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SERVING COMPTON THE INGLEWOOD TRIBUNE, AND THE INGLEWOOD TRIBUNE, CARSON BULLETIN, CARSON BULLETIN, WILMINGTON WILMINGTON BEACON, THE CALIFORNIAN, BEACON, THE CALIFORNIANTHE WEEKENDER, VOICE & THE SOUTHTHE SOUTH L.A. L.A. VOICE VOLUMEVOLUME 42, No. 18 • 50 54, No. 51 CENTS • 50 CENTS
Council approves fee increases Ex-Compton Deputy City Treasurer Pleads Guilty to $3.7 Million Theft
funds. His wife, Rosa Maria plea deal, which also outlines By Cat Keniston Compton’s former deputy Galvan, pleaded guilty to the agreed-upon restitution of $3.72 million. treasurer and his wife pleaded same charge. The felony The charge As part adds of theanagreement, guilty Thursday proposed resolution additional By Chris Frost to a federal maximum Rosa Galvan charge of stealing $140,000 to the general fund. agreed to hand Bulletin Staff Writer more than carries a possible city hasover beenthe subsidizing or covering prison sentence of“The 10 years, keys to a 2013 Nissan $3.7 million in city funds. permittoissuance and administration costs,” COMPTON—The unanimously prosecutorsstreet agreed Frontier and a 2012 Honda Salvador Galvan,City 47,Council of but Director John Strickland approved streetadmitted work fee increases at its April 17 a interim term ofPublic no Works Pilot to the government. La Mirada, one recommend said. “Theand present feeRosa schedule does notreceived address meeting,count moving them from beyond current 1989three more than years Galvan federal of theft antheir many types of street work permits issued and adlevels. organization receiving federal 10 months, according to a “hundreds of thousands The city based its increase on inspection and ministered.” Public comments about the increases drew administrative costs it traditionally did not praise from residents hoping for increased revcharge, then compared rates with other cities. “We compared our rates with Gardenia, Lyn- enue, but the group stood against raising fees afnwood and Torrance,” interim Public Works Di- fecting residents. “I know there should be increases, but you are rector John Strickland said.
of dollars in either cash” into her account of $211,044 skimmed cash from City or money orders from her from February 2012 through Hall over a six-year period, husband, according to her August of last year. taking anywhere from $200 plea deal. usedupon somethe of residents, Both are scheduled to for to the $8,000 chise agreement utility.a day. The losses placing tooShe many ” Lynn the ill-gotten gains someone to pay should be sentenced 3 by U.S. wereopposed small enough that they members fees affecting resiBoone said. “Maybe go over Nov.Council dents, including $50 jump in block party perthese.” in cash for the Honda District Judge Josephine $14,000 L. adidn’t trigger alarm, but mits, and a handicap curbemployees fee increase to $150they for companies anyin feeSanta in- Ana. onUtility Oct. 14, 2015, at are an exempt Irvine from Staton fellow said sign andwondered installation,how thenGalvan a $20 charge creases because of a lawsuit between Edison and tothe dealer. According thepole charging could annually. Residential Alhambra in 2011. refuse binsAudi were and scheduled Court California documents show document, Compton’s afford a new other “The utility company had a franchise agreeto increase from $5 and $40 for small andsalary, large her making cash deposits then-deputy city treasurer expenses on a $60,000 ment, and the city adopted an ordinance concur- bins, to $25 and $75, respectively. according to court papers. rent with the agreement,” City Attorney Craig “I am against gouging residents because of the Galvan, whoJanna worked in Cornwell said. “The court found that interfering city’s negligence,” Councilwoman Zurita. the Compton Treasurer’s with the franchise agreement is unconstitutional.” “It is hard to ask for more money with the condiOffice for more than 20 years, Cornwell and Edison representatives created was responsible for Page tallying » See FEES, 9A language in the agreement that preserves the franthe cash received by the city as payment for parking tickets, business licenses and other fees. After the cash was counted, Galvan prepared the money for deposit into a city bank account, according to court documents. The FBI interviewed Galvan’s supervisor, who “reflected about Galvan’s time in the office, his unexplained affluence and his generosity,” according to an affidavit. The supervisor told investigators that Galvan went from driving an “old Toyota” to increasingly luxurious vehicles, including the black Audi sedan. The affidavit also states that Galvan told his By Chris Frost supervisor that he purchased Bulletin Staff Writer a residence in La Mirada and demolished the house so he COMPTON—The Council couldCity rebuild it. moved another step forward inGalvan the city manager searchlate on was arrested Tuesday, April 27, as Council members Willie lastand year.Yvonne Arceneaux inJones, Janna Zurita Sentencing for meetRosa terviewed five candidates during a special Galvan is set for 8:30 a.m., ing. her attend husband, Mayor Eric J.followed Perrodin by did not the at involving 9:30 a.m.,current Nov. meeting becauseSalvador, of a conflict interim City Manager Batiste and 3, in Bryan Courtroom 10C,CounU.S. cilwoman Janna Zurita. District Courthouse, 411 W. Photo by Melina Cervantes Batiste took over forSt., former Fourth Santa interim Ana. City Dragon Boats were featured over the weekend at the Lotus Festival at Echo Park Lake. Manager Lamont Ewell on Jan. 25. “City Manager Bryan Batiste wrote a memo to City Attorney Craig Cornwell requesting that Bulletin photos by Chris Frost Councilperson Zurita recuse herself from the inThe Sibrie Park Braves practice throwing skills on Saturday, April 29. terview process,” Perrodin said in a written statement. “I will not participate until the Council receives a written opinion from Cornwell about the disagreement.” Zurita said Batiste is only holding the position accountability,” the expenditures were “purely By Cat Keniston until the Council finds a permanent city manpersonal” and for “no public A prosecutor told jurors prosecutor told jurors. ager. “The accusations that everyone is making Bradley clearly benefit.” Monday that the evidence have no validity to them, and the Council will “.... Mr. Bradley has would show that former understood the rules, but continue