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Orozco, Norma From:Ruth Linnert <ruthielinnert@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, August 17, 2020 5:22 PM To:Penaloza, David Cc:eComment; Pulido, Miguel Subject:Public Comment- Items 85B, 25A, 22B, and 25E Dear Councilman Penaloza, I am a life-long resident of Santa Ana and currently reside in ward 2. I am addressing you today in preparation for tomorrow's city council meeting. I am asking for your attention on several agenda items. Your attention is urgent and I ask that you please consider these concerns regarding the following: Item 85B: In support of Item 85B, we are asking for an extension on signature gathering for rent control in Santa Ana. As a proponent of rent control, I feel that we must see this petition through for a vote on the ballot. Due to the pandemic, organizers have lost 133 of the 180 days we were legally entitled to gather signatures. I urge you to grant an extension for signatures during this crucial time when many are receiving abusive rent increases. We need protections now more than ever with real and permanent rent control in our city. Item 25A (and closed item 3): I urge you to REJECT the purchase and sale agreement of 203- 204 W. Civic Center Dr. It's a disgrace to see how a gentrifiers' money has been sent to City Council with intent to garner support for business over the needs of our community. Keep community land in community hands! The citizens of Santa Ana have continually suffered due to gentrification efforts that have only displaced individuals and families. We would like to see the land be utilized for community development and efforts that directly benefit the residents- instead of displacing and extracting resources from the community. This community does not benefit from a boutique hotel or any other business model that does not directly fulfill the needs of the community. Let's collectively create spaces and resources for the underserved (including our youth). Item 22B: I urge you to REJECT the purchase order for a "Specialized Response Vehicle" that further instills fear and perpetuates a divide between the community and the authoritarian tactics of the police force. This infringes on the people's right to assemble and demand progress. Members of the community are simply asking for our voices to be heard and our needs to be met, yet the city's funds are perpetually supporting fear tactics and absurdly expensive vehicles and equipment for COPS. STOP supporting the violent and aggressive police presence in our community. Utilize the city's funds to actually aid the people and benefit marginalized groups instead of policing and dividing us. Item 25E: I urge you to REJECT the requested increase in funds for parking enforcement services. Residents are continually facing obstacles with parking, especially since the pandemic. Many of us are now home during the day in households that do not provide adequate parking for the number of vehicles per household. Enforcing parking and creating more challenges for us when we need to shop or park in areas outside of our residence hinders movement and flow within our city. The constant policing and funneling of our hard earned wages makes it nearly impossible to thrive in a city that BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE, not to the systems that profit from our hardships. Lastly, I have continually observed police officers (sheriffs, deputies, and highway patrol) responding to incidents and pulling people over WITHOUT MASKS ON. I live at a busy intersection and in the past several days I've seen a response to a traffic accident and a few drivers being pulled over by cops who are not wearing protective coverings. THIS IS NOT OK during a pandemic in a city that has one of the highest number of 1