Foothills Sentry July 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 4 July 2023 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 34 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com @ ramblingroseoc Guest Commentary Can't trust trustees Dear Editor: Orange Unified board members Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner have only one argument to support their tearing apart of our public schools -- “protecting parental rights.” Ledesma and Miner’s parental rights are their parental rights – not ours. Miner does not believe in the educational environment within OUSD, so she has enrolled her children elsewhere. Just as it’s her right to find alternative schools for her children, it’s the right of the majority of public-school parents to support and advocate for our Orange schools. The ability to remove Ledesma and Miner from the OUSD board is the most important right parents have today. Public school parents and all residents concerned about the embarrassment Ledesma and Miner have brought on our community must exercise this right by signing the recall petition. Barry Resnick Orange Dear Editor: There is a school board recall movement happening right now in OUSD, an effort to remove two members -- Rick Ledesma, board president, and Trustee Madison Miner. Despite noise from the vocal minority, this movement has widespread support. Petitions are available to sign now. You can find more information on the website, OUSDRecall.com. You are likely to hear many things about the recall effort -- some true, some not -- so I thought I’d just cover a few of the opposition’s current greatest hits. They say: The recall will cost the school district $1.2 million. The truth: The recall will cost $313,000 if the Ledesma- led majority votes to put it on the March 5, 2024 ballot as the recall is asking. The only way it would cost more is if the Ledesma-led majority votes to make it a stand- alone election. They say: The recall is “radical” and funded by outside groups like Planned Parenthood. The truth: This is a grassroots effort that has taken money only from individual donors, including community members, parents, and teachers. They say: It’s a union-backed recall (referring to the OUEA teacher’s union). The truth: The recall is OUSD parent organized and led. We do, however, have the support of teachers and district employees who care deeply about ALL OUSD students and don’t like the new direction the board is taking toward segregating and excluding students. They say: They support “Parents’Rights.” The truth: They only support the rights of parents who share their ideologies. They say: Teachers are trying to “groom” kids and convince them to turn gay/trans. The truth: Teachers teach kids acceptance, empathy and tolerance of those who are different from them. Teachers encourage critical analysis, independent thinking and a nuanced understanding of diverse perspectives. If teachers do not do that we deprive our children of the necessary tools they need to navigate the complexities of their world. They say: Madison Miner is just a “Mama bear” looking to help students. The truth: Madison’s campaign was primarily funded by outside interest groups and was tainted by campaign lies. Miner claimed to be an OUSD teacher (a PRA to OUSD shows that is not true). She also claimed to be a speech language pathologist in Santa Ana schools, but Miner has never been certified to be a speech language pathologist. They say: OUSD is “sexualizing students.” They have never said how, or shown any evidence, nor have any reports ever been filed. The truth: No sex-ed is taught in grades TK- 6. Students get one week in each of 7th and 8th grades, and there is a full opt-out offered. If anyone knows of sexual grooming, they should report it to the police, not social media. They say: Rick Ledesma is a fiscal conservative. The truth: Rick has wasted millions of dollars and plans to empty our facilities reserve on a single pet project at one school, leaving our elementary schools in desperate need of modernization. They say: They shouldn’t be recalled. The truth: Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner need to be recalled before they cause further damage to our district and our students’ education, John Ortega and Angie Rumsey should be recalled but will be up for re- election mere months after the recall. Voters should remember their actions when voting. Michelle Weisenberg Orange Dear Editor: I want to make you aware of the massive conflict of interest between John Ortega and Orange Regional Competitive Aquatics (ORCA) and how it has gotten the pool issue to be at the forefront of the OUSD Agenda. I have an email documenting a meeting in July 2022 at which John Ortega was present and ORCA was granted the nonprofit rate of $15 per hour instead of the fair use rate of $100 per hour to use OUSD pools. ORCA lost its nonprofit status when it stopped filing tax returns in 2018. In exchange for that rate, ORCA donated about $12k worth of equipment to OUSD. It is saving $2,500-plus per week as a result of this deal. Ortega was on the ORCAboard until at least 2018. About a week and a half before the November election, ORCA sent out a flyer to 1,500 people endorsing Madison Miner and Rick Ledesma and saying they were the best chance to secure a 50m pool. John Ortega has a family member that swims for ORCA and his involvement with their sweetheart deal is a violation of the OUSD Board Bylaws regarding a conflict of interest. The bylaws state: No board member shall participate in the making of any decision for the District when the decision will or may be affected by his/her financial, family, or other personal interest or consideration. In accordance with law, Board members shall disclose any conflict