Read the February 15 meeting.

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Zoom ID, Ashton Ross Collins, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device to unmute.

Hello, good evening.

Hi, good evening. Thank you so much. Did you want to provide a comment on any closed session items?

You know, this is my first time, so I'm kind of just more getting the feel for it, but in the future, definitely.

Okay, if you would like to provide a comment at any point, please make sure that you dial, well, you're on Zoom, so you can raise your hand virtually, and that'll tell me that you would like to provide a comment, okay?

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I'll probably be coming in in the future in person.

Oh, wonderful. Okay, well, thank you so much. I will go ahead and put you back on mute.

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Zoom ID Connie Valencia, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device to unmute.

Zoom ID, Connie Valencia, if you would please select them. Thank you. Did you want to provide any comments on closed session items?

The closed session, is that the environmental justice general plan?

No, that is later on. That's a public hearing item.

Okay. Sorry. I think I don't know if I'm the right.

Yeah. Assuming then. Okay. So thank you for announcing what item you want to speak on. What I'm going to do is put you back on the speaker queue. And then we'll unmute you at that time. Thank you.

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Phil Bacerra

Good evening, everybody. I hereby call the closed session meeting to order. This meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and by teleconference via Zoom. The public may access the meeting via the Santa Ana YouTube channel or the city's website. Please bear with us as the technology may disrupt the flow of the meeting. Madam Clerk, please conduct the roll call.

Council Member Hernandez? Council Member Lopez?

Here.

Council Member Mendoza?

Here.

Council Member Peñalosa?

David Penaloza

Present.

Council Member Fan? Mayor Pro Tempecero?

Phil Bacerra

Here.

Mayor Sarmiento?

Phil Bacerra

Here.

Can you hear me?

Yes. Oh, thank you, Mayor. Thank you.

Phil Bacerra

Real quick, are there any members of the council that would like to take this time to announce their abstentions? to any of the items on the agenda.

Phil Bacerra

With none, Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers on the closed session?

No, Mayor Patem, we do not have any members of the public.

Phil Bacerra

Then we'll go ahead and adjourn to closed session. Thank you.

Recording stopped.

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Good evening, everybody. Let me go ahead and call this meeting to order. We are back in open session. This is the regular meeting of the Santa Ana City Council for February 15, 2022. Let me go ahead and start with some housekeeping remarks before we get started. And just to remind you that the meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and by teleconference via Zoom. The public may access the meeting by the Santa Ana YouTube channel or the City's website. And as always, please bear with us as our technology may interrupt the meeting. And I'm going to ask the Clerk to go ahead and please call roll.

Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Hernandez? Mendes?

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Present.

Councilmember Lopez? Here. Councilmember Mendoza? Present. Councilmember Peñalosa?

David Penaloza

Here.

Councilmember Phan? Here. Mayor Potembecerra?

Here.

And Mayor Sarmiento?

Here. So before we go ahead and start with the Pledge of Allegiance, let me go ahead and turn it over to the Clerk for a quick announcement.

Thank you, Mayor. to request to speak on agenda or non-agenda items within the city's jurisdiction with the exception of public hearing item 26 please dial star 9 from your phone or click on the button labeled raise hand from zoom at this time please hold your comments until the mayor opens the public hearing item 26 and announce your name and ward or neighborhood you reside in within the city of

Santa Ana for the record. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And before we start with the Pledge of Allegiance, I'm going to go ahead and ask Councilwoman Mendoza if she'll lead us in that. I just wanted to say I know it's been a very eventful couple of weeks. We have a lot of updates for you, and we appreciate you being with us tonight. So let's go ahead and get started. Councilwoman Mendoza, if you'll lead us in the pledge. Please stand.

Place your right hand over your heart. If you are military or past military, you may salute our flag. Ready? Begin.

David Penaloza

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one ancient, other God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

If you'll all please remain standing as we hear some words of inspiration from our own police chaplain, Rupert Vega.

Thank you. If we could please bow our heads.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we come before you today, giving you honor, glory, and praise. Lord, you are the source of all that is good, and we are grateful for all the blessings you've bestowed upon us. We thank you for our wonderful City of Santa Ana, our Honorable Mayor, City Council, Chief of Police, courageous police officers and staff. Lord, we thank you for our freedom and the opportunity to unite and gather together this day. We ask for your hand of blessings to be upon tonight's meeting and proceedings. We thank you for your grace and unending love and wisdom.

And we ask that you would guide and direct tonight's meeting, that it be of sound wisdom, that it be productive with integrity, accountability, and with respect towards one another. Thank you, Lord, for helping us to accomplish our work and our goals today. City of Santa Ana, I leave you with the scriptures found in the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24 through 26. And it says,

Amen. Thank you.

Thank you, police chaplain. Let me go ahead and move it along to the ceremonial presentations, and I'll actually call on myself on this one, and if I could have Executive Director of the Green Foundation, Ernessa Wright, please join me up here on the dais, and let me ask Council Member Hernandez if he'll join me in this presentation as well.

So welcome Ms. Wright. and I have the distinct privilege of presenting this proclamation tonight and I wanted to do it in the middle of February as we're you know celebrating Black History Month and so it is you know my honor and I know Councilmember Hernandez and the entire City Councils to take a moment to present this proclamation it's certainly done with a lot of pride it's certainly done with a lot of love because we know how important it is to recognize this month you know we we were at the black history parade just a couple of weeks ago with some of the council members and you know it's in Anaheim now it started in Santa

Anna and you know it's been going on now for about 43 years so they did a great job I can't say anything you know negative about that we just told them we're gonna haggle with them a little bit to see if we can bring it back to Santa Ana because this is where it was born right and so you know we do it you know sort of you know with with you know some goodwill we told them maybe we do it one year here one year in Anaheim but we really do know that the black community has very very deep roots here in Santa Ana we know a lot of our Baptist churches that go way back are here in Santa Ana and much of the black

community comes back to you know go to mass and and prayer there so we certainly have such pride in our legacy you know and and I think not too long ago we went to celebrate with a gentleman mr. bussy who is from what I believe and from what I understand probably the oldest black American in not only the city but probably the county he was turning 108 years old so

it was and I know the council member and I and I think all of us on the City Council want to commemorate that by also naming you know symbolically naming that street that mr. Busty and his family have lived on for a very for a very long time it's right by first right by rate but we believe it's you know it's an honor to go ahead and have him recognized in his contribution he's also former military so he's done so much for our not only city but for our country so that all said you know Santa Ana is one of the few cities that when we do proclamations we you know most cities do

proclamations just generally we like to give it to a either an individual or a foundation or an organization that symbolizes the the the spirit of what we're proclaiming and I think the Green Foundation does that really well so let me go ahead and just give you a few words of background on who they are and what they do so black February is black history month and today we're recognizing the outstanding efforts of the Green Foundation so green stands for gathering resources to educate and empower through network the Green Foundation was founded in 2003 with a mission to improve health and well-being of the African American

individuals, underrepresented communities, and underserved and uninsured communities. TGF has cultivated strong relationships with the African-American communities, primarily the populations where they work, worship, and socialize to bridge the gap in understanding how best to support those living with chronic health issues. TGF promotes cancer prevention and wellness with culturally relevant approaches to include historic positive engagement, to support changed behaviors for a better quality of life. For two consecutive years, TGF has been a fiduciary organization for the Orange County Heritage Council,

an organization that coordinates the annual Black History Parade and Festival. Advocacy and leadership training is provided to young adults 18 years and older to support their interpersonal skills, work experience, and to build confidence in becoming advocates for themselves.

TGF partners with a diverse network of corporate sponsors, academic community-based healthcare organizations, faith-based ministries, universities, and colleges. TGF proudly manages two offices in the city of Santa Ana. Today we recognize the efforts of the Green Foundation and their impact on the Santa Ana community and I should say the entire county and the region. Let's give them a big round of applause.

Let me give a shout out to our Director of Health Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Bernice Ramallah for connecting us with this beautiful foundation. Thank you, Dr. Ramallah.

As we go through this year and very soon we're going to be talking about our discussion about possibly having our own municipal public health agency. and we talk about public health a lot more these days because of what we all just lived through for the past two years. Public health has always always been a really difficult subject for communities of color, low-income communities, but especially after this pandemic we now realize what a gap in delivery of services for many communities like ours here in Santa Ana. So we are going to be taking a very deep dive as we look at how we can sort of

create our own autonomy with respect to our either own health care department or director so you know we're very excited this comes at a great time but before I turn you know extend the proclamation let me go ahead and have councilmember Hernandez share a few words he's been a champion for the black community and I know that he is very very excited to be up here make some

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noise for black Orange County Santa Ana make some noise sister it is an honor to celebrate you today and always may you guys continue to be a beacon of light

in our community thank you for all your work that you do I am delighted to be able to be honored but it's not just me the green foundation is the representation of other individuals and organizations that has helped provided support as well as volunteered and I want to acknowledge those who had took the time out to come this evening to stand up real quick because oftentimes Sometimes you see the leader, I'm the runner, but we also know who is the captain of my life, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to make sure that everybody that's been a part of the Green Foundation, please stand.

Those of you that were able to come, please stand.

And I just want to let you know that yes, we have an office, two offices in the city of Santa Ana but what the most thing that I'm proud of I am a native of Santa Ana so being honored today and being a part of and this is my home this is my city that is an honor to be recognized in this way and I'm hoping that from this point on that we'll be able to be a trailblazer a change game game changer as well letting you know that just because we may not be in city council meetings or if we're not in any county meetings or any other coalition meetings we're still here surviving and to be able to provide the services that what is

needed the most in the black community and I'm just gonna have you to champion so don't be surprised if I reach out to you because you're now a public knowledge that I'll be reaching out to you to see what more support that we have and we have them on camera and those of you know that yes I am a leader and want to make sure that the black community is heard you know in a positive way and that we're here to stay because I am a city of Santa Ana girl and to my heart So thank you very much for the opportunity. Thank you.

Let me just go ahead and hand this off officially because we are proclaiming February as Black History Month. But as I said, the personal touch that we do in Santa Ana, I think, is handed off to somebody that symbolizes what we're proclaiming today and what we're celebrating today. So here you go with much love. Thank you very much.

Thanks. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, everybody, for that. Let me go ahead and turn it over to, we'll do, why don't we do Councilmember Hernandez, if since he's already up here and and then we'll go ahead and I know you you have something as well mayor pro tem councilmember do you want to go ahead

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and follow it up with with your day yes if we can please have the wonderful members of the ship family come up here and join me make your way up to the front of the council please

Thank you.

All right.

Good to see you, Albert. How are you doing? I don't know if you're too long.

Thank you.

Make your guys' way up to the front, please.

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It's a family affair.

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Literally. Clearly.

All right.

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All right.

And then we got to have Mrs. Shipp in the middle where it's visible. All right. If we could hold that there.

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All right. If you love Santa Ana, make some noise, please.

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Wow. Well, today is a beautiful day. And I see my brother right here in the front. I got to say hi to you, man. How you doing? But today is a beautiful and impactful day for our city for a number of reasons. I want to start first by thanking my neighbors and family for being here today. you guys are all family and and you guys have created a legacy for everyone in the city to be proud of so it is without a doubt an honor and it is humbling to stand amongst you all today so today february 15 2022 as we all know we are in the heart of of what is known as black orange

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county santa ana is a city with with beautiful deep roots and culture but it is also the heart of the black community of Orange County and when I was elected into office I I my heart ached because I didn't see our city doing enough to champion the wonderful things that the black community has done for our city to improve our lives we need to remember that the freedoms that we have today came from black men and women that that fought for the civil rights for the right for us to be able to live in this country and um and and to be treated with dignity and

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respect we're still fighting for that that fight is not over today we are declaring april 1st 2022 as helen ship day

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and and i will be presenting i'm going to stand on this side and i will i will be presenting this proclamation to Commissioner Duane Shipp and his family. February is Black History Month, and today we are recognizing the outstanding efforts of the late Helen M. Shipp. Helen M. Shipp was the founder of the Orange County History Parade, Black History Parade, and a cultural fair which was held in the city of Santa Ana for 38 years. Helen M. Shipp was active in her church and in her community. She spent her career working for the Head Start program, providing early child education

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to children from low-income families. As we all know, the importance of early childhood education is that the first five years prepare you for the next 80. She was a mother of 10 children, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Helen and her family have made significant contributions to the Santa Ana community for over 40 years and counting. The accomplishments of Helen M. Shipp and countless other African Americans in every aspect of our society continue to encourage people to reach as far as their vision and their dreams may take them.

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Now before I declare today Black History Month and the city of Santa Ana declaring this this special day I just want to say thank you to everyone that's here today you guys are an inspiration and a reminder of how far we've come but how much further we can go today we honor and declare April 1st 2022 Helen ship day make some noise before before I close my comments and bring the family up and present them their certificate I have found an immense amount of inspiration in

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Helen ship before I even got a chance to call you a friend and a commissioner and there's no way I I can pay her back, but my plan is to show her that I understand. And I got it.

There's no way I can pay your back, but the plan is to show you that I understand. You all appreciate it. You all appreciate it.

Don't you know we love you, sweetie? Dear mama.

There's no one above you, sweetie. You all appreciate it.

Don't you know we love you?

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Make some noise.

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Without further ado, thank you commissionership and members of the ship family for honoring us with your presence. Today and always, we will celebrate Helen's Ship Day.

Hello everyone. I'm going to be brief. honoring our heritage, praising our presence, and fortifying our future. That was my mother's saying, and we live by that. I want to thank Councilman Hernandez, our mayor, and all the other council members that's been working hard with us in our community to bring us, like Jonathan said, a seat at the table. Now we got a seat at the table, we got a voice, and we're making things happen. And I just want to thank you, Councilman Hernandez. Always. Thank you. Anybody else?

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Thank you everybody. Let's take a picture.

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We have Mr. Shipp, Helen Shipp's husband, who would like to say some words.

Thank you, Mr. Shipp.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

They're going to name a street, Shipp Lane. uh pretty soon absolutely yeah

yeah thank you i've been there 50 some years yes near 60 years

and i'm i'm uh helen her husband we were married uh 65 years it'll be coming up but it would now be about almost 70 years of the year we've been living.

We had 10 kids, seven boys and two girls.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to take a picture.

All right.

Peace, blessings, and love. Always. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. And we've got one more.

One, two, three. Got it.

Thank you, everybody. Thank you to the Shipp family. And I remember I had the honor of meeting Helen Shipp. I used to call her mother Shipp. So that seems like just yesterday. But thank you. It's a great recognition. Let me go ahead and call on Mayor Pro Tem to go ahead and present the next Certificate of recognition to the Little Onion Mexican restaurant in recognition of their 50th anniversary

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That's a hard act to follow, huh? I'm going to try though, I'm going to try with inviting up Lori Rowe from Little Onion. Yeah, give it up for Lori please.

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Thank you for joining me tonight, Lori. I'm excited because I have the opportunity to recognize the longevity and resilience of a South Santa Ana institution. For those of us that know, it's the Little Onion Mexican restaurant down on Main and MacArthur. Its reputation for delicious Mexican food goes well beyond our city limits, but it has been the go-to restaurant for generations of South Santa Ana residents. It all started with Lori's father, Lorenzo, who had the humble beginnings earning five cents an hour picking strawberries up in the Central Valley. And my understanding is he also marched with Cesar Chavez.

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So he probably ran into my grandfather who was up there with all the Monongs with Larry Itliang and Phil Veracruz, that whole movement together. As a young man, he found a job in a restaurant and for seven years worked as a dishwasher, a prep cook, a line cook, and eventually the head chef. He then worked in the front of the restaurant as a busboy, server, and was eventually promoted to the management position. And during this time, Lorenzo traveled throughout Mexico and was just enamored with the cuisine and culture and wanted to bring that and show it off to the rest of the world.

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So he saved up enough money and was able to buy a very tiny 1,200 square foot space in Hawthorne and opened up the first little onion back in 1963. But then after a few successful years over in Hawthorne, he moved the family down here to Orange County where he opened up the second Little Onion right there on Maina MacArthur in October 1972, 50 years ago. So right here in Santa Ana, that business has flourished ever since then. And so today I'm here with Lorenzo's daughter Lori, who runs a Little Onion restaurant. She works hard to ensure that her father's dream and passion lives on. And so Lori, do we have the.

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On behalf of the city of Santa Ana, the city council, I'd like to present the certificate of recognition for you. And just I want to say thank you very much for what you and your family have done and the wonderful restaurant that we all enjoy. Thank you very much.

I'm accepting this on behalf of my father, who started in 72 and went after his dreams. and I'm trying every day to work hard and make him proud and he would be really really appreciative to receive this recognition thank you and thank you of the city of Santa Ana thank you

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, for that. I know that for many of us, the Little Onion is an institution out there on the south end of town. So it's a great place to go have lunch, dinner, and meet with family. And thank you for that recognition. Let me go ahead and begin with our presentations. And let me just sort of take a moment to introduce one that's a late addition to the agenda. And that is a supplemental staff presentation that we're going to be requesting that the Orange County Transportation provide.

So pursuant to our municipal code 2-150, sometimes things don't make it to the agenda until a little later. And here is one of those items. This was posted at least 72 hours in advance of the regular meeting, but the item came to the city manager subsequent to the posting of the actual regular agenda. And it also has a need for us to take some immediate action, for us to hear some important information that is time sensitive.

So I'm going to go ahead and with the indulgence of the city council, add this to the agenda so we can go ahead and hear from the transit authority and their staff and update us on what is happening. And just to give a little bit of background, what we're talking about is the construction of the streetcar in the downtown. We know many of you here from the downtown merchants are here visiting us today to listen. And I want to thank the staff from OCTA for coming here today and giving us a briefing, updating us on what's happening.

I want to thank the city manager and representatives from OCTA and representatives from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley's office for meeting with us and council members Hernandez and Mendoza and other council members that also have met with the merchants because we know that construction has begun in the phase of the downtown which has impacted many of the businesses. And so we understand that the impact is very acute right now, and we wanted to make sure that we had some opportunity to hear, but also some opportunity to come up with solutions.

And I know I've met with both the Business Council representatives from a group of merchants that aren't really represented by either of the two organizations downtown, and I want to thank them for making themselves available. I think we met initially on Wednesday of last week, we met on Friday, and we met this morning again. So I just want you to know that staff from all three agencies have been very, very active, you know, trying to figure out how we can best provide some relief. And I know that the city manager was able to work with the city council and work with,

you know, her team to see about securing some additional free parking for the parking structures, which I know was one of the threshold baseline requests made. That's just one of hopefully a number of different relief items that she can provide, and we'll hear from OCTA on a briefing on some additional help as well. So with that, I know we have Teresa Oliveri and Ross Liu who are working and have been working on this project for years. So let me go ahead and turn the floor over to both of you so you can give us an update.

Okay, good morning mayor Sammiento and mayor pro temp by Sierra members of the council I'm Ross Liu OCTA program manager for the OC Streetcar project joining me is Teresa Oliveri senior public outreach officer also from OCTA Thank you for inviting us today Allowing us the opportunity to give you an update on this very important project Construction for this four mile project began about three years ago and over the last two years WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF EMBEDDED TRACK WITHIN SANTA ANA BOULEVARD.

RECENTLY WE STARTED WORK IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, 4TH STREET, AND SO THEREFORE I'M GOING TO FOCUS MY UPDATE ON THE 4TH STREET AREA. LET ME START OFF BY SAYING WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANT OF THE BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PLAN VERY EARLY FOR THE WORK THAT WE BEGAN. EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO FROM TODAY, WE CONDUCTED A FIELD WALK WITH CITY STAFF IN downtown area along with the contractor, the construction management team and OCTA. And the focus of the field walk was to plan for upcoming work and identify how best to minimize disruption to the businesses.

Since then we've had numerous coordination meetings also with the same group of people and we extended to include emergency services. It's been very productive in planning for this work. We've also provided early communication with the businesses prior to the start of work. So that takes us to today. on February 1st we initiated the closure of two two blocks closure and we are hopscotching the work let me help explain that so starting from the west end and proceeding east there's currently no work from Ross to Broadway from Broadway to Maine there's ongoing work from Maine to Bush there's no work

and from Bush to French there is work the reason why we're hopscotching is to minimize disruption which was coordinated with the city during the planning and design phase. We also understand that we want to avoid work within the holiday, so therefore a moratorium is in place which starts on Thanksgiving Day to the first working day in January is when the moratorium will begin. Knowing this, we will initiate the work on 4th Street early this year, which was February. So I want to give you a look ahead on what's coming up. At the start of 4th Street work, we completed much demolition,

as you can see when you're out there, and removal of those debris. We plan to complete most of that work by early next week. We would then start with roadway and track bed excavation, similar to what you've seen elsewhere on Santa Ana Boulevard. During this work, we will expose utilities that can be protected.

Ross, if you can get a little closer to the mic that way.

Okay, sorry about that. No worries. I hope you didn't miss most of what I presented. I can certainly go back. You good?

Going forward.

Okay.

So, during this work, when they start the excavation, that's when we're going to expose a lot of utilities that will be either protected or relocated. And if relocation is required, that's going to take some time to make that relocation work. I do want to share with you that we started our utility investigation in the 4th Street back in August of last year. We did a mini trench along the track alignment to identify any potential conflicting utilities. Now, this is really important to understand because hidden utilities have been a thorn for this project because there's many unknown utilities within the city streets that are

over 150 years old, and that has caused a lot of delays within Santa Ana Boulevard. So we planned ahead. We know where the utilities, so we know how to address them to ensure no delays on a working 4th Street.

Okay. After the utilities are addressed, the infrastructure of the embedded tracks, a place, followed Followed by concrete pour, curb and gutter, platforms work located at Sycamore and French Street and then onto asphalt pavement and striping.

