California groups call for expanding power outage battery-backup program

By Jennifer McLelland for Yes! Magazine. Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration

Our house lost power a few nights ago, during one of 2023’s record-setting storms. For most people, losing power is a minor inconvenience. For our family, losing power is a medical emergency.

People who use medical devices that depend on electricity need continuous access to electricity. Some of my son’s most critical machines—such as his ventilator—have built-in battery backup. But other machines, like the oxygen concentrator that supplies oxygen to help with breathing and the humidifier that adds moisture to the air from the ventilator, need to be plugged in. Previously when the power went out, I had to scramble to jerry-rig his ventilator circuit to run without many of the accessory machines he usually uses. This required making quick, complicated changes in the dark—putting his health at risk. I then had to quickly figure out a way to get to a place with electricity.

Complying with a judge’s order, a former nanny for Sean “Diddy” Combs who is suing the singer regarding her 2021 firing identifies herself by her real name in an amended complaint rather than through the “Jane Roe” moniker she previously used.

The plaintiff, Raven Wales-Walden, filed the revised complaint Tuesday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen DuffyLewis. The judge ruled during a March 22 hearing that the woman had basically revealed who she is in a state Department of Fair Employment and Housing document as well as through the “extremely detailed” information in her papers, so she could no longer use the “Jane Roe” identification in her court papers.

Wales-Walden maintained she was entitled to go by “Jane Roe” in order to protect her privacy and that of her children.

In a separate ruling that same day, the judge said plaintiff’s facts in support of her request for punitive damages were vague and needed shoring up in a revised complaint.

Wales-Walden originally sued Diddy, Combs Enterprises LLC and three other companies Sept. 27, alleging pregnancy discrimination, violation of the pregnancy disability law, retaliation and various state Labor Code violations.

The amended complaint states that Wales-Walden’s bid for punitive damages are anchored in the alleged choices by Diddy and the other defendants to deny Wales-Walden pregnancy leave and to retaliate by firing her because she was unmarried and expecting. Those decisions were made with “malice, fraud and/or oppression,” justifying the plaintiff’s claim for punitive damages, the amended complaint states.

Wales-Walden was a “niece-like figure” to the late Kim Porter, Diddy’s former romantic partner and the mother of his twin daughters, the amended suit states. Wales-Walden was hired as Porter’s personal assistant in September 2018 and helped Porter with creative projects in addition to helping her nanny at the time with the care of Porter’s daughters, the amended suit states.

A day after Porter died in November 2018 of pneumonia at age 47, Diddy personally asked WalesWalden to live at his estate and be a full-time nanny to the then-11-year-old twins, D’Lila and Jessie, an offer the plaintiff agreed to in honor of Porter, with whom she was extremely close, the revised complaint further states.

Diddy fired WalesWalden in January 2021 “because she was pregnant and unmarried, which purportedly set a bad example for (Diddy’s) daughters,” the amended suit states.

But on this occasion, for the first time, I had access to a portable power station. That meant I was able to simply unplug the machines from the wall and plug them into backup power without the outage affecting my son.

Portable power stations are rechargeable batteries that can provide hours of backup electricity, which is especially important for people who use medical devices or assistive technology. The battery takes up about the same amount of space as a suitcase, and using it is as simple as turning it on and plugging equipment into it. But even though this lifesaving technology exists, most people who need it don’t have access to it because of cost.

The power bank that we used to keep my son’s equipment running overnight was funded by my utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program. This program pays for portable backup batteries, food replacement, transportation, and hotel stays related to power outages. The program works well—but only a limited number of California residents qualify. It’s only open to disabled PG&E customers who live in high-fire-threat areas subject to Public Safety Power Shutoff, a particular type of planned power outage intended to reduce the risk of wildfires. PG&E’s program isn’t available in the cities where most customers live. Other utilities with these programs have similarly narrow restrictions. Those who live in other states, such as the 1-year-old in New York whose mother had to use a bag valve mask to manually give breaths to her child when the ventilator battery ran out, are also in need of backup power.

For people who depend on electricity-powered medical devices to live, any power outage is an emergency. When I’m scrambling to change the arrangement of my son’s ventilator circuit in the dark, I don’t care whether the power is out because of a wildfire threat or because a car knocked over a power pole. From a practical standpoint, it doesn’t make sense for one type of outage to be eligible for utility-funded backup power and the other not to be.

Access to electrical power during outages is an equity issue for low-income California residents. The power bank that we used to keep my son’s equipment running retails for almost $6,000—as much as a decent used car. In California, 26% of people with disabilities live below the poverty level. Families don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a device that will be used, at most, a few times a year. The sad irony is that because portable power stations are so costly for many families, those who can’t afford them may end up calling 911 during outages and requesting ambulance transportation to a hospital, an even larger expense.

