Elected Official? Create newsletters in minutes, not hours.
Transparent, authentic, comprehensive newsletters to maximize constituent representation and civic engagement.
Hector Sosa Newsletter — August 2, 2026
📬 Councilmember Hector Sosa | District 2, Downey | August 3, 2026
Hello, Downey,
Somewhere in the crowd outside Bob's Big Boy Broiler this weekend, between the DeLoreans and the flux capacitors, was a family visiting all the way from Canada. The Downey Conservancy turned the Broiler's parking lot into an outdoor theater for a screening of Back to the Future, and I had a great time taking it all in. Think about that for a second: people crossed an international border and spent their evening, and their dollars, at a Downey landmark. That is what happens when a city protects its history and celebrates it out loud. The week behind us also brought real movement on safer streets, and the week ahead starts with a big one: National Night Out is tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you there.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 National Night Out Is Tomorrow Night: The 13th annual National Night Out takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at the Downey Civic Center, 11111 Brookshire Avenue. Expect free food, entertainment, safety education, and resource booths for the whole family. It is also a perfect chance to welcome Downey PD's newest officers, Foster, Pope, and Torres, who were sworn in last month. A special note on Officer Justin Pope: he carries on a proud family legacy at DPD, following his father, retired Corporal Mike Pope.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: We fund public safety generously in this city, and I stand behind every one of those dollars. But a safe city also runs on familiarity: neighbors who know their officers, and officers who know their neighborhoods. One evening of handshakes and hot dogs builds more of that than any budget line I can vote for.
👉 View the National Night Out event details
🔹 A New Traffic Signal Is Coming to Firestone and Pangborn: At our July 28 Council meeting, staff brought forward plans for a new traffic signal at Firestone Boulevard and Pangborn Avenue, seeking approval of the design and authorization to solicit construction bids. Pangborn carries roughly 6,000 vehicles a day and sits near Rio San Gabriel Elementary. Because southbound drivers currently cannot turn left onto eastbound Firestone, many cut through Ardine and Fostoria streets instead, and residents on those blocks have been telling us about it. They are right.
→ 💡 What this means: The signal will let southbound drivers turn left directly onto Firestone, pulling cut-through traffic off residential streets, and it adds a marked, protected pedestrian crossing on Firestone Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin in January 2027 and wrap up by that summer, at an estimated total cost of about $599,000, with roughly $234,000 already budgeted from SB 1 and Measure R funds.
→ 🎯 My take: Reducing speeding and cut-through traffic on our neighborhood streets is one of the initiatives I ran on, and this project is what that commitment looks like in practice. It follows the data, a 2025 warrant study confirmed the need, it protects kids walking to school, and it gives residential blocks their quiet back. Count me among its strong supporters.
💰 Budget & Finance
🔹 246 New Streetlights, Funded the Right Way: Also on July 28, the Council adopted a three-year Street Lighting Installation Plan covering Fiscal Years 2026-27 through 2028-29. The plan will install 246 new streetlights, roughly 85 per year, on the 50 highest-ranking street segments citywide, and it builds on the 16 solar-powered streetlights approved back in March. Mayor Frometa shared a detailed rundown of the plan in her Mayor's Corner column this week, and it is worth your time.
→ 📊 By the numbers: Here is the part I want every resident to notice: this plan requires no new taxes and no borrowing. It runs through our existing $500,000 annual Citywide Streetlight Capital Improvement Program. When a city funds a program consistently year after year, staff can rank every block by need and plan three years ahead instead of scrambling annually. That is what disciplined budgeting buys.
→ 🎯 My commitment: Well-lit streets mean better visibility for drivers and pedestrians, faster emergency response, and neighbors who feel safe on an evening walk. About 85 lights per year is a measurable promise, and you can hold us to it. I intend to.
