9/28 Sup Com - 50 Emails — City Council/Public Financing Authority, September 28, 2023

From: Chuck Burns
To: [email protected]
Subject: Senior Living Facility Corner Bolsa Chica and Warner.

Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 3:19:41 AM
I urge you to reduce size to no more than three stories for this planned development.

Otherwise the unintended consequences are limitless.

Please forward to planning commission as well.

A reply will be appreciated.

Chuck Burns
Huntington Beach

SUPPLEMENTAL

COMMUNICATION
9/28/23
Mesting Date:

Agenda Item No.: 2 (23-835).

From: Levin, Shannon
To: [email protected]
Subject: FW: Voting restrictions
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 9:13:49 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Trudy Josephson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 8:40 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Voting restrictions
I just read about the new proposal being discussed for requiring one to show a ID in order to vote. May I suggest that you tour the Santa Ana offices of the O.C. Registrar. They would be pleased to show you the whole process.

You will learn how amazingly thorough they are in handling ballots & how they check for authenticity by comparing the signature from the signed ballot itself to that of their drivers license or like ID.

Very Trudy Yours,
Trudy Josephson
From: Jeanne Paris
To: [email protected]
Subject: Supprt City Charter changes/clarifications
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 1:10:15 PM
To: The City Council
My name is Jeanne Paris - resident of Huntington Beach for 27 years.

I would like to write in favor of the changes and clarifications being proposed by the City Council. The last time the charter was revised was 2010. I believe these updates are needed to better reflect our current times.

Regards,
Jeanne Paris
From: Betty Kanne
To: [email protected]
Subject: Reject or table Charter Change Proposals Thursday Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 8:06:47 AM
9/27/23
Council Member,
I'd like to express my thanks for your encouraging initial efforts last week to openly discuss the City Charter Proposals among all Council Members present at Meeting Number Two of the four scheduled public meetings. This was a much need start in the open deliberation process.

I must continue to urge you to abandon this spectacularly unpopular push to place multiple Charter Change initiatives on the March ballot. Take a long breath and return to the city business you were elected to address. Nothing in these rushed Charter proposals warrant the schism within our community that your misjudgment has engendered Let cooler heads prevail and reconsider each of your proposals. Could one or more be reframed as a possible Ordinance to be discussed fully before our community and possibly be approved by more than four members? Must the item be carved in stone into our city's Constitution? An Ordinance provides more future flexibility. Take each initiative and consider just abandoning it altogether or deferring it for future consideration. If that's not an option, think about proposing it as an Ordinance to be heavily discussed before the public and then enacted or not. Those things that must be considered as Charter Amendments should be heavily vetted and publicly discussed with robust citizen input. If it still seems popular, place it on the November General Election ballot as an honestly, not misleadingly named, stand- alone item. It will either survive or fail based on its actual merits.

Please begin to work collaboratively! The Four-Pronged Rubber-Stamp is being grossly overused and smacks of ham-fisted, willful and repressive abuse of power. We respect that each of you successfully came into office with 12 or 13% of the vote, but that is not a mandate by any stretch of the imagination. Engage all seven members in the grave matters confronting our city.

Please take a deep breath and seek to earn the respect of the entire electorate, not just your deep pocket donors with their self-serving motives. Rise above it.

Stay clear of Culture War items and Performance Politics that only serve to produce discord and reduce harmony within our community. Seek to bring our outstanding, multifaceted and diverse community together. That's what we voted you into office to do. You can do this! Together.

Betty Kanne
Huntington Beach
(40+ year HB resident, homeowner, unfailing voter)
[email protected]
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Opinion regarding Section 702 Procedure for Holding Elections & Section 705 Special Provisions Relating to Municipal Elections
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 1:26:43 PM
Dear City Council:

Upon listening to your recent discussions about the legitimacy of our elections, I would like to present some facts:

The following is from documents provided by Election Integrity Project California, Inc. (EIP-Ca).

Link https://www.eip-ca.com/EIPCa_Overview_FINAL_updated_4152022.pdf (Page 1) California's Election Model: Voting "Experience" , Not Election Integrity.

As California lawmakers increase registration and ballot "access" without sufficient safeguards, Election Integrity Project California Inc. continues to work to ensure that every vote is lawfully cast and accurately counted.

EIP-CA Documentation of California Election Law & Procedures:
• Legislation that weakens or removes integrity in election process • No Photo Voter ID
• Pre-registration of 16 yr. olds
• Felon voting
• Same-day registration and voting without ability to ensure legitimacy of the voter
• Automatic DMV registration resulting in hundreds of thousands of changes to voter registrations without their knowledge
• Potential Manipulation of National Voter Registration Act Section 7 & Section 8 resulting in massively bloated voter rolls.
• Mailing Vote by Mail ballots to every name on the state or county voter rolls, including those ineligible yet still listed due to poor list maintenance procedures.
• Manipulation of Vulnerable Populations through Ballot Harvesting • Non-citizen registration & voting with / without their knowledge due to Motor Voter
• Policies and Procedures that do not protect integrity in the management of elections and the processing of the ballots (Page 2) The Election Integrity Project California, Inc. (EIP-Ca) continues to document the truth: the radical change in California is due to the corruption and easy manipulation of our electoral process. Noncompliance with state and federal law has resulted in voter rolls bloated with illegitimate registrations, and in procedures in the polls that provide easy access to a ballot by those unqualified to vote or who are attempting to vote more than once. California's legislative body appears intent on using legislation to create greater distance between the citizens and the assurance that their vote counts. (Page 3) EIP/EIPCa has documented a pattern that shows our reports were used to determine which issues weaken the election process and then laws were written or updated to legalize those very issues we exposed in our reports.

From The Election Integrity Project California, Inc. (EIP-Ca): The Golden State Agenda / California's Legislative Blueprint for the Destruction of Election Integrity
"It is enough that the people know there was an election." J. Stalin Link: https://www.eip-
ca.com/The_Golden_State_Agenda_with_attachments_updated032023.pdf Here is a sampling of this report from Pages 1 & 2:

Step-by-step for most of the last three decades, California's legislature has slowly implemented a well-thought-out progression of laws that work synergistically to erode any semblance of election integrity in the state. The erosion and ultimate destruction of the California Republic is the end game of the Golden State Agenda.

The swift progress of the Agenda was made possible by what appears to be the intentional failure of the federal government to enforce the elements of federal election laws designed to protect the electoral process (NVRA and HAVA). In addition, Congress has remained selectively deaf, dumb and blind to the obvious defects in these laws and to the critical necessity of updating them to account for changing times and political environments.

California's executive and judicial branches also began a slow decline into electoral anarchy by refusing to enforce many of the state laws that stood between the right of their citizens to choose those who would govern them and the desire of the "governing class" to cement their complete and permanent control of electoral results.

Starting in 1998, the California legislature began in earnest to implement the Agenda that would ultimately result in a transformation of the way California's government functions. Each year California operates less as a Constitutional Republic and more as a Socialist Oligarchy.

The Constitutions of all 50 states mandate that voting is a privilege given ONLY to legal citizens. California's election code guarantees every registered citizen ONE, privately cast, uninfluenced vote that is accurately tabulated.

Nevertheless, the implementation of the Agenda paved the way for integrity in the election process to be weakened or eliminated. As a result, these guarantees are too easily circumvented, and more potentially unlawful votes can too easily be cast in competition with lawfully cast ballots.

The results are:
• Work overload of elections officials, diminishing ability to maintain integrity.
• Distancing by time and geography of voters from their ballots and from election results.
• Diminishment or complete removal of secret ballot.
• Diminishment of meaningful citizen oversight.
• Loss of governmental voice by California's most vulnerable citizens. • Potential dilution of citizen vote by non-citizen and other illegitimate votes.
• Loss of choice and personal responsibility.
• Potential and irrevocable harm to legal immigrants on legitimate path to citizenship.
• Diminishment and attempted removal of ALL "restrictions" to voting (age, legal status, citizenship status, jurisdiction, criminal status, etc.).

FEDERAL LAWS 1994
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) - Section 7 and Section 8 open the door to making it possible to manipulate the outcome of elections in every state in the Union.
• NVRA and CNVRA (CA's version of NVRA) requires no verification of citizenship.
• NVRA (Section 7) requires all individuals interacting with state or federal government agencies to be offered a voter registration form without implementing safeguards to ensure only ONE of those registrations could be submitted or that the registrants are eligible.

Further access to voter rolls was given to all non-citizens through Obamacare (Covered California) and the extension of social services such as welfare, social
security, health care and food stamps to non-citizens,
including the undocumented.

Increased easy access of non-citizens to voter rolls through the DMV.