Gasoline-powered generators are cheaper, but not a good option for many disabled people in an emergency. These generators require a well-ventilated outdoor space for safe operation. People who live in apartments typically don’t have access to a place to safely operate gas generators, or a way to store them when not in use. Setting up and operating an outdoor gas-powered generator also requires substantially more strength and agility than using an indoor power station. Using an indoor portable power bank is as easy as bending over to plug equipment into the device.

Access to electrical power during outages is critically important as climate change brings wildfires, hotter summers, and more unpredictable storms. When the power grid fails, it’s an inconvenience for most people, but a matter of life and death for disabled California residents who depend on medical devices that need to be plugged in. The limited program that utility companies have in place proves they can identify customers who have a medical need for backup power and build a distribution network to get them the devices. California’s public utilities should build on this program and expand it across the state to any consumer who needs continuous power for medical devices.

Jennifer McLelland wrote this article for Yes! Magazine.

Temple City Notices

Temple City Notice Of Public Hearing For The City Council

The City Council is holding a public hearing on the project described below. You are receiving this notice because your property is located near the project, the project may directly, or indirectly affect you, or because you have requested to be notified.

Project Citywide, City of Temple City, County of Los Angeles

Location:

Project: Ordinance No. 22-1068, Objective Design Standards. The proposed ordinance would adopt an optional expedited review process for multi-family developments (R-2 and R-3) and a prototype library of architectural designs. Amendments to the zoning code development standards would be included to ensure compliance with state law as it pertains to objective development standards. The Planning Commission reviewed the proposed ordinance on September 27, 2022, and recommended approval by the City Council. The City Council held a public hearing for the Ordinance on December 6, 2023 and continued the hearing to a date uncertain.

Applicant: City of Temple City, 9701 Las Tunas Drive, Temple City, CA 91780

Environmental This matter is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Review: pursuant to Sections 15305 (Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations), 15378, and 15061(b)(3) of the California CEQA Guidelines.

The City Council Public Hearing will be held:

Meeting Date & Time: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 7:30 P.M.

Meeting Location: City Council Chambers, 5938 Kauffman Avenue, Temple City, CA 91780

For questions or concerns regarding this project, or if you wish to review the project file, please contact:

Project Planner: Andrew Coyne, AICP, Management Analyst (626) 656-7316 acoyne@templecity.us

The Community Development Department offices at City Hall are open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm

The decision of the City Council is final. If you challenge any of the foregoing actions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing or in written correspondence delivered to the hearing body at, or prior to, the public hearing.

Date: April 17, 2023

Signature: Andrew J. Coyne, AICP, Management Analyst

TEMPLE CITY TRIBUNE

El Monte City Notices INVITATION TO BID

Pursuant to Public Contract Code Sections 1600 and 1601, all bids or proposals shall be submitted through the City’s electronic bid management system (PlanetBids) at https://www.planetbids. com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43375 by 2:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on or before May 11, 2023 for the project listed below. A bid submitted after the time set shall not be considered. Bidders are required to submit (upload) all items listed in the section 4(d) of Instructions to Bidders, including a copy of the required Bidder’s Bond and acknowledgement of all addendums. Bids will be received by the City via the electronic submission up to the date and time shown in the Notice of Inviting Bids. The City will be responsible for bid tabulations. Bids will be opened and read out loud by the City Clerk’s Office in Council Chambers at the date and time stated in the Notice of Inviting Bids. Bid results will be made available to the public on the City’s website in the electronic bid management system once the bid tabulation has been completed.

The foregoing notwithstanding, the award of any contract shall be subject to approval by the City Council at a duly noticed City Council meeting and the City Council reserves the right to reject all Bids.

The Bidder, by submitting their electronic proposal, agrees to and certifies under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, that the certification, forms and affidavits submitted as part of this proposal are true and correct. The Bidder, by submitting its electronic bid, acknowledges that doing so carries the same force and full legal effect as a paper submission with a longhand (wet) signature. By submitting an electronic bid, the Bidder certifies that the Bidder has thoroughly examined and understands the entire Contract Documents (which consist of the plans and specifications, drawings, forms, affidavits and the solicitation documents), and that by submitting the electronic bid as its Bid proposal, the Bidder acknowledges, agrees to and is bound by the entire Contract Documents, including any addenda issued thereto, and incorporated by reference in the Contract Documents.

