Foothills Sentry October 2021

Foothills Sentry Page 4 October 2021 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 31 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 See "Mary's Kitchen" continued from page 1 Despite the public outcry, the city has held fast to its decision, citing circumstances it can no longer tolerate. They include: in- creased calls to the police for il- legal activities; health and safety violations; and alternative avail- able resources, such as county family and wellness centers, shelters, housing support and Orange’s own HEART (Home- less Engagement, Assistance & Resource Team) program, that works with individuals on a daily basis. Calm before the storm The decision to terminate the license agreement was made administerially, not by council discussion or vote. Since then, however, councilmembers have expressed agreement with the city manager’s action, and reiterated the city’s position on the removal of Mary’s Kitchen. Concerns reportedly arose several years ago, when the city encouraged Mary’s Kitchen to make changes to comply with the license agreement. Talks became more frequent and more urgent last year. Kitchen leader- ship reportedly did not cooperate. Mary’s Kitchen personnel claim they did. Volunteers reported at numer- ous council meetings that Suess had drafted a plan for the future as the city requested. It was, they say, subsequently ignored. Long time coming “This situation is really sad,” Mayor Mark Murphy said during the Sept. 14 council meeting. “I remember Mary [founder McAn- ena] fondly, from her asking the city for help, to finding a place for her on city property.” The mayor, referring to his “first-hand experi - ence” trying to provide guidance, added that, “there is no surprise to any of this. This isn’t something that popped up three months ago.” “This isn’t something new,” Councilman Jon Dumitru attest- ed. “The highest crime rate in the city is on Struck Street. We have a responsibility for public safety. We may be the bad guys, but the place needs restructuring. "We’re not trying to oppress homeless people, but to protect the city, as a whole. We want to find a way to help hungry people, but there is a point where we can’t systematically endanger public safety.” Suess says that no crimes are committed on her premises, and that police are called to incidents occurring outside the gates of Mary's Kitchen. Councilman Chip Monaco read a prepared statement that he had cleared with the city attorney prior to the council meeting. His purpose, he said, was to address “myth and innuendo” that does not align with the truth. Two-edged sword He reminded those at the meet- ing that the city allowed Mary’s Kitchen to operate “at zero cost for two decades. We wanted Mary’s Kitchen to succeed,” he said, but after numerous attempts, “they showed no interest in work- ing with the city. “ He further stated that the deci- sion to terminate the license was “based on lack of leadership by those in charge. It has become a significant public nuisance.” “We’re not heartless,” Mayor Murphy concluded. “We were left no other choice. We have to look at how these services can be provided better. Start over with a clean slate." "There are other services in Orange," he said. "You just don't hear about them. They operate quietly, without police calls.” The city has been working with local charities to ensure the food supply continues and to provide a change of address for those re- ceiving mail at the kitchen. The temporary restraining or- der remains in effect until at least Sept. 30, when a hearing is sched- uled. Orange council says five-member planning commission is fine for now By Tina Richards Orange Councilwoman Ari- anna Barrios’ attempt to change the city’s planning commission membership from five to seven, to reflect the by-district makeup of the council, was deferred until later by a 6-1 vote, Sept. 14. Barrios has, since February, suggested several times that the Orange Planning Commission be modified to better represent the entire city, and asked that a dis- cussion on that topic be added to a future council agenda. It was finally included on the Aug. 10 agenda, but with that meeting running well past midnight, she recommended that the discussion be continued until September. At the September meeting, Barrios reiterated her reasoning for increasing the commission to seven members, with a repre- sentative from each of Orange’s six districts and one “at large” member appointed by the mayor. “It gives us representation across the city,” she advised, noting that the current planning commission majority was from her District 1. “That’s fantastic for my district,” she said, “but not for the rest of the city.” Different strokes Ana Gutierrez agreed that hav- ing a commissioner from each district is a good idea. Her Dis- trict 5 includes a log of r3 and r4 zoning, and she would welcome a planning commissioner with knowledge of that area. “It would provide equity,” she said, “having a commissioner from each area of the city.” Kathy Tavoularis observed that other cities that had switched to by-district council seats had also changed their planning commis- sion membership at the same time. “Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Garden Grove changed,” she ob- served. “We’re the only ones that didn’t.” City Manager Rick Otto re- called a council discussion in June 2019, when it was decided not to change the size of any com- mission or committee following the adoption of redistricting. “So you just decided not to,” Tavoularis summarized. Reason to wait Jon Dumitru pointed out that changing the commission make- up now is premature. Technically, he said, there are still two “at large” members on the council. Chip Monaco and Kim Nichols had been elected in a citywide vote prior to the move to by- district elections. They, therefore, like the mayor, did not represent a specific district, but all City of Orange residents. “It can’t happen until January 2023,” he said, making a motion to defer the discussion until then. The two Orange districts – 4 and 6 -- that have not yet voted for council representatives, will do so in November 2022. When those newly electeds take office, the only at-large official on the dias will be the mayor. “Give those new council members a month to think about it, and bring it back in January.” Chip Monaco seconded the motion, emphasizing that the rea- son the previous council did not change the number of planning commissioners during the dis- tricting process was “due to eq- uity citywide.” He explained that he didn‘t like “district preroga- tives,” that commissioners should focus on the entire city, not just the district they live in. “District prerogatives weaken citywide perspective,” he noted, “by keep- ing everything in specific district lanes, we lose priority and focus on equity amongst districts.” Mayor Mark Murphy added that the previous council didn’t make any changes because it wanted to wait for new council input. No course correction Kim Nichols also supported the motion to wait until January 2023 to give the council “ample time” to make any changes. “We have a functioning body that is doing an important job for our city,” she said. “To disrupt it in a process, where everybody is just pick- ing somebody, is disrespectful to the function of the commission. Waiting gives us time to figure out a way not to disrupt function as we add members.” “I can see where this is going,” Barrios acknowledged. “It’s easy to look at equity through a prism and think its one thing, but it’s really many things. Right now, no one on the planning commis- sion has a historical preservation background. No one is a woman. That’s a problem. Half the people we represent are not reflected on the planning commission. It’s not all about districts. It’s not tribal, it’s about having different types of people on city commissions.” She pointed out that the num- ber of men on the council are now outnumbered by women, and that “you are holding on very tightly to a system that serves you, and not necessarily everyone. That’s a problem.” Mary's Kitchen President Gloria Suess oversees the distribution of clothes and shoes to the homeless. The Orange Planning Commission is exclusively male with three of the five members living in District 1. Councilwoman Arianna Barrios asked her colleagues to consider increasing the membership to seven to allow more varied representation. She was rebuffed.