Read the December 4 meeting.

We are in the name of the nation, and the nation, and the power of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, and the power of the indivisible, with liberty and justice and sorrow.

Our invocation by Susan Chow, our police chaplain.

Let us pray.

to you who is the source of our strength we give thanks we're grateful for your provision and your guidance and we look forward to continuing to be good stewards of what you have granted Lord as it is written let us not get tired of doing what is good at just the right time we'll reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up fill us with your conviction and truth and as St. Francis prayed Lord, make us an instrument of your peace where there is hatred, let us sow love where there is injury, pardon where there is doubt, faith where there is despair, hope where there is darkness, light where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to consoled to be understood as to understand to be loved as to love for it is in giving that we received It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Bless us, Lord. Guard our hearts and guide our steps. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thank you very much. Mayor Polito is here. Mayor, we've done the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, so now it's your proclamation.

Got it.

Here you go.

If I can have folks from the Belves of Peace, a World War I Centennial Remembrance Day organization, the American Legion Post 131, come on down.

It is my honor and privilege to have Scott McKee Post Commander Frank Fletcher, Post Member, but wait a minute, there's a third one and that person isn't here. Anthony Britton? And Anthony Britton as well.

Before I present this proclamation in recognition for the Bells of Peace, it's World War I Centennial Armistice Remembrance Day. On November 11th, a century ago, 4.7 million American families went off to World War I.

116,516 Americans gathered their lives in the war, and more than 200,000 were wounded. Tolling into the bells is a traditional expression of honor and remembrance of those who fought and served our country. November of 2018 marked the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting in World War I. Today here in Santa Ana we accept this proclamation for the Santa Ana American Legion Post 131. Formed in 1919, this centennial post will be celebrating its 100th year anniversary of service to our veterans of Orange County.

Currently there are 188 members of the American Legion, which also houses other veterans and patriotic organizations. The Santa Ana American Legion Post 131 is the only Veterans Hall in the city of Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County. And before I present you a proclamation, I just want to know, Scott or Anthony, or does anybody want to say a few words? Please.

Thank you, Mayor. It's a pleasure to be here. It's an honor. We're going to be 100 years old next December 12th. If you ever visit the post, we're located just around the corner here on Grand Avenue at 1404. We used to be here on Birch Street. Unfortunately back in 81 that post burnt down and we bought what used to be a furrier. Our club room is a vault. We're very unique. We've been taking care of veterans since 1919. We have pictures that survived from the fire of all the post commanders.

And if you come to the post sometime, you'll notice the names of streets not only in Santa Ana, but throughout Orange County.

On November 10th of this year, one of our fellow members, members of the Sons of Union Veterans Civil War, he mapped out the grave sites at Old Santa Ana Cemetery at 1919 East Santa Clara of 100 World War I veterans, and we put a flag on each one of those graves to honor those. My grandfather served in submarine service in World War I. His name was Edward Miller. We continue the tradition. I'm a U.S. Navy retired veteran. I served in Desert Shield Storm.

I was part of the first Navy forces in Qatar, however you want to pronounce it, and I also served at 9-11 in Egypt. Again, it's a pleasure to accept this proclamation, and on behalf of my members, we thank you and hope you will continue to support us, because without your help, we can't take care of the veterans we have these hundred years. Thank you. Thank you.

This is a special proclamation recognizing Bells of Peace Day. And that day is today, December 4th, 2018. It's a World War I Centennial Armistice remembrance. and I call upon citizens and institutions throughout our community to recognize and remember this special day and all the beautiful people that have struggled so much to do what you all did. I know being in combat and facing what you have faced is unlike anything else that people have to do.

And you've done it. You've done it well. You've done it on behalf of others. and for that and for your service and commemorating this day for all that, it's my privilege to say thank you and it's an honor. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Let's take a photo.

I believe Mayor Pro Tem Martinez are you next because I don't see Councilmember Sarmiento here.

So you and Benavides, I think you're, are you doing it together?

Yes.

Alright. And Sal are you on this as well? Why don't you come on down.

Okay, great. If we can, please have all our commissioners please come to the front. Councilman Tinajero, Councilman Benavides, and Martinez's commissioners, all come. As our commissioners are coming, as you all know, we have six days left on this city council, and we wanted to take the opportunity, one, to thank all the commissioners that have served with us throughout this 12 years of service and wanting to thank them for their dedicated service. This is a volunteer effort on their end, and we wanted just to, one, congratulate them, and many of them were on our commissions when we first started some ended about two or

three years ago and it's a great joy and excuse me I want to shake all their hands first so if you please bear with me

So as I mentioned, and obviously both of my colleagues are going to like to say something, But, you know, I'm not even going to read any of this because we all know these folks, these residents in the city of Santa Ana. Some have been lifelong residents in this city. And as I mentioned earlier, when we asked them when we first got elected, many of them throughout our 12 years, you know, would you like to serve on a commission? Some were excited and contacted us. Others, we had to push a little, in particular in some commissions like the Personnel Board, which is not an easy commission to fill.

I have to tell you that these folks have done an exceptional job. And as I look at all of them, whether they were Councilman Benavides' commissioners or Councilman Tinajero's commissioners, we all get to really essentially as a full body get to vote on who is going to really represent this city. And so from the bottom of my heart, whether you're my commissioner or not, I want to thank you all personally for the dedication. And we have Alberta Christie here who is also a councilwoman and still wanted to contribute, and Councilman Benavides was able to appoint her.

So thank you, Alberta, for your service all these years and still wanting to continue and making sure that we continue to progress the city of Santa Ana. And with that, I'm going to go ahead and pass this off to my colleague, Councilman Benavides, and then Councilman Tinajero.

Thank you, Mayor Portem. It is an honor to have served with you. It's the commissioners, our residents of the city, appointed by members of the council. But in reality we do the work of the city together and this is a pretty, somewhat of a surreal evening for us three in that this is our official last, after 12 years, officially our last evening serving as council members for the city of Santana. But again, we haven't been able to do the work that we do alone. Again, Council Member, retired, Alberta Christie, retired twice over, right?

And Commissioner for Historic Resources representing Ward 4, Carl as well, Benninger, who's served in various roles currently, Environmental Transportation Advisory Committee member. it's my also privilege there to Carl's left, my right, Anais Benavides, my daughter who's also had the opportunity to serve as a youth commissioner so perhaps another Benavides, a mayor, a council member, he'll come back down the road. And just all of these volunteers that have done so much for the city in various roles whether it be parks and recreation, housing, just want to

extend a heartfelt thank you and as we have just a week from tonight new council members coming in there will be opportunities for a new commissioners to be appointed in it's it's a very important role the residents have an opportunity to to play and serve so we encourage you all here and those watching at home as well to complete their application and and submit and request the opportunity to be able to serve so thank you all thank you

councilman Tinajero notice I have to pull the mic way down here that's horrible anyhow no you know it's it's been 12 years and I want to thank you and some of you have served the whole time that we've been here and some of you have been here a little bit you know your years have been about four to six years or eight years but everything we do here is a team effort and so there something about the wisdom of my colleagues their paradigm their focus on how they saw the city and what they saw in you to bring that service to the city you were our eyes and ears you were at the forefront and then you came back and

you were able to consult us on very important matters and at the end of the day I know that for my commissioners you always had the freedom to make your own decision I always supported you on that and I thank you if ever there was a time where we weren't seeing eye to eye but you still supported my decision up here on the diet. So at the end of the day, politics, public service is a very tough thing because you're never going to make everyone happy and that's okay. And that's okay as long as you stay true to what's the core belief that we have and that is something that holds us

all together no matter where we see issues. The one thing that binds us all is that and many people out here who are here supporting you today is that we love Santa Ana and we want to see Santa Ana do well so I know for many of you this won't be the last time you come out here to serve the city but I thank you be because you were there when we were there and that was very important for us and we've done a lot of great things because of you so thank you

yeah what I give any of you all the opportunity if you'd like to say a couple words don't be shy because we know you all are nauseous here comes mr.

Benninger I just want to really for people that are out there if you want to get a beat of the city fill out that application become a commissioner I thank David repeatedly because being on ETAC I was able to get a pulse for what was happening during the drought in the city and you learn so much and you meet so many people and it's only once meetings once a month is well worth the opportunity sign up put your name in we we want more people involved I just wanted to take a moment to thank the city

of Santa Ana and I've been a youth advocate here for about 25 years and I also wanted to thank specifically Michelle Martinez for creating the opportunity for the city to move forward in a different and dynamic paradigm shift even though it was really really challenging at that time so I just wanted to take a moment and thank the city still youth advocate with project kinship and I hope to move forward and continue our good work in the city thank you

Thank you. Thank you. First, I'd like to thank Sal for believing in me and appointing me to ETAC all those years ago. It was a good preparation to the role I'm in now. So thank you very much. It's been an honor to serve and look forward to working with you and the new council in the future.

I want to thank all the council members for all your hard work it truly is a lot of work and having served on the Planning Commission I have one tip or yeah tip for you guys that want to serve in the Planning Commission you guys have a lot of reading to do and you better be prepared when you get to the meeting okay you cannot be reading your information there you have to be prepared so I also am happy to have served on the general advisory group I love my city like Sal said we do love the city and thank you all commissioners because I know how hard it is to serve so thank you Sal for you believing in me

and thank you all you guys thank you

well I want to thank all of them especially David over here from for appointing me. He replaced me on the council, so in turn, he put me on the historic resource commission, and we brought a little levity and knowledge to that from speakeasies, you know, that were running in our city. And it was an opportunity to learn about our past and going forward and all the rich history that we had as poor as being this city. In In fact, next year, if I'm right, 150 years we're going to be celebrating.

But once again, it was an honor and privilege to serve as your commissioner on a historic resource. And I hope I did you well. Thank you so much to all of you. And the best of luck, because as a former councilwoman, I understand, you know, that what is it to be your last council meeting? and where do I go from here? And so forth. So congratulations on your retirement, if you are going to retire. But I'm sure the city is going, you're going to be very involved. So good luck to all. Thank you. Thank you again. Thank you.

I just want to say thank you to Mayor Pro Tem Martinez. Thank you for appointing me to serve on the Community Development and Housing Commission. and I encourage everyone who is truly passionate about helping Santana's most vulnerable residents to explore doing so via the commissions. So thank you, Councilmembers, for your service, and I ask you that tonight at your last meeting you continue to think about Santana's most vulnerable residents and vote in support of policies that will continue to help them remain and thrive in Santana. Thank you.

I'll be very brief because I know there's going to be a long meeting tonight. I wanted to thank my neighbor and friend and colleague Councilman Tanner Harrell for appointing me to the Housing Commission just two things I want to say it was an eye-opener in the sense that I got to meet so many fantastic people that that work at the city that really care about the city and do their best to move Santa Anna forward and also working with federal funding for community block development grants the opportunity to see so many nonprofits out there vying for this money that are doing amazing things for the city for the residents

and the people of Santa Ana. It was a real eye-opener. Yeah, my honor. Awesome. Thank you.

I just want to say thank you to all of the council members, and especially to Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Martinez for giving me the opportunity to expand my horizons, to increase my knowledge of my city, and although I wasn't in the circumstances to help myself, I was put in a place by you where I could help others, and that to me brought the fulfillment and the happiness, and that willingness to keep on serving the city of Santa Ana beyond this. So I want to thank you guys all for your service and enjoy your retirement. Thank you.

So my dad

has been on the city council since I was three. So I mean I felt like I've been on the city council since I was three. A lot of you guys have known me. since I was waddling around, not really walking, you know. And so I just want to thank everyone on the council for really being there for me since I was really little, and also my dad for appointing me to the Youth Commission. It's been a really great experience, and I have really enjoyed being on it. Yeah, so thank you. Thank you.

Good job on getting Sal, getting her to come up and speak. She told me, just don't get me up on the mic. I don't want to. So, Sal had to do it. For anybody who's thinking about running for office in the future, there's no better way to get votes than to have a little three-year-old go knock on somebody's door and say, will you vote for my daddy? She was the best campaigner. And now what we'd like to do is actually recognize members of the Commission and present you with a certificate. So the first one is actually Youth Commissioner Anais Benavides.

Commissioner Carl Benier.

Commissioner Alberta Christie.

Commissioner Claudio Gallegos.

Paul Gonzalez, thank you.

Janelle Hardy.

Tish Leon.

Beatrice Mendoza.

Did you get it? Juan Placencia Joe Ramirez

Melanie Snodgrass Isuri Ramos

I feel like it's a high school graduation. Gary Wood.

Once again, give our commissioners a round of applause. Thank you all.

Gather around. Gather around. Get close. You got to get close.

Thank you. Thanks. Thank you, guys.

Thank you all. Thank you for your patience as well. Members of the public who are here joining us. It's very special. This is just a small fraction of all of the commissioners that represented each of the different wards. These are the commissioners who were able to attend tonight. Thank you once again. We do have another presentation. I'd like to at this point ask for representatives from the Orange County United Way to join us here do we have oh we have

for ya

so in the absence of councilmember Sarmiento I have the opportunity to make this presentation to the Orange County United Way for the Orange Orange County Free Tax Prep Program and all of your contributions to the community. Orange County United Way has decades of experience working with underserved populations here in Orange County and for over 90 years the Orange County United Way has been at the forefront of health and human services here in our community. And of particular note, they work on serving our community in specific areas of education, health, housing and financial stability.

and a particular note is the Orange County free tax prep campaign that has been serving residents of our community for a number of years and I'll ask Maria who is the manager for the OC free tech tax prep program to to share a couple words but something I did want to make mention of one of the well the key element is providing tax preparation particularly for some of the the neediest of members of our community and last year the United Way hosted here in

the city of Santa Ana alone for free tax preparation sites where 1136 tax returns were prepared this allowed for an estimated total refunds of over 1,311,000 and of that over 454,000 came through the earned income tax credit dollars. So dollars that would have very likely members of our community would not have received otherwise. So what you're doing is notable. It's significant assistance and a resource for our community.

So I wanted to thank you on behalf of the entire city. And if you'd like to share a couple of words, we'd appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you very much, Council Member. And Council Member Sarmiento, who is not here this evening, has been a really great supporter of our program, which is the Orange County Free Tax Prep Program. We help to serve the low and middle income families, save money on tax preparation fees, hundreds and thousands of dollars, as well as educating about the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit

so that it is a reward for those who are working and they can receive cash back credit within that. So we are honored to be able to still serve within Santa Ana and other low-income communities and we're just so grateful for the City of Santa Ana and all of the support that we get, the locations that we're allowed to work in and the media that we're allowed to use here through newsletters and marquees and all those things. So thank you very much for recognizing us and we thank you for being such a great partner, Santa Ana.

Thank you, Mayor, so much. Thank you for, again, bringing that resource to our community and today on behalf of the entire city council and the city of Santana and our residents who'd like to present the certificate of recognition for the Orange County United Way's free tax prep program and all the outstanding contributions to the city of Santana. Thank you so much. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

All right. Madam City Attorney, do we have anything to report out of a closed session?

Sonia R. Carvalho

We do not have any reportable action, Mayor, but I would like to ask the City Council to consider adding a late-breaking item to the consent calendar of the agenda this evening. This afternoon we received a lawsuit which will be filed on behalf of Mr. Phil Bracera against his council opponent, Mr. Reyna, and also naming our city clerk. I'd like to place that item on our agenda and ask the city council consider providing a defense for the defendants. That would be on your consent calendar. If you wish to discuss any internal items about this case, we could go into closed session.

Sonia R. Carvalho

So you might want to take that vote to add both as a consent calendar item and as a closed session item. Is there a motion to do so? Make a motion to approve.

Second. All right, there's a motion, a second. Any opposition? Okay, motion passes. I now want to ask, are there any items that folks want to pull?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. So bear with me. I'm pulling everything from the consent calendars. My last name. What happened? That's a joke, but it's almost all of them. So let me begin. 11A, 19C, 19E, 19F, 19G, 20C. I'm a no on 20D, 20E, 25A. I'm a no in 25D. I'm a no.

Juan, you're slipping here, man. You did well last week. I don't know if there are any other items.

There aren't. I think there are. I did have two 20D and 25A that I would like to pull. Did you pull those? She missed those two.

20D and 25A. She pulled that one.

And she'll be a no. All right. All right. before that there's some speakers let me just get through the speakers and then we'll bring it back and we'll go from there Ken Wynn 11a Elena Oliver I believe 11a Mike Tardif 11a so come on down Mike and Lena be right and then Cecilia Iglesias, 11A.

Good evening, Mayor and Councilmember. I'm here on behalf of Vietnamese American Community in Santa Ana. I would like to present, I have to present to each one of you, including the seat attorney as well as city manager, a copy of the New York newspaper on front page dated December 1st, on Saturday, December 1st, and also published the MAPC3 on the newspaper. I just wanted to quote some of the comments made by Vietnamese American leaders in the community. First, Mr. Phat Bui, the member of the Gowry City Council and also President of Vietnamese American Federation of Orange Gowry.

This quote, this is great news. In March I have attended City Council meeting and have spoke in support of the resolution. Having Vietnamese council member in Santa Ana is a very good thing. It demonstrates the true democracy of the United States. More importantly, Vietnamese residents could easily express their thought and desire with their own representative. Professor Nguyen Van Thanh Yau, Chairman of Vietnamese American Interfaith Council in America. This is a very good thing for Vietnamese people in Santa Ana. I know this city could serve our residents in this city,

but if those Vietnamese people are more sympathetic the issue of Vietnamese origin mr. Tom time when for Santa resident have made comment I have been here since 1980 and see want to have a Vietnamese represented in the city this must be a happen long time ago remember Santa was the first Vietnamese community when they we just came to here in America later when and the foot of the tire of this grand gathering around with Westminster and Garden Row. I did not waste my time for wasting for 38 years. Thank you for those who are sadly fighting for the benefit of Vietnamese. In general, the article in support of MAPC3

and Vietnamese American community very applause of the decision made by City Council in the last meeting. Thank you.

