Valerie AmezcuaVoted no
5:59:55Questioned how few units are actually for seniors and why the manager's flat has two bedrooms.
18July
2023
2023
Regular City Council and Special Housing Authority Meeting · One key issue
A $2,021,319 pre-commitment and eight housing vouchers for an intergenerational housing project on North Bewley Street failed three votes to three with Councilmember Phan recused, then passed four to two on the original motion.
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7.9 hours
44 agenda items
42 located in video
62% attributed to a named speaker
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What happened
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
- 01
Councilmember Bacerra opposed it because the same nonprofit ran the Carnegie shelter conversion, and the city manager answered that remodelling an existing residential building is a different job from converting an industrial one.
▶6:07:37Explore this issue
Related agenda item 14Open agenda item →Approve a pre-commitment of $2,021,319 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funds, and eight (8) project-based vouchers…
Member positions
Phil BacerraVoted no5:58:55Said engaging the same nonprofit after the Carnegie shelter would be foolish.
David PenalozaRaised concerns6:07:47Asked why the Carnegie history was left out of the report while praising the nonprofit as a service provider.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes6:30:51Voted for the pre-commitment.
Jessie LopezVoted yes6:11:23Moved the item, saying it is only the first step and the project matters.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes5:58:08Described the eleven units and preschool coming to his ward.
- 02
Staff said the commitment lapses after two years if the developer cannot raise the remaining $5,300,000, so there is no coming back for more.
▶6:08:52Explore this issue
Related agenda item 14Open agenda item →Approve a pre-commitment of $2,021,319 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funds, and eight (8) project-based vouchers…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no5:59:55Questioned how few units are actually for seniors and why the manager's flat has two bedrooms.
Phil BacerraVoted no5:58:55Said engaging the same nonprofit after the Carnegie shelter would be foolish.
David PenalozaRaised concerns6:07:47Asked why the Carnegie history was left out of the report while praising the nonprofit as a service provider.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes6:30:51Voted for the pre-commitment.
Jessie LopezVoted yes6:11:23Moved the item, saying it is only the first step and the project matters.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes5:58:08Described the eleven units and preschool coming to his ward.
- 03
The council rewrote its meeting rules, moving to consider adjourning at eleven and ending at midnight, and then overrode that new rule four votes to three to finish the agenda.
▶7:33:56Explore this issue
Related agenda item 2Open agenda item →Approve minutes of the Housing Authority regular meeting of September 6, 2022, the special meeting of November 15, 2022, and the…
No named councilmember contribution could be reliably linked to this item.
- 04
Councilmember Penaloza wanted telephone and Zoom public comment dropped altogether, while Councilmember Vazquez and Councilmember Phan wanted it kept for parents and older residents.
▶6:57:38Explore this issue
Related agenda item 37Open agenda item →Review and Consider Amending City Council Meetings Rules and Procedures Including Teleconference Options
What councilmembers said
Representative transcript excerpts—not inferred positions.
Jennifer L. HallCity Clerk7:16:59Council Member Becerra requested specific revisions to put that we will start the meeting at the time as stated on the agenda, and within the Council Chamber, suggested changing midnight to 11.59 p.m. on the same day the meeting begins for clarity, making sure…
Thai Viet PhanCouncilmember7:07:51Thank you. So Madam City Clerk, I just, or maybe I'm trying to understand. So if we have, I support allowing traditional teleconference, meaning, you know, 70 we have to give you notice prior to the 72 hours for well one week really to post it on the agenda…
Phil BacerraCouncilmember7:05:15I agree with Council Member Finn in that, you know, when you have the back and forth with the developer, that you want to afford the ability to respond because in a perfect world, there are no reasons to respond, but if there are and there's a voluminous…
Jessie LopezMayor Pro Tem6:58:24Thank you. So on teleconferencing, I support continuing the option for the public to have the option of calling in remotes. You know, we live in a digital world now. I think we really need to learn how to adapt to what works best for people's schedules. I also…
- 05
The police officer hiring bonus was renewed at up to $600,000, five votes to one, with Councilmember Hernandez arguing the recruitment problem is about misconduct rather than pay.
