The Santa Ana Housing & Redevelopment Commission met yesterday afternoon, and there are few newsworthy items to report. We chose a new Chairman and Vice Chairman, for starters. Nelida Yanez was nominated and elected unanimously as our new Chair, and Mario Turner is now our new Vice Chair. Congratulations to both of them!
We also decided, in a work study session, to vote at our next meeting on a change to our bylaws that will move our meetings from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. We may, from time to time, hold a work study session before the regular meeting. That will be reflected in the agenda for that meeting.
I am excited about the time change as it will allow the public to attend our meetings without affecting their working hours, for the most part. It has been a goal of mine for years to open our city government in Santa Ana and make it more inclusive of our constituents.
During the bylaw discussion I also brought up the issue of where we distribute our agendas. According to our bylaws, which were introduced in 1981, we send the agendas to media outlets that ask for them. I asked city staff to give us a copy of the agenda distribution list. We got that list today, and while we do send the agendas to the O.C. Register, the Times O.C., Miniondas and La Opinion, we do not send them to the many other Latino and Vietnamese newspapers in our area.
I have asked city staff to look into expanding our distribution list to include those newspapers. I also asked them to consider emailing the agendas as PDF files instead of faxing or mailing them. That way the city can send out more agendas without spending more money, and emailing them is much faster than mailing or faxing them.
I also requested that city staff look into emailing the agendas to the city’s neighborhood leader email list. I also asked that the agendas be translated into Spanish and Vietnamese, when they are distributed to media outlets that use those languages.
My suggestions are supported by the other commissioners, including Yanez. The goal again is to encourage more resident interaction with our commission and with the City of Santa Ana.
Yanez and I will also serve on an ad hoc committee that will further examine our bylaws and suggest additional changes to the overall commission.
Lastly, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido has appointed Jennifer Villasenor to our commission. She was not at this meeting but will likely be sworn in before our next meeting. I am sure that her experience as a Huntington Beach city planner will add a positive element to our commission. Congratulations to Ms. Villasenor on her appointment.
Our commission now has no vacancies. We are all looking forward to serving our fellow Santa Ana residents. If you would like to read our agendas before our meetings, go to the city website, and search for the city clerk page. I will try, time permitting, to post highlights from our next agenda, prior to our next meeting.
In the next few weeks we will be taking an online ethics course and we will also be instructed in the fine points of the Brown Act. I am told that we will also be offered additional training in redevelopment throughout the year. That can’t hurt!
Congratulations to Nelida! (good choice)
and to you Art. Moving the meeting time to 6:00 is a good start as well getting the agenda out via email. Please get me signed up on that list.
Oh I’m sure Jennifer Villasenor is delighted at the prospect of working with you, Art — especially after your slimy attacks on her during last fall’s election.
Do you plan to apologize to her for the sleazy way you tried to use her brother’s problems against her in the campaign with this blog?
Pedrozabot,
Well, gee Timmy – have you apologized to Sal Tinajero yet for the truly horrible lies and blatant distortions that you engaged in when you sent out those independent expenditures last year – you know, the ones that quoted your buddies, such as Rosie Avila and Tim Rush?
All I did was reproduce an article that appeared in a major newspaper – and I left the conclusions to my readers.
You, on the other hand, were involved in the most vicious IE campaign I have ever seen.
I am happy that Tinajero won. The elections are over now and the rest of us have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
I look forward to working with ALL the Housing & Redevelopment Commissioners, to serve the people – something you know precious little about.
Nice try, Art, but I’m not Timmy.
And I doubt Villasenor sees your sliming as “all you did” — after all, what does her brother’s life have to do with her candidacy?
Be a man, for once, and own up to the reality of what you did. She was a Pulido candidate, and you thought you were justified in doing whatever you had to — no matter how sleazy — to try and beat her because of that. You owe her an apology.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Art “the ends justifies the means” Pedroza!
So how many members of the public typically show up at a H&R meeting?
What’s the point of changing the meeting time? You still won’t have anyone show up for these snooze fest commission meetings. Who wants to sit around for three hours listening to imbeciles talk for the sake of hearing their own voices? You will accomplish very little, as most commissions in Santa Ana accomplish very little.
Art..thanks for your kind words welcoming Jennifer to your board. She is a good person and will work well with all of you. Thanks for starting things off in such a positive way. I only wish Tim and others like him would be as forgiving. God Bless you. Hat’s off to Sal also for allowing Jennifer to serve.He’s a good man as well.
Art , thanks for the update .You have the right idea of making government accesible for every one . The time change is better for most concerned . For the commission to function , a team approach is requiered , your comments about Jennifer are in line . Posts like #4 and #6 are interested only in attacking you , especially if your efforts are positive and productive . Your failure is their victory as far as they are concerned . These commissioners imbeciles ? Hardly , that is why the violent opposition to them .
Art –
Thanks for the update. The commission’s efforts to change its meeting time is overdue. It’s time these meetings were made available to the public. At least the proposed time makes is more accessible to the public.
The board’s decision to elect Nelida Yanez as its chair is a good move.
Hey, I have some “welcome to the commission, Jennifer Villasenor” quotes. I lifted them directly from Art Pedroza’s posts last year. They’re certain to make Jennifer excited about working with her new fellow commissioner Art:
“Tinajero also defended himself when Villasenor ripped the local schools. Tinajero pointed out the fact that since he joined the school board the test scores have doubled. That quieted Villasenor. She’ll have to get all-new talking points from Pulido!”
“Villasenor closed by saying that she is the best choice because she is an educated person and she has the work experience. She said she is an independent thinker. That is terribly hard to believe, when you consider that Pulido’s only comments tonight were his endorsement of Villasenor, Benavides and Rivera. Exactly how are they independent?”
“The truth is that George Collins, a Republican who ran for the City Council this year in Ward 6, against Pulido puppet Jennifer Villasenor…”
“There was an embarrassing moment when someone from the association announced that Councilwoman Jennifer Villasenor could not make it. Oops! Someone immediately corrected him and Tinajero was introduced as the victor of Ward 6. As an aside, I have yet to see Villasenor anywhere in the city since her loss. Hmmm….”
“Villasenor speaks like the cheerleader instructor that she is. I found her to be too “rah-rah.””
“Villasenor – She is virtually unknown in Santa Ana – but she wants to be the “voice of the residents.” She also wants to support neighborhood associations – but can anyone remember seeing her at any neighborhood association meetings? And she claims to have been a delegate to a state political party convention. Really? Does she mean the Democratic Party that chose to endorse her opponent, Sal Tinajero? And she wants to strengthen family ties – but she is single, and presumably has no children. What exactly does she know about maintaining a family?”
Welcome, Jennifer — Art knows that someone with your cheerleading teacher background — as Art puts it — will bring valuable insight to the commission.
Please explore the City Empowerment Zone (EZ) and the opportunities for collaboration with the EZ to rehab housing as well as neighborhoods, etc. These city programs need to be better coordinated and funds leveraged!
#10, the election is over. Your candidate lost. Move on.
Poster 10,
Yes, it is true. My pen was mightier than Pulido’s sword last year. But the elections ended a long time ago. We all have to work together now for the betterment of our community.
I am sure that Ms. Villasenor will be more gracious than you. I look forward to working with her on behalf our our fellow Santa Ana residents.
Art said-” Yes, it is true. My pen was mightier than Pulido’s sword last year.”
ROTFLMAO- If George Collins had not been in that race, Villasenor would have won. It had nothing to do with “your pen”…
#14
Collins was in the race and Art’s pen was mighty.