Good evening everyone. And welcome to this special city council meeting on Tuesday, July 29. Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
Council President Miller. Present. Deputy Majority Webb Vanderbois. Present. Councilwoman Anthony.
Present. Majority Leader Espinal. Present. Senior Deputy Majority Leader Gonsalves.
Councilwoman Graves is absent. Deputy Majority Leader Harris is absent. Councilwoman Peterson is absent. Council president Pro Tempur Pichardo is absent. Councilor Royas?
Present. Councilwoman Ryan is absent. Majority Whip Sanchez? Present. Councilman Taylor?
Present. Councilwoman Anna Vargas. Councilman Oscar Vargas. Present. You have 10 present and five absent.
a quorum. Thank you, madam clerk. This evening, the invocation will be led by councilman Oscar Vargas. Will everyone please rise?
Thank you very much, madam president. Name of the father, the holy spirit. Amen. God, please bless everyone here today. Enjoy enjoy our blessings to give to every...
And each one. God protect every colleague and their vacation time. Also, give us vision to keep working for the community in our city. Amen. Amen.
Thank you, counselor. And the pledge of allegiance will be led by majority leader Espinal.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Madam Clerk, please note that Councilwoman Peterson is present. So noted. And item one, please.
Madam President. Majority Leader.
Motion to waive the reading of item one and two. Madam president. We have a
motion and a second. Any discussion on that motion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
Any abstentions? The motion passes. Item three.
Madam president. Madam president. I'm sorry.
Please note. Thank you, madam clerk. One and two as received. So noted. Item three.
I wish you to waive the reading item three and pass for the second time in a roll call vote. Second, madam president.
Any discussion on item three? Here, councilman Royce.
Thank you, madam president. I rise tonight not just in support, of this capital improvement plan, but to speak again to what it means for my neighborhood. As I said last week before its first passage, for the first time ever, the Northland will be getting a city operated splash pad. This is something our families will actually see, use, and benefit from. It's something we've been asking for, fighting for, and frankly waiting, far too long for.
For years, parents in my neighborhood have had to lull up their kids, hop on the bus, or drive across the city just to find a place to cool off in the summer heat. Meanwhile, other neighborhoods have had this kind of basic infrastructure in their own backyards. It shouldn't take this much effort just to be seen, but tonight, the North End is being seen. To the members of the finance committee, to chair Anthony, and to you, madam president, I want to sincerely thank you for hearing me out, for letting me bug you with emails, calls, and texts, for understanding how much this matters to the families I represent, and most of all, for not moving forward with final passage until the North End had a voice at the table that mattered. This splash pad won't solve every issue but to step forward toward fairness, a step toward joy.
And what I truly appreciate about serving alongside this class of counselors is this shared posture I've seen. You treat my neighborhood as your own, and I'm deeply grateful for that. And so I ask my colleagues to join me in passing this CIP and to send a clear message that no neighborhood in this city, whether we've represented or not, should ever be an afterthought. Thank you.
Thank you, councilor. Councilman Goncelves? Nope. Okay. Any further discussion on item three?
Hearing none, madam clerk, please call the roll. Council president Miller. Aye. Deputy majority Wip Vanderblois. Aye.
Councilwoman Anthony. Aye. Majority leader Espinal. Aye. Senior deputy majority leader Gonsalves.
Aye. Councilwoman Graves is absent. Deputy majority leader Harris is absent. Councilwoman Peterson. Aye.
Council President Pro Tempur Pichardo is absent. Councilor Arroyas. Aye. Councilwoman Ryan is absent. Majority Whip Sanchez.
Councilwoman Anna Vargas. Aye. Councilman Oscar Vargas. Aye. You have 11 ayes for absent.
The motion carries. The matter is proved for the second time on a roll call vote. Thank you, madam clerk. Madam president. Majority leader.
Beyond the decimal further business, motion to adjourn. Second, madam president.
Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?
The motion passes. Thank you all so much for coming and doing this last bit of business. We are adjourned.
