Accused Landlord Nominated to Panel : Santa Ana Council to Vote on Sepulveda for Housing Advisory Commission Post

Paul Sepulveda, the first property owner to face criminal charges in Santa Ana’s crackdown on slum housing last year, has been nominated by Councilman John Acosta to serve on the city’s Housing Advisory Commission. The nomination is scheduled to be voted on Monday night by the full council.

Acosta notified his colleagues of the nomination in a memorandum last week. On Thursday, he said he was not sure Sepulveda would be approved.

Vice Mayor P. Lee Johnson said he has “mixed reactions” and is not sure how he will vote. “I like Paul. He’s an enjoyable fellow, but his recent conduct didn’t indicate that he had the best interests of the city at heart.”

Assurance Sought

The function of the commission and Sepulveda’s role in the “recent unfortunate problems” don’t necessarily conflict, Johnson said, “but we need an assurance that the people we put in these positions will work diligently for the community’s best interest.”

Councilman Dan Young said he, too, is fond of Sepulveda, but cautioned: “The Housing Advisory Commission is one that we are increasingly giving an expanded role, especially in looking at the specifics of our code enforcement program. Accordingly, it’s only natural that we question whether Paul will take an unbiased position.”

Sepulveda might be more suited for another board or commission, Young said, “where we can be assured he will have an objective viewpoint.”

Acosta said Thursday that Sepulveda “is really qualified and anyone who reads his resume will agree with that. All (critics) can think of are his problems with housing.”

Sepulveda suggested that critics of the nomination review his record, which includes “three or four years on the Orange County Housing Commission” beginning in 1978 and a three-year stint on the Santa Clara County Housing Authority prior to that, he said.

‘Great on Paper’

Councilman Wilson B. Hart said Sepulveda “looks great on paper.” But, he continued, “I just have a fundamental problem with the fact that this guy was the object of a criminal complaint for failure to comply with our housing code. I don’t think it’s appropriate that the fellow we had to beat on to force compliance with basic community standards should be named housing commissioner.

“But he is an able, energetic guy interested in the community. I would like the opportunity to support him for some other board or commission,” Hart said, “but this one is sort of like putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.

“What are we saying to our staff if we appoint him? What are we saying about code enforcement? What are we saying to the tenant living in these hovels if we appoint the slumlord to the Housing Advisory Commission? I can’t support that. It’s not a step in the right direction.”

Sepulveda said his problems with city housing authorities last year will provide a needed balance and experience to the commission. “I’ve have a good inside look at the city’s push to upgrade its housing stock,” he said.

Sepulveda and his wife, Marylou, were charged with a 19-count criminal complaint last June for allegedly failing to repair or vacate two run-down houses as ordered by city housing officials.

In September, the Sepulvedas pleaded “no contest” to a single count of failing to obey the order of a building official. Both received $250 fines and were ordered to pay $175 in court costs and to provide $10 to the victim-witness fund. The other 18 counts were dropped.

Civil Complaint

Also last summer, the city filed a civil complaint against the Sepulvedas in its attempt to have the buildings on the northwest corner of Birch and Walnut streets brought up to code. The Sepulvedas agreed to a court-ordered schedule for repairs, and one building has since been demolished.

“We are still working with (Sepulveda), but he has fully complied with the court order,” Deputy City Atty. Luis Rodriguez said Thursday.

A few weeks after the criminal charges were filed, another property owned by the Sepulvedas and former Planning Commissioner Fred V. Munoz was cited by housing inspectors for overcrowded conditions.

That house had been divided into two separate units in violation of the city’s housing code, with additional illegal dwellings in the basement and a backyard camper.

“I worked with the city and the city attorney’s office and, as far as I know, the problems have all been taken care of,” Sepulveda said Thursday. “My problem wasn’t code enforcement--it was the way they tried to enforce it, without taking either tenants or landlords into consideration.”

Acosta said the tenants--not Sepulveda--should not have been held responsible for the dilapidated condition of the buildings: “Paul didn’t knock holes in the walls, the tenants did,” Acosta said.

Cockroaches, Rodents

Reports issued by housing inspectors, however, also cited cockroach, termite and rodent infestation, lack of weather protection, a dilapidated kitchen and bathroom and sagging foundations, flooring, ceilings and walls.

Sepulveda, a former member of the Orange County Health Planning Council, made an unsuccessful try for the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education in November, 1983. He is a Vietnam veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star and is co-owner of Angel’s Comprehensive Services Inc., a landscaping firm that formerly had a contract with the city for its weed-abatement program.

Municipal housing commissions are required by California’s health and safety codes. Santa Ana’s nine-member commission was created in 1977 but is currently understaffed with only six commissioners.

Functions of the commission--two members of which must be tenants--include reviewing and making recommendation on matters scheduled for council action. Areas of concern include substandard housing conditions and tenant-landlord disputes. The commission also assists in securing loans for the development of multifamily rental housing units.