California's issuance of driver licenses to undocumented immigrants starting in 2015 increases their access to voter rolls. • NVRA (Section 8) requires voter roll maintenance;
1993 special dispensation to CA by Clinton DOJ gives CA years of extended time to comply with this mandate.
2019 - Election Integrity Project®California (EIPCa) wins settlement that re-establishes mandate for California to comply with list maintenance requirements.

From https://www.eip-ca.com/:

EIPCa Voter Roll Research
Questions Surround Irregularities in California's 2020 Election Nonpartisan watchdog seeks answers on over 2 million documented registration and voting anomalies.

Santa Clarita, California (June 22, 2021)Click here to download copy of press release-- California's November 3, 2020 election was marred by significant voting and registration irregularities, according to Election Integrity Project® California, Inc. (EIPCa). The non-partisan organization analyzed the state's official voter list of February 9, 2021 and reported its findings to California's Secretary of State Shirley Weber on June 17, 2021. This followed EIPCa reports of 2020 cross-state voting on April 30 and May 18, 2021 that the Secretary has ignored. EIPCa's June report cites California's election code that requires officials to provide timely answers to citizens' questions.

EIPCa seeks answers to the following questions, on behalf of California voters:

1. Why are there almost 124,000 more votes counted in California's November 3, 2020 election than voters recorded as voting in that election? And why is most of the discrepancy driven by 116,000 vote-by-mail ballots with no apparent voter identified in VoteCal's voting histories? Click for a list by county.

2. Why do more than 7,700 voters have TWO November 3, 2020 votes credited to their voting histories? These are two votes credited to each of 7,700 unique (non-duplicated) registration ID numbers in the state database. This indicates mass double voting, a significant programming error in the state's registration system, or both.

3. Why does California have 1.8 million more registered voters than eligible citizens and why did this overage rise 72% in the 2020 election cycle? Click for a list by county.

In conclusion, there are thousands of documents, studies, and observations on what California is doing to destroy the integrity of the citizen vote.

Also, certain members of our Council keep touting the cost of the changes proposed by the conservative members, but the millions of dollars that have been spent sending out mail-in ballots to everyone on the voter rolls (the bloated voter rolls), manufacturing and distributing Vote Boxes (how much did those cost?), holding election in various buildings (how much did that cost?) instead of the old-fashioned way of voting in garages, free of charge. And regarding the comment about people's garages being ADA compliant, that is just another way to prevent the majority of citizens from exercising their freedoms to vote in places that are convenient. People who need wheelchair assistance have many avenues of voting so that is not a legitimate excuse.

Futhermore, what is the cost of elections now as compared to 20 years ago, adjusted for inflation? Layers of people have been added to touch, review, manipulate, duplicate, and perhaps destroy our ballots.

We need to get back to the safe way elections were once held. Same day voting, in your own precinct, ID provided, ballots counted same day, election results that night.

Our system has been corrupted with multiple-day voting, vote anywhere, by anybody.

Now is the time to stand up and fight back against the corruption! Regards,
Delaine Bailey
From: Judith Lewis
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF); McKeon, Casey; Van Der Mark, Gracey; [email protected]; Strickland, Tony; Burns, Pat; Moser, Natalie; Kalmick, Dan; Dan Kalmick Subject: Proposed Ballot Issues 9/28 Agenda
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:12:11 PM
I watched your Special Meeting on September 21, 2023 in its entirety. Thank you for putting some daylight on your proposed charter amendments by having these discussions and opportunities for citizen input. However, a commission with full citizen participation and staff support to review the implications and costs of each item before being proposed as Charter Amendments is still the more intelligent thing to do.

I vehemently oppose the Voter ID requirement. Council members Strickland and Mckoen claim they want the Voter ID item to ensure their constituents "trust" the voting process.

Unfortunately, for the last several years, it has been conservative disinformation that has damaged that trust. No research or facts, just innuendoes, implying that vast numbers of ineligible dead, undocumented or "others" are voting illegally. Studies and investigations have consistently proven this untrue.

It may not be the goal of the individual Council members, but it is the goal of the conservative movement as a whole to suppress the vote of certain groups who are not apt to vote for them. Regardless of your intention, the result of requiring Voter ID does in fact negatively affect 11% of the population according to a detailed research study conducted by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. Report available at:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/challenge-obtaining-voter- identification
Per the Brennan report, "Many American citizens lack the documentation these laws require.

In fact, more than 1 in 10 voting-age citizens do not have current, government-issued photo ID. Some populations lack these documents at even higher rates: 25 percent of African- Americans, 16 percent of Hispanics, and 18 percent of Americans over age 65 do not have such ID." Further they state, "Voter ID laws will make it harder for hundreds of thousands of poor Americans to vote. They place a serious burden on a core constitutional right that should be universally available to every American citizen."
In their report Brennan spells out the difficulties in obtaining voter ID including lack of transportation, distance to offices, limited hours of service, costs, need for multiple documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates. Free ID's do not solve these problems.

I oppose the changes in City Clerk qualifications and City Attorney power as I see no benefit to the City. Nor do I think the City should be overtly discriminating against the gay community by excluding their flag. I'm not sure in what form book banning has been proposed but I see no justification for it.

Thank you for your consideration of my concerns.

Judith A. Lewis
4057 Warner Avenue
Huntington Beach CA 92649
36 year HB resident, 38 year public service retiring as Captain from L A County Sheriff Masters Degree in Public Administration
From: Judith Lewis
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Can noncitizens vote in U.S. elections?
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:24:10 PM
For your Information in considering your Voter ID proposal:
apnews.com
Can noncitizens vote in US elections?
By Ali Swenson
Federal law bans noncitizens from voting in federal elections, including races for president, vice president, Senate or House of Representatives.

The 1996 law states that noncitizens who vote illegally will face a fine, imprisonment or both. Noncitizens who cast a ballot and get caught may also face deportation.

When people in the U.S. register to vote, they confirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Several states also verify that registration against federal and state databases.

Some politicians and pundits have raised alarm that noncitizens could be voting illegally in high numbers. Studies show this isn't happening, according to Ron Hayduk, a political science professor at San Francisco State University who studies noncitizen voting laws.

While there have been anecdotal reports of noncitizens registering and casting ballots, "the incidence of such occurrences is infinitesimal" Hayduk said.

Research by the Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 looked at 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 election, and reported that of 23.5 million votes cast, election officials only found about 30 cases of potential noncitizen voting that they referred for prosecution or further investigation.

More recent investigations also haven't shown proof of widespread noncitizen voting. A Georgia audit of its voter rolls conducted this year found fewer than 2,000 instances of noncitizens attempting to register to vote over the last 25 years, none of which succeeded.

Millions of new Georgia voters registered during that time period.

Federal law doesn't stop states or municipalities from granting noncitizens the right to vote in local races — and a handful have, including 11 towns in Maryland and two in Vermont. New York City this year passed a law that would allow legally documented noncitizens and "Dreamers" to vote for mayor and other elected officials, but a judge blocked the move in June.

The AP is answering your questions about elections in this series.

Submit them at [email protected]. Read more here:

Judith A. Lewis
4057 Warner Avenue
Huntington Beach CA 92649
714 742 5444
From: Janet Michels
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF) Subject: Huntington Beach Charter Amendments - please do not proceed Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:34:27 PM
Deer City Council,
I again implore you to table the large number of amendments you have recommended and re- visit when you put together a representative committee to do a full review if you have concerns, and hire a professional facilitator to help balance the work. The feedback you are receiving is 90% against what you are doing, and this should inform your actions.

I am again writing to express my concern and ask for your No vote for the recommended charter amendments. The process of changes to the CIty Charter is a serious one, and should be undertaken in a manner that has a broad range of participation from the community, with a variety of expertise and opinion, and facilitated by a person with expertise in city charters.

It is disappointing that a few council members have made these recommendations without real input, expertise or thoughtfulness as to the implications to the city's future. It appears that these changes are being made to further the political futures of a few. The "optics" , as one of you said, are very bad and further polarizes this community.

Please re-consider and do not proceed with these changes. Vote NO.

Thank you.

Janet and Mike Michels
28 year HB resident
Janet Michels
714.448.3095
From: Diane Pavesic
To: [email protected]
Subject: Fwd: Charter Amendments
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 3:03:18 PM
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:

From: Diane Pavesic <[email protected]>
Date: September 27, 2023 at 2:58:00 PM PDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Charter Amendments
Dear City Council,
I am a 33 year resident of Huntington Beach and have I voted in all elections.

I have never seen such disregard for the citizens of our City until this current council was elected. You may have tricked the citizens into voting for you, but I appreciate that you have opened our eyes to your true purpose. We will not make this mistake again.

