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it is simply not believable that Thai Phan derives income from representing builders and developers in <br />the community. This source of income is a total bar to her participation on matters such as the HOO <br />amendment and, while she may argue that it is a Ibroadlly applied ordinance in the City, the facts acre that <br />a Venn: diagram showing the entities subject to the HOBO and Rutan andl Tucker's Builder and Developer <br />clients would be largely the same group of people. <br />Rutan and Tucker is a regional law firm who represents many Orange County clients. Rutan and Tuck <br />has practice areas such as corporate and tax, or employment, or intellectual property which are clear <br />not a conflict of interest for the firm, and Phan on a land use matterbpAukW Phan works =Ahe <br />which services builders and developers and i�s participating in a municipal question dire,ct�ly related Ito <br />her practice area and likely, cl�ients. <br />To put an even more specific point on the matter, Councilimember Phan's colleague at Rlutan & Tucker, <br />Peter Howell, represents Dallas -based reail estate developer Centennial in the rei-eintitlement of the 49, <br />acre, 1.13m square foot, Santa Ana Main Place Mall. Centennial proposes to redevelop the Mall with <br />over 1,900 dwelling units in what will surely amount to a approximate $1 billion investment, The impact <br />of Councilmember Phan's deciision on the HOO will have a multi -million dopact to Centennial. <br />There was a specific question as to whether "vested'," projects were subject to the HOO amendments, <br />the outcome of which has a dect economic impact on, Centennial, which hais a direct economic <br />connection with, P'hain's employer. It defies logic (not to mention the Government Code and case law) <br />that! Councilmember Phan would be allowed to not only participate, but lead, the HOO discussion given <br />the scope of thiis impact to Rutan's c!lients. <br />The code clearly states that to avoid actuail bias or the appearance of possi4fle improprieties ' a publi@ <br />official with a disqualifying conflict of interestin a government decision must be prohibited from <br />participating in the decision. <br />