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U LV 3600,andAvenur, <br /> No- 3413 <br /> Oakland CA94610 <br /> Tel 510-501-6837 <br /> UNITED LATIl TE <br /> November 9, 2021 <br /> Vince Sarmiento <br /> Mayor <br /> City of Santa Ana <br /> 20 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> RE: Santa Ana Planning Commissioner Conflict of Interest <br /> Dear Mayor, Council, Commission and Staff: <br /> On behalf of United Latinos Vote,I am writing to express concern over an invalidating conflict of <br /> interest occurring at the October 25, 2021 Santa Ana Planning Commission. Such action raises <br /> several issues which require your further action. <br /> On October 25, 2021, a legally-biased Santa Ana Planning Commissioner cast the deciding vote <br /> on her own motion to amend Municipal Code Section 41-1900 et al. (the "Housing Opportunity <br /> Ordinance", or "HOO"). Due process requires the unwinding of the Commission's decision <br /> and a rehearing without the biased Commissioner's participation. <br /> Commissioner Isuri Ramos is a"Trairdng and Development Associate" for Latino Health Access <br /> ("LHA")and cams between$1,001 -$1 0,,000. She also works for Kennedy Commission at,a salary <br /> between $10,001 - $100,000. St. Joseph Hospital (the "Hospital") is listed as one of nine major <br /> "fanders" on the Kennedy Commission's website. <br /> Out of three public comment letters provided to the Commission in advance of the October 25 <br /> hearing on the HOO,two were submitted by organizations with close ties to Commissioner Ramos. <br /> LHA submitted a letter to the Commission in support of the proposed amendments to the HOO <br /> and affordable housing funds policies (the "LHA Letter"). Specifically, the LHA Letter <br /> recommend that the Commission: <br /> • Increase the HOO's in-lieu fee from $5 to $15 per square foot (LHA Letter,,p. 2); <br /> • Apply the HOO "to all residential developments in the City" (id.); and <br /> • "[M]ake new construction of affordable housing for extremely low- and very low- <br /> income families a priority when using the housing fund monies (id.). <br /> The Hospital also sent a letter to the Commission in support of the proposed. amendments to the <br /> HOO(the"Hospital Letter"). The Hospital Letter asked that the Commission take the same actions <br /> as the LHA Letter, including providing nearly word-for-word recommendations compared to the <br /> LHA Letter. (See Hospital Letter, pp. 2-3.) Such a coincidence is unlikely, suggesting that the <br /> Hospital coordinated with LHA. <br /> EDUCATE - PARTICIPATE - ELEVATE <br />