Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/james-vanderbilt/)
The Anaheim City Council this week narrowly approved a plan to dismiss all appointees to city boards and commissions so as to create more equal representation under the city’s new district-based electoral system.
Supporters of a plan to slash City Manager Paul Emery’s signing authority on city contracts from $100,000 to $50,000 say it will increase accountability. But opponents said it shows a lack of faith in Emery and will bog down the city government.
Faced with an influx of cars from other neighborhoods, Anaheim homeowners have increasingly pushed the city for permit-only parking on their streets. But that has forced apartment dwellers to park blocks — and in some cases nearly a mile — from their homes.
While a number of cities across California have loudly declared themselves sanctuaries from federal immigration authorities, in Anaheim — which is more than half Latino — officials are approaching the issue with caution.
In a 3-2 vote, the Anaheim City Council gave a fledgling nonprofit the exclusive right to negotiate with the city to develop, and possibly purchase, the site where the City National Grove now stands.
Jose F. Moreno, a longtime community activist and nemesis of Anaheim’s business establishment, overcame an election-night deficit to squeak by incumbent Jordan Brandman in the race for the District 3 City Council seat.
A split council approved the appointment of Arturo N. Fierro, who has close ties to Councilman Jordan Brandman, to the position for the next six months.
Anaheim City Council members are asking the Orange County Transportation Authority to keep the city’s streetcar project as a priority despite a lack of local, state, or federal funding for the project.
Mayor Tom Tait proposed killing the streetcar project entirely because it has been denied funding from both the Orange County Transportation Authority and the federal government. But the council majority shot down the proposal.
Proponents of Anaheim’s $550-million subsidy program for luxury hotels say it is a win-win-win for businesses, labor and city residents. But some industry experts question whether this rosy picture will pan out.