Newly seated City Council members in Lemon Grove on Tuesday said they look forward to what could be a less-confrontational and more prosperous future in the city while also admitting there is much work ahead.
Councilmembers Jessica “Jessyka” Heredia and Sitivi “Steve” Faiai were sworn in and welcomed by a cheering, overflow crowd at Tuesday’s City Council meeting while outgoing Mayor Racquel Vasquez and Councilmembers George Gastil and Liana LeBaron said goodbye after losing their seats in November.
Councilmember Alysson Snow also was sworn in as mayor and praised her new colleagues on the council while saying the city needs to get to work on major road repairs, storm drains and other projects.
“I cannot tell you how much of a joy it’s brought to me to meet these new council members,” she said before the meeting. “They just want to get down into business and do what the city needs. They’re good, salt of the Earth people who just want the best for the city.”
City Council meetings in the past four years have been marked by contentious exchanges, often between Vasquez and LeBaron, who once faced censure from the council because of her behavior at meetings.
Following her swearing in, Snow spoke of leaving the past behind and working in collaboration with the new council.
“It’s a team that really wants to work together,” she said. “I think the division is gone. Now the new mantra is, ‘We’re going to do this together and we’re going to do it right.’”
Heredia and Faiai campaigned on a ticket with LeBaron, who did not seek re-election to her council seat but instead ran for mayor. In one of the new council’s first discussions, however, there was an indication that the three would not have always voted in lockstep.
After the swearing-in ceremony, LeBaron spoke to the council as a member of the public and urged them to hold a special election to fill the two years remaining on Snow’s City Council seat.
“I want you guys all know that there is a very large portion of our community that wants that council seat to be filled by a fair and open election,” she said. “No appointment, an election.”
With a special election estimated to cost the city between $250,000 and $500,000, however, Faiai said he was torn because he wanted the position filled as soon as possible but felt the money could be better spent on improving city streets. Heredia said she hoped the council could fill the seat with an appointment but was open to a special election.
City staff members will return with options to fill the seat at the next scheduled meeting on Jan. 7. City Manager Lydia Romero said an appointment could result in a new member seated in February and a special election would see a new member seated in June, August or November. Government code requires an election to be held within 114 days from when the council calls for it, she said.
After being sworn in, Heredia also spoke of working in collaboration with the new council.
“Thank you to all the people that came out to vote who really showed that you’re ready for change, that you’re really ready to move this city forward,” she said. “And I can’t wait to be a part of that mission with you. I want to build bridges and I want to repair old, you know, complications out there and disagreements with people. I want to work with you.”
In his brief comments after being sworn in, Faiai referred to himself as a man of faith who used to pray for every council member by name, and he joked about having a large extended family in the city.
“If you know anything about the Samoan people, we’re all about family and family first,” he said. “We have about 27,000 people in the city of Leman Grove, and I have about about 27,000 family members.”
In her farewell to the council and the public, LeBaron struck a conciliatory tone.
“It has been such a humbling experience to serve as a council member for my hometown,” she said, referring to herself as a “born and raised Lemon Grover.”
“It’s been so extremely humbling serving as you guys’ representative the last four years,” she continued. “Just to see everybody come together. I mean, people who are Democrats, people who are Republican, people who are no party preferences, people of all different incarnations, to see how we’ve all come together, to rally around this idea of a better Lemon Grove.”
LeBaron did take a parting shot at the council leadership while praising Heredia and Faiai.
“I’m so excited for what they have to offer our city,” she said. “Whereas before I felt like there was a real lack of leadership that’s willing to listen to our city, we now have some really great people who care, who are going to carry on the torch and fight for all of us.”
Vasquez defended her time as mayor and noted several accomplishments during her two terms.
“Over the last eight years, we faced challenges that tested our strength, including a global pandemic, economic uncertainty and systemic racism issue,” she said. “But with my leadership, Lemon Grove has shown incredible strength and resilience.
“I stabilized finances for the city,” she continued. “And with my leadership, brought transparency to the city budget, fixing years of deficit spending and charting the path for financial stability.”
Vasquez also noted that Lemon Grove had 216 businesses in 2016 and now has more than 400 and she recalled that the City Council recently allocated $5.4 million to improve 70 streets.
More improvements will come to the city with the November passing of Measure T, which was supported by more than 70% of voters and will generate $6 million annually for 10 years.