👉 Read the Mayor's Corner column
💼 Economic Development & Local Business
🔹 Welcome to Your New Location, No Limit Motorsports L.A.: This week I congratulated No Limit Motorsports L.A. on its new business location here in Downey. Every business that chooses this city is placing a bet on our corridors, our customers, and our future, and I take that vote of confidence seriously. The timing is fitting, too: the city has launched the Mayor's Small Business Spotlight, a new effort highlighting family-owned local businesses on the city's social media channels each month.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Creating support for small businesses is one of my core initiatives, because the dollars spent at a local shop circulate here, in our jobs, our services, and our neighborhoods. If you own a business, or are thinking about starting one, the city has resources ready for you.
👉 View my congratulations (Instagram)
👉 Explore Downey business resources
🏘️ Housing & Neighborhoods
🔹 An Update on the Former Honda Site on Dollison Drive: Two weeks ago I wrote about the proposal to build 145 townhomes at the former Honda service facility, and I promised to keep following it. Here is the update: the Planning Commission voted to deny the project. Through the public hearing process, residents raised concerns about density, height, traffic, parking, and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.
→ 💡 What happens next: A Planning Commission decision is not always the end of the road. An applicant can revise and return, and decisions of this kind can be appealed to the City Council. Because this matter could still come before me and my colleagues, I am going to hold any comment on the merits.
→ 🎯 What I can say: Residents showed up, spoke clearly, and shaped the outcome of a public process. That is exactly how the system is supposed to work. Whatever the issue, keep showing up. Your voice carries further than you think.
🤝 Community
🔹 An 80s Night at Furman Park, and a Symphony Finale on Wednesday: Concerts in the Park delivered again this past week, with Dance Dance Evolution turning the Furman Park lawn into an 80s dance floor. I ran into some of my old Warren High classmates out there, which tells you what this series really is: a reunion disguised as a concert. Now the season closes on a high note. The Downey Symphony performs the summer finale this Wednesday, August 5, at Furman Park, 10419 Rives Avenue. Note the earlier start time of 6:30 PM.
🔹 A Well-Deserved Honor for Steve Roberson: The Downey Foundation for Independent Journalism announced this week that Steve Roberson will receive the Patriot Legacy Award at its second annual Press Affair on Friday, August 21, at the Azar Event Center in Santa Fe Springs. From the Downey Association of Realtors to the YMCA capital campaign to Kiwanis, Steve has spent decades lifting this community up. Having served in our local Kiwanis myself, I can tell you how much of Downey's quiet progress runs through volunteers like him.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Proceeds support the nonprofit foundation behind the Downey Patriot. Local journalism is how residents follow the decisions that shape their streets, their schools, and their tax dollars, and once a community loses its newspaper, getting it back is nearly impossible. Supporting it is supporting an informed Downey.
👉 Read the Patriot's announcement
📅 Coming Up
🔹 👮 National Night Out: Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4, 5:30 to 8:30 PM at the Downey Civic Center. Full details above in the Public Safety section.
🔹 🎶 Concerts in the Park Season Finale: Wednesday, August 5, 6:30 PM at Furman Park, 10419 Rives Avenue, featuring the Downey Symphony.
🔹 🎒 Gangs Out of Downey Backpack Giveaway: Saturday, August 8, noon to 2:00 PM at Golden Park. Free backpacks and school supplies for Downey students heading back to school.
🔹 🏛️ Next Regular City Council Meeting: Tuesday, August 11, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue. The agenda posts ahead of time, so give it a look and weigh in on anything that matters to you.
👉 View agendas and city documents
📱 Stay Connected
Got a pothole to report, graffiti to flag, or a service request to submit? The Downey Connect App is the fastest, most direct path to getting things done. Available for both Apple and Android.
👉 Download the Downey Connect App
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more real-time updates, event highlights, and a look at what I am working on between newsletters.
Summer in Downey is winding down the way it should: a symphony on the lawn at Furman Park, backpacks getting filled for Golden Park, new streetlights on the drawing board, and a Civic Center that will be full of neighbors and officers on a Tuesday night. None of it happens by accident. It happens because people in this city keep deciding to show up for each other. Tomorrow night is an easy place to start, and I hope to see many of you there. Come say hello.
Questions, concerns, or ideas? Hit reply. I read every message.
