City Council Agenda 1/14/20: Affordable Housing & Flavored Tobacco Products
2020 sees the beginning of a new Council year that will be under the direction of Mayor Christina Shea and Mayor Pro Tem Michael Carroll. The first City Council meeting of 2020 is tomorrow, January 14th at City Hall. View the meeting agenda HERE. Below are a few agenda items that may be of interest.
ITEM 5.1 AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGREEMENT FOR THE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPOSED 60-UNIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT LOCATED AT 17861 CARTWRIGHT ROAD
60-unit affordable housing complex to be built in the Irvine Business Complex. The developer proposes to purchase 17861 Cartwright Road and construct an apartment community with city financial assistance. The 1, 2 & 3 bedroom units will have permanent affordability. Rental rates are restricted to extremely low, very low and low-income households. The proposed Affordable Housing Agreement requires the developer to repay the city loan within 55 years. See Staff Report for project details.
ITEM 5.2 CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST BY MAYOR SHEA AND MAYOR PRO TEMPORE CARROLL TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE MODIFIED REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT ALLOCATION METHODOLOGY
Resolution opposing the modified Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation methodology approved by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) regional council and requesting the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) intervention. Mayor Shea and Mayor Pro Tem Carroll are introducing a resolution opposing the RHNA allocation methodology used by SCAG. RHNA allocation is important because the California State housing law requires that each city and county plan for existing and future housing needs as represented by its RHNA allocation. Per the resolution, the modified allocation methodology “poses an inequitable and unfair hardship on our city and many other OC jurisdictions.” Mayor Pro Tem Carroll serves as our city representative on the SCAG regional council. Read more HERE.
ITEM 5.3 CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST BY MAYOR SHEA AND COUNCILMEMBER KHAN TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS PROHIBITING THE SALE AND USE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Ordinance establishing regulations prohibiting the sale and use of flavored tobacco products. Mayor Shea and Councilmember Khan requested city staff to prepare a draft ordinance to specifically ban flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco bans exist in Burbank, Beverly Hills, and other cities and counties. The ordinance prohibits all flavored tobacco products, including those consumed through vaping devices. It allows for the confiscation of illegal electronic smoking devices and tobacco products from minors with the opportunity for minors to participate in a tobacco diversion program for first time offenders. See the Staff Report for more details.
3 Comments
Branda Lin
January 14, 2020 at 10:42 amThe evidence is clear that flavored tobacco products target our youth and has led to an increase in vaping/smoking tobacco. “In 2018, given the drastic growth in e-cigarette use among young people, the U.S. Surgeon General declared youth vaping an epidemic, constituting a serious public health concern driven in part by the availability of “kid-friendly flavors.”
https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/commercial-tobacco-control/sales-restrictions/flavored-products
Here is a weekly report from the CA Health Department on “E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)”
from 1/7/2020. And these numbers only reflect 30/58 counties reporting their numbers. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/Pages/EVALI-Weekly-Public-Report.aspx
Thankful to Mayor Shea and Councilmember Khan on taking the lead on banning the sale and use of flavored tobacco in Irvine.
Branda Lin
January 17, 2020 at 11:26 amMany kids think vaping is safe. JUUL is the most common vaping product used by teens and “one JUUL contains as much nicotine as 20 regular cigarettes” according to Kaiser Permanente’s website.
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/live-well/what-you-need-to-know-about-e-cigarettes-and-vaping
LesterBee
February 3, 2020 at 7:53 pm“Kids” shouldn’t be vaping – it is against the law for anyone under 21 years of age to purchase or possess tobacco products. How about teaching our children to respect and obey the law?! Alcohol comes in even more enticing flavors than vaping products. Rainbow Sherbet, Watermelon Pucker, Glazed Donut, Salted Caramel, Fluffed Marshmallow, Cupcake, Buttered Popcorn, Pumpkin Pie, and more. Are we going to have to prohibit the sale of all alcohol also?
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