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04/02/2024ANAHEIM CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 2, 2024 The regular meeting of April 2, 2024 was called to order at 3:02 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Anaheim City Hall, located at 200 S. Anaheim Boulevard. The meeting notice, agenda and related materials were duly posted on March 28, 2024. MEMBERS PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: Mayor Ashleigh E. Aitken and Council Members Norma Campos Kurtz, Jose Diaz, Carlos A. Leon, Natalie Rubalcava, Stephen Faessel, and Natalie Meeks. City Manager Jim Vanderpool, City Attorney Robert Fabela, and City Clerk Theresa Bass ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO CLOSED SESSION: None PUBLIC COMMENTS ON CLOSED SESSION: Sandy Lozeau, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), requested the City Council support Closed Session Item No. 04. She reported the situation is outlined in AFSCME's current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to resolve a direct compaction issue related to AFSCME members who oversee International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) employees. She stated AFSCME presented a reasonable plan to combat a long -existing issue. She added the proposal resolves the matter for now with a minimum floor base of 10% to allow the promotional opportunities outlined in the MOU. She added adjustments can always be made following the Classification and Compensation Study. She noted six supervisors are paid less than their IBEW employees adding this needs to be addressed along with long-term vacant positions left so because of this compacting. She added approval has a limited impact on the General Fund because the positions are largely funded through Enterprise, Sanitation, and Gas Tax funds. George Kline, Electric Field Superintendent for Anaheim Public Utilities (APU), reported he is the most impacted and compacted employee in the City, paid 8% less than the employees reporting to him. He added approval of Closed Session Item No. 04 will help solve the compaction issue and open the doors for his employees who would like to take his job upon retirement in 3-4 years but would be doing so with a pay cut. He encouraged the City Council to get back to the City's core values of making Anaheim a great place to live, work, and play. City Clerk Theresa Bass reported no electronic public comments were received related to the Closed Session agenda. CLOSED SESSION: At 3:06 p.m., Mayor Aitken recessed to closed session for consideration of the following: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — EXISTING LITIGATION (Subdivision (d)(1) of Section 54956.9 of the California Government Code) Name of case: Thomas Fielder v. City of Anaheim, Orange County Superior Case No. 30-2022-01268974 CU-WM-CJC City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 2 of 19 2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Initiation of litigation pursuant to Paragraph (4) of Subdivision (d) of California Government Code Section 54956.9: Two potential cases. 3. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subdivision (d) of California Government Code Section 54956.9): One potential case. (A copy of the claim against the City is included in the agenda packet and available for review by contacting the City Clerk's Office and on-line electronically with the agenda at: www.anaheim.net/councila;; endas.) 4. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS (Subdivision (a) of Section 54957.6 of the California Government Code) Agency Designated Representative: Linda Andal, Human Resources Director Name of Employee Organization: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (General Management and Professional/Technical) 5. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS (Subdivision (a) of Section 54957.6 of the California Government Code) Agency Designated Representative: Linda Andal, Human Resources Director Name of Employee Organization: Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, Police Cadet Unit At 5:17 p.m., Mayor Aitken reconvened the Anaheim City Council. MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ashleigh E. Aitken and Council Members Norma Campos Kurtz, Jose Diaz, Carlos A. Leon, Natalie Rubalcava, Stephen Faessel, and Natalie Meeks INVOCATION: Pastor Rudy P. Trejo, Calvary Apostolic Church Prior to the flag salute, Council Member Leon requested remembrance of the legacy of Cesar Chavez, a champion for civil rights and labor activism which empowered the marginalized, and his commitment to justice and equality for all. FLAG SALUTE: Council Member Carlos A. Leon PRESENTATIONS: Recognizing 2024 Miss Anaheim Beautiful Ambassadors Mayor Aitken reported the Miss Anaheim program is a personal growth and development program for young women in Anaheim. She noted the program offers scholarships, community service hours, and opportunities to be involved in the community. She noted the Miss Anaheim Beautiful participants attend the events to strengthen their communication and other skills. She thanked Sally Feldhaus and her late husband Frank Feldhaus for their contributions to the program. She also thanked the Miss Anaheim Beautiful Ambassadors Vivian Alvarez and Sophia Hall for their work in the community. Ms. Hall expressed her joy in representing the City, and volunteering through non -profits, adding how much the program has taught them. Ms. Alvarez agreed it has been a pleasure to volunteer throughout the City through the Miss Anaheim Beautiful program. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 3 of 19 Recognizing Anaheim High School student, Lilyana Balderas, for winning CIF -Southern Section Masters Champion and placing in the State Championships for wrestling Mayor Aitken introduced Lilyana Balderas to accept the recognition. She added not only did Ms. Balderas place first in the CIF Championships and second in the State, but she also helped lead Anaheim High School to their first Orange League title. She highlighted Ms. Baldera's accomplishments including becoming a two-time Orange League champion, two-time CIF champion, and two-time Masters champion, and ranking eighth in the country by USA Wrestling, among others. Ms. Balderas accepted the recognition and thanked her teammates, coaches, parents, and all who supported her. Recognizing Canyon High School Girls Basketball Team for winning the CIF -Southern Section Division 4AA Championship Mayor Aitken reported in February, the Canyon High School Girls Basketball Team beat Rancho Cucamonga in the championship game at the Toyota Arena. She highlighted Coach Sara Brown for not only winning the title as a coach but also as a player with San Clemente High School. She noted this is the second CIF title for the girl's team at Canyon High School. The recognition was accepted by Coach Sara Brown and Canyon High School Girls Basketball Team. ACCEPTANCE OF OTHER RECOGNITIONS (To be presented at a later date): Recognizing April 2024 as Orange County Affordable. and Fair Housing Month Housing Services Manager Kerrin Cardwell thanked the City Council for the recognition. She advised that the need for affordable housing touches many in Anaheim and added that the Housing and Community Development Department administers several programs that either directly assist residents or help to build housing for low-income residents. She added that the department assists more than 11,000 renters annually in Anaheim. She thanked the 2,000 property owners who participate in the City's Rental Assistance Program along with the many non-profit service providers who help those living on the street and in shelters. She thanked affordable housing developers who have worked and continue to work with the City. Recognizing April 1-5, 2024 as National Community Development Week Deputy Director of Housing and Community Development Sandra Lozeau stated the City is celebrating the positive impacts of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through its help with low-income and moderate -income residents and the elimination of blight. She added in the current fiscal year, the City received $4.3 million in CDBG funds to help residents of all ages sustain their neighborhoods. She noted it also supports a variety of City departments including Code Enforcement, City Attorney's Office staff, and capital improvements projects from the Community Services and Public Works departments. She highlighted recent accomplishments including the Brookhurst Teen Center, outdoor improvements at the Anaheim Central Library and Euclid Branch, and additions to Maxwell Park and Citrus Park. She noted last fiscal year CDBG supported programs and projects where over 633,000 people were served. She noted more information on CDBG and the supported programs are available at www.anaheim.net/communifi,develo,,. ment. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 4 of 19 Recognizing April 7-13, 2024 as National Library Week Library Services Manager Guadalupe Gomez thanked the City Council for the recognition. She noted that the acknowledgment raises awareness of the vital role the Library plays in fostering education, literacy, and community engagement. She added it also recognizes the Library's importance as a cultural hub and resource center for all residents. She noted the Library provides a variety of resources and programs including story time for residents in four languages — English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic. She reported on numerous programs that enrich the lives of residents of all ages and promote a thriving community. She repeated her acceptance speech in Spanish. Recognizing April 26, 2024, as Arbor Day Tree Service Supervisor Joe Vargas expressed his appreciation for the Arbor Day proclamation. He added the City's annual planting event will be held on April 19th at Orange Grove Elementary School. He added it is Anaheim's 40th year of membership with the Tree City USA program. At 5:36 p.m., Mayor Aitken called to order the Anaheim Housing Authority, in joint session with the City Council. ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA: None PUBLIC COMMENTS (all agenda items): Prior to receipt of public comments, City Clerk Theresa Bass provided an outline of procedures for public comments, notice of translation services, and a brief decorum statement. City Clerk Bass reported that a total of four (4) public comments were received electronically prior to 1:00 p.m. [ A final total of 7 public comments were received electronically, distributed to the City Council, and made part of the official records]. — See Appendix. Adam Wood, Senior Vice President of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, reported the City has already implemented the strategies presented during the affordable housing discussion at the last meeting. He noted many of the discussions surrounding suggestions the City does not perform involve some form of a tax. He endorsed the idea of a Housing Trust in Item No. 11 but added it appears the City will be funding it with a tax on developers. He stated the City can do better than this. He added the City should consider funds from the potential Disneyland Forward project and the $100 million annually in Lease Payment Measurement Revenues (LPMR) as possible sources of sustainable funding for a Housing Trust without taxing developers or other businesses. Paul Hyek reported that the development located at 520 W. Romneya Drive only has six units. He offered his assistance to clean it up and bring in recreational vehicles to house the homeless there. He stated the City should require Mercy House to be a walk-in shelter to receive City funding. He added Susan Price is part of a senior citizen scam and added passports and visas should be checked. Dara Maleki, Housing and Community Development Commission Chair, stated it is undeniable that affordable housing is an escalating crisis in Anaheim. He referenced the Council's discussion at the previous meeting related to affordable housing strategies He stated the City Council and City staff must acknowledge the investment needed to make the Housing Trust proposed in Item No. 11 successful. He added the City must balance its drive for economic City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 5of19 growth with an equal commitment to housing. He stated meeting the affordable housing need is achievable but requires the City Council to determine a sustainable funding source. He stated prioritization of market -rate projects must be reassessed because specific industries on their own will not ensure the City's prosperity. He added priorities of industry and residents need to be harmonized. He recommended incentivizing developers to build with the City's needs in mind and incorporating affordable housing options. He endorsed using Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funding and other fees on non-residents utilizing Anaheim's entertainment to help meet the City's affordable housing needs. He added Anaheim's housing crisis is a classic example of a lack of supply driving up demand and prices, adding it will only get worse without a viable Housing Trust. Mark Richard Daniels encouraged the City Council to pause the rushed Disneyland Forward project that is full of ambiguity and uncertainty. He added that many of the Council Members have received money from The Walt Disney Company and Save Our Anaheim Resorts (SOAR) and questioned how they can vote on the project with a clear conscience. He stated the proposed expansion is one of the biggest items in the City's history and added the City Council needs to take a clear look at it because portions will likely be challenged in court. He added the City's plans are vague and may change over time similar to the California Adventure Park plans. He encouraged the City Council to explore the potential ramifications for the surrounding residents and encouraged the City Council to press the pause button. Cecil Jordan Corkern reported on conspiracy theories surrounding Walt Disney. He urged Council Members to read his book about his concerns about Walt Disney. Mr. Corkern offered to make a copy of the book and bring it to Council Member Faessel at a future meeting if he is interested. He reported he is frightened to talk to Mr. Disney because of alleged inappropriate material when he sees him at grocery stores and does not accept Mr. Disney's offers of assistance. G. Price reported the value of Magic Way is guesstimated at $13 million using commercial land in the City of Irvine and deemed this laughable. She noted discrepancies between Disney's map of Magic Way and the City's expectation of keeping a water easement. She noted Deputy City Manager and Planning and Building Director Ted White has reiterated that Magic Way and Disneyland Forward are intimately intertwined and expressed concern that the public has not been provided enough details and questioned why the City is not receiving full value for the land. She reported on the State's new environmental justice parameters, noting the areas just east and north of Disneyland have significant areas of exposure for fine particulate matter, diesel matter, toxic release, and a higher percentage of individuals with health concerns. She noted the area has the City's greatest environmental concerns and an expansion of Disneyland will only make matters worse in these areas. She noted the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is an informational document and it has failed by not addressing environmental justice. Vern Nelson reported the Anaheim Democrats Club has passed a resolution requesting the City Council postpone the scheduled April 16th vote on Disneyland Forward. He noted the Planning Commission's vote was not unanimous because Commissioner LuisAndres Perez agrees there are too many unanswered questions. He decried the public's inability to see Disney's economic report from California State University Fullerton (CSUF) under the guise of it containing proprietary information. He added the City Council has not reviewed the report as well, prohibiting it from voting in good conscience. He read from the extensive resolution by the Anaheim Democratic Club decrying the misinformation, incomplete information, and other nefarious matters being presented in the Disneyland Forward materials. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 6 of 19 Mike Robbins continued reading the Anaheim Democrats Club's resolution from where Mr. Nelson's time expired, beginning with portions questioning obvious air pollutants not being included in the Disneyland Forward EIR. He noted the CSUF Business School is a long-time recipient of Disney financial patronage in questioning the integrity of its publicly withheld study. He added most of the 14,000 promised new employees will earn below the County's poverty line. He decried how the City seems unwilling to even negotiate a fair deal for residents. He stated litigation against Disney and a recent dip in profits undermine the company's appearance of stability as they look to discuss a 40-year project. He concluded the resolution with its insistence the City Council delay a vote until the elements listed by himself and Mr. Nelson are clarified, adding City staff should not be used to promote the unapproved project and encourage more independent studies as opposed to relying solely on Disney's. He called for more documentation and a plan of how all of this would be done without impacting area residents. Jeanine Robbins called on the City Council to build accountability into noise ordinances, noting Disney After Dark is regularly exceeding permissible noise levels. She encouraged the City Council to make Disney comply with existing height restrictions and requested an independent Environmental Study on Disney's current and proposed fireworks displays and other environmental impacts on the neighboring residential properties. She reported on similarities between Disneyland Forward and the corrupt Angel Stadium sale including back -room dealings, secret meetings, a stacked Planning Commission appointed by Council Members who receive financial benefits from Disney, major documents withheld from public view, City staff lying to the City Council, and public, and a blindly accepted appraisal funded by the applicant. She implored the City Council to learn from history, noting the many calamities resulting from the stadium sale including the impending prison sentence for former Mayor Harry Sidhu. Marc Herbert reported it has been two and a half years since the City submitted its draft Housing Element to the State and is still awaiting approval of its most recent draft. He reported California's Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) instructed Deputy City Manager/Planning and Building Director White almost a year ago to continue to engage the community but noted the Housing Element Update Committee last met two and a half years ago when it is supposed to hold monthly meetings throughout the process. He contradicted comments made by Council Member Rubalcava at the last meeting by noting the Committee's mission statement includes verbiage about it being a public conduit to provide information to staff throughout the entire Housing Element update process which is still ongoing. He stated the City Council has changed over the two and a half years since the last meeting but the City Council's policy on excluding the public has not. He reported the City is not complying with its affordable housing requirements and is working its way towards being sued for non-compliance like recent actions against the City of Huntington Beach and the City of Beverly Hills. Stephanie Mercadante criticized the City Council's inaction on failures in the Disneyland Forward documents. She reported even Disney -contracted studies contradict the presentations on the project and added City staff offers inconsistent information. She reported on inaccuracies in the Magic Way Traffic Study and how it contradicts the original intent of the street permitting area residents to use it. She cited many historical examples of Disney usurping pieces of real estate for its benefit against the will of the property owners. She confirmed residents did not request the closure of Magic Way but rather requested traffic -calming measures on Walnut Street due to Disney's delivery trucks. She criticized the City Council for not reading the actual reports and stated she is tired of being bullied by Disney. She called on the City Council to delay the vote until matters are more clearly addressed. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 7 of 19 Bryan Kaye stated he is only quoting Anaheim Police Department (APD) officers and City staff when using shocking language during regular visits to City Council meetings. He stated none of the City Council Members are doing anything to make Anaheim better. He questioned the honesty of the Police Review Board and the effectiveness of School Resource Officers (SRO). He questioned how SROs make the City's children safer. He stated the community lives in terror because of the APD and the City Council will not change policies to stop the APD from killing people and using racial slurs. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS: Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz shared that this City Council meeting can be watched online with real-time Spanish captioning. Spanish captioning is available through the City's web broadcast at Anaheim.net/TV. Go to Anaheim.net/TV and look for the Anaheim TV video player. From there, look for the "CC" button, for closed captioning. Click on the button and select "Spanish" and the subtitles will display. It is a great way for those who speak Spanish to stream online, view meetings from home, and understand what is going on. For now, live captioning is available just with Anaheim.net/TV. City staff will continue looking at expanding live captioning to YouTube and other broadcasts where possible. Replays of City Council meetings can be watched on YouTube with Spanish captioning. She thanked staff for working on this and stated it has taken a while to get everything organized and moving, but it is an important step for the Spanish- speaking community. Council Member Leon informed everyone that Saturday's Park cleanup and beautification event at Modjeska Park in District 2 will be rescheduled due to rain. In collaboration with Mayor Pro Tem Kurtz, he invited everyone to a Lemonade Meet and Greet Event with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk -Silva on Saturday, April 13, at 1:00 p.m. at Stoddard Park. He asked everyone to mark their calendars for the 2"d Annual Children's Day Fun Fair on Saturday, April 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Barton Park. The District 2 Office teamed up with various organizations to offer an unforgettable experience filled with prizes, resources, activities, sweet treats like ice cream from Tocumbo, ice cream from Senator Newman's Ice Cream Truck, and so much more. He encouraged everyone not to miss the opportunity to get together, celebrate the City's children and students, and overall have fun. He thanked the Community Services and Housing and Community Development teams for their continuous efforts in helping address some of the neighborhood issues with the railroads and Edison rights -of -way. He stated it has been an ongoing process, but the effort continues, and progress is being made. Council Member Faessel requested adjourning the City Council meeting in memory of his good friend, Matthew Gaffney whom he met at Mater Dei High School in 1964. Mr. Gaffney lived in San Juan Capistrano and was active on their Transportation Commission and Planning Commission. He passed away in his sleep after a valiant fight with cancer. Council Member Faessel highlighted and shared photographs of events he attended including an Anaheim Public Utilities tour. Public Utilities Board Member, Mitchell Lee invited UCI students, various advocates, and engineers to join Public Utilities staff to look at the behind -the -scenes of Anaheim's utilities. The UCI students were informed of potential job opportunities, and they were able to visit the Lenain Water Treatment Plant in Anaheim Hills. They were also able to see one of Anaheim's very modern electrical substations here in the central part of Anaheim. He thanked Public Utilities staff for the tours. Council Member Faessel shared that he along with his City Council colleagues attended the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon and he stated it was an honor recognizing the hundreds of volunteers that make the City of Anaheim special. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 8 of 19 Council Member Rubalcava requested adjourning the City Council meeting in memory of 18- year-old Adrian Alexander Coria who lost his life in March at a party in Riverside. She shared photographs and stated that Adrian was from a family that was raised in Anaheim, and she attended Anaheim High School with his parents Angelica Hernandez and Alex Coria. Even after moving to Riverside, the family kept strong ties to Anaheim. Adrian grew up playing sports including hockey at Anaheim Ice in District 3 and loved going to Angel games. Adrian and his family would regularly visit Anaheim where his grandparents still live for more than 55 years. He was pursuing his passion in barbering and helping people feel great about themselves through hair and style. Adrian was only days away from finalizing his commitment to serve in the Navy and serve this country like his father Alex and his uncle Eddie who served in the Marines. Council Member Rubalcava stated that her thoughts go out to his family as they cope with this unthinkable loss. Mayor Aitken thanked Council Members who attended the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. She thanked Anaheim Volunteers who give countless hours away from their families, their free time, their jobs, and away from their homes to make Anaheim a better place and really embrace the Anaheim way. Mayor Aitken also thanked Community Services staff for putting on an amazing program including the invitations, flowers, certificates, and performance by the Anaheim Ballet. Mayor Aitken displayed a slide regarding the Disneyland Forward Informational Open House at the Downtown Anaheim Community Center on April 10, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. She thanked staff for helping her organize the event to answer all questions in a transparent way. She asked everyone to share the slide on social media because she would like to have as many people there as possible asking questions, specifically about the project. CITY MANAGER'S UPDATE: None At 6:28 p.m., Mayor Aitken recessed the Anaheim City Council to address the Housing Authority agenda and reconvened at 6:28 p.m. CONSENT CALENDAR: At 6:28 p.m., the Consent Calendar was considered. MOTION: Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz moved to waive reading of all ordinances and resolutions and adopt the balance of the consent calendar as presented, in accordance with reports, certifications, and recommendations furnished each City Council Member, seconded by Council Member Meeks. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES — 7 (Mayor Aitken and Council Members Kurtz, Diaz, Leon, Rubalcava, Faessel, and Meeks); NOES — 0. Motion carried. D116 3. Approve recognitions recognizing Anaheim Police Department for finishing 7th place in the 2024 Baker 2 Vegas 2024 Challenge Cup Relay; the Hardin Family for donating a car to a grieving husband who recently lost his wife, and April 14-20, 2024 as California Mosquito Awareness Week. D180 4• Award a purchase order to Russ Bassett Corp., in the amount of $306,304.58 plus a 20% contingency, for Police Department Communications Center dispatch consoles; and authorize the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute documents, as necessary, related to the purchase order City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 9 of 19 D180 5. Approve an increase of $50,000, plus a 20% contingency, to the current agreement with Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP from the amount of $421,353 to $471,353 for the current renewal period for as -needed repairs to the fire suppression system at the Anaheim Convention Center; and authorize the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute documents, as necessary, related to the agreement. AGR-14648 6. Approve an agreement with Orange Unified School District for use of the Canyon High School pool for swim instruction for a five year term. 7. Approve Amendment One to Lease (OCWD WELL MBI-2) with the Orange County AGR-7690.1 Water District to allow the installation of a camera on the leased premises for the purpose of observing the water flow in the Santa Ana River; authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute any related documents and take the necessary actions to implement and administer the Amendment. AGR-14649 8. Approve a Master Agreement with seven contractors, each in an amount not to exceed AGR-14650 $2,000,000 per Work Order package, with a limit per contractor of $4,000,000 in total AGR-14651 awards during each fiscal year of the agreement term, for street maintenance, AGR-14652 construction, and immediate response each for a two year term, with up to two additional AGR-14653 two-year terms; authorize the Public Works Director, to execute the agreements with the AGR-14654 contractors and such other contractors pre -qualified by the City in the future during the AGR-14655 term of the Master Agreement; authorize the Public Works Director, or designee, to take the necessary actions to implement and administer the Master Agreement; authorize de minimis changes that do not substantially change the terms and conditions of the Master Agreement, as determined by the City Attorney's Office; and determine that the projects to be performed under the Master Agreement are categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act, Sections 15301 and 15302 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations [PALP, Inc., dba Excel Paving Company; Onyx Paving Company, Inc.; Hardy & Harper, Inc.; Roy Allan Slurry Seal, Inc.; R.J. Noble Company; Towo Enterprise, Inc.; Teichert Energy and Utilities Group, Inc. dba Teichert Utilities]. Pilo 9• RESOLUTION NO. 2024-026 _A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANAHEIM declaring its intention to consider the vacation of certain public streets, highways and easements (Abandonment No. ABA2023-00425) [segment of Short Street right-of-way described as lying northwest of Kellogg Drive, southeast of the City boundary, and abutting 5055 Short Street] [Public Hearing scheduled for Council meeting of May 7, 2024]. BUSINESS CALENDAR: B105 10. Mayoral appointment of an unscheduled vacancy to the Planning Commission to complete an unexpired term, ending December 31, 2026. Planning Commission: Mayoral appointment: Deirdre Kelly (term ending December 31, 2026) (unscheduled vacancy) Mayor Aitken nominated Dierdre Kelly for appointment. She advised that Ms. Kelly is a District 6 resident. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 10 of 19 NOMINATION: Mayor Aitken nominated Dierdre Kelly for appointment. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES — 7 (Mayor Aitken and Council Members Kurtz, Diaz, Leon, Rubalcava, Faessel, and Meeks); NOES — 0. Nomination approved. D155 11. Receive information regarding the benefits and potential uses of a Housing Trust Fund that may be used to expand the availability of affordable housing in the City; if appropriate, direct the Housing and Community Development Department to develop appropriate guidelines for the future adoption of a Housing Trust Fund for the City. Director of Housing and Community Development Grace Ruiz-Stepter reported the item is in many ways a continuation of Item No. 14 at the last City Council meeting where tools and techniques were reviewed to support affordable housing production. She noted the information presented is to provide context for the Council to provide direction to staff. She noted the presentation will include information on how staff has been able to guide affordable housing development, the continuing need for affordable housing at various income levels, key elements of an affordable housing trust fund, and flexibilities that may arise from having a dedicated income stream. Director Ruiz-Stepter stated the Anaheim model of affordable housing production is unique because there is substantial direct involvement by Housing and Community Development (HCD) staff including site selection, design, and financing. She added the City will regularly assist developers with land, loans, and long-term rental subsidies through project -based rental vouchers. She added HCD staff also serves as ombudsmen for developers navigating the City's permitting process, a service not offered in many other cities. Director Ruiz-Stepter stated production of new affordable housing is one of the City's most important mandates and financing new rental units is complex. She reported it is staffs experience that financing always requires the City's involvement. She reported the City has access to a variety of external funds but matching local funds is often required to unlock the revenue streams or fill gaps. Director Ruiz-Stepter reported the reason for multiple sources is due to the cost of affordable housing production which can be expensive. She displayed figures that highlighted the cost at $580,000 per unit, the City's land and gap financing contributions which can amount to $160,000 per unit with the City's gap financing alone coming to $65,000 per unit — costs expected to increase by 12%. Director Ruiz-Stepter added the City's two key sources of funding were the federal Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and tax increment funds. She reported at the Fiscal Year 2010/11 high point it amounted to $17.2 million in funding for affordable housing. She noted, that since the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency in 2012, and with reductions in HOME funding, the number has been dramatically lower ever since. In response to the Mayor's previous questions from the last meeting, she added the inflated value of $15 million from 2020 is approximately $20.3 million today. Director Ruiz-Stepter reported the City retained land and financial assets from the Redevelopment Authority after its dissolution, keeping the City able to forge ahead with new developments including El Verano Senior Apartments, Finamore Place Family Apartments, and Miraflores Family Apartments. She added that staff is hyper -focused on the Beach Boulevard revitalization with the remaining assets. She noted construction includes the development of two sites at Beach Boulevard and Lincoln and the ability to acquire one more hotel. She reported the City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 11 of 19 City's land assets will allow for the construction of 650 new affordable rental units on eight remaining sites with an additional $50 million needed in additional Housing Authority funding. She reported the funding available to the City from programs like HOME is presently $4.5 million leaving the City far short of what it will need to redevelop its available land into those affordable units. Director Ruiz-Stepter discussed the City's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), noting it would be an extreme challenge for any jurisdiction to achieve Anaheim's 17,452-unit allocation. She reported the City's average rent for a two -bedroom apartment is $2,585 a month, meaning it requires $8,500 in monthly income to make it affordable, a sum requiring 123 hours of work a week at $16 an hour to meet. She noted the median home price in Anaheim is $850,000 requiring an annual income of $233,000 to make it affordable while the City's median income is just $81,906. She added the City provides down payment assistance which averages between $100,000 to $150,000. Director Ruiz-Stepter stated, that in recognition of the combination of community needs and City resources, staff is bringing forward more information on one of the tools discussed at the last meeting — a Housing Trust Fund. She stated a Housing Trust Fund is a flexible source of funding to support affordable housing with a predictable stream of locally -controlled revenues. She reported Orange County maintains a trust fund while there is also a privately managed one under the auspices of NeighborWorks. She added they provide $1.5 million in financing and represent a commitment of about $15,000 per unit. Director Ruiz-Stepter reported a public/private partnership is a model commonly used by counties and multiple jurisdiction regions. She noted they contain a mix of public and private financial sources and are typically administered by a non-profit organization. She added staff also considered a public model, an option typically used by cities, run by a housing department and governed by the City Council. She noted the Cities of Sacramento, Long Beach, and San Diego. She noted that the public model typically only contains public funds and may accept other funding sources such as grants and donations from for -profit corporations or non -profits. Director Ruiz-Stepter stated key considerations for a successful local trust fund are a reliable and ongoing source of funding, a governing structure, personnel resources, and opportunities to grow the available funds. She stated staff would like to see a fund with multiple buckets so money can be steered towards producing new affordable units, assisting homeownership, eviction prevention and rental assistance, preserving existing affordable units, and revitalizing neighborhoods. She noted potential funding sources include current City funds, new City funds, new grants from other government agencies or private sources. She cautioned the ability to perform all of the tasks is dependent on the funding level. DISCUSSION: Council Member Diaz expressed his support for a Housing Trust Fund and stated it should be administered by HCD staff. Council Member Meeks expressed her support for a Housing Trust Fund, governed by the City Council and administered through Director Ruiz-Stepter. She requested reviewing the City's current design standards for affordable housing units, adding that the City has high design standards. She expressed her belief that the units should be nice places to live but stated she thinks some of the high standards are excessive. She requested revising the City's standards to streamline standards to serve more families. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 12 of 19 Council Member Meeks stated her goal is to move residents towards independence and endorsed Director Ruiz-Stepter's idea of having very low-income housing in complexes and also providing services for residents such as daycare and youth tutoring. She stated the units should be nice but not excessive where residents do not want to move up and out of the affordable complexes to become independent. Council Member Faessel reported he represented Anaheim for four years in the Orange County Housing Finance Trust. He noted it came during the Trust's formative years and added many of the questions the County dealt with at the time, the City will have to deal with very soon. He stated the County's Trust continues to work well and Anaheim is one City benefitting from it. He highly lauded the Housing and Community Development Department's ability to secure grants and find money. He expressed his support for the item, noting structural matters of management and granting criteria will come with time. Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified the biggest distinction between what is being discussed for tonight and the Orange County Housing Finance Trust is the County usually provides just "last mile" funding for projects close to completion. She clarified the Anaheim model has been to help with land acquisition in addition to providing gap financing. She noted the City's average gap financing is $65,000 compared to the $15,000 received from others. She noted a local trust fund can be set up for a specific purpose. She added the County's fund is also highly focused on supporting homeless housing and having flexibility is why staff introduced the bucket approach as an option to adjust focus depending on needs and funds at any given time. Council Member Faessel clarified he was not insinuating the Orange County model would be best for the City but rather merely citing it as a similar entity benefitting Anaheim. In response to Council Member Faessel's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter confirmed the City and County's Trust Funds could work together on a project. Mayor Pro Tem Kurtz commended the breadth of issues covered by having the five buckets, noting each one serves an essential component. She highlighted neighborhood revitalization not to gentrify neighborhoods but rather to allow individuals to have a better quality of life. She noted how this would be a public trust but one permitting private donations. She expressed her support for having staff develop guidelines for a Housing Trust Fund so the City can move forward. Council Member Rubalcava expressed her support for the item. She encouraged staff to keep the guidelines simple. She endorsed a focus on first-time home -buyer programs. She noted "last mile" funding is significant, however, the City receives other sources of funding. She added being able to provide housing opportunities for people working in Anaheim is significant, noting Property Tax revenue has increased and it would be helped even further by helping people get into for -sale homes. Council Member Rubalcava stated she likes private funding. She noted this idea supports the request to Disney who pledged $15 million for affordable housing in the first year of the Disneyland Forward project and $15 million more in five years. She stated it would be amazing if Disney could give $5 million annually through the term of the project and the Housing Trust is a great basis to discuss with Disney in a couple of weeks. She reported Disney has a history of contributing to other housing trusts, adding the company helped start the one managed by NeighborWorks through the Orange County Business Council. She noted Community City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 13 of 19 Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) regulations will have to be part of a housing trust including a first-time home -buyer program. Council Member Leon echoed Council Member Rubalcava's comments about long-term funding opportunities. He expressed his support for a trust. In response to Council Member Leon's inquiries, Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified the sources of funding would determine how flexible staff can be in allocating it, noting many State and federal grants come with restrictions on usage. She added the trust fund would create a blank slate on any local dollars contributed so the City could have maximum flexibility. She confirmed the trust could accept both State and federal funds along with private money in addition to the City's contributions. In response to Council Member Leon's inquiries, Director Ruiz-Stepter stated the amount of funding to maintain the trust would depend on the City Council's goals. She added the Council would need to evaluate which strategies to prioritize, size, and then evaluate a budget. She provided an example of utilizing City -owned land and establishing funding sources based on how quickly the City would activate the land. She noted the proposed 650 unit project would require $50 million. She noted the remaining Redevelopment Agency funds have been utilized for the City's top priorities, with the remaining $4 million from other funds to be distributed for other priorities. She added the established goals and priorities would impact the budgetary request. She stated the comparable trust funds with the largest funding levels are in larger cities with voter -passed initiatives. She could not confirm the size of their funds. Housing Services Manager Kerrin Cardwell added she also does not have the total amounts of the funds but added the City of Long Beach would be a comparable public trust fund and stated she could provide its financial details at a later time. In response to Council Member Leon's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified the five buckets (Producing New Affordable Units, Assisting Homeownership, Eviction Prevention & Rental Assistance, Preserving Existing Affordable Units, and Neighborhood Revitalization) for Affordable Housing Investment represent strategies staff would hope to achieve through the trust fund and they would determine emphasis on each in part due to the funding available. She added the amount of recurring funds dedicated to the trust would determine how diverse staff could be in its efforts to meet goals of various buckets. Council Member Leon noted elements of all five proposed buckets are important to most of the City depending on their place in life. He restated his support for the item. In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Housing Services Manager Cardwell clarified a public fund governed by the City Council could be controlled by the City so private donations would have to meet legal requirements. She added those funds would be for a specific type of usage. She noted the specific usage designation can also impact whether or not a private donor can receive a tax write-off for the donation. She clarified staff has not focused on how private funds could be earmarked within the fund but confirmed the City Attorney has agreed private donations are permissible. Director Ruiz-Stepter added staff is still trying to determine what the private donor would have to do in exchange for a tax write-off, but confirmed the public fund could take the private dollars if it is earmarked for a specific purpose. Mayor Aitken requested information on how the Housing Authority would interact with a public fund versus a public/private. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 14 of 19 Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified that a public -private fund usually involves larger pots of money from companies like Alphabet Inc. (Google) and is governed by a Board of Directors with more people vying for those funds. She added a public locally -controlled fund is available specifically for the City's resources and staff would be the sole applicant to the fund with requests for approvals coming through the City Council. She noted that the fund in Silicon Valley has many players involved and more decision -making needs. She clarified with a public -private setup there could be a definition about the funds having to go to projects in Anaheim. She added the Los Angeles County Development Authority will only allocate its funds within Los Angeles County. She added staff can provide additional information via a memo on whether the City is able to issue bonds against trust funds if it is a public -private structure. In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter stated either a public or public - private setup will ensure projects are built in Anaheim. She added staff can look at the flexibility levels between the options regarding matters like issuing bonds, who can donate, and how tax write-offs for private donors would work. She reported staff was focusing on a public trust because it did not anticipate many large private donations, and it was also done out of deference to the Orange County Housing Finance Trust. She added it allows staff to keep the focus on homegrown Anaheim projects. In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified the City currently finances affordable rental housing with 10% of the funding coming from loans of former Redevelopment Agency funds along with any new recurring money. She added the 10% going to soft loans includes things like predevelopment costs, and the 25% going to permanent loans often goes into site preparation matters like environmental cleanup. She reported the 45% coming from tax credit equity largely comes from the federal government and noted it is competitive funding requiring a local match. She added the other 10% is the value of the City's land. Mayor Aitken inquired how the City would track returns on apartment developments that the City finances. Director Ruiz-Stepter reported it can take 20-30 years to see money come back from the City's financing. She added the bank is always repaid first before other soft lenders. She added it takes a few years for a property to stabilize and start generating enough money to start paying off its loans. She added there have been cases where the investment returned to the City sooner because of falling interest rates and the developer refinancing. Mayor Aitken agreed the public format would give the City more flexibility. She thanked Director Ruiz-Stepter for presenting the numbers she requested at the last meeting about how far funding has fallen since the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency. In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter stated the larger the pot of money in the fund, the more the City can accomplish. She added it is a policy discussion of how much of an impact the City wants to make and also in regards to the prioritization of the five proposed buckets. She added the ideal annual funding level depends on how the policy is set from a proportional standpoint. She stated that while both have value for the City, helping one person with eviction protection is a lot cheaper than helping one first-time home -buyer with a down payment and the City Council has to set the policy in regards to what the fund would focus on. Mayor Aitken expressed her support for the item and its many wide-ranging components covering all affordable housing subcategories and their differing needs. She added it touches all ages from children being able to live where their parents work and Senior Citizens not having to City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 15 of 19 choose between rent and food. She echoed several of her colleagues regarding the need to help the workforce residents who have two jobs and seniors who still cannot afford a home in Anaheim often for lack of down payment funds. Council Member Meeks encouraged preserving neighborhoods by increasing the percentage of homeownership in aging neighborhoods is a priority for her. Director Ruiz-Stepter agreed but advised it would all come down to how much is in the fund. Council Member Meeks remarked that there will be some funds available, however, noted it will still be incumbent on the Housing and Community Development staff to find grants to help stretch dollars. She explained that phasing projects can help stretch dollars over additional years as well. Director Ruiz-Stepter agreed there would be other sources of funding. She expressed pride in what the City has been able to achieve so far for affordable housing but lamented it will require a renewable source of funds to continue and even enhance its work. Council Member Diaz urged caution regarding Council Member Meeks' comments about reducing standards for affordable housing. He added the City does not want to build drug and crime -infested projects like what was added in the 1970s to cities like Chicago and New York, leading to lifetime government dependency. He stated Anaheim's standards should be good ones to uplift neighborhoods and not push them down. He added quality housing on Beach Boulevard would help uplift the area. Council Member Rubalcava stated she would like to know what an Impact Fee or In -Lieu Fee would look like as they discuss funding sources for the fund in the future. She inquired how much revenue an In -Lieu Fee would have generated had it been mandatory over the past five years. She requested this information be broken down between for -sale properties and rental properties. Director Ruiz-Stepter stated that In -Lieu Fees are complicated because they are determined by each City with no State or federal guidance. Council Member Rubalcava suggested looking at an Orange County average. She added an Impact Fee would be different between an apartment complex and for -sale properties with a covenant attached to it. She stated this would add insight into a first-time home -buyer program. Council Member Rubalcava stated that LPMR can be a future funding source. She added Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz has suggested allocating Anaheim Tourism Improvement District (ATID) funds to the fund. In response to Council Member Rubalcava's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified Section 8 housing vouchers have their resources funded by the federal government. She added the City has about 6,700 residents using Section 8 vouchers. She stated the Section 8 program can be a resource when the City builds affordable housing because it provides gap financing. In response to Council Member Rubalcava's inquiries, Director Ruiz-Stepter confirmed the City has 4,572 affordable housing units. She stated the sum includes density bonus units and units built with tax credits. She added there are about 240 homeownership units in the sum because City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 16 of 19 the City used to do a fair amount of for -sale affordable housing. She clarified the City only counts the units with a covenant in the 4,572. In response to Council Member Rubalcava's inquiry, Director Ruiz-Stepter clarified Section 8- rented units may only be considered affordable because of the subsidy. She noted they could be market -rate units were it not for the voucher. Council Member Rubalcava decried the City's reputation for having a lack of affordable housing when it does have so many units, albeit ones not included in the official total of 4,572. MOTION: Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz moved to develop guidelines for a Housing Trust Fund, seconded by Council Member Rubalcava. DISCUSSION: In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiries, Director Ruiz-Stepter stated that developing guidelines for an affordable housing trust fund would take about 30 days due to necessary outreach to other cities and needed discussions with the City Attorney. She added questions like bonding authority and corporate tax benefits will require some research time. She confirmed that 45 days would be enough time for staff to come up with a couple of options to present to the City Council. Council Member Faessel stated the Orange County Housing Trust Fund took two years to develop. MOTION: Mayor Pro Tern Kurtz moved to develop guidelines for a Housing Trust Fund, seconded by Council Member Rubalcava. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES — 7 (Mayor Aitken and Council Members Kurtz, Diaz, Leon, Rubalcava, Faessel, and Meeks); NOES — 0. Motion carried. D116 12. Review draft Strategic Plan Anaheim 2024-2034 and provide staff with direction as necessary. Assistant City Manager Greg Garcia reported staff has been working for 8-9 months on an updated draft of the Strategic Plan, including public outreach and a February 10th public workshop that presented the findings of the outreach. He introduced the Baker Tilly team to provide a summary of the process and results. Baker Tilly US, LLP Managing Director Carol Jacobs reported the Strategic Plan includes a Vision, Mission, and Values Statement, six broad multi -year goals, 57 strategies to meet those goals, and an implementation action plan. She discussed the timeline of events leading to the presentation, beginning with July 2023 interviews with Council Members. Ms. Jacobs stated the Strategic Plan is a living document and can be amended annually to be flexible as circumstances change. She reported on the common themes of interviews with various subsections of City Hall and the community including infrastructure, public safety, and homelessness being points of commonality. She presented the strengths, challenges, and opportunities uncovered from their discussions. She highlighted the City's strength for being safe and family -oriented but highlighted challenges and concerns that will be incorporated into the plan. Ms. Jacobs presented the proposed Vision Statement, Mission Statement, and Values and Behaviors. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 17 of 19 Baker Tilly Special Advisor Steve Mermell stated the strong engagement rate in their process shows how many people care about the future of the City. He added accomplishing big things takes time and the Strategic Plan will help the City methodically get there while also allowing for flexibility. Mr. Mermell reported the City Council set overarching goals which were to maintain fiscal responsibility, enhance livability, invest in infrastructure and amenities, foster a high- performance organization, support public safety, and promote economic development and tourism. Assistant City Manager Garcia noted that the strategy to conduct a needs assessment for youth and seniors will be amended to be addressed within Years 1 and 2. He reported on 57 total strategies and an implementation timing pattern to help the City meet the six primary goals, noting having 57 strategies is aggressive. DISCUSSION: In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Assistant City Manager Garcia confirmed the Strategic Plan can be adopted with direction to staff to make edits. Council Member Meeks stated it is exciting work and added one of her key initiatives upon election was a Strategic Plan to get things done innovatively. She stated the City has been in a holding pattern for too long for not having a City Council able to unite on priorities. She thanked her peers for coming together on the document. She supported the document and stated she is eager to implement it. In response to Council Member Diaz's inquiries, Assistant City Manager Garcia clarified the Plan calls for a Study of Development Impact Fees along with how the City studies all of its fees with every budget cycle. He added it has been a while since the City studied Development Impact Fees. He confirmed fees tied to the cost of the City doing business are often upgraded and added the City is currently conducting a study to ensure all of its service fees are up-to- date. He added a Study of Development Impact Fees will also consider where Anaheim stands compared to other cities. He stated it refers to all Impact Fees and not just housing. Council Member Faessel expressed his appreciation for Council Member Meeks' call to formalize the document. He referenced Council Member Diaz's comments regarding fees and added the Council recently came very close to adopting Development Impact Fees and added the data should be close to ready somewhere. He stated the timing should be different on some of the strategies, citing the City just assessed its emergency preparedness capabilities in 2020 so it is not a project needing five to 10 years. MOTION: Council Member Faessel moved to adopt the Strategic Plan. DISCUSSION: In response to Council Member Leon's inquiry, Ms. Jacobs clarified when it comes to implementation there will be a list of tasks needing to be accomplished to reach each of the 57 strategies and a timeline for completion. She added Baker Tilly will begin this process and provide the task list to Assistant City Manager Garcia to refine while assigning someone responsible for each task's completion with a timeline. She added the overlapping nature of the tasks is also a way to help hold staff accountable for doing their work on time. She added this can also be a living document around things like staff changes. Assistant City Manager Garcia added staff plans on making the Strategic Plan public and providing regular updates to the City Council. Council Member Leon stated there should be a review by the City Council at least annually and would second Council Member Faessel's motion if this amendment was added. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 18 of 19 Council Member Leon stated the goal of reviewing the potential for a public pool should be in the range of 3-5 years and not 5-10. He added there are others he would like to see adjusted. Assistant City Manager Garcia stated many of the points were based on the Workshop and staff tinkered with them slightly. He agreed an annual update or progress report makes a lot of sense because timetables will be tinkered with as opportunities present themselves. He added staff is currently looking at opportunities to considerably accelerate the strategy cited by Council Member Leon. Mayor Aitken recommended when setting agendas they refer as much as possible back to the Strategic Plan to denote what portion an item refers to. She added it would be helpful to hold the Council accountable once a final document with tasks exists. She added it will also remind the public of the Strategic Plan and show the City Council is following it. In response to Assistant City Manager Garcia's inquiries, Mayor Aitken clarified if staff wanted to agendize a new development, she would like to see in the Staff Report where in the Strategic Plan it would be referenced. She acknowledged unique opportunities may arise where the City needs to act quicker than the Strategic Plan's schedule calls for. She confirmed staff should specifically call out agenda items about a component of the Strategic Plan. Mayor Pro Tem Kurtz echoed Council Member Leon's comments about wanting to edit some of the time frames. She noted addressing parking shortages has a timeframe of 3-5 years, but the staff is currently working on something to help mitigate the issue. She stated the City must be ready to move timeframes as either a critical need arises or an unforeseen opportunity appears to address a strategy sooner. In response to Mayor Aitken's inquiry, Assistant City Manager Garcia confirmed he feels comfortable adopting the Strategic Plan with these City Council comments about updates. MOTION: Council Member Faessel moved to adopt the Strategic Plan, provide an annual update to Council on the progress, and as items are presented on the agenda to reference the Strategic goal the item is in line with, seconded by Council Member Leon. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES — 7 (Mayor Aitken and Council Members Kurtz, Diaz, Leon, Rubalcava, Faessel, and Meeks); NOES — 0. Motion carried. REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION ACTIONS: None PUBLIC COMMENTS (non-anenda items): None COUNCIL AGENDA SETTING: Council Member Leon requested an agenda item to address traffic concerns at Brookhurst Street and Orange Avenue. City Council Minutes of April 2, 2024 Page 19 of 19 ADJOURNMENT: At 8:02 p.m., Mayor Aitken adjourned the City Council in memory of Matthew Gaffney and Adrian Alexander Cora. Respectfully submitted, ZTherPlerk ss, CIVIC City Susana Barrios From: Julian Gutierrez <juliang@kennedycommission.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 5:17 PM To: City Clerk Cc: Cesar C Subject: [EXTERNAL] Kennedy Commission's Comments on Anaheim's Local Housing Trust Fund Attachments: Anaheim Local Housing Trust Fund.docx.pdf You don't often get email from juliang@kennedycommission.org. Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Good Evening, My name is Julian Sebastian Gutierrez, a Policy Analyst with The Kennedy Commission, emailing on behalf of our Executive Director, Cesar Covarrubias. Attached below are our comments on Anaheim's discussion of a Local Housing Trust Fund. Thank you for this opportunity and I hope you have a great rest of your day. Sincerely, Julian Sebastian Gutierrez Julian Sebastian Gutierrez (He/Him) Policy Analyst - Kennedy Commission 1 w%,w,k4-nnedy0n)mi.$SiW0rg April 2, 2024 17701 Cowan Avc. Suite NO In itre, CA 92614 1491'�P p09 Mayor Aitkens and City Councilmembers City of Anaheim 200 S. Anaheim Blvd Anaheim, CA 92805 Re: Comments to Action Item 11 on Anaheim's discussion of establishing a Local Housing Trust Fund Dear Honorable Mayor Aitkens and Members of the Anaheim City Council The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad coalition of residents and community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $30,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in partnering and working with jurisdictions in Orange County to create effective policies that have led to the production of new homes affordable to low income working families. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the city's discussion on uses and benefits of a local Housing Trust Fund. The Kennedy Commission supports the creation of a Housing Trust as an effective policy to create much needed affordable housing for lower income working families in Anaheim. In addition to establishing the Local Housing Trust Fund, The Commission requests the City to implement other tools to increase the creation of Affordable Housing. The following are common tools to fund a Local Housing Trust Fund and create affordable housing. These programs should be implemented as part of a affordable housing strategy: - Inclusionary Housing Ordinance - That requires the inclusion of extremely low-, very low-, and low income units in each new housing development to ensure the needs of all economic segments of the community are met while providing developers with predictability of development costs. We recommend that the city implement an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance that sets aside 15% of all units at the extremely low-, very low-, and low income levels with an in -lieu fee program. - Impact Fees - Affordable Housing Development Fee will include a fee "which will be used to implement an Affordable Housing Production Program that will augment city staffing, leverage local resources for State and Federal funding, construct supporting infrastructure, and other actions as identified, to facilitate affordable housing." - Bonds - Issue local housing bonds to finance affordable housing development. - General Fund Commitments - Commit funds from the General Fund to finance affordable housing development. - Transit Occupancy Tax - Designate a portion of the Transit Occupancy Tax for the development of affordable housing. Thank you for your consideration of these concerns. We look forward to further conversation regarding this important matter Very truly yours, Cesar Covarrubias Executive Director w%,w,k4-nnadyOn7misSion,Org 17701 Cowan Aw., Suite NO In itre, CA 92614 I��I'�0 U09 Susana Barrios From: Ray Chao Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 3:06 PM To: Public Comment <publiccomment@anaheim.net>; Ted White <TedWhite@anaheim.net> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Parcel 129-441-17 AKA Pixar Place Hotel at 1717 S West Street (aka 1717 Disneyland Drive) You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Anaheim Staff: This email is to place you (City of Anaheim) on notice that the land/property at 1717 Disneyland Drive (parcel #129-441-17) is LEASED to the WCO Parent Company (A wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company). This parcel is owned 100% by the P.C. & Rs Chao Family Limited Partnership, L.P. (Chao FLP). Please confirm that the Disneyland Forward Proposal does not negatively impact (i.e. zoning restrictions, etc.) the ownership interest of this land/property by the Chao FLP if approved by the City of Anaheim. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Ray Chao (General Partner -Chao FLP) Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:16 PM Subject: Disneyland Forward: city informational open house April 10 Greetings, You're invited to an informational open house on DisneylandForward on Wednesday, April 10 from 6-8 p.m. at the Downtown Anaheim Community Center at 250 E. Center St., next to City Hall. This is a chance to ask questions of staff in an informal, open house setting. You're welcome to drop in anytime at your leisure from 6 to 8 p.m. The Disneyland Forward proposal is set to be considered by the Anaheim City Council on April 16. This marks the final phase of consideration after years of community meetings, City Council and Planning Commission workshops, information sharing, news coverage and a recent Planning Commission recommendation to City Council for approval. The open house is a chance to learn more and ask questions about the proposal. If you're looking to share your thoughts on the proposal, we encourage you to attend the April 16 City Council meeting or email your comments to publiccomment(a-)anaheim.net. Wednesday April 10 6-8 p.m. Downtown Anaheim Community Center 250 E. Center St. Drop in at your leisure anytime from 6-8 p.m. Disneyland Forward Informational open house �Megiy�Wap DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE n Potential theme park, hotel, shopping, dining and entertainment i DisneylandForward Proposal Prop—d Parking Si—t-.