I oppose all of the proposed charter amendments. How is it that you feel you have the right to disregard the dignity of our residents? Why are you not addressing the actual needs of this City like the rampant homelessness instead of proposing changes to imaginary problems that do not exist?
I have heard some of you use your belief in God and righteousness in your proposed changes. I am certain you do not know what Jesus preached, which was not to disregard and belittle members our community as your proposals demonstrate.

Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy additional exercise while I walk door to door to educate my neighbors who have had the wool pulled over their eyes by the thoughtless majority of this City Council.

Sincerely,
Diane Pavesic
Sent from my iPad
From: Joan Nagle
To: [email protected]
Subject: Amendments
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 3:30:26 PM
Council Members,
You were elected by the people of Huntington Beach to represent ALL. Now most of you are full of righteousness and following a narrow agenda.

Show true leadership and put on your big girls/ big boy pants (ie stop acting like toddlers throwing a tantrum) and represent ALL of HB not a very small bigoted minority.

Do the right thing.

HB Resident of over 45 years,
Joan Nagle
Joan
From: Carol Daus
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF) Subject: Opposition to the Charter Amendments, specifically voting Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 4:22:14 PM
Dear Council Members,
Thanks for holding a third meeting regarding your proposed Charter Amendments. Sadly, I don't feel the last couple of meetings were productive; let's hope the last two are.

I am deeply opposed to the charter amendments being placed on the March primary ballot by the majority Council members at a cost to HB taxpayers. It's unnecessary and harmful, particularly the measure on local control over elections.

From how it was presented last week, you would either work with the Orange County Registrar of Voters to accomplish this or work completely independently of the OCROV to run our elections. The latter is even more disturbing. Given how disorganized and uninformed you were during the last couple of meetings about either process, it makes me wonder how my vote will be handled in future elections. I also wonder about the true costs of running this local election that would include cybersecurity operations.

You failed to provide that information. During these public meetings, 90% of the residents vehemently opposed this move. No wonder! The public is concerned about the expense (estimated at $400,000 to $1,000,000) that would be required to add the proposed charter amendment to the March primary ballot, as well as the ongoing cost to add voter ID administration, new polling places, drop box monitoring, cameras for drop box locations, extra poll workers, and more. Yet there have been no reported incidents of voter fraud both in Huntington Beach and in Orange County! Plus, most voters now vote by mail-in ballot. Why should Huntington Beach undergo this madness when there's no reason other than the conservative majority's MAGA-driven paranoia about voter fraud? You are instilling MAGA politics into our voting process, and your plan will only be confronted with litigation, costing residents even more.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters has one of the best reputations in the country for managing secure and safe elections. In fact, it was awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification, an internationally recognized standard that ensures its services meet the needs of stakeholders using an effective quality management system. It is rare for government institutions to receive this high level of certification, which is typically applied in leading private industries.

Sincerely,
Carol Daus
Huntington Beach resident, 28 years
Switzer, Donna
From: Lynne Deakers <|[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 4:49 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Proposed charter amendments
My husband and I have been residents of Huntington Beach for over forty years. We love the diversity here. We are strongly opposed to the the proposed City charter amendments. Please do not deny us our rights as citizens to fully participate and have a voice in how this city is run. Please don't waste our tax dollars on things like election security that is already top notch. Please respect the importance of the high standards already set for the city clerk position and the need for public transparency on issues that go before the city council. It is our understanding that you represent us.

Please consider the views of many community members who oppose your seemingly unconventional power grab. It is no way to keep this viable city we can all be proud.

Tim and Lynne Deakers
Switzer, Donna
From: Sandra F <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 5:27 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Charter Amendments
It seems that the new City Council members look at dollars in the millions like | look at the 20s in my pocket. 1.2 million to put charter amendments on the ballot and then millions more to implement them. This is not a little bit of money, the citizens' money. Please rethink this.

Sandra Fazio
Huntington Beach Resident
Not an outsider.
21612 Bahama Ln, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
From: Diana Lithgow
To: [email protected]
Subject: OPPOSE Charter Amendments
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 6:14:49 PM
Dear HB City Council,
While the many and varied proposed Charter amendments have a few items that deserve further attention, they were unilaterally drawn up by a few, and are so poorly written as to likely be unenforceable. Additionally, many are clearly written for voter suppression and to marginalize a select groups. This is un-American and not what government is supposed to be focused on for the work of the citizens.

Please drop these current amendments and start the process of looking at WHAT really needs to be changed in the Charter, and base it on facts and data--not "many people have said" and "people tell me" opinions of the few.

I have attended every single Ad Hoc Committee meeting open to the public and the overwhelming voice of the public is against these Charter changes--please listen to your constituents and not your personal agendas.

1. Require voter ID for Elections, more in-person voting locations, and monitoring of drop boxes. Too costly to duplicate OC County Clerk's authorized duties - Disapprove

2. Clarify that voters elect City Attorney as the City's legal counsel free from interference from City Officials and clarify budget authority for the City Attorney's Disapprove

3. Stop potential political wrongdoing by requiring alleged malfeasance by a City Official be investigated by outside agencies. Disapprove

4. Provide that the only flags that shall be displayed by the City-on-City property are: United States, County of Orange, City of Huntington Beach Flags, and the POW Flag and Flags of the Armed Forces - Requires California State Flag be added - Approve with added edit

5. Require the City to adopt a Two-Year Budget - Approve

6. Move the City Clerk and City Treasurer elections to the Gubernatorial election cycle Disapprove

7. Require voter approval of any City transaction that forgives, waives, or foregoes the collection of property taxes in excess of $100,000 per year, except acquisition of property for parks or infrastructure; update exceptions to Section 612 (Measure C) to allow certain children's playground equipment, park-related utility structures and public restrooms to be built or improved without limitation. Way too confusing as written but intention is valid - Approve with editing to clarify

8. Update the procedures to cancel a regular City Council Meeting -Needs more definition for how this will improve exiting procedures - Approve Recommended added Charter Amendments

1. When vacancies occur for City Council members, they shall be replaced by the electorate at the next regular statewide election -Approve Sent from my iPhone.........Ted Ross
Huntington Beach resident
Switzer, Donna
From: Elizabeth SanFilippo <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 6:59 PM
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) Subject: Potential Changes to City Charter -- Concerned I am a Huntington Beach resident and home owner for over thirty years and am concerned about the potential City Charter changes regarding how elections will be conducted. Until the following questions are fully addressed, I believe the Charter Changes should not be included in an upcoming election:

Will the Charter Changes limit voting locations and options for Huntington Beach voters? How will the City perform timely counting of the ballots and submitting these counts accurately to the County Registrar and/or Secretary of State to ensure our votes are included in the County's and State's results?
What are the total costs associated with the proposed changes to elections on an ongoing basis and how will the City fund these costs?
Since the City Council recently contemplated budget cuts to services provided to residents, I am concerned about the cost of this ballot measure, which has been projected to be around $1 million dollars or more. To be financially responsible, questions regarding the potential Charter Changes should be fully addressed prior to putting them on the ballot.

Thank you for your consideration.

Elizabeth San Filippo
From: nora pedersen
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Charter Amendments-NO
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 7:07:17 PM
It seems impossible to believe that at a time of a budget shortfall, the majority four on City Council want to take over elections from our county and run it themselves. This is expensive for taxpayers, unpopular with voters and it smells rotten. Two of the four are well known unsavory characters. One has relations with hate groups, maybe even the Proud Boys.

Photos show her happily surrounded with white supremacists doing gang signs. The second elected official paid large fines in Ventura for money laundering and election fraud and consorts with Scott Baugh, another OC politician guilty of election fraud. Do not change our city charter! Vote NO!
Nora Pedersen
Huntington Beach
Switzer, Donna
From: Kirby McCord <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 7:20 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Vote No Charter Changes City Council & Mayor
City Council and Mayor,
ray it i urt, cal de and sad, maybe Corps and a hariara, lad boy Thing riy is cour is destry un. on Charter changes!
Kirby McCord
Resident, Huntington Beach
Kirby McCord
(714) 330-8186
[email protected]
1 From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; Cheri Atkinson Subject: My vote is No on Item 7, No on Item, and No on All Charter Ammendments- To go on the record Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 8:05:51 PM
Dear City Council

1. I vote No on disbanding the Human Relations Task Force in HB, although I did not see it on Item 7. With Hate Crimes up in HB, we need the Human Relations Task Force. They help with HBPD, to monitor Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes. They have programs, that facilitate dialogue. It is unwise and dangerous, to eliminate the Human Relations Task Force.