Safety and dust control are also very important and we are monitoring those two elements every day since the start of the work and we've made adjustments as the days go along. Now I will say it has been a challenge to maintaining the dust the past few days or last week with all the numerous windstorms but we do our best to contain that with the winds. So when the two blocks are reopened to traffic, work will continue on the sidewalk as traffic is on the constructed area. The work on the sidewalk will include placement of overhead canary poles, some paving work and some concrete work on the sidewalk. And

this work can be performed without blocking traffic access. And lastly, I want to compliment city staff it's the involvement and support on this project has been great the partnership within the city is going very well and with that i will hand off to trisa to share now how we've been communicating with the businesses good evening mayor sarmiento mayor pro tem phob sarah other council members i'm trisa oliveri and i represent octa and manage the public outreach efforts on the project. As everyone's aware, the work that began on 4th Street on February 1 has created a

very different experience for the merchants and visitors. We've heard loud and clear that everyone wants additional signage both on 4th Street and around the parking structures to assist visitors find the parking and how to get to their destination. We've mobilized the team and to make those enhancements as soon as possible. OCTA worked with city staff to identify locations for four large electronic signs outside the parking entrances to the parking structures, two on 3rd Street and two on 5th Street to make it easier for drivers to find them. In addition, four more signs were added outside of the downtown area

to alert drivers to the construction area and to guide them to the parking on 3rd and 5th. All eight added electronic signs are now in place. We're also partnering with the city to add more large-scale banners to the structures to again make them more visible. We've added A-frame signage at all structure entrances to help guide patrons to their destination and more enhanced wayfinding signage is on the way. We're also providing bilingual businesses open come in signage to all businesses in the downtown. In terms of promotional efforts to encourage visitors to come to the downtown. We would like all the merchants to

join our Eat Shot Play program to broaden their digital reach. In addition, we've increased the frequency and reach of our social media campaign. The bilingual program is free, and our team will be out walking the 4th Street tomorrow to capture more businesses and to help them with the signing project to sign into the program. We will also run newspaper and radio ads encouraging people to come to downtown Santa Ana, and we'll have project staff at locations along 4th Street beginning next week to answer questions.

Security has also been raised as a concern, and OCTA, the CM team, that's the Construction Management team, have discussed this issue with Walsh, and Walsh will have security staff to patrol the work zones during late evening and early morning hours. I met with Ms. Padilla and her colleagues last week and again today with Mayor Sarmiento, Council Member Hernandez joined by phone, and Congressman Correa, and I appreciate the feedback and ideas they shared. We will continue to make adjustments as necessary throughout construction, and we welcome suggestions from merchants and will continue to reach out to offer them assistance.

And thank you very much, and we'd be happy to answer any questions.

Great. Thank you for that presentation and let me um let me just go ahead and begin by saying something I omitted at the very beginning. I know OCTA has been also very consumed with what appeared to be an imminent strike by our coach operators and it would have shut down the system and there would have been no bus service and we know that here in Santa Ana and Central County that would have been extremely extremely painful. As of this morning, I understand that there is a tentative agreement that was reached with the Teamsters Local 952. So let me give them a shout out and let me give OCTA a shout out for being able to agree on that

and continue providing bus service for many of our families here in Santa Ana and many of our youth who are now, as a result of some actions that were taken by OCTA, going to be able to ride for free. We just adopted a program that was a pilot program for youth riders 18 and under, and it was so successful that we decided to create a permanent program for that. So now those young people are going to have to be able to ride the buses throughout the county without cost. So I've got, you know, some things, but I know my council colleagues do. I want to give a special thank you to Council Member Mendoza,

Council Member Hernandez, who both represent the downtown and who've been very attentive. And as I've said to many of the merchants, they are very well represented down there by having both those Council members there. So thank you Council members for your participation on that. Let me go ahead and begin with Mayor Pro Tem, then Councilwoman Fan and then Councilman Hernandez.

Phil BacerraItem 2

Thank you Mayor Sarmiento. I have questions and comments, but I would like to ask if you would indulge allowing the folks that came to speak tonight, particularly on this issue. I see a lot of familiar friendly faces here from downtown. I'd like to allow them to come up and and comment so that we could, I think, have a much more robust discussion while we have OCTA staff here.

Yeah, I think we can have them. Are they in the speaker card, Madam Clerk? Can you segregate those from the others?

Phil BacerraItem 2

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

No problem. Good call. And then if there's anybody on the line that might want to speak on that as well, that might be a little bit more difficult to distinguish, but why don't we do that? And there's only a handful of cards, Teresa and Ross, so why don't you guys get comfortable? Let me go ahead and call on folks as they come forward.

Got it. Let me go ahead and begin with Delilah Snell, followed by Ryan Smoller, followed by Marcela Rodriguez.

Come on up and then that way you guys can line up.

So let me just preface this by saying, so these are public comments and we'll go ahead and not only allow you all to speak, but those on the line. The comments are limited to three minutes. Please go ahead and state your name. You don't need to tell us what address, but if you live in the city, kind of what ward maybe generally you live in and we'll have you take it away from there.

DELILA Snell, Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to have the chance to speak tonight. My name is Delilah Snell. I'm a resident here. I'm a business owner here. I own Alta Baja Market on the corner of 4th and Bush. I've owned a number of businesses in downtown and done community events for a number of years. I've been a big advocate here and just lover of the city, and I care for the city. And I, like many here tonight, have been depressed, disappointed, angered, and frustrated with the work of OCTA and their lack of communication, organization, and outreach to this community regarding this project. And it's especially

painful since we've had a pandemic that has crushed businesses across this country, and especially in downtown. And I believe that there's a few things that a lot of us here just need to survive this is destroying our downtown and one is free parking and i understand we now have monday through friday free parking i believe we deserve more our customers are frustrated they can't get to us they develop new paths new habits to get to other businesses we will never capture those businesses again okay once they're gone they're gone um economic relief i've been made where

there's a 25 million dollar city surplus there is i don't see any reason we can't have some of this This is an emergency. We need immediate relief. I know that there's things like that's happened in Crenshaw with the business interference fund. I mean that's something for long term. I know it takes like six months to get something like that but we are if this is going to go on for seven months to a year we need something now and in the future. Signage. I know I just heard that there has been signage put up. I saw that today. Signage needs to be simple and it needs to be directed to

parking people are driving for at least 30 minutes to get to our businesses many of them give up we need better signage i have ideas i know some of us in the community have ideas but signage is not putting signs inside the construction site to people who are already in the area that's i don't think that's right rapid construction getting on wall i am in front of there all day long they're going home at noon they're going home at two there's two people in the street you You know how frustrating that is to see that. And security, since this has started, the streets are dead. I've seen every day somebody's windows are getting broken.

Every day there's graffiti. It's like heightened. And it's just really depressing coming to work when you can hardly get in there. You don't even know where to go. It doesn't matter if this is your ward. This is the city center. This is the cultural heart of the city. And it should be something that's proud for the county. And you all need to support this and support helping us because we are suffering. Mr. Mayor you talked about public public health just recently but we need to care about the economic health of our downtown and it is not going to survive this unless something is done today thank you thank you for those

Ryan Smoller followed by Marcela Rodriguez followed by Minerva Alvarez

good evening my name is Ryan Smoller and I represent the downtown business district group downtown inc maybe you've heard of us i'm here about the oc streetcar construction which is choking the life out of downtown hurting our businesses and creating an unsafe environment we have submitted a request to the city county and octa for assistance through this trying time our business groups are eager to work with you on these specific ideas solutions and partnerships to improve the situation i've printed out and given the clerk the revised and updated requests

that were sent to you this morning i also shared some photos we took this afternoon that show how unacceptable this site is i want to acknowledge and appreciate that your ears are open to the voices that have been raised i also want to acknowledge that downtown was alerted to this construction was coming sabc walked octa door to door in english and spanish there have been public meetings for years madeline spencer wrote op-eds in the voice of oc dating back to 2017 2017, and we've put out hundreds of notices in our newsletter and on social media.

Regardless of this, no amount of notice could prepare us for what's happening right now, and we need your help to improve this situation. I've heard some upset people direct their anger towards the bid. They don't seem to know that we advocated OCTA to do the construction in the quietest months of the year and that there is no construction in Q4 when businesses make the most sales. When the pandemic happened and businesses were shut, we pressured OCTA to take advantage of the closure and get work in that time. I also want to convey that the trees were supposed to be removed two years ago and we

fought to keep them as long as possible. A lot of people who are angry today don't know how hard the bid has worked for them to offset as much of the pain being experienced as possible. I'm sorry we could not have done more. Even so, I especially want to recognize the dozens of merchants who have taken it upon themselves to elevate this issue thank you for starting to listen to their voices now let's get the resources in place to fix what's been broken i'm disappointed by what we heard tonight from octa inviting our businesses to join the oc each shop play campaign whose instagram account has

800 followers is not that helpful downtown instagram has 50 000 followers let's get to work let's do this together it's going to take more than just them doing what they're doing thank you

Marcela Rodriguez followed by Minerva Alvarez followed by Maria Perez.

the new us is coming up with the members of the city of santana estamos aqui pidiendo que se nos apruebe un plan de estímulo económico para las pérdidas que estamos experimentando a causa de la construcción del o city streetcar que se está llevando a cabo frente a nuestros negocios con este estimulo podremos sobrevivir y pagar nuestras mensualidades rentas por supuesto mientras que se concluye la obra queremos preservar los pocos negocios que quedamos and, in turn, support our culture. It has been a daily struggle and a long time, and it has been a struggle to remain in the business,

due to the constant changes that have been presented with the past of the years and the most difficult time we are experiencing, apart from this construction, the pandemic of COVID-19. We have been constant with the payments and licenses of business. We have a lot of this stimulus. Somos gente trabajadora y emprendedora. Y todos los días estamos aquí luchando para seguir adelante. Necesitamos su apoyo. Gracias.

Good evening. My name is Marcela Rodriguez and I'm here with Maria Minerva and Ana Laura because we are businesses from 4th Street. and we are here tonight because we have not had any responses or action from our representatives our business representatives so we are here to ask for a stimulus plan to us to help with some of the losses that we have experienced due to the construction of the OC streetcar we need this money to barely just to survive to make some of our monthly expenses while the work is

being done and this will support us in just surviving while this is going on. This is a daily struggle that we have just to remain in business. This has been a hard time, not just because of the construction, also because of the pandemic due to COVID-19. And we have paid our taxes, we have paid our dues and other expenses. And we have a right to have this financial stimulus so thank you for your support thank you

adelante Minerva Alvarez followed by Maria Perez followed by Juliet Castro

see when I started in open middle Valvarez even go represent and do a little brighter shots is tapos toes a decepcionados tristes porque definitivamente see como dijo la señora Marcela no no son a you dado no no son hecho presente con nosotros necesitamos una ayuda económica We have many years there and I think we've never come here with you to ask them to help us. Please, leaders, help us. We are suffering since 2019, first because we started the construction and we did not finish, then because we came the pandemic and now we are in the same situation with the construction,

which now is worse because we do not open our businesses.

Good evening. My name is Pineda Alvarez and I'm here. I have a bridal shop representing the bridal shop's businesses. We are sad that this is happening. We have not received any help and we need some financial help, some financial assistance. We have been in business for many, many years and we have never come here to ask for help. You are our leader so we're asking for your help. We, since 2019, when the construction started, we have been suffering. The construction has not finished.

Then the pandemic came, and we continued having issues, and now the construction is not helping our business. Construction begins at 7 a.m., and by 1 or 2 p.m., we have to close because I'm selling white dresses, and they get all dirty. I'm sure that the food businesses are something similar. We are suffering, and we're asking for some financial support.

Maria Perez, followed by Juliet Castro. Después sigue Alfredo Bolaños.

Buenas tardes, señores del consejo. Soy Maria Perez, comerciante de la calle 4, negocio es una juguería, se llama Chevetas. Desde el 2019 que comenzó la construcción, poco a poco fue afectando la economía de la Calle 4. Nadie nos ha apoyado y así hemos estado por dos años luchando solos.

Cuando comenzaron de nuevo las excavaciones, nos impactó y nos aterrorizó. For that we raise our voice so that we can help us with our rents to survive until we finish the construction. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Maria Perez and I'm a business in 4th Street, Juice's business, Chinita's business. and since 2019 when construction began affected the economy of four street businesses. We have not received any support. For two years we have been fighting alone. And when the digging started, we were more impacted. We were afraid of what was happening. So we need some help, some support with rent so we can survive until the construction ends. Thank you.

Thank you Juliet Castro he's he got Alfredo Bolaños followed by Bill Trent

when I start is a toast I'm yes I'm a castro sorry I'm Tadakia Santa Ana well I say contours companies negociantes que estamos siendo brutal mentee afectos por la construcción en la calle 4 Peter gente mente apoyo para seguir abriendo is over viendo en esta pandemia in esta construcción affected economically. My colleagues and I are suffering the damage caused by the construction that will take over a year. My beauty salon was closed by the pandemic and I survived, but I can't anymore. The clients are not the same, they are not coming.

I ask the name of all the negotiators to take into account the most soon as possible, because tenemos que pagar nuestra renta tenemos miles que pagar tenemos que pagar de alimentarnos y también a alguien que estoy pagando somos más de 80 negocios afectados durante esta construcción gracias gracias

good evening my name is Julie Castro I'm a resident of Santa Ana and I'm here to support our friends that are in business in 4th Street I have a beauty shop that has been affected because of the construction on 4th Street and we are all suffering. We are suffering because of the damage caused by the construction for over a year and the beauty shop has been affected and my clients are not the same. My old clients have not come back so please consider helping us to pay the rent, to pay our bills, to pay for food to pay for to pay our employees there are over 80 businesses that have

been affected due to the construction thank you

Alfredo Bolaños followed by Bill Tretti followed by Guadalupe Barragán

Good afternoon, my name is Alfredo Bolaños. I have a beauty salon since four years ago. It affected us when they closed for almost a year, and now we are starting to close the streets again, and it is causing us to survive, paying rent of house, paying our food, paying rent of business. And, apparently, when we opened a business in downtown Santana, we paid our licenses.

Apart from the licenses, we still pay a percent of the things we do in Santana, like cleaning, security, and it's not just that we had to pay all that time. I survived in the pandemic, paid my license, paid my rent, but now we're starting to start and we're going to decaer. the clients no get because there are no stations, sometimes they don't get to the streets, and they come at the streets and all that, they come back and you lose those clients, they lose time and they lose money. So I'm also here asking my colleagues to survive this time,

to maintain our businesses and not close, because there are many people who have closed because they haven't been able to survive. That's why I'm here.

Thank you.

good evening my name is Alfredo Bolaños and I'm a I have a beauty shop for four years and we have been affected because of the closing due to the pandemic for about a year and now we are they're closing the streets and we can't pay our rent for our homes. We can't pay for our food and the rent for our businesses. And Santa Ana, when you open a business in downtown Santa Ana, we had to pay for our business licenses. And on top of that, we had to pay a percentage for cleaning and security.

I've paid for all of that all this time and paid for my licenses, paid for my rent. But we can't continue to do this. The businesses are closing, the clients are not coming because there's no parking. They make an appointment with us and then they don't show up or they see that the streets are closed or full and they just don't even show up for their appointment. So we're asking for your help, monetary help to help us survive so that we don't close

our businesses. Many businesses have closed. So we are asking for your help for that. Thank you.

Bill Tretti, followed by Guadalupe Barragán, followed by Elvia Vieira.

I think the gentleman was before you, and then you continue.

You can go first. She can go first. Okay.

Hello, everyone.

Go ahead. So, my name is Bill Tretti, and I work at Don Roberto Jewelers on 4th Street.

Bill, if you can get a little closer to the microphone.

Yeah, can you hear me now? Can I adjust it like this?

There you go. ALL RIGHT, COOL.

YEAH, SO I GET IT. THE BUSINESSES NEED HELP. WE'RE STRUGGLING. NOT TOO MANY CUSTOMERS ARE COMING TO 4TH STREET RIGHT NOW. BUT MAYBE IT'S TIME WE RETHINK THIS TRAIN IDEA. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW. I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO RIDE THIS TRAIN. DO ANY OF YOU WANT TO RIDE THIS TRAIN TO GARDEN GROVE TO SANTA ANA?

YEAH, IT'S REALLY CONCERNING ON THE DIRECTION we're headed on downtown and it I can see it's costing a lot of money so we might want to rethink it but it seems like we're already pretty far going on this idea so let's hurry up if we're really gonna do this let's double time let's get the a team construction crew right now we got like the D team you You know, it's painful. It really is. Thank you.

We just celebrated Valentine's Day, and it was the worst Valentine's Day we've ever had. We've been in downtown for 50 years, Dr. Roberto Jewelers. So it's really sad to see what's going on. Yeah, and I hope we all can just make a decision and move quickly for the businesses and for the community. because it's a great downtown. I mean we're all a family here. This is my family. Yeah so please help us and yeah we need your help big time. These businesses need need our help. 4th Street needs our help. There's not too many

retailers on the street. We need more retailers. So I hope that helps. I think we should rethink the train idea. I really do. But if not, if it's not a possibility, well let's hurry up, you know. Does that help? It's helpful.

Ahora si, Guadalupe, si quieres acercarte.

Guadalupe.

Guadalupe, followed by Elvia Vieira, followed by our last speaker in person, Ana Laura Padilla.

Now, good afternoon. My name is Guadalupe Barragán, resident of the beautiful city of Santana for almost 30 years, owner of business for almost 25 years. I am very proud of the Latin community.

Latina. Quiero darle muchas gracias al mayor Vicente Sarmiento, a Jonathan Hernández. No sé si esté aquí el señor Lu Correa, pero también quiero expresarle mis saludos a través de ustedes. Y sí, sí, es verdad que hemos sido muy afectados económicamente, moralmente, físicamente, pero a mi comunidad le digo, no vamos a permanecer quietos, vamos a seguir adelante. and I think that with what we've heard, with those three together, we've heard from the mayor and Jonathan Hernandez that we're going to have support. So, we have to remain positive, right?

I'm going to say that I'm going to thank you so much. And I feel more privileged to hear this man and to have started with a verse of the Bible, that that's what we should have done before. Antes no se abría una corte si no se leía un versículo de la Biblia, las cortes, las escuelas. Eso es lo que tenemos que seguir haciendo. Con respecto a la seguridad, hemos sido afectados. Nos han robado dos veces en mi negocio. No digo la cantidad, pero en cuanto a la policía, sí necesitamos apoyo. Por favor, apóyenos. Muchas gracias.

Gracias.

Good evening. I'm a resident of Santa Ana, the beautiful city of Santa Ana for over 30 years, a business owner for over 25 years. And I'm very proud of our Latino community. I want to thank Mayor Sarmiento and Council Member Jonathan Hernandez. And I don't know if Mr. Correa is here, but I want to thank him as well because they have supported us. They have heard us. We have been affected economically, morally, and physically. And to the community, I want to tell you we are not going to remain quiet. This fight goes on, and over the three meetings that we've had,

the mayor has heard us, Mr. Hernandez has heard us, and they have said that they will support us. So keep being positive, and thank you for your support. and I'm very proud that you started this meeting with Bible verse. And we need to go back to that because courts used to open with Bible verse reading. Schools used to do that too. And regarding to safety, we have all been affected.

My place was broken in twice, so we need support from the police. We need you to support us. Thank you.

Thank you. Elvia Vieira, followed by Ana Laura Padilla.

Ana Laura?

Creo que ya se nos fue, Elvia.

Good evening. My name is Ana Laura and I'm a business owner in the city of Santa Ana.

I want to start by remembering February 14. It was supposed to be a very happy and lovely day. But I want to remember February 14 of 1929. If you'll know, it was a day where seven people were lined up against the wall and were shot. this is exactly how I feel it was February 1st for us more than 80 businesses were lined up to the wall and got their businesses in livelihood

take it I cannot express enough how hard these weeks have been for all of us and And starting all this and putting people together to speak, people that don't feel that they've been represented, that they thought they didn't have a voice, and I invited them all in here with some other friends. And I'm so happy and proud to see that everybody came today to put the same demands.

We have sent the demands to Mayor Sarmiento and to our representatives, and we're very thankful that we think you guys have heard us, but we are demanding for a solution as soon as possible. This needs to be priority. When we find out the agenda and we didn't see that downtown was on the agenda, we felt very disappointed. Thank you for putting us in the agenda at the end because what's happening in downtown it's been taking all from us so the demands are remind the same free parking we need to extend the parking because it's affecting other

businesses we have a variety of businesses in downtown some of them are handling at night some of them are handling the weekends also the relief it's very very important to have the relief money that is going to help us survive through this pandemic because this construction is becoming a pandemic again. So thank you so much for listening to me, for listening to all of us, and we hope to hear any news pretty soon.

Madam Clerk, are there any members of the public that wish to address us online?

Yes, we do, Mayor. Person with Zoom ID, Jennifer Rojas, if you would please select the microphone icon to unmute your device and indicate if you would like to provide a comment regarding the Orange County Transportation Authority item.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council. My comment is in regards to the general agenda.

Okay, thank you. I will go ahead and put you back on the speaker queue.

Zoom ID Patricia Flores, if you would like to provide a comment on Orange County Transportation Authority items, please select the microphone icon on your device.

Zoom ID Hiro, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device and announce if you would like to provide a comment on Orange County Transportation Authority item.

I'm speaking on a different item.

Thank you. Zoom ID Ashton Ross Collins, if you would please select the microphone icon and announce if you wanted to provide a comment on OCTA.

Hi, thank you. I don't have much to say. I'm kind of new at this, but it seems like a bunch of businesses and people who rely on their businesses and other businesses do need the help and however help can be helped. I think it should be helped in that way. Thank you. Thank you.

Zoom ID, Hector Bustos, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device and announce if you would like to provide a comment on OCTA.

Not for this item, thank you.

Thank you, I'll put you back on the speaker queue.

Caller with the last three numbers, 010, if you would please select star 6 to unmute your device or the microphone icon and announce if you would like to provide a comment on OCTA.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we could hear you.

