|
<br />Orozco, Norma
<br />From:Brett Korte (clinic) <bkorte.clinic@law.uci.edu>
<br />Sent:Tuesday, July 07, 2020 4:00 PM
<br />To:eComment
<br />Cc:Carvajal, Verny; New General Plan; Adolfo Sierra; Leonel Flores; Jose Rea; Abigail
<br />Alvarez; Katie Cox; Michael Robinson-Dorn
<br />Subject:MPNA Public Comment (Agenda Item 19E - July 7, 2020)
<br />The University of California, Irvine Environmental Law Clinic submits this message on behalf of the
<br />Madison Park Neighborhood Association to provide comment on Agenda Item 19E, a Status Report on the
<br />City’s General Plan Update. MPNA is a resident-driven, non-profit organization that strives to promote
<br />education, health, fitness, and community for the approximately 8,000 residents that live in Madison Park.
<br />Advocating for environmental justice is a critical aspect of MPNA’s mission, and MPNA has several points to
<br />raise regarding the General Plan’s Environmental Justice components.
<br />First, MPNA is disappointed with the City's outreach efforts to date, which have been delayed, lack
<br />important context and necessary additional information, and are not being provided with adequate notice. For
<br />example, in its Environmental Justice Flyer, posted on May 28, the City promised to create a video for the
<br />public to “review the latest draft goals and policies related to environmental justice.” This video was scheduled
<br />for release in “June 2020.” As of July 7th, the city’s website still says that said materials are “Coming Soon.”
<br />Also, two “Virtual Outreach Meetings” regarding environmental justice were scheduled to take place in June
<br />and July 2020. During the first week of July, the city updated its website to note that these meetings will now
<br />take place on Friday, July 31 and the very next day, Saturday, August 1.
<br />Second, the City provided insufficient notice for this agenda item regarding the General Plan Status
<br />Report, and offers inadequate means for the public to engage and comment. The agenda for tonight’s council
<br />meeting, noting the inclusion of a General Plan item, was released on Thursday, July 2, just before the holiday
<br />weekend, which left very little time for interested members of the community to note the item, or prepare
<br />responses. This is even more troubling considering this is the first public meeting addressing the General Plan
<br />since March 5, 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
<br />At the same time, this Council meeting is the first to return to in-person attendance since the COVID-19
<br />shutdowns, however, the option for community members to provide comment over the phone has been
<br />inexplicably eliminated. This decision creates a substantial barrier for any citizen wishing to comment on
<br />agenda items. State guidance still recommends residents minimize their time outside their homes and avoiding
<br />unnecessary outings whenever possible, and there does not appear to be any reason the City could not have
<br />offered the option to provide remote comment.
<br />Third, the “community outreach” efforts referenced by City documents regarding the General Plan
<br />Update and Environmental Justice are, and have been, wholly inadequate. The Staff Report’s summary of the
<br />entire outreach program can be reduced to: an informational flyer, a yet to be released video presentation, and
<br />two 90-minute virtual meetings, both of which were delayed and have yet to occur. The only public meeting on
<br />the General Plan update in 2020 was the public scoping meeting for the EIR NOP on March 5, a meeting
<br />required by CEQA.
<br />Furthermore, the City’s efforts seem aimed at simply providing information, instead of engaging in a
<br />collaborative dialogue. Community outreach, a key tenant of environmental justice, is about listening to the
<br />community, not talking at it. The process Santa Ana has followed does not reflect the robust engagement
<br />1
<br />
<br />
|