Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/anaheim-city-council/)
Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu was appointed to the negotiating team responsible for hammering out a new stadium lease with the Angels on the 150 acres of city-owned land at Angels Stadium in spite of protest and concerns by some councilmembers.
The private advisory group Anaheim First, which got $250,000 from the city to study neighborhoods, is facing criticism for being a hidden business organization and is set to begin its study to make spending recommendations on $250 million in spending over the next 10 years.
The Anaheim City Council voted down two separate proposed apartment rent control ordinances, after hours of public comment from renters telling how difficult the incoming rent increases will be.
Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu formed a negotiating team for a deal with the Angels, but it could fall outside of the state transparency law since it wasn’t created or voted on by the City Council.
The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce got a $425,000 no-bid contract from the city, but it isn’t a gift of public funds, according to a government ethics expert. Mayor Harry Sidhu, who pushed the contract, answered no questions about it from Councilwoman Denise Barnes.
The American Civil Liberties Union sent warning letters to Anaheim for its public comment structure and the city attorney’s office, in a response letter, defended the system. Now the Council will discuss the matter in a closed session later this month.
The Angels, along with sports teams across the country, are given too much of the revenue sports stadiums generate and taxpayers fail to reap benefits because cities don’t negotiate hard enough, according to experts.
Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu instituted a rule that limits City Council discussion to two five-minute intervals on agenda items and his rule change caused issues as the last council meeting wore on.
Anaheim City Council members voted to give $250,000 to a nonprofit group, Anaheim First, to study neighborhoods and make spending recommendations on the planned $250 million neighborhood investment over the next 10 years, but questions about study specifics, funding and a delay proposal led to a fight.
An Anaheim city council action last month endeavoring to keep stadium deliberations with the Angels confidential is not only sad and ineffective for building public support it’s also likely illegal. This week, council members also consider even limiting their own ability speak from the dais.