▶6:45:33Explore this issue
Related agenda item 31Open agenda item →Police Officer Hiring Bonus Program
What councilmembers said
Representative transcript excerpts—not inferred positions.
Valerie AmezcuaMayor6:42:46Yes, if you Google Santa Ana PD, it comes up with all kinds of stuff. I agree with you. I won't mention names, but I'll just say the leadership I have some concerns about. I think that you and I, and I don't know about the others, have been very clear about…
Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember6:39:09instances of police misconduct that made national news headlines and there is a very public recall that we are in the middle of and so when you're looking at all of these different factors Santa Ana I don't think we can throw just all of the taxpayer money…
Phil BacerraCouncilmember6:41:28So this is, you know, when you talk about decisions having costs, that's what this is. This has a cost. This sort of what we put out there, what police or potential police are seeing, that's what happens with this. So I agree that there is that concern. But…
Jennifer L. HallCity Clerk6:45:33VOTE IS 5 AYES, 1 NAY, NAY BY COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ, AND A REPORT TEMPORARY ABSENCE BY MAYOR Mayor Pro Tem Lopez. Motion carries.
- 06
Councilmember Bacerra asked the police to adopt a policy of detaining people found intoxicated in public and offering them services, opening with an account of finding a man unconscious beside a cycle path.
▶4:52:03Explore this issue
Related agenda item 39Open agenda item →Discuss and Consider Directing the City Manager to Have the Santa Ana Police Department Immediately Implement an Intoxication…
No named councilmember contribution could be reliably linked to this item.
- 07
Residents of Fairbridge Square asked the city to stop three short-let businesses operating on their cul-de-sac.
▶3:47:15Explore this issue
Related agenda item 12Open agenda item →Receive and File Memo to the City Council from the Personnel Board
What councilmembers said
Representative transcript excerpts—not inferred positions.
Valerie AmezcuaMayor5:39:29So you get 10 of them, 10 homeless people. You're going to get three on a good day that are going to go into the shelter or a program. The rest of them do not want to follow rules, want to use drugs, want to have sex, do not want to have a curfew, do not want…
Phil BacerraCouncilmember4:59:17So hopefully that would be something we would be able to do as well. So as the city clerk announced tonight, there were 77 folks that took the time to write emails and express their opinions on this. I want to thank each and every one of them, even the two…
Jessie LopezMayor Pro Tem5:23:55then you know how much we've struggled with the city of Orange, all the efforts that I've emailed the city manager about and saying, can we have some sort of open line of communication? Can we actually even reached out to them proactively, their police…
Thai Viet PhanCouncilmember5:20:58The other issue that I have a question about, or I'd like to learn more from staff, is how we would process them in the Santa Ana jail and what that actually means. So if a person is say intoxicated blocking the sidewalk say on Gunther we are very familiar…
How this brief was made
The current summaries were prepared during an in-session review of the transcripts. This prototype shows only sentences with a timestamp citation. 0 uncited sentences were withheld from this page.
Focus
Where they differed
Splits in votes or reasoning
A supportive housing pre-commitment split the council over the developer's record on the Carnegie shelter; a first vote tied three to three before the item carried four to two.
Questioned how few units are actually for seniors and why the manager's flat has two bedrooms.
Said engaging the same nonprofit after the Carnegie shelter would be foolish.
Asked why the Carnegie history was left out of the report while praising the nonprofit as a service provider.
Voted for the pre-commitment.
Moved the item, saying it is only the first step and the project matters.
Described the eleven units and preschool coming to his ward.
Public voice
Recurring resident concerns
Repeated themes only
This section omits one-off remarks. It appears only when several separate public-comment voice tracks return to the same topic, or repeated comments connect a councilmember with criticism or calls for accountability. It is not a representative survey of residents.
Homelessness10 recurring voice tracks
Several public comments returned to homelessness.
