member to participate in closed session, which normally happens before meetings (or after them in Industry’s case).

During the brief 24 minutes, Mayor Violeta Lewis said council member Valerie Munoz was running late as the roll call marked her as absent.

Munoz arrived during closed session at 7:25 p.m., just missing the quick beginnings of the council meeting where they made the votes to pass the consent calendar and minutes without her at 4-0.

Another quirk to this city council and their meetings is that they vote with electronic devices, and do not use a vocal roll call vote.

The results of each vote are posted on a screen, like Walnut City Council, but only the latter has LED signals so that the audience can see each vote live.

There were two comments from the public in oral communication.

The first advertised a job fair being hosted by the East San Gabriel Valley’s America’s Job Center of California on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, check out more information regarding the job fair at 14101 E. Nelson Ave. in the multipurpose room.

The second speaker was disgruntled with the city.

He said that the council texts when people talk, and it should be open to the public to see what they are texting.

Incidentally, one council member’s phone went off after he said that, and it was soon silenced.

He then went on a tangent that everyone is going to die someday.

This appeared random until the man explained his displeasure that Anita Perez’s death was not recognized by the council.

Perez had a rosary said in her honor at the same time as the last council meeting on July 24, and a service was held for her the next day.
She had turned 80 in January, and her husband of 62 years, Louis Perez served on the La Puente City Council for 18 years.

To read more about Anita Perez’s life and accomplishments, this SGVT article pays her a tribute.

It is unknown whether or not the council had honored her in the prior Tuesday, July 10 meeting, which was closer to Perez’s passing, but the speaker was adamant that the last meeting on Tuesday, July 24, should have honored her.

He called it a “slap in the face” and a “disgrace to the whole city.”

After oral communications and the passing of the minutes and consent calendar in just 24 minutes, the meeting recessed into closed session.

The audience was all but gone at the half hour mark, and at the 45 minute mark most of the staff had left too, but remained at an on-call basis.

Of the one hour plus closed session, the council reported that direction was given to the city attorney for items one and three, and there would be no action for items two and three. Item one was said to be on the next closed session agenda as well.

Council member David Argudo gave a report from his ad hoc committee and discussed street signs. He said they considered using next year’s funds to get a project done now.

This project would affect this year and next year’s gas tax revenues by placing them into a fund to replace signs, resurface streets, and slurry seal.

Slurry seals take five years, but they make the road darker and extend the life of the pavement.

Argudo raised concerns over current signage by saying that for every eight or nine 12 foot car there is a no parking sign or similar.

Averaging at 100 feet per sign, Argudo suggested the signage be reduced, and said they should “start a sign diet in our community.”

Council member John Solis expressed concern about there not being a staff booth at National Night Out, the police awareness event.

While other council members said staff was there, Argudo said he thought Solis meant that there was not a distinct information booth separate from the registration booth.

The registration booth was where the staff and Ian Calderon, who represents the 57th Assembly District, were located.

Solis nodded at the separate booth comment.

Mayor Lewis informed everyone about an upcoming ABC 7: In The Neighborhood skit at The Donut Hole on Amar Road near North Hacienda Boulevard on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

ABC 7 Reporter, Sid Garcia, focused on other aspects of his La Puente hometown for the video.

The council adjourned in honor of three people this time, but the speaker was long gone by the time they officially adjourned, as many took the closed session as an adjournment.

The next La Puente City Council meeting is on Tuesday, Aug. 28.