The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About00 - Non-Agenda Public CommentsReceived After Agenda Printed April 14, 2020 Public Comments on Non -Agenda Item From: Michael Alti To: Leung, Grace; City Clerk"s Office; Avery, Brad Cc: Roseann Peters (essentialrunner); NewportCrest(aoptimumpm.com Subject: Excessive unreasonable power outages -- share with City Council Date: Friday, April 10, 2020 12:23:11 PM [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Ms. Leung, I am the owner of 3 Serena Court in the Newport Crest community in West Newport. I am writing you because of the numerous excessive SCE power outages our community has been suffering recently. The power went off today at lam, and SCE estimates it will be restored at 7pm. That's an 18 hour outage! This is not a one time occurrence as we have been enduring outages lasting several hours many times over the past year. For example, my wife gave birth on Christmas, and we returned home from Hoag with our newborn on December 27 to a home without power for 8 hours at night with cold temperatures. We can understand short or occasional outages, but the frequency and duration of these outages is highly unreasonable. Obviously, we are all being asked to stay home and work from home because of the virus, and these lengthy outages make it exceedingly difficult. I cannot work from home without power, and we are concerned about my wife's storage of breast milk in the refrigerator. I am also concerned about my elderly neighbors and how this is impacting them. These excessive and unreasonable outages are affecting our health, well-being and income, and there needs to be a solution. We respectfully request that the City promptly investigate this matter with SCE and determine why there have been so many excessive outages, and what steps SCE is taking to avoid such outages and mitigate the impacts. Is the SCE infrastructure or network highly outdated and needs to be fundamentally upgraded? Why doesn't SCE communicate with the neighbors and advise us of the chronic nature of the issues and its steps to remedy the situation? My family in the Middle East does not suffer outages like this, and here we are in Newport Beach! I am copying City Councilman Avery and City Clerk Brown and ask that this be shared with the City Council for its April 14 meeting. Thank you so much. Michael Alti 3 Serena Court Received After Agenda Printed April 14, 2020 Non -Agenda Item Dear Newport Beach City Council Members, My name is Alexandra Carubis and I am a student at University of California, Irvine School of Law and resident of Newport Beach. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order temporarily banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters affected by COVID-19. As you likely know, this order extends the time that a tenant has to respond to a summons in an eviction case filed by a landlord, and prevents the issuing of a lockout by law enforcement. However, the order requires tenants to declare in writing, no more than seven days after the rent comes due, that the tenant cannot pay their rent due to COVID-19. The tenant must also retain documentation of the COVID-19 related loss. Ultimately, the executive order does not prevent eviction for missed rental payments due to COVID-19 and only delays the date on which those evictions can happen. The limitations on the executive order will likely interfere with its intended goal of protecting tenants, combatting housing insecurity, and preventing needless transmission of COVID-19, especially if tenants are not aware of their rights. We would like to respectfully request that the city of Newport Beach post a notice or a link to more information on its City website explaining the rights and duties of tenants under Governor Newsom's executive order. With many misleading or mistaken articles, residents do not know their rights or obligations. Additionally, we encourage the City Council to consider adopting its own true moratorium on evictions, as many other cities in Orange County have done in light of the COVID-19 crisis. An ordinance for the city of Newport Beach would make it so that missed payments during COVID are a civil issue, and not a basis for eviction. This will allow for landlords to collect as needed, to work repayment plans, and to take legal action as a last resort without the risk of an influx of homelessless immediately on the reopening of the Court. In order for these ordinances to be effective, we ask that cities do not require affirmative notice from a tenant (e.g., proof of COVID-related loss of income) in order to receive eviction protection under the ordinances. In the middle of a pandemic when families are struggling to feed and educate their children, they do not have access to legal advice or expertise on pre -eviction notice. Such proof of loss of income may be difficult to establish in some situations and impossible in others. Tenants must have peace of mind that they will keep the roof over their heads through this crisis. The purpose of these ordinances is to protect our community during an economic crisis, and should ensure a lasting solution that considers community health and not a short-term bandaid. Further, the ordinances should be drafted to include provisions that protect tenants from late fees, utility shut -offs, and other forms of retaliation after the ordinances expire. Without these protections, this community continues to be at risk. It would be unjust for tenants to suffer repercussions for matters that are beyond their control. More importantly, they will be unable to pay and risk being left homeless in this city. We appreciate that there are valid concerns about the income of landlords being impacted by these ordinances, but the answer to this concern must not be unfairly prejudicial to tenants. Fortunately, in California many banks are making the same accomodations for mortgage payments and courts for foreclosures. We need to take the additional steps to protect everyone, not leave the most at risk with no hope because of potential impact on others. Providing tenants with housing security is critical in these turbulent times, and serves an important public health purpose. If Orange County residents are to "shelter in place" per Governor Newsom's Executive Order, they need a safe place to stay. Right now, many displaced tenants would have to turn to friends and family for shelter, and others will not have any options available to them and will become homeless. There is no emergency shelter in Newport Beach. Furthermore, the CDC recommends individual rooms with bathrooms because cramped living situations like those that exist in shelters in Santa Ana and North Orange County will increase transmission of the virus, prolong the pandemic, and endanger our hospitals and health workers who are already struggling to keep up. We support the brave political leaders taking these critical and life saving steps during the pandemic and are happy to provide any additional information that would help you enact the best possible ordinance for this community. Best, Alexandra Carubis J.D. Candidate, Class of 2021 University of California, Irvine School of Law acarubis@lawnet.uci.edu From: City Clerk's Office Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2020 7:17 PM To: Mulvey, Jennifer; Rieff, Kim Subject: FW: Public Comment re 4.14.20 NB Council meeting From: Jose Trinidad Castaneda Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2020 7:17:12 PM (UTC -08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Clerk's Office Subject: Public Comment re 4.14.20 NB Council meeting [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Mayor and Council, I hope you and staff are all well during the COVID crisis. I'm happy to share that over 80 Newport Beach and County residents attended Climate Action Campaign's first webinar on Community Choice Energy last week with Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris. Mayor Parris has built a coveted reputation for getting things done in the business community. I was excited to learn that Lancaster expects to double their city budget next fiscal year thanks to the cost savings and investments they've made in creating a Community Choice Energy program. You should have received an email with the recording link, and it's also available on Youtube at youtu.be/zUG2QIWuv8E, or search "What's Possible with CCE? A Mayor's Vision for a Zero -Net Energy City. We hope you consider Community Choice Energy as a locally controlled and feasible way to jumpstart our local economy during and after the COVID pandemic. Sincerely, Jose Trinidad Castaneda Jose Trinidad Castaneda (he/him) Orange County Climate & Energy Advocate & Organizer Climate Action Campaign 3900 Cleveland Ave, Suite 208 San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 419-1222 ext. #708 www.climateactioncampaign.org Twitter: @sdclimateaction / @[osetcastaneda3 Instagram: @sdclimateaction / @josetcastaneda3 Facebook.com/ClimateActionCampaign Like what we do? Support Climate Action Campaign today. Our Mission is Simple: Stop the Climate Crisis