Open letter to Irvine Land Trust Attorney

  • June 25, 2018, 3:00 pm America/Los_Angeles

June 23, 2018
Mr. Jon Goetz
Law Offices of Meyers Nave
707 Wilshire Blvd.
24 th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Re: Brown Act as applies to Irvine Land Trust Board Meetings.

Dear Mr. Goetz,

As I am sure you are aware, Irvine has been a center of controversy with regards to Irvine development
projects and City’s development approval process. There is substantial interest and concern about the
lack of availability of affordable and low income housing.

Irvine residents are now meeting with city staff, attending commission and board meetings as well as
City Council meetings, we are sharing information with members of the community, and we are voicing
our concerns and questions by means of public comment. It has come to my attention that lately the
public has been barred from attending Irvine Land Trust board meetings without prior consent and they
are not being allowed to voice their questions and concerns by means of public comment. In my
opinion, the Irvine Land Trust Board meetings are subject to the provisions of the Brown Act, and thus
the general public should be allowed to attend the meetings and allowed to make public comments.

It is my understanding that the Irvine Land Trust is funded in part by settlement funds the City of Irvine
received from the State via the county because of the loss of redevelopment dollars from the State. I
have been told that the City of Irvine gives about 10% of this money to the Irvine Land Trust.
It is also my understanding that even though the Irvine Land Trust is a private non-profit organization,
the Brown Act would apply, under its provision that states that the Brown Act would apply if the City
Council has voted to provide some funding to the organization AND appoints members of the City
Council as voting members of its board of directors. Two the City Council members serve on the board
of the Irvine Land Trust.

I am writing to ask that you, in the interest of transparency with regards to the actions taken by the
board of the Irvine Land trust, advise the board members that they need to comply with the provisions
of the Brown Act.

I thank you for your prompt attention with regards to this matter,

Sincerely, Susan D. Sayre