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O1 <br />December 2,2024 <br />VIA EMAILecomment@santa-ana.org <br />Mayor Valerie Amezcua <br />Mayor Pro Tem Thai Viet Phan <br />Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez <br />Councilmember Jessie Lopez <br />Councilmember Phil Bacerra <br />Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez <br />Councilmember David Penaloza <br />Santa Ana City Council <br />City Council Chamber <br />20 Civic Center PlazaM-30 <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Re:December 3, 2024, City Council Meeting Item 15:Second Reading of Ordinance <br />Amendment No. 2024-04 Prohibiting Short-Term Rentals <br />Dear Mayor Amezcua, MayorPro TemPhan, and Honorable City Councilmembers, <br />On behalf of the Santa Ana Short-Term Rental Alliance, I am writing to respectfully request that <br />you reconsider proceeding with the second reading of the proposed ordinance to reenactabanon <br />short-term rentals at your meeting on December 3. We at SASTRAfullysupport the reasonable <br />regulation of STRsin Santa Ana.Unfortunately, plan to readopt a legally flawed STR <br />banbased on clear misinterpretation of the lawand without any meaningful engagement with <br />either hosts or residents that rely on STRs for transitory housinghighlightsafailurein the <br />legislative process. <br />At the November 19 hearing, Councilmember Bacerra and Mayor Amezcua both raised concerns <br />O1-1 <br />with the STR ban and encouraged Staff to return with more nuanced regulations for STRsin the <br />future. That did not occurthe current proposal merely readopts the flawed ban with no <br />meaningful changes.Indeed, Councilmember Lopez specifically asked Staff if the Council should <br />consideranynew informationinlight of public comments. Staff responded did not even <br />mentionour-page letter with detailed technical analysis by experts demonstrating <br />thepotentially significant health, transportation, and environmental impacts. <br />The City Council must pause before its December 3 meetingto correct missteps that began in April <br />to enact a law that: (1) severely infringes on constitutional rightsand California law,(2) resultsin <br />significant environmental impacts, (3) creates economic hardship, and (4) disproportionately <br />affects those most in need of flexible housing options. A brief recap of the events is summarized <br />here for your awareness: <br /> <br />