Hello, thank you. Yes, as I indicated, Dave, this is Victor Mendez and I intend to be put back in queue to comment on the other items, but I am speaking just to the OCTA business interruptions that's current on Ford Street. Anyway, my perspective comes from that professional who has about eight billion worth of rail transit construction uh through heavy urbanized areas and when i first i lived on forestry for about two and a half years as well and as you know i ran for counts and worked heavily that business district my perspective is pretty well owned here and i can

only say this has probably been the laziest approach to construction management in my entire 35-year career i've been messing the plastic cheap construction techniques and frankly things i've never seen before in my career uh k-rods that are made of plastic and can tip over uh streets that go into gravel etc so somebody really needs to shape this up and tighten it down and it's no surprise what happened to these business owners uh what i've seen or read is all we did with some leaflets and fire things hey construction's coming all these things they're talking about now should have been thought of beforehand.

The desk mitigation, the signage, parking, whatever. That's something you do ahead of time, not after the fact that you put the city council in a highly reactive and highly difficult situation. So it's failure on OCTA part and to state this is a great partnership is full out baloney, okay? It's just baloney. We also have a downtown coordinator, so i don't know where that's where she is at this time but this thing has got to get fixed i don't see what they're talking about kind of helping you business financially but i hope they can get

somebody on there to start drawing a trade signage uh certainly the city can get the parking and by the way i've been talking about free parking for over a year about this when i went down from when the subsidy went down from two hours to one hour uh so it's not surprising this is happening again The other thing they can do is look at how they can participate with these businesses, buy their food, whatever. When I was at MTA, we actually helped a hot dog vendor of old people with this business because he was getting moved around to get the construction. So perhaps the OCTA can put their heads together and find out,

can we go to Hector's and buy food or a dinner? Can we use something over here or whatever? Can we encourage our workers to go shop at the jewelry shops? Whatever, go buy a team. just something to move this economy forward. I'm not a big proponent of direct money going in. That gets very complicated. But to date, what I'm seeing in terms of what should be best practices in terms of construction management-

15 seconds left.

An urban area. Yeah, to an urban area, OCTA gets an F and city of Santa Ana, you got to get together now that you know what's going on and you can fall into that category. One last thing, very important. revenue operations. Please make sure it's safe, sound, and better practice starting today. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll put you back on the speaker queue.

Zoom ID, Patricia Flores, Iradal Zaval. If you would please select the microphone icon to unmute your device and announce if you'd like to provide a comment. Actually, I'd like to provide a comment

on item 26, not this one. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll put you back on the speaker queue. Zoom ID, Logan Crow, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device and announce if you want to provide a comment on OCTA.

I would.

Okay, please proceed.

Hello, my name is Logan Crow and I am the director of the Frida Cinema on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana. Many of my sentiments have been voiced by my fellow downtown business owners, but I do want to say that it's been extremely frustrating and untenable that signage in large part has been handled like such an afterthought given how much time has gone into the planning of this I agree that there has been a lot of discussion leading up to this to so to hear today that you know we are now putting up signage it's just it's just untenable moreover there are

several entry points into the downtown sector which are further complicated by our one-way streets and i don't feel like those sectors are being addressed i hear that signage will be added to fifth street today but we need signage on santa anna boulevard and spurgeon for folks who are detoured from the east we need a lot more signage all around the downtown sector because there are several ways to access us that's my first thing further i'm confident i don't speak only for my own business when i say that free parking till 5 p.m mondays through fridays do not help my business

whatsoever. Since our resources were depleted by COVID, we've had to start opening at five o'clock Mondays through Fridays. And whereas I understand that the work stops at five o'clock or earlier, because the streets are torn up, the closures are 24 hours, seven days a week. We need free parking beyond just till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. That would suggest that at five o'clock, the streets somehow reopen and access is granted. That's just not the case. Just because the work stops doesn't mean that we're all choked off seven days a week, you know, 24 hours a day. You know, we need help.

It's been very, very painful to see the diminished morale around my community with my fellow business owners.

You know, there was a light at the end of this COVID tunnel that we were all just praying for and waiting for. and I feel like that light has been heavily diminished by this. It's a nightmare and we need help. Thank you.

Thank you.

Zoom ID DNC if you would please select the microphone icon to unmute your device and announce if you want to speak on OCTA-IM. Uh no mine is also a general comment. Okay thank you we'll put you back on the speaker queue. Thank you. Thank you. Mayor, that was the last caller.

Great. Thank you, all of you, for your comments. Is there one more comment?

I put in a comment card, but I think it might have stopped mixed up.

Go ahead. Fill it out afterwards. Go ahead and speak.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Mayor Sarriento. It's an honor to be here with the council members. We can be thankful. I'm from Nova Academy, the superintendent, for the last 18 years. We've been in the community for 18 years. And we couldn't be more thankful for your help. I KNOW IT'S PREVIOUS LEADERS AND ANY ANY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP OR CORRESPONDENCE WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY HAS BEEN WONDERFUL THE BUILDING THE PLANNING THANK YOU I KNOW IT'S RUN BY TOP SHIP MANAGER AND A LOT OF REALLY REALLY GOOD STAFF SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT REALLY QUICKLY WITH THE

CITY'S ASSISTANCE WE MOVED INTO THE BUILDING IN 2016. WE HAD A UNBELIEVABLE RETROFIT done as your neighbor and the majority of our students, 90% of our students reside in Santa Ana and 87% of our students are at Promise. We have over 400 students, families and staff members. Students choose to attend NOVA Academy to help them achieve their college and career goals with the support of early college program.

You've probably heard of us. Our program is evidenced by nearly 100% rate of graduation every year, recognition as a 2019 California Distinguished School. We've won, sorry, just got over COVID, believe it or not, best high school nationally by U.S. News and World Report. I am negative test.

We all gave you a look. Yeah, I know, I know.

Since 2015, I'm here today along with other representatives and businesses to talk about the safety. The safety. And if you could just bring up really quickly, I want to show you visually with the remaining one minute.

the since 2016 our work with OCTA in 2018 I want to read you a really quick but I want you to see some of the visuals that are out front of our school this is the letter from Daryl Johnson chief executive officer officer at OCTA the safety of our public during construction and when the OC streetcar begins running in 2000 running in 2021 is OCTA's top priority as you review your emergency and evacuation procedures OCTA is willing to meet with you and other appropriate safety personnel to

ensure that the OC streetcar will not impede on the safety of the students and staff at Nova Academy or any member of the public. I know that Theresa's doing a great job. Just this week we had a fire drill and we didn't have a place to go. The senior center is being fenced off. You can see it in the pictures. And the construction site, completely homeless, water left with trash, mosquitoes, environmental issues, trash, and I just want to ask you to please take the wellbeing of our students and our families into consideration tonight. Thank you. Thank you for your comment.

So I think that was the last comment on this presentation. We've got several others. Let me go ahead and bring it back to the City Council and start with Mayor Pro Tem followed by Council Member Fan then Council Member Hernandez and Peña Losa. Thank you Mayor Sarmiento and thank

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you for indulging everybody's opportunity to come up and speak and thank you everybody for coming out. This is what makes our downtown so amazing is because of all the passion and all the concern that you all have for seeing our downtown thrive and I think it was Delilah that mentioned it's the heart not only of the city but of the county it is and so I'd like to ask OCTA staff to come up because I have a couple of questions for you. I think there was a lot of good comments made tonight. And in fact, I want to make sure that we asked staff, OCTA staff some of these.

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So one business near Fourth and French had one of the metal construction signs used as a projectile through his business window. And he had asked me to ask you, and I completely agree with them that instead of having those metal signs, there should be some sort of hard, heavy duty plastic signs in their place. Is that something that we can arrange to see happen or see place along the construction zone?

I can answer that. Again, this is Ross Liu, program manager with OCTA. Regarding the metal signs, I just want to share that that's a common item that's used for permanent signs, for temporary signs, construction signs, and so forth. And so it's common to have the metal signs around. As it relates to the request to have hard plastic signs, that is something that we can certainly look into to see if there are any manufacturers that make these hard metal signs that have the appropriate message on the sign, the size, and so forth, and that can be mountable appropriately.

Personally, I haven't seen any hard plastic signs used for construction, But that's not to say they don't exist. We just have to look into that to address that question.

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I think it's something that's a little more urgent than just looking into, and I'm going to say it because they're being used as projectiles. They're literally breaking windows with your signs. So if you can't get plastic signs, then my ... Sorry, guys. So then what I would actually strongly recommend is that you secure these signs, because people are taking them and they are throwing them through our business windows. So please don't just look into it. Can you secure the signs?

Yes, we can secure the signs, and I apologize if you misunderstood what I mean by looking to it.

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When I say look into it a lot, and sometimes that could be immediate or it could be a little longer. So I want it to actually be done.

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As far as for the construction site, I know if I had expensive equipment sitting out in the middle of 4th Street or any street, I'd want security around it. are you guys providing any private security to or is the contractor providing security

well so we did we have had that discussion with walsh and we will be re reallocating resources that they have on other locations into the fourth street area i i just you know i'm not a construction

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guru but i just it's amazing to me because i don't care what part of orange county you would put construction equipment in, I'm just dumbfounded that you would leave it unattended and that there wouldn't be security with it. So that is just a fascinating thing to me, whether it's the OC streetcar construction project or whether it's street paving in another part of town. The fact that there's no security, that's amazing.

So if I may, just before we leave the security issue, if there's any physical damage to property and that goes for anywhere along the alignment if people can get in touch with me i'll be happy to give them the contact information for walsh's third party contacts so that they can handle the you know as a as a physical as a claim is it well i appreciate you providing that opera

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or that information but a better solution would be to secure the science i agree thank you no one wants to so then my next my next issue um economic relief i think that that was a an issue that was brought up and I couldn't agree more. At one point in my professional career, I too worked at LA Metro and I've seen construction projects. I've seen the Metro Red Line construction up in Hollywood. I mean there was some significant challenges up there. I mean they were facing sinkholes, they were facing all sorts of things and it just seemed like a standard part of the

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costs of the construction project to assist the businesses with some sort of economic relief because yes, they're not going to have the same amount of pedestrian foot traffic going to their businesses because construction gets in the way and so these businesses do need help and I'm hoping that that'll be something that will be added as a line item to the construction project and then as far as the OCTA e-play shop program I get the emails I see the social media feeds and I have to agree with Ryan Smollard that it's anemic at best. I mean it's great graphics, don't get me wrong, but I doubt it really

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sustains the loss that these businesses have. So my hope is is that, you know, my understanding is that the two business entities in downtown were promised some assistance for marketing. Their role, among the many things that they do, is marketing the downtown. To me, it would make more sense to give them the assistance they need to do the job that they already do so well. So my hope is, is that you'll collaborate with Downtown Inc. and the Santa Ana Business Council and assist them financially. And then my last item I want to bring up as far as with you, staff, is there should be more

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communication. Many of the speakers talked about communication. And so my concern when it comes to this communication is it shouldn't be a fire drill in the sense of, uh-oh, construction's starting, everybody's ticked off and now we're all gathering in the middle of the construction zone. This should be something where I'm hopeful that going forward, OCTA staff will work with the businesses, not just the organizations, but individual merchants as you're approaching construction in front of their front doors, and helping them and working with them and getting their input because they're on the ground.

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They see it day in and day out, night in and night out. They see who's able to make it to their business and who isn't. And so while you've got folks that are popping some signs down, obviously they're living with the impacts of your decisions. So my advice would be to more proactively work with them. I mean, it shouldn't be once a week, once a month. You shouldn't look into it. I would say get on the phone with these guys. I mean, do walks. If it has to be daily, so be it. But let's make sure that these folks are getting taken care of. I am supportive of this project. I am.

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But I am also supportive of our businesses in downtown and want to make sure that they survive So that when the OC streetcar is running that they enjoy the fruits of all this labor and they they aren't just suffering For no no reward so that that's my hope on it I'll close my remarks with saying I want to echo what the mayor said in regards to the Teamsters and OCTA being able to come to an agreement because our community is the has the highest transit usage and transit ridership in all of Orange County. And so that agreement was very important. So OCTA staff, I want to thank you and have you thank Darrell Johnson

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and whoever was on the negotiating team. And thank you for working with our brothers and sisters at the Teamsters. So those are my comments right now. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you for those comments. I agree. I think that was a heavy lift. It was important. And thank you for trying to stay as close to the timing. I mean, what we've been trying to do is making sure that as we grant three minutes to the public, we're trying to self-govern ourselves as well and try to keep ourselves to that same limit. So with that reminder, let me go ahead and go to Councilmember Fan, Councilmember Hernandez, and Councilmember Peñalosa, and I'm sure that there's comments to my left.

Thai Viet PhanItem 2

Hi. Thanks, everyone, for being here.

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I know Heavy is a head that has the responsibility of being the one that is in charge of all of this. I understand. I live through the Metro Expo Line expansion in LA from downtown to Santa Monica, so I do understand that these things take time. A couple questions. One is, I was looking through your social media feed as well as your website, and is there a place where work updates are available for the public as to why some of the construction is delayed because at least for me maybe I'm not as tuned in but the only times I hear about anything is if the OC register reports

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on it or if you're at City Council you know if there's a delay I don't find out that it's because we have an unknown sewer line that was running on you know standing on Boulevard it I just know that there's a delay that for like two months nothing happened so you know i guess for me i would like to see some of that communication because i can understand if we're digging up the street and we didn't know that there was existing utility right that weren't on any maps and things like that the other thing i do want to address is

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I do hope that OCTA can work with downtown businesses regarding the financial support. I was actually recently down there with one of my colleagues and speaking to, you know, local businesses. It is hard to get to some of these. I saw some of the pictures that public speakers submitted. My mom's handicap, often she uses a wheelchair. There's no way for her to visit some of these businesses. And that is a huge concern for me, especially because as families visit downtown, it's a lot of stroller use, it's a lot of families, and you can't get through some of these areas.

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So whether it's temporary planks or some other way to allow people to walk, I think that would be really helpful. I know that we do do that in certain areas. The other thing I want to address is some of the comments from the public did indicate that they'd rather have longer construction rather than you know five hours construction for ten you know ten weeks so I don't know what Walsh's I guess staffing is like but I don't see why and maybe it's because I don't know why we couldn't have more construction throughout the day especially overnight

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or something like that when we have construction on freeways overnight all the time I don't see why when all these businesses are closed

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again that you know we do that for freeways because we don't want to get in the way of commuters I don't see why we couldn't do that with Walsh in downtown and for what it's worth you know I think that a lot of us I was on this council when the OC streetcar was voted on, but as a young person and someone who wants to see a more walkable, a more publicly accessible city, I'm excited to see it finally come in, but I do hope that OCTA really does look into some of these issues because I don't see why Walsh couldn't provide more workers. Or maybe there's a reason, but please let us know because I really think that overnight construction

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would just make a lot of sense and do double time. And finally, I do want to say I'm really excited that there, at least for now, isn't going to be a bus stoppage. I know that a lot of our residents and young people do take the bus, and so I really do hope that that comes to a more final conclusion soon, because we never want to see, you know, public transportation stop. Thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember. Excellent comments. Councilmember Hernandez, and then Peñalosa, and then Mendoza.

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Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to thank the businesses from my district that came out here and demonstrated and demanded change. It's not easy. Progress always comes with discomfort. And I thank you guys for being out here today. Before I start, I want to say thank you to OCTA for working with your guys' workers and the members of Teamsters Local 952. I'm happy to see that there's a tentative agreement there. Before I really go into the different items I want to touch on, a speaker earlier compared what is happening to the businesses to death, which is very extreme.

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I have to remind the businesses, September 29th of 2021, Brandon Lopez was killed by Anaheim Police Department on the streetcar tracks. There's no coming back from death. We can recover from this. And I wish that we can all come together, but I just wanted to hold space for that because death, there's no coming back from that. And I was personally impacted by that loss. That was my cousin. So my question that I have for you, Okta, is I have a question, and I want you guys to treat it with the utmost urgency.

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What is the timeline of the security and the hours that are going to be implemented for security?

So currently we do have security throughout the project site. As Teresa mentioned, we have talked to Walsh about stepping it up to add additional security. So when there is no work, which is basically currently planned for 6.30 to, excuse me, 6 to 3.30, Beyond 3.30 and before 6, we will have a visible security personnel there. So that is the plan.

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Okay, so how soon will this commence? It will start tomorrow. Starting tomorrow? It's my direction to Walsh. So can you tell the businesses and everyone here what hours they can expect to see a security presence there?

So the hours they can expect to see the security is when work ends, which is currently 3.30, all the way to when work begins, which is 6 in the morning. That's progress. Thank you.

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And earlier, Teresa, thank you for touching on this. You mentioned Okta's commitment to diversifying your guys' ads to accommodate the businesses. And thank you for offering to use your guys' platform, although I don't know how helpful the platform will be. I know Downtown Inc. has a very large platform, and they mentioned it. but there are also concerns that we have because some businesses have never been promoted by Downtown Inc. Have never seen a single post come from that platform. Businesses like Chevitas, businesses like Charlie's Tattoos. So there are certain businesses that rely on word of mouth,

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newspaper ads, Spanish radio advertising. Tell me about how you're planning to diversify your targeted ads for businesses that don't have a social media presence, predominantly Spanish-speaking businesses.

So thank you very much. We have directed our team to develop a broader plan that would include radio as well as newspaper. We've just sort of gotten back involved with that. THAT WAS AN AREA THAT WE WERE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OTHER PARTICIPANTS SUPPORTING. BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT OURSELVES THROUGH OCTA'S EFFORTS. SO AS SOON AS I HAVE A MEDIA PLAN, I'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE THE DETAILS TO YOU HERE IN PUBLIC OR, YOU KNOW, MEET WITH YOU.

BUT, YES, WE DO PLAN TO INCLUDE, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, SO WE DO WALK THE DOWNTOWN. we do it frequently but I want to also respect the fact that sometimes when we go in the people there are working very hard and so they don't always want to stop their what they're doing and talk with us or they don't really understand or they don't think that what we have to offer will be helpful to them so I hope that now with Ms. Padilla's support and and others here that they see that what we are offering them, we are doing with the true intention of providing additional support that way for them.

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Thank you. So what would the selection process look like to be a beneficiary of advertising with those types of platforms?

So what we can do, and again, because, you know, look, it's the funding that we have is dedicated for transportation, et cetera. So I don't want to talk about limitations. I want to talk about what we can do. We can talk about broad attraction to bringing people to the downtown. The Eat Shop Play program can do tailored ads for the individual businesses, and that's where we can be more targeted. We can also do things to encourage people just to come to the downtown, explain that there's construction, and explain that the best way for people to access the businesses is to use the parking structures.

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Okay. And so on the topic of advertisement, so what I would like to see is if you guys are going to have a robust advertising strategy, we need to have some fencing installed wherever there is construction. So for instance, in front of the 4th Street market, you should have fencing that is appealing and attractive. and for instance, any business that is on the other side of the fence where there is construction, we should also see advertisements and placements of, whether it be a banner or something similar to a poster, we should see each business

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advertised alongside those fences. And as it pertains to the parking lots that are closest to those businesses, we should also see the advertisements and posters, banners, what have you, at the entrances and at the exits of the parking lots. Is that something that you guys are going to be able to commit to?

Absolutely. So I talked about enhanced wayfinding sign. So what I've directed our team to do is similar to what the city's social media has been, which is you're targeting, say, from between Broadway and the next block on the north side. Everyone who's on that block will be on a banner. So as they approach the intersection, they know, okay, I need to go here, I need to go there. So my team is working on those as well.

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So for example, if I'm in the parking lot near the Frida Cinema Theater on the left-hand side, where there's the Taqueria, Guadalajara, if I'm exiting that parking lot, I should see a banner or an advertisement that tells me Taqueria, Guadalajara, here, and something that says Fourth Street Market, here.

Right. What I'm hoping to do is to mimic those same banners that you see out on the street. And I haven't had a chance to talk with Julie from the downtown group, but that would be my intention, would be to have those banners inside the parking structure so people know in which way. I'm from New York, so I went and used the subway, and it was always helpful to know when you popped out of the ground where you came out. Of course. So to have those similar type of wayfinding opportunities. so when people knew when you're in the parking lot do I go this way do I go

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that way good so then on another note just to make sure we're covering all our bases so we're covering the parking lots and now let's say we're on the side of downtown Santa Ana where you have Northgate and you have American Barbershop and you have Charlie's Tattoos and Worst House we're gonna see signage all around the circumference of downtown, correct? So we're going to be fully inclusive of all the businesses and any business that is in that surrounding location of construction, correct?

I want to say yes. I think there may be some, and I have to go back and check, we may be precluded from advertising for liquor, for alcohol sales. But I don't want to misspeak, so it wouldn't be the tattoo parlor, but I think we have a problem or we have limitations in terms of if there's an entity that only sells alcohol, that's something that public dollars can't advertise for.

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There's none. All of our retailers that do sell alcohol also sell food.

Okay.

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So that should alleviate that issue. And then the other thing I wanted to mention, and I want to see you guys commit to it, is I want to see not only the signage in downtown, but as you start to approach the downtown from Spurgeon, from when you're coming down Flower Street as well, are you guys also going to be able to commit to that? Bless you.

We'll be happy to take suggestions on additional signage. as I said before we had four additional electronic signs out at San Enno Boulevard up at Grand on Broadway and on Main Street again approaching those four corners with me with the main corridors we're open to additional signage both

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through electronic or other means good because there's a couple of the majority of my district covers the center of the city and there's four hot spots that we need to touch. Bristol is a place where a lot of traffic is directed to the downtown so if you do live along Bristol I do think that that is a place that is directly aligned with downtown. You have 1st Street, you have Grand and you have 17th Street. These are the biggest main streets that intersect and lead you to the downtown. So I just want to make sure we're doing everything we can, even beyond the downtown district,

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that's going to help us lead people there. Because I think there is a notion that maybe downtown isn't open when that is not the truth. And something else that I wanted to touch base with you on is how soon can we expect the signage and the fences to be installed?

So you're talking about the individual businesses. We have already started producing or designing banners that are reflective of the participants in each shot play because those are graphics that we already have. So that again is in process and we're just...

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So how are you guys ensuring that this is going to be equitable? Do you guys have a spreadsheet with every business. Can that be shared with me? Yeah, of course. I'd like to see that. Of course.