(, Disney Way n 3 A Gene Autry Way About Disneyland Forward Disneyland Forward is a proposal to update where theme park uses, shopping, dining and entertainment can go on land Disney already operates on around its Anaheim theme parks. Anaheim's City Council is expected to consider the Disneyland Forward proposal on April 16. Before that, you can learn more and ask questions at our informational open house. 3 Susana Barrios From: Michael Pappas Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2024 10:13 AM To: Public Comment Subject: [EXTERNAL] Build a Tunnel for Disneyland Drive You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Hi, DisneylandForward is likely to be underwhelming, because it's not continuous land from the theme parks. I'm all for the expansion, but the theme parks drive the entire economy in the local area. If we are trying to do what's best for the local community (creating jobs, adding more travelers to potentially serve in order to make more money), we need to add theme park capacity. What I'm afraid of is Disney is likely trying to add more retail and hotels (where they really make their money) and not theme park expansion. Adding capacity into their theme parks would be financially accretive to the local community, because so many of those theme park guests need a place to stay, eat, etc. Even just adding more jobs at Disney betters the entire community. I saw that Magic Way (the tiny street only used by theme park guests and Disney employees), may be used for DisneylandForward. That's fine, but I don't think that is going to change anything. It's too small. The width of the parking lot between Disneyland Drive and Walnut is not that big. Anaheim needs to force Disney to take over Disneyland Drive. This is a massive street that would connect the current theme parks and DisneylandForward, so Disney could have continuous land to add capacity inside the theme parks. This would bring more theme park guests and therefore more commerce (jobs) to the local community. Disney would likely need to build a tunnel from Mickey & Friends parking structure to Katella (less than 0.7 miles), where Disneyland Drive is today. Airports and stadiums do this all the time. Most professional league stadiums cost —$213, which is what Disney has already promised to spend on the expansion. Building a tunnel would allow the public who uses this street to continue using this street, but this would also benefit the public by adding more jobs. If Disney wants to add more retail or hotels, they need to do it on land that is not continuous, like where the Toy Story parking is currently located (southeast of Katella & Harbor). They can build another monorail to connect to the park entrances or figure out their own transportation. Once Disney builds something, it will be like that for 50-100 years from now. There won't be a 2nd chance to rebuild what's already there. They may "re -theme" some parts to make it look different, but the structures and what's in place never change. If we don't look to the future, our future selves will regret it forever. "Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." I've heard a lot of fellow Anaheim residents complaining about Disney's expansion. It sounds a lot of anti -corporation rhetoric that is disconnected from reality. Many of these people don't realize how lucky we are to have to have such a great employer and commercial asset in our own backyard. My entire family has worked for Disney at one point in their lives, and it's without a doubt the reason we live in Anaheim. We would not live here if it wasn't for Disney. We need continuous land from the theme parks to DisneylandFoward for them to add more capacity to their theme parks, not for retail and hotels. If Disney wants to build more hotels, they can do it on land that's not continuous from their theme parks. Thankyou! Susana Barrios From: davidparkhay Sent: Friday, March 29, 2024 6:50 AM To: Public Comment Subject: [EXTERNAL] Project Disneyland Forward You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Good morning, While I want to be optimistic about what the new expansions will be bring to Anaheim, I am concerned on how it is going to be executed by the Walt Disney Company. There are many people, who are longtime Disney fans like myself, for nearly the past 20 years watch and think if Walt Disney were still alive would he approve on the direction Bob Iger and the rest of corporate are taking this company that was known for its top-notch innovative creativity by throwing in cheap, unoriginal, and anti -consumer tactics/ideas at every corner? Because unfortunately I cannot stop to notice these dreadful practices happening, especially after the pandemic, the magic is disappearing more and more because it looking like corporate is limiting what the Imagineers are allowed to do and what not. The international theme park resorts almost play by their own roles and it shows the lack of care and quality the American counterparts have when it comes with new ideas and benefits taken away from consumers. My hope is that creative aspects of this company remain priority, but that just seems more difficult to believe as we watch what this company is failing in doing: bringing new ideas that Walt Disney would create: cancelled ideas like Discovery Bay/Dumbo's Circus Land/WestCOT, existing ideas like Discoveryland in Paris and Tokyo DisneySea, and unexplored ideas like a Villains theme expansion, not recycling cheap existing ideas from other parks and constantly making IP lands that will become dated and not timeless, since Universal first introduced the Wizarding World which continues to stay popular as Galaxy's Edge and Avengers Campus are already becoming stale by making Galaxy's Edge locked in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy instead of Tatooine/Endor and making DCA's Web Slingers a glorified shooting gallery which is in 3-D and missing other attraction with BlueSky ideas that probably won't happen just like how Mr. Josh D'Amaro has been doing recent years at D23. Thank you for taking the time read this email as there is plenty of work to do. Please encourage Disney to bring back the magic what people once loved that started to become absent since the beginning stages of Bob Iger's CEO position. Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. It is something that will never be finished. Something that 1 can keep developing and adding to. " - Walt Disney If we can dream it, we can do it. Sincerely, David, partisan signer of Project Disneyland Forward Sent from my iPhone Susana Barrios From: Sent: To: Subject: You don't often get email from Friday, March 29, 2024 1:53 PM Public Comment [EXTERNAL] Disney expansion Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. How will the expansion affect delivery of utilities in light of the huge number of apartments being built and will need them too? (electricity, water, gas) Norm Todd Susana Barrios From: jodiemosley Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 2:34 PM To: Council; Public Comment Subject: [EXTERNAL] 39 Commons Attachments: Screenshot_20190612-165809_Nextdoorjpg; Screenshot_20190612-181517 _Facebookjpg;20190621_150100jpg You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Just look at these photos. Look at the dates. Pathetic broken promises Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device 1 Ew" i wm I , a • b� w p wz� a�w,w ago'" N �Y a o=. Y J, Jodie Mosley Anaheim - Twila Reid • 44m ago 9 Commons Flow very lucky we are to see the mayors enthusiasm for the Westgate project. Just be supportive, and watch!!! West Anaheim district 1 is really a priority, we have Mayor Sidhu focus, the plans (which you will see soon and are awesome) the past work of Beach Blvd Spec plan .... its so exciting!!!! They and all of us are working so hard to get this going. Thank you Mayor! Thank you Fob Mitchell, Todd Ament, Anaheim residents who are active, Anaheim First and everyone who is working so hard. LETS GO!!!!!! Add a reply... shared a comprehensive plan, to build a high -end development with a range of outstanding dining options, retail, market, and community spaces at the site, along with. for -sale town h omes and rental workforce housing at the Beach and Lincoln site - as well as land that will be developed across Lincoln and down the east side of Beach Blvd. This plan will also maximize our chances for a high -quality grocery market with measures to ensure we are successful. There will be no more empty talk about neighborhood development in Vilest Anaheim. Instead we will start investing in West Anaheim! 0) Write a comment... GIF O Susana Barrios From: Bob Olea Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 5:49 PM To: Public Comment Cc: Natalie Rubalcava; Natalie Meeks; Norma C. Kurtz; Ashleigh Aitken; Carlos A. Leon; Jim Vanderpool; Jose Diaz; Stephen Faessel Subject: [EXTERNAL] appears similar to someone who previously sent you email, but may not be that person. Learn why this could be a risk at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderidentification ] Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message. Good evening everyone I I am informed Mayor, and councilmember Rubalcava about an issue that we have in district 3 homeless man he's been in my neighborhood few months and I know I told city staff about a lot about this issue. This needs to stop city. Staff needs to take this s seriously seriously because it's starting to begin at nuisance. Today this afternoon what are my neighbors caught him the homeless man masturbating on the street which is very unacceptable so kids are seeing us and I know I know I have Natalie's word in district 3 that will get better. Merced staff needs to take this seriously God bless you both. Sent from my iPhone