…in the city feel are the most important issues facing our city the homeless crisis and public safety residents and their children are tired of having to witness people laying out by 7-eleven stores or public bunch public bus benches intoxicated…
▶3:18:36…on the books um to assist our police department uh in curbing homelessness i want to really congratulate um ken uh and all the staff that you know doing all the wonderful work that you're doing um but part of the other part of this is also…
▶3:21:15
Housing6 recurring voice tracks
Several public comments returned to housing.
…of their daily activities according to the san anna municipal code short-term rentals must be for 30 days or more these owners do not have the proper licenses and should not be granted one for a business that's not zoned for strs less than 30…
▶3:47:15…in our own neighborhoods anymore and as you know you can only have short-term rentals for 30 days or more and these obviously are not 30 days so we would like to ask your consideration to see what you can do to stop this happening we know it's…
▶3:50:55
Transportation3 recurring voice tracks
Several public comments returned to transportation.
…being recorded. Warnings that are announced to people walking on the sidewalk and in the street and even if you're on your own property and this makes all of us feel very uncomfortable the owners of their properties and the property managers have…
▶3:47:15…now because there's partying we've had people smoking pot on the sidewalk you know lots of problems with traffic there's even been vandalism of my neighbor's property because they complain to the police about them so it's really become a…
▶3:50:55
How recurring concerns are selected
The prototype groups unidentified speech inside the general public-comment block by transcript voice track. A topic must recur across at least three tracks; criticism involving a named councilmember must recur across at least two. Voice tracks are an approximation and may include interpretation of another speaker, so excerpts remain linked to the recording.
Agenda
Every item
44 items in agenda order
Closed Session Items
Not located Closed-session conference with legal counsel
- The council met privately about existing litigation against the city.4:43:53
Closed Session Items
Not located Closed-session public employee performance evaluation
- The council met privately to review a public employee's performance.4:43:53
Ceremonial Presentations
▶2:12:16 Certificate of Recognition presented by Mayor Amezcua to the Elks Lodge for Outstanding Contributions to the Community
- Mayor Amezcua presented a certificate to the Elks Lodge for its work in the community.2:12:31
Ceremonial Presentations
▶2:20:01 Certificates of Recognition presented by Mayor Pro Tem Lopez to Adriana Martinez and Alicia Rojas for Outstanding Contributions to…
- Mayor Pro Tem Lopez presented certificates to Adriana Martinez and Alicia Rojas.2:20:02
Ceremonial Presentations
▶2:26:57 Certificate of Recognition presented by Councilmember Penaloza to Ingardia Produce Inc. in Celebration of their 50-Year Anniversary
- Councilmember Penaloza presented a certificate to Ingardia Brothers Produce on its anniversary.2:27:30
Ceremonial Presentations
▶2:32:44 Certificates of Recognition Presented By Councilmember Phan to Silvestre Basilio Chamu, Eric Castelan, Timothy Pagano, and Monique…
- Councilmember Phan presented certificates to several residents including Timothy Pagano and Monique Leon.2:32:46
Staff Presentation
▶2:38:37 Homelessness Update
- The regular homelessness update.2:38:38
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Excused Absences
- A routine item excusing members who missed earlier meetings, approved with the rest of the consent calendar.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Minutes from the Regular Meeting of November 15, 2022, the Regular Meeting of December 6, 2022, and the Special Meeting of December…
- The written record of three meetings from November and December 2022.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Appoint Michael Chu Nominated by Councilmember Hernandez as the Ward 5 Representative to the Santa Ana 2018 Measure X Citizen…
- Michael Chu was appointed to the Measure X citizens oversight committee as the Ward 5 representative.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Appoint Idalia Rios-Pacheco Nominated by Councilmember Vazquez as the Ward 2 Representative to the Community Development Commission…
- Idalia Rios-Pacheco was appointed to the Community Development Commission as the Ward 2 representative.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶2:11:41 Appoint Lorena Vidaurri Nominated by Councilmember Bacerra as the Ward 4 Representative to the Environmental and Transportation…
- Lorena Vidaurri was appointed to the environmental and transportation advisory commission as the Ward 4 representative.2:11:41