How soon can I expect that? I will send a message to my team for somebody to send you the names of all the businesses. Thank you, Teresa. Councilmember, if you can

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start wrapping up. Absolutely. And so another thing I wanted to mention is I do think it's important for Okta to double down those efforts of security. Mayor Pro Tem Becerra brought up a great point. It's very irresponsible to leave, you know, when there was an action last Wednesday, there was a huge piece of machinery just right in the middle of that intersection. I mean, this thing probably stood, you know, six feet high. It was very, very large, a couple hundred pounds. So I would want to see a heightened presence of security to make sure that the businesses are protected, number one, and number

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two, to make sure that their materials aren't being used as weapons and, you know, breaking down our businesses. And then lastly, I want to echo that I do support economic relief for businesses in downtown. I'd like us for as the city, county, and Okta to see how we can combine our efforts to support each business. I don't support money going to Downtown Inc. and Sanana Business Council and leaving out all of the other businesses.

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And my reason is this. We as a city introduced a stimulus program which directly helped our most impacted residents. And we went directly to each residence delivering these stimuluses, many of us ourselves, including the staff. So I would be more in favor of going and visiting every single impacted business. and myself and my colleagues and our staff would be more than happy to deliver those payments directly to the businesses that are impacted. I think that's the most transparent and the most equitable way for us to help these businesses. So that concludes my comments. Thank you.

Thank you for those comments. Let me just remind my colleagues on the council that I know OCTA staff is available, you know, not just at this meeting but they can contact you directly as well if there's some suggestions that they may have that they may want to go in more detail with you so let me go ahead and go with councilmember Pena Loza followed by Mendoza and then Lopez thank

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you mayor Sarmiento and thank you for all the businesses that came out to speak today I won't repeat whatever my colleagues said I agree with all three of them I think OCTA has definitely failed to hold their reckless contractor accountable I think they are really just building you at full full level price and building this on the cheap I've harped on city staff for two for two years that the construction work that I've personally witnessed along Ross along Santa Ana Boulevard along Main Street 4th Street is the worst work that I've ever seen so I would just appreciate if you guys could help hold

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your contractor accountable moving forward and something that should have been done in the past just wanted to also kind of openly voice my support for free parking the entire week I think it's something that we need to do especially when we talk about how many millions of dollars a city has and excess funds and the the additional federal money we're getting but this is also should fully fall on OCTA's lap. OCTA should be footing the bill for all of these businesses that I've been hurting for the past couple of years. And I don't want us to think as this construction work is temporary, because to me, temporary is a week.

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Temporary is two weeks. We are now going two years past the originally estimated completion date of the end of 2022. Now I'm hearing 2024. To me, that's permanent. In the eyes of those businesses, that's permanent construction work and permanent obstruction of just their day-to-day operations. So I would hope that we do what we can to help secure this site, provide security, help us fund that free parking for a week, for the entire week until this construction is complete.

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And I also want to make sure that as we look at these campaigns and these advertisements, I follow the OC Streetcar Facebook page. Every post that is shared regarding street closures or work gets maybe one like at the most. When I share that post, it gets, you know, 70, 80 likes and comments and engagement. There's zero engagement on the side of your social media, which I think you guys definitely need to improve on. You need to put dollars behind that. This unfortunately, Facebook is a money-making business.

David PenalozaItem 2

And if it's going to take OCTA to put in funds behind these advertisements to really help these businesses out and help let our community know what's going on, it's something that you guys need to definitely do. and you know very happy to see that our Teamsters Local 952 was able to come to an agreement with you guys hopefully we do whatever we can to help them out and that's my only comment mr. mayor great thank you for those comments let me go

ahead and go with the councilmember Mendoza and then Lopez Thank You mayor

Sarviento and thank you to all the businesses who showed up today it is very important that you see the collaboration and support you have here on Council. And also thank you to the OCTA representatives by being here and being in this kind of environment it shows that you're willing to take all these comments and do your best in helping our businesses to continue to operate during these crucial times. And I echo the sentiments of my colleagues in all the aspects of trying to resolve these issues.

And I can see that you're working together with the businesses to fix those issues that we had not addressed previously. And I take full responsibility because even though I was not here when the trolley vote was taken. I should have foreseen these negative impacts on the businesses. I had no idea that there was such chaos going on. I see the construction, but as a good citizen, I drive around in trying to get into the businesses as best as possible. But I will not take up too much more of your time

because what my colleagues have said, I strongly echo them and we are here to help in any way that we can and rest assured that this will be resolved as you can see that there is collaboration among the representatives here. And lastly, thank you very much to OCTA and your strong collaboration and negotiations with our Teamsters Union. And that is very important because being a teacher, our students get free passes from the college and it would have been very disruptive

to their academic lives. So thank you so much for coming to an agreement with that.

Great, thank you for those comments, Councilwoman.

Let me go ahead and go to Councilmember Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 2

Thank you, Mayor Serviento. So, well first I want to thank you folks for coming to a tentative agreement with our local Teamsters. Ridership here is essential and you know any disruption to the service would be devastating to our working families. Also I want to thank you for extending the Youth Free Ride pilot program and I want to thank Sanana Youth Ballad for all the advocacy that they did in trying to get people and pretty much come out to the meetings and provide comment you know and third I think we all understand that you can make an omelet without breaking a couple

Jessie LopezItem 2

eggs I think we all get that but I wouldn't say that the partnership with the city is going well respectfully you can talk to the merchants you can talk to residents they're really unhappy about further pollution in the city about poor quality control sites there's just a lot of ongoing issues because of the construction and can you let me know when we can expect the construction to end

so councilmember Lopez early I share all these the look-ahead activities that we need to do and also share that we've done our best to plan ahead so this way there won't be any delays in the work that we do and so we are planning APPROPRIATELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLETE WELL BEFORE THE MORATORIUM BEGINS WHICH IS ON THANKSGIVING DAY. SO IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL AND WE DON'T HIT ANY UNKNOWN UTILITIES AND THE DELAY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND TRYING TO DISCOVER WHO OWNS THE UTILITY, IS IT ACTIVE OR NOT ACTIVE AND SO FORTH, WE CAN PROBABLY PLAN FOR AS EARLIER SEPTEMBER, SO BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER. NOVEMBER? THANK YOU.

Jessie LopezItem 2

SO A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE FREE PARKING AND Councilmember Fad and I met with staff earlier actually late last year and that was one of the things that we wanted to see and unfortunately at the time that couldn't happen but you know free parking is here now and it's unfortunate that it had to come to a head in order for us to see that in terms of the financial support you know I 100% agree that that needs to come from the leading organization which is Okta and you know ever since I got elected one of the

Jessie LopezItem 2

issues that people always want to email me about or talk to me about is the construction. So I don't, this question is for city staff. Why hasn't the city pulled the permits due to all the bad things that have continuously happened in terms of the construction with this agency?

Council member, our public work staff has worked very closely with them and there were times when we did reach an impasse and that was a threat that was made to OCTA as far as not issuing any new permits until some of the construction site issues were addressed and OCTA did address those so it wasn't necessary.

Jessie LopezItem 2

Okay so I think the issue that we have here is that things are getting worse and then we're threatening them with we're gonna pull your permits and then things are getting better. So there's really no sustainable type of I guess good faith working together with the community of Santa Ana because we're only seeing something happen when we're being risk when we're responding to those complaints from the residents so I would like to see you come back in two weeks to address the overnight construction thought the county member found brought up the private security the banners and I also want you to

Jessie LopezItem 2

collaborate with all of the businesses not just two entities and downtown Santa I want to make sure that all of the businesses are being heard, feel supported, and they receive specifically what they are asking for, because I think the businesses are diverse in what they need. So, you know, I think you've heard a lot from us, and I hope that the rest of the council will ask you to come back in two weeks to give us an update. Thank you.

Great.

Thank you, Councilmember, and thank you all of you here, all my colleagues, for the constructive words that were given. I'm certainly not going to repeat what was said. I think everybody captured it comprehensively. I saw you all riding feverishly. I wanted to also just make sure to clarify something that Councilmember Lopez said. So the Youth Ride Free Program, which is free bus passes for anybody 18 and under, is now a permanent program. No longer a pilot program. That was something that was decided by the board of directors that was so important.

And a lot of it was due because of the youth in Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Youth Ballad for their advocacy. So thank you all. The only couple of things I would leave you with, Ross and Teresa, is that, look, this is a very different community. hitting social media or send on an email doesn't help the businesses that we're hearing from today. They need what I consider old school, you know, so, you know, flyers, Spanish language radio, print press, that's how, you know, we survive here in the downtown, many of our businesses. And so the reason why these 80 or so businesses gathered is that they really didn't have a home at either

of the two associations. And it's no knock on them, it's just they're different businesses. They align themselves differently, they operate differently, so we have to be nimble as well to be able to provide that resource for them because they have been legacy businesses that rely on word of mouth, they rely on a different sort of community, and it's not email, it's not social media platforms. Sometimes it is, you know, I know because our families had a business in the downtown for over 40 years, and they don't even have an email or a website, right?

So that's how these businesses have been able to survive, and that's why they're hurting so much now because we have to redefine the way we do outreach on their behalf. The other thing I don't want to have get lost is if you can please work with the contractor, and I'll do the same, reach out to the CEO to see if we can accelerate the construction. to the extent possible. We want to see if we can do that.

And finally, I just want to say that, look, I know that we can achieve a lot of what was stated by the council members and the public and the merchants. We're going to be working closely with OCTA, working closely with the county on funding many of the items. But I want to thank the city manager and staff because they are going to immediately work on a business interruption assistance program which is stimulus directly to the merchants. So we know that that is going to be important and again I think you know we should look at this as a campaign for the entire city and this

should be something that we're all saying shop downtown, shop downtown and if all of us can say that we can reduce the pain for the next next few months And if we can accelerate it, it becomes a much, much smaller period of time. And everybody gets through this. And we're able to enjoy a good summer, a good rest of the year. So on that note, thank you both for being here. Thank you to my council colleagues. Thank you to staff and everybody who came out here from the downtown. We appreciate you being here.

Let me go ahead and turn it back over to staff and begin with their updates and their presentations. I think the first one is going to be just the COVID-19 update, Madam City Manager.

Yes, it is. Good evening, honorable mayor and members of the City Council. Tonight we're going to talk about the test positivity rate and vaccine rates, along with some highlights of some of our revive programs.

So first starting with test positivity and vaccine rates. So this is the next slide. What you're seeing on your screen is a map of Santa Ana from the Advance OC Equity Map. This map uses what is called the Social Progress Index platform. This index is actually used worldwide and it includes population data in three broad dimensions. Basic human needs, foundations of well-being and opportunity. Low values in the legend are shown in yellow and high values are shown in purple. The lower the values, the lower the measurement of these healthy equity indicators.

While it's a little difficult to tell, each of the census block contains different sized orange circles, each depicting the seven-day average of the number of COVID-19 cases across Santa Ana census tracts. By comparing the social progress index and the number of COVID cases, we can see an inverse relationship. It appears that the census tracts with the lower progress index scores have higher COVID-19 cases. Keep in mind that the number of cases is a raw count. So what does that mean and how do we look compared to the rest of Orange County?

Taking a look at testing positivity rate by zip code, we can examine this metric differently. The chart on your screen depicts the city level test positivity rate as of February 7th, looking back past seven days, and we are at 8%. Santa Ana now has the lowest test positive rate in Orange County. These numbers are a reflection of the good work that our residents are doing, as well as the testament to the leadership of our mayor and city council to keep Santa Ana safe by taking a proactive approach to combating the coronavirus. virus. While we certainly applaud our residents for doing their part to stay safe by practicing

common sense measures such as wearing face coverings, social distancing, staying home when sick, avoiding large gatherings, and getting tested and vaccinated, there is still more to be done. Public health officials worldwide continue to encourage folks to get the COVID-19 vaccine. It is the most effective way to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19, And it will also help the pandemic come to an end. To illustrate where we're at with vaccines, here is a zip code level breakdown of the percentage of fully vaccinated individuals across the city.

And remember, individuals over the age of five are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine.

And as I always present, you probably get tired of me saying this, but we have lots of options of where you can get vaccinated. So on the screen, you will see three predominant websites you can visit, a phone number you can call if you still haven't received your vaccine. And then, of course, if you do have health insurance, you can always receive a vaccine through your health care provider. Now I want to pivot a little bit and talk about just highlighting some of the major Revive programs. As you know, Revive is a comprehensive COVID-19 pandemic recovery initiative designed to deliver

both short-term and long-term health, financial education and other supports to the Santa Ana community. It is funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan Act and spearheaded under the leadership of the mayor and the city council. So I'm happy to share some of the major Revive Santa Ana funded projects that we rolled out this last year. And so as a reminder, the Santa Ana 5K run, the Winter Village, the resident stimulus program and a series of small business assistance workshops. These initiatives have been successful, as demonstrated by the high attendance and participation in each of these programs.

We are actively seeing Santa Ana start to recover from the pandemic. Currently underway are other programs that were approved under the revived Santa Ana spending plan. This includes the feasibility study on a city-operated health department, which you're actually going to receive an update on tonight. sanitizing public spaces enhancing our covet emergency response distributing rental assistance to our households who need it the most and also expanding digital equity through a community survey so we will keep you posted on our progress on those initiatives and then lastly i wanted to

share with ones that we are now starting to kick off so we have as you can recall we approved a lot of different revive programs and as we have the capacity we are slowly rolling them all out So a couple of the exciting ones is we have, we're in the process of concluding competitive procurement processes, either by bidding or RFPs, to select contractors and firms to provide some of the essential services that you programmed in the Revive Spending Plan. This includes food distribution programs, including traditional distribution of unprepared

food, as well as serving hot meals, comprehensive youth programs, and investing in our public infrastructure including storm drain system and first street corridor.

And I just wanted to plug and add for an upcoming event. The library continues to expand its services offerings and promote digital literacy education, support youth and their families in developing skills to live, learn and work in the 21st century. So, not that far out in the future, the library is hosting a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of the Play and Learn Children's Patio on Tuesday, March 15th at 3 p.m. It's just outside of the main library's south interest and it will be open to the public at 3 p.m. And we will also have a variety of Revive Santa Ana funded digital literacy activities

that include our nonprofit partner, Child Creativity Lab, and we hope everyone can make it to that. That concludes my presentation and of course staff is available should you have any questions.

Great. Thank you for that presentation. And boy, this is impressive. This is good to see. These numbers are good to see. So thank you for bringing that to our attention. Let me go ahead and bring it back to the City Council. Let me start with Council Member Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 4

Yeah, quick question, Christine. My PowerPoint doesn't have a key, so can you go over this map

again? Oh, certainly. So it's taken from the worldwide measure of a social progress index, And the color coding, so the light coloring indicate that low values in the legend, which mean that in the measurements they're not doing well in the areas of basic need, foundations of well-being and opportunity. There's actually a large number of indices that are measured in it. So you see the census tracts, you see the lighter shades where they have the lower rating, and then the darker the purple would have the highest.

values in purple and then the orange dots which I know it's probably pretty hard to see on your hand out in front of you they represent the seven-day average of COVID cases and the larger the dot that would be more cases within that census track on it thank you

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 4

councilmember Hernandez thank you for your update madam city manager I'm I'm really happy with slide four to see that the test positivity rate is decreasing significantly and that our vaccination rates, some are as high as 84%. So I'm really happy to see that. And so the project's currently out to bid. I just want to urge any community members or nonprofit organizations that work with youth, whether it be early childhood support, Head Start, daycare, after school tutoring, athletics, youth violence and prevention, please reach out to us as a city, submit an RFP. We're

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 4

desperately looking for innovative, great programs to come to our city. So I hope to see some good

applications come our way. Thank you. Great. Thank you for that comment. Any other comments from the council? Seeing none, let's move along to the next staff presentation. That's item number five, and I believe that's Public Works, and they're going to give us an update on the solid waste agreement.

Yes, Mayor and Councilmembers, we have our Executive Director of Public Works, Nabil Saba, who is going to update you on this very important item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Your mic on? I think it might be.

Here you go. Can you hear me now?

Tonight I would like to provide you with a solid waste agreement and transition plan

update we will be discussing briefly a background on the on the agreement and the transition plan in addition to that we'll talk about the things that we need to know about the transition plan talk a little bit about the organics residential program and the multi-family commercial and industrial programs and and also on the neighborhood programs that we have been working on, in addition to the Clean City initiatives and partnering with Republic Services and the timeline for implementation of all of the above.

As a background, Council approved the exclusive agreement with Republic Services on August 17, 2021. It is a 10-year agreement with a five-year extension option. Republic Services is the second largest waste hauler in the nation and services Orange County cities. All rates are subject to approval by property owners through Proposition 218 process, which includes notification to the property owners and a public hearing which would be scheduled in May 2022. Things to know, the service days will remain the same.

That's really important to our residents that the pickup trash day will not change. City utility billing or the city will continue with the billing as it is right now for the curbside residential customers. All commercial billings will be performed by the public services. We will be receiving new trucks, carts, and bins. There is a service guide that will be provided to the residents to give them direction on what to expect. Coming soon, Republic Services will have an office in the city of Santa Ana at 2700 North

Main Street, the Wells Fargo building. Also Republic Services is hiring. those that are interested can go to republicservices.jobs. Organic recycling is a huge change for us, and it's coming across the entire city. California, I'm sorry. Senate Bill 1318, which focuses on organics, it is the California's short-lived climate pollution reduction strategy. It requires that all residents multi-family properties and businesses to recycle organics it is the law that

was became effective january 1 2022 a new program for organic recycling in san ana will begin july 1 2022. again organics will include food waste food soiled paper and yard waste residential The initial curbside program includes three carts, organics, recyclables and trash. The organics will be green, the recyclables will be blue and the trash will be grey. We have samples in the back of all of those containers.

We have samples for you to look at. and the size ranges from 96 gallons to 35 gallons. A curbside cart service, the delivery of these carts will begin on March 1 all the way to June 30th. Waste management will continue to serve the city, although the carts will be kind of a republic's services cart, but the service will continue to be under waste management. Residents will receive one each, trash, one trash, one recyclables, one organic cart.

And seniors and mobile home low volume curbside service will continue. The limit for that service is two persons per home with a 35-gallon cart only.

the pricing is there on that schedule again the curbside service will be 22.94 cents a month with those additional services that are being offered by republic services upcoming communications we have a couple of communications coming up at cart mailer and or also an initial mailer the cart mailer will include advising residents what level of service is on our record or what we have. We provide opportunity to then make a change, outlines the cost for additional services,

and the mailer will be sent over 16 months period based on the delivery and the exchange schedule. The residents can make change online or via phone or by calling Republic Services to make a change. The initial mailer will also be a brief overview of all of the residential programs that are upcoming. Additional services for the residential customer includes bulk item pickup, curbside motor oil and filter collection,

curbside universal waste collection, curbside holiday tree collection, sharps, walkout service, and annual compost paper shredding and household hazard waste drop-off events. There is neighborhoods programs. The dumpster program will continue. In addition to that, that we have a new neighborhood association trash containers. Right now we are sending a letter to all of the neighborhood associations, all 62 of them, to ask them about where they would like those trash cans be put on their sidewalks

all throughout the neighborhood, or the neighborhood, for them to be served, up to 14 per neighborhood. So what we're asking our associations is to tell us where do they like those trash cans be put on the right of way. Those cans will be steamed cleaned once a week. And again, communication is going forward. We send the letter today to all of the neighborhood associations for that information. Clean city initiatives, again, as I mentioned earlier,

we have negotiated with Republic Services about 55,000 man hours per year to this effort, the Clean City Initiative. I am really excited about this program to get started, which includes the pickup of abandoned items, litter cleaning, right-of-way trash container service. Those right-of-way trash container service is above and beyond the neighborhood ones. We have 250 coming throughout the city, in addition to right-of-way,

trash containers, steam cleaning, hardscape cleaning, sidewalk cleaning, portal service, and weekly alley cleaning services. All that is coming. For the multi-family and commercial and industrial program. Those are the new bins that look like that. We got green for organics, recyclables with the blue, trash will be gray again, and for food waste will be kind of brownish.

Multi-family commercial and industrial service includes the delivery of bins and the removal of waste management old bins. That will take place starting March all the way to June. The delivery will be the same. The size bin as it's being serviced right now.

Recycling coordinators will be working with the multifamily commercial and industrial customers on the plan for complying with the rules. and commercial cart service is available for commercial establishment that are constrained with space. Additional services, again, a program compliant, compliance include at no cost recycling coordinators that will help services, businesses to comply. We have also construction and demolition debris collection, temporary bin service,

multifamily bulk item pickup, holiday tree collection service, and commercial food recovery assistance.

Partnering with Republic Service is bringing a local hire, student scholarship and internship programs, charitable giving, facility tours, 100% clean fuel fleet, renewable natural gas, and also one electric collection vehicle. The transition plan includes the timeframe for that is from, it would start March 1st to June 30th, the delivery and the removal of the bins and the carts. Waste management will provide the collection of the service until June 30th. That's when the public services will take over.

However, between that timeframe, residents will need to continue to call waste management for the service. The last day for waste management to serve our city is June 30th. Effective on July 1, the Republic will start or begin its service to the city.

We're looking forward for that start date. and with that I can I'm available for any questions great thank you for that

presentation director Saba let me go ahead and start with councilmember Ben Yalosa and then councilmember Pham thank you mayor Sarmiento and thank you

David PenalozaItem 5

Nabilo director Saba for that presentation I'll be quick on page 10 additional residential services under the multiple items listed I just want to make sure that those are at no extra charge to our residents which is bulk at them pickups curbside use motor oil holiday tree collection the reason why I asked is because some of them have no charge listed next to them and others

don't there are all free to the residents okay and thank you for that and

David PenalozaItem 5

the other question I had is we are still because I didn't really see that under clean city initiatives or maybe I missed it or neighborhood programs that we are still going to continue the dumpster, the free dumpster days to our

neighborhoods, correct? That continues, yes. It's not included because it was not an addition. It was a program that has existed with waste management and it

David PenalozaItem 5

continues to be with Republic. Okay, which is good to know because I think we were just all expecting to see what services we're gonna are gonna continue and and be added. And the carts, the curbside carts, I also want to make sure, because I could already see this happening, that there's no lapse in, I could see, you know, someone's carts being picked up, and then, you know, Republic Service not knowing and not dropping off the carts, and so I could see homes going days without a cart because of miscommunication. I'm hoping that

That will not happen. Okay. The transition plan is to pick up the old and drop off the new. At the same time? At the same time.