And I have provided a copy of the information. Thank you, Mr. Nguyen.

When? I already called the next speaker. Come on up.

Mike, go ahead.

Mayor and City Council, you know what you did. By the way, we do support the Asian community, the Vietnamese community, and we want to see a fair ward map for them and also for all of the newly elected council members. You know what you did. you jimmied the ward map after the election to disadvantage future Santa Ana Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias. You were supposed to accommodate election possibilities for Santa Ana Asian community, and you couldn't help yourselves but to disrespect a future colleague on the dais with you at the same time while you dealt from the bottom of the deck.

What you have done, you cannot fix it, but the next council will have the opportunity to repair what you have done. I heard it mentioned by Mayor Pro Tem Martinez that this council is the only entity which can approve the ward map according to the agreement. That is simply not true. There is no time deadline in the agreement. Nor is it mentioned that this council has exclusive responsibility and right to conclude the agreement for the city.

The next council is perfectly capable and has the legal right to conclude the agreement with a ward map which is fair to all parties, the Asian community, all the newly elected council members, and Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias. What you all need to do is to summon the moral courage to do what is right. That is to reject the ward map before you this evening and show respect to your future colleague. Do the right thing. Reject Ward Map C3. Thank you.

Thank you. Elena Oliver. Followed by Ceci Iglesias. Followed by Alexis Teodoro.

Good evening, Mayor and Council people. I'm here to reject Ward C Map also. I think if you look at the fairness of it, we want to be inclusive for every citizen here. But if you reject the map 6, Ward 6 that we have now, you're rejecting a whole bunch of people. And I'm just in support of the new council taking a look-see and being inclusive for everyone. Thank you.

Thank you. Ceci, come on down, please.

Good evening, Mayor, Councilmembers. My name is Cecilia Iglesias, and I am the newly elected councilwoman for Ward 6. and I'm here just to talk about the board map redistricting as you know myself and two other of the new council members have been elected by the community to serve a four-year term and the ward redistricting process has presented a challenge for you guys to be able to accommodate all of us and I know the map D2 what it did it presented a challenge because it would have put Roman and also David Peñalosa living in the same ward.

But at the same time, what you've done is also inconvenienced me because it would mean that I would have to run for re-election in two years, seek re-election, either that or stay at large and serve for four years. That would mean that I would have to move out of my ward, my house that I've lived for almost 30 years, if I would want to seek re-election. So in order to be fair to all the communities of interest, and I know we're trying to make sure that everybody's voice is heard, I ask that you reject MAPC3 and adopt the one that was before you on October, I believe it was October 28th, or the 30th, the council

meeting, that it was D2, and that would allow everyone, all of us who were elected on November 6th for us to represent our ward where we're living in, and also provide an opportunity for the Vietnamese community to have their own ward and to also have an open seat. So it will give opportunity for other individuals to run as unopposed with an incumbent. So what I'm asking you is to reject Ward C3 map and to give us an opportunity, the incoming council, to see if we can work with all the communities of interest involved

and for us to approve and work on a map that's going to be beneficial to all of us. So I thank you for your time, and I hope you do the right thing and reject map C3. Thank you.

Thank you, Alexis, followed by Linnell Velasquez, followed by Teresa Lee.

Alexis?

So you know Alexis? Let's go to Lenel Velasquez. And then Teresa Lee. Teresa, are you here? Come on down, Teresa, if you're here. Teresa Lee.

Come on down. And then Alejandra Capistran would be next.

good evening

my name is teresa lee santana residence in 1997. we're very happy that this year can you get closer more justice and respect for the own voters and residents in Santana, we appreciate the council's support,

especially those members who have supported this new system of the Santa Ana District election since the beginning. Thank you very much and have a happy Christmas. Thank you.

Thank you, Maria Ramirez, followed by Chris Schmidt.

Chris, go ahead. If there's no Maria, go ahead. And then Alberta Christie.

Good morning. Good evening, Mayor and City Council members. I'm here tonight to talk about the word boundaries. I'm concerned we may be violating our own city charter. If you read section 101.2 of the city charter, which I'm going to do regarding ward boundaries, it says there's only three criteria to redraw boundaries. Ward boundaries shall not be altered except as reasonably necessary to promote the greater equality of population among the wards. When such necessity is shown by the most recent federal decennial census or by more current census data certified by the city council,

sufficiently reliable and detailed to serve as a basis for a ward boundary alteration or by annexation or consolidation of territory. I don't believe we've met any of those three criteria. You cannot just change ward boundaries when it suits you. These are the three criteria set forth in our city charter. We're using the 2010 census data. You haven't certified any more current reliable information and we haven't annexed or consolidated any territory into our city. I hope you please review section 101.2.

Don't just do something for political will or to win new city council members over to protect them. Do what's best for the residents of Santa Ana. Please review section 101.2 of the city charter. Thank you very much.

All right. I believe after that, Alberta Christie, if you're here. There you are. and then followed by Thomas Gordon.

Good evening. Thank you, Mayor and Council. You know, as a former Councilwoman, and like I said, you know, this is your last meeting, I understand what you're doing. Look at what is going to be my legacy, that you have to do that. looking at this to have a duly elected city councilwoman that was done by the voters in her area to be cut out in a way that punished her, is that fair? Is that the type of legacy you want for Santa Ana of fairness?

Yes, we do have where we have the Asian population that's there, but also you have others. And the way that this was cut out, it looks punitive as far as serving an additional community that's in our city. I hope that we don't have that kind of attitude on the City Council. it should be done by the next council because it impacts them. And remember, in 2020, you have a new census that's going to come up

and you're going to have to change those boundary lines again. But let's be fair. I know the city. I know each and every one of you. And you want to do the right thing. So please reject this C3, put it over to the new council, and let them decide that. Thank you so much for listening.

Thomas Gordon.

good evening good evening mayor council once again i'm here to speak about the redistricting that we're attempting to pull the wool over a bunch of people's eyes miss lee in her lawsuit against the city did not ask for redistricting Miss Lee got $275,000 of taxpayer money because of this little issue before us Miss Lee asked that we go from an at-large system to a by ward system that was all didn't ask for the lines to be redrawn didn't ask for there to be a shuffle all we asked for Miss Lee asked for was that we go from an at-large to a by ward

which I think a lot of people agree with but once again the city put one thing out before the voters and paid them $275,000. And then once the vote was held and the desired result was obtained, we did a fast switch to pull the wool over people's eyes. I respectfully ask that you put this over and let the next council handle this legally with accordance of the rule of law and our charter. And let's do it the right way this time, unlike last time when we did a lot of fast switching. Thank you, guys.

Thank you. Karen Rodriguez, come on down. You have 11A, 19G, and 20D. If you're here, come on down and speak. If not, Luis Sarmiento, if you're here, you have 20D and 19G.

and after Louise we have Ryan far set 11 being 19 C and 20 B go ahead Louise

good evening sorry I was a little bit caught off guard because yeah I wanted to speak on item 20D about the sale of public land. And so there's a lot of different items on the agenda tonight related to the use of public resources to create housing and other types of economic opportunities for Santa Ana residents and in this item 20D the city continues to sell off its public land

and lose a vital public resource.

Many of you, we've met with many of you, our coalition of community organizations including the city's first community land trust is ready to work with city staff, old and new council members to have a better use of public funds to benefit long-time residents and I think some of my compañeras and compañeros will speak tonight about the housing crisis and this type of use of

public funds is creating greater housing overcrowding. The lack of protections for the renter community and the sale of public land is putting greater and greater pressure on the low-income resident community. So I would ask you to work with community groups on the administration of public land. Do not approve this sale of public land, but continue the conversation with community groups about the use of the community land trust model,

which has been completely successful in other cities. and you have many staff people and you have many city council members who have expressed interest in learning about better uses of public lands. Thank you. Thank you.

Ryan Reza.

What are you? Check, check. Thank you, Honorable Mayor and Honorable Council Members. You're live on the Facebook network of Mark Zuckerberg's 2 billion users across the world. I'm here to speak on number 12, number 19C, and number 20C as well. So number 19, I have a question in regards to the fund that you guys want to have. Because Governor Brown just added taxes for marijuana, and there's basically no supervision on what's going on. They're spraying the marijuana, in my opinion, to make you sicker so you can go to the doctor more because Big Pharma has taken over. That's why you're getting taxed.

And there's no supervision. Lawyers are making money and it's a big game for Governor Brown and his gang of lawyers. So this funding you want to have for the youth, I want to know how's that working out. How do you get to supervise it? next is the number 19c is about your spending it's kind of vague i just want to bring it to everyone's attention that i lined up seven cities three in the city the county of la and four in the county of orange what i'm asking them is very simple stuff what kind of debt are you guys putting on the tax holders but this is a corporation so you guys are all employees you're you got a you

got a seat up there you're getting paid for it to serve the people this is a corporation of san So you have a budget and a lot of times a lot of these cities are going over budget ladies and gentlemen They smile in front of you and they just keep issuing more bonds and more debt on top of our backs That's how we have a rising debt ceiling Next we have the surveillance in the police department The FBI Federal Bureau of Incorporations or the CIA cover Israel agency Newport Beach Police Department City of Mission Viejo and the City of Fullerton I give you guys all notice I pulled the trump card on you

You got Donald Trump, Mr. President, Governor Brown, Governor of California, Governor Brown, Governor of Oregon. I put you guys all on notice. I even let Jeffrey Sessions know about what's going on with our ballots. We have double ballots. We have this surveillance going on. I've been in surveillance for a long time, since May probably, or even sooner. Because I figured out you get two ballots. It's really bad. We have a lot of problems with our elections, ladies and gentlemen. This is the truth that's happening. two ballots means a lot of problems so on 11 30 last week on Thursday I pulled

amendment number six on the police chief of the Newport Beach Police Department Chief John Lewis all right if you can please wrap up and the US Postal General what is amendment six it gives you the right to see who's accusing you of anything thank you amendment sixes the United States Constitution supersedes all God bless America thank you thank you my name is Ryan Reza Farsi Karen

Karen Romero Estrada, I believe it is, from OCO. Come on down. Accord, O-Cord.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Karen Romero Estrada from OCO. And I'm speaking on 19G. Just generally, I commend the city's efforts to support homelessness services and also to remind and urge the City Council to continue to direct the inclusionary housing funds towards the production of long-term affordable housing units, which is what the Housing Opportunity Ordinance sets out to do. And I say that as the City thinks about replenishing the inclusionary housing funds. I'm also talking about 20D and the City of Santana is facing an affordable housing crisis. and again we believe that public parcel should be used

to develop for public good, especially for affordable housing. And regardless if parcels have funding restrictions, I think that the city can still provide a notification process where affordable housing developers and community organizations can still be notified when these parcels are set out for disposition and also the city should be able to prioritize the development of community benefit in these parcels. The city can be creative. It is a weak argument to say that a parcel is too regular or too small. We could create pocket parks that children would really appreciate and benefit from. And lastly, I want to talk

about 65D, and I want to begin with addressing Mayor Pro Temes Martinez's previous comments, that it is always the same people coming to ask for the same things over and over. We always have the same developers, the same apartment associations, and landlords come to the city over and over, and we don't hear those comments, so that is incredibly disrespectful. So let's get it straight that we wouldn't have to come over and over if the city wouldn't be failing to meet its housing needs and actively implement strong policies and ordinances that proactively push the production of affordable housing and make rental protections.

We will continue to come because we are the community members and representatives that take the time to assess and provide recommendations on how to better improve residents' lives. So in the Housing Opportunity Ordinance as it seeks to be amended, we urge that the city include advocates and people that and organizations that produce affordable housing to be centered in these conversations and to participate especially in the upcoming stakeholder meetings and also to just strengthen it so that it actually does what it's supposed to do which is produce long-term affordable housing units.

since since 2011 the city has only produced three units so we need to do better than that thank you

so with that let me bring it back to councilman martinez let's take all your items and we'll take

the balance okay great thank you mr mayor the first item is 11a just like to get clarification from our madam city attorney uh there were some statements made by the public i just would like for you to clarify that as it pertains to the lawsuit and not the election. I think these are two different issues. And so if we can state that for the record, it would

Sonia R. Carvalho

be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mayor Potem. I would like to specifically respond to the allegation that the action that's proposed is not in accordance with your charter. In fact, if you look at the language of Measure AA that was presented to your voters, it was a charter amendment to amend both Sections 400 and 101.2. The language specifically said, shall the City of Santa Ana charter be amended to provide for the elections by wards and, I quote, with ward boundaries to be drawn as required by law. In addition to that charter amendment with specific language,

Sonia R. Carvalho

that the ward redrawing of boundaries comply with both state and federal law to equalize population. So I think the statement that was read to you, while I respect that it was read, it's in our printed charter, does not reflect what was approved by the voters. That language is included in your agenda item 19E. For transparency and disclosure, the city manager's office prepared 19E to put in laypeople's terms the impacts of those measures. I have no comment with respect to the policy that this city council adopts in terms of your policy decisions.

Sonia R. Carvalho

But I would like to comment that even with your D2 map, you may recall that it would have caused a conflict with newly elected council members. There really wasn't a way that at least was presented to us as staff that would not have caused this council to have to choose among people. If there was a proposal out there that would have both accomplished the needs of the settlement agreement and the equalization of population that would not have caused some of these conflicts, we certainly would have presented them to you. So we published numerous maps in hopes that you would have that policy conversation.

Sonia R. Carvalho

I have no opinion as to that, but I just wanted the public to understand that even if you had stayed with the D2 map, you would have had these types of conflicts. And again, I have no opinion as to which one is better than the other, but that is the fact. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Madam City Attorney, and then I will conclude just two more comments. If you could just please also state for the record as it pertains to sequencing. So per our charter, we do have three council members that are up for election by 2020, and also we cannot give them any more time. So when we talk about the sequencing, if we could be able possibly to, say, extend Councilman Villegas' term and not run in 2020 and say run in 22 and give the opportunity to also Councilman Jose Solorio to create the opportunity for the newly elected not to have to run. We cannot grant any of those other council members any more time per the charter.

Sonia R. Carvalho

Is that a true statement? That is a true statement. And again, I just want to remind the council and the public, we had an open public hearing before this body. I believe it was October 30th. And for those that attended that public hearing, they will remember we specifically told you that the sequencing would cause these types of conflicts. And it was for that reason that I recommended to you that we extend that one more time, because we knew that the sequencing would cause these kinds of conflicts, and we wanted to make sure that the public understood that. So we did have people in attendance that day.

Sonia R. Carvalho

And it does happen, if I just might make one more comment to you, The redistricting and the redrawing process is difficult for communities to struggle with. Many cities end up in this position where you have terms, you have conflicts, but the one thing we cannot do is extend a term to make this work. And so we gave you all of the proposals. Again, if there was a proposal that had no conflicts, we certainly would have presented that to you.

So with that stated, you know, I asked the city attorney all these questions, And when I proposed the map at the last council meeting, I did not speak to not one member of the city council. I think as the public knows, I was fairly against this whole process from the very beginning. And ultimately, if you look at our first quarter and our second quarter of our budget, you know, we don't have $2.1 million to continue this lawsuit. And so because of those reasons, I ended up giving in and having to look at a specific map.

And again, I never once communicated this with any of my colleagues until I did my homework and in this last council meeting, I then proposed because when I asked our city staff, in particular our city attorney, all our options, I realized if we were to move forward with D2, we were still going to impact two new members of the city council. and we still had to, because of the sequencing, still move forward with the Asian, specifically, ward in regards to the lawsuit that we were moving forward.

That would have to go up in 2020 regardless. And so as I looked at this in totality, I said to myself, look, I understand that someone is going to get penalized. And with all respect, I welcome and I'm glad that Cecilia Iglesias has been elected to this council. And I stated that on Facebook and I hope that she succeeds here on this dais. Unfortunately, the boundaries and where you live is the district for the Asian population that will be representing in that district. It would have to go up regardless in 2020. And so I asked all those questions and certainly the public is not always going to agree.

but i think there was no malicious intent on this dais we wanted the the least impacts and so that was the reason for me choosing that map again i can't speak for my colleagues on this dais but just wanted to articulate uh my rationale and why i chose that map and and those are my comments mr

mayor all right additional comments councilman tinajero so uh what that is uh i spoke with uh

Board member and incoming councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias regarding this issue because I was concerned that There was a perception that that people were trying to push her out in two years and so I agreed that Every person should have a four-year term as they come in so I went in and asked some questions But Madam City Attorney I'm going to ask you one question at a time because I think I think in explaining everything in a five minute explanation, there's things that are going to get lost.

So, first question. What was the main, the reason for us having to have an election in 2020 is because the judge said what? What was the ruling?

Sonia R. Carvalho

We entered into a stipulated settlement, so we didn't have a, we did not have a ruling in this case because we didn't litigate the issue. but the stipulated judgment took our regularly scheduled municipal election in 2020, and we were told, pursuant to that settlement agreement, that we needed to create a new district in which the Asian voters would have an opportunity to elect an Asian representative.

So one of the things that was happening on that west end is that it was split into three districts, into three wards, and that was something else that could not occur. Is that correct?

Sonia R. Carvalho

Yes, that was our primary problem, is that you basically, the way the old boundaries were drawn, if you had just said you were going to be elected from that ward, you would not have resolved the issue that that ward was split up into three pieces. And that's what was, according to the demographer, making it impossible to elect an Asian from that area.

And so I can't recall who came up and spoke and said that the election was not about changing the boundaries. It was about having ward elections. The answer is...