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Re-Appoint Various Boards and Commissions Members Nominated by Councilmember Bacerra as the Ward 4 Representatives for a Full-Term…
- Several Ward 4 commissioners were reappointed on Councilmember Bacerra's nomination.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶3:40:31 Receive and File Memo to the City Council from the Personnel Board
- A memorandum from the Personnel Board, read to the council verbatim, on what the board does and how appointments to it affect its work.3:40:31
Consent Calendar
▶5:52:36 Police Oversight Commission Informational Report
Consent Calendar
▶5:57:32 Approve a pre-commitment of $2,021,319 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funds, and eight (8) project-based vouchers…
- A pre-commitment of $2,021,319 in state homelessness money and eight project-based vouchers to the Illumination Foundation for an intergenerational housing project at 918 North Bewley Street.5:57:44
- Councilmember Hernandez described eleven units and a preschool, housing homeless seniors alongside young parents, with preference at the preschool for their children.5:58:08
- Councilmember Bacerra said the same nonprofit was behind the tenant improvements at the Carnegie shelter that went badly and he could not support it.5:58:55
- Councilmember Penaloza asked why the Carnegie history was left out of the report, and the city manager answered that converting an industrial building for two hundred people is a different job from remodelling a former convent.6:07:37
- Staff said the commitment lapses after two years if the $5,300,000 gap is not closed, and listed the donations already secured.6:10:32
- Mayor Amezcua questioned how many of the units are actually for seniors and why the manager needs two bedrooms.5:59:55
- A first motion failed three votes to three with Councilmember Phan recused, and the original motion then carried four to two.6:31:04
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Amend the Blanket Order Contract with 1 Solorio, Inc., GDL Painters, Inc., Mear Construction, Inc., Prime Painting Contractors…
- Amended blanket contracts with five painting contractors.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶6:31:24 Approve a Budget Reallocation and Award a Construction Contract to Onyx Paving Company, Inc. in the Amount of $5,204,000 for the…
Consent Calendar
▶6:31:34 Award a Construction Contract to Onyx Paving Company, Inc. in the Amount of $1,672,000 for the Residential Street Repair Program FY…
- A construction contract of $1,672,000 with Onyx Paving for residential street repairs.6:31:25
Consent Calendar
▶6:32:10 Award a Construction Contract to Best Drilling and Pump, Inc. in the Amount of $2,978,524 for the Washington Well Improvements: Well…
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve an Appropriation Adjustment and Award a Construction Contract to M.S. Construction Management Group in the Amount of…
- An appropriation and a construction contract with M S Construction Management Group.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve Agreement with SYRUSA Engineering, Inc. to provide Preconstruction Engineering Services for the Fairview Bridge Replacement…
- An agreement with SYRUSA Engineering for preconstruction work on the Fairview bridge.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve an Agreement with Cities Digital, Inc. to Provide Electronic Document Management System, Laserfiche Upgrade and Migration…
- An agreement with Cities Digital to upgrade the city's electronic document management system.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve Agreements with Communications LAB, CV Strategies, and Straightline Communications LLC for On-Call Consumer Confidence…
- On-call agreements with three firms to produce the annual drinking water quality report.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve Agreement with Inland Moving and Storage Co., Inc. dba Burgess Moving and Storage to provide Moving and Storage Services for…
- An agreement with Burgess Moving and Storage.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Approve a Specialized Legal Services Agreement with Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP for a Three-Year Term and Compensation…
- A three year specialised legal services agreement with Burke, Williams and Sorensen.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Agreement with Sahuayo, Michoacán, Mexico to Establish a Sister City Relationship
- An agreement establishing a sister city relationship with Sahuayo in Michoacan, Mexico.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding Establishing the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Classifications Represented by the…
- Adoption of a memorandum of understanding setting pay and conditions for a group of city classifications.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶3:13:12 Adopt a Resolution of Intent to Vacate the portion of Public Right of Way Adjacent to 2383 North Flower Street, Abandonment 22-01