David PenalozaItem 5

Okay. And you said Waste Management will service Republic Service carts in that meantime?

That's correct. Okay.

David PenalozaItem 5

And that's confirmed by Waste Management?

Yes. They have been working together all along, not only on the transition of the carts exchange, but also on the data and the information that we have and they have between the two companies absolutely sounds good

Thank you director Saba

Thank you for those questions councilmember Penalosa and by the way I see our friends from Republic out in the audience in the event that there any questions that the council members have I know you'll be happy to go ahead and address address them. Thank you for being here councilmember fan

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

Thank you, and I'm really glad you brought in the carts I'm a little bit of a nerd for stuff like that and it's great to be able to see them in person I can't tell I'm kind of short, but in the picture in the slide It shows it seems like there are decals on top of the bins that kind of say what can go into them So I hope you know, I understand that it's hard to translate things Hopefully the pictures are from real items so people can see if they can't read what they are I think that's just really helpful. I know a lot of people will put

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

things into organic when it should have, excuse me, trash when it could have gone in organic, etc. The other thing is similar to the bins, the commercial bins, in the picture that we have, I don't think it shows what exactly goes on there. I know with my HOA, they struggle to see what is actually recyclable. Like pizza boxes are not recyclable, for example. and I hope we can do that too for the commercial bins.

I know staff has been working really hard with the public services to make sure that it is in three languages, but not only that, it's visually clear on what goes in each one of them.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

Great, and the other thing I do want to stress, I know that in the presentation we say that we're going to work with a multifamily commercial, etc. but man we got to get these HOAs on board. We have a lot of HOAs here, there's sometimes a lot of miscommunication and I really hope that that's how we're gonna get the SB 1383 compliance for multifamily, right, with the HOAs being on board. So I really want us to stress that, whether it's in-person meetings, I want to put that to our Republic representatives, that we don't just try to do Zoom, but if we have to go out there, because not all of our HOAs are exactly active on Zoom.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

But with that, I'm really excited. I really do want to see that electric truck once it comes around, so let us know. I'll be out there. Thank you.

Thank you for those comments, Councilmember Fannin. As we gave some props to OCTA earlier, I want to give Republic some props as well. I know you had a tough negotiation with the Teamsters on your end. I think it was Local 396. So I'm glad you all worked it out as well before coming here. You know, that was one of the big reasons why we, you know, you were our top choice. So in any event, props to you all. Let me go ahead and go with Council Member Mendoza and then with Lopez.

I am very happy to know that our regular trash and our green trash will be finally separated into the appropriate landfill. My question is as to the organics, the food waste. I see there's a kitchen pail. Is that something that Republic will be providing, or is that something that each resident needs to get someplace?

Republic will be able to provide that pail at a cost.

Okay. Very good. We just let the residents know how to get one, so sign me up, please. And the other comment I have is to make sure that the public is aware that Republic also provides recycling for mattresses. So please call Republic and they have a program where your mattresses will not be going into our dump or to our landfills, but they will be recycled properly. So please remember just to call for a large item pickup when you have mattresses to recycle.

And that is it. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember Lopez?

Jessie LopezItem 5

Thank you, Mayor Sorento. Going back to Senate Bill 1383, I wanted to see if there could be a partnership between Republic and the city in terms of doing outreach, maybe like a mailer to everyone here in the city to let them know about the initiatives about reducing greenhouse gases because I see that there's a bin for food waste but the I think there might be a little bit of a disconnect with the color of the bin and the pail the kitchen pails and so I want people to understand that there's going to be a different format for single-family homes and multi-use I think that'll be important and I think

Jessie LopezItem 5

people are really excited about this and they just don't know how to go about it. So I think it would be very educational for there to be some sort of flyer that goes out, multi-language, that people understand that they have this option moving forward now. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to say thank you to our partners over at Republic. Hello. Thank you guys for working with your members of the Teamsters and for coming to an agreement I personally was very supportive of Republic's contract. I'm happy to see that you guys have a transition timeline. The transition timeline is very clear and thorough. I'm happy to see that. And the only comments I have is they do have a local hiring initiative and that's a priority to them. I do believe there's still some openings with you guys at Republic, right?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Okay, awesome. So community members, if you are in the search for a job and live in our community, please visit republicservices.jobs and apply. And with that being said, thank you guys for this

presentation. Thank you everybody and I think that's everybody on the council that wanted to speak so I appreciate those comments. Thank you to staff for that presentation. Let me move along to our last staff presentation, which is the feasibility study on the public health agency, and that will be an update from the city manager's office and CDA.

Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to turn it over to the executive director and assistant city manager. He's still doing a double role for us, so he can introduce health management associates who have a presentation. This is really an interim report. They're kind of at the point where they need some direction on a path to go forward, and And I will turn it over to Stephen.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the Council. Last year, the Council authorized Health Management Associates to provide feasibility and fiscal evaluation for a municipal health agency. Kind of the first of our, of all of the kind in the Orange County in the Orange County. There are some other cities exploring it. But we are, I believe, the first ones to actually hire a consultant to study. Tonight, Mark Morley has organized an update on their progress and asked Council for some feedback on the next steps of our process.

I'm sorry.

It's a good thing you're kind of loud. Yeah. I hope so.

You're so loud that I thought it was on.

Oh, good. Thanks. Please allow me to introduce Christina Altmaier and Jonathan Friedman with HMA who will be providing a brief update on their progress. And now I'm going to have to get this presentation up here.

Do you want to go ahead and do your introductions? Sure.

Good evening now. I'm Christina Altmer. I'm a principal at HMA and I'm joined by Jonathan Friedman. Hi, everybody. I'm John Friedman, Vice President of HMA for the Western States.

So we're here this evening to provide a brief update on the status of the feasibility analysis

And really, it's an important point in the project to sort of pause and review the progress that we've made and we have some pathway decisions that we'd welcome your feedback and direction on. Is this?

Male Speaker 1 Yeah. And I think you have the clicker. Female Speaker 1 I do. Thank you. So, this graphic shows you a brief update on where we are in terms of both completed and pending tasks. We appreciate the opportunity to meet with several city council members and we're going to share a little bit of summary input We have been looking at community conditions in Santa Ana and then trying to assess how well a public health department would it align with those priorities that we identified through Our discussions with members of the City Council. So thank you for that time

So here's a high level chart that starts to map the feedback that we heard in terms of your assessment of both assets that the city has, opportunities, some of the challenges that you envision with the creation of a public health department, and also some of the risks. And as you see in bold, some of the key issues that you identified in those interviews was really how the city council and city staff uniquely understands the issues and the impacts, as we heard in several presentations this evening, about what is critical to support the health of their residents.

And the experience of COVID raised the concern about the opportunity to provide more timely responses to the city residents and more nuanced approaches, given the fact that the city council has a more in-depth understanding of residents' needs. However, there were some both challenges and risks that were identified with creating a municipal public health department. questions about whether or not having a municipal public health department would really solve some of the underlying problems What would that what issues would it solve what issues would it create and also understanding the cost?

That would be associated with creating a public health department and that potential impact on other priorities and other budget resource demands I'm going to briefly highlight some of the community conditions and happy to answer any questions before we go into into the assessment of the public health departments. So our assessment really focused on what's called social determinants of health, which may be a term that many of you are familiar with, which is really the recognition that social environments in which people live, where they're born, where they work, where they play, can impact a broad range of health functioning

and quality of life outcomes. So this includes both behaviors as well as the conditions and with children and families and residents live in terms of violence, racism, the actual living conditions, safe housing, water, and all of these contribute to the impact and the quality of life and the quality of residents. So as we approach this work, we were really looking at what were, in what ways could the city impact social determinants of health and how does that align with public health responsibilities.

As has been talked about, there are multiple health disparities among people who reside in Santa Ana, both in comparison to other peer cities in Orange County as well as to the county overall. And Santa Ana residents fare far worse than comparable cities in several health outcomes, including rates of diabetes, childhood obesity, and maternal health indicators. And what we saw from the experience of COVID-19, that the pandemic has really exacerbated and highlighted these disparities. And this is similar to the chart that your city manager just shared.

This was as of December of 2021, and the darker colors show higher conditions of risk. And as this vulnerability map shows, there is a higher level of risk, those darker colors, in Santa Ana as compared to the county overall.

So now we're going to talk a little bit about the regulatory analysis and what we looked at to understand how public health department could advance some of the city's priorities. And the key question that we're really looking at here is digging into how are public health functions organized in California, what are both the mandates and what are the regulations and funding streams to help assess to what degree a public health function would really advance the priorities and interests of the city and the associated cost and impact. So just a few words about public health in California.

Public health is generally in most cases organized through state and county agencies. With very few exceptions, there's four cities in California that maintain their own public health department. Pasadena, Berkeley, and Long Beach operate full service public health departments. And then the city of Vernon, which is a very unique circumstance, has a limited purpose public health department.

So as we had the conversations with the city, we wanted to provide a little bit of context around understanding when we're talking about public health and how that intersects with kind of three different models. We have healthcare delivery, and we're going to talk more about that. Health promotion, which is really what cities can do and what communities can do to promote the health and address some of those social determinants of health. and then there's the public health mandated and discretionary responsibilities.

So when we talk about health promotion, this is a little bit of those comments that I alluded to earlier around social determinants of health. And this is what can communities do to promote healthy conditions and healthy environments and where people live to promote those quality of health outcomes. And all of those examples, self-housing, and transportation is listed here. This does overlap with some public health functions, particularly related to public health responsibilities for community education, tobacco control, housing inspections. But it's a subset of the public health responsibilities.

And then we think about healthcare delivery, which is pretty distinct and different from public health functions. And this is really the delivery of physical and mental health services that is funded through both public and private sources. When we think about publicly funded healthcare services, those are generally provided through Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid, and in Orange County, that's really provided by both CalOptima and the Orange County healthcare agencies. So there are some duties that overlap in terms of promoting access and education and referral to healthcare services,

but the healthcare delivery system is distinct from what we're going to talk about next, which is the core public health functions.

So the last bucket is really the mandated and discretionary responsibilities, as indicated earlier, that are really articulated in California law that focus on the reduction in the containment of diseases and really how communities address health threats within the public domain. We're going to go through these specific responsibilities, but these responsibilities are diverse and include specific responsibilities around monitoring, reporting, and responding to disease threats as you just experienced, as all of us have experienced with COVID-19.

Thank you, Christina. Members of the Council, Mr. Mayor, this chart here broadly defines the function across four domains of what a public health department does. It has a role in health assessment and epidemiology, which is vital statistics, birth and death records, and reportable conditions of communicable disease, and an assessment of morbidity, that's the disease burden, and mortality, which is death, and health risks in a population. That's a mandated function of local health departments in California, typically financed

by state funds that are allocated to local government. Health protection is something you're very familiar with currently because of your city role in building and code enforcement and so forth. a very similar type of function occurs in public health related to largely public establishments

where there needs to be a regulated activity, a risky activity. That can be food production, food for sale, vector control, animal, I mean tattoo parlors, recreational water, solid waste handling facilities, institutions like jails, hazardous waste generators, hazardous materials, etc. There's also lead poisoning and monitoring. There is a lead poisoning burden in California communities with properties before 1978 construction.

So that's typically a portfolio of activity of routine inspection, typically financed by fee offset type of model. disease monitoring response, which is, okay, somebody has a communicable disease, can we interrupt the chain of transmission? What's going on there? Can we immunize people against communicable diseases? Do we have a laboratory capability to determine the difference between the virus and a bacteria? There are specific control responsibilities of public health departments. a heavy emphasis in tuberculosis control.

It's one disease that has lots of required activities. These are mandated functions, often with discretionary service levels. So you have to do it, the degree to which you do it is a discretionary. You have to have specialized staffing, and particularly for the public health labs that require microbiologists, and they're typically financed by fees and state funding. Then there's this fourth bucket here, which is largely health promotion, maternal and child health, largely public health education and coordination across the public. A lot of that is discretionary.

There are certain things you have to do, like certain populations, but the degree to which you do it is discretionary. It's largely funded by state and federal grant streams.

This next slide is intended to put all of those into action. I'd like to focus you in the middle with the blue text. It says a daycare center reports that multiple children have exhibited similar symptoms and suspect that it may be connected to a foodborne illness. This happens every day in public health. What the boxes that are surrounding that show you the types of functions that have to come into play to solve that scenario. A public health lab that has to identify and confirm if there's a germ or a bug there.

Public health nursing to interview people who may have had contacts, provide guidance to parents and facility workers. Health education to the public in the event that it's public facing scenario. Education to affected parties. environmental health might have to look at food handling procedures and the facility conditions there. And the disease investigators have to pull in the case report. Somebody got sick, investigate the level of risk, determine the control measures, explore whether any health officer orders are needed. These don't run in a linear fashion, by the way.

Often we don't know the direction of a scenario like this. But that gives you a sense of the types of capabilities that have to come into play for a public health department.

In our view, the city's priorities, at least through our interviews and analysis, align strongest with the public health responsibilities in health promotion, including community education. If you were to assume the responsibility of a city public health department, you also We also assume an additional set of complex responsibilities of inspection, investigation, monitoring and reporting, operation of a public health laboratory. The state is currently reviewing the creation of municipal health functions. They anticipate guidance from the state as to what municipal health entities might look like.

Based on our discussions with state officials, we think it's very unlikely that the state is going to adopt what, in other words, would be the Vernon model, a limited scope type of approach. So the state is likely to embrace a model that says it's all or nothing. So you've got to do the whole kettle of fish for the public health function. You can't just pull bits and pieces of that. I will clarify just for your thought process here, the state has control of the public health body of responsibilities. And so the counties and the cities that have public,

they're not independent actors. They have to align, and in fact, it's the state health officer who could countermand a local health officer there. So there's not an independent, fully independent authority.

So, at this stage in the process, we wanted to pause and share these initial findings with you and get your perspective and feedback. So as John indicated, what we heard strongly was strongly aligns with a public health function in terms of community education. But there is that tradeoff of assuming those additional responsibilities. So as we look at this, we see two paths that we welcome your feedback and direction on, is really are there other options which we think we would encourage, you know, we'd like to suggest for your consideration to advance the city's priorities that may not involve

the creation of a public health department. And those would include this emerging model in public health of creating community-oriented health promotion models. Maybe there's a concept that's been introduced at the federal level of creating a chief health strategist model, creating different supplemental public health investments that would be side by side but separate with, separate from the mandated responsibilities of a public health function. Alternatively, as you see, the top line in this decision tree would be our next stage, SHOULD THE CITY COUNCIL BE INTERESTED IN PURSUING, CONTINUING DOWN THE PUBLIC HEALTH PATH,

WHERE WE WOULD DO THE PEER AND COUNTY ASSESSMENT OF BOTH COST, REVENUE, AND THE PROCESS REQUIREMENTS. BUT AT THIS MOMENT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD MOMENT TO PAUSE AND KIND OF SHARE SOME OF THIS FEEDBACK AND SOLICIT YOUR DIRECTION AND FEEDBACK ON THESE TWO DIFFERENT PATHS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAY HAVE. Thank you.

Great. Thank you for that. So let me just say just as an aside, that was probably one of the best presentations I've received on my time on the city council as far as the thoroughness, the level of understanding, kind of condensing really complicated statutory frameworks, just the challenge that we're trying to address in a way that's really digestible for those of us up here and those in the public. So let me just applaud you for that. And the second thing, I want to applaud my colleagues because I know that there are other cities that got way ahead of themselves without taking this step, which is probably the most critical.

And I know cities like West Covina, Whittier are kind of, for different reasons, obviously, those two communities are very different, but they went out and just said, we're going to start our own public health agency and didn't ask these really difficult questions and they're profound. Right, so I want to you know, thank my colleagues up here for being prudent and being you know extremely Thoughtful about you know venturing down this and and so I know it's becoming sort of a popular Topic as well. I heard that Irvine is looking at doing this as well

So, you know interesting because our demographic relative to Irvine is very very different. I mean if any community warrants this consideration it's this community and we have all the you you showed the indicia of the impact not just during the pandemic but pre-pandemic so I just wanted to start with those opening comments let me let me start with councilmember fan and then councilmember Hernandez and we'll go from

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

there thank you y'all and I actually have the same you were switching and you have the clicker I'm like oh they rehearsed this so that was really good the only problem I have is actually with Venn diagram which is not actually a Venn diagram. Just a point. Exactly.

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

Nerd about that. So I, you know, looking at this I know that one of, I was pretty ambivalent. I couldn't decide, you know, this is such a huge lift for a city like ours. I think I made that comment but then I think as I was talking to you about some of the concerns I had, I don't want to say I convinced myself but it it always feels like Santa Ana is treated as the black sheep of Orange County. Our issues are different, our concerns are different, and as someone who was raised here, I am someone who was a child who experienced obesity and still struggles with it. I am someone who grew up here in the city with asthma and

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

continues to experience it. I am someone who's, you know, both my dad's, my biological dad and my stepdad, as far as I know, smoked their whole lives. They were heavy drinkers and it's a cultural issue. And we have a lot of cultural issues and social issues here in the city that I don't think is a priority for the county. And so when you look at, I looked at your appendix, and you know we're talking about rates of asthma, obesity, preterm births, people who smoke, you know lack of health insurance, all of those things are issues that I don't see the county prioritizing and they will never prioritize in my opinion because we

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

don't make up enough of the county for them. And so to me those are the things that I want to see us whether it is in a public health agency aspect or just as a city work to educate and prioritize. You know we've had a lot of discussion with the public on this council about lead and the air pollution in the city and it's a result of redlining the freeways industrial those are not things that this the county is going to prioritize to address and educate or try alleviate and so for me I am obviously very interested in seeing what the costs

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

are if we did take this on because to me I understand that the state would have certain mandates that we have to comply with but I can also see that when the state mandates you know checking restaurants and stuff like that we also have a personal relationship or can develop personal relationships with our businesses and help elevate educate and promote local businesses to make sure that they understand proper food service you still have a food handlers license so I do understand that it's different and there's also a culture aspect to it

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

and we've seen that in both Latino and Asian restaurants that I think we can be better at addressing similarly when it comes to issues of communicable diseases like HPV. I don't know how as a high schooler I learned about the HPV vaccine, but I did. I want to know what level of vaccination for HPV is in our community here in Santa Ana. What is the level of education on STD given our high religious community and culturally conservative community? And I, again, don't know whether the county is really investing in that

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

type of education and going into our community centers so I guess my point is I am generally supportive of this because I can see us being more directly responsive to our local community in a way that the county in my opinion will never be and maybe that's a little bit dramatic but that's my feeling about it but of course all of it is going to be offset by what does the cost look like what the staffing looks like and what maybe if you have examples of what happened when pasadena or long beach made the transition and what that looked like for them

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

when they went from not having a public health agency to yeah it's um pasadena long beach and

berkeley are more of a historic artifact these responsibilities were with cities and in fact the city of los angeles used to have a very large public health department and it merged with the county in 1964-65 there as cities have developed most cities upon incorporation are deciding their functions there in most cities there are electing to have the county perform this function there are some there are some pieces primarily related to like recreational waters like swimming pools

Things that might have nexus to your with your with your code enforcement like housing Inspections sometimes there are some cities that have retained that but most of the communicable disease

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

Types of things vital statistics are with the counties got it. So anyway, that's just my only request in looking at what a cost Structure would look like and a staffing structure would look like in the city of the size of ours and you know what the transition time would look like, how long that would take, and who would be responsible at the state, you know, as our contact. Thank you.

Thank you for those comments. Council Member Hernandez and then Council Member Lopez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 6

Hello to the both of you. Thoroughly impressed with this presentation. It was actually a delight to follow along and to hear you guys talk about this. I'm supportive of this and I thank our mayor for introducing this idea. I think the pandemic really displayed the lack of support that the county gave us. I'm so happy, and I wish you would have got to slide 27, because you talk about the social determinants of health, poverty, and social progress. Overall, the city of Santa Ana has far more children living in poverty, 26.6%, than Orange County, 15.2%, and the state of California at 19.5%.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 6

And I think it's important, and this is why I'm supportive of this, and I want to see what the costs are, is because we have violent crime in the city. We have people that, you know, are on desperate measures that make bad decisions. They're not bad people, but there's bad decisions being made. And I think people forget that when the social determinants of a community are impacted this greatly, crime and public health then intersect. And crime is never just crime for the sake of crime. People just don't want to just be bad.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 6

But public health is really the crisis that we're facing. And I think this presentation accurately paints that picture. And especially when you talk about the community assessment findings, historically people of color experience greater obstacles in acquiring and maintaining health wealth and opportunity and I'm not condoning what happens in our community but it's why so many people are willing to pull each other down on their attempts to get out of that bucket and and it's really challenging because a lot of we have seen a lot of a lot of despair in our community during this pandemic and I think that this presentation gives us

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 6

some good direction and and it for me it inserts a lot more hope and yeah thank

you guys this was fantastic thank you council member council member I believe you were gonna say something oh sorry go ahead okay thank you so much thanks councilmember Lopez and then councilmember Penalosa and then Mendoza

Jessie LopezItem 6

Thank you, Mayor Serviento. You know, I don't think you're being dramatic, Countermember Fan, when you say that we are not a concern to the county. That is unfortunately the situation that we find ourselves in. Santa Ana residents are not, have not been a priority. And so this is why, you know, I supported this thought from the very beginning. I do want to see something come back in terms of the model, the associated cost, but I also want to know, you know, what are the other options that the city has in terms of a chief health strategist model I want to see that

Jessie LopezItem 6

too I want to see that breakdown that would be really helpful for me you know there are things that are very particular to the city of Sana'ana that we have known the residents have known about like lead in our soil but not just in our soil our pain and because of old gas stations that the county actually has received funding from the federal government and I only found that out like about two weeks ago and so that is the issue that we have here now we're trying to deal with transparency a lack of communication and openness and really just a lack of care for Santa Ana residents and so I 100% support this and

Jessie LopezItem 6

I hope to see that information that I requested come back thank you thank you

Councilmember Councilmember Peña Losa and then Mendoza thank you Mary

David PenalozaItem 6

Samantha I just wanted to thank you both for this and just voice my support for the feasibility of fiscal evaluation that you guys presented tonight. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember Mendoza?

