* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:02:48] I WOULD LIKE [CALL TO ORDER] TO CALL THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS MEETING TO ORDER FOR JUNE 24TH, 2026. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE TIME. TIME IS SIX 30. THANK YOU. UM, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE [ROLL CALL] ROLL. COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER. HERE. COMMISSIONER AN HERE COMMISSIONER. DONATO SAP. HERE. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE. HERE. COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA. HERE. VICE CHAIR ARCHULETA HERE. AND CHAIR MELLINGER. HERE WE HAVE QUORUM. OKAY. AND EVERYONE'S HERE, RIGHT? OKAY. UH, WELL WELCOME TO OUR JUNE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, WHICH MARKS THE END OF OUR CALENDAR YEAR. UM, AT THIS MEETING WE WILL ELECT OUR NEW REPRESENTATION FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND TREASURER AMONG OTHER ITEMS. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE AS THE INAUGURAL CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR MISSION AND HOW THE COMMISSION WORKS AND FUNCTIONS. AND NOW WE'VE REALLY BEGUN THE WORK OF CREATING RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE EFFORTS COME TO FRUITION. THAT SAID, MOVING ON, I DO NEED TO [2. 26-55510 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the Long Beach Fire Department on department-wide efforts to advance equitable workplace accommodations across Fire Department facilities, including updates on the implementation of gender-inclusive facilities at the Long Beach Fire Regional Training Center funded through the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget.        Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] INFORM YOU THAT ITEM TWO, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED AS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING DEPARTMENT-WIDE EFFORTS TO ADVANCE EQUITABLE WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS ACROSS FIRE DEPARTMENT FACILITIES, INCLUDING AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GENDER INCLUSIVE FACILITIES AT THE REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER. IF YOU ALL RECALL THAT DISCUSSION FROM LAST YEAR, UM, THAT IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE AGENDA, THEY WEREN'T QUITE READY TO PRESENT TO US. WE ARE CONTINUING TO COORDINATE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO GENDERIZING AN UPDATE ON THAT AT, UM, A FUTURE MEETING WHEN THEY HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO PREPARE. ALRIGHT. SO TO ENSURE THE INCLUSION OF ALL MEETING PARTICIPANTS, I WILL PERIODICALLY REMIND OUR COMMISSIONERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK UP AND PROJECT YOUR VOICE WHEN MAKING [00:05:01] COMMENTS OR ASKING QUESTIONS. SO, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST ITEM. ITEM [1. 26-55509 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Commission for Women and Girls meeting of Wednesday, May 27, 2026.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] NUMBER ONE IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, MAY 27TH, 2026. MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO, MOVE. OKAY. AND A SECOND. SECOND. SO WE, UH, SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE OUR TABLETS TODAY. UM, IS IT COMING UP ON YOUR END? I'VE GOT IT. COMMISSIONER ALLEN. I'M SORRY. I CAN'T, I'M NOT KEEPING EVERYBODY STRAIGHT. COMMISSIONER LA VIOLET, IF YOU WANT TO SECOND STILL OR MOVE, YOU CAN PUSH ON SCREEN. WE'RE DIGITAL TODAY. WHAT? I DON'T HAVE TO USE THE, YOU DON'T, WE HAVE TO USE THE TABLET. LET'S JUST STICK TO VERBAL IF YOU DON'T MIND. 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE, UNLESS I CAN GET HELP WITH MY SCREEN TO JUST, UH, YES, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TROUBLESHOOT AT A LATER TIME. UM, BUT FOR NOW, WE CAN TAKE A VERBAL. OH, OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER ELLEN HARPER AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ENGEL. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY CORRECT, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? NOPE. NO. FOR OUR FOLKS WHO ARE STILL WAITING, FOR OUR FOLKS WHO ARE STILL WAITING ON THE TABLETS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MINUTES CORRECTIONS? NO. OKAY. SO WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES. IF THERE ARE ANY IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM. AND IF IN THE ZOOM PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE. NOW SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. OKAY. IN THAT CASE, UM, AND SEEING NO DISCUSSION, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE? COMMISSIONER LA VIOLET? I CAN TAKE A VERBAL YES. COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA? YES. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. DO WE WANNA TAKE A BRIEF RECESS SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE TABLETS? NO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA WORK. I CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND DO IT DURING THE PRESENTATION. OKAY, GOTCHA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. OH, OKAY. AS A REMINDER, ITEM NUMBER TWO HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. SO, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL ITEM NUMBER THREE? ITEM NUMBER THREE [3. 26-55511 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the Ranked Choice Voting Ad Hoc Committee regarding Ranked Choice Voting and its potential impacts on the representation and civic participation of women and girls in local elections and, if appropriate, approve a letter to the Mayor and City Council for transmittal.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM THE RANK CHOICE VOTING AD HOC COMMITTEE REGARDING RANK CHOICE, VOTING, AND ITS POTENT POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON THE REPRESENTATION AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS. AND IF APPROPRIATE, APPROVE A LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR TRANSMITTAL. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. WELL WE'VE, WE, WE GOT BEATEN VIRTUALLY. SO , IF YOU SEE A POP-UP ON YOUR SCREEN, YOU'RE ABLE TO TAP THAT, UM, TO DO THE MOTION IN THE SECOND FOR THE FUTURE ITEMS. OKAY. SO NOW TO OUR PRESENTERS, UM, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. ALRIGHT, WELL, JEN AND I HAVE, UM, MET WITH, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. UM, WE HAVE HEARD THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER, UH, ISSUES AND LET'S, CAN WE PULL THESE THINGS UP ON THE SCREEN? I WISH I COULD READ IT. UM, I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WHICH IS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION, UM, HAS SUPPORTED RANK CHOICE VOTING SINCE 2002. AND, UH, AND THAT'S NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY SINCE 2020. UM, WE LOOKED AT THE FACT THAT IT WOULD SAVE MONEY, BUT THAT WE WOULD NEED EDUCATION. PEOPLE WOULD NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON HOW TO DO IT, BUT THAT IT WOULD OPEN DOORS FOR, UM, PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO, UH, WELL, WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAD FINANCIAL ISSUES, THAT IT WOULD BE A LESS EXPENSIVE WAY TO DO ELECTIONS. THAT IT WOULD BE, IN SOME WAYS A LESS HOSTILE WAY ACCORDING TO CITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE LESS HOSTILE BECAUSE THEY WANNA BE IN YOUR TOP FIVE OR YOUR TOP TWO. UH, IN TERMS OF VOTING, UM, [00:10:01] WE ALSO, UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE FACT THAT THAT, UM, WOMEN HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON, UH, CHORES OR, OR PARTS OF THEIR LIVES THAT ARE PARTICULARLY, UM, PARTICULARLY ASSIGNED TO WOMEN. SO, UH, FOR INSTANCE, CHILDCARE MORE FREQUENTLY, UM, CARE OF ELDERLY, AND THAT, THAT NOT HAVING TO DO A PRIMARY, UM, SAVES, UM, SAVES THEM NOT ONLY TIME, IT MAKES IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM. I'M TRYING TO THINK OF WHAT ELSE, UH, WHAT OTHER REASONS WE HAD FOR SUPPORTING IT, BUT THERE'S SURE. I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN ONES WAS ALSO THAT IT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION SO THAT A MAJORITY WINNER CAN BE HAPPEN IN ONE ELECTION, WHICH LEADS TO COST SAVINGS. THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR WOMEN OR OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE. UM, AND THEN YOU DON'T GET THE WHOLE, UM, YOU'RE JUST CHOOSING THE WORST CANDIDATE, SO TO SPEAK, WHICH OFTENTIMES WHEN THERE'S LIKE TWO OPTIONS, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE, YOU'RE FORCED TO CHOOSE ONE, UM, THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE. AND SO THIS WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO CHOOSE THEIR FIRST, SECOND, MAYBE THIRD OR FOURTH CANDIDATE AS WELL. SO I THINK IF WE RECALL THAT WE RECEIVED THIS PRESENTATION FROM RANK CHOICE VOTING HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND TODAY, BUT THAT'S WHERE, UM, I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THIS. AND THEN WE WENT ON KIND OF A RESEARCH EXPLORATORY JOURNEY TO UNDERSTAND MORE. AND EVERYWHERE WE LOOKED, THE PEOPLE WE TALKED TO WERE REALLY IN SUPPORTIVE IT, AND IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE NATION. UM, AND I THINK IT DOES SEEM LIKE A REALLY GOOD OPTION, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THIS LETTER JUST ENCOURAGING CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLORE IT FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, MAJOR THINGS IN TERMS OF THIS WAS A LOW TURNOUT, OFTENTIMES IN THE PRIMARY, AND THAT THIS KIND OF ELIMINATES THAT AND, AND, UH, SORT OF, UH, HAS, I, I THINK INCENTIVIZES VOTERS TO COME OUT AND VOTE, UH, SO THAT, THAT WE ELIMINATE A PRIMARY ELECTION AND, UM, THAT THE CANDIDATES WHO ACTUALLY RUN IN THE GENERAL, THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THERE'S THE RANKED CHOICE. AND BY THE WAY, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY, UH, OPPOSITION EXCEPT ONE PARTY WAS MORE IN OPPOSITION THAN THE OTHER. AND, UM, YEAH, IN TERMS OF TRUE OPPOSITION, THE, I THINK THE CRITIQUES COME FOR THAT. IT DOES REQUIRE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. YEAH. UM, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE DIFFERENT VOTING EQUIPMENT, SO IT COULD BE AN EXPENSE. AND THEN THOSE WERE, AS SOME OF THE QUOTES THAT WERE INCLUDED HERE FROM OUR RESEARCH, UM, THAT THOSE USUALLY SEE THOSE, THE COST, THE EXCESS, THE EXTRA COST TO SWITCHING TO THAT EQUIPMENT IS USUALLY MADE UP BY YOU'RE RUNNING FEWER ELECTIONS, UM, IN THE LONG RUN, WHICH LEADS TO COST SAVINGS. AND, AND THEY ACTUALLY SAY, SAID THAT PEOPLE SAVED LIKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON ELECTIONS, UM, FOR SOME EVEN MORE THAN THAT. SO THAT THERE WAS QUITE, QUITE A FINANCIAL SAVINGS. I THINK THEY'RE, IT'S, UM, SAN FRANCISCO IS USING RANK CHOICE VOTING AND, UM, I THINK SOME OF THE BIGGER CITIES, NEW NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, YEAH. OH, DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR PRESENTATION? I BELIEVE IT DOES. OKAY. UM, IN THAT CASE, LET ME GET BACK HERE. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WILL DISCUSS FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON ON ITEM THREE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME AND SEEING NO PARTICIPANTS IN THE ZOOM. THAT CONCLUDES. I HAVE A QUESTION, DO I NEED TO COME UP HERE? IF, IF YOU HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU CAN APPROACH THE PODIUM AND WE WILL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES. JEN AND I HAVEN'T THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, BUT, UM, UH, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE OPTIMAL TIME THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR? PRIMARIES OBVIOUSLY ARE SET IN CALIFORNIA, BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE OPTIMAL TIME TO DO THIS? AND THEN OF COURSE, IF WE NEED ANOTHER RUNOFF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO PEOPLE SEE AS THAT BEST CHOICE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL FOR, UM, VIRTUAL PUBLIC [00:15:01] COMMENT? YEAH. SEEING NO, UH, ZOOM PARTICIPANTS. UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ZOOM. OKAY. THEN LET'S OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. UM, COMMISSIONERS, QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MEDA, I HAVE A CURIOSITY ABOUT, FIRST THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESEARCH. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR ALREADY DRAFTING THE LETTER. THIS IS THE LETTER RIGHT AT THE END. UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF PROS, UM, FOR WOMEN IN OUR CITY AND POTENTIAL CANDIDATES THAT REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, MY QUESTION, MY WONDERING IS LIKE CITYWIDE THINKING ABOUT DO WE HAVE A SECTOR OF THE CITY THAT ALREADY EDUCATES PEOPLE ON VOTING? SO I'M THINKING LIKE, IF THIS WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, I'M THINKING LIKE, DO, IF THERE IS AN ESTABLISHED GROUP THAT AL ALREADY HAS THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE CITY, AND IT'S, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST POSING THAT WONDERING, JUST IN GENERAL. UM, NOT NECESSARILY THAT YOU NEED TO ANSWER IT, BUT, UM, IN TERMS, I, I GUESS THINKING IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE ABILITY TO THIS, TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS GOES AROUND TO DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY AND THEY DO REALLY GOOD RESEARCH AND, AND, UM, EDUCATE WITHOUT BEING PARTISAN. SO THEY TALK ABOUT BILL, THEY TALK ABOUT LEGISLATION, THEY TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. UM, AND I THINK THEY COULD BE MOBILIZED TO DO, TO DO SOME OF THAT. I, I'M ALSO, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, BUT I, FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH ELECTIONS, THERE ARE USUALLY LIKE A TON OF VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE THERE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. AND NO MATTER WHAT THE VOTING MECHANISM IS THAT THEY'RE THERE AND THEY'RE EXPLAINING PEOPLE HOW TO USE THE BALLOT, HOW TO FILL IT OUT, THEY SEND THE MAILERS. THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF KIND OF LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR THIS KIND, FOR ELECTIONS IN GENERAL. UM, THAT I THINK WOULD BE THEN TRANSITIONED TO A NEW FORM OF VOTING. PLUS THE RANK CHOICE VOTING COMMITTEE IN AND OF ITSELF IS ALREADY DOING A LOT OF ADVOCACY AROUND IT. UM, I SEE OUR VICE CHAIR HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT. YES. AND, AND I, UH, MY COMMENT, UH, OR ACTUALLY, UH, QUESTION, MY QUESTION IS REGARDING, UM, ANY DATA THAT, UH, DOES THE LEAGUE HAVE ANY DATA ON HOW THIS WOULD, UH, IMPACT OR BENEFIT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS MM-HMM . UM, I LIKE TO SEE HOW, HOW, UM, THAT, UH, PLAYS OUT WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES. IS THERE ANY DATA ON THAT OR, OR HAS THIS BEEN VETTED WITH, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES TO GET INFORMATION REGARDING, YOU KNOW, EITHER THEIR, UH, UH, APPROVAL OR, I MEAN, SUPPORT, NOT APPROVAL, BUT SUPPORT AND, UH, OF THIS TYPE OF MEASURE? I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. ALTHOUGH, UM, THE WOMAN FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SAID, UM, THERE WAS MORE REPRESENTATION THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT, UM, MIGHT NOT EVEN VOTE IN THE, IN THE PRIMARY OR MIGHT MAY, BUT THAT, UH, THAT IT WAS MORE, MUCH MORE REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL OF THE ELECTORATE. SO SHE DIDN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, DR. ENGLE? YES. MY QUESTION IS, YOU SAID THAT SAN FRANCISCO HAS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IT AND IT HAS SAVED, AND THIS IS A COST SAVER. DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY SAN FRANCISCO SAVED IN IMPLEMENTING RANK CHOICE VOTING? I JUST HAVE THE ONE STATISTIC THAT NEW YORK CITY SAVES OVER 10 MILLION EACH ELECTION CYCLE. OKAY. I THOUGHT I SAW A HAND DOWN HERE. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ. YEAH, I, I THINK FOR ME IT WAS JUST, I WAS LOOKING FOR, UM, I WAS ALSO KINDA JUST WONDERING, CAN YOU MOVE YOUR MIC CLOSER? IS THIS BETTER? YEAH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, JUST KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER ARCHULETA SAID WAS, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE DATA SPECIFICALLY AS IT, HOW IT'S INCREASED THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN ELECTIONS. I'M NOT SURE IF I, DID I CATCH THAT? LIKE, DO WE KNOW I DON'T HAVE IT? I DO THINK THAT DATA EXISTS, ESPECIALLY ON REGARDING WOMEN'S, UM, IMPACT, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT ON HAND, UNFORTUNATELY. [00:20:05] OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, ONE THING I WOULD WANNA CLARIFY, I, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH COMMISSIONER POSED THIS QUESTION, BUT IT WOULD BE UP TO THE CITY CLERK WHO ADMINISTERS OUR ELECTIONS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, ESSENTIALLY ON RANK CHOICE VOTING IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN. UM, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A CHARTER AMENDMENT, UH, APPROVED BY THE VOTERS. UM, AND THEN ALSO THE COUNTY ADMINISTERS OUR, UH, EQUIPMENT FOR, FOR THAT. SO, UM, ESSENTIALLY WE'D HAVE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE AND, UM, OUR INTERNAL CITY CLERK TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND INFORM THEM. THEY, THEY ARE THE OFFICE IN CHARGE OF, UH, CITY ELECTIONS. OKAY. UM, VICE CHAIR. YEAH. ARE THERE OTHER, UM, UH, COMMISSIONS, CITY COMMISSIONS THAT ARE ALSO SUPPORTING THIS ENDEAVOR? THAT, OR IS IT JUST ARC COMMISSIONER ALAN HARPER? YOU HAVE INTEL ON THAT. OKAY. ALIGNING WITH THE OTHER OKAY. THE, THE OTHER COMMISSION STAFFED BY, YEAH. OUR HEALTH AND EQUITY. I WANNA SAY I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THE NAME RIGHT. WHAT'S THE, UH, EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION EQUITY, I KNOW THE NAME. EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION. THEIR LETTER IS ACTUALLY VERY, VERY DETAILED, VERY SPECIFIC REGARDING RELATIONSHIP TO THE COUNTY AND WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL. UM, WE TOOK A MORE LIKE GENERAL APPROACH REQUEST OF, OF SUPPORT. UM, BUT THEIRS IS VERY DETAILED AND ACTUALLY I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE TO READ THEIR LETTER, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ASK IS. YEAH. OKAY. UM, ON, ON MY END, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION. YES. UM, I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD SUPPORT RECEIVING AND FILING THE PRESENTATION. I FEEL LIKE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION STILL, UM, TO SUPPORT SENDING A LETTER JUST YET. JUST 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE HAVING MORE HARD DATA WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. SO FOR ME, I, I WOULD ALMOST ASK IF THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION COULD COME BACK WITH SOME DATA ON THE QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT HOW IT BENEFITS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND HOW IT INCREASES, UM, PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN AND GIRLS. 