Stockton City Council was back in session Tuesday evening for its last public meeting before the new year and the community is continuing to show up. The council chambers was again filled to capacity.

Stockton residents came to the meeting with heavy hearts, continuing to grieve and remember the lives lost of the precious children in their community.

"Personally, I feel okay, I feel very sad for the families and children," Anthony Burgher, Stockton resident, said. "I mean, it's always a sad occasion when children get senselessly slaughtered. Don't know what we can do about it. It's a gun culture in this country. Two people killed in Rhode Island couple days ago, right, so just sad all the way around, especially when children are involved."

There was a continued call for action needing to be taken for safety - to protect the community, especially the youth. 

"I know you are trying," Cecilia, a Stockton resident, said when addressing the council during public comment. "I know you are dedicated and you're doing something about this, I'd like to know if the police department and you, council leaders of our city, have a program in mind to work with schools to eradicate these terrorist criminals. The priority of our leaders should be the safety of the people. Our young people, everybody, needs to feel safe here in our beautiful city of Stockton. We cannot tolerate this. It's so sad, it's just so sad, and it has affected me."

Burgher, who's lived in Stockton for more than 50 years, has been attending these meetings the past 15 years - both in-person and watching online.

"I think every councilmember's doing the best they can," Burgher said. "There's lots of systemic challenges in Stockton and it's not going to get fixed overnight or fixed in one councilmembers' term. I think they're doing the best they can. I think they have a tough job to do. I think a lot of the citizens just don't get it. They're hear to voice their opinions, as they should, as is their right, but they don't really understand the job, but, hey they have a right to speak and that's what they do."

Burgher is looking beyond what a city can do to fix these issues that he calls systemic in the city he was born-and-raised in.

"It's hard to say, we got so many gun laws on the books and there's just about personal accountability and parents raising their children, be respectful of life," Burgher said. "So, I don't know if any more laws or regulations going to change anything but just got to pray, see if it helps."

That was echoed by the non-profit 'Loyalty & Family CTF INC', who were honored for the work they're doing in the community. Their theme was stated before receiving the recognition: "Our theme this year is going to be, drop the gun violence, drop the guns, and up with prayer".

Along with a proposed violence prevention grant from the state on Tuesday's agenda, which passed, there was a vendor ordinance, applying rules for street and sidewalk vendors. 

Council members on Tuesday were very complementary of each other, specifically on the vendor ordinance.

The sound of the council chambers erupted in applause after the council unanimously voted to pass the vendor ordinance - a glimpse into a unifying moment which the local Living Gospel Community Church pastor, opened the meeting in prayer for - asking for unity and wisdom.