I am also a huge advocate of our own public agency here. It is known that there's a huge correlation between the low-income families and obesity, so I'm looking forward to having this healthcare agency provide the education to our families and for us to find a way to provide nutritious meals and maybe partnering up with, as you said, with some of the local businesses and providing such food and maybe even our churches in the area.

And I would like to know how long before we can get a comparative cost report and when will you be coming back with that information?

This was kind of a point in time to check to get a pulse. I would say our original schedule was to complete this by March. We're a little bit running behind because of the sequencing. So I would say our goal will be to have this done by the end of the fiscal year.

Thank you, Councilmember. So I think those are all the comments. I just, you know, let me just begin by asking, by saying, so this is an unfortunate exercise we find ourselves in because, you know, I have colleagues throughout the state that are mayors that have great relationships with their county counterparts. And so there's just a really healthy, symbiotic relationship where there's just a spirit of trust and support. And that's not exactly what we've experienced here, and I think you've heard it much more graphically than that from my colleagues. So that's sort of the premise of why we're doing this.

I guess where I'm a little confused about is, do you want us to choose either or of these sort of, you know, flowcharts?

If there was a strong direction, certainly we would want to get that. You do not need to at this moment in time. I think what we were also trying to do is complicate your thinking a little bit about saying, there are other models, given that, as John indicated, it's unlikely that the state is going to allow a limited scope public health. SO ONE OPTION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AS AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CALL THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND THIS HEALTH PROMOTION MODEL THAT MANY COMMUNITIES ARE CONSIDERING. AND THIS IS KIND OF AN EMERGING INNOVATIVE CONCEPT TO CREATE A CHIEF HEALTH STRATEGIST

WHO IS FOCUSED ON BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ON PROMOTING SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS, THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITHIN EXISTING CITY RESPONSIBILITIES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CODE AND CREATING PARKS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND ALIGNING THOSE SERVICES. IT'S A MODEL THAT'S EMERGING IN MANY COMMUNITIES WITHOUT THE RISK AND BURDEN OF TAKING ON SOME of the more complicated public health functions. So we wanted to elevate that as a possibility for you to consider moving forward.

Well, that makes a lot of sense. I think just seeing both, you know, both paths, right? Whether it's full service or one that is, you know, kind of this new innovative model. I really appreciated you telling us where you see the state being on this because it gives us, at least it helps me have some context of, you know, what we're allowed to look at. But I mean, I really would like to see both just if we can quantify it staffing levels, you know Not as much detail as you know, you know I guess if we were starting up but giving us as much as we can to be able to also understand the we can do challenge

We can do that we were on a path to identify at the department and then Through discussions with the state knowing the complexity of the financing streams Some of these financing streams are complicated formulas among the counties. How easy would that be to repurpose them, get them rewired to Santa Ana? That's a type of, there's some potentially constitutional issues here as well. So we wanted to be able to present options because you have such a strong collective impulse to do something around health issues within your community.

so we wanted to paint these other options other cities are contemplating this as a kind of a value-added type of portfolio that would not take on the full obligation but there's things that the cities can do on top of maybe what the county is doing as an example got it

let me go back to a council member fan sorry just a very quick follow-up on that

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

because I guess if we're talking about like a department head without the full service model, you know, figuring out this constitutional financing situation, is that it's another cost on the general fund and then, you know, additional services to that department head that isn't like a full service, you know, county public or city public health department. You know, that's just how I'm seeing it.

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

I'm obviously not aware of any type of state or federal funding that says, hey, you want to have like another staff member that we can get a grant for that will pay to help do that work versus at least based on what you kind of showed, there are certain existing funding streams, whether from the state or fees, that are tied to that type of service that exists for county public health. Again, I don't know constitutionally how the budget works with the city, but I think that would be helpful for me in determining the cost.

We will lay that out for you.

Thai Viet PhanItem 6

Thank you.

Great, thank you. And I think Mayor Pro Tem Becerra had some questions as well.

Phil BacerraItem 6

Thank you. Kind of what the mayor said, I also want to see both options. I would really want to see it flushed out. I feel like when we spoke about kind of where we should be going, I was already kind of leaning towards that health strategist model. And because I looked at the reason for this whole discussion really came out of the pandemic and seeing how we were treated in regards to the county health agency. But I think that it's important for us before we take that step. And as the mayor said, you know, I think all of us are walking very cautiously because we know that if we jump into

Phil BacerraItem 6

this, this is going to be a very huge undertaking. My only question was, I appreciate that you had mentioned that it's your belief that the state would not allow a limited scope public health functions for a department. When do we think we'll see an actual decision from the state, one, just to understand whether they truly will not allow the limited scope, but also just to get an understanding of what they will really lay out as their parameters?

MR. Great question. My understanding is the state is contemplating issuing a regulatory filing that would define the pathway in which a locality would become a local health department. And within that, it would define the scope of what the service is.

Phil BacerraItem 6

MR. Okay.

MR. Among the challenges, just to play out the state's point of view, on this or the county's point of view. That chart that I showed you of the child care center, it's hard to coordinate a response like that when you have those boxes controlled by different parties. That's basically, you know, if the food inspection is controlled over in this agency, but all the other components are over in this agency, that creates a coordination challenge.

Phil BacerraItem 6

You never think bureaucracy, huh?

Phil BacerraItem 6

Well, no, and I think that's a large part of why we're looking at this, because, you know, to bring these functions under our roof and look at what we can do, what we can manage ourselves. But I think that, you know, I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys come back with, because, again, it's a large undertaking. and I think that we've got to be careful what we take on because while I think we have certain priorities that we want to accomplish or address, there are certain things that I think probably are beyond our scope and beyond what we can reasonably manage.

Phil BacerraItem 6

So, yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what you guys bring back to us. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for those comments. And last question is, what's the timeline for maybe coming back to us on this?

Doesn't have to be real specific just

We certainly can work with the consultants and see if there's another interim check-in before you complete And I believe you mentioned that you're shooting for the end of the fiscal year correct, so we could do one more check-in before June

That'd be great. Thank you both. Thank you. Appreciate the presentation Getting back to the Agenda let me go ahead and ask the city attorney if there's anything that she wanted to report at a closed session

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 6

Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council, members of the public. We do not have any reportable action this evening.

Great. Thank you. Moving along to the public comments section of the meeting, I think we had some public comments. I think it was helpful to pull those public comments out of order when it came to the issue of the downtown. So we'll go and address the balance of the public comments on general agendized and non-agendized items. and I will read the request to address the council cards for those of you who are here in person and then I'll hand it over to the clerk of the council to call on those members of the public that are with us virtually so let me remind everybody you have three minutes to speak if you could please state your

name let us know not your address but where you live in the city if in fact you live in Santa Ana and what ward would be helpful so let me begin with Adam Wood followed by Daniela Hernandez followed by Ceci Rivera

evening mayor council and staff Adam Wood Building Industry Association thank you for the opportunity to talk tonight here to speak on the who once again something we've addressed many times so I'll keep it short I know it's getting LATE BUT EARLIER THIS WEEK THE DRAFT HOUSING ELEMENT WAS RELEASED SO WE WENT THROUGH THAT DID A LITTLE HOMEWORK ACCORDING TO WHAT IT SAYS IN THERE SINCE 2011 IT LOOKS LIKE 33 AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED ON SITE AND THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING FUND HAS PHYSICALLY PRODUCED 107 UNITS TOTAL SO IN A 10 YEAR SPAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ABOUT 140 UNITS THAT SHAKES OUT

TO ABOUT 14 UNITS A YEAR NOW IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOUR SIX CYCLE RHENA IS REQUESTING OF YOU THAT'S ABOUT 1471 UNITS AT THE CURRENT PACE THAT THE WHO PROGRAM THAT EXISTS IS PRODUCING UNITS IT'S GOING TO TAKE YOU ABOUT 100 YEARS TO COMPLY WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S ASKING YOU TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS I THINK WE HAVE SOME PRETTY TANGIBLE EVIDENCE RIGHT THERE THAT THE POLICY PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE DOESN'T WORK WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT Do not go back to the way it was. In fact, the policy proposal that is on second reading or proposed for second reading is worse than what was there before.

We'll actually have a slower rate of production. So let's not go down that road. I think we've heard from even proponents that there are, quote, they still have concerns and, quote, it's got problems. There's a general consensus this is not the way to go. So let's go back to the drawing board AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS. WE CAN'T WAIT AROUND FOR 100 YEARS TO GET THIS FIXED. THANKS.

THANK YOU. DANIELLA HERNANDEZ, FOLLOWED BY CESI RIVERA, FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER GRAJEDA.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR SERMIENTO AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DANIELLA HERNANDEZ, AND I AM A SAN SANTA ANA RESIDENT IN WARD 2. I AM 17 YEARS OLD, AND I ATTEND ZIRGESTROOM HIGH SCHOOL. I volunteer with America on Track. I am extremely disappointed that a flavors ban is not being heard today. While council is delaying the ordinance, more young kids are being hooked every day. I hope you've had a chance to read over the Valentine's cards that were delivered yesterday by our America on Track youth members. They were written by parents and youth of the community that are concerned about the

well-being of our city please take action and protect us thank you

thank you for that Ceci Rivera followed by Jennifer Grajera followed by

Jasmine Torres good evening mayor Sarmiento and City Council members my name is Ceci Rivera and I am a Santa Ana resident in Ward 6 I am 16 years old and currently attend Middle College High School, and I'm here to talk about the disappointment that I have because a tobacco flavor ordinance is not being discussed tonight. When we delay on this issue, more youth are getting hooked on this deadly product, and I want to say that each and every one of you here have the real power to do something to protect our youth. If we're being realistic, the youth in Santa Ana need all the help we can get,

and what our kids don't need is a nicotine addiction that could have been prevented had we been there to protect them from it. If you don't, who will, is the question. So I urge you to take action against flavored tobacco products and protect us. Thank you.

Thank you. Jennifer Grajeda, followed by Jasmine Torres, followed by Lenny Spagena.

Hello, Mayors, Memento, and City Council members. My name is Jennifer, and I'm a Santana resident. I live on Ward 5. I'm very disappointed on our issue on ending the sale of all-flavored tobacco. That is not being discussed tonight. When the issue comes up, we need a comprehensive ordinance with no more delays since we've been coming since December and no action has been taken. In order to do this, that will protect all of our youth here in Santana, so please take action now. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Torres followed by Lenny's by Anna followed by Hugo Cola followed by John Hannah were you was your name called or did I skip you yeah I'm think Jasmine

go ahead good evening mayor Samantha and City Council members my name is Lenise and I'm a Santa Ana resident I live in Ward 6 and keep this short I'm really SAD THE TOBACO FLAVOR BAN IS NOT BEING DISCUSSED TONIGHT WHILE THE COUNCIL DELAYS MORE YOUTH GET HOOKED EVERY DAY WHEN THE ISSUE COMES UP WE NEED A COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCE WITH NO MORE DELAYS

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND PROTECT THEIR YOUTH THANK YOU THANK YOU WE HAVE UGO COLA AND OR JOHN GO AHEAD I THINK UGO MAY HAVE LEFT GOOD EVENING MR MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS CITY MANAGER

uh john hannah like adam i'm here again to talk on the housing opportunity ordinance i'm not going to give you a hundred years story but i will say this that i've heard from council member becerra about how uh under a prior uh ordinance uh or actually the existing one we had a lot of four of units built and all I can say is that the problem is is that you're building these these units and most of them are market they're not affordable and they're not workforce housing

and that's why you have to give some guidance and incentives the other thing is the housing opportunity ordinance has language that will still make it applicable after you remove some THE SPEED BUMPS IN THE GENERAL PLAN AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT'S KIND OF BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE GENERAL PLAN IS THE LACK OF FOCUS ON WHO'S GOING TO BE BUILDING THESE HOMES I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH WITH

ADAM AND AND MAYBE WITH YOUR STAFF TO TRY AND WORK SOME THINGS OUT BUT I CAN SAY THIS THE CITY is a leader the the language that you're contemplating in this housing opportunity ordinance is is is setting up the pace for other communities just like your your transparency ordinance is being now emulated and strengthened in cities like san diego and other cities are looking at it to try and get rid of wage theft and payroll tax fraud. So I would encourage you to,

I don't know if this is going to be continued again. If it is, we can always look at, you know, massaging some of this language. Anything can be improved. But you need to take that step forward. And you need to take the step forward in my space, which is the workers, to make sure that we're prioritizing local hires, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REDUCING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION. AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ALTERNATIVES FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRITICIZING THIS HOUSING OPPORTUNITY ORDINANCE. WHAT'S THEIR SOLUTION FOR INCREASING SANTA ANA AND REGIONAL WORKERS?

WHAT'S THEIR SOLUTION FOR BRINGING A REDUCTION IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF CONSTRUCTION IN SANTA ANA? SO YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF THAT WHEN PEOPLE CRITICIZE. AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO TALK. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK HERE.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE EXCELLENT COMMENTS, JOHN. WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER, RILEY WILLIAMS, AND I JUST WANT TO UPDATE THOSE OF YOU WHO CAME TO SPEAK ON THE TOBACCO BAN ORDINANCE. THAT WILL BE BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON THE 1ST OF MARCH. SO IT WILL BE BEFORE US VERY SOON. GO AHEAD.

GOOD EVENING, MAYORS, CHERIMENTO, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS IGO CODA AND I'M A SAN NANA RESIDENT. I LIVE IN WARD ONE. I'M 14 YEARS OLD AND I ATTEND MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL. I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF AMERICA ON TRACK'S YOUTH LEADERSHIP CLUB AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT IF LAVORS BAN IS NOT BEING DISCUSSED TONIGHT. WE WERE TOLD THAT YOU WOULD PROTECT US FROM TOBACCO COMPANIES IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY BUT NOTHING'S HAPPENED SO FAR. WHEN YOU DELAY THIS ISSUE TOBACCO COMPANIES WIN. WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE TAKE action and protect our loving community from flavor tobacco.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Riley Williams, is Riley in the audience? All right. I think that was the last speaker that we had for an in-person comment. Madam Clerk, do we have anybody on the line or virtually?

Yes, we do. Thank you, Mayor and members of the council. So for those that joined us by way of Zoom or conference call, please virtually lower your hand if you wanna provide comments on the general plan only, which is public hearing item 26. Please hold your comments for the general plan until the mayor opens the public hearing for that item. And with that, I did want to also announce that we did receive written communication On non-agenda comments, one Santa Ana organization provided a comment in support of the flavor tobacco ban ordinance.

One Santa Ana resident commented on the order of agenda items and asked that council update on bike shops, oversized vehicles, code enforcement, red tag buildings. And on item 25, two Santa Ana organization and two county organizations in support of the WHO amendments. One commented from a Santa Ana resident on possible FPPC violations. And one county organization commented on the possible charter violation.

And with that, Zoom ID, Jennifer Rojas, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device and announce if you want to speak on any item other than the general plan item.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Jennifer Rojas, and I'm a policy advocate and organizer for the ACLU of Southern California. Thank you for receiving my comment tonight on item 27. I'm speaking today out of concern for the item and the proposed exploration for a, quote, campaign against crime. For the last several months, law enforcement associations across California have sown fear in the public and in the media to push for the regressive policies and inflated law enforcement budgets that have come under popular scrutiny since the murder of George Floyd.

Without more information on the intent behind agenda item 27, we can only assume that the national discourse about crime, the ongoing Santa Ana Police Officers Association contract contract negotiations and the impending budget cycle serve as key motivations for this proposal. We wish to make one point very clear to the Council this evening. Increasing law enforcement presence and funding does not make our community safer. Police do not prevent violence. They respond to it. And even then many police departments are alarmingly ineffective at holding anyone accountable

for violent crimes and this is reflected by low clearance rates nationally. Policing is not an effective tool to reduce violence. Investing heavily in policing is not evidence-based. SAPD has received 40 percent of the city's budget year after year and the over reliance on policing as the single solution to violence is outworn, limited, and flawed. The good news is that we already know what works to build safe and healthy communities, and much of which was discussed throughout the meeting tonight.

Investments in housing, health care, jobs programs, education, after-school programs, gun control, environmental design, and violence interruption programs have all been proven to quantifiably reduce violence. For example, one study found that every additional community-focused nonprofit in a medium-sized city leads to a 12% reduction in the homicide rate, a 10% reduction in violent crime, and a 7% reduction in property crime. This means that every dollar we divert to law enforcement, we take away from providing community focused services.

Every dollar we remove from the system of policing helps to fund the services that we need for real meaningful public safety in the city of Santa Ana. It would be a failure of public policy to have the city of Santa Ana double down on the false belief that police prevent violent crime. We urge the city to strengthen and scale the important investments made in community-based care

for meaningful public safety thank you. Thank you. Zoom ID Hector Bustos if you would please select

the microphone icon on your device. Hello my name is Hector Bustos and I'm a resident of Santana and the communications director at Chispa and I'm here to speak on agenda item 27. as we all know this year in 2022 three council seats will be up for election one of those seats being council member mendoza's so it's not a coincidence that we are beginning to see council member requested items like item 27 council member mendoza's proposed campaign against crime that will surely be at the center of her campaign the item on the agenda doesn't give us any

information on what this campaign is all about but from what i know about council member mendoza this can't be good i'm not here to say that safety isn't important i'm here to say that the way that the city council has traditionally gone about public safety is utterly wrong we've seen that this system of funneling millions of dollars into the police department and increasing sapd's budget year after year hasn't effectively tackled the issues of public safety. We see increases every year, but we see no progress. So when the council member speaks on this item today,

I hope we all have a common understanding that what we are about to hear is a regurgitation of stale, tough-on-crime rhetoric in the lead-up to our next city budget negotiations and city council elections. I know this item isn't about real solutions to public safety, because council member Mendoza has consistently voted against community safety so let's talk about her voting record she voted against hazard pay for grocery and retail pharmacy workers when COVID cases and deaths were at an all-time high she voted against tenant protections even

though so many of her constituents stood in front of her and shared their deeply personal stories about their housing insecurity and their fear of eviction. Now she's standing in the way of updating the Housing Opportunity Ordinance to ensure our community has access to affordable housing. Good paying jobs and access to housing do more to make our community safe than reactionary police spending. Councilmember Mendoza is out of touch with her constituents. Her campaign against crime is nothing more than fear-mongering and political grandstanding during an election year to distract constituents of her past voting record

in which she has opposed policies that attempt to uplift working class people. This is following a pattern that we've seen the right wing take across the state in a concerted effort to increase bloated police budgets and roll back transformational justice reforms. What Santa Ana needs is a campaign for community care and safety in which the city invests in jobs, housing and healthcare resources that help residents stay on their feet. Thank you.

Thank you.

Caller with the last three numbers, 010, if you would please select star six to unmute your call or the microphone icon.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you. You may proceed with your comment.

Yeah, hi, Victor Mendez, Ward 3. A brief response to those comments about item 27. By the way of backroom, i've been a member of the aclu for about 40 years until 15 and i've studied police budgets i'm a reformer on police so i can only state that that these commenters and other people really need to study the police budget the police budget as a matter of gem as a proportion of the general fund has actually gone down over time it was at one of the highest levels and probably santa had a very progressive government or council so these numbers are really going down i do feel there is

more work to do so let's get out of these euphemisms and get down to the real specifics uh there's issues around how they spend their money in these cars there's a lot of areas for savings in the police budget uh but i never see these folks show up and talk about them uh but just for the council knows uh this police department is probably running about 38 percent and the average for the county or independent city city department is probably about 43. So let's get down to these numbers. Let's talk about facts and let's talk about solutions. I know they're out there. I've been a crime victim.

I've had a mentally ill person stick a knife in my chest. I've been ripped off by landlords. My car has been broken into. So I kind of get this, okay? But I'm not going to get angry. I want solutions. I want these problems solved. But let's do what's the Santa Ana way. Effective and intelligently. With respect to the health department study, You know, you're right. I listened to that and I imagined everything with an incredibly well presented study. I fully kind of agree with, I think what Council Member Pham was talking about, about more of a health strategy officer and the proposition support health.

And I think we can support health and housing, planning, services and environmental sustainability. How this intersects with Dr. Ramallah is something to be worked out, I guess. but I think going to the chief health strategy officer for the city would be an excellent investment and something that I think can have long-term effects. In terms of this relation with the county, I'm a CalOptima member and I actually have a pretty good relationship with how CalOptima works. I've been to the board to help with upgrade. Perhaps the situation should be not working through the county, but working directly with CalOptima.

In that respect, CalOptim is doing a lot of work on marketing vaccinations. I'll send you this card in the email tomorrow. But their vaccination rates for the members, I think, are probably approaching 80% overall. I'm sure a good portion of them are Santa Ana. And I think they have a lot of things to share. But unfortunately, time will prevent me from going there. 15 seconds left. But I'll reach out to the chief medical officer. And lastly, it was good to talk about small businesses today. I've been talking about it for a year. I'm sorry it had to be a little more volatile,

but perhaps we need to start taking consideration of our small business.

Thank you. Your time is up. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Zoom ID Penelope Lopez, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device to unmute your call. Thank you. You may proceed with your comment.

Hello, Mayor Sarmiento and members of the council. So my name is Penelope Lopez and I am the organizing director at Chispa. I am calling on behalf of my organization to talk about agenda item 27.

This agenda item is concerning to us because of council members Mendoza opposition to a real solutions that actually create public safety. And of course, her voting record in favoring special interests instead of the interest of her community. And this conversation also falls in line with the police lobby, lobby statewide campaign to sow fear in the public against local and statewide justice reforms. And it's also no coincidence that it comes at the outset of the city budget cycle and the election season.

