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<br />Orozco, Norma <br />From:Victor Payan <vpayan@alumni.stanford.edu> <br />Sent:Tuesday, March 02, 2021 9:00 PM <br />To:!City Clerk <br />Cc:citycouncil@santa-ana.org <br />Subject:Unable to call in or participate in City Council meeting / Comment on Agenda Item <br />29 <br />Hello, <br /> <br />I tried to call in and also to login to the zoom meeting for today's City Council meeting to comment on Agenda item 29. <br /> <br />In each attempt, I received a message that the meeting had been locked. If this were an in-person council meeting, I could join at any <br />time. I do not understand why it is not possible to join virtually while the meeting is in session. This is a clear limitation of access to <br />important civic participation, and the equivalent of locking the door to an open city meeting. <br /> <br />Please let me know what steps will be taken to ensure public participation in City meetings while they are still underway. <br /> <br />My comment on agenda item 29 is this: <br /> <br />I am opposed to removing requirements that a member of an advisory body to Boards, Commissions, and Committees be a <br />qualified elector ofthe City of Santa, because these are critical bodies that represent the voice and needs of residents. By <br />opening them up to non-Santa Ana residents, you open the door for lobbyists, special interest groups, developers and <br />representatives of deep-pocket business entities to usurp the rights of Santa Ana residents to participate in decisions that <br />impact their lives, their families, their neighbors and the future of their home city. Each advisory seat given to a non-Santa <br />Ana resident is a seat taken away from a Santa Ana resident. If the door is opened to this, when will it stop? How can <br />Santa Ana residents compete against the relentless onslaught of special interests jockeying for these positions and using <br />our tax dollars to push forward agendas that do not have Santa Ana residents' well-being at heart? How will Santa Ana <br />residents be guaranteed that their voices will not be drowned out by agents of other cities seeking to shape Santa Ana <br />policies to their benefit? This rule was put in place for a sound reason, and I am asking the Council to honor this <br />safeguard and NOT remove the requirement for members of advisory bodies to be qualified electors and residents of <br />Santa Ana. Members of these advisory bodies must be Santa Ana residents. <br /> <br />Please share this comment with all of the Council. <br /> <br />Thank You, <br /> <br />- Victor Payan <br />Resident of Santa Ana <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />