During public comment on Nov. 12 several residents urged the Hawaiian Gardens City Council to increase investment in middle-school sports and programming that supports student-athletes and scholarship pathways.

Richard, a lifelong resident and a volunteer coach of more than 20 years, said his teams may be unable to enter an upcoming tournament because staff did not respond to his offer to pay entry fees and that there appears to be limited programming (basketball, volleyball, track) for students after the football season. "Hawaiian Gardens has so much talent," he said, and asked the city to invest more in junior-high athletics.

Jesus Mendoza also urged more investment in junior-high sports, thanked the council for recognizing retirees (Kathy Webb, Sus Contreras, Franco Morrow and Santos Murguia), and praised the contribution of long-serving employees to the city. The council recessed briefly to present certificates of appreciation.

Mayor and councilmembers thanked volunteers and staff for their work; staff later outlined recreation events and facility renovations planned this season.

No formal action was taken on volunteer-program funding during the meeting; staff noted program updates and scheduled events including holiday activities and youth tournaments.