searching for a qualified candidate,” the law and Compton Mayor Omar accountability for spending violated she said. “He knew going in this was only temBradley misappropriated became “very relaxed” after committed the crimes for porary.” public funds for personal the city council approved a which he is charged,” Lopez Cornwell said he cannot make Zurita recuse expenses between 1999 resolution authorizing the said. herself. Deputy Public Defender and 2001, but his attorney issuance of city credit cards to “Every Council member has the right to parHill countered countered that the council members without any Robert J. By ticipate in properly noticed City Council matChris Frost that against expenditures were made public comment on the issue, the “charges ters,” he said. “According to the charter, the city Bulletin Staff Writer Mr. Bradley are false.” in good faith and that the Lopez told the panel. manager serves at the will of the Council and The prosecutor said He toldCOMPTON—The jurors that the Sibrie Park Braves are continuing their charges against his client are nothing short of a legally defined conflict of interest, a situation that precludes the member success in 2012 as the team has won four of its first five the evidence would show evidence 2011 would demonstrate false. from attending, or a belief the he or she cannot expenditures made The Los Angeles Superior that some of Bradley’s that the games. be open-minded exists, complying with Mr. The squad collected a forfeit on Saturday, April 28, as their Court jury is the second to Batiste’s wishes has no legal support.” opponents, the Blue Jays, did not show up for the game. hear the case against Bradley, Zurita said she will not step away from the inFormer San Francisco Giant and current Assistant Coach who served as mayor from » See BRADLEY, Pgteam 2 through a spirited practice and terviews, and thanked Cornwell for addressing Jesse Brew led the File photo 1993 until 2001, when he lost the issue. praised the team’s fast start. a disputed election. Councilwoman Arceneaux asked Cornwell “They have surprised me so far,” he said. “I am especially Bradley unsuccessfully pleased by our play at shortstop and pitcher.” for a written legal opinion directed to Council ran for his old post twice Brew coaches the defensive portion of the game and sticks members, and he said he will prepare one. since a state appellate Public comments on the selection process fato the fundamentals. vored Batiste. “You keep your hands in front, step and aim at the chest of court panel overturned his “The man doesthe a good job,” resident theThe person you are ” heone said. compounded “We have sound facility willthrowing operate to, for by uncertainties from basins, MWDSC said. Carolyn A fullFebruary 2004 conviction By Staff Reports Stokes you fire Batiste of you have11 to fundamentals, I know theneeded” team can do better.” change and variability “to generatebut information climate of said. scale“Ifprogram wouldalltake about The city of Carson is one step year on one felony count each of deal with me. Not just one of you, all of you. ” One of the cornerstones of team success is positive attifor the potential construction of a fullimported water supplies. Recycled years and $2.7 billion to build and misappropriation of public closer to becoming the home of one She asked the Council if they understood her tudes, Brew said, and he deals with problems recycled water plant at the same waterimmediately. would provide us a reliable, produce an estimated 150 million funds and misuse of public of the world’s largest wastewater scale twice, and Arceneaux acknowledged her. “I am not a babysitter and do not tolerate hardheads, ” he drought-proof, climate-resilient, gallons per day to be pumped to four recycling programs, water agency site, agency officials said. funds. said. “This is serious, and I am teaching them about baseball.” Resident Lorraine Cervantes expressed con“This is a great opportunity local supply to recharge groundwater groundwater in Losreceived. Angeles Deputy District Attorney officials announced Wednesday. cern about the publicitybasins the meeting The team is turning the corner offensively, Brew said, beMetropolitan to develop a new basins and supply the needs of the and Orange counties. The Metropolitan Water District for Ana Lopez told the latest jury “You guys kept this meeting quiet,” she said. cause of diligent, hard work. of started local water,” Metropolitan region’s growing in is why“This will beandkey to that the case involves a series of Southern California’s Board of source “That no onefacility is here tonight, it is not “They in the batting cage, but live pitching im- economy, even Chairman Randy Record dry small years.” demonstrating the effectiveness of a stateof events between 1999 and Directors voted Tuesday to award board on television. ” proves the hitters’ timing, ” he said. “We play ball (scor“Though last winter brought The demonstration facility will of-the-art process 2001 while Bradley was the a $13.9 million contract for the said. City Clerk Alitaoptimized Godwintreatment and Zurita bothand reing runs with singles and doubles instead of home runs). If sponded,generate and said the meeting noticetomet the they stay thosetoground into line $17 million overall rainfocused, and snow many ball partshits will cost turn an estimated valuable information ensure mayor of Compton, for which construction of an advanced water record treatment of demonstration facility at of California, our water supply to build, and will produce 500,000 the success of any full-scale program,” he had been aPark cityBraves council The Sibrie take advantage a forfeit on Saturday, BRAVES, 5A wastewater that Metropolitan» See MANAGER, Page 9A gallons of Page purified General Manager Jeffrey the Sanitation member back toan 1991. Aprildating 28, and hold additional practice. Districts’ Joint Water challenges remain. We face a future» See that will bring more drought years, will be pumped into groundwater Kightlinger said. “The word here is Pollution Control Plant.
Dragon Boats spotted at Echo Park Lake festival
Council interviews candidates for city manager
Jury begins hearing retrial of former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley
Braves enjoy early-season success
Carson to become home of wastewater recycling program
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