of interest and, as necessary, shall abstain from participating in the decision. Ortega was asked about his family member(s) in ORCAat the June 1 meeting and he declared "There is no conflict" repeatedly, while refusing to answer substantive questions regarding the basis for his conclusion. Alex Brewsaugh Orange Sentry L Karen Dear Editor: I just wanted to say thank you for being here. You are our only source for information about our city council and the school board, and that is important. Thank you! Karen Shaffer Old Towne Short-Term Rentals: the ugly truth By Doug Hamilton At a recent Orange City Council meeting, staff floated the idea of adding 75 more Short- Term Rental (STR) permits to the original 125 that were approved in May 2021. With that in mind, how would you like to wake up and discover that a “hotel,” by the city’s own definition, is your new neighbor? This would add insult to injury, as residents are faced with state and federal regulations that are impacting our neighborhoods, with the goal of eliminating single-family zoning. Ugly truth #1 – The city has issued 232 business licenses to individuals who operate STRs in Orange. No one imagined that when the city passed the resolution with a 125 maximum number of STR permits, they would issue up to four business licenses per permit. Based upon what the city has currently done with this program, 75 additional permits could ultimately produce 150 or more additional STR units. Ugly truth #2 - Many California cities have banned STRs altogether. Anaheim, Laguna Hills and Fountain Valley are on that list. Currently, 19 cities have all-out STR bans, and the list is growing as this issue comes to light. Eight other cities have partial bans. In Orange, STRs are located in neighborhoods with residential zoning that does not allow renting for less than 30 days. But last year, Orange created an ordinance that allows a limited number of owners to violate quality of life protections associated with residential zoning and commercialize our neighborhoods. Ugly truth #3 - STR licensing contributes to housing shortages by removing real estate rental and purchase opportunities. Many STR permit holders own duplexes and fourplexes, thereby removing at least 100 housing/rental units from the market. Ugly truth #4 - As council members complain about Sacramento housing mandates, we don’t have to look far to see a similar unwanted city mandate designed to make money at any cost. Of course, the city council controls zoning and what uses are allowed. Residents, however, can voice their opposition and ultimately have the power of the vote. Ugly truth #5 - A neighborhood STR could affect the desirability of your home. California real estate disclosure laws require a home seller to disclose “neighborhood nuisances.” Sellers have an affirmative duty to disclose defects and/or issues known to them that might impact the value or desirability of the property. Ugly truth #6 - A neighborhood STR could affect the appraised value of your home. By being located next to, or in proximity to an STR, your property value could decrease. Knowing that, would you buy a home near an STR? Ugly truth #7 - What happens when an STR licensee or the occupant violate city codes? The “good neighbor” policy referenced in the city ordinance requires the complaining neighbor to call the STR owner directly. This requirement is absurd. It’s not a neighbor’s responsibility to police STRs, and doing so could risk retaliation from the owner or the rule-breaking occupant. These same risks also serve as a deterrent for neighbors to complain about violations in the first place. It’s important to note that many STR neighbors do not receive written notification of the ordinance, related rules or methods for filing a complaint, other than to the owner. Ugly truth #8 - The city’s STR ordinance created a perfect system to avoid trackability and accountability. Based on statements from city staff, it appears that there is no system in place to deal with negative impacts on the community. As a result, the city’s claims that there are very few STR complaints cannot be relied upon. It looks like a system designed primarily to collect Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT). But, the money the city receives from STRs is not “free money;” STR neighbors pay the price. Ugly truth #9 - A city council that is focused on the best interests and positive outcomes for its residents would never expand this program. It would do the exact opposite. A sundown provision should be added to the current STR program, and it should be phased out over the next two budget cycles. Taking it one step further, if a STR permit or license is revoked or not renewed, it should not be reissued to anyone else. The ugly truth is that we must stop short-term rentals in Orange. How can you help? Email us at: northtustinstreetgroup@ gmail.com ; we’ll send a petition that you can sign, requesting the Orange City Council end STRs. We will also send a survey relating to ordinance violations in your neighborhood. In your email, please report any STRs that might be operating an Airbnb or Vrbo-type property without a permit. If you have attempted to complain about an STR in the past two years, we would also like to know about that as well. If you live in Orange, you can also join the conversation with other neighbors on Nextdoor, North Tustin Street Preservation Group. The North Tustin Street Preservation Group is working on a Short-Term Rental Report that will be submitted to the city. The report will contain what we learn from the community and a set of community-driven recommendations. Doug Hamilton leads the North Tustin Street Preservation Group. He reports that this commentary had many contributors from that organization.