Sonia R. Carvalho

Oh, absolutely. I have to tell you, if you look at Measure AA, transparency is really important to me. We put in here specifically in the question that this was an amendment of both Section 101.2 and 400. We drafted the language. and as I look at the measure now, even the no argument, the argument against the measure, disclosed in here that the current ward boundaries were drawn in the 2010 census and raised this issue. So this issue was disclosed, and based on the arguments that were published in the ballot, it appears that there was discussion, so a voter would have had an opportunity to read the pro and the con argument

Sonia R. Carvalho

in which this issue of the ward boundaries and the redrawing of them was addressed.

So that's why things are placed in writing, because at the end of the day we refer back to that. That's the only way we can have a democracy and a civil discussion here where we judge facts. I know that we're moving away from facts, and that's scary for me, but the reality is that I think the ruling was that the largest ward, or the ward that had the largest Asian population had to have an election in 2020. Is that correct?

Sonia R. Carvalho

Yes, the settlement did say that that would have to go first. So that was one decision that was somewhat taken away from the City Council.

Can you repeat that one more time?

Sonia R. Carvalho

That decision was taken away from the City Council. The fact that you would have to put that new ward up was in the stipulated judgment.

These decisions, these conversations were all happening before the election even took place. And so we didn't know who was going to win. Well, I kind of had a feeling that Ms. Iglesias was going to win, and I was happy for her. But we weren't seen until – it wasn't brought to my attention until we had a conversation and I started to ask more questions. So, you know, politics is politics. But let's just be real honest here. There was a settlement agreement. We were going to lose that case. We then had to act.

We acted in the best interest of the city because we weren't going to pay $1.2 million in a lawsuit. So we did the responsible thing was to put it out to the voters. The voters overwhelmingly supported Ward elections. Whether you like it or not, the election was won. I wish I could be mayor, but that's not where the votes landed. So you have to follow democracy. And sometimes we're upset about it, but that's the way it goes. And this one went this route. We have ward elections, that's the new lay of the land, and the settlement agreement said that whatever ward had the largest Asian population had to go up in 2020.

That's just plain and simple what we've just laid out. And so I was trying to ask some questions to see if there was anything we could do about it, but we couldn't. So I'll leave it at that. I just wanted to make it clear.

Thank you. Additional comments? Council Member Villegas.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to thank Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member Tinajero for the questions and to thank the City Attorney also for clearing this up. And I want to thank the rest of my colleagues for all coming together in that last meeting to put this together because a lot of people were skeptical if we were going to even come to an agreement on a map. So I want to thank all the colleagues up here and the mayor and staff for coming together and agreeing on a map. We did the best job we could, and it was a tough call. Everyone here knows that, and we had a lawsuit pushing us for, pressing us for time.

And anyway, thank you to all my colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Additional comments?

Just two quick points. Mr. Mayor, I do want to thank Mr. Kindwin that also shared some media articles stating overall community support for the Asian Ward here. Point two is that when the candidate filing period was beginning, I know the staff did inform all the folks that pulled papers or thought about pulling papers of how all these conversations were occurring about wards and potential changes, etc. So there was public notification for all the candidates that there could be changes down the road and at the end of the day, you know, it's the map, you know, before

us that had consensus. So I do support it and thank my colleagues for all this work and effort. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. Everyone else has made comments. I feel compelled. But the process, this process was very involved, deliberate, a number of meetings that were held public different places throughout the city. Last meeting we did come together, there were a couple of maps, a couple of options. At that meeting one of the options that was being considered was D2. Of the various maps that were presented, they all worked towards solving some of the issues that the stipulated

agreement presented. At that point I was more inclined and I made that statement. Various maps can address the solution, including the map that ultimately the council supported. At that time, I was more inclined to support D2, and I made mention of that. At the end of the day, the fact that the council was able to come together as a majority to address the overall issues that were presented through this lawsuit, that's worry what what we have tonight what was voted on then what we have tonight map c3 addresses it

doesn't any map would would impact uh would have certain impacts uh including some of the the newly elected uh council members that the council members elect all that said is at that point last meeting i took a position that i'm not not in favor of the map that's being considered tonight However, tonight I will be supportive in that it's the map that again addresses, brings to resolution. We're able to put this lawsuit behind us and move forward. And the council in the future will be able to look at districts and boundaries again after the census and potentially make some modifications there if needed.

Of that said, I'll be supporting tonight's motion.

anybody want to make a second comment because that he didn't have a comment till everybody else did and then extending the time mayor we're good comment all right if we don't have additional comment um look I I don't disagree with anything that's been said it's just the timing is very unfortunate because you've got new council members that are going to live with this decision for potentially many many many years and right now they feel and i agree with um council member elect cesse iglesias that they're not getting any input um at the end of the day on that so i don't know

that there'll be opportunities in in the near future uh to consider anything else but for that reason i'd like to entertain a motion is there a motion to approve what we have motion to approve no i'll second all right and and having said that we have a motion a second um i wish to be in solidarity with the new folks that are coming on board so again i don't disagree with anything that has been said but i i i just think it just doesn't feel right that they don't get uh any input so So those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Those opposed, I'll be the sole opposing vote on that.

Thank you. Thank you. All right, what's our next item?

19C, Mr. Mayor.

Well, we made a lot of progress.

Yes, we have made a lot of progress. And I will be quick and just ask our finance directors, you could just please come up here very quickly. And this is just the budget update. And I just wanted just to focus very quickly, and I know this is just a receiving file, but I think as we conclude the fiscal year for 2018-19 first quarter budget and the 2018-2019 first quarter vacancy report, that I wanted to highlight two things that were discussed in our in our FedBIT meeting about a week ago.

And that is one when you look at and thank you, Ms. Finance Director, for joining me up here. Don't have to go through just some couple of things that I just wanted to highlight. One is the first item is we look at the fiscal year in regards to the quarterly update and really essentially how much revenue we brought in and in comparison to the year prior. I want to thank you for this report that's comprehensive, that we really haven't received anything like this that has given us this kind of detail. So wanting to thank you for that as a highlight here

that we've had had a couple increases in regards to our sales tax, but also more importantly in regards to our permits and plan check. And then of course our adult use and our jail revenue. And so I wanted to highlight that, but to go into also the next thing, which is the city users utility tax. If we continue to see a decline, and I think it's important for my colleagues to understand that because I've been articulating that already for a couple of years. And so we're continuing to decline 4% since fiscal year 2015, 2016, and that is going to continue.

And so we need to be mindful of that. The third part that I wanted and where I think I would like our finance director to talk about is that there's been an increase in our general fund. and it indicates that that increase was due to one-time funds in regards to the sale of land. So I guess my question is, if it went to the general fund, I've been told that most of the land that we've sold was predominantly on Bristol, so those funds may be going to the general fund, but we can't use those funds.

Is that a true statement, yes or nay, as it pertains to one-time for the sale of land?

Catherine Downs, Executive Director of Finance and Management Services. The one-time sale of land was for close to $2.1 million. That is being deposited into the general fund, and from what I understand, it can be used for any general fund purpose.

Sonia R. Carvalho

If I may, I just look at the sale of the land, if you want to mention, for the Hampton Inn project. This was not Bristol Street property, so that particular sale.

So the 2.1 is for the Hampton, so okay, fantastic. I just want to make that very clear, because when you read this on the memo, it doesn't articulate that. And if you saw some of our residents that came before us in regards to the sale of land, most of the land that was sold on Bristol, we cannot use those dollars. But the Hampton, yes, we can. And then the third thing that I wanted to talk about, which were the financial trends for this upcoming year, as we looked at our general fund has increased really by a dismal 2%, while we look at our expenditures that are rising by 5%.

So you look at our expenditures and you look at the revenue coming in, revenue expenditures are up here. And so as we continue, you know, and I only have six days on this council, and I think I've been one that has been the watchdog in regards to the finances, that what's before us, and you look at next for me to discuss, is the vacancy report. We have a total of unfunded, you know, total funded vacancies, 134, and then unfunded a total of 57. So for a total of 191 positions.

So this city is running lean and mean and still at a deficit because of pensions and increases to raises. And I've said this time and time again, that the chickens have come home to roost. Pensions are going to not only impact the city of Santa Ana, but cities across this state and also school districts across this state. And so as I, in my tenure, I wanted to bring up these last comments about, you know, where we're moving. And yes, a measure was just passed in regards to sales tax.

But if we all seen in the news lately, there is a recession coming. You know, the stock market has continued to tank. If you're looking at the housing market today as well, it's now become a buyer's market and the housing real estate is going to continue to dip as we go into December. And so I just want to caution my colleagues that just because a sales tax measure was approved doesn't mean that the city has now just solved all its problems. We have a structural deficit. One time funds cannot continue to sustain a city of Santa Ana in particular with its pensions.

And so I just wanted, Ms. Downs, if you can please briefly, you know, and I mentioned this in our Fed meeting, as we look at our vacancy, and I think, you know, because some of my colleagues have always talked about this, in particular, Councilman Solorio, we've always been confused about what positions are fully, that are vacant, that are funded, and those that are not funded. And so if you can just please clarify for us those positions that are funded and then those that are not funded. And what does that mean for the City of Santa Ana moving forward as it looks at its vacancy and what it can do moving forward?

Thank you. Your funded vacancies as of the first quarter are 134 headcount. That's equivalent to about $15 million. dollars. And then the unfunded vacancies, there are 57 of them. Most of them are in the police department. Again, those are unfunded at this time. If the city council were to choose to fund those, of course that would increase the current structural deficit. The value of those unfunded vacancies might be approximately

$5 to $8 million, depending on what they are.

Great. Thank you so very much. I just wanted to, you know, this was presented at our Fed Committee in our last meeting, and this was coming before this Council, and just wanted to take the opportunity just to review this and where the City is at currently as we move forward with the first quarter. And with that, Mr. Mayor, thank you. I'll move this item. Thank you.

Is there a second? Second. Those in favor, please say aye.

Mr. Mayor, I have just a... Yes, go ahead. I want to add one or two quick points. I do want to thank the staff though. We now have a lot of clarity on what funded positions are out there, vacancies and which ones are unfunded where before there was a blur on what was funded or what not. So from this diarce of the public would say no, no, there's no money to pay for any of those vacancies. But here very clearly we have 134 total funded vacancies. That means they're budgeted, the money's in the general fund, we could hire them. We're looking for folks in different departments, particularly our police department.

So go to our website or join Santa Anna PD and you can see about all the positions available. So that's a very good thing. In terms of where we're at, revenue to date versus expenditures, one reality is that a lot of our revenue sources come in later in the fiscal year. As we all know, the tax season and property taxes come later in the cycle or on a quarterly basis. So although it looks like revenues are down a little bit, it's largely a function of that. I am very interested in this issue, a possible problem with utility taxes going down as a trend.

So I do plan on following up with staff to understanding that better to see what is going on. and I do thank Mayor Patel Martinez for highlighting some of these items. Thank you.

Any other question or comment? If not, I believe I have a motion and a second. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye, opposed. Motion carries. Next item.

Mr. Mayor, I'll be very quickly here. 19E, obviously, we're going to move this item forward, and this is just a receiving file for next steps for implementation of the November 18 voter approver ballot measures. One of them was the sales tax measure, making sure, and Councilman Benavides mentioned that in our Fed. So I'm not going to steal your thunder for you to speak about that very quickly. But wanting to make sure that these measures that were approved, that there is transparency, that there is accountability from this dais,

and more importantly from our city staff, and just wanting to thank Ms. Downs for her presentation and some of those next steps. And so that's all I'll say on that because I know Councilman Benavides wanted to talk about that as we discussed this in our last meeting. Councilman Benavides?

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Go ahead. So the item that I'll specifically make comment on is Measure X. There were a number of measures that the voters did approve. Measure X is the penny and a half sales tax. and I'll reiterate what Councilwoman Mayor Portem mentioned is that by no means does the passage of this measure mean that we're in the clear as a city. The structural deficit remains. We do still have to be extremely responsible and that's with

our expenditures going forward. one concern that I know has been raised is does this now mean that the city has money to give raises and to start spending it? My hope, as Mayor Patem has mentioned, a few of us have six days, my hope is that the council going forward will be very cautious

and that's going forward with those expenditures. One of the matters that, one of the items with this measure that the voters approved was that there would be an oversight, a citizens' oversight committee. So, Mr. City Manager, can you, it's imperative that we move forward in an expeditious manner to be able to put together this citizens' oversight. this is what the community that voted is expecting, this way this group would be able to be a resource to the council going forward.

Can you speak to that process, the timeline, to be able to have that citizens' oversight committee put together?

Yes, Council Member Benavides. You know, as we mentioned in the committee, we're committed to bringing an oversight board proposal for the council's review. both the our new finance director and I are strong believers we both worked with financial oversight or budget oversight committees in past employment in past cities and right now our our task is to survey other cities to come back with several models we'll probably go to the edit committee bet them and then come back with some recommendations for the full council in terms of timeline I'd have to ask our finance director to give me a little help with

that because she's leading the effort in terms of our progress.

Thank you. We've already started the benchmarking process. We should have that wrapped up by the end of the week. We have several models to offer the city council as a whole. We have some best practice documents to share with the council. So we should be sharing those materials in January once we pull everything together. Thank you. So I know that measure was very controversial, even for us on the dais, to be able to put it forward to the voters. However, we knew that we needed a bit of breathing room to at least patch a little bit or slow the bleeding, if you will.

And it was very difficult for those of us who did vote to place this matter on. I'm glad that the voters did see the need and voted in favor. However, again, it's just going to be extremely important that the council and city going forward is fiduciary responsible with this. And the citizens' oversight board will be instrumental in that. So hopefully we'll be able to hear as a citizen, Benavides, how that proceeds. And thank everybody.

Thank city manager, finance director, and my colleagues who will remain for supporting the community going forward to raise transparency through this process. Thank you.

Great. I want to finish my second point on this item, which is Measure I, which is a proof ordinance reading for marijuana and commercial cannabis business license tax. I just want to just state for the record and as my colleagues move forward, we had a discussion in regards to the testing facility and testing laboratory. You know, here we are, the gross receipts tax rate is at 5%, and I mentioned it to our city manager already as I've been speaking to the industry. And I think some of the folks have called you. I think we had that discussion.

You know, when you've been looking at laboratories, you know, the impacts are very minimal as it pertains to the other uses. and so we have an opportunity to be a leader. If we're going to be a leader in anything and wanting to make sure that we get the right testing, that cannabis is being regulated here at the local level, the restrictions at the state level are pretty substantial as well, and the cost that they have to pay at the state level. There's a lot of unintended consequences with what the state did, and so I just want my colleagues to be cautious that as they move forward

and there's more recommendations to this ordinance that looking to reduce that 5% for testing facilities to at least 2 to 1%. We've had that conversation. Irvine and Costa Mesa, I think Costa Mesa is at zero and Irvine is practically almost at that as well. You know, you look at robotics and you look at the opportunity for research and development and wanting to create an innovations district. you can look at research and design in the cannabis industry. You have an opportunity as you're updating your general plan and land use to support research and development as it pertains to testing here and be a leader in California.

But when we have a tax rate of 5%, you know, and what they're having to deal with at the state, and so the state makes those reductions, I think it's important for us to consider because of the less of the impact that they have. And the reality is that other testing laboratories like Quest are paying zero, right? And they're doing that testing as well. And so I just want us to be cognizant of that. And I hope that our staff in this council will continue to review that and making sure that we're able to continue to have this part of the industry here in the city of Santa Ana because testing is so important.

We see what's happening in Northern California and with pesticides and other things in regards to this cannabis industry. it is real and we want to make sure that if we're going to be you know having retail marijuana and having cultivation here that we have the best testing facilities not just here in the state of california but in the country we can lead the way and we have one of the very best that's doing robotics and so we have a lot of opportunity and just wanting to keep that in mind with my colleagues thank you very much this is on this item number is 19e all right for the record i

must apologize and i know it's just a receiving file basically but madam city attorney i'm going to abstain on this because it has to do with cannabis and melahat rafali has been my campaign consultant and she also heads up the local cannabis association so i think it's best just not to participate. So I'm going to go ahead and let you guys vote without me.

So I have a motion to approve. I'm not sure if we have a second. Second. Any comment? If not, all those in favor, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Motion carries. Great. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So next item very quickly is 19F. And this is just a six-month pilot program permitting food truck vending. I just wanted to thank Alvaro Nunez for providing that presentation as it came back to our committee and And wanting to let the council know that we supported to come before you all.

And just wanting just to make a little adjustment, as I mentioned, that beyond just having these areas for public properties, for also including pop-ups, which is another way to bring more folks just beyond the trucks. And so those are my comments, Mr. Mayor. I move the item forward. Second.

We have a second. Second. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed. Motion carries unanimously.

Mr. Mayor, yes, so the 19G is a report effort on replenishing inclusionary housing fund. This also went to our committee. We had a very busy committee meeting and we finished quite early, actually. Some folks came late, but still in comparison, we actually finished a pretty good time. Anyhow, I just wanted to stay for the record as well, because on this dais, we made it very clear that we wanted to replenish those inclusionary housing funds. funds with the funds that we use for the homeless shelter and wanted our city manager to provide this report to the council saying that we're going to figure out a way of how to make this

happen because that's what we voted on and just wanted to put that on the record here today and just wanted to clarify why this item was here and with that Mr. Mayor move the item forward.

I'll second with comment. Go ahead comment. Just a thank you to staff. It was a very busy committee in the last few weeks and you all turned things around and got things on the agenda across the board so emt thank you that's it all right any more comment i believe we have motion a second

those in favor please say aye aye aye the supposed motion carries next item so mr mayor i'm excited

this is 20c long overdue and i see ryan chase in the audience over there and this is the appropriation adjustment and really an agreement with East End Realty Partnership to construct the new downtown skate park located on the southwest corner of French Street. I know there's various council members on this dais that have been working with the Chase family for quite some time to bring this forward to flourishing, just wanting the thing to Chase family for their patience over the years. And it's an exciting time as we look at our downtown. You know, lately you all

have seen scooters and people have been asking about that and soon you're going to be seeing skateboarders you know and a skate park it's a lot of excitement a true urban downtown the opportunity for us to work with a true public-private partnership which I call a P4N which is always putting the people first public-private partnerships to move infrastructure very quickly and then of course the network which we have the many various organizations whether it's KidWorks Latino Health Access, YMCAs that have been advocating for our city and Dell High Center to promote and bring more skate parks.

