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<br />5 <br /> <br />experiences severe and frustrating congestion. The draft EIR recognizes that further impacts to <br />the major streets and intersections near the project will not only reduce the level of service of <br />roadways and intersections to unacceptable levels, but that "mitigation measures to reduce <br />potential traffic. . . to a level considered less than significant have been determined to be not <br />feasible." In other words, it's already bad, this project will make it even worse, and there's <br />nothing that can be done about it. <br /> <br />Is this any way to plan for the future growth of the city? Who will want to come back to the <br />downtown area when they won't be able to move due to all the congestion? ProfessionaVupscale <br />tenants have moved to newer parts of the county not just because new buildings provide <br />technological advancements; the surrounding public infrastructure and transportation corridors <br />have been specifically planned for such large-scale development. It is inconceivable that the city <br />of Santa Ana would consider moving forward on this project when it the EIR states that <br />significant and substantial adverse impacts will result for which there is no feasible mitigation. <br /> <br />Councilmember Alvarez Should Abstain: The Santa Ana Municipal Code provides: <br /> <br />"Sec. 425. Disqualification due to campaign contributions. <br />A councilmember shall not participate in, nor use his or her official position to <br />influence, a decision of the city council if it is reasonably foreseeable that the <br />decision will have a material financial effect, apart from its effect on the public <br />generally or a significant portion thereof, on a recent major campaign contributor. <br />As used herein, "recent major campaign contributor" means a person who has <br />made campaign contributions totalling two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or <br />more to the councilmember or to any campaign committee controlled by the <br />councilmember in the twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of the <br />decision. The mayor is a councilmember for purposes of this section." <br /> <br />At the March 15, 2004 City Council meeting, Councilmember Alvarez cast a vote on the One <br />Broadway Plaza project despite the fact that she admittedly had accepted a campaign <br />contribution in excess of $250 from developer Mike Harrah with the 12 months preceding that <br />vote. She purported to justify this act on advice from the city attorney that the municipal code <br />applied only to city council races, and not to her campaign for the Orange County Board of <br />Supervisors. <br /> <br />This is a blatant distortion of both the clear letter and intent of the municipal code which on its <br />face specifically refers to anv camoaien committee controlled by the councilmember, and is not <br />in any way limited to city council races. Ms Alvarez campaigned for the supervisor position <br />utilizing her credentials as a city council member. Moreover, as an attorney, and an assistant <br />district attorney to boot, she is legally and ethically obligated to uphold both the spirit and the <br />letter of the law. As a public servant, she is further obligated to both avoid the appearance of <br />impropriety and refrain from violating the public trust. Her past conduct in voting on this project <br />is reprehensible and should be publicly condemned, if not criminally prosecuted. Under no <br />circumstances should she cast any further vote on this project. <br /> <br />75E-60 <br />