2. I vote no on Item 15- Making HB a No Mask and Vaccine City. If some one infected dosen't wears a mask, and do, I am only 30% protected, but if they do and I don't, I have a 70% protection rate, if we both do, then is almost a 100% protection. Let's do what other countries do, and focus on the common good and not individual rights. We do not know, what pandemic is ahead and don't want to lock ourselves into "No Mask and No Vaccination HB"

3. 1 am against all Charter Ammendments and feel that taxpayer money can be used in many more productive ways. I went to the University of Florida, lived in Florida, andnow live in Huntington Beach, and don't feel that we should be following Florida's playbook.

1. We do not need to reduce the qualifications, of the Elected City Clerk. It is an important position, why reduce the qualifications.

2. The City Attorney, should be accountable to the City Council., and its constituency.

It is not posted about how much money, the City Attorney has lost the city in frivolous law suits, only successes. We need quality control, and someone to oversee the money that the City Attorney is costing the city of HB.

3. The County should continue to conduct the elections, as they have had. Many election workers have reported, that the elections have been run fairly. I do not trust with our new HBCC, that the elections will be conducted fairly, and without voter suppression. Adding Poll-Watchers, smacks of inimidation.

4. Banning the Pride Flag- Continues to show HB as unwelcoming and unsupportive of our LGBTQ residents and the new Statement of Dignity has definite Anti-Trans rhetoric.

My comments are for Public Record
Cheri Atkinson LCSW/ HB Resident
From: Cynthia Benton
To: [email protected]
Subject: proposed amendments to City Charter
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 8:15:40 PM
My name is Cynthia Benton. I am a 44 year resident of Huntington Beach, and I vote.

I am writing to you to urge you to vote "NO" on the proposed amendments to our City Charter. I served on the most recent Commission to Review our City Charter. It was a thoughtful and professionally led review of the existing charter that spanned months and received input from members of the community as well as city staff.

It appears that the proposed changes are designed to help advance the political futures of some as opposed to improving our city's governing document. It's interesting that these changes are so urgent that they weren't proposed or considered by the last Charter Review Commission but they are so urgent that there is no time to follow the normal process. It speaks volumes about why this is being done the way it is.

I urge you to vote NO on the proposed changes.

Thank you.

Cynthia Benton
Huntington Beach Special City Council Meeting September 28, 2023 For Discussion of Potential Charter Amendments
My name is Harry F. McLachlan, I am a resident of Huntington Beach.

I am here tonight to once again urge the council to reject Charter Amendments No. 1 and No.2 in their entireties. I am open to consideration of Charter Amendment No. 3 and await the results of the discussions on this from the September 215 meeting.

First off, I would like to commend the entire City Council for finally addressing an issue that is of importance to all citizens of Huntington Beach and NOT just the personal and political preferences of a select few: the establishment of regulations for e-bikes within our beautiful city. Please continue to work with law enforcement to come up with a reasonable municipal code to be presented at your October 5* meeting that is fair, safe, and equitable to both e-bike riders and the public at large.

Second, I would like to address the clear and consistent bias projected by certain members of this council against the LGBTQ+ community of our city, particularly Councilwoman Van der Mark and Councilman Burns. Contrary to your verbal denials, your actions regarding the Huntington Beach Library issue and the banning of the Pride flag speak loudly of your intentions.

Have any of you actually spoke SERIOUSLY and AT LENGTH with any members of this community? PLEASE DO! You might find, as I have, that their sexuality might not be a choice, that it is who they are and were at birth.

NO ONE I've talked to and certainly no friends I know quite well and for many years CHOSE to be persecuted, hated, and discriminated against. They are who they were born to be. They weren't "groomed" to be who they are by anyone else or any book they've read or any movie they've seen, contrary to the constant propaganda flouted by conspiratorial, pseudo-Christian hate groups like "Turning Point USA", "Moms for Liberty", "Focus on the Family" and others.

So, I ask you all to please consider reading at least one chapter of a book written by Dr. Particia L. Churchland titled "Touching a Nerve - The Self as Brain", which explains in understandable detail the biology behind the development of a person's sexuality. Chapter 5. A mere 32 pages. Hopefully it will increase your understanding of why people are who they were born to be.

You can get it at the Huntington Beach Library.

I quote, "Accepting that our brains are the basis of who we are liberates us from the shackles of superstition. It allows us to take ourselves seriously as a product of evolved mechanisms, past experiences, and social influences. And it gives us hope that we can fix some grievous conditions, and when we cannot, we can at least understand them with compassion."
Thank you for your attention.

From: Julie Hampel
To: [email protected]
Subject: Opposition on Proposed Charter Amendments and Endorsement of Seeking California AG Opinion Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 10:37:12 PM
Dear Huntington Beach City Council:

After months of input from Huntington Beach residents opposing City Charter Amendments, the HB City Council continues on the same (war) path with their Proposed Charter Amendments. A need analysis for these Amendments has yet to be provided and your fiscal analysis is flawed (numerous components were missing). Why are you proposing City Charter Amendments when, it appears, that only 4 members (the Ad Hoc Committee) want them? Besides, the Ad Hoc Committee is NOT an Ad Hoc Committee. It is, however, a one-sided, hand-picked, determined to have their way group that has taken on a plethora of topics. It is looking more like a hostile take-over.

My Comments remain the same. I oppose any and all Charter Amendments as well as a Primary Ballot for said bogus Amendments.

I oppose and continue to oppose Item 23-835 in its entirety. Specifically, but not limited to, I oppose:

1. The Addition of Section 705

2. The Additional language in Section 309

3. Deletion of language in Section 309(l) and 309(m)

4. Deletion of language in Section 310

5. Additional language in Section 314

6. Section 806 - Display of Flags (this is ridiculous)

7. Any reference to a Biennial Budget as amended in Sections 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605

8. All Additions and Deletions in Section 300

9. All Additional language in Section 618

10. Any Changes made to Measure C

11. Additional Language in Section 303 and 315

12. Changes to Sections 300, 307, 312, 313

13. Any other changes proposed by the One-Sided Ad Hoc Committee that have not been listed.

I endorse Section 23-837: to Seek an opinion from the California Attorney General on eligibility for the primary ballot for Charter amendments involving City Clerk, City Attorney, and investigations of elected officials.

The majority enjoyed by 4 of the City Council members does not equate to a majority in your constituency, as is evident during City Council meetings on these time-wasting actions where 90- 95% of the comments were in opposition to the Charter Amendments. Just because people with families are busy and can't provide comment doesn't mean they don't have a vote.

Please don't waste any more time or taxpayer dollars on such frivolous endeavors. Stop this nonsense.

I expect you to do better.

You can do better.

People will remember your actions. Change your direction. Make that choice.

Julie Hampel
Huntington Beach Resident
Sent from Mail for Windows
From: onewildart
To: [email protected]
Subject: September 28, 2023 meeting
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 11:38:32 PM
Dear Council Members,
Last week it seemed like some of the discussions got bogged down in minutiae. Please stay on track with the important items so you can move ahead on decisions regarding impending Charter issues. If there isn't a solid plan I urge you to postpone putting items on the ballot until November.

Also, why hasn't there been a committee formed to involve council members/citizens? We get a brief 90 seconds before and after the Council's discussion. A committee with real back and forth dialogue might actually produce some solid ideas and an opportunity for consensus.

Please continue to engage with each other in reaching solutions that address concerns of your Huntington Beach constituents.

Trudy Roe
46 year resident
Sent from my iPad
Switzer, Donna
From: MEG ROBINSON <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 1:17 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ballot measures
I am a resident of Huntington Beach, and I am still strongly opposed to the ballot measures proposed. The city charter is fine as it stands.

Meg Robinson
From: Paula Shawa
To: [email protected]
Subject: Agenda Item 2 / Special City Council Meeting / Sept. 28 Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 6:41:29 AM
To Whom It May Concern:

I strongly object to these proposed charter amendments, which are being forced upon the city's residents. They will incur unnecessary costs and are not needed. They are a ruse to take over control of local government by an extremist Far Right faction. This is NOT democratic.

Paula Shawa, 16822 Edgewater, HB
From: Anthony Daus
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF) Subject: In Opposition to Charter Amendments
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 6:47:57 AM
I am writing this email in opposition to the charter amendments. I remain opposed to "dumbing down" the requirements to be the HB City Clerk. Second, the proposed changes to the voting procedures are a waste of time and money. No independent information has been shared with the public that shows these changes are necessary. The basis for these changes remains murky speculation by certain City Council members. What is even murkier is how a city like Huntington Beach will run and fund their own municipal elections in a secure and reliable manner. Finally, these meetings have been a complete waste of time. The City Council members have never changed their position after the vast majority of their constituency stands in opposition to their changes. Where is the agenda for tonight's meeting? Where is the transparency? Tony Daus
HB Resident for 28 years
Switzer, Donna
From: SUSAN WEXLER <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 7:47 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Charter Amendments
Please vote NO on all of the proposed charter amendments.

Susan J. Wexler
Get Outlook for ios
1 From: Melanie Bergeland
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF) Subject: HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 7:49:34 AM
Members of the Huntington Beach City Council
I want to again express my feelings considering the measures to amend the City Charter. I am totally against the proposed measures.

Why are unlike measures being combined as one voting option? To save money is not a viable argument. In my humble opinion, combining measures like this, could be construed as intentional misdirection and manipulation.

I do not understand why voting measures are being discussed at all. Huntington Beach has not uncovered any voting issues or inconsistencies in the voting process and outcomes in the past.

The money to correct non-existent issues is concerning.

The bigger question is why the HB citizens' questions continue to be mostly unanswered and if answered, the information is vague and not fully explained.

Regarding the library, the system works, if a citizen challenges the placement of a book, the library personnel reviews the request and reshelves books in the relevant area of the library. We have seen this process work as described by Gracie, a book in question that she challenged, was re-shelved to a more appropriate section of the library. Why put extra and unnecessary work on city employees to review how many books?
Why was the HB document on Human Rights to remove the earlier language concerning anti-racism, homophobia, religious
intolerance? And to revise it to only address trans athletes, which quite frankly appears to be very discriminatory. This appears to be a hastily worded revision.

I have been attending the recent council meetings and watching them online, with the intention to be better informed and express my thoughts with the facts as presented in the meetings and not water cooler gossip.

I believe the HB City Council that we elected to serve the community should provide a clear and concise
explanation regarding all changes put forth. Transparent with their intentions. Above all, have the ability to truly listen to the community's concerns and issues and act to address those concerns and issues with respect and thoughtful actions.

Sincerely, Melanie Bergeland
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL, CMO STAFF) CC: Jody Kyle
Subject: City Council Meeting for Sept 28, 2023 -- Fw: It's Simple, Safe and Secure to Vote in Orange County Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:04:00 AM
Dear City Council Members,
I am a 25 year resident of Huntington Beach and am writing regarding the upcoming City Council Meeting on September 28, 2023. I strongly oppose the proposed changes to the City Charter.

Regarding the Voter ID charter amendment, I am forwarding an email I received from the Fred Whitaker, Chairman of the OCGOP. The email is dated October 13, 2022 and addresses election integrity. The email assures Republican voters that:
1) "It is simple, safe and secure to vote in Orange County because your local Republican Party has worked to ensure elections are conducted with full transparency and confidence."
2) "We are one of the only countes [sic] in California to have full-time staff and an election attorney all year round. This allows us to work with the Registrar of Voters directly to review procedures, machines, Vote Center locations and participate in audits and testing."
3) "Voting on Election Day adds no additional benefit to voter security". Whitaker makes no mention of the need for Voter ID in the midterm election.

Not surprisingly, despite his assurances that vote-by-mail and voting in person are safe and secure Whitaker outlines the future goals of the Republican Party: Voter ID and ending universal vote-by-mail. In a seperate email, the OCGOP also proposes to end ballot harvesting.

Like HB city council members Strickland, Burns, McKeon, and Van Der Mark; Fred Whitaker fails to explain why the 2022 midterm elections are secure but Voter ID should be required in future elections. Clearly they have all decided that the only way to win elections is to rig the vote through voter suppression. If passed, the Voter ID charter amendment would turn an election process that free, fair, and trusted by the majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents into one that is rife with incompetence, confusion, and fraud. I urge all city council members to abandon this corrupt and anti-democratic power grab.

Best Regards,
Mary Kyle
-- Forwarded Message ----
From: Republican Party of Orange County <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 12:38:51 PM PDT
Subject: It's Simple, Safe and Secure to Vote in Orange County Orange County Republicans -
Vote-by-mail ballots were mailed to every Orange County voter yesterday and in the coming days you will receive your ballot. I wanted to take a moment to address concerns on election integrity and the midterm elections.

It is simple, safe and secure to vote in Orange County because your local Republican Party has worked to ensure elections are conducted with full transparency and confidence.

It is critical Orange County Republicans secure their mail-in ballot by visiting california.ballottrax.net to track your ballot and ensure it arrives at your home. Whether you decide to vote-by-mail or in person, you should have and maintain possession of your ballot.

We are one of the only countes in California to have full-time staff and an election attorney all year round. This allows us to work with the Registrar of Voters directly to review procedures, machines, Vote Center locations and participate in audits and testing.

Voting by Mail
Once you ballot is received, you can mail your ballot in with confidence once you sign up with Ballot Trax as you can sign up for email or text updates to confirm when your ballot is received and counted by the Registrar of Voters. The sooner you mail in your ballot, the more time you have to verify your ballot was received and fix any issues to ensure your vote is counted.

Ballot Boxes
Secure ballot drop boxes are available throughout Orange County as a convenient way to drop off your ballot. Ballots are picked up on a regular basis by multiple Registrar of Voters staff members to ensure no ballots are tampered with. Find your nearest drop box by clicking here.

Voting In-Person
If you prefer to vote in person, Vote Centers across Orange County open on Saturday, October 29th. You can vote at any Vote Center in Orange County until Tuesday, November 8th at 8 PM. You may either drop off your ballot at a Vote Center or choose to vote in person.

Voting on Election Day adds no additional benefit to voter security but voting early allows the Republican Party and campaigns to focus resources on low propensity voters who may not vote unless we continue outreach. These voters are critical to Republican victories.

After the Election
After the election, our staff and army of volunteers are at the Registrar of Voters observing every mail-in ballot as signatures are verified prior to the ballot being counted. The Orange County Registrar of Voters has one of the most transparent balloting counting processes in the country. We will be there until all votes are counted to ensure every valid ballot is counted.

The integrity of this election is a top priority for the Republican Party of Orange County. With more targeted and competitive races than ever before, we cannot allow misinformation to dissuade any Republican from voting in this election.

Only with Republican victories can we pass important Election Integrity legislation including Voter ID and finally end universal vote-by-mail Sincerely,
Hon. Fred M. Whitaker
Chairman, Republican Party of Orange County
Click Here to Track and Secure Your Ballot

PAID FOR BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ORANGE COUNTY
Copyright ©2022 Republican Party of Orange County, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you are a member or supporter of the OCGOP.

Our mailing address is:

Republican Party of Orange County
1422 Edinger Ave., Ste. 110
Tustin, CA 92780
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From: Karen Vogel
To: [email protected]
Subject: Charter Amendment
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:08:09 AM
I strongly support Council member Bolton's proposed amendment supporting library services in our city.

Huntington Beach has an outstanding library system, well supported by the citizens. I have been active in library activities for many years. What I have noticed is a mutual positive relationship. Library staff work to provide programs that enrich the lives of our population. The programs include, multiple story hours for different groups, education and literacy programs as well as genealogy and now special opportunities for veterans.

These programs need to be saved and the staff allowed to do their work. They are trained to provide the best resources for our city.

Thank you for listening
Faith Vogel
From: Lilli Wells
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Charter Amendments and general comments to the City Council Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:12:00 AM
Mostly what I want to say is that the city council needs to listen and understand the people they represent. Instead of "preaching to the choir" with only like-minded individuals who are the minority, actual listen and represent the majority of constituents. We turn out in large numbers and are ignored when it comes to the voting. This is not representation.

Library - let the Libirans decide what is best in the library Dignity - include all people, all races, all nationalities, all orientation in our welcome. No exclusion. We are all one human race. Yes, with beautiful differences, except when we cannot tolerate or show compassion for each other. We call this "Bullying" and it is going on in schools, cities, councils and offices around the country. This will never be our "best" option. Work together. Find the middle way and make it a WIN- WIN for all parties.

Negotiate and come to agreements that can work for most people. What happened to "give and take on both sides?"
Qualifications - Don't limit but raise the qualification for all city staff and council. Education is a must!!!!
Housing - Negotiate a win-win so lower income people can afford to live in HB. It used to be the Mobil home parks that were affordable to lower income families, until the developers took over and raised the land rent. (Despicable and poor planning on the City's part).

Financial dealing - stop all back room financial dealings that are not approved the people AND that are not transparent. Example: law suit that was settled with the Pacific Air Show.

Reputation - Our city is losing its edge. Our city government will be known as "small minded", uneducated (at least some), racist, mean spirited, self-serving/self-dealing, and. non transparent, AND not representing the majority of people.

Please do your part to listen to the people who come out and love this city. We are all concerned and want a FAIR and Transparent council that will represent the majority.

Let's get to work and do what is right.

Lilli Wells
Lilli Wells, MS, RDN
Long Beach City College
Nutrition & Dietetics Department
From: Andrew Mills
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF)
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Charter
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:12:40 AM
City Councilmembers,
What is the motive of the HB City Council to change our city charter? Who drafted the amendments? Will the council majority listen or respond to the numerous opinions expressed against the Charter amendment action? What are the justifications for spending money on amendments that no one requested, and no one wants? Please stop this nonsense! Vote no on changes to our charter.

Andrew Mills
Homeowner, Huntington Beach
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Do not change election procedures.

Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:18:44 AM
Please do not change the city charter on elections.! W.R. and Rita Collins Sent from AOL Desktop
From: Kelly ChapmanPavlik
To: [email protected]
Subject: Tonight's City Council Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:56:32 AM
Council members,
I am a 30 year resident of HB and have many concerns about the proposed charter amendments that this council is trying to ramrod through. Specifically the voter ID amendment. I'm very concerned that this move is part of a greater national effort by Republican held cities and states to suppress voter turnout. HB is turning progressively "blue" each election cycle and I think this scares this council. There has been zero voter fraud in this city - just as there was an insignificant percent of voter fraud in CA or nationwide. In the wake of the 2020 election with its 60+ lawsuits alleging voter fraud, (ALL of which were dismissed) there has been over 400 voter suppression laws enacted in red states. If the GOP can't win elections on their agenda, they are suppressing votes. These unnecessary efforts create doubt and uncertainty in the integrity of our system and more importantly cost the taxpayers money to implement. Our city has plenty of issues (homelessness should be a priority that need to be addressed and I'd like to see my tax dollars being spent there and not wasted on changing laws that don't need changing.

I'd like a dollar amount for each of these amendments and I'd like to know who plans to "monitor" (and/or intimidate) voters at the polls and poll boxes. These are practices from the 1950's when the black vote was trying to be suppressed. This city (along with its banning of the pride flag, it's public library proposals and the dismantling of the "Hate crime" task force) is moving backward and what you are trying to ramrod through now is shameful. When a member of the Proud Boys shares a congratulatory dinner with 3 of our council members, it's time to say STOP. HB is showing up in the news for all the wrong reasons and this city council is becoming an embarrassment.

Kelly ChapmanPavlik
Resident
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
From: Cot Malabarb
To: ITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: opposition to 23-835/charter amendments, in support of 23-8:

Date: hursday, September 28, 2023 9:00:53 A
Dear HB City Council,
In support of 23-837
Thank you again to council members Moser and Kalmick for injecting common sense into these proceedings.

This agenda item looks to me to be basic due diligence that should be completed before the city attempts to change an election system that is firmly defined by state and county law. Yes, the city should make sure the proposed changes are legal and will not get HB sued (again).

The inquiry proposed here costs little and there is no legitimate reason for anyone, even those who support the proposed amendment, to object.

In opposition to all proposed charter amendments as discussed in 23-835 I continue to oppose all of these proposed amendments. Their underlying intent is not in good faith, their supposed justification and defense has been misleading, and the very structure of the ballot initiates is clearly manipulative, as I have written about previously.

For today's meeting I have comments on some specific items.

I refer to the original charter amendment text at
https://huntingtonbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12312882&GUID=F21C6703- 6A55-4066-A9DD-265C42E099D2 and the ad hoc committee summary at https://huntingtonbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12312883&GUID=DF84C573- 2AD2-4024-AA89-401F42E68042, as well as the current meeting agenda.

Regarding Section 705:

See https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/mail-ballot-security-features- primer.
"Historically, studies show that the level of malfeasance related to mail balloting is infinitesimally small. Numerous analyses show it remains less likely than being struck by lightning"
"The conservative Heritage Foundation, which maintains an online database cataloging alleged election fraud cases from the last 20 years, contains 1200 incidents within its database and has identified 204 involving mail ballots, only 143 of which resulted in a criminal conviction. In the same time period, roughly 250 million mail ballots were cast in the United States. This 'translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast' or, viewed another way, 'one case per state every six or seven years."
Election fraud via mail ballot or drop box is, it seems, extremely rare. Further, the proposed changes to "monitor drop boxes" do nothing to prevent it. You cannot tell that a given ballot is fraudulent without first opening it.

The city might help to prevent petty vandalism of drop boxes, if that were actually a problem.

However, any such increased security would need to be implemented with the guidance of the police department and county election authorities in order to be effective. There's no reason to alter the city charter for this, especially with unclear language that does not specify what exactly the city is obligated to fund or implement.

Though the summary claims that "This idea is not to suggest the City take on its own elections, but rather, to merge into, or enhance, the current County practice of verifying voters," it's not clear at all how requiring voter ID would work without the city assuming management and training of polling workers that is currently done by the county. Requiring voter ID, aside from its being used elsewhere as a tool for voter suppression, does not actually prevent fraud —- what if the name matches the ID, but the registration was fraudulent? What if registration is valid but the ID is fake?
he ey vant adi a si poliaplace and hacenty shei authories dad disagree charter.

We've seen how in certain parts of the US, right-wing extremist election "observers" have been used in attempts to intimidate voters. Given the actions and speech of this city council in other areas, I can only mistrust any vague language around election "monitoring".

Regarding Section 309:

There are many problems with this proposed change. Subsection (1) captures the problem and the underlying intent here:
"...Such confidential information shall not be accessible to any other City Official, City Staff, or third party, unless the City Attorney authorizes such access or the City Council votes to authorize such access by majority vote"
In a word, no. The general population of Huntington Beach -- 200,000 people -- cannot act directly as the City Attorney's "client". That is just non-functional. Can I as the "client" then demand to see any of this information protected by attorney-client privilege? Frankly, the answer should be yes -- nothing that the city government does should be secret. You are not the NSA. At a minimum, the elected city council that represents us should have unfettered access to all legal proceedings the city is involved in. Attempting to restrict their access betrays this proposed change for the power grab that it is.

Regarding Section 310:

I'm amused by the argument in the ad hoc committee summary that the current requirements for city clerk are somehow puzzling or unnecessary. I have worked in the tech industry for twenty-three years and can tell you it's ubiquitous and expected for most positions to require a four-year degree in a related field. Nor is it difficult to determine what a "related field" is. This is how we know that the applicant might actually be able to do the job. Where a degree is not required, we rely on real experience in the field in question.

If HB's requirements for city clerk are more stringent than those of other cities, that is a good thing. City clerk is a highly technical profession. There's no need to expand the pool to include people who have no real interest or training for it.

Sadly, the underlying reason for this proposed change has been made quite clear (nepotism).

And thank you to council member Bolton for pursuing nepotism directly in the charter amendment proceedings. I'm still digesting a complex document, but appreciate your efforts here.

Again, I can only hope that one of the majority finds the integrity to decide that the amendments are just not a great idea and say no.

Sincerely,
Scott Malabarba
HB resident
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Amendments
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:44:03 AM
From: Sandra F <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 5:20 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter Amendments
I oppose spending anymore of our tax dollars for something that is not necessary. ! am a resident. Not an outside trouble maker.

Sandra Fazio
21612 Bahama Ln, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: OPPOSED Charter Amendments
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:44:25 AM
From: Diana Lithgow <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 6:15 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: OPPOSED Charter Amendments
Dear HB City Council,
While the many and varied proposed Charter amendments have a few items that deserve further attention, they were unilaterally drawn up by a few, and are so poorly written as to likely be unentorceable. Additionally, many are clearly written for voter suppression and to marginalize a select groups. This is un-American and not what government is supposed to be focused on for the work of the citizens.

Regards,
Diana Lithgow
41 year Citizen of Huntington Beach
Diana Lithgow, PhD, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Professor of Nursing
College of Graduate Nursing
Western University of Health Science
909-469-5523 (CGN Office)
[email protected]
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Potential Changes to City Charter -- Concerned Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:44:34 AM
From: Elizabeth SanFilippo <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 6:59 PM
To: [email protected]; CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <city.council@surfcity- hb.org>
Subject: Potential Changes to City Charter -- Concerned 1 am a Huntington Beach resident and home owner for over thirty years and am concerned about the potential City Charter changes regarding how elections will be conducted. Until the following questions are fully addressed, I believe the Charter Changes should not be included in an upcoming election:

What evidence is there of any election issues that justify any changes to voting in Huntington Beach? (It is my understanding that the Orange County Registrar has been acknowledged as very effective in administering this important responsibility.) Who would publish and distribute voting materials - State of California and the County or State of California and the City? If the City will publish and distribute materials, how will the City ensure their timely distribution?
Currently, Huntington Beach voters may drop off their ballots anywhere in Orange County or mail boxes. Will the Charter Changes limit voting locations and options for Huntington Beach voters?
How will the City perform timely counting of the ballots and submitting these counts accurately to the County Registrar and/or Secretary of State to ensure our votes are included in the County's and State's results?
What are the total costs associated with the proposed changes to elections on an ongoing basis and how will the City fund these costs?
Since the City Council recently contemplated budget cuts to services provided to residents, I am concerned about the cost of this ballot measure, which has been projected to be around $1 million dollars or more. To be financially responsible, questions regarding the potential Charter Changes should be fully addressed prior to putting them on the ballot.

Thank you for your consideration.

Elizabeth San Filippo
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter changes
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:45:15 AM
From: Jennifer Wilson <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 7:08 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter changes
Dear City Council,
After watching the last special meeting, I still disagree with putting charter changes on the ballot at all. None of these seem needed except, perhaps, the measure c changes. The majority of speakers and emails are against all of these yet you continue. It seems prudent to back yourselves out of this now.

However, if you feel like some of these are still needed, why are we rushing to put this on the primary ballot? You'll be in office for another three years, and you're still new.

Take more time, work with staff, listen to the people. You have plenty of time to put these on a ballot in the next few years. I don't understand the rush. Can you explain that?
Thank you,
Jennifer
Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:45 AM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: To City Council & Mayor
From: Kirby McCord <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 7:19 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: To City Council & Mayor
City Council and Mayor,
Zany it is not. Pitiful and sad, maybe. Corrupt and authoritarian, absolutely! This majority city council is destroying our city and our local democracy and funding it with our taxpayer dollars. Do not support changes to our city charter. Vote no on Charter changes!
Kirby McCord
Resident, Huntington Beach
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Proposed City Charter Amendments
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:45:57 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Cynthia Benton <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 8:17 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Proposed City Charter Amendments
My name is Cynthia Benton. I am a 44 year resident of Huntington Beach, and I vote.

I urge you to vote NO on the proposed changes.

Thank you.

Cynthia Benton
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: OBJECTION TO CHARTER AMENDMENTS
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:47:32 AM
From: MJ Baretich <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 11:46 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: OBJECTION TO CHARTER AMENDMENTS
Dear Mayor Strickland and City Council Members,
Please stop this proposed meddling with our local election and the focus on Voter ID. It is unnecessary, too rushed, too impractical, too costly (many thousands of dollars), and too fraught with controversy, especially in a March primary less than six months away. Forcing this particular unnecessary Charter amendment onto the public would destroy the trust and connection between our local government and the broader community. It is time for you to listen to the community. You do not need to lose their trust.

We simply do not have the resources or the expertise to carry it out, especially if the Orange County Registrar of Voters is not fully on board with the effort. We were also not provided with actionable evidence and data to justify the proposed changes in our Election procedures.

Additionally, the lumping together of unrelated items in each of the proposed Charter amendments on the ballot is unacceptable. It confuses voters by forcing a Yes or No vote on unrelated items. If the proposed amendments are going to appear on the ballot, then they must be individual ballot measures.

I also ask Why are the City Clerk's credentials being lowered? In conclusion, I state that - Perhaps we citizens need to get the assistance of an outside legal firm to conduct a much needed legal analysis of all the proposed Charter amendments.

Thank you.

Mary Jo Baretich
(714) 465-0932
[email protected]
Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:49 AM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Amendments
From: SUSAN WEXLER <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 7:48 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]> Subject: Charter Amendments
Please vote NO on all Charter amendments.

Susan J. Wexler
Get Outlook for iOS
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Ammendmints
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:49:14 AM
From: Laurence Elfenbein <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:01 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]> Subject: Charter Ammendmrnts
For the record I am against all of the amendments that the City Council wants to put forward on the ballot for the March Primary Election. These ammendments are poorly constructed and are an attempt to change the HB Charter against the wishes of the majority of the people of Huntington Beach.

Sincerely,
Laurence Elfenbein
526 22nd Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Do not change city charter on elections
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:49:37 AM
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:20 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]> Subject: Do not change city charter on elections
We feel this is a dangerous and costly proposal. Some day it could go against you. Rita Collins Sent from AOL Desktop
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: No on Charter Amendments; Agenda # 23-835
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:49:55 AM
From: Paula Schaefer <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:47 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]>; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: No on Charter Amendments; Agenda #23-835
Mayor and City Council Members: Vote NO on the proposed Charter Amendments contained in 23-835. Admit defeat now.

This haphazard approach to amending the foundational document governing the City has resulted in a chaotic mess.

It did not have to be this way. But it is now because the City Council majority voted to allow three newly-elected members to decide how to revise the Charter instead of working through a Charter Review Commission/Committee as has been done in the past.

This chaos is a direct result of the 3 Ad Hoc Committee members seemingly doing very little research into the complex nature of the City Charter, what has or has not been successful in the past, and what other city or county charters contain or omit. Instead of a document that contains analysis, only a cursory summary of what the Ad Hoc Committee did was provided to the residents of the City.

Rather than an explanation of the problems being solved by the proposed charter amendments, the proponents give vague statements of "people asked for this" or "I've been told repeatedly".

How can that be true? Who has been asking for these changes? If there is such a groundswell of support for:
voter identification,
protecting the City Attorney's salary and office budget, reducing the educational criteria for electing the City Clerk, conducting municipal elections,
taking away the City Council's ability to hire outside counsel, changing the election schedule for the City Clerk and City Treasurer, or removing the City Council's ability to negotiate development that involves waiver of property taxes.

If these are such important issues... where are your supporters? They have not been at the meetings nor have they written support.

In contrast, the vast majority of the supplemental communications and speakers at the 9/5, 9/14, and 9/21 meetings are ADAMANTLY opposed to these charter amendments.

It's obvious why the majority is ramming the proposed charter amendments through on the statewide primary ballot and NOT on the statewide general election ballot (as they should be).

It is because you do not have the support to get these amendments passed unless only a few people are paying attention.

The Mayor has even said the quiet part out loud and in public - the November ballot will contain so many issues that voters will be overwhelmed and vote no.

The Council's majority hope that residents would not be paying attention was a miscalculation.

You've garnered a lot of attention... just not the sort of attention that you had wished to receive.

Paula A. Schaefer - HB resident for 30+ years.

From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Opposed to all proposed charter amendments Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:53:37 AM
From: Bob Banzett <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 1:51 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Opposed to all proposed charter amendments
I am shocked and dismayed at the process the F4 have used to recommend Charter Amendments. You refuse to listen to the citizens who take time and effort to research the proposals and speak to you or write to you. They have raised thoughtful issues, but your minds are closed. You refuse to include Council members who are not part of your club of 4 — that is disgraceful. The City Charter is for all of us - responsible governance must take into account all the people of our city, not just your 'base'. Imagine explaining yourselt to Abe Lincoln. "For the People" not "For my supporters"
You ran on a platform of no changes to the City Charter. Before you are in office a year you are proposing far more sweeping changes to the Charter than were proposed last time? Were you lying to us? Did you just read the Charter for the first time and discover what it says? You want the City to run municipal elections rather than the county. How much will that will cost? What avenues for mistakes and fraud it will it open? Why is it necessary? You want to impose voter ID requirements, when the OC Registrar has an outstanding record in election security - a model copied by other places. This is just political grandstanding at our expense.

You want to further increase the power and independence of the City Attorney. Mr Gates is already driving policy (not his job). He should serve the legal needs of City Council and other City officials. That is the job of City Attorney.

You want to dumb down the requirements for City Clerk (apparently because you don't like the present Clerk and want to install a puppet, but can't find one to oppose her with the right education - yes, we know what you say to your supporters). How does that fit with the city shening elections? It's the Clerk who would be responsible. Sounds like you are planning Stop this descent into madness (quote OC Register)
Robert B Banzett PhD
Huntington Beach Registered Voter
Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:54 AM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter amendments
--Original Message-.

From: Barbara Shapiro <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 2:52 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter amendments
We are long time HB homeowners and we oppose the proposed charter amendments as do people in the HB community we've spoken with.

Dr and Mrs Joseph Shapiro
Sent from my iPad
1 Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:54 AM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Opposed to all proposed charter amendments From: Cathey Ryder <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 4:33 PM
To: Bob Banzett < [email protected]>
Cc: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]> Subject: Re: Opposed to all proposed charter amendments Very well said.

On Tue, Sep 26, 2023 at 1:51 PM Bob Banzett < [email protected]> wrote:

I am shocked and dismayed at the process the F4 have used to recommend Charter Amendments. You refuse to listen to the citizens who take time and effort to research the proposals and speak to you or write to you. They have raised thoughtful issues, but your minds are closed. You refuse to include Council members who are not part of your club of 4 — that is disgraceful. The City Charter is for all of us - responsible governance must take into account all the people of our city, not just your "base'. Imagine explaining yourself to Abe Lincoln. "For the People" not "For my supporters" You ran on a platform of no changes to the City Charter. Before you are in office a year you are proposing far more sweeping changes to the Charter than were proposed last time? Were you lying to us? Did you just read the Charter for the first time and discover what it says? You want the City to run municipal elections rather than the county. How much will that will cost? What avenues for mistakes and fraud it will it open? Why is it necessary? You want to impose voter ID requirements, when the OC Registrar has an outstanding record in election security - a model copied by other places. This is just political grandstanding at our expense.

Stop this descent into madness (quote OC Register)
Robert B Banzett PhD
Huntington Beach Registered Voter
1 From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Ammendments
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:54:49 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: James Taylor <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 7:17 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter Ammendments
I am a 40+ year resident of Huntington Beach, and oppose all of the charter amendments. Particularly wasteful and manipulative is the proposal to use HB taxpayer money to take over an election that has been run very capably for many years by the county.

James Taylor
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Change Proposals
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:55:00 AM
From: Betty Kanne < [email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 8:12 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter Change Proposals
September 27, 2023
Reject or table Charter Change Proposals
Council Member,
I'd like to express my thanks for your encouraging initial efforts last week to openly discuss the City Charter Proposals among all Council Members present at Meeting Number Two of the four scheduled public meetings. This was a much need start in the open deliberation process.

Let cooler heads prevail and reconsider each of your proposals. Could one or more be reframed as a possible Ordinance to be discussed fully before our community and possibly be approved by more than four members? Must the item be carved in stone into our city's Constitution? An Ordinance provides more future flexibility. Take each initiative and consider just abandoning it altogether or deferring it for future consideration. If that's not an option, think about proposing it as an Ordinance to be heavily discussed before the public and then enacted or not. Those things that must be considered as Charter Amendments should be heavily vetted and publicly discussed with robust citizen input. If it still seems popular, place it on the November General Election ballot as an honestly, not misleadingly named, stand- alone item. It will either survive or fail based on its actual merits.

Please take a deep breath and seek to earn the respect of the entire electorate, not just your deep pocket donors with their self-serving motives. Rise above it.

Stay clear of Culture War items and Performance Politics that only serve to produce discord and reduce harmony within our community. Seek to bring our outstanding, multitaceted and diverse community together. That's what we voted you into office to do. You can do this! Together.

Betty Kanne
Huntington Beach
(40+ year HB resident, homeowner, unfailing voter)
[email protected]
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Concerned citizen regarding the HB City Council Meeting, September 28, 2023 Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:55:34 AM
From: Lee Marie Sanchez <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:37 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Concerned citizen regarding the HB City Council Meeting, September 28, 2023 Dear Members of the Huntington Beach City
Council ~
My family have been residents of Huntington
Beach for over 50 years, active at the Senior
Center for 30 of those years, patrons of our
splendid Huntington Beach Library, members of
the Bolsa Chica Landtrust, the Shipley Nature
Center, St. Bonaventure Catholic church, and
many more worthy organizations of Huntington
Beach.

I have been attending/watching the videos online
of Huntington Beach City Council meetings now
for a few months and I'm quite disturbed to see
the current council is undoing years of good,
honest work and introducing proposals that make
no sense and are increasingly costly.

I am writing to say that I am opposed to ALL the
proposed amendments to the Huntington Beach
Charter.

There is far more that needs to be addressed
than what I will comment on in this email as I
have written to address these before and I will
continue to do so. I have been so impressed with
the vast majority of speakers at the Council
meetings and in reading the majority of emails to
you as well. It is more than obvious that I am not
in the minority in my thinking.

It is clear to me that a bi-partisan Human Rights
Commission needs to be appointed. It will
probably be best to throw out all the proposals as
they are written now, let a commission do its
work and then bring this to a vote by our citizens
no earlier than our Fall 2024 elections.

I will make some comments on just a few of my
concerns now.

Your behavior towards our highly regarded
Huntington Beach Library has been misguided
and misinformed beyond belief. What was
presented by Council Member Van der Mark was
misleading at best.Our HB Library does not
provide pornographic materials to children, they
have a fine process of selecting books appropriate
to various ages and where they are shelved. To
give this responsibility to anyone other than
librarians is ridiculous. Parents have a right to
decide what their children are reading and there
is an excellent process already in place. Educate
yourself about this.

There are no incidents of voter fraud in
Huntington Beach. To change how we conduct
our elections is unnecessary and will be
extremely costly.

Even, or perhaps especially pertinent, are that
the conspiracies regarding voter fraud and the
validity of our last presidential election have all
been found to be false. This is a totally divisive
and dangerous idea promoted to bring fear and
more divisiveness to our beloved community.

To have changed the HB document on Human
Rights to remove the earlier language concerning
anti-racism, homophobia, religious intolerance
and then to revise it to only address trans
athletes, is unrepresentative of the beliefs and
feelings of our citizens, it is an outright
abomination.

From the LA Times OC, this morning, September
27, 2023
• Hate crimes took a big jump in O.C. in 2022 compared to the prior year, with a surge of racist activity seen in county schools, according to an annual report released Thursday by the OC Human Relations Commission. The report found a 67% increase in hate crimes in 2022 over the previous year, while hate incidents — which fall short of a crime — dropped by 4%. Over the past five years, there was a 75% increase in hate crimes and 142% increase in hate incidents, according to the report.

It is increasingly clear to me that the proposed
changes to the City Charter have not only been
written in strangely garbled combinations of
unrelated ideas, along with other actions (i.e.
censure of Council Member Moser), but they are
part of an effort by the ultra right Council
members to mislead, bring fear and even incite
misbehavior on the part of some of our city's
residents, because of what they address and do
not address.

Sincerely, Reverend Lee Marie Sanchez, (retired
and voting)
Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:56 AM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Charter Amendments
----Original Message.

From: Diane Pavesic < [email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 2:58 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Charter Amendments
Dear City Council,
I am a 33 year resident of Huntington Beach and have I voted in all elections.

I oppose all of the proposed charter amendments. How is it that you feel you have the right to disregard the dignity of our residents? Why are you not addressing the actual needs of this City like the rampant homelessness instead of proposing changes to imaginary problems that do not exist? I have heard some of you use your belief in God and righteousness in your proposed changes. I am certain you do not know what Jesus preached, which was not to disregard and belittle members our community as your proposals demonstrate.

Sincerely,
Diane Pavesic
Sent from my iPad
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: CHARTER AMENDMENT RE: VOTER ID
Date: Thursday, September 28, 20238:57:01 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Charlotte McClanahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2023 11:45 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: CHARTER AMENDMENT RE: VOTER ID
I watched the televised meeting last night and I have to admit that, although I was completely in favor of voter ID for in-person voting at the onset, I have changed my mind.

The argument that people are unable to get or afford ID is ridiculous. As was stated, we need ID for everything else; banking, opening charge accounts, travel (how many hours does it really take at the airport without one?). I was somewhat shocked when at the last election where I voted in person, a homeless person without any proof of city of residence voted - as stated, the poll sitters are no longer allowed to ask for ID.

What changed my mind was the cost and the complexity (parking, disability access, security issues). I won't take my ballot to a ballot box, or put it in my local mail box (every once in a while someone deposits something other than mail), or vote in person, but will take my ballot to the post office, and take advantage of early voting.

I don't believe that in spite of your best efforts, as long as the National and state governments don't care, nothing that Huntington Beach can do will change things.

Sent from my iPhone
From: Fikes, Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: Tonight's meeting
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 9:01:52 AM
From: Kelly ChapmanPavlik <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 8:59 AM
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) < [email protected]> Subject: Tonight's meeting
Council members,
I am a 30 year resident of HB and have many concerns about the proposed charter amendments that this council is trying to ramrod through. Specifically the voter ID amendment. I'm very concerned that this move is part of a greater national effort by Republican held cities and states to suppress voter turnout. HB is turning progressively "blue" each election cycle and I think this scares this council. There has been zero voter fraud in this city - just as there was an insignificant percent of voter fraud in CA or nationwide. In the wake of the 2020 election with its 60+ lawsuits alleging voter fraud, (ALL of which were dismissed) there has been over 400 voter suppression laws enacted in red states. If the GOP can't win elections on their agenda, they are suppressing votes. These unnecessary efforts create doubt and uncertainty in the integrity of our system and more importantly cost the taxpayers money to implement. Our city has plenty of issues (homelessness should be a priority that need to be addressed and I'd like to see my tax dollars being spent there and not wasted on changing laws that don't need changing.

Kelly ChapmanPavlik
Resident Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

City Council/Public Financing AuthoritySeptember 28, 2023

City Council/Public Financing Authority
September 28, 2023