23
Public Comment
From:Tamara Jimenez <tjimenez@lighthousetreatment.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 10, 2020 7:35 PM
To:Harry Sidhu (Mayor); Jose Moreno; Denise Barnes; Stephen Faessel; Lucille Kring;
Trevor O'Neil; Jordan Brandman; Annie Mezzacappa; Nam Bartash; Amanda Edinger;
Cynthia Ward; Helen Myers; Marisol Ramirez; Karen Romero Estrada; Samantha Saenz;
Sarah Bartczak; Justin Glover
Cc:Loretta Day; Public Comment
Subject:Item #23-OPPOSE-POSTPONE VOTE
Attachments:item23lh.pdf
Importance:High
Good evening,
I have serious concerns about item 23. Please see attached letter. This item should be postponed on Tuesday. As experts
in the field we are advising this item be revisited and brought back to council at another date. The ordinance as now
written, despite what the city attorney states, violates current state and federal laws among other numerous problems.
It will also result in us losing beds. In other words this will negatively affect us and force us to shut down part of our
operation, which by the way was just recognized as one of the top facilities in the US by Newsweek. Anaheim Lighthouse
has served this city for over 2 decades in the area of substance abuse. I would like to bring to your attention that
although we met with and gave direction to the planning department they only made minor changes and did not make
the changes suggested by our CEO who is also an attorney. We have been doing this a very long time and would like to
assist the city in creating good policy as opposed to watch the city pass bad policy and try to fix it later in legal battles,
which is what happens in other cities that do so. We would be happy to sit down with Council or staff to help you
achieve your goals in the best way possible. Please remember, we have supported this council and this city on many
fronts. We have helped you with some of your legal battles in court over the past few years, helped you with the
homeless issue, we have scholarshipped countless clients into treatment for city, the police department, the Drug Free
st
Anaheim Program (We took the 1 participant), and for the various shelters throughout Anaheim. We have partnered
with City Net, Mercy House, Eli Home, Pathways of Hope, Anaheim Police Department Homeless Outreach Team,
Chrysalis, and many others. We actively participate in all of the city’s events (pre-covid of course). We have invested a
lot into the City of Anaheim and all we are asking is that you trust us to help you with this serious issue. You are dealing
with many things from disability rights, to ADA laws, to health care, and most importantly peoples lives. We are talking
about life and death for the residents of these homes. This isn’t a zoning issue to be compared to or treated like a
hotelier. We are dealing with something much more. We are simply asking that you take the time to meet with us and
understand what it is you are voting on before doing so. Anaheim is supposed to “do it better”. Let’s do it better
together!
Have a great day,
Tamara Jimenez
Community Relations Manager
Lighthouse
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2
September 10, 2020
Re: Item #23-Oppose-Requesting Postponement
Dear Anaheim City Council Members:
We are writing to express that Anaheim Lighthousehasconcerns
regarding recovery residences also known as sober livings, and group homes. We have been operating in
the city of Anaheimin the field of recovery forover two decades.We
recovery residences are not required to be licensed and are not required to be regulated by the State or any
other governmental organizations. Additionally, weunderstand the City is concerned about over
concertation of these homes and operators who do not have anystructure or oversight. What makes this
even harder is that is difficult to determine how many actual recovery residences are in the City.
Wehave similar concerns, but the proposed ordinance does not address the issues. In fact, it is making it
difficult for good operators to provide the needed services. Requiring residences to be specific distances
from each other and requiring staff meet certain requirements is very discriminating. Not only does the
ordinance violate state laws, it also violates federal laws.
We are also founding membersof the Orange County Recovery Collaboration (OCRC), which consists of
representatives from law enforcement, treatment providers, recovery residences, state and local political
representatives, County Behavioral Health and local organizations that offer non-treatment services such
as food and housing to individuals in need only identified eight recovery residences, and those were
Sheriff Certified providers.
The number of sober livings or recovery residences are purely guesstimating and are inflated with
substance abuse treatment providers, group homes and transitional housing numbers. As there are no
licensing requirements to operate a recovery residence it is very difficult to identify how many recovery
residences exist in the city. According to the Recovery Residences report submitted by the Orange
County Recovery Collaboration to the city of Anaheim, 8residences in Anaheim were identified. This
ication List. Antidotally OCRC
believes there are no more than 25, which is most likely a very high estimate,recovery residences in the
city of Anaheim. The rest of the homes in Anaheim are some type of group or transitional living home
for special populations (seniors, disabled, mentally ill etc.) that are not for persons with substance use
issues.
In short, weare
residences and group homes. Review the responses from OCRC, including a very thorough report on
recovery residences and support or consider the recommendations from that report.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Tamara Jimenez, Community Relations Manager
1320 W Pearl Street Anaheim, CA 92801 Phone: (714) 780-1174 Fax: (714) 844-2068