'CAUSE THOSE TWO POINTS WERE A LITTLE MORE GENERAL. AND I THINK IF WE HAD MORE HARD DATA, I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE SENDING THAT PRESENTATION. AND MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE LETTER TOO FROM THE EQUITY COMMISSION. THAT MIGHT HELP. UM, I WOULD JUST BE A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE LETTER WISE IF WE HAD A LITTLE MORE, UM, CONCRETE DATA FIRST. SO THAT'S MY COMMENT. I SUPPORT THAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MY COMMENT IS, I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE RATIONALE OF IMPLEMENTING RANK CHOICE VOTING FOR NOT JUST OUR CITY IN OUR COUNTY, WHERE WE HAVE NOW A ALL WOMEN'S CITY COUNCILS AND AN ALL WOMEN'S COUNTY, UH, COUNTY, SU COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. IS THIS REALLY GOING TO IMPROVE ANYTHING OR IS IT GONNA HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT OF MAKING OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO USUALLY DO NOT HAVE THE STRONG IMPACT OR THE SAME REPRESENTATION, EVEN MORE VULNERABLE WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE CLOSED OUT ON DISCUSSION. I THINK WE'VE ALL CONTRIBUTED. OKAY. UM, IN THAT CASE, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION IF THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THE ITEM WAS PRESENTED. SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT. YEAH. SO WE CAN DO A RECEIVE AND FILE IF IT'S NOT JUST A RECEIVE AND FILE, IF IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO APPROVE THE LETTER. YEAH, I GUESS THAT'S A, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE SHOULD GO ABOUT THAT BECAUSE DO WE VERBALLY APPROVE VIA DISCUSSION WHAT WE ALL WANNA DO? I'M ASKING THE CLERK FOR LIKE A POINT OF ORDER. I THINK FOR TRANSPARENCY SAKE, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN AMENDED MOTION TO CLARIFY WHETHER WE ARE THE COMMISSION IS SPECIFICALLY IS APPROVING THE LETTER TO, TO SEND TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL OR, OR NOT. YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR BASED ON HOW THE ITEM IS WRITTEN. SO COMMISSIONERS, WHAT ARE YOU COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH? WOULD YOU RATHER RECEIVE AND FILE OR DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO MAKE, HOW WOULD WE, I'M SO SORRY. I'M NOT SURE HOW TO, [00:25:01] UM, AMEN. AMEND THE MOTION. MOTION. UH, SOMEONE CAN PROPOSE AN AMENDED MOTION AND, AND STATE WHAT THAT IS. AND, UM, THE MO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, THE SECOND CAN, UM, ACCEPT OR, OR NOT. OKAY. CAN I GO AHEAD, VICE CHAIR. SO I LIKE TO, UM, MAKE, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION BY, UM, ASKING THAT WE RECEIVE AND FILE THE INFORMATION, BUT THE LETTER THAT WE, UH, UM, I DON'T KNOW, POSTPONE THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING. SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE LETTER AND ALSO TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE ACTUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PROCESS. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? WE WOULD NEED THE MAKER OF THE MOTION TO AGREE WITH THAT. WHO WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER? YES, I ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. DOES OUR SECONDER HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT TOO? YES. DR. KEL? YES. OKAY, WE'RE GOOD. AND I WILL GIVE THE CLERK TIME TO REVISE THAT. AND REVISE CALL FOR A VOTE. YEAH. SO WE HAVE THE AMEN MOTION WRITTEN DOWN. UM, DID YOU WANT US TO, UH, RESTATE IT? WOULD YOU MIND PLEASE? THANK YOU. NOT AT ALL. SO YEAH, THE FRIENDLY, A FRIENDLY WAS MADE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION AND POSTPONE SENDING THE LETTER, UH, UNTIL, UH, THE C THE COMMISSION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW, UM, THE LETTER AND GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROCESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, THANK YOU. OKAY. IN THAT CASE, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE? OOPS. OKAY. IF YOU CLICK VOTE CAST IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND OF YOUR SCREEN, IT SHOULD POP UP. COMMISSIONER KEL, I CAN SPEAK A VERBAL. YEAH. AND COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE? YES. AND COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA? YES. MOTION IS CARRIED AS AMENDED. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ AGENDA ITEM FOUR? ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS [4. 26-55512 Recommendation to discuss and designate Commissioners to attend the National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW), and discuss establishing a process for the Commission to designate Commissioners to attend external meetings, conferences, and networking organizations.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] A RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS AND DESIGNATE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR WOMEN AND DISCUSS ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR THE COMMISSION TO DESIGNATE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND EXTERNAL MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, AND NETWORKING ORGANIZATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO IF YOU ALL RECALL, WE, UM, DISCUSSED JOINING THIS ORGANIZATION SOMETIME LAST YEAR. THEIR ANNUAL MEETING IS JULY 27TH AT 4:00 PM IT'S ACTUALLY BEING HELD VIRTUALLY. SO, MAY I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? YOU CAN CLICK THE SCREEN AND A SECOND. THANK YOU. DOES STAFF, DOES STAFF HAVE ANY PRESENTATION ON THAT OR DID YOU WANT ME TO, UM, YEAH, WE PUT TOGETHER JUST A BRIEF, VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR YOU TO, TO, TO THANK YOU FRAME THE, THE DISCUSSION, UM, BUT ONLY THESE ARE JUST POINTS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. OKAY. UM, SO, UH, HERE WE GO. UH, AGAIN. SO THE, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO DISCUSS AND DESIGNATE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMISSIONS FOR, UH, WOMEN, UH, CONFERENCE AND DISCUSS ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR DESIGNATING COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND EXTERNAL MEETINGS, UH, CONFERENCES, TRAININGS, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. UM, SO, UH, JUST SOME BROWN ACT, UH, SOME BROWN, UH, ACT COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS TO, TO, TO BRING TO THE TABLE. UM, PARTICIPATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE STRUCTURED TO AVOID CREATING, UH, QUORUM OR, UH, SERIAL MEETING CONCERNS. AND THIS IS WHILE KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE COMMISSION CAN ALWAYS REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT WHEN ATTENDING THESE EVENTS, IF LESS THAN A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION. SO FIVE, FIVE OF YOU, UM, ATTEND THE EVENTS. IF A, IF A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO ATTEND THE EVENT, OUR CITY ATTORNEY WILL NEED TO EVALUATE WHETHER THIS WOULD, UH, UH, VIOLATE THE BROWN ACT, WHICH IS A FACT SPECIFIC NUANCED ANALYSIS THAT SHE MUST TAKE OR MUST MAKE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY HERE, SO WE CAN, AGAIN, FOR, FOR A Q AND A. UM, AND THEN, UH, WHEN CREATING THE FRAMEWORK, WE ALSO PUT TOGETHER SOME, SOME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IF YOU WERE TO, TO CONSIDER CREATING, UM, SOME PROCESSES. SO FIRST IS, WHAT ROLE SHOULD A COMMISSIONER PLAY IN REPRESENTING THE COMMISSION AT EXTERNAL MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS? AND HOW CAN THE COMMISSION ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT WHILE REMAINING MINDFUL OF BROWN ACT REQUIREMENTS? AND AGAIN, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO THIS DURING, DURING THE DISCUSSION PIECE. UM, SOME QUESTIONS AROUND SELECTING [00:30:01] REP REPRESENTATIVES. SO WHAT FACTORS SHOULD THE COMMISSION CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, SUCH AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, ALIGNMENT WITH COMMISSION PRIORITIES, COMMISSION INTEREST, GEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITY, UH, CONNECTIONS, PRIOR ATTENDANCE, ET CETERA. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION COULD BE, UM, IF COMMISSIONERS ATTEND AN EVENT ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, WHAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED, UH, WHEN THEY RETURN? SO A BRIEF VERBAL REPORT, A WRITTEN SUMMARY, RESOURCE SHARING, ET CETERA. AND THEN ESTABLISHING A PROCESS. SO, UH, WOULD THE COMMISSION LIKE TO ESTABLISH A STANDARD PROCESS FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES? AND, UH, SOME POTENTIAL OPTIONS AND STEPS MAY INCLUDE, UM, COMMISSIONER INFORMED CITY STAFF OF THE EVENT AND PROVIDES, UH, AS MANY EVENT DETAILS AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING WHETHER THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IF ATTENDEES, UH, NEED TO PURCHASE A TICKET TO ATTEND LOCATION, ET CETERA. UM, OR THE CHAIR RECOMMENDS ATTENDEES WITH COMMISSION APPROVAL AT A COMMISSION MEETING, UM, OR COMMISSIONERS EXPRESS INTEREST OF THE COMMISSION. UH, AND THE COMMISSION DESIGNATES REPRESENTATIVES BY A MOTION, UM, ROTATING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG COMMISSIONERS, UH, DESIGNATING REPRESENTATIVES BASED ON EXPERTISE OR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, CREATING AN APPLICATION OR INTEREST PROCESS WHEN ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED, AND HAVING THIS PROCESS AS A STANDING ITEM AT THE, AT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS TO AVOID LAST MINUTE REQUESTS FOR ATTENDANCE. AND THEN IDEALLY, AFTER YOUR DISCUSSION, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DESIGNATE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND THE NA CW CONFERENCE, AND THEN PROVIDE SOME, UM, UH, DIRECTION REGARDING A CONSISTENT PROCESS FOR DESIGNATING COMMISSIONERS TO REPRESENT THE COMMISSION AT FUTURE MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, TRAININGS, AND NETWORKING EVENTS. THANK YOU, TONY. UM, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN MOVE TO OUR DISCUSSION. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM FOUR, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME. AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE. NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM FOUR. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO OPEN OUR DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA? I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO, UH, CREATE AN AD HOC TO WORK ON THIS PROCESS, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN THAT, THAT IT NEEDS TO COME FROM CITY STAFF, THAT THE PROCESS NEEDS TO COME FROM CITY STAFF, THEN IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO CREATE AN AD HOC TO DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR, UM, FOR THIS, BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT THE LANGUAGE. UM, ALTHOUGH TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THE LANGUAGE HERE IS ABOUT CONFERENCES AND EVENTS WHERE WE WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE ABOUT BUILDING CAPACITY WITHIN COMMISSION MEMBERS. I'M ALSO THINKING IT COULD BE LIKE, LIKE COMMUNITY EVENTS COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED PART OF THIS UNLESS THE LANGUAGE IS REALLY SPECIFIC. UM, SO AN AD HOC COULD PROBABLY FURTHER, UM, GET INTO THE GRANULAR OF, OF THIS AND CREATE A PROCESS. AND THEN THAT, SO THAT'S MY COMMENT. BUT THEN I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION. YOU SAID THAT THEN THIS CONFERENCE IS ONLINE, THIS IS ON ZOOM THIS YEAR? MM-HMM . OKAY. CORRECT. I HAVE A QUESTION. CAN I INVITE OUR VICE CHAIR? I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE SERVED ON NUMEROUS COMMISSIONS, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, UM, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED REGARDING COMMISSIONERS, UM, PARTICIPATING IN, IN EVENTS? UM, YES. UM, AS THE, UH, COMMISSIONER FOR THE COUNTY, UM, OUR COMMISSION WAS ABLE TO ATTEND AS MANY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMISSION AS WE'RE INTERESTED. IT COULD ATTEND THE NATIONAL, UH, COM, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION, UM, OR THE STATE COMMISSION, UH, ASSOCIATION, UH, GATHERINGS. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO PARTICIPATE. I MEAN, WE WERE, UH, ALSO ADVISED ABOUT NOT DISCUSSING ANY BUSINESS. UM, NOTHING THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE BROWN NECK, BUT IT DIDN'T PRECLUDE, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS AS MANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE EVENTS. UH, IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING COMMISSION, UM, THE, UM, COMMISSION AT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES ONLY SANCTIONED AND APPROVED COMMUNITY EVENTS, WERE WE ABLE TO ATTEND? WE COULD NOT, UH, IF WE WANTED TO ATTEND AN EVENT ON OUR OWN, UM, WE COULD NOT GO AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMISSION. WE WOULD GO AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, AGENDIZED AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION, THEN WE WOULD GO, WE [00:35:01] WOULD ATTEND, UM, AND, AND, UH, REPRESENT THE COMMISSION IN TERMS OF WHO WOULD REPRESENT IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHO WAS INTERESTED, OR IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE INTEREST OF THAT COMMISSIONER AND THEY WOULD OFFER TO PARTICIPATE AND REPRESENT THE COMMISSION, THEN GENERALLY WE WOULD ALL SUPPORT THAT COMMISSIONER'S, UH, YOU KNOW, OPTION TO, TO ATTEND. BUT IN TERMS OF THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, ATTENDING THESE NATIONAL OR STATEWIDE CONFERENCES, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO ATTEND, UM, THE COMMISSION, UH, WOULD ALSO ALLOW, LET'S SAY, UM, REPRESENTATIVES, UM, THREE OR FOUR REPRESENTATIVES THAT THEY WOULD, THAT WE WOULD SPONSOR AND PAY FOR THEIR REGISTRATION, THEIR LODGING, AND ALL OF THAT. UM, AND BEYOND THAT, UH, IF A, A COMMISSIONER, AGAIN WANTED TO GO ON THEIR OWN, ON THEIR OWN DOLLAR, THEN THAT WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE AS WELL. SO THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE, WITH THE LA COUNTY COMMISSION, THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS, UH, HANDLED. IT'S BEEN HANDLED. UM, AS, AS, UM, WHAT WAS IT IN APRIL, I THINK, OR NO, IN MARCH, UH, WHEN WE HAD THE STATEWIDE, UH, WOMEN'S, UM, GATHERING, UH, WE HAD COMMISSIONS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THEY SENT MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIVES, UM, TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. AND, UM, AGAIN, UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO SO, AND WE HAD CITY COMMISSIONS AS WELL AS COUNTY COMMISSIONS, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ATTEND, UH, MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE COMMISSIONS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE GATHERING. YES. UM, WELL, JUST TWO THINGS. DID YOU GET AROUND THE BROWN ACT BECAUSE YOU ONLY PAID FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS? IS THAT HOW THAT WORKED? WELL, THE WAY THAT OUR, UM, COUNSEL, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, UH, ADVISED US, AND, AND AGAIN, WE GO THROUGH THE, UH, TRAINING, THE, UH, ALL THE BROWN ACT TRAINING. THE WAY WE WERE ADVISED IS THAT AS LONG AS WE DON'T DISCUSS ANY AGENDA ITEMS, ANY BUSINESS ITEMS, THEN WE CAN ATTEND. WE CANNOT DISCUSS ANY BUSINESS DURING THOSE, THOSE SESSIONS, THOSE, UH, CONFERENCES OR WHEREVER WE'RE AT. WE CANNOT DISCUSS ANY, UH, BUSINESS RELATED TO THE COMMISSION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE AS PROFESSIONALS, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT AND RESPECTED, UH, THOSE, THOSE GUIDELINES. SO, YES. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL CONTEXT. UM, DID ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? LET ME JUST CHECK REAL QUICK. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONS IN THE CITY THAT HAVE, HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS AND WHAT ARE THEIR, WHAT'S THEIR PROCESS? THE CITY STAFF, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR CITY STAFF. THE STAFF, IF, IF THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE FORMAL PROCESSES FOR, UM, SELECTING REPRESENTATIVES TO GO TO EVENTS, UM, OF THE THREE COMMISSIONS THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFFS, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY WITHIN OUR, OUR DIRECT, UM, UH, OVERSIGHT. BUT WE, WE COULD POTENTIALLY ASK OUR OTHER LIAISON PARTNERS TO SEE IF, IF THEY FORMALIZED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I'D BE CURIOUS. UM, COMMISSIONER MASADA, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION? YES. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER HIL, YOU MADE ME THINK ABOUT, IS THERE A PROCESS, WAS THERE A PROCESS, OR IS THERE A PROCESS FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAD THEIR, THEIR REGISTRATION PAID? SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF, IF YOU HAD IT PAID THIS TIME, THEN THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, YOU GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ANOTHER COMMISSIONER. WAS THERE A PROCESS FOR THAT? NO, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A FORMAL PROCESS FOR THAT. I THINK A LOT OF IT JUST WORKED ON THE KIND OF THE HONOR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, UH, A LOT OF TIMES, UH, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE, THE CONFERENCES, UM, ARE HELD DURING THE WEEK, DURING THE WORK WEEK, SOMETIMES OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. SO, UM, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY THE, THE OUTTA STATE, UH, CONFERENCES GENERALLY BEING MAYBE ONE OR TWO AND, AND, UH, IT WOULD BE EITHER THE PRESIDENT OR, OR THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, UM, OR MAYBE A, A CHAIR OF ONE OF THE, UM, COMMITTEES THAT WOULD ATTEND. BUT, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AT THE, IT'S THE STATEWIDE LEVELS WHERE WE DID A LOT OF OUR PART WHERE MOST OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WOULD ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE. UM, AND THE, IN TERMS OF COVERING THE COST, UH, A LOT HAS TO DO WITH THE FINANCES. WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BUDGET, [00:40:01] YOUR BUDGET COULD, LIKE, UH, EVERY COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WE HAD IS ALLOCATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDS TO UTILIZE. AND SO IF THE CHAIR OF THAT FUND AND THE COMMITTEE AGREED THAT THAT CHAIR COULD UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE, THEN WE WOULD VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN THAT CHAIR WOULD THEN BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO THAT COMMITTEE SO THAT THAT REPRESENTATIVE COULD THEN ATTEND. SO THAT'S, AS LONG AS ALL, ALL OF THAT IS DOCUMENTED IN THE MINUTES, THAT'S YES. AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR PROCESS WAS MORE GUIDELINES THAN RULES ARE HARD. IT, IT THAT, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, THE HONOR SYSTEM AND WHATEVER. YEAH, YEAH. UM, AND I WAS ALSO WONDERING, WAS THERE AN EXPECTATION THEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED, UM, LIKE TONY WAS TALKING ABOUT, TO COME BACK WITH A REPORT TO THE COMMISSION? OH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT AND YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMISSION, SO THEN YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE A REPORT IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME OF THAT CONFERENCE, THE ISSUES THAT WERE DISCUSSED, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE, THAT WERE MADE. SO, UH, YES, SO YOU PROVIDE THAT, THAT REPORT. AND, BUT, AND I ALSO JUST WANNA ADD THAT I THINK AS COMMISSIONERS, UM, AS, AS REPRESENTATIVES OF, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, WE'RE ALL PROFESSIONALS, AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE ACCEPT THESE POSITIONS, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. AND SO, AGAIN, IN THE ISSUE OF, OF THE BROWN ACT, UH, AND, AND NO BUSINESS BEING CONDUCTED, UH, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS TAUGHT TO US DURING OUR TRAINING. SO, SO WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD TO HONOR THAT SYSTEM AND NOT DISCUSS ANY BUSINESS WHEN WE WERE AWAY AT THESE, UH, CONFERENCES. SO I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, IF THE COMMISSIONERS DON'T MIND, ALSO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION AND ASK WHO IS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS SPECIFIC CONFERENCE ON JULY 27TH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, VIRTUAL COMMISSIONER, DR. ENGEL, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ. I WOULD BE, IF I HAVE TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL. IS IT, YEAH, IS IT AN ALL DAY CONFERENCE? IT STARTS AT 4:00 PM SO IT STARTS AT FOUR. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT IS. I I JUST DID A LITTLE SEARCH B BEFORE THIS MEETING, SO YOU WOULD, I'D BE INTERESTED. SO 1, 2, 3, 4, WHICH IS NOT A QUORUM ANYWAY. IS IT MULTIPLE DAYS OR JUST, I ONLY, I ONLY SAW ONE DATE ON THERE THAT SAID JULY 27TH AT FOUR. BUT I MAY NOT HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING. I DON'T KNOW. I DUNNO IF STAFF HAS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT INFORMATION. SORRY, I'M OUTTA TOWN. OH, OKAY. YEAH, WE ONLY HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION AS YOU HAVE MONDAY, JULY 27TH. OKAY, GREAT. UM, AND THEN MY QUESTION TO STAFF IS DO WE HAVE TO DESIGNATE FOLKS TO PARTICIPATE OR, YOU KNOW, I'M SORT OF A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON, UM, IF FOR INSTANCE, SOMEBODY CHANGES THEIR MIND IN MID JULY AND WANTS TO PARTICIPATE, WOULD WE HAVE TO SQUEEZE IN THAT VOTE BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO? SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? UM, IF, MY QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE TO DESIGNATE FOLKS WHO WANT TO ATTEND OR CAN WE LEAVE IT OPEN? AND IF WE DO HAVE TO DESIGNATE FOLKS AND SOMEBODY SAY, CHANGES THEIR MIND AND DECIDES BEFORE THAT MEETING THAT WE, THEY WANNA JOIN TOO, AND THERE'S STILL NOT A QUORUM, CAN WE, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW HARD AND FAST WE HAVE TO STICK TO A RULE HERE, OR IF WE DO, YEAH. AND THIS IS WHY THIS, UH, ITEM WAS BROUGHT TO DEVELOP A PROCESS TO ADDRESS THE, THAT EXACT THING. I THINK FOR THE, THIS CONFERENCE, UM, THE PURPOSE, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF DESIGNING COMMISSIONERS ARE DISCUSSING IT AS A COMMISSION WHO'S GOING TO ATTEND, IS TO AVOID, UH, THAT BROWN ACT, UH, RISK. UM, SO IF, IF WE, IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES, OKAY, THESE FOUR COMMISSIONERS ARE, ARE GONNA GO, IF SOMEONE BACKS OUT, UM, THAT'S FINE. I THINK WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS STAFF COULD SEND KIND OF A BLIND COPY EMAIL TO THE FULL COMMISSION, AND WHOEVER REPLIES, UH, FIRST CAN, CAN GO. I KNOW THAT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT IT DOES AVOID THE, THE QUORUM ISSUE IN THAT WAY. IF, IF, UH, COMM, IF A COMMISSIONER COMMUNICATES ONE-ON-ONE WITH A STAFF MEMBER, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. OKAY. WELL, I THINK WHEN [00:45:01] IT COMES TO THIS ONE, WE'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A QUORUM ON IT, SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA RUN INTO AN ISSUE. UM, COMMISSIONER LA VIOLET? WELL, I WAS JUST LISTENING TO WHAT VICE CHAIR ARCHULETA SAID, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY COULD GET EVERYBODY THERE AS LONG AS, SO THAT THERE WAS NOT, IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT IT WAS A QUORUM OR NOT A QUORUM. SO, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A LOT OF OTHER COMMISSIONS WERE DOING IT THAT WAY. SO I'M WONDERING WHY WE COULDN'T DO IT THAT WAY AS WELL. UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE OF THE SPECIFICS OF LIKE HOW OTHER COMMISSIONS DO THAT, UM, AND WHAT HAPPENED AT THOSE OTHER CONFERENCES, BUT, UM, AS I'VE, UH, ADVISED BEFORE, THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK OF A BROWN ACT WHENEVER A MAJORITY OF THIS COMMISSION MEETS. AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT IF A MAJORITY ATTENDS THERE MAY, WE CAN GIVE THE ADMONISHMENT THAT YOU GUYS CAN'T DISCUSS BUSINESS OF THIS COMMISSION. BUT, UM, AGAIN, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT RISK. IT'S EASY TO SLIP INTO DISCUSSION OF THE BUSINESS OF THIS COMMISSION. AND THE BUSINESS OF THIS COMMISSION IS QUITE BROAD, RIGHT? IT'S WOMEN AND GIRLS OF LONG BEACH. SO IF THERE'S A DISCUSSION AT A CONFERENCE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF WORK YOU'RE DOING IN THE, IN THE, WITHIN THE CITY AS A COMMISSION OR THAT COULD CERTAINLY COME UP THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING BUSINESS OF THIS COMMISSION. UM, EVEN LIKE THE MERE DISCUSSION OF, OF WHAT THIS COMMISSION DOES OR, OR, OR WHAT IT CAN, WHAT IT CAN ADVISE ON IS A, AN IS A MEETING IF A MAJORITY OF YOU ARE ARE PRESENT. UM, AGAIN, SO THAT'S THIS, THAT IS ALWAYS A RISK. AND AGAIN, I I TAKE CAUTION OF HAVING A MAJORITY, UH, OF THIS COMMISSION AT ANY EVENT. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, AND THAT'S WHY, UH, TONY SAID, IF YOU HAVE, IF A MAJORITY WANTS TO ATTEND, I CAN EVALUATE WHETHER THOSE EXCEPTIONS APPLY. SO WE'RE IN A GOOD, SAFE ZONE. UM, BUT I JUST NEED, UH, THAT INFORMATION IN ADVANCE IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THAT COMMISSIONER, DR. AN, FORGIVE ME IF I'M SAYING THIS INCORRECTLY, BUT I DON'T HEAR THAT. WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING BY ALL OF US ATTENDING IS VIOLATING THE BROWN ACT, BUT VIOLATING THE, AN EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS IMPLEMENTED FOR US TO AVOID, UM, UM, UM, BREAKING THE BROWN ACT. IS THAT CORRECT? SO WHAT I'M ADVISING IS IF A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION IS GATHERED AND THERE HAPPENS TO BE A DISCUSSION OF, UH, UH, ITEMS WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION, THAT IS A, THAT IS A VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT IF IT'S NOT AGENDIZED IN ADVANCE. SO, SO IF THE COMMISSION DOES, UH, IF A MAJORITY COMMISSION DOES ATTEND AN EVENT AND DISCUSSES COMMISSION BUSINESS, THAT IS A, THAT IS A, A NOT ALLOWED UNDER THE BROWN ACT BECAUSE IT WASN'T AGENDIZED. IF THE COMMISSION DOES NOT DISCUSS BUSINESS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION AT AN EVENT, THEN YOU DON'T RUN INTO THAT ISSUE. UM, HOWEVER, I'M SAYING THAT THERE'S ALWAYS, THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK IN MY, UH, CAREER OF, OF DOING THIS, THAT THERE IS A BROWN ACT VIOLATION, AND I MEAN, IT'S HUMAN NATURE TO, TO SLIP INTO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE COMMISSION. UM, UH, IN CASUAL CONVERSATION, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN, UM, IN PERSON, UM, NOT WITH THIS COMMISSION, BUT WITH PREVIOUS CLIENTS. SO THAT, THAT'S MY LEGAL ASSESSMENT AND LEGAL RISK ABOUT THE MAJORITY ATTENDING. AND, OKAY, HANG ON ONE SECOND, DR. ENG. LET ME JUST MAKE SURE, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE FOLLOW UP BEFORE DR. ENG CONTINUES? OKAY, GO AHEAD. I JUST WANNA GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE, WHEREAS THIS IS A STATE LAW, SO THIS MEANS THAT EVERY PERSON WHO IS ON A SCHOOL COMMITTEE AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL, UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, UM, EVERY COMMISSIONER, EVERY STATE ELECTED OFFICIAL HAS THIS BROAD UNDERSTANDING, HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BROAD OF THE, OF THE BROWN ACT, THAT THEY COMPLY TO THE EXTRA LAYER TO AVOID RISK. UM, KIND OF MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO, TO GROW IN THIS POSITION OR TO EVEN DO THE, OR TO FULLY EVEN PARTICIPATE AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE THERE'S THIS EXTRA LAYER THAT DOESN'T SEEM, THAT RATHER IT SEEMS NECESSARY, NOT THAT THIS EXTRA LAYER THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ON FOR A, UM, FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF A RISK THAT WE MAY TALK ABOUT SOMETHING RELATED TO WOMEN AND GIRLS. WELL, YEAH, I'M NOT SAYING [00:50:01] I AGREE. I'M NOT TAKING A POSITION ON THIS. I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE LEGAL RISKS OF IT FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND MY CAREER OF DOING THIS. UM, AGAIN, I DON'T TAKE A POSITION. I'M JUST AS YOUR LEGAL ADVISOR. I, YES, I HAVE TO OKAY. PROVIDE YOU WITH THOSE RISKS. CORRECT. THANK YOU. UM, VICE CHAIR. YEAH. UM, WELL, IT'S JUST THAT IT WOULD BE VERY LIMITING CONSIDERING THAT AT THESE CONFERENCES, MOST OF THE DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING TO CENTER ON ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSS IN THIS COMMISSION. AND MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, AND MAYBE I AM, YOU KNOW, INTERPRETING THIS INCORRECTLY, BUT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ITEMIZED ITEM ON, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A UPCOMING OR A PREVIOUS MEETING, UH, THAT AS LONG AS WE DON'T DISCUSS OR BRING UP WHATEVER ITEM, AGENDA ITEM IS IN OUR, UH, LET'S SAY UPCOMING MEETING, WE ARE OKAY, BUT IT WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO CONTRIBUTE. LET'S SAY, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE TOPIC OF, OF, UH, TRAFFICKING CAME OUT. I MEAN, THAT'S A, AN ISSUE THAT IS BEING ADDRESSED BY ALL THE COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE STATE. SO FOR US TO NOT BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THAT'S AN ITEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING IN OUR COMMISSION, REALLY LIMITS THE TYPE OF INPUT AND PARTICIPATION THAT WE AS COMMISSIONERS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DIALOGUE. SO IT, IT, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT IF, IF WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN OUR, IF WE HAVE, UH, UH, OUR UPCOMING AGENDA THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED AND FOR, LET'S SAY A UPCOMING MEETING, AS LONG AS WE DON'T DISCUSS ANY OF THOSE TOPICS, BECAUSE THAT TO ME WOULD BE THE VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT. BUT ANY OTHER TOPIC RELATED TO THE WOMEN, TO WOMEN AND GIRLS IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED AT THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONVENINGS, WHETHER IT'S THE NATIONAL CONVENING OR THE STATE CONVENING, OR THE REGIONAL CONVENING. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AS COMMISSIONS. SO TO CLARIFY, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN AGENDIZED ITEM ON AN UPCOMING OR PAST, UH, A AGENDA IF THE COMMISSION OF A MAJORITY OF COMMISSION DISCUSSES ITEMS WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE COMMISSION. SO THAT IS WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LONG BEACH. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN AGENDIZED ITEM. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN, UH, AGENDIZED MEETING. IT CAN JUST SIMPLY BE A DISCUSSION AMONGST THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION ABOUT WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LONG BEACH. THAT IS A MEETING THAT IS NOT, UH, THAT IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT BECAUSE IT WASN'T NOTICED IN AGENDIZED. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. IT'S LIMITING. AND THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE HARSH REALITY OF THE BROWN ACT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT LAW IN ORDER FOR THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THE COMMISSION'S BUSINESS BEING CONDUCTED IN THE PUBLIC. I UNDERSTAND THAT. IT'S HARSH, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS THE BROWN ACT. SO I THINK WE WE'RE ASKING TO DO HERE TODAY, WE DO NOT. IT'S A DISCUSSION. WE DO NOT HAVE TO CREATE A POLICY MM-HMM . WE DO NOT HAVE TO DESIGNATE ANYONE. I DO THINK THIS MAY COME UP AGAIN, UM, COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE. OKAY, I'M GONNA LET YOU TWO GO. BUT WHAT I WANNA TRY TO ELIMINATE HERE, I MEAN YOU CAN SPEAK AS FREELY AS YOU WISH, BUT MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE IT'S A CITY ATTORNEY'S JOB TO ADVISE US ON LEGAL RISK. IT'S HER JOB TO PROTECT THE CITY FROM LEGAL RISK. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT. SO I DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA LITIGATE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT ISSUE FURTHER, BUT IF WE WANNA CONTINUE THE INTERNAL DISCUSSION ON WHO'S GOING TO BE DESIGNATED AND, UM, FOR THIS SPECIFIC EVENT, IF WE WILL, IF WE CHOOSE TO DO THAT, AND THEN IF WE WON ANY KIND OF PROCESS. UM, COMMISSIONER LA VIOLET. SO I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I JUST WONDERED, UM, IF WE'RE, IF THE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE FOUR PEOPLE, IF THERE'S A QUORUM THAT ATTENDS AND WE'RE TALKING TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS AROUND THE STATE, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY. RIGHT? WE JUST CAN'T TALK IN OUR, WE CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A MEETING FOR US. YEAH, THAT THAT'S CORRECT. WE COULD BE TALKING TO EVERYBODY ELSE. YEAH. IF, IF A MAJORITY ATTENDS AND YOU GUYS LIKE DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER AND YOU TALK INDIVIDUALLY ONE-ON-ONE WITH, WITH OTHER ATTENDEES, UM, THAT'S FINE. THE ISSUE IS, UH, THE THING YOU WANNA AVOID IS LIKE THE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH WITHIN YOURSELVES, RIGHT? SO, UH, YOU MAY TALK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER AND THEN ALLEN COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER TALKS TO, UH, COMM DR. KEL ABOUT THAT. THEN IT BECOMES A SERIAL COMMUNICATION, WHICH COULD RUN INTO SOME [00:55:01] ISSUES. GOTCHA. YEAH. THANK YOU. THOUGHT I SAW, OH, COMMISSIONER MUSCA. YES. I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'LL BE VERY, IN MY OPINION, IT'LL BE VERY IMPORTANT TO DESIGNATE A PROCESS MOVING FORWARD. MAYBE NOT FOR THIS EVENT, BUT MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD CAPACITY WITHIN US, OURSELVES AS COMMISSIONERS, TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR JOB VERY WELL. SO HOPEFULLY WE ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND, UM, LEARN AND ATTEND CONFERENCES AND EVENTS AND TRAININGS. SO, UM, I THINK A PROCESS WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT AND THE LANGUAGE IN THE PROCESS WILL ALSO BE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK, LIKE LEGAL COUNSEL MENTIONED, LIKE THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF EXCEPTIONS SOMETIMES MAYBE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF OUR COMMISSION IS ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE AND QUORUM IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MAYBE WE CAN DISCUSS, UM, TO PUT APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IN THAT PROCESS MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. UM, MY COMMENT WOULD BE, I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO THIS CONFERENCE, UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY TO DESIGNATE COMMISSIONERS SINCE THE INTEREST WAS MINIMAL. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY NAME THEM AND HAVE THEM DOWN AS THEY'RE ATTEND, INTEND TO ATTEND . SO WE HAD COMMISSIONER LEVI VIOLETTE AND, UH, COMMISSIONER DR. ENGLE AND I HAVE INTEREST, BUT I AM NOT SURE IF I CAN ATTEND YET. SO I WOULD SAY WE COUNT ON COMMISSIONER LEVIT AND DR. ENG TO ATTEND AND WE KEEP IT OPEN AND IF PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS OR HAVE FURTHER INTEREST, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO OUR NEXT CHAIR AND CITY STAFF WITH THAT INTEREST TO LET THEM KNOW. AND THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN, UH, LOOK AT IT IF THERE'S A QUORUM ISSUE AND THEN ADVISE FROM THERE. THAT'S MY COMMENT ON THAT. I ALSO WORRY ABOUT BOGGING US OURSELVES DOWN WITH UNN UNNECESSARY PROCESSES. WHEN I FEEL OUR PROCESS IS JUST BRINGING THINGS TO THE COMMISSION AND PUTTING THEM ON THE AGENDA. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED LIKE AN EXTRA LAYER OTHER THAN WHEN WE WANNA ATTEND SOMETHING, PUTTING IT ON THE COMMISSION LIKE WE DID FOR THIS. UM, I WOULD ALSO WORRY ABOUT HAVING A STANDING AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING IT WON'T COME UP EVERY MEETING AND THEN THAT MIGHT WASTE SOME TIME. SO MY PREFERENCE PERSONALLY WOULD BE JUST TO KEEP BRINGING THIS TO THE COMMISSION AND VOTING ON IT AS THERE IS INTEREST. AND THE PROCESS FOR THAT IS IF THERE'S AN EVENT THAT YOU THINK THE COMMISSION WOULD BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING OR INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, YOU, YOU BRING IT TO THE CHAIR AND STAFF AND THEY CAN DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S, UM, APPROPRIATE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA. THAT'S MY COMMENT. I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. UH, SAM, JUST 'CAUSE I THINK I DO, I WOULD PREFER THE MORE ORGANIC APPROACH AND LIKE SUPPORTING EVERYONE'S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY. I THINK IF THERE WERE A TIME WHERE IT'S, THERE'S A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO WANNA GO, MAYBE WE COULD EXPLORE AN EXCEPTION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S CAN'T BE TALK AMONGST COMMISSIONERS AT THE EVENT OR IF WE NEED TO LIMIT AND STICK TO QUORUM, THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE ATTENDING THAT THE ANYONE WHO HOLDS AN OFFICE, UM, WOULD HAVE PRIORITY. 'CAUSE I DO THINK LIKE YOU'RE, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY INVESTING TIME. AND SO IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN FURTHERING THEIR SKILL TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE MAYBE ONE WAY TO KIND OF VET OUT IF WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE. MM-HMM . ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY, SO THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM. SO I BELIEVE REALLY WE CAN JUST CALL FOR THE VOTE ON HAVING HAD THAT DISCUSSION. IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS? UM, I WOULD DO A FRIENDLY TO NAME THE, THOSE THAT ARE DESIGNATED TO ATTEND THE COMMISSION, UM, SINCE WE DECIDED ON COMMISSIONER ANKLE AND COMMISSIONER LAW. VIOLET, AM I ABLE TO DO THAT AS CHAIR? NO, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. AND, AND I WOULD NEED TO KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY DETAILS ON IT. WE DON'T HAVE IT, IT JUST STARTS AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON. I GUESS MY CONCERN IS ON DESIGNATING FOLKS. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS. SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO WHOEVER MAKES A MOTION. IF, UH, IF FOLKS ARE AMENABLE, YES, WE DESIGNATE THEM AND LEAVE IT OPEN TO OTHER ATTENDEES. THAT'S IT. I GUESS , WOULD THAT WORK? YEAH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DESIGNATE THE TWO THAT DID CONFIRM THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND IF THE, UH, ORIGINAL MAKER AND SECONDER WOULD LIKE TO, [01:00:01] UH, AMEND THAT MOTION TO, TO SPECIFY THOSE THAT ARE DESIGNATED. YES. YES. YEAH. AND THAT WAS COMMISSIONER KEL AND COM, UH, VICE CHAIR ARCH. AND IF ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS WANNA ATTEND, JUST I THINK JUST EMAIL STAFF AND JUST LET US KNOW. OKAY. OKAY. UH, IN THAT CASE, MADAME CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE? OH, WHOOPS. IT'S ON YOUR SCREENS IF YOU HIT VOTE CAST. NO, NO. UH OH. THERE WE GO. COMMISSIONER LA VIOLETTE. I CAN TAKE A VERBAL, OH, MOTION IS CARRIED AS AMENDED. OKAY, THEN, UH, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ ITEM NUMBER FIVE? ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A RECOMMENDATION [5. 26-55513 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO RECEIVE AND FILE A REPORT FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEES. DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE OR CREATE AD HOC COMMITTEES. ALRIGHT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THIS ITEM AND A SECOND? AND WE HAVE IT. OKAY. SO MOVING ON. MAY WE HAVE THE REPORTS? LET'S START WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING. I BELIEVE. UM, A COUPLE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS MADE THAT COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER OR COMMISSIONER LEVI LETTER GONZALEZ, DO ANY OF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? SURE. I CAN READ THE EMAIL THAT I SENT AFTER OUR MEETING. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ AND I ATTENDED THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE MEETING, AND WE HEARD THE REPORT ON THEIR DATA COLLECTION PROCESS. THEY THANKED US FOR OUR PATIENTS AS COLLECTING DATA IS NO SMALL UNDERTAKING. THEY REVIEWED THE REPORT WITH US AND TALKED THROUGH CHALLENGES THEY ENCOUNTERED AND ALSO DISCUSSED POSITIVE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON AT THE CITY LEVEL. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE, IF THEY COULD HAVE 20 MINUTES AT OUR JULY COMMISSION MEETING, UM, AND THEY WILL COME AND GIVE A SIMILAR REPORT, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT ABBREVIATED, UM, BUT ALSO INCLUDE THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WERE GOING ON, WHICH I THINK WAS REALLY, REALLY POSITIVE. UM, AND THEN, UH, THE, THE GOAL IS AFTER JULY, AFTER THEY COME AND PRESENT, THAT MAYBE THERE WOULD BE ONE TO TWO SPECIFIC ASK OF THE CITY THAT WOULD COME OF THE GROUP. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS DOING, UH, KIND OF SIMILAR WORK. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO PULL THEM TOGETHER, UM, AND THEN COME UP WITH JUST VERY ONE, MAYBE ONE OR TWO VERY SPECIFIC ASKS FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS. UM, SO THEY'RE GATHERING LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, MAYBE CITY COUNCIL, THE LONG BEACH HUMAN UH, TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. UM, AND THEN THAT WOULD BECOME MAYBE MORE CLEAR WHAT THE ROLE FOR THE COMMISSION, OUR COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WOULD PLAY. UM, BUT WE'RE THINKING THAT NEXT PRESENTATION WOULD PROBABLY CLOSE OUT OUR CURRENT AD HOC GOAL, AND THEN WE COULD DETERMINE, UM, WHAT'S NEXT. AND THEN MARIA OR COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, YOU HAD A FOLLOW UP TOO, IF YOU, UM, YEAH, I WAS, UM, TASKED WITH FOLLOWING UP WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, JOAN, DR. JONI, UM, I, I'VE REACHED OUT. UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING A MEETING JUST TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMING UP RELATED TO, TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. OKAY. IF THAT'S IT FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, LET'S DO MENTORSHIP AND EDUCATION. UM, COMMISSIONER DR. KEL AND COMMISSIONER MUS. OKAY. UM, SO LOTS OF THINGS HERE. UM, FIRST IT IS OUR, UH, AD HOCS INTENTION TO ATTEND THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE WAY THAT WE DID LAST YEAR. UM, IT WAS REALLY POSITIVE TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WE ARE HOPING TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE HOPING TO AGENDIZE THAT, UM, UH, THAT, UH, ACTIVITY, UH, FOR OUR JULY, OUR JULY MEETING. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KIND OF PUT IT ON THE RADAR NOW BECAUSE THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IS SATURDAY AUGUST 1ST. UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING. UH, ANOTHER THING, UM, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL WITH, UH, FROM UH, FOUR GIRLS WITH, UH, DETAILED IDEAS FOR WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THEM. SO OUR AD HOC IS MEETING NEXT WEEK AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THOSE. UM, AND THEN PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION AT OUR JULY MEETING. I THINK. UM, DID I ALREADY TELL YOU ALL THAT I WENT TO THE DEMO CHECKS EVENT? NO, I HAVEN'T. OKAY. SO I ATTENDED THE DEMO CHECKS SIGNING EVENT, AND THAT WAS AN INVIGORATING EXPERIENCE. [01:05:01] AND SO WE ARE HOPING TO LEARN MORE FROM THEM SO THAT WE CAN ALSO PARTNER WITH THEM. AND, UM, WHAT ELSE? UH, THIS SATURDAY MY GIRLS IN ACTION HAS THEIR ANNUAL LOUNGE FLY EVENT, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED. UM, AND THAT IS AT TWO O'CLOCK. SO THAT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, I KNOW I WILL BE, UM, IN ATTENDANCE. IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH. AND, UM, YEAH, I, WE HAVE SOME EXCITING IDEAS, UH, IN THE WORKS FOR, UM, OUR AD HOC MEETING, SO STAY TUNED. THANK YOU. OH, THANK YOU. I THINK, DID WE SUNSET SAFETY AT THE LAST MEETING? YES. OKAY. I THINK THAT WE DID IS AN ERROR THAT, THAT'S ON HERE THEN. UM, CAN WE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED ONE FROM RANK CHOICE VOTING BECAUSE WE JUST HAD YOUR PRESENTATION UNLESS YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD. NO. OKAY. UH, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORTS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, GREAT. WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR IN PERSON OR, UH, VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME. AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, UH, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW. SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM FIVE. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. THEN, UM, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE. OH, VICE CHAIR ARCH. OH, YES, THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, NOW BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS FIND THIS A LITTLE BIT CLUNKY. SO WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO THE [CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, AND TREASURER ELECTION] ELECTION OF OFFICERS. UM, FOLLOWING THE ELECTION. I WILL CONTINUE TO CHAIR THIS MEETING, BUT AT THE NEXT MEETING WE WILL HAVE OUR CHAIR ELECT, OUR VICE CHAIR ELECT AND OUR TREASURER ELECT, UM, BEGINNING THEIR TERMS. SO THAT BEING SAID, I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR CHAIR, INCLUDING YOURSELF. THE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. UM, SO I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO NOMINATIONS. OKAY. LET'S START WITH COMMISSIONER LEVI VIOLETTE. I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER FOR CHAIR. COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER ALSO HAS A COMMENT. YES. WELL, FIRST THANK YOU CHAIR MELLINGER. I THINK YOU DID A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS JOB. THANK YOU FOR LEADING US THROUGH THESE FIRST SEVERAL YEARS. IT'S, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. TRULY IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU. UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE CHAIR, UM, SORRY, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ FOR CHAIR. OKAY. I'M JUST GONNA GO DOWN THE LINE 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S EASIER. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER MEDA, DID YOU HAVE A NOMINATION? NO, NOT THIS TIME. OKAY. VICE CHAIR. YES. I'D LIKE TO, UH, ALSO NOMINATE, UH, JENNIFER FOR CHAIR. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS? NO. OKAY. SO LET ME LOOK AT MY PROCEDURE HERE. SORRY. THERE BEING NO FURTHER NOMINATIONS, UH, I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED FOR CHAIR. SO IN THE ORDER NOMINATED, I WILL INVITE EACH NOMINEE TO BRIEFLY SHARE WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ELECTED CHAIR. UM, FIRST WE WILL HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER, I BELIEVE WAS THE FIRST TO BE NOMINATED. UH, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S I'M DEEPLY HONORED AND I DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT RIGHT NOW FOR THIS TERM. SO I WOULD LOVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE MOMENT, BUT NOT FOR THIS COMING TERM. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER. UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE COMMENTS AS TO WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CHAIR? UM, WELL FIRST I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK COMMISSIONER, UM, ELLEN HARPER FOR NOMINATING ME. UM, I AM INTERESTED IN BEING CHAIR BECAUSE I, FIRST OF ALL, OBVIOUSLY I'M, I'M COMMITTED TO THE WORK. I MEAN, I THINK WE OBVIOUSLY ALL ARE. UM, I AM, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING TOWARDS, UM, ALL OF OUR WORK BEING FOCUSED ON REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF, OF ALL THE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND I'M ALSO A PERSON THAT IS, UM, VERY, LIKE, I LIKE TO GET THINGS DONE. SO, UM, [01:10:01] YOU KNOW, I WOULD, IT WOULD BE A GREAT HONOR TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT THE CHAIR MELLINGER HAS DONE AND TO JUST KIND OF KEEP OUR, KEEP OUR MOMENTUM GOING AND, AND YEAH, THAT'S, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UM, SO NOW I BELIEVE WE CALL FOR THE VOTE. AND DOES THAT POP UP ON OUR SCREENS TOO? YES. WELL, SINCE WE, UM, COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER DID NOT ACCEPT THE NOMINATION, UM, AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, NOMINEE. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ IS THE CHAIR. WELL, THERE YOU GO. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ . WONDERFUL. CONGRATULATIONS. UM, OKAY. PLEASE HOLD. WE WILL NOW DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. SAME RULES. EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR VICE CHAIR, INCLUDING YOURSELF. THEY DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. SO LET'S START, UM, AND ASK FOR NOMINATIONS. YOU WANNA START AT THE OPPOSITE? YEAH. LET'S START, UM, ON THIS END, THIS TIME, COMMISSIONER DONATO ZAB, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, UH, NOMINATE COMMISSIONER, UH, MOSQUEDA. DO YOU HAVE A ONE? NO. COMMISSIONER, DR. ENG. OKAY. NO, I'M LOOKING DOWN OUR VICE CHAIR. DO YOU HAVE A NOMINATION? YES, DR. ANKLE. IT'S DR. ENG. OKAY. COMMISSIONER MOSSADA? NOPE. NOPE. OKAY. SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UH, MOSQUEDA AND COMMISSIONER DR. KEL HAVE BEEN NOMINATED. SO, UM, COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA WAS NOMINATED FIRST, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE SOME COMMENTS ON WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE SELECTED AS VICE CHAIR, PLEASE DO SO. SO DO YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'M AN EDUCATOR? SO I WAS, UM, IN SACRAMENTO THE LAST FEW DAYS, UM, DOING EDUCATION WORK. IT'S LIKE ONE OF THE MOST POLITICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO IS LIKE, BE AN EDUCATOR. UM, SO LIKE ONE THING THAT CAME TO MIND FOR ME THAT'S LIKE FRONT AND CENTER RIGHT NOW IS LIKE THE POWER THAT COMES FROM, UM, PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO WORK ON THE SAME GOAL, RIGHT? UM, FOR EDUCATION OR FOR