Cerritos City Council meetings for the month of April have been moved to the Sierra Room at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center. Photo credit: Fatima Durrani.
March 4, 2023
By Fatima Durrani
The Cerritos City Council held its meeting this past Thursday, Feb. 23 where they discussed its ongoing plans to implement resources to remove barriers for those with disabilities along with ongoing low-income housing plans.
Implemented in 2022, the program has been developing accessibility for disabled people with the goal of creating open space recreation facilities. More than 69,000 square feet of rubberized surface materials have been installed in 17 city parks to give disabled people playground access.
Safety protocols have also been an ongoing development by the city. Partnering with the ABCUSD, the city has provided students with protocols such as active shooting drills, 26 more crossing guards and programs on crime towards the youth with the help of the Cerritos Sheriff’s Department.
At public comment, Cerritos residents expressed concern regarding their negative experiences in the city and how, even though people have complained, the city council hasn’t taken action.
Jerry Jenson, a Cerritos resident for more than 50 years, expressed his concern for existing tenants and access to parking for customers regarding the opening of Gold’s Gym inside the South Street Plaza at South St. and Carmenita in Cerritos. Jenson said he doesn’t know how current businesses will survive with this.
“Small businesses are just as important as large ones to our community and city,” Jenson said. “How do the tenants that were there before Gold’s Gym and their customers have a chance to come there?”
The grand opening of Gold’s Gym Cerritos was Saturday, Feb. 25. Jenson said that customers of previously existing businesses should have their own reserved parking.
Mayor Vo said that the positivity to the grand opening is exposure of previously existing businesses to the public; Councilwoman Lynda Johnson suggested revisiting the issue if it doesn’t resolve within months.
Next, the city council spent time discussing projects of existing conditions for the pavement condition index. The city of Cerritos has an average PCI of 78.32.
The pavement condition index ( PCI) is a numerical index between 0 and 100, which is used to indicate the general condition of a pavement section. The PCI is widely used in transportation civil engineering and asset management, and many municipalities use it to measure the performance of their road infrastructure and their levels of service.
Projects such as the Studebaker Road Rehabilitation were completed in 2022. Asphalt, concrete, and trees were made to refurbish the conditions of the road.
Inflation continues to be a growing concern; the city council has decided to move the review of employee salaries to closed session as they discuss salary and benefit adjustments.
The Cerritos city council public meetings in April will be held in the Sierra Room and Main Theater at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts while the city chamber undergoes audio and visual system upgrades.