Those are going to be the anchor institutions and bringing youth to our downtown to explore. I'll tell you that I was at Cesar Chavez High School some time ago, and I asked the students if they've been to our downtown. I have to tell you, many of our students have never been to our downtown.

town. And so we have so many great amenities that are attracting young people, whether it's with our 4th Street Market and all the other amenities that we've we've had down there. You know, our young people have been asking for this skate park and just wanting to thank the Chase family for making that happen and bringing this to our community long overdue. And with that, Mr.

Moved this item forward. Second with comment. All right. And then I've got a comment as well. Go ahead.

Just want to thank the staff, want to thank members of the private community and businesses for all of their work and patience as well. It has taken a little bit of time. Hopefully this is, we've worked out the kinks and we can look at more opportunities such as this. What we're seeing here is placemaking. We're seeing opportunities for our young people. We're creating amenities out of being creative. Centrionality, where now it's a gathering space for young people. It can contribute to continue to bring life to the downtown. Had an opportunity to meet with our new executive director of Parks and Recreation.

And even though this is not a park, but it's in essence creating a space that, again, is activated. Hopefully we'll be able to see more skate parks as well and skate elements throughout our park system. Whenever we open up a park, oftentimes we look at benches, we look at playgrounds for the little ones. However, being one of the youngest cities in the nation, particularly in that teenage range, we are investing in our city and its future by creating more spaces like this for our teens and our youth to be able to be involved in positive activities. So, again, ecstatic to be able to see this finally here.

Thank you, city manager and members of the staff who helped put this together. Again, I want to thank East End Realty Partners for bringing this forth, for doing so much and not giving up on us. So hopefully, I'm hoping this will pass the night and looking forward to seeing it be realized here in the very near future.

Any other comment? If not, I just want to say that I was given a tour by Ryan Chase out there the other day and I really enjoyed it. and I do think this is a park though. It's a concrete park, but if you're skateboarding, you don't want to skateboard on grass. You want to skateboard on concrete. So you've got to think it through. So if it's for skateboarders, and it is, this is perfect. It's got a couple walls, concrete, and you've got to put some benches and some stuff for them to balance and grind and probably fall and hurt themselves. but we're going to get an indemnity on the thing.

But that's what young people like to do. They like to push the edge and have fun. Other folks, older people aren't there, but they're going to have fun, I'm sure. Nobody's going to hurt themselves. Nobody's going to get hurt, but they're going to have fun. And bruises are fun. All right. So with that, those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, the motion carries. Next item.

Mr. Mayor, that is now 20D, and I'm just a no vote. I'm not sure someone pulled that item on this dais besides myself. I think Councilman Benavides did. I think he did.

Go ahead, Councilman Benavides. I just wanted to clarify. We did have speakers relative to that item. We did. From what my understanding is, and for staff to clarify, that this is a property that was purchased with transportation dollars, and I believe that's just going to go right back. we're basically this one of those properties that is restricted and it's gonna go right back to what the use of it was also restricted and it's gonna go right back to the Bristol improvements project is that accurate that's absolutely correct councilman Benavides thank you city manager for that

clarification and I do have a follow-up this is parcel is directly adjacent to residential properties to homes so what I would just want to ensure is as we go forward that I believe it's going to be used for parking to supplement what's being taken away if you will from the adjoining property of the retail property some of the parking space there is going to be taken away this this property is now going to that that's on the ballot on the agenda tonight will be to supplement some of that.

So I just want to make sure there aren't any specifics here as to the use and any requirements as to aesthetic improvements, screening to the residential neighborhood, access to that parking area from 12th Street. We want to make sure that basically we're avoiding any type of cut-through and any type of adverse impact to the residents that were being very intentional to require that who will be the new property owner, require that they make improvements, aesthetic and the like, to, again, screen and protect the residential neighbourhood and avoid adverse impact there. Can you speak to that?

Yes, thank you, Council Member.

We've worked closely with the property owner, and the proposed site plan includes walls on both the cul-de-sac side and on the facing side to the adjacent residential to address that issue. Also, facing the cul-de-sac, there's a good amount of landscaping, which will help to screen that wall and avoid graffiti issues and things like that. So, yes, those are included. So that will be greening wall, vertical, landscape, and such? Correct. So you're on it then. Thank you. With that, I'll move the item.

All right. I know Councillor Martinez is a no vote. I personally would rather see this rolled over about a month so you council members can understand what we're doing because this is basically selling some land along Bristol Street. So if that accomplishes, if a no vote accomplishes that, then I'll be a no vote. If not, I'd entertain a subsequent motion for a continuance.

I'll second a continuance.

All right, so I guess I'll make the motion then. Subsequent motion for a one-month continuance. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Those opposed? No.

So it fails, so we didn't do anything, so that's the same as a continuous. I mean, it'll just be brought back. So with that, next item.

Yeah, Mr. Mayor, the other items, I'm a known exception for 20E, so I don't think anyone else pulled those items. So 20E, just very quickly, is to approve appropriation adjustments agreement with the Office of Traffic Safety for Pedestrian and Bike Safety Program. The only reason why I pulled this off as an item, obviously I'm very supportive. Today we had the opening of our first separated bikeway on Bristol and 17th, and I was there on behalf of the mayor and council just wanting to thank our staff and the various entities that came out there to celebrate this momentous occasion for us here in this city.

but as we look here for a bicycle safety program I just will mention to our staff as we continue to provide these amenities and infrastructure figuring out a way of how can we educate you know not only are our residents who bike and walk and possibly now scooter but more importantly those motorists and what are separated bike lanes I think they're still as active transportation is a new phenomenon over these past 10 years, it's still fairly new. And so people always ask, what are these green markings? What are bike sharrows? Now what are separated bikeways?

What are floating islands? You know, there's all this terminology and infrastructure that may not be sexy to many people, but may be sexy to many of us don't understand this terminology. And so just wanting to make sure that we continue to provide as much education as we possibly can to all users of the road. And with that, Mr. Mayor, I move this item.

A second with comment. Go ahead, comment. Actually, if the question is to staff, I'm glad that some, I was not able to attend the protected bike lane opening today, but I'm excited for it. I know that it's probably about two years back now, we also received a grant from the state for protected bike lane along Edinger from the river, Santana River to, or would that be east towards Bristol? and don't know if anybody from staff and some of the members of staff who are here we're not here at the time I don't know if anybody has any updates on that

but it was over two million dollar grant and it was going through design and if not if if not tonight if we can get an update but if sir give if you do have an update on on that yes I'm going to have to get back to you on that we'll provide an update specifically where that project is. It's well into the design process, but I can give you a specific update. Okay, perfect. If you can provide some of that info, I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

Mr. Mayor, that's yours. I think we have a motion to second. Those in favor, please say aye.

Aye. Aye. The opposed motion carries. Next item.

That's it. Mr. Mayor, we're going off the brakes. Now on the regular calendar,

I have 25A. I want a poll 25A. I think it's similar to the other Bristol Street item. So I'd like to either vote it down or do a 30-day continuance.

Yeah, but Mr. Mayor, since we're continuing one of the Bristol similar properties, we should continue this one. All right. So there's continuance for 30 days?

I'll second that. Those in favor, please say aye.

Can I just make a comment, Mr. Mayor?

Go ahead.

Because I won't be here when you bring me back up. My comment is similar to the last. This is a private, if it moves forward, and just in general, I think to staff request, and I imagine that based on the response to my last comment, that you would likely have addressed it in a similar way. But the same comment is the aesthetic improvements, just to ensure that there would be some type of general benefit softening to the community and to the neighbors and such there as that moves forward. the private property owner southern california edison has uh deep pockets and would be able to

be able to do some some good for our community there and hope that we would expect that and that

we would receive that that's all all right those in favor please say aye aye those opposed motion carries um madam clerk we have some items that were not pulled right so let me go back and uh

Sonia R. Carvalho

take a motion on the balance. Move the balance. Second. I think it's less items than what we pulled. Correct. All right. I'd just like to mention, Mayor, that we have item 25E that we added to the consent calendar, which was the action to approve the hiring of legal counsel, a representation for the defendants in the case filed by Mr. Becerra.

Motion to approve. All right. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, motion carries. So with that, we also included the balance, Madam Clerk, so we're now current. And now I believe we go on to the business calendar. I would entertain. We're talking about item 50A. Move the item.

Second.

I'm not comfortable with this item either.

We're basically increasing the authority of the city manager, right? What are we doing? Correct.

That's something that we discussed at committee. There was an extensive presentation in comparison to other cities in the area. But we're operating as a very small town with the limits that we currently have. it makes it so that all of these items that get pulled on consent we end up with a lot more items on consent because it's requiring council to take votes on matters that staff and city manager in particular could approve which would be approving in other cities so uh it all right so we have a

motion and a second do we correct um i'm a no vote but those in favor please say aye aye those against um no no so three ayes and three no's so motion fails next item is that 50 uh 5a i would enter that's continued got it so we need to take that action correct those in favor or there's a motion and a second those in favor please say aye aye aye those opposed

motion carries 55b move with comment do we have a second

Do we have a second?

No, I'm a no.

Okay, you're a no.

And I have a comment.

You have a comment, you're a no, but you're a yes on a comment.

I want to state for the record that I've talked about this time and time again. I have not supported Bristol. I have not supported Warner. You know, I've not supported a lot of the stuff that's happening on Main Street. Santa Ana is not a pass-through city. We continue to expand our roads, our major arterios for people to come in in our city. When we talk about economic development, this is not economic development. When we have cars going 40, 50 miles down our highway, down our streets, when we're trying to get people to shop, right? Obviously on Main Street and South Main has continuously brought

this up to many council members our city staff and we continue to just because we're receiving grant funding to support you know expanding our arterials and you know I look at other opportunities like the streetcar that provide other modes of transportation that makes sense when we continue just to expand our arterials so that people can come through our city you know we have to think twice about that. You know, what kind of city do we want to continue to be just to get funding so that we can just help other communities? And we look at our journey trips, you know, 70% of 20%

of our residents live and work here, 70% are commuting outside, and the rest are also coming into this community every day and deteriorating our roads, and we're continuing having to maintain that not only that is that we have to have our police department patrolling those roads as well and so I think we have to think twice just because we're getting funding doesn't mean that we have to accept it and we have to be a very cautious because I'll tell you something that we receive that money we have to maintain it and so time and time again you know we look at our gas tax

it's continuing to decline thank goodness that the voters voted to support and not to kill the measure on SB2. So we're very fortunate in that respect. But you also have to remember, this city bonded its future gas tax. We're $56 million. We have liabilities because we bonded on our future gas tax. And that's coming. And so as we continue to expand these roads, who's going to maintain them? We've got to continue to apply for these grants. Eventually, Measure M1 is gone, Measure M2.

There's a sunset. Who's going to maintain the life cycle of these roads as the state continues to decrease our gas tax with SB375 and all these other lofty goals and wanting to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions? And so I just want us to be cognizant of that because these revenues do not come from our general fund. They're coming from grant funds. And so I just wanted to state that for the record.

All right. Madam Clerk, so.

But that's it. We don't have a second. Now we have a second.

And we've had speech and comment. I wanted to make a comment. You want to make more comment? Go ahead.

I haven't made a comment. The only comment that I have is as we move forward with other potential funds through Measure M2 or other street improvements, the Fairview Street bridge between Civic Center and 17th Street, I just would want to, over the Centano River, just ask for staff going forward that that be something that is on your radar and priority specifically because there isn't a sidewalk along that area. You have pedestrians walking alongside

vehicles that are driving at high rates of speed. It's actually frankly one of those things that when I came on a number of years ago I was hoping that was kind of one of my personal projects I was hoping that we would be able to alleviate and remedy to provide pedestrian safety by way of addressing that. I think it is somewhere in the works, but I just wanted to bring it back to staff because I won't be here next week or next meeting to continue to raise this one. So that was my comment.

Okay. Go ahead. So I wanted to highlight that the Bristol Street improvements for Member Lane Intersection, this is the second phase. We've already been awarded the design monies, and now this is to purchase the right-of-way for that. for the second project that is included here is for the Fairview Street improvements from 17th Street to Trask Avenue. That would be to initiate the design. And so I just asked my staff if this was to widen the street. They said yes, it would be to widen the street, but in the process of widening the street, they would be able to incorporate some active transportation elements such as bike lanes, etc.

So the first one is really something that we've already committed to. We've already previously been granted the money for design. it's now to move forward with the second stage of the process which is to acquire real estate right away acquisition and the other one is to start the process so why don't you just to have that information all right thank you so we

have motion I believe we have a second those in favor please say aye aye those opposed we have one no motion carries is it now 55 us ears and Charlie okay make

I'll make a motion to approve. Second.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye, those opposed, motion carries.

55D as in David.

Motion to approve.

Do we have a second? Second.

We have a second. We have a second.

Yep. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Now, item 55E.

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve. Second.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, motion carries.

55F. Move the item.

Second.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed. Motion carries. 65A.

Motion to approve.

All right. We have speakers on 65A. Paula Berry.

Followed by Dale Helwig. Followed by Robin Ganahl.

Hi, I'm Paul Berry. I'm a resident here up on Spurgeon Street in 9th. I've been here about three years. And I want to speak into the record and say I really appreciate living here in Santa Ana. I lived in a number of different places. I was in Miami Beach, Florida, Miami, Florida in the 1990s. I became very aware of the New Urbanist Movement, from which we get all of our talk about sustainable development, walkable communities, all that sort of thing.

What I'm here to talk to you about is on item 65A, which is a report on the plan and going forward. Oh my goodness. Let me see if I can get this because it's goal number three and its policy item 3.1 asks that we seek consultation with as many inter-jurisdictional agencies as we can, meaning working with our neighbors.

I recently lived in Sonoma County and I've been in a CCA, Sonoma Clean Power. We have no mention of CCAs that I could find in the report. And this is not unheard of because this is a relatively new phenomenon. About three years ago there were only two CCAs. These are community choice aggregations.

These are where local communities come together, create aggregations, usually county size or somewhere large enough aggregation to make it count and have somewhat of a community-owned utility. And what I've come to ask, Robin Ganahl is here from OC Clean Power. There are people now very interested in Orange County in the development of CCA or CCAs, some activity in the southern part of Orange County.

It talks about how wonderful it would be if, like, Tustin and Irvine and Santa Ana could come together and take a look at this. There's a feasibility study going on. Community choice aggregations, there were – three years ago, there were only two of these. Marin County and Sonoma County and now the number is I don't know it's 8, 10, 12 we're talking about millions of people now in the state of Florida that are

living with their own. Can you please wrap up Mr. Berry? Yes. Your light is red. Yes. Well so if we could get some comment at some point and some entry of some language that we're looking at that we'd certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much Mr. Berry. Del Helvick.

Good evening, Dale Helwig. First off, happy holiday season to all of you and to Sal, Michelle, and David. Thank you for all your service that you guys have given. I'm here to talk about the general plan update, specifically the map that you'll find in your report on 65A-11. It addresses a focus area and adaptive reuse ordinance. Two things concern me, and that's the focus area.

It drops down below Memory Lane, and it incorporates three large sections of land that are currently labeled as Land Use Professional Administrative Office. And my fear is that this is going to be somehow misinterpreted by the public once again. As we know, the Olgenick brothers used $17 million to purchase 2525 based upon a draft map that specifically said don't use this for zoning purposes. They did it anyway.

And here we have in the general plan other things that are going to be in draft form, and it just really hits a raw nerve on me. The other thing is the adaptive reuse ordinance. On that map also, it used to go all the way up to 22 freeway. Now it incorporates an area just north of the 5 freeway. and it covers three residential areas and I don't think the adaptive reuse ordinance should be looking at single family homes it should have dropped down below the 5 freeway and again it's a draft copy

but we know that drafts are being used by developers and I would hope that we'd get rid of that thank you

Robin

Thank you, Mayor and Council. My name is Robin Ganahl. I'm with the Climate Action Campaign. We're a new nonprofit to Orange County. I'm their Orange County organizer. I live in unincorporated Santa Ana. And our mission is to stop climate change, and we do that by building political will to enact policy at the local level. We were founded nearly four years ago in San Diego by Nicole Kepretz, who wrote their groundbreaking climate action plan. So I just am here today to please ask you to consider us as a resource as you go through the general plan update and the environmental

impact review. And I thank you for including a climate action plan in your general plan update framework and for making climate change action a priority for your city. I encourage you to include community choice energy in your climate action plan because it is of the potential for it to be a new revenue stream for the city and because it will unlock new state funding for programs that are not available to the city at this time because of cost savings potential for residents and businesses a cleaner mix of energy, local green jobs that it could create

and because it helps meet the state targets for emission reductions. It's also the largest, the biggest tool a city has really to protect young people today from climate change. And it's the only way really to achieve 100% clean energy.

So Irvine is pursuing a study of this right now. They're the largest city in Orange County moving forward. recently City of San Diego Mayor Falconer voiced his support for Community Choice so I urge you to reach out to Irvine and consider participation in a feasibility study for Community Choice as an investment not as a cost because of all the benefits and new revenue streams it would unlock for the city I have brought information about who to contact in Irvine and encourage Santa Anna to join them in bringing Community Choice Energy to Orange County. Thank you.

Thank you.

So I believe that those are all the speakers that we have. Do we have any thoughts on this subject?

So receive and file.

Motion.

Motion to approve. Second.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye, those opposed. Motion carries. Madam Clerk, it's now 65B.

