Foothills Sentry October 2020

MEET THE 2020 CITY OF ORANGE CANDIDATES Candidate Platform/ Experience Career Years in Orange Highest Level of Education Languages Spoken Top 3 issues: Should the City Honor 1996 Voter Approved Term Limits ? Should Candidates Accept Campaign Contributions from Developers & their Associates? Do Short-Term Rentals Belong in Residential Neighborhoods? Should Chapman U abide by existing Specific Plan that Limits Enrollment? YES or NO on Measure AA ? (Santiago Creek Development?) District 1 Old Towne Arianna Barrios Elected Trustee, Santiago Community College Board of Trustees Small Business Owner 50 BA, Communications English, some Spanish 1) Protect public safety 2) Economic recovery 3) Code enforcement YES NO NO YES NO Eugene W. Fields First African American elected to OC Democratic Central Cmte Communications Mgr / Assoc. Professor 6 Masters, Public Administration English 1) Public safety 2) Help small businesses survive Covid19 3) Install crosswalk flashers at elementary school YES NO NO YES NO District 2 West Orange Daniel Correa Former Orange Planning Commissioner, Former Law Enforcement Officer Planning Consultant 20 Masters, Public Administration Fluent in English & Spanish 1) Orange's Economy 2) Preserve the quality of our neighborhoods 3) Resolve homelessness YES NO NO YES NO Martin Varona Favors defunding the police dept. Civil Engineer 28 Masters, Civil Engineering English & Spanish 1) Making local gov't accessible & inclusive 2) Reprioritize city budget for people over politics 3) Address climate change YES NO YES YES NO District 3 North Orange John R. Russo Supports economic development, previously ran for mayor OUSD Boys Volleyball Coach 22 n/a English 1) Public Safety 2) Economic Development 3) a Balanced Budget YES NO NO YES NO District 5 El Mo Ana Gutierrez Supports local police Educator 53 Masters, Educational Leadership English & Spanish 1) Public Safety & Security 2) Support Local Business 3) Protect Open Spaces, Parks & Trails YES NO NO YES NO Mayor Adrienne Gladson Former City of Orange Planning Commissioner Small Business Owner 34 BA, Geography English, some French 1) COVID-19 Recovery 2) Protecting Neighborhoods 3) Economic Growth YES NO YES (with restrictions) YES NO 2020 Orange City Council Voters' Guide Information collected from candidate questionnaires. Candidates that did not return their questionnaire: District #1 - David Vazquez, Christian L. Vaughan; District #2 - Jon Dumitru, Caroline Alatorre; District #3 - Danett Abbott-Wicker, Michael Alvarez; District #5 - Rick Ledesma; Mayo r - Mark Murphy YES ON AA - Mark Murphy, David Vazquez, Michael Alvarez - Because this is the first year Orange votes in districts, United Neighborhoods of Orange (UNO) has prepared this easy reference voters' guide. UNO is an organization that puts Orange first by promoting safe neighborhoods and upholding residents' property rights. Questionnaires were sent to all of the candidates. Below is a summary of their responses. 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McDermott As a citizen and homeowner in the City of Orange, I am opposed to the proposed amendments to Ordinance 13-20, severely limit- ing the scope of the Design Re- view Committee (DRC). The impetus behind these changes ap- pears to be an effort to fast-track projects for well-connected de- velopers, regardless of the impact that these projects have on the city and its many diverse neigh- borhoods. This is troubling. Since the 1970s, the DRC and its predecessors have served the citizens of Orange, reviewing architectural projects through- out the city. The DRC protects the unique character of all of our neighborhoods, while maintain- ing a vital business community. The committee’s discussions and decisions have been transparent, carried out in public meetings. Now the city wants to take, es- sentially, all authority from the DRC and vest it in a single city employee, the Community Devel- opment Director (CDD). The re- vised ordinance deletes language requiring that approval or denial of projects be made at a public meeting. The DRC will no longer review any project, except those in the historic districts. Even in Old Towne and the Eichler neigh- borhoods, the DRC will be with- out real authority, limited to mak- ing recommendations rather than determinations. We will be vesting all of this power in an unknown quantity. The current CDD has served the city well, but has announced his retirement coincident with the announcement of these changes. The new CDD will be responsible for the initial design decisions on every project in the city; his or her job will be on the line with every decision. The design of the built en- vironment, including architec- ture, landscaping, signage and streetscape is a major contribu- tor to the quality of life in our city. Whether in Old Towne, on Tustin Street, off Katella Avenue or anywhere in Orange, having significant projects reviewed by a qualified committee of citizens in open public meetings is surely good governance, and a service to the community. The DRC is motivated to see well-designed projects built. Projects that come to the DRC with designs that are sensitive and compatible with their surroundings are usually ap- proved in one meeting. While this sweeping change is positioned as a focus on historic districts, a citizen-empowered de- sign review function was estab- lished long before anything was designated as historic in Orange. The DRC’s original and most im- portant work is citywide. Large- scale development in Orange is often right up against a residen- tial neighborhood. Whether it’s a multi-story senior living center or the enormous new develop- ment on the last big parcel of open space, these projects should be reviewed by design profes- sionals in a public forum. These projects need review to ensure thoughtful design and compat- ibility, not less. “Streamlining” to get these projects approved quickly, quietly, and out of the public eye is not in the interest of anyone but the developers. The city has to keep some sem- blance of a DRC to maintain its National Historic designations, even if it has no real teeth. Old Towne and the Eichler districts are not well protected in these re- visions, and protecting them is im- portant. However, it is not the only important thing. Removing a committee of qual- ified citizen reviewers from the planning process might serve de- velopers, but it does not serve the people of the City of Orange. J.P. McDermott is a resident of Old Towne Orange and a risk management professional. His wife Anne is a member of the DRC.