WOMEN OR FOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOUR PASSION IS. SO I THINK THAT AFTER THESE FIRST TWO YEARS BEING ON THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CARRY WITH ME IF I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VICE CHAIR. I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE FRONT AND CENTER FOR ME IS LIKE HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BRING THESE GROUPS TOGETHER TO CREATE LIKE A COMMON FORCE, UM, FOR OUR GOALS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER DR. ENGEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS? YES. THANK YOU. HELLO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE NOMINATION. I HAVE A DEGREE IN WOMEN'S STUDIES. I JUST FINISHED LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH YESTERDAY. UM, CLASS OF 2026 WE'RE THE BOW WOW CLASS. AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I DID THAT IS SO THAT I CAN LEARN HOW TO LEAD AND BRING MORE TO THIS COMMISSION AND TO THE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH. THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES THAT ARE INVISIBLE TO, TO THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE THAT THEY DO NOT SEE AS THEY'RE WALKING THROUGH THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AS EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN ON THE NORTH, NORTH LONG BEACH KNOWS THAT I WALK IN, RIDE MY BIKE THROUGHOUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, KNOWING EVERYONE I HAVE, THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. SO EVEN IN OUR COMMISSION, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. UH, THE UNDERREPRESENTED OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS AND ASIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REPRESENTED ON THIS GROUP, NATIVE AMERICANS AND I HAVE ALWAYS MADE SURE OR HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND TO BE NOT JUST A REPRESENTATIVE FOR MY DISTRICT AND MY CITY AND THE STATE, BUT ALSO FOR THE VULNERABLE OR HARDER TO REACH POPULATIONS. AND I'VE CONTINUED TO DO THAT AS VICE CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DR. KEL. OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO CALL FOR THE VOTE FOR EACH NOMINEE. AND I BELIEVE OUR CITY CLERK MAKES THAT CALL. YES. I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, OPEN THE VOTE FOR COMMISSIONER MOSQUERA SINCE SHE WAS THE FIRST NOMINATED. AND YOU ALL WILL USE THE VOTE CAST SYSTEM ON YOUR SCREENS OR IT'S OKAY. THERE IT GOES. SO I WENT AHEAD AND OPENED THE VOTE FOR COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA. IS THAT FOR MARIA? [01:15:01] UH, NO. SO THIS IS FOR COMMISSIONER MOSQUEDA AS VICE CHAIR, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO, UM, COMMISSIONER DR. KEL. OKAY, SO 'CAUSE MY SCREEN SAYS MARIA COMES ON. THAT'S MOVED BY. OKAY. SHE MADE THE SUGGESTION. OH, MOVED BY. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. MINE DOESN'T SAY THE YES. YEAH, IF YOU TAP IT, YOU CAN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IS EVERYBODY WORKING THEIR SYSTEMS? OKAY, ON THE VOTING COMMISSIONER, THE SKATE, IT'S JUST LIKE THE ITEM IS THIS AND THEN THEY'RE GOING POINT, I DON'T SEE EVERYONE HAS VOTED. I CAN DO VERBAL FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT. COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU NEED MORE TIME? NO. DO YES OR NO? YOU CAN ALSO ABSTAIN OR I DON'T THINK A RECUSING IS NECESSARY HERE, BUT YOU CAN ABSTAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. COMMISSIONER QUEDA ON BECOMING VICE CHAIR ELECT. CONGRATULATIONS, COMMISSIONER. I MEAN, SHE RECEIVED A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, SO WE WILL NOW MOVE ON AND OPEN NOMINATIONS FOR TREASURER. I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR TREASURER OF THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS. EACH MEMBER MAY NOMINATE ONE PERSON FOR TREASURER, INCLUDING YOURSELF. THESE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. UH, SO I'LL START BACK OVER HERE THIS TIME. UM, NOMINATIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ANYONE KNOW HOW TO HANDLE MONEY? I DON'T THINK WE'RE ALLOWING CROSSTALK, BUT IF YOU HAVE A NOMINATION, YOU CAN MAKE ONE. NO, I DON'T. OKAY. UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN HARPER. UM, COMMISSIONER DR. KEL. OKAY. COMMISSIONER MES. COMMISSIONER MILLING OR CHAIR MELLINGER TOMORROW. COMMISSIONER MELLINGER. . UM, VICE CHAIR ATA, UH, COMMISSIONER. DR. ENGLE. OKAY. WE HAVE ANOTHER NOMINATION FOR DR. ENGLE. DR. ENG. DR. ENGLE. OKAY. UM, COMMISSIONER DR. ENGLE. OKAY, COMMISSIONER. OKAY. UH, ALRIGHT, LET ME REVISIT THIS. I STRUGGLE WITH THIS PROCESS. Y ALL, UM, OKAY. THERE BEING NO FURTHER NOMINATIONS. I DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED FOR TREASURER AND WE WILL CALL EACH NOMINEE TO SPEAK IN ORDER NOMINATED. SO I BELIEVE THAT WAS COMMISSIONER DR. ENG FIRST. THE SAME THING. WELL, OKAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT YOURSELF, IF YOU DON'T WANNA, IF YOU DON'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS NOMINATION. I HAVE JUST FINISHED THE, UM, LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH, UM, THE LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH INSTITUTE BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO RIGHT BY THIS COMMISSION AND TO SERVE THIS COMMISSION WELL. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR NOMINATION, UM, AND ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE SKILLS THAT I'VE GAINED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE MYSELF. AND I HAVE TO REJECT THAT NOMINATION BECAUSE I DO NOT, I WORK IN TOURISM AND THE OLYMPICS ARE APPROACHING AND I NO LONGER HAVE THE, THE EXTRA TIME CAPACITY AT THIS, AT THIS STAGE TO HAVE LEADERSHIP ON THE COMMISSION. UM, SO IN THAT CASE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE TECHNICALLY HAVE TO CALL FOR THE VOTE BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TREASURER COMMISSIONER, DR. ENGEL, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW EXECUTIVE TEAM. CONGRATULATIONS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY MORE COMMENTS? ? OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, IN THAT CASE, LET ME SEE HOW I HAVE TO MOVE ON HERE. I THINK, DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT THEN? NOT YET. WE CAN MOVE ON TO NON-AG AGENDA. PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. SO MOVING ON TO NON AGENDA, PUBLIC [PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Commission for Women and Girls on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.] COMMENT. UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS ON NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS. EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES TO MAKE COMMENTS. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT. IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME. AND IF ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE. NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN THE ZOOM AND IN PERSON, THAT CONCLUDES NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. IN THAT CASE, MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. [ANNOUNCEMENTS] AT THIS TIME, COMMISSIONERS MAY REPORT ON ANY PREVIOUS OR UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS, SHARE RELEVANT INFORMATION OR RECOMMEND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER, WHO AM I LOOKING AT? COMMISSIONER [01:20:01] DR. ? YES. OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS A PREVIOUS COMMUNITY EVENT THAT OCCURRED YESTERDAY AT HALTON PARK IN DISTRICT NINE, WHERE WE HAD, WHERE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PARKS AND REC, UM, HOSTED OVER 650, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, FOR A PRE OLYMPICS EVENT WHERE THEY GOT A CHANCE TO MEET ATHLETES, UM, HAVE SPONSORSHIP BY THE RAMS, WHO TRAINED THEM ON FLAG FOOTBALL AND SOCCER AND A SOCCER CLINIC, UM, THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND IT WAS, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT WITH THEM HAVING A TRAINING GOING, TRAINING FOR VARIOUS DRY SWIMMING, UM, ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT OLYMPIC SPORTS, AND THEY ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ACTUAL OLYMPIANS. IT WAS A WONDERFUL, UM, WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE PLAN TO, UM, THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PLANS TO HOST EVERY YEAR. AND I DO INVITE YOU TO, UM, COME AND ATTEND OR TAKE A DROP BY NEXT YEAR WHERE I DO BELIEVE IT WILL BE HELD ONCE AGAIN AT HALTON PARK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SAY THE DATE I MISSED IT. IT WAS YESTERDAY. OH. BUT IT WILL BE HELD NEXT YEAR, SOMETIME IN JUNE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER LA VIOLET. UM, I WAS AT THE, UM, THE, UH, OPENING OR THE, THE CHRISTENING OR WHATEVER OF THE, OF THE, UH, CORRIDOR, THE, UH, L-G-B-T-Q OH MM-HMM . CORRIDOR. UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND UH, THEY SHOWED PLANS FOR WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO AND, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM. IT WAS AT BIXBY PARK AND THERE'S GONNA BE AT THE CORNER, UH, ACROSS FROM PARK PANTRY, THERE'S GONNA BE A PLAZA, A LITTLE PLAZA THAT'S JUST, UH, GAY COLORS AND, UH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT BOOTHS THERE AND PEOPLE WERE, UM, IT WAS JUST A REALLY NICE COMMUNITY EVENT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY. UM, IN THAT CASE, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, [ADJOURNMENT] I WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE OUR MEETING ADJOURNED. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE TIME. THE TIME IS 7:50 PM THANK YOU. AND THEN IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO STAY AND CELEBRATE OUR COMMISSIONER, HELENA DONATO SAP, IT'S HER LAST MEETING WITH US AND I BROUGHT CUPCAKES. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY AND HAVE A CUPCAKE. THANK YOU. I DID BRING YOU VEGAN CUPCAKES. THANK YOU. YES, . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.