AHA - 2024/01/23ANAHEIM HOUSING AUTHORITY
REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2024
The Anaheim Housing Authority regular meeting of January 23, 2024 was called to order at
7:09 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Anaheim City Hall located at 200 S. Anaheim Blvd. in joint
session with the Anaheim Public Financing Authority, Anaheim Housing and Public
Improvements Authority and Anaheim City Council. The meeting notice, agenda, and related
materials were duly posted on January 18, 2024.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Ashleigh E. Aitken and Authority Members Norma
Campos Kurtz, Jose Diaz, Carlos A. Leon, Natalie Rubalcava,
Stephen Faessel, and Natalie Meeks
STAFF PRESENT:
City Manager Jim Vanderpool, City Attorney Robert Fabela, and
Secretary Theresa Bass
ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO THE AGENDAS:
No additions/deletions related to the Anaheim Housing Authority agenda.
PUBLIC COMMENTS tall agenda items):
No in -person or electronic public comments were received related to the Anaheim Housing
Authority agenda.
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
Vice-Chairperson/Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz highlighted and displayed a photograph of Kings Liquor
and Junior Market on Orangewood Avenue, just east of Harbor Blvd. The market is owned by
the Ibrahim family. Talab Ibrahim, who is a Public Utilities Board Member, went to Mexico to
learn how to prepare La Michoacana ice cream to sell at their store. They have wonderful
products and carry Mexican and Japanese products.
Authority Member/Council Member Faessel requested to recognize Assistant City Attorney,
Alison Kott, who has provided 18 years of service to Anaheim Public Utilities. She has had
many accomplishments and will be retiring soon.
Authority Member/Council Member Leon expressed his appreciation to Chairperson/Mayor
Aitken and everyone who sent a message of support and condolences following the passing of
his grandmother. He thanked all of the community groups, organizations, clubs, residents, and
volunteers who helped organize, support, or attended a community event throughout the
holidays. He also thanked City departments for supporting District 2 events including Anaheim
Public Utilities, Anaheim Police, Anaheim Fire & Rescue. He recognized Casa Gamino as the
December 2023 Restaurant of the Month. The restaurant has been in West Anaheim for 30
years. Authority Member/Council Member Leon recognized Le Mirage Pastry as the December
2023 Business of the Month. The owner has been selling pastries and bouza Syrian ice cream
for nearly 20 years. Bouza is believed to be the world's first ice cream and was served in Syria
over 500 years ago. The business was recently highlighted nationwide on CBS Sunday
morning. He encouraged everyone to stop by and try it out. He highlighted House of Shabu
Shabu 2 as the January 2024 Restaurant of the Month. The restaurant is located just off Euclid
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Street. The restaurant is of Japanese origin and is a combination of thinly sliced meats and
vegetables boiled in a broth and served with dipping sauces. He noted that 85 Degrees Bakery
Cafe just opened in District 2 and he wished them well. Authority Member/Council Member Leon
requested to adjourn the meeting in remembrance of Magnolia High School Varsity baseball
and football Coach Bill McFeggan. He made it a priority to help coach students every day.
Authority Member/Council Member Rubalcava shared photographs and highlighted events she
attended in the last couple of weeks. She noted that with the help of Community Services, she
held a successful Mobile Family Resource Center Event in the Glen/Neighbors community in
District 3. The Mobile Family Resource Center invites City departments and local non-profit
organizations to host resource booths and engage with residents to establish communication
and offer information, resources, food access, and emergency financial assistance for residents
that qualify. She thanked Love Anaheim for bringing their mobile food truck which offers fresh
food, milk, and canned goods. OC Animal Care provided Anaheim pets with new pet tags.
Authority Member/Council Member Rubalcava was grateful to present Reuben Droughns with
recognition for the pride he brings back to Anaheim High School and the City with an inspiring
career as a professional athlete. He graduated from Anaheim High School in 1996 and was CIF
champ in wrestling and the most prolific running back in Anaheim High School's history. He had
an incredible college career at the University of Oregon and went to play for five NFL teams,
including the New York Giants, the 2008 Super Bowl Champions. She congratulated Coach Joe
Mark for the remarkable impact he had on so many wrestlers at Anaheim High School. Coach
Mark was recently inducted into the Anaheim High School Hall of Fame. Coach Mark helped
guide Anaheim High School to 34 league championships. Under his leadership, the wrestling
team won five straight league championships from 1994-1998 and he was ranked top five in
Orange County every year during that time. Coach Mark led his dual team to four Division 1
semifinal finishes and one CIF runner-up in 1998. Authority Member/Council Member
Rubalcava thanked Coach Mark on behalf of the City of Anaheim and District 3 residents. She
thanked Madisson Alarcon for delivering the recognitions on her behalf because she was at a
Council meeting the night the event took place. Authority Member/Council Member Rubalcava
thanked Authority Member/Council Member Faessel for the significant amount of time he spent
reporting a lot of the graffiti and getting the City cleaned up in District 3. She also thanked
Republic Services for picking up bulky trash items in the alleyways and City staff for responding
quickly to those issues. Authority Member/Council Member Rubalcava requested to adjourn the
meeting in remembrance of student Eduard Antonio Chan a 24-year-old who attended Anaheim
High School and Anaheim Elementary who unfortunately took his life on January 21 St. His family
is collecting money for his funeral. She noted that mental health and suicide awareness is an
initiative that her office has.
Authority Member/Council Member Diaz invited everyone to the grand opening of the
Brookhurst Community Center Teen Center on January 271 at 10:00 a.m. The Brookhurst
Community Center is located at 2271 Crescent Avenue.
Chairperson/Mayor Aitken thanked everyone who volunteered on Martin Luther King Jr.
National Day of Service to help those in need. She spent the day at the Orange County Food
Bank packing boxes for at -risk seniors. Chairperson/Mayor Aitken noted that she attended the
US Conference of Mayors last week and it was a wonderful learning opportunity to learn best
practices from other cities. She was happy to be awarded a grant for the Little Arabia
Employment Development Project. Anaheim was one of seven cities across the country
selected as a recipient of the grant.
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CITY MANAGER'S UPDATE: None
At 8:19 p.m., Chairperson Aitken recessed the Anaheim Housing Authority agenda and
reconvened at 8:21 p.m.
CONSENT CALENDAR: At 8:21 p.m., Authority Member Faessel moved to approve the
consent calendar as presented, in accordance with reports, certifications, and recommendations
furnished each Authority Member and as listed on the consent calendar, seconded by Authority
Member Leon. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES — 7 (Chairperson Aitken and Authority Members
Kurtz, Diaz, Leon, Rubalcava, Faessel, and Meeks); NOES — 0. Motion carried.
R100 5. RESOLUTION NO. AHA-2024-001 A RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING
BOARD OF THE ANAHEIM HOUSING AUTHORITY amending the dates and times
for regular meetings of the Authority for the 2024 calendar year and rescinding
Resolution No. AHA-2023-011 (rescheduling the meeting of February 6 to February
13, 2024).
ADJOURNMENT:
With no further business to conduct, without objection, Chairperson Aitken adjourned the
meeting of the Anaheim Housing Authority at 8:21 p.m.
ctfully submitted,
Theresa Bass, CMC
Secretary, Anaheim Housing Authority