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Salas, Diana From:Dan <lsblaptop@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, June 16, 2020 6:54 PM To:eComment Subject:BROWN ACT VIOLATION - Item 20C - Acquisition of FIVE CHEVROLET TAHOE 4X2 PPV POLICE VEHICLES at a cost of $236,215 This e-mail corrects the prior e-mail erroneously referring to Item 55E rather than Item 20C. This item (20C) was rushed to a vote and approved at today's council meeting WITHOUT THE PUBLIC BEING ABLE TO COMMENT. The delay being experienced by the public viewing the City Council Meeting feed on Youtube or the City's website, precluded public comment as 2 callers have pointed out. We were instructed by the clerk to lodge our comments by e-mail. However, unless the approval is rescinded, THE MATTER WILL HAVE BEEN PASSED WITHOUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT IN VIOLATION OF THE BROWN ACT. This item should be re-calendared due to a violation of the Brown Act which requires a specific comment period pertaining to items on the agenda. The Brown Act requires the legislative body to allow these specific comment periods on agenda items to occur prior to or during the City Council's consideration of that item (Government Code Section 54954.3). Without having another vote on this Item 20C to comply with the Brown Act, the acquisition of the Chevrolet Police Tahoes represents an ILLEGAL EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS BY THE SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL. If the matter is re-calendared, and there is a valid period in which the public's comments on this item may be considered prior to a vote, I would like to make the following comments: 1. Each of the police vehicles were approved at a cost of $47,243 each and was essentially a nice give of the largest and most extravagant police SUV on the market to the management staff of the SAPD to enjoy luxury travel and comfort during their on-duty time (or during the time that they commute to work if they are allowed to take these vehicles home). Many residents of the city are struggling to pay their rent in this difficult financial climate and have never been able to afford purchasing such an expensive vehicle and there should be less expensive and more cost-efficient options. It is simply not right to approve such an expensive luxury vehicle just for the creature comfort of the Chief and the police management staff. 2. What is the need for SUV vehicles rather than Sedans? Sedans are far less expensive, better built to serve the requirements of a police department and more efficient than SUVs. May other cities use Sedans for their Sergeants. 3. If there is a valid reason to provide SUVs to the management level police officers, then a Ford Explorer should be considered because compared the the 5.3 liter V8 of the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Ford Explorer is available with a standard 3.3L hybrid, or a 3L EcoBoost and 3.3L V-6 engines. Any of the Ford Explorer options, especially the hybrid vehicle, offers a less expensive option than the Chevrolet Tahoes. 1