And to be clear, more cops do not prevent crime. Cops do not prevent crime. they react to it. Supportive programs that prioritize access to economic opportunity, housing, provide substance and mental health treatment and investments in youth and community support. Alternatives are what lead to a reduction in violence and create stronger, healthier communities. In this past budget cycle, the council voted to shift 1.1 million of the Santana Metro Division budget to resources that further support youth engagement and crime prevention.

These are exactly the types of investments that need to be in the next budget cycle. So we call on the city manager and the staff to agendize the item and approve the proposal to invest in youth life organizations, youth services and youth jobs. It's time for the city council to invest in real public health solutions that are proven to prevent violence. Allocating more money to law enforcement will continue to be a failed public safety solution. We need real solutions, real investments in youth and resources that lead to real public safety. Thank you.

Thank you. Zoom ID, Daisy Cruz, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device.

Hi, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. You may proceed with your comment.

Great, thank you. Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Stacey, and I'm with the Kennedy Commission. I'm here to comment on item 25, the Housing Opportunities Coordinates. It is well known that 80% of renters in Santana fall into the moderate, low, and very low-income categories, and 84% of residents hold low-income occupations that pay less than $53,000 a year. According to SCAD's 2021 local housing data, across Santa Ana's 41,000 renter households,

61% spend 30% or more of their gross income on housing costs. 29% spend 50% or more on just housing costs. Although the city has met its arena goals, the need is still very large among families at Santa Ana. Affordable units and layers of protection are incredibly important for families still recovering from the impacts of covid and difficulties even prior to covid policies and ordinances such as the who seen in cities demonstrate more affordable housing development the commission encourages the city to increase the percentages for inclusionary units

required especially among low very low and extremely low income and we encourage the city to also update the inlou fee to 15 or more per square feet to be in line with the regional inlou fees that is fair and allow the city to fund affordable housing for its residents thank you

thank you zoom our caller with the last three numbers 271 if you would please dial star six to unmute your call or select the microphone icon

Caller with the last three numbers, 271. If you would please dial star six to unmute your call. Thank you. You may proceed with your comment.

Yeah. Hello, Mayor and City Council. My name is Monvalo Vicente. Hello folks, call me Boomer. I'm a resident of Santana Ward 4 and also serve as the Policy Director for CHISPA. I'm here to speak in support of item 25 to strengthen the housing opportunity ordinance of WHO. First, I wanna affirm that housing is a human right and that everyone there's access to safe and affordable housing. Housing is intersectional to all the issues that we're talking about today in this city council meeting, public health, policing, COVID relief. It's been proving that access to housing actually prevents crime.

Right now there are many working families in Santa Ana that continue to be impacted by the rise cost of housing and also the scarce housing opportunities available at rent that they can afford. because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us and many of our families still continue to face economic uncertainty. It's crucial that the city strengthened the WHO to ensure that housing opportunities are available for all residents in Santana, along with new housing options being created in the city. I also want to reaffirm the data that Daisy said in terms of 80% of renters in Santana fall into moderate low and very low income categories.

and 84% of our residents hold low income occupations that pay less than 53,500 per year. I support the amendments to update the in-lose fee up to $15 per square foot to be in line with the fee that's fair and allows the city to fund much needed for affordable housing for Santana residents. I hope you take into consideration the amendments and proposed recommendations to the WHO. These recommendations will help the city increase the affordable housing options for residents and also help the city meet their equitable housing goals. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor, that was the last caller.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let me go ahead and bring it back to the council and ask if there are any items that they wish to pull off the consent calendar or any items that they wish to abstain or recuse themselves from. Council Member Fan.

Thai Viet PhanItem 7

I'd like to pull all... I'm just kidding. Okay, so I would like to announce my recusal from a number of items due to a financial conflict of interest as These are clients of my employer, Rattan Tucker What item was that council? Oh, it's items. So it's just the I Terrace Inc. Agreement and item 17

Thai Viet PhanItem 7

Aldridge electric and number 18 and then Dyer 18 LLC and number 22 But because this is a consent count or these are consent calendar items I don't have to leave the room, but I will be abstaining from those three agreements specifically Thank you

Do you wish to pull any items off? No, but just quickly

Thai Viet PhanItem 7

a comment on item 12 rather than pulling it is I will be Seeking this is regarding the special events in the upcoming budget discussion I will be seeking an addition of a an event that is tailored to our Asian American community specifically the Vietnamese American community as we have a large community and there are no events

For that specific community. Thank you. Thank you for that any any other members of the council

David PenalozaItem 7

Council member Pena Losa, please. Thank you Mayor Samantha. I would like to pull items 12 and 18

Great any other members of the council wish to recuse themselves or pull any other items off Seeing none, I'll go ahead and entertain a motion for the balance of the consent calendar. So moved. Second. We have a motion by Mayor Pro Tem, a second by Peña Losa. Madam Clerk, if you'll please, or colleagues, if you'll please vote on your device.

We're off the big board, I guess.

Okay, so motion carries with Council Members Lopez, Mendoza, Peñalosa, FAN, Mayor Pro Tempecerra, Mayor Sarmiento voting yes, and Council Member Hernandez as absent.

Great, well, he's here. Yes, just for the vote.

Yes.

Do you want me to go ahead and, that's just for the consent items? Yes. Okay, thank you.

Great, thank you for that. Let me go ahead and start with items number 12 and 18, and I think they were both pulled by Councilmember Peñalosa.

David PenalozaItem 12

Thank you, Mayor Saramita, and I'll be very quick. Item number 12 is the city produced special events for fiscal year 21-22 and proposed for 22-23. The reason why I pulled this, and I had this conversation with the city manager during our discussion over this, was, Madam City Manager, one of the events proposed for 22-23, I know we briefly discussed celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at various Santa Ana locations, but one thing that just didn't sit well with me is that the word Fiestas Patrias was omitted from this initial description of it.

David PenalozaItem 12

Our community here in Santa Ana and at large in the Southern California region is very familiar with the fiestas patrias term so i would hope that that continues to that comes back and is front and center of this celebration and that that you know what we historically have have seen in our downtown um parade and and the it continues um i don't i i just worry but just by looking at this that it would be a scaled back event of what we've typically be seen in the city so can you just assure me that that won't be the case

certainly councilmember panel so one of the things we want to do is expand the celebration and include a lot of additional things it was not intentional leave off the description of Fiesta Patris it is going it will be included and incorporated in the event and I would just suggest that this is a receiving file if any of you have any additional feedback feel free to reach out to me individually or even directly to our executive director parks okay

David PenalozaItem 12

thank you and just to double down on what councilmember fan had mentioned I know that there was a relatively majority support during the budget discussion about acknowledging our Asian American community whether it's TEP parade we just had the TEP parade last month in Westminster and I know there was some issue of the city not being a sponsor but even if it's sponsoring and partnering with our local little Saigon communities to to expand that I would be supportive of them would like to see that in the future with that not sure if

David PenalozaItem 12

this needs a motion for approval because it's a receiving file

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 12

yeah I'm done thank you thank you councilmember councilmember Hernandez Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you for pulling this item for a topic of dialogue. Councilmember Peñalosa, I want to thank our city manager and staff for bringing a diverse calendar of celebrations. I'm so happy to see the Santa Ana Winter Village being brought back. So happy to see Indigenous Peoples Day celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Fantastic work to staff and to our city manager for getting this done. I just give you all my affirmations. Thank you.

Thank you for those comments. Seeing no other comments, that was received and filed. We'll go ahead and move on to the next item. That was Council Member Peñalosa. Was that item number 18?

David PenalozaItem 18

Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Number 18 was to approve a lease amendment with Aldridge Electric to extend the term two years to February 19, 2024 with the one-year renewal option. in light of the discussion that we had tonight with the OCTA streetcar construction and our merchants. I'm not comfortable, and I mentioned this in our meeting as well, Madam City Manager, approving this, and I know it's just space in our, let me reiterate, approving the one-year renewal option. I'm okay with the two-year extension to 2024, but I want to make sure that if these contractors are going to plan to extend it again, you know, they come to

David PenalozaItem 18

us to see, you know, about these spaces that they're renting in our Santa Ana train station. So I would make a motion to approve item 18 without the one year renewal option.

Great. Thank you. Is there a second for that?

I would second that.

Great. Thank you, Council Member Mendoza. So we have a motion and a second. Any discussion on this? Any questions from the Council? I don't have a problem with that. And if there's nothing that staff has real heartburn over this, I think it's just an adjustment on the term.

Yes, we do. I mean, we are trying to activate the train station, and this is a revenue generator for us. So if you do have a business that wants to rent 5,000 square feet of space in it, it does create a monthly revenue for us. But I understand Council Member Penaloza for wanting to just modify the terms to drop the one-year extension after the two-year period.

David PenalozaItem 18

And thank you for that. Like I mentioned earlier, activating the train station. We'll be bringing in some good coffee shops, a brewery, some restaurants on the ground floor. this, you know, allowing a contractor that we want them to hurry up this construction work, giving them that one-year extension, I don't see that as a... But with that said, thank you, Mayor. That's it.

Great. Seeing no other comments, Madam Clerk, if you'll please, well, I guess colleagues, if you'll please vote on your device.

Okay, motion passes with Council Members Hernandez, Lopez, Mendoza, Peñalosa, Mayor Potembecerra and Mayor Sarmiento voting yes and Council Member Fan abstaining.

Great. Thanks, everybody. That brings us to the business calendar, item number 24, which is a continued item from February 1st. This is the proposed license agreement between the city and Santa Ana Unified for access to the Memorial Park parking lot, and I'll turn it over to staff.

Thank you, Mayor and Council Members. So this item was before you, and it raised a number of questions on is the terms the best? Is it going to impact the public that want to use that park? Is it going to have impact to you sports organizations? So in the staff report, you will see where your Executive Director, Lisa of Parks and Rec, went painstakingly through all the questions and provided the answers. and in summary she was able to modify the terms that I think will meet the needs of the questions that you had the last time and primarily it is the school

district opening the gates and leaving them open at 3 p.m. during Monday through Friday and she did do research on the youth sports organization and there are very few that you to have permits that start before that time on weekdays this is again only for Monday through Friday so we're available to answer any

questions on it? Thank you for that summary. I'll go ahead and bring it back to the council to see if there's any questions or comments. Councilmember

David PenalozaItem 24

Peñalosa. Thank you Mayor Sarmiento and thank you Executive Director Rudloff and Madam City Manager for working on this. So just I just wanted to confirm the new the amended contract now is going to have the parking lot gates open Monday through Friday at 3 p.m.

That is correct, sir. And then the park staff will close it, close the gate at parks closing.

David PenalozaItem 24

I saw our executive director nodding. Come on up, Lisa.

The contract is as stated in the 1.3, section 1.3 you were talking about at the last meeting. It's the same. So, nothing has changed in the contract. However, and by the way, the school district is on Zoom right now to answer any questions you may have. Okay. But the contract remains the same, and so when the school is finished, when school is out, then they will open the gates and the public can use the parking lot. But nothing has changed in the contract that you had before you.

David PenalozaItem 24

Okay. because I know when I had my briefing with the city manager, she mentioned that this, the, because it is an elementary school and I mean, I live a block away from this school, you know, teachers are gone. I mean, by 2 PM, it's an elementary school. Um, so I would hope that we don't keep these gates closed till 6 PM. Um, so as soon as they leave, yes these parking lot would be available for our students I mean for our

community absolutely yes and we have we made parking signs we'll have parking signs up to instruct the public of the changes and the parking lot use and we'll

David PenalozaItem 24

have those up tomorrow okay did reps from the school district want to comment

I guess they are on zoom if if there's any um uh comments they have to make and

all unified school district all those have been unmuted so if you want to unmute your call in

you may hi good evening mayor uh council members this is Andy Putney director of construction at Santa Unified School District we're here just to answer any questions you may have we're more than welcome or more than we're going to be working with you as close as possible we can to make this a win-win situation so I have my team members on with me David Butte from Tilden and Coyle Albert Belanos from SAUC construction supervisor and also our principal from Washington to the elementary school. So if you have any questions,

I'm sure they'll be more than happy to address any questions you might have.

David PenalozaItem 24

So the only question I had is, is this parking, are these parking spaces being rented out for the construction team working on the school? Cause I know, or is it the teachers?

What we're trying to achieve here is we're trying to have the staff members and the teachers park over there to alleviate some of the congestion we have during drop-off and pickup of the students that makes it a lot safer for the community and for the students along Flower and Amherst.

David PenalozaItem 24

So I guess that the principal of the school would best answer this question. What time usually does your staff at your school clear out? Because it's an elementary school and I don't see them being there till 6 p.m. Maybe I'm mistaken. Can you touch on that?

Yes, thank you, Mr. Penaloza. And hello, Mayor Sarmiento and City Council. This is Mr. Steve Bayouk, the principal at Washington Elementary. We have a staggered dismissal at the end of the day. So we have, you know, we're preschool through fifth grade. We have dismissal starting at 2.05, ending at about 2.25. And then we have an afterschool program, but the majority of staff will leave by about 2.30, three o'clock. and then some do stay and work after school. So I think that's where they got that 3.30 time period. But the majority do leave between 2.30 and 3.00.

David PenalozaItem 24

Okay, thank you for that. So I guess now my final question, and I'll wrap up, Mayor, to our Executive Director, Rudloff. So since the majority of the staff does clear out by 3.00, 3.30, would that parking lot be available then for our community to use? yes even if the contract still says 6 p.m correct yes and that's going to be by by way of signage

yes we're going to have signs posted and once the gates are open and and locked open

David PenalozaItem 24

the community is free to utilize the the parking lot okay so i guess so how does can can i formalize that through through uh an amendment to this contract or is it just something that you guys

are going to handshake on. Let me clarify a little bit. So the school district is still leasing the site until 6 p.m. It's an arrangement that the executive director has reached with them to open the gate at 3 p.m. But certainly if the school district is still using a few spots within that parking lot, they have the right to. And that's what's memorialized in the agreement. The agreement is their right to utilize it to 6 p.m. Okay. Does that make sense? Which I'm okay with.

David PenalozaItem 24

but I just want to make sure that after 3 p.m. the gates would be open for our community to use if they if they need to. Okay, and I'm fine with that. And and the principal of the school, is that something that you also understood?

Yes, 100%. You know, my staff is very thankful to be able to utilize the park to park during the day. And they understand, you know, the need of the parking lot for the public. once they leave. So we are totally fine with that and we're very happy to support the use of the park through the public once school is over. That's beautiful. Thank you so much for being

David PenalozaItem 24

on the call. With that said, Mayor, I will make a motion to approve the item. Great. Thank you for

that. Is there a second? Second. Great. We have a motion and a second. Any further comments or questions from members of the council on this item? Seeing none, I just want to thank SAUSD staff for being on the line and for being collaborative. You know, as we work together on this issue, I know there'll be other issues that we've worked with with SAUSD in the past and with hopefully all our school districts in the future. So, colleagues, if you'll please vote on your device.

Motion passes 7-0 with Councilmembers Hernandez, Lopez Mendoza, Peñalosa, Fan, Mayor Pluton Becerra, and Mayor Sarmiento voting yes.

Great. Thank you for that, everybody. Moving along to the next item, item number 25, which is the Housing Opportunity Ordinance. And I believe I'll go ahead and either ask the city attorney if there's any updates or Councilmember Fan. I'll go ahead and call on Councilmember Fan

Thai Viet PhanItem 25

before the attorney. Sure, thank you. So as you know, I have received a complaint regarding this item as to a potential conflict of interest. FPPC is investigating and because that can take more than a year or it could take up to a year, 90% of cases are only resolved within a year. Due to that concern, I will be recusing myself on this item. So just out of an abundance of caution and waiting for that item to come back

Thai Viet PhanItem 25

or the FPPC to give a final determination on that matter. So pursuant to FPPC regulation 18707, I will be recusing myself during the discussion of this item and leave the room while it takes place. Thank you.

Mayor Redekopoulos- Great. Thank you for that explanation. Let me go ahead and bring it back to staff. If there's anything to add, I think we've all had presentations on this. There's been a first reading on this already. So we're actually, just to remind everybody, we're at second reading. Mayor Sauranto. Mayor Redekopoulos- Give me one second until she leaves the room. So-

Mayor Sauranto- That is correct, Mayor Sauranto. It was presented, and this is the second reading.

Mayor Redekopoulos- Yeah. Let me go ahead and that being said, that was a new element to this. So that's one of the things that we wanted to address. So now let me go ahead and bring it back to the council to see if there's any questions or comments or any other items, Mayor Pro Tem.

Phil BacerraItem 25

Mayor Sarmiento, I abstained on this item on November 16th and I will be doing so this time as well.

Thank you for that council member. Any other questions or comments from members of the council?

All right, seeing none, just a question for Madam City Attorney. So we now have a quorum of five. Well, maybe not a quorum of five, but maybe we have five council members. So are we looking at what's in order for adoption or a failure to, you know, consent and approve, what are the rules now? Are we looking at a simple majority of the existing members of the council or what's the threshold here for the vote?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

That's a great question mayor. Thank you. Yes, you do have a quorum a quorum of your body because there are seven of you a quorum is Constituted whenever you have four You have five members here present, but according to the Santa Ana City Charter section 410 as except as otherwise provided elsewhere in your charter an ordinance or a motion or a resolution can only be passed adopted or become effective when at least you get at least four affirmative votes of the majority of the full membership of the council so your charter requires you to have

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

four affirmative votes of the full membership of your council to adopt an ordinance or a resolution This is consistent with the California Government Code. 36936 says that ordinances, resolutions, and all actions for the payment of money shall also have the affirmative votes, the majority affirmative votes of the entire membership. So you would still need four votes to pass this ordinance.

Got it. Thank you for that clarification. I guess, you know, here's another question. So to the extent that that is what our charter says, that's not what state law says, right? So we have been more aggressive than state law on having a threshold or, you know, a number of votes to adopt, correct?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

So your, yeah, your charter is actually consistent with the state law. But what is interesting is that your charter is not similar to other charter cities. So I've worked with a number of other charter cities. And other charter cities, I can give you language, for example. they say actions of the council require a simple majority vote of the quorum present. And if you had had that language in your charter, then three of the five of you could pass this ordinance. But your charter mimics Government Code Section 36936.

Got it. So let me bring it back to the council that's here, present, for consideration. And we obviously have a number of options before us. We have a first reading that was adopted on a 4-3, from what I recall, and we're now at second reading. So let me go ahead and call on Council Member Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 25

Thank you, Mayor Cervento. City Attorney, please send me that language about the simple majority.

Jessie LopezItem 25

And another thing, we obviously clearly know why Council Member Fan is recusing herself. Can you remind me why Council Member Becerra is recusing himself?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

I think we need to have him do that. That was done back in November, and I don't recall specifically.

I have a clarification. I think we need to decipher the abstention and a recusal. There are two different things. Would you please expand on that, City Attorney?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

Yes. So we have a recusal by Councilmember Fan under state law. She is asserting in an abundance of caution because a formal complaint has been filed against her. She cited the applicable FPPC regulation, stating that she would not participate because that complaint is pending. The abstention for someone to step away when they are otherwise would appear, based on the information we have, legally able to vote but are making the choice, a decision not to vote, would simply be an abstention. Got it. But an abstention is not an A vote, right?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

It is not a vote. There are some cities that do have some rules that say that if you choose to abstain when you do not have a conflict of interest, then your vote is counted with the majority vote. But we do not currently have such rules on our books.

Jessie LopezItem 25

Great. So can you send me examples of those type of ordinance as well?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

I sure can.

Jessie LopezItem 25

Thank you. So I'd like to make a motion to approve the item.

Great. We have a motion on the floor to adopt the ordinance. I'll second. We have a motion and a second.

Any other comments or questions? We have a motion and a second on the floor so we can open it up if there's any further comments. Seeing none, council members please vote.

okay

okay my motion fails with council members hernandez lopez and mayor sermiento voting yes council members mendoza and penalosa voting no and then um council member fan recusing and council Mayor Plotem Becerra abstaining.

Great. Let me just ask a question of the city attorney before we leave this item.

Let's assume that the FPPC addresses the complaint that's been filed against Councilmember Fan and provides an opinion letter that allows her to participate. And she comes back, you know, let's say within a few months of that.

And this is reconsidered again. It would be raised back on first reading. It would have to go back to first reading or does it go back to second?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

That would depend on the action of the council. So there was no action taken this evening because the action failed. So you could give direction to either bring this back for a fresh first reading or to ask staff to put this on hold until we can determine the qualification of councilmember fan to vote so if you wanted this to come back to you as a second reading kind of table it you know to a specific date meaning that date upon which we get the final word from the fbpc you can do that there's no rule in the charter that says you can't it just says that you can't adopt a second reading

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

within five days it doesn't say you have to do the second reading within 120 days so that

Depend on the direction to staff right so right now as it stands

For us to be able to Say we like it to come back for consideration as a second reading item would that be a Three-person majority out of five or is that a four-person majority of this? So that's interesting

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

let me just double-check because Your charter says, except as otherwise provided elsewhere in the charter, no ordinance, resolution, or motion shall be passed, adopted, or become effective unless it receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership. So even for a motion to direct staff to bring it back, it would require four votes.

Got it. So at this point, it would have to be four votes for us to even consider it on a second reading.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

Correct. We sometimes have items that don't get action, but the city we might say well We will get you more information and so we just bring it back to you on the agenda But in this case because you have not taken action of the second reading you would need to specify We would need to tell us to bring it back at some definite point We'd need four votes for that direction

Got it. We're obviously not going to get there

Jessie LopezItem 25

I have a question but because I've requested information now on two of the things that you've mentioned can this come back to us without necessarily a motion being taken tonight.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

That is really a matter of practice and how we choose to agendize items. I would say if you were asking questions about the ordinance itself, substantive questions about the ordinance, I think we have a practice of just continuing the item. The questions that you're asking about are related, you know, to voting procedures are a little bit different. And so I would say that you likely need to give us direction to bring it back to you. we would not normally, and I'll defer to the city manager because this is kind of her area, but we would not normally, in my experience here, bring back an item for second reading months later.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

Thank you for that clarification.