- A resolution of intent to vacate part of the right of way next to North Flower Street.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the Submittal of a Grant Application to the State of California, Land And Water Conservation Program…
- A resolution authorising a state land and water conservation grant application.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the Submittal of a Grant Application to the State of California, Recreational Trails Program for the…
- A resolution authorising a state recreational trails grant application.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the Submittal of a Grant Application to the State of California, Habitat Conservation Fund for…
- A resolution authorising a state habitat conservation fund grant application.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶6:36:54 Police Officer Hiring Bonus Program
- Renewal of the police officer hiring bonus at up to $600,000, paying between $10,000 and $20,000 a recruit depending on degree and military service.6:36:54
- Councilmember Hernandez pulled it, arguing the national recruitment problem is driven by high profile misconduct rather than by pay.6:37:12
- It passed five votes to one with one member temporarily out of the room.6:45:33
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Investment of Monies in the California CLASS Prime Fund
- A resolution authorising investment of city money in a pooled state fund.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Resolution of Denial Regarding Conditional Use Permit No. 2023-09 (Mariscos Hector ABC License) for the Property Located at 1208…
- The written resolution refusing the conditional use permit the council rejected in June.4:43:53
Consent Calendar
▶4:44:37 Final adoption: Ordinance Amendment No. 2023-03 to Exempt Certain Parcels Identified by the City from the Requirements of Assembly…
- Second reading of the ordinance exempting certain parcels from a state housing law.4:44:37
Consent Calendar
▶4:41:16 Ordinance Second Reading: Adoption of Ordinance for the addition of two positions for residents aged fifty-five (55) years and older…
- Second reading of the ordinance adding two seats for residents aged 55 and over to the parks and recreation commission.4:43:53
Business Calendar
▶6:45:55 Designate a Voting Delegate and Up to Two Alternates for League of California Cities (Cal Cities) 2023 Annual Conference General…
Business Calendar
▶6:48:11 Review and Consider Amending City Council Meetings Rules and Procedures Including Teleconference Options
- A resolution rewriting the council's meeting rules, covering start and finish times, decorum, and remote participation.6:48:16
- Councilmember Phan asked that the public keep the ability to speak by Zoom, which the city kept after the lockdowns ended.6:50:34
- Councilmember Penaloza wanted telephone and Zoom public comment dropped, as the school district had done, and asked that only the mayor or four members be able to call a special meeting.6:56:37
- Councilmember Vazquez disagreed on remote comment, saying it is how older residents and parents of young children take part.6:57:38
- The new rules let any member move to adjourn once the meeting passes a set hour, overridable by four votes.7:32:29
- It passed seven votes to nothing.7:21:05
Public Hearings Public Comments
▶7:21:20 Recovery of Uncollected Costs for Abatement of Dangerous and Abandoned Buildings
Councilmember Requested Items
▶4:51:41 Discuss and Consider Directing the City Manager to Have the Santa Ana Police Department Immediately Implement an Intoxication…
- Councilmember Bacerra asked the police to adopt a policy of detaining people found intoxicated in public and offering them services.4:51:42
- He opened with an account of finding a man unconscious beside the cycle path entrance at Bristol and Alton.4:52:03
- Councilmember Penaloza backed it and described people openly injecting outside a shop on Main Street.5:02:18
- Councilmember Vazquez said the approach exists elsewhere and simply returns people to Santa Ana after release.5:07:20
- Councilmember Hernandez drew on his own work in reentry and said there is no single answer.5:09:30
- Councilmember Phan asked what the policy would actually change, and was reminded the item was for discussion and direction rather than questions to staff.5:16:49
Consent Calendar
▶7:29:24 Excused Absences
- A routine item excusing absent housing authority members.7:30:36
Consent Calendar
▶7:29:24 Approve minutes of the Housing Authority regular meeting of September 6, 2022, the special meeting of November 15, 2022, and the…
- The written record of three housing authority meetings from 2022.7:30:36
Consent Calendar
▶7:29:12 Approve a pre-commitment of $2,021,319 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funds, and eight (8) project-based vouchers…
- The housing authority's matching approval of the eight project-based vouchers for the Bewley Street project.7:29:12
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