\Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
Created: 02/16/2010 05:49:30 PM PST

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – The City Council is expected today to approve the release of confidential documents to the District Attorney’s Office for its ongoing investigation of corruption in San Bernardino County.

The documents are notes from closed session meetings in 2007 concerning an affordable housing agreement between the city and National Community Renaissance, a corporation focused on affordable housing. In August 2007, the city approved a $42.5 million contract with the corporation to ensure that more than 500 existing rental units will retain their affordable rate for at least 99 years.

A resolution to release these documents is expected to pass in the consent calendar portion of tonight’s meeting.

“We felt we have nothing to hide,” said Councilman Sam Spagnolo. “It would serve no purpose not to release them.”

Council members are expected to view the documents before the vote.

City Attorney Jim Markman said on Tuesday he has not read the documents yet. He said they are likely to be notes and analysis by Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels taken during the course of several closed session meetings.

The affordable housing agreement was brought up during the preliminary hearing in Councilman Rex Gutierrez’s criminal case on Jan. 29. Gutierrez faces charges of grand theft, misappropriation of public funds and filing a false claim related to his tenure as the intergovernmental relations officer at the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office.

According to District Attorney Senior Investigator Schyler Beaty, witnesses have claimed that Gutierrez supported projects by developer Jeff Burum and that Burum in turn helped Gutierrez get his position in the Assessor’s Office.

Burum is the chairman of the National Community Renaissance board of directors and co-managing partner of the Colonies Partners LP. The District Attorney’s Office is also investigating the county’s $102million settlement with the Colonies Partners in 2006.

According to Beaty’s testimony on Jan. 29, the City Council agreed to pay National Community Renaissance $42.5 million despite an originally negotiated figure of $3.9 million.

But city officials have denied that $3.9 million was ever discussed.

“I think it’s a typo,” said Markman. “Those numbers were never that small.”

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