Any receiving file, any thoughts on this?

Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to bring this item up because it did come before our committee. And this is the housing opportunity ordinance. We went into detail. I'm not sure if you all had the opportunity to review 65B and its information. But just wanted to state for the record, this is going to be coming before you all. it's going to expire in January is it? Candida? No? When do we have, if someone could please come up here and just give us a conversation as we move forward with this policy for us a future consideration on developing any future policy options or consideration.

Thank you Madam Mayor Pro Tem. The WHO ordinance was adopted it back in November 2011 and so we have had about seven years of implementation. As part of the ordinance there is a stipulated timeline where the WHO ordinance gets reviewed and that date is December 31st of this year and the purpose of that is to help evaluate whether or not the ordinance has met its intended goal of creating opportunity for affordable housing but also the creation of affordable housing within the city but more importantly creating affordable housing within a mixed income environment. So we did complete a review and what we have found is that while

we've been very successful in creating additional funding, where the ordinance has not been able to success was the creation of new affordable housing within a mixed income environment. So one of the areas that we would need to look at is the different aspects of the in-lieu funding where the ordinance does allow for it also allows for creation of affordable housing on-site it also allows for the affordable housing to be created off-site our recommendation to sum up on this item is for us to reach out to the housing community that includes housing advocates but also

development community to evaluate what can we make improvements to our housing ordinance so that we were able to better create affordable housing within the city within a mixed income environment. So this is a request for us to come back in three months after we had an ability to meet with housing advocate, provide some feedback as to recommendation and refinements to our ordinance and our goal is to be able to complete the update of the ordinance by the end the fiscal year we did do some research in terms of how other cities have implemented and we found

some models that we'd like to continue to further evaluate where they are effective in in certain outcomes and we want to be able to talk to those city as well so great thank you mr tib before we

bring this back to the city council we have two speakers if good at uh isri ramos followed by Karen Estrada.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. I am here speaking on behalf of the Kennedy Commission. The Kennedy Commission is supportive of the city's efforts to provide affordable housing for our residents with extremely low and very low incomes. We are supportive of the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and its purpose to provide more affordable housing. Any future proposed amendments should serve solely to strengthen this ordinance and not to weaken it. We also ask that this council include community stakeholders and partners such as the Kennedy Commission and the Thrive Community Land Trust in any future conversations. Thank you.

Mrs. Strada?

She's good. All right, so this is a receiving file.

Mr. Mayor, I would like to make a comment if you don't mind. I know it's a receiving file tonight, but looking forward, one of the things I'd like to do working with the staff and the community is seeing what kind of flexibility there is in this program, or maybe it needs to be modified to focus more on rehabilitation projects as well as single family or new construction. I do worry that sometimes the subsidy per unit on new construction can be upwards of $100,000, $150,000, $200,000 per unit, whereas with rehabs it can be substantially less and we can add affordability covenants.

And then finally, I know sometimes we get innovative proposals on how they might want to use this program and if they can make a business case for it, meaning that would be to the benefit of our residents, we ought to consider that. So again, those are just the kinds of things that I'm looking forward. I'd like to talk to you and the community about nothing that you need to respond today on. And then also I know there's a lot of interest in rental assistance programs and same kind of thing.

I'm curious as to what kind of flexibility, if any, there might be in here for a rental assistance program for unique or one-time conditions in our community. But again, I know tonight's receiving file that's just thought for the future. Absolutely. Thank you.

Mr. Mayor, I have a comment as well. I was in the Economic Development Committee where we discussed, and I'm encouraged by the comments by Councilman Solorio, because it is very important that we look at going forward, ensuring that we're able to guard and even enhance the Housing Opportunity Ordinance. Currently the housing opportunity ordinance is enacted when there is essentially some type of variance from what's current with the density that's currently allowed in general plan. One of the items tonight was general plan update. It's going to be updated.

Therefore, a lot of properties or a lot of development will not necessarily, future development will not necessarily trigger the housing opportunity ordinance, which in turn can make it so that we no longer have resources to provide adequate, dignified, affordable housing. So, points well made and taken.

Again, Mr. Solorio, Councilman Solorio, I just want to urge the rest of my colleagues and staff to look at how we ensure that we are not only out of addressing a need, which is affordable housing, but we also have the RHNA numbers so those who may not be necessarily inclined to support affordable housing were required to by law or were required to anyway by the state. So I'm looking forward to, again, the recommendations by staff and approval by council going forward.

Mr. Mayor, so I just want to just clarify some things and just so for the public. So the total amount in lieu fees that have been collected in regards to this ordinance has been about $13,885,000. And total units developed, 108 units.

And so as I look at the other cities and wanting to thank our staff for the research, you know, we do $15 a square foot. So when you calculate that in a basic one unit, just say here at 1901, smallest unit, 774 square feet, you divide that by 15,000, that's like $12,000. To build one parking space, it's about $15,000. So think about that. To build one parking space for developer, $15,000. We're getting $12,200.

$15 towards the square feet, about $12,200.

Obviously, no wonder why we're just at 108 units. When you look at West Hollywood, they make the developers build on site. You look at Pasadena, you see that they are charging the development community in-loop per square foot $33.86 to $70.72, depending on the sub-market and size project, could be up to $41,000 to $60,000. dollars. You know, I think the intention of this Housing No Opportunity Ordinance was one that was well intended, but as you look and you look at the history and we evaluate and we measure,

it's obvious that we failed. We have not done the job that we were supposed to do with this ordinance. And so I'm going to implore my colleagues as they move forward with this research and data from our staff to think about the number that I just told you. They cost about fifteen thousand dollars just to build one parking space. We are receiving fifteen dollars a square foot and the basic size of a unit is about seven hundred and seventy and I'm being you know modest here. It's twelve thousand twelve hundred dollars and so we have to do a better job in figuring out

with the development community. How can we do a better job in building on site with mixed incomes? The only development is 1901. They built 10 units of affordable housing. That is the only development of all the developments that we have built that actually have built on site.

So as I conclude here on my last six days, I continue to push and the importance of wanting to make sure that we have mixed incomes, that we're able to provide the housing solutions for all our residents. We are not doing the job that we were set out to do with this housing opportunity ordinance. And I hope that this new council will pay attention and do everything it possibly can to help bring us up. because when you look at the city of Irvine, it has more affordable housing than any other city in Orange County. The number two city that has more affordable housing is the city of Anaheim. Number three is Tustin.

Santa Ana is far behind. We have no more than that. We have about 3,300 units or so. And if you look at some of the rehab units that we have that are affordable, These are apartments that predate 1970 that are totally dilapidated. And we've done everything we can to put some up. And, you know, I will say that CNC Development has done an amazing job in doing many of the rehabs. But this city for far too long concentrated on doing rehab, you know, to help some of those residents. The new affordable housing, the dignified housing that our residents deserve.

We have not done enough. We've done more market rate and I was one of the first council members to support market rate development to bringing more apartments when that conversation was a no here in the city of Santa Ana for about 20 plus years. And so it was this council that supported market rate but also supported affordable housing and something went wrong as we thought that this housing opportunity ordinance was going to be able to address the need. It did not. And so we need to revisit to make sure that we do things right.

and I'm counting and I thank you Councilman Solorio for pointing out some of the points that you made and that you'll be able to work with our staff and the new council members to educate them to do what's right as we move forward in the future direction of our residents. And with that, Mr. Mayor, I thank you.

All right. So I believe it's a receiving file, is it?

Move it. If it hasn't been.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. The opposed motion carries.

75A. Motion to approve. We have to have a public hearing, no?

Yes.

So let me have a quick public hearing.

This is item 75A. I now open it up to the public. Is there anybody here that wishes to address this on this item? It's insurance of tax-exempt bonds, for the benefit of apartments located at 317 East 17th Street.

Seeing no one, I will close the public hearing and bring it to Council for consideration. Do we have a motion?

Motion to approve, Mr. Mayor. Second.

We have a second. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. I suppose motion carries.

Item 85A, I don't know who, I guess Council Member Solario, please go ahead.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is just to inform my colleagues and the community, but also an opportunity for us to work with the staff, the county, and perhaps the state. As we've heard, we opened up the link, which is a fantastic new temporary homeless shelter on the east side of the 55 freeway on Red Hill, just a little bit south of Warner on the Santa Ana side. That's in southeast Santa Ana.

And because of that big commitment and traditional issues that we've had with the armory that operates as a cold night shelter there in the Delhi community, because of the ongoing issues there, there's been Delhi residents in the past that have spoken in opposition to that shelter. In light of all those items, the city of Santa Ana wrote a letter to the county asking them not to reopen that shelter in the Delhi community.

And they responded back saying they understand our concerns but still want to open the armory anyway.

Which I didn't appreciate because we've been working really hard with them trying to move the ball forward. trying to address local community concerns and so I'd like for the staff to follow up with the school district the Head Start that's also next to it and the Delha community center to see whether there might be mitigations to the traditional program that they do or even better yet have them align with us and trying to stop the opening of the armory at least for this year maybe in future years. Also I've requested some of the agreements in place that we have

with the providers and that the county has with the state and I know staff's reviewing those and so I'd like for us to see what other elements we may have to oppose some of these things. Finally you know we're coordinating with the county in a lot of things largely in a positive way. We also have at least two, in fact I think three, city staff members that serve on county commissions addressing the homelessness crisis and I think we I think one of our staff member even chairs one of these commissions so for them to just so quickly act in opposition to our request I think is again not not good and not mindful of what we're trying

to accomplish so I just wanted to bring this issue to the attention of my colleagues and I know that the staff's reviewing some options but I just wanted to put it out there because it's an issue of great concern in a you know low-income largely Latino community with a lot of children in the vicinity. Thank you.

Any other thoughts?

Yes, go ahead. Councilor Villegas.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If I may, I'd also like to reach out to, you don't mind, I'll reach out to the county and speak to the chairman and see what they can do for us because you are right, there's a lot of children. And, you know, we have a location now, but we're helping this community. So I don't really see the need for the armory at the moment. So anyway, thank you. And I'd like to say I'll be reaching out to them this week.

Mr. Mayor, just very quickly. So I was at the armory this morning just to see for myself. It opened up last night. And I will tell you that obviously we did tell our city manager that we didn't support the opening of the armory because of the link. And for obvious reasons, and I'm not going to bash or beat up the county or our board of supervisors and the CEO, why they made these decisions after the city council and the city manager advised that we didn't want to move in that direction. I think that's a mute point at this point in time.

What I want to articulate here today is that as we look at the armory and Mercy House is still not only operating both armories, right, in Fullerton and in Santa Ana, but also the link and bridges. And so you have their staff that could also even help the city of Santa Ana to locate some of those folks that are going to the armory and possibly get in who have a history with Santa Ana into the link.

You know, it is my hope that as we end here today that our police department, our city manager, will continue to have conversations with the county, advising them that this was something that we didn't want to enter into, did not want to open. You know, I've heard comments of the reasons why they chose to open that armory, whether we agree with it or not. My concern is that as we move towards the permanent shelter with the partnership of the county,

I think that's probably my biggest concern, that if this city council is already objecting to certain things that the county is doing, and they just say, well, we don't care what you said, Mr. City Manager, we don't care what you said, you know, city council, what kind of future relationship do we really want to have based on this current decision that they made? And so I think, Mr. City Manager, when you have those conversations with the CEO, just ask him to be mindful of the relationship with our police department, our relationship with the city manager's office, and here with this council.

as we continue trying to work with the county we continue to be diplomatic we're trying to to to to be at the table with them to helping address these issues but when they ignore our demands i believe that it's a slap in the face not only to the residents of santa anna but to all of us that are trying very hard to help minimize the impacts in this community and not willing to step up the county to do what's right and and really in the city that they feel that they just can take continue to take advantage of we've said enough is enough and I just hope that that message gets back to them and that we want to

continue to work with them but unfortunately when they make these kinds of decisions like this it just sends a bad message and so as we move forward I hope that we would do everything that we possibly can to continue to work with them but also hold them accountable it's important we cannot solve this problem alone as one city we need to work with the county ultimately that's their responsibility so having the kind of relationship that we had in the past which hasn't been a good one right and so we want to continue to have and moving forward one that is cordial obviously some of us are just not going

to be supportive of the direction that the county is taking and how they're addressing on some of these matters but we still can be professional and cordial and communicate with them of our feelings and the feelings of the residents. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Additional comments?

Motion?

No, it was just informational.

That's it?

Information.

All right. All right, informational. All right, next item. Is it 85B?

Yes, Mr. Mayor, since we're still on the homeless, I just wanted to take the opportunity publicly, you know and I know there's comment on probably on the other item but just publicly and I see you know officer Juan Montiel in the back back there as you saw Deputy Chief Gominski wanting to thank our police department for the exceptional and professional job that they have done you know there are leaders in this country not only in this state in this region in this city the job. I was out there Saturday morning at 4 a.m.

I was out there on Sunday. I was out there this morning at the armory. And I have to tell you firsthand the amazing job that these men and women did. And I just want to commend you and just give you a round of applause publicly for the amazing job that you got.

Many of them worked you know they have family they had things to do with their family children playing sports this council was very eager as we have this 200 facility wanted to ramp up and get people in there and so these folks took the time not only our police department but our executive management team when you have your human resource director out there at 4 a.m. our parks and rec director out there at 4 a.m.

You know, when you have, you know, our deputy city manager, our city manager out there, our public works director out there, you know, that speaks volume to this city and its commitment and its compassion to wanting to lead the way. And I would be remiss, you know, as I leave here in six days, I tell you that it is bittersweet. But to leave on this note, to see firsthand the amazing employees that we have and their commitment to the quality of life of the residents here.

And at times we do a bad job in communicating the good work that we're doing and the efforts that our city staff is doing to help, you know, address the issues in the business community and in our neighborhoods. I think many of us, we talked about this earlier, about the improvements that we've seen in the city these past five days with the effort. You know, today, you know, as I was driving down the street, and I think Councilman Tinajero will mention, well, he was getting champurado when he saw on First Street.

I was throughout the city, and what I saw, you know, was a job that I tell you is I'm like, wow, this is very clean, whether it was in our downtown, whether it was on South Main. were more importantly by Garfield School and our train station. That was an area that had full of encampments, and I was driving there every day because we have a resident that loves to call our police department, Oscar Tonorio, and I'm looking towards our chief, and he probably gets those phone calls from that resident. And I was out there, and I actually knocked, and he was seeing all the activity, and he had a smile on his face.

And he's been calling and saying thank you for addressing and cleaning up that area by Garfield School and on 6th Street as we're entering into the train station. We had tons of encampments there. Those are now clean. And so that, again, just speaks to the volume and professionalism. And thank you, Chief Valentin, for your efforts in making sure that we did everything we can. moving forward and the reason why I brought this item up is that how do we communicate more effectively and what we're doing not only to this to the mayor and council but to the public to our residents in the business community

as they have been impacted sometimes we move very quickly and we forget to inform the public and so how do we get a nixle out and some of the results that we've heard over these past couple of days to inform the public of all of your guys' efforts. And I think we need to tell the story, right? We shouldn't have our residents calling and telling us that sometimes that we're neglecting to address certain concerns when we actually have been out there and we're trying to reach out. There were 74 different locations that you all had

that you need to go and look at as hotspots. And so you are trying to reach all of those obviously we can't do that you know in one day or two days it's going to take you know four or five six days to get all of that but if we can inform the public of what we're doing every step of the way i think it will be very helpful to this council as we dedicated about six million dollars to this effort to really show that we now have the power not only one to provide a humane and dignified space for the homeless community but more importantly we now

have the beds where we now can enforce the law and I think that's very important for us here in the city obviously we want to do that in a dignified and humane way and I saw that firsthand with our police department taking that action and so as we move forward again I'm just going to implore you Mr. City Manager to figure out how we can on a weekly basis on Nixle and on social media get the message out to our residents and business community on the efforts that we are taking as it pertains to the homeless community because we should be very proud with what we're accomplishing

and what we've been able to do these past four days and with that Mr. Mayor I am now going to move it to the second and I probably will have comment to Councilman Benavides. Go ahead.

We have members of the public who are interested in speaking. Yes we do. Quite a few of them.

All right, first we have Bill Christensen, followed by Luis Sarmiento, and then Mexti Lopez.

Good evening, I'm Bill Christensen with the Apartment Association of Orange County, and we very kindly request that you continue to sign tonight and direct staff to establish the Affordable Housing Task Force to address ongoing housing needs. As per a previous council decision, a work group was to be established with members of our community, local businesses and industry groups, and with housing providers. Our members want to be part of the solution to the city's housing challenges, and together we can help those in need. Thank you very much.

Great. Thank you. Luis Armiento?

Hello. Good evening everyone and thank you for listening to your community. I hope that you are paying attention and listening to your residents who have come up here time and time again voicing their concerns. There's a very basic notion coming from the development, in the development conversation right now at a national level. And you won't necessarily hear it from the, you know, the status quo development community unless you're listening to low-income and middle-income residents.

And that concept is development without displacement. And I think that's something that I'd like you all to become familiar with, which is what we need here in Santa Ana. We need growth. We need to build on the talents and knowledge of existing residents. And so there's a very, very basic protection that cities can provide to the renter community, known as Just Cause, which provides protection for renters against arbitrary evictions which has been a reality here in Santa Ana and so tonight you have the opportunity

to provide some of these very basic protections to make sure that residents of Santa Ana who are the heart and soul of your city have the right to remain and to thrive here in our community. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Sarmiento. Mixelli Lopez.

Followed by Isurir Gamos.

Hi, good evening everyone. I wanted to start off by asking the members of the council if any of you have ever faced an unjust eviction.

Is that a no? No. On behalf of everyone? Okay, I think that that makes you lose the authority to be able to speak on the subject if you've never experienced it. And people in this audience today have that authority. And I think that we should be able to bring forward solutions to community issues that come from the community. And today that community is telling you that the solution that we're proposing is just cause.