Zone 3 Street Improvement Project, CIP 053

The proposed work consists of pavement rehabilitation, removal and replacement of curb ramps, concrete curb, gutter, and sidewalk, and signing and striping replacement within the area of the City of El Monte, as set forth in the Contract Drawings and Technical Specifications for the project. The City Engineer’s estimate for the project is Three Million Two Hundred Seventy-Eight Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Nine Dollars ($3,278,179).

THIS PROJECT IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT

Project Labor Agreement / Continuity of Work Agreement: The project is also subject to the terms and conditions of that certain project labor agreement executed by and between the City of El Monte and the Los Angeles and Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council and the Signatory Craft Unions on or about April 24, 2018 entitled “First Amendment to Continuity of Work Agreement”, Contract No. 18PW04027 (hereinafter, the “Project Labor Agreement”). In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of the Project Labor Agreement and the provisions of the other Contract Documents, the provisions of the Project Labor Agreement shall govern and control to the fullest extent permitted by law. A true and correct copy of the Project Labor Agreement is included with the Supplementary and Special Conditions.

Completion of Work: All work shall be completed within 114 working days from the date designated on the Notice to Proceed.

Obtaining Contract Documents: Specifications and contract documents are posted in the City’s electronic bid management system (PlanetBids) at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanyID=43375. All Bidders must first register as a vendor on the City of El Monte PlanetBids System website to participate in a Bid or to be added to a prospective Bidders list. Only those parties that have registered with the City as a plan holder on a particular project will receive the addendum(a) for that project. The City is not responsible for notifications to those parties who do not directly register as a plan holder on the City’s database. It is the responsibility of all perspective Bidders to register on the City’s database to ensure receipt of any addendum(a) prior to Bid submittals. Additionally, information on any addendum(a) issued for any bid specifications for any project will be available on the City website at: https:// www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43375. The City reserves the right to reject as nonresponsive any bid that fails to include the information required by any addendum(a) posted on the City website.

Questions: Project-specific questions must be submitted in writing through the City’s electronic bid management sys- tem (PlanetBids) at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanyID=43375 by 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on or before Thursday April 27, 2023. All posted questions will be answered in writing and conveyed via written addenda to all Bidders via posting on PlanetBids.

Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting: A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Monday April 24, 2023, 10:00 a.m. at El Monte Aquatic Center (Conference Room A), 11001 Mildred Street, El Monte, CA, 91731. Every Bidder is required to attend the pre-bid meeting. Failure of a Bidder to attend will render that Bidder’s Bid non-responsive. No allowances for cost adjustments will be made if a Bidder fails to adequately examine the Project before submitting a Bid.

Submission of Proposals: All Bids or Proposals shall be submitted through the City’s electronic bid management system (PlanetBids) at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal. cfm?CompanyID=43375 no later than the date and time prescribed. All Bids must be signed by an authorized representative.

All required sections, including pricing, shall be submitted (uploaded) to PlanetBids via the website. The Bidder shall attach Subcontractor(s) Listing, Experience Form, Copy of Bid Security, and all other documents as listed in the BIDDER’S CHECKLIST to the PlanetBids Attachments Tab. The system will not accept a Bid for which any required information is missing. Prior to the Bid due date and time, all Bidders shall submit the original Bid Security to:

Office of the City Clerk City of El Monte – City Hall East 11333 Valley Blvd El Monte CA, 91731

The award of the contract by the City Council is contingent upon the Bidder submitting the required bonds and insurance, as described in the Contract, prior to the Bid due date and time. If the Bidder fails to comply with these requirements, the City may award the contract to the second or third lowest Bidder and the Bid security of the lowest Bidder may be forfeited.

Bids Remain Sealed Until Due Date and Time. Electronic Bids are transmitted into the City’s bidding system via hypertext transfer protocol secure (https). Bids submitted prior to the due date and time are not available for review by anyone other than the submitter, who will have until the due date and time to change, rescind or retrieve its bid should they desire to do so. Upon the Bidder’s entry of their bid, the system will ensure that all required fields are entered. The system will not accept a Bid for which any required information is missing. This includes all necessary pricing, subcontractor listing(s) and any other essential documentation and supporting materials and forms requested or contained in these solicitation documents. All Bid submission information must be fully transferred from the Bidder server to the bid system server before bid closing. Bids still transmitting at the time of bid closing will not be accepted. Bidders will receive an e-bid confirmation number with a time stamp from the bid management system indicating their bid was submitted successfully. The City will only receive those bids that were transmitted successfully. DO NOT FAX OR EMAIL.

Bid Security: Each proposal must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form of a cashier’s check, certified check, or bid bond executed on the prescribed form, in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the total bid price payable to the City of El Monte. Bidders are hereby notified that in accordance with the provisions of Public Contract Code section 22300, securities may be substituted for any monies which the City may withhold pursuant to the terms of this Contract to ensure performance.

