First City Council Meeting of 2023 Picks Up Where 2022 Left Off
Irvine revisits district elections and expansion of Council size. The Great Park Framework is undergoing changes, and Great Park Board Meetings will begin at 5 pm and jointly run with City Council meetings. See the notable agenda items below:
Consent Calendar – Great Park Board
3.1 Amendment to Great Park Board Regular Meeting Calendar and Start Time
Propose to hold Great Park Board and City Council meetings jointly, beginning at 5 pm. This will increase the Great Park Board meeting frequency from once a month to twice.
City Council & Board Business
5.1 Great Park Framework Plan Update and Design Decision Points
Update the concept design for the ARDA site in Great Park to include greater emphasis on the Veterans Memorial Park, which also consists of a perimeter park trail, a walk-of-heroes, some botanical gardens, and a large forest reserve, as well as food and beverage venues near Hangar 244 and Palms Court.
8.2 Approval of Appointments of City Council Representatives to City Advisory Committees and Governmental Agencies
Actions include approving city Commissioners, Committee Members, and Task Force representatives. With former Councilmember Anthony Kuo voted out and replaced by Councilmember Treseder, she will become a member of the Great Park Board, Orange County Power Authority (along with Vice Mayor Tammy Kim to replace Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilmember Mike Carroll), among other agencies and boards. Notable nominees for vacancies are:
- Larry Agran appointed Don Geller to replace Lauren Johnson-Norris on the Finance Commission
- Tammy Kim and Larry Agran are joining the Irvine Community Land Trust (ICLT)
- Kathleen Treseder appointed Branda Lin for seats on the Irvine Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission, Dr. Zainab Saadi to the Senior Citizens Council, and Arnis J. Dela Cusack, Henna Brooks, and Dr. Camiar Ohadi as members of the Great Park Task Force
- Kathleen Treseder nominates 22-year-old Youssef Kaddeche to the Transportation Commission, making this urban planning expert the youngest Transportation Commissioner in Irvine’s history.
- Tammy Kim Replaces Anthony Kuo on the Orange County Fire Authority
- In addition, five Great Park Task Force vacancies remain unfilled while Tammy Kim reappoints controversial appointees Parisa Yazdani and David Lingerfelt. All appointments are subject to Council approval this Tuesday.
8.3 Consideration of a Request by Vice Mayor Kim to Discuss City Council Expansion and Associated Processes and Direction
8.4 Consideration of a Request by Mayor Khan to Discuss Possible Establishment of District Elections
City Council expansion and District Elections have been hotly debated and denied by the majority of the Council in 2022. Therefore, any decision to expand Council and switch to the District Election format must be put to the vote for Irvine residents during an election and could not be implemented any time before 2024.
8.5 Consideration of a request by Councilmember Treseder to Discuss Climate Policy Regarding Building Electrification for New Construction
Actions include directing Environmental Programs staff to return to the City Council with a draft building electrification reach code ordinance for new building construction modeled on successful examples such as the City of Encinitas ordinance with potential exemptions for commercial kitchens and restaurants for review and approval no later than the March 14, 2023, City Council meeting.
The City Council and Great Park Board joint meeting will begin at approximately 5:00 pm (after the closed session) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. You may submit an e-comment in advance or public comment live on Zoom or in person. Watch the meeting live via Zoom here.
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