And I want to remind you that you all were elected to these positions that you're currently holding today. And that means that you owe it to your community to represent them and to listen to them when they're speaking to you.

Denying families and individuals the right to remain in the city, they make beautiful each and every day. By allowing unscrupulous and greedy landlords to ruin our city is unacceptable. Each and every one of you city council members was elected. You hold a responsibility not just to us, but to yourselves. Listen to the community you purport to represent and vote yes on Just Cause. If you don't, we Santa Ana residents have long memories and will make sure you never come to power again.

A no vote for just cause means that you are in favor of predatory landlords that evict families for no reason. Thank you. Thank you. Is Uri Damos followed by Lucero Garcia?

Good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm here to speak in support of the immediate adoption and implementation of a Just Cause Evictions Ordinance. Just Cause Evictions is a sensible policy that protects tenants from unjust evictions. It does not take away a landlord's right to evict tenants. And I want to respond directly to the loan letter of opposition that was received from the California Apartment Association. They state that the ordinance can become the bane of neighborhood leaders seeking to rid a community from the impacts of a renter converting a home to a gang house or a drug den. This is a ridiculous statement.

reason number four of the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance provides landlords with a reason to evict tenants that may be using their unit for legal purposes. They have also stated that these policies are necessary and that is a lie. A Just Cause Eviction Ordinance is necessary in Santana. 56% of our city's residents are tenants and they are facing unjust and retaliatory evictions. Many of those are as a result of requests for repairs and code enforcement inspections. Many of you have spoken in support of code enforcement in the past and if we want them to be able to do an effective job, they need to be provided the tools to do that

and that is this ordinance. Just cause eviction laws also do not hurt tenants, slumlords, and abusive landlords with no moral compass hurt tenants. And these are the same landlords that fear these tenant protections and that have sent you letters of opposition. We have overwhelming evidence of the need for a just cause eviction ordinance. You just need to look outside and see our homeless neighbors that are outside that are at the courtyard and at the new homeless shelter. I thank you for your efforts to address homelessness and ask that you continue them with the Just Cause Evictions Ordinance.

This is part of a comprehensive solution to addressing our housing crisis and to prevent homelessness by keeping our tenants housed. Thank you.

Thank you. Lucero Garcia. Mr. Nicholson with the Public Law Center.

Followed by Jairio Cortez and then Nancy Mejia.

Good evening. My name is Ugochi Annabara Nicholson, and I'm an attorney with the Public Law Center. In our Housing and Homelessness Unit, we advocate for strategies and policies that

encourage affordable housing opportunities and encourage protection and creation of affordable housing. We also empower communities about their rights in the areas of housing law, and we collaborate with entities and other advocates to push jurisdictions to do their fair share to stem the affordable housing crisis that is existing in California and also in Santa Ana and Orange County. As has been stated before, we urge you to also adopt this Just Cause Eviction Ordinance. A Just Cause policy is intended to promote stability by regulating the grounds of eviction.

In the state of California, a landlord can go into court and terminate a periodic tenancy for no other reason with no notice and the requisite appropriate time to end it. They can terminate housing for a cause as nonpayment of rent, and LS Act allows a California landlord to withdraw the property from the rental market. What a Just Cause Eviction Ordinance would do is provide the tenant with a fair shot at defending their rights in a court of law to determine whether or not they should stay in their housing.

in their housing. It promotes greater awareness and rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and it creates a transparent process for termination, particularly for evictions that are based on oral agreements or other types of agreements that aren't clear pursuant to leases and other regulatory agreements that cover the individual's housing. And so for these reasons, we would ask that the City Council consider adopting a just cause eviction ordinance to protect its residents in the city of Santa Ana. Thank you.

Thank you so very much. Jairo Cortez, followed by Nancy Mejia.

Hi, good evening. I'm here to speak in support of the consideration for the just cause evictions. I think it's kind of like the Wild West out there when it comes to tenants and their relationships with landlords. And I don't understand what the harm is in there being a level playing field and an understanding of what the relationship between a tenant and their landlord is going to be. Because that's the only thing that a Just Cause Evictions policy does. It creates a level playing field. it creates a transparent agreement between a landlord and their tenant as to what is permissible and is not permissible.

Whereas currently, that transparency and that level playing field does not exist. I think some of my colleagues mentioned, you know, we're dealing with not just a housing crisis in terms of the affordability of rents, we're also dealing with a lack of rules about when someone can and can't be evicted. And so this creates, one, it makes a job harder for both tenants and code enforcement officials who want to keep landlords accountable for the living conditions in the apartment units here in the city.

And so this is not just something that will benefit tenants. is also a tool to make sure that we are imposing our city code. Thank you.

Thank you. Nancy Mejia, followed by Karen Rodriguez and Alma Leyva.

Hi, good evening, Council. My name is Nancy Mejia. I am here from Latino Health Access. And also here in solidarity and on behalf of a lot of tenants that are afraid to publicly come and speak up because of retaliations that they're facing and also risking evictions.

I'm here to urge your support of a Just Cause Evictions Ordinance here in Santana. We have come before you the last few years to advocate for comprehensive solutions to the housing crisis. We have seen a spike in evictions with no reason. Imagine that you are paying your rent on time, following the rules. You've been living in Santana for 20 years, and all of a sudden you get an eviction notice. So we are seeing this day after day at Latino Health Access. Some promotoras are here that are also going to speak that have had to support families in preventing them from becoming homeless.

So imagine you get this eviction notice, you have to leave your apartment or your house, and now you have to compete in the current price market. So this is really affecting our families, and it is further pushing people into poverty and further pushing families into homelessness. The city, you all have taken a leadership role in this county to address homelessness, and Just Cause will give you an opportunity to take a proactive approach to keep people housed. We can prevent more people from becoming homeless by passing this ordinance here in Santana.

This is without Just Cause. We're continuing to leave families at risk of being displaced. in housing markets that are tight and residents are giving minimal warning and support to find replacement housing, evictions can lead to permanent displacement from neighborhoods, as you've heard from others. So you've heard from several of us, including an attorney, you're going to hear from other folks about the urgency of this policy. And we're asking that you all tonight put politics aside. Put politics aside and put families first. We have a lot of families

here that are in the process of facing and fighting evictions we have an attorney that is telling you this is the right thing to do and will give residents more protections and more leverage in court so we ask that you do the right thing tonight and please support a just cause evictions

ordinance thank you karen rodriguez followed by alma layva and then alexis dodoro

Hello, good evening. My name is Karen Rodriguez. I'm here today as a resident, and I'm going to speak from my personal experience and my family. We have been renters all of our lives here in Santana, and we'll probably be renters for a long time to come, considering the way the housing market is right now. And I've heard a lot of things today, and it's very clear that with the prioritizing of market rate housing, with the disregard for affordable housing, just-cause evictions are necessary to protect the biggest group in Santana, which are renters.

They're also the most vulnerable. And also, I'm sure you will find if you've canvassed your city, the people who have voted you in here, you will find that they live in the most detrimental conditions as well. Landlords don't feel the need to have their apartments and their quality of life, the conditions of these apartments to be suitable and give a dignified form of living. and the residents are forced to live under these conditions, and yet the landlords feel that maybe they want to sell, maybe they want to evict for no reason,

these residents are forced to be ousted and go into a kind of a state of urgency when they can't afford the market-rate housing, when they can't qualify for the one-bedroom at affordable housing price that people are offering now. These are families in Santana that need to be protected. These are residents in Santana that need to be protected. Landlords have a lot of power just because they hold property. And if you want to protect your city of Santana, the one that you say that you love so much,

then do right by your residents. Support a Just Cause ordinance. Protect those who are the most vulnerable and as Heidel said it is like a wild west out there when we're at the mercy of landlords who do not care and do not see as anything other than simply people who will pay up whatever amount they want. So again thank you for your time and please support a Just Cause ordinance.

Thank you. Alma Leyva, followed by Alexis Torodo and then Idela Rios.

Good evening. My name is Alma Leyva, and I work really closely with Santana residents through Santana Building Healthy Communities. Today we are talking about policies to protect the renter community, which is the largest category of residents here in Santana. Just-cause policies are a key solution. We need to be creative and work collectively with multiple strategies to address our housing crisis. Through my work, I've seen firsthand the distress that residents go through because of housing. Not only do they have to worry about high and rising rents, but oftentimes their housing is unlivable and undignified.

Despite needing significant repairs, they are met with dismissal from landlords. Instead of feeling comfortable continuing to push for more livable and dignified conditions, the looming fear of retaliation via eviction is something very present. This is definitely not right and is only one of the examples of the many unjust ways that residents get evicted. Protecting renters protect our cities and communities. Renters' labor and love and skills and economic investment are the backbones of our community. There is an immediate need for tenant protections from unjust evictions,

and I strongly urge the City Council to support its tenants through the immediate adoption and implementation of a Just Cause Ordinance. Thank you.

Alexis Renadala.

Good night, Council. I first just want to thank Madam Clerk for receiving the letter that the community submitted earlier today in support of this item. And I was going to talk about the letter, which has a lot of details that you would expect from policy experts that look at this left and right on a daily basis. But instead I kind of want to switch my comment and focus on the reality that we live under, and especially my message would be for the council members that will remain because this decision will all over to the new council. But if I was a council member right now, I would have used section 415 of the charter to bring

this ordinance because it would only require one vote because these issues are an emergency to us. The fact that we've had to live under housing insecurity for years and that it's normalized in our community is unacceptable. It's very unacceptable. To this day, we still live under these conditions. And the cost has been paid by the most vulnerable, including the immigrant Latino community in this city. The same community that this city has been known for and will continue to be known for. So this issue is not about a policy matter or a left or right. It's literally the basic necessities

that we are requiring just to live and survive calmly in our neighborhoods. Think of it that way. And when you go to sleep tonight, don't think about it from a policy perspective. It's a matter of just living okay here in Santana. We still live under these conditions. The fact that they are normal is not okay. It is unacceptable. And as a matter of policy, the city council should take more proactive, sound approaches to deal with the issue that we as a community think is normal when we know that it's not.

So again, I've come several times before asking for bold leadership, shared policy making. Just as you are experts, so are we. We live this on a daily basis. But we have to do something. And it's not a matter of politics. It's a matter of necessity of survival because that's what we have to do every day. And that's why we will continue to do that because that's who we are. we are survivors. You know? So, whether you vote or not on this issue, at the end of the day, we pay the cost, and that's not fair. Have a good night.

Thank you, Mr. Tororo. And Idela.

Idela, followed by Sylvia, and then Sarai.

Hola, buenas noches. Estoy aquí porque me gustaría pedirles su apoyo para la ordenanza de causa justa. Y estoy aquí, me esperé al final, incluyendo con los peques, porque sé que así como están mis hijos, ustedes ya saben que hay más de 5,900 estudiantes que se consideran homeless en el Distrito Escolar de Santa Ana. I know that you know that half of the residents are inquilinos. And I also feel like it was a lot of people who have this agenda today, because they said they said they were going to approve. And they said they were going to approve. And they said they were going to approve.

So I hope that with this, they will approve it. Because I know that those who have already gone, I know that they have invested time here in front of the city of Santa Ana. And if they have invested time, it's the best that they have given us as residents as we represent ourselves, as we are going to help our interests, because that time never will be able to recover. But what we can also give is that legacy to protect the inquilinos, to protect the families.

And if the children really interest the young people, if the children really interest the children, if the children really interest the residents of Santa Ana, it's now when they can change through this order of just cause. Les imploro y les pido que hagan un cambio, que nos dejen un legado y nos dejen sentirnos orgullosos del tiempo que nos han servido. Gracias. Gracias, señora. Thank you, Mr. Mariano.

Now, good evening. I'm here because I'm here to ask you to support the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance. I stayed here until the end of the evening and brought my voice here because this is important. As you may know, there's about 5,900 students in the Santa Ana Unified School District that are considered homeless. You also may know that half of the residents of Santana are renters. And I'm excited when I was here listening to your meeting, the way you went through the agenda. You approved this. You liked this item, so you all got together and approved it. And you liked that item, you got together and approved it.

So I hope that you're going to approve this ordinance here tonight. So for those of you who are leaving, thank you for investing your time in Santana. You've given us a lot of good things. This is the best that you can give us. And this is something that you can never get back when you give your time. It's time for you to leave your legacy, to protect the renters and to protect families. If you do care about youth, if you care about the elderly, if you care about kids, if you care about Santa Ana residents, go ahead and make a difference tonight and adopt the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance

and make something that we can be proud of you and proud of your legacy.

Thank you. Lucero Garcia, followed by Sylvia Avendano and then Sarai. Lucero Garcia?

Ya se fue? Lucero's not here?

Good evening. I was a little bit of a job and I know how terrible that feels, I feel like a desperation, but I had the opportunity, two days ago, to have a job of having a license. And I also had the help of the police, which came to my house when the the owner of the house was violent, was threatened, was threatened, the light, the gas and the water. It's terrible, but I know that you, I hope you all my colleagues, to your heart, and go beyond that. And vote for a justice. Because it's not good that it's violent to people like that.

Because I had the opportunity to be able to access, to have a court. And the same police said, you have the right to go to court and defend yourself. Because this is not like he is doing. And I ask you to consider this and vote for the mental health of all the people who are violent by the owners. Thank you very much.

attorney to talk to an advocate and the owner came to my house, came to my place. He was cutting the services, cut the power, cut the water and the police said that he could not do that. So I'm here to ask you to please touch your hearts and vote for a just cause eviction ordinance. It's not good for when the owners can attack residents like that and even the police said when I went to the court that I have rights, that I have the right to defend myself and go to the court. So I'm asking you to vote yes for the betterment of the mental health of the residents of Santa Ana

because it's not fair that we are attacked in this way by the owners.

Great. Thank you.

Buenas noches. Me gustaría empezar diciéndoles que soy residente de Santa Ana. I don't have money in the bank. And if I'm a little bit of a minimum, I have to have a $4,000 to $6,000 in my bank account to move to another living. Which I don't have in this moment. I'm a mom solter, I have four children, and even with two adults working, it's not enough.

I'm a resident of Santana. Today I'm here supporting the Causa Justa. I live in Santana, in a department where I'm in danger of being desalojated at any moment, without any chance to have a chance to defend my right to remain in that same apartment where I live. This causes me and my family a lot of instability, mental and emotional, causing problems of health. And this is not only my story, it is the story of the most or half of the residents of Santana that we live as inquilinos. No tenemos ninguna protección. Por tal razón, hoy día les pido los votos a favor de esta ordenanza

que me permitirá mínimamente vivir y seguir con tranquilidad viviendo en el lugar en donde estoy. Y saber que en caso de yo ser desalojada injustamente, podré pelear y protegerme.

Sé que no están todos los que tienen que estar, pero confío en que esta noche, como dijeron mis compañeros,

I'm a resident of Sena Ana and I don't have savings in the bank. If I get evicted, I need to have about $4,000 to $6,000 in the bank in order to move. And I don't have that money. I'm a single mom. I have four kids, and I don't have enough money even when some of my kids are working. Good evening. My name is Sarai Arpero, and I'm a resident of Santa Ana, and today I'm here supporting the Just Cost Ordinance. I live in Santa Ana in an apartment that I am at risk of being evicted at any time, at any moment, for any reason, without having an opportunity to defend my rights to remain in the apartment where my family is.

This causes a lot of instability physically, mentally, and emotionally, and have many health problems. And this is just not only my story, it's a story of more than half of the residents in Santa Ana that live in this city who do not have any protections such as this nowadays. So I ask you that you vote for this ordinance that will at least allow us to have some peace of mind to know that in case we are unjustly evicted, we can have some protection, at least so we can have a city where the residents can remain, can thrive,

and it's an equal opportunity for all of us who work here and pay our rents and pay our taxes. So I'm here to trust that you are going to make the right decision to protect us, and if you didn't have the courage to support rent control, at least have the right, the courage to protect us and now to protect the renters.

Laura Pantoja, I think this is our final speaker. Laura.

Buenas noches. Mi nombre es Laura Pantoja. I am a resident of Santa Ana and promoter of Latino Gel Access. And in the last few months we have with frustration and tristeza how our participants have been able to go to the city or rent to an attic because they have been subbed from a month to another $500. Or they have been in the department where they live and immediately they don't have a contract. And I feel like there is a double moral here in the Council. One of the two, my colleague said that we have more than 5,000 children in condition of homeless.

And on the other hand, I see that we are going to have a mountain bike bike. How many children will enjoy Santana's mountain bike bike? And others will enjoy the ride. We are going to go with you in the summer, We went to the summer to ask them to put in the letter that the voters decided to have a control of rent and they didn't want. We talked to all of you and they were denied. Then the community came to the firm and asked why we are doing this job. If the work of the council and the council is defending the interests of the community.

and the 50% of the people are inquilinos. And some of you, or your parents, were inquilinos, because the majority of you come from families migrant like us. So, this day, I think you have a need with the community and we have a lot of colleagues who have worked and we have educated together, they have to go. But I think they have a legacy that we have to leave, because as someone said, the history, they are the judge. Thank you.

Alright, that was the last speaker. Alright, go ahead. I'm here as a resident of Santa Ana, and I'm here from a promoter for Latino Health Access, and it's very sad that we have this situation. Many of the cases that come to us have to leave the city, Some have to rent attics to live in there. Some people's rent was increased $500 from one month to the next. And some people, they sell the apartments from under them, and because they don't have a contract, they are evicted. It's a dual morality that you have here.