Understood. And I think, you know, just to wrap this up, last question is if we reconsider this, can there be retroactivity on any of these projects that are now being considered sort of post the failure of this approval of the second reading?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

So you couldn't impose these fees on projects that are already, you know, permitted? No, no, no.

Not the ones that are in the pipeline, so that are already in the queue, so to speak, but those that are now that would pursue an application after, you know, this date, I

guess.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

Yeah. Yes. I mean, the vesting moment for these types of fees is not when someone pulls an application. under state law vesting only occurs when there's a vesting map when there's a development agreement or when they've actually poured concrete so anyone who would come to the city right now anyone who comes to the city today and pulls you know files an application they could be subject to changes that you impose whether those are new fees or new requirements the only way you get out from underneath that is with a vesting map a development agreement or vesting

under state law. Understood. Great. Thank you for that explanation. That's, I guess those are questions that I kind of knew, but I wanted on the record. In any event, that concludes that item. I think you can have the other council members come back in the room. That takes care of that,

unless there's anything from staff on this item. No, just to comment that, I mean, the item can return with an intro and a second reading and I'll follow up with the city attorney because I believe the with SB 330 all that vesting does occur at the time of a development application so your question would be can you amend the ordinance to have and it effective with a certain date for development applications and that's something I think we're probably gonna have to

research a little more got it thank you I think that is correct

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 25

There may be exceptions where the state law says I think that's like for affordable housing.

Maybe if both of you could circulate something to us for the council just as background. So thank you for that. Let's move along to item number 26, which is the public hearing for the EIR and the amendments to the general plan. And before we hear the matter on item number 26, I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to the clerk to go ahead and recite some instructions for those who may be waiting.

Thank you, Mayor.

Actually, Madam Clerk, can you hold off on that? Let me go ahead and turn it over to Council Member Fan on this one as well.

Thai Viet PhanItem 26

Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, City Attorney and Mayor. So this item was agendized for the City Council meeting on December 7, 2021. Earlier that day, the City received a communication-alleging conflict of interest on my part regarding the WHO. And then that raised concerns regarding conflict of interest for the general plan. So at that time out of an abundance of caution I moved to continue the item and ask the city attorney to seek formal advice on my behalf from the Fair Political Practices Commission. Since then the GPA has been twice continued while the city's request for advice to remain pending. However,

Thai Viet PhanItem 26

recently the FPPC declined to provide advice because in its view the requested advice would impact the pending complaint regarding the WHO that's currently being investigated by the FPPC. So accordingly, out of an abundance of caution and to limit personal liability on this item, I will recuse myself from further participation in the proceedings on this general plan matter. Thus, I will be leaving the room while this item is being discussed. Thank you.

Great, thank you for that. Go ahead, Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Mayor. For members of the public court, excuse me, joining us by way of Zoom or conference call, and would like to make a comment for this public hearing item number 26 on the general plan, please dial star 9 from your phone or select raise hand from Zoom now. Thank you.

Thank you for that. Let me go ahead and open the public hearing on this and see if there's any members of the, if there's a presentation, first of all, from staff. And maybe it could be very abbreviated because let me just explain why. We have some comment cards here, but I am not prepared to move on this item tonight. So given that, I'm just prefacing, I don't think there will be a majority vote. There certainly can be a vote to consider it, but I am not. So I'm not sure if you want to hold that till later or give us, again, maybe a thumbnail version of that.

We'll do whatever the will of the council is. So, sir, are you going to make a motion to just continue it, and we'll do the presentation in the future?

Well, we can make a motion to either consider it tonight. I don't think it'll go anywhere. You know, I don't think there'll be votes to adopt because we need four. You know, just my forecasting of it, but I'm not sure we can go ahead and call the question. But I assume that this is going to be an extended presentation that staff will be giving.

So we'll just make ourselves available for any questions then, sir.

Great. Why don't we go ahead and do that? And maybe, you know, if there is that appetite, we can go ahead and, you know, have that presentation. But let me go ahead and call on members of the public if there are any here to speak on this item. And let me open the public hearing on that. And maybe we'll hear from the public first on this. And let me call on Mayra Ruiz, followed by John Hanna, followed by Renee Lancaster.

Mayra Ruiz.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF BUSINESSES IN THE AFFECTED AREA. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WITH THIS GENERAL PLAN, MY BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO NOT BE THERE ANYMORE. SO I WAS BORN AND WRACE IN SANTA ANA. I'm a first generation Mexican American and me and my husband started the business 20 years ago. I have one in Logan. I have one on 5th Street and it's a tow truck companies.

So I know that those areas are of interest I guess to build apartments and I'm just concerned to see like what's going to happen next. So are you guys just going to be like, you know, saying, hey, you know, you guys just have to go somewhere else. And then we have contracts that are sensitive because we work with the sheriff, with CHP, with Sanana PD, Tosin PD. So I'm just concerned what's going to happen with my businesses. So that's pretty much what my concern was.

Great. Thank you for that comment. John Hanna followed by Renee Lancaster followed by Juanita Lee.

THANK YOU MR. MAYOR COUNCIL AND JOHN HANNAH ORANGE RESIDENT YOU KNOW I COMMITTED TO MEN THAT I WAS GOING TO COME HERE TONIGHT AND NOT OPPOSE THIS AND SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD THING BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS BECAUSE THIS COUNCIL WAS GOING TO PASS A HOUSING OPPORTUNITY ORDINANCE THAT WOULD have that would take care of the problem when you eliminate the speed bumps the things that slow the development down so that people have to consider community benefits you have to replace that with something and that's what the who was and i know it wasn't perfect i've talked to council members

who have different criticisms of it but the one thing that it did was it looked after uh or two things that it did, it looked after the workers' interest and trying to empower more Santa Ana residents to be able to get work here. And second, help the environment by removing the environmental footprint where we have people coming from all over Southern California to build. And so I think that my recommendation tonight is, well, the general plan has some good things, as I've told Ben.

It does make development easier in certain places. But when you take those guardrails off, we know what will happen if the private sector has no guardrails at all in the direction. The workers get the shaft. So those of you who want to have this general plan amendment, I think have an obligation to say that you're going to revisit the other issues. AND I THINK THE BEST TRACK IS WHAT THE MAYOR IS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S HAVE A PAUSE. LET'S DISCUSS THE GENERAL PLAN. BUT LET'S HOLD OFF AND CONTINUE THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, JOHN. RENE LANCASTER, FOLLOWED BY JUANITA LEE, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA MEYER.

THANK YOU AGAIN. NOVA ACADEMY EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL. AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE AGAIN THAT OUR STUDENTS CHOOSE TO ATTEND NOVA ACADEMY TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR COLLEGE GOALS. AND IT IS AN EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE HAVE ALL OF OUR FRESHMEN IN COLLEGE COURSES AS WELL AS DIFFERENT STUDENTS ATTENDING COLLEGE IN PERSON AND HAVE TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM DURING THE DAY. We're right around the corner and we're here to say that we looked at the adoption of Santa Ana's general plan update and we are excited and appreciate your efforts to revitalize the city of Santa Ana.

We've seen so much being done in the recent years. However, we want to respectfully remind you that our school is located within the boundaries of the plan and I urge you to consider the safety again and well-being of the 400 students and staff who are on campus each day. On their behalf, I ask that you look closely at your rezoning plans and how they may affect the learning and well-being of our students. Our presence at this public hearing is intended to strengthen our partnership with the city and allow for more collaboration, including prioritizing the learning environment and again the safety of our students.

So I'm hoping as I'm standing here before you that you realize the students that attend NOVA Academy are attending schools and colleges like Stanford, like UCI, UCLA, and we are giving them an opportunity and we want to make sure that corner of Ross, I know it sounds crazy, but that corner of Ross and that street right there on 3rd and the traffic and the OC trolley has really put our students and our parents pick up and drive up in safety issues. So I hope you support us and really look into that as you think about your general plan update.

Thank you so much again.

Thank you for those comments. Juanita Lee followed by Melissa Meyer.

Good evening. My name is Wani Tali and I teach the English language development courses at NOVA Academy Early College High School, which I have done this for the past 13 years. And our students have, many of them, seen NOVA Academy as a second home to them. And we offer several support programs after school our teachers have office hours until 4 o'clock where we are assisting them not only in their college courses but in the academic courses

that they are taking at the school to get their high school diploma and go on to higher education careers and opportunities past high school and prepare them for all of those. So our concern is just that you recognize the contribution and we appreciate Santa Ana that we're making to the students that come to our school and the investment in their lives and in their futures. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Melissa Meyer.

GOOD EVENING. I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR AT NOVA ACADEMY. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 12 YEARS, ALSO A RESIDENT OF SANTA ANA. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE. I THINK IT'S GREAT, ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, WHICH, YOU KNOW, Many are welcomed by many people, but with those changes also comes some hardships for many people and Part of the the hardships are the construction the ongoing construction right in front of our school

With current projects so to think about the general plan bringing even more long-term construction projects around minors and students that are right now somewhat compromised due to the current construction and their safety. There's you know we had a fire alarm go off in our school ended up being a drill which was wonderful but we were able to practice our exit and really see that getting out of the building with the

fence just 50 feet in front of your main exit was very challenging we had a staff member trip and fall on an uneven sidewalk that was due to the construction that's right in front of our school so thinking about ongoing construction long-term construction without considering the safety not just a vision of safety but actual action of safety and planning around our school community

which serves students in Santa Ana so we just ask that when you're considering all of the variety of things that you have to consider all of the variables that you put safety first not a plan for safety but actual day-to-day safety and I know that that is something that is high priority for the council members because we've been to several meetings waiting to comment on this particular item and we've got to hear lots of commentary on many items and that really has resonated with me personally how you

all put safety first so just think about Nova Academy and the the kids that are going to be affected on their walks to school when they need to exit in an emergency, when they're hanging out and there's fencing that isn't secured, large machinery that's parked and there's no security, just those kinds of things when you're considering this general plan. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. Madam Clerk, do we have any members of the public that wish to address us that are online or personal?

Yes, we do, Mayor. For those members of the public who would like to participate in providing a comment, please dial star 9 to raise your hand or select raise hand on Zoom. And before I unmute the first person on Zoom, did want to also provide comments that we received, written communication we received. For item 26, we received 31 Santa Ana residents or businesses providing input on the general plan and 23 non Santa Ana resident that or didn't disclose their residency providing input. And it was various comments.

And with that, Patricia Flores Iravazal, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device to provide your comment. Thank you.

Thank you. Good evening, council members. My name is Patricia Flores Iravazal. I'm a resident of Santana Ward 1 and the director of Orange County Environmental Justice. Since 2018, our organization has fought to resolve the decades-long crisis of lead contamination in Santana. Our research has demonstrated that the majority of residential neighborhoods in our city have soiled lead levels beyond the California EPA safety threshold of 80 parts per million, the point at which it begins to affect the IQ of children. Many neighborhoods in our city have lead levels 25 to 50 times higher than this threshold,

and most of the impacted residents are low-income immigrant families with children, primarily renters. Lead has impacted generations of residents here. Elders who grew up in the city are being re-exposed to lead as their bones degenerate. We presented this research with city staff, and while they have adopted some of our policy recommendations, there is still no commitment to remediate lead contamination in Santana in the general plan update. There are also no provisions to work with Orange County Health Care Agency to provide health care for the thousands of uninsured residents impacted by this crisis.

Until these issues are addressed, we are asking you to vote against approving the general plan update and the environmental impact report. Let me be very clear. If you pass this general plan without addressing these concerns and the concerns of other community groups like Madison Park Neighborhood Association, not only will you continue to be met with community opposition, but your legacy will be allowing a public health crisis with roots and racial segregation to continue to devastate our community. This is your opportunity. We be known as the city council who knowingly allowed children in your wards

to be poisoned by the ground beneath their feet. Or you'll be known as the bold leaders who took decisive action to end this environmental health crisis and to care for residents that chose you as their representatives. Your legacy is in your own hands. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Zoom ID Jairo, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device.

Good evening members of the council. I'm Jairo Cortez. I'm executive director at Chiefs Bend. I'm just calling to support the efforts of organizations like OC Environmental Justice and Rise Up Willowick when it comes to the concerns around like the environmental like impacts like within like the general plan, as well as what the plan like does and doesn't do to increase, to address like our current like deficit and park space. Thank you.

Thank you.

Zoom ID, Jose Rea, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device to unmute your call.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we could hear you. You may proceed with your comment.

Yes. So thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to address council. So I just wanted to bring to your attention a letter that was sent to you yesterday from our Madison Park Neighborhood Association president. I've been a resident of Santa Ana for 35 years, the last 23 in the Madison Park area. and the neighborhood association submitted the letter to reiterate our opposition to and concerns with the city of sarana general plan update the mpna request that the city of sarana

one postpone the plan of february 15 2022 vote to adopt the general plan update and fully engage with residents and community members and considers environmental justice community concerns and examples submitted in the letter to satisfy the environmental justice requirements in the city of Sonata. Some of the concerns include outdated technical studies and also inadequate response to policy requests related to community engagement, environmental risk mapping and remediation, emission studies, plan remediation, environmental justice,

transparency, accountability, green space, and land preservation. In November 2021, MPNA aligned a number of policy goals related to the pollution mitigation, public health safeguarding, and requesting that the city incorporates these policies into the general plan. The city has yet responded meaningfully to MPNA's request. In adequate response to environmental enforcement request, Mr. Sierra also requested from Mr.

Alvaro Nunez, an assistant director of planning and building to provide a statistics on the

violations by Markland Industries, which is right across from Kennedy Elementary. and we're still waiting for a response from Mr. Nunez.

We also, another concern of us is the inadequate efforts to meaningfully engage the residents in the middle of the pandemic. And the minimal that the city has come a long way, with disrespect, but we still need to do far more engagement in the community. we also provided several examples of best practices in environmental justice that will help the city of san iana satisfy the sb 1000 requirement and including we suggested some some policies like in san pablo when some of this gives you a very good example of how to do mitigation or remediation

that meet the requirements for SB1000. Thank you.

Thank you.

Zoom ID, excuse me, Zoom ID, Karen Romero Estrada, if you would please select the microphone icon on your device. Hello, can you hear me? Yes, we could hear you. You may proceed with your comment.

Thank you. Good evening. My name is Karen Romero Estrada, and I am part of the Rise of Bullet Coalition, and I'm also a West Amaheim resident. I'm here to speak on item number 26, the general plan adoption. I believe a city has the responsibility to make its city livable for its existing residents, which includes creating more parks and affordable housing and minimizing actions that exclude and displace residents. The general plan does not effectively address the environmental concerns residents today have consistently raised as well throughout the general plan update process. Santana is one of the most,

if not the most density in Orange County, but only 4% of the city's total land and is used for open space, a number that we're already familiar with. Luckily the Rise Up Oloi Coalition submitted policy language and recommendations on August 6th, 2021 and December 7th, 2021, to help address the city parkland deficit. We propose that in order to meet the increasing needs for open space, the city needs to increase the open space element park standard to a ratio of three acres per thousand residents. The city also needs to increase parkland dedication requirements for new development projects

in order to meet the city's enhanced park standard. And the city should require that parkland created by dedication be located within a half mile walking distance of the associated development. To preserve current open space, the city needs to adopt a known loss policy for open space and parkland and strengthen provisions on replacement of lost open space. This policy should apply to all open space, not just parkland to be clear. and Risa Boloick has already provided this policy language. On a different note regarding agenda item number 27, I urge the council to instead of investing more funds to Santa Ana Police Department,

which already received 40% of the city's general fund, to invest in true community care and safety resources such as supportive programs that provide access to economic opportunity, housing and mental health treatment and substance rehabilitation. These programs will help reduce violence and crime in a way that is more caring for the community lastly tonight as you deliberate your vote or if you don't in the future i urge you to implement riseable recommendations and ground your votes on promoting the well-being and collective health of our community thank you for your time thank you

zoom id luis sarmiento if you would please select the microphone icon on your device Thank you, you may proceed with your comment.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council, and everyone listening. My name is Luis Sarmiento. I am Program Director for our Community Land Trust here in Santana, Drive Santana. And I want to echo many of the comments I've heard before me raising some of the issues that have not yet been addressed in the general plan and also ask that you not approve the general plan this evening.

I do want to also give some appreciation and thanks to those city council members and staff who have taken time to listen to community recommendations and incorporated some of those. I think that we still have a long way to go to really have a general plan that represents the interests of Santana residents and a vision of development that really prioritizes the needs of our local residents.

In addition to the issues around environmental justice, which we also support the recommendations of our neighbors from Madison Park neighborhood as well as the Orange County Environmental Justice organization.

We've also brought up the issue of the need for a community implementation committee in meetings, both with staff and council, some sort of a committee or body that would allow for ongoing accountability and collaboration between local residents, community organizations, and city staff.

There's several other areas which we have discussed around anti-displacement language, and there while some programs have been incorporated into the housing element, which we're happy to see language around community land trusts around working with mobile home residents. We don't see any of that language reflected in other elements of the general plan. And we think that the general plan, especially the land use element could do much better to represent the interests of Santana residents.

15 seconds left.

While it's been a lot of work to see, you know, some of these small ideas represented in the general plan, you have developers like Mike, Hera.

Thank you. Your time has expired.

Have an exclusive zoning code.

Luis, your time is up. Thank you so much.

Dedicated to one project. So we'd like to kind of balance that out to have. Thank you for your time.

It's expired. Thank you.

Zoom ID Jabari Brown, if you would please select your microphone icon. Thank you. You may proceed with your comment.

Yes. Hello. Can you hear me? Okay.

Yes, we could hear you.

Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. My name is Jabari Brown. I'm an attorney with the Environmental Law Clinic at UC Irvine's Law School. commenting in support of Madison Park Neighborhood Association and Orange County Environmental Justice's position opposing the approval of the general plan. The city's lack of meaningful community engagement does not meet the legal requirements of SB 1000. Since October 16th 2020 when the California Attorney General highlighted the basic purpose of SB 1000 is to provide

environmental justice communities with a meaningful opportunity to engage in government decisions that affect them now still over a year later the community has not been fully heard there simply must be better engagement from the city with community groups meaningful engagement does not mean holding a few meetings and sending out a survey that engages with less than one percent of the population meaningful engagement implies and requires a two-way process

so at the planning council i mentioned only one person out of dozens of people stood up in support of this plan everyone else asked for the matter to be returned speaking publicly just to be ignored is not meaningful engagement it's cynical and disrespectful to the communities santa anna has some of the most vulnerable populations of color in the state for pollution exposure. So the city should take its time to partner with environmental justice groups or even form an environmental justice advisory committee made as a supplement to the public health department

cities being contemplating today to meaningfully engage on the significant lead problems and the host of other harmful environmental impacts these communities communities face. Community input on the direction for the next 25 years of Santa Ana is a threshold issue so before the city allows unequal distribution of toxic emissions the community must be heard before the city can even address the housing pollution the burden the poverty unemployment linguistic isolation hazardous waste cleanup and lead in the soil and the water the community must be heard

postpone the adoption of the general plan listen to the community and create a better Santa Ana

thank you for your time thank you zoom id Kayla asato if you would please select the microphone icon

hello um Kayla asato former resident of Santa Ana uh in the uh near the Edna Park neighborhood head i just wanted to mention like and echo what everyone else has been saying about the general plan and how we need to postpone its adoption we haven't gotten the things that we need on housing on environmental justice and so many other things yet we're trying to rush through something that

has been that will have like lasting impacts for decades like there's so many environmental justice groups on uh applying tonight and probably in chamber as well talking about how we need to create this environmental justice um committee and if the city truly wants to honor the demands of of its residents, then I don't understand why we're trying to push through this general plan. Like I understand that it needs to be adopted and it's on a strict timeline and everything, but like still we should be getting community input.

We should be actually working with community to get solutions in. We shouldn't be like saying like, uh-huh, good. I appreciate your concerns. We're not doing that. like if there's something like um soil lead testing in residential neighborhoods uh implementation action 2.4 of the safety element expressing commitment to work on our organization to understand the prevalence of environmental lead and contamination Santa Ana if there's no commitment to collaboration with the Orange County Health Care Agency to provide health care services for documented and uninsured residents living in neighborhoods impacted by soil lead contamination

What are we doing? We shouldn't be moving forward with this because it sounds like it's a violation of California state law, SB 1000. Like, hasn't the California Attorney General's office been focused on Santa Ana, like with Becetta and now Bonta? Like, no, we shouldn't be trying to steamroll this. we should be working with community and working on creating a general plan that will last for all of us and last decades we can't just throw this forward like that if necessary feel free to

prove like the housing element of it but like please be conscious of the environmental justice concerns just like everyone else on the um who's been providing comments on the system same thank

you thank you okay mayor and members of the council that was the last um caller great thank

you madam clerk and let me go ahead and bring it back to the council but i want to just make a couple of brief comments and and i'll go ahead and um you know open it up to the rest of the members of the council. So I am not prepared to move forward with this tonight, but I am prepared to move forward. And so let me just give some history to some of the callers and some of the people who may be following this item closely. And I'm going to ask a couple of questions of you, Director Tai. And if you can tell me, how long has this general plan been before us?

Can you turn on your microphone?

My apologies. The kickoff date was in October 2015. Okay, 2015. Now we're in February 2022. So we're looking at, you know, not months, not years, but now we're, you know, we're getting into, you know, six, seven years.

Look, and how many meetings, since we were advised that we needed to engage the public more through SB1000, how many meetings have you engaged with the public?

I just want to give a quick overview. We have had hundreds of meetings with the community in general throughout this entire process. after we were notified by the attorney general of some of their recommendations concern we took an additional almost over a year to meet with the community environmental justice neighborhoods on EJ issues during the pandemic we had over 10 meetings with you some and some of the council member attending as well with the community and the series of meetings culminated in one final

in-person meeting in august when we were able to do some in person so a total of 11 meetings over the period since november of 2011. and i'm going to ask for a little since november of 2020. 2020.