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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE <br />BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • RIVERSIDE •SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO <br />August 31, 2020 <br />SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ <br />Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention <br />653 E. Peltason Drive <br />Irvine, CA 92697 <br />Re: Environmental Justice and Community Engagement in Santa Ana's General Plan Update <br />To Whom it May Concern, <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the City of Santa Ana's Draft General Plan and the General Plan <br />Program Environmental Impact Report. I am a current Doctoral Student in the Program in Public Health at the <br />University of California, Irvine. I have a Masters in Public Health and Masters in Social Work and research <br />health inequities within Latinx populations. <br />I am writing today to request that the City of Santa Ana delay the process for moving forward with the General <br />Plan to allow time for community outreach and input. There are a few reasons that I think this is very important: <br />1. Environmental conditions such as exposure to pollution in the air, water, and soil contribute immensely <br />to producing and maintaining health disparities. These conditions disproportionately impact <br />communities of color, such as those residing in Santa Ana. <br />2. Many times, risk assessment and policy recommendations are done without the consideration or input of <br />community members. Community members are experts of their own lives and their lived conditions, not <br />allowing outreach and input of the community is a disservice to that community and can further <br />perpetuate health disparities. <br />In summary, providing adequate time for outreach and input of the community before moving forward with the <br />General Plan will elicit an accurate snapshot of the strengths, challenges, and needs for the communities in <br />Santa Ana. Without this expert information, environmental justice in this community is not possible. Thank you. <br />Sincerely, <br />Victoria E. Rodriguez, MSW, MPH <br />cc: Adolfo Sierra, President, Madison Park Neighborhood Association <br />Jose Rea, Treasurer, Madison Park Neighborhood Association <br />Leonel Flores, GREEN Community Organizer, Madison Park Neighborhood Association <br />Miguel Pulido, Mayor, City of Santa Ana <br />Phil Bacerra, Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />Nelida Mendoza, Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />David Penaloza, Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />Vicente Sarmiento, Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />Jose Solorio, Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />Juan Villegas, Mayor Pro Tem/Councihnember, City of Santa Ana <br />