When one of the ladies said that there's more than 5,000 homeless students in Santa Ana, and you're now here celebrating the construction of a skate park. and it's sad to see that some students that would have enjoyed that will have to move and other people will enjoy those parks so it's important for you to support rent control I know that not we asked you to support rent control we came over the summer and you you denied that and we spoke to some of you we collected the signatures and we thought it why are we collecting signatures if it's the council and the mayor's job to protect the the residents and most of the

residents are our renters so you have a duty here to protect toward the community and I would like you for you to leave your legacy and as they say

history will be the judge of you okay let me bring it to council for comments

and discussion I'll start there we We, myself, Mayor Pro Tem brought this item. She actually had initially placed an item on the agenda a couple of, about a month or so ago. She did as well, and a number of members of the community came and addressed us. Members of the council made comment as well. And the reality is that we do have

quite a bit of concern. There is a certain amount of housing instability, uncertainty throughout the city, and not just Santa Ana across the board. Cost of living is increasing. Wages are not necessarily staying on course.

And we as a city, I think, our electors in general are in a position to try to address some of these disparities. So we did, late last week, add the consideration of an ordinance for a just cause eviction as one of the potential means to be able to address some of this housing instability.

none of us here on the dais have experienced by our own admission or by our own comment or lack thereof an eviction or an eviction that is unjust and we're blessed by that, by not having experienced that however I think a lot of us have known of people I know I have in my community, my neighbors who have been in situations where they've been either evicted, threatened of eviction, had dilapidated housing conditions where they've raised the issue, raised the concern to the landlord, and in

a very nonchalant and threatening way have basically said, well, you can up and move. I'm not going to address things or have been threatened with eviction. A number of different things. And so the comments that the members of the public come and address us with are relevant and are very real concerns and impacts. And these are just a few folks. There are a lot of kids out there that are directly impacted. We have far too many families that are needing to double up and triple up, kids sleeping on the floor, living in living rooms.

So our attempt to bring this forward is for us to be able to have a discussion and potentially a consideration of an ordinance. I do have a question for a few members of the staff. Again, some of the language was presented and suggested and proposed to us late last week. We brought it on so that we could consider. however in further conversation with the city attorney if you can clarify for us madam city attorney what our options are and if in fact given that this would be an ordinance it would be a new law potentially and I was under the

impression personally that we could potentially consider a first reading or take an action consider first reading tonight but based on on further conversation can you address whether whether that would even be an option yes

Sonia R. Carvalho

I'm councilmember there are actually two issues which would drive your process on this proposal that's on the agenda this evening I'm the first ish the first item is your city charter your city a charter authorizes you to post an item on the agenda as a council member it says any council member can agendize a matter we have had a process here at the city where what we do is a city council member proposes a resolution or an ordinance as an 85A and instructs the staff to prepare that ordinance even when you've provided a draft so that it can be properly reviewed by the appropriate department and the city

Sonia R. Carvalho

manager and we can advise you on the process or fiscal impacts or whether we have staff resources that's been our our practice the other issue that drives this determination and more importantly is the Brown Act so we're required under the brown act on the agenda item to identify the action that we're going to take and this agenda item was noticed as consideration of when we under the city charter adopt an ordinance we need to introduce and adopt the first reading so we introduce and conduct the first reading of the ordinance that has been our practice um i am aware of because i did take a look at legally the issue

Sonia R. Carvalho

of the language that says discuss options and consideration. I'm aware of a trial court decision involving the city of Anaheim where they had a similar issue come up. Staff had posted an agenda that said consider the adoption of a contract and they did have someone challenge that and the trial we don't have a reported decision but the trial court said that when you use the language consider that's not the type of notice you would give if you're going to actually introduce and adopt or approve something so my advice to you would be in accordance with our existing rules and our processes that you direct staff to come

Sonia R. Carvalho

back with a ordinance to be introduced and conduct first reading on oh thank

for those comments and clarification do have also follow-up for for mr. Mendoza from the community development agency community development agency which oversees our housing authority housing division which is charged with addressing any matters related to housing including affordable housing housing accessibility and such and we spoke about this specific ordinance and some of the recommendations and uh could you address what what you see as as potential options if we're not able to take action potentially tonight what options we might be able to take or council or city

might be able to take in the near future to be able to begin to address these very real concerns that were presented to us. I think the goal on this is to ensure that staff and our legal department has had the opportunity to review this as it's drafted and vet it through the proper process that we normally vet new laws in our city. We provide a seat at the table for interested parties. We provide a forum for those parties. Many times it's a committee. Many times it's a commission. but we take our new laws and our new regulations through these processes where code enforcement would have an opportunity

to provide counsel input of how much resources it would take for their department. Same with the housing authority. How much resources would it take for my department to provide the necessary counseling to go with this new law? Many laws simply go on the books and they use the court system to enforce this law. I think some laws like this would take a little more staff time. It's not as easy as a parking ticket. These are cases that could draw staff into in order to prove the tenant's case. So I want to be sensitive about that.

I want to be sensitive that we don't rush to do this and we do this correctly.

The, as far as process going forward, what would you recommend as an option to be able to address some of these? Well, I think you're looking for a torch bearer and a torch carrier tonight, someone to carry the torch beyond your term. And then work with staff and the community to be able to work through some of these matters and language.

Once there's four votes to agenda this in the future and give our staff the direction, then we start our work. Thank you, Mr. McDonnell. One of the comments I'll make is, regardless, it's going to be something that a future council will need to decide whether there is enough of a concern that merits discussion and action.

Council members, Solorio, Villegas and others who are here are either themselves, children of immigrants, immigrants yourselves. You've seen your families and community, your families work hard to be able to provide roof over your family, for your family. you probably know people here in Santa Ana who have struggled to be able to make ends meet and make rent. My hope is that there would be, you know, if this would be something that would, there would be some opportunity for discussion in the future.

That's it. I'll mic up. Mr. Mayor, see if anybody else has additional comments.

Yes, thank you, Councilman Benoides. this and I obviously would like to give direction to staff today to work with you know hopefully a member of this uh council as we leave here today you know I sent an email out to our staff you know in my nine days uh left and you know the disappointment that I have as we leave and you know I haven't talked much about um my efforts um and and and why I have been so dedicated to addressing the homeless issue and I've committed 80 hours since January on this

issue alone out and in the community early mornings to late hours at night and I'll tell you that in the recent days that when you enter into a shelter and you see infant children with single mothers. You see children. And it's no longer, as we've discussed here, it's no longer just white people. It's brown people. These mothers were Latinas. These were children living in cars because they'd been displaced. Saw that firsthand.

So this is no longer about a homeless crisis. And I've said this to my staff. The tsunami is coming. You have a housing crisis in this city. We have neglected to build the right housing in this community for far too long. And yes, we talk about high density in population.

But why did that occur? Because we didn't build the housing. So you have 15, 16, 17 people living in apartments and two to three bedroom homes. Those homes were never built for that many people or those neighborhoods. But what happened for 20 plus years we neglected to build the appropriate housing. This city, for whatever reason, has lacked the vision in moving towards a 21st century city.

And being the city that it can be, we're no longer 45,000 residents as we were in the early 40s and 50s. We have half a million people here. We have to start thinking like a global city. and people will say well why do you want to think yourself as a global city we're the 11th largest city in california we should be providing you cannot when you think about economic development it's not just about small businesses it's about providing the infrastructure and the housing necessary but more importantly having the plans in place like the general plan that's been outdated

for 30 years, a zoning code that has been outdated for 60 years has caused these problems. And so as I look and I'm out there experiencing what I'm seeing every single day because I've been out there, because I didn't want to be up here and say I can't talk firsthand. I wanted to go out there myself to see. And I've seen what these residents have been describing. I've seen with my own eyes. and so we can no longer just talk about people from South County and other parts of our city coming here to this city and you know it's white folks that are homeless right no they're people

of color now that are in this community that are now becoming homeless so this is just the beginning of our problems and if we don't figure out a way to address some of these issues and I've been talking about this. I convene folks since February and it just seems it's gone to deaf ears. Yes, this issue is not one that can be solved overnight, but let's make the attempt. I brought this issue a month ago and I heard boo, boo from anybody. I didn't hear anything from anybody from our city staff, didn't hear from the BIA, didn't hear from the apartment associations

following up. You know, I didn't hear it from anyone. So if this was so important and we wanted to come together as a community to address this, why didn't I receive the phone calls from my staff? Why didn't I receive the phone calls from the community that was against this, that didn't want to move this forward? Why didn't I get those phone calls? Instead, I get emails after the fact when we put items on this agenda to address this. Oh, this is the wrong thing to do. What's wrong is that we're not addressing this crisis. What's wrong that we have infant children out in the cold.

That's wrong. That's inhumane that our old children are out there in cars. That's wrong. We have a responsibility as a council. And I have six days here. And I tell you, most people have told people that I'm moving. I'm not moving to Los Angeles. I'm staying put in this city. I'm staying, I'm living in this city. I'm not going anywhere. So for whoever is telling people that I'm moving to Los Angeles or New York or God knows where else people have been telling people that no, I'm moving here. I just signed a lease and I'm going to continue to live in this city. I am

dedicated and committed to continuing to live here. Do I get frustrated? Most certainly. But I know that my colleagues up at you all have a heart you know and I'll end with this why did we get elected to this job we got to ask ourselves why did you as employees come to this city it's not an easy city to come to we have major issues that we have to address every single day but why did you come here to help the most vulnerable to to make sure that there's upward mobility I'm hoping that

you came here because you have a heart that you want to make a difference I ran for office because I wanted to make a difference in this community and I've done everything that I possibly could except one disappointment and I and you know what and I have to go home at night every single day

in disappointment that we failed the most vulnerable children. And so I don't leave saying that I've been able to accomplish so many things. No, I leave with sadness. I leave with disappointment that we were not able to address this issue in 12 years and to turn the page and to do what's right, the wrongs that have been written in history for 30 years. I was unable to undo them. And I know I'm only one member of this council, but I tried my hardest and I failed.

And I want to apologize to all the families, to the children, to the future of this community that I failed you. And I'm sorry, because I don't believe that you're going to get this item passed. I don't see that folks want to do the right thing. So I apologize to you personally that we failed the future of this community. Thank you.

Sal, go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First and foremost, thank you for coming up and addressing this issue that's extremely important. We've talked about statistics, you know 50% of the people in Santa Ana rent.

I actually believe that number is higher because there's only one person on the lease typically, maybe two. But there's more people living in a household. I have the privilege of being able to work with our students here in Santa Ana.

and I we just flew I flew 54 students to Bradley University in Peoria Illinois this last week and one of the students didn't have a coat so I looked at him and I said you know what I think I have a coat that that'll fit you we showed up to the airport he put on a coat so or he tried it on and it fit and his first day of competition I noticed that his shirt didn't close his collar didn't close and so I went out and tried to get an extender and I was helping him out and he looked at me and he says you know mr. T I I've never worn a suit before and I

said really he says yeah you see these shoes I've never had shoes given to me I've always had to go into a dumpster to get them I spoke with this principal today and he says that I said did you know this student's homeless and he says yeah he says he was he says I don't get to school every day this early but on this one day I was there at 5 45 a.m. and there he was he says it was bitter it was bitter cold outside I asked him what he was doing at the school at 5 45 in the morning and he said that he didn't have internet access he says but we know the real reason the real reason is he has nowhere else to go so this is

this is the reality of many of our community and many of our people here in the city of Santa Ana 50% of the people don't own a car when I tell people that give people that statistic people kind of look at me like are you really telling me the truth that's the truth the whole mindset the whole mindset of how we run our city has to have a shift because if you don't have adequate housing it affects our economy you don't have people that can work in the businesses that we have here and so you're probably asking well why doesn't this come why

don't people address this issue I was an advocate of ward elections and the reason I was an advocate of ward elections is I saw what was happening all the way up from the Supreme Court with Citizens United and what was happening with the funding of elections here locally. The only way that you're going to battle special interest is by having war elections and getting out there and talking to voters in every single district. A citywide race is very difficult to win but a district race you can you can beat money and we're seeing

that happen in Anaheim. I bring that up because the Renters Association and the Realtors Association are an incredibly powerful special interest group. And I want to just let you know that anything that's done here, I guarantee you they're going to focus on the city and put pressure on the elected officials, especially new elected officials coming in. I lay it all out for you because it's not an easy fight. I do want to recommend that when you come before the council and you have advocates or people that are on your side that you let people know

who's on your side because when you make blackout statements it makes it appear that everyone up here is opposing you and that's not the case. And the reason I bring that up is because one of the things that I've noticed is certain special interest groups they know who their friends are and they never do that to their friends. They always make sure that their friends are protected. So there's a two-way street going on here. We need to pass this. I want to tell the Renters Association that you need to really take a second look here

because you claim that everybody's following the rules, and the fact is that's not the case. That's not the case. We don't live in a utopia. And because you sometimes can't police yourself, you're certainly not advocating for assuring that renters have rights. The advocacy is on the other side. Okay, so you're facing, that's the challenge you're facing. This is my last meeting, and I've always been willing to call this out. I don't want to speak too much on this. I just want to say this. I want to thank you for coming out and for speaking for the most vulnerable in our community.

and there are children involved and the future of our city is is are we going to have dignified housing I beg to differ a little bit with council member or mayor pro tem Martinez I think she's been a little hard on herself as well and I understand her passion but the fact is is when we came in here in 2006 there was no push for affordable housing or a very little push and we have done a lot to try to move that forward and I'll talk about that more next week but in the meantime I think this is an issue that we really have to address we can't ignore

way back in 2006 we had homeless people too and people said this is an issue that we have to address we can't ignore but we ignored it and we weren't the only ones other cities ignored it too and then it exploded on us eventually these things do affect the middle class the upper class and it affects business I've always said that the concept of team we work as a team Santa Ana rises and falls as a team and I think we have to lock arms together on this issue and create solutions that are going to help the most vulnerable in our community so i would like to make a motion to approve and i hope we have a second

Sonia R. Carvalho

and direct us to to air the ordinance for first reading and adoption at the next meeting thank you

all right second second um i think some folks have already spoken is anybody not spoken Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

I want to thank the residents for coming out and speaking their mind. Let me see here.

I believe in holding slumlords accountable. I believe in protecting people who report them. But let me backtrack just a little bit. A while back when we were talking about this housing issue, I asked for a list of the people that believe were slumlords so we can go talk to them because we've got to start there. And that's what we wanted to do with the association, I believe, the apartment association. We wanted to do it with the public, we wanted to get together. That disappeared and never happened. And I was ready. Then I met with a group from over here in the East Sudinos.

We met and I said, bring me a list. Because, you know what? I grew up like that. I grew up in apartments. I know what that's like. And yes, I've moved many times as a kid. I know. So, you know, if you're being treated unfairly, if you're being targeted, you got to be, you know, protected. But the thing is, you got to talk first. We're elected council members. We want to do the right thing. But you know what? We're the council members, at least in my opinion. I'm the council member for all groups. I am elected to help and listen to all groups, not just one group. I'm not here for that.

I'm for everyone, all communities. So when we come together, I want to hear both sides. If there's someone out there who's acting up, an apartment owner, who's treating people bad, who's targeting them, who's not doing repairs, I'd like to hear about it because I'll go talk to them personally and see what we can work out. And I would like to also know the number of people that are getting evicted. That's a good place to start. So we need to have that conversation, but it hasn't happened. This is the second time I asked for it, and it hasn't happened. Instead, I get some ordinance that I received last night from the group,

and I haven't had a chance to read it. I'm very interested in helping out, but you've got to have a common-sense approach. I don't believe in creating an ordinance that's going to affect the whole city without trying to meet in the middle. That's very, very important. At least to me it is. I wish everyone success. But in my opinion, if you put your future in the hands of the government, that's not a very good plan.

That's tough words. Somebody told me that once.

because I've been there where they raise the rent I've been there when they say hey you gotta go we're gonna do something I've been there but so you know when I'm in control of my own life that's a little bit better it doesn't matter what happens over here I'm in control of my own life I wish that for everyone I know everyone has a story every family has a story I have my story So I can't support this item tonight. I would like to hear from the groups and come together and meet with the apartment associations because they've asked me, hey, do you hear anything we want to meet? I said, I haven't heard a thing. I asked for a list.

Let's do it. Create a task force or something where we can do it. If not, then maybe we look at an ordinance that protects people who are being targeted or asked to leave unfairly for reporting. slumlords. Everything else I'm not concerned with. But if you report, because everyone deserves to live in a clean environment and safe environment. That I am for. And you shouldn't be repercussions if you report someone. So those are my comments and I'm looking forward to a meeting.

Thank you Councilman Villegas. Good points. I wanted to speak to the two sections of this 85B item. First one, we've been discussing about we've had some of these conversations over and over, and it is unfortunate with what looks to not be a lot of progress. I think it is important to focus on the things that we can achieve. For starters, I would say that over the past couple of years, we have moved forward a couple of very innovative and strong and good affordable housing projects, so that is good. I've personally been able to support each of those affordable housing projects and we have others in the works.

And in total we have about 1,500 new units that are in progress at some point in the development process. That's good. I've also mentioned to some of my colleagues and some of the advocates in the audience, I am interested in revisiting and growing and improving our rental assistance programs. So I think that could be a good thing. the idea too of notifying tenants if and when their homes might be up for sale so they kind of have like a first right of refusal type of option or at least knowledge of it I'm supportive of that and again whether it be new affordable

housing projects or rehab projects we ought to do that and we ought to focus on some successes rather than you know keep getting to the same fight with no No end in sight. With respect to the link in homeless efforts there, I do want to thank Chief David Valentin and Deputy Chief Kinga Minsky for some outstanding work. So now not only have we built a homeless shelter in 28 days, but we have an enforcement plan, outreach plan that is solid.

I would say that down the road some additional things for the city to work on with Mercy House instead of the operator are many of us want like a little flyer or handout that if we see somebody homeless that we can say hey here are some options for you because many of us want to help or even as the city is making their rounds it's good to have good communication. And then also on the communication front, as audience members, it's hard to figure out what's the best way to communicate the issue of homelessness or encampments.

