Good evening Mayor and Council.

My name is ___, and I live in District ___.

This comment is about process, not politics.

Voters approved Measure O with the expectation of accountability and transparency. In August 2023, the Council adopted Ordinance 2023-00995 authorizing a Temporary Shelter Program.

Today, the Arena and El Centro proposal includes 40 units, foundations embedded in pavement, underground utilities, and site improvements. The community materials also state this is “not an emergency shelter.”

So my question for the record is simple:

Is this project legally being implemented under temporary shelter authority, or is it a permanent land use decision?

If it is temporary, please identify the legal basis and duration limits.

If it is permanent, please confirm that full CEQA review, zoning compliance, and a Council-level public hearing will occur before irreversible development proceeds.

This is not about saying no.

It is about ensuring that compassion and law move together.

Measure O created a mandate for action.

It did not eliminate the requirement for process.

Please clarify the authority, the environmental pathway, and the zoning determination — on the record.

Thank you.