Prior to the bid due date and time, all Bidders shall submit the original Bid Security to the City Clerk. Proof of delivery that is date/ time stamped and signed for by the City Clerk from other couriers other than Certified mail will be accepted. A copy of the proof of delivery shall be submitted with the bid package by the bid due date.

Contractor's License: Bidder must possess a current Class_”A” - General Engineering Contractor license issued by the State of California, at the time the bid is submitted.

Contractor Registration: All Bidders and listed subcontractors must have registered with the California State Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5 prior to submitting a Bid. Furthermore, a Contractor and all subcontractors must be registered pursuant to Labor Code section 1725.5 before entering into a contract to work on a public project.

City’s Right to Postpone Opening of Bids. The City reserves the right to postpone the date and time for the opening of Bids at any time prior to the date and time initially announced in this Invitation to Bid in accordance with applicable law.

Opening of Bids. Bids will be received by the City via the electronic submission up to the date and time shown in the Notice of Inviting Bids. The City will be responsible for bid tabulations. Bids will be opened and read out loud by the City Clerk’s Office in Council Chambers at the date and time stated in the Notice of Inviting Bids. Bid results will be made available to the public on the City’s website in the electronic bid management system once the bid tabulation has been completed.

Award: The award shall be made to the lowest responsible Bidder whose proposal complies with the specified requirements. The foregoing notwithstanding, the award of any contract shall be subject to approval by the City Council at a duly noticed City Council meeting. Contractor shall execute the Contract within ten (10) days after it has received the Contract from the City. The City reserves the right to waive any irregularity in the proposals. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the opening of bids.

Rejection of Bids: The City reserves the right to reject any and all Bids. The City further reserves the right to waive immaterial irregularities in any Bid. Any Bid not conforming to the intent and purpose of the Contract Documents may be rejected. The City reserves the right to make all awards in the best interest of the City.

Disqualification of Bidder: If there is a reason to believe that collusion exists among any Bidders, none of the Bids of the participants in such collusion will be considered and the City may likewise elect to reject all bids received.

Wage Rates: Bidders are hereby notified that the California Department of Industrial Relations has determined the general prevailing rate of wages for each craft, classification, or type of worker needed to execute the work. Copies of the current schedules for prevailing wages applicable to this project are on file in the City’s office. It shall be mandatory for the Contractor and any subcontractor under it to pay not less than the said specified rates to laborers and workmen employed by them in the execution of the Contract. The contractor’s duty to pay State prevailing wages can be found under Labor Code, Section 1770 et seq. Labor Code Sections 1775 and 1777.7 outline the penalties for failure to pay prevailing wages and employ apprentices including forfeitures and debarment\.

Bonds: The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a payment bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price, and a faithful performance bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract price.

Publish April 13 & 17, 2023

EL MONTE EXAMINER

Rosemead City Notices

ORDINANCE NO. 1014

A SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 1014 ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 15.28 - ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS TO TITLE 15 (BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION) TO PROVIDE AN EXPEDITED, STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

On March 14, 2023, the City Council of the City of Rosemead introduced for first reading, by title only, Ordinance No. 1014, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Rosemead, County of Los Angeles, State of California, adding Chapter 15.28 - Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to Title 15 (Buildings And Construction) to provide an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations”. The following is a summary of Ordinance No. 1014.

Ordinance No. 1014

In 2015, the State of California adopted Assembly Bill 1236 (2015, Chiu, codified as Government Code Section 65850.7), which requires local jurisdictions to adopt an ordinance to create an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. An electric vehicle charging station is any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station which deliver electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle. The proposed ordinance is intended to bring Title 15 up to compliance with State legislation regarding the expediting and streamlining procedures for electric vehicle charging stations.

Environmental Determination

The ordinance involves updates and revisions to existing regulations, and it can be seen with certainty that the text amendments will have no significant negative effect on the environment, per CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b)(3). The ordinance also involves the potential installation of solar energy systems, which are exempt under Section 21080.35 of the Public Resources Code.

Passed, Approved and Adopted on the 11th day of April, 2023 by the following vote:

Ayes: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, and Ly

Noes: None

Absent: None

Abstain: None

The full text of Ordinance No. 1014 is available for inspection during regular business hours at the City Clerk’s Office (8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California 91770) Monday – Thursday 7:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. or at www.cityofrosemead.org.

DATED THIS 17th DAY OF APRIL, 2023

Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk City of Rosemead 8838 E. Valley Boulevard

Publish April 17, 2023

ROSEMEAD READER