I know many of these avenues kind of point us to calling the public works dispatch line, which often you leave a message and just not a good feeling and an email component isn't necessarily obvious. So I think we've got to make that a little bit more user friendly. Also on this and other items, I'm a big believer in that you can't manage what we can't or don't measure. So having metrics and data and keeping up with that is extremely important. I know, too, we just updated our website, and there's some good things there, but probably more we can add, especially in the area of open data and other items.

And then also, just to close as to what these efforts have been, they've been interdepartmental PD has been a big part of it but public works code enforcement parks and rec a lot of city staff have been out there and today really just over a few days we now have at the link 110 individuals so from a humanitarian standpoint you know we now have you know 110 folks that were on Santa Ana city streets in the cold in the rain that are now in a dry place with with meals and services and really it's a hand up type of operation that's excellent. Also for those that didn't want to keep going or go to the shelter

you know based off of the happenings there were 97 arrests and 67 citations and so we have been doing what we said that we were gonna do that you know folks need to have services, housing or they camp out overnight and so we're We're serious about that. And I also just close, too, with the thought that we in good faith were a little bit slow in doing some of this stuff, including opening up that temporary shelter. But we've been working in good faith with staff, with the community, homeless advocates, the judge, et cetera. And so now we're in a place that we're doing right in many respects.

And I appreciate the hard work and the dedication of all the staff. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm going to keep it short starting to get late here. I want to let the new council members have input on this, so I'll be voting against the motion. So with that, those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Those opposed? No. So motion carries.

Say that again? Pardon? What was the motion? I'm not for the motion. Well, you said aye.

All right, well, let's vote again. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. we have three those opposed no we have three no so motion fails

all right to that we're going on to the next item

do we have a report from the uh mr uh well i guess we have a housing authority meeting i will now uh bring our attention to the housing authority and I would entertain a motion on items one and two.

I'd like to also add the excuse in the absence of Councilman Sarmiento both on this.

All right, that's duly noted. So that's a motion and a second. Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye, the opposed motion carries. See no other comments.

We have a successor agency. I would entertain a motion on the successor agency, including the excused absence. Items 1 through 4.

Motion to approve. Second.

Those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye, those opposed, motion carries. Now we go on to city manager comments and then council comments.

Yes, Mr. Mayor. I was going to report out on the incident action plan efforts. Councilman's L'Oreal summarized it for me. I just wanted to compliment the team, the Colt team, the quality of life team that we started in March of this year. We do have 110. I think the latest break in news, Councilman, is 116. I just got somebody whispered my ear. 97 arrests and 67 citations. And so everything is working just as we planned.

I wanted to also mention that I think the Mayor Pro Tem Martinez mentioned that earlier today we celebrated the city's first protected bike lane over at the corner of Bristol and 17th on the side of the Santa Ana Community College. I just wanted to highlight the fact that this is the result of aggressive and effective pursuance of grants by Public Works staff in general for active transportation projects. This Bristol Corridor project will provide almost three miles of protected bicycle access along the main north-south corridor of our city.

And in total, Public Works has secured $45 million in bicycle pedestrian safety improvement projects over the past four years. That doesn't happen by accident. That's very intentional. and I think it should be commended, and I just wanted to acknowledge that this was celebrated earlier today. Thank you.

Thank you. We actually have some non-agenda public comments that the mayor forgot to, so I'm going to go with Del Halvick, Ryan, Farsa, and then Carlos. So my apologies.

Good evening again. And just one thing on the just cause, I think raising rents multiple times in a year is wrong. And so hopefully you address that at the same time you're looking at the just cause stuff.

November 26th, Planning Commission, city staff changed the agenda item on 2525 to a work study. And I want to thank you guys for doing that. I think it was the right thing to do. will be coming back as an agenda item on January 14th and that will again be presenting the 2525 the one thing that kind of disturbed me during the work study was vineyard developments density has gone from 87 down to 81 over the 81 dwelling units per acre over the last year.

And it's apparent that they have the intention of only building a five story apartment complex there. And they took the risk when they bought the property and I'm hoping that you guys see the error of their ways and vote this down. It would be great if the discovery Science Center could somehow step in. They're expanding. They're trying to reach a million guests a year. They need space. That would be an ideal spot for them to go in.

And it's obvious that Vineyard Development doesn't want to cooperate with anybody. So thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Helvet. Ryan?

Followed by Carlo.

Good evening, honorable councilmembers. My name is Ryan Reza-Farsai, and I'm a 25-year letterman of Orange County University High School, and I'm here to discuss a growing problem in America. The problem is that democracy is under attack, ladies and gentlemen. The Republicans, the billionaires, the banks, the stock market in New York City, and the kings of Europe are fighting for your money. And they're fighting who? The democracy. The Democrats. The attorneys, the esquires, the judges, the courtrooms, the state of Israel, and the king of Spain. Those are the public works people.

So they're playing you, and they're playing us in America. This is the way they're doing it. The way they're doing it is that we have these elections, but except I got two mail-in ballots. I got it for the state of Oregon. I brought it for the state of California. I brought it to the city of Huntington Beach's attention on May 21st. They forwarded it to the county. The county, no one called me. So the county is supposed to help with homeless people. It doesn't really help with the election process either. So what happened with the next elections, I again received two ballots.

So this time, I decided I would take it to the boss of the county, so I sent it to both governors. I also included the president, the White House, and the Supreme Court. So what I included, what followed up afterwards, is that the Attorney General, Mr. Jeffrey Sessions, was fired by Mr. President Trump. and Governor Brown has never responded to me from California, Governor Brown of Oregon did respond to me you know what you said ladies and gentlemen, you said Ryan this is a problem that goes underneath the courts so go hire an attorney, go file a complaint against an attorney good luck with democracy

so that's what's happening in America ladies and gentlemen we're being played, they have the attorney, it's the only person here that's not a contract employee she's working to solve conflicts. But in America, there's actually 50 kings that are the governors, one president, which is 51 kings, and nine chief justices, which are your ghost kings. So you've got 60 kings in your kingdom. This is not democracy. I'm here to declare a new church, the church which is here for the purpose of uniting the brotherhood of man, which is working for all children, the children of America, the one that are indebted for $350,000 each.

councilman jose 350 000 is what 20 trillion is divided by 325 million people and for the veterans i'm here for you veterans the light is red thank you very much thank you for your time and consideration remember you're getting too balanced in america the election system is broken thank you god bless america carlo

Mayor and council members I am for the cause of these young people are for and I would like to say that 30 years ago we wanted two bedroom, three bedroom apartment units in this city not the individual units in one bedroom so hopefully we'll get the next city council to start doing that because the only ones that are going to afford those houses right across from Segerstrom are the people coming from Irvine and they found out that they can't own their land and they're all Chinese. Good people. They're looking for everything. All the houses in Sandpoint that's going to come up for sale. And the second thing

to let you guys know, with the new map the people of Sandpoint are not happy because they had to split their neighborhood.

So, that's all I got. And then, wish some of you guys would be there when the traffic's really bad in the morning like you were saying how the freeway is. MacArthur's exactly like that. and there will be a death right there on that corner. Mark my word, it's either going to be kids from Greenville or from Segerstrom. When those units are all done, because I see the construction workers going there early in the morning, rushing in there to start working, and it's already causing problems. I don't see anybody from this city out there. Nobody.

So I'm going to think about it. So hopefully the next city council will be a little bit better and stronger and not worry about the developers, because the developers should think safety first and bigger units.

There was a guy that went to Saddleback High School who works for another city. He cannot believe that building that's over on Harbor and 17th Street, right next to the old red car line system, how ugly it is. He says it looks like a prison.

And then if the red car line or if the transfer system goes right there on that line system right there, part of that building has to be cut back. So I don't know what city planning commissioner or whatever approved it, but it's just sad. But hopefully the next four years will be different for this city.

All right, thank you. Any other speakers?

No, that was it.

That's it? All right. Why don't we go to Councilmember Tino Heddle, please?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First and foremost, we'll talk a little bit more at the installation next week, so I don't want to spend too much time here, but I do want to tell this to our staff, is that throughout the years, there have been staff members who have come and gone. But I do believe that this 06 class, the 2006 council members that came in, really opened the doors to let people thrive. I mean, who would have thought that we would have students from Santa Ana who could apply to be interns here and receive the type of training

that they were able to get the access that they get to that. There's a lot to be proud of. We always have challenges and we continue to move forward to try to fix as many challenges as we have. But as I was sitting here just kind of reflecting and thinking back at how much younger everybody looked and how much more hair I had when I started this, you know, it is an interesting ride and it is befitting that term limits allow for people who have been here for a while to exit out and allow a new group of people to come in and exercise and represent the community of Santa Ana I'm very proud of what I've

done walking out of here serving the city for 18 years as an elected official and not having scandals follow me or me have to worry about a fine coming my way or anything like that. So I keep my head up high, knowing that at the end of the day, I came into this seat always looking through the lenses that I've had growing up as an individual who started living in a garage, who eventually was able to rent a room. Eventually, my father had a better job, was able to rent the house,

and eventually we bought a house, well, he bought a house that was probably about 700 square feet, but it was his. I've experienced tragedy in my life with having my father murdered when I was 15. I was the oldest in my family. I've been able to be the first in my family to graduate from college. Once you break that ceiling, it's not a matter in our family of are you going to college. We're always talking about the different options that cousins and friends and so forth are going through that. Those are the kind of futures that we want to build here in the city. Your work is important, and I know that you're not always thanked,

and I know it's always difficult because sometimes we think we're the experts, and then we realize, oh, I didn't major in architecture. You know, I majored in comm. You know, so what am I doing telling you your job? But the fact is is that what you do does affect people's lives, and I think, like I said, we have a great team here. I'm very proud of the city manager for the human capital that you brought to the city. This is an amazing gosh darn staff. Amazing. I think it's probably one of the best staffs I've ever seen in the 12 years I've been here. And that's a testament to your leadership because they want to work for you.

So as we pass the baton next week, I just want to wish everyone the very, very best and just tell you that it's been an absolute joy and honor to work with you, to joke with you, but then to kick some butt with you too you know so thank you for that thank you mr mayor thank

you mayor pro tem mr mayor i have to um just do an oral report from my last council committee which was the um ed bit and i did speak on some of the items i'll just leave with the two last items and that was the citywide branding next steps councilman benavides suggested to include a narrative and background of the parrot in the report for others to understand the story behind it and then the comprehensive financial review Catherine Downs presented a timeline of a financial review for November 2018 to May of 2019 and in January an RFP will be released to a third party for review and in May we'll check in with the third

party for preliminary findings and recommendations and so I leave with this note as I been on this council for 12 years I can tell you that you know There's excitement that I'm leaving. I've read millions of documents. I've read every city council agenda, every agenda and document behind every board I've sat on, and that was eight. I've read every scene, millions and millions, I've attended the majority of the meetings in my 12 years, and I have to tell you that I'm exhausted.

Mentally, spiritually, and physically. I may not come across that way. I get up every day at 3 a.m. and I go to bed at 1 o'clock. and that's been for the past 12 years because I've been committed to this city and as I saw the councilman meeting as I got installed I was sitting next to you Mayor Polito and I leave sitting next to you but in my comments and maybe I was a little arrogant at 27 and maybe I'm still a little arrogant but I said that I would be the best policy maker that this council ever had and the hardest working council member and as I look back in my

tenure and when I got elected people wanted me to fail people didn't expect me to become a national president people didn't expect me to become the president of the largest metropolitan planning organization of this country but I became those things and more importantly I leave with my integrity intact and that I put every sweat, tear, and everything that I had in my soul into this city that I truly love and I dedicated my life to this community. And I'm not going anywhere. I love this

city. This is the first time, you know, when I came here in 1990 that I had stability for the first time in my life and I made a commitment that I would never go anywhere else. So since 1990, when I grew up in Los Angeles, I moved 12 times. I went to nine different elementary schools and so I know what it is to move around. I know what it is to live in a car. I know what it is to live in a shack. I know what it is to not have a mom or a dad. I know all those things. I didn't have someone push me to go and get an education but I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with

degree in criminal justice I have one year my master's degree I probably would have got my master's degree but this council decided to change its council meetings from Mondays and Tuesdays and my core classes for public health were on Tuesdays and so guess what you think Cal State Fullerton was going to change the the curriculum for me no they did not and so I had to bypass that and not finish my second year but I did that and I continue to stay here because I truly love this city and so as this new council comes up on in I ask you to lead with the sacred heart there are going to be tons of challenges that come

before you and you're going to want to walk away you're not going to want to read because it's daunting when you're seeing five six hundred pages but I'll tell you that if you don't read that and that you don't ask yourself why you ran for this city council and don't do the homework you have to think twice why you're sitting up on this dais because you are expected to read you're expected to set good policy not just to sit up here and expect the staff to just move forward with all their items the the residents are counting on you I'm

counting on you as a resident and so I wish you the best as I said that in my emails to those new council members if you need any help in regards to your agenda or any items I will be there to be supportive I always believe in paying it forward and so as I leave here at the next council meeting it's not my show it's the show of the new council and I want to be respectful so I'm not going to say any comments I'm just going to say my goodbyes and I'll say my goodbyes to our staff today you know and you know and it's farewell obviously it's not goodbye. I have great relationships

with many of you and I want to thank you personally for those of you that I have worked with for a majority of my time on this council. I have to tell you that the stuff that I was able to get accomplished was because of the staff. Many of the important things whether it was active transportation or was you know moving forward with updating the general plan you know those significant things that matter modernizing government into the 21st century and really focusing on the culture internally that's not sexy infrastructure is not sexy budgets and

finance is not sexy but those were the things that I focused on as a council member and more importantly I focused on being a regional leader because if you're not at the table you're going to be on the menu and Santa Ana was on the menu for many years didn't receive the funding that it deserves because it wasn't at Skag for 20 plus years it wasn't sitting on these boards where it mattered and so as I leave here I wouldn't be able to have done that without the support of the staff so I want to thank you personally here today on behalf of the of the residents for dedicating

Many of you, and I see a lot of new faces, but those of you who have been here, thank you. And I look at you, Robert, your 18 years and your career here, and as you're going into a new journey, I want to thank you because you started here as a young man, and you dedicated, and you're still a young man, right? My bad. You're still a young man, but you dedicated 18 years of your life to this city, and you've been with us. you're really the only one that's been with us all 12 years that we've worked closely to and I look at Julie Julie's been here a long time but Julie just recently came to the city managers

but it's been you Robert that we've worked with for the past 12 years as I look at everyone in this room and you are the only one left of the Mohicans that lasted with the old Sixers for the 12 years and just wanting to thank you for your dedication and to the executive management team to Raul, thank you for coming back to this city. Wasn't easy. Obviously, I told you not to come back. I'll be the first to say that. Why would you want to come here under these political conditions? Who would want to do this to their family? But thank you for coming because you brought in an exceptional team that this city deserves.

And to you, Sonia, thank you for your ethics, for your integrity, for holding us accountable, and for always calling us out when we need to be called out. That was very important for me as a city attorney, for you to be ethical and to not have favorites. That's one thing that I respected about you. And as I travel in my journey, people ask me about you. That's one of the first things that I always say. She had no favorites, and she was a woman of integrity. And to you, to Maria, our clerk, I will tell you that you have a heart of gold.

You are the first impression when you come up to the eighth floor and how you handle our constituents. You do it with professionalism. You're loyal to this community. You're loyal to the staff here. And sometimes we don't value the work that the clerk of the council does. but I want to thank you and your entire staff for what you've done in your short period of time here. You've modernized this government to have the technology that our residents can watch from home archives, be able to make comments on the agenda. That never was the case here.

And you were able to do that with this council. So thank you and thank you again for having a heart of gold. With that, Mr. Mayor, thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Solorio, please.

Long night and a lot of good comments. I just want to wish everybody a good evening and again thanks to all the staff for the amazing work on the link. A lot of good work done and more to come and probably miss some agencies that also help. I know code enforcement had some folks out there and the library and many other programs and a lot of executive managers at all levels in all departments. And so thank you, Raul and City Attorney Sonia and everybody else for helping make that happen. Thanks.

Councilor Villegas, please.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to also thank the staff on the work on the homeless shelter. Great, great work. Hope to promote the numbers here soon. And on Sunday I was at the Wilshire Square Neighborhood Association Christmas Parade. awesome turnout. Thank you very much for the invitation and I was very happy to be a part of it. That's all, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Councilor Benavides, please.

Thank you, Mayor. Next week we'll get a chance to

share a few more words, so I'm going to hold off some of my comments. It is somewhat surreal, I mentioned earlier, after 12 years, I was doing a little bit of math here about 264 meetings over those last 12 years, about six hours on average a meeting, 1,584 hours just on Monday, Tuesday nights alone, not including committee meetings and such. This is a wonderful town. Love Santana, and we do have an amazing team. Raul, you've done an effective job of bringing in solid people and it's looking forward to you

know continued progress of our city part of what contributes to that progress is shopping in our town so I want to encourage folks to shop in Santa Ana spend your tax dollars here support local economy local jobs look forward to having new council members in and being able to go to bed before 11 12 o'clock at night on Tuesday nights first and third Monday so first and third Tuesday of the month anyhow with that have a good night all thank you and we're yet

I'm gonna make it for yes go ahead and speak and you know we've been here for

12 years and I don't know if you've ever noticed there's this lady over here that sits right next to Maria her name is Norma the thing that's interesting about her is she never doesn't age so I think you got to keep an eye on her because I I think she's got special powers, so she might be running the city and we don't even know.

Anyhow, but thank you, and we've had some talks and so forth, but you do great work, and I just appreciate the work that you do for our city. Thank you.

Thank you, and with that, I'm going to keep it short and say this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.

Love Love

Love Love

Love Love Love Love Love

Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love

It's the soul that tells me, that tells me that I am

It's the soul that tells me, that tells me that I am

Thank you.