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Home My WebLink About11/17/1999SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION Minutes of Special Meeting November 17, 1999 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was convened at 5:16 p.m. in the Kennedy Elementary School All Purpose Room, 1300 E. McFadden Avenue, Santa Ana. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ATTENDANCE The following Directors were present: Armijo, Avila, Cibrian, Cong, Davis, Fogarty, Garza, Haynes, Hemandez, Leman, Magdalena, Martinez, Metzler, Mijares, Ream, Richardson (5:24 p.m.), Yanez, and Zaragoza. The following Directors were absent: Bracho, Burrier-Lund, Dietz, and Henley. Staff present were: Commtmity Development Agency Executive Director Nelson, Economic Development Manager Nunn, Empowerment Zone Manager Schindler, Economic Development Aide Lahey, Acting General Counsel Kaufman, and Secretary Guy and Deputy Clerk of the Council Ruano. Chair Mijares introduced Kennedy School Principal Dr. Rick Mojarro and thanked him for allowing the Board to use his facility for the Board meeting. CONSENT CALENDAR Motion by Fogarty, seconded by Cibrian, to amend the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 27, 1999 to include Director Cibrian as a member of the ad hoc Budget and Program Committee and approve the following Consent Calendar items was adopted by the vote of l 7-0-5-0. * * SECRETARY'S NOTE: VOTES ARE TABULATED AS AYES, NOES, ABSENT AND ABSTAIN. MINUTES Motion: ~lpprove the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 27, 1999 as amended. RECORDING SECRETARY REPORT Motion: Instruct the Recording Secretary to enter the following into the Minutes: The October 27, 1999 Agenda for the Santa Ana Empowerment Corporation Board was posted on the door of the Walker Elementary School, 811 E. Bishop, Santa Ana, on October 20, 1999 at 4:00 p.m. SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION 14 NOVEMBER 17, '1999 MINUTES The October 27, 1999 Revised Agenda page 2 for the Santa Ana Empowerment Corporation Board was posted on the door of the Walker Elementary School on October 22, 1999 at 1:00 p.m. The Notice of Adjournment of the October 27, 1999 Santa Aha Empowerment Corporation Board to November 17, 1999 at 6:00 p.m. in the All Purpose Room at Kennedy Elementary School, 1300 E. McFadden, Santa Ana, was posted on the door of the Walker Elementary School at 8:45p.m. BUSINESS CALENDAR REQUEST FOR U.S. CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION OF OCTA LAND ACQUISITION WITHiN EMPOWERMENT ZONE Acting General Counsel Kaufman presented the staff report, detailing the City's actions and concerns regarding the Orange County Transportation Authority's acquisition of property at 4301 W. MacArthur Boulevard for use as a bus maintenance facility. He reported the City was challenging the acquisition based on the following: · Violation of Brown Act public notice requirements · Improper expenditure of public funds (lack of market analysis resulted in a purchase price in excess of market value) · Lack of California Environmental Quality Act review, particularly traffic impacts and consistency with the City's General Plan and the Empowerment Zone Strategic Plan Director Richardson joined the meeting. Chair Mijares invited public comments on the issue. Mike Patton and Robin Herrera, representing Teamsters Union 952 (bus drivers and mechanics), suggested that since an investigation of the acquisition was in progress, the Board defer action pending the Court's ruling on November 18, 1999. Board members discussed the issues at length. Motion by Davis, seconded by Yanez, to submit a request to the appropriate Congressional representatives that a Congressional investigation be launched into the circumstances surrounding the actions of the staff and Board of the Orange County Transportation Authority in seeking to acquire for $23 million, without public notice or environmental review, approximately 30 acres in the Santa Aha Empowerment Zone for use as a bus yard. Director Fogarty expressed concern that launching a full Congressional investigation into the matter might have detrimental long-term impacts on the Empowerment Zone and proposed the inquiry be downgraded to a Congressional referral. SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION 15 NOVEMBER 17, 1999 MINUTES Substitute motion by Fogarty, seconded by Cibrian, to initiate an immediate dialogue with Congressional and State representatives regarding initiation of a Congressional referral regarding the circumstances surrounding the actions of the staff and Board of the Orange County Transportation Authority in seeking to acquire for $23 million, without public notice or environmental review, approximately 30 acres in the Santa Ana Empowerment Zone for use as a bus yard failed by a vote of 2-15-4-1 (Armijo abstained). Vote on original motion passed by a vote of l 7-0-4-1 (Armijo abstained). By the unanimous informal consent of the Board, staff was directed to write a letter to the Transportation Authority conveying the Board's extreme displeasure in not being consulted regarding the land acquisition prior to its purchase. 2. OPERATING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION AND THE CITY OF SANTA ANA Motion by Hernandez, seconded by Cong, to approve execution of the Operating Agreement between the Santa Aha Empowerment Corporation and the City of Santa Aha by the vote of 18-0-4-0. Director Metzler left the meeting at 6:12 p.m. COMMITTEE REPORTS MARKETING COMMITTEE Director Zaragoza indicated the Committee had nothing to report other than its next meeting date, November 23, 1999. BUDGET & PROGRAM COMMITTEE Director Hemandez reported the Committee met on November 9 and had taken the first steps toward developing a fair and equitable process to use in evaluating applicants for Empowerment Zone funds. He noted the Committee would next meet in early December and volunteered to send out minutes of the meetings to the Board. RESIDENT COMMITTEE Director Cibrian informed the Board that the Committee had received 3 applications from residents wishing to represent Zone Area #4, and reported the Committee planned to expand its outreach efforts to school principals and neighborhood residents. SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION 16 NOVEMBER 17, 1999 MINUTES COMMENTS DIRECTOR COMMENTS In response to an inquiry from Director Garza, Schindler and Lahey responded that the City has an address locator and is in the process of building a system for identifying residents in the Empowerment Zone. Director Fogarty commented that the democratic process works well when conducted publicly. Director Leman informed the Board that transportation was the number one need for welfare clients. Director Ream announced Mayor Pulido would be seeking City Council support to request from the SAEC Board additional funding for the development of Delhi Community Center in the amount of $1 million and had personally committed to raising funds from the private sector for the project as well. Director Martinez recognized the Delhi Neighborhood residents in attendance at the meeting. Noting the Thanksgiving Holiday was approaching, Director Cibrian expressed his thanks to all the Directors for their participation and commitment to the Board. Chair Mijares thanked everyone who had supported and contributed to the passage of Measure C, the $145 million school bond approved at the November election. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no comments from members of the public. Secretary Guy reported she was retiring from City employment in January and introduced Deputy Clerk of the Council Mafia Ruano who would serve as Acting Secretary to the Board, pending confirmation of such designation by the next Clerk of the Council. ADJOURNMENT - 6:29 P.M. Janice C. Guy Secretary SANTA ANA EMPOWERMENT CORPORATION 17 NOVEMBER 17, 1999 MINUTES