From: Diane
To: [email protected]
Subject: Agenda Items 20 & 21
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 1:16:38 AM
I attended the City Council meeting on December 19, 2023 and listened as many residents spoke of their notice to remove encroachments from the OC Sanitation District easement on their properties. I was stunned by the indifference to these citizen's plights by the Council majority. It was even said from the dais that the OC San meetings are public meetings and they are recorded, so the residents should be watching those meetings if they wanted to know what was going on. We have a representative on the OC Sanitation Board and it is Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns. He is supposed to attend the OC San meetings and pay attention to issues that affect our residents and relay appropriate information back to them. He didn't pay attention and now the residents seem to be paying the price. Item #20 seems to be a half-baked idea for trying to resolve the problem that he let explode. He is now suggesting that the issue be off- loaded to the City Attorney and the City Manager to reach an agreeable solution, but ONLY if they are asked by BOTH the residents and OC San. Why would OC San ask for that? They already own the easement and have the right to take it back. The time to have negotiated this was before the letters went to the residents, but due to Mayor Pat Burns's negligence, it's too late for that.
Now that we know OC San is intending to move forward with reclaiming its easement, I support Item #21 as a better approach to stand up for the residents and to try to find an acceptable solution with our residents' interests being properly represented.
Sincerely,
Diane James