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present. Mayor Sarmiento was absent. <br /> ALLEGIANCESPECIAL OPEN SESSION <br /> PLEDGE OF r Sarmiento <br /> MINUTES: Councilmember Mendoza led the pledge of allegiance. <br /> Council considered staff's presentation on item 1 prior to hearing public comment. <br /> Councilmember Phan recused herself from 3rd and Broadway portion of the staffs <br /> presentation due to conflict of interest. <br /> PUBLIC — Members of the public may address the City Council only on items <br /> listed on the Special Meeting Agenda. <br /> MINUTES: Hector Bustos, Communications Director at Chispa, spoke on <br /> the organization's priorities for current budget cycle which included a request for a million <br /> dollar allocation within the city budget to fund a police oversight board, prioritize more <br /> funding and development for community based organizations with a budget of less than <br /> one million dollars annually and more funding for community and youth programs with a <br /> focus on mental health, STEM,job and leadership training, more access to WiFi and <br /> computers. <br /> Carl Benninger, President of Communication Linkage Forum (Com-Link) spoke in support <br /> of keeping police funding. Requested adding a line item to add equipment for disaster <br /> preparedness and support for more neighborhoods with creating a Community Emergency <br /> Response Team (CERT). Lastly, spoke in support of adding a line item for one time use of <br /> $25,000 for neighborhood associations to purchase items that would allow for movie nights <br /> and community events. <br /> Clerk of the Council Daisy Gomez reported out on correspondence received. <br /> Jennifer Rojas, Policy Advocate and Organizer with ACLU Southern California working in <br /> Orange County, urged council to approve the budget proposals submitted by <br /> community based organizations and to create a fixed and protected budget for <br /> investigative auditor of police oversight. Offered strong support of the proposals to allocate <br /> funding to community based grants to non-profit programs that provide mental health, re- <br /> entry programs and investing in community focused non-profits to see reduction in crime. <br /> Supports reducing police department budget to support previously mentioned <br /> organizations. Listed an organization layout of positions for a police oversight board and <br /> the assigned duties. <br /> Daisy Cruz, representative from the Kennedy Commission, spoke in support of police <br /> oversight board, paid city jobs for youth within the city council, funding for community <br /> City Council 2 5/12/2022 <br />