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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08 - Sunshine Ordinance Amendments City Manager Office www.santa-ana.org/cm Item # 8 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report December 7, 2021 TOPIC: Sunshine Ordinance Amendments AGENDA TITLE: Adopt Ordinance No. NS-XXXX – AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING ARTICLES II.I AND II.II OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE RECOMMENDED ACTION Place ordinance on second reading and adopt. DISCUSSION At the November 16, 2021 meeting, the City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the provisions of the Sunshine Ordinance. The Sunshine Ordinance is a set of local laws that are aimed at increasing transparency. Specifically, the existing Sunshine Ordinance contains the following provisions: Publishing City Council meeting agendas 96 hours in advance (vs. the 72-hour requirement imposed by state law) Requiring a community meeting for certain development projects Requiring mailed notices for property owners and occupants within 500 feet of the subject property Sharing RFPs and related documents, and making them available on the City’s website Sharing calendars of City officials Sharing FPPC forms on the City’s website Creating a Five-Year Strategic Plan Hosting annual budget meetings The ordinance approved at the November 16, 2021 meeting incorporates the following changes: Expand the Number of Community Meetings for Certain Development Projects from One to Two Sunshine Ordinance Amendments December 7, 2021 Page 2 2 3 3 2 As proposed, the first community meeting would be required to be held within 20 days of submittal of an application for development project review. The second community meeting would take place no earlier than ten days prior to the development project being resubmitted to the City after receipt of comments from staff. Increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of said Community Meetings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet The current Sunshine Ordinance requires mailed noticing for properties and dwelling units within 500 feet. As proposed, the noticing requirement would expand to 1,000 feet. This provision applies to Planning Commission public hearings also. Publish City Council Meeting Agendas Seven Days Prior to the Meeting Date State law requires agendas to be published three days in advance. The current Sunshine Ordinance requires four days. As proposed, the agendas would be required to be published seven days in advance. At the direction of the City Council, language was added to this section to provide that a supplemental agenda for regular City Council meetings may be posted at least 72 hours in advance of the regular City Council meeting, provided that the city manager explains in the staff report for each supplemental item that the need for City Council action came to the attention of the city manager subsequent to the regular agenda being posted, and that there is a need to take immediate action. A lobbyist registration ordinance will be presented to the City Council at a future meeting. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT There is no environmental impact associated with this action. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this action EXHIBIT(S) 1. Ordinance - Redline Version 2. Ordinance - Clean Version Submitted By: Kristine Ridge, City Manager Approved By: Kristine Ridge, City Manager Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 1 of 5 ORDINANCE NO. NS-XXX AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING ARTICLES II.I AND II.II OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Section 2-150 of Article II.I entitled “Public Access to Meetings” of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows (new language is underlined and deleted language is stricken): Sec. 2-150. – Meetings and agenda postings for city council. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.7 of the Brown Act, the city is imposing the following additional requirements on itself to allow greater community access to its meetings: (1) City council meeting agendas for regular meetings must be posted at least ninety-six (96) hours seven (7) calendar days before commencing any regular meeting of the city council. A supplemental agenda for regular meetings of the city council may be posted at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the regular council meeting provided that the city manager explains in the staff report for each supplemental item (a) that the need for council action came to the attention of the city manager subsequent to the regular agenda being posted, and (b) that there is a need to take immediate action. The city manager may also request that the mayor or a majority of the members of the city council call a special meeting consistent with the requirements of the Brown Act (Government Code Section 54950 et. seq.) to be held concurrently with a regularly scheduled city council meeting. Nothing in this section shall restrict the mayor or a majority of the members of the city council from calling a special meeting for any purpose or at any time as allowed pursuant to the law. (2) The city will make notices of the city council meetings accessible on the city’s website in various languages including Spanish through the use of fee web-based translation application. (3) Agenda’s will list future items on major projects. The list of “major projects” identified for the city council agenda will be compiled at the discretion of the city manager. Section 2. Section 2-153 of Article II.II entitled “Public Meetings for Certain Development Projects” of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows (new language is underlined and deleted language is stricken): Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 2 of 5 Sec. 2-153. - Public input through community meetings prior to discretionary approval. (a) Applicability. The requirements of this article apply to development projects requiring discretionary approval and that meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) City-sponsored development projects; (2) New residential projects containing twenty-five (25) or more units, except that the director of the Pplanning and building Building Agency may exempt a developer from one or more of the requirements of this article if, in the case of affordable housing, the developer can show that it will be in jeopardy of losing tax credits, or if an applicable project does not require a resubmittal following initial submittal; (3) New non-residential projects (including additions to existing buildings) of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more and which are, in the determination of the city, subject to a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration or environmental impact report as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act; (4) Development projects requiring a zone change, specific plan amendment, or general plan amendment. (b) Number and timing of community meeting. For those development projects that meet the criteria listed in subsection 2-153(a), the applicant shall hold two one (21) community meetings. The first community meeting shall be held no later than twenty (20) days after submittal of an application for administrative site plandevelopment project review. The second community meeting shall be held no earlier than ten (10) days prior to the development project being resubmitted by the applicant to the City after receipt of comments resulting from the City’s development project review. Should the applicant fail to hold the community meetings within this time, the completion of administrative site plandevelopment project review shall be delayed until such time as the community meetings areis held. (c) Noticing. Notice of any community meeting held under this section shall be provided to all property owners, and at least one (1) occupant per dwelling unit having a valid United States Postal Service address within a 15000-foot radius of the subject property. Said notice shall be mailed no less than ten (10) days prior to the community meeting. The notice shall also be posted on the development project site and published in a newspaper of general circulation no less than ten (10) days prior to the community meeting. The city shall then post the notice on the city's website. It shall be the Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 3 of 5 3 sole responsibility of the applicant to prepare and distribute this notice. (d) Notice content. The notice shall include the time, place and date of the community meeting; a map depicting the location of the subject property, including the properties contained within the notification boundary; a brief description of the project; and the applicant's contact information. The notice shall be written in English and Spanish and include instructions as to how to request language interpretation services for those wishing to have interpretation during the community meeting in languages other than English. (e) Community meeting time and place. The cCommunity meetings shall be held either on a weeknight during the early evening hours or on a Saturday. The meetings shall be held in any facility that is accessible to the public and that is no more than one (1) mile from the project site. Should there not be any such facilities available in the required area, the applicant may arrange, at their own expense and subject to availability, to use the next closest city facility. (f) Community meeting language interpretation. Should the applicant receive a written request for language interpretation services no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting, it shall be the applicant's responsibility to arrange for such services to be available at the community meeting. (g) Community meetings format and content. During the community meetings the applicant shall give a presentation detailing the components of the proposed development project and a description of any impacts or benefits to the community, and provide contact information so that members of the public can contact them for further information. The applicant shall allow enough time for the attendees to ask questions and provide input. The applicant shall prepare detailed minutes of the meetings including a written record of the comments provided by the community members. (h) Providing information to city after community meeting. Not moreless than four (4) days following the last community meeting, the developer shall submit to the city an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the required community meetings wereas held in compliance with this section and will submit copies of all notices, notification lists, site postings, advertisements, or other communications used to publicize the meetings. The applicant shall also provide to the city a copy of the minutes and the written record of, and response to, the public comments made at theach community meeting. The public input will be made part of the public record and included as attachments to planning commission staff reports. (i) [Notice.] Notice of planning commission public hearings shall be in conformance with the requirements provided in subsection 2-153(c), Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 4 of 5 except that it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide the director of planning and development services the mailing lists of the names and addresses of those entitled to receive notice under subsection 2-153(c). The noticing provisions contained subsection 2- 153(c) shall supersede those contained in section 41-672. Section 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional. Section 4. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after its adoption. Section 5. The Clerk of Council shall certify the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same to be published as required by law. ADOPTED this ____ day of December, 2021. _________________________ Vicente Sarmiento Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney By: Laura A. Rossini Chief Assistant City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers: _________________________________ NOES: Councilmembers: _________________________________ ABSTAIN: Councilmembers: _________________________________ NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers: _________________________________ CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 5 of 5 5 I, DAISY GOMEZ, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify that the attached Ordinance No. NS-XXX to be the original ordinance adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on ______________, 2021, and that said ordinance was published in accordance with the Charter of the City of Santa Ana. Date: ______________________ ________________________________ Daisy Gomez Clerk of the Council City of Santa Ana Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 1 of 5 ORDINANCE NO. NS-XXX AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING ARTICLES II.I AND II.II OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Section 2-150 of Article II.I entitled “Public Access to Meetings” of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows: Sec. 2-150. – Meetings and agenda postings for city council. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.7 of the Brown Act, the city is imposing the following additional requirements on itself to allow greater community access to its meetings: (1) City council meeting agendas for regular meetings must be posted at least seven (7) calendar days before commencing any regular meeting of the city council. A supplemental agenda for regular meetings of the city council may be posted at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the regular council meeting provided that the city manager explains in the staff report for each supplemental item (a) that the need for council action came to the attention of the city manager subsequent to the regular agenda being posted, and (b) that there is a need to take immediate action. The city manager may also request that the mayor or a majority of the members of the city council call a special meeting consistent with the requirements of the Brown Act (Government Code Section 54950 et. seq.) to be held concurrently with a regularly scheduled city council meeting. Nothing in this section shall restrict the mayor or a majority of the members of the city council from calling a special meeting for any purpose or at any time as allowed pursuant to the law. (2) The city will make notices of the city council meetings accessible on the city’s website in various languages including Spanish through the use of fee web-based translation application. (3) Agenda’s will list future items on major projects. The list of “major projects” identified for the city council agenda will be compiled at the discretion of the city manager. Section 2. Section 2-153 of Article II.II entitled “Public Meetings for Certain Development Projects” of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows: Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 2 of 5 Sec. 2-153. - Public input through community meetings prior to discretionary approval. (a) Applicability. The requirements of this article apply to development projects requiring discretionary approval and that meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) City-sponsored development projects; (2) New residential projects containing twenty-five (25) or more units, except that the director of the Planning and Building Agency may exempt a developer from one or more of the requirements of this article if, in the case of affordable housing, the developer can show that it will be in jeopardy of losing tax credits, or if an applicable project does not require a resubmittal following initial submittal (3) New non-residential projects (including additions to existing buildings) of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more and which are, in the determination of the city, subject to a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration or environmental impact report as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act; (4) Development projects requiring a zone change, specific plan amendment, or general plan amendment. (b) Number and timing of community meeting. For those development projects that meet the criteria listed in subsection 2-153(a), the applicant shall hold two (2) community meetings. The first community meeting shall be held no later than twenty (20) days after submittal of an application for administrative development project review. The second community meeting shall be held no earlier than ten (10) days prior to the development project being resubmitted by the applicant to the City after receipt of comments resulting from the City’s development project review. Should the applicant fail to hold the community meetings within this time, the completion of administrative development project review shall be delayed until such time as the community meetings are held. (c) Noticing. Notice of any community meeting held under this section shall be provided to all property owners, and at least one (1) occupant per dwelling unit having a valid United States Postal Service address within a 1000-foot radius of the subject property. Said notice shall be mailed no less than ten (10) days prior to the community meeting. The notice shall also be posted on the development project site and published in a newspaper of general circulation no less than ten (10) days prior to the community meeting. The city shall then post the notice on the city's website. It shall be the Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 3 of 5 3 sole responsibility of the applicant to prepare and distribute this notice. (d) Notice content. The notice shall include the time, place and date of the community meeting; a map depicting the locatio n of the subject property, including the properties contained within the notification boundary; a brief description of the project; and the applicant's contact information. The notice shall be written in English and Spanish and include instructions as to how to request language interpretation services for those wishing to have interpretation during the community meeting in languages other than English. (e) Community meeting time and place. Community meetings shall be held either on a weeknight during the early evening hours or on a Saturday. The meetings shall be held in any facility that is accessible to the public and that is no more than one (1) mile from the project site. Should there not be any such facilities available in the required area, the applicant may arrange, at their own expense and subject to availability, to use the next closest city facility. (f) Community meeting language interpretation. Should the applicant receive a written request for language interpretation services no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting, it shall be the applicant's responsibility to arrange for such services to be available at the community meeting. (g) Community meetings format and content. During the community meetings the applicant shall give a presentation detailing the components of the proposed development project and a description of any impacts or benefits to the community, and provide contact information so that members of the public can contact them for further information. The applicant shall allow enough time for the attendees to ask questions and provide input. The applicant shall prepare detailed minutes of the meetings including a written record of the comments provided by the community members. (h) Providing information to city after community meeting. Not more than four (4) days following the last community meeting, the developer shall submit to the city an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the required community meetings were held in compliance with this section and will submit copies of all notices, notification lists, site postings, advertisements, or other communications used to publicize the meetings. The applicant shall also provide to the city a copy of the minutes and the written record of, and response to, the public comments made at each community meeting. The public input will be made part of the public record and included as attachments to planning commission staff reports. Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 4 of 5 (i) [Notice.] Notice of planning commission public hearings shall be in conformance with the requirements provided in subsection 2 -153(c), except that it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide the director of planning and development services the mailing lists of the names and addresses of those entitled to receive notice under subsection 2-153(c). The noticing provisions contained subsection 2- 153(c) shall supersede those contained in section 41 -672. Section 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional. Section 4. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after its adoption. Section 5. The Clerk of Council shall certify the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same to be published as required by law. ADOPTED this ____ day of December, 2021. _________________________ Vicente Sarmiento Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney By: Laura A. Rossini Chief Assistant City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers: _________________________________ NOES: Councilmembers: _________________________________ ABSTAIN: Councilmembers: _________________________________ NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers: _________________________________ Ordinance No. NS-XXX Page 5 of 5 5 CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, DAISY GOMEZ, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify that the attached Ordinance No. NS-XXX to be the original ordinance adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on ______________, 2021, and that said ordinance was published in accordance with the Charter of the City of Santa Ana. Date: _______________ _______________________________ Clerk of the Council City of Santa Ana Latino Health Access L.ATIN 7 450 W. Fourth Street, Suite 130 ljrHEALTH „ Santa Ana, CA 92701 714-542-7792 www.latinohealthaccess.org December 7, 2021 Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Support to adopt Agenda Item 48, Sunshine Ordinance Latino Health Access has been proudly working alongside community residents for over 27 years to improve the social determinants of health in our city. We provide services that address immediate health needs while providing information and facilitating opportunities to increase civic participation and impact policies that will improve those social determinants in the long term. Therefore,we are writing in support of the proposed amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance. Since its inception, the goal and intent of the City of Santa Ana Sunshine Ordinance have been to ensure that public information is readily accessible and available to all Santa Ana residents. The goal and intent of the Sunshine Ordinance have been vital for citizens to address the various legislative bodies before decisions are made and easy and timely access to public records. This constructive process invites the public to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives and wellbeing, while simultaneously promoting an atmosphere of shared understanding and respect between elected policy-makers and the constituents they represent. Moreover, studies have shown that an open and transparent government fosters a relationship of trust among its residents. i As a result, this process facilitates the democratic opportunity for residents, elected policy-makers, and stakeholders to shape mutually beneficial outcomes for the City of Santa Ana and its residents. As such,we support the following amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance: Sunshine Ordinance Amendments e Publish City Council Meeting Agendas Seven Days Prior to the Meeting Date Publishing city council meeting agendas seven days prior to the meeting date would give Santa Ana residents timely access, information, and opportunities to prioritize city functions and programs that are important and/or impactful to them. PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION 1. http://www.publicagenda.org/files/pdf/public_engagement_primer_O.pdf Latino Health Access L.ATIN 7 450 W. Fourth Street, Suite 130 ljrHEALTH „ Santa Ana, CA 92701 714-542-7792 www.latinohealthaccess.org Expand the Number of Community Meetings for Certain Development Projects from One to Two Expanding the number of community meetings around development projects would allow Santa Ana residents to discuss jobs, housing, and open spaces interests and concerns. Increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of said Community Meetings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet The amendment to increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of said Community Meetings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet will inform all residents and businesses within the projected impact area, allowing them a chance to participate in shaping the project. To add on, we strongly recommend the adoption of an oversight commission, an independent body of residents and stakeholders to help ensure the government is functioning properly and upholding the Sunshine Ordinance. We urge you to support the proposed amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance. The proposed amendments will lead to a more open and transparent democratic process, where residents can share their needs and concerns on complex issues that affect their lives and physical, mental, and economic wellbeing. Sincerely, Nancy Mejia, MPH, MSW Chief Program Officer PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION i December 7, 2021 www.kennedycommission.org 17701 Cowan Ave.,Suite 200 Irvine,CA 92614 Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members 949 250 0909 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Support to adopt Agenda Item 48, Sunshine Ordinance The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad-based coalition of residents and community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $27,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been successful in partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective housing and land-use policies that has led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower-income working families. Since its inception, the goal and intent of the City of Santa Ana Sunshine Ordinance have been to ensure that public information is readily accessible and available to all Santa Ana residents. The goal and intent of the Sunshine Ordinance have been vital for citizens to address the various legislative bodies before decisions are made and easy and timely access to public records. This constructive process invites the public to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives and wellbeing, while simultaneously promoting an atmosphere of shared understanding and respect between elected policy- makers and the constituents they represent. Moreover, studies have shown that an open and transparent government fosters a relationship of trust among its residents. i As a result, this process facilitates the democratic opportunity for residents, elected policy-makers, and stakeholders to shape mutually beneficial outcomes for the City of Santa Ana and its residents. As such, we support the following amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance: Sunshine Ordinance Amendments Publish City Council Meeting Agendas Seven Days Prior to the Meeting Date Publishing city council meeting agendas seven days prior to the meeting date would give Santa Ana residents timely access, information, and opportunities to prioritize city functions and programs that are important and/or impactful to them. Expand the Number of Community Meetings for Certain Development Projects from One to Two Expanding the number of community meetings around development projects would allow Santa Ana residents to discuss jobs, housing, and open spaces interests and concerns. Increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of said Community Meetings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet The amendment to increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of said Community Meetings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet will inform all residents and businesses within the projected impact area, allowing them a chance to participate in shaping the project. To add on, we strongly recommend the adoption of an oversight commission, an independent body of residents and stakeholders to help ensure the government is functioning properly and upholding the Sunshine Ordinance. We urge you to support the proposed amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance. The proposed amendments will lead to a more open and transparent democratic process, where residents can share their needs and concerns on complex issues that affect their lives and physical, mental, and economic wellbeing. Sincerely, Cesar Covarrubias Executive Director IU IIIIII Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliuu, December 7th, 2021 Mayor Sarmiento and the City Council Members City of Santa Ana 22 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Bo 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Support Item 8 -Adopt Ordinance Amending the Sunshine Ordinance Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members, I write on behalf of Chispa in support of Item 8, approving the amendments to the Sunshine Ordinance. This proposal will increase transparency and community engagement for young Latinxs in Santa Ana, a significant portion of our city. Expanding the number of community meetings and publishing city council agendas seven days prior provide more time and will increase attendance among young people, many of whom have multiple jobs, are students, and have families. We hope the proposed amendments will increase the community involvement of young people and our most impacted communities. As such,we support the Sunshine Ordinance Amendments to the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures: The Sunshine Ordinance is a set of local laws that are aimed at increasing transparency, which would make the following changes to Council procedure: Expand the Number of Community Meetings for Certain Development Projects from One to Two Increase the Radius of Distributing Noticing of Community Meetings Related to Certain Development Projects and Planning Commission Public Hearings from 500 Feet of the Subject Property to 1,000 Feet Publish City Council Meeting Agendas Seven Days Prior to the Meeting Date, Rather than the Currently Required Four Days Prior. Increasing the number of meetings will give busy youth more opportunities to participate in City processes. Likewise, having additional time to review agendas for upcoming meetings will allow young people juggling difficult schedules to better plan to attend meetings where issues relevant to them will be discussed. Finally, development affects people beyond the most immediate radius, and increasing the range of noticing will ensure that more members of a community will be able to voice their opinions on changes to their neighborhood. For these reasons, Chispa supports the Sunshine Amendments to the Sunshine ordinance. Sincerely